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About Me
- Anthony
- My name is Anthony Prato and I teach English as a Second Language at The City University of New York (http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/clip/) and Columbia University (http://ce.columbia.edu/node/295). I have been an ESL teacher for 6 years, and a teacher or trainer for 10 years.
21 comments:
1. Title: The first debate- between Obama and McCain
2. Length: 90min.
3. Summary:
At first, many political experts dicussed two candidates. They were talking about each candiate's feature, importance of this debate and so on.
Then, two nominees' debate were started by moderater's questions.
Q1. Where you you stand on the $700 billion bailout?
Q2. Are there fundamental difference between the candidates' economic plans?
Q3. As president, what will you have to give up in terms of spending?
Q4. What are the lessons of the Iraq war?
Q5. Should mere U.S troops be sent to Afghanistan?
Q6. How do you see the U.S relationship with Russia?
Their main issues were foreign policy and finacial topic. Their opinions were quite different. (I couldn't understand well, but) The importance that they focus was different in economics and foreign policy. For example, Macain said the U.S isn't still from terror while Obama isisted that the U.S is safer than 9.11 terror and U.S.A needs to conentrate on image of nuclear. And when moderater asked about Iraq war, Mcain emphasized his foresight because the U.S could get a honorable victory because he insisted change of strategy and increasing the number of troops. Obama said it should not have made the war at the beginning.
4. Reaction:
Frankly speaking, it was really boring because they didn't take a break during debate between Obama and Macain.
But I got a strong impression because they were really good at speaking infront of public. I'm always afraid of having debate with someone. I felt there needs so many efforts and thouhgts to be a great president.
And they mentioned North Korea many times. It was really shameful story to me because there is a possibility of having nuclear weapons in North Korea.
To me, I have no idea whose opinion was better and more suitable. The obvious thing I know is their views are quite different. I hope this debate can be an opportunity to judge their features to American citizens.
5. New words/pharses
1) ethnic separation
: making a difference between ethnity.
2) oil surplus
: enough extra amount of oil??
3) consolidation
: merger?? making simple
4) precondition
: something should be done before.
5) verdict
: the decision that is given by the jury or judge at the end of a trial.
Lena Yasmina Sakaly
Title real time with Bill Maher
Length 1hr
Summary
In this episode Bill Maher as usual made fun of Sarah Palin and her lack of knowledge about foreign policy. His guests were Ralph Nader, Tim Daly and Lisa Schiffren. Both were pointed out the fact that Sarah Palin was inexperienced. Therefore, the republicans wanted to distracted people by using this woman and so they avoid talking about important issues concerning the economy or health care system.
They also talked about the financial crisis that the US is facing. They concluded that Wall Street has become a gambling place and the analysts collapse the economy.
Reaction
I am really interested about the politic and this show makes me realize that people switch focus on important issues and are not aware that the politicians are manipulated them.
Even if sometime bill Maher made some fun, he is still serious and talks about important topics.
New word
“He got on his knees and beg”: to beg someone
Fuzzy: something not clear
Off the pipe: I’m not taking drug anymore
Morons: stupid, imbecile
Lena Yasmina Sakaly
Title first debate between McCain and Obama
Length 2hr
Summary
The two candidates were answering questions concerning the American foreign policy and the financial crisis
Both exposed their plans and priorities to lead the US to a better future.
Reaction
I think that Barack Obama was calmly answering the different questions the economic crisis. His solid debate performance desmonstrated to the view among voters that he is ready to be chief executive,what America needs.
On the contrary, McCain was not convincing. He seemed once again not open-minded and he intensified his criticism about obama and his lack of experience and judgment to lead the nation.
New word
Deductible: to subtract especially from one’s tax or taxable income
Lena Yasmina Sakaly
Title: caramel
Length 1hr 55min
Summary
"Caramel" is a sort of Lebanese "Beauty Shop”. Layale, the proprietress of a rundown beauty salon named Sibelle in a Beirut neighborhood,is carrying on an affair with an unseen married man that has her friends and employees shaking their heads. Layale's best stylist, Nisrine is engaged to Bassam, an educated young man she's sure will go ballistic when he discovers she's not a virgin. Jamale , an actress and regular client, is in denial about her own menopause. Rima , the shop's clean-up girl and shampooist, likes women but seems wary of doing anything about it.
Across the street from the salon, late love appears for a dowdy but elegant seamstress , who may have to choose between her dapper client and her sister, the neighborhood crazy lady for whom she cares. The movie's implied moral is that only the women who rely on the others for solidarity will get to move forward by the end
Reaction
This movie reminds me of familiar melodramas and dilemmas that Arab women face and avoid talking because of the society’s taboo.
This is what we women live in this world. And we don't know yet the half of it.
New word
Sublimate;to refine, purify
Title:
Presidential Debate.
Length:
90 minutes.
Summary:
The debate was about what the candidates would do if they became presidents of the USA. Each one of them tried to their best to convince Americans to vote for them. The most important issues that they talked about were financial crises and health care system. They also talked about offshore drilling. Obama was against it, for sure. McCain was for it. Also, McCain said that he regret that Afghanistan was freedom from Russia. I think Obama used the middle class people and promised them that he would save America from the economic crises, which I think it was strong point. McCain on the other hand used rich companies and if he supported them, they would create jobs for poorer people, which I think it is not very strong point.
Reaction:
I noticed that while they were debating, they didn’t look to each other. The person who was interviewing them told them to look to each other. Also, when they were talking about offshore drilling, Obama used the same evidence that I used which was that USA has only 3% of the world’s oil and they uses 25% of it.
Vocabulary:
Oversight: to supervise on something
Ideology: Believes.
Capacity: ability
1. Title: Gattaca
2. Length: 110 min.
3. Summary:
In the future, we can manipulate genes before babies are born and make them dominant genes. Vincent didn't have a dominate gene and he was doomed to die at 31 years old and there was a possiblity of being a criminal. But, his dream was to become a spaceship-pilot even though it was impossible because he didn't have a diminate gene. Incidently, he got a chance to buy a proving-document by Jerome who has dominate gene but became a disabled guy. So, Vincent always brount Jerome's everything and manipulated many things like heigt, blood, urin and so on. Eventually, as a name of Jerome, he accomplished his dream.
4. Reaction:
I think this movie is really fresh and horriblle, but interesting. I've never imagined such a significant situation of the future.
But, if manipulating the gene is allowed, I think people's selfishism will be more heigtened thatn now. It will never make desirable and sound consequences.
But, power of scientific is really fantastic. That is what this movie wants to deliver the message to viewers.
5. New words and phrases
1) breed up:
educate, raise, teach
2) crest:
the top of it
Title
The first debate between Obama and McCain
Length
100 minutes
Summary
Obama and McCain expressed different views on foreign policy and financial policy.
Reaction
Though they were supposed to contradict each other’s thoughts in reasonable way, sometimes they were emotionally challenging opponent’s ideas. It was unpleasant to see them keep interfering while other candidate was talking. But Obama impressed me. Though he wasn’t as sharp as I expected, he had great debate skills – great eye contact, clear sentences and convincing voice.
New word
Unwarrant: If you describe something as unwarranted, you are critical of it because there is no need or reason for it.
Bracket: If you say that someone or something is in a particular bracket, you mean that they come within a particular range, for example a range of incomes, ages, or prices.
Title
Ann Cooper talks school lunches
Length
20 minutes
Summary
She criticized current school lunches in most schools. She stated that recently more and more kids are sick since they are eating processed foods and fast foods instead of natural foods. Therefore she designed new programs to encourage students consume healthy food cooking and gardening education programs in schools.
Reaction
It is strongly argued in the video that school lunch has to be financed more by government. I totally agree with this opinion. Foodservices in schools are neglecting nutritional aspect or favor of children not just because cookers or nutritionists in schools are ignorant, but because they are funded enough. We are what we eat. I believe governments should invest more in school meals. It will benefit the whole country in the long term.
New word
Commodity : something that is sold for money.
Gourmet: Gourmet food is nicer or more unusual or sophisticated than ordinary food, and is often more expensive.
Title
Mark Bittman on what's wrong with what we eat
Length
20 minutes
Summary
In this video he stresses that there has to be a change in the way we eat. We consume too much meat which causes detrimental effect on our planet earth. We are eating crazy amount of fast food, processed food and companies which produce them are spending crazy amount of money on marketing those products. We are not likely to enjoy home-cooked meals or dishes full of fresh and healthy vegetables anymore. All those behaviors should be fixed.
Reaction
Everyone knows the facts he talked about in the speech. So we can all talk to others about the topic. But we don’t do that. We know that we won’t be able to persuade public like him since we are not convinced as much as him and are not able to deliver the message as effectively as him. His speech was clear, easy to catch up and even fun. I liked the speech itself and the way he expressed the ideas.
New word
Hyperbolic: If you describe language as hyperbolic, you mean that it makes something sound much more impressive than it really is.[
Culprit: When you are talking about a problem or bad situation, you can refer to its cause as the culprit.
Title
Vik Muniz makes art with wire, sugar
Length
20 minutes
Summary
In this video Vik Muniz explains his art works and introduces cases related with creativity. Various art works - color, sugar, chocolate, wire, earth, dust, cloud arts - are shown.
Reaction
Now I know who made the parody of "The last supper" with chocolate. The paintings shown were fabulous. Cloud arts were especially fascinating. Even though I saw it, I still can't believe that they are real.
New word
Junkie: you can use junkie to refer to someone who is very interested in a particular activity, especially when they spend a lot of time on it.
Airbrush: an airbrush is an artist's tool which sprays paint onto a surface.
1. Title:
The first debate- between Obama and McCain
2. Length: 1 hour 30 min.
3. Summary:
First of all, they discussed many importany policy for the U.S future. Both of them have a good idea that we can't decide who is better. Most part that I had deep impression is discussing about the warr in Iraq.
Obama said that the was should be stop, but McCain didn't think as Obama thought. He can't not speak that the war sholud be continued, but I thought that his thougt was continuing the war for economy.
Anyway, stopping the war or continuening the war have many advetages in the U.S
4. Reaction:
In my opinion, it is really hard to choose between them. they have strong arguments both side, not only me, but also the othe people would hard to choose. I was exciting while watch this devate, because I really interested in economy and political experts. I don't know why, but I really interested in this stuff since I was young. on november, someone will be a president of the U.S, I don't care whoever will be, but I hope that someone would make policy with brilliant idea for the entire world.
5. New words/pharses
fundamental - basic, essential
Title
Radio
Length
2 hours
Summary
several parts of the radio was the music. sometimes I can catch some music what I used to listene in my country, such as goodbye-jessica, black eyed piece- mu hump (?) I don't know the name exactly.
One person called to the MC and she talked about her financial. she asked him that how can she save the money. Then the MC answered that check your budget and write the housekeeping book. Moreover, reducing the spend money wastefully is also helpful in her life as he said.
Reaction
Actually, I listened the radio at least 6hours in this week while I was driving, but I didn't focus on the radio many time, so I couldn't catch up what they were trying to say.So I'm going to put just 2 hours what I understood.
Recently, most radio said about the election. They are having conversation about the candidates, policy, moreover foreign countries policy. I'm satisfied that i understand more and more.
New words
diminish - reduce
financially embarrassed - to lose all of money
Title:
Obama’s speech in Greensboro.
Length:
40 minutes
Summary:
I went last week to see Obama. There were many people in downtown and many people selling T-shirts and flags. At the beginning, Joe started the speech with what wrong votes McCain has made. Then Obama came and started his speech. Mostly, he didn’t mention much more than what he mentioned in the night before. The speech concluded that he would give Americans a better health care system and he would pull America out of the economy crises. He said that McCain is stealing their slogans, as a jock for sure. In the end, he said that he needs Americans votes and he wants them to talk to their friends and neighbors to vote for him.
Reaction:
I was exciting to see Barak Obama in real. Even thought he was far from me, it was interesting to go there and see all these people. I think if every promise he made he would deliver, Americans will be happy.
Vocabulary:
Wage: salary.
Meltdown: what he meant was reduce.
Dignified: stately.
Title:
Man and Wild
Length:
1 hour
Summary:
This TV program begins with a man, jumps down from a helicopter to the desert in Mexico. He is going to stay in the desert 1 day by himself. He needs to manage his own food and water, he is not allowed to bring food. First of all, he starts to look for water. He digs the sand of the ground for water ,but he cannot find it. Instead of that, he finds a big rock with dropping water. He uses the shoelace of one of his shoes, putting it on the rock and set a bottle below the shoelace, so that he can collect water in one place. After that, he finds some food which are usually not considered food. That are insects. He eats a warm and beetle. He also gets a skunk for his food. Next day, he gets a snake and eats it. After that, he keeps his pee into the skin of the snake in case. However, the worst thing happens. He loses his water in his body, so he drinks that pee! Finally, without being heatstroke, he gets to the ocean, the goal of this survival trip.
Reaction:
It was a quite shocking TV because he ate anything that seemed be able to eat. I was shocked when he ate a beetle. After eating the beetle, he said that the taste was awful. I thought that it's gone too far even if it was a TV program. It was just gross. At the beginning, I just had been watching for fun, but the man was talkative and explained every single action, so it was unexpectedly a good chance to learn English.
New word:
"reek" bad smell
"swell up" to become bigger
Title:
Vice presidential debate.
Length:
90 minutes.
Summary:
They talked about some issues and how would they help the candidates if one of them became president. Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin started their debate with a discussion of the economy. However, Sen. Joe Biden blamed some of the economic crisis on deregulation policies that John McCain supports. He also said that the war in Iraq should be stopped. On the other hand, Gov. Sarah Palin said Sen. Barack Obama is wrong when it comes to tax policy. Moreover, she said that we should win the war in Iraq and put troops in Afghanistan.
Reaction:
I don’t think that my mind was changed when I saw this debate. I don’t know much about the candidates and the vice presidents, but I understood that John McCain and Sarah Palin are for the war and they think that America should be the police of the world.
Barak Obama and Biden are against the war and want to step it and use the billions of dollars that had been spent there to reduce taxes.
With the knowledge that I have about the two candidates, I prefer Obama.
One small thing that I noticed is that Gov Palin pronounce the world nuclear like “nokeler”.
Vocabulary:
1/Outset: beginning.
2/Initiative: the desire to do something.
3/Agenda: business schedule.
4/Mortgage: finance credit.
Title: Discovery channel
Length:
about 40 min
Summary:
This was about ants, living in Africa. This kind of ants always keeps moving a place to place and eat everything that they find on the way - insects, and even animals. Each of them has a different part of work. The smallest ants catch their food, and after they killed it, bigger ants, have big fangs, come and cut it right size. They are working only for their queen.
Reaction:
Actually, the same thing is happening in my country, too. The ants originally came from abroad by ship or other means of transfer. Now, they are living in my country and ruining the balance of the environment. If they increased more than now, it leads to extinctions of many species. Especially, in countries that are not competitive like Japan, it is a really threat.
New word:
"introduced species" the species from abroad
Title:
The tonight's debate
Length:
90 min
Summary:
This debate was held by Sarah Louise Palin and Joseph Robinette. They talked about some issues - global warming, energy, the gay marriage, and the Iraq war ext... Palin claimed that the US army should keep staying in Iraq and was against gay marriage. On the other hand, Joe said that we should not keep the army staying in Iraq. He also didn't say that he support gay marriage but thinks that those couples should be given advantages of marriage. It seemed that the debate was proceeded at Palin's pace from the beginning to the end.
Reaction:
I think that Palin won this debate because she seemed to have composure and her speech was convictive. The most impressive thing was that Joe said that the global worming is manmade. He said it several times and claimed, as Obama did, that we should use alternative energy. He also said that the US should export the technology to China to reduce its pollution. I like what he said, but Palin's was more appealing. She said that energy independence is a key, and we should do off shore drilling to reduce the gas price. I hope that what Joe said is accomplished because I also think that America needs a "fundamental" change.
Title:
Vice presidential debate.
Length:
90 minutes.
Summary:
Tonight, both of candidate of vice president talked about their election pledges. Shortly, Sen. Joe Biden insisted in rising taxes. He emphasized that rose tax must be used for the people who couldn’t receive benefit of healthcare, job opportunity… On the other hand, Gov. Sarah Palin had different opinion. She insisted on cutting taxes. Except this main point, about war in Iraq, gay marriage, and drilling offshore oil, they had different opinions.
Reaction:
I missed last debate between Barak Obama and John McCain. Tonight debate was good chance to me. First time, I thought that understanding debate would be hard for me. However, I was surprised when I discovered me understanding debate. Anyway, I don’t have strong opinion about two candidate of president in the U.S.A. However, this debate was a good chance to learning about election pledges of two parties.
Vocabulary:
1. Mortgage: finance credit.
2. Deregulate: remove controls.
Title: The Quiet
Length: 91 minutes.
Summary:.
Dot pretends to be deaf and mute. She is sent to live with her godparents and their daughter Nina, where she learns the secrets of her new family. Dot discovered sexual relationship between Nina and her father Paul. After discovering that Dot is neither deaf nor mute, Nina pretends that she doesn't know the truth. For reasons of her own, Nina still pretends that Dot cannot tell anyone, and she confides in Dot her plan to murder her father. Before the "Spring Fling" dance, Nina tells Paul that she is pregnant and needs $1000 for an abortion. However, he realizes that she is lying and is only trying to obtain the money to get away from the house. After confronting her, he begins to physically abuse her. The abuse turns into an attempt rape. Dot discovers this scene, and kills him. At that time, her mother also saw this scene. After this accident, Nina questions Dot about pretending to be deaf and mute. Dot reveals that she wanted to be closer to her father so she wouldn't be alone. At the end, her mother claims she, not Dot, killed Paul, in order to protect her daughter and atone for allowing the abuse.
Reaction:
The plot was strange. However, with Beethoven Sonata and beautiful female actors are harmonized amazingly well.
Vocabulary:
1. Atone; in agreement
2. Rape: If someone is raped, they are forced to have sex, usually by violence or threats of violence.
Title: Exiled
Length: 60mins
Summary:. Before I mention, this is program is that the rich American tries to different experience at the undeveloped countries. This time was that rich American girl exiled to India. She spends time with Indian family well than other exiled people. She cooked macaroni for Indian family. I remember one episode. When she showed her swimming suit to Indian family, she got blamed and warned from her family, because they were conservative.
Reaction: I remember that American girl always wonder for one week in the India about why the Indian family always works without vacation. The answer is simple! Because they need money, so they don’t have time to spend time on vacation. I realize that one side of earth is wealthy, but, the other side of earth is poor.
Vocabulary:
1. Part way: road
Title
The debate between Biden and Palin
Length
220minutes
Summary
Biden and Palin expressed different views on foreign policy and financial policy.
Reaction
I was amazed at Biden's eye contacts. I almost felt that he was pursuading me right in front of me. On the contrary, Palin who avoided some questions and kept saying campaign-like words disappointed me even though she did better than expected.
New word
Maverick: If you describe someone as a maverick, you mean that they are unconventional and independent, and do not think or behave in the same way as other people.
Presidency: The presidency of a country or organization is the position of being the president or the period of time during which someone is president.
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