Unit 1: Shakespeare Speaks
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Session 11
What's in a name? We show you how to use the phrase a tower of strength - and bring you some useful phrases for talking about people you can rely on.
ድምር ነጥቢ ናይዚ ክፍለ-ስራሓት 11
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Activity 2
A tower of strength - meaning and use
We asked you: who was a tower of strength for footballer David Beckham? It was Alex Ferguson, the manager of his team, Manchester United.
To do
Let's look at the meaning and modern use of a tower of strength. Listen to this extract from the animation to help you remember what the narrator said, and then do the quiz to check you understood.
ነቲ ድምጺ ብምስማዕ ነቲ ስራሕ ፈጽምዎ
Narrator
...Of course, these days, you don't have to kill your family to be described as a tower of strength - you just have to be strong, reliable, trustworthy, dependable and good in a crisis. Like footballer David Beckham, who said:
Clip 1
Alex Ferguson was like a father to me. He was a tower of strength.
Clip 2
My husband was a tower of strength when I had that operation - he really looked after me well.
Now have a go at this quiz. Look at the transcript if you need extra help.
As strong as a tower
3 Questions
Answer these questions about the meaning of a tower of strength.
ሓገዝ
Activity
Answer these questions about the meaning of a tower of strength.
ኣመት
The phrase 'a tower of strength' is used to describe someone's personality rather than physical characteristics.Question 1 of 3
ሓገዝ
Activity
Answer these questions about the meaning of a tower of strength.
ኣመት
In the example, the lady says: "My husband was a tower of strength when I had that operation - he really looked after me well."Question 2 of 3
ሓገዝ
Activity
Answer these questions about the meaning of a tower of strength.
ኣመት
We stress the words that carry meaning.Question 3 of 3
Excellent!Great job!ሕማቕ ዕድል!ዘመዝገብኩምዎ ነጥቢ ...:
How did you do?
2-3 correct - congratulations, you're now ready to learn some phrases to describe a person who is a tower of strength.
0-1 correct - oh dear! Have a look at the transcript and try again.
Language note
We can replace tower with pillar, for example:
- She was apillar of strength
A pillar is a large post that helps to hold something up
Next
Do you have someone in your life who is a tower of strength? We want to hear all about them, but first we'll introduce you to some useful phrases to help you describe how supportive they are.
Session Vocabulary
For more great Shakespeare content visit our partner,The OU
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A tower of strength
Meaning
The phrase a tower of strength describes someone who is strong, reliable, trustworthy, dependable and good in a crisis.Example sentence
My husband was a tower of strength when I had that operation - he really looked after me well.____________________
Extra vocabulary
a baddie
a bad character in a story, film or playa battle
a fight between armed forces
to stick with someone through thick and thin
to support a friend or partner through difficult experiences as well as good onesto have someone’s back
to be prepared and ready to support or defend someone
to stand by someone
to support someonemy rock
describes a person who is supportive and helps you when times are difficultto count on someone
to depend on someone
to be there for someone
to be available to provide support and comfort for someonea pillar
a large post that helps to hold something up____________________
Shakespeare Speaks is a co-production between:
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