MEH p 14. Art and Entertainment. Extra Speaking

A. Have a conversation as natural as possible with a partner about the topic. Use the pictures above and the questions below to help you.

1. What do you like doing in your free time?  What places do you normally go to when you want to have a good time?

2. Pablo Picasso once said that all children are artists and that the problem is to remain one when you grow up.  Does this idea hold any truth for you?  Why?  Why not?

3. Has watching a documentary changed your perception on a given topic?

4. Do you think books will still be widely read in the future?

5. Can you recommend us a thought-provoking film or book?

B. MONOLOGUE

Student A

1. Do you think modern artists are deceiving the public?

2. Do people find it hard to accept new trends in art? Why do you think this is so?

3. Do you agree that one man's entertainment can be another man's torture?

Student B

1. Do you think that reading has improved your English? How? What else do you do to improve your English?

2. Do you think that music, dancing and art should have a more prominent place in the school curriculum? Why?

3. Do you think the younger generations are very different from their ancestors as far as art and entertainment are concerned?

Vocabulary
hot off the press: freshly printed; just released by a publisher. E.g. Here is a copy of the new Mark Haddon novel. It's hot off the press. I've got it hot off the press-he's resigning. This design is hot off the press.

 
unconventional: /ˌʌnkənˈvenʃənl/ very different from the way people usually behave, think, dress. etc. E.g. unconventional views


thought-provoking: making people think seriously about a particular subject. E.g. a brilliant and thought-provoking play.



moving: making you feel strong emotions, especially sadness or sympathy. E.g. a deeply moving experience. A moving story/ speech.



bleak: without anything to make you feel happy or hopeful. E.g. a bleak outlook/ prospect. The future looks bleak for the fishing industry. The medical prognosis was bleak. They faced a financially bleak Christmas. A bleak landscape.



impressive: makes you admire it because it is very good, large, important, etc. E.g. an impressive building with a huge tower. An impressive performance. One of the most impressive novels of recent years. She was very impressive in the interview.



compelling: very interesting or exciting, so you have to pay attention. E.g. Her latest book makes compelling reading. A compelling story. A compelling film.



charming: very pleasing or attractive. E.g. The cottage is tiny, but it's charming. She's a charming person. A children's book with charming illustrations. There are lots of charming little restaurants along the river.



well-received: accepted with enthusiasm. e.g. by critics. E.g. a well-received book/ play



poignant: /pɔɪnjənt/ making you feel sad or full of pity. E.g. a poignant image/ moment/ memory, etc. A poignant film.






overrated: not as good or important as some people think or say. E.g. In my opinion, Hirst's work has been vastly overrated. A highly overrated film.



offbeat: unusual and not what people normally expect, especially in an interesting way. Unconventional. E.g. offbeat humour. An offbeat approach to interviewing. She’s a little offbeat but she’s a wonderful actress.



stylish: attractive in a fashionable way. Elegant and attractive. E.g. a stylish restaurant. It was a stylish performance by both artists.



amusing: funny and entertaining. E.g. an amusing story/ game/ incident. She writes very amusing letters. I didn't find the joke at all amusing. An amusing article/ comment. I don't find that type of humour very amusing at all.



striking: attractive in an unusual way that is easy to notice. E.g. striking good looks. She was undoubtedly a very striking young woman. She is naturally striking. A striking landscape.



dramatic: /drəˈmætɪk/ exciting or impressive, so that people notice. E.g. They watched dramatic pictures of the police raid on TV. Dramatic mountain peaks.



stunning: extremely attractive or beautiful. Impressive. E.g. You look absolutely stunning! A stunning view of the lake. His performance was simply stunning.



heart-breaking: making you feel extremely sad or disappointed. E.g. a heartbreaking story. They live in heartbreaking poverty. It's heartbreaking to lose a pet.



subtle: not easy to notice or understand unless you pay careful attention. E.g. subtle colours.
There are subtle differences between the two versions. His language expresses rich and subtle meanings.

poignant /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ (adj) (poignancy /ˈpɔɪnjənsi/ (N) E.g. Of particular poignancy was the photograph of their son with his sisters, taken the day before he died; poignantly /ˈpɔɪnjəntli/ (adv) E.g. Their experiences of war are poignantly described.)

subtle /ˈsʌtl/ (adj) (subtlety /ˈsʌtlti/ (N) E.g. It's a thrilling movie even though it lacks subtlety; subtly /ˈsʌtli/ E.g. Her version of events is subtly different from what actually happened.)