Row Breaks Out in French Socialist Primary Race
Listen to the story
There is a primary in France for left-wing politics. A primary is a vote to choose one candidate. Ségolène Royal is one of the people in the vote. Raphaël Glucksmann is another person in the vote.
Ségolène Royal called Raphaël Glucksmann a "trainee". A trainee is a new worker who is learning. This word can also mean someone with no experience. The organising committee did not like this. A committee is a group of people who make rules. They told Ségolène Royal that her words were not correct for the primary.
Raphaël Glucksmann answered back. He said Ségolène Royal always "asked for" her jobs in politics. This means he thinks she wanted power for herself.
Another candidate, Sacha Houlié, also spoke about Ségolène Royal. He said she "ruined" the Poitou-Charentes region when she was in charge there. Ruined means she made it very bad.
This story shows there is conflict between candidates before the vote. Conflict means people do not agree and they fight with words.
Vocabulary15 words
- primary
- a vote to choose one person from a group
- trainee
- a new person who is still learning; also means no experience
- organising committee
- a group of people who make the rules for an event
- asked for
- wanted something and tried to get it
- ruined
- made something very bad or broken
- conflict
- when people disagree and fight with words
- candidate
- a person who wants to win a vote
- region
- a big area of a country
- politics
- work about running a country or area
- power
- control over people or decisions
- public
- open for everyone to see
- insult
- a bad word said to hurt someone
- left-wing
- a type of politics about equality and workers
- vote
- choosing someone by saying your opinion
- criticise
- to say something is wrong
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Ségolène Royal 2. They criticised Royal 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
There is a _____ in France for left-wing politics.
Ségolène Royal called Raphaël Glucksmann a _____.
The _____ did not like this.
They told Ségolène Royal that her words were not _____ for the primary.
Raphaël Glucksmann said Ségolène Royal always _____ her jobs in politics.
Sacha Houlié said she _____ the Poitou-Charentes region.
This story shows there is _____ between candidates.
Conflict means people do not agree and they _____ with words.
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