EPREUVE D’ANGLAIS

Cette épreuve comporte deux (2) pages numérotées 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4 /4.

PART ONE: READING (40 %)

Read the following text and do the activities that follow it.

AFCON IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

It took 40 years for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to return to Côte d'Ivoire.
In a country where football is a religion, the wait seemed interminable. With just a few hours
to go before the opening match between Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea Bissau on Saturday,
January 13, the party was already in full swing at the Treichville market in Abidjan. In the
5 maze of stores, saleswomen danced among the stalls piled high with bananas, peppers and
fish, calling out to each other with whistles and vuvuzelas. "We're so looking forward to the
first match that we've already started singing and dancing," enthused Karidiatou Konaté
before blowing her vuvuzela.
"I've been waiting for this for so long. In 1984, I watched the opening on TV with my
10 parents," recalled Maurice Kouassi, who had come to buy a jersey of the Elephants the
national team. "Dozens of pigeons flew out of the mouth of a huge cardboard elephant... I was
10 years old and couldn't believe my eyes!" In order to host this AFCON until February 11,
the Ivorians have deployed considerable resources. Out of a total cost of €1.5 billion, over
€762 million was invested in infrastructures. Four stadiums have been built: Ebimpé (in the
15 northern suburbs of Abidjan), where the opening match will take place, San Pedro
(southwest), Yamoussoukro (center) and Korhogo (north). Two others have been extensively
renovated in Abidjan, the economic capital, and Bouaké (center).
Twenty-four training pitches have also been fitted out. To facilitate travel for fans and
the 24 teams, several roads have been modernized or extended. The "coastal" road, which
20 links the economic capital to San Pedro over a distance of 350 kilometers, has been
completely rebuilt, halving the travel time between the two towns. A freeway has also been
lengthened to link Abidjan with Yamoussoukro, the capital, and Bouaké, the country's
second-largest city. For this first match, where the 60,000 seats are sure to be full, all eyes
will also be on the pitch of the Ebimpé stadium. On September 12, the friendly match
25 between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali had to be interrupted due to a violent storm, the pitch became
waterlogged. The incident led to the dismissal of Prime Minister Patrick Achi and Sports
Minister Paulin Danho.

Adapted from https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2024/01/13/afcon-2024-in-

abidjan-the-dream-of-an-entire-people-as-the-competition-kicks-off_6429003_124.html
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A- VOCABULARY CHECK 10 %

Find the meanings of the following words or expressions in the text. Write your answers like
in the example.
Example: 1 – to return

1. To go back (line 1)
2. Boutiques, shops (line 5)
3. Begun (line 7)
4. To purchase (line 10)
5. Noticeable (line 13)
6. Facilities (line 14)
7. The areas on the periphery of a city (line 14)
8. Renewed (line 16)
9. To make easier (line 18)
10. Widened (line 19)
11. Flooded (line 25)

B-COMPREHENSION CHECK 30 %

The assertions below are about the text. Read them and decide if they are true or false. Write
T for true and F for false then justify your answers by indicating the lines.

Do like in the example: 1. F (line 1)

1. It took 45 years for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to return to Côte d'Ivoire.

2. The AFCON opening match was opposing Côte d’Ivoire to Senegal.

3. Maurice Kouassi came at the Treichville market to buy a jersey of the team of Côte d'Ivoire.

4. During the first AFCON hosted in Côte d’Ivoire in 1984, Maurice Kouassi was 12 years old.

5. In sum, the organization of the AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire has cost € 6.5 billion.

6. For this AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, the government built four stadiums.

7. The government renovated four others stadiums.

8. For this AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, twenty-four training pitches have also been fitted out.

9.The "coastal" road links the City of Korhogo to the city of Abidjan.

10. The city of Bouaké is second-largest city of Côte d’Ivoire.

11. On September 12, during the friendly match between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali, the pitch was

flooded.

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PART TWO: LANGUAGE IN USE 30%

TASK A: The paragraph below is about the defeat of the Ivorian team against Equatorial
Guinea, as you read the paragraph, fill in the gaps with the words from the box. Do it like in
the example.

Example: 1= on

Players – with – coach – playing – moving - to qualify – Youtube- have – to – images - on

Ivorian fans vented their anger (1……….) the social media. Many blamed the national team
for (2……….) the last group game with lack of determination. While some put the blame on
the (3……….) for being unrealistic (4……….) his line up, others traded the blame on
(5……….) who failed the trample on their opponents as elephants. Graphics designers have
produced (6……….) of elephants being dragged to the emergency ward that are making
rounds on Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook and (7……….), images of fans teasing
Ivorian former football star Didier Drogba also featured with huge reactions. The slogan
“discouragement is not Ivorians” as they look as (8……….) the results of other group games
to hope (9……….) for the next round. Some Ivorians say, if Cameroon’s match against the
Gambia ends in a draw, then Côte d’Ivoire will (10……….) a chance of (11……….) to the
next round.

Adapted from: https://www.crtv.cm/2024/01/afcon-2023-elephants-of-cote-divoire-humbled-

by-4-0/

TASK B: Read the sentences below and choose the appropriate quantifier between brackets.
Do like in the example.

Example: 1-Many

1. They were (many / much) people at the Ebimpé stadium on January 13th.
2. The Ivorians have played their last match with (few / little) enthusiasm.
3. The match was called off because there were (many / much) water on the pitch.
4. There is not (some / any) single player devoted to the cause of the nation.
5. These players have wiped away (the few / the little) chance of qualification we had.
6. There are (some / any) supporters who insult the others.
7. The government hired (many / much) policemen to avoid disruptions during matches.
8. The Cameroonian media activists came with (many / much) faith to record bumpy roads in
Côte d’Ivoire.
9.The former coach of the Ivorian football team has endorsed (many / much) pressure before
giving in.
10. There is (a few / a little) chance of qualification for Côte d’Ivoire.
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11. The CAF president has (many / much) consideration for Côte d’Ivoire.

PART THREE: WRITING 30%

Do ONLY one of the two tasks below on your answer sheet.

TASK A
On September 12, the friendly match between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali had been interrupted
due to a violent storm and the pitch became waterlogged. As a reporter for The New York
Times, an American daily newspaper, you decide to write an article about this incident to
clarify the incident. In your article;

- Give the causes of the interruption of the Match

- Give some consequences the flood has caused
- Suggest some solutions to prevent further incidents from happening

*Not more than 25 lines

TASK B: During the AFCON opening ceremony, Patrice Motsepe the president of the
Confederation of African Football (CAF) has argued that “The AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire is
the best one never organized in the history of African Cup of Nations”. This has outraged
some people who believe in the contrary. Besides, during the meeting of the English club of
your school, the chairperson asks you to write a for and against essay to enlighten the mind of
your fellow students. In your essay:

- Give the reasons why the AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire could be the best one.
- Say why this declaration outraged some people
- Give the reasons why some other people think that the AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire is not the
best one.

*Not more than 25 lines

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