Speaking Going out

A. Look at the pictures below and do the task that follows.

In pairs, choose two photographs each and tell each other which of the activities shown in the pictures seem more attractive to you and why.

B. Now look at all four pictures together and discuss:

· which one you would choose if you were going out for the evening together.

· which ones would be best for a group of tourists.

· which one would be the most expensive and difficult to organize.

C. Look at the following advertisements, then in pairs act out a dialogue similar to the one you listened to. Look up Useful Language File and Example below.

USEFUL LANGUAGE

What would you like to do?

Do you fancy going to the cinema?

Why don’t we go to the disco?

Let’s have a hamburger.

We could always stay at home.

What/How about eating out?

Shall we see a new play at the Theatre Royale tonight?

Example:

Kate: Let’s go and see a movie on Saturday.

Richard: Sorry, I can’t. I’m going to visit my cousins. Why don’t we go next week instead?

Kate: OK. What about Wednesday?

Richard: That sounds good. Shall I meet you at your house?

Kate: I have a better idea. How about getting something to eat before the movie?

Richard: Good idea! What time? About 7 o’clock?

Kate: Right. See you then.

Reading

1. Pre-reading task

Give an example of each of the following. Tell your partner about them, and say what you think of them.

a) an American TV programme that is popular in your country;

b) an American movie that is popular in your country at the moment;

c) your favourite American movie star;

d) an American play or musical that was recently performed in your country.

2. You are going to read a newspaper article about how American plays now dominate London’s theatre district – the West End.

Look at the sentences below and check you understand all the words. Then read the passage and decide which are true and which are false, in the writer’s opinion.

1. American plays are not as good as the publicity for them claims.

2. Only theatre in Britain is dominated by American product.

3. Both Britain and the United States should support writers and actors from their own countries.

4. American plays should be banned from Britain.

5. There are twice as many American movies as there are European ones on British TV.

6. The themes of British and American plays are very similar.

7. American plays are more glamorous that British ones.

8. The people who decide which plays and films we watch should choose to show things from other countries, not just the United States.

American Dominance in the West End by Michael Billington

A

Overrated, overhyped and over here, American fare dominates the West End, the television and British cinemas. We hear a lot about London theatre's domination by stars. Less noticed has been its surrender to the stars and stripes. Whole weeks now go by in which, as a critic, I see nothing but American product and I learn far more about life in Manhattan or the midwest than Manchester or Midlothian. But that is merely a symbol of a far wider phenomenon in which Britain's cultural and political agenda is increasingly set by the world's one surviving superpower.

B

Some will argue that this is merely a healthy symptom of cultural free trade and of a historical tit-for-tat. Britain has long dominated Broadway; now American theatre is getting its revenge. But I share the view of critic Robert Brustein, who argues, from an American perspective, that the anglicising of New York theatre "has not only worked to exclude the best work coming out of Europe, but has also managed to eclipse our native traditions". I am not asking for the erection of cultural barriers, simply a measure of moderation and a recognition that both Britain and America need to nurture their native talent. What really appals me is Britain's capitulation to American economic and cultural power. It's hard to find a non­-American film at the local cinema. Only last week 34 of 46 movies on mainstream television were American, while only one came from continental Europe. American fast-food chains and coffee shops cover the country. And now there is even talk of the Booker prize, which has done an immense amount to stimulate British, Irish and Commonwealth writing being open to American fiction at the behest of a financial services company.

C

Does it matter? Isn't this merely a symptom of the new globalised era in which we all live? Without descending into little­-Englandism, I think it matters deeply, because we are increasingly cutting ourselves off from other sources of supply and neglecting our native strengths. In purely theatrical terms, we would much rather do a mediocre American play than a good one from Europe, Africa, Australia or Canada. And the traditional British belief that theatre is a means of analysing society as well as exploring character is in danger of being eroded by the American fixation with personal psychology. American plays habitually ask, "Why am I not happy?" British plays, at their best, ask, "What's wrong with the world?" None of this means that I want to prohibit the best American work. What I am against is the lazy belief that everything American is invested with a glamour and radical edge lacking in Britain.

D

For what it's worth, my own observation, after a week recently spent in New York, was that articulated by Jonathan Freedland in the Guardian's opinion pages: America is a society that currently stifles genuine debate and dissent. And, although I saw a handful of good shows in New York theatre, I came away convinced that our slavish submission to everything American is unwarranted. We are in danger, given the current artistic deluge, of becoming the 51st state. It's high time our cultural arbiters woke up to the fact that there is a world elsewhere.

The Guardian Weekly

6-6-2002, page 18

Glossary

Midlothian = the area around Edinburgh, Scotland

The West End = London's theatre district

Broadway = New York’s theatre district

The Booker prize = an annual literature prize

3. Match each brief summary below to the paragraphs of the article. There is also one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

1. Americans should encourage culture produced in their country. In Britain, local culture should be encouraged, rather than buying into American culture, often for economic reasons.

2. Britain is wrong to import so many American plays because, although some are good, the United States is not open to discussing many issues at the moment, and British plays, or plays from other countries, may well be better.

3. There is no use trying to encourage British ... culture, because American dominance is very strong

4. There are too many American films and plays on in Britain, many of which are not that good. This is typical of how American culture influences many aspects of British society.

5. It is important to worry about this trend because we are in danger of seeing plays from countries other than the United States, and of discouraging British plays which address very different issues from American plays.

4. Explain or paraphrase the following expressions and sentences from the text paying particular attention to the underlined words.

1. Overrated, overhyped and over here, American fare dominates the West End, the television and British cinemas.

2. We hear a lot about London theatre’s domination by stars. Less noticed has been its surrender to the stars and stripes.

3. Some will argue that this is merely a healthy symptom of cultural free trade and a historical tit-for-tat.

4. ...Both Britain and America need to nurture their native talent.

5. And the traditional British belief that theatre is a means of analysing society as well as exploring character is in danger of being eroded by the American fixation with personal psychology.

6. And, although I saw a handful of good shows in New York theatre, I came away convinced that our slavish submission to everything American is unwarranted.

7. ...British, Irish and Commonwealth writing being open to American fiction at the behest of a financial services company.

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1591