Fiche à imprimer : Copying nature : le biomimétisme (4e)

Anglais	Français
Biomimicry means copying nature.	Le biomimétisme, c'est copier la nature.
Velcro was inspired by burdock seeds.	Le Velcro a été inspiré par les graines de bardane.
The bullet train's nose copies a kingfisher's beak.	Le nez du train à grande vitesse copie le bec du martin-pêcheur.
Engineers studied how the bird dives into water.	Les ingénieurs ont étudié comment l'oiseau plonge dans l'eau.
The train became quieter and faster.	Le train est devenu plus silencieux et plus rapide.
Nature has already solved many problems.	La nature a déjà résolu beaucoup de problèmes.

Le biomimétisme (biomimicry) consiste à s'inspirer de la nature pour inventer. En 1941, l'ingénieur suisse George de Mestral remarque que des graines de bardane (burdock seeds) s'accrochent aux poils de son chien grâce à de minuscules crochets : il invente le Velcro. Au Japon, le nez du train à grande vitesse (bullet train) a été redessiné sur le modèle du bec du martin-pêcheur (kingfisher), qui plonge sans éclaboussure : le train est devenu plus silencieux. Passif pour les inventions : was invented by, was inspired by, was designed by.

Mise en situation : le cours de technologie

Teacher : Nature is the best engineer. Do you know where Velcro comes from?

La nature est le meilleur ingénieur. Savez-vous d'où vient le Velcro ?

Oscar : Was it inspired by an animal?

A-t-il été inspiré par un animal ?

Teacher : By a plant! An engineer noticed that burdock seeds stuck to his dog's fur. They have tiny hooks.

Par une plante ! Un ingénieur a remarqué que des graines de bardane restaient collées aux poils de son chien. Elles ont de minuscules crochets.

Amelia : That's clever! Are there other examples?

C'est malin ! Il y a d'autres exemples ?

Teacher : In Japan, the bullet train was too noisy. Engineers copied the shape of a kingfisher's beak.

Au Japon, le train à grande vitesse était trop bruyant. Les ingénieurs ont copié la forme du bec du martin-pêcheur.

Oscar : And it worked? Nature has already solved so many problems!

Et ça a marché ? La nature a déjà résolu tellement de problèmes !

À retenir

biomimicry, an engineer, an invention, a seed, a hook, fur, a beak, a kingfisher, a bullet train, a shape.
was inspired by / was invented by (passif) ; to copy the shape of ; stuck to ; has already solved (present perfect) ; quieter and faster.

Exercice 1 : Le biomimétisme : exercice 1 (QCM)

« le biomimétisme »
1. biomimetic of
2. biomimics
3. biomimicry
« copier la nature »
1. to copy the natural
2. to copy nature
3. to coffee nature
« inspiré par »
1. inspiring by
2. inspired by
3. inspired of
« des graines »
1. sheds
2. seeds
3. weeds
« de minuscules crochets »
1. tiny hooks
2. tiny hocks
3. tidy hooks
« un martin-pêcheur »
1. a fisherman
2. a king fish
3. a kingfisher
« Le Velcro a été inventé en 1941. »
1. Velcro was invent in 1941.
2. Velcro invented in 1941.
3. Velcro was invented in 1941.
« la forme du bec »
1. the form of the beach
2. the shape of the beak
3. the shape of the bike
« plus silencieux »
1. quieter
2. quietest
3. more quiet of
Le Velcro a été inspiré par...
1. une toile d'araignée
2. les pattes d'un gecko
3. des graines de bardane

Exercice 2 : Le biomimétisme : exercice 2 (à compléter)

Nature is the best .......................... .
Do you know where Velcro comes .......................... ?
Was it .......................... by an animal?
Burdock seeds .......................... to his dog's fur. (stick)
They have tiny .......................... .
The bullet train was too .......................... .
Engineers copied the .......................... of a kingfisher's beak.
Nature has already .......................... many problems.
The train became .......................... . (quiet)
Velcro was .......................... in 1941.

Exercice 3 : Le biomimétisme : mise en situation

Savez-vous d'où vient le Velcro ?
1. Do you know from where Velcro comes?
2. Do you know where does Velcro come from?
3. Do you know where Velcro comes from?
A-t-il été inspiré par un animal ?
1. Was it inspired by an animal?
2. Was it inspire by an animal?
3. Did it inspired by an animal?
Un ingénieur a remarqué quelque chose.
1. A engineer noticed something.
2. An engineer noticed anything.
3. An engineer noticed something.
Elles ont de minuscules crochets.
1. They has tiny hooks.
2. They have tidy hooks.
3. They have tiny hooks.
Il y a d'autres exemples ?
1. Are there other examples?
2. Is there other examples?
3. There are other examples?
Le train était trop bruyant.
1. The train was too noisy.
2. The train was to noisy.
3. The train were too noisy.
Ils ont copié la forme du bec.
1. They copied the shape of the beak.
2. They copyed the shape of the beak.
3. They copied the shape of the beach.
Et ça a marché ?
1. And did it work?
2. And did it worked?
3. And it worked of?
La nature a déjà résolu beaucoup de problèmes.
1. The nature already solved much problems.
2. Nature has already solved many problems.
3. Nature has already solve many problems.
Le train est devenu plus silencieux.
1. The train became quieter.
2. The train become quieter yesterday.
3. The train became more quieter.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. c) biomimicry · 2. b) to copy nature · 3. b) inspired by · 4. b) seeds · 5. a) tiny hooks · 6. c) a kingfisher · 7. c) Velcro was invented in 1941. · 8. b) the shape of the beak · 9. a) quieter · 10. c) des graines de bardane

Exercice 2

1. engineer · 2. from · 3. inspired · 4. stuck · 5. hooks · 6. noisy · 7. shape · 8. solved · 9. quieter · 10. invented

Exercice 3

1. c) Do you know where Velcro comes from? · 2. a) Was it inspired by an animal? · 3. c) An engineer noticed something. · 4. c) They have tiny hooks. · 5. a) Are there other examples? · 6. a) The train was too noisy. · 7. a) They copied the shape of the beak. · 8. a) And did it work? · 9. b) Nature has already solved many problems. · 10. a) The train became quieter.