URJC Secondary : 10D Strictly confidential

Big Brother is watching you.

George Orwell

From the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). In this novel, Big Brother is the supreme dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state where "the Party" has total power over the people in its quest to perpetuate itself. In this society, everyone is under constant surveillance by the authorities, and people are reminded of this endlessly by the catch-phrase "Big Brother is watching you".

Since Nineteen Eighty-Four was published, the term "Big Brother" has become synonymous with overly-controlling authorities, organizations and governments.

George Orwell (1903-50) English author

(from http://www.michellehenry.fr/signe.jpg)

(from http://www.henry4school.fr/Sciences/images/big-brother/tab.jpg)

THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Adams from The Telegraph contrasts spying methods from the past with those used nowadays. On the left, we can see a stereotypical spy in a raincoat sitting on a park bench pretending to read a newspaper. However, the newspaper has holes in it so that the spy can spy on people. On the right, we just have a coputer with the Google logo on its screen. The 'O's in the logo are drawn as eyes just like those of the spy on the bench, symbolizing that Google is spying on its users. (from www.englishblog.com)

THE CARTOON
This cartoon by Chappatte from the International New York Times shows one of the NSA's server farms. A general tells a lowly private, "We've collected all the world's emails - now you sort out the spam!"
THE CARTOON
We now know that NSA collects hundreds of thousands of address books and contact lists from e-mail services and instant messaging clients per day. Thanks to this information, the NSA is capable of building a map of a target's online relationships. Howeverm the NSA's data-collection activities are so resource-intensive, the agency can't complete its new server farms fast enough. Buth when it does, a significatn share of what gets held on those servers could wind up being worthless spam. Full story >>
(from englishblog.com)

Ice breakers

- Do other people have a right to know what you are doing? At work? In public places? At home?
- If you write an email letter to a friend, does anyone else have a right to look at it?
- What about if you write the email while you are at work, on a work computer?
- Do you think advertisers should be allowed to see your emails?
- Imagine: because of many problems there has been a change in the law. Voting is no longer private - but everyone can see who you voted for on a list published a week after every election. Would that be a good idea or not? What problems might there be?
- Imagine: there has been a lot of vandalism in the town centre. What could the local council do to prevent it? Would it be a good idea to employ street wardens to patro the area? How might they help?

Language corner: advantages & disadvantages

Drawbacks are negative things, ie arguments against something. These are sometimes negative things that contrast with an earlier list of positive things, eg There are many good points, but also a few drawbacks. It is often used in the phrases One of the drawbacks is ... and But there are some drawbacks. A hidden drawback is a drawback that isn't obvious or isn't immediatly noticed.
Pros and cos literally means 'fors and againsts'.
The downside of something is the disadvantage of something.
Benefits are positive, helpful or gootd results.
The trouble is that ... is a way of introducing a negative point.
The good/bad thing (about something) is ... is a way of introducing a good/bad point.

Reading

British schools put cameras in toilets (September, 2012)

Vocabulary corner: idioms

- Bright and early means 'early'.

- If you never get to the point, you talk a lot in a rambling way and never actually say the important thing your listener wants to hear. Beat around the bush means the same thing. The listener might say Get to the point! or Come to the point!

- If you play it safe, you do things very carefully and avoid taking any risks or doing anything potentially dangerous.

- The high point is the best moment of something that lasts longer, eg the high point of my morning/day/week/year/life.

- When you get cracking, you start working or continue working after an interruption. It's often used as a polite excuse to stop talking to people, eg Well, it's been nice chatting with you, but I must get cracking ... The expression get cracking on something can also be used about a specific thing, especially something that you think will be quite difficult or take some time, eg I must get cracking on my thesis.

- If you drag your feet, you show reluctance and avoid starting somehting or doing it.