TO THE HEART ATTACK GRILL, check out your cholesterol first.

Source of the picture: http://mattyfresh697400.wordpress.com

Source: www.speakup.com.br

Language level: Pre-intermediate

Speaker:Chuck Rolando.

Nutrition experts tell us constantly what to you eat. Magazines sponsor diets and tell us we are too fat. It’s time to rebel! It’s time to visit the Heart Attack Grill, where the owner “Doctor” Jon Basso and his “nurses” serve the most dangerous food on the planet. The restaurant motto is “Taste worth dying for!”

CARDIAC ARREST

The Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona offers a simple menu: single, double, triple and quadruple Bypass Burgers and Flatliner Fries. Do you have a problem with high cholesterol? This is not the right restaurant for you: the burgers and fries are cooked in pure lard.

TREATMENT

Customers are called “patients.” The waitresses are “nurses” dressed in sexy uniforms. “Dr. Jon” checks patients’ hearts with his stethoscope before prescribing treatment. A nurse writes out the patient’s order on a tag and puts it on the patient’s wrist. If you weigh over 160 kilos, you eat free of charge. And if you finish a quadruple Bypass Burger, a nurse will transport you out to your car in a wheelchair. Finally, if the burgers don’t give the (male) patients high blood pressure, the beautiful nurses will.

MARKETING MAN

How did a small Arizona fast food restaurant become famous around the world? Its owner, “Dr.” Jon Basso, is a marketing genius. He hasn’t spent a dollar on publicity. Controversy gets the restaurant in newspapers and on the world’s television channels. First, it was the menu with its 8.000 –calorie burgers and chips – both cooked in that demonic substance known as unsaturated fat (or simply lard). He also sells unfiltered Lucky Strike cigarettes and full-sugar Coke. Second, the Arizona Board of Nursing sued the restaurant for damaging the image of the nursing profession. The restaurant survived and prospered from the media attention.

ON A DIET

Incredibly, John Basso is a qualified nutritionist! In the past he owned seven weight-loss centres in Oklahoma. He realised people wanted to cheat on their diets. So he created the perfect restaurant for them. “People don’t want salad, “he says. “They want to have fun!” But Dr. Jon warns his patients. “Don’t come here every day of the week. It will kill you!

FUTURE PLANS

Jon Basso is an ambitious man. He is opening a second Heart Attack Grill in Phoenix, Arizona. He has plans to open restaurants in major cities around the world, including Amsterdam, New Orleans, Hollywood, Honolulu and Rio de Janeiro. He also wants to create a reality TV show based on the restaurant. Visit the restaurant’s entertaining website www.heartattackgrill.com  for more information.

BYPASS AND FLATLINER

Bypass comes from the open heart surgery for patients with blocked arteries. This is exactly the type of health problem the restaurant’s burgers can cause Flatliner, o the other hand refers to the monitor that registers a patient’s heartbeat. When the patient dies, the monitor shows a flat line.  Incidentally, chips are usually called French Fries in America. So, at the Heart Attack Grill, chips are called Flatliner Fries.

Monica’s Gang

Monica and her gang is a character created by Mauricio de Souza, check it out, please. 

Source: www.maganews.com

Toon History

Monica’s Gang:  it all started 50 years ago....

In July 1959 Maurício de Sousa published his first cartoon in a São PauloState newspaper.  The first character he created was a cute little dog called Blu (Bidu)

Brazil at the end of the 1950 was going through a boom.  Brasília, the future capital of the country, was being built. In 1959 an 18-year-old called Roberto Carlos was setting out as a singer and Bossa Nova was just beginning.  Meanwhile, in São Paulo city, a young man called Maurício de Sousa was working as a crime reporter for Folha da Manhã (now Folha de São Paulo).  Maurício was a journalist but his passion was making up stories in cartoon strips. On July 18^th 1959 the young reporter had his first cartoon strip published in the newspaper he worked at.  It was a simple story, with only two characters: the dog, Blu (Bidu) and his owner Franklin (Franjinha). Soon afterwards Maurício left his career as a journalist to become a full-time cartoonist.

The first comic was published in 1970

The first characters created by Maurício de Sousa were boys. After Blu and Franklin came Jimmy Five (Cebolinha), Pitheco (Piteco), Smudge (Cascão) and Chuck Billy (Chico Bento).  In the years that followed, Maurício was inspired by his young daughters, Mônica and Magali, to create them as his first girl characters. In the 1960s Maurício’s stories were published in newspapers. The first comic with Monica’s Gang was published in 1970 (see picture). Later the cartoon characters appeared in films, on TV and in educational projects. Global soccer stars also inspired Maurício to create two characters: Pelezinho (1976) and Ronaldinho Gaúcho (2005).

Áudio – Aasita Muralikrishna

Na edição impressa da revista Maganews você poderá conferir mais sobre a trajetória de Maurício de Sousa e ainda, o sucesso da Turma da Mônica Jovem e a homenagem que o quadrinista paulista está preparando para Michael Jackson

Imagens – Litera / Maurício de Sousa Produções

Vocabulary

1 gang – turma

2 cute – simpático

3 boom – fase favorável

4 to set out – iniciar

5 meanwhile – enquanto isso

6 cartoon strips – tiras em quadrinhos

7 soon afterwards – pouco tempo depois

8 full-time – tempo integral

9 comics - gibis

10 toon-history – história em quadrinhos (toon = forma abreviada de “cartoon”)

Useful Tips, shout out, promote it, please

Another single tip for beginners take a piece of paper write down names (nouns) and fix them, this one is going to help to memorise and building up and improve your vocabulary, for example, clothes vocabularies, etc. Listen to Broadcast radio and choose an accent standard, British or American, but try to be yourself, I mean, do not imitate a Native-Speaker. Improve your accent takes some time and dedication, however you should listen both accent American and English because you have to keep in touch with both accent. No worry about your mistakes and if someone corrects you, don't get bored, they are common and help to improve your English. Listen to lyric songs, by the way they can teach much. Establish targets, and getting started to practise English, a group of friends could be useful, schedule and remember that, your dedication, will power could provide your improvement. Skype programme is the best software to practise English, download it and searching for friends, by the way, let me recommend a great site where you can find out people worldwide with different levels and all ages http://www.speaking24.com . In conclusion, there are a lot of useful resources that provides a self-studying such as blogs and websites. It's up to you. Also you can find out excellent online tutor (English techers), just keep in touch with me and I recommend ones to you. Have a wonderful day, or night, many thanks for your help in advance, please telling for friends, promoting my blog. Special thanks for Asian readers, Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia,   South America Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Uruguay, North and Center America Canada, United States, Mexico, and the list goes on and increases day after day. 

GREAT AWARDS FOR GREAT FRIENDS

Thanks for that Jim for indicating me, God bless you, friend. For your kindness encourage me to struggle and continue the volunteer job this year. Promote and pass it on, English tips is a friend of children, young people and those who need an English tips or a friend forever. For more info visit Holes in my Sole of http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/2011/04/g-is-for-great-awards-for-great-friends.html

On to the next round- the Stylish Blogger Awards.

 1. http://jpweddingphotograpy.blogspot.com/ First up is my good friend Jim Brandano. You'll love the variety of pics on his site, the range of subjects- wildlife, architecture and wedding shots. Crisp, clear shining photoghaphy at its best.

2. http://scattermusings.blogspot.com/ Debbie has a wonderful site, interesting and going places. I'm liking the nature of her posts for the A- Z Challenge. Strikes me as she thinks she's a wee bit scattered or should I better phrase that by saying all embracing, but in fact she's got it all together and just having fun blogging without it being too serious. And that's the way it should be, after all.

3. http://findingonesway.com/ Jessica's got one of the most stylish blogs around, not just in its design and look, but in how she's taking on some difficult issues in life. She needs support from us all to spread her message to make our families lives all the safer and richer.

4. http://kriti-howaboutthis.blogspot.com/ Kriti just shines, sings, buzzes with life. Heartfelt, and with great warmth about life and her father's diary entries.

5.http://astorybookworld.blogspot.com/ Deirdra with her enthralling fantasy site, dragons, heroes, princesses...stories published, all there to be explored. 

6. http://englishtips-self-taught.blogspot.com/ Pedro Carlos is blogging on a wide range of topics- music, books, history, life issues. Very creatively presented. 

7.http://almostthere.biz/ Hard working, sensitive, thoughtful, and jazzing that Blogplicity group along. 



Hope you all enjoyed yourselves tonight. The entertainment has been awesome, the crowd has been massive, the food and wine excellent, and I've just hit my head on the shelf and got a whacking headache!

Elvis Presley, 1935-1977: He Was the King of Rock and Roll

Source of the picure www.mundosonoro00.wordpress.com

Source: Voice of America Special English

www.manythings.org/voa/people 

Elvis Presley, 1935-1977: He Was the King of Rock and Roll

Download MP3   (Right-click or option-click the link.)

Welcome to PEOPLE IN AMERICA, a program in VOA Special English. Today Rich Kleinfeldt and Steve Ember tell about one of America's most popular singers, Elvis Presley.

(MUSIC)

That song, "Hound Dog," was one of Elvis Presley's most popular records.  It sold five million copies in nineteen fifty-six.  Music industry experts say more than one thousand million of Elvis's recordings have sold throughout the world.  He was a success in many different kinds of music -- popular, country, religious, and rhythm and blues.

Elvis Presley won many awards from nations all over the world, yet he did not record in any language other than English.  He never performed outside the United States, except for three shows in Canada.  Yet, his recordings and films have been, and are still, enjoyed by people all over the world.

Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the southern town of Tupelo, Mississippi on January eighth, nineteen thirty-five.  His family was extremely poor.  During his childhood, he sang in church with his parents.  He also listened to music that influenced his later singing, including country, rhythm and blues, and religious music.  Elvis and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was thirteen.

After high school, he had several jobs, including driving a truck.  In nineteen fifty-three, he made his first recording of this song, "My Happiness":

(MUSIC)

Elvis Presley recorded the song at the Memphis Recording Service.  The story is that he paid four dollars to make a recording for his mother.  A woman who worked at the public recording studio had another job with a local independent record company called Sun Records.  She made a second recording of Elvis's songs because she thought the owner of Sun Records should hear him sing.

The owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, had been looking for a white performer who could sing black rhythm and blues.  He suggested Elvis work with a guitar player and a bass player.  Several months later Mr. Phillips agreed to have the group make a record.  It was released on July nineteenth, nineteen fifty-four.  One of the songs was "That's All Right":

(MUSIC)

The record sold well in Memphis, and was played a lot on local radio stations.  To let others hear Elvis, Sam Phillips organized a series of performances at country fairs in the area.  One of the people who heard Elvis perform at these shows was Colonel Tom Parker.  Elvis signed an agreement that Colonel Parker would organize his appearances.

One of Elvis' first new recordings became a huge hit, and led to his many appearances on television.  It was "Heartbreak Hotel":

(MUSIC)

By the middle of the nineteen fifties, Elvis Presley was known around the world as the young man who moved his hips in a sexual way as he sang rock and roll music.  Many adults said he and his music were bad influences on young people.  Young women loved him.  Huge crowds attended his performances.

He made his first movie in nineteen fifty-six.  It was  "Love Me Tender." The title song was a big hit.

(MUSIC)

Elvis Presley was one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood for a number of years in the nineteen fifties.  He acted in thirty-one movies.

In nineteen fifty-eight, just as he finished making the movie "King Creole," Elvis received notice that he had to serve in the United States Army.

He was stationed in Germany where he lived in a large house and dated a lot of beautiful women.  One young girl he met in Germany was Priscilla Beaulieu, the daughter of an Army officer.  She was fourteen years old.  Later, after Elvis had finished his army service, she came to live with him in Memphis.   They married in nineteen sixty-seven, when she was twenty-one years old.  He was thirty-two.  They became parents nine months later of a baby girl, Lisa Marie.

Colonel Parker made sure that songs Elvis had recorded earlier were released during the years he was in the army.  So Elvis was just as popular after his military service as he was before it.

Elvis Presley won three of the music industry's highest award, the Grammy.  He received the first one in nineteen sixty-seven.  It was for "How Great Thou Art," an album of religious music.

(MUSIC)

Elvis returned to performing live shows in nineteen sixty-nine, in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He then traveled around the country performing before huge crowds.  He began to take drugs to help him sleep.  He gained a lot of weight so he took drugs to help control his weight.  And he took extremely strong drugs to reduce pain.

Elvis also suffered from the emotional sickness, depression.  It became worse after his marriage ended. Elvis never permitted Priscilla to stay with him in Las Vegas or travel with him around the country.  He also did not want Priscilla to see other people when he was away from home.  And he spent time with other women.  Priscilla finally left him in nineteen seventy-two for another man.

Elvis Presley released many recordings of his performances during the nineteen seventies.  He also enjoyed great success on television.  His nineteen seventy-three television show from Hawaii was seen in forty countries by more than one thousand million people.

His last record album was called "Moody Blue."  He recorded it in nineteen seventy-six.  One of its hit songs was called "Way Down":

(MUSIC)

Elvis Presley died on August sixteenth, nineteen seventy-seven.  First reports said he had a heart attack, but later tests showed many drugs in his body.  Experts agree that these drugs probably caused his death.

Hundreds of thousands of people still visit his home, Graceland, in Memphis every year.  Fans continue to buy his music, making him the most popular recording artist ever.  Elvis Presley remains the undisputed King of Rock and Roll.

(MUSIC: "Good Rockin' Tonight")

This program was written by Nancy Steinbach.  Rich Kleinfeldt and Steve Ember were the narrators.  The producer was Paul Thompson.  I'm Faith Lapidus.  Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program in VOA Special English.

Where are they now?

Source: Speak Up

Language level: Pre-intermediate

Speaker: Chuck Rolando

Standard: American Accent

PATTY HEARST

 source of the picture: http://www.nndb.com/people/363/000025288/

Have you seen the 1941 Orson Welles movie Citizen Kane? Orson Welles based “Charles Foster Kane” on a real person: William Randolph Hearst, a rich newspaper publisher and politician. In the movie Kane lived in a enormous palace called Xanadu. In reality Hearst lived in an enormous palace in California called Hearst Castle. Hearst was famous in America in the first half of the 20^th century. His granddaughter, Patty Hearst, was famous in the 1970s.

TERRORIST

William Randolph Hearst died in 1951. His granddaughter Patty was born in 1954. She had a typically rich childhood, but that changed in February 1974. Patty was in an apartment in Berkeley (near San Francisco) when terrorists kidnapped her. The terrorists were members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Patty  was their hostage and the SLA ordered Patty’s parents to donate food to the poor families of California. The Hearst family gave $6 million worth of food, but the SLA said was of bad quality!

THE BANK JOB

In April 1974 Patty made a shocking announcement. She said she was a member of the SLA and that her new name was “Tania.” A few days later members of the SLA robbed a bank in San Francisco. Patty was a member of the gang. The police arrested Patty and other SLA members in 1975. Her trial began in 1976.

     

The big question was this: was Patty really a terrorist, or did the SLA brainwash here?

According to the jury, she was a terrorist. She went to prison. Her sentence was 35 years, but it was reduced to seven years. After two years President Jimmy Carter ordered her release and she left prison in 1979.

A DOG’S LIFE

Today Patty Heasrt is 56. She is married and has two adult daughters who are models. Patty Hearst has never worked – her family is extremely rich – but she has a new passion in life: dogs. She owns French bulldogs and they often win dog shows. Patty refuses to talk about her past. But she is happy to talk about her dogs!

FAMILY ALBUM, 64

Source: FAMILY ALBUM, USA.

Good morning and greetings of Carlos from Brazil, actually as Family Album there are a lot of useful English resources, such as EFL PODENLISH, and many others. In addition you can find out on ENGLISH TIPS blog interesting websites and blog, in Portuguese or English. Thanks for your promoting we reach over 165 different countries, as well as over 500 readers a day, of course you are the most important, please keep telling for friends abut ENGLISH TIPS. I have no words, unless GRATITUDE. Have a blessed day/night/afternoon.