French comprehension question - no answer correct?

BlueCam · 11-06-2008 2:29pm #1

Thought I'd split this off here since it's fairly specific! The question I'm on about is from the journalistic comprehension, Q5 (i), the second multiple choice one.

Dans la cinquième section le journaliste dit que, sur les Champs-Elysées:
(a) les riches investissement dans les restaurants et les cinémas.
(b) les visiteurs n'achètent plus les vêtements classiques.
(c) les piétons seuls ont le droit d'y accéder.
(d) les prix de location augmentent rapidement.

The first two are completely wrong.

The third one (only pedestrians have the right to reach the avenue) is correct if you look at this bit in the text. "Certains se prennent à rêver: <<L'idéal, ce serait que l'avenue devienne piétonne>>" (meaning the avenue should become pedestrianized). But that's not the journalist saying it - he's just quoting what certain people say. Therefore it's not completely right.

The fourth one fits in with the idea that "les loyers flambent" (rents flame up, i.e. the rents are an issue) and that "les loyers oscillent entre 8.000€ and 10.000€ le mètre carré" (rents fluctuate between €8,000 and €10,000). But neither of these state that the rents have actually increased, they just say that they're high. Therefore that, too, isn't completely right.

I'm not even worried about it, tbh, it's just that you'd think the SEC would get something very simple like this right!! (I went for option C, in the end...)

SRFC90 · 11-06-2008 2:33pm

It's B.....

nerd3000 · 11-06-2008 2:34pm

I choose the (d) myself but didn't analyse as much as yourself, it would have driven me up the wall.
The only thing I can say is the SEC will more than likely accept both.
I distinctly remember a few years ago a) b) c) were all accepted as right answers!! so chances are C) and D) will be accepted this year

muffinman · 11-06-2008 2:35pm

I'm pretty sure it had to be "(d) les prix de location augmentent rapidement." because while it wasn't directly said, it was clearly implied.. i.e independent retailers getting pushed out by international chains (although maybe that wasn't section 5).. They often accept more that one answer if they cock up, but I think (d) seems most applicable.. I mean (c) definitely wasn't said.. They said that people think it should happen, but it certainly hasn't happened

shortys94 · 11-06-2008 2:38pm

I think the quote regarding the pedestrianised streets is a possible solution to the problem, d seemed to be the answer.

ciaranajl · 11-06-2008 2:41pm

I went for d. The fact that the answer "d" is early on in the paragraph, and, from memory, that question was the first question asking about teh fifth paragraph and usually they do it in chronological order. Therefore the other quote you cited is doubtful because it's at the end of the paragraph. And in that quote is the subjonctif asked later on in a question.

Timee · 11-06-2008 2:42pm

BlueCam wrote: »

The fourth one fits in with the idea that "les loyers flambent" (rents flame up, i.e. the rents are an issue) and that "les loyers oscillent entre 8.000€ and 10.000€ le mètre carré" (rents fluctuate between €8,000 and €10,000). But neither of these state that the rents have actually increased, they just say that they're high.

the important word here, 'flambent' does not mean 'are an issue' . It means 'rapidly increase', (present tense). The answer was D.

BlueCam · 11-06-2008 2:49pm

Timee wrote: »

the important word here, 'flambent' does not mean 'are an issue' . It means 'rapidly increase', (present tense). The answer was D.

Flamber means to flame or to flame up. My understanding is that in this context, it means that the issue of rents is flaming up, coming up, being raised, etc., as distinct from rents themselves rising in price. You'd hardly say the price of a drink has flamed up recently if you mean its price has increased, would you?

Boink08 · 11-06-2008 2:52pm

Went for D. Seems right enough to me. Although the SEC is notoriously incompetent so who knows.

nyangnyang · 11-06-2008 2:53pm

yep i said "d" as well

Timee · 11-06-2008 2:55pm

Yeah i reckon you would. I interpret 'flame up' in the context of rent prices to only mean a reference to their increase.
But then again you could be right. its just that when our french teacher explained 'flamber' she gave the translation as a rapid increase/inflation in something.

nerd3000 · 11-06-2008 3:03pm

Sorry to kinda go off this topic but this thing confused me.
In the second or third question of the second comprehension there was "a donnée" just wondering why that second "e" is there!? Subjunctive? we didn't really cover that so excuse my incompetence

nyangnyang · 11-06-2008 3:07pm

nerd3000 wrote: »

Sorry to kinda go off this topic but this thing confused me.
In the second or third question of the second comprehension there was "a donnée" just wondering why that second "e" is there!? Subjunctive? we didn't really cover that so excuse my incompetence

i dont think thats subjunctif,its because the object is before the subject or something like that and it has to agree with it. if its feminine then you'll have an extra e. but its not subjunctif afaik

BlueCam · 11-06-2008 3:08pm

nerd3000 wrote: »

Sorry to kinda go off this topic but this thing confused me.
In the second or third question of the second comprehension there was "a donnée" just wondering why that second "e" is there!? Subjunctive? we didn't really cover that so excuse my incompetence

Trouvez la raison que Nicholas a donnée pour ne pas accompagner Lucrèce.

The "e" refers to "la raison" (fem.) which is the indirect object in the sentence or something like that!

Timee · 11-06-2008 3:12pm

he had to take a 'coup de fil' right?

starkinter · 11-06-2008 3:21pm

From my dictionary:
flamber [cours, prix, bourse] to shoot up, to rocket

Seems to settle it.

tute08 · 11-06-2008 3:27pm

What was the answer to the question on the verb in the subjunctive??? Please, if anyone can tell me it would be very much appreciated, cant get it out of my head!!!!

abcxyz123 · 11-06-2008 3:29pm

tute08 wrote: »

What was the answer to the question on the verb in the subjunctive??? Please, if anyone can tell me it would be very much appreciated, cant get it out of my head!!!!

i think there was two 'prennent' and 'devienne'

mocks!?! · 11-06-2008 3:30pm

i said d'entente doit...but not sure if its right or not.

nyangnyang · 11-06-2008 3:34pm

mocks!?! wrote: »

i said d'entente doit...but not sure if its right or not.

no i dont think it is

abcxyz123 · 11-06-2008 3:37pm

nyangnyang wrote: »

no i dont think it is

+1 it is wrong!! i know because i said doit aswell, its the present of devoir......dunno about the first bit

mocks!?! · 11-06-2008 3:40pm

Thats ok, the comprehensions werent that bad overall. happy enough.

nyangnyang · 11-06-2008 3:48pm

what did ye say for the two things that showed the room was in a mess? was it the clothes and cassettes??

mocks!?! · 11-06-2008 3:50pm

yup i said them 2.

superLeetive · 11-06-2008 4:26pm

nerd3000 wrote: »

Sorry to kinda go off this topic but this thing confused me.
In the second or third question of the second comprehension there was "a donnée" just wondering why that second "e" is there!? Subjunctive? we didn't really cover that so excuse my incompetence

Well the "a donnée" has already been explained but no the subjunctive is formed by taking the -ons off the nous form of the present tense of the verb being used and then adding the endings - e, es, e, ions, iez and ent and then of course there are the irregular verbs as usual (avoir, aller, etre etc.). You can also recognise the subjunctive as it is used with certain expressions taking "que".

RA253195370HK · 11-06-2008 5:04pm

So am I the only one that chose (a) in that question?!

It said something in the text about all the moey being invested in restaurants and cinemas instead of classic boutiques..

moonflower · 11-06-2008 5:05pm

Bollocks, I think I got the subjunctive one wrong.

But for this multiple choice one I said D. I was thinking of going with C, but I didn't think they really stated that in the text.

irishslainte · 11-06-2008 5:05pm

was de em wit the weird thing on top 1

nyangnyang · 11-06-2008 5:05pm

RA253195370HK wrote: »

So am I the only one that chose (a) in that question?!

It said something in the text about all the moey being invested in restaurants and cinemas instead of classic boutiques..

no it said that only boutiques can afford the rent that doesn't mean that the people only bought things in the boutiques

superLeetive · 11-06-2008 5:11pm

moonflower wrote: »

Bollocks, I think I got the subjunctive one wrong.

But for this multiple choice one I said D. I was thinking of going with C, but I didn't think they really stated that in the text.

The subjunctive was devienne.

Yeah the answer was (d) as it said "les loyers flambent" meaning that they shot up.

Nanaki · 11-06-2008 10:14pm

said (d), and devienne for the subj.
Did anyone else notice the last word of the second comprehension :
"rhabiller"
typo?

French comprehension question - no answer correct?

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