Annales des épreuves d'anglais du brevet des collèges.

Epreuve 2002

CATHY FREEMAN: AN ATHLETE OR AN ACTIVIST?

In the beginning
She grew up in a poor family in a small town on Australia's north-east coast, running barefoot around a grass track. When Cathy was young, her father told her she would one day be a world champion. At the age of 13, she told her school guidance counsellor that her goal in life was to win a gold medal.
When Freeman won the 400-metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games at the age of 21, she ran around the track with the Aboriginal flag before running with the Australian flag. Her gesture caused huge controversy.
Australian sports officials said the track was not a place for politics. Freeman's mother said she was very proud: "To a lot of people, especially young people, it meant a lot, because Cathy with our flag, was a symbol of hope."
Freeman simply said: "I'm glad of what I am, Australian and Aboriginal, they are two and the same." To many in Australia (whether Aborigines whose land was stolen by Whites, or Whites whose ancestors came to the continent as English prisoners), the statement was not so obvious. Australian perceived Freeman, then, as both an athlete and an activist.

Athlete before activist
But in the months before Australia's 2000 Olympics, Freeman, now 27, announced she would not mix politics with sports; her only goal is to win the gold medal she has wanted since childhood. "The time will come when I'm more instrumental in politcs and Aboriginal affairs", she said, "but now I'm playing a big part just doing what I'm doing."

Adapted from N. Colombant.

A - COMPREHENSION
RIGHT OR WRONG? Are the following statements right or wrong? Justify by quoting the text. (6 points)

1) Cathy grew up in a big city in the west of Australia:

2) Her family was not rich:

3) When she was 13 she didn't want to become a champion:

4) When she won the 400-metres in 1994 she ran around the track with the Australian flag first:

5) Sports officials were angry at ther:

6) Cathy and Australian and Aboriginal are different:

Traduction:

7) Translate into French the following passage of the text from "Australian sports officials" to "They are two and the same":

B - GRAMMATICAL PART: (6 points)
I) Rewrite the sentence using "ago" (2 points):
1) Cathy Freeman was born in 1972.
2) English prisoners arrived in Australia at the end of the eighteenth century.

II - Transformer les phrases en utilisant un comparatif de supériorité: (2 points)
1) England isn't as big as Australia.
2) Being an athlete isn't as dangerous as being an activist.

III- Reporter ces phrases au style direct (2 points):
1) Her stepfather told her she would be a world champion.
2) She told her school counsellor her goal in life was to win a gold medal.

C - Write a short essay (50 words approximately). You have the choice between these two subjects (6 points):
1) Do you think an athlete should mix sports with politics? Justify your opinion and give examples.

2) Give some examples of success (on a national or international level) of athletes from Reunion and the symbol they represent.

CORRIGE:
A - 6 points, 0.5/réponse 1 à 6, 3 pts pour la traduction:
1) W: she grew up in a small town on Australia's north-east.
2) R: She grew up in a poor family.
3) W: At the age of 13, she told her school guidance counsellor that her goal in life was to win a gold medal.
4) W: she ran around the track with the Aboriginal flag before running with the Australian flag.
5) R: Australian sports officials said the track was not a place for politics.
6) W: Freeman simply said: "I'm glad of what I am, Australian and Aboriginal, they are two and the same."

7) Les officiels sportifs australiens déclarèrent que la piste n'était pas un endroit pour faire de la politique. La mère de Freeman dit qu'elle était très fière: "Pour beaucoup de monde, spécialement pour les jeunes, cela représentait beaucoup, car Cathy avec notre drapeau était symbole d'espérance.
Freeman simplement dit: "Je suis contente de ce que je suis, Australienne et Aborigène, c'est la même entité (nous sommes deux en un)."

B - 6 points
I - 2 pts
1) Cathy Freeman was born 30 years ago.
2) English prisoner arrived in Australia two centuries ago.

II - 2 pts
1) Australia is bigger than England.
2) To be an activist is more dangerous than to be an athlete.

III - 2 pts
1) Her stepfather told her: "You'll be a world champion."
2) She told her school counsellor: "My goal in life is to win a gold medal."

C - 6 points
Vous pourriez parler de...

DRENAZA (kick boxing)
SANGOUMA (sprint)
Raymond GEVIA (boxing)
Jackson RICHARDSON (handball)
Patrick CAZAL (handball)
Laurent ROBERT (football)
Surya BONALY (ice skating)
Nelly RAMASSAMY (gymnastics)
Elvire TEZZA (gymnastics)
CASIMIR (gymnastics)