Document 1 : Why we wear poppies on Remembrance Day
From: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/why-we-wear-poppies-on-remembrance-day
Retrieved: October 10, 2016
Document 2 : “I felt humbled by their sacrifice”
The descendant of a Somme dispatch rider has spoken of his “humility” and emotion after completing a commemorative motorbike ride across the battlefield.
As reported, David Holdway-Davis, 20, joined motorbikers from as far afield as England, Australia, France and New Zealand at the Communal Cemetery in Abbeville at the start of a special journey in honour of the bravery of his great great-uncle, Corporal Oswald Davis.
Building apprentice David flew from Brisbane, Australia, to take part in the special trip. He said: “I can only imagine the hardship and suffering Oswald endured. On that first morning at Abbeville, as I stood in the shadow of the tall trees and immaculate gravestones of the men who died in such terrible circumstances near this quiet, atmospheric and impeccably maintained cemetery, I felt humbled by their sacrifice. It was the most moving experience of my life.”
The group, including David’s father Philip, traced the route Oswald followed exactly 100 years ago, during the Battle of the Somme.
The memorial riders began their journey near Oswald’s first army muster site where, his training complete, he started his riding duties. Their next stop was Amiens, then Senlis-le-Sec, and on to Thiepval, where Philip laid a wreath at the memorial.
In a speech at the memorial, Philip said: “This tribute is from the Royal British Legion and Oswald’s family for all the dispatch riders of World War One. We remember these brave men with thanks and pride.”
On July 23, the bikers reached Ypres, in time to attend the 8pm Remembrance Service at the Menin Gate.
Oswald survived the battle that claimed 1.3 million lives and went on to ride his bike through Belgium and Germany until he was demobbed. He returned to work in the family business in Birmingham and died in 1962.
He was a talented writer, and left an archive of work, including his war diary, newspaper articles and two novels. A copy of his diary is available to download from triumphonthewesternfront.com
In homage to Oswald, enthusiastic biker David borrowed a modern Triumph for the bike journey. He said: “It’s a lot more powerful than Oswald’s machine but, from reading his diary, I know that he was very fond of that. Besides carrying a basket containing 28 pigeons, he somehow managed to do all his own repairs, drive through mud-filled craters, dodging shrapnel and bombs, and deal with lice, hunger and constant fear. His sense of duty was awesome. My generation can learn a lot from men like him. France is a beautiful country, and I am so grateful that I am able to visit. Thanks, Uncle Oz!”
From: https://www.connexionfrance.com/france-somme-abbeville-amiens-ypres-motorbike-oswald-davis-dispatch-rider
compréhension 10 points
Documents 1 and 2
1 Choose one title that best applies to BOTH documents. Justify your answer by quoting one sentence from each text.
1. Commemorating the First World War.
2. Commemorating the Second World War.
3. Commemorating the Commonwealth Army Corps.
4. Commemorating the British Legion.
Document 1
21. Copy the table onto your paper and complete it with elements from the text.
Name of people/ Groups of people | Contribution to commemoration | Date |
John McCrae | ||
advertised the poppy as a commemorating symbol | ||
Anna Guérin | before 1921 | |
started producing the poppy in Britain |
2. Choose the photo which provided inspiration for the poem “In Flanders Fields” and write your answer onto your copy.
Photo a
Photo b
Photo c
Photo d
3. Pick out two sentences in the text which show that the poppy is still used as a symbol today.
31. Apart from being a symbol of remembrance, what was the poppy also used for Answer the question by quoting the text.
2. Pick out TWO categories of people who benefited from the money raised by the sale of poppies.
4 Answer the following questions on your paper. Which poppy colour is supposed to commemorate...
1.reconciliation and pacifism Poppy colour: ………………………
2.animals killed in the war Poppy colour: ………………………
3.dead soldiers and civilians Poppy colour: ………………………
Document 2
51. Copy the following identity forms onto your paper and complete them.
2.Complete David’s family tree. Copy boxes A and B onto your paper and complete them with information about the following elements:
a) family relation
b) name
c) date of death
d) name
3. Conclusion. Fill in the following sentence with your own words.
Although the men in the grey boxes (5.2) belong to different ……………………. , they have a ……………………. passion.
6 Copy the table onto your paper and complete it with words from the text.
The special journey
Countries of origin of the participants | – – – – |
Means of transportation | – |
Itinerary | – Departure: Abbeville – 1st stop: – 2nd stop: – 3rd stop: – Arrival: |
7Choose the correct answer and copy it onto your paper.
The main goal of the special journey is:
a) to visit French and Belgian cities.
b) to decorate war veterans.
c) to honour soldiers.
d) to go on a biking tour.
e) to learn a foreign language.
f) to write newspaper articles.
81.True or false Answer the question and justify by quoting the text.
a) Oswald refused to share his experience of the war.
b) Oswald was very good at mechanics.
c) Oswald had to overcome a lot of obstacles to survive.
2.Explain in your own words how David considers Oswald. Justify with a quotation from the text. (maximum 40 words)
Documents 1 and 2
9 How do people commemorate the war and honour its victims Pick out five examples mentioned in document 1 and document 2.
expression 10 points
Choose ONE of the following subjects. (150 words minimum)
1You have been selected to speak at the opening ceremony of a war exhibition about “World War One: Women during the War”. Write a speech to honour one of the following women.
1. Jane Ann Jones
(1894- )
Joined the Army Auxiliary Corps.
Managed soldiers’ equipment.
Sent official messages to soldiers.
Wrote her memoirs.
Was awarded a title (O.B.E.).
2. Ethel “Betty” Stonehouse
(1898-1974)
MI5 intelligence service agent.
Supervised soldiers’ leave.
Delivered soldiers’ permits to visit families.
Left letters to her descendants.
3. Grace Mitchell
(1897-1963)
Territorial Force nurse.
Worked in French, Belgian and German hospitals.
Evacuated victims to Britain.
Took photos and left an album.
2 Choose an element from the list below and explain why it would be an appropriate symbol of the 2010s.
robot-assisted surgery
YouTubers
3-D printers
cloud gaming
electric or hybrid vehicles
smart devices (tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, etc.)
Les clés du sujet
Document 1
L’auteur
Helen Mavin est conservatrice aux musées impériaux de la Guerre (Imperial War Museums), un groupe de cinq musées consacrés aux guerres de l’Empire britannique, de la Première Guerre mondiale à nos jours.
Pour en savoir plus : www.iwm.org.uk
Résumé du texte
Le texte retrace l’histoire du coquelicot en tant que symbole du souvenir de la Première Guerre mondiale. Cette fleur poussait sur les champs ravagés par les batailles et a été l’objet de poèmes célébrant le courage des soldats, avant que la vente de coquelicots artificiels ne serve à financer des fonds d’aides aux victimes de cette guerre et à leurs familles.
Vocabulaire utile à la compréhension
Poppy (l. 1) : coquelicot to churn up (l. 6) : (ici) ravager shelling (l. 6-7) : bombardement servicemen (l. 15) : soldats to supply (l. 16) : fournir orphan (l. 18) : orphelin disabled (l. 19) : handicapé.
Document 2
L’auteur
Le magazine en ligne The Connexion est consacré à la vie quotidienne et culturelle en France, et est destiné aux anglophones qui s’y installent, afin de faciliter leur intégration.
Pour en savoir plus : www.connexionfrance.com
Résumé du texte
En mémoire de son arrière-grand-oncle Oswald et des soldats ayant combattu durant la Première Guerre mondiale, David Holdway-Davis a parcouru avec des motards de différentes nationalités le trajet emprunté à moto par Oswald, qui servit comme estafette lors de la bataille de la Somme.
Vocabulaire utile à la compréhension
Dispatch rider (l. 1) : estafette, messager far afield (l. 5) = far away hardship (l. 10) : épreuve gravestone (l. 12) : pierre tombale muster site (l. 20) : lieu de rassemblement (militaire) wreath (l. 22) : gerbe de fleurs to dodge (l. 41) : esquiver lice (l. 42) : poux awesome (l. 42-43) : impressionnant.
Les points de convergence
Les deux textes traitent des différentes manières dont on célèbre la mémoire des soldats qui ont combattu durant la Première Guerre mondiale.
Le sujet d’expression 1
Une direction possible
Les éléments biographiques proposés permettent de reconstituer une brève histoire de l’héroïne que vous choisirez et de s’en servir pour rendre un hommage plus général au rôle essentiel des femmes pendant les guerres.
Key ideas
Wars produce heroines as well as heroes, tribute has to be paid to them owing to their role during the wars. So many soldiers owe them their lives, they devoted all their time and strength to the soldiers. We haven’t always been as grateful as we should to such women.
Le sujet d’expression 2
Une direction possible
Tous les éléments proposés correspondent à l’importante et rapide évolution technologique de la décennie mais représentent des domaines très variés, allant des loisirs à la santé. L’élément choisi reflète donc votre vision de ces années. Votre choix peut par exemple se porter sur ce qui rend le plus de services à l’humanité.
Key ideas
This decade has seen the rise of technology at such a rate never before witnessed. Most aspects of our lives are involved, from leisure to surgery and new means of transportation. New technologies are our future and maybe the condition for our survival.
Correction
comprÉhension
Documents 1 and 2
11.Commemorating the First World War.
Document 1: “The poppy is the enduring symbol of remembrance of the First World War.” (l. 1-2) Document 2: “This tribute is from the Royal British Legion and Oswald’s family for all the dispatch riders of World War One.” (l. 23-25)
Document 1
2 1.
Name of people/ Groups of people | Contribution to commemoration | Date |
|---|---|---|
John McCrae | wrote the poem: “In Flanders Fields” | 1915 |
Moina Michael | advertised the poppy as a commemorating symbol | 1918 |
Anna Guérin | manufactured artificial poppies in France to raise money for war orphans | before 1921 |
the British Legion | started producing the poppy in Britain | 1922 |
2.Photo b.
3. “It continues to do so today.” (l. 20) “The poppy continues to be sold worldwide” (l. 25).
3 1. “To raise money” (l. 14-15)
2. Ex-servicemen the families of those who had died in the conflict
4 1. White
2. Purple
3.Red
Document 2
5 1.
Name: David HOLDWAY-DAVIS Age: 20 City, Country: Brisbane, Australia Job: building apprentice Hobby: motorbiker |
Name: Oswald DAVIS City: Birmingham Military rank: corporal Military mission: dispatch rider Hobbies: 1. motorbiker 2. writer |
2.
Box A a) great great-uncle b) Oswald c) 1962 |
Box B d) Philip |
3.Although the men in the grey boxes (5. 2) belong to different generations, they have a common passion.
6
Countries of origin of the participants | – England – Australia – France – New Zealand |
Means of transportation | – Motorbike |
Itinerary | – Departure: Abbeville – 1st stop: Amiens – 2nd stop: Senlis-le-Sec – 3rd stop: Thiepval – Arrival: Ypres, Menin Gate |
7 c) to honour soldiers.
8 1. a) False: he “left an archive of work, including his war diary, newspaper articles and two novels.” (l. 33-34)
b) True: “he somehow managed to do all his own repairs” (l. 40).
c) True: “drive through mud-filled craters, dodging shrapnel and bombs, and deal with lice, hunger and constant fear” (l. 41-42).
2. David considers Oswald a true hero: for him, his ancestor was a truly brave person who should be an inspiration to us all. The kind of person we should look up to and emulate. “His sense of duty was awesome. My generation can learn a lot from men like him.” (l. 42-43)
Documents 1 and 2
9They celebrate Armistice Day.
They sell poppies.
They make commemorative motorbike rides.
They make speeches at memorials.
They publish soldiers’ diaries.
expression
1 Guidelines
Ladies and gentlemen,
Un peu de vocabulaire
to pay tribute to: rendre hommage à.
It is my honour to be standing here in front of you celebrating “Women during the War”. War has always been considered a man’s business, and indeed men have always been the ones who declare wars. But wars produce heroines as well as heroes and tribute has to be paid to all these women who, whether at home or on and around the battlefields have a role as important as that of men.
I’ll take only one example among the many stories that are exhibited here: Grace Mitchell. She was only seventeen when the war started but she joined the Territorial Force where her short training as a nurse was most useful in different hospitals on the continent. So many soldiers owe her their lives, whether in France, Belgium or Germany. Some of them had been critically wounded and she devoted all her time and strength to giving them the comfort they deserved. As soon as they were able to be moved, she evacuated them to Britain to leave them in the good care of other British nurses and then went back to the continent to help other victims. But this was not her only contribution: she took photos of soldiers so that they could send them to their families. She also kept some of them in an album which is now a precious testimony of those horrible times, an invaluable source of information to historians.
We haven’t always been as grateful as we should to such women, I trust now with this exhibition these times are over.