Learning English

Nomadland wins at the Oscars

It was the Oscars on Sunday night and records were broken. Chloe Zhao, who was born in Beijing, became the first woman of colour to win Best Director for her film Nomadland – she’s also only the second woman to win the award in 93 years. The film also won in the Best Picture category, and Frances McDormand won her third Best Actor award for her role in the film. Neil and Catherine give you the vocabulary to talk about it.

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The story

Nomadland. Nomadland won Best Picture, and its lead, Frances McDormand, won her third Oscar for her portrayal of a widow and her journey through grief and the American West. Nomadland’s director, Beijing-born Chloe Zhao, won her craft’s highest accolade – becoming only the second woman to win that category in the award’s 93-year history.

Key words and phrases

glory
praise and honour for a great achievement

• Only a few sportspeople experience the true glory of becoming world champion.
• It was a glorious day – it was warm and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

upsets
occasions when someone wins something another person or team was expected to win

• It was a massive upset when my team won the league. No one expected them to do it.
• Global warming has upset the world’s climate.

snubs
actions that insult someone by not including them

• The coach snubbed her star player by leaving her out of the final.
• It was seen as a snub when he didn’t go to his brother’s wedding.

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