The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ

 

 

The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ

 

The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ पूरी कहानी हिंदी में सुनें MP3 PART1

Prose: The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ
1. The Last Lesson Author: Alphonse Daudet
Introduction and Background
This story is set at a time when the Alsace and Lorraine districts of France had come under Prussian control after the war. The protagonist of the story, little Franz, was quite reluctant to go to school that morning. He considered skipping school and spending time outdoors because the weather was pleasant and the birds were chirping. The biggest dread was his teacher, M. Hamel, who had announced a test on participles, of which Franz didn’t even know the first word. Nevertheless, overcoming his reluctance, he hurried towards school.

For a moment, I considered running away and spending the day outside. In this story, the Alsace and Lorraine districts of France have fallen into the hands of Prussia. Read this story to find out what effect this had on school life.

Setting off for school and inner conflict
That morning, I started for school very late, and I was in great dread of M. Hamel. He had said that he would question us on participles, and I didn’t know the first word about them. The weather outside was so warm and bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods, and in the open field behind the sawmill, the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It all seemed much more tempting than the rules of participles, but I had the strength to resist, and I hurried off to school.

The crowd at the Town Hall
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 conscription, the orders of the commanding officer. I thought to myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?” Then, I ran as fast as I could. The blacksmith, Wachter, called after me, “Don’t hurry so, boy; you’ll get to school in plenty of time!” I thought he was making fun of me, and I reached M. Hamel’s little garden, all out of breath.

The unusual quiet of the school
Usually, when school began, there was a great bustle, which could be heard out in the street—the opening and closing of desks, the lessons repeated in unison, and the teacher’s great ruler rapping on the table. But that day, everything was quiet. I had hoped to get to my desk unnoticed, but that day everything was as quiet as Sunday. 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 embarrassed and frightened I was.

M. Hamel’s Kind Behaviour and the Villagers
But nothing happened. M. Hamel saw me and said very kindly, “Go to your place quickly, little Franz. We were going to begin without you.” When my fear had subsided a little, I noticed that the teacher was wearing his green coat, his embroidered black silk shirt, and his little black velvet cap, which he wore only on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. But the most surprising thing was to see the village people sitting quietly on the back benches—old Hauser, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others. Everyone looked sad, and Hauser had brought an old primer.

The Announcement that Struck Like Lightning
While I was thinking about all this, M. Hamel sat down in his chair and, in the same grave and gentle voice, said, “My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. An order has come from Berlin that, from tomorrow, only German will be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new master is coming tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you all to be very attentive.” These words struck me like a thunderbolt! Now I understood what those wicked people had written on the bulletin board at the town hall.

Regret and a Changing Perspective
My last French lesson! I hardly knew how to write. I should never learn any more! How sorry I was that I had not learned my lessons, that I had wasted my time looking for birds’ eggs or sliding on the Saar River. My books, which a little while ago had seemed such a burden, now seemed like old friends. The thought that M. Hamel was going away made me forget all about his ruler and his crankiness.

Changing Perspectives on Mother Tongue and Books

The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ पूरी कहानी हिंदी में सुनें MP3 PART-2

In the book, that little thing that had seemed so heavy to carry no longer felt like a problem. My books and my history had all become old friends I couldn’t part with. And M. Hamel no longer seemed like someone I wouldn’t see again. I couldn’t even think about his ruler and how much he had angered me. The thought that he was leaving, that I would never see his school again, filled me with sadness.

Respect for M. Hamel and the Presence of the Villagers

Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his best Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting at the back of the room. It was because they too were sorry that they hadn’t studied more at school. It was their way of thanking their master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing respect for the country that was no longer theirs.

The Beginning of the Last Lesson and Self-Reflection

While I was thinking all this, I heard my name called. It was my turn to recite. What wouldn’t I have given to be able to say that dreadful participle rule aloud, clearly, and without a single mistake! But I got mixed up in the first words and stood there, holding onto my desk, my heart pounding, and not daring to look up. I heard M. Hamel say to me, “I won’t scold you, little Franz; you must be feeling bad enough already. See how it is! Every day we said to ourselves, ‘There’s plenty of time. I’ll learn it tomorrow.’ And now look where we are. Ah! That’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off everything till tomorrow.

” The Importance of Language and the Teacher’s Responsibility. Hamel continued, “You call yourselves Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language? But you are not the worst, poor little Franz.

We all have reason to reproach ourselves. Your parents were not anxious enough about your learning. And I? Am I not also to blame? Did I not send you to water my flowers instead of learning your lessons? And when I wanted to go fishing, did I not give you a holiday?”

Then, moving from one topic to another, M. Hamel began to speak of the French language, saying that it was the clearest, the most logical language in the world, that we must guard it—it was the most beautiful language—and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is as if they hold the key to their prison.

The Last Grammar and Writing Lesson

Then he opened a grammar book and read us the lesson. I was astonished to see how well I understood it. Everything seemed so easy, so simple. It seemed as if the poor man wanted to give us everything he knew. After the grammar, there was a writing lesson. M. Hamel had brought new copybooks for us, on which was written: France, Alsace, France, Alsace. They looked like little flags. The only sound in the room was the scratching of pens on paper. The pigeons cooed very softly on the roof, and I thought to myself, “Will they make them sing in German too?” 

Forty Years of Memories and the Moment of Farewell

Whenever I looked up, I saw M. Hamel sitting motionless in his chair, gazing at one thing after another. For forty years, he had been in the same place. How heartbroken he must have been to leave everything! Upstairs, I could hear my sister packing; they were all to leave the country the next day! But they had the courage to listen to every lesson to the very end. Old Hauser, too, was weeping at the back of the room; his voice trembled with emotion. It was so strange that we all wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

The last farewell: Long live France!

Suddenly, the church clock struck twelve. At the same moment, the Prussian bugles sounded. M. Hamel stood up, his face pale. He said, “My friends, I—I—” But something choked him. He could not go on. Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk, and with all his might, as large as he could write, he wrote—

“Vive la France!” (Long live France!) Then he leaned his head against the wall, and with a gesture of his hand, he indicated: “School is dismissed—you may go.”

Think and Understand

1. What changes did the order from Berlin bring about in the school that day?
2. How did Franz’s feelings towards M. Hamel and the school change?

Author Introduction: Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist. This story is set against the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), in which France was defeated.

The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ पूरी कहानी हिंदी में सुनें MP3 PART-3

The last lesson class 12: easy Summary questions and answers NCERT Solutions Class 12 English

Introduction to The Last Lesson
Welcome to the complete solution guide for Flamingo Chapter 1: The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet. This post covers short answer questions, long answer questions, grammar exercises, and writing skills. We have included Hindi translations for a better understanding of the context.
Short Answer Type Questions (Text Questions)
These questions focus on the immediate events of the story and Franz’s observations.
Q1. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for school that day?
उस दिन फ्रांज को स्कूल के लिए किस चीज के लिए तैयार रहना था?
 Ans. Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day. M. Hamel, the teacher, had said that he would ask questions on participles.

Q2. What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
उस दिन फ्रांज ने स्कूल के बारे में क्या असामान्य देखा?
 Ans. Usually, there was a great bustle in the school. But that day it was as still as Sunday morning.

Q3. What had been put up on the bulletin board?
बुलेटिन बोर्ड पर क्या लगाया गया था?
Ans. There was a notice put on the bulletin board announcing that the French language would be taught no more in the school. The order of teaching only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine had come from Berlin.

Q4. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?
बर्लिन से आए आदेश के कारण स्कूल में उस दिन क्या बदलाव आए?
> Ans. The order from Berlin had caused a change in the school. Now, only German was to be taught in the school. It was the last French lesson that day. There was no great bustle. But that day it was quiet. The teacher M. Hamel was wearing his fine clothes, which he wore on the occasion of a function. The teacher had new copies for students that day. There was a calmness in the school. The only sound was the scratching of pens over the paper. Some village elders also had come to attend the class.

Q5. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel and the school change?
फ्रांज के M. Hamel और स्कूल के बारे में भावनाएँ कैसे बदलीं?
 Ans. It was the last lesson of M. Hamel in the school that day. Franz was thinking about his life. Usually, the lesson in French was boring for him during his stay in the school for forty years. Today, he was listening carefully. He was noticing every movement of M. Hamel. Usually, it seemed unimportant to him, but today he was interested in it. He was feeling sorry for him. Today, learning French seemed important to him.

Understanding the Text
These questions explore the deeper themes of linguistic pride and patriotism.
Q1. The people in this story suddenly realise how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
इस कहानी में लोग अचानक अपनी भाषा कितनी कीमती है, यह एहसास करते हैं। क्या दिखाता है यह आपको? यह क्यों होता है?
Ans. The story is about a teacher and his school. He had passed forty years teaching French. Now orders came from Berlin that only German would be taught in the school. The French language would no longer be taught.
People suddenly realise the importance of their language when they are about to lose it. The villagers come to attend the last lesson. Old men bring old primers. Everyone is sad and attentive. M. Hamel teaches with great emotion. He says French is the most beautiful language. He asks students to guard it. He writes “Vive La France!” on the blackboard. This shows their sudden realisation and love for their mother tongue.
 Note: As mentioned in the text, usually nobody bothered to learn French. But the threat of losing it made children like Franz and the village elders keen to learn.

Q2. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” What could this mean?
फ्रेंज सोचता है, “क्या चाहेंगे कि कबूतर भी जर्मन गाएँ?” इसका क्या मतलब है?
Ans. In this story, the French districts of Alsace and Lorraine have passed into Prussian hands. It was ordered that only the German language would be taught in the school. Franz was a child in the school of M. Hamel. He was giving his last lesson in French that day. Franz could not understand why he would have to learn German instead of French.
Someone’s language is natural to them. Franz noticed pigeons over the roof. He thought if the Germans would want even these pigeons to sing in German. He realised that the Germans have imposed their language on them forcibly. But pigeons are independent, and they cannot impose their language on them. This metaphor highlights that language is a natural instinct that cannot be easily suppressed by political orders.

Talking About the Text
Discussion questions regarding history and linguistic chauvinism.

Q1. “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.”
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
Ans. It is true that someone’s language is the key to his freedom. Language is natural for a native speaker. It plays an important role in the fate of a country. We have an example of India when the British imposed English on us. A foreign language puts an impact on the culture of enslaved people. And the people who have forgotten their culture cannot become free.

Q2. What happens to a linguistic minority in a state? How do you think they can keep their language alive?
(Example: Punjabis in Bangalore, Tamilians in Mumbai, etc.)
Ans. A linguistic minority finds it difficult to communicate in a different state. In their daily life, they have to keep in contact with the native people. For example, Gujarati people cannot understand Bangla in Kolkata well and vice versa. But slowly they come to understand that language to some extent.

It is often seen that children of linguistic minorities learn the language of the state where they live. They can keep their language alive by interacting in their own language with the people of their community. They speak their own language at home, listen to their own music, and watch television programmes in their own language. In this way, they are in touch with both languages.

Q3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? (Do you know what “linguistic chauvinism” means?)
Ans. It is not possible to carry pride in one’s language too far. Everyone thinks his own language is superior. In fact, no language is superior or inferior. All languages are equal in status. Language serves the purpose of communication. For a person, that language is important which serves his purpose of communication best.
“Linguistic Chauvinism” means to think one’s own language is superior while all others are inferior.
Working With Words

1. Origins of Words
The English language is inclusive and borrows from many others. Here are the origins of the words from the exercise:
 Word | Language of Origin |

| Tycoon	Japanese |
| Barbecue	Haitian |
| Zero	Arabic |
| Tulip	Turkish |
| Veranda	Portuguese |
| Ski	Norwegian |
| Logo	Greek |
| Robot	Czech |
| Trek	Dutch |
| Bandicoot	Telugu |

2. Phrase Meanings
Tick the option that best explains the meaning of the underlined words:

 (a) “What a <u>thunderclap</u> these words were to me!”
* Ans: (ii) startling and unexpected

* (b) “…as long as they  hold fast to their language…”
* Ans: (ii) are attached to their language
* (c) “…you will get to your school in plenty of time.”

* Ans: (iii) early enough
 (d) “I never saw him look so tall
 Ans: (ii) seemed very confident
Noticing Form: The Past Perfect Tense
The story uses the Past Perfect form (had + third form of verb) to indicate events that happened before the narrative time (“Earlier Past”).
Five sentences from the story using this form:
 I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen.
(Reason: The action of counting happened before he tried to get to his desk.)
 Hauser had brought an old primer.
(Reason: He brought the primer before the class began.)
 That was what they had put up at the town hall!
(Reason: The notice was put up before Franz saw the crowd.)
 He had never explained everything with so much patience.
(Reason: The action of explaining (or not explaining) refers to time before this specific lesson.)
 For forty years he had been there in the same place.

(Reason: The duration of forty years was completed on the day he was leaving.)
Writing Skills
1. Notice Writing
Topic: An Announcement for the School Bulletin Board.
t

NOTICE  Sarvodaya Sr. Sec. School, Ambala  N.S.S. Camp  27 December, 20XX  All the students are informed through this notice that an NSS camp is going to be held on 1 January 20XX. The event included in the camp is the cleanliness of the civil hospital. Volunteers are invited to attend the camp. A certificate will be awarded to the volunteers.  Secretary  NSS Unit

2. Paragraph Writing: Arguments for/against studying three languages
Ans. Generally, we study at least two languages in school. One of them must be our mother tongue and the second has to be chosen from given languages. Three languages can also be studied. But the question is which should be the third one. Sometimes a particular language attracts the students. For example, English attracts most Indian students. There is no end to learning languages. I think there is no need to learn a third language. If students are interested, they can voluntarily study the third language. It should not be made compulsory.

3. Personal Narrative: Changing your opinion
Ans. Yes, I have changed my opinion about my father. First, I used to dislike my father for being rude and cruel to me. I thought that he did not love me. But when I had a nightmare one day, he came to rescue me. There was no one else in the house on that day. At that time, I came to know that my father was also like other fathers. He loved me, although he did not show his love. This incident changed my opinion about him.

Things To Do (Research Projects)
 (a) Linguistic human rights: Explore how international laws protect language rights.
 (b) Constitutional guarantees for linguistic minorities in India: Look up Articles 29 and 30 of the Indian Constitution.
Would you like me to generate a similar blog post for the next chapter, “Lost Spring”?

Here we are provided 10 important Multiple Choice Questions from The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ

1. What was Franz afraid of while going to school that morning?

(A) Being bullied by classmates                (B) Getting scolded for not learning participles

(C) The Prussian soldiers                           (D) A surprise test on History

2. What did the “Bulletin Board” usually bring to the people of Alsace?

(A) Good news about festivals        (B) Bad news, like lost battles and drafts

(C) Holiday announcements           (D) Messages from the Mayor

3. Why was the school unusually quiet that day?

(A) Because it was a Sunday morning              (B) Because the Principal was on leave

(C) Because of the order from Berlin                (D) Because students were on strike

4. Who were sitting on the back benches of the classroom?

(A) New students                    (B) Prussian soldiers

 (C) The village elders (Old Hauser, former Mayor, etc.)         (D) Parents of the children

5. What order had come from Berlin?

(A) To close all schools in Alsace

(B) To teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine

(C) To arrest M. Hamel

(D) To celebrate a public holiday

6. For how many years had M. Hamel served the school?

A) 10 years

B) 20 years

C) 30 years

D) 40 years

7. M. Hamel called the French language the most ______ in the world.

A) Difficult and confusing

B) Beautiful, clearest, and most logical

C) Ancient and respected

D) Easy to learn

8. What does M. Hamel mean by “Enslaved people have the key to their prison as long as they hold fast to their language”?

A) Language helps in escaping from jail

B) Knowing a language makes you a spy

C) Their native language is their identity and strength against the enemy

D) They can talk secretly in prison

9. What did M. Hamel write on the blackboard at the end of the lesson?

A) “Long Live Germany”

B) “Goodbye, Students”

C) “Vive La France!”

D) “The End”

10. How did Franz’s feelings about M. Hamel change?

A) He started hating him more

B) He felt sorry for him and forgot his ruler and crankiness

C) He became afraid of his strictness

D) He felt happy that M. Hamel was leaving

The Last Lesson Class 12: easy Summary, Question Answers & MCQ

Question, Answer
1, B (Not learning participles)
2, B (Bad news like lost battles)
3, C (Order from Berlin)
4, C (The village elders)
5, B (To teach only German)
6, D (40 years)
7, “B (Beautiful, clearest, and most logical)”
8, C (Identity and strength)
9, C (Vive La France!)
10, B (Felt sorry and forgot his crankiness)