The world has seen the warmest year this year
(Level: Upper-Intermediate / B2 to C1 / ***)


2014 is said to be one of the warmest year for the UK and parts of the world. According to scientists, other years of extremes are to be expected! 

You are going to watch a BBC report focusing on the issue. 

Forest fires: one of the consequences of the global warming
Photo credit: www.telegraph.co.uk

Before watching:

The following words and notes could be useful:
a drought: a long period of abnormally low rainfall           sécheresse 
to grind on: to continue           persister / continuer 
parched: made extremely dry (by exposure to heat)    desséché / aride   
baking heat: extreme warmth       chaleur torride    
sparse: rare      peu abondant / rare 
steep: excessive / strong      e.g. a steep increase: une forte augmentation  
to reckon: to think / suppose / guess     penser / estimer... 

the Met Office: the UK's national weather service
For more details about the Met Office, click HERE (official site).




While watching:


Answer the following questions in French:

1. What observations have scientists made? How did they proceed? 
2. What were the consequences of extreme warmth on some countries?

You can also watch the report on the BBC site by clicking HERE










When you are finished, you can check your answers:

1
Ils ont analysé et comparé la température moyenne globale par année à la température moyenne sur le long terme. Ils ont constaté que si des périodes plus fraîches se sont manifestées avant de voir les températures augmenter dans les années 80 et 90, il s'avère que, plus récemment (dès 1998), sur les 15 années les plus chaudes, 14 se sont produites durant ce siècle! Il y a donc de fortes chances que de nouveaux records de températures se produisent encore. Sans les gaz à effet de serre qui continuent à être émis dans les grandes métropoles industrielles, ces records de températures seraient inexistants ...

2
Feux de forêts en Californie (suite à une sécheresse qui a perduré pendant des mois)
Terres complètement desséchées et réservoirs d'eau presque asséchés au Brésil
Vague de chaleur en Australie
...

Tugce Albayrak: a Turkish-German 'heroine'
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

Hundreds of mourners have paid their final respects in Germany to 23-year-old Tugce Albayrak who was fatally injured after trying to defend two teenage girls. 

You are going to watch a BBC report. 

Tugce Albayrak
Photo credit: www.independent.co.uk

Before watching:

The following words could be useful:
the mourners: people who feel grief and sorrow because of somebody's death    personnes endeuillées 
a role model: a person regarded as a good example to follow      modèle / exemple 
harassed:  tormented / attacked        inquiété /harcelé / victime de harcèlement 
slight:  slender      mince               
candle-lit rituals: vigils or ceremonial acts with candles       veillées aux chandelles
to stand up to...: to confront fearlessly  / to face up to        affronter / faire face à

Offenbach am Main
Map credit: de.wikipedia.org

While watching:


Answer the following questions in French:

Why has Tugce become a national 'heroine' in Germany? What did she do exactly and what happened next? What decision did her parents make on her 23rd birthday?

You can also watch the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE  






When you are finished, you can check your answers:

Tugce avait décidé de porter assistance à deux adolescentes victimes de harcèlement par un groupe d'hommes dans les toilettes d'un fast-food. Elle avait entendu leurs cris et avait été la seule à venir s'interposer et à faire fuir les agresseurs. Elle a fait montre d'un courage exemplaire là où d'autres ont préféré simplement détourner leurs regards. 

Son geste héroïque devait lui être fatal puisque l'un des agresseurs l'attendait sur le parking du fast-food pour la frapper violemment (NOTE: sur la tête à l'aide d'une batte de baseball). Elle est restée dans le coma pendant deux semaines jusqu'au jour de son 23e anniversaire lorsque ses parents ont pris la terrible décision de faire débrancher les machines qui la maintenaient artificiellement en vie. 

If you are interested, here is a second BBC report focusing on this tragedy:

You can watch the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE

Extreme weather set to rise
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

Storms in Britain
Picture credit: www.dailymail.co.uk

A report by the Royal Society (*) says that climate change will bring more extreme weather and the risk to entire populations will also be increased. 

You are going to watch a BBC report focusing on the issue.

Before watching:


The following words could be useful:
to compound: to add to  / to make worse       exacerber / aggraver / décupler          
flood plains / floodplains: areas of low land along a stream or river that may flood   zones inondables  
to offset: to reduce the effect     compenser   

(*) The Royal Society: an academic organisation for science and a scientific advising body to the government. For more details about the Royal Society (official website), click HERE





While watching:


Answer the following question / Make notes in French:

What will climate change bring to many parts of the world? 


1 Des pluies abondantes, diluviennes       
   Conséquences directes pour qui?  ........................................................
            
                                                    Cause:
                                                    ........................................................



2 ............................................



3 .............................................         
         Conséquences directes: 
                                                    
       1 .....................................................
                                                    
       2 .....................................................

You can also watch the news report on the BBC News website by clicking HERE

Floods in Britain
Picture credit: www.occupy.com

When you are finished, you can check your answers:


1 Des pluies abondantes, diluviennes    
   Conséquences directes pour qui? 
                                                     
   Toutes les personnes vivant à proximité de la mer ou des cours d'eau 
                                                      
                                                     Cause?
                                                     On a autorisé de + en + de gens à s'installer dans des
                                                     zones inondables! 


2 Sécheresse dans certaines parties du monde  



3 Vagues de chaleur / hausse des températures       
           Conséquences directes: 
           1 la population vieillissante en souffrira le plus
           2 l'économie en général en pâtira: les températures trop élevées freineront certaines 
             activités professionnelles

Tower Bridge (and its new glass floor)
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **)

Tower Bridge - aerial view
Photo credit: www.towerbridge.org.uk

Tower Bridge considered by many as the world's most famous bridges has recently been provided with a new feature which would attract even more tourists. 

You are now going to watch a BBC report. 



Before watching:


The following words could be useful:
to look outwards and downwards: to look toward the outside and toward a lower place   avoir une vue vers l'extérieur et vers le bas
the highlight: exciting and memorable event      grand moment 
to peer... down: to look intently downwards    observer ce qui se passe en bas 
straightforward: simple / easy      simple / aisé
the fabric of...: the physical structure       la structure  
gingerly: in a cautious way         avec précaution
of a nervous disposition:  nervous mood, inclination      nerveux de nature 



While watching:

Answer the following questions in French:

1 What is Tower Bridge's latest feature and what does it aim at?
2 What is considered a highlight for tourists?

You can also watch the BBC report on the BBC News official website by clicking HERE

Tower Bridge opening
Photo credit: www.towerbridge.org.uk

When you are finished, you can check your answers:
1 
Le Tower Bridge Glass Floor: nouvelle attraction touristique sous la forme d'une passerelle en verre installée sur la partie supérieure de l'édifice permettant aux visiteurs d'avoir une vue plongeante et vertigineuse sur le pont à bascules ou directement sur la Tamise (42 mètres en contrebas) si les bascules se lèvent.

2
L'événement par excellence à vivre par les touristes juchés sur la passerelle serait d'assister à l'ouverture des bascules du pont et d'y voir passer les bateaux en contrebas. 




If you are interested:

You can find details about Tower Bridge (the Bridge history, the Tower Bridge Exhibition etc) on the Tower Bridge official site by clicking HERE


Here is also an interesting BBC article with unusual pictures: Tower Bridge: Landmark marks 120 years...

Tenses: a recap

Click on image to enlarge

In this lesson, all the tenses which were previously covered in this blog will be reviewed again. 

If you need a recap of all the tenses: click HERE

You can also watch this video lesson (All English Tenses) by Anglo-Link for a good review of all the tenses: click HERE 



For more details about the following tenses, click on them!  

The Simple Present

The Present Continuous


The Simple Past

The Simple Past versus the Present Perfect

The Present Perfect Simple versus the Present Perfect Continuous

Preserving the memories of World War One
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

It is not possible to convey the stench of death, the blood, the horrors of the war in the trenches, ...during the Great War but the Imperial War Museum (IWM) (*) aims at trying to do so thanks to its new First World War galleries. 

You are going to watch a CNN news report devoted to the newest exhibitions at the IWM. 

The IWM
Photo credit: britannica.com

(*) The Imperial War Museum is in fact a British national museum organisation with branches across England, three of which are located in London. The museum was originally built in 1917 in order to record the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and its Empire during the Great War before it started to include later on all the conflicts which Britain and the Commonwealth countries have been involved in since the First World War.

For more information about the IWM, here is a link to its official website: click HERE



Before watching:


The following words and notes could be useful:
the stench: foul or offensive smell; stink          puanteur
the breadth: wide range or scope          éventail / étendue / ampleur   
the bereavement:  death and the grief due to it      deuil   
to be picked off: to be shot            être abattu / être pris pour cible 
a sniper: someone who shoots at others from a concealed place     tireur d'élite / tireur embusqué
overwhelming: overpowering in effect             écrasant / lourd   
righteous: morally upright; in accordance with morality         juste / droit / vertueux
the call to arms: an appeal to engage in combat         l'appel aux armes
trivia: unimportant objects             petits objets divers  
poignancy: designed to affect the feelings             caractère poignant, émouvant 
a private: someone who holds the lowest rank in the army      simple soldat 

the Boer War (or Second Boer War / 1899-1902) was fought by the UK against the Afrikaans-speaking settlers in South Africa. 

the white feather: a traditional symbol of cowardice within the British Army and in countries associated with the British Empire. 

Lord Kitchener's First World War recruitment poster;
a call to arms
Photo credit: thetimes.co.uk

The white feather
Photo credit: en.wikipedia

While watching:

Answer the following question in French:

How is the Imperial War Museum in London trying to recreate the suffering endured by those who fought in the Great War, according to CNN's reporter Nick Glass?

You can also watch the video on the CNN website by clicking HERE







When you are finished, you can check your answers:

Suggestions de réponses

Mettre en évidence les armes utilisées et l'apparition de nouvelles machines à tuer durant le conflit, comme les tanks...

Exposer des objets à première vue ordinaires ayant appartenu à des individus de sorte à mettre en lumière une partie de leur histoire brutalement interrompue, comme ce portefeuille contenant la photo de l'épouse et de trois enfants, percé par la même balle qui a tué son propriétaire. Ou cette photo de soldats fraternisant dans le no man's land durant la Trêve de Noël de décembre 1914 et celle du sergent Frank Collins, tué le jour de Noël par un tireur embusqué qui n'avait pas décidé de déposer les armes comme les autres. Ou encore des lettres émouvantes comme celle écrite du Front en France par le soldat William Martin en mars 1917 à sa fiancée Emily pour la rassurer car il était encore dans le monde des vivants avant d'être finalement abattu, trois jours plus tard, lui aussi par un tireur embusqué. La réponse qu'Emily lui a écrite ne lui est jamais parvenue. Quel choc épouvantable pour elle quand sa lettre lui a été restituée avec une inscription terrible s'étalant sur l'enveloppe...

...  

Remembrance Sunday
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **)

Queen Elizabeth II laying a wreath of poppies (*)  at the Cenotaph on
Remembrance Sunday
Photo credit: onenewspage.com

Before watching:

In the UK, Remembrance Sunday is a homage day to commemorate the British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women who originally fell during the First World War but also those who died in later wars and conflicts.  The ceremony is held each year at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, in Westminster City, central London, on the second Sunday of November which is also the Sunday nearest to Arministice Day (or Remembrance Day).

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on the commemorations honouring the War Dead that took place on Remembrance Sunday (9th November 2014).

The Cenotaph on Whitehall, City of Westminster, London
where wreaths of poppies (*)  are laid
Photo credit: ww1.canada.com

(*) For more details about poppies or wreaths of poppies, you can click HERE

You can also consult the site of the Royal British Legion to get more details about the poppies, the poppy appeal and so much more information. Click HERE 



The following words and notes could be useful:
Whitehall: a main street in the City of Westminster in central London where government departments, ministries, monuments and memorials such as the Cenotaph are located.  

to heighten (security): to increase / to make more intense      renforcer 
a threat: menace; danger; risk           menace  

Whitehall
Picture credit: en.wikipedia.org

Whitehall, a sketch map
Credit: en.wikipedia.org

While watching:

What were the commemorations like this year? 

Answer in French: what do the following people, places, ideas, notions... refer to?

- La Reine Elizabeth II et d'autres membres de la famille royale (qui et quoi?)?

- David Cameron?

- Le Cénotaphe?

- Les cérémonies: différentes cette année; en quoi?

- Dispositif de sécurité renforcé: pourquoi?

- L'Ambassadeur d'Irlande?

You can also find the video on the Sky News site by clicking HERE

Here is a shorter film by Sky News showing Queen Elizabeth II laying a wreath and bowing in respect to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice since the Great War on behalf of the Nation. 

When you are finished, you can check your answers:

La Reine a rendu hommage aux soldats britanniques et du Commonwealth tombés au champ d'honneur depuis la Première Guerre mondiale. Elle était accompagnée de son mari, le Duc d'Edimbourg, de son fils Charles, Prince de Galles et de son petit-fils William, le Duc de Cambridge. 

C'était ensuite au tour des politiciens menés par le Premier Ministre David Cameron à déposer une gerbe de coquelicots au pied du Cénotaphe.

Le Cénotaphe: monument commémoratif et site spécifique dans Whitehall où se déroule la cérémonie annuelle du souvenir (le "Remembrance Sunday" ou Dimanche du Souvenir); ce mémorial conçu à l'origine pour honorer la mémoire des soldats britanniques et du Commonwealth tombés durant la Première Guerre est aussi dédié à présent aux victimes britanniques des conflits ultérieurs.

Les cérémonies sont différentes cette année car l'année 2014 marque...

-...le centenaire du début de la Première Guerre mondiale;

-...le 70e anniversaire du Débarquement en Normandie;

-...la fin des missions des troupes britanniques stationnées en Afghanistan.

Sécurité renforcée car les risques d'attentat dus à la participation britannique en Irak et en Syrie sont toujours d'actualité.

Participation de la République d'Irlande (représentée par son Ambassadeur) pour la première fois à la commémoration et dépôt d'une gerbe au pied du mémorial.

Ypres (3): Tyne Cot
(Level: Pre-Intermedite to Intermediate / A2 to B1 / **)

Tyne Cot
Photo credit: www.toerismewesthoek.be

Before watching:


You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on Tyne Cot which is the largest and most visited Commonwealth war cemetery in the world.

The following words could be useful:
to be in awe: to be very impressed 
a headstone: memorial stone at the head of a grave 

Visitors at Tyne Cot Cemetery:
difficult for them to find words to convey the feelings
that visiting that place left them with.

While watching


What do the following figures stand for?

12,000
1922
34,000
8,000

You can also watch the video on the Sky News site by clicking HERE

When you are finished, you can check your answers

12.000: le nombre total de soldats britanniques et du Commonwealth qui reposent à Tyne Cot (donc le nombre total de stèles dans le cimetière) (1)
1922: construction du cimetière achevée et visite du roi George V.
34.000: le nombre de soldats disparus sans sépulture connue (dont les noms sont gravés sur le mémorial - mur situé au fond de la nécropole) (2)
8.000: le nombre de soldats enterrés à Tyne Cot mais jamais identifiés (3)


(1) 11.954  (chiffre officiel de la Commonwealth War Graves Commission) 
On y trouve aussi 4 stèles de soldats allemands, dont trois inconnus.
(2) 34.949  (chiffre officiel de la CWGC) = nombre de soldats disparus sur le champ de bataille (notamment à Passendale) depuis le 16 août 1917.  Ceux tombés avant cette date et sans sépulture connue (54.896) ont leur nom gravé sur les parois de la Porte de Menin à Ypres.
(3) 8.369 (chiffre officiel de la CWGC)


If you are interested, here are more details about Tyne Cot Cemetery:

http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/53300/TYNE%20COT%20CEMETERY


http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/cemetery-tyne-cot.htm

The Menin Gate Memorial
Photo credit: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Menin Gate
Photo credit: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Tyne Cot Memorial
Photo credit: www.ww1westernfront.gov.au

Ypres (2) / British government-funded trips to teach UK pupils about the sacrifices of the fallen 

(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

UK teenagers visiting WW1 battlefields
as part of a government-funded scheme
Photo credit: independent.co.uk

To mark the centenary of the outbreak of WW1, the British government planned last year to give every comprehensive school the opportunity to send pupils to sites like Passchendaele near Ypres and the Somme in France from spring 2014 to 2018 so that "the bravery and suffering" of the fallen British and Commonwealth soldiers should not be forgotten.

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on the first government-funded school trip to World War One sites in Belgium and northern France. 

The Cloth Hall, Ypres, before WW1
Photo credit: www.ww1westernfront.gov.au

The Cloth Hall, Ypres, in ruins
Photo credit: www.visitflanders.co.uk

Passchendaele then...
Photo credits: commons.wikimedia.org  (top picture);
en.wikipedia.org (this one)

...and Passchendaele today (Tyne Cot Cemetery)
Photo credits: www.toerismewesthoek.be (top picure)
and www.commons.wikimedia.org (this one)

Before watching:

The following words could be useful:

a flagship project: a project regarded as (one of) the most important one(s)      projet phare

prohibitively expensive: too expensive / unaffordable      trop onéreux; inabordable

without fail: definitely          sans faute; impérativement

to lay a wreath: to place flowers (a band of flowers) on a grave e.g.     déposer une couronne de fleurs

Poppy wreaths laid at the Menin Gate, Ypres
Photo credit: www.riflemantours.co.uk

NOTES
If you want more details about the poppies, poppy wreaths etc, see The Tower of London's Poppy Field  posted on 29th October on this blog. 

A comprehensive school: a large state secondary school for boys and girls of all abilities aged 11 or over. (Oxford Guide to British and American Culture)

While watching:

Answer the following questions in French:

What does the project launched by the British government consist of and what does it aim at?

You can also watch the report on the Sky News site by clicking HERE

If you are interested, you can also find more details about the British Government's project by clicking HERE. (See the passage "Battlefield visits for schoolchildren".)

You can also read an article in The Independent focusing on the visit of thousands of teenagers to the battlefields of the First World War: click HERE

Ypres (1)
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

Here is first a short film (partly in Dutch with English subtitles) (*) in three parts that is really worth watching before any visit to Ypres! 

In this programme you can get to know more about Ypres such as: 

• its strategic position on the Front Line (hence its complete destuction);
• the incredible number of unexploded bombs, mortars, grenades... which are still being collected today in the fields around by the Belgian explosives disposal service;
• the chemical weapons which were used there for the first time;
• the Menin Gate, the military cemeteries and the Last Post;
• ...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

(*) It was originally a programme by VPRO Televisie which you can also watch by clicking HERE

Here is now an interesting short film comparing war-torn Ypres to a now fully reconstructed city (*) 

(*) Ypres: Now and Then (from the University of Oxford's First World War Poetry Digital Archive)