Литературная гостиная, посвященное творчеству О'Генри

Внеклассное мероприятие по английскому языку "Литературная гостиная, посвященная творчеству О'Генри".

Задачи:

познакомить учащихся с творчеством американского писателя О. Генри;

развивать речевые навыки говорения, активизировать познавательную деятельность учащихся, дать им возможность оценить свой уровень владения английским языком;

развивать интерес учащихся к культурному наследию зарубежных стран.

Ход мероприятия.

1. The introducing with the life of the writer.

The leader: - Good day, our dear guests! We are glad to see you here. Do you like to read books? Do you know Russian writers? Do you know foreign writers?

( pupils answer the questions )

P1: ( read the poem)

Books are full of many things

That I would like to know

Books are full of greatest men

That lived long long ago.

The leader: Now guess what writer is. He was an outstanding humourist. He worked out and enriched all the types of the short story: the anecdote, the adventure story, tales and sketches. The best of his works were published in books: "Cabbages and Kings", "The Four Million", "Heart of the West", "The Voice of the City" and others. Can you guess? It’s true. It’s O’Henry. Therefore our evening will be devoted to this American writer.

L: Then let’s introduce with the life of this writer. Look at the screen, please.

Pupils tell the life of the writer and introduce with the presentation.

1. The quiz.

L: Now divide into two teams and answer the questions. If you give the true answer, our team will get a score.

Questions:

1.Where was O’Henry born?( in Greensboro, a little town in North Carolina in 1862)

2. What was his father? (a physician).

3..What was real name? (Вильям Сидней Портер)

4. What magazine did O’Henry start? (a humorous magazine The Rolling Stone)

5. Where did the writer borrow from his unusual nickname? (According to some sources, he acquired the pseudonym from a warder called Orrin Henry.)

6.How many years did O’Henry spend in the prison? (stolen money from the bank)

7.Where was his first novel written?( «Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking» - Рождественский чулок Дика Свистуна»)

8.How many volumes does his collection of books consist of?(14)

9.What disease did he suffer of?( cirrhosis – цирроз печени )

10. At what age did O’Henry die? (at the age of forty seven)

1. The acting.

The leader: Now the pupils are showing scenes from the most famous works of O’ Henry “Witches’ Loaves”, “The last leaf”, “Two gifts”.

1.“ Witches’ Loaves”

Characters:

O. Henry

Miss Martha Meacham

Miss Martha’s friend

Blumberger (a draughtsman)

O. Henry (to the audience): Hello, dear friends. Do you know who I am? No!? Let me introduce myself. I am a writer. People all over the world know my pen- name O. Henry but my real name is William Sydney Porter. I live in the USA and write short stories.

Today I want to tell you one of my stories. It is called “ Witches’ Loaves”.

Miss Martha Meacham keeps a small bakery on the corner. She is forty, she has two thousand dollars in a bank, two false teeth and a kind heart. Although she is still unmarried, she hopes to get married some time.

Two or three times a week a man comes into her shop to buy bread, and very soon she begins to take an interest in him.

The setting is a bakery. Miss Martha and her friend are drinking tea and chatting. Blumberger comes into the shop.

Miss Martha Meacham: Good morning sir! Can I help you? What would you like?

Blumberger (a draughtsman): I’d like two loaves of stale bread.

Miss Martha Meacham: Anything else?

Blumberger: No, thank you. That’s all. Good bye. (He leaves the shop)

Friend: What a strange man! He speaks with a strong German accent. Do you know him?

Miss Martha Meacham: Unfortunately I don’t. He comes into my shop two or three times a week and always buys only two loaves of stale bread. But how polite and well- mannered he is! (Dreamily) I’m sure that he is an artist and very poor.

Friend: Why do you think so?

Miss Martha Meacham: I saw red and brown stains on his hands.

Friend: Poor thing! He doesn’t have enough money!

Miss Martha Meacham: Of course he lives in a little cold room where he paints his pictures. He eats stale bread and only thinks of the tasty things to eat in my bakery.

Together: Poor thing!

Miss Martha Meacham: (Dreamily) I’d like to share all good things I have with this man.

Friend: How are you going to test your theory about his occupation?

Miss Martha Meacham: I have a wonderful idea! Do you remember one day I bought a painting at a sale. Wait! I’ll try to find it. Look! (She shows a picture.) It is an Italian painting! A beautiful palace near the lake is shown in it.

Friend: And what? What are you going to do with it?

Miss Martha Meacham: (Proudly) I’m going to put it against the shelves. I am sure that an artist will notice it and that way I’ll find out his profession!

2. The last leaf

Characters:

Narrator

Sue - a young artist

Johnsy  -  her friend also an artist

Counting the leaves.                 

(a room, a window, an old ivy vine)

Narrator:  After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she went to Johnsy`s room with her drawing, whistling ragtime. Johnsy lay with her face toward the window. Johnsy`s eyes were open wide. She was looking out of the window and counting – counting backward.

Johnsy:  Twelve, eleven, ten, eight and seven (almost together).

Narrator:  Sue looked out of the window.

Sue:  What was there to count? An old ivy vine, going bad at the roots, climbing half   way up the wall. What is it, dear?

Johnsy:  Six. They`re falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a  hundred. It  made my head hurt to count them. There goes another one. There are only five left now.

Sue:  Five what, dear?

Johnsy:  Leaves. On the plant. When the last one falls I must go, too. I`ve known that for three days. Didn`t the doctor tell you?

Sue:  Oh, I never heard of such thing. Don`t be silly. The doctor told me this morning that your chances were ten to one!

Johnsy:  There goes another one. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I`ll go, too.

3. Two gifts

Characters:

Della

Jim

(Jim and Della’s flat)

Jim: Oh, at last I am at home! Hello, my dear. But what has happened to your hair?

Della: Jim, darling, don’t look at me like that! I’ve sold my hair because I wanted to give a present to you. My hair will grow again. It grows very fast. Let’s say "A Happy New Year!’ to each other and be happy! You don’t know what a beautiful present I’ve got for you! But why are you looking at me in such a strange way?

Jim: If you open the package you will understand, my dear…

Della: (opens a present box and finds out beautiful combs) Oh, Jim, I have been dreaming of such combs since I saw them in a Broadway shop window. Now they are mine! Oh, Jim, I’m so happy! (Then she runs to the dressing table.) But you haven’t seen your present yet! It’s a beautiful chain! Give me your watch. I want to see how it goes with it!

(Jim gets stiff with astonishment)

Jim: Dear Della, but I’ve sold my watch to get the money to buy the combs for you... Is the coffee ready?

(Both look at each other with deep regret)

1. The summing up.

The leader: So today we have introduced with the works of the greatest writer and in conclusion we thank for those who have participated in this activity. Now we are going to sing a song.

Heal the world

Think about the generations and they say:

"We want to make it a better place

For our children and our children's children

So that they know,

It's a better world for them,

And think if they can

Make it a better place”.

There is a place in your heart,

And I know that it is love,

And this place could be

Much brighter than tomorrow.

And if you really try

You'll find there's no need to cry,

In this place you'll feel

There's no hurt or sorrow.

There are ways to get there,

If you care enough for the living,

Make a little space,

Make a better place.

Heal the world,

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race.

There are people dying,

If you care enough for the living,

Make it a better place

For you and for me.

If you want to know why,

There's love that cannot lie,

Love is strong,

It only cares of joyful giving.

If we try we shall see

In this bliss we cannot feel fear or dread,

We stop existing and start living.

Then it feels that always

Love is enough for us growing,

So make a better world,

Make a better world.

Heal the world,

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race.

There are people dying,

If you care enough for the living,

Make a better place

For you and for me.

And the dream we were conceived in

Will reveal a joyful face.

And the world we once believed in

Will shine again in grace.

Then why do we keep strangling life

Wound this earth, crucify its soul?

Though it's plain to see

This world is heavenly, be God's glow.