part 1 - michelle henry · part 1 1. watch the following trailers. ... french connection the...

FILMS. 2011.

[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]

PART 1

1. Watch the following trailers. Make suppositions on the 10 extracts presented.

2. In the following grid, match the film, the period and say what genre they belong to.

3. Comment on some of the films in this list.

5. Read and react: (watch the extracts presented by the teacher)

PERIODS GENRES Films Propositions

1930s

1. An American in Paris the Ten Commandments

the Bridge on the River Kwai Cat on a hot tin roof

Ben Hur

1940s

2. Patton French Connection

The Godfather The Exorcist

Rocky Apocalypse Now

1950s

3. Et Out of Africa

Platoon Rain Man

1960s 4. Dancing with wolves The silence of the lambs

Schindler’s list Forrest Gump

Titanic

1970s

5. Gladiator the Lord of the Rings Million Dollar Baby Slumdog Millionaire

1980s

6. Gone with the Wind

1990s

7. The grapes of Wrath Citizen Kane Casablanca

2000s 8. West Side Story Lawrence of Arabia

My Fair Lady Bonnie and Clyde

2005 Academy Award, Best Achievement in Directing,/ 2005 Academy Award, Best Motion Picture of the Year

2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Morgan Freeman

2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Hilary Swank

FILMS. 2011.


Notes professeur sur Film poster+ animation+painting composition Rubens.

Attitudes compositions et suggestions.

Use as if.

Focus on Clint Eastwood.

He is in the background, his face is dimly lit revealing wrinkles, thoughtful lines and a preoccupied

look. He is not looking at Maggie but seems to be close enough as if they were confiding in secrets.

Conclusion: it looks as if/ it seems as if. It’s as if he had been watching over her. We can only see his

face and have no idea about the kind of clothes he is wearing.

Focus on Morgan Freeman:

Is further in the back than the rest of the characters as if he was less involved in the action than the

two others.

He is wearing a hat and seems to have a melancholic air about him as if he regretted something. He

seems to be broken down.

It conveys the idea that he may have lost his way. He has this air that is common to the never will

be’s who haunt the dingy/run down HIT PIT gym in Los Angeles whose owner is Frankie.

Focus on Hillary Swank.

Seen from the back, her dully lit muscles reveal the working out that she must have been up to. She

has obviously been working out to improve her muscularity. She’s wearing a tight outfit probably a

sports outfit which fits the boxing theme of the film.

She appears to be determined and ready to do anything to succeed. She sees boxing as a last

chance to escape her impoverished upbringing and low expectations.

WHAT IS STRIKING:

They all look worn out, preoccupied. The dominant dark colours contribute to create a

gloomy and sorrowful atmosphere that let us foresee a tragedy.

We become fascinated by the young woman standing in the middle, as though she was

hiding a secret. There s something mysterious about her.

The title of the films looks mysterious as well. Is it about money? Is she worth a million? She

looks good?

FILMS. 2011.


PART 2

WORKING on the FILM POSTER:

Clint Eastwood Alias Frankie Hint: a boxing gym owner

Hillary Swank Alias Maggie Hint: a 30 something waitress dreaming of boxing

Morgan Freeman Alias Eddie Hint: blind in one eye but is the narrator

DESCRIPTION

What does it reveal?

USE AS IF/ AS THOUGH/IN SUCH A WAY THAT to make sentences on appearances:

1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________________________

VOCABULARY ON BOXING.

CHALLENGE. USE AS many words as possible

In a dialogue with your partner.

3 minutes.

FILMS. 2011.


PART 3

I. Questions on the film based on four extracts of the film.

a. Extract n°1. Fill in the blanks and make conclusions on the two actors.

FRANKIE

That’s your speed bag?

MAGGIE

Put yours behind the ____________. Wish I could

say I wore it out.

FRANKIE

OK, I’ll ____________ you a few things, but that’s

it. Then you got a trainer.

MAGGIE

No, sorry.

FRANKIE

You’re in a position ______________ ?

MAGGIE

Yes, sir, because I know if you train me

_______________, I’m gonna be a champ. I seen

you looking at me...

FRANKIE

Yeah, Outta pity

MAGGIE

Don’t you say that! Don’t you say that if it

___________true. I want a ____________. I Don’t

want charity and I don’t want _________If you’re

not interested I got more celebrating to do.

FRANKIE

Stop, stop, stop, Goddamnit !what the hell are you

doing? OK, here it is, if I ____________________

MAGGIE

You won’t never regret it.

FRANKIE

Look, _____________. If I take you on..

MAGGIE

I’ll promise I’ll work so ___________

FRANKIE

Oh God, this is a mistake already.

MAGGIE Mmm

I’m listening, boss.

From the conversation, fill in the following grid:

Characters+information Background+job Intentions/will

Maggie

Frankie

b. After the conversation, Maggie writes post its to convince Frankie and sticks them on

the gym door. Write them in pairs.

BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]

5

PART4

2. Extract n°2. Tell Maggie’s story on the information given. Tell us about your hopes and

aspirations.

1. Which three adjectives best describe Frankie and justify your choice each time.

Cranky easy-going temperamental moody desperate

flabbergasted anguished irritable

2. Which best adjectives best describe Maggie and justify your choice each time.

Strong-willed over-ambitious sophisticated natural intellectual

spontaneous stubborn credulous

3. General comprehension questions:

1. It seems that Maggie has come a long way, prove it.

2. Maggie shows a lot of qualities, name them.

3. In the second extract, what arguments made Frankie change his mind?

4. Can you name some women that would fit Maggie’s profile.

5. This film is not only about boxing. Can you name some of the themes that are prevalent in

the film?

6. Some people said that Million Dollar Baby is another Rocky but for women. Do you agree?

DISCUSS with your friend. You think that boxing is not appropriate for women.

Your friend disagrees. Act the conversation.

4. Use tenses to tell Maggie’s story.

The simple past the pluperfect and the past+VERB+ING for her youth. The present perfect+V+ING to

talk about her training. The future or the conditional to talk about her dreams.

5. Maggie has fled to New York and has written what she wants to get rid of to start anew. Write the

note.


6

PART 5 I. General Comprehension:

1. Present the following text: author+date.

2. What is the main topic of the text? Justify your choice by

quoting from the text.

3. Divide the text into two parts and give each a title.

II. DETAILED COMPREHENSION: 1. VOCABULARY ON BOXING.

General terms. Associate the words to their definition.

1. rounds 1= A. foul of hitting an opponent with the head

2. upper cut

B. foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body

3. ropes C. illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys

4. split decision

D. occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the

feet, touches the floor

5. knockout / KO E. occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness

6. ring F. foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals

7. match G. an organized contest between people or teams

8. punch H. corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an

opponent

9. promoter I. company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or

entertainment event

10. neutral corner

J. strike with a clenched fist

11. rabbit punch K. illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the

spinal cord

12. low blow L. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"

13. Kidney punch

M. lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring

14. head-butt

N. time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-

minute breaks

15. knockdown O. occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,

while the third judge scores the other boxer as the winner

16. knockout / TKO P. occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and counts to eight to see if he can continue

17. standing eight count

18. technical

Q. occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually on his face, that stops the fight

19. holding R. upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach

20. weight classes S. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"


7

2. Words from the text. Explain: give a synonym to the following words using a

dictionary and say what they refer to.

3. to fall apart

4. to stitch up

Brain damage

I’m worth every cent

5. deep or wide

A severed vein

The stuff

Layers of meat

6.swollen shut

The threat of blindness

Otherwise

blinking

7. crack the seal

Outdated

Pale piss-yellow

8. crippled up

The punch mitts

The fancy

9. first-rate trainers

Featherweight

10. bullfighters

I had a fling

Wag their finger

3. What register of language is being used throughout the text. Justify your choice.

1. Static Register

This style of communications RARELY or NEVER

changes. It is “frozen” in time and content. e.g. the

Pledge of Allegiance

2. Formal Register : It is usually impersonal and

formal.

3. Consultative Register This is a standard form of communication

4. Casual Register This is informal language used by peers and friends.

Slang, vulgarities and colloquialisms are normal.

5. Intimate Register This communications is private. It is reserved for close

family members or intimate people


8

4. Find synonyms for the following words or expressions or find their equivalent in the text:

In the text Synonyms

To cauterize

A severed vein

A hemorragia

The boy’s heart pumping hard

A coagulant

Beating

Stop fly blood

Contaminated coagulant

ii. DETAILED COMPREHENSION:

1. What did you learn from the narrator

in paragraphs 1 and 2?

2. Do you think that he is a doctor? A

nurse? A priest?

3. Who was Sonny Liston? What did you

learn about him? (job+personality)

4. What does the narrator’s job consist

in?

5. How close is the narrator to the

fighters?

6. P 5 The narrator’s job sounds really

difficult sometimes? Prove it.

7. Explain why sometimes, according to

the narrator, the bleeding won’t stop

even if he tries hard.

8. P6. Read the paragraph. Annotate the following drawing: (-you can add red ink)


9

9. What is the worst thing that can happen to a fighter during a fight?

How about on the long term? What may happen to him?

10. P 7. Circle the objects that the narrator may be using

to treat the boxer:

11. Prove that the narrator is really careful when treating the sportsmen. (3)

12. What disease is easily transmittable in these conditions?

13. P8. Find evidence that the narrator is not that young and that he is well

reputed in the business.

14. There are ways to consider boxing. What are they?

15. P9. Find the definition of his job.

16. A champion cannot be a good trainer. Is it right?

17. P10 Complete the following time line based on the narrator’s life:

(4)

18. Why did he become fluent in Spanish?

19. Make a profile of the character based on the information in paragraph 9.

FINAL QUESTION:

20. Associate the text to one of the scenes of Million Dollar Baby and

justify your choice.


10

CHAPTER ON. The Monkey Look.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

1. I stop blood.

2. I stop it between rounds for fighters so they can stay in the fight.

3. Blood ruins some boys. It was that way with Sonny Liston, God rest his soul. Bad as he was, he'd see his own blood and fall apart.

4. I'm not the one who decides when to stop the fight, and I don't stitch up cuts once the fight's over. And it's not my job to hospitalize a boy for brain damage. My Job is to stop blood so the fighter can see enough to keep on fighting. I do that, maybe I save a boy's title. I do that one little thing, and I'm worth every cent they pay me. I stop the blood and save the fight, the boy loves me more than he loves his daddy.

5. But you can't always stop it. Fight guys know this. If the cut's too deep or wide, or maybe you got a severed vein down in there, the blood keeps coming. Sometimes it takes two or three rounds to stop the blood, maybe more-the boy's heart is pumping so hard, or he cuts more. Once you get the coagulant in there, sometimes it takes another shot from the opponent right on the cut itself to drive the blood far enough from the area so the stuff you're using can start to work. What I'm saying is there are all kinds of combinations you come up against down in the different layers of meat. When a good cut man stays ahead of the combinations, he can stop most cuts, but not every one.

6. Fights can be stopped for a lot of reasons. A football eye swollen shut can stop a fight. But fights aren't stopped just because a fighter is cut. It's where he's cut. Below the eye, or alongside it, that won't usually stop a fight. Neither willa cut if it's in or above the eyebrow, or up in the forehead, or in the scalp. Broken nose? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. A cut in the eyelid, because of possible damage to the eyeball and the threat of blindness, that can stop a fight quick. So will blood pumping down into a boy's eyes. Blood can blind a fighter, maybe cost him the fight, or worse, because when he can't see he starts taking shots he wouldn't otherwise take, and now he ends up on his ass blinking through the lights and shadows of future memories.

7. Boy gets cut, I always crack the seal of a new, one-ounce bottle of adrenaline chloride solution 1:1000 When it's fresh, it's clear like water but has a strong chemical smell. The outdated stuff turns a light pinkish color, or a pale piss-yellow. When that happens, it couldn't stop fly blood. I might pour adrenaline into a small plastic squeeze bottle if I need to use sterile gauze pads along with a swab, but I never use adrenaline from a previous fight. I dump it, even if three quarters of it is left. This way it can't carry blood over from another fight, and none of my boys can get AIDS from contaminated coagulant. I'd give AIDS to myself before I'd give it to one of my boys.


11

8. Trainers and managers and fighters call me. They know me from when I used to train fighters. But I got too old and was walking around with my back and neck crippled up all the time from catching punches with the punch mitts. Boxing is a game of half steps and quarter inches, a game where old men belong as much as the young. Without its, there couldn't be fights. Fans think boxing is about being tough. For members of the fancy, the fight game is about getting respect. 9. My first fight working the corner of Hoolie Garza came after his trainer talked to me, Ike Goody. Ike was a club fighter in the fifties, but like most first-rate trainers, he was never a champ. With the exception of Floyd Patterson, I don't remember another champ who ever made a champion. Hoolie Garza is a twenty-six-pounder, a smart featherweight Mexican boy who thinks he's smarter than he is. Ile was born in Guaymas, a port on the Gulf of California inside Baia. He was raised illegal in East Los Angeles, where he fought, with his big brothers for food. His real name is Julio Cesar Garza, but as a kid he was nicknamed Juli -- in Spanish it's pronounced "hoolie." Juli was Americanized to Hoolie, the way Miguel, or Michael, is sometimes Americanized into Maikito. 10. After the Korean War, I went to school in Mexico City on the G.I. Bill. I wanted to learn Spanish, maybe teach it. So I hung around with Mexicans rather than other Americans. Some of my friends were bullfighters. I had a fling with the daughter of the secretary to the president of Mexico, a natural blonde who drove a car with license-plate number 32. She, God bless her, was one of the ways I learned Spanish on several levels and in different accents. I usually keep my Spanish to myself, like a lot of Latinos in the U.S. keep their English to themselves. But if they find out and ask about it, I tell them I was a student in Mexico and Spain both, and I say, "Hablo el espanol solo si me conviene-- I speak Spanish only when it's to my advantage." They always smile. Some laugh out loud and wag their finger. A lot of Latino fighters coming to fight in L.A. use me in their corner; some fly me to Vegas. I'm as loyal to them as I am to an American or to an Irishman, which is why I never bet on a fight I'm working -- not on the boy I'm working with, and not on the other fighter. This way, if I somehow screw up and cause my boy to lose, it can never be said that I did business... Rope Burns. Copyright by F. X. Toole.

Notes:

F.X. Toole is the pen name of boxing trainer Jerry Boyd (1930 — September 2, 2002). Toole is most noted for writing the collection of short stories Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner, which were adapted into the Oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby in

2004.

8.

9.

10.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen_name

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rope_Burns:_Stories_from_the_Corner&action=edit&redlink=1


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Baby


12

ANSWERS TO THE VOCABULARY:

head-butt foul of hitting an opponent with the head

holding foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body

kidney punch illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys

knockdown occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the


knockout / KO occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness

low blow foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals

match an organized contest between people or teams

neutral corner corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an opponent

promoter company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or

entertainment event

punch strike with a clenched fist

rabbit punch illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the

spinal cord

ring raised square platform on which boxing matches are held

ropes lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring

rounds time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-minute

breaks

split decision occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,


standing eight count occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and

counts to eight to see if he can continue

technical knockout /

TKO

occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually

on his face, that stops the fight

upper cut upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach

weight classes competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"


13

3. Extract n°3.

1. Tell the story using link words. Give examples.

2. What is forbidden on a ring?

3. Giving an example, prove that Maggie is a tough woman.

4. What did you discover about what is going on behind the scene of the boxing world?

Your friend, although wounded, doesn’t want to miss his P.E lesson. Dissuade him/her and write

your conversation.

4. Extract n°4.

1. Tell the story of what happened just before.

2. Do you think that Frankie was right to take her life? Do you agree with euthanasia?

5. Follow-up Work. Find information and make an oral presentation on the following topics:

Hillary Swank had a special training for the film, find evidence. Find other actors who

did the same.

Or the World of boxers.

Or Clint Eastwood, an actor and a film director.

Prepare your oral presentation.

6. Final Task:

Frankie writes a letter to Maggie’s mother explaining that what he did to her was

out of love.

Name films that had an impact on your life. Write 300 words.


14

List of films with awards:

1940s: The grapes of Wrath.

Citizen Kane 1941

Casablanca 1943

1951 An American in Paris

1956 the Ten Commandments

1957 the Bridge on the River Kwai

1958 Cat on a hot tin roof

1959 Ben Hur

1961 West Side Story

1962 Lawrence of Arabia

1964 My Fair Lady

1967 Bonnie and Clyde

1970 Patton

1971 French Connection

1972 The Godfather

1973 The Exorcist

1976 Rocky

1979 Apocalypse Now

1982 Et

1985 Out of Africa

1986 Platoon

1988 Rain Man

1990 Dancing with wolves

1991 The silence of the lambs

1993 Schindler’s list

1994 Forrest Gump

1997 Titanic

2000 Gladiator

2003 the Lord of the Rings

2004 Million Dollar Baby

2008 Slumdog Millionaire

FILMS. 2011.


CORRECTION:

PART 1

4. Watch the following trailers. Make suppositions on the 10 extracts presented.

5. In the following grid, match the film, the period and say what genre they belong to.

6. Comment on some of the films in this list.

PERIODS GENRES Films Propositions

FILMS. 2011.


5. Read and react: (watch the extracts presented by the teacher)

Notes professeur sur Film poster+ animation+painting composition Rubens.

Attitudes compositions et suggestions.

Use as if.

Focus on Clint Eastwood.

1930s

1. An American in Paris the Ten Commandments

the Bridge on the River Kwai Cat on a hot tin roof

Ben Hur

1940s

2. Patton French Connection

The Godfather The Exorcist

Rocky Apocalypse Now

1950s

3. Et Out of Africa

Platoon Rain Man

1960s 4. Dancing with wolves The silence of the lambs

Schindler’s list Forrest Gump

Titanic

1970s

5. Gladiator the Lord of the Rings Million Dollar Baby Slumdog Millionaire

1980s

6. Gone with the Wind

1990s

7. The grapes of Wrath Citizen Kane Casablanca

2000s 8. West Side Story Lawrence of Arabia

My Fair Lady Bonnie and Clyde

2005 Academy Award, Best Achievement in Directing,/ 2005 Academy Award, Best Motion Picture of the Year

2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Morgan Freeman

2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Hilary Swank

FILMS. 2011.


He is in the background, his face is dimly lit revealing wrinkles, thoughtful lines and a

preoccupied look. He is not looking at Maggie but seems to be close enough as if they were confiding

in secrets.

Conclusion: it looks as if/ it seems as if. It’s as if he had been watching over her. We can only see his

face and have no idea about the kind of clothes he is wearing.

Focus on Morgan Freeman:

Is further in the back than the rest of the characters as if he was less involved in the action than the

two others.

He is wearing a hat and seems to have a melancholic air about him as if he regretted something. He

seems to be broken down.

It conveys the idea that he may have lost his way. He has this air that is common to the never will

be’s who haunt the dingy/run down HIT PIT gym in Los Angeles whose owner is Frankie.

Focus on Hillary Swank.

Seen from the back, her dully lit muscles reveal the working out that she must have been up to. She

has obviously been working out to improve her muscularity. She’s wearing a tight outfit probably a

sports outfit which fits the boxing theme of the film.

She appears to be determined and ready to do anything to succeed. She sees boxing as a last

chance to escape her impoverished upbringing and low expectations.

WHAT IS STRIKING:

They all look worn out, preoccupied. The dominant dark colours contribute to create a

gloomy and sorrowful atmosphere that let us foresee a tragedy.

We become fascinated by the young woman standing in the middle, as though she was

hiding a secret. There s something mysterious about her.

The title of the films looks mysterious as well. Is it about money? Is she worth a million? She

looks good?

FILMS. 2011.


PART 2

WORKING on the FILM POSTER:

Clint Eastwood Alias Frankie Hint: a boxing gym owner

Hillary Swank Alias Maggie Hint: a 30 something waitress dreaming of boxing

Morgan Freeman Alias Eddie Hint: blind in one eye but is the narrator

DESCRIPTION

His forehead is seared. There is a vague smile on his face. He doesn’t seem to be keen on compromises.

Is wearing a sports outfit, has obviously been working out looks muscular, determined and strong

Looks a bit older than Frankie. He is looking away. He’s wearing a hat which gives him an old fashioned air.

What does it reveal?

A cranky trainer who spends his days reading Yeats and gives a Catholic priest a hard time. Has spent his life training boxers. Was estranged by his own daughter.

She seems to be anxious to prove what she is able to do to Frankie

He doesn’t want to get involved in the story although he is the omniscient narrator.

USE AS IF/ AS THOUGH/IN SUCH A WAY THAT to make sentences on appearances:

1. Frankie looks as though he didn’t want to listen to Maggie’s plea.

2.Maggies seems determined to make Frankie change his mind and train a girl.

3.Eddie looks as if he didn’t want to be bothered.

VOCABULARY ON BOXING.

CHALLENGE. USE AS many words as possible

In a dialogue with your partner.

3 minutes.

Why

does she want to

become a boxer anyway

girls don’t fight !

Whatever he thinks, he’ll

have to hear me out !

I want him to become my

trainer

Something’s bad ‘s

gonna happen

FILMS. 2011.


PART 3

II. Questions on the film based on four extracts of the film.

c. Extract n°1. Fill in the blanks and make conclusions on the two actors.

FRANKIE

That’s your speed bag?

MAGGIE

Put yours behind the counter. Wish I could say I

wore it out.

FRANKIE

OK, I’ll show you a few things, but that’s it. Then

you got a trainer.

MAGGIE

No, sorry.

FRANKIE

You’re in a position to negotiate ?

MAGGIE

Yes, sir, because I know if you train me right, I’m

gonna be a champ. I seen you looking at me...

FRANKIE

Yeah, Outta pity

MAGGIE

Don’t you say that! Don’t you say that if it ain’t

true. I want a trainer . I Don’t want charity and I

don’t want favours If you’re not interested I got

more celebrating to do.

FRANKIE

Stop, stop, stop, Goddamnit !what the hell are you

doing? OK, here it is, if I am going to take you on

MAGGIE

You won’t never regret it.

FRANKIE

Look, just listen to me . If I take you on..

MAGGIE

I’ll promise I’ll work so hard.

FRANKIE

Oh God, this is a mistake already.

MAGGIE Mmm

I’m listening, boss.

From the conversation, fill in the following grid:

Characters+information Background+job Intentions/will

Maggie Is trying to hit a speedbag in Frankie’s but seems exasperated no to be able to hit it properly. It’s her birthday today. She is 32.

She comes from an impoverished background. Her mother lives in a trailer She is destined to become like her mother overweight.

She is desperate to become a boxer and to escape from her doomed future (Ancient Greece/ destiny versus personal choice) She wants to convince Frankie to become her trainer although he doesn’t want to.

Frankie Has been looking at Maggie in the rundown gym that he owns. He seems to be really disappointed as she didn’t listen to his advice and keeps coming back. He is angry at her stubbornness that makes him lose potential clients.

Was probably a boxer in his youth and became a trainer. He lost contact with his daughter and seems to be bearing a secret.

He refuses to train girls and the bad publicity that it might engender. He is what we call “old school” girls shouldn’t want to become according t him. In the scene after hearing her sad story, he gives in and accepts to train her.

d. After the conversation, Maggie writes post its to convince Frankie and sticks them on

the gym door. Write them in pairs.

Hel

PART4

Hear me out and

train me !

Maggied

Stop coming

around!

You’re making lose

business! F

You’re such a

stubborn old man!

M

The same for you!

F

The same for you!

F


20

2. Extract n°2. Tell Maggie’s story on the information given. Tell us about your hopes and

aspirations.

1. Which three adjectives best describe Frankie and justify your choice each time.

Cranky easy-going temperamental moody desperate

flabbergasted anguished irritable

2. Which best adjectives best describe Maggie and justify your choice each time.

Strong-willed over-ambitious sophisticated natural intellectual

spontaneous stubborn credulous

3. General comprehension questions:

7. It seems that Maggie has come a long way, prove it. She struggles to survive and saves every

cent in her job, even steals food.

8. Maggie shows a lot of qualities, name them. She has a lot of determination and wants to

prevail against all odds. Victory makes her feel worthwhile.

9. In the second extract, what arguments made Frankie change his mind?

When she told her that she had no other choice than to become a fighter if she wanted to

get away from her dreadful/gloomy life.

10. Can you name some women that would fit Maggie’s profile. Politicians and peace activists

that devoted their lives for their beliefs: Mother Theresa, Benazir Butto, Aung San Suu Kyi

11. This film is not only about boxing. Can you name some of the themes that are prevalent in

the film? Redemption, commitment, resilience, love, death

12. Some people said that Million Dollar Baby is another Rocky but for women. Do you agree?

DISCUSS with your friend. You think that boxing is not appropriate for women.

Your friend disagrees. Act the conversation.

4. Use tenses to tell Maggie’s story.

The simple past the pluperfect and the past+VERB+ING for her youth. The present perfect+V+ING to

talk about her training. The future or the conditional to talk about her dreams.

5. Maggie has fled to New York and has written what she wants to get rid of to start anew. Write the

note.


21


22

PART 5 I. General Comprehension:

4. Present the following text: author+date.

5. What is the main topic of the text? Justify your choice by

quoting from the text.

6. Divide the text into two parts and give each a title.

II. DETAILED COMPREHENSION: 1. VOCABULARY ON BOXING.

General terms. Associate the words to their definition.

21. rounds 1= T. foul of hitting an opponent with the head

22. upper cut

U. foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body

23. ropes V. illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys

24. split decision

W. occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the


25. knockout / KO X. occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness

26. ring Y. foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals

27. match Z. an organized contest between people or teams

28. punch AA. corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an

opponent

29. promoter BB. company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or

entertainment event

30. neutral corner

CC. strike with a clenched fist

31. rabbit punch DD. illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the

spinal cord

32. low blow EE. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"

33. Kidney punch

FF. lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring

34. head-butt

GG. time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-

minute breaks

35. knockdown HH. occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,


36. knockout / TKO II. occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and counts to eight to see if he can continue

37. standing eight count

38. technical

JJ. occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually on his face, that stops the fight

39. holding KK. upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach

40. weight classes LL. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"


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2. Words from the text. Explain: give a synonym to the following words using a

dictionary and say what they refer to.

3. to fall apart

To faint

4. to stitch up

Brain damage

I’m worth every cent

To repair by using stitches and a needle

The consequences of receiving a punch in the head

They can’t do without me

5. deep or wide

A severed vein

The stuff

Layers of meat

It’s a bad wound that needs to be repaired. There will be a scar.

An artery that is bleeding.

A thing.

The different parts in the skin: superficial or internal

6.swollen shut

The threat of blindness

Otherwise

blinking

The wound makes the skin inflate like a tire, there is a hematoma.

The ultimate danger, losing sight

If not

Having an intermittent vision

7. crack the seal

Outdated

Pale piss-yellow

The plastic lid which proves it was not used before

old

pale yellow

8. crippled up

The punch mitts

The fancy

Handicapped

Boxing gloves

Here the upper class people

9. first-rate trainers

Featherweight

Good managers

Very light

10. bullfighters

I had a fling

Wag their finger

Very tough boxers

To fall in love with

An insult

3. What register of language is being used throughout the text. Justify your choice.

1. Static Register

This style of communications RARELY or NEVER changes. It is “frozen” in time and content. e.g. the

Pledge of Allegiance

2. Formal Register : It is usually impersonal and

formal.

3. Consultative Register

This is a standard form of communication

4. Casual Register

This is informal language used by peers and friends.

Slang, vulgarities and colloquialisms are normal.

5. Intimate Register

This communications is private. It is reserved for close

family members or intimate people

It is casual. It’s as if he were speaking to someone. (slang+grammatical mistakes)


24

4. Find synonyms for the following words or expressions or find their equivalent in the text:

In the text Synonyms

To stop the bleeding To cauterize

A severed vein A cut to an artery

Unable to stop the blood A hemorragia

The boy’s heart pumping hard His heart thumping/beating hard

A coagulant A chemical substance to stop the bleeding

Pounding/pumping hard Beating

Stop fly blood Stop the bleeding

Contaminated coagulant Used medecine

ii. DETAILED COMPREHENSION:

1. What did you learn from the narrator

in paragraphs 1 and 2?

That he had to treat bleeding boxers

2. Do you think that he is a doctor? A

nurse? A priest?

He is not a doctor neither a nurse or a

priest. He is probably a trainer

3. Who was Sonny Liston? What did you

learn about him? (job+personality)

Although tough he would faint when he

saw his own blood

4. What does the narrator’s job consist

in?

To stop the bleeding and to make the

boxers carry on the fight

5. How close is the narrator to the

fighters?

He is very close to them. He is

considered as a father. He must be

patient and understanding.

6. P 5 The narrator’s job sounds really

difficult sometimes? Prove it.

Although he tries hard, he can’t seem to

be able to stop the bleeding

7. Explain why sometimes, according to

the narrator, the bleeding won’t stop

even if he tries hard.

If the boxer’s heart beats too fast, there

is no way he can stop the bleeding no

matter how hard he tries.

8. P6. Read the paragraph. Annotate the following drawing: (-you can add red ink)

Above the

eyebrow the eyebrow

the eyelash

Below the eye The eyeball

The forehead

The scalp


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9. What is the worst thing that can happen to a fighter during a fight?

He can become blind.

How about on the long term? What may happen to him?

He can have memory losses and brain damage.

10. P 7. Circle the objects that the narrator may be using

to treat the boxer:

11. Prove that the narrator is really careful when treating the sportsmen.

He always made sure that the bottle of coagulant hadn’t been used before

He checked the colour of the liquid before using it. He made sure to use sterile

gauze to prevent from transmitting diseases. (3)

12. What disease is easily transmittable in these conditions?

AIDS

13. P8. Find evidence that the narrator is not that young and that he is well

reputed in the business.

“he got too old” but still trainers seem to be liking and trusting him.

14. There are ways to consider boxing. What are they?

15. P9. Find the definition of his job.

He works in the corner in the neutral area.

16. A champion cannot be a good trainer. Is it right?

It’s the other way around. First rate trainers were never champions.

17. P10 Complete the following time line based on the narrator’s life:

(4)


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He Fought the Korean War, he may have fought the Korean War in the 1950s. He attended school in

Mexico. He met a girl whom he fell in love with. He became fluent at Spanish.

18. Why did he become fluent in Spanish?

When dating a Mexican secretary.

19. Make a profile of the character based on the information in paragraph 9.

He could have become a Spanish teacher but he didn’t. He spent some time in

Mexico and speaks good Spanish. He got some respect from Latino

fighters who hire him. But he never bets on a fight he’s involved in

for fear they might suspect him of dishonesty.

FINAL QUESTION:

20. Associate the text to one of the scenes of Million Dollar Baby and justify your

choice.

When she broke her nose and asked Frankie to fix it.


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CHAPTER ON. The Monkey Look.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. I stop blood.

9. I stop it between rounds for fighters so they can stay in the fight.

10. Blood ruins some boys. It was that way with Sonny Liston, God rest his soul. Bad as he was, he'd see his own blood and fall apart.

11. I'm not the one who decides when to stop the fight, and I don't stitch up cuts once the fight's over. And it's not my job to hospitalize a boy for brain damage. My Job is to stop blood so the fighter can see enough to keep on fighting. I do that, maybe I save a boy's title. I do that one little thing, and I'm worth every cent they pay me. I stop the blood and save the fight, the boy loves me more than he loves his daddy.

12. But you can't always stop it. Fight guys know this. If the cut's too deep or wide, or maybe you got a severed vein down in there, the blood keeps coming. Sometimes it takes two or three rounds to stop the blood, maybe more-the boy's heart is pumping so hard, or he cuts more. Once you get the coagulant in there, sometimes it takes another shot from the opponent right on the cut itself to drive the blood far enough from the area so the stuff you're using can start to work. What I'm saying is there are all kinds of combinations you come up against down in the different layers of meat. When a good cut man stays ahead of the combinations, he can stop most cuts, but not every one.

13. Fights can be stopped for a lot of reasons. A football eye swollen shut can stop a fight. But fights aren't stopped just because a fighter is cut. It's where he's cut. Below the eye, or alongside it, that won't usually stop a fight. Neither willa cut if it's in or above the eyebrow, or up in the forehead, or in the scalp. Broken nose? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. A cut in the eyelid, because of possible damage to the eyeball and the threat of blindness, that can stop a fight quick. So will blood pumping down into a boy's eyes. Blood can blind a fighter, maybe cost him the fight, or worse, because when he can't see he starts taking shots he wouldn't otherwise take, and now he ends up on his ass blinking through the lights and shadows of future memories.

14. Boy gets cut, I always crack the seal of a new, one-ounce bottle of adrenaline chloride solution 1:1000 When it's fresh, it's clear like water but has a strong chemical smell. The outdated stuff turns a light pinkish color, or a pale piss-yellow. When that happens, it couldn't stop fly blood. I might pour adrenaline into a small plastic squeeze bottle if I need to use sterile gauze pads along with a swab, but I never use adrenaline from a previous fight. I dump it, even if three quarters of it is left. This way it can't carry blood over from another fight, and none of my boys can get AIDS from contaminated coagulant. I'd give AIDS to myself before I'd give it to one of my boys.


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8. Trainers and managers and fighters call me. They know me from when I used to train fighters. But I got too old and was walking around with my back and neck crippled up all the time from catching punches with the punch mitts. Boxing is a game of half steps and quarter inches, a game where old men belong as much as the young. Without its, there couldn't be fights. Fans think boxing is about being tough. For members of the fancy, the fight game is about getting respect. 9. My first fight working the corner of Hoolie Garza came after his trainer talked to me, Ike Goody. Ike was a club fighter in the fifties, but like most first-rate trainers, he was never a champ. With the exception of Floyd Patterson, I don't remember another champ who ever made a champion. Hoolie Garza is a twenty-six-pounder, a smart featherweight Mexican boy who thinks he's smarter than he is. Ile was born in Guaymas, a port on the Gulf of California inside Baia. He was raised illegal in East Los Angeles, where he fought, with his big brothers for food. His real name is Julio Cesar Garza, but as a kid he was nicknamed Juli -- in Spanish it's pronounced "hoolie." Juli was Americanized to Hoolie, the way Miguel, or Michael, is sometimes Americanized into Maikito. 10. After the Korean War, I went to school in Mexico City on the G.I. Bill. I wanted to learn Spanish, maybe teach it. So I hung around with Mexicans rather than other Americans. Some of my friends were bullfighters. I had a fling with the daughter of the secretary to the president of Mexico, a natural blonde who drove a car with license-plate number 32. She, God bless her, was one of the ways I learned Spanish on several levels and in different accents. I usually keep my Spanish to myself, like a lot of Latinos in the U.S. keep their English to themselves. But if they find out and ask about it, I tell them I was a student in Mexico and Spain both, and I say, "Hablo el espanol solo si me conviene-- I speak Spanish only when it's to my advantage." They always smile. Some laugh out loud and wag their finger. A lot of Latino fighters coming to fight in L.A. use me in their corner; some fly me to Vegas. I'm as loyal to them as I am to an American or to an Irishman, which is why I never bet on a fight I'm working -- not on the boy I'm working with, and not on the other fighter. This way, if I somehow screw up and cause my boy to lose, it can never be said that I did business... Rope Burns. Copyright by F. X. Toole.

Notes:

F.X. Toole is the pen name of boxing trainer Jerry Boyd (1930 — September 2, 2002). Toole is most noted for writing the collection of short stories Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner, which were adapted into the Oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby in

2004.

8.

9.

10.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen_name



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Baby


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ANSWERS TO THE VOCABULARY:

head-butt foul of hitting an opponent with the head

holding foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body

kidney punch illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys

knockdown occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the


knockout / KO occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness

low blow foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals

match an organized contest between people or teams

neutral corner corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an opponent

promoter company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or

entertainment event

punch strike with a clenched fist

rabbit punch illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the

spinal cord

ring raised square platform on which boxing matches are held

ropes lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring

rounds time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-minute

breaks

split decision occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,


standing eight count occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and

counts to eight to see if he can continue

technical knockout /

TKO

occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually

on his face, that stops the fight

upper cut upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach

weight classes competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"


30

3. Extract n°3.

5. Tell the story using link words. Give examples.

6. What is forbidden on a ring?

7. Giving an example, prove that Maggie is a tough woman.

8. What did you discover about what is going on behind the scene of the boxing world?

Your friend, although wounded, doesn’t want to miss his P.E lesson. Dissuade him/her and write

your conversation.

4. Extract n°4.

3. Tell the story of what happened just before.

4. Do you think that Frankie was right to take her life? Do you agree with euthanasia?

5. Follow-up Work. Find information and make an oral presentation on the following topics:

Hillary Swank had a special training for the film, find evidence. Find other actors who

did the same.

Or the World of boxers.

Or Clint Eastwood, an actor and a film director.

Prepare your oral presentation.

6. Final Task:

Frankie writes a letter to Maggie’s mother explaining that what he did to her was

out of love.

Name films that had an impact on your life. Write 300 words.


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List of films with awards:

1940s: The grapes of Wrath.

Citizen Kane 1941

Casablanca 1943

1951 An American in Paris

1956 the Ten Commandments

1957 the Bridge on the River Kwai

1958 Cat on a hot tin roof

1959 Ben Hur

1961 West Side Story

1962 Lawrence of Arabia

1964 My Fair Lady

1967 Bonnie and Clyde

1970 Patton

1971 French Connection

1972 The Godfather

1973 The Exorcist

1976 Rocky

1979 Apocalypse Now

1982 Et

1985 Out of Africa

1986 Platoon

1988 Rain Man

1990 Dancing with wolves

1991 The silence of the lambs

1993 Schindler’s list

1994 Forrest Gump

1997 Titanic

2000 Gladiator

2003 the Lord of the Rings

2004 Million Dollar Baby

2008 Slumdog Millionaire


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