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The Last Lesson Extra Questions and Answers Important Questions Class 12 English Flamingo
The Last Lesson Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type
The Last Lesson Extract Based Questions Class 12 Question 1.
Why did Franz not go to school that day?
Answer:
Franz had started very late for school on that day. He had also not learnt the rules for the participles and M.Hamel was going to ask questions on participles. He was dread of M.Hamel’s scolding. Therefore Franz didn’t want to go to school on that day.
The Last Lesson Question Answers Class 12 Question 2.
What sights did Franz see on his way to school?
Answer:
On his way to school, Franz found that the day was warm and bright. The birds were chirping at the edge of woods; and in the open woods, the Prussian soldiers were drilling. When he passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board. Franz wondered what the matter could be. But he didn’t stop to read it.
The Last Lesson Extra Questions Class 12 Question 3.
What tempted Franz to stay away from school?
Answer:
The day was bright and warm. The Prussian soldiers were drilling in the woods. The birds were chirping and M.Hafnel was going to ask questions on participles and Franz had not learnt anything about it. Franz was dreaded of his scolding. All this tempted Franz to stay away from school.
The Last Lesson Important Questions Class 12 Question 4.
What had been put up on the bulletin board?
Answer:
A war was going on between France and Prussia. The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had fallen into the hands of Prussia. The teaching and studying of French had been banned in these districts. The notice for the same had been put up on the bulletin board.
The Last Lesson Short Question Answer Class 12 Question 5.
What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?
Answer:
On that day there was no noise outside the class. Then he saw that M.Hamel was wearing his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and the little black coat. He wore this dress on inspection and prize distribution days. Then he saw the elderly people sitting on the back desks. All these sights wondered Franz.
The Last Lesson Question Answer Class 12 Question 6.
What usual noises could be heard in the street when the school began ? How was the scene in the school in the morning of the last lesson different from that on other days?
Answer:
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard in the street. There would be noise of opening and closing of desks and the lessons repeated in a loud voice. But on that particular day it was all very quiet. It was as quiet as Sunday morning.
The Last Lesson Class 12 Extra Questions Question 7.
Why were some elderly persons occupying the back benches that day? (2017 Delhi)
Answer:
The French districts of Alsace and Lorraine had-fallen into the hands of Prussians. The studying and teaching of French had been banned there. M.Hamel was a teacher of the French language. He had been teaching in that school for the last forty years. Next morning he was leaving the school for good. Therefore, the old men were sitting on the back benches. It was their way of thanking M.Hamel for his faithful service.
The Last Lesson Class 12 Questions And Answers Question 8.
Who were the elderly persons sitting at the back benches ?
Answer:
The elderly persons sitting at the back benches were the old Hauser who was wearing his three cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides. Everybody was looking sad. Hauser had brought an old primer and he held it open on his knees with his spectacles lying across the pages.
The Last Lesson Questions And Answers Class 12 Question 9.
“What a thunderclap these words were to me!” What were those words and what was their effect on Franz?
Answer:
M.Hamel announced in the class that was his last class. The orders from Berlin had come to teach the German language in Alsace and Lorraine. These words came as a thunderclap to Franz. Now he started liking his books and M.Hamel in spite of his cranky nature.
The Last Lesson Very Short Question Answers Class 12 Question 10.
How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last lesson?
Answer:
These words were like a thunderclap to Franz. He hardly knew reading and writing French. He used to waste his time on useless activities. He always considered his books a nuisance. Now he thought they were his best friends whom he couldn’t leave.
The Last Lesson Question And Answer Class 12 Question 11.
What had the narrator counted on to enter the school?
Answer:
Usually, when the school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard in the street. There would be noise of opening and closing of desks and the lessons repeated in a loud voice, the teacher’s ruler would be rapping on the table. The narrator had counted on the commotion to get on his seat.
Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 Extra Questions Question 12.
What was the mood in the classroom when M.Hamel gave his last French lesson?
Answer:
The mood in the classroom was that of sadness. There was a pin drop silence in the class. Even the old people of the village had come to attend the class. They had come there to thank M.Hamel for his forty years of service.
The Last Lesson Extra Question Answer Class 12 Question 13.
How were the parents and M.Hamel responsible for the children’s neglect of the French language?
Answer:
Not only the children themselves but also their par-ents and M.Hamel were to some extent responsible for the children’s neglect of the French language. The parents would send their children to work on a farm or at a mill so that they could get some extra money. M. Hamel would often ask them to water his plants instead of teaching them. And when he wanted to go fishing, he would give them a holiday.
Extra Questions Of The Last Lesson Class 12 Question 14.
What did M.Hamel ask Franz to recite and how did Franz fare in it?
Answer:
M. Hamel asked Franz to recite the rules on participles. He wanted to recite it without any mistakes. But he mixed up on the very first words and stood there, holding on to his desk. His heart was beating and he didn’t dare to look up.
Last Lesson Question Answers Class 12 Question 15.
What happened when Franz heard his name called?
Answer:
Franz heard his name called. It was his turn to recite the rules for participles. But Franz had not learnt those. But he wanted that he could recite it in a clear and loud voice. But he got mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to his desk, his heart was beating, and he dared not look up.
Question 16.
What was the trouble with the people of Alsace according to M. Hamel ? Now what, he thought, would give the Germans to mock at them?
Answer:
According to M.Hamel, the people of Alsace used to shirk work. They often thought they had plenty of time. But now due to this attitude, they couldn’t learn their language any more. He said now the Germans would mock at them saying that they pretended to be the French. They couldn’t even speak or write their language.
Question 17.
What does M.Hamel say about the French language?
Answer:
M.Hamel says that French is the most beautiful language in the world the clearest, the most logical. He asks his students to guard their language and never forget it. According to him when people are enslaved, they have the key to their prison as long as they hold fast to their language.
Question 18.
What did M.Hamel teach his students on the last day of school?
Answer:
First of all, he taught his students grammar. After grammar, the students had a lesson in writing. Each student was given a new notebook. On each note-book, the words ‘France, Alsace, France, Alsace’ were written in beautiful handwriting. After the writing, the children had a lesson in history.
Question 19.
Franz was able to understand everything that day. Why?
Answer:
On that day Franz was able to understand quite well. All that M.Hamel said seemed to him so easy. Franz thought he had never listened so carefully and also M. Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience.
Question 20.
What happened when the clock struck twelve?
Answer:
When the clock struck twelve, the sound of Angelus (a prayer) could be heard. At the same moment, the trumpets of the Prussians returning from drill, sounded the windows. M.Hamel got up and wrote on the blackboard in very large letters ‘Long Live France!’.
Question 21.
What did M.Hamel do when the church-clock struck twelve?
Answer:
M. Hamel now knew it was the time to dismiss the school. He stood up. He was looking very pale. He wanted to say something but he was so full of emotions that he couldn’t speak anything. He took a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard‘Long Live France!’
Question 22.
What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer:
He was expected to be prepared with rule of participles on that day.
Question 23.
What did Franz notice that was unusual?
Answer:
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street. The opening and closing of desks could be heard and the children repeating their lesson in unison. But on that day, it was as quiet as Sunday morning.
Question 24.
What had been put on the bulletin board?
Answer:
On the bulletin board, it was put from the next day only the German language would be taught in the schools of Alsace. The teaching of French was totally banned and the teachers teaching French were asked to leave the place.
Question 25.
What changes did the orders from Beilin cause in school that day?
Answer:
Due to the orders from Berlin there was complete silence everywhere in the village school. Even the old people of the village had come there to thank M.Hamel for his faithful service of forty years.
Question 26.
How did Franz’s feelings about M.Hamel and school change?
Answer:
Franz always hated M. Hamel because he would often scold him and give him corporal punishment also. He didn’t like his school also. But now his feelings about M. Hamel and his school completely changed. He felt sorry for M.Hamel that now he had to leave the place where he had spent forty years.
Question 27.
The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer:
This story is set in the year 1870 in Alsace district of France. In the FrancoPrussian war (1870-71)France was defeated by Prussia and the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine went into the hands of Prussia. The Prussians there banned the teaching and study ing of the French language. The people of the village caine to attend the Last lesson by M.Hamel who had been teaching French there for the last forty years. In this way they pay their respect to their language French and also to their teacher MHamel.
Question 28.
Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” what does this mean?
Answer:
This means that Prussians may thrust their language on the French people. They can also ban the studying and teaching of French. But they can never take away from them their love for the French language.
The Last Lesson Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Write the substance of this lesson.
Answer:
This lesson teaches us two very important values of life. First, a person should have knowledge of his language and culture and second, he should never shirk his work. Franz is a young school going boy. But he hates his school and teacher. He doesn’t have . knowledge of even his mother tongue-French. His teacher M.Hamel would often scold him and punish him for not doing his homework, but all in vain.
And when the Prussians invade their country and ban the teaching and studying of the French language, Franz comes to know the value of his language. He curses himself for not learning his language. M.Hamel thinks most of the people of his village shirk work. They think they have plenty of time to do any work. The students often put off learning till tomorrow. According to M.Hamel when people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they have the key to their prison. In this way it is M.Hamel brings to light the values of life that this story teaches us.
Question 2.
What changes did Franz find in school when the orders from Berlin came?
Answer:
The teaching and studying of the French language was banned in Alsace and Lorraine districts of France according to the orders from Berlin. Now Franz found that the whole atmosphere of the school was changed. Usually, when the school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street. The opening and closing of the desks could be heard.
The children would repeat their lessons loudly in unison, and the teacher could be seen rapping his ruler on the table. But now it was quite still. That day everything was as quiet as on Sunday morning. M.Hamel was wearing his best dress that he never wore except on inspection and prize days. But the most surprising thing for Franz was that the old people of village were sitting on back benches.
Question 3.
What did M.Hamel tell the class before starting his lesson? What effect did it have on Franz?
Answer:
M.Hamel told his students that it was the last lesson he was going to give the children. The orders had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. He further said that the new teacher would come the next day. He wanted his students to be very attentive.
These words were like a thunderclap to Franz. It was going to be his last French lesson. But he hardly knew how to write it. Also, he would not be able to learn it any more. He was feeling sorry for not learning his lessons. His books that seemed such a nuisance to him were now his old friends that he could not give up. The idea that M.Hamel was going away for good made him forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.
Question 4.
What did M. Hamel ask Franz to recite and what was the result? How did 1VL Hamel react to it?
Answer:
M. Hamel asked Franz to recite the rule for participles. But Franz hadn’t learnt it. However, he wished he could recite the rule in a loud and clear voice, and without mistake. But he got mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to his desk and not looking up.
M.Hamel told him that he would not scold him. He further said his parents and he himself was responsible to some extent for all that. His parents were anxious to put him to some work to have some money and he would give his students a holiday when he wanted to go for fishing and sometimes instead of teaching, he would ask them to water his plants.
Question 5.
Give a brief character-sketch of M.Hamel.
Answer:
M.Hamel was a teacher of the French language in a village of Alsace district of France. He had been teaching French for the last forty years in that village. Everyone in the village had a great respect for him. His students thought he was cranky, but we didn’t find him cranky in any part of this story.
He was very honest. When Franz failed to recite the rule for participles, he blamed himself for giving children unnecessary holidays.
He had great passion for his subject. He knew that it was now the last day of his school and he had to leave the district the next day for good. Even then he taught his students so well that they understood everything he had taught.
He had great love for the French language. He called it the most beautiful, the clearest and the most logical language of the world. Indeed M.Hamel was a. great patriot.
Question 6.
Our native language is a part of culture and we are proud of it. How does the presence of village elders in the classroom and M.Hamel’s last lesson show their love for French?
Answer:
According to Hindi poet Methlisharan Gupt . The person who does not take pride in his language, culture and nation is like an animal and he is like a dead person. Every community has a natural attachment to its culture and language. It is our native language that we naturally learn from the lap of our mother . We can communicate in our native language more effectively and proficiently than in some other foreign language.
In this story, the Prussians invaded the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine. They banned the teaching and studying of the French language in these districts. All the teachers of the French language were asked to leave the districts of Alsace and Lorraine. M.Hamel is a teacher of the French language in a village in the district of Alsace. He had been teaching in a school the French language for the last forty years. The next day, he was leaving the village and school for good.
The elderly persons sitting at the back benches were the old Hauser who was wearing his three cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others. Everybody was looking sad. Hauser had brought an old primer and he held it open on his knees with his spectacles lying across the pages. All these elderly persons had come to the school to pay their tribute to the selfless service of M.Hamel for forty years.
Question 7.
Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Explain ‘linguistic chauvinism’:
Answer:
‘Linguistic chauvinism’ is a feeling of strong dislike or hatred that seduces person to believe that his language is better than others in every term. This wrong belief leads a person, a race and even a country to dislike the language of others. Powerful nations want to impose their languages onto the weaker nations. As language is the sole preserver of history, culture and arts of any nation or society, therefore attack comes first on language. To defend their act of linguistic aggression, powerful ones air the theory of linguistic unity. But their hidden sinister motive is not to bring unity and winning over others as friends.
They just want to display their superiority complex and bring disintegration and friction among different communities. The linguistic community whose language is under threat mounts a strong challenge to preserve their own language. But it should be kept in mind that every language 1 has its own beauty and we should be ready to em-brace other languages also. Linguistic chauvinism means taking too much pride in one’s language and hatred towards the others’ languages. It should be discouraged in every possible way.
Question 8.
What do you think is the theme of the story ‘The Last Lesson’? What is the reason behind its universal appeal?
Answer:
Though the story discussed is located in a particular village of Alsace district of France which had passed into Prussian hands; the story definitely has a universal appeal. It highlights the invader’s desire to thrust forcefully his language and culture on the’ subjugated community and taking away their language and also their identity. Taking away . mother tongue and forcing others to accept a foreign tongue is the first step of any colonial aggression.
To resist any such advancement, one needs to embrace his own language firmly. M. Hamel, the French teacher of the school while giving his last lesson to the class advises them to love their language and keep it alive. He says that when the people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
The Prussians has banned the teaching and studying of French but they can never take away the love for the French language from the people. In this way the French people can retain their identity even before such constant pressure from new rulers. The theme definitely does not remain confined to the classroom of a school in Alsace district; rather it gathers a universal significance; as a roadmap to counter foreign aggression.
Question 9.
Everybody during the last lesson is filled with regret. Comment.
Answer:
In the year 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine fell into the hands of Prussians. They harmed the teaching and studying of the French language in these districts. All the teachers of the French language were ordered to leave these districts. M.Hamel is one such teacher who teaches French in one of the villages of Alsace district. He has to leave his village the next day for good. Now he is delivering his last lesson of the French language.
Not only the students but also the village elders have come to attend the last class of French. Everybody in the class is full of regret. M.Hamel blames himself for giving too much holidays to his students and in this way not teaching them properly. The students like Franz blames themselves not learning their language properly. The village elders are also full of regret. They have not learnt their language prop¬erly when they were young. Now they have come there to pay their tribute to M.Hamel’s for forty years of selfless service.
Question 10.
The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them? What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer:
The people in this story didn’t take the study of their language seriously. They always used to think that they have ample time to learn their language. But in the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine came into the hands of Prussians. They imposed a ban on the teaching and studying of French. They ordered all the teachers of the French languages to leave these districts. They wanted that the people there study only the Ger¬man language.
Now the people in the story realise how precious their language is to them. Now they regret that they haven’t learnt their language well. They realise that they can’t no more learn their language. M.Hamel is a teacher of the French language in of the villages of Alsace. He is delivering his last lesson of the French language. Not only the students but also the elders of the village come there to attend his class. It shows the people’s love for their language.
The Last Lesson Extra Questions and Answers Extract Based
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow :
(Para 1)
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, 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! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning.
Questions :
(a) What was the great bustle when school began usually?
(b) What do you understand by ‘Counted on the commotion?
(c) What was the scene of the classroom that day?
(d) Name the chapter and the writer.
Answers:
(a) When school began usually, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud and teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table.
(b) Counted on the commotion’ means getting an advantage of hubbub, various heavy noises : disturbances spread out there.
(c) That day, there was no noise in the classroom, everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning.
(d) The chapter is ‘The Last Lesson’ written by ‘Alphonse Daudet’.
(Para 2)
My last French lesson ! Why, I hardly knew how to write ! I should never learn any more ! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. \
Questions :
(a) How did Franz come to know that it was his last French lesson ?
(b) What did Franz usually do in place of learning his lessons ?
(c) Whom did Franz not give up then ?
(d) What feelings were appeared in Franz’s heart about M. Hamel ?
Answers:
(a) M. Hamel himself announced, “My Children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.” In this way, Franz came to know that it was his last French lesson.
(b) Franz usually went for seeking birds’ eggs or going sliding on the Saar ! Thus, he used to waste his time in place of learning his lessons.
(c) Franz couldn’t give up then his books, his grammar and his history of the saints. These were his old friends then after the announcement.
(d) Franz became very sad thinking that he should never see him again, he was going away. This made him forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was.
(Para 3)
Then, from one thing to another,’ 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 and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy !
Questions:
(a) What did M. Hamel say about the French language ?
(b) What advise did M. Hamel give about the language ?
(c) ‘Key to their prison’, explain the phrase.
(d) Why Franz was amazed to see how well he understood.it ?
Answers:
(a) M. Hamel told about the French language 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.
(b) M. Hamel advised to guard the language 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.
(c) ‘Key to their prison’ means ‘an escape from the sla very/boundation’. This was referred by M. Hamel to the villagers.
(d) Franz was amazed to see how well he understood it because before that day, he was unable to understand anything regarding studies, actually he was careless then.
(Para 4)
All at once the churchclock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prassians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows. Mi Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair. I never saw him look so tall. “My friends”, said he, “I—I—” But something choked him. He could not go on.
Questions :
(a) What is an ‘Angelus’ ?
(b) What did Franz listen under their windows ?
(c) ‘I never saw him look so tali’. What does this mean ?
(d) Why M. Hamel couldn’t speak ? What choked him ?
Answers :
(a) An ‘Angelus’ is a Catholic denotion/prayers memorializing the incarnation. (Prayer for the honour of the God).
(b) Franz noticed the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from the drill, sounded under their windows.
(c) ‘I never saw him look so tall’ means that Franz never saw M. Hamel so tired, depressed and disappointed. He (M. Hamel) was looking very pale and apathetic and lifeless.
(d) M. Hamel couldn’t speak due to extensive sorrow and the wheeze (cough) choked his throat as he was internally agonized.