Chapter 2 Text – “The Good Samaritans“ Task 1 Anticipation The

Chapter 2 Text – “The Good Samaritans“
Task 1 Anticipation
The text is an extract from a magazine article, it deals with the rich and famous and with
humanitarian issues.
Task 2
Compréhension du texte
Lisez toutes les questions avant de répondre à la première question.
1. Characters and general understanding
a) Complete the grid. Answer in complete sentences.
What type of text?
Date of publication?
Name of the author?
What is it about?
This is an extract from
a
magazine article. It is
taken
from Time magazine.
The article was written in
the
Time issue of December
2005/
January 2006.
It was written by Nancy It’s about Bill and
Gibbs.
Melinda
Gates’, as well as Bono’s
involvement in
humanitarian
aid.
b) Bill Gates is a computer expert. He co-founded Microsoft. He is considered “the great predator of
the internet age” (line 4), he has worked on “Microsoft” for years (line 10).
c) Bono is a rock singer (line 23: “an Irish rock star”).
d) The title: “The Good Samaritans” refers to an episode in the Bible. Jesus tells the story of a Samaritan
who once helped a wounded man, although he was a stranger to him. A good Samaritan is thus
someone who practises charity. The Gates and Bono are such persons.
e) The article contains 5 paragraphs. The titles are in the following order:
1. Unlikely rescuers
2. Charity is a passion
3. The same standards can apply to the software and charitable markets.
4. Bono asks help on all sides
5. Gates’ new challenge is charity
The first paragraph of the article
a) The first paragraph informs us that the Gates and Bono behave as normal billionaires or celebrities do and
indulge themselves. The examples of this are given by Bono drinking Pinot Noir costing “several thousand
dollars at a restaurant” and Bill Gates having a “$100 million house”. Yet, they have also chosen the nonprestigious task of people who work for charity and want “to save the world”.
b) The behaviours of Bono and Bill Gates appear contradictory. They spend a fortune on themselves yet they
also spend a fortune on helping the poor. We could wonder why they don’t give all their money away but they
don’t behave as saints or martyrs.
c) Bono and Bill Gates influence us because they behave in a way untrue to the image we have of celebrities.
They could live in a protected world, in the limelight, but have chosen to give back their wealth. Instead of
glamour they are concerned with the poorest among us. If the richest man in the world and one of the world’s
most famous rock star can do that, why not us?
d) Vocabulary
venir au secours: to come to the rescue
voyager en classe normale
fly commercial
brilliant shiny
ces types these guys
superficiel shallow
s’associer avec to partner with
individus creatures
autrement otherwise
nichés nestled
s’occuper de causes care about causes
richesse wealth
réclamer require
composer eux-mêmes un numéro de téléphone to place their own calls
rester sans rien faire staying on the sidelines
The second paragraph
e) In the eyes of Bill Gates poverty is “stupid“ and unprofitable. The poor die because they have no money to
buy medicine. But all human lives are “valuable”.
f) Bill Gates uses the expression “a system failure” as it is an expression which applies to the computer world.
In this context he wants to eradicate world poverty and diseases by applying to them the same logical and
efficient methods he uses when solving a “system failure” on a computer. He is a strategic thinker.
g) Bill Gates has decided to act now because he has “the resources that could make a big impact” (line 13).
Therefore, he wants to act now and not wait until he retires while people are dying now.
h) Vocabulary
par manque de for want of
une panne du système a system failure
une pilule a pill
de valeur valuable
se détacher de to draw away from
Je vais m’occuper de ça I’ll get around to that
avoir l’intention de to intend to
Restez là sans rien faire Stand by
changer d’intérêt to shift his focus
Paragraph 3
i) Bill Gates has revolutionized the “charitable market” by treating it as he treated “the software business”. He
demands “the best” from everyone. He wants to know where all his money goes. He demands “efficiency”. He
has “rigor”. He studies the problems and approaches them as he does a computer problem. For example he can
“fix malaria in 10 years.”
j) It is an advantage for Bono to be working with Bill Gates because the rock star is now taken seriously. He no
longer runs the risk of being considered as a star indulging in charitable action.
k) Vocabulary
ressentir l’appel feel the call
l’efficacité efficiency
des bâtiments en marbre:marble buildings
le risque de ne pas être pris au sérieux: the risk of
not being taken seriously
la santé health
coupable guilty
plaisanter (familier) to kid
harceler to pester
façonner to shape
se concentrer sur to focus on
une bourse, une allocation:a grant
régler (familier) to fix
avoir tant d’importance mean so much to
tableaux (sur ordinateur) :spreadsheets
Paragraph 4
l) Bono manages to convince people to give money by making them feel involved in his charitable aid. “He
invites everyone into the game.”
m) The fact that he is “willing to work” with all spectrum of society makes him open to criticism.
n) Vocabulary
comprendre, saisir to grasp
faire comprendre to make them think
hurler to yell
vrai, sincère genuine
auditoire audience
pour l’effet for show
impuissant helpless
être prêt à to be willing to
Paragraph 5
o) Pity is compassion and tries to make people suffer less, passion is a revolt against poverty. Passion warns us
that we must give the poor the possibility of working: “the poor are fully capable of helping themselves if given
the chance.” (line 38).
p) Vocabulary
la souffrance suffering
prévenir, avertir to warn
soulager la douleur:to ease the pain
les pauvres du monde the world’s poor
les puissants the powerful
se mettre en colère (familier) to get mad