Civilization.docx

Civilization : Hispanics (13,5%) have overtaken blacks (13,4%) as American largest minority. Three main origins : Mexican (58%), Mexican Farm Agreement, Bracero Program, 3M illegal immigrants (wet backs). Cuban (3%) because of Castro’s dictatorship. Porto-Ricans (10%). Pb: spanglish. 1929 : LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens). Gay marriage Civil Union (= Pacs) Politique de Bush: 2001: Tax cuts. 2002 : the axis of evil. 2003: economic issues, further tax cuts. 2004: Manned space flight to Mars, welfare reform (Medicare), immigration reform. Amend the constitution to ban Gay marriage. A ten trillion dollar GDP (Gross domestic product) = 10 000 Mllds de PIB. Spring 2005 : the British General Election ( Au singulier !). Veterans’ Day is the celebration of the American armed forces. (cf movie : Saving private Ryan). David Blunkett : Home secretary. Les Noirs : 1808 : abolition de « l’importation des noirs ». 1863 : Emancipation Act : abolition de l’esclavage. Little Rock en 1957 : émeute : l’armée est obligée d’intervenir pour que les noirs puissent accéder aux cours. Civil Rights Act : droits civiques à tout le monde Martin Luther King. Malcolm X. Ray Charles (refuse de jouer en Georgie). Farrakhan réclame une terre séparée pour les Noirs et a démontré son influence en rassemblant 1M de partisans à Washington en octobre 95. The Vietnam War : 1963-1975 : 1954 : Geneva Agreements : Vietnam shared into 2 independent states. 1968 : 700.000 bombs dropped on North Vietnam. 1969 : 500.000 boys sent to Vietnam. The American superiority in technology : Napalm bombs, cluster bombs. Vietcongs specialized in ambushes. Beaucoup sont revenues avec problèmes psychologiques et problèmes de drogue. Role of the mass media : My Lai Massacre, 1968 (William Calley); Anti-war protest : « Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids will you kill today ? » “ Hell no, we won’t go!” “The naked truth” photo which obtained the Pulitzer Prize. Blair and The Labour Party: The Iraq war has undermined Mr Blair’s credibility. He has to free himself from the shadow of Iraq. One of the main reasons for invading Iraq, the alleged threat from weapons of mass destruction, was flawed. After seven and a half years in power, Tony Blair’s government is in danger of looking tired. Education : US : Normally, local government is responsible for school : the federal government’s role is limited. Decisions relating to public elementary an secondary schools are made by local authorities. Kindergartens : from 3 to 5, elementary schools from 6 to 12; middle schools (or Junior or High school) from 13 to 15 ; Senior high school from 16 to 18. 46% of local school budgets are raised from real state taxes, this explains why there are such great divergences between schools. Private schools are funded by fees, endowments (donation) and investments. Schools and higher education began in the colonial period. School should give every man the chance to rise in society and public school could help assimilate the immigrant populations and thus reduce crime, poverty and vice. Education should the “great leveler”. By the Civil War all states accepted the principle of tax-supported free elementary schools. In 1944, the government funded tuition and living costs for veterans in higher education. It’s sad but true that most of the best schools are fee-paying ones. Britain: The new Education Secretary, Ruth Kelly, is 36 and a mother of four. We’ve got to change the culture so that people think it only right but actually really good to continue learning after the age of 16, but then continue to acquire skills later on at work as well. She talks of putting the pupil at the heart of the education system, recognising the individual needs of the pupil knowing that every pupil is different, and allowing the system to respond. The key is to allow older kids to hop between institutions, to belong to one, but not to receive all their education in that one. She doesn’t think every school will be able to offer the full range of opportunities necessary. In the future, she thinks co-operation will become not only the norm. It will probably be the only way of delivering a decent all-round education for all pupils. U.S. Elections : Ralph Nader = a protest vote, to indicate displeasure with the candidates of the two major political parties. A sound bite : a brief, very quotable remark by a candidate. Candidates use negative ads to persuade voters. Swing voters = voters not loyal to a particular political party, who can determine the outcome of an election. Native Americans: Sickness reduced their number drastically while the number of Europeans became enormous. Europeans had a technological advantage and their cultures were more aggressively expansive and acquisitive. 1763 : Proclamation made a line west of the Appalachians the official boundary of British America. To the west of the line was “Indian Country”. The 1783 treaty gave the US all the lands between Canada, Florida to the Mississippi and asked for no protection of Native-American rights. 1953 : programmes : the financial compensation for lost land ; termination which made Indian the ordinary citizens of local and state governments, and relocation (making Indians into industrial workers). Native American interest groups formed and protest groups like the AIM (American-Indian Movement) used direct action to capture media attention. Welfare: Britain : The state provides services and benefits for the sick, the retired, disabled, elderly, needy and unemployed. These social services are organised by devolved and local authorities under the central direction of the UK Department of Health and the Department of Work and Pensions. The Poor Law introduced in the reign of Elizabeth I in the sixteenth was the start of state social legislation. But its effects were limited. In 1834, the Poor Law Amendment Act was introduced to prevent the alleged abuse of parish social relief. It created a system of workhouses in which the destitute and needy could live. The model for the Welfare State appeared in the Beveridge Report of 1942. It recommended a comprehensive system of Social Security and free health care for all to overcome suffering and need. The system was to be financed by the national insurance scheme to which workers should contribute and out of which they and their families could benefit. The Welfare State today : the Social Security system is the government’s most expensive programme (30% of public spending) and is financed from taxation and contributions by employers and workers over 16. New Labour has introduced reforms with a view to cutting soaring costs (Welfare to Work, the New Deal, restrictions to allocation of benefits to immigrants…). The NHS was created in 1947 and was intended to be completely free. Hospitals and most medical treatments are, today, free for British and EU citizens. The NHS is financed from taxation. The US: Spending on social services in the public sector has increased since the 1960’s but Americans are still expected to “stand on their own two feet”. Industrialisation and urbanisation in the 19th century brought misery but social help was still largely private and individualistic or provided by voluntary charities. There was and still is a distinction between the “deserving poor” who could/can be helped by existing resources and the “undeserving poor” who are supposed to rectify their own conditions. After WWII particularly, there was more federal and state involvement (GI Bill of Rights, Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and “Great Society”). If spending increased in the 70’s it was to decrease again under the Reagan and Bush administrations. The individual makes arrangements for their own social needs by contributing to specific insurance organisations. Companies and other bodies also use such insurance organisations to insure their workers and members. Medicaid is a federal non-contributory system providing free health care for the poor and needy. Medicare provides medical treatment for the elderly and disabled but depends on Social Security contributions during the employee’s lifetime. Nanny State or liberalism? In On Liberty, J.S Mill offered the best known distinction between liberalism and parternalism : “ the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. Ex: the harm principle goes to the heart of debate about smoking (protect people from passive smoking). Another example : the seat-belt law. The problem is that pure liberalism struggles to differentiate between freedoms, so that the freedom to vote is given the same weight as the freedom to smoke. Another problem in liberalism is its failure to recognize the weakness in us : Liberal theorists have an optimistic view of our capacity to resist temptation (Cf Oscar Wilde). In the Nanny State , the government looks after all, relieves people of their responsibilities (We could fear a Big Brother system!). In G. Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty Four Big Brother’s totalitarian regime monitors people’s every thought, feeling and movement thanks to ubiquitous TV screens. Meritocracy: People are judged on their individual abilities rather than their family connections. The biggest insult to meritocracy is found in the country’s top universities, which control access to the country’s most impressive jobs. System of legacy preferences. Legatees are two to four times more likely to be admitted to the best universities than non-legatees. Teddy Kennedy has drafted a bill that will force universities to publish data on the racial and socio-economic make-up of their legatees. Obstacle : the left overwhelmingly supports affirmative action for minorities, a policy far more acceptable than affirmative action for the rich, but which rests on the same belief that people should be judged on something other than their natural abilities. Any discrimination, albeit positive, in favour of an individual on grounds of sex, race or background is antithetical to the notion of giving power to people on the basis of ability. Despite the widely upheld myth of the “self-made man”, an elite exists whose position is determined merely by birth. Indeed, socio-economic privileges ensure that the younger generation follows in their parents’ footsteps. Institutions of higher education should be the places where a student’s academic excellence is rewarded, not his background. India: Were it not for two things, India’s economic performance would seem remarkable. Since beginning to dismantle the “licence raj” and open up to the global economy in 1991, the country has achieved average annual economic growth of about 6%. One of the things is that India’s poor number is about more than 260M. The second thing is China. China proves that size is no obstacle to tigerish growth. China has done better than India on virtually every measure of economic growth and poverty reduction. A growth rate of 6% seems solid, but melts beside one of close to 10%. The perennial question in the political economy of development is posed in the starkest way by the contrasting experiences of India and China : is democracy good for growth or not? China has achieved staggering growth under a liberalising but still tyrannical regime. Sadly, China shows that a vicious, backward, human-rights-abusing dictatorship can perfectly well lead a very poor country out of poverty. But this is certainly not to say that vicious, backward, human-rights-abusing dictatorships are in general good for growth. As a rule, they are not : look at Africa. A proudly democratic India that grows at 6% a year should be congratulated for having succeeded better than a brutal anti-democratic China which grows at 10% a year. There is more to life than GDP. Auschwitz: Barracks where hundreds of thousands once waited to be murdered. Barracks, furnaces and watchtowers that started to give up its awful secrets to an exhausted Europe 60 years ago. The death camp in southwest Poland where 1.5 million people, 93% of them Jews, were murdered. We are so obsessed with the tsunami. But more people were being killed here every month! The gas chambers. An Auschwitz survivor at the ceremony marking the 6àth anniversary of liberation. Turkey: The United States want Turkey to join the EU. Article : Welcome Turkey (mais de quoi ils se mêlent !) What is missing in Europe’s discussion is a recognition of the internal debate in Turkey and a better understanding what the prospect of EU membership means for the Turks. Turks modelled the the republic on modern, secular, and progressive lines, similar to those they saw in Europe. Ireland and IRA: Today in Northern Ireland, Protestants outnumber Catholics two to one. If Ireland were reunified, Catholics would outnumber Protestants four to one. The seeds of the conflict were sown in the first Ulster plantation when 100,000 Scot Protestants were given land which the British confiscated from the defeated Catholic chieftains. William of Orange further established Protestant domination in 1690. The Act of Union in 1801 officially cemented Great Britain and Ireland within the United Kingdom. After the Easter Rising (soulèvement de Pâques) in Dublin in 1916, a civil war broke out, after which the British government was forced to partition Ireland. The South became an independent republic (Eire) whereas the North remained part of the United Kingdom. 1969 : 3000 morts. Catholics looked to the only leadership they had : the IRA ( Irish Republican Army). The IRA is the self-elected protector of the Catholic community. Its aim is, and has always been, the removal of the “foreign” British presence from Ireland, and the establishment of a United Ireland. Truces (trèves) have been repeatedly broken. Nevertheless these efforts were acknowledged worldwide when both John Hume (Republican) and David Trimble (Loyalist) were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. 2 serious attacks : in a hotel where a Tory conference was ; a Lord (?) ‘s boat was blown out. The Catholic male unemployment rate is double that of anywhere else in the United Kingdom, while Protestant unemployment is among the lowest in the United Kingdom. Margaret Thatcher used to say : “Northern Ireland is as British as Finchley” (her London constituency (=circonscription)). It’s a curious feature of the Good Friday Agreement (Accord du Vendredi Saint), the deal which got Northern Ireland’s peace process underway, that while it proscribes a wide range of paramilitary activities, it does not mention organised crime one of the IRA’s main occupations. IRA use extortion, smuggling (contrebande), armed robbery and fraud. Sinn Fein ([Chine Féine]) is the IRA’s political wing (leader : Gerry Adams). Perhaps organised crime is less important than the terrorism that the Good Friday Agreement was primarily aimed at stopping . Perhaps that to make to much fuss about the odd heist would undermine the peace process. Whatever the reason, the omission was a mistake. Organised crime is flourishing in Northern Ireland. The IRA refuse the decommissioning of its weapons. One of the factors which seem to have led the British government to hit out at the IRA’s criminal activities is the electoral rise of Sinn Fein. It has become a matter of growing interest to both governments, and so have the origins of that money! This year : a $50m bank heist, the brutal murder of an Irish Catholic, Robert McCartney, by thugs of the Irish Republican Army. Every St Patrick’s Day, Mr Adams (leader of Sinn Fein) enjoys a lunch in the White House. The White House pointedly failed to invite him this year. Instead, it invited Mr McCartney’s fiancée and his five sisters. (the IRA proposed her to shoot the people directed involved in the killing!!) Senator Kennedy, the king of Irish America, refuse to meet Mr Adams, but met the McCartneys as did Hillary Clinton. It carefully failed to invite Northern Irish politicians of all stripes to its lunch. If Mr Adams can persuade T. Blair that he is serious about restarting the peace process, George W. Bush will surely plays along. But White House people say that if Mr Adams can’t persuade Mr Blair, then he is in danger of getting on the wrong side of America’s war on terrorism. The government is about to adopt a “clean up tax” on chewing gum, polystyrene food wrappers and cash machine receipts. The government’s plastic bag tax has been a great success : instead of getting the bags free, shoppers now have to pay 15 cents for each one. Since it was introduced the number of bags used in the country has dropped by some 90%. It’s hoped the measure will bring about changes in public attitudes and help to change the behaviours of people who litter. Marketing: The issue raised here is whether companies top-executives are worth huge bonuses they get. Indeed, as American companies reveal in their reports that some CEOs obtain sums that often amounted tens or hundreds of millions dollars. Michael Eisner, the controversial chief executive of Walt Disney, who was almost booted out of the job by shareholders last year, nevertheless received a bonus of $7.25m. We could wonder why bosses’ total pay is not as it should be related to their companies’ performance. Junk food – Obesity : Obesity problems are widespread in Europe, and particularly in Britain. Indeed, Britain has the fastest growing obesity rate in Europe. That is why the government wants the biggest food companies to pay a levy. It would allow it to build sports facilities, which could encourage people to take more exercise. The main food industry groups might provide hundreds of millions of pounds to promote a healthy lifestyle. Another solution is to ban junk food adverts during children’s television programmes. Thus, the government is trying to settle the obesity issue. But if companies are taking new measures, it is out of fear : they have to avoid lawsuits. Customers have already brought lawsuits – for example against Mc Donald’s. Obesity is often caused by bad diets and “couch-potato” lifestyles. Moreover, the government is missing its “school sport target” of ensuring 75% of children participate in two hours a week of sport or physical education. Currently, just 38% of children meet the target. California Schwarzenegger governor: Even if Democratic lawmakers want to keep spending, Mr S. has decided to restrain expenditure. As a result, he has propose a plan – The California Recovery Plan – which would limit spending, create a reserve fund and present a $15 billion bond issue to settle the debt problem. He is popular because he keeps is promises : he cancelled a tripling of vehicle licensing fees, he repealed programmes to give driving licences to illegal immigrants. Now, the governor will have to face a second financial crisis which will result from the 2004-2005 deficit. But he assures people that his reforms will create a better business climate. Arnold is also of immigrant origins and so symbolises certain aspects of the American Dream. Why Mr S. is so popular? Voir cinema. Cinema : Michael Moore: Fahrenheit 9/11, his new Bush-bashing movie, has generated more heat than any attack ad the Democrats could possibly dream up. Moore told time: “If Kerry’s President, on Day Two, I’ll be on him too”. There is a long tradition of American pop culture having a subtle and sometimes decisive influence over presidential politics. Frank Sinatra encouraged John Kennedy’s 1960 campaign, and Ronald Reagan would probably never have captured the White House in 1980 without his well-honed Hollywood delivery. F 9/11 copped the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Gun crime: Gun crime has changes over the past decade. The pattern of offences involving firearms looks more and more like that in America : random, careless shootings have replaced the carefully-planned bank robberies of old. Two reasons : Robbers are often drug addicts ; and nowadays it is difficult to rob a bank as tracking devices, hidden cameras and improvements in forensic science have hardened banks. Maybe people use to hold up banks because that is where the money was. These days it is in the international drugs trade! Thus, armed robbery is becoming Americanised, because late-night shop heists are increasing and anyone can do it. Today everybody can find a gun : the Michael Moore’s movie Bowling for Columbine underlines this. He shows, for example, that he could obtain a shotgun in a bank if he opened an account! Other consequence : the horror of Columbine. We have to stress the legislation regarding the sale of firearms. It differs from state to state in the US. It is theoretically highly controlled in Britain : but widespread availability of guns in the UK implies a serious lack of control over arms trafficking. Citations : “ I cans resist anything, but temptation ». Oscar Wilde. “Short words are best, and old words when short are the best of all”. Winston Churchill. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves”. Julius Caesar I ii. Milton (aussi connu que Shakespeare) read himself blind (il est devenu aveugle en lisant trop !) « A man who makes boast of his ancestors doth but advertise his own insignificance” Benjamin Franklin. Grammaire : AT FIRST : after a short time. AT LAST : after a long time. PERCENTAGE: 50% of the wine is (wine = singulier). 50% of the students are (students = pluriel). AU CONTRAIRE : On the contrary : au contraire ( « tu te trompes ») : ex  « Are you American ? » « On the contrary, I am French). On the other : The Unites States attacked Iraq, on the other, France did not. PENDANT : FOR (how long?). Ex: He watched TV for two hours. DURING (what date?, when?), Over (with plural expressions) . Ex: During / Over the holidays. DEPUIS : SINCE (point) : Since 1945, since yesterday. FOR (period) : For 60 years, for ages. D’ICI A: BY (point) : By 8pm, by tomorrow. WITHIN (period) : Within 3 days, within 10 years. DE + EN +: 1°) Harder and harder, more and more difficult. 2°) (mieux) : Increasingly hard, increasingly difficult. 3°) Ever harder; Ever more difficult. DES: Past: RIGHT FROM (/ as early as / ever). Ex : Right from 1945. Future: AS OF / AS FROM. Ex: as of next week; as from 2005. TO DATE SO FAR + present perfect. THUS FAR CONSACRER: To devote someone to doing something. To dedicate LEAD: To lead someone to do something. Ex: this led him to resign. To lead to someone doing something. Ex: This led to him resigning. LIE AND LAY : To lie lay lain quand c’est intransitif (pas de COD): ex: the book lay on the table. To lay laid laid quand il y a un COD: ex: He laid the book on the table. TO AIM : Active : To aim TO do something. Ex : the laws aim to prevent tax evasion. Passive: To be aimed at doing something. Ex : The measured is aimed at helping the homeless. TO DARE : He dare not ask (/ daren’t ask) permission to leave earlier: il n’ose pas demander la permission de partir plus tôt. How dare you talk to me like that! Comment oses-tu me parler ainsi? He dared me to go bungee jumping with him : il m’a défié de faire du saut à l’élastique avec lui. FIND AND FIND OUT : To find out implique qu’on découvre qqchose, en général une information, après l’avoir délibérément cherché. Ex : to find out the truth. To find implique qu’on découvre qq chose, en général un objet, par hasard après l’avoir cherché : he has found his keys at last. NE PLUS: 1°) no longer intercalé entre sujet et verbe. 2°) any longer / any more placés en fin de phrase après une construction négative. IF AND WHETHER : IF toujours juste. Mais whether devant un infinitif : whether = « si oui ou non ». Ex : She was unsure whether to call a doctor. A rise / fall / change/ shift In + noun. Ex: A rise in inflation. of + number. Ex: A rise of 10%. To rise / to fall / change / shift by + number. Ex: To rise by 10%. A dozen / one hundred / six thousand / ten million / several billion S OF cars / people / dollars. Ex: A dozen cars. Dozen / hundred / thousand / million / billion S OF cars / people / dollars. Ex: dozens of cars. Pas d’article pour cardinaux. Ex : World War two, chapter ten. Article pour ordinaux. Ex : The second World War, the tenth chapter. He hadn’t a car n’existe pas : He hadn’t got a car, ou he didn’t have a car. Avec les verbes to arrive, to return, to go, to get, to take, l’adverbe home n’est jamais précédé de at ou de to. Ex: when he arrived home. Unlimited : WHAT is your favourite film ? Limited : WHICH OF the 3 videos do you want to flash ? A/An s’emploie dans les tournures après what et such suivis d’un dénombrable singulier : What a nice dress ! She wears such a nice dress! On utilise l’article indéfini après as quand ce dernier signifie “en tant que, en qualité de … » : I work as a bus driver. I am here as an instructor. Every + SING Each + SING Il y a 320km jusqu’à Cardiff : it is 200 miles to Cardiff. I wish I were : impossible. I wish I was : possible. NONE = aucun : Je n’en ai trouvé aucun : I found none. Il n’en reste plus : there are none left. Pas de ça ! None of that ! Il n’y a rien pour moi au courrier : None of the mail is for me. Attention : none s’emploie pour plusieurs éléments (none of us will come (aucun d’entre nous…)) et neither pour 2 seulement (neither of my parents came). Phrases : Monter une affaire à l’étranger a toujours été risqué : Setting up a business abroad has always been risky. Ils lui font payer 50 livres par semaine: They charge him £50 a week. A peine était-il assis, qu’il souhaitait ne pas être au concert : No sooner had he sat down THAN he wished he were not at the concert. Les conditions économiques et le coût de la main d’œuvre nous contraignent à délocaliser au moins une unité de production que nous envisageons d’implanter au Maroc : Economic conditions and labour costs compel us to relocate at least one production unit that we plan to set up in Marocco. Une monnaie forte et un système étendu de protection sociale sont des désavantages dans la concurrence mondiale : A strong currency and a comprehensive welfare system are drawbacks in world competition. Les investissements à l’étranger font peut-être perdre des emplois domestiques à court terme mais c’est la seule façon de rester concurrentiel : Investments abroad may cost us domestic jobs in the short run but it is the only way to stay competitive. Le néolibéralisme affirme que les échanges commerciaux sans entraves entre les nations finiront par améliorer la vie de tous ceux qui y participent : Neoliberalism claims that unfettered trade between nations will eventually improve the life for all who participate to it. Les opposants au libéralisme économique prétendent que les marchés et les banques centrales font la loi, et ils craignent de voir se creuser un fossé entre les riches et les pauvres : Opponents to economic liberalism pretend that markets and central banks are in the driving seat, and they fear to see a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Le développement durable est un problème aigu pour les pays en voie de développement puisqu’ils visent en même temps une amélioration du niveau de vie et le respect de l’environnement : Sustainable development is a serious issue for developing countries as it aims both improve the standard of living and respect the environment. Quoi qu’il en soit, l’important c’est de ne pas oublier quels sont nos objectifs : Whatever arrives, what is relevant is not to forget what our aims are. L’étonnant, c’est que personne n’aie compris à quel point la situation était dangereuse : What is surprising is that nobody has understood how dangerous the situation was. Comment voulez-vous que je vous dise comment cette phrase se traduit en Espagnol ? Je ne parle pas cette langue : How do you expect me to tell you how to translate this sentence into Spanish ? I can’t speak the language. Je préfèrerais que tu ne changes pas d’avis toutes les cinq minutes : I would prefer you not to change your mind every five minutes. Comment appelait-on ce phénomène à la fin du siècle dernier : What did people call that phenomenon at the end of the last century? Les coûts de production sont en train d’augmenter dans l’industrie : Production costs are rising in the industrial sector. En fait ta réponse était ambiguë et aurait pu être comprise comme un refus :  Actually, your answer was not clear and could have been understood as a refusal. Le premier ministre est en train de lancer une campagne destinée à remonter le moral des députés conservateurs : The Prime Minister is launching a campaign to boost the morale of conservative/ Tory MP. Il faudra que le ministre de la santé aussi soit choisi dans le parti démocrate : The Health Secretary will have to be chosen from among the Democrats too. La nouvelle maison de nos amis n’est pas très loin de la nôtre : Our friends’ new house is not very far away from ours. Le prix du pétrole ne cesse d’augmenter : The price of oil keeps rising. Il a deux frères dont j’oublie toujours les noms. Le plus jeune des deux a épousé la fille de son patron : He has got two brothers whose names I always forget. The younger married his boss’s daughter. Quoiqu’il arrive, les télécommunications représenteront bientôt un marché de plusieurs milliards de dollars : Whatever happens, telecommunications will soon represent a several billion dollar market. Depuis combien de temps étaient-il à l’étranger lorsque vous les avez connus ? How long have they been living abroad when you met them ? Elle n’a vraiment pas l’habitude de conduire vu que cela fait seulement trois semaines qu’elle a passé son permis : She is not really used to driving because she only got her driving license three weeks ago. C’est la première fois depuis qu’il est arrive au pouvoir qu’il est confronté à une crise aussi longue : It is the first time since he came to power (that) he has had to face (to cope with) such a long crisis. Le fait de fumer un cigare au lieu de la cigarette ne vous empêchera pas d’attraper un cancer des poumons : Smoking a cigar rather than a cigarette will not prevent you from getting lung cancer. J’ai d’autant plus besoin de ta voiture que mes beaux-parents doivent arriver après demain : I need your car all the more as my in-laws are to arrive the day after tomorrow. On ne s’attendait pas à ce que les nouveaux étudiants soient si bons en informatique : The new students were not expected to be so good at computer science. IBM, le plus grand constructeur d’ordinateurs du monde, réduit sa main d’œuvre de 40000 personnes cette année : IBM, the biggest computer manufacturer in the world, is cutting down to workforce by forty-thousand people this year. Il y a de fortes chances que la campagne publicitaire arrive beaucoup trop tard : The chances are / It is very likely that the advertising campaign will come far too late. Vocabulaire : Efficient (qui marche, ex une machine) ? effective (efficace). To swap (échanger, troquer). Ex: to swap ideas. To give a summary of To give a commentary on. The possibility of ringing. Britain, British politics, a Briton. Une infraction : an offence. Un procès intenté par : a lawsuit brought by. Je suis plutôt bon en maths. I’m rather good at maths. Il se défend bien en géographie : he can hold his own in geography. Ils ont les qualités nécessaire pour le faire : they have what it takes to do it. Il est doué dans tous les domaines : he’es a good all-rounder. A phenomenon, two phenomena. A criterion, two criteria. Une dépense (indénombrable) : expenditure. Des dépenses (dénombrables) : spending. Mais où : Where on earth… Des dégâts : damage (sing, sauf si dommages et intérêts = damages). Etre concentré : to be concentrating (concentrated pour un liquide non dilué). Compréhensif : understanding. Une étude détaillée : a comprehensive survey. Des mesures d’ensemble : comprehensive measures. Faire sa toilette : to get washed. S’habiller : to get dressed. Se déshabiller : to get undressed. Un second souffle : a new lease of life. Être a bout de souffle : to be out of breath / to be on one’s last legs Touristique : tourist. Gagner de l’argent : to earn money. Loger qq : to accomodate someone (faux ami !). Le cadet de mes soucis : the least of my worries. Être très avare : to be mean with one’s money. Je vous en prie ! (permission) : By all means! Louer (courte durée) : to hire. Louer (longue durée) : to rent. Chaque : each + sing. Dépendre de : to depend on. Soigner : to look after. Dévisager : to stare at. Approuver : to approve of. Demander :to ask for. Croire à : to believe in. Se débarrasser de : to get rid of. Avoir des nouvelles de : to hear from. Être en vacances : to be on holiday. L’avenir : the future. Dorénavant : In future. Vous permettez ? : May I ? Selon lequel : whereby (s’emploie pour une loi, un contrat, un accord). Un lave-vaisselle : a dishwasher Un agitateur : a heckler. Il retourne sa veste : He changes horses in mid-stram. Un testament : a will. Être désireux de : to be willing to. Être abasourdi : to be stunned. Accuser qq de : to accuse someone of + ING. Une raison de : a reason for. La bourse : the stocking exchange. Enfreindre les règles : to breach rules. Faire des benefices : make a profit. Accorder : To grant. Meuble : furniture. Fauteuil : armchair. Être à l’heure : to be on time. Se rendre compte : to realise. Réaliser un rêve : to fulfil a dream. Réaliser une tâche : to accomplish a task. Fouiller : to search someone. Chercher : to look for / to search for / to seek (sought sought) Soulagement : relief. Être soulagé : to be relieved. Elever un enfant : to bring up / raise a child. Une education : an upbringing. Être bien/mal élevé : to be well/badly brought up. Après quoi : afterwards. A l’avance : beforehand. L’âge adulte : adulthood. Désigner : to point at. Être impatient de : to be eager to. S’étonner : to be astonished / astounded. Avoir très envie de : to long to / to yearn to, to crave (drogue). Nostalgie : nostalgia ou homesickness. Être ému : to be moved/soppy/mawkish. Les racines : roots. La terre (où l’on plante) : the soil. La terre (l’étendue) : the land. S’intéresser à : to be interested in. Les ancêtres : forebears. Un reportage : a coverage. Avec aisance : glibly. Un présentateur : an anchor. Procureur : attorney. Tout juste / à peine : barely. Malicieux / capricieux : whimsical. Matraquer : to bludgeon. Blessé : bruised. Un oreiller : a pillow. Les côtes : ribs. Enfler : to swell. Démanger : to itch. Un salon : a parlour. La bouilloire : the kettle. Dessous, en bas : beneath. Avoir recours à : to resort to. Avec intérêt : keenly. Un atout : a trump. Un clochard : a tramp. Fait divers : Human interest story. Dénigrer : to run down ou to denigrate. Mépriser : to look down. Contender = challenger. Foyer : household. Produits : goods. Une série de revers : a series of setbacks. Réduire de moitié : to halve. Une polémique : a controversy. A medium, two media. Une corruption répandue : a rife corruption. A peine : hardly. Jujer qq durement : to judge someone harshly. Exiger : to demand. Une revendication : a claim. Abus de pouvoir : misuse of power. Dictature : dictatorship. Les défauts : faults, flaws, defects. Exagéré : exaggerated. Un fardeau : a burden. L’électorat : voters. Reprocher à qq de : to reproach someone for + ing. Brutaliser : to bully. Dépenses : outlay. Assurer, s’assurer (de quelquechose) : to ensure. Tracas, embêtement : hassle. Minable : grotty. Perturber : to disrupt . Simple, franc : plain. Saluer, accueillir : to greet. Un ennemi : a foe. Les maux de tête : the head aches. Saisir (comprendre ou empoigner) : to grasp. Limites : Bounds. Substance : gist. Tranchant : sharp. Trivial : trite. Bizarre: peculiar. Juger, considerer : to deem. Tenter de faire qqchose : to endeavour to do something. Approximativement : roughly. Ebranler, saper : to undermine. Prétendre : to allege. Une menace : a threat. Menacer : to threaten. Un grand pas (un pas audacieux) : a bold step. Un inconvénient, obstacle : a snag. Compter sur : to rely on. Un raz de marée : a tidal wave. Sous-performant : underperforming. Aborder un problème : to address an issue. Un aquarium : a fish tank. Klaxonner : to hoot. Les klaxons : horns. S’aggriper au volant : to grip the steering wheel. Respirer, souffler, se reposer : to get my breathe back. Feuille : leaf. Canicule : heatwave. Piétons : pedestrians. Faire un discours : to make a speech. La Chambre des Communes : the House of Commons. Demander à qq : to ask someone (pas de to!!) Travailleurs clandestins : undocumented workers. Réprimer : to crack down on. Les traits : features. Les ventes : the sales. Avoir recours à la chirurgie esthétique : to resort to plastic surgery. Changer, modifier, altérer : to alter. Anti-dépresseur : antidepressant. Répandu : widespread. Une pilule : a pill. Découvrir : to find out. Surpeuplé : overcrowded Embaucher : to hire / take on. Salaire : a pay. Subventions : subsidies / grants. Nommer : to appoint. Sécurité : safety. Dire oui de la tête : to nod. Télécharger : to download. Ministre de l’intérieur : the Home Secretary. Un SDF : a homeless person. Analphabète : illiterate. Un pharmacie : a chemist’s. Chauve : bald. L’Est : the East. Avoir la chance de faire : the chance of + ING Italie : Italy. Par exemple : for instance. Accepter qqchose : to accept something. Imposer qqchose à qq : to impose something on someone. Coûts de travail sont largement moins chers : labour costs are far lower. Les renvoyés : the sacked workers. Mériter : to deserve. Incarner : to epitomise. Un principe : a tenet. Couper : to carve. Atteindre un ideal: to attain an ideal. Discriminations : discrimination jamais de « s » ! Fiable : reliable. Censure : censorship. Langage vulgaire : foul language. Appliquer de fortes taxes à : to impose hefty fines on Les débarquements : the D-Day landings. Déclencher une controverse : to trigger off/ spark a controversy. Le noeud du problème : the crux of the matter. Envelopper : to wrap. S’appuyer contre : to leant back against. HLM : council houses. Rideaux : curtains. Des rangées de : rows of. Trimestre : quarter. Suite à : arising from. Ministère de l’éducation : the Department of education. Gratuity : free charging. Scolarité obligatoire : compulsory schooling. Une bourse : a grant, a scholarship. Programme scolaire : curriculum. Scolarisation : school attendance. Être livrer à soi-même : to be left to your own devices. Egalité : equality. Régler des problèmes : to solve problems. Averses : showers. Orage : a cloud burst. Evoquer : to conjure up. Farine : flour. Marasme : slump. Se diriger vers : to make one’s way for. Se frayer un chemin pour sortir de : to work one’s way out of. Ventre : abdomen, belly (vulgaire), tummy (bébé). Véritablement, en réalité : actually (faux-ami). Finalement : eventually (faux-ami). S’adapter : to fit in. Atelier : sweatshops. L’aube : the dawn. D’autant plus que : all the more as. Faire allusion : to hint. Pour ne rien arranger : to make matters worse. Alcool : liquor, alcoholic drink. Avoir l’habitude : to be use to + ING. S’annoncer pas très bien : to look quite grim. Assister : to attend. To abduct = to kidnap. Cendrier : ashtray. Un moyen de : a means of. Attirer : to appeal to. En ce qui concerne : as regards. Autoritaire : authoritative. Réussite : achievement. Souffrance : agony. To be afraid of + ING (a eu l’expérience). To be afraid to + BV (pas encore). Etc… : and so on. Around the globe : all over the world. Un logement : an accommodation. La moyenne : the average. Presque : almost. Vieillir : to adge. Quand même : all the same. Banc : bench. Bientôt : presently. Mendier : to beg. Dans l’ensemble : by and large. Interrompre : to break off. Le deuil : the bereavement. Trahir : to betray. Perplexe : bewildered. Frontières : boundaries. Compromettre : to jeopardize. Une récolte : a crop. Un cadavre : a corpse. Actuel, présent : current. Plats préparés : convenience food. S’engager à : to commit himself to + ING. Obligatoire : compulsory. S’inquiéter : to bother. Un dilemme : a dilemma. Le devoir : the duty. Dominer : prévail. Déchet : waste. Redouter : to fear. Être retardé : to be delayed. Empêcher de : to prevent from + ING. Tromperie : deception (faux-ami). Révéler : to disclose. Révélation : disclosure. Faire un regime : to be on a diet. Être terre à terre : to be down to earth. Tromper : deceive. Se déguiser : to dress up. Zut : dash. Laisser tomber : to ditch. Expédier : to ship. Examiner : to look over. Eclater en sanglots : to bubble into tears. Envers : towards. Être mal à l’aise : to be ill-at-case. Ecologiste : environmentalist. Etouffer : to hush up. Faire taire : to hush. Preuve : a piece of evidence. Se renseigner : to enquire. Faire un clin d’oeil : to wink. Faire de l’auto-stop : to hitchhike. Franc : straightforward. Destin : fate. Agitation, protestation : fuss (to fuss). S’évanouir : to faint. Surgelé : frozen food. Un coup de telephone : a telephone call. Une carte d’identité bio : a biometric Identity Card. Crier : to bellow. Troquer : to barter. Maison de redressement : a borstal. Data : pas de « s ». Passer à la TV : to be / to appear on TV (pas de « to pass » !!). Une amende : a fine. Gérer : to cope. Regarder méchamment : to glare at. Rassembler : to gather. Irritable : crabby. Améliorer : to improve. Juifs : Jews. Jusqu’à : up to. Eteindre le moteur : to kill the engine. Couteau : knive. Couverts : cutlery. Librairie : book shop. Surgir : to loom. C’est la goutte qui fait déborder le vase : it’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. Le moins que l’on puisse dire : the least we can say. Méprisant : contemptuous. Maladroit : unskillful. Massacre : slaughter. Méchanceté : malice. Autoroute : motorway. Rattraper le temps perdu : to make up for last time. Vache folle : mad cow disease. Nocif : harmful. Cravate : neck tie. Vernis à ongle : nail vanish. Les opprimés : the underdogs. Evidemment : obviously. Surmonter : to overcome. Poursuivre : to chase. Parmi : among. La pelouse : the lawn. Sur la pointe des pieds : on tiptoe. Ravin : gap. Regretter : to sigh for. Hésiter à : to be reluctant to + BV. Se disputer : to row. Diriger une entreprise : to run a company. Affrontement, émeute : a riot. Sévèrement : sharply. Se soumettre : to comply. D’une manière ou d’une autre : some how. Siroter : to sip. Mèche : strand. Grève : strike. Tousser : to cough. Être sur la bonne voie : to be on track to. Tunnel : underpass. Vivre sous le seuil de pauvreté : to live below the poverty line. Ca n’a aucune importance : It doesn’t matter at all. Wagon : carriage. Donner sa parole : to give one’s word. Quais : banks. L’haleine : breath. S’entendre (avoir un accord) : to come to an agreement. Et alors ? : So what ? Un refus : a refusal. Contrôlé : controlled. Accepter de faire qqchose : to agree to. S’il n’y avait deux points particuliers : Were it not for two things. Les grands (adultes) : grown ups. Angoisses : anxieties. Ignorer (ne pas savoir) : do not know. Ignorer qq : to ignore. Des peurs : fears. Effrayé : afraid. Expliquer à quelqu’un : to explain to. Les enfants : children (pas d’article). Un bol : a bowl. Un évier : a sink. Un enjeu : a stake. Être en jeu : to be at stake. Un porte-parole : a spokesman (for). Négociations : negotiations. Pas un jour ne passe sans : not a day goes by without. Déclaration : statement. Cependant, : Yet, . Au moment même où : Even as. Avoir de l’importance : to matter. Rétrograde : backward. La laïcité : secularism. Les journalistes (en général) : journalists (pas de the). Casser le myth : to debunk the myth. Il n’y a pas de place pour : there is no room for. Détritus, ordures : rubbish. Inepties, bêtises : rubbish. Ca m’a l’air d’être un oui : That sounds to me like a yes. Affreux : awful. Enormément (de) : an awful lot (of). Devenir super célèbre : to become a household name. Prendre peur : to take fright. Se retourner : to turn round. Plus loin : further on (ou further along). Loin – plus loin – le plus loi : far – farther - farthest. Pour plus d’information : for further information. Dedans (un bus…) : on board. Jusqu’à nouvel ordre : until by the time being. Faire marche arrière : to back. Rétroviseur : rear-view mirror. Pare-brise : windscreen. Essuie-glace : wipers. Freins : brakes. Boîte de vitesse : the clutch. Roue de secours : a spare wheel. Pneu : tyre. Pare-choc : the bumpers Le coffre : the boot (Am : trunk). Le capot : the bonnet. Clignotants : indicators. Un machin : a whatsit / a thingummy. Suivre de près : to follow (close) on the heels of. Faisait comme elle : did the same as her. C’était bien moi : it actually was me. Had I know = If I had know (attention au contresens). Etage (vu de l’extérieur) : a storey. Retraités : retired people. Ces dernières années : over the past few years. Un vol : a robbery, a theft. Voler : to steal. Cambrioler : to burgle. Camibrioleur : a burglar. Cambriolage : burglary. Un oubli : an oversight. La triste condition des pauvres : the plight of the poor. Exploiter : to milk to the full. Jusqu’ici : as of yet. Régler des problèmes d’inégalité : to solve problems of inequality in wealth. Accomplir un exploit : to accomplish something of a feat. Faire de ton mieux : to do your utmost Vers 4 heures : about/around 4 o’clock. Simplement : merely. Passer devant : to pass by, to go past. Un voyage (déplacement) : a journey. Un voyage (l’ensemble) : a trip. Par politesse : out of politeness. Tout à l’heure : in a while. Tout à l’heure (dans le passé) : a little while ago. Rajouter « will you » pour être plus poli : take care of him, will you ? Bourré de somnifères : stuffed with sleeping pills. Un ordinateur portable : a lap-top. Il a mis du temps à réagir : it took him some time to react. Je t’embrasse : all the best / take care. Raccrocher : to hang up. Un aspirateur : a vacuum. Persuader les gens de : persuade people to. Dissuader les gens de : dissuade people from + ING. Persuader : to talk someone into + ING Dissuader : to talk someone out of + ING. C’est un argument qui ne casse pas des briques. It’s an argument that does not cut much ice. A bon argument : a weighty argument. Candide : guileless. Repoussant : repellent. Etre malin : to be cunning. Agacer, irriter : to jar on. Une série de : an array of, a range, a series, a string. Dédaigner : to disdain = to scorn = to despise. Interdire : to ban, to outlaw. Intelligent : savvy. Extravagant : fancy. Ne pas tenir une promesse : to renege on a promise/not keep your word. Un rayon de soleil : a sunbeam. Une sortie, un débouché : an outlet. Une poutre : a beam. Diffuser : to beam. Une station service : a filling station. Une cicatrice : a scar. Dévoiler : to unveil. Panneau publicitaire : a billboard (US), hoarding (Br). Pourvu que : so long as. Être au chômage : to be on the dole. L’opinion public : Public opinion (pas de the). Apparaît comme : appears to be / as Déménager à l’est : to move to the East. C’est un bon critère pour juger : it is a good criterion for judging. Les progrès : progress. Une échelle : ladder. Monter dans la hiérarchie sociale : climb the social ladder. Les aides : aid. The brain drain. Faire un choix : make a choice. Juste, équitable : fair. Valoir : to be worth. Rendement : yield. Céder à : to yield to. Biologique : organic. La consommation des ménages : household consumption. Prendre des vacances : to go on / take a holiday. Faillites : bankruptcies / business failures. Provoquer : cause / entail. Prévoyant : far-sighted. Les invités : the guests. Avoir droit à : to be entitled to. Admettons : Granted. Qu’est ce que cela pouvait vous faire ? What was that to you ? Puéril : childish. Aggraver son cas : to make your case worse C’est la preuve : is proof/evidence (pas de the). Presque personne : hardly anyone. Au fait : by the way. Les blesses : the wounded. Informatique : computer science. Les jeunes : youngsters. (the ?) Les comptes : accounts. La main d’œuvre : workforce. Obésité : obesity (pas de the !). Être traîné en justice : to be prosecuted. Se montrer à la hauteur de sa reputation : to live to a reputation. Un distributeur d’argent : A cash machine/ cash point / cash dispenser / an ATM. Restreindre : to curb. Un fast-food : a fast-food restaurant. Poubelle (corbeille) : a waste-paper bin. Poubelle (maison) : garbage. Distribuer : to give out. S’attaquer à un problème : to tackle an issue. Audacieux : bold. Être pris la main dans le sac : to be caught red handed. Ces derniers temps : lately. Epicier : grocer. Un partisan : an advocate. Un ouvrier : a labourer. Obliger, contraindre : to compel someone to. A court terme : in the short run. Les échanges commerciaux sans entrave : unfettered trade . Développement durable : Sustainable development Pays en voie de développement : developing countries. L’environnement : the environment. Pétrole : oil. Terne, triste : grey. Licenciement : dismissal. Machin, truc : a gizmo. Emetteur : issuer. Enfoncer, encastrer : embedding Wireless : sans fil. Educative system in England I. A. First schools created by the church, were called : High school Grammar School Public School Reserved for aristocratic people. In 1870 : Education Act State School : (eleven plus exam) Grammar School ++ Secondary Modern School ? comprehensive schools (87%) (Labour Party) II. How it runs The different sectors 1.a. Voluntary schools b. Community schools B. Private (6%) : 27500 € The national curriculum System SAT : Standard assessment Test GCSE: GRAMMAIRE Traduction de ON : One,YOU,They,People,Someone, somebody… Suggestion : What about+ ing ? Shall we… ? Let’s… Futur parfait Shall + have + pluperfect Will Shall + have been + ing will Modal Modal + vb Modal+ be+ ing Modal + have + past part Modal + have been + ing NEED Needn’t+ vb = my opinion Don’t need to = general vision Passive Cette chambre est elle nettoyée chaque jour ? Is this room cleaned every day ? Comment ce mot est il prononcé ? How is this word pronounced ? Combien d’argent a-t-il été volé dans le vol ? How much money was stolen in the robbery ? Quelque chose doit être fait avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. Something must be done before it’s too late. Un mystère est quelque chose qui ne peut pas être expliqué. A mystery is something that can’t be explained. La musique était très forte et pouvait être entendue au loin. The music was very loud and could be heard a long way away. Un nouveau supermarché est sur le point d’être construit l’année prochaine. A new supermarket is going to be built next year. Allez vous en s’il vous plaît. Je veux qu’on me laisse tranquille. Please go away. I want to be left alone. Je n’ai pas encore reçu la lettre. Il se peut qu’elle ait été envoyée à la mauvaise adresse. I haven’t received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address. Si tu n’avais pas laissé ta voiture ouverte à clefs, elle ne se serait pas faîte voler. If you hadn’t left the car unlocked, it wouldn’t have been stolen. Ils y avaient des problèmes au début, mais il semble qu’ils aient été résolus. There were some problems at first, but they seem to have been solved. As tu entendu, le concert a été annulé. Have you heard ? The concert has been cancelled. As tu été déjà mordu par un chien? Have you ever been bitten by a dog ? Les légumes n’avaient pas très bon goût. Ils avaient été cuits trop longtemps. The vegetables didn’t taste very good. They had been cooked too long. La voiture avait trois ans mais n’avait pas été trop utilisée. The car was three years old but hadn’t been used very much. Il y a quelqu’un qui marche derrière nous. Je pense que nous sommes suivis. There’s somebody walking behind us. I think we are being followed. Puis je vous aider? Non merci. Je suis servi. Can I help you ? No thank you. I’m being served. Nous étions suivis. We were being followed. Traduction de ON -One -YOU -They -People -Someone, somebody… VOCABULARY It’s like trying to get blood out of a stone : Quand on veut soutirer une info à quelqu’un mais qu’on y arrive pas . Be shrouded in secrecy : gardé en secret To host : accueillir Coûter trois fois plus qu’une ambulance ordinaire To cost three times as much an ordinary ambulance . La partie la plus peuplée d‘un pays . The most populous part A through-train : un train avec des allées , pas de compartiments To get on a train : monter dans un train . Without fail : sans faute . Wish Unreal future Conditional Unreal present preterit Unreal past Past perfect = regret America = crossroads, which path should it choose and why? Freedom, democracy, enterprise, immigration are the principles on which the U.S. was founded. However, current economic, political and ideological problems threaten these basic tenets. Changes are needed but, the journalist explains, although a radical turnabout in policy might look attractive it would, in fact, be a great mistake. America's various, recent economic woes have resulted in jealousy and even xenophobia. America could adopt a protectionist attitude by closing its borders, erecting trade barriers. This would, for the journalist, be the worst possible scenario; it would exacerbate the crisis .Moreover, the phenomenal success of emerging countries with their American inspired economies vindicates the capitalist system even if U.S. monetary policy does need tighter control. Although emerging countries arc their muscles and threaten American ascendancy both economically and politically, this should not give rise to panic and hostility since these countries will not he ready to overtake the U.S. for some time yet and, the journalist adds, their growing affluence will provide an millet for U.S. products. America's ideological wars, in the wake of 9/11, arc now deemed gross errors as regards the human and financial colt and morally reprehensible. But, again, the Economist trusts the U.S. to choose the right path, as it indeed seems to be doing already, by opting for international co-operation rather titan a go-it-alone, militarist policy which bas only antagonized. So, by deciding on negotiation and collaboration, by promising to close down its prisons of shame. America seems to be on the right track and must, once again, prove it can learn from its errors and, phoenix-like, rise again! 268 words