26 D. Correct! The clue is Gérard’s
laugh when Jody asks what the dog’s name is. Dogs in France are always
addressed as tu, something Gérard would have known
but Jody would not have. Cats, however, are addressed as vous.
1 A. It is true that Janice did
not greet M. Vermille, and he may have taken offense at that, but that is
not the reason that he said she was rude. Try again.
14 A. Although many French do not like Americans
for their worldwide reputations for being over weight and eating fast and
fatty foods, the secretary was not being mean or fresh. The Americans
tend to dress very casually, which the French despise about Americans. Choose
again.
17 D. No. Amy mentioned that her parents were
probably going to eat at a restaurant near their office building. Try again.
21 A. Walls, fences and shrubbery
do make French homes more appealing and different from others houses, although
this is not the reason that most French homes have fences or barriers around
them. Choose again.
11 D. This is possible, but unlikely.
Mike would have just been very unlucky if this was the reason for Manon’s
family getting mad.
30 C. There is no indication that the
two would have any problem finding a movie theater because they aren’t
worrying about it. Try Again.
25 B. Correct! In France anything above
a 10/20 is passing and anywhere from a 12-14 is considered a very good score.
16-17 is exceptionally good and scores from 18-20 are almost never given.
27 A. Although the package did somewhat
surprise Gustave, bread can be wrapped in France after purchase.
12 A. Pierre wasn’t allergic,
but he didn’t say anything about it either. This is not the reason
why Pierre wasn’t surprised to see dogs at the café.
20 A. Correct! Studies show that
the reason many French people are thin is because they have a very balanced
diet, and have set times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as opposed to many
Americans who eat whenever they are hungry. The French make their meals a
social occasion, which lets them extend their meals, instead of wolfing it
down in a matter of seconds. French parents and teachers teach their children
the proper nutrition from an early age so that the children know what is best
for them. This scenario is ironic because they are in McDonalds, most likely
the mostunhealthy food because of its lack of nutrition, when Sarah brings
up the question.
2 C. This is very possible,
but it’s unlikely that Jean-Marie would get so upset about it.
15A. This is incorrect. In fact, M. Renaut
makes it quite clear that he likes Italy and goes there often, so he definitely
does not dislike Italians. Choose again.
22 A. Correct!! There
is a major difference in the way French and
American people cook their meat.
In France, the meat is cooked much rarer than in the United States.
Frank obviously didn’t realize this so he ordered a medium steak which
in the U.S. would be considered just above rare on the cooking chart.
27 B. Gustave could probably recognize
the object in the package as bread, but even so, he would be surprised.
Not all French bread is crusty.
6 A. If Guy's parents
owned the restaurant he would be able to drink wine even if he was only sixteen.
Select another answer.
24 B. This is also possible but
very unlikely.
20 D. It is true that black is
a very slimming color, but the passage doesn’t mention anything about
what Antoinette is wearing. Pick a more appropriate answer.
26 A. Wrong. In fact, Gérard probably
would have found Jody even sillier if she had addressed him as vous.
Adults always address children, even ones they don’t know, as tu.
13 A. No, the passage doesn’t say anything
about the Françoise knowing “all.” The question is asking
why Françoise seemed to know the song. Pick a more appropriate answer.
28 A. No, Bob’s pen pal
read the date correctly. His pen pal didn’t do anything wrong.
10 B. Incorrect ! People in France
usually don’t have a problem with bacon. Anyway, If she was really allergic,
Carl would have been more considerate.
29 A. There is no indication that M. Smith arrived
late to his meeting. Therefore, there would be no reason for M. Lapointe to
see another client. Also, M. Lapointe would not have more than one meeting
scheduled for the same time. Try Again.
23 D. This is not true. In France students
who forget something do not leave when they remember it. Besides, Lisette
is only visiting so she would not need any books. Choose again.
16 A. Correct!!
Mr. Stewart did call the waiter garçon instead of
monsieur, which today, in French culture, is very impolite and demeaning.
Although in the past, in France, one called the waiter using garçon, today, in order to be polite,
one must use monsieur.
24 D. Correct! The fève
is a small bean or toy found inside the galette. The person who has the fève
in their piece of cake becomes King or Queen for the day. Pierre forgot
to tell Sean this. There was a miscommunication between the two.
Unfortunately, Sean missed out on a fun day.
18A. This can be a practice anywhere,
but Gustave wasn’t shocked at how the pets were prepared after death,
he was shocked by the display of tombs.
21 C. French homes are not all built with
wall, like in the United States a family can request to have a fence or not.
Choose a different answer.
26 B. Incorrect. The Sorbonne is, like
many Parisian schools, co-educational. Choose again.
30 B. Correct. “En v.o.”
means in the original version. This means that they were going to see the
film the way it was originally made by the production crew. The thing that
would be different in the original version and the modified version is the
language. In the modified version, the speech is dubbed; in the original version,
there are subtitles.
15B. The French do consider
it rude to talk about work in a casual situation like a party. Unlike Americans,
for whom money is a primary topic of conversation, a French person would much
rather talk about almost anything else than work or the price of purchases.
However, the passing joke that Seignior Rossetti made was probably not enough
to make M. Renaut feel uncomfortable. Choose again.
20 B. A sedentary lifestyle may
have an affect obesity, but that it not why it is ironic. Choose again.
1 B. Correct! The French would
never give someone chrysanthemums as a wedding present because chrysanthemums
are traditionally given there when someone dies. A more appropriate gift might
have been any type of very fragrant flower or some orange flowers. The French
set out fragrant flowers at their weddings, the custom being that the smell
will ward off evil, and French brides wear orange flowers, symbolizing virginity.
18 D. Wrong! There are some animals
the French do not typically eat, but even those that they do eat can sometimes
end up with a saddle on their back, or on a lily pad.
27 C. Correct! The French usually
purchase fresh bread baked regularly at independent bakeries, and business
is limited to before mealtimes.
9 B. Nowhere in the passage
does it state that M. Chirac did not
like Mr. Smith’s French accent.
Pick again.
14 D. Correct! The French call the American
first floor (the ground floor) the "rez- de- chaussée."
The restaurant was on the French "premer étage," but that
is the second floor in the United States.
28 C. No, the teacher was
sure that the card was for Bob.
16 B. In France,
in cafés, it is perfectly fine to ask the waiter or
waitress what he or she enjoys to eat. Nice try, but pick again.
25 A. While that is could very possibly be
true, she didn’t say that. Try again.
19 A. This may be true. But that
is not the reason why Pierre does not want to leave. They were there
for a long enough time that Pierre would have finished. Try reading
the passage again and picking a more appropriate answer.
26 C. Incorrect. This is not the reason Gérard
calls Jody silly. Mme le Blanc tells Gérard that Jody is American as
a way of explaining Jody’s error. Choose again.
23 A. Correct! In France the
students stand when a teacher enters the room and then they sit down after
the teacher has taken his or her seat. The students respect their teachers.
They stand to show their respect and courtesy. In France it is normal.
In America we do not stand to greet our teachers, but not because we do not
respect them. In France all students stand.
21 D. Correct! The French
like their privacy, most houses in France have hedges, walls, fences or trees
surrounding the property. The French believe that privacy is very important,
and this is how they create it. When French people visit the United
States they are often surprised by many homes without any fence or trees separating
one property from another.
30 D. Jean-Paul was not asking Michael
if the film was being shown at a special pre-release because it is unlikely
that the pre-release would be shown in a foreign country. This would be similar
to an American cinema showing a sneak preview of a Spanish film. Try again.
24 A. This is possible, but very
unlikely.
1 C. It’s perfectly acceptable
to say “Félicitations” (“Congratulations”)
to someone who is about to be married. Try again.
22 B. Frank may know the
difference between rare and medium steaks,
but he obviously doesn’t
know that in France the steaks are cooked much more lightly than in the U.S.
Good guess, but try again.
17 A. In France families tend to spend
more time together at meals and talking together. Even so Jacqueline is not
commenting on the amount of time they spend together. Try again.
29 C. Correct. Usually, in American
business, someone would be ushered into a meeting right at the time that it
was scheduled for. That specific block of time would be reserved for one person
and there would be no reason for a delay. In European business and culture,
it is acceptable for one to do many things at once. Therefore, it would not
be unusual for someone to begin another task while waiting for a meeting.
9 C. Correct!
Mr. Smith did insult M. Chirac whether he wanted to
or not. Not thinking, he used the “tu”
tense, and called M. Chirac by
his first name. In French
culture, when meeting someone new or someone older than you, one must use
the “vous” tense and use their last name. This occurs until you
become acquainted and good friends.
18 B. Correct. The French don’t
even have cemeteries for pets. Apparently Americans make a bigger deal
out of pets than the French do, and having one is more like an adoption around
here.
29 D. There is no indication that M.
Lapointe specifically said anything related to the exact time that the two
would meet to discuss their business. Try Again.
2 A. This is possible, but
very unlikely. McDonald’s isn’t a healthy place to eat,
but it isn’t likely that someone would let it get that out of hand.
25 D. That is not true, he did
laugh, try again.
12 C. No, Pierre was
not surprised
14 B. The Eiffel Tower does have restaurant
on the second floor. The receptionist did understand Robert.
Robert did not understand the receptionist . Choose a different answer.
19 C. Correct!
In France people may sit for hours in a café. In France they
will not make you leave a café even if you have been there a long time.
In the cafés people may read a book, have something to eat, talk with
friends, or just enjoy life. Where as in America people leave to rush
to something else and not enjoy the time.
27 D. C’mon, give Julie some credit!
I think she can find a loaf of bread very well without confusing it with firewood.
She’s named after my cousin, you know.
22 C. Nowhere in the passage
does it state that Frank was given the
wrong steak ; a different
steak isn’t even mentioned in the passage.
Try again.
23 C. Lisette was not stretching her legs. She had just walked into
class. There would be no reason for her to stretch her legs. Read the
passage again and choose a more appropriate answer.
1 D. There’s nothing to
suggest that Janice brought bad flowers. Her intentions seem to have been
very honorable and kind, and she wouldn’t have gotten wilted buds. Choose
something more likely.
8 D. Sorry, no, this is not 1929.
Capone’s dead and everyone’s drunk again (on life!).
17 B. Correct! In France children will leave
school, parents will come home for work, and most stores will close down from
noon till two. Lunch is the big meal in France as apposed to America where
dinner is the big meal. Since Jacqueline is used to this arrangement she didn’t
know that lunch is not a very big deal in America
10 A. No, Silly, the scenario doesn’t
say anything about Marie being sick. Pick a more appropriate answer.
24 C. This is possible too, but
highly unlikely.
2 B. Correct! Many
countries, especially in Europe despise America because of its wanting to
effect cultures other that its own. McDonald’s is all over the
world, and while some countries may like the idea of American economy in their
own, many countries believe that American cultures such as McDonald’s
ruins their culture. Using logos such as « McDonald’s :
The United Tastes of America » just increases countries dislike
of American economy. In France, McDonald’s could ruin many traditions
of France, such as their daily meals.
16 C.
Although they were eating by themselves, nowhere in the passage
does it state that they wanted absolute privacy. If they did,
they
would not have chosen to eat in an extremely public place as a café.
Try again.
13D. Correct! The French love American music. And French teenagers
love rap as much as teenagers in America do. In fact there was a law passed
that said that the radio stations in France can only play American songs 40%
of the time. One very popular station is NRG. When this station is pronounced
fast it creates the word “énergie.”
20 C. Incorrect! Being from France
doesn’t mean that she has no idea about proper nutrition. It is the
French culture that provides the answer. Choose again.
18 C. If the pets of France don’t
even have their own cemeteries, how can they be laid to rest among humans?
29 B. Because M. Smith says that he
has an appointment at the time that he walks in, there is no indication that
he does not know what time it is. If he was unsure of the time, he may have
asked for it. Try again.
11 A. This is possible, but very
unlikely that they would take such offense. If they did take pride in
having preservatives in their salad they would have just told Mike that.
6 D. The French do not
always follow the laws, they take pride in their ability to do so. Although,
this is not the reason why Guy can drink at age sixteen.
15 C. This is a silly response. The
dialogue shows that Seignior Rossetti, despite being a foreigner, speaks French
fluently enough to hold a conversation with M. Renaut. Choose something better.
19 D. The passage does not indicate that
there were people waited. here is another reason for Pierre not wanting
to leave the café. Choose again.
3 A. No, you
will get ticketed if the police stops you.
14 C. If Robert had gone
to the ground floor he still would not have reached the restaurant. The French
name the floors differently than Americans. Choose again.
7 A. Correct! In France the streets and cities are very
clean. Here we don’t try as hard to clean them and don’t notice
it as much. The French don’t notice their own dirtiness but notice other
countries.
15 D. Correct! If you notice, at one point Seignior Rossetti moved toward
M. Renaut, who soon after stepped backward. This is a very common occurrence
in meetings between northern and southern Europeans. The reason the Frenchmen
felt uncomfortable was that Italians (and other southern Europeans) and the
French (along with other northern Europeans) have very different conceptions
of personal space. Southern Europeans like to stand very close to people when
they talk, while northern Europeans, along with Americans, keep farther away
from each other. In this case, M. Abrosse and M. Renaut both felt uncomfortable
because Seignior Rossetti kept moving toward them, into their “personal
space,” trying to stand at a distance that was natural for an Italian
but strange for a Frenchman. At parties like this one, southern Europeans
can often back their northern European conversational partners into walls
for a whole evening.
3 B. The driver doesn’t
know that.
13 C. No. But like in all countries
there are people who are connected with every aspect of other cultures, but
pick a more appropriate answer.
2 D. This is possible, but Jean-Marie’s
attitude towards McDonald’s would not qualify for him not liking the
logo.
16 D. When talking to a
waiter or waitress, it is actually more polite to use the vous form rather than the tu form. Nice guess, but try again.
3 D. No, Bob read the
sign correctly.
4 A. In this conversation,
there was no indication that the waiter did not hear Rick. Therefore, it is
unlikely that the waiter would be checking Rick’s order again. Try again.
10 C. Correct !
The French usually have a small breakfast because it isn’t as important
to them and a large lunch because it is their main meal of the day. French
kids in school might leave school for two hours so that they can have lunch
with their family. That is why Marie was so surprised that Carl had such a
big breakfast.
4 B. Correct.
In France, most people eat steak that is only browned on the outside. Most
people don’t eat steak that is cooked all the way through. Therefore,
many people are surprised when someone orders steak to be cooked similarly
to the way it is cooked in the U.S.
9 D. Nowhere in the
passage stated that M. Chirac wanted to have a
drink. Although in France,
people don’t get right down to business,
nowhere did it say that he wanted
to get a drink. Good attempt, but
choose another.
8 A. Julie may not be too informed
about France’s culture, but I’m sure she would have asked Gustave
what he was talking about if she didn’t understand him.
4 C. If the waiter thought that the steak wasn’t very
good at the restaurant, it is unlikely that he would say something to the
customer. He would not want the customer to think badly of the restaurant.
Try again.
8 C. Umm, correct? C’mon,
what do you expect, a pat on the back and a dedicated parade? Yes, Julie
does not seem to know that even adolescents in France are allowed a bit of
wine with dinner. Julie has failed to acknowledge Gustave’s background
and possible homesickness.
3 C. Correct ! It is customary
for the French to ignore speed limits. The police will not stop them.
6 B. Correct! The
French don't abuse their right to drink because they believe that drinking
wine with their meals helps with indigestion. The French begin drinking
at an early age, even children drink watered-down wine at dinner with their
families. In France, there are more alcoholics, but fewer deaths related
to alcohol consumption.
7 C.
No although he thinks the city is dirty he does not talk about leaving.
10 D. French people have a very balanced diet
and walk a lot; that is why they are so thin. Pick another answer
28 D. Bon Anniversaire
does mean Happy Birthday. The card was a birthday card. Something
about the date is wrong.
4 D. Many people in France eat steak.
It is eaten all over the country and is made in many fine French restaurants.
5 A. The DuPonts like George.
He is polite and compliments the good cooking. This is not likely to
be so. Choose another answer.
8 B.
A Guinness is still a Guinness, even in France, and Gustave is not German.
11 C. Correct ! The word for preservatives
in French is consérvatifs. Préservatifs, in France, means condoms, so what Mike said
was that he liked French salads because they didn’t have condoms in
them. This was just a misunderstanding between Mike and Manon’s
family.
7 D. No Pierre says nothing about
eating or food
12 D. Correct! The French bring their
pets, especially dogs, with them to most public places and most public places,
like cafés, allow pets. It is not uncommon for pets to be in
French cafés, unlike in America. Pierre knows this, and was not
surprised when he saw dogs in the terrace.
6 C. Although Guy
may look older than he is, he would still be able to drink wine. Choose again.
23 B. Lisette was not going to the bathroom. She had time before
class started to use the bathroom. Even if she did have to go to the
bathroom, she would have waited for a better time. Try again.
5 B. Correct! The French
usually takes two to three hours to eat their lunch. Lunch is the big
meal of the day in France. Schools are let out and people get off work
to go eat lunch. The meal is long and may consist of many courses such
as salad, soup, main course, and cheese or fruit. The meal is a time
to sit and talk about food and what is new.
13B. This could be so, but this passage
is showing a generalization of the French, and unless Françoise’s
American friend is friends with everyone in the country, this is the wrong
answer.
5C. The dialogue does not
say whether George finished his food or not. This may be true, but there
is a better answer. Try again.
9A. Although Mr. Smith does
say that the plane was late, nowhere in the passage does it say that it was
really on time or that M. Chirac did not like this. Nice try, but choose
again.
19B. The passage does not suggest
that Pierre wanted to make them late to the movie. Pierre was still
eating and talking. Try again.
21 B. Fences are not
required in France, while many residences do
have fences it is not essential to have a hedge between houses. Many
houses do not have wall of fences, but have trees and bushes instead. Choose
another answer.
17 C. Although Jacqueline might be hungry, she did not mention
that in the dialogue. Try again.
5 D. The French do leave the table
for bathroom breaks or to get extra food from the kitchen. Choose a
better answer.
7 B. Although they think
our cities are dirty, the French do not think that Americans are unhygienic.
12B. Pierre could go to the particular
café often, but all cafés in France are similar to this one
regarding pets.
11 B. In France comments, usually
good ones, are welcomed. In restaurants people comment on their meals
more than in the US. Food in France is more important than in the US.
22 D. The waiter gave the
right orders to the right people. Never
was it stated that the orders
were confused. Try again.
28 B. Correct ! In France, the
date is written with the day first, then the month, unlike in America.
On the letter to his pen pal, Bob wrote his birthday as 8/3 instead of 3/8.
His pen pal in France thought his birthday was March 8th instead of August
3rd, sending him a birthday card in March.
30 A. There is no indication that the
two wanted to see a different film because they both agreed on seeing The
Matrix. Therefore, it
would be unlikely that they would go see a different film. Try again.
This project designed and implemented
by Emily Wagner, Germantown
Academy Assistant Head of Middle School. Web page design and technical
assistance furnished by Carol
Siwinski, Curricular
Technology Specialist.
May, 2003