Annales gratuites Bac S : A coffee morning - comprehension

1. Nancy Masters, Philly Bingham and Victoria are the three main female characters. Alex, Algy, Connor, Hayden and Rufus are male characters. Each of them is related to one of the three women. Say in what way.

2. How did Alex, Connor and Rufus get to know each other?

3. Where is the scene set (country, city)? In whose house?

4. How long has Nancy been living there and where did she use to live?

5. What does her home reveal about her standard of living? Explain in your own words. (20 words)

6. a. What do we learn about Nancy’s husband’s working hours?
    b. I.29 ‘I mean the cab comes at six in the morning.’
Why does Nancy feel the need to insist on ‘morning’?

7. How does Nancy make sure such working hours have no consequence on her husband’s health? (30 words)

8. l.34 ‘Wow, thought Victoria, life was a bundle of fun for Hayden Masters’.
Explain in your own words what Victoria really thinks of Hayden’s life. (30 words)

9. Has Nancy adopted the culture and way of life of the country she is now living in?
Answer in your own words (25 words), then quote at least four elements to support your answer.

10. a. From line 50 to the end Ute and Consuela are discussed. Say who they are.
      b. Contrast Nancy’s and Victoria’s respective attitudes towards them. (40 words)

11. Who is Philly more likely to feel closer to, Nancy or Victoria? Quote the text to support your answer.

12. To describe the relationships between Victoria, Philly and Nancy the four following titles are all possible. Choose the one you prefer and argue your case. (40 words)

An attempt at Conversation
‘Desperate Housewives’
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
‘Pride and Prejudice’

.           Nancy had arrived in England six months ago, and had invited Victoria to a coffee
     morning with Philly Bingham, a fellow mother at the school where Nancy had recently
     enrolled her son, Connor. All three women had sons in the same class. Alex and Philly's
     son, Rufus, were old friends, but Connor was becoming popular with his classmates on
 5  account of the hundreds of electronic toys and state-of-the-art computer games that filled
     his enormous bedroom. Also, he had a home cinema in the basement with all the latest
     films. And Nancy Masters served fabulous teas with real chips and American burgers
     followed by tubs of expensive ice-cream.
             Philly Bingham was attempting to stare discreetly around the room, taking in the
10  sound system, the television and the acres of mahogany furniture. Philly, thought
     Victoria, would probably describe herself as an old-fashioned Englishwoman from an old-
     established English family. Philly's own drawing room consisted of good but shabby
     furniture, a few faded rugs and a Labrador. On no account would Philly allow into her
     house a television the size of the one Nancy possessed. But, then, Philly couldn't afford
15  one. She and her husband had inherited their house from Algy's father, and although
     Algy had a prestigious job valuing paintings for London's smartest auctioneers his salary
     barely kept them in pasta.
             There followed a stilted attempt at conversation.
             'So, Nancy, how are you settling into London?' asked Victoria politely.
20          'Weeell, I'm finding my feet. I've located the American library, signed on with an
     American doctor. Of course, the US school was full so we had to put Connor into the
     local one.'
             Nancy was really getting into the English way of life, then.
             'And Hayden?'
25          'Weeell, he's kinda busy at work. They've been doing a big takeover⁽¹⁾. The cab comes
     for him at six.'
             Philly sounded bright. 'Oh, that's not too bad. I know these banks can demand the
     most ghastly⁽²⁾ hours. So he has the evening with you?'
             Nancy looked nonplussed. 'I mean the cab comes at six in the morning. To go to
30  Canary Wharf⁽³⁾. He's up at five. He gets home most nights at around eight.'
             'Gosh⁽⁴⁾.' Philly was aghast. 'How does he keep going?'
             'Oh, he's pretty health conscious. I watch his diet and I don't let him drink alcohol in
     the week. And we go jogging at the weekend, that kinda thing.'
             Wow, thought Victoria, life was a bundle of fun for Hayden Masters.
35          'But I still have some things to sort out,' continued Nancy.
             Philly seized deftly on the opportunity to make some suggestions. 'Maybe we can give
     you some pointers. Algy and I have been here for ten years so we know virtually
     everyone.'
             Nancy seemed doubtful. 'I'm kinda hoping to find a decent hairdresser. I find the
40  salons here a little... dull.' Her eyes took in Philly's chubby face and her lank brown hair,
     pushed back for the occasion with a velvet Alice band. 'You see, I need volume in my
     hair, but I cannot find anyone here who can really backcomb.'
             Victoria thought that Nancy's hair was immaculate already, platinum blonde with the
     ends curled neatly outwards. But she knew just the man to take her on. 'Jean-Pierre.
45  He's excellent. I'll write down his number for you.'
             'Is he American?'
             'French.'
             Nancy looked disappointed, but evidently decided to change the subject. 'Let me pass
     you some biscuits.' [...]
50          'And how is Ute doing?' enquired Victoria.
             Nancy sighed. 'I suppose I can't complain. We had such a wonderful Mexican lady in
     Dallas. All legal, of course. We paid for her to be naturalised. Hayden can't take any
     chances with employing aliens.'
             Philly choked on her biscuit.
55          Victoria translated: 'Aliens are illegal immigrants. It's the American term.'
             Nancy pushed on regardless: 'But it's so hard to get domestics here. Ute is my third
     au pair already.'
             Philly and Victoria exchanged a glance. Consuela had been with Victoria for nearly
     five years.
60          Nancy brushed a non-existent crumb from her spotless white polo shirt. 'She's fine
     with cleaning and shopping, but she struggles a little with Connor's homework. And I
     really cannot trust her with the ironing. I'm having to have all that sent out'
             'Perhaps she has difficulties with the language,' said Philly, trying to be helpful.
             'I can't help that! She has to take responsibility for her own learning.'

Wives and Lovers, Jane Elizabeth VARLEY, 2003

⁽¹⁾ takeover: (here) taking control of a company
⁽²⁾ ghastly: frightening, bad and unpleasant
⁽³⁾ Canary Wharf: large business and shopping development, in the London Docklands
⁽⁴⁾ Gosh: 'Oh my God'

1. Nancy Masters, Philly Bingham and Victoria are the three main female characters. Alex, Algy, Connor, Hayden and Rufus are male characters. Each of them is related to one of the three women. Say in what way.

Alex is Victoria's son.
Algy is Philly's husband.
Connor is Nancy's son.
Hayden is Nancy's husband.
Rufus is Philly's son.

2. How did Alex, Connor and Rufus get to know each other?

Alex, Connor and Rufus are all schoolboys working in the same classroom.

3. Where is the scene set (country, city)? In whose house?

The scene is set in England, in Nancy's house in London.

4. How long has Nancy been living there and where did she use to live?

Nancy has been living in London for six months. Before that, she used to live in Dallas, Texas.

5. What does her home reveal about her standard of living? Explain in your own words. (20 words)

Nancy's standard of living is high. The Masters are a wealthy family living in a large house, full of expensive furniture ; they have got the latest hi-fi and a big TV screen.

6. a. What do we learn about Nancy’s husband’s working hours?

Hayden works very early in the morning, he gets up at 5 AM and comes home around 8 PM.

    b. I.29 ‘I mean the cab comes at six in the morning.’
Why does Nancy feel the need to insist on ‘morning’?

Nancy insists on the word 'morning' because she thinks Philly has understood that Hayden's cab takes him back home from work at 6.pm whereas the cab comes to pick him up at 6.am at his house.

7. How does Nancy make sure such working hours have no consequence on her husband’s health? (30 words)

Nancy is a very interventionist wife. She keeps an eye on her husband, watching the food he eats. What's more, she prevents him from drinking alcohol in the week, and goes jogging with him at the weekend.

8. l.34 ‘Wow, thought Victoria, life was a bundle of fun for Hayden Masters’.
Explain in your own words what Victoria really thinks of Hayden’s life. (30 words)

Mentioning fun is surely ironical for Victoria. She thinks that even if Hayden is a well-off husband, his personal life looks quite miserable, obeying an authoritative wife and having terrible working hours.

9. Has Nancy adopted the culture and way of life of the country she is now living in?
Answer in your own words (25 words), then quote at least four elements to support your answer.

Nancy seems to have some trouble to fit to her new life in London and she looks down on the English way of life :
(l.20) 'Weeell, I'm finding my feet'
(l.21-22) 'The US school was full so we had to put Connor into the local one'
(l.39) 'I'm kinda hoping to find a decent hairdresser'
(l.40) 'I find the salons here a little ....dull.'
(l.56) 'It's so hard to get domestics here'

10. a. From line 50 to the end Ute and Consuela are discussed. Say who they are.

Ute is Nancy's housemaid/au pair.
Consuela is Victoria's housemaid.

      b. Contrast Nancy’s and Victoria’s respective attitudes towards them. (40 words)

Nancy is used to changing housemaids very often whereas Consuela has been with Victoria for nearly five years. Unlike Victoria, Nancy sounds very condescending with people who don't belong to her social class. She is deeply arrogant and smug towards them.

11. Who is Philly more likely to feel closer to, Nancy or Victoria? Quote the text to support your answer.

Philly is more likely to feel closer to Victoria :
(l.58) 'Philly and Victoria exchanged a glance'

12. To describe the relationships between Victoria, Philly and Nancy the four following titles are all possible. Choose the one you prefer and argue your case. (40 words)
An attempt at Conversation
‘Desperate Housewives’
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
‘Pride and Prejudice’

'An attempt at Conversation' could fit because Nancy is so imbued with herself that Victoria and Phillips cannot really have a proper conversation.

'Desperate Housewives' could fit because this story reminds us of the famous TV series in which a group of ladies share their pointless lives.

'The beginning of a Beautiful Friendship' could also fit because Nancy's selfish personality allows Victoria and Philly to feel closer and start a new friendship together.

'Pride and Prejudice' fits perfectly to Nancy's character who keeps putting on airs and denigrating foreigners.