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Chapter 1: The Last Lesson: AHSEC HS Class 12: Important Questions-Answers

HS Exam Questions, AHSEC HS Class 12

Part I

Very Short Type Questions: 1 Mark

1. "I started for school very late that morning". -Who is the 'I' here?
HS 2012

Ans: Franz is the 'I' here.

2. What did M. Hamel do when he wanted to go fishing?
HS 2013

Ans: M. Hamel gave the students a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing.

3. What did M. Hamel write at the end of the class?
HS 2015

Ans: He wrote "Vive La France!" meaning "Long Live France!" on the blackboard at the end of the class.

4. "I started for school very late that morning". -Who is the 'I' here?
HS 2016

Ans: Franz is the 'I' here.

5. What did Franz think 'for a moment'? HS 2016

Ans: For a moment, Franz thought of running away and spending the day out of doors.

6. What was written in the new copies brought by M. Hamel for the students in a beautiful round hand?
HS 2017

Ans: 'France, Alsace, France, Alsace' was written in a beautiful round hand in the new copies.

7. What is the name of the blacksmith in "The Last Lesson"?
HS 2018

Ans: The name of the blacksmith in "The Last Lesson" was Wachter.

8. What is the 'great trouble with Alsace'?
HS 2018

Ans: The 'great trouble with Alsace' was that her people always put off learning till the next day.

9. What is the name of the river mentioned in "The Last Lesson"?
HS 2019

Ans: The name of the river is the Saar.

10. What, according to M. Hamel, is the great trouble with Alsace?
HS 2020

Ans: The great trouble with Alsace was that its people always put off learning till the next day.





Part II

Short Type Questions: 2/3 Marks

1. Why did Little Franz want to spend his day out of doors?
HS 2012

Ans: Little Franz wanted to avoid school that day for two reasons. First he was late for school and afraid of a scolding from the teacher. Secondly, the teacher was supposed to ask them questions on participles that day. He did not know anything about participles. Moreover he found the beautiful nature more tempting than the lessons.

2. What are M. Hamel's views about the French language?
HS 2012

Ans: M. Hamel opined that French was the most beautiful, the clearest and the most logical language in the world. They should guard it among them and never forget it.

3. What was the commotion that Franz anticipated in the classroom?
HS 2013

Ans: Franz anticipated the usual bustle which was caused by the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison and the teacher's great ruler rapping on the table.

4. What did M Hamel say about the French language?
HS 2013

Ans: See Q. 2, Part II Above.

5. Why was the lesson called the last lesson?
HS 2014

Ans: The order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master would come the next day. M. Hamel was going to impart the last lesson on French to the students. So this lesson was called the last lesson.

6. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
HS 2014

Ans: The news that the order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine from the next day was put up on the bulletin-board. 

7. What did M Hamel say about the French language?
HS 2015

Ans: See Q. 2, Part II Above.

8. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
HS 2015

Ans: Franz was expected to be prepared with lessons on participles for school that day as M. Hamel was supposed to question them on participles that day.

9. Why did Franz want to spend his day out of doors?
HS 2016

Ans: See Q. 1, Part II Above.

10. What are M. Hamel's views about the French language?
HS 2016

Ans: See Q. 2, Part II Above.

11. Why did M. Hamel not blame Franz alone for his inability to learn?
HS 2017

Ans: M. Hamel did not blame Franz alone for his inability to learn. M. Hamel pointed out that the parents were also responsible. They were not anxious enough to have their children learn. Instead they wanted to put their children to work. He also pointed out his own faults. He had often sent them to water his flowers. He also gave them a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing.

12. Why did Franz want to spend his day out of doors?
HS 2017

Ans: See Q. 1, Part II.

13. ''Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?" What does this sentence suggest?
HS 2018

Ans: The sentence suggests the deep frustration in Little Franz. Little Franz too understood the seriousness of the situation. Due to the hostility of the Germans towards France, he would no longer be able to learn his own language. His heart was filled with profound love for his own language.

14. What words did M. Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean?
HS 2019

Ans: He wrote ''Vive La France!'' on the blackboard before dismissing the last class.

The words meant "Long live France!".

15. What would Franz love to do on that sunny morning instead of going to school?
HS 2019

Ans: He would love to spend the day out of doors. He would love to seek birds' eggs, or go sliding on the Saar on that sunny morning instead of going to school.

16. Why did Watcher, the blacksmith, tell Franz that he would reach school in 'plenty of time'?
HS 2020

Ans: Watcher, the blacksmith was reading the news bulletin. He understood that school would begin a little late under the present circumstances and would perhaps continue longer than usual. So he told Franz that he would reach school in 'plenty of time'.





Part III

Essay Type Questions: 5 Marks

1. What was the order from Berlin? How did that order affect the people of Alsace, particularly M. Hamel and his students?
HS 2012

Ans: The order from Berlin was that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine from the next day. The new teacher would come the next day. Their native language French would no longer be taught.

The order greatly hurt the people of Alsace and Lorraine. M. Hamel explained the causes of the students' inability to learn their own language. He blamed the students, the parents and even himself. He then began imparting lessons on French. He wanted to teach his students everything he knew at one stroke in the last lesson. The students too were attentive and could understand the lessons.

Everyone in the class turned very emotional. M. Hamel's voice too trembled with emotion. The old men of the village also gathered in the back of the room to show their respect for the teacher, the language and the country.

2. Describe the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson.
HS 2013

Ans: Franz noticed mainly three unusual things on the day of the last lesson.

 (i) The usual sounds of the opening and closing of the desks, of the lessons repeated in unison and of the teacher's great ruler rapping on the table were not heard. Everything was as quiet as Sunday morning.

 (ii) M. Hamel was wearing his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap that he usually wore on inspection and prize days.

 (iii) The village people were sitting quietly in the back of the room. 

3. Give a detailed account of the scene in the classroom on the day of the last lesson.
HS 2015

Ans: Everything was as quiet as Sunday morning on the day of the last lesson. M. Hamel was wearing his best dress which he usually wore on special days. The village people also gathered and sat quietly on the back benches. M. Hamel blamed the parents, the students and even himself for neglecting the French language so long. He also spoke on the extraordinary quality of the French language. He tried to impart all knowledge he had to the students at one stroke in the last lesson. All were emotional. M. Hame's voice too trembled with emotion.

4. Draw a character sketch of M. Hamel as it is shown in 'The Last Lesson'.
HS 2016

Ans: Alphonse Daudet presents M. Hamel as an exemplary teacher in the following ways:

He was not only very strict but also soft and kind-hearted as a teacher. Franz was afraid of a scolding. But on the day of the last lesson, M. Hamel did not scold him. He was very kind. 

He was also aware of his faults and responsibilities as a teacher. He blamed the parents, the students and even himself for neglecting their lessons.

He was also a patriot. His argument in favour of the French language proved this. He eulogised French as the most beautiful and most logical language and urged the students to preserve it among them.

5. Describe the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson.
HS 2017

Ans: See Q. 2, Part III Above.

6. How does M. Hamel make the people realize how they, the students and he have been responsible for not learning their language well?
HS 2020

Ans: M. Hamel spoke on the faults of the people of Alsace. They always put off  learning till the next day. They were never serious in learning their own language. He also blamed the parents. They were not anxious to have their children learn. They always preferred to put them to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. He even blamed himself. He often sent the students to water his flowers instead of learning their lessons. He also gave them a holiday whenever he wanted to go fishing.

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