Teen

Your English Monthly

TEEN

B2/C1

®

Year XXXXI - N. 1 - September / October 2020 - Imprimé à Taxe Réduite

Teen People

Millie Bobby Brown

Culture and Society

The Healing s t n a l P f o r e w o P

www.elilanguagemagazines.com

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Welcome Hello, and welcome to a year with Teen. Are you ready for new beginnings? New discoveries? There’s a lot going on* inside these pages – from fashion to food, from technology to a look at how our societies are changing as we explore and expand our digital world. We meet a famous young actress, uncover the secrets of the most powerful people in social media, take a virtual tour of the world’s coolest music festivals, and finish with a look at the healing* power of plants. All that, and a whole variety of activities and games to help you with your learning.

N. 1 - September/October 2020 Common European Framework Intermediate Level (B2–C1) In this issue look out for: - adjectives - future tense - idioms - present perfect - present tense, simple and continuous - sub clauses and connecting phrases - giving advice - language of fashion, digital technology, marketing, social media and gaming

Audio A subscription to the magazine allows you to download for free, in MP3 format, the audio of all the magazines in the resources section of our website www.elilanguagemagazines.com.

Teacher’s guide For teachers, the subscription to the magazine allows you to download for free the audio material in MP3 format, as well as the teacher’s guide for all* the magazines available in PDF format.

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. ALTHOUGH WE CHECK THE CONTENT AND SUITABILITY OF THE WEB SITES FEATURED OR REFERRED TO IN OUR MAGAZINES AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS, WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES WHICH MAY HAVE OCCURRED SINCE, AS THESE WEB SITES ARE IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ELI. ELI srl, C.P. 6, 62019 Recanati, Tel. (071) 750701, Fax (071) 977851 Direttore responsabile: Lamberto Pigini.

Realizzazione testi: Liz Ferretti. Autorizzazione Trib. di Macerata N. 237 del 4 luglio 1984. Realizzazione: Realizzazione: Tecnostampa, Loreto © ELI Italy 2020

Have fun,

Contents 3 4 6 8 10 12 14

Teen People Millie Bobby Brown UK Today Fashion Futures Report Influencers A New Profession for a New Age Techno Express Esports – The Future of Sport Around the World Cool Music Festivals Culture and Society The Healing Power of Plants Playstation

Around the World

World Car Free Day 22 September is World Car Free Day – a day, launched in 2000 by the World Car-free Network (WCN), when people are encouraged to leave the car at home. What happens when we take cars off the road? Well, it means more freedom for many. For a start, it’s instantly safer for pedestrians* and cyclists, and we get to breathe less polluted air, although that should be our right* every day, not just one day a year! On 22 September roads around the world are closed to traffic, and in these new spaces we find children playing, and more people out walking and cycling. World Car Free Day opens our eyes to a safer, cleaner, quieter world without cars.

True or False

Glossary going on: (multi-word verb) happening healing: making something / someone well or healthy again pedestrian: person who walks (e.g. who isn’t travelling in a car) right: (here) moral or legal protection

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Liz

1. World Car Free Day has been celebrated for twenty years.

2. Car-free cities make life safer and better for pedestrians and cyclists.

3. Every city in the world closes its streets to traffic on 22 September.

4. Even though we know how damaging cars are, we are still dependent on them.

5. Life without cars is impossible.

True

False

Answers are on page 15

adjectives

Teen People

Millie Bobby Brown began her acting career when she was 9 years old, and quickly became famous. Let’s meet this interesting teenage star of film and TV.

Millie Bobby Brown Passport

Name: Millie Bobby Brown Place and Date of Birth: Marbella, Spain, 19 February 2004 Profession: actor Distinguishing Marks: Millie stars in the TV series Stranger Things

Who is Millie Bobby Brown?

Millie was born in Andalusia, and grew up in England (in Bournemouth, on the south coast), Florida (Orlando), Canada (Vancouver), and California. She now lives in Los Angeles, but she’s never in one place for long because she travels so much for her work. Millie has lived in many parts of the world, but if you ask her where she feels most at home, she will answer Los Angeles.

Millie is the daughter of Kelly and Robert Brown, who are both British. They prefer to stay out of the public gaze* where possible, but they’ve supported their talented* daughter in her chosen career from the start.

They have three other children: Charley, Ava and Paige. Millie is the only one of the four who has gone into acting. In 2013, before she became a household name*, she got a part in a series called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, where she played the young Alice in Wonderland. In 2014, she got a lead role in the thriller series, Intruders, and went on* to appear in several popular TV series, NCIS, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy.

and in 2018 Time magazine included her in their list of the top 100 most influential people of the year. Millie’s life isn’t just about enjoying fame though, she’s also been using her influence for good. She is currently UNICEF’s youngest ambassador.

Career Building

Millie has continued to expand the range of her experience. She worked on the videogame The Sims 4, and in 2019 was in two films, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and The Thing About Jellyfish, adapted from the novel of the same name by Ali Benjamin.

Also in 2019, Millie became an ambassador for UEFA’s (Union of European Football Associations) Together #weplaystrong Success! campaign, which supports women’s and girl’s In 2016, Millie appeared in the hit* Netflix football. 2019 was a busy year for her! horror series, Stranger Things, where Millie has recently gone into film production she played Eleven. Her performance with a new mystery film, Enola Holmes, to was outstanding, and earned her many accolades*, including a nomination* for Best be released later this year, adapted from a novel by Nancy Springer. Millie stars as Actress at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Best Supporting Actress in the Primetime the main character, Enola, alongside Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin and Helena Bonham Emmy Awards. She, and the other young Carter. Who is Enola? The younger sister stars of Stranger Things, have won many of Sherlock Holmes of course! The film prizes, including the Screen Actors Guild was originally going to be released in the Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble* in a Drama Series, and Millie won cinema, but the coronavirus pandemic has made that impossible, and it will now be the Saturn Award for Best Younger Actor premiered on Netflix. on a Television Series. In 2018, the second series of Stranger Things came out, with more awards and nominations for the actors, Memorable Millie In Stranger Things, Millie plays an unusual as well as for the production team, for the writing and directing, sound track and visual character, a girl known only by the number effects. Millie Bobby Brown has appeared in 11. Eleven has to be brave and inventive to a number of music videos, including Sigma’s save herself and her friends, and she has Find Me, featuring* Birdy. She has also done extraordinary powers. She’s pretty special! fashion shoots* for Calvin Klein and Moncler, Eleven doesn’t talk much, preferring to

communicate through facial expressions and gestures*. Millie has said in interviews that she learned a lot playing Eleven. “I like characters that are a bit strange, mysterious, and not easy to understand,” she says, “I find them really interesting and they suit me. I like discovering who they are.” Millie is best known as an actress, but she’s always loved singing. She has already started to write songs of her own and hopes to go on to study music. She planned to record and release a CD, but her father advised her to wait until her music was more developed. In the meantime, she has performed a number of raps on live TV.

Things You Might Not Know…

Millie was born with a problem with her hearing, and eventually completely lost the hearing in one ear, which is a challenge when working on film sets. Millie loves dogs. The family has an English Mastiff called Dolly, who Millie also calls Poppy.

Dolly has her own Instagram profile with thousands of followers! In fact, Millie loves dogs so much that she adopted a poodle called Winnie The Pooh, named after the famous children’s book character. Winnie is a special dog, trained as a support dog when Millie travels, to help her with anxiety and stress. The life of a famous young actress is not always as easy as it might seem from the outside.

Glossary gaze: look at something or someone for a long time talented: when you are good or skilled at something household name: well known by the general public went on: (multi-word verb) continued hit: (here) big success, very popular accolades: recognition of someone’s good work nomination: (here) add

someone to a list of people considered for a prize ensemble: group (from French) featuring: (here) performing as a guest fashion shoots: (here) professional photography session to promote clothes gestures: hand and body movements used to communicate

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UK Today

Fashion

Futures

you aren’t taking care of yourself. In fact,

What do we wear when there is good evidence that with more time on our hands*, we are listening to no one can see us? With our bodies more. We are not only wearing most of us spending a lot what we want, we are taking better care of time in our homes over of ourselves. the past months, not going Fashion – At a Distance out with friends or to The fashion industry has been hit hard by the global lockdown*. Shops have public places, we’ve had been shut, and with nowhere to go, a long time to wear what many people have not added to their wardrobes. Now, fashion industry leaders we want without anyone are wondering if this period of change judging* us. But will the could lead to new ways of thinking cultural changes of life under lockdown create a lasting* change in our relationship to clothes?

Comfort First

The answer to our first question is that, unsurprisingly, when we are not ‘on show’ we choose to wear loose, comfortable clothes. While we wait for life inside to become life outside, we are wearing leggings, wide trousers (or pants if you are in the US), loose T shirts, and sports clothes of all kinds. There’s not much point* in putting on your best clothes when only your family or house mates will see you.

But comfortable doesn’t have to mean

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about fashion. Perhaps, they say, this is a time to make fashion more sustainable*.

They think the future will be about cooperation, and greater transparency*.

We might one day know how our clothes were made, who by, and how. There is a chance to improve working conditions and reduce the environmental impact of our wardrobes, but that of course will depend on the choices we make as consumers.

The Way Forward

Research into current shopping trends* reveal that consumers are buying fewer items, but what they do buy is chosen to

future tense – idioms – language of fashion

Technology might also change our shopping habits. Augmented reality* can help us choose clothes without leaving our homes. What is augmented reality? You upload photos of yourself and the software helps you see what an item of clothing looks like on you without even trying it on.

In the future, we may have our own ‘shopping channels’, with brands and prices suited to us.

Our previous shopping habits and online searches will be used to create a new shopping experience.

We won’t have to rely only on the shops in our towns and cities, but will be able to buy from anywhere in the world. be worn many times, and is likely to be suitable for a wider range of seasons.

In fact, there are signs that consumers are becoming much more aware of sustainability. They no longer want lots of cheap throwaway* items but are building a ‘capsule* wardrobe’ – a much smaller collection of better quality items and accessories. By changing our relationship with clothes, we are changing our relationship with the planet.

The Wardrobe Review

The good news is that a smaller wardrobe means less pressure to spend as much on clothes. Time by ourselves

has given us time to think about who we are and what we want our lives to look like. We can take a step back*. We can look at the clothes we have, and decide what we want to keep and what we no longer need or want. Maybe it’s time to take some less loved items out of our cupboards and, depending on what you are allowed to do where you are, take them to the charity shop (thrift store if you are American), give them to friends, or sell them online. A review of your wardrobe can be a great way to release* the old, and welcome in the new you that you have got to know in the last few months.

What the Future Holds…

No one can predict what next year will look like, but we do know that we have a chance to change. This is an opportunity to rebuild and make things the way we want them to be. That doesn’t mean we will all be going around in our pyjamas from now on, or that life will be in monochrome*. In fact, many in the fashion industry believe that, when everyone is let out again, fashion will reflect the feeling of freedom, with bright colours and big eye-catching* designs, but maybe those clothes will be made in a different way, with natural fabrics and natural dyes*, with better working conditions for those making the clothes we wear... But that, of course, will be up to us.

Quiz On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 means ‘totally disagree’, 5 means ‘neither agree nor disagree’, and 10 means ‘totally agree’, answer the following questions.

1. I like to follow fashion. .........

2. Comfort is the most important thing for me when choosing clothes. .........

3. I am happy with my wardrobe, there’s not much I want to change. .........

4. I am conscious of the environmental impact of my clothes. .........

5. My attitude to clothes and fashion has changed during the past year. .........

Find the verb for the definition.

1. describe what the future will look like .................................

2. form an opinion (often negative) about someone / something ..............................

3. make something better .................................

4. make something again, after it has been damaged or broken .................................

5. represent or show .................................

Answers are on page 15.

Glossary judging: having an opinion on something / someone lasting: that continues for a long time not much point: (idiom) no use (whatever you do, it will make no difference) time on our hands: (idiom) when you don’t have much to do lockdown: (here) order to stay indoors due to health crisis sustainable: that does not damage the natural world transparency: (here) when you do something in an honest way, without secrets trends: (here) general direction that something is going in

throwaway: (adjective) object designed to be used once or a few times only capsule: (here; figurative) small container take a step back: (idiom; here) give yourself the mental space to think about something release: (here) become free of monochrome: black and white, or of a single colour eye-catching: (figurative) that you notice immediately dye: chemical (natural or man-made) used to add colour to fabric augmented reality: technology that adds a computer-generated image to your view of the real world

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Report

Influencers – A New

Profession for a New Age

The influencer is a recent profession that has grown out of social media and the advertising industry. What is an influencer? And how do you become one? Let’s find out.

Most of us grow up with at least one person asking us what we want to be when we grow up. If that’s happened to you, then you might have answered vet, doctor, actor, teacher, scientist… traditional jobs in the real world, but as social media evolves, new career opportunities are opening up. One of those is ‘the influencer’. This English word influencer means someone who has influence over other people, or rather, the power to change the opinions, actions or beliefs of others. Influencers often become famous via the internet and social media. Unlike actors, singers or entertainers who have to appear on

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stage, in films or on TV, or perform concerts in order to become successful, influencers generally get famous by sitting at home in front of their computers, making the most of the power of social media to enter the lives of their fans in the global digital community. How do influencers get so much… influence? They develop a personal brand* by posting* photos, videos, and content all designed to promote* a certain lifestyle, that fans are encouraged to identify with, or aspire* to. Some influencers talk about politics or the environment, or make comments about society, others focus on the latest fashions, tech gadgets* and video games.

Influencers come in all shapes and sizes. Where there is an audience, there is an influencer!

The World of the Influencer

Influencers can be bloggers*, video makers, photographers, content creators, YouTubers, Instagrammers... And these can further be divided into sub categories. There are food influencers who talk about recipes and restaurants, beauty influencers who give beauty and make-up tips, design influencers who discuss new design ideas, travel influencers who share their love of travel… the list goes on. What they have in common, though, is that they all post content regularly on their channels, websites, social media, and blogs, and they spend time interacting with the people who are interested in what they are posting, their followers.

Influencers provide content that people want,

present perfect – language of marketing and social media

It’s important to remember that these influencers, whose lives appear so perfect, who seem so enthusiastic about what they’re telling us, don’t interact with us because they want to be our friends. They get rich through these interactions with us. Whoever we follow on social media, we shouldn’t forget that influencers curate* every single detail of their online lives to make them appealing.

and they are often pretty knowledgeable about their chosen subject. They find creative ways to maintain the interest of their audience, and end up becoming thought* and trend leaders* in their specialist areas. That sounds easy! All you have to do is put up a bit of interesting content, a nice photo or two, and you’ll automatically get loads of followers… but is it really that simple? Let’s find out.

The Life of the Influencer

Like most things in life, it’s harder than it looks becoming, and above all remaining, a successful influencer. In order to be successful, you need to develop a proper communication strategy. First of all, you have to choose a topic to discuss, and create the right type of content to go with it (photos, images, quotes, quizzes, tips, and videos). Next, you need to build your content (taking photos, writing articles, recording videos, organising live stream* events), and decide on the time and day of the week to post to reach the widest

audience. The aim is to build engagement – i.e. likes, comments, discussions. In fact, while influencers like to appear natural and spontaneous, that’s often why we like them after all, a lot of planning and thought goes into every post, photo or video. When you have got your content and timing sorted, you then have to choose your hashtags* and key words, and find ways to get your voice heard above the thousands of other people doing the same thing as you!

Making A Fortune

How do influencers make money? Well, they don’t usually earn money per click* or per view, it’s more about the size of their audience, and the level of engagement* they get from their fans. That is what makes brands and manufacturers interested in them. Here’s an example. Let’s imagine a luxury watch brand wants to grow its share of the market, and has decided it wants more young people to buy its watches. What’s the best way for them to reach their target audience*? The quickest way is to make use of the audiences already created by popular influencers, who have thousands, and sometimes millions, of followers. But even then it’s not simple. The influencer’s audience has to match the brand’s target audience. In this case, the brand will look for a style or fashion influencer. Once they’ve found the right person, the brand can negotiate a marketing contract with them, paying them to promote

Write a definition of the following social media terms.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

influencer: …………………………………………………………………………................................... fashion blogger: ………………………………………………………………………….......................... follower: …………………………………………………………………………....................................... engagement: …………………………………………………………………………............................... like: …………………………………………………………………………...............................................

YouTuber: …………………………………………………………………………....................................

Which influencers do you follow on social media?

What do they talk about?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

…………………………………………………………………………........................................................ …………………………………………………………………………........................................................ …………………………………………………………………………........................................................ …………………………………………………………………………........................................................ …………………………………………………………………………........................................................

Answers are on page 15

Pop star Selena Gomez is one of the biggest influencers on Instagram currently. She has around 140 million followers, and earns an average of $800,000 per post. She has a marketing deal with sportswear brand, Puma. After Selena Gomez comes Cristiano Ronaldo, with 113 million followers. Each of his posts earns him on average $720,000. In third position is singer and actress, Beyoncé, with 115 million followers, and $700,000 per post. their product simply by wearing it or by talking about it. Basically, the brand advertises its products using the popularity of the influencer.

How much do influencers earn? Once again, making money from social media is not straightforward*. It is hard to even start to earn money as an influencer. Once you have crossed that hurdle*, then earnings can range from $200 per post, to hundreds of thousands for the small number of the world’s top influencers.

How did we get here?

The influencer was born in early internet discussion forums during the 1990s. Forums were places where people could exchange opinions on the topics of the day. In 1997, the first blog site was launched, creating a new space for discussing products or services.

For example, a user who had bought a new computer would review it, discussing the pros and cons of the new model. Studies at the time showed that these types of informal discussions were influencing people’s purchasing decisions.

Those with the strongest and most engaging personalities, or the most knowledge, started to get paid to sponsor products in their blogs.

The Blogstar Network, launched in 2004 by Ted Murphy, invited bloggers to receive paid offers to review products and services. Blogstar is generally seen as a major step towards the development of the influencer.

Glossary brand: product with recognised name post: (here) put something (photo, video clip…) online promote: (here) encourage someone to follow aspire to: want, be ambitious for tech gadget: device using the latest technology, e.g. smartphone blogger: person who regularly writes on a website/ web page; the writing style is informal thought leader: person whose opinion is respected, and who often has influence with their audience trend leader: person at the head of a new fashion or

way of thinking live stream: live show, given over the internet hashtags: word or phrase that starts with # – separates particular topics click: (here) press your mouse or mouse pad to select something engagement: total public shares, likes, comments on a social media post target audience: the people you want to speak to / influence straightforward: simple, easy hurdle: difficulty to overcome curate: (here – transitive verb) carefully manage

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