SIO1 2023/24 – ACOBAS.net

Thursday, April 11th

wired.com-How to Stop Your Data From Being Used to Train AI

Wednesday, April 10th

Quizzes : try as many as you can

Harry Potter

100 most common English words

16 personalities

Which Country Best Represents Your Soul?

Can you spell these common English words?

Car maintenance: How much do you really know?

Major rivers trivia quiz

Can you match the event to its historical era?

Countries and capitals trivia quiz

US States

General Knowledge

Emoji Country

Monday, April 8th

Bilbo The Hobbit – Chap1 Download

https://www.acobas.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Bilbo_notes.pdf

from line 35 to line 72

from line 72 to line 109

from line 109 to line 152

from line 154 to line 199

from line 201 to the end of the extract (and more)

Monday, March 25th

Charles Darwin and The Origin of Species

Thursday, March 21st

see Monday, October 2nd to check the written exam.

Monday, March 18th

Happy Work Culture

Thursday, March 14th

Wired.com: (download PDF) – The House Passed the Bill That Could Ban TikTok—and It Wasn’t Close

Use such help as Natural Readers to improve your accent and memorize the sound and audio.

Wednesday, March 13th, Monday 11th and Thursday 7th

Prepare a short presentation about a “tech” subject, it may be related to sports, culture, science, etc. It should involve explanations about some cutting-edge technology. Be ready to answer some questions because your aim is to teach me some new stuff. No notes allowed, no reading, just talking.

Wednesday, March 6th

Pour l’examen du BTS en 2025 :

Dates oraux d’anglais à Mathias : (en général première ou deuxième semaine de juin)

Date de l’écrit : (en général mi-mai) sujet tertiaire généraliste en deux parties : compte rendu en français et exercise d’expression en anglais

Référentiel des épreuves d’anglais et grilles de notation

Sujet écrit mai 2022

Sujets oral 2022

Monday, March 4th

The Guardian (download PDF): EU fines Apple €1.8bn over App Store restrictions on music streaming

Thursday, February 15th

Finish your story : at least 350 words (max 500 words) of your story as it was prepared on the Telling a Tale WORKSHEET (to be handed in by the holidays) if you have finished send a reading report about The Gun.

Wednesday, February 14th

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Monday, February 12th

TEST

Wednesday, February 7th

BBC Learning English Unit 29 session 2

BBC Learning English Unit 29 session 3

BBC Learning English Unit 29 session 4

and then explore BBC Learning English at your leisure

Monday, February 5th

Reading The Gun (see below) or write at least 350 words (max 500 words) of your story as it was prepared on the Telling a Tale WORKSHEET (to be handed in by the holidays.)

Wednesday, January 31st

A matching exercise based on a (old) glossary of computer-related terms.

Monday, January 29th

The Gun by Philip K. Dick (PDF)

The Gun, online reading

The Gun, EPUB format, for e-readers, tablets, phones etc

The Gun, audiobook (MP3)

The Gun, the YouTube version where you may listen and read at the same time

Wednesday, January 24

“Grammar Brush-Up”

Articles: ‘the’ or no article

Using ‘there is’ and ‘there are’

Quantifiers: ‘few’, ‘a few’, ‘little’ and ‘a bit of’

Prepositions of time: ‘at’, ‘in’, ‘on’

Prepositions of place – ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘at’

Possessive ‘s

Nouns: countable and uncountable

Monday, January 22nd

Telling a Tale : WORKSHEET

Thursday, January 18th

Telling a Tale : WORKSHEET

Wednesday, January 17th

a listening exercise: DJI Mavic

correction

Thursday, January 11th

Telling a Tale : WORKSHEET

Wednesday, January 10th

“Flexible working” an activity in the Business section of British Council / Learning English

+ Five essential marketing trends

Monday, January 8th

with my very best wishes for 2024!

Wednesday, December 20th

Irregular Verbs, try to change the way you see them.

Monday, December 18th

Test

Wednesday, November 29th

Almost a dictation, about airpods, the first commercial when they got released/launched.

The voice is that of Jony Ive, long-time Apple designer and one of the most celebrated designer today.

Monday, November 27th

Reading Tartan, a short-story by George Mackay Brown.

Thursday, November 23rd

Reading Tartan, a short-story by George Mackay Brown.

Visualizing the scene by drawing elements. The scene takes place in the north of Scotland, near Durness and it looks like this when the weather is good!

Wednesday, November 22nd

List of verb & structures to use for the exercise => Reported speech.

To threaten S1 to do Sthg -> menacer qq1 de faire qqch

To suggest Sthg to S1 -> suggérer qqch à qq1

To urge S1 to do Sthg -> presser qq1 de faire qqch

To deny having done Sthg -> nier avoir fait qqch

To offer (S1) to do Sthg -> offrir/proposer (à qq1) de faire qqch

To refuse to do Sthg -> refuser de faire qqch

To remark about Sthg -> faire une remarque à propos de qqch

To agree (with S1) about Sthg -> être d’accord (avec qq1) à propos de qqch

To warn S1 about Sthg -> avertir/prévenir qq1 à propos de qqch

To advise S1 about Sthg / to advise S1 to do Sthg -> conseiller qq1 à propos de qqch / de faire qqch

To apologize to S1 (about Sthg) -> présenter ses excuses …

To add Sthg -> ajouter qqch

To insist about Sthg -> insister sur qqch

To admit Sthg to S1 -> admettre qqch à qq1

To inform S1 about Sthg -> informer qq1 de qqch

To remind Sthg to S1 -> rappeler qqch à qq1

To remember Sthg -> se rappeler de qqch

To complain about Sthg (to S1) -> se plaindre de qqch à qq1

To announce Sthg to S1 -> annoncer qqch à qq1

To promise Sthg to S1 -> promettre qqch à qq1

to explain Sthg to S1 -> expliquer qqch à qq1

to admit Sthg (to S1) -> admettre qqch à qq1

to ask S1 (about Sthg) -> demander qqch à qq1

To wonder about Sthg -> se demander qqch

To greet S1 -> saluer qq1

To welcome S1 -> accueillir qq1

to refuse to do Sthg -> refuser de faire qqch

To introduce S1 (to S1 else) -> présenter qq1 (à qq1 d’autre)

To call S1 -> apeller qq1

Here you may check your answers.

Monday, November 20th

a very useful trick, especially to present documents, to talk about a text, a video etc : Reported Speech

Thursday, October 19th

HOMEWORK

The aim behind watching The Circle (the link opens to IMDB.com – the American equivalent of AlloCiné.fr) is to write a film review about it, here you may find a few tips about writing a film review and here too (chapitre Movie Review Outline). This review (400 words +/- 10% – please indicate it) is to be handed in the week after the holidays, use ECLAT to send me your homework, but please copy and paste your texte directly into it. NO ATTACHED FILE.

To watch The Circle use this link.

Wednesday, October 18th

The modals, online exercises:

The oral presentation will take place as a one to one session with the teacher and will start on Wednesday, November 22nd.

something you like
something you know about
something which can be talked about in English

=> search the web IN ENGLISH for information and vocabulary,
Google is mainly going to give you results in French, try another search engine called Duckduckgo which can be easily switched to another language and location => https://duckduckgo.com/settings
=> compile a long list of elements (nouns, adjectives, VERBS, phrases, sentences etc. Store this list ONLINE.
=> prepare your presentation using the collected material
=> you may bring some pictures or a very short video clip on your phone (but no slides, there are no slides during the exam)
=> you need about 300 words to talk for a few minutes.

Monday, October 16th

The Secret Rules of Modern Living: Algorithms. In this BBC documentary, mathematics professor Marcus Du Sautoy reveals the hidden world of algorithms and how these 2,000-year-old problem solvers work.

Thursday, October 12th

The modals (simple chart to be completed with elements from the complete chart below).

The modals (complete chart)

1. Certainly, Tina knows that smoking is forbidden

Tina MUST KNOW that smoking is forbidden.

2. Certainly, Tina knew that smoking was forbidden.

Tina MUST HAVE KNOWN that smoking was forbidden.

3. It is possible that Tina didn’t know that smoking was forbidden.

Tina MAY HAVE KNOWN that smoking was forbidden.

4. The Masked Avengers were probably the best group at the concert.

The Masked Avengers MUST HAVE BEEN the best group at the concert.

5. Brian forgot his own address. That’s incredible.

Brian CAN’T HAVE FORGOTTEN his own address.

6. Perhaps she is right after all.

She MAY BE right after all.

7. It is probable that the fire started in the kitchen.

The fire MUST HAVE STARTED in the kitchen.

video lessons:

Réviser la grammaire anglaise de base, spécial débutants : les modaux // Léa English (in French)

Complete Guide to English Modal Verbs // Oxford Online Grammar Lesson (in English)

Wednesday, October 11th

Comparatifs et superlatifs explanations (in French) // activity

Wired (stylized in all caps) is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has been in publication since March/April 1993. Several spin-offs have been launched, including Wired UK, Wired Italia, Wired Japan, and Wired Germany.

From its beginning, the strongest influence on the magazine’s editorial outlook came from founding editor and publisher Louis Rossetto. With founding creative director John Plunkett, Rossetto in 1991 assembled a 12-page prototype, nearly all of whose ideas were realized in the magazine’s first several issues. In its earliest colophons, Wired credited Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan as its “patron saint”. Wired went on to chronicle the evolution of digital technology and its impact on society.

Wired quickly became recognized as the voice of the emerging digital culture and a pace setter in print design. It articulated the values of a far-reaching “digital revolution” driven by the instant, cost-free reproduction and global transmission of digital information (from Wikipedia).

Here you may download October’s issue in PDF format, browse through it and chose one or several articles to read more in depth.

Monday, October 9th

The modals (complete chart)

Thursday, October 5th

Translate

Wednesday, October 4th

English for emails: skip some of the items or tasks if you find them too easy and/or too repetitive but do as many units as you can!

Monday, October 2nd

Correction possible Part I Written Exam Subject from June 2023 :

Cet article de Kate Morgan, publié dans BBC News le 12 septembre 2022, souligne la tendance croissante des travailleurs à démissionner de leurs emplois en raison de conditions de travail médiocres et de salaires peu attractifs, phénomène connu sous le nom de la “Grande Démission”. Les secteurs les plus touchés sont l’hôtellerie et les services, avec des postes vacants persistants tels que la plonge, des chauffeurs de camion, employés de vente au détail, serveurs, agents aéroportuaires et aides à domicile. Les travailleurs, selon les experts, désertent ces emplois en raison de salaires bas, du manque d’opportunités d’avancement et du sentiment de ne pas être respectés.

Bien que certaines entreprises offrent des incitations financières telles que des salaires de départ élevés et des primes à la signature, cela ne résout pas les problèmes fondamentaux liés à la flexibilité et aux conditions de travail. Les auteurs suggèrent que les employeurs doivent adopter une approche plus globale en repensant la planification des horaires et en offrant davantage de flexibilité pour répondre aux besoins des employés, tels que la gestion des responsabilités parentales.

En résumé, le défi de pourvoir des postes vacants persiste en raison des conditions de travail insatisfaisantes, malgré les incitations financières. Les experts préconisent que les employeurs adoptent une approche créative pour rendre ces emplois plus attrayants en répondant aux aspirations des travailleurs en matière de salaires justes, de sécurité d’emploi et de flexibilité. Le texte met en évidence la nécessité pour les entreprises de s’adapter à ces préoccupations pour attirer et retenir des employés dans des secteurs confrontés à une pénurie de main-d’œuvre.

Nombre de mots : 209

now work on Part II (Written Exam Subject from June 2023)

possible correction:

From: samburton009@yahoo.co.uk

To: m.blanchett@spinbrands.co.uk

Subject: Re: Job Opportunity – Three-Month Fixed-Term Contract

Dear Mr. Blanchett,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for considering me for the three-month fixed-term contract opportunity at Spin Brands. It is truly an honor to be approached by you for this position.

I am delighted to inform you that I am keenly interested in the opportunity and eager to contribute my skills and knowledge to the team. The prospect of working with Spin Brands once again is both exciting and motivating.

In order to better prepare for the role, I would appreciate more details regarding the specific responsibilities and tasks associated with the position. Understanding the key objectives and expectations will allow me to align my skills and expertise effectively.

Additionally, I am curious to know if there is potential for this fixed-term contract to be extended into a permanent position. I believe that a longer-term commitment would provide an excellent foundation for me to make a meaningful impact within the company.

I must also mention that I am currently awaiting responses from applications for permanent positions. While I am genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunity at Spin Brands, I find it important to keep you informed about my current job search status.

Thank you once again for considering me for this position. I am looking forward to the possibility of contributing to Spin Brands and am excited about the potential collaboration.

Best Regards,
Sam Burton

Thursday, September 28th

Student event by le Grand-Chalon

Monday, September 25th

Sarah’s story – the female IT tech – verbs and tenses

Possible solution using the past:

In a quaint little town, there was a small IT company named “Tech Haven,” where Sarah, a skilled and very dedicated female IT technician, worked.

Every morning, Sarah started her day by sipping a cup of strong coffee, preparing herself for the tasks ahead. As she arrived at the office, the familiar hum of computers filled the air. She greeted her colleagues with a warm smile, although she couldn’t help but notice the occasional surprised look when others realized she was the IT expert.

Her morning typically began with checking emails and responding to urgent requests for technical assistance. Sarah handled a wide array of issues, from forgotten passwords to malfunctioning hardware.

Around mid-morning, she conducted software updates and monitored the network’s performance, ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

Lunchtime often found Sarah eating at her desk, troubleshooting issues for her colleagues over a sandwich.

In the afternoon, Sarah attended meetings with various departments to discuss upcoming projects. She contributed her technical expertise, helping to shape the company’s IT strategy.

Towards the end of the day, she completed her routine system backups, ensuring that crucial data remained safe.

As Sarah left the office in the evening, she reflected on her day’s work. She knew that being a woman in a predominantly male field had its challenges. She often had to prove herself more than her male colleagues, but her dedication and expertise earned her the respect of her peers over time.

Sarah’s journey as an IT technician at Tech Haven was undoubtedly demanding, but she loved every moment of it. Her unwavering passion for technology and her determination to overcome the gender stereotypes in her field continued to drive her forward, making her an inspiration to all who worked alongside her.

possible solution in the present because the text is mostly about Sarah’s daily routine:

In a quaint little town, there is a small IT company named “Tech Haven,” where Sarah, a skilled and very dedicated female IT technician, works.

Every morning, Sarah starts her day by sipping a cup of strong coffee, preparing herself for the tasks ahead. As she arrives at the office, the familiar hum of computers fills the air. She greets her colleagues with a warm smile, although she can’t help but notice the occasional surprised look when others realize she is the IT expert.

Her morning typically begins with checking emails and responding to urgent requests for technical assistance. Sarah handles a wide array of issues, from forgotten passwords to malfunctioning hardware.

Around mid-morning, she conducts software updates and monitors the network’s performance, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Lunchtime often finds Sarah eating at her desk, troubleshooting issues for her colleagues over a sandwich.

In the afternoon, Sarah attends meetings with various departments to discuss upcoming projects. She contributes her technical expertise, helping to shape the company’s IT strategy.

Towards the end of the day, she completes her routine system backups, ensuring that crucial data remains safe.

As Sarah leaves the office in the evening, she reflects on her day’s work. She knows that being a woman in a predominantly male field has its challenges. She often has to prove herself more than her male colleagues, but her dedication and expertise earn her the respect of her peers over time.

Sarah’s journey as an IT technician at Tech Haven is undoubtedly demanding, but she loves every moment of it. Her unwavering passion for technology and her determination to overcome the gender stereotypes in her field continue to drive her forward, making her an inspiration to all who work alongside her.

Thursday, September 21st

Exercise tenses

possible solution:

Yesterday, I installed (install) the new software on my computer.
By this time next year, we will have completed (complete) the project.
She has been working (work) in the IT department for five years.
Last month, the team developed (develop) a cutting-edge application.
Next week, we will begin (begin) the training sessions for the new employees.
I attended (attend) a webinar on cybersecurity last night.
By the time he arrived, we had already finished (already, finish) the presentation.
The manager will review (review) your performance next month.
They use (use) the latest technology to improve productivity.
She wrote (write) a report on the current market trends.
I haven’t heard (not, hear) back from the HR department yet.
By the end of the day, we will have resolved (resolve) all the technical issues.
Our team is collaborating (collaborate) with the marketing department on this project.
The CEO announced (announce) a company-wide restructuring.
We upgraded (upgrade) our servers to enhance security.
By the time the meeting started, I had already sent (already, send) the agenda.
The IT department maintains (maintain) the network infrastructure regularly.
They implemented (implement) a new software system last year.
He has been working (work) remotely since the pandemic began.
The developers coded (code) the new website from scratch.
We haven’t received (not, receive) any feedback from the client yet.
The IT team solved (solve) the technical glitch within minutes.
She attended (attend) a conference on artificial intelligence last month.
By next week, the interns will have completed (complete) their training.
Our company has been investing (invest) heavily in cybersecurity.
I haven’t updated (not, update) my resume in years.
The project manager has scheduled (schedule) a meeting for tomorrow.
The IT department manages (manage) the company’s network infrastructure.
They conducted (conduct) a thorough security audit last quarter.
The software engineers debugged (debug) the code for hours.
By the time you return, I will have already compiled (already, compile) the report.
The CEO will address (address) the entire company at the annual meeting.
We deployed (deploy) the new software across all offices.
The IT team monitors (monitor) the servers 24/7.
She presented (present) her findings to the board of directors.
I haven’t received (not, receive) any updates on the project status.
By next month, the company will be expanding (expand) its workforce.
They upgraded (upgrade) the company’s hardware last year.
The developers tested (test) the application extensively.
We haven’t met (not, meet) with the client yet.
The IT department configured (configure) the new routers.
He led (lead) the team to success.
Our company has adopted (adopt) a remote work policy.
I attended (attend) a seminar on project management.
By the end of the quarter, we will have completed (complete) all tasks.
The software engineer optimized (optimize) the code for better performance.
They offer (offer) IT support to all employees.
The project manager assigns (assign) tasks to the team.
We haven’t heard (not, hear) about the new project yet.
By the time you arrive, I will have already prepared (already, prepare) the presentation.
We tested (test) the new software extensively before launch.
By next week, the team will have completed (complete) the coding phase.
She has been managing (manage) the IT department for two years.
The project was delayed (delay) due to unforeseen issues.
Our company has been investing (invest) in advanced cybersecurity measures.
He worked (work) on the server maintenance project last night.
By the end of the year, they will have implemented (implement) a new CRM system.
The software engineer debugged (debug) the program for hours.
I attended (attend) a workshop on data analysis last month.
We haven’t discussed (not, discuss) the project timeline yet.
The IT team regularly upgrades (upgrade) the company’s network infrastructure.
They submitted (submit) the proposal to the client yesterday.
The manager will review (review) your performance next week.
The developers optimized (optimize) the code for better efficiency.
By this time next month, the interns will have completed (complete) their training program.
She hasn’t received (not, receive) any feedback from the support team.
Our company has adopted (adopt) a flexible work schedule.
The IT department configured (configure) the new employee laptops.
They conducted (conduct) a survey on employee satisfaction last year.
The CEO announced (announce) a strategic partnership with a tech giant.
I didn’t attend (not, attend) the conference last year.
By next quarter, we will be expanding (expand) into new markets.
The project manager regularly assigns (assign) tasks to team members.
The software crashed (crash) during the important presentation.
We haven’t met (not, meet) with the client in person yet.
The IT team regularly backs up (backup) all data.
She has been working (work) remotely for the past few months.
Our company offers (offer) technical support to clients 24/7.
I attended (attend) a seminar on cloud computing last week.
By this time next year, we will launch (launch) a new product.
The project manager has scheduled (schedule) a team meeting for tomorrow.
The software engineer quickly fixed (fix) the bug.
They use (use) advanced algorithms in their software.
We haven’t communicated (not, communicate) with the IT department yet.
The manager reviews (review) your performance annually.
The IT department manages (manage) the company’s IT assets.
I didn’t check (not, check) my emails this morning.
By the end of the quarter, we will have finalized (finalize) the project budget.
The project progressed (progress) smoothly until last week.
We haven’t met (not, meet) with the client yet.
The IT team configures (configure) the new routers.
He led (lead) the team to success.
Our company has been sponsoring (sponsor) tech-related events in the community.
I installed (install) the latest updates on my computer yesterday.
By next month, the company will be phasing out (phase out) outdated software.
The developers coded (code) the new app with precision.
The CEO will address (address) the shareholders at the annual meeting.
They upgraded (upgrade) the servers to improve performance.
The IT department maintains (maintain) a high level of security.
She presented (present) her findings to the board of directors

Wednesday, September 19th

you need to work with 2 windows side-by-side (one for the sound, the other for the exercise, or you may listen to the sound file on your smartphone)

The Bear and The Dragon by Tom Clancy – American accent + extract from a spy novel – you may download the mp3 file or listen to it directly below.

and/or

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – British accent – extract from the first chapter of the first volume – you may download the mp3 file or listen to it directly below.