Bonjour, pourriez- vous m'aidez svp,

Texte :

1. From 1920 to 1933, it was illegal to make, transport, or sell alcohol in the United States. This

period is called Prohibition.

2. Churches and groups opposed to alcohol wanted it banned because they believed that

drinking alcohol led to crime, poverty, early death, and great suffering for the families of drinkers.

They wanted Americans to give up drinking and have a better life.

3. At first, drinking did decrease. Before long, though, alcohol was made illegally or smuggled in

from other countries. Speakeasies, hidden places where people could buy and drink alcohol,

became common in big cities. In 1925, there were over 100,000 speakeasies in New York City

alone.

4. Organized gangs sold most of the illegal alcohol and made a great deal of money doing this.

They smuggled large quantities of alcohol from Canada or Europe and ran speakeasies where

people could have dinner, dance, and watch floor shows while they drank. The gangs gave police

officers money so they would not arrest them or shut down their businesses.

5. Alcohol was still legal if it was used as medicine or for religious ceremonies. Although many

doctors prescribed whiskey for patients who did not need it, no one put a stop to the practice.

People also made alcohol in their homes or backyards for themselves or to sell to others.

6. By 1931, it was clear that the law could not be enforced and that many Americans were not

obeying other laws either. Some people thought that the number of people who drank alcohol and

the number of violent crimes had increased during Prohibition. Rival gangs became famous for

their violent fights to decide who controlled the illegal alcohol business.

7. In 1933, the federal Prohibition law was abolished, but individual states could continue to ban

alcohol. Mississippi did this until 1966, the last state to do so.


Exercice 1 : True or False?

Read the statements below. If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence. If the statement

is false, write F and correct the information in your notebook.

___1. During Prohibition, it was against the law to drink alcohol.

____ 2. Churches opposed alcohol because it was very expensive.

_____ 3. It was not difficult to buy alcohol during Prohibition.

_____ 4. Some people made a lot of money selling illegal alcohol.

____5. Prohibition was successful in decreasing the amount of alcohol people drank.

Exercice 2 :

write the answers in complete sentences

1. What was illegal in the United States during the period called Prohibition?


2. Why did churches and other groups want to ban alcohol?


3. What were speakeasies?


4. Why were many of the speakeasies allowed to stay open?


5. Besides going to speakeasies, what were some other ways that people were able to get

alcohol?


6. How were organized gangs able to make a lot of money during prohibition?


7. Why was prohibition ended?

Merci de votre aide