End of the road for the iconic VW Camper
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **)


The last ever VW Camper (or kombi or bus) is due to roll off the production lines on 31 December after 64 years in continuous production (56 of them in Brazil).

 

VW Camper
Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk

VW Camper
Photo credit: ala.co.uk

VW Camper
Photo credit: snailtrail.co.uk

Before watching:


The following words could be useful:
to be consigned to history: to exist only in the past    appartenir désormais au passé
to set someone back...: (here)  to cost...       coûter ...  à quelqu'un  
to put paid to...: to consider... closed or completed / to put an end to...   mettre fin à...
the passing of...: (here) the death of...        la mort de...
customised: being altered to personal specifications        adapté / personnalisé  



While watching:



Answer the following questions in French:

1. Why has VW decided to put an end to the kombi production?
2. What makes the kombi so important to Brazilians? In other words, will the vehicle completely disappear from the roads in Brazil? Explain!

http://news.sky.com/story/1187989/volkswagen-camper-van-reaches-end-of-the-road

When you are finished, check your answers!

Suggestions de réponses

1. Le modèle ne correspond plus aux normes de sécurité en vigueur et il est tellement resté "classique" qu'il est  impossible d'y installer entre autres des airbags ou l'ABS.

2. Le VW Combi n'est pas près de disparaître même si plus aucun ne sortira dorénavant des chaînes de production à partir de ce 31 décembre 2013, et ce pour plusieurs raisons:

a) Véritable icône au Brésil; on le produit depuis 56 ans
b) Tout le monde semble avoir appris à conduire au volant du van
c) On en trouve partout
d) C'est le véhicule de prédilection de plusieurs générations; plus rien ne sera jamais pareil au volant d'une autre voiture; ce ne peut être que le VW Combi.
e) Les passionnés estiment que le van VW ne mourra jamais; avec 10 millions d'exemplaires produits, on le verra encore pendant un certain temps sur les routes!
f) Le véhicule est utilisé pour tout (transport de marchandises; véhicule utilitaire; voiture familiale...)
g) Le van procure un sentiment de liberté

 

If you are interested, here are a CNN article about the VW van and a few pictures:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/31/travel/kombi-production-ends/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

New anti-smoking ad targeting addicts

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


Tobacco addicts are now being targeted by a new advertising campaign which aims at scaring them into giving up the bad habit.

Strong images of contaminated, toxic blood flowing through a smoker's body are being used so as to reinforce the message that smoking increases the risk of  fatal strokes or serious disability due to strokes.

 

 

an image of toxic blood circulating through a smoker's body - also part of the campaign
Picture credit: Public Health England (*)

 

(*) Public Health England (PHE) is an executive agency of the Department of Health (**) whose mission is to protect and improve the nation's health and to address inequalities. (Source: gov.uk)

 

 

(**) The Department of Health (DH) is a ministerial department which helps people to live better for longer. [They]lead, shape and fund health and care in England, making sure people have the support, care and treatment they need, with the compassion, respect and dignity they deserve. (Source: gov.uk)

 

Here is a link to PHE. You can find really interesting information there:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england



 Before watching:
The following words could be useful:
sick leave: paid absence from work granted because of illness    congés de maladie
an attempt: an effort or try           tentative 
a billboard: a panel for the display of advertisements in public places         panneau d'affichage / panneau publicitaire    
disability: the condition of being disabled / incapacity / physical (or mental) impairment      invalidité / incapacité / handicap  
a stroke: sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, diminution or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain. Also called cerebral accident.       accident vasculaire cérébral


You can have a look at the PHE video (videos) before watching the report:

http://www.youtube.com/user/smokefreevideos


And more specifically, you can go to: http://www.nhs.uk/smokefree


 
While watching:

You are now going to watch a Sky News video focusing on the campaign and its reasons.

 

Answer the following questions in French:

 

1. What does the new anti-smoking advert aim at showing this time?

2. Why is the campaign being launched at this time of the year?

 

 

 

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1187952/anti-smoking-campaign-new-ad-targets-addicts

 

 

When you are finished, check your answers!

 

1

Le but de cette campagne est de montrer les effets dévastateurs du tabagisme (tels les AVC et autres risques connexes aux AVC comme l'invalidité), dus aux toxines présentes dans le sang du fumeur...

 

2

Beaucoup de fumeurs aspirent à arrêter et ont déjà essayé à plusieurs reprises; donc il fallait agir justement au moment de la prise des bonnes résolutions, et en présentant des images choc.

 

You can also go to:
 

http://philippebekaert.blogspot.be/2013/02/you-are-going-to-watch-sky-news-report.html

Worst Christmas time ever for so many!
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

You are going to watch a series of Sky News videos focusing on the aftermath of the devastating storm sweeping across the UK on 23rd December and the floods that forced people into leaving their homes.
Almost one week later, the misery continues for some as they are still without power.

Report 1: Christmas Day
See what it was like for the Surrey residents on 25th December.

Surrey, UK
Map from Wikipedia

 

The following words could be useful:
one foot = 30.48 cm
filfthy: very dirty     crasseux  / dégoûtant 
overflow: excess of water     (débordement /  les eaux (qui ont débordé) / inondation
sodden: thoroughly soaked     détrempé / trempé / saturé d'eau
hard graft: hard labour / hard work      travail très dur / dur labeur / travail acharné
to burst its banks (for a river): to overflow      sortir de son lit  / déborder
treacherous:  risky / perilous / dangerous / hazardous           périlleux / traître / dangereux 
the engine cut out = the engine stopped automatically   /se couper automatiquement 

Report 2: Boxing Day
See what it was like for the people from the same county on 26th December.


The following words could be useful:
 to recede: to move back / to move away / to withdraw     se retirer
upsetting: the fact of disturbing     perturbant / bouleversant

http://news.sky.com/story/1187037/christmas-flood-misery-continues-for-thousands



 Report 3: 27th December
See what it was like for one resident of Yalding, Kent:

Yalding, Kent
Map from postcode-info.co.uk

Yalding, Kent
Photos from Sky News



 The following words could be useful:
a foot = 30.48 cm
to cope with: to act to remove difficulties or to solve problems      faire face à / réagir efficacement (face à...) / affronter

 

 

 

 



Report 4: 28th December
It is about a resident from Surrey still without electricity five days after the cut and how he and his family have to cope.  

 



http://news.sky.com/story/1187695/weather-compensation-boost-after-power-cuts

 

2013 in retrospect
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

You are going to watch a Sky News programme focusing on this year's big stories, including the deaths of Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher, Prince George's birth, the Boston Marathon bomb attacks, the endless civil war in Syria and so on...

 

 

 

 

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1186159/review-2013-a-year-of-breaking-news

 

 

 No questions this time!

 

 

 

What  is the appeal of Candy Crush Saga?
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ***)

Once you see people hunched over their mobile phones or tablets, there are a great many chances that they may be in the middle of a Candy Crush Saga game trying eagerly to get sweets in matching rows so as to make them explode.

Candy Crush Saga is presently reputed to be the most downloaded game in the world for mobile devices and the app is also integrated with Facebook, which can only but expand its use.

You are now going to read a BBC article focusing on the reasons why a game like Candy Crush Saga turns out to be so attractive so that it can now be considered a (new) social phenomenon.

 

Candy Crush Saga
Picture from the BBC

 

 

 

Bejeweled
Picture from ign.com

 

Before reading
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25334716


The following words could be useful:
highest-grossing:... of which the profits are the most remarkable // qui récolte le plus de recettes / qui engendre le plus de bénéfices, les plus grosses recettes
entranced: fascinated / charmed /mesmerized    hypnotisé / envoûté / passionné
glazed: without liveliness / sort of empty         vitreux
to nudge... into...: to encourage (in a gentle way)     encourager / inciter
a gizmo: a small piece of equipment for which you can't really give a name     bidule / machin
an add-on: a computer program or piece of computer equipment that can be added to a computer in order to increase the number of things that it is able to do   utilitaire supplémentaire
financial outlay: amount of money that must be spent in order to acquire something   investissement financier / effort financier
hefty: large and impressive      considérable / élevé
a share: a unit of ownership representing an equal proportion of a company's capital and entitling its holder (=a shareholder) to an equal claim on the company's profits and an equal obligation for the company's losses.      une action
a demographic: a portion of the population, especially regarded as customers    groupe cible
the advent: the coming or arrival, especially of something particularly important   avènement / arrivée
scarce: rare / limited      rare
to dole out: to administer or bestow (in small proportions)    accorder / distribuer
scant: not really sufficient / falling short  (e.g. a scant consolation)    maigre / insuffisant / faible
matter-of-factly: relating to facts / literally    objectivement / tout naturellement
hunched over...: bending forward / not being upright    penché (en avant) sur...
measured out: doled out  (see above: to dole out)
to while away: to pass the time, usually in a pleasant way        consacrer (du temps à...)
to drop in and out: +/-  here: start (playing) the game intermettently  se lancer (dans le jeu) par intermittences
to snatch: to seize (suddenly / eagerly) / to get (briefly)   arracher
to keep pace with: to keep up with    rester en phase avec / suivre le rythme de / s'adapter avec
to scroll through: to move through (a website page...)  faire défiler (une page sur internet) / parcourir
fine-tuning: the fact of bringing about small adjustments for optimal performance   réglage minutieux
minor tweaks: minor adjustments / small changes      changements mineurs
enamoured of: captivated / charmed       amoureux de ... / épris de...
brash: bold (for colours)    vif
to appeal to...: to be interesting or attractive to     attirer... / plaire à...
the core audience: the target audience / the intended group to which something has been made...  public cible / public visé / public de base
to egg on: to urge / to cause to act     inciter / exhorter



Jelly beans
Picture from fanpop.com

Arcade games
Photo from wikipedia.org

While reading


Answer the following questions in French:

1. What makes a game like Candy Crush Saga so appealing and popular?

2. In what ways can the game as such be criticized? Explain!






When you are finished, check your answers!

1.
- Concept simple / jeu assez facile; il suffit d'aligner des bonbons et de les détruire.

- Téléchargements et accès gratuits - donc jeu gratuit (mais jusqu'à un certain point!)

- Jeu téléchargeable  sur tous les supports portables (Smartphones, iPads, tablettes...); jeu rendu accessible à tous

- Jeu prisé par les navetteurs (entre autres); passe-temps dans les transports en commun (mais ailleurs aussi, notamment au travail!)

- Jeu populaire sur Facebook


2.
Jeu critiquable à bien des égards:

- passe-temps ludique mais loin d'être inoffensif car très addictif!

Addictif parce que le joueur a toujours envie d'accéder aux niveaux ultérieurs - quelque 500 niveaux (et les concepteurs veulent en rajouter!) - il n'est donc quasiment pas possible d'en voir la fin!

Autre effet pervers: quand le compteur de vies virtuelles disponibles tombe à zéro, deux possibilités s'offrent au joueur. Soit il attend une demi-heure avant de pouvoir rejouer (= frustration pour certains de devoir attendre avant de pouvoir terminer le niveau). Soit il lui est possible de payer - surtout si la frustration et l'attente lui deviennent insupportables! L'application, pourtant gratuite au départ, propose à présent de débourser de l'argent pour s'approprier des vies virtuelles.

- Temps passé (perdu!) à jouer inlassablement pour (tenter de) passer aux niveaux supérieurs (comme mentionné dans l'article en guise d'exemple: dès le matin au petit déjeuner avec l'ordinateur portable tout en parcourant ses pages Facebook, ensuite avec le téléphone dans le train en partance pour le boulot et continuer le jeu là où on est arrivé sur la tablette une fois installé sur son lieu de travail...).

- Temps passé à jouer dans les transports en commun en partance vers et au retour de son travail: OK mais beaucoup grignotent même leur temps de travail!

- Machine à fric pour les concepteurs (le jeu leur rapporte quelque 610.000 livres sterling par jour - grâce aux paiements des personnes dépendantes du jeu!) + Le jeu en soi probablement bientôt coté en bourse!

- Le jeu doit beaucoup à ses prédécesseurs (Bejeweled...) dont le concept était assez similaire (aligner des objets et les faire disparaître); on n'y trouve que quelques ajustements...

- ...

Grammar (5): questions
(Level: Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate / A2 to B1 / **)

There are two types of questions.

1.   Yes or No questions

     2.   Wh-questions

 

1.   Yes or No questions.

The type of question for which either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ (followed by a short answer) is expected.

Is she from England? Yes, she is.  / No, she isn’t.
Do you have a car? Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Have you got cats? Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
Is she studying at the moment? Yes, she is. / No, she isn't.

The rules are simple:

1.   If the main verb is ‘to be’ (auxiliary), simply invert the subject and the verb.

Are you at home? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.

Is she working on your project?  Yes, she is. / No, she isn’t.
Are they reading now? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
Was she on holiday last week? Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Were they at the station yesterday? Yes, they were. / No, they weren't. 

2.   If the main verb is another auxiliary (have, can, may, must, will, shall, would, should…), simply invert the subject and the auxiliary

 She has just phoned her boss.  

Has she just phoned her boss?
Yes, she has. / No, she hasn’t.

They have spent the evening watching films.

Have they spent the evening watching films?
Yes, they have. / No, they haven’t.

She should see her doctor.

Should she see her doctor?
Yes, she should. / No, she shouldn’t.

I’ll (will) phone her as soon as possible.

Will you phone her as soon as possible?
Yes, I will. / No, I won’t (will not)

I can use your bathroom.

Can I use your bathroom?
Yes, you can. / No, you can't.


 

3.   If the main verb of the sentence is an ordinary verb conjugated in the Simple Present or the Simple Past, insert the auxiliary ‘do’ or does’ depending on the person if it is the Simple Present or ‘did’ if it is the Simple Past.

The main verb keeps its base form (no endings).

 

Does she work in London?
Yes, she does.  / No, she doesn’t.

Do they have a big garden?

Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.

Did they meet when they were students?

Yes, they did. / No, they didn't.

 

 

 

2.   Wh-questions

Wh- questions are used when certain types of questions need being asked because specific information is required.

Interrogative words or question words (also called wh-words as most of them start with wh-  in English) are therefore used to ask questions.

These words are used in direct questions (Where do you live?) and in indirect questions (I am asking him where he lives).

 

Question Words	Function	Examples
What	Used when asking information about something.   Can be used as an object.       Can be used as a subject.       Note: What… like? (See: how)	What do you do? What did you buy for dinner? What did you see?     What happened? What’s wrong with you?
What...for	Used when asking for a reason	What did he do that for?
What kind of  What sort of	Used when asking for some precision	What kind of books do you like reading?
What size	Used when asking about… size	What size are you?
What time	Used when asking the time (it is / something happened / someone did something etc.)	What time is it? What time did she leave? What time is your train?
When	Used when asking for a time or period	When did he leave? When are you leaving? When did you last go to the cinema?
Where	Used when asking for a place…	Where do they live? Where are you going on holiday this year? Where did you meet her?
Which	Used when asking about choosing between different things  / Used when a choice needs to be made; when there is an alternative         When there is no choice, no alternative, use What	Which colour do you want? (The red one or the green one?)   Which drink did you order? (The beer or the wine?)   What colour is your car? (Obviously the car has just one colour)
Who	Used when asking what or which person or people. Can be used as a subject               Can be used as an object	Who opened the door? Who phoned you? Who went on holiday with you? Who drives you to school?   Who did you see? Who did you phone? Who do you drive to school?
Whom	Used when asking what or which person or people = direct object: no preposition     = indirect object: with preposition   Used in very formal English, formal writing and speech   See: Prepositions in wh-questions	Whom did you see? (= Who did you see?)     With whom did you travel? (= Who did you travel with?)
Whose	Used when asking about ownership; when wanting to know who something in particular belongs to	Whose car is this? Whose turn is it?
Why	Used when asking for a reason	Why did she tell you that? Why is she angry?
How	Used when asking about manner; about the way in which something happens or is done etc.       Used when asking about someone’s condition, health	How do you spell your name? How did the accident happen?     How is he now? How are you?
+ What (+ be) like (for things ; situations)	When used when asking about quality, how can be replaced by what… like	How were your exams? = What were your exams like?   How was the hotel? = What was the hotel like?
+ What (+be) like (for people)	What…like for a person: used when wanting to know about what a person is like; about their character, personality.	What is she like? = What can you say about her as a person?
+ What … look like (for people)	What…look like for a person: used when wanting to know about the way someone looks; about their physical appearance.	What does she look like? = I want to know about her appearance, her physique…
How far	Used when asking about distance.	How far is London from here? How far do you live from work?
How long	Used when asking about duration           Used when asking about length	How long does the film last? How long does it take you to write an essay?     How long is this room?
How old	Used when asking about someone’s age	How old was she when she died? How old are you?
How many	Used when asking about a quantity (with countable nouns)	How many houses does he own? How many friends does she have on Facebook?
How much	Used when asking about a quantity (with uncountable nouns)	How much milk do we still have in the fridge? How much is it? (= How much money is it?) How much patience do you have?
How often	Used when asking about the frequency	How often do you meet your friends?
How tall           How high	Used when asking about someone’s height e.g.   Used when asking about the height of something (building…)   Used when asking about the height of something (mountain…)	How tall are you?     How tall is The Shard? But: How high is the Shard?  OK How high is the mountain? But: How tall is the mountain?   OK   How high are the interest rates?
How deep	Used when asking about depth	How deep is the Loch Ness?
How well   How good   How bad	Used e.g. when asking about how good / bad someone can be at something…	How well can you play tennis? How good are you at English? How bad was the weather last week?
how come (informal)	Used when asking for a reason; less formal than why	How come I can't see her? How come you didn’t attend the lesson?

 

Prepositions in wh-questions

 

Look at the following examples:

What are you looking for?  (you can’t say: For what are you looking?)

What is she worried about? (You can’t say: About what is she worried?)
What are you interested in? (You can’t say: In what are you interested?)
 

The preposition comes in the same position as in a statement or positive sentence:
 

I’m looking for my keys.

She’s worried about her job.
I’m interested in art and literature.

 

BUT:
 

With which

 

Which supermarket do you do your shopping in?

You can also say: In which supermarket do you do your shopping?  (more formal; normally not so commonly used in a conversation)

 

With Who

Who did you get that money from?

You can also say: From whom did you get that money? (more formal; normally not so commonly used in a conversation)

 

 

 

Questions – drills

 

1.   Rearrange the order of the words and ask the question.

 

a.    been / have / you / where / ?

b.    do / sell / newspapers / you/?

c.    car / does / who / to / belong / that / ?

d.   whose / is / house / this / ?

e.    like / your / was / holiday / last / what / ?

f.     are / finished / you / work / your/ with / ?

g.   do / why / silly / such / ask / questions/ you / ?

h.   these / from / where / are / people / ?

i.     how / staying / Paris / you / are / long / in / ?

j.     which / did / choose / books / you / ?

 

 

2.  Find the appropriate question words.

 

a.    …………………  did you buy? b.    ................. is the tower? c.    …………………  does our flag have? d.    ………………..  are you driving? e.    ……………….. do you go on holiday? f.     ……………….. do you fly a year? g.    ……………….. is the supermarket? h.    ……………….. first name will she give her baby? i.      …………………………………………………….? j.     …………………………………………………… ?

Two pairs of jeans. It’s more than 3 centuries old. Red, yellow and black. My dad’s. By car. Maybe twice or three times. About 2 kilometres. Maybe her grandma’s first name. She’s rather tall and still looks young. Not friendly, actually. And he always seems bad-humoured.

 

 

3. Write the questions which the underlined parts in the sentences are the answers to.

 

a.    He didn’t come to school because he was fed up. (2 possible questions)

b.    That film was rubbish.

c.    Jane phoned her boyfriend this morning.

d.   The teacher’s car is black.

e.    John went abroad with his colleagues.

f.     She lived in London for 5 years.

g.   She’s much better now.

h.   She had a job during the summer holiday?

i.     He’s a lawyer?

j.     I’m watching my favourite series.

k.    They’re looking for his wallet.

l.     The police were investigating into the girl’s disappearance.

m.  They go to the library twice a month.

n.   I’m 5 foot 9. (1.8 metres) tall.

o.    The baby’s 9 months old.

p.    It’s almost midnight.

q.   It’s very wet and cold today.

r.     The ticket cost £54.

s.    I bought the blue shirt.

t.     She is writing a Christmas card to her friends.

u.   She’s ashamed of forgetting to come.

v.    Something’s worrying me.

w.   23 people came to the conference.

x.    A terrible accident happened last Monday.

y.    No, I didn’t.

z.    Yes, she has.

 

 

When you are finished, check your answers!

1.

a.    Where have you been?

b.    Do you sell newspapers?

c.    Who does that car belong to?

d.   Whose house is this?

e.    What was your last holiday like?

f.     Are you finished with your work?

g.   Why do you ask such silly questions?

h.   Where are these people from?

i.     How long are you staying in Paris?

j.     Which books did you choose?

 

2.

a.    What  did you buy? b.    How old is the tower? c.    What colours does our flag have? d.    Whose car are you driving? e.    How do you go on holiday? f.     How often do you fly a year? g.    How far is the supermarket? h.    Whose first name will she give her baby? i.      What does she look like? j.     What is she like?

Two pairs of jeans. It’s more than 3 centuries old. Red, yellow and black. My dad’s. By car. Maybe twice or three times. About 2 kilometres. Maybe her grandma’s first name. She’s rather tall and still looks young. Not friendly, actually. And he always seems bad-humoured.

 

 

3.

 

a.    Why didn’t he come to school? / How come he didn’t come to school?

b.    What was the film like?  (How was the film?)

c.    Who phoned her boyfriend this morning? // Who did Jane phone this morning? // When did Jane phone her boyfriend?

d.   Whose car is black?

e.    Who did John go abroad with?

f.     Where did she live for five years? // How long did she live in London?

g.   How is she now?

h.   When did she have a job?

i.     What does he do?  (What is he? / What’s his job?)

j.     What are you doing?

k.    What are they looking for?

l.     What were the police investigating into?

m.  How often do they go to the library?

n.   How tall are you?

o.    How old is the baby?

p.    What time is it? (What’s the time?)

q.   What’s the weather like today?

r.     How much did the ticket cost?

s.    Which shirt did you buy?

t.     Who is she writing a Christmas card to?

u.   What is she ashamed of?

v.    What’s worrying you?

w.   How many people came to the conference?

x.    What happened last Monday.

y.    (Did you break that vase?)

z.  (Has she finished doing her homework?)