DEGREE

DEGA2 A
- TRACK 2 X-Vocabulary Workbook IAUP - Week 3

WEEK Cruel Memorable Vast Stall

3 Grave Drawbacks Prior Withdraw

WALT DISNEY

Pre-reading

A. Answer the following questions. Discuss them with your partner and then share your
ideas with the classroom.
1. What do you know about Walt Disney?
2. Have you ever heard about him or his works?
3. Did you watch any movies and if yes, do you remember an unforgettable scene?
4. Did you go to Disneyland?
5. Why do you think cartoons of Disney production are very popular?
Watch “15 things you didn’t know about Walt Disney” and discuss the video in the class.

WORDS IN CONTEXT

History will judge the actions of your government as cruel and barbaric.
cruel
/krʊəl/ She can be cruel sometimes; she has no mercy for people who disappoint her.
-adjective
A. difficult to handle B.understandable, C. wilfully causing pain
Cruel means…
reasonable

The country is facing a grave situation; people expect an economic crisis.

grave This is not a joke. We have grave concerns over the future of the country.
/ɡreɪv/
-adjective

Grave means… A. great, big B. serious C. minor, unimportant

memorable It was a memorable day. We took many photos.

/ˈmɛm(ə)rəb(ə)l/ That was one of the most memorable moments of my life; I will never forget it.
-adjective
A. surprising B. extraordinary C. unforgettable
Memorable means…

The vast majority of people just want to stay away from trouble.
vast
/vɑːst/ The company is satisfied with its vast profits.
-adjective

Vast means… A. immense B. usual C. various

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DEGA2 - TRACK 2 X-Vocabulary Workbook IAUP - Week 3

Difficult customers were among the drawbacks of the job.

drawback
/ˈdrɔːbak/ In her speech, the new principle stressed the drawbacks of today’s education
-noun system.
A. content negative aspect
B. afterwards something you guess
C. additional
Drawback means…

She withdrew from the competition; she doesn’t play the game anymore.
withdraw
/wɪðˈdrɔː/ The USA is withdrawing its troops from Iraq.
-verb

Withdraw means… A. to leave B. to move forward C. to join

We need to talk prior to the meeting.

prior
/ˈprʌɪə/ He learned a lot in his prior job.
-adjective
A. previous B. afterwards C. additional
Prior means…

The government stalled the project; we do not know if it will continue.

stall
/stɔːl/ Her career stalled; she wasn’t promoted as the new senior manager.
-verb

Stall means… A. to stop examining B. to stop making C. to stop searching

progress

WALT DISNEY
Walter Elias Disney was an American cartoon artist and producer of animated films. He was also an
entrepreneur and voice actor. Walt Disney was born in 1901, in Chicago. His father was Irish-Canadian,
and his mother was German-American. Walt Disney went to high school in Chicago. Disney left school
when he was 17 years old. After leaving school, he joined the Red Cross and became an ambulance driver
in the First World War (WWI) which is full of cruel stories. After the War, in 1919, he moved to Kansas City
to become an artist. Then, Disney went to Hollywood in 1923. He started to work on cartoon films in
Hollywood.
Walt Disney first became famous for his Mickey Mouse cartoons. He drew the first Mickey Mouse
cartoon in 1927. In the meantime, he became a successful businessman. He never thought of withdrawing
his jobs even though he had problems in business. By 1934, he was employing 700 people. Disney also
created other famous cartoon figures. For example, he created Donald Duck in 1936. On December 21,
1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated film, premiered in Los Angeles. It
produced an unimaginable $1.499 million, in spite of the Depression’s drawbacks, and won a total of eight
Oscars. During the next five years, Walt Disney Studios completed another string of full-length animated
films, Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942).
In December 1939, a new campus for Walt Disney Studios was opened in Burbank. A setback for
the company occurred in 1941; they stalled for a while when there was a strike by Disney animators. Many
of them resigned, and it would be years before the company fully recovered and got its prior power back.
It was an immense drawback. During the mid-1940s, Disney created "packaged features," groups of
shorts strung together to run at feature length, but by 1950, he was once again focusing on animated
features. Cinderella was released in 1950, followed by a live-action film called Treasure Island (1950), Alice
in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and 101
Dalmatians (1961). In all, more than 100 features were produced by his studio.
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DEGA2 - TRACK 2 X-Vocabulary Workbook IAUP - Week 3
Disney was also among the first to use television as an entertainment medium. The Zorro and Davy
Crockett series were extremely popular with a vast number of children, as was The Mickey Mouse Club, a
variety show featuring a cast of teenagers known as the Mouseketeers. Walt Disney's Wonderful World of
Color was a popular Sunday night show, which Disney used to begin promoting his new theme park.
Disney's last major success that he produced himself was the motion picture Mary Poppins (1964), which
mixed live action and animation.
Disneyland theme park opened on July 17, 1955, in California, with actor (and future U.S. president)
Ronald Reagan presiding over the activities on what was once an orange grove. After a tumultuous (noisy
and busy) opening day involving several mishaps (including the distribution of thousands of counterfeit
invitations), the site became known as a place where children and their families could explore, enjoy rides
and meet the Disney characters. In a very short time, the park had increased its investment tenfold, and
was entertaining tourists from around the world. With the original site having some attendance ups and
downs over the years, Disneyland has expanded its rides over time and branched out globally with parks
in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong, with a Shanghai location that opened in June 2016. The sister property
California Adventure also opened in 2001.
Walt Disney is a legend; a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based upon
the ideals which his name represents: imagination, optimism, creation, and self-made success in the
American tradition. His job seemed fun but it is indeed a grave job. He brought people closer to the future,
while telling them of the past, it is certain, that there will never be such as great a man, as Walt Disney.
A. Answer the following questions.

1. Where was Walt Disney born?

______________________________________________________________________________________
2. How old would he be now?
______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Walt Disney worked for _____________________ as __________________________ during the WWI.
4. What was Disney’s job in Kansas City?
______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Where did Walt Disney start working on cartoon films?
______________________________________________________________________________________
6. When did he draw his first Mickey Mouse cartoon?
______________________________________________________________________________________
7. What was the name of Disney’s first full length cartoon film?
______________________________________________________________________________________
8. Why was it unimaginable for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to produce $1.499 million?
______________________________________________________________________________________
9. What was the setback for in 1941?
______________________________________________________________________________________
10. Name one of the famous TV programs.
______________________________________________________________________________________
11. What can someone do in Disneyland?
______________________________________________________________________________________

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DEGA2 - TRACK 2 X-Vocabulary Workbook IAUP - Week 3
12. How many Disneyland are there all around the world?
______________________________________________________________________________________
13. Name one of the ideals that Walt Disney represents.
______________________________________________________________________________________

POST READING

COMPREHENSION CHECK POINT

1. Fate is cruel to the characters in the film; 5. This school has many drawbacks;
a. they have very unfortunate accidents. a. the most important one is the success of
b. they argue all the time students.
c. they don’t agree with each other. b. the most important one is the teacher’s
feedbacks.
2.She withdrew herself from many tasks; c. the most important one is the high tuition fee.
a. her contributions are great.
b. she does not do much anymore. 6. They consumed vast quantities of drink;
c. she helps many in the team. a. so they got dehydrated.
b. so they got very thirsty.
3. If something memorable happens to you, c. so they got refreshed.
a. you become anxious.
b. you get rich. 7. The student’s progress stalled,
c. you remember it many years later. a. her average dropped considerably.
b. her average is higher now.
4. There are grave dangers here; c. her average increased a bit.
a. you need to be careful.
b. you need to work a lot. 8. They did not have an agreement,
c. you need to take a rest. a. so did not know what to do.
b. so they could meet on time.
c. so their plan worked out successfully.

WORDS AND DEFINITIONS

_____ 1.He suffers from withdrawal from the medication a. a stand, booth, or
compartment in a market
_____ 2. She visits her grand father’s grave every month. b. effects of stopping something

_____ 3. I bought that bag in that stall over there. c. enjoying to see or hurt living
beings

_____ 4. Some people are so cruel, I don’t understand how then can d. A hole in the ground for dead
commit such crimes people

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DEGA2 - TRACK 2 X-Vocabulary Workbook IAUP - Week 3

WORD FAMILIES
NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE ADVERB

1. Cruel

A cruel punishment ✔

Cruelty to animals ✔

2. Prior

Her prior experience

Her priority

3. Withdraw

Withdraw money from your bank account

Withdrawal of the troops

4. Grave

A grave problem

Gravity of the problem

B. Read the first half of each sentence and match it with the appropriate ending.

1. The doctors were talking about the gravity of her

a. but I will give priority to my work at school.
medical condition;

2. I have a lot of things to do, b. because of the withdrawal of foreign investment.

3. The financial markets are in crisis c. there is hardly any cure for it.

4. I can’t bear random acts of cruelty, d. I find them repulsive.

WORD IN SENTENCES
cruel memorable vast stall
grave drawbacks prior withdraw

1. The car ___________ in the middle of the road. We had to call the mechanic.
2. The jury looked ____________ while studying the evidence.
3. She ____________ herself from everything. She does not even go out of the house.
4. The main ____________ of this research is the lack of enough evidence.
5. Her mum is being ________________ to her. She blames her for everything.
6. Her ___________ statement is inconsistent with the present evidence.
7. We had a _____________ time together. We will never forget it.
8. There are some _____________ deserts in North Africa.

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DEGA2 - TRACK 2 X-Vocabulary Workbook IAUP - Week 3

WORD IN READING

Cruelty Prior Stall Vast Grave Withdraw

There is nothing comparable to human _____________. As human beings, we harm not only
each other, but also other animals and the world in general. The ________ majority of us do not
learn from our ___________ experiences. We have wars, damage the environment and kill
animals for profit. The situation is getting more and more _________ but we do not understand it.
We forsake the world to make profits in the short term. But still, the economic development came
to a _____________ in many countries. The foreign investment started to ______________ from
the markets over the world. This will have a major impact on the lives of people worldwide. So,
the damage done does not seem to pay off for the majority of the people.

WRITING
A. Draw a story map of Walt Disney by using the circles below.

B. What is the greatest experience you have ever had? Describe it in details.

________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

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