FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
PART 1
1. Watch the following trailers. Make suppositions on the 10 extracts presented.
2. In the following grid, match the film, the period and say what genre they belong to.
3. Comment on some of the films in this list.
5. Read and react: (watch the extracts presented by the teacher)
PERIODS GENRES Films Propositions
1930s
1. An American in Paris the Ten Commandments
the Bridge on the River Kwai Cat on a hot tin roof
Ben Hur
1940s
2. Patton French Connection
The Godfather The Exorcist
Rocky Apocalypse Now
1950s
3. Et Out of Africa
Platoon Rain Man
1960s 4. Dancing with wolves The silence of the lambs
Schindler’s list Forrest Gump
Titanic
1970s
5. Gladiator the Lord of the Rings Million Dollar Baby Slumdog Millionaire
1980s
6. Gone with the Wind
1990s
7. The grapes of Wrath Citizen Kane Casablanca
2000s 8. West Side Story Lawrence of Arabia
My Fair Lady Bonnie and Clyde
2005 Academy Award, Best Achievement in Directing,/ 2005 Academy Award, Best Motion Picture of the Year
2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Morgan Freeman
2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Hilary Swank
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
Notes professeur sur Film poster+ animation+painting composition Rubens.
Attitudes compositions et suggestions.
Use as if.
Focus on Clint Eastwood.
He is in the background, his face is dimly lit revealing wrinkles, thoughtful lines and a preoccupied
look. He is not looking at Maggie but seems to be close enough as if they were confiding in secrets.
Conclusion: it looks as if/ it seems as if. It’s as if he had been watching over her. We can only see his
face and have no idea about the kind of clothes he is wearing.
Focus on Morgan Freeman:
Is further in the back than the rest of the characters as if he was less involved in the action than the
two others.
He is wearing a hat and seems to have a melancholic air about him as if he regretted something. He
seems to be broken down.
It conveys the idea that he may have lost his way. He has this air that is common to the never will
be’s who haunt the dingy/run down HIT PIT gym in Los Angeles whose owner is Frankie.
Focus on Hillary Swank.
Seen from the back, her dully lit muscles reveal the working out that she must have been up to. She
has obviously been working out to improve her muscularity. She’s wearing a tight outfit probably a
sports outfit which fits the boxing theme of the film.
She appears to be determined and ready to do anything to succeed. She sees boxing as a last
chance to escape her impoverished upbringing and low expectations.
WHAT IS STRIKING:
They all look worn out, preoccupied. The dominant dark colours contribute to create a
gloomy and sorrowful atmosphere that let us foresee a tragedy.
We become fascinated by the young woman standing in the middle, as though she was
hiding a secret. There s something mysterious about her.
The title of the films looks mysterious as well. Is it about money? Is she worth a million? She
looks good?
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
PART 2
WORKING on the FILM POSTER:
Clint Eastwood Alias Frankie Hint: a boxing gym owner
Hillary Swank Alias Maggie Hint: a 30 something waitress dreaming of boxing
Morgan Freeman Alias Eddie Hint: blind in one eye but is the narrator
DESCRIPTION
What does it reveal?
USE AS IF/ AS THOUGH/IN SUCH A WAY THAT to make sentences on appearances:
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________________________________________
VOCABULARY ON BOXING.
CHALLENGE. USE AS many words as possible
In a dialogue with your partner.
3 minutes.
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
PART 3
I. Questions on the film based on four extracts of the film.
a. Extract n°1. Fill in the blanks and make conclusions on the two actors.
FRANKIE
That’s your speed bag?
MAGGIE
Put yours behind the ____________. Wish I could
say I wore it out.
FRANKIE
OK, I’ll ____________ you a few things, but that’s
it. Then you got a trainer.
MAGGIE
No, sorry.
FRANKIE
You’re in a position ______________ ?
MAGGIE
Yes, sir, because I know if you train me
_______________, I’m gonna be a champ. I seen
you looking at me...
FRANKIE
Yeah, Outta pity
MAGGIE
Don’t you say that! Don’t you say that if it
___________true. I want a ____________. I Don’t
want charity and I don’t want _________If you’re
not interested I got more celebrating to do.
FRANKIE
Stop, stop, stop, Goddamnit !what the hell are you
doing? OK, here it is, if I ____________________
MAGGIE
You won’t never regret it.
FRANKIE
Look, _____________. If I take you on..
MAGGIE
I’ll promise I’ll work so ___________
FRANKIE
Oh God, this is a mistake already.
MAGGIE Mmm
I’m listening, boss.
From the conversation, fill in the following grid:
Characters+information Background+job Intentions/will
Maggie
Frankie
b. After the conversation, Maggie writes post its to convince Frankie and sticks them on
the gym door. Write them in pairs.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
5
PART4
2. Extract n°2. Tell Maggie’s story on the information given. Tell us about your hopes and
aspirations.
1. Which three adjectives best describe Frankie and justify your choice each time.
Cranky easy-going temperamental moody desperate
flabbergasted anguished irritable
2. Which best adjectives best describe Maggie and justify your choice each time.
Strong-willed over-ambitious sophisticated natural intellectual
spontaneous stubborn credulous
3. General comprehension questions:
1. It seems that Maggie has come a long way, prove it.
2. Maggie shows a lot of qualities, name them.
3. In the second extract, what arguments made Frankie change his mind?
4. Can you name some women that would fit Maggie’s profile.
5. This film is not only about boxing. Can you name some of the themes that are prevalent in
the film?
6. Some people said that Million Dollar Baby is another Rocky but for women. Do you agree?
DISCUSS with your friend. You think that boxing is not appropriate for women.
Your friend disagrees. Act the conversation.
4. Use tenses to tell Maggie’s story.
The simple past the pluperfect and the past+VERB+ING for her youth. The present perfect+V+ING to
talk about her training. The future or the conditional to talk about her dreams.
5. Maggie has fled to New York and has written what she wants to get rid of to start anew. Write the
note.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
6
PART 5 I. General Comprehension:
1. Present the following text: author+date.
2. What is the main topic of the text? Justify your choice by
quoting from the text.
3. Divide the text into two parts and give each a title.
II. DETAILED COMPREHENSION: 1. VOCABULARY ON BOXING.
General terms. Associate the words to their definition.
1. rounds 1= A. foul of hitting an opponent with the head
2. upper cut
B. foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body
3. ropes C. illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys
4. split decision
D. occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the
feet, touches the floor
5. knockout / KO E. occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness
6. ring F. foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals
7. match G. an organized contest between people or teams
8. punch H. corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an
opponent
9. promoter I. company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or
entertainment event
10. neutral corner
J. strike with a clenched fist
11. rabbit punch K. illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the
spinal cord
12. low blow L. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"
13. Kidney punch
M. lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring
14. head-butt
N. time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-
minute breaks
15. knockdown O. occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,
while the third judge scores the other boxer as the winner
16. knockout / TKO P. occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and counts to eight to see if he can continue
17. standing eight count
18. technical
Q. occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually on his face, that stops the fight
19. holding R. upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach
20. weight classes S. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
7
2. Words from the text. Explain: give a synonym to the following words using a
dictionary and say what they refer to.
3. to fall apart
4. to stitch up
Brain damage
I’m worth every cent
5. deep or wide
A severed vein
The stuff
Layers of meat
6.swollen shut
The threat of blindness
Otherwise
blinking
7. crack the seal
Outdated
Pale piss-yellow
8. crippled up
The punch mitts
The fancy
9. first-rate trainers
Featherweight
10. bullfighters
I had a fling
Wag their finger
3. What register of language is being used throughout the text. Justify your choice.
1. Static Register
This style of communications RARELY or NEVER
changes. It is “frozen” in time and content. e.g. the
Pledge of Allegiance
2. Formal Register : It is usually impersonal and
formal.
3. Consultative Register This is a standard form of communication
4. Casual Register This is informal language used by peers and friends.
Slang, vulgarities and colloquialisms are normal.
5. Intimate Register This communications is private. It is reserved for close
family members or intimate people
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
8
4. Find synonyms for the following words or expressions or find their equivalent in the text:
In the text Synonyms
To cauterize
A severed vein
A hemorragia
The boy’s heart pumping hard
A coagulant
Beating
Stop fly blood
Contaminated coagulant
ii. DETAILED COMPREHENSION:
1. What did you learn from the narrator
in paragraphs 1 and 2?
2. Do you think that he is a doctor? A
nurse? A priest?
3. Who was Sonny Liston? What did you
learn about him? (job+personality)
4. What does the narrator’s job consist
in?
5. How close is the narrator to the
fighters?
6. P 5 The narrator’s job sounds really
difficult sometimes? Prove it.
7. Explain why sometimes, according to
the narrator, the bleeding won’t stop
even if he tries hard.
8. P6. Read the paragraph. Annotate the following drawing: (-you can add red ink)
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
9
9. What is the worst thing that can happen to a fighter during a fight?
How about on the long term? What may happen to him?
10. P 7. Circle the objects that the narrator may be using
to treat the boxer:
11. Prove that the narrator is really careful when treating the sportsmen. (3)
12. What disease is easily transmittable in these conditions?
13. P8. Find evidence that the narrator is not that young and that he is well
reputed in the business.
14. There are ways to consider boxing. What are they?
15. P9. Find the definition of his job.
16. A champion cannot be a good trainer. Is it right?
17. P10 Complete the following time line based on the narrator’s life:
(4)
18. Why did he become fluent in Spanish?
19. Make a profile of the character based on the information in paragraph 9.
FINAL QUESTION:
20. Associate the text to one of the scenes of Million Dollar Baby and
justify your choice.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
10
CHAPTER ON. The Monkey Look.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1. I stop blood.
2. I stop it between rounds for fighters so they can stay in the fight.
3. Blood ruins some boys. It was that way with Sonny Liston, God rest his soul. Bad as he was, he'd see his own blood and fall apart.
4. I'm not the one who decides when to stop the fight, and I don't stitch up cuts once the fight's over. And it's not my job to hospitalize a boy for brain damage. My Job is to stop blood so the fighter can see enough to keep on fighting. I do that, maybe I save a boy's title. I do that one little thing, and I'm worth every cent they pay me. I stop the blood and save the fight, the boy loves me more than he loves his daddy.
5. But you can't always stop it. Fight guys know this. If the cut's too deep or wide, or maybe you got a severed vein down in there, the blood keeps coming. Sometimes it takes two or three rounds to stop the blood, maybe more-the boy's heart is pumping so hard, or he cuts more. Once you get the coagulant in there, sometimes it takes another shot from the opponent right on the cut itself to drive the blood far enough from the area so the stuff you're using can start to work. What I'm saying is there are all kinds of combinations you come up against down in the different layers of meat. When a good cut man stays ahead of the combinations, he can stop most cuts, but not every one.
6. Fights can be stopped for a lot of reasons. A football eye swollen shut can stop a fight. But fights aren't stopped just because a fighter is cut. It's where he's cut. Below the eye, or alongside it, that won't usually stop a fight. Neither willa cut if it's in or above the eyebrow, or up in the forehead, or in the scalp. Broken nose? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. A cut in the eyelid, because of possible damage to the eyeball and the threat of blindness, that can stop a fight quick. So will blood pumping down into a boy's eyes. Blood can blind a fighter, maybe cost him the fight, or worse, because when he can't see he starts taking shots he wouldn't otherwise take, and now he ends up on his ass blinking through the lights and shadows of future memories.
7. Boy gets cut, I always crack the seal of a new, one-ounce bottle of adrenaline chloride solution 1:1000 When it's fresh, it's clear like water but has a strong chemical smell. The outdated stuff turns a light pinkish color, or a pale piss-yellow. When that happens, it couldn't stop fly blood. I might pour adrenaline into a small plastic squeeze bottle if I need to use sterile gauze pads along with a swab, but I never use adrenaline from a previous fight. I dump it, even if three quarters of it is left. This way it can't carry blood over from another fight, and none of my boys can get AIDS from contaminated coagulant. I'd give AIDS to myself before I'd give it to one of my boys.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
11
8. Trainers and managers and fighters call me. They know me from when I used to train fighters. But I got too old and was walking around with my back and neck crippled up all the time from catching punches with the punch mitts. Boxing is a game of half steps and quarter inches, a game where old men belong as much as the young. Without its, there couldn't be fights. Fans think boxing is about being tough. For members of the fancy, the fight game is about getting respect. 9. My first fight working the corner of Hoolie Garza came after his trainer talked to me, Ike Goody. Ike was a club fighter in the fifties, but like most first-rate trainers, he was never a champ. With the exception of Floyd Patterson, I don't remember another champ who ever made a champion. Hoolie Garza is a twenty-six-pounder, a smart featherweight Mexican boy who thinks he's smarter than he is. Ile was born in Guaymas, a port on the Gulf of California inside Baia. He was raised illegal in East Los Angeles, where he fought, with his big brothers for food. His real name is Julio Cesar Garza, but as a kid he was nicknamed Juli -- in Spanish it's pronounced "hoolie." Juli was Americanized to Hoolie, the way Miguel, or Michael, is sometimes Americanized into Maikito. 10. After the Korean War, I went to school in Mexico City on the G.I. Bill. I wanted to learn Spanish, maybe teach it. So I hung around with Mexicans rather than other Americans. Some of my friends were bullfighters. I had a fling with the daughter of the secretary to the president of Mexico, a natural blonde who drove a car with license-plate number 32. She, God bless her, was one of the ways I learned Spanish on several levels and in different accents. I usually keep my Spanish to myself, like a lot of Latinos in the U.S. keep their English to themselves. But if they find out and ask about it, I tell them I was a student in Mexico and Spain both, and I say, "Hablo el espanol solo si me conviene-- I speak Spanish only when it's to my advantage." They always smile. Some laugh out loud and wag their finger. A lot of Latino fighters coming to fight in L.A. use me in their corner; some fly me to Vegas. I'm as loyal to them as I am to an American or to an Irishman, which is why I never bet on a fight I'm working -- not on the boy I'm working with, and not on the other fighter. This way, if I somehow screw up and cause my boy to lose, it can never be said that I did business... Rope Burns. Copyright by F. X. Toole.
Notes:
F.X. Toole is the pen name of boxing trainer Jerry Boyd (1930 — September 2, 2002). Toole is most noted for writing the collection of short stories Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner, which were adapted into the Oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby in
2004.
8.
9.
10.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
12
ANSWERS TO THE VOCABULARY:
head-butt foul of hitting an opponent with the head
holding foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body
kidney punch illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys
knockdown occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the
feet, touches the floor
knockout / KO occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness
low blow foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals
match an organized contest between people or teams
neutral corner corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an opponent
promoter company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or
entertainment event
punch strike with a clenched fist
rabbit punch illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the
spinal cord
ring raised square platform on which boxing matches are held
ropes lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring
rounds time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-minute
breaks
split decision occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,
while the third judge scores the other boxer as the winner
standing eight count occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and
counts to eight to see if he can continue
technical knockout /
TKO
occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually
on his face, that stops the fight
upper cut upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach
weight classes competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
13
3. Extract n°3.
1. Tell the story using link words. Give examples.
2. What is forbidden on a ring?
3. Giving an example, prove that Maggie is a tough woman.
4. What did you discover about what is going on behind the scene of the boxing world?
Your friend, although wounded, doesn’t want to miss his P.E lesson. Dissuade him/her and write
your conversation.
4. Extract n°4.
1. Tell the story of what happened just before.
2. Do you think that Frankie was right to take her life? Do you agree with euthanasia?
5. Follow-up Work. Find information and make an oral presentation on the following topics:
Hillary Swank had a special training for the film, find evidence. Find other actors who
did the same.
Or the World of boxers.
Or Clint Eastwood, an actor and a film director.
Prepare your oral presentation.
6. Final Task:
Frankie writes a letter to Maggie’s mother explaining that what he did to her was
out of love.
Name films that had an impact on your life. Write 300 words.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
14
List of films with awards:
1940s: The grapes of Wrath.
Citizen Kane 1941
Casablanca 1943
1951 An American in Paris
1956 the Ten Commandments
1957 the Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 Cat on a hot tin roof
1959 Ben Hur
1961 West Side Story
1962 Lawrence of Arabia
1964 My Fair Lady
1967 Bonnie and Clyde
1970 Patton
1971 French Connection
1972 The Godfather
1973 The Exorcist
1976 Rocky
1979 Apocalypse Now
1982 Et
1985 Out of Africa
1986 Platoon
1988 Rain Man
1990 Dancing with wolves
1991 The silence of the lambs
1993 Schindler’s list
1994 Forrest Gump
1997 Titanic
2000 Gladiator
2003 the Lord of the Rings
2004 Million Dollar Baby
2008 Slumdog Millionaire
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
CORRECTION:
PART 1
4. Watch the following trailers. Make suppositions on the 10 extracts presented.
5. In the following grid, match the film, the period and say what genre they belong to.
6. Comment on some of the films in this list.
PERIODS GENRES Films Propositions
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
5. Read and react: (watch the extracts presented by the teacher)
Notes professeur sur Film poster+ animation+painting composition Rubens.
Attitudes compositions et suggestions.
Use as if.
Focus on Clint Eastwood.
1930s
1. An American in Paris the Ten Commandments
the Bridge on the River Kwai Cat on a hot tin roof
Ben Hur
1940s
2. Patton French Connection
The Godfather The Exorcist
Rocky Apocalypse Now
1950s
3. Et Out of Africa
Platoon Rain Man
1960s 4. Dancing with wolves The silence of the lambs
Schindler’s list Forrest Gump
Titanic
1970s
5. Gladiator the Lord of the Rings Million Dollar Baby Slumdog Millionaire
1980s
6. Gone with the Wind
1990s
7. The grapes of Wrath Citizen Kane Casablanca
2000s 8. West Side Story Lawrence of Arabia
My Fair Lady Bonnie and Clyde
2005 Academy Award, Best Achievement in Directing,/ 2005 Academy Award, Best Motion Picture of the Year
2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Morgan Freeman
2005 Academy Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Hilary Swank
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
He is in the background, his face is dimly lit revealing wrinkles, thoughtful lines and a
preoccupied look. He is not looking at Maggie but seems to be close enough as if they were confiding
in secrets.
Conclusion: it looks as if/ it seems as if. It’s as if he had been watching over her. We can only see his
face and have no idea about the kind of clothes he is wearing.
Focus on Morgan Freeman:
Is further in the back than the rest of the characters as if he was less involved in the action than the
two others.
He is wearing a hat and seems to have a melancholic air about him as if he regretted something. He
seems to be broken down.
It conveys the idea that he may have lost his way. He has this air that is common to the never will
be’s who haunt the dingy/run down HIT PIT gym in Los Angeles whose owner is Frankie.
Focus on Hillary Swank.
Seen from the back, her dully lit muscles reveal the working out that she must have been up to. She
has obviously been working out to improve her muscularity. She’s wearing a tight outfit probably a
sports outfit which fits the boxing theme of the film.
She appears to be determined and ready to do anything to succeed. She sees boxing as a last
chance to escape her impoverished upbringing and low expectations.
WHAT IS STRIKING:
They all look worn out, preoccupied. The dominant dark colours contribute to create a
gloomy and sorrowful atmosphere that let us foresee a tragedy.
We become fascinated by the young woman standing in the middle, as though she was
hiding a secret. There s something mysterious about her.
The title of the films looks mysterious as well. Is it about money? Is she worth a million? She
looks good?
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
PART 2
WORKING on the FILM POSTER:
Clint Eastwood Alias Frankie Hint: a boxing gym owner
Hillary Swank Alias Maggie Hint: a 30 something waitress dreaming of boxing
Morgan Freeman Alias Eddie Hint: blind in one eye but is the narrator
DESCRIPTION
His forehead is seared. There is a vague smile on his face. He doesn’t seem to be keen on compromises.
Is wearing a sports outfit, has obviously been working out looks muscular, determined and strong
Looks a bit older than Frankie. He is looking away. He’s wearing a hat which gives him an old fashioned air.
What does it reveal?
A cranky trainer who spends his days reading Yeats and gives a Catholic priest a hard time. Has spent his life training boxers. Was estranged by his own daughter.
She seems to be anxious to prove what she is able to do to Frankie
He doesn’t want to get involved in the story although he is the omniscient narrator.
USE AS IF/ AS THOUGH/IN SUCH A WAY THAT to make sentences on appearances:
1. Frankie looks as though he didn’t want to listen to Maggie’s plea.
2.Maggies seems determined to make Frankie change his mind and train a girl.
3.Eddie looks as if he didn’t want to be bothered.
VOCABULARY ON BOXING.
CHALLENGE. USE AS many words as possible
In a dialogue with your partner.
3 minutes.
Why
does she want to
become a boxer anyway
girls don’t fight !
Whatever he thinks, he’ll
have to hear me out !
I want him to become my
trainer
Something’s bad ‘s
gonna happen
FILMS. 2011.
[Tapez un texte] Amélie Silvert Lycée Fénelon. Lille. [email protected]
PART 3
II. Questions on the film based on four extracts of the film.
c. Extract n°1. Fill in the blanks and make conclusions on the two actors.
FRANKIE
That’s your speed bag?
MAGGIE
Put yours behind the counter. Wish I could say I
wore it out.
FRANKIE
OK, I’ll show you a few things, but that’s it. Then
you got a trainer.
MAGGIE
No, sorry.
FRANKIE
You’re in a position to negotiate ?
MAGGIE
Yes, sir, because I know if you train me right, I’m
gonna be a champ. I seen you looking at me...
FRANKIE
Yeah, Outta pity
MAGGIE
Don’t you say that! Don’t you say that if it ain’t
true. I want a trainer . I Don’t want charity and I
don’t want favours If you’re not interested I got
more celebrating to do.
FRANKIE
Stop, stop, stop, Goddamnit !what the hell are you
doing? OK, here it is, if I am going to take you on
MAGGIE
You won’t never regret it.
FRANKIE
Look, just listen to me . If I take you on..
MAGGIE
I’ll promise I’ll work so hard.
FRANKIE
Oh God, this is a mistake already.
MAGGIE Mmm
I’m listening, boss.
From the conversation, fill in the following grid:
Characters+information Background+job Intentions/will
Maggie Is trying to hit a speedbag in Frankie’s but seems exasperated no to be able to hit it properly. It’s her birthday today. She is 32.
She comes from an impoverished background. Her mother lives in a trailer She is destined to become like her mother overweight.
She is desperate to become a boxer and to escape from her doomed future (Ancient Greece/ destiny versus personal choice) She wants to convince Frankie to become her trainer although he doesn’t want to.
Frankie Has been looking at Maggie in the rundown gym that he owns. He seems to be really disappointed as she didn’t listen to his advice and keeps coming back. He is angry at her stubbornness that makes him lose potential clients.
Was probably a boxer in his youth and became a trainer. He lost contact with his daughter and seems to be bearing a secret.
He refuses to train girls and the bad publicity that it might engender. He is what we call “old school” girls shouldn’t want to become according t him. In the scene after hearing her sad story, he gives in and accepts to train her.
d. After the conversation, Maggie writes post its to convince Frankie and sticks them on
the gym door. Write them in pairs.
Hel
PART4
Hear me out and
train me !
Maggied
Stop coming
around!
You’re making lose
business! F
You’re such a
stubborn old man!
M
The same for you!
F
The same for you!
F
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
20
2. Extract n°2. Tell Maggie’s story on the information given. Tell us about your hopes and
aspirations.
1. Which three adjectives best describe Frankie and justify your choice each time.
Cranky easy-going temperamental moody desperate
flabbergasted anguished irritable
2. Which best adjectives best describe Maggie and justify your choice each time.
Strong-willed over-ambitious sophisticated natural intellectual
spontaneous stubborn credulous
3. General comprehension questions:
7. It seems that Maggie has come a long way, prove it. She struggles to survive and saves every
cent in her job, even steals food.
8. Maggie shows a lot of qualities, name them. She has a lot of determination and wants to
prevail against all odds. Victory makes her feel worthwhile.
9. In the second extract, what arguments made Frankie change his mind?
When she told her that she had no other choice than to become a fighter if she wanted to
get away from her dreadful/gloomy life.
10. Can you name some women that would fit Maggie’s profile. Politicians and peace activists
that devoted their lives for their beliefs: Mother Theresa, Benazir Butto, Aung San Suu Kyi
11. This film is not only about boxing. Can you name some of the themes that are prevalent in
the film? Redemption, commitment, resilience, love, death
12. Some people said that Million Dollar Baby is another Rocky but for women. Do you agree?
DISCUSS with your friend. You think that boxing is not appropriate for women.
Your friend disagrees. Act the conversation.
4. Use tenses to tell Maggie’s story.
The simple past the pluperfect and the past+VERB+ING for her youth. The present perfect+V+ING to
talk about her training. The future or the conditional to talk about her dreams.
5. Maggie has fled to New York and has written what she wants to get rid of to start anew. Write the
note.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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PART 5 I. General Comprehension:
4. Present the following text: author+date.
5. What is the main topic of the text? Justify your choice by
quoting from the text.
6. Divide the text into two parts and give each a title.
II. DETAILED COMPREHENSION: 1. VOCABULARY ON BOXING.
General terms. Associate the words to their definition.
21. rounds 1= T. foul of hitting an opponent with the head
22. upper cut
U. foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body
23. ropes V. illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys
24. split decision
W. occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the
feet, touches the floor
25. knockout / KO X. occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness
26. ring Y. foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals
27. match Z. an organized contest between people or teams
28. punch AA. corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an
opponent
29. promoter BB. company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or
entertainment event
30. neutral corner
CC. strike with a clenched fist
31. rabbit punch DD. illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the
spinal cord
32. low blow EE. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"
33. Kidney punch
FF. lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring
34. head-butt
GG. time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-
minute breaks
35. knockdown HH. occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,
while the third judge scores the other boxer as the winner
36. knockout / TKO II. occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and counts to eight to see if he can continue
37. standing eight count
38. technical
JJ. occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually on his face, that stops the fight
39. holding KK. upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach
40. weight classes LL. competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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2. Words from the text. Explain: give a synonym to the following words using a
dictionary and say what they refer to.
3. to fall apart
To faint
4. to stitch up
Brain damage
I’m worth every cent
To repair by using stitches and a needle
The consequences of receiving a punch in the head
They can’t do without me
5. deep or wide
A severed vein
The stuff
Layers of meat
It’s a bad wound that needs to be repaired. There will be a scar.
An artery that is bleeding.
A thing.
The different parts in the skin: superficial or internal
6.swollen shut
The threat of blindness
Otherwise
blinking
The wound makes the skin inflate like a tire, there is a hematoma.
The ultimate danger, losing sight
If not
Having an intermittent vision
7. crack the seal
Outdated
Pale piss-yellow
The plastic lid which proves it was not used before
old
pale yellow
8. crippled up
The punch mitts
The fancy
Handicapped
Boxing gloves
Here the upper class people
9. first-rate trainers
Featherweight
Good managers
Very light
10. bullfighters
I had a fling
Wag their finger
Very tough boxers
To fall in love with
An insult
3. What register of language is being used throughout the text. Justify your choice.
1. Static Register
This style of communications RARELY or NEVER changes. It is “frozen” in time and content. e.g. the
Pledge of Allegiance
2. Formal Register : It is usually impersonal and
formal.
3. Consultative Register
This is a standard form of communication
4. Casual Register
This is informal language used by peers and friends.
Slang, vulgarities and colloquialisms are normal.
5. Intimate Register
This communications is private. It is reserved for close
family members or intimate people
It is casual. It’s as if he were speaking to someone. (slang+grammatical mistakes)
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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4. Find synonyms for the following words or expressions or find their equivalent in the text:
In the text Synonyms
To stop the bleeding To cauterize
A severed vein A cut to an artery
Unable to stop the blood A hemorragia
The boy’s heart pumping hard His heart thumping/beating hard
A coagulant A chemical substance to stop the bleeding
Pounding/pumping hard Beating
Stop fly blood Stop the bleeding
Contaminated coagulant Used medecine
ii. DETAILED COMPREHENSION:
1. What did you learn from the narrator
in paragraphs 1 and 2?
That he had to treat bleeding boxers
2. Do you think that he is a doctor? A
nurse? A priest?
He is not a doctor neither a nurse or a
priest. He is probably a trainer
3. Who was Sonny Liston? What did you
learn about him? (job+personality)
Although tough he would faint when he
saw his own blood
4. What does the narrator’s job consist
in?
To stop the bleeding and to make the
boxers carry on the fight
5. How close is the narrator to the
fighters?
He is very close to them. He is
considered as a father. He must be
patient and understanding.
6. P 5 The narrator’s job sounds really
difficult sometimes? Prove it.
Although he tries hard, he can’t seem to
be able to stop the bleeding
7. Explain why sometimes, according to
the narrator, the bleeding won’t stop
even if he tries hard.
If the boxer’s heart beats too fast, there
is no way he can stop the bleeding no
matter how hard he tries.
8. P6. Read the paragraph. Annotate the following drawing: (-you can add red ink)
Above the
eyebrow the eyebrow
the eyelash
Below the eye The eyeball
The forehead
The scalp
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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9. What is the worst thing that can happen to a fighter during a fight?
He can become blind.
How about on the long term? What may happen to him?
He can have memory losses and brain damage.
10. P 7. Circle the objects that the narrator may be using
to treat the boxer:
11. Prove that the narrator is really careful when treating the sportsmen.
He always made sure that the bottle of coagulant hadn’t been used before
He checked the colour of the liquid before using it. He made sure to use sterile
gauze to prevent from transmitting diseases. (3)
12. What disease is easily transmittable in these conditions?
AIDS
13. P8. Find evidence that the narrator is not that young and that he is well
reputed in the business.
“he got too old” but still trainers seem to be liking and trusting him.
14. There are ways to consider boxing. What are they?
15. P9. Find the definition of his job.
He works in the corner in the neutral area.
16. A champion cannot be a good trainer. Is it right?
It’s the other way around. First rate trainers were never champions.
17. P10 Complete the following time line based on the narrator’s life:
(4)
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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He Fought the Korean War, he may have fought the Korean War in the 1950s. He attended school in
Mexico. He met a girl whom he fell in love with. He became fluent at Spanish.
18. Why did he become fluent in Spanish?
When dating a Mexican secretary.
19. Make a profile of the character based on the information in paragraph 9.
He could have become a Spanish teacher but he didn’t. He spent some time in
Mexico and speaks good Spanish. He got some respect from Latino
fighters who hire him. But he never bets on a fight he’s involved in
for fear they might suspect him of dishonesty.
FINAL QUESTION:
20. Associate the text to one of the scenes of Million Dollar Baby and justify your
choice.
When she broke her nose and asked Frankie to fix it.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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CHAPTER ON. The Monkey Look.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. I stop blood.
9. I stop it between rounds for fighters so they can stay in the fight.
10. Blood ruins some boys. It was that way with Sonny Liston, God rest his soul. Bad as he was, he'd see his own blood and fall apart.
11. I'm not the one who decides when to stop the fight, and I don't stitch up cuts once the fight's over. And it's not my job to hospitalize a boy for brain damage. My Job is to stop blood so the fighter can see enough to keep on fighting. I do that, maybe I save a boy's title. I do that one little thing, and I'm worth every cent they pay me. I stop the blood and save the fight, the boy loves me more than he loves his daddy.
12. But you can't always stop it. Fight guys know this. If the cut's too deep or wide, or maybe you got a severed vein down in there, the blood keeps coming. Sometimes it takes two or three rounds to stop the blood, maybe more-the boy's heart is pumping so hard, or he cuts more. Once you get the coagulant in there, sometimes it takes another shot from the opponent right on the cut itself to drive the blood far enough from the area so the stuff you're using can start to work. What I'm saying is there are all kinds of combinations you come up against down in the different layers of meat. When a good cut man stays ahead of the combinations, he can stop most cuts, but not every one.
13. Fights can be stopped for a lot of reasons. A football eye swollen shut can stop a fight. But fights aren't stopped just because a fighter is cut. It's where he's cut. Below the eye, or alongside it, that won't usually stop a fight. Neither willa cut if it's in or above the eyebrow, or up in the forehead, or in the scalp. Broken nose? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. A cut in the eyelid, because of possible damage to the eyeball and the threat of blindness, that can stop a fight quick. So will blood pumping down into a boy's eyes. Blood can blind a fighter, maybe cost him the fight, or worse, because when he can't see he starts taking shots he wouldn't otherwise take, and now he ends up on his ass blinking through the lights and shadows of future memories.
14. Boy gets cut, I always crack the seal of a new, one-ounce bottle of adrenaline chloride solution 1:1000 When it's fresh, it's clear like water but has a strong chemical smell. The outdated stuff turns a light pinkish color, or a pale piss-yellow. When that happens, it couldn't stop fly blood. I might pour adrenaline into a small plastic squeeze bottle if I need to use sterile gauze pads along with a swab, but I never use adrenaline from a previous fight. I dump it, even if three quarters of it is left. This way it can't carry blood over from another fight, and none of my boys can get AIDS from contaminated coagulant. I'd give AIDS to myself before I'd give it to one of my boys.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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8. Trainers and managers and fighters call me. They know me from when I used to train fighters. But I got too old and was walking around with my back and neck crippled up all the time from catching punches with the punch mitts. Boxing is a game of half steps and quarter inches, a game where old men belong as much as the young. Without its, there couldn't be fights. Fans think boxing is about being tough. For members of the fancy, the fight game is about getting respect. 9. My first fight working the corner of Hoolie Garza came after his trainer talked to me, Ike Goody. Ike was a club fighter in the fifties, but like most first-rate trainers, he was never a champ. With the exception of Floyd Patterson, I don't remember another champ who ever made a champion. Hoolie Garza is a twenty-six-pounder, a smart featherweight Mexican boy who thinks he's smarter than he is. Ile was born in Guaymas, a port on the Gulf of California inside Baia. He was raised illegal in East Los Angeles, where he fought, with his big brothers for food. His real name is Julio Cesar Garza, but as a kid he was nicknamed Juli -- in Spanish it's pronounced "hoolie." Juli was Americanized to Hoolie, the way Miguel, or Michael, is sometimes Americanized into Maikito. 10. After the Korean War, I went to school in Mexico City on the G.I. Bill. I wanted to learn Spanish, maybe teach it. So I hung around with Mexicans rather than other Americans. Some of my friends were bullfighters. I had a fling with the daughter of the secretary to the president of Mexico, a natural blonde who drove a car with license-plate number 32. She, God bless her, was one of the ways I learned Spanish on several levels and in different accents. I usually keep my Spanish to myself, like a lot of Latinos in the U.S. keep their English to themselves. But if they find out and ask about it, I tell them I was a student in Mexico and Spain both, and I say, "Hablo el espanol solo si me conviene-- I speak Spanish only when it's to my advantage." They always smile. Some laugh out loud and wag their finger. A lot of Latino fighters coming to fight in L.A. use me in their corner; some fly me to Vegas. I'm as loyal to them as I am to an American or to an Irishman, which is why I never bet on a fight I'm working -- not on the boy I'm working with, and not on the other fighter. This way, if I somehow screw up and cause my boy to lose, it can never be said that I did business... Rope Burns. Copyright by F. X. Toole.
Notes:
F.X. Toole is the pen name of boxing trainer Jerry Boyd (1930 — September 2, 2002). Toole is most noted for writing the collection of short stories Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner, which were adapted into the Oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby in
2004.
8.
9.
10.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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ANSWERS TO THE VOCABULARY:
head-butt foul of hitting an opponent with the head
holding foul of preventing an opponent from punching by holding their arms against their body
kidney punch illegal blow to the lower back which can damage the kidneys
knockdown occurs when a boxer is hit and any part of his body, other than the
feet, touches the floor
knockout / KO occurs when a boxer is hit hard and loses consciousness
low blow foul blow to the area below the stomach, including the genitals
match an organized contest between people or teams
neutral corner corner of the ring a boxer must go to after knocking down an opponent
promoter company or person who finances and organizes a sporting or
entertainment event
punch strike with a clenched fist
rabbit punch illegal punch to the back of the head or neck which can damage the
spinal cord
ring raised square platform on which boxing matches are held
ropes lengths of strong cord enclosing a boxing ring
rounds time periods in a boxing match for fighting, separated by one-minute
breaks
split decision occurs when two of the three judges score one boxer as the winner,
while the third judge scores the other boxer as the winner
standing eight count occurs when a boxer looks hurt and the referee stops the fight and
counts to eight to see if he can continue
technical knockout /
TKO
occurs when a fighter loses because a legal punch causes a cut, usually
on his face, that stops the fight
upper cut upward punch aimed at the jaw or the stomach
weight classes competition divisions based on weight, such as "heavyweight"
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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3. Extract n°3.
5. Tell the story using link words. Give examples.
6. What is forbidden on a ring?
7. Giving an example, prove that Maggie is a tough woman.
8. What did you discover about what is going on behind the scene of the boxing world?
Your friend, although wounded, doesn’t want to miss his P.E lesson. Dissuade him/her and write
your conversation.
4. Extract n°4.
3. Tell the story of what happened just before.
4. Do you think that Frankie was right to take her life? Do you agree with euthanasia?
5. Follow-up Work. Find information and make an oral presentation on the following topics:
Hillary Swank had a special training for the film, find evidence. Find other actors who
did the same.
Or the World of boxers.
Or Clint Eastwood, an actor and a film director.
Prepare your oral presentation.
6. Final Task:
Frankie writes a letter to Maggie’s mother explaining that what he did to her was
out of love.
Name films that had an impact on your life. Write 300 words.
BOXING. Amélie Silvert. Lyce Fénelon. [email protected]
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List of films with awards:
1940s: The grapes of Wrath.
Citizen Kane 1941
Casablanca 1943
1951 An American in Paris
1956 the Ten Commandments
1957 the Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 Cat on a hot tin roof
1959 Ben Hur
1961 West Side Story
1962 Lawrence of Arabia
1964 My Fair Lady
1967 Bonnie and Clyde
1970 Patton
1971 French Connection
1972 The Godfather
1973 The Exorcist
1976 Rocky
1979 Apocalypse Now
1982 Et
1985 Out of Africa
1986 Platoon
1988 Rain Man
1990 Dancing with wolves
1991 The silence of the lambs
1993 Schindler’s list
1994 Forrest Gump
1997 Titanic
2000 Gladiator
2003 the Lord of the Rings
2004 Million Dollar Baby
2008 Slumdog Millionaire