The Reading / Listening - Graphic Novel - Level 4

A Singaporean graphic novelist won three major comic industry prizes at the Eisner Awards. Sonny Liew won Best Writer/Artist, Best US Edition of International Material, and Best Publication Design for his book, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". The book is a rewrite of Singapore's history. Liew said he was surprised his book did well. He didn't expect it to get a global audience. He said he wanted people to, "get a sense of how rich our history was".

Mr Liew's book is a history of Singapore from its independence from British rule. He focused on Singapore's founding fathers and the role played by lesser-known people. He wanted to tell the official history, and "a more inclusive version". Liew was worried that his book would be unsuccessful because Singapore's National Arts Council took away a grant for it. However, this brought a lot of attention and increased sales of the book.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Graphic Novel - Level 5 or  Graphic Novel - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2017/07/23/alternate-history-of-singapore-scoops-comic-books-awards/
  • http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/sonny-liew-wins-three-comics-oscars
  • http://www.themalaymailonline.com/features/article/graphic-novelist-sonny-liew-is-first-singaporean-to-win-prestigious-eisner


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A Singaporean graphic
  2. three major comic
  3. Sonny Liew won
  4. The book is a rewrite
  5. he was surprised his book
  6. He didn't expect
  7. get a global
  8. get a sense of how rich
  1. audience
  2. Best Writer
  3. our history was
  4. it to
  5. novelist
  6. of Singapore's history
  7. industry prizes
  8. did well

Paragraph 2

  1. Mr Liew's book is a history
  2. its independence from
  3. He focused on Singapore's
  4. the role played by lesser-
  5. He wanted to tell the official
  6. a more
  7. worried that his book would
  8. this brought a
  1. inclusive version
  2. founding fathers
  3. history
  4. be unsuccessful
  5. of Singapore
  6. known people
  7. lot of attention
  8. British rule

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A Singaporean (1) ___________________ won three major comic industry (2) ___________________ Eisner Awards. Sonny Liew won Best Writer/Artist, Best US Edition of International Material, (3) ___________________ Design for his book, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". The (4) ___________________ Singapore's history. Liew said he was surprised his book did well. He didn't (5) ___________________ get a global audience. He said he wanted people to, "(6) ___________________ how rich our history was".

Mr Liew's (7) ___________________ history of Singapore from its independence from British rule. (8) ___________________ Singapore's founding fathers and the (9) ___________________ lesser-known people. He wanted to tell (10) ___________________, and "a more inclusive version". Liew was worried (11) ___________________ would be unsuccessful because Singapore's National Arts Council took away a grant for it. However, this brought (12) ___________________ and increased sales of the book.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ASingaporeangraphicnovelistwonthreemajorcomicindustryprizesat
theEisnerAwards.SonnyLiewwonBestWriter/Artist,BestUSEditionof
InternationalMaterial,andBestPublicationDesignforhisbook,"TheArt
ofCharlieChanHockChye".ThebookisarewriteofSingapore'shistory.L
iewsaidhewassurprisedhisbookdidwell.Hedidn'texpectittogetagloba
laudience.Hesaidhewantedpeopleto,"getasenseofhowrichourhistor
ywas".MrLiew'sbookisahistoryofSingaporefromitsindependencefro
mBritishrule.HefocusedonSingapore'sfoundingfathersandtherolepl
ayedbylesser-knownpeople.Hewantedtotelltheofficialhistory,and"a
moreinclusiveversion".Liewwasworriedthathisbookwouldbeunsucc
essfulbecauseSingapore'sNationalArtsCounciltookawayagrantforit.
However,thisbroughtalotofattentionandincreasedsalesofthebook.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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