Monday, June 13, 2016

Summer Requiem for Legends and Heroes

This is the last ESL unit of the semester.



I.             Root QUI  (Quiet/Rest)

1.     Tranquil
2.    Acquit
3.    Tranquilizer


II.          Idioms

1.     “let’s rock and roll!”
2.    Roll with the punches渡過一道道難關;克服一連串困
3.    On the ropes 處於困境;即將失敗,即將完
4.    Throw in the towel

5.    Saved by the bell 救命鈴(某種困難局面突然結束時所說的話,假使局面持續下去,你就需要做不想做的事或說不想說的話


1.     Dehydration
2.    Visionary
3.    Prolific
4.    Gifted
5.    Virtuoso
6.    Influential
7.    Rolling Stone

The rock star Prince has died at his home in Minneapolis, aged 57. Last week, he went to hospital with dehydration and the flu. His death has shocked the entertainment world. Madonna wrote online: "He changed the world. A true visionary." Barack Obama called him, "One of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time". He said: "Prince…was a virtuoso instrumentalist…and an electrifying performer."

Prince Rogers Nelson was the son of a jazz pianist. He became famous in the 1970s. His singing, songs, guitar playing, and performances changed the music world for four decades. The Washington Post called him, "one of the most popular, inventive and influential recording artists of his generation". The music magazine 'Rolling Stone' put Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.


Fill In the Blanks: Purple Rain (Lyrics)




Listen to 5 out of Prince’s Top 10 Songs:

1.     Which song did you like the best?
2.    Which video do you like the best?
3.    What is Prince’s outlook on gender?
4.    How does Prince inspire people to be themselves?

Extra: 10 Songs You Didnt Know Prince Wrote for Other Artists

Reading 2: Summer Solstice

Vocabulary:
1.  solstice /'sol stis/- the 2 times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the earth's equator 
2.  equator /'ee kway dr/- the imaginary (not real) line the divides earth into 2 parts 
3.  hemisphere /'hem is feer/- hemi means to divide into two, sphere means a round object like the earth. Hemisphere means one half of the circle. The northern hemisphere means above the equator or (middle) of the earth. 
4.  ancient /'ayn shent/- very old 
5.  come to pass- happen 
6.  ceremony 

June 21st (or 22nd) is the summer solstice for the northern hemisphere*. Solstice in Latin means "sun standing still." On that day it seems like the sun is standing still because there is more daylight than on any other day.

 It is the first day of summer and a special day for many groups of people.
Many ancient cultures had ceremonies on solstice. They celebrated light and fire. Many people also thought it was a time for love and growth. Nowadays many places around the world have parades or parties.

The great English writer, William Shakespeare, said** whatever you dream on this night will come to pass. Have great dreams on June 21! And if you are in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the longest day of the year.
* Summer solstice is on December 21 (or 22nd) in the southern hemisphere. June 21 (or 22nd) is the southern hemisphere's Winter solstice.
** in his play A Midsummer's Night Dream


EXTRA: Summer solstice celebrations in Spain, Sweden, England, Poland, Ukraine

Reading 3: Anger Over Racist Chinese Advert
(Watch Ad)

Vocabulary:
1.     Racist
2.    racism
3.    Advert/ ad/ advertisement
4.    Detergent
5.    Go viral
6.    Fair skinned

There is a lot of anger on social media because of an advertisement for a Chinese laundry detergent. Some newspapers are saying it could be the most racist advert ever made. The commercial was created for the washing detergent company Qiaobi. In the ad, a young Chinese woman puts a detergent tablet into the mouth of a black man. She pushes him into a washing machine, closes the lid and then turns it on. The next scene shows the result of the wash – the black man has turned into a white Chinese man. The woman looks happy when she sees the fairer-skinned man. The ad is a month old but went viral 24 hours ago, after it was shared on social media.

Many news agencies are attacking the ad because of its racist content. The website Buzzfeed called it, the "most racist ad of 2016". It said the ad would make you feel dirty. It wrote: "The commercial will likely leave you feeling like you need a shower." One blogger complained that: "Chinese companies fail to understand the sensitivity of racism, which is a shame, but common in China." Another blogger asked: "How can these marketing people have no knowledge of racism?" The owner of Qiaobi told the BBC that he didn't realise the ad was racist until someone pointed it out. He said: "To be honest, I didn't really pay that much attention to the advertisement."

TRUE / FALSE: 
  1. There is anger over an advert for a Chinese laundry detergent.     T / F
  2. Some newspapers say it is the most racist ad ever made.     T / F
  3. The ad shows a black man having to wash a white woman's clothes.    T / F
  4. The ad is more than three weeks old.     T / F
  5. The site Buzzfeed called the ad the most racist in advertising history.     T / F
  6. The ad showed people in need of a shower.     T / F
  7. A blogger asked why marketing companies knew so little about racism. T /F
  8. The company's boss said he knew the ad was racist when he saw it.    T/F
Answer the questions:
  1. What is the advertisement for?
  2. Who is saying the ad could be the most racist ever made?
  3. Where does a Chinese woman put a black man?
  4. What does the woman close?
  5. When did the article go viral?
  6. What did the website Buzzfeed call the ad?
  7. What did Buzzfeed say you might need after watching the ad?
  8. Who questioned why marketing people have no knowledge of racism?
  9. Which news agency did the company boss talk to?
  10. What did the boss of the company not pay much of attention to?


ROLE PLAY!

My Role  is_______



Think About it:

Why are people racist? Why might countries not understand racism in 2016? Why does racism hurt society? How are people racist in Taiwan?



Vocabulary:
1.     Civil rights
2.    Boxing
3.    Legend
4.    Heavyweight
5.    Nickname
6.    Opponent
7.    Ambassador
8.    Transform
9.    impact
10.  Promoter
11.   Charm
12.  Wit
13.  grace
14.  faith


Muhammad Ali, perhaps the world's greatest ever sporting legend, passed away on Friday, aged 74. Ali had spent the previous few days in hospital in Phoenix, Arizona with breathing problems. His children flew to Phoenix to join their father for his final days. Ali is thought to be the best boxer in history. He was the world heavyweight champion three times. He is widely known by his nickname – The Greatest. However, many people believe he was the greatest because of what he did outside the boxing ring, not inside it. He was a civil rights hero and strong opponent of the Vietnam War in the 1960s. He was an ambassador for world peace and worked tirelessly for charities for five decades after.

World leaders, sporting figures and celebrities have been paying tribute to Ali. Boxing promoter Bob Arum said: "Ali transformed this country and impacted the world with his spirit. His legacy will be part of our history for all time." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Ali for changing the world. He said Ali used his charm, wit and grace to fight for a better world, "and used his platform to lift up humanity". The daughter of Martin Luther King wrote: "You were a champion in so many ways." Ali once said: "I would like to be remembered as a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous and who treated everyone right… As a man…who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love."


Matching:

  1. World
  2. famous people
  3. Ali changed
  4. part of our history
  5. The U.N. Secretary-
  6. Ali fought for a better
  7. who treated everyone
  8. tried to unite all
  1. world
  2. General
  3. right
  4. leaders
  5. the world
  6. humankind
  7. talked about Ali
  8. for all time

Answer:
1.     How was Ali different from sports stars today?
2.    Why is Ali a good role model for kids?
3.    How was he a part of history?
4.    What was Ali’s nickname?
5.    Why did people call Ali the greatest boxer ever?

EXTRA:Top 10 Ali KOs, 5 Stories You Didn't Know About Ali




IV. Grammar: REFLEXIVE PROUNOUNS

Fill in each blank with the correct reflexive pronoun:  (myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves)

V. Writing "I wish"

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