Reading - SEC French
Reading: what SEC French tests
The Reading domain tests comprehension of short written French: notices, emails, adverts, timetables, short articles and simple literary extracts. Questions may ask for gist, specific detail, true/false with justification, matching or inference. You do not need to understand every word; you need to locate the information that answers the question.
Core rules
- Identify text type and purpose first: who wrote it, to whom, and why.
- Skim for gist, then scan for names, dates, prices, places and negation.
- Watch small words that reverse meaning: sauf, ne...que, ne...plus, jamais, sans.
- Use grammar to resolve pronouns: il/elle may refer to a noun several lines earlier.
- Treat cognates with caution: actuellement = currently, not actually; librairie = bookshop, not library.
- Answer in the requested language and length; a copied sentence may not answer the question.
Worked example
Text: Depuis la rentrée, les élèves de troisième doivent choisir deux langues vivantes. Le français est obligatoire; l'allemand et l'espagnol sont proposés en option. Question: Which language must all pupils study? Reasoning: doivent choisir deux langues sets the requirement of two languages, but le français est obligatoire identifies the compulsory one. L'allemand et l'espagnol sont proposés en option means they are optional. The answer is French. Choosing German because it appears first is a word-matching error.
Traps that cost marks
Matching identical words; missing sauf; confusing option with obligation; answering with a whole paragraph when one word is required; ignoring accents that change meaning (a vs à).