Monday, May 24, 2010

Level 4. Unit 8


World Link Book 1, Unit 7
Learning Objectives


Things to do and to Say

People I admire
I admire firefighters. Their job is dangerous but they’re not afraid. They’re very brave

Giving opinions about movies
That was a good movie
A: What’s your favorite movie?
B: The matrix
A: Who’s the hero in that movie?
B: Neo is. But I like Morpheus better.
A: Why?
B: He was Neo’s teacher and he was a brave, strong fighter.

Agreeing and disagreeing
A: I think the matrix is a good movie.
B: Yeah, I agree.
C: Sorry, but I disagree. In my opinion…

Today’s heroes
A: Do you know any heroes?
B: Yes, Bono is my hero.
A: Who’s he?
C: He’s a singer and a songwriter with the band U2. He also helps the poor and homeless, and works for world peace.


Grammar points to practice...

The past tense of Be
       was-wasn't / were – weren’t
I was on vacations last month.
I wasn't at home last night.

Yes-no questions
Were you born in Mexico?
No, I wasn’t. I was born in Maracaibo.

Wh- questions
Where were you born?
I was born in Maracaibo.
Why was Marie Curie famous?
She was the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice.

Simple Past
Regular verbs
I visited Los Andes  last week.
I didn’t work last week

Homework
1. Look at the following model:

Now......

* Chose a famous hero from the past and tell why you admire that person. Write three important things the person did during his or her life.
* Chose a famous hero from the present and tell why you admire that person. Write three important things the person have done during his or her life.
* Chose a hero from your family and tell why you admire that person. Write three important things the person has done or did during his or her life.
* Chose a famous hero from your community and tell why you admire that person. Write three important things the person  has done or did during his or her life.
* Chose a famous hero from the movies and tell why you admire that person. Write three important things the person did during his or her life.
* Chose a hero from the cartoons and tell why you admire that character. Write three important things the character does.

2. Read the following text:

What’s a hero? 

A hero doesn’t necessarily need to be photographed or written about in the newspapers.
A hero doesn’t need to be interviewed on TV or be recorded for posterity.
A heroic act doesn’t need to be measured by other people’s subjective interpretations.
A hero doesn’t necessarily need to make a big noise, or expect huge applause, or endless gratitude.
A hero can do something heroic, something momentous, something that will save lives -  yet no-one will know what he did, or what it took to do it.  Or at most, a handful will know.
A hero is someone who does something heroic quietly, away from public eyes, away from public scrutiny.
A hero is someone who does something selfless, instantly, as a given.  And either seldom talks about it, or downplays it, or never discusses it.
That’s a hero.  The one who does something, and then carries on with his life as a regular human being, knowing that he has touched a few lives anyway.  If thanked along the way, that’s very special and always appreciated.

About the Author

Beba Papakyriakou (BA; BA Honours, Psychology)

Now, do ou agree with this author? what's your opinion? what's a hero?. Use some of this words to describe what's a hero for you:

10 Characteristics of a Hero

A real hero is someone who faces everyday challenges bravely and lives with a smile despite problems and shortcomings. Listed here are the 10 most prominent hero characteristics.

Bravery: "You can't be brave if you've had only wonderful things happen to you." ~ Mary Tyler More: This is the most important characteristic of a hero. You have to be brave to stand up and fight.
Courage: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts" ~ Winston Churchill: You need the courage to fight a situation no matter how bad it is. Heroes have the fear of losing but they also have the courage to drive away that fear.
Determination: "The difference between the impossible and possible lies in a man's determination." ~ Tommy Lasorda: When you have the determination to fight something, no matter how weak you are, you will win.
Dedication: "The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me." ~ Mahatma Gandhi: Dedication in a task pays off eventually.
Endurance: "Don't pray for lighter burdens, but for stronger backs." ~ Unknown: If you are strong enough to face failure, nothing can stop you from achieving your goal.
Perseverance: "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt: When you are persistent, you are bound to be victorious eventually.
Valor: "Where life is more terrible than death, it is then the truest valor to dare to live." ~ Thomas Brown Sr: To be bold enough to stand against the wrong when no one can show true heroism.
Selflessness: "Without selfless service, no one ever receives the fruits of their rewards." ~ Sri Guru Granth Sahib: You have to be selfless in your life to be remembered as a hero.
Sacrifice: "Those things that are precious are saved only by sacrifice." ~ David Kenyon Webster: It is very difficult to make sacrifices but a true hero sacrifices without hesitating.
Humility: "To become truly great, one has to stand with the people, not above them." ~ Charles de Montesquieu. You shouldn't have airs about yourself but be down to earth and humble.
These are some of the main traits of a hero. Read more on list of superheroes.

3. An extra task...

Read the article What Makes a Hero? and look at the videos.. what does the author means in his final words: 

"Essentially, we’re trying to build the social habits of heroes, to build a focus on the other, shifting away from the “me” and toward the “we.” As the poet John Donne wrote: “No man [or woman] is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; … any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
So every person is part of humanity. Each person’s pulse is part of humanity’s heartbeat. Heroes circulate the life force of goodness in our veins. And what the world needs now is more heroes—you. It’s time to take action against evil"

Taken from: 




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