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One on one with Eleven by Gary Boyle

Photo courtesy of Netflix Read the following story by Pornchai Sereemongkonpol from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow. Monsters. Bleeding noses. The Upside Down. More monsters. The latest season of the Netflix show Stranger Things is one of the biggest TV events this year. Fans get to take another trip to the town of Hawkins and follow the adventures of Mike, Dustin, Lucas and their friend with magic powers, Eleven. Ahead of the Season 3 premier on July 4, Bangkok Post’s Guru Magazine caught up with Millie Bobby Brown, the actress who plays Eleven.

Let's get back to the beginning. How did you prepare to play El[even]? She's not an average teenage girl. I guess I just didn't. And that's why it came out the way it did. I want to embody a real person. You don't have to prepare to be a real person.

Tell us about the reaction to Season 2. How does it compare to when Season 1 came out? The expectations were much higher for Season 2. I guess we were in shock about how well the first season did, and it was very confusing for everyone. We were filming in Georgia for eight months for the first season. I shaved my hair off. We didn't know how people would receive it. Then, once it came out, we were like, 'Um, it's not that bad'. And then Season 2 was amazing. The new characters, Sadie [Sink, who plays Max] especially, added a new edge and dimension to the show.

Tell us a little bit more about the relationship between Eleven and Max in the new season. Max and El are really cool, because they're teaching each other new things about themselves every day. I'm teaching Max to be strong and use her voice and that it's okay to feel. Eleven's so emotional and she's been through so much. Max is showing El that she doesn't need a boy in her life, and she's gonna be cool just the way she is.

How does El evolve in Season 3? She's become more emotional and stronger. As a person, she's definitely grown.

Tell us about some of the other things that happen to El this season. She has a dad [James Hopper, played by David Harbour], and they love each other. Eleven is trying to be a normal teenager but there's something coming after her, something extremely deadly and scary. And she can't really allow herself to be normal when something like that is not allowing her to. She always has to be on her guard. Her superpowers need to be ready. It's intense.

What kind of boyfriend is Mike? Mike is a great boyfriend. If we put Mike in the real world, I would date him. He's very honest and he's very true to himself, which is really awesome. And I feel that Eleven's also a great girlfriend. She cares so much about him. She's the protector in the relationship because she has powers, but also because she's been taught to protect herself for so long that she wants to protect someone else. Mike doesn't protect. I think that's just not his job.

There are a lot of women on the set this season. And they're amazing women too. Maya [Hawke, who plays Robin] is a new addition, and she's awesome. I love her. Natalia [Dyer, who plays Nancy], has been there since day one and she's amazing. Priah [Ferguson, who plays Erica], who's this sassy little cute being that I love so much. She's so cute and angry, but it's great because she's also really funny. And then Sadie's the best, because she's so powerful. Winona [Ryder], who's our mom, the mother of all the girls on the show, is an icon. It was an amazing experience for her to come back with such a strong show. She was incredible in it.

Tell us about the difference between Seasons 2 and 3. Why should fans be excited? This season is going to be very different from the past seasons and any other show because there are new characters. There are new stores in town. There's a new mall. There's a new Eleven. There's new clothes and music and culture. It's a very different aspect of Stranger Things that we've never really touched on.

Describe Season 3 of Stranger Things in three words. It's. Spreading. Fast.

Section 1: Read through the story and answer the following questions. 1. Where is Stranger Things set? ……………. 2. Millie says she prepared a lot for her role as Eleven. True or false? ……………. 3. Where is the show filmed? ……………. 4. Max advises El that she needs a boyfriend. True or false? ……………. 5. Which actor plays El’s dad? ……………. 6. Mike and Millie are dating in real life. True or false? ……………. 7. Natalie Dyer has worked on the show since the beginning. True or false? ……………. 8. Seasons 2 and 3 are similar. True or false? …………….

Section 2: Write the noun form of the following words. 9. bleeding .……..…10. average ……..…11. confusing …….…12. grown .…………13. intense .…………

Section 3: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given. Any …14… moments with fans you’d like to share? I have many. One time I cried …15… this boy. He was about ten. He ran up to me and he just started crying and hugging me and I …16… stop crying back. I think it was really …17… to realise that people …18… do love Eleven, Stranger Things and me as a person. I'm so lucky to be able to meet the fans …19… .

14. a. memory b. remember c. memorable 15. a. despite b. along c. because of 16. a. wouldn’t b. hadn’t c. couldn’t 17. a. impacted b. impact c. impactful 18. a. even b. really c. very 19. a. so much b. as well c. in all

Section 4: Find words that match the following definitions. 20. to express or represent something…………… 21. strong beliefs about the way something should happen…………… 22. to develop gradually …………… 23. fashionable and confident…………… 24. a famous person that people admire……………