English Conversation Lesson About Movies and Actors

People love to talk about what they have seen in the cinema. Any class  will usually be well versed in both their own native countrys films and the latest and greatest from Hollywood and elsewhere. This subject is especially useful with younger students who might be hesitant to speak about their own lives. Speaking about films provides an almost endless font of possibilities for conversation. Here are a few ideas: Aim: Promoting conversation,  especially with younger students who might be hesitant to speak about their own lives.Activity: General introduction to films, dictation and short listening exercise, followed by students discussing their answers to dictated questions.Level: Intermediate to advanced Conversation Outline About Movies and Actors Introduce the topic by asking students to name different types of film and a film they know of that represents that genre. Dictate the following questions to the students: What is your favorite non-Italian, German, French, etc. (you name the nationality) film?What is your favorite Italian, German, French, etc. (you name the nationality) film?Who is your favorite actor or actress?What is the worst film you have ever seen?In your opinion, who is the worst actor or actress in film today? Read the short description of the film provided with this lesson (or invent a short description of a film you know that most students have seen). Ask the students to name the film. Have students divide up into small groups and discuss a film they have all seen. After they discussed the film, ask them to write a short description of the film like the one you have read to the class. Groups read their summaries aloud to the other groups which need to name the films described. You can easily turn this into a little competitive game setting the number of times the descriptions can be read aloud. Returning to the questions at the beginning of class, ask each student to choose one of the questions and answer that question explaining to the other students their reasons for choosing that film or actor/actress as the best/worst. During this part of the lesson, students should be encouraged to agree or disagree and add their own comments to the discussion at hand. As a follow-up homework task, students can write a short review of a film they have seen to be discussed during the next session.

Oedipus, the Cursed Man Essay - 830 Words

Oedipus, the Cursed Man Have you ever had one of those days when it seems that everything is against you, that life could not look any bleaker than it does right now? We have all had moments like those, but nothing can compare to the feeling Oedipus had on that dreadful day when he found out that he was cursed by the gods, destined to kill his father and marry his mother. This tragic story of the cursed man is told in Sophocles play, Oedipus the King. This essay will examine one of Oedipus speeches, found in lines 1183 - 1194, made before he learns of his appalling fate. It is a passage full of dramatic irony. We, the audience, know the truth. Even Jocasta has just come to realize the facts, but Oedipus is still†¦show more content†¦The ironic part comes when he says, I must see my origins face-to-face (line 1185). The reality is, every time he looks into the face of his wife, he is seeing his origins, his very mother. Next, Oedipus goes on to say, She [Jocasta] perhaps, she with her womans pride may well be mortified by my birth, but I, I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, giver of all good things- Ill never see myself disgraced. She is my mother! (lines 1186 - 1190) Indeed, Jocasta is mortified by Oedipus birth. So much so that she hangs herself at the end of the play. It is quite ironic that Oedipus calls himself the son of Chance. He could not be farther from the truth. His life is anything but an accident, pure coincidence. The disaster of his life was entirely predestined by the gods, set in stone in the form of prophecies to two people, his father and himself. Things surely would have worked out better if his life had been determined by Chance. Oedipus is a little bit too quick to say, Ill never see myself disgraced (line 1190). Perhaps his pride is getting the better of him; later on he will eat those words. As he ends this part of his speech with, She is my mother! (line 1190), the audience cannot help but be slightly confused. Is he talking about Jocasta or Chance when he refers to her as my mother? Has he somehow realized the truth? No, the reader soon realizes,Show MoreRelatedOedipus the King: Fate vs. Free Will Essay exampl es591 Words   |  3 PagesSophocles’ Oedipus the King: Fate vs. Free Will In Oedipus the King, one of Sophocles’ most popular plays, Sophocles clearly depicts the Greek’s popular belief that fate will control a man’s life despite of man’s free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus destruction. Destined to marry his mother and murder his father, Oedipus was partly guidedRead MoreOedipus the King: Fate Vs Free Will Essay639 Words   |  3 Pages Oedipus the King, was written by Sophocles between C.A.496-406B.C. 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To him, knowledge can shape not only a person’s life, but their character, morals and ideals as well. The play emphasizes this through Oedipus, the main character, as someone whose life is impacted by his pursuit knowledge, which, in turn, transforms his character. Consequentl y, Sophocles’ assessment of knowledge, as a gift, burden, and an absolute truth, is ascertained through Oedipus’ differingRead MoreExposure to Tragedy in Sophocles Oedipus the King702 Words   |  3 Pagesto write the drama Oedipus the king. One important influence on the story was his exposer to tragedy all around him. Jeffrey buller in â€Å"Sophocles† told us that Sophocles learned the art form of tragedy from Aeschylus. Sophocles later went to the Great Dionysus a competition for the greatest tragedy and won first place over Aeschylus. Also, Sophocles shows tragedy in the play by telling us about the legend the heard while he grew up (Buller 2-4).Similarly, Oedipus in â€Å"Oedipus the King† goes hisRead MoreA Close Reading Of Oedipus Rex1226 Words   |  5 PagesENG October 21, 2015 A Close Reading of Oedipus Rex Ancient Greeks cared deeply about the pursuit of knowledge. Although the truth was often a terrifying concept, they still saw it as a critical virtue. The theater was one way in which the ideas of knowledge and truth were examined. Many Greek dramatists use the self-realizations of their characters to underscore the themes of their tragedies. Sophocles, for one, uses the character transformation of Oedipus, in tandem with the plot, to highlight

Science Lab Free Essays

Purpose: To find out the densities and to find out the name of the unknown metals. (Based on the extensive and intensive properties) Check up the words mass, volume, density, extensive properties, and intensive properties. Where do the units for mass and volume) come from and what do they mean? What is the density of distilled water? What is Archimedes principle? Does temperature affect the density of a solid? Liquid? Gas? Materials: Safety glasses, 10, 25 or 50 mL graduated cylinders Distilled water Metal Samples W, X,Y amp; Z Procedure: 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Science Lab or any similar topic only for you Order Now Class split into 5 groups. Every group will get data for four metals and tell it to the class 2. Choose a metal sample for every group then pass it around between groups. 3. Set a number of your metal sample and record the mass in the table. 4. Get a gradated cylinder with distilled water, but not to much to make it over flow when sample is put in. Record the amount of water in the cylinder accurately 5. Then tip the cylinder to about 45 degrees then put sample into it slowly, DON’T spill any water or have to restart. Make sure no air bubbles are clinging. Then take down final volume of water cylinder. 6. Dump the water out, then dry sample off. 7. Repeat this over with the other metal samples. * Hypothesis: * My hypothesis is that even though I will find the densities and names of the unknown metals its not going to be accurate because some water will spill out. Many people are going to come up with the different names because they aren’t care full enough. Mass of metal | | | | | | Initial volume of water | | | | | | Final volume | | | | | | Volume of metal | | | | | | ExperimentalDensity of metal | | | | | | Group Data| | | | | | | Metal W| Metal X| Metal Y| Metal Z| | Class Data: Mass and Volumes of each groups’ metal samples| Lab Group| Metal W| Metal X| Metal Y| Metal Z| 1| | | | | | | | | 2| | | | | | | | | 3| | | | | | | | | 4| | | | | | | | | 5| | | | | | | | | Total *| | | | | | | | | Class Exp. Density *| | | | | * 1. Show an example of how your group calculated the experimental densities of your group samples and the class samples. 1. Graph the class data using mass as the x axis and volume as the y axis, (title the graph and make a legend or key for the various metal samples). 1. Compare your group’s experimental density to that of the class’s experimental density from the graph and make comment as to their relative accuracies. 1. Research the possible identities of the metals based on their extensive properties (density, radioactivity, heat capacity, conductivity, lethal exposure/dosage, etc. ) and intensive properties (color, texture, luster, magnetism, reactivity, etc. ). 1. Make a claim as to the identity of the various metals based on their extensive and intensive properties. Calculate the % error for each of your claims for both your group’s experimental values and the class’s. Show an example of each type of calculation and make a table representing the organized results. * How to cite Science Lab, Papers

United States Foreign Policy free essay sample

The contemporary foreign policy of the United States represents an evolving continuum of principles, conceptions and strategies that in part, derived from the particularistic American Cold War experience. As such, united States foreign policy is neither a static entity, nor is its intentions or direction uncontested. This essay will examine the underlying issues of identity and how, beginning with the Truman Doctrine, a distinct articulation of the national interest was evinced that has defined Americas role in the world.In doing so, focus will be given to the development of alliance policy, entailment and its effect on transforming the US posture in the post-Cold War international order. Firstly, it is pertinent to reconsider the traditional narratives that underpin American identity. Inherent in this is Manifest Destiny, which asserts that Anglo-Saxon Americans are Gods chosen people, with a superior culture and who are pre-ordained to spread civilization to inferior peoples. This tradition offers instructive themes for the formulation of American exceptionalness and its manifestation into a missionary foreign policy. It also raises to the forefront the Mechanic character of American logic, its solipsism and tendency to justify geopolitical objectives in moralistic terms. Thus, US foreign policy is a discourse for reproducing American identity, containing threats to its core principles and legitimating global actions. The Cold War era ended Americas historic vacillation between isolationism and internationalism.The Truman Doctrine committed, in part to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. Consonant with American identity, it rapidly became the cornerstone of American Cold War foreign policy. The citrine enshrined in popular culture the notion that America is vulnerable in a dangerous world. For this reason, it was a statement of both identity and global purpose, signaling to the Soviet union that the United States was prepared to counter any Soviet expansionism.While the Truman Doctrine articulated an enduring strategic vision, it was National Security Council Report 68 that expressed a posteriori justification for American aspirations to global hegemony. Declaring that the exigencies of the international system compel US intervention the report emphasized that absence of order is inimical to IIS interests. It recommends the United States create an international community based on the principles of freedom and democracy to counter the Soviet threat. Implicit in this is the assumption that every situation is controllable and could be resolved in-line with US interest . Furthermore, the imperatives of hegemony were already producing a bifurcation between lofty ideals and policy, with Seamans very realist calculation that the US would need to dismiss with sentimentality and altruism if it wanted to attain a superior geopolitical position. Discursively speaking, suspicion and anxiety continue to characterize American identification with the outside world. While specific opinions relating to foreign policy issues have changed, the underlying belief structure remains intact.Where civilization was imperiled by the red cancer, the Reagan administration began rejuvenating the civilized versus savagery dichotomy, this time targeting terrorism. Likewise, American exceptionalness remains a central rallying cry with its moral and emotive force used as rationale for American intervention in the Middle East. There is no clearer reaffirmation of the Truman Doctrine than from former President George Walker Bush who clears it the responsibility of the United States , if not its messianic mission to promote freedom worldwide.More recently, the Obama administration maintains the US objective to shape the international order and ensconced within it is justification based on the ingenuity of the American people. American alliance policy is both reflective of ideological divisions and indicative of an intention to maintain centrality in the international order. Mired in the power struggle that was the Cold War, alliances became a competition for allies and were sought for economic and security interests. As such, the United States constructed an interconnected web of relationships, positioning itself as the centripetal entity.With a confluence of identity and interests, the North Atlantic Treaty enjoined Europe and the United States into a multilateral institution, defending the collective security of Western civilization. Contrastingly, attempts at forming collective security institutions in East Asia, principally the Eisenhower administrations South East Asia Treaty Organization failed due to Saiss Pissarro identities and incongruent interests. Instead, the United States reverted to a hub and spoke structure, a outwork of bilateral alliances with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan amongst other s.Without a single common thread, this informal structure has relied on United States security guarantees and more latently, shared economic interests to maintain stability. Formed under the rubric of anticommunism, by the end of the Cold War an order had emerged built on two pillars the US dollar and the IIS security umbrella. Though the IIS has lost its reliable satraps from the Cold War era, it continues to hold a unique economic and military presence in East Asia. However, the US is now one of many important layers in a region trending toward deeper multilateral cooperation.Pressure on allies to oppose regional security forums in favor of their US alliance has failed. The American presence is still valued except in a different context, to balance that of Chinas rise. Coming to grips with this reality necessitated the eschewing of past ideological differences as non-traditional partners, including Vietnam have been sought for bilateral economic ties. Further, the CSS has implicitly accepted Beijing rising status and conferred upon China the leadership position on some regional issues, principally those of common once such as North Koreans nuclear pr ogram. This is not without its realignments, expressly with Taiwan, where the US is involved in a delicate balancing, keen to maintain reputation interests but with a growing desire to engage with China. Despite advancing regionalism, American alliances continue to form the foundation of security and US relations with East Asia. Having largely lost its raisin dtree with the conclusion of the Cold War, its ostensibly contradictory that NATO has expanded and diversified. Reinforced by shared political values and the legacy of four decades of cooperation, theCSS had ample reason to preserve it. Antas expansion eastward to the Russian border reinforces the European security community and imbues within it a lasting American influence. Further, US dominance within NATO has subordinated it to a body in service of American interests preserving the ideologically important transatlantic relationship whilst concealing US actions within a multilateral facade. Absent the Soviet threat and reminiscent o f the Truman Doctrine, justifications for expansion fell on defending human rights globally (Freaking 2003, 371). Moreover, the abject failure of US nation alluding in Iraq, contrasted with the relative success of Shove sends a clear message that with intensifying global fragmentation, there is no viable alternative to collective action. Given US military supremacy, NATO will remain a desirable coalition for Europeans whilst also serving as an instrument of US interests. Alongside alliances, the Cold War strategy of containment acted as a bulwark to preserve American identity and interests. Advanced chiefly by Keenan, on one hand containment recommended a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.Likening the Soviet Union to a bent tree, Keenan argued that sustained counter-pressure over time would allow that tree to grow back in another form. In this way, the redemption of the Soviet Union, its repudiation of communism, became the ultimate policy goal. On the other hand, containment represented a vociferous enunciation of American identity, declaring t hat Soviet defiance compelled Americans to accept destiny and lead the global resistance. Having attained great-power Status, containment initially accentuated Americas moralistic tendencies.By depicting Ideological adversaries as illegitimate, this oft little room for negotiation until dtenet made possible a limited modus veined . Strategically, containment allowed America to build spheres of influence, managing other powers in a global system under American aegis, creating the prelude to the post-Cold War pas Americana. While often referred to as outmoded, containment remains pervasive in American foreign policy. In postulating that terrorism demands pre-emotive action, former President George Walker Bush asserted that containment is not possible.Yet Caddis argues the Bush Doctrine supplements Cold War containment, retooling it for a geographically unbounded struggle. Others have argued for a similar reinvigoration of containment to deal with Iran. Recent policy documents confirm this approach; inviting Iran to renounce its ideology, join the international community and Offer engagement with America. The latter offer of engagement demonstrates the experience gained during dtenet is providing logical boundaries for modern containment. At the same time, the ideological basis for containment persists.Evocative of the Cold War reasoning, containment during the War on Terror was envisaged as a process of everyday serialization, policing of the border between the Self and Other. There can be no compromise of fundamental American ideals as according to former Secretary of Defense Rumbled, they will either succeed in changing our way of life, or we will succeed in changing theirs. This ideological bifurcation is the unifying idea behind the assertion and legalization of American global hegemony.Hence contemporary containment, while more reflexive, continues as a mechanism for restricting threats to strategy and identity. As the only power left standing at the end of the Cold War, the IIS sought to complete its objectives from NCSC-68 and cement its dominance. With a universal agenda, it sought to fill the power vacuum left by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Imperial ambitions collided with the tenets of former US grand strategy restraint, accommodation and institutionalism. In this way, it revolted against the very system it created.American unilateralism is often held as symbolic of this, yet it is nothing new. The crucial difference is in part perception; as the hegemonic state, the IIS is perceived as exploiting its advantage and threatening the position of other states. Reflecting on a much earlier period in international relations, Kissing notes the desire of en power for absolute security means absolute insecurity for all the others. Often unwilling to be restricted by international law, the US undermines the legitimacy of international society and the attractiveness of its leadership.While maintaining the international order remains critical to American foreign policy, its expanding interests endanger other states and the mutual benefits of a IIS led system. In a rapidly evolving international system, the US is at the forefront and yet is most threatened bathe emerging multipart order. The contemporary foreign policy of the US reflects an evolution of the policies reused during the Cold War. Using a combination Of ideology, alliances and containment, the US cultivated a global order that defeated the Soviet Union.Having achieved pre-eminence, the signatures of these same philosophies remains embedded in US policy and strategic thinking. Perhaps the best indication of this is the designation of a new ideological enemy in terrorism and its resulting revalidation of Cold War dogma into a modern raisin d?tat. Most critically, the US is utilizing this new calling to consolidate its alliances and contain adversaries in light of the emergence of an increasingly decentralized, multipart global order.