Bonus storyPremium
Un chiot au bord de la mer
A puppy by the sea
Module 7 · The weather and what to wearGet to know the neighbours and practise what you've learned in a new story.
The storyA rainy Saturday in spring. Zoé and her best friend Emma wanted to ride their bikes to the park, and her mother Anne is working again. So Zoé spends the day at her grandmother's, talking about the summers at the sea, a puppy, and what she wants to be.
New words in the story
- un chiot a puppy
- le sable sand
- un château de sable a sandcastle
- animal / animaux animal; animals
- une écharpe a scarf
- peintre painter
- fatigué tired
- au bord de la mer by the sea
Tap a word to see what it means.
A Saturday morning in spring at Madeleine's. Rain runs down the living-room window.
C’est samedi. Il pleut dehors, et il fait très froid. Zoé est assise à la fenêtre. Elle a dix ans. Aujourd’hui, elle n’est pas contente.
It's Saturday. It's raining outside, and it's very cold. Zoé is sitting at the window. She's ten. Today she's not happy.
ZoéMamie, pourquoi il pleut encore ? Aujourd’hui, Emma et moi, nous voulons aller au parc à vélo !
Grandma, why is it raining again? Today Emma and I want to ride our bikes to the park!
Emma est la meilleure amie de Zoé à l’école. Elle a un petit chiot.
Emma is Zoé's best friend from school. She has a little puppy.
MadeleineÀ vélo ? Pas aujourd’hui, Zoé. Il fait trop froid. Et il y a du vent dehors.
By bike? Not today, Zoé. It's too cold. And it's windy outside.
- Zoé
Mais j’ai un imperméable ! Je n’ai pas besoin de soleil !
But I've got a raincoat! I don't need the sun!
- Madeleine
Toi, tu as un imperméable. Mais le vélo, non.
You've got a raincoat. But the bike hasn't.
- Madeleine
Aujourd’hui, tu peux dessiner, ou m’aider. Je fais des crêpes.
Today you can draw, or help me. I'm making pancakes.
The landlady's phone rings. It is Anne, Zoé's mother, calling from work.
AnneSalut, Zoé. Je suis désolée, je travaille encore aujourd’hui. Jusqu’à ce soir.
Hi, Zoé. I'm sorry, I'm working again today. Until this evening.
- Zoé
Encore ? Maman, tu travailles toujours ! Même le samedi !
Again? Mum, you're always working! Even on Saturday!
- Anne
Je sais. Mais je dois aider les gens. Est-ce que toi et Mamie, vous faites des crêpes ?
I know. But I have to help people. Are you and Grandma making pancakes?
- Zoé
Oui. Maman, viens ce soir ! Il y a beaucoup de crêpes.
Yes. Mum, come this evening! There are lots of pancakes.
Dans la cuisine, Zoé dessine la mer, le soleil et le sable.
In the kitchen, Zoé draws the sea, the sun and sand.
ZoéRegarde, Mamie ! Chaque été, toute la famille va à la mer.
Look, Grandma! Every summer the whole family goes to the sea.
- Zoé
Là-bas, il fait chaud, et Maman ne travaille pas. Elle est avec nous toute la journée !
It's hot there, and Mum doesn't work. She's with us all day!
- Zoé
Le matin, nous nageons. La mer est plus froide que le lac, mais je n’ai pas peur.
In the morning we swim. The sea is colder than the lake, but I'm not afraid.
- Zoé
Je nage mieux que Maman !
I can swim better than Mum!
- Madeleine
Et ton frère ?
And your brother?
- Zoé
Il est encore trop petit. Il ne peut pas nager. Il mange seulement du sable !
He's still too little. He can't swim. He just eats sand!
- Zoé
Après le déjeuner, nous faisons un château de sable. Un plus grand chaque été !
After lunch we build a sandcastle. A bigger one every summer!
- Zoé
Le soir, il y a du vent au bord de la mer, alors Maman dit toujours : « Zoé, ton bonnet ! Et ta veste ! »
In the evening it's windy by the sea, so Mum always says: 'Zoé, your hat! And your jacket!'
- Madeleine
Ta mère a raison. Le soir, au bord de la mer, il faut des vêtements chauds.
Your mum is right. In the evening by the sea you need warm clothes.
- Zoé
Mais moi, je n’ai jamais froid au bord de la mer !
But I'm never cold by the sea!
- Madeleine
Jamais ? L’année dernière, tu étais bleue comme la mer !
Never? Last year you were as blue as the sea!
ZoéMais non ! Bon... un peu seulement.
I wasn't! Well... only a little.
Zoé turns the page and draws a small brown dog with big ears.
- Zoé
Mamie, regarde : un chiot ! Comme celui d’Emma. Je veux vraiment un chiot !
Grandma, look: a puppy! Like Emma's. I really want a puppy!
- Madeleine
Un chiot ? Et Félix ? Félix n’aime pas les chiens.
A puppy? And Félix? Félix doesn't like dogs.
- Zoé
Félix habite ici. Et le chiot peut habiter dans notre appartement !
Félix lives here. And the puppy can live in our flat!
- Madeleine
Et qui s’occupe de lui ? Tes parents travaillent, et toi, tu es à l’école.
And who looks after it? Your parents work, and you're at school.
- Zoé
Je sais m’occuper des animaux ! Je m’occupe de Félix tous les jours !
I know how to look after animals! I look after Félix every day!
- Madeleine
Non, Zoé. Félix s’occupe de toi.
No, Zoé. Félix looks after you.
On the windowsill the grey tomcat opens one eye, looks at the drawing of the dog, and turns his back on it.
- Zoé
Maman dit : « Un chien a besoin de temps, et moi, je n’ai pas le temps. »
Mum says: 'A dog needs time, and I don't have time.'
- Madeleine
C’est vrai. Ta mère travaille beaucoup, c’est pour ça qu’elle est fatiguée.
That's true. Your mum works a lot, that's why she's tired.
ZoéC’est pour ça que je veux être peintre. Une peintre travaille à la maison et peut s’occuper d’un chiot !
That's why I want to be a painter. A painter works at home and can look after a puppy!
- Madeleine
Peintre ? Pas professeure, comme ta grand-mère ?
A painter? Not a teacher, like your grandma?
- Zoé
Non ! Les professeurs disent toujours « plus tard ».
No! Teachers always say 'later'.
- Madeleine
Moi, je ne dis jamais « plus tard ». Je dis : « Maintenant ! »
I never say 'later'. I say: 'Now!'
Afternoon. The rain stops, and the sun comes out over the wet roofs.
- Zoé
Mamie, le soleil ! Est-ce que je peux faire du vélo maintenant ?
Grandma, the sun! Can I ride my bike now?
- Madeleine
Tu peux. Mais avec un bonnet et une écharpe, parce qu’il fait encore froid dehors.
You can. But with a hat and a scarf, because it's still cold outside.
- Zoé
Emma ! Il y a du soleil ! Viens au parc avec le chiot !
Emma! The sun's out! Come to the park with the puppy!
Evening. Anne comes into the kitchen, tired, with a wet umbrella.
- Zoé
Maman ! Le matin, il y avait de la pluie, puis du soleil. Et le chiot d’Emma est mon ami maintenant !
Mum! In the morning there was rain, then sun. And Emma's puppy is my friend now!
- Anne
Et tu veux encore un chiot, n’est-ce pas ?
And you want a puppy again, don't you?
ZoéOui. Mais en été, au bord de la mer ! Un chiot est mieux là-bas qu’en ville.
Yes. But in summer, by the sea! A puppy is better off there than in town.
- Anne
Peut-être, Zoé. Peut-être.
Maybe, Zoé. Maybe.
Félix regarde le chiot dans le cahier de Zoé. Il ne l’aime pas du tout.
Félix looks at the puppy in Zoé's sketchbook. He doesn't like it at all.
Practice 1/4 · Who says it
Who said it?
Who says it?
Mamie, pourquoi il pleut encore ? Aujourd’hui, Emma et moi, nous voulons aller au parc à vélo !
À vélo ? Pas aujourd’hui, Zoé. Il fait trop froid. Et il y a du vent dehors.
Salut, Zoé. Je suis désolée, je travaille encore aujourd’hui. Jusqu’à ce soir.
Practice 2/4 · True or false
Right or wrong?
True or false?
Il pleut le matin.
It is raining in the morning.
Zoé a neuf ans dans cette histoire.
Zoé is nine years old in this story.
Emma a un petit chiot.
Emma has a little puppy.
La mère de Zoé ne travaille pas le samedi.
Zoé's mother does not work on Saturday.
Le soir, le soleil sort et Zoé peut faire du vélo.
In the evening, the sun comes out and Zoé can ride her bike.
Practice 3/4 · What happens
What happened first?
Put what happens in order.
Practice 4/4 · Questions
Understand the story
Answer the questions.
Pourquoi Zoé ne va pas au parc le matin ?
Why does Zoé not go to the park in the morning?
She stays home because it is raining and cold, not because she is working.
Qui a un chiot ?
Who has a puppy?
Emma is Zoé's school friend and she has the puppy.
Que veut être Zoé ?
What does Zoé want to be?
Zoé says she wants to be a painter so she can work at home and look after a puppy.
Module 7 complete · The weather and what to wear
Well done!
Get ready for the town festival, two weeks away.
Now I can
say what the weather is like and say what I must or needn't take
understand a forecast, compare the weather here and at home, and talk about the seasons
ask for a size and colour, try things on, and pay by card
say what I can and can't do, and understand simple rules
say why something is so, and give and accept a compliment
grammar points
- La météo et les projets
- Les comparaisons
- Le plus, la plus, trop, pas assez
- Savoir, pouvoir, devoir, parce que
- Pas besoin de et les interdictions
LernLaterne