nouvelle adresse

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ce site a déménagé


rendez-vous sur :


www  .  helpanglais  .  fr


à bientôt

le site a déménagé

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ce site a déménagé pour des raisons techniques


rendez-vous sur :

www   .   helpanglais   .   fr


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changement d’adresse

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ce site a déménagé


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ce site a changé d’adresse

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ce site a déménagé


rendez-vous sur


www   .   helpanglais   .   fr


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déménagement

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ce site a déménagé


rendez-vous sur :


www   .   helpanglais   .   fr


à bientôt

attention

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le site a déménagé

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ce site a déménagé

veuillez vous rendre sur :


www   .    helpanglais     .    fr


à bientôt

BONJOUR

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VOILE

more toefl tests

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toefl practise test with explanations

 

practise test (with timing)

 

SAT practice tests

TOEIC TEST

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TEST TOEIC

MORE VOCABULAIRE EXERCISES : 6  7  8  9 10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17  18   19

another toeic test

War of the Worlds – Orson Welles

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FICTION Vs REALITY

The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio series Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938 and aired over the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network. Directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H. G. Wells‘ novel The War of the Worlds.

The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast was presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual Martian invasion was in progress.

 

listen to the radio programme while you read the full script here

now, read about some reactions to the programme :

The broadcast, which disrupted households, interrupted religious services, created traffic jams and clogged communications systems, This time at least a score of adults required medical treatment for shock and hysteria.

———————-

Throughout New York families left their homes, some to flee to near-by parks. Thousands of persons called the police, newspapers and radio stations here and in other cities of the United States and Canada seeking advice on protective measures against the raids.

——————-

At 9 o’clock a woman walked into the West Forty-seventh Street police station dragging two children, all carrying extra clothing. She said she was ready to leave the city. Police persuaded her to stay.

—————————

Harlem was shaken by the « news. » Thirty men and women rushed into the West 123d Street police station and twelve into the West 135th Street station saying they had their household goods packed and were all ready to leave Harlem if the police would tell them where to go to be « evacuated. » One man insisted he had heard « the President’s voice » over the radio advising all citizens to leave the cities.

————————–

One man ran into the Wadsworth Avenue Police Station in Washington Heights, white with terror, crossing the Hudson River and asking what he should do. A man came in to the West 152d Street Station, seeking traffic directions. The broadcast became a rumor that spread through the district and many persons stood on street corners hoping for a sight of the « battle » in the skies

—————————-

Samuel Tishman of 100 Riverside Drive was one of the multitude that fled into the street after hearing part of the program. He declared that hundreds of persons evacuated their homes fearing that the « city was being bombed. »

——————————–

Patrolman John Morrison was on duty at the switchboard in the Bronx Police Headquarters when, as he afterward expressed it, all the lines became busy at once. Among the first who answered was a man who informed him:

« They’re bombing New Jersey! »

« How do you know? » Patrolman Morrison inquired.

« I heard it on the radio, » the voice at the other end of the wire replied. « Then I went to the roof and I could see the smoke from the bombs, drifting over toward New York. What shall I do? »

——————————-

Thousands of calls came in to Newark Police Headquarters. These were not only from the terrorstricken. Hundreds of physicians and nurses, believing the reports to be true, called to volunteer their services to aid the « injured. » City ofifcials also called in to make « emergency » arrangements for the population. Radio cars were stopped by the panicky throughout that city.

———————————–

At St. Michael’s Hospital, High Street and Central Avenue, in the heart of the Newark industrial district, fifteen men and women were treated for shock and hysteria. In some cases it was necessary to give sedatives, and nurses and physicians sat down and talked with the more seriously affected.

———————————

In San Francisco the general impression of listeners seemed to be that an overwhelming force had invaded the United States from the air, was in the process of destroying New York and threatening to move westward. « My God, » roared one inquirer into a telephone, « where can I volunteer my services? We’ve got to stop this awful thing. »

 

Message From the Police

The New York police sent out the following:

« To all receivers: Station WABC informs us that the broadcast just concluded over that station was a dramatization of a play. No cause for alarm. »

The New Jersey State Police teletyped the following:

« Note to all receivers–WABC broadcast as drama re this section being attacked by residents of Mars. Imaginary affair. »

thanksgiving

CULTURE 0 commentaire »

trkmama November 26th was  »Thanksgiving » – Follow the links to learn about this typically American holy day

the first thanksgiving   more about Thanksgiving pelerin-indigene-americain_~037c1002pm

an illustrated quiz     a listening quiz  

a grammar quiz   Thanksgiving vocabulary

Is your date a ‘stud or dud?’ Ask your phone

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votre petit(e) copain(ine) est-il(elle) “canon” ou “nul(le)” : demandez à votre mobile

By Doug Gross, CNN

November 25, 2009 3:39 a.m. EST

 

If that dreamy blind date seems too good to be true, or the guy at the bar with a martini and a pencil-thin moustache looks a little strange, the truth about them — or at least some of it — could be found on your phone. blind date: rendez-vous avec un inconnu
Designers at a pair of companies say their new applications for smartphones can tell you in real time whether someone is married or divorced, has a criminal record, has filed for bankruptcy or has any number of potential problems in their past. criminal record: casier judiciaire filed: subir un procès bankruptcy : faillite
Using Google to search for information on a prospective romantic partner is standard practice for many single people in the digital age. But these new apps, combined with the growth of smartphones and wireless networks, now allow for quick checks, potentially before a date is even over. single people: célibataires apps: applications wireless networks: réseauw sans fil checks : vérifications date: relation (amoureuse)
The iPhone apps Stud or Dud? and Are They Really Single? — from online information PeopleFinders — have far-reaching potential for convenient snooping, and not just on potential dates. Their makers say that in today’s society it’s increasingly important to check out people’s backstories. far-reaching : étendu snooping : fouiner, espionner dates: petit(e) ami(e)
« There are more and more strangers in people’s lives, » said Bryce Lane, president of the PeopleFinders Network. Strangers: inconnus
« We think that’s a problem. Yes, there are a lot of opportunities to meet great new people, but a lot of people are misrepresenting who they are. » Misrepresenting: déformer
Meanwhile, another data company, Intelius, is offering a similar app called DateCheck for the Android and BlackBerry, with other platforms in the works.  
Marketed with the slogan, « Look up before you hook up, » the application has such features as a Detector which checks for criminal offenses, and $$$, which uses property ownership records to see someone’s financial situation. hook up(slang): rencontrer property ownership: propriété foncière
With Stud or Dud? the user punches in as much information as they have on their subject. Results can range from past addresses, real estate ownership and business and professional licenses to bankruptcies, evictions, criminal records and what the company calls « possible relationships. » punches in(slang) : trouver, “dégoter”, real estate: immobilier evictions: expulsions
Are They Really Single? scans marriage and divorce records.  
Accurate searches also require a date of birth, which may be tricky to extract tactfully from someone on a first or second date. Accurate: exacte, précis tricky: “délicat”, épineux
Lane said all information comes from public records that are available to anyone. But PeopleFinders, which has been collecting data for more than 20 years from sources all over the United States, pulls it all together into one database. Records: dossier, archives data: données
« We’re hoping they’re fun apps and they’re helping you learn about the people that you come into contact with, » Lane said. « They’re easy to use and we’re pretty hopeful that they’re going to be popular. »  
Both PeopleFinders apps will only return results on people 18 or older.  
Advocates of online privacy say they see some problems. Advocates: défenseur  privacy: vie privée
Paul Stephens, a director at consumer group Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, said the main danger lies in thinking you’ve dug up dirt on someone when you’ve actually found someone else. consumer : consommateur dig up (slang): trouver
While the iPhone apps are aimed at dating, the information can be used in other ways, he said. aimed at : viser dating: le fait de “sortir avec”
« In the case of a person not dating somebody, it’s not that big a deal, » said Stephens. « But we’ve had cases where somebody might not get a job because of an inaccuracy [from online information], so it does become a big deal. » Inaccuracy: inexactitude  a big deal(slang):”toute une affaire”
Lane, whose PeopleFinders Web site offers detailed background checks on people for a fee, said he’s providing a public service by making legally available information more accessible. Background: passé, origines fee: frais, cotisation
« We feel very strongly that it’s educational, it’s informative, it’s actually helping the public, » he said. « It’s what you don’t know about people that could potentially hurt you. »  
Lane said anyone who asks can be removed from the company’s database, but he suggested that most of those who do have something to hide. remove : retirer database : base de données

toefl-sat practise tests

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toefl structure             sat test

toefl test

toefl sample tests

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1 

sample test 1

sample test 2

I        II    

demo

FIFA turn down replay request

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Thierry Henry: Replay would be ‘the fairest solution’ Fair : honest
FIFA turn down replay request Turn down : refuser
THE IRISH INDEPENDENT   Friday November 20 2009  
The FAI is considering its position on possible further action after FIFA rejected calls for a replay of Wednesday’s World Cup play-off against France. Consider : Envisager, réfléchir à

Play off : match “barrage”, éliminatoire

Thierry Henry’s ‘Hand of God’ contribution to William Gallas’s decisive extra-time goal prompted the FAI to write to both FIFA and the French Football Federation (FFF) on Thursday demanding a replay for the sake of ‘the integrity of the game.’ Prompt: inciter   demand : exiger   “for the sake of”: par égard pour, au nom de
But the world governing body has ruled out a replay of the France clash. Rule out : écarter, exclure
“In the reply, FIFA states that the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. State : déclarer, spécifier
“As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final.” Referee : arbitre
The FAI are now understood to be considering the possibility of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following FIFA’s announcement. Court : cour, tribunal
However, with the World Cup taking place in Cape Town on Dec 4, the likelihood of a successful appeal and subsequent staging of a rematch within the next two weeks appears highly unlikely. Likelihood : probabilité   unlikely : improbable
The call for a replay had led to senior officials from both the Irish and French governments becoming involved in the row. Involved : impliqué        row : dispute
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has spoken to French president Nicolas Sarkozy about the matter, while Christine Lagarde, the French Economy Minister, has admitted that a replay should be allowed following any evidence of cheating. Evidence : preuves
Lagarde said: « I am obviously very happy that the team is in the World Cup but I think it’s very sad to have qualified on this, well, on this cheating.  
« Firstly, we should respect the referee, secondly, we respect the rules, but if the rules are bad, they have to be challenged.” Challenge : défier, contester

Columbus was Catalan, possibly Jewish, Georgetown professor says

PRESS ARTICLES 0 commentaire »

Nov. 3, 2009
Jerusalem Post staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the New World, spoke Catalan and might have been Jewish, according to a new study published in the US. credited with : à qui l’on attribue
The study by Estelle Irizarry, based on official documents and letters of the explorer, found that Columbus came from the Kingdom of Aragon and his native tongue was Catalan. native tongue :langue maternelle
Irizarry also concluded that Christopher Columbus’s origins were not obscure by chance, but rather the result of the famed explorer’s having purposely hidden the fact he was a converso, a Jewish convert to Christianity. by chance : par hasard

purposely : exprès

convert: converti

« The people who hid their origins more and had reason to do so were the Jews, » she was quoted by Matzav.com as saying, referring to the forced conversions and mass expulsions of Jews from Spain in the 15th century.  
Irizarry, a linguistics professor at Georgetown University, examined Columbus’s writings in detail and discovered a simple but important clue that she said had escaped other researchers: a slash symbol – similar to the ones used in Internet addresses – that Columbus employed to indicate pauses in sentences. writings : les écrits

Clue: indice

The symbol, known as a virgule, did not appear in texts of that era written in Castilian nor in writings from any other country, but only in records and letters from the Catalan-speaking areas of the Iberian peninsula, namely present-day Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, she said, era :ère, période

namely: à savoir, nommément

« The virgules are sort of like Columbus’s DNA, » she said. « They were a habit of his. Columbus was a punctuator and was one of the few of that era. »  
She discovered that the peculiarities of his writing and other linguistic aspects were associated with Ladino, the Jewish ethnolect in late medieval Spain, suggesting that Columbus was in fact Jewish.  
« Columbus even punctuated marginal notes and he included copious notes around his pages. In that sense, he followed the punctuation style of the Ladino-speaking scribes, » Irizarry said.  

l’âge d’or hollandais : special exhibition

MY FAVOURITES 0 commentaire »

 la Pinacothèque de Paris s’associe avec le Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, pour présenter l’une des périodes les plus intéressantes de l’Histoire de l’art : le XVIIe siècle hollandais. Cette époque a donné naissance à quelques uns des artistes les plus célèbres de tous les temps et surtout à celui qui reste l’une des références absolues pour tout artiste depuis près de quatre siècles : Rembrandt.

auto-portrait-rembrandt-grand-jpgGH0ZOCA3H4B6SCAE7LIJ9CAQH6WX0CAPF04XDCA5DCAUUCANBKA36CAZVNY5BCAGKCF31CARCROD0CAJQ9VSDCA3EIES1CA34PFBYCALC1UN2CADIE40JCAHD7YEZCAZPCO75CAVDZ2USCACX4DVICA158GK9rembrandttttla ronde de nuit

 

 

I personally LOVE the Dutch school of painting of the 17th century!!!

 

REMBRANDT : his life, his works : click HERE

(by the way, did you know that Rembrandt was Jewish ?)

TOEFL DEMO

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a complete demo of the TOEFL test here

TOEFL LISTENING EXERCISES

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in this page, you will find a lot of LISTENING EXERCISES to train for the TOEFL

WHAT IS THE TOEFL ?

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TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Language
The Test of English as a Foreign Language is an exam developed by ETS that measures the ability of non-native English speakers to function in an academic setting. Many colleges and universities, especially in the United States, require ESL students to submit a TOEFL score before they can apply to a program. The test evaluates listening, grammar, reading, and writing skills. The TOEFL is not for beginner ESL students. It is designed for students who are ready to prove that they have the ability to live and study in an English environment. There are three versions of the TOEFL. It is important that you familiarize yourself with the test that you will be taking. The majority of test centers are now using the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT). Before beginning the following practice pages, check with your local test center to confirm that the iBT is available in your region.

Paper-Based & Computer-Based TOEFL
In 1998, a computer version of the TOEFL was established. The computer-based test (CBT) is very similar to the original paper-based test. It is the more popular version of the TOEFL. In areas where the computer-based test is not available, the paper-based test is used. In the CBT you will use headphones for the listening sections instead of a tape. You will also have visual stimuli and be able to see how much time you have left for each question. You cannot change your answers in the first two sections of the CBT after you have confirmed them on the computer. There are more « types » of questions in the CBT, such as clicking on a phrase and looking at a diagram. Before you start the CBT you will take a tutorial which shows you how to answer the questions properly. The total time you will spend taking the paper-based test is 2.5 hours. The CBT takes approximately 4 hours (including tutorials).

Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT)
In 2005, TOEFL launched its new Internet based version of the test. The TOEFL iBT is intended to replace both previous versions of the test. It is gradually becoming available worldwide. Changes include the elimination of the structure section, and the addition of the speaking and writing section. Integrated tasks that require the test taker to combine more than one skill have also been added. Some stylistic changes related to language have also been made in order to make the spoken exchanges as realistic as possible. The aim of the TOEFL remains the same as it has in previous forms. A TOEFL iBT score measures the communication skills of those who wish to enter a post-secondary educational facility where English is the native language.

Here is the format of the TOEFL, showing the differences between the paper-based, computer-based, and internet-based versions. Please note, the practice session that follows is based on the NEW internet-based TOEFL (iBT) as the previous versions are slowly being discontinued.

TOEFL Format
Paper Based Computer Based Internet Based (iBT)
Listening Comprehension
30 minutes
Part A: Short dialogues
Part B: Long conversations
Part C: Mini-lectures
Adaptive Listening
60 minutes
Part A: Short dialogues
Part B: Conversations, Academic discussions, Mini-lectures
Reading
60-100 minutes
3-5 passages (12-14 questions each)
Structure & Written Expression
25 minutes
Sentence completion (15 questions)
Error recognition (25 questions)
Adaptive Structure
15-20 minutes
Sentence completion (approx. 10 questions)
Error recognition (approx. 15 questions)
Listening
60-90 minutes
4-6 lectures and academic discussions (6 questions each)
2-3 conversations (5 questions each)
Reading Comprehension
55 minutes
(50 questions – approx. 5 passages)
Reading Comprehension
70-90 minutes
( 60+ questions – approx. 6 passages)
Speaking
20 minutes
6 tasks (2 independent, 1 integrated)
Writing
30 minutes
(1 essay topic)
Writing
50 minutes
1 integrated task, 1 independent task

WHAT IS THE TOEIC ?

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TOEIC

Test of English for International Communication
TOEIC is a standardized test that measures your listening and reading skills. Unlike other tests, the TOEIC evaluates your ability to function in the business world rather than in an academic setting. The test consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. Some students take the TOEIC because they want to improve their English. Other students take the TOEIC because they want to apply for a job that requires a TOEIC score. Your score will range from 10-990. Every institution expects a different standard of proficiency from its employees. Many companies expect entry level applicants to score at least 600 on the TOEIC. Management positions may require a score of 800. You can take the TOEIC as many times as you want in order to achieve your goal.

Here is a general proficiency table:

TOEIC Scores
Below 400: Beginner
400-600: Intermediate
600-700: High Intermediate
800-900: Advanced

Here are some of the topics on the TOEIC:

Typical TOEIC Topics
Banking
Entertainment
Health
Housing
Industry
    Jobs
Offices
Restaurants
Transportation
Travel

Here is the format of the TOEIC:

TOEIC Format
Section 1: Listening Comprehension
100 questions, 45 minutes
Part I: Photographs (10 questions)
Part II: Question-Response (30 questions)
Part III: Short Conversations (30 questions)
Part IV: Short Talks (30 questions)

Section 2: Reading
100 questions, 75 minutes
Part V: Incomplete Sentences (40 questions)
Part VI: Text completion (12 questions)
Part VII: Reading Comprehension-Single Passages (28 questions) Double Passages (20 questions)

TOEIC : VOCABULARY EXERCISES

TOEIC 0 commentaire »

here is a series of vocabulary exercises to train for the TOEIC   (useful for the TOEFL too)

n°1  n°2  n°3   n°4    n°5

many more to come …..

TOEFL : VOCABULARY EXERCISES

TOEFL 0 commentaire »

do the following vocabulary exercises : 50 questions  -  10 seconds each !

n°1       n°2

TOEFL: STRUCTURE EXERCISES

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go to the bottom of the page and do the TOEFL structure exercises

IBT (Internet-Based Toefl) : 3 structure exercises : n°1    n°2   n°3

BALLOON BOY

PRESS ARTICLES 0 commentaire »
BALLOON BOY  
The Balloon Boy Incident occurred on October 15, 2009, when a six-year-old was mistakenly believed to have floated away in a home-made balloon, attracting world-wide attention. Falcon Heene, of Fort Collins, Colorado, was believed to be traveling at altitudes reaching 7,000 feet (2,100 m) in a homemade helium balloon colored and shaped to resemble a silver flying saucer-type of UFO. Falcon, referred to as the « Balloon Boy » by some media, had reportedly climbed into the balloon, after which it became launched. Mistakenly : par erreur

Float : flotter

Flying saucer : soucoupe volante

UFO : Unidentified Flying Object (OVNI)

Launch : lancer, larguer

 

After an hours-long flight that covered more than 50 miles across three counties, the balloon landed about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Denver International Airport. Authorities closed down the Denver airport, and sent several National Guard helicopters and local police in pursuit. After the balloon landed, and the boy was not  found inside, authorities began a manhunt of the entire area, raising fears that he had fallen from the balloon. Later that afternoon the boy was eventually reported to have been hiding at his house the entire time. The saga was reported by news networks across the world. Land : atterrir

Manhunt : “chasse à l’homme”

Network : réseau

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer on Larry King Live that evening, in response to a question about why he was hiding, Falcon said to his father, « You guys said that, um, we did this for the show. » This added to speculation that the incident was a hoax and publicity stunt engineered by the boy’s father, Richard Heene. On October 18, Larimer County sheriff Jim Alderden announced his conclusion that the incident was a hoax, and that the parents would likely face several felony charges Hoax : canular, supercherie

Publicity stunt : “coup” publicitaire

Engineer : manigancer

Felony : délit, acte criminel -Charge : accusation

Mom admits to « Balloon Boy » hoax

 

Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:34pm EDT  
DENVER (Reuters) – The mother of a Colorado boy thought to be aboard a homemade helium balloon has admitted to investigators the whole thing was a hoax, according to a court document made public on Friday. Hoax : canular, supercherie-Investigator : enquêteur-Court : tribunal

 

WANT TO SEE THE BOY ?   see this VIDEO

photorealistic American painting

MY FAVOURITES 0 commentaire »

C’est un courant né du pop art américain – appelé « photorealism » en anglais- qui consiste à peindre la réalité dans ses moindres détails (parfois d’après photo) . Si une expo se prépare à Paris, je vous tiendrai au courant

6QDDPCABMYG7DCA98SV5PCACHJ6CYCA7MGAZ1CADLUB4XCANIQ14ICA13H1CFCAXO401BCAOEDHFUCAW1Z59ICAFVORTWCAS4HSPSCAO8N953CABDFCM6CAL3DX21CA7Z8PJPCA291R9UCAYXFASCCATB3EMSaaa 387318trobert-bechtle-foster_s-freeze-escalon-1975 robert-bechtle-alameda-gran-torino-from-1974artwork_images_140197_252929t_tom-blackwellralph-goings-dicks-union-general-19712N8L65CAILQD2OCAFJ40HCCA8ZJIDBCAAPL2FMCALWOXOPCAJI6VWMCAXB75OECA0D18GJCAS2NS54CA0OAB2FCAB67SYPCA042Q9ACAKNOB3TCAORN06LCAY2T7TWCA3HOD2QCAPKERMFCA37QU0ICA2B2DNO Frankies_Root_Beer2amanhattan_16_waverly_place

Vous aimez ?

cliquez ICI pour en découvrir davantage

Is Mexico winning its war on drugs?

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Is Mexico winning its war on drugs?

       Mexican President Felipe Calderon went after drug dealers after taking office

By Arthur Brice
CNN

(CNN) — Mexico’s arrest of drug cartel suspects has become fairly commonplace. On Thursday, it was six suspected members of La Familia, based in Michoacan. A day earlier, it was a man identified as a top leader of the ruthless Zetas. commonplace : commun, banal

ruthless : impitoyable

Whether the arrests are making any difference in President Felipe Calderon’s war on the narcotraffickers is another question. narcotraffickers : narco-traffiquants
Some analysts see them as proof that Calderon was right to declare an all-out fight after taking office in December 2006. all-out : total
The war has unleashed an unprecedented carnage as rival drug gangs fight for territory and routes into the lucrative U.S. market. They’re also fighting among themselves for leadership spots as former drug lords are arrested or killed. unleash : déclencher

unprecedented : sans precedent

former : antérieur, ancien

Ciudad Juarez, on the U.S. border and the main battleground for the cartels, has already recorded 2,000 drug-related fatalities this year. Officials point out that most of those killings involve criminals doing each other in. That doesn’t matter, some analysts say. border : frontière – battleground : champ de bataille – drug-related fatalities : morts lies à la drogue- point out : faire remarquer – involve : impliquer- to do in : (argot) : tuer,”zigouiller”
Wednesday’s arrest of Carlos Adrian Martinez Muniz, identified as the No. 2 person for the Zetas drug cartel in the Monterrey area in northeastern Mexico, is an example of how far the traffickers have come.  
In addition to various drugs and weapons, Martinez Muniz was carrying deposit slips for payments for up to 7,150 people in different Mexican states, the nation’s Ministry of Defense said. It was not immediately clear who the payments were to: public officials, other cartel members or both. weapons : armes

deposit slips : bordereaux de versement

officials : fonctionnaires

Los Zetas, formed by former Mexican elite commando-type soldiers, consists mostly of former federal and local police. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers the group among the most advanced and violent of Mexico’s drug cartels.  
« The Zetas were originally hired killers to protect certain businesses. Now they are rapidly becoming the bosses, » Salazar said. hired : engager, embaucher
For Salazar, it shows that the cartels are more than « a bunch of thugs using violence to protect their turf. » The cartels, she said, have evolved. bunch : groupe

thugs : voyous – turf : (argot) territoire

Then there’s the issue of bribery. Issue : question, sujet – bribery : corruption
Salazar said she believes a main reason Calderon started the crackdown was not just because of the harm drugs can have on society but also because of the corruption they can cause. Selee makes the same point. to crack down (on) : sévir, réprimer

harm : le mal

« The problem is not the drug themselves, » he said. « The main reason for going after the drug-trafficking organizations is that they are corrupting public life. » going after : “courir après”
If the payoffs were to public officials, Salazar wonders if the government will try to prosecute them. prosecute : poursuivre en justice
Selee questions if the Mexican legal system is up to the task, saying the government has to « create the guarantees of rule of law, guarantees of due process. » To be up to : être à la hauteur de

 task : tâche

due process : jugement en bonne et due forme

In the meantime, he says, it’s hard to tell how effective Calderon’s offensive has been.  
« I don’t know what the long run will mean, » Selee said. « Whether it will lead to a weakening of the cartels or other groups moving in. » long run : long terme – to weaken : affaiblir
But he’s certain that « it’s harder for the drug operations to move on the ground in the way they used to be able to. »  

death penalty costs too much

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  Study: States can’t afford death penalty   

      WASHINGTON (CNN)

At 678, California has the nation’s largest death row population, yet the state has not executed anyone in four years. death row : quartier des condamnés à mort
But it spends more than $130 million a year on its capital punishment system — housing and prosecuting inmates and coping with an system that has kept some convicted killers waiting for an execution date since the late 1970s. Capital punishment : peine de mort-Housing: hébergement-Prosecuting : poursuites -Inmate : prisonnier-Cope with: faire face à-Convicted: condamné 
This is according to a new report that concludes that states are wasting millions on an inefficient death penalty system, diverting scarce funds from other anti-crime and law enforcement programs. Divert :détourner-Scarce:rareFund: fonds, argent-Enforcement : application
“Thirty-five states still retain the death penalty, but fewer and fewer executions are taking place every year,” said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. “But the overall death row population has remained relatively steady. At a time of budget shortfalls nationwide, the death penalty is turning into an expensive form of life without parole.” Steady : constant, régulier-Shortfall: déficitNationwide : dans tout le paysParole : liberté conditionnelle
The death row population in 2007, the most-recent statistic available from the Justice Department, was 3,220. It was at 2,250 two decades ago, but the numbers have not grown significantly since 2000. Available : disponible
Forty executions have occurred so far in 2009 in 10 states, all by lethal injection. That total is up from 37 for all of last year, but less than half of the high of 98, from 10 years ago. The Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976.. Lethal injection: injection mortelle
   
Eleven state legislatures have considered repealing the death penalty this year. New Mexico has banned it, and Maryland has narrowed the criteria under which it can be used. Repeal: abroger, annuler-Narrow : rétrécirCriteria (sing: criterion) : critères
Kansas, New Hampshire and the U.S. military are the only jurisdictions that have death penalty laws but have not conducted any executions since 1976. Lethal injection is used in the vast majority of executions, but electrocution, the gas chamber, hanging and firing squad remain as alternative methods. Firing squad : peloton d’exécution

les « perles » en terminale…

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a few howlers (« perles ») heard in class . Don’t laugh ……… YOU said them ! Lire la suite »

quiz : answers

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October 30th :

who said « England and America are separated by a common, language » : GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Who gave his name to america ? : AMERIGO VESPUCCHI

Who’s that : WILL SMITH

1 WINNER : Salomé Choukroun (2nde1)

 

 

October 12th :

who said : « “only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former”: Albert EINSTEIN (1879-1955)

who invented corn flakes ? : W.K. KELOGG   (1906)

who’s that ? : Tony BLAIR (former British prime minister)

1 of you got the 3 right answers : Laury Bensoussan (3ème 2) : bravo !

 

October 18th :

who said : I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.“ : Groucho MARX

who invented Coca Cola? John PEMBERTON

who’s that ? George CLOONEY

2 winners : Laury Bensoussan (3ème2) and Salomé Choukroun (2nde1)

 

October 26th :

who said : 

« it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried » : Winston Churchill (former British Prime Minister)

who invented : soda water ? : Joseph Priestley (1767)

who’s that ? William Shakespeare

1 winner : rebecca Choukroun (2nde 1)

60-minute test

GRAMMAR 0 commentaire »

one hour to spend ? try this test to check your grammar level in English (not successful ?….. try again :) ! )

click here and start immediately !       ordi_0121

understanding tenses

GRAMMAR 0 commentaire »

a complete review (with translations) of English tenses (temps) for those who sometimes feel lost …

boost your vocabulary : adjectives

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learn more adjectives : associate the adjectives with their antonyms (opposite meaning) . Click on your level (level 1 : easy, level 2 : medium/difficult)

level 1

level 2

irregular ??

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follow the story to practise irregular verbs (of course, you know them all :) ! )

Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize

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xar6as_obama-on-winning-nobel-peace-prize_news

practise the irregular verbs

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a cool site

play with the « preterit »

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the preterit

funny videos

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do you speak english ?

cartoons

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click here for cartoons (in English)

don’t say …!

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Lire la suite »