In CBSE Class 12 English, “The Last Lesson” is a powerful story that explores themes of loss and the importance of education. One aspect of studying this lesson is answering extract-based questions, which test students’ comprehension and analysis skills. In this blog, we’ll practice such questions through process of answering these questions effectively.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions.
Extract -1
1. A Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street, the opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison, very loud, with our hands over our ears to understand better, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning. Through the window I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm. I had to open the door and go in before everybody. You can imagine how I blushed and how frightened I was. (SQP 2023-24)
Questions:
i. List any two sensory details present in this extract.
ii. Why does the protagonist feel anxious about entering the classroom on this particular day?
A. The classmates have started the lesson
B. The teacher is in a bad mood
C. The classroom is too quiet
D. The protagonist is running late
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase “as quiet as Sunday morning” suggests that _____.
iv. Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer that this was not the protagonist’s first
time being late to school.
v. What does the term ‘terrible iron ruler’ indicate about M. Hamel?
vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Fears of a Latecomer
B. The Importance of Punctuality
C. The Rigidity of the School System
D. The Anxiety of a Young Student
Answers:
i. The opening and closing of desks and the sound of the teacher’s ruler rapping on the table.
ii. D. The protagonist had counted on the commotion to enter the classroom without being seen, but everything was quiet, and the classmates were already in their places. Therefore, the protagonist feels anxious about entering the classroom on this particular day.
iii. The phrase “as quiet as Sunday morning” suggests that the classroom was unusually quiet, just like a Sunday morning, which is typically a day of rest and quietness.
iv. The protagonist says, “I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen,” which implies that the protagonist has been late before and had a plan to enter the classroom unnoticed.
v. The term “terrible iron ruler” indicates that M. Hamel is strict and possibly uses the ruler as a disciplinary tool.
vi. A. The Fears of a Latecomer
Extract -2
2. I started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles, and I did not know the first word about them. For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. 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?”
Questions:
i. What are two things the protagonist notices in the environment on the way to school?
ii. Why does the protagonist consider skipping school that day?
A. They are afraid of being scolded for being late
B. They do not want to learn about participles
C. They are tempted by the pleasant weather and outdoor activities
D. They do not want to see the Prussian soldiers drilling
iii. What does the protagonist’s observation about the bulletin-board reveal about their past experiences?
iv. How does the protagonist feel about going to school on this particular day? Provide evidence from the extract to support your answer.
v. In what way is the setting of the story relevant to the protagonist’s decision to attend school despite their reluctance?
vi. Which of the following headlines best reflects the central idea of the extract?
A. The Temptation of Skipping School
B. The Significance of Town Hall
C. The Impact of War on Education
D. The Pressure to Succeed in School
Answers:
i. Two things the protagonist notices in the environment on the way to school are the chirping of birds and the Prussian soldiers drilling in the open field.
ii. The protagonist considers skipping school that day because they are afraid of being scolded for being late and do not know the first word about participles. However, they resist the temptation to skip school and hurry off to attend class.
iii. The protagonist’s observation about the bulletin-board reveals that for the last two years, all their bad news had come from there, including lost battles, the draft, and orders from the commanding officer. This implies that the town hall is a significant source of information for the protagonist.
iv. The protagonist feels anxious about going to school on this particular day because they are running late and do not know anything about participles. However, they also feel a sense of duty and responsibility to attend class.
v. The setting of the story is relevant to the protagonist’s decision to attend school despite their reluctance because it creates a contrast between the peaceful, pleasant environment outside and the anxiety-inducing environment inside the school.
vi. The headline that best reflects the central idea of the extract is “The Temptation of Skipping School.”
Extract -3
3. But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly, “Go to your place quickly, little Franz. We were beginning without you.”
I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves; old Hauser, with his three-cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides. Everybody looked sad; and Hauser had brought an old primer, thumbed at the edges, and he held it open on his knees with his great spectacles lying across the pages.
Questions:
i. Identify two details from the extract that describe M. Hamel’s appearance on inspection and prize days.
ii. Why does Franz initially feel anxious upon entering the classroom?
A. M. Hamel scolds him for being late.
B. The classroom is too quiet and solemn.
C. Franz is not wearing his uniform.
D. His classmates have already begun the lesson.
iii. What surprises Franz the most upon entering the classroom?
iv. What can we infer about the village people from their behaviour in the classroom?
v. Explain the significance of Hauser’s old primer and spectacles in the context of the story.
vi. Which of the following headlines best captures the main idea of the extract?
A. Franz’s Late Arrival to School
B. The Pomp and Ceremony of Inspection Day
C. The Significance of Education to a Community
D. The Importance of Appearance in Society
Answers:
i. Possible answers include:
- M. Hamel wears his beautiful green coat, frilled shirt, and embroidered black silk cap.
- He only wears this outfit on inspection and prize days.
ii. D. His classmates have already begun the lesson.
iii. The fact that the village people are sitting quietly on the back benches, as this is not a usual occurrence.
iv. We can infer that education is highly valued in the community, as the village people are attending the lesson even though it is not required of them.
v. Hauser’s old primer and spectacles suggest that he is not a regular student, but rather someone who is attending the lesson out of a sense of duty or curiosity.
vi. B. The Pomp and Ceremony of Inspection Day.
Extract -4
4. 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.
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. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.
Questions:
i. What is the protagonist’s emotional state at the beginning of the extract, and how does it change by the end?
ii. What does the protagonist regret not doing instead of studying?
iii. What is the significance of M. Hamel wearing his fine Sunday clothes?
iv. What do the old men sitting in the back of the room represent?
v. In what way is the ending of the extract an example of irony?
vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Importance of Education
B. The Regrets of a Student
C. The Appreciation of a Teacher
D. The Nostalgia of Old Age
Answers:
i. At the beginning of the extract, the protagonist is regretful and feels sorry for not having learned enough in school. By the end, the protagonist’s perspective has shifted, and they have developed a newfound appreciation for their education and their teacher.
ii. The protagonist regrets not spending more time studying and instead engaging in activities like seeking birds’ eggs or going sliding on the Saar.
iii. The significance of M. Hamel wearing his fine Sunday clothes is that it is in honour of his last lesson and his forty years of faithful service as a teacher.
iv. The old men sitting in the back of the room represent the people of the village who regret not having gone to school more and who are showing their respect for their country and their appreciation for M. Hamel’s service as a teacher.
v. The ending of the extract is an example of irony because the protagonist has only developed a newfound appreciation for their education and their teacher on the day when M. Hamel is giving his final lesson and leaving the village forever.
vi. C. The Appreciation of a Teacher
Extract -5
5. While I was thinking of all this, I heard my name called. It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be able to say that dreadful rule for the participle all through, very loud and clear, and without one mistake? But I got mixed up on the first words and stood there, holding on to my desk, my heart beating, and not daring to look up
I heard M. Hamel say to me, “I won’t scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad enough. See how it is! Every day we have said to ourselves, ‘Bah! I’ve plenty of time. I’ll learn it tomorrow.’ And now you see where we’ve come out. Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?’ But you are not the worst, poor little Franz. We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”
Questions:
i. What is the protagonist supposed to recite in this extract?
ii. Why does the protagonist feel anxious about reciting the rule for the participle?
A. It is a difficult rule
B. The protagonist is not good at French
C. The protagonist is afraid of making a mistake
D. M. Hamel is a strict teacher
iii. According to M. Hamel, what is the great trouble with Alsace?
iv. Explain the meaning of the phrase “we’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with” in the context of the extract.
v. Based on the extract, what can be inferred about the protagonist’s attitude towards learning French?
vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Importance of Learning a Second Language
B. Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
C. The Consequences of Procrastination
D. The Support of a Caring Teacher
Answers:
i. A) The protagonist is supposed to recite a rule for the participle.
ii. C) The protagonist feels anxious about reciting the rule for the participle because they are afraid of making a mistake.
iii. According to M. Hamel, the great trouble with Alsace is that people tend to put off learning until tomorrow.
iv. The phrase “we’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with” means that all the students, including the protagonist, have something to feel guilty about or be ashamed of in terms of their lack of effort or procrastination in learning French.
v. Based on the extract, it can be inferred that the protagonist is not confident in their ability to speak French and is afraid of making mistakes.
vi. C) The headline “The Consequences of Procrastination” best suggests the central idea of the extract.
Extract -6
6. “Your parents were not anxious enough to have you learn. They preferred to put you to work on a farm or at the mills, so as to have a little more money. And I? I’ve been to blame also. Have I not often sent you to water my flowers instead of learning your lessons? And when I wanted to go fishing, did I not just give you a holiday?”
Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because 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. Then he opened a grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy! I think, too, that I had never listened so carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience. It seemed almost as if the poor man wanted to give us all he knew before going away, and to put it all into our heads at one stroke.
Questions:
i. According to M. Hamel, what is the importance of holding onto one’s language when a people are enslaved?
ii. Why does the protagonist feel amazed during the French lesson?
A. The grammar was too difficult
B. The teacher was too strict
C. The lesson was too easy
D. The protagonist had never learned French before
iii. Why does M. Hamel blame himself for the protagonist’s lack of education?
iv. What does the phrase “to put it all into our heads at one stroke” suggest about M. Hamel’s teaching approach?
v. In what ways does M. Hamel express his passion for the French language during the lesson?
vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Importance of Language in Cultural Preservation
B. The Consequences of Poor Education
C. The Role of a Passionate Teacher
D. The Benefits of Learning French
Answers:
i. According to M. Hamel, holding onto one’s language is important because it can serve as a key to escape enslavement.
ii. C. The lesson was too easy. The protagonist is amazed by how easy it is to understand the lesson and how patiently M. Hamel explains everything.
iii. M. Hamel blames himself for the protagonist’s lack of education because he has not always been strict enough in ensuring that the students prioritize their learning over other activities.
iv. The phrase “to put it all into our heads at one stroke” suggests that M. Hamel is trying to teach as much as possible in one lesson, perhaps because he knows that he will not have another opportunity to do so.
v. M. Hamel expresses his passion for the French language by describing it as the most beautiful and logical language in the world, and by emphasizing the importance of preserving it.
vi. A. The Importance of Language in Cultural Preservation. The extract emphasizes the value of preserving one’s language and cultural identity, as well as the role of passionate teachers in inspiring students to learn.
Extract -7
7. Whenever I looked up from my writing I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and gazing first at one thing, then at another, as if he wanted to fix in his mind just how everything looked in that little school-room. Fancy! For forty years he had been there in the same place, with his garden outside the window and his class in front of him, just like that. Only the desks and benches had been worn smooth; the walnut-trees in the garden were taller, and the hopvine that he had planted himself twined about the windows to the roof. 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.
Questions:
i. What does the phrase “worn smooth” suggest about the desks and benches in the classroom?
ii. Why do you think M. Hamel is staring at everything in the classroom so intently?
A. He is lost in thought
B. He is reminiscing about the past
C. He is preparing to teach his class
D. He is admiring the decor
iii. What does the phrase “it must have broken his heart” suggest about M. Hamel’s feelings towards leaving the school?
iv. Pick out two changes that have taken place in the school over the forty years that M. Hamel has been teaching there.
v. In your own words, describe the tone of the narrator towards M. Hamel.
vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Permanence of Time
B. The Tragedy of Forced Departure
C. The Nostalgia of a Teacher
D. The Beauty of the Simple Life
Answers:
i. The phrase suggests that the desks and benches have been used so much that their surfaces have become polished and shiny.
ii. B. He is reminiscing about the past.
iii. The phrase suggests that M. Hamel is very sad and upset about leaving the school and everything associated with it.
iv. Possible answers are:
- The desks and benches have become worn smooth.
- The walnut-trees in the garden have grown taller.
v. The tone of the narrator is sympathetic towards M. Hamel, and they seem to feel sorry for him about having to leave the school and everything he has known for so long.
vi. C. The Nostalgia of a Teacher
Extract -8
8. 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.”
Questions:
i. What is the significance of the church-clock striking twelve in the extract?
ii. What event causes M. Hamel to become emotional and stop mid-sentence?
A. The sound of the Prussian trumpets
B. The end of the school day
C. The start of a French victory parade
D. The news of a family member’s death
iii. What does M. Hamel write on the blackboard with chalk, and why is this significant?
iv. From the extract, what can you infer about the setting and time period?
A. It takes place in a church during a religious ceremony
B. It takes place in a school during a historical event
C. It takes place in a warzone during a battle
D. It takes place in a courtroom during a trial
v. How does M. Hamel’s gesture to the students demonstrate his patriotism and love for his country?
vi. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
A. The Emotional Impact of War on Educators
B. The Importance of Nationalism in Education
C. The Heroism of French Teachers
D. The Consequences of Political Conflict on Schools
Answers:
i. The church-clock striking twelve marks the middle of the day and signals the start of the Angelus, a Catholic prayer traditionally recited at noon. The same moment was Prussians returning from drill.
ii. A. The sound of the Prussian trumpets
iii. M. Hamel writes “Vive La France!” on the blackboard with chalk, which means “Long live France!” in French. This is significant because it shows M. Hamel’s patriotism and love for his country, especially in the face of the Prussian occupation.
iv. B. It takes place in a school during a historical event. Specifically, it takes place in a small town in France during the Franco-Prussian War, which occurred from 1870 to 1871.
v. M. Hamel’s gesture to the students of writing “Vive La France!” on the blackboard demonstrates his patriotism and love for his country by showing his defiance towards the Prussian occupiers and his desire for the students to remember their national pride.
vi. A. The Emotional Impact of War on Educators.