COMPREHENSION ECRITE: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Bonjour à tous, aujourd'hui une petite lecture consacrée à un évènement "récent", l'abandon par le Prince Harry et Meghan Markle de leurs fonctions dans la famille Royale et leur émigration au Canada. L'article s'intéresse aux raisons qui ont poussé le couple à prendre cette décision. Essayez de répondre aux questions en anglais. J'ai numéroté les paragraphes afin de vous faciliter la tâche. A rendre pour le vendredi 19 juin (par mail).

Farewell, Harry and Meghan, you realised that being a royal is no way to live

By Tanya Gold, 08/03/2020, The Telegraph

1.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex perform their final engagement as working members of the royal family on Monday. Meghan has a reach that the rest of the family do not: at the Robert Clack school in Dagenham on Friday, the children whooped when she kissed a schoolboy. On Saturday at the Royal Albert Hall she received a standing ovation. For those who care about the survival of the monarchy, she was an asset. She mirrored a younger, more diverse Britain. But it’s too late now. The family have failed the Sussexes.

2. The Sussexes have self-awareness: enough to know that being a modern-day royal is no way to live. It wasn’t that what was offered was too little. Rather, it was too much. The projection we perform on the royal family is not innocent. If you look only at the surface, you see bunting and smiles. But monarchy is an anachronism for a reason. 

3. The Sussexes know that the psychological contortion required to pretend to embody a nation is emotional death. William and Harry’s recent interest in mental health is a muted cry. Monarchy killed their mother. You can talk about drunk drivers and seatbelts but why was she there, in that tunnel, at that time?

4. “I think being part of this family, in this role, in this job, every single time I see a camera,” Harry said, “every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash it takes me straight back.” He also said: “I will not be bullied into carrying on a game that killed my mum.” 

5. There was a role waiting for Meghan. If you want to know what it was, look at the Duchess of Cambridge – who is immaculate, and always seems to be laughing.

6. Meghan tried. She hugged; she talked about feelings. The mockery – and the anger – began. Her father’s story was bought and published. She resisted palace advice and was briefed against for making the Duchess of Cambridge cry. There was racism, but her crime was really that she was unwilling to meet the insatiable expectations; unwilling to be consumed. Then came the unforgivable sin. She said she was unhappy. You cannot do this if you are a royal: we like our victims pliant.

7. “I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a ‘stiff upper lip’,” she told the ITV interviewer Tom Bradby. “I really tried, but I think that what that does internally is probably really damaging. I never thought that this would be easy, but I thought it would be fair.” It was never going to be fair.

8. I suspect the Duke of Sussex, like his great-great uncle Edward VIII, married a woman, however unconsciously, who would rescue him from this shabby and duplicitous splendour. He lived a half-formed life under a half-broken enchantment. If you have been a demigod, can you exist in the real world, represented today by Canada? We will see. I wish them well.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

Paragraph 1: According to the article, why was Megham Markle a positive addition to the Royal Family?

Paragraph 2: “Monarchy is an anachronism”: what does that sentence mean ? (explain what is “an anachronism”)

Paragraph 3: Translate this sentence into French: “The Sussexes know that the psychological contortion required to pretend to embody a nation is emotional death.”

Paragraph 4: Prince Harry says in the article: “I will not be bullied into carrying on a game that killed my mum.”  What is the “game” which killed Harry’s mum?

Paragraph 5: “There was a role waiting for Meghan.” What is that role?

Paragraph 6: What “bad things” happened to Meghan Markle when she became a royal? Mention 3 things.

RESEARCH ON INTERNET: 

Paragraph 7 : Meghan Markle tried to have the British “stiff upper lip”: what does this expression mean?

Paragraph 8 : What happened to Edward VIII ? You can summarize in 1 or 2 sentences.

OPINION: If you were in the same situation as Prince Harry or Meghan Markle (a member of a royal family), would you stay or would you decide to abandon your titles like them?

ENGLISH NEWS: THE GEORGE FLYOD PROTESTS

S’intéresser à la langue anglaise, c’est s’intéresser aux pays qui la parle, et se tenir aux courants des actualités. Je vous propose aujourd’hui une nouvelle rubrique, English News, rédigée par moi-même et qui présente un résumé d’évènements important. Vous avez sans doute entendu parler des manifestations qui secouent les USA en ce moment, mais peut être n’avez vous pas tous les détails. Comme nous avons fait une séquence sur la question Afro-américaine, ce nouvel exemple de racisme systémique très récent était parlant (et pourrait peut être changer certaines choses).
Si vous avez des questions, nous pourrons en discuter dans notre prochaine classe virtuelle. 

What is happening now in the United States?
The country is having a lot of demonstrations (manifestations) and protests because in a 34 years-old Afro-American man named George Floyd have been suffocated by a white police officer on May 25th, in the town of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Why was George Floyd arrested?
George Floyd had bought cigarettes in a shop and was later suspected of having used a fake banknote (faux billets) of $20. The shopkeepers called the police and George Floyd was arrested.

How did George Floyd died?
A policeman named Derek Chauvin decided to maintain George Floyd with handcuffs (menottes) on the floor. He then put his knee on his neck and kept that position for a long time. George Floyd repeated several times “I can’t breathe” (“Je ne peux pas respirer”) and died.

Why did nobody do anything to stop the policeman?
Several witnesses (témoins) saw the policeman and told him to stop, but Derek Chauvin didn’t move. People shot videos of the scene, showing that George Floyd was not violent or resisting his arrest.

What happened after?
The death of George Floyd created a lot of protest around the country, with people claiming for justice. Protesters say that this death is just an example of a long series of police violence targeting (qui ciblent) Afro-American communities.
People were also unhappy that the policeman was sentenced (inculpé) for “involuntary manslaughter” (homicide involontaire), when it is obvious (évident) that it was not an accident.

What is Donald Trump’s reaction?
Donald Trump said that the death of George Floyd was a tragedy. But he is more interested in condemning the protesters. He said that he wants to put Antifas (mouvement anti-fasciste) on the list of terrorist organizations.

Why ?
Some protests have turned into riots (émeute) with a lot of property damaged and vandalized in some areas. But the majorities of the protests have be peaceful (pacifiques).

What are the latest news (les dernières nouvelles) ?
The policeman Derek Chauvin has finally been condemned for murder (meurtre), so protesters have been a bit happier. There was a big ceremony for the funerals of George Floyd with 8 minutes of silence in the city (8 minutes was the time the policeman had his knee on George Floyd’s neck). The Governor of Minnesota have decided NOT to give more budget to the police force and will use the money to help the structures in Afro-American communities areas.

CORRECTION COMPREHENSION ORALE "MY MOTHER DIANA"

Vous trouverez ici les questions et réponses à la compréhension orale que vous deviez me rendre. Mes félicitations à tous ceux et celles qui me l'ont rendue (cela a été compté pour l'assiduité de ce trimestre.

COMPREHENSION ORALE

Youtube video: “My Mother Diana”

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tJzsTXHMts

I/ BEFORE you watch the video :

1) Who is Prince William? (1 sentence)

Prince William is the son of Prince Charles and the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II. He is the second in line for the crown of England. 

2) What do you know about Diana? Don’t check internet, just be honest! (minimum 1 sentence)

Diana Spencer is the ex-wife of Prince Charles. She married him in 1981 and became extremely popular. She divorced him in 1996 and died in 1997 in a car accident in Paris. 

II/ Watch the video from its beginning to 2 minutes and a half (precisely 0:00 to 2:25).

3) Who are the people interviewed in the video?

Prince William and Catherine Middleton are interviewed. 

4) When is the video taking place? (Listen to the first sentence!)

The video is taking place around the time of Prince William’s marriage (maybe after the announcement of his engagement (fiançailles) to Catherine Middleton. 

5) The video mentions 2 important opposite facts to understand Prince William (quote the video)

a) “On the surface, William appears to be the product of the old order, groomed to be king by the House of Windsor.”

b) “But William is the son of Diana, the woman who transcended celebrity and transformed the monarchy.”

6) Visual description: What do you see when they show the 2 sides of William’s life?

His royal education (minimum 3 things)	His moments with his mother (minimum 3 things)
William is doing a military parade  He is dressed in a soldier uniform We see his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II (looking very stern)	- His mother is holding his hand - a lot of paparazzi, journalists, cameras - William is dressed in a traditional school uniform - His mother is next to a sick African child. - The whole family is seen in a merry go-round (maybe at Disneyland)

7) Prince William is the child of a “broken home”. Based on what you understand and can see in the video, what do you think this expression means?

William doesn’t come from a traditional family since his parent divorced on very bad terms and both sides of his family put pressure on him. 

8) Can you summarise the question the journalist is asking Catherine Middleton?

The journalist is basically asking what Catherine Middleton feels about Lady Diana, her husband’s (late) mother. Does she feel intimidated by her? 

9) We will discuss about question 9 in a virtual class ! 

COMPREHENSION ORALE à rendre pour vendredi 22/05

COMPREHENSION ORALE

Youtube video: “My Mother Diana”

I/ BEFORE you watch the video :

1) Who is Prince William? (1 sentence)

2) What do you know about Diana? Don’t check internet, just be honest! (minimum 1 sentence)

If you don’t know, say who you think she is (even if you are not sure!) based on the theme of the sequence (British Royalty)

If you know, write a few things you know about her (even if you are not sure!)

II/ Watch the video from its beginning to 2 minutes and a half (precisely 0:00 to 2:25).

3) Who are the people interviewed in the video?

4) When is the video taking place? (Listen to the first sentence!)

5) The video mentions 2 important opposite facts to understand Prince William (quote the video) :

a) “On the surface, William...

b) “But William is…

6) Visual description: What do you see when they show the 2 sides of William’s life?

His royal education (minimum 3 things)	His moments with his mother (minimum 3 things)
- - -	-  - -

7) Prince William is the child of a “broken home”. Based on what you understand and can see in the video, what do you think this expression means?

8) Can you summarise the question the journalist is asking Catherine Middleton?

9) Opinion: Do you think being part of a royal family is a good life? Why ? (minimum 3 sentences)

QUEEN QUIZZ: CORRECTION

Voilà les réponses du quizz précédent. Soyez préparés prochainement à une classe virtuelle, je vous donnerai plus d'infos sur Pronote et sur le blog pour la date et l'heure.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE QUEEN?

I/ QUIZZ:

1) How old is Elizabeth II?
a. 78
b. 87
c. 94

Elizabeth is the oldest monarch of England history!
In England, people celebrate a long reign with a celebration called a "Jubilee". For example, after 25 years of reign, there is a big parade for the "Silver Jubilee". Elizabeth II is the FIRST queen to celebrate a "Sapphire Jubilee" = 65 years of reign!
She beat the record of Queen Victoria (who reigned for 63 years).




2) What is the real title of Elizabeth II?
a. Queen of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
b. Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
c. Queen of Great Britain and English Colonies.


Even if we call her "Queen of England", Elizabeth II is officially "Queen of the United Kingdom" (=England+ Scotland+ Wales+ Northern Ireland) and "the other Commonwealth realms". The CommonWealth is a world organisation with 54 countries who were all ex-colonies of the British Empire. They are not totally independent and free, but the Commonwealth is not really a political organisation, but more of a cultural and economic organisation. They also do sport competitions like the Commonwealth Games.

3) Elizabeth's coronation took place in 1953! It was special because...
a. She was the first woman to rule England.
b. It was the first televised coronation.
c. She was not married when it happened.

Elizabeth became queen at 25, which was very young. She incarnated modernity because her coronation was the first to be transmitted on national televisions. This was a BIG change because the coronation is a very sacred ceremony and "normal people" were not invited inside the church for the event. With television, the coronation was accessible for everyone and helped to "democratize" the British Monarchy.





4) What is the name of the House* of Elizabeth II? (*House= name of her family)
a. Tudor
b. Stuart
c. Windsor

Elizabeth is from the House of Windsor. She is a descendant of Queen Victoria, but the name of the house changed: Victoria is from the House of Hanover, of German origins. With the World Wars, they changed the name to "Windsor" (from the name of a royal castle) to be more "English".
The Stuarts were a Scottish dynasty who reigned on England for some time. 
The Tudors is another famous Royal House, with kings like Henry the 8th or...Elizabeth I ! She is the reason the current queen is called Elizabeth "2" !

5) One of these sentence is fake, which one?
a. Elizabeth is also Queen of Canada and Australia.
b. When she was young, Elizabeth worked as a mechanic in a car factory.
c. Elizabeth had three husbands during her reign.

- Elizabeth was always married to one man, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. They are still married actually! 
- Yes, Elizabeth is technically Queen of Canada and Australia because these 2 countries are part of the Commonwealth (see question 2). 
- During World War 2, Elizabeth worked as a car mechanic (garagiste) and driver in the woman branch of the British Army in 1945 to show the support of the royal family for British people. 





6) What is the Queen's official residency?
a. 10 Downing Street
b. Hampton Court Palace
c. Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official residency of the British Monarchs since Queen Victoria.
10 Downing Street is the official house the Prime Minister.
Hampton Court Palace was an old royal residency, mainly for Henry the 8th.

7) If Elizabeth II dies, who will the next king?
a. her husband, Philip.
b. her son, Prince Charles.
c. her grandson, Prince William.

Sorry guys, it's not going to be Prince William! 
Traditionally, only the first son (or daughter) of a king or queen can become the next one. 
BUT Prince Charles is already 71 years old, so there is the possibility he could decide he is too old and want to give the crown to his first son, William, maybe to make the monarchy look younger...we don't know!
We might have to wait longer because Elizabeth II is from a family where women live long: her mother died at age 101!






II/ FAMILY TREE: 

Answers:
1. Elizabeth II, Queen of England.
2. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (her husband).
3. Charles, Prince of Wales (her son).
4. Lady Diana, ex-Princess of Wales (she divorced Charles in 1996, and died in a car accident in 1997)
5. Camilla,  Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles's second wife).
6. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (Prince Charles's first son)
7. Catherine (Cathy) Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William's wife).
8. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (who left with his wife for Canada)
9. Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex (wife of Prince Harry).

SEQUENCE 5: THE BRITISH ROYALTY!

Hello everyone, j’espère que vous avez passé de bonnes vacances (...enfin) et que vous et vos proches vous portez bien.
Nous entamons aujourd’hui une nouvelle séquence! Je me suis basé sur certaines de vos conversations en classe qui portaient sur les actualités des membres de la famille royale anglaise, et je me suis dit: pourquoi pas?
L’idée de cette séquence sera de vous faire découvrir et mieux comprendre l'existence de la famille royale britannique et surtout répondre à la question suivante:

"IS THE BRITISH ROYALTY STILL RELEVANT?"

"Relevant"= pertinent. La Monarchie Britannique a-t-elle encore une utilité aujourd’hui? Pourquoi les Britanniques ont-ils encore besoin d’un roi ou d’une reine? Vous avez peut-être déjà quelques idées de réponses, mais nous allons explorer cela petit à petit...

To start nicely, let's talk about some facts about the British Royal Family. You can try to answer yourself (in the comment section) or by searching on the Internet (you can!)

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE QUEEN?

I / QUIZZ

1) The question you always ask: how old is Elizabeth II?
a. 79 years old
b. 87 years old
c. 94 years old

2) What is the real title of Elizabeth II?
a. Queen of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
b. Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
c. Queen of Great Britain and English Colonies.

3) Elizabeth's coronation took place in 1953! It was special because...
a. She was the first woman to rule England.
b. It was the first televised coronation.
c. She was not married when it happened.

4) What is the name of the House* of Elizabeth II? (*House= name of her family)
a. Tudor
b. Stuart
c. Windsor

5) One of these sentence is fake, which one?
a. Elizabeth is also Queen of Canada and Australia.
b. When she was young, Elizabeth worked as a mechanic in a car factory.
c. Elizabeth had three husbands during her reign.

6) What is the Queen's official residency?
a. 10 Downing Street
b. Hampton Court Palace
c. Buckingham Palace

7) If Elizabeth II dies, who will the next king?
a. her husband, Philip.
b. her son, Prince Charles.
c. her grandson, Prince William.


II/ FAMILY TREE:

Here is a very simplified family tree of the Windsor Royal Family (simplified because I didn't put everyone!). Try to find on Internet the name (and titles) of the different members:

1. Elizabeth II, Queen of England.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

III/ PERSONAL OPINION: (1 or 2 sentences)

Do you think kings and queens should be a thing of the past or should they still exist? Why?

CORRECTION DE LA COMPRÉHENSION ECRITE

Correction de la Compréhension Écrite (cliquez ici pour retrouver l’article original):

INTRODUCTION 

What is the subject of this article? Summarize it in one sentence.
This article deals with a collage made by Beyoncé in 2019 for Black History Month.

What is Black History month?
Black History month is an annual period of commemoration around African-American History.

QUESTION 

What did Beyoncé do for Black History Month in…
2016: She released the hit single “Formation”.
2017: She revealed her pregnancy.
2019: She posted a collage with African-American figures on her website.

RESEARCH ON INTERNET

Give very small information in one sentence about these people mentioned in the article
Aretha Franklin was an American singer and civil rights activist.
James Baldwin was an American writer, poet and activist. 
Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist.

Give a summary in 1 or 2 sentences about the subject of these 2 books mentioned in the article 
The Children Blood and Bones is a story about Zélie Adebola, a girl who must restore magic in the Kingdom of Orïsha (a fantasy version of West Africa).
The Hate U Give is a story about a girl named Starr Carter who tries to speak about the death of her childhood friend who was shot by a white police officer.

TRUE OR FALSE ? 

 Justify by quoting the text - you can copy-paste

Black History Month is in March.
FALSE: “I remember being a kid in school and doing creative projects like this every February”

The collage was displayed in a video clip.
FALSE: “with a photo collage on her website”

Beyoncé’s song “Formation” is an important song for African-americans.
TRUE: “she dropped her hit-single-turned-black-anthem “Formation”

All the people featured in the collage are black activists.
FALSE: “Not everyone featured in Beyoncé’s collage is a traditional activist.”

Iddris Sandu is the creator of Snapchat and Instagram.
FALSE: “ Iddris Sandu, a 21-year-old tech genius who created the algorithms for Instagram and Snapchat.”

Beyoncé’s collage doesn’t feature Martin Luther King, Malcom X. and Rosa Parks. 
FALSE: “Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Dr. King (all of whom are featured in Beyoncé’s collage)”

EXPLAIN IN FRENCH  

How did the author of the article used to celebrate Black History month at school?
L’auteur de l’article se rappelle qu’à l’école le Black History Month se célébrait avec des projets comme mémoriser le discours “I Have a Dream” de Martin Luther King, des dissertations sur les progrès faits depuis l’esclavage en Amérique ou bien des collages avec des personnalités importantes de l’Histoire Afro-Américaine.

According to the author of the article, why is Beyoncé’s collage “different”?
Même si ce collage comporte les grandes figures de l’histoire Afro-Américaine, celui de Beyoncé est différent parce qu’elle y inclut des membres de sa famille, des personnalités Afro-Américaines plus récentes ou encore des personnalités qui ne sont pas réellement des activistes au sens traditionnel du terme mais qui contribuent tous à promouvoir la communauté Afro-Américaine. 
En résumé, Beyoncé ne s’intéresse pas qu’au passé mais aussi aux personnes qui travaille en ce moment-même pour le futur de leur communauté.

RESUME DE LA SEQUENCE 4

C’est quasiment la fin de cette séquence sur la musique Afro-Américaine et je souhaitais transformer en jeu un petit résumé des différents styles de musique - que j’ai pris de le temps de dessiner pour vous. Répondez dans la section commentaire, même si vous n’êtes pas sûr(e)s ou si vous n’avez pas tout trouvé.

You have to find the name of different styles of African-American music. 

- The number of strokes (traits) corresponds to the number of letters. 

- They can be 1 or 2 words. 

You can answer in the comment section !

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _

ANSWER: _ _ _ _     _ _ _ _

ANSWER: _ & _ 

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ 

ANSWER: _ _ _   _ _ _

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ 

ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _

BILL WITHERS (artist)

Bonjour à tous, aujourd'hui un exposé de ma part. Il y a quelque temps je mentionnais l'artiste Bill Withers dans cet article, et je viens d'apprendre récemment sa mort (liée à un problème cardiaque et pas au covid-19). Voici une petite présentation d'un artiste humble qui a eu plusieurs hits et influencé durablement la musique à sa manière.

BILL WITHERS 

Bill Withers was a Soul singer mostly popular during the 1970s.

He was born in West Virginia in a mining town. He suffered from asthma and stammer (bégaiement) in school when he was young. When he started to write songs, his stammer diminished.

He was working in factories in Los Angeles and spent his free time in jazz clubs. He presented his songs to a music publisher and had an enormous success with "Ain't no sunshine" in 1971.

He had other hits during his career, like Lean on Me (1972). The video underneath is from a concert in 2015 with Stevie Wonder.

After several years of tours (tournées) and concerts, he decided to retire in 1985 from the scene. He will continue to compose more songs, like the very famous "Just the two of Us" (which was famously covered (reprise) by Will Smith)

He created with his wife a publisher company to manage his discography. He died on March 30th, 2020 at the age of 81.

BEBOP (musical style)

Un autre exposé d'un de vos camarades. Je rappelle que les consignes se trouvent ici, et que la date limite est aujourd'hui 3 avril !

THE BEBOP REVOLUTION IN NEW YORK

Bebop was born at the beginning of the 1940s, from the desire of Blacks to save jazz from commercial recuperation by Whites, at the end of the Swing era.

In New York City, young Black musicians asked themselves questions and began to transpose through jazz the changing mentality of the Black community.

They felt the need to break out of the confines of the swing big-band tradition. If it allowed them to earn a living, they wanted to go further artistically and claim an avant-garde art.

Dizzy Gilepsy (1917-93)

This is how a music called be-bop or re-bop or bop2 was born. After food work, the musicians get together late at night for jam sessions that went on all night long in the clubs. It was at Minton's Playhouse, in 1941, that an audacious rhythm

section was hired to animate jam sessions with Thelonious Monk on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums.

Trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie came more and more often. As for Charlie Parker, who was performing Monroe's Uptown House, so Monk and Clarke were picking him up to join them. Swing musicians were gradually being excluded, discouraged by musical criteria that were too high (tempo, harmony).

Charlie Parker (1920-1955)

Jazz bop is becoming a complex, intellectual, militant music, often reserved for an audience of insiders and music lovers. Jazz critics have published a lot of articles disillusioned in trade journals about this post-war era.

- By Noé Delin