It turns out I have an internet connection where I'm at after all, so that's a nice surprise.
I'll be posting several translating exercises as soon as I have them. I prefer those to filling one gap exercises, because they really make me work for all of it rather than one part. They advance my vocabulary fast, plus the ones I'll post are so strange (being from an older book) that they are fun and interesting. Hopefully for you as well. Some examples:
-I took him for a god, and was about to address him in Greek.
-I have had means of information of which you could never have dreamed.
-All the wits had combined to keep up the joke. (What on earth does that mean? That they were all in on it?
)
-Many a long winter's night I had thought of the profound remarks I should make to Goethe if I should ever see him. (No comment...)
There are countless more you can't possibly imagine. Plus 158 texts of, shall we say, great variety...
Of course I'm using modern grammar and vocabulary, of course I use other drills as well. But this is by far the most interesting part of my studies, and it's the one I'll share with you. If I manage all this I'll be on a very good path anyway.
The only thing: I'm thinking of using the passé composé instead of the passé simple. Isn't it used less these days? Or does C2 demand to be perfect at that as well?
For example
All the school, teachers included, rose en masse: Toute l’école, maîtres compris, se leva en masse. Would we ever say that, or would it be more natural to say s'est levé? (Is it even correct?)
I don't know, maybe I'll stick to whatever the exercise is...
I have already made the decision to go with the flow, and by November see if I can take the C2 exam. I won't die over it, non merci. I feel my motivation back just by thinking like that.