EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• investigate: to try to find out the truth about something
• avenge: to punish someone for hurting someone else
• suspicious: believing that someone is doing something they shouldn’t
• obsessed: constantly thinking about something
• insanity: having an unstable state of mind
• adaptation: a movie, show, or play that is based on an existing work

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13 — 1.1MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a play by the famous English playwright William Shakespeare. The story is about a young named Hamlet whose father has recently . Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, has declared himself the new king of Denmark. One day, the of Hamlet’s father appears and tells Hamlet that Claudius has murdered him. He asks his son to investigate Claudius and avenge his death. While investigating, Hamlet to lose his mind so that Claudius doesn’t get suspicious. However, as the play goes on, Hamlet slowly becomes obsessed with revenge. Eventually, his fake insanity starts to seem . The play is one of Shakespeare’s most famous works, and it has inspired many modern adaptations.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20522″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Some people think that Hamlet really loses his mind throughout the play. Others believe that Hamlet simply puts on such a good performance that he fools the audience as well. Which idea do you like better? Why do you think people can have such different interpretations of the same play?

Transcript

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a play by the famous English playwright William Shakespeare. The story is about a young prince named Hamlet whose father has recently died. Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, has declared himself the new king of Denmark. One day, the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and tells Hamlet that Claudius has murdered him. He asks his son to investigate Claudius and avenge his death. While investigating, Hamlet pretends to lose his mind so that Claudius doesn’t get suspicious. However, as the play goes on, Hamlet slowly becomes obsessed with revenge. Eventually, his fake insanity starts to seem real. The play is one of Shakespeare’s most famous works, and it has inspired many modern adaptations.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• organization: a group of people who have a goal
• diverse: including people of many different backgrounds and identities
• volunteer: someone who offers to do something for free
• borrow: to take something and return it later
• stereotype: a generalized belief about a group of people
• empathize: to understand someone’s feelings and experiences

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14 — 1.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

In 2000, an organization in Denmark started a called “The Human Library”. This library was not meant for borrowing . Instead, visitors could “borrow” a person and to their story. The event had a diverse group of volunteers with unique to share. The Human Library’s goal was to challenge stereotypes. By meeting one-on-one, the visitors and volunteers got a chance to empathize with each other. The first event was very , and the Human Library began to travel around the world. Over 80 countries have now held Human Library events. Some countries have even built permanent Human Libraries that people can visit at any time.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20455″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Would you ever visit a Human Library? What do you think you could learn?

Transcript

In 2000, an organization in Denmark started a project called “The Human Library”. This library was not meant for borrowing books. Instead, visitors could “borrow” a person and listen to their story. The event had a diverse group of volunteers with unique experiences to share. The Human Library’s goal was to challenge stereotypes. By meeting one-on-one, the visitors and volunteers got a chance to empathize with each other. The first event was very successful, and the Human Library began to travel around the world. Over 80 countries have now held Human Library events. Some countries have even built permanent Human Libraries that people can visit at any time.