Bridge 09–10, may–june 2014, volume 17
Teachers’ File
Activity Tips
Teacher´s File (TF) – Activity Tips contains listening exercises based
on the recordings on the May-June Bridge CD, except for those that
are in the magazine or the Brain Teaser. Scripts for all recordings
are here, in TF – Recording Scripts, and in the magazine.
The TF is also available at www.bridge-online.cz
in the “UČITELÉ” section, password PLEASE.
T
teachers’
info
LITERATURE
James Thurber: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,
simplified and edited (CD track 16, Bridge p. 28)
T The main character, Walter Mitty, is driving from the country into the city to
do the week’s shopping. Mitty is travelling with his wife, who dominates her husband
and treats him like a small child. To compensate for his weakness, Mitty daydreams
constantly. Thurber often uses the theme of a weak man married to a strong woman
in his stories. You can discuss with students how The Unicorn in the Garden, a fable by
Thurber shown in the Brain Teaser, ended – a man is finally happy when his wife is
taken to a mental asylum. In the Walter Mitty story, the last dream is symbolically
about facing a firing squad (= a group of soldiers ordered to shoot a prisoner)
while he is waiting for his wife to return from the hairdresser.
I. Listen to the recording to find out what Walter Mitty daydreams about. In
the story he has five daydreams. Which of them appear in the recording?
A Flying a US Navy seaplane in an ice storm (inspired by his driving
through snow to the city)
B Being a famous marksman (= gunman) on trial for murder
(from reading a newspaper headline about a murder trial)
C Being a great surgeon (= doctor) and operating on a very rich man
(inspired by driving past a hospital)
D Being a fearless RAF bomber pilot in the Second World War (from
reading an old article about England’s air war against Germany)
E Being a man facing a firing squad (inspired by leaning against
a wall waiting for his wife to return from the hairdresser)
II. Look at the dialogue between Walter Mitty and Mrs Mitty and fill in
the gaps. Listen to the recording to check your answers.
Mrs. Mitty: Not so fast! Why 1 _____ you driving so fast?
Walter Mitty: Hmm? What 2 _____ you say?
Narrator: Mitty looked 3 _____ his wife, in 4 _____ seat beside
him. She seemed totally unfamiliar, like a strange woman who
5 _____ shouted at him in a crowd.
Mrs. Mitty: You were up 6 _____ fifty-five. You know I don’t like to
go more 7 _____ forty.
Narrator: He drove on toward Waterbury 8 _____ silence, the sound
9 _____ the seaplane going through 10 _____ worst storm in
twenty years of Navy flying fading into the hidden areas of his
mind.
Mrs. Mitty: You’re stressed again. It’s one of your days. I wish you’d
let Dr Renshaw examine you. Aaah, here’s the hairdresser’s shop.
Pull 11 _____ ! Remember to get those galoshes 12 _____ I’m
having my hair done.
Walter Mitty: I don’t need galoshes.
Mrs. Mitty: We’ve talked about this. You’re not 13 _____ young man
any longer. And why don’t you wear your gloves?
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SONGS Bridge pp. 24–25
Sidecar by Kathleen
Edwards (CD Track 20)
Listen to the song, complete
the sentences and answer
the questions.
1 The singer wants to take you to
A all the spaces
B all the places
2 The singer was feeling
A so lost
B a frost
3 What didn’t the singer make?
A breakfast in bed
B coffee and juice
C toast and tea
4 Which of these imperatives
doesn’t the singer mention?
A Wake up!
B Sit up!
C Wait up*!
D Hurry up!
E Get up!
Glossary*
You and I will be sidecars – we will be
together and support each other (like
a motorbike and a sidecar attachment,
where the passenger sits)
There to chase down the hard stuff – open
to interpretation, possibly it can mean to
chase away bad things in their lives
to wait up – to go slowly or stop until
someone catches up
All of the monsters I was holding on to –
all the bad memories / experiences I had
no one owes you – you have to do it
yourself, no one will do it for you
The Green Fields of France by Dropkick Murphys (CD track 18)
written by Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter Eric Bogle. It
focuses on a young soldier, Willie McBride, who gave his life to
fight in the First World War, and his body is just one of
the many lying in a grave in northern France.
T Dropkick Murphys are an American punk band that mixes
traditional Irish music with a punk sound. They love singing
about the struggles of the Irish people throughout history. Their
anti-war song, “The Green Fields of France”, was originally
Read the lyrics of the song and fill in the missing words.
They rhyme with the last word in the line either above or below.
1916 behind clean dance died frame graveside
man name now shame slowly stand sun wars
Chorus
Oh, how do you do, young Willie McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your
1 __________ ?
And rest for a while in the warm summer
2 __________
I’ve been walking all day and I’m nearly done
And I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the great fallen in 3 __________
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died
4 __________
Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene*?
The sun’s shining down on these green fields of France
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies
9 __________
The trenches* have vanished long under the plough*
No gas, no barbed wire*, no guns firing
10 __________
But here in this graveyard it’s still No Man’s Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness*
11 __________
To man’s blind indifference* to his fellow
12 __________
And a whole generation were butchered and damned*
Chorus:
Did they beat the drum 5 __________
Did they play the fife lowly*
Did they sound the death march* as they lowered you
down?
Did the band play “The Last Post*” in chorus?
Did the pipes play “The Flowers of the Forest*”?
Chorus
And I can’t help but wonder, no, Willie McBride
Do all those who lie here know why they
13 __________ ?
Did you really believe them when they told you
the cause*?
Did you really believe that this war would end
14 __________ ?
Well the suffering, the sorrow*, the glory,
the 15 __________
The killing and dying, it was all done in vain*
Oh, Willie McBride, it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart
6 __________ ?
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined*
And, though you died back in 1916
To that loyal heart you’re forever nineteen?
Or are you a stranger without even a 7 __________
Forever enshrined behind some old glass pane*
In an old photograph, torn, tattered and stained*
And fading* to yellow in a brown leather
8 __________ ?
Glossary*
obscene – unpleasant, nasty
did they beat the drum slowly, did they play
the fife lowly – during military funerals it is
traditional for a drum to be played in time
to the soldiers marching, and often there is
a small flute (flétna), called a fife, that is played
softly
march – music with a strong, regular beat
(pochod); a death march is a song played
during a funeral
The Last Post – a tune that ends the day at
an army camp, also performed at memorial
ceremonies
The Flowers of the Forest – an old Scottish
folk tune, often performed at memorials and
funeral services
to enshrine – to keep something sacred
(uchovávat jako svátost)
pane – a flat piece of glass
tattered and stained – torn and dirty
to fade – to lose colour
trenches – deep holes dug by soldiers to hide in
and attack the enemy from (zákopy)
plough – a large farming tool which digs
the earth (pluh)
2
barbed wire – a type of strong wire with sharp
points on it (ostnatý drát)
in mute witness – watching silently
indifference – without interest
butchered and damned – violently killed and
sent to hell
cause – reason (důvod)
sorrow – sadness
in vain – uselessly
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
by Bobby McFerrin (CD track 19)
Riptide by Vance Joy (CD Track 21)
Choose the correct words from the list below and fill in
the gaps.
T Multiple Grammy winner Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be
Happy” was released in 1988. It was an instant number one hit
and still continues to be popular because of its simple catchy
tune and positive lyrics. The song is ‘a capella’, meaning there
are no instruments played – all the different sounds and
whistles are dubbed over each other and sung by McFerrin.
A dentists B down C dreams D from
E movie F New York City G singing H way
I wrong J your
I was scared of 1 __________ and the dark
I was scared of pretty girls and starting
conversations
Oh, all my friends are turning green*
You’re the magician’s assistant* in their
2 __________
Find expressions from the song that match their
explanations.
1 following the song exactly, not making any
mistakes
2 you make it worse – or twice as much
3 when you have nowhere to live
4 a man who owns a flat or building and rents it
out to tenants
5 when you are involved in a legal battle in court
6 a facial expression when your eyebrows wrinkle
together to show you are unhappy
7 to cause someone to feel sad
8 it will go away and be over soon
Chorus:
Oh, and they come unstuck*
Lady, running 3 __________ to the riptide*
Taken away to the dark side*
I wanna be 4 __________ left-hand man*
I love you when you’re 5 __________ that song
and I got a lump in my throat* because
You’re gonna* sing the words 6 __________
Here’s a little song I wrote,
You might want to sing it note for note,
Don’t worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble,
When you worry you make it double
There’s this 7 __________ that I think you’ll like
This guy decides to quit (= leave) his job and heads
(= goes) to 8 __________
This cowboy’s running 9 __________ himself
And she’s been living on the highest shelf*…
Chorus
Don’t worry, be happy…
Ain’t got (= haven’t got) no place to lay your head,
Somebody came and took your bed,
Don’t worry, be happy
I just wanna*, I just wanna know
If you’re gonna, if you’re gonna stay
I just gotta*, I just gotta know
I can’t have it, I can’t have it any other
10 __________
I swear (= say strongly) she’s destined for
the screen*
Closest thing to (= very similar to) Michelle Pfeiffer
that you’ve ever seen, oh…
The landlord say your rent is late,
He may have to litigate,
Don’t worry, be happy,
Look at me I’m happy…
I give you my phone number,
When you’re worried, call me,
I make you happy
Glossary*
are turning green – are becoming jealous (because he has a good
relationship with the girl)
magician’s assistant – someone who is there to help perform magic,
often an attractive woman, here it can also refer to making dreams
come true
unstuck – free or unglued
riptide – opposing tides in the ocean or sea; causes very strong and
dangerous currents
taken away to the dark side – forgetting your good side of character
and turning bad
left-hand man – right-hand man means you are there to help
someone. So this is probably a play on words, saying you can’t
support them.
lump in my throat – to be choked with emotions (mít sevřené hrdlo)
gonna – going to
highest shelf – high up, somewhere you can’t reach
wanna – want to
gotta – have got to
she’s destined for the screen – she’s going to be an actress
Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style,
Ain’t got no gal (= girl) to make you smile…
’Cos (= because) when you worry, your face will
frown,
And that will bring everybody down …
Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t do it,
Be happy, put a smile on your face,
Don’t bring everybody down like this
Don’t worry, it will soon pass whatever it is,
Don’t worry, be happy,
I’m not worried
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Rather Be by Clean Bandit
ft. Jess Glynne (CD Track 22)
Best Day of My Life
by American Authors (CD Track 23)
Match the lyrics in bold with their meanings
Look at the words in bold and choose the correct
synonym.
A recharge me and give me energy
I had a dream so big and loud
I jumped so high I touched the clouds
I 1 stretched (reached out / showed) my hands
out to the sky
We danced with 2 monsters (machines /
creatures) through the night
B focused on specific goal
C walking with no care or worries
D we have travelled far and for a long time
E try to do something with little hope of success
F from Japan to San Francisco in California
Chorus
I’m never gonna look 3 back (behind me / up)
Woah, never gonna give it up
No, please don’t wake me now
This is gonna be the best day of my life
My li-i-i-i-i-ife….
G know inside your heart that you won’t make me feel
ashamed
H feeling happy to be in this situation
We’re a thousand miles from comfort, 1 we have
travelled land and sea
But as long as you are with me, there’s no place I’d rather
be
I would wait forever, 2 exulted in the scene
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat
I 4 howled (looked / screamed) at the moon
with friends
And then the sun came 5 crashing in (bursting*
/ falling)
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-oh
But all the possibilities
No limits just epiphanies*…
With every step we take, 3 Kyoto to The Bay
4 Strolling so casually
We’re different and the same, gave you another name
5 Switch up the batteries
I’m never gonna look back…
If you gave me a chance I would take it
6 It’s a shot in the dark but I’ll make it
7 Know with all of your heart, you can’t shame me
I hear it calling outside my window
I feel it in my soul
The stars 6 were burning (were shining / were
on fire) so bright
The sun was out ’til midnight*
I say we lose 7 control (fun / good behaviour)
When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be
N-n-n-no, no, no, no place I rather be (3x)
8 We staked out on a mission to find our inner peace
Make it everlasting* so nothing’s incomplete
It’s easy being with you, sacred simplicity*
As long as we’re together, there’s no place I’d rather be…
This is gonna be the best day of my life…
Everything is looking up, everybody up now…
Glossary*
to burst – to erupt, explode
epiphany – the moment when something unknown becomes
suddenly known / realization of something
the sun was out ’til midnight – the sun was out all night,
meaning they were having fun all night
Glossary*
everlasting – lasting forever
sacred simplicity – something great because it’s simple
David by Courtney Barnett SOLUTIONS
LITERATURE
(CD Track 24)
Listen to the song and answer whether the statements are
True (T) or False (F)
T
I. A, C
II. 1 are, 2 did, 3 at, 4 the, 5 had, 6 to, 7 than, 8 in, 9 of, 10 the, 11 over,
12 while, 13 a
SONGS
Sidecar: 1B, 2A, 3C, 4D
The Green Fields of France: 1 graveside, 2 sun, 3 1916, 4 clean, 5 slowly,
6 behind, 7 name, 8 frame, 9 dance, 10 now, 11 stand, 12 man, 13 died,
14 wars, 15 shame
Don’t Worry, Be Happy: 1 note for note, 2 make it double, 3 no place to lay
your head, 4 landlord, 5 litigate, 6 frown, 7 bring sb down, 8 it will pass
Riptide: 1A, 2C, 3B, 4J, 5G, 6I, 7E, 8F, 9D, 10H
Rather Be: 1D, 2H, 3F, 4C, 5A, 6E, 7G, 8B
Best Day of My Life: 1 reached out, 2 creatures, 3 behind me, 4 screamed,
5 bursting, 6 were shining, 7 good behaviour
David: 1F, 2T, 3F, 4F
F
1 The singer wants to see lots of friends
when she feels down (= doesn’t feel good).
 
2 The singer doesn’t like her friend’s friends.
 
3 The singer will plant a flower.
 
4 The singer’s friend will bring seeds.
 
You can find tasks for “Best Friend” and “Blue Moon” songs on
a separate sheet on www.bridge‑online.cz in “Učitelé” section.
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