Séquence 4
The world’s your oyster*
Sommaire
Objectifs de la séquence
1. Get ready
2. Observe and express yourself
3. Read to obtain information
4. Listen to obtain information
5. Get ready to express yourself
orally
6. Read to obtain information
7. Get ready to express yourself in
writing
Dans cette séquence de cours, vous
allez devoir créer votre propre travel
blog.
Pour cela, des exemples de récits de
voyage vous seront proposés dans
des documents variés (textes, images,
audio) pour vous informer et développer
vos compétences en lecture, audition,
expression orale et écrite.
8. Read to improve your own writing
* oyster: a large flat shellfish. Some oysters can be eaten and others produce valuable objects called pearls. If you
say that the world is someone’s oyster, you mean that they can do anything or go anywhere they want to.
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O bjectifs de la séquence
Get Ready
Vous allez vous familiariser avec le lexique lié aux voyages et vous
entraîner à vous en servir.
Observe
and express
yourself
Vous allez apprendre à décrire des paysages.
Read to
obtain
information
Vous allez vous familiariser avec le style d’un récit de voyage.
Vous apprendrez à découvrir le sens d’un document écrit par lectures
successives de plus en plus approfondies.
Vous vous entraînerez à inférer le sens de mots inconnus à partir du
contexte.
Vous allez vous familiariser avec la manière de raconter des voyages
à l’oral.
Vous apprendrez à découvrir le sens d’un document oral par écoutes
successives de plus en plus ciblées.
Vous vous entraînerez à repérer des chiffres et à identifier à quoi ils
renvoient.
Vous allez apprendre à mobiliser vos connaissances, du lexique et des
structures avant de prendre la parole.
Vous apprendrez à présenter des faits, à exprimer vos sentiments et à
raconter des anecdotes.
Vous vous entraînerez à poser des questions, à utiliser la voix passive
et les modaux passés.
Vous serez sensibilisé au fonctionnement des groupes de souffle et de
l’intonation dans la production orale.
Vous vous entraînerez à la production orale, puis vous comparerez
votre production avec un modèle.
Vous allez découvrir une autre manière de raconter un voyage à
l’écrit.
Vous vous entraînerez à effectuer les repérages de base et à faire des
liens pour construire du sens.
Listen to
obtain
information
Get ready
to express
yourself
orally
Read to
obtain
information
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Get ready
to express
yourself in
writing
Read to
improve your
own writing
Vous apprendrez à approfondir votre compréhension en repérant
les actions et réactions des personnes et les termes géographiques
désignant les lieux.
Vous vous entraînerez à reformuler et à synthétiser les informations
recueillies.
Vous allez apprendre à décrire les qualités personnelles de
quelqu’un.
Vous vous entraînerez à être attentif à la syntaxe (= l’ordre des mots
dans une phrase).
Vous vous familiariserez avec la dérivation (= comment former un nom,
verbe ou adjectif à partir d’un mot-racine).
Vous vous entraînerez à rédiger un récit de voyage, d’abord en étant
guidé et ensuite avec plus d’autonomie.
Vous allez réfléchir à tout ce que vous devez mobiliser (idées, lexique,
structures) avant de commencer à rédiger.
Vous allez étudier des exemples de blog de voyage pour vous
familiariser avec ce type de document.
Vous vous entraînerez à exprimer la comparaison.
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1 Get ready
Means of travel
Before developing your skills in comprehension and expression, let’s
consolidate the vocabulary you’ll need.
Activity 1
Match the verbs on the left from 1 to 12 with the appropriate
complement on the right from a) to u). There are often many
possibilities for each verb.
Wordbox
Verbs
Ex. 5/e,
5/ f, i, n : to pilot a
hang glider, a helicopter,
a plane, a ULM.
1. to drive
2. to fly
3. to get
4. to hire
5. to pilot
6. to ride
7. to sail
8. to take
9. if you drive something you…
10. if you ride something you…
11. if you get something
you…
12. if you take something you…
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a) a bike
b) a boat
c) a bus
d) a car
e) a hang glider
f) a helicopter
g) a horse
h) a motorbike
i) a plane
j) a racing car
k) a surfboard
l) a taxi
m) a train
n) a ULM
o) the road
p) the sea
q) the waves
r) a camper
s) use your legs to do
so
t) are in the front seat
u) are in a passenger
seat
Verbs
to hitchhike = to travel by asking
motorists to take you in their car
to hire = to pay to use something
temporarily
Nouns
camper : camping car
hang glider : parapente
mountain peaks
snow-capped mountains
mountain range
coniferous trees
rocks/boulders
mountain stream
waterfall
woods/deciduous trees
fields
sand dunes
cliff
promontory/headland
plain
view
landscape/scenery
countryside
sky
palm trees
sandy beach
natives/the locals
Adjectives
exciting, breathtaking,
dangerous, perilous,
spectacular, marvellous,
fantastic, magnificent,
cloudy ≠ cloudless
Look at the diagram below and write the correct number in front of the
geographical elements listed on the right:
10
.... bay
8
3
14
.... coast
15 dam
.... estuary
7
.... forest
15
19 headland
.... hill
13
12 inlet
6
.... island
11
.... lake
9
.... lighthouse
.... mainland
5
2
.... marsh
4
1
.... mountain
.... peninsula
17 reef
12
20
.... river
.... reservoir
16
17
18
.... tributary
.... valley
21
19
.... wood
Look at the picture below and write the text to accompany it in a
tourist brochure. Explain how tourists will get there and what they
can expect to see. You want the tourists to go there, so you need to
talk very positively about it and underline its beauty and interest. Use
the WORDBOXES and words you learnt in Activity 1 to help you.
Check your
answers
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2
Observe and express
yourself
Activity 2
Wordbox
A
pasture : pâture
still = immobile
high-rise = tall
skyscraper : gratte-ciel
rolling : ondulant
cloudless : sans nuages
cloudy : avec nuages
deciduous ≠ coniferous
fir ≈ pine
tree-lined : bordé d’arbres
remote ≈ isolated
B
Leslie Arthur Wilcox.
Private collection/
Bourne Gallery,
Reigate, Surrey, U.K.
© Bridgeman
Giraudon.
Alexandra Schuler, Grandville Island, Vancouver, Canada. ©dpa–Report/akg-images.
Each picture is of an English-speaking country. Which one?
Picture A :
® the UK
® New Zealand
® Canada
® India
® Jamaica
Picture B :
® the UK
® New Zealand
® Canada
® India
® Jamaica
Check your
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answers
Decide which expressions are appropriate to describe each picture:
Picture A
Picture B
peaceful atmosphere
vibrant atmosphere
a solitary island or islet
tranquil pastures
still waters
a busy waterway
pleasure boats
high-rise buildings
office blocks
residential skyscrapers
an iron bridge
rolling hills
tall mountains
a cloudless sky
a cloudy sky
glass and concrete constructions
a vast expanse of deciduous trees
an extensive area of woodland
fir trees
strong evidence of industry
a yacht club or marina
sandy banks
an undisturbed lake
isolated trees or bushes
small groups of cottages in the distance
stone arches on either bank
blue sky
metal arch
concrete pillars
an agglomeration
remote countryside
urban landscape
rural setting
an elevated plain
Check your
answers
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a) Match each word on the left with its synonym on the right:
Example :
expanse of water = lake
expanse of water
lake
extensive
remote
high rise
setting
isolated
iron
landscape
tall
metal
undisturbed
peaceful
vast
river
waterway
b) Match each word with its antonym in the second line:
Example :
deciduous trees = fir trees
low
urban
cloudless dark
pale
cottage
cloudy deciduous trees
elevated
fir trees
rural
skyscraper
c) Find the odd one out (l’intrus). Justify (explain what the other words
all have in common).
1. stone
metal
remote
concrete
iron
Example :
in 1) remote is the odd one out (the others are all types
of building or construction material)
2. arch
hills
mountains
plain
bank
…………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................................…………
3. isolated
remote
elevated
solitary
undisturbed
…………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................................…………
4. buildings constructions
skyscrapers
pillars
office blocks
…………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................................…………
5. trees
hills
bushes
pastures
woodland
…………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................................…………
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a) Each word below means “exciting”, “relaxing” or “spectacular”.
Put the words into the correct category.
breathtaking
amazing
awe-inspiring
fabulous
dramatic
magnificent
calming
brilliant
fantastic
impressive
exhilarating
thrilling
peaceful
stimulating
comforting
stunning
tranquil
Exciting
Relaxing
Spectacular
b) Which adjective(s) would you choose to describe the two settings
in Picture A and Picture B?
Setting A : ………………………………………………………………..........................................................................................
Setting B : ………………………………………………………………...................................................................................….....
Check your
answers
Complete the following commentary from a travel blog with appropriate
expressions in the table in Exercise 2.
Monday 1st September
I’ve just got back from a trip to North Wales. I visited the village with the longest name in
the English language – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
The scenery is absolutely ...................... . I must tell you about it before I forget! You
have this ...................... view over the lake, in the middle of which there is ..................
.......................... . On one side of the lake there are green ......................,
...................... while on the
opposite sides there is an ............................................ with a ...................................
......... You can see ............................................ in between the trees. There’s an old
..........
...................... which crosses one extremity of the lake with .......................................
.....
...... In the distance there are ............................................ . The weather wasn’t 100%
perfect while I was there – the ...................... sky was quite ...................... but even so
...................... but also very .......................
...................... It’s an ideal place to stay to
the setting is ......................,
recharge your batteries. What I like about it is ............................................ ................
............................ - the lake is .............................................
............................................ Everywhere you look, it’s
...................... ...................... and ...................... . It’s paradise on earth!
just ......................,
Check your
answers
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Activity 3
Now use your answers to Activity 2 to write your own extract in a travel
blog to talk about your impressions of Vancouver (picture B).
Take the time to read Activity 2 again, and to learn the new words before
you write your extract for the travel blog. (It’s very important to learn the
vocabulary as you progress in the lessons.)
Compare
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your answer with the model answer
3
Read to obtain
information
Before you are ready to write your own travel blog, it’s a good idea to
look at different examples of the sort of content you can include in your
blog.
Activity 4
General Comprehension
Chapter 8
Oliver reached the stile at which the by-path terminated; and once more
gained the high-road. It was eight o’clock now. Though he was nearly five
miles away from the town, he ran, and hid behind the hedges, by turns,
till noon: fearing that he might be pursued and overtaken. Then he sat
down to rest by the side of the milestone, and began to think, for the first
time, where he had better go and try to live.
The stone by which he was seated, bore, in large characters, an
intimation that it was just seventy miles from that spot to London. The
name awakened a new train of ideas in the boy’s mind. London! – that
great large place! – nobody – not even Mr. Bumble – could ever find him
there! He had often heard the old men in the workhouse, too, say that
no lad of spirit need want in London; and that there were ways of living
in that vast city, which those who had been bred up in country parts had
no idea of. It was the very place for a homeless boy, who must die in the
streets unless some one helped him. As these things passed through his
thoughts, he jumped upon his feet, and again walked forward.
He had diminished the distance between himself and London by full
four miles more, before he recollected how much he must undergo ere
he could hope to reach his place of destination. As this consideration
forced itself upon him, he slackened his pace a little, and meditated
upon his means of getting there. He had a crust of bread, a coarse shirt,
and two pairs of stockings, in his bundle. He had a penny too – a gift of
Sowerberry’s after some funeral in which he had acquitted himself more
than ordinarily well – in his pocket. “A clean shirt,” thought Oliver, “is a
very comfortable thing; and so are two pairs of darned stockings; and so
is a penny; but they are small helps to a sixty-five miles’ walk in winter
time.” But Oliver’s thoughts, like those of most other people, although
they were extremely ready and active to point out his difficulties, were
wholly at a loss to suggest any feasible mode of surmounting them; so,
after a good deal of thinking to no particular purpose, he changed his
little bundle over to the other shoulder, and trudged on.
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Oliver walked twenty miles that day; and all that time tasted nothing but
the crust of dry bread, and a few draughts of water, which he begged at
the cottage-doors by the road-side. When the night came, he turned into
a meadow; and, creeping close under a hay-rick, determined to lie there,
till morning. He felt frightened at first, for the wind moaned dismally over
the empty fields: and he was cold and hungry, and more alone than he
had ever felt before. Being very tired with his walk, however, he soon fell
asleep and forgot his troubles.
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
Use the paratext (the information accompanying the text) to help you
understand. Say (orally or in writing, in English or in French) what you
know about :
a) Oliver Twist
b) Charles Dickens
When you read a document for the first time, it’s impossible to
understand everything. So it’s important to look for clues to help you
begin to understand. The things you should look out for are proper
nouns, figures (numbers) and repetitions :
Proper nouns
Repetitions
§1
–
–
–
–
§2
–
–
–
–
§3
–
–
–
–
–
–
§4
–
–
–
La méthodologie de la
compréhension
12
Figures (numbers)
Take time to establish what the figures correspond
to, then draw your conclusion:
Lorsque l’on aborde un
document écrit, on prend
le temps de regarder
…..................
This extract is about
Lors de la première lecture,
on fait attention aux
…............, ….............……
et aux …......……… .
o Oliver’s journey to London
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o Oliver’s arrival in London
o Oliver’s journey from London
Detailed Comprehension
Activity 5
Identifying the essential elements and connecting them to construct
meaning.
We establish the meaning of a document by paying attention to key
elements – people, places and time. Once we have identified the people,
we can look for indications about their actions and their feelings.
a) In Paragraph 1, pick out all the references to people, places and
time.
b) Then, look more closely at the references to Oliver and pick out
indications of his actions and his feelings.
c) To understand fearing that he might be pursued and overtaken,
look at the actions it is associated with: ‘he ran, and hid’. Can you
explain?
……………………………………………………………………………................................................................……………………………….
d) True or false? : Oliver knew where he was going. Justify.
……………………………………………………………………………................................................................……………………………….
In Paragraph 1, it was easy to identify the person – there was only one
(Oliver) and he is always referred to as ‘he’. It’s not always so simple.
a) In Paragraph 2, you have already identified the proper nouns. Read
the paragraph again to determine what other words (pronouns or
nouns) are used to replace these proper nouns. When no other
word is used, write ∅. Then pick out all the information you learn
about these people or places:
Pronouns or nouns used
Information given
Oliver
London
Mr Bumble
b) Someone else is mentioned. Who? ……….....................…………….....….……………....
c) At the end of Paragraph 1, Oliver didn’t know where he was going.
And now? Explain.
…………………………………………………………………………….....................................................………………
d) How far away is London?
Sometimes, the typography or punctuation used in a paragraph can
guide us in our understanding.
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a) In Paragraph 3, the author uses inverted commas (“ …”). Decide if
they indicate a conversation or something else.
………………………………………………………………………….......................................................................………………………....
b) Find all the other verbs or nouns in the paragraph that show Oliver
is thinking.
………………………………………………………………………….......................................................................………………………...
c) Imagine you were Oliver, and you have just decided to walk to
London, which is 70 miles (100 km) away. Which questions would
you ask yourself?
o Who …?
o Where …?
o When …?
o Why …?
o What …?
o How …?
o How far …?
o How often …?
o How wide …?
o How tall …?
o How long …?
Now try to identify Oliver’s interrogations in the paragraph and decide
what his preoccupation is each time.
Interrogation
What it is about
d) What means of transport do you think existed in 1838? What
solution does Oliver have? Why?
………………………………………………………………………….......................................................................………………………...
a) Read Paragraph 4 to establish Oliver’s actions
La méthodologie de la
compréhension (suite)
Le repérage de …, ….
et de …………. nous aide à
identifier les éléments les
plus importants dans un
document.
and feelings at different times of the day. Write
your answers in the grid.
Time of day
day
Ensuite, il faut faire le
lien entre ………………. et
…………………..
Notre
connaissance
du
contexte (historique par
exemple) nous aide à comprendre davantage.
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night
Actions
Feelings
b) Use your knowledge of the nineteenth century to understand “he
turned into a meadow; and, creeping close under a hay-rick”… If
you were walking 70 miles to London, and had one penny in your
pocket, where would you sleep? Say it in French, if you need to.
c) What impression do you have of Oliver’s journey? And of Oliver?
d) Would you say Oliver is a likeable character or not? How does
Dickens make the reader feel this way?
Activity 6
Cette activité s’adresse plus particulièrement aux élèves qui pensent
avoir plutôt bien réussi l’activité 5. Si vous préférez ne pas la faire, prenez
quand même le temps de suivre la correction afin de vous familiariser
avec la démarche.
Just by concentrating on the most important elements, which are relatively
easy to recognise, you have already understood the outline (= general
idea) of the document. You should never expect to understand absolutely
everything (especially if the document is not recent). When you
understand the basic idea, it is easier to deal with unfamiliar words and
expressions.
Oliver reached the stile at which the by-path terminated; and once
more gained the high-road. (§1)
a) Which number in the following diagram corresponds to each of the
words in bold print?
1
2
3
b) Remember what Oliver was doing. Where did he come from? Where
was he going? How was he travelling? What was he travelling on?
c) If you live in the country and take the road to go to the city (even
today), is there an evolution in the roads you take? Explain.
d) In 1838, there were no motorways. If a (high)-road
d is a road, what
could a (by)-path be? And what is a stile? (Remember, it marks the
end of the path, and access to the road.)
Path = …………………………….
Stile = ………………………………….
milestone (§1) = “The stone by which he was seated, bore, in large
characters, an intimation that it was just seventy miles from that spot
to London.” ((§2)
a) Paragraph 2 helps you elucidate milestone. Which words in the first
sentence of Paragraph 2 are clues (indices)?
b) So what do you think milestone is? ……………………………………
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He had a crust of bread, a coarse shirt, and two pairs of stockings, in
his bundle. … after a good deal of thinking to no particular purpose,
he changed his little bundle over to the other shoulder, and trudged
on. (§3)
a) Look again at Paragraph 3 : the word ‘bundle’ is repeated twice.
Each occurrence gives us a clue to the meaning of the word. What
does Oliver use his bundle for? Where is his bundle?
b) So what is a bundle? ………………………………………. .
Oliver walked twenty miles that day; and all that time tasted nothing but
the crust of dry bread, and a few draughts of water, which he begged
d at
the cottage-doors by the road-side. (§4)
a) Is begged a noun, verb, adjective or adverb?
b) What is its complement?
c) Where and why did Oliver beg?
d) So what could beg be? …………………………………….
Check your
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answers
4
Listen to obtain
information
It’s a good idea to see how people talk about their travel experiences
before you write your travel blog – as you know, communication on the
internet is often more informal and closer to oral language than what
you can read in the press or in a book.
Activity 7
CD 2
Enr.1
Listen to the whole document once, without stopping the recording.
Find out: the number of speakers, their identity, the subject of their
conversation and the tone of the discussion (formal, relaxed, polite,
friendly …)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………................................................................................
Activity 8
CD 2
Think about the essential information someone could give about
their travels (= imagine the questions you would ask them). Write 4
questions.
Enr.1
Check your
answers
Now listen to the recording again and find the answers to the questions
in the model answers.
…………………………………………................................................…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………................................................…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………................................................…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………................................................…………………………………………………………..
Check your
answers
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Activity 9
CD 2
Enr.1
Activity 10
CD 2
Very often, figures (numbers) are indicators of important information.
Listen again, pick out all the numbers, and use the pause/repeat button
to establish what they refer to.
Figures/numbers
Listen to the document one last time and pick out the anecdotes Jason
relates and the interviewer’s reactions.
Enr.1
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What they refer to
Check your
answers
5
Get ready to express
yourself orally
In a few minutes, you are going to talk about Jason Lewis adventures.
How are you going to prepare this talk?
When you talk, in general you know what you want to say to start with
(= you have ideas). If you’re talking in French, you are able to express your
ideas automatically, without thinking too much about how to formulate
them. For most of you in English, you still need to think about how to say
something before you actually talk. We’re going to look together at the
questions you need to ask yourself before you speak.
Activity 11
Match the questions on the left with the appropriate idea on the right
– (sometimes, more than one match is possible).
Question
Idea
1. How far …?
a) number of days on the trip
2. How long …?
b) number of miles on the trip
3. How many continents …?
c) date of departure
4. How many days …?
d) Jason’s age on departure
5. How many miles …?
e) Jason’s age on arrival
6. How many oceans …?
7. How many years …?
f) number of years it took to establish a
world record
8. How old? …
g) number of continents crossed
9. When …?
h) number of oceans crossed
i) age of the old lady in Australia
j) 3 days ago = the worst moment on the
trip
k) 350 metres = distance from the coast
(beach)
l) 26 miles = distance from home
Example :
1. b, k, l
Now write the questions in full.
Example: How long did the trip take you??
Check your
answers
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Activity 12
Match the expression on the left with the appropriate idea in the cen-
tral column – (sometimes, more than one match is possible).
Expression
Idea
Answer
1. I crossed
a) number of days on the trip
4,833
2. I left
b) number of miles on the trip
46,505
3. I travelled
c) date of departure
July 12, 1994
4. I was
d) Jason’s age on departure
26
5. It took me
e) Jason’s age on arrival
40
6. It was
f) number of years it took to establish a world record
14
7. She was
g) number of continents crossed
5
h) number of oceans crossed
2
i) age of the old lady in Australia
82
j) 3 days ago = the worst moment on the trip
3
k) 350 metres = distance from the coast (beach)
350
l) 26 miles = distance from home
26
Now write the answers in full using the figures in the third
column.
Example : I crossed five continents
Check your
Activity 13
answers
Now you know how to talk about the facts. How do you talk about
anecdotes?
Jason said for example : I was (nearly) eaten by a crocodile! Jason is the
centre of our attention. The crocodile is an example of one of his many
encounters. The most important element in this example is the crocodile’s
action on Jason – eat. It is possible to express the idea more simply :
A crocodile nearly ate me, but the impact is not so intense.
In conclusion, if you want to relate an anecdote, something (interesting,
exciting, dramatic) that happened to you, it is preferable to use the
passive: I/he/she was + Ven
Match the action with the appropriate agent: (sometimes, more than
one match is possible).
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Action
Agent
1. pursue
a) a band of robbers
2. chase
b) an 82-year-old-lady
3. run over (renverser)
c) Egyptian authorities
4. arrest
d) French authorities
5. accuse of being a spy
e) locals in Calais
6. stop
f) pirates
7. help
g) thousands of supporters
8. welcome home
Now write complete sentences using the above information to talk
about Jason’s different adventures.
La Voix Passive
BE conjugué + Ven (participe passé)
– On s’intéresse avant tout non pas à l’agent
(le crocodile) mais à l’objet (Jason) de son
action (eat) que l’on met en première position dans la phrase :
Jason was (nearly) eaten by a crocodile.
– On ne peut pas, ou bien on ne veut pas
mentionner l’agent. Il est inconnu, peu
important ou très évident.
In one violent storm his boat was badly
damaged.
– Au présent :
Jason is invited everywhere to talk about
his experience. (Jason est invité partout
pour parler de son experience)
– Au passé :
He was given food and water by islanders
in their pirogues. (Des indigènes dans des
pirogues lui donnèrent de la nourriture et
de l’eau.)
– Au futur :
His adventure
e will be recorded in the next
edition of the Guinness Book of Records.
(Son aventure sera enregistrée dans la
prochaine édition du Livre des Records.)
Example : He was pursued by
pirates.
2. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
3. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
4. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
5. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
6. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
7. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
8. …………………………………………………………………
................................................................................
Check your
answers
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When we relate or hear about somebody else’s adventures, we like to
incorporate our own comments – to react to the different incidents or
situations. How do you express your reactions?
For example, when Jason mentioned his accident with the car when
rollerblading in Australia, the interviewer said: “That must have been the
worst moment of your trip!”
La modalité
Sujet + Modal + Verbe
Le modal ne se conjugue pas, et n’est pas
suivi de ‘to’
- on dit comment on voit ou ce qu’on pense
d’une situation,
- le modal exprime l’opinion de celui qui parle
et fait le lien entre le sujet et le verbe.
– Au présent pour exprimer une hypothèse
forte :
She cannot say categorically “That
was the worst moment of your trip!”
because she doesn’t know if it was
or not – she can only express her
opinion. When we want to express
our opinion, we use modals. To
express our certitude, we use
must to express a positive idea
(
(Jason
mustt be a hero) and can’t
to express a negative idea (he
can’t be popular with the French
police!).
You must be pleased to be back home!
It can’t be easy to cross the ocean in a
pedal boat!
– Au passé pour exprimer une hypothèse
forte :
It can’t have been easy to escape from the
pirates.
You must have been astonished at the
reaction of the French authorities.
Activity 14
For each sentence about Jason’s situation today, complete with must
or can’t :
1. Jason ……………………………… be tired.
2. He ……………………………… be well informed about politics in our country.
3. He ……………………………… know about the latest reality shows on TV.
4. He ……………………………… have hundreds of photos to show people.
5. He ……………………………… sometimes regret his past solitude.
Complete each sentence about Jason’s journey using must have been
or can’t have been :
1. His encounter with the pirates ……………………………… frightening.
2. His stay in prison in Egypt ……………………………… pleasant.
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3. The accusation that he was a spy ……………………………… a nightmare.
4. He ……………………………… indifferent to the welcome home.
React to each of these adventures, using an expression with must
have been or can’t have been:
1. Being pursued by a band of robbers.
2. His car accident in Australia.
3. The attitude of the French authorities.
4. The help of the locals in Calais.
Check your
answers
Make sure you learn the new vocabulary and grammatical structures
before continuing.
Activity 15
Imagine you just heard the interview with Jason Lewis on the radio. You
want to tell your friend about it. Use the tables in Activities 11 and 12 to
talk. Don’t forget to include facts, anecdotes and your personal reaction.
If possible, record yourself on your MP3 player or your computer and listen to yourself afterwards. If you’re not satisfied with the quality of your
production, do it again.
CD 2
Now listen to an example by an English-speaking
g person (Anglophonee).
Enr.2
Prononciation
Les groupes de souffle
À l’écrit, on guide le lecteur dans la compréhension au moyen de virgules,
points et d’autres signes de ponctuation.
A l’oral, la ponctuation n’est guère visible ! On a donc recours aux modulations
de la voix pour guider son auditoire.
La ponctuation de base est remplacée par des pauses. Chaque bloc entre les pauses représente une unité de sens appelé communément « groupe de souffle ».
Le début de l’entretien de Jason se découpe en groupes de souffle de la manière
suivante (chaque slash indique une pause) :
Jason Lewis,/ you’ve just got back from your round the world trip/of 4,833
days/and 46,505 miles/under your own muscle power./ Can you tell us about
it?
Yes, of course./ Well,/ I set off from London/on July 12, 1994./ I was 26. /
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Activity 16
CD 2
Enr.2
Look at the script below. Listen to the recording and mark the pauses
or breathing spaces with a slash (/).
I’ve just listened to an interview with Jason Lewis. He’s the guy who’s
established a world record – he’s the first person ever to travel all the
way around the world using only his own energy – no cars, no buses, no
trains, no planes, no boats, just his own pedal-boat, kayak, rollerblades
and bicycle. Would you believe it! It must have been a fabulous
experience! But it can’t have always been easy! It took him 4,833 days
to cover 46,505 miles, travelling across 5 continents and 2 oceans. He
was 26 when he left England on July 12, 1994 and 40 when he arrived
back home 14 years later. He nearly died more than once! He was almost
eaten by a crocodile and in Australia an 82-year-old-woman driver ran
into him when he was rollerblading. That must have been a horrendous
experience! He also had a fair number of lucky escapes like when he
was pursued by pirates or chased by a band of robbers. That’s amusing
when you see it on a film, but it can’t have been fun in real life! There
were also several occasions when he wasn’t exactly welcomed by the
authorities – in Egypt he was accused of being a spy and imprisoned
until the British consulate rescued him and in France – so close to home!
– he was forbidden to pedal more than 350m from the coast in his boat.
Fortunately he was helped to escape by locals in Calais, which must have
been a relief, and 26 miles later he was welcomed home by thousands
of supporters.
Prononciation
L’intonation
En anglais, selon la nature de l’énoncé l’intonation est montante ou descendante – c’est encore un indice audible pour faciliter la compréhension.
Alors qu’en français, le ton monte assez systématiquement sur la dernière syllabe, en anglais le ton est globalement descendant.
Chaque forme intonative en anglais a une fonction différente. Voici les plus
fréquentes :
• les affirmations => intonation descendante.
You’ve just got back from your round the world trip [↓].
• les questions ouvertes (WH- questions) => intonation descendante.
What did he do? [ ↓].
• les questions fermées (réponse = yes/no) => intonation montante.
Can you tell us about it? [↑ ].
• les exclamations => intonation montante.
It’s amazing! [↑ ]
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You must have had lots of exciting adventures! [↑ ].
CD 2
Enr.2
Listen again. Follow the script for the beginning and decide if the
intonation is rising [ ↑] or falling [↓ ]:
I’ve just listened to an interview with Jason Lewis. [ ] He’s the guy
who’s established a world record. [ ] – he’s the first person ever to
travel all the way around the world using only his own energy. [ ] – no
cars, no buses, no trains, no planes, no boats. [ ] just his own pedalboat, kayak, rollerblades and bicycle. [ ] Would you believe it!. [ ] It
must have been a fabulous experience! [ ] But it can’t have always
been easy![ ]
Without listening to the rest of the recording, note the intonation at
the end of each phrase in the rest of the script above.
Check your
CD 2
Enr.2
answers
Read the script aloud yourself. Use the correction to help you to begin
with, then, try to read it without any help. When you’re ready, record
yourself on your computer or MP3 player and compare your version
with the original one.
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6
Read to obtain
information
The extract from Oliver Twist and the interview with Jason Lewis have
already given us two examples of how to relate travel experiences, but
you need to familiarise yourself with a few other examples before you’re
really ready to write your own travel blog.
General Comprehension
Activity 17
MERIWETHER LEWIS Monday, September 17, 1804
«At the tops of these hills the country breaks off as usual into a fine level
plain extending as far as the eye can reach.... the surrounding country
had been burnt about a month before and young grass had now sprung
up to a height of 4 inches [10 centimeters] presenting the live green of
the spring... this scenery already rich pleasing and beautiful was still farther heightened by immense herds of buffalo, deer elk and antelopes
which we saw in every direction feeding on the hills and plains. I do not
think I exaggerate when I estimate the number of buffalo which could be
comprehended at one view to amount to 3000.»
WILLIAM CLARK Sunday, September 23, 1804
«Three Sioux boys came to us. Swam the river and informed us that the
Band of Sioux called the Tetons of 80 lodges were camped at the next
creek above, & 60 lodges more a short distance above, we gave those
boys two carrots of tobacco to carry to their chiefs, with directions to tell
them that we would speak to them tomorrow.»
WILLIAM CLARK Tuesday, September 25, 1804
«We feel much at a loss for the want of an interpreter the one we have can
speak but little.... »
«Invited those chiefs on board to show them our boat and such curiosities as was strange to them, we gave them 1/4 a glass of whiskey which
they appeared to be very fond of, sucked the bottle after it was out &
soon began to be troublesome... I went with those chiefs ... to shore
with a view of reconciling those men to us... The principal chief hugged
the mast and the 2nd chief was very insolent both in words & gestures
(pretended drunkenness & staggered up against me ) declaring I should
not go on, stating he had not received presents sufficient from us, his
gestures were of such a personal nature I felt myself compelled to draw
my sword (and made a signal to the boat to prepare for action). At this
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motion Capt. Lewis ordered all under arms in the boat, those with me
also showed a disposition to defend themselves and me, the grand Chief
then took hold of the rope & ordered the young warriors away, I felt myself
warm & spoke in very positive terms. »
«Most of the warriors appeared to have their bows strung and took out
their arrows from the quiver as I (being surrounded) was not permitted (by
them) to return, I sent all the men except 2 [Interpreters] to the boat. The
pirogue. Soon returned with about 12 of our determined men ready for
any event.... I offered my hand to the first & second chiefs who refused to
receive it. I turned off and went with my men on board the pirogue. I had
not proceeded more than 10 paces before the Brave Men waded in after
me. I took them in & went on board ...…» I call this island Bad Humoured
Island as we were in a bad humour.»
WILLIAM CLARK Thursday, September 27, 1804
«In about 10 minutes the bank was lined with men armed, the 1st chief
at their head... about 60 men... continued on the bank all night.... This
alarmed me as well as Capt. Lewis. Considered as the signal of their
intentions (which was to stop our proceeding on our journey and if possible rob us) we were on our guard all night, the misfortune of the loss
of our anchor obliged us to lay under a falling bank much exposed to the
accomplishment of their hostile intentions. P.C. our bowman who could
speak Mahar informed us in the night that the Maha prisoners informed
him we were to be stopped. We showed as little signs of knowledge of
their intentions as possible. All prepared on board for anything which
might happen, we kept a strong guard all night in the boat, no sleep.»
Use the paratext to identify:
a) the nature of this document
o a letter oa diary1 oan agenda oa log book2 oa programme
b) the author of the document ……………………............……………………………………………………..
c) the date of writing ……………………............……………………………….......................……………………..
1. a diary: A daily
record, especially a
personal record of
events, experiences,
and observations; a
journal.
2. a log book : a
book in which is
entered the daily
progress of a ship at
sea, as indicated by
the log, with notes
on the weather and
incidents of the
voyage; the contents
of the log board.
Read the document a second time and pick out all the references to
people and places.
Dates
People
Places
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Read it again, and try to establish:
a) Which country the authors are writing about? (Justify)
………..........……….....
.......................................................................................................................................................
........
La Méthodologie
de la Compréhension
(suite)
b) The number of different groups of people present.
(Justify) Which group do the writers belong to?
Lors d’une première lecture,
on repère ………………… et
…………………………
………..........……….........................................................................................................
Ensuite, on essaie de déterminer les liens entre eux.
c) The reason for the encounter between the groups
of people. (Justify)
..............................................................................................................................…..
………..........……….........................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................…..
Detailed Comprehension
Activity 18
Creating meaning from repetitions and their connections with other
words (lexical field).
a) In the first entry (September 17), pick out all the repetitions and list
the words you can associate with each repeated word.
Repeated words
Associated words
b) Draw your conclusion:
This extract is
o argumentative o descriptive
o poetic
The author describes
o sounds
o touch
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o sights
o smells
o polemical
o tastes
The author
o is impressed
o is indifferent
o is not impressed
(Quote the text to justify your choice) ……………………………….........………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………….........................................……………………………………….
a) In the second entry (September 23), pick out all the figures and
determine what they refer to or possiblyy refer to if you are not sure.
b) Pick out all the geographical
expressions. Use them to
establish the meaning of ‘creek’
and label the diagram below to
show the location of Clark, and
the Sioux (two different groups):
c) ‘we gave those boys two carrots
of tobacco’
The carrots are
o to smoke
o to eat
o to plant
“carrot” indicates
o the size
o the vegetal content
o the shape of the object.
d) Summarise the encounter between the three Sioux boys and the
white explorers. Explain the explorers’ actions.
………………………………………………….......................................................................………………………………...……………...
………………………………………………….......................................................................………………………………...……………...
………………………………………………….......................................................................………………………………...……………...
Read the entry for September 25.
a) “We feel much at a loss for the want of an interpreter the one we have
can speak but little....” means:
o they have lost an interpreter
o they want an interpreter
o they have an interpreter
o they don’t have an interpreter
o their interpreter speaks little
o their interpreter only speaks a
little Sioux
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b) In the 2nd paragraph (“Invited those chiefs” => “in very positive
terms”.) pick out all the elements suggesting the encounter with the
Sioux chiefs was a success, and all the elements suggesting it was a
failure (échec).
c
Success
Failure
c) 1. Pick out all the expressions expressing conflict.
……………………………………………………………………………….................................................................................…………………
2. What term is commonly used to talk about major conflicts on a world
level in the twentieth century? So, what do you think ‘warrior’ means?
3. (the chiefs) began to be troublesome because
o they didn’t appreciate the whiskey and thought it was not a good
present.
o they appreciated the whiskey but soon became drunk as it was a
new experience for them.
o they appreciated the whiskey and became angry when the bottle
was empty.
Justify your answer : ...........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
4. I felt myself compelled to draw my sword means
o Clark wanted to take the chiefs back to the land.
o Clark felt threatened and wanted to defend himself.
o Clark recognised this encounter was a special occasion and
wanted to draw a picture of the chiefs.
Justify your answer : ...........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................
Choose a synonym for sword:
o drawing book
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o hand
o arm
o match
5. Put the events in the correct chronological order:
Clark feels the need to defend himself
Clark offers the chiefs some whiskey
Clark shows the chiefs around the boat
Clark tries to reconcile them
Lewis shows his men are armed and ready to fight
the chiefs become agitated because there is no whiskey left
the chiefs become more and more aggressive
the chiefs feel welcome
1 the chiefs go on the boat
the grand chief tells his warriors to leave
11 the two sides are reconciled
6. “I went with those chiefs ... to shore”
At the beginning of this paragraph Clark and the chiefs are
o on land o on a boat.
At the end of this paragraph Clark and the chiefs are
o on land o on a boat.
‘shore’ is a synonym for:
o land
o the boat.
d) 1. Check you understand the 3rd and final paragraph of this entry.
Decide if each of the following statements is true or false and justify
your choice by quoting the text:
1. The encounter continued in a peaceful manner.
…………………………………………………..................................................................................…
2. The chiefs were not in a friendly mood.
…………………………………………………..................................................................................…
3. The Indians and the explorers separated.
…………………………………………………..................................................................................…
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2. Label the diagram with these words – bow, arrow, quiverr :
3. Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the outcome (ending) of the
encounter with the Sioux? Why?
e) 1. Read the final entry (September 27) to find out if you were right to
be optimistic or pessimistic. Explain.
2. Pick out all the references to the Sioux’s actions and the explorers’
corresponding reactions.
3. What do we learn about the Sioux’s intentions?
4. Someone confirms these intentions. Who?
5. Who do you think the bowman is? Justify your choice each time.
o a Sioux
o a White man
o an archer
o a person who oars, rows, or paddles at the bow (= front section)
of a boat
6. Who do you think the Maha are? Justify your choice each time.
o Indians
o White men
Check your answers
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La Méthodologie de la Compréhension (suite)
Pour faciliter l’accès au sens d’un document écrit, on doit
être attentif :
– aux répétitions et aux mots du même champ lexical,
– aux chiffres et ce qu’ils représentent,
– aux termes géographiques qui nous aident à visualiser la
scène,
– aux actions et aux réactions des personnes ou personnages.
En même temps, il faut être vigilant et vérifier :
le sens de mots qui nous sont familiers dans un contexte qui
peut être différent (carrot !).
Reformulating information
Activity 19
Use the information in the table below and your answers to Activities 17
& 18 (about the entries in the log book) to summarise the main points
about The Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
explorers’ names
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
travelling companions
20 men, 1 dog (& 1 woman)
departure
May 1804, Camp Dubois, plains of the Midwest
arrival
September 1806, shores of the Pacific
goals
map the rivers,
observe and record everything, (from the languages of the Indians to
the dates when plants flower),
make friends with natives,
open the West to trade (= commerce),
look for a Northwest Passage (an easy water route from coast to
coast).
commander/patron
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson
records
1.
2.
3.
4.
the Expedition journal with entries by different participants
Clark’s maps
pressed plants
animal furs
Compare
your answer with the model
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7
Get ready to express
yourself in writing
Lewis and Clark have shown us how to describe people encountered on
a trip. Let’s make sure we master the appropriate vocabulary and know
how to use it to describe people.
Personal Qualities
Activity 20
Match the adjectives on the left with their opposites on the right:
active
apathetic
affectionate
calm
agitated
fragile
arrogant
friendly
big-headed
hostile
cold
humble
docile
lethargic
dynamic
modest
resistant
weak
strong
wild
Match the adjectives on the left with their synonyms on the right:
34
amiable
courageous
bad-tempered
good-natured
brave
irritable
docile
loyal
discreet
modest
extroverted
obedient
faithful
out-going
honest
reserved
hospitable
sincere
humble
welcoming
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La syntaxe
En anglais, comme en français, l’ordre des mots, doit suivre
certaines règles :
The Sioux Tetons defended their territory.
Cet énoncé constitue un énoncé minimal avec trois éléments
clés : The Sioux Tetons (le groupe nominal sujet),
), defended (le
). Ces trois
verbe)) et their territory (le groupe nominal COD).
blocs forment la base à partir de laquelle on fabrique une
proposition.
L’énoncé minimal peut être complexifié :
On July 15, 1806, a little more than two years after the
start of the expedition, Lewis mentioned Seaman in his journal for the last time.
Lorsque l’on utilise des pronoms, on doit s’interroger sur la
fonction grammaticale du nom (ou du groupe nominal) auquel
il se substitue pour choisir la forme appropriée.
Il faut se demander s’il est sujet ou complément :
Lewis mentioned Seaman => He mentioned Seaman (sujet)
Lewis mentioned Seaman => Lewis mentioned him (complément)
On doit aussi apprendre certaines règles de construction syntaxique. En voici quelques exemples :
– les modaux (must, may, might, could, can, should …) sont
suivis de la base verbale (= l’infinitif sans to)
– de nombreux verbes (ask, want, intend, wish, invite …) sont
suivis du COD puis TO + V
– d’autres verbes (like, hate, tolerate, spend time …) sont
suivis du V-ing.
Il faut apprendre ces règles au fur et à mesure.
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1. Complete the following table with the correct form of the words (all
the adjectives are present in Ex. 1. & 2.):
Verb
Adjective
Noun
active
to affection
agitated
cold
calm
to brave
courageous
humility
resistant
to befriend
hospitable
docility
hostile
wild
to obey
2. -ate and –ist are frequent suffixes for verbs (activate, agitate, resist).
t)
Identify the common suffixes for adjectives and for nouns in your
table.
3. Complete the following sentences with an appropriate adjective or
noun:
1. The Indian chiefs became
more whiskey in the bottle.
..........................
when there was no
2. Clark demonstrated .......................... in a difficult situation.
3. The chiefs were
leave the ship.
..........................
4. It’s difficult to show
personal exploits.
when Clark tried to make them
..........................
when you write about your
5. Under the influence of alcohol the Indians acted like .................
......... animals.
6. Indian territory was not exactly .......................... at the beginning
of the nineteenth century.
4. Write two sentences about each of the following people using a noun in
one sentence and an adjective in the other to talk about their personal
qualities (or defects):
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The three Sioux boys
The Braves
Captain Lewis
The bowman
1. ………………………………………........................................………………………………………………………………………
2. ………………………………………........................................………………………………………………………………………
3. ………………………………………........................................………………………………………………………………………
4. ………………………………………........................................………………………………………………………………………
Check your
Make
Activity 21
answers
sure you learn the new vocabulary before continuing
It’s time to practise writing about a travel experience. For the moment,
we’ll give you the content, and you will concentrate on the language to
use.
Lewis’s preferred travelling companion was Seaman.
Study the table below with the key information about Seaman, then
choose the letter of the element which corresponds to each blank in
the summary which follows:
Name
a) Seaman
Species
b) dog (Canis familiaris)
Breed
c) Newfoundland
Cost
d) $20
Qualities
e) dynamic, strong, docile
Principal activities
f) hunt game
g) alert men about approaching
grizzlies and buffalo
Incidents during the expedition
h) a beaver (Castor)
r bit him
i) Indians stole him
j) he nearly died of starvation (=
hunger) in the mountains in
winter
Unsolved mystery
k) did not return with Lewis
l) no record of him in the journals
after July 15, 1806
One of Lewis’s companions on the expedition was Seaman, a ......................
(1). He paid ......................(2) for the ......................(3) which he appreciated for
his ......................(4). During the trip, Seaman spent his days ...................... (5)
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and
......................
(7) and
(6). He didn’t always have an easy time: he
......................
(8). He also
...........................................
......................
(9). Although Lewis
loved him dearly, Seaman ......................(10). No one knows what happened
to him, but ...................................................................................... (11).
Which of the elements (a to l) are interchangeable?
Which elements need to be modified before they are inserted in the
summary? Explain in French.
Now complete the summary, making the appropriate adjustments.
Check your
Activity 22
answers
More practise in writing about a travel experience – and more autonomy
for you!
You are going to write an entry in the journal for the Lewis and Clark
expedition for a very special member of the expedition. Read on to
familiarise yourself with this person’s identity card.
Name
Sacagawea (= Birdwoman)
Sex
female
Age
16½
Marital status
married (to Toussaint Charbonneau, a French trader)
Number of children
one, Jean Baptiste, born two months after the beginning of the adventure
Origin
Lemhi Shoshone
Languages
Shoshone and Hidatsa
Qualities
token (= symbol) of peace
knowledge of the landscape (Shoshone trails)
knowledge of the Shoshone language
Activities
dig for roots
collect edible plants
pick berries (for food and/or medicine)
May 14,
1805
high wind hits boat => nearly capsized (se retourner)
Sacagawea recovers many important papers and supplies
(provisions)
Lewis compliments her for her calmness
August 17,
1805
Sacagawea and her brother Cameahwait (chief of a group of
Shoshones) have an emotional reunion.
Sacagawea talks with Cameahwait, translates into Hidatsa
for Charbonneau, who translates to French. Francois Labiche
(who speaks French and English) translates into English for
Lewis and Clark.
The expedition buys horses from the Shoshone.
Incidents
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Séquence 4 – AN21
© Cned – Académie en ligne
Choose one of the dates (May 14, 1805 or August 17, 1805) and write
Sacagawea’s entry in the expedition journal for this day. Make sure you
include references to:
– the landscape and the weather (she is travelling either by boat or on
horseback);
– her family members and how she feels about them;
– other members of the expedition (Lewis and/or Clark), their attitude to
her, her feelings;
– her activities during the day;
– the specific incident of that day, her feelings and her reactions;
– her general impression of the whole day.
Feel free to use your imagination!
Compare
your entry with the model answer.
If you need more practice, do the other one.
Séquence 4 – AN21
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8
Activity 23
Read to improve your own
writing
It’s time to make sure you know exactly what content and what language
you should use in your own travel blog.
Checklist pour bien écrire
Décider quelle forme verbale utiliser – présent ou passé (preterit). En cas de
passé récent, on peut utiliser have + Ven (present perfect).
Déterminer le type de document à produire – Est-ce personnel (=> pronom
‘I’) or impersonnel? Est-ce narratif (description + commentaire) ou argumentatif (opinion + arguments + exemples)?
Ce type de document se présente-t-il sous une forme particulière ? (lettre,
extrait d’un journal intime, entrée dans un journal de bord, travel blog, email, pièce de théâtre, dialogue …). Quels éléments en font partie (date,
adresse, salutation, signature, didascalies* …?).
Lister les idées/arguments/éléments à inclure.
Déterminer l’ordre de présentation de ces idées/arguments/éléments.
Rédiger des phrases en contrôlant la syntaxe.
Rajouter des connecteurs (and, but, however, although, while, whereas)
pour articuler vos idées et des expressions temporelles (before, after, then,
next, now, in the future) pour guider le lecteur.
Éditer votre document (= le relire pour contrôler le langage et le contenu).
Soigner la présentation.
*didascalie = indication sur le jeu d’un acteur dans une pièce de théâtre.
Useful dictionary definitions
log : originally - the full nautical record of a ship’s voyage ; the full record of
a flight by an aircraft today - a record of performance, events, or day-to-day
activities.
blog : a web log
g (= a log on the Internet).
a travel blog : a website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments about journeys.
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Séquence 4 – AN21
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Read the checklist for writing tasks above, then read the four extracts
from travel blogs below and answer the questions that follow – they will
help you appreciate how to write a good travel blog.
A
Wandering in Europe
We began the journey with lunch in,
Luxembourg - filling the car with the
cheaper petrol. Then we headed for
Strasbourg. After a night in a place not
worth mentioning we ate breakfast
outdoors in an old Strasbourgian square
near ‘the’ cathedral. A delicious moment
that was... We drove out and visited Haut
Kœnigsbourg a rather stunning castle not
too far from Strasbourg. Hmmmm, we spent the next night in Kenzingen,
Germany, where we experienced impressive amounts of German
hospitality and a breakfast to die for. We sang Happy Birthday to ML
accompanied by both the staff of the B&B and the Dutch guests at the
next table ... nothing quite like a birthday to unite many nations.
B
The colours of Guatemala
It’s the colours that I remember best
from Guatemala. The perfect blue of Lake
Atitlan, once called the most beautiful
lake in the world; the red rivers of lava
on Volcan Pacaya, which flowed no more
than 100 metres from us on the volcano’s slopes; the reflections on the white
stones of Tikal in the early morning light. And that’s only the natural colours...
even more striking are the small pueblos. Each village attempts to offer the best
designs and the most attractive colours of their local dress, especially during
their festivals ….
Séquence 4 – AN21
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C
Rain in Hawaii
The clouds rolled in this morning whilst
we slept, and became immobile between
the mountains. They now hang over the
rooftops, heavy with monsoonal rain,
refusing to move until their charge has
gone. There seem far fewer people out
on the street this morning even though people need to do jobs and
children need to go to school. Our plans are impossible to realise today.
It’ll have to be a lazy day, reading books, picking from the menu and
generally enjoying the leisurely side of travel.
D
San Francisco – too much to say,
too little time
We’ve made a list of things we wanted to
tell you in this entry about San Francisco,
our last American city on this trip. It ended
up being sixteen “points of interest,”
(normally there are around eight) so not
only has San Francisco been another fabulous time in our travelling lives, but
we have so much to share with you. Now, do we let this become one of those
mammoth entries that takes you a while to read or keep it short and sweet!?
For each entry, pick out the proper nouns and identify what they refer
to. Then check your answers.
A
B
C
D
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Séquence 4 – AN21
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Identity the author(s) of each blog – pay attention to the pronouns and
mention of people in the group. Then check your answers.
A
B
C
D
1. Pick out
Means of transport
a) all the references to means of transport
b) all the adjectives – indicate what they describe
Adjectives - What they describe
A
B
C
D
2. Draw your conclusions:
a) In general, the means of transport seems
o important
o unimportant
b) The adjectives describe:
o buildings
o natural elements o people
o quantities
o the atmosphere o the blog entry
o the weather
Séquence 4 – AN21
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© Cned – Académie en ligne
La comparaison
Comparatif
Superlatif
adjectifs courts
≤ 2 syllabes
cheaper
adj-er (than)
the cheapest
the adj-est
adjectifs longs
≥ 2 syllabes
more attractive
more adj. (than)
the most attractive
the most adj.
On utilise le comparatif pour comparer 2 choses ou 2 personnes.
On utilise le superlatif pour exprimer la qualité (à un haut degré)
d’une personne/chose en la situant par rapport à un groupe
composé d’au moins 3 autres choses/personnes.
Attention aux adjectifs irréguliers :
Comparatif
Superlatif
good
better
the best
bad
worse
the worst
far
farther/further
the farthest/the furthest
c) The adjectives are
o always positive
d) The adjectives refer to
o colours
o the author’s feelings
o size
o age
o sometimes negative
o movement
o beauty
e) To emphasise (= insist (on)) the qualities of the elements described,
the authors use:
o comparatives
o superlatives
o forceful (= puissants) adjectives
3. Practise forming comparatives and superlatives for each of these
noun groups:
a) old/castle
b) impressive/square
c) small/pueblos
d) hospitable/people
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Séquence 4 – AN21
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e) lazy/day
f) leisurely/trip
g) short/entry
h) beautiful/view
4. a) Which form is more frequent in a travel blog?
o comparative
o superlative
b) Choose the best ending for each superlative:
1. the best day
a) I have ever met
2. the most beautiful scenery
b) I have ever seen
3. the oldest building
c) in my life
4. the most hospitable people
d) in the shop
5. the most stunning view
e) in the town
6. the loveliest dress
f) in the world
c) Propose your own ending for these superlatives:
1. the tallest mountain ……………………………..
2. the most fabulous hotel ……………………………..
3. the kindest person ……………………………..
4. the most well informed guide ……………………………..
Check your
answers
Make sure you are confident about expressing comparisons before
continuing.
1. Read over the four extracts again and pick out all the temporal
expressions (= references to time).
A
B
C
D
Check your
answers
2. Draw your conclusions:
temporal expressions can be:
o verbs
o nouns
o conjunctions
o adverbs
o prepositions
o adjectives
Give an example each time.
3. Give the opposites of the following words:
o begin
o night
o morning
o next
o early
4. Suggest translations in English for the following words or expressions
(they are all words in the travel blog entries):
après
ensuite
jusqu’à ce que
maintenant
pendant que
prochain
une fois
un moment
Séquence 4 – AN21
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5. The authors of the different extracts don’t necessarily use the same
verb forms.
a) Which extracts use:
o the present
o the future
o the preterit (past)
b) Which verb form is used to talk about
specific incidents/experiences?
general truths?
plans?
6. Check the content of each of the extracts.
a) Tick what each extract mentions:
A
B
C
B
C
D
D
The place
The weather
The people on the trip
Interesting experiences
Interesting sights
b) Tick what each extract contains:
A
A direct address to the reader
A personal commentary
Check your
Activity 24
46
Use the answers to Activity 23 to make your own checklist “How to write
a travelblog”. If you prefer, you can write it in French “Comment rédiger
un blog de voyages.”
Séquence 4 – AN21
© Cned – Académie en ligne
answers