1. THE LAST LESSON- ALPHONSE DAUDET back of the saw mill the Prussian soldiers were drilling.

rs were drilling. It was all

EBQ WORK SHEET 1 much more tempting than the rules of participles but I had the
Name: XII: A/F Date: strength to resist, and hurried off to school.
1. While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, i. What temptation did the speaker have?
and, in the same grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, a. Chirping of birds and windmill
said, ―My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order b. Sawmill and French soldiers
has come from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace c. Chirping of birds and Prussian soldiers drilling.
and Lorraine. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last d. Both a and b
French lesson. I want you to be very attentive. ii. Explain ‘I had the strength to resist’.
i. Who is ‘I’ referred in the above line? a. The narrator had the patience to fight with the Prussians.
a. M. Hamel c. Hauser b. The narrator had the courage to learn his mother tongue.
b. Franz d. None of these c. The narrator had the courage to overcome his temptation.
ii. What is the mood of the speaker at this moment? d. Both (a) and (b).
a. Delightful c. Whimsical iii. What type of student do you think is Franz?
b. Idyllic d. Despondent a. Proactive c. Focused
iii. What was the reaction of the speaker was hearing this? b. Dawdler d. Conscientious
a. Envious c. Awe iv. Why was Franz worried?
b. Optimistic d. Offended a. It was last day of M. Hamel
iv. Which figure of speech is being used in ‘grave and b. M. Hamel was about to ask about participles
gentle’? c. Franz was early to school on that day.
a. Hyperbole c. Simile d. None of these
b. Alliteration d. Metaphor vi. ____________seemed more fascinating to Franz than participles.
v. What made Franz wonder about M. Hamel? a. The school c. The natural ambience
vi. What Mr. Hamel taught in the last lesson? b. M. Hamel d. All of these above
2. I started for school very late that morning and was in great vii. The word synonymous to ‘dread’ is __________
dread of scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said he a. Fear c. Awe
would question us on participles, and I didn‘t know the first word b. Apprehensiveness d. All of these
about them. For a moment I thought of running away and 3. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly, ― Go to your place
spending the day out of doors. It was so warm, so bright! The quickly, little Franz. We were beginning without you.
birds were chirping at the edge of woods; and in the open field

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I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, b. Introductory lesson d. Introductory Enrichment
when had got a little over my fright ,did I see that our teacher had vi. This paragraphs proves that –
on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk a. people were concerned about the language
cap all embroidered ,that he never wore except on inspection an b. the people were left in an utter shock that it was M. Hamel‘s last day.
prize days. Besides, the whole school seems so strange and c. c. Both a and b
solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the d. None of these
back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting 4. Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French
quietly like ourselves; all Hauser, with his three cornered hat, the language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world – the
former mayor ,the foreigner postmaster, and several other clearest, the most logical that we must guard it among us and never forget it,
besides. because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language
i. What had been put up on the notice board? it is as if they had the key to their prison.
a. Notice board abolishing German i. The word “enslave” refers to
b. Notice abolishing French a. made a slave of c. Both of these
c. Notice abolishing Frenchmen b. be a slave of d. None of these
d. None of these ii. Who is ‘he’ referred in the above lines?
ii. The word solemn means__________ a. M. Hamel c. Old Hauser
a. Grave c. sober b. Blacksmith Wachter d. Little Franz
b. Sedate d. All of these iii. What piece of advice was given by the teacher to everyone?
iii. Many elderly people came and occupied the back benches in a. To respect their mother tongue. c. Both i and ii
the classroom on the last day because b. To bury their mother tongue. d. Neither I and ii
a. They were inquisitive to learn the language iv. ‘Hold fast’ refers to
b. They were enthusiastic learner a. Adhere here c. Bind to
c. To pay tribute to their native language that was theirs no b. Stick to d. All of these
longer.
v. What did he ask for immediately after this?
d. All of these above a. He opened a grammar and read us our lesson
iv. Which literary device has been used in ‘On the back benches‘? b. He cancelled their class
a. Paradox c. Alliteration c. He extended their class
b. Personification d. Simile d. He asked them question on importance of mother tongue.
v. Hauser had brought a primer. ‘Primer‘ refers to vi. How did the narrator react when M. Hamel taught that
a. Introductory book c. Introductory language particular day?

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 a. Everything seemed more difficult c. He seemed to be b. He was scared of scolding on being late
worried c. he was excited about the chapter participle
b. Everything seemed easier d. None of these d. All of these
5. Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith vi. What happened when the school began that day?
Wachter, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the a. There was lot of hustle-bustle all-around
bulletin, called after me, ― Don‘t go so fast, bub; you will get b. There was silence all over
to your school in plenty of time! ‖ I thought he was making fun c. There was sound of ruler rapping
of me, and reached M. Hamel‘s little garden all out of breath. d. None of these
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which 6. M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most
could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must
desks, lessons and the teacher‘s great ruler rapping on the guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as
table. long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
i. What does ‘Out of breath’ mean? Then he opened a grammar book and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see
a. Breathless c. Short- winded how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy!
b. Gasping d. All of these i. Which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel‘s declaration about the
ii. The word ‘apprentice‘ means here _______________ French language?
a. Learner c. Novice a) subject expertise c) Factual accuracy
b. Prentice d. All of these
b) nostalgic pride d) Patriotic magnification
ii. Read the quotes given below. Choose the option that might best describe M.
iii. What was the motive of the blacksmith Wachter?
Hamel‘s viewpoint.
a. To ridicule Franz
b. To boost the morale of Franz (i) Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own. –
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
c. To dominate little Franz
(ii) Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come
d. To make him realise the importance of mother tongue.
from and where they are going. – Rita Mae Brown
iv. What does the phrasal verb ‘Call after’ imply? (iii) A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country. – Ali Ibn Abi Talib
a. Call someone by his name (iv) The greatest propaganda in the world is our mother tongue, that is what
b. Call someone by his gender we learn as children, and which we learn unconsciously. That shapes our
c. Call someone by his surname perceptions for life. – Marshal McLuhan
d. None of these a) Option (i) b) Option (ii)
v. Why was Franz hurrying towards the school? b) Option (iii) d) Option (iv)
a. It was the last day of M. Hamel

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iii. ‘I was amazed to see how well I understood it.’ Select the 8. ‘What a thunderclap these words were to me!’ (Franz). What
option that does NOT explain why Franz found the grammar were those words and what was their effect on Franz?
lesson easy. 9. Who were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel‘s last
a) Franz was paying careful attention in class this time. lesson? Why?
b) M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his 10. Why does M Hamel reproach himself for his student’s unsatisfactory
teaching. progress in studies?.
c) Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose 11. What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing
to learning. the last Class? Why did they mean?
d) Franz had realized that French was the clearest and most logical 12. What made M Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson?
language. 13. What did M Hamel tell them about the French language? What did
iv Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he ask them to do and why?
he was - 14. What did Franz see when he passed the town hall?
a) receptive. C) Introspective 15. What did surprise Franz the most?
b) appreciative. D) Competitive
v. How is a language key to prison? What does prison signify here? LONG ANSWERS WORKSHEET 3
Vi. What we mean by the most logical language? ANSWER IN 120-150 words, each carries 5 mark:
1. Franz thinks, ―Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?‖
SHORT ANSWERS WORKSHEET 2 After reading the chapter, you realise that man has an intense desire to
ANSWER IN 40 – 50 words, each carries 2 marks: subjugate others. You feel that in the modern world; there is a strong need
1. Why did M Hamel write ‘Vive La France!’ on the backboard? for brotherhood. Write an article in about 120-150 words.
2. ‘We have all got a great deal to reproach ourselves with, said 2. ‗My Last French Lesson! Why I hardly knew how to write! I should never
M Hamel. Comment. learn any more! I must stop there, then!‘ The problem of school dropout
3. .How did M Hamel display his love for the French Language? and illiteracy /backwardness still plagues our country. What qualities on the
4. What was the bulletin board news that caused a change in the part of the administration, educationists and youth do you think will help to
school? surmount this hurdle?
5. Whom did M Hamel blame for Franz‘s inability to answer his 3. Justify the title ‗The Last Lesson‘.
question 4. The people of Alsace and Lorraine did not understand the
6. What was unusual about M Hamel‘s dress on his last day in importance of learning their language French. Emphasizing
school? the importance and need for learning one‘s native language,
discuss the value revealed when one sets upon learning
7. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?
one‘s native language.

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 5. Write a diary entry as Franz, describing your feelings on the
day of the last lesson.
6. Though tempted by the bright day, Franz stated that he had
‘the strength to resist’, and hurried off to school. As the story
progresses, the reader realizes that Franz, M. Hamel and the
villagers would perhaps need ‘the strength to resist’ much
larger forces.
Discuss how the story provides strategies for resistance and
protection of one‘s identity and community through its
events and characters. Provide relevant textual details to
support your argument.
7. On the day of the last lesson, Franz felt that the ‘whole
school was strange’.
Throughout the story, the reader encounters Franz‘s account
of how school usually was, and what it was like on the last
day of class with M. Hamel. This contrast comes across
through events, and the actions and viewpoints of various
characters.

JUST QUIZ:
1. Name of the blacksmith. Who was standing next to him
(mute character)
2. Where was all the bad news posted usually?
3. What is a town hall?
4. Why there was crowd in front of the bulletin board? What
were usually posted over there?
5. Meaning for bustle. ___________
6. Student and teacher attitude to learning and teaching.

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