Sunteți pe pagina 1din 3

Enhanced Beauty Contest October 25, 2009

Advanced - Speaking

the ARTICLE (for teachers)


Enhanced Beauty Contest
Beauty contests are popular events at both the local and international levels. Contestants compete against one another, of course primarily based on physical appearance. Peripheral categories also get featured in many contests, such as those based on talent. But a recent pageant in Hungary was perhaps like no other beauty contest, for all the participants had undergone plastic surgery. And what was the title of the contest? "Miss Plastic Hungary 2009," of course! Although the organizers of the event stressed the important balance between body and soul, the contest almost exclusively focused on beauty. In fact, to qualify for the pageant, each participant had to irrefutably prove they had gone under the knife. Botox or collagen injections failed to get the nod. Facelifts, nose jobs, and other augmentations took center spotlight during the evening of unnatural beauties, with one finalist even showing off her surgically adjusted toes, believe it or not. One of the judges of Miss Plastic Hungary commented that plastic surgery often gets disparaged, particularly in Hungary. The news and other media highlight bulbous lips, skin stretched papery, and cosmetic corrections gone wrong. However, the contest was about restoring harmony and eliminating asymmetries which have now made the women beautiful. The winner of the contest won an apartment in Budapest, and first runner-up was given a new car. All participants said that it was a night to remember.

Teacher's Notes:

* Underlined words in red typeface may be vocabulary unfamiliar to the students. Heads Up English - 1 www.headsupenglish.com

Enhanced Beauty Contest October 25, 2009

Advanced - Speaking

the ARTICLE (for students)


Enhanced Beauty Contest
Beauty contests are popular events at both the local and international levels. Contestants compete against one another, of course primarily based on physical appearance. Peripheral categories also get featured in many contests, such as those based on talent. But a recent pageant in Hungary was perhaps like no other beauty contest, for all the participants had undergone plastic surgery. And what was the title of the contest? "Miss Plastic Hungary 2009," of course! Although the organizers of the event stressed the important balance between body and soul, the contest almost exclusively focused on beauty. In fact, to qualify for the pageant, each participant had to irrefutably prove they had gone under the knife. Botox or collagen injections failed to get the nod. Facelifts, nose jobs, and other augmentations took center spotlight during the evening of unnatural beauties, with one finalist even showing off her surgically adjusted toes, believe it or not. One of the judges of Miss Plastic Hungary commented that plastic surgery often gets disparaged, particularly in Hungary. The news and other media highlight bulbous lips, skin stretched papery, and cosmetic corrections gone wrong. However, the contest was about restoring harmony and eliminating asymmetries which have now made the women beautiful. The winner of the contest won an apartment in Budapest, and first runner-up was given a new car. All participants said that it was a night to remember.

Notes:

Heads Up English - 2 www.headsupenglish.com

Enhanced Beauty Contest October 25, 2009

Advanced - Speaking

STEP ONE
Brainstorm: Brainstorm with a partner(s) words and ideas associated with "beauty" for 2 minutes. Spend another 5 minutes or less discussing the words and ideas together.

STEP TWO
Do you agree or disagree? Why? a. Beauty is easy to define. b. A beautiful inside (personality) is more important than a beautiful outside (appearance). c. Someday almost everyone will get plastic surgery. d. Natural beauty is better than the beauty that comes with surgery. e. Anyone can be beautiful.

STEP THREE
The Article: Read the article, and work with a partner to understand it. Lastly, summarize in your own words.

STEP FOUR
Discuss: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers! a. Did you like this article? b. Do you think society in general has an unrealistic and unhealthy idea of beauty? Why/not? c. How has society's opinion of beauty changed over the years? Why has it changed? d. Do you think beautiful pageants are a good idea? Why/not? e. Which is more important, a beautiful face or a beautiful personality? Why do you think so? f. Do you think a similar contest would be successful in your country? Why/not?

STEP FIVE
Discuss: What characteristics or qualities define beauty? Brainstorm two ideas with a partner and provide reasons. Share your answers with another pair of students, and decide on the best idea together. Idea#1:

Idea#2:

Heads Up English - 3 www.headsupenglish.com

S-ar putea să vă placă și