The Last Lesson

Previous Years' CBSE Board Questions

MCQ : (1 mark)

"I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen". In the light of Franz's statement select the option that rightly brings out his inten- tion.

1. He tried avoid his friends.
2. He tried to cheat his teacher M. Hamel.
3. He did not want to face the villagers the class.
4. He wanted to escape M. Hamel's scolding.

(Term I, 2021-22) 🕕

SAI (2 marks)

2 Why was M. Hamel dressed in formal clothes in school? (2023) R

1. What surprises awaited Franz as he entered the classroom? (2020 C) R

4 What tempted Franz to stay away from school? (Delhi 2014)

1. What made M. Hamel cry towards the end of this last lesson? (AI 2014C)
2. Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom? (Al 2014) R
3. What words did M. Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean? (Delhi 2014C)
4. What was unusual about M. Hamel's dress on his last day in the school? (AI 2014C) R

SAII (3 marks)

1. Why were the old men of the village sitting in the classroom on the last day of the lesson? (Al 2019)

Who did M. Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz? (Delhi 2019) U

1. Why was Franz not scolded for reaching the school late that day? (Delhi 2015)

Who occupied the back benches in the class room

on the day of the last lesson? Why? (Delhi 2015)

13. Why did M. Hamel write 'Vive La France!' on the

blackboard? (Delhi 2015) R

"We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with,"

said M. Hamel, Comment. (Delhi 2015) An

1. Whom did M. Hamel blame for Franz' inability to answer his questions? (Delhi 2015C)
2. How did M. Hamel display his love for the French language? (Delhi 2015C)

LAI (5 marks)

The last lesson reflects the flaws in human character

that led to the sad plight of people in Alsace.

Substantiate your answer with evidences from the

text. (2023) Cr

LAII (6 marks)

The order from Berlin created a great enthusiasm in

the school. Comment. (2020) Ev Cr

How did Franz's feelings about M. Hamel and school

change? (2019C)

1. Our language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. Describe how regretful M. Hamel and the village elders are for having neglected their native language, French. (Delhi 2016) (Ap)
2. Our native language is part of our 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? (Al 2016) An Cr
3. The entire classroom, M. Hamel as well as those present in the class, is full of regret. For what and why? (Foreign 2016)
4. Everybody during the last lesson is filled with regret. Comment. (AI 2015) Cr
5. The order from Berlin aroused a particular zeal in the school. Comment. (Foreign 2015) [gr

CBSE Sample Questions

MCQ (1 mark)

1 On his way to school, Franz says that he had the strength to resist and chose to hurry off to school. The underlined phrase suggests that Franz was

1. Hesitant (b) Threatened
2. Tempted

1. Repentant (Term I, 2021-2022)

SAI (2 marks)

"You realise the true value of a thing only on losing

it." Comment on this statement in the light of the

story, The Last Lesson. (2022-23)

Comment on the significance of the villagers sitting

at the back in M. Hamel's classroom. (2020-21)

ANSWERS

Previous Years' CBSE Board Questions

1. He wanted to escape M. Hamel's scolding.

After Prussia took over Alsace-Lorraine, a decree was passed that only German not French would be taught in the schools, M. Hamel was a French teacher, and that day was going to be his last French lesson at the school. So, he was dressed in his best formal clothes to mark this special occasion.

1. Franz was surprised to see that not only was there

silence, everyone had already been in their seats, eagerly waiting for the class to start. Moreover, he saw that their teacher, M. Hamel came properly dressed in his best clothes that he wore only for inspection or prize days. The most shocking of all was the fully occupied back benches that were always empty.

4 Franz was tempted to stay away from school because he was running late, he had not revised his lessons on participles and was dreading a scolding from his teacher, M. Hamel. Moreover, it was a warm, bright day, the birds were chirping at the edge of the woods. The Prussian soldiers were drilling in the open field at the back of the sawmill. Altogether, the outdoor seemed more interesting to Franz than going to school.

1. The elders of the village were sitting in the classroom

to attend the last French lesson by M. Hamel. They were there not only to pay their respect to M. Hamel, but also to their country and mother tongue that was perhaps being taught for the last time in the village.

Before dismissing the last class, M. Hamel wrote "Vive La France!" on the blackboard. The French expression means "Long Live France."

1. Towards the end of the class, M. Hamel cried because

he was deeply saddened by the thought that France was no longer a free country. Alsace and Lorraine had been occupied by the Germans and from now on his beloved language French would not be taught in the schools.

1. On his last day in the school, M.Hamel put on his

beautiful green coat, frilled shirt and a silk cap. It was an attire he would wear on important occasions.

1. The village people, including the former Mayor, the former postmaster, old Hauser and several others,

occupied the back benches in the classroom on the day of the last lesson. They had come to pay respect to the teacher, M. Hamel for his faithful service and also to the country that was no longer theirs. Being present for the last lesson was an opportunity for everybody to bid farewell to their mother tongue and also to rid the

conscience of the guilt of not having learnt the language

when there was still time.

10. M. Hamel blamed the pupils, their parents and to

quite an extent, himself too for the neglect of learning

French. Everybody, at some point of time, thought that

there was still time to learn the language.

11. On reaching the school late that day, Franz was

not scolded because the atmosphere in the school was

sombre; order had come from Berlin that German was to

be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine from now

on. Everyone was sad because it was going to be their last

French lesson.

12. The village people, including the former Mayor,

the former postmaster, old Hauser and several others,

occupied the back benches in the classroom on the day

of the last lesson. They had come to pay respect to the

teacher, M. Hamel for his faithful service and also to

the country that was no longer theirs. Being present

for the last lesson was an opportunity for everybody to

bid farewell to their mother tongue and also to rid the

conscience of the guilt of not having learnt the language

when there was still time.

M. Hamel wrote "Vive La France!" on. the

blackboard because of the love for his country. It could

also be considered as an expression of rebellion against

imposition of the German.

14. M. Hamel blamed himself, the students and the

parents of his students for neglecting the study of French

language. They had all needlessly postponed the learning.

He himself had sent his students to water his flowers and

sometimes gave them a holiday when he had wanted to

go fishing.

15. M. Hamel blamed the students, their parents

and to some extent, himself too for Franz' inability to

answer his questions. M.Hamel expressed his deep

regret that for various reasons, especially thinking that

there was plenty of time to learn, studying French was

not given due importance by the adults, let alone the

children.

M. Hamel taught French for last forty years.

Knowing that his students and the village elders would

never again learn a word of French, M. Hamel wanted to

teach them everything in the last class. According to him,

French was the most beautiful language in the world. It

was the clearest and the most logical language. M. Hamel

wanted the French people to preserve it as it would help

them to be free from the foreign rule. Before ending his

last French lesson, M. Hamel wrote "Vive La France!" on

the board.