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Cheat sheet
A1 exam skills: cheat sheet
The summary, key terms and the trap to avoid for every lesson, in order. Print it, or read it, cover it, and say it back.
- Read the questions first; scan for only what they ask.
- Watch for several prices or times: pick the one the question means.
- Signs: ouvert, fermé, tirez, poussez, interdit, gratuit, complet, en panne.
- Timetables: départ, arrivée, voie, en retard, annulé, sauf.
- Instructions: infinitive (Ne pas fumer) or vous (Composez le 18).
- consigne
- the instructions for an exercise
- ouvert / fermé
- open / closed
- interdit
- forbidden
- gratuit
- free of charge
- tarif réduit
- reduced price
- départ / arrivée
- departure / arrival
- voie, quai
- platform
- sauf
- except
Watch out: Picking the first number you see. Documents give several prices or times on purpose: the adult price, the student price, the weekday hours, the weekend hours. Underline exactly who or when the question asks about, then find that line.
- Ask: who, to whom, why, when, where, what to do.
- Greeting = reader; signature = writer.
- Reason words: je t'invite (invitation), merci pour (thanks), est-ce que tu peux (request).
- Separate the event date from the reply deadline (avant …).
- Small ads: à vendre, à louer, cherche.
- je t'invite / je vous invite
- I invite you
- chez moi
- at my place
- réponds-moi / répondez-moi
- reply to me
- avant
- before
- à partir de
- from (a time)
- à vendre / à louer
- for sale / to let
- cherche
- looking for
- petite annonce
- small ad
Watch out: Mixing up the writer and the reader. The name after Cher / Chère / Salut is the reader; the name at the end is the writer.
- Each recording is played twice; read the questions first.
- Listening 1: sure answers. Listening 2: check and complete.
- Underline the answer type: time, place, price, name.
- After a correction word (non, pardon, en fait), the new answer counts.
- Phone numbers come in pairs; en provenance de = from, à destination de = to.
- à destination de
- going to
- en provenance de
- coming from
- voie, quai
- platform
- retard
- delay
- non, pardon / plutôt / en fait
- correction words: listen to what follows
- deux écoutes
- two listenings
Watch out: Writing the first number you hear when the speaker corrects it. Listen for correction words: non, pardon, plutôt, en fait (actually). The answer is what comes after them.