10th English- unit 6. THE LAST LESSON  - Book Back Question And Answer 



QUESTIONS WITHIN THE TEXT 

Answer the following questions in a sentences or two. 

a. What  kind of news  was  usually  put up on the  bulletin board?  

  • Every important news or public announcement was put up on the bulletin  board.  For  the  last  two  years  since  the  occupation  of  German, all their ‘bad news’ had come from  there.   A new order from Berlin imposed German  on the French speaking people of Alasca. 
b.What  was  the  usual  scene  when  school  began  every  day? 

  • When  the  school  began  every day,  there  used  to  be  a  great bustle.    
  • The  noise could  be  heard  out  in  the street.  
  •  The  opening and  closing  of desks and  the lessons repeated  loudly  in  unison made a lot of noise.  Other than the students,
c. who were present in the class? 

  • Some  village  elders,  old  Hauser with  his  three-cornered  hat,  the former mayor,  the former postmaster  and  several  others  were present in the class. 
d.Why did Mr. Hamel say it was the last French lesson? 

  • The  order  had  come from  Berlin  to  teach only  German  in  the schools of Alsace and  Lorraine.    So  Mr.  Hamel  said  that it was the last French lesson. 
e.What was Franz asked to tell? Was he able to answer? 

  • Franz  was  asked  to  say  the  dreadful  rule  for  the participle.  
  • No,  he was not able to answer. 
f.Why did Mr.Hamel blame himself? 

  • Mr.  Hamel  blamed  himself as he had  sent his  students during class hours to water his flower plants.He also had given them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.

g.What did M. Hamel say about the French language?

  •  Mr.  Hamel  declared  that the French  language  was the most beautiful  language  of  the  world. 
  •  It was  the  clearest and  the  most logical  language. As  long  as people  hold  fast to their language they have the key to freedom. 
h.How many years had  M. Hamel been in the village? 

  • M. Hamel had been in the village for forty years.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS  

Answer the following questions  in two  or three  sentences. 

1. Why did Franz dread  to go to school that day?

  •  Franz  did  not  study  participles  and  the  teacher would  ask questions on participles. So he was afraid to go to school. 
2.What  were  the  various  things  that  tempted  Franz to spend his day outdoors? 

  • The  weather  was warm  and  bright  and  birds  were chirping.  He saw the Prussian soldiers doing their drills in an open field.
  • These things tempted Franz to spend his day outdoors. 
3.Why was  the narrator  not able  to get to his desk  without being seen? 

  • Unusually  the school  was very calm  and  students were sitting  on their  seats.  
  • So  he  was  unable  to get to his  desk without  being seen. 
4.What was Franz sorry  for? 

  • Franz was sorry for having not learnt French properly. 
5.Why were the old villagers sitting in the last desk? 

  • The old  villagers heard  that Berlin  had  ordered that only  German should  be  taught  in  the  schools.  
  • They  came  to  school  to  see the notice which  had  been pasted in  the bulletin  board and  to thank Mr. Hamel. 
6.What were the thoughts of the narrator’s parents? 

  • The  narrator’s  parents thought  that  it  would  be  better to  go  to work and earn some extra money than to learn French.

7. Why does M. Hamel say that we must guard our language? 

  • He tells  the  class to  guard  the  language  carefully.  
  • When  a  people are  enslaved,  as  long  as  they hold  fast to their  language,  it is  as if they had the key to their prison. M. Hamel was gazing  at many things. 
8.What were they? 

  • M.  Hamel sat motionless and  looked at everything around  him one by one. 
9.When and how did M. Hamel bid farewell to the  class? 

  • When  the  bell  struck 12  he  stood up.  He addressed the class as  friends  and  wrote on  the board  with  chalk  piece,  “Viva  La France!”.. Then he said the class was dismissed.