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A MAGAZINE FOR YOUR ENGLISH

YEAR XXXIX • No. 1 - September/October 2026 - Imprimé à Taxe Réduite

Let’s visit...

Giant panda

breeding base

Culture

The whole world dances “Thriller.” Downloadable AUDIO FILES

Report

Kids just want to have fun

Me and my hobby

11 A lucky

treasure hunt

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Ecology

September 22nd is World Car-Free-Day. A day to leave your car at home and use public transportation or a bicycle. For the occasion, many cities transform entire areas into pedestrian areas or bicycle paths. You can go for an urban trek, a bicycle tour of the city or join a group to clean a park or a beach. In many countries, public transportation is free on this day! Since the year 2000, 1 500 cities in 40 countries around the world have taken part actively in the event. The goal is to encourage people to use public transportation and reduce traffic and pollution.

Now it’s your turn! 1 Does your city take part in World Car-Free Day? [YES] [NO] 2 If you said yes, what events are organised? Answers are on page 14

3 Will you take part in any activities? [YES] [NO] 4 You are the mayor of your town.  What special event do you propose for this day?

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Contents

Culture and society The whole world dances “Thriller”

4 6 8

Classrooms around the world Game time! Report Kids just want to have fun This month… Gaming conventions around the world

Test What kind of game are you?

Me and my hobby A lucky treasure hunt

12 14 16 two

Let’s visit... Giant panda breeding base Games Galore Let’s meet… Mark Rober, science explainer on the web

Many of you are returning to school after a vacation. Stay strong; it’ll be great! To start off the school year with you, this issue of Let’s Start is about games. We’ll travel around the world and even into the past to see how people play. We’ll see that playing is a great way to make discoveries with “tinkering”. We’ll also take a peek into the world of giant pandas, some of the cutest and most playful animals we know! Good luck with your projects and anything new you might be starting! And now… Let’s start!

Hi! I’m Grammy! In this issue, we’ll review:

game vocabulary present simple past simple definite and indefinite articles “like”, “love” or “hate” with gerund prepositions of time and place future with “will” adjectives modal verbs “can” and “might” cause & effect (“Since” and “Because of”)

Downloadable AUDIO FILES Your subscription includes free MP3 downloads of the audio sections of all the magazines. Visit www.elilanguagemagazines.com

Katherine

TEACHER’S NOTES Subscribed teachers are able to download both the MP3 audio files and the Teacher’s Notes in PDF format.

Common European Framework • Elementary Level (A1/A2)

Unauthorised photocopyng is illegal.

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS OR FOR ANY PURPOSES WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. THE PUBLISHER IS PREPARED TO MAKE PAYMENT FOR ANY COPYRIGHT OF PHOTOGRAPHS WHERE THE SOURCE HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACE. © ELI Italy 2026 - ELI srl, C.P. 6, 62019 Recanati, Tel. (071) 750701, Fax (071) 977851, E-mail: info@elionline.com - Direttore responsabile: Michele Casali. Realizzazione testi: Lisa Vecchione. Autorizzazione Trib. di Macerata N. 296/88 del 28 giugno 1988. Realizzazione: Tecnostampa, Loreto.

World Car-Free Day

Alamy/SOPA Images Limited

Culture

Thriller. Such appointments exist in other parts of the world as well. The Thriller dance celebrates a shared love of Michael Jackson’s music and the power of dance to unite people.

The whole world dances

In 1983, Michael Jackson released Thriller. The song and the album were a planetary success! Thriller remains the bestselling album of all time, with sales reaching around 100 million copies. One of the reasons Thriller was such a big hit in the eighties was its music video. The video was a short film that changed the course of pop music history. In the music video, Michael Jackson becomes a zombie and he performs a famous dance with other zombies. Every year at the Greenwich Village Halloween parade, hundreds of dancers meet on 6th Street. This huge flash mob includes dancers of all ages, both professionals and amateurs. They all wear zombie make-up and costumes! Together, they dance the zombie choreography from

Game

John Landis, the famous film director, directed the Thriller horror video. He also directed some legendary films. Which of the following are not John Landis films?

present simple – past simple – definite and indefinite articles

“Thriller”

Find out more and sign-up for the rehearsals on the official NY Thriller website: thrillernyc.com

[ ] The Blues Brothers [ ] Goonies [ ] Coming to America [ ] Trading Places [ ] Pirates of the Caribbean

[ ] An American Werewolf in London [ ] Twilight [ ] Animal House [ ] The Ring Answers are on page 14

three

Gam

Outdoor games (or not)

Tug of war

! e e t im Toys

a spinning top

a ball

construction blocks

a doll

a die-cast car

a teddy bear

a toy train

Hide-and-go-seek

a puzzle

Circle games a drone

Treasure hunt a soft toy

Rock, paper, scissors

a kite four

a slide

a robot

a swing

Classrooms around the world Board games Rules

cards rules

play chess

play darts

die (plural: dice) a marker

play cards

Hi, I’m Amir and I’m eleven years old. I like going to school and I love playing! After finishing my homework and s t udying, I often meet my friends to play. We like organising videogame compet it ions or even dar t s or chess matches. What’s your favourite game?

jump rope

play hopscotch

It’s your turn! Answer these questions. • What’s your favourite game?

....................................................... ....................................................... .......................................................

play videogames

• Describe it!

“like”, “love” or “hate” with gerund – adverb of frequency “often” – present simple

................................................................................................. ................................................................................................. ................................................................................................. Answers are on page 14 ...........................................................................

five

Report

indefinite and definite articles – prepositions of time and place – past simple (active and passive voices)

Kids just want to have fun © Shutterstock

The most famous board game of all time…

It is certainly Monopoly. All over the world, over 2000 different versions of the game exist. There are collector’s editions, special versions dedicated to a film or a TV series like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, videogames like Super Mario Bros., mangas, comics, soccer teams, cities…

A giant monopoly game in Warsaw, Poland.

GettyImages © NurPhoto

Go to page 14 for games and to learn more about Monopoly.

Let’s go back in time

The grandfather of all board games is, without a doubt, “Senet”. The game was widely played in Ancient Egypt. It looks a bit like modern day backgammon. the markers the board Originally, it was a pastime for pharaohs and it symbolised a soul’s voyage to the afterlife. Senet actually means “passage”. Later it became a popular game for everyone. Most of all, children. Archaeologists have found the game in the tombs of Tutankhamun and Nefertari. Historians have theories about the game, but it remains a mystery. The truth is that we still don’t know the rules or how the game was played. six

Speaking of videogames

• The first computer game ever was OXO. It was created in 1952 by a technology professor at the University of Cambridge. The game was a kind of tic-tac-toe on a television screen. • The first ever videogame was Spacewar! It was invented by a computer scientist at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 1962. Two real-life players controlled the space modules on the screen with buttons. The movements were very simple because the joystick hadn’t been invented yet!

1 Timeline Put these games back in the correct order from 1 (the oldest) to 4 (the most recent). [ ] Super Mario Bros. [ ] Pokémon [ ] Tetris [ ] Pac-Man

2 Bestseller

R A F T C M I N E

Solve the anagram to find out what is the best-selling videogame of all time. ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... Answers are on page 14

seven

This month...

s n o i t n e v n o c g Gamin d l r o w e h t d n arou Do you like to play? Would you like to visit a major gaming event? This autumn, some big gaming events are on the calendar. What can you expect when you go to a gaming convention or festival?

Tokyo Game Show 2026 (Sept. 17 – Sept. 21):

If you love videogames more than any other kind of game, this exciting event is where the big names in the videogame industry reveal their latest news. It’s all very technological, with lights and loud sounds. This ultramodern flashy event attracts people on the cutting edge of videogames.

PAX West 2026

(Sept. 4 – Sept. 7): this convention takes place in Seattle, USA. Apart from the videogame industry leaders, you’ll have a chance to see independent game creators. One feature of the event is the tabletop games library. You can borrow one of the hundreds of board games and go set it up at one of the tons of tables. Place your “looking for players” flag on the table and within minutes, other gamers will sit down with you and start playing. There are card game tournaments, mostly trading-card games such as Magic or Pokémon. You might

eight

present simple – future with “will” adjectives - subject verb agreement

find people role playing too. Although the videogames sections close at the end of the afternoon, the card game tournaments last until midnight!

Lucca Comics & Games 2026 (Oct. 28 – Nov. 1): The entire

medieval Italian town becomes a games fair. This huge pop culture event gathers comic book collectors and cosplayers dressed up as their favourite characters and lovers of board games, fantasy art, and, of course, videogames. Since the dates overlap with Halloween, the spooky atmosphere on October 31st is out of this world! You’ll run into thousands of scary vampires and zombies and who knows what else!

Game At gaming conventions, you will see people practising this hobby: “C _ _ _ _ _ _”. It means dressing up with the outfit and accessories of a specific fictional character. Fill in the missing letters to find out the two words that form the name of this P__Y hobby. C _ S _ _ M _ Answers are on page 14

nine

What kind of game are you?

You prefer: a [ ] listening to advice. b [ ] giving advice. c [ ] doing things your own way.

Mostly Cs – You’re a videogame! You are curious and full of ideas. You love to explore, discover and beat new levels, both in games and in real life. You’re a bit solitary. When you want to be alone, you escape from the world. Getting lost in a virtual world doesn’t scare you!

Your greatest weakness is: a [ ] being messy. b [ ] putting things off until later... c [ ] being impatient.

ten

5 6

The prize you would like to get for winning a game: a [ ] a fun experience to share with friends. b [ ] free registration to a gaming tournament or event. c [ ] a trip. What you love about playing is: a [ ] being with friends. b [ ] winning against your adversaries. c [ ] inventing new strategies.

Profi le Mostly As – You’re a card game! You are an optimistic, positive and sociable person. All you need for a good time is a deck of cards and some good company. Every match is memorable with you!

When you are faced with a challenge: a [ ] you enjoy yourself without worrying too much. b [ ] you plan everything carefully. c [ ] you follow your instincts.

Mostly Bs – You’re a board game! You are competitive and you follow your instincts. Strategy is in your nature. And when you play, you play to win. It’s the same in real life: when you have a goal, you plan each “move” patiently. Whoever doesn’t follow the rules will have to answer to you!

You like to be: a [ ] with others: “the more, the better”! b [ ] with a few selected friends. c [ ] by yourself.

TEST

Me and my hobby

a clover

A lucky treasure hunt

A lucky four-leaf clover

For the Celts, each leaf of a four-leaf clover had its meaning. Solve the anagrams to find out what the 4 meanings are.

1 It is always “the last thing to die”. 2 When someone believes in you, they might say, “I have _ _ _ _ _ in you!” 3 Cupid is its symbol.

2 F

T 3 L

4 L

4 Fortuna, the ancient Roman goddess of this, wore a blindfold over her eyes. Answers are on page 14

eleven

a four-leaf clover

good luck? Searching for four-leaf clovers is my hobby: it’s a fun treasure hunt! Finding four-leaf clovers isn’t as difficult as you think. I don’t count the leaves when I search. Instead, I look at the shape of the lines on the leaves. On a normal clover, the lines make a triangle shape, while on a four-leaf clover, they make a square! I keep them in between the pages of a book and I often give them to my friends. When you do find one, there are often others close by. Why don’t you try?

gerund as subject – adverb of frequency “often” – prepositions of place

Hi, I’m Martin. Look at what I have just found: a four-leaf clover! Did you know that it’s a symbol of

Let’s Visit...

photos by: © panda.org.cn

Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base, China Do you love cute cuddly animals? Is there an animal that is more cute and cuddly than a panda?

Giant pandas were almost extinct a few decades ago, mostly because of the destruction of their habitat. Bamboo forests were cut down to make farmland or for the bamboo itself. Fortunately, some successful conservation programmes have boosted the population. That’s good news for pandas and panda lovers. At the Chengdu breeding base, if you go early in the morning, you can get a great view of the pandas playing and cuddling. It is also a preserve for red pandas,

twelve

another adorable creature that looks quite a bit like a redheaded raccoon! Since giant pandas sleep a lot, the afternoon is perfect napping time for them. Why do they sleep so much? Pandas used to be carnivores and are biologically engineered to eat meat. However, their evolution made them change diets completely and they now eat 99% bamboo. Bamboo is not very nutritious and the giant panda has to eat so much of it just to stay alive that eating occupies 10-14 hours of each day!

photos by: © panda.org.cn

2 7

W 3 4

B A M

B O

Present Simple (Current habits/facts)- Cause & Effect (“Since” and “Because of”) subject pronoun “they”

One very surprising strategy has helped pandas in the wild. The baby pandas that are born in captivity are brought into a protected sanctuary where they have no contact with humans. At least, that’s what the pandas think! In fact, the researchers and conservation workers are present, but they are dressed in panda costumes! To make the illusion complete, the costumes are covered in panda pee and poo so that the baby pandas believe they are real pandas! All of this is to avoid babies feeling too comfortable around humans, which would be bad for their survival in the wild.

Answers are on page 14.

thirteen

Have you read Let’s start? Then, play with us!

Monopoly Quiz

GAMES GALORE

1 Monopoly is available in 114 countries and is translated in [a] 43 languages [b] 12 languages. 2 In France, to celebrate its 80th birthday, a special edition Monopoly was made containing real money. The box was identical and there was no way to tell it apart from the normal edition. In the lucky boxes, winners found between 150 and 20 580 euros: [T] [F] 3 The longest match of Monopoly ever recorded lasted [a] 3 days [b] 70 days. 4 In Sydney, to celebrate the game’s 70th anniversary, they built a [a] tiny [b] giant Monopoly game. 5 There is no World Monopoly Championship: [T] [F] 6 Monopoly was invented [a] in the early 1900s [b] in the ‘70s.

Some expressions

Read and match the saying or the expression with its meaning.

1 [ ] The outcome is not worth the effort, time, or expense. 2 [ ] Cooperate with a joke, or a plan for the time being, even if you don’t fully agree with it. 3 [ ] A completely new, different, or altered situation. 4 [ ] To deal with a situation spontaneously as it develops, rather than following a strict plan. 5 [ ] Having an advantage or being well prepared early on. 6 [ ] To take risks. 7 [ ] A humorous use of language that exploits a double meaning or words that sound alike but have different meanings. 8 [ ] To be very secretive about your plans and intentions. 9 [ ] When the boss is away, people will behave freely or break the rules.

Answers

A. “Play it by ear” B. Play on words C. “A whole new ball game” D. “Ahead of the game” E. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play”. F. “The game is not worth the candle”. G. “Play with fire” H. “Play along” I. “Play your cards close to your chest” Answers are below.

Page 2: free answer. Page 3: these don’t belong: Goonies (Steven Spielberg), Pirates of the Caribbean (Gore Vebinski), Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke), The Ring (Gore Vebinski). Pages 4 and 5: free answers. Pages 6 and 7: 1 [1] Pac-Man (1980), [2] Tetris (1984), [3] Super Mario Bros. (1985), [4] Pokémon (1996). 2 Minecraft. Pages 8 and 9: Cosplay, costume play. Page 11: 1 hope, 2 faith, 3 love, 4 luck. Pages 12 and 13: Answers: 1 white, 2 panda, 3 black, 4 China, 5 Bear, 6 Symbol, 7 bamboo Page 14: 1 1: 1 a, 2 T (In 2015, Hasbro produced 80 special boxes: 69 contained 150 euros, ten had 300 euros and one had 20 580 euros), 3 b (1 680 hours), 4 b (440 m2. The current Guinness record holder is the Wageningen Monopoly, in the Netherlands. In 2016, they built a gameboard that measured 900,228 m2), 5 F: Hasbro has been organising the World Monopoly championships since 1973. The last world championship was in Macao, China, in 2015. The current champion is an Italian named Nicolò Falcone. 6 a (In 1904 Elizabeth Magie invented The Landlord’s Game. In 1935, Charles Darrow reworked Magie’s idea and it became the Monopoly as we know it today). 2 1-F, 2-H, 3-C, 4-A, 5-D, F, 6-G, 7-B, 8-I, 9-E.

fourteen

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Do you know Mark Rober? He’s an American content creator on the internet. You can watch his explosive and fun videos on your favourite platform. Mark Rober is an engineer. He worked at NASA for several years, early in his career. One of the projects he worked on there was the Curiosity rover, which is now on Mars. He spends most of his time making videos. His videos are often about inventing creative and funny solutions to problems. He wants to encourage kids to be curious and creative and he believes that science is a great way to reach that goal. Based on how popular he is and how many people have watched his videos, I think he’s right! These days, Mark Rober is collaborating with Netflix to make a competition series for young tinkerers aged between 9 and 17. The winners will receive a lifechanging prize…

What is tinkering? It’s a way to learn-by-doing. By touching an object, taking it apart, testing and seeing what happens, tinkerers learn how things work, how to fix them, or invent something new. Tinkering is experimentation without a rigid plan. It involves making mistakes and learning from them. When something you try doesn’t work, it’s not a failure; it’s great because you’ve just learned a way that doesn’t work. Now you can keep going forward! Embracing failure is key to tinkering. Tinkering is playful and should be fun. In some schools or libraries, you might find a tinkering lab or a “make space”. Is there one in your city?

Tassa Riscossa/Taxe Perçue n L. 27/02/2004 n. 46) Art. 1, comma 1, DCB Ancona

e b r ! o R k r a M

Let’s Start – n. 4 – 2026 - Poste Italiane S.P.A. - Sped. in abb. post. - D.L. 353/2003 (Conv. i

Glitter bombs and ninja squirrel obstacle courses are just some of the wild ideas this engineer started with, but after his videos went viral on the web, he’s had many, many, more!

Let’s Meet...

Gerunds as subjects – modal verbs “can” and “might” - Cause & Effect (“Because”)