Dear student
1. In the following exercises you have to reconstruct dialogues or texts you hear while listening to and watching film extracts, interviews and news reports. You can type several words in the box at the same time. Clicking the button "Click here to watch the film extract" should open a Media Player and show you the film (some browsers will open another window, which you can minimize so as to be able to reconstruct the extract). IMPORTANT: depending on your computer, the film may be a bit shaky the first time it plays because it is loading up at the same time time as it is playing, but when you play it again it should be all right. You have to do TWO EXTRACTS PER MONTH. The first is subtitled in French, the second is not. As far as the subtitled extracts are concerned, you can look up the translation of the French words of the subtitles in a dictionary, and compare what you find with what is actually "said". You will notice that very often what is said is not quite what has been translated or that things are not expressed the same way in French and in English. The extracts without subtitles should be understood globally. 1A and B are for the last week of October. 2A and B for the last week of November. 3A and B for the last week of January. 4A and B for the last week of February. 5A and B for the last week of March. 6A and B for the last week of April or May, depending on when the Easter break falls. Click on the hyperlinks below. When you have finished one item, click the button "Next exercise" at the bottom of the page.
2. You also have to prepare 6 reading texts, one every month. Bring the printed version to the classroom on the day of the test. If you don't have it yet on your computer, you can download Babylon, which is a program that translates words from English into French by simply clicking on a word you don't understand. Text 1C is for the end of October. 2C for the end of November. 3C for the end of January. 4C for the end of February. 5C for the end of March. 6C for the end of May. Double-click on the link to open the text-file.
The test will consist of checking your comprehension analytically for the first (subtitled) video extract and globally for the second (not subtitled) extract.
Analytically: You will be asked to compare the subtitles in French with what is said in English. How was the English translated?
Globally: You may be asked to answer questions (in French), to fill in gaps, to reorder sentences or passages, to match elements, to sum up, to say whether statements are true or false, or not mentioned, etc.
As for the reading comprehension, you may be asked to match words with definitions, to translate passages, to answer questions, etc.
If you have any question, don't hesitate, ask!
Learn and enjoy!
IMPORTANT: there are two series, series 1 (schoolyear 2011-12) and series 2 (schoolyear 2012-13).
1st SERIES (schoolyear 2011-12)
1st test - end of October
1A Trouble in our schools - a report on violence in US schools (CBS; Subtitled in French)
1B Cash for pupils who pass exams (BBC-Not subtitled)
1C Reading comprehension: Treasures reclaimed from the deep (The Titanic)
2nd test - end of November
2A Big Bang Kiss (from the Big Bang Theory, subtitled)
2B School uniforms (BBC-Not subtitled)
2C Reading comprehension: When parents just say no
3rd test - end of January
3A Ally McBeal (Subtitled in French)
3B Agatha Christie (Not subtitled)
3C Reading comprehension: Email, Web at Work - Is the Free Lunch Over?
4th test - end of February
4A The Lord of the Rings - Interview of Ian McKellen (Subtitled in French)
4B Extract from the comedy show with Rowan Atkinson, "The Thin Blue Line" (Not subtitled)
4C Reading comprehension: Welcome to Hell Camp - Click here to read an article in French about the same topic, published in the French magazine VSD in 2009.
5th test - end of March
5A Clueless (subtitled in French)
5B Wrong email (CNN-Not subtitled)
5C Reading comprehension: Country girls, city jobs
6th test - end of May
6A Minority Report, comments by Steven Spielberg on his film (Subtitled in French)
6B Young and tender chicken, a commercial (Not subtitled)
6C Reading comprehension: A world that washes whiter
2nd SERIES (schoolyear 2012-2013):
1st test - end of October
1A Island (extract from the science fiction film about cloning; subtitled in French)
1B Rugby (one of the most famous "Public" schools in Britain, where the sport rugby was invented; no subtitles)
1C Reading comprehension: Treasures reclaimed from the deep (The Titanic)
2nd test - end of November
2A Psychobabble (Extract from the series "Two and a half men"; subtitled in French)
2B. What is the point of playing? (Extract from the series "How I met your mother" where Marshall coaches Lily's kindergarten team)
2C Reading comprehension: When parents just say no
3rd test - end of January
3A A special Christmas wish (cut scene from the comedy "Love Actually"; subtitled in French)
3B Phone bill (CNN news report about a young girl who uses her mobile phone a lot; no subtitles)
2C Reading comprehension: Email, Web at Work - Is the Free Lunch Over?
4th test - end of February
4A Tobacco Advertising (CBS News - Eye on America; subtitled in French)
WARNING: the reconstruction of this video has two parts, click here for the second part.
4B Cashback (the opening scene of a romantic comedy about breaking up; no subtitles)
4C Reading comprehension: Welcome to Hell Camp - Click here to read an article in French about the same topic, published in the French magazine VSD in 2009.
5th test - end of March
5A Near Death Experiences (an extract from the series "The X-files"; subtitled in French)
5B An anti-loitering device (CNN news report; no subtitles)
5C Reading comprehension: Country girls, city jobs
6th test - end of May (WARNING: 2 short subtitled videos to prepare + 1 video without subtitles)
6A-1 Pi (computer and math genius Max and his mentor talk about Archimedes; subtitled in French) PLUS
6A-2 Jake, the "smart" kid (Another extract from the series "Two and a half men"; subtitled in French)
6B Shydrug (BBC news report about a drug that cures shy people; no subtitles)
6C Reading comprehension: A world that washes whiter