Study Guide

Field 020: French
Sample Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

The following materials contain:

Test Directions for the Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

[Note to examinee: These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide.]

This section of the test consists of a reading comprehension assignment. You will read a passage and respond in writing to a series of questions about the passage.

Your response may be written in either the target language or English. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response to the assignment must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.

Please note that special characters (such as letters with accents or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the symbol button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select "Insert ." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.

Your response to the reading comprehension assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

LITERAL COMPREHENSION: accuracy and completeness in comprehending literal content of written language

INFERENCE: demonstrated ability to infer information implied in a reading passage, including subtleties such as tone

Sample Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

Subarea II
Reading and Vocabulary

Read the passage below. Then respond to the assignment that follows.

Dans la nouvelle création du Théâtre du Soleil, Le Dernier Caravansérail (Odyssées), la directrice Ariane Mnouchkine continue dans son style provocateur, engagé et actuel. Depuis ses premiers jours elle refuse tout théâtre complaisant ou factice. A la Cartoucherie de Vincennes, où s’est installé sa troupe théâtrale il y a plusieurs années, on est aussi loin que possible du théâtre traditionnel. Cette fois-ci il s’agit de ces histoires individuelles, inaperçues, des petites tragédies de tous les jours. Après des mois d’écoute, Mnouchkine et ses acteurs racontent les histoires des marginaux, des réfugiés, des migrants, de tous ces voyageurs. Une série de vingt récits se suivent l’un après l’autre pour offrir au spectateur une image navrante de la vie des plus défavorisés aux frontières de nos sociétés. C’est un spectacle d’émerveillement et de sensibilisation pour un public lassé par les histoires de ces exclus présentées quotidiennement à la télévision. Sans aucun doute, c'est un spectacle à ne pas manquer. Mais avant de s'y rendre, un conseil : soyez sûr d’arriver bien à l’heure car avant le spectacle c’est la fête au théâtre. Ceux qui n’ont jamais visité le Soleil seront étonnés par le vaste hall qui s’est transformé en tente nomade, multicolore et animé par une foule de vendeurs de boissons exotiques et de kiosques où on vend des petites friandises orientales comme casse-croûte.

Write a brief response in which you:

Support your points with specific references to the text. Your response may be written in either French or English.

Strong Response Characteristics for the Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

An excellent response would demonstrate a thorough and accurate understanding of the literal content of the passage, including virtually all significant details. The examinee would accurately infer information implied in the passage, even if it is subtly conveyed in the text. Because this exercise is designed to test your reading skill and not your writing ability, you may write your response in either the target language or English. You should choose the language that is more familiar to you.

Sample Strong Response to the Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam.

Le passage indique que le Théâtre du Soleil est tout à fait à l’opposé du théâtre traditionnel, qu’il accuse implicitement de complaisance et de facticité. Par contraste avec le théâtre traditionnel, le Théâtre du Soleil cherche à engager l'audience avec les situations actuelles afin de produire des changements concrets.

La nouvelle création d’Ariane Mnouchkine est basée sur les histoires que des individus lui ont raconté à propos de leurs voyages. Au cours de vingt récits, la pièce présente les difficiles voyages des individus marginaux, tels que les réfugiés, les clandestins, les sans-papiers et les migrants. C’est un témoignage navrant et tragique qui cherche à provoquer un sens d’émerveillement et de sensibilité auprès du public, proposant ainsi une image alternative de ces voyageurs démunis que présentent les médias.

L’auteur de ce passage conseille aux spectateurs d’arriver bien avant le début du spectacle afin de profiter des festivités qui ont lieu dans le théâtre avant même que le spectacle commence. La fête a lieu dans le vaste hall du théâtre qui a été transformé en tente nomadique animée et multicolore où les vendeurs proposent des boissons et des casse-croûte exotiques afin de créer l’ambiance et de donner un avant-goût du spectacle.

Performance Characteristics for the Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the reading and vocabulary assignment.

Characteristics that guide the scoring of responses
LITERAL COMPREHENSION accuracy and completeness in comprehending literal content of written language
INFERENCE demonstrated ability to infer information implied in a reading passage, including subtleties such as tone

Scoring Scale for the Reading and Vocabulary Assignment

Scores will be assigned to each response to the reading and vocabulary assignment according to the following scoring scale.

Score Scale with description for each score point.
Score Point Score Point Description
4
  • The candidate demonstrates thorough understanding of the literal content of the reading passage, including significant details.
  • The candidate accurately infers implied information, even if this information is subtly conveyed in the text.
3
  • The candidate demonstrates understanding of the main idea of the passage but misses some details.
  • The candidate shows some ability to infer information from the text but may misinterpret some subtleties.
2
  • The candidate shows partial understanding of the main idea but does not understand significant supporting ideas and details.
  • The candidate generally does not make inferences from the text.
1
  • The candidate does not extract the main idea from the passage, demonstrating comprehension only of isolated words and phrases.
  • The candidate does not make any inferences implied in the text.
U The response is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment.
B There is no response to the assignment.