Putin Grants Citizenship to Depardieu (RT News, 2013) http://www

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Putin Grants Citizenship to Depardieu
(RT News, 2013)
page 1/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP8e4EJw6G0
Now, French movie star Gérard Depardieu has been granted Russian citizenship. ???? decided to say “au
revoir” to his home country, angered with the attempts to ramp up taxes for the mega-rich. RT’s Irina Galushko
explains what made him turn to Russia.
This is a Russian passport, and it seems that pretty soon Gérard Depardieu will have an exact same little book,
of course with a different name and a different picture.
Now this is kind of shocking news for a lot of the public, especially in Russia, but if you really delve into the
story, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now Gérard Depardieu has renounced his French citizenship and
has moved to Belgium where he apparently has some real estate at his disposal, and therefore he has been
granted residency in Belgium.
All of this stems from this law that François Hollande is trying to push through in France which will see French
citizens who earn more than one million euros a year paying seventy-five percent of their earnings to taxes.
Now Gérard Depardieu has issued an open letter saying that he, as a French citizen, has paid more than (one)
hundred and forty-five million euros throughout his working life and he feels that that is actually enough and
he’s also enjoyed a long-standing friendship with the Russian President, and he did joke at one point that he is
considering moving to Russia or Montenegro.
A lot of people have taken that remark quite light-heartedly, except for the Russian President, who said that if
Gérard Depardieu is in need of such assistance, then he is ready to sign the appropriate documents, and it seems
that he has actually signed these documents and we may be soon seeing Gérard Depardieu as a frequent guest in
Russia as well as possibly in Belgium, as the actor himself has said that he considers himself to be the citizen of
the world.
Vocabulary
01. granted Russian citizenship
02. angered with the attempts
03. to ramp up taxes
04. pretty soon
05. kind of shocking news
06. to delve into the story
07. it shouldn’t come as a surprise
08. real estate at his disposal
09. granted residency
10. all this stems from this law
11. to push through
12. earnings
13. has issued an open letter
14. throughout his working life
15. a long-standing friendship
16. he did joke = he joked
17. have taken that remark quite light-heartedly
18. a frequent guest
accordé la nationalité / citoyenneté russe
mis en colère par les tentatives
augmenter les impôts
bientôt
une nouvelle quelque peu choquante
aller au fond de l’histoire / creuser
cela ne devrait pas vraiment surprendre
de l’immobilier à sa disposition
accordé la résidence
tout ceci résulte de la loi
promulger
gains, revenus
a rendu publique une letter ouverte
tout au long de sa vie professionnnelle
une amitié de longue date
il a dit en plaisantant
ont pris cette remarque à la légère
un invité fréquent
page 2/2
Putin Grants Citizenship to Depardieu
(RT News, 2013)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
Now, French movie star Gérard Depardieu __________________ Russian citizenship. ???? decided to say “au
(on a) accordé
revoir” to his home country, angered with the attempts _________________ taxes for the mega-rich. RT’s Irina
d’augmenter
Galushko explains what made him turn to Russia.
This is a Russian passport, and it seems that _____________ Gérard Depardieu will have an exact same little
bientôt
book, of course with a different name and a different picture.
Now this is kind of shocking news for a lot of the public, especially in Russia, but if you really
__________________________, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now Gérard Depardieu has renounced
aller au fond de l’histoire
his French citizenship and has moved to Belgium where he apparently has some ________________________
immobilier
_______________________, and therefore he has been _____________________________ in Belgium.
à sa disposition
(on lui) a accordé la résidence
All of this ______________ this law that François Hollande is trying to push through in France which will see
résulte de
French citizens who earn more than one million euros a year paying seventy-five percent of their ___________
gains, revenus
to taxes.
Now Gérard Depardieu _________________ an open letter saying that he, as a French citizen, has paid more
a rendu publique
than (one) hundred and forty-five million euros _________________ his working life and he feels that that is
tout au long
actually enough and he’s also enjoyed a __________________ friendship with the Russian President, and
de longue date
he _________________ at one point that he is considering moving to Russia or Montenegro.
a effectivement dit en plaisantant
A lot of people have taken that remark quite __________________, except for the Russian President, who said
à la légère
that if Gérard Depardieu is in need of such assistance, then he is ready to sign the appropriate documents, and it
seems that he has actually signed these documents and we may be soon seeing Gérard Depardieu as a frequent
________________ in Russia as well as possibly in Belgium, as the actor himself has said that he considers
invité
himself to be the citizen of the world.