Examen blanc GCSE : Lecture (Higher) GCSE Mock Exam: Reading (Higher)

1 heure. 50 points. Section A : compréhension. Section B : traduction.

Reading paper, Higher tier. Time: 1 hour. Total: 50 marks. Section A (40 marks): seven comprehension tasks on authentic-style texts. Section B (10 marks): translation into English of a passage of at least 50 words. Answer all questions.

Quatre jeunes parlent de leurs projets : les animaux, le temps libre, une entreprise, les économies.

Inès: I have always dreamed of caring for animals. After sixth form I will study to be a vet, even though it takes very long. · Malik: For me, salary matters less than free time. I am looking for a job that will let me travel several months a year. · Clara: My parents would like me to become a doctor, but I would rather set up my own fashion company. · Yanis: I have just started a part-time job at the supermarket to save money before university.

Trois clients donnent leur avis sur un nouveau centre commercial.

Review A: The new shopping centre is spacious and bright, and the staff are really friendly. However, clothes prices are far too high for young people. · Review B: What a disappointment! I waited twenty minutes to pay and it is impossible to find a parking space on Saturdays. · Review C: You can find everything there, from a cinema to restaurants, and parking is free for two hours. I will happily go back.

Les ados passent trois heures par jour sur les réseaux sociaux. Il y a des avantages, mais aussi des dangers : le manque de sommeil et les commentaires méchants.

According to a study published this week, French teenagers spend an average of three hours a day on social media. For many it is a way of staying in touch with friends and discovering music or the news. Some young people even create their own videos and earn a little money. Yet specialists are worried. Lack of sleep is the first danger: a third of young people check their phone after midnight. In addition, nasty comments can destroy self-confidence. Experts therefore advise switching off notifications in the evening and talking to an adult if there is a problem.

Colmar lutte contre la pollution : centre-ville sans voitures le dimanche, bus gratuits pour les jeunes, mille arbres plantés.

The town of Colmar has just launched an ambitious plan to cut pollution. Since January the town centre has been closed to cars on Sundays, and electric buses are free for under-18s. The council has also planted a thousand trees along the river. According to the mayor, air quality has already improved, but some shopkeepers are complaining: they are afraid of losing customers. Next year the town will install solar panels on all public buildings.

Avant : un stage au restaurant. Maintenant : les journaux et le baby-sitting. Après les examens : un emploi d'été.

Last year I did work experience in a restaurant where I washed dishes for hours. At the moment I deliver newspapers in my neighbourhood before going to school, which lets me buy video games. My parents also give me a little money when I look after my little sister. After my exams I will look for a summer job at the beach and I will put money aside for my driving licence.

Amélie aide les sans-abri tous les samedis. Elle prépare des repas et distribue des vêtements. Elle veut étudier le travail social.

At seventeen, Amélie devotes every Saturday to a charity that helps homeless people in Lille. She started two years ago, after seeing a television report that had shocked her. Every Saturday morning she prepares hot meals and hands out clothes in the town centre. 'At first my friends did not understand why I was sacrificing my weekend,' she explains. 'Now three of them come with me.' Thanks to her work, the charity was able to help twice as many people this winter. Amélie hopes to study social work at university and dreams of one day opening her own shelter.

Trois cents élèves ont passé sept jours sans écran. Résultats : meilleur sommeil et plus de lecture.

In March, three hundred pupils at the Voltaire school in Bordeaux accepted a surprising challenge: to spend seven days without a phone or tablet. At first almost half the participants found the experience difficult, especially in the evening. But after a few days the results astonished everyone: pupils slept better and the librarians lent three times more books than usual. A third of the young people decided to keep limiting their screen time after the challenge. The headteacher now wants to offer the project to every school in the region.

Avant : un appartement à Marseille. Il y a deux ans : la campagne. À dix-huit ans : retour en ville.

When I was little, my family lived in a flat in the centre of Marseille. Two years ago we moved to the countryside because my parents wanted a calmer life. At first I really missed my friends. Now I appreciate the silence and the clean air. However, as soon as I am eighteen, I will go back to live in the city.