Reading comprehension strategies
Edexcel GCSE French revision on Reading comprehension strategies. Aligned to the Pearson Edexcel GCSE French 1FR0 specification. This bank has 3 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 3)
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Question 1
If you don't know a French word, you should...
- A) Give up
- B) Use cognates (similar to English) + context + the rest of the sentence
- C) Translate everything in your head
- D) Skip it entirely
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Answer: Use cognates (similar to English) + context + the rest of the sentence
COGNATES: words similar in both languages (intelligent, important, animal, possible, restaurant). FAUX AMIS: words that LOOK same but mean different (librairie = bookshop NOT library; sensible = sensitive NOT sensible). Use context clues: the rest of the sentence/paragraph often gives meaning. Don't translate word-by-word - get the gist first.
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Question 2
A 'faux ami' is a word that...
- A) Sounds nice
- B) Looks like an English word but has a different meaning
- C) Is a true friend
- D) Is archaic
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Answer: Looks like an English word but has a different meaning
Common faux amis: LIBRAIRIE = bookshop (not library = bibliothèque). SENSIBLE = sensitive (not sensible = raisonnable). ÉVENTUELLEMENT = possibly (not eventually = finalement). ACTUELLEMENT = currently (not actually = en fait). MAGAZINE = magazine (not store - that's magasin).
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Question 3
To find specific information in a French text quickly, you should...
- A) Read every word carefully
- B) SKIM for general idea first
- C) Translate sentence by sentence
- D) Use a dictionary for every word
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Answer: SKIM for general idea first
SKIM: read quickly to get general meaning (key words, topic sentences). SCAN: read again for the specific detail you need (a number, name, time). For exam questions, work out what info you need FIRST, then go hunting. Don't translate everything - that takes too long + isn't required.
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