Bac A1 Bénin key terms

A structured written exercise in which the candidate analyses a question, builds a reasoned argument in several parts, and reaches a balanced conclusion, usually in philosophy, history or literature.

The central question or tension that a written exercise sets out to resolve; stating it clearly guides the whole argument and prevents a simple listing of ideas.

A three-part argument structure moving from thesis to antithesis to synthesis, used to examine an issue from opposing angles before proposing a balanced position.

A literary exercise that studies a short text closely, linking observations on form, vocabulary, images and structure to interpret the author's intentions and effects on the reader.

A deliberate deviation from ordinary expression, such as metaphor, comparison, hyperbole or anaphora, used to create an image, emphasis or emotional effect in a text.

The set of words in a text that share a common meaning area, for example terms linked to war or to water; identifying it helps reveal the dominant theme.

The level of language used in a situation, ranging from familiar speech to standard usage to formal literary style, chosen according to the audience and purpose.

A recognised category of literary works sharing conventions, such as the novel, poetry, theatre or the essay; each genre has its own rules and reading expectations.

In philosophy, a position defended with arguments; in an exercise, the main claim that the candidate must explain, test and possibly criticise before concluding.

The organised use of reasons, examples and evidence to support a claim or to persuade a reader, forming the backbone of essays and oral presentations.

A form of deductive reasoning in which two premises lead necessarily to a conclusion, for example: all humans are mortal; Socrates is human; therefore Socrates is mortal.

The capacity to be aware of oneself and of the world, and in moral philosophy the inner sense that allows a person to judge right from wrong.

The condition of acting according to one's own will rather than under external constraint; philosophers debate whether it is an illusion or a real human capacity.

The obligation to answer for one's actions and their consequences, which presupposes that the agent acted freely and knowingly.

The process by which a state takes political and economic control of another territory and its people, imposing its administration, language and institutions.

The process by which colonised territories regain political independence, often through negotiation, protest or armed struggle, as happened across Africa after 1945.

The forced deportation of millions of Africans across the Atlantic to be sold as slaves, a trade that devastated communities and shaped the modern world.

The condition in which a person is treated as property and deprived of freedom; its abolition was a long struggle in Europe, the Americas and Africa.

The principle that a state holds supreme authority over its territory and population, free from foreign domination and able to make its own laws.

The status of belonging to a state, carrying rights such as voting and protection, together with duties such as paying taxes and respecting the law.

The fundamental entitlements held by every person by virtue of being human, including life, liberty, dignity and equality before the law, regardless of origin or belief.

A political system in which power derives from the people, exercised through free elections, majority rule, and protection of minority rights and public freedoms.

A mathematical statement that two expressions are equal, often containing an unknown whose value must be found so that the equality holds.

A rule that assigns to each input value exactly one output value; it can be described by a formula, a table or a graph.

The rate at which a function changes at a given point, interpreted geometrically as the slope of the tangent to its curve at that point.

In a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides; it is used to compute lengths and prove perpendicularity.

A number between 0 and 1 measuring how likely an event is, computed as the ratio of favourable outcomes to all equally likely outcomes.

The process by which green plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, forming the basis of most food chains.

The set of reactions in which living cells break down glucose with oxygen to release usable energy, producing carbon dioxide and water as waste products.

A sequence showing how energy passes from producers such as plants to herbivores and then to carnivores, often ending with decomposers.

A community of living organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment, such as a forest, a lake or a savannah.

A segment of DNA that carries the instructions for building a protein or controlling a trait, and which is transmitted from parents to offspring.

A process in which substances are transformed into new substances, with atoms rearranged but neither created nor destroyed, as expressed by a balanced equation.

The amount of substance containing as many elementary entities as there are atoms in twelve grams of carbon-12, used to count particles in chemistry.

A scale from 0 to 14 measuring the acidity or alkalinity of a solution: below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral and above 7 is basic.

The relationship stating that the voltage across a conductor equals the product of the current flowing through it and its resistance, written U equals R times I.

The English verb form used to describe completed actions or past states, often formed by adding -ed to regular verbs, as in worked or played.

An English verb whose past forms do not follow the regular -ed pattern, such as go, went, gone or take, took, taken; these must be memorised.

The skill of extracting meaning from a written English text by identifying main ideas, details, vocabulary in context and the author's purpose.

The capacity to sustain physical effort over a prolonged period, developed through regular aerobic activity such as running or cycling.

The preparatory phase of a sports session, using light exercise and stretching to raise body temperature and reduce the risk of injury.

The ability to move joints through their full range of motion, maintained by regular stretching and important for efficient and safe movement.