Le sujet 2007 - Bac ES - Anglais LV1 - Compréhension écrite |
Avis du professeur :
Les questions de compréhension ne devraient pas vous poser de
problème ; elles sont principalement axées sur des faits explicites. |
The story is set in the nineteenth century, before the American Civil War.
When she saw
the books the tall slave named Grace straightened and asked if I would like a
ewer1 of warm water for my toilet
before she showed me to the master's room. I had shaved by
the river that morning before I'd made my
crossing, but I was pleased at the chance for a hot
wash. When Grace returned, she said the master
bade me to bring the books and leave the
5 rest. She led the way through the narrow hail that
joined the kitchen, warming room, and
buttery to the cool expanse of the main house.
The house was not especially large, nor by any
means the grandest I had been in-some of the
plantation homes along the James2 were more
like palaces-but it was perfect in proportion and
exquisite in appointments.
Grace gestured with
her long-fingered hand - not hands that appeared much accustomed to
10 heavy chores, I noted-indicating I should sit upon a marble
bench. "That is the master's library.
He will be with you presently," Grace said,
and swept away to her duties.
The home's, massive
entrance was to my right, the wide door surrounded by lights of
beveled glass, and I sat there, watching the
golden morning sunshine fracture into tiny
rainbows. Because I had been staring into the
bright light, I could not see him well when he at
15 last opened the library door, for he stood in its shadow.
There was an impression only; of great
height, very erect bearing, and a mellow voice.
"Good day to you,
sir. Would you kindly come in?"
I entered and I
stopped and twirled as if I were on a pivot. It was a double-height room, with
a narrow gallery at the midpoint. Books lined
every inch of it. A very large, plain, and beautiful
20 rosewood desk stood in the center.
"Augustus
Clement", he said, holding out his hand. I shifted the weight of the books
into the
crook of my left arm and shook his hand absently,
for I was transfixed by the magnitude of his
collection. "I've always imagined paradise
as something like a library. Now I know what it looks
like." I barely realized I had spoken aloud,
but Mr. Clement laughed, and clapped me on the
25 shoulder.
"We get a few
of you men through here, or we used to, before my daughter married. I think
she just liked to talk to young men, actually.
But I've never come across one of you with an
interest in books: Set them down there, would
you?"
I placed them on
the rosewood desk, and he worked briskly through the pile. Now that I had
30 seen the magnitude of his library, I doubted he would find
anything of interest to him. But the
Lavater Physiognomy caught his eye. "This is
a later edition than the one I have; I am curious
to see his revisions. Tell Grace what you require
for it and she will see to your payment,"
"Sir, I don't
sell the books for cash."
"Oh?"
35 "I trade for them-barter3-a
book for a book, you know. That way I keep myself in something
fresh to read along
the journey."
"Do you so!
Capital idea!" he said, "Though no way to make a profit."
"I am
interested in money, of course sir; it is necessary for a young man in my
circumstances
to be so. But I trust you will not think me
irresponsible if I tell you I am more interested in laying
40 up the riches of the mind4."
"Well said,
young Mr.—March, was it? Well, as it happens I have business elsewhere
this day,
so why don't you make yourself free of the
library. Do us the honor of taking dinner here, and
you can tell me then what volume you would
consider in barter for the Lavater."
"Sir, I could
not impose upon you-"
45 "Mr. March, you would be
doing me a great kindness. My household is reduced, at present.
My son is away with
my manager on business. Solitude is no friend to science. You must know
that we in the South suffer from a certain
malnourishment of the mind: we value the art of
conversation over literary pursuits, so that when
we gather together it is all for gallantries and
pleasure parties. There is much to be said for
our agrarian way of life. But sometimes I envy
50 your bustling5 Northern cities, where men of
genius are thrown together thick as bees, and the
honey of intellectual accomplishment is produced.
I would like to talk about books with you; do
be kind enough to spare me an evening."
"Mr. Clement,
sir, it would be my very great pleasure."
"Very good,
then. I shall look forward."
55 By afternoon, I could say I
was ready to love Mr. Clement. For to know a man's library is, in
some measure, to know his mind.
1 ewer : container of liquids
2 the James : river
3 barter : exchange merchandise for merchandise without using money
4 laying up the riches of the mind : accumulating cultural knowledge
5 bustling : noisy and busy
Abridged and adapted from March, Geraldine Brooks, 2005
NOTE IMPORTANTE AUX CANDIDATS :
Les candidats traiteront le sujet sur la copie qui leur sera fournie en respectant l'ordre des questions et en faisant apparaître la numérotation (numéro et lettre repère le cas échéant, ex : 15b - voir en particulier les questions 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 et 10). Ils composeront des phrases complètes chaque fois qu'il leur est demandé de rédiger les réponses. Le nombre de mots indiqué constitue une exigence minimale. En l'absence d'indication, les candidats répondront brièvement à la question posée. Les citations seront limitées aux éléments pertinents et précédées de la mention de la ligne.
1. Grace,
Mr. March, Augustus Clement are characters in the story.
a) Which one is the narrator?
b) How are the other two related?
2. In whose house does the scene take place?
3. In what part of the US is the scene set?
Quote two elements from the text to justify your answer.
4. True or
False? Justify your answer each time with a quotation from the text.
The narrator:
a) is an elderly person.
b) feels welcomed.
c) gets a favourable impression of the house.
Questions 5 and 6. Focus on the passage from line 1 to line 29.
5.
a) Which room do the two men meet in?
b) What effect does the room have on Mr. March? (20 words)
Justify your answer with a quotation.
6.
lines 25-26: "Mr. Clement laughed and clapped me on the
shoulder."
Among the following adjectives, choose the one that best describes Mr. Clement's
feelings at that moment.
aggressive, disappointed, distrustful, enthusiastic, indifferent, puzzled
Explain why the character feels that way and find a quotation to support
your view.
Questions 7 and 8. Focus on the passage from line 30 to line 37.
7. What do the underlined pronouns refer to?
line 30: "I placed them on
the rosewood desk"
line 33: "Tell Grace what you require for it"
line 36: "I trade for them"
8.
a) What does Mr. Clement think Mr. March
has come for?
b) Is he right in thinking so? (20 words)
Questions 9, 10 and 11. Focus on the passage from line 38 to the end.
9. Find the missing words to complete this summary.
Mr. (1)... is asking Mr. (2)... for dinner.
As Mr. (3)... has to go away on business, he suggests Mr. (4)... should wait
for him in the (5)... and take his opportunity to select a (6)...
Mr. (7)... hesitates but finally (8)...
10.
a) What do the two characters have in common?
b) In what way are they different? (20 words)
11. At the
end of the passage, one of the characters presents two contrasting visions of
the US.
What are they? (30 words) Use elements from the text to justify your
answer.
12. Translate
into French from line 24: "I've always imagined ..." to
line 26: "...shoulder."
I - L'ANALYSE ET LES DIFFICULTES DU TEXTE
Pas de problème particulier pour ces questions factuelles et axées sur des faits explicites (who, where, what...). Elles devraient être rapidement résolues par les élèves habitués à ce genre d'exercices. Attention toutefois à ne pas négliger les 5 questions qui vous offrent la possibilité de vous exprimer plus longuement, en variant les structures syntaxiques et lexicales.
II - LES REPONSES ATTENDUES
1. Grace,
Mr. March, Augustus Clement are characters in the story.
a) Which one is the narrator?
Mr March is the narrator.
b) How are
the other two related?
Grace is Augustus Clement's slave.
2. In whose house does the scene take place?
The scene takes place in Mr. Clement's
house.
3. In what part of the US is the scene set?
Quote two elements from the text to justify your answer.
The scene is set in the South. l 8
"some of the plantation homes along the James" & l 48
"we in the South".
4. True or
False? Justify your answer each time with a quotation from the text.
The narrator:
a) is an elderly person.
False. l.27-28 "I think she just liked to
talk to young men, actually". / l.39 "it is necessary for a young
man".
b) feels
welcomed.
True l.43 "Do us the honor of taking dinner
here". / l.1-2 "Grace straightened and asked if I would like an ewer
of warm water".
c) gets a
favourable impression of the house.
True l.9 "it was perfect in the proportion
and exquisite in appointments.".
Questions 5 and 6. Focus on the passage from line 1 to line 29.
5.
a) Which room do the two men meet in?
They meet in Mr. Clement's library.
b) What
effect does the room have on Mr. March? (20 words) Justify your
answer with a quotation.
Mr. March feels ecstatic upon seeing such a
beautiful room with luxurious furniture, and containing an impressive book
collection. l.24 "I've always imagined paradise as something like a
library.".
6.
lines 25-26: "Mr. Clement laughed and clapped me on the
shoulder."
Among the following adjectives, choose the one that best describes
Mr. Clement's feelings at that moment.
aggressive, disappointed, distrustful, enthusiastic, indifferent, puzzled
Explain why the character feels that way and find a
quotation to support your view.
Mr. Clement is enthusiastic because he didn't
expect to meet a young man with the same passion for books. l.28 "But I've
never come across one of you with an interest in books.".
Questions 7 and 8. Focus on the passage from line 30 to line 37.
7. What do the underlined pronouns refer to?
line 30: "I placed them on
the rosewood desk"
"Them" refers to Mr. March's
books.
line 33: "Tell Grace what you
require for it"
"it" refers to the book entitled the
"Lavater Physiognomy".
line 36: "I trade for them"
"them" refers to Mr. March's
books.
8.
a) What does Mr. Clement think Mr. March
has come for?
Mr. Clement thinks that Mr. March is
interested in selling his books and thus, money.
b) Is he
right in thinking so? (20 words)
Mr. Clement is completely wrong. Indeed, Mr March wants to barter (exchange)
his books in order to further his well-rounded education : "intellectual
accomplishment" (l.52).
Questions 9, 10 and 11. Focus on the passage from line 38 to the end.
9. Find the
missing words to complete this summary.
Mr. Clement is asking Mr.
March for dinner. As Mr. Clement has to
go away on business, he suggests Mr. March
should wait for him in the library and take his
opportunity to select a a book volume.
Mr. March hesitates but finally accepts.
10.
a) What do the two characters have in common?
The characters share a love for books and science.
b) In what
way are they different? (20 words)
Mr. Clement is a wealthy plantation owner in his
fifties, and the father of a daughter and a son whereas Mr. March is a young,
independent man who doesn't seem to have much money.
11. At the
end of the passage, one of the characters presents two contrasting visions of
the US.
What are they? (30 words) Use elements from the text to justify your
answer.
Mr. Clement opposes an agricultural and party-oriented
South to an urban, and "bustling" North. According to him, Southerners
prefer pleasant conversations to literary discussions while most Northerners
favor intellectual accomplishment.
12. Translate into French from line 24:
"I've always imagined ..." to line 26: "...shoulder."
"J'ai toujours imaginé le paradis un peu comme une
bibliothèque. Maintenant je sais à quoi ça ressemble. Je me rendis à peine
compte que j'avais parlé à haute voix, mais Mr. Clement éclata de rire et me
tapota l'épaule."