Hi guys! �� Welcome to Kid! Are you ready to start your journey into the wonderful world of English? Let’s go then!
In this first issue of Kid, you can read about something we all love: TV shows! In our special report on page 5, you’ll find some great American and British TV series that have been great favourites. From the world of cinema, we have an interview with Emma Stone on page 10, and on page 14 new films that are coming out soon. If you’re interested in what’s happening in our modern world, have a look at the 2030 Agenda goals we’re talking about on page 12, and discuss them with your classmates.
Happy reading!
Pauline info@elilanguagemagazines.com
What is it?
Hi, I’m Grammy. This month we’ll learn about:
- infinitive constructions
- past tenses
- passive forms
- superlatives
- adverbs (-ly)
Downloadable
Audio FIles
Your subscription includes free MP3 downloads of the audio sections of all the magazines. Visit www.elilanguagemagazines.com
Teacher’s Notes
Subscribed teachers are able to download both the MP3 audio files and the Teacher’s Notes in PDF format.
Halloween is celebrated in countries all over the world. Many think it originated in the United States. But did you know that’s not true? It started with an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, the Celtic New Year, which marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter. On the night between 31st October and 1st November, according to tradition, good and evil spirits were able to pass into the world of humans. So, people dressed in scary costumes, like they do now, to confuse them and frighten them away. Giving out treats is a way of avoiding unpleasant “tricks” and protecting your home.
The International Day of Peace
Established* in 1981 by the General Assembly of the United Nations, this day is celebrated every year on 21st September and is dedicated to peace all over the world. It highlights* the importance of dialogue and cooperation*, and invites all of us to reflect on* the tragic conflicts* that are still going on in many countries.
Three lines inside a circle
SOLVE THE ANAGRAM
It’s the
The famous peace sign was created on 21st February 1958 by the British artist Gerald Holtom. But what does it represent? The circle represents the Earth. The lines represent letters used in the Navy as flag semaphore* signals: the downward lines on either side show “N” for nuclear; the vertical line in the centre shows “D” for disarmament.
The idea of carving* horrible faces in pumpkins comes from an old Irish legend about a man called Jack O’Lantern, forced to wander around forever, with only a lantern made from a pumpkin to light the way.
Last year, this took place on 23rd September. This year it will be on the 22nd.
carve: to cut shapes into wood or other hard materials conflict: a war, fighting cooperation: collaboration, working together established: started, created highlight: to show the importance of something reflect on: to think about semaphore: way of sending messages using flags
History of Sport
Rugby
One of the world’s most popular sports, rugby is played all around the world, by two teams of 15 players (Rugby Union) or 13 players (Rugby League).
Rugby Union Competition
– Between 1900 and 1920, rugby was played in the Olympics. It returned in 2016.
– In 1987 the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand. The Trophy is named after William Webb Ellis. – Since 1883, the Five Nations Championship has brought together teams from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France. It became the Six Nations when Italy joined in 2000.
American football evolved* in the United States in 1869, using the same rules as soccer and rugby. Later, Walter Camp, a Yale University student, changed the rules of rugby to create the American football we know today.
Did you know that rugby originated in the early 19th century in Rugby, England? During a game of football (known as soccer in America), William Webb Ellis, a student at Rugby School, broke the rules by picking up the ball and running with it. And so, rugby was born! By the 20th century, the sport had spread to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The Rugby Union was formed and the sport became professional. As it became more popular, they decided to change to an oval ball, which was easier to hold and throw.
BEFORE RUGBY
Today
Rugby has continued to adapt to changes in society. However, there are now questions about the safety of playing the sport without head or body protection. Schools are changing the way they train players, so that they collide* less and avoid injury to the head.
Glossary
collide: to bump into another person or thing evolve: to change gradually
Here are the names of games played in the Middle Ages that were similar to rugby. Can you guess which countries they were played in?
We love
TV series!
The first TV series arrived in the 50s, but the most famous ones come from the 70s and 80s. From sitcoms* and science fiction to horror and fantasy, there is something for everyone.
In the same way we love a favourite book or film, we follow a TV series almost every day, and have a special attachment to the lives and adventures of the characters in every episode. We identify personally with the character and feel their emotions intensely. And when we get to the last episode, we feel almost “empty” because we miss that part of our lives.
Some TV series are so good, you can’t just watch them once. We all have our own favourite shows, and even our favourite episode, that we love so much, we know every word by heart! Which one is yours?
Cult series from the past
Many TV series have become “cult”. There’s a long list of them, but we have chosen just three.
Doctor Who (1963 – to the present)
One of the most popular, longrunning* science fiction series ever. There have been over 800 episodes, and 14 different actors who have played the part of Doctor Who, a time traveller, who everybody simply calls
“the Doctor”. He explores the universe and various historical time periods on board* the Tardis, a spacecraft which is also a time machine. From the outside, the Tardis seems like a normal blue police box (very common in 1960s Britain) but inside it’s incredibly spacious*.
Happy Days (19741984)
The main characters in this sit-com are Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard, now a famous director), his family, his friends, and the famous Fonzie (Henry Winkler). The series shows us how young people lived “the American dream” in the Fifties and Sixties, with first loves, parties, small problems to solve and big lessons to learn.
Friends (1994 - 2004)
It’s been exactly 30 years since the first episode of Friends went on air* and it’s still loved as much today. The characters became our best friends! Who couldn’t love Ross, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Rachel? We followed their lives as they fell in love and broke up, grew and changed, and spent time on the sofa in the iconic Central Perk in New York. The final episode was seen by 52 million Americans and is said to be one of the most watched final episodes of all time.
The Big Bang Theory (2007 - 2019)
The adventures of TV’s most lovable nerds*: physicists Leonard and Sheldon, aerospace engineer Howard and astrophysicist Raj make up a group of very intelligent but eccentric* friends. When Penny, a young waitress and aspiring* actress, suddenly comes into their lives, things change radically*. The series is famous for its brilliant dialogue, comical situations and special appearances by personalities from cinema and the world of science, like the scientist Stephen Hawking, and the actors Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher from Star Wars.
Stranger Things (2016 –to the present)
A series that became a cultural phenomenon in a very short time, Stranger Things takes us back to the 80s and is a mix of mystery, adventure and the supernatural. The young protagonists meet Eleven, a young girl with special powers, and in the fictional* town of Hawkins, in Indiana, they fight together against dark forces and horrible creatures from the Upside Down, a frightening parallel world.
Glossary
For over 140 years, Blackpool illuminations have been switched on in September. This year, earlier than usual, in front of the iconic
Blackpool Illuminations (30th Aug 2024 – 5th Jan 2025), Blackpool, England
Blackpool Tower, a celebrity will switch on the six-mile-long light show. Enjoy light-based art installations, live performances, and 3D projection shows. Take an Illuminations night tour on the old trams, or an Afternoon Tea or Fish & Chip Tour during the day.
The Braemar Gathering (7th September 2024), Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Since 1848, the Royal Family has attended this Gathering. Enjoy watching the Highland dancers and listening to pipers playing the bagpipes. Watch strong men in kilts*, and also women, tossing the caber*, throwing the hammer, and putting the shot*.
https://www.braemargathering.org
World Conker Championships (13th October 2024), Southwick, England
So, what is a conker? - It’s a hard round ‘nut’ that comes from the Horse Chestnut tree. To play the game, the conker is tied on the end of a long string. Each player hits the opponent’s conker with his own and tries to break it. The winner is crowned as the King or Queen of Conkers. This special contest earns money for blind charities*.
https://www.worldconkerchampionships.com
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (5 th -13 th October 2024), New Mexico, USA
Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Albuquerque to the largest balloon festival in the world to see 500 beautiful hot air balloons floating up into the bright blue sky. At this week-long event you can also enjoy good food, music and dancing. See special light shows with drones and events with special shaped balloons.
https://balloonfiesta.com
Samhuinn Fire Parade (31st October 2024), Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh’s annual Halloween celebration, the Samhuinn Fire Parade, one of the city’s biggest winter festivals, takes place at Calton Hill. The battle between the summer and winter Kings brings a Celtic tradition to life, with fire dancing, acrobatics, drums and exciting costumes.
Which event do you like best? Why do you like it and why would you like to go?
With her large captivating* eyes, an irresistible smile and undisputed talent, Emma Stone is one of the most popular film stars today and a great favourite with directors, but fame hasn’t changed her. Let’s find out more about her!
ID Card:
- Full name: Emily Jean Stone
- Place and date of birth: Scottsdale (ArizonaUSA), 6 November 1988
- Profession: actress
Emma Stone
Her paternal grandfather, Conrad Ostberg Sten, was Swedish and he changed his surname to “Stone” when he emigrated with his family to the United States. Emma also has German, English, Scottish and Irish ancestry*.
You’ve wanted to be an actress since you were very young. How did you tell your parents that you wanted to start acting?
Yes, I’ve always wanted to do
this work. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. So, I prepared a PowerPoint project called “Project Hollywood” to present to my mum and dad, which was a sort of “career programme” with graphs and tables showing my chance of success. I was very determined and they were incredibly understanding!
That was a very original way to convince them! Then, what did you do?
When I was 15, I moved to Los Angeles with my mother, where we lived in a tiny apartment. She was always with me, she took me to auditions*. It wasn’t easy, of course: I had no friends and it
Emma became famous in 2010, when she had the lead role in the comedy Easy A. After that, she was Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spiderman (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. She was also in two Woody Allen films in 2014 and 2015, and in 2021 she was a “punk rock” Cruella De Vil in the live action* Disney film Cruella.
You finally got success, with both its positive and negative sides. Does being famous really mean changing your life?
was difficult to get myself noticed. My first roles were small parts in TV programmes and series that weren’t very successful. In between rehearsals*, I made dog biscuits in a special bakery!
LOOK IN THE MIRROR
Just like the story of Mia Dolan in La La Land, that allowed you to win your first Oscar!
Exactly! Mia is a girl who goes to Los Angeles to follow her dreams, but faces a lot of problems. It was very easy for me to play this character. La La Land came out in 2016, but it seems like yesterday. And I just loved singing and dancing! I had done it before when I played the lead in the musical Cabaret, on Broadway.
See what Emma says about Los Angeles.
«LOS ANGELES IS ONE OF THE BEST CITIES TO LIVE IN: IT HAS THE SEA AND THE MOUNTAINS CLOSE BY, THERE ARE A THOUSAND THINGS TO DO AND SEE. I LOVE WALKING ALONG THE BEACH AND LOOKING AT THE OCEAN. SOME OF THE PEOPLE I LOVE MOST LIVE HERE, IT’S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.»
The answer is on page 15.
I still feel the same. One thing that makes me feel good, both in my professional and my personal life, is knowing that people appreciate me for what I am and what I have done. But I have also had completely different experiences, and they have taught me a lot. I have learnt from my failures: they have made me reflect, analyse myself and understand. Everything is fleeting*, if you think about it, but it’s beautiful just the same.
- Emma was on Time magazine’s list of the world’s most influential* people in 2017.
- In March of last year, she won her second Oscar, this time for the role of Emma Baxter in Poor Things (2023), where she played alongside actors like Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe.
Glossary
ancestry: family origins audition: test to get acting job
fascinating, attractive
lasting a short time, temporary influential: important live action: film with real actors rehearsal: practice for a play or film
Goal 6
Have you heard of the 2030 Agenda? Do you know what it is? If not, read on to find out more!
In 2015, at a historic United Nations conference, it was decided that 17 goals, to improve the lives of people around the world, should be reached by the year 2030, by all countries. Let’s look at some of those goals.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Access to clean drinking water, sanitation* and hygiene* is a human right, and is essential to health and food security. Some countries in the world don’t have enough clean water for their population. There are many reasons for this:
- Increased demand: in some countries, the population is increasing dramatically and the existing water supply is not enough.
- Urbanisation: building on more land often means deforestation* and the removal of fresh water sources. It can also mean that rivers and lakes are polluted by waste* from houses and factories.
- Climate change: it’s wellknown that, in recent years, weather events in certain parts of the world have changed. This has caused higher temperatures which result in drought*, but also excess rain. This may seem a good thing when there’s a water shortage, but most of the time, it causes flooding and damage which contaminates* the fresh water necessary for the population.
DISCUSS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES
Which countries do you think have the biggest problems with a lack of clean water? Has your country got clean water and good sanitation? What can governments do to improve the situation? What can we do?
Goal 13
Goal 13: Climate Action
Every person in every country will be affected by climate change. But what is causing it? For years, human activities have been a danger to the Earth, and it’s rapidly getting worse. Greenhouse gas emissions are increasing and global temperatures are rising, causing floods, droughts
and storms. Sea temperatures are also rising which affects marine life and is causing the ice at the North and South Poles to melt: a threat to the animals that live there. Sea levels are also rising.
Governments around the world have promised to make great changes to meet the goals to solve this problem.
DISCUSS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES
What do you know about the climate goals in your country? What more do you think can be done to reduce greenhouse gases? Do you know which countries are the best and which are the worst at keeping their climate promises? (Check climatechangenews.com!)
Do you do anything to help the environment? What can we all do? (Check out www.un.org/en/actnow)
This involves “going green”, changing the sources of energy we use in our everyday lives, using sustainable products and reducing the use of vehicles using fossil fuels*.
Since Covid, some countries have found it difficult to maintain their “green” promises, due to other expenses, and have had to change their policies*. This means it will be difficult to meet the climate goals by 2030.
Glossary
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
After more than thirty-five years, we finally have the long-awaited sequel to the successful Beetlejuice from 1988, once again with Tim Burton as director. Alongside the original stars (Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton), the cast includes Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe.
The soundtrack is by the composer, Danny Elfman. The story follows once again the Deetz family and their return to the old house in Winter River. Lydia’s rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid accidentally opens the portal* between the spirit world and the world of the living, allowing the ghost Beetlejuice to return and create chaos!
WHICH FILM…
The Wild Robot
genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Coming to the big screen is the adaptation of the illustrated novel of the same name, written by Peter Brown in 2016. ROZZUM 7134 (Roz) is a robot who is shipwrecked* on a desert island. Roz slowly adapts to the harsh, unfamiliar surroundings and makes friends with the animals that live there. He decides to adopt an orphaned* gosling*, and very soon the island becomes his home.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
genre: Animation, Family, Fantasy
Since he was a young child, Harold has been able to bring things to life, simply by drawing it with his magic purple crayon*. Now that he’s older, he has to face real life outside the pages of his book and discovers that he has a lot to learn. He can’t resolve everything with the power of imagination, but this power can be dangerous, if it falls into the wrong hands. In the lead role is the actor Zachary Levi and the cast includes, among others, Alfred Molina and Zooey Deschanel.
- is an exciting journey of self-discovery and a reflection on the relationship between technology and nature?
- is based on a children’s book, written in 1955 by Crockett Johnson?
The answers are on page 15.
Glossary
crayon: pencil made of wax
gosling: a baby goose
orphaned: having no parents
portal: passage between two worlds
sequel: next part of a story or film
shipwrecked: left abandoned after a ship sinks
True or False?
Have you read the Report? Put yourself to the test with this True or False exercise!
1. Some TV series from the 50s are still very famous. 2. The Doctor in Doctor Who travels in time and space.
3. The lead role in Happy Days is played by a boy who’s a director.
4. Leonard and Sheldon are the main characters in Friends.
5. The first episode of Friends was transmitted in autumn 1994.
6. The Big Bang Theory also deals with scientific subjects.
7. Stranger Things is a series from the 80s.
8. Eleven is helped by a group of boys, in her fight against evil.
Find it in the magazine…
what the Tardis is. the shape of the ball used in rugby. a musical instrument played in Scotland ... who Danny Elfman is. ........................................................................................ a word meaning lack of water. how many Oscars Emma Stone has won.
The answers are at the bottom of the page.
ANSWERS
Page 3: Solve the anagram: autumnal equinox. Pages 8-9: Before Rugby. 1.
«Los
the
is one of the best cities to live in: it has the sea and the mountains close by, there are a thousand things to do and see. I love walking along the beach and looking at the ocean. Some of the people I love most live here, it’s very close to my heart.» Page 14: Which film: The
2
is also a time machine and seems like a blue
New Zealand, 2. Australia, 3. Japan, 4. Italy, 5. Ireland, 6. France. Pages 10-11: Look in
mirror:
Angeles
Wild Robot; Harold and the Purple Crayon Page 15: True or False? 1 False;
True; 3 False; 4 False; 5 True; 6 True; 7 False; 8 True. Find it in the magazine: a spacecraft which
British police box from outside; oval; bagpipes; the composer of the soundtrack for the new Tim Burton film; drought; two.
