cÉnÉnnl

BAccALAUnÉer

SESSION2OO9

A N G L A I S- L V I

SériesES-S

Durée: 3 heures - Coefficient3

L'usagedes calculatriceset de tout dictionnaireest interdit.

Barèmeappliqué pour la correction

écrite
Compréhension 10 points

Expression 10 points

Gesujet comporte4 pages.

\ - l

rd f'tè^/'î-P€r-t Ea
{\,rOt.l Pagell4
gANSEMEAGl
 Nancyhad arrivedin Englandsix monthsago, and had invitedVictoriato a coffee
morningwith PhillyBingham,a fellowmotherat the schoolwhereNancyhad recently
enrolled herson,Connor.All threewomenhadsonsin the sameclass.AlexandPhilly's
son,Rufus,wereold friends,but Connorwas becomingpopularwith his classmates on
accountof the hundredsof electronic toysandstate-of-the-art computer games that filled
hisenormous bedroom. Also,he hada homecinemain the basement withallthe latest
films.And NancyMastersservedfabulousteas with real chips and American burgers
followedby tubsof expensive ice-cream.
PhillyBinghamwas attemptingto stare discreetlyaroundthe room,takingin the
10 soundsystem,the televisionand the acres of mahoganyfurniture.Philly,thought
Victoria, wouldprobablydescribeherselfas an old-fashioned Englishwoman froman old-
established Englishfamily.Philly'sown drawingroom consistedof good but shabby
furniture,a few fadedrugs and a Labrador. On no accountwouldPhillyallowintoher
housea television the sizeof the one Nancypossessed. But,then,Phillycouldn'tafford
15 one.She and her husbandhad inherited theirhousefromAlgy'sfather,and although
Algyhada prestigious job valuingpaintings for London'ssmartestauctioneers hissalary
barelykeptthemin pasta.
Therefolloweda stiltedattemptat conversation.
'So,Nancy,howareyousettlingintoLondon?' askedVictoriapolitely.
20 'Weeell,I'm findingmy feet. I've locatedthe Americanlibrary,signedon with an
Americandoctor.Of course,the US schoolwas full so we had to put Connorintothe
localone.'
Nancywasreallygettingintothe Englishwayof life,then.
'AndHayden?'
25 'Weeell,he'skindabusyat work.They'vebeendoinga bigtakeover'.The cabcomes
for himat six.'
Phillysoundedbright.'Oh,that'snot too bad.I knowthesebankscan demandthe
mostghastly2 hours.So he hastheevening withyou?'
'l
Nancylookednonplussed. meanthe cab comesat six in the morning.To go to
30 CanaryWharf3. He'sup at five.Hegetshomemostnightsat aroundeight.'
'Gosh4.' Phillywasaghast.'Howdoeshe keepgoing?'
'Oh,he'sprettyhealthconscious. I watchhis diet and I don'tlet him drinkalcoholin
theweek.Andwe gojoggingat theweekend, thatkindathing.'
Wow,thought Victoria, lifewas a bundle of fun for HaydenMasters.
35 'ButI stillhavesomethingsto sortout,'continued Nancy.
to makesomesuggestions. 'Maybewe cangive
Phillyseizeddeftlyon the opportunity
you some pointers.Algy and I have been here for ten years so we know virtually
everyone.'
Nancyseemeddoubtful.'l'm kindahopingto find a decenthairdresser. I find the
40 salonsherea little.., dull.'Hereyestookin Philly's chubbyfaceandherlankbrownhair,
pushedbackfor the occasionwith a velvetAliceband.'You see, I needvolumein my
hair,butI cannotfindanyoneherewhocanreallybackcomb.'
Victoriathoughtthat Nancy'shairwas immaculate already,platinumblondewiththe
'Jean-Pierre.
ends curledneatlyoutwards.But she knewjust the man to take her on.
45 He'sexcellent. l'llwritedownhisnumber foryou.'
'ls heAmerican?'
'French.'
butevidently decided to changethe subject.'Letme pass
Nancylookeddisappointed,
y o us o meb i scu i ts.'
[...]
50 'Andhowis Utedoing?'enquired Victoria.
Nancysighed. 'l suppose I can'tcomplain. We hadsucha wonderful Mexican ladyin
'
takeover:(here)takingcontrolof a company
I ghastly:frightening,
bad and unpleasant
in the LondonDocklands
" CanaryWharf:largebusinessand shoppingdevelopment,
a Gosh:'Oh my God'

gANSEMEAGl P a g e 2 l4
 Dallas.All legal,of course.We paidfor her to be naturalised. Haydencan'ttake any
chanceswithemploying a/æns.'
Phillychokedon herbiscuit.
55 Victoriatranslated:'Aliensare illegalimmigrants.lt'stheAmericanterm.'
Nancy pushed 'But
on regardless: it's so hardto get domesticshere.Ute is my third
au pairalready.'
Phillyand Victoriaexchangeda glance.Consuelahad beenwith Victoriafor nearly
fiveyears.
'She'sfine
60 Nancybrusheda non-existent crumbfrom her spotlesswhitepoloshirt.
with cleaningand shopping,but she strugglesa littlewith Connor'shomework. And I
reallycannottrustherwiththe ironing.I'mhavingto haveallthatsentout.'
'Perhaps withthe language,'
shehasdifficulties saidPhilly,tryingto be helpful.
'l can'thelpthatlShehasto takeresponsibility for herownlearning.'

Wivesand Lovers,JaneElizabethVARLEY,2003

t.coMPRÉHerustott
NOTE IMPORTANTE AUX CANDIDATS :

Les candidatstraiterontle sujetsur la copie qui leur sera fournie en respectant I'ordre
des questionset en faisantapparaîtrela numérotation(numéroet lettrerepèrele cas
échéant,ex: 15b - voir en particulierles questions6 et 10),lls composeront desphrases
complèteschaquefois qu'illeurest demandéde rédigerles réponses.Le nombrede mots
indiquéconstitueuneexigenceminimale. En I'absenced'indication, répondront
les candidats
brièvementà la questionposée.Les citationsserontlimitéesaux éléments pertinents et
précédéesde la mention de la ligne.

1. NancyMasters,PhillyBinghamandVictoriaare the threemainfemalecharacters.Alex,

Algy,Connor,Haydenand Rufusare malecharacters. Eachof themis relatedto oneof the
threewomen.Sayin whatway.

2. HowdidAlex,Connorand Rufusgetto knoweachother?

3. Whereis thesceneset (country,

city)?ln whosehouse?

4. HowlonghasNancybeenlivingthereandwheredid sheuseto live?

5. Whatdoesher homerevealaboutherstandardof living?Explainin yourownwords.(20

words)

6. a)Whatdo we learnaboutNancy'shusband's workinghours?

b) l. 29'l meanthe cabcomesat six in themorning.'
WhydoesNancyfeelthe needto insiston 'morning'?

on herhusband's
7. HowdoesNancymakesuresuchworkinghourshaveno consequence
health?(30words)

8. l. 34 'Wow,thoughtVictoria,lifewasa bundleof funfor HaydenMasters'.

Explainin yourownwordswhatVictoriareallythinksof Hayden'slife.(30words)

gANSEMEAGl Page3l4
9. HasNancyadoptedthe cultureandwayof lifeof the countrysheis nowlivingin?
Answerin yourownwords(25words),thenquoteat leastfourelementsto supportyour
answer.

10.a) Fromline50 to theendUteandConsuela arediscussed.Saywhotheyare.

b) ContrastNancy'sandVictoria's
respective towardsthem.(40words)
attitudes

11.Who is Phillymorelikelyto feel closerto, Nancyor Victoria?Quotethe textto support

youranswer.

12.To describe the relationships

betweenVictoria,Phillyand Nancythe fourfollowing
titles
areall possible.
Choosethe oneyou preferandargueyourcase.(40words)

An Attemptat Conversation
'Desperate
Housewives'
TheBeginning of a Beautiful
Friendship
'PrideandPreiudice'

II. EXPRESSION

Choosesubject1 (a+b)or subject2.

Subject1 (a+b):

a) ll.4-6 'Connorwas becomingpopularwithhisclassmates on accountof the hundreds

of
electronic toysandstate-of-the-art
computer games that filledhis enormous bedroom.'
Doespopularity dependon whatyou have?(150words)
b) l. 16'Algyhada prestigiousjob valuingpaintings
for London'ssmartestauctioneers.'
Whatis yourideaof a job?
prestigious (150words)

Subject2:

l. 65 'Shehasto takeresponsibility
for herownlearning.'
To whatextentis an individual
responsiblefor his/herlearningor professionaltraining?
(300
words)

gANSEMEAGl Page4l4