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Read the following… (Class 12 English SQP 2024-25, Q9A)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2024-25 · 6 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2024-25: question 9(A)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2024-25, section C, question 9(A), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q9(A) · 6 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedThe Last Lesson

Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, A or B.

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! 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. (The Last Lesson)

  1. I.

    What was the writer's purpose in using the metaphor of a 'thunderclap'?

    1 mark
  2. II.

    Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
    The use of exclamatory marks in the first five sentences of the extract serves to express the speaker's _______ (hidden/ intense) emotions.

    1 mark
  3. III.

    Complete the following suitably.
    The activities of seeking birds' eggs and sliding on the Saar reveal two things about Franz's character before his change in perspective. First, his youthful carefree nature and second, his preference for _________________.

    1 mark
  4. IV.

    What is reflected through the shift in the speaker's perception of Mr. Hamel, conveyed through his readiness to forget the ruler?

    1 mark
  5. V.

    Select the textual option that is closest to indicating a sense of panic.

    1. (A)Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons…
    2. (B)Why, I hardly knew how to write!
    3. (C)Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put up at the town-hall!
    4. (D)And M. Hamel, too;
    1 mark

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2024-25.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

For I, think of how a thunderclap arrives.

Hint 2

For III, what did he do instead of studying?

Hint 3

For V, which sentence shows alarm about his own ability?

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

Verified: two independent solves agree and the official marking scheme matchesChecked 2026-11-01

  1. (I) It stresses the sudden shock of Franz's realisation of the importance of his education, like an unexpected loud thunderclap, and shows the deep impact of the news.

    1 mark

  2. (II) intense. The exclamations show strong regret and emotion, not hidden feeling.

    1 mark

  3. (III) ...his preference for play over study.

    1 mark

  4. (IV) It reflects newfound respect and appreciation for M. Hamel, which overshadows his earlier fear of the teacher's strictness.

    1 mark

  5. (V) Option B. 'Why, I hardly knew how to write!' shows alarm at his own lack of skill.

    1 mark

  6. (VI, if asked) Realisation: the extract shows Franz suddenly seeing the value of what he neglected.

    1 mark

Answer: (II) intense; (III) play over study; (V) B

Where the marks are

  • Sudden shock conveyed by thunderclap (1 mark)
  • intense (1 mark)
  • preference for play over study (1 mark)
  • newfound respect for M. Hamel (1 mark)
  • Option B (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: The Last Lesson (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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