Wrinkles

                                             Wrinkles

Source: Speak Up

Standard: British and American accents

Language Level: Basic

FRESH AIR

Do you have any wrinkles? Are you getting old? Well, scientists think that the cause of ageing is the very element crucial to our survival: oxygen. We breathe oxygen into our lungs, where it passes into our blood and then converts fats and proteins into energy. Yet not all the oxygen is absorbed in this process: the remaining oxygen is converted into “free radicals” which attack molecules in our bodies and destroy them. This causes damage to skin cells and produces wrinkles; it can also result in damage to brain cells and conditions such as Alzheimer’s Diseases. What’s the solution? Scientists have discovered a hormone called Klotho which neutralizes free radicals, but it will be a few years before anti-ageing treatments are available.

LET’S FLY TO MARS!

Scientists once thought that flying machines were impossible, but “crazy inventors” made the first aeroplanes and proved them wrong. Today, many scientists think that anti-gravity machines are also “crazy.” And yet, on Match 23^rd, the European Space Agency did the impossible: it successfully operated an anti-gravity machine. The machine was powered by a rotating superconductor and produced its own magnetic field. The anti-gravity machines could have many uses, from hover cars that run on solar energy to spaceships capable of flying to Mars!

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

American scientists believe that the bumblebee risks extinction and this could be disastrous for both the US and world economies. Entomologists John Losey explains: “Insects provide valuable services: bumblebees, for example, play an important role in pollinating plants.” Losey reckons that this free service generates $57 billion for American Farmers. Insects are also crucial to the fish industry: without insects as a food source for freshwater fish, such as trout, the $28 billion US fish industry would collapse. So next time you are tempted to crush an insect, think again: it’s a valuable asset in our world.

Family Album, part IX

Source: Family Album

Young man in love created Panetone

Young man in love created Panetone

Source: www.maganews.com.br

Panetone is a sweet bread of Italian origin that was created between the years 1300 and 1400 by a young Italian man in love with a baker’s daughter. The girl’s father, however, was against the relationship. In spite of this obstacle, the young man did not give up and decided to disguise himself as a baker’s assistant to work in his loved one’s father’s bakery and in this way stay close to her. And it was there that he created a delicious sweet bread.

Word of the bread spread around the city and the bakery started to get more and more clients. Despite being created by the young man, everyone thought the bread was Toni’s work, the owner of the bakery. The bread then became known as Pane Di Toni  – and in time became “panetone”.   As for the young man, he finally got permission to marry the baker’s daughter.

Maganews Melhores Momentos – Texto extraído da edição de número 14 da revista Maganews

Picture- Calberto

 Vocabulary

1 bread – pão

2 against – contra

3 to give up – desistir

4 to disguise – disfarçar

5 word of the bread – (sentido figurado) - a fama do pão

6 to spread – espalhar

7 owner – dono

Family Album part VIII

Source: Family Album, part VIII

Hellen Mirren, the Queen and I

Language Level: Intermediate

Source: Speak Up

Standard: British Accent

The Queen and I

This year Dame Helen Mirren deservedly won the Academy Award – or “Oscar – for “Best Actress.” This was for the title role in Stephen Frears’ movies, The Queen, which chronicles the events following the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The film does not analyse Diana’s death in itself, but studies the Royal Family’s reaction to it. It shows how – under pressure from new prime minister, Tony Blair – the Queen and the other “Royals” are forced to abandon their traditional British reserve and show emotion in public. When Helen Mirren met with the press she was asked about the films’ success in Britain:

SHIZOPHRENIA

Helen Mirren

Standard: British Accent

It’s wonderful, it’s absolutely great. I mean, one knew that this was a hot potato and one knew that it would be looked at with the greatest of scrutiny in Great Britain because the British people have such a… a schizophrenic relationship with their Royal Family, of utter sort of love and respect, bordering on obsession, and then sort of hatred and resentment, so it’s a very, very schizophrenic relationship, so one knew that it would be scrutinized and it was dangerous because, if the tone was wrong, if it was a cheap shot, it would have been enjoyed as a cheap shot, ‘cause the British love, more than anything, to take cheap shots at  the Royal Family, but, I think, to see it embraced the way it has been is very, very gratifying. It was an honest piece of work, I think we all tried very hard to be truthful and honest, and  as much integrity as possible, without being sycophantic, and without being unfairly attacking, to try and find the middle road, in a world that, really, we know nothing about. We’re all taking a guess, it’s an educated guess, but it is a guess.

THOSE HATS!

Helen Mirren’s physical resemblance to the Queen is striking, as is the film’s portrayal of her dress sense:

Helen Mirren:

The wardrobe was very important here, but I think, more than the wardrobe, it was to let go of any sense of vanity because the Queen, who was one of the most beautiful young women, you know, absolutely beautiful – a young Elisabeth Taylor, I mean, gorgeous, I don’t think ever had any personal vanity, and she’s never dyed her hair, she’s never changed her hairdo, she likes that are comfortable, appropriate. If she’s got to wear a hat, you know, a dress, and she’s got to be seen, she’ll wear a bright turquoise hat and dress, to be seen not whether if flatters her on not, she doesn’t care about that. For a woman – and I think she’s a very womanly woman –she absolutely doesn’t care about clothes at all, and it’s really interesting, or… and is completely “unvain,” and for someone who’s photographed all the time and filmed all the time, to have someone who so doesn’t care about the image, but in a way, I think that puts her into this other world, the world of the monarchy, where you’re not a fashion model, you’re not a celebrity. One tries to explain to explain to people how a monarch is not a celebrity: you’re way beyond the concept of celebrity.

“I’M TERRIBLY LAZY”

In conclusion, Mirren, who will turn 62 this year, was asked about the work and commitment that had gone into preparing for the part:

Helen Mirren:

I don’t think I am very committed, I have to say! I’m terribly lazy. I’m not very good at research and I’m not very committed, actually, but what I am is old! And sort of experienced and one of the advantages of having worked in a lot of different movies and theatre and everything is…is that you start to learn how not to work too hard, in a way, and I’m so glad I did, but I really underplayed the Queen, I really underplayed it, when I look at it, it’s very, very underplayed. I just let it happen, and I think that’s what gives it its authenticity, it’s what…makes it real, if I was working it…I mean, I got…I worked it in the sense I tried to get all the elements right, the walk right, the talk right, the physically right, I had to get all of those accurate and right, but then I just underplayed it and I think, you know, in a way, there’s…there’s value in that.

Self-taught

It seems to be difficult to write something like this, however it's quite possible learning English without take classes, how is it possible? As you know Studying English in a private course costs a lot of money, and most people, some of them in low-income have no money to attend private schools.

There are some important tips to study by yourself or in group.

.Establish target, I mean organise the material and getting started right now, example within 1 year you want to be fluent, dedicating 1 hour a day, individually or in group.

.Listen to movies,  without English subtitles, next with English subtitles, listen to music, documentaries and broadcast radios and podcasts.

Listen to different accents, 'cause you have to keep in touch with different nationalities, example study both American and British standard accents, however you have to choose one standard, but you need to adapt both. 

Study English using websites and blogs with contents in English, there are a lot of them available on the net, mostly are free access. 

Do not think in your mother tongue, it is one of the main problem, but as much as you practice you are going to think in English and still during the night dreaming in English.

Speak without fear to make mistakes, practice makes perfect, studying hard in order to get your achievements, never give up.

Corrections are important, if you make mistakes, no worry if someone corrects you, by the way...you are not native speaker. 

However, I recognise that if you have money you can do interchange and take classes abroad or attending private schools in Brazil, otherwise be a self-taught! Self-taught? You are never alone, on the net, using skype or using Facebook, Orkut, Twitter you are keeping in touch with the language, good luck, and go ahead.

Have you ever seen the rain?

Source: www.englishexercises.org

Author: Teacher Judith Jékel

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"

Task 1: Reading

What questions do the following paragraphs answer? Choose from the list. There are two extra questions.

 

 

1. How many albums did they make?
2. Who played in the band?
3. When did they break up?
4. What does CCR stand for?
5. How famous were they?
6. Where did the band's name come from?

1 

It stands for Creedence Clearwater Revival, which was one of the all-time greatest American rock and roll bands. During their shortheyday in the years 1968-1972, they cut a bunch of three-minute hit singles which have easily stood the test of time and become true classics. The group combined elements of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, blues, country, gospel and various bayou styles - despite the fact that they emerged in El Cerrito, a suburb in San Francisco Bay Area, and had never even seen the Mississippi bayou.

2 
Their line-up was John Fogerty (vocals, guitar), his brother Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitar), Stu Cook (bass), and Doug Clifford (drums)

3 

Creedence came from the name of a friend of Tom's, Credence Nuball. The first name, with its connotations of believability and integrity, appealed to the group. Clearwateralso had two meanings. It came initially from a beer commercial, but also resonated with the burgeoning environmental movement of the time. Revival, however, had one meaning. It was the band's aspiration.

4 

When the Beatles announced their break up in the winter of 1970, CCR became the most successful band and the biggest singles act in the world, despite never landing a #1 single. Always very private, the group never became stars personally to befit their status on the pop charts.

 

Task 2: Vocabulary

Which underlined words do the following definitions refer to?

1.      a feeling or idea suggested by a particular word                               

2.      an area of slowly moving water away from the main river              

3.      something that you hope to achieve                                                    

4.      developing or growing quickly                                                                

5.      appear by coming out                                                                               

6.      be suitable or right for                                                                              

7.      the most successful or popular period of someone or something   

                                              

Watch the video of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by CCR and do the following exercises:

 

 

                                                              

            

Fill in the missing words.

 

Someone told me   ago there’s a calm before the  ,
I know; its been coming for some  .
When it’s over, so they say, it’ll   a    day,
I know; shining down like  .

 

Chorus:
I want to know, have you ever seen the  ?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
Coming   on a sunny  ?

 

Tick the extra words in the next verse. There are two in each line.

Yesterday, and some days before, sun is cold and the rain is hard,
I know; had been that way for all of my time.
Till forever, and on it goes through the circle, too fast and slow,
I know it; it can’t be stop, I wonder.