Little Game — Find out who he is!

Little Game — Find out who he is!

Unit 2 Section A

Charlie Chaplin

Pre-reading ActivitiesPre-reading Activities

Background information

Questions & Answers

Watch & Discuss

Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

Background Information

Questions & Answers

Watch & Discuss

Acquaint yourself with some relevant information

Listen to a passage and answer some questions.

Watch the video and discuss the given topics.

Charlie Chaplin

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say BackBack

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16th April 1889 Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16th April 1889 in Walworth, London, and lived a Dickensian in Walworth, London, and lived a Dickensian childhood, shared with his brother, Sydney, that childhood, shared with his brother, Sydney, that included extreme poverty, workhouses and seeing his included extreme poverty, workhouses and seeing his mother’s mental decline put her into an institution. mother’s mental decline put her into an institution. Both his parents, though separated when he was very Both his parents, though separated when he was very

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16th April 1889 Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16th April 1889 in Walworth, London, and lived a Dickensian in Walworth, London, and lived a Dickensian childhood, shared with his brother, Sydney, that childhood, shared with his brother, Sydney, that included extreme poverty, workhouses and seeing his included extreme poverty, workhouses and seeing his mother’s mental decline put her into an institution. mother’s mental decline put her into an institution. Both his parents, though separated when he was very Both his parents, though separated when he was very young, were music hall artists, his young, were music hall artists, his father quite famously so. But it father quite famously so. But it was his mother that Charlie was his mother that Charlie idolised and was inspired by idolised and was inspired by during his visit of the backstage during his visit of the backstage while she performed, to take up while she performed, to take up such a career for himself.such a career for himself.

young, were music hall artists, his young, were music hall artists, his father quite famously so. But it father quite famously so. But it was his mother that Charlie was his mother that Charlie idolised and was inspired by idolised and was inspired by during his visit of the backstage during his visit of the backstage while she performed, to take up while she performed, to take up such a career for himself.such a career for himself. 下一页

Background Information

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HollywoodAn area of Los Angeles which is known as the center of the American film industry. In terms of geography, Hollywood refers to an area consisting of the City of West Hollywood and its vicinity that form part of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is generally thought that everyone living in Hollywood is extremely rich, famous, and concerned with appearances but in fact many parts of Hollywood today are poor, dirty and badly cared for.

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Mack Sennett

Mack Sennett: (1880—1960) U.S. film Mack Sennett: (1880—1960) U.S. film producer, born in Richmond, Quebec. producer, born in Richmond, Quebec. He worked in the theatre as a comic in He worked in the theatre as a comic in burlesque companies, and from 1908 in burlesque companies, and from 1908 in silent films. He later formed his own silent films. He later formed his own company and hundreds of shorts, company and hundreds of shorts, establishing a whole generation of establishing a whole generation of players and a tradition of knockabout players and a tradition of knockabout slapstick under the name of Keystone slapstick under the name of Keystone Komics (1912), and later the Sennett Komics (1912), and later the Sennett Bathing Beauties (1920). He received a Bathing Beauties (1920). He received a Special Academy Award in 1937.Special Academy Award in 1937.

Questions & Answers

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

1. What disadvantages did Chaplin face early in his life and how did these perhaps help him later?

2. When it came to relationships, what main problem did his personality have and what results did this have?

3. What important role did Oona O’Neill play in his life?

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Reference Words: disadvantage, extremely, unstable,

mentally ill, Tramp

Among the disadvantages Chaplin had to face early in his life, there were three standing out in my mind. First, he was born into an extremely poor family. Second, he had an unstable early family life. Third, his mother was mentally ill. All these, however, helped him create the famous character, “the Tramp.”

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

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key

Reference Words: combine, contradictory, distrust,

account for

His personality combined a strong need to be loved with a contradictory distrust of people. And this may account for the failure in his early marriages.

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

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key

Reference Words: life skills, comfort, quarrel, deal

with, keep… together

Oona O’Neill had the life skills to comfort Chaplin whenever there was a quarrel in their own large family, because she came from a large family and knew how to deal with the problems of its own and how to keep such a family together.

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

Directions: Watch the video and then discuss the topics as follows:

2. How do you understand the proverb “All roads lead to Rome.”? key

1. What enlightenment can we gain from the video? key

Video watching

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Watch & Discuss

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Ways of thinking:

1. What do children usually turn out to be

if exposed to a lot of misfortunes? 2. Is the same true for Chaplin?

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

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By the light of our common sense, children subjected to extreme poverty, homelessness and severe stress usually turn out to be self-abandoned ( 自暴自弃 ) or cynical ( 玩世不恭 ). But this rule does not hold true for Charlie Chaplin.

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I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

As is known to all, Charlie Chaplin, plain in appearance ( 貌不惊人 )and short in stature( 身材矮小 ), suffered from both hunger and his mother’s mental illness throughout his childhood. All these misfortunes, however, did not wear down his desire for happiness and success. Instead, they helped turn out a smart, resourceful and renowned comic. In a 1995 worldwide survey of film critics, Chaplin was voted the greatest actor in movie history. His life has born out the truth that all misfortune is only a stepping stone to success.

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I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

Ways of thinking

1. What does Chaplin’s story tell us?

2. What is your understanding of the proverb “All roads lead to Rome.”?

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

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In our eyes, Chaplin’s miserable childhood, complete with British audience’s cold attitude toward his “crude” act on the stage, offered him little hope of success. But he did not like himself to be fate’s play thing and tried to look for other ways out. In 1913 he left his native country for good and found an ideal scope in America for displaying his talents ( 用武之地 ), which proved to be a turning point in his struggle toward success. So his story confirms the old saying that

all roads lead to Rome. >>>more>>>more

I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

In other words, one may not find a single ray of hope at the first attempt, but his/her persistence, complete with proper adjustment of means to the goal, will enable him/her to make it in time. In sum, as long as people adjust themselves to the changing circumstances, they still can put themselves on the way to success.

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I. Pre-reading Activities: Listen, Look & Say

Key Points ReviewKey Points Review

Charlie Chaplin’s miserable childhood .

Charlie Chaplin’s failures in earlier life.

Enlightenment: All misfortune is only a

stepping stone to success.

AssignmentAssignment

Write a passage about Charlie Chaplin in

your own words within 300 words.