In The News

James Bond, Dracula & Tarzan

It seems that some actors can’t distinguish between fiction and reality. Roger Moore, the British actor who played James Bond 007, was in Poland recently to receive an award. During the ceremony he asked if he could “transmit a secret message”. It appears that he was under the impression that Poland was still a Soviet Bloc country, and that he was working for “His Majesty’s Secret Service”. Apparently, this is nothing new and there have been a number of similar cases. Johnny Weissmuller, the swimming champion who played Tarzan during the 40s, was admitted to a psychiatric ward in 1979. As he was signing the papers he reportedly banged his fists on his chest and shouted, “Ahhhhhhh!” with his best Tarzan voice. Bela Lugosi, who was famous for his role as Dracula, slept in a coffin during the day; and when he died in 1956 he was buried wearing his cape. Daniel Day Lewis, the star of “Last of the Mohicans”, once played Shakespeare’s Hamlet. During one of the performances Mr Lewis ran off stage, claiming that he had seen a vision of his dead father - just like Hamlet, who is visited by his dead father. And Hollywood actor Michael Douglas was admitted to a hospital clinic because of an “addiction to sex”. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Brushed Off

Dr John Tempa, a dentist from Milwaukee, decided enough was enough after a 3-metre toothbrush went missing from his front lawn. In a fit of rage he smashed his neighbour’s car with a baseball bat and is now facing a charge for criminal damage. “It’s the fifth time my toothbrush has been taken,” explained Dr Tempa, who uses the brush for publicity for his dental clinic. “Last month some guy called and said he was looking for a toothbrush for his pet elephant; and last year my brush disappeared on New Year’s Eve. It eventually turned up painted blue. I know who did it, but I didn’t have the proof,” Dr Tampa said The 47-year-old dentist accuses a family of six who live just opposite him, which is why he smashed their car. Dr Tampa faces a large fine. Meanwhile, the toothbrush thief is still at large.

Below The Wheel

Two children, aged 7 and 12, drove 124 miles in their mum’s car before being stopped by police. The children, from Essen in Germany, said they wanted to visit their dad who was in Denmark. During the journey, the children even stopped to fill up the car with petrol. A passing driver, Magda Kreish, noticed the mysterious car racing along the motorway: ”I couldn’t see the driver very well because he was so small. But I could see the boy in the passenger seat who was helping to steer the car. I immediately alerted the police.” Thomas Albrauto from the traffic police said the 12-year-old was driving “quite professionally”. G L O S S A R Y

an award n a prize or object they give you because you have done something well to sign vb to put your name on a formal document to bang vb to hit a fist n a closed hand - usually used for hitting a chest n the area on your upper body at the front a coffin n a box in which they put dead bodies to bury vb to put something in a hole in the ground a cape n a jacket (usually black) with no arms that you wear over your shoulders a performance n each time a theatre play is acted in front of an audience truth (really) is stranger than fiction exp an expression that means: sometimes things in real life are even more unusual than things in books, films, etc to decide that enough is enough exp to decide that a situation cannot continue a front lawn n the area of garden in front of a house a fit of rage n if you are in a “fit of rage”, you are really angry to smash vb to hit and destroy something - usually glass a pet n an animal that lives with you in your house to turn up phr vb if something “turns up” at a place, it eventually arrives at that place proof n evidence of a crime to face vb if you “face” the possibility of something, that thing will probably happen to you at large exp if a criminal or animal is “at large”, it is still not in prison or in a cage mum n inform mother to fill up phr vb to fill completely to race along phr vb to move along a place very quickly to steer vb to control the direction the car goes