D Oh, come on! ; That’s just not true.
Exercise 11 page 47
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Students discuss the opinions in pairs. One student should propose each opinion and the other should oppose it.•
Circulate and monitor, checking that students are using the new language and that they are giving each other the opportunity to speak.DVD extra Surgery: old and new Learning outcome
Ask students: What have you learned today? What can you do
now? and elicit answers: I can understand a radio programme about plastic surgery. I can paraphrase or summarize
information. I can use phrases with body parts. I can use language to discuss a controversial topic. I can have a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of plastic surgery.
4D Culture, vocabulary and
grammar
Frankenstein
Summary
Topic: Science fiction
Reading: Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) Vocabulary: Word analysis
Grammar: Future in the past
Lead-in 1
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Put students into teams. Tell them that you are going to set a quiz about science fiction writers. Write the names of these famous science fiction novels on the board in one column and authors (in a different order) in another:Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) Dracula (Bram Stoker) War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Jules Verne) 1984 (George Orwell)
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) Dune (Frank Herbert)
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Give students three minutes to match the novels with the authors. The team that gets the most correct answers wins. 2•
Write the word MONSTERS on the board. Ask students to brainstorm the names of famous monsters from films, TV or books. Write their ideas on the board.•
Students then write sentences in pairs about one monster.•
Ask a few students to read out their sentences to the rest of the class.Exercise 1 page 48
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Give students a few minutes to read the list of qualities. Make sure they understand all of the words.•
Students work in pairs to discuss their choice of the most important qualities.•
Set a time limit of two minutes for students to read extracts A and B and find Dr Frankenstein’s qualities. Remind them that they should scan the text to look for descriptions of personality and character rather than read intensively to understand every word.•
Check answers as a class.(Possible answers)
creativity, determination, self-discipline, patience
Exercise 2 page 48
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Tell students to read the statements and then scan extract A to find out if they are true or false. Point out that there is also a ‘not given’ category.•
Tell students to quote the part of the text that proves whether a statement is true or false.•
Check answers as a class.1 T (lines 11–12: ‘the story was a powerful warning against scientific advances’)
2 T (lines 11–14: ‘the story was a powerful warning against … the Industrial Revolution, which was about to spread across Europe’)
3 NG
4 NG
5 T (lines 27–28: ‘Mary inherited her rebellious spirit’)
6 T (lines 31–36: ‘… the couple stayed with the poet Lord Byron, and in the evenings they often entertained themselves by reading ghost stories. After a while, Byron suggested they write their own, and Mary decided she was going to write about her nightmare’)
7 NG
Culture notes: Mary Shelley and Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s writing was strongly influenced by her
father’s ideas. He believed that people should only ever act altruistically (for the good of others), and that selfishness would bring about the breakdown of society. Mary’s characterization of Dr Frankenstein is an example of this selfish behaviour and the disastrous results arising from it. Frankenstein was also seen by some people as a revolutionary book because Dr Frankenstein creates life and is therefore challenging the role of God.
Another important influence on Mary Shelley was the development of scientific knowledge during the early 19th century. While she and her husband were staying with the poet Lord Byron in Switzerland, they discussed recent news stories about two scientists, Galvani and Aldini, who had apparently managed to re-animate dead tissue using electricity.
Many people confuse the title of the book – Frankenstein – with the monster itself. Frankenstein is the name of the scientist creator, and the monster itself has no name. It is usually referred to as ‘Frankenstein’s monster’.
Exercise 3 page 48
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Allow students plenty of time to read extract B again. With a weaker class, go through the extract with students and help them to identify the key words in the questions.•
Point out that when analysing a text in detail, students should think about simile, metaphor and what the writer is trying to achieve by using certain words.•
Students compare their answers with a partner.•
Check answers as a class.(Possible answers)
1 dreary, dismally, failing, dim. These adjectives and adverbs give an impression of gloom, darkness and depression.
2 a) breathless, unable to sleep, tiredness, cold sweat, teeth chattered, every limb was tense
b) anxiety, horror, disgust, disturbed by the wildest dreams
The weather reflects Frankenstein’s feelings of exhaustion and horror because it is dark and depressing.
3 The light may represent the failure of Frankenstein’s morality and sense of responsibility for his monster. This might tell us that the writer disapproves of Frankenstein’s experiment.
4 lifeless thing, the creature, the (terrible) wretch, the being, the (miserable) monster.
Frankenstein uses the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘it’ to refer to the monster. ‘The use of ‘he’ implies that he sees the monster as human to some extent, but ‘it’ implies that he sees the monster as somehow less than human at the same time.
5 eyes: dull, yellow, watery teeth: pearly whiteness hair: black and flowing
skin / complexion: yellow, shrivelled, black lips
This creates an impression of horror, illness and death.
6 The creature watches Frankenstein while he sleeps; it tries to communicate, but it is inarticulate; it stretches out its hand to Frankenstein; it smiles at Frankenstein.
7 Students’ own answers
Exercise 4 page 48
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You could discuss the questions as a class, encouraging students to contribute their opinions and justify them. For question 1, tell students to look at the second paragraph in extract A for guidance about some of the issues covered in Frankenstein. They could mention the creation of life, the role of a parent, and the issue of taking responsibility for one’s actions.•
For question 2, explain that there are no right or wrong answers, but students must be prepared to give reasons for their interpretation of the book’s purpose.•
For the final question, ask students to read extract B carefully. Is the overall impression optimistic or pessimistic? Does Frankenstein come across as asympathetic character? What does this tell us about Mary Shelley’s views of society or people?
Additional vocabulary
The following words are from Frankenstein:
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windswept (adj) /ˈwɪndswept/ having strong winds and little protection from them•
agony (n) /ˈæɡəni/ extreme physical or mental pain•
agitate (v) /ˈædʒɪteɪt/ to make something move around, e.g. by stirring or shaking it•
deprive (v) /dɪˈpraɪv/ to prevent somebody from having or doing something, especially something important•
inarticulate (adj) /ˌɪnɑːˈtɪkjələt/ not using clear words; not expressed clearly•
refuge (n) /ˈrefjuːdʒ/ shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.Extra activity: Further discussion
In groups, students discuss the following questions:
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Imagine a conversation between Dr Frankenstein and his creation. What questions do you think the creature would ask? How would Dr Frankenstein reply?•
Shelley’s story is partly a moral tale about the dangers of interfering with nature. Can you think of any other books or films that deal with the same subject?Language note: Future in the past
If, during the past, we were thinking about the future or making plans for the future, we use future in the past to express this. We use different forms depending on whether we are describing intentions, plans, possibilities, predictions or events that actually took place at a later time.
Exercise 5 page 49
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Give students an example of future in the past: I went toa café yesterday. I was about to buy a coffee when I realized that I had left my wallet at home.
Then ask:
When was I in the café? (yesterday) Did I want to buy a coffee? (yes) Did I actually buy a coffee? (no)