Pope Francis: a revolution of simplicity

Aos professores e alunos, recomendo a revista Maganews

The world was surprised by the choice of the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit to become pope, and the first to adopt the name Francis. In his days as pontiff he captivated the world with his simplicity and surprising atitudes

On the evening of March 13 the world was introduced to a new pope: the smiling and charismatic Argentinean Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. The next day, Bergoglio went to the hotel he stayed at during the conclave, and paid the bill [1]. He did not want to wear [2] the traditional gold ring [3] that other popes wore. Nor did he want to wear the beautiful red shoes [4] made for the Pontiff, and he kept on wearing his old black shoes. On March 22 he celebrated a Mass for the Vatican's gardeners [5] and janitors [6]. Days after being chosen to be the new pope, he called a newsstand [7] in Buenos Aires to tell the owner that he wanted to cancel his subscription [8] to the newspaper La Nacion, as he was now living in Rome. This snippet [9] was revealed by his sister, Maria Elena. The new pope also telephoned priest friends in Buenos Aires. 

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Making his own meals

Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires. While still a Cardinal, he lived in a small apartment in the Argentinean capital, and used to make his own meals. He used to take the bus and subway, and visit the slums [10] in the city. Pope Francis likes tango and soccer (he is a fan of San Lorenzo). In 2001 he visited a hospital and washed and kissed the feet of 12 patients with AIDS.  When he was young, he had a serious illness and lost part of one lung [11]. Time went by and Jorge Bergoglio seems to be in good health, aged 76.  

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Matéria publicada na edição de número 72 da revista Maganews.

Foto – Roberto Stuckert / ABr

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Vocabulary

1 to pay the bill – pagar a conta

2 to wear – usar

3 ring – anel

4 shoes – sapato (s)

5 gardener – jardineiro

6 janitor – faxineiro

7 newsstand – banca de jornais

8 subscription - assinatura

9 snippet – refeição

10 slum – favela

11 lung - pulmão

Créditos: MAGANEWS

The world celebrates Nelson Mandela

This is an awesome Magazine, that's why I recommend it for Students and Teachers should access and take a subscription, it's genuinely a Brazilian magazine, check out on http://www.maganews.com.br .

Source: MAGANEWS

Mandela with Bafana Bafana

 

People

The world celebrates Nelson Mandela

He struggled against oppression of the blacks in South Africa, was imprisoned for almost three decades, and beat apartheid.  Mandela became not just the biggest hero in his country, but a revered [1] celebrity the world over

In 2008 Bono, Amy Winehouse and other major international singing stars played a show in Londonin honor of the man who changed the history of South Africa:  Nelson Mandela.  That year he turned 90. In 2009 it was the USA’s turn to organize a big event (with heavyweight stars) to honor one of the most important peace campaigners of the twentieth century. Mandela’s life has inspired two films produced recently: Goodbye Bafana (2007) and Invictus (2009), which starred the award-winning[2] actor, Morgan Freeman. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in a small South African village on July 18^th 1918. He studied law [3], worked as a lawyer and has been married since 1998 to Grace Machel, his third wife.

  

A tough battle

In 1948 the South African government officially established the racial segregation regime known as “apartheid” in the country. The blacks could not use the same public transport as the whites, or live in the same neighborhoods, or vote, or have the same job opportunities as the whites. It was in that decade that Mandela began his long struggle against apartheid. This cost him his freedom. He wasarrested [4] in 1962 and only set free [5] in 1990. During his years in prison Mandela became the leading symbol of the struggle against racial segregation. Apartheid began to lose its grip [6] in 1990 and was officially ended in 1994, when Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa. A year before he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Matéria publicada na edição de número 55 da revista Maganews.

Áudio – Thiago Ribeiro

Photo (by Nelson Mandela Foundation)

Mandela with Bafana Bafana

Vocabulary

1 to revere – reverenciar / honrar

2 award-winning – premiado (a)

3 law – direito

4 to arrest – prender

5 to set free - libertar

6 to lose its grip – perder a sua força

The world’s biggest Saint John!

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Popular culture – Festa Junina - Part 1

The world’s biggest Saint John!

Brazilians love a good Festa Junina, but in the Northeast they are even crazier about it...

Caruaru is a small city of about 300,000 people, in Pernambuco State.

Campina Grande has a population of 385,000 people and is in Paraíba State. During the month of June these two cities go through a great transformation. The government and the residents organize themselves to make Festa Junina into a massive tourist attraction. In 2009 each city was visited by about 2 million tourists, as well as journalists from all over Brazil who went to cover the events. In the Northeast it is common for a Festa Junina to be called “Saint John”.  Campina Grande says it organizes “the world’s biggest Saint John.” But Caruaru says the same thing.  Each city holds dozens of events in a period of at least 30 days, including shows played by leading names in Brazilian popular music. Throughout this period, the parties [1] drive the local economy, creating hundreds of jobs and business opportunities. The hotels are packed full [2] and local traders [3] sell more wares [4].

The Northeastern way to party

The passion of the Northeasterners for Festa Junina goes beyond Caruaru and Campina Grande to most cities in the region. While in the South and the Southeast the bonfires are lit [5] only within the[6] arraiais, in the Northeast it is common for every house to have its own bonfire, after 7:00PM. Another typical tradition in the Northeast Festa Junina is the formation of several different party groups, formed by the residents of cities to help organize the parties. These party-goers [7] walk the streets of the city, going from house to house. They are welcomed and given food and drink. The musical style in a Northeastern Festa Junina is predominantly forró.

Matéria publicada na edição de Junho / Julho da Revista Maganews (número 55).

Áudio:  Haley Alcântara

Foto – www.saojoaodecampina.pb.gov.br

Vocabulary

1 parties – festas / festejos

2 packed full – lotado

3 trader – comerciante

4 wares – mercadorias

5 to be lit – ser acesa (o)

6 within the – dentro dos

7 party-goers – aqui = “festeiros”

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Popular culture – Part 2

The world’s biggest Saint John!

Brazilians love a good Festa Junina, but in the Northeast they are even crazier about it...

Caruaru is a small city of about 300,000 people, in Pernambuco State. Campina Grande has a population of 385,000 people and is in Paraíba State. During the month of June these two cities go through a great transformation. The government and the residents organize themselves to make Festa Junina into a massive tourist attraction. In 2009 each city was visited by about 2 million tourists, as well as journalists from all over Brazil who went to cover the events. In the Northeast it is common for a Festa Junina to be called “Saint John”.  Campina Grande says it organizes “the world’s biggest Saint John.” But Caruaru says the same thing.  Each city holds dozens of events in a period of at least 30 days, including shows played by leading names in Brazilian popular music. Throughout this period, the parties drive the local economy, creating hundreds of jobs and business opportunities. The hotels are packed full and local traders sell more wares.

The Northeastern way to party

The passion of the Northeasterners for Festa Junina goes beyond Caruaru and Campina Grande to most cities in the region. While in the South and the Southeast the bonfires are lit only within thearraiais, in the Northeast it is common for every house to have its own bonfire, after 7:00PM. Another typical tradition in the Northeast Festa Junina is the formation of several different party groups, formed by the residents of cities to help organize the parties. These party-goers walk the streets of the city, going from house to house. They are welcomed and given food and drink. The musical style in a Northeastern Festa Junina is predominantly forró.

Vocabulary

1 parties – festas / festejos

2 packed full – lotado

3 trader – comerciante

4 wares – mercadorias

5 to be lit – ser acesa (o)

6 within the – dentro dos

7 party-goers – aqui = “festeiros" 

Just As Beautiful

Source: Speak Up

Speaker: Justin Ratcliffe (British standard accent)

JUST AS BEAUTIFUL

Do you think today’s super models are too thin? Is it time the world’s fashion houses put “real” women on their catwalks? New glossy magazine Just As Beautiful certainly thinks so. The launch of the bimonthly magazine has caused incredible controversy in Britain.

PLUS-SIZE

Just As Beautiful is the first magazine for plus-size women. What’s a plus-size woman? The magazine’s publisher Ronie Ajoku explains: “She’s curvy. She wears a dress size between 14 and 20 (46-52). And she’s just as beautiful. “The magazine was launched in October, but has existed online for three years. It had an online readership of 30.000. Ajoku decided to launch the print magazine after hundreds of requests from the readers.

THE MESSAGE

What makes the magazine special? It never uses traditional super thin models. Photographs of models are never modified Editor Sue Thomason says. “Women are constantly exposed to one message: ‘thin is beautiful’. We have different message. You don’t need to change your appearance to be happy.” Just As Beautiful model Rachel Morales adds. “The curvy revolution is here. This magazine promotes self-acceptance, not starvation and emaciation!

DIVISION

The launch of the magazine was very controversial. Health experts claimed the magazine promoted obesity. Others suggested it created a division: thin versus fat. People also suggested the magazine’s title Just As Beautiful was patronising.

DIET-FREE

How does editor Thomason react? She says the magazine isn’t creating a divide. It has articles on all types of women. The magazine doesn’t claim thin women are ugly. It simply says that many fat women are beautiful too. The magazine offers articles on fashion, cooking and lifestyle. It aims to be like any other mainstream magazine. It does not however, give diet tips. Thomason argues that dieting is often the cause of obesity. It is the catalyst for many eating disorders.

ONLINE

Are you interested? Visit the magazine’s website and you can download the most recent issue, and all the previous months as well. Simply register with the site. It’s free. Finally, Thomason says, “We hope other magazines will follow our example and end the era of the super-thin model.”