Flamingo English Book
Short Answer type Questions bearing 1 mark each
1. What did M. Hamel do when he wanted to go to fishing? (H.S. 2012)
Ans :- When M. Hamel wanted to go for a fishing, he just gave a holiday.
2. What is the name of the river mentioned in “The Last Lesson” ? (H.S. 2019)
Ans :- The name of the river mentioned in ” The Last Lesson” is Saar.
3. What, according to M. Hamel, is the greatest fault of Alsace ?
Ans :- According to M. Hamel the greatest fault of Alsace was that they were procrastinators (কোনো এক সময়ত এটা কাম কৰিবৰ থিৰাং কৰি আকৌ পিচলৈ ৰখা কাৰ্য্য; who kept everything for later dates.
4. What did Franz think ‘for a moment’ ?
Ans :- Franz, for a moment, thought of running away and spending the day out of doors.
5. What was written in the new copies brought by M. Hamel for the students in a beautiful round hand ? (H.S 2017)
Ans :- “France, Alsace, France, Alsace” was written in the new copies brought by M. Hamel for the students in a beautiful round hand.
6. “I started for school very late that morning.” Who is the ‘I’ here ? (H.S. 2012, 2014)
Ans :- In this line Franz is the ‘I’.
7. What was Franz expected (প্ৰত্যাশিত্) to be prepared with for school that day ? (H.S. 2017) (Delhi Board)
Ans :- Franz was expected to be prepared with rule of participles on that day.
Answers to Questions bearing 2 marks each.
1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day ? (H.S. 2011) (Delhi Board), (H.S. 2015) (Guwahati Board)
Ans :- Franz was expected to be prepared with lessons on participles that day as M. Hamel had told the class that he would question them on participles.
2. What did Franz notice that was unusual (অপৰম্পৰাগত্) about the school that day ?
Ans :- Usually, (সাধাৰণতে) when the school begun, there was a great bustle (হুলস্থুল) which could be heard in the street. (আলিবাট) But that day everything was quiet like a Sunday morning and the students were at their places and M. Hamel was walking up and down with his terrible (ভয়ঙ্কৰ) iron ruler under his arm.
3. What had been put up in the bulletin – board ? (H.S. 2011)(Delhi Board),(H.S. 2014) (Guwahati Board)
Ans :- In the bulletin board of the town hall all the bad news, like the last battles, the draft and the order of the commanding officers, had been put up for the last two years.
4. What changes did the order from Berlin caused in school that day ? ( H.S. 2012) ( Delhi Board)
Ans :- The order from Berlin was that only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine which saddens and hurt the pride of the village people. So, as a result of this the village elders attended school for the Last French lesson that day. The school became totally quiet(নিঃশব্দ) that day. M. Hamel was also dressed in his formal suit which he wore only on special occasions (কোনো বিশেষ ঘটনা বা অনুষ্ঠানৰ সময় বা কাৰণ). These are the changes took place in the school that day.
5. How did Franz’s feeling about M. Hamel and school changes ?
Ans :- Franz came to know that it was the last lesson in French that M. Hamel would give them. From the next day, they will be taught only German. Then he felt sorry for not learning his lessons properly. His books which seemed a nuisance (আপদ) and a burden earlier were now old friends. His feelings about M. Hamel also changed . He forgot all about his ruler and how cranky (বদ মেজোজী) he was.
6. Why did Franz want to spend his day out of doors ? (H.S. 2012, 2016)
Ans :- Franz wanted to spend his day out of doors because he was late for school that morning. Besides, he knew nothing about participles that M. Hamel told the class that the would ask questions on them that day. So, he thought of spending the day out of doors.
7. What tempted Franz to stay away from school ?
Ans :- Franz was tempted to run away and spend the day outside instead of attending the school as it was a warm and bright day with the birds chirruping merrily. Moreover, he was tempted to watch the Prussian soldiers’ drill.
8. What words did M. Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they mean ? (H.S. 2019) (Guwahati Board),(H.S. 2014) (Delhi Board)
Ans :- Before dismissing the last class, M. Hamel turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk and wrote as large as he could ” Vive La France “. He then made a gesture with his hand that the class is dismissed.
9. What did Franz love to do instead of learning his lessons ?(H.S. 2019)
Ans :- As Franz was never keen on learning his lessons so instead of learning he loved to seek birds eggs or to go sliding on the river Saar. These are the things Franz loved to do instead of (পৰিবৰ্তে) learning his lessons.
10. Why was the lesson called the last lesson ? (H.S. 2014)
Ans :- An order had come from Berlin to teach only German in all the schools in Alsace and Lorraine. As a result of this French would be taught in school that day only. That is why, that day’s French lesson was the last lesson to be taught in the school. So, the lesson was called the last lesson.
11. What was the commotion (হুলস্থুল) that Franz anticipated ? (আশা কৰা মতে বা যিদৰে হ’ব বুলি ভবা হৈছিল, তেনেদৰে) (H.S. 2013, 2015)
Ans :- As Franz was late for school that morning so he anticipated the great bustle that was usually heard from the street when the school began. This bustle was created by the opening and closing desks, the very loud recitation of lessons in unisons and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. These are the commotions that Franz anticipated.
12. What are M. Hamel’s views about the Franz language ? (H.S. 2013, 2016)
Or
What did M. Hamel say about the French language ? (H.S. 2013, 2016)
Ans :- M. Hamel said that the French language was the most beautiful language of the world. He called it the clearest and the most logical of all languages. He wanted his people to guard it among themselves and never forget it. He believed that as long as a people hold fast to their language they had the key to their freedom.
13. Who did M. Hamel blame for the neglect of learning on the parts of boys like Franz ? (H.S. 2011) (Delhi Board)
Ans :- M. Hamel blamed various people for different reasons for neglecting of learning on the part of boys like Franz. First he blamed the parents for not being anxious (অভিভূত) to have their children learn and rather engaging them into house hold work. He blamed the boys themselves for preparing to work on mills and firms. He also blamed himself for sending boys on errands (সৰুসুৰাকামতবাজলৈযোৱা) for his convenience.( সুবিধা)
14. What was the narrator’s greatest fear as he moved towards the school ? (H.S. 2019) (Delhi Board)
Ans :- Little Franz had started late for school and thus he was afraid of being scolded.(গালি-শপনি) His fear gripped (খামোচ মাৰি ধৰা) him further for he was also unprepared. He had not learnt his lesson regarding the rules of participles and thus dreaded (বিপদৰ সন্মুখীন হোৱাৰ বাবে অথবা সম্ভাৱ্য বিপদৰ বাবে হোৱা মানসিক উত্তেজনা আৰু অস্থিৰতা) the teacher’s anger.
15. Why were some elderly persons occupying the back benches that day ? (H.S. 2015) (Delhi Board)
Ans :- The French district of Alsace and Lorraine had fallen into the hand of Prussians. The studying and teaching of French has been banned there. M. Hamel was a teacher of the French language. He had been teaching in that school for last forty years. Next morning he was leaving the school for good. Therefore, the old men were sitting on the back benches. It was their way of thinking for M. Hamel for his faithful service.
16. “This is your last French lesson”. How did Franz react to this declaration of M. Hamel ? (H.S. 2013) (Delhi Board)
Ans :- When M. Hamel declared that it was their last French lesson, a grim (দুখ আৰু নিৰানন্দ প্ৰকাশ কৰা বা ভুক্ত হোৱা) realization (উপলব্ধি) dawned (সূৰ্য্যোদয়) on Franz that he had so much yet to learn. He felt sorry for whiling away his time and skipping his lessons. Now, he did not want to part with his books, which he had earlier considered a nuisance. He was also deeply pained at the thought that M. Hamel was leaving.
Long Answer type Questions Bearing 5/6 marks
1. Describes the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson ? (H.S. 2013, 2017)
Ans :- That morning Franz arrived school late. He noticed that the school was unusually calm and quiet. He did not notice any usual commotion caused by the opening and closing of the desks, rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table and the loud recitation of the lessons in unison. Franz was surprised to see that M. Hamel was wearing his beautiful great coat, frilled (লাস বিলাস)shirt and the embroidered black silk cap that he never wore except on inspection (পৰিদৰ্শন) or prize days. What surprised
Franz most was the presence of the village people who were sitting quietly on the desk benches like students.
These are the unusual things that Franz noticed on the day of the last lesson.
2. Draw a character sketch of M. Hamel as it is shown in ” The Last Lesson” (H.S. 2016)
Or
Give a brief character sketch of M. Hamel.
Ans :- A study of the lesson shows the character of M. Hamel as below.
M. Hamel was a teacher of the French language in a village of Alsace district of France. He had been teaching English for last forty years in the village. Everyone in the village had a great respect for him. His students thought he was a cranky, but we did not find him cranky in any part of the story.
He was very honest. When Franz failed to recite the rules of participles, he blamed himself for giving children unnecessary holidays.
He had great passion (অনুৰাগ) for his subject. He knew that it was now the last day of his school and he had to leave the district the next day for good. Even then, he taught students so well that they understood everything he taught.
He had great love for the French language. He called it the most beautiful, the clearest and the most logical language of the world. Indeed (আচলতে) M. Hamel was a great patriot.( দেশভক্ত)
3. Give a detailed account of the scene in the class room on the day of the last lesson. 2015 Or
Describe the atmosphere in the class on the day of the last lesson . 2016 (Delhi Board)
Ans :- On the day of the last French lesson the atmosphere of the class was strange and solemn. The school was as quiet as if it were
Sunday morning. The teacher, M. Hamel was moving in the class with his ruler under his arm wearing his special dress for the last class. The elders of the village were sitting on the backbenches of the classroom. All the students were studying with complete attention and the teacher was teaching with full dedication.(কৰ্ত্তব্য পৰায়ণতা) All this was due to an order from Berlin that from the next day German would be taught instead of French by a new teacher. While delivering the last lesson the teacher called upon (সহায়-সাৰথি, সহানুভূতি বা ক্ষমা বিছাৰি কাতৰ অনুৰোধ কৰা) his students and the village elders to guard the French language among themselves and never forget it, declaring French to be the most beautiful language in the world.