I Read and listen to the text below ( part 2 about Coco Chanel) and do the comprehension test below it.

Coco Chanel had no experience of business when she opened her first hat shop in Paris in 1910. She was only twenty-seven years old and she came from an ordinary family. When she left school, she worked for a dressmaker for a short time. Later she tried to become a singer in a nightclub, where she was given the name "Coco." Coco was an attractive young woman; she always dressed well and she was good at making friends. Although she didn’t have any money, she mixed with fashionable, successful people and her boyfriends were often rich young army officers. One of these was a handsome young Englishman with a big black mustache, called Boy Capel. When Coco asked him to lend her some money so she could open a shop, he was surprised. He had never heard of a woman in business before, but he liked the idea.

"A woman in business?" he said. "That sounds fun. How much do you want?"

Coco asked for enough money to open a shop in one of the best streets in Paris.

"No problem," replied Boy Capel. He was so rich that he didn’t care if he never got his money back.

Many of Coco’s customers in her first shop were her rich young women friends. They loved the simple but beautiful hats that Coco made for them. At parties, they laughed at other women who still wore hats that were covered in fruit and flowers. Soon they were asking Coco for clothes that were designed in the same simple way. Coco hated the long dresses that fashionable women wore and so she was happy to make dresses and skirts that were much shorter and reached just below the knee. She also persuaded her customers to wear loose jackets and blouses that allowed them to breathe more easily. The rich, fashionable young women of Paris loved Coco’s new ideas, and her shop started to do well.

In 1913, Coco asked Boy Capel for more money, because she wanted to open a second shop, this time in the French seaside town of Deauville. In summer, the streets of Deauville were full of fashionable people from all over Europe. Russian princesses mixed with English ladies and the daughters of German businessmen, and they were all looking for clothes in the latest style. After her success in Paris, Coco was sure she could offer all of them something special. She was right. The young women in Deauville loved her simple hats, loose jackets, and skirts and dresses that reached just below the knee. Coco made plenty of money in her first year in Deauville and in her second summer she expected to do even better. But then, for everyone in Europe, everything went wrong.

In June 1914 in Sarajevo, Bosnia, a young student called Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an important person in the Austrian royal family. Two months later, almost all the nations of Europe were fighting one of the worst wars in history. In August of that year, the German army marched through Belgium and into the north of France. The French army was not prepared for this, and soldiers rushed to defend their country. The British army quickly came to help, but the situation looked very dangerous.

Many rich French families rushed from the north of France to the expensive hotels of Deauville to get away from the fighting. Some people were frightened, but most were in a good mood.

"Don’t worry," they told each other. "The war will be finished by Christmas."

But after a few weeks, it was clear that they were wrong. More and more men left Deauville to go and fight in the French army. Soon the expensive hotels were changed into hospitals, full of soldiers who had been hurt in the fighting. The rich Frenchwomen of Deauville saw that it was their duty to help the French army and many of them took jobs as nurses in the hospitals or did other kinds of war work. But after a few days they realized that it was impossible to work in their long dresses. They looked around for different things to wear.

"Where can we find clothes that are stylish, but will also allow us to work?" they asked each other.

They found the answer in Coco Chanel’s new shop. Her simple hats, loose jackets, and straight skirts were just what these women needed. They were stylish, but they also allowed women to move around quickly. Coco was soon selling clothes as fast as she could make them.

A year later, in the summer of 1915, Coco had worked so hard for so long that she was ready for a holiday.

Comprehension Test: Coco Chanel

1. What experience did Coco Chanel have before opening her first shop?




2. How did Coco Chanel get her nickname?




3. Why did Boy Capel agree to lend Coco money to open her shop?




4. What kind of clothing did Coco first start making that was popular among her friends?




5. Where did Coco open her second shop?




6. Complete the summary by filling in the three main ideas that summarize Coco Chanel’s early career:

Answer choices:

  • A. Coco Chanel’s designs became practical for war nurses.
  • B. She had financial backing from Boy Capel’s family business.
  • C. She was admired for her unique style and business sense.
  • D. Her popularity spread rapidly as customers sought her clothes.
  • E. Coco Chanel came from a wealthy family in Paris.

 

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

II. Do the vocabulary task:

1. Опыт =

2. Умение (в чем-то) =

3. Усы =

4. Звучит весело =

5. Попросила (о чем-то) =

6. Клиенты =

7. Чуть ниже колена =

8. Убедила =

9. Свободные куртки =

10. Преуспевать =

11. В последнем стиле =

12. Защищать =

13. Испуганный =

14. В хорошем настроении =

15. Стильный =

 

Total Questions: 0

Incorrect Answers: 0

III.  Retell the Story of Coco Chanel

Instructions: Imagine you are telling a friend the story of Coco Chanel's early life and career. Use the following questions to guide your retelling. Try to answer each question in detail and include as many specifics as you can remember from the text.

Retelling Questions:

  1. Who was Coco Chanel, and where did she come from?

    • Describe Coco Chanel's background and family. What was her upbringing like?

  2. What was Coco Chanel's first business, and why did she decide to start it?

    • Explain why she chose to open a hat shop and what her motivations might have been.

  3. How did Coco get her nickname, "Coco"?

    • Discuss the origin of her nickname and how it might have shaped her identity or public image.

  4. Who helped Coco Chanel start her business, and why did they decide to support her?

    • Talk about Boy Capel's role in helping Coco start her business and why he believed in her idea.

  5. What made Coco’s hats and clothing designs popular among her friends?

    • Describe the unique qualities of her designs and why they appealed to the fashionable young women of Paris.

  6. How did Coco Chanel's designs differ from the traditional fashion of her time?

    • Explain what was distinctive about her designs, especially compared to the fashion trends of the early 1900s.

  7. What happened when Coco opened her second shop in Deauville?

    • Describe the atmosphere in Deauville, the types of customers she attracted, and the initial success she experienced.

  8. How did World War I impact Coco’s business in Deauville?

    • Discuss how the war changed Deauville and why wealthy women turned to Coco’s designs during this time.

  9. What types of clothes did Coco Chanel create that were especially useful during the war?

    • Talk about why her designs became practical and desirable for women involved in war work.

  10. Why do you think Coco Chanel became so successful so quickly?

    • Reflect on the qualities of her character, her business sense, or her designs that might have contributed to her rapid success.