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The Giver

Learn English with this The Giver English lesson

Date: Aug 13 2014

Themes: Celebrity, Pop Culture

Grammar: Adjectives

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Intro

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

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

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Many children’s books deal with topics that are hard for adults to think about. Often, we don’t realize how controversial something is until years after we’ve read it. Perhaps that’s why films based on young adult books, like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and now The Giver, are becoming so popular.

One of The Giver’s stars, actor Jeff Bridges, has been working on turning this book into a film for almost 20 years. Bridges doesn’t star in the film alone, though. Joining him are big names Meryl Streep and Taylor Swift. In this movie, a young boy who lives in a world without pain or war or suffering, is chosen to receive knowledge about the real world, including real pain and real pleasure.

What do Marni and Lily think about The Giver? Find out in today’s English lesson about a new movie.

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.

Lily

Marni

Lily: Hey Marni, have you seen the new Giver trailer?

Marni: The movie based on the book by Lois Lowry? Actually, you know what, I have seen it. I was surprised with some of the actors in it. They’re pretty big names.

Lily: Yeah, like Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep. You know what? All of the kids…I always imagined them being around 10 or 11.

Marni: Yeah!

Lily: They all were 19 years old. They all were almost adults, and it was kind of odd for a children’s book.

Marni: That is kind of odd. I remember that as well, and I’m just wondering if Hollywood’s trying to capture some of the success of The Hunger Games and tap into more of a YA audience versus younger kids.

Lily: Yeah. That’s what it seems like. And actually, a lot of the special effects and stuff, like even the hovercraft and a bunch of the random technical stuff, looked very similar.

Marni: Right.

Lily: It was kind of odd.

Marni: It did. Yeah. That’s a shame.

Lily: I would still see it. I liked the book, and I thought it had a lot to say. And I hope the movie does it justice, I guess, because everybody, every kid, reads it just about.

Marni: It’s true. I’ll definitely go see it with you, and we can critique it.

Lily: OK. Perfect.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

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Marni and Lily both watched the trailer for the movie The Giver. Although they liked the book, they seem unsure about the film. It has a lot of famous movie stars playing important roles, but Lily says the characters are older in the film than she imagined from the book.

Marni agrees with Lily that the film seems a little strange. She doesn’t know if The Giver is trying too hard to be like other popular Hollywood films. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t.

In the end, both Lily and Marni still want to see the movie. Even though they don’t know if it will be as good as the book, they’re willing to give it a chance.

Have you read the book The Giver? What do you think about the movie?

Comments

AngelinaK

Russian Federation

I have read the book and I should say that it’s pretty interesting, it was easy to read (probably too easy for me) and you’ll love it if you are 11-16-year-old teen, not older cause it’s a childhood book. Very exciting plot, but it’s almost Divergent. I’ll see the movie on August 21, but I don’t think it would be as good as book, I don’t like the trailer.

Mr. Learner

Peru

I haven’t read the book. When I read the plot here in English baby, I thought it would be a great conceptual movie, however, when I watched the trailer, I found it the opposit.
I don’t think I’ll watch it

CharmYou

Ireland

I have read a few chapters of The Giver. The premise is pretty neat, a twisted society where people live a lifestyle that confuses the norm with the right. Reading a book like this was very difficult. You know, it’s literature after all, so I had a hard time understanding the plot and sorting out what was happening in the book. But the story was still fascinating and I loved it.

Arafatalamri

Yemen

I am sorry , I have not read this book to try answering the question

S&W

China

I had never read this novel.I was attracted by the trailer and the brief introduction.From the introducton, I can see it’s hard for everyone to make a decision in daily life ,especially,the decision is the key to our future.We always tortured by scary about what is going to happen or did i make right choice.However,As everthing ahead you has been set up by the society ,It seems like No pain+No emotion+No colour+No music= Endless sorrow.Pain is the resource of Happiness

jef_maiko

Brazil

No, I have not read yet. But I intend. I have been readind “The fault in our stars”.

moha15

Kenya

yeah sometimes is good someone to recall his chilhood memories its funny thou

Mohanbisht

India

In this movie, The big name actors can surprise anyone. But it can be possible that they want to live their dream when they would have read that story in the young age. And it’s true that no one want to forget her/his childhoot. So may be they want to recall their childhood memories.

And may be you all will get your childhood desire when you see the movie.

Go ahead and exprince your childhood again. :)