English Lesson 5
Festivals and films
Festivals in your country, a film that made a strong impression, and cinema today.
How to practise
- Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
- Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
- Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
- Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
- Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Part 1 · Interview
Festivals
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
Tell me about the most important festival in your country.
The most important festival in my country is Nowruz. It's the Persian New Year, and it starts on the first day of spring. People celebrate it for about two weeks. Schools and most offices are closed, so everyone has time to relax and visit family.
- The most important festival in my country is…answer the question directly
- It's the Persian New Yearexplain what it is
- People celebrate it for…say how long it lasts
What special food and activities are connected with this festival?
Before Nowruz, people clean their houses from top to bottom. We also set a special table with seven symbolic things. On New Year's Eve, many families eat rice with herbs and fish. During the holiday, we visit relatives, and older people give money to children as a gift.
- from top to bottommeans completely, every part
- symbolichaving a special meaning
- On New Year's Eve, …the night before the new year
- as a giftmeans as a present
What do you most enjoy about it?
What I enjoy most is the feeling of a fresh start. The weather is getting warmer, the trees are green again, and everyone is in a good mood. I also love seeing relatives I don't see during the rest of the year.
- What I enjoy most is…a natural way to answer "what do you most enjoy"
- a fresh startmeans a new beginning
- everyone is in a good moodmeans everyone feels happy
Do you think festivals are important for a country?
Yes, definitely. Festivals bring people together. Even busy people stop working and spend time with their families. They also keep old traditions alive, so children learn about their culture. And of course, they're good for shops and tourism.
- Yes, definitely.a short, strong yes
- bring people togethermeans help people meet and feel close
- keep old traditions alivemeans help old customs continue
- And of course, …add one more obvious point
Part 2 · Cue card
A film that made a strong impression on you
You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.
Candidate task card
Describe a film or a TV programme which has made a strong impression on you.
You should say:
- what kind of film it was
- when you saw it
- what it was about
- and explain why it made such an impression on you
Start
I'd like to talk about a film called The Pursuit of Happyness. It's an old film, but it really stayed with me.
What kind of film
It's a drama, and it's based on a true story. Will Smith plays the main character.
When you saw it
I saw it about five years ago, on TV at home. I watched it with my family on a Friday night.
What it was about
It's about a father who has no money and no home. He is looking after his young son on his own. At the same time, he works very hard in an unpaid job, because he hopes to get a good position in a big company.
Why it made an impression
It made a big impression on me because the man never gave up, even when his life was really hard. At the end of the film, I almost cried. It reminded me that hard work and hope can change your life. When I have a difficult day, I sometimes think about this film.
- it really stayed with memeans I still remember it and think about it
- it's based on a true storymeans the story really happened
- on his ownmeans alone, without help
- never gave upmeans never stopped trying
- It reminded me that…means it made me remember an important idea
Part 3 · Discussion
Cinema and films today
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
Do you think the cinema has increased or decreased in popularity in recent years?
I think it has decreased. These days, most people watch films at home on streaming services like Netflix. It's cheaper and more comfortable. People still go to the cinema for big films, like action movies, but they go much less often than before.
- These days, …means now, in the present time
- streaming serviceswebsites or apps where you watch films online
- much less often than beforecompare the present and the past
In your opinion, will this trend continue into the future?
Yes, I think so. Home screens are getting bigger and better, and internet speed is getting faster. So more people will stay at home. However, I don't think cinemas will disappear completely. Going out to watch a film with friends is still a special experience.
- trenda general change in the way people do something
- Yes, I think so.a short answer before the reason
- However, …show the other side
- disappear completelymeans stop existing
What are the advantages and disadvantages of making films of real-life events?
One advantage is that people learn about history in an interesting way. For example, many young people learned about World War Two from films. The main disadvantage is that film-makers often change the facts to make the story more exciting. So people may believe things that never happened.
- One advantage is that…start a list of good points
- The main disadvantage is that…give the biggest bad point
- change the factsmeans make the true story different
How important is it for a film-maker to stay true to the original story?
I think it's quite important, especially for true stories. If a film is about real people, it should be honest. Small changes are fine, because a film has to be interesting. But the main events should stay the same. Otherwise, it isn't fair to the real people.
- stay true tomeans not change it
- Small changes are fine, because…accept part of the idea
- Otherwise, …means if not, then…
Should films and television be censored, or should we be free to choose what we see?
I think adults should be free to choose. But there should be some rules for children. For example, films should have age ratings, so parents know if a film is suitable for their kids. Also, very violent content shouldn't be shown on TV during the day.
- censoredwhen the government removes parts of films, books or news
- free to choosemeans can decide for themselves
- age ratingslabels that show the right age to watch
- suitable formeans right or good for
How do you think censorship will change in the next 20 years?
I think it will become harder to control what people watch. Everything is on the internet now, and people can easily find films from other countries. So governments will probably focus more on protecting children online, rather than banning films for everyone.
- it will become harder to…talk about a future change
- control what people watchmeans decide what people can see
- rather than…means instead of
- banningmeans officially not allowing
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.