Idioms & Expressions:
15 minutes of fame (noun; refers to a short period of fame that a person achieves)
The firefighter got fifteen minutes of fame when he saved a child from a burning house.
claim to fame (noun; refers to the reason why someone is famous)
Her claim to fame is a detective novel that was published last year.
brush with fame (noun; refers to a time when you encounter someone famous)
He had a brief brush with fame when he met President Obama last week.
has-been (noun; refers to a person who used to be famous or accomplished, but no longer is today)
The athlete won a basketball championship in 1986, but now he’s a has-been.
multi-hyphenate (noun; this is a person who is famous for several reasons)
Every year, all the entertainment industry’s multi-hyphenates appear at the awards show.
idol (noun; refers to someone who is a role model or a hero to someone else)
Kanye West is an idol to many young hip-hop fans.
flyover states/province (noun parts of a country that are rural, and where not many people live – so everyone just “flies over” them in planes)
the big city (a noun that is used to describe the most major city in an area, where many people move in order to pursue jobs)
She moved from a flyover state to the big city in order to work at a law firm.
hustle and bustle (noun; describes the energy and movement in a city)
I’m glad I moved to the countryside – I don’t really miss the hustle and bustle of the city.
county girl/city girl (noun; this is used to describe someone from the country or the city. For example, if you are from the countryside or rural area, you are a “country girl.” We say “country boy” and “city boy” as well).
I was born and raised in Boston. I’m a city boy.
Part I: Class Discussion
- Do you like celebrities?
I think some of them are interesting, but I don’t really follow the celebrity magazines or websites too closely.
- Do you read about celebrities?
When I’m first curious about a famous person, I’ll read about them. But once I first read a little info about them, I won’t go online and look up any more details about them usually.
- Who is your favorite local celebrity?
Well, I’m from a really small town, so we don’t have any “local” celebrities. I think anyone who is popular in a small town is therefore the closest thing you have to a celebrity, then.
- Have you met a celebrity before?
Once I got to meet Billy Crystal, who is a famous American actor. I also met a few other actors that night (I was working at an awards show), but no one who you would recognize in Vietnam.
Part II: Individual Presentations
Describe a person you have recently met and would like to know more about.
Please say:
Who is that person?
How did you meet him/her?
Why would you like to know more about that person?
I can’t think of a specific person I’d like to get to know more about, but I meet a lot of different people pretty often. This is because I live in Vietnam, and get the chance to mingle with a lot of foreigners. Most people I meet are other ESL teachers who are passing through the country. I think travelers make for more interesting people because they have a greater perspective on things and have a natural curiosity. So, most people I meet I find quite interesting.
Part III: Class Discussion
- What are the benefits of living in a big city?
Living in a city gives more access to convenient things and lets you mingle with a variety of people.
- Why are people from big cities moving to the countryside?
Because they want to have a life that’s more peaceful and less hectic than living in a city.
- Why are people from the countryside moving to big cities?
People move to big cities to find more job opportunities and to live a more fast-paced, exciting life.
