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A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Date: Dec 23 2009

Themes: Holidays

Grammar: Future Progressive Tense

Intro

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Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol is a story of second chances. Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean old man who doesn’t care at all about his fellow human beings, until three ghosts whose names sound a bit like verb tenses (the Ghost of Christmas Present, the Ghost of Christmas Past, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come) visit him one Christmas Eve and convince him to change his ways.

Several different movie versions of this story have already been made. A Christmas Carol is so much a part of the culture that the main character’s name, “scrooge,” is now used as a noun, meaning a miserly, mean-spirited person. His catchphrase from the novel, “Bah humbug,” is sometimes used to express a negative attitude toward Christmas.

Now yet another adaptation of the old Dickens tale has been made, this one a 3D animated movie with Jim Carrey playing multiple roles. Find out if Mason and Ella will be getting into the holiday spirit with A Christmas Carol this year.

Dialog

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

Mason

Mason

Ella

Ella

Mason:  There are certain timeless classics that always come about every season, right?

Ella:  Yes.

Mason:  Like The Christmas Carol, that was originally a Dickens thing, wasn’t it?

Ella:  Yeah, from back in the day.

Mason:  And then it’s funny how it’s just kind of had so many different incarnations over the years. It’s one of those.

Ella:  I feel like that’s enough. We get the story. You know?

Mason:  Yeah, you’re done with it?

Ella:  I really like the Muppets version. I just don’t want to see anything else. I was satisfied with that. I mean, we get the story. It’s Scrooge, a mean person, he learns his lesson, the three ghosts, you know…

Mason:  I don’t know, I think my favorite is the Disney one with Mickey Mouse. Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

Ella:  I don’t remember that one.

Mason:  And then the wacky take with Bill Murray, Scrooged, which was that kind of late 80s I think interpretation. That one was great.

Ella:  What do you think about the CG new one coming out with Jim Carrey? I don’t know how I feel about that. I’m just…I’m done with CG.

Mason:  I’m not done with CG but…yeah, the technology is a little off-putting to me. I think it’s a cool idea to have basically one actor do all the different parts. There’s a neat thought there. But ultimately…

Ella:  So do you think you’ll be seeing it?

Mason:  Probably not.

 

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Discussion

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A Christmas Carol is a classic Dickens novel that has been adapted several times for the big screen. Film versions of A Christmas Carol are often played on TV at Christmastime.

Ella doesn’t think anyone needed to make a new version of this movie. Her favorite version is The Muppet Christmas Carol starring Kermit the Frog and his puppet friends. Mason likes the cartoon Disney version and a funny version starring Bill Murray called Scrooged.

The new A Christmas Carol is a CG animated film. Jim Carrey does the voices for many of the characters in the movie, including Ebenezer Scrooge and all three ghosts. Mason thinks that sounds like a cool idea, but he probably won’t be seeing the movie.

Have you seen any versions of A Christmas Carol? Which one? Have you ever known anyone who acted like a “scrooge”?

 

Comments

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yougeetha

India

hahaha

09:16 PM Dec 23 2009 |

PrincessOnThePea

Germany

I love the "Scrooge" version with Bill Murray!!! <3

But this one spoken by Jim Carrey is also great.

And of course the Walt Disney Christmas Carol.

08:21 PM Dec 23 2009 |

Fredo92

Fredo92

Mexico

Have you seen any versions of A Christmas Carol? Which one? Have you ever known anyone who acted like a “scrooge”?

The only one (and I think everyone have seen it) is the Disney version. Mmm yes! Grinch is a perfect example of someone who act like a scrooge

05:16 PM Dec 23 2009 |

joe_libya

joe_libya

United Arab Emirates

hhhhhhhhhh

05:03 PM Dec 23 2009 |

Cool English Teacher

Brazil

Ha…Laughing

"Ella:  So do you think you’ll be seeing it?

Mason:  Probably not."

Freaking hilarious…hahahahahaha ;-)

04:55 PM Dec 23 2009 |

fatomata

fatomata

Morocco

Jim carry is a phenomenon. i don't think he will do something off-putting. i saw some sketches of the movie, an d i personnaly believ it's great..

04:39 PM Dec 23 2009 |

L_a_d_a

L_a_d_a

Ukraine

I`ve seen two versions one with Mickey Mouse and the other one with Bill Murray and
I can`t say I know such persons like “scrooge” but I think it`s useful to watch such films and remember this character to help people when we can do it but not just stay out

01:10 PM Dec 23 2009 |

makicaprincess

Serbia and Montenegro

I don't like this new version of Christmas Carol :( It's like horror movie! I prefer the old versions! I've watched this film yesterday and I'm disappointed :((

12:41 PM Dec 23 2009 |

PrincessOnThePea

Germany

The movie in 3D was great!

For young and old ;-)

12:15 PM Dec 23 2009 |

mickee85

mickee85

Philippines

Haven't seen the movie yet. I think it's fabulous.

12:12 PM Dec 23 2009 |

303Kevin

303Kevin

China

a timeless classic

11:33 AM Dec 23 2009 |

Dreamer-screamer

Kazakhstan

I would like to see even one version of this film with pleasure but I haven't seen it yet))) 

10:55 AM Dec 23 2009 |

Liaa

Liaa

Russian Federation

I've seen new version of Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey and this one is great! I was very excited! I like JimCarrey and that CG animated film was something!

 

09:33 AM Dec 23 2009 |

blueskun

blueskun

China

dickens  oh

09:12 AM Dec 23 2009 |

glandy

glandy

China

i hope he will be visiting me these days~

09:11 AM Dec 23 2009 |

glandy

glandy

China

i know little about it ~

09:06 AM Dec 23 2009 |

Whitney S

Whitney S

Colombia

I love Christmas Laughing

06:58 AM Dec 23 2009 |

Sunny Penguin

Ukraine

hah) Christmas is near)

Remember how we studied that novel at school=))

06:52 AM Dec 23 2009 |

Dekler

Dekler

Kazakhstan

I saw recently this movie and would like to say that is the best movie in this year 2009

06:28 AM Dec 23 2009 |

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