UNIT

7 Entertainment
LANGUAGE the passive ■ films
b

7A Lights, camera, action!

1 A Match the types of film in the box with
a d
pictures a–d.

animation action film

horror film romantic comedy
c
B Have you seen any of these types of film
recently? Which films did you see?

Go to Vocabulary practice: films, page 146

2 Look at the picture in the text. What type of
film is The Martian? Would you like to see it?

Plot
THE MARTIAN
The year is 2035. A team of astronauts is sent on a mission to Mars, but a
storm forces them to abandon their mission and fly back to Earth. As they are
preparing to leave, astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, disappears.
The team think he has been killed, so they leave without him. When NASA
realizes he survived, they organize a dangerous mission to save him before his
supply of food, water and oxygen runs out. Will he be rescued before it’s too late?

NASA’s involvement
Scientists at NASA worked closely with the director of The Martian, giving advice
about the science behind space travel and the technology needed to survive on
Mars. Jessica Chastain, who plays the commander of the Mars mission in the
film, spent time with astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson to learn more about life
in space. Real missions to Mars are being planned for the 2040s, so NASA’s
advice was based on the latest research.

Interesting facts
• The Martian was directed by Ridley Scott, who has made other science fiction
films, including Alien and Blade Runner.
• It was shot in Jordan because the desert is similar to the colour of Mars.
• A few days before the film was released, scientists discovered water on Mars.

3 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 In the film, Watney survives the storm and NASA tries to rescue him.
2 Jessica Chastain plays the astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson.
3 NASA is planning to send astronauts to Mars in our lifetime.
4 The director of The Martian was Matt Damon.
5 In the film, the astronauts find water on Mars.

4 A What tenses and forms are the bold verbs in column A?

Column A Column B
NASA sends a team of astronauts to Mars. → A team of astronauts 1 to Mars.
NASA is planning real missions to Mars. → Real missions to Mars 2 .
The team think the storm has killed Watney. → The team think Watney 3 .
Ridley Scott directed The Martian. → The Martian 4 by Ridley Scott.
Will NASA rescue Watney before it’s too late? → 5 Watney before it’s too late?

58

128 EXTRA PRACTICE: Workbook page 38; photocopiable activity 7A Vocabulary

 the passive ■ films LANGUAGE 7A
B Complete the sentences in column B so they have the same meaning as the sentences in column A.
Check your answers in the text.

5 A Look at the pairs of sentences in exercise 4A. Answer the questions.

1 Which sentences use the active form of the verbs? Which use the passive?
2 In column A, do we know who/what did the action of the verbs in bold? And in column B?
B Complete the rules and answer the questions about the passive. Then read the Grammar box.
1 We make the passive with the verb and the form of the main verb.
2 We change the tense of the passive by changing the tense of .
3 What is more important: the action, or the person who did the action?
4 If we want to say who/what did the action, which word do we use?

Grammar the passive

Present simple: Past simple: Present continuous:

English is spoken here. The bridge was built in 2010. That new film is being shown.
Present perfect: Future with will:
My bag has been stolen! My laptop will be fixed next week.

Go to Grammar practice: the passive, page 124

6 7.5 Pronunciation: past participles Look at the past participles. Say how the vowel sounds
are pronounced: /əʊ/, /ɒ/ or /ʌ/. Listen, check and repeat.
shown chosen lost spoken known dubbed watched done won

7 A Complete the text with verbs in the passive using the past participles in exercise 6.

Did you know …?

• When a film 1 , voice actors usually provide the dialogue in different
languages, but sometimes the dubbing 2 by the original actors, for example
Jodie Foster (French) and Viggo Mortensen (Spanish).
• The Martian 3 on a screen in space shortly after it was released. Astronauts
watched it on the International Space Station. Maybe one day it 4 on Mars!
• The name ‘Oscars’ 5 by accident – an executive director of the Film Academy
said the statues looked like her Uncle Oscar and the name stuck! Since the awards began,
about 3,000 Oscar awards 6 .
• It’s surprising how many statues 7 ! Angelina Jolie hid hers and doesn’t know
where it is, and Matt Damon can’t find his. Marlon Brando, who 8 best for
his role in The Godfather, lost both of his statues.
• Na’vi, the language created for the 2009 film Avatar, 9 still today!
Fans learn new words and talk to other Na’vi speakers on learnnavi.org.

B 7.6 Listen and check. Practise saying the passive sentences with the correct pronunciation
of the past participles.

Go to Communication practice: Student A page 161, Student B page 170

8 In pairs, talk about your favourite film. Use the questions to help you.
• What type of film is it? • Where and when is it set?
• Who was it directed by? • Is it based on a true story or a novel?
• Who stars in the film? • Does it have good special effects and a good soundtrack?
• What is the plot of the film? • Was the film shown with subtitles or was it dubbed?

Personal Best Write five sentences with the passive about your favourite film star. 59

130 EXTRA PRACTICE: Workbook page 38;

00; photocopiable activity 7A
00 Grammar