Say It Better! Series. C1 Advanced Season. Episode 1

Cinema and theatre

Please line up at the box office! The ticket is worth a quiz!

What is wrong with these questions?!

• Who is the pink sheep of the family? Why?
• Would you be blue with envy if you saw your friend’s new car? Why (not)?
• Would you be tickled red to meet a celebrity? Why (not)?
• Do people who are late for an appointment make you see green?
• What makes you feel black? Why?

You’ve totally nailed it, have you? Close, but not cigar? Worries away, check out our B2 First Season, Episode 1. 

Today, our dearest English learners, we start our C1 Advanced Season. If you have got the ticket, I, the usher, will take you to your seat. Are you ready? Follow me!

Are you a newcomer? Our introductory remarks will give you a clear picture of what is about to come.

CINEMA & THEATRE Matters

Topic vocabulary

Translate and/or write the definition. Make sure while looking them up in the dictionary, you look for the episode-related meaning. The multitude of meanings of one single English word is beautifully surprising, don’t you think so?

Adjectives:

• Sugary-sweet
• Heart-warming
• Electrifying (performance)
• Heart-rending
• State-of-the-art
• Star-studded
• Cutting-edge

Adverbs:

• (Dress) flamboyantly

Phrases, collocations & idioms:

• Tug at the heartstrings
• Feast for the eyes
• To the accompaniment of
• Miss the mark

(Phrasal) verbs:

• Pack with
• Appeal to
• Rave about
• Deem

Nouns from the film and theatre industry:

• Film buff
• Feature length
• Chick flick
• Tear-jerker
• (A tale of) woe
• Dress rehearsal
• Heartthrob
• Stage fright
• Standing ovation
• Extra
• Understudy
• Wild applause
• Stand-up comedy
• Thespian
• (Play) the evil-doer
• Let-down
• Cult (of instant celebrity)
• An overnight celebrity
• (Accurate) portrayal (of)
• Opening night

Word formation

Download the PDF and complete the table with the missing words. Write the opposite any time possible, e.g. APPEALING – UNAPPEALING

APPEAL, ELECTRIFYING, PORTRAYAL, LENGTH, REHEARSAL, FRIGHT, APPLAUSE, NIGHT

Speaking paper

Step One: Read the questions. Make changes to the answers provided. Use the TOPIC language.

Step Two: Write your own answer. Use the TOPIC language.

Step Three (optional): Record yourself while answering the questions. Send your answers to your English teacher for assessment and feedback.

Part 1

Question: “What kind of movies do you prefer?”

Answer: “Well, I like guy movies, I mean, with lots of action. Films about love stories are not my thing. There is too much romance and besides, they make me weepy. So, action movies, like gangster and adventure ones, do interest me. Not that I have watched a lot of. Not like my brother who, for instance, could recite by heart lines from a given film. He knows so much about the cast, actors, both famous and less known, the set, the critics’ reviews, and all that jazz, beyond compare.”

Part 4

Question: “What is the allure of working in showbiz or theatre?”

Answer: “To my mind, what attracts most of the people who choose the world of entertainment as their career is fame, appreciation and money. To achieve all this, one must have such skills like not being afraid to perform in front of the audience, be prepared to practice endless times before the film or play is released, stay in the role even when back home, etc. It’s part of the territory. Otherwise, it could turn into a big disappointment to the cinema or theatre goers. And failing to have or create the required effect isn’t a piece of cake. There is so much work behind the stage. But in the end, all the effort pays off, ’cause the showbiz and the stage worlds are highly rewarding when it comes to money and fame.”

Reading and Use of English quiz

Part 1

Decide which answer best fits the gap.

What is there about love stories, tear-jerkers and … of woe that most appeals to women?

a. heartthrob

b. tales

c. talks

d. stories

Part 2

Think of the word which fits the gap.

The conductor joined the symphony orchestra on stage … the accompaniment of wild applause from the audience.

Part 3

Use the word given in CAPITALS to form a word that fits the gap.

The cast have been performing the rock musical all over the world, most markedly in Europe, where they became … celebrities. NIGHT

Part 4

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word. You must use between three and six words.

The director advised the actors to keep staying in the role at all times, while they were filming and even off the set.

CHARACTER

The director recommended the actors ________________ at all times, while they were filming and even off the set.

Topic word cloud

A much richer vocabulary palette is a sure thing provided you, our English learners, learn words classified by topics, and use them as much as possible in both speaking and written contexts. The word clouds are a priceless learning tool. Make sure they are there for you, within easy eye-reach, in your cosy study corner.

Knowing a wide range of academic and sophisticated vocabulary related to a given topic to the extent that you could easily and quickly name at least ten theme-related expressions is both efficient and effective in exam-like context. The benefits are countless, from impressing the speaking examiner, better understanding the context while dealing with a written text or listening task, in which the topics are more technical and scientific, to saving time while brainstorming when working on your draft essay in the C1 Advanced Writing paper. So, without any delay, I advise you to print the word cloud and start learning its contents. And, as I said in my previous episode, comments like “A wider vocabulary range is expected”, or “Try to use more sophisticated language” will be a thing of the past! From now on, your performance in the exam will be a far cry from your earlier one, and this is the feedback you are bound to get: “Congratulations! You’ve shown good control of topic vocabulary!”

Stay tuned for more words of advice and handy material!