Last Lesson Class XII, English (Extract) Q1. | started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scoliling, especially became. M. Hamel had said that he would question us on parnciples, and | did not know the first word about them. For a moment. I thought of runtung away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm se bright! The binds were chirping at the edge of the woods, and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but | had the strength to resist and hurried off to school. (a) List any two sensory details present in this extract (b) Why does the protagonist feel anxious about entering the classroom on this particular day? The protagonist felt anxious about entering the classroom on this particular day because he dreaded (i) M. Hamel scolding him in front of the entire class. (ii) M. Hamel beating him with his great iron ruler. (ii) relentless teasing by his classmates. (iv) being expelled from the class. (c) Complete the sentence appropriately The phrase did not know the first word" suggests that, (d) Why does the author mention the presence of the Prussian soldiers drilling at the back of the sawnmull (e) What does the sentence "I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors" indicate about Franz? (f) Which of the following headlines best suggests what happens immediately after the extract (i) Running away from school (ii) Resisting temptations (iil) The fear of M.Hamel__(iv) The love for the outdoors Ans- (a) (i) The day was warm and bright. (visual) (ii) The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods (auditory) (b) (i) M. Hamel scolding him in front of the entire class(c) Franz had no idea about participles at all. (d) As Prussia had occupied the districts of Alsace and Lorraine after defeating France in the Franco- Prussian War, the soldiers were performing a drill (e} Itindicates that Franz was like any other child of his age-not much interested in attending school (f) (ii) Resisting temptations Q2. 1 thought he was making fun of me, and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath. Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of dexks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud with our hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher's great ruler rapping on the table. But now it was all so still! | had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen, but, of course that day everything had to be as quer as Sunday morning (a) What is the writer's purpose in narrating the story through Franz, as opposed to only a writer's commentary? (b) The line, "I thought he was making fun of me" can be best classified as: (i) a fact {ii) an opinion (iii) a theme (iv) a plot point (c) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line, "But now it was all so still!" (d) Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the narrator's plans were bound to end in failure. (e) Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely figure of speech that the writer has used to describe the atmosphere in the school (i) hyperbole (ii) symbolism (iil) contrast (iv) metaphor (f) Complete the sentence with ONE word. ‘| thought he was making fun of me.’ Here, Franzis referring to Ans- (a) The narration by a young boy, Franz makes the story more realistic and poignant. (b) (ii) an opinion—_—_—_— (c) Itwas the last lesson in French language that day as German would be taught from totiwrrowwrene schools of Alsace and Lorraine (d) | had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen, but, of course that da everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning. (e) (iii) contrast (f) Wachter, the blacksmith Q3. | jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got alittle over my fright did | see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves, old Hauser with his three-cornered hat the former mayor, the former postmaster and several others besides (a) List any two examples from this extract that prove that 'Panic blinds people’. (b) What had made M. Hamel dress up in his best clothes? What was the occasion? (i) He was getting a farewell from the village elders. (ii) He had gota new job. (iil) He was honouring his mother tongue. (iv) He was going to give a speech. () Complete the sentence appropriately. The expression "the whole school seemed so strange and solemn’ suggests that (d) What does the presence of the village elders in the classroom signify for M. Hamel's work? (e) What does the expression "the village people sitting quietly like ourselves indicate? (f) Which of the following word combinations best describe the atmosphere in the school as shown in the extract? (i) Anxious and sad (ii) Afraid and horrified (iii) Humiliated and seething (iv) Enraged and aggresive Ans- (a) (i) Franz didn't notice that M. Hamel was all dressed up. (ii) He also didn't notice the village elders sitting at the back.(b) (ii) He was honouring his mother tongue. (c) everyone knew that it was the last lesson in French they were attending (d) It signifies respect for his services of teaching for forty long years. (e) Itindicates the late realisation of their love for their mother tongue and regret of not learning it (f) (i) Anxious and sad Q4. While | was wondering about it all. M. Hamel mounted his chair, and, in the same grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, said, "My children, this is the last lexxon, | shall give you. The order hus come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. | want you to be very attentive What a thunderclap these words were to me! (a) What is the writer's purpose in showing what was going in the mind of little Franz, as opposed to only a writer's commentary in the last two lines of the extract? (b) “While | was wondering about it all. M. Hamel mounted his chair." What was Franz wondering about? (i) about the Prussian soldiers drilling nearby (ii) about M. Hamel's strange behaviour (ii) about not learning participles (iv) about the villagers around the bulletin board (c) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the fact that M. Hamel mounted his chair. (d) Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the teacher M. Hamel was also suffering remorse and guilt. (e) Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely option that was a ‘thunderclap' to Franz's ears” (i) The new master comes tomorrow _ (ii) The order has come from Berlin. (iii) |want you to be very attentive. _({v) This is your last French lesson. (f) Complete the sentence with ONE word. The fact that German would be taught from the next day in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine was proof ‘that Prussia had France ‘Ans-(a) The writer's purpose is to showcase the emotional turmoil going on in the young boy's mind. (b) (i) about M. Hamel's strange behaviour (c) He wanted to hold the attention of his class for his last address. (d) M. Hamel's tone was ‘grave and gentle. (e) (iv) This is your last French lesson. (f) conquered Q5. Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more. (a) How did the villagers and the children take the learning of their mother tongue? (b) Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as 'Poor man!""? (i) M. Hamel earned a small salary (ii) He was delivering the last lesson. (iii) He had to leave the school after forty years of service. (iv) Even he will have to learn German (c) The extract clearly demonstrates that the school students in M. Hamel's school not leaming their native language could not be blamed solely only on them. Itwas a problem. (d) Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that Franz’s opinion of M. Hamel was also getting transformed. (e} What do the words ‘the country that was theirs no more indicate about the people of France? (f) Which of the following headlines best suggests the attitude of the villagers in the given extract? (i) Too little, too late (ii) Too many cooks spoil the broth (iii) Too close to call (iv) Too many chiefs and not enough Indians Ans- (a) The villagers and the children had taken the learning of their mother tongue and their own identity for granted.(b) (i) He had to leave the school after forty years of service. (c) multi-cimensional (d) The use of the words "Poor man!" show empathy and change of heart in Franz (e) France had been defeated by Germany. (f) (i) Too little, too late Q6. 1 heard M. Hamel say to me. "I won't scold you, little Franz, you must feel bad enough. See how it a Every day we have said to ourselves, ‘Bah! I've plenty of time. I'll learn it tomorrow. And now you see where we have come out. Ah, that's the great trouble with Alsace, she puts off learning till tomorros Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, How ix it you pretend to be Frenchmen and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?" But you are not the worst, poor little Franc We have all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.” (a) What is the tone of M. Hamel's speech while concluding the last lesson? (b) In the line, "I have plenty of time. | will learn it tomorrow." what trait of the French people reflected? (i) Time management skills (ii) Level of self-confidence (iil) Critical thinking skills (iv) The habit of procrastination (c) Explain what the author wishes to emphasise through the sentence. "How is it, you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?" (d) Identify the line from the text that bears evidence of the fact that M. Hamel is reproving everyone for the problem under discussion. (e) Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely one that stands for ‘those fellows’ in the lines above. (i) The Germans (ii) The officials of the local government. (iii) The new masters (iv) The parents of the children (f) Complete the sentence appropriately. M. Hamel says to Franz, "| won't scold you, little Franz, you must feel bad enough. Franz already felt bad enough about Ans- (a) M. Hame!'s tone is filled with regret and sadness. (b) {iv) The habit of procrastination(c) The author wishes to emphasise that our native tongue gives us our unique identity (d) "We have all a great deal to reproach ourselves with" (e) (i) the Germans (f) not learning participles Q7. M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world-the clearest, the most logical, that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison Then he opened a grammar book and read us our lesson. | was amazed to see how well | understood it. All he said seemed so easy, to easy! (a) What is the writer's purpose in using the phrase 'the key to their prison? (b) The line, "It was the most beautiful language in the world-the clearest, the most logical" can be best classified as: (i) a fact (i) an opinion (iii)atheme —_ (iv) a plot point (c) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line, All he said seemed so easy, so easy!". (d) Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that a community or people's language is their identity. (e) Based on the context provided in the extract, which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel's declaration about the French language? (i) Patriotic magnification (ii) Subject expertise (ii) Nostalgic pride (iv) Factual accuracy (f) Complete the sentence with a word or two. The central theme of the story highlights the fact that sometimes even the most in our lives are taken for granted by us. Ans- (a) The writer has used metaphors to compare knowing one's native language to a key and prison to the loss of freedom. (b) (ii) an opinion(c) Franz was now more open and responsive so, he found grammar easy to understand. (d) We must guard it among us and never forget it." (e) (i) Patriotic magnification (f) precious things Q8. was amazed to see how well | understood it All he said seemed so easy, so easy! | think, too, that Thad never listened so carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away and to put it all into our heads at one stroke. (a) In what way does the story being told as a first-person narrative of Franz impact your reading and understanding of the story? (b) Select the option that does NOT explain why Franz found the grammar lesson "easy". (i) Franz was paying careful attention in class this time. (ii) M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his teaching. (ii) Franz realised that French was the clearest and most logical language. (iv) Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose to learning. (c) Complete the statement appropriately A shortcoming of M. Hamel that comes to the fore after reading the extract is his (d) Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that M. Hamel was exasperated and desperate. (e) What does the idiom "at one stroke mean"? (i) Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he was (i) appreciative of his mother tongue for the first time (ii) he was in an introspective mood. (ii) he was feeling competitive at last. (iv) he was receptive in the class for a change Ans- (a) The story of awakening and national and linguistic identity of a people leaves a deeper impact because itis told through the eyes of a young, naive, and innocent Franz(b) (ii) Franz realised that French was the clearest and most logical language (c) lack of patience. (d) “the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away, and to put it all into our heads at one stroke." (e) asingle action that happens suddenly and completely. (f) (iv) he was receptive in the class for a change. Q9. But he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last. After the writing, we had a lesson in histor and then the babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo bu. Down there at the back of the room old Hauser had put on his spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands, spelled the letters with them. You could me that he, too, was crying, his voice trembled with emotion, and it was so funny to hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. Ah, how well remember it, that last lesson! (a) List any two sensory details present in this extract (b) What qualities of M. Hamel come to the forefront during the Last Lesson? (i) cranky, miserable, dedicated, resigned (ii) patient, dignified, emotional, courageous (iii) calm, nostalgic, disappointed, patriotic (v) proud, reproachful, persistent, heroic (c) Complete the sentence about Old Hauser appropriately. The phrase that his voice trembled with emotion" suggests that . (d) Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that the atmosphere in the class was bitter sweet. (e) What do the words Old Hauser ‘spelled the letters with the babies' indicate” Ans- (a) (i) 'The babies chanted their ba, be, bi, bo, bu' (auditory). ‘Old Hauser had put on his spectacles and, holding his primer in both hands" (visual) (b) (ii) patient, dignified, emotional, courageous (c) he was overcome with remorse and patriotic feelings.(d) It was so funny to hear him that we all wanted to laugh and cry. (e) Even adults didn't know how to read or write their mother tongue.