Gate

Magazine for English‑language students A2, A2+ level Published by Bridge

04 December 2012 Volume 01 CZK 19 (30 copies and more) CZK 21 (11–29 copies) CZK 23 (1–10 copies)

the easy way to English!

December 2012

christmas

CD

Justin and Beaver?

Canada and its symbols

Dreaming the music An interview with Charlie Straight

Masters

of the Ice The story of the NHL

Hang Up Your Stocking!

Christmas in the US and UK

Dear Readers, A long time ago there was a man who came up with this crazy idea: the most important thing in the world is love. Love yourself, love your friends, and even love your enemies. And if you really think about it, it is far more difficult than climbing Mount Everest or winning the Olympics. We all know how hard it is, especially to forget all the petty crimes against us. But it’s Christmas time! The season of love.

But let’s not be so preachy. This is an English magazine, after all. We’ve got lots of great stuff for you in this special December double issue! Check out the story of Steve Jobs, the founder of the Apple brand, read about the NHL and The Hobbit. Yes, the very same one that you can go to see in the cinemas!

However, keep in mind what that man from ancient times said.

Sometimes, it is good to remember what life is truly about.

We wish you all the best Christmas and a happy New Year,

Josef Šorm and the Gate team

Předplatné časopisu Gate 2012/13

Volume 01 Issue 04 December 2012

Cena časopisu za 1ks/školní rok

30 a více ks 190 Kč / rok (vč. DPH)

Gate vychází od září do června 8 vydání

11–29 ks 210 Kč (vč. DPH)

Poštovné a balné zdarma

Poštovné a balné zdarma

+ bonusové výtisky (až 12 ks) + sleva 10,5 % pro učitele zajišťující objednávku + dárek za předplatné + bonusy k předplatnému (15x) + časopisy zdarma pro postižené a sociálně slabé žáky

+ bonusové výtisky (až 2 ks) + dárek za předplatné + bonusy k předplatnému (15x) + časopisy zdarma pro postižené a sociálně slabé žáky

Bonusy a časopisy zdarma dle klíče

Bonusy a časopisy zdarma dle klíče

(4x dvojnásobný rozsah)

1–10 ks 230 Kč (vč. DPH) + poštovné a balné 189 Kč

5x CD 1x výuková mapa

pomůcka k procvičování slovní zásoby

ilustrovaná mapa s anglosaským motivem s popisky

1x film na DVD

8x Teachers’ File

anglický film s výukovým materiálem

metodické materiály pro výuku

plakáty v časopise plakáty pro žáky s anglo­saskou tematikou

do 15 ks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 až 29 ks . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30 až 60 ks . . . . . . . . . . . . .

61 až 90 ks . . . . . . . . . . . . .

91 až 120 ks . . . . . . . . . . . .

121 až 150 ks . . . . . . . . . . .

151 až 180 ks . . . . . . . . . . .

181 až 200 ks . . . . . . . . . . .

201 až 300 ks . . . . . . . . . . .

301 a více ks . . . . . . . . . . .

1 ks 1–2 ks 2 ks 3 ks 4 ks 5 ks 6 ks 7 ks 8–10 ks 10–12 ks

Počet časopisů pro učitele lze upravit dle dohody s redakcí Časopisy pro postižené žáky zdarma (viz web).

POČET DVD NA ŠKOLU 11–99 ks = 1 DVD 100 a více ks = 2 DVD (zasíláme na jednu adresu – školu, instituci)

Zasíláme po uzavření objednávky s první zásilkou časopisů.

www.bridge-online.cz/gate 2

Gate December | 2012

Objednávka nad 50 ks Kniha anglické gramatiky* + diář**

Editor-in-chief Zuzana Sklenková sklenkova@bridge‑online.cz Phone: 241 445 735 Senior marketing manager Jan Dosoudil

Editors Lennie Bellew, Hana Blažková, Marie Dosoudilová, Tereza Harbichová, Mary Matz, Jo Molloy, Nathaniel Patton, Zuzana Pernicová, Josef Šorm redakce@bridge-online.cz Phone: 241 444 268 Correspondents Pearl Harris, Nigel Haward, Patrick Phillips, Joanna Coleman, Hana Trollman Proofreading Gareth Bowers, Mary Matz Subscriptions Marta Procházková, Jana Zdvihalová Phone: 241 443 003 Photo Archive, Allphoto, iStockphoto Graphic design Šimon Sedláček, Petra Husková, Ondřej Strnad

Dárky k předplatnému Při uzavření každé objednávky nad 11 ks obdržíte DÁREK!

Registration in the CR MK ČR E 7634 Bank account Banka ČSOB, Praha 4 Account no.: 111790180/0300

Phone: 241 444 272

Klíč pro bonusy a časopisy zdarma

8x obrázková „speaking card“

články z časopisu, písničky, poslechové testy

Bridge Publishing House Ševce Matouše 22 140 00 Praha 4

info@bridge-online.cz

Bonusy k předplatnému 2012/13 Bonusy k předplatnému pro odběratele 11 a více kusů časopisu Gate dle uvedeného klíče.

Monthly magazine for English‑language students (A2, A2+ level)

Objednávka nad 30 ks DVD National Geographic (A2)* + diář**

Objednávka nad 11 ks Diář**

* 1x na školu ** stejný počet jako časopisů zdarma

Printing Europrint, a. s.

Publication date 10. 12. 2012 The magazine does not accept advertisements.

WHAT’S INSIDE… WHAT’S new…

Gate delivers Christmas presents this holiday season!

The magazine brings you 36 pages of articles and exercises. Also each subscriber will get a bonus Christmas CD !

Christmas Cards

4

6

4 Tradition The Best Christmas for You!

24 Sport NHL

6 Literature The Story of one Brave Hobbit

26 Animals White in Danger

The special Christmas cards that you will get with the magazine were painted by artists from the Association of Foot and Mouth Artists, The UMÚN Publishing House in the Czech Republic. This organization helps people who paint with their mouth or foot by organizing exhibitions and distributing their art through postcards. More information at www.umun.cz.

8 Interview A Star Is Born

27 Animals Kašík, the Cassowary

Competitions

10 English-speaking Countries O Canada, O Canada!

28 Health Maggie Saves Lives

12 Job Carpenter

30 Language Point Turn Your Head or Turn Red?

14 Exam Time Listening

31 Photo Story Shopping Fever

15 KET for Schools – Listening Parts 1 and 2

32 Music Christmas Number 1 Hits in the UK

16 British History Travelling to Roman Britain

34 Funnies Selling Us Christmas

Read about different ways to celebrate Christmas.

21 Puzzles Christmas Thinking Time

What is a hobbit? Find out in our article about the book and film.

+ A poster of Charlie Straight and calendar 2013

22 Technology Steve Jobs, the Man behind the Computer

– text článku na CD

Besides many competitions in the magazine, there is an extra contest for Twilight books and Twilight jewellery.

What is the translation of the expression ‘pack of wolves’ into Czech?

Email your answer, your name and address to competition@bridge-online.cz, subject “twilight”. Good luck!

Gate is online!

Add us to your friends. www. facebook.com/ GateMagazine. You can find samples of the magazine online on our website www. bridge-online/gate

tf – doplňující cvičení v Teachers’ File

→ solutions p. 7 → Literature: Riddle: Fish p. 11 → Canada: I. 1A, 2C, 3B II. A III. 1 on, 2 at, 3 at, 4 in

6 province, 7 spring, 8 reminder, 9 Roman Emperor

p. 23 → iGadgets:

p. 29 → Doctor Talk:

1b, 2d, 3e, 4f, 5h, 6a, 7c, 8g

p. 21 → Thinking Time:

p. 25 → NHL:

1 fainted, 2 coma, 3 out of it, 4 unconscious, 5 ambulance

I. 1H, 2G, 3A, 4C, 5F, 6I, 7B, 8E, 9D II. BABY JESUS: brandy, milk, Christmas tree, chimney, fireplace, wish-list, cookies, pudding, stocking p. 22 → Steve Jobs Timeline:

p. 16 → History: Britannia: 1 rebellious, 2 recap, 3 invade, 4 fortified border, 5 spa,

1A, 2H, 3F, 4K, 5G, 6C, 7J, 8B, 9I, 10D, 11E

1 arrives, 2 will take, 3 delivers

p. 30 → Turn:

p. 26 → White in Danger:

1 blue, 2 right, 3 off, 4 around, 5 into, 6 down

1C, 2D, 3A, 4B p. 27 → The Best Father:

pp. 34–35 → Funny Adverts: 1D, 2F, 3A, 4E, 5B, 6H, 7G, 8C

1T, 2F, 3F, 4T, 5T

Gate December | 2012

3

Jo Molloy (UK), Lennie Bellew (USA)

The best Christmas for You

Tradition

Do Americans and the British celebrate Christmas in the same way? How are they different from a Czech Christmas?

American Christmas British Christmas When and how?

Christmas in the UK is celebrated on Christmas Day, December 25. Children put out their stockings1 on Christmas Eve (December 24) and leave a mince pie (= dessert with fruits and nuts inside) for Father Christmas and a carrot for his reindeer2. Children wake up in the morning and find their stockings full of small presents. Larger presents are under the Christmas tree.

When and how?

Christmas is celebrated on December 25. On the 24th people usually spend time with families or go Christmas caroling (= singing Christmas songs door to door). Children leave milk and cookies for Santa Claus and hang up9 Christmas stockings.

Christmas meal Christmas dinner is very similar to Thanksgiving dinner.

We have turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, vegetables and cherry and pumpkin pie. Some families prefer goose or roast beef as the main course instead of turkey.

Christmas specialties

Christmas meal Roast turkey with vegetables, roast potatoes and gravy (= a kind of meaty sauce).

We have a drink called eggnog10, which is a creamy sweet egg-flavored drink that is a little alcoholic and is only served at Christmas.

3

Christmas specialties Christmas pudding is a heavy fruit pudding, covered in4 alcohol. Before serving it is lit5 by a match. When it stops burning, you eat it with cream6 and brandy butter (= a sweet sauce made of sugar, butter and brandy).

Customs Before our Christmas meal, we open Christmas crackers. They are cardboard tubes7 filled with a silly gift, a party hat and a Christmas joke. In pairs, you pull the cracker and it makes a noise like a firecracker8.

Customs Many people are religious11, so they usually go to a church service12 on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. Also many families have their own nativity scene (= it shows Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus and surrounded by animals).

czech christmas

When and how?

An extra Christmas Day We also celebrate Boxing Day on December 26. It’s another holiday when we visit the family. It is called Boxing Day because years ago it was a day of giving poor people boxes of money or food.  Listen to the CD and complete the table about Czech Christmas.

Christmas dinner?

Any special food?

Any unique custom? → solutions in tf – recording scripts

4

Gate December | 2012

1 put out stockings ["stQkINz] – vyndají podkolenky 2 reindeer ["reIndI@] – sob 3 to roast [r@Ust] – péct 4 covered in ["kVv@d] – pokrytý 5 it is lit – je zapálen 6 cream [kri;m] – smetana 7 cardboard tubes ["kA;dbO;d tju;bz] – trubičky z lepenky 8 firecracker – petarda 9 to hang up [h&N] – pověsit 10 eggnog – vaječný koňak 11 religious [rI"lIdZ@s] – věřící 12 church service – bohoslužba

Santa versus Father Christmas T hat man with white hair and a beard1 who drives a sleigh2 and delivers presents to children. Who is he?

If you’re in the UK, you call him Father Christmas. If you’re American, you call him Santa Claus. You can use both these names. However, the origins of the names are different.

Father Christmas or Sir Christmas or Old Winter was somebody who dressed up in green and went from family to family in England celebrating the winter solstice3.

Santa Claus is based on a Dutch man called Saint Nicolas or Sinter Klaas.

He was a shy man who helped poor people. One day he dropped a bag of money down the chimney4 and it fell into a girl’s stocking. So this is where the tradition of the chimney came from.

When the Dutch introduced him to the Americans, they called him Santa Claus.

A different way to spend Christmas Help out a charity Is your

class making decorations this year and would you like to make somebody happy? The Sue Ryder Home in Prague 4, which assists the elderly, is looking for people to help decorate the old people’s homes. Contact e-mail: radka.kulhankova@sue-ryder.cz

Buy a gift from a charity Instead of buying a present from a shop buy your gift from a charity.

You can go online to www.skutecnydarek.cz to finance buying a goat or chicken in developing countries.

Animals in need You could sponsor an animal at the zoo, or help give food to animal shelters5­. For example Troja shelter in Prague accepts food donations6.

But you can bring little food gifts to any animal shelter close to you: www.psi-utulky.cz.

1 beard [bI@d] – plnovous; 2 sleigh [sleI] – sáňky; 3 winter solstice ["sQlstIs] – zimní slunovrat; 4chimney ["tSImnI] – komín; 5 animal shelter ["Selt@] – útulek pro zvířata; 6donation [d@(U)"neIS(@)n] – dar

25% sleva na zjednodušené četby Penguin Readers Compare and contrast 1 What similarities are there between a British and American Christmas?

2 What are the differences between a Czech and British Christmas?

Časopis GATE a společnost Bohemian Ventures, zástupce jednoho z největších ELT nakladatelství PEARSON Vám přináší slevu 25% na zjednodušené četby Penguin Readers.

Pokud jste registrováni na stránkách pearsonelt.com, můžete do knížek nahlédnout a poslechnout si nahrávky. Vybírat si pak můžete v e -shopu bookmall.cz v o ddíle Penguin Readers.

Přihlašte se do e-shopu emailem info@bookmall.cz a heslem „gate“. Po přihlášení již budete mít načtené akční ceny!

Vložte požadované zboží do košíku, pokračujte v o bjednávce an ezapomeňte ve 3. kroku (podstránka „Objednávka“) změnit všechny dodací údaje! Nabídka platí do 11. 1. 2013.

Gate December | 2012

5

There and back again The story of one brave hobbit

T

he Hobbit is in the cinemas this month. But how much do you really know about Bilbo Baggins, the main character, and his fellow friends?

Joanna Coleman (UK)

Unexpected Adventure

The Wizard meets the Hobbit

The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson, is coming to the cinemas soon and there are a lot of stars in it. Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins, is already a well-known actor (the BBC Sherlock and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy).

There may be some bad news for Tolkien hardcore lovers, though. The Hobbit was made into a three-part movie (yes, there is only one book). So the director and screenwriter decided to add some parts “which are not in the book”.

josef šorm (cr)

6

Gate December | 2012

„I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone,” said Gandalf.

“I should think so – in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and I have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!

I can’t think what anybody sees in them,” said our Mr Baggins.

1 brave [breIv] – odvážný 2 adventure [@d"ventS@] – dobrodružství 3 hole [h@Ul] – díra 4 to find out – zjistit 5 furry toes ["f3;ri] – chlupaté prsty na nohou 6 bad habit – zlozvyk 7 pipe [paIp] – dýmka 8 genes [dZi;nz] – geny 9 dwarf [dwO;f] – trpaslík 10 den – doupě 11 riddle ["rId(@)l] – hádanka 12 slimy ["slaImI] – slizký 13 to face – čelit (něčemu, někomu)

WEB Read the extended version of the article on our website: www.bridge-online.cz/gate.

Monsters and dragons

Bilbo's mission

The Hobbit is a story by J. R. R. Tolkien, who was a famous professor at Oxford University. He always liked legends and magic. His favourite things to teach were the old poems from Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England about heroes, monsters and scary adventures2.

But luckily, Bilbo has some adventurous genes8, or else there would be no story. He agrees to help a group of dwarfs9 to kill a dragon and win back their treasure. This task will take him on a long journey from dark woods to underground lakes and a dragon’s den10. He also finds a ring that will change Middle Earth.

Bilbo the hobbit Tolkien never planned to write a novel about the hobbit Bilbo. One day he was bored and wrote: ‘In a hole3 in the ground there lived a hobbit.’ After that he had to continue writing to find out4 who exactly a hobbit was. In the end he became a small, polite creature with furry toes5 who lived in the dreamy world of Middle Earth.

Riddle this, riddle that

What makes a hobbit?

The book was such a success, and it was such a great story, that Tolkien wrote another book that continued the story: Lord of the Rings. It was meant to be one book, but ended up as three! (The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King)

Hobbits wear bright clothes, with lots of green and yellow. They prefer to eat good food, ideally six times a day. They have some bad habits6 too, like smoking pipes7.

And finally, hobbits hate adventures.

Imagine that you are also facing13 the monster. Can you try to solve the riddle? Remember, the language is a bit difficult, so there is a Czech translation to help you. Gollum has only six teeth, so he sounds funny in Czech.

compe t i t i o n

In the middle of the book, Bilbo plays a riddle11 game with the slimy12 watermonster Gollum. The scary monster says it will eat Bilbo if he doesn’t answer correctly. But luckily, Bilbo wins and escapes with Gollum’s ring.

To be continued...

Alive without breath, As cold as death; Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking Nemá plíce, přece dýchá, študená a věčně tichá, věčně pije na švé ždraví v brnění co nerežaví.

Help: It lives in water. → solutions on page 3

Rise of the Guardians

What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, and yet never grows?

Kořeny má škryté v žemi, vypíná še nad jedlemi, štoupá pořád výš a výš, ale růšt ji nevidíš.

What is it? Email your answer with your full name and address to competition@bridge-online.cz, subject “hobbit” by December 24, and win a copy of the graphic novel The Hobbit!

Books are provided by the English Books bookshop www.englishbooks.cz

Jack Frost is a teenager who doesn’t worry too much about the world. He only wants to bring winter wherever he goes. But an evil spirit called Pitch wants to cover the world in darkness. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy get Jack to join their group of Guardians and together they try to stop Pitch. The computer animated graphics are incredible. Go and see it if you’re looking for a fun Christmas movie where you don’t have to think too much. Jo Molloy (UK) guardian – opatrovník, Easter Bunny – velikonoční zajíček, Tooth Fairy – víla Zuběnka

Gate December | 2012

7

INTERVIEW

A Star is Born I’m standing in the Palladium shopping mall in Prague, watching a crowd of teenage girls. They are going crazy, pushing forward like a group of football fans, screaming and trying to reach their goal. They will do anything to meet their idol, Albert Černý, the lead singer from the band Charlie Straight.

Luckily, I don’t have to fight the crowd; I am interviewing the band!  Lennie Bellew (USA) Josef Šorm (CZ)

8

Gate December | 2012

Pavel Pilch



Johnny Cienciala

Albert Cerný

Michal Supák

An interview with Charlie Straight about music, life, and love letters

How did you learn to speak English so fluently6?

A: I have been interested in English since I was a child.

I had a private7 English teacher.

My parents also sent me abroad to study in Malta and England.

When did you start playing music?

Albert Černý: I have played the piano since I was seven. Then I started playing the drums. I took lessons with Pavel Pilch. And then I started a band with him.

Were your parents important to your music career?

A: My parents helped me a lot. I think it is important when parents support3 their children in what they enjoy and what interests them. And we (Charlie Straight) were all lucky in that.

Making music Who writes the lyrics and composes the music?

A: I mostly write the lyrics and the songs. They are rearranged4, and sometimes cut to pieces!

What would you say to students of English?

A: Don’t be afraid to speak, even to yourselves. Play with the language, talk to your friends in English. The main problem is that we are too shy to8 speak. Nobody’s perfect, not even the native speakers.

Girls and marriage What do you like to do in your free time?

A: Jogging; in a forest, possibly with a girl.

J: Listening to music, relaxing… being outdoors.

A: The drummer (Pavel Pilch) likes to pick mushrooms9.

Charlie Straight is a Czech indie‑rock band from Třinec.

They are one of the few bands that sing in English in the Czech Republic and have been compared to Coldplay. They were first discovered on the internet and released their first record She’s a Good Swimmer in 2009. They have won numerous awards like the Český slavík. This spring their second album Someone with a Slow Heartbeat came out.

What inspires you?

A: I am inspired by intense (= strong) moments in my life. The year 2012 has been the best year of my life so far, so I should go and write some songs quick!

Do your fans write you love letters?

A: Yes, they do! I have a special folder10 in my email for them.

We read them all together in the car when we have a long drive.

How do you like the Czech scene?

Johnny Cienciala: I know a lot of new bands that are going to be great if they work a bit. Otherwise, I like Midi Lidi.

A: I would like to recommend band Kazety and their song ‘Necítím nic’.

Has anyone proposed11?

J: One did. She just said it is going to happen.

A: And one of the fans wrote that she had a dream that we all went on holiday together.

Do you mind people downloading your music illegally?

J: It’s good that our music gets to people but we put so much effort5 and money into the music that we are glad when someone buys the songs.

Do you all have girlfriends?

A: Half of the band is still looking for the right one.

English, please!

You sing in English, do you ever want to sing in Czech?

A: Well, we have one song in Czech, ‘Snídaně ve vaně’. But we don’t want to sing in Czech because we want to go international.

1 crowd [kraUd] – dav 2 to push forward ["fO;w@d] – tlačit se dopředu 3 to support [s@"pO;t] – podporovat 4 to rearrange – překopat, předělat 5 to put effort ["ef@t] – vložit úsilí 6 fluently ["flu;@ntli] – plynně 7 private ["praIv@t] – soukromý 8 too shy to [SaI] – příliš plachý, aby 9 pick mushrooms – sbírat houby 10 folder ["f@Uld@] – složka 11 to propose – požádat někoho o ruku

Ten of you can win autographed Charlie Straight CDs! Listen to the song ‘Someone with a Slow Heartbeat’ and complete the line: “What will happen next nobody knows, All my dreams _______ and I am lost.” Email your answer with your full name and address to competition@bridge-online.cz, subject “charlie” by December 24.

Gate December | 2012

9

English -speaking

countries

a d a n a OC O Ca

Hi, my name is Hana and I come from toronto in canada .

And where do you come from?

“Canada is

a

a Trollman.

ays Han

igrants,” s m im f o d n la

nada

ts.

Czech paren ountr y. to to n ro o T t her home c n in u r o o b b a s s a n w o e ti h s S ue a few basic q She answers How big is Canada?

Canada is the world’s second largest country. Its border1 with the United States is the world’s longest land border.

Canada has ten provinces2 and three territories3.

The capital is Ottawa, but the largest city is Toronto.

Can you tell me a little bit about Canadian history?

The French and British started to settle5 this territory in the 16th century and later the British won the control of the country.

Canada became an independent nation in 1931.

How many people live in Canada?

Over 33 million people live in Canada. Most of them live near the border with the U.S. because it is a little warmer in the south. Much of the country is not inhabited4 and it is very cold in the north with temperatures as low as -50°C.

What is the relationship between Canada and the UK? Canada is part of the Commonwealth (= countries that were part of the British Empire) and Queen Elizabeth II is still Canada’s monarch.

10

Gate December | 2012

You can see her portrait on Canadian dollars.She is represented by the Governor General, who has limited powers. Laws are made by Canada’s parliament and government.

What languages do Canadians speak?

Canada has two official languages: English and French. Most Canadians (85%) speak English as their first language. French is spoken in the province of Quebec.

How did Canada get such a cool flag?

The earlier flags were bad.

They all had the Union Jack, which is a symbol of the UK. The “Maple Leaf”6 was adopted7 in 1965 following the Great Flag Debate.

Canadians like their maple syrup.

CULTURe point  Canada – the word comes from the Iroquois Indian word kanata, which means a village

1

Ottawa

C 2 3

The capital of Canada is the fourth largest city in the country.

The town is connected with other towns by the “Rideau Waterway” canal system. In winter it becomes the world’s largest skating rink8.

Ottawa is known as one of the most educated9 cities in Canada and it has the highest number of engineers and scientists.

13

4 5

6

7 8

1

A

10

11 12

Key to the map B

1 Yukon 2 Northwest Territories

TASK

9

Where is it?

Match these pictures with the letters on the map.

3 Nunavut 4 British Columbia

9 Quebec 10 New Brunswick

5 Alberta 6 Saskatchewan

11 Prince Edward Island

7 Manitoba 8 Ontario

13 Newfoundland

1. Quebec Castle

12 Nova Scotia

JOKE What are the two seasons in Canada?

WINTER AND JULY!

and Labrador

vocabulary border ["bO;d@] – hranice province ["prQvIns] – provincie, správní jednotka 3 territory ["terIt(@)ri] – teritorium, území 4 inhabited [In"h&bItId] – obydlená 5 to settle ["set(@)l] – usadit 6 maple leaf ["meIp(@)l li;f] – javorový list 7 to adopt [@"dQpt] – přijmout 8 skating rink – kluziště 9 educated ["edjUkeItId] – vzdělaný 10 shooting pucks ["Su;tIN pVks] – střílet puky 11 to scare [ske@(r)] – vystrašit 12 survival [s@"vaIv(@)l] – přežití 1 2

2. Inuit people

3. Niagara Falls

2

What is the Canadian national animal?

A a beaver B Justin Bieber C a panda bear

3

→ solutions on page 3

Canadian celebrities

Fill in the missing prepositions: in

on

at

at

Justin Bieber became famous when his mother posted his videos 1 YouTube. Leonard Cohen learnt to play the guitar and started a country-folk group when he was 2 university. Sidney Crosby began playing ice hockey by himself, shooting pucks10 3 the clothes dryer. Avril Lavigne‘s parents supported her singing career and built her a studio 4 their house.

Scare a bear?

Canada is known for its beautiful countryside, many national parks and of course animals. In the wild you can come face to face with wolves, beavers, mountain lions, and also bears.

What should you do if you meet a bear?

Your chances of survival12 depend on the type of bear. With a grizzly bear or polar bear you should play dead or climb a tree. Black bears are good climbers, so trees won’t help. Stand with your hands up to try to scare a black bear. Good luck!

Gate December | 2012

11

tf

tf

CAREER ENGLISH

cd

What could I do?

Are you…?

What is a carpenter?

 patient – can wait for a long time  handy – good with hands  not afraid of heights – don’t get

A carpenter is a general word for anyone who works with timber (wood)• and tools2. You call them when you want to build, repair or replace3 something. There are different types of carpenters.

A roofer4 is a carpenter who repairs the hole5 in your roof. A furniture or cabinet maker6 is someone who makes furniture out of wood. A fitter or joiner7 is a carpenter who renovates8 kitchens or houses. If you need to replace a floor, ceiling9 or build a wooden wall, he will measure10, cut, and install11 the wood. There are some special carpenters who renovate historical wooden art and furniture, some even build musical instruments or make puppets12.

scared when you have to climb roofs

Do you like to…?  fix things  put together parts

If your answer is Yes to most points and you love to work with wood, then you could be a CARPENTER!

Tools ‘N’ things ( = tools and things)

hammer

nail

brush

drill

How to say it in English? Listen and find the word that matches the picture.

tape measure saw screw screwdriver

spirit level

the woods – a large area with many trees wood – the hard material that comes from a tree timber – wood used for building houses or making furniture

7

6

1 5

4

2

8 3

9 → solutions in tf – recording scripts

12

Gate December | 2012

1 carpenter ["kA;p(@)nt@] – truhlář (na Moravě stolař), tesař 2 tool [tu;l] – nářadí 3 to replace [rI"pleIs] – vyměnit 4 roofer ["ru;f@] – tesař 5 hole [h@Ul] – díra 6 furniture/cabinet maker ["f3;nItS@ "k&bIn@t "meIk@] – truhlář nábytkář 7 fitter/joiner ["fIt@ / "dZOIn@] – truhlář 8 to renovate ["ren@veIt] – obnovit, opravit 9 ceiling ["si;lIN] – strop 10 to measure ["meZ@] – měřit 11 to install [In"stO;l] – montovat 12 puppet ["pVpIt] – loutka

In a workshop

Interview

Gate visited a workshop (= dílna) in ‘Střední škola umělecká a řemeslná’ in Prague 5 where young people train to become carpenters, joiners, cabinet makers and woodcarvers (= řezbáři). Now you can have a closer look and see how to make a copy of a wooden statue.

1 First you make a plaster1 copy of the object2.

2 Then you choose the timber and copy the shape of the object on the chosen piece of material.

3 Now you cut out the shape w ith a band saw 3 .

4 Then co longest mes the process 4 woodcu – tting… copying the statue in 3D.

5 And in the end, you have to coat it with wax5 or paint.

6 The Final Result: Copy of the Madonna statue

1 plaster ["plA;st@] – sádra 2 object ["QbdZIkt] – předmět 3 band saw [b&nd] – pásová pila 4 process ["pr@Uses] – postup 5 wax [w&ks] – vosk

Nathaniel Patton (USA) Hana Blažková (CR)

Michal Kroupa 3rd year artistic woodcarver

Monika Švancárová 3rd year artistic carpenter

Why did you choose to become a woodcarver?

Michal: My parents wanted me to go to ‘gymnázium’ and not to a vocational school. I’m the only one who works with my hands. I didn’t want to sit somewhere and read through papers or stare (= zírat) at a computer. No, no, that’s bad. Timber smells (= voní) good and woodworking is a pleasure.

What’s the most difficult thing about your profession?

Monika: You can learn it quite fast. The most tiring (= únavná) part is to shape the wood. But then it is great to hold (= držet) the final piece in your hands.

You also have to work quite fast with the glue (= lepidlo) and work carefully with the wood so it does not splinter (= štípat se) because you can’t fix it afterwards.

What would you like to do after school?

Michal: I will probably (= pravděpodobně) go to a bigger restoration workshop ( = restaurátorská dílna) because we don’t have a family workshop. When I finish school, I would like to work on some big restoration projects. Or perhaps I will continue my studies and will learn more about restoration.

Gate December | 2012

13

Exam time

Listening | A2 level test

tf

Part One

Part Three

You will hear a conversation between two friends.

For each question (1–5) choose the correct answer: A, B or C. You will hear each recording twice.

Listen to Maria and her friend Patrick talking about Christmas shopping. Decide what each member of Maria’s family will get for Christmas this year. For questions 11–15, write a letter A–H next to each person. There are three extra presents you will not use. You will hear the conversation twice.

1 Lucy is looking at photos: A of herself B of her sister Alice C of her friend Jessica

mum brother Steve sister Louise grandma uncle Tom

11 12

2 Her sister was travelling: A for a week B for six months C for a year

13 14 15

A B C D E F G

3 Alice went first to: A France B Norway C Iceland

H

chocolates flowers flash drive ice skates cookbook music necklace gloves

4 In Norway, Alice worked for: A climbers B builders C farmers 5 In France, Alice: A taught English B worked as an au pair C picked grapes

Part Two Listen to the story about one traditional Christmas character. Then fill in the notes (6–10).

There is one example at the beginning. You will hear the recording twice.

0 Father Christmas travels across the sky with the help of 6 His most famous reindeer is

reindeer .

.

7 He is known for the bright red colour of his 8 The writer of Rudolph’s story was Robert

. .

9 The story has been made into films, TV programs and even a 10 Rudolph becomes a hero because he helps Father Christmas travel in bad

14

Gate December | 2012

. .

KET ENGLISH TEST

Listening only parts one and two

for schools

Part One QUESTIONS 1–5 Example 0

You will hear five short conversations. You will hear each conversation twice. There is one question for each conversation. For each question, choose the right answer (A, B, or C).

Which is the girl’s horse?

Part two QUESTIONS 6–10 Listen to Sam talking to a friend about his family. Which sport does each person do now?

For questions 6–10, write a letter A–H next to each person. You will hear the conversation twice.

A B C 1

What doesn’t the girl like about her photo?

Example 0 grandfather F

PEOPLE A B C 2

What will Tim do first?

6 father 7 brother 8 uncle 9 sister 10 mother

A B C 3

Which is the girl’s next lesson?

SPORTS THEY DO NOW A climbing B football

A B C 4

What is Sonia going to eat?

C hockey D sailing E skiing F swimming

A B C 5

What did Jack’s mum give him for his birthday?

G tennis H volleyball

→ solutions in TF–recording scripts

A B C Gate December | 2012

15

Alex Jordan (UK)

Roman Britain The Roman Emperor Claudius successfully invaded Britain in 43 AD. What happened to the Celts?

The most rebellious were pushed to1 the west and the north. Some planned attacks against the Romans. Queen Boudicca led the Celtic tribes2 against the Romans (60–61 AD). (See how it ended in the comic strip.)

Let’s modernise The Romans started to change the countryside into towns and cities.

They built roads, public baths and theatres. These were for the privileged (= rich and powerful) only. Most of the British people became slaves and many had to join the Roman army.

Taking a bath in Bath Where is the only hot spring in Britain? In Bath, a city in South-western England.

It was established by the Romans as a spa, built around the

A Rebel in a skirt Don't be afraid!

We can beat the Romans!

springs. Today, people come to see the town’s baths.

Stay away from us Another reminder of the old Roman times is Hadrian’s Wall. It was built in 122 AD during emperor Hadrian’s rule. It was a kind of fortified border against the people in the North.

It was originally 72 miles (116 km) long going from coast to coast3.

You can go on a signposted 1 trail4 to see the 2 parts that still exist.

Hadrian's Wall Begun in AD 122

What is now modern England and Wales became a Roman province. Find out its name in the crossword by translating the Czech words into English. All of the words appear in the text.

1 vzpurný, nepoddajný; 2 shrnout, zrekapitulovat; 3 vpadnout, napadnout; 4 opevněná hranice; 5 lázně; 6 provincie; 7 pramen (vody); 8 připomínka, památka; 9 římský císař

3

4 5 6

crossword

7

→ solutions on page 3

8 9

It's only a group of screaming savages!

1 were pushed to – byli vytlačeni 2 tribe [traIb] – kmen (lidí) 3 from coast to coast [k@Ust] – od pobřeží k pobřeží 4 signposted trail ["saInp@UstId treIl] – značená stezka

To my people!

the Romans won, and Boudicca poisoned (maybe) herself. to beat – porazit, savages – divoši

16

Gate December | 2012

© Lucie Lomová

The Romans!

Let’s recap a bit of history from last time.

Around 6500 BC Britain became an island. Then Celts came to live there in 800 BC. But who showed up next?

“The music doesn’t have to be perfect but it should be honest.”

Albert Černý

One of the classic views of the Canadian Rocky Mountains from Lake Peyto in Banff National Park.

2013 January

February

Leden

P Ú S Č P S N

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

March

Únor

28 29 30 31

P Ú S Č P S N

4 5 6 7 1 8 2 9 3 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

April

Březen

25 26 27 28

P Ú S Č P S N

4 5 6 7 1 8 2 9 3 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

May

Duben

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

P Ú S Č P S N

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 29 23 30 24 25 26 27 28

June

Květen

P Ú S Č P S N

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Červen

27 28 29 30 31

P Ú S Č P S N

3 4 5 6 7 1 8 2 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

P Ú S Č P S N

P Ú S Č P S N

July

August

Červenec

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 29 23 30 24 31 25 26 27 28

September

Srpen

P Ú S Č P S N

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

October

Září

26 27 28 29 30 31

P Ú S Č P S N

2 3 4 5 6 7 1 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 23 30 17 24 18 25 19 26 20 27 21 28 22 29

November

Říjen

P Ú S Č P S N

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

December

Listopad

28 29 30 31

P Ú S Č P S N

4 5 6 7 1 8 2 9 3 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Prosinec

25 26 27 28 29 30

P Ú S Č P S N

2 3 4 5 6 7 1 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 23 30 17 24 31 18 25 19 26 20 27 21 28 22 29

P

U Z Z L E S

Thinking Time

Joke Knock knock

Have fun with our new edition of puzzles and jokes.

Who’s there?

Mary!

Mary who?

CHRISTMAS PUZZLES

Merry Christmas!•

Is there anyone better than Santa Claus?

1

2

Match the words with their definitions:

1

A place in a room where you can have a fire

2

You write things you want for Christmas on it

A

milk

B

Christmas tree

C

cookies

3

A healthy white drink

4

An American name for biscuits

D

brandy

5

An English sweet dessert

E

chimney

6

Santa puts little presents in it

F

pudding

7

You decorate it and put presents under it

G

wish-list

8

It lets smoke out of the house

H

fireplace

9

An alcoholic drink

I

stocking

Have Some Fun

Under the Christmas Tree GLOSSARY

*

chubby – fat to suppose – to think to grab – to take to nibble – to eat sth by taking small bites to crunch – to eat loudly

language point  Be careful about the words that sound similar! Mary is woman’s name, to marry means to become husband and wife and merry means happy or jolly (Merry Christmas!).

Now unscramble the letters (= put the letters into correct order) to form the words on the left. Then use the numbered letters to finish the answer.

RYNDAB

1

MLKI 2

SACRITSHM TEER 3

NIMHECY

4

REPIAFCEL SIWH TISL

– 5

COKSOEI 6

NIDPUGD TSOCIGNK

7

ANSWER

1

2

B

3

J

4

5

6

7

A Chubby Snowman Christmas poem

A chubby little snowman had a carrot nose.

Along came a bunny, and what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny, looking for some lunch, Grabbed that snowman’s nose, Nibble, nibble, crunch!

→ solutions on page 3

Gate December | 2012

21

tf Patrick Phillips (USA)

Steve Jobs, the man behind the computer Teachers always tell students to stay in school and finish their education.

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers, didn’t do that. He dropped out of college and became one of the most successful businessmen in history.

February 24, 1955

1984 The Apple Macintosh

Steve Jobs 1) ______ in San Francisco, California. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs.

His dad taught him to love technology.

computer 6) ______ onto the market. Jobs and Wozniak gave people the idea of a PC, or personal computer.

1966 Jobs 2) ______ Steve

his own company. The Apple management disagreed6 with his direction. They said that he was crazy and too demanding7. Jobs 7) ______ NeXT Computer.

Wozniak, another technology nut3. Together they would change the technology world.

1985 Jobs was fired5 from

1990s He also 8) ______

a graphic studio, Pixar, which makes animated films such as Toy Story, and WALL-E. Meanwhile, Apple was having problems.

1970s He didn’t 3) ______ college, but learnt that design is very important for products.

1974 His first job 4) ______ a video game designer for Atari (one of the first companies that produced computer games).

Fill in the verbs in the Steve Jobs biography timeline.

A) was born B) bought C) came D) changed E) died F) finish G) was located H) met I) returned J) started K) was → solutions on page 3

1 founder ["faUnd@] – zakladatel 2 to drop out [drQp] – odejít (ze školy)

22

Gate December | 2012

1976 Jobs and his friends Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computers.

The first office 5) ______ in Steve Jobs’ garage. Their first product, the Apple I computer, was sold without a monitor, keyboard, or power source4.

3 technology nut – nadšenec do techniky 4 power source [sO;s] – zdroj

1996 Apple bought NeXT, and Jobs 9) ______ to his old company. At that time Apple was nearly bankrupt8 and needed new ideas.

2000 Apple introduced iTunes, which 10) ______ the way we listen to music online. They created the iPod, iPhone and iPad. It became one of the most successful companies in the world.

October 5, 2011 Jobs

11) ______ of cancer9 and one chapter of Apple was over.

5 to be fired ["faI@d] – být vyhozen 8 bankrupt ["b&NkrVpt] – zkrachovalý 6 to disagree [dIs@"gri;] – nesouhlasit 9 cancer ["k&ns@] – rakovina 7 demanding [dI"mA;ndIN] – náročný 10 bite [bait] – kousnutí

People all over the world are crazy about Apple. Are these gadgets really worth your money? We asked the editor in chief, J o s e f M í k a from the technology magazine Chip what he thinks about them.

J us t Ex pens i ve Toys ?  Are Apple gadgets really so good?

There is no question that Apple products are high quality. Apple lives in its own world because the company develops3 not only hardware but also software.  What are some of the negatives?

Compared to the competition the Apple operating systems are less flexible and it’s impossible to freely change something (for example on the iPhone you can only use the set ringer tones).  Why are the prices so high?

Thanks to popularity the company can keep higher prices. Also, many people buy them as a fashion item.

Some words are missing from the descriptions of Apple products.

Fill in the gaps, using these words: a) smaller b) thinnest c) camera d) sizes e) music f) video g) tablet h) faster

Macbook Air The world’s 1 ______ laptop, light as air – a new generation of notebooks.

The latest model (2012) comes in two screen 2 ______ , 11-inch4 and 13‑inch. Other advantages: the highest resolution5 among notebooks (= you can see much better in detail).

iPod Touch The little 3 ______ player that goes right into your pocket.

Apple has brought back a new improved iPod Touch. This one is ultra thin6. But it also has a camera and you can record a 4 ______. It also has a processor which is 7 times 5 ______ than before and it can play 40 hours of music.

iPad Mini 1 gadget ["g&dZIt] – malý šikovný přístroj 2 to be worth the money – stát za ty peníze 3 to develop [dI"vel@p] – vyvinout 4 inch [In(t)S] – palec (1,25 cm) 5 resolution [rez@"lu;S(@)n] – rozlišení 6 thin [TIn] – tenký 7 capability [keIp@"bIlIti] – schopnost 8 prefix – předpona

This iPad is 6 ______, with a 7.9‑inch screen. The mini comes with a 7 ______ , video, and WiFi capability7.

So if you like a e-reader which is also a 8 ______, then the Mini is for you.

Why an iPod and an iPad? Originally, the prefix8 ‘i’ stood for internet as in iBook and iMac. The other new products just continued using the ‘i’.

The word pod was inspired by the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the film it described a small space vehicle which returns to the mother spaceship.

There is the same relationship between the computer and the player. And the word pad? It means an electronic notebook or a tablet.

→ solutions on page 3

Gate December | 2012

23

SPORT

tf

Nathaniel Patton (USA)

The truth behind the NHL No one knows exactly when ice hockey was invented. But the rules of the game were created in the 1870s, and many amateur teams started playing it. Finally, the National Hockey League (NHL) was formed in 1917 and had five Canadian teams.

Increasing popularity In the early years, the rules changed a lot and many different teams came and went. In the 1940s, there were only six teams left. These “Original Six” teams still exist today (e.g. New York Rangers). Now there are 30 teams! (7 in Canada and 23 in the U.S.)

The greatest ones One of the biggest stars was Gordie Howe, nicknamed “Mr. Hockey”. He was a good scorer1 but he was also known as a tough2 player. In fact, when a player has a goal, an assist and a fight in one game, it is called a “Gordie Howe hat trick”. Howe set many NHL records3, but they were broken4 by Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One”.

Gretzky scored 2,857 points (goals + assists) in only 1,487 games, which is almost 1,000 points more than any other player!

wayne

gretzky

What everybody wants Every NHL player wants to win the Stanley Cup. The cup is quite old, older in fact than the whole NHL! The idea came from the Canadian Governor General Lord Stanley. It was first given to the hockey champions of Canada in 1893. After a team wins the cup, each player can hold it over5 their head to celebrate. Also their names are written on the side of the cup. And after the season is over, each player can spend one day with the cup and do whatever they want… gordie

howe

24

Gate December | 2012

Locked out!

You may have noticed that there are no NHL games played now. That is because club owners7 and players are arguing about8 money. So, there will not be any NHL games until9 they solve the problem. Hurry up, guys… hockey fans around the world are waiting!

Other great players Mario Lemieux

He might have been even greater than Gretzky, but his career was shorter because of health problems.

Lemieux scored 1,723 points in only 915 games.

Jaromír Jágr

Jágr is the highest scoring European player of all time, and is the eighth highest scorer in NHL history.

He also leads all players who are still playing in the NHL, with 1,653 points.

A global

game

Ice hockey originally came from Canada.

Canadians still make up10 the majority of players in the NHL. Fifty-three percent of all NHL players are from Canada, and almost one quarter (24%) are from the United States. But there are also many Europeans including 68 Swedes, 43 Czechs, 31 Russians, 29 Finns and 12 Slovaks.

Jiří Tlustý carolina hurricanes

1 scorer ["skO;r@r] – střelec 2 tough [tVf] – tvrdý, drsný 3 to set a record ["rekO;d] – vytvořit rekord 4 to break a record – překonat rekord 5 to hold something over [h@Uld] – držet něco nad 6 locked out – pozastaveno 7 club owners ["@Un@z] – vlastníci klubů 8 to argue about something ["A;gju;] – hádat se o něco 9 until [Vn"tIl] – až 10 to make up – tvořit

What’s the difference between the NHL and the Czech league?

The ice rink is different; that’s why the American play is more aggressive – there are more fights.

Czech players are better ice-skaters and you have a better chance to show your technique.

What was the most difficult thing when you moved to America?

Definitely learning English and adapting to American life. I was 18 when I moved and I lived away from my family, which was difficult.

Future time clauses There will not be any games until they solve the problem.

Until means up to that time; it is followed by present simple.

It is the same for when.

E.g. I won’t eat meat on Christmas Eve until I see a golden pig.

Exercise: Fill in the verb in the correct form.

1 Her parents will wait for her at the airport, when she _______ (arrive).

2 My boyfriend _______ (take) karate classes until he gets a black belt.

3 Santa Claus will ride all over the world until he _______ (deliver) all presents. → solutions on page 3

Gate December | 2012

25

ANIMALS

tf

E T I R E H G N WIN DA

Let’s get to know white tigers!

The zoo in Liberec is the only zoo in the Czech Republic that has been successful in breeding white tigers.

There are many white tigers in zoos, but some experts do not agree with breeding them because it is not natural. In nature, this white mutation is very unusual.

This July, white tiger triplets were born there: Gaia, Sambur and Liam. If you visit the zoo, you can see them playing with each other and their mother Surya Bára, who was named after the athlete, Bára Spotáková.

What’s for dinner?

Where are they from?

White tigers come from India and southeast Asia, where they live in a thick rainforest4 or jungle. Unfortunately, a lot of them have been killed by hunters or were caught as exotic pets for the rich.

So no one has seen a white tiger living in the wild for over 50 years!

successful [s@k"sesfUl] – úspěšný to breed [bri;d] – chovat (zvíře) 3 triplets – trojčata 4 rainforest ['reInfQrIst] – deštný prales 5 fur [f3;] – srst 6 sharp [SA;p] – ostrý 7 claw [klO;] – dráp 8 to hunt [hVnt] – lovit 1

Most animals in the jungle should be afraid of the white tiger, because they will eat almost anything: deer, wild pigs, rabbits, monkeys, snakes, crocodiles and sometimes even small elephants!

White tigers have very sharp6 teeth and powerful claws7, and they are skilled runners and swimmers. They prefer to hunt8 for food at night.

2

What do they look like?

White tigers are not albino●; it is a mutation in their genes that makes their fur5 white. In the wild, this is a bad thing because it is more difficult for a white tiger to hide and catch food. White tigers always have blue eyes, and they can grow to be very big – up to 300 kilograms!

albino – an animal without any of its normal colours

tives

Adjec

Match the adjectives from the text with the appropriate nouns.

Nouns 1) skilled A) rainforest 2) sharp B) claws 3) thick C) runner 4) powerful D) teeth

→ solutions on page 3

COMPETITION Win tickets and a special zoo gift bag! Answer the following question: Which animals don’t white tigers eat?

A elephants B deer C lions Email your answer with your full name and address to competition@bridge-online.cz, subject “tiger” by December 24.

26

Gate December | 2012

Photo © provided by ČTK Radek Petrásek

Nathaniel Patton (USA)

Cassowary

ANIMALS

Kašík

Nathaniel Patton (USA)

from Prague Zoo

T S E B E TH ver Pr ah a

e r e h fa t

BASIC PROFILE Cassowaries are very large birds, originally from the rainforests of New Guinea and northeastern Australia. They can weigh up to 60 kilograms! Only the ostrich3 and emu are larger. Cassowaries have very small wings, so you won’t see them fly. But they can run very fast.

Cassowaries can reach a speed of 50 km/h, so maybe they don’t really need to fly!

Zo i,

o

Meet Kašík the cassowary, one of the most interesting and good-looking birds in Prague Zoo. He is special for many reasons: his size, appearance, and behavior.

PARENTHOOD

to Pho

Kašík the cassowary is a very good father. Male cassowaries normally take care4 of young ones. After the mother lays her eggs in the nest5, she leaves the father all alone!

Luckily for the baby cassowaries, the father takes his job very seriously.

For two months, he sits on the eggs and keeps them warm and protects them from danger. When the eggs hatch6, the father feeds7 the babies until they are big enough8 to feed themselves.

©

a lB ali Kh

ak alb

Kašík may look friendly, but he will defend his territory if necessary. He has long, sharp claws (up to 12 centimeters long), which he uses for attack.

When someone comes too close, he will jump into the air and attack them with his wings and claws.

Just be careful when you come to visit him.

WEAPONS

Can’t fly but can figh t!

COMPETITION Win 5 family tickets to Prague Zoo. Answer the following question: Cassowaries attack with their A head and beak B wings and claws

True

False?

Email your answer with your full name and address to: competition@bridge-online.cz, subject “kasik” by December 24.

T F 1

It is the job of the male cassowary to take care of the babies.

2

Cassowaries are larger than ostriches.

3

The cassowary can fly.

4

Kašík is a very fast runner.

5

Cassowaries don´t like when people come close to them.

cassowary ["k&s@w@ri] – kasuár appearance [@"pI@r(@)ns] – vzhled 3 ostrich ["QstrItS] – pštros 4 to take care – starat se 5 nest – hnízdo 6 to hatch [h&tS] – vylíhnout se 7 to feed [fi;d] – krmit 8 big enough – dost velcí 1 2

→ solutions on page 3

Gate December | 2012

27

saves lives

rib cage – bones around heart and lungs (hrudní koš); hang in there – try to wait, be patient; discount – lower price

28

Gate December | 2012

© Jean

There are situations when saving a life depends on a quick reaction. A man collapses on the street and is not breathing or moving.

What should you do and say in a medical emergency (= nouze)? First…

Call an ambulance!

In English, ambulance has only one meaning. It is a special car that takes ill or injured people to the hospital.

Unconscious or just sleeping?

Maggie tells the operator that the man on the street is unconscious (= je v bezvědomí). It means that he looks asleep and does not react. You could also say that somebody fainted or passed out (= omdlel). Usually when somebody faints, it is for a few seconds. If a person is unconscious, it is for a longer time. If the person stays unconscious for more than a day, we would say that someone is in a coma.

Sometimes you can feel like you are in a coma

Help! Which number do I call?

155 is the number used to call an ambulance in the Czech Republic. 112 is the common emergency number that works in all EU countries, and can be used to contact an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police. Both numbers are free of charge. In the US the emergency number is 911 and in the UK 999 or 112.

Fill in the gaps in the sentences with the missing words.

at school. You don’t know what is going on. There is an expression for that; you can say you are out of it (= mimo).

Save a life!

When you see a person collapsing, first you must check if the person is breathing. If not, you should start The most compressing their important thing do not panic, chest (= hruď). don’t be afraid to help. Minutes Compressing is count. pressing or pushing in the middle of chest.

language point  paramedic – a person who is trained to give emergency medical treatment before transporting ill or injured people to hospital

→ solutions on page 3

fainted unconscious coma out of it ambulance 1 Alice did not feel well and ______ on her way to her maths class.

2 It's unusual for people to wake up from a ______ of more than a month.

3 I'm sorry, what did you say? I'm still a bit ______ – it's too early in the morning!

4 When the police arrived at the accident, the driver was ______. Luckily somebody called for an ______.

Gate December | 2012

29

In Se ine thi q nd u s l us est ang yo ion ua ur s a ge qu bo co es ut rne tio E r, ns ngl ou at ish r re ga gr a d te am er @ m sa br ar sk id a G g e nd a -o v te nl o c in a b e. u cz la ry .

co Lang rn uage er

Joanna Coleman (UK)

d a e h r u yo

m

ag

az

Tu r n ? d e r n r u t r o

Turn is a verb with many meanings.

People can turn blue, left or even into a different person.

Telling the way → turn left, right or around Often, turn means to change direction. When you drive a car, your navigation system can say turn left or turn right. Or if you miss your destination, turn around. It means that you should move and face the opposite direction.

→ turn your head If you turn your head, you move it to the left or the right. This is why we say in English that an attractive person walking down the street “turns heads”.

Too loud, too quiet → turn up or down You can also use turn to talk about technology. You can turn up the volume (= the sound) of your radio if you can’t hear it well. Or turn it down if it is too loud. And when you are finished, you should turn it off.

Red, yellow, green → turn red, blue Turn can describe when something is changing. When a person is choking (= dusit se) on something, like in the comic strip, they may turn blue. If you see a girl you like, your face may turn red. Also, the phrasal verb “turn into” means to change from one thing into another.

For example, you may know the fairy tale about the princess who turns into a frog!

TASK

Joke

A frog telephoned the Psychic Hotline and was told, “You are going to meet a beautiful young woman who will want to know everything about you.” The frog said, “That’s great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?” “No,” said the psychic, “in her biology class.”

Fill in the correct word in each space: around right into blue off down

1. If someone turns at the dinner table, you should call a doctor immediately.

2. Go straight for about 200 metres, turn at the corner and you will see the restaurant on the right side of the street.

3. You should turn all the lights in your house before you go to sleep.

4. Oh no! We´ve driven too far. We have to turn and go back in the other direction.

5. He is usually friendly, but he turns a crazy person if he doesn´t have a cup of coffee in the morning!

6. That music is too loud! Could you turn it a bit, please?

→ solutions on page 3

30

Gate December | 2012

PhOTO STORY

Shopping Fever

Jane and Christine are going to buy Christmas presents for Jack and Peter…

OH,

LET’S START HERE.

I HAVE NO IDEA!

HOW Can ANYONE LIKE THIS?!

WE don’t have PRESENTS FOR the boys! AND I DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY.

WOW YOU LOOK AWESOME!

ME NEITHER. WE’LL JUST give them a HUG.

NO… NO!!

YOU ONLY BOUGHT CLOTHES?!

HEY,

there’s A FASHION SECTION!

A few hours later…

look at THIS dress!

FOR US?!

LET’S GO!

WE’RE TAKING THESE TO CHARITY!

LET’S ALL GO TOGETHER!

OH my god they are here!

Outside the shopping centre

hi girls!

A really great excuse, jane!

OH SHUT UP!

that’s SO SWEET!

me neither – já také ne to give sb a hug – obejmout někoho Special thanks to Tally Weijl Pankrác and JRC Pankrác

Gate December | 2012

31

tf

music Jo Molloy (UK)

the top spot Christmas no. 1 hits in the UK Every Christmas in the UK there is a big battle2 for first place in the music single charts3. People can’t wait to find out which song has been the most popular and sold the most copies at Christmas. Radio stations announce4 the winner at midnight on December 24.

Reality TV no more!

The chart favourites Many famous bands have won the number one spot, like The Beatles.

But ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen is the only song that has reached5 the number one spot twice, once in 1975 and again in 1991.

Listen again… and again Everyone in the UK knows it’s Christmas time when radio stations start playing Christmas songs non‑stop. ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by the 1970s band Slade, and ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ by Shakin Stevens were Christmas number ones and are still played regularly6.

32

Gate December | 2012

Music for the poor In 1987 the musician Bob Geldof started a group called Band Aid with famous singers like Bono from U2, Sting and many others. They made the charity7 song ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas’ to raise money8 for children in Africa.

The song inspired many cover versions for example by Chris Martin from Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Sugababes and others.

Since 2002 the winners of television talent shows like the The X Factor have led the Christmas chart. In 2009 a Facebook protest started against singers from the reality show. The people on Facebook campaigned9 for a very anti10-Christmas song called ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage Against the Machine. A big battle between the rock band and The X Factor singers took place11 – and the winner was Rage Against the Machine!

Send us your vote for the best song of 2012. The only condition is that the song came out in 2012.

Christmas here are more songs waiting for you on the Gate CD.  ‘I Saw Three Ships’ sung by Sting is a modern version of the 17th‑century English carol. The lyrics talk about three ships sailing to Bethlehem, probably bringing the three kings. But there was no sea near the town!  ‘Let it Snow’ was written in 1945 in California on one of the hottest days of the year! It became a popular Christmas song and Ella Fitzgerald sang this song

1 spot [spQt] – místo 2 battle ["b&t(@)l] – bitva 3 chart [tSA;t] – žebříček, hitparáda 4 to announce [@"naUns] – vyhlásit 5 to reach [ri;tS] – dosáhnout 6 regularly ["regjUl@li] – pravidelně 7 charity ["tS&rIti] – charitativní 8 to raise money [reIz] – vydělat peníze 9 to campaign [k&m"peIn] – vést kampaň 10 anti ["&nti] – proti 11 to take place – konat se 12 mistletoe ["mIs(@)lt@U] – jmelí 13 to cheer up – rozveselit

What does Xmas mean?

In the UK ‘Xmas’ is a shorter version of Christmas. Some people say it takes the ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, but other people don’t agree. Either way (= v každém případě) it’s almost as common as the full word Christmas.

Classics in 1960. It talks about the pleasure of staying in when it is snowing and Christmas is around.  ‘Mistletoe’ was released by the Canadian music heart breaker, Justin Bieber last year. It’s about a boy who instead of celebrating Christmas with his family, is waiting under the mistletoe12 to kiss his girlfriend.

More activities in the TF.

2. ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ by Slade 1 ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen is from the album A Night in the Opera.

And the song sounds at times really like an opera. Freddie Mercury said it’s about relationships.

Listen to the opening part of the song and fill in the missing words. reality; fantasy; landslide; real life; low; high; look; come; poor; go; open Is this the 1 _______ Is this just 2 _______ Caught in a 3 _______ No escape from 4 _______ 5 _______ your eyes 6 _______ up to the skies and see I’m just a 7 _______ boy, I need no sympathy Because I’m easy 8 _______ easy 9 _______ , A little 10 _______ , little 11 _____.

This Christmas song was made in 1973. At that time there was an economic crisis and the band wanted to make a song to cheer everybody up13.

Listen to the chorus (= main part of the song) and choose the correct word for the gap.

So here it is 1 merry / berry Xmas Everybody’s having 2 fun / some 3 took / look to the future now it’s only just 4 begun / sung Are you waiting for the family to 5 arrive / drive Are you sure you got the 6 broom / room to spare inside → solutions in TF – Recording Scripts

Gate December | 2012

33

Starting in October, supermarkets decorate the shops with Christmas lights. And the adverts in magazines and billboards remind us it’s time to buy something. Even the products start to look a little Christmassy.

SELL

ING US

Jo Molloy (UK) Zuzana Sklenková (CR)

Look at these Christmas adverts. What are they trying to sell?

Match the adverts with the products A–H.

Even Santa likes to watch action movies and dress like a superhero.

1

Oh dear! What happened to Santa’s outfit.

It is pink now. What should he buy next time?

2

3 This Father Christmas has spent time looking after1 his body.

34

Gate December | 2012

4

A piece of wood as a Christmas present?

Nonsense2? Not if you get a special tool from Santa.

language point  English speakers like to shorten words to speak quickly. The word advertisement [@d"v3;tIzm(@)nt] has two shorter forms – an advert [@d"v3;t] and an ad. You can choose which one you want to use.

I saw a job advertisement/advert/ad for the position of a writer in Gate magazine.

What are the three kings waiting for?

Help: Look at the star!

5

7

Two Christmas balls on the tree. Help: It’s an important part of every woman’s clothing.

The sign “Beware of 4 the Dog” informs us that there is a four‑legged beast5 guarding6 the house. Here is a message for Santa: Don’t forget the dog at Christmas and bring him…

to look after – pečovat nonsense – nesmysl 3 to prevent a disaster [prI"vent dI"z&st@(r)] – zabránit katastrofě 4 beware of [bI"we@(r)] – pozor na 5 four-legged beast [bi;st] – čtyřnohé zvíře 6 guarding – který hlídá 7 bra – podprsenka 8 insurance [in"SU@r@ns] – pojištění 1 2

6 Pulling a Christmas cracker can be a dangerous activity. What can you buy to prevent a disaster3?

A Health club B Mercedes car C Dog food/Dog treats D Cable TV

E Saw F Washing powder G Bra7 H Insurance 8

8

→ solutions on page 3

Gate December | 2012

35