StTesson very well.

TIrLE
The story recounts the last
aken over Alsace and the French lesson taken by Professor M. Hamel, for
order the people of Alsace.
Cerman. The lesson is acomplex from Berlin stated that French lessons
study of human emotions in the would be suspended and Prussians haa
tn teach French to the
Alsatians; the regret wake of the crisis. The last effortssubstituted
of
by
learnt their mother tongue while of the Alsatians - from the voungest to the M. Hamel
rOom together make The Last there was still time; and the reverberating patriotic oldest - of not having
Lesson amemorable and serntiments in the old school
life. heart-rending story, replete with significant
messages Or
THEME
Importance of education/ knowledge of mother
Linguistic chauvinism - superiority of one tongue
Procrastination and its language over others
consequences
" Language provides cultural identity

MAIN CHARACTERS
M. Hamel, the protagonist sincere and dedicated French teacher " passionate educator
" advised people to hold on to their mother tongue "
strict
disciplinarian " patriotic " emotional
Franz, the narrator " sensitive and honest observarnt and reflective doesn't enjoy
studies realises his mistake of procrastinating " regretful
understands M. Hamel and accepts him with his flaws " angry at
the Prussians for forcing German language

QUESTIONS ANSWERSIII
RTC Read the extractsgiven below and answer the questions that follow:
1. "Istarted for school verylate that morning and was in (b) he thought of spending the day out of
great dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel doors.
had said that he would question us on pacticiples, and I (c) he did not prepare for the test.
did not know the first word about them. ....... the (d) All of these.
su1Prussian soldiers were drilling." (iii) The warm and bright day, chirping of birds
a(i) Who is I' in the above lines? and drilling by Prussian soldiers were
(a) Alphonse Daudet (b) Franz for Franz.
(c) M. Hamel (d) Old Hauser (a) repulsive (b) revolting
(ii) He' dread of a scolding because: (c) disenchanting (d) tempting
(a) he thought of running away.
 (iv) In the above extract 'the presence of (vi) Which of the following best
Prussian soldiers in a French town' quality of Franz at the moment?capture .
indicates (a) Reproachful (b) Observant
(v) In which of the following sentences has (c) Cheerful (d) Dedicated
the word 'drilling been used in the same 3. What a thunderclap these words to me!
context as in the above extract?
were old friends now that I could not give up."
(a) They were drilling through solid rocks. () Who is 'me' in the above lines?
(b) They are drilling for oil off the Irish (a) Franz (b) [Link]
Coast.
(c) The sergeant was drilling the new (c) The old Hauser (d) The blacksmith
recruits. (ii) "What a thunderclap these words were
to
me!"-These words suggest to the
(d) Extensive exploration was carried out that:
speaker
using the latest drilling technology. (a) this was his last French lesson
(vi) It can be assessed from the given extract (b) this was his last German lesson.
that Franz:
(c) histeacher M. Hamel was retiring.
(a) was disrespectful towards M. Hamel. (d) anew teacher would come to teach
(b) was indifferent towards M. Hamel.
(c) was afraid of M. Hamel. French grammar.
(iii) "I hardly knew how to write!" Select the
(d) had started to like M. Hamel.
appropriate reason for the given statement:
2. "Usually when school began, there was a great bustle, (a) He' disliked his teacher M. Hamel.
that day everything had to be quiet as Sunday (b) He' spent his days outdoors dail.
morning." (c) He' was not keen to learn his mother
(i) Who is the author of the above extract? tongue.
(a) Louis Fischer (d) He was keen to learn German language.
(b) Selma Lagerlof (iv) What had been put up at the town hall?
(c) A.R. Barton (a) An order from Berlin to teach only
(d) Alphonse Daudet German in the schools of Alsace and
(ii) Complete the following sentence: Lorraine.
The kind of commotion being referred to (b) An order from Alsace to teach only
here is German in the schools of Lorraine.
(iii) "But now it was all so still." Here "it' refers (c) An order from Berlin to teach French in
to: the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
(a) the district of Alsace (a) An order to capture the districts of
(b) the district of Lorraine Alsace and Lorraine.
(c) the school of Franz (v) Describe the mood of the speaker in one
(d) the bulletin-board at the town hall. word.
noise (vi) The synonym for 'infliction' as used in the
(iv) There was usually great bustle and
when the school began, but it was all very above extract is
quiet. 4. "Inever sawhim so tall.
Which of the following describes Franz's My friend," said he, "I-I" But something choked hm
emotions most accurately?
"school is dismissed-you may g0.
(a) shock and awe
(i) "I never saw himn look so tall". Which of the
(b) disappointment and anxiety following best captures M. Hamel on the
(c) confusion and distress last day of school?
(d) curiosity and uncertainty (a) cranky, miserable, dedicated, resigned
(v) Complete the sentence appropriately: (b) patient, dignified, emotional, courageou
desk without being
'He' wanted to get to his (c) calm, nostalgic, disappointed, patriotic
seen because
(d) proud, reproachful, persistent, heroIC
 t wHe could not go on." Select the appropriate raise a
reason for given statement: (iii) Cho0se the option that might "faithful
Hamel's
(a) He was too emotional to speak. question about M.
service"
(b) He was too tired to speak. (a) When Franz came late, M.
Hamel told
(c) He wanted to dismiss the schoolearly. class
him that he was about to begin the
(d) He was restricted by the Prussian without him.
soldiers. Hamel
(b) Franz mentioned how cranky M.
(Hi) Why did M. Hamel write Vive La France' was and his "great ruler rapping on the
on the board? table".
(a) As a mark of protest (c) M. Hamel often sent students to water
(b) In lieu of the homework his flowers, and gave a holiday when he
(c) As a sign of solidarity with country wanted to go for fishing
(d) M. Hamel permitted villagers put their
(d) Because it was a French class childrern "to work on a farm or at the
(iv) List the people who are being referred to as mills" for some extra money.
"My friends"-by M. Hamel.
(iv) Choose the option that most appropriately
following
(v) The antonym for 'retained as used in the flls in the blanks, for the
above extract is:
description of the given extract
(a) choked sat in
The villagers and their childrern
master
(b) leaned class, forging with their old
(c) dismnissed a (i) togetherness. In
that moment, the classroom stood
(ii)
(d) stopped
.. It was France itself, and the
(vi) Identify the textual clue that allows the
reader to infer that M. Hamel was patriotic. last French lesson a desperate hope to (i)
to the remnants of what they
5. Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had had known and taken forgranted. Their own
put on his fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood (iv)
why the old men of the village were sitting there in the (a) (i) graceful; (ii)still; (ii) hang on; (iv)
back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, country
that they had not gone to school more. It was their way (b) (i)bygone; (ii) up; (ii) keep on; (iv)
of faithful
of thanking our master for his forty yearscountry education
service and of showing their respectfor the that (c) (i)beautiful; (ii) mesmerised; (iii) carry
was theirs nomore. (CBSE [Link])
on;
M. Hamel as
(i) Why does the narrator refer to (iv) unity
a 'Poor man!? (d) (1) forgotten; (ii) transformed; (iüi) hold
Hamel as he had
(a) Heempathizes with M. on; (iv) identity
to leave the village.
Hamel's "fine
(v) Complete the following sentence:
(b) He believes that M.
that he The villagers had gathered in the school
Sunday clothes" clearly reflected because
for M.
was not rich. (vi) Identify the tone of the speaker
[Link] as it was his
(c) He feels sorry for Hamel.
last French lesson. language,
patriotism 6. M. Hamel went on to talk of the French
(d) He thinks that M. Hamel's poverty. saying that it was the most beautiful
language in the
and sense of duty resulted in his world-the clearest, the most logical; that
we must
idioms might forget it, because when
(ii) Which of the following attending the guard it among uS and never their
hold fast to
describe the villagers' act
of apeople are enslaved, as long as theytheir prison. Then
last lesson most accurately? language it is as if they had the key to lesson. I
read us our
(a) Too good to miss' he opened a grammar book and
understood it. All he said
was amazed to see how wellI
(b) "Too little, too late' (CBSE [Link])
spoil the broth' seemed so easy, so easy!
(c) "Too many cooks
(d) Too cool for school'
(i) Which of the (b) Option (ii)
following title can be
attributed to M., Hamel's on the basis of his
(a) Option(i)
(d) Option (iv)
(c) Option (ii)
declaration about the French language? well I
(a) subject expertise (iii) "I was amazed to see how
it."
understo0d
(b) nostalgic pride the option that
does NOT
explain
(c) factual accuracy why Franz found
the grammar
(d) patriotic magnification
lesson
"easy".
(ii) Read the quotes given below. (a) Franz was paying careful attention in
Choose the option that might best describe class thistime.
M. Hamel's viewpoint (b) M. Hamel was being extremely patient
(i) Those who know nothing of foreign and calm in his teaching.
languages know nothing of their own. (c) Franz was inspired and had found a ne.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe meaning and purpose to learning.
(1) Language is the road map of a culture. (d) Franz had realized that French was .
It tells you where its people come from clearest and most logical language.
and where they are going understand the
- Rita Mae (iv) Franz was able to grammar
Brown lesson easily because he was:
(iii) Apoorman is like aforeigner in his own (a) receptive (b) appreciative
country. - Alilbn Abi Talib (c) introspective (d) competitive
(iv)The greatest propaganda in the world (v) List the advice given by the teacher to
is our mother tongue, that is what people presentthere.
we learn as children, and which we
learn unconsciously. That shapes our (vi) What has been described as 'key to their
perceptions for life. prison by M. Hamel'?
- Marshal McLuhan