четверг, 24 октября 2013 г.

Halloween Webquest


By Luke Vyner
Activity 1: Halloween’s history
Visit http://www.history.com/topics/halloween and read the first section entitled Ancient origins of Halloween. Look for the answers to these 13 (unlucky for some) questions. Share your answers with your classmates.

1.     Where is the celebration of Halloween thought to have come from?
2.     The Celts occupied an area of land covering three modern day countries. Name all three.
3.     Why did the Celts celebrate ‘Samhain’ on the night of 31st October?
4.     What did the Celts believe the ghosts of the dead would cause damage and trouble to?
5.     To commemorate the event, what did the Druids build?
6.     What costumes did they wear?
7.     What did they re-light to help protect them from the coming winter?
8.     By 43 AD, who had conquered the Celts?
9.     What two other festivals were combined with ‘Samhain’?
10.  After many changes due to the spread of Christianity, what new celebration was created in 1000 AD?
11.  What were the similarities between this day and ‘Samhain’?
12.  What was another name given to this celebration?
13.  What was the night before called and what did this finally become?
Discussion
      Are you surprised by the history of Halloween?
      Do you know any other stories about its origins?
      Are there any celebrations in your country that have a strange and uncertain history?
      Do you agree with this type of celebration?
      Do you believe in ghosts and the supernatural?
Activity 2: Popular Halloween traditions Jack O’Lantern
Read the introductory paragraph taken from http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history and then describe the Jack O’Lantern tradition to your partner. Then, read the full article entitled ‘The Legend of Stingy Jack’. Look for the answers to the following questions. Share your answers with your classmates.
1.     The Jack O’Lantern tradition originated from which Irish myth?
2.     What did Jack do with the coin instead? Why?
3.     Under what condition did Jack free the devil?
4.     What trick did Jack play the following year and how did he prevent the devil coming
down from the tree?
5.     What happened soon after?
6.     What problem did Jack then face?
7.     What did the Irish call Jack’s ghost?
8.     What did the Irish then begin to make and place in their windows and doorways and why?
9.     What did the vegetable become in America?
Apple-bobbing
Read the first paragraph of this website link about the rules of apple-bobbing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_bobbing. Answer the following questions:
1.     How is the game played?
2.     Why are apples used?
3.     What do players use to catch the apples?
4.     What part of your body are you prevented from using?
Trick-or-treating
Read the first paragraph of this website link about the tradition of ‘trick-or-treating': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick-or-treating and answer the following questions, sharing your answers with a partner.
1.     What do children ask for when they travel from house to house? (Note: the answer is an American word, do you know the British English equivalent?)
2.     What question do the children ask?
3.     What is usually the ‘trick’?
4.     Since when has this tradition been practised in North America?
5.     What do homeowners who wish to participate usually do to their houses?
6.     In what countries did two traditions similar to trick-or-treating already exist?
7.     What were these traditions called?
8.     What was different about these to current trick-or-treating traditions?
9.     Trick-or-treating has become prevalent in countries outside of America - what do the children ask for in Mexico?

Discussion
       Have you ever practised any of these traditions? If your answer is yes, which is your favourite? If your answer is no, what do you think would be your favourite?
       Have you ever seen a real carved-out Jack O’Lantern? Have you ever designed one yourself? Would you like to make one with your classmates?
       Do you think you would be good at apple-bobbing? Would you like to have an apple- bobbing competition with your classmates? Who do you think would win?
       Would you be interested in going ‘trick-or-treating’? If yes, what would be your costume of choice? What trick would you play?
       If you had some children knocking on your door would you opt for giving them a treat or accept the trick?
      •      How do you think people from your country would respond to trick-or-treaters?
Activity 3: Halloween around the world
Although Halloween is often seen as a predominantly American celebration, you'll be surprised to know that many countries around the world also celebrate Halloween. Many have their own unique traditions.
a.     Tell your classmates if and how your country celebrates Halloween.
b.    Choose a country to research from this website link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_around_the_world. Before you begin your research, consider the following questions:
1.     How long has your chosen country been celebrating Halloween?
2.     What unique traditions does it have?
3.     What costumes do people dress up in?
4.     Why has Halloween become popular there?
Note: you may not find information on all these questions, but as you read, write down any other interesting facts you discover about your chosen country to share with your classmates. Write your answers in note form and share them with your classmates.
Activity 4: Terrifying tales
Go to the following website and find a list of titles to scary ghost stories:
http://www.americanfolklore.net/spooky-stories.html. Scroll down and click on ‘Hairy toe' and read the story. Answer the following 13 (unlucky for some) questions below.
1.     What was the woman digging up to cook for dinner?
2.     What did she uncover?
3.     Why did she put ‘the hairy toe’ in her basket?
4.     What did she cook with ‘the hairy toe’?
5.     Later that night, what did the voice coming from the woods say?
6.     Was the voice heard in the same place or was it getting closer?
7.     Where was the voice coming from when the old lady woke up?
8.     What did she do when she jumped out of bed?
9.     Where was the old lady when she saw the massive figure in her doorway?
10.  How did the old lady respond to the figure?
11.  What finally happened to the old lady?
12.  What was the only clue of her disappearance?
13.  What was distinct about the footprint?
Go back to the list of stories and choose one that interests you. Read it and make notes.
Once you've completed your notes, share the story with your classmates. Did you manage to scare them with your tale?



Shakespeare Webquest


This Shakespearean webquest by Luke Vyner includes activities on Shakespeare’s life, Romeo and Juliet, ’boy players’ and famous quotes from Shakespeare plays that we still use today.

Activity 1: William Shakespeare: An introduction to his life

Read the biography of Shakespeare below and try to complete the missing information. Then, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/william_shakespeare to find the correct information and complete the short biography.

Shakespeare was born in ________ ________ ________ in Warwickshire. His father was a ________merchant and ________ maker. It is believed he schooled locally at ________ _________ ________ Grammar School.

At 18 he celebrated his marriage to ________ ________. They married in ________ and in total had ________ children together. Firstly ________ and then ________ Hamnet and Judith. Sadly Hamnet died at the age of ________.

As well as being a playwright Shakespeare was also an ________ and was one of the managing partners in Lord Chamberlain’s Theatre Company, later renamed the King’s Company. Shakespeare wrote his first poems ________ ________ ________ and The Rape of Lucrece between ________and ________.

As a playwright Shakespeare was ________ and from 1594 to 1611 he wrote about ________ plays per ________. Most of his early plays were ________ and ________. Due to his increased success, in ________ Shakespeare was able to move upmarket to Silver Street. It was here he wrote King Lear, Macbeth, Othello and his classic play ________.

The final years of his life were spent in ________ ________ in Stratford. He died aged ________ on 23rd April 1616. He famously left his ________ ________ bed to his wife Anne Hathaway. The reason for this is unknown.

Activity 2: The plot of Romeo and Juliet

Read the statements about Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Some are true and others are false. Predict whether you think they are true or false, then visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet to check your answers and correct the false statements.

Introduction

1. The plot of Romeo and Juliet is based on a French tale.
2. Shakespeare created the supporting characters Mercutio and Paris.
3. The play is believed to have been written between 1581 and 1585.

Synopsis

4. The play is set in Venice, Italy.
5. It begins with a street fight between the Montagues and Capulets.
6. Romeo first sees Juliet at a ball in the Montague house.
7. With the help of Benvolio, they are secretly married the next day.
8. Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, in revenge for killing Romeo’s close friend and ally, Mercutio.
9. For the execution, Romeo is exiled from Verona.
10. Before he leaves, he secretly spends the night with Juliet.
11. Juliet’s mother offers her a drug that will put her into a coma for ’two and forty hours’ on the night before her planned wedding to Paris.
12. When she is found, she is believed to be dead.
13. Romeo buys a gun to kill himself when he hears the news.
14. At the crypt where Juliet’s body has been laid, Romeo is met by Paris.
15. He kills him before drinking the poison.
16. When Juliet awakens from her deep sleep, she realizes Romeo is dead and panicking she runs away.
Activity 3: Boy players

Visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_player and find out about boy players by reading the 'Boys in adult companies' section. Then, answer the questions below.

1. Between what years were female actors prohibited from performing in the theatre?
2. Was there an official law against female actors?
3. Why were adolescent boys used to play female roles?
4. Did boys also play the complex lead female roles?
5. What roles did actor John Honyman play?
Activity 4: Shakespearean language still used today


a. You are going to find out the meaning of the phrases created by Shakespeare.
Find the following phrases from A Midsummer Night’s Dream

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-coined-by-shakespeare-in-midsummer-nights-dream.html

1. fancy free
2. many a true word spoken in jest
3. the course of true love never did run smooth

Find the following phrases from Hamlet

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-coined-by-shakespeare-in-hamlet.html


4. In my mind’s eye
5. Make your hair stand on end
6. Woe is me

Find the following phrases from Macbeth

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-coined-by-shakespeare-in-macbeth.html


7. A charmed life
8. A sorry sight
9. Be all and end all

b. Now choose your favourite sounding expression from the main list:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.html

Once you’ve chosen your favourite expression, perform and teach it to the whole class.

воскресенье, 20 октября 2013 г.

Madrigal singers



A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six. It is quite distinct from the Italian Trecento madrigal of the late 13th and 14th centuries, with which it shares only the name.

Madrigals originated in Italy during the 1520s. Unlike many strophic forms of the time, most madrigals were through-composed. In the madrigal, the composer attempted to express the emotion contained in each line, and sometimes individual words, of a celebrated poem.

Indian ethnic music

What impression does this music produce on you? What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Leave your commentary.


среда, 16 октября 2013 г.

[f] [v]

Practise the pronunciation of the sounds [f] and [v]

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/pronex/pron1.htm

[i:] [ɪ]

Articles

Click through to the website to learn the use of articles.

http://iteach.rspu.edu.ru/tutors/bondarenko/bondarenko.html 

воскресенье, 13 октября 2013 г.

I do not know, nor do I care

Comment on the statement. Give examples of life situations in which people can say this or think this way.

Muppets

Muppet is a general name given to a large cast of bizarre comedy puppets created by the late Jim Henson. While many performed on "The Muppet Show" (and numerous movies and spin-offs) others appeared on the children's television series "Sesame Street."
                           (from Urban Dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=muppet)


вторник, 8 октября 2013 г.

Alexa Vega "Game Over"


Tatiana Ilina and Kate Bychkova: Eric Gill - Private and Public Art


Nastya Gulay and Olga Savchenko: Welcome to Our Fairytale


Kate Ovchinnikova and Pavel Burcev: Beyond El Dorado - Power and Gold in Ancient Colombia


Valeriya Gabunia and Polina Efimova : Vikings Life and Legend


понедельник, 7 октября 2013 г.

Morris dancing




Westminster Abbey


Queen Elizabeth II


Dr. Samuel Johnson


Geoffrey Chaucer


William the Conqueror


воскресенье, 6 октября 2013 г.

Giving directions

Look at language you can use when asking for and giving directions

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1212_how_to_instruct/page2.shtml

Amy MacDonald "This Is the Life"

















Oh the wind whistles down
The cold dark street tonight
And the people, they were dancing to the music vibe
And the boys chase the girls
With the curls in their hair
While the shocked too
Many just sit way over there
And the songs they get louder   
Each one better than before

And you're singing the songs
Thinking this is the life
And you wake up in the morning
And your head feels twice the size
Where you're gonna go?
Where you're gonna go?
Where you're gonna sleep tonight?

So you're heading down the road in your taxi for four
And you're waiting outside Jimmy's front door
But nobody's in and nobody's home 'til four
So you're sitting there with nothing to do
Talking about Robert Riger and his motley crew
And where you're gonna go?
And where you're gonna sleep tonight?

And you're singing the songs
Thinking this is the life
And you wake up in the morning
And your head feels twice the size
Where you're gonna go?
Where you're gonna go?
Where you're gonna sleep tonight?

четверг, 3 октября 2013 г.

get in the bus vs. get on the bus

What is the difference between “get in the bus” and “get on the bus”?

On the bus is the phrase that illustrates how on doesn't always mean atop or attached to. Truth is, prepositions are very versatile words with several usages, nuances, and idiomatic meanings.  We get on a bus for the same reason we get on a train – because it's short for getting "on board" the bus. 

You never get in the bus unless it's a small bus the size of a car; you always get on the bus. But you get in a car, not the other way around.

On the other hand in some locales, there's a big difference between being on the bus, and in the bus, as is depicted here:





Give someone a lift




Look at two meanings of the expression "give someone a lift":
Give someone a lift: to provide transportation for someone e.g. take someone somewhere in your car. Give someone a 'ride' is also used:
"I've got to go to the train station. Can you give me a lift?"
"Can you give me a lift to work tomorrow? My car is being repaired."
"It's too late to walk home. Let me give you a lift."
Give someone a lift: to make someone feel good by saying kind words; to make someone happier:
"I was feeling sad until I spoke to her. She really gave me a lift."
"He's been very unhappy recently. We should do something to give him a lift."
"Seeing you may give her the lift she needs."
Note: When the world is your oyster, you are getting everything you want from life. It's a common idiom.

Welcome



Welcome to the site of Irina Kupriyanova, a teacher of English at Sholockov Moscow State University for Humanities