Tot012017

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THE MAGAZINE FOR YOUR ENGLISH

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of English

ANNOXXXX YEAR XLI N°N° 11 • Settembre-Ottobre • September • October 20172017 • Imprimé • Imprimé á Taxe á Taxe Réduite Réduite

The Isle of Skye, Scotland

Buddy for sports

Largs Viking Festival, Scotland

4 6 12

Report

Moments

of glory VISIT US ONLINE!

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Art

Introducing Modern Art Title: Impression, sunrise (Impression, soleil levant) Artist: Claude Monet Date: 1872 School: Impressionism Technique: oil on canvas Museum: Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris Interesting fact: This picture (and its title), which depicts the Port of Le Harve at dawn, represents the birth of the Impressionist school of painters

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Content

Greetings

Samantha

Hi everyone! Did you have a great summer break? Are you ready to begin a new year with me and A TOT OF ENGLISH? We start autumn by visiting Scotland, where we take part in a Viking Festival and visit the beautiful Isle of Skye. We also read about the best-selling young adult novel, North of Happy. Not only that, but we’ll meet big-hearted Álvaro Soler, and other brave sports people who have become great champions despite having difficult pasts. Happy reading and welcome back!

Nature 4 The Isle of Skye, Scotland

App Attack

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Report

7

Buddy for sports

The art of Lego bricks

Moments of Glory

People 10

American artist Nathan Sawaya, a great lover of Lego, has taken the mythical bricks and managed to bring them to the museums of the world – from New York to Shanghai, and from London to Singapore and Rome. CNN has judged his “The Art of the Brick” as one of the ten ‘must see’ exhibits. It is made up of over 70 works, some original, representing masterpieces of world art, such as The girl with a Pearl Earring by Jan Vermeer and Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.

Part of the fascinating exhibition is also made up of a Tyrannosaurus of 80,000 pieces, ancient Greek and Roman statues and the mysterious Moai from Easter Island. The sculptor, Sawaya, has shown us how a toy can be transformed into many forms of art!

Álvaro Soler

Test 11 Are you a loner or people-person?

Events 12 Largs Viking Festival, Scotland

Games galore

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Book 16 North of Happy

Hi, I’m Grammy.

This month you’ll learn about: • • • • • •

Match a

Superlative Impersonal ‘you’ Prepositions Present Simple Relative Pronouns Use of the infinitive

• • •

•

Like + verb(ing) Adjective use Past Simple (regular and irregular forms) Historical Present

Glossary

Self-portrait: painting or photograph of yourself Lady: noblewoman

b

c

d

Italian Stefano Bolcato has replaced the subjects of the world’s most famous portraits with his Lego version in his series People, which has travelled around the world via the internet. His paintings are oil on canvas, the faces are without noses or any adornment, and with the yellow head and eyes typical of a Lego toy. Match some of his portraits with those of the original artist!

1

Frida Kahlo

2

Sandro Botticelli

3

Leonardo da Vinci

4

Andy Warhol The answers are on page 14.

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Nature

This spectacular island is located off the north-west coast of Scotland.

Connected to the mainland by a bridge, the Isle of Skye is famed for its rugged* landscapes, picturesque* villages and medieval castles.

Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Isle of Skye is the secondlargest of Scotland’s islands. It’s 80 kilometres long – a patchwork* of moors*, mountains, lochs* and sea cliffs*. The stunning* scenery is the main attraction, but there are also plenty of fascinating ruins and cosy* pubs to visit.

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Cloud Island or The Winged Isle?

The Isle of Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago; it has an indented coastline of peninsulas and narrow lochs, radiating out from a mountainous interior. The Gaelic*

name for the island is an t-Eilean Sgiathanach. Historians aren’t sure about the origin of its name.

It could mean ‘Cloud Island’, a Viking reference to the fact that mist often covers the island, but historians have also suggested that the Gaelic name describes the Isle of Skye’s winged shape.

Glossary

bustling: very busy clans: a close-knit group of interrelated families, especially in the Scottish Highlands cliffs: rock face cosy: warm and comfortable Gaelic: the native languages of Scotland lochs: lakes moors: grasslands picturesque: very attractive patchwork: a collage, a collection rugged: rocky stunning: incredible

Portree – the Isle of Skye’s capital Complete the article about Portree, using the prepositions in the box below.

Superlative form, impersonal ‘you’, preposition

with • by • for • of Portree is Skye’s largest and liveliest town. Portree (also known as Port Righ) is a bustling* port and thriving cultural centre – and an excellent base 1. .................................. exploring the island. The town’s name means ‘King’s Harbour’ in Gaelic. It has a pretty harbour lined 2. .................................. brightly painted houses, and there are great views 3. .................................. the surrounding hills.

Set round its natural harbour and fringed 4. ......................... ......... high ground and cliffs, the town is a popular holiday destination. You can go swimming, pony-trekking, take a boat-cruise, or go shopping!

Interesting facts about the Isle of Skye Fill in the facts below with the words in the box. industries • inhabitants • wildlife Gaelic • Mesolithic • The island has around 9,000 1. .............................................

• Half the people on Skye speak 2. .............................................

• The island was first occupied in the 3. ............................................ . period, and then ruled by the Norse for 400 years. Later, two ‘clans’* dominated the Isle of Skye: Clan MacLeod and Clan Donald • The island’s main 4. ............................................. are tourism, agriculture, fishing and whisky-distilling • Skye has abundant 5. ............................................. , including the Golden Eagle, Red Deer and Atlantic Salmon The answers are on page 14.

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App Attack

BUDDY SPORTS FOR

Do you like lots of sports, but are never able to find the right person to play with? Now there’s Buddy for sports; the free app that’s great for people who want to play a game of basketball or lift weights, but don’t know who to call to share their workout with. All you need to do is create your profile, indicate the sports you like – choose between

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the 80 sports available – and how good you are at each, what your personal interests are and the hours you prefer to play and have fun.

Then you can search for a training partner and ask them if they want to play a couple of sets of volleyball or tennis with you! With Buddy, you can create sporting events such as table tennis, football, and dance tournaments; you can also enter information about grounds that are available and free to play on; and provide useful information for training in the right climate and many other things. Remember – sport is good for your health!

Moments of glory

Report

Incredible stories from the Olympics

The stories of brave and tenacious Olympic athletes are numerous. Englishman Chris Mears, who was a gold medallist in the 3-metre dive, became sick and entered a coma* in 2009 – but 7 years later returned to swimming and winning.

The American swimmer Kathleen Baker, who won silver in the 100 metre backstroke, lives with a rare autoimmune disorder that makes everyday life very difficult.

The youngest athlete to enter the Olympics is 13 and comes from Nepal. Gaurika Singh survived a terrible earthquake and competes in honour of the 9000 citizens who died. Rafaela Silva was born in a dangerous favela, but fortunately her father enrolled her in a positive action programme*:

There are athletes who are real warriors; they fought to become champions in an attempt to change their lives, and to escape poverty and war. Their stories and their victories are an example to all athletes around the world – and also to us! she won the gold medal in judo and hopes to be an example for street children.

Yusra Mardini

For the first time, at the Rio Olympics 2016, a whole team of refugees* competed. The athletes didn’t play for their countries but... for the Olympic flag! One of them is Yusra Mardini, freestyle and butterfly swimmer, 7

Report

Arturo Vidal

Yusra Mardini

who came from Syria. She escaped from war in her country, climbed on a boat, and when she saw the Greek shore, threw herself into the sea to give the boat more buoyancy. Thanks to this act, she realised that she had real swimming talent.

The legend of Abebe Bikila

We can’t talk about special athletes without mentioning the legend of Abebe Bikila. His photo from the Rome Olympics in 1960 is one of the most famous in the history of sport. The Ethiopian athlete, who was the first African in the world to receive the gold medal, won the marathon in a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds – despite not wearing shoes. His dream has always been to give dignity to Africa and his victory became a symbol of freedom from European colonisation*.

young people in the villages of Nepal to have the same opportunities,” he said. At 10, he carried sacks of rice, then he learned to fight with soldiers in the forest and ran, alone, every day. Now he competes around the world and his story is about to become a film by Chinese director Lloyd Belcher.

Arturo Vidal

The famous Chilean footballer has fought and trained to give his mum, who works day and night, a better life. All the money he earns, he sends to Santiago, for his brothers, cousins, nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts, and friends - like King Arthur. A few years ago, for example, he signed autographs for 24 hours, to raise funds* to make his dying* cousin more comfortable. Arturo,

From child soldier to marathoner

Mira Rai is a 25 year old Nepalese man who was a soldier since childhood. These days he trains hard to win marathons, running in the mountains for 50-100 km, and has 8000 followers on Facebook. “I would like all the 8

Mira Rai

who comes from a working-class neighbourhood and a very poor family, was selected at 12 years old into the sport most loved around the world – football – and became a champion with a heart of gold.

The secret of talent scouts and champions

Talent scouts – people who watch thousands of children a year to find future champions – travel the world judging the technique, strength and physique of these young people. But, above all the scouts are interested in their personality. “When you feel your heart beat*” said one talent scout, “you know you are in the presence of a champion.” Francesco Cornejo, a bank employee, was impressed by the left-footed shot of an eight year old child while walking through a park in Buenos Aires one March. Later, this boy became become a legend: Diego Armando Maradona!

“Chariots of Fire” is a beautiful film from the 80s about victory and sporting success, told through the stories of two very different English athletes who participated in the 1924 Olympics: Eric is Scottish and runs for the honour of God, while Harold is a Jew who seeks to overcome social prejudices* against Jews.

Review of The Present Simple, Relative Pronouns

True or false

You’ll certainly be familiar with the films of Rocky Balboa, played by Sylvester Stallone. These tell the story – the victories and the defeats – of an Italian-American boxer. Indicate whether the following statements are true of false.

T F 1 Rocky is very poor and lives in the suburbs.

2 Rocky’s first major opponent is his best friend.

3 The name of the future wife of Rocky is Adriana.

4 When he was chosen for the film, Sylvester Stallone was unknown.

5 No film from the series has received an Oscar.

6 In Rocky IV we hear James Brown who sings Living in America.

7 Ivan Drago, archenemy of Rocky, is Greek.

Glossary

colonisation: settling among and controlling people of another land dying: almost dead enter into a coma: lose consciousness for a long time feel your heart beat: excitement funds: amount of money

positive action programme: getting young people involved in something good prejudices: negative thoughts about someone formed without knowing them refugees: people who need to escape their country

What does sport mean to you?

Try to explain in your own words the meaning of the four rules regarding sport proposed by Emil Zatopek below. What do you think?

Czechoslovakian Emil Zatopek was one of the best Olympic marathoners and is an example to all the world of tenacity and determination.

The athlete won the record for the marathon in 1952 without ever running a marathon in his life! Many coaches remind their students of the 4 rules of Zatopek: 1 It’s never too late 2 Life is not a beauty contest 3 Train in the worst conditions The answers are on page 14.

4 Run your race 9

His songs are unique and full of the joys of life. He is good, intelligent and polite – and also very kind. He’s Álvaro Soler, the... ‘prince of summer’!

Álvaro Soler Identity card

First name: Álvaro Surname: Tauchert Soler Place of birth: Barcelona, 9 January 1991 Profession: Singer (Latin pop)

Álvaro, you speak many languages and have visited many countries. Do you consider yourself a citizen of the world?

Absolutely, I am the son of so many countries! These days I live in Berlin but my father is German, and my mother half Spanish and half Belgian.

At the age of 10, I went to live in Tokyo with my family and I learnt to sing karaoke there. I like learning new languages (I speak five, as well as a little French and Japanese) because communicating with others in their own language helps build understanding and eliminate barriers*.

The secret to learning any language is to try, and not be afraid to make mistakes!

When did you realise you could make a living from your music?

At 17, I returned to Barcelona to complete a degree in Industrial Design.

I became the singer and keyboardist in the band Urban Lights, where my brother was also a singer, and I took part in the talent show Tú sí quel vales. I signed a contract with Sony to 10

Distinguishing features: Jennifer Lopez has asked him to sing El mismo sol together with her

go to Germany and write songs for others, and realised that this opportunity was my destiny.

I didn’t think I’d end up making a living as a singer; I thought I would be working as a car designer! I’m self-taught, and these days I play the piano, the guitar and the xylophone. I don’t feel like a rock star; I’m just a quiet guy who has been very lucky. J So, it’s true that you like the simple life?

Of course, I like to live simply, and I’m careful not to let success change me. I feel like an ordinary guy and believe that it’s important to remain sincere and genuine*. I like the simple life, the sun, the sea, dance and I love food. I love spending time with friends and nice people, but I’m very shy with strangers*!

What advice would you give other young musicians?

To be committed, to respect the job and its demands and to do your best. The goal in making sacrifices, is to do the things we like to do, without fear of making mistakes. I am very strict with myself, because talent is not enough – you also need tenacity. I like to help others to discover their talent. Indeed, appearing as a judge on Xfactor Italia was fantastic!

Glossary

barriers: obstacles genuine: sincere strangers: people you don’t know

use of the infinitive and like + verb(ing)

People

Test

Are you a loner or a people-person?

1 You have a completely free

Sunday. What would you prefer to do? a Spend time with a friend in the garden b Take a walk in the city c Watch a film on TV

2 Are you more comfortable in

your room than anywhere else? a No, I’m not that fond of my room b Not always, it depends on what I’m doing c Yes, because there I can do whatever I like

Answered mostly ‘a’: very sociable* You are a really sociable person: many of your friends miss your company, and you can’t live without them.

You don’t like staying home in your room, but prefer spending time together with all your peers, hanging out* at the park and chatting to others – even to people you don’t know. You think every new friend is a real treasure to discover. However, remember that sometimes it does each of us good to spend a little time alone for reflection.

3 Somebody watches you while you 5 Some of your friends decide to do

study or play music or sport. How do you react*? a I don’t mind b I ask what they want c I get nervous*

4 When you have your own

apartment... a I will always have friends around to dinner b I will make it very attractive and welcoming* c I will finally be able to relax and listen to all the music that I love

Answered mostly ‘b’: balanced You are very balanced: you enjoy the company of friends in your free time as much as you do spending time alone or with family. When you’re with friends you like to take part in activities together, and you know how to enjoy yourself without being the centre of attention. You like spending time with lots of people rather than just hanging out with your usual group of friends, even if you do have a few true friends whose company your prefer to others.

Answered mostly ‘c’: not very sociable You are definitely not a sociable person and you love solitude*. In your free time, you prefer to be on your own and cultivate your many interests. You are not someone who talks a lot and you don’t like talking to strangers, but you have some special friends with whom you are very comfortable.

In your family you are quite reserved, but everyone who knows you well loves you for this reason too.

something that doesn’t interest you.

What do you do? a I follow and stay with them b If I don’t have anything better to do I go with them c I do something else; it’s not compulsory to always stay with the group

6 You have a high definition TV system

at home. Do you still go to the cinema with friends? a Of course, I love going to the cinema! b Sometimes yes... why not? c With such comfort at home, what would be the point?

adjective use

Glossary

hanging out: socialise with friends I get nervous: to become agitated react: respond, what you do sociable: someone who likes to spend time with others solitude: isolated from others welcoming: comfortable for guests

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Events

Largs Viking Festival, Scotland

In 1263, the Norse King Haakon tried to invade Scotland – however, his longships were repulsed* by the army of Alexander III. Every September, the town of Largs on Scotland’s west coast, celebrates this battle with a Viking Festival!

From 2 to 10 September 2017, Largs – a town around an hour’s drive west of Glasgow – will celebrate its annual Viking heritage* with this great family event. The Battle of Largs of 1263, was the scene of the last Viking invasion in the United

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Kingdom. After he lost the battle, King Haakon returned to Norway, where he became ill and died.

His death led directly to the 1266 Treaty of Perth when the Norse gave up the Western Isles and Isle of Man to Scotland.

estival F g in ik V s g r a L ber 2017

When: 2-10 Septem land Where: Largs, West Scot Village of £5 for Adults g kin Vi e Cost: Entry fee for th and £2.50 for Children Find out more: ingfestival.com Website: www.largsvik al k.com/LargsVikingFestiv Facebook: www.faceboo st Twitter: @LargsVikingFe

Experience an authentic Viking village

The festival gives you a chance to see how the Vikings really lived.

The main attraction is a living history Viking Village, which opens every day from 11am to 5pm.

At the village you can see how Vikings would have lived in the 13th Century: how they made their clothes, weapons, jewellery and food. Find out about their religion, beliefs, homes, crafts, ships, their homeland – and why they left it!

This year, you can even watch actors re-enact* scenes as Viking traders from Germany, Sweden and Ireland.

The Battle of Largs – what happened?

Take a look at the sentences below (A-F), and see if you can put them in order (1-6) to tell the story!

1

2

3

4

5

6

A Then King Haakon opened peace talks with the Scottish King, but these weren’t

successful.

B The next day a Scottish army met them. The Scottish army had 8,000 men but there were only around 800 Viking warriors* onshore.

C With a fleet of over 120 ships and 15,000 men, King Haakon established control of the Hebrides i1lands.

D The two armies fought on the beach – and after a long battle the Vikings boarded their ships and sailed back to Norway. The battle is commemorated* by the Battle of Largs Monument (affectionately known locally as “The Pencil”).

E King Haakon left Norway in summer 1263 – with the plan of taking back the islands that the Scots had recently reconquered.

F In autumn, King Haakon sent the main body of his fleet* to the coast, but there was a storm and his ships were driven ashore* at Largs.

Glossary

Past Simple – regular and irregular forms

ashore: on the coast commemorate: remember fierce: violent fleet: a group of ships heritage: history re-enact: to act out a scene from the past repulsed: repelled warriors: soldiers

Who were the Vikings?

Complete the story about the Vikings, using the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets.

The Vikings 1. ............................................. (to be) fierce* warriors from Scandinavia.

They 2. .............................................(to be) the most powerful in the years 790-1100 AD. The Vikings were great shipbuilders and their longships sailed all around Europe,

and even to the Americas. Some of the voyages were violent raids, where gangs of warriors 3. .............................................(to attack) villages and towns on rivers and coastlines.

They killed anyone who 4. .............................................(to fight) them and 5. .............................................(to carry) off treasure and slaves. Other voyages were peaceful, as they 6. .............................................(to look) for new lands to trade and live in.

The answers are on page 14.

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Games Galore

Find the words related to sport

Find the 20 words connected to sport and discover the real name of one of the most famous boxers of all time. He started boxing by accident as a child, after ending up in a gym while searching for his stolen bicycle. At 12, he was already a young champion and he has always fought against racism.

Insert the missing words from the poem

A Red, Red Rose is a famous love poem by Robert Burns, one of Scotland’s best-loved poets. This poem was written many years ago, so it has a few old-fashioned words, but its meaning is still clear. Complete the poem using the correct words below. Note – choose pairs of words that rh yme!

AWHILE – JUNE – DRY RUN – MILE – TUNE SUN – I

O my Luve is like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in .................................... ; O my Luve is like the melody That’s sweetly played in ....................................

C P I L A T E S R U N

B F O O T B A L L S C

A S F R A C K E T C R

S W I M M I N G S K I

E E E T A P E D A L C

B A I G L D E N R A O M W E I D N A G L K E

L H S N T B O A T L T

L T I I H S T A R T A

R A C E N R U G B Y Y

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am .................................... ; And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang ....................................

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the .................................... ; I will love thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall ....................................

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel .................................... !

And I will come again, my luve, Though it were ten thousand ....................................

The answers are below.

Answers Page 3 Match: a.3, b.1, c.4, d.2.

Pages 4-5 Portree: 1. for, 2. with, 3. of, 4. by; Interesting facts: 1. inhabitants, 2. Gaelic, 3. Mesolithic, 4. industries, 5. wildlife. Pages 7-9 True or false: 1.T; 2.F (it’s the world champion Apollo Creed); 3.T; 4.T; 5.F (the first Rocky won 3 Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing); 6.T; 7.F (it’s Russian); Sport for you: free choice. Pages 12-13 The Battle of Largs – what happened? 1E, 2C, 3A, 4F, 5B 6D; Who were the Vikings? 1. were, 2. were, 3. attacked, 4. fought, 5. carried, 6. looked. Page 14 Find the words related to sport: baseball, football, cricket, race, swimming, squash, tennis, field, pedal, rowing, racket, ski, weights, rugby, marathon, pilates, start, run, boat, medal: Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali); Insert the missing words from the poem: June, tune, I, dry, sun, run, awhile, mile.

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A S U S O S Q U A S H

Liven up your lessons!

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

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The Historical Present (Present Simple for narrating past events or stories)

attends an elite* international school in Mexico City. What Carlos really wants is a career in food and cooking – however his parents already have his future mapped out* for him.

A story about romance, trust, maturity, and ambition – North of Happy makes us think about the meaning of our existence and the importance of going after our dreams.

Food is central to North of Happy.

Each chapter starts with a recipe – and each chapter is a recipe for life. This is a novel for readers who love food, traveling and new beginnings.

The story

Carlos Portillo comes from a life of privilege*. A dual* citizen of Mexico and the United States, he 16

Everything changes after his older brother, Felix, is tragically killed.

Soon afterwards, Carlos begins hearing his brother’s voice, giving him advice, and telling him to rebel against his father’s plans for his future.

Carlos listens to his bother and runs away to the United States, where he manages to get a job with his favourite celebrity* chef. He works hard to pursue* his dream, but when he falls for his boss’s daughter things get complicated. Carlos must decide what he really wants out of life, and where his true path lies.

Glossary

celebrity: famous dual: double elite: top

“The world is a much bigger place than you realize,” he said with a smile. “We’re going to explore it.”

Adi Alsaid

Adi Alsaid is a Mexican-born author of young adult fiction.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Alsaid attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he studied marketing. After graduating he spent time in Monterey, California before returning to Mexico City, where he still lives. He works part time as a basketball coach.

“A taco that makes you hungry for life and that makes you feel like you have never been more alive. Nothing short of that will do.” mapped out: planned privilege: wealth and freedom pursue: follow

Tassa Riscossa / Taxe Perçue

North of Happy

Tot of English N° 4 - 2017 - 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

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