Unit 3

The

Movies

Unit 3

The

Movies

Word Pretest

1. The new system will speed up the transfer of information from one office to another. transfer n./v.— when sth. or sb. moves or is moved from

one place, position, etc. to another

转移；传送，传输；转让；调动

• data transfer / transfer student

• transfer to a new university/football club/position

2. The heat lingered after the sun had gone down.

linger v. — to take a long time to leave or disappear

逗留，徘徊；继续存留

• lingering a. 逗留的；久久不散的；持续的

3. She has an annoying predisposition to find fault with everything. predisposition n.— a tendency to behave in a particular

way or to suffer from a particular disease 倾向；禀性；（易患某种疾病的）体质

• predispose v.

• be predisposed towards/to

易感染（患）…；更倾向于，易于

4. The fashion industry relies on novelty, and photographers are always looking for new faces.

novelty n. — the quality of being new and unusual 新颖，新奇

• novel adj.

• a novel idea/suggestion

新颖的观点／建议

5. She derives great pleasure from playing the violin. derive sth. from sth. — to get something from something else 从…中得到，从…中获得

• derive from sth. = come from sth.= originate from sth.

• The English word 'olive' is derived from the Latin word 'oliva'.

来自于，源自

6. Eating good chocolate gives me a sense of intense gratification. gratification n. — state of being gratified; great satisfaction

满意；满足

• gratify v.

• gratified a.

7. The cat has striped fur and is aptly named "Stripe." aptly adv.— suitable or right for a particular situation

适当地，恰当地；合适地

• apt a.

• an apt comment/description

中肯的评论／贴切的描述

8. The empathetic social worker soon realized that the single mother was at her breaking point.

empathetic a.— sb. who is empathetic has the ability to share another person's feelings or emotions as if they were their own

体恤别人感受的 ; 感同身受的

• empathy n.

• empathize (with) v.

It's very easy to empathize with the characters in her books.

同情；同感，共鸣

有同感，产生共鸣

Text A

Why Some People Love

Horror Movies

• scare = frighten v. sth. scare/frighten sb. • scary = frightening a. a scary/frightening movie/story scared=frightened sb. is sacred/frightened• scare = fright n. get/have a scare

（使）惊恐，（使）害怕

令人恐惧的

惊恐，害怕

害怕的，恐惧的

恐怖电影： Horror Movies=Scary Movies=Frightening films

Some people can’t get enough of scary movies. They’ve seen

scores of scary films, over and over. They catch horror movies on

opening night （ =the first night ） . They have DVD collections at

home.

Personally, I'm not a fan of scary movies. They freak me out,

leaving me unsettled for days. In fact, I had a hard enough time

sitting through the scarier scenes of Sons of Anarchy when I

watched it with my boyfriend; sometimes I had to leave the room.

I'm curious to find out why some people love scary movies.

And others, like me, can't stand them.

Why Some People Love Horror Movies

The Excitation(=excitement) Transfer According to Glenn Sparks, professor and associate head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, one reason for the appeal is how you feel after the movie. This is called the excitation transfer process. Sparks's research found that when people watch frightening films, their heart rate, blood pressure and respiration(= breathing) increases. After the film is over, this physiological excitement lingers. (We're just not aware of it.) Any positive emotions you experience — like having fun with friends — are intensified. Instead of focusing on the fright you felt during the film, you recall having a great time. And you'll want to come back for more. However, if your experience was negative, say, you were on a date that wasn't going well or you got into a car accident on your way home, you might not. Because your lingering excitement heightens any emotions you experience, the negative feelings might sway you to skip a scary movie in the future.

Different Predisposition Some people simply enjoy high levels of physiological excitement, Sparks said. According to the literature, about 10 percent of the population enjoys the adrenaline rush 肾上腺素激增 . (Not surprisingly, these individuals also love rollercoasters 过山车 .) Similarly, predisposition may explain why others hate scary movies. Specifically, some individuals have a harder time screening out 筛除，过滤 unwanted stimuli in their environment. For instance, they might be hypersensitive to the temperature in a room or the tag on their shirt. These same individuals are more likely to have intense physiological reactions to horror films.

Novelty Some people turn to scary movies because they’re novel. All of us are predisposed to pay attention to anomalies 异常的人（或事物） in our environment. Since danger disrupts routine, curiosity about change is important for survival. Sparks equated the pull （ =attraction ） of frightening films to stopping at the scene of a bloody accident: “You don’t see that every day.” Something else you don’t see are the visual effects of the movies, which tend to be fantastic. Some people get fascinated with visual effects and like to figure them out, said Joanne Cantor, professor and Outreach Director at the Center for Communication Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Still, negative emotions can get the better of （ =defeat ） novelty. If we experience high levels of fright, seeing a scary movie just isn't worth it. Individuals might, as Sparks remarked, "suffer lingering emotional fallout if something in the environment reminds them of a scene." After seeing Jaws, some people stopped swimming in the ocean and felt eerie about lakes and pools, Cantor said.

Gender Socialization Research suggests that more men enjoy scary movies. This might be because men are socialized （ =trained ） to be brave and enjoy threatening things, Sparks said. Men may derive social gratification from not letting a scary film bother them. “Men often like scary films as date movies because women are more likely to seek physical closeness when they’re scared, and men can show off their strength and bravery,” Cantor said. (This is aptly called “the cuddle effect 拥抱效应 .") In one study, males liked a horror movie more when they saw it with a female who was scared, and females liked the movie more when they saw it with a male who wasn't scared.

Other Reasons

Some people may like scary movies because they enjoy the adrenaline

rush of being scared while being safe. "Some people like anything that

gets their minds off their own problems," Cantor said.

Individuals who are highly empathetic may not like scary movies,

according to Cantor.

Kids and Scary Movies Cantor's research found that college students who watched scary movies or shows before 14 years old had trouble sleeping and felt anxious about typically safe activities or stopped engaging in them altogether. Even if it’s make-believe （ =which is not real) , a horror movie is still scary. For older kids, realistic threats, such as kidnappings, are scary. Teens, like adults, are more scared over abstract threats, such as disease and the supernatural. "Parents need to pay attention to how their children react to movies before deciding if a particular show is right for them. Intense fright reactions are much easier to prevent than to undo," Cantor suggested.

Reading Comprehension

1 、 Which of the following is true about the author of this article?

A.She has DVD collections of horror movies at home. B. She had a good time when she watched Sons of Anarchy.C. She does not like horror movies. D. She is curious about horror movies although she hates

them.

2. When people watch a scary movie, ________.

A.their heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increases B. their friendship with those who watch the movie together

will be intensified C. they usually have fun D. they are usually on a date

3. Which of the following is a case of excitation transfer?

A. When watching Sons of Anarchy, the author sometimes had to leave the room.

B. After seeing Jaws, some people stopped swimming in the ocean.

C. A fan gave away his DVD collections after an accident on the way home from a horror movie.

D. College students who watched scary movies or shows before 14 years old had trouble sleeping.

4. Who is more likely to enjoy horror movies?

A person who loves literature. B. A person who loves running.C. A person who loves roller coasters. D. A person who is sensitive to the temperature in a room.

5. Stopping at the scene of a bloody accident is comparable to watching a horror movie in that both _________.

A.present unusual scenes in our daily life B. are important for our survival C. have fantastic visual effects D. are for the more courageous people

6. Men often like scary films as date movies because _________.

A. men are socialized to be brave and enjoy threatening things B. scary films produce "the cuddle effect" C. men derive social gratification from not letting a scary film

bother them D. females liked the movie more when they saw it with a male

who wasn't scared

7. _________ are less likely to enjoy scary movies.

A.People who enjoy the adrenaline rush B. People with personal problems C. Empathetic people D. Men in love

8. On the basis of her research, Joanne Cantor suggests that _________.

A.watching horror movies has no impact on children's behavior

B. children are more scared over abstract threats C. horror movies are just make-believe D. intense fear is much easier to prevent than to undo

nominee a candidate who has been nominated

illusion a false impression

feature a full-length movie (is usually 90 or more minutes long)

elevate to raise to a higher level

enlightenment having spiritual or intellectual insight

Vocabulary Building

被提名者 n.

错觉，幻想 n.

故事片 n.

提高，提升 v.

领悟，启发 n.

eerie strange in a frightening and mysterious way

astute mentally sharp or clever

overwhelming very great or strong

ideological relating to ideas and beliefs of a political system or party

aesthetic relating to the enjoyment or study of beauty

可怕的，怪异的 a.

敏锐的；精明的 a.

巨大的 , 极大的 ; 压倒性的 a.

意识形态上的 a.

美感的；美学的 a.

screenplay a story written for television or a film

cinematography the art or process of filming movies; film photography

soundtrack the sounds, esp. music, used in a film

originality the quality of being new and different; creativity

perspective a way of thinking about and understanding sth.

电影剧本 n.

电影摄制；电影制作 n.

电影配乐 n.

创意；独创性 n.

角度，观点 n.

Vocabulary BuildingKey to the exercise: (p. 38)1. overwhelming2. eerie 3. elevate 4. Astute5. perspective 6. aesthetic 7. originality 8. illusion

Suffixes(p. 38)

v. + -ence = n. confidence, presencev. + -ance = n. distance, importance

n. / a.+ -ish = a. childish, foolish, reddish

Key to the exercise: (p. 39)1.confidence 2. distance 3. devilish 4. presence5. importance6. childish 7. patience 8. appearance

Cloze: (p. 40) 1 、 stars 2 、 drawings 3 、 movies 4 、 love 5 、 remember 6 、 kinds 7 、 serious 8 、 well-known 9 、 collect 10 、 hanging

Nowadays, especially in science-fiction films, very realistic-looking scenes are made possible by modern technology. Spaceships zoom through the universe, stars explode, and human (as well as not-so-human) astronauts fight each other for power and wealth. Viewers who are fascinated by this “movie magic” often ask how it is produced. Most of the illusions in these scenes combine the real (live performers) with the imagined (for example, miniatures and painted scenes). The actors and actresses are often filmed separately from a picture of a spaceship; then a view of the stars and planets is shot. After that, miniature figures of creatures from outer space might be filmed, and so on. Afterwards, these separate elements are all combined on the same piece of film. In a “simple” five-to-ten-second piece of action, as many as eighteen different elements might be required. In addition, computers make possible new kinds of movement. The use of technology has led many viewers to believe that special effects, not live performers, are the true modern “movie stars.”

One of the most common illusions throughout the history of film has been the use of “blood.” Because of the popularity of murder mysteries （谋杀推理片） , war stories, horror movies, and westerns, there has always been an enormous amount of blood on the screen. Movie producers were challenged by two problems: what to use and how to use it.

When movies were filmed in black and white, it was possible to use chocolate syrup as a substitute for real blood. These days, in color films, “blood” is a combination of Karo syrup( 玉米糖浆 ), food dye( 食用染料 )Red No.33, and food dye Yellow No.5.

“How?” is a more difficult problem. In old westerns, when the “bad guy” was shot by the “good guy,” he used to hit the place where he had been shot, say “you got me,” and drop to the ground. Though not very realistic, it was essential for the actor to hit himself in this way because “blood” was hidden in a small packet under his shirt. When he did this, the packet would break, and blood would come out through his fingers.

These days, however, “bleeding” is a matter of technology. Sometimes, as in The Godfather, a performer may be shot over a hundred times! In such cases, the many packets hidden on the victim’s body are attached to thin wires which, in turn, are connected to a computer. The computer causes each packet to explode at exactly the right moment.

When explosives are used, as in battlefield scenes, special-effects men usually receive extra pay. There is danger, and sometimes there are accidents. For a large battlefield scene, the special-effects man talks with the director, examines the area and plans the effect several days before the filming is to begin. He then places his explosives. They must not be too powerful in the areas where actors will pass. But there must be enough power so that with sound effects added later the explosions seem real. The special-effects man may cover two acres of ground with explosives, each connected individually by wire to a special device for controlling the course of an electric current. When the scene begins, he causes explosions in the air by sending up large bags filled with explosives. The bags float in the air and are held by wires. At the right time he makes them explode. If a church tower, for example, must seem to be hit by guns, he puts explosives in several places in the tower. He usually cuts through some of the supports of the tower first so that he can be sure they will fall.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the best-known filmmakers in the world. This gentle-looking, overweight Englishman has connected the cinema audience with some of the most mysterious and frightening films （悬疑惊悚片） ever made. The 39 Steps made in 1939 was the film that made him famous outside Britain. He received many offers from Hollywood, where he went to make Rebecca. This was the most expensive film he had made, costing over a million dollars. This was impossible in Britain, where budgets were very small. But as soon as shooting started on Rebecca, the Second World War started. Like many other film people, Hitchcock decided to stay in America, and was sometimes called a traitor at home. But he was too old to fight, and the British film industry had closed down. He finished Rebecca, and got his first Oscar for The Best Film of the Year. He was also the first film director to become a TV star. In 1955, he started a TV show which showed mystery and horror stories, called “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. This was a new idea, for most of the Hollywood people hated television and thought it was beneath their talents to work in the TV world. The audience loved Hitchcock, however, and he made more shows. These shows gave him more opportunity to try new ideas and make more and more mysterious or frightening films.

阿尔弗雷德 · 希区柯克

（ Alfred Hitchcock ， 1899 年 8月 13 日－ 1980 年 4 月 29 日）

原籍英国，是一位闻名世界的电影导演，尤其擅长拍摄悬疑 惊悚片。希区柯克在英国拍摄了大批默片和有声片之后，开始前往好莱坞谋求发展，于 1956年加入美国国籍，并保留了英国国籍。在长达六十年的电影艺术生涯里，希区柯克总共拍摄了超过五十部的电影作品，成为了历史上著名的电影艺术大师。

How to Watch a Movie?

Movies are more than mere entertainment. To most of us, they're the closest we come in our daily lives to an experience of magic. Within the dark space of a theater, movies create their own mystique, where time and logic don't apply. There is no gravity to tie us to the world as we know it; we are held together only by the grace of the director's eye.

Movies are more than mind-altering experiences. The French knew from the beginning that film is true art. Most Americans, obsessed with the business end of cinema, have yet to fully grasp the fact that film is an art like no other.

Art, especially cinema, helps us understand the interrelationships between culture and society. It reveals a wealth of information about how our civilization works and even indicates cultural trends. True art is vitally important because it challenges us to think beyond ourselves. Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? These are the questions that great cinema addresses.

Because of its importance, film should be studied not only by so-called film experts or reviewers, but by average moviegoers as well. This means that each member of the film audience should strive to be a "critic." Cinema should be viewed with greater thought than the vast majority of us give it. Realizing that a movie can be experienced from a variety of perspectives — cultural, ideological and aesthetic, the knowledgeable filmgoer should approach the experience with a receptive mind, open to the possibility of not only entertainment, but enlightenment. Here are some basic elements to be aware of when viewing a film:

Direction

When watching a film, always ask: Does the director have control? As Hitchcock once said: "At times, I have the feeling I'm an orchestra conductor, a trumpet sound corresponding to a close shot, and a distant shot suggesting an entire orchestra performing a muted accompaniment. At other times, by using colors and lights in front of beautiful landscapes, I feel I am a painter."

Great directors such as Hitchcock, Kurosawa, and Polanski, to name a few, have been accused of being "control freaks" when making their movies. Technicians as well as artists, these directors who maintain control have studied every aspect of the process. Every section of their films is developed and presented with precision. Nothing escapes a great director's eye, nor should it escape yours.

Screenplay

Even a great director will struggle with his or her vision if the screenplay is not sound. The old saying is still true: "If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage." What's on paper, then, is an essential element of film. Originality, creativity, logical narrative and plot, continuity, composition and development of three-dimensional characters are some of the key ingredients in a good screenplay. In other words, does the screenplay effectively communicate a story through dramatic action and dialogue? The so-called "acts of God" or leaps of faith used by many screenwriters to find bridges between scenes are not found in the best screenplays. Transitions in scenes should make sense. If not, film continuity fails.

Cinematography

Although they're much more, movies are primarily visual experiences. The astute cinematographer understands the fundamental relationship between the camera and the human eye. Maybe more importantly, they realize the camera is an extension of the human eye. Thus viewers should watch for cinematographers whose camera is never static; where the camera transforms itself into the eyes of the viewer.

Editing

Good directors shoot much more film than they can possibly use. It's the editor's job to realize a film's potential. Creative editing is not merely visual, but aural. For instance, music or background noise can be used to create the illusion of continuity. Astute directors are intimately involved in the editing process to assure smooth transitioning in the flow of the film and to ensure that their film creates a seamless whole. This is no small task, since the standard fiction feature can be composed of as many as 1,000 separate shots.

Acting

Judging good acting is simple. You just know it when you see it. Some actors are consistent craftsmen, while others are largely the creation of strong directors. What we know about many exceptional performers is that they do not "act." They return to us film after film, completely submerged in their characterizations. This intensity, combined with a memorable face, is what some have called "star quality." Humphrey Bogart's craggy countenance, with his immobile upper lip, mannerisms and ticks, marked his appearances on the screen. There are others who hide themselves in their characters. Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando blazed the path for actors such as these. Watch and identify the elements that constitute a great performance.

Lighting and Sets

As the German Expressionists have shown, the entire mood of a film can be determined by lighting, the way shadows fall, the type of sets used or the actual location where the film is shot. One cannot imagine The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari without these ingredients. The amount and style of lighting depends on the type of film being made. The effect of hard lighting and shadows in horror films, for example, can create a stark, emotional response in the audience. This was used effectively in Hitchcock's Psycho, as a single swaying light bulb reveals a mummified figure — to the audience's horror and delight.

Special (Visual) Effects

Movies have always had special effects, but with the pervasiveness of new technologies many believe that film has entered a somewhat troublesome era. With computer-generated special effects, young moviemakers increasingly believe that actors (and even stories) are not required. The danger is that special effects in film are becoming like fireworks — sound and fury, light and noise, but no substance. If there is any threat to film as an art form, it is the unrestrained use of technologically-heightened special effects. Except for where it is absolutely essential to the plot, no film's success should depend on its effects.

Soundtrack

Sometimes the best soundtrack is none at all; at other times, the right musical accent in a scene elevates the film and allows the viewer to relate to the characters or story on a deeper level. While a good soundtrack should never be overwhelming, many classic films would be far less memorable without their soundtracks. Without the near-perfect touch of Mozart's music, the film Amadeus would never be the classic that it is.

Though it's true that the best soundtrack is often so subtle that it is almost unnoticeable to a viewer's ears, the opposite can also be true. Who could argue that without the thumping beat of John Williams' Jaws score, that film's ability to scare would be far diminished?

There are, of course, other elements of cinema that can be just as significant as those mentioned here. The point is that cinema is a most influential art form, and thinking viewers should take care not to be mindless consumers of popular culture in general, and cinema in particular. Although movies do divert us from the reality of the everyday, they can do much more. We need only to develop the critic within us in order to elevate our cinema experiences.

Key to Section B: (p. 41-43)

1. D 2. C 3. C 4. D

5. D 6. C 7. C 8. D

Key to Section C: (p. 44-47)

1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T

5. T 6. F 7. F 8. T