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Flash Mobs
Flash Mobs

Learn English with this fads English lesson

Date: Oct 02 2013

Themes: Pop Culture

Grammar: Present Perfect Progressive

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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You’re just downtown in the city, minding your own business. All of a sudden, dozens of people run into the street. One of them starts the music, and the next thing you know, everyone starts dancing! What is going on? Is it a protest? Performance art?

It may actually be a flash mob. Flash mobs are a recent name for a spontaneous gathering where people do something strange in public. A flash mob might exist to protest something, or bring attention to an issue. Or it might just be about having fun and acting crazy.

Find out what Mason and Lily know about flash mobs in this fads English lesson.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Lily

Lily

Mason

Mason

Lily:  Have you been hearing about these things, these flash mob things? I’ve seen them on the internet, they’re on YouTube, they’re these viral videos. Do you have any idea what that is?

Mason:  Yeah, well actually, I did a flash mob a few years back.

Lily:  What?

Mason:  It was kind of a performance art piece. There’s this thing called SantaCon where you just dress up like a Santa, and you get told right before where to show up, and hundreds of people just show up as Santas.

Lily:  Oh. I was wondering why there were so many Santas on the street last year. That’s interesting.

Mason:  It happens every year, and it’s usually in a public space, and it’s kind of become a bit of a fad to do around the holidays, obviously.

Lily:  What’s the deal? Why is it such a big thing? Do you know?

Mason:  In that case, it’s mostly just because it’s stupid fun. But there is certainly a much more politically-motivated side of flash mobs, where it’s trying to call attention to an issue or something, and, maybe for security reasons, people can’t know where they’re going to show up until right before, because otherwise there would be cops there to stop them.

Lily:  Oh, so it could be a protest, or performance art. That’s pretty cool.

Mason:  It’s fun or maybe effective at getting something out there.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Lily doesn’t know much about flash mobs, but Mason is practically an expert. He participated in one a few years ago. It was a pretty silly flash mob, where everyone just had to dress up like Santa Claus and show up in a public place.

But Mason thinks that flash mobs can also be political, or a kind of performance art. If a bunch of people show up in one place, they can help draw attention to a cause. And if they do something that is artful or entertaining, maybe more people will pay attention.

Lily is convinced. She thinks flash mobs might actually be pretty cool.

Have you ever seen or participated in a flash mob? What do you think is the best way to bring attention to a cause you believe in?

 

Comments

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Staisy

Staisy

Russian Federation

I’ve never seen flash mobs, but I heard a  lot about it. Sometimes it is a way for bringing attention to social problems, but mostly people get together just for getting fun, such as in this case, that Mason has told about . I dont think I would like to participate  in such kind of activity .

08:31 PM Jan 18 2014 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

I have participated in a flash mob once. We danced walts in public in one celebration to congratulate our veterans and to make the atmosphere of that time.

06:21 PM Oct 07 2013 |

angel_ eyes

Pakistan

Just a fad.

02:38 PM Oct 03 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I am not  certain whether  this could be called a flash mob but interesting  that i saw thousand of women  walking on the street  in Washington State ,they were wearing fancy pink dresses , out of curiosity  I asked to a passer by  the reason  of  this and in response   I was told   that  they were campaigning  to raise awareness among women  on the breast cancer .    

07:33 PM Oct 02 2013 |

I M P E R I V M

United States

Times are difficult in the earth people are so lonely, desperate and stress out that  they will do anything that gives them a blimp of socialization or an escape from their boring lives.


As for me I dont take part in these “excuses” to do silly stuff always under the banner of some benefic cause

02:22 PM Oct 02 2013 |

mitya09

Russian Federation

I have seen a flash mob on the Internet video. It’s really seems like silly fad: people find the methods to call attention to them without any efforts. In my opinion they work for ‘like’ and I offer them to do one kind of performance art, for instance a SantaCon, in Russia during winter months)

02:09 PM Oct 02 2013 |

50samir

50samir

Morocco

flash mobs are  so famous in those recently years, Some people are ghathering in the streets and doing fun things such as dressing funny suit,  but mostly flash mobs are good way to pay attention about an issue ///

01:00 PM Oct 02 2013 |

1 person likes this

kenlin16

kenlin16

Taiwan

The best way to address an issues or a cause in public place in my country is to hold a protest. Another possible way, in today’s vast information era, internet, may be the next effective way to bring attention to a cause.As oppose to internet, protest seems to have greater affect and impact on addressing an issue because of its direct striking.
In my country, a protest usually requires a certain procedures. Once the protest’s permit is issued, people can go on to a public place like streets, squire , or even a commercial building to demonstrate their concern .

03:04 AM Oct 02 2013 |

DanielBorges

Portugal

Every year, since 2007, people appear dressed of Santa Claus in Porto city too. It’s in December, near from Christmas time. It has a solidarity issue. Each participant gives away one euro that, at the end, reverts to solidarity institutions. I also take part of flash mob’s i think. Each time my friends and i take our Vespa’s and ride around the city or went intro a concentration of Vespa’s somewhere. Vespa’s are scooters very attractive and call the attention of people that cross with, particularly classic old fashion models.


The best way to bring attention to a cause it could be a flash mob itself. Because of its unconventional features it might be effective and produce impact thus if successful, it could lead others to believe in a cause.

10:33 PM Oct 01 2013 |

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