0 Helena spent...
A a couple of years round Europe
gathering information
B over two years gathering
information
C two years in Northern and
Eastern Europe researching for a new book
D two summers in a
row in Europe doing research while on holiday1 The main purpose of Helena's journey was to
A establish precisely where Europe's minority languages are spoken.
B investigate the effects of climate and location on language.
C calculate the exact number of minority languages in Europe.
D assess the current condition of Europe's minority languages.
2 One problem of living in the mobile home was that
A there wasn't much space.
B the children had nowhere to play.
C it became very hot.
D they all got bored with each other.
3 What does Helena say about the people she met?
A Not all of them spoke a minority language.
B Some were more willing than others to express their views.
C Intellectuals gave more biased information than other people.
D Older people had a rather unbalanced view of the situation.
4 We learn that people who were punished for speaking Provençal
A did not take their punishment seriously.
B felt they were treated unfairly.
C were made to feel embarrassed.
D regretted what they had done.
5 What point does Helena make about some local people in a tourist area?
A They are not interested in preserving their culture.
B They complain too much about tourists.
C They sell their land in order to make large profits.
D Their actions are not consistent with their opinions.
6 According to Helena, language
A enables people to express their emotions.
B is an expression of one's identity.
C is the key to integration.
D makes everyone different.
KEY
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. B
Script
(P = Presenter; H = Helena)
P: With me today on Infospeak is
journalist and writer, Helena
Drysdale. Hello, Helena, and
welcome to the programme.
H: Thank you. Good morning.
P: Helena, you spent the last two years
travelling round Europe doing
research for a forthcoming book.
What were you trying to find out?
H: Yes, we went in search of Europe's
minority languages to determine
exactly what state they're all in,
particularly given today's climate of
mass culture and so on. We travelled
right up to northern Scandinavia
and the Arctic circle, where the Sami
reindeer herders live, and we got
down as far as Corsica and Sardinia
in the sunny Mediterranean.
Then there were the mountains
of northern Italy where Ladin is
spoken, and we had a rather wet and
rainy time in Brittany in the west
of France with its Celtic Breton.
Thirteen countries and fifteen minor
languages in all.
P: By 'us' and 'we', you're referring to
your family, of course.
H: Yes, my husband Richard, and our
two young children, Tallulah and
Xanthe - not forgetting the Mob, of
course, our trusty mobile home.
P: What was that like? Two years
together in a mobile home can't have
been easy.
H: It got a little cramped at times,
particularly when the weather kept
us in. The kids couldn't run around,
they'd start playing up, tempers
would overheat, and everyone fell
out. But apart from that, fine.
P: Yes, I can see. And how did you go
about gathering your information?
What were your sources?
H: I did some research in the library
and on the Internet after we came
back, but the only real way to get the
kind of information I was looking
for was by actually talking to people.
We met writers, teachers and
artists, who generally gave a more
intellectual analysis of the situation,
and we were able to balance that
with the more down-to-earth,
personalized accounts of people in
the rural areas. That's where many of
these languages are most frequently
spoken and also where people,
particularly the older generation,
seemed less reluctant to open up and
give us their honest opinion.
P: And I imagine they had some very
interesting stories to tell about the
past.
H: Yes, indeed. For example, we often
heard stories of punishments that
people received for speaking their
own language at school. One old
lady in the south of France told
us how she used to have to wear a
stone or a stick round her neck if
she was caught speaking Provencal.
She had to keep it on until someone
else committed the same offence
and then they'd have to wear it. And
whoever had it at the end of the day
was made to pay a fine, or sometimes
even beaten.
P: Hard to believe, really.
H: Mm. She's able to laugh about it now,
but at the time it was considered
deeply shaming to have to wear le
symbole, as she called it. Sometimes
it could be a wooden shoe or a
pottery cow, which represented the
country bumpkin, someone to be
despised.
P: And were these punishments
effective? Did they contribute to the
decline of some of these languages?
H: Yes, they lowered the status of a
language. But sometimes they helped
to keep a language going - at least in
the short term, anyway. They caused
resentment and made people more
defiant towards the authorities. You
know, it can be a bit like pruning
a tree - if you cut it back, it grows
much stronger. But there were and
still are other more powerful forces
which represent a much bigger
threat to the survival of Europe's
minority languages.
P: By that you mean globalization, I
presume.
H: That's right. And tourism. Now
although tourism can give a language
status by attracting outside interest
in it, it can also have a negative effect
on local cultures. You know, in one
place we visited, the natives moan
about the influx of outsiders and how
they buy up land at giveaway prices
to build holiday cottages, and how
its destroying their culture, and so
on. But then the very same people
are selling up their farms so they can
run hotels or open souvenir shops.
Understandable, perhaps, but they're
encouraging the very thing they're
complaining about.
P: Are languages like Sami and
Provencal endangered species, then?
H: Well, I think it's true to say that if no
positive action is taken, they'll simply
die out. The problem is that some
people are indifferent, and even
hostile to their own language. They
think it's of no use in the modern
world, which they so desperately
want to be part of. Fortunately,
though, there are enough people
around who realize that to lose your
mother tongue is like losing a part
of yourself. Your language makes
you who you are. And if you spoke
a different language, you'd be a
different person. But people on their
own can only do so much. It really is
up to the European Union to legislate
to ensure the survival of minority
languages.
P: And how exactly do you legislate to
save a language?
H: Well, I think there are several things
you can do. Firstly, of course, the EU
would have to bring in...
Vocabulary
Herder: a person whose job is to take care of a group of animals such as sheep and cows in the countryside. E.g. goat herder. Reindeer herder.
Trusty: that you have had a long time and have always been able to rely on. Reliable. E.g. a trusty friend. She spent years touring Europe with her trusty old camera.
Cramped: a cramped room, etc. does not have enough space for the people in it. E.g. working in cramped conditions.
Play up/ play somebody up: to cause somebody problems or pain. E.g. The kids have been playing up all day. My shoulder is playing me up today. The kids couldn't run around, they'd start playing up, tempers would overheat, and everyone fell out.
Temper: if somebody has a temper, they become angry very easily. E.g. a violent/short/quick, etc. temper. He must learn to control his temper. She broke the plates in a fit of temper. After an hour of waiting, tempers began to fray (= people began to get angry).
Fall out: to have an argument with somebody so that you are no longer friendly with them.
Go about: to start working on something. Tackle. Sp. Emprender: E.g. You're not going about the job in the right way. How should I go about finding a job?
Down to earth: sensible and practical, in a way that is helpful and friendly.
Account: a written or spoken description of something that has happened. E.g. She gave the police a full account of the incident. The diaries contained detailed accounts of the writer's experiences in China.
Reluctant: hesitating before doing something because you do not want to do it or because you are not sure that it is the right thing to do. Sp. Reacio. E.g. She was reluctant to admit she was wrong.
Open up (to somebody): (British English also open out (to somebody)) to talk about what you feel and think; to become less shy and more willing to communicate. Sp. Abrirse, sincerarse. E.g. It helps to discuss your problems but I find it hard to open up. He only opened up to her very slowly.
Country bumpkin: a person from the countryside who seems stupid. Sp. Paleto.
Despise: to dislike and have no respect for somebody/something. Sp. Despreciar. E.g. She despised gossip in any form. He despised himself for being so cowardly.
Defiant: /dɪˈfaɪənt/ openly refusing to obey somebody/something, sometimes in an aggressive way. Sp. Desobediente, desafiante. E.g. a defiant teenager. The terrorists sent a defiant message to the government.
Prune: to cut off some of the branches from a tree, bush, etc. so that it will grow better and stronger. Sp. Podar. E:g. When should you prune apple trees? He pruned the longer branches off the tree. Prune something back: e.g. The hedge (Sp. seto) needs pruning back.
Cut sth back: to make a bush, etc. smaller by cutting branches off. Prune. E.g. to cut back a rose bush.
Moan: /məʊn/ to complain about something. E.g. What are you moaning on about now? They're always moaning and groaning about how much they have to do. Bella moaned that her feet were cold.
Influx: the fact of a lot of people, money or things arriving somewhere. Sp. Afluencia. E.g. a massive/sudden influx of visitors. The influx of wealth into the region.
Buy something up: to buy all or as much as possible of something. E.g. Developers are buying up all the land on the island. They buy up land at giveaway prices.
Giveaway prices: low.
Sell sth up: to sell your home, possessions, business, etc, usually because you are leaving the country or retiring.
Species: (sg=pl) /ˈspiːʃiːz/ a group into which animals, plants, etc. that are able to breed with each other and produce healthy young are divided, smaller than a genus and identified by a Latin name. E.g. a rare species of beetle. There are many species of dog(s). A conservation area for endangered species.
Die out: to stop existing. E.g. This species has nearly died out because its habitat is being destroyed.
Be up to somebody: to be somebody's duty or responsibility; to be for somebody to decide. E.g. It's not up to you to tell me how to do my job. Shall we eat out or stay in? It's up to you.
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