Le Quiz

1. Où se trouve le restaurant de Pascal ?

   • a) À Paris

   • b) À Lyon

   • c) À Strasbourg

   • d) À Marseille

2. Que fait la femme mystérieuse chaque fois qu'elle vient au restaurant ?

   • a) Elle parle beaucoup avec les autres clients

   • b) Elle prend des notes et des photos discrètement

   • c) Elle cuisine avec Pascal

   • d) Elle critique la nourriture

3. Quelle est la surprise à la fin de l'histoire ?

   • a) La femme est une blogueuse célèbre

   • b) La femme est une inspectrice du Guide Michelin

   • c) La femme est une cheffe célèbre

   • d) La femme est une journaliste

Réponses :

1. c) À Strasbourg

2. b) Elle prend des notes et des photos discrètement

3. b) La femme est une inspectrice du Guide Michelin

Full English Translation: The Chef's Surprise

A winter tale in an Alsatian restaurant

In a small restaurant in Strasbourg, Chef Pascal works passionately every day. His restaurant, "Le Petit Coin d'Alsace," is located near La Petite France, the historic district. It's not a big restaurant, but it's always full. Customers love his traditional cuisine, especially in winter when snow falls on the timber-framed houses.

Every Tuesday, a mysterious woman comes to dine alone. She always orders different dishes and takes many notes in a small black notebook. She wears elegant glasses and a red scarf. Pascal notices that she discreetly photographs her dishes with her phone.

"That's strange," thinks Pascal. "Maybe she writes a blog about Alsatian cuisine?"

One evening, the woman orders Pascal's signature dish: his choucroute garnie. While she eats, Pascal observes her reaction from the kitchen. She closes her eyes and smiles. She writes even more notes than usual.

The following week, Pascal is very busy when Marie, his waitress, enters the kitchen with a big smile.

"Chef! You must come see something!"

In the dining room, the mysterious woman is standing. She introduces herself: "Hello, I'm Clara Martin from the Michelin Guide. Your restaurant is extraordinary."

Pascal can't believe his ears. Clara continues: "We want to give you a Michelin star. Your cuisine is authentic and delicious."

All the customers applaud. Pascal is very moved. He shakes Clara's hand and thanks his team. That evening, he offers Alsatian wine to everyone to celebrate.

Now, "Le Petit Coin d'Alsace" is even more popular, but Pascal continues to cook with the same passion. And Clara? She often comes back to eat her favorite choucroute garnie, but this time, without her black notebook.

Grammar Points in "La Surprise du Chef"

1. Present Tense Usage: The story primarily uses the present tense to create immediacy and make it easier for beginners to follow. Examples:

• "Pascal travaille" (Pascal works)

• "Elle commande" (She orders)

• "Il offre" (He offers)

2. Descriptive Adjectives and Their Placement: In French, most adjectives come after the noun they modify:

• "un restaurant petit" (a small restaurant)

• "une femme mystérieuse" (a mysterious woman)

• "un carnet noir" (a black notebook)

However, some common adjectives come before the noun:

• "petit restaurant" (small restaurant)

• "grand sourire" (big smile)

3. Possessive Adjectives: The story uses several possessive adjectives, which must agree with the noun they modify:

• "son restaurant" (his restaurant)

• "sa cuisine" (his cooking)

• "son équipe" (his team)

4. Near Future Construction: The story includes an example of the near future tense using "aller + infinitive":

• "Nous voulons vous donner" (We want to give you)

Key Learning Points:

• Present tense is used for ongoing actions and habits

• Most French adjectives follow the noun they describe

• Possessive adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify

• French uses different constructions to indicate future actions

Practice Tip: Try to notice these grammar points as you read the story again. Pay special attention to adjective placement and how the present tense is used to tell the story.