BBC Active GCSE Bitesize French complete revision and practice

Contents
Exam board specification map
Introduction
Topic checker
iv
vi
x
Lifestyle
Personal details – vocabulary
Personal details
Healthy living – vocabulary
Healthy living
Sport – vocabulary
Sport
Food and drink – vocabulary
Food and drink
Teenage issues – vocabulary
Teenage issues
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Leisure and travel
Free time – vocabulary
Free time
Media – vocabulary
Media
Shopping and fashion – vocabulary
Shopping and fashion
Holidays – vocabulary
Holidays
Getting around – vocabulary
Getting around
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
Home and environment
My home – vocabulary
My home
Special occasions – vocabulary
Special occasions
My town – vocabulary
My town
Environmental issues – vocabulary
Environmental issues
ii
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
School and jobs
School – vocabulary
School
Studies – vocabulary
Studies
Jobs and money – vocabulary
Jobs and money
Future career – vocabulary
Future career
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
Listening practice
Foundation
Higher
74
78
Exam questions and model answers
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Complete the grammar
Answers
Transcripts
Last-minute learner
82
84
87
89
91
96
100
103
iii
Personal details – vocabulary
A
Je m’appelle (Magali Lantier).
My name’s (Magali Lantier).
Ça s’écrit L.A.N.T.I.E.R.
That’s spelt L.A.N.T.I.E.R.
Je suis britannique/ écossais(e)/irlandais(e)/gallois(e)/
américain(e)/canadien(ne).
I am British/Scottish/Irish/
Welsh/American/Canadian.
J’ai quinze/seize ans.
I’m 15/16 (years old).
Mon anniversaire, c’est le (premier juin).
My birthday’s on the (1st June).
Je suis né(e) le 21 (mai) …
I was born on the 21st May …
… en 1995 (mil neuf cent quatre-vingt-quinze).
… in 1995.
zéro
0
neuf
9
dix-huit
18
vingt-sept
27
un
1
dix
10
dix-neuf
19
vingt-huit
28
deux
2
onze
11
vingt
20
vingt-neuf
29
trois
3
douze
12
vingt et un
21
trente
30
quatre
4
treize
13
vingt-deux
22
trente et un
31
cinq
5
quatorze
14
vingt-trois
23
trente-deux
32
six
6
quinze
15
vingt-quatre
24
quarante
40
sept
7
seize
16
vingt-cinq
25
cinquante
50
huit
8
dix-sept
17
vingt-six
26
soixante
60
janvier
January
juillet
July
février
February
août
August
mars
March
septembre
September
avril
April
octobre
October
mai
May
novembre
November
juin
June
décembre
December
B
2
Personal information
Family members
le frère
brother
la sœur
sister
le demi-frère
half-brother
la demi-sœur
half-sister
le beau-frère
stepbrother
la belle-sœur
stepsister
le père (papa)
father (dad)
la mère (maman)
mother (mum)
le beau-père
stepfather
la belle-mère
stepmother
le grand-père
grandfather
la grand-mère
grandmother
l’oncle
uncle
la tante
aunt
le cousin
cousin (male)
la cousine
cousin (female)
le mari
husband
la femme
wife
le fils
son
la fille
daughter
J’ai un copain/une copine.
I have a boyfriend/girlfriend.
Plus tard, je voudrais me marier et avoir des
enfants.
Later on, I’d like to get married and have
children.
Je préfère rester célibataire.
I prefer staying single.
To form the
feminine of an
adjective, you
usually add ‘e’ to
the masculine.
The word for ‘my’,
‘yours’, ‘his’ or
‘her’ agrees with
the word that
follows:
mon père (masc.)
ma mère (fem.)
mes parents (pl.)
Beau-frère also means
brother-in-law and
belle-mère also
means mother-in-law.
J’ai un frère.
I’ve got a brother.
Je suis fils/fille unique.
I’m an only child.
J’ai un frère jumeau/une sœur jumelle.
I’ve got a twin brother/sister.
Mon frère est plus âgé/jeune que moi.
My brother is older/younger than me.
Je suis l’aîné(e).
I’m the eldest.
Mes parents sont divorcés/séparés/remariés.
My parents are divorced/separated/remarried.
Ma sœur m’énerve.
My sister annoys me.
Je m’entends bien avec ma tante.
I get on well with my aunt.
J’ai un chien/un chat/un poisson/un lapin.
I have a dog/cat/fish/rabbit.
C
Describing people
Appearance
Il/elle a les yeux bleus/verts/marron.
He/she has got blue/green/brown eyes.
Il/elle a les cheveux bruns/blonds/noirs.
He/she has got brown/blond/black hair.
Il/elle a les cheveux raides/frisés.
He/she has got straight/curly hair.
Il/elle a les cheveux longs/courts.
He/she has got long/short hair.
Il/elle porte des lunettes.
He/she wears glasses.
Il/elle est petit(e)/mince/grand(e)/gros(se).
He/she is small/slim/tall/fat.
Good and bad qualities
intelligent(e)/idiot(e), bête
intelligent/stupid
poli(e)/impoli(e)
polite/impolite
marrant(e)/ sérieux(euse)
funny/serious
timide/sociable
shy/sociable
optimiste/pessimiste
optimistic/pessimistic
calme/agité(e)
calm/hyper
patient(e)/impatient(e)
patient/impatient
généreux(euse)/égoïste
generous/selfish
>> practice questions
Revise the alphabet so you can spell words and names in the exam.
Have a go with your name, that of a member of your family, a friend, a pet or
your favourite celebrity.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
ah
bay
say
day
err
eff
zhay
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
ahsh
ee
zhee
kah
el
em
en
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
oh
pay
koo
air
ess
tay
oo
v
w
x
y
z
vay
doobler vay
eeks
ee grek
zed
3
Personal details
Make sure you can give and understand personal details, such
as name, age, nationality, birthday, appearance, etc.
Being familiar with them will help you in the reading exam.
Also, be prepared to use these in the interview and conversation
of the speaking assessment and in your writing assessment.
A
Personal information
READ
You may come across this type of ID card in the reading exam.
Make sure you know what the headings refer to.
Choose words from the list to fill the gaps.
Write the correct
letter on each line.
a
16 ans
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1 Nom: ____________________
2 Prénom: __________________
3 Nationalité: _______________
33, rue Lavin, 75011 Paris
Marc
11/02/94
français
Louvier
deux chats
une sœur, un demi-frère
4 Adresse: __________________
5 Age: _____________________
6 Date de naissance: _________
7 Famille: ____________________________
8 Animaux:
__________________________
SPEAK/WRITE
In the speaking or writing controlled assessment, you may be asked to provide information about
yourself (or the person you are pretending to be) or another person.
Mention points 1–8 above a) for yourself; b) for your favourite celebrity, using full sentences.
Exemple: a Je m’appelle …; J’ai … ans; Je suis …
b Il/elle s’appelle …; Il/elle a …; Il/elle est
Grammar – avoir and être
avoir
être
j’ai (I have)
nous avons (we have)
je suis (I am)
nous sommes (we are)
tu as (you have)
vous avez (you have)
tu es (you are)
vous êtes (you are)
il/elle a (he/she has)
ils/elles ont (they have)
il/elle est (he/she is)
ils/elles sont (they are)
B
My family
READ
Read about Leïla’s family and see if you
can underline all the family members she
mentions. Check that you know what they
are in English, e.g mère = mother.
4
Salut. Je m’appelle Leïla et j’habite La Rochelle.
J’habite avec ma mère et mon beau-père. J’ai
une sœur et un demi-frère. Je m’entends très
bien avec mes parents, parce qu’ils sont sympa
et ils ne sont pas trop stricts. Mais mon demifrère m’énerve tout le temps – il a dix ans et il est
bête. Ma sœur est plus âgée que moi et elle est
généreuse et intelligente. Elle m’aide à faire mes
devoirs et ça c’est formidable!
WRITE
Adapt Leïla’s text above and write about your family (invent details if
you prefer), keeping useful phrases and changing the words which refer
to Leïla (in italics in her bubble).
C
Describing people
Always be on the
lookout for useful
phrases you can
adapt for your own
writing and speaking.
READ
In the exam, you might have to say whether statements are positive or negative
or sometimes even both positive and negative.
Read, then write P (positive), N (negative) or P+N (positive and negative).
a Mon meilleur copain est super marrant.
P
b Notre voisin est pessimiste.
c Mon amie est très impolie envers ses parents.
Always read the
whole sentence to the
end: don’t jump to
conclusions too soon.
d Sylvie est intelligente et travailleuse.
e Moi, je suis assez calme mais aussi impatient.
f
Mon copain est trop impatient et ça m’énerve.
g Ma correspondante est vraiment méchante.
h Ma copine est paresseuse, mais elle est très sympa.
WRITE
Make sure you know plenty of words to describe people.
Check the list on page 3 before doing this activity.
Describe your ideal partner. Mention all his/her qualities – good and bad!
Remember to use link words (et, mais, par contre, etc.) to make longer
sentences and give positive and negative statements.
Use words such as
très (very), vraiment
(really), assez (quite)
and un peu (a bit) to
describe what people
are like.
Exemple: Ma partenaire idéale est assez grande, par contre elle n’est pas très mince.
Elle est marrante mais elle est aussi vraiment intelligente.
>> practice questions
READ
What five qualities is this company looking for in its staff?
On recherche des jeunes gens pour travailler dans notre
bureau de télécommunications. Vous devez être:
• responsable • obligeant(e)
• intelligent(e) • poli(e)
• amical(e).
Lots of French
words look like their
English meanings,
so look out for them
in reading tasks like
this to make things
easier for yourself.
5