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This is the ESL Help Desk inviting you to listen to today's podcast.  After you finish with today's lesson, hop on over to our Library, which is being populated weekly with audio stories and grammar lessons.

Today we are going to treat you to the audio of an essay written by Zinaida Kitaychik, in which Zinaida describes the famous painting by Diego Velazques, entitled Juan de Pareja.  The original of this painting hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

The essay you are about to listen to, Juan de Pareja, was written by Zinaida in her  college ESL class after she read the book, I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino.  If you would like to read Zinaida's essay while listening to the audio, please click on the Easy Writer CD-ROM image to the right to find out how you can obtain a copy of the software.

Please see the VOCABULARY list in the left sidebar to help you with your listening comprehension:

To listen to only the audio story from our Easy Writer software, "Juan de Pareja," click here!

 

Ideas for Further Thought or Writing

1. What do you know about life in 17th century Spain?  What do you know about life in 17th century Spain, having listened to this story?

2. What can you say about the character of Diego Velezques, knowing that he secretly taught Juan de Pareja how to paint?

3. What do you feel when you look at the painting, Juan de Pareja?

4. Do you know anybody who took risks the type of risks that Velazques did?

5. Try to imagine Juan de Pareja's life after he was freed.  Write about that.  Go online and learn about Juan de Pareja, the man.

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Click here for Additional Listening and Grammar Activities

Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, All rights reserved.

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