French language Q&A Forum

The test question asks for a translation of "Jacques est descendu du haricot magique." The answer that is marked as correct is "Jack got off the beanstalk." This answer is not accepted: "Jack climbed down the beanstalk." Had the translation said "Jack climbed down FROM the beanstalk"would that be correct? 

If that translation is correct, I would change the answer choices. The correct answer "Jack got off the beanstalk" is just not very intuitive for the ears of this English speaker. That's not what Jack does. He climbs down the beanstalk in the story. It sounds funny to have someone getting off a beanstalk. That's just not like getting off an airplane, for example.

Does anyone know why you say: 

Je joue du piano but then you say: Je joue de la harpe

Does anyone know what the rule is for if you use Je joue de la or Je joue du?

Still not sure how to distinguish the use of these two.  Any help?

I don't know if I'm missing something but the quiz said that you could acceptably translate "I need to go to the toilet" as "J'ai envie d'aller etc..."

Surely that's wrong - wouldn't you only use that form of words if you were expressing a desire to go to the toilet, but not a need? (Admittedly, I can't think of a circumstance where you'd say 'I really feel like a visit to the toilet right now ..!')