C1 Sherlock Holmes Kills It With His "Best-Man Speech"

Watch the video and then answer the following questions.

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Sherlock Holmes Kills It With His "Best-Man Speech"

I'm afraid John I can't congratulate you, all emotions and in particular love stand opposed to the pure cult reason I hold above all things a wedding is in my considered opinion nothing short of a celebration of all that is false and specious and irrational and sentimental in this ailing and morally compromised world, today we honour the death watch beetle that is the doom of our society and in time one feels certain our entire species.

Match

Match the following words from the transcript to its definition.

• specious

• irrational

• sentimental

• ailing

• doom

superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

not logical or reasonable.

of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.

in poor health.

death, destruction, or some other terrible fate.

• superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

• not logical or reasonable.

• of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.

• in poor health.

• death, destruction, or some other terrible fate.

But anyway let's talk about John, please, if I burden myself with a little help make during my adventures this is not out of sentiment or caprice, it is that he has many fine qualities of his own that he has overlooked in his obsession with me indeed any reputation I have for mental acuity and sharpness comes in truth from the extraordinary contrast John so selflessly provides, it is a fact I believe the brides tend to favour exceptionally plain bridesmaids for their big day, there is a certain analogy there I feel and contrast is after all god's own plan to enhance the beauty of his creation or it would be if god were not a ludicrous fantasy designed to provide a career opportunity for the family idiot.

Match

Match the following words from the transcript to its definition.

• burden

• caprice

• acuity

• analogy

• ludicrous

the main theme or gist of a speech, book, or argument.

a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.

sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing.

a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous.

• the main theme or gist of a speech, book, or argument.

• a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.

• sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing.

• a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

• so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing; ridiculous.

The point I'm trying to make is that I am the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant, and all-round obnoxious that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet. I am dismissive of the virtuous unaware of the beautiful and uncomprehending in the face of the happy, if I didn't understand I was being asked to be best man it is because I never expected to be anybody's best friend, certainly not the best friend, or the bravest, and kindest, and wisest, human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing.

Match

Match the following words from the transcript to its definition.

• obnoxious

• misfortune

• virtuous

• dismissive

• uncomprehending

extremely unpleasant.

bad luck.

having or showing high moral standards.

feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration.

showing or having an inability to comprehend something.

• extremely unpleasant.

• bad luck.

• having or showing high moral standards.

• feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration.

• showing or having an inability to comprehend something.

John I am a ridiculous man redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship, but as I'm apparently your best friend I cannot congratulate you on your choice of companion, actually now I can, Mary when I say you deserve this man it is the highest compliment of which I am capable, John you have endured war and injury and tragic loss so, sorry again about that last one, so know this today you sit between the woman you have made your wife and the man you have saved, in short the two people who love you most in all this world.

Match

Match the following words from the transcript to its definition.

• redeemed

• constancy

• companion

• apparently

• endured

compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something).

the quality of being faithful and dependable.

a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time or with whom one travels.

as far as one knows or can see.

suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently

• compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something).

• the quality of being faithful and dependable.

• a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time or with whom one travels.

• as far as one knows or can see.

• suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently

And I know I speak for Mary as well when I say we will never let you down and we have a lifetime ahead to prove that. Ah, yes now onto some funny stories about John, what's wrong what happened why are you all doing that, John did I do it wrong, no you didn't come in, I haven't finished yet, yeah I know come on, so on to some funny stories about John.