Vocabulary - Movie Excerpt - Thank You for Smoking
| Thank You for Smoking is a 2005 comedy-drama film which follows the efforts of a tobacco company's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who lobbies on behalf of cigarette companies while also trying to remain a role model for his 12-year-old son, Joey. In this exercise, you are going to watch an excerpt of the movie in which Nick and Joey debate over ice cream choices. |
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A. Pre-viewing
Familiarize yourself with the following entries before watching the video:
- L.A. – Los Angeles, a city in Southern California, the United States
- lobbyist – someone who tries to persuade a politician or official group to do something. In the movie, Nick Naylor is a tobacco lobbyist whose job is to defend smoking on television programs by questioning opposing health claims and advocating personal choice.
- moral – the standards of good or bad behaviour, fairness, honesty, etc. that each person believes in, rather than to laws
- trial – the hearing in a law court to judge if a person is guilty of a crime or to decide a case or a legal matter
- end-all and be-all – also be-all and end-all, the essential factor, the all-important element
- liberty – the freedom to live as you wish or go where you want
B. Comprehension
Watch the video and answer the following questions:
| 1. | Select the words that Joey uses in the video to complete the sentence. Joey: “So, you go to an office, then you go on TV and talk about cigarettes. Then you L.A. to talk to some guy who works with movie stars.” | ||
| fly out of | Incorrect | ||
| fly out to | Correct | ||
| fly out for | Incorrect | ||
| 2. | Nick: That's my job; I'm a lobbyist. Joey: I know, but did you study to do that? Nick: No. No, I just kind of figured it out. ‘it’ refers to… | ||
| how to lobby | Correct | ||
| how to get a job as a lobbyist | Incorrect | ||
| how to be a lobbyist without studying it | Incorrect | ||
| 3. | According to Nick, lobbyists… | ||
| require flexible moral standards from other people. | Incorrect | ||
| have flexibility that goes beyond most people. | Incorrect | ||
| have higher moral flexibility than most people. | Correct | ||
| 4. | Joey believes that a child murderer deserves… | ||
| to be defended. | Incorrect | ||
| a fair defense. | Correct | ||
| to have a lawyer. | Incorrect | ||
| 5. | Nick says that multinational corporations also deserve a fair trial. | ||
| true | Correct | ||
| false | Incorrect | ||
| not given | Incorrect | ||
| 6. | Nick: Well, I need more than chocolate. And for that matter, I need more than vanilla. What does ‘for that matter’ mean? | ||
| for your attention | Incorrect | ||
| besides, in addition | Incorrect | ||
| in fact | Correct | ||
| 7. | In Nick’s definition of liberty, in choosing ice cream people should be offered with… | ||
| vanilla and chocolate. | Incorrect | ||
| freedom of choice. | Correct | ||
| the best ice cream. | Incorrect | ||
| 8. | Joey: But you still didn't convince me. Nick: 'Cause I'm not after you, I'm after them. What does ‘after’ mean in the above context? | ||
| trying to impress | Correct | ||
| seeking attention | Incorrect | ||
| trying to argue with | Incorrect | ||
C. Synonyms
In the exercise below, three synonyms are provided for each bolded word in the following sentences taken from the talk. Watch the video again and observe how these words are used in a larger context. Select the synonym that best fits that context. Consult a dictionary when necessary.
| 1. | Nick: No, it, uh, requires a...a moral flexibility that goes beyond most people. | ||
| elasticity | Correct | ||
| resilience | Incorrect | ||
| compliance | Incorrect | ||
| 2. | Nick: let's say you became a lawyer, right? And you were asked to defend a murderer. | ||
| justify the behaviour | Correct | ||
| protect | Incorrect | ||
| uphold a belief | Incorrect | ||
| 3. | Nick: Now, the law states that every person deserves a fair trial. Would you defend them? | ||
| lay claim to | Incorrect | ||
| be welcome | Incorrect | ||
| be entitled to | Correct | ||
| 4. | Joey: But... you didn't prove that vanilla's the best. | ||
| determine | Incorrect | ||
| justify | Correct | ||
| fix | Incorrect | ||
| 5. | Joey: But you still didn't convince me. | ||
| assure | Incorrect | ||
| persuade | Correct | ||
| draw | Incorrect | ||
D. Using vocabulary
Complete the following sentences using the words in the box. Use the correct grammatical form of the words.
Click here to show answers
Answers:
E. Phrasal verbs that end with out
| I. | Match the phrasal verbs with their definitions. Please note that some of the phrasal verbs may have more meanings than the one given in this exercise. Consult a dictionary when necessary. |
| II. | Complete the following sentences by selecting the phrasal verbs which best fit the sentence contexts. |
Transcription – Movie Excerpt - Thank You for Smoking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrnZdFFovBE
| Joey: | So, you go to an office, then you go on TV and talk about cigarettes. Then you fly out to L.A. to talk to some guy who works with movie stars. What is that? | |
| Nick: | That's my job; I'm a lobbyist. | |
| Joey: | I know, but did you study to do that? | |
| Nick: | No. No, I just kind of figured it out. | |
| Joey: | Then can't anyone just do that? | |
| Nick: | No, it, uh, requires a...a moral flexibility that goes beyond most people. | |
| Joey: | Do I have flexible morals? | |
| Nick: | Well, let's say you became a lawyer, right? And you were asked to defend a murderer. Worse than that, a child murderer! Now, the law states that every person deserves a fair trial. Would you defend them? | |
| Joey: | I don't know. I guess every person deserves a fair defence. | |
| Nick: | Yeah, well, so do multinational corporations. | |
| Joey: | So, what happens when you're wrong? | |
| Nick: | (chuckles) Well, Joey, I'm never wrong. | |
| Joey: | But you can't always be right. | |
| Nick: | Well, if it's your job to be right, then you're never wrong. | |
| Joey: | But what if you are wrong? | |
| Nick: | Okay, let's say that you're defending chocolate and I'm defending vanilla. Now, if I were to say to you, "Vanilla's the best flavour ice cream," you'd say...? |
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| Joey: | No, chocolate is. | |
| Nick: | Exactly! But you can't win that argument. So, I'll ask you “So you think chocolate is the end-all and be-all of ice cream, do you?” | |
| Joey: | It's the best ice cream; I wouldn't order any other. | |
| Nick: | Oh. So it's all chocolate for you, is it? | |
| Joey: | Yes, chocolate is all I need. | |
| Nick: | Well, I need more than chocolate. And for that matter, I need more than vanilla. I believe that we need freedom and choice when it comes to our ice cream, and that, Joey Naylor, that is the definition of liberty. | |
| Joey: | But that's not what we're talking about. | |
| Nick: | Ah, but that's what I'm talking about. | |
| Joey: | But... you didn't prove that vanilla's the best. | |
| Nick: | I didn't have to. I proved that you're wrong and if you're wrong, I'm right. | |
| Joey: | But you still didn't convince me. | |
| Nick: | 'Cause I'm not after you, I'm after them (people who smoke). |
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