Vocabulary - Movie Excerpt - Thank You for Smoking

Thank You for Smoking is a 2005 comedy-drama film which follows the efforts of a tobacco company's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who lobbies on behalf of cigarette companies while also trying to remain a role model for his 12-year-old son, Joey.

In this exercise, you are going to watch an excerpt of the movie in which Nick and Joey debate over ice cream choices.

Task A
Task B
Task C
Task D
Task E

A. Pre-viewing

Familiarize yourself with the following entries before watching the video:

L.A. – Los Angeles, a city in Southern California, the United States
lobbyist – someone who tries to persuade a politician or official group to do something. In the movie, Nick Naylor is a tobacco lobbyist whose job is to defend smoking on television programs by questioning opposing health claims and advocating personal choice.
moral – the standards of good or bad behaviour, fairness, honesty, etc. that each person believes in, rather than to laws
trial – the hearing in a law court to judge if a person is guilty of a crime or to decide a case or a legal matter
end-all and be-all – also be-all and end-all, the essential factor, the all-important element
liberty – the freedom to live as you wish or go where you want

B. Comprehension

Watch the video and answer the following questions:

Click here to watch the video

Video ©Fox Searchlight Pictures

1.	Select the words that Joey uses in the video to complete the sentence. Joey: “So, you go to an office, then you go on TV and talk about cigarettes. Then you L.A. to talk to some guy who works with movie stars.”
		fly out of	Incorrect
		fly out to	Correct
		fly out for	Incorrect

2.	Nick: That's my job; I'm a lobbyist. Joey: I know, but did you study to do that? Nick: No. No, I just kind of figured it out. ‘it’ refers to…
		how to lobby	Correct
		how to get a job as a lobbyist	Incorrect
		how to be a lobbyist without studying it	Incorrect

3.	According to Nick, lobbyists…
		require flexible moral standards from other people.	Incorrect
		have flexibility that goes beyond most people.	Incorrect
		have higher moral flexibility than most people.	Correct

4.	Joey believes that a child murderer deserves…
		to be defended.	Incorrect
		a fair defense.	Correct
		to have a lawyer.	Incorrect

5.	Nick says that multinational corporations also deserve a fair trial.
		true	Correct
		false	Incorrect
		not given	Incorrect

6.	Nick: Well, I need more than chocolate. And for that matter, I need more than vanilla. What does ‘for that matter’ mean?
		for your attention	Incorrect
		besides, in addition	Incorrect
		in fact	Correct

7.	In Nick’s definition of liberty, in choosing ice cream people should be offered with…
		vanilla and chocolate.	Incorrect
		freedom of choice.	Correct
		the best ice cream.	Incorrect

8.	Joey: But you still didn't convince me. Nick: 'Cause I'm not after you, I'm after them. What does ‘after’ mean in the above context?
		trying to impress	Correct
		seeking attention	Incorrect
		trying to argue with	Incorrect

C. Synonyms

In the exercise below, three synonyms are provided for each bolded word in the following sentences taken from the talk. Watch the video again and observe how these words are used in a larger context. Select the synonym that best fits that context. Consult a dictionary when necessary.

1.	Nick: No, it, uh, requires a...a moral flexibility that goes beyond most people.
		Elasticity	Incorrect
		Resilience	Incorrect
		compliance	Correct

2.	Nick: let's say you became a lawyer, right? And you were asked to defend a murderer.
		Justify the behaviour	Correct
		protect	Incorrect
		uphold a belief	Incorrect

3.	Nick: Now, the law states that every person deserves a fair trial. Would you defend them?
		lay claim to	Incorrect
		be welcome	Incorrect
		be entitled to	Correct

4.	Joey: But... you didn't prove that vanilla's the best.
		determine	Incorrect
		justify	Correct
		fix	Incorrect

5.	Joey: But you still didn't convince me.
		assure	Incorrect
		persuade	Correct
		draw	Incorrect

D. Using vocabulary

Complete the following sentences using the words in the box. Use the correct grammatical form of the words.

Click here to show answers

Answers:

E. Phrasal verbs that end with out

I.	Match the phrasal verbs with their definitions. Please note that some of the phrasal verbs may have more meanings than the one given in this exercise. Consult a dictionary when necessary.

II.	Complete the following sentences by selecting the phrasal verbs which best fit the sentence contexts.

Transcription
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Transcription – Movie Excerpt - Thank You for Smoking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrnZdFFovBE

	Joey:	So, you go to an office, then you go on TV and talk about cigarettes. Then you fly out to L.A. to talk to some guy who works with movie stars. What is that?
	Nick:	That's my job; I'm a lobbyist.
	Joey:	I know, but did you study to do that?
	Nick:	No. No, I just kind of figured it out.
	Joey:	Then can't anyone just do that?
	Nick:	No, it, uh, requires a...a moral flexibility that goes beyond most people.
	Joey:	Do I have flexible morals?
	Nick:	Well, let's say you became a lawyer, right? And you were asked to defend a murderer. Worse than that, a child murderer! Now, the law states that every person deserves a fair trial. Would you defend them?
	Joey:	I don't know. I guess every person deserves a fair defence.
	Nick:	Yeah, well, so do multinational corporations.
	Joey:	So, what happens when you're wrong?
	Nick:	(chuckles) Well, Joey, I'm never wrong.
	Joey:	But you can't always be right.
	Nick:	Well, if it's your job to be right, then you're never wrong.
	Joey:	But what if you are wrong?
	Nick:	Okay, let's say that you're defending chocolate and I'm defending vanilla. Now, if I were to say to you, "Vanilla's the best flavour ice cream," you'd say...?
	Joey:	No, chocolate is.
	Nick:	Exactly! But you can't win that argument. So, I'll ask you “So you think chocolate is the end-all and be-all of ice cream, do you?”
	Joey:	It's the best ice cream; I wouldn't order any other.
	Nick:	Oh. So it's all chocolate for you, is it?
	Joey:	Yes, chocolate is all I need.
	Nick:	Well, I need more than chocolate. And for that matter, I need more than vanilla. I believe that we need freedom and choice when it comes to our ice cream, and that, Joey Naylor, that is the definition of liberty.
	Joey:	But that's not what we're talking about.
	Nick:	Ah, but that's what I'm talking about.
	Joey:	But... you didn't prove that vanilla's the best.
	Nick:	I didn't have to. I proved that you're wrong and if you're wrong, I'm right.
	Joey:	But you still didn't convince me.
	Nick:	'Cause I'm not after you, I'm after them (people who smoke).