session 2006

BAccALAUnÉer
cÉruÉnal
SESSION2006
A N GL A I S
LVI
SériesES-S
Durée: 3 heures - Coefficient3
L'usagedes calculatriceset de tout dictionnaireest interdit.
Barème appliqué pour la correction
Compréhensionécrite
10points
Expression
10 points
Ce sujet comporte4 pages.
6ANSEME/AG3
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The world mighthave changedfor the worse in some respects,but in othersit was a much
betterplace,and it was impodantto rememberthis.Lightswent off in some places,but wenton
in others.Look at Africa- there had been so much to shake one's head over- corruption,
civit
wars, and the rest - but there was also so much whichwas now much better.There had been
slaveryin the past, and all the sufferingwhich that had brought,and there had been all the
crueltiesof aparlheidjust thosefew milesaway overthe border,but all that was now over. There
had been ignorance,but now more and more people were learning to write, and were
graduatingfrom universities.
Women had been held in such servitude,and now they couldvote
and expressthemselvesand claim livesfor themselves,even if there were stillmany men who
1 0 did not want such things to be. These were the good things that happenedand one had to
rememberthem.
Mmal Ramotsweraisedher tea cup to her lipsand lookedout over the brim.At the edge of
the car park,immediately
in frontof the café,a smallmarkethad beenset up, withtraders'ètalls
and traysof colourfulgoods.She watchedas a man attemptedto persuadea customerto buy a
1 5 pair of sunglasses.The woman tried on severalpairs,but was not satisfied,and movedon to
the next stall,Thereshe pointedto a smallpieceof silverjewellery,a bangle2,and thetrader,a
short man wearinga wide-brimmedfelt hat, passedit acrossto her to try on. Mma Ramotswe
watched as the woman held out her wrist to be admired by the trader, who nodded
encouragement.
But the woman seemednot to agreewith his verdict,and handedthe bangle
20 back, pointingto anotheritem at the back of the stall.And at that moment,while the trader
turned round to stretch for whatever it was that she had singled out3,the woman quickly
slippedanotherbangleintothe pocketof the jacketshe was wearing"
M m a R a m o t s w eg a s p e d .T h i s t i m e , s h e c o u l d n o t s i t b a c k a n d a l l o w a c r i m e t o b e
committedbeforeher very eyes. lf peopledid nothing,then no wonderthat thingswere getting
25 worse.So she stood up, and beganto walk firmlytowardsthe stallwherethe woman had now
engagedthe trader in earnestdiscussionabout the merits of the merchandisewhich he was
showingher.
"Excuse
m e ,M m a . "
The voice came from behind her, and Mma Ramotswe turned round to see who had
3 0 addressedher. lt was the waitress,a youngwomanwhom Mma Ramotswehad not seen at the
café before.
"Yes,
M m a ,w h a t i s i t ? "
The waitresspointedan accusingfingerat her""You cannotrun away likethat,"she said."l
saw you. You'retryingto go away withoutpayingthe bill. I saw yorr."
35
For a moment Mma Ramotswewas unableto speak. The accusationwas a terribleone.
and so unwarranted.
Of courseshe had not been tryingto get away withoutpayingthe billshe wouldneverdo such a thing;all she was doingwas tryingto stop a crime beingcommitted
beforeher eyes.
She recoveredherselfsufficiently
to reply."l am not tryingto go away, Mma,"she said. "l
40 am just trying to stop that personover there from stealingfrom that man. Then I would have
c o m e b a c kt o p a y . "
T h e w a i t r e s ss m i l e dk n o w i n g l y".T h e y a l l f i n d s o m e e x c u s e , "s h e s a i d ." E v e r yd a y t h e r e
are people like you. They come and eat our food and then they run away and hide. You
p e o p l ea r e a l l t h e s a m e . "
45
Mma Ramotswe looked over towards the stall. The woman had begun to walk away,
presumablywith the banglestill firmlyin her pocket.It would now be too late to do anything
about it, and all becauseof this silly young woman who had misunderstood
what she was
doing.
She went back to her table and sat down. "Bring me the bill," she said. "l will pay it
5 0 straightaway."
The waitressstared at her. "l will bring you the bill," she said. "But I shall have to add
somethingfor myself.I will have to add this if you do not want me to call the policeand tell
them abouthow you triedto run away."
As the waitresswent off to fetch the biil, Mma Ramotsweglancedaroundher to see if
1 Mma: polite
term equivalentof Madamor Mrs
' bangle:
sort of bracelet.
"
singleout: indicate(in this context)
6ANSEME/AG3
Peoe ? crrr /
{(
60
nannloaf fha neighbouring
tableshad witnessedthe Scene.At the tablenextto hers,a Woman
sat with her two young children,who were sippingwith evidentpleasureat largemilkshakes.
The woman smiledat Mma Ramotswe,and then turnedher attentionbackto the children.She '
had not seen anything,thoughtMma Ramotswe,but then the woman leanedacrossthe table
and addresseda remarkto her.
"Bad
luck,Mma,"she said."Theyare too quick in this place.lt is easierto run away at the
hotels."
ln the Companyof CheerfulLadies,AlexanderMcCallSmith,2005
I COMPRÉHENSION
NOTE IMPORTANTEAUX CANDIDATS:
Lescandidats
traiteront
le sujetsur la copiequi leur sera fournieen respectant
l'ordredes
questionset en faisantapparaître
(numéroet lettrerepèrele cas échéant,
la numérotation,
ex: 15b- voir en particulierles questions1, 5, 6, 9,10et 12).lls composeront
des phrases
complètes
chaquefois qu'illeurest demandéde rédigerles réponses.
Le nombrede mots
indiquéconstitueune exigenceminimale.
En I'absence
d'indication,
les candidats
répondront
brièvement
à la questionposée.Les citationsserontlimitéesaux élémentspertinentset
s de la mentionde la li
Q u e s t i o n1
1. The main character,Mma Ramotswe,is in Africa.Where exactly?
a) at a café
b) at a hotel
c) at a policestation
d) at a university
Justifyyour answerby a quotationfrom the text.
Questions2 to 5. Focuson the passagefrom line 12 to line 32.
2. (line23) "Mma Ramotswegasped".Explainwhy she was so shocked.(20 words)
3 . W h a t d i d s h e i n t e n dt o d o ?
4. Explainin your own wordswhethershe was successfulor not.
"Mma".
5. a) Two femalecharactersare referredto as
One of them is Mma Ramotswe.
Who is the other lady?
b) Who is speakingin each of the followinglines?
( l i n e2 8 ) " E x c u s em e , M m a . "
(line32) "Yes,Mma, what is it?"
Questions6 and 7. Focuson the passagefrom line 33 to line44.
6. True or False.Justifyyour answerswith a quotationfrom the text.
a) The other ladythoughtMma Ramotswewas dishonest.
b) lt would have beenvery unlikeMma Ramotsweto do anythingdishonest.
c) Mma Ramotswepleadedguilty.
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the otherlady:
7. Choosethe adjectivethat characterises
cynical, nai've,nervous, sympathetic,understanding
Justifyyour choiceby a quotationfrom the text.
8. How can the other lady'sattitudebe accountedfor? (20 words)
"
"lt
9. a) (lines46-47) would now be too lateto do anythingaboutit...
"too
"it"
late".
What does
referto? Explainwhy it was
b) What did Mma Ramotswedecideto do at that point?
"But I shall haveto add somethingfor myself."
10.a) (lines51-52)
What did the other lady mean?
"l
b) (lines52-53) willhaveto add this if you do not want me to callthe policeand tell
them abouthow you tried to run away."
Say in yourown wordswhat choiceMma Ramotswewas facedwith.
Questions11 and 12. Focuson the passagefrom line 54 to the end.
"hadwitnessed scene"?
the
11.Why was Mma Ramotsweso anxiousto know if someone
( l i n e5 5 )
12.a) How do you understandthe last two linesof the text? (30 words)
b) What impactdo you think thesewordswill have on Mma Ramotswe?
13.To what extent do the last two lines correct the vision of Africa given in the first
paragraphof the text? (30 words)
II.EXPRESSION
Chooseeithersubject1 or subject2.
"Theworldmighthavechangedfor the worsein some respects,
but in
1. The text begins:
othersit was a much betterplace",ls this how you see the worldin whichyou live?
Developyour argumentsand illustratethemwith a few examples.(300words)
2.
'Bad luck'(line60) - Write a letterto a friendtellinghim/herof an incidentin whichyou
were most unlucky.(300words)
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