Reading Comprehension Universal Soldier Song

SONG : READING COMPREHENSION

Student’s Worksheet Class : Date :

UNDERSTANDING THE SONG 



The document under study is

 a tribute song

 an anti-war song

 a protest song

Stanza 1 

Who does “ he” in the first stanza refer to ?

 ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………  What do “

five foot-two (inches) “ and “ six feet-four (inches) “ (l.1) refer to ?

Note that a foot is about 30cm and an inch 2.5 cm. a man’s height  a distance Tick the correct answer . “He’s all of thirty-one” means : 





He’s already one .



He belongs to a battalion of 31 soldiers .  All the soldiers are 31.

“ He fights with missiles and with spears “(l.2) “he’s been a soldier for a thousand years.” (l.4) a) Look up the word “spear” in a dictionary and give its translation :  ..……………………………………………………..……… b) Name the verbal forms that are underlined . - …………………………………………………………… - …………………………………………………………… c) What idea do they convey ? Tick the correct answer(s).  War is a thing of the past .  War is a characteristic of human life .  People always find new means to fight.

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Stanza 2 

Complete (l.8) with a verb : “ And he knows he always will “ ……………………………… Sum up stanza 2 in one sentence :

 ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

Stanza 3 

a) What does “this way” (l.15) refer to ?

 ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

b) Why are they so many countries mentioned ? What does it suggest?  ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

Stanza 4 

a- Who do “the Reds” (l.17) refer to ?  …………………………………………………………… b- Read the stanza and say which lines these phrases correspond to : - He’s powerful :  ………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………… - He defends values :  ………………………………………………………….……………………………………..……………………… 

a) Use the context to guess the meaning of “ the writing on the wall” (l.21) . Justify your choice.  graffiti  a warning of death and destruction  rules b) Rephrase what you have understood.

 ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

Stanza 5 

What do Caesar and Hitler have in common?

 ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..………………… 

a) What link word is used at the beginning of this stanza ?  …………………………………… b) Who’s speaking ?  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………… c) Is this stanza  a criticism of soldiers ?  a praise (éloge) of soldiers ? Justify by quoting from the text .

 ……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………

Stanza 6

What does “he is to blame” (l.28) mean ? Justify with a line from the song .  He is responsible .  He will put the blame on somebody.  He should be blamed.  a) What does “far away” (l.29) refer to ?  ……………………………………………………………………………………… b) Rephrase (l.29)  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

………………………………………………………………………………………...…………………………………………………………………………………

a) What does “they” (l.30) refer to ?  b) Conclude : Who is responsible for the war? 

………………………………………………………………………………………

 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………...…………………………………………………………………………………

 

GO FURTHER ! ACTION !

Get ready to give an oral account of the song with the help of the following words :

universality

- no matter

denounce – contradiction -

(peu importe) – physical characteristics – weapons – although – expose cannon fodder ( chair à canon)

sacrifice – lay/put the blame on sb –

responsibility – it is no use + V-ing – absurdity - uselessness

Which means does the singer use to put across (faire passer) his message ? Choose words in the following list and illustrate with the text. 

alliteration

- repetition – anaphora – enumeration

 In this song , is the soldier considered a hero or an anti-hero ? Justify your choice.

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He's …………………… foot- …………………., and he's ………………. feet-………………………. , He …………………………………. with missiles and with spears. He's all of…………………………………………. , and he's only……………………………………. , Been a soldier for a ………………………………………….. years. He' s a………………………………….. , a………………………………….. , an……………………………., a Jain, A ……………………………………… and a ………………………………….. and a………………………… . And he knows he shouldn't………………………… , And he ……………………………… he always………………… , Kill you for me my ………………….. and me for………………………… . And he's fighting for …………………………………….. , He's fighting for………………………………. , He's fighting for the…………………………….. , And he's fighting for the……………………………….. , And he's fighting for………………………………, And he thinks we'll put an end to ……………………. this way. And he's fighting for……………………………………………., He's fighting for the…………………, He says it's for the ………………………….of all. He's the one who must…………………………., Who's to ……………………….and who's to……………………., And he never sees the ………………………………..on the wall. But without him, How would ……………………………have condemned him at Liebau? Without him …………………………..would have stood alone, He's the one who gives his …………………………….. As a ………………………………..of the war, And without him all this ……………………………….can't go on. He's the ………………………………. ………………………………….. and he really is to………………………, His ………………………………..come from far away no more, They ………………………. from here and there and you and me, And ……………………………………. can't you…………………………….. , This is not the ……………………. we ………………….the …………………….. to……………………………… .