The new cultural revolution: How Little Fatty Made it big

Gapped Summary

RLS 2007

YouTube Introduction

Like (46) _______ all over the world, how he looks worries Qian Zhijun.

• 1st line: “Like a teenager anywhere in the world, Qian Zhijun …”

• This is a general statement about the worries of teenagers.

• There is only one blank so we cannot use an article.

• Plural• 46=teenagers

So, (47) _______ his portly features online upset him terribly.

• Paragraph 1: “So when his portly features were posted online, he was very upset”.

• Need a subject for the verb “upset”.

• Gerund• Cannot be “posting”

because it makes it sound like he posted them.

• 47. seeing/ finding/ discovering

However, despite (48) _______ hurt, Qian has become a sensation in China.

• Paragraph 2: “But despite his hurt feelings, Qian has become a sensation in China.”

• “hurt feelings” = adjective + plural noun

• After “despite” we need a noun phrase.

• 48=feeling

The 100kg petrol station attendant wants to put (49) ___ ____ to good use and become a heavyweight entertainer.• Paragraph 2: “The

100kg petrol station attendant now wants to make the most of his fame and make it as a heavyweight entertainer…”

• “make the most of something” is similar in meaning to “put something to good use”

• 49 = his fame

To help make this dream come true, he has (50) _______ on a manager.• Paragraph 2: “and ha

s hired a manager to help him realise this dream.”

• Hire = ___ on• Has + past participle• 50 = taken

You can see his pudgy face everywhere, as it has been superimposed onto the images of a wide (51) ___ ____ film stars …

• Paragraph 3: “ His pudgy face is everywhere as witty ‘netizens’ superimpose his large head onto a host of stars.”

• “a host of film stars” = a wide __ __ stars”

• 51= range of

Netizens haven’t confined their efforts to male (52) ___ ____(52) ___ ____ ; his melon-sized head can also be found on the (53) _______ of Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa.• Paragraph 3: “ You can

see his melon-sized head on the shoulders of …, and even female images like those of Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa.”

• The previous sentence says his face has been superimposed onto images of many male film stars.

• 52 = film stars

Netizens haven’t confined their efforts to male (52) _______ ; his melon-sized head can also be found on the (53) ___(53) ___________ of Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa.• Paragraph 3: “ You can s

ee his melon-sized head on the shoulders of …, and even female images like those of Marilyn Monroe and the Mona Lisa.”

• 53 = shoulders

The one he likes (54) _______ is that of his face on the body of Russell Crowe as the Roman general in the film Gladiator.

• Paragraph 3: ‘His personal favourite is his face on the body of Russell Crowe as the Roman general in the film Gladiator.”

• “His personal favourite” = “The one he likes __”

• 54 = most/ best

So what can we (55) _______ about modern China from Qian’s story? • Paragraph 4: “So wha

t does Qian’s story tell us about modern China?”

• “What the story tells us” = “what we can ____”

• 55 = learn

Firstly, it shows how greatly the number of people suffering from (56) (56) ______________ is rising in China as it becomes more (57) _______ .

• Paragraph 4: “Firstly, it shows how growing wealth has translated into a serious increase in the number of obese people.”

• Obese people = people suffering from + n.”

• 56 = obesity

Firstly, it shows how greatly the number of people suffering from (56) _______ is rising in China as it becomes more (57) _______(57) _______ .• Paragraph 4: “Firstly, i

t shows how growing wealth has translated into a serious increase in the number of obese people.”

• Becomes more + adjective

• 57 = prosperous/ wealthy

Secondly, it shows how the Internet has become a medium for people to (58) _______(58) _______ their (59) _______ ...

• Paragraph 4: “Secondly, it demonstrates how the Internet is providing a platform for creative expression …”

• “to” + infinitive “their” + noun

• 58 = express• 59 = creativity

Secondly, it shows how the Internet has become a medium for people to (58) _______ their (59) _______ in ways that the strictly controlled state media has no hope of ever (60) (60) ______________ .

• Paragraph 4: “… strictly controlled state media cannot even begin to match.”

• Begin + to infinitive• No hope of + __ing• 60 = matching

Qian’s chemistry teacher was the first to tell him about his (61) _______ rise to online stardom.• Paragraph 5: “ It was

his chemistry teacher at school who first tipped him off that he was rapidly becoming an online superstar.”

• His + noun, so rise = noun

• 61=adj.• 61=rapid• N.B. “meteoric rise”

would be a better choice because it is a common collocation.

Qian visited a cyber café and found that some of the world’s most famous celebrities had (62) _______ his face superimposed on their bodies.• Paragraph 5: “He

went into a cyber café and found images of his face on the bodies of some of the world’s best-known celebrities.”

• His visit to the cyber café happened in the past.

• The images of his face were also superimposed in the past, but obviously BEFORE his visit.

• Past perfect• 62=had

Something about Qian’s face had (63) (63) ______________ to the imagination of China’s netizens, ... • Paragraph 5: “Someth

ing about the Shanghai boy’s face had captured the imagination of china’s netizens, …”

• Cannot be “captured” because of “to”.

• 63 = appealed

Something about Qian’s face had (63) _______ to the imagination of China’s netizens, (64) _______(64) _______ to an amazing outbreak of creativity as they got to work with their photographic editing software.

• Paragraph 5: “ … prompting an amazing outbreak of creativity as they got busy with ….”

• Cannot be “prompting” because of “to”.

• 64 = leading

Although he is now a legend on the streets of Jinshan, the Shanghai satellite town where he (65) _______(65) _______ , initially Qian was not (66) _______ .• Paragraph 6: “Now a l

egend on the streets of Jinshan, the Shanghai satellite town that is his home, …”

• Where he + verb• Home …• 65 = lives

Although he is now a legend on the streets of Jinshan, the Shanghai satellite town where he (65) _______ , initially Qian was not (66) (66) ______________ .• Paragraph 6: “Qian’s i

nitial reaction was not positive.”

• Reaction – positive• Person (Qian) was … • 66 = pleased/ happy

But then he realised that fame, in (67) _______ way it shows itself, has an upside.

• Paragraph 6: “But then he realised that fame, however it manifest itself, has an upside.”

• “however” does not mean “but” in this context.

• It means “no matter which way”.

• 67 = any/ whatever/ whichever

Wherever he goes he gets stopped and asked if he is (68) _______ ‘Little Fatty’.• Paragraph 6: “People

started to stop him on the street wherever he went to ask him if he was indeed the legendary ‘Little Fatty’.”

• 68 = indeed

Qian’s mother said he should go to (69) _______ but the family’s problem was they had no idea whom to sue.

• Paragraph 7: “ Qian’s mother said he should take legal action, but the family’s problem was they did not know whom to sue.”

• Where do you “take legal action”?

• 69 = court

So, typically in the New China, Qian has decided to try to (70) __ ___ __ his web fame.

• Paragraph 7: “And with the kind of pragmatism that is characteristic of the New China, Qian has decided to try to turn his web fame into hard cash.”

• He wants to put his web fame to good use.

• 3 words• 70 = take advantage

of/ make use of/ make money from