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Listen&Learn: Dracula

25th October 2023 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • horror: a genre of fiction that is scary and unsettling
  • nobleman: a man of high rank or status in a country
  • vampire: a monster that drinks human blood
  • victim: someone who has been hurt or killed by someone else
  • undead: mythical monsters that start as dead humans, such as vampires and zombies
  • debate: discussion and disagreement
  • preface: a piece of writing that introduces a story

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Dracula is an 1897 horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. It is about a Transylvanian nobleman named Count Dracula, who is also a vampire. The story is made up of and diary entries from Dracula’s victims and hunters. Many come from Romanian legends about the undead. There is a lot of debate about whether Count Dracula is based on a figure. Many people believe that a 15th-century Romanian ruler known as Vlad the Impaler was Stoker’s inspiration. Vlad the Impaler used the last name Drâculea, which comes from the Romanian word for “dragon”. In the original preface to Dracula, Stoker wrote that it was a true story, and that the were real people from his life. His publisher thought this preface made the story too scary, so Stoker it, along with 101 pages of the book. These pages have never been found.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. The novel Dracula is narrated by
    a. the nobleman Count Dracula himself
    b. a historian studying Romanian legends about the undead
    c. Dracula’s hunters and victims, through letters and diary entries
  2. Vlad the Impaler’s last name Drâculea came from the Romanian word for
    a. dragon
    b. bat
    c. castle
  3. In the original preface, Stoker wrote that
    a. Count Dracula was based on Vlad the Impaler
    b. the story was inspired by a local vampire legend
    c. the events of the story were true

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Why do you think an author might pretend a fictional story is true?
  2. Dracula has inspired many books, movies, and TV shows about vampires. Which ones have you seen? Do you like horror stories? Why or why not?

Transcript

Dracula is an 1897 horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. It is about a Transylvanian nobleman named Count Dracula, who is also a vampire. The story is made up of letters and diary entries from Dracula’s victims and hunters. Many details come from Romanian legends about the undead. There is a lot of debate about whether Count Dracula is based on a historical figure. Many people believe that a 15th-century Romanian ruler known as Vlad the Impaler was Stoker’s inspiration. Vlad the Impaler used the last name Drâculea, which comes from the Romanian word for “dragon”. In the original preface to Dracula, Stoker wrote that it was a true story, and that the characters were real people from his life. His publisher thought this preface made the story too scary, so Stoker removed it, along with 101 pages of the book. These pages have never been found.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2a 3c

Listen&Learn: Frankenstein

5th October 2022 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • horror: a genre of fiction that is meant to cause fear
  • retreat: a trip to a quiet and isolated place
  • interpretation: a recreation of something, often with creative changes
  • relevant: important in a certain situation or to a certain group of people
  • misconception: an incorrect belief

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Frankenstein is a classic horror novel written by English author Mary Shelley. It was first published in 1818. It tells the story of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who sews a together and brings it to life. Frankenstein sees his creation as a , and it eventually turns against him. Shelley thought of the idea for the novel while telling ghost stories on a retreat with other . She started writing it when she was 18 years old, and published it when she was 20. Frankenstein is still relevant in popular , and many interpretations of Frankenstein’s monster have appeared in horror films and stories. However, it is a common misconception that Frankenstein is the monster’s name. In fact, the monster is given a name.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. Shelley thought of the idea for Frankenstein while
    a. reading a horror novel
    b. learning about human anatomy
    c. telling ghost stories on a retreat
  2. When Frankenstein was published, Shelley was
    a. 18 years old
    b. 20 years old
    c. 25 years old
  3. The monster’s name is
    a. Frankenstein
    b. Victor
    c. never given in the text

Discussion/essay questions

  1. It is easy for misconceptions to become widespread in society. Can you think of any other common misconceptions about popular books or movies?

Transcript

Frankenstein is a classic horror novel written by English author Mary Shelley. It was first published in 1818. It tells the story of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who sews a body together and brings it to life. Frankenstein sees his creation as a monster, and it eventually turns against him. Shelley thought of the idea for the novel while telling ghost stories on a retreat with other writers. She started writing it when she was 18 years old, and published it when she was 20. Frankenstein is still relevant in popular culture, and many interpretations of Frankenstein’s monster have appeared in horror films and stories. However, it is a common misconception that Frankenstein is the monster’s name. In fact, the monster is never given a name.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2b 3c

See also:

Listen&Learn: Edgar Allan Poe

25th May 2022 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • critic: a person who gives their opinions about something
  • horror: a genre of storytelling that uses fear
  • grieve: to feel pain after someone’s death
  • praise: positive comments about something
  • renowned: famous, well-known
  • dispute: disagreement about something

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Edgar Allan Poe was an American and literary critic. He is known for his horror stories and poems. Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He started writing poetry when he was a child, and he published his first of poems in 1827, at age 18. However, his early work was not very . In 1845, Poe published his famous poem “The Raven”, about a grieving man who meets a talking raven. This piece gained a lot of praise, and Poe became renowned for his storytelling. Still, he was never paid much money for his work. He also struggled with for many years. Poe’s death in 1849 was almost as as his stories. Even today, there is dispute about what really happened to him.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. Edgar Allan Poe was from
    a. England
    b. the United States
    c. France
  2. When Poe published his first poetry collection, he was
    a. 9 years old
    b. 18 years old
    c. 27 years old
  3. In 1845, Poe published
    a. “The Raven”
    b. “The Tell-Tale Heart”
    c. “The Black Cat”

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Many of Poe’s stories and poems are very dark and disturbing. Do you like horror stories? Why do you think they appeal to people?

Transcript

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and literary critic. He is known for his horror stories and poems. Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He started writing poetry when he was a child, and he published his first collection of poems in 1827, at age 18. However, his early work was not very successful. In 1845, Poe published his famous poem “The Raven”, about a grieving man who meets a talking raven. This piece gained a lot of praise, and Poe became renowned for his storytelling. Still, he was never paid much money for his work. He also struggled with alcoholism for many years. Poe’s death in 1849 was almost as mysterious as his stories. Even today, there is dispute about what really happened to him.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2b 3a