October 12th 2019

GAMMA

What’s on at the cinema?

I. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. Put your vocabulary into practice.

1. How often do you go to the cinema?

2. Who do you like going to the cinema with? Why
3. What is your favourite film genre? Why?
4. What film have you recently seen? Tell the plot.
5. Do you know what a “plot twist” is? Give examples.

II. USE OF ENGLISH. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the word from the box.

A VERY SHORT HISTORY OF CINEMA

Cinematography is the illusion of movement by the recording and subsequent rapid projection of
th
many still photographic pictures on a screen. A product of 19 century ……………………. scientist
endeavour, it has, over the past century, become an industry employing many thousands of people
and a medium of mass entertainment and communication.

No one person invented cinema. However, in 1891 the Edison Company in the USA
………………………. demonstrated a prototype of the Kinetoscope, which enabled one person at a success
time to view moving pictures. The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience
(i.e. cinema) were the Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris.

At first, films were very short, sometimes only a few minutes or less. They were shown at
fairgrounds and music halls or anywhere a screen could be set up and a room ………………. dark
Subjects included local scenes and activities, views of foreign lands, short comedies and events
considered newsworthy.

The films were accompanied by lecturers, music and a lot of audience participation—although they synchronicity
did not have ………………………. dialogue, they were not ‘silent’ as they are sometimes described.

By 1914, several national film industries were established. Europe, Russia and Scandinavia were
as important as America. Films became longer, and storytelling, or narrative, became the
domination
………………………. form.

As more people paid to see movies, the industry which grew around them was prepared to invest
more money in their production, distribution and exhibition, so large studios were established and important
special cinemas built. The First World War greatly limited the film industry in Europe, and the
American industry grew in relative ………………………...

The first 30 years of cinema were characterised by the growth and consolidation of an industrial fine
base, the establishment of the narrative form, and …………………………… of technology.

III. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. Which of the following do you consider the most important elements in a film? Rank in
order.
 IV. THINK IT OVER. Which of the following factors influence your decision to go and see a film? Why?

 Film trailers on TV or at the cinema

 Recommendation from someone you know
 Film reviews in newspapers, magazines or on TV
 The type of film it is
 Who stars in it, directed it, etc.
 The number of awards it has won

V. FOCUS ON GRAMMAR. Gradable and Non-gradable Adjectives

Underline the correct word:
Gradable/Ungradable adjectives vary in intensity, whereas gradable/ungradable adjectives are extreme.

GRADABLE ADJECTIVES UNGRADABLE ADJECTIVES

disappointed terrible
pleased delighted
embarrassed mortified
tired exhausted
stupid ridiculous
lovely gorgeous

VI. BE ALL EARS. You’re going to listen to ten famous quotes from different films. Number the names in the order you
hear the quotes.

THE EXORCIST THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

TITANIC SHREK
THE MASK THE SHINING
THE LORD OF THE RINGS CHILD’S PLAY
HARRY POTTER ICE AGE

VII. DISCUSS. Read these comments. What do you think about them?

VIII. THE PERUVIAN CINEMATOGRAPHY. Look at the images and answer the questions.

1. What is your appreciation of

the Peruvian cinema?

2. Some people say that our

current cinema is stuck in the
comedy genre. What’s your take
on this?

3. Peru only has one nomination

to the Oscars in the history of its
cinematography. Why’s that?
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
OPEN SEASON
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW
MASSACRE
TITANIC
JAWS
THE MUMMY
JURASSIC PARK
GLADIATOR
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND
THE UGLY
FORREST GUMP
LA LA LAND
THE KING’S SPEECH
AVATAR
STAR WARS
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
 DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
FINDING NEMO
PULP FICTION
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

ANGELINA JOLIE IS
VERY BRILLIANT.
SHE’S MY
FAVOURITE STAR.
IT WAS AN
ABSOLUTELY GOOD
FILM. YOU REALLY
SHOULD GO AND
SEE IT.
THE PLOT WAS
FAIRLY
FASCINATING. THE
WRITER IS A
GENIUS.
JIM CARREY IS
COMPLETELY
FUNNY IN THE
MASK. I COULDN’T
HELP LAUGHING!