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Answer any five of the… (Class 12 English 2026, Q10)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Board exam 2026, set 301/5/1 · 10 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 12 English 2026: question 10

Set in the CBSE Class 12 board exam of 2026, paper 301/5/1, section C, question 10, for 10 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q10 · 10 marks · Short answerThe Last Lesson

Answer any five of the following six questions in 40 – 50 words each:

  1. (i)

    'We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.' What does M. Hamel's statement reveal about his emotional turmoil following the ban on French, in 'The Last Lesson'?

    2 marks
  2. (ii)

    Anees Jung through the title 'Lost Spring' symbolises the plight of the marginalised children. Justify.

    2 marks
  3. (iii)

    Why do you think that Edla's kindness had a stronger effect on the peddler than the ironmaster's hospitality in 'The Rattrap'?

    2 marks
  4. (iv)

    Despite criticism, why does the author suggest that interviews remain important in journalism? (The Interview)

    2 marks
  5. (v)

    Why did the visit of the English poet lead to confusion among the staff at Gemini Studios? (Poets and Pancakes)

    2 marks
  6. (vi)

    How does the poet use the phrase 'polished traffic' to highlight the contrast between urban and rural life in the poem 'A Roadside Stand'?

    2 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 301/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Answer in 40-50 words, giving one clear point with a textual reference.

Hint 2

Recall the specific event or line in each lesson or poem.

Hint 3

Write a complete sentence or two; expression carries 1 mark.

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) M. Hamel blames everyone, villagers, parents and himself, for neglecting French and postponing learning. His words show guilt, regret and sorrow over the lost chance as the language is about to be banned.

    2 marks

  2. (ii) 'Lost Spring' stands for the lost childhood and dreams of poor children. Forced into ragpicking and bangle-making, they are denied education and basic rights, so their spring of life is lost.

    2 marks

  3. (iii) Edla's kindness was genuine and unconditional. She treated him as a fellow human being, which made him return the stolen money. The ironmaster's hospitality rested on mistaken identity and ended when the truth emerged.

    2 marks

  4. (iv) Interviews give first-hand insight into a person's thoughts, motives and character. They give vivid impressions of people and are a serviceable, vital method of gaining information, so they remain important despite criticism.

    2 marks

  5. (v) The staff knew nothing about the poet or why he had come. His strong accent was hard to follow, and his long speech was full of literary references that did not interest them, so they were baffled.

    2 marks

  6. (vi) 'Polished traffic' means rich, well-off city motorists who pass by, indifferent to the poor. It contrasts urban prosperity with the neglect and poverty of rural folk, whose hopes for a better life go unnoticed.

    2 marks

Answer: Any five of (i) to (vi) answered as above.

Where the marks are

  • Each answer: relevant content (1 mark) and expression (1 mark); any five answers (10 marks)

Revise the chapter

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

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