The environment and where people live: Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension on the environment and where people live covers texts comparing town and countryside living, describing housing and the local area, and discussing environmental habits and problems close to home. Examiners are testing whether a student can interpret comparatives about a local area (plus de circulation que, moins pollué que), tell apart a described current habit (je recycle) from an instruction in the imperative (recyclez, éteignez), and recognise the hypothetical si + imperfect + conditional structure used to imagine improvements (si nous avions plus d'espaces verts, la ville serait plus agréable).
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify whether the text describes the writer's town or area now (present tense) or a wish for how it could be improved (conditional, or si + imperfect + conditional).
- Underline comparative phrases about the local area (il y a plus de circulation que, moins pollué que, plus vert que) and note exactly which two places are being compared.
- Watch for advantages-versus-disadvantages structures, often linked by d'un côté... de l'autre côté, or d'une part... d'autre part - attribute each point to the correct side.
- Note environmental habits described with the imperative (recyclez, éteignez, économisez) versus a personal habit described in the present (je recycle, j'éteins) - the imperative is advice, not a description of an existing habit.
- Track the conditional in hypothetical sentences (si nous avions plus d'espaces verts, la ville serait plus agréable) - this describes an imagined improvement, not a current fact.
- Note quantity or frequency details about pollution or traffic (beaucoup de circulation aux heures de pointe, l'air est pollué à cause des usines) since these are commonly tested factual details.
Worked example
Lis la phrase et réponds. 'Si nous avions plus de pistes cyclables, moins de gens prendraient la voiture, et l'air serait plus propre.' Est-ce que la phrase décrit la situation actuelle de la ville ?
- Spot the structure si + imperfect (si nous avions), which signals a hypothetical condition, not a current fact.
- Identify the conditional verbs that follow: prendraient (would take) and serait (would be).
- Recognise that the whole sentence is an imagined improvement: more cycle paths would lead to less car use and cleaner air.
- Because this is a hypothesis, not a description of what already exists, the answer is no - it does not describe the current situation.
Practice questions
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Q1Translate: 'Il y a beaucoup de circulation aux heures de pointe.'Show answer
Answer: There is a lot of traffic at rush hour.
Q2What does 'moins pollué que' mean?Show answer
Answer: Less polluted than.
Q3Give the English meaning of 'il faudrait plus d'espaces verts en ville'.Show answer
Answer: There should/would need to be more green spaces in the town.
Q4True or false: 'je recycle le verre et le papier' describes advice rather than a personal habit.Show answer
Answer: False - it is a personal habit described in the present tense, not an instruction.
Q5Translate: 'Si j'habitais à la campagne, l'air serait plus pur.'Show answer
Answer: If I lived in the countryside, the air would be purer/cleaner.
Q6Spot the imperative and explain what it is doing: 'Éteignez les lumières en sortant de la pièce !'Show answer
Answer: Éteignez is an imperative (command form) instructing the reader to turn off the lights when leaving the room.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE French exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Lis le texte et réponds aux questions. J'habite dans un petit village à la campagne, mais je vais souvent en ville pour voir mes cousins. En ville, il y a beaucoup plus de circulation et l'air est plus pollué à cause de toutes les voitures. Par contre, il y a plus de choses à faire : des cinémas, des magasins et des cafés partout. À la campagne, c'est plus calme et l'air est plus pur, mais on doit prendre la voiture pour tout, car il n'y a presque pas de transports en commun. Si je devais choisir, je préférerais quand même vivre à la campagne pour la tranquillité. (a) Where does the writer live? (b) Give two disadvantages of the town/city mentioned in the text. (c) True, false or not mentioned: the countryside has excellent public transport. (d) According to the text, what is one advantage of living in the countryside? (e) Which does the writer say they would prefer, and why?
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Lis le texte et réponds aux questions. Chez moi, on essaie d'être plus écolo depuis quelques années. On recycle le verre, le papier et le plastique, et on a même commencé à composter les déchets de cuisine. Mon père a installé des panneaux solaires sur le toit l'année dernière, ce qui a réduit notre facture d'électricité. Cependant, on n'a pas encore de voiture électrique, parce qu'elles coûtent trop cher pour nous. Si tout le monde faisait des petits efforts comme nous, je pense que la pollution diminuerait vraiment. Il faut juste que les gens changent leurs habitudes petit à petit. (a) Name two things the family recycles. (b) What did the writer's father install last year, and what effect did it have? (c) True, false or not mentioned: the family owns an electric car. (d) Why does the family not have an electric car? (e) According to the writer, what would happen if everyone made small efforts like their family?
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
See real GCSE French past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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