Exercise 1

A. Listen. Who does each statement refer to? Write Jim or Flavio.

___  He forgot his phone today.

___ He hates shopping in stores.

___ He stays in touch with his friends more easily now.

___ He video chats with his niece in Taipei.

B. Listen. Complete the conversation.

Flavio:   I was thinking about what we ________ do before all this technology.

Jim:   What do you mean?

Flavio:   Well, before social media, I ________ stay in touch with my friends much less frequently.

Jim:   What do you do now?

Flavio:   Now I message them all the time.

Answers & Audioscripts

1 Flavio   2 Jim   3 Flavio   4 Jim

A

Jim:   Hey, Flavio. You seem lost in thought. Too early in the morning for you?

Flavio:   No. I was just thinking about how things used to be.

Jim:   Used to be? What do you mean?

Flavio:   Oh, sorry…I forgot my phone today, so I feel a little lost…Which got me thinking… What did we use to do before all this technology? We work online, we bank online, we shop online…

Jim:   Oh, I get what you’re saying. I hate shopping in stores, so I just go online, choose what I want, pay, and someone delivers it. Done!

Flavio:   Yeah, so easy! I message my friends all the time, even when I’m out of the country. But before, it was a lot harder to stay in touch.

Jim:   You’re right about that. My sister has a 3-year-old. But they live in Taipei, so I don’t see them often. But we video chat all the time. And you know what? My niece learned how to do it. She calls me whenever she gets her hands on my sister’s phone!

Flavio:   Yeah kids. They’re so good with technology! I turn off all the settings and let my nephew play with my phone. And he finds games in it I didn’t even know were there! Amazing.

Jim:   Speaking of turning off settings, I used to get a lot of calls from my brother. I would answer, and he would say nothing. I thought he was just playing around, so I hung up. Then one day, we went running together. My phone rang, and it was my brother. But he was right next to me. Then I figured it out. He was pocket dialing me all that time. He had no idea!

Flavio:   I do that to my wife sometimes!

Jim:   Uh-oh. This is probably my niece again.…Hey, Suzie. What are you doing?

B

Flavio:   I was thinking about what we used to do before all this technology.

Jim:   What do you mean?

Flavio:   Well, before social media, I would stay in touch with my friends much less frequently.

Jim:   What do you do now?

Flavio:   Now I message them all the time.

Exercise 2

A. Listen. Circle the correct answers.

1   What do Flavio and Jim both like?

      a   action / adventure movies

      b   photography

      c   playing jazz guitar

2   What will Flavio and Jim do on Saturday?

      a   go to a movie

      b   go to a photography show

      c   go to a music festival

B. Listen. Complete the conversation.

Flavio:   What kind of movies do you like?

Jim:   All kinds. But I don’t like suspense movies too much.

Flavio:   Yeah. I ________ . I like science fiction.

Jim:   ________! A good sci-fi movie can really make you think.

Flavio:   I agree.

Answers & Audioscripts

1 b   2 c

A

Flavio:   So, what are you working on these days?

Jim:   I just finished writing the North Pole Ice Cream ads. It was a lot of work, and really stressful.

Flavio:   I can imagine. You should do something to relax.

Jim:   Yeah, maybe I’ll go see a movie tonight.

Flavio:   What kind of movies do you like?

Jim:   All kinds. But I don’t like suspense movies too much.

Flavio:   Yeah, I don’t either. I like comedies and science fiction.

Jim:   So do I. A good sci-f movie can really make you think.

Flavio:   I agree. Do you know Tom Perry’s movies?

Jim:   Are you kidding? He’s the best! Did you see his last movie?

Flavio:   Yeah. That was one of my favorites. It was so creative!

Jim:   Right! Remember that scene when they’re in the museum and they walk into the photos?

Flavio:   Totally awesome. I thought it was interesting that the main characters were photographers.

Jim:   Absolutely—I loved that—I’m really into photography.

Flavio:   Oh, you are? Have you seen the new photography show at the Art Institute?

Jim:   No, but I want to.

Flavio:   I haven’t either, I was planning to go this weekend. Are you interested in going?

Jim:   Definitely! But my friend is in a band, and he’s playing on Saturday afternoon at the music festival downtown.

Flavio:   What kind of music does he play?

Jim:   Rock, with a little jazz mixed in.

Flavio:   I was in a band in college. I played jazz guitar.

Jim:   No kidding. Do you still play?

Flavio:   Not as much as I’d like.

Jim:   You should come on Saturday. Their guitarist is amazing. I can introduce you.

Flavio:   Yeah, that sounds great! I can see the photography show sometime next week.

B

Flavio:   What kind of movies do you like?

Jim:   All kinds. But I don’t like suspense movies too much.

Flavio:   Yeah. I don’t either. I like science fiction.

Jim:   So do I! A good sci-f movie can really make you think.

Flavio:   I agree.

Exercise 3

A. Listen to the movie review. Circle the correct answers.

 Get Out of Town! is a(n) ________ movie.

      a   action/adventure

      b   suspense/thriller

      c   science fiction

 The plot in Get Out of Town! is ________.

      a   confusing

      b   wonderful

      c   mysterious

 In Get Out of Town!, Patrick Solaro brings out the best in ________.

      a  the actors

      b   the action

      c   the story

B. Listen again. How many stars do you think Brad Johnson would give the director, actors, and plot? Circle the correct answers.

 

 

 

2h 12min

Directed by: Patrick Solaro

Written by: Kathleen Doherty, based on a novel by Melissa Bridges

Stars: Belle Winter, Henry Davis, Susan Robinson…

Get Out of Town!

Great acting. Confusing story. ***

Author: bjohnson2410

9 October

Patrick Solaro’s new movie was expected to be a big hit. After all, he is last year’s winner of the Academy Award…

…More

Was this review helpful?   Yes 87   No 2

***** = Excellent     *** = Good     * = Bad

1   Director

      a   *****     b   ***     c   *

2   Actors

      a   *****     b   ***     c   *

3   Plot

      a   *****     b   ***     c   *

Answers & Audioscripts

A

1 b   2 a   3 a

B

1 a   2 a   3 c

Good evening. This is Brad Johnson. It’s that time of the year again, when I review the summer movies as they are released. Once again, suspense movies are big. Let’s start with Get Out of Town! It’s directed by Patrick Solaro, who won the Academy Award for best director last year. Belle Winter and Henry Davis play the roles of sister and brother Amanda and Jeff Rivers.

Amanda and Jeff have a very close relationship and go to the same college. School has just ended for the year, and they’re flying home to visit their parents. Amanda is waiting at the airport for Jeff to arrive, but he never shows up. As she searches for him, she discovers things about her brother’s past—things that she wishes she had never found out.

The movie is adapted from a book that was written by best-selling writer Melissa Bridges. The plot is interesting at first, but gets more and more confusing as the movie goes on. The acting, however, is wonderful. Belle Winter is terrific as shy Amanda, who learns how strong she really is. And the role of mysterious Jeff is perfectly played by Henry Davis. Director Patrick Solaro is best known for his blockbuster action/adventure films, where the characters are less important than the action. But in his first attempt at directing a suspense thriller, Solaro shows us a new talent—bringing out the best in his actors.

If you’re looking for a well-written story, this is not the movie for you! But if you enjoy seeing how a great director can get actors to bring their characters to life on the screen, you won’t be disappointed.

Exercise 4

A. Listen to the interview. What do location scouts do? Circle three answers.

a   They help the director make changes after the filming is finished.

b   They help set up the scenes.

c   They find the best locations for every scene in a movie.

d   They make changes in the location if it is not perfect.

e   They help the actors to look authentic.

B. Listen again. Circle the correct answer.

 What was the problem with the house in a remote village?

      a   There were wild animals.

      b   It needed a lot of changes to make it authentic.

      c   There was no power for the equipment.

 What kind of unexpected job has Sam had?

      a   finding remote locations

      b   building roads

      c   working with wild animals

 What is one thing Sam had to do to make a scene authentic?

      a   remove modern technology

      b   find a professional animal trainer

      c   do historical research

 What makes a scout’s job challenging?

      a   attention to lots of details

      b   the need for emergency plans

      c   living far from home

Answers & Audioscripts

A

b, c, d

B

1 c   2 c   3 a   4 a

A SCOUT’S STORY

As a writer for On the Move, I get the chance to share some of the fascinating behind-the-scenes details about making movies and to talk to people working in the film industry. I recently met Sam Dinh, a location scout for the new blockbuster, Our Time in the Sun.

Sam, you grew up near Los Angeles, but you moved to Vietnam about ten years ago. Now you are a top movie location scout in the industry. How did that happen?

Actually, I moved to Hanoi to be near my family. Then, one day I was talking to a friend who works for a movie director. The director was shooting a film in Vietnam and wanted a location in the jungle. I found the perfect location and things just continued from there.

What exactly do location scouts do?

We have to find the right locations for every scene in the movie, but we also make sure that all the details on the set look and sound authentic.

So, when you look for that perfect location, what are some of the things you have to think about?

The main thing is to find a location that looks right, but there are other things to consider as well. For one film, I found an old house in a remote village. The director said it was exactly what she had in mind. And it looked perfect, but…

What was the problem?

There was no electricity or running water in the village. We had to bring our own generators to produce electricity. Wow! What about really unusual or unexpected tasks?

Can you tell us about some of them?

I once had to set up a scene where a village was attacked by a tiger. There was a professional animal trainer and we had an emergency plan in place so there was no real danger. But so many things can go wrong with wild animals.

I can imagine! We don’t think about all the details that make each scene authentic.

That’s true, especially for historical movies. For example, Our Time in the Sun takes place in Hanoi in the 1950s. Of course, I knew that satellite dishes and other modern technology had to be removed, but those white lines on the streets? They had to go, too. They weren’t there in the 1950s.

So, what’s the best part of your job?

Well, one great bonus is that I sometimes get to play small roles—usually just in crowd scenes—but never with any tigers!

Exercise 5

A. Listen. What type of music does Sofi a like?

B. Listen again. Answer the questions.

 Who is Sofi a’s favorite band?

 What does she like about the band?

 How does she describe their music and videos?

Answers & Audioscripts

A

Answers will vary. Possible answer: She likes rock music. / She loves rock (‘n roll).

B

 The Roads

 Their music is really exciting; the guitarist and the drummer both sing really well.

 The band has a really cool sound, and their videos are interesting and creative.

Hello, everyone. It’s Sofa. Do you love rock? Me, too! My favorite band is The Roads. I think their music is really exciting.

They used to play a lot in my hometown, so I was able to go to their concerts. But now they are well known and travel around the world.

The guitarist, Nick Garcia, sings really well, and so does the drummer, Pat Vega. When their latest video was released, my friends and I couldn’t stop watching it.

The band has a very cool sound, and their videos are interesting and creative. If you haven’t heard about The Roads yet, check out their latest video online. I think you’ll like them, too.

Exercise 6

A. Listen to the conversation. Check (✓) what people did in the past and what they do in the present.

 

Past

Present

1 a  have a desktop

   b  have a laptop

2 a  send cards in the mail

   b  post birthday messages

3 a  visit grandparents

   b  video chat with grandparents

4 a  post stories on his website

   b  write for an online magazine

Answers & Audioscripts

 

Past

Present

1 a  have a desktop

 

   b  have a laptop

 

2 a  send cards in the mail

 

   b  post birthday messages

 

3 a  visit grandparents

 

   b  video chat with grandparents

 

4 a  post stories on his website

 

   b  write for an online magazine

 

1 A:   Hey, Shira! Did you get a new computer?

   B:   Sure did. I used to have a desktop computer, but my new one is a laptop.

2 A:   Hey Jose, Happy Birthday!

   B:   Thanks, Maria!

   A:   Oh, you got a birthday card! A real card! I used to send cards in the mail. But these days I just post birthday messages on social media.

3 A:   Do you see your grandparents much?

   B:   Well I used to only see them on video chat, but now they live here. So I see them every weekend.

   A:   That’s nice!

4 A:   What does your boyfriend do?

   B:   He’s a writer.

   A:    That’s cool. What does he write?

   B:    He writes stories. When he started about five years ago, he would post stories on his personal website. But now he has a job writing for an online magazine.

B. Listen to the conversation. Check (✓) the facts that are true for Jack and Nina.

 

Jack

Nina

1  loves jazz music

2  likes The Cool Cats

3  loves rock music

4  loves The Corr’s new album

5  saw The Corr’s concert

6  doesn’t like the band Fires

7  plays the piano

8  plays the guitar

Answers & Audioscripts

 

Jack

Nina

1  loves jazz music

2  likes The Cool Cats

 

3  loves rock music

4  loves The Corr’s new album

5  saw The Corr’s concert

 

6  doesn’t like the band Fires

7  plays the piano

8  plays the guitar

 

A:   Hey Nina. What are you doing this weekend?

B:   Well, I’m thinking about going to that new jazz club, The Green Room. I love jazz.

A:   I do, too. So, who’s playing at The Green Room?

B:   A band called The Cool Cats. I’ve seen them before. I think they’re great.

A:   I’ve never heard of them. Maybe I’ll listen to them online. So, do you like other kinds of music, like pop or rock?

B:   I like both, but I LOVE rock.

A:   Me too. My favorite rock band right now is The Corr. I really love their new album.

B:   So do I! I saw their concert last year. They were fantastic!

A:   Oh, I missed that concert. The tickets sold out really quickly. I hope to see them live one day.

B:   But the band that played before them was terrible. They’re called Fires. I don’t like them at all.

A:   I don’t either. I’ve heard some of their music. It’s too noisy for me. So, you love music…do you play any instruments?

B:   I play the piano a little bit.

A:   Oh, so do I! But I’m really a beginner. Unfortunately, I don’t practice very much.

B:   I don’t either. I used to be much better.

A:   I also play the guitar in a local band. We play once a month downtown. You should bring some friends and come to see us sometime.

B:   Sounds great! I think I will.

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