What is cryptocurrency?

"Qu'est-ce que la cryptomonnaie ?"
French C1 writing exercise

Follow the exchange on a radio show between Paul, a radio journalist and Laura Morgan, a money expert. They chat about cryptocurrency and the risks it can entail.

Pay attention to the hints!

Some vocabulary you may want to look up before or during this exercise: "a money expert", "cryptocurrency", "to entail", "in a nutshell", "digital money", "a shared ledger", "to be stored on [something]", "to modify [something] on one's own", "might [do]", "likely", "as long as + [conjugated verb]", "a fee", "to drop (tariff)", "online networks", "so many [noun]", "an ad", "to promise [something]", "thanks to...", "to be worried that + [Subjonctif]", "to invest [something]", "savings", "to take a risk", "to informed oneself", "a reliable source", "to look into [something]", "to plan on [doing]", "to put [a law] in place", "a protection against [something]", "a fraudster", "to strongly advise [doing]".

I’ll give you some sentences to translate into French

  • I’ll show you where you make mistakes
  • I’ll keep track of what you need to practise
  • Change my choices if you want
Start the exercise
How the test works

Here's a preview of the text for the writing challenge, when you're ready click the start button above:

- Hello dear listeners! Today, I am going to talk with money expert, Laura Morgan, who's going to explain [to us] what cryptocurrency is and what it entails. - Hello Paul! In a nutshell, it is a type of digital money that is stored on a shared ledger that no one can modify on their own. - Does that mean that people might not need banks in the future? - Yes, it is likely, as long as fees drop and online networks work. - With so many ads promising to make you rich quickly thanks to cryptocurrency, aren't you worried that people will invest their savings before learning how it works and knowing the risks they could be taking? - Of course! It's essential that you inform yourselves from a reliable source and that you look into the company [that] you're planning on using. - Shouldn't governments put protections in place against fraudsters? - Unless you accept to take risks, I would strongly advise waiting until the rules are clearer. - Laura, thank you so much for your explanation!

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