SEQUENCE 6 – PORTRAITS OF POWER

CORRIGÉS

PARTIE 1

La démonstration de la splendeur de la monarchie :

le pouvoir de l’art dans cette mise en valeur

Durée : 5 heures 30

Objectifs
Vous étudierez trois documents qui dressent différents portraits de la monarchie britannique à des
périodes distinctes de l’histoire. Ce corpus de documents vous permettra :
• d’observer l’évolution de la façon de dépeindre les souverains britanniques à travers les siècles ;
• de poursuivre l’entraînement à la compréhension de l’oral et de l’écrit, et à l’expression écrite tout en
apprenant à travailler en temps limité afin de consacrer suffisamment de temps aux trois parties de
l’épreuve ponctuelle de contrôle continu ;
• de réviser les modaux may et might (conjugués au présent et au passé), ainsi que le superlatif.
• d’étudier l’emploi d’adjectifs et d’adverbes pour enrichir la description d’un événement exceptionnel ;
• de faire attention aux syllabes accentuées dans certains adjectifs et adverbes ;
• de vérifier l’orthographe des adjectifs au superlatif ;
• de faire attention aux deux prononciations de la lettre ‘s’.

Activity 1 – Warming up
Examples of possible reactions to the photo:
• What a sweet photo! Prince George looks so cute. It’s really well-framed and natural. This is the Royals
seen from an unusual angle. Really endearing!
• I can’t understand why this photo has gone viral. It’s just a little boy and a pram. That leaves me
completely cold. Haven’t the media got anything more interesting to show us?

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 1

Activity 2 – compréhension de l’oral
Script de la vidéo :
The day a princess was born.
Journalist: A baby princess is welcomed into the world. Just over ten hours after giving birth, the Duchess
of Cambridge looked radiant, the Duke beaming beside her, as they emerged from St Mary’s Hospital with
their little girl, eight pounds three ounces. In front of hundreds of cameras and well-wishers, Kate settled
her new baby into a waiting car. William got behind the wheel and drove his family home to Kensington
Palace. The news of the birth was announced on Twitter, and then moments later by a traditional town
crier:
Town crier: ‘It’s a girl! It’s a girl!’
Journalist: It was a happy moment that hundreds had waited for outside the hospital, some since the
beginning of April.
Interviewee: ‘It’s a baby girl. What more can we want? Over eight pounds. George was eight pound six…
Interviewer: Are you happy?
Interviewee: ‘Oh, I’m over the moon. I feel as though I’ve had a baby myself. I’m so elated.’
2nd interviewee: ‘A baby was born and not just any baby, a royal baby. Hey, and not just any royal baby, a
princess. This is one of the most amazing feelings. I know it’s kind of, it’s a silly feeling but it’s so fun to be
part of it. I have to kind of catch myself, take a step back and really soak it all in.
Journalist: One of the princess’s first visitors was her brother Prince George. William had been in the
delivery room, momentarily leaving the hospital to collect his 22 month-old son. Within 20 minutes he was
back, the toddler making his first public appearance since the royal tour of Australia a year ago.

1. Anticipation à partir du titre :

Dans le cas de cette vidéo, le titre fournit une indication précise quant au thème principal : il s’agit de
la naissance d’une princesse. Puisque nous avons déjà cette information précise, et sans doute sans
équivoque, les hypothèses à vérifier concernent :
• l’identité de la princesse ;
• la date approximative de cette naissance ;
• le lieu de naissance ;
• les circonstances de la naissance (histoire vraie ou fictive).

NB : Etant donné que les images de la vidéo vous renseignent sur l’identité des parents, notons
néanmoins que vous n’êtes pas censé(e) avoir des connaissances précises sur la famille royale
britannique. Il est probable, tout de même, que vous reconnaissiez Kate et William !

2. WH checklist:
Qui : La Duchesse de Cambridge (Kate) ; le Duc (William) ; leur fille (la princesse qui vient de naître) ; leur
fils, le Prince Georges ; des centaines d’admirateurs venus en l’honneur de la naissance ; les deux dames
interviewées.
Où : Devant l’hôpital St Mary (où Kate a accouché) ; Kensington Palace- le journaliste précise que la
famille va repartir chez elle à Kensington Palace.

2 CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS

Quand : La date de la naissance de la princesse n’est pas précisée. Vous n’êtes pas censé(e) connaître la
date précise de cet événement. Attention à ne donner que les informations contenues dans le document,
étant donné qu’il s’agit d’une épreuve de compréhension, même si vous avez des connaissances sur le
sujet.
Le journaliste note qu’un certain nombre de personnes attend devant l’hôpital depuis le début du mois
d’avril.
Quoi : ‘Des centaines de caméras’ - le journaliste précise que l’événement est très médiatisé ; ‘plus de
huit livres’, ‘huit livres six onces’ – le poids du Prince George et de sa sœur est précisé par la première
dame interviewée.
Pour quelle raison : Cet événement est très médiatisé parce qu’il s’agit de la naissance de la fille du futur
roi du Royaume-Uni et du Commonwealth.
Pourquoi : On fait allusion au père qui a assisté à l’accouchement, à la mine réjouie des parents, au père
au volant qui reconduit sa famille chez elle, (les téléspectateurs font un parallèle inconscient avec le
futur roi qui sera un jour le chef du Royaume) et à la foule enchantée pour véhiculer l’image d’une famille
parfaite, à la fois traditionnelle et moderne. Cette image est donc parfaitement maîtrisée, mise en scène
et photographiée: la naissance de cette princesse, vingt-deux mois après le prince, prend des allures
de conte de fée. La famille royale se sert de la photographie pour asseoir son autorité en créant l’image
d’une famille idéale.

Exemple de compte rendu :

Il s’agit d’un reportage de la chaîne CNN qui relate la naissance de la fille de Kate et William qui a
dû être diffusé partout dans le monde. Le journaliste dont l’accent est britannique décrit la sortie de
l’hôpital de la Duchesse de Cambridge après son accouchement dix heures plus tôt. Il précise que
Kate est radieuse et décrit le large sourire du Duc. Le poids de la princesse nous est donné : huit
livres trois onces. Nous apprenons que la naissance est annoncée à la fois sur Twitter et par un garde
champêtre traditionnel. Nous entendons celui-ci crier ‘C’est une fille ! C’est une fille !’ Le journaliste
note que cette sortie de l’hôpital se fait devant une foule d’admirateurs et de centaines de caméras.
Nous apprenons en effet que de nombreuses personnes attendent devant l’hôpital St Mary depuis le
début du mois d’avril. Deux dames sont interviewées. La première, qui a un accent anglais, nous fait
part de son enchantement, et fait allusion au poids de la princesse et de son frère Georges- plus de
huit livres. La deuxième dame interviewée, qui a un accent américain, nous fait part également de
son émerveillement d’assister à l’événement, elle est consciente que sa réaction est un peu risible
mais elle reconnaît le côté exceptionnel d’une naissance royale. Le journaliste précise également que
William avait assisté à la naissance, et que le Prince Georges, qui est le premier à rendre visite à sa
sœur, fait sa première sortie officielle depuis la visite royale de l’Australie.
Tous les détails relatés par le journaliste : la mine réjouie des parents, le père qui assiste à
l’accouchement puis reconduit sa famille au Palais de Kensington, la Duchesse radieuse, le poids
des deux enfants, qui indique qu’ils sont bien portants, la foule qui attend avec impatience cette
naissance, les centaines de caméras, l’annonce sur Twitter et par garde champêtre font partie de
l’image parfaitement maîtrisée que ce couple cherche à véhiculer d’un futur roi à la fois moderne et
traditionnel, soutenu par une femme rayonnante et en bonne santé, mère de deux enfants, eux aussi,
en parfaite santé.
Ce document fait partie des vidéos officielles de la famille royale britannique qui a su faire évoluer son
image au vingt et unième siècle pour donner la vision d’une monarchie moderne mais respectueuse
du protocole, proche du peuple, mais aussi suffisant exceptionnel pour entretenir une impression de
conte de fée.

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 3

Grille d’évaluation de la compréhension :
 ous pouvez prendre connaissance de la grille d’évaluation de la compréhension dans le sujet de devoir
V
évaluant cette compétence afin de vérifier si vous avez atteint le niveau visé.

A) Identification du contexte ou de la situation d’énonciation :

Éléments relevant du niveau A2 ;

Précisions par rapport au thème : il s’agit de la naissance de la fille de Kate et William.
Le lieu : devant l’hôpital St Mary.
Les personnes : Kate, William, le nouveau-né (une petite fille), le Prince Georges, les deux dames
interviewées.
Les événements : L’annonce de la naissance (Twitter et garde-champêtre) ; la foule et les caméras qui
attendent devant l’hôpital.
NB Le terme ‘garde-champêtre’ ne serait pas exigé.

Eléments relevant du niveau B1 :

Informations détaillées sur le contexte : La Duchesse est sortie dix heures après son accouchement ; la
foule attend depuis le mois d’avril ; William a assisté à l’accouchement ; le Prince Georges est le premier
à rendre visite à sa sœur et c’est sa première sortie officielle depuis la visite de l’Australie. Tous ces
détails soulignent le caractère officiel de l’événement et la mise en scène de cet événement.

Eléments relevant du niveau B2 :

Tous les détails décrits par le journaliste et les deux dames interviewées (la mine des parents, le poids
des enfants, William au volant…) mettent en exergue l’image d’une monarchie moderne, rayonnante de
santé et de bonheur, mais aussi attachée aux traditions. Cette image est parfaitement maîtrisée jusqu’au
choix des personnes interviewées-deux dames (dont l’une est américaine et donc pas directement
concernée par la monarchie britannique) qui sont émerveillées par cet événement hautement médiatisé.

B) Identification des réseaux de sens :

Éléments relevant du niveau A2 :

L’identité des personnes citées : Faire le lien entre le titre officiel et les prénoms connus : la Duchesse de
Cambridge-Kate ; le Duc-William ; le Prince Georges-le frère de la princesse qui vient de naître.
Les chiffres : Comprendre ce à quoi ils se rapportent : huit livres- le poids des deux enfants à la
naissance. ‘Des centaines’- les médias, la foule d’admirateurs. 22 mois-l’ âge du Prince Georges.

Éléments relevant du niveau B1 :

Les détails de l’annonce de la naissance d’une princesse-sur Twitter et par un garde-champêtre
traditionnel-font partie du mode officiel de communication de la dernière génération de la monarchie
britannique.

4 CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS

Tous les adjectifs qui décrivent le sentiment de bonheur de la foule d’admirateurs et des personnes
interviewées : ‘moment heureux’, ‘euphorique’, ‘une sensation incroyable’

Éléments relevant du niveau B2 ;

La cohérence globale du document : Le vocabulaire choisi relève du champ sémantique d’un conte de
fée : ‘folle de bonheur’ (‘over the moon’) ; ‘je dois réaliser que c’est vrai’ (‘I have to kind of catch myself’) ;
‘un bébé royal’ ; une foule qui leur souhaite tout le bonheur du monde (‘hundreds of well-wishers’) ; le
frère qui a une démarche de tout petit (‘toddler’).

C) Identification des stratégies de communication :

Éléments relevant du niveau A2 :

Reportage CNN (en évidence) : reconnaître que le reportage est tourné à Londres.

Éléments relevant du niveau B1 :

Repérer le registre élogieux du reportage.

Éléments relevant du niveau B2 :

Ce reportage sert à célébrer la monarchie britannique et à renforcer son prestige.

Activity 3 – Grammar check: the superlative

a) (one of) the most amazing feelings. Une sensation des plus incroyables.

b) 1. It’s the most amazing/incredible day in my life.

2. He’s the most popular prince in this century.
3. It’s the biggest event in the past few months.
4. She’s the most radiant woman I’ve ever seen.
5. It’s the most euphoric moment I’ve ever experienced.

c) biggest; tallest; loveliest; most awesome; hottest; nicest.

d) One syllable adjectives ending in a consonant following one vowel double the consonant in the
superlative. Two syllable adjectives ending in ‘y’ transform the ‘y’ into ‘i’ in the superlative form.

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 5

Activity 4 – Intensifiers
Adverbs: awfully; horribly; absolutely; totally; awfully; completely; utterly.

Negative idea expressed Positive idea expressed

awfully hot absolutely charming

horribly frightening awfully nice

totally uninteresting completely bowled over

utterly adorable

NB. It is the adjective which expresses the negative or positive notion, the adverb serves to intensify
the idea. Hence, ‘awfully’, which is apparently negative, can be used in both ways. Note the idiomatic
expression ‘bowled over’ (totalement séduit) – diaries tend to express exaggerated emotions, whereas in
conversations we are likely to be more measured in our expression!

Activity 5 – Pronunciation

1. b) Enr.1

  1. presented (verb)

  2. presents (noun)
  3. present ( adjective )

c) When ‘present’ is a noun, it is stressed on the first syllable.

   When ‘present’ is an adjective, it is stressed on the first syllable.
   When ‘present’ is a verb, it is stressed on the second syllable.

3.

Enr.2

The stressed syllables are in bold.

• amazing; incredible; popular; biggest; radiant; elated.
• tallest; loveliest; awesome; hottest; nicest.
• awfully; horribly; absolutely; totally; completely; utterly.

6 CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS

Activity 6 – Mediation
1. happy; over the moon (complètement ravie);
elated (euphorique);
one of the most amazing feelings;
silly feeling;
such fun;

I have to kind of catch myself, take a step back and really soak it all in. ( je dois atterrir, m’arrêter un
instant pour réaliser la portée de l’événement )

2. eg. absolutely over the moon; totally elated.

3. Details of the scene likely to interest the young lady’s mother:
Duchess - radiant; emerged just 12 hours after; 8 pounds 3 ounces; William- beaming; William -
present ; first visitor, George – carried ; hundreds - journalists.

4.

Enr.3 (US accent)

Hey Mom,
I saw the Duchess of Cambridge emerge from the hospital with the royal princess who apparently weighs
eight pounds three ounces. It was only ten hours after giving birth but she looked radiant. William was
present at the birth but he went to get George who was the first visitor. William was beaming but George
wanted to be carried. It was totally awesome to be there with hundreds of journalists. (72 words)

Activity 7 – Written comprehension

A) Anticipation + WH Checklist.
Text 1 :
The title: The Crystal Palace: The title is quite explicit. The topic of the text will probably be a royal
building made of glass. If you have heard of ‘Crystal Palace’, you will know that it was a revolutionary
piece of architecture.

The source:
The author of the text, J Mordaunt Cook, is not well-known, but the title of his book indicates that the
piece of architecture was impressive enough to figure in a specialized publication on this subject.

Who: Hitchcock- we understand that it is Hitchcock’s description we are given in the text. The other
person mentioned in the text-Paxton- seems to be the architect since Hitchcock refers to ‘Paxton’s
scheme’. (‘scheme’=project, plan)

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 7

Where: We are not given any indication as to the whereabouts of the Palace, but as it seems to be a
majestic building, we can suppose that it was constructed in England’s capital-London.

When: The date that we guess may refer to the time it took to build the Palace is clearly mentioned
1851-4). A close reading of the text reveals that the building was inaugurated in 1851, so we can suppose
that the dates refer to something different, perhaps the length of time of the exhibition.

What: The main topic is Crystal Palace. In fact, the whole text is devoted to the description of this building.

What for: The function of the text is to make the reader understand that The Crystal Palace was an
exceptional work of architecture.

Why: We can infer that this piece of architecture was an important feature of the mid nineteenth century.

Text 2

Title: A description of Crystal Palace. The title of the text again is quite explicit. We can suppose that the
description in the text will be of the same Palace as in text 1.

Source: The author of the text, Charlotte Brontë, is a well-known novelist of the Victorian era. The genre
of her novels is Romantic, so we can wonder whether her description is romanticized.

Who: The references to people in the text are to ‘goldsmith’ and ‘silversmith’, ie craftsmen who
have contributed to the construction of the Palace. The other reference is to ‘eastern genii’ who, we
understand, exist only in the novelist’s imagination: ‘might have created.’

Where: Again there is no indication in this text as to where this Palace has been built, but we can make
the same suppositions as in Text 1.

When: Unlike the first text, this extract seems to be suspended in time. We get the impression that the
author is describing a fairy-tale Palace which is not situated in real time or space.

What: The text is full of references to the objects in the Palace which are all either industrial, for example
‘boilers’, ‘mill machinery’, or precious, like ‘diamonds and pearls’.

What for: This description serves to honour this work of architecture.

Why: We can suppose that this piece of architecture made such an impression on the novelist that she
described it in a way that makes it seem magical.

Text 3

Title: The Great Exhibition: 1 May 1851. As is the case with the first two texts, the title of this text is quite
explicit. The Great Exhibition of 1851 is well-known.

8 CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS

Source: The source indicates that the text deals with the Victorian era, and we see that it was written by
the Queen herself, and is an excerpt from her diary.

Who: The author refers to Albert, her husband (Prince Albert) and to her children, Vicky and Bertie. Queen
Victoria also alludes to the crowds present.

Where: This text gives us information as to the whereabouts of the Palace, as the author mentions Green
Park and Hyde Park which confirms that the building is in London.

When: Although it is not stated clearly, we get the impression that Queen Victoria is describing the day of
the inauguration of the building.

What: In this description the Queen focuses on her children’s clothes, the carriages, the flags, the palms
and flowers, the fountain and the musical instruments.

What for: The diary excerpt is a record of the Queen’s joy on this day.

Why: We can suppose that this building made a great impression on the monarch, as it did on the author
of Text 2.

B. Comprehension questions.

Text 1
a.What is the subject of the author’s description? Answer in your own words.
The author describes ‘The Crystal Palace 1851-4’ which we understand is a piece of architecture that
has particular ‘aesthetic qualities’ that appear to be exceptional- ‘seemed to lie outside the world of
architecture’- and is revolutionary- ‘hitherto unrecognized’.

NB It is not always easy to find synonyms for words used in the text, as is the case here with ‘aesthetic
qualities’, in which case it is acceptable to quote the text, as long as your answer is not simply reproducing
it. Indeed, quoting the text, as shown here, will show that you have understood, even if your expression is
not perfectly clear; note that words like ‘hitherto’ are obviously not supposed to be part of your vocabulary!
Be careful to answer briefly, nonetheless, since you need to try to spend no more than thirty minutes on
the whole exercise.

Niveau A2 : Peut relever des informations explicites sur le contexte.

b.What are the main characteristics of what is being described? Answer in your own words, and justify
your answer with one quote from the text.
The building has a particular design which is based on the reproduction of a pattern- ‘the repetition of
units manufactured in series, the functional lace-like patterns of criss-cross trusses’.

Niveau B1 : Peut relever des informations explicites sur le contexte.

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 9

Text 2
c. What experience is the author relating? Answer in your own words.

The author is relating her experience of visiting Crystal Palace for the first time.

Niveau A2 : Peut comprendre globalement un document ; peut identifier la nature du document.

d. What effect has this experience had on the author? Answer in your own words, and justify your answer
with one quote from the text.

The author is full of wonder, as though she were under a magic spell: ‘It seems as if only magic could
have gathered this mass of wealth from all ends of the earth.’

Niveau B1 : Peut identifier l’expression de points de vue.

Text 3
e. What is the genre of the text? Pick out two examples which characterize this genre.

The text is an excerpt/extract from a diary. The diary genre is characterized by a first-person narrative; the
narrator relates his or her experiences and feelings, for example: ‘I never saw Hyde Park look as it did.’,
‘and I felt much moved.’ The reference to the exact date at the beginning also points to the diary genre.

A2 : Peut identifier la nature du document.

f. Explain briefly, in your own words, what happens in the text and the author’s reaction to the events.

The author and her family travel through Hyde Park in a procession of carriages. They arrive at Crystal
Palace and enter it. The author is filled with emotion, pride joy, gratitude and love for her husband and
her country: ‘This day is one of the greatest and most glorious days of our lives, with which, to my pride
and joy, the name of my dearly beloved Albert is forever associated.’

B1 : Peut relever des informations détaillées sur le contexte, expériences relatées..; peut identifier
l’expression de points de vue.

Texts 1,2 and 31

g. What are the most striking features that are common to the three descriptions?

All three descriptions convey a sense of wonderment at the sight of this new architectural feat. J
Mordaunt Cook in the first text notes the exceptional nature of the building, as though it were a mirage:

1 NB : lors de l’épreuve ponctuelle, certaines questions de compréhension porteront sur l’ensemble des documents, y compris le document
audio/vidéo. Vous trouverez un entrainement à ce type de questionnement dans la partie 2.

10 CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS

‘The Crystal Palace 1851-4 seemed to lie outside the world of architecture, outside even the world of
engineering.’ Charlotte Brontë underlines this ‘out of this world’ impression: ‘impossible to describe.’
Likewise, Queen Victoria is struck by the beauty and novelty of the scene: ‘The sight as we came to the
centre…….was magic and impressive.’ The other feature common to the three descriptions is the focus on
its transparency. Hitchcock in text one alludes to ‘the transparent definition of space’. Charlotte Brontë’s
depiction conveys a sense of brilliance with the references to ‘glass’, ‘velvet’, ‘diamonds’, ‘pearls’, and the
choice of ‘invisible’ to describe the influence on the crowds completes this picture. In the same way, the
allusions to ‘satin’, ‘rain’, ‘the sun shone and gleamed’ and ‘crystal fountain’ in Victoria’s prose create an
impression of radiance and light.

B2 : Peut identifier des éléments implicites de l’articulation entre les documents.

Activity 8 – Culture file: the Victorian era

1.
a) These phrases and expressions all remind us that the Victorian era was the heyday of the Industrial
Revolution, and the design of Crystal Palace was inspired by, and the product of, mechanization.
b) The Victorian age was mainly peaceful and prosperous. Its wealth was derived from industry and its
expanding Empire. It was a time of intense patriotism –‘jingoism’. NB ‘jingoism’ means ‘a strong belief
that your country is best’.
c) The Victorian age was a time of ostentatious displays of wealth; movement thanks to the improvement
in the state of the roads; of mass gatherings enabled by a new means of locomotion- railways.

2. Quiz on the Victorian era:

1. The Victorian era was characterized by c. the growth of the working class
 NB: It was the heyday of the Industrial Revolution which led to a great increase in the number of
labourers needed to work in the mills (mills=factories).
 
2.It was a time of a. political reform

 
3.It was a period of b. economic expansion
 
4.During this age the British Empire was a. expanding
 NB: At the same time the Empire was beginning to be challenged, notably in India (the Indian Mutiny,
1857).
 
5.At the time, the monarchy was at the height of its c. glory
 
6.New technologies included: a. photography b. telegraphy c. X-rays
 
7.The standard of living b. rose
 
8.The new means of locomotion was: a. the railway

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 11

 
9.Culturally-speaking, the era was influenced by c. romanticism
 
10.On the international scene, Great-Britain was: a. at the heyday of its power

Activity 9 – Ideas file

Both documents focus on a monarchy that is very much on show, and conscious of its image. This image
has been carefully studied and controlled. From both documents we see that the monarchy wishes to
appear close to its subjects but yet remain exceptional. So Kate and William posed for photographers in
front of the hospital, and it is this image that will go down in posterity. Likewise, Queen Victoria’s image
as head of the greatest industrial nation and empire of the time is symbolized by a Palace of Crystal. In
other words, photography and architecture have contributed to enhancing the splendour of this institution
whose actual power was already being handed over to parliament during Victoria’s reign. Nonetheless,
the symbolic power of the monarchy has been kept alive over the centuries by a carefully constructed
image which owes a great deal to art. (144 words)

Activity 10 – Describing a painting

This is a painting. As the title indicates, it is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. The portrait may have been
painted for a particular occasion by an official painter. The background is dark which sets off the brilliance
of the queen’s jewellery and the shine of her clothes, which might have been made of satin. Her clothes
are splendid but the colours are muted, which makes her look majestic and imposing, almost manly.
The jewelled crown symbolizes divine right to rule; the pearls stand for chastity; and the fashionable ruff
represents the rays of the sun of which the monarch is the centre, embodying goodness, warmth and
beauty. Elizabeth’s expression, however, is cold and haughty, and she may have been middle-aged at the
time, as she looks heavily made-up. The overall atmosphere created is one of splendour and power.

Activity 11 – pronunciation check: /s/ or /z/ ?

Enr. 4

clothes /z/; close adj. /s/; close V /z/; pearls /z/; eyes /z/; hands /z/;fingers /z/; distant /s/; feathers /z/;
precise /s/; use (N) /s/; use (V) /z/.

NB The ‘s’ isn’t pronounced in ‘isles’.

Check the rules of pronunciation of the letter ‘s’ in your grammar book,
‘Grammaire de l’oral’, fiche n° 10.

12 CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS

Activity 12 – Grammar check: may, might + past participle
a) Le portrait est peut-être une commande royale.
b) Il se peut qu’Elizabeth I ait porté des perles pour une raison symbolique.
c) Les plumes représentent peut-être la prospérité.
d) Il se peut que le peintre ait embelli les traits d’Elisabeth.

Activity 13 – expression écrite – writing the page of a diary

1.The artist Colin Davidson records his feelings about the unveiling of his portrait of the Queen in his diary.
November 9th, 2016.
What a relief! She liked it, her Majesty was beaming after the unveiling and then she chatted away for
about ten minutes. I was still a bag of nerves, I felt totally jittery all the time. Luckily Mr McGuiness took
over and chatted away to her Majesty about how this was a historic day for Anglo-Irish relations, and that
he was so thankful for her support, and that my picture symbolized her patronage of our charity…
I think that this was one of the most moving moments in my career. And I explained to the journalists
how aware I was of the gravity and responsibility of this commission. I’m so happy to have captured the
Queen’s benevolent expression, it’s so easy to be impressed by her dignity and self-control and make her
look fierce!
But no, there’s something gentle and warm about her slight smile and the soft look in her eyes. That was
completely vital to manage to convey, that she was a champion of reconciliation.
After all the emotion of those pictures of the Troubles that I did, I’ve got to admit that this is one of my
finest achievements: an Irishman’s portrayal of the most painted person in the world!

2.Queen Victoria writes about her coronation.

Thursday, June 29th 1838.
It was the PROUDEST moment in my life! The moment I became Queen. I just had to record the moment
with a sketch. The archbishop put the ring on the wrong finger, he was as nervous as I. I glanced over at
my dear Lord Melbourne in the front pew, and he gave me a little nod and a smile, I shall never forget that
moment until the day I die. The rest of the abbey was so solemn with all those clergymen in red!
Yesterday, after supper, I watched the fireworks from Mama’s balcony and then I retired to my chambers,
I was so exhausted, but I could not fall asleep. I relived all those perfectly delightful moments as the
crowds thronging the streets cheered and clapped, the sun shining down on our procession all the way.
I am completely grateful to my dear subjects for making the train journey down to London. I am so
thankful to our engineers- the greatest in the world- who made that possible, nowhere else in the whole
wide world can a Queen’s subjects take a train ride to see her coronation!
Melbourne said that my coronation has made the country love the monarchy again. Certainly at the fair in
Hyde Park this afternoon, everybody sang the National Anthem. Dear country, I shall do my best to serve
you for all of my days.

CNED – TERMINALE – ANGLAIS 13