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Flags

Country: Canada

Image: a maple leaf on a white background

History: up until 1964 Canada didn’t have an official flag: its first was the French* lily (or “fleurde-lys”). Canada celebrates Flag Day on February 15, when it was first presented in front of the Canadian parliament.

Interesting facts: the white band* is wider than the lateral

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ones, which is why it is called the “Canadian Band.” The eleven points on the leaf don’t have a particular meaning: they only represent a typical maple leaf! The maple tree has leaves that change color with the seasons: in the summer they are green and in autumn they are yellow and red. Anyone who loves foliage* should visit Canada, which is full of maple and coniferous* forests!

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Hi, everyone! Are you ready for the new year together, full of curious facts, interesting news and emotions to share? I have news for you! On page 2 I will tell you about one of the most beautiful flags in the world, while on page 4 we will visit New Orleans, also known as “the birthplace of jazz.” On page 12 you will find out about America’s celebration of the worker and unofficial end to the summer–Labor Day. A Tot of English is more enjoyable thanks to the word scramble on page 16 and the quiz on page 11, with which you can challenge your friends on many subjects (cinema, nature, music…). Happy reading and here’s to a great start together!

Earendel, distant star

Astrophysicists* from the University of Baltimore were able to take a picture of the farthest and oldest star ever seen, which is 12.9 billion light years away. This is all thanks to the Hubble telescope, which has given us marvellous discoveries and images for more than 30 years. The picture of the star is not a usual one, full of color and cosmic* dust. Instead it represents a pale* triple dot. The star, named Earendel, which means “shiny” in Old English, is 50 times more massive* than our sun even if it seems like a pale, little light. Its light, in fact, being that it is so far away, can be hundreds of thousands of times stronger than the sun! Up until now, the farthest single star was Icaro, which is “only” 4 billion light years away.

The Odd-One-Out

Which of these statements about stars is not true?

a Earth is a star.

b Stars shine with their own light.

c We can see around 6000 stars with* the naked eye.

d There are stars that are more or less bright.

Hi, I’m Grammy. This month we’ll learn about:

- Passive forms

- Superlatives

- Causal clauses

- Present perfect simple

- Temporal expressions

- The gerund

- Past simple

- Phrasal verbs

- Infinitives of purpose

Glossary

astrophysicists: scientists that study the phenomenon of celestial bodies (stars, planets, etc…)

band: vertical stripe that divides a flag (usually into three equal parts)

coniferous: trees such as pine, cypress and spruce, which produce cone-shaped fruit (pinecones) cosmic dust: set of particles present in space foliage: natural spectacle of the many colors of the leaves in autumn

French lily: a beautiful, fragrant flower, which is the symbol of the French king massive: robust, huge pale: very clear, almost white and faded with the naked eye: simply with your eyes, without instruments

The answer is on page 14

New Orleans, USA

Also known as “The Big Easy” because of its laid-back* lifestyle, New Orleans is a very vibrant, multicultural city on the Mississippi River in the Southern United State of Louisiana. It is famous for its interesting French origins and influence, swinging* jazz music, exciting nightlife and tasty Creole cuisine.

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, this city has a population of 383,997 and is Louisiana’s most populous city. It was founded in 1718 by French colonists after the French claimed the state of Louisiana in the 1690s, and was originally the territorial capital of the state. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it became part of the United States, although this city still held onto its French origins.

The French Quarter

The French Quarter is the city’s oldest neighborhood, founded in 1718. The entire district is recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the United States government because of its historic buildings with their detailed iron

balconies and large courtyards. It is also a top tourist destination due to its exciting nightlife and restaurants. Bourbon Street is in the heart of the French Quarter and visitors crowd it to listen to lively jazz music and view its unique architecture.

The birthplace of Jazz People usually associate jazz music with this city. Jazz music is mainly influenced by West African, AfricanAmerican and Cuban music. What most people do not know, however, is that jazz was also influenced by Sicilian music. Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, New Orleans experienced a wave of Sicilian immigration due to the cotton and citrus fruit trade between Palermo and New Orleans. The first Jazz record ever issued*, “Livery Stable Blues”, was made by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, whose bandleader, Nick La Rocca, and drummer, Tony Sbarbaro, were both born to Sicilian immigrants.

The Garden District

For a calmer, more relaxing tour, visitors must see the city’s Garden District. This area has one of the

best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the Southern United States. The area was once a collection of plantations that were later sold in parcels* to rich families who wanted to live in a more peaceful part of the city. The area was originally developed with a few houses along each street, surrounded by green gardens, giving it its name. There are some of the most beautiful historic mansions to see, like 2707 Coliseum Street, featured in the 2008 film The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Fantastic Food

Louisiana Creole cuisine has a number of influences, including West African, French, and Spanish, as well as general regional influences from the South. No one can consider their visit to this fascinating city complete without

The Odd-One-Out

New Orleans has a lot of nicknames. Try to guess which one of these is not one of them!

a The Paris of the South

b Crescent City

c Lobster Town

d The birthplace of jazz

e N’awlins

trying its French-influenced Creole cuisine. Specialties include Gumbo, a stew consisting of a thick stock*, meat or shellfish, and the “holy trinity” of Creole – celery, bell peppers and onions, or Jambalaya, a rice dish consisting mainly of meat and vegetables.

Glossary

issued: distributed for sale

laid-back: relaxing

parcels: pieces of land

stock: cooking liquid or broth

swinging: lively and exciting

Famous people from New Orleans include the actress Reese Witherspoon, the jazz musician Louis Armstrong and the writer Truman Capote.

Trivial Pursuit

literature (AL) brown, science and nature (SN) green, sports and leisure (SL) orange.

The aim of the game

Trivial Pursuit, a board game originally from Canada, and produced by Hasbro and Horn Abbot, allows players test their ability to correctly answer general knowledge questions.

A brief history

The game was invented in 1979 by an image researcher of a Montreal newspaper and a sports journalist, who were trying to imagine a fun game while they were playing Scrabble. They registered the brand* in 1981 and, to popularize the game, boxes were given to distributors* at a much lower price than they should have been! Now it is the third all-time bestselling game after Scrabble and Monopoly. It has been translated

into many languages and distributed in many countries, which modify a lot of the questions according to their own culture and history. Today, in keeping up with the times, there is now the digital version: it is called Trivial Pursuit & Friends and it allows us to play with an avatar that can have our level or a higher one.

What does the game come with?

In the Genus edition box, which is the original basic version, there is: a board, dice, 2000 cards that contain 6 questions each and, on the back, the corresponding answers, 6 round, plastic pieces and 36 plastic pie* wedges to put into the round pieces during the game. The questions, which are about general knowledge, are divided into six categories, each with a different color: geography (G) is blue, entertainment (E) is pink, history (H) is yellow, arts and

The objective is to be the first one to arrive in the central hexagon and respond correctly to the final question in a category chosen by your opponent, thus winning the game. Before this happens, the player has to reach the final square of every category. It is considered a game for young people and adults, not children, because some of the questions are really difficult!

In Moscow there is the Trivial Pursuit Hotel, a four-star hotel born in collaboration with Hasbro: answering questions correctly can allow you to stay there for free!

Glossary

brand: original name of a product distributors: people that sell a product to others who resell it pie wedges: triangle pieces that you insert into the main, circular piece

The Times has defined Trivial Pursuit “the most important phenomenon of the history of games”!

A game that tests our general knowledge from art history to sport. Trivial Pursuit games are a real workout for our brains!

A simple word with an important meaning. Fighting for peace on earth was a major commitment for some historical figures and, today, it is for international organizations and all of us.

Long Live Peace!

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Twenty-five years ago, precisely the fifth of September, 1997, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Catholic nun who made history with her vision of solidarity in the world, died. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, thanks to her lifetime commitment of helping others in the world. She created more than 500 peace missions* in the world, starting in India: it was here

Give Peace a Chance

that she understood her desire to dedicate her life and love to the poor of the world. “It isn’t important how much you give: what

is important is the love you put into giving.” People like her are true examples of peace and solidarity in the whole world.