When you think of an Armenian first of all you remember about Charles Aznavour. But I tried to write about not less important Armenian Henri Verneuil.

Henri Verneuil was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. One of his biggest jobs, that I love is the film “Mayrig”(mother). It is about his life. Everybody has to watch this film at least once, because it has an important message to give and Henri Verneuil was so honest in every detail.

Verneuil (Ashot Malakian) was born to Armenian parents in Rodosto, East Thrace, Turkey. In 1924, when Ashot was a little child his family fled to Marseille in France, to escape persecution after the Armenian Genocide. He later recounted his childhood experience in the novel Mayrig, which he dedicated to his mother and made into a 1991 film with the same name, which was followed by a sequel, 588 Rue Paradis, the following year.

Verneuil entered the École Nationale d’Arts et Metiers in Aix-en-Provence in 1942. After graduation, he worked as a journalist, then became editor of Horizon Armenian magazine.

In 1947, Verneuil managed to convince the established European film actor Fernandel to appear in his first film.

In 1951 he directed his first feature, the black comedy La Table aux crevés. His second film, Forbidden Fruit (1952), based on a Georges Simenon novel, was even more acclaimed.

Later he also directed other movie stars including Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Lino Ventura (all together acting for him in “Le clan des siciliens” in 1969), Jean-Paul Belmondo (“Le Corps de mon ennemi” in 1976 and other films), Omar Sharif, Claudia Cardinale (Mayrig), Yves Montand and Michèle Morgan. Verneuil has filmed almost all the great figures of French cinema, with the exception of Bourvil, as even Louis de Funès has a small role in one of his films.

After the American experience (he was called the “most American of French directors”), in 1969 Verneuil “found” France. He was awarded a César in 1996 and he was elected a member of the Academy of Fine Arts in 2000. He died at Bagnolet, a suburb of Paris, in 2002.

The opening of the seventh annual Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Yerevan paid tribute to Verneuil. His son, television director Patrick Malakian, who reclaimed the name of his historical ancestors, received the posthumous award, the Parajanov’s Thaler, for his father’s contribution to cinema.

For exactly 40 years, the prolific Verneuil made movies as mainstream and commercial as any to be found in America or Britain. In his best period – the 1950s and 1960s – he delivered films in the “tradition of quality” so despised by the Nouvelle Vague. Many of them proved excellent vehicles for old-timers Jean Gabin and Fernandel, and newcomers such as Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon.

He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d’Or awards, and won Locarno International Film Festival, Edgar Allan Poe Awards, French Legion of Honor, Golden Globe Award, French National Academy of Cinema and Honorary Cesar awards.

Hi Elen, everything’s good, thanks:)

 I’m so happy to hear that you had a good time. Yes, you’re right. I was planning a trip with my mom. We used to go in March, but everything got canceled because of the coronavirus. We got sad at first, because we have planned so many things and bought everything needed (new comfortable clothes for long walks, a new camera and some armenian souvenirs for our friends and relatives that live in Europe). But we try to stay positive because everything happens for a reason. I hope that one day we’ll travel together.

Love and miss you, Lilit.

Task 1

Choose the correctly formulated Passive constructions.

1. This easy work can be done without anybody‟s help.
2. We found the room exactly as it had been left the night before.
3. Tobacco introduced to France by Jean Nicot.
4. This modular computer has used by our researchers.
5. Gayane was first staged on December 3, 1942 in Perm during World War II.

2.

1. The first chewing-gum was made by Thomas Adams.
2. Have these benches painted recently?
3. The students being examined by the professor at that time.
4. The vase made of crystal was broken to pieces.
5. Lincoln was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth, an actor.

3.

1. Marie Tussaud created her first wax figure (of Voltaire) in 1777.
2. Before him lay a splendid garden, full of blossom and scent.
3. I have been misunderstood – no intention to hurt you.
4. Is that big hat made of straw?
5. Many of Van Gogh‟s best works were created in 1889, in an asylum.

4.

1. He will have published several poems by the end of the year.
2. What holidays are celebrated in your country in autumn and winter?
3. G. Washington is known to all Americans as “The Father of the Nation”.
4. The dynamite had invented by Alfred Nobel.
5. Charlie Chaplin is considered one of the most famous stars of the early days of Hollywood.

5.

1. Will the scientific seminar be held in two days?
2. The scientists have been making these experiments for the last few years.
3. Nobel preferred that people didn’t remember him as the inventor of dynamite.
4. The patent matter was still being discussed.
5. The Smiths weren’t invited to that meeting.

task 1

Two years ago Trisha’s firm made the mistake of sending her to Germany. Although she had studied German at school, she soon discovered that she couldn’t remember very much. She missed an important meeting because she had forgotten that “halb neun” in German means half past eight in English. So while she was having breakfast her colleagues were already at the meeting. When she arrived “on time” , the meeting had already finished. When she got back to England, Trisha joined a German course at her local college. While she was driving to work every day she was listening to language CDs. In the past few weeks her German has improved a lot and now she knows how to tell the time ! Right now she is studying hard for an examination. Next year Trisha is planning to spend her summer holiday in a language school near Munich. After that, she hopes that her company will send her to Germany again.

task 2

Reading Comprehension – Elephants

Elephants are large mammals of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. Traditionally, two species are recognized, the African elephant and the Asian elephant, although some evidence suggests that African bush elephants and African forest elephants are separate species. Other families of the order Proboscidea, including mammoths and mastodons are now extinct.

Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Male African elephants are the largest surviving terrestrial animals and can reach a height of 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 7,000 kg (15,000 lb).

All elephants have several distinctive features the most notable of which is a long trunk or proboscis, used for many purposes, particularly breathing, lifting water and grasping objects. Their incisors grow into tusks, which can serve as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. Elephants’ large ear flaps help to control their body temperature. Their pillar-like legs can carry their great weight. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs while Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs.

One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past they were used in war; today, they are often put on display in zoos and circuses.

COMPREHENSION:

1. Mammoths and mastodons live in Africa.
   a.  True
   b.  False
2. Elephants live in all continents.
   a.  True.
   b.  False.
3. Ivory trade is the main threat that elephants are facing.
   a.  True
   b.  False

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