talking about BEAUTY PAGEANTS

Today I'd like to share with you some material which focus on the subject of BEAUTY PAGEANTS. However the reading and the video available below are focusing on a rather unusual beauty contest promoting tolerance towards disabled people. The lesson may be a nice extension to the subject of beauty and how do we perceive one another, or it may also add to the discussion on disabilities. Hope you enjoy it.

READING

Read the text and match the bolded words with their synonyms below.

THE MISS AMAZING PAGEANT - A pageant that celebrates the talents of young women with disabilities was held recently in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Miss Amazing Pageant aims to help girls with disabilities make friends, gain SELF-ESTEEM and SHOW OFF their talents. Rissely Parra, Utah Miss Amazing state director, said they provide a HAVEN for the girls: “It’s not like a beauty pageant,” she said. “It’s a safe environment for these girls.”

The Miss Amazing Pageant also helped collect food for the Utah Food Bank; the entry FEE was five cans of food, and those entry fees all went to local food banks. Parra said she enjoys being part of the pageant. “It was fun to see them all,” she said. “They just all loved getting their crowns, and they get trophies.” The Miss Amazing Pageant is CURRENTLY held in 25 states, and event organizers hope to EXPAND the pageant to all 50 states soon.

___________________ at the moment

___________________ a cost or pay

___________________ a safe place

___________________ confidence and self-respect

___________________ to demonstrate

___________________ to spread or grow

1. Who can take part in the Miss Amazing Pageant?
2. What are the main objectives of the pageant?
3. What’s the entry fee?

VIDEO

Watch a video on Miss Amazing Alaska Pageant and choose the best answers for the questions below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YG1DV5Necg

1. Who can compete in Miss Amazing Alaska Beauty Pageant?

a. girls with special abilities       b. girls age 5 up           c. any woman

2. What sort of disability does Bianca have?

a. autism                                  b. epilepsy                   c. fear of open spaces

3. Which disability is NOT mentioned in the video?      

a. epilepsy                               b. FASD                      c. heart disease

4. How many girls will enter the nationals.

a. three queens                        b. one queen                c. one in each category

Do you like the idea of such a pageant? Give some examples of its pros and cons.