South Pasadena, part II

Source: Speak Up
Language level: Advanced
Speaker: Chuck Rolando
Standard: American Accent

South Pasadena, part II

Hurray for Hollywood!

When you wander through the streets of South Pasadena, in southern California, it’s easy to believe you’re on a film set. So it’s no surprise that the city is a popular movie location: examples include The terminator, Gone with the Wind, Hallowen, American Pie and Legally Blonde. We asked City Manager John Davidson  why South Pasadena was such a favorite with Hollywood producers:

John Davidson

(Standard American accent):

I think it’s popular for a couple of reasons. One, you know, we go back to the homes, the trees, some of the wide streets that you might see. On top of that, it is, from a filming standpoint, it’s rather close to Hollywood. So you can get over to Hollywood pretty quickly from here, to the west side. And it makes economic sense for them, as opposed to…having to travel for days, or extended trips. We’re relatively close to the downtown area, but you don’t feel it.

We’re 10 minutes away, but you’d never know it.

Another striking characteristic of South Pasadena is the relative absence of traffic. As John Davidson explains, residents have managed to defend their community from the horrors of urban development:

John Davidson:

The people in South Pasadena had a vision. And they recognised that we’re…not going to fall, in the way that so many other communities have, to where they were going to allow developers to drive what the community looks like, versus the community will drive what the developers are going to be allowed to do. So I’m going to say it’s been a combination of citizen involvement, good government and selective projects being, you know, processed and the ability to say yes, but also the ability to say no. It’s a community that recognized a long time ago that our schools are important, and we have wonderful schools here, they’re just incredible, but they’re also recognized that, no, it’s not going to happen here in South Pas, where they’re preserving the past and, you know, and they’re also proactive to looking at the future.

The Allure of Fishing

926 The Allure of Fishing

Darren tries to convince David why fishing is such a fun sport.

Source: www.elllo.org

Darren	Dai

Multimedia

Slide Quiz

Paper Version

Print Now

Dai: So, I really don't see it. What's the allure of fishing. I mean, why ... what's the catch as it were?

Darren: Well, I can understand that. It's something that looks as if it's not very interesting but it's that thrill and expectancy of just waiting and you can wait for hours and hours and catch nothing, but once that rod starts moving and you know you've got a fish on, especially for the bass that I fish for, there're very, very powerful fish and they can just take the rod and knock it off the rod stand and you're running off at the beach after your rod, which would mean you got a decent fish and the thrill of that moment is just .... it's hard to explain and the only way that you'll ever understand it is to actually have a go yourself. It's like everything. It doesn't suit everybody, but I think a lot more people would fish if they actually had a go and experienced catching a fish.

Dai: Is it a popular sport back home?

Darren: It's the most popular sport in the U.K. as far as participants are concerned, but it's not very well publicized. It's much more football, rugby, cricket, golf.

Dai: I guess it's not really a spectator sport.

Darren: No. Although they do actually show some of the fishing events now because of the prize money being so much. It's probably about 25,000 pound for first prize, so it's quite a serious business now and they do actually show that on the television.

Dai: Yeah, I mean, really, I mean, I'm sure a lot of people would find it - almost equate it to hunting in a way. I mean, how do you feel about that?

Darren: I can understand that view, but I think they need to look at the way fisherman act. As I have said, I only keep fish that I would eat. People who fish the rivers would always put their fish back cause they don't eat the course fish, and that's the way I would see it. It's going back hundreds of years to when people used to hunt.

Dai: And that doesn't hurt the fish .... putting it back?

Darren: As long as you do it quickly, there's never any harm. You can see the fish swimming away and there's no harm done.

Dai: So, you said that it's the most popular sport in Britain. Is that as new thing or has it always been that way? Do you think it will carry on being popular in the future? Cause it doesn't have a really .. kind of ... sexy image, does it, fishing?

Darren: No, it doesn't, but there is a major campaign to get youngsters into fishing. It is a very laid back sport. You know, it's not a violent sport by any means, and I think the future is good for fishing, more so though in the rivers, the sea fishing. Unfortunately, the sea stocks are dwindling quite drastically with the trawlers and there's a lot of concern that the fish numbers in the sea are going down so I think sea fishing may become something that's done by fewer people and a lot more people would move in and do river fishing because the stocks there are a lot greater.

Dai: You've almost sold me. So, OK, next time I'll come down to Pembrokeshire and you can take me fishing. What should I bring with me?

Darren: Well, I'd have enough kit for you to keep you going, but it's one of those things. Have a go at it. See what you like. See if you like it, sorry. If you don't, you don't. You just walk away and find something else, but I think, the majority of people who try it, would get hooked.

Dai: Nice.

Family Album, 45

Source: Family Album

Do not forget, the best way to improve your English is practising as much as possible, and no worry about mistakes, keep studying hard. 

Riders, Off-Road trails, Adrenaline and much more. check out

Click  Aqui (here) and have a look at beautiful pictures Last Sunday a group of riders did an expedition towards to the Rural Zone, passing by mountains, dams, rivers, waterfalls. Young people, elder people, involved in an adrenaline atmosphere, beautiful scenario, canyons rock forming. Always respecting the environment. It worths it doing that. Check out http://carnaubaemfoco.blogspot.com/2011/02/trilha-deste-domingo-de-final-de.html 

South Pasadina, part I

Source: Speak Up

South Pasadena is just 10 miles from the hyperactivity of Downtown Los Angeles, but, with its quiet streets, tall trees and friendly atmosphere, it seems like a different world.

South Pasadena, a city on the east side of Los Angeles, is home to a haunted theatre, a vintage pharmacy and the first ostrich farm in the United States. Farmers from the area gather at the Farmer’ Market every Thursday to sell their produce while local artists provide free entertainment. Residents and visitors stroll through the tree-lined streets at all times of the day admiring the characteristic homes and historical buildings. Shoppers visit the many boutiques, art houses and antique stores. And nature lovers go to the local parks forests and gardens to cycle, hike or just lie on the grass on a warm sunny afternoon.

TRAFFIC-FREE

But that isn’t all. Another thing that makes South Pasadena so remarkable is that it is relatively free of traffic. This is thanks to the community’s refusal to allow city planners to build a freeway through their community. Now planners are considering building a freeway under the city instead.

John Davidson is the City Manager of South Pasadena and he has lived in the area all his life. As he explains in the interview, the residents of “South Pas” are very proud of their city, while tourist visiting it.

Kate Mosss

Source: Speak Up
Language level: Advanced
Speaker: Justin Redcliffe
Standard:British accent





What do a best-selling author and a world-famous supermodel have in common? They both share the same name. Well, almost. The writer Kate Mosse is known for writing hefty historical thrillers which are read by millions: Labyrinth, set in Carcassonne, in Southwest France, took readers on a quest for the Holy Grail.

It enjoyed huge commercial success and comparisons were made with Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. It has been translated into 37 languages.

Some have criticized Sepulcher, Mosse’s latest novel, for being too close to Labyrinth –it’s also epic in length, with the same French location and a similar narrative style – but the book’s selling well. There’s even talk of making movies of both novels. When Kate Mosses met with Speak Up, we asked her whether having such a glamorous namesake ever presented a ´problem:

TAXI!

Kate Mosse

(Standard: English accent):

It’s completely fine. It’s a funny thing because obviously there are very few similarities between a novelist and a supermodel, but it’s actually people remember your name. she’s a very accomplished and rather beautiful young woman; it’s not as if I share a name with someone who is a maniac or evil, or terrible, so I mean I think I can imagine if you had a difficult name, it would be slightly different, but it means people do remember it and it gives quite a lot of opportunity for jokes, really, you know, cab drivers arrive and their poor faces fall because you know. I’m older, shorter, you know, more tired, no doubt than she is, but actually it’s just fine.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Labyrinth wasn’t Kate Mosse’s first published book, but it was the first one to achieve bestseller book, but it was the first one to achieve bestseller status. We asked her whether this (had) made writing Sepulchre easier or harder:

Kate Mosse:

The challenges were different. With Labyrinth, I was writing entirely for myself. There was no expectation and it felt like the only thing that mattered was the text ant the story and was I getting it right. With Sepulchre, because I had been so extraordinary lucky with Labyrinth, and I knew I had millions of readers, I did feel this awful sense of fear about letting fans down. Before Labyrinth I didn’t have any fans: I mean, people had read my books, but in a very modest way! So, with Sepulchre, to start with, I had the sense that I was looking beyond the book, to the readers. And that’s no way to write a book, but once I’d got rid of that feeling, and I just…concentrating simply on writing the book again, you know, putting one foot in front of the other, finishing this chapter, then the experience became very similar to writing Labyrinth, actually. So, it’s not as simple as “Is one harder than the other?” they both have challenges and writing a book that you care about will always have a challenge…I now understand that it won’t ever get any easier. It will always be hard work, which is, of course, right because you don’t get anything back, if you haven’t put stuff in really!

  

Pro-jovem part 33, Inglês vip

Source: For more information visit http://www.ingvip.com/curso-conversacao/aula33.htm
Radio's employee: Hello, good afternoon. How can I help you?
Pedro: Ah, you must be(1) her boss' sister(2)
Radio's employee: Oh, you must work with her. Ah, she told me you were coming. I used to work in that office too
Julia: This is so exciting(3)! When I was a little girl, I used to make radio programs with my friends. Now, I can't wait to see a real radio station.
Radio's employee: Hey, these are the people we met(4) on the internet yesterday
Radio's announcer: Oh good, you showed up!(5) I thought you would not come.
Julia: We would not miss(6) this opportunity
Radio's announcer: Good afternoon everybody. This is Open Air FM. Your favorite radio station. We are here today with two special guests(7): Pedro and Julia. They used to be my virtual friends and now they are here, in front of me, in flash and blood(8)! How are you today guys?
Pedro and Julia: We are fine!
Radio's announcer: Are you nervous? I feel a little tension in our Open Air studio
Pedro: Well, this is Pedro speaking. It's the first time(9) we come to a real radio station.
Radio's announcer: OK, let me give you a tip(10). First, you don't have to spit (11)on the microphone, OK?
Pedro: Oops. Sorry!
Radio's announcer: It's fine, just kidding(12)! Tell me guys, what kind of things do you usually(13) do?
Pedro: We work, and hang out(14) with our friends.
Radio's announcer:  Which one do you like the best(15)?
Julia: Both of them(16). I love my friends and my job, because I know I can't move forward(17) without them
Pedro: Me too.
Radio's announcer: Was your youth(18) very different from your childhood(19)?
Julia: Oh, very different. When I was a kid(20), I didn't have many responsibilities(21). I used to go to school, eat, study and sleep(22). Now I have to work, but I'm not complaining(23). You gain(24) responsibilities and start to walkwith your own legs(25).
Radio's announcer: Oh, well. You heard(26) what she said(27). Let's hear another(28) song. You can only listen to it here, in the Open Air radio station.
Radio's employee: So guys, thanks for coming. But before you go, I made a little surprise. I prepared a snack for us.
Julia: Hum, that's very kind of you!(29)
Pedro: Yes, and I'm very hungry.
Radio's announcer: And I brought(30) these books for you, Julia. Some of them(31) talk about journalism, and the others are classics of Brazilian Literature.
Julia: How nice! I can read it in my spare time(32)
Pedro: We read that one last year. It's a great book!
Julia: I brought something for you too. This is an article(33) I wrote(34) for my last office's newspaper
 

---

Pedro: I ate too much!(35) And I drank(36) a lot of soft drinkl. My stomach hurts.
Julia: I knew you would be sick. You could not stop eating!(37)
 

---

                                      Vocabulary
 1. You must be  = Você deve ser
 2. Her boss' sister = A irmã da chefe dela
 3. Exciting = Emocionante
 4. Met = conhecemos (passado)
 5. You showed up! = Vocês apareceram!
 6. Miss = perder
 7. Guests = convidados
 8. In flash and blood  = "em carne e osso"
 9. The first time = A primeira vez
 10. Tip = dica
 11. Spit = cuspir
 12. Kidding = brincando
 13. Usually = normalmente
 14. Hang out = sair
 15. Like the best  = gosta mais
 16. Both of them = Ambos
 17. Move forward = seguir em frente
 18.Youth = juventude
 19. Childhood = Infância
 20. Kid = criança
 21. Responsibilities = responsabilidades
  22. Sleep = dormir
  23. Complaining = reclamando
  24. Gain = ganhar, adquirir
  25.With your own legs = Com suas próprias pernas
  26. Heard = ouviu
  27. Siae = disse
  28. Another = Uma outra
  29. That's very kind of you! = É muita gentileza sua!
  30. Brougtht = trouxe
  31. Some of them = alguns deles
  32. Spare time = tempo livre
  33. Article = artigo
   34. Wrote = escrevi
   35. I ate too much! = Eu comi demais!
   36. Drank = bebi
   37. You could not stop eating! = Você não conseguia parar de comer!