Section II Text A: After All the Crazy Oscar Drama Live Onstage, One Idea Endures: the Power of Empathy
Part 1 Power of Words
Core Words
1 eloquent ['eləkwənt] adj.
Speech or writing that is eloquent is well expressed and effective in persuading people.
synonym expressive; fluent; articulate; persuasive; stirring
antonym inarticulate
word family eloquently; eloquence
related phrase eloquent speech/speaker/proof
Example 1 I heard him make a very eloquent speech at that dinner.
Example 2 The photographs are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.
2 detest [dɪ'test] vt. (detested/detested/detesting)
If you detest someone or something, you dislike them very much.
synonym hate; loathe; despise; abhor; abominate; turn away from
antonym love
word family detestable; detestably; detestation
related phrase detest sb./sth.; detest doing sth.
Example 1 I detest those who deceive me.
Example 2 The workers detest his overbearing manner.
3 migrant ['maɪɡrənt] n.
A migrant is a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work.
synonym wanderer; traveller; nomad; refugee
word family migratory; migration; immigrant; emigrant
related phrase migrant worker/labor
Example 1 A lot of factory work is done by migrant workers.
Example 2 Migrant workers would be forced to leave their children behind in distant villages.
4 applaud [ə'plɔːd] vi./vt. (applauded/applauded/applauding)
When a group of people applaud, they clap their hands in order to show approval, for example, when they have enjoyed a play or concert; When an attitude or action is applauded, people praise it.
synonym admire; approve; celebrate; clap; congratulate; be favorable to
antonym boo; disapprove
word family applause
related phrase applaud performance/speech
Example 1 He started to applaud and the others joined in.
Example 2 Every person stood to applaud his unforgettable act of courage.
5 defy [dɪ'faɪ] vt. (defied/defied/defying)
If you defy someone or something that is trying to make you behave in a particular way, you refuse to obey them and behave in that way.
synonym challenge; confront; disobey; rebel; resist
antonym obey
word family defiance
related phrase defy description/analysis/belief/logic/the odds
Example 1 This was the first (and last) time that I dared to defy my mother.
Example 2 They believe it is essential to defy the convention.
6 pounce [paʊns] vi. (pounced/pounced/pouncing)
If someone pounces on something such as a mistake, they quickly draw attention to it, usually in order to gain an advantage for themselves or to prove that they are right.
synonym sweep down; bound on
related phrase pounce on
Example 1 The Democrats were ready to pounce on any Republican failings or mistakes.
Example 2 He pounced on the photographer, beat him up, and smashed his camera.
7 prevail [prɪ'veɪl] vi. (prevailed/prevailed/prevailing)
If a person, idea, or principle prevails in a fight, argument, etc., they are successful in the end.
synonym obtain; win; triumph; win through; succeed; be victorious; overcome
antonym fail
word family prevailing; prevalent; prevalence
related phrase prevail on/upon; prevail over
Example 1 He considered lying, but then common sense prevailed.
Example 2 She prevailed upon her father to say nothing. (Meaning: She persuaded her father to say nothing.)
8 boycott ['bɔɪkɒt] vt. (boycotted/boycotted/boycotting)
If a country, group, or person boycotts a country, organization, or activity, they refuse to be involved with it in any way because they disapprove of it.
synonym refuse; stay away from; embargo; shun; proscribe
Example 1 The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections.
Example 2 We boycott all products tested on animals.
9 acute [ə'kjuːt] adj.
If a person's or animal's sight, hearing, or sense of smell is acute, it is sensitive and powerful; You can use acute to indicate that an undesirable situation or feeling is very severe or intense.
synonym serious; bad; keen
word family acutely; acuteness
related phrase acute infection/shortage/sense/lung/stress
Example 1 When she lost her sight, her other senses grew more acute.
Example 2 The housing shortage is more acute than first thought.
10 plunge [plʌndʒ] vi./vt. (plunged/plunged/plunging)
If you plunge into an activity or are plunged into it, you suddenly get very involved in it.
synonym plough into; throw one's self into
antonym hesitate
word family plunging; plunger
related phrase plunge into
Example 1 The two men plunged into discussion.
Example 2 The prince should be plunged into work.
11 outweigh [aʊt'weɪ] vt. (outweighed/outweighed/outweighing)
If one thing outweighs another, the first thing is of greater importance, benefit, or significance than the second thing.
synonym come before; take precedence over; overshadow; prevail over; dwarf
Example 1 The advantages of this deal largely outweigh the disadvantages.
Example 2 The benefits of the scheme outweigh the disadvantages.
12 eminent ['emɪnənt] adj.
An eminent person is well-known and respected, especially because they are good at their profession.
synonym well-known; renowned; important; distinguished; famous; outstanding; excellent; prominent; brilliant
antonym unknown
word family eminently; eminence
related phrase eminent position/scientist
Example 1 School children from years 10−13 joined with eminent scientists to attend lectures, speeches, laboratory demonstrations and discussion groups.
Example 2 Although Darwin was the son and grandson of physicians, the most eminent doctors of the day were flummoxed by his symptoms.
13 dismay [dɪs'meɪ] n.
Dismay is a strong feeling of fear, worry, or sadness that is caused by something unpleasant and unexpected.
synonym disappointment; shock; consternation; apprehension; panic
antonym comfort
word family dismayed
related phrase with/in dismay; to sb.'s dismay
Example 1 Local politicians have reacted with dismay and indignation.
Example 2 I found to my dismay that I had left my notes behind.
14 accomplish [ə'kʌmplɪʃ] vt. (accomplished/accomplished/accomplishing)
If you accomplish something, you succeed in doing it.
synonym carry out; come true; perform; complete; fulfill
word family accomplished; accomplishable; accomplishment
related phrase accomplish one's goal/purpose/mission/feat/nothing
Example 1 If we'd all work together, I think we could accomplish our goal.
Example 2 It'll require indomitable will to accomplish the task.
15 genius ['dʒiːnɪəs] n.
A genius is a highly talented, creative, or intelligent person; or a very high level of intelligence, mental skill, or artistic ability
synonym mastermind; prodigy; whiz kid; brain; intellect
antonym stupidity
related phrase genius for sth./for doing sth.
Example 1 Chaplin was not just a genius; he was among the most influential figures in film history.
Example 2 The man had genius and had made his mark in the aviation world.
16 expand [ɪk'spænd] vt./vi. (expanded/expanded/expanding)
If something such as a business, organization, or service expands, or if you expand it, it becomes bigger and includes more people, goods, or activities.
synonym enlarge; increase; swell; develop; inflate
antonym contract
related phrase expand on/upon sth.; expand into; expand business/market/demand/scope/industry
Example 1 China will further expand the scope of its opened-up areas.
Example 2 The hotel wants to expand its business by adding a swimming pool.
17 heighten ['haɪtn] vt./vi. (heightened/heightened/heightening)
If something heightens a feeling or if the feeling heightens, the feeling increases in degree or intensity.
synonym intensify; amplify; increase; enhance; add to
related phrase heighten effect/sensation
Example 1 The move has heightened tension in the state.
Example 2 How do we heighten our happiness?
18 pull off
to succeed in achieving sth., especially sth. difficult
Example 1 The National League for Democracy pulled off a landslide victory.
Example 2 Already, doubters have emerged who believe Mr. Sokol won't be able to pull off the deals Mr. Buffett has.
19 follow in the footsteps of
to do the same things as they did earlier
Example 1 He felt honored to follow in the footsteps of some of his biggest influences.
Example 2 He responded by saying he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Steve Jobs.
20 dress to the nines
to put on very gorgeous or luxuriant clothes
Example 1 We dressed to the nines and lunched at Caviar Kaspia.
Example 2 At Google's holiday party, some employees dressed to the nines while others wore whatever they had on at work that day to enjoy an evening of food and music inside a music arena.
21 take issue with
to disagree with sb., and start arguing about sth.
Example 1 "I'm sure some will take issue with their conclusions," he says, "but this is a very significant study."
Example 2 Many now take issue with this view.
Words for Self-study
Please find and memorize the meanings and usages of the following words with the help of dictionaries, online resources and other references.
averse barber Broadway bumpy celebrity
elite facetious fruition granite grievance
immigrate imperative inadvertent Iran mingle
Oscar partition plausible proximity satire
stealth Trump unravel respite warren
cult humane moderation resurrect weary
outcry
Part 2 Text
After All the Crazy Oscar1 Drama Live Onstage, One Idea Endures: the Power of Empathy
And the winner actually is …
The final-act confusion over the best picture award that had movie moguls staggering out of the Dolby Theater2 in Hollywood after Sunday's Academy Awards was a fitting conclusion to a show that had been pulling off a more artful bait-and-switch3 all night.
The expectation was that Hollywood would pounce on President Trump4 as it had done throughout the awards season. The question on the minds of Oscar watchers going into the ceremony was who would be most likely to follow in Meryl Streep5's Golden Globe6 footsteps.
Would one of the acceptance speeches turn into a broadside? Would a presenter go rogue and prevail on Americans to rise up and boycott or would the political cult be reserved for the stealth satire of host Jimmy Kimmel, who in his opening monologue joked that "this broadcast is being watched in 225 countries that now detest us"?
Kimmel, whose demolition jobs are delivered with the smoothness of a barber giving an old-fashioned shave, had an irresistible target and he certainly got in his share of presidential licks. But there was another famous figure in his cross hairs, Matt Damon, the good-sport target of a fake celebrity feud7.
It wasn't as if Kimmel lost sight of Trump during the ceremony. There was a facetious bit late in which he tweeted the Tweeter-in-Chief8 to see if he might be secretly watching. (The absence of social media grudge from the White House prompted the check-in.) But Damon served as a jocular safety valve, rescuing Kimmel from becoming too focused on the elephant not in the room.
The Oscars has many different audiences, not all of them natural couch-fellows. Experiencing the ceremony from inside the Dolby Theater as a first-time attendee, I was fascinated by how the show managed the tightrope act of appealing to movie industry elites who dressed to the nines for the occasion and to the more casually attired viewers from all over the world who make up Hollywood's maddeningly heterogeneous consumer base.
Producer Marc Platt, accepting the best picture award for La La Land9 (before it was discovered that, oops, the winner was really Moonlight10), delivered an eloquent speech in which he made the distinction between "the Hollywood community" that he was so proud to be part of and "the Hollywood in the hearts and minds of people everywhere". The show, acutely conscious of these two groups, found a way to speak simultaneously to them by appealing to what unites them—the basic human need to connect through storytelling.
The word of the night was "empathy", which liberals would be quick to read as an antonym of "Trump" and conservatives as a code for Trump-bashing. But Viola Davis11 unravelled the meaning in the context of the arts when she movingly accepted the supporting actress award for her performance in Fences.
Speaking with the intense emotional lucidity that is the hallmark of her acting, she immediately got down to brass tacks12: "You know, there's one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered. One place. And that's the graveyard."
Her mission as an actress, she said, is to excavate those bodies. Excavate those stories. The stories of the people who dreamed big, and never saw those dreams to fruition. The kind of ordinary lives August Wilson13 the author of Fences, plunged his exemplary career to resurrecting."I became an artist and thank God I did because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life," Davis said, transcending politics with the humanism of art.
There were speeches that editorialized more explicitly on Trump's policies. Gael Garcia Bernal took issue with the White House's immigration plans, saying, "As a Mexican, as a Latin American, as a migrant worker, as a human being, I am averse to any form of wall that wants to separate us."And a statement from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose movie The Salesman received the foreign film award, explained that his absence was "out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations who have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.14".
It was interesting to see up-close the mixed reaction to these political moments at the Dolby, where those not applauding were as conspicuous as those who were. Support for these positions clearly outweighed the silence, but "liberal Hollywood" isn't the monolith imagined in conservative grievance. Some in the audience were simply not comfortable in expressing a political opinion, but a few others appeared to be wearing a look of weary moderation.
No one, however, could argue with the basic thrust of the evening that partitioning people into enemy camps isn't the way to move forward or to stay sane. Opposition, as the eminent Shakespearean actor Mark Rylance observed while presenting the supporting actress award, shouldn't have to devolve into hatred. Even a liberal granite like Warren Beatty hewed to this message, prefacing his presentation of the night's final award with the idea that "our goal in politics is the same as our goal in art. And that is to get to the truth".
The truth that collected trophies on Sunday was more diverse than the previous year that gave us the hashtag "Oscars-So-White". This was a cause of celebration. The academy had taken steps to respond to the outcry that it wasn't doing enough to expand its tent. Hollywood still has deep-embedded structural problems, but the Oscars had reason to pat itself on the back, even if the bungling of the evening's top prize cheated Moonlight, the first LGBT15 film to win for the best picture, of its turn in the sun.
Audience members at the Dolby, many of whom were connected to particular films, didn't know how to react when it was announced that La La Land had been mistakenly given the award. Some supporters of the film shook their heads in dismay while Moonlight champions, given an unexpected respite, seemed to distrust their joyous windfall. It was a plausible ending, but progress can be a bumpy ride and there was happy amazement that a small-budget film about a young gay protagonist of color managed to accomplish such a feat.
As a theater critic, I was heartened to see the way theater and film have become so entwined (an especially fetching sight on Tony16-winning scenic designer Derek McLane's gorgeous Hollywood Golden Age set). Picking up awards were playwrights (Kenneth Lonergan, the writer and director of Manchester by the Sea17, and Tarell Alvin McCraney, whose play gave rise to Moonlight), Broadway songwriters (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen, who contributed to the songs of La La Land) and actors with deep theatrical roots (such as the Juilliard-trained Davis, a Tony and Obie18 winner, and NYU-trained Mahershala Ali19, who thanked his illustrious acting teachers).
Lin-Manuel Miranda (the suddenly ubiquitous genius behind "Hamilton") and Sara Bareilles (the stunningly talented singer-songwriter who wrote the score for the Broadway musical Waitress) added to the polished verve of the show through their musical performances. All of the numbers were executed with such Broadway precision that I kept forgetting that they were being televised worldwide.
As Hollywood seeks to expand its range of stories, it only makes sense that it would turn to the theater, which has traditionally been more welcoming of marginalized voices. Embracing diversity not as a political platform but as a human imperative is an effective way of defying the charge of elitism that has been leveled at the arts by conservative ideologues.
The one discordant note of the evening was the overextended segment in which Kimmel had tourists troop through the glamorous audience and intermingle with their favorite stars. In a show that was all about dissolving the line between us and them, this comedy routine inadvertently heightened the old divisions while chasing after cheap laughs.
But this was the exception in a highly theatrical night that was brilliantly calibrated to remind us of the power artists have to unite us through cinematic storytelling. It is through this wizardly lens that the most distant and disparate lives are brought into close proximity and the strange suddenly become uncannily familiar.
(Adapted from "After All the Crazy Oscar Drama Live Onstage, One Idea Endures: the Power of Empathy", written by Charles McNulty, from Los Angeles Times)
Notes
1 Oscar
The Academy Awards, affectionately known as the Oscars, are the best-known, most influential, most prestigious and famous annual film awards of merit given to film actors, artists, directors, cinematographers and technicians by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Oscars' red carpet extends the length and breadth of America. Each spring, the thrill of walking down the red carpet on Oscar Night won't be felt by the stars in Hollywood alone, but nearly a billion viewers in about 100 countries all over the world.
The award is in the form of 13.5-inch-high (34 cm) gold-plated statuette nicknamed "Oscar", when an academy member noted its resemblance to her uncle Oscar. Mr. Oscar—a knight holding a crusader's sword, standing on a reel of film with five spokes—was designed by MGM (Oscar's chief art director Cedric Gibbons, and stands today, as it has since 1929, without peer, as the most recognized symbol of achievement in filmmaking).
When the first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, 1929, movies had just begun to talk. The first Awards ceremony took place during a banquet held in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The attendance was 270 and tickets cost $5.
2 the Dolby Theater
The Dolby Theater (formerly known as the Kodak Theater) is a live-performance auditorium in the Hollywood and Highland Center shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, United States. Since its opening on November 9, 2001, the theater has hosted the Academy Awards ceremonies (the Oscars), initially held there in March 2002.
3 bait-and-switch
A deceptive way of selling that involves advertising a product at a very low price in order to attract customers who are then persuaded to switch to a more expensive product.
4 President Trump
Donald John Trump (born on June 14, 1946) is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States. Trump won the general election on November 8, 2016, in a surprise victory against Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. He became the oldest and wealthiest person to assume the presidency, the first without prior military or government service, and the fifth elected with less than a plurality of the national popular vote.
His political positions have been described by scholars and commentators as populist, protectionist, and nationalist. However, his controversial remarks concerning racism, sexism, and immigrants along with his personal style have rendered him subsequent notoriety and vast boycott amongst people, particularly feminists in Hollywood.
5 Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born on June 22, 1949) is an American actress of stage and screen, and philanthropist. Cited in the media as the "best actress of her generation"—a designation to which she objects—Streep is particularly known for her versatility in her roles, transformation into the characters she plays, and her accent adaptation. Nominated for 21 Academy Awards in total, Streep has more nominations than any other actor or actress; she won Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), and Best Actress for Sophie's Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011).
Streep has also received 31 Golden Globe nominations, winning eight—more nominations, and more competitive (non-honorary) wins than any other actor (male or female). In 2017, she was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award wherein she delivered the famous Trump-bashing speech.
6 Golden Globe
Golden Globe Awards is a film and television Awards in America, held in Hollywood. Since 1944, this award has been held once a year. The final results of the award is composed of 96 journalists (of which about 2/3 are part-time) vote. Until 2003, the Golden Globe Awards dinner has been held a few days before the Oscar prize in America, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. After 2003, the Golden Globe Awards has been held every year in mid January to late February to show the difference with the Oscar Awards ceremony.
7 celebrity feud
James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel (born on November 13, 1967) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host and executive producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that premiered on ABC in 2003. Kimmel hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012 and 2016. He hosted the Academy Awards in February 2017.
Matthew Paige Damon (['demən]; born on October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He is ranked among Forbes magazine's most bankable stars and is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Damon has received various accolades, including an Academy Award from five nominations, two Golden Globe Awards from eight nominations, and has been nominated for three British Academy Film Awards and six Emmy Awards.
Ever since nearly Jimmy Kimmel show's inception, he has closed every episode with "Apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time". Despite regular appearances to play off the gag, Matt Damon appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a legitimate guest only for one time—February 27, 2017. In any other occasions these indeed two friends to seemingly foe games, were known as "Kimmel-Damon Fake Feud".
8 Tweeter-in-Chief
Donald J. Trump is the commander-in-chief of U.S.A., but also a tweeter addict.
9 La La Land
La La Land is a 2016 American musical film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, and starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a musician and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love in Los Angeles. The film's title refers both to the city of Los Angeles and to the idiom for being out of touch with reality.
The film received 14 nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, tying the record for the most Oscar nominations with Titanic (1997) and All About Eve (1950), and won the awards for Best Director, Best Actress (Stone), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Original Song (City of Stars) and Best Production Design.
10 Moonlight
Moonlight is a 2016 American, coming-of-age, drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. It stars Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, and Mahershala Ali.
It became the first film with an all-black cast, the first LGBT film, and the second lowest-grossing film domestically (behind The Hurt Locker) to win the Best Picture award. The film's editor, Joi McMillon, became the first black woman to be nominated for an editing Oscar (alongside co-editor Nat Sanders), and Ali became the first Muslim to win an acting Oscar.
11 Viola Davis
Viola Davis (born on August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. She is the first black actress to be nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one, and is the only black actress or actor to win the Triple Crown of Acting. In 2012 and 2017, she was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since 2014, Davis has played lawyer Annalise Keating in the ABC television drama, How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015 she became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She is also known for her stimulating speeches given at a few major award ceremonies either as a presenter or a winner.
12 brass tacks
Brass tacks are a type of pin or nail. In colloquial English, the phrase to come (or get) down to brass tacks is sometimes used idiomatically meaning to consider the basic facts of a situation.
13 August Wilson
The author of Fences, a 2016 American drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington. It is based on Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name (he died in 2005, but completed a screenplay before his death).
Wilson's best-known plays besides Fences (1985) (which won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award) are The Piano Lesson (1990) (a Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Joe Turner's Come and Gone.
14 law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.
Illegal immigration was a signature issue of U.S. President Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and his proposed reforms and remarks about this issue generated much publicity. A hallmark promise of his campaign was to build a substantial wall on the United States-Mexico border. Trump has also expressed support for a variety of "limits on legal immigration and guest-worker visas", including a "pause" on granting green cards, which Trump says will "allow record immigration levels to subside to more moderate historical averages".
On January 27, 2017, Trump signed an executive order (Number 13769), titled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals", that suspended entry for citizens of seven countries for 90 days: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, totaling more than 134 million people. The order also stopped the admission of refugees of the Syrian Civil War indefinitely, and the entry of all refugees to the United States for 120 days. Refugees who were on their way to the United States when the order was signed were stopped and detained at airports.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, whose movie The Salesman received the foreign film award had been rejected the entry into the U.S. before the Oscars.
15 LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
16 Tony
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theater, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theater. The awards are presented by the American Theater Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theater. Several discretionary non-competitive awards are also given, including a Special Tony Award, the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award. The awards are named after Antoinette "Tony" Perry, co-founder of the American Theater Wing.
17 Manchester by the Sea
Manchester by the Sea is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan and starring Casey Affleck (Ben Affleck's younger brother), Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, and Lucas Hedges. The plot follows a man who looks after his teenage nephew after his brother dies.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016 and was soon picked up by Amazon Studios for distribution. It began a limited release on November 18, 2016, before going wide on December 16, 2016. The film grossed $79 million worldwide against an $8.5 million budget.
At the 89th Academy Awards, the film received six nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Affleck), Best Supporting Actor (Hedges), Best Supporting Actress (Williams) and Best Original Screenplay, winning for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and was nominated in four more categories.
18 Obie
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theatre Awards are annual awards originally given by The Village Voice newspaper to theater artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the Awards were jointly presented and administered with the American Theater Wing. As the Tony Awards cover Broadway productions, the Obie Awards cover Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions.
19 Mahershala Ali
"Mahershala" Ali ([mə'hɜːrʃələ]; born with Mahershalalhashbaz Ali Gilmore; on February 16, 1974) is an American actor and rapper. For his performance as mentor Juan in the drama film Moonlight (2016), Ali received universal acclaim from critics and won the Academy Award, the SAG Award and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor, and received a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award nomination. His win at the 89th Academy Awards made him the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar.
Part 3 Exercises
I. Reading Comprehension
1. Directions: Read through the passage and answer the questions based on your understanding.
1) What happened at the "Oscars" back on February 26, 2017?
2) Some critics are of the opinion that what happened that night is nothing but a conspiracy. Do you believe so? Why?
3) Many maintain that inspirational romances of beauties, rallying cries for racial equality and rebuttals against LGBT discrimination have long been the old chestnuts in American cinema timetables. What's your idea about such genres?
2. Directions: Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are true or false. Choose T (true) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage, F (false) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage and NG (not given) if it is not mentioned in the passage.
1) ________ The actual winner of the best picture award is Moonlight producer Marc Platt.
2) ________ Damon helped to rescue Kimmel from becoming too concentrated on the problem existing obviously but neglected deliberately.
3) ________ I was fascinated by the Oscar awarding ceremony because it was the first time for me to attend the ceremony from inside the Dolby Theater.
4) ________ The intense emotional lucidity is the hallmark of Viola Davis's acting.
5) ________ Iranian director Asghar Farhadi didn't attend the ceremony out of respect for the people of his country and those of other six nations who had been disrespected by Trump's immigration policy.
6) ________ Moonlight is a small-budget film about a young gay protagonist of color.
3. Directions: Read aloud and listen to the audio of the text for full understanding.
4. Directions: Practice subvocal reading at fast speed (200 words per minute).
5. Directions: Try to suppress subvocal to achieve faster reading speed.
II. Blank Filling
Directions: Please choose an appropriate word from the following box for each blank. Make changes if necessary.
eloquent celebrity acute fruition resurrect humane applaud devolve
weary genius dismay imperative mingle technician blossom
1) The United States had previously expressed ________ over the government's decision to hold the elections without an actual voter list.
2) If we could move those ideas from fuzzy to ________, that would be a remarkable thing.
3) Last year's event was attended by 1,000 plus attendees and it will be an opportunity for you to really ________ and to conclude the course with a look at your and other friends' projects.
4) So even if Judgement Day would come, and the God would reassemble the molecules and ________ the body, it's not the very same body that you started out with.
5) The king had little choice but to accept the fait accompli: power was henceforth to ________from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary constitution.
6) Before the 20th century, most are handwritten, some with graceful, flowing script, and are equally ________ in their language.
7) One tactic he employs: a special breathing-relaxation technique originally developed for hospital patients in ________ stress.
8) Shops are flooded with cherry ________ merchandise and food, the colour pink suddenly popping up in decorative garlands and flower-shaped sweets.
9) Interactional excellence, where a personal experience and relationship is created and fostered, is ________ for success.
10) Some longtime advocates for assault victims say they've grown ________ of promises to do better.
III. Translation
Directions: Please translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1) Kimmel, whose demolition jobs are delivered with the smoothness of a barber giving an old-fashioned shave, had an irresistible target, and he certainly got in his share of presidential licks.
2) The word of the night was "empathy", which liberals would be quick to read as an antonym of "Trump" and conservatives as a code for Trump-bashing.
3) Speaking with the intense emotional lucidity that is the hallmark of her acting, she immediately got down to brass tacks: "You know, there's one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered. One place. And that's the graveyard."
4) It was interesting to see up-close the mixed reaction to these political moments at the Dolby, where those not applauding were as conspicuous as those who were.
5) Hollywood still has deep-embedded structural problems, but the Oscars had reason to pat itself on the back, even if the bungling of the evening's top prize cheated Moonlight, the first LGBT film to win for the best picture, of its turn in the sun.
IV. Writing
Directions: Please use your imagination and write a paragraph about a topic you like, including at least five of the following words given below.
eminent eloquent accomplish genius grievance emotive
deliver explicit announce stunning applaud bliss
V. Additional Vocabulary Fun
1. Directions: Match the words in the left column with their corresponding explanations in the right column.
1) le a. a crust discharged from and covering a healing wound
2) coo b. to annoy by constant scolding, complaining, or urging
3) kip c. to expel intestinal gas through the anus
4) ballot d. a sharp spadelike tool used for rooting or digging out weeds
5) scab e. the French equivalent of "the"
6) chorus f. full of or characterized by frenetic activity or wild excitement
7) nag g. used as a disparaging term for a lesbian
8) append h. to add as a supplement or appendix
9) rem i. to sleep
10) fart j. a group of singers who perform together, usually singing multi-part compositions with more than one singer for each part
11) dyke k. a space for a vessel to dock or anchor
12) manic l. the act, process, or method of voting, especially in secret
13) berth m. the hard fatty tissues around the kidneys of cattle and sheep, used in cooking and for making tallow
14) spud n. a unit for measuring absorbed doses of radiation, equivalent to one roentgen of x-rays or gamma rays
15) suet o. to utter the murmuring sound of a dove or pigeon or a sound resembling it
2. Directions: Please complete the following table to switch the part of speech of the given words.
