Flamingo Prose Chapter 1 The Last Lesson English Core - Flamingo Prose Chapter 1 The Last Lesson

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

i). List any two sensory details present in this extract. (1)

ii). Why does the protagonist feel anxious about entering the classroom on this particular day? (1)
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 ________. (1)

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? (1)

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

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”.

i. M Hamel looked very pale because ___________
a. he was tired after teaching
b. he had to teach German from the next day.
c. no one thanked him for his service.
d. he was sorrowful.

ii. The teacher appeared ‘tall’. This implies that

(I) M Hamel was proud to be a teacher of French
(II) M Hamel gathered his strength to stop himself from breaking down.

a. option I is correct.
b. option II is correct.
c. Both I & II are correct.
d. II is the explanation of I

iii. The extract brings out the feeling of patriotism in M Hamel. Provide evidence for the fact.

iv. What is the significance of the church bell in the context?

v. The word ‘drill’ as used in the extract means ....
a. a tool
b. teach many times
c exercise, marching
d. make a hole

vi. The teacher could not continue speaking because _________________.

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.” “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?

i. ‘Bah! I’ve plenty of time. I’ll learn it tomorrow. ‘Here M Hamel points out to the ..........of the villagers. (two
words)

ii. The tone evident when M Hamel makes reference to ‘those fellows’ is

a. fear
b. bitterness
c. fun
d. respect

iii. Why cannot the gathering at the classroom identify themselves as French?

iv. Pick out the words that convey deep sense of regret of M Hamel as a teacher of French.

v. Parents valued _____________ more than ____________.

vi. Which of the following is the most suitable heading for the extract?

a. Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself.
b. Tomorrow is a new day.
c. Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.
d. Never wait for tomorrow. What if tomorrow never comes.

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. I want you to be very attentive.”

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 anymore! I must stop there, then!
i. Comment on the mood of M Hamel as evident in the extract.

ii. The Germans impose learning of German over the French community. This illustrates.
a. linguistic approach
b. linguistic chauvinism
c. lingua franca
d. linguistic nationalism

iii. Connect ‘town hall’ and ‘thunderclap’ to highlight Franz’s reaction.

iv. “I hardly knew how to write” reveals that Franz was a keen learner: True/False

v. Comment on the significance of teaching when M. Hamel says, “I want you to be very attentive”.

vi. What emotion comes to surface when Franz thinks –I hardly knew how to write!

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.”

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