Topical issues in the US + End of "Heart of Darkness"

Hey,

today we first had a little chat about two major topical issues currently burning in the US. Here is what we said about them: 

There are currently two major topical issues in the US:

- First, the terrorist threat. A bomb was luckily defused / disabled / disarmed in Manhattan last week.

- Second, the shores / coasts of Louisiana are threatened by an oil spill / an oil slick / a black tide. Two weeks ago, an off-shore oil rig exploded and nobody has been able to control the oil flow since then.

Then we corrected the exercises you had to do for today and explained some elements that were still unclear in the text for some of you.

Here is the correction (both 7b- and 8-I and II):

7.b) The four elements convey the impression that the settlers are in another world, just surrounded by natural ressources. It reinforces the ideas of fear and threat since the action unfolds in a planet they don't know. These elements refer to: nature / a primitive state / a primeval stage.

8.

I.

a) drums        b) curtain         c) whether          d) dawns         e) chill
f) twig            g) start             h) fancied             i) accursed      j) subdued

II. "to be written by Amaury"

Here are the lastest comments:

The nature which surrounds the settlers may be hostile since it "bars the way for [their] return". It feels as if the sailors were imprisoned. What's more, the sounds that they hear are uncanny / eerie. They don't understand whether the noises they can hear are a curse, a prayer or a chant of welcome. 

If you want to review your vocabulary you can complete this online exercise:

HW: For tomorrow (Wed. 05th) you need to finish the worksheet (ex: 9) plus the part HW at the bottom of the page. For the afternoon group, you also need to comment upon two sentences from the text.

For next week =

- Tue. 11th -> Write a continuation to the story (200 words).

- Wed. 12th -> Translate the text from line 1 to line 6 (until "... heart of darkness"). 

You final test for this sequence will probably take place on Thursday May 20th. I need to see with your philosophy teacher (S3) if she can grant me an hour of class + see with Virginie (L1) when she could take the test too.