Download 1) In what way are our present-day heroes and role model different

I. MYTHS AND HEROES1
Ideas:
1) In what way are our present-day heroes and role model different from those of the
past? What is a hero for you?
2) Why are people still fascinated by legends like those of King Arthur and Robin Hood?
3) Why do some people love to read and hear about powerful people who fall from grace?
4) Many people say that their favourite fictional heroes are ones who have serious
weaknesses. Why is this? (find examples)
Possible sources / examples:
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Bethany Hamilton
ML King Jr
King Arthur/ Robin Hood
William Wallace
Steve Jobs
Churchill
Vocabulary:
achievement
against the odds
as brave as a lion
as strong as an ox
belief
collapse
come/live up to expectations
dedicate oneself to
embody
face up to
failure
fall from grace
fearless
flaunt
flaw
go to the dogs
harass
inspirational
leadership
let down
1 Source: New On Target, Belin ed.
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Superman
Obama
The Maltese Falcon
OJ Simpson
Usain Bolt
look down on
look up to
notorious
overcome
overnight
reliable
rescue
scandal sheet
selfless
set an example
squeaky clean
take a turn for the worse
take delight in
the greater good
turn upside down
undaunted
unite
unrivalled
weaknesses
wise
II.
SPACES AND EXCHANGES2
Ideas:
1. What do we mean by the space we live in? Is “our space” a house, a street, a town, a
country... or is it the Earth?
2. When we create boundaries such as fences or national frontiers, do we do this for the
same reasons as certain animals which mark out their territory?
3. When people go to another country to live and/or work, what are the effects on them
and on the people people who already live there?
4. When a country is made up of people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds,
does this inevitably produce conflict?
Possible sources/examples
➢ Irish immigration
➢ Native Americans
➢ Aboriginals , Paul Kelly
➢ Ellis island
Vocabulary:
alien
boundary, frontier
citizen
class distinction
class system
common
common purpose
community welfare
customs
emigrant
ethnic cleansing
expat
expel
feel cut off
fluently
ghetto
go slumming
guest worker
illegal immigrant
2 Source: New On Target, Belin ed.
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Identity
walls (Berlin, Ireland, Hadrian's,etc.)
Reality show “Crossover”
mixed marriages
keep out
let in
“live and let live”
living space
make allowances for
melting pot
mixed marriage
multicultural society
peaceful coexistence
political refugee
seek political asylum
snobbish
social backgrounds
territory
upwardly mobile
welcome
well integrated
work permit
III.
PLACES AND FORMS OF POWER3
Ideas:
1) “The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the
innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they
control the minds of the masses.” [Malcolm X, 1923-1965, American black militant
leader] To what extent do you agree? Give your reasons.
2) Explain different cases where words are very powerful because of their influence on
people. Give examples taken from different fields.
3) Talk about the different sources of power that we find in our society and how they
interact an coexist.
4) “The essence of government is power, and power, lodged as it must be in human hands,
will ever be liable to abuse.” [James Madison, 1751-1836, 4 th president of the USA].
To what extent do you agree? Give your reasons.
Possible sources/examples
➢ advertising
➢ Media Control (Noam Chomsky)
➢ political scandals
➢ news / selecting news
➢ Little Boxes
➢ consumerism
Vocabulary
appeal to someone basest instincts
balance of power
be biased
be caught unawares by something
behind the scenes
big shot/ wheel
board of directors
breaking news
broadcast
channel
civil servant
consumer society
consumerism
corridors of power
corrupt
deceit
decision making
deny
distort reality
do a deal
3 Source: New On Target, Belin ed.
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The Lady (Besson)
The Iron Lady
The King's Speech
J. Edgar
money
driving force
dubious
embezzlement
entice someone into doing something
gullible
have fingers into many pies
live / recorded broadcast
lure somebody into doing something
majority shareholder
“movers and shakers”
phone hacking
piece of the pie
self-appointed
stick to a code of ethics
tabloid
take advantage of
talk someone into doing something
tax evasion
trade unionist
IV.
THE IDEA OF PROGRESS4
Ideas:
1) Estelle E. Ramey (1917-2006), an American doctor and feminist, stated that there was
no hormonal reason for women not to hold executive positions, including the
presidency. “Women's chains have been forged by men, not by anatomy,” she said.
Comment.
2) Society is constantly evolving. In your opinion, is society improving or not? What is the
role of tradition and custom in its development? You may talk about marriage,
relationships between the sexes, the family unit, racial, religious discrimination, etc.
3) Bertrand Russel (1872-1970) , the British philosopher, wrote in 1925, “I am compelled
to fear that science will be used to promote the power of dominant groups rather than
to make men happy.” Do you believe this is true? Give your reasons.
4) It is useless to try and hinder the progress of science and technology. Ultimately,
human curiosity and the need to go forward will overcome any constraints imposed for
financial, moral or social reasons. To what extent do you agree? Give your point of
view, illustrating it with precise examples.
Possible sources/examples:
➢ alone/lonely
➢ women
➢ discrimination
➢ environment
➢ evolution: forward/backward
➢ tradition
Vocabulary
achievement
a more caring society
advance
be discriminated against
be of no avail
be on an equal footing
be successful in doing something
breakthrough
broad/narrow-minded
carry out an experiment
commit oneself to doing something
DNA
domineering
equal pay for equal work
experiment
extended/nuclear family
failure
family values
fight for one's rights
gender role
4 Source: New On Target, Belin ed.
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social trneds
future
space
technology
architecture
generation gap
genetics
give up
hamper, hinder
keep up a tradition
live on one's own
manage to do something
mankind
meet with success
milestone
momentous
research
scientist
sexual harassment
share the household chores
single
single-parent family
submissive
trample
yield to men's power