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Phobias - parallel reading task

This is an activity from frenchteacher.net. You could copy and paste this on to a sheet of A4 (landscape) with the French text on one side, English on the other. The subject matter should be iteresting for pupils.


Phobies

Dans un sondage récent on a demandé à 2000 personnes de quoi ils avaient le plus peur. Il semble qu’il y ait des différences non seulement entre les réponses des hommes et celles des femmes, mais aussi entre les différentes générations.
En tête de la liste, beaucoup de gens ont peur des hauteurs (58%). En deuxième place vient parler en public, suivi de près par la peur des serpents (52%).
Ensuite viennent les araignées, les souris, les piqûres, l’avion, les grandes foules, les clowns, l’obscurité, le sang et les chiens (14%). A noter que le dentiste n’était pas sur la liste de phobies présentées aux sondés.
Il est intéressant de constater aussi que les femmes craignent davantage les araignées et les souris que les hommes. En général, à l’exception des piqûres, les femmes ont un peu plus peur de tout que les hommes.
Mais il y a aussi des différences entre les générations. Les jeunes ont plus peur de parler en public, tandis que les personnes de plus de 60 ans ont plus peur des hauteurs et des serpents.
Il est difficile de comprendre pourquoi tant de personnes ont peur des clowns !

Phobias

In a recent opinion poll 2000 people were asked what they were most afraid of. It seems that there are differences, not only between the replies of men and women, but also between the different generations.

At the top of the list many people are afraid of heights (58%). In second place comes public speaking, followed closely by the fear of snakes. (52%).
Then come spiders, mice, injections, flying, large crowds, clowns, darkness, blood and dogs (14%). It’s worth mentioning that dentists were not offered as an option to the people polled.
It is also interesting to note that women fear spiders and mice more than men. In general, with the exception of injections, women are a little more afraid of everything than men.

But there are also differences between generations. Young people are more scared of public speaking, whilst people aged over 60 are more frightened of heights and snakes.

It is hard to understand why so many people are frightened of clowns!



Vrai, faux ou pas mentionné ?

1.​ On a posé des questions au public sur leurs phobies.
2.​ Les femmes et les hommes donnent toujours les mêmes réponses.
3.​ Les gens ont peur du dentiste.
4.​ Les gens ont le plus peur de parler en public.
5.​ Les femmes ont plus peur des piqûres que les hommes.
6.​ Les femmes ont plus peur des souris que les hommes.
7.​ On a sondé un nombre égal de femmes et d’hommes.
8.​ Avoir peur d’un clown, c’est facile à comprendre.
9.​ Personne n’a peur de l’obscurité.
10.​ Les jeunes ont relativement moins peur des hauteurs.
11.​ Plus de 50% des gens ont peur des serpents.
12.​ Plus de 50% des personnes ont peur des araignées.
13.​ Les gens ont moins peur de l’avion que les grandes foules.

De quoi avez-vous peur ?

1.​Mettez les phobies dans le texte dans votre ordre personnel.
​a) …………………​b) …………………
​c) …………………​d) …………………
​e) …………………​f) ………………….

2.​Ecrivez cinq phrases sur vos peurs personnelles.

​J’ai peur de/des ……………………………………….
​…………………………………………………………..
​…………………………………………………………..
​…………………………………………………………..
​…………………………………………………………..

3.​Sondage : posez la questions à vos camarades de classe :

​Tu as peur de quoi ?

​Notez les résultats et expliquez-les au professeur.
​Par exemple : Paul a peur de(s)….. etc



Teacher’s answers
1. V 2. F 3. PM 4. F 5. F 6. V 7. PM
8. F 9. F 10. V 11. V 12. PM 13. F
















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