Comprehension: Fighting Bugs with Bugs in French Farming

The French solution to pesticides is more pests: useful, factory-produced insects in the South of France gain favor with organic farmers. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Biotop sells chemical insecticides.
a. True
b. False

2. Some are concerned about the effects of Biotop’s methods on biodiversity.
a. True
b. False

3. Cyril Vignon has been using insects to control unwanted pests for five years.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Using insects instead of chemical insecticides to kill undesirable bugs is the business of this company in southern France. It sells 100 billion insects every year to environmentally-conscious customers who want to ban chemicals from farming and gardening. Despite some concerns about its impact on biodiversity, the insect-versus-insect business is booming.             

"We basically target three groups: professional farmers, city councils who manage urban green spaces and, more recently, the retail market where there is growing demand for alternative solutions."

 Cyril Vignon swears by such alternative solutions. He's a farmer, growing organic fruit and ancient vegetable types. For five years now, insects have been his weapon of choice to fight unwanted bugs.

 "We use bumblebees for pollination in strawberry and tomato fields, and then we let loose the auxiliary insects which eat the harmful insects, mostly lice, mites and thunder flies."

At a cost of about 100 euros to treat an average greenhouse, this protection does not come cheap compared to synthetic solutions.

"It's a bit more expensive than chemicals, but you get results and we care for our health, and that's priceless."

Humming along nicely on annual sales of five million euros, Biotop now wants to diversify into insect-killing mushrooms.

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. a

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Comprehension: Brooklyn Tours with a Personal Touch

A new kind of tourism is gaining popularity in New York's hip neighborhoods: one-on-one tours given by local residents. 
Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. One-on-one tours given by local residents are becoming more popular.
a. True
b. False

2. The neighbourhood of Williamsburg is in decline.
a. True
b. False

3. There are very few tour guides like Jeffrey in New York.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

"Are you Jeffrey?” "I'm George, and this is my wife Evelyn." 

Discovering the other side of New York. Instead of climbing the Empire State Building or visiting the Statue of Liberty, American tourists George and Evelyn spent this summer afternoon exploring the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. 

"Now, this is the new upcoming place so this is why it's very enriching for me to come and see." 

Their guide is Jeffrey, a 25-year-old Brooklyn native who knows the neighborhood like the back of his hand. 

"We have this piece of street art that I want to show you guys. It's by an artist, nicknamed I-robot." "This is called the Mast Brothers chocolate factory. Brooklyn had over 48 breweries here." 

Jeffrey tells George and Evelyn about the history of the local graffiti, beer culture and recent gentrification. The couple are part of a growing trend for tourists to discover a more authentic side of New York, and Jeffrey is only too keen to introduce his locale. 

"They learn and experience the area firsthand from someone that actually is a part of the community and lifestyle that takes place here. So rather than observing from a distance, they are actively joining and participating." 

"They have a Saturday and Sunday afternoon rooftop party, which is going on now." 

"On Sunday afternoon? It's too early in the day! You can't do this stuff in the daylight!" 

They end their tour on the banks of the East River, with breathtaking views of Manhattan. Evelyn and George are captivated by the landscape and their personal guide to Williamsburg. 

"On a company-type tour, they're instructed to cover certain things, in certain way, certain lengths of time, so Jeff was more flexible, and I like that too." 

And for others keen to see this side of New York, you’re spoilt for choice. More than 150 locals currently offer their services as one-on-one tour guides. 

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. b

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Comprehension: Clash of the Mini-Titans at China School of Rock

A China rock school sees children battling it out on stage for the top prize as they add another brick in the wall of the country's musical history. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The band ‘Cool’ is taking part in a national competition.
a. True
b. False

2. Chinese parents encourage their children to become international rock stars.
a. True
b. False

3. The judges come from different countries.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Meet the band members of Cool. It's competition day in the Chinese city of Tianjin and they're gearing up for this year's nationwide children’s rock contest. 

"Other bands perform the way they were taught. Their moves appear studied whereas we have our own unique style of performing." 

They’re only aged eight but have been jamming together for almost two years. Their dream is to fill stadiums around the world. But rock only came to China thirty years ago and few 
home-grown stars have made a name for themselves abroad. As a result, most Chinese parents see music as a hobby rather than a potential career path. 

"Children are under a lot of pressure at school. I think it's good that rock and roll allows them to blow off steam." 

Chinese tastes lean towards Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop tunes. Only a few major international acts visit China each year. And the Communist party restricts songs with lyrics considered too risqué for Chinese ears. 

"Rock n' Roll is still comparatively years behind in China. So over the last 10 years, we've put in a lot of effort training a lot of kids rock and roll music." 

And this event proves the efforts are paying off. Several class acts impress a line-up of foreign judges. The competition is tight and Cool narrowly miss out on first place. 

"We're thinking about changing our style. Next year we might try country music so that the judges and the audience can appreciate another side of our band." 

Rock musicians were once seen as rebellious youths hoping to alienate their parents. But these wannabe stars not only excel at music and achieve top grades at school, most also have the full backing of their families. 

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. a

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Comprehension: Iconic French Knife Continues to Look Sharp Despite its Age

A visit to the Opinel factory which sells millions of penknives every year and even has an entry in the catalogue of New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The company has had to change the design of the Opinel knife to adapt to the times.
a. True
b. False

2. More Opinel knives are sold in France than abroad.
a. True
b. False

3. The company is planning to outsource abroad soon.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Pablo Picasso used it to carve his sculptures. The ultimate accessory of French-style rustic living, the Opinel knife, is made here in Chambery in the French Alps. The design has changed very little since the 19th century, but the family-owned business has had to adapt to the times. 

"The original knife has evolved very little since the nineteenth century. We have adapted to the fashion: we've come out with models in various colours. You have to live with the times and Opinel does this well."
                    
Whether it's mushroom knives, butter knives or potato peelers - Opinel sells about 3.5 million blades a year, nearly half of those abroad. The company doesn’t plan to outsource anytime soon though, production will remain 100% French to keep that little je-ne-sais-quoi. 
                 
"It's part of the French heritage, it's a knife that's really very old, and I've heard of Opinel ever since I was a kid."
                    
"Let's just say that Opinel is a legend, I mean, who doesn't have their Opinel in their pocket?"
                                        
Penknife enthusiasts gathered here in the company's museum can learn about its founder Joseph Opinel and all about the details of their pocket companion. 

"You always have it in your pocket for picnics or as my son would say, to carve wood, and make things out of it, it’s fun."

"It's good for everything: to cut wood, to cut sandwiches and all that."
         
With Asian sales on the horizon, Opinel hopes to stay a cut above the rest. 

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. b

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Comprehension: Dams Threaten Way of Life for Mekong Fishermen

The waters of the mighty Mekong have sustained generations of families but nowadays its fishermen often find their nets empty and fear hydropower mega-dams will destroy their livelihoods. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The fishermen blame the dams in Thailand for the decline in fish.
a. True
b. False

2. There is a new dam under construction in Laos.
a. True
b. False

3. There are 11 dams planned along the Mekong River.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

This used to be a common sight, but is now increasingly rare. Every day, and most nights, fishermen search the Mekong for their increasingly illusive catch on this stretch of the river that separates Thailand and Laos. The men here say they are catching far fewer fish than ever before, and blame a series of dams that have been built upstream in China. 

"Before, the water levels would depend on the seasons but now when its low tide, all the water goes down. I think it’s because they are closing and opening the dams. And that’s why the fish numbers have gone down." 

And a new dam, in neighbouring Laos, is threatening fish stocks here even more. Conservationists say the Xayaburi dam, currently under construction, will stop fish from being able to travel up the river to breed. And that would affect the entire Mekong river system that flows from China, through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. 

"The Mekong River’s been taken over. Since the Xayaburi dam started, it's been a coup against the Mekong. They haven’t listened to public opinion." 

The builders of the billion-dollar dam have so far refused to comment, but Laotian authorities say the project has incorporated passages that fish will be able to swim up. Tens of millions of people rely on the Mekong to survive and, despite these assurances, they remain deeply concerned. Their connection to the river goes beyond a food source. 

 "There are many festival and tradition connected to the Mekong River, like the belief that the Naga, the big snake, the giant snake Naga lives in the Mekong River as a spirit to protect the Mekong River, but if the dams are built, blocking the river anywhere, this means that the Naga cannot move upstream to downstream anymore." 

The Xayaburi is the first of 11 planned dams along the Mekong in Laos and Cambodia. They will provide a huge amount of clean electricity to millions of people as well as generating millions in revenues for their respective governments. But for those who live by the banks of the river, their way of life could change forever. 

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. a

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Comprehension: Romanian Prison Marks 23 as Museum

Romania's Sighet prison once held some of the country's most renowned members of the country's anti-Communist movement. This year it celebrates its twentieth year as a museum dedicated to honouring the people who died for their beliefs, and to remind visitors of what can happen when democracy is not protected. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Teodor Stanca visits the museum twice a year.

a. True

b. False

2. Ana Blandiana founded the museum with her husband.

a. True

b. False

3. The prisoners wrote down their poems on the prison walls.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

From the end of the Second World War, Romania's Sighet prison was home to political prisoners who opposed Communist rule. Twenty years ago, as the iron curtain came down, each cell was adapted to make up a museum known as 'The Memorial of the victims of Communism and of the Resistance' the first of its kind in Europe. Teodor Stanca experienced the horrors of political detention first-hand. Back in 1956 he headed up a student movement calling for more freedom; he was imprisoned, denied food, humiliated and forced to work. To honour the memory of those who fought against totalitarianism, he visits the memorial centre every year. 

'The feeling of having achieved our aim was very important for each of us. We asked the question, 'if they free us tomorrow, would we do the same thing that sent us to prison? Most of us said yes.'' 

Amidst the grim prison routine, poetry was one means of release. With no paper or pens, verses were transmitted from one cell to the next using Morse code, a poignant fact for Ana Blandiana, who founded the museum with her husband Romulus Rusan. Her books were banned under the dictatorship of Ceausescu, Romania's last Communist dictator, and she believes the country's current struggles to establish a rule of law partly lie in its dark past. 

'Understanding what took place, the repression, we felt for more than 50 years you can understand the hangover from this period of totalitarianism in Romania, and why the state faces difficulties.' 

In Romania, more than 600,000 people were imprisoned for political reasons between 1945 and 1989. However the extent of the suffering has only just started to come to light. 

"In the West, we had a glorious memory of communism, the Spanish Civil War, the Popular Front, anti-fascism, resistance to Nazism etc. Here it was the exact opposite. People talk only of terror, torture, misery, so I was faced with a tragic memory instead of a glorious one. So we see that there are two different memories in Europe." 

The Sighet museum has welcomed a million visitors through its doors, and as it celebrates two decades in the making, it's a constant reminder that freedom needs eternal vigilence. 

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. b

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