The Reading / Listening - Graphic Novel - Level 5

A Singaporean graphic novelist has won three comic industry Oscars. Sonny Liew picked up three Eisner Awards for his book, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". The book is a rewrite of Singaporean history. Mr Liew won Best Writer/Artist, Best US Edition of International Material, and Best Publication Design. The awards show was held at the San Diego Comic-Con. Liew said he was surprised his book did well as he never expected an international audience for it. He said: "I always wanted people to read the book and get a sense of how rich our history was."

Mr Liew's book outlines the history of Singapore from its independence from British rule. Liew focused on Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, and the role played by lesser-known people. He said he wanted to tell the official history of Singapore and, "a more inclusive version of our history". He added: "I hope that's what people reading the book will get from it." Liew first worried that his book would be unsuccessful because Singapore's National Arts Council took away a grant for the book. However, this brought a lot of attention and boosted sales of the book.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Graphic Novel - Level 4 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
  2. Sonny Liew picked
  3. The book is a rewrite of
  4. The awards show was held at the
  5. he was surprised his
  6. he never expected an
  7. I always wanted people
  8. get a sense of how rich
  1. international audience
  2. to read the book
  3. San Diego Comic-Con
  4. our history was
  5. Singaporean history
  6. graphic novelist
  7. book did well
  8. up three Eisner Awards

Paragraph 2

  1. Liew's book outlines the
  2. its independence from
  3. Liew focused on Singapore's
  4. the role played by lesser-
  5. tell the official history
  6. a more inclusive
  7. this brought a
  8. boosted sales
  1. of Singapore
  2. known people
  3. version of our history
  4. founding father
  5. lot of attention
  6. history of Singapore
  7. of the book
  8. British rule

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A Singaporean graphic (1) ___________________ three comic industry Oscars. Sonny Liew (2) ___________________ Eisner Awards for his book, "The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye". The (3) ___________________ rewrite of Singaporean history. Mr Liew won Best Writer/Artist, Best US Edition of International Material, and Best Publication Design. (4) ___________________ was held at the San Diego Comic-Con. Liew said he was surprised his book (5) ___________________ never expected an international audience for it. He said: "I always wanted people to read the book and (6) ___________________ how rich our history was."

Mr Liew's (7) ___________________ the history of Singapore from its independence from British rule. Liew (8) ___________________ Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, and the role played by lesser-known people. He said he wanted to (9) ___________________ history of Singapore and, "a more inclusive (10) ___________________ history". He added: "I hope that's what people reading the book will get from it." Liew first worried that his book would (11) ___________________ because Singapore's National Arts Council took away a grant for the book. However, this brought a lot of attention and boosted (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ASingaporeangraphicnovelisthaswonthreecomicindustryOscars.So
nnyLiewpickedupthreeEisnerAwardsforhisbook,"TheArtofCharlieCh
anHockChye".ThebookisarewriteofSingaporeanhistory.MrLiewwon
BestWriter/Artist,BestUSEditionofInternationalMaterial,andBestPu
blicationDesign.TheawardsshowwasheldattheSanDiegoComic-Co
n.Liewsaidhewassurprisedhisbookdidwellasheneverexpectedaninte
rnationalaudienceforit.Hesaid:"Ialwayswantedpeopletoreadtheboo
kandgetasenseofhowrichourhistorywas."MrLiew'sbookoutlinestheh
istoryofSingaporefromitsindependencefromBritishrule.Liewfocused
onSingapore'sfoundingfather,LeeKuanYew,andtheroleplayedbyless
er-knownpeople.HesaidhewantedtotelltheofficialhistoryofSingapor
eand,"amoreinclusiveversionofourhistory".Headded:"Ihopethat'sw
hatpeoplereadingthebookwillgetfromit."Liewfirstworriedthathisboo
kwouldbeunsuccessfulbecauseSingapore'sNationalArtsCounciltook
awayagrantforthebook.However,thisbroughtalotofattentionandboo
stedsalesofthebook.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You