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Finding Nemo

Film Clip 1 [0:00:00 to 0:15:38]

Level One: Questions of Fact

  1. Who is dead from the shark attack?

Ans: Nemo’s mother--Coral

  1. According to Marlin, what can’t Nemo do?

Ans:Nemo can’t swim well because of its damagaed fin.

  1. What does Nemo ask on his way to school?

Ans: How old a Sea Turtle is.

Level Two: Questions of Interpretation

  1. Why is Nemo regarded as a treasure to Marlin?

Ans:Nemo is the only son of Marlin.

Nemo is the only thing that Coral left to Marlin.

Marlin thinks that he is obligated to bring up and protect Nemo.

  1. What makes Marlin so careful about the ocean?

Ans:Coral died from a shark attack in the open sea that turns Marlin coward and careful about the ocean.

  1. Does Marlin keep too much control over Nemo?

Ans:Yes.

Marlin doesn’t want Nemo to go to school. He thinks Nemo is still too young, he can wait for a couple of years to do so.

Marlin accompanies Nemo to school.

Marlin doesn’t allow Nemo to swim to the Drop-Off.

Marlin doesn’t trust Nemo—still immature, can’t take care of himself,

can’t swim well, can’t be alone.

Marlin doesn’t allow Nemo to touch the butt of the boat.

  1. How would you describe their parent-son relationship?

Ans:Harmonious at the beginning—they play with each other at home

Caring (Marlin to Nemo)—teaches him how to avoid from danger

Respectful (Nemo to Marlin)—asks him for knowledge/information—how old a sea turtle is

Hostile/ Distrustful/ Disrespectful in the end—Marlin thinks Nemo misbehaves himself, trys to exert absolute control over Nemo; Nemo thinks Marlin looks down on him, he deliberately does what his dad doesn’t allow him to do

  1. Does Nemo really want to touch the boat?

Ans:Not really. He just wants to show his dad that he can swim very well, he can keep control of something.

  1. Why does Nemo decide to touch the boat eventually?

Ans:To show his ability to swim well, to do something on his own.

  1. What do you think about Nemo’s behavior?

Ans:Rebellious—deliberately does the opposite

Crazy—at risk of losing his life

Reasonable—it’s what youngsters should do to show their maturity and independence

Reasonable—just because of peer influence

Level Three: Questions Beyond the Text

  1. How often do you ask your parents about knowledge now? Why?

Ans:(positive) I often take my parents’ advice even now, being a 15-year-old

boy/girl because they have got real life experience, they know all the tricks bad guys play. Actually, being 15 years old is still very young. I get confused of what’s right and what’s wrong sometimes. That’s why I think I must take my parents’ advice.

(negative) Well, I think I’m mature enough and I don’t need to take my parents’ advice anymore. Even when I come across with difficultiesI will talk to my friends. Parents are outdated already!

  1. Is such a scene familiar to you, especially when your parents ask you to do this but you do the opposite?

Ans: Yes, I always argue with my parents. Actually I think my parents don’t

understand me. I know what I’m doing. I think it’s very common among teenagers who would like to be and think they can be independent.

  1. Is it important to take your parents advice? Why?

Ans: similar to Q.11

Film Clip 2 [0:40:01 to 0:56:53]

Level One: Questions of Fact

  1. How old is Crush, the big sea turtle?

Ans:

  1. Why are Marlin and Dory in danger?

Ans:They are surrounded by hundreds of/ thousands of jellyfish that may sting them and thus get hurt or even die.

  1. What is the game that Marlin plays with Dory?

Ans:Bouncing on the jellyfish

Who hops the faster is the winner

  1. What does Gill tell Nemo to do?

Ans:Using a pebble to stop a fan, and then swim through a tube and escape.

  1. In what occasions does Marlin show distrust towards Dory?

Ans:At the beginning of this clip, Marlin thinks that Dory is actually not helping him so he asks Dory to leave him alone, it’s his first distrust towards Dory.

When Dory tells Marlin to swim through the trench, not to go to the top, Marlin simply ignores it but does the opposite. This is the second distrust.

Level Two: Questions of Interpretation

  1. What has Marlin done that hurts Dory so much?

Ans:Asking Dory to leave really hurts Dory. It’s heart-broken to be abandoned.

Study the following dialogue:

Crush:‘Let us see what Squirt does flying solo.’

Crush:‘The little dudes are just eggs. We leave ‘em on a beach to hatch... and then, coo-coo-cachoo, they find their way back to the big ol’ blue.’

Marlin:‘All by themselves?’

Crush:‘Yeah.’

Marlin:‘But, dude, how do you know when they’re ready?’

Crush:‘Well, you never really know. But when they know, you’ll know, you know?’

  1. What has Marlin learnt from Crush?

Ans:It’s good to let kids grow/ develop on their own.

There’s no need to worry too much sometimes.

Just take things easy.

Sometimes, we need to let-go.

Study the following dialogue:

Gill:‘You’re lucky to have someone out there looking for you.’

Nemo:‘He’s not looking for me. He’s scared of the ocean.’

  1. Is Nemo right to say so? Why?

Ans:Of course not!

His dad, Marlin, has swum a long way looking for him, which is full of danger, frustration and struggle.

Almost all creatures living in the sea know Marlin’s dangerous adventures. Only Nemo doesn’t know that.

  1. Is Marlin really coward? Why?

Ans:Of course not!

If he is coward, he won’t swim such a long way to find his son which is full of danger and frustration.

If he is coward, he will simply withdraw when he first meets his deadly adventure.

Even when Marlin carefully examines the surrounding before leaving home to Nemo’s school, even when Marlin doesn’t allow Nemo to swim to the Drop-Off, it only shows Marlin is careful, care for Nemo because Nemo is a treasure to him, it’s what Coral left Marlin after her death. It only shows Marlin’s love to Nemo, not his cowardice.

  1. Is Nemo really brave? Why?

Ans:Yes, he is.

Using a pebble to stop a fan is also risky. He may lose his fin if he is not careful enough.

No, he is not.

He doesn’t admit his fault that leads to the present situation—being caught and kept in an aquarium.

He doesn’t admit his dad’s love and care to him.

Level Three: Questions Beyond the Text

  1. What do you think about what Dory says—‘Trust, it’s what friends do.’

Ans:I totally agree with Dory. No matter how successful and smart we are, we

sometimes need help from friends, or at least talk to friends. Either spiritual or material help can alleviate our worries and pain. Without trust, it can’t be achieved.

  1. Do you usually discuss problems with friends? And, do you take their advice?

Ans:Yes, I always discuss my problems with my friends, upon academic problems, family problems, or even financial problems. Almost everything! You know, I don’t have a good relationship with my parents, and they are so busy, we don’t often see each other. Ican only rely on my friends.

Of course, I’ll take their advice. I think they have very intelligent and helpful. They help me whole-heartedly that they won’t guide me to the wrong track.

OR

Well, I’ll take their advice but not always. I can’t deny that both my friends and I are still immature. We may solve some problems, especially upon homework but we may be unable to solve some big problems concerning love or money. I do also talk to my parents and take their advice.

  1. When your good friend is in great danger, will you offer him/her any help even when you may sacrifice yourself?

Ans:Well, if my good friend is in great danger,I’ll try my very best to help him/her. That’s what friends are for. However, I won’t sacrifice myself to do so because I’m sure that there is always a way out. If Ican’t help him/her solve his/her problems thoroughly, I’ll seek help from my other friends and/or my family. I do believe that all problems can be solved, and I don’t need to sacrifice myself in helping others.

  1. Any proverb you can think of to describe the friendship between Marlin and Dory & Nemo and the tank gang?

Ans:A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Film Clip 3 [1:08:10 to 1:21:21]

Level One: Questions of Fact

  1. What does Marlin ask Dory to stop speaking?

Ans:Marlin asks Dory to stop speaking whale.

  1. Where do Marlin and Dory arrive eventually?

Ans:They arrive at Sydney eventually.

  1. What makes the aquarium clean again?

Ans:A water purifier machine.

  1. Who brought Marlin and Dory to Nemo?

Ans:Nigel—a pelican

  1. What happens to the dentist’s clinic?

Ans:All in a mess.

Level Two: Questions of Interpretation

  1. Why does Marlin feel so frustrated and hopeless?

Ans:He is now in the tummy of a whale which means he is going to die. He has swum such a long way, from his home to Sydney, passing through all the deadly adventures but he is going to end up his life in a whale’s tummy, and he can never see his son again. That’s why he is so frustrated and hopeless.

Study the following dialogue:

Marlin:‘Already it’s half empty.’

Dory:‘I’d say it’s half full.’

  1. What’s the difference in terms of their attitude towards life and death?

Ans:Marlin—pessimistic, can only see the negative side

Dory—optimistic, can see the positive side; has hope

  1. Why are the tank gang so frightened to see Darla?

Ans:Darla is such a devil—plays fish to death, and the tank gang are fish.

  1. Why do the tank gang do all their best to help Nemo escape?

Ans:1. That’s what friends are for—help each other.

2. If they can save Nemo’s life, they may save their own one day from Darla’s cruelty.

Level Three: Questions Beyond the Text

  1. Do you blame your friends in case something goes wrong?

Ans:I confess thatI’ll blame my friends when something goes wrong. For example, I copy homework from my friends sometimes. When I know that the answers are wrong after being marked, I’ll say, ‘you are such a fool’. I know I should not behave like that. It’s me who don’t do the homework. I’m wrong!

Study the following dialogue:

Marlin:‘I promised him I’d never let anything happen to him.’

Dory:‘That’s a funny thing to promise. You can’t never let anything happen to

him. Then nothing would ever happened to him.’

………

Dory:‘He says it’s time to let go.’

  1. What can you see from the words “let go”?

Ans:To me, “let go” means not to hold something tightly. It often applies to relationships among lovers, friends, or families.

Love—if you can’t let go, just remember the unhappy moments, you will suffer deeper and deeper. Every day will be a blue day.

Friends—if you don’t let go, you may harm your friendship because you are too insistent.

Families—if parents don’t let go, they may have an even bigger generation gap with their kids.

  1. What kind of treatment do you want to receive from your parents during your growth?

Ans:I want to be loved and cared. At the same time, they won’t exert absolute control over me and plan everything for me, from food to school to friends and to living style. I have my own thinking. I want to learn from trial and error. That makes my days count.

  1. Imagine you were Nemo, what would you do if you were caught in a plastic bag?

Ans:I would simply give up. What else can I do, especially being a fish without hands and legs? Ican’t untie the knots and escape, right!That’s the end of my life.

  1. Imagine you were Marlin, would you listen to Nigel to hop inside its mouth in order to live?

Ans:I would listen to Nigel because actually there are more than a hundred pelicans waiting for me as their meal. I’m certain to die, just A or B. If Nigel can help me, I may have a line of hope.

  1. What about your attitude towards life and death?

Ans:I understand that someday everyone will die, it’s not a big deal, and there’s nothing to scare at all. But we should have hope that life can be beautiful,and we need to create our own wonderful lives. Remember! God helps those who help themselves.

Film Clip 4 [1:26:00 to the end]

Level One: Questions of Fact

  1. How does Dory remember she is in Sydney?
  2. Can Marlin see his son eventually?
  3. What method does Nemo use to save Dory and the school of fish?
  4. What does Marlin tell the school of fish to do?
  5. Does Nemo succeed?
  6. Does Nemo go back to school?
  7. What’s the slogan of the sharks?

Level Two: Questions of Interpretation

  1. Why does Marlin tell the thousands of fish to swim down?
  2. Is Nemo brave?
  3. What has Marlin changed to be?
  4. Do Nemo and Marlin love each other more after their adventures?

Level Three: Questions Beyond the Text

  1. Do you want your father to love you like Marlin to Nemo?
  2. If you were Marlin, would you believe that Nemo is able to save the school of fish?

** Some questions here (clip 4) are made by 4E1 students!!

~ Eunice Fok