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1998 QUESTION 1 LITERARY PASSAGE [Le soir, à la maison, le père de Victor...]
[1] No heading or sub-headings. Proceed to step 2.
[2] Questions:
1. Trouvez dans la première section
(a) un exemple d'un sujet de conversation entre Monsieur et Madame Rabinski.
(b) une manifestation de la bonne humeur de Mme Rabinksi.
I must find in Section 1, (a) a subject of conversation between Mr and Mrs Rabinski, and, (b) proof that Mrs Rabinski is good-humoured.
2. Avant de partir au travail, Monsieur Rabinski
(a) réveillait sons fils.
(b) parlait à son fils.
(c) contemplait son fils qui était encore au lit.
(d) se disputait avec sons fils.
Before leaving for work, Mr Rabinski does one of the following: (a) wakes up his son; (b) speaks to his son; (c) contemplates his son who is still in bed; (d) argues with his son.
STOP! USE YOUR HEAD.
Build up a profile of the Rabinskis so far. M and Mme seem to be husband and wife. Relations between them seem to be good if they are conversing freely and if Mme Rabinski is always good-humoured. Why then would M Rabinski be arguing with his son in the early hours of the morning? This would not make for a good-humoured mother! In addition to this, answer 2(d) "se disputait avec son fils" is the only negative answer suggested. All others are more positive. Answers 2(a) and 2(b) suggest that the son is awake or awakened before his father goes to work. Answer 2(c) suggests that he is still possibly asleep. In other words, the reader needs to establish whether or not the son is asleep when his father leaves. If he seems to be asleep, then 2(c) is the only possible correct answer.
3. Relevez dans la deuxième section deux gestes qui montrent l'affection que Victor portait à son père.
(a)
(b)
Reveal in the second Section two gestures which show Victor's affection for his father.
STOP!
So, Victor is the son's name and he feels affection for his father! This definitely eliminates answer 2(d) ("the argument") and probably 2(a) ("wakes him up") as well! Would any son be happy to be awakened every morning just because his father was up and about?!!
Now we must look for proof of Victor's affection in his gestures. "Gestes" implies physical manifestations of affection, of course, which may well suggest that Victor is a young boy.
4. D'aprés la deuxième section, Monsieur Rabinski
(a) s'inquiétait au sujet de son fils.
(b) pensait que son fils ne travaillait pas assez à l'école.
(c) se désintéressait des progrès de son fils.
(d) questionnait son fils sur ce qui se passait à l'école.
We are still in the second section. Be careful! According to this section, M Rabinksi is (a) worried about his son; (b) thinks that his son is not working hard enough at school; (c) is not interested in his son's progress; or, (d) questions his son about how school is going.
USE YOUR HEAD: Victor adores his father. Family life is happy. Is this the kind of father who is uninterested in his son's progress? Certainly not! Dismiss (c)!
Victor adores his father. Would a young boy adore a father who constantly accused him of not working in school or who was constantly worried about him? Dismiss answer (b) and consider dismissing answer (a). Look at (d) as a distinct possibility.
5. (a) Victor prenait des précautions pour éviter de provoquer l'hostilitié de ses camarades
(Section 3). Trouvez-en deux examples.
(i)
(ii)
Victor takes precautions to avoid provoking the hostility of his class mates. STOP! First sign of trouble! Trouble with class mates who are hostile. He has to avoid these situations. We need to find two ways in which he does so.
5 (b) Trouvez dans la deuxième section
(i) un exemple d'un participe passé au masculin singulier
(ii) un exemple d'un verbe pronominal
Grammatical question. Doesn't help the reader on first reading. Move on!
6. Explain the significance in this passage of the way Victor was dressed when he went to school. Refer to the text in support of your answer. (Two points - about 50 words).
There is a significance to the way Victor dresses in school! There is hostility in school with class mates. These two facts are probably linked in some way. Naturally, if he is a young boy, the way he dresses is also linked to his family and his family's background, status, etc. Names ending in "-ski" (Rabinski) are not particularly French in sound or appearance. Might this also be significant?
[3], [4], [5], [6] Now go back and read the passage in chunks! (Make sure you go to the section towards which you are directed.)
[7] Answer grammatical questions.
[8] Review entire passage in order to answer the last question. Consider the comments on Question 6 before you do so.
