The spider boy
(Level: A2  / Elementary to Pre-Intermediate /  * to **)

You are going to watch to a TV show (from National Geographic) with 11-year-old Tom Buchanan from Australia as he was lying in a plastic box with spiders during the Australia Guinness World Records (TV show) that took place in Sydney, New South Wales on 27 August 2005.

Before watching:

The following words and notes could be useful:
a moniker = nickname: surnom
swelling: gonflement (dû à une morsure)
This takes the cake: ça, c'est le bouquet!
the guideline: la directive
to pour: verser / déverser
to tickle: chatouiller
wranglers = cow-boys
to squash: écraser

The golden (silk) orb (weavers): a type of spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave (to weave = tisser). They can also be called giant wood spiders or banana spiders.


Now watch the video and answer the questions (multiple-choice)

 

 

 

While watching:

Choose the right alternative:

1.  To break the record, Tom had to get in the plastic box…

                    a) with 75 spiders for 30 seconds.

                    b) with 125 spiders for 30 seconds or more.

                    c) with 125 spiders for 55 seconds.

 

2.  Tom was doing this…

a)      because he liked spiders and had been with them for 3 years.

b)      because he thought it was fun.

c)      because he wanted to please his mum.

d)      because he wanted to be famous

 

3.  These spiders were poisonous.

                   a) True   

                   b) False     

                   c) The information  is not in the video

4.   He doesn’t like having spiders in his hair.

                   a) True    

                   b) False    

                   c) The information is not in the video

 

5. Why didn’t  he get up before they’d  removed all the spiders? Because…

                   a)  …it was necessary according to the guideline.

                   b) …there was a spider on his eye.

                   c) …he didn’t want to kill any.

 

6. How long was he in the box?

                   a) 30 seconds     

                   b) 55 seconds     

                   c) 40 seconds

 

7. Did his mother mind that?

                   a) No, she didn’t     

                   b) Yes, she did     

                   c) Just a little

 

8. The Guinness Book adjudicator’s instruction was:

                  a) Tom could only wear shorts and had to lie on his back.

                  b) Tom had to lie on his back for more than 50 seconds.

                 c) Tom had to lie with spiders preferably on his face for more than 30 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

When you are finished, check your answers

 

1.  To break the record, Tom had to get in the plastic box…

                    a) with 75 spiders for 30 seconds.

               

2.  Tom was doing this…

                     b) because he thought it was fun.

 

3.  These spiders were poisonous.

                    b) False     

                  

4.   He doesn’t like having spiders in his hair.

                    c) The information is not in the video

 

5. Why didn’t  he get up before they’d  removed all the spiders? Because…

                    c) …he didn’t want to kill any.

 

6. How long was he in the box?

                    b) 55 seconds     

                  

7. Did his mother mind that?

                    c) Just a little

 

8. The Guinness Book adjudicator’s instruction was:

                  a) Tom could only wear shorts and had to lie on his back.

                  

 

 

Thousands without power
(Level: B2 / Upper-Intermediate / ***)


While we were in Kent, England in March, we were also caught in the cold snap but fortunately, it was nothing comparable to the snowy blizzards the inhabitants of the Isle of Arran had to endure.

From the BBC - In Pictures

You are going to watch a Sky News report that focuses on the terribly wintry conditions on the isle and their consequences. 



Before watching:
Where is the Isle of Arran? Take a look!
http://www.arran.co.uk/map/

And here are a few details about it if you are interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Arran


Now watch the report and answer the questions:

http://news.sky.com/story/1069298/snow-thousands-without-power-amid-warnings


1. What caused the power lines to be badly damaged in parts of Scotland such as the Isle of Arran?
2. Why can't power companies manage to reconnect the households more quickly?

Note:
drifting snow / snow drift: congère
one foot = 30.48 cm





When you are finished, check your answers:
1.
La neige qui recouvre les cables à haute tension se transforme en glace sous l'effet du vent glacial et provoque des surcharges pouvant entraîner la rupture des cables ou des pylônes. Dans le cas présent, le poids de la neige atteint jusqu'à 20 fois le poids des cables. 

2.
Il faut commencer par dégager les routes encombrées par des amas de neige ou congères pouvant atteindre jusqu'à 4,5 mètres de haut. / Des milliers de ménages sont concernés...

 

Improving your pronunciation

Some of you might wonder how they could get better while reading or speaking English.
Here are a few good tips:

1. You'd better learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) which is a series of symbols standing for the different sounds of the English language. (Where can you find the symbols?  See further)

When you know the symbols or if you can at least recognize them, you'll be able to pronounce any word in English. That's interesting when you learn new words or look them up in your dictionary.
The fact is when you learn new words, you should always learn how to pronounce them correctly as well.
If you don't know how to pronounce the words 'Psychology' or 'Psychological' properly, you can check their pronunciation (phonetic transcription) in your dictionary - including which syllables need to be stressed:  /saɪ 'kɒləʤɪ / or /,saɪkə'lɒʤɪkəl /. 

But you can also check online dictionaries for learners of English, for instance the Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/

For the two aforementioned words:

 http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/psychology?q=psychology

 http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/psychological?q=psychological


You can also click on the red (British English) or blue (American English) speaker icon if you want to hear the word.
 

 

 

And you are of course given a definition of the word.

 

2. You should try and imitate the way English (or Americans if you prefer) speak their language. So just listen to what and how a native speaker says something and try to make the same sounds.

 

3. Watch films or series only in English (preferably with English subtitles). The more films or series you watch in their original language, the better you are at understanding and... speaking (with the appropriate pronunciation and word stress) and the more vocabulary you acquire.

 

4. Find resources on the internet to improve your pronunciation (BBC; YouTube pronunciation sites; pronunciation exercises...).

 

Here is a very popular site for learners of English - don't hesitate to add it to your favourites:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/


Or on YouTube: The Introduction.

And the first programme: The Sounds of English.

On the BBC page, you'll find the symbols of English.
When you click on a symbol, you'll be taken to another page where you can watch a video about that particular sound.
You know now what to do: click on the following link and get started!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/

Are the Britons going to an early grave?
(Level: B1 to B2 // Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate //  ** to *** )

You are going to watch a Sky News report about a recent study focusing on life expectancy in the UK compared with other wealthy countries. 

The following words and notes could be useful:
 life expectancy: the length of time someone is expected to live  / (espérance de vie)
a disorder: an ailment affecting the function of mind or body   /  (trouble) 
per capita: per individual / (par habitant)
forthright: direct / straightforward

The WHO (World Health Organization) Global Burden of Disease (GBD) measures the burden of disease by combining years of life lost due to premature mortality and years of life lost due to time lived in states of less than full health.  Using data collected for the GBD project, international researchers analysed UK's rates of sickness and death from 1990 to 2010 in comparison to those of 15 other Western European countries in addition to Australia, Canada and the U.S. 


Watch and complete the notes in the chart!

La Grande-Bretagne: -          Le pays se trouve en ............ position sur un total de .......... pays riches. -          Le taux de mortalité prématurée chez les  20 à 54 ans ...............................................en 20  ans. (Expliquer pourquoi : ........................................................................................  MAIS parallèlement plus de problèmes (maladies / décès) dus à..................................................... Les problèmes liés à l’usage de drogues ont été augmentés à concurrence  de ...........% en 20 ans. -          Les maladies les + courantes responsables d’une forte mortalité (chez ...............    individus de moins de 75 ans chaque année), à savoir ............................................ ..................................................................................... (situation similaire il y a 20 ans). -          Il faudrait mener une politique de ..........................

L’Australie : -          Le pays se trouve en .............. position. En 1990, le pays était en .......... position. -          A quoi est due cette évolution ? ............................................................................

L’Italie / l’Espagne (+ l’Australie) : -          Les gens vivent en moyenne ........ an de plus qu’au Royaume-Uni. -          Comment se fait-il ?  ............................................................................................

 

 

 

When you are finished, you can check your answers.

 

La Grande-Bretagne: -          Le pays se trouve en 14e position sur un total de 19 pays riches. -          Le taux de mortalité prématurée chez les  20 à 54 ans n’a pas tellement changé en 20 ans. (Expliquer pourquoi : d’une part, traitements efficaces contre le cancer et une meilleure sécurité routière (d’où normalement  espérance de vie plus longue)  MAIS parallèlement plus de problèmes (maladies / décès) dus à un usage abusif d’alcool et des drogues. Les problèmes liés à l’usage de drogues ont été augmentés à concurrence  de 577 % en 20 ans. -          Les maladies les + courantes responsables d’une forte mortalité (chez 150.000    individus de moins de 75 ans chaque année), à savoir les maladies cardiovasculaires ; les cancers ; les accidents cérébrovasculaires ; les maladies respiratoires et hépatiques (situation similaire il y a 20 ans). -          Il faudrait mener une politique de prévention.

L’Australie : -          Le pays se trouve en première position. En 1990, le pays était en 8e position. -          A quoi est due cette évolution ?  Grâce aux lois anti-tabac en vigueur et à l’harmonisation des stratégies.

L’Italie / l’Espagne (+ l’Australie) : -          Les gens vivent en moyenne un an de plus qu’au Royaume-Uni. -          Comment se fait-il ?  Le climat est meilleur / Les habitants sont plus susceptibles d’être des adeptes des activités en plein air / Mode de vie plus sain

 

 



 

 

Honesty is the best policy 
(Level: B1 to B2 / Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate /  ** to ***)

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on a homeless beggar returning something he had found in his begging cup and getting an unexpected reward in return.

The following words could be useful:
to live rough: to live outside especially because you are homeless  / (vivre dans la rue)
a collecting cup: a begging cup /   (un gobelet pour mendier)
a fundraising campaign: a campaign aimed at collecting money  / (une campagne de collecte de fonds)
fuss: attention or excitement which is not necessary...   
            What was all the fuss about?   Pourquoi tout ce foin?  /  Pourquoi en faire tant de cas?   /  ...


Listen and answer the following questions! 

1. Why is Billy Ray Harris now considered to be a model of honesty for others? What happened?
2. Honesty turned out to be indeed the best policy for Billy. Can you explain that?

When you are finished, check your answers!

1.
Billy, un SDF,  a rendu une bague de fiançailles  (note : en platine et sertie d’un diamant) à sa propriétaire quand cette dernière est revenue sur place après avoir réalisé qu’elle l’avait perdue. Elle l’avait en fait laissé tomber par mégarde parmi quelques pièces de monnaie dans le gobelet que Billy lui avait tendu.

2.
Sarah Darling, la propriétaire de la bague, a lancé une campagne de collecte de fonds en ligne pour Billy, qui a déjà récolté quelque 150.000 dollars – une belle récompense pour son geste – sans oublier les très nombreux messages de sympathie des donateurs ;  preuve que l’honnêteté est la meilleure politique qui soit.  Il ne devra plus dormir à la dure puisqu’il pourra faire l’acquisition d’une maison grâce à cette somme !

American English vs. British English (1): some lexical differences

1. You can solve the exercises posted earlier (See: "Does Facebook make you envious?")

2. Here is an interesting recap for you to watch:

Grammar (2) -  Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Continuous

See also: Grammar (1) - Present Perfect vs. Simple Past!


Both the Present Perfect Simple and the Present Perfect Continuous tenses relate a past action to the present.

She has been in the same company for 8 years.

She has been working for the same company for 8 years.

The Present Perfect Simple is used to refer to a completed action and to focus more on achievements and results.

She’s travelled a lot abroad but she’s never been to Asian countries.

Have you ever tried to learn the Chinese language?
Has she posted the letters yet?
I’ve already checked my mails today.

The Present Perfect Continuous is rather used to emphasise the length of time an action or activity has lasted, or to focus on the continuous nature of the action / activity (mostly with rather negative connotations) or else to suggest that the activity described is not yet completed.

I’ve been standing here on this platform in the cold for one hour and the train hasn’t arrived yet.
I’m fed up with you. You’re never on time: I’ve been waiting for you again!
She’s been working in that awful factory for 15 years now.
What have you been doing?  You’re all covered in paint!
I've been typing on my computer for hours now! My eyes are stinging now!

 Compare:
He has been writing lots of articles for various newspapers since the 1990s.
He has written an article about the recent events in Belgian politics.

She’s read two books this week.
She’s been reading her book all morning but she still hasn’t finished the first chapter.

Who has eaten all the crisps? There are none left!
Who has been eating my pack of crisps? It’s almost empty.

Exercises.
1 Choose the best form to complete the sentences.

We’ve cleaned up / We’ve been cleaning up the attic all afternoon. I’m tired now.

I’ve written / I’ve been writing that report and it’s really annoying.
I’ve typed / I’ve been typing the report. You can now read it.
She has known / has been knowing Peter for 10 years now.
Have you ever eaten / Have you ever been eating insects?
Sorry, the kitchen is now a mess: I’ve cooked / I’ve been cooking dinner.
She’s driven / She’s been driving 150 kilometres to see her mum.
We’ve driven / We’ve been driving more than 1,000 kilometres. I’m totally shattered.

 

2 Use the words given to complete the sentences.

Why are your eyes so red?   I /  type / report  / computer

Do you know where the boss is? No, I don’t. I / see / all morning
You look very tired. Yes, I / work / all night long.
Can I have the remote control? No, you can’t. I / finish / watch / yet / this programme
He’s a real chocoholic. He / not / stop / eat  /today
He’s a real chocoholic. He / eat / all day long
How well do you know her? I / know / 15 years
I haven’t seen you for a long time. What / you / do / ?
There you are. We / look for you / all morning

 

When you are finished, check your answers!

1

We’ve been cleaning up the attic all afternoon. I’m tired now.
I’ve been writing that report and it’s really annoying.
I’ve typed the report. You can now read it.
She has known Peter for 10 years now.
Have you ever eaten insects?
Sorry, the kitchen is now a mess: I’ve been cooking dinner.
She’s driven 150 kilometres to see her mum.
We’ve been driving more than 1,000 kilometres. I’m totally shattered.

 

2

Why are your eyes so red?   I’ve been typing a report on my computer.
Do you know where the boss is? No, I don’t. I haven’t seen him all morning.
You look very tired. Yes, I’ve been working all night long.
Can I have the remote control? No, you can’t. I haven’t finished watching this programme yet.
He’s a chocoholic. He hasn’t stopped eating chocolate today.
He’s a chocoholic. He’s been eating chocolate all day long.
How well do you know her? I’ve known her for 15 years.
I haven’t seen you for a long time. What have you been doing?
There you are. We’ve been looking for you all morning.