Brad Pitt

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• Audio mp3 is available upon request

Ø Who is her favourite actor?

a. Russell Crow

b. Brad Pitt

c. Hugh Grant

Ø What does she like about Brad Pitt?

a. He makes great movies.

b. His life is scandal free.

c. He has a good smile.

Ø What movie does she NOT mention?

a. Fighting Club

b. Ocean’s 11

c. Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Ø What do they talk about?

a. Brad Pitt’s personal life

b. The story of his latest movie

c. A time she met him

Ø Who does she think Brad Pitt should be with?

a. Angelina Jolie

b. Jennifer Anniston

c. Neither one

Ø What does she look for in a guy?

a. His body and posture

b. His hair and style

c. His smile and eyes

Todd: So, Kate, are you into movies?

Kate: Erm yeah, I watch them from time to time.

Todd: What actors or actresses do you like?

Kate: My favourite actor would be Brad Pitt.

Todd: Really, Brad Pitt? Now is that because he’s handsome or because he’s a good actor?

Kate: Erm, he’s handsome but he’s actually a very good actor. I like him because he is very well respected in Hollywood. You look at the other actors and they’ve all had these scandals: drinking scandals, drug scandals but I haven’t heard of anything about Brad Pitt.

Todd: That’s true actually, when you come to think of it I never have. What’s a movie that he was in that you really like?

Kate: Mm Oceans Eleven. That was a very very good movie.

Todd: Yeah, any other movies that you really liked?

Kate: I can’t think of the names right now but he has a recent movie out called ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ and it’s with Angelina Jolie. Did you hear about that? They heard….Angelina Jolie is said to have been with Brad Pitt while they were making the movie, although Brad Pitt is supposed to have been with Jennifer Anniston.

Todd: Right so they’re married, right?

Kate: Yes, they were.

Todd: They were married?

Kate: They separated.

Todd: But they’re not divorced?

Kate: Not divorced, no.

Todd: Oh ok, no I didn’t know that. So as a Brad Pitt fan who do you think is more his type? Mrs Jolie or Mrs Anniston?

Kate: I prefer Jennifer Anniston because she’s more calm and more… they seem like they could have a nice little family together but Angelina Jolie, she’s very wild and keeps partying and…

Todd: Yeah they do seem like they’re different, that’s true.

Kate: Yeah, very different.

Todd: What is it about Brad Pitt’s features that you think make him attractive?

Kate: I like his smile and his eyes. That’s generally what I go for.

Todd: So in a guy you look for a nice smile and nice eyes?

Kate: Definitely. From first look, first impression, definitely the smile and eyes. If they stand out I will go for them.

Todd: Oh very interesting. Ok, thanks

Language Point

☼ from time to time = sometimes

She always wears a hat when she goes out.
usually
often

sometimes
hardly
never

CF. She is always busy.

☼ would, could, might – less certain

There is someone at the door.

It is Julie.

will be Julie.
must
can

should
could/would
may/might

She is certainly/definitely/probably/ possibly/perhaps sick.
She will probably/ possibly/perhaps be pregnant.
Maybe she is sick.

Example: You are right. →

☼ well-respected ← X respects him well.

It is well done. (do it well)

The bag is well made. (make a bag very well)
The picture is . (take a picture)
Your idea is . (think about a idea well)
The pasta is . (cook pasta well)

☼ have + P.P – focus is on the action. the time is not important

I have seen the film. → When did you see it? → I saw it last week.

She hasn’t done the dishes yet. → so the dishes are still dirty.
We have met him a couple of times.
I have already eaten. → so I’m full.

CF. He lived in this house for 10 years. (He doesn’t live here any more.)
He has lived in this house for 10 years. (He still lives here.)

She has been to the supermarket. (There’s food in the fridge.)
She has gone to the supermarket. (She’s in the supermarket now.)

Where have you been?

☼ It is a movie (that/which) he is in

This is the place. I like it. → This is the place (that/which) I like.
It is a movie. He is in it. → It is a movie (that) he is in.
She is my friend. I went to school with her. → She is my friend (who) I went to school with.

Examples: She is the girl. You met her last night. →
He is the guy. I live with him. →
This is the book. I told you about it yesterday. →
Do you still have the money? He gave you the money. →
It is the weather. I like it about Australia. →
Is there anything? I can help you with it. →
CF. This is the house. It has a garden. → This is the house that/which has a garden.
I have a friend. The friend sends me a Christmas card every year.

→ I have a friend who sends me ……

☼ be supposed to

Thai food is supposed to be very spicy. (presumed to be true)
Our team is supposed to win. (firmly believed, expected)
You were supposed to pay your rent yesterday. (required)

We are not supposed to smoke inside. (permitted)

What am I supposed to do? (should)

☼ keep/finish/stop/quit/give up/postpone/delay/deny/avoid/ admit/practice/imagine/mind/miss/enjoy/regret + verb -ing

We should avoid drinking before driving.

He enjoys cooking.

She kept sending me rude emails.

I regret spending a lot of money on clothes.

Examples: Make up sentences with each verb

☼ seem like….- giving your opinion

She seems nice.

She seems like a nice person.
She seems like she’s having fun. = It seems like she’s having fun.
= It seems (to me) that she’s having fun.
She seemed to be a nice person.

Examples: I think it doesn’t work. → It
It looks broken. →
I think we have enough food.
I think people next door are having a party.

The jacket looks too big for me.

I don’t think this building is old.

They look like a married couple.

Life on Mars

• Download this lesson: life-on-mars

• Audio mp3 file available upon request

Life on Mars

Warm up

Q1. What other planets are there around the Earth?

Q2. Do you believe there are other living creatures in space? And why?

Post-listening

Q1. How long does it take to get to Mars and come back?

Q2. Is there any air or water on Mars? What does Mars look like?

Q3. What is the thing that is regarded as the most crucial element in succeeding in getting back to the Earth after landing on Mars?

Q4. There was a suggestion by a professor regarding the fuel problem. What was it?

Solar System

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

Last week the space shuttle Discovery was given a big welcome home after another trip to the space station. Everyone was very happy the crew had safely completed a dangerous space walk to fix a solar wing. But it might not be that long before astronauts are going on much longer and riskier trips. Scientists say it’s time for the next big step into space. That could mean a moon base – or life on Mars. Here’s Sarah.

The red planet!

For centuries people have wondered if there’s life up there on the mysterious red deserts of Mars

Now we know more about it. We’ve sent robots to have a look and well, there aren’t any Martians.

But what if humans could live there?

It’s not that far fetched.

PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH: Today I announce a new plan to explore space and extend a human presence across our solar system.

That’s right…. he’s talking about humans living in space. NASA’s already looking at setting up camp on the moon.

China, India and Japan have their own lunar plans and after that Mars.

SARAH LARSEN: If you’re looking for somewhere to go in space, Mars is the obvious choice. Sure, there aren’t any beaches and you can’t breathe the atmosphere but as far as planets go it’s the closest environment to Earth’s in this part of the galaxy.

It’s a lot like some Earth deserts. And there are tourist attractions – - huge mountains, canyons…. as well as some serious dust storms.

But you won’t be able to go there for the weekend. Q1. It would take half a year to get to Mars… then you’d have to wait a year and a half for earth to get closer before you could come back. That’s a two and half a year round trip… at least.
SARAH LARSEN: For a stay that long, you need some serious supplies…

That means more than an extra pair of undies; it means a lot of air, water, food and fuel.

There’s no way you could take all that with you, so scientists reckon they’ll have to make it when they get there.

DR CHARLIE LINEWEAVER: Well one of the better ideas is to figure out what’s going to be there when we get there and how to use it. Got to live of the land kind of strategy

Q2. The air on Mars is mostly carbon dioxide. We can’t breathe it but some plants can. And carbon dioxide has oxygen in it so scientists reckon if we can get it out we might have something to breathe. We could even grow food in inflatable greenhouses.

Then there’s water. Mars has some, but it’s frozen, so we’d have to melt it.

The reason why it’s frozen is it’s so cold the temperature never gets above freezing so we might need heaters.

Q3.And to do all those things, we’d need fuel.

Q4. DR CHARLIE LINEWEAVER: I think the most plausible plans are to make fuel on Mars. And the first thing you do is to send up the robotic equipment and tanks to do this. What do you do you need the hydrogen and oxygen well there already there on Mars.

But while getting people to mars isn’t looking too hard getting them back would be a lot more difficult.
The problem is taking the huge amount of fuel for the trip home.

PROFESSOR ROD BOSWELL: It would be unthinkable. You have to loft that off the Earth. So there would be too many tonnes. You just couldn’t do it I don’t think.

But Professor Boswell says there would be plenty of astronauts willing to go to Mars even if they couldn’t ever come back.

There’s a lot to think about… and I wouldn’t pack your bags for a Martian holiday just yet.

But it looks like in your lifetime life on the red planet could become a reality.

Language point

* even if, even though ……

It’s nice, a bit expensive, though.
It can be fixed, it won’t be the same as before, though.

* verb+-able

believable, thinkable, edible, wearable, watchable, removable, breathable, drinkable, inflammable, inflatable…

Ex. fix / walk / reach / listen / compare / visit / access / wash ……….

* as far as … goes, as far as I’m concerned

—– in my opinion, from my perspective

as far as I know, as far as I can tell,

Examples:

As far as cars are concerned, he is an expert.

As far as I’m concerned, she’s dead.

As far as moving goes, we need to hire a bigger van to move all our stuff.

As far as transport goes, Sydney is not one of best cities.