Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

My Left Foot (1989) Imagine _ , unable to make any movements except to move your left foot. The main character in My Left Foot,based on the real story of cerebral palsy sufferer Christy Brown,can barely move his mouth to speak, but by controlling his left foot, he's able to express himself as an artist and poet. For his moving performance of Brown, Daniel Lewis won his first Academy Award for best actor. Shine (1996) Do you have a talent you're afraid to share with the world? David Helfgott seemed meant from childhood to be "one of the truly great pianists," but the pressures of performing (and pleasing his father) resulted in a complete breakdown. Ten years in a mental hospital didn't weaken Helfgott's musical gift: When he was rediscovered, he was playing concertos in a bar. Shine received seven Oscar nominations , and Geoffrey Rush won best actor for his performance of Helfgott. Life Is Beautiful (1997) Nothing's more powerful than the love between a parent and a child. In this heartbreaking Italian film, a father (Roberto Benigni) makes an unbelievable sacrifice for his 4-year-old son: trapped in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, the Jewish man convinces his boy that they are playing a complicated game. He manages to spare him the horror of the terrible war, and even in his final moments of life, keeps his son smiling and hopeful. Benigni won the best actor Oscar. Stand and Deliver (1988) Few people can inspire us more than a good teacher. Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos got Oscar nomination for best actor) is a great one. Employed at a high school where kids are expected to fail, Escalante challenges his math students to struggle for better things, like getting good grades in the AP exam. Despite the obstacles in their lives, the classmates achieve their goals, thanks to Mr. Escalante's support. The real Jaime Escalante, the Best Teacher in America, says that Stand and Deliver is "90% truth, 10% drama."

1. Who is My Left Foot based on?
2. What illness did he have?
3. Could he talk?
4. How did he communicate?
5. Which pianist had a break down?
6. Did he recover quickly?
7. How long was he hospitalized for?
8. What was Jaime Escalante's occupation?
9. Was he bad at his job?
10. What was the movie called that was about him?
11. How much of it was true?
12. Did Benigni receive any awards?
13. Which one?
14. What was his role?
15. And in what year did it take place?
16. Did he have any children?
17. How many?
18. And his age?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Christy Brown
2. cerebral palsy
3. barely
4. by controlling his left foot
5. David Helfgott
6. No
7. Ten years
8. Teacher
9. No
10. Stand and Deliver
11. 90%
12. Yes
13. best actor Oscar
14. a father trapped in a Nazi camp
15. 1945
16. yes
17. One
18. 4-year-old

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

CHAPTER XXX

FERN Mullins rushed into the house on a Saturday morning early in September and shrieked at Carol, "School starts next Tuesday. I've got to have one more spree before I'm arrested. Let's get up a picnic down the lake for this afternoon. Won't you come, Mrs. Kennicott, and the doctor? Cy Bogart wants to go--he's a brat but he's lively."

"I don't think the doctor can go," sedately. "He said something about having to make a country call this afternoon. But I'd love to."

"That's dandy! Who can we get?"

"Mrs. Dyer might be chaperon. She's been so nice. And maybe Dave, if he could get away from the store."

"How about Erik Valborg? I think he's got lots more style than these town boys. You like him all right, don't you?"

So the picnic of Carol, Fern, Erik, Cy Bogart, and the Dyers was not only moral but inevitable.

They drove to the birch grove on the south shore of Lake Minniemashie. Dave Dyer was his most clownish self. He yelped, jigged, wore Carol's hat, dropped an ant down Fern's back, and when they went swimming (the women modestly changing in the car with the side curtains up, the men undressing behind the bushes, constantly repeating, "Gee, hope we don't run into poison ivy"), Dave splashed water on them and dived to clutch his wife's ankle. He infected the others. Erik gave an imitation of the Greek dancers he had seen in vaudeville, and when they sat down to picnic supper spread on a lap-robe on the grass, Cy climbed a tree to throw acorns at them.

1. who came in the house in a hurry?
2. when?
3. was it late?
4. what month?
5. What was the excitement over?
6. why was that exciting?
7. was it because Fern wanted to have a spree before her arrest?
8. who attended the picnic?
9. was it immoral?
10. Who was the chaperone?
11. What was said about Erik?
12. where did the picnic take place?
13. what kind of grove?
14. was it a birch grove?
15. How was Mr. Dyer acting?
16. what did he do?
17. who's hat did he wear?
18. Who was the brat?
19. what did he do?
20. why?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. FERN Mullins
2. Saturday morning
3. no
4. September
5. picnic
6. unknown
7. School starts next Tuesday, maybe that's why
8. Carol, Fern, Erik, Cy Bogart, and the Dyers
9. no
10. the Dyers
11. he's got lots more style than town boys
12. south shore of Lake Minniemashie
13. unknown
14. unknown
15. clownish
16. splashed water on them
17. Carol's
18. Cy Bogart
19. Cy climbed a tree
20. to throw acorns