Bac anglais oral LV1 : thé idea of progress

THE IDEA OF PROGRESS

Definition : Progress is a movement forward or toward something, the process of improving or developing something over a period of time. It can be scientific, social, technological... progress.

Key question : What kind of progress took place in the 60’s ?

Documents : The 60’s (swinging london) / “The times are changing”

        The first document is a cover of Time magazine of the 15th of April 1966, called Swinging London. “The swinging 60’s” refers to decade when London was the center of the cultural universe. On the one hand, on the right and in the background, wee can see the traditional elements of London, like Big Ben or buses. On the other hand, at the bottom on the left in the foreground, we see young people wearing fashionable clothes and enjoying themselves. The liberal attitude of the time is illustrated by the spiralling eyes and dazed expressionwho were maybe under the influence of illegal substances.

        In the second document “The times are changing”, wee see that in the 60’s there were a lot of changes. In 1966, England won the World Cup and in 1969, the first men stepped on the moon. Besides, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Twiggy and Mary Quant made London the fashion capital of the world. The UK entered to the decade of consumerism and there is also a baby-boom. As there were more young people than old, they represented a economic and cultural force. The documen says that the 60’s were also the decade of drugs and hippies and happened the sexual revolution with the creation of the pill. First colour TV.

Conclusion : To answer to the problematic, we can say that in the 60’s there was a sport, science, technological, fashion, economic and social progress.

PLACES AND FORMS OF POWER

Definition : Power is the right or the ability to control people or things. Power can refer to the political control of an area or the influence over other people.

Key question : What are the limits to power? In what ways can power be abused?

Documents : Columbine shooting / Charlie Chaplin’s speech

        My first document is an audio and speaks about the Columbine High School massacre. It was a school shooting that ocurred on 1999 and it’s called also “Columbine shooting”. The perpetrators were two senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. In addition to the shooting, their planned attack involved bombs placed in the cafeteria. They murdered 12 studentsand one teacher; they also injured 21 people and three more while they attempt to escape. The pair, subsequently committed suicide. Already, the massacre sparked debate over gun control laws, hight school cliques, and bulying.

        My other document is the Charlie Chaplin’s speech. This speech comes from a movie of 1940, called The Great Dictator, which was a political sataer condemning Hitler, Mussolini, the nazies and antisemitism. The film tells the story oh a jewish barber, who is mistaken for a dictator, because he resembles Hitler, and he is asked to take his place. At the end of the film, he reject hi position as an emperor, and gives an impassioned speech. The exact number of deaths, during WW2, will never be known, but it’s estimated that Hitler’s nazie regim was responsable for 22 milion death. So in this speech, Charlie Chaplin provided a “call to action” with a very stimulating and powerful proposal to unite people around the world.

Conclusion : The power can be used were the person is crazy. Also, the police or the army can abuse.

MYTHS AND HEROES

Definition : Myth is a story about the early history of a community usually involving heroes with supernatural power.

Hero is a true or fictitious person, extremely brave character who is admired for his/her deeds.

Key question : Can everybody be a hero ?

Documents : The American Dream (The Beggar) / Rosa Parks

        My first document, called “The Beggar”, is a photograph published in 1992 in Time magazine. It deals with poverty, homelessness and begging. This image can be devided into two parts. On the left, wee can see a beggar and on the right, the arm of a person in a car giving him money. The beggar is holding a cardboard sign and says he is homeless and he’s got a family. He also says, he will work, and then he says “god bless”. But there is a contradiction between what he says and what he does. Maybe he says God bless as a tactic. Maybe he wants to be respectable to get money. On the other hand, maybe he has a family, so we can sypathise with him if it’s true.

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