Important PeopleAdapted from High Impact

(By Rod Ellis & Mark Helgesen, Lingual House)

St. John’s & St. Mary’s Institute of Technology新埔工商專科學校

by Josephine Huang

Unit 4 Important People

• Talking about change, evaluating

• Verb tenses

• Personal events

Warm up

Work in a group of three. How many famous people can you name? You have one minute for each category.

Example:

Music, Art, Literature, Religion, Science, Politics

Vocabulary

� fiancée

� dump

� tough

� a complete change

� have a big influence on

� take music more seriously

� break

� review

� journalism

� Eric Clapton

Listening for key wordsListen. Check(V) the words and phrases you hear.

� your girlfriend � your friend� found someone new� found somebody else� dumped you� jumped you� find someone who� try something new� moved to London� moved from London

� had a big part � had a big influence � take life more seriously� take music more seriously� found me my first real job � gave me my first real break� started in journalism� started working for him

Listening for key wordsListen. Check(V) the words and phrases you hear.

� your girlfriend � your friend� found someone new

� found somebody else � dumped you � jumped you� find someone who

� try something new � moved to London � moved from London

� had a big part

� had a big influence � take life more seriously

� take music more seriously � found me my first real job

� gave me my first real break � started in journalism � started working for him

Listening for meaning

Person Influence on DavidMary Stewart After she dumped him, he went to

London. Eric Clapton He taught Dave to take music more seriously.Phil Jackson He gave Dave his first real break.

ScriptJordan: Dad, who’s that standing next to you in this picture?

Dave: Oh!…I haven’t seen that picture foryears. That’s Mary Stewart. She and I were, well you know…

Jordan: What? Like she was your girlfriend or something?

Dave: Well, yeah…actually, she was my 1.__________

…until she found somebody else.

Jordan: You mean she 2.___________ you!

Dave: Yes, I guess that’s the best way to put it 一 she dumped me!

Jordan: Wow, I never knew that about you.

fiancée

dumped

Dave: Yeah, well, in a way, it was for the best…At first, it was really 3.__________...so I just decided to make a complete change, try something new…and that’s when I 4._________________ .

Jordan: Oh, so she was the reason you moved to London.

Dave: Yeah, that’s right.

Jordan: So, who’s in this picture?

Dave: That? You don’t know?? That’s Eric Clapton.

Jordan: Really? Come on, Dad. You knew Eric Clapton?

Dave: Yeah. I met him oh… twenty-some years ago…

Jordan: You mean, you just met him, or you knew him, or what?

moved to London

tough on me

Dave: Well, I knew him pretty well. He actually 5._________________ on my life.

Jordan: What do you mean?

Dave: I was a musician then…and he taught me to 6.______________________.

Jordan: Wow…Who’s that next to you in that picture?

Dave: That’s Phil Jackson. He was a really important person my life too.

Jordan: How so?

Dave: Phil gave me my 7._____________. He gave me a job writing music reviews for a small London 8.________.

Jordan: So that’s how you got started in journalism, huh?

Dave: Yeah, that was it.

had a big influence

take music more seriously

first real break music magazine

Vocabulary Notes

Boyfriend/girlfriend= in English (unlike in many other

languages), someone a person is in love with. An exception

is when a woman refers to her girlfriends (friends who happen to be woman). Men don’t use the term boyfriends in this way. Except in the case of boy/girlfriends, students should be careful about the use of the terms boy or girl to refer to anyone over the age of 16 or so. Some people find it offensive.

relative

Any member of one’s extended family (aunts, uncles,

cousins, grandparents, etc.).

boss

The person you work for (informal). More formal words

Include employer, manager and director.

co-worker

Someone who works at the same company as the speaker.

It implies that their job level is fairly similar.

A hero

Someone a person respects greatly . It can be someone

famous ( real or fictitious) or a personal hero who is not

well known but who the speaker thinks is great.

smart

Intelligent. It can also be used to mean “fashionable.”

In some languages, it has come to mean “thin.” This is

not true in English.

confidence

Belief in one’s own ability

encourage

To make someone feel confident enough to do

something

serious (books)

Those with deep meaning.

Conversation Topic: Influences

Name People Influence___ a teacher told me I was smart ___ a friend showed me some new places___ my first boyfriend/ made me feel happy girlfriend gave me good advice___ a relative gave me confidence ___ a boss gave me a good job ___ a co-worker encouraged me to read serious books ___ a hero encouraged me to try harder___ a famous person

Did I ever tell you about Mary Swain?

I Don’t think so… she was your friendin college, wasn’t she?

Yes, that’s right-- she was a really important person in my life!

Really? In what way?

She told me to have confidence!

Oh, that’s good!

Vocabulary

� drug

� addict

� recover

� divorce

� Manhattan

� create

� spotlight

� Britain

� rock band

� blues

� guitarist

� Grammy Award

� legendary

� versatile� concert

Script

Dave: Eric Clapton is one of Britain’s most successful rock and blues guitarists ever. In 1993 he won six Grammy awards.He has played in several legendary rock bands, including Cream, and has developed a versatile playing styleEvery year he gives a series of concertsIn London’s famous Albert Hall.

Clapton’s life has not been easy.He was a drug addict and an alcoholic for many years, but he recovered.He married and divorced twice.In 1991 he lost his four-year-old son, Conor,when he fell out of a 53rd-floor window in Manhattan. Despite his difficulties, Clapton has created some of the best rock-blues of all time.Clapton admits that he finds it hard to be in the public spotlightbut say he is basically happy. Meanwhile he is enjoying his music more than ever and is carrying on singing the blues.

Understanding1.What kind of life has Eric Clapton had?

2.When did his son die?

3.What is he enjoying now?

4.What does he do every year in London?

Clapton’s life has not been easy.

His son died in 1991.

He is enjoying his music more than ever.

He gives a series of concerts in London’s Royal Albert

Hall.

NoticingEric Clapton is one of Britain’s most successful rock and blues guitarists ever. In 1993 he (win)_________ six Grammy award. He (play)__________ in several legendary rock bands, including Cream, and (develop) _____________ a versatile playing style. Every year he (give)________ a series of concerts in London’s famous Albert Hall.

Clapton’s life (be)_________ easy. He (be)______ a drug addict and an alcoholic for many years, but he (recover)__________. He married and (divorce) ________ twice. In 1991he (lose)____ four-year-old

won

has played

has developedgives

has not been was

divorcedrecovered

lost

son, Conor, when he fell out of a 53rd-floor window in Manhattan. Despite his difficulties, Clapton (create) ___________ some of the best rock-blues of all time.

Clapton admits that he (find) _______ it hard to be in the public spotlight but says he is basically happy. Meanwhile he (enjoy)__________ his music more than ever and (carry)___________ on singing the blues.

has created

finds

is enjoying

is carrying