Your English Monthly
TEEN
B2/C1
1
®
Year XXXVII - N. 1 - September - October 2016 - Imprimé à Taxe Réduite
Hot Topics
The Real Face of Virtual Reality
People
Stephen Curry Report
The ‘Cloud’
www.elimagazines.com Find TEEN online (see page 2 for details)
Dear Readers, welcome to a new year with TEEN.
N. 1 - September/October 2016
This year, the UK celebrates the 400th anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare – we find out about costume and set design for his most famous plays. We start this issue with a profile* of Stephen Curry, one of the world’s top basketball players. Our Report focuses on the ‘Cloud’, and we investigate the pros and cons of virtual reality. We discover creative ways to bring colour into our cities and look at carbon, from the history of the world’s most valuable diamond to graphene – the invention that’s making science fiction a reality. Happy reading!
Common European Framework Intermediate Level (B2–C1) In this issue look out for: - present tense – simple and continuous - subclauses with who - passive constructions – simple and continuous - future - modals - the hypothetical - language of economics and statistics; television - idioms of positive emotion
Audio A subscription to the magazine allows you to download for free, in MP3 format, the audio of all the magazines in the resources section of our website www.elimagazines.com. You can do this by inserting the access code found in each issue of the magazine.
Liz
Contents 3 4 6 8 10 12 14
People Stephen Curry Hot Topics The Real Face of Virtual Reality Report The ‘Cloud’ Elemental Carbon: Coal, Diamond, Graphene Around the World Colouring the City Culture and Society Dressing Shakespeare Playstation
Teacher’s guide For teachers, the subscription to the magazine allows you to download for free the audio material in MP3 format, as well as the teacher’s guide for all* the magazines available in PDF format. The teacher must first register in the teachers’ resources section on our website www.elimagazines.com Access Code: 0004 7000 0010 NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS OR FOR ANY PURPOSES WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. THE PUBLISHER IS PREPARED TO MAKE PAYMENT FOR ANY COPYRIGHT OF PHOTOGRAPHS WHERE THE SOURCE HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACE. ALTHOUGH WE CHECK THE CONTENT AND SUITABILITY OF THE WEB SITES FEATURED OR REFERRED TO IN OUR MAGAZINES AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS, WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES WHICH MAY HAVE OCCURRED SINCE, AS THESE WEB SITES ARE IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ELI.
Around the World In 1981, the UN declared the 21st September the International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day. This important day is dedicated to promoting peace and a world without violence. The day starts at UN Headquarters in New York, where a peace bell is rung. Events are organised around the world to celebrate peace, and many schools and places of work hold a minute’s silence to remember those who have died in war. This year’s theme focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals, whose aim is to end poverty, hunger and inequality, and to improve health and education, gender equality. These goals, says the UN says are ‘the building blocks* of peace’.
The International Day of Peace
ELI srl, C.P. 6, 62019 Recanati, Tel. (071) 750701, Fax (071) 977851 Direttore responsabile: Lamberto Pigini. Realizzazione testi: Liz Ferretti. Autorizzazione Trib. di Macerata N. 237 del 4 luglio 1984. Realizzazione: Realizzazione: Tecnostampa, Loreto © ELI Italy 2016
Glossary profile: (here) short article describing someone’s personality and life building blocks: (here, figurative) individual things that you use to make/build a bigger thing
International Day
There’s another international celebration in September. Do you know what it is? a. International Literacy Day. b. International Women’s Day. c. World Teachers’ Day.
2
The answer is on page 15.
past simple and perfect; idioms; time phrases
Stephen Curry
People
He might look like the ‘boy next door’*, but Stephen Curry is an international sporting giant. In fact, for many players and fans of basketball, he is quite simply one of the greatest shooters in the history of the game! Passport First Names: Wardell Stephen Family Name: Curry Place and Date of Birth: Akron, Ohio, USA, 14th March 1988 Profession: Professional Basketball Player Distinguishing Marks: World’s favourite basketball player
From first steps…
Stephen’s parents passed on their love of sport to him and his brother. His father, Dell, played basketball for the Charlotte Hornets*, and his mother, Sonya, played basketball and volleyball. Steph, as he is often known, quickly fell in love with basketball. He started playing at primary school and he and his brother even practised with the Hornets when they were very young. It was clear from the start that he had both the talent and ambition to become a professional player.
... to the NBA*
When he graduated from high school, Steph met his first hurdle*: he didn’t have the right physique* to play basketball. He wasn’t particularly tall and he was too slender. He started to apply for university, but because of his slight frame, he didn’t get any offers. This setback* didn’t make him give up, though, Steph was determined to succeed. He eventually accepted a place to attend Davidson College, North Carolina, where his talent had been noticed while he was still at high school. In spite of continued doubts about his physical strength and height, he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2009. At long last, Steph was playing in the US professional league, the NBA (National Basketball Association). Today he wears a number 30 shirt – the same number his father wore.
The Power of Dreams
Whatever difficulties he came across, Stephen never gave up on his dream to become a professional, even when he was told he would never make it! He always believed he could do it and worked hard to get there. Every time he steps onto the basketball court* he puts his whole being into the game, and that has made him popular with the public. “It doesn’t matter if the nearest player is taller than me, bigger or faster,” Stephen says, “if I am passionate about what I do, if I put my heart and soul into it, then more often than not*, I will win.” Stephen Curry has changed the face of basketball and he’s inspired thousands of people to take the sport up.
Curry on the Court
Stephen Curry is a spectacular player to watch. He moves with the agility of an acrobat, he passes the ball from one hand to another, behind his back and between his legs. He is elegant and fast, he always knows what he needs to do and how to execute* it. His greatest strengths are speed and accuracy. Stephen Curry can score from almost any position and almost any distance! Every time he scores, he touches his chest and points to the sky. This young man is very religious and believes that his success is a gift from God. Stephen has a detailed pre-game warm-up routine which helps him get control of the ball, to get a feel for the ball before the match starts.
Life and Love
Stephen has a tattoo on his left wrist in Hebrew which reads “Love never fails!”. Stephen loves basketball, but his family takes first place in his heart: his wife Ayesha and his daughters Riley and Ryan Carson. For Stephen, to love is to help other people. He’s been supporting the campaign against malaria for over two years, raising awareness and funds to help fight this disease. In spite of winning US Male Athlete of the Year and Sportsman of the Year recently, and his growing fame around the world, he still has simple tastes, is modest, empathic and aware of other people’s problems. Stephen is still ‘one of us’.
Glossary boy next door: (idiom) someone who looks reliable and familiar hornet: insect, like a very large wasp or bee NBA: National Basketball Association, the US professional basketball league hurdle: (here, figurative) problem or difficulty that you have to find a way round
physique: shape and size of a person’s body setback: something that stops you moving forward (often temporary) court: rectangular area for playing a ball game more often than not: (idiom) usually execute: (here) do what you need to make a plan happen
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Hot Topics
present tense simple and continuous; hypothetical; vocabulary of technology
In this new series, we look at a range of ‘hot topics’ causing debate around the world – how technology is affecting us and our society, efforts to save iconic animals, changing attitudes to skin colour and body image.
The Real Face of Virtual Reality 3D world
Virtual Reality, or VR as it is often known, uses computer technology to create a believable, 3D world using a headset. Some companies have also developed interactive gloves and treadmills* to add to the feeling of reality. The experience is totally immersive* and you can interact* with the world you are seeing.
In 2012, Palmer Luckey builds the world’s first virtual reality headset – known as the Oculus Rift – when he is still only a teenager. He puts his idea onto Kickstarter, the internet site where you can ask people to fund* your idea. He is successful and from there his company grows fast. In 2013, it is sold to Facebook for $2bn. During this time, competitors like HTC, Samsung and Playstation develop rival headsets. Virtual Reality has arrived and it’s what the world has been waiting for, right? 4
Through the sense of sight, but also the less obvious sense of balance, VR creates an illusion* of reality. VR also has to simulate the human range of vision, which is around 180°. So, in order for the experience to be as realistic as possible, the headset has to give us peripheral vision, or what we can see out of the corners
Felix & Paul Studios, based in Montreal, Canada, are offering something a little different to all of that. This company creates VR “experiences”. You can sit and watch a performance by Cirque du Soleil, or be transported to the world of the Maasai in Kenya, or visit a tribe in Borneo. You can even visit East Africa with ex-US president Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, to see how development projects are changing people’s lives. Felix & Paul Studios have also created VR
practising brain surgery, for example. Architecture students could visit buildings around the world without leaving their study room, art students could go to an art gallery on the other side of the world. You could attend a concert given by your favourite band or see a play without moving from your sofa. You could go to a tropical island to practise meditation. You could even play tennis against Maria Sharapova. VR might help hospital patients and those suffering from psychological problems. In a trial* study, a small group of people were cured of their phobia of spiders using VR. VR might also help people deal* with pain, and there might be ways to help cancer patients and people with severe burns.
Where’s the problem?
There is an interesting German word, Zeitgeber. A Zeitgeber helps us, almost subconsciously, work out what time of day it is. This could be something like the position of the sun in the sky, the temperature, the times of day that you eat and so on. Zeitgeber don’t exist in VR and as a result it’s easy to lose your sense of time. One person thought he’d spent three hours playing a VR game, in fact he’d been playing for 12 hours! of our eyes. In addition to stimulating our natural senses, the speed and smoothness of the images is also important. All of this creates a sense of presence – you feel as if you are really there.
What does VR offer?
It’s a new technology, so developers are only just beginning to explore its possibilities. There are games, of course, mazes and puzzles, but also more violent games, similar to first person shooter computer games. You can play on your own, in a team or with groups of people from across the world.
‘tie-ins’* for blockbusters such as Jurassic World – where for ten minutes you really can walk with dinosaurs. Other possibilities are a climbing experience, where you compete with friends to climb mountains and buildings.
Education, training and medicine
It’s not all about entertainment. There are lots of other ways VR might be used – for training purposes, like flight simulators for pilots. Here, VR can help in situations where it is too difficult, dangerous or expensive to recreate the real situation. A fire fighter entering a burning building, or a trainee* surgeon
There are also concerns about how VR will affect our eyes and vision. Headsets get your eyes to work a little unnaturally. That is probably fine for a while, but after many hours in VR, people have reported eye strain and problems focussing*. Many people feel nausea in VR, much like motion sickness when you travel in a car. Because the body and mind cannot tell the difference between a VR experience and something happening in the real world, you might experience real fear! Other people have reported losing their sense of reality when they come back into the ‘real world’. Some people might even prefer to live in
Glossary
What do you think? 1. VR is all about playing games and having fun. 2. I’m worried VR could cause physical and mental health problems. 3. VR is an expensive toy, which will only help people waste time! 4. VR has the potential to be as world-changing as the internet
Agree
Disagree
fund: provide money for you to start a business, for example treadmill: machine, often in a gym, that you can walk or run on to get fit immersive: that feels as if you are completely inside something, like being under water interact: when you have an effect on something and it has an effect on you illusion: something that is not real, but appears to be so tie-in: media product, eg a book, game etc, that is linked to another media product, often a film trainee: someone who is learning a particular job or profession trial: (here) test, to find out if something will work or not deal with: (here) having to live through focus: when your eyes see clearly and sharply
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Report
The Cloud
In the twenty-first century there’s a new ‘cloud’ that isn’t white, isn’t made of water droplets* and isn’t anywhere in the sky. It’s not a thing that you can find go and look for or pick up in your hands! So what is it? Everywhere and Nowhere
The cloud is a way of saving data such as photos, documents, music, videos, etc. on the internet. The only thing you need to link into the cloud is an internet connection, then you can sign up for an account (which are often free) and start uploading your files. You can store from between 2 to 15 gigabytes* of data, and if that isn’t enough you can buy more space for a relatively small fee* or by paying a monthly subscription*. Hard disks? Memory sticks? DVDs? They’re a thing of the past. In fact, you don’t need any local storage* if you are using the cloud. As long as you have an internet connection you can access your files and data wherever and whenever you want! So, how does the cloud work? Well, it’s similar to email. The main difference is that while email is all about messages, you can store any type of digital file in the cloud. How many cloud providers*
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are there? Lots! The most famous are Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Mega and Tresorit. In theory there are no limits to the amount of stuff you can store – the internet is a more-or-less infinite space!
How did the Cloud start?
There have been huge advances* in digital and internet technology in the last thirty years or so, but the cloud as we know it is a very recent invention. It was set up in 2008, only eight years ago, as the number of smartphones, tablets and laptops expanded. The cloud allows you to take your files with you on your computer or mobile phone. What’s more, you can share your virtual storage space with friends and family: if you want others to see a video you’ve made, just upload it and send the link to whoever you want wherever they are in the world. It’s simple and very fast!
The best things about the Cloud…
There are lots of great things about the cloud. For the first time you can access all your files at all times. If you are on holiday on the other side of the world, you can upload your photos to the cloud so that everyone at home can see them. It makes working from home easier, because you can access your work files without needing to use your office computer. If you’re travelling, you don’t need to take all the books you want to read, you can use your library in
whenever, wherever, whoever; modal verbs need to, have to, don’t have to
the cloud. You no longer need to save your documents on a range of different devices, the cloud means you only need one storage area! Whereas* before you had to take documents from the office or school to your home on a memory stick, now all you need is an internet connection. You can use it to download lessons and notes, or to upload homework and essays, or share your work with your friends. If your computer blows up* or you lose your phone, you don’t need to worry – if your documents are in the cloud you can’t lose them.
... the not-so-good things!
Of course the cloud is a brilliant invention, but it’s not perfect. The main problem is that you have to have an internet connection to access it, without that it’s useless. Security is another big issue. Some private cloud accounts have been hacked and their contents published around the world. To avoid that, you should use a Cloud provider which has good security features. You can’t physically touch or look at this virtual storage space. If you’re not careful, you might forget what you have stored ‘up’ there, you could lose a classic film or a favourite song. Just as at home, or on your desktop computer, you need to be tidy and organised in the cloud if you want to find anything!
What’s does the future look like?
Some interesting facts...
• By 2016, 36% of all data will be stored in the cloud (from 7% in 2013). • Young people under the age of 24 use the cloud mainly for file sharing. People above that age tend to use it for storage. • Many businesses now use the cloud, not only for data storage, but so that groups of people can work on projects together. • Many businesses say the cloud has lowered* their costs. • The cloud is pretty eco friendly – it helps reduce energy consumption and waste. • There are good job opportunities too – a majority of businesses say they want to recruit* people with cloud expertise.
Technology is constantly evolving. What will this virtual storage space look like in the future? Will it last, or is it only a passing phase? The cloud is a useful invention and for that reason it will almost certainly not disappear. In fact, it is only likely to get bigger and faster, easier to use and more intuitive. Above all, it is likely that more and more people will make use of this helpful piece of technology. Until perhaps one day, almost everyone in the world will be in the ‘cloud’!
Glossary
Secret Code
Although the cloud developed from the work of many different people, one person is credited with being its inventor. He was born in 1972, in the southern Italian region of Puglia. He is known as the ‘father of the cloud’. Use the secret code to find his name!
l
n J H 2 5 s J
The answer is on page 15.
H 5
Q
5
6
6 J
A = l B = Q G = n I = 5 L = 6 N = s O = J S = H T = 2
droplets: tiny amount of liquid gigabyte: one thousand million bytes of ‘information’ fee: money paid to get a service subscription: regular amount you pay to receive a service, magazine etc local storage: places such as computers or external hard drives where you can store data
providers: companies which provide cloud accounts and services advances: developments, improvements whereas: used when you want to compare one thing with another blows up: (here, figurative) stops working lowered: reduced recruit: give someone a job in your organisation
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Six Elements
time expressions; subclauses
In this series of articles, we look at some of the building blocks of the universe, what they mean to us and what we use them for
Carbon:
Coal, Diamond, Graphene What do trees, coal, diamonds, human beings and space-age technology have in common? They are all made, at least partially, from carbon. In fact, we are about 18% carbon, trees are 48%, the highest quality coal is around 80% carbon and diamonds are… you’ve guessed it, 100% carbon. Carbon is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, let’s find out a bit more about this building blok of life! C is for Coal
Most of our technology and the good standard of living that the majority of people in developed countries enjoy is thanks to coal. Coal comes from dead plants that are crushed through natural geological processes over a period of thousands of millions of
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years. A plentiful supply of coal in the English Midlands was what provided the power for the steam*-powered revolution called the Industrial Revolution. For hundreds of years, coal mining was a big part of British culture. In the 1950s over 500,000 people were
employed in the industry, but it has declined since then. Although there are still a few surface mines*, the UK’s last deep mine closed late last year, in December 2015. Now, as a result of climate change, the world is turning away from coal – unfortunately burning coal is the largest contributor* to greenhouse gas emissions.
So, when the whole world is watching, how do you transport the most valuable bit of carbon on the planet to England? Everyone was told the Cullinan was being taken to London on a steamship. A large parcel was given in public to the captain of the ship, and a group of detectives guarded it at all times. But this was not really where the diamonds was. The real diamond was put in a plain brown box and sent to London via the post! You can see both the Cullinan diamonds and many other precious jewels at the
D is for Diamond
Some of the world’s largest diamonds are held in trust* by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the Crown Jewels*, which are used in important ceremonies such as coronations. One of the most famous diamonds was found in South Africa in 1905. Out of this were cut two huge diamonds called the Cullinan I, or the Great Star of Africa, the largest white diamond in the world, and the Cullinan II, which is part of the Imperial Crown.
Tower of London. Many people believe that the jewels on display are fake, but in fact they are real – stored behind bombproof* glass and watched by over 100 hidden CCTV* cameras!
G is for Graphene
Graphene is an extraordinary type of carbon which is only one molecule* deep and is therefore a two-dimensional substance. It’s incredibly strong and incredibly flexible. Although people had
Carbon Quiz Do you know the answers to these every-day uses of this adaptable element? 1. 2. 3.
What form of carbon is used in pencils? a. carbon dioxide
b . coal
c. graphite
What form of carbon do plants make use of in photosynthesis? a. methane
b. carbon dioxide c. hydrocarbons
What type of carbon is used to make protective clothing, ultra light-weight bike frames and aircraft wings? a. graphene
Answers are on page 15.
b. crude oil
c. carbon fibre
PSR J1719-1438 is a pulsar* planet which is about 4,000 light years away from the Earth. Discovered in 2011, it is an extremely dense planet made of oxygen and carbon. The intense pressures working inside this planet mean that the carbon is being squeezed. What do you get when you put carbon under huge pressure? Diamonds of course! It is just possible that this planet is mostly diamond!
been making graphene whenever they wrote with pencils, the full potential of this amazing substance was discovered one Friday afternoon by two scientists from Manchester University (Professor Andre Gein and Professor Kostya Novoselov, who were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics). Scientists are now exploring the commercial and technological potential of graphene – from super-fast batteries to water filtration, fast computer chips, smart fabrics and wearable technology such as smartphones on your wrist or a tablet you can roll up like a newspaper. Science fiction is fast becoming science fact.
Glossary steam: gas that forms when you boil water surface mine: place where coal is taken without going underground contributor: thing or person that gives or provides something held in trust: looked after on behalf of the country, but not belonging to Crown Jewels: gold, silver and precious stones made into special hats etc, worn by kings and queens bombproof: so strong it will not break if you explode a bomb next to it CCTV: closed-circuit TV, where images are not shown publicly, usually used for security purposes molecule: group of atoms that create a chemical substance pulsar planet: planet which goes round a pulsar star (which spins very fast and emits electromagnetic (radiation)
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Around the World
The new millennium has seen a wave* of exciting ideas for making urban spaces more attractive and welcoming. How can you make parks, streets, squares and even entire* districts look nicer? Decorate them of course! You can turn public benches, trees and flowers into works of art and create sculptures out of street corners. Let’s go and find some of the most original ways of decorating the city.
Decorating The City Colourful Benches
In Jerusalem, artist Talya Tomer-Schlesinger has transformed her district’s rather boring, municipal* benches. She uses them as embroidery* grids* to create bright and beautiful designs with wool. Now, her streets are filled with colour and the people have unique and beautiful benches to sit on, that are also comfortable! This way of decorating the city is called ‘guerrilla knitting*’ – it’s a gentle, colourful war against the grey of our cities. Artists and inhabitants knit, embroider or crochet* covers for statues, columns, trees and even bridges! There is only one rule: you mustn’t cause permanent damage to the objects you’re covering. Guerrilla knitting gives a new set of clothes to a city, and puts a smile on the faces of the people passing by.
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Illuminated Musical Swings
In Montreal, Canada, thirty illuminated seesaws* have been installed on a busy street. They turn into musical instruments when you sit on them. The project is called Impulse and was designed to make a public space in the city centre come alive and to help people really enjoy this otherwise big empty public space. In another project, 21 illuminated musical swings* were installed, again, music is activated when people use the swings. This is all about turning a dull space into a place for people of all ages to have fun together.
Telephone Box Greenhouses and Libraries Once everyone had a mobile phone, there was one piece of city architecture which quickly became redundant* – the public telephone box. But instead of letting them go to
about +ing; adjectives
waste, why not make use of them? Italian designer, Silvia Minenti, decided to transform these old phone boxes into mini greenhouses. The project started in Rome but has already spread to other cities, like Milan. These mini greenhouses are filled with flowers, plants and perfumed* herbs such as rosemary, basil and lavender…. There are other ideas for making good use of old phone boxes: a salad bar in London, or mini libraries, where you can take your old books for others to read, and pick up a new one yourself. These mini libraries began in the UK and USA, but they are such a great idea you can now find them in cities all round the world.
The Dancing Traffic Light
It can be quite tedious* to stand and wait for the green man to say it is safe to cross the road. A new project from Lisbon has found an inventive way to entertain people while they’re waiting to cross one of the city’s busiest streets. The red man, or manikin, starts to dance! You can just stand and watch,
Match
Match each of these inventive, colourful projects with its home city. 1.
The phone box greenhouse
a. Cambridge
2.
The dancing traffic light
b. Rome
3.
The Starpath
c. Jerusalem
4.
Embroidered benches
d. Montreal
5
Illuminated musical swings
e. Lisbon
The answers are on page 15.
or you can have fun and try to copy the manikin’s moves! This fun idea is not just about entertaining pedestrians, it is also about improving road safety. A lot of people got impatient while they were waiting for the green man and were crossing the road when it wasn’t safe to do so. Now almost everyone waits, thanks to the dancing red man!
Starpath
There’s a new spray paint which makes paths and streets glow* in the dark. During the day, the paint absorbs UV rays from the sun and at night it gives out a blue glow. It is a great, energy-saving way to light up paths at night. It was first trialled in the city of Cambridge in the UK but it has become incredibly popular around the world. Many UK councils are trying to find ways to save money and reduce their carbon footprint, in fact in a lot of towns and cities, streetlamps are switched off at night. This glow-in-thedark paint not only helps town councils save money, but it adds a bit of sparkle* and magic to the city at night.
Glossary wave: (figurative) when many similar things happen at the same time entire: complete, whole municipal: relating to the town council or government embroidery: decorating a cloth with different coloured wool grids: framework (here, with holes in where the wool can pass through) knitting: when two big needles are used to tie wool together in patterns, to make jumpers, scarves etc
crochet: a fabric made from thread using wool and a single needle seesaws: two people sit at either end of a seesaw, when one person goes up the other goes down, and vice versa swing: a seat on long rope or chain, you use the weight of your body to go up and down redundant: no longer needed tedious: boring glow: a steady low light sparkle: shine brightly with flashes of light
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Culture and Society
hypothetical; language of theatre and costume
Dressing Shakespeare
It’s 400 years since England’s most important modern army clothes to emphasise the military culture of Rome at the literary figure died. time the play was set, one of the comedies might have costumes that come As Shakespeare’s from the 1920s, when the culture was about freedom and enjoyment. memory is celebrated What’s in a Dress? around the world, An enormous amount of work goes into creating perfect costumes. Theatre companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, who are we go behind the scenes* to look at based in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, go the work of the costume makers to the ends of the earth to find the right materials, decorations, colours and accessories. Much of the fabric* comes from the UK, but some comes and set designers who help make from Germany, Italy and France. Other specialist items such as beads* and Shakespeare’s words come to life.
Detail, detail
So, you love the theatre but don’t want to become an actor or a director? You could try costume design and costume making instead. Costumes have become as important in modern theatre as they are in the film industry. It’s as if all the details, from the shoes, dresses, trousers, hats and hair, have to be as perfect as possible in order not to burst the bubble of illusion* for the audience. This has not always been the case*, in fact in Shakespeare’s time, many of the less important actors may have worn their own clothes! Today’s directors might decide to dress the cast in clothes that Shakespeare would have recognised, or they might choose a different setting* or time. For example, the characters in Julius Caesar might wear
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lace* come from Austria and New York. New York didn’t exist 400 years ago of course, but theatres in Shakespeare’s time would have bought fabrics in the markets of London that had come from all over Europe.
In the top theatres, with the biggest budgets, costumes are made especially for each actor. In Shakespeare’s day, very few of the costumes would have been specially made, perhaps only for the most important characters. The other actors would have had to adapt existing costumes to fit them! Today at the RSC, as the Royal Shakespeare Company is often known, costume makers take 50 individual measurements of each actor.
Scene Change!
Actors often have very little time to change costumes inbetween scenes, so that have
to be able to get them off and on again with lightning speed. The RSC doesn’t use zips or Velcro*, zips get stuck and Velcro is really noisy. Can you guess what they use instead? Powerful magnets! This allows the costumes to be pulled off without damaging them.
Authentic
Once these perfect dresses and outfits have been made, the next thing to do is to make them look old! Kings, queens and princesses might have clothes that look new, but the rest of the cast would not. The costume makers work hard to make the
Crossword
Complete the crossword with words from the article and find out which of Shakespeare’s plays was one of his most popular when he was alive, and is still the most performed today!
1. The speed actors need 1. g n to change their costumes 2. t between scenes. 2. These are used to hold 3. costumes together. 4. y 3. After each performance the clothes must be checked for any ... a 5. 4. Adjective to describe things e 6. associated with an army... 5. Getting this right helps us to 6. The place you go to watch a play. believe what we are seeing is real.
Shakespeare Quiz
Shakespeare invented many new words and phrases that we still use today. Read these phrases and see if you can understand what they mean. 1.
Wear your heart on your sleeve (Othello) a. to be badly injured b. to wear your best clothes c. to show your true feelings
2.
Too much of a good thing (As You Like It) a. when you no longer like something because you’ve had too much of it b. to eat too much c. when you have many good things to be happy about
The answers are on page 15.
clothes look as though they have been worn for months. They might be rubbed* so that the fabric looks old or made to look dirty. After each performance they also have to check all the clothes and repair any damage they find. Each costume has to be well made – it will probably be used over 100 times!
Make Up
In Shakespeare’s day, the make up that actors wore was not subtle! It was not possible for women to go onto the stage then, so all female roles were played by boys and young men. These male actors
wore dresses of course, but also used to paint their faces with white make-up – it was fashionable for women to look pale in those days. Today, our tastes are quite different, actors don’t wear much make up. It’s a much more natural look and this matches a more natural style of acting. Modern productions often use wigs, though. This false hair can completely change the look of a person. Once the production is finished, the RSC hires out its costumes, hats and shoes to schools, amateur theatres and other professional theatres.
Glossary behind the scenes: into places that the public does not normally see burst the bubble of illusion: (idiom) something that takes you out of the ‘reality’ of a play wasn’t the case: not true, didn’t happen setting: place where a play or story takes place fabric: cloth, material beads: small piece of glass or stone used to make a necklace or to decorate fabric lace: delicate, often white, fabric used to decorate dresses, especially sleeves and collars Velcro: a way of holding two pieces of fabric together without buttons or a zip rubbed: move back and forward over something repeatedly
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Playstation
Wordsearch The cloud has only been around for a few years but it is already transforming the way we work, study and share information. Find the technologyrelated words in the wordsearch below! • • • • •
cloud computer connection download gigabyte
• • • • •
internet network save storage virtual
Jewels
Do you know the name in English for these precious and semiprecious stones? Match the colour of the stone with its name. a.
red
1. emerald
b.
blue
2. diamond
c.
green
3. turquoise
d.
opaque light blue
4. sapphire
e.
purple
5. amethyst
f.
colourless
6. ruby
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C F K S T G B E D C
O G G M T C L O U D
M E I O N O S E R T
P X G S E N R L I I
U C A R T N V A A N
T V B A W E I E G T
E P Y S O C R I O E
R S T S R T T W P R
W T E E K I U R N N
D O W N L O A D V E
D A N M O N L E R T
Idioms!
In this issue of TEEN we have used a number of idioms. Can you remember what they mean? Choose the correct definition from the options below! 1. BOY/GIRL NEXT DOOR a. your neighbour b. someone who looks familiar and reliable 2. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT a. something that doesn’t happen often b. something that happens more often than it doesn’t happen 3. MOVE WITH LIGHTNING SPEED a. move incredibly fast b. move with silently and with light feet 4. TO GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH a. to travel a lot b. to search for something until you find it
Secret Code
Have you read the article on decorating the city? Many modern architects have built stunning buildings to make our cities more attractive. Use the secret code to find the name of a famous British–Iranian architect who died recently. A = 6 D = Q H = n I = 5 Z = H
H
6
n
6
n
6
Q
5
Q
The answers are at the bottom of this page.
Answers P. 2 International Day: a. p. 7 Secret code: Agostino Sibillo. p. 9 Carbon Quiz: 1 c; 2 b; 3 c. P. 11 Match: 1 b, 2 e, 3 a, 4 c, 5 d. P. 13 Crossword: 1 lightning; 2 magnets; 3 damage; 4 military; 5 detail; 6 theatre: Hamlet. Quiz: 1 c; 2 a. P. 14 Jewels: a 6; b 4; c 1; d 3; e 5; f 2. P. 15 Idioms: 1 a, 2 b, 3 a, 4 b. P. 15 Secret code: Zaha Hadid.
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Teen n. 4 - 2016 - Poste Italiane S.P.A. - Sped. in abb. post. - D.L. 353/2003 (Conv. in L. 27/02/2004 n. 46) Art. 1, comma 1, DCB - Ancona
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