group "english practice"

[teacher]

That's my summary for the 4th text.

This text talks of the education quandary, especially of the parent’s responsibility. The writer of this text says to be sick of all talk of parent power.

We realize that at the beginning of the text, this writer speaks for professors and for their discouragement when they are seen how much time and effort is wasted because pupils aren’t able to take what’s on offer.

Then the writer explains that we must debate of parental responsibility. Parents must back school up, to give at children any hope of making the most of their education. The writer continues to putting questions to the reader to realize that several factors can explain this education quandary : an incoherent national policy toward parents, the scourge of drinks and drugs, message on television or magazines…

At the end, the writer speaks for parents saying “we”. He says that parents aren’t different from pupils in school. They need to of praise, respect of encouragement to try the best they can. I’m agree with this conclusion and I think that education is something so difficult. That’s for this reason that everybody (parents, professors, children, politician…) must work hand in hand.

[teacher]

Maybe you could vary your work a little by :

- making a list of words found in the 4 or 5 texts you 've worked on and... of course learning those words.( to make sure you don't forget what you've just learnt)

-making new lists ( like the one Scor13 started some time ago)...on a new theme.

- looking for another site

-commenting on recent articles rather than on texts used for last session

.........

Only suggestions

[csand]

Here is my summary for the 4th text.

In this text, entitled « education quandary », a primary headmaster alerts parents about the important role they have to play in the education of their children. He regrets that parents ask too much to schools by fear of not having the better education for their child. School provides good stuff to educate children but education is not limited to the time they spend at school. Parents have to assume their duties and to show to their child that they agree with what is taught at school. A good education requires parents’ committement and involvement.

This issue about parental responsibility has to be raised.

The headmaster questions the role that parents play and the efficiency of the different measures taken to help them. The keys of a good education are that parents prevent children from dangers and that they support them, are interesting in what they are doing. Lots of measures are taken to inform them, to answer their questions at the level of the state, of the school and of the society. But are they efficient and reliable? The author even proposes extreme solutions like the implication of well-known people to make them realize of their responsibilities

The headmaster, who is although a parent, recognizes that, as pupils, parents need support, congratulations and respect rather than accusations and reproaches to succeed in their task.

In France, there’s a big debate about the parents, resigned, who abdicate from their parental duty. They are lacking authority because of difficult situation like single-parent or recomposed families. Sometimes parents are willing to have only fun with their child. They think that they role is to bring up their child and let the education, that means learning to behave oneself and culture to school. These people put all their hope in school to educate their children and they ask it a lot too.

correction :

the best education

their role

just like pupils

[csand]

Maybe you could vary your work a little by :

- making a list of words found in the 4 or 5 texts you 've worked on and... of course learning those words.( to make sure you don't forget what you've just learnt)

-making new lists ( like the one Scor13 started some time ago)...on a new theme.

- looking for another site

-commenting on recent articles rather than on texts used for last session

.........

Only suggestions

Here are the words that I learnt in working in the 2 last texts :

a draught : un courant d'air

to back sthg up : soutenir, épauler

to wag : agiter

a hurdle : un obstacle

quandary : dilemme, difficulté

disheartening : décourageante

a praise : une éloge, une louange

on offer : au rabais, en solde

to displace : évincer, remplacer

to downplay : minimiser

a wallet : un portefeuille

a veneer : un masque, un revêtement

to be highlighted = to be brought out : être mis en valeur

to assert : avancer (une théorie)

to state : énoncer, déclarer

profiter de : to take advantage of / to make the most of

[teacher]

[

Here are the words that I learnt in working in the 2 last texts :

a draught : un courant d'air

to back sthg up : soutenir, épauler

to wag : agiter

a hurdle : un obstacle

quandary : dilemme, difficulté

disheartening : décourageante

a praise : une éloge, une louange

on offer : au rabais, en solde

to displace : évincer, remplacer

to downplay : minimiser

a wallet : un portefeuille

a veneer : un masque, un revêtement

to be highlighted = to be brought out : être mis en valeur

to assert : avancer (une théorie)

to state : énoncer, déclarer

profiter de : to take advantage of / to make the most of

You can use the Words in blue to comment texts ...so they should be well known .

The other words are used in more specific themes, I think

[foufinson]

Summary of the 5th text.

This text is an article adapted from the New York Times, in October 2004. The journalist speaks about an American problem of society. This problem is summarized in the title of the article “in the land of plenty American grow fat”.

The journalist uses an humoristic tone saying in the first sentence : “Americans like to talk the talk of svelteness, but they walk the walk of obesity”. He says that Americans people take a lot of good resolutions but they are often discarded quickly. The journalist takes for example, the low-fat foods. It can be a good solution except if people eats half a box !!! He denounces nutrition labels who may encourage denial when they say that the food is law in fat.

The author of the article continues saying that many overweight Americans have moved from denial to acceptance. Actually, we can see on television overweight actors or actresses and in catalogs overweight models… They don’t want to hide and they want to be happy as they are.

But, we realize that acceptance can go very far : a few of people have gone to forceful actions. For example an association had threatened to sue Southwest Airlines because they require some obese passengers to buy an extract seat. I think that this point of view can be understood. But what I disagree with is when the journalist talks about the case of Caesar Barber, a man who has had two hearts attack because of is overweight. This man files a class-action lawsuit in New York State and few fats restaurant because he says that they don’t have disclosed him what has in their food about the dangers of over consumption. This affair can be brought closer that the lawsuits filed by smokers against the tobacco industry. Only there, the civil part could gain.

I find that this affair is afflicting because everybody knows that over consuming of cigarettes or fast-food’s eat is risked for health. Medias, doctors, specialists… talk about risks. I think that if persons smoke or misuse of fast food, they do it with full knowledge of the facts. If justice gives reason to these persons, everybody then will want to carry complaint for anything.

[lola26]

Hello!

I am sorry, I haven't worked in english for two weeks. I spent more time with maths .

I will do my summary for next week.

Bye

[Oblivion]

First of all, welcome Emmanuelle in this group

Welcome back ludi and lola26

Here is my summary of the 5th text :

This text entitled « In the land of plenty Americans grow fat » is an article adapted from the American daily newspaper The New York Times which was issued in October 2004.

In this article, the journalist focuses on obesity in western countries and more precisely in the USA and also on the shift in people's attitude towards this problem of society.

This article consists of seven paragraphs, each developping an aspect of this problem :

-In the first one, the journalist notices a failure : in spite of all the sports equipments as well as the low-fat food American people can have access to, the situation worsens as it does not result in a decrease in obesity.

-In the second one, he reveals that denial is spreading among obese people : they refuse to consider themselves as too fat and to recognize that they have bad food habits. Low fat food is seen by them as an excuse to eat too much.

-In the following paragraph, the journalist sheds light on a shift in people's attitude regarding overweighed people : they are no longer considered negatively and they often proclaim they are at ease with themselves and their weight. Overweighed celebrities who accept themselves and who are successful are often taken as examples to follow.

-The fourth and fifth paragraphs mention a new tendency in the US which consists of taking legal actions against, in this case, fast-food restaurants, claiming that they were not warned that that kind of food could be a threat for their health. The journalist even draws a parallel with smokers who sue the tobacco industry. He seems to imply that such quibbling tendencies reveal some sort of bad faith from people who refuse to take their responsabilities and to consider themselves as the real culprits.

-In his last sentence, the journalist's tone is rather scathing and ironical towards an overweighed man, Mr Barber, who has decided to sue the fast food industry, holding it as responsible for his situation.

Obesity is not only spreading in the US but also in every western country.

In France for instance, 13 million people are considered as overweighed and 4 million people are regarded as obese, which almost amounts to 30% of the French population.

Obesity can lead to severe health problems as cardiovascular diseases.

Furthermore, in a society in which a good health, being fit and slim are highly valued, obese people can suffer from the stern glance thrown at them by other people.

Yet, obese people should not be blamed : obesity is sometimes the result of a vicious circle from which it can be difficult to escape or it can be the consequence of a genetic desease. Moreover, people with few financial ressources can't always afford to buy diet food, or good quality food, which can be really expensive, and often resort to low quality food with certain amounts of fat. I think that the solutions do not always lie in physical exercises or good will; obesity is a more complex social issue.

[ludi]

Hi

Here is my summary of the fifth text

This document is an article adapted from the New York Times of october 2004, titled "In the land of plenty americans grow fat". It deals with overweight problems which spread among american society.

The journalist begins his article with a report on americans' behiaviour with low-fat food. They remove their guilt feeling eating that kind of food because it's sugar or fat free but they overuse of it. Eating half a box of low-fat cookies leads to the same result than eating "ordinary" ones.

Little by little, obesity makes common place in american society. Obese people are told to be happy as they are without being informed about the health problem they could have being too fat.

People become aware of the risk when they are near death, such as a new yorker who ate all his life fat food and conducted a trial to fast food industry because he has not been informed of the dangers of overconsumption!

Obesity should be taken seriously the rate of obese people is increasing specially in occidental countries. As someone said upper, it's a social issue.

last year, we used to meet on the chat to talk about a theme, it was very productive if some of you are interested in...

see you

[stanah]

Hello everybody!

I have just found this post and I would like to join your English group. Would it be possible?

How many are you? How do you work? It seems to me that you take textes from previous exams from a website, isn't it? I tried to find more, but there is a lot of messages...

About me: My name is Stanislava, I am actually on the LC list in Versailles (212) so I have decided to start preparing next exam as well because I feel I am too far on the list.

Thank you for your answers...

stanah

[stanah]

Manu,

Here are my little suggestions for your text:

The second idea is that American people concerned about (instead of concerning)

Bad food – another words : fast food, junk food, unhealthy food ?

Healthy diet, lifestyle ( instead of behaviour)

I will participate more next week

thanks for your welcome

stanah

[scl3]

Goog Morning everybody!!

I'm Amandine, I'm 21. I go to the IUFM in Aix-en-Provence.

I don't speak english very good but I want to learn with you. Is it possible?

My problem isn't the comprehension, I want to develop my english for exam...

I prefer write english but I must learn the "oral"...

English is very difficult for me.

I see you later.

Hello SCOR13.