Ready for C1 p 24. Review of Stranger Things. Word formation

Stranger Things takes us back to the early 1980s. The narrative begins in 1983, in a quiet Indiana community called Hawkins. A 12-year-old boy is cycling back to his house at night, through the woods and close to a secret government research centre. When he never makes it home, his friends and family set out to find him. (1)______________ (COINCIDENCE) with his (2)_____________ (MYSTERY) (3)_______________ (APPEAR) is the (4)___________ (ARRIVE) of a young girl with (5)______________ (EARTH) powers, and a monster constantly (6)____________ (LURK) in the shadows.

The series is (7)________________ (BRIM) with references to the popular culture of the period. In between scenes of horror and suspense, viewers are treated to snapshots of 1980s life, from (8)_______________ (ICON) fashion and (9)______________ (HAIR) to the music and movies that defined the decade. We are offered an (10)______________ (SIGHT) into the gender norms of the era: mothers managing (11)_______________ (HOLD) duties while fathers went to work. (12)__________________ (ADD), the characters' (13)_______________ (RELY) on (14)_______________ (RELY) (15)_________________ (LAND) during emergencies will likely leave modern viewers feeling grateful for their smartphones.

It's difficult to suggest ways the (16)______________ (CREATE) could have improved Stranger Things as a (17)_________________ (VIEW) experience. The show is (18)____________ (GENUINENESS) creepy, and the acting of the young cast is absolutely superb. The concept of the small-town cop trying to get to the bottom of a mystery with no support from his department is (19)______________ (HARD) original, but makes sense given he is facing a supernatural enemy.

The series excels in (20)______________ (BLEND) horror, complex emotions, and (21)_______________ (NOSTALGIC) into a (22)______________ (COMPEL) package. If you're looking for a show that will (23)_______________ (THOROUGH) entertain and terrify you in equal measure, this is an (24)_____________ (MISS) choice

KEY

1. Coinciding

2. mysterious

3. disappearance

4. arrival

5. unearthly

6. lurking

 to wait somewhere secretly, especially because you are going to do something bad or illegal. 

Sp. acechar, merodear

E.g. Why are you lurking around outside my house?

7. Brimming

Brim: to be full of something; to fill something.

Sp: rebosar

E.g. 

The team were brimming with confidence before the game.

8. iconic 

9. hairstyles

10. insight

(C/U) an understanding of what something is like

E.g.

The book gives us fascinating insight(s) into life in Mexico.

11. household

12. Additionally

13. reliance

14. unreliable

15. landlines

16. creators

17. viewing

18. genuinely

 

 

 

 

 

 

19. hardly

20. blending

21. nostalgia

22. compelling

that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting

Sp. cautivador

E.g. 

• Her latest book makes compelling reading.

23. thoroughly

very much; completely.

E.g. 

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 

I'm thoroughly confused. 

a thoroughly professional performance

24. unmissable

Ready for C1 p 22. The Secret Life of the National Grid- 2. Switching On. Listening

 

Link:

https://youtu.be/ABOyEFDYY7U?si=Leli5N_812NhDqCg&t=559

'9''20

 

Fill in the gaps with a word or phrase:

Not only did the promotion of appliances help balance (1)_____________, but they also had much wider social consequences.

In the 1930s, between 20 and 30 % of women’s (2)__________________ was in domestic service. However, by the (3)___________ ‘50s, that had virtually disappeared. While all households (4)_______________ domestic equipment so middle class households were losing their servants. As a consequence, middle class women ended up doing a lot more domestic work than they (5)__________________. For example there were stairs (6) _________, a hall (7)_______________ clothes to wash, and all that without a  (8)_______________.

Using a (9)_________________ became more strenuous than never (10)_______________. Nevertheless, for working class women it  beat (11)_____________________ hands down.

People were helped to avoid (12)______________ in the home and to (13)_____________ a career.

By the 1960s the society was much more (14)_____________. That is to say, working class women and middle class women were doing pretty much the same amount of (15)_____________________.

And by the 1990s, thanks to technological improvements in domestic equipment, the time spent on (16)____________________ by women of all classes had halved.

Bob didn't learn to use the washing machine or to (17)_________________.

Even though things have improved, women still bear the lion's share of the housework. There seem to be universal norms that prohibit (18)_________________.

Although some men were (19)_____________ domestic appliances, they found the (20)_______________ enormously appealing.

The fact that there was an increase in home ownership coupled with a (21)_________________ tradesmen kick-started a DIY epidemic.

When an electric wire was damaged by a power drill on Christmas Eve it caused (22)________________.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEY

1. the load

The Grid: a system of electric wires or pipes carrying gas, for sending power over a large area:

the national grid (= the electricity supply in a country)

2. employment

 

 

3. mid to late

 

4. were acquiring

 

 

5. had done previously

 

6. to sweep

 

 

7. to polish

 

8. daily

 Daily: (also daily help) (old-fashioned, BrE) a person employed to come to sb’s house each day to clean it and do other jobs

 

9. Hoover,

10. lifting a finger

11. a dustpan and brush

Beat beat, beaten: defeat

Dustpan: a small flat container with a handle into which dust is brushed from the floor.

Win (sth) hands down(informal): to win sth very easily.

 12. drudgery

Drudgery: hard boring work (Sp. trabajo pesado)

 

13.   pursue

Pursue: try to achieve sth

14. egalitarian

15.  core domestic work

 Core: most important; main or essential

16. household chores

 17. iron (either)

 

 

18. male laundry

 

19. wary of

 Wary: /ˈweəri/ cautious. Careful when dealing with sb/sth because you think that there may be a danger or problem. (Sp. cauteloso)

 

20. electric/power drill

Appeal: a quality that makes sb/sth attractive or interesting (Sp. atractivo, encanto)

 

21. scarcity of /ˈskeəsəti/

 

Scarcity: if there is a scarcity of sth, there is not enough of it and it is difficult to obtain it. Shortage (Sp. escasez)

Tradesman: shopkeeper (Sp. comerciante). A skilled person (Sp. artesano).

Kick-start: to do sth to help a process or project start more quickly. E.g. The government’s attempt to kick-start the economy has failed (Activar)

About: (place)  is anyone about?  Sp. ¿hay alguien?

is Mr Brown about?  Sp. ¿está por aquí el Sr. Brown?

22. mayhem

 Mayhem: confusion and fear (Sp. caos)

Transcript:

Fill in the gaps with a word or phrase:

The Grid’s promotion of appliances helped balance ____the load________ but they also had much wider social consequences


In the 1930s, you _might have had______ something between 20 and 30 % of women’s employment actually in domestic service essentially,

and by the __mid to late_________ ‘50s, that had virtually disappeared,

so what actually happened over this period was that at the same time as all households ___were acquiring____________ domestic equipment so middle class households were losing their servants

Middle class women ended up doing a lot more domestic work than they __had done previously___

“Have any idea the work there is to do in this house? Stairs to sweep,

hall __to polish_____________


clothes to wash, and not even a __daily_____________”


Pushing the __hoover_______________ was harder than never _lifting a finger_________


but for working class women it beat __a dustpan and brush______ hands down.

“I was very keen to help other people to lead a different type of life, not so involved in ___Drudgery_______ in the home but rather giving them more freedom to choose whether they wanted to have leisure activities

or whether they wanted to go out and ___pursue a career____ and they could do if they actually cut some of the jobs that they’d had to do in the past”.

“By the 1960s it was a much much more egalitarian society. Working class women and middle class women were doing pretty much the same amount of __core domestic work_______, that’s cooking and cleaning and laundry”

And by the 1990s, improvements in domestic equipment had helped halve the time spent on ___household chores____ by women of all classes.

“The washing machine too is a great saving and I wouldn’t be without it now. Bob’s never learnt to switch on and he’s never learnt to _iron either__”

“Gender equality happens much slower than class equality. The difference between men’s and women’s unpaid work has probably halved over the last 40 years and we’re probably 40 years off -you know, two generations- of full equality still. There seem to be universal norms that prohibit __male laundry_____”.

But if some men were ___wary of__ domestic appliances then there was one electrical gadget that did hold an irresistible appeal.

“I even had an ___electric drill_______ thanks to my wife’s insistence on home improvements”.

Rising home ownership and a __scarcity of______ tradesmen kick-started a DIY epidemic. Do It Yourself magazine, “For the practical man about the house” was born in 1957 and the premier work tool was the electric drill.

“On one occasion I actually did use a power drill and go straight through an electric wire which _caused mayhem_____ because it happened on Christmas Eve and led to a whole series of domestic problems which we hadn’t anticipated”.

Ready for C1. p 17. History. Speaking Sample

1. How can teachers make history an interesting subject for their students? 

2. Why do you think some people are keen to learn about their own family history? 

3. In what ways might young people's lives be different 100 years from now? 

Good morning everyone, today I’d like to share my thoughts on history and its relevance in our lives. To begin with, history is often seen as a dry or distant subject, but there is a distinct (1)____________ that this perception can change if teachers adopt more engaging approaches.

First, let me turn to the question of how teachers can make history interesting for their students. One effective way is by using storytelling techniques. When historical events are presented as dramatic narratives (2)__________________ than just dates and facts, students are more likely to feel emotionally connected. Additionally, incorporating multimedia resources—such as videos, historical documentaries, or even virtual museum tours—can bring the past to life. Another valuable method might be linking historical events to issues and situations that students experience today. This creates relevance, and once students see relevance, their interest follows naturally.

Now, I’d like to move on to the second question, (3)______________ concerns why some people are eager to learn about their family history. I believe this curiosity stems from a desire to understand one’s identity. When individuals trace their ancestry, they might conceivably discover stories of resilience, migration, or cultural traditions that shape who they are. It helps them feel connected to something larger than themselves. In (4)_______________, exploring family history can offer a sense of continuity and belonging, especially in fast-changing societies where people sometimes feel rootless.

Finally, let’s turn to the question of how young people’s lives might be different 100 years from now. While it is difficult to make precise predictions, we can assume that advances in technology will continue to reshape daily life. Education might take place entirely online, and jobs could be performed by artificial intelligence. People might conceivably live (5)_____________ longer, thanks to medical breakthroughs. However, it is highly unlikely to assume that human emotions and relationships will disappear; young people will still seek companionship, creativity, and meaning in their lives—just as they do today.

To (6)______________, history matters because it connects the past, present, and future. (7)______________ we are learning about world-changing events or our own family roots, we discover stories that guide us and shape our identity. And (8)______________ the future may look very different from today, our desire to understand where we come from will continue to play a significant (9)____________ in our lives.

 

 

 

KEY

 

 

 

1. possibility 

 

 

 

 

2. rather 

 

 

 

 

3. which 

 

 

 

 

4. addition

 

 

 

 

5. much, far 

 

 

 

 

6. conclude 

 

 

 

 

7. Whether 

 

 

 

 

 

8. although 

 

 

 

 

9. role