History Goes To the Movies

Modern history lecturer Dr Marnie Hughes-Warrington talks about her latest book History goes to the movies: studying history on film...

Listen to the first part (0'00" to 1'36") and answer the following questions:

• How many books has she so far published?
• What’s her opinion on film (general view)?
• What’s her opinion on historical film (as a historian)?
• What’s the point she wants to make in her latest book?
• Why are history films particularly valuable?

It's pretty difficult... so blame me if you have a hard time with that! (at least it sounds much better here than in the classroom)

Mid-Term Examinations

I'm doing my best to get all the results this very week. Not the very first day, though.

Overall impression:

• LISTENING: Pretty good results.
• READING: Average. Some did very well while other did poorly... the rest stood around the pass mark (either above or below).
• SPEAKING: As with Listening, your performance was quite acceptable, especially for those many who usually stay silent... and can do rather well.
• WRITING: Probably the weakest skill.

Book Fair

As I told you late in January, there's a book fair in the Pit (EOI's big hole leading to cafeteria and auditorium). It's bigger than I expected, with quite a load of books, both for adults and children. If you feel like it, just pop in and have a look... there might be something that catches you eye and gets you reading, right?

They'll be here for two days, Feb 8 & 9, and depending on how well they do, may come back again in a near future.

Do women really want to marry for money?

"A woman tries to get all she can out of a man. A man tries to get all he can into a woman." (popular quotation)

Personally, I absolutely disagree with this stereotypical view of women. However, recent research seems to support this idea... So, is it true that smart girls get minks, the way minks get minks.

The following article may be a challenging reading, as it contains many cultural references that you must work out, but it could be a subject for reflection:

  Want to read the entire article?         The Telegraph

Marry for money...

Marry for money, you can always learn to love.

Trace Adkins sings a song that really matches this topic. Added value: the video is amusing, indeed. 

She was pretty, she was smart
she was witty, Yeah, she had charm
Cupid shot me
that's what got me down the aisle. 

But that match made in heaven went straight to hell

split up our possessions, put the house up for sale

and I learned a lesson I won't be forgetting
the next time around.

 

I'm gonna marry for money I'll be so damn rich it ain't funny I'm gonna have me a trust fund, yacht club, hot tub piece of the pie

Find me a sweet sugar mama With a whole lot of zeros and commas Don't really care if she loves me She can even be ugly I'm gonna marry for money

I won't have to love her family
I won't have to like her friends
and if it works out like I planned it,
I won't ever have to work again

[Repeat Chorus]

Y'all I'm gonna fly to Hawaii

On a Lear Jet the old lady buys me
I'll call her sweet heart & honey

if she's a hundred and twenty

I'm gonna marry for money...

I dont care if she loves me
She can be really ugly
I'm gonna marry for money

Oh, cha-ching mucho dinero


Come over here you good lookin' thing, you
There's your walker in the corner
Over over...

ON COUNTRY MUSIC

By the way, how do you like country music? In a way, country music is often seen as a portrait of American culture... Is it truly so?  Does country music really offer a comprehensive picture of the average American? Consider for a moment the keywords for most country songs:

Backwoods, cowboy hats, rednecks, momma, trucks, dirtroad, love lost, love gain, someone died, someone's dog died, patriotic fight for our rights, religious theme, tractors, farm, farming, Dixie, the South, hunting, fishing, partying, boots, jeans, rough, honkytonk, beer, whiskey, did I mention momma? 

As someone stated, country music is a way of life with the songs chronicalizing the journey of the path we lead. If the song touches you, then you know it.


Reflection: If you had to select a music style that represents the average Spaniard, what would you pick?