How they handle fame

Listen to U2 singer interview superstar George Clooney and answer the questions below:

1. What is the mistaken idea, according to Bono, that people have of celebrities?
2. What does Bono admire about George Clooney?
3. What other famous person does Clooney refer to in his family? Did she remain successful?
4. What helped Clooney handle the pressure of fame?
5. According to Clooney, what can famous people not do anymore, and why not?

10 travel faux pas

In the previous post you can listen to an explanation and the proper pronunciation of the expression faux pas. You can also call them "no-no's" or "don'ts" (often accompanied by its opposite, "do's"). Check out these travel faux pas at this website and answer the questions that follow:
First, read the faux pas here: http://www.tourism-review.com/article/1761-top-10-travel-faux-pas
Now, answer these questions:
1. Were you familiar with all of these faux pas? Which ones are common sense?
2. Why is it improper to pat (remember that word?) someone's head in Thailand?
3. Are there any faux pas you would recommend for a foreigner visiting Spain?

That's a no-no!

There are hundreds of words and expressions of French origin which are commonly used in the English language. Check out this one:

Unschooling

Listen to the man in this video and answer the following questions:

1. What kind of schooling has this parent decided to give his children? What is his opinion of conventional schooling?
2. According to the man, how is a day "best spent" for a child who wants to learn?
3. What famous person (an American author and poet) has influenced the man's ideas? What did this famous person used to do and what purpose did it serve?
Discussion questions:
1. Have you ever heard of "unschooling?" Do you think it's a good idea?
2. To what extent can school have a negative impact on children?
3. Do you think children can motivate themselves to learn useful things without the need to attend school? Can an "unschooled" person prepare himself/herself for life as an adult? Why or why not?

FPIQ (20?)

Let's see if you can work this one out. Hint: she's changed her hair, too.

Bye-bye conventional cars?

Car of the future? Watch this video and decide on your own (answer the questions that follow):

1. Where can you park this interesting contraption?
2. What are the company and model names of this innovative product?
3. What kind of appeal does it have? How many people does it seat?
4. How long does the transition from car to plane take?
5. What institution are the engineers who developed the vehicle from?
6. What type of moment did the developers experience during the test flight, and at what airport?
7. How is this flying car powered? Why does this make it "greener" than normal planes?
8. When are the first units scheduled to be delivered to customers?
9, What advantages does the Transition have over an SUV (and what's that, BTW)?
Discussion questions:
1. Is this the future? Do you think there is a market for vehicles such as these? If so, can you describe the typical customer? Are they practical?
2. Would you buy a Transition if you could afford one? Do you think many people will be able to afford them?
3. Do you think the next generation will only have this type of vehicle and cars will become obsolete? Give reasons.

FPIQ (anybody know how many we've done?)

OK, here's a good one. Hint: he's not the most attractive guy in the world, but his daughter is a real head-turner.