English 12 | Unit 1: Life Stories & Home Life | Lesson 1: Getting Started

I. A CLASS PRESENTATION:

What’s the topic for tomorrow’s presentation, bài thuyết trình? Who are you talking about?

I’m still wavering between, dao động giữa, Steve Jobs and Michael Jackson. I admire them both. I can’t decide who has a greater impact, tác động lớn, on me. While Steve Jobs, a distinguished, xuất chúng, entrepreneur, stimulates my creativity, khơi gợi sức sáng tạo, Michael Jackson, a gifted, tài năng, entertainer, inspires me to, truyền cảm hứng và kéo tôi đến với, the world of entertainment and artistic performance. Both of them were respectable, talented and influential, có tầm ảnh hưởng lớn.

Another person whose achievements I have admiration for is Christine Ha, a blind chef, the Vietnamese American lady who won the US MasterChef trophy in 2012. So talented and determined, quyết đoán, she is also a gifted writer.

WORD DEFINITIONS:

distinguished (adj): very successful and admired by other people

respectable (adj): regarded by society as acceptable, proper and correct     

generosity (n): kindness and willingness to give

achievement (n): something that has been obtained through hard work, ability and effort

talented (adj): gifted, having a natural ability to do something well

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II. MY PARENT(S) – MY HOME LIFE:

a loving mother                      

a caring father

take responsibility for children

be willing to sacrifice

be supportive of the children

work on a night shift

spend time with the family

get on well with relatives

be a role model

set an excellent example

be under pressure

feel secure

mischievous children

a close-knit family

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III. FAMILY RULES (Duties and Rights):

I have to / but I don’t have to: Tôi phải / không phải

I am supposed to / but I’m not supposed to: Tôi được phân công …

I’m expected to / I’m not expected to: Tôi được ngỡ là phải …

I’m allowed to / but I’m not allowed to: Tôi được phép / không được

I can / but I can’t / mustn’t …

My parents let me / but they never let me: Ba mẹ cho phép tôi / không cho phép …

My parents allow me to / but they don’t allow me to …

*WORK AND STUDY:

We have to clean and tidy the house and we are supposed to help with the housework. However, we don’t have to work and earn money.

keep the house clean and tidy

help with / do the household chores

work part-time and earn money

study hard and pass exams

win a place in university

get good grades at school

look after younger brothers / sisters

help them with their homework

listen to and respect elders

inform your parents where you are going

act on your responsibility

behave respectfully

keep up the family’s traditions

observe the customs

*FRIENDS AND ENTERTAINMENT:

I can go out with friends, but I’m not allowed to hang out with friends all day. I must come home before 10.00 p.m.

go out with friends

stay out late or overnight

invite friends over now and then

have a girlfriend / boyfriend

but not fall in love yet

use the Internet for study

not chat or play games online

earn money / not neglect homework

stay up late watching TV

not sleep late

have a daily / weekly allowance

not waste money

do as you wish

save face

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IV. READING: GIVING BACK TO THE SOCIETY

1. Larry Steward came from humble beginnings.

be brought up by grandparents

find oneself jobless and starving

get a free meal given

vow to help others

help the less fortunate

hand out thousands of dollars

reveal one’s identity

famous but still anonymous

keep one’s identity hidden

be diagnosed with cancer

It claimed his life

mission of charitable work

2. Le Thanh Thuy was awarded the title ‘Outstanding Young Citizen.’

pass away

amputate one’s leg

to relieve pain

hold an annual event

launch a program / campaign

get together and have fun

keep a memory alive

stories about love and sharing

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V. SPEAKING:

1. A HISTORICAL FIGURE:

Van is talking to the mirror, practising for a storytelling contest. The topic is the life of a historical figure (nhân vật lịch sử). She is going to talk about the national hero Nguyen Trai, a talented scholar and strategist (học giả và nhà chiến lược thiên tài) to King Le Loi in the 14^th century. She admires (khâm phục) him for his dedication to (sự cống hiến cho đất nước) the nation. She’ll talk about the mystery of the Lychee Garden (Lệ Chi Viên, ý là "vườn cây vải"), an incident that led to the deaths of Nguyen Trai’s extended family. It’s regrettable that his life was ended in tragedy (kết thúc bi thảm). However, in an effort to regain his honor, he was nominated (đề cử, nêu danh) a World Cultural Celebrity (danh nhân văn hóa thế giới) by UNESCO in 1980.

*KING LE LOI:

determined leader: lãnh tụ quyết đoán

Lam Son Uprising: khởi nghĩa Lam Sơn

The Ming invaders: quân Minh xâm lược

suffer hardships: chịu đựng gian nan

respected for his perseverance: được kính trọng ở tính kiên định

the return of the magical sword: việc hoàn trả thanh bảo kiếm

*LE QUY DON:

distinguished philosopher: triết gia lỗi lạc

an encyclopedist: nhà bách khoa toàn thư

encyclopedic works: các tác phẩm bách khoa toàn thư

sharp wit: trí tuệ nhạy bén

knowledgeable (adj): uyên bác, hiểu biết rộng                     

knowledgeability (n): sự uyên bác

be interpreted as … được diễn giải là …                 

self-discipline (n): sự tự giác

self-accusation (n): sự tự phê

2. DIALOG PRACTICE. ASKING FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:

Listen and ask more questions that follow up.

Listen, show your feeling and react.

Then ask for more information that you are interested in.

What / you doing?

→ I / practicing / storytelling contest

I see / What / topic?

→ The life / historical figure

So who / talking about? Vietnamese celebrity?

→ Sure / King Le Loi or Le Thai To

Le Loi / the one related to the story of Hoan Kiem Lake?

→ True / the King associated with the Sword Lake in Hanoi.

He / freed / country from Ming invaders / became King / 1428

What / most admirable about him?

→ He / determined leader / Lam Son Uprising / suffered / many hardships / he / predestined to be the National Leader.

Right / That’s why / legend of the Lake of Sword Restoration

3. DIALOG PRACTICE. HOW CLOSE ARE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS?

*Circle the number of the statements that are true for you. Then correct the false statements so that reflect your family life. Remember to use a range of vocabulary in your speech.

1. In my family only my father works as a breadwinner (người thu nhập chính).

2. Members of the family share the household chores.

3. My responsibility in the family is to wash the dishes.

4. In my family, the interest we share closely (have in common) is watching football.

5. I often share my personal secrets with my father.

6. I always talk to (consult) my parents before making an important decision.

*Useful expressions:

1. work as a breadwinner, earn a living for the family, support the family financially, the main family provider.

2. share the chores, split the chores equally, divide the housework among the members.

3. My responsibility, My main duty, I’m supposed to, I’m expected to, I also have to take care of, I’m in charge of, I’m responsible for keeping the house clean.

4. The interest we all have in common, We have many things in common, We are all interested in, We pay attention to, We take care of, We find it important to …

5. I share my secrets with, I trust my mother, so I tell her my secrets, I can always rely on Mum for keeping my secrets.

6. I talk to my parents about, I consult my father about, I can always ask my mother for advice.

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VI. LISTENING: LEARNING FROM CELEBRITIES

1. Why are people often interested in the life of celebrities?

be curious: tò mò, hiếu kì

know more about their idols

gossip about someone: đàm tiếu

success stories: câu chuyện thành công

criticize or slander someone: phê phán hay bịa đặt nhục mạ ai đó

2. Listen to a talk show:

Host Cindy Brown: người dẫn chương trình Cindy Brown

guest speaker: khách mời diễn thuyết

social worker: nhân viên xã hội

sociologist: nhà xã hội học

be overloaded with: bị quá tải

damage one’s reputation: bêu xấu thanh danh

personal information: thông tin cá nhân

private life: đời tư

make judgements: xét đoán đúng sai

make criticisms: chỉ trích, phê phán

faults and merits: điểm trừ và điểm cộng

find faults with sb: tìm cách bắt lỗi

3. In other words:

be overwhelmed with information: quá tải thông tin

take advantage of something: lợi dụng tình hình    

political figures: nhân vật chính trị

ordinary people: thường dân            

scandals: những vụ bê bối

blackmail (n): vụ việc tống tiền                     

slander (n): vụ bịa đặt lăng mạ         

avoid similar failures: tránh những sai lầm tương tự

adopt a new way of life: chọn theo lối sống mới

There are two sides to everything: Mọi thứ đều có hai mặt của nó.

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VII. WRITING: WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY.

overcome hardships: vượt qua gian khổ

achieve success: đạt được thành công

misfortune (n): vận xui

perseverance (n): sự kiên trì

be abandoned: bị bỏ rơi

an orphanage: trại nuôi trẻ mồ côi

foster mother: mẹ nuôi

adopted child: con nuôi

prosthetic leg: cái chân giả

be obsessed with sport: đam mê thể thao

feel helpless: cảm thấy bất lực

make progress: đạt tiến bộ

para-athlete (n): vận động viên khuyết tật

Paralympic Games: Thế Vận Hội Khuyết Tật

get in one’s way: chắn lối

This is my motto!: Đây là châm ngôn sống của tôi!