Brad Pitt, the Ultimate Star of the Century

Brad Pitt has just starred a new action comedy film, "Bullet Train", which has become a box-office success in Spain. Most film critics have panned the movie, though. Here you can read the review of "Bullet Train" in Esquire where Charles Taylor says that Even Brad Pitt's Endless Charm Can't Save Bullet Train. whereas Wendy Ide, in The Guardian, says that Brad Pitt Goes Second Class in a Brainless Action Movie.

With a more positive perspective, Caryn James, in a BBC Culture article, revisits Brad Pitt's career and personal life and describes him as "The Ultimate Star of the 21st Century", "not an Instagram celebrity or influencer". In this long article, whose rich, descitptive vocabulary makes it suitable for C2 students, you will find many interesting words like: ultimate, to display, wry [self-referential] humour, to earn an enduring status, hunky, a toy toy, a heartthrob, lookalike, off-screen, tabloids, to overshadow, performance, to range over, genre, savvy, goofy, hitman, unflattering, a bucket hat, to fend off, a high-speed [train], to spout, self-help [lines], deadpan, an [action] extravaganza, distinguishing feature, sardonic tone, to make the case, a stuntman, to be infused, dry [humour], a smirk, mischievous, off-putting, scalper, plummy, a whiff [of humour], droll, a sweet spot, underappreciated, the ease, stressed-out, a powerful [performance], to defy, to plummel, alter ego, flat-out, hilariously, to chomp [gum], to set up [a character], to run away with [it], wit, the path, stature, to give up [acting], to cling to [his past], an endless string, a box-office hit, an earnest [dad], to pick, all over the place, a sly [cameo], canny, an on-screen persona, to be typecast, [to become] stale, to mock, to turn his back on [it], disarming, to show up, nerdy, rom-com, a fixer, kidnapped, stunned, [to answer] matter-of-factly, to dismiss [his looks casually], bemused, [the best] supporting actor, the lead, charisma, to steal [the film], a ranch, to squat, to pitch, concern, easygoing, awareness, scruffy, greased-back [hair], ruthless, uneasy, at close range, to set up [the murder], touchy-feely, to plead, [to make] a squeamish [face], to deliver the line, a tough [guy], a half-hearted [attempt], fate, free will, nice try, cartoonish, a megawatt [actor], to handle, a high-grossing [film], thoroughly [amusing], to tangle with, to go flat, a [sardonic] edge, to catch [viewers] off-guard, gung ho, to nickname, to lean, dashing, an undercover [agent], blatant, caricature, satire, arched [eyebrows], brow furrows, to squint, [a marriage] is on the rocks, an ongoing [custody fight], a lawsuit, a winery, shrewdly, flawlessly, attention-grabbing [fashions], red-carpet, rumpled, to be sober, to make a stir, wan, [eye] liner, a backdrop.

In the short YouTube video below (4:40) you can watch a GMA interview to the cast of "Bullet Train". The language is much more colloquial and simple and with the help of the subtitles, it can be accessible to C1 students and above:

Benefits Of Healthy eating Turmeric every day for the body

One teaspoon of turmeric a day to prevent inflammation, accumulation of toxins, pain, and the outbreak of cancer. Yes, turmeric has been known since 2.5 centuries ago in India, as a plant anti-inflammatory / inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and also have a good detox properties, now proven to prevent Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Turmeric prevents inflammation: For people who

Women and children overboard

It's the Catch-22 of clinical trials: to protect pregnant women and children from the risks of untested drugs....we don't test drugs adequately for them. In the last few decades , we've been more concerned about the harms of research than of inadequately tested treatments for everyone, in fact. But for "vulnerable populations," like pregnant women and children, the default was to exclude them. And just in case any women might be, or might become, pregnant, it was often easier just to exclude us all from trials. It got so bad, that by the late 1990s, the FDA realized regulations and more for pregnant women - and women generally - had to change. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) took action too. And so few drugs had enough safety and efficacy information for children that, even in official circles, children were being called "therapeutic orphans." Action began on that, too. There is still a long way to go. But this month there was a sign that

Not a word was spoken (but many were learned)

Video is often used in the EFL classroom for listening comprehension activities, facilitating discussions and, of course, language work. But how can you exploit silent films without any language in them? Since developing learners' linguistic resources should be our primary goal (well, at least the blogger behind the blog thinks so), here are four suggestions on how language (grammar and vocabulary) can be generated from silent clips. Split-viewing Split-viewing is an information gap activity where the class is split into groups with one group facing the screen and the other with their back to the screen. The ones facing the screen than report on what they have seen - this can be done WHILE as well as AFTER they watch. Alternatively, students who are not watching (the ones sitting with their backs to the screen) can be send out of the classroom and come up with a list of the questions to ask the 'watching group'. This works particularly well with action or crime scenes with

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