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1
Famous People
Robin
Williams
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions
1. What makes you laugh ?
2. Who is the funniest person in your life?
3. What is your favorite comedy TV show or movie?
4. What do you know about Robin Williams?
B. Vocabulary Preview
Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
the overuse of drugs and/or alcohol
feeling pain in ones stomach after laughing very hard
to make people happy, to cheer people up
a one-man comedy performance before a live audience
a strong feeling of sadness, loneliness, or hopelessness
to go and see someone or something (often unexpectedly)
the use of ones voice and gestures to pretend to be someone else
exclusive, only available to the most talented, intelligent or wealthy
to make up the script as you go
a byproduct (such as a related TV show) of something bigger
a job (sometimes short-term) often related to ones talent
short for situation comedy, a funny TV show about a set group of characters
sitcom
impersonation
stand-up show
in stitches
prestigious
spin-of
ad-lib
gig
lift spirits
pay a visit
substance abuse
depression
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Youre only given a little spark
of madness. You mustnt lose it.
Robin Williams
In this lesson, you will read a short biography about
the famous American comedian, Robin Williams. You
will practice some new vocabulary and learn funny
expressions related to laughter.
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 2
Robin Williams
Famous People
Reading
1. Robin Williams was an American comedian whostarred in sitcoms,
flms, and live stand-up shows. His jokes, impersonations, and
characters always left his audience in stitches. For many years,
Robin Williams was considered the funniestmanalive.
2. Robin Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 21, 1951. He
wasashy boy who spent much of his childhood in his basement.
Toentertain himself, he made up diferent voices. While taking a
dramaclass in high school, Robin Williams learned that he could
make people laugh. In 1973, he was accepted into a prestigious
arts program at the Juilliard School in New York. His roommate
wasChristopherReeve, laterknown as Superman.
3. One of the frst comedic roles Robin Williams played was Mork from
Ork in the sitcom Mork &Mindy (19781982). This was a spin-of from
the hit TV series Happy Days. Mork was an alien who arrived on Earth
in an egg. The TV audience fell in love with his character. Much of
his best work was unscripted. Throughout the 70s and 80s Williams
developed his art as a stand-up comedian.
4. Robin Williams also had a successful flm career. He starred in
severalaward-winning flms, including Good Morning Vietnam (1987),
Dead Poets Society (1989), and Good Will Hunting (1997). From Peter Pan
to Popeye, Williams brought a comedic element to every role he played.
He was also one of the best voice actors in the industry. His ad-libbed
performance as the Genie in Disneys Aladdin (1992) inspired many
actors to lend their voices to animated flms.
5. Robin Williams was a kid at heart. He loved video games and named
his daughter after Princess Zelda. He also owned over 50 bicycles.
Outside of his regular acting gigs, he took the time to lift peoples
spirits. He cheered up Steven Spielberg while the director was working
on depressing scenes in Schindlers List. He also paid a surprise visit
to Christopher Reeve after the actors horse-riding accident. Williams
used humor to convince his buddy that things would be okay. He also
performed stand-up routines for military troops.
6. Despite the joy and laughter Robin Williams brought to his friends
and fans, he sufered greatly from substance abuse and depression.
Robin Williams committed suicide in his home on August 11, 2014, at
the age of 63. He once told an interviewer that he hoped his work on
Earth would earn him front-row seats to an Elvis/Mozart concert when
and ifhe got to heaven.
Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL-library.com in accordance with membership terms. 3
Robin Williams
Famous People
B. Ask and Answer
Practice asking and answering the following questionswith
your partner. Then write the answers in completesentences.
Comprehension
A. True or False?
Read the statements below. If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information. Write an N beside a statement
that wasnt mentioned.
1. In his graduating year at high school, Robin Williams was voted funniest person.
2. Robin Williams was friends with cyclist Lance Armstrong.
3. Robin WIlliams is best known for his role in the hit flm Superman.
4. The voice of the prince in Disneys Aladdin was played by Robin Williams.
5. Robin Williams often performed stand-up comedy routines for the military.
1. What did you learn about Robin Williamss childhood from the reading?
2. What type of character was Mork?
3. Which animated role did Robin Williams ad-lib?
4. Why does the reading mention the military?
5. How does the reading end?
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Robin Williams
Famous People
Vocabulary Review
B. Choose the Closest Meaning
Choose the word(s) with the closest meaning to
the underlined words in the following sentences.
1. My band has a gig at
the local tavern on Friday.
a) friend
b) concert
c) meeting
2. Listening to music
always lifts my spirits.
a) depresses me
b) cheers me up
c) makes me laugh
3. My brother does a good
impersonation of the president.
a) job
b) imitation
c) joke
4. The comedian from Pakistan
does the best stand-up routines.
a) impersonation
b) improv
c) live comedy
5. Lets grab some popcorn
and watch a sitcom.
a) funny TV show
b) award-winning flm
c) a stand-up show
6. The alcoholic went to a
special clinic to get over
his substance abuse.
a) emotions
b) drug user
c) alcoholism
A. Choose the Correct Word
Complete the sentences with a word from the vocabulary on page 1.
1. I need to to my grandmother. I havent seen her in months.
2. My uncle plays golf at a golf club.
Only members are allowed to play that course.
3. The dancing baby had us in at the party.
He had some really funny moves.
4. I watch comedies when Im feeling depressed. Comedies .
5. He wrote a speech, but he didnt stick to it.
He the whole thing.
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Robin Williams
Famous People
Laugh Yourself Silly
Guess the Meaning
Work with a partner. Look at the following phrases
containing the word laugh. What do you think they
mean? Come up with a defnition for each word.
laugh track
laugh your head of
laughing stock
burst out laughing
Discuss
1. Does it surprise you that such a funny
person could sufer from severe depression?
2. Does comedy help lift your
spirits when you are feeling down?
3. How important are voice actors in animated flms?
4. Robin Williams once told an interviewer that
Americans tend to mythologize the dead.
What do you think he meant by that?
Do you agree?
Improv
have the last laugh
no laughing matter
laughed out of court
laugh of
Listen to your teacher give you the real defnitions.
Were you correct? Were you close? Share your silly
guesses with your classmates.
The word improv is short for improvisation. When comedians
improvise, they dont follow a script. Work together to create some
prompts for improv skits, then improvise. Try to use English only!
CREATE PROMPTS
1. Tear a blank piece of paper intothree strips.
Write one ofthe following categories on each
strip: Character, Actions, or Settings.
2. On the back of each strip,
write a prompt for your classmates.
Strip 1: Characters
Write two or three characters.
Example: a doctor, a nurse, and a clown
Strip 2: Actions
Write one action word.
Example: swimming, skateboarding, watching TV...
Strip 3: Settings
Write one setting.
Example: Hawaii, a school, a football feld...
3. Your teacher will collect the Characters, Actions,
and Settings in three separate containers.
IMPROVISE!
1. One student (Student A) will volunteer to go frst.
Student A will pick a piece of paper from the
Character container. If there are two characters
on the slip, the student will choose one partner
(Student B). If there are three characters, the
student will choose two students (Students B
andC) to come up to the front for the improv.
2. Student B (or Students B and C) will choose
slipsfrom the other two containers (Actions
andSettings).
3. The students will then begin acting out a scene
based on their three prompts. This is improv,
which means there is NO time to prepare a skit.
4. The rest of the class will try to fgure out who the
characters are, what they are doing, and where
they are doing it. Classmates can raise their hands
to take a guess.
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Robin Williams
Famous People
Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
Students read a short biography about the world-famous
American comedian, Robin Williams. They learn new vocabulary
and expressions related to laughter. This lesson includes
comprehension, discussion questions, and an improv activity.
LEVEL: Intermediate High-Intermediate
TIME: 1.5 2 hours
TAGS: comedy, actor, American,
comedian, funny, laugh, famous,
suicide, Robin Williams, flm, TV
Comprehension
A. TRUE OR FALSE?
1. Not mentioned (true)
2. Not mentioned (true)
3. False Robin Williams friend Christopher Reeve was
best-known for his role in the hit flm Superman.
4. False The voice of the genie in Disneys
Aladdin was played by Robin Williams.
5. True
Vocabulary Review
A. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
1. pay a visit
2. prestigious
Laugh Yourself Silly
Share the real meanings and enjoy a laugh at your students guesses.
laugh track:the recorded laughter that plays
automatically after something funny on a TV show
laugh your head of: to laugh really hard (also to laugh your butt of)
laughing stock:the person who everyone laughs at
burst out laughing:to suddenly start laughing
have the last laugh:to succeed after
being ridiculed by another person
be no laughing matter:to be a serious matter,
to not be something that people should joke about
laughed out of court:to not be taken seriously by a judge or jury
laugh of:to not get upset or mad about something
B. ASK AND ANSWER
1. We learned that Robin Williams was a shy
child who amused himself by making up voices.
2. Mork was an alien from a planet called Ork.
3. Robin Williams ad-libbed his role as the Genie in Disneys Aladdin.
4. The reading mentions the military because Robin Williams
often performed stand-up acts to cheer up American troops.
5. The reading ends with a joke from Robin Williams
about his hopes for life after death.
SPELLING NOTE:
This lesson shows the American spelling of the words Practice,
Favorite, andHumor. Most other English-speaking countries spell
these words this way: Practise (when used as a verb; Practice
when usedas a noun), Favourite, and Humour. Make it a
challenge for your students to fnd these words in the
lesson and see if they knowthe alternate spellings.
Discuss
Individual answers.
Improv
Optional. Use this activity if your students are comfortable
getting up in front of the class. You will need blank paper
and three containers.
Pre-Reading
A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS
Individual responses.
B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
1. l
2. g
3. d
4. b
5. h
6. j
7. i
8. k
9. c
10. f
11. a
12. e
3. in stitches
4. lift my spirits
5. ad-libbed
B. CHOOSE THE CLOSEST MEANING
1. b 2. b 3. b 4. c 5. a 6. c