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Designed By:
Christian Alas
Created and illustrated By:
Angelo Romero and Camilo Sanabria
Superheroes
Since the unveiling of Superman in 1938, the very concept of superheroes has swept the world over, first through comic books, then cartoons, and eventually, live-action films. A superhero is a fictional character who is both a pacifist and a zealot in crime-fighting and righteousness.
Sometimes, superheroes have a young sidekick that oftentimes has his or her rebellious moments because he or she likes to play the hero too. Together, the heroes fight crime, insurgents, or whatever the evil villain may be.
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The storylines that superheroes are in usually have the same thematic elements and conflicts, such as a ruthless villain that the protagonist has to deter. The villainous character can range anywhere from an arrogant or vainglorious person with superpowers himself, to a two-faced demagogue.
He is almost always an iconoclast as well, trying to destroy the very idea of the equality of man and trying to climb his way to the top. While villains often have heretic ways, the hero on the other hand stands firm in his belief of good and morality.
Contrasting with the decency of the hero, the villain usually has a pretentious façade and has an authoritarian aura about him, especially when dealing with his own partners-in-crime, showing that he looks out for only himself and uses others to help him gain his high status.
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Sometimes, the villain may be the autocrat or despot of the entire city and have the city under his control.
It is up to the superhero to defeat the supercilious nemesis and bring peace to the city and its people by helping to bring justice to where it is needed.
The villain will usually be accompanied by some of the more amateur and haughty thugs who stoop to robbery and chicanery, only to be caught by the hero who will try to repress, and ultimately defeat them.
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The superhero is a great partisan of fairness and peace, but works undercover and does not seek fame or rewards, which shows them to be humble and acting selflessly. Thus, many of them have a secret identity they exploit which also helps them to not attract attention or have the presumptuous villain target and obliterate his friends or family. In order to successfully hide their identity, some heroes wear masks to hide their face and don their identifiable and trademark costumes.
Another common element in superhero stories is betrayal. Occasionally, the superhero is a member or leader of a partnership or a whole team of heroes. One of the characters on the team may be persuaded and tricked by the disdainful villain, and used as bait against the others.
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Under the control of the villain, the corrupted team member could perform acts of perfidy and could even be brought to subjugating the innocent city— or worse, his own teammates. The betraying team member can be characterized from an aloof and pompous show off, to the quiet and isolated vigilante trying to repress his inner demons.
A superhero is almost always subservient to society and believes in impartiality and integrity. Never condescending, the hero humbly takes up the responsibility to save the innocent from the corruption of the adversary, and the clutches of evil. Never trying to raze the fine line of fairness and honor, the hero stands strong and tall, on the side of justice, and for the good of humanity.
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Vocabulary
Match each word in the left column with a description in the right column that best matches its meaning
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1. ___ Aloof 2. ___ Condescending 3. ___ Arrogant 4. ___ Disdainful 5. ___ Haughty 6. ___ Pompous 7. ___ Presumptuous |
A. Snooty, High and mighty B. Disdainful, scornful C. Oppressor, autocrat D. Dissenter, protestant, skeptic E. Fanatic, believer, advocate F. Strict, totalitarian, dictatorial G. Patronizing, Pompous |
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9. ___ Supercilious 10. ___ Vainglorious 11. ___ Autocrat 12. ___ Authoritarian 13. ___ Despot 14. ___ Heretic 15. ___ Zealot |
H. Audacious, bold, insolent I. Scornful, mocking J. Distant, Standoffish K. Narcissistic, bigheaded L. Conceited, proud M. Snobbish, flaunting N. Ostentatious, affected, showy O. Tyrant, dictator |
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Vocabulary
Match each word in the left column with a description in the right column that best matches its meaning
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16. ___ Iconoclast 17. ___ Demagogue 18. ___ Insurgent 19. ___ Pacifist 20. ___ Partisan 21. ___ Chicanery 22. ___ Coerce |
A. Fraud, deception B. Discourage, prevent C. Abuse, manipulate D. Cruel, callous, merciless E. Follower, supporter F. Treachery, betrayal, disloyalty G. Subdue, conquer, overpower |
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23. ___ Deter 24. ___ Exploit 25. ___ Obliterate 26. ___ Perfidy 27. ___ Raze 28. ___ Repress 29. ___ Ruthless 30. ___ Subjugate |
H. Nonconformist, rebel, radical I. Tear down, level, ruin J. Guerrilla, rebel, mutinous K. Politician, revolutionary L. Persuade, compel M. Peace lover, antiwar N. Wipe out, destroy O. Dominate, hold back, inhibit |
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Multiple Choice
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1. A superhero is usually A. A demagogue B. An iconoclast C. A heretic D. None of the above |
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2. A villain is usually A. Heroic B. Vainglorious C. Honest D. Fair |
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3. A superhero strives to achieve a high level of ______. A. Chicanery B. Supercilious C. Despot D. Selflessness |
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4. To “Obliterate”, means to A. Save B. Repeat C. Destroy D. None of the above |
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5. A superhero is a great of fairness and peace. A. Despot B. Presumptuous C. Exploit D. Partisan |
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True or False
Choose whether each statement is true or false and write your answer in the space provided.
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1. The Unveiling of Superman in 1938 greatly contributed to the fame and popularity of superheroes. 2. Superheroes often have a partner or sidekick. 3. The protagonist is usually the villain. 4. The villains never have superpowers. 5. Although superheroes stand and believe in good, villains often display heretic ways. 6. A villain’s pretentious façade contrasts with the decency of the hero. |
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Short Answer
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1. Why do superheroes usually work undercover? ______________________________________ |
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2. Describe some traits of a superhero. ______________________________________ |
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3. Describe some traits of a villain. ______________________________________ |
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4. Name your favorite superhero and discuss why you like him/her. ______________________________________ |
Reading Questions
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1. What is the writer’s main idea? ______________________________________ |
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2. What example supports the writer’s main idea? ______________________________________ |
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3. How does the example help the writer’s argument? ______________________________________ |
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4. What do you think about the story? ______________________________________ |
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HS – ESL3 – Unit 21 – Tuskegee Airmen – Moodle 
HS – ESL3– Unit 20 – Korea – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 19 – Treaty of Versailles – Moodle 
HS – ESL 3 – Unit 18 – The Vietnam War – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 17 – Mustang– Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 16 – Reading – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 15 – Vincent Van Gogh– Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 14 – Penguins – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 13 – Medicine – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 12 – The American Red Cross– Moodle 
Unit 1 – Maïs – French – Beginning 
Planeta – Unidad 1 – Español – Advanced 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 11 – Paris – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 8 – Earthquakes – Moodle 
HS –ESL3– Unit 7 – Saturn – Moodle