Don't Look Away - English Practice With Short Films

Listening

Test your understanding

1. What happens if you look away from the creepy man?

A. He disappears. B. He gets closer. C. Nothing happens. D. He multiplies.

2. What does the creepy man look like?

A. A clown. B. A man in a suit. C. A shadow. D. A monster.

3. What did we NOT see the man wearing?

A. Chains. B. A tie. C. A torn jacket. D. A cap.

4. What did the father use to get rid of the creepy man?

A. A gun. B. Water. C. A mirror. D. His hands.

5. What is implied at the end of the video?

A. The family escapes. B. The mother is in danger. C. The creepy man disappears. D. The police arrive.

Find the Mistakes

There are five mistakes in the writing below. Can you find them all?

The movie opens with a scene of a girl, Savannah, washing her hair. Her brother shouts at her from outside and they argue about who should do the chores. He opens her bedroom door and jokingly insults her. She responds by slamming the door and telling him to go away. She walks over to the window and looks out into the garden. There, she sees a creepy looking man standing behind a tree. The man's face is covered by a mask and he is wearing a black and white suit with a torn jacket. Right after seeing him, her phone rings and she answers it. It's her father calling. She tells him about the weird looking man. The father tells her not to look away from the man and that he will be home soon. Her brother knocks on the door and opens it. She tells him to lock all the doors in the house, but before doing that, he looks outside and sees the man in the suit. She explains to Jim that he must keep looking at the man, and says that she is going to lock the doors. She thinks that if one person looks at it, it will be good enough. But after locking the doors, she can't see the man anymore, even though Jim can. Suddenly she sees the creepy man sitting in her room. Savannah covers the man's nose with tape, thinking that that would protect her, but when she looks away, it attacks her. Jim jumps in to defend her. After a short fight, they can both see the man in the room, so he stops moving. The children's father runs into the room. He picks up a mirror and holds it in front of the man's face. When the man looks into the mirror, he is sucked into it. The father then smashes the mirror. Savannah demands an explanation for what has happened. Her father explains that the man has been following him and his wife for a long time. Suddenly, Jim realizes that he can't see the man that he was looking at outside. The father tells them that the creepy man had been able to make a copy of himself. When the doorbell rings, they realize that the danger is not over. The movie ends with the creepy looking man standing in the house.

Vocabulary

Drag the correct word to each blank.

Real Talk

Here you will find some language that can often be heard in real life, but isn't usually found in textbooks.

Cos

"Cos" is a very common informal contraction of "because." You'll hear native speakers use it all the time in casual conversation. For example, "I'm tired, cos I stayed up late." It is sometimes spelt "cuz".

Like

The word "like" is often used as a filler word, similar to "um" or "uh". In this clip, we hear Savannah use it several times in a single sentence.

Bitch

This word is used in many ways. Most of them are not polite. In particular, when said to a woman, it can be considered a very strong insult, so avoid this word unless you know what you are doing. Even though Savannah knows that her brother is just joking, her reaction shows that she is not impressed.

Speaking Activities

Are you interested in some group speaking activities? Contact us to find out more about how you can talk about this film with a class and a teacher!