Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Penelope Cruz. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Penelope Cruz is a Spanish actress who has won considerable critical acclaim for her role in Spanish and English movies. She is the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Cruz speaks four languages fluently. She also donates a considerable amount of money and time to charity. From 2001, Cruz had a three-year relationship with actor Tom Cruise.
Cruz was born in Madrid in 1974 to a hairdresser mother and motor mechanic father. She wanted to be a dancer as a child and studied classical ballet for nine years. Her younger sister Monica is a famous Spanish dancer. However, when Cruz was 15, she decided to get into acting after beating 300 other hopefuls at a talent agency audition.
Cruz first achieved fame in a Spanish pop video and then as a TV presenter. Her first major films were ‘Jamón, Jamón’ and ‘Belle Époque’, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2000 she appeared with Matt Damon in ‘All the Pretty Horses’. She rose to fame by co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’, opposite Tom Cruise.
Cruz has received two Goya Awards and two European Film Awards for her work. She also won a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, she was used as the face for L’Oreal’s worldwide advertising campaign and a year later, she launched her own fashion line in Spain. She wants to balance her life and work between Hollywood and Europe.
245 words
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.
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SYNONYM MATCH
Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
considerable
a.
defeating
2
donates
b.
a lot of
3.
relationship
c.
engineer
4.
mechanic
d.
gives
5.
beating
e.
candidates
6.
hopefuls
f.
romance
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
achieved
g.
important
8.
major
h.
gained
9.
rose
i.
global
10.
worldwide
j.
started
11
launched
k
brand
12
line
l
shot up
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article:
1.
won considerable
a.
money and time to charity
2
donates a considerable amount of
b.
line in Spain
3.
studied classical
c.
in a Spanish pop video
4.
when she was 15, she
d.
advertising campaign
5.
beating 300 other hopefuls
e.
ballet for nine years
6.
Cruz first achieved fame
f.
critical acclaim
7.
She rose to fame by
g.
Hollywood and Europe
8.
the face for L’Oreal’s worldwide
h.
at a talent agency audition
9.
she launched her own fashion
i.
decided to get into acting
10.
balance her life and work between
j.
co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’
LISTENING GAP FILL
Penelope Cruz is a Spanish actress who has _______________ critical acclaim for her role in Spanish and English movies. She is the first Spanish actress _______________ for an Oscar. Cruz speaks four languages fluently. She _______________ considerable amount of money and time to charity. From 2001, Cruz had a three-year _______________ actor Tom Cruise.
Cruz was born in Madrid in 1974 to a hairdresser mother and motor _______________. She wanted to be a dancer _______________ studied classical ballet for nine years. Her younger sister Monica is a famous Spanish dancer. However, when Cruz was 15, she decided to _______________ after beating 300 other hopefuls at a ___________________.
Cruz first _______________ a Spanish pop video and then as a TV presenter. Her first _______________ ‘Jamón, Jamón’ and ‘Belle Époque’, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2000 she _______________ Matt Damon in ‘All the Pretty Horses’. She _______________ co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’, opposite Tom Cruise.
Cruz _______________ Goya Awards and two European Film Awards for her work. She also won a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, she was used _______________ L’Oreal’s worldwide advertising campaign and a year later, _______________ own fashion line in Spain. She wants to _______________ and work between Hollywood and Europe.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.
Penelope Cruz is a Spanish actress who has / was won considerable critical acclaim for her roll / role in Spanish and English movies. She is the first Spanish actress to / that be nominated for an Oscar. Cruz speaks four languages fluently. She also donates a considerable amount of money and time to charity. From 2001, Cruz had a three-year relation / relationship with actor Tom Cruise.
Cruz was born in Madrid in 1974 to a hairdresser mother and motor mechanic / mechanical father. She wanted to be a dancer as / was a child and studied classical ballet for nine years. Her younger sister Monica is a fame / famous Spanish dancer. However, when Cruz was 15, she decided to get into acting after beating 300 other hoping / hopefuls at a talent agency audition.
Cruz first achieved fame / famous in a Spanish pop video and then as a TV presenter. Her first major film / films were ‘Jamón, Jamón’ and ‘Belle Époque’, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2000 she appealed / appeared with Matt Damon in ‘All the Pretty Horses’. She rose / risen to fame by co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’, opposite Tom Cruise.
Cruz has received / receiving two Goya Awards and two European Film Awards for her work. She also won a Best Actress reward / award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, she was used as the face / head for L’Oreal’s worldwide advertising campaign and a year later, she launched / lunched her own fashion line in Spain. She wants to balance her life and work between Hollywood and Europe.
SPELLING
The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
considerable iitcaclr acclaim
2.
Cruz speaks four languages lletynuf
3.
She also saondet a considerable amount of money
4.
Cruz had a three-year tisnrohilape with actor Tom Cruise
Paragraph 2
5.
motor hmnaceci father
6.
studied slsicaacl ballet for nine years
7.
etbngai 300 other hopefuls
8.
a tntela agency audition
Paragraph 3
9.
Cruz first diechaev fame in a Spanish pop video
10.
Her first omraj films
11.
she peeadrpa with Matt Damon
12.
co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’, sipeotop Tom Cruise
Paragraph 4
13.
Cruz has decrieev two Goya Awards
14.
worldwide advertising pncaamig
15.
she hulcndea her own fashion line
16.
alcnaeb her life
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
as a child and studied classical ballet for nine years. Her younger sister Monica is a famous Spanish dancer. However,
( 1 )
Penelope Cruz is a Spanish actress who has won considerable critical acclaim for her role in Spanish and
( )
campaign and a year later, she launched her own fashion line in Spain. She wants to balance
( )
English movies. She is the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Cruz speaks four languages
( )
her life and work between Hollywood and Europe.
( )
award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, she was used as the face for L’Oreal’s worldwide advertising
( )
films were ‘Jamón, jamón’ and ‘Belle Époque’, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign
( )
Language Film. In 2000 she appeared with Matt Damon in ‘All the Pretty Horses’. She rose
( )
Cruz first achieved fame in a Spanish pop video and then as a TV presenter. Her first major
( )
when Cruz was 15, she decided to get into acting after beating 300 other hopefuls at a talent agency audition.
( )
2001, Cruz had a three-year relationship with actor Tom Cruise.
( )
to fame by co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’, opposite Tom Cruise.
( )
Cruz was born in Madrid in 1974 to a hairdresser mother and motor mechanic father. She wanted to be a dancer
( )
Cruz has received two Goya Awards and two European Film Awards for her work. She also won a Best Actress
( )
fluently. She also donates a considerable amount of money and time to charity. From
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
first to for the actress nominated Oscar Spanish be an
2.
- year relationship with actor Tom Cruise a three
3.
She dancer wanted as to a be child a
4.
is Her a younger famous sister Spanish Monica dancer
5.
into acting when Cruz was 15 , she decided to get
6.
first Spanish achieved pop fame video in Cruz a
7.
co by fame to rose She Sky Vanilla in starring -
8.
worldwide campaign face L’Oreal’s advertising the for
9.
later launched fashion year she own a , her line
10.
life her balance to wants She work and
PENELOPE CRUZ DISCUSSION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.
What do you know about Penelope Cruz?
2.
Would you like to have met Penelope Cruz?
3.
What would you like to know about Penelope Cruz and why?
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Penelope Cruz. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. PENELOPE CRUZ POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Penelope Cruz. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?
4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Penelope Cruz. Include an imaginary interview with her. Write about what she did every day and what she thought about.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
5. LETTER: Write a letter to Penelope Cruz. Ask her three questions about her life. Tell her how important she is in today’s world and how she is missed. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Penelope Cruz expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.
ANSWERS
SYNONYM MATCH:
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
considerable
a.
a lot of
2
donates
b.
gives
3.
relationship
c.
romance
4.
mechanic
d.
engineer
5.
beating
e.
defeating
6.
hopefuls
f.
candidates
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
achieved
g.
gained
8.
major
h.
important
9.
rose
i.
shot up
10.
worldwide
j.
global
11
launched
k
started
12
line
l
brand
PHRASE MATCH:
1.
won considerable
a.
critical acclaim
2
donates a considerable amount of
b.
money and time to charity
3.
studied classical
c.
ballet for nine years
4.
when she was 15, she
d.
decided to get into acting
5.
beating 300 other hopefuls
e.
at a talent agency audition
6.
Cruz first achieved fame
f.
in a Spanish pop video
7.
She rose to fame by
g.
co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’
8.
the face for L’Oreal’s worldwide
h.
advertising campaign
9.
she launched her own fashion
i.
line in Spain
10.
balance her life and work between
j.
Hollywood and Europe
ALL OTHER EXERCISES:
Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
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