Leçon 7

Question 1

frapper, cogner

Left-wing politicians keep _____ the single market.

Answer 1

to bash

Left-wing politicians keep bashing the single market.

Question 2

être à la hauteur

New start-ups are constantly appearing these days, newer business owners really have to be _____ to stand out from the rest.

Answer 2

on the ball

New start-ups are constantly appearing these days, newer business owners really have to be on the ball to stand out from the rest.

Question 3

une série, une ribambelle, une fournée (souvent péjoratif)

another _____ of illegal immigrants has been shipped away to their homeland

Answer 3

a batch

another batch of illegal immigrants has been shipped away to their homeland

Question 4

maltraiter, martyriser, endommager

Mr Monti talks of curbing tax competition between EU countries, so that governements can pay for social policies even as they fix their _____ public finances.

Answer 4

to batter

Mr Monti talks of curbing tax competition between EU countries, so that governements can pay for social policies even as they fix their battered public finances.

Question 5

battre à plates coutures

Answer 5

to beat hollow

Question 6

tourner autour du pot

Let’s not ______, we need to discuss finances.

Answer 6

to beat about (around) the bush

Let’s not beat around the bush, we need to discuss finances.

Question 7

porter, supporter

Answer 7

to bear

Question 8

avoir la responsabilité de quelque chose

If you want to enter political office you must be ready to ______ the role.

Answer 8

to bear the responsibility of something

If you want to enter political office you must be ready to bear the responsibility of the role.

Question 9

cela n’a aucun rapport avec

I do not understand why you are mentioning that, ______ our current debate.

Answer 9

it bears no relation to

I do not understand why you are mentioning that, it bears no relation to our current debate.

Question 10

cela n’a aucun rapport avec l’affaire

The opinions of the populace _______ of policy in dictatorships.

Answer 10

it has no bearing on the matter

The opinions of the populace have no bearings on matters of policy in dictatorships.

Question 11

ses propos ne sont pas à répéter

The MP for North West Durham was outraged at cuts to her region’s budget. _____ when she heard the news ______.

Answer 11

his language does not bear repeating

The MP for North West Durham was outraged at cuts to her region’s budget. Her language when she heard the news does not bear repeating.

Question 12

porter ses fruits

mes recherches ont été couronnées de succès

Answer 12

to bear fruit

My enquiries bore fruit

Question 13

essuyer les plâtres de

Why should workers ______ globalisation pain?

Answer 13

to bear the brunt of

Why should workers bear the brunt of globalisation pain?

Question 14

Les syndicats portent la responsabilité de cette grève

Answer 14

The Unions bear responsibility for this strike.

Question 15

témoigner de

This decision _______ a latent crisis.

Answer 15

to bear witness

This decision bears witness to a latent crisis.

Question 16

garder à l’esprit, tenir compte de

It is important to _______ that solving world poverty will take more than just one-off donations.

Answer 16

to bear in mind

It is important to bear in mind that solving world poverty will take more than just one-off donations.

Question 17

porter le coût de

The British Labour Party believes that patients should not have to ______ their own medical treatment.

Answer 17

to bear the cost of

The British Labour Party believes that patients should not have to bear the cost of their own medical treatment.

Question 18

confirmer

The results _____ the fact that the situation is improving.

Answer 18

to bear out

The results bear out the fact that the situation is improving.

Question 19

prendre conscience de

The public is starting to ______ companies like Google and Facebook making use of their personal information for advertising purposes.

Answer 19

to become aware of

The public is starting to become aware of companies like Google and Facebook making use of their personal information for advertising purposes.

Question 20

la base (fig.)

Since the day we opened, our ethics, values and honesty have formed _____ ___ which our global enterprise is built.

Answer 20

the bedrock

Since the day we opened, our ethics, values and honesty have formed the bedrock onto which our global enterprise is built.

Question 21

engendrer

Child labour ______ new poverty since working children lose out on education.

Answer 21

to beget [buh · get]

Child labour begets new poverty since working children lose out on education.

Question 22

duper

During election campaigns the candidates ______ voters with false promises (bercer de fausses promesses).

Answer 22

to beguile (to swindle)

During election campaigns the candidates beguile voters with false promises (bercer de fausses promesses).

Question 23

au nom de, de la part de

The While House press team will sometimes issue statements _______ the President.

Answer 23

on behalf of

The While House press team will sometimes issue statements on behalf of the President.

Question 24

une croyance

Answer 24

a belief

Question 25

c’est incroyable

The fall in crime this year _______.

Answer 25

it is beyond/past (all) belief

The fall in crime this year is beyond all belief.

Question 26

en privé, secrètement

The restructuring plan was discussed ______ without the unions being present.

Answer 26

behind closed doors

The restructuring plan was discussed behind closed doors without the unions being present.

Question 27

un repère, un point de référence

Why do we look at celebrities as ___________ how the rest of society behaves?

Answer 27

a benchmark

Why do we look at celebrities as a benchmark for how the rest of society behaves?

Question 28

profiter à

The current growth cycle in the US, the sceptics would assert, is to _______ the rich only.

Answer 28

to benefit

The current growth cycle in the US, the sceptics would assert, is to benefit the rich only.

Question 29

souffrir

Il n’y a pas de remède miracle à tous les maux dont souffrent nos entreprises.

Answer 29

to beset

There is no quick fix for all the difficulties that beset our companies

Question 30

être à côté de la question

Whether or not capitalism is the most moral system of government ______, its economic and societal benefits are enormous.

Answer 30

to be beside the point

Whether or not capitalism is the most moral system of government is beside the point, its economic and societal benefits are enormous.

Question 31

le test ultime

Trying out a product in a store, where it is exposed to a realistic commercial environment, is _______ of its viability.

Answer 31

the acid test

Trying out a product in a store, where it is exposed to a realistic commercial environment, is the acid test of its viability.

Question 32

le pouvoir d’achat des retraités

A recent survey has found that advertisers are failing to capitalise on _______, a phenomenon that reflects an ageing but wealthy population willing to spend its money on leisure pursuits.

Answer 32

the grey pound

A recent survey has found that advertisers are failing to capitalise on the grey pound, a phenomenon that reflects an ageing but wealthy population willing to spend its money on leisure pursuits.

Question 33

le pouvoir d’achat de la communauté gay

The strength of ________, has led to an increase in the number of travel companies targeting the gay market.

Answer 33

the pink pound

The strength of the pink pound has led to an increase in the number of travel companies targeting the gay market.

Question 34

tout est possible, rien n’est impossible

As South Africa’s first online trading site went live today, finance guru Milton Blofeld commented that _________ for stocks on the web.

Answer 34

the sky’s the limit

As South Africa’s first online trading site went live today, finance guru Milton Blofeld commented that the sky was now the limit for stocks on the web.