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Unit 4 - Translations and Essays Booklet Yr13-UPDATED MARCH 13
Unit 4 - Translations and Essays Booklet Yr13-UPDATED MARCH 13
Try and complete as many translations and essays before the exam as possible.
Pass them on to CW or GF for marking.
1. I come to the Glénans every year with my brother. This year, we took a windsurfing course. It
was great because we learned something new every time we were going in the sea. The teachers
had a lot of experience, they knew how to teach the basic techniques and make you feel confident.
Every morning, when I put my wetsuit on, I used to smile as I knew that I was lucky to be on the
course. My brother and I both think that it was an unbelievable experience.
2. You have to be more careful about what you what when you are young. You can eat meat, but
you must eat less fatty meat, like chicken. You must eat lots of fruit and vegetables every day, too.
You mustn’t drink alcohol in order to impress your friends. You can drink something non-alcoholic
like cola, or water. If you smoke a lot of cannabis, it can have harmful effects. You can have
memory problem, difficulty concentrating, or suffer from depression.
3. Since a young age, my sister and I have wanted to own a restaurant but when we were at school,
our parents used to say: “first, you must gain some experience”. Therefore, we had to find small
jobs in the kitchens of a restaurant. After her A-Level, my sister trained as a chef, whereas I studied
business at university. Three years later, I saw an ad in the newspaper and we both got a job as
apprentice chef and manager. Thanks to the financial help from our parents, we were able to buy
the restaurant from the owners who had been the victims of a fire. The restaurant is very successful
and last year, we bought a second restaurant.
5. In the future many things will be better. As far as health is concerned, we will be able to cure
serious illnesses like cancer and AIDS. Moreover, we will improve the education of people in the
developing world so they will have more opportunities. And thanks to the progress of technology,
more people will work from home. But in years to come there will be more unemployment. I will do
my best and try to find a well-paid job but it won’t be easy. We will have to protect the environment
too; otherwise we will see more floods and hurricanes.
6. According to the research of the organisation “Baromètre Jeunes de Médiamétrie”, the majority of
young people know about blogs. But girls are more attracted by blogs than boys. Three out of ten
young person aged 11-20 often use instant messaging, whereas the youngest tend to use the net to
chat. They connect to the net almost every day to do so.
8. In the world today, the concept of exclusive love, to stay faithful to only one partner for your
whole life isn’t the norm anymore. En France, about one marriage out of two ends in divorce and the
number of people getting married decreases every year. However, teenagers claim they still believe
in love. Even if they don’t all want to get married, the majority hope to find a partner for life. This
seems to coincide with the figures according to which one in ten couples, around 5 million French,
prefer living together to marriage.
9. In the 21st century, people want to live as much as possible without going out of home. They take
the lift instead of the stairs, the bus or the car instead of walking or riding a bike everywhere. You
can even do your shopping sat in front of your computer. The situation is even more worrying that it
is now recommended that people do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. You must add to this at
least one or two hours of sport a week. This is important if you want to avoid the problems of
obesity, diabetes and heart problems.
10. Too many children don’t have breakfast before going to school; this is a factor that
contributes to obesity. If you don’t have breakfast, you will tend to snack. If parents encouraged
their children to eat a bowl of cereals before they leave home, children would be less hungry during
the day.
11. My dad keeps on repeating: “you must work at school, Talia. You must make a lot of effort
because you must go to university.” I know he is right but I think some things should change at
school. First, we should have fewer lessons. Then, teachers should be more enthusiastic and make
their lessons more exciting. I think it is urgent that smaller groups are created so we can participate
more often. Finally, there should be a room where you can freely access the internet, another one
where you could listen to music or dance.
12. I am a boarder at my school. I study from 17.00 to 19.00. I work hard and quickly so I can
play table football after dinner. Although they put the lights out at 10.30, you can continue working,
provided that you arrange it with the supervisor. I like being a boarder. I am autonomous and,
although I don’t often see my family, I don’t feel lonely because I have made good friends there.
13. Last summer I went to Canada to discover more about Quebec. I wanted to find a summer
job and at the same time pay for my trip. I had to get a work permit at the Canadian embassy which
was a complicated process but I managed to obtain a temporary work authorisation. It allowed me
to work in a bar.
14. Holidays are good for your morale but they are not always good for the environment. The flux
of tourists in the countries of the south puts unnecessary pressure on resources such as water, the
management of rubbish, the use of energy and the landscape of magnificent natural sites.
Moreover, tourism and leisure activities create about 10% of the glasshouse effect gases. Around
three quarters of these are linked to transport between the home and the holiday destination. More
and more people try to be eco-tourists in France.
15. Daoudi would have never been so happy if he had not become a soldier. Like more and more
of his friends, he chose training that would offer a secure and interesting job. A growing number of
second-generation immigrants have avoided unemployment, especially in the Parisian suburbs, by
going into the Navy or the Air Force. Perhaps there are not too many who have made the same
choice as Daoudi. However, his experience has shown that many different trades exist in the army
for someone who wants to work hard.
29. ‘Ah, the pleasure of reading a good book!’ Marie said to herself, as she looked at the
books before her in the town library. Recently she had spent a lot of time reading biographies of
famous people but now she felt that she would return to the classic novels. She particularly liked
stories in which the author studies the personalities of the characters and describes the society in
which they live. She found plays less interesting. She preferred to see them in the theatre or even
on television.
30. ‘Do you like art?’ Miriam said to her friend Annie, after they had sat down at a table in the
café at the Centre Pompidou. ‘I have to admit that I find modern art strange’, she replied. ‘Whatever
the subject of the painting is, I never understand what the artist is trying to tell me. But I adore the
Impressionists. I love the way in which they paint the effects of light on water.’ ‘In that case,
tomorrow we shall visit the Musée d’Orsay. It is near our hotel.’
31. It is surprising that in most modern cities you see so many homeless people. Often
accompanied by a dog, which also looks sad and abandoned, they sleep in the street, under a
bridge or by the side of a canal. Many of them are young but it seems they have neither hope nor
ambition and they live thanks to the food provided by charities. It is difficult to imagine why they
have chosen to leave their home and their family to lead such an uncomfortable life.
32. Although it is becoming more and more difficult to protect local traditions against the
uniformity of modern life, most governments encourage their citizens to preserve such traditions as
much as possible. Tourists have always wanted to see the traditional way of life and it is often for
the tourists that people prepare their regional specialities, put on their pretty costumes and take part
in activities which have not changed for centuries. If these traditions did not exist, many places
would be less interesting.
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33. December 25 has always been a special time for our family. When we were young, the
whole house was decorated a week before and we would switch on the little coloured lights and
wonder what presents we were going to get. We were never disappointed. After getting up early on
Christmas Day, we went downstairs and found that the parcels had been placed under the tree.
Mine were on the left and my brother’s on the right and there were always the same number of
presents for each of us.
34. ‘When you’re older, Michel, you’ll appreciate the importance of religion,’ his father had told
him, when he was about sixteen. If the young man had listened more attentively, perhaps he would
have made fewer errors later in his life. But Michel thought that religion caused wars and brought
misery to millions. Now, although he has not completely changed his opinion, he realises that
religion brings happiness to many people. His wife would like their children to have a greater
interest in religion but Michel allows them to decide for themselves.
35. The differences between the generations are very obvious in everything which concerns
modern technology. Young people easily accept all the changes which new gadgets bring to our
daily lives. Older people, however, are often afraid of these technological innovations. They think
that, if they bought something on the Internet, the details on their credit card would immediately be
stolen. Primary school pupils can use a computer with no difficulty but their parents and
grandparents cannot even send an e-mail or find information about transport or the price of a hotel
room.
36. Almost everyone is interested in sport, but many people think that professional sport has
become too commercialised. Footballers, golfers and tennis players all earn enormous sums of
money and large sporting events like the Olympic Games are very expensive for the countries in
which they take place. What is more, some sportsmen, for whom the desire to win is more important
than the pleasure of participating, have been accused of taking drugs to improve their chances of
succeeding. Cycling in particular has suffered because of these scandals.
37. During the Second World War many buildings had been destroyed in the countries most
affected. France, for example, needed workers to help to rebuild the houses and blocks of flats
which had disappeared and much of the work was done by immigrants who came from
neighbouring countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal. Many of these foreigners decided to
remain in France and they did not have much difficulty integrating into society, because they had
the same culture and the same religion as the French.
Practice essays
Répondez en français à une des questions suivantes. Écrivez entre 240 et 270 mots.
(45 marks)
a) Croyez-vous que la science soit plus apte à créer des problèmes ou en à résoudre à
l’époque actuelle? Expliquez votre réponse.
b) Jusqu’à quel point la religion reste-t-elle utile pour les gens aujourd’hui?
d) À votre avis, les jeunes d’aujourd’hui sont-ils obsédés par des choses qui n’ont pas
d’importance, comme la musique pop et la mode? Justifiez votre réponse.
f) Jusqu’à quel point les individus devraient-ils avoir le droit de faire ce qu’ils veulent sans être
constamment surveillés par les autorités?
g) «Subventionner les arts est une perte d’argent. Il y a beaucoup d’autres causes plus
méritoires.» Qu’en pensez-vous?
h) Le conflit des générations semble exister depuis toujours. À votre avis, ce conflit entre les
jeunes et les gens plus âgés est-il inévitable? Expliquez votre réponse.
j) «Il est temps de contrôler plus strictement l’immigration dans les pays développés.» Jusqu’à
quel point partagez-vous cette opinion?
k) Les métiers dont on a le plus besoin sont justement ceux qui ont une image défavorable
parmi les jeunes. Êtes-vous d’accord? Justifiez votre réponse.
l) Les habitudes alimentaires changent et ce n’est pas forcément bon pour la santé. À votre
avis, est-ce vrai? Expliquez votre réponse.
m) Au cours des dernières années, l’espérance de vie a beaucoup augmenté et elle continuera
à monter sans doute, mais est-ce nécessairement une bonne chose? Justifiez votre réponse.
n) Pensez-vous qu’il soit plus important de ressembler aux autres ou de se distinguer d’eux ?
Expliquez votre réponse.
o) « Dans une société équitable, ce sont ceux qui travaillent le plus qui devraient gagner le plus.
» Jusqu’à quel point partagez-vous ce point de vue ?
p) « Ceux qui recommandent un mode de vie sain voudraient tout simplement nous priver de
tous les plaisirs de la vie. » Êtes-vous d’accord avec cette opinion ? Expliquez votre réponse.
r) Jusqu’à quel point peut-on dire que les progrès technologiques créent des divisions entre les
jeunes et les plus âgés ?
s) Devrait-on être optimiste ou pessimiste en ce qui concerne l’avenir? Justifiez votre réponse.
t) « Plus la religion perd son influence, plus la société connaît des difficultés. » Que pensez-
vous de cette affirmation ?
u) « Ce que nous apprenons à l’école n’est pas approprié au monde actuel. » À votre avis, les
élèves ont-ils raison de dire cela ? Justifiez votre réponse.
x) « Dans notre monde moderne il n’est plus nécessaire de se rendre dans un pays étranger
pour en avoir l’expérience. » Que pensez-vous de cette idée ? Expliquez votre réponse.
There are 4 titles to chose from in the exam (but only one for each topic).
Répondez en français à une des questions suivantes. Écrivez entre 240 et 270 mots.
(45 marks)
Étude historique
1. Quelles parties de la population française ont connu le plus grand nombre de problèmes pendant
la période que vous avez étudié? Jusqu’à quel point ont-elles réussi à surmonter ces problèmes?
2. Racontez un événement significatif de la période que vous avez étudiée et évaluez l’importance
de cet événement.
3. Décrivez le point tournant pour la France dans la période que vous avez étudiée. Expliquez
l’importance de ce point tournant.
4. Décrivez le changement social le plus important en France dans la période que vous avez
étudiée. Pourquoi ce changement a-t-il eu lieu, à votre avis, et quelles en ont été les
conséquences pour la France?
5. Décrivez les deux personnages les plus importants de la période historique que vous avez
choisie. Quel rôle ont-ils joué pendant cette période?
6. Choisissez une année importante dans la période historique que vous avez choisie. Pourquoi est-
elle significative?
8. Comparez deux personnes que vous avez étudiées. Dans quelle mesure leur contribution à
l’Histoire est-elle différente/similaire à votre avis?
9. Quel personnage associé à la période que vous avez étudiée trouvez-vous le plus intéressant ?
Expliquez votre réponse.
10. Décrivez une décision significative prise par un personnage important de la période que vous
avez étudiée et évaluez les effets de cette décision.
Litérature et arts
1. Décrivez un thème majeur du livre, du film ou de la pièce que vous avez choisi(e). À votre
avis, quelles réactions ce thème provoque-t-il chez le spectateur ou le lecteur?
2. Décrivez une scène de la pièce, du film ou du livre que vous avez choisi(e) que vous trouvez
particulièrement intéressante du point de vue du style adopté par l’auteur/le metteur en
scène. À votre avis, ce style est-il réussi?
3. Examinez les idées exprimées par l’auteur/le metteur en scène que vous avez étudié et
évaluez leur importance universelle.
4. Dans quelle mesure les rapports entre les hommes et les femmes sont-ils importants dans
les œuvres de l’auteur/du metteur en scène que vous avez étudié?
5. Choisissez un personnage dans l’œuvre que vous avez choisie, comment ce personnage
évolue-t-il au cours du film/livre ou de la pièce?
6. Chosistes une scène du film, livre ou de la pièce que vous avez choisi. Quelle importance a
cet extrait dans le développent de l’œuvre à votre avis?
7. Quels aspects du film, livre ou de la pièce que vous avez choisi, trouvez vous
particulièrement intéressant? Pourquoi?
8. Quel message le film, livre ou de la pièce que vous avez choisie a-t-il pour la société
actuelle? Est-il important à votre avis?
9. Discutez d’un thème majeur du livre, du film ou de la pièce que vous avez choisi(e). qu’est-
ce que l’auteur veut dire à votre avis?
10. On dit qu’un vrai héros n’est ni tout à fait bon ni tout à fait mauvais. Choisissez un
personnage dans l’oeuvre que vous avez étudiée et examinez son caractère en vous
référant à ce jugement.
11. Décrivez un thème important traité dans le livre, le film ou la pièce que vous avez étudié(e).
Ce thème est-il intéressant pour un lecteur ou un spectateur moderne? Expliquez votre
réponse.
Word limit!
The current GCE specifications do have an upper word limit that must be adhered to in order to be fair to
those (the vast majority of candidates) who obey the rubric but examiners are not totally inflexible.
Examiners count to the upper word limit and then go to the next ‘sense phase‘(this is often the end of
the sentence). They then draw two lines and do not read any more. it is important to note that proper
nouns count as one word at AS and A2 and , in French, ‘il y a’ and other tenses of ‘il y a’ count as one.
In the Research Based essay, they do not count at all proper nouns, titles of books, films etc…, direct
quotations, footnotes (as long as candidates do not attempt to add extra information in the guise of
footnotes). Dates, numbers count as one. If the candidate goes beyond the upper limit, the language
mark does not suffer but the ‘Content’ mark could suffer.