Poisson d’avril!

A Use the context, your knowledge and your dictionary if necessary to circle the correct meaning of each of these words and phrases from the text.

1 / des blagues / meals / tricks / bags
2 / amis / friends / brothers / pets
3 / normalement / usually / occasionally / rarely
4 / ils accrochent / they grip / they approach / they stick
5 / ils crient / they sob / they laugh / they shout
6 / découvre / removes / discovers / sees
7 / la presse écrite / the written press / the pressed writing / the TV news
8 / inconnue / unknown / inconclusive / anonymous
9 / se moquent de / make fun of / carpet / make up
10 / creux / hard / hollow / broken

B Fill in the missing words to complete the sentences. You will find the information in the text.

1  Children put ______on people’s backs on 1 April.

2  In 2011, a joke in a blog said that President Sarkozy was going to ______some Parisian monuments.

3  In 1564, King Charles IX decided that the ______would be 1 January.

4  Some people continued to celebrate on ______.

5  Other people ______those who continued to celebrate the beginning of the new year on the wrong day.

6  Nowadays you can celebrate 1 April by eating ______and ______.

7  You can buy chocolate fish between ______and ______.

Answers

A

1 / des blagues / meals / tricks / bags
2 / amis / friends / brothers / pets
3 / normalement / usually / occasionally / rarely
4 / ils accrochent / they grip / they approach / they stick
5 / ils crient / they sob / they laugh / they shout
6 / découvre / removes / discovers / sees
7 / la presse écrite / the written press / the pressed writing / the TV news
8 / inconnue / unknown / inconclusive / anonymous
9 / se moquent de / make fun of / carpet / make up
10 / creux / hard / hollow / broken

B

1  Children put paper fishes on people’s backs on 1 April.

2  In 2011, a joke in a blog said that President Sarkozy was going to sell some Parisian monuments.

3  In 1564, King Charles IX decided that the official first day of the year would be 1 January.

4  Some people continued to celebrate on 1 April.

5  Other people mocked those who continued to celebrate the beginning of the new year on the wrong day.

6  Nowadays you can celebrate 1 April by eating pastries in the shape of fish and chocolate fish.

7  You can buy chocolate fish between 1 April and the end of Easter.