The Friendship algorithm

THE FRIENDSHIP ALGORITHM

Look at the links below, you will find:

1) An interview with one of the actors in The Big Bang Theory (a TV series)
2) Part of the episode: "The Friendship Algorithm"
3) A short summary of the episode.

Underneath, you will find:

>The flow chart shown in the episode.
>Two sets of questions based on a) the interview
b) the episode



1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXqnZF7k_tA&NR=1&feature=fvwp

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0xgjUhEG3U&feature=player_embedded

3) http://wiki.the-big-bang-theory.com/index.php/Friendship_Algorithm

Questions:

a) Interview with Simon Helberg (Howard Holowitz)

1) Why does Simon say "It´s a hard world out there for Howard" (the character he plays)?
2) What happened in Mexico during their visit? What was Simon's reaction to it?
3) What do you think La la land is? Look it up and check your guesses.
4) How do the actors decipher and grasp the scientific material they use on the show?
5) Do we learn what the equation for comedy is? Why/ Why not?

b) The episode (extract)
Pre-viewing
1) What is an algorithm?
2) What is a flow chart?

Post-viewing
3) Describe the guys' looks in a few words.
4) Who is Sheldon calling? What for?
5) Why does he need an algorithm for making friends?
6) What kind of language (register) does Sheldon use when he addresses Kripke on the phone?
7) Why is Sheldon "caught in an infinite loop"?
8) What is Sheldon's reaction when Howard helps him out?
9) What is the tone/intention of Howard's remark: "Gee! Why can't Sheldon make friends?"
10) What do Sheldon and Kripke finally arrange to do together?

Information on the show

The Big Bang Theory (Text Source: Wikipedia)

Mixed exercise: Level: Upper-intermediate, Advanced. (Open cloze, word derivation, collocations):Complete the gap with one word only. In some cases, the word required is a derivation of the one given in capital letters between parentheses; in others, the first letter of the word is given.

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of …………. serve as executive producers on the show. It premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.

Set in Pasadena, California, the show is about two ……………(FICTION) Caltech geniuses, one an ………………..(EXPERIMENT) physicist (Leonard Hofstadter) and the other a ……………..(THEORY)physicist (Sheldon Cooper), who live across the hall …………. an attractive blond waitress and ………………..(ASPIRE) actress (Penny). Leonard and Sheldon's ………………(GEEK) and intellect are contrasted for comic effect with Penny's social skills and common sense.^[3][4] An aerospace engineer (Howard Wolowitz) and a particle astrophysicist (Rajesh Koothrappali) are their ……………..(EQUAL) geeky and socially awkward co-workers and friends.

Main cast

Main article: List of characters from The Big Bang Theory

• Johnny Galecki^[11] as Leonard Hofstadter, Ph.D. – Leonard is an experimental physicist with an IQ of 173 who received his Ph.D. when he was 24 years old. He shares an apartment with colleague and friend Sheldon Cooper. The writers immediately implied a potential romance …………………him and neighbor Penny,

• Jim Parsons^[12] as Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D. –………………(ORIGIN) from East Texas, he was a child prodigy that began college at the age of 11, ………….completing the fifth grade. As a theoretical physicist, he possesses a master's degree, two PhDs, and an IQ of 187. He exhibits a strict adherence ……………..routine; a lack of understanding of irony, sarcasm, and humor. This may sometime appear as lack of humility when he's ………………being himself. These characteristics are the main sources of his humor and the basis of a number of episodes. Sheldon shares an apartment with Leonard Hofstadter.

• Kaley Cuoco^[13] as Penny – She is the attractive blonde, "born and r………..in Omaha, Nebraska", who lives across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard. She hopes for a career in acting, and has been ………….casting calls and auditions but has not been successful thus…………….. To pay the bills, she is a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory.

• Simon Helberg^[14] as Howard Wolowitz, M.Sc., Eng.^[15] – He works as an aerospace engineer. He is Jewish, and lives with his mother. U…………… Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj, Howard lacks a Ph.D. He defends this by pointing ………… that he has a master's degree in Engineering from MIT and the apparatus he designs are built and launched ………. space, unlike the purely abstract work of his friends. He provides outrageous pick-up lines and fancies himself a ladies man with ………………(SUIT) unimpressed reactions from Penny; however, he has shown limited success with other women.He is a polyglot.

• Kunal Nayyar^[16] as Rajesh Koothrappali, Ph.D. – Rajesh, who originally comes from New Delhi, India, works as a particle astrophysicist at Caltech.^[17] He is very shy a………… women and is physically unable to talk to them unless he drinks alcohol. However, he has had much better luck with women than his overly confident best friend Howard. His parents, Dr. and Mrs. V.M. Koothrappali, are seen via webcam. In the third season, he works for Sheldon because his research has run into a dead-end and he does not want to return to India.^[18]

Notes:
The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech)^[4] is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States /////////////////////A pick-up line (or chat-up line) is a conversation opener with the intent of engaging an unfamiliar person for humor, romance, or dating. Pick-up lines advertise the wit of their speakers to their target listeners.

Key

Whom – fictional - experimental – theoretical – from – aspiring - geekiness

Equally – between – Originally – after – to – just - raised – to – far - Unlike – out – into – suitably – around -

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04