Compréhension des écrits - justify every answer with a line
What you are actually reading
The reading paper lasts about 35 minutes and usually gives you two exercises built on authentic-type documents: short notices and advertisements, then a longer article, interview or testimonial. The tasks ask you to match headings or questions to paragraphs, choose the right multiple-choice option, or decide true/false and justify from the text.
Read the task first
Skim the questions before the text so your eye knows what to look for. Then read once for the general meaning (who wrote it, for whom, with what intention), and only afterwards scan for the precise elements. Global meaning protects you from the classic trap: an option that faithfully quotes three words of the text while contradicting the sentence as a whole.
Traps to expect
- Lexical bait. The wrong option copies vocabulary from the document but attaches it to another person, time or place.
- Absolute words. Toujours, jamais, tous, interdit are rarely correct in a nuanced text; look for the qualifier you may have missed (en général, sauf, la plupart).
- Opinion vs fact. A journalist may report a reader's view without sharing it. Check who is speaking: selon X, d'après elle, quotes in inverted commas.
- Logical connectors. Cependant, en revanche, donc, pourtant carry the author's reasoning; misreading one flips the answer.
- Justification questions. True/false items often require you to copy the exact sentence. If you cannot point to the line, your answer is a guess.
Rule of thumb
For each answer, underline the sentence that proves it and rephrase it in your own words. If your paraphrase does not match the option, the option is wrong - however familiar its vocabulary looks.