Reading

A2 French reading: moving from a city to a small village

Nadia leaves Lyon for a village of 400 people. An A2 first-person text comparing city and village life: shops, transport, neighbours and silence.

In short

An A2 text using comparatives (plus… que, moins… que, aussi… que) and the past tenses. Nadia compares her first month in a village with her old life in Lyon. Note what got better and what got harder.

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Neighbours chat beside a mobile bakery in a quiet French village square.
The boulangerie ambulante brings village neighbours together. Illustration: Atelier

Un mois au village

Le mois dernier, j'ai déménagé1 de Lyon à Saint-Martin, un village de quatre cents habitants. La vie ici est très différente de la ville.

À Lyon, je faisais tout à pied ou en tram. Ici, il y a seulement une épicerie2, et elle ferme à dix-neuf heures. Pour le supermarché, j'ai besoin de la voiture3 : vingt minutes aller-retour. Le bus, c'est surtout le car scolaire4.

Mais les voisins5 sont beaucoup plus sympathiques qu'en ville. Le premier jour, la voisine m'a apporté des œufs. Le mardi, la boulangerie ambulante6 s'arrête sur la place, et tout le monde discute.

Et la nuit, le silence7… En fait, au début, je ne dormais pas : c'était trop calme ! Maintenant, je dors mieux qu'à Lyon. La vie est moins pratique, mais plus calme. Je ne regrette pas8.

Read it in English

Last month, I moved from Lyon to Saint-Martin, a village of four hundred people. Life here is very different from the city.

In Lyon, I did everything on foot or by tram. Here, there's only one grocer's, and it closes at seven. For the supermarket, I need the car: twenty minutes there and back. The bus is mostly the school bus.

But the neighbours are much friendlier than in the city. On the first day, the lady next door brought me some eggs. On Tuesdays, the mobile bakery stops in the square, and everyone chats.

And at night, the silence! At first, I couldn't sleep, it was too quiet. Now I sleep better than in Lyon. Life is less practical, but calmer. I don't regret it.

City or village?
LyonSaint-Martin
shopseverywhereone grocer's, closes at 7
transporton foot, tramcar, school bus
neighboursdistantvery friendly
nightsnoisysilent

Comparatives are the backbone of this kind of text: plus sympathiques qu'en ville, moins pratique, plus calme. For adverbs, mieux is the comparative of bien: je dors mieux, and pire or plus mauvais of mauvais.

Question 1No account needed
How does Nadia get to the supermarket?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

by car. Pour le supermarché, j'ai besoin de la voiture.

Question 2No account needed
What did the neighbour bring?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

eggs. La voisine m'a apporté des œufs.

Question 3No account needed
"I sleep better."

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je dors mieux.. Mieux is the comparative of bien.