KOHLANTA

Today I would like to you to get to know the reality show I have adored for a few years - Kohlanta. If you have ever lived in France you must have heard about this TV programme. The idea is simple - there are two groups of people who are to spend 40 days on an remote island. They are deprived of all comfort things - food, toiletries, beds, electricity, etc. They have a sack of rice to eat, they sleep on the floor, or beds made of leaves in a shelter they have built, they warm themselves up close to a firecamp they have made on their own. The two groups compete during various tests, which require stamina, physical and mental strength, intelligence, tactics, cooperation and fair play. There are two types of games - 'comfort games' which enable the team which have won to get some food, matches or a trip, and 'immunity games' which prevent the team from the necessity to eliminate one member of their team.  In each episode one contestant is eliminated. In the middle of the game the two teams are united and since then every member fights for themselves. At the end 3 last members have to face the test of poles (they are to stand on poles in the sea, the poles become smaller and smaller, the last remaining person wins). The person who has won the final test chooses one person he wishes. A group of the people who have been eliminated votes to decide which person deserves more to win the whole game and get a reward of about 10000e. France is currently broadcasing its 10th season of 'Kohlanta', which is a great success again. The game has proved since the very beggining that the most hard-working, adventurous, sporting and fair play people win. 

Take a look at the contestants I have liked most :

Very sporting and pretty Jade 

Freddy participated twice in Kohlanta!
At first a big coincited, later a bit more modest
...very hard-working and friendly!

Kind, intelligent, sporting...Greg!

If you have a chance to see the broadcast, give it a try..it's exciting and full of positive values!

"The King's Speech" - listening exercise - answers

The time has come for the answers! Let's check them, shall we?

1. The woman informs the speech therapist that her husband

is having difficulty in giving speeches. What does he first advise him?                                    .......................to change jobs..................................

2. What is the essential thing the therapist needs to work with a patient?

     ............................he needs total trust.................................
3. What highly personal question, according to the king, has the therapist asked? 
............the therapist asked what was the king's earliest memory.......

4. The queen says that the therapist's methods are ... 
.....unorthodox and controversial.......

5. The therapist expresses his conviction that the king can become a good speaker 
if he is not led by...

    .....................fear.......................

6. Whose chair has the therapist sat on?

    ............................Saint Edward's chair.........................................

7. What does the king think about Hitler's speech?

    ......he doesn't know what he is saying but he is saying it rather well.........

8. What is the biggest challenge George VI has to meet?

    ............a speech broadcast at the beginning of the Second World War.........

9. What is the final piece of advice the therapist gives to the king?

    .............to forget everything else and say the speech to him.................

I hope you have you done really well!

"The King's Speech" - listening exercise

1. Listen carefully to the trailer and answer the questions.

1. The woman informs the speech therapist that her husband

is having difficulty in giving speeches. What does he first advise him?                                    ...................................................................................................

2. What is the essential thing the therapist needs to work with a patient?

     ...................................................................................................

3. What highly personal question, according to the king, has the therapist asked? 

...............................................................

4. The queen says that the therapist's methods are ... ..................................................

5. The therapist expresses his conviction that the king can become a good speaker if he is not led by ...

    .....................................................................................................

6. Whose chair has the therapist sat on?

    .....................................................................................................

7. What does the king think about Hitler's speech?

    .....................................................................................................

8. What is the biggest challenge George VI has to meet?

    .....................................................................................................

9. What is the final piece of advice the therapist gives to the king?

    ....................................................................................................

You'll find my suggested answers in the next post!

"The King's Speech"

"The King's Speech" is a very good film, not only for lovers of British history. The film, which was directed by Tom Hooper, tells the story of George VI, the father of the current Queen of the UK, Elizabeth II. If you are a bit interested in the history of the UK, you must have heard about the story which appalled the British society in the second half of the 1930s. In 1936 Edward VIII became king. As king, he could not get married to his fiancee, Wallis Simpson, an American who had divorced twice before. The king decided to abdicate and George VI succeeded to the throne. The king was a very shy man, whose terrible stutter made it impossible for him to give a speech. The film shows the king's trials to overcome his shyness, take control over his voice and become a great convincing speaker. The king seeks help of an Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue. The film's climax is the king's speech on Britain's declaration of war on Germany in 1939. The film stars Colin Firth in the leading role of king George VI and Helena Bonham Carter, playing the king's wife, Elizabeth. To my mind, one person more definitely must be singled out - an American actor, Geoffrey Rush, who is outstanding in his role of the speech therapist. If you are not convinced yet to see the film, know that the film received 12 Oscar nominations, which was an achievement without precedent. The film got the Academy Award for the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Firth) and Best Original Screenplay (written by David Seidler).
The film, which is really convincing, sometimes funny and moving, amazes with its actors' acting and authenticity of set design. In my view, "The King's Speech" is definitely worth seeing.
Watch the film's trailer to get a glimpse of the extraordinary atmosphere of the movie :

In my next post you will find a listening exercise concerning the trailer.

IDIOMS - COLOURS - Part1

Colour idiomatic expressions are very poplar in English. Let's take a look at some of them :

red as a beetroot/lobster = his face has turned very, very red...

to see sth through pink-coloured spectacles = to see things in a positive way

black sheep, e.g. the black sheep of the family = a person in a family who behaves badly

out of the blue = unexpectedly, without warning

green with envy = very jealous

black and blue = beaten and bruised

to black out = to faint 

black and white = very clear, straightforward

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth = born into a rich family

to catch sb red handed = to catch sb in the act of doing something wrong or illegal

Libertango . . . - answers

The time has come for the answers! Have you done well? Let's check! 

Strange, I've seen that ....face............ before,

Seen him hanging 'round my ....door...........,

Like a hawk stealing for the prey,

Like the night ....waiting.............. for the day,

Strange, he shadows me back ....home...................,

Footsteps echo on the stones,

Rainy ..........nights..............., on Hausmann Boulevard,

Parisian music, drifting from the ....bars.............,

Tu cherches ....quoi..............., rencontrer la mort,

Tu te ......prends............... pour qui, toi aussi tu detestes la ..vie.........,

.......Dance............... in bars and restaurants,

Home with anyone who wants,

Strange he's standing there .......alone....................,

Staring .....eyes.............. chill me to the bone.

Dans sa ....chambre.................., Joel et sa valise,

un regard sur ses fringues,

Sur les murs, des ..photos...........,

Sans regret, sans mélo,

La ........porte............... est claquée, Joel est barré

Hope all your answers were correct!

Libertango . . .

Today I would like to remind you about a great old song - Libertango by Grace Jones. The song is electric and sends shivers down a listener's spine...Your task is to complete the gaps. The song's lyrics include both English and French words. If you have learnt French, try to complete all the gaps!
Enjoy the song!

Strange, I've seen that ................ before,

Seen him hanging 'round my ...............,

Like a hawk stealing for the prey,

Like the night .................. for the day,

Strange, he shadows me back .......................,

Footsteps echo on the stones,

Rainy ........................., on Hausmann Boulevard,

Parisian music, drifting from the .................,

Tu cherches ..................., rencontrer la mort,

Tu te ..................... pour qui, toi aussi tu detestes la ...................,

...................... in bars and restaurants,

Home with anyone who wants,

Strange he's standing there ...........................,

Staring ................... chill me to the bone.

Dans sa ......................, Joel et sa valise,

un regard sur ses fringues,

Sur les murs, des .......................,

Sans regret, sans mélo,

La ....................... est claquée, Joel est barré

You'll find the answers in my next post.