Speak Up in Class Extreme Celebrations (A2)

Before starting to do the exercise check out the linkhttp://englishtips-self-taught.blogspot.com/2011/07/stag-nightextreme-celebrations.html

AG NIGHT...EXTREME CELEBRATIO

source:   www.stagnightuk.com 

Source: www.speakup.com.br

Language level: A2 Pre-intermediate

Standard accent: British

Speaker: Rachel Roberts

WORKSHEETS

2011

Extreme Celebrations (A2)

A – Before you start

Answer the questions with a partner.

1. It's the custom for British men to to organise a celebration with their friends  (stag night) before their wedding? Do Italian men have a similar custom?

2. If so, how do they usually celebrate?

3. Do women have some kind of celebration, too?

B – Listen and answer

Read these statements. Then listen (without reading) and write T (true) or F (false).

1. Traditional stag night celebrations used to take place at the groom's house.

2. The female version of the stag night is the "hen party".

3. Some people pay a company to organise their "stag do".

4. Bill Parsons didn't expect to do bungee jumping during his stag do.

5. Women never choose extreme activities for their celebration.

6. Nowadays stag dos involve less alcohol than in the past.

C – Read and answer

Read the article and the Information boxes and answer the questions.

1. Why is the stag night usually called a "stag do" now?

2. What kind of arrangements may be necessary for a stag do nowadays?

3. Where in London can you do bungee jumping?

4. Why did Bill Parsons do one?

5. What do many women prefer to do?

6. What reason does Jean Webb give for her choice?

7. What shows that bungee-jumping is very popular at the moment?

8. What effect does Zorbing have on people?

9. What do you have to do before walking on fire?

10. Where does the name Stag Night probably come from? 

D – Learn it! Use it!

Complete these sentences with words from the glossary. (You may have to adapt the expression in some way; e.g. change the verb tense, or change from singular to plural.)

1. The mountain rescue team tied a ________ around the man's chest and pulled him up into the helicopter.

2. We've decided on the date of the meeting but we haven't chosen a ________ yet.

3. The man had on a short-sleeved shirt which revealed his strong ________ arms.

4. Mary works for a company that ________ special equipment for school gyms.

5. Three enemy ________ were destroyed on the first day of the battle.

6. Tim bought his mother an abstract painting and she hung it ______  ______ by mistake.

7. They're building a skyscraper over there, where those tall ________ are.

8. The egg ________ off the table and fell on the floor.    

E – Ready for KET? (Paper 1: Reading and Writing, Part 6)

Read the descriptions of some words connected with getting married. Write the missing letters.

1.     The ceremony in which people get married.           w _ _ _ _ _ _

2.     A woman who is getting married is a bride.

        Instead this is the word for a man.                               g _ _ _ _

3.     The man's friend and witness.                              b _ _ _    _  _ _

4.     This is a long luxurious car that some

people hire for a celebration.                                l _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5.     You make these when you organise  an event.               a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

6.     You have to make this if you want to have your

        reception at a hotel or restaurant.                        r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

F – Check your pronunciation

One of the four words in each group has a different vowel sound. Which one?

1.     solve                 women      modern     stop

2.     bridge       lift            still           high

3.     prove                rope          chose                boat

4.     country     bounce      courage     month

G– Talk about it

In pairs or groups.

1. Are there any special customs or superstitions connected with weddings in Italy or in your region?

2. Have you ever tried bungee-jumping or Zorbing?

3. If not, would you like to?

4. Do you think young people in Italy drink as much as young people in Britain?  


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MICHAEL MOORE: CAPITALISM AND ME (B2) – Issue 280

Source: Speak Up 

Language Level: Proficiency

Standard: American accent

Speakers: Jason Bermingham and Chuck Rollando

MICHAEL MOORE before starting to answer questions go to 

http://englishtips-self-taught.blogspot.com/2011/02/capitalism-love-store-michael-moore.html for more contact carlosrn36@gmail.com

TASK 1. Speaking. With your partner(s) discuss these questions.

a)    Have you watched any of Michael Moore’s movies? If not, why not? If the answer is yes, tell your partner about it/them. Did you like them?

b)    How much do you know about Michael Moore?

c)    What do you think his latest movie is about (Capitalism: A Love Story)?

d)    What is your general view on capitalism? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about it? Why?

LISTENING

TASK 2.  Prediction. You are going to listen to an interview with Michael Moore. Before you listen, discuss these questions with your partner and choose the correct answer. If you don’t know/aren’t sure, guess!

1. What percentage of the population, according to Michael Moore holds most of the world’s money?

a. 1%

b. 5%

c. 10%

2. What, according to Michael Moore, is the dirtiest word in capitalism?

a. capital

b. money

c. enough

3. Michael Moore compares the investment bank Goldman Sachs to:

a. a charity organisation

b. the Soviet system

c. a normal bank

4. Michael Moore says that several large US corporations have tried to discredit him. How?

a. through advertising

b. through journalists

c. through personal attacks

TASK 3. Listening for Specific Information. Listen to all of the recording, without reading. How many of your answers were correct?

READING

TASK 4. Prediction #2. Before you read the article, look at the following keywords/phrases. Work with your partner(s) and discuss how they are related to the text.

a)    Flint, Michigan

b)    Who loves who in the Movie “Capitalism”

c)    A beast

d)    A democratic economic system

e)    Lehman Brothers

f)    Several health insurance companies

TASK 5: Reading for Specific and Detailed Information. The keywords/phrases in TASK 4 are answers. Read all of the text and write questions to the answers in TASK 4.

(Paper 3: Use of English. Part 4)

TASK 6. Here are some pairs of sentences related to the topic of the article. Complete the second sentence in each pair so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given (IN CAPITALS AND BOLD) .Do NOT change the word given. You must use between two and five words

1)	I might go and see Michael Moore’s latest film
	OF
	I . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   see Michael Moore’s latest film .

2)	“Do Michael Moore’s films interest you?”, I asked my friend
	WAS
	I asked my friend  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .in Michael Moore’s filsm

3)	My brother didn’t see “Sicko” when it came out, and now he regrets it
	NOT
	My brother  . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Sicko” when it came out.

4)	Michael Moore began making movies in 1990
	BEEN
	Michael Moore  . . . . . . . . . . . . . movies since 1990

5)	I have never seen such an interesting film before
	EVER
	It’s the most interesting film . . . . . . . . . . . ..

6)	Is “Capitalism” Michael Moore’s best film?
	KNOW
	I would like. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  “Capitalism” is Michael Moore’s best film.

7)	The film is unlikely to be a big success
	PROBABLY
	The film  . . . . . . . . . . . .  a big success.

8)	I’m sure you’ll like the film
	BOUND
	You  . . . . . . . . . . . . like the film

AFTER YOU READ

TASK 7. Speaking. What do you think? Discuss these questions with your partner(s)

a)    Having read the article, would you be interested in watching Michael Moore’s film on capitalism? Why (not9?

b)    Do you think it’s important for filmmakers like Michael Moore to exist? Why (not)?

c)    Are there filmmakers like Michael Moore in Brazil?

d)    Do you agree with Michael Moore’s view on capitalism? Why (not)?

e)    Do you think capitalism is responsible for many of our problems today?

f)    Would the modern world be impossible without capitalism? Why (not)?  

Life after Death, SpeakUp in Class Ed 282

Life after Death

Source: Speak Up

Language level: Upper intermediate

Speaker: Justin Ratcliff

Accent: British standard

For more info and before you starting to complete the exercise listen http://englishtips-self-taught.blogspot.com/2011/03/life-after-death.html then, do the exercise, any question, e-mail for carlosrn36@gmail.com 

Knife Crime – Disarming Britain (B1)

 

A – Before you start

Answer the questions with a partner.

1. Is knife crime a problem in your country or area?

2. Why do some people carry knives, in your opinion?

3. What would you do if you found out one of your friends was carrying a knife?

B – Read and answer

Read the main article and answer the questions.

1. Why was Operation Blunt launched?

2. What did it consist of?

3. What reason do many young people give for carrying a knife? Why is this ironic?

4. What do most anti-knife campaigners have in common?

5. What happened to many confiscated knives?

6. How did Anne Oakes-Odger’s son die?

7. What effect has Anne’s campaign had on the law?

8. Why is Oliver Hemsley’s campaign different from the other campaigns mentioned?

C – Listen and answer (Optional)

N.B. This interview is graded as B2. So don’t be discouraged if you find it difficult. Try to understand the main points.

Read these statements. Then listen to the interview with Ann Oakes Odger, without reading, and write T (true) or F (false).

1. Ann’s son Westley was knifed during a robbery at a cash machine.

2. Ann’s work has helped her face the death of her son.

3. The number of fatal knife crimes is still rising in London.

4. Ann says fear, drug-dealing and gang wars are all linked to the knife culture of young people.

5. Ann’s campaign began as a small local organisation.

6. She says this knife problem is unique to Britain.

D – Listen, read and check your answers

Listen to the interview while reading the text.(If you did Exercise C, check your answers while reading.)

E – Learn it! Use it!

Complete these sentences with words from the glossary. (You may have to adapt the expression in some way; e.g. change the verb form or change from plural to singular.)

1. Landmines are responsible for ________ and killing a number of civilians in the area.

2. Waste recycling is more efficient in some London ________ than in others.

3. The government needs to take measures to ________ the problem of unemployment.

4. The police are trying to contact a passer-by who ________ the accident.

5. The football match was stopped because fighting ________  ________ on the terraces.

6. Many young people start smoking as a result of ________  ________.

7. His story seemed incredible; ________ it was true.

8. The schoolgirl was suspended because of her offensive language; she often ________ at her schoolmates and teachers.

F – Ready for PET? (Paper 1, Writing: Part 1)

Complete the second sentence with 1 to 3 words so that it means the same as the first. (They are constructions used in the article.)

1. We have seen a rise in violent crime.

There _______________ a rise in violent crime.

2. Much of the work involves prevention.

Much of the work is _______________.

3. Alexander Rose is a good example.

Alexander Rose is a case ______________.

4. This was once a knife.

This _______________ be a knife.

5. There is less knife crime now.

Knife crime ________________ down.

6. They will lose that knife.

That knife _______________ from them.

7. Other countries started to make enquiries.

We _______________ enquiries from other countries.

8. We’re doing work that’s a yardstick for other countries.

_______________ we’re doing is a yardstick for other countries.

G – Talk about it 

In pairs or groups.

1. Do you think violence is increasing in today’s society? If so, why?

2. Violence among young people is often linked to gangs. Are there many gangs in your town or area?

3. Why do you think some young people form or join gangs?

4. What can be done to discourage young people from joining gangs?

5. Are parents to blame if their children become violent criminals?