READING COMPREHENSION

(Document A)
/ (Document B) The Makers of Peace
COMPREHENSION
Document A
1. What is the nature of the document ?

It is an excerpt /extract from a novel written by Tracy Chevalier in 2OO1 (which is) entitled Falling Angels
2. When and where is the scene set ?

The scene is set in London, England in the early 20th century.

3. A - Who are the characters ?

The characters are Kitty Coleman the narrator, Richard Coleman and Maude Coleman .
B - How are they related ?

Kitty, the narrator is Richards wife and Maude is their daughter.

4. What happened to the narrator ? Explain in one sentence.

She was / got arrested (while trying to get into the House of Commons) and she was taken to the police station.
5. Identify a Seat of Power being referred to . The House of Commons.
6. Say what the following names may refer to .

It refers to a trade Union / Womens Social and Political Union.

- The Black Maria It may refer to a police van used at the time to transport prisoners
- The Holloway It may refer to a prison
- WSPU

7. What is the link between the narrator and the WSPU ? Explain briefly

The narrator is involved in the fight for womens rights as a suffragette, and consequently she must have joined the WSPU / She must be a militant
member of the WSPU , a womens rights activist .
8. Say if the following statements are RIGHT or WRONG . Justify your answer by quoting the text.
a-

The male character is supportive of his wifes struggle.

WRONG

l.4/5 he shouted.. cause

b-

He was not aware that his wife was involved in harmful actions.

RIGHT

l.6/7 He has thought . hobby / suffragette / l.8

c-

The text refers to a key moment in the Suffragettes struggle.

RIGHT

l.17/18 But then I went . Commons

d-

The narrator was alone when she was arrested.

WRONG

l.23/24 We were just pushing . ground

e-

She managed to get into the British Parliament .

l.20 No, I was arrested

WRONG

f-

She has been badly beaten by the police.

l.24/25 The bruises on my shoulders. spectacular

RIGHT

g-

She wont be tried.

l.29 Ill be in Court . tomorrow .

WRONG

9. Say which adjectives best describe the characters feelings.

R FURIOUS K DETERMINED
R ANNOYED R SHAMEFUL N FRIGHTENED
N DISRESPECTUL

R OUTRAGED
N PROUD

K STRAIGHTFORWARD

K R CONCERNED

K UNCERTAIN

10 . (From the beginning to l. 8) Does Richard agree with Kittys involvement to the cause of women ? Explain in your
own words (about 30 words)

Pistes de rponses

Richard doesnt necessarily agree with his wifes involvement to the womens cause. Indeed he is outrage and he disapproves of the violence ; he
believes their actions are useless. He clearly says that she should set a better example for their daughter. However, Kittys husband didnt seem to
mind when he didnt know about the violence behind their actions./ He actually didnt mind his wife s involvement to peaceful or harmless actions.
He actually was unware of the WSPU s goals and radical actions and of his wife being a suffragette.
11. What does the text reveal about gender relations ? Answer briefly.

Pistes de rponses

It reveals that there was a problem with gender relations that needed to be fixed. There were inequalities between women and
men. The text shows that the suffragettes husbands were not supportive of their wives. It reveals that men and women didnt
understand each other at the time. Men were superior human beings while women were expected to obey and were treated as
second-class citizens.
12. She needs a better example than you are setting. (l. 9)
What does this sentence reveal about the fathers attitude concerning his wifes commitment to the feminist
cause?

Pistes de rponses

This sentence reveals that he disapproves of his wifes violent actions and of his wifes being a suffragette. His wifes
commitment to the feminist cause is shameful. He surely doesnt want violence to be a, example for Maud and doesnt
think violence should be used by women.He is concerned about the impact all this violence could have on their
daughter. It shows that Richard doesnt want their daughter to be influenced by his wifes behavior as the feminist cause
has no importance to him. He just wants his wife to be quiet and obedient. In fact, she had better stay home and raise her
daughter, than fight for her rights.
13. Explain Kittys feelings at the end of the text.

Pistes de rponses

The feeling that we get at the end of the text ,is that Kitty feels determined Kitty doesnt seem to be frightened or annoyed.
Shes very straight-forward to her daughter. Indeed she knows exactly what will happen to her and is unafraid. Even if she feels
sorry for her daughter who will be left alone for 3 months, she is determined and ready to sacrifice herself/her family to the
cause./she is ready to take responsibility for her own actions. Kitty is sad to leave her daughter Maud because she doesnt
really know how long she will be imprisoned. However, she also has the feeling that what shes doing will be very positive for
the WSPU and all the suffragettes. ( it is for womens sake!) Actually she has mixed feelings. On the one hand, she is sad to say
goodbye to Maud, but on the other hand , she feels proud to tell her daughter about her fight for womens rights, for her
daughters future. She is proud to support the WSPU cause and she is determined to continue the fight! She doesnt mind
being jailed!

 Document B
14. Find basic information about the text ( nature/speaker/context) .
Answer in one or two sentences.

The document is a speech given by Hillary Clinton at the 4th Women in the World Conference in New York City , on 4 April 2013.
15. What does the text tell you about the conference. Pick out at least 3 elements and answer briefly.

The Conference is an annual conference taking place in New York City. It is a world conference which was founded by Tina Brown . It focuses on
womens rights across the globe.
16. In the first part , identify a keyword she uses to catch the attention and hook her audience.

Unfinished (l.19 / l.22 / l.25)

17. What message is delivered. Answer in your own words.

Even if the condition of women is better, there is still work to be done. Women should not consider themselves as victims, but as agents of change
and peace-makers. They can make a difference.
18. In your own words, explain the impact the speakers life has on the message.

Hillary Clinton says that this cause has always been her main concern in the course of her career, when she was a law student. (l.32-35) , when she
was a First Lady (l.35) , when she was the Senator of new York (l.35-36) and when she was Secretary of State (l.36) .The message is very strong as
Hillary Clintons rich career is impressive . As a woman , she has climbed the social ladder. She is a living example that women too can be
successful and powerful and lead the world . A female audience could actually easily identify with this influential woman.
19. According to the speaker, what is the potential of women. Answer briefly.

Hillary Clinton explains that women are drivers of progress and makers of peace.
If they have access to prominent political positions, they can make the world better.
20. Identify 2 rhetorical devices that gives more weight to her speech.

The speaker uses rhetorical devices to voice womens richness. From l.28 to l.31, the speaker uses We to show her involvement and she repeats
we are three times to give more weight to her speech.
Documents A and B
21. Compare the way(s) the 2 women make themselves heard.

Pistes de rponses

As a suffragette, Kitty is physically involved in violent actions . She marches and demonstrates violently in the street for the
right to vote. She resorts to violence to draw /attract the authorities attention.
Contrary to Kitty, Hillary Clinton uses not only the power of words to make her voice heard, but also her personal experience
/influence as a leading lady. Her peace-related words are used as powerful weapons to convince her audience and push them
to action.
22. Compare and contrast the female characters in terms of influence over their present /or future situations. (50
words)

while/whereas/like/unlike+ N / the same as / different from / contrary to +N / though/ although

Unlike Hillary, Kitty is a married woman deprived of womens rights and involved in the Suffragettes fight for the right to vote
in her country . Contrary to Kitty, Hillary Clinton is a powerful woman , a well-respected political female leader whose
influence is global. Her rich career is impressive and she is running for presidency as a Democrat candidate in the 2016
presidential election .