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Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
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. (The Last Lesson)
What does the term 'terrible iron ruler' indicate about M. Hamel?
Answer:
The term 'terrible iron ruler' indicates that M. Hamel is a strict and harsh teacher who uses his ruler to discipline or punish his students
Step-by-step explanation by Teachoo:
- This is a word-meaning question that asks us to explain what the term 'terrible iron ruler' means and what it reveals about M. Hamel. We can use the context of the extract and our knowledge of language to find the correct answer.👇
- The term 'terrible iron ruler' is a metaphor, which is a figure of speech that describes something as if it were something else, without using the words "like" or "as". A metaphor helps to create a strong impression or emphasize a quality.👀
- In this case, the term describes M. Hamel's ruler as if it were made of iron and as if it were terrible. This implies that the ruler is very hard, heavy, and painful , and that it causes fear or dread in the students. This suggests that M. Hamel uses his ruler to rap on the table or hit the students when they make mistakes or misbehave. This shows that he is a strict and harsh teacher who does not tolerate any errors or disruptions.😱
Therefore, the term 'terrible iron ruler' indicates that M. Hamel is a strict and harsh teacher who uses his ruler to discipline or punish his students.
