ChangeUp_UpperIntermediate_09_10

T h e M o d e r n W orld

FACEBOOK Place

THE NEW YORK NEW MUSEUM Spor t

LEWIS HAMILTON

People

KIRSTEN DUNST

In this issue

2

Anniversary

3

2009 International Year of Astronomy

People

4

Kirsten Dunst

The Modern World

6

Facebook

Place

8

The New York New Museum

Sport

10

Lewis Hamilton

UK Today

12

Gossip

Games

14

Star Quality

16

Usher

Editorial

Hello to all our readers, Welcome to Change Up magazine – the magazine packed with the latest news and information from the English speaking world.

In this issue you can find out all about the actress, Kirsten Dunst, plus there’s an interesting article about Facebook.

So get ready to relax and enjoy your magazine!

team The CU editorial Change Up magazine P.O.BOX 6 - 62019 Recanati (MC)

2009

International Year of Astronomy

2 0 0 9 i s t h e I n t e rn a t i o n a l Ye a r o f A s t ro n o m y.

T h e i n i t i a t i v e a i m s t o e n c o u r a g e e v e ry o n e , i n p a rt i c u l a r y o u n g p e o p l e , t o b e c o m e a w a re o f t h e i m p a c t o f a s t ro n o m y a n d other fundamental aspects of science on our daily lives.

Don’t let’s ask for the moon.

We have the stars.

Bette Davis There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt off in your philosophy, Oratio!

William Shakespeare The brain is wider than the sky.

Emily Dickinson Order is Heaven’s first law.

Alexander Pope

Beckham to join Milan Beckham is set to join the Italian football club AC Milan in January 2009. The other Milan players are celebrating the champion’s arrival and cannot wait to play alongside the ‘Spice Boy’. Carlo Ancelotti, Milan’s coach, said: “The arrival of Beckham is a dream come true!”

Many events on an international level are planned. Amongst these are the opening and closing ceremonies. The opening ceremony will take place on12 January 2009 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The slogan for the International Year of Astronomy is: “The Universe, Yours to Discover.”

2009 is also the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s invention of the telescope.

Here are several famous quotations dedicated to the sky and the stars.

David Beckham is one of the most famous footballers in the world. He is fifth in the list of ‘Most Powerful Celebrities’ created by the magazine Forbes (Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé Knowles are ahead of him). Time magazine included him in the top 100 most influential personalities in the world.

Beckham is one of the few English footballers to have played more than 100 games for the national squad. He has been captain on 58 occasions.

3

people You probably saw Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), a film she made when she was only eight years old. Now Kirsten Dunst is a beautiful young woman who has made many successful films, and we are going to tell you a bit about her.

The lovely and charming American actress Kirsten Dunst (Kiki, as her friends call her) is of Swedish/German descent, but she was born and raised* in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA, with her brother, Christian, born in 1986. She started out in show business at the age of three, appearing in television commercials*. She was represented by America’s Ford Modeling* Agency, the most famous in the country. Until she reached the sixth grade, Kirsten went to the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Then her par-

“

school in 2000, she was already a film star who had already made I n t e r v i e w w i t h a V a m p i r e . In fact, 2000 was Kiki’s breakthrough* year, when she won rave* reviews for her role in Sofia Coppola's film The Virgin Suicides and appeared as a leading* actress in the comedy hit* Bring It On (2000). But she had already appeared in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) when she was eight years old alongside stars Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, a performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination, the MTV Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and the Saturn award for Best Young Actress.

ents separated, and she went with her mother, Inez, and brother to live in California. Her father, Klaus, a German medical-services executive, still lives in New Jersey.

Kirsten was a cheerleader* in the high school she attended: Notre Dame, a private Catholic high school in Los Angeles. But in no way was she a typical American high school student, because when she graduated* high

Personal quotes from Kirsten: • “I'd like to grow up and be beautiful. I know it doesn't matter, but it doesn't hurt."

• “Boys frustrate me. I hate all their indirect messages, I hate game playing. Do you like me or don't you? Just tell me so I can get* over you.”

• “Why would I cry over a boy? I would never waste my tears on a boy. Why waste your tears on someone who makes you cry?”

• “I'm never going to say anything about who I'm dating unless I'm married or engaged."

• “I have never done a drug in my life. I tried smoking once. Hated it. I don't want to infect myself with cancer."

• About Spider-Man (2002): “I really wanted the role because I knew it would give my career a boost*, especially in foreign markets where I don't feel I'm that well known".

• “On every film I do, whenever there are other girls my age, I think it's definitely up to me to set the pace. That's because I've had a lot of experience

2

In 1995, ‘Kiki’ was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. Over the next few years she made a string* of hit movies including Little Women (1994), Jumanji (1995) and Small Soldiers (1998). She is now working in her own production* company with her mother called "Wooden Spoon Productions."

The name symbolizes women and creativity and was inspired by her grandmother, who used wooden spoons to keep* her in line when she was a girl.

and I think there's always a certain amount of professionalism that should be maintained."

• About kissing Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) ): “It was horrible, I hated it. Brad and Tom were like my big brothers on the set, so it was like kissing your big brother - totally gross*."

• “You know that feeling when you wake up in the morning and you're excited for the day? That's one of my main goals* in life."

And on smoking, one of her pet* peeves: • “Whenever I have to smoke for a character, I make sure they're fake* cigarettes. It's a terrible habit, and I can't believe kids still want to do it."

• “Everybody smokes! Models, actresses, everyone!

Don't they realize that it's gross*? I understand it's an addiction, but it still pains me to see my friends do it."

Glossary b o o s t : (here) encouragement or lift b re a k t h ro u g h : an important discovery or development that helps to solve a problem c h e e r l e a d e r : a young person who leads a crowd at a sports event in shouting encouragement and supporting a team c o m m e rc i a l s : short advertising films shown on TV f a k e : false g e t o v e r : stop caring g o a l s : ambitions

g ra d u a t e d : (Am.) earned a diploma from a secondary school or university g ro s s : (Am. slang) disgusting h i t : (here) enormous popular and financial success k e e p i n l i n e : discipline l e a d ro l e : most important part l e a d i n g a c t re s s : female protagonist in a film or play m o d e l i n g : a profession in which people are employed usually to wear new, fashionable clothes to show how the clothes look and to make them look attractive

p e t p e e v e s : things that especially irritate a person p ro d u c t i o n c o m p a n y : a company that produces new films r a i s e d : taken care of (especially children or young animals) until completely grown r a v e : extravagant praise s t r i n g : (here) succession t u r n e d d o w n : declined

3

The Modern World

Facebook The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Facebook is the internet-based social* networking site that has taken over* the Englishspeaking world. It currently has over 69 million active members who come mainly from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, with 100,000 new members reported to be signing up every day. So, what is Facebook and what makes it so popular? And what are those dark clouds on the horizon?

H i s t o ry Facebook was founded* by Mark Zuckerberg, a student of Harvard University in the US, in February 2004. It was originally set up* for Harvard students to meet and keep in touch with each other, but it soon became so popular that it was opened up to other US universities and now it is open to anyone in the world over the age of 13 who has a valid* email address. The site allows networks organised into groups such as the place where you live, workplace, school, interests and so on, to connect and interact with each other. The company is now said to be worth billions of dollars, but Mark Zuckerberg is in no hurry to sell to one of the big Internet names such as Microsoft. He says ‘You can tell, from our history and what we have done, that we really wanted to keep the company independent.’

They may offer the company for public sale in the future.

What do you do on Facebook?

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook

6

You can set up your own personal profile on Facebook by uploading a photo of yourself, writing about your interests, uploading your blog and so on. It is a way of keeping in touch* with your friends, making new friends and catching up with old ones. One of the most popular features offered by Facebook is the photo album where you can post your photos, choosing whether you only want your friends to see them or giving free access for anyone to see them.

Facebook gives you the chance to tell your friends and acquaintances* personal news, keep up to date with social events, and join a huge variety

of networks. These networks can give you access to anyone on Facebook from old school friends or you can make virtual friends with similar interests to you.

Facebook and the P r i v a c y P ro b l e m One of the difficulties that people have discovered in using this new service is the problem of privacy. It can be quite easy for anyone to read the information you have put on your profile and there are concerns about identity theft. An unexpected problem has been when Facebook users have applied for jobs, potential employers have been able to look at their Facebook profiles with embarrassing consequences. You may not want just anyone finding out about the mad things you did as a student! The Facebook team have been improving the site to try to address these problems, but Zuckerberg emphasises personal responsibility. ‘People are learning how to use the site and what’s OK to share. As time goes on, people will learn what’s appropriate, what’s safe for them — and learn to share accordingly.’

It is easy to see why the site is so popular and so exciting to use, but, as with any website which has public access, it is wise to be careful what you decide to tell the world!

Glossary a c q u a i n t a n c e s : people you know but don’t know very well f o u n d e d : invented and established for the first time k e e p i n g i n t o u c h : maintaining contact s o c i a l : to do with relationships between human beings s e t u p : started t a k e n o v e r : (here) become a powerful force v a l i d : (here) active, usable

Match the right definition Match the Internet or technology word below with its correct definition.

Use the article to help you work out the meaning of the word in context.

1

[ ]

Access

2

[ ]

Blog

3

[ ]

Identity theft

4

[ ]

Network

5

[ ]

Personal profile

6

[ ]

Post (verb)

7

[ ]

Sign up

8

[ ]

Upload

9

[ ]

Virtual

10

[ ]

Website

A. (here) a group of interconnected people with a shared history or shared interests B. putting a photo or other information onto an Internet site C. ability to read or use stored information or documents D. description of yourself including interests, photo of you etc E. an online/Internet diary where you write your experiences, thoughts etc F. a collection of one or more web pages grouped under the same domain name or ‘address’ G. put something from your computer onto your profile or website, could be a message or a photo H. when someone takes personal information from you without your permission, eg bank details, home address etc and uses it for criminal or illegal purposes I. (here) join a group or organisation J. (here) something which exists in the non-physical world of the Internet Answers on page 14

7

Place

The New York The Big Apple’s newest museum, called The New Museum, has a new home. Of course, this begs* the question “Does Manhattan really need another museum?” The city already has nearly 1,000 art galleries, most devoted to contemporary art, and fabulous museums like the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, and on and on. But the New Museum has something completely new: a rather splendid permanent home, inaugurated last fall and designed by a Japanese architectural firm called Sanaa. It’s the hottest architectural ticket in town. Let’s take a look.

8

The first and only museum in New York City devoted to contemporary art – art in the now – the New Museum has no permanent collection. Nor has it had, since its founding in 1977, a permanent home. Now, home is a seven-story building that opened last fall. Located in the Bowery, an old and run-down area of the city, the 60,000square-foot New Museum building (built at a relatively modest cost of $50 million) stands between the dirty brick facades of a few restaurantsupply stores (once the main businesses located in the area). It is smack in the middle of a forgotten landscape and a new one, for just a few blocks west are SoHo’s* glitzy boutiques* and showrooms. The New Museum wanted a place in what was left of the downtown art scene – a revival of history: the uninhibited characters, seedy* settings, voyeuristic* attractions and, above all, rejection of bourgeois tastes, all typical of contemporary art and artists.

The architects have designed the building as a series of mismatched* galleries. The result? An unusual structure whose floors shift back and forth like a pile of boxes stacked* carefully and encased* in a protective armour of shimmering* aluminium mesh* backed by a second layer* of metal panels, giving the surface a subtle depth.

The design seems to bring the museum’s art to life. At the inaugural show of contemporary sculpture last fall, the walls were left entirely bare, creating shifting moods in rooms that encouraged visitors to view the sculptures from unexpected perspectives.

The rooms themselves have exposed beams*, painted white walls, and cracked concrete floors, creating an informal ambiance* so that the art itself seems wonderfully accessible – as though there were no barrier between viewer and art like the one that exists in so many contemporary museums and galleries.

The third and fourth floors are connected by a narrow staircase* which emphasizes the distance between the two and heightens the visitor’s anticipation. At the top of the stairs, a narrow space links the staircase to the gallery. One more step and the visitor is released into a huge exhibition area. The New Museum is an experience as well as a museum. Critics have carped* that, like so many recent museum renovations and expansions, the New Museum seems to be more about the building than the art. We recommend you see – and then judge – for yourself.

Glossary a m b i a n c e : atmosphere or mood b e a m s : horizontal structural supports (usually for a ceiling) b e g s t h e q u e s t i o n : avoids answering or dealing with a point c a rp e d : complained e n c a s e d : enclosed in g l i t z y : glamorous l a y e r : a flat covering over or between others m e s h : material like net m i s m a t c h e d : not well matched s e e d y : shabby s h i m m e r i n g : gleaming S o H o : acronym standing for South of Houston, Houston being the name of a street in downtown Manhattan s t a c k e d : piled one on top of the other s t a i rc a s e : flight of stairs inside a building v o y e u r i s t i c : preferring to watch rather than to do

9

Le wis Ha mi lto n

Sport At only 23 years old, Lewis Hamilton is used to breaking records. He was the youngest F1 driver to lead the World Championships, was the first man to win four races in his first F1 season, is the first driver to have had nine consecutive podiums* in a season and is the first driver of mixed heritage* ever to drive in Formula One.

10

Background Lewis comes from a mixed family, his mother is white British and his father, black British (Lewis’s paternal grandparents emigrated to the UK from Grenada in the 1950s). He was named Lewis after the great US sprinter* Carl Lewis. He has two half-sisters and a younger half-brother, Nicholas, who has cerebral palsy*.

Lewis loved motor sports from a young age. His father, Anthony, encouraged Lewis’s passion for racing, buying him a go-cart* for his sixth birthday, but he had to work hard at school too. Lewis’s father helped to finance his son’s racing career, sometimes taking as many as three jobs to find enough money for this expensive sport, and he still managed to watch his son’s races. Lewis Hamilton is one of the few F1 drivers who does not come from a wealthy family.

The Autograph In 1996, the ten-year-old Hamilton spoke to Maclaren boss, Ron Dennis at a prize-giving ceremony, saying ‘I won the British (Karting*) Championship and I want to race for you one day.’ Dennis signed Lewis’s autograph book adding ‘Phone me in nine years and we will talk about it.’ In the end it was Dennis who phoned Lewis Hamilton after only two years!

In 1998, Ron Dennis signed Lewis up to the McLaren Driver Development programme and gave him a secure, long-term* contract. The Maclaren Team trained and supported* Hamilton through to becoming a Formula 1 racing driver.

F o rm u l a 1 Lewis Hamilton raced in and won a number of minor championships over the next few years and in 2007 he made his debut on the international Formula 1 circuit, winning four Grands Prix in his first year! He is usually described as the first black driver of Formula 1 and is one of the sport’s most promising stars.

How much do you know about Formula 1?

What is the name of Maclaren’s rival team?

a. Ferrari b. Yamaha c. Renault Answer on page 14.

Glossary c e re b ra l p a l s y : condition characterised by poor muscle function and limb weakness due to lack of oxygen around time of birth or viral infection g o - c a r t : a child’s vehicle on wheels, often with pedals k a r t i n g : low vehicle with small wheels and engine used for racing l o n g - t e r m : for a number of years m i x e d h e r i t a g e : different cultural/ethnic traditions p o d i u m s : raised platform where first, second and third place winners in a race receive their medals/prizes s p r i n t e r : athlete who specialises in short races eg 100 metres s u p p o r t e d : provided finance and encouragement

11

Harmless* Fun or Deadly* Weapon?

UK Today Where would we be without a bit of gossip?

It’s fun, interesting and it sells newspapers and magazines.

In fact, at times, it seems that half of the British media would disappear overnight without celebrity* gossip. It all looks harmless enough, but scientists have discovered some interesting things about just how powerful gossip can be.

There’s no smoke without a fire This old English saying fits perfectly the latest scientific discoveries about gossip. Even though people may not completely believe the gossip they hear about someone, at the very least, they think, there must be some truth in it – the ‘fire’ which creates the ‘smoke’ of gossip!

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Germany tested students using a computer game. They found that gossip was very important when people were making decisions about things. The researchers gave students some money which they then gave to other players in turn, writing comments about each other as they played. The study showed that students gave less money to people described in these notes as mean* and more to those described as generous. This even happened when they were shown false* gossip invented by the researchers and against the evidence they saw with their own eyes! ‘People only saw the gossip and not the past decisions,’ the researchers concluded.

The effect of gossip Politicians and celebrities have fallen into disgrace*, people have been accused of serious crimes with little evidence, and friendships have been destroyed, all because of gossip. It is a powerful thing.

However, there do seem to be some positive sides to gossip. Another group of researchers in America have uncovered some good in bad gossip. They say that sharing gossip between friends makes their friendship stronger and brings people closer together. The gossipers strengthen* their friendships by telling secret information to each other, whether real or not, with the person being gossiped about kept on the outside of the group. This of course does not take into account the effect of all this on the person being talked about.

12

Glossary amazing: wonderful, fantastic attitudes: thoughts, beliefs and feelings about something celebrity: famous person deadly: (here) extremely serious and powerful disgrace: loss of good reputation, dishonour false: not true gossip: (here) information (usually private) about a person which may or may not be true harmless: with no bad results, not causing any damage intimate: synonym of private mean: opposite of generous strengthen: make stronger

Quiz Attitudes to Gossip

Most people, when asked, will say they do not gossip about their friends and they certainly don’t believe half the things they are told, but just how true is that? Take our gossip quiz and find out what your attitudes* to gossip really are!

d 2.

a b c d

b c d

Your school produces a student magazine. It has a gossip page with some embarrassing information about someone in your school who you don’t know very well (Person A). Do you...?

4.

a

Not believe what you read. It was probably written by someone who didn’t like Person A. Read it with great interest. You feel excited about finding out someone else’s secrets.

Believe what you have read and decide Person A is a very bad person.

Decide there must be some truth in what you have read.

b c d

Go and tell your friend what you heard and ask them if it is true or not.

Tell everyone you know what you found out about your friend.

Spread that gossip!

Decide not to speak to your friend ever again. After what you heard your friendship is over!

Look at your friend in a different way, you can hardly believe it, but it must be true!

You find out that your friends have been gossiping about you behind your back. Do you...?

Ignore the whole thing. Everyone will have forgotten about it by tomorrow.

Get very upset and worry about it for weeks.

Go and make some new friends.

Feel very self-conscious and embarrassed now that everyone knows your secret.

Your Gossip Profile

c

a

Someone you don’t know very well tells you some amazing* gossip about a friend of yours. Do you...?

If you answered mostly b....

You love gossip, it makes life so much more interesting! It is only a bit of fun and no one really believes any of it, do they? But watch out, one day it might be you that people are gossiping about!

b

Not believe a word of it, it was made up to sell more copies of the newspaper/magazine.

Read it with great interest, particularly the bits about the star’s most intimate* secrets.

Believe every word of what you have read and decide that the star is a very bad person.

Believe half of what you have read, after all, there’s no smoke without a fire.

If you answered mostly c....

You are a very spontaneous, emotional person.

But sometimes you are a little too spontaneous! It might be better to check your facts before you make any decisions. Do you really believe everything you hear?

a

3.

You read a newspaper article about the private life of a famous film star. Do you...?

If you answered mostly a....

You are a good friend to have around. You don’t believe everything you hear and will always defend your friends whatever has happened. But be careful, sometimes you may be a little too honest...!

1.

13

If you answered mostly d...

You take gossip pretty seriously. You may not believe everything you hear but you are convinced there must be some truth in it. Maybe you shouldn’t take things so seriously.Go out and enjoy yourself...!

Games What can you remember from your Change Up Magazine?

Answer the questions to complete the crossword.

2

3

1

4

6

5 7

8

Across 1 4 5 7 8

Down

The name of Kirsten Dunst’s brother.

Usher is a successful Rhythm and _ _ _ _ _ singer.

Complete the saying: “There’s no _ _ _ _ _ without a fire.”

Lewis Hamilton’s father bought his son this for his sixth birthday.

2009 is the International Year of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

2 The founder of Facebook.

3 The name of the Maclaren boss.

6 Kirsten Dunst’s nickname.

English sayings.

Complete the English sayings with a word from the box.

Then match the sayings to the definitions. never apple cooks rains heart 1 2 3 4 5

I I I I I

Absence makes the …………. grow fonder.

An …………. a day keeps the doctor away.

Better late than …………. .

It never …………. but it pours.

Too many …………. spoil the broth.

A I

If too many people are involved in something, it will not be done properly.

B I C I D I

Misfortunes usually come in large numbers.

E I

When you are away from someone you love, you love them even more.

An apple a day can help to keep you healthy.

It’s better to do something, even if it’s late, than not do it at all.

Answers P 9 : 1C, 2E, 3H, 4A, 5D, 6G, 7I, 8B, 9J, 10F. P 1 4 : C ro s s w o rd. Across: 1 Christian, 4 Blues, 5 smoke, 7 gocart, 8 astronomy.

Down: 2 Mark Zuckerberg, 3 Ron Dennis, 6 Kiki. E n g l i s h s a y i n g s . 1 heart, 2 apple, 3 never, 4 rains, 5 cooks. A5, B4, C2, D3, E1. P 1 6 . C.

14

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Star Quality

USHER Usher rises to fame in the 90s as an R&B* and pop singer and he quickly becomes one of the most successful R&B artists in the world. To date he has sold over 30 million albums and has received 5 Grammy Awards.

Early Years Usher discovers his talent for singing at an early age. He joins his local church gospel* choir in his home town in Tennessee, where his mother is the conductor. He signs a record deal* while he is still at high school.

His debut* album Usher, produced by famous rapper ‘P’ Diddy, is released in 1994. One of the singles from the album Think of You does well in the charts and Usher is asked to sing for the Olympics held in Atlanta in 1996.

The release* of Usher’s album All About U is planned for 2001, but the songs are illegally uploaded onto the music site Napster, which millions of people are then able to download for free! Usher’s record label abandons* the release of that album and Usher begins work on some new tracks. The new album is called 8701 (because that is the album’s release date). Two singles from the album are big hits, U Remind Me and U Got It Bad.

Yeah!

The album Confession is released in 2004 and sells over one million copies in the US in the first week alone! This is in great part due to the popularity of the single Yeah!. The song is an international hit.

A record-breaking album Not long after this, Usher releases the single My Boo – another number 1 hit. Confession goes into the record books because three singles taken from the album are in the charts at the same time – Yeah!, Confession, Pt. 2 and Burn. Usher releases his latest album Here I Stand in May 2008 and the first single taken from the album goes to number 1 in the charts.

Glossary

Usher Factfile

Usher has per for med a number of songs with: a. Rihanna b. Madonna c. Alicia Keys

Answer on page 14

a b a n d o n s : gives up d e a l : (here) contract d e b u t : (here, modifier) first public appearance of an album g o s p e l : type of African American religious music, characterised by strong rhythm and harmonic singing r e l e a s e : (here) issued for sale for the first time R & B : (abbreviation from Rhythm and Blues) mainly African American music combining soul, funk and hip hop as well as trad. elements of rhythm and blues

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