Hey,

today we first warmed up with this question: "if you could modify one of your genes, what gene would you change...?" Here is what we said:

If I could modify a gene of mine...:
- ... I would correct my vision because I'm myopic / short-sighted. (≠ long-sighted)
- ... I would grow wings in my back to fly.
- ... I would enhance (+++) my strength to carry rocks on my back.
- ... I would change my eye colour because I think they are too common.
- ... I would change my corpulence.
- ... I wouldn't change anything because I believe I'm perfect.


Then we continued working on the subject: "Genetics" with the trailer from the movie Gattaca. Some of you saw it, others have only listened to it... Here is what we said:

The document is the trailer of the movie Gattaca.
It deals with science experiments and more precisely gene manipulation.
We understood that someone is going to change identities in order to obtain a job.
For his interview, he needs to be genetically perfect.
Employers don't select applicants according to their mental abilities but according to their genes.

 

Vocabulary: 

- a scientist
- an experiment
- a sample
- a syringe
- a doppelganger (-) / an alter ego (+)

You can watch the trailer down here:

HW: learn your lesson and vocabulary.

Files:

You can complete an interactive exercise related to the worksheet here.

Hey,

today we first warmed up with what you have to do during a fire drill. Here is what we said:

"to be written by Léna"

Then we continued speaking about cloning, its positive and negative aspects. Here is what we said:

"to be written by Léna"

HW: for next time, you need to know your lesson and get ready to explain your point of view about gene manipulation.

Remember, you'll take your reading comprehension exam on Tuesday. Get ready!

 Hey,

today we first did a quick warm up. Here is what we said:

If I were a soldier, I would be patriotic. (Julien's point of view)

If I were a soldier, I would be a coward. I would make believe that I'm sick because I'm scared of blood. I don't want to kill people. (Lena's point of view)

Then we continued speaking about the London Blitz. Here is what we said:

air raid shelter (abri anti aérien)
striking (frappant, remarquable)

It's a German word. It means a bolt of lightning. It refers to the most intense period of the bombing of London during WW II from Sept 1940 to May 1941. London was under attack night and day. The most striking event was the bombing of a school which served as an air raid shelter. There were 450 casualties / victims. It was the deadliest attack / the most lethal attack.

Finally, we started to comment upon the picture "Rosie the Riveter" by Norman Rockwell. Here is what we said:

Rosie the Riverter : By Norman Rockwell

The picture is propaganda for women to take men's jobs during WW II. She is the symbol of the new woman who is independent, the woman who is both feminine and masculine.

  Masculine symbols:

- Oversized
- Muscular
- Riveting gun / penis
- Overalls
- Loafers

  Feminine symbols:

- Lipstick
- Rouge
- Nail polish

- Curly combed hair

- Sandwich (domestic activity)

HW: For next time, you need to make some research about Norman Rockwell. You will have to make a 2 or 3-minute talk about the artist.

Files:

Rosie the Riveter- Download

Liberty Girl - Download

More information about Norman Rockwell here.

You can watch a very interesting report about Rosie the Riveter down here:

Hey,

today we first warmed up about the foul weather we had this morning. Here is what we said:

Speaking about the weather :
It's raining cats and dogs.
It's depressing.
I'm soaked wet.
I'm soaked through.

Then we continued working on the text and we answered the questions from the exam. Here is what we said:

Before the war, they didn't know each other very well but now things are different. They consider him as a member of their family ("old friend").

Before the war, women used to be housewives / stay-at-home mothers whereas now they replace men.
The men had to join up the army and the women had to take their jobs. For example, Lilian is a conductress on the tram and Nell knits uniforms for the Belgian army. Mentalities have changed. Women have earned more rights. They have become more independent.

HW: you will have a vocabulary test on Tuesday. Get prepared for a written comprehension exam very soon.

Hey,

today we first warmed up about your feelings at the beginning of this year. Here is what we said:

Warm up: Back to school

After two months' holidays...
... I feel distressed and disappointed to come back to school. I feel exhausted in the morning. I already feel under stress for the A-Levels. I don't want to fail.

fail ≠ succeed

(to) fail an exam
(to) pass a exam
(to) take an exam

CULTURE:
Advanced-Levels (A-Levels) = baccalauréat
GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) = DNB (brevet)

Then we continued working on the text. We wrote things about the different characters and we drew a timeline of events. Here it reads:

Back home from the Front.

The text deals with Frank, a British soldier, who is on leave. He visits his neighbours, the Barkers for tea. During their conversation they speak about Bill Monroe, another neighbour, whose mother tried to stop the military policemen from making her son go back to the Front.

The Barker family:

- mother = Rachel
- daughters :
1)Lillian : she works as a woman conductress

2)Nell : she was engaged to a soldier and makes uniforms for the Belgians troops.

- Percy, Nell's ex-fiancé: he died when he was at war.

The Monroe family:

- the mother : Mrs Monroe
- her son : Bill Monroe
 

- Bill, Albert, Frank and Jack are soldiers.


Chronological order of the events from the story:

Before 1915:

1) Albert joined the army
2) the men in the neighbourhood joined the army
3) the second battle of Ypres (death of Percy ?) / policemen came to make Bill Monroe go back to the Front and his mother tried to stop the soldiers.

After 1915:

1) Frank came home. He had tea with his neighbours.

HW: for next time, you need to learn your lesson and you also need to highlight in your text some information about the characters' attitudes and feelings. Don't forget to update your vocabulary / phonetics / grammar / ... sections in your folders.