PAGE 1 : SOUTH AFRICA                                                     .            

 

 

                                            PAGE 2 : BARACK OBAMA                                           .

 

 

 

 

SOUTH     AFRICA

 

THE APARTHEID BUS p 28

 

1) We can see a bus with the word “apartheid “written on its side. It is packed (= thronged) with black people who are all sitting at the back (= rear).  Indeed each new black passenger who gets on (= boards) the bus is told to sit at the back by the white driver. Since almost all the passengers are gathering at the back, the bus is precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff. Besides it is worth noticing that nobody is complaining : they all comply with the law however stupid it may be…

 

2) The cliff is symbolic of South Africa and the bus stands for Apartheid. The white driver stands for the white minority whereas the black passengers represent the black majority. This cartoon illustrates the apartheid regime which lasted for almost 45 years. Indeed between 1948 and 1992 the law made it legal to discriminate against black people and treat them as second-class citizens who could not vote, could not go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted and who could not mix with white people. The bus which is about to fall from the cliff is also symbolic of the imminent fall of South Africa if the apartheid regime goes on. That is why, in my opinion, the cartoon was drawn during the apartheid era. The cartoonist must have disapproved of the apartheid regime that had plagued SA for so many years.

 

MANDELA

A PAINTING : A MAN AND HIS COUNTRY

       

The document is a painting painted by Tommy Motswai  in December 1993,  a few months before Mandela was elected President.

        In the foreground I can see Nelson Mandela who is wearing a blue suit and a tie. He is smiling and joining his hands together as if praying. He

is happy because he is no longer a prisoner and the country is a democracy.

        There are a lot of symbols.

        First I can see a coloured dove on each of each of his shoulders. The colours are the colours of the ANC (= African National Congress), Mandela’s political party.  They symbolize peace in South Africa : the peace achieved thanks to the struggle of the ANC.

        Then in the bottom-left-hand corner , I can see hands shaking and two faces smiling . What’s more there are white and black people on the beach.

This could be the symbol of reconciliation and peace between black and white people because apartheid is over (it was abolished in 1992). Today blacks and whites live together and they are happy.

        At the bottom, I can see gold mines. They show that the country is

very rich and has a lot of resources.

        Just under Mandela’s hands, I can see skyscrapers which stand for economic development (= growth) and prosperity. In that city there are two men who are shaking hands : they are Mandela and De Klerk. It refers to their negotiations ( and their Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1993)

        Next to them there is the Earth. We can see Africa. There are a lot of green, yellow and black balls coming from South Africa going all over Africa and around the world. Two coloured doves are flying from SA illustrating that SA’s peace has a worldwide impact.

        In my opinion the message of the document is that Mandela brings peace and joy to SA. People living in SA need peace and reconciliation instead of hatred and resentment. Today White and black people no longer hate one another and have become friends. It is a message of hope.

        I find this document optimistic because it is a message of hope.

 

THE JOBLESS p 29

 

1) This chart shows us that the unemployment rate is high and that despite the abolition of apartheid, there are still huge inequalities in SA when it comes to employment. Indeed coloured people are more likely to be unemployed than whites people. Besides the situation is even worse for women.

 

2) Although apartheid laws were officially abrogated in 1992, inequalities persist. Indeed black people are often poorer and less educated than white people.

 

 

 

                                            PAGE 2 : BARACK OBAMA                                           .

 

US Elections : Barack Obama's biography

 

A webquest found on  http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/obamath.php

 

Answer the following questions.

 

 

1) When was Barack Obama born? How old is he?

http://www.biography.com/featured-biography/barack-obama/index.jsp

 

2) Where was he born? How long did he stay there?

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1834628_1754197,00.html

 

3) Where did his father come from?

http://www.biography.com/featured-biography/barack-obama/index.jsp

 

4) Where did his mother come from?

http://www.biography.com/featured-biography/barack-obama/index.jsp

 

5) What is his academic background (Where did Obama study? Did he study in famous universities?)

http://www.scoop08.com/obama%2526%2523039%3Bs-academic-background-could-influence-court-picks

 

6) What did he study and what is his profession?

http://www.scoop08.com/obama%2526%2523039%3Bs-academic-background-could-influence-court-picks

 

7) Give details about his family (wife’s name, children)

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1834628_1754229,00.html

 

8) What is his political party ?

http://www.democrats.org/page/dashboard/public/gFdZp

 

9) Who does he run with?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7578136.stm

 

10) During his campaign, Obama delivered a speech on March 18, 2008. What was the speech theme?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html

 

11) Give Barack Obama's main political campaign issues.

http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/ 

 

12) What happened on November 4th, 2008?

Read the New York Times :

http://lve.scola.ac-paris.fr/anglais/documents/USelections/The%20New%20York%20Times%20-%20Breaking%20News,%20World%20News%20&%20Multimedia.htm