Listening questions - French festivals - Higher
French holidays
While on a French exchange, you are talking to three students about French customs and festivals. Listen to what they have to say and choose the correct option to answer the following questions.
Question
1. According to Anaïs, on Christmas Eve her family’s meal includes:
| A | turkey |
| B | rice |
| C | oysters |
| A |
| turkey |
| B |
| rice |
| C |
| oysters |
2. Anaïs opens her first Christmas present:
| A | on Christmas Day |
| B | on Christmas Eve |
| C | on 23rd December |
| A |
| on Christmas Day |
| B |
| on Christmas Eve |
| C |
| on 23rd December |
1. The answer is C.
On commence toujours par des fruits de mer, comme des huitres, par exemple – We always start with seafood, like oysters, for example.
2. The answer is B.
Anaïs is talking about what her family does on Christmas Eve (le soir de Noël ) and says on ouvre toujours un de nos cadeaux avant de se coucher - we always open one of our presents before going to bed.
Question
Read the transcript and translate it into English:
Salut. Je m’appelle Anaïs. Dans ma famille, Noël est un moment de plaisir parce qu’on est ensemble. Le soir de Noël, c’est-à-dire le 24 décembre, on se réunit pour faire le réveillon de Noël. C’est un grand repas de fête. On commence toujours par des fruits de mer, comme des huitres, par exemple. On ouvre aussi toujours un de nos cadeaux avant de se coucher.
Hi. My name is Anaïs. In my family, Christmas is a pleasurable time because we are all together. Christmas Eve, in other words the 24th December, we get together to celebrate the night before Christmas. It’s a big celebration meal. We always start with seafood, such as oysters, for example. We always open one of our presents before bed.
Question
3. Nadia’s family tend to spend bank holidays:
| A | at home |
| B | in England |
| C | on a road trip |
| A |
| at home |
| B |
| in England |
| C |
| on a road trip |
4. Around bank holidays, Nadia usually:
| A | takes additional days off |
| B | has to work |
| C | travels alone |
| A |
| takes additional days off |
| B |
| has to work |
| C |
| travels alone |
3. The answer is C.
Nadia says: on part en voiture passer quelque jours à la campagne ou à la mer - we drive to the countryside or to the seaside for a few days.
4. The answer is A.
Nadia says: nous prenons des jours supplémentaires de vacances - we take some extra days as holiday.
Question
Read the transcript and translate into English:
Moi, c’est Nadia. Nous, les Français, on adore les jours fériés. C’est une bonne occasion d’être ensemble en famille et quand c’est possible, on prend des jours de vacances supplémentaires et on part en voiture passer quelque jours à la campagne ou à la mer.
I’m Nadia. French people love bank holidays. It’s a good opportunity to be together as a family and when possible, we take a few extra days’ holiday and we go off in the car to spend a few days in the country or by the sea.
Question
5. Tosin says that Halloween has:
| A | not always been as popular as it now is in France |
| B | has become less popular in France |
| C | has always been extremely popular in France |
| A |
| not always been as popular as it now is in France |
| B |
| has become less popular in France |
| C |
| has always been extremely popular in France |
6. His grandmother says that:
| A | she did not know what it was when she was a little girl |
| B | she discovered it when she went to America |
| C | she did not do anything to celebrate it when she was young |
| A |
| she did not know what it was when she was a little girl |
| B |
| she discovered it when she went to America |
| C |
| she did not do anything to celebrate it when she was young |
5. The answer is A.
Tosin says: Halloween est devenue très populaire en France - Halloween has become very in popular in France.
6. The answer is C.
Tosin says that when his grandmother was young on ne faisait rien de particulier pour Halloween - they didn’t do anything special for Halloween.
Question
Read the transcript and translate it into English:
Je m’appelle Tosin. Halloween est devenue très populaire en France. Ma grand-mère m’a dit que ça n’a pas toujours été comme ça. Quand elle était jeune, on ne faisait rien de particulier pour Halloween. Elle a dit que c’était sans doute à cause des films américains qu’on fête ça maintenant.
My name’s Tosin. Halloween has become very popular in France. My grandmother told me that it hasn’t always been the case. When she was young, they didn’t do anything special for Halloween. She said that it was without a doubt due to American films that we celebrate it now.
