L’anniversaire de ma cousine

Get B2-level French reading practise with this reading comprehension exercise all about a birthday party.

Use the translation to help with new phrases, then repeat the essential vocab over in our list of birthday vocabulary and matching exercises.

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Translation

My Cousin’s Birthday

Yesterday, we celebrated my cousin Charlotte’s thirtieth birthday. She had invited her guests for three o’clock, but I was there earlier to help with the preparations. I set the table, placed candles and decorated the whole apartment with balloons. I had barely finished when the doorbell rang.

Charlotte got lots of birthday cards, bunches of flowers and great presents. Each guest said something nice to her like “You seem so young, you don’t look your age!” When all the guests were there, we sat down to enjoy the birthday cake. Charlotte had ordered it especially from the baker for the occasion. On the cake you could read “Happy birthday Charlotte” written in icing. All her family had come.

Around seven o’clock, Charlotte’s friends arrived and the party started. Charlotte and I had prepared a buffet in the kitchen so everyone could help themselves. We prepared appetisers, quiches, a pasta salad and lots of other delicious and easy things to eat. In the living room, we had moved the furniture so we could dance. Tired dancers could come in the kitchen for a drink or a snack before heading back to the dance floor.

When I returned from the kitchen, I was surprised to see the ribbons and torn wrapping paper on the floor in the hallway. I followed the trail and discovered the culprits: Charlotte’s cats had torn the wrapping off a small present. While one cat was playing with the bow, the other was actually trying to eat the present: a bar of soap. I quickly confiscated the soap, which was already a bit damaged. I only hope that there are no soap bubbles next time the cat drinks water!

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