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VII. COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE / CLIL
Everyday English
Expressing pleasure and responding to it
1.Listen and complete the conversations with the expressions in the box. Then practise them in pairs.
A. It was such a pleasure
B. That's fantastic
C. I'm on top of the world
D. I'm so happy
1.
Mark: (1) _____ ! I've just learnt that my poem about Viet Nam's national heroes has won the first prize in the poetry competition for teenagers.
Nam: (2) _____ for you! It's a very inspiring poem.
2.
Phong: I took part in a public-speaking event and gave a talk about Steve Jobs' innovations in technology. (3) _____ to be among so many talented speakers. They invited me to give another presentation.
Mai: (4) _____! I've always thought you're a great speaker.
2. Work in pairs. Use the models in 1 to make similar conversations for these situations. One of you is A, the other is B. Use the expressions on page 17 to help you.
1. A has just watched a wonderful Walt Disney film, and expresses his/her pleasure to B. B responds to show his/her pleasure for A.
2. B's article about the life of Steve Jobs was published in the local newspaper. B expresses his/her pleasure to A. A responds to show his/her pleasure for B.
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| Useful expressions |
| Expressing pleasure | Responding |
| • ... is/was amazing/wonderful/great. • That was a(n) amazing/wonderful/great... • It is/was (such) a pleasure to... • I was so pleased to... • I'm on top of the world/on cloud nine/ over the moon. | • Wow! |
Culture/CLIL
1. Read the following text and complete the comparison table on page 18.
Queens of the world
It is said that women can rule kingdoms, and some of them actually did. Below are three of the most famous queens in world history.
Cleopatra VII (69 BC-30 BC)
The queen of ancient Egypt (ruling from 51 BC to 30 BC) was most famous for her determination and beauty. She was also very intelligent and well educated, and could speak nine languages. Under her rule, Egypt was a rich nation and remained independent from the expanding Roman Empire.
Elizabeth | (1533–1603)
Queen Elizabeth I ruled England for 45 years (1558-1603). She was admired for her strong determination and intelligence. Elizabeth could speak and write five languages, and even translated lengthy texts into French, Italian, and Latin. She is considered one of the most successful queens in British history. She defeated the powerful Spanish Navy in 1588 and encouraged the development of the arts. She refused to get married.
Catherine II (1729-1796)
Catherine II was a minor German princess who became known as Catherine the Great and ruled Russia from 1762 to 1796. She was intelligent, ambitious, and dedicated to her adopted country. She expanded the Russian Empire, adding an area of more than 500,000 square kilometres. She improved education for children and women, and opened the first school for girls in Russia. During her time there were also great developments in architecture, trade, and culture.
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| Cleopatra VII | Elizabeth I | Catherine II | |
| Country | Egypt | (1) _____ | (2) _____ |
| Years of being queen | (3) _____ | 45 | (4) |
| Characteristics | determined, intelligent | determined, intelligent | intelligent, ambitious |
| Achievements | (5) _____ | (6) _____ | expanded the Russian Empire; improved education for children and women; encouraged great developments in architecture, trade, and culture |
2. Work in groups. Discuss the questions.
Do you know any female rulers or famous women in Vietnamese history? Share what you know about them.
