Reading and vocabulary activity
A HYPERBOLE is an obvious and intentional
exaggeration, used for emphasis or effect. For
example: “I could sleep for a year” or “You made me wait an
eternity”, and longer fragments
such as:
"My toaster has never once worked properly in
four years. I follow the instructions and push two slices of bread down in
the slots, and seconds later they rifle upwards. Once they broke the nose of a woman I loved dearly." (Woody Allen, "My Speech to the Graduates")
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This is a real essay written by student
Hugh Gallagher when applying to New York University. Mark all hyperboles,
including cultural references and clichés.
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QUESTION: ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES YOU
HAVE HAD, OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU HAVE REALIZED, THAT HAVE HELPED TO DEFINE
YOU AS A PERSON?
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 I
am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been
known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more
efficient in the area of heat retention. I write award-winning operas, and I
manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in
twenty minutes. Children trust me.I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several cover operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. I don't perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary meals using only a tomato and a toaster. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis. But I have not yet gone to college. |
Clichés
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Culture and language “go hand in hand”. People share
a common history that influences the way they speak. Some phrases, usually with
a humorous component, become popular and speakers start using them often.
They are called clichés.
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Exercise: Here are a few examples with very common clichés. Can you match sentence and meaning? Afterwards, use a few to write examples of your own.
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1-I work "from dusk till dawn".
2-She's "walking on thin ice".
3-"It's not over till the fat lady sings."
4-We'll "throw in the towel".
5-It's "out of this world".
6-"Do I look like I was born
yesterday?" 7-I'm "caught between a rock and a hard place".
8-He's "tough as nails". 9-"When pigs fly." 10-"Love it or leave it." 11-That's "the way the cookie crumbles". 12-He's "on top of the world."
13-"Whatever will be, will be."
14-"What goes around comes around."
15-"It's all Greek to me!"
16-I have his name "on
the tip of my tongue."
17-"Look what the cat brought!"
18-That's "the lesser of two evils".
19-"Time flies when you're having
fun." 20-John’s
eating "like there’s no tomorrow".
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a-it's not finished yet
b-accept the facts
c-I don't understand
d- all day long
e-never
f-don't worry
g-you get what you give
h- successful, happy
i- in trouble
j- in a dangerous situation
k-an unexpected surprise arrival
l- wonderful
m-without looking at the consequences
n- give up
o- I'm having a good time
p-hard
q- do you think I’m stupid?
r-reality
s-the best of two bad options
t-I'll remember soon
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