About a Boy (110

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ РФ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ БЮДЖЕТНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ «ВОРОНЕЖСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ»

AboutaBoy

(по произведению Н. Хорнби «AboutaBoy»)

Учебно-методическое пособие для вузов

Издательско-полиграфический центр Воронежского государственного университета

2012

проблематику общения данного раздела. Студентам предлагается ответить на вопросы, связанные с личным опытом или знаниями по проблеме. Второй этап – Watching – представляет собой работу с видео фрагментом фильма.Надо отметить, что для снижения риска неудачи при просмотре, необходимо подготовить обучающихся к восприятию аудитивного текста, что и обеспечивается домашним заданием (чтением фрагмента книги), когда внимание обучающихся фокусируется на новых лексических единицах и фактическом материале.Для использования обучающих возможностей во всей полноте просмотр на данном этапе сопровождается комплексом поэтапных заданий: предпросмотровых (pre-viewing), во время просмотра

(whileviewing) и послепросмотровых (post-viewing). Третий этап раздела –

Reading –– представляет собой выполнение заданий по прочитанному фрагменту книги, одно из которыхсодержит вопрос, который задает проблему для последующего обсуждения.Ответить на него студенты могут, просмотрев видео фрагмент и выполнив задания во время просмотра (whilewatching). Таким образом, развитие умений аудирования происходит во взаимодействии с формированием умений чтения.Четвёртый этап – Vocabularywork – блок заданий по работе с лексикой –– готовит студентов к работе на пятом этапе – Speaking. Итак, чтение фрагментов книги, просмотр эпизодов фильма и выполнение заданий по новой лексике создают основу для говорения. Обсуждение проблемы происходит в разных формах: монологическое и/или диалогическое высказывание, дискуссия, круглый стол. Работа завершается выполнением проектного задания на шестом этапе

– Project.Студентам предлагается подготовить презентацию по одной из культуроведческих тем, вытекающих из обсуждаемой проблематики, или выполнить переводческий проект.

Introduction

Lead-in

1. Do you often read for pleasure? Are you a prolific reader? Do you think books can broaden our ways of thinking?

A: I've been a devourer of books ever since I was able to read...

2. Work in pairs. Discuss with your partner and write the adjectives under the different book genres.

3. Work with a partner.

Most people have their own favourite book genres. They prefer funny and smart ones; books that teach and those that entertain; pages best turned at the beach, on a plane, or sick in bed; books that ease them toward sleep or keep them up late at night.

Ask each other about your choices of books and say what you like about them, and what you are not so fond of. Try to use expressions in Useful language.

4. Work in groups.

First read sentences 1-4 and decide (individually) whether you agree or disagree. Think about examples you can use to support your point of view.

a.The hand-held paper book is going to become extinct.

b.It’s more enjoyable to browse dusty library stacks than download virtual texts.

c.Listening to audiobooks can’t be considered reading. You can only read a book if you are flipping though the pages.

d.Reading books is better than watching their film versions. You can use your imagination to picture the characters while in a film, all the work has been done for you by the film maker.

Now say what you think about the sentences. The other students agree or disagree.

5. Answer the following questions.

a.What does the title of the book “About a Boy” make you think about?

b.What kind of book is it? What kind of readers is it aimed at?

c.Would it make a good film? Why/why not?

d.Try to predict what the book is going to be about. Is it likely to have a happy ending?

Unit 1 A Man is an Island

Chapters 1-4

Lead-in

1.What is a modern family like? (a nuclear family, a single-parent family, an extended family)

2.What kind of family can be a good example of an ideal family in your opinion?

Watching

1. Watch the following episode (00:25 – 06:50 / 11:47 – 13:23) and mark the sentences T (true), F (false) or NS (nothing said).

1.Will is fed up with his bachelor life.

2.Marcus likes animals.

3.Marcus likes going to school.

4.Will accepts the offer to become Imogene`s Godfather.

5.Will likes kids.

6.Marcus doesn`t protest against his mum`s taking him to school.

7.Will likes kids.

8.Schoolmates find Marcus weird.

9.Will`s friends think it`s high time he had a family.

10.Will is separated (marital status).

2.Watch the following episode (00:25 – 02:05) fill in the gaps andanswer the questions:

“In my opinion, (1)_____ men are islands. And what`s more, (2)_____`s the time to be one. This is an island (3)_____. A hundred years ago, you had to (4) _____ on other people. No one had TV or CDs or DVDs or videos… or (5) _____ _____ _____. Whereas now, you see, you can make (6)_____ a little island (7)_____. With the right (8)_____ and the right (9)_____. You can be (10) _____, tropical, a magnet for young Swedish tourists”.

11.How do you understand the phrase “No man is an island”? Comment on it.

12.Does Will agree with the statement? What`s his opinion?

13.Will compares himself with _____(name of the island).

3.Watch the following episode (02:05 – 03:05) andanswer the questions:

1.Can you say that Marcus is an island? Explain your opinion.

2.Marcus doesn`t reckon himself among the people who have a good time in life. Why?

3.Which words and expressions from the box below might be used to describe Marcus and Will? Expand your answer.

Peculiar; pessimistic; confident; unsociable; inquisitive; even-tempered; thrifty; reliable; sincere; easy-going; confident; self-centered; relaxed; introverted; kind-hearted; shy.

Reading

1.What are your impressions of Marcus and Will? In what ways are they different or similar? While reading start comparing the main characters of the story. Fill in the table with the necessary information and keywords :

Characters

Appearance

Interests/ hobbies/ free time

Attitude to school/ job

Relationship with opposite sex

Attitude to family relationship

Values

2. Answer the following questions:

1.What are your impressions of Marcus’s parents? What is their relationship like after divorce? Is such kind of relationship common for modern family?

2.Why does Marcus find it difficult to fit in at school? Is his mother capable of helping him?

3.Does Will seem to be lonely?

4.Why hasn’t he settled down yet? Do you think he has any hidden depths (despite the fact that he’s terrified of the idea of having children)?

Vocabulary work

1.Read the chapters attentively.

Work with a partner. Discuss the meaning of the following idioms. How would you express the same ideas in your own language? Restore the context (say who these idioms relate to).

a)To take/grasp the bull by the horns

b)To burn the candle at both ends

c)To give smb a hard time

2.Complete the sentences with prepositions from the box. Then talk to your friend. Take turns to ask each other these questions.

a)When you plan to enter into a lifelong partnership, is it important for you whether your parents approve _____ your fiancé?

b)Is it a problem for you to fill ____ the time on holiday? Do you zap _____ the channels or wander ____ the streets?

c)Do you keep ____ touch with your school friends/ex?

d)What things remind you ___ your childhood?

e)Are you capable of toughing ____ stressful situations? How do you manage to get _____

them?

f)Have you ever burst ___ tears in public?

g)Do your parents frown ___ computer games/the Internet?

h)Do you always own ____ to lies? How does it make you feel?

3. Find the word or phrase which means the same as the following. Find Russian equivalents.

a)from time to time, occasionally

b)to talk or complain in a loud way because you feel strongly about something

c)to see smth for a moment, but not very clearly

d)very shocked and upset by something very bad or unpleasant

e)pale and tired

f)having no money

g)to look at a lot of things in a shop rather than looking for one particular thing

h)to become red in the face because you are embarrassed or ashamed

i)too interested in things that do not concern you, inquisitive

j)to make a serious, angry or worried expression

4.Guess what two semantic groups the following vocabulary can be divided into.

Speaking

1.Discussion questions

1.What kind of family do Russians tend to live in nowadays? Nuclear families or singleparent families? Is the situation in Britain the same?

2.What is the best age to settle down and have children?

3.How important is the family in forming basic values and world outlook? How does it happen?

2.Role play

Imagine you are Will. What is your personal motto that you try to live by? Describe your attitude to life using at least 11 words and expressions from the exercises above.

Project

Read the extract from the text you have recently read. Pay attention to the underlined words. What parts of speech are they? What is a possible translation of the word combination “let’s-talk-about-this stuff”?

“……but in London it was different. The kids were harder and meaner and less understanding, and it seemed to him that if his mum had made him change schools just because she had found a better job, then she should at least have the decency to stop all that let’s-talk- about-this stuff.”

Are there any examples of a similar word formation way in the Russian language? Find out and give examples.

Unit 2 A Broken Home

Chapters 5-7

Lead-in

1.Are there many single-parent families in Russia? Are they mostly single mothers or single fathers? Why?

2.What problems does a single-parent family come across? Are these problems common in your country?

3.How do they cope with their problems? (state’s help, family, friends, counselling)

Watching

1.Watch the following episode (07:00 – 08:42) and mark the sentences T (true), F (false) or NS (nothing said).

1.Will is happy to help Angie to look after her son.

2.Angie isn’t exactly what Will is looking for.

3.Will doesn’t want to split up with Angie.

4.Will doesn’t care a pin about single mums.

5.Will knows a lot about kids.

6.Spat – Single People Alone Together.

7.SPAT is open daily.

8.Suzie feels for Will.

9.Will has a 2-year-old son - Ned.

10.Will was preparing for SPAT for 3 days.

2.Watch the following episode (08:30 – 10:45) fill in the gaps and respond to the question:

“She couldn’t stay at my place, and she didn’t have a DVD, or (1) ___ or (2) ___. So we were always (3) ___ watching some (4) ___ made-for-TV movie about a kid with (5) ___”.

4.For all that, what were the “deep” problems with Angie?

3.Before you watch the episode guess what these words – a self-help society – mean? Watch the following episode (13:40 – 17:00) fill in the gaps and respond to the questions:

“This was (1) ____. A (2) ____ ____ mine of single mums. I could see the beautiful (3)____ now, getting (4)____ ____, forgetting their (5)____, ready to (6)____ ____ ____”.

5.How did Will imagine single mums before he had appeared in SPAT?

6.Did the reality in SPAT get in line with Will’s expectations? Expand your answer.

4.Watch the episode (13:40 – 14:00) and fill in the table below:

S________________

What does the abbreviation SPAT mean? P________________

A________________

T________________

What is SPAT’s schedule?

Who is SPAT for?

According toyour opinion whatis SPAT’s purpose?

Reading

3.Answerthequestions.

1.How does Marcus feel about his mother’s depression? Is he able to help?

2.How can Fiona’s depression be explained? Is there any way out?

3.Does Marcus manage to work out what is wrong with his mother?

4.What do they usually have for breakfast? Does Marcus like it? What might happen if Marcus doesn’t get through his “boring stuff”? What do you think of this menu?

5.What does Fiona do? Does she earn enough? What does Fiona say about money?

6.Why does Will want to have an affair with a single mother? What does it say about him?

7.What kind of people appear to be members of SPAT?

Vocabulary work

1. Divide the following words and expressions into the groups according to positive or negative aspects of relationships they are used to describe.

Speaking

Discussion questions

1.Are self-help societies useful for people who want to discuss and share their difficulties? Should they be used as a last resort?

2.Are self-help societies useful for people who want to discuss and share their difficulties?

3.Are there any self-help societies in your country? Are they popular or used as a last resort?

4.Is it harder to face these difficulties for parents or children?