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Corrigés des exercices des séquences-AN01

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odel answers Sequence 5 Chapter 1

Task ᕢ

Civilisation and culture a) RIGHT or WRONG? Right

Wrong

✓   1. Queen Victoria reigned for 44 years. “Queen Victoria Victoria reigned over Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until she died in 1901.”

2. The Queen felt compassion for her subjects. “a genuine sympathy for her poorer subjects”

✓ 



3. She had a large family. “They had nine children.”

✓ 



✓   4. “Victorian” first meant “prosperous”, “successful” “The adjective “Victorian”, which had come to be used in her lifetime to mean “flourishing”, “potentially great”…” ✓   5. Then the word “Victorian” kept its first meaning. “… came to acquire the sense of “over-strict”, “censorious”, much as it means today ✓   6. The British Empire was created in Victoria’s time. “In the 1870s, Great Britain had direct control of a fifth of the Earth’s surface, including India, Canada and Australia. Australia.” ”

 7. Britain’s standing army was important at the time. “… it did not need a large standing army to defend its borders…”

✓ 

8. The Industrial Revolution was an easy time ✓   for the working class. “The Industrial Revolution in England meant very hard living conditions for those who worked in the mines and in the factories, especially children.”

Corrigés des exercices séquence 5-AN01

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b) What a puritanical Victorian Victorian young lady would find proper or improper to do. P

to read the Bible on the day of the Sabbath.

P

to speak to a member of the opposite sex. I

I

to read Shakespeare’s comedies. I

to mention such words as “legs“, “belly“, “bosom“, “breeches“ “breeches“ in the conversation.

I

to speak before you have been spoken to.

P

to go for walks with a chaperone. I

P I

to let your hair down on your shoulders.

I

to read or play music on the day of the Sabbath.

I

to sleep in a room which had been previously occupied by a man. to wear dark clothes and tie up your hair hair..

I P

Task ᕡ

to turn up your skirt and show your ankles when walking in the snow. to read the Family Edition of Shakespeare’s Works. Works.

P

Chapter 3

to “address“ a person who has not been introduced to you.

to show your emotions in public. to be discreet.

Text 1 – The British Guests Anticipation Personal answer ans wer..

Task ᕤ

ᕡ General comprehension

Completing the grid When?

Where?

W h o ? ( g i v e n a m e s, What about? nationalities and relationship)

Narrator?

The events happen in 1857, during a reception.

The scene takes place in the house of a wealthy Indian.

The four main characters present are Colonel Mills and his wife Alicia who are the British guests. The host is Indrajit Ray, an Indian, and his son Jagat Rai.

It is a third person narrative.

The extract is about an unfortunate incident during the reception. Jagat’s attitude and talk appear to be insulting to the British and Colonel Mills leaves the party, quite offended.

ᕢ Detailed comprehension

a) The first offence (beginning to line 24) ✓ 1. Colonel Mills accepts to shake hands with the young Indian. NO  “He kept his right hand extended even though it was ignored.”(line 6)

2. In colonial India, Jagat’s gesture was an offence. YES “Didn’t he know the form?” (line 9)

✓ 

✓ 3. Alicia doesn’t intervene in the incident. NO  “Alicia touched him gently on the arm.” (line 10) ✓ 4. Indrajit Rai behaves obsequiously towards his guests. YES  “his eyes lowered” (line 13); “It is such an honor… such a great honor” (line 16)

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5. At the end of this first part, the tension in the room has dropped. YES “The difficult moment was over…” (line 23)

✓ 

b) Vocabulary of body expressions and attitudes. Avancer : step forward; forward; incliner incliner la tête : bow his head; ses narines s’enflèrent : his nostrils flared; retenir sa langue : hold his tongue; les tongue; les yeux baissés : his eyes lowered; transpirer lowered; transpirer : sweat; sweat; frapper frapper bruyamment dans ses mains : clap his hands loudly. c) The second offence (from line 25 to line 46) 1. Jagat Ray doesn’t address himself to the whole party. “Jagat Ray had his back to the rest of the party as he spoke to a small group of young men in the corner…” (line corner…” (line 27) 2. Jagat is still a young man and enjoys saying what he truly thinks. “… spoke simply off the top of his head; he enjoyed the thrill of indulging in dangerous talk.” (line 29) 3. The colonel is prepared to humiliate the young man. “He had no intention of restraining himself this time; the boy needed to be embarrassed, put in his place.” (line place.” (line 31) 4. Jagat Ray is not afraid of the colonel and he persists in his accusations. (3 quotes). “… the British superiority in India is a figment of their imagination… The British are no better than any other ruler… the people of India are not happy with them.” d) More vocabulary on body expressions and movements: avoir le dos tourné : to have his back to; parler sans réfléchir : speak simply off the top of his head; le visage impassible : his face set; le set; le regard fixé sur : his gaze steady on; virer on; virer au rouge écarlate : flush deep red. e) From line 47 to the end Colonel Mills is hateful, bilious, incensed, haughty, tense, outraged, contemptuous, shocked, and scorn-ful Jagat Ray is defiant, spirited, cool, provocative. f) Vocabulary on attitudes.

Translations

Dismay = désarroi Dismay = flounder = flounder = bredouiller perturb = perturb = perturber

offend = offenser offend = hushed = hushed = silencieuse glare across = across = balayer la pièce d’un regard furieux

g) Jagat Rai is an educated Indian. He is young and wealthy. He has received a British education and unlike his father he considers himself as equal to the British. He is quite young and slightly foolish. He probably wants to show off in front of his friends. Colonel Mills represents the British authority in India. He doesn’t want to lose face in front of the other British guests. Moreover he is worried, as he has just heard about Indian unrest. We also detect that he loses his temper quite quickly and he takes offence easily. These two men are likely to come to a dispute. h) Alicia Mills is concerned with keeping appearances. She knows that her husband can lose his temper quite easily therefore she quietens him by touching his arm. They seem to understand one another and are probably in love. Once in the room she plays her role well by nodding to the British people she knows. Indrajit Rai is a wealthy Indian who belongs to a generation which seems to have accepted the British ruling of India. He is probably quite proud of his status and of having British guests. However his attention to his guest seems obsequious. He is slightly comical too when he tries to hide his son from the colonel’s eyes. In the end his son’s behaviour will spoil his party.


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i) In this passage we learn that Anglo-Indian relationships relationships were not as easy as the British would have liked them to be. There was unrest, which we hear rumours of. Although the wealthy Indians like Indrajit Rai and the British mixed at parties they were not on equal footing. The Indians were particularly polite. The British behaved in an almost condescending manner. Each had to play a role. The occupation of India didn’t seem natural while the young generation of educated Indians was likely to protest and would eventually require the independence of India.

Chapter 4

Task ᕢ

Pronunciation Pronunciat ion and vocabulary Vocabulary ᕢ b) Familles de mots

low, lower, lower, lowermost, lowermost , lowland, lowliness, lowly, lowness. hope, hopeful, hopefulness, hopeless, hopelessness, unhoped. horror, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrify.

Chapter 5

Task ᕡ

Enjoy your grammar a) Les formes en –ing 1. Consequently talking Consequently talking with with restraint is necessary. 2. “… we are all too afraid of putting of putting the the situation right.” 3. “… he enjoyed the thrill of indulging of indulging in in dangerous talk.” 4. “He had no intention of restraining of restraining himself himself this time.” b) Choisissez la réponse qui convient ou complétez 1. Les formes en –ing : putting, indulging, restraining, ont pour bases verbales : put, indulge indulge,, restrain. restrain. 2. Le gérondif est formé par la base verbale + –ING. 3. Dans l’exemple 1, le gérondif est sujet. ✓ 4. Le gérondif s’emploie après la préposition of. 

5. Les prépositions sont normalement suivies de noms. 6. Le gérondif s’emploie donc comme les deux.

✓ 

✓ 

c) Les gérondifs 1. “ Riding on Riding on a big boat across the Atlantic may sound like fun, but it wasn’t.” (A Boy’s Journey) 2. “It was like being like being in in jail.” (A jail.” (A Boy’s Journey) 3. “Right away I started singing started singing in in concerts and making and making money.” money.” (A (A Boy’s Journey) 4. “I kept singing kept singing as as a young man and became a star of Yiddish theatre.” (A Boy’s Journey) 5. “ I remember going remember going in in one end and coming out of the other ot her.. I remember being remember being told told I must remember and then for many years forgetting. years forgetting.” ” (Jarhead) (Jarhead) d) 1. Le sujet de l’expression verbale may sound like fun est fun est Riding. 2. Le complément de l’expression verbale was like est being. ✓ 3. En 3, money money est est complément de making. Vrai 

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✓ 4. Le verbe keep keep indique indique une activité déjà en cours. Vrai  ✓ 5. Le verbe remember remember indique indique une activité déjà réalisée. Vrai 

ᕢ Exercises

a) Completing the sentences with the –ing –ing form: form: 1. He kept criticizing the British ruling of India. 2. He made a point of proving that he was an educated Indian. 3. Showing off his possessions was wonderful for the wealthy man. 4. He went on talking without thinking. 5.The colonel couldn’t stand hearing the young man’s abusive talk. 6. He loved having his own way. b) Translation Translationss 1. They left without saying goodbye. 2. I remember having written to him. 3. Visiting temples were one of her favourite pastimes. 4. She visited her neighbours after having noticed the doctor’s car. 5. In the evenings, she enjoyed walking in the garden.

Task ᕢ

ᕡ Formes pronominales

a) Traductions des exemples Le colonel se détendit un peu. Je me rappelle. Le lieutenant se tenait sans bouger devant son cheval. Il n’avait aucune intention de se retenir. b) La forme verbale française a toujours besoin du pronom réfléchi (me, se), la forme verbale anglaise n’a pas forcément une forme pronominale correspondante. ᕢ Exercices

a) Completing with the correct pronouns 1. I made this painting myself. 2. He poured the drinks himself. 3. We can rule India ourselves. 4. Help yourself. 5. She decorated their house herself. 6. They were quite pleased with themselves. b) Translations into English 1. She loved looking at herself in the mirror. 2. They had an argument. We didn’t enjoy ourselves. 3. You have made your misfortune yourself. 4. I remember that he used to get angry quickly. 5. I expect him to make a scene. 6. In the morning, she wouldn’t hurry; she woke up with him but got up late, washed a long time and dressed with care. Corrigés des exercices séquence 5-AN01

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Chapter 6

Task ᕢ

Translation c) Exercice 1b ; 2h ; 3k ; 4d ; 5e ; 6a.

Task ᕣ

Suggestion de traduction Il me semble, répondit Jagat, que la supériorité des Britanniques en Inde est un produit de leur imagination. Il parlait avec une tranquille assurance, le visage immobile, le regard fixé sur le Colonel Mix. Un murmure 1d’indignation 2traversa la pièce. Jagat Raï, 3 jeune homme intelligen intelligent, t, instruit, et en colère, colère, ne se rétracterait pas. Les Britanniques ne font pas mieux que n’importe quel autre dirigeant de ce pays, et peut-être même font-ils plus mal. Il vit le visage du colonel s’empourprer 4profondément mais il continua. 5

Qu’ils fassent mieux ou plus mal, Colonel, le peuple de l’Inde ne les aime pas, 6c’est une situation 6 inconfortable, et je crois qu’il va falloir que cela change. Eh bien je… je… Pour la première fois de sa vie, le Colonel Mills ne trouvait pas ses mots et tous les invités le regardaient 7bredouiller avec horreur et consternation. Jamais, de toute sa carrière 8, il n’avait été 9traité avec tant d’insolence par un subalterne, certainement jamais par un indigène ! Jagat Raï 10se contenta de sourire, hocha la tête, et s’éloigna pour rejoindre ses amis, comme si rien de fâcheux ne s’était produit. La seule chose qui le préoccupait était d’avoir peut-être offensé son père. 1. équivalence : un murmure d’indignation : cette formule semble meilleure en français que «murmure choqué». 2. transposition. Tr Traversa aversa : n’oubliez pas de traduire d’abord l’idée de la particule “through“. 3. jeune homme et nom un jeune homme : pas d’article devant une apposition en français. 4. profondément : «s’empourprer d’un rouge foncé» serait redondant. 5. Étoffement : Qu’ils fassent mieux ou plus mal… pour «whatever». 6. transposition : la tournure «c»est une situation inconfortable» convient bien ici au lieu de «la situation est...» inconfortable : transposition également, on remplace la forme négative avec adjectif positif (is not comfortable) par une forme affirmative avec adjectif négatif (c’est inconfortable). 7. on évitera le calque : «tandis qu’il bredouillait». 8. Allégement : inutile de traduire «military» car «Colonel» suffit pour indiquer le contexte. 9. Équivalence : le calque en traduisant par «parlé» ne conviendrait pas. 10. transposition : l’idée de l’adverbe «simply» est traduite par le verbe «se contenta de».

Chapter 7

Task ᕡ

Written expression a) Réponses concernant les mots de liaison 1. Deux équivalents à l’expression first : firstly, : firstly, first of all, to begin with. 2. Trouvez quatre manières d’annoncer ce que vous pensez : In my opinion; in my view; actually, I think that; as far as I am concerned I think that; personally I think that... 3. Vous êtes d’accord avec l’auteur : I agree with the author; pas d’accord : I disagree with the author. b) The Campaign for Women’s Suffrage 1903-28 It is obvious that Victorian women led a restricted life. Although Queen Victoria had been the most powerful woman of her time, women were still treated as second class citizens. For example, they were not allowed to vote. In 1903, the campaign for women’s suffrage was intensified by the founding of the Women’s Social and Political Union : the WSPU - associated particularly with Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters. WSPU members, known as “suffragettes“, became increasingly violent in the years before the World War One, as successive governments failed to reform the voting laws. Indeed the harsh manner in which imprisoned suffragettes were treated,

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including forcible feeding of women on hunger strike, contributed to the growing public sympathy for the cause of women’s suffrage. However, the outbreak of war in 1914 led to a political *truce in the suffrage movement. No doubt that the participation of British women in the war effort, for instance their work in factories and the armed services as well as in the home, was a major factor in the Government’s decision to give women over the age of thirty the right to vote in 1918. Later, this right was extended to women over 21 in 1928.

Task ᕢ

Suggested answer. People usually think that male/female inequality is a thing of the past. If this may sound true in the Western World let us look at the plight of women in other circumstances. In so far as women in third-word countries are concerned, concern ed, we cannot say that their lives today are equal to those of men. In some places plac es in India and Africa for fo r example women are submitted s ubmitted to men’s will. They They have to obey their fathers, their brothers, their husbands, even their sons. It begins as soon as they are born. In some countries, a baby daughter is a curse. It can make a family man poorer since he will later have to give a dowry to marry his daughter. Female infanticides have not disappeared from our world. Then, since a woman is considered a servant, little girls gi rls receive less education educ ation than their brothers. br others. Later, Later, they are servants for their family, carrying water, cleaning, cooking, washing, etc. etc. It is obvious that tha t women in the Western World World have a more envied env ied life. Indeed, on the whole they do as well if not better at exams than their male counterparts. They earn money and hold any job they want. They also marry for love and even have control over their reproductive life. Women are found among the top ten richest people in the world, women are found as head of states, and airline pilots. Yet… Yet, in many countries still there is a hidden code that makes it hard for a woman to succeed. For the same level of performance, a young man would be preferred to a young woman as he is not likely to get pregnant or miss work to attend to his sick children. Once at home, in many cases, women look after children, shopping and housework while a Mediterranean husband for example would think it unmanly to do so. To conclude, I would say that male and female equality is still a fallacy. As long as a woman cannot walk in the streets of Paris without being sexually insulted because she is pretty and refuses to notice catcalls, women are not equal to men.

Chapter 9

Task ᕣ

Text 2 ᕡ

General comprehension

a) 1. The scene takes place in Italy, in Florence, in the dining room of a pension for tourists, mainly English people. The owner is called “the Signora“, some rooms overlook the river which runs through Florence: “the Arno“, the guests are sitting “at the table“. 2. The characters present are a re Miss Bartlett, Bartle tt, Lucy, an old man, his son George Georg e and two little old ol d ladies. The characters only mentioned are the Signora and Lucy’s mother. 3. The English tourists seem to belong to a well-off middle-class. However, Miss Bartlett may be less well-off, as her stay is being paid for by Lucy’s mother. 4. The two women have a negative image of the place and people. 5. At the end of the scene they decide to leave the pension. 6. The apparent problem is that they have been promised a view overlooking the Arno and Lucy’s room doesn’t have a view. 7. In fact the more basic problem is that they have been shocked by the old man’s indelicacy. He has offered to exchange rooms with them. This is quite improper by Victorian code of conduct. Corrigés des exercices séquence 5-AN01

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b) Elements from the text Names

Lucy Miss Charlotte Bartlett.

Probable age

Lucy is probably in her late teens. Charlotte is probably in her forties.

Family links

They are cousins.

Personal

Charlotteís trip has been paid for by Lucyís mother so we conclude that Charlotte wants to do everything thatís proper for Lucy. Moreover she wants the girl to have the best even if she has to make sacrifices.

relationships

ᕢ

Detailed comprehension

Part 1 from the beginning to line 46. a) The negative impressions Lucy and Charlotte have at the beginning of their stay. The pension dining-room

ᕡ The hostess has a working-class accent and this bothers Lucy. “And a Cockney 2 , besides!“ said Lucy, who had been further saddened by the Signora’s unexpected accent. (line 5).

ᕢ The dining-room is decorated as in England: “It might be London“. She looked at… “the two portraits of the late Queen and the late Poet Laureate 3 that hung behind the English people heavily framed“ Lucy framed“ Lucy feels “that we might be in London“. (line 8).

ᕣ The English guests keep their English customs including going to their church: “the notice of the English church (Rev. Cuthbert Eager, M.A. Oxon.), that was the only other decoration of the wall“. (line 10). The rooms

ᕡ The hostess hasn’t given them the promised room with a view. (“She promised us south rooms with a view close together, instead instead of which here are north rooms, here are north rooms, looking into a courtyard, and a long way apart”) lines apart”) lines 2 and 3.

ᕢ Their rooms are far apart. ᕣ They are not overlooking the Arno. “I wanted so to see the Arno. The rooms the Signora promised us in her letter would have looked over the Arno. Arno.” ” (line (line 14). The food

ᕡ The meal is not first class as the meat has been boiled. “This meat has surely been used for soup,’ said Miss Bartlett, laying down her fork” (line fork” (line 13).

The people

ᕡ The guests are all English while the ladies wanted to be among foreigners “She looked at the two rows of English people who were sitting at the table“ (line table“ (line 7).

ᕢ They are shocked as one of the guests actually intervened into their argument. “- one of the ill-bred people whom one does meet abroad - leant forward over the table and actually intruded into their argument“. (line 25).

b) Lucie and Miss Bartlett are tired and disappointed. They are even losing their good manners and have started an argument between them as to know who should have the best room. They seem ready to quarrel. Charlotte wants to play the martyr and this upsets Lucy who becomes peevish. The ladies’ voices grew animated, and - if the sad truth be owned - a little peevish. “They were tired, and under the guise of unselfishness they wrangled” Part 2 from line 27 to the end c) The new characters who appear in the text are an old man and his son George. Then there are two well-bred old ladies. d) Some elements in the description of the old man appear offensive to Charlotte Bartlett. First he breaks into their conversation conversation:: “and one of them - one of the ill-bred people whom one does meet abroad - leant forward over the table and actually intruded into their argument”. (line )

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He didn’t wait the required two or three days of discretion: “Generally at a pension people looked them over for a day or two before speaking” (line ) He is not dressed as he should: “… passed on to his clothes. These did not attract her.” (line ) He doesn’t seem right but “childish”. She thinks he takes them for two innocent abroad: abroa d: “ He was probably trying to become acquainted with them before they got into the swim” (line ) e) Miss Bartlett is offended when the old man proposes to exchange rooms with them, this is not done in Victorian code of conduct: a lady cannot accept to be so intimate with a stranger as to sleep in a room he previously occupied. However here we have another code of conduct: for the old man and his son what is important is to make people happy. f) This extract gives us some information about Victorian middle-class society. We learn about the convention for the young to travel abroad with a chaperone in order to visit sights and acquire culture. For example Lucy wants to have a view on the beautiful city and visits what one expects to visit in Italy. However, not everyone is well-off and Miss Bartlett for example seems to have to accept Lucy’s mother’s charity to enable her to travel. So the life of single women without much money may have been difficult. Finally these Victorian people seem to be living under a strict st rict code of conduct even when travelling abroad. You do not talk to strangers on their first day of arrival for example. Conversation must stay neutral and it is not done to argue when strangers can hear you. Finally a woman must not accept any favour from a man, even an old man.

Chapter 10

Lire un texte littéraire a) Compréhension globale 1. Vous avez surligné : We We (ligne (ligne 1), Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1827. Vous savez donc qu’il s’agit d’une autobiographie fictive (dont la narratrice s’appelle Jane Eyre), écrite à l’époque victorienne. 2. Les noms des personnages présents sont Mrs Reed, Eliza, John et Georgiana, ses enfants. Jane ne semble pas être l’enfant de Mrs Reed, on mentionne l’existence de Bessie, la nurse. 3. Les mentions de lieu et de temps : we had been wandering (un plus que parfait qui décrit une action qui a eu lieu le matin) the leafless shrubbery, in the morning, now out of the question. Le second paragraphe est au prétérit décrivant une habitude de la narratrice : I never liked long walks. Le troisième paragraphe est au moment de parole, au prétérit : now clustered, for the time, in the drawing room, La conversation entre Mrs Reed et Jane est au prétérit, le moment de parole : I asked. Le dernier paragraphe est au prétérit : I slipped, I mounted. Le nouveau lieu est donné : a small breakfast room, into the window-seat. 4. L’architecture du texte est donné par cinq divisions. Le premier paragraphe : le matin Le second paragraphe : l’opinion de Jane Le troisième paragraphe : les personnages au salon La conversation Le dernier paragraphe : Jane dans la petite salle à manger 5. Les quatre expressions qui indiquent de quoi il s’agit dans ce passage : clustered around their mama; Me, she had dispensed from joining the group; she really must exclude me; I was shrined in double retirement.


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b) Compréhension détaillée ᕡ

La présentation du décor

La situation due au mauvais temps : There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. Les mots indiquant le mauvais temps : the cold winter wind; clouds; a rain so penetrating. Dans le troisième paragraphe les éléments qui décrivent la position des personnages : clustered round their mama; lay reclined on a sofa; Me, she had dispensed from joining the group. Dans le dernier paragraphe les éléments qui décrivent la position de Jane : into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat crossed-legged, like a Turk; shrined in double retirement. ᕢ

Les personnages et les relations entre les personnages

Dans le premier paragraphe un élément indiquant la position sociale de Mrs Reed : when there was no company, dined early. Dans le second paragraphe un élément indiquant la personnalité de Bessie : the chidings of Bessie. Dans le troisième paragraphe, puis dans la conversation qui suit, les mots indiquant les sentiments de la mère pour ses enfants : her darlings around her; looked perfectly happy. Les rapports des enfants entre eux : for the time neither quarrelling nor crying. ᕣ

La narratrice

Dans le second paragraphe les verbes ou adjectifs indiquant les goûts et les sentiments de la narratrice : I never liked long walks; a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie; humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority. Dans le troisième paragraphe les mots qui décrivent ce que Jane n’est pas selon Mrs Reed : sociable and childlike disposition; attractive and sprightly manner,-something lighter, franker, more natural as it were -; contented, happy. Ce qui rend Mrs Reed désagréable, hypocrite et victorienne aux yeux du lecteur : until she heard from Bessie, I don’t like cavillers or questioners; something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. L’image du dernier paragraphe qui indique l’isolement et le besoin de protection exprimés par la narratrice : I was shrined in double retirement. ᕤ

Le vocabulaire difficile

Shrubbery: le bosquet ; nipped: Shrubbery: le nipped: gelés gelés ; chidings: chidings: réprimandes réprimandes ; sprightly: sprightly: alerte alerte ; cavillers: cavillers: chicaneur chicaneur ; forbidding: désagréable forbidding: désagréable c) Résumé This is the beginning of a fictitious autobiography. The narrator, Jane Eyre, relates one day of her childhood at Mrs Reed’s place. It is winter, mother, mother, children and nurse cannot take their usual us ual outdoor walks and stay in the drawing-room. Jane doesn’t seem to belong to the family and is set apart by the mother. The latter would like to instil some Victorian values to Jane who should be sweet and lively. On the contrary the girl hates outside walks, is questioning and judging. She seems to be resilient however as reading allows her to escape. With this opening page the reader’s sympathy goes to Jane: a lonely if not rebellious child.

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odel answers Sequence 6 Chapter 1 Task ᕡ

Civilisation and culture World War War I saw the British Britis h Empire reach its full expansion. It covered two thirds of the planet and held two thirds of its people, but in the years that followed came its decline. Victory over the Germans had been achieved with a considerable help from people of the Empire (more than 200,000 men from the overseas empire died in the war). However However,, the men from the colonies who had left their country to fight in France and Belgium realized that the British were not so superior after all. The The huge number of deaths bled Europe. Once they went back home the soldiers from Ireland, Australia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India and British Africa expected now some sort of self-government. Nationalist agitation against economic disparities, disparities, often stimulated by acts of racial discrimination by British settlers, was particularly strong in India and in parts of Africa. Britain gradually capitulated to the pressures of nationalist sentiment. Iraq gained full sovereignty in 1932 and concessions were made toward self-government in India and later in the African colonies. Meanwhile, uprisings had started in Ireland which declared itself independent in 1919. In 1931 Great Britain officially recognized the independent and equal status of its former colonies, most of them became members of the Commonwealth of Nations. After After World War II self-government advanced rapidly in all parts of the Empire. In 1947, India was partitioned and independence granted to the new states of India and Pakistan. Other parts of the Empire, notably in Africa, gained independence and subsequently joined the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is thus an association of states which have economic ties with Britain, speak and write in English as well as in their own languages, have a common allegiance to the Queen, meet and help one another, another, are supposed to have democratic elections to elect their own government, play cricket and rugby, drink tea, wear school uniforms and are allowed to emigrate in the UK when the British have a labour shortage. In 1973, the United Kingdom joined the European Union, deciding to become part of Europe.

ᕢ

Who said what a) 6; b) 4; c) 5; d) 2; e) 3; f) 11; g) 9; h) 7; i) 8; j) 1; k) 10.

Task ᕢ

Listening Comprehension ᕡ General comprehension

The text in an interview of Jennie, who was in her twenties in the Swinging Sixties. She explained the time as exciting and free when the young became a power group. Freedom was expressed through Rock and Roll music, particularly that of the Beatles. Contraception Contraception became legal. Protest particularly against the Vietnam war prevailed.


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ᕢ Detailed comprehension Part 1 a) For Jennie the Swinging Sixties meant music and clothes. b) She liked wearing a saffron coloured kaftan, black trousers and an enormous felt hat. Wearing

trousers meant freedom for her. Part 2 c) The Beatles came from Liverpool. d) London was “fab“. Carnaby Street was the hub of everything where you could see girls wearing

Mary Quant’s mini-skirts. The girls wanted to look like Twiggy and “the Shrimp“. Part 3 e) For Jennie, Rock and Roll meant her new freedom. Its attitude was one of rebellion and social

consciousness. f) Jennie was sensitive to Lennon’s messages. She had no longer a religion but looked for answers all

the same. She went for gentleness, peace and love. She never had a guru though. Part 4 g) Contraception was available in Britain before France which meant that many French girls sought

abortions in England. h) The Hippies’ slogan was “make love not war“. They thought that by peaceful protests they would

put an end to war. Part 5 i) Four events which shook the world in the Sixties: man’s landing on the moon, John Kennedy’s assas-

sination, Martin Luther King’s assassination, the first James Bond’s film.

Chapter 2 Task ᕡ

Task ᕢ

Texte BAC – The Landlady 1) Roald Dahl

6) J.R.R Tolkien

2) P.D James

6) Kazuo Ishiguro

3) Dame Barbara Cartland

6) J.K Rowling

4) Salman Rushdie

6) V.S Naipaul

5) Ruth Rendell

6) Helen Fielding

Anticipation c) The text is a whole short story. d) Judging by the reputation of its author it is likely to be a mystery story. e) Judging by its title it will have a very English flavour. f) The events will concern the character in the title.

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Task ᕥ

ᕡ General comprehension Completing the grid When?

Where?

W h o ? ( g i v e n a m e s What about? Sum up Narrator? ages, jobs, expecta- the story. tions and interests)

The events happen during winter, in the evening (after nine), the moon and stars are out.

The scene takes place in Bath, in an empty street then in a boarding-house.

The main character pre- A young man is looking sent is Billy Weaver. for lodgings in a town. He goes to a deserted The other character is boarding-house. a woman, the landlady probably.

The point of view is that of Billy, although it is a third person narrative.

ᕢ Detailed comprehension a) London and Bath on the map.

Bath London

b) The statements are “right” or “wrong”.

1. Billy wanted to act like a successful businessman. RIGHT “He was trying to do everything briskly these days. Briskness, he had decided, was the one common characteristic of all successful businessmen.” businessmen.” (line 13)

2. Billy was elegantly dressed. RIGHT “He was wearing a new navy-blue overcoat, a new brown tilby hat, and a new brown suit, and he was feeling fine.” (line 12)

3. The weather was pleasant. WRONG “But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks.” (line )

4. Billy didn’t know anyone in this city. RIGHT “He didn’t know anyone who lived there.” (line 12)

5. The street he walked on had an air of being prosperous. WRONG “… it was obvious that once upon a time they had been very swanky residences. But now, even in the darkness, he could see that the paint was peeling… from neglect.” (lines 17-20)

6. Billy was struck by something bright and cheerful. RIGHT “Suddenly, in a downstairs window that was brilliantly brilliantl y illuminated by a street lamp… Billy caught sight of a printed notice…” (line 21)

7. Billy hesitated then decided to push as far as the Bell and Dragon. RIGHT “He turned to go.” (line 40) 8. In the end e nd he was irresistibly attracted to the boarding-h boarding-house ouse and he rang the bell. RIGHT “He pressed the bell.” (line 48)


147

c)

Characteristics of a pub

Characteristics of the boarding house he is looking at

A pub is more congenial.

It is more pleasant.

You can drink beer, play darts and talk to people.

It seems attractive with velvet curtains, a burning fire, a dog, a parrot, a piano and nice comfortable furniture.

It is cheaper than a boarding-house. boarding-house.

However boarding-houses frighten Billy a bit. He has never been in one and he fears “rapacious landladies“, poor food and cooking smells. d) Foreboding: examples which are puzzling for Billie and the reader

- Although Billy has made up his mind to go as far as The Bell and Dragon, the sign BED AND BREAKFAST seems to hypnotise him. (“his eyes were caught in the most peculiar manner by the notice”, line 42). - He can no longer move but feels the compulsion to climb the steps and ring the bell. - He rang and at once the door swung open, as if the woman had been standing behind the door waiting for him. e) Vocabulary (1) un ciel clair étoilé une lame de glace plate hébergement un chapeau de feutre marcher d’un bon pas les grands pontes qui en imposent taché aperçut en velours regarda à travers la vitre

Chapter 3

a clear starry sky a flat blade of ice lodgings a trilby hat walk briskly the big shots swanky blotchy caught sight velvety peered through the glass

la cheminée rembourrés remarqua sympathique une pension (de famille) des fléchettes bien moins cher harengs saurs retourner dans sa tête contraindre étrange

the hearth plump spotted congenial a boarding-house darts a good bit cheaper kippers dither compel queer

Texte 1 – The Landlady (parts 2 and 3) Part 2

Task ᕣ

a) The narrative ᕡ a. Billy asked the lady how much she charged for the night. µ b. Billy unpacked his suitcase. ¹ c. Billy had a look at the

names in the guest book.

ᕧ d. Billy put the suitcase on the bed and opened it. ᕩ e. The landlady asked Billy to come down to the living-room in order to sign the guest book. It

was the law. ᕨ f. The landlady proposed Billy some supper but he declined the offer. ¸ g. Billy ran down to the

living-room.

ᕤ h. Billy realized that he

was the only guest in the boarding-house. boarding-house.

ᕦ i. The lady told Billy he might light the gas fire if he ᕣ j. Billy took off his coat and hung it. ᕥ k. Billy and the landlady went upstairs to ᕢ l. Billy entered the house. 148


the room.

was cold.

b) The stereotyped landlady: a deceiving appearance

Stereotyped ideas about landladies come to Billy’s mind and reassure him. To Billy “she seemed terribly nice” (line 71). She reminded him of “the mother of an old school- friend welcoming one into the house for the Christmas holidays” (line 72). He thought that she was slightly mad like many old ladies who have suffered a loss but he didn’t mind as she seemed benign enough. He assumed “that she had probably lost a son in the war, or something like that, and had never got over it.” (line 110) In today’s English currency, five and six pence is 66 pence. c) Foreshadowing (présage) 1. Elements that give a negative impression of the landlady and foreshadow the events: She appeared so fast when Billy pressed the bell that “It made him jump” and we can imagine she

had been watching him. The fact that she opened the door wide seems to be part of the strange compulsion Billy felt of coming in. She seems choosy about the people she invites in. She is fond of having young men to stay. Her insistence in looking at “the length of Billy’s body” (line 87) is unnerving. 2. Billy noticed something strange for a boarding-house: there was no other guest. The landlady explained it by the fact that she doesn’t accept anybody, she is “just a tiny bit weeny bit choosy and particular” (line 79). 3. A list of the things that seemed to indicate that Billy was expected in the house: - There is “a hot water-bottle between the sheets” (line 93). - “the bedspread had been taken off the bed, and… the bedclothes had been neatly turned back on one side.” (line 96) - “He found the guest-book lying open on the piano” . (line 116)

4. Billy does want to stay as the rent is cheap and he feels he has made a bargain and he is quite proud of himself. d) The names in the guest-book

1. The two names are: Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple. 2. The adverb “suddenly” (line 120) is used to indicate a change of awareness from Billy’s Billy’s part. 3. Billy keeps thinking of those two names on the guest book because he seems to have come across those names before. “It rings a bell” (line 120). 4. Billy associates the names with “his sister’s numerous young men” (line ), or “a friend of his father’s” (line ). He has seen their names in newspapers, newspapers, he thinks they might be “famous cric- keters or footballers” (line 132). 5. The strange thing Billy notices about the two names in the guest-book is that their entries are over two years old and even three years old. e) The Landlady

1. She doesn’t want to be involved in the conversation about the names in the guest-book. She interesting” g” when Billy mentions that the names are familiar to him but she says politely “How interestin doesn’t suggest any reason. Later she dismisses the possibility of them being famous. She plays the fool when he says that there has been no one in the house for two years by pretending that time flies as if she were feeble minded. 2. The fact that she forgets Billy’s family name implies that she has no memory, she continues to pretend that she is queer like any little landlady.


149

Part 3

Task ᕦ

a) The Landlady

1. The fact that she has forgotten Billie’s name is surprising and contradictory as she has precise memories of Mulholland and Temple. Temple. She remembers their physical appearance “But they were extraordinarily handsome, both of them, I can promise you that. They were tall and young and handsome… (line 135). She remembers that Mulholland was not from Eton “He was a Cambridge graduate.” (line 171). She remembers remembers their taste: taste: “Mr Mulholland was a great one for his tea.”

(line 189). She still knows their precise ages: seventeen and twenty-eight and even their height: “he was a trifle shorter than you are” (line 195) and even the colour of their teeth: “his teeth were not quite so white” (line 195). And she adds “There wasn’t a blemish bl emish on his body. body.” ” And “His skin was just like a baby’s” (line 203) The latest details are certainly strange. b) The suspense

1. Billy’s attitude changes when the landlady says that the two young men are still upstairs. He puts down his cup and starts observing the landlady. He must be wondering if she is saying the truth, then he wonders how they can still be upstairs upstairs,, maybe she is absolutely mad. 2. The The reader is even more suspicious than Billy because the smell from her person reminds Billie of hospital, a bad omen. We know he shouldn’t have sipped any tea so quickly. We think he should have remembered why he knew the names before drinking, but he is still too trusty trusty.. We We wonder why she keeps mentioning physical details of the young men and why she observes Billie’s body. We know more than Billie, he is still searching his mind about the names, we can observe the landlady observing him. 3. There There is a silence after that as Billy wonders how on earth she happened to see the young man’s body, so he wants an explanation We can only think that he was sick and she happened to nurse him or he was killed naked and she saw the body. 4. The stuffed animals: When Billy learns about the animals in the house being stuffed it seems to open his eyes to the reality of the place: everything is faked. He had never guessed they were stuffed because it was done skilfully and they appeared natural, moreover their position in the room was natural. His realisation is the climax of the story; will he guess soon enough what is in store for him and stop drinking the tea and rush out of the place? Probably not, he is a naive young man and cannot conceive that the same fate is reserved for him. 5. The guest book The landlady insists on Billy signing the book using “did“ to emphasize her request. She wants him so much to sign that book in order to look it up later. It is part of her ritual. c) The cliff-hanging ending

There is no explicit denouement, the murder is not described. Since the tea is poisoned readers conclude that Billie will have the same fate as the other young men and will be killed k illed and stuffed. d) Vocabulary Frisky Handsome Dainty Sigh Peculiar To bother To fuss Tantalising

Fringant Beau Délicat Soupir Étrange Gêner S’affairer provocant

Eton Undergraduate (in Britain) To pat Pickled walnuts Sweet Mr Mulholland She arched her brows A trifle A blemish

Une grande école privée Étudiant Tapoter Des noix marinées Ce cher Mr Holland Elle leva les sourcils Un peu Un défaut

e) When the reader understands, he can go back to previous situations or previous allusions by the

landlady.. Roald Dahl has given a few elements here and there to raise the reader’s suspicion. landlady

150


Examples

Everything was ready for the young man’s arrival. The landlady was expecting him: The door immediately opened when he rang the bell. His room was ready “It’s all ready for you dear” (line 60) The landlady is very choosy about her g uests and takes only the young ones (line 84) “… and I see someone standing there who is just exactly right”; (line 98) “I’m so glad you appeared,” she said, looking earnestly into his face. “I was beginning to get worried”. (line 86) “… ”Seventeen ”Seventeen!” !” she she cried. “Oh, it’s the perfect age! Mr Mulholland was also seventeen”my dear, just exactly like you.” you.” (line 194). We know now that it is the perfect age to die and be stuffed.

She refers to the tea in which she has put poison: (line 184) “Mr Mulholland was a great one for his tea … Never in my life have I seen anyone drink so much tea as dear Mr Mulholland”. It is rather cynical. When she mentions: ”The “blemish” and the “skin just like a baby’s” the story becomes horrible and cruel. When she observes Billy (line 231) she “looked at him out of the corner of her eyes”; we can imagine the pleasure, the the thrill that she feels at the thought of seeing him dead and stuffing his body and adding him to her collection.

Chapter 5 Task ᕡ

Enjoy your grammar ᕡ La forme en –ing, le gérondif et le participe présent a) prétérit en be + –ing

gérondif

participe présent

was coming up was wearing was feeling was peeling were hanging

walking dithering making up his mind

pointing going up burning

b) Dans l’exemple 1, la forme en –ING est associée à l’opérateur be conjugué au prétérit

Un exemple de prétérit en be + –ING au pluriel est were hanging Tous les exemples de prétérits en be + –ING décrivent un personnage (ex : was wearing, was feeling, ). was peeling, were hanging ) ou des choses qui étaient en train de se faire (ex : was coming up ). Le participe présent existe aussi en français. … pointing down the road se traduit par en montrant la rue … going up to their front doors se traduit par qui montaient jusqu’à leur porte d’entrée

et montant jusqu’à leur porte d’entrée … a bright fire burning in the hearth se traduit par «un bon feu qui brûlait dans l’âtre».

Dans l’exemple 6 le gérondif est complément du verbe stopped. En anglais les prépositions sont normalement suivies de noms et de gérondifs gérondifs.. Dans les exemples 9 et 10 les prépositions after et before sont suivies d’un gérondif. En français After dithering se traduit par «Après avoir hésité». Before making up his mind se traduit par «Avant de prendre une décision.» ᕢ wondering – walking – was walking –

drinking – hesitating – going – entering.


151

Task ᕢ

ᕢ Exercices a)

1. As he was walking along he noticed how derelict the area was. 2. Then Then she poured the tea and he drank it without any foreboding. 3. Billy could see that the room was cosy indeed. 4. He was quite pleased with himself as he was coming down the stairs in a leisurely manner. 5. She was carrying the tea-tray with a decisive air. 6. Finally, they both sat on the sofa and she patted him on the knee. b)

1. He was walking alone. That’s why he noticed the light coming from the window. 2. “What were you doing last night?” “I was reading a horror novel.” 3. He was too naïve. He was responsible for his own downfall. 4. She was having a cup of tea while dreaming in front of the hearth when the bell rang. 5. He went to the pub twice a week when he was a student. 6. The landlady, who was mad, killed then stuffed her guests.

Task ᕣ

ᕡ Il faut répondre «oui»

à toutes les questions questions..

ᕢ

a) Les verbes au plus-que-parfait

1. When he got to his room, he realized that she had already made the bed. 2. Once he saw that the animals were stuffed, he understood why they had been so still. 3. Now he knew why she had been watching him so closely. 4. The woman had been waiting for quite a while before Billie entered her place. 5. After many attempts at getting up, he had given up any hope of escaping and was now only wishing for a new visitor. b) Les verbes au prétérit, simple ou en be + –ing, ou au pluperfect, simple ou en be + –ing, à la voix active ou passive

1. Billie wondered where and why he had already heard of those names before. 2. Previously, when he had been away from home, he had always stayed in a pub, now he dithered.

3. Up to now, Billie had always thought that little old ladies were harmless, presently he wasn’t so sure. 4. He then realized that they had been dead for over two years and that he was in great danger of being her next victim. 5. This time he had been trying hard to get up but his legs had once more failed him and he felt the irresistible urge of sleep overcoming him.

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Chapter 6

Translation ᕢ Here are the best alternatives He trotted downstairs to the ground floor and entered…

Il descendit rapidement jusqu’au rez-de-chaussée et entra… Nous faisons ici une transposition (procédé qui consiste à traduire un mot par un mot appartenant à une catégorie grammaticale différente). L’adverbe L’adverbe “downstairs“ est traduit par le verbe «descendit», le verbe “trotted“ est traduit par l’adverbe «rapidement». … the little dachshund was still sleeping in front of it.

… le petit teckel dormait encore à la même place. «Devant lui» est gauche, on on a trouvé une équivalence car la phrase ne peut se traduire littéralement. The room was wonderfully warm and cosy.

Il faisait merveilleusement bon et la pièce était agréable. Encore un procédé de transposition, le nom room a été traduit par l’expression verbale il faisait. I am a lucky fellow…

J’ai de la veine… Transposition: I am se traduit par le verbe avoir, l’expression lucky fellow par un équivalent. This is a bit of all right.

C’est pas mal du tout. Equivalence pour traduire une expression anglaise idiomatique qui reste fidèle au langage familier de Billie. ᕣ Traduction

Il trouva le registre ouvert sur le piano ( lying n’a pas été traduit), il sortit alors son stylo pour écrire son nom et son adresse. Il n’y avait que deux autres inscriptions sur la page, il fit donc ce que tout le monde fait dans ces cas-là, (équivalence) il commença à les lire. Une inscription était au nom (étoffement) de Christopher Mulholland de Cardiff, l’autre était d’un certain (étoffement) Gregory W. Temple de Bristol. C’est bizarre, pensa-t-il (inversion en français) soudain. Christopher Mulholland, ça me rappelle quelque chose. (équivalence (équivalence pour traduire une expression idiomatique). Mais où diable avait-il déjà entendu ce nom inhabituel ? (Encore des é quivalences)

Chapter 7 Exemple d’une rédaction possible

Written composition Bit by bit Billy realized he was feeling sick. He had that unpleasant taste in his mouth, it seemed to be coming from the smell of the place, from the landlady’s clothes too. It smelt of hospital. He hated hospitals,, always had. Suddenly he understood that it must have been the chemical she used to stuff hospitals her pets. How unpleasant! But she really was clever. She had fooled him all right, would have fooled anybody. No one could have guessed the animals weren’t real. That parrot still had vivid colours and its glass eyes were watching Billy without a blink. Billy felt dizzy, that smell! “Excuse-me,“ he said, getting up briskly “I must have some fresh air“. “It’s quite all right, my dear, it’s the fire, the heat after the cold outside.“ She was murmuring and smiling, even holding him tightly by his sleeves. He looked at the long pointed red fingernails, the pink carpet started moving under his feet, the nausea become more unrestrained. “Come on, dear,“ she patted his sleeves, “sit down, it’ll soon pass,“ she smiled in a decisive tone. Corrigés des exercices séquence 6-AN01

153

But Billy was a well brought up young man, he wasn’t going to puke on anybody’s carpet, specially a pink one. In a last desperate effort he tore himself from her and the room, and before he knew it had run through the hall, opened the door and was vomiting on the pavement. She wasn’t so fast, came only a split second after him and recoiled from the cold of the street. Down the road she saw two policemen coming towards them.

154


odel answers Sequence 7 Chapter 1 Task ᕡ

Civilisation and culture ᕡ Map of Africa Canary Islands

Algeria

Western Sahara Cape Verde

Tunisia

Morocco

Libya Egypt

Mauritania

Senegal Gambia Guinea Guinea Bissau

Mali

Eritrea

Niger Burkina Faso n

Ivory Sierra Leone Liberia Coast

a i n o n a g e B o h T G

Chad

Djibouti

Sudan

Nigeria

Ethiopia

Central Cameroon African Republic

o E. Guinea g n Sao Tome Gabon C o and Principe . R

Uganda D. R. Congo

Kenya

Tanzania Angola

i a l a m o S

Malawi Zambia

Namibia Botswana

South Africa

Rwanda Burundi

Seychelles

Comoros

u e i q b m z a o M

r a s c a Mauritus a g d a M Réunion

Swaziland Lesotho

ᕢ A quiz on African history

a) 1; b) 640 AD; c) 2; d) 1; e) 1; f) 1; g) 1; h) 1; i) 2; 2; j) j) 3; k) 2; l) 2; m) 1; n) 1. * a Boer was the name given to the descendent of the Dutch people who had settled in South Africa, it means ‘a peasant’ in the Dutch language. An Afrikaner is a white African who speaks Afrikaans, a language coming down from the Dutch spoken by the early settlers.

ᕣ Extra for experts

a) South Africa had to leave the Commonwealth because of its policy of apartheid which started in 1961 and was undemocratic. It rejoined it in 1994 after the end of that regime. b) Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth Commonwe alth in 1995 when it was under an authoritarian authori tarian regime. It was readmitted in 1999 with the return of democratic elections.

Task ᕢ

Listening comprehension ᕡ General comprehension

The people interviewed feel very enthusiastic and happy about the fact fa ct that they were present at Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.


155

ᕢ Detailed comprehension

Part 1 a) Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990. b) The first person interviewed is called Peter. He is English. He was working in Cape Town at the time. c) People were pressed together, the weather was very hot and the waiting was longer than expected. Some people fell from a tree but refused to leave the place. d) Seeing black and white people together, sharing the same happy event was comforting. e) At the end Peter hardly heard Mandela’s speech because of the noise, but he was extremely happy to be there. Part 2 f) The second person interviewed lives in Kenya. Her name is Praveena and she is of Indian origin. She was at school at the time and she left together with the others to watch TV at a friend’s place. g) She was surprised to see such a crowd of black and white people together. Then she was astonished to see how old and fragile Nelson Mandela appeared to be. h) The two evils Mandela has fought were white domination and black domination. i) She has been influenced by Mandela as he made her proud to be African. Part 3 j) The third person interviewed is called Stephen and lives in Durham. He was an activist before and was involved in protests for the liberation of Nelson Mandela. k) The noisy reception reminded reminded him of the celebration of a South African victory at a rugby match. l) He had hoped that South Africa would become one nation.

Chapter 2

Text 1 – “And if something happens…“ Anticipation d) The text deals with a socio-political situation.

Task ᕤ

Understanding the text a) When?

Where?

Who?

What about?

Type of narration?

It happens in daytime, during the apartheid.

It happens in a street in South Africa.

The two characters in presence are the narrator, a white man, and Ben du Toit, a black man.

Ben wants to trust his friend with some mysterious papers. The latter doesn’t take this very seriously but Ben dies two weeks later later..

It is a first person narrative.

b) The narrator is a writer or a would-be writer: “You may even turn it into a bloody novel if you choose.” (line choose.” (line 19). c) They must be good friends because the narrator is prepared to keep his friend’s papers whatever they are: “Of course I’ll keep your stuff for you.” (line 37). As for Ben, he seems to be trusting the narrator with important material. “I want you to keep my notes and journal.” (line 21). 156


ᕢ The

mystery

a) At first the narrator doesn’t want to believe the seriousness of the situation. He jokes asking if this material he has to keep is “stolen goods.” Then goods.” Then he asks for more precision concerning the mysterious “they” whom Ben seems to be afraid of: “Who are ‘they’?” (line ‘they’?” (line 6). Later he becomes suspicious wondering if his friend is in his right mind and he observes him closely: “ A pale smile twitched his tense mouth“ (line mouth“ (line 24). He ends up thinking his friend is paranoid and speaks to him “the way one would comfort or humour a child” child” (line (line 39). Finally he is resigned and even irritated: “I sighed with resignation” (line 43) and later “I insisted not without some irritation” (line irritation” (line 46). He doesn’t realize the importance of the event and dismisses Ben’s worries as due to hypertension. b) glanced round again (line again (line 5); as agitated as before (line 7); With another anxious glance over his shoulder (line shoulder (line 13); He jerked his shoulders (line shoulders (line 15); if one could call that harsh brief sound a laugh (line laugh (line 17); A pale smile twitched his tense mouth (line 24); an unnatural glance in his grey eyes eyes (line (line 24). c) Those mysterious “they“ are probably the police or even the secret police that were all powerful in South Africa during apartheid. Ben says he doesn’t want them “to find the stuff on me” (line me” (line 5). Apparently they have already taken some material of his: “They have taken everything from me” (line 25). They seem to know him and want him to disappear. “They want to wipe out every sign of me” (line me” (line 28). They seem powerful and omniscient to the point of knowing that he is at the end of his strength: “But I can’t go on for very much longer, and I think they know it too.” (line 31). d) For the narrator “paranoic“ means that his friend believes he is being persecuted. He is under the delusion that he is being watched or suspected in the atmosphere of suspicion that prevailed during apartheid. The expression “as if” is repeated four times to express the uncertainty he feels about his friend. Is the latter inventing a story or is he really being under threat? e) Ben is mysterious because he doesn’t explain himself completely. He is incomprehensible for the narrator as he asks for his help but doesn’t explain what his “stuff” is or the details of his subversive activities. f) The last sentence comes as a shock as the meeting was related from the narrator’s point of view. He was treating Ben’s worries as a sign of delusion but now the reality of the situation is there when Ben’s death is announced. We are no longer in the mind of a paranoid but in reality. ᕢ Vo Vocabulary cabulary – Find the

following words or expressions

Qu’est-ce qu’il y a?

What’s the matter?

En toute hâte

hurriedly

de la marchandise volée

Stolen goods

ce son âpre et bref

This harsh brief sound

avança rapidement

Hurried on

je veux mettre tous ces trucs chez toi

I want to dump all my stuff on you

jeta un coup d’œi l auto autour ur de lui

Glanced around

sa bouche se tordit dans un sourire pâle et crispé

A pale smile twitched his tense mouth

garder

To store

une lueur inquiétante dans les yeux gris

An unnatural glance in his grey eyes

des bouts

Some bits

C’est leur but

That’s what they are aiming for

il repartit de plus belle

He set off again

Ils veulent effacer toute trace de mon existence

They want to wipe out every sign of me

Il secoua les épaules

He jerked his shoulders

Soupirai-je, résigné.

I sighed with resignation

After the meeting (for candidates in L (LV1)) (LV1)) One evening, quite late, I was at home working on my computer, I was brushing up an interview I had done with the local candidate for the next elections. It was important stuff. The man was a good fellow and I trusted him when he said sa id that South Africa would change and he believed bel ieved it could be done without bloodshed. It was well past midnight when the doorbell rang. I wasn’t all that worried by a late call, my informers came mostly at night. When I opened the front door I noticed that the moon was up but there was nobody there. In the envelope left on the mat, the small piece of paper read: “Ben’s body dumped at the tip”. Corrigés des exercices séquence 7-AN01

157

The rubbish tip, in the eastern suburb, was the place they left the bodies. I had never been the re. I hardly believed there was such a place. It took me a good half-hour to find the place. It was isolated and unmarked but the smell reached my car before I saw it. A small van was parked. As I climbed to the tip, I heard shuffled voices, two big black fellows came down carrying a body, when they saw me they scrambled to the van. I yelled to them but the doors slammed and the van left screeching. His was the only body. I recognised his form, he had the same clothes, the face was turned on the rubbish, I turned him back, I had this wild thought that he might still be alive. When I saw his mutilated face, I vomited. Then I took him in my arms and carried him. The rubbish tip was uneven and at times my feet would go into soft ground, which gave in under me, but I never fell.

Chapter 4

Enjoy your grammar ᕡ

Exercice completed with possessive pronouns a) What’s your name? – John. What’s yours yours?? b) These notes are Ben’s. – Are you sure they are his his?? c) She says her job is terrible. – I’m lucky mine is interesting. d) Their climate is better than ours but our income is better than theirs. e) We don’t have a car, can we borrow yours/his/hers yours/his/hers?? ᕢ

b) Les phrases au style direct 1. “Can you help me?” he asked in an agitated voice. 2. “It is rather urgent”, he added. 3. “I’ll leave it to your discretion”, he said. 4. “What have you done, Ben?” I enquired. 5. “Nothing will happen, Ben.” I insisted. c) Il a fallu changer les temps, les pronoms personnels, les adjectives possessifs. f) Exercise ᕡ

Completing with the correct verbal form

She says she is worried. I told him I didn’t understand. They declare they won’t accept it. They said they were lost. She said she had been here before. She asked me what I was doing. ᕢ Tr Translating anslating into

English

He told me that he had already written it. I promised him / her that I would help her / him. I thought you had already gone on holiday. I told him I didn’t like secrets. g) 2. Exercise: indirect speech He told me that it was my responsibility. She yelled that they were hers. They stated that it was theirs. They complained that she had laughed at them. I said to Ben that he looked tired. 158


h) 1. Completed in indirect speech: I suggested that he come* to my office the following day. “I can’t explain right now.” He said that he couldn’t explain right then. He asked me to meet him at Bakker’s bookshop. I wanted to know what the matter was. He requested me just to keep the stuff like he had told me about. * équivalent du subjonctif français. Le verbe reste à la forme infinitive.

ᕢ Translated into

English

He told me that the following day he had read the news of his death in the papers. He had asked him not to mention it to anyone. They had asked his wife where he hid / was hiding his documents. They announced that they were going to search the house. He revealed that he had sent his documents three days before.

Chapter 5

Translation ᕢ The

best alternatives

Son attitude avait quelque chose de paranoïaque. (pratique de l’inversion) «Bien entendu, je te garderai tes papiers, ai-je dit.» (remarquez l’inversion en français: “ai-je dit”) Encore une de ces histoires larmoyantes dont j’avais l’habitude. (pratique de la transposition) Tout ce qu’il te faut c’est des vacances. (veillez à respecter le ton du passage) ᕣ Translation

Son attitude avait quelque chose de paranoïaque, c’était comme s’il avait perdu prise sur le monde, comme s’il n’était pas vraiment dans cette rue, dans cette ville, à cet instant précis, comme s’il n’avait pas du tout conscience de ma présence. Comme si, en fait, il était lui-même un étranger dont la ressemblance lointaine et superficielle avec le Ben Du Toit que j’avais connu était pure coïncidence. «Bien entendu, je te garderai tes papiers, ai-je dit, avec le ton de quelqu’un qui rassure ou apaise un enfant. Pourquoi ne pas les déposer ce soir chez moi, on en profitera pour prendre un verre de vin et bavarder tranquillement. Il sembla encore plus agité qu’auparavant. - Non, non, je ne peux pas faire ça. Je vais m’assurer qu’ils parviennent chez toi. Je ne veux pas te causer d’ennuis. - Bon, d’accord. Je poussai un soupir résigné. Encore une de ces histoires larmoyantes dont j’avais l’habitude. «J’y jetterai un coup d’œil et te ferai savoir ce que j’en pense.» - Je ne veux pas que tu m’en parles. Garde seulement ces papiers comme je te l’ai demandé. - Rien n’arrivera, Ben, insistai-je, non sans irritation. Ce n’est que de l’hypertension. Tout ce dont tu as besoin, c’est des vacances.» Deux semaines plus tard, il était mort.

Chapter 6 An example

Written expression I had a very good friend then, a girl named Hafida. Her parents were from Morocco. She was more extroverted than I was and when I was with her I felt bolder. She used to come to my place to do her homework or watch TV.


159

She had been absent from school for two whole weeks and I missed her. Finally I decided to go to her place right after school. As I got down the bus I suddenly realized that I was in a different country. My friend lived in one of the worse suburbs of the town. I had heard of such places but I never thought she could actually live there. The buildings were high, h igh, blank, identical. identica l. There There were no trees at all, a ll, not one. I was amazed by the bleakness, tramped grass everywhere, no trees. The graffitis at eye level casted a cheerful note. I met a few boys from school, they stopped talking and looked at me as if surprised. I suddenly realized that I was an ignorant fool who didn’t even know her own schoolfellows. Moshine was there, he didn’t say much but took me to Hafida’s place. I was dismayed by the stairs, the graffitis, a broken window patched up with a plastic flowery paper, and strong cooking smells which came out of the flats were spicy and foreign. At some floors I heard loud beat music. Hafida opened the door, pale and slimmer and so happy to see me. I met the whole family and I had to phone home as they insisted in keeping me that evening as the mother had by chance done a special couscous. I got used to the foreign spicy smells, the too sweet little cakes and the tea which tasted like syrup. I felt drunk by it all. I marvelled at the way they could eat so much in one go. The grandfather got so welcoming that we started to go through the family album but I had to leave with a promise to return for a proper meal soon. I kept wondering what a proper meal would be.

Chapter 8

Text 2 – A Portrait of Chinua Achebe

Task ᕡ

a) The text is informative.

Task ᕤ

Understanding the text ᕡ

General comprehension 1. Who is Chinua Achebe? 2. A defender of Africa’s past 3. A short biography 4. A quote from Things Fall Apart 5. A review of Things of Things Fall Apart 6. A summary of Things of Things Fall Apart 7. The language of Chinua Achebe 8. Chinua Achebe’s main works and themes

ᕢ

Detailed comprehension

a) Chinua Achebe Achebe writes in English because it is “a world-wide language” in which he can express his experience of Africa. b) 1.Name: born Albert Achebe, he chose to be called Chinua Achebe. 2. Place of birth: Ogidi, Nigeria. 3. Date of birth: 1930. 4. Parents’ religion: Protestant. 5. Own values: he is proud of his Ibo tradition while accepting to write in English, the language of Africa colonial past, he now fights today’s corruption in Africa. 6. Languages: Ibo and English. c) He changed his name because he wanted to accept his Ibo origin. d) The white man defines their gods as things of wood and stone, he has no idea of their power. e) The African gods mentioned are Ani, Amadiora, Idemili, Ogwugwu.

160


f) The men of Mbanta laugh at the expense of the white man because they know from experience the power of their own gods. g) We learn about life in a traditional African community and how the changes brought by colonialism were all powerful. h) In 1890, “missionaries and colonial government made their intrusion into Ibo society.” i) Onkongwo is different from his fellowmen because he realises that missionaries and colonial government will change his society. He will be destroyed because he is unable to accept these changes chang es while the other Africans seem to have done so. j) Achebe writes in African English. His African characters “use an elevated diction” which reproduces the melody of the Ibo language in English. k) He is not happy with present day Nigeria denouncing “the corruption and power struggles.”

Vocabulary les coutumes occidentales

Western customs

pour affirmer

to assert

baptisé

christened

son enclos est grand

his compound is large

indigène

indigenous

son refus de changer

his unwillingness to change

ne peuvent pas vous faire du mal

cannot do you any harm

pour communiquer l’effet de la langue ibo

to convey the sense of Ibo speech

un rire railleur

a derisive laughter

qui met en scène

featuring

sans malice

harmless

les luttes de pouvoir

power struggles

la caractéristique la plus frappante

the most striking feature

la déception

disappointment


161

odel answers Sequence 8 Chapter 1

Task ᕡ

Civilisation and culture ᕡ Ambivalence

We had started the first sequence with the 17th century in the new world and the settling of the Puritan pilgrims in America. They were inspired with a “mission“: to create a model community for the rest of the world to envy and copy. Throughout their history Americans have stayed fast to this sense of “mission“. At times they withdrew from intervention and concentrated on developing their territory and own wealth as in the drive to the West in the mid 18th century. This isolationism gave way to interventionism in the two world wars of the 20th century. This phase is not over, American presidentss are still set to give democracy to the rest of the world and this is the reason or the excuse president for the interventions intervent ions in Vietnam and the Arabic Gulf. Whatever opinion we personally have of American military interventionism today we witness and all share in the factual dominance of the USA in the fields of trade, technology and popular culture. And the youth of the world all over is learning English, wears jeans and watches American films even those who wear protest placards to protest against American military interventions, or non-interventions for that matter. ᕢ Brands Apple Macintosh

Think different.

Coca-Cola

It’s the real thing.

Levi’s

Have you ever had a bad time in Levi’s?

McDonald’s

You deserve a break today.

Nike

If it feels good then just do it.

Shell

Youu can be sure of Shell. Yo

United Airlines

Fly the friendly skies.

Burger King

Have it your way.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Finger lickin’ good

Kodak

America’s storyteller


163

ᕣ On Hollywood The ten blockbusters

Genre

Filmmaker’s/ author’s nationality

The ten best films as listed by critics

Genre

Filmmaker’s/ author’s nationality

Titanic

Disaster, Romance

James Cameron: American

Citizen Kane

Biography

Orson Welles: American

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Science-fiction

Based on the work of Tolkien, an English writer, directed by Peter Jackson a New Zealander.

La Rè Règle du du Je Jeu

Social Co Comment

Jean Re Renoir: French

Harry Potter and the Philosopherís stone

Fantasy

Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, an English writer

Vertigo

Thriller

Alfred Hitchcock: British

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Fantasy


The Godfather

Gangster movie

Francis Ford Coppola: American

Star Wars I

Science-fiction

George Lucas: American

Tokyo Story

Romance

Yasujiro Ozu: Japanese

Jurassic Park

Scie Sc ienc ncee-fi ficcti tion on

Stev St even en Sp Spie ielb lber erg g

2001: A Space Odyssey

Science-fiction

Stanley Kubrick: American

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Fantasy

Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, an English writer

Battleship Potemkin

History

Eisenstein: Russian

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Fantasy


8 1/2

Fantasy

Federico Fellini: Italian

Finding Nemo

Animated cartoon American

Pather Panchali

Social Comment

Satyajit Ray: Indian

Spider-Man

Fantasy

The Seven Samurai

War

Akira Kurosawa: Japanese

American

One possible conclusion: although the USA produce many films, those may be based on works of fiction created by British writers or writers w riters of the English-speaking world. wor ld. It is to be noted that Japanese, Indian, Italian, French film–makers figure among the best, together with American names.

Chapter 2

Task ᕡ

Text – “The Good Samaritans“ Anticipation The text is an extract from a magazine article, it deals with the rich and famous and with humanitarian issues.

164


Task ᕤ

Compréhension du texte a) Completing the grid. Answer in complete sentences Wha hatt ty type pe of te text xt??

Dat atee of pub ubli lica cati tion on??

Nam Na me of th thee aut utho hor? r?

What Wh at is it ab abou outt?

This is an extract from a magazine article. It is taken from Time magazine.

The article was written in the Time issue of December 2005/ January 2006.

It was written by Nancy Gibbs.

It’s about Bill and Melinda Gates’, as well as Bono’s involvement in humanitarian aid.

b) Bill Gates is a computer expert. He co-founded Microsoft. He is considered “the great predator of the internet age” (line 4), he has worked on “Microsoft” for years (line 10). c) Bono is a rock singer (line 23: “an Irish rock star” ). ). d) The title: “The Good Samaritans” refers to an episode in the Bible. Bi ble. Jesus tells the story of a Samaritan Samarita n who once helped a wounded man, although he was a stranger to him. A good Samaritan is thus someone who practises charity. The Gates and Bono are such persons. e) The article contains 5 paragraphs. The titles are in the following order: 1. Unlikely rescuers 5. Gates’ new challenge is charity 3. The same standards can apply to the software and charitable markets. 4. Bono asks help on all sides 2. Charity is a passion ᕢ The

first paragraph of the article

a) The first paragraph informs us that the Gates and Bono behave as normal billionaires or celebrities do and indulge themselves. The examples of this are given by Bono drinking Pinot Noir costing “several thousand dollars at a restaurant” and Bill Gates having a “$100 million house”. Yet, they have also chosen the non-prestigious task of people who work for charity and want “to save the world”. b) The behaviours of Bono and Bill Gates appear contradictory. They spend a fortune on themselves yet they also spend a fortune on helping the poor. We could wonder why they don’t give all their money away but they don’t behave as saints or martyrs. c) Bono and Bill Gates influence us because they behave in a way untrue to the image we have of celebrities. They could live in a protected world, in the limelight, but have chosen to give back their wealth. Instead of glamour they are concerned with the poorest among us. If the richest man in the world and one of the world’s most famous rock star can do that, why not us? d) Vocabulary venir au secours

to come to the rescue

voyager en classe normale

fly commercial

brilliant

shiny

ces types

these guys

superficiel

shallow

s’associer avec

to partner with

individus

creatures

autrement

otherwise

nichés

nestled

s’occuper de causes

care about causes

richesse

wealth

réclamer

require

composer eux-mêmes un numéro de téléphone

to place their own calls

rester sans rien faire

staying on the sidelines

ᕣ The second paragraph

e) In the eyes of Bill Gates poverty is “stupid“ and unprofitable. The poor die because they have no money to buy medicine. But all human lives are “valuable” . f) Bill Gates uses the expression “a system failure” as it is an expression which applies to the computer world. In this context he wants to eradicate world poverty and diseases by applying to them the same logical and efficient methods he uses when solving a “system failure” on a computer. He is a strategic thinker. Corrigés des exercices séquence 8-AN01

165

g) Bill Gates has decided to act now because he has “the resources that could make a big impact” (line 13). Therefore, he wants to act now and not wait until he retires while people are dying now. h) Vocabulary par manque de

for want of

une panne du système

a system failure

une pilule

a pill

de valeur

valuable

se détacher de

to draw away from

Je vais m’occuper de ça

I’ll get around to that

avoir l’intention de

to intend to

Restez là sans rien faire

Stand by

changer d’intérêt

to shift his focus

ᕤ

Paragraph 3

i) Bill Gates has revolutionized the “charitable market” by treating it as he treated “the software business”. He demands “the best” from everyone. He wants to know where all his money goes. He demands “efficiency” . He has “rigor” . He studies the problems and approaches them as he does a computer problem. For example he can “fix malaria in 10 years.” j) It is an advantage for Bono to be working with Bill Gates because beca use the rock star is now taken seriously. He no longer runs the risk of being considered as a star indulging in charitable action. k) Vocabulary ressentir l’appel

feel the call

l’efficacité

efficiency

des bâtiments en marbre

marble buildings

le risque de ne pas être pris au sérieux

the risk of not being taken seriously

la santé

health

coupable

guilty

plaisanter (familier)

to kid

harceler

to pester

façonner

to shape

se concentrer sur

to focus on

une bourse, une allocation

a grant

régler (familier)

to fix

avoir tant d’importance

mean so much to

tableaux (sur ordinateur)

spreadsheets

ᕥ Paragraph

4

l) Bono manages to convince people to give money by making them f eel involved in his charitable aid. “He invites everyone into the game.” m) The fact that he is “willing to work” with all spectrum of society makes him open to criticism. n) Vocabulary comprendre, saisir

to grasp

faire comprendre

to make them think

hurler

to yell

vrai, sincère

genuine

auditoire

audience

pour l’effet

for show

impuissant

helpless

être prêt à

to be willing to

ᕦ Paragraph

5

o) Pity is compassion and tries to make people suffer less, passion is a revolt against poverty. Passion warns us that we must give the poor the possibility poss ibility of working: workin g: “the poor are fully capable c apable of helping themselves if given the chance.” (line 38). p) Vocabulary

166

la souffrance

suffering

prévenir, avertir

to warn

soulager la douleur

to ease the pain

les pauvres du monde

the world’s poor

les puissants

the powerful

se mettre en colère (familier)

to get mad


Chapter 4

Task ᕡ

Enjoy your grammar ᕡ Rédaction

corrigée

Today, we are all aware of what is happening everywhere on the planet. Wherever they take place wars and natural disasters are every night on our TV screens. Then they disappear from the news and from our minds and only some of us have the courage to go and fight famine in Ethiopia for example or in some other foreign country whose name we have forgotten. I admire these selfless people who dedicate most of their lives, and moreover risk their lives, to save others all over the world. I feel proud of being French when I hear that “Doctors Without Borders” is a French organisation. However I do know that there are many international aid organisations like the Red Cross for example. I intend to become a computer programmer, I would like to work abroad for a while, may be in Africa or in another developing country. At present I can’t do much for the poor in the Third World countries but at least I give money to Telethon or whenever there is an appeal for a natural disaster such as the tsunami in India. My mother regularly gives our old clothes to the Red Cross for the destitute. Maybe the most important thing I can do is to stay aware to the problem of the poor in my city and on my planet and find it intolerable. ᕢ Les

treize règles enfreintes

1. what is happening : le présent en BE + –ING décrit une action en cours de déroulement (ce qui est en train de se passer en ce moment sur la planète.) 2. wars and natural disasters: aucun article n’apparaît lorsqu’on le nom est un dénombrable pluriel. 3. every night: every est toujours suivi du singulier. 4. our minds: un collectif pluriel en anglais. 5. famine in Ethiopia: un concept général non précisé ; Ethiopia: les noms de pays sont sans article (sauf the USA, the UK, the Netherlands). dedicate: le pronom relatif ayant pour antécédent une personne est who. 6. people who dedicate:

7. all over the world: dans le monde entier. 8. I feel proud of being French = proud + of + verbe + -ing. 9. I intend to become a computer programmer: to intend + to + base verbale. 10. a: article devant un nom de métier. 11. the poor: un adjectif (poor) devenu un nom pluriel collectif ne porte pas d’s. : une faute d’inattention des plus communes, relisez-vous. 12. my mother give s s:

13. I can do: can exprime l’idée de possibilité.

Task ᕢ

ᕡ

L’article approprié

a) Bill Gates is a computer expert, Bono is an Irish rock singer. b) What an awful lot of money they have given to causes! c) What a beautiful song! d) He can play the piano. e) Summer is my favourite season. f) Time is money. g) The Net brings together people from all over the world.


167

h) Man may conquer space but the poor are still among us. i) Are girls better achievers at school than boys? j) Mankind still needs to solve many ills. ᕢ Le

présent simple ou continu

a) Every morning he does his training then he goes to work at eight. b) In winter she goes skiing in the Alps and tries to release her stress. c) The Earth turns around the sun. d) Don’t disturb her, she is listening to her favourite piece of music. e) They aren’t watching TV yet, they have to do their homework first. f) Why are you putting so much emphasis on this issue? g) Does the train leave at 7 or at 8? h) Look, it’s snowing! Isn’t it beautiful? i) Do you like Paris? j) He knows I am right. ᕣ Les temps appropriés

a) I lived in New York for two years. Now, I am in Chicago. b) She had been sleeping for three hours when the fire started. c) He knew their names because they had been arrested before. d) They seemed very tired. They had been working all day long. e) Soon after their arrival they got married. f) He doesn’t have his car today, it is being repaired. g) She has been looking after the children all day, she deserves a break. h) I’ve just been spending a whole week in London, it was great. i) Have you ever seen such a mess? Tidy your room, will you. j) I have been learning learning English since I started elementary school. ᕤ Modal

ou forme équivalente

a) They are arguing so loudly, I can’t hear the TV. b) When she was younger she could swim for hours. c) I’m sorry but you musn’t can’t stand in the corridor, it’s not allowed. d) May can I borrow your pen, please? e) You don’t don’ t have to pay for me, I have enough money. f) He must have been very anxious for you, that’s why he phoned the police. g) You might should have rung me before coming to visit me. h) You should must stop smoking immediately. i) He won’t be able to do that work on his own. j) You shouldn’t have done that, it was silly.

168


ᕥ Liaisons

de deux verbes : to + infinitif/ l’infinitif sans to/ le gérondif

a) The policeman asked me to see my identity card. b) We have decided to move to the States. c) He made me do the dishes before going out. d) I am used to listening to the radio first thing in the morning. e) She closed the door without saying a word to them. f) You need to believe in yourself to succeed. g) I remember seeing her with him everyday. h) Remember to contact me every week. i) I don’t agree with you coming home so late. j) They expect me to obey their orders.

Chapter 5

Translation ᕢ The

best alternatives

These are not the people you expect to come to the rescue… On ne s’attend pas à ce que ces gens viennent à la rescousse. Une transposition ; “you“ se traduit par “on“. Rock stars are designed to be shiny, shallow creatures… On considère les Rock stars comme des créatures brillantes, superficielles. La forme passive se traduit souvent par “on“. … if these guys can make it their mission to save the world, = … si ces types ont décidé de se donner pour mission de sauver le monde. On peut étoffer l’expression anglaise. ᕣ Translation

On ne s’attend pas à ce que ces gens viennent à la rescousse. On considère les Rock stars comme des créatures brillantes, superficielles, coupées à jamais de la réalité. Les milliardaires sont même encore plus détachés du monde, nichés au sommet de richesses fantastiques, d’où ils n’ont jamais besoin de passer leurs propres coups de fil ou de décongeler leur dîner ou encore de prendre l’avion en classe touriste. Ainsi, Bono dépense plusieurs plusieur s milliers de dollars dollar s au restaurant pour un Pinot Pin ot Noir, et Bill Gates, le grand prédateur de l’ère de l’Internet, possède une salle de trampoline dans sa demeure de 100 millions de dollars. Cela vous amène à penser que si ces types ont décidé de se donner pour mission de sauver le monde, de s’associer à des gens qu’ils n’auraient normalement pas fréquentés, de s’occuper de causes qui ne sont ni sexy ni valorisantes pour une célébrité, alors personne n’a plus vraiment de bonne excuse pour rester sans rien faire…

Chapter 6

Written expression Judging by the article “The New Samaritans” we can see that when celebrities like Bill and Melinda Gates or Bono get involved in humanitarian issues, the result can be quite spectacular. Yet we wonder why we have come to this point, is it the role of famous individuals to solve the ills of our times or should we rely on governmental institutions or other official means to do this? The governments of the Western World have attempted solutions s olutions like erasing the t he debt of the Third World for example. Direct financial help is also present either from governments or from aid organisations


169

like “Save the Children Fund” or “Action contre la faim”. There are many instances of celebrities who contribute to help these organisations. For example, in France, artists flock to Telethon each year to support whatever cause. We have a tendency to copy the rich and a nd famous when we can. We copy their fashion, we envy their life style. Celebrities set trends and we like to feel we are “in”. They are role models somehow. Whenever they support a cause this has a strong impact on us as we are quite prepared and able to contribute to aid organisations as well. So it is evident that celebrities should be involved in humanitarian issues. In “The New Samaritans”, the author mentions the accusations which could be levell ed off against stars like Bono. Some celebrities may not be “genuine” and get involved in humanitarian issues simply to improve their image. In fact by giving money or support they receive back more glory (and consequently more money). It would be hard to name anyone who does this even if these people exist. I personally don’t mind what is in their heart provided that by their support they raise more money for the causes they have chosen. In conclusion, whether celebrities are sincere or not, their involvement in humanitarian issues is useful. Today, with the involvement of Bill and Melinda Gates, we see a revolution in charity. However isn’t it shameful that the government governmentss of the wealthier countries haven’t eradicated world poverty before the Gates came on the scene? ■

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AN01TE2-COREXEA.pdf

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