Correction Bac blanc du 05/12/201 Compréhension de l`écrit

Correction Bac blanc du 05/12/201
Compréhension de l’écrit
LV1/ LV2 (B1)
1- Harvey and Bruce are doctors. They run a clinic together and are probably associates. “As you know, Bruce and
I have been running the clinic” (ll. 6-7) : “Clinics and doctors usually crave media attention.” (l. 10) ; “And I, for
one, ...” (l. 12)
2-Harvey and Sara are on rather friendly terms because Harvey is going to disclose a secret. Besides when he says
in line 2 “You’re going to think I’m crazy”, she replies with humour “Nothing new there.” (l. 3).
3-The conversation is either taking place in a public place or in a private place like a house but with a lot of people
around. We know this because the characters are not alone in a room: Harvey keeps checking whether there is not
someone eavesdropping (“scanned the area to make sure that no one was around,” l. 4-5).
4a. True: “trying our best to keep all results secret and avoiding the press at all costs” (ll. 8-9). This is not always
the case though (“Clinics and doctors crave media attention,” l. 11.)
b. False: “I know,” Sara replied, “but I never understood why”( l.10).
c. True: “Clinics and doctors usually crave media attention” (ll. 10-11).
d. True: “And I, for one, am never against seeing my smiling face on TV” (ll. 12-13).
e. True: “our treatment is experimental. “In such cases even a rumor of success brings on expectations which
probably cannot be met” (ll. 14-15).
5-They have been working on AIDS and have been trying a new treatment that seems to be working.
6-They are running out of money and, if they are not given a federal grant, the clinic won’t be able to carry on with
the experiment; it is very diffi cult to fi nd a cure because the virus
mutates very quickly.
7-They know they are making progress because the tests have been very effective on mice and monkeys: The HIV
virus was destroyed.
8 -They are quite confident that, even if they have not found a complete cure, they at least have an effective
treatment for AIDS because it seems to be working on large mammals.
9 -There are several aspects that prevent them from working more quickly: a lack of money (ll. 25-26), and the
AIDS virus itself that keep mutating (l. 65). On top of everything else, the health agencies seems to be dragging
their feet when it comes to taking the right decisions. Sara seems to agree with Harvey on this (l. 81).
10-He managed to conduct his research without too much interference from the authorities by doing all their lab
tests in Southeast Asia – where no one interferes in your business, i.e. discretion is the order of the day – and in
Bangkok in particular.
11- She suggests they show the government their results in secret, thinking it would immediately grant them
funds after seeing their first results. (ll. 110-113).
12- The FDA seems reluctant to authorise experiments on patients with AIDS.
13 They don’t think that politicians are trustworthy; they would tell everyone about the discovery in order to
make political capital out of it. (ll. 115-118)
14- She could be a journalist because she seems to be familiar with the power of politicians. Also, she asks very
pertinent questions that lead Harvey to reveal his secret. Besides, she seems to have heard the rumours about
the discovery, rumours that can only have been spread around in very high spheres,
which journalists often frequent. (ll. 47-48)
15- They have tried to keep their results a secret because they don’t want to announce that they have found a
“miracle cure” and then disappoint millions of people by saying that in fact they were wrong (ll. 66-69).
Secondly they want to protect their patients’ identities because there is still a lot of prejudice and discrimination
against people suffering from AIDS. (ll. 17-20). Finally they wanted to have 100% conclusive results before
telling the Department of Health and Human Services, or the Food and Drug Administration because the latter
would slow things down by testing the drug for years before allowing it to be
put on the market. (ll. 75-76 and ll. 96-100)
16- They are changing their minds now because they are running out of money, but mostly because they think
that, with the amount of evidence they have, the FDA would waive the regular delay they impose on other
drugs. Besides, working discreetly with the FDA would avoid too much media attention.
(ll. 105-109).
17- It shows that their relationships are tense because the HHS wants to control the scientists’ work, which
tends to slow down their research.
Vocabulaire :
To chuckle : glousser
To be buzzled: perplexe
To scan : scruter/ balayer du regard
To sigh: pousser un soupir
To crave: solliciter/ avoir un besoin maladif
To leak out: divulguer - a leak : une fuite
To meet expectation : répondre aux attentes
To dismiss: écater, rejecter/ licencier
To plague : fléau
Plagued by : tourmenté par Wishful thinking: prendre ses désirs pour
Flately : firmly = catégoriquement
la réalité, se bercer d’illusions, vœux pieux
To dab : tamponner
Sweat : sueur ; transpiration
To look tense and strained : etre tendu et fatigue
To put mildly : c’est le moins que l’on
puisse dire; c’est un euphémisme
To contend: pretendre; contend with: lutter contre
To slow things down to a crawl: ralentir les choses
au point d’avancer tres lentement
To be bent out of shape : froisser/
deformer
To nod: hocher la tete
Allocate: affecter/attributer/ allouer