LESSON 4: SMALL TALK (II) YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIES

Are you a movie freak? Many people enjoy watching American movies and TV
serials. Do you want to brush up your English listening, speaking and writing
skills while watching your favourite movies or TV serials?

ACTIVITY 1 Warm-up Activity

Look at the movie genres below and select 3 of your favourites. Give an example
of a movie representing each genre selected and write down their English titles in
the spaces provided.

Action and adventure Drama Musical

Animation Family Romance
Comedy Thriller Science fiction & fantasy
Documentary Martial arts War

1.

2.

3.

ACTIVITY 2: Watch the movie trailer for Mr Bean’s Holiday (2007)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju2lG6DnOJo) and perform the following tasks:

(i) What do you think the film is about?

(ii) What type of film do you think it is?

(iii) Suggest verbs that can describe the actions of Mr Bean in the trailer;

(iv) Describe to a partner two scenes which you find hilarious;

(v) Outline the story or plot of the movie.

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ACTIVITY 3: Group Discussion

Movies are appreciated for the technology used, the casting of the movie, the
storyline, the costumes, the music and so many other elements. Watch the
trailer of Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (2007) (http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=_0pY_UL4Hoc) and perform the following tasks:

(a) Are you a big fan of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter book series? Have you seen
the movie? Do you think the voice-over is effective? Why? Tell us why you
like or dislike the story? How do you find the acting of the actors and
actresses? (If you have not read the book or seen the movie, you may read
the movie review on the last page before giving your opinions.)

(b) Imagine you are a film critic taking part in a discussion where there are two
parties: One party wants to nominate the film for an Oscar award or an
Academy Award, but the other party is very much against it. Argue your
case including the elements outlined above and your opinions exchanged.

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ACTIVITY 4:

Read the following movie review and answer the following questions:

1. We notice that the word ‘Harry’s’, as underlined and numbered below, is used
frequently throughout the review. Tell us what it is and try to explain its
grammatical function in each of the sentences.

2. We know that we can add an -ing or an –ed participle to a verb and put it
before a noun so as to form an adjective, e.g. dancing shoes (dance + -ing),
retired general (retire +ed). Can you give us some examples of such
formation from the text?

3. Comment generally on the vocabulary used.

Grammar Tips:

Present Participle Adjectives – Ongoing Past Participle Adjectives – Completed

(-ing) (-ed)

a roasting chicken a roasted chicken

Growing children need a lot of food.
Falling trees are a danger to hikers.
Frying potatoes smell delicious.
Grown children often move out of the
house.
Fallen trees littered the forest floor.
Fried potatoes would taste good right
now.

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Movie Review written by Rebecca Murray ((extracted and adapted from

http://movies.about.com/od/ harrypotter5/ fr/harrypott071007.htm on 17 August 2007)

The Story

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opens with Harry still at the dreaded
Dursleys and bored to tears at being cooped up in the land of Muggles. But
everything abruptly changes when Harry and his cousin Dudley are attacked by
the soul-sucking dementors who are definitely not supposed to be anywhere near
Pivot Drive. The only way Harry’s (1) able to save himself and Dudley is by using
magic, something forbidden outside of Hogwarts. News of his use of magic travels
at the speed of light to the Ministry of Magic and Harry soon receives notice that
he has been expelled from school.

Thanks to some timely intervention by Dumbledore, Harry’s (2) spared expulsion,

but that does not do much to lighten his spirits. Lord Voldemort has been
haunting his dreams and Harry’s (3) sure He Who Must Not Be Named is close by.
Meanwhile Harry, Hermione, Ron and a good portion of the Weasley clan have
taken up residence in Harry’s (4) godfather’s place. Sirius Black has provided a
meeting place for the Order of the Phoenix, a top secret group made up of some
of the most powerful wizards and aurors whose mission is to battle Voldemort.

Minister Fudge and his group do not believe Voldemort has returned, despite
overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and they have taken to trying to discredit
Dumbledore and Harry.

Asserting their power over Hogwarts, the Ministry has placed one of their own as
the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dolores Umbridge, with the
backing of the Ministry, has come to Hogwarts to squash all talk of the return of
Voldemort. Her methods aren’t pretty and the students, led by Harry, rebel
against her and against the idiocy of the Ministry by forming Dumbledore’s Army.
Made up of a hand-picked group of students, the DA meets in secret to practice
defending themselves against an attack by Voldemort’s forces. As dreams of
Voldemort continue to plague him, Harry realizes that another meeting with the
Dark Lord is inevitable. The only real question is whether he’ll be ready for the
battle.

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