Home » headlines and hear the news (Page 3)
Category Archives: headlines and hear the news
Cambrigdeshire boy and school uniform -under construction
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-13362700#
1)Match the words :
to tease courage
equal determination
Impington School independance
to be mocked at equality
to bully someone the act of making fun of: se moquer gentiment de
independant a school in Cambridgshire: which intends to develop children’s skills: independance
determined to be involved in a strong physical aggression against someone
brave or courageous to be made fun of
Films, a royal wedding, cupcakes, grrrr … grammar
The Other Guys, Saint Andrews, Scotland
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAlnM7RUDcA[/youtube]
How to make the perfect Royal Wedding cupcake April, 28, 2011
adapted from : http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/ and Jean Sabiron’s site
Eric Lanlard’s cupcakes are perfect for street parties, birthdays, weddings or seasonal festivities
Makes 12 cupcakes
Preparation time: 15 minutes, + cooling
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Ingredients
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
150g (5oz) plain flour
125g (41/2oz) unsalted butter, softened
250g (9oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
125ml (4fl oz) milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Choose the right word in context : Beware of explosions !!
Preheat the (fridge-oven-microwave) to 180.C (fan 160.C)/350.F/gas mark 4. Line a 12-cup (muffin-coffin-boffin) tin with cupcake papers. In a small (barrel-bowl-bottle), combine the (flowers- flours-floors) and then (sit-set-spit) aside. In a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk-at medium (heat -speed-length), cream the butter until (smooth-rude-black). Add the (tar-sugar-mortar) gradually and continue beating until (grumpy-fluffy-filthy), about 3 minutes. Add the (Nick Clegg- a keg- eggs), one at a time, beating well after each (addition-multiplication-inflation). Add the flour in three (stages-rages-crates), alternating with the milk and (mozilla-vanilla-gorilla). With each addition, beat until the ingredients are (evaporated-incorporated-saturated), but do not over-beat. Using a rubber (spatula-ferula-band), scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well (inflated-vanished-blended).
Carefully spoon the (splitter-butter-batter into the cupcake papers, filling them about three-quarters full. (Bathe-Bake-Dive) in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the (bins-tins-sins) for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a (wire-fire-wine) rack before (icing-rinsing-freezing).
The KEY
Preheat the oven to 180.C (fan 160.C)/350.F/gas mark 4. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. In a small bowl, combine the flours and then set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk at medium speed, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour in three stages, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over-beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake papers, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Welcome to the Firm: The Middletons share the public’s acclaim on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Kate’s parents Mike and Carole are on the left, next to Prince Charles holding the Duchess of Cornwall’s granddaughter Eliza Lopes. The bride’s sister Pippa stands between Princes Philip and Harry
I Dreamed I SThe playlist
aw St. Augustine by Bob Dylan
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive as you or me
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold
“Arise, arise,” he cried so loud
In a voice without restraint
“Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own
So go on your way accordingly
But know you’re not alone”
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried
Written comprehension:
Vous êtes rédacteur, rédacteure ou encore rédactrice d’ un site culturel sur l’Australie.On vous demande d’écrire quelque chose sur ce pays qui fasse rêver vos lecteurs. L’importance de la nature doit être présente. Les contes étudiés en cours faisant partie du programme de 4° “Ici et ailleurs” sont une référence qui ne doit PAS être recopiée mais qui peut servir d’exemple ou tout du moins vous donner des idées.
Commencer le conte par “Once upon a time, there was…”
Inclure des références géographiques précises:
Inclure le vocabulaire lié à la nature:
Inclure First, Then, Afterwards, Eventually, Finally:
Inclure 5 adjectifs contruits avec le comparatif d’égalité ou de supériorité
Prise de risques: idées et vocabulaire personnels
Le respect de consignes est important car il permet de valider la note finale.
Si deux copies présentent des similarités, la note du travail effectué est divisé en deux
Les comparatifs de supériorité: plus…que
James DeInclure dix verbes au passéan was cuter than Marlo Brando and Marlon Brando was a better actor.
The music was more provocative than the movie.
The TV serial Happy Days was more popular than the movie American Graffiti.
Disco clothes were flashier than punk clothes.
Le superlatif
New York City is the biggest and the most populated city in the Untied States.
Washington DC is the most visited city in the United States.
Los Angeles is one of the sunniest city in the United States.
Alaska is the largest and the coldest state in the United States.
The Mississipi river is the longest river in the United States.
Fracture: Simple Past
This is a great movie, but a bit farfetched. If you like police stories, you will love it. I used the crime scene to practice the simple past tense.
Vous devez imaginer les scènes avant le crime. Vous écrirez les verbes à la forme affirmtive et à la forme négative pour CHAQUE phrase.
1) Ted’s wife, Sally, __________________________________ home (drive).
2) She ___________________________________________ the front door (unlock).
3) She ________________ ____________________________her jacket (take off).
4) She _________________________________________ her husband was in the house (notice).
5) They _________________________________________________ each other (hug).
6) They _________________________________________________ each other (kiss).
7) Ted __________________________________________ his wife in the head (shoot).
8) Gardeners ____________________________________________ a gunshot (hear).
9) Ted_______________________________________ the bullet cases on the floor. (pick up).
10) One of the gardeners ____________________________________ on the door (knock).
11) Ted ______________________________________ the door for the gardener (open).
12) Ted ________________________________________ the windows a few times (shoot).
13) Ted ___________________________________________________ his wife (drag).
14) He ____________________________________________________ his shirt (take off).
15) He _____________________________________________________ his shirt (burn).
16) He __________________________________________________________ his face (wash).
17) He ____________________________________________________ the police (call).
18) The gardener ______________________________________ Ted clean the house (help).
Elizabethtown: “Simple Past”
One of the best romantic comedies ever. The soundtrack is fantastic. I love this scene and girls think it is sooooo romantic… In this scene, the main characters spend the whole night talking to each other over the phone and they perform several activities while doing it. It is perfect for the students to practice of the simple past tense.
Make a list of the things you usually do while you are talking over the cell phone:
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________
Watch the movie segment. Pay attention to the activities the main characters performed while they were talking to each other over the phone. Write ( D ) if Drew was the one who performed the following tasks and ( C ) if it was Claire. Write ( B ) if both of them did it.
1 .( ) Open the gate
2. ( ) Make dinner
3. ( ) Change clothes
4. ( ) Go to the bathroom
5. ( ) Polish one’s nails
6. ( ) Do the laundry
7. ( ) Look at pictures
8. ( ) Listen to music
9. ( ) Dance
10.( ) Drink beer
11.( ) Turn off the lights
12.( ) Drive a car
13.( ) Put on some lipstick
14.( ) See the sunrise
I. Work in groups. Read the activities below and guess which activities the character in the movie did NOT do while smoking cigarettes BEFORE VIEWING THE SEGMENT. You have to choose 4 activities. The winner is the group who guesses most activities.
1. ( ) Vacuum the house
2. ( ) Drink whiskey
3. ( ) Water the plants
4. ( ) Sweep the flo0r
5. ( ) Put a mask on someone’s face
6. ( ) Break some eggs on someone’s hair.
7. ( ) Do the laundry
8. ( ) Sleep
9. ( ) Kick the dog
10. ( ) Read a book
11. ( ) Dance
12. ( ) Talk on the phone
13. ( ) Kiss the children
Up in the Air: Simple Present x Simple Past
This movie is really nice and the scene is perfect to contrast the uses of the simple present and simple past tenses.
I. Work in small groups. Make a list of activities you do every time you travel by
pla
ne. Think about what you do during the day until the plane takes off. Make sure you mention the steps you take at home and at the airport too.
Ex:
I make my bags.
I shave.
II. Watch the movie segment and check which of the activities you listed in Exercise I George Clooney’s character did that day.
III. Now write 5 sentences saying what he did in the segment that you did not list in exercise II.
Ex: He took off his shoes at the airport.
IV. Now write sentences saying 5 things from your list that he didn’t do before traveling.
Ex: He didn’t shave.
Hachiko – A Dog’s Story: Passive Voice with Simple Past
A – Talk to a partner.
1. Do you have a pet? Talk about it.
2. Do you prefer dogs or cats? Why?
3. Is it important to have pets? Why?
4. When are pets helpful in a person’s life? Explain it.
5. When are pets harmful to a person?
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having pets?
I. Watch the movie segment and check the alternatives with the actions that you managed to see during the scene.
1. ( ) A Japanese monk put the collar around Hachi’s neck.
2. ( ) He put Hachi in a cage.
3. ( ) He took Hachi to a train station.
4. ( ) He fed Hachi.
5. ( ) A couple of guys picked Hachi up at the airport.
6. ( ) The baggage carrier accidentally dropped Hachi’s cage on the station platform.
7. ( ) Someone found the broken cage.
8. ( ) Parker found and carried Hachi home.
The Shawshank Redemption: Simple Past
This is a classic. Perfect for the simple past tense practice.
A. You will see the trial of Mr. Dufresne, accused of murdering his wife and her lover. Read parts of the judge’s and Mr. Dufresne’s speeches and fill in the blanks with the past tense form of the verbs in parentheses.
J: Judge
D: Mr. Dufresne
J: Describe the confrontation you _______ (have) with your wife.
D: It _______ (be) very bitter. She _______ (say) she ___________ (be) glad I _____ (know) that she ________ (hate) all the sneaking around.
J: And she ______ (say) she ________ (want) a divorce in Reno. What _______ (happen) after you ________ (argue) with your wife?
D: She ____ (pack) her bag.
J: ______ you _______ (follow) her?
D: I _______ (go) to a few bars first. Later, I ______ (drive) to his house to confront them. They ________ (be – neg) home. I __________ (park) in the turnout… and _______ (wait).
J: When they _________ (arrive), you ________ (go) up to the house and _____ (murder) them.
D: I ________ (get) back to the car and ________ (drive) home to sleep it off. Along the way, I __________ (throw) my gun into the Royal River.
J: The police _______ (drag) that river for 3 days and a gun was not found.
A. Take a look at the pair of sentences below. Write 1 next to the action that took place first and 2 next to the one that took place later.
___ Coraline went through a purple tunnel.
___ She entered a beautiful, neat living room.
___ She smelled something good.
___ She saw her other mother cooking in the kitchen.
___ Coraline talked to her other mother in the kitchen.
___ Her father sang her a song.
___ Coraline ate some chicken.
___ She drank some mango milk shake.
___ She went to bed in a comfortable bedroom.
___ She saw and talked to her friends in the picture.
What Women Want: Simple Past
This is a great scene. The students usually like it, especially because it is unconventional and unexpected.
Ask a partner if he / she did the following things before going to work or school 
this morning.
Ex: Did you drink wine?
No, I didn’t.
Talk to a partner and decide if Nick (Mel Gibson) performed the following activities before going to work by checking the items.
1. Drink wine
2. Smoke a cigarette
3. Have breakfast
4. Polish the nails
5. Put on some makeup
6. Shave
7. Wax the leg
8. Wear pantyhose
9. Wear socks
10. Dry the hair
11. Trip on the floor
12. Have an accident
13. Take a shower
14. Watch TV
Little Miss Sunshine: Tag Questions
This is a lovely scene from this wonderful film. I love the acting and the intelligent s
tory. This
scene is remarkable. I took advantage of the scene to practice asking tag questions. With this activity, the students can practice the grammar point based on contextualized evidence, which is great. I only used sentences in the past tense, though.
A. Talk to a partner
1. Have you ever participated in a pageant? Talk about it. What is your opinion about beauty pageants?
2. Is it OK for young children to participate in pageants?
3. What’s your opinion about pageants like Miss Brazil, Miss Universe, Model of the Year, etc?
B. Watch the segment, fill in the blanks with affirmative and negative forms of the given verbs, and complete the sentences with a tag question. Make sure the sentences are according to the information presented in the segment.
1 – Olive ……………………………. (be) wearing a suit, a hat and a tie, ……………… ?
2 – She ……….…………. (dedicate) her presentation to her grandfather, ………………..?
3 – Olive …………………. (be) intimidated by the audience, ……………?
4 – The audience …………… (be) shocked with Olive’s sexy dancing, ……………..?
5 – Many spectators …………….. (leave) the hall during her presentation, …………….?
6 – The dance ………………. (be) appropriate for the situation, ……………… ?
7 – Her family ……………………. (support) Olive by dancing with her, ……………….?
8 – The host …………………. (try) to remove her from the stage, …………………. ?
9 – Her father …………………… (dance) with her on the stage, ……………. ?
10 – The DJ …………….. (be) the only person to clap the presentation, ………………. ?
11 – Nobody …………………. (like) the presentation, ………….?
12 – They ………………………… (be) ashamed of Olive, ……….?
Gran Torino: Modal Verb – Should (Advice)
You and your partner will make a list of everything you know about China and its culture. Each piece of information scores 1 point. Your teacher will check which pair of students scored most points.
B. Write P (Polite) or I (Impolite) after the statements below. Make a guess! Which of the actions below are considered polite/impolite during a barbecue lunch according to the Hmong culture, an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southern China.
1- To eat cat meat (I)
2- To eat dog meat (I)
3 – To drink alcoholic beverages (P)
4 – To look at someone in the eyes (I)
5 – To touch the head of a person(I)
6 – To listen to the elderly (P)
7 – To eat very much (P)
Take a look at Po and Tai Lung. Then write next to the characters the qualities that best describe them, according to your impressions from the pictures. Make sure you write different adjectives for each of the characters.
This is Po:
Ex:
FAT
FUNNY
This is Tai Lung
Ex:
STRONG
INTELLIGENT
FAT STRONG FRIENDLY HEAVY SMART
FUNNY INTELLIGENT TIRED FAST CONFIDENT
LAZY AGGRESSIVE DANGEROUS UGLY QUIET
From the film Australia
Pay attention to Nullah’s words.Because Nullah is an aboriginal who doesn’t have much contact with white people, he doesn’t speak English correctly. Watch the segment, underline the verbs that are incorrect in each of the sentences below and correct them.
1 – My grandfather, King George, he take me to walkabouts.
2 – My grandfather teach me the most important lesson of all.
3 – That day, I see them, the white fellas, pushing bulls across the river.
4 – King George get angry at white fellas.
5 – The coppers come here to take me away.
6 – This story not begin that day.
7 – This story begin a little while ago in a land far, far away.
I. Watch the movie segment, which shows two queens, White and Red. Place the adjectives below under the column that you think is more appropriate for each of the queens.
BEAUTIFUL – ARROGANT – TALL – OLD – YOUNG – THIN – FUNNY – POWERFUL – FRIENDLY – UGLY – AGGRESSIVE – CALM
1. The White Queen (The Red Queen) is more beautiful than The Red Queen (The White Queen).
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
- _____________________________________
source
claudioazevedo@thomas.org.br
A. Work in small groups. make a list of 5 things a young teen can do to help the elderly. Make sure you use the modal verb for suggestion – could – to express your ideas.
1 ………………………………………..
2………………………………………..
3………………………………………..
4………………………………………..
5………………………………………..
B. Now watch the segment and write down 3 suggestions the boy gives to help the old man in the scene.
1……………………………………
2…………………………………..
3…………………………………..
C. Work in small groups again. Make a list of 3 things people could do in the following situations.
I. To protect the environment.
1……………………………………
2…………………………………..
3…………………………………..
II. To help needy people at Christmas time.
1…………………………………..
2………………………………….
3………………………………….
III. To become more popular at school.
1…………………………………..
2………………………………….
3………………………………….
A. Ask a partner if he/she can do the following activities.
Model:
S1: Can you…?
S2: Yes, I can / No, I can’t
1.Play a musical instrument?
2. Practice karate?
3.Turn somersaults?
4. Skate?
5. Play badminton?
6. Play table tennis?
7. Juggle with balls?
8. Juggle with chainsaws?
9. Jet ski?
10. Mix music at parties?
11. Make origami?
12. Speak Chinese?
A. Work in small groups. Make a list of 5 qualities or characteristics a good teacher must (has to) have and which ones he can’t have. 
He / She MUST:
1 …………………………………………
2 …………………………………………
3………………………………………….
4 …………………………………………
5 …………………………………………
He / She CAN’T:
1 …………………………………………
2 ………………………………………..
3 ………………………………………..
4 ………………………………………..
5 ………………………………………..
B. Now watch the movie segment. Which of the characteristics you have listed before apply to Mr. Woodcock?
C. Imagine you are talking to Mr. Woodcock now. Tell him what he must (has to) do and what he can’t do to become a better teacher.
1 ……………………………………………..
2 …………………………………………….
3 …………………………………………….
4 ……………………………………………
5 ……………………………………………
The Hitcher: Modal Verb SHOULD – Advice
This movie is a classic that has changed many people’s opinions about giving rides to strangers on roads. I took advantage of the opening scene to have student practice modal verbs for advice – SHOULD – OUGHT TO.
Make a list of what drivers should and should not do when th
ey travel by car alone during the night.
What drivers should (ought to) do:
1 – ………………………………………………..
2 – ………………………………………………..
3 – ………………………………………………..
4 – ………………………………………………..
What drivers shouldn’t (oughtn’t to) do:
1 – …………………………………………………
2 – ………………………………………………..
3 – ………………………………………………..
4 – ………………………………………………..
Twilight: Modal Verb for Ability – CAN
Although this movie is apparently attractive just to teenagers, this scene is fun and exciting for everybody. This scene is excellent for teens, though. They like the movie and it suits the grammar goal well. Students can practice the modal verb CAN for ability. They can also learn some new vocabulary about baseball, especially if they are in a country where the sport is not so popular, like here in Brazil.
Talk to a partner about these questions: 
1- What do you know about vampires? 
2- What can they do?
3- What’s good and bad about being a vampire?
A. Vocabulary Collocation:
Match both columns .
1 – Pitch
2 – Hit
3 – Run
4 – Handle
5 – Jump
6 – smell
( ) the baseball precisely
( ) the baseball hard
( ) fast
( ) the bat with agility
( ) high
( ) different perfumes easily
– . The Cullens
Observe the movie segment below. There you will see The Cullens, the group of vampires playing baseball, and the Nomads, the group of vampires who arrive later. Then write down sentences saying what the Cullens and the Nomads can do that we, humans, can’t. Use the matching exercise items and others.
1 ………………………………………………………………………………
2 …………………………………………………………………………….
3 ……………………………………………………………………………..
4 ……………………………………………………………………………..
5 ……………………………………………………………………………..
6 …………………………………………………………………………….
Talk to a partner and decide:
What super powers would you like to have?
I can …………………….., ……………………………, and ………………………………..
Answer Key – Matching may vary:
1. Pitch the ball precisely
2. Hit the ball hard
3. Run extremely fast
4. Handle the bat with agility
5. Jump high
6. smell different perfumes easily
How to prepare your own video activity:
– Select a scene in which the characters can perform different activities, like skills or sports.
– Ask students to write about what they see and what activities they can (not) perform.
A. Watch the movie segment. 
B. In column 1, write YES if you believe it is a possible explanation for the mystery, and NO if you believe it is an impossible explanation.
In column 2, check the items that the characters in the movie believe are possible explanations for what is in the mist.
WHAT IS (IN) THE MIST?
MY OPINION / THE CHARACTERS’ OPINIONS
( ) ( ) A military operation
( ) ( ) A pollution cloud
( ) ( ) A terrorist attack
( ) ( ) Some kind of chemical explosion
( ) ( ) Death
( ) ( ) Just their imagination
( ) ( ) An earthquake
( ) ( ) Aliens
( ) ( ) The end of days
( ) ( ) A poisonous gas cloud
( ) ( ) A nuclear explosion
( ) ( ) A war simulation
C. Now write sentences with might, could or can’t to express possibility or impossibility, speculating about what is in the mist.
Might
1 ………………………………………………………………………………..
2 ……………………………………………………………………………….
Could
1 ………………………………………………………………………………..
2 ………………………………………………………………………………..
Can’t
1.…………………………………………………………………………………..
2 ………………………………………………………………………………….
subduction earthquake in Japan ?? tsunami [???] – under construction 11th March 2011 piece of news
Two survivors found in quake-hit Japan city Ishinomaki
The pair survived on yoghurt and other food from the refrigeratorAn 80-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy have been plucked from the rubble of a house demolished by the enormous quake which hit Japan nine days ago.
Sumi Abe and Jin Abe – said to be her grandson – “were found under debris”, said a police spokesman in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture, according to AFP news agency.
The two were in the kitchen when the quake hit on 11 March, a doctor said.
They survived as they were able to get yoghurt and other food from the fridge.
The grandson eventually managed to reach the roof of the house where he flagged down a rescue helicopter, reported Japan’s NHK news service.
The two are now being treated in hospital in Ishinomaki.
“Their temperatures were quite low but they were conscious,” the police spokesman said.
He said details of their condition were not immediately available, though a rescuer was quoted as saying the boy was found shivering and with no feeling in one leg.
Miyagi was the worst-hit in the double disaster of the quake and tsunami of 11 March, with police now saying they fear 15,000 lives could have been lost in that prefecture alone.
On Saturday the military announced a man had been found alive in rubble, but it later turned out that he had been in an evacuation centre and had tried to return to his home.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/mar/20/japan-survivors-found-after-nine-days
Une forêt pour se protéger des tsunamis
Environnement
«Nous avons protégé la forêt et elle nous a protégés.» Des villageois pauvres du sud de l’Inde racontent comment un projet de conservation de la nature les a sauvés du tsunami et sortis de l’extrême pauvreté.
Patrick Alleyn (texte et photos), Dossier Environnement, International
Tamil Nadu, Inde — Nous traversons en chaloupe l’immense forêt marécageuse de Pichavaram, dans le sud de l’Inde. On s’y faufile à travers des canaux, guidés par Nagamuthu, un jeune membre de la tribu Irula. Pichavaram est une mangrove, c’est-à-dire une forêt d’arbres poussant dans l’eau salée et la boue, au bord d’un océan tropical. Dressés, tels des araignées, sur leurs dizaines de racines crochues leur servant de tronc, ils valsent au gré de la houle, réduisant ainsi jusqu’à 90% de l’énergie des vagues. Dans les régions tropicales soumises aux cyclones et ouragans, la nature a heureusement créé cet efficace système de défense des rives.
«Le jour du tsunami, les habitants des villages de Pichavaram ont aperçu trois vagues gigantesques au-dessus de la mangrove, raconte Nagamuthu. Ils ont eu le temps de s’enfuir, car les arbres ont ralenti la violence des vagues. La marée géante a emporté les bateaux, mais sans détruire les maisons. «Un village voisin, situé à la même distance de la mer, mais non protégé par la forêt, a, lui, été dévasté», fait remarquer le pêcheur qui dirige notre barque.
Le tsunami du 26 décembre 2004 a été l’une des pires catastrophes naturelles de l’histoire. L’immense raz-de-marée, provoqué par un tremblement de terre dans l’océan, a fait 280 000 morts dans plusieurs pays d’Asie. «Mais à Pichavaram, nous avons protégé la forêt et elle nous a protégés», conclut Nagamuthu, non sans fierté. Et non sans raison.
Gardiens de la forêt
Nagamuthu coordonne depuis 1996 un vaste projet de sauvetage des arbres de la mangrove de Pichavaram. Il était à peine âgé de 17 ans quand des biologistes marins de la Fondation Swaminathan, un organisme scientifique indien, ont débarqué dans son village à la recherche d’un meneur. Ils voulaient mobiliser les villageois pour enrayer la dégradation de la forêt après les coupes «sélectives» d’arbres, autorisées par le gouvernement dans les années 1970.
«Nagamuthu était le seul habitant du village sachant lire et écrire. Nous voulions transformer les habitants pauvres de la région en gardiens de la forêt, en leur démontrant que son reboisement allait améliorer leurs revenus», expose Selvam, le directeur de ce projet à la Fondation Swaminathan.
«Les gens ici sont très pauvres. Pour combler leurs besoins de base, ils coupaient les arbres ou faisaient brouter sans contrôle leurs animaux autour de la mangrove, des pratiques néfastes pour son écosystème», poursuit Selvam. Avec un financement de l’Agence canadienne de développement international (ACDI) et du Centre de recherche en développement international (CRDI), deux organismes du gouvernement canadien, les scientifiques indiens ont démarré le chantier environnemental à Pichavaram.
Les villageois ont planté des arbres et, pour les alimenter d’eau fraîche, creusé des canaux. «Des pans entiers de la mangrove ont repris vie. Sous les arbres, les crevettes, les crabes et les poissons se sont multipliés. La pêche est devenue abondante», se rappelle le père de Nagamuthu.
Pour protéger l’environnement, les scientifiques croyaient qu’il fallait d’abord combattre la pauvreté dans ces villages isolés. Ainsi, les villageois cesseraient les activités nuisibles pour la forêt, mais aussi se mobiliseraient contre tout projet du gouvernement ou de riches investisseurs pouvant la menacer.
La Fondation a donc construit une école. «On s’est aussi battu devant les tribunaux pour faire reconnaître aux membres de la tribu Irula leurs droits comme population indigène discriminée en Inde. Ainsi, des places devaient leur être réservées dans les collèges», rapporte le biologiste.
Et le jeune Nagamuthu d’enchaîner: «Aujourd’hui, les gens de mon village conseillent le ministère des Forêts, et nous avons reçu le mandat de patrouiller la mangrove pour dénoncer toute coupe illégale.»
Le modèle de Pichavaram — gestion de l’environnement par les communautés pauvres elles-mêmes — a ensuite été reproduit pour la protection d’autres mangroves en Inde. C’est aussi un modèle promu de plus en plus dans le monde, en particulier par les Nations unies, pour protéger les écosystèmes en péril — forêts, rivières, terres agricoles… Car, les pauvres sont toujours les premières victimes de la destruction de l’environnement.
«Quand j’étais enfant, les hommes du village ne portaient que des caleçons qu’ils achetaient usagés au marché!», se souvient Nagamuthu. À 8 ans, je devais conduire les chèvres au champ. Je voyais les enfants d’autres villages se rendre à l’école. De moi-même, j’ai décidé de m’y inscrire. Mais, à 13 ans, j’ai dû retourner dans la mangrove pour pêcher. Sans filet ni bateau, j’étais expert pour attraper les crabes à mains nues!» rigole-t-il. Nagamuthu poursuit maintenant des études par correspondance en sociologie.
Destruction d’une protection naturelle
L’impact du tsunami de 2004 aurait été bien moindre si les humains n’avaient pas détruit les mangroves, estiment les spécialistes du Programme des Nations unies pour l’environnement (PNUE).
En effet, plus du tiers de ces écosystèmes côtiers a disparu depuis 20 ans, pour céder la place à des hôtels, des routes ou des bassins d’élevage de crevettes. Souvent dans ces «fermes» à crevettes, les riches investisseurs abandonnent les installations après quelques années à peine, une fois la terre contaminée. Jetés au chômage, les habitants pauvres se retrouvent sans aucune ressource dans un champ de boue et de sel.
Le soir tombe. Nagamuthu nous presse de rentrer, car les filets des petits pêcheurs se dresseront bientôt sur le parcours de notre barque. «Le tsunami a créé auprès des gouvernements un intérêt nouveau pour les mangroves, constate le scientifique Selvam. Mais, je crains que cet intérêt ne s’estompe à mesure que le tsunami s’effacera des mémoires.»
http://www.lemonde.fr/week-end/portfolio/2011/03/18/tsunami-des-images-pour-le-japon_1494543_1477893.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12743417
Radiation fears after Japan blast
By Richard Warry BBC News
The Japanese authorities say radiation levels from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have started to climb to potentially harmful levels.
Residents living within 30km (18 miles) of the plant have been advised to leave the area, or to stay indoors, and try to make their homes airtight.
Experts have stressed that swift action should be able to minimise any impact on human health.
What are the immediate health effects of exposure to radiation?
Exposure to moderate levels of radiation – above one gray – can result in radiation sickness, which produces a range of symptoms.
Nausea and vomiting often begin within hours of exposure, followed by diarrhoea, headaches and fever.
After the first round of symptoms, there may be a brief period with no apparent illness, but this may be followed within weeks by new, more serious symptoms.
At higher levels of radiation, all of these symptoms may be immediately apparent, along with widespread – and potentially fatal – damage to internal organs.
Exposure to a radiation dose of four gray will typically kill about half of all healthy adults.
For comparison, radiation therapy for cancer typically involves several doses of between one and seven gray at a time – but these doses are highly controlled, and usually specifically targeted at small areas of the body.
| Radiation dose | |
|---|---|
| Source: World Nuclear Association | |
| 2 mSv/yr (millisieverts per year) | Typical background radiation experienced by everyone (average 1.5 mSv in Australia, 3 mSv in North America) |
| 9 mSv/yr | Exposure by airline crew flying New York-Tokyo polar route |
| 20 mSv/yr | Current limit (averaged) for nuclear industry employees |
| 50 mSv/yr | Former routine limit for nuclear industry employees. It is also the dose rate which arises from natural background levels in several places in Iran, India and Europe |
| 100 mSv/yr | Lowest level at which any increase in cancer is clearly evident. |
| 350 mSv/lifetime | Criterion for relocating people after Chernobyl accident |
| 1,000 mSv single dose | Causes (temporary) radiation sickness such as nausea and decreased white blood cell count, but not death. Above this, severity of illness increases with dose |
| 5,000 mSv single dose | Would kill about half those receiving it within a month |
How is radiation sickness treated?
The first thing to do is to try to minimise further contamination by removing clothes and shoes, and gently washing the skin with soap and water.
Drugs are available that increase white blood-cell production to counter any damage that may have occurred to the bone marrow, and to reduce the risk of further infections due to immune-system damage.
There are also specific drugs that can help to reduce the damage to internal organs caused by radioactive particles.
How does radiation have an impact on health?
Radiation and cancer
- Most experts agree even small doses of ionising radiation – as low as 100 millisieverts – can increase the risk of cancer, but by a very small amount.
- In general, the risk of cancer increases as the dose of radiation increases. Exposure to one sievert of radiation is estimated to increase the lifetime risk of fatal cancer by around 5%.
- The thyroid gland and bone marrow are particularly sensitive to ionising radiation.
- Leukemia, a type of cancer that arises in the bone marrow, is the most common radiation-induced cancer. Leukemias may appear as early as a few years after radiation exposure.
- Other cancer can also result from exposure to radiation, but may not develop for at least a decade. These include cancers of the lung, skin, thyroid, breast and stomach.
What are the most likely long-term health effects?
Cancer is the biggest long-term risk.
[…]
[…]
The biggest risk was that radioactive iodine could get into their system, raising the risk of thyroid cancer.
To counter that risk, people – in particular children – could be given tablets containing stable iodine which would prevent the body absorbing the radioactive version.
The Japanese already have a lot of iodine in their natural diet, so that should help too.
How does Fukushima compare to Chernobyl?
Professor Gerry Thomas, who has studied the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, said: “It is very unlikely that this will turn into anything that resembles Chernobyl.
“In Chernobyl you had a steam explosion which exposed the reactor core, which meant you had a lot of radiation shooting up into the atmosphere.”
Prof Thomas said although the Chernobyl disaster had led to a rise in thyroid cancer cases, the only people affected were those living in the immediate area of the explosion and who were young at the time.
A2 -B1 irregular verbs -Clothes with Dusty The Cat
https://agendaweb.org/exercises/vocabulary/clothes/clothes1
https://agendaweb.org/exercises/vocabulary/clothes/clothes2
http://www.franglish.fr/diapoverb/
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDX7tevXO1E[/youtube]
A-What is Dusty ‘s favourite activity? Why?
Dusty likes + base verbale + ing
B- Which clothes?
1° Favourite clothes:
2° Least favourite clothes:
3° How many clothes did she steal?
4°- When does she steal clothes?
in the morning – at night – when the sun sets
