Big Fish & Water for Elephants: Circus

Big Fish is wonderful movie is a great source for activities. This one is great to talk about circus. You may use it with children, but you must simplify the tasks. Water for Elephants is a must, a love story with all the ingredients to win you over. Don't miss it.

A. Look at some of the attractions a circus may have and match the vocabulary with the description:

1. Acrobatics


2. Trapeze


3. Contortionism


4. Stilts


5. Juggling


6. Plate spinning


7. The rolling globe


8. Clowns


9. Daredevil


10. Human cannonball


11. Fire eater


12. Knife throwing


13. Magic


14. Sword swallowing 1


 15. Animal acts


( ) It is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination.


( ) It is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats, using purely natural means.


( ) It is an ancient performance art which the performer passes a sword through the mouth and down the esophagus towards the stomach.


( ) It is a show with cats, dogs, lions, or others.


( ) It is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body.


( ) They are are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a distance above the ground. Walking stilts are poles equipped with steps for the feet to stand on, or straps to attach them to the legs, for the purpose of walking while elevated above a normal height.


 ( ) It is is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment, in which someone throws objects up to catch and toss up again.


( ) The performer places flaming objects into their mouth and extinguishes them. He also practices controlling and transferring the flame.


( ) It is an art in which an artist skilled in the art of throwing weapons at a target.


( ) It is a circus manipulation art where a person spins plates and bowls on poles, without them falling off.


( ) A performer balances atop a large sphere, sometimes taller than the performer.


( ) They are comical performers, stereotypically characterized by their appearance: colored wigs, makeup, unusually large shoes red-nose, etc., who entertain spectators by acting in a hilarious fashion.


( ) A performer is ejected from a specially designed cannon.


( ) He is someone who performs dangerous stunts. They look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be.



Answer key: 1, 13, 14, 15, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 6, 7, 8, 10, 9
I. Check the artists/activities you can see in the segment.





 Acrobats








 Trapeze swinger










 Contortionist










 Stilts walker










Juggler










 Daredevil
















Clowns











Human cannonball














Fire eater











 Magician













 Animal acts









Tightrope walker








Lion tamer








Ringmaster














B. Now watch the movie segment from the movie Big Fish and check the items in exercise A that you could identify there.

C. Now talk to a partner about the following questions:

1. Describe the scene.

2. What's your opinion about this kind of circus?

3. What's your opinion about the use of animals in a circus? What should be done about it?

4. Do you like going to the circus? Why (not)?

5. What's your opinion about circuses that don't allow animal acts, such as Le Cirque de Soleil?

6. What's your opinion about a circus that show deformed people as attractions? Should it be forbidden? What should happen to the owners? Will it be better or worse for these people, who have difficulties finding ordinary jobs.



C. Watch the segment from the movie Water for Elephants and discuss the questions:








1. Which artists and attractions in A did you manage to see in the segment?

2. What's your opinion about this kind of circus?

3. Would you like to attend that evening performance? Why (not)?

4. How do you compare this circus with modern ones? Explain it.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - BIG FISH

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - WATER FOR ELEPHANTS