corrige DS terminales S 15 01 08

comprehension  'In the company of cheerful ladies'

1. the main Character Mma Ramotswe is in Africa.W here exactly?

a) at a café

b) at a hotel

c) at a police station

d) at a university

Justify your answer by a quotation fromt the text.

1.13 "immediately in front of the café"

1.30 "the waitress"

11.49-50 She went back to her table and sat down. "Brinq me the bill." she said." l will

pay it straightaway."

Questions 2 to 5. Focus on the passage from line 12 to line 32.

2. 1.23" Mma Ramotswe gasped".Explain why she was so shocked.( 20w ords)

She was so shocked because she saw a woman steal a piece of jewellery from a stall in

broad daylight.

3. What did she intend to do?

She intended to intervene either by apprehending the thief or denouncing her to the stallholder.

4. Explain in your own words whether she was successful or not.

She was prevented from doing so by the waitress who wanted to talk to her.

5. a) Two female characters are referred to as "Mma".One of them is Mma Ramotswe.

Who is the other lady?

The other lady is the waitress

b) Who i s speaking in each of the following lines?

1.28"Excuse me,Mma." The waitress

l.32 "Yes. Mma. what is it?" Mma Ramotswe

Questions6 and 7. Focus on the passage from line3 3 to line4

.

6. True or False.Justifyy our answers with a quotation from the text.

a) The other lady thought Mma Ramotswe was dishonest. True

11.33-34"You cannot run away like that," she said. "l saw you. You're trying to go

away without payinq the bill. I saw vou."

l42-43 "Every day there are people like you. They come and eat our food and then

they run away and hide. You people are all the same."

b) lt would have been very unlike Mma Ramotswe to do anything dishonest. True

l. 36-37 "Of course she had not been trying to get away without paying the bill- she

would never do such a thinq"

c) Mma Rarnotswe pleaded guilty. False

l.39-40"I a m not trying to go away, Mma," she said. "l am iust trying to stopt hat

person over there from stealing from that man "

7. Choose the adjective that characterises the other lady:

cvnical. nai've, nervous, sympathetic, understanding

Justifyy our choice by a quotation from the text.

1.42" The waitresss miled knowingly. "They all find some excuse,"

43. "There are people like you.....You people are all the same"

8. How can the other lady's attitude be accounted for? (20 words)

She is used to seeing people behaving dishonestly.Many times before she has had to

deal with customers running away without paying.

9. a) ll. 46-47." lt would now be too latet o do anything about it !...

"

What does "it" refer to? Explain why it is "too late"

It refers to the theft. lt was too late because the thief had had time to slip away.

b) What did Mma Ramotswe decide at that point?

She decided to give up all hope of catching the thief and go back to her table to pay her bill

.

10.a ) ll. 51-52" But I shall have to add something for myself."

What did the other lady mean?

The waitress is clearly demanding a bribe.

b) ll. 52-53 "l will have to add this if you do not want me to call the police and tell them

about how you tried to run away."

Say in your own words what choice Mma Ramotswe was faced with.

She could either decide to pay the bribe or be reported to the police.

Questions 11 and 12. Focus on the passage from line 54 to the end.

11.W hy was Mma Ramotswe so anxious to know if someone" had witnessed the scene"?

(r.55)

As the scene had been humiliating for her she hoped that no one had seen or heard.

(She hoped to find some help.)

12. a) How do you understand the last two lines of the text? (30 words)

First a woman at a neighbouring table did witness the scene and had no doubt Ma

Ramotswe had been dishonest. Moreover she told Mma she would be better off trying

her luck elsewhere in hotels, for instance.

b) What impact do you think these words will have on Mma Ramotwe?

Not only is she bound to feel ashamed but she is also likely to be outraged and lost for words

13. To what extent do the last two lines correct the vision of africa given in the first paragraph of the text? ( 30 words)

The beginning of the text expresses a more positive vision of Africa whereas the last two

lines seem to suggest hat dishonesty , corruption and bribery are still widespread in Africa