Active Skills for Reading Intro (Unit 9: That's Entertainment)


CHAPTER 1 - Artists in Two Languages

Vocabulary Comprehension - Definitions

A. Match each word with its definition. The words in bold are from the passage.

1. compliment  a. a movie
2. current  b. to tell someone you like something about them
3. exchange  c. to sing, act, play music for people
4. expression  d. to give something and get something back, to trade
5. film  e. an actor's character in a movie
6. perform  f. a common saying in a language (for example, What's up?)
7. poetry  g. writing in which the words are chosen for their beauty and sound
8. role  h. happening now

B. Answer the questions below. Discuss your answers with a partner.

  1. What are two common expressions in your language? What do they mean in English?
  2. Who is your favorite actor? What is the actor's best film? What is the actor's role in the film?

ARTISTS IN TWO LANGUAGES

Shakira

First album in English: Laundry Service

How she learned English: Many people wanted to translate Shakira’s songs from Spanish to English. Shakira agreed, but she felt nervous about losing control of her music. So she decided to write her own songs in English.

Shakira studied grammar and common expressions. She started reading newspapers and poetry because she wanted to know how people use English to express their feelings.

Biggest challenge: Writing her first songs in English. Today, Shakira writes and performs her music in Spanish and English for fans around the world. In the summer of 2010, Shakira was selected to record and perform the theme song for the World Cup in South Africa, called "Waka Weka (l' his Time for Africa)."

Jay Chou

First film in English: The Green Hornet

How he learned English: Jay spoke very little English before he got his role in The Green Hornet. He practiced every day for more than a month. At first he said all of his lines phonetically,1 but soon, Jay's English improved. He was able to speak English and talk with his costars. His English was not perfect, but he got compliments from the other actors.

Language exchange: As they shot2 the movie, Jay and his costar Seth Hogan took tums teaching each other Chinese and English.

Language crossover: Jay is an award-winning singer but all of his current songs are Chinese. He hopes that in the future he can write songs in English as well.

1 If you say something phonetically, you say it by making its sounds, without necessarily knowing the meaning.
2 When you shoot a movie, you make one, using a camera.

Chapter - 1: Reading Comprehension - Check Your Understanding Chapter - 1: Vocabulary Skill - Feelings

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