ESL Holiday Lessons.com: Academy Awards

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is an annual presentation held by the U.S. movie industry. The event is run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has to maintain strict security of who has won what until the winners are announced. It started in 1929 and has grown into a worldwide extravaganza. Millions of people tune in each year to see whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked up the top award. The gold statuette prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It can turn an actor into a legend or a movie into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi paradise. The stars turn out looking like a million dollars in their designer dresses and suits.

The voting for the Academy Awards is very strict and is conducted under the tightest secrecy. A top international accounting firm has counted the votes for the past seven decades. Only the most talented people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and vote. Membership is by invitation only. This is to make sure the top professionals in the business decide on the winners. There are up to 25 categories up for grabs, and up to five nominations can be made in each. The newest award is for Best Animated Feature, which started in 2001. Movie fans in over 100 countries watch on television as the famous envelopes are opened with the words, “And the winner is…”.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	an annual presentation held	a.	the movie industry
2	maintain strict security of who	b.	top award
3.	grown into a worldwide	c.	has won what
4.	picked up the	d.	by the U.S. movie industry
5.	the highest honour in	e.	a million dollars
6.	The stars turn out looking like	f.	extravaganza

Paragraph 2

1.	The voting for the Academy Awards	a.	for grabs
2	conducted under the tightest	b.	made in each
3.	Membership is by	c.	watch on television
4.	There are up to 25 categories up	d.	is very strict
5.	up to five nominations can be	e.	invitation only
6.	Movie fans in over 100 countries	f.	secrecy

LISTENING GAP FILL

The Academy Awards, __________________ the Oscars, is an annual presentation held by the U.S. movie industry. The event ______________ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has to maintain strict security of ________________ until the winners are announced. It started in 1929 and has grown into a worldwide extravaganza. Millions of people ______________ year to see whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked up the top award. The gold statuette prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It _________________ into a legend or a movie into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi paradise. The stars ______________ like a million dollars in their designer dresses and suits.

The voting for the Academy Awards is very strict and ________________ the tightest secrecy. A top international accounting firm has counted the votes ______________ seven decades. Only the most talented people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and vote. Membership is ______________. This is to make sure the top professionals in the business decide on the winners. There are up to 25 categories ______________, and up to five nominations can be made in each. The newest ______________ Animated Feature, which started in 2001. Movie fans in over 100 countries watch on television as the famous envelopes are opened with the words, “______________ …”.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is an __________ presentation held by the U.S. movie industry. The event is __________ by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has to maintain strict __________ of who has won what until the winners are announced. It started in 1929 and has __________ into a worldwide extravaganza. Millions of people __________ in each year to see whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked up the top award. The gold statuette prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It can __________ an actor into a legend or a movie into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi __________. The stars turn out looking like a million __________ in their designer dresses and suits.

grown
annual
run
turn
tune
dollars
security
paradise

The voting for the Academy Awards is very __________ and is conducted under the tightest __________. A top international accounting firm has counted the votes for the past seven __________. Only the most talented people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and vote. Membership is by __________ only. This is to make sure the top professionals in the business decide on the winners. There are up to 25 categories up for __________, and up to five nominations can be made in each. The newest __________ is for Best Animated Feature, which started in 2001. Movie __________ in over 100 countries watch on television as the famous envelopes are opened with the __________, “And the winner is…”.

invitation
strict
fans
award
decades
words
secrecy
grabs

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

The Academy Awards, also known / knowing as the Oscars, is an annual presentation held by the U.S. movie industry. The event is running / run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has to maintain strict / strictly security of who has won what until the winners are announced. It started in 1929 and has growth / grown into a worldwide extravaganza. Millions of people tune / tunes in each year to see whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked down / up the top award. The gold statuette prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It can twist / turn an actor into a legend or a movie into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi paradise. The stars turn in / out looking like a million dollars in their designer dresses and suits.

The voting for the Academy Awards is very strict and is conductor / conducted under the tightest secrets / secrecy. A top international accounting firm has counted the votes for the past / post seven decades. Only the most talented people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and votes / vote. Membership is by invitation only. This is to make surely / sure the top professionals in the business decide on the winners. There are up to 25 categories up for grabs, and up / as to five nominations can be made in each. The newest award is for Best Animated Feature, which started in 2001. Movie fans / fan in over 100 countries watch on television as the famous envelopes are opened with the word / words, “And the winner is…”.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The Academy Awards, also (1) ____ as the Oscars, is an annual presentation held by the U.S. movie industry. The event is (2) ____ by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has to maintain strict security of who has won (3) ____ until the winners are announced. It started in 1929 and has grown into a worldwide extravaganza. Millions of people (4) ____ in each year to see whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked up the top award. The gold statuette prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It can (5) ____ an actor into a legend or a movie into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi paradise. The stars turn out (6) ____ like a million dollars in their designer dresses and suits.

The voting for the Academy Awards is very strict and is conducted (7) ____ the tightest secrecy. A top international accounting firm has counted the votes for the past seven decades. Only the most (8) ____ people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and vote. Membership is (9) ____ invitation only. This is to make sure the top professionals in the business decide on the winners. There are up to 25 categories up for grabs, and up to five nominations can be made in (10) ____. The newest award is for Best Animated Feature, which started in 2001. Movie (11) ____ in over 100 countries watch on television as the famous envelopes are opened with the (12) ____, “And the winner is…”.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	know	(b)	knowing	(c)	knows	(d)	known
2.	(a)	running	(b)	run	(c)	runs	(d)	ran
3.	(a)	what	(b)	how	(c)	why	(d)	who
4.	(a)	tunes	(b)	tuning	(c)	tune	(d)	tuner
5.	(a)	twist	(b)	swivel	(c)	turn	(d)	spiral
6.	(a)	look	(b)	looking	(c)	looks	(d)	good looks
7.	(a)	under	(b)	between	(c)	over	(d)	on top of
8.	(a)	talentless	(b)	talents	(c)	talented	(d)	talent
9.	(a)	at	(b)	to	(c)	for	(d)	by
10.	(a)	all	(b)	every	(c)	both	(d)	each
11.	(a)	fans	(b)	fan	(c)	enthusiast	(d)	finalists
12.	(a)	word	(b)	words	(c)	worded	(d)	wordy

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	an laanun presentation
2.	maintain rcitts security
3.	people nuet in each year
4.	the movie ritusnyd
5.	turn an actor into a leedng
6.	looking like a mnloiil dollars
Paragraph 2
7.	the tightest ecrscye
8.	counted the etsvo
9.	a mmerbe of the Academy
10.	Membership is by anniiivtto only
11.	The newest wraad
12.	And the rnewin is…

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	prize, called an Oscar, is the highest honour in the movie industry. It can turn an actor into a legend or a movie
( 1 )	The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is an annual presentation held by the U.S. movie industry. The event
( )	until the winners are announced. It started in 1929 and has grown into a worldwide extravaganza. Millions of people
( )	into a classic. It also turns Hollywood into a party and paparazzi paradise. The stars turn out looking
( )	is run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which has to maintain strict security of who has won what
( )	secrecy. A top international accounting firm has counted the votes for the past seven decades. Only the most talented
( )	Feature, which started in 2001. Movie fans in over 100 countries watch on television as the famous
( )	to make sure the top professionals in the business decide on the winners. There are up to 25 categories up for
( )	The voting for the Academy Awards is very strict and is conducted under the tightest
( )	like a million dollars in their designer dresses and suits.
( )	people in the movie industry can become a member of the Academy and vote. Membership is by invitation only. This is
( )	envelopes are opened with the words, “And the winner is…”.
( )	tune in each year to see whether their favourite movie, director or actor has picked up the top award. The gold statuette
( )	grabs, and up to five nominations can be made in each. The newest award is for Best Animated

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	held presentation annual an industry movie U.S. the by
2.	won has who of security strict maintain what
3.	tune each Millions people in year of
4.	legend a into actor an turn can It
5.	a looking turn The million like out stars dollars
6.	the most talented people in the movie industry
7.	only invitation by is Membership
8.	the on the in decide winners professionals business the top
9.	Feature Animated Best for is award newest The
10.	100 in Movie on countries over fans television watch

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE ACADEMY AWARDS SURVEY

Write five questions about Academy Awards in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Academy Awards for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Academy Awards. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Academy Awards. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Academy Awards. Write about will happen on this day around the world.