Dutch Conversation-Grammar 1732 Studios

Dutch · Unit 14

Unit 2: Het Delta Plan

Refresher Course, Book I

Het Delta Plan

222 lines

Het Delta Plan: the narrative

The narrative

Each unit of Book I opens with a short account of one side of life in Holland. The 1961 speaker reads it at the speed of ordinary speech.

Read each sentence, then listen to it. The English is beside it. The words of the narrative come back in every section that follows, so this reading is the ground of the unit.

  1. 1

    “God created the earth, but the Dutch created Holland.”

    “GodGod
    schiepto create
    dethe
    aarde,earth
    maarbut
    dethe
    HollandersHollanders
    schiepento create
    Holland.”Holland
  2. 2

    So goes a well-known saying about Holland.

  3. 3

    There is certainly a good deal of truth behind this saying.

  4. 4

    For centuries Holland has struggled continuously with the water and, despite serious set-backs, it has conquered again and again.

  5. 5

    The most recent great set-back which the Dutch were forced to suffer occurred on the night of the first of February, 1953.

  6. 6

    A heavy storm burst forth upon the islands in the southwest of Holland, the dikes broke, and a veritable flood arose which devastated cities and farms in its path.

  7. 7

    The stricken islands are located in the delta which is formed at the mouth of the rivers Rhine, Meuse, and Schelde.

I. Narrative

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan.

The section appearing as "I. Narrative" presents an account, read at normal conversational speed, of an historical or cultural facet of life in Holland, and is accompanied by both Dutch and English texts.
  1. 8

    Too late the Dutch realized that this part of Holland, called Zeeland, had not been sufficiently protected against the sea.

  2. 9

    The results were disastrous.

  3. 10

    The Dutch decided that such a thing must never happen again, and a grand plan was drawn up.

  4. 11

    According to this plan, big dikes were to be built there, in the open sea, which were to connect the various islands and in this way protect the land from all future attacks by the water.

  5. 12

    The plan appeared to be feasible, and the enormous task is already well under way.

  6. 13

    Not only will it protect Zeeland from the sea; the Delta Plan will also bring this economically less developed part of Holland into closer contact with the rest of the country.

  7. 14

    For on the dikes, roads and railroads will be built, whereby Zeeland will become much more easily accessible.

  8. 15

    With this plan, which arose as a direct result of the “February disaster” of 1953, the Dutch then hope to conquer their enemy for good.

Het Delta Plan: vocabulary, part 1

Vocabulary practice

These are the words and phrases of the narrative, one at a time, in the speaker's voice.

Listen to each one, then say it. The scorer on the device compares your reading with the speaker's and shows which sounds matched.

  1. 16

    scheppen

    to create

  2. 17

    een bekend gezegde

    a well-known saying

  3. 18

    de waarheid

    the truth

  4. 19

    schuilen

    to hide

  5. 20

    worstelen

    to wrestle, struggle

  6. 21

    voortdurend

    continuously

  7. 22

    ondanks

    in spite of

  8. 23

    de tegenslag

    the set-back

  9. 24

    overwinnen

    to conquer

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 1.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Het Delta Plan: oral reading, part 1

Oral reading

The narrative's sentences come back in the book's variations: a change of tense, of case, of modifier. They build up to the sentence as the narrative has it.

Say each variation after the speaker. The sentence marked as basic is the narrative's own, and it closes the run.

  1. 25

    God creates the earth

  2. 26

    God created the earth

  3. 27

    God has created the earth

  4. 28

    God created the earth, but the Dutch created Holland.

  5. 29

    It's a well-known saying

  6. 30

    There's truth hidden in this saying

  7. 31

    Truth is hidden in this saying

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 1.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 32

    A well-known saying in which truth is hidden.

  2. 33

    Holland struggles with water

  3. 34

    It has struggled for centuries

  4. 35

    It has struggled continuously

  5. 36

    Holland has struggled with the water for centuries.

  6. 37

    A serious set-back

  7. 38

    Despite serious set-backs

  1. 39

    Holland conquers

  2. 40

    Holland conquered

  3. 41

    Holland has conquered

  4. 42

    Holland has conquered time and again

  5. 43

    Despite serious set-backs, Holland has conquered the water time and again.

  6. 44

    God created the earth, but the Dutch created Holland.

  7. 45

    A well-known saying in which truth is hidden.

  8. 46

    Holland has struggled with the water for centuries.

  9. 47

    Despite serious set-backs, Holland has conquered the water time and again.

Het Delta Plan: vocabulary, part 2

  1. 48

    geschieden

    to occur

  2. 49

    boven

    over

  3. 50

    ontstaan

    to come into being

  4. 51

    verwoesten

    to destroy

  5. 52

    de boerderij

    the farm

  6. 53

    het pad

    the path

  7. 54

    zijn zwaar getroffen

    are hit hard

  8. 55

    zwaar getroffen worden

    to be hit hard

  9. 56

    de monding

    the mouth

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 2.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Het Delta Plan: oral reading, part 2

  1. 57

    They have to endure a set-back

  2. 58

    They had to endure a set-back

  3. 59

    They have had to endure a set-back

  4. 60

    This was the last big set-back that the Dutch had to endure.

  5. 61

    It occurs during the night

  6. 62

    It occurred during the night

  7. 63

    It occurred during the night

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 2.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 64

    The last big set-back occurred during the night of the first of February, 1953.

  2. 65

    A storm breaks

  3. 66

    A storm broke

  4. 67

    A storm has broken

  5. 68

    A storm broke over the islands in the southwest of Holland.

  6. 69

    A tidal wave develops

  7. 70

    A tidal wave has developed

  1. 71

    The dike breaks

  2. 72

    The dike is broken

  3. 73

    The dikes are broken

  4. 74

    A heavy storm broke, a veritable tidal wave developed and the dikes broke.

  5. 75

    He destroyed the city

  6. 76

    He destroyed the farm

  7. 77

    He destroyed cities and farms in his path

  1. 78

    The tidal wave destroyed cities and farms in his path.

  2. 79

    The islands are being hit hard

  3. 80

    The islands were hit hard

  4. 81

    The islands are hard-hit

  5. 82

    They lie in the delta of the large rivers

  6. 83

    The hard-hit islands lie in the delta of the large rivers.

  7. 84

    The delta is formed

  1. 85

    The delta was formed

  2. 86

    The delta has been formed

  3. 87

    The delta is formed at the mouth of the rivers Rhine, Maas and Schelde.

  4. 88

    This was the last big set-back that the Dutch had to endure.

  5. 89

    The last big set-back occurred during the night of the first of February, 1953.

  6. 90

    A storm broke over the islands in the southwest of Holland.

  7. 91

    A heavy storm broke, a veritable tidal wave developed and the dikes broke.

  1. 92

    The tidal wave destroyed cities and farms in his path.

  2. 93

    The hard-hit islands lie in the delta of the large rivers.

  3. 94

    The delta is formed at the mouth of the rivers Rhine, Maas and Schelde.

Het Delta Plan: vocabulary, part 3 (1)

  1. 95

    het gedeelte van

    the part of

  2. 96

    beschermen

    to protect

  3. 97

    beseffen

    to realize

  4. 98

    de ramp

    the disaster

  5. 99

    zoiets

    such a thing

  6. 100

    nooit

    never

  7. 101

    gebeuren

    to happen

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 3.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Het Delta Plan: vocabulary, part 3 (2)

  1. 102

    een plan opstellen

    to set up a plan

  2. 103

    in open zee

    on the open sea

  3. 104

    toekomstige

    future (adj.)

Het Delta Plan: oral reading, part 3

  1. 105

    This part is protected

  2. 106

    This part was not protected

  3. 107

    The Dutch realize it too late

  4. 108

    The Dutch realized it too late

  5. 109

    The Dutch realized too late that this part of Holland had not been sufficiently protected from the sea.

  6. 110

    The result is a disaster

  7. 111

    Disastrous results

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 3.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 112

    The results were disastrous.

  2. 113

    Such a thing must never happen again

  3. 114

    They decide it

  4. 115

    They decided it

  5. 116

    They have decided it

  6. 117

    The Dutch decided that such a thing must never happen again.

  7. 118

    A great plan

  1. 119

    They set up a great plan

  2. 120

    A large-scale plan

  3. 121

    Large dikes are built

  4. 122

    Large dikes will be built

  5. 123

    According to this large-scale plan dikes are to be built in the sea.

  6. 124

    They connect the different islands

  7. 125

    They will connect the different islands

  1. 126

    They are to connect the different islands

  2. 127

    Dikes will connect the different islands.

  3. 128

    They protect the land from the water

  4. 129

    They shield the land from the water

  5. 130

    They shielded the land from the water

  6. 131

    In this way the land will be shielded from all future onslaughts of the water.

  7. 132

    The Dutch realized too late that this part of Holland had not been sufficiently protected from the sea.

  1. 133

    The results were disastrous.

  2. 134

    The Dutch decided that such a thing must never happen again.

  3. 135

    According to this large-scale plan dikes are to be built in the sea.

  4. 136

    Dikes will connect the different islands.

  5. 137

    In this way the land will be shielded from all future onslaughts of the water.

Het Delta Plan: vocabulary, part 4 (1)

  1. 138

    een plan uitvoeren

    to execute, carry out a plan

  2. 139

    blijken

    to seem, appear

  3. 140

    op gang zijn

    to be under way, in progress

  4. 141

    in nauw contact

    in close contact

  5. 142

    ontwikkelen

    to develop

  6. 143

    de weg

    the road, way

  7. 144

    bereiken

    to reach

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 4.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Het Delta Plan: vocabulary, part 4 (2)

  1. 145

    daardoor

    by this means, in that way

  2. 146

    gemakkelijk

    easily, easy

  3. 147

    de vijand

    the enemy

  4. 148

    ten gevolge van

    because of

  5. 149

    voorgoed

    for ever

Het Delta Plan: oral reading, part 4

  1. 150

    They carry the plan out

  2. 151

    The plan is feasible

  3. 152

    The plan seems to be feasible

  4. 153

    The plan seemed to be feasible

  5. 154

    The plan did seem to be feasible

  6. 155

    The project is already under way

  7. 156

    The plan seemed to be feasible and the enormous project is already well under way.

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 7: Het Delta Plan. Learning the Narrative, Part 4.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 157

    It protects Zeeland from the sea

  2. 158

    It protected Zeeland from the sea

  3. 159

    It has protected Zeeland

  4. 160

    It will protect Zeeland from the sea.

  5. 161

    To bring into contact

  6. 162

    To bring into close contact

  7. 163

    With the rest of the country

  1. 164

    This part of the Netherlands will be brought into closer contact with the rest of the country.

  2. 165

    This part is not developed

  3. 166

    This part is less developed

  4. 167

    This part is economically less developed

  5. 168

    By this means, this part will be developed economically.

  6. 169

    Roads and railroads are built on the dikes

  7. 170

    Roads and railroads will be built on the dikes

  1. 171

    Zeeland is made accessible

  2. 172

    Zeeland becomes easily accessible

  3. 173

    Zeeland will be much more easily accessible

  4. 174

    Roads and railroads will make Zeeland more easily accessible.

  5. 175

    The Dutch conquer their enemy

  6. 176

    The Dutch hope to conquer their enemy

  7. 177

    The Dutch hope to conquer their enemy for ever

  1. 178

    With this plan the Dutch hope to conquer their enemy for ever.

  2. 179

    This plan is a result of the disaster

  3. 180

    This plan comes about as a result of the disaster

  4. 181

    This plan developed as a result of the disaster

  5. 182

    This plan came into being as a result of the disaster

  6. 183

    This is a plan which came into existence as a direct result of the disaster.

  7. 184

    The plan seemed to be feasible and the enormous project is already well under way.

  1. 185

    It will protect Zeeland from the sea.

  2. 186

    This part of the Netherlands will be brought into closer contact with the rest of the country.

  3. 187

    By this means, this part will be developed economically.

  4. 188

    Roads and railroads will make Zeeland more easily accessible.

  5. 189

    With this plan the Dutch hope to conquer their enemy for ever.

  6. 190

    This is a plan which came into existence as a direct result of the disaster.

Het Delta Plan: check-up

Check-up

Two speakers put the narrative as questions and answers.

Answer each question from what the narrative said, then say the answer. Later sections ask the same questions without the text, so answer from memory where you can.

  1. 191

    What do the Dutch say about the creation of Holland?

  2. 192

    Why is there truth hidden in this saying?

  3. 193

    When did the most recent big set-back occur?

  4. 194

    What happened then?

  5. 195

    “God created the earth, but the Dutch created Holland”.

  6. 196

    The Dutch have always fought against the water, and they have conquered it again and again.

  7. 197

    During the night of the first of February 1953.

  8. 198

    A heavy storm caused a tidal wave which flooded the islands in the southwest of Holland.

II. Check-Up

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 8: Het Delta Plan.

The material of the narrative is now presented in still another form to assist you further in completely assimilating the narrative. You will repeat both questions and answers based on the narrative material after the native speaker. Do this section thoroughly since you will be expected in the sections that follow to answer as well as ask these questions from memory.
  1. 199

    Weren't there any dikes against the sea?

  2. 200

    What did the Dutch decide then?

  3. 201

    What sort of plan was set up then?

  4. 202

    Is this plan feasible?

  5. 203

    How will the Delta Plan influence Zeeland further?

  6. 204

    What do the Dutch hope to achieve with the Delta Plan?

  7. 205

    The dikes weren't high enough to protect Zeeland against such a high sea.

  8. 206

    The Dutch decided that such a thing must never happen again.

  9. 207

    They will build big dikes in the open sea. In this manner the several islands will be connected and at the same time the attacks of the sea will be resisted.

  10. 208

    The Delta Plan is not only feasible, it is already under way.

  11. 209

    On the dikes, roads and railroads are to be built which will make Zeeland more easily accessible.

  12. 210

    The Dutch hope, with the Delta Plan, to conquer their enemy once and for all.

Het Delta Plan: the dialog

A conversation to listen to

Two Dutch speakers talk about the matter of the narrative, recorded without a script.

Listen first with the text, then without it. The aim is to follow the whole conversation by ear.

  1. 211

    I remember how stunned I was when in February, 1953 I listened over the radio to the reports from the “disaster area.”

  2. 212

    Yes, I still remember it very well. I was helping as a volunteer with the cleaning up and rebuilding of cities and farms.

  3. 213

    Oh, so you were in Zeeland then?

  4. 214

    Yes. But what I was proud of was that a committee was immediately formed to set up a plan that would prevent any possible future “February nights.”

  5. 215

    Was the Delta Plan set up at that time?

  6. 216

    Yes. You see, Zeeland consists of a number of islands which developed in the delta of the rivers Rhine, Meuse and Schelde. The present plan is to connect the outer islands with each other by means of a gigantic dike in the open sea so that the other islands will be protected from the sea.

  7. 217

    Will the rivers still be able to flow into the sea?

I. Dialogue for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 9: Het Delta Plan.

The Dialogue for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 218

    Why, certainly. The mouth of the Schelde is being left open so that all the water of the rivers can flow through there to the sea.

  2. 219

    How interesting! But, are there any other advantages for Zeeland, besides better protection?

  3. 220

    Oh, yes! Zeeland has always been the least developed part of Holland, because there weren't sufficient transport connections.

  4. 221

    And now, of course, the government will build roads and railroads across the new dikes?

  5. 222

    Yes, exactly! And they hope that this will develop Zeeland economically somewhat better; and that is certainly worth the high cost of the Delta Plan.

The particulars

The course
Valette, Dutch Conversation-Grammar (1913) and its Key (1893); Defense Language Institute, Dutch Refresher Course, Books I to III (1961). Public domain. The teaching pages, the readings' English, the answers to the conversations and the narration are ours.
Reading aloud
Digital narration, directed by 1732 Studios.
The book
Max Havelaar, the work this course leads to, free to read here.
Data
JSON · Markdown · A guide for agents
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