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Zombies

Date: Aug 13 2008

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

When you can’t count on dead things staying dead anymore, what can you count on? That’s what’s so scary about zombie movies. That, and the fact that when the dead rise, they hunger for the flesh of the living.

There are many movies about zombies, from films with just one zombie to films that show a world taken over by the undead. It seems that Jason has seen too many of these movies because he is preparing to defend himself against zombies.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Devan

Jason: Well, I’ve got some supplies saved up. Boards are ready. I’ve got an axe to destroy the staircase. Lots of extra ammo. A machete. Extra tires for my bicycle.

Devan: Are you going to your ex-girlfriend’s house?

Jason: No! I am preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Devan: Oh, yes. Have you read the guides to surviving the zombie apocalypse?

Jason: Read it? I live by the Zombie Survival Handbook.

Devan: OK, so what’s your favorite zombie movie of all time?

Jason: Dawn of the Dead, 2004.

Devan: Wow, I haven’t seen that one.

Jason: What’s your favorite?

Devan: Shaun of the Dead.

Jason: Dawn of the Dead 2004 is like…it’s just, it’s not cheesy at all. It’s amazing. The zombies are really scary but it’s also really funny. It’s just an all-around great movie.

Devan: That’s what a great zombie movie needs. It’s got to have the horror aspect. You’ve got to be scared out of your mind, but it’s also got to make you laugh. A good zombie movie has got to make you laugh, no matter how gory and scary it is.

Jason: There’s always the classics, too, like the original Night of the Living Dead.

Devan: So what do you think makes Night of the Living Dead the zombie film that all other zombie films will be compared to?

Jason: I think it seemed really real. They had the fake newscasters in it and they weren’t broadcasting the news of zombies, they were, in fact, giving misinformation, which is what I think will happen in the zombie apocalypse. I think the news media is going to tell us to do a bunch of crazy things. They’re going to think it’s rabies...

Devan: Yeah, it’s probably going to be the last thing people will believe is actually happening.

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Discussion

Jason lists off the things he has ready for when the dead rise, and Devan jokes that it sounds like he’s going to his ex-girlfriend’s house. They start talking about zombie movies. Jason’s favorite is the remake of Dawn of the Dead, a classic originally made by George Romero. Devan prefers Shaun of the Dead, a British comedy about zombies. She says that even the best zombie movies should make you laugh too.

Of course, no conversation about zombie movies is complete without George Romero’s first zombie movie, 1968’s Night of the Living Dead. Jason says that movie seems real because there are newscasters in it and the information they’re giving is wrong. Devan and Jason agree that when the dead rise, most people won’t know what’s going on.

Many cultures have stories about the living dead. In Chinese movies, zombies jump! What are the walking dead like in your country?

Comments

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Caramella

Egypt

i dont believe that this Zombies r exist

alifalyona

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

i think there isn’t a walking dead in any place in the world. this is an imagination

from the writers of the films

shad84

United States

awesome

baowl

China

HELLO

babybanana08

Philippines

i guess not… it's a religious matter….

bounnn

Turkey

As a child, the film of zombies are so much scary.Although, as a mature people, that are so funny.

Rikarduhedgehog

Portugal

I love Zombies ^^

craig_sp

Congo

zombies` movies make me laugh somuch

babybanana08

Philippines

i really dont believe in zombies, but whenever i watch zombie movies, i feel really scared! maybe because they look so pale, with open wounds, and they look really terrible!

malinho

Brazil

I like Zombies' movies.They are very interesting and this makes me think: what is there beyond the death?

rene arriaga

Honduras

is that a joke, if it is a joke i think is a good one

rene arriaga

Honduras

i think the zombies came from the african-american culture, from the tribes who practiced the budu(is something like witchcraft) but personally i think zombie movies are for little kids.

jooory

Saudi Arabia

i never heard of zombie's story in my culture..my brother used to play Resident Evil on PS..and I was like"OMG watch out","DIE DIE you stupid zombies" or i get too scared and run out the room!!

this is my first lesson :)

nice :D

anjaneyaprasad

India

hi i want to make friends in this chat room

yawar

Pakistan

i never sow a zombies film.

Ono

Hungary

the lesson is great, but zombies are so idiots, there brain is already wasted away….:D haha

teenager

Brazil

i think it's time to have a good zombie movie….

the last one was Resident evil…

lalie

Philippines

I am not fond of watching any scary movies because I am really afraid upon hearing of the soundtrack of it..

Sawdestination

Mexico

Thanks tinyry, in the case of George Romero, we have to put attention about the implicit criticism that he does in his movies. We need to have an open mind about those films, but if the person doesn´t feel confortable with gore, maybe those movies are not the best option to watch.

Metal21: You refer to the book "Cell". There are plans to take the history to a movie, directed by Eli Roth ("Cabine fever", "Hostal", and "Hostal 2"). And about the movie of "It", it last near of 4 hours, but the first 2 are the best (when the protagonists are kids and remember their contact with the clown). There are some differences between the book and the movie, so I recommend you to read first the book before watch the movie.

Davidhua: There´s a lot of bad movies about zombies ("Zombie strippers", "Resident evil" 1, 2 and 3 for example) that people get tired easily about them. And besides some genre that works for one person maybe doesn´t fit the expectations of another person. But it´s your opinion and I respect that.