Academic year

CPEAD 2018/19

Mr DIOUF

EXERCISES
In the district of Karimama, Benin, fathers of promise daughters – as young as five or six
– as brides to men who are decades older. This cultural tradition gains the girl’s family
favors and gifts from the suitor, who hoes their field, by the girl clothes, and pays bride
price, which , when paid in a public ceremony, offficializes the mariage in the eyes of the
community. As economic times worsen in this already poor area, the practice increases.

Once married, most girls stop going to school. Even if mothers would like to protect
their daughters from early marriage and keep them in school, mothers have little say
because, when they were marriage, they too moved from their family villages, so are
considered outsiders.

The organisation of mothers associations, stablished throughout Benin by World

Education’s Girls’Education and Community Participation (GECP) project,have given
women a way to stand up for their childrenbecause, as a group, their power is greatly
increased.

The mother’s association (AME in French) in the isolated village of

Tandatédji,inKarimama is making a difference in the life of their young betrothed
daughters. At the beginning of the last year, seven sixth-grade girls did not arrive on the
day of enrollment. The AME asked the school director to investigate, and he, along with
the GECP’s local partner, for mothers, and the president of the parents’association (which
is run by father), learned that the girls had entered marriage arrangements. Because
bride prices had been paid , this newly – fomed group of advocates could not convince
the husbands’family to let the girls finish primary school. Underterred, the group
approached the village chief, who was able to convince the husbands to the patient, and
even got them to agree to allow the girls to go to secondary school if they passed the
qualifying exams.

Although the marriage contracts still must be fulfiilled, these girls will be eduvated and
better able to take care of themselves and their children. The cooperation between the
school administration, the local authorities, and the parents was remarkable. And the
mothers’ association’s bravery and persistence proves that change is possible, even in
highly traditional environments.

I-READING COMPREHENSION (8pts)

A- Choose the best title for the text (1 pt)
1. a. Generation gap

b. A love story

c. Early marriage and girls’schooling

B- True or false ? Sa y whether the following statements are true or false . Justifyyour answer by quoting
relavant passages from the text. (4 pts)

2 : In Karimama, girls are generally married at age of five or six ……………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3 : A large number of girls continue their studies after getting married ……………………………..........

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4 : Tandatédji village chief encourages girls to stop going to school once they are married ………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5 : School authorities and the population of Tandatédji had conflicting relations because of early marriage
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

C- Contextual reference : What or who do the underlined words refer to in the text ? (1,5 pt)

6 : which (line 3) ………………………………

7 : their (line 10)………………………………

8 : them (line 19)……………………………..

D- Finding synonyms : Find in the indicated paragraphs words or phrases which are closest in meaning to the
following definitions. (1,5 pt)

9 : things you give someone as a present (parag 1) ……………………………………………………………………………..

10 : engaged to marry someone (parag 4)…………………………………………………………………………………………….

11 : the act of working together with someone (parag 5)……………………………………………………………………..

II- LINGUISTIC AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE. (6pts)

E. One of your classmate is victim of early marriage. Complete your conversation with her (3,5pts)

You: Hello Astu! 12………………………………………………………………. ?

Astu: I’m fine thank you, And you ?

You: I’m fine 13…………………………………………………………………………….. ?

Astu: I was at home. I’m married to an old man.

You: Oh no! How come ? 14 How……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ?

Astu: (crying) I have been married since September. I am living a very hard life. I want to study.

You: 15..……………cry. Trust me, we will find a solution. I will talk to Mr Ndiaye. 16……………………………...?

Astu: No, I don’t know him. 17…………………………………………………………………………. ?

You: He is the President of the Parents Association. I will talk to my classmates as soon as I …………..18

Back to school, then we will have a delegation to meat Mr Ndiaye. I promise that we will find a solution.

F- Put as indicated these sentences (2 ,5 pts)

20- They had conflicting marriage because of early marriage. (Ask questions)

21- You promised me that ,………………………………… ?

22- I regret parents don’t understand the importance of study.

I wish……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .

23-« We will find solutions », she said. (reported speech)

5- I met Astu yesterday . (passive voice)

III- WRITING (6 pts)

Choose one topic and write at least 150 words.

Topic 1: Write a letter to your friend who is victim of early marriage. Give her some advice (conseil) and try to
find solutions.

Topic 2: A girl doesn’t need to be educated, her place is at home. Do you share this opinion ? Why or why not ?