BTS 2021

General knowledge and expression test

SYNTHESIS of DOCUMENTS :/40 points

Instructions:

You will write an objective, concise, and organized summary of the following documents.

Your corpus was:

- SNCF advertising poster, 2017.

- DOCUMENT 2 :Christophe RYMARSKY, « Ralentir et vite ! », RevueSciences humaines,

July 2012.

- DOCUMENT 3: ALAIN, 'Speed', Thoughts on Happiness, Gallimard Editions, 1928.

- DOCUMENT 4

Purpose of the synthesis exercise:

The purpose of the synthesis exercise is to cross-reference the documents with each other, that is to say, to
to confront them, to make them 'dialogue' with each other, to compare them to show the
meaning, unity and/or opposition.
The annual general theme is 'At Full Speed'.

The specific theme of your corpus, that is to say of the set of documents that one
You are asked to summarize on "the urgency of modern life and its..."
consequences.
Your problem statement and the plan that stems from the problem statement will come from your table of
confrontation (see below).

This issue of the corpus (or main question) that the authors of your corpus
the answer is, for example, the following: To better manage modern daily emergencies,
What should we choose, to always go faster or to slow down and for what gain(s)?

Note: Your summary must therefore respond to this corpus issue without using
WHAT the content of the corpus. The arguments used in synthesis should never go beyond the
Otherwise, they are off-topic!

The main parts of the plan should revolve around the following ideas that respond to your
problematic:

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DOCUMENT 1 : DOCUMENT 2 :C. DOCUMENT 3 : DOCUMENT 4: Common ideas
Advertising poster Rymarsky, Alain, "Speed" Coher, fairings, to the documents of
SNCF, 2017. Slow down and fast! Actes Editions body
Science Review happiness, Editions Sud, 2011.
humans, July Gallimard, 1928.
2012.

ANALYSE Debate on Debate on gain NOTE: there is

d'IMAGE/Signs the acceleration of real-time and debate on our
linguistics: the title our lives and on its use hyper lifestyle
and the context us conditioning /Example of the ¼ quick
informant: advertising of the future of the time saved by
promotional (" I planet/of the travelers who
love TGV ») from the the man. § 1 they will lose it
SNCF for the train to café, etc.
high speed→ gain Constat: "the
of time (2h04 speed has become
Bordeaux-Paris) thanks to our mode of
on the TGV 2017 therefore to life» § 2
modernity/style
of current life
Book your ticket
from now on
emergency of the
situation.
IMAGE ANALYSIS Paradox of the Paradox of the Paradox of the CAUSES:
Signs technology technology mechanics Current standards
iconic/Character - more time Boredom of (motor) face to face of speed
male perceived as free/more than traveler with a of the body carried by the
train traveler possibilities/gain of train plus lent human : ° technology and its
SNCF seated car in time (advantages) but who loses his man " That paradoxes :
reading a book train time to discuss who accelerated
forbearance, waste of time above: (furious) was not Examples
take the/his by requests and why not not the one who transports in
time. Paradox: stimulations would it not lose slowed down common (train)
traveler whose head permanents as well this (prudent) » § 2 versus sport of
is seen through (disadvantages) that time in Elegant leisure
the screen of a phone wagon ?" § 3. row of his big
portable where we see alto voice, Case of travel
a pilot's helmet and launched like a professional
in the background, projectile versus personnel
just an airplane from precision
hunting→ The blazing. §3.
SNCF traveler
journey at speed
of the airplane pilot,
while remaining
quietly sitting
to read, to have fun.

2
ANALYSE The speed of Night out at CONSEQUENCES:
d'IMAGE/Signs scrolling of the motto: 'hour' positives/pleasure
plastics: the image landscape eases empty, world freedom, gain of
is in black and white. the life of dépeuplé », « roi weather.
Strong contrast between traveler but he of the world→
the interior of don't take the Feeling of
the cabin and the side almost freedom.
shade of arrived, he calls out a
clothes of hackney carriage, and short The Elegant does not
passengers with like the fire would no longer stop
the outside: sky was at his no more fire
clear, bright, unobstructed house. §4 and §5 red, more
see and empty of the of agglomeration)
glass.→ The speed of before a good
movement is moment. Anton
synonyms of large smiles. » last §
empty spaces and → Feeling of
sign of freedom. pleasure of
vast spaces
and of freedom
to go fast.
Urgency of Regulation of the Management of the CONSEQUENCES AND
slow down speed
reverse the course of speed by the body: Urgency of
things "regular" of the ample and slow down: management and
Examples: last locomotive. § 1 fluids » §1. regulation of the
athletes Everything that speed in relation to
(sport)/traps to was hindering the to the slowness.
speed in the city passage of the bolide
hurried pedestrians was
stoppés)/ instantly
movements transmitted to the body
slow (...) A
slow down, lift the accompaniment
foot » § 3. docile who never
nothing forces but
modifies by himself
the course of
things. » § 3
Consequences Consequences Foil from CONSEQUENCES :
harmful from norm harmful from speed -Negatives of the
modern of the modern standards prudence versus speed
speed of speed: risk→ of risk,
to the point of taking disenchantment, double addiction, and
the time for our world personality disillusionment
Modern God (Ex: harvesters Jeckyll/Hide, madness global of the world.
Gulliver's religion sings off-key; modern.
madness). but the decor is not
not ugly » § 7

3
SYNTHESIS

Possible Introduction

This synthesis of four documents focuses on the annual theme "At full speed!" and
more specifically concerning the urgency of modern life and its consequences.

(PRESENTATION of DOCUMENTS) Indeed, the tone is set from document 1 which is a

2017 advertising poster from SNCF to promote the speed achievements of the new train.
Paris-Bordeaux journey in just 2 hours and 04 minutes thanks to the high-speed train (TGV). Our
modernity is addicted to speed, it uses it in all acts of its daily life like the
denounce documents 2, 3, and 4. In document 2 from the Human Sciences Review,
titled 'Slow Down and Fast!' written by C. Rymarsky in July 2012, we see the urgency to 'raise the
"foot" and the case of travel is interesting for this purpose. That is why, the documents of the
philosopher Alain, on one hand, titled 'Speed' and taken from Remarks on Happiness, Editions
Gallimard, 1928 and on the other hand that of the writer S. Coher entitled Carénages at Actes Editions
South in 2011 shows us the paradoxes of travel as a temporal constraint for the
document 3 or as a leisure activity for document 4. From this corpus, we can draw the
Following issue: to better manage the modern daily emergency, what is needed?
choose, to always go faster or to slow down and for what gain(s)?

TO ANNOUNCE the PLAN) To address this issue, which will be our common thread, we
Let us first propose to demonstrate this observation that our society is hyper fast and
constantly subjected to this religion of urgency. Then, we will see the possible causes of
this situation through technologies (transport, etc.). Finally, we will examine the
positive and negative consequences of this hypermodernity with the challenge of having to slow down
to achieve a certain form of happiness.

Possible detailed plan:

I. OBSERVATION: Debate on our modern lifestyle

- Debate on the acceleration of our lives and conditioning of the future of the planet
man (doc 2 on the theoretical aspects of our lifestyles and their impact on us and
the nature).
Debate on the real interest of the argument of the "time-saving" allowed by modern life and
its advances (doc 1 and 3 with the example of public transportation, here TGV and locomotive).

II. CAUSES: Current speed standards set by technology and its

paradoxes.
Examples of public transport (TGV doc 1/locomotive doc 3) versus leisure sports
(motor doc 4) ;
Case of professional travel (serious doc 2) versus personal (leisure doc 4, entertainment
doc 1 and doc 2) ;

III. CONSEQUENCES: What are the positive and negative consequences and what
solutions to these new challenges of modernity on a human scale
and planetary.
- Positive consequences of speed: pleasure, freedom, time savings (doc 1, doc 3, doc 4).
- Negative consequences of speed: madness, risk-taking, addiction and
global disenchantment of the world (doc 2, doc 3, doc 4).

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 - Challenges and solutions: urgency to slow down: need for better management that is
of a speed regulation (doc 2 with the movements of slow, doc 3 with the taking of
time of the gaze on the landscape, doc 4 with mastery of the motorcycle).

CONCLUSION :

In conclusion, we have seen in this synthesis that current life is based on an observation.
unquestionably: our way of life is one in constant acceleration. The causes of this
potentially dangerous situations for both humans and their environment are
multiple but, technology, at the forefront of which is the question of mobility
by transportation (public or personal leisure), is pointed out. Nevertheless, it
It is important to nuance these causes since the consequences of this hyper-fast life are sometimes
positives, with feelings of pleasure and freedom that are dear to individual happiness,
sometimes harmful with risk-taking, feelings of madness, etc., leading to a great
need to "slow down". Slowing down seems to be the solution to adopt to save our existence.
and thus perhaps grant him a more lasting happiness because it is less personal.

PERSONAL WRITING: (/20 points)

Subject:
In your opinion, is it beneficial to accelerate?

Instructions:
You will answer this question in a reasoned manner by relying on the documents from the
corpus, your readings and your personal knowledge.

INTRODUCTION :

(Hook) "Time is money!" says the popular saying.

(Presentation and definitions of the subject) Does this mean that to accelerate, is to go faster, or
In any case, trying to go faster is always synonymous with gain and beneficial results.
Are there advantages for the individual? If so, what kind of benefit is it and wouldn't there also be a ...
risk of gaining in addition to the 'positive', the 'negative'? This is the paradox raised by this topic
do we gain by accelerating.
(Announcement of the issue) The issue we propose here to demonstrate
The whole strength of this paradox is the following: Is it necessarily beneficial to seek to go
always faster?
(Announcement of plan) To address this guiding question, we will follow the plan below:
first, we will examine the advantages of speed, and then in a second
time to address the disadvantages of this modern strategy. In the last part, we will
we will personally position ourselves regarding this dilemma of modernity.

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Possible detailed plan for personal writing

I. It is beneficial to go or seek to go faster: advantages of

the speed

-Technological advantages: in terms of mobility that it allows (doc 1 with

the TGV, doc 2 with daily life improved by email, the washing machine and the
new desires that it generates, doc 3 with the locomotive) + Example of the notion
"hypermodernity" by N. Aubert, a sociologist who shows that the challenge of our hyper-
reactivity, of our hyper-connection also is to find the best ways
to collectively survive in this hyper-fast environment while being able
to define ourselves as individuals. Now technology is one of those means.

Industrial and professional advantages: better performance in

work, greater productivity: the film Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin,
the character of Charlot shows the productivity effects of assembly line work related to
industrialization, transforming the worker into a "machine" in order to save time
production.

Personal and sports advantages: sporting success and a message of hope against
racism with the personal history of 'the fastest man in the world', Jessy
Owens, multi-medalist at the Berlin Olympics in the 1930s (film The Color of the
victory, 2016.

II. It is risky to go or to seek to go faster and faster: disadvantages of

the speed

- Dangers of this modern norm: alienation, addiction, risk-taking (see doc 2,

doc 3 and doc 4 / see confrontation table

- Dangers of overconsumption: advertising encourages us to go faster and faster but

we always create more needs (doc 1 and doc 2 / see comparison table) +
Example from J. Baudrillard, sociologist in The System of Objects who says that the race
Towards 'having more' is a tyrannical and alienating process (makes one mad). In short, the
advertising profusion and the production of new products in series has allowed for
many consumers are eager to explore, like with a drug, new ones
sensations (pleasures, etc.)

- Necessity of 'slow' to avoid the risks of disillusionment with the world:

2/see confrontation table) + Example of P. Sansot with slowness as
"availability of the individual" in his book On the Good Use of Slowness, (September
2000, coll. Essay) or even the vital necessity of "entertainment" in the philosopher
Blaise Pascal in his Thoughts because entertainment allows us to forget our
mortality through the suspension of time in leisure.

III. Personal positioning: to accelerate is a risk but risk is part of

life and man need to achieve their happiness

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 Speed and pleasure related to calculated risk: example of the pleasure of the motorcyclist speeding
any stride towards the vast spaces of freedom (doc 4/see confrontation table).

Speed and controlled performance: example from the film Rasta Rockett (1993) which
tell the true story of the 1eraJamaican bobsleigh team composed of
track runners who had the honor and the right to participate in the Winter Olympics of
Calgary in Canada.

Slowness and procrastination as a loss of the taste for life: example from the book
In Oblomov, Ivan Alexandrovitch Goncharov praises absolute laziness.
no point in depriving oneself of earthly pleasures (love, etc.).

Speed and turning point in his life: example from the film by A. Hitchcock, Death at
pouches: the hero played by C. Grant, a bit slow but thoughtful, manages to escape by getting away.
his pursuers who wanted to kill him, mistaking him for a secret agent.
will meet the love of their life in this thrilling chase.

Conclusion

In conclusion, to the question of whether or not one wins at

to accelerate, we can say that trying to always go faster, further, stronger has
undeniably advantages of pleasure, joy, and successes but also of
significant drawbacks regarding the risk of death (accidents, etc.), standardization and
addiction to consumption for example.
(Personal positioning) Our copy allowed us to assert that, in our opinion, the risk is real
to seek speed however, we cannot deny that we need it for ourselves
to feel alive. Perhaps this is the key to a rich and happy life on an individual level.
Thus, the challenge that speed poses to the individual is indeed to succeed in
to preserve the advantages of speed in the pursuit of personal happiness while protecting the
nature and the well-living together which calls for more moderation and slowness.