The Queen's Language

1 Choose the option that might raise a question about M. Hamel’s “faithful service”. a) When Franz came late, M. Hamel told him that he was about to begin class without him. b) Franz mentioned how cranky M. Hamel was and his “great ruler rapping on the table”. c) M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers, and gave a holiday when he wanted to go fishing. d) M. Hamel permitted villagers put their children “to work on a farm or at the mills” for some extra money 2 Which of the following idioms might describe the villagers’ act of attending the last lesson most accurately? a) ‘Too good to miss’ b) ‘Too little, too late’ c) ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ d) ‘Too cool for school’ 3 Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as ‘Poor man!’? a) He empathizes with M. Hamel as he had to leave the village. b) He believes that M. Hamel’s “fine Sunday clothes” clearly reflected that he was not rich. c) He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson. d) He thinks that M. Hamel’s...

  Answer in 120-150 words  i How does the story, ‘Lost Spring’ highlight the apathy of society and those in  power to end the vicious cycle of poverty?  Support your answer with textual evidence.  ii Certain traditions and lineage, condemn thousands of children to a life of  abject poverty and choke their aspirations.  • Do you agree? Explain. • How can we change this? Suggest some ways to tackle this issue.

Answer in 120-150 words  i   Though tempted by the bright day, Franz stated that he had “the strength to  resist, and hurried off to school.” As the story progresses, the reader  realizes that Franz, M. Hamel and the villagers would perhaps need “the  strength to resist” much larger forces.  Discuss how the story provides strategies for resistance and protection of  one’s identity and community through its events and characters.  Provide relevant textual details to support your argument. ii On the day of the last lesson, Franz felt that the “whole school was strange”. Throughout the story, the reader encounters Franz’ account of how school  usually was, and what it was like on the last day of class with M. Hamel.  This contrast comes across through events, and the actions and viewpoints  of various characters.  • In what way can the story be seen as a comment on schooling in  general?  • Does Franz’ description o...

  Dust of Snow  The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued. ----------------------------------------------    Fire and Ice  Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.

 You have been asked to present an evaluation of the approaches of the mothers of both, the baby  seagull and Amanda, towards helping their children. Write this presentation draft including your  insights, in about 120 words, comparing the approaches of both parents. You may begin this way: One acknowledges that both parents, Amanda’s mother and the baby seagull’s mother both....however, ... (Reference -Amanda! & His First Flight) OR (B) You have been chosen to address a student gathering from the neighbourhood schools, to speak on  the resilience of human spirit required to transcend discrimination. Prepare the speech draft in not  more than 120 words, with reference to the commonality of themes in Nelson Mandela: Long Walk  to Freedom and The Trees by Adrienne Rich. You may begin this way: Good morning, everyone. Today, I'd like to discuss two pieces of literature that offer a powerful insight into the resilience  of the human spirit required to ...

 In the story, ‘The Third Level’ by Jack Finney, Charley is obsessed with finding the third level.  In an attempt to thrash out whether this obsession is a good quality or a harmful one, Charley’s wife  expresses her thoughts in a diary entry.  As Louisa, Charley’s wife, write this diary entry. Support your response with reference to the story. You may begin this way: I have been married to Charley for a few years now and I have always known him to be an intelligent man with an  imaginative mind. However, his recent obsession with finding the Third Level has … OR B A grown up Zitkala-Sa, reflects on the incident about cutting of her long hair and is conflicted that  she did not do enough to resist and surrendered easily. She also wonders if she could have tried  something else to prevent the incident.  As the grown-up Zitkala-Sa, create a diary entry , expressing these thoughts and conclude by  absolving yourself of any blame. You may begin l...