Before reading:
In pairs or small groups, ask students to brainstorm answers to the following questions:
- What do you think makes someone intelligent?
- Can you think of any famous people who are intelligent in surprising ways?
singer, songwriter, and actor requires hard work and intelligence.
While reading:
VIPs = VERY
INTELLIGENT
PEOPLE?
We know them today because they’re famous actors, musicians or sports stars. But
many well-known people are, or were, very intelligent. High Note Magazine looks at some very clever VIPs.
| A Best known as a comedian, there is a side to Nabil Sawalha that many people don’t know about. Born in Madaba, but raised in Amman, Nabil moved to the UK to study engineering. It was while he was there that his acting career started. He has also studied at Oxford University, so he’s obviously a smart guy. |
 |
| B Tennis star Venus Williams used to be world number 1. She’s still a top player but she’s also very smart. In 2011, Venus began to study at Indiana University. It wasn’t easy to pass exams while playing professional tennis, but Venus studied online in her free time and in 2015 she got a degree in Business Administration. |
 |
|
Umm Kulthum is one of the most famous Arab singers and songwriters ever. She started singing at a young age and by the time she was in her twenties was performing in public and in the houses of the rich. She was also an actress and appeared in six films! Umm Kulthum studied Classical Arabic, poetry and music at school, but unfortunately never went to university. To be such a successful singer, songwriter and actor requires hard work and intelligence.
|
After reading:
Comprehension Questions:
1- Where was Nabil Sawalha born and raised?
Nabil Sawalha was born in Madaba and raised in Amman.
2- What did Nabil Sawalha study in the UK?
He studied engineering in the UK.
3- How did Venus Williams manage to study while being a professional tennis player?
Venus Williams studied online in her free time and managed to pass her exams while playing professional tennis.
4- What did Umm Kulthum study at school?
Umm Kulthum studied Classical Arabic, poetry, and music at school.
5- What common trait do all three people share?
All three people (Nabil Sawalha, Venus Williams, and Umm Kulthum) are successful in their fields, knowledgeable, and have pursued
education or learning in different ways.
► It’s more polite to use positive adjectives to say negative things:
Example:
He’s stupid ⇒ He’s not very clever
• Instead of saying, "He’s stupid," which is very direct and possibly hurtful, you can say, "He’s not very clever," which is more polite and still communicates the idea without being as harsh.
The sentence to make them more polite.
1. Direct Statement: He’s lazy.
Polite Version: He’s not very motivated.
2. Direct Statement: That idea is stupid.
Polite Version: That idea isn’t very practical.
3. Direct Statement: She’s selfish.
Polite Version: She’s more focused on herself than on others.
1- Be good/bad at something: This means having a natural ability or difficulty in a particular skill or subject.
• Example: "She is good at math, but bad at history."
2- Get bad/good/top marks (in …): Refers to the grades or scores a person receives in exams or assignments.
• Example: "He got top marks in the science test."
3- Get/have a degree in (a subject): This indicates that someone has completed a formal qualification, such as a bachelor's or master's, in a particular subject.
• Example: "She has a degree in biology."
4- Go to/attend a class: Refers to physically going to or participating in an educational session.
• Example: "He goes to a math class every Tuesday."
5- Learn by heart: Means to memorize something thoroughly.
• Example: "You need to learn the poem by heart for tomorrow’s class."
6- Prepare/revise for exams: Refers to the process of studying material in preparation for an exam.
• Example: "She is revising for her chemistry exam."
7- Study a subject (at college/university): Refers to focusing on a particular area of knowledge in an academic setting.
• Example: "He studies economics at university."
8- Take/pass an exam/test: Taking an exam means sitting for a test while passing means successfully meeting the required standard.
• Example: "She took the biology exam and passed with high marks."