Before reading

1) Describe and comment on the pictures.

The two pictures consist in a photograph and a
cartoon. The photo shows a group of shacks in the
desert. In the distance we can sees a large rocky
plateau /)plAtFu/.
In the cartoon a boy hesitates between two pathsways
indicated by a signpost (=poteau indicateur): rez
(=reservation), home versus the hope way.
2) Find out this information about the text: title; date;
author; source; nature
This text has been entitled On the reservation. It
was extracted from the book The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which was written by
Sherman Alexie in 2007. This is thus a part of a diary
entry.
3) Use the previous in order to anticipate the content of
the text.
The text will probably be about a boy living on a
reservation who thinks about emigrating.

Overview

Zoom in

8) Read the introduction. Why does the pupil throw his

manual at his teacher?
The pupil is angry because his textbook is too old
(the book is over 30 years old!)
9) Tick the best translation for breath (l.2)
respiration souffle haleine odeur
10) Find unusual and incoherent things in line 3. Try to
explain them.
The smell of onion and garlic is associated with the
smell of feelings (shame=honte, pain=douleur)
11) Define the community that was defeated (lines 4
to 6). What have they given up, in your opinion?
The community is composed of the people living
in the reservation. They gave up hope.
12) According to the teacher, what is the difference between
the boy and his community (lines 10-11)? Contrary to his
community, the student doesnt accept defeat you
refuse to give up (l.11)
13) Quote (=cite) the words that show the boy didnt
A young boy has just discovered that the textbook he is holding had belonged to his
understand what his teacher was saying.
the
is about(l.12)
over 30 years old! He is so disappointed with the
didntmotherso
know what he
wasbook
talking
TI own
education
he
is
being
given,
he
throws the book at his teacher.
14) Comment on the tense and aspect of the following
sentence: "You've been fighting since you were born"
O(l.18)
Mr. P grabbed me by the shoulders and leaned so close to me that I could smell his
o(Tu as t en train de lutter depuis que tu es n.=Tu
breath.
ote bats depuis que tu es1 n.) Cest le present perfect
Onions and garlic and hamburger and shame and
pain.
Homework:
continuous.
o
A) Guess
the
meaning
(=sense)
of
"All these
have
given
up,"born.
he said.
"All your
friends.
All
the bullies.
And their
("You've
been kids
fighting
since
you were
You've
5
words.
They
fought
sinceand
you were
born.)
mothers
fathers
have given up, too. And the
theirfollowing
grandparents
gave
up are
and their
o
transparent!
(Quand
suivi de for+dure
ou deAnd
sinceme
+moment
grandparents
before them.
and every other
teacher here. We're all defeated."
o
prcis
dans le pass ; le present perfect continuous discovered (introduction) = found
Mr. P was crying.
disappointed (introduction) =du
est
o quasiment quivalent au present perfect et se
I couldn't
believe
it.
defeated (l.6) =vanquished (=vaincu)
traduit
par
le
prsent
en
franais.)
o
2
15)I'd
What
does
the teacher
thecry.
young boy to do? pressure (l.13) =pression
never
seen
a soberadvise
adult
10
Why?
he optimistic
withup. You
drugwon't
addictsgive
(l.19) up.
=drogus
"ButIsnot
you," Mr.orPpessimistic?
said. "YouExplain
can't give
You threw that book
your
o own words.
in
my
face
because
somewhere
inside
you
refuse
to
give
up."
B)
Use
the
composition
of these
The
o teacher advises the young boy to leave the
words
in order
deduce
their
reservation,
to emigrate
somewhere
else about.
go
I didn't know
what he
was talking
Or maybe
I just
didn'ttowant
to know.
o
somewhere
werea other
haveto
hope.
(l.20)
He I meaning
:
Jeez, it was
lot ofpeople
pressure
put on
a kid.
was carrying
the burden 3 of my race,
is
o pessimistic about the future prospects in the
textbook (introduction) =manuel scolaire
you know? I was going to get a bad back from it4.
reservation.
inside (l.11) = lintrieur de
15
5
16)"IfHow
the on
inhabitants
reservation
depicted going
youarestay
this rezof,"the
Mr.
P said, "they're
kill you.
going to kill you.
foreverto(l.16)
=pourI'm
toujours
o
(=described)?
Quoteto(=cite)
to justify.
We're all going
kill you.
You can't fight us forever."
farther (l.25) =plus loin
They
are depicted as jobless idle people ( drunks
o
drunks (l.20) =ivrognes
"I drug
don'taddicts
want to
fight anybody," I said.
and
(l.19)

On the reservation

4) Identify the characters. Who is the narrator?

4) What kind of conversation is this ?
This text is a dialogue between a young student (who
is also the narrator) and his (maths) teacher.
5) Determine time and place.
The action took place in a Native American
reservation a few years ago.
6) Spot (=detect) the following:
-a phrasal verb (=verbe particule) that is repeated a lot in
the first half of the text.
Give up (lines 4, 5, 10,11).
-a noun/verb that is often mentioned towards the end of
the extract.
Hope (lines 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25).
7) Considering the words found in the previous question,
summarize briefly (=shortly) the issue(s) at stake (=what
Before
reading
it is about).
1)
Describe
comment
the the
pictures.
The
issue atand
stake
here isonthat
boy shouldnt give
2)
outinthis
abouttothedotext:
title;solution
date; is
upFind
hope
his information
future. In order
so, the
author;
source;
nature
to leave the reservation where he lives.
3)
the previous
in order tostudent
anticipate
the content
of
(AUse
young
Native American
is unhappy
with
the
text.
the education he is being given at the reservation
Overview
4)
Identify
the characters.
where
he lives.
His teacher answers to him that he
5)
Determine
timebetter
and place.
should
look
for
life conditions somewhere else.)
6) Spot (=detect) the following:
-a phrasal verb (=verbe particule) that is repeated a lot in
the first half of the text.
-a noun/verb that is often mentioned towards the end of
the extract.
7) Considering the words found in the previous question, o
summarize briefly (=shortly) the issue(s) at stake (=what 17)"You've
Do you agree
the following
sentence;
was he said. "You fought off that brain surgery 6.
been with
fighting
since you
were I
born,"
C) Use the context of these words
o
it is about).
7
starting
to
understand.(l.22).
Why?
You fought off those seizures . You fought off in
allorder
the drunks
drug
addicts.
You
to tickand
their
right
meaning:
Zoom in
I
dont
agree
with
the
sentence
since
he
boy
didnt
20
belonged
(introduction)
=
was
the
property
kept
your
hope.
And
now,
you
have
to
take
your
hope
and
go
somewhere
where
other
8) Read the introduction. Why does the pupil throw his
seem
to understand his teachers message about
o
manual at his teacher?
hope.
It wasnt
people
have about
hope."the need to multiply hope by of was sold by was made of
9) Tick the best translation for breath (l.2)
throws [] at (introduction)=looks for sits
o
hope(l.21)
but
rather
about the need
to find
hopeteacher.
I was starting to understand.
He was
a math
I had to
add my hope to somebody
respiration souffle haleine odeur
in projects
against
somewhere
else(l.20).
o
10) Find unusual and incoherent things in line 3. Try to
else's
hope.
I
had
to
multiply
hope
by
hope.
grabbed(l.1)
=
failed seized produced
18)
Write
a
synonymous
word
with
further(l.25)
by
explain them.
o
changing
one vowel.
farther"Who has hope?"
leaned (l.1) = entered watched inclined
"Where
is hope?"
I asked.
11) Define the community that was defeated (lines 4 to only
Zoom out
25
6). What have they given up, in your opinion?
givenmore
up (l.4,hope
l.5, l.10,)
cookedand
capitulated
Mr.effect
P said.
"You're
goingare
to there
find so
more and
the =farther
farther
19)"Son,"
To what
-in your
opinion12) According to the teacher, what is the difference
honoured
55
yourepeated
walk away
from
thistext?
sad,The
sad,repetition
sad reservation."
between the boy and his community (lines 10-11)?
many
words
in this
oof words creates an effect of monotony, boredom, bullies (l.4) =countries balls oppressors
13) Quote (=cite) the words that show the boy didnt
hope (lines 20 to 25) =happiness positive
understand what his teacher was saying.
oobsession,
1. ail 2. desperation
qui n'a pas bu 3. fardeau /poids 4. (ici) tout
ceci allait tre
lourd
porter
5. Indian
expectations
for the
future
sadness
14) Comment on the tense and aspect of the following sentence:
reservation 6. tu t'es battu lorsque tu as t opr du cerveau 7. crises d'pilepsie
"You've been fighting since you were born" (l.18)
Homework:
20) Imagine a continuation of this dialogue (at least 40
15) What does the teacher advise the young boy to do?
D) Write under each verb of the
words).
Why? Is he optimistic or pessimistic? Explain with your 22)
Use the
composition
of
these
words in
Read
NAbelieve
IV d. Are
Indian
reservations
text,
the
nameaof
its
grammatical
Sherman
Alexie,
TheB)
Absolutely
True
Diary
Part-Time
21)
Do
you
people
of
Native
American
own words.
order
to
deduce
theirofmeaning
: Indian, 2007
the best way to preserve Indians identity?
tense
(you
can
use
abbreviations,
origin should live in reservations? Give several
16) How are the inhabitants of the reservation depicted
textbook (introduction) =
23) Have you ever felt you needed to leave
or=colour code correspondences, if
(=described)? Quote (=cite) to justify.
arguments for and against.
inside (l.11)
home
in
order
to
have
better
future
prospects
you=prefer).
17) Do you agree with the following sentence; I was
forever (l.16)
In my opinion the advantage of reservations is to
(=possibilities)?
starting to understand.(l.22). Why?
farther (l.25) =
maintain Native American traditions alive.
18) Write a synonymous word with further(l.25) by
Another benefit, I believe, is to preserve Native drunks (l.20) =
Homework:
only changing one vowel.
American
A)
Guesslanguages.
the meaning (=sense) of
Zoom out
C) Use the context of these words in order
However,
I feel that
someThey
reservations
the
following
words.
are risk being
19) To what effect -in your opinion- are there so many
to tick their right meaning:
isolated from the main economic centers, and sobelonged
lack (introduction) = was the property of was
transparent!
repeated words in this text?
prosperity.(introduction) =
20) Imagine a continuation of this dialogue (at least 40 words). discovered
sold by was made of
disappointed (introduction) =
21) Do you believe people of Native American origin
throws [] at (introduction)=looks for sits in projects
defeated
should live in reservations? Give several arguments for
22) Read(l.6)
NA=IV d. Are Indian reservations the
best
against
pressure
(l.13) = Indians identity?
and against.
grabbed(l.1) = failed seized produced
way to preserve
drug
(l.19)ever
= felt you needed to leave home
leaned
23) addicts
Have you
in (l.1) = entered watched inclined
given up
order to have better future prospects (=possibilities
)? (l.4, l.5, l.10,) = cooked capitulated honoured
bullies (l.4) =countries balls oppressors
hope (lines 20 to 25) =happiness positive expectations
for the future sadness
Homework:
D) Write under each verb of the text, the
name of its grammatical tense (you can
use
main

Observez

Le pass (prtrit simple / past perfect)

1.

Why did some people want to travel to Oregon?

Back in the 1840s people heard about Oregon by reading newspapers or hearing stories from travellers. This is how people
learned of a land to the west of the Rocky Mountains. There was plenty of land that you could get for free. There were big
forests, and rivers filled with fish. The word Oregon made people think of adventure. In 1843 a thousand people started out
for Oregon. It was one of the biggest groups that ever travelled west. It took them six months to go from Missouri to Oregon
nearly two thousand miles away. The trip was not always easy. Many people did not reach Oregon and died on the way.
.
a. Relevez les formes verbales au prtrit simple, et classez-les en trois colonnes : forme
affirmative, ngative et interrogative. Comment sont formes ces trois formes ?
forme affirmative
forme ngative
forme interrogative

b. Classez ensuite les verbes en deux colonnes : verbes rguliers et irrguliers. Donnez
l'infinitif chaque fois.
verbes rguliers
verbes irrguliers

Dduisez
Le prtrit simple est utilis dans une narration de faits ________________ , il sert parler d'vnements situs dans le
________________ et il exprime une ________________ avec le prsent.

2. Au prtrit, l'vnement doit tre repr dans le temps, par l'indication d'une heure, une date, une
priode ou tout autre repre temporel.
heure, date, priode,
at : eight oclock
in : in July, in the summer, in 1943,
in the nineteenth century,
in the 1940s/1950s/1960s
on : on Sunday, on July 4th

autres repres temporels

ago
at the/ that time
in those days
then / back then
yesterday

3. Qu'expriment les expressions soulignes ci-dessous : un repre temporel ou un marqueur de dure ?

quel temps grammatical sont-elles associes ?
a. The pioneers lived in a covered wagon for six months.
b. Out on the plains they walked for days without seeing any trees or woods.

Observez
4. At the end of the day the children were tired: they had travelled miles, had helped their parents,
had found water and collected wood for the fire.
De quels lments sont composes les formes verbales soulignes ?
Sur papier libre, situez sur cette ligne les vnements correspondant aux formes soulignes :

Traduisez ces formes verbales en franais.

Dduisez
Le past perfect permet de parler d'vnements antrieurs (= situs avant) un autre vnement, exprim au ________________ .
Il exprime un "retour en arrire" par rapport un moment________________. Il est form de ________________ +
________________ .

Observez
1.

Le pass (prtrit simple / past perfect)

Why did some people want to travel to Oregon?

Back in the 1840s people heard about Oregon by reading newspapers or hearing stories from travellers. This is how people
learned of a land to the west of the Rocky Mountains. There was plenty of land that you could get for free. There were big
forests, and rivers filled with fish. The word Oregon made people think of adventure. In 1843 a thousand people started out
for Oregon. It was one of the biggest groups that ever travelled west. It took them six months to go from Missouri to Oregon
nearly two thousand miles away. The trip was not always easy. Many people did not reach Oregon and died on the way.
.
a. Relevez les formes verbales au prtrit simple, et classez-les en trois colonnes : forme
affirmative, ngative et interrogative. Comment sont formes ces trois formes ?
forme affirmative
forme ngative
forme interrogative
heard
did some people want?
learned
did not reach
was (X3)
could
(=didnt reach)
were
made
started
travelled
took
died
b. Classez ensuite les verbes en deux colonnes : verbes rguliers et irrguliers. Donnez
l'infinitif chaque fois.
verbes rguliers
verbes irrguliers
want
hear
learn
be
start
can (=auxiliaire modal)
travel
make
die
take

Dduisez
Le prtrit simple est utilis dans une narration de faits __passs________ , il sert parler d'vnements situs dans le
___pass_____________ et il exprime une ____rupture____________ avec le prsent.

2. Au prtrit, l'vnement doit tre repr dans le temps, par l'indication d'une heure, une date, une
priode ou tout autre repre temporel.
heure, date, priode,
at : eight oclock
in : in July, in the summer, in 1943,
in the nineteenth century,
in the 1940s/1950s/1960s
on : on Sunday, on July 4th

autres repres temporels

ago
at the/ that time
in those days
then / back then
yesterday

3. Qu'expriment les expressions soulignes ci-dessous : un repre temporel ou un marqueur de dure ?

quel temps grammatical sont-elles associes ?
a. The pioneers lived in a covered wagon for six months.
b. Out on the plains they walked for days without seeing any trees or woods.
Les expressions soulignes expriment une dure. Elles sont associes au prtrit simple.

Observez

4. At the end of the day the children were tired: they had travelled miles, had helped their parents,
had found water and collected wood for the fire.
De quels lments sont composes les formes verbales soulignes ? de have (conjugu au prtrit)+ participe pass
Sur papier libre, situez sur cette ligne les vnements correspondant aux formes soulignes :
Traduisez ces formes verbales en franais.

had travelled (=avaient voyag)

had helped (=avaient aid)

had found (=avaient trouv)
(had) collected (=avaient ramass)

Dduisez
Le past perfect permet de parler d'vnements antrieurs (= situs avant) un autre vnement, exprim au _prtrit simple___ .
Il exprime un "retour en arrire" par rapport un moment__du pass_______. Il est form de __had____ + __ participe pass _ .

On the reservation
A young boy has just discovered that the textbook he is holding had belonged to his

own motherso the book is over 30 years old! He is so disappointed with the
Tenses of V
T education he is being given, he throws the book at his teacher.
Simple present (=V/V-s)
Present continuous (=be+V-ing)
O Mr. P grabbed me by the shoulders and leaned so close to me that I could smell his
Preterit(=simple past=V-ed)
o breath.
Preterit continuous (=was/were+V-ing)
1
Present perfect (=has/have+participe pass) o Onions and garlic and hamburger and shame and pain.
o "All these kids have given up," he said. "All your friends. All the bullies. And their
(=has/have+V-en)
Present perfect continuous (=has/have+been+V-ing) 5 mothers and fathers have given up, too. And their grandparents gave up and their
Past perfect (=had+participe pass)
o grandparents before them. And me and every other teacher here. We're all defeated."
(=had+V-en)
o Mr. P was crying.
Future (will+V / be going to +V)
o I couldn't believe it.

o I'd never seen a sober adult cry.

Tenses of V
10 "But not you," Mr. P said. "You can't give up. You won't give up. You threw that book
Simple present (=V/V-s)
o in my face because somewhere inside you refuse to give up."
Present continuous (=be+V-ing)
o I didn't know what he was talking about. Or maybe I just didn't want to know.
Preterit(=simple past=V-ed)
o Jeez, it was a lot of pressure to put on a kid. I was carrying the burden3 of my race,
Preterit continuous (=was/were+V-ing)
o you know? I was going to get a bad back from it4.
Present perfect (=has/have+participe pass)
(=has/have+V-en)
15 "If you stay on this rez5," Mr. P said, "they're going to kill you. I'm going to kill you.
Present perfect continuous (=has/have+been+V-ing) o We're all going to kill you. You can't fight us forever."
Past perfect (=had+participe pass)
o "I don't want to fight anybody," I said.
(=had+V-en)
o "You've been fighting since you were born," he said. "You fought off that brain surgery6.
Future (will+V / be going to +V)
o You fought off those seizures7. You fought off all the drunks and drug addicts. You
2

20 kept your hope. And now, you have to take your hope and go somewhere where other
Tenses of V
o people have hope."
Simple present (=V/V-s)
o I was starting to understand. He was a math teacher. I had to add my hope to somebody
Present continuous (=be+V-ing)
o else's hope. I had to multiply hope by hope.
Preterit(=simple past=V-ed)
Preterit continuous (=was/were+V-ing)
o "Where is hope?" I asked. "Who has hope?"
Present perfect (=has/have+participe pass) 25 "Son," Mr. P said. "You're going to find more and more hope the farther and farther
(=has/have+V-en)
55 you walk away from this sad, sad, sad reservation."
Present perfect continuous (=has/have+been+V-ing) o
Past perfect (=had+participe pass)
o 1. ail 2. qui n'a pas bu 3. fardeau /poids 4. (ici) tout ceci allait tre lourd porter 5. Indian
reservation 6. tu t'es battu lorsque tu as t opr du cerveau 7. crises d'pilepsie
(=had+V-en)
Future (will+V / be going to +V)

Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007

On the reservation
A young boy has just discovered that the textbook he is holding had belonged to his
own motherso the book is over 30 years old! He is so disappointed with the
T education he is being given, he throws the book at his teacher.

Tenses of V
Simple present (=V/V-s)
Present continuous (=be+V-ing)
O Mr. P grabbed me by the shoulders and leaned so close to me that I could smell his
Preterit(=simple past=V-ed)
o breath.
Preterit continuous (=was/were+V-ing)
1
Present perfect (=has/have+participe pass) o Onions and garlic and hamburger and shame and pain.
o "All these kids have given up," he said. "All your friends. All the bullies. And their
(=has/have+V-en)
Present perfect continuous (=has/have+been+V-ing) 5 mothers and fathers have given up, too. And their grandparents gave up and their
o grandparents before them. And me and every other teacher here. We're all defeated."
Past perfect (=had+participe pass)
(=had+V-en)
o Mr. P was crying.
Future (will+V / be going to +V)
o I couldn't believe it.

o I'd never seen a sober adult cry.

Tenses of V
10 "But not you," Mr. P said. "You can't give up. You won't give up. You threw that book
Simple present (=V/V-s)
o in my face because somewhere inside you refuse to give up."
Present continuous (=be+V-ing)
o I didn't know what he was talking about. Or maybe I just didn't want to know.
Preterit(=simple past=V-ed)
o Jeez, it was a lot of pressure to put on a kid. I was carrying the burden 3 of my race,
Preterit continuous (=was/were+V-ing)
o you know? I was going to get a bad back from it4.
Present perfect (=has/have+participe pass)
15 "If you stay on this rez5," Mr. P said, "they're going to kill you. I'm going to kill you.
(=has/have+V-en)
Present perfect continuous (=has/have+been+V-ing) o We're all going to kill you. You can't fight us forever."
Past perfect (=had+participe pass)
o "I don't want to fight anybody," I said.
(=had+V-en)
o "You've been fighting since you were born," he said. "You fought off that brain surgery6.
Future (will+V / be going to +V)
o You fought off those seizures 7. You fought off all the drunks and drug addicts. You
2

20 kept your hope. And now, you have to take your hope and go somewhere where other
Tenses of V
o people have hope."
Simple present (=V/V-s)
o I was starting to understand. He was a math teacher. I had to add my hope to somebody
Present continuous (=be+V-ing)
o
else's hope. I had to multiply hope by hope.
Preterit(=simple past=V-ed)
o "Where is hope?" I asked. "Who has hope?"
Preterit continuous (=was/were+V-ing)
Present perfect (=has/have+participe pass) 25 "Son," Mr. P said. "You're going to find more and more hope the farther and farther
(=has/have+V-en)
55 you walk away from this sad, sad, sad reservation."
Present perfect continuous (=has/have+been+V-ing) o
Past perfect (=had+participe pass)
o 1. ail 2. qui n'a pas bu 3. fardeau /poids 4. (ici) tout ceci allait tre lourd porter 5. Indian
reservation 6. tu t'es battu lorsque tu as t opr du cerveau 7. crises d'pilepsie
(=had+V-en)
Future (will+V / be going to +V)

Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007

grammar / vocabulary / phonology