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  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on The Silence of the Lambs

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  • Missing words
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  • Crossword puzzle

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of both the crime and horror genres. It was directed by Jonathan Demme and stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. It is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. The movie centres on Dr Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. In the film, Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee played by Jodie Foster, seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Lecter to apprehend another serial killer, known only as "Buffalo Bill". Events lead to Lecter escaping from the authorities, which sees the start of a chilling relationship between Starling and Lecter.

The Silence of the Lambs was the third film to win Oscars in all top five categories: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is also the first horror film to win Best Picture. The film is considered "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant by the US Library of Congress. One critic mentioned the "terrifying qualities" of Hannibal Lecter. In 2006, the original poster for the movie was named best film poster "of the past 35 years". The film was seventh on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, and the American Film Institute named Hannibal Lecter as the number one film villain ever, and Clarice as the sixth greatest film hero of all time.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_%28film%29

  TRAILER AND POSTER

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	blends	a.	ever
2	genres	b.	genius
3.	brilliant	c.	liaison
4.	apprehend	d.	frightening
5.	relationship	e.	mixes
6.	aesthetically	f.	catch
7.	terrifying	g.	first
8.	original	h.	categories
9.	villain	i.	artistically
10.	of all time	j.	bad guy

PHRASE MATCH

1.	blends elements of both the crime	a.	played by Jodie Foster
2	It is based on the 1988 novel	b.	killer
3.	a young FBI trainee	c.	five categories
4.	apprehend another serial	d.	significant
5.	the start of a chilling	e.	villain ever
6.	win Oscars in all top	f.	and horror genres
7.	"culturally, historically or aesthetically"	g.	for the movie
8.	the "terrifying qualities"	h.	relationship
9.	the original poster	i.	of the same name
10.	the number one film	j.	of Hannibal Lecter

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends (1) _____________________ crime and horror genres. It was directed by Jonathan Demme and stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. (2) _____________________ 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. The movie centres on Dr Hannibal Lecter, (3) ____________________ cannibalistic serial killer. In the film, Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee played by Jodie Foster, (4) _____________________ the imprisoned Dr. Lecter to apprehend another serial killer, known only as "Buffalo Bill". Events lead to Lecter escaping (5) ____________________, which sees the start of (6) _____________________ between Starling and Lecter.

The Silence of the Lambs (7) _____________________ win Oscars in all top five categories: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and (8) _____________________. It is also the first horror film to win Best Picture. The film is considered "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant by the US Library of Congress. One critic (9) _____________________ qualities" of Hannibal Lecter. In 2006, the original poster for the movie was (10) _____________________ "of the past 35 years". The (11) _____________________ Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, and the American Film Institute named Hannibal Lecter as the number (12) _____________________, and Clarice as the sixth greatest film hero of all time.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	dnbsel elements of both the crime and horror genres
2.	a lnbtriail psychiatrist
3.	a young FBI trienae
4.	esiral killer
5.	anegscip from the authorities
6.	the start of a lilhcngi relationship
Paragraph 2
7.	win Oscars in all top five oageicrtes
8.	Best Adapted carleSnype
9.	One critic mentioned the "terrifying aiqeisltu"
10.	the ilaoignr poster for the movie
11.	100 istcesra movie moments
12.	the number one film anivill

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

the silence of the lambs is a 1991 american thriller film that blends elements of both the crime and horror genres it was directed by jonathan demme and stars jodie foster and anthony hopkins it is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by thomas harris the movie centres on dr hannibal lecter a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer in the film clarice starling a young fbi trainee played by jodie foster seeks the advice of the imprisoned dr lecter to apprehend another serial killer known only as "buffalo bill" events lead to lecter escaping from the authorities which sees the start of a chilling relationship between starling and lecter

the silence of the lambs was the third film to win oscars in all top five categories best picture best actress best actor best director and best adapted screenplay it is also the first horror film to win best picture the film is considered "culturally historically or aesthetically" significant by the us library of congress one critic mentioned the "terrifying qualities" of hannibal lecter in 2006 the original poster for the movie was named best film poster "of the past 35 years" the film was seventh on bravo's 100 scariest movie moments and the american film institute named hannibal lecter as the number one film villain ever and clarice as the sixth greatest film hero of all time

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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  MARK THE SPACES

TheSilenceoftheLambsisa1991Americanthrillerfilmthatblendseleme
ntsofboththecrimeandhorrorgenres.ItwasdirectedbyJonathanDem
meandstarsJodieFosterandAnthonyHopkins.Itisbasedonthe1988no
velofthesamenamebyThomasHarris.ThemoviecentresonDrHanniba
lLecter,abrilliantpsychiatristandcannibalisticserialkiller.Inthefilm,Cl
ariceStarling,ayoungFBItraineeplayedbyJodieFoster,seekstheadvic
eoftheimprisonedDr.Lectertoapprehendanotherserialkiller,knowno
nlyas"BuffaloBill".EventsleadtoLecterescapingfromtheauthorities,w
hichseesthestartofachillingrelationshipbetweenStarlingandLecter.T
heSilenceoftheLambswasthethirdfilmtowinOscarsinalltopfivecatego
ries:BestPicture,BestActress,BestActor,BestDirectorandBestAdapt
edScreenplay.ItisalsothefirsthorrorfilmtowinBestPicture.Thefilmisc
onsidered"culturally,historicallyoraesthetically"significantbytheUSL
ibraryofCongress.Onecriticmentionedthe"terrifyingqualities"ofHan
nibalLecter.In2006,theoriginalposterforthemoviewasnamedbestfil
mposter"ofthepast35years".ThefilmwasseventhonBravo's100Scari
estMovieMoments,andtheAmericanFilmInstitutenamedHannibalLec
terasthenumberonefilmvillainever,andClariceasthesixthgreatestfil
mheroofalltime.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about The Silence of the Lambs in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

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 INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "The Silence of the Lambs". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "The Silence of the Lambs". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS" POSTER: Make a poster about "The Silence of the Lambs". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "The Silence of the Lambs". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "The Silence of the Lambs". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	blends	a.	mixes
2	genres	b.	categories
3.	brilliant	c.	genius
4.	apprehend	d.	catch
5.	relationship	e.	liaison
6.	aesthetically	f.	artistically
7.	terrifying	g.	frightening
8.	original	h.	first
9.	villain	i.	bad guy
10.	of all time	j.	ever

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)