Tenderness
Workmate
1
Describe Eric and his situation. Work in pairs and talk, or work alone and write a short text.
Find out from the text:
what Eric has done to end up in prison
what he occupies himself with in his cell
what else he does in prison
Then find:
t facts about the prison itself
t facts about the other prisoners
t facts about his previous victims
t facts about the mouse
Try a Method
Try using Method 2 when you study this text. One word group could be words
that describe feelings. What other groups can you find? Find Try a Method in your
Additional Resources.
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Inside Information · Tenderness
Workmate
2
A. Complete the sentences using words from the box. Write the words in the correct form.
Eight words will be left over.
action
evidence
manual
palm
astonished
fate
meaningless
postpone
ceiling
fragile
non-existent
recall
commit
immerse
notion
countless
long-range
pace
1 Sit down! The way you are
up and down makes me nervous.
2 We are sorry to announce that the concert will have to be
due to an accident.
3 Who said what? That’s anybody’s guess because I just can’t
.
4 I don’t know any French at all. My knowledge of French is absolutely
.
5 We should have known there was glass in the box because the word
was written on the top.
6 I was so
7 The mere
8 I guess it’s my
I am handsome, aren’t I?
9 All
10 We’ve got to take
, I could hardly breathe.
that you would become an actor is just absurd.
to be popular among the girls. I mean,
points to the fact that he was guilty of cheating on the test.
and do something!
B. Use five of the remaining eight words in gap sentences of your own.
Write the sentence but leave a gap for the word you choose. Then work in pairs, switch texts
and fill in the gaps in each other’s sentences.
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Inside Information · Tenderness ·
Workmate
m
3
48
Listen to what happens next time Eric “comes close to achieving tenderness”.
Answer the questions.
Sonny Boy is a bully. To Eric’s surprise, he chooses Sweet Lefty Stanton for a victim. Lefty is a tall,
easygoing, athletic boy but Sonny Boy seems to have found his weak spot. Eric detests Sonny Boy but
decides not to interfere as there is less than a month left of his time in the facility. However …
1 What does Eric call the new girl?
2 What does Sonny Boy call Eric?
3 What does the Distributor collect and deliver?
4 Sonny Boy uses a word that Eric doesn’t like. What word?
Choose one or more of the following exercises:
4
m
49
Listen to Josh talking about his views on life in prison. Write a short text about
what he has to say.
cope
håndtere, klare sig igennem
Does he think he could cope?
In what way does he question the media’s image of prison?
What does he say about Hell’s Angels?
What is he prepared to do to learn more about what it’s like to be in prison?
What would he do if he was in prison but was innocent?
5
m
50
Listen to Julian talking about his views on imprisonment. Write a short text about
what he has to say.
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Inside Information · Tenderness
Workmate
6
Work in pairs and interview Eric in prison. The interviewer suspects that Eric is guilty
of several crimes. Eric does not deny this but does not give any real answers either. Write
a dialogue. Then read it out or exchange dialogues with another pair, if you like.
Interviewer
!
You will soon be out of here, Eric.
Eric
What about it?
Isn’t it time you told me everything –
to ease your mind?
"
"
So you’re admitting to more killings now?
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"
Why would that ease my mind?
Inside Information · Tenderness
Extra
Tenderness
1
A
Find the following phrases in the text.
1 Han sidder inde.
2 Til daglig.
3 En rigtig sød lille en.
4 Gå op i vægt.
5 De så ens ud.
6 Den dukkede ikke op.
7 Sætte fingeren på.
8 Hun havde ingen anelse om, hvad der skulle ske.
9 Den ofrede sig.
10 Skylle den ud i toilettet.
B
Write three sentences where you use the word because together with phrases
from A, like in the example. Write in your notebook.
He’s inside because he nicked a police car. Stupid thing to do.
Then write two sentences where you use the word but together with
phrases from A.
He’s inside, but just like everyone else he claims he’s inncocent.
2
What would you do to try to cope with being in prison? What would you do if you
were guilty? If you were innocent?
Find words in the text that you think have to do with these situations.
Then write a short text about your feelings.
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Inside Information · Tenderness
Tenderness
Test
Name:
1
Complete the sentences using words from the box. Write the words in the correct
form. Several words will be left over.
action
astonished
ceiling
commit
countless
evidence
fate
fragile
immerse
long-range
manual
meaningless
1 I was really
non-existent
notion
pace
palm
postpone
recall
when he called. I never thought he would do that.
2 Please be careful with that vase. It’s very
.
3 A criminal is a person who
crime.
4 It doesn’t exist – it’s
.
5 Another word for idea is
.
6 He held the little bird in the
of his hand.
7 We must take
and do something.
8 Julie couldn’t
calling Tom any longer. She had to do it now.
9 A
is a written instruction about how to do something.
10 I just can’t
I may have done that.
telling him about it, but I guess it’s possible.
2
Write a short text where you describe Eric and his situation. Include some of the following:
twhat Eric has done to end up in prison
twhat he occupies himself with in his cell
twhat else he does in prison
tfacts about the prison itself
tfacts about the other prisoners
tfacts about Eric’s previous victims
tfacts about the mouse
twhat happens when Eric meets Sonny Boy
Self Assessment
On this test:
I did well
I could have done better
Why?
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I didn’t do well at all