Articles and quantifiers 877 Fill in the gaps in the following text with articles, or with de + article, or with de alone where
necessary. In the case of any gap which you decide not to fill, explain why an article is not
necessary.
Chaque année depuis 1970, au cœur __ hiver, principaux responsables de la planète
- chefs d’État, ____ banquiers, financiers, patrons des grandes
entreprises transnationales – se retrouvent à Davos, petite ville suisse, pour faire le point
sur les avancées de l’économie marché, du libre échange et dérégulation.
Rendez-vous nouveaux maîtres du monde, le Forum économique Davos est
devenu, sans conteste, le centre __ hyperlibéralisme, capitale mondialisation et
foyer principal pensée unique.
Le Monde Diplomatique
8 A Scottish friend asks you to translate the following letter which he wants to send to
L’Entreprise in reply to J. Boissonnat’s letter. You will find some useful expressions in the
original text.
Sir,
I see from a recent article in your journal (‘Tour du monde’, L’Entreprise, October, 1989) that
once again you Europeans are carelessly confusing Great Britain with England. In a paragraph
which purports to discuss business life in Great Britain, Jean Boissonnat talks only of the
English. It would seem that, as is so often the case, the Scots and the Welsh have been
forgotten. Yet we do have businesses, large and small, in Scotland and Wales, and we are both
hard-working nations, which, according to your journalist, cannot be said of the English (I
make no comment on that point). Obsession with quality is not a characteristic peculiar to the
Japanese – we Scots share it, and this obsession, together with perseverance, energy, and good
business management, have led us to produce the best whiskies and the finest woollen goods
in the world. Perhaps the next time Jean Boissonnat goes on a world tour he could broaden his
experience by stopping off in Scotland; we’re always ready to meet the needs of a new client!
Yours faithfully,
Hamish Cameron,
Edinburgh,
Scotland