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Listen & Learn: All Quiet on the Western Front

13th November 2024 by Jaksyn Peacock
All Quiet on the Western Front

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • enlist: to voluntarily join the military
  • nationalist: strongly supporting one’s country, especially with the belief that it is superior to other countries
  • trench: a long ditch in the ground used as cover in war
  • propaganda: information that intends to convince people of a certain political idea
  • controversial: causing a lot of conflict and disagreement
  • pacifist: opposed to war and violence
  • nominate: to suggest something for an award

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1929 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story of 20-year-old Paul Baumer, a in the German army during World War I. In the novel, Paul and his friends are convinced to enlist by their ‘s nationalist speeches. However, when they enter the trenches, they realize that the reality of war is nothing like the propaganda. The characters in the novel are , but the story borrows from Remarque’s real experiences as a soldier. The book sold well when it was first released, but it was controversial. Politicians in Germany and around the world its pacifist themes. When the Nazis gained power, they attacked and All Quiet on the Western Front for being “anti-German.” The book was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. It is still viewed as one of the most important war novels in history.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. In All Quiet on the Western Front, the main characters are convinced to enlist by
    a. their parents
    b. the newspapers
    c. their teacher
  2. The book was controversial for its
    a. nationalism
    b. patriotism
    c. pacifism
  3. In 1931,
    a. the book was first published in a German magazine
    b. the book was made into a movie
    c. the book was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Books are often banned if they contain controversial ideas. Have any books ever been banned in your country? What was the reason?

Transcript

All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1929 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story of 20-year-old Paul Baumer, a soldier in the German army during World War I. In the novel, Paul and his friends are convinced to enlist by their teacher‘s nationalist speeches. However, when they enter the trenches, they realize that the reality of war is nothing like the propaganda. The characters in the novel are fictional, but the story borrows from Remarque’s real experiences as a soldier. The book sold well when it was first released, but it was controversial. Politicians in Germany and around the world disliked its pacifist themes. When the Nazis gained power, they attacked and burned All Quiet on the Western Front for being “anti-German.” The book was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. It is still viewed as one of the most important war novels in history.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2c 3c

See also:

Listen & Learn: The Manhattan Project

14th August 2024 by Jaksyn Peacock
Color photograph of first nuclear test explosion
Famous colour photograph of the first nuclear test explosion (the Trinity shot)
  • atomic bomb: a bomb that creates energy by splitting atoms
  • refugee: someone who leaves a country to escape a threat, such as war or human rights violations
  • nuclear fission: the process of splitting the nucleus of an atom to create energy
  • peer: someone who belongs to the same social group as someone else, such as age, class, or job
  • petition: a document that people sign to show support for a social change
  • president: someone who leads a government
  • controversial: causing a lot of anger and argument

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

The Manhattan Project was a secret American project during World War II. The was to build an atomic bomb. Refugee from Nazi Germany, including Albert Einstein, the US government to begin the project after the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938. Einstein and his peers feared that the Nazis would use this discovery to build their own atomic bombs. The Manhattan Project began in 1942. The lead scientist was J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is now known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The first successful atomic bomb was in July of 1945. Soon after, 70 scientists who worked on the project signed a petition to convince the government not to use the bomb without . However, the petition never reached the president. The US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, killing close to 200,000 people. It is still one of the most controversial military acts in history.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. Nuclear fission was discovered in
    a. 1938
    b. 1942
    c. 1945
  2. The lead scientist on the Manhattan Project was
    a. Albert Einstein
    b. J. Robert Oppenheimer
    c. Leo Szilard
  3. 70 Manhattan Project scientists signed a petition to convince the US government
    a. that dropping the bombs on Japan was the only way to end the war
    b. to end all research on the bombs and never use them
    c. not to drop the bombs without warning Japan first

Discussion/essay questions

  1. How do you think the world would be different if the US hadn’t started the Manhattan Project? Do you think another country would have built and used an atomic bomb? Why or why not?
  2. Is scientific progress always a good thing? Why or why not? How can scientists be responsible when inventing new technology?

Transcript

The Manhattan Project was a secret American project during World War II. The goal was to build an atomic bomb. Refugee scientists from Nazi Germany, including Albert Einstein, convinced the US government to begin the project after the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938. Einstein and his peers feared that the Nazis would use this discovery to build their own atomic bombs. The Manhattan Project began in 1942. The lead scientist was J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is now known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The first successful atomic bomb test was in July of 1945. Soon after, 70 scientists who worked on the project signed a petition to convince the government not to use the bomb without warning. However, the petition never reached the president. The US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, killing close to 200,000 people. It is still one of the most controversial military acts in history.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2b 3c

Listen&Learn: The Berlin Wall

23rd November 2022 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • Allied Powers: the countries that fought against Nazi Germany in World War II
  • region: an area inside a country
  • defect: to leave a country for political reasons
  • border: the division between two regions
  • diplomat: a person who represents their country in negotiations
  • checkpoint: a place where people are verified by security
  • signify: to show that something is happening

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

The Berlin Wall was a barrier that separated West Berlin from the rest of East Germany during the Cold War. After World War II, the Allied Powers divided Germany into four regions. The Soviet Union the eastern region, and the United States, Britain, and France controlled the western regions. The communist of East Germany built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to stop people from defecting. The only people who could cross the border were diplomats, and they had to go through special checkpoints. In 1989, East Germany finally declared that people would be able to cross the border . Over 2 million people arrived at the border. Some brought to tear the wall down. The of the wall came to signify the beginning of the end of the Cold War. 

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. The wall was built by the government of
    a. Russia
    b. East Germany
    c. West Germany
  2. The purpose of the wall was to
    a. stop people from immigrating to the country
    b. protect the country from military advances
    c. stop people from defecting
  3. The wall came down in
    a. 1961
    b. 1968
    c. 1989

Discussion/essay questions

  1. The Berlin Wall was one structure that represented a major political divide across Europe. Why do you think it is so easy to divide people?

Transcript

The Berlin Wall was a barrier that separated West Berlin from the rest of East Germany during the Cold War. After World War II, the Allied Powers divided Germany into four regions. The Soviet Union controlled the eastern region, and the United States, Britain, and France controlled the western regions. The communist government of East Germany built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to stop people from defecting. The only people who could cross the border were diplomats, and they had to go through special checkpoints. In 1989, East Germany finally declared that people would be able to cross the border freely. Over 2 million people arrived at the border. Some brought tools to tear the wall down. The fall of the wall came to signify the beginning of the end of the Cold War. 

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2c 3c

Listen&Learn: Grimm’s Fairy Tales

9th March 2022 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • fairy tale: a fantasy children’s story that often has a moral
  • interpretation: a retelling of a written work
  • inappropriate: not right for a certain audience
  • criticize: to talk about the problems with something
  • antisemitic: hateful or discriminatory towards Jewish people
  • relevant: important for a certain situation

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a of short stories by German Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It was in 1812, originally titled Children’s and Household Tales. Many well-known children’s stories are based on these German folk tales, such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. However, the original stories are much darker than the interpretations we know today. Although they were written for children, many of the Grimms’ stories contain and disturbing scenes. Even at the time, some people thought the stories were inappropriate for children. They have also been criticized for their antisemitic . However, the Grimms’ collection is still relevant because of its influence on the stories of today.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20877″]

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Why is it important to be aware of harmful messages in fiction?
  2. What do you think makes fairy tales so influential?

Transcript

Grimm’s Fairy Tales is a collection of short stories by German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It was published in 1812, originally titled Children’s and Household Tales. Many well-known children’s stories are based on these German folk tales, such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. However, the original stories are much darker than the interpretations we know today. Although they were written for children, many of the Grimms’ stories contain violent and disturbing scenes. Even at the time, some people thought the stories were inappropriate for children. They have also been criticized for their antisemitic messages. However, the Grimms’ collection is still relevant because of its influence on the stories of today.

Albert Einstein

11th March 2020 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • influential: important and powerful; having influence
  • fascinated: very interested in something
  • introduce: to make something known for the first time
  • achievement: something that is completed successfully
  • target: a person that a certain group wants to attack
  • physicist: a scientist that specializes in physics

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Albert Einstein was one of the most influential of the 20th century. He was born in Germany in 1879, and began attending school in 1885. As Einstein got older, he became fascinated with the nature of . He published his first scientific paper at the age of 16, and later went on to study at a university in Switzerland. In 1905, Einstein published four scientific papers. The papers introduced his theory of special relativity, which allowed scientists to better understand the between time and space. Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his achievements. In the 1930s, however, Einstein became a target of the Nazi Party of Germany. He moved to the U.S. to protect himself, and continued to work as a physicist. Einstein died in 1955, but his brain is kept in the Princeton University Medical Center, and it is still by scientists today.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19295″]

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Some people wanted to use Einstein’s discoveries to develop weapons, such as the atomic bomb. What is your opinion on the use of new scientific discoveries to build stronger weapons?

Transcript

Albert Einstein was one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. He was born in Germany in 1879, and he began attending school in 1885. As Einstein got older, he became fascinated with the nature of light. He wrote his first scientific paper at the age of 16, and later went on to study physics at a university in Switzerland. In 1905, Einstein published four scientific papers. The papers introduced his theory of special relativity, which allowed scientists to better understand the connection between time and space. Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his achievements. In the 1930s, however, Einstein became a target of the Nazi Party of Germany. He moved to the U.S. to protect himself, and continued to work as a physicist. Einstein died in 1955, but his brain is still kept in the Princeton University Medical Center. Scientists still study it today.