Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter cast at world premiere

Thousands of Harry Potter fans braved cold winds and heavy showers to see their favourite stars at the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Some camped out for two nights to make sure they grabbed a good spot by the red carpet before the cast started arriving at London's Leicester Square.
As well as Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, there were loads of celebrity Potter fans there too, including the latest X Factor contestants and Tom and Harry from McFly.
We sent Ricky to the red carpet to check it out and get all the gossip from the stars - including CBBC's Hacker T Dog!!


Vocabulary

cast the actors and actresses in a film, play etc.
premiere the first public showing of a film or play etc.
braved to have done something that is difficult
camped out slept outside in a tent
celebrity famous person
contestants people who are trying to win something in a contest
gossip talk about other people which might be unkind or not true

True or false?

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had its world premiere in London.
2. Thousands of Harry Potter fans wanted to see their favourite stars.
3. The sun was shining.
4. Some fans slept outside the cinema before the premiere.
5. The premiere was in Leicester Square.
6. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are in the Harry Potter films.
7. There were no other people there.
8. Ricky talked to the stars.
Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

9. fans

a) the same as people who like something a lot
b) the same as people who don't like anything
c) the same as people who are famous
10. grabbed
a) the same as left
b) the same as gave
c) the same as took
11. spot
a) the same as place
b) the same as film
c) the same as star
12. arriving
a) the same as leaving
b) the same as staying
c) the same as coming

Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter cast at world premiere

Thousands of Harry Potter fans braved cold winds and heavy showers to see their favourite stars at the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Some camped out for two nights to make sure they grabbed a good spot by the red carpet before the cast started arriving at London's Leicester Square.
As well as Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, there were loads of celebrity Potter fans there too, including the latest X Factor contestants and Tom and Harry from McFly.
We sent Ricky to the red carpet to check it out and get all the gossip from the stars - including CBBC's Hacker T Dog!!


Vocabulary

cast the actors and actresses in a film, play etc.
premiere the first public showing of a film or play etc.
braved to have done something that is difficult
camped out slept outside in a tent
celebrity famous person
contestants people who are trying to win something in a contest
gossip talk about other people which might be unkind or not true

True or false?

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had its world premiere in London.
2. Thousands of Harry Potter fans wanted to see their favourite stars.
3. The sun was shining.
4. Some fans slept outside the cinema before the premiere.
5. The premiere was in Leicester Square.
6. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are in the Harry Potter films.
7. There were no other people there.
8. Ricky talked to the stars.
Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

9. fans

a) the same as people who like something a lot
b) the same as people who don't like anything
c) the same as people who are famous
10. grabbed
a) the same as left
b) the same as gave
c) the same as took
11. spot
a) the same as place
b) the same as film
c) the same as star
12. arriving
a) the same as leaving
b) the same as staying
c) the same as coming

Horror Films Booming In Gloomy Economy

Horror films are increasing in popularity and some experts claim it is because of the gloomy economic times. There are four new cinema scaries released this month while dedicated horror festivals are booming across the country.
Eli Roth, producer of The Last Exorcism - which is released in the UK this weekend - said "Horror is always popular... people want a good smart, scary story," he said. He is a member of the Hollywood "splat pack" - a group of film makers renowned for their love of horror - and said films in the genre are increasingly sophisticated, often with a wider message. "Now there is a feeling that evil is on the rise. “There is this feeling that there is evil out there and we have to do everything to fight it."
Another trend is for viewers to watch this kind of Films in the company of others. Horror festivals are growing in popularity. Last weekend 27,000 people descended on London for FrightFest which exhibited 40 scary films. Over Halloween, thousands will convene in Manchester for Grimm Up North to watch movies, play games and even walk like zombies.
Cultural historians say that nail-biting, hide-behind-the-sofa films traditionally do well when the country is in an economic depression. Simeon Halligan, Director of Grimm Up North, said: "One of the reasons horror and fantasy are very popular at the moment is because in a recession people throw themselves into escapism, when reality is hard work.”Horror reflects a sense of anger and frustration at a society that is not doing so well."

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a) In the past, horror films were not as complex as they are now.
b) People do not share their like for horror.
c) Horror festivals are not just going to the cinema.
d) Some people have studied the connection between crisis and horror films success.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words with information from the text:

a) What two trends does the text mention as far as horror stories are concerned?
b) Why are people so keen on horror films at the moment?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) famous (par.2)
b) To meet (par.3)
c) To progress(par.4)

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning

a) They have released four new scaries this month.
Four ………
b) Horror movies are increasing in popularity because of the economic recession.
If there were …..
c) In a recession people throw themselves into escapism when reality is hard work.
Mr. Halligan said that ……

Question 5 Write a short essay (120 to 150 words) on the following topic:

What can you do to escape from reality?

Horror Films Booming In Gloomy Economy

Horror films are increasing in popularity and some experts claim it is because of the gloomy economic times. There are four new cinema scaries released this month while dedicated horror festivals are booming across the country.
Eli Roth, producer of The Last Exorcism - which is released in the UK this weekend - said "Horror is always popular... people want a good smart, scary story," he said. He is a member of the Hollywood "splat pack" - a group of film makers renowned for their love of horror - and said films in the genre are increasingly sophisticated, often with a wider message. "Now there is a feeling that evil is on the rise. “There is this feeling that there is evil out there and we have to do everything to fight it."
Another trend is for viewers to watch this kind of Films in the company of others. Horror festivals are growing in popularity. Last weekend 27,000 people descended on London for FrightFest which exhibited 40 scary films. Over Halloween, thousands will convene in Manchester for Grimm Up North to watch movies, play games and even walk like zombies.
Cultural historians say that nail-biting, hide-behind-the-sofa films traditionally do well when the country is in an economic depression. Simeon Halligan, Director of Grimm Up North, said: "One of the reasons horror and fantasy are very popular at the moment is because in a recession people throw themselves into escapism, when reality is hard work.”Horror reflects a sense of anger and frustration at a society that is not doing so well."

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a) In the past, horror films were not as complex as they are now.
b) People do not share their like for horror.
c) Horror festivals are not just going to the cinema.
d) Some people have studied the connection between crisis and horror films success.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words with information from the text:

a) What two trends does the text mention as far as horror stories are concerned?
b) Why are people so keen on horror films at the moment?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) famous (par.2)
b) To meet (par.3)
c) To progress(par.4)

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning

a) They have released four new scaries this month.
Four ………
b) Horror movies are increasing in popularity because of the economic recession.
If there were …..
c) In a recession people throw themselves into escapism when reality is hard work.
Mr. Halligan said that ……

Question 5 Write a short essay (120 to 150 words) on the following topic:

What can you do to escape from reality?

The longest film ever to be screened

If you thought Titanic was a long film, think again. That was a mere trailer in comparison to “Cinematon”, a French film lasting 150 hours that will be screened later this month. Lasting more than six days it will premiere in Avignon this month and will also be screened in Paris in January.
Cinematon has been filmed by Gerard Courant, who asked his artistic friends to spend three minutes and 25 seconds each in front of the camera doing as they please - the result is 150 hours of footage, and Courant hasn’t stopped filming yet. With this mammoth work of art Courant will certainly enter the record books, joining the following films…
Shortest film
The 1 Second Film is a 70mm animated film made by Nirvan Mullick that's just one second long. The film features 12 giant paintings, each created by hundreds of people. Each painting is filmed twice to fill the 24 frames which make up the second of film
Cheapest film
Brit film maker Marc Price's impressed critics at Cannes this year with his zombie flick “Colin”. He made the film while working full time as a courier, and it cost him the only humble sum of £45
Most expensive film
The third Pirates of the Caribbean film “ At World's End” is said to be the most expensive film ever made with an estimated production budget of $300
Longest film in production
”Thief and the Cobbler” began production in1964 and wasn’t completed until 1995, a total of 31 years. Conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams as a milestone in the art of animation, he worked on the project for 26 years.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) People in Paris will be the first to watch “Cinematon”
b) The actors in “Cinematon “ have no script to follow.
c) Mark Price surely had plenty of time to make “Colin”.
d) Richard Williams wanted his film to be innovative.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) Who are the stars in “Cinematon” and what do they do in the film?
b) What do all the films mentioned in the text have in common?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) simple (par.1) b) stars (par.3) c) calculated (par.5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) No other film in the history of the cinema is as long as “Cinematon “.
Cinematon is ______________________________________
b) “Cinematon” has been filmed by Gerard Courant.
Gerard Courant ____________________________________
c) “At World´s End” is said to be the most expensive film.
People say _______________________________________

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
What kind of films do you like? Why?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander

The longest film ever to be screened

If you thought Titanic was a long film, think again. That was a mere trailer in comparison to “Cinematon”, a French film lasting 150 hours that will be screened later this month. Lasting more than six days it will premiere in Avignon this month and will also be screened in Paris in January.
Cinematon has been filmed by Gerard Courant, who asked his artistic friends to spend three minutes and 25 seconds each in front of the camera doing as they please - the result is 150 hours of footage, and Courant hasn’t stopped filming yet. With this mammoth work of art Courant will certainly enter the record books, joining the following films…
Shortest film
The 1 Second Film is a 70mm animated film made by Nirvan Mullick that's just one second long. The film features 12 giant paintings, each created by hundreds of people. Each painting is filmed twice to fill the 24 frames which make up the second of film
Cheapest film
Brit film maker Marc Price's impressed critics at Cannes this year with his zombie flick “Colin”. He made the film while working full time as a courier, and it cost him the only humble sum of £45
Most expensive film
The third Pirates of the Caribbean film “ At World's End” is said to be the most expensive film ever made with an estimated production budget of $300
Longest film in production
”Thief and the Cobbler” began production in1964 and wasn’t completed until 1995, a total of 31 years. Conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams as a milestone in the art of animation, he worked on the project for 26 years.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) People in Paris will be the first to watch “Cinematon”
b) The actors in “Cinematon “ have no script to follow.
c) Mark Price surely had plenty of time to make “Colin”.
d) Richard Williams wanted his film to be innovative.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) Who are the stars in “Cinematon” and what do they do in the film?
b) What do all the films mentioned in the text have in common?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) simple (par.1) b) stars (par.3) c) calculated (par.5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) No other film in the history of the cinema is as long as “Cinematon “.
Cinematon is ______________________________________
b) “Cinematon” has been filmed by Gerard Courant.
Gerard Courant ____________________________________
c) “At World´s End” is said to be the most expensive film.
People say _______________________________________

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
What kind of films do you like? Why?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander

Mamma Mia!

Money, money, money for Greek island as Mamma Mia! draws tourist hordes

Some want weddings. Others want champagne receptions at sunset on their own private beach. Others want to dance and kiss on the beach. It's called the Mamma Mia! effect. And nowhere is it felt more keenly than on the Aegean isle of Skopelos. "The phones never stop ringing," says Mayor Christos Vasiloudi. "People call in all the time asking how they can get to our Mamma Mia! paradise."
"It's extraordinary. I've had requests from people in England, Hungary, Australia, asking whether they can marry here, hold champagne parties here, buy land here," said Mahi Drossou, a local travel agent. "One English couple wondered whether they could book the beach that features in the film for a private wedding.
Until the arrival of the Hollywood star cast 15 months ago, Skopelos (population 4,696) was best known for its plums, pears and pine trees. Without an airport, reachable only by ferry, few could have imagined that the 96 sq km isle, east of Athens, would become the backdrop of a blockbuster featuring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. Even fewer could have foreseen its emergence as the film's star.
"I've met people who have come because friends had seen the film four or five times and they wanted to see what all the fuss is about," said Dimitra Rekkas at the town hall. "The producers checked out at least 25 Greek islands before opting for Skopelos. They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact it really is a small paradise."
The film's success could not have been better timed for a country whose tourist-dependent economy has been hard hit by violent anti-government protests. On Thursday - thirteen days after riots erupted over the police shooting of a teenage boy - Greek officials announced that hotel bookings had dropped by 40%, prompting Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to announce emergency measures to boost tourism.
"Okay, we need Mamma Mia! in this economic crisis but a lot of us would hate it if the film that promoted our island also ended up destroying it," said travel agent Mahi Drossou. "It's great that people want to come and marry here and dance and kiss on our beaches but Skopelos has an unspoilt natural beauty and we want to keep it that way."

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) People all over the world are interested in owning property on the island.
b) Many people thought that the real protagonist of the film was Skopelos.
c) It didn’t take the film makers long to decide on a setting for the film.
d) The inhabitants of the island are afraid that this film success will put an end to its beautiful landscape.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What kind of place is Skopelos?
b) Why was “Mamma Mia”´s success beneficial for the island?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) appear (par. 2)
b) excitement (par.4)
c) increase (par.5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) They wondered whether they could book the beach for a private wedding.
They wondered whether the ………………………………………………….
b) “They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact that it really is a small paradise.
Dimitra said that ……………………………………………………………….
c) We need “Mamma Mia!” because there is an economic crisis.
If there ……………………………………………………………………………

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:Would you take part in a competition like “Survivors”?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander

Mamma Mia!

Money, money, money for Greek island as Mamma Mia! draws tourist hordes

Some want weddings. Others want champagne receptions at sunset on their own private beach. Others want to dance and kiss on the beach. It's called the Mamma Mia! effect. And nowhere is it felt more keenly than on the Aegean isle of Skopelos. "The phones never stop ringing," says Mayor Christos Vasiloudi. "People call in all the time asking how they can get to our Mamma Mia! paradise."
"It's extraordinary. I've had requests from people in England, Hungary, Australia, asking whether they can marry here, hold champagne parties here, buy land here," said Mahi Drossou, a local travel agent. "One English couple wondered whether they could book the beach that features in the film for a private wedding.
Until the arrival of the Hollywood star cast 15 months ago, Skopelos (population 4,696) was best known for its plums, pears and pine trees. Without an airport, reachable only by ferry, few could have imagined that the 96 sq km isle, east of Athens, would become the backdrop of a blockbuster featuring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. Even fewer could have foreseen its emergence as the film's star.
"I've met people who have come because friends had seen the film four or five times and they wanted to see what all the fuss is about," said Dimitra Rekkas at the town hall. "The producers checked out at least 25 Greek islands before opting for Skopelos. They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact it really is a small paradise."
The film's success could not have been better timed for a country whose tourist-dependent economy has been hard hit by violent anti-government protests. On Thursday - thirteen days after riots erupted over the police shooting of a teenage boy - Greek officials announced that hotel bookings had dropped by 40%, prompting Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to announce emergency measures to boost tourism.
"Okay, we need Mamma Mia! in this economic crisis but a lot of us would hate it if the film that promoted our island also ended up destroying it," said travel agent Mahi Drossou. "It's great that people want to come and marry here and dance and kiss on our beaches but Skopelos has an unspoilt natural beauty and we want to keep it that way."

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) People all over the world are interested in owning property on the island.
b) Many people thought that the real protagonist of the film was Skopelos.
c) It didn’t take the film makers long to decide on a setting for the film.
d) The inhabitants of the island are afraid that this film success will put an end to its beautiful landscape.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What kind of place is Skopelos?
b) Why was “Mamma Mia”´s success beneficial for the island?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) appear (par. 2)
b) excitement (par.4)
c) increase (par.5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) They wondered whether they could book the beach for a private wedding.
They wondered whether the ………………………………………………….
b) “They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact that it really is a small paradise.
Dimitra said that ……………………………………………………………….
c) We need “Mamma Mia!” because there is an economic crisis.
If there ……………………………………………………………………………

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:Would you take part in a competition like “Survivors”?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander