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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.
26 comments:
The Office: Episode 507, Customer Survey.
Length: 30 minutes
Summary:
Dwight and Jim team up to find why their customer surveys were so bad. Michael tries to control him self before the wedding and some of his employees are in trouble when they realize that someone is trying to double-cross the company.
Reaction:
Was a fun episode, season 5 is getting more interesting, especially with Michael and Jim’s life. Will they get married? Dwight will continue with his anger issue? I just have to sit and watch more!
Vocabulary:
Mob: Noun, U.K. group: a group of people (informal).
Floppy: Adjective, hanging limply: soft and tending to hang down limply or loosely.
Hobo: Noun, homeless traveler: a poor and homeless person, especially somebody who traveled around the United States looking for work in the 1920s and 1930s
The Office: Episode: 508, Business Trip
Length: 30 minutes
Summary:
.
Michael, Oscar and Andy head to Canada for a business trip. Michael cheats Holly with a hotel receptionist. Meanwhile Oscar and Andy get drunk before an important executive meeting. Michael feels guilty and starts to complain to his boss about the trip.
Reaction:
Was a fun episode, especially when Andy calls his wife and Oscar starts to laugh about it because Andy didn’t remember anything. Michael feels guilty and he just want to continue his life, sometimes I felt like he feels, is awful!
Vocabulary:
Slums: Noun, lower standards than usual: to stay in or go to a place that you would usually consider unacceptable (often used humorously).
“In a skill of one to ten”: Is use to criticize a place, person or thing. I used most common in people, for example: you want to ask “In a skill of one to ten” “what do you think about “that girl.
Nock: Noun, groove on bow: one of the grooves at each end of a bow that holds the bowstring.
Title
Friday Night Light 201
Length
1 hour
Summarize
Eric and Tami have a new baby, but Eric still needs to return to Austin. Lyla becomes born-again and dismisses Riggin’s attempts. Lyli and matt broke up and Lyli has a good feeling about a basketball player and went to a party, but found out he has a girl friend. Lyli was hurt, but she just wanted to try something new, not like the smooth relationship between matt and her. Landry and Tyra become closer and Landry protects her form an assailant by killing him and throwing the body into the river. Lyla’s parents are going to divorce and her mother has a new boyfriend.
Reaction
It has been a long time since I have watched Friday Night Lights. I am excited about what happens next. Is Landry going to jail? Maybe Tyra will be with Landry. I hope Lyli will be with Matt again because Matt is a really good choice. Lyli is silly, but it’s okay. She is just sixteen.
Vocabulary
Knight
any person of a rank similar to that of the medieval knight.
Armor
any covering worn as a defense against weapons
Title
Paris Hilton’s my new BFF
Length
I hour
Summarize
They took a private plane to Vegas happily, but Kiki and others have an argument with sharing the room. After a crazy night of partying with Paris in Vegas, the contestants tried to function enough to learn a showgirl dance routine. Most of them were tired out, but they really enjoyed practicing it. After that, they were arranged to have relax treatments and they got notes from Paris that mentioned people where talking bad things behind their backs. Finally they showed off their hard work for Paris at Les Folles Bergere Performance. During the show, Kiki forgot a lot of gestures, which she’s suppose to do. After that, Paris decided that Kayley was the winner that night and Kiki and Lauren were put up for discussion because Lauren couldn’t handle the tough situation and Kiki wasn’t serious about the show. After hearing their crisis, Paris sent Kiki home.
Reaction
Although I didn’t like most people in the show, I still wanted to watch who would win. I hoped Shelly would become Paris’s BFF because of her honesty. Most girls who had no time to put on make up seemed ugly and I wonder if Paris is ugly when she doesn’t have any make up.
Vocabulary
Lame
(of something intended to be entertaining) uninspiring and dull
Get naked
take off the clothes
Title
The secret life of American teenager
Length
1hour
Summarize
Amy lost her first time at band camp and found that she was pregnant. Unfortunately the guy who she made love with was a playboy. At school, she talked about it with her friends and wanted them to give her comfort. Her friends brought a lot of pregnancy tests to make sure if she was really pregnant and suggested that she should go see a doctor. As a result, she went to see a doctor by herself. At the same time, Ben wanted to attend band class to chase Amy and have sex with Amy. After that, he asked Amy to attend a party at a church. Amy’s friends told her that she could have sex with Ben and pretend her baby was Ben. On the other hand, Grace, the most popular girl at school, promised her parents that she wouldn’t have sex before marriage. Her boyfriend really had the urge to have sex, so he had a relationship with Adrian, who was jealous of Grace.
Reaction
It’s interesting. I think Amy is very silly but cute. High school students always do such silly things. I think it’s fun to see what will happen next.
Vocabulary
Counselor
a person trained to give guidance on personal, social, or psychological problems
Sermon
a talk on a religious or moral subject, esp. one given during a church service and based on a passage from the Bible.
Geek
an unfashionable or socially inept person.
Title: Reign over me
Length: 120 minutes
Summary:
Johnson and Charlie are roommates in university. Johnson encounters Charlie on the road and he also knows Charlie lost his family. Charlie’s wife and children died from airplane crash. Charlie doesn’t want to remember this event so he is tried not to think about his family and all of things related to them. Johnson wants to help Charlie to recovery from this terrible experience. He spends more times to accompany with Charlie and finds a psychologist to help him go out this terrible experience. After Charlie is willing to say about his family to his doctor, he feels lonely and he wants to suicide. But, he doesn’t success in suicide. In the final scene, he goes out the terrible experience and wants to talk to people.
Reaction:
I think Johnson is a good friend. He helps his friends no wonder he is busy or not. When Charlie meets some problems or wants to do something, Johnson always goes out with him. I think it is difficult this kind of friends who will to give up family to help you. If I can meet this kind of friends, I will cherish them.
Vocabulary:
Lonesome: lonely
Preposterous: completely contrary to reason or common sense/absurd
Impetuous: rash or impulsive
Back someone up: support
Title: 2012: Doomsday
Length: 80 minutes
Summary:
The scientists and physical geographies said 2012 the world will disappear. Sarah is a missionary she wants to help a person who is pregnant to a Mexico Ancient Mayans temper. This is because people said if they go to there, they can save their life and help the world. There three groups who are Sarah, a woman with her mother and three people who get a cross want to go to the temple. Before the end of doomsday, only four people arrive in temple. Other people died by accident such as they can’t put up with chill weather. Finally, the woman born a baby and the world recovery original one.
Reaction:
I think this movie is amaze. I am confusing some part such as why a woman born a baby can save the world. But I think this movie wants to remain us that we have to cherish our parents, friends or life because we don’t when the earth will disappear.
Vocabulary:
Doomsday: the end of the world
Evacuate: remove somebody from a place of danger to a safer place
Missionary: person sent to preach usually the Christian religion
Title
Kung fu Panda +Secrets of the furious five
Length
2hour
Summarize
Po, whose father owned a noodle shop, dreamed about becoming a hero, but his father just wanted him to be like him, a good noodle maker. Po loved kung fu and came to see who was the dragon warrior in the competition contest and luckily he was ordered to be the dragon warrior. Master Shifu doubted whether Po could master the mission, which was to fight with a pupil of Master Shifu, snow leopard Tai Lung, so he tried to find the special skills he had. Finally he found it and trained Po toughly with pork buns. When snow leopard Tai Lung came to the town to kill Master Shifu, Po showed up to protect him and defeated him easily.
Master Shifu gave a tough mission to Po, which was to teach bunnies kung fu. Po talked about the secrets of the furious five, which was not about fighting but special traits of themselves.
Reaction
I like watching cartoon. The first one is better. however, it’s kind of amazing that panda eats pork buns.
Vocabulary
Tame
not dangerous or frightened of people; domesticated
Knockout
an act of knocking someone out, esp. in boxing
Title: The Lion King
Length: 1hour25min
Summary:
A young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and so flees the kingdom in shame. After years of exile he is persuaded to return home to overthrow the usurper and claim the kingdom as his own thus completing the "Circle of Life".
Reaction:
The Lion King is a great film. Along with a great story (inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet), terrific animation, and an all star cast of voices, there are the lessons that are learned from this film (despite being a little rough for the younger children). Like responsibility and honor.I rank this animated film among the great films I have ever seen. It was part of my childhood and it is a film experience I will never forget.
Title: Good Will Hunting
Length: 1 hour and 30 mines
Summary:
A janitor worked at MIT who was Will Hunting. The God gave a gift to him which was math but he liked to make troubles such as fighting, steal a car and so on. When a MIT professor found that Will had gift for math, the professor wanted to help him to choose a ‘’right’’ way, but Will thought that friends were most important to him in the world, he didn’t care about what is ‘’right’’ way for himself. Until, he met a psychologist, Sean Maguire. When Will first time met Sean, he liked had a shield to protect himself, he didn’t want to Sean help him. When he met Sean many times, he discovered that Sean really wanted to help and taught him. At an once meeting, Sean talked to Will many times that it’s NOT your Fault, finally, Will relinquished his shield than he pursued his new life.
Reaction:
Adult always think that their suggestions are good for teenage or children, unfortunately, the suggestions don’t suit every teenage or kids because it is just adult’s mind. If teenage know what they want. Why not let them to try it?
Vocabulary:
Ceiling: the inner overhead covering of a room
Encapsulate: to enclose in or as if in a small case
Occur: to come to the mind
Orientation: the finding of the east point so as to get one's bearings
TED.COM
Hans Rosling Reveals insights in poverty.
Length: 19 minutes = 38 minutes.
Summary:
Hans Rosling reveals insights in poverty. In this conference Rosling explains to the audience the effects of poverty in the world and how poverty has evolved since 1950. He discusses the different options to abolish poverty and what are the important factors to change a country’s economy.
Reaction:
It was very interesting to now about the evolution of poverty in the world. Now I know how to act against poverty and what can I do for changing this reality. A great video and I encourage everyone to watch it.
Vocabulary:
Microcredit: Noun, the extension of credit to entrepreneurs and microenterprises too poor to qualify for conventional bank loans.
Yield: Verb, stop resisting: to stop opposing or resisting and agree to somebody's demands or requests.
Insight: Noun, clear perception: a clear perception of something.
TED.COM
Lennart Green
Length: 31 minutes= 1 hour.
Summary:
Lennart Green, “Maestro” of cards gave a conference on TED about his most precious secret, his potential in the word of cards. He made some tricks with his cards, and he explained that is more a mathematical sequence than magic or luck.
Reaction:
Excellent! Really impressive and amazing. I could not believe what I was watching, I don’t know how he did it, so natural and fast he played with the cards in a funny way, everyone was in shock.
Vocabulary:
Suite: ET of instrumental works performed together: a set of instrumental pieces, especially dances, intended to be performed together.
Deck: pack of cards: a pack of playing cards.
Title: Mrs. & Mr. Smith
Length: 2 hours
Summary:
Mr. Smith is a gunman; he went to Colombia for a mission, Mrs. Smith, too. When they met each other in a bar, they were full in love, but they didn’t know each other that they both are gunman and belong two different company. One day, Mr. Smith got a mission which was to kill a person who was Benjamin Diaz and Mrs. Smith, too. When Mrs. Smith was ready for kill Benjamin, she found a gunman who was Mr. Smith, also Mr. Smith, too because their company wanted to Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith kill each other but they didn’t do it, they still love each other. Therefore, they tried against their company.
Reaction:
The Mrs. & Mr. Smith was a very special movie because in the movie Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie acted couple because the movie they became a real couple. I never think about if a couple both are gunman and belong two different companies, what is problem they have? But now I know that they would have to kill each other because their companies are against each other.
Vocabulary:
Facility: a special please.
Priority: going before in time
Hypocrite: one who practices pretense
Titel: The Shawshank Redemption
Length: 142min
Summary and reaction:
The story begins with the trial of a young banker, Andy Dufrense, victimized by circumstantial evidence, resulting in a conviction for the murder of his wife and her lover. After a quick conviction, Andy finds himself serving a life sentence at Shawshank prison, with no hope of parole. He exists in this prison only in appearance, keeping his mind free from the drab walls around him. His ability to do this results in the gaining of respect from his fellow inmates, but most of all from Ellis Redding. Ellis, commonly referred to as Red, finds gainful use of his entrepreneurial spirit within the drab walls of Shawshank by dealing in contraband and commodities rare to the confines of prison. Andy's demeanor and undeniable sense of hope causes Red to take a deeper look at himself, and the world around him. Andy proves to Red and the other inmates that in the conventional walls of Shawshank prison convention will find no home in his lifestyle.
I have never seen such an amazing film since I saw The Shawshank Redemption. Shawshank encompasses friendships, hardships, hopes, and dreams. And what is so great about the movie is that it moves you, it gives you hope. Even though the circumstances between the characters and the viewers are quite different, you don't feel that far removed from what the characters are going through.
Title: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Length: 120min
Summary and reaction:
The movie follows four teenage girls during a summer in which each goes through a crucial life experience. They succeed due to their loyal support of each other, symbolized by a pair of jeans that they take turns wearing.
Shy Lena visits European relatives on an picturesque Greek island. She falls in love with a sensitive boy in spite of the fact that their families are having an old-fashioned feud. She learns to assert herself and finally wins the family's permission for a final meeting with her lover.
Brash Bridget, an athlete, goes to sports camp and is attracted to one of the coaches. He returns her love but is more concerned with keeping his job, which he will lose if they are caught. Bridget pursues him anyway and persuades him to make love to her on a beach. He panics and breaks off the relationship, and she realizes that she has thrown away her virginity for nothing
Tibby, a sour-tempered girl, decides to make a "suckumentary" with her video tools, expressing her view of the world. During the summer she befriends Bailey, a girl who turns out to be dying from leukemia. After Bailey's death, Tibby is as bitter at life as ever, but discovers that Bailey left behind a video message, thanking Tibby for her friendship and urging her not to let Bailey's tragedy blight her life.
Carmen, an emotional girl with low self-esteem, visits her estranged father and discovers that he is marrying a divorcee with teenagers of her own. Although they are blandly polite, Carmen feels like an outsider and suspects that they resent her "intrusion", and so she finally turns home. The Sisterhood urge her to attend the wedding anyway, loaning her the "magic" jeans and coming along for moral support. Her father spots her in the audience and invites her to stand with him at the altar as he marries, and she feels accepted after all.
I think it's the added and personal experience these girls have had to go through in real life, mostly from age and experience that helps them to really develop these characters. I admire these girls friendships and connections, and at the same time I envy them...in my opinion,The world would be a better place if people could hold on like these girls do, through thick and thin, death and marriage.
Title: 300
Length: 1 hour and 50 minute
Summary:
When the boy was born, his challenge was just beginning. He has to learn a lot of skills and to challenge wild live. If he could come back from wild, he would be the Sparta King. One day, Persian messenger went to Sparta talk to Sparta King about surrender to Persia, but the King didn’t agree it and he kill the messenger. So, the King had to assemble three hundreds soldier to fight Persia army, but Persia army has over ten thousands soldiers. So, the King had an idea which enticed Persia army to the hot gates because there is a narrow entrance, their numbers will count for nothing. They arrived the Hot Gates then fight Persia army. They were against Persia few days until a person who was wanted to join Sparta army, the King refused him talked to Persia leader that Persia army were able to use other road to go backside of Sparta army. It made the King and his 300 soldier death. Sparta city spent more and more Sparta soldier fight against Persia army.
Reaction
In China history, we had a few same stories with 300 which was a few soldier against huge enemies. If a leader can use his/her wisdom and brave to lead his/her subordinates, they also can against their enemies, ever though enemies have huge members. Also, leader and subordinates trust each other, it is important to them because it made them to get immense power to fight enemies.
Vocabulary:
Council: discussion or meeting
Ally: league
Sacred: consecrated
Initiation: start
Title: Man on Fire
Length: 147 min
Summary:
Creasy(Denzel Washington) is the best soldier who have a lot of experiences in the war. He offered a job to protect Pita(Dakota Panning) from kidnap in Mexico His life restarted to be Pita's bodyguard. However, Pita kidnapped from the group and Creasy prepared to rescue her. Creasy's revenge was starting.
Reaction:
I really like Denzel washington and Dakota Panning. This movie have a value to watch these actor's action. And, THIS REVENGE gave me a lot of KATHARSIS. I could solve my stress to watch this movie. If you like Denzel or Dakota, you must watch this movie.
Vocabulary:
I am on fire - I have in a hurry situation.
Title: The Simpson's movie
Length: 1hour 30minutes
Summary:
In the peaceful spring field, Simpson's family was living happily. However, Hommer falled in love with pig. He has to waist pig's stool and he waisted this in the lake. The lake was polluted and the president decided to destroy the spring field to stop the pollution. The citizen was in panic and became the mob. They tried to catch Simpson's family who is the reason of this so they ran away to live in Alaska. Finally, Simpson's family success to rescue the city.
Reaction:
I almost died because of laughing when I watched the beginning of the movie which is about the Greenday's concert. If I had no information about Greenday, I wouldn't understand the laughing point. Also the president's name was Schwarzenneger. Hahaha. I like this kind of black comedy. In korea it is hard to blame president or governor in the movie like America. I didn't understand some part of movie, however, It gave me big laughing. It game me a lot of laughing.
Vocabulary:
Chicken head - Stupid
Title- Heroes (6~8)
Length- 130mns
Summary- Hero, who is a time traveler, starts finding the missing paper with Ando which is the formula of genetic transform. For this, Hero makes a decision to pretend and join to bad group because they know where the formula is. They, Hero and Ando, go to somewhere in Africa and Hero sees someone who has it. However, they get sudden attack.
Parkman, who can read other’s mind, meets a woman who is one of the bad group and going to be his wife. He falls in love as soon as he sees her. Peter, who can absorb other’s ability, is ready to fight with against the unknown-group so that he goes to find Gbriel because he has a lot of power. On the other hand, Clair wants to be a agent with her father because she wants to defeat the bad group and then remove her power. When her mother and biological mother kidnap by one of the group, she defeat him and she impress her father that she is ready. One day, Nathan, Peter’s brother, hears from his mother that his ability is made by his father because of his greed. Then, Peter and Nathan notice that the boss of group is his father.
Reaction- This show is the most my favorite show because every episode has big reversal of situation. I’m really wondering what the next story is…
Voca-
Dimension (N)- aspect.
Hamper (v) – interrupt, prevent.
Conspicuous (adj) – obvious.
Title- Kung Fu Panda
Length- 92mns
Summary- there is a panda who is the son of noodle restaurant and wants to learn Kung Fu. One day, The master has to choose the Dragon warrior because he knows something is going to be happened. At that time, Panda is chosen because he has pure goal; he wants to learn only Kung Fu. He is ignored at first because he is just a fat panda. However, Shifu master notices that he has potential nature, so the master trains him. Finally, Tirong which was a trainer under the Shifu, comes because he was fail to be the Dragon Warrior. But, Po, Panda, has already the Dragon Warrior so that they fight. As a result, Po wins and he approve his ability.
Reaction – I really like this movie. At first, I was exciting because most of the characters’ voice were Angelina Jolie, Black Jack, Lucy Liu, Dustin Huffman etc. Animation and the sound makes people exciting so that sometimes I watch it again and again.
Voca-
Warrior (n)- fighting soldier.
Confime (v)- limit, control
Ooze (v)- flow slowly.
Title- monk (6~7)
Length- 80mns
Summary- The Monk, who is a detective and genius, investigates the new case which the lottery woman is killed by a murderer. At that time, his assistant, Natalie, meets a manager of lottery. He recommends being a lottery girl because prior woman died. She accepts it. Gradually, she changes to ignore him because she is getting attention. One day, Natalie fights with Mr. Monk and she quits. However, she visits Mr. Monk’s house and asks help because she is suspected as a murderer. But, Mr. Monk solves the case, finally.
Summary- This episode was a little bit boring because there was no interesting issue. Some Monk’s acting was funny but overall, is not.
Voca-
Encompass (v)- include, siurround.
Loom (v)- become visible.
Title: Lord of the rings trilogy
Length:557 minutes
Summary:
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three live action fantasy epic films: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and Return of the King (2003). The trilogy is based on the three-volume book The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. While they follow the book's general storyline, the films also feature some additions to and deviations from the source material.
Reaction:
I think that these movies are great and the actors have done a good job. I actually read the book and saw tha movies. There are some changes in the movie that were not in the book.
The Office: The presentation about Financial crisis(including CEO of BB&T's Speech)
Length: 2 hours
Summary:
Current financial crisis is caused by late government policy, capital market problem, bubble destroyed, money supply and market dissapointment. Before this crisis, raising house price and lowing tax to capital gain, positive expectation brought about overinvestment, and now, it became bubble destroyment. One of the biggest problem was subprime crisis. it affects to bond, stock market. In this situation, boilout would work well? For example, AIG took high risk for profit, but why save AIG? The most important side effect is moral risk. So, governmet should be careful to boilout. Even thought it is in recession, it would come over. We will not have a mistake in 1930's.
Reaction:
I watched this presentation in Bryan building. It was great time. I was ablr to get information about causes, current situation, countermove against crisis and prediction for the future. I hope the economy will be better as soon as posible.
Vocabulary:
yield - If a tax or investment yields an amount of money or profit, this money or profit is obtained from it.
stabilize - If something stabilizes, or is stabilized, it becomes stable.
Eli Stone Season2 Ep.4-6
Length: 3 hours
Summary:
Martin Posner makes tempting offers to everyone at the firm, and Taylor asks Eli to work with Matt, hoping to influence his decision. Meanwhile, Eli's visions involving Maggie are disturbing on more than one level, and he faces some tough decisions as the firm transitions to its new mission.
Eli chooses to ignore his visions of fire as he pursues a new client, a leak is handing Posner & Klein the firms clients, and Patti asks Keith for help with her daughter.
Reaction:
Whenever I watched this TV show, I thought I would like to get ablility to predict the future. His visions also helped Eli solve the problem and win the cases. Finding the truth and overcoming his problems are looked good.
Vocabulary:
humanitarian - If a person or society has humanitarian ideas or behaviour, they try to avoid making people suffer or they help people who are suffering.
transition - Transition is the process in which something changes from one state to another.
Peaceful Warrior
Length : 121 min
summary
This story can help recognizing the real meaning of life. Dan is gymnastic and he always want to enjoy his life. One day, he had an accident and his leg was broken. He frustrated his life, but at that time, he met Socrates who help his life. Socrates always said that we have to satisfy our life, and it is the only way to realize real life. From his opinion, Dan recognize what he need and want. At last, he overcome accident and he won the competition.
Reaction
I want to say sentence that I impressed. “ Full attention to every moment is my pleasure.”
It means that we have to concentrate every moment. Every moment have special meanings. Attention is not expensive, it just free. You just try to pay attention every moment. It’s easy way to be a Peaceful Warrior.
Title : Hancock
Length : 120
Summary
"Hancock" the movie is about a guy with super powers. In this movie, the guy with the super powers called "Hancock" tries to save people from danger, but all he manages is to get sweared at. So he eventually gives up, but as he saved a guy called Ray, Ray tries to make Hancock a better super hero by training him. After a few months, Hancock became a better person, and is actually saving the world, not destroying it. But soon he discovers that Ray's wife also had super powers, he realizes that he wasn't the only one with super powers.
Reaction
I like movie that similar with this one. The story is about super hero, and in America movie, they have a lot of this categories. When I was young, I always wanted to have a special ability that like super man.
Vocabulary
messily : A messy person or activity makes things dirty or untidy.
gotcha : Gotcha is used in written English to represent the words `got you' when they are pronounced informally.
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