Asking Questions in English

_not very tactful... comparing him to Rebecca. ..... To conclude, we could say ad projects very positive images of .... Calvin wants to pinch his father's credit card.
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Wish + Plu Perfect Ex: _ I wish you had not eaten the cake _I wish you had done it before _He wishes they had not come

IRREEL DU PASSE

Wish + Preterit Ex: _I wish I were richer _I wish I ran faster _They wish the teacher were kinder/more patient

IRREEL DU PRESENT

Wish + would Ex: _She wishes he would not spend so much time with Chris _I wish you would smoke less _I wish you would let me know

POTENTIEL Le changement dépend uniquement de la volonté du sujet de would.

Asking Questions in English. Time:

*it took me two hours _How long did it take you? *the film lasted two hours _How long did the film last? *I’ve been swimming for two hours _How long have you been swimming? *I go to the picture once a week _How often do you go to the picture?

People:

_Who came? *John came _Who (m) did you see? *I saw Peter _Who (m) is Janet talking to? *She’s speaking to Phil

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Objects:

*She’s looking at the picture _What is she looking at? *He said: “shit _What did he say? *His grin makes me feel uncomfortable. _What makes you feel uncomfortable.

Les Tags

a) Les différents tags : Après une phrase affirmative, un tag interro-négatif :

_You are happy, aren’t you? _He loves you, doesn’t he? _There was a train last night, wasn’t there? _She lived in New York, didn’t she? _You will be playing, won’t you?

Après une phrase affirmative, un tag interrogatif :

_You aren’t happy, are you? _She never stayed in New York, did she? _I don’t suppose you’ll be playing, will you? _He hardly ever comes here, does he?

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Attention à ces tags : *Let’s go, shall we? *Stop it, will you? *Don’t do that will you?

b) Moi aussi, moi non plus :

SO + AUXILIAIRE + SUJET _They are happy, so are we. _They agree, so do I. _He’ll be playing, so will john. NEITHER (NOR) + AUXILIAIRE + SUJET

I don’t like it, neither does she.

c) Quelques autres tags : I don’t like beer………………………………………Do you? Do you like beer?………………………………… Yes, I don’t. “ “ “ ………………………………………No, I don’t. It’s rather expensive……………………….…...So is it. She works a lot……………………………………….So she does. They’ve gone to Paris…………………….…….…Oh, have they? He won’t be playing…………………………………Yes, he will. “ “ “ “…………………………….………But john will. Oh, he will be playing………………………...…..Will he? Otherwise: sinon.

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Dans une proposition circonstancielle de temps introduite par when, whenever, while, once, as soon as _le futur en anglais est remplacé par le présent. _le conditionnel “ “ “ “ le preterit. _le futur antérieur “ “ “ le present perfect. _Le conditionnel passé “ “ le plu perfect.

L’Heure

Past

Quarter past twelve

Half past twelve

To

Quarter to one

The early bird catches the worm. Le premier oiseau attrape le vers. L’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt.

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English

Laura lives un Ferney whereas Mathilde lives in St-Genis. Mathilde has been living there for fifteen years. (Since 1984)

For + Duration Since + Beginning of Action. Mathilde was born in 1984. A child is born to the world. To bear / I bore / Borne Ex:

*Air-borne troops *Sea-borne troops *Your efforts will bear fruits.

I was playing tennis when it started raining.

I had been playing tennis for two hours when it started raining.

*To bear a grudge against someone. *We should bear that in mind. “When a child is born to the world, it has no concept of tone of the skin it’s living in.” we use “it” for a baby. 5

“More like your sister” Tim is fifteen years old. Tim is a fifteen-year-old boy. From the title, we may guess / assume that the story is about a family in which the parents spend their time making comparaisons between their children. This text is an extract / excerpt from a novel entitled: “Follow a shadow” by Robert Swindells. The reason for Tim’s parents’ anger is that their son came back at 11’30 last night. Tim’s parents reproach him for coming at 11’30. Before listening to the narrator’s voice, we can guess that the scene takes place on Sunday morning because we can hear church bells ringing. Tim tells his father that his friends _were off-clubbing _ went pub-crawling

…when he left them.

Tim’s father makes it clear that he doesn’t want to hear about Tim’s friends. He doesn’t care about them. He’s not interested in them. At the beginning of the story,Tim _pays hardly any attention _shows hardly any respect

*To pay someone a visit. *To pay someone a compliment. *To pay homage to someone. 6

to his father.

Tim doesn’t seam to be listening; consequently, his father raises his voice _to… …get Tim’s attention. _in order to… _so as to… *Tim’s father is rather strict. *He’s an uncompromising father. *He’s unbending. *He’s not liberal. *He’s adamant. *He doesn’t yield to his son’s argument.

night.

Tim’s parents disapprove of his behavior He has principles and he sticks to them. They disapprove of his coming back home in the middle of the

Tim contradicts his father... Tim argues with his father.. . Tim answers back to his father…

…because he doesn’t realize that his father _is concerned with his future.

_worries about him. _worries about his _is reacting for his

future. own good. At the end of the year, Tim will be sitting for the GCSE. (General Certificate for Secondary Education). That’s why Tim’s father _is not lenient. _doesn’t give an inch. Tim should work harder and concentrate more. Tim’s father wants him to pass his exam. To pass ≠ To fail.

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Unlike Tim, Phil will not be sitting for GCSE. *Besides Phil is _unemployed. *Moreover _jobless. _on the dole. _out of work..

night.

Tim’s parents reproach him for hanging around the city late at

They don’t want their son to spend so much time hanging around. Instead of drinking in pubs, Tim _should be a hard-working _ought to teenager. If he wants to pass his exam, Tim had better work harder. The acropolis must be a pub. Tim says that him and his friends _don’t harm _don’t do any harm All they do is, drink coffee Tim’s parents don’t like his _friends _mates _pals _buddies. “We wish you wouldn’t spend so much of your time with him.”

*But in Tim’s mind, there is no mind in seeing Chris. *To Tim’s opinion… *From Tim’s point of view… Tim’s mother considers Chris as a bad influence he drinks and is not keen on school.

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_because _in so far as

One day, Tim’s mother saw Chris in the town and he looked half-doped. He had probably taken drugs. He might have smoked grass. That’s what the story is all about. Tim’s parents don’t want Chris to take Tim with him. They fear that he might

_take drugs. _get hooked on drug. _get addicted. _get into drug. _become a drug-addict. _take to drugs. _take drinking. _get into trouble.

“Your father and I wish you were more like your sister.” We wish you were better at school. We wish you worked harder. Rebecca must be

_a hard-working student. _a good-tempered daughter. _a well mannered-girl.

Now she is studying medicine in Edinburgh. The queen’s husband is the duke. He clenched his fist under the table because he resented hearing his parents mention his sister name. He kept his self-control. He controlled himself. He suppressed his hanger. He’s used to hearing his sister’s name.

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He’s sick and tired of hearing that. He’s used to _that reproach _their comparing him to Rebecca _them He knew that, sooner or later, Rebecca would come up in the conversation. Tim can’t _bear it any longer. _stand it any longer. _put up with it anymore. It makes him want to puke. He’s sick of it all. He can’t put up with his parents nagging at him all the time. As a consequence, Tim becomes resentful. He resents his parents’

_harassing him _scolding him. _telling him off.

We can easily understand Tim: It is _tactless… …of his parents to spend their time _not very tactful... comparing him to Rebecca.. It generates jealousy between brother and sister. *We side with Tim. *We feel for Tim *We sympathize with Tim “This is the last straw that breaks the camel’s bag.” He remains calm in appearance. He strides out of the room. It is all the more _tactless _unwise

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of his father

_as _since _because

Tim might lose

confidence.

“Dream On”

Martin notices that there is something on Jeremy’s arm and he first thinks it’s a bruise. In fact, it is a tattoo. Martin smiles because it looks real and Jeremy breaks the news to him that it is real. Not only is it a tattoo but it represents a skull. Martin can’t believe _his eyes. _his hears. He is _shocked. _floored. _horrified. _speechless. _aghast (filled with horror and surprise). To Martin, the tattoo looks_horrible. _disgusting. _hideous. _atrocious. _horrifying. _abominable. _appalling. This time, Martin thinks Jeremy has gone a little bit too far asserting his independence. He disagrees entirely with what Jeremy has done. He objects to what Jeremy has done.

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It is one thing to assert one’s independence, it is quite another _to get a tattoo on one’s arm. _to have a skull tattooed on one’s arm. To Have Something + Participe Passé I should have my hair cut. I must have the walls painted. Martin doesn’t see what Jeremy is trying to prove. When he says that the skull is forever he means that you can’t remove it / erase it / rub it off.

thing.

It is indelible! It is mot easy for a father to accept such a

Judith wants to be a rational person. She is a levelheaded person. She doesn’t want to flare up. She doesn’t want to fly into a temper. She wants to deal with the problem in a rational way. Martin expected her _to support him. _to be supportive. _to punish Jeremy and to react severely.

We can account for Martin’s reaction by saying that it is rather distressing for a father to discover a skull tattooed on his son’s arm. “Don’t let your anger cloud your better judgement.” And Martin tends to believe / is under the impression that Jeremy is going to get away with it. To be grounded for….

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He had a sleepless night as he kept tossing and turning. He felt he had been ridiculed. He felt like a fool that’s what kept him from having a quiet restful night. Keep from doing smth Prevent from doing smth. Martin blames Judith for taking Jeremy’s side. He reproaches her for supporting him. As a consequence, he has to handle the problem all by himself. He is so furious. It is so painful for him to hear Jeremy say : “Now I know why she divorced you.” He leaves the apartment and slams / bangs the door. He felt betrayed. He wishes Jeremy would accept to remove his tattoo. He wishes J. had asked for a permission before going to a tattoo parlour. He wishes J. had told him about hid desire to have a tattoo. He wishes J.

_were more respectful. _would have the tattoo removed.

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe it was a fake ID?” Martin reproaches the man for

fake ID.

_being too negligent. _being too naï ve. _for thinking it could have been a

At Madison square Garden, Martin looks

_tremendously depressed. _down hearted. _discouraged. _downcast.

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The reason why Martin looks so miserable is because he can’t help thinking about Jeremy. He can’t help feeling sorry about what happened. That’s why he can’t concentrate on the game. Although his friend doesn’t comfort him, he still gives him a good advice. “A friend in need is a friend indeed” Eddy’s advice

_makes sense. _is common sense.

He says “you should lighten up in him.” Give him a break. Get off his back. Judith is expecting for a baby. She is pregnant. Martin admits that Eddy is not wrong when he says that “a son who loves you, even if he has a tattoo, is better than a son who hates you, even with a tattoo.” Don’t worry, I’ll back you up. A policeman calling for some back up. Martin explains that you can get rid of a tattoo easily

_as long as _provided that

_on condition that… there is no red in it. “You guys are so conceited!”

Self-satisfied. Self-centred. 14

Let’s not start assigning blames. Jeremy considers his parents are lucky because their son could be stealing or shooting up drugs. In the end of the episode, Judith and Martin wonder why Jeremy doesn’t want them in his bedroom and they start thinking that maybe he is setting _fire to the curtains _curtains on fire _light to the curtains.

Teasing On a first day at a new school, When you’re at a new school,

*you can ask yourself if you’ll make new friends. *you feel tense *you worry about what is going to happen to you but you also look forward to discovering that new world. You wonder whether *all will be fine or not. *you’re going to like it. *your teachers will be nice. *you will get on well with others. You wonder how demanding / exacting they will be. It is a time of anxiety and uncertainly. You have butterflies in your stomach. It is not very easy to make friends in a new school. Everybody pairs off and if you want to make friends, you have to break in a 15

pair. To that end, you must be sociable and adapted to your new environment. It very much depends on your personality.

Why did Wells pick on Stephen? *Because Stephen is younger. *Stephen may be smaller than he is. *As a new boy, Stephen may be _a bit shy _a bit of a loner *Stephen is an easy target. *Stephen is a sitting duck.

…which makes him the ideal victim.

Stephen feels all the lonelier as he is far away from home. He wants us _to sympathise with him _to side with him. Stephen is too mented and sensitive. At the beginning of the story, Wells asks Stephen a very personal question. W. asked S. if he kissed his mother before he went to bed. S. should have answered it was none of his business or _“Mind your own business.” _”What does it matter to you?” _”What is it to you?”

Verbs Nouns Adjectives

To scorn Scorn Scornful

To despite

Despicable

Contempt Contemptuous Contemptible

Wells is scornful, contemptuous. He likes showing contempt for younger boys.

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How did Stephen react when he was asked the question about kissing? He was confused; he didn’t know what to say. He was lost for words. He blushed out of embarrassment. His cheek turned red. He went red because he was ashamed. Slush : neige fondue (to) Blush : rougir (to) Flush : rougir At that stage, Stephen probably wished he were dead. On a second thought, he decided to say that he didn’t kiss his mother, which proves that he was at a loss. He feels excluded / unwanted. It is clear that S. is doing his best to integrate into the group of schoolboys. He wants to be part of the group. *To play marbles. S. doesn’t bear Wells a grudge for shouldering him in the ditch. He doesn’t have a grudge against him. Stephen even looks up to Wells because he believes that he is more experienced / wiser than he is. “No hard feelings” : sans rancune. He undoubtedly misses his mother. He is homesick. A loner = A good social mixer

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The other fellows laugh when Wells laugh. They are cowards. They are sycophants. =flagonneurs. When Stephen got out of the ditch, he was so cold that on his way back to the classroom, he was _shivering. _shuddering. His clothes were

_soaking wet. _dripping wet. He was drenched. He was soaked to skin. He was frozen to the narrow. I have a lump in my throat. To kiss somebody goodnight / goodbye. At the end of the story, Stephen is more confused than ever. He is puzzled. Jigsaw puzzle = un puzzle. A saw = une scie. Stephen said : “I am trapped” He said he was trapped. They said : “He will soon go back to Dublin.” They said he would soon go back to Dublin. Although he tried hard to adapt, he didn’t manage to… However hard he could have tried to adapt,… Although he admired Wells, Stephen wondered what he was up to. In spite of his admiring Wells, … Perhaps he has lost his self-confidence. He may have lost his self-confidence.

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From the beginning, we are led to think that Wells is a bully. He is violent, he is aggressive, he is mean / vicious, he likes bullying other boys. He enjoys imposing his physical strength on younger / weaker boys. He enjoys _showing off in front of his schoolmates. _impressing them. _being the boss / the leader of the group. He is keen on humiliating the other boys. He likes teasing… / laughing at… / making a mock of… / making fun of other boys. He enjoys mocking them… / nagging at them… / taking the Mickey out of them.

An advertisement for Quaker Oatmeal.

This document is an advertisement for Quaker Oatmeal in which we can see a child and his mother, having their breakfast. All around them, we can see pictures that show the mother during the day. We can se that she is very busy. At the bottom of the document, we can see the four different sorts of Quaker Oatmeal and the text that explains how to make and eat them. In the middle, there’s a sentence written in big red letters which explains why we see so many pictures of that woman and which tries to prove that the Quaker Oatmeal are the unmissable cereals for busy women who love their children. The little boy’s wearing blue and white pyjamas whereas the mother’s wearing a red jacket. They both look happy and it is supposed to make us believe that it is thanks to the Quaker Oatmeal.

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*A brand : une marque. *To brand : marquer un animal au fer rouge. This is an american ad for Quaker Oatmeal _a type of… …hot instant _a brand of breakfast cereals.

A Quaker is represented on the box. The Quaker society is a Christian sect called “the society of friends”. It was founded by George Fox, in England,… around 1650. … about 1650. The general layout : The central focus of the advert is a child eating Quaker oatmeal with his mum smiling at him and the slogan “For mom who have a lot of love but not a lot of time.” Going clockwise, from the left round the top, are illustrated the child’s activities in the early morning. At the bottom, we can see boxes of Quaker Oatmeal and their various flavours and a small text explaining all the advantages of them. The story is that of a boy getting up. He is woken up by his mother, he cleans his teeth and gets dressed. His mom is always around to help. Then she gives him his breakfast and he goes off to school smiling and happy. The layout is clever because we see that eating breakfast is the most important thing that happens. The mom holding the bowl of cereals is just above the central picture and the slogan and cereals packets immediately below so all the items are in the centre. Although the filmic character of this presentation is very well chosen, it shows all that happen from the moment where she wakes her son up till she leaves for work.

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We can see through the pictures that family life may be busy, but the atmosphere is pleasant and radiates love, happiness and understanding. However busy… …the mother is, she finds enough time to No matter how..feed her son well. In spite of the mother is busy, she finds time to love her son. Breakfast is the main meal of the day. Children need a good breakfast. A child who has a good breakfast is healthy, joyful, full of energy and starts the day happily. Such is the message conveyed by this ad. The traditional messages in this ad are those of the child’s need to be well fed and that mother plays her role and shows her love by feeding her child well. This ad is modern in so far as it recognizes that women and mothers go out to work and neither need nor want nor even have the opportunity to stay at home to cook and clean al day. It is possible to be a good loving mother and a professional. Besides, this ad gives a positive image of african-american families. *Besides : par ailleurs. The warm feeling is a physical warmth the child get from the Quaker Oatmeal and the emotional warmth they both get by making or receiving a gesture of love. To conclude, we could say ad projects very positive images of family life to encourage people to buy the product advertised. The implicit message is : as the families who use this product are happy, it is necessarily a good one. So if you use this product, your family will be just as happy.

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The Golden Girls Sophia is going to visit her son Phil. She is going there by plane. She is flying there. She is filling her suitcase with jars of clam sauce. It seemed that Phil’s wife is not a very good cook. Phil’s wife works all day

_which is why… _so… _that’s the reason why… _as a consequence… _as a result… _consequently… _therefore… …she has no time to cook.

Due to her working all day,

As she works all day, Since she works all day,

Phil’s wife doesn’t have time to cook.

Whenever Phil’s wife goes into the kitchen, she gets a can of beer from the fridge. What does she go into the kitchen for? Sophia’s son’s wife’s a welder. They’ve got ten kids : 6 boys and 4 girls. To weld is to join two pieces of metal together by hitting the edges and fixing them solidly together. Sum up : Today, Sophia is getting ready before flying to her son’s place. She’s in the kitchen, filling her suitcase with food because she considers her son’s wife to be a bad cook. Apparently, the only time she goes into the kitchen is to get a cold beer. Dorothy explains that this is because her sister-in-law is a very busy woman. Besides, she’s got a very large family.

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The six boys are giving up their bedroom for their grandmother. The kids are looking forward to _their grandmother’s visit. _seeing her. _getting presents from her.

_telling her about their little secrets.

They are eager to… They can’t wait to…

share their secrets with their grandmother.

One of Sophia’s grandchildren has attended an animal grooming school where you learn _to groom animals. _to trim their hairs. _to wash them. _how to make this fluffy ball at the end of puddles’ tails. Sophia misunderstands Blanche’s use of seeing. She thinks Rose is seeing a psychiatrist for psychological reasons / support. There’s a pun here, a play-upon-words. Sophia thinks it’s about time Rose saw a shrink. It is high time she got some psychological help. Sophia said that when her son’s wife’s father got out of prison, his daughter would be rich. Sophia wonders when she will be wealthy. Sophia wondered when she would be rich. Rose is a bit reluctant to have Jonathan over. She is unwilling to invite him. Blanche is being very inquisive. (She asks many questions). She insists on knowing everything about him, and to that end, she is pressing Rose to go into details. To press someone to do something.

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She is harassing Rose with questions. She is talking Rose into giving her _as many details as she can. _as much information as she can. Blanche loses no time; she already pictures herself going out with one of Jonathan’s colleagues. Rose’s very discreet concerning her new friend. She eludes Blanche’s questions. She is being elusive. She remains as vague as she can as regards Jonathan. So we can sense uneasiness on Rose’s part when the idea of inviting Jonathan is mentioned. She’s not very comfortable… She’s embarrassed… She’s ill at ease…

…with the idea of having him over.

Rose is angry with Blanche… She’s mad at her…because she has taken the initiative of inviting Dr Newman _without asking her first. _without asking her in the first place. Although Blanche asked Rose three times to invite him, Rose didn’t invite Jonathan. In spite of Blanche insistence… *Short ribs : côtelettes. When Dorothy tells doctor Newman “I wish I could say the same”. What does she mean?

small.

She wishes Rose had told her he was so small. She wishes that Rose had informed her about the doctor’s being so

Now we can understand the reason for Rose’s reluctance to invite him : he is a dwarf. Dwarves.

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Get out of here! You’re kidding me. You’re pulling my leg. You can’t be serious. You’re joking. Blanche makes a terrible blunder, as a consequence, everybody feels embarrassed. Blanche’s putting her feet in it. It casts a chill over the gallery. *Chilly : froid : frais. Sophia is back. She was not supposed to come back tonight. She was not expected to be back tonight. Her grandson failed his exam. To pass = To fail. As everybody knows she is a born blunderer, they fear she might _say something wrong. _make a blunder again as blanche did. After Jonathan leaves, because it’s getting late, Rose tells her friends that he is probably going _to ask her to marry him. _to ask her for marriage. _to propose her. Although their relationship was dangerous, B&B were determined to go on seeing each other. No matter how… …risky was that relationship, they were determined However… not to conform to people’s opinion. In spite of the weight of social pressure, they were unwilling to yield to people’s prejudices. Whatever… …that relationship might have entailed, they were No matter what…determined to keep going out with each other.

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They were taking risks but they were determined to keep going out with each other though. Dangerous

_though _as

this relationship was, …

Rose’s situation, her dilemma reminds Blanche of what she went through when she was in high-school : she had a relationship with a young man named Benjamin, _who didn’t belong to her community. _who leaved in a different community from hers.

_who didn’t belong to the same social category as hers. _whose origins prevented him from seeing her.

As their relationship

_was forbidden,… _was taboo,… _ran counter to the habits of the south,… …B&B had to see each other in secret. …B&B had to meet away from people’s eyes. It takes much courage to do that. They loved each other to distraction. Both of them were running the risk of being… _excluded from their communities. _rejected out of town. Dorothy and Rose, while listening to Blanche, gradually come to think that Benjamin was black because, in the south, racial prejudices die-hard. As racial prejudices are still very strong in the south and were even more so when Blanche was at school, Dorothy thinks that Blanche, by going out with Benjamin, ran counter to those prejudices. But Benjamin was not black at all; he was from New Jersey, i.e. from the north of the USA. People in the south call people who live in north of the USA “Yankees”. That dates back to the civil war. That dates from the civil war (1861-1865). *i.e. : that is to say.

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What is the comic effect of the scene due to? What is funny is that Blanche is under the impression that… _she displayed great courage… _she proved to be very brave… _she was a profile in courage… _she did something heroic… …whereas Dorothy, Rose and the TV viewer realize that she just went out with a white fellow american. She did nothing more than going out with a white american. What was Blanche dilemma? Blanche’s dilemma was this : either she accepted Ben’s invitation or she dumped him. She did not know what to do. She didn’t know whether to keep seeing him or to put an end to their relationship. Finally, she decided to go into the gymnasium on Benjamin’s arm, in spite of people narrow-mindedness. When they walked into the gymnasium,… _people stared at them. _people looked them up and down. _people stopped talking, they were speechless at first. _people started gossiping behind their backs. B&B set tongue wagging. Although people were shocked, B&B pretended they didn’t hear or see them. B&B behaved as if they neither heard nor saw them. Blanche is so surprised / flabbergasted that she drops the plates she was holding in her hands. It is quite a shock to them all, they are shocked. They can’t believe their ears. The least we can say is that they didn’t expect such news.

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Quotations worthy of notes : Jonathan : “don’t be so self-conscious about my height”. Dorothy to Rose : “you just can’t help yourself, can you?” Jonathan : ‘Nice to have met you.” Sophia : “Likewise”. In the kitchen : When Rose is alone with Jonathan, she feels great, she feels like she’s in even whereas when there are other people around, she feels uncomfortable. She can’t help feeling embarrassed, the sense that people are staring at them. J&R must try to work out those problems. They must find a solution to their problematic situation. Dorothy hopes J&R will solve their problems with out any difficulty. Nous partirons quand vous serez prêts. We’ll leave when you’re ready. Quand vous aurez lu ce livre, prêtez-le-moi. When you have read that book, lend me it. Téléphonez-nous quand elle sera de retour. Phone us when she’s back. Je vais écrire aux Brown pendant que tu feras le thé. I will write to the Browns while you prepare the tea. Que ferez-vous quand il sera mort ? What will you do when he is dead? Savez-vous quand il prendra sa retraite ? Do you know when he will retire? Il nous a dits que quand il serait-il viendrait nous voir. He told us that when he was in France, he would come and see us.

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Calvin & Hobbes. Calvin’s fed up with his parents. He is sick and tired of his family life. He believes his parents are totalitarian and that they have instaured a totalitarian system. That’s why he has decided to take political action : he is seceding from his family. *Gee! = Jesus = God. Hobbes doubts that you can secede from your own family. Calvin’s mother request is all the more natural as every child must tidy up his bedroom when it is quite a mess. Calvin uses a lot of words that a child (of) his age is not supposed to say.

The situation is becoming ridiculous / ludicrous / preposterous because a boy like Calvin is not expected to speak the way he is speaking. Hobbes, in his turn, gets to thinking in the same terms as Calvin. In his opinion, Calvin doesn’t have to live with his parents anymore. He is free to live wherever he wants. Calvin is excited at the idea / the prospect of leaving his family. He is beaming with delight. Calvin is contemplating all the possibilities that are now offered to him. He is relishing the idea that from now on, he is a free boy. Hobbes is wise, realistic, down to earth, practical-minded, clever, responsible whereas Calvin is a reckless boy who makes rash decisions without thinking about all the consequences. What is funny about the beginning of the story is the fact that Calvin uses difficult words in a context that is not appropriated.

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Calvin wants to pinch his father’s credit card. He wants to steal it from his father. Calvin’s father is not very interested. He understands that Calvin’s wish to do some magic is just an excuse to steal the credit card. He is sceptical about Calvin’s trick. Calvin fails to get his father’s credit card. Calvin’s mother is not interested in what her son is saying. She is not worried, she remains cool. She seems to be used to Calvin’s eccentric ideas. She seems to be used to hearing her son telling her about his crazy projects. She doesn’t get alarmed. She knows that cannot happen. Calvin is too small to runaway from home and live

_on his own. _by himself. _all alone.

His mother doesn’t seem to be paying much attention (heed) to Calvin’s dramatic decision. Calvin reproaches her for _not being a good mother. _not taking him seriously. But we know that if she believed him, it would mean that she is dangerously naï ve . Calvin’s mother’s logic is that of an adult : why should she be his slave if he is leaving home. What is funny in the cartoon is that although Calvin’s vocabulary is sophisticated, he thinks and reacts as a chid. He represents the typical child who wants independence and assistance in the same time. This reaction is typical of adolescents.

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The runaway. This is a 1958 painting by the american artist, Norman Rockwell who painted in photographically realist style all aspects of american life. The painting shows a little boy in a diner, sitting on a stool, talking to a policeman and the owner of the place. The boy’s legs are hanging from the stool. There is a small bundle on the floor. The painting dates from… The painting dates back to… The two grown ups are paying him a lot of attention. Although there is a cute little bundle on the floor, you don’t get the impression that the child is a real runaway. In spite of the cute little bundle lying on the floor… First of all, the little boy looks clean, healthy and cheerful as if he had just left home. On his way back from school, he may have decided to runaway. His parents might have told him to tidy up his bedroom. His father might have spanked him. (donner la fessée) The little boy may have decided to have an adventure. He might have seen a movie on television about a runaway. He looks as though he trusts the two men and it goes without saying that a real runaway would certainly be distrustful of a policeman. Although the two men don’t look worried, as they would no doubt be if they were dealing with a real runaway, they look relaxed and amused. The title gives the picture its meaning and it makes it amusing. He can’t be a runaway since / because he doesn’t look scruffy and doesn’t have muddy shoes.

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How to comment on a picture or an iconographic document. I) Identification : Is it a painting / a cartoon / a comic strip / a photograph / a drawing / a work of art / a cover of a magazine / a sketch / the front page of a magazine / a master peace / a caricature / an ad. II) Description : *In the fore ground. *In the background. *At the top of the picture. *At the bottom of the picture. *On the left hand side. *To the right and to the left. *Top or upper / Bottom or lower. III) Character : *Their hair dress / hairdo. *Their face / expression. *Their clothes. IV) Interpretation : I believe… I guess… I think… In my opinion… To my mind… To my pint of view…

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A cartoon by Pont.

It represents a funny scene. This little girl with a ponytail and her hands behind her back is not upset at all. She is saying something that is funny because it is something that children are not supposed to say to their teacher and she says it in a very natural way. There is a gap, a discrepancy between what this little girl is saying and what the children her age usually say. This document is not at all a criticism of insolence. It is a very refreshing cartoon

_the purpose of which… _whose purpose…

…is to illustrate a funny situation and perhaps to suggest that sometimes, children are smarter than grown-ups. *smart : malin. The little girl may have answered back to the teacher (schoolmistress). She might have cheated in a test. She might have made fun of her teacher. She might have made faces at her. She may have stuck out her tongue at the schoolmistress. 33

She might have been mean to one of her schoolmates / classmates. She might have written an essay with a lot of mistakes in it. She doesn’t feel sorry at all. She finds it normal to make mistakes.

It is human to make mistakes after all. The little girl’s remark might infuriate the teacher if she has no sense of humour. She might send the child to the headmistress’s office or give her a detention. If she is clever, Mrs Heslop will say that the little girl is right but that she really went too far, hence the punishment. *hence : d’où.

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Reunion.

The narrator has kept a vivid memory of the circumstances in which _he first saw the boy he is talking about. _he saw that boy for the first time. _he set eyes on that boy for the first time. He remembers that day very well / vividly. Not only does he remember the day but he also remember the hour when he first saw him. He was sixteen years old ; he was a sixteen-year-old boy. He attended the Karl Alexander Gymnasium in Stuttgart. There were puddles because the snow on the pupils’ shoes and clothes had melted and dripped onto the wooden floor. If the narrator really concentrates, he can also hear Herr Zimmerman’s _monotonous voice. _drone. Herr Zimmerman was a boring teacher / a terrible bore. He used to bore his pupils to death. His pupils were bored. His pupils felt like sleeping while he would drone on and on.

The narrator talks about that teacher as if the latter had been sentenced _to perpetual teaching. _to teaching for life. He obviously didn’t teach for pleasure. He taught out of necessity and certainly not out of choice. He taught to _earn his living. _to make ends meet. He obviously didn’t enjoy what he was doing.

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Judging from / judging by “tired” and “monotonous”, we can assume _that he didn’t like his job. _that he was hardly interested in his occupation. H.Z. was resigned to his fate / his lot. He looked much older than he actually was. He was much younger than he seemed to be. His clothes had a musty smell / smelled bad. They were old and worn out with many patches. *a *a *a *a

much-patched suit. one-legged man. blue eyed girl. dark-hair boy.

It was all the more cowardly of them, as they knew _they wouldn’t be punished. _they could get away with it. They scorned him all the more because he was weak. H.Z. was an easy target.

To be all the more…+…since/as/because. The + adjectif = substantif. At the end of the third paragraph of the novella, we still don’t know _who is the boy whom the narrator mentions in the very first sentence. _who was this boy to cause such a change in his life. _who is that boy who is still haunting the narrator’s life. That boy still is an enigma. The effect is one of suspense, the reader

_look forward to know more about him. _is eager to know more. _is anxious to read more.

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What was the weather like? It was dull. The sky was overcast. It was colour of lead. Quality of light? The room was darkening. The light was fading. The room was getting darker and darker. Adjectives. Dark Long Deep Wide Short

Nouns Darkness Length Depth Width Shortness

Verbs. To darken To lengthen To deepen To widen To shorten

The room was not quite dark yet : it was not dark enough _for the teacher to switch on the light. _to prevent the boys from working. _for the boys to be unable to work.

How to express the cause? The room darkened quickly

_because it was wintertime. _as it was wintertime. _since the sky was overcast. _on account of the season. _because of the season. _because of the sky’s being overcast.

The snowy tops of the tower looked nice. The snow-covered tower… looked nice. The snow-topped towers… Stuttgart is the narrator’s birthplace / hometown. It was the only town he knew. He didn’t know any town but Stuttgart / apart from Stuttgart.

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The narrator was almost dozing when someone knocked at the door. He felt sleepy. The headmaster was elegant, he was wearing smart clothes. He was a man of dapper elegance. Why didn’t the boys look ay the headmaster when he entered the classroom?

They pay attention to him because they were used… _to him. _to his face. _to seeing him. _to his wearing nice clothes. _to the headmaster’s paying them a visit. What struck the narrator… What was striking…

What did you see? What did you eat? Whom did you see? Whom did he talk to? Complément + auxiliaire.

…was the stranger’s elegance.

What made you cry? What irritates me is that… Who hit you? Who came while I was away? Sujet + verbe au passé.

All the boys were _impressed… _spellbound… _astounded… _awe-struck… _dumbfounded… The stranger was pretty impressive. He made an impressive entrance. On his coming into the classroom, everybody… _stared at him. _turned their eyes to him. As soon as… / no sooner…than… / hardly…when…

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As soon as he came in, they all stared at him. No sooner had he come in than they all stared at him. Hardly had he come in when they all stared at him. *As soon as preterit, preterit. *no sooner pluperfect than preterit. *hardly pluperfect when preterit.

The stranger was quite elegant, he was dignified, he had class, he had style. He looked _a little supercilious. _slightly haughty. He looked self-assured, he looked confident, he had a self-assure bearing.

The chimney. The mantle piece.

The heart. The fireplace.

A chimney pot. The chimneystacks.

A funnel.

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So that + should(n’t) = But. Herr Zimmerman ‘s behaviour towards the newcomer : He behaves as if the newcomer were

_a VIP. _a royal highness. _his superior.

He treats him with deference. He defers to him. He is deferential so much so that we can say he is servile. To defer from = To defer to. It is only in the last paragraph of chapter one that _we learn… …the identity of the newcomer. _we are given… He is an aristocrat, a member of the aristocracy. He belongs to the upper class. He is blue-blooded. He is a titled boy. The stranger’s clothes clashed with those of the other schoolboys. *To clash L To mach. Contrary to the schoolboys in the Karl Alexander Gymnasium, the stranger was wearing grown-up clothes. He bought his clothes from a tailor. He had his clothes made to mesure. To have sth done = Faire faire qqch. *a customer = a client = a patron. è The Queen patronizes our shops. *calm = composed = sedate = steady = sober.

Whatever we thaught about any attempt at elegance… However efeminate they thaught any attempt at elegance was…., we couldn’t help staring at him with envy. It wouldn’t have surprised us if he had disappeared as silently as a ghost. 40

èHad he disappeared as silently as a ghost… How is Hans going to fulfil ? He will spare no effort, he is going to do his best. He will move heaven and earth… _to catch Konradin’s attention. _to be noticed by Konradin. The narrator is fascinated by the newcomer. He keeps watching all his moves. He keeps observing his every movement. He keeps scrutinizing _all his gesture. _each and avery gesture of him. Konradin Von Hohenfels benefited from preferencial treatment. The teacher paid more attention to his papers than other boys’. The teacher devoted more time to his papers than to those of the other boys. Konradin didn’t mind being

_left to himself. _alone. _by himself.

He was probably used to it. He didn’t feel lonely. In K.’s presence, the other schoolboys feel _respectful. _shy. _embarrassed. _ill-at-ease. _self-concious. _awkward. They are not their usual selves. èKonradin cramps their style. His good manners and his politness undoubtedly… _set him apart. _single him out. It is a matter of education.

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*a nodding acquintance = une connaissance que l’on salut quand on la croise.

They did’nt succeed in

_arousing… _awaking…

K.’s curiousity.

Hans didn’t doubt that one day K. would be his friend. He felt sure of it. In his mind, there was no doubt that they would hand up being friends. Konradin is sure to become my friend. Point de vue du narrateur. Konradin is sure of becoming my friend. Point de vue de Konradin. Hans is determined to make friend with Konradin. He is determined to make Konradin his friend. He is intent on becoming his friend. So far… Till now…

Hans has been a bit of a loner.

A bit of + noun.

He was a loner because no one in his class was up to his ideal of a friend. To be up to something. In terms of friendship, Hans is very demanding. He expects a friend to be loyal, trustful and selfless. From a friend he demands selflessness. To him, a friend has to be reliable. He is preoccupied with _finding a perfect friend. _making friend with him. He is ready to go out of his way. To reach that goal… he starts changing his approach to schoolwork. To that end… His philosophy used to be : “Why exert myself? Why make any effort? Why apply myself? Why impress the teacher and not go on dreaming?” 42

Why + Infinitif sans to.

He used to think that he needn’t make any effort. Now, he bring Greek coins to school in order to _awake… K.’s attention and he _awaken… succeed in doing so. _arouse… K.’s curiosity overcomes his

_reserve. _restraint.

Konradin

…his curiosity and he goes to Hans’s table.

_yields to… _succumbs to…

He asks : “May I look at them?” *clean à cleanliness. What did Hans fear? He feared Konradin might regret chumming with him. He couldn’t help thinking that Konradin might have already forgotten him, which prevents Hans from having a restful night. In fact, his fears were groundless. Konradin, on his going back to school, went straight to him and looked so pleased to see him that he had probably never been occurred the idea that Hans was not a true friend. Hans is the first pupil to volunteer in gymnastic. Thus he had the opportunity to show how brave, how agile, how fit he was. It was a relief, next morning, to see Konradin next to him. He was relieved. Hans feared that Konradin might ignore him the next morning. Hans feared that Konradin’s parents might object to… _their becoming friends. _his chumming up with Hans. He feared they might _be prejudiced. _have prejudices. *To walk up and down = faire les 100 pas. *To beg = mendier.

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Hans blames himself for having been suspicious. Hans wishes he hadn’t _been suspicious. _suspected Konradin of forgetting him. He wishes he had not doubted Ø Konradin’s sincerity/. à I doubted Ø my own eyes. *To take something for granted = croire que tout est dû. *To grant = accorder. They are cut off from the rest of the world. Judging by such an expression as “our magic circle” we may assume that they are cut off from the political event in Berlin. *To ripen = to become ripe = mûrir. *A mature person. *To glitter = briller. This is the last letter from Konradin to Hans. It is all the more moving (touching) since it is the last time Hans has got direct information from Konradin himself. Hans is just about to live for America where he has relatives that will take care if him. With his letter, Konradin is saying goodbye to his best friend. Konradin, as we ca, see, is concerned with Hans’s security. He is aware that there is no place for Hans in the present Germany and we, as readers, can feel the growing hatred that the Jews in Germany have to cope with. Konradin seems to fear that something might happen to him although he cannot imagine that soon 6 millions Jews will be deported to concentration camps where they will be gassed to death. Konradin brings his friend some moral support before his departure for the new world. Konradin expects his country to change in a radical way under the guidance of Hitler and he hopes it will be for the better. Hitler’s plan was to build a new Germany that would last a hundred years. Konradin believes that Hitler is god almighty and a blessing for the country. Page 122, line 11, 12, 13, this sentence testifies of Konradin’s naivety and ever blindness. Lines 28, 29, 30; description of Hitler : Konradin is fascinated, enthralled by Hitler, his is under his spell. Konradin is sure that Hitler is the master if the world. It reminds us of the extract of the movie “The dictator” by Charlie Chaplin in which the dictator is playing with the globe in his study. Due to his education, Konradin is very concerned with the communist revolution of 1917 and the Soviet expansionism. He doesn’t between Stalin and Hitler, and he thinks that all the germans cannot but choose Hitler. Now, Konradin sees eye to eye to his mother. She has won him over to the cause of National Socialism. We can see she is very emotional about the fuehrer and when she met him she was overwhelmed by his fanatic power of conviction. As for Konradin, he has blind faith for Hitler too and what is paradoxical is that in the end of the letter he writes that Hans had taught him to think and to doubt but there is no trace of doubt of critical sense when he refers to Hitler and his ideology. In fact, this letters questions Hans’s very influence on k. Fortunately, at the end of the letter, we have a sentence with a trace of hope, “perhaps one day our paths will cross again”. This sentence foreshadows the last chapter and he two boy spiritual reunion, which testifies to Hans’s actual influence on Konradin.

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The Schwartz’s neighbours were very supportive when one day a nazi supporter came to stand outside Hans’s father surgery. They gathered around the soldier and jeered at him. They sided with the surgeon. Mr Schwartz had put on the uniform he was wearing during world war one as a soldier because he wanted to make it clear to everyone… _that he had fought for the country during that conflict. _that he was as good a German as everyone else. As for Hans, his parents sent him to the USA where he had relatives. The title of the novella is reunion because before the end of the world war two, Konradin was one of the soldiers who plotted against the fuehrer. He participated to the plot against Hitler which _enables… _allows… …us to say that Konradin realized how monstrous Hitler was. Konradin died because he changed his mind about Hitler. In the end, he agreed with Hans. He saw eye to eye to Hans about the bloodthirsty dictator. It is a spiritual reunion hence the title. A reunion takes place beyond death and it is a relief for Hans. Konradin didn’t die a supporter of Hitler. *Hence = d’où.

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Oil.

This cartoon reminds me of the ecological catastrophe caused by the shipwreck of the Erika near the coasts of Brittany. The oil tanker was out at sea when a storm broke out. The ship sank and caused a black tide / an oil spill. The oil slick (nappe) gradually moved / progressed towards the beaches of Brittany and dirtied the shore (rivage). It is an ecological catastrophe in so far as the beaches of this region have been fouled (souillées) and the _wildlife… …and the flora are _jeopardized. _fauna… _in jeopardy. Now the ship owner will probably be sued for damages. (dommages et intérêts). What is sad for the population is that the ecological catastrophe also entails an economic catastrophe. Many volunteers went to the beaches _to clean up the place. _to scrub individual rocks. _to save oiled birds. *If he takes off his finger from the hole in the tank, the petrol will spill into the river. *If the petrol spills into the river, there will be an ecological catastrophe.

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*If the man didn’t have his finger in the hole, the petrol would… _be leaking into the river. _foul the river. *If the man were a better driver, … _he wouldn’t have had an accident. _he wouldn’t be in such deep trouble.

danger.

*If the truck contained mineral water, there wouldn’t be much

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Dream On. 555 HELL. Nina, Martin’s girlfriend, is an

_environmentalist. _ecologist.

She is ecology-minded. She is involved in the protection of the earth, the rainforest and the ozone layer. She fights against pollution and nuclear test. She thinks we should protect the whales, which are an endangered species. She is concerned in environmental protection. She wants to keep the ecological balance. She thinks we should keep close control of the nuclear power plants. She resents polluters. *Baby seal = bébé phoque. Nina interrupted Eddy Charles’s show because the guest of the show owns a factory that dumps toxic sludge in the Hudson River. Nina is angry with Martin because he apologised for her to Eddy, which she cannot stand because she is no longer a child and not married yet. To some extent, it is very condescending from Martin. è I won’t ever forget you. Nina has decided to take political action and she has taken Martin’s bricks to stop the sludge from flowing into the river. She has broken the law, that’s why she ends up in prison. “You’re under arrest.” *Cufflinks = boutons de manchette. *Handcuffs = menottes. But thanks to what she did, a scandal was revealed to the public and the factory has been closed down. When Martin visits her at the prison, he shows her the front page of the New-York Time. There is a headline about Nina and her friends and their fights as environmental activists. Martin keeps repeating he is proud of Nina.

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« Lady and the tram p » è I have a clean record. è I don’t have a police record. è Released for good behaviour. *A file = une lime.

1-How come that at regular intervals we are shown are man roaring with pain? Martin can’t bear it any longer when someone asks about Nina. It shows what Martin is trying to concil. Martin has to get used to living without her but his friends keep reminding him of Nina: “How are you holding up without Nina?” They keep rubbing it in. This is not very tactful of them and for Martin, this is very painful. He pretends he is ok, as a front, but deep down, he is not, he misses her a lot. 2-What happens to the reading Martin was supposed to catch up upon? Martin was supposed to catch up on some reading but after the ten first pages of “The idiot” by Dostoï evsky, he startsskipping pages and then he leaves the book aside and he decides _to tidy up his linen. _to set his chest of drawer in order. He also enjoys himself with his socks. He mimics a fight between cats. Everybody tries to get Martin’s mind off Nina. Judith is a psychologist: “Even white mice don’t get over separation in a week. *A crab has claws. 3-What can you say about the three neighbours Martin visits? Martin speaking to neighbour N°1: “I’ve lived in this building for seven years and I’ve just realized that I had never met any of my neighbours.” Martin is not welcome; he gets a spray of deodorants in the face. The second neighbour expected Bonny to show up. Judging by her appearance, we may assume that they had planned to have some good time.

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The neighbour of 507 is indeed stark naked except for a snorkel (a breathing tube) in the mouth and a mask. The third neighbour is waited for by all his friends. They have organized… a party to celebrate his birthday. They are holding… 4-Who is Irma? Irma is a woman who misses her late husband. She is a good-looking middle-aged woman in a black cocktail dress. She is very depressed in fact she is suicidally depressed, she feels terribly lonely. “How do look in this dress?” How do I look in this tie?” She can’t hack it without her husband. She can’t stand life anymore and _she has accidentally called 555 HELL instead of 555 HELP (the suicide prevention hotline). _she has dialled 555 HELL by mistake. _she has fallen upon this number quite by chance. _she has come across this number quite by chance. She needed to talk to someone / to confide in someone and she thought it would be easier for her to talk to a total stranger. Therefore, she called the suicide prevention hotline but she got the wrong number. 5-When George, Irma’s husband, died, everyone was very sweet to her; what did her friends, Teensy and uncle Billy do? Teensy cried and rubbed / massaged her feet till 4 in the morning. Her uncle Billy put up some new storm windows, which was especially nice because he has only one good arm. But none of them can replace George for Irma.

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6-What is Martin’s advice to the imaginary schoolgirl?

“Do good deeds” B.A. = Bonnes Actions.

*Dialling tone = Tonalité. When Irma told Martin that she had just fetched a glass of water, Martin freaked out because he feared Irma might have swallowed the Valium pill. è Fetch the ball. “One swallow doesn’t make a summer.” Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps. 7-What does Nina mean to Martin and to Irma ? Nina is Martin’s former-girlfriend / ex-girlfriend whereas to Irma, Nina evokes her cousin’s cat. That name calls to Irma’s mind her cousin’s cat. Irma wants to know how Martin keeps from thinking about Nina. He stays away from the places that were special to them. He steers clear of such places as the laundry room. Martin manages to keep from thinking about Nina by staying away from the laundry room. Irma: “When I’d visit him, he’d make me sneak in cigarette butts which he placed around the oxygen tent to drive the nurses crazy. èWhat are these “’d”? _The first one is the habitual would. _The second as well but it also have characterizing dimension. George probably had lung cancer and the nurses main concern was to prevent him from smoking. è To put out a cigarette.

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Martin encourages Irma to cry _it will bring her relief. _she will feel relived. _that will enable her to…

_her eyes out… _her heart out…

…because…

_vent her frustration. _let the pressure go. _feel better.

Martin manages to _talk her out of committing suicide… _dissuade her from committing suicide… …by taking her mind away from herself. …by taking her mind off George and herself. …by getting her mind off her own despair. …by making her thinking about other people. …by making her care about her relative’s feelings. …by opening up her mind t others. “Have you thought about what this is gonna do to them?” “Don’t you think they might be worth striking around for?” To conclued, we can say that when you take care of others, you gradually forget about your own _difficulties. _predicament. èYou get less self-centred. èYou realize that after all, you’re not that unfortunate. Helping Irma has enabled Martin to get over his separation from Nina. He has been _disorderly. _untidy for a while. _messy lately. _neglected his dirty laundry. But now, he is ready to turn over a new leaf. He is ready for a new life. He is ready to start anew. He is ready for a brand new start and he start by washing his dirty clothes.

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Propositions en If.

Potentiel.

Irréel du. Passé

Irréel du Présent

If I see you do that again… _I will punish you. _you’ll be grounded. _I’ll have to tell your father.

If you had told me about it… _I could have helped you. _I would have bought flowers. If I had seen her drown… _I would have called the cops. _I would have dived. _I would have saved her

If I were an animal… _I would bite him. _I would be a dolphin.

*To drift away = partir à la derive. *Impending = imminent. *Stunts man = cascadeur. *To win the day = l’emporter. *The rank and file = la base d’une association. *A workshop = un atelier. *To rot = pourrir. *The warehouse = la remise. *The timber = le bois de construction. *To fell a tree = abattre un arbre. *All-but-forgotten = Presque oublié. *A further two = 2 suplémentaires. *To journey back = faire un voyage dans le temps. *To tie one’s hair in a burn = faire un chignon. *Let’s go down to brass tacks = venons-en au fait.

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Friends. Thanksgiving.

What is Rachel’s problem? She has a job as a waitress and it doesn’t pay well. She doesn’t’ make / earn a lot of money. What is she talking about when she talks about independence? Rachel comes from a rich background. Her parents are well off. Rachel is a spoilt child. Her parents used to support her. She hasn’t been able to save enough money to go to Vail. She is a spendthrift. She usually wastes / squanders money. When she had her parents’ credit card, she used to be extravagant. (Qui dépense en dépit du bon sens). Terry is blunt, he speaks his mind. He is out-spoken. He speaks bluntly L in a roundabout way. He doesn’t mince his words. As for Rachel, she agrees with him. She admits / acknowledges that he is right but she believes that she is getting better and better. “Idleness is the mother of all evils.” “The devil finds work for idle hands.” Rachel can’t believe his ears. He doesn’t believe a word of it and he wants to check about that. Monica is inviting everyone for thanksgiving but most of them already have plan for next Thursday. Chandler is boycotting thanksgiving because his parents told him they wanted to get divorced on that day. Joey should be spending thanksgiving with his Italian family and Rachel should be skiing. Monica is alone with Ross and they invite Phoebe. Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November. Rachel is such a bad waitress that she even breaks cups. è Rachel is so bad a waitress that…

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Ross doesn’t want to make a fool of himself. Phoebe is trying to talk him into shoving his head into the turkey to see whether he can hear anything or not. She is cuckoo-crazy and as usual, Chandler is supporting this idea. *V.D. = veneral diseas. *S.T.D. = Sexually Transmitted Diseases. *To sulk = bouder. Just so that he should stand on an equal footing with Susan, his ex-wife, and her life partner / significant other, Ross is willing to speak to the unborn child. He thinks that he is entitled to speak to the baby too. *To be entitled to… = avoir le droit de… Rachel keeps repeating « Shoop, shoop, shoop. » because she already pictures herself on the snowy slopes of Vail. She is driving Chandler crazy. She is getting on his nerves. The dinner is a total fiasco so much so that they hand up eating sandwiches. Monica is the best cook in the group. She used to work in a restaurant but everybody take her talents for granted. They are not grateful, they show no gratitude. Rachel is pretty cheeky. *What a nerve! = Quel culot! The wishbone. In the end of the episode, Chandler reminds everyone that although they all had better plans, they should be happy to be together. Such is the spirit of thanksgiving. *A guy *A gal

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Friends. Chandler on a Saturday Night.

This is Saturday night and Chandler… _doesn’t know what to do with himself. _has no plan. _has no idea what to do. Usually, Saturday night… _evokes an eventful night. _conjures up the idea of a busy night. _make one think of a great night. Ross is teasing him / provoking him. He reminds him of a painful duty: “What about breaking up with Janice?” “Why not break up with Janice?” Ross is rubbing it in. Chandler shuts him up. He interrupts him. He cuts him short: “This is none of your business.” “Mind your own business.” “What is it to you?” Chandler is describing his

_formula… _well-known routine… _tried-and-tested routine…

…to break up with his girlfriend.

He is a bit of a cad / a bastard. èHe doesn’t pay for the drinks. èHe lets her pay for the drinks. Joey has his own formula, a macho formula. Joey’s approach is that of a coward. He is insensitive and uncaring. He prefers to bury his head in the sand. _provided she gets back home. _on condition that… _providing… She won’t get the car unless she gets back home. Rachel will get a Mercedes convertible

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*Blackmail = chantage. *To set off = metre en valeur. *To make up a story.

Considering Chandler’s situation, Phoebe

_is ready to give him a hand. _wants to help him out. _tries to be helpful.

What’s Rachel’s situation as regards her family? She is an only child. She is a spoilt child. She left the comfort of the home to seek a new independent life. Her parents are now trying to convince her to come back home. *To seek = partir en quête de… Joey and Angela. They used to go out together and Joey regrets dumping her. He wishes he hadn’t dumped her. Angela turns him on. He is flirting with her. He is making eyes at her. There is a lit of body language between them. Angela is the typical blond bimbo. She knows her dress accents her boobs (her breasts; her bosoms). è Her dress accentuates her boobs. è Her dress emphasizes her tits. (slang) è Her dress shows off her tits. She is comparing her previous boyfriend with her current boyfriend. She is showing off her new boyfriend and putting down Joey. Rachel and Ross. Ross is attracted to her. He fancies her. Ross has a crush on her. He has a soft spot for her. Ross is ready to put himself out for an opportunity to see Rachel. He is ready to go out of his way to see her. He jumps at the opportunity to see her. To that end, he invents a story about rats in the laundry room of his building. He finds an excuse to see her by making up a silly story.

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Joey and Monica. Joey is talking Monica into helping him. He is talking her into pretending that she is going out with him. He is trying to convince her that she should help him out. He is almost begging her. But Monica is reluctant to do him that favour; she has already had a bad experience with Joey’s cousin _who could belch the alphabet. _who was able to belch the alphabet. _who had the disgusting ability to belch the alphabet.

_who had got the knack of belching the alphabet.

He was a real pig. He made a pig of himself. No wonder Monica is unwilling to help Joey again: “ Once bitten, twice shy.” Joey is manipulating her. He makes her believe that Angela will be with her brother he knows very well and finds very congenial. He is twisting her round his little finger. He keeps the truth from her… _to win her over to his project. _so that she should agree with him.

Rachel has just coined a word: “Laundorama.” Meanwhile, Ross and Chandler are at Ross’s apartment. Monica’s not coming to the laundry. Joey has managed to convince her to come with him. Chandler is putting pressure on Ross. On a first date, you have to do your best to impress your partner. Chandler is freaking Ross out. He is worrying him to death. In Chandler’s view, Ross has to make the first move, he has to take the initiative. “You are never given a second chance to make a good first impression.” “First impression is last.” Chandler and Janice. This is an awkward moment: Chandler has to break the news to Janice _that he is fed up with her. _that he has had enough of her. _that he wants to get rid of her. The awkward moment is heightened by… _Janice relief and joy in seeing him. _her expression of delight in seeing him.

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Contrary to Janice who is very comfortable, Chandler is embarrassed. Unlike Janice who is completely unaware o what is happening to her,… Chandler is ignoring what Janice is saying. He keeps his eyes on Phoebe and the way she is breaking up. He is taken aback by her formula. He is astounded by her speedy break up. As for the present Janice has bought him, he doesn’t pay any attention to them. The way Janice laugh…

_puts him off. _disgusts him. _embarrasses him. _annoys him, especially in public.

“The hug looked pretty brutal.” Ross and Rachel. They are together at the laundry. There are other people around, among whom a short woman with short hair and heavy make up. Rachel no longer wants to be a doormat / a wimp / a softie. Ross comes to the rescue. He is mortified by the bossy woman’s behaviour. With the detergent, he makes a bit of a fool of himself. Rachel has to admit / to acknowledge that she is a novice. This is a new experience for her. She is not familiar with the washing machines. She’s not familiar with the procedure. She has never done that before. This is the first time she has come to the launderette. That’s why Ross talks to her as if she were an eight-year-old girl. He is gently patronizing her. “A whole another machine.” Bob and Joey / Monica and Angela. Both guys and girls are exchanging their views about the two other people at their table. In the lady’s bathroom (restroom) Monica and Angela are not on the same waves length. They misunderstand each other. There is confusion. Monica thinks that Angela is Bob’s sister, which she isn’t. While Monica recounts the story, she is shocked by Angela flirtatious behaviour with her supposed brother.

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*Randy = rambunctious = raunchy (osé). Janice and Chandler. Chandler is at a loose end, he is panicked. He is tense, wired, and edgy. He is lost for words and he is resorting to rhythms instead of words to explain… _why Janice and he should stop seeing each other. _how different he and Janice are. _that he and Janice are pole apart. Phoebe wants to help and quieten him down (calm him down). She tells him to go to his “happy place”. She probably has her own and she finds refuge in there whenever she is edgy or under pressure. “That oughta do it” Ca devrait être bon. Ross and Rachel. Gradually, Rachel asserts her character. She asserts her personality. She holds her grounds. She defends herself when confronted to the horrible woman. She holds firm . She doesn’t give in and succeed in keeping her cart. She is amazed at her own audacity and she kisses Ross out of joy. Ross is so stunned that he doesn’t look where he is walking and he hits his head on the open dryer door. He is so excited that he makes a fool of himself. In the end, Chandler is overjoyed / ecstatic / over the moon at the idea of being free at last.

*To play tootsies with… *Ice cubes = glaçons. *Icicles = glaçons aux toits des maisons. *To fall out = se quereller.

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Friends.

We can say that the group of friends hasn’t enjoyed the show. After the actors have disappeared, they start criticising the play. We can hear them sigh. The end of the show is a relief for them all. When the show is over, they are relieved. But as they didn’t wanted to hurt the actor’s feeling, they pretended that they had enjoyed the show. Chandler says ten o’clock because if Ross looks at his watch, the little hand on ten, all he has to do is to look in that direction to see a beautiful woman. From Chandler’s point of view, she is also intimidating. *an appealing woman. *an attractive woman. *a gorgeous woman. *an unbelievably sexy woman. Concerning Phoebe’s sentence: On the one hand, Phoebe wants Chandler to be brave and more selfconfident. She is encouraging him to go and talk to that woman. She is being supportive. On the other hand, she doesn’t really comfort him. She puts him down. In her sentence, the “nothing guy” is Chandler. She is rather tactless. This is not very tactful of her. She doesn’t mince her words. She says things plainly. She is a plainspoken girl. “She calls a spade a spade.” *a rake = un rateau. *a shovel = une pelle. *a spade = une bêche. “I am not very aware of my tong.” He is at a loss for words. He cannot find his words. è He has a lump in his throat.

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(un morceau de sucre) He has a sore throat. It is hard for him to talk to her. It is hard for him… _to go up to her. _to act in a spontaneous and natural way. Joey’s performance is pathetic. He fishes a card out of his pocket. Once again, Phoebe is speaking her mind. She sounds incredulous. She cannot believe her ears. According to her, it is incredible that someone might have noticed Joey after seeing this play. è It is such a bad play… è The play is so bad… è It is so bad a play… …that Phoebe finds it hard to believe that someone will hire Joey after seeing him in that play. After the woman has said ‘yes” to Chandler, he goes back to his friends and tells Joey that the play was awful. He doesn’t mind hurting Joey’s feeling. He is so overwhelmed with Joey that he puts his feet in it. *The usher = l’ouvreuse. Aurora is married, she has a boyfriend, and now she would like to go out with Chandler. She is the kind of woman who doesn’t mind sleeping with many different partners. She is promiscuous. What is interesting in the editing? The scene is all the funnier as / because / since we have Chandler’s friends reactions before Chandler’s own reactions to what Aurora is saying. The editing (montage) is particularly effective. We must admit that the scene is all the more amusing as the editing is clever. By showing us the friends’ reactions before Chandler’s, the filmmaker creates a strong comic effect. Monica can’t imagine Chandler going out with Aurora. The situation is weird / twisted. è She jumps to the conclusion…

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There is something unsettling / disturbing. To her, going out with someone who is not faithful is nonsense / doesn’t make sense. Monica is fussy about order. She is fussy about her flat. She is pernickety. She is finicky (slang). She makes a fuss about the cleanliness of the flat. Joey is unwilling to tell his friends what the part he has just got is. He is reluctant to confess that he is Al Pacino’s _butt double. _backside. _bottom. _behind. When Al Pacino goes into the shower, then the spectators will see Joey’s body instead of that of Al Pacino. Monica has left her shoes strewn about in a casual way in the living room. The idea of her shoes bothers her so much that it _prevents her from sleeping. _keeps her awake. It plays on her mind to such an extent that it prevents her from sleeping.

He is older than she is. This sofa is more comfortable than armchair. The more I look at her, the more I’m in love with her. The older he gets, the healthier he is. The older he got, the less he understood his child. The faster you drive, the more petrol you use. He is no better than his brother. “The more, the merrier.” Bad Good / Well Far

Worse Better Farther / Further

The worst The best The farthest / furthest.

“In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”

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A Cartoon by Giles.

“Morning Froid – we hear you’re the only boy who did his homework instead of watching football last night.”

The boy who is standing on his own to the right of the cartoon looks like the teacher’s pet. He has bulging eyes. The leader of the gang seems to be threatening Froid with his pencil. Froid is holding tight his copybook. He is wearing a bow tie. He looks a bit of a mummy’s boy. Comparing to the others, he looks like a weakling / a piglet / a duckling. It is a cartoon drawn by Giles. It represents a group of children meeting at the school gate. A boy is just arriving. His name is Froid, which sounds like Freud. The boy at the front of the group is talking to him. He is the ambassador of the group. The night before, all the children watched the great football match on T.V. / on the telly. Froid did do his homework. What the leader really means is: “we want to copy your homework.” The tallest boy of the group really looks stupid. He is probably the dunce of the class. *The dunce’s cap = le bonnet d’âne.

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They are dressed in school uniforms but some of them haven’t got their caps on and one of them has got his cap on back to front. They are nearly all small and fat with untidy scruffy hair. They look really keen and eager at the back, running to join the other. *stocky = trapu. *the mop = balais-laveur. *a mop of hair = une tignasse. In the rest of the picture, Giles shows us how small these children are in relation to the world around them. The buildings dwarf them. The street and the pavement are wet, so much so that the buildings are reflected in the glistening ground. *To glisten = émettre un reflet mouillé.

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At a boarding school. Between the ages of seven and thirteen, George Orwell went to boarding schools. He attended a board-school where he felt quite miserable. He was very depressed, he was quite downcast. Not only was St Cyprian’s an expensive school, but it was also getting more and more snobbish and expensive. èThe school fees (honoraires) were getting higher and higher. èThey were raised at regular intervals. The pupils who attended that school came from a snobbish background. Eton and Harrow were the two public schools they attended when leaving St Cyprian’s. Some went to Eton while others preferred to go to Harrow. St Cyprian’s had a good reputation. It was a school of good reputation. It had a reputation for hard work and excellence, which means that everybody… _held that school in high-esteem. _thought highly of that school. What social class did the pupils’ parents belong to? They were not aristocrats. They were not blue-blooded. They were not titled. They didn’t own any land either. They were not landowners but still, their family belonged to the upper crust. Those families had servants at home working in the pantry. *an estate = un domaine. The headmaster, Sambo, spared no effort, he moved heaven and earth to attract titled boys and keep up the prestige of the school. He went out of his way. By dint of incredible efforts, he managed to attract two titled boys to St Cyprian’s. He seemed obsessed by the prestige of the school. But the young titled boy described in the text seemed pathetic. He lacked dignity, class and style.

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Whenever there was a visitor, the headmaster would show off those two specimens. He would brag about having two titled boys in his school. He was very clever at finding an opportunity to mention their names and titles. He never missed a chance… _of mentioning them to a visitor. _to mention them to a visitor. _to drop their names in the conversation. We are led to understand that the headmaster’s behaviour was ridiculous / ludicrous / preposterous. All the boys didn’t stand on an equal footing. The titled boys benefited from preferential treatment: milk, riding lessons, the headmaster’s wife attention if not affection, no corporal punishment. They were exempt of caning. Flip pampered them, she cuddled them, and she doted them. *To pamper = choyer , dorlotter, gâter. *To cuddle = bercer, caliner. *To dote on someone = aimer à la folie (gâteux) She was at their beck and call. The pupils of humble birth could not enjoy all that. That was sheer favouritism. Pupils were treated according to their parents’ wealth / income / standard of living. Such a criterion is outrageous. Such discrimination was quite unfair. *A criterion à Two criteria = un critère. Even when he took a boy a greatly reduced fees, that was not unselfish / disinterested. He acted out of self-interest. He was not generous. That was not generous of him. His one and only goal was to bring more credit to the school. èAs George Orwell was likely to be grandly a scholarship, he was admitted to St Cyprian’s. èIf he hadn’t been so brilliant, he would not have been able to attend St Cyprian’s.

èHadn’t he been so brilliant…

èIf he hadn’t benefited from those terms, he couldn’t have been a pupil there. èHad the terms been different…

*a scholarship = une bourse *To lack = manquer de… *Thus = ainsi… *Shrubbery = group of shrub (arbustes). *It goes without saying… = needless to say…

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Catholic Boys.

When Rooney and Michael are in the office of brother Thadeus, Rooney _expresses his gratitude to Michael. _is grateful to Michael because the latter didn’t _tell on him. _blab. Michael saw Rooney take the screws off Caesar’s chair but he didn’t gave brother Clarence the information he wanted. In other words, Michael held out to the teacher. Brother Timothy, sitting at the back of the classroom, is bewildered and shocked at such a display of brutality when he sees brother Clarence beating Michael. Brother Clarence wanted to show how patience triumphs over impudence but he proved to be in front of everyone, a sadistic teacher. From the way brother Timothy reacts, we understand that he objects to / that he disapproves of brother Clarence’s violence. è I’ve got to save face. è Get lost / drop dead = colloquial è let’s give a try. èmy treat = ma tournée. èWhat are you trying to do?………Make me hysterical? When you pay someone a drink, it’s your treat. Rooney wanted to treat Michael to a drink but he didn’t have enough money and the end, Michael paid for the drinks. To treat someone to something . *To gamble = to bet A gambler. Boys hardly ever see girls, which is pretty frustrating. Caesar says that he was conceived to go to Harvard: from the day he was born, he has had Harvard on his mind.

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Either Caesar does everything Rooney wants or Rooney tells on Caesar about plagiarism and Caesar can kiss off Harvard. He is at Rooney’s beck and call. “It’s been six weeks since my last confession.” è I haven’t confessed for six weeks. è My last confession was six weeks ago. è I last confessed six weeks ago. è 6 weeks have gone by since my last confession. *Blackmail = Chantage. The 7 deadly sins: *Lust………… .. (la luxure) *Pride…………. (l’orgueil) *Greed……….. (l’avarice) *Wrath………. (la colère) *Gluttony…… .(la gourmandise) *Sloth………… (paresse) *Envy………….. (l’envie) “Caesar doesn’t work with morons.“ *a moron = un taré. Moronic. Caesar speaks of himself in the third person. He thinks highly of himself. He thinks his IQ is above the average. Father Abruzzi’s speech is rather frightening. He tells the young people in front of them that there is a beast within each and every one of them. “There are feelings that you will be inclined to confuse with love.” Danny: “I didn’t mean to yell at you.” è I wish I hadn’t yelled you. “How come you two guy are not dancing.” “Tonight’s the night.”

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*a hubcap = un enjoliveur. *a hub = l’essieux. Jeanine puked because he had got her drunk. William fainted. You have the ability to succeed if you apply yourself. Caesar got a “A-“ because one of his assertion about Dickens, in his essay about him, was a little bit hard / slightly to swallow. “I can’t believe you’ve talked me into this.” They beheaded / defaced the statue. Constance threatens the boys: “Speak now or you will all suffer / smart for it.” è a smarting remark. Constance calls Danny a juvenile delinquent and says that her bar is brother Timothy’s hangout. “I started it” è ”You all acted as one and as one you should bear the consequences.” “You are suspended for two weeks”. Michael and his sister are orphans. It appears we have a vacancy. *Boys will be boys = il faut bien que jeunesse se passe. *When the cat is away, the mice will play.

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“Challenge.”

The reason why Heuga mentions self-esteem, self-confidence, selfimage, is because when you are in such a situation as his, when you have such a terrible disease as his, you have no choice: if you do not fight against the disease, if you give up any fighting spirit, if you let multiple sclerosis develop in your body, without your doing anything about it, then you become a vegetable, you loose any kind of self-esteem, you are no longer pride of yourself.

“Money isn’t everything.”

Wilcox is driving Robyn crazy. He is making her see red. He is exasperating her, he is making her blood boil and yet she manages not to burst out by dint of real efforts. She is making a real effort not to flare up. She is striving / struggling / taking pains / endeavouring. What is real unbearable is that Wilcox sounds extremely patronizing / condescending / disdainful / contemptuous. From the sigh she heaves, we understand that Robyn thinks the man is _hopeless. _an MCP (Male Chauvinist Pig) *stiffly = durement. *to startle = faire sauter. *caught off balance = perdre l'équilibre. *go by = passer / s’écouler. *quote = citation. *dazzled = ébloui *to stagger = tituber. *dawn = l’aube. *Tough = dur / difficile.

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Alcohol.

This document…

_must be… _is probably… _is tickely to be… …a poster which is part of a campaign against driving after drinking. People must not drive under the influence of drink. The background of the document is black; its white part is in the shape of a glass. The glass contains an eye-catching slogan that is meant to prevent people from driving after they’ve been drinking. It also contains a damaged car / a smashed car / a car after a (car-) crash.

The glass is considerably larger than the car, which enables us to say that the picture is more symbolical than realistic. We can also note that the glass is not standing upright. It is tilted to the left and therefore unstable. It might represent the consequences of alcohol drinking. There is no escape for the car. Metaphorically speaking, it is drowning in alcohol. This conveys the idea that the driver is out of control and incapable of fighting against the influence of alcohol. To conclued / in conclusion, not only do those who drive under the influence endanger their own lives but more importantly it puts the others’ lives at risk. It is reckless and irresponsible.

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It is a black and white document. We can see words in big capital / block letters. The words are printed in white and stand out against a black background. All these words suggest sounds, noises. èOnomatopoeia. “Glug” is the noise produced by someone who drinks a lot: in a pub, a man is sitting with his friends and drinking beer. The man knows that he shouldn’t be drinking so much, but he is weak and he lets himself be influenced by his friends. The man has already drunk a few pints of beer. He feels dizzy. The man is zipping up his jacket because he is about to leave. The man has left the pub and he is starting his car / motorbike. He is probably emotionally disturbed, he feels aggressive, and maybe speed is an escape like alcohol to him. He probably breaks the speed limit. He keeps speeding up and over taking all the cars. And suddenly, at a dangerous crossroads with traffic lights, an accident happens. “Screech” refers to the sound that make the tires when you break. However hard he puts on the breaks, he can’t avoid the van coming from the left-hand side and he bumps into it. You can hear the noise of the collision “smash”. The driver tried to break to stop dead but the accident couldn’t be avoided. *To wine = pleurnicher. *To sob = sangloter. “Sob” is one of the noises you make when you‘re crying. Now he wishes he had not drunk so much. He wishes he had been more careful. Maybe he will be a cripple / a disable for the rest of his life and he may be crying bitterly. “There’s no need crying over spelt milk.” If he is dead, his family will be grieved. They will mourn for him.

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New York.

èAlthough New York is a rich city, many people are left out of the American dream. èRich though New York City is, many people are living left aside. èFamous as New York is for its economical activities,… èIn spite of its being an economical place, we cannot ignore that more and more people are living left aside. èWonderful as New York is supposed to be, we can’t be blind to the fact that more and more people are being left aside. èNo matter what you might think about the activities of New York City, we must not ignore that there are more and more homeless people.

An Article By Rick Bragg.

Miss Mc Carty led a frugal life. *Qui se restreint. *By then = d’ici là. They came into the classroom with their hats on their heads. *To scrap = amasser durement. The cat is on her laps.

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Name + Surname. Address

Date,…………………….. Mrs. Pickelbee. Sales Agent Select Holyday Agency Dear Mrs. Picklebee,

We saw an advertisement of Manor Farm in Cornwall in one of your brochures and we are interested in spending a fortnight there either in late June or early September. We would like to be given as many details as possible concerning the area and how we could reach them. Should Manor Farm would already be booked, could you recommend another place as nice as it in the surrounding area. It might sound trivial but we’d like to know if there would be a TV set at Manor Farm and whether we should bring sheets and towels, in other words, are they provided or not. Last but not least, can you tell us exactly how much the rent is for one week?

Sincerely yours,

Name + Surname.

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