1. ENGLISH 4
LISTENING
COUNTRIES, NATIONALITIES AND LANGUAGES/MOCK EXAM
AMIN MAALOUF
FROM : EURONEWS, 21.10.2010
(b. Beirut, Lebanon, 25 February 1949)
Amin Maalouf, a Catholic Arab, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, into a
cultured family, which had a tradition of business, too. His father,
Ruchdi Maalouf, was a writer, teacher, and journalist. Odette,
Maalouf's mother, was from a Maronite Christian family. In Origins: a
Memoir
(2004) Maalouf
tells
of his grandfather Botros, a
schoolteacher and failed businessman, and his younger brother
Gebrayel, who built up a successful retail enterprise in Havana.
Maalouf attended French Jesuit schools in Beirut and after studying
sociology and economics, he continued the long family tradition and
became a journalist.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
euronews:
“Going back to your identity, you are Leb__________ (1), Christian, Ar__________ (2),
Fre__________ (3), Eur__________ (4). Which of these do you most value?”
Amin Maalouf:
“It’s been said that when someone asked an Ara__________ (5) nomad which of his sons he
loved the most, he answered: the sick one until he was well again; the absent one, until he
came back. I say the same thing about my identities. When there are problems in
Leb__________ (6) I suffer and feel, at that moment, Leb__________ (7). And when there
are problems in Eur__________ (8), I behave like a Eur__________ (9).”
PHOTO AND SCRIPT : http://www.euronews.net/2010/10/21/amin-maalouf-world-economy-is-not-a-casino
TEXT IN BOX : http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/maalouf.htm
1
2. ENGLISH 4
LISTENING
COUNTRIES, NATIONALITIES AND LANGUAGES/MOCK EXAM
AMIN MAALOUF
FROM : EURONEWS, 21.10.2010
(b. Beirut, Lebanon, 25 February 1949)
Amin Maalouf, a Catholic Arab, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, into a
cultured family, which had a tradition of business, too. His father,
Ruchdi Maalouf, was a writer, teacher, and journalist. Odette,
Maalouf's mother, was from a Maronite Christian family. In Origins: a
Memoir
(2004) Maalouf
tells
of his grandfather Botros, a
schoolteacher and failed businessman, and his younger brother
Gebrayel, who built up a successful retail enterprise in Havana.
Maalouf attended French Jesuit schools in Beirut and after studying
sociology and economics, he continued the long family tradition and
became a journalist.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
euronews:
“Going back to your identity, you are Lebanese (1), Christian, Arab (2), French (3),
European(4). Which of these do you most value?”
Amin Maalouf:
“It’s been said that when someone asked an Arab (5) nomad which of his sons he loved the
most, he answered: the sick one until he was well again; the absent one, until he came back. I
say the same thing about my identities. When there are problems in Lebanon (6) I suffer and
feel, at that moment, Lebanese (7). And when there are problems in Europe (8), I behave like
a European (9).”
PHOTO AND SCRIPT : http://www.euronews.net/2010/10/21/amin-maalouf-world-economy-is-not-a-casino
TEXT IN BOX : http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/maalouf.htm
2
3. ENGLISH 4
LISTENING
COUNTRIES, NATIONALITIES AND LANGUAGES/MOCK EXAM
AMIN MAALOUF
FROM : EURONEWS, 21.10.2010
(b. Beirut, Lebanon, 25 February 1949)
Amin Maalouf, a Catholic Arab, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, into a
cultured family, which had a tradition of business, too. His father,
Ruchdi Maalouf, was a writer, teacher, and journalist. Odette,
Maalouf's mother, was from a Maronite Christian family. In Origins: a
Memoir
(2004) Maalouf
tells
of his grandfather Botros, a
schoolteacher and failed businessman, and his younger brother
Gebrayel, who built up a successful retail enterprise in Havana.
Maalouf attended French Jesuit schools in Beirut and after studying
sociology and economics, he continued the long family tradition and
became a journalist.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
The French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf is celebrating after winning the prestigious Spanish award, the Prince
of Asturias Prize for Literature. With his work translated into more than 20 languages, the 61-year-old is one of
the most celebrated contemporary writers, viewing Mediterranean culture as a symbol of co-existence and
tolerance.And this is not his first award. He has already won the Prix de Goncourt in France.
euronews:
“You’ve been awarded the 2010 Prince of Asturias Literature Prize – the most prestigious Spanish prize – and
your work has been recognised with other awards in the past. How do you view this prize?”
Amin Maalouf:
“Actually this prize really is special because of my long and deep relationship with Spain. My first book – ‘Leon
the African’ – started in Spain. Andalusia forms an important stage in the history of mankind: the meeting of
civilisations. The Arab-Islamic civilisation, the Christian-Spanish European civilisation, and equally the Jewish
civilisation all came together at this significant point and I think today we need to recall that period.”
euronews:
“That means the meeting of civilisations and not the conflict of civilisations? Is that what must be understood?”
Amin Maalouf:
“Personally I don’t subscribe to the theory of the conflict of civilisations. And even if what’s called conflicts of
civilisations exist, we must fight them. We must not believe that this is destiny, this is the future of the world,
that these are natural relations between peoples.
“This situation is an aberration and we have to overcome it. Humanity has overcome it in other circumstances,
and now it’s our turn in this current era.
“Because the world can only continue by moving this conflict on to a sort of co-habitation, and not only on the
level of civilisations but on a personal level too.”
euronews:
“Do you believe that Europe, with its collection of different states and diversity, could make that idea a reality?”
Amin Maalouf:
“Europe has to set an example because Europe has the capacity to solve this problem, but I believe strongly that
we are not yet committed to that route. You have to say to people – and especially young people – that living
together is something you learn throughout your entire life and you have to practice.”
euronews:
“You have published 14 works since you started writing, and reading your books there’s a common thread
running through them – the spirit of conciliation and tolerance – with the idea of a kind of world citizen. Could
that be a utopian vision of a new world?”
Amin Maalouf:
“It can be a utopian vision, but today we need such a view. Our world has changed profoundly on a material
level but mentalities have not changed.
An Arab poet from the 7th century said: ‘If I create earth, all the earth is mine and all people are my kinfolk.’ I
think in this day and age we have to adopt the same thinking, the idea that mankind’s destiny, the destiny of the
world is one single destiny.”
euronews:
3
