Passez la souris ou touchez les mots soulignés pour voir la traduction.
A philosophy teacher entered the classroom to give his senior class their final exam.
He placed a chair on his big mahogany deskBUREAU EN ACAJOU and said to the class, “Using everything you’ve learned in this class this year, prove to me that this chair doesn’t exist.”
The students wasted no time. Pencils were scribbling and pages were turning. They soughtCHERCHÈRENT arguments to prove the inexistence of the chair.
Except for one student in the back rowRANG. He spent thirty seconds writing his answer, then handed in his paperREMIT SON PAPIER and sat back down.
Time passed, and the students finally received their final gradesNOTES.
There was shock all around when the student who had written for only thirty seconds received the highest grade in the class.
His answer was simply: “What chair?”
Vocabulary
Sought: past tense of seek; looked for, searched for.
Handed in: submitted (especially homework or an exam paper).
They soughtCHERCHÈRENT arguments to disprove the chair’s existence.
He quickly handed in his paperREMIT SON PAPIER to the professor.
Grammar
The joke uses mainly past simple for narration of completed actions and past continuous to describe background activities in progress at a specific moment.
Past simple: He placed a chair… / They wasted no time… / He spent thirty seconds…
Past continuous: Pencils were scribbling and pages were turning.
Synonyms & Alternatives
Sought: searched for, looked for, tried to find.
Handed in: submitted, turned in, gave in.
Mini Dialogue
Professor: You have one hour. Prove that this table doesn’t exist.
Student A: I soughtCHERCHAI every argument from Descartes and Berkeley!
Student B: I just handed in my paperREMIŚ MON PAPIER… I finished in twenty seconds.
Professor (later): And the best grade goes to… “What table?”
Passez la souris ou touchez les mots soulignés pour voir la traduction.
I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principlesTOUT EN APPLIQUANT LES MÊMES PRINCIPES. ThereforePAR CONSÉQUENT, every day I walk down the street and tell passers-byLES PASSANTS what I have eaten, how I feel at the moment, what I did the night before, what I will do later and with whomAVEC QUI.
I give them pictures of my family, my dog and of me gardening, taking things apartEN DÉMONTANT DES OBJETS in the garage, watering the lawnEN ARROSANT LA PELOUSE, standing in front of landmarksDES MONUMENTS CÉLÈBRES, driving around town, having lunch and doing what anybody and everybody does every day.
I also listen to their conversations, give them the "thumbs up"LEUR FAIRE UN « POUCE LEVÉ » and tell them I like them.
And it works just like Facebook! I already have four people following me: Two police officers, a private investigator, and a shrinkUN PSY.
Vocabulary
Passers-by: people who are walking past a place in the street.
Shrink: informal word for a psychiatrist or psychologist.
He tells passers-byLES PASSANTS everything about his day.
In the end, even a shrinkUN PSYCHIATRE starts following him.
Grammar
The joke mainly uses present simple to describe a repeated habit, combined with -ing clauses to add extra actions or circumstances.
Present simple for routine: Every day he walks down the street and tells people about his life.
-ing participle clauses: He shows pictures of himself watering the lawn and taking things apart in the garage.
Synonyms & Alternatives
Passers-by: pedestrians.
Shrink: therapist.
Mini Dialogue
Oliver: Yesterday I spoke to several passers-byPASSANTS about my holiday plans.
Daniel: Really? And who are you travelling withAVEC QUI?
Oliver: I’m visiting famous landmarksMONUMENTS CÉLÈBRES across Europe.
Daniel: Brilliant! I’ll give you the thumbs upTE FAIRE UN « POUCE LEVÉ » for that plan.
Passez la souris ou touchez les mots soulignés pour voir la traduction.
A guy ringsUN TYPE APPELA one of his co-workers over the weekend. A small voice replies, “Hello?”
The man says, “Can you call your dadPÈRE to the phone?”
“I'm afraidJE CRAINS QUE he’s busy,” says the little boy.
“In that case I’ll talk to your mumMÈRE.”
“I’m sorry, but she is busy.”
“Is there anyone else over there?”
“Yes, the police.”
“The police! Let me talk to a police officer, then.”
“I’m afraid they’re all busy—the police and the firefightersLES SAPEURS-POMPIERS.”
“They’re all busy?! What do you mean they’re all busy? Your father’s busy, your mother’s busy, the police and the firefighters are busy! But what in Heaven's namePOUR L’AMOUR DU CIEL are they doing?”
And the little boy whispersMURMURA gently into the telephone, “They’re looking for me…”
Vocabulary
Whisper: to speak very softly or quietly.
In Heaven’s name: an expression used to show strong surprise or frustration.
The little boy whispersMURMURA into the phone.
“What in Heaven’s namePOUR L’AMOUR DU CIEL is happening here?”
Grammar
The joke mainly uses present simple in dialogue and past simple in narration to tell the story clearly.
Past simple (narration): A guy rang one of his co-workers.
Present simple (dialogue): The boy says his parents are busy.
Synonyms & Alternatives
Whisper: murmur, speak softly.
In Heaven's name: for goodness’ sake, what on earth.
Mini Dialogue
Tom: Why are you whisperingMURMURES on the phone?
Lucas: Because my sister is sleeping.
Tom: What in Heaven's namePOUR L’AMOUR DU CIEL did you do?
