The Last Lesson Class 12 English Exam Questions

Please refer to the below The Last Lesson important questions for Class 12 English. These questions and answers have been prepared as per the latest NCERT Book for Class 12 English. Students should go through chapter wise Class 12 English Important Questions designed as per the latest examination pattern issued by CBSE.

Chapter Summary of The Last Lesson

• Franz was afraid of going to school as he did not learn participles.
• He wanted to enjoy beauty of nature – The bright sunshine, the birds chirruping in the woods, Prussian soldiers drilling – but resisted.
• Bulletin board gave all bad news from last two years – lost battles, the drafts and orders of the commanding officers.

• The changes he noticed in the school.
  • Instead of noisy classrooms everything was as quiet as Sunday morning
  • The teacher didn’t not scold him and told him very kindly to go to his seat
  • The teacher dressed in his Sunday best.
  • Villagers occupied the last benches- To pay tribute to M. Hamel for his 40 yrs of sincere service and also to express their solidarity with France.
• M. Hamel made the announcement that it would be the last French lesson; Franz realized what was put up on the bulletin board.
• Franz realized that he didn’t not know his own mother tongue; regretted why he had not taken his lessons seriously.
• Also realized the reason why teacher was dressed in his Sunday best and villagers sitting at the back. M. Hamel realized that all three, the children, the parents and he himself were to be blamed for losing respect and regard for the mother tongue.
• Always keep the mother tongue close to your heart as it is the key to unlock doors of freedom.
• Atmosphere in class: teacher taught sincerely and patiently, students and others studied with utmost sincerity.
• Franz wondered sarcastically if Prussians could force pigeons to coo in German.
• M. Hamel overcome with emotions could not speak and wrote on the black board “Long Live France”.

The Last Lesson Important Questions

Question. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Answer. The crowd of villagers at and around the bulletin – board, the silent presence of the villagers in the class, the silence in place of the routine hustle and bustle of the school, the emotions gripping M. Hamel and Franz, representing the teacher and the student community respectively, were all indicators of the realization of the importance of their language to them. In the story, M. Hamel said that people realize the importance of somebody or something in their lives very often only when they lose it or it is snatched away from them. Similarly, it was the order from Berling that made the people realize the importance of their language for them.

Question. What was the news which was put up on the bulletin board?
Answer. For the last two years all bad news – the lost battles, the orders of the commanding officer was displayed on the notice board. That day, the news that only German would be taught in school of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice-board which made the crowd gather there to read it.

Question. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
Answer. The order from Berlin brought to a standstill, all the routine hustle-bustle of the school life. M. Hamel taught his lessons with patience and became more sympathetic to his students. The students became more attentive in their classes. The villagers, who were sitting as usual at the empty back benches had come to show their respect and gratitude to M. Hamel, and regretted about not going to school more often.

Question. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
Answer. This sentence could possibly mean that however hard the authorities try to embed German language in the culture of Alsace and Lorraine, the natural status of French, for them will remain unchanged. French flows in the air and the entire place is imbued with its effect. Even though they train student in German, then basic mode of communication would remain unchanged like the cooing of the pigeons.

Question. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far ? Do you know what ‘linguistic chauvinism’ means?
Answer. Yes, it is possible to carry pride in one’s language too far if one is fond of one’s own language at the cost of other. Indifference towards other language is not healthy for any democracy like India. When the sense of belonging to one’s own language crosses the thin line between ‘pride’ and proud’, it becomes linguistic chauvinism. If people feel good about their language and traditions, they must have tolerance for other languages too. Everybody has the right to follow the religion and speak the language as per his/her desire. If fact, it is disparaging to distort the names of communities, for example, Bongs for Bengalis, Gujjus for Gujratis, etc.

Question. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
Answer. Franz was expected to be prepared with lesson on particles for school that day.

Question. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and school change?
Answer. Franz was shocked to hear whatever M. Hamel told the students about the order from Berlin. He was shocked to learn that it was their last French lesson. He understood the pain and agony his teacher was undergoing. He now ‘realized with pain what French meant to him and regretted not being attentive in his classes earlier. Suddenly, he felt that the ‘difficult concepts’ had never been difficult.

Question. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Answer. Franz noticed the absence of the routine hustle and bustle caused by the opening and closing of desks, repeating of the lessons and rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table. The usual hustle – bustle was replaced by a strange stillness that was the characteristic of a school on a Sunday morning.

Question. What was the narrator’s greatest fear as he moved towards the school?
Answer. Franz had started late for school that day and was afraid of being scolded. His fear gripped him further for he was also unprepared. He had not learnt the rules of participles as instructed by his teacher, thus dreaded the teacher’s anger.

Question. Why were the villagers seated on the back benches?
Answer. All the village elders were seated on the back benches as a tribute to the teacher who had put in 40 years of sincere service. It was also their way of expressing regret for not learning their mother tongue when they had the chance. They were also expressing their patriotism and solidarity with France

Question. What was more tempting to Franz rather than going to school?
Answer. Since Franz was not prepared with participles and was late for the school, he found warm and bright weather with birds’ songs and Prussian soldiers drill much more tempting than going to school.

Question. Franz didn’t learn French whom did M. Hamel blame?
Answer. M. Hamel didn’t blame Franz for not learning but his parents who were not anxious to have him learn. Instead they wanted him to work on a farm or at the mill to earn money. Even he blamed himself for sending him to water the flowers instead of learning and for declaring holiday when he wanted to go fishing.

Question. What did M. Hamel say about French language?
Answer. He said that it is the most beautiful language in the world, the clearest, and the most logical. He requested them to guard it so that they could be united and fight back for their freedom.

Question. What happened when the church clock struck twelve?
Answer. The moment the church clock struck twelve, they started prayer in the church and the trumpet of Prussian soldiers returning from the drill sounded under their window. M. Hamel stood up and tried to speak but his voice was chocked. He gathered his strength and wrote on the black board as large as he could – ‘Vive La France’ and dismissed the school.

Question. What was so unusual about the school on that day?
Answer. Usually there would be a great bustle of opening and closing of the desk, lesson repeated loudly and the teacher’s ruler rapping on the table but that day was very calm and quiet like Sunday morning. The back benches which were usually empty were occupied by the village people; M. Hamel wore his special dress and was pacing up and down with a ruler under his arm.

Extract Based Question

“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. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson.”

Question. In which language is the last lesson ?
(a) German
(b) American
(c) French
(d) British

Question. Who is the speaker in the above lines?
(a) Franz
(b) Hauser
(c) M.Hamel
(d) Wachter

Question. Speaker is speaking to _________.
(a) Franz
(b) villagers
(c) class
(d) soldiers

Question. Where the order has come from ?
(a) France
(b) Berlin
(c) Lorraine
(d) Alsace

Case Based Questions :

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow.
It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school. When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For the last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?” Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Wachter, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast,
bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”

Question. Identify the factor that does not serve the purpose of implying the theme. 
(a) The reference to the bulletin board.
(b) The presence of Prussian soldiers
(c) The description of nature.
(d) The narrator’s stand on French lesson.

Question. Name the figure of speech used in the statement “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!” 
(a) Sarcasm
(b) Paradox
(c) Antithesis
(d) Anaphora

Question. What does the extract say about the narrator’s attitude towards French? 
(a) French was equally appealing to him as the beauty of nature.
(b) He attends the lesson out of compulsion.
(c) He was eager to receive the French lesson
(d) He lacked interest in the lesson.

Question. What can be inferred about the living condition of the place? 
(a) Everybody lived in peace and harmony.
(b) Natives are intimidated by the foreign presence
(c) The inhabitants coexisted with external force without qualms
(d) There is a sense of uneasiness looming around the environment.

How it must have broken his heart to leave it all, poor man; to hear his sister moving about in the room above, packing their trunks! For they must leave the country next day.

Question. Who are ‘they’ here? 
(a) M. Hamel and his sister.
(b) Franz
(c) Villager
(d) Houser

Question. Who is packing the trunks? 
(a) M. Hamel’s sister
(b) M. Hamel’s wife
(c) M. Hamel’s father
(d) M. Hamel’s servant

Question. Why is M. Hamel’s heartbroken? 
(a) Because he has to leave the country the next day
(b) Because of transfer
(c) Because of retirement
(d) Because of student’s misbehaviour.

Question. Why do they have to leave the country? 
(a) German would be taught in place of French.
(b) French will be taught now.
(c) New languages will be taught.
(d) He has got a new job.

Reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!’’ I thought he was making fun of me and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath.

Question. M. Hamel taught the children……………………….. 
(a) German
(b) French
(c) Russian
(d) English

Question. Who advised him not to hurry? 
(a) The teacher
(b) The classmates
(c) Friends
(d) A villager

Question. Who was called ‘bub’? 
(a) M. Hamel
(b) villagers
(c) Franz
(d) postmaster

Question. Identify the tone in which the speaker said the words , “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!’’? 
(a) sarcastic
(b) humorous
(c) depressive
(d) cheerful

Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Wachter, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub; you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!” I thought he was making fun of me, and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath.

Question. What has M. Hamel’s little garden been referred to in the extract?  
(a) His country
(b) His home
(c) His garden
(d) His school

Question. Which word in the passage means same as ‘sufficient’? 
(a) breath
(b) plenty
(c) fast
(d) hurried

Question. The phrase ‘called after me’ here refers to 
(a) tease someone.
(b) shout at
(c) Summon or request something
(d) To cause embarrassment

Question. Who was called ‘bub’ here ? 
(a) Franz
(b) M. Hamel
(c) Villagers
(d) Postmaster

Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more.

Question. Why did the country belong to them no more?
(a) Because they were leaving the country.
(b) Because Germans had taken over their country.
(c) Because it was destroyed in the war.
(d) Because their country was merging with Prussia.

Question. M. Hamel says, “…that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off _________ till tomorrow.
(a) time
(b) money
(c) language
(d) learning

Question. Who was called ‘Poor man’?
(a) Old Hauser
(b) Franz
(c) M. Hamel
(d) Wachter

Question. What feelings were expressed by the villagers when they came to attend the last lesson?
(a) regret for not learning French
(b) thanking their master for his forty years of faithful service
(c) showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.
(d) All of the above

Question. Franz saw a huge crowd assembled in front of the bulletin board, but did not stop. How would you evaluate his reaction?
(a) Franz was too little to care about the news of lost battles.
(b) Nobody in Franz’s family was in the army, so it did not matter.
(c) Bad news had become very normal, so he went about his task.
(d) It was too crowded for Franz to find out what news was up on the board.

All at once the church-clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows. M. 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. Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and, bearing on with all his might, he wrote as large as he could — “Vive La France!” Then he stopped and leaned his head against the wall, and, without a word, he made a gesture to us with his hand — “School is dismissed — you may go.”

Question. Why is M. Hamel pale?
(a) He feels emotional and heart-broken.
(b) He is unwell.
(c) He is annoyed.
(d) He doesn’t like the sound of the trumpets.

Question. What does ‘Angelus’ refer to?
(a) Sound of church bell ringing.
(b) Roman catholic prayer.
(c) Sound of thanks giving.
(d) A prayer sung in a group.

Question. What does the trumpets of the Prussians imply?
(a) Igniting patriotic fervour
(b) Playing the band to reduce war stress
(c) People of Alsace are now enslaved
(d) Prussians cheering up the victory over France

Question. What does Franz mean when he says , ‘”I never saw him look so tall.”
(a) M. Hamel had grown physically taller.
(b) M. Hamel seemed very confident.
(c) Franz had developed a lot of respect for M. Hamel.
(d) Franz looked at his teacher in a different way that day.

While I was wondering about it all, M. Hamel mounted his chair, and, in the same grave and gentle tone which he had used to me, said, “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. The new master comes tomorrow. This is your last French lesson…”

Question. When would M. Hamel leave?
(a) the same day
(b) the next day
(c) after one week
(d) after two weeks

Question. What did M. Hamel want from the students on the last day of French lesson?
(a) To give him a farewell.
(b) To oppose the order from Berlin.
(c) To be very attentive.
(d) To guard their language.

Question. What was the tone of M. Hamel when he was addressing his students?
(a) cheerful
(b) excited
(c) heart-broken
(d) angry

Question. The grave and gentle tone in which M. Hamel spoke after getting the order from Berlin was due to:
(a) his patriotic feeling for his country
(b) his love for his mother tongue
(c) the grief of not being able to teach French in future
(d) All of these

What a thunderclap these words were to me! Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put up at the town-hall! 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 a 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.

Question. What regret did Franz have?
(a) that he could never play in the school.
(b) that he did not learn French.
(c) that he would miss his old friends and M. Hamel.
(d) None of these

Question. What had been put up on the bulletin-board at the town-hall?
(a) The news of the lost battles
(b) The draft of the commanding officer
(c) The order from Berlin to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
(d) All of these

Question. What do the marching soldiers under the windows represent?
(a) The Dawn of Prussia in defeat of French people
(b) The defeat of Prussia
(c) The victory of French
(d) None of these

Question. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”. The words were:
(a) loud and clear.
(b) startling and unexpected.
(c) pleasant and welcome.
(d) None of these

Question. Who are called as ‘Wretches’?
(a) People of France
(b) Germans
(c) Prussians
(d) None of these