Horror Films Booming In Gloomy Economy

Horror films are increasing in popularity and some experts claim it is because of the gloomy economic times. There are four new cinema scaries released this month while dedicated horror festivals are booming across the country.
Eli Roth, producer of The Last Exorcism - which is released in the UK this weekend - said "Horror is always popular... people want a good smart, scary story," he said. He is a member of the Hollywood "splat pack" - a group of film makers renowned for their love of horror - and said films in the genre are increasingly sophisticated, often with a wider message. "Now there is a feeling that evil is on the rise. “There is this feeling that there is evil out there and we have to do everything to fight it."
Another trend is for viewers to watch this kind of Films in the company of others. Horror festivals are growing in popularity. Last weekend 27,000 people descended on London for FrightFest which exhibited 40 scary films. Over Halloween, thousands will convene in Manchester for Grimm Up North to watch movies, play games and even walk like zombies.
Cultural historians say that nail-biting, hide-behind-the-sofa films traditionally do well when the country is in an economic depression. Simeon Halligan, Director of Grimm Up North, said: "One of the reasons horror and fantasy are very popular at the moment is because in a recession people throw themselves into escapism, when reality is hard work.”Horror reflects a sense of anger and frustration at a society that is not doing so well."

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a) In the past, horror films were not as complex as they are now.
b) People do not share their like for horror.
c) Horror festivals are not just going to the cinema.
d) Some people have studied the connection between crisis and horror films success.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words with information from the text:

a) What two trends does the text mention as far as horror stories are concerned?
b) Why are people so keen on horror films at the moment?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) famous (par.2)
b) To meet (par.3)
c) To progress(par.4)

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning

a) They have released four new scaries this month.
Four ………
b) Horror movies are increasing in popularity because of the economic recession.
If there were …..
c) In a recession people throw themselves into escapism when reality is hard work.
Mr. Halligan said that ……

Question 5 Write a short essay (120 to 150 words) on the following topic:

What can you do to escape from reality?

Horror Films Booming In Gloomy Economy

KEY

Question 1

a) True. films in the genre are increasingly sophisticated, often with a wider message.
b) False. Another trend is for viewers to watch this kind of Films in the company of others.
c) True. thousands will convene in Manchester Grimm Up North to watch movies, play games and even walk like zombies.
d) True. Cultural historians say that nail-biting, hide-behind-the-sofa films traditionally do well when the country is in an economic depression.

Question 2

a) There is a trend to watch more and more horror films, which convey the idea that those who see the film could fight against evil themselves. Besides, people tend to watch these films together with many more people in shows where they can enjoy other activities related to horror.
b) When people go to the cinema to watch horror movies, they try to forget about the bad economic situation they are going through. so as not to feel angry and frustrated.


Question 3

a) renowned
b) to convene
c) to do well

Question 4

a) Four new scaries have been released this month.
b) If there were not an economic recession, horror movies wouldn’t be increasing in popularity.
c) Mr. Halligan said that in a recession people threw themselves into escapism when reality was hard work./ people throw themselves into escapism when reality is hard work.

Thousands of kids are calling for drivers to slow down on the roads.

A survey by the charity BRAKE found that around half of nine to 13-year-olds have had a near-miss while walking or cycling on roads.
Most children said that cars go 'too fast'. Brake wants a 20mph speed limit introduced in all areas close to houses and schools.
The survey also found one in 10 children in Scotland has been hit on the road by a car or a bike.
A spokesperson for Brake said: "One of the best ways we can do this is to slow down to 20 miles per hour or below around schools and homes."
Last year the government said there had been a 57% drop in the number of children being killed on Britain's roads since the 1990s, and it's aiming to halve that number again by 2020.

Are these sentences TRUE or FALSE?

1. Thousands of children want car drivers to drive faster.
2. The charity BRAKE has organised a survey.
3. The survey found that all nine to 13-year-olds have had near-misses while walking on roads.
4. Brake wants a 60mph speed limit around schools.
5. The survey found that one in 10 children in Scotland has been hit on the road by a car or a bike.
6. The government said there was a rise in the number of children being killed on the roads in Britain last year.
7. There has been a drop of 57% in the number of children being killed on roads in Britain since the 1990s.
8. The government wants to double the number of deaths on the roads.

Try our quiz on road safety

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4440000/newsid_4445500/4445532.stm

Match the words to the definitions

spokesperson looking at the opinions, behaviour, etc., of people by asking them questions
speed limit a situation in which something almost hits something else
halve the fastest rate at which you are allowed to drive in an area
survey to put something into use for the first time
drop someone who is chosen by a group or organisation to speak officially to the public for them
near-miss a reduction in the amount or level of something
introduced intending; wanting to
aiming reducing something by half or dividing something into two equal pieces

Thanksgiving Day

DON'T FORGET EVERY FOURTH THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER IS "MY DAY".


HOW MUCH "POCKET MONEY" ARE YOUR CHILDREN GETTING FOR BLACK FRIDAY?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when Christmas shopping starts.

Go to the PAU texts section and read the "Pocket money" text.

Pocket money paying for good manners and help around home

Good manners cost nothing according to the old saying. However, the latest research from The Children’s Mutual has found that this is not strictly true, because 44 per cent of children are now financially rewarded for good behaviour.

The research reveals that, as well as good behaviour, parents are also offering an ‘honest wage’ for a hard day’s work. 37 per cent of children ‘earn’ their pocket money by helping out with chores around the home and 19 per cent fill their piggy banks by helping out with the family pet.

According to research, the rate for pocket money has increased by a whopping 83 per cent in just a generation from when parents received pocket money until today. Parents are already giving an average of £2.85 a week to their child and with many parents expecting to increase this amount by £1 each year.

However, despite the rise in pocket money, the research showed that parents are often unsure of how much to ‘pay’ their children and can feel pressurised to compete with how much other parents give. Nearly one in five said there was pressure to conform to a ‘market rate’ and 16 per cent said they feel they pay too much but ‘have to go with what everyone gets’.

The Children's Mutual has launched a new micro site which has been created to help parents teach their children about pocket money and saving. Parents can put a value against each chore to help their kids to learn the value of money. Children also have their own user-friendly guide which helps them to understand where money comes from, how to budget, keeping money safe, and ways of saving for the items they want.

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:

a) Walking the dog is the most common way to get money from parents.
b) Parents used to get further less pocket money than their children.
c) Parents feel confident about the money they give their children.
d) Some parents feel obliged to pay a minimum to their children.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words with information from the text:

a) What can children do to “earn” money?
b) What can parents and children learn about money?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) Housekeeping task (par.2)
b) To adjust (par.4)
c) To start (par. 5)

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning

a) Parents are also offering an ‘honest wage’ for a hard day’s work.
An honest...
b) Children earn their pocket money by helping out with chores around the home.
If children...
c)Good manners cost nothing. However, research has found that this is not strictly true.
Although...

Question 5 Write a short essay (120 to 150 words) on the following topic:

“Good manners cost nothing”. Do you agree with this saying?

Pocket money paying for good manners and help around home

KEY


Question 1

a) False. 37 per cent of children ‘earn’ their pocket money by helping out with chores around the home and 19 per cent fill their piggy banks by helping out with the family pet.
b) True. the rate for pocket money has increased by a whopping 83 per cent in just a generation from when parents received pocket money until today
c)False. parents are often unsure of how much to ‘pay’ their children
d) True. Nearly one in five said there was pressure to conform to a ‘market rate’ or they feel they pay too much but ‘have to go with what everyone gets’

Question 2

a) If children want to earn pocket money they can either behave well and have good manners or help their parents with housework. They can also help by taking care of their pets.
b) Parents can be taught about the amount of money they can give their children for certain tasks. Children can learn about different ways to save money and be able to work out the value of things. Furthermore, they can find out how to keep money safe.
Question 3

a) chores
b) conform
c) launched / to launch

Question 4

a) An honest wage is also being offered for a hard day’s work by parents.
b) If children didn’t help out with chores around the house, they wouldn’t earn their pocket money.
c) Although good manners cost nothing, research has found that this is not strictly true.

Witch's hat halts London Underground on Halloween

A witch's hat brought part of London's Underground to a standstill on Halloween when it was thrown on to a track.

Tube passengers had to walk through tunnels in the early hours of Sunday morning after the hat, which contained metal, was thrown on to the line at Chalk Farm, in North London. A passenger is thought to have thrown the hat which cut out the power, halting four trains.
Hundreds of passengers were stuck on the trains for more than an hour before they were allowed to walk along tunnels to the nearest stations, London Underground said.
The four trains, three heading north between Camden and Belsize Park, and one northbound between Camden and Kentish Town, were stopped at 0040 BST. London Underground estimated that there were up to 90 passengers on each train.
"We apologise to passengers who were inconvenienced as a result of this incident, and would urge customers to take care and not to discard items on the railway," a spokesman for the company said. "The metal part of a hat thrown on to the rails at Chalk Farm caused power interruption," London Underground said.

1 Look at the following words in the text. They are all in italics. Put each word next to the correct definition/synonym.

a) Tube is another, informal way of naming the ……………………………… .

b) People who travel in a vehicle (but are not the driver), are ………….…………………

c) There are four ways of referring to the metal strips where the train runs. What are they?

2 Find words in the text that mean:

a) To stop (paragraph 1) ……………………………..….

b) Trapped (paragraph 2) ……………………………..….

c) Travelling northwards (paragraph 2) …...……………………………….. or ....……………………………..

d) To say sorry (paragraph 3) ……………………………..….

e) Someone who represents a company in an interview ……………………………..….



Links to materials of interest:

Worksheet on vocabulary and some listening activities.click here




Key
1 a) London Underground
b) passengers
c) track, line, railway, rails
2 a) halt
b) stuck
c) heading north / northbound
d) apologise
e) spokesman

Grandmother passes driving test at 960th attempt

A South Korean grandmother has become a national celebrity by passing her driving test at the 960th attempt. Cha Sa-soon, 69, whose surname Cha coincidentally means "vehicle" in Korean, is currently appearing in a prime-time advertisement for Hyundai, Korea's largest carmaker. Now Mrs Cha, who lives in Jeonju, 130 miles (210km) south of Seoul, must pass the practical test to get on the road.

After four years of trying, 68-year-old Cha Sa-soon finally managed to secure the 60 out of 100 points needed to pass the test. The grandmother has spent more than 5m won ($4,200, £2,600) on application fees for the test. She wanted a licence so that she could use a vehicle to sell vegetables and other goods, the newspaper the Korea Times said.

According to the Korean Driver's Licence Agency, the 50-minute written test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on road regulations and car maintenance. And her determination to pass the test has made her well-known at the Jeonju centre. "She is really famous here. Not only agency employees but even some test-takers know her. Her challenging spirit is really amazing," one official was quoted as saying.

Speaking in February - after her 775th failure - Mrs Cha said: "I believe you can achieve your goal if you persistently pursue it." "So don't give up your dream, like me. Be strong and do your best."

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Cha Sa-soon stars in a Korean car advert.
b) Cha Sa-soon can now legally drive a car in Korea.
c) Cha Sa-soon wants to work for the Korea Times.
d) The written driving test in Korea includes questions about looking after your car

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) How much time and money has Cha Sa-soon spent on passing this test?
b) What advice does Cha Sa-soon give?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a) obtain (Paragraph 2)
b) things to sell(Paragraph 2)
c) incredible (Paragraph 3)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Hyundai have made an advertisement for a car and Cha Sa-soon appears in it.
Cha Sa-soon appears in ……………………………………………………...……………………………….
b) Not only agency employees but even some test-takers know Cha Sa-soon.
Cha Sa-soon is ……………… but also also ………………………………………………..
c) If you persistently pursue your dream, you can achieve your goal.
Cha Sa-soon said that ............................................................................................................................

Question 5 (5 points)
Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

" People like Cha sa-soon are a model and an inspiration for us all" Do you agree?

Grandmother passes driving test at 960th attempt

Question 1 (2 points)

a) True. . Cha Sa-soon,.... is currently appearing in a prime-time advertisement for Hyundai, Korea's largest carmaker.
b) False. Now Mrs Cha, ……, must pass the practical test to get on the road.
c) False. She wanted a licence so that she could use a vehicle to sell vegetables and other
goods.
d) True. the 50-minute written test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on road regulations
and car maintenance.


Question 2 (2 points)
a) She has been trying to pass this test for the last four years and has tried to pass 959 times
before. It has cost her over $4,200 dollars.
b) Cha Sa-soon advises us to keep trying to reach our ambitions. We need to have strength
and to try hard.

Question 3 (1.5 points)
a) secure (Paragraph 1)
b) goods (Paragraph 3)
c) amazing (Paragraph 4)

Question 4 (1.5 points)
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
Hyundai have made an advertisement for a car and Cha Sa-soon appears in it.
Cha Sa-soon appears in an advertisement that Hyundai has made for a car.
b) Not only agency employees but even some test-takers know Cha Sa-soon.
Cha Sa-soon is known not only by agency employees but also by some test-takers.
c) If you persistently pursue your dream, you can achieve your goal.
Cha Sa-soon said that if we persistently pursued our dream, we could achieve our goal.