节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-01-17
难易度:High
关键字:household name, extensive, cast, intellect, BAFTA [British Academy of Film
and Television Arts], car
Today we are continuing to learn about actor Benedict Cumberbatch and the
important choices he has made in his life.
So far today we've talked about the choice to be diligent and work hard.
Hard work will make a quality actor.
It will make a quality person.
Cumberbatch has played highly intelligent people in movies and on TV, including
Stephen Hawking, Sherlock Holmes and Vincent Van Gogh.
He could not have done this without hard work.
Are you a hard worker?
Let's look at another one of this actor's choices now.
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab.
Benedict Cumberbatch.
Choosing excitement.
But Cumberbatch wants no one thinking that he's like his brilliant characters,
nor does he want to be stuck playing them forever.
However, his mom says he is rather like Sherlock though he thinks that's
probably because of his impatience rather than his intellect.
Still, Cumberbatch's abilities show he possesses some intelligence, as well as
being very adventurous, using extreme sports as a way to escape.
After experiencing a terrifying carjacking, he used skydiving to recover from
the shock, which makes sense considering his age at the time.
OK.
(Chinese).
And let's see what our teachers are up to.
Thank you so much, Michelle.
Well, now it's the part of our show where we choose excitement, or at least
that's what we're reading about now - Choosing excitement.
Benedict Cumberbatch likes to do exciting things.
That's right.
He's not obsessed with fame, and he doesn't let his desire for success at acting
stop him from doing other things that he enjoys.
As we read here, Cumberbatch wants no one thinking that he's like his brilliant
characters, nor does he want to be stuck playing them forever.
No, he doesn't want people thinking he's like his brilliant characters.
That means he doesn't want them thinking he's similar to these characters.
And they certainly are brilliant characters.
I mean, Sherlock Holmes, Stephen Hawking...
Do you ever use that word "brilliant" to describe people, Carolyn, I mean
besides me?
Do you ever use it to describe anyone else?
Oh, very funny, Gabe.
Well, it is a great word to describe someone smart or highly intelligent and an
idea that is smart.
For example, I could say something is a brilliant idea.
Well, that was just brilliant, Carolyn.
Now this word reminds me of a story of when my little sisters were younger.
The younger one went up to the older one and said: Frances, you're brilliant.
Frances said: What does brilliant mean?
To which Tricia said: It means you're smart, dummy.
Oh. Yes. That's a funny story, Gabe.
And if you want people to think you're intelligent, you should probably know
what the word brilliant means.
Anyhow, Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't want to be stuck playing only brilliant
characters forever.
And let's take a look at that word: stuck.
If you're stuck doing something, that means you're kind of trapped like there's
no escape from it.
Right. For example, my friend feels like he's stuck at his job.
He wants to move on to another job, but the economy is so bad so he feels like
he should stay there.
He's kind of stuck.
Or maybe you have a lot of chores to do at home, so you're stuck doing housework
while everyone else is having fun.
Well, Cumberbatch is great at playing brilliant characters in movies, but he
doesn't only want to play super smart people.
He likes doing other stuff, too.
He likes keeping it exciting.
However, his mom says that he is rather like Sherlock.
Now usually I use the word "rather" to mean I prefer something over something
else.
Like I'd rather play than do homework.
But here the word "rather" means to a certain degree or extent.
So his mom means to a certain degree or in some ways, Benedict is a lot like
Sherlock.
She, of course, means this as a compliment.
Her son is very intelligent.
But he thinks he may have more of Sherlock's impatience than his intellect.
There we see the word "rather" again.
But here it means different from something else.
But let's take a look at that word "intellect." Your intellect is how smart you
are.
It's your intelligence, your IQ.
So Cumberbatch doesn't think he's that smart, but our author thinks he possesses
some intelligence.
When you possess something, that means you own it or it is a part of you.
What kinds of things can you possess?
Hmm... Some celebrities possess good looks.
Some people possess great skills.
I, of course, love watching people who possess great drumming skills.
They are great drummers.
So Cumberbatch possesses intelligence, and he's very adventurous.
We read that he uses extreme sports as a way to escape.
Escape.
What's he escaping from?
Um... Well, I think Liz actually wants to tell us a bit more about this sentence
in the Grammar Gym.
Let's go there now.
Hi there, friends.
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym.
My name is Liz.
In today's lesson we see this sentence:
Still, Cumberbatch's abilities show he possesses some intelligence, as well as
being very adventurous, using extreme sports as a way to escape.
That's our Grammar Tip sentence.
Notice the phrase at the end of the sentence: a way to escape.
Normally when we're talking about escape or escaping, we're talking about people
or animals that are locked up or tied up,
but then they find some way to be free and they run away.
But in today's sentence, the writer is not talking about Cumberbatch trying to
really run away like a prisoner.
Instead, this phrase "a way to escape" is used to talk about a method in which a
person can take a break from something that is stressful or very busy.
So in the case of today's sentence, the writer is talking about how Cumberbatch
uses extreme sports as his way to take a break from his work.
OK. Let's have a look at some example sentences.
A lot of people like to put on headphones and listen to music as a way to
escape.
Or: Whenever Catherine has free time, she likes to read as a way to escape.
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out
today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences.
That's all the time we have for today.
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym.
I'll see you next time.
Thank you, Liz.
You know, sometimes I use the word "escape" to talk about leaving the real
world,
like sometimes I watch a movie as a way of escaping reality and stress.
It's a nice way to relax.
That is a nice way to escape.
Would you ever watch Benedict Cumberbatch's movies as a way to escape?
Well, why not?
Well, back to the lesson, we find out a bit why he needs to escape.
He experienced a terrifying carjacking.
That's when someone stops you while you're driving, tells you to get out while
they steal your car.
It's also called hijacking someone's car.
Has that ever happened to you?
Uh, no! And I'm very glad, too.
It was actually a very dangerous situation for Cumberbatch.
It happened in South Africa a number of years ago.
The carjackers threatened to kill him.
He saved himself by convincing the carjackers that his brain and heart had
problems and that it wouldn't be good for them to have a dead Englishman in the
car.
So they let him live.
That Sherlock... I mean Cumberbatch. Brilliant!
So what did he do?
Well, he went skydiving.
Have you ever been skydiving?
No, but it looks scary and exciting.
Now let's enjoy the Editor's Summary with Linda.
Cumberbatch is often chosen to play very intelligent men, mostly due to his hard
work.
However, Cumberbatch's mother thinks that it is his impatience mixed, of course,
with intelligence that makes him like one of his most famous characters -
Sherlock Holmes.
Adventures like extreme sports help him escape from reality at times.
Thank you, Linda.
Well, we have more to learn about Benedict Cumberbatch next time right here at
Studio Classroom.
See you then.