- The poem's message is pessimistic - it predicts life will get worse unless we make changes.
(Thông điệp của bài thơ khá tiêu cực - nó dự đoán một cuộc sống tồi tệ hơn nếu chúng ta không chịu thay đổi.)
- The last line encourages us to think about how to make these changes.
(Dòng cuối cùng cổ vũ chúng ta nghĩ đến việc làm thế nào để tạo ra sự thay đổi.)
Listen to the poem again. How does starting with the last line change the meaning? Which version of the poem do you agree with more?
SPEAKING Work in pairs. Discuss the opinions in exercise 7. Do you agree with the affirmative or negative version? Give reasons.
A: I think / don't think rap artists are the best poets these days because...
Read the Listening Strategy. Then listen to four short extracts and circle the correct implication: a or b.
1 a He wishes he hadn't gone to the gym.
b He was much stronger in the past.
2 a She is a big fan of Robbie Williams.
b She is not a big fan of Robbie Williams.
3 a He often tries food from other countries.
b He rarely tries food from other countries.
4 a He does not like the jumper very much.
b His sister does not usually buy him a birthday present.
Listen again. Circle the words which best sum up the speakers' opinions.
1 These days, rap artists are / aren't the best poets.
2 Writing poems for greetings cards would / wouldn’t be a good job.
3 A good poem has / doesn’t have to rhyme and make sense.
4 Learning poems by heart is / isn’t a waste of time.
Match the underlined words in the poem with definitions a-h.
a a period of time in history
b not interested in anything
c in the right order
d people who are the same age
e an easy solution, but not a good one
f not clever or intelligent
g something that is typical or usual
h lazy-not wanting to do anything
The Lost Generation
by Jonathan Reed
I am part of a lost generation.
And I refuse to believe that
I can change the world.
I realize this may be a shock, but
'Happiness comes from within'
Is a lie, and
'Money will make me happy'
So in 30 years, I will tell my children
They are not the most important thing in my life.
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
Work
Is more important than
Family
I tell you this:
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
But this will not be true in my era.
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
Thirty years from now, I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce.
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making.
In the future,
Environmental destruction will be the norm.
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this Earth.
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic.
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.
And all of this will come true unless we reverse it.
Listen to four speakers. Match sentences A-E below with the speakers (1-4). There is one extra sentence.
This speaker believes that
A poetry was better in previous eras.
B men are not as good as women at writing poems.
C poetry is still popular with young people.
D young people like poetry more than adults do.
E good poems tell us about the poet's feelings.
SPEAKING Work in pairs. Can you recite any poems, lines of poetry or song lyrics by heart in Vietnamese? Were they written recently or a long time ago? Why do you remember them?
