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NCEA L1 French study materials
NCEA L1 French study resources

NCEA L1 French practice questions

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Question 1Listening

You hear: « Bonjour, je m'appelle Léa. J'ai quinze ans. » How old is Léa?

  1. 50
  2. 5
  3. 15 Correct answer.
  4. 25

Explanation

The speaker says « J'ai quinze ans », and quinze is the French number 15. The other numbers sound different: cinq is 5, cinquante is 50 and vingt-cinq is 25. Recognising numbers quickly is essential in NCEA Level 1 listening tasks about personal details.

Question 2Listening

You hear a student say: « Mon anniversaire est le deux mars. » When is the birthday?

  1. 12 March
  2. 2 March Correct answer.
  3. 2 May
  4. 3 February

Explanation

In French dates the day comes before the month: « le deux mars » means the second of March. The month mars is March, and the number deux is 2. Learners often reverse the order because English says 'March the second'.

Question 3Listening

You hear: « Le cours de français commence à huit heures et demie. » What time does the French class start?

  1. 8:30 Correct answer.
  2. 9:30
  3. 8:45
  4. 8:15

Explanation

« Huit heures et demie » literally means eight hours and a half, so the class starts at 8:30. The word demie signals the half hour, while et quart would mean a quarter past. Listening for these time expressions is a common NCEA Level 1 skill.

Question 4Listening

You hear: « J'habite à Wellington avec ma famille. » Where does the speaker live?

  1. Wellington Correct answer.
  2. Hamilton
  3. Auckland
  4. Christchurch

Explanation

The verb habiter means 'to live', and the place named after « à » is Wellington. The phrase « avec ma famille » adds that the speaker lives with family, but it does not change the location. Place names are usually recognisable even when pronounced with French vowels.

Question 5Listening

You hear: « J'adore le sport, surtout le rugby et la natation. » Which activities does the speaker love most?

  1. Swimming and dancing
  2. Cycling and rugby
  3. Football and tennis
  4. Rugby and swimming Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker says « surtout le rugby et la natation », meaning especially rugby and swimming. The word surtout signals a preference and helps you pick out the key detail. Natation is the noun for swimming, distinct from the verb nager.

Question 6Listening

You hear: « Mon père est médecin et ma mère est professeur. » What is the mother's job?

  1. Teacher Correct answer.
  2. Doctor
  3. Lawyer
  4. Nurse

Explanation

The sentence gives two jobs: médecin for the father and professeur for the mother. Professeur means teacher, so the mother teaches. Tracking which family member is linked to which job is the key listening skill here.

Question 7Listening

You hear a shop assistant say: « Ça fait douze euros cinquante, s'il vous plaît. » How much must you pay?

  1. €20.50
  2. €12.15
  3. €2.50
  4. €12.50 Correct answer.

Explanation

« Douze euros cinquante » means twelve euros and fifty cents, written €12.50. In French prices the centimes follow the euros without the word 'point'. Confusing douze (12) with deux (2) is a common listening error.

Question 8Listening

You hear: « Il fait beau aujourd'hui, mais demain il va pleuvoir. » What will the weather be like tomorrow?

  1. Rainy Correct answer.
  2. Snowy
  3. Windy
  4. Sunny

Explanation

The second clause says « demain il va pleuvoir », where pleuvoir means to rain. The near future « il va + infinitive » signals what will happen tomorrow. The first clause about fine weather refers to today, so it must not be chosen.

Question 9Listening

You hear: « Hier, je me suis levé à sept heures et j'ai pris le bus pour aller au collège. » How did the speaker get to school?

  1. By bus Correct answer.
  2. By train
  3. By car
  4. On foot

Explanation

The phrase « j'ai pris le bus » means 'I took the bus', so the transport is the bus. The passé composé forms (me suis levé, ai pris) place the events in the past. The time « à sept heures » is extra detail, not the transport.

Question 10Listening

You hear: « Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît. » Where is this conversation most likely taking place?

  1. At a library
  2. In a supermarket
  3. At a train station
  4. In a café Correct answer.

Explanation

Ordering a coffee and a croissant with « je voudrais » (I would like) is typical of a café setting. The polite conditional form je voudrais is the standard way to order food or drink. The items named are café food, not travel or library items.

Question 11Listening

You hear: « Ma sœur est plus grande que moi, mais je suis plus sportive qu'elle. » Which statement is true?

  1. The speaker is taller than the sister
  2. The sister is more sporty than the speaker
  3. The speaker is more sporty than the sister Correct answer.
  4. Both are the same height

Explanation

« Plus sportive qu'elle » means more sporty than her, so the speaker is the sportier one. The first clause says the sister is taller (« plus grande que moi »). Comparatives with plus ... que must be matched carefully to the right person.

Question 12Listening

You hear: « Pour aller à la gare, prenez la première rue à droite, puis continuez tout droit. » What is the first direction given?

  1. Turn right at the first street Correct answer.
  2. Go straight on
  3. Take the second street
  4. Turn left

Explanation

« Prenez la première rue à droite » means take the first street on the right. The instruction « puis continuez tout droit » comes second, so it is not the first direction. Sequencing words like d'abord, puis and ensuite help order the steps.

Question 13Listening

You hear: « Je ne mange jamais de viande parce que je suis végétarien. » What does the speaker avoid eating?

  1. Fish
  2. Meat Correct answer.
  3. Vegetables
  4. Cheese

Explanation

The negative « ne ... jamais » means never, and viande means meat, so the speaker never eats meat. The reason given is « parce que je suis végétarien » (because I am vegetarian). Recognising negative structures is essential in NCEA listening.

Question 14Listening

You hear: « L'année dernière, nous sommes allés en France pendant les vacances. » When did the trip happen?

  1. Last week
  2. During the school term
  3. Next year
  4. Last year Correct answer.

Explanation

« L'année dernière » means last year, and the passé composé « nous sommes allés » confirms a past event. Pendant les vacances adds that it happened during the holidays. Time markers like dernière or prochaine change the tense meaning.

Question 15Listening

You hear: « Mon frère a les cheveux blonds et les yeux bleus. » What does the brother look like?

  1. Blond hair and blue eyes Correct answer.
  2. Red hair and green eyes
  3. Dark hair and brown eyes
  4. Black hair and blue eyes

Explanation

Cheveux blonds means blond hair and yeux bleus means blue eyes, so both descriptions match option C. Colour adjectives in French usually follow the noun, as in cheveux blonds. Listening for two separate physical details avoids choosing a partly correct option.

Question 16Listening

You hear: « Tu veux venir au cinéma avec moi samedi soir ? » What is the speaker doing?

  1. Refusing an invitation
  2. Asking for directions
  3. Complaining about a film
  4. Making an invitation Correct answer.

Explanation

The question « Tu veux venir ... avec moi ? » is a friendly invitation to come along. The phrase samedi soir gives the proposed time, and au cinéma gives the place. Recognising the function of an utterance (inviting, refusing, apologising) is a key NCEA listening skill.

Question 17Listening

You hear: « Je me lève à six heures, je prends mon petit-déjeuner, puis je vais au collège à vélo. » In what order do these events happen?

  1. Getting up, cycling to school, breakfast
  2. Getting up, breakfast, cycling to school Correct answer.
  3. Cycling to school, breakfast, getting up
  4. Breakfast, getting up, cycling to school

Explanation

The speaker lists events in sequence: se lever (get up) first, then prendre le petit-déjeuner (have breakfast), then aller au collège à vélo (cycle to school). The connector puis marks the later action. In listening tasks, order words like d'abord and puis signal the sequence.

Question 18Listening

You hear: « Je cherche un pull bleu en taille quarante. » What is the customer looking for?

  1. A blue jumper in size 40 Correct answer.
  2. A black jumper in size 14
  3. A blue shirt in size 4
  4. Blue trousers in size 40

Explanation

Un pull means a jumper, bleu means blue, and taille quarante means size 40. The verb chercher means to look for, so the customer is shopping for this item. Distinguishing pull (jumper) from pantalon (trousers) and chemise (shirt) is important in shopping dialogues.

Question 19Listening

You hear: « Hier soir, j'ai regardé un film très intéressant à la télé. » What did the speaker do?

  1. Went to the cinema
  2. Listened to the radio
  3. Read a book
  4. Watched a film on TV Correct answer.

Explanation

« J'ai regardé un film à la télé » means I watched a film on TV, and hier soir places it last night. The passé composé with avoir (ai regardé) marks a completed past action. The word intéressant is a comment, not the activity itself.

Question 20Listening

You hear: « Si tu veux être en bonne santé, tu dois manger des légumes et faire du sport régulièrement. » What advice is given?

  1. Eat vegetables and exercise regularly Correct answer.
  2. Avoid all sport and rest often
  3. Eat more sweets and sleep late
  4. Drink only water and skip meals

Explanation

The conditional structure « si tu veux ... tu dois ... » gives advice: to be healthy you must eat vegetables and do sport regularly. Manger des légumes and faire du sport are the two actions named. The phrase en bonne santé means in good health.

Question 21Listening

You hear: « Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot tous les week-ends. » What does the imperfect tense tell us?

  1. A present habit
  2. A repeated habit in the past Correct answer.
  3. A plan for next weekend
  4. A one-off event last weekend

Explanation

The imperfect forms jouais and étais describe repeated or habitual actions in the past, signalled by tous les week-ends (every weekend). The imparfait contrasts with the passé composé, which marks single completed events. Here the meaning is a childhood habit.

Question 22Listening

You hear: « Le musée est fermé le lundi, mais il ouvre tous les autres jours de dix heures à dix-huit heures. » When is the museum closed?

  1. On Mondays Correct answer.
  2. On all public holidays
  3. Every day at 10:00
  4. On Sundays

Explanation

« Fermé le lundi » means closed on Mondays, while « tous les autres jours » means all other days it is open. The opening hours 10:00 to 18:00 apply to the other days. Listening for the contrast word mais helps separate the closed day from the open days.

Question 23Listening

You hear: « Je préfère le train à l'avion parce que c'est moins cher et plus écologique. » Why does the speaker prefer the train?

  1. It is closer to the airport
  2. It is cheaper and greener Correct answer.
  3. It leaves more often
  4. It is faster and more comfortable

Explanation

The reasons given are « moins cher » (less expensive) and « plus écologique » (more environmentally friendly), so the train is cheaper and greener. The comparative structures moins ... and plus ... express the two reasons. Speed and comfort are not mentioned.

Question 24Listening

You hear: « Si j'avais de l'argent, je ferais le tour du monde. » What does the speaker mean?

  1. They do not have the money, so it is only a wish Correct answer.
  2. They travelled around the world last year
  3. They have money and are travelling now
  4. They will definitely travel next month

Explanation

The structure « si + imperfect, conditional » expresses a hypothetical situation: if I had money, I would travel the world. It implies the speaker does not currently have the money, so it is a wish rather than a fact. This is a classic Level 1 listening trap because it sounds like a plan.

Question 25Listening

You hear: « D'abord, j'ai pris le petit-déjeuner, ensuite j'ai fait mes devoirs, et enfin j'ai retrouvé mes amis en ville. » What did the speaker do last?

  1. Went to the market
  2. Met friends in town Correct answer.
  3. Had breakfast
  4. Did homework

Explanation

Sequencing words order the actions: d'abord (first) breakfast, ensuite (then) homework, and enfin (finally) meeting friends in town. Enfin marks the last action, so meeting friends is the final one. Tracking these connectors is central to ordering tasks in NCEA listening.

Question 26Listening

You hear a teacher say: « Sortez vos cahiers et notez les devoirs pour jeudi. » What must students do?

  1. Write down the homework Correct answer.
  2. Read a page for Thursday
  3. Hand in their exercise books
  4. Go out of the classroom

Explanation

The imperative « notez » means 'write down' or 'note', and « les devoirs » means 'homework'. The teacher tells students to take out their exercise books and record the homework for Thursday, so the task is to note it down.

Question 27Listening

You hear: « J'ai mal à la tête depuis ce matin, je vais prendre un comprimé. » What is the speaker's problem?

  1. A stomach ache
  2. A headache Correct answer.
  3. A toothache
  4. A sore throat

Explanation

The expression « avoir mal à la tête » literally means 'to have pain in the head', i.e. a headache. The speaker has had it since this morning and plans to take a tablet, which fits a headache.

Question 28Listening

You hear: « Le train pour Lyon part à quatorze heures trente du quai numéro trois. » What information is given?

  1. The platform and departure time Correct answer.
  2. The price of the ticket
  3. The arrival time in Lyon
  4. The number of stops

Explanation

« Part à quatorze heures trente » gives the departure time (14:30) and « du quai numéro trois » gives the platform (number 3). The announcement therefore supplies both the departure time and the platform.

Question 29Listening

You hear a friend say: « J'adore les animaux, surtout les chiens, mais je n'aime pas les chats. » What is the friend's attitude to animals?

  1. Likes dogs but not cats Correct answer.
  2. Loves all animals equally
  3. Is afraid of all animals
  4. Dislikes dogs but likes cats

Explanation

« J'adore... surtout les chiens » shows strong liking for dogs, while « je n'aime pas les chats » shows dislike of cats. The contrast « mais » signals these two opposite attitudes.

Question 30Listening

You hear: « Pour mon anniversaire, j'ai reçu un vélo rouge de mes parents. » What did the speaker receive?

  1. Money from friends
  2. A red bike Correct answer.
  3. A red car
  4. A birthday cake

Explanation

« J'ai reçu » is the passé composé of « recevoir » (to receive), and the object is « un vélo rouge ». The gift came from the speaker's parents for a birthday.

Question 31Listening

You hear a mother say: « Range ta chambre avant de sortir avec tes amis. » What does she want her child to do?

  1. Tidy the bedroom before going out Correct answer.
  2. Stay home all evening
  3. Clean the kitchen after friends leave
  4. Invite friends home first

Explanation

« Ranger » means to tidy up, and « avant de sortir » means before going out. The mother therefore wants the bedroom tidied before the child goes out with friends.

Question 32Listening

You hear: « Nous cherchons une maison avec un jardin, près de l'école. » What are the speakers looking for?

  1. A flat in the town centre
  2. A school with a large garden
  3. A house with a garden near a school Correct answer.
  4. A garden to rent on its own

Explanation

« Une maison avec un jardin » specifies a house with a garden, and « près de l'école » gives the location near a school. All these details describe the property being sought.

Question 33Listening

You hear: « Le match commence à quinze heures ; retrouvons-nous devant le stade à quatorze heures quarante-cinq. » Why meet at 14:45?

  1. To arrive before the match starts Correct answer.
  2. To buy tickets before the match
  3. To meet the team after the match
  4. To watch the warm-up on television

Explanation

The match starts at 15:00 and the meeting point is 14:45, so the friends meet fifteen minutes early. The purpose is to be at the stadium before kick-off.

Question 34Listening

You hear: « J'ai cherché mes clés partout, mais je ne les ai pas trouvées ; heureusement, ma sœur les avait prises. » What happened to the keys?

  1. They were broken in the door
  2. The speaker's sister had taken them Correct answer.
  3. They were left at school
  4. They were lost forever

Explanation

The plus-que-parfait « elle les avait prises » describes an action completed before the search, showing the sister had already taken the keys. That explains why the speaker could not find them.

Question 35Listening

You hear: « Je devais prendre le train de huit heures, mais il y avait une grève, donc je suis arrivé en retard au travail. » What caused the lateness?

  1. The train was cancelled for weather
  2. A strike affected the train Correct answer.
  3. The speaker woke up late
  4. The speaker missed the station

Explanation

« Il y avait une grève » states there was a strike, and « donc » introduces the consequence of arriving late for work. The strike, not the speaker's oversleeping, is the stated cause.

Question 36Listening

You hear a doctor say: « Prenez ce médicament deux fois par jour, et revenez me voir dans une semaine si ça ne va pas mieux. » What should the patient do?

  1. Go to hospital tonight
  2. Take the medicine twice daily and return if no better Correct answer.
  3. Stop all medicine immediately
  4. Take the medicine once a week

Explanation

« Deux fois par jour » means twice a day, and « revenez... dans une semaine si ça ne va pas mieux » means come back in a week if there is no improvement. Both instructions form the correct answer.

Question 37Listening

You hear: « Ce pull est en solde : au lieu de quarante euros, il coûte vingt-cinq euros. » How much is saved?

  1. Forty euros
  2. Sixty-five euros
  3. Twenty-five euros
  4. Fifteen euros Correct answer.

Explanation

The original price is 40 euros and the sale price is 25 euros, so the saving is 40 minus 25, which is 15 euros. The phrase « au lieu de » marks the old price.

Question 38Listening

You hear: « Quand il pleut, je reste à la maison ; mais s'il fait beau, je sors faire du vélo. » What does the speaker do when the weather is fine?

  1. Goes cycling outside Correct answer.
  2. Stays indoors
  3. Watches the rain
  4. Takes the bus to work

Explanation

The conditional structure « s'il fait beau, je sors faire du vélo » links fine weather to going out cycling. The first clause about rain is the opposite case.

Question 39Listening

You hear: « Mon ami est arrivé en retard parce qu'il a raté son bus, alors nous avons manqué le début du film. » What was the consequence of the friend's lateness?

  1. They chose another film
  2. They bought tickets online
  3. They missed the start of the film Correct answer.
  4. They left the cinema early

Explanation

« Alors » introduces the result: « nous avons manqué le début du film », meaning they missed the beginning of the film. The cause chain is a missed bus leading to lateness.

Question 40Listening

You hear: « Je voudrais réserver une table pour quatre personnes samedi à vingt heures. » What is the speaker doing?

  1. Booking a restaurant table Correct answer.
  2. Ordering food for delivery
  3. Buying four train tickets
  4. Inviting people to a concert

Explanation

« Réserver une table » means to book a table, and the details (four people, Saturday at 20:00) are typical restaurant booking information. The conditional « je voudrais » makes the request polite.

Question 41Listening

You hear: « Il est interdit de fumer dans le bâtiment, mais on peut fumer dehors devant l'entrée. » Where is smoking permitted?

  1. Nowhere at all
  2. Outside in front of the entrance Correct answer.
  3. Everywhere in the building
  4. Only in the corridors

Explanation

« Il est interdit de fumer dans le bâtiment » bans smoking inside, while « on peut fumer dehors devant l'entrée » allows it outside in front of the entrance. The contrast « mais » separates the two rules.

Question 42Listening

You hear: « Je suis allé au marché ce matin et j'ai acheté des fraises et des tomates. » Which items did the speaker buy?

  1. Cheese and bread
  2. Fish and vegetables
  3. Apples and potatoes
  4. Strawberries and tomatoes Correct answer.

Explanation

« Des fraises » means strawberries and « des tomates » means tomatoes, both given as the purchases from the market. The passé composé « j'ai acheté » marks the completed purchase.

Question 43Listening

You hear: « Depuis deux ans, je fais du théâtre le mercredi après-midi. » What does « depuis deux ans » tell us?

  1. The activity will begin in two years
  2. The activity started two years ago and continues Correct answer.
  3. The activity lasted two years and stopped
  4. The activity happens twice a year

Explanation

With a present-tense verb, « depuis » plus a duration means the action began in the past and is still going on. So the speaker started drama two years ago and still does it on Wednesday afternoons.

Question 44Listening

You hear: « Si j'étais toi, je prendrais le bus plutôt que la voiture pour aller en ville. » What is the speaker doing?

  1. Giving advice about transport Correct answer.
  2. Asking for directions
  3. Describing a past journey
  4. Complaining about the bus

Explanation

« Si j'étais toi » (if I were you) plus the conditional « je prendrais » is a standard way of giving advice. The advice is to take the bus rather than the car into town.

Question 45Listening

You hear: « Avant, je ne savais pas nager, mais maintenant je nage deux fois par semaine à la piscine. » What change is described?

  1. The speaker learned to swim and now swims regularly Correct answer.
  2. The speaker teaches swimming twice a week
  3. The speaker swims only in the sea
  4. The speaker stopped swimming recently

Explanation

The imperfect « je ne savais pas nager » describes a past inability, and « maintenant je nage deux fois par semaine » shows a present habit. The contrast « mais maintenant » marks the change from not swimming to swimming regularly.

Question 46Listening

You hear: « Le film que nous avons vu hier était moins intéressant que celui dont tout le monde parlait. » What does the speaker think of the film?

  1. It was less interesting than expected Correct answer.
  2. It was better than people said
  3. It was too long to finish
  4. It was the best film of the year

Explanation

« Moins intéressant que » means less interesting than, and the comparison is with the film everyone was talking about. So the film seen was less interesting than the one people had praised.

Question 47Listening

You hear: « Bien que le musée soit gratuit le premier dimanche du mois, il y a toujours beaucoup de monde. » What two facts are stated?

  1. The museum is free on the first Sunday but crowded Correct answer.
  2. The museum costs a lot and is empty
  3. The museum is free every day and quiet
  4. The museum is closed on the first Sunday

Explanation

« Bien que... soit gratuit » concedes that entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, and « il y a toujours beaucoup de monde » adds that it is always crowded. The subjunctive « soit » follows « bien que ».

Question 48Listening

You hear: « Ce n'est pas parce qu'il pleut qu'il faut annuler le pique-nique : on peut le faire sous le préau. » What is the speaker's point?

  1. The picnic should be cancelled because of rain
  2. Rain does not mean the picnic must be cancelled Correct answer.
  3. The shelter is too small for a picnic
  4. The picnic will move to another day

Explanation

The structure « ce n'est pas parce que... qu'il faut... » rejects a false conclusion: rain does not require cancelling the picnic. The speaker offers a solution, doing it under the covered area (« sous le préau »).

Question 49Listening

You hear: « J'aurais préféré partir plus tôt ; à cause des embouteillages, nous avons raté le début du concert. » What does « j'aurais préféré » express?

  1. A regret about a past choice Correct answer.
  2. A certainty about the traffic
  3. A polite request to leave
  4. A plan for a future trip

Explanation

The past conditional « j'aurais préféré » expresses regret about something that did not happen as wished, here leaving later than desired. The result clause explains the consequence: traffic jams made them miss the concert's start.

Question 50Listening

You hear: « On m'a proposé un stage à l'étranger, mais je dois en parler à mes parents avant de répondre. » What is the speaker's situation?

  1. The speaker must consult parents before deciding Correct answer.
  2. The speaker has accepted an internship abroad
  3. The speaker's parents arranged the internship
  4. The speaker has refused the offer

Explanation

« On m'a proposé » shows an offer was made, and « je dois en parler à mes parents avant de répondre » shows the decision is postponed until the parents are consulted. The offer is therefore neither accepted nor refused yet.