Memoirs of My Visit to France - Summary and Exercise

Memoirs of My Visit to France

'Memoirs of my visit to France' is written by the prominent academician and legendary figure Gobinda Raj Bhattrai. In this Travelogue Professor Dr Bhattarai shared his feelings while being in France. Huge terma of Artistic movements is being presented in the text.

About the Writer

Govinda Raj Bhattarai [The writer of The Memoirs of My Visit to France] was born as the third son of Pandit Teka Nath Bhattarai and Mandoddara Bhattarai on 27 July 1953(12 Shrawan, 2010 B. S.) in the district of Taplejung. His early schooling took place in The rural area of Nepal. In the course of pursuing higher education, he moved to Kathmandu where he earned his Master’s Degree in English and English Education both and then travelled to Hyderabad in India where he accomplished PhD in Translation Studies. He happens to be the first Nepalese scholar to complete his PhD in Translation Studies from Nepal. A Professor of English, Bhattarai teaches Translation Studies and English Literature at the Department of English Education, Tribhuvan University. He gives the rest of his time to literature and linguistics.

Video Presentation of Memoirs of My Visit to France

Exercise of Memoirs of My Visit to France

Vocabulary in Use

Read the text again and describe the following words.

Word in the text: Most literary movements developed from the western movements of art and philosophy. They are firmly entrenched.

Answers

ii. Read the table and group it into synonyms and antonyms iii.  Find the meaning of unfamiliar words from the text using a dictionary.

Answers

observation: the act of making and recording a measurement

entrusted: put into the care or protection of someone

trend: the popular taste at a given time

originated: come into existence; take on form or shape

symbolism: an artistic movement in the late 19th century that tried to express abstract or mystical ideas through the symbolic use of images.

claustrophobic: suffering from claustrophobia; abnormally afraid of closed-in places.

Reading Comprehension

Read paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 and state true or false.

Example: It was drizzling in the city of Paris in the morning. true

a.  Paul Cézanne is an impressionist painter. False

b. The author plans to give a cursory glance at museums. True

c. He was assigned an Academy Project entitled Introduction to the Literary Trends and Movements. Not Given

d. The author has no words to express how he felt upon seeing the Mona Lisa in Rodin. False

e. Paris has as many museums as temples in Kathmandu. False

f. The author decided to visit Monet's Museum on the first day of his tour. Not Given

Read paragraphs 4, 5, 6, and 7. Then, choose the correct ending for each statement 

Example: Most new thoughts originated in France came to literature through art.

a.  In his Academy project, the author had to present a glimpse of literary trends and movements of the world.

b. The author wrote briefly on new trends of art and their relationship with literature  using secondary sources of information

c.  According to the author, most of the literature originated from art.

d. Bangdel's Muluk Bahira Ma is a magnum opus.

e.  In Musée d'Art Moderne, one can look at the paintings of Braque and Picasso.

Read paragraphs 8 and 9, and complete sentences by choosing the correct options.

a. The author visited the museum alone. 

b. The author had to buy tickets from a vending machine

c. If you get lost in France you have to use a map.

d. Hitler and the Jews was written by BP Koirala 

e. The author travelled for 30 minutes from the Paris Nord station to Vernon.

f. Govinda Raj Bhattarai thinks nobody knows him.

g. The author was afraid of confined spaces, so he felt suffocated while climbing the escalator

Read the paragraphs from 10 to 14, and answer the following questions.

a. What was the weather like?

Ans: The weather was fuming and drizzling.

b.Where was Musee Rodin?

Ans: Musee Rodin was at the end of the road.

c.  Describe the road as the author described it.

Ans: The road was broad but wet; Its sidewalks were lonely and desolate and were shaded by poplars and maples. There were three leaves scattered in a colourful way.

d. Why did the author feel lonely and helpless?

Ans: The author felt lonely and helpless because no one cared about anybody; people did not want to speak to him. People passing by him did not attend to him, and they did not talk to him in English.

e. Why did the author buy a hand machine?

Ans: The author bought a hand machine so that he could hear the recorded voice being explained to him in English.

f. What was the garden like? Describe it briefly.

Ans: The garden was full of pointed shapes of fir and pine trees, giving the best proof of French topiary. Far away stood other trees like walnut, juniper, and yew, birds chirruped from the top.

g. Describe Rodin's Thinking Man in a few sentences.

Ans: The Thinking Man squatted on a large and tall marble slab, in a half-bent posture and a pensive mood. This is one of the masterpieces in modern art, an incomparable work; Rodin's pensive mood is remarkable.

h. When did the author visit the museum in Baltimore?

Ans: The author visited the museum in Baltimore 3 years ago.

i. Where was a replica of Rodin's thinker man?

Ans: The replica of Rodin's thinker man is in Baltimore.

j.What was the theme of the brochure distributed at the metro station?

Ans: The theme of the brochure distributed at the metro station was to visit the Rodin Museum on the first day of the Paris Visit.

Further Exploration

Answer these questions with reference to the context.

1. Who said this and to whom?

Ans. The speaker said to Supriya.

2. Where was the speaker when this was said?

Ans. The speaker drove past the Eiffel Tower.

3. Why do tourists love to visit the city? Give three reasons.

Ans. Three reasons to visit the city are:

i. The French Alps – beautiful snow-capped mountains

ii. The Eiffel Tower

iii. Musee du Louvre, one of the finest museums in the world.

B. Mark the statements as (T) for true and (F) for false.

1. The airport is outside the city of Paris. T

2. Paris is built on the banks of the River Seine. T

3. France has snow-capped mountains, rivers, and plains. T

4. Normandy and Brittany are separated from the rest of France by the sea. T

5. Coastal France was not affected during World War II. F

C. Answer these questions.

‘Paris is a beautiful city. Give two reasons to support this statement.

Ans. Paris is a beautiful city because

1. Its white stone buildings gleam in the sun.

2. here are parks with ponds where the children sail toy boats. In some of the parks, there are rows of trees and flowers everywhere. Some of the trees are so trimmed that they look like huge, green lollipops.

What are the two things that France is famous for?

Ans. France is famous for cheese and wine.

How are the people of the peninsular region different from those in the rest of France?

Ans. The people here, mainly farmers and fishermen, seemed a little old-fashioned. They were not too interested in trying new things, unlike the people in other parts of France, especially Paris.

Mention any five things about France that the author found interesting.

Ans. Five things about France that the author found interesting were:

1. France is not crowded. There is plenty of room for everyone.

2. The country has almost everything that people need for a comfortable and happy life.

3. The French Alps – beautiful snow-capped mountains

4. The Eiffel Tower

5. Musee du Louvre is one of the finest museums in the world.

Is France a good country to live and work in? Pick out a sentence from the passage that supports your answer. What effect does this have on the people?

Ans. Yes, France is a good country to live and work in. The following sentence supports the statement. ‘The country has almost everything that people need for a comfortable and happy life.’ The soil is rich and the sea borders much of France. So, there are plenty of good vegetables, fruit, grains, meat, and fish.

Think and Answer

Paris has a great effect on the rest of France.

a) Pick out a sentence from the passage that supports this statement.

Ans. ‘When Paris sneezes, the rest of France catches a cold!’

b) Can you think of a city in your state or country that has a similar effect?

Ans. Delhi

c) Was the countryside in France as peaceful as during World War II? Why?

Ans. No, the countryside in France was not peaceful during World War II because, in the last days of World War II, big guns had thundered there, bombs had exploded, and bullets had ripped through the trees and gardens. ‘That’s why tourists love to visit this city.’