A Tot of English 01 2015-2016

A2 • B1

P THE MAGAZINE FOR YOUR ENGLISH

a

1

of English

YEAR XXXVIII N° 1 • September • October 2015 • Imprimé á Taxe Réduite

Kent – ‘The Garden of England’

Smile!

The London Design Festival

VISIT US ONLINE!

4 7 12

Richard Madden

1

www.elimagazines.it

Comics

Zits

Family Life

Jeremy, do you have something to tell Well, if me? you insist...

The truth is, I don’t want to go out with Sara any more.

Do you want some suggestions* about how to No, I’ve tell her?

already told her.

Do you want to help her get over it?

No, she took it well*.

Well then, I don’t see the problem.

I was hoping she would be a little more upset!

It was fun.

Why are you always so critical* of everything I say?

Glossary

suggestions: advice she took it well: she wasn’t upset

Yes, we need to see each other more often!

It’s just my way*.

critical: contrary, not in favour of It’s just my way: it’s my instinct/my natural way of being

Contents

Hi there, friends!

Samantha

Greeting Hi everyone, How are you all? Are you ready for another year of entertainment? We get off to a fun start with a report about emoticons and smileys. Follow my advice for downloading a special app that lets you speak using little faces! After that, we chat to the gorgeous prince in the Cinderella movie: Richard Madden. Then, we take a trip around beautiful Kent – the Garden of England. Come on – let’s get started!

A world of colourful bricks*

Nature 4 Kent – ‘The Garden of England’

App Attack

6

Report

7

Stickered for Messenger - Insta emoji Smile!

Cinema 10

What’s the most recognised brand* in the world? Lego – with its bricks of every shape and colour – ranks top in the list of the world’s most powerful brands. The reason, announced by the firm Brand Finance, is this: ‘Lego is a unique, creative and engaging toy – children love to build their own toys by themselves.

In a world dominated by technology, parents love the creativity and stimuli that Lego gives their children.’

And, adults, when placed in front of the legendary colourful bricks, affectionately remember their own happy childhoods! An animated film, The Lego Movie, has also added to this incredible success.

Complete

This is the plot of the film The Lego Movie. Fill in the missing words.

Richard Madden

Test 11 Are you more pop or rock?

Events 12 The London Design Festival

Games Galore

14

Books 16 Divergent

Hi, I’m Grammy. This month, we will learn about: • the gerund and the infinitive forms • the present simple tense • the past simple tense

• superlative adjectives • the passive form • the impersonal ‘you’

Glossary person

film

world

The …………… tells the story of Emmet, an ordinary Lego character who, by mistake, is identified as an extraordinary* …………… , able to save the …………… from a catastrophe*. He must go on a journey, with a group of strangers*, in an attempt to stop a terrible tyrant*.

bricks: blocks made of plastic, clay or stone brand: a recognisable product or make extraordinary: very special catastrophe: an event with tragic consequences strangers: people you don’t know tyrant: a person who dominates others

The answers are on page 14

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Nature

In each issue, we’ll be introducing an area of natural beauty, somewhere in the English-speaking world. Pack your bags and let’s go!

Kent

Green, beautiful and filled with inspirational cities and rich history – you can find the county* of Kent in South-East England. Kent is one of the ‘Home Counties’ – the regions surrounding London. Here are some special places that you must visit in Kent!

Match the places below with paragraphs 1-5

The Wildlife Heritage Foundation Canterbury Cathedral

The White Cliffs of Dover Dover Castle The Hawking Centre

1 .............................................................................

This is a special building – and is now a World Heritage site.

Founded in 597 A.D., it was a place of religious pilgrimage* during medieval times. In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered here. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a famous story about a group of pilgrims who travel to this place. These days, you can even have your Christmas lunch here!

2 .............................................................................

This is a unique location where you get panoramic views across the English Channel – you can even see France on a clear day! The land here is made out of chalk* and you can take long walks along the coast. It’s best to visit this place when it’s sunny!

3 .............................................................................................

If you love big cats then this is the place for you! This is a natural sanctuary*, 38 acres in size, where you can watch lions, leopards, tigers, cheetahs, lynxes, jaguars, and pumas in a protected, safe environment.

4

– ‘The Garden of England’

5 ...................................................................................................................

This is a magnificent medieval fortress* – the largest of its kind in England! Founded* in the 12th century, it is also known as the ‘Key to England’ because of its defensive importance throughout history. You can climb the Great Tower, explore the Secret Wartime Tunnels and meet real historical figures!

Glossary

county: region or province pilgrimage: a religious journey chalk: a soft, white stone sanctuary: a safe place bird of prey: a bird that hunts and kills other animals for food falconry: the keeping and training of falcons or other

birds of prey manicured: neatly trimmed and maintained lawns: a grass area in the garden of a house or park fortress: a fortified, military building founded: built hops: flowers used for making beer

impersonal ‘you’

4 ...........................................................................................................................

Interact with birds of prey* in beautiful gardens. This location offers you a unique falconry* experience, where owls, hawks, vultures, eagles and falcons all fly to your gloved hand. Afterwards, you can enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea and look over the manicured* lawns!*

Kent Quiz

Complete the sentences with the names of each location and a phrase from the box. a place of religious pilgrimage falconry skills

a magnificent medieval fortress

big cats in a natural sanctuary

walks above chalk cliffs 1 At The Hawking Centre, you learn ……............................................................................…….…

2 At Canterbury Cathedral, you visit ............................................................................................

3 At The White Cliffs of Dover you take ………..................................................................….......

4 At Dover Castle, you explore …………….................................................................................……

5 At The Wildlife Heritage Foundation, you watch …………...........................................……….

The answers are on page 14.

Did you know?

Here are some facts about Kent.

1 Kent is very close to London – just a short train ride away!

2 Kent is known as ‘The Garden of England’ because a lot of fruit – apples, pears and cherries – and hops* are grown in this county.

3 In Kent you will see ‘Oast Houses’ everywhere – these are traditional buildings where hops were brewed into beer.

4 You can travel to France, Holland and Belgium from Kent. Take a ferry from Dover, or the Eurostar from Ashford International train station!

5

App Attack

Stickered for Messenger

Insta Emoji

Stickered for Messenger was launched by Facebook at Christmas, 2014. It became an instant success – especially with the very young. It allows you to take photos and add them over a smiley or a sticker, to make the images super cute*, before you share them with friends. The app opens the camera, putting the smiley in the frame*.

Then, you can write a word or a message on the photo.

Insta Emoji is also perfect for lovers of emoticons and digital communication. Now, you can make your photos more fun by using emoticons as stickers, and choosing from a large selection of frames, which allow you to emphasise the subject of the images. Both are free and allow your imagination to run wild!* 6

Glossary

super cute: very nice frame: the edges of a photo

run wild: be free

Report

! e l i Sm The gerund

They are fun, expressive and used all over the world: emoticons are becoming a language, and an innovative way to communicate. Are you good at recognising them?

Their names

Emoticon, smiley, smileys, smile, emoji... these are some of the names used around the world for these fun representations of the human face.

They are used mostly on the internet and in text messages, and add a special touch to words. The official name, ‘emoticon’, comes from joining together the words ‘emotion’ and ‘icon’. In fact, each one expresses a different emotion: joy, sadness, irony, surprise, etc.

Emoticons are becoming a language

Today, there are 722 symbols, but soon there will be thousands, and they are changing how we communicate. They save us from entering extra characters in text messages or Tweets. They let others know if we are smiling, angry or sad – as if we are communicating face to face*.

The possibilities for emoticons are endless* – and we are constantly creating new ones. Some symbols come from countries like Japan, while others have a mysterious origin.

Perhaps, one day, everyone will draw their own emoticons and use them to communicate ... without words!

7

The music video is a cross between an animated cartoon and reality. It speaks the ‘language of youth’ and has a rhythm you can dance to. How does it begin? It starts with Gwen, who is sitting on a cloud as she flies over the city. Meanwhile, Pharrell’s head transforms into a smile that’s sent via mobile phone. Highly original!

Japanese Emoji

Emoji are symbols that became fashionable in Japan at the end of the 90‘s, and are very similar to smileys. The Japanese, who are used to writing using ideograms, are very good at inventing new symbols, such as Kaoani, which are small animated emoticons that bounce up and down.

Some people also call them ‘soul emoticons’ or ‘puffs’. They are usually white and perform various actions – even ironing!

From its origins, to its future

The first emoticon was sent via email in 1982, by a computer technician who wanted to draw his colleagues attention to the irony in his words, with the help of a simple J. Supposedly, the emoticon represents the smiley of Harvey Ball, which was in fashion* during the 70s and 80s – a yellow face with two dots for eyes and a half circle for the mouth. Since its invention, there have been a lot of changes. Some people write their emoticons the other way round, preventing the computer from turning the symbols into the standard smiley, while other people are always on the lookout for the latest update – the introduction of a multifaceted* emoticon! These days, you can use emoticons with five different skin tones.

A video made of emoticons!

Gwen Stefani’s single, Spark the fire, is the first music video made of emoticons. In the video, Gwen sings with Pharrell Williams – who judged alongside her on the US version of The voice.

8

The smiley became really fashionable in the 80’s, when the Spain brothers used it to decorate mugs, t-shirts, stickers, buttons and much more. They also added the phrase “Have a nice day!”

ing the most In addition to be Facebook, along followed star on naldo, Shakira with Cristiano Ro partying’* and is ‘the queen of ke a look at her of emoticons. Ta ll see how much profile and you’ using smiley she loves to talk faces!

Glossary

face to face: when you are standing in front of someone endless: something that does not finish in fashion: popular multifaceted: with many aspects or features queen of partying: a woman who loves to socialise baddie: the bad character in a book or a movie apostles: disciples of Christ

Emoticons often represent real or fictional characters. Want to see some fun examples?

Tilt your head or turn the page and you’ll see!

C|:-)= it’s Charlie Chaplin wearing a bowler hat. ~8-) it’s Harry potter with the scar on his forehead. {8<] it’s Darth Vader – the ‘baddie’* from Star Wars!

Match

Are you a real emoticon expert? Try to match the emotion to its symbol. a

:$

b

:S

c

O_o

d

:@

e

XD

1 amazement 2 fear, confusion 3 anger 4 embarrassment 5 big laugh

Secret code

In a church, on a University campus in England, you can admire a truly original work of art that combines graphic art with electronics.

The artist, Angela Palmer, has recreated The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci through emoticons. Her picture shows the faces of the apostles*. According to the artist these symbols, created with the keyboard, are similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics. Use the code and find out which city it is in!

D = Q F = 6

O = H R = 5

Guess

Guess the famous writer, who often uses smileys in his works painted on walls! a b c

Bansky Andy Warhol Diego Rivera

X = J

H J 6 H 5 Q The answer is on page 14

9

Cinema

Today’s Prince Charming has a face. It’s Richard Madden – with blue eyes and lots of charisma. We chat to the Scottish actor who starred in Cinderella!

Richard Madden First name: Richard Surname: Madden Date and place of birth: 18 June 1986, Elderslie (Scotland) Profession: Actor

I.D Card

Identifying features: a voice that’s so deep and warm that he was chosen for the voice of Alucard in the videogame Castlevania!

noticed me and I became the star of a British TV series. In the meantime*, I was studying, and in 2007 graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Why did you leave Scotland?

During my studies, I acted in a comedy that became a great success and I moved to London.

There, I was discovered by a group from the Globe Theatre and I played the part of Romeo, my first memorable role. It was really exciting to be able to come back home, together with the cast of Game of Thrones, to the extraordinary and magical Doune castle.

Through the character of Robb Stark, you became a star!

It’s true, with the series The Game of Thrones, based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, people started to recognise me in the street. I play the Young Wolf – a strong, tragic* and noble young man – whose best friend is a direwolf*, called Grey Wind. The wolf is a very special character!

Then you became Prince Charming in Cinderella...

When they offered me the role of 10

Kit, the prince in Cinderella, I was overjoyed*. Finally, a film with a happy ending, I thought! I was a little tired of playing dramatic and tragic roles. The fact that Kenneth Branagh was the director made me very proud, because he is a great actor, director and author.

And you became a dancer...

Dancing was the hardest part, because I’m not that good at it. I had to take an intensive course, for 4 days a week for 2 months, to get ready! The costume designers kept me far away from Cinderella’s dress until the end – they were afraid I would ruin it during rehearsals*!

Glossary

enrolled: entered/joined straight away: immediately meantime: during tragic: very sad and dramatic direwolf: a very large wolf, now extinct overjoyed: very happy rehearsals: practice

the past simple, superlative adjectives

Tell us how, and why, you got into acting I was 11 years old and very shy.

My parents, who weren’t actors (my father was a firefighter, my mother a teacher), enrolled* me at the Paisley Arts Centre, a theatre programme for children and teenagers. I fell in love with acting straight away*, and soon I was given the role of little Andy in the film Complicity. Someone

Test

1

Are you more pop or rock?

What are your best qualities? a My rebel* sprit b My strength c My beauty

3 Your favourite song to travel

with is… a Undisclosed desires

by Muse b Paranoid by Jonas Brothers You go to a concert. What would you c Don’t forget by Demi like to take home with you?

Lovato a The guitarist’s plectrum* You want to act in a musical. b An autographed* T-shirt c A selfie with the star What will you be? a The star b A dancer c A chorister*

2

4

Answered mostly ‘a’ – a real rocker You really have a rock spirit! You don’t follow the crowd, have an understated* intelligence and sometimes your sensitivity means you get hurt, or angry. You don’t follow trends, but like to try something new. Pick up a guitar and start playing – you’re a real rocker! Your type of music? Green Day and Blink 182.

Answered mostly ‘b’ – a mix of styles You are still a little undecided on your style. You like to let yourself go*, but sometimes you prefer to take things slowly and not rush. When you turn on the radio, you listen to almost everything. You enjoy dancing to the songs of Demi Lovato, as much as to Austin Mahone. Your favourite type of music? Halfway between Justin Bieber and Katy Perry!

Answered mostly ‘c’ – pop is your life You are sweet, romantic and a great dreamer. When you listen to music, you get carried away by your emotions, and you never want to turn off the stereo. There’s no doubt in your mind – if you have to choose between a ballad* and a guitar riff*, you will always choose the ballad. Your favourite type of music is romantic, British pop. Try listening to Tom Odell!

5 What must your perfect evening

have? a A concert b A nightclub c Pizza and a stroll

6 Which of these natural elements

fascinates you the most? a Falling snow b The wind c The ocean waves

infinitive

Glossary

rebel: a person who does what they want – and doesn’t follow rules plectrum: a small plastic object used to play guitar strings autographed: with an autograph – a signed by the artist chorister: a person who sings in a chorus understated: gentle, not immediately obvious let yourself go: move with a lot of energy ballad: a romantic and sentimental song riff: an elaborate solo exhibition by a musician

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Events

The London

Design Festival

In London, every September, you can see some of the world’s most innovative* designs.

This festival celebrates and promotes London as the design capital of the world!

Visit London from 19 to 27 September, 2015, and see the latest design trends* at venues* across the UK’s capital. The festival showcases* the best creative talents, with a range of more than 300 exciting events!

Making use of London’s unique spaces

Exhibitions, seminars, shows and pop-up* events – The London Design Festival hosts them everywhere. From the grand Victoria and Albert Museum, and iconic* London landmarks*, to small local studios; get ready for thought-provoking* works in unexpected places!

How the festival started

Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans came up with the idea for The London Design Festival. They planned to build on London’s existing design activity, and create an annual event to promote the city’s creativity. They wanted 12

to involve Britain’s greatest designers, and everyone else involved in this field, to produce an ‘unmissable* celebration of design’.

A Place Called Home

Last year, one of the most popular exhibitions was a Landmark Project – A Place Called Home.

Four acclaimed* designers generated their vision of a room at home that you would not want to leave. They created these rooms as four separate structures in London’s most famous openspace: Trafalgar Square.

Keep updated on Social Media!

Twitter: @L_D_F Facebook: www.facebook.com/LondonDesignFestival Instagram: https://instagram.com/l_d_f_official/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LondonDesignFestival Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/londondesignfestival

Glossary

innovative: new and exciting trends: the latest fashions venues: locations showcases: presents pop-up: unplanned and temporary iconic: famous landmarks: an important building or monument thought-provoking: it makes you think unmissable: you don’t want to miss it! acclaimed: celebrated giant: very big kaleidoscopes: a tube you can look through to see colours and designs

the passive

All four ‘houses’ looked identical on the outside, but the interiors reflected the individuality and personality of the different designers. The rooms featured pigeons, rooms within rooms, daily rituals, and giant* kaleidoscopes* – very different visions!

Find out more about this exciting festival at The London Design festival website: www.londondesignfestival. com

Active to Passive

Rewrite these sentences, turning them into the passive.

Example: The Festival celebrates and promotes London / London is celebrated and promoted by the festival.

1 The festival showcases the best creative talents / ……………………………………………………………………………………..……..………………………………………

2 Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans created the festival / ……………………………………….………………………………………..……..…………….…………………………

3 They involved Britain’s greatest designers /.................................................………………………………………..……..…………………………………..............……

4 Designers built rooms in Trafalgar Square / ……………………………………………..………………………………………..……..……………………………………...........…

What does ‘Home’ mean to you?

What are the special things that make a ‘house’ a ‘home’ for you?

Write down four things that a house must have in order for you to feel ‘at home’.

1 ....................................................................................................................

2 ....................................................................................................................

3 ....................................................................................................................

4 ....................................................................................................................

The answers are on page 14.

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Games Galore

Match

When you want to show that you’re laughing or smiling, it’s common to write LOL or to insert a J in text messages or live chat. But, how do people laugh online around the world? Try to match the country to its laugh! a

huehuehue

1 Thailand

b

xaxaxa

2 Spain

c

híhí

3 Portugal

d

55555

4 Greece

e

kekeke

5 Korea

f

www

6 Iceland

g

jajaja

7 Japan

Crossword

Have you read the story about The London Design Festival?

Now it’s time to use vocabulary from the story – insert your answers into the crossword below!

1 A place where an event takes place.

2 The latest fashion.

3 In the exhibition, A Place Called Home, four designers had to design a.....

4 A big, creative idea.

5 A ‘house’ is a physical structure but........ is where the heart is!

6 A show or display of art and design.

7 Famous.

8 A place where designers and artists work.

9 A temporary event.

1 4 3 2 6 5 7 8 9

The answers are at the bottom of the page.

Answers P. 3 Complete: film, person, world. P. 4-5 Match: 1.Canterbury Cathedral; 2. The White Cliffs of Dover; 3. The Wildlife Heritage Foundation; 4. The Hawking Centre; 5. Dover Castle: Complete: 1. falconry skills; 2. a place of religious pilgrimage; 3. walks above chalk cliffs; 4. a magnificent medieval fortress; 5. big cats in a natural sanctuary. P. 7-9 Match: a.4; b.2; c.1; d.3; e.5; Secret code: Oxford; Guess: a).

P. 12-13 Active to Passive: 1. The best creative talents are showcased during the festival; 2. The festival was created by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans; 3. Britain’s greatest designers were involved; 4. Rooms were built in Trafalgar Square by designers. P. 14 Match: a.3; b.4; c.6; d.1 e.5 (pronounced ‘keu keu keu’); f.7 (pronounced ‘warai’ – it means ‘laughter’); g.2; Crossword: 1.venue; 2. trend; 3. room; 4. vision; 5. home; 6. exhibition; 7. iconic; 8.studio; 9. popup.

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Liven up your lessons!

With audio materials and Teacher’s notes free download: www.elimagazines.com English

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Books

Divergent

The Story

present simple

One choice can transform you.

Divergent is the first book in Veronica Roth’s bestselling trilogy*, which also inspired a movie! In a dystopian* world – futuristic Chicago – society is split into five factions*: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice Prior is born into the Abnegation faction, but she shocks everyone by choosing a different path.

16

Beatrice renames herself ‘Tris’ and undergoes a highly competitive initiation* into Dauntless.

Together, with the other initiates*, she must endure extreme physical tests of endurance and psychological strength. However, Tris keeps a secret. It could help her save the ones she loves – or it might destroy her.

She likes Harry Potter, rain, books, jokes, cute animals, tea, Doc Martens, trains, and cold weather. In her free time she enjoys surfing Wikipedia in her pyjamas, while eating cornflakes!

“We believe in ordin ary acts of bravery, in the cour age that drives one perso n to stand up for another.”

Glossary

gripping: exciting trilogy: a collection of three books

“Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.”

dystopian: an imaginary society initiation: start where life is very bad initiates: new members faction: group

Tot of English N°7 - 2015 - Poste Italiane S.P.A. - Sped. in abb. post. - D.L. 353/2003 (Conv. in L. 27/02/2004 n. 46) Art. 1, comma 1, DCB - Ancona

Veronica Roth Veronica Roth is from Chicago. She writes books for young adults, including the bestselling Divergent Collection: Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and Four.

Tassa Riscossa / Taxe Perçue

This is the gripping* story of Beatrice Prio r, a young woman who must make a difficult cho ice.

She lives in a world where what makes you different, makes you dangerous.