TOTL MARK: 95/106

DAY 13
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with the words in the correct form.
column hound lampoon pack recluse scoop slander stalk
1. A_pack______ of reporters had taken up position outside the hotel as they waited for the star to arrive.
2. Having suggested on a live broadcast that the guest was a conman, the presenter was duly sued
for_slander____.
3. The government minister who had been sacked was_hounded______ mercilessly by the press wherever
he went.
4. The former star rarely made public appearances and practically lived as a_recluse______ in her
mansion.
5. _Lampooned____ by the press for his buffoonish behavior, the candidate continued his run for the presidency,
undeterred.
6. The actress was being_stalked______ by a deranged fan who seemed to follow her everywhere she
went.
7. Lucinda was a fashion blogger before she was approached to write a weekly_column_____ in a London
newspaper.
8. The ambitious young reporter cemented his career with a__scoop_____ on an athletics doping scandal.
**Note:
- A pack of (reporters): a group of similar people, especially one that contains people whose activities
you do not approve of
- Slander (n): a false spoken statement about someone that damages their reputation
- Hound (v): chase someone or to refuse to leave someone alone, especially because you want to get
something from them
- Recluse (n): a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people
- Lampoon (v): publicly criticize sth/sb by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm
- Scoop (n): a story or piece of news discovered and published by one newspaper before all the others
Exercise 2: Complete the text with the words.
anecdotes blackmail excerpts exile gossips instalments
libel memoirs notorious obscurity press scandal
Publish and be damned
In 1824, the Duke of Wellington received a disturbing letter. 'My Lord Duke,' it began, 'in Harriette Wilson's
(1) _memoirs________ , which I am about to publish, are various (2) _anecdotes________ of Your Grace
which it would be most desirable to withhold, at least such is my opinion. I have stopped the (3)
_press________ for the moment, but as the publication will take place next week, little delay can necessarily
take place.'
The letter, sent by a crooked businessman named Joseph Stockdale, was an attempt at
(4)_blackmail_______ Harriette Wilson- a (5) _notorious______ personality - had fled London and was
then living in (6) _exile_______ in Paris, down on her luck and desperately in need of money. The Duke - a
national hero - had secrets that Wilson knew, and was being asked to pay up or risk a (7) _scandal________.
Wellington's response is legendary: 'Publish and be damned!' he boldly challenged. And they did. Over the
following year, the book appeared in a series of regular (8) _instalments________; from these, (9)
_excerpts________ were pirated for wider consumption. To the delight of (10) _gossips________
everywhere, half the aristocracy was named in the book.
It was a huge success, but it did not last. Stockdale was soon ruined financially by (11) _libel__suits, while
Wilson was broke again within a few years, and died in (12) _obscurity________. The Duke, on the other
hand, went on to become prime minister.
**Note:
 - Memoir (n): historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources
- Anecdote (n): a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person
- Instalment (n): one of the story’s parts that are published separately one after the other
- Excerpt (n): a short extract from a film, broadcast, or piece of music or writing
- Libel (n): a piece of writing that contains bad and false things about a person  libel suit
Exercise 3: Circle the correct words.
1 A: Management at the newspaper are seriously considering making staff cuts.
B: I know. It's because our circulation / distribution figures have dropped.
2 A: These figures show a continued decline in paper / print media.
B: Well, it's clearly due to the rise of online news outlets.
3 A: How did the press get their hands on this information?
B: We think the drip / leak came from a government employee.
4 A: Are you sure you can trust your assistants?
B: Definitely. They're too discreet/ discrete to talk to the press.
5 A: Your cousin travels a lot. What does he do for a living?
B: He's a foreign correspondent / reporter and he's posted in Asia.
6 A: Before running your story, we need to know where you found the information.
B: It's from a very credible/ feasible source- someone on the inside.
**Note:
- Print media (n): a way of referring to newspapers and magazines
- Discreet (a): careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping
something secret
Exercise 4: Match the words in bold in 1-6 to their meanings a-f.
1. In the immortal words of the Duke of Wellington, thrown out as a challenge in 1824, 'Publish and be damned!'
d
2. The film The Name of the Rose was based on the critically acclaimed novel by award-winning author Umberto
Eco. f
3. Greta Garbo, the fabled movie star who the press couldn’t get enough of, was reported to be quite eccentric. a
4. The press wasn't interested in the Z-list celebrities at the party, only the famous ones. c
5. He comes from an illustrious family that includes a former prime minister. e
6. Albert Einstein, the eminent theoretical physicist, was a Nobel prize winner. b
a. made famous by having many stories written about him/her
b. famous and respected within a particular sphere
c. only slightly famous but not for doing anything special
d. likely to be remembered for a long time
e. famous, well respected and admired
f. given approval and praise by critics
Exercise 5: Complete the expressions with the words.
headlines invasion legend limelight map
minutes splash stardom string time
1. That singer had a _string______ of hits in the 90s, and was quite famous for a time.
2. Unexpectedly, the support act stole the_limelight______ at the band's final show.
3. Very few artists make a_splash______ with their first album, but she did.
4. He appeared as a contestant on a reality show and got his 15_minutes______ of fame.
5. He finally hit the big__time_____ with the publication of his last novel.
6. It seemed that he was destined for_stardom______ from a very young age
7. She never gave interviews as she considered them an_invasion_____ of her privacy.
8. It was the artist’s unique paintings of banal subjects that put him on the__map_____.
9. Pablo Picasso enjoyed great success and was a _legend______ in his own lifetime.
10. She hit the_headlines______ a year ago when she married a famous footballer.
**Note:
- A string of sth (n): a series of related things or events
- Make a splash (v): become suddenly very successful
- 15 minutes of fame: very short period of being famous
- Hit the big time: become very famous and successful
- Be destined for stardom: competent and skilled in doing something and is certain to have an impact
in their field in the future
- Be a legend in one’s own lifetime: be a person who has an extraordinary level of fame or reputation
while they are still alive
- Hit the headlines: appear in the news suddenly or receive a lot of attention in news reports
Exercise 6: Read these sentences and explain what the expressions in bold mean.
1. Who knows why that writer is so popular? There's no accounting for taste.
Meaning: It is difficult to explain why different people like different things, especially things that you do
not like
2. She doesn't expect to get the part, but there's no harm in trying.
Meaning: You're not going to lose anything by trying
3. The crime drama is full of twists and turns; there's no knowing what will happen
Meaning: It is impossible to be certain about something
4. The star has it all but is still miserable; really there's no pleasing some people.
Meaning: There’s no way to completely please sb
5. Well, now you're 18! Here's looking at you, kid!
Meaning: used to express friendly feelings towards your companions before drinking (a reference to the
famous line said by Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 film Casablanca)
6. Happy New Year! Here's hoping for a bright future!
Meaning: (All of us) hope good things will happen
7. Let's test our theory to see if it works. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Meaning: used to say that a person can only know if something is good or bad by trying it
8. What is the message of the Olympic Games? It's not the winning, but the taking part that counts.
Meaning: This is a phrase echoed by the founder of the Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who said:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part
Exercise 7: Complete the second sentence using a gerund so that it has a similar meaning to the first.
1. It was hard to get an audition for the reality show.
___Getting an audition for the reality show___ was hard.
2. They didn't need to post that photo online
___Posting that photo online_______ was unnecessary.
3. Warhol predicted that everyone would be famous for 15 minutes.
Warhol predicted___everyone being famous for 15 minutes_____________.
4. The journalist was reprimanded because he hadn't checked the facts.
The journalist was reprimanded__for not having checked the facts_______.
5. The paper published the photo of the Royal baby but didn't ask permission.
The paper published the photo of the Royal baby__without asking permission_______.
6. Absolutely nobody was aware that a media storm was about to break.
A media storm broke with no__one being aware of___________
7. Reporters speculated about what the body language of the two leaders might mean
Reporters speculated about__the meaning of the body language of the two leaders
8. He should not be given special treatment because he is rich and famous.
He should not be given special treatment on account of____his being rich and famous___________.
**Note:
- Reprimand sb for sth (v): express to someone your strong official disapproval of them
Exercise 8: Match the verbs with the nouns to form collocations.
be dropped from a record label
get signed by an agent
make a comeback
reach the peak of stardom
seek publicity
Exercise 9: Complete the sentences with the collocations from F in the correct form
1. Everyone thought he was a one-hit-wonder, but he surprised everyone by_making a comeback______
two years after his first hit.
2. She has very little discernible talent, so I think that's why she always_seeks publicity_____ by trying to
be photographed outside high-end bars and clubs.
3. After a string of flops, it was no surprise when the band __was dropped_from their record label_____.
4. It was definitely in that gangster film that he_reached the peak of stardom____. He was really
underwhelming in everything I saw him in after that.
5. The tension backstage during our final performance at drama school was really high because everyone
was trying to_get signed by an agent______.
Exercise 10. Circle the correct words.
1. His shyness in private was completely at / on odds with his public persona.
2. The paparazzi were getting out of / under hand, and so the police were called in.
3. As soon as he tasted fame, the young actor became quite full with / of himself.
4. The joke the author made upon receiving his award was by / in very bad taste.
5. The reporter was sacked at/ on the spot for making up bogus sources.
6. Social media was abuzz with the celebrity's into/ over the top wedding.
7. Upwards from / of 10,000 fans were at the airport to welcome the star.
8. Many sacrifices were made by the aspiring actor for/ in the name of fame
**Note:
- Persona (n): the aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others
- Full of oneself (a): thinking that you are very important in a way that annoys others
- Abuzz with (a): filled with talk or excitement
- In the name of sth = for the sake of
7. Surviving group of
8. Ancestral tongue
9. Live
10. Cultural heritage
11. Animal species
12. Talking dictionaries
13. Mobile phone
14. Interact
15. Engage with
21. H
22. B
23. E
24. G
25. F
26. D
27. B
28. F
29. H
20. E