EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• middle class: the group of people who have enough money to live comfortably, but are not rich
• edition: a version of a book
• satire: a type of storytelling that uses humour to criticize parts of society
• reveal: to give new information to the public
• credit: to say that someone is responsible for something
• modern: new, recent

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34 — 1.4MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Jane Austen was an English . She was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, to a middle-class family. She began writing when she was only eleven years old. In 1797, she started her first , Sense and Sensibility. When she published it in 1811, she didn’t use her own name. The first edition of the book simply claimed to be written “by a “. Austen wrote six novels, all of which used satire to criticize social expectations. She earned very little money for her work. Although many of her stories are about love and , Austen never married, which was very unusual for a woman in her time. Her brother, Henry, revealed that Austen was the author of her novels after her death in 1817. Many people credit her with helping to shape the way modern novels are written.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Jane Austen was born in
   a. 1775
   b. 1797
   c. 1811
   
2. Her first novel was
   a. Sense and Sensibility
   b. Pride and Prejudice
   c. Persuasion
   
3. The name Austen originally published under was simply
   a. “a writer”
   b. “a gentleman”
   c. “a lady”

Discussion/essay questions

1. Why do you think Jane Austen published her novels anonymously? Why might a writer not want to be known?

Transcript

Jane Austen was an English writer. She was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, to a middle-class family. She began writing when she was only eleven years old. In 1797, she started her first novel, Sense and Sensibility. When she published it in 1811, she didn’t use her own name. The first edition of the book simply claimed to be written “by a lady“. Austen wrote six novels, all of which used satire to criticize social expectations. She earned very little money for her work. Although many of her stories are about love and marriage, Austen never married, which was very unusual for a woman in her time. Her brother, Henry, revealed that Austen was the author of her novels after her death in 1817. Many people credit her with helping to shape the way modern novels are written.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2a 3c

Pre-listening vocabulary

• anonymous: someone whose real name is unknown
• graffiti: art that is made in public places, often with spray paint
• stencil: a piece of paper with an image cut out of it, used to make art quickly
• theory: a belief that may or may not be true
• identity: who a person is

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11 — 1.1MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Banksy is an anonymous British street artist. He is known for creating art with messages. He first became famous in the 1990s for making freehand graffiti around Bristol, England. In the early 2000s, he started to use stencils for his art. Banksy has made in many major cities, including London, New York, and Paris. It is difficult to be and anonymous at the same time, and many people have theories about Banksy’s identity. Some people think that Banksy is really a of artists instead of one. Others believe that Banksy is a woman. The most common theory is that Banksy is Robin Gunningham, an artist from Bristol who has been photographed with stencils and spray paint.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20394″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Because it is illegal, graffiti is a very controversial subject. Some people believe it is a legitimate art form, while others believe it is wrong. What do you think about graffiti?

Transcript

Banksy is an anonymous British street artist. He is known for creating art with political messages. He first became famous in the 1990s for making freehand graffiti around Bristol, England. In the early 2000s, he started to use stencils for his art. Banksy has made paintings in many major cities, including London, New York, and Paris. It is difficult to be famous and anonymous at the same time, and many people have theories about Banksy’s identity. Some people think that Banksy is really a team of artists instead of one. Others believe that Banksy is secretly a woman. The most common theory is that Banksy is Robin Gunningham, an artist from Bristol who has been photographed with stencils and spray paint.