Below are two texts, one of them written, the other a video:
Text 1
The gapfill (20 gaps) below is from an الجزيرة Al-Jazeera article Fill in the gaps with your linguistic choice range, then click on the link to see the author’s linguistic choice and finish reading the article.
Why are the ‘yellow vests’ protesting in France?
The wave of protests 1)______ through France is not a rejection of green policies. It’s a 2)_____ against the 1 percent.
For the past three weeks, France has been experiencing one of the most significant socialmobilisations in its recent history, which laid bare the country’ssocial 3)____, anti-elite sentiment,growing inequalities and thirst for social justice.
It all started on November 17 when tens of thousands of people 4)____ to the streets across the country to protest against rising fuel prices.
The protesters, dubbed “Les gilets jaunes” (the yellow vests) after the high-visibility jackets they adopted as a symbol of their complaint, blocked roundabouts, burned effigies and clashed with the police. They were angry about the almost 20 percent increase in the price of diesel since the start of the year, as well as the planned fuel tax 5)____ President Emmanuel Macron had recently announced.
While Macron said the tax was necessary to “protect the environment” and “combat climate change”, protesters claimed the decision was yet another sign that the “arrogant” and “privileged” president is out of touch with regular folk 6)_______ to make 7)____ meet.
The intensity of the protests quickly forced the government to make a U-turn and first suspend and later permanently shelve its plans for fuel tax increases. However, the protest movement was not only about fuel prices. It 8)_________ wider anger and frustration against the political establishment in general and President Macron in particular. As a result, the government’s decision to abandon fuel tax hikes 9)______ to calm tensions.
The “yellow vests” want further concessions from the government. Their demands include a redistribution of wealth as well as the increase of salaries, pensions, social security payments and the minimum wage. Some say they will not 10)_________ for anything less than the president’s resignation.
So how did day-to-day frustrations about fuel prices and “green taxes” transform into a nation-wide protest movement attracting hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of weeks?
It all comes down to Macron’s apparent failure to connect with the people, understand their concerns and steer France away from destructive neoliberal policies.
Misleading the electorate
40-year-old Macron was elected last year on pledges to change the face of French politics, create more jobs and improve lives.
On the eve of the 2017 presidential election, French voters were tired of career politicians. They wanted a different kind of leader, someone who can understand their 11)_______ social and economic concerns and deliver real, practical solutions.
For the past four decades, French people have been worried about the 12)_____ of social protections in their country. Since Francois Mitterrand’s socialist government controversially decided to 13)________ austerity policies in 1983, successive governments have taken slow but consistent steps to dismantle the French welfare state.
All this gradually accentuated the economic concerns of the French middle and working classes and led them to be more and more suspicious of all mainstream politicians on the right and the left. They came to believe that the political elite protects the interests of the wealthy and does not care about the 14)________ of ordinary citizens.
Successfully diagnosing the public’s frustration with the political class, Macron worked hard to differentiate himself from the establishment in Paris and act as the representative of a “new world order” throughout his election campaign.
He had the youth, the energy, the positive message. He was the leader of a brand-new political party, 15)__________ neither with the right nor the left. He appeared to be carrying no political baggage. Many viewed him as a possible savior and did not hesitate to give him their vote.
Moreover, he was 16)_______ against National Front leader Marine Le Pen. This also made him look like a “progressive saviour”. A significant portion of the French electorate was ready to vote for any moderate candidate who could stop the far right from taking power. So, they voted for Macron, even though many of them did not support his agenda completely or have faith in his ability to respond to their concerns.
As a result, Macron was elected by a 17)______. However, it didn’t take long for his supporters to realise that his “reformist”, “new world” image was nothing more than an illusion.
Macron’s failure to 18)_______ about change should not have surprised anyone. Even though he seemed “young and new”, he was part of the establishment.
He had served as the minister of the economy, industry and digital affairs from 2014 to 2016 under Francois Hollande – he was in charge of implementing the former president’s 19)_______ Labour Law reform, which caused 20)_______ protests across the country. Before that he was a Rothschild investment banker.
Text 2
The article has what could be described as a left-wing view. The video content might be described as right-wing. Watch the video twice. The first time see which ideas in the video are the same as in the article and which are different. The second time: make a note of linguistic choice.
“the straw that broke the camel’s__”
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