Your English Monthly
TEEN Year XXXV - N. 1 - September - October 2014 - Imprimé à Taxe Réduite
B2/C1
®
1
Report
The World of Selfies and Tweets UK Today Independence for Scotland?
Find TEEN online (see page 2 for details)
TEEN Trends I Said A Hip Hop!
Culture and Society Mindfulness in Schools
www.elimagazines.com
Common European Framework Intermediate Advanced (B2 – C1)
Contents
Welcome Hello everyone, and a big warm welcome to TEEN 2014-2015! We hope you enjoy exploring English with us this year. Our pages will be full of interesting facts and inspiring* people, new trends in art from across the world, the latest ideas on wellbeing*, and we’ve got a new series called The Best of British – a look at some great places and people from the UK. In this issue we go to London’s beautiful Victoria and Albert Museum, look into the history of selfies and tweets, and if you haven’t run out of breath*, we’ll be getting down on the dance floor for some breakdancing and a bit of rap. Have fun and learn lots!
Liz
3 4 6 8 10 12 14
TEEN People Léa Seydoux Best of British The Victoria and Albert Museum Report The World of Selfies and Tweets UK Today Independence for Scotland? TEEN Trends I Said A Hip Hop! Culture and Society Mindfulness in Schools Playstation
In this issue look out for: • ‘used to’ for past habit or action • time phrases • future tenses • present continuous • hypothetical structures • time phrases • vocabulary of art and design • language of the internet • language of politics and economics
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.
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
Around the World
Happify: Putting the “App” into Happy! An innovative* start-up* in New York has created a new social networking site which, the creators say, is designed to make you happier. This exciting new idea is called Happify and it’s been developed with advice from scientists and experts in positive psychology. It works by getting you to focus on the small positive things that happen during your day. This has the effect of making you feel calmer and can raise levels of self-esteem*. The site asks you to post* something positive and share it with other people – this makes other people feel happier too!
Research is still under way, but the people at Happify say users report improved levels of happiness, which is helping them to have better lives. Make yourself happy at www.happify.com
Anagram Radiohead have released a new smartphone and tablet app. It’s an “experimental collaboration” between art and music, and takes you on a journey through a strange and changing world. Put the letters below in the correct order to find out what it’s called.
FAPYUOLNA
...............................................................
Glossary innovative: exciting and new inspiring: having a positive effect or influence post: put a comment/photo etc on a social networking site run out of breath: not have any energy
self-esteem: positive feelings about yourself and who you are startup: (business) small new company developing new markets wellbeing: health and happiness
The answer is on page 15. 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.
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 2014
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TEEN People
‘used to’ for past habit or action
Léa
Passport
seydoux
First Name: Léa Family Name: Seydoux Place and Date of Birth: Paris, 1st July 1985 Job: actor first; fashion model second Notes: currently one of France’s most successful actors
was terrified of flying and trains. Being an actress helps me transform my fears into something more positive, and it makes me feel strong.
Are you a sensitive person? Yes, I’m very sensitive, but I’ve learned how to be strong and how to be myself, just like Belle! My boyfriend helps me a lot. He knows how to deal with the rebellious*, stubborn* side of my character. When I act, I like to play characters that are complex and difficult to understand – deep emotions can be powerful, but it’s important to know how to balance your emotions and to remember to laugh. I have to admit though, when I was a child I used to imagine I was Cinderella!
Léa Seydoux is an award-winning* French actress. She is one of only three women to have won the Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Let’s find out more about her! You played Belle in Christophe Gans’ Beauty and the Beast? What does beauty mean to you? In today’s world, people put too much emphasis* on physical beauty. You can fall in love with someone who isn’t physically attractive, like the “Beast” in the fairytale, whose ugly appearance hides a beautiful soul*! Beauty isn’t always obvious and you don’t always see it with your eyes. For me, beauty is more about how someone is than what they look like. Beauty is poetry, it’s in the movement of a hand, in a smile that lights up a face. I wouldn’t want to be a catwalk model, they’re too thin and they look so serious and cold. Beauty shines* out of people, it’s a positive thing!
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When you played Beauty you looked like everyone’s idea of a princess, with the most incredible dresses and jewels. How do you dress in real life?
At 28, you are already a Hollywood star and you’ve worked with Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen and Wes Anderson. How do you choose which films to be in?
I never wore pink dresses as a little girl, in fact I always had short hair and was a bit of a tomboy*. This was my way of pleasing my sister Camille who wanted a younger brother! I don’t spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, I’m happy with the way I look. I don’t wear much make-up when I go out, and I wear jeans a lot. For me, it’s important to look past appearances and see into a person’s heart.
I like working with independent directors who are working on their own projects. I think these films have the greatest potential to become extraordinary. I like taking risks with my acting career, not making the most obvious decisions, and I’m not afraid of hard work. Each time I start on a new film I feel a mixture of excitement and fear. But I think it’s better that way – a bit of fear makes you work harder!
What was your childhood like? I had lots of brothers and sisters, and my family was pretty unusual. My mother took us with her to Africa when she was making documentaries*, and my father told me that the most beautiful gift he could give me was freedom. My family wasn’t really interested in my acting career, but they didn’t stop me. Things weren’t always easy though. I had a difficult time growing up and had to see a therapist* when I was 14. I used to get anxious, I often had panic attacks* and I
Glossary award-winning: person who has won prizes for what they do documentaries: factual TV programmes/films about current issues emphasis: importance panic attacks: sudden, strong feeling of fear and anxiety rebellious: wanting to break the rules shines: gives out a bright light soul: the non-physical part of a person stubborn: not wanting to change your opinion or behaviour therapist: (here) person who helps with psychological problems tomboy: girl who behaves like the traditional idea of a boy
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Best of British
The Victoria and Albert Museum
If you are interested in fashion, art and design* then this museum in London’s fashionable Knightsbridge district is the place for you. From architecture to ceramics*, jewellery, furniture and glass, to painting and sculpture, here is the history of our species in the objects we’ve made during the past 5000 years. The V&A The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s largest museum of art and design. It has 4.5 million objects, the oldest of which date back five thousand years. The museum gets two million visitors a year, was founded in 1852, and was named in honour of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Inside you will find treasures from around the world, with special galleries* dedicated to Middle-Eastern, Chinese and Japanese art, and from the medieval period through the Renaissance, Baroque, Roccoco, Modernism and Surrealism. It’s a genuinely inspiring collection, and a celebration of the best of human creativity. The Museum says it wants to be the world’s greatest museum of art and design. To reach that goal it has recently renewed and re-styled* ten of its galleries, and more changes are planned. The new Medieval Renaissance galleries contain some wonderful coloured glass, metalwork and sculpture, telling the story of European art and design “from the fall of the Roman Empire to the end of the Renaissance”. You can see some of the displays* in a short film at www.vam.ac.uk, click on ‘Discover the V&A’, and scroll down to ‘Medieval’.
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time phrases; future tenses; vocabulary of art and design
a growing collection of some of the most brilliant designers working today.
Fashion The V&A is famous for its collection of clothes and textiles*, covering more than 3000 years of human creativity. It has five centuries of fashion and clothing styles from around the world, with big displays
The V&A’s current exhibition of art features John Constable (17761837), an important English landscape artist of the Romantic period. The exhibition is called ‘The Making of A Master’, and it shows Constable’s paintings and drawings next to the work of other artists that he admired.
changed over the centuries, and it can make you feel grateful for the relaxed and easy fashions we all wear today!
Special Exhibitions Entry to the V&A’s permanent exhibitions is free and they offer free tours and talks, but the museum also organises special exhibitions which you need to buy a ticket for. Recent highlights include the first international retrospective* on David Bowie, London Fashion in the 1980s, and Hollywood Costumes. Disobedient Objects is a current exhibition of objects from the 1980s to the present that have a political message. This year you can also find out about the history and development of the wedding dress in “Wedding Dresses 1775-2014”. On display are examples of breathtaking craftsmanship*. Here you will see the dresses of rich, glamorous* and fashionable women from all over the world. You can see some of the dresses on the Victoria and Albert’s Pinterest page (www.pinterest.com/vamuseum). This exhibition runs until 15th March 2015.
Museum Match Visitors increase temperature, humidity and CO2 levels in museums, all of which can damage priceless exhibits. Some of the world’s most important museums have installed sophisticated sensors which regulate heating and air quality to protect the objects on display. Can you match each of the museums to its location?
The History of Photography The V&A was the first museum to start collecting photographs in 1852, and held the world’s first exhibition of photos in 1858. They’ve got early photographs that trace* the science and technology of this art form, as well as examples of work from some great photographers. You can have a look at works on display using the V&A’s interactive map at www.vam.ac.uk, and click on ‘Displays’.
Contemporary Design As well as historical objects, the V&A collects items from around the world that are “new, influential*, or innovative, and what is representative of contemporary trends in design and society”. The museum’s Design Fund is used to buy contemporary “fashion, furniture, craft* objects, product and graphic design*, digital media, architecture, photography, prints and drawings.” This is
of French and English fashions from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It includes work by Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and Yohji Yamamoto. It’s a fascinating tour of how clothes have
Glossary ceramics: plates, cups etc made from clay, heated in an oven and decorated craft: object made by a skilled or talented person craftsmanship: showing a high level of skill in making objects design: (here) attractive, artistic objects displays: (here) group of things that can be seen by visitors galleries: rooms where you can see objects in a museum
glamorous: fashionable and attractive graphic design: art and words together, eg in adverts, magazines, books influential: important, creating change re-styled: (here) changed retrospective: (here) exhibition looking at an artist’s career to the present time textiles: fabrics/materials (you make clothes etc from these) trace: (here) follow
a. Louvre b. René Magritte Museum c. Pinakothek der Moderne d. Museo di storia naturale (Natural History Museum) e. Victoria & Albert Museum 1. Munich 2. Florence 3. London 4. Paris 5. Brussels
Puzzle Put the pieces of the puzzle in the correct order to discover a famous quote on fashion by Coco Chanel.
The answers are on page 15.
Fas hion ch ange s,but styl een dres.
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Report
The World of Selfies and Tweets How the Selfie Began The first mention of “selfie” was in 2002 when the word appeared in a Australian discussion forum. Before Facebook became the dominant* social networking site, selfportraits were often posted on MySpace. From there, the selfie started to spread around all the major social networking sites, and after that, the word entered the mainstream* media. So the selfie was invented in 2002, right? Wrong! The self-portrait photograph dates back to the beginnings of photography itself. The International Center of Photography in New York is one of many photography museums around the world with a collection of striking* self-portraits
The word ‘Selfie’ has become one of the most popular words ever invented! It was named Word of the Year in 2013, and some selfies could be described as works of art. Tweets are evolving too – and they’re even being written in Latin! Selfies and Tweets might seem like modern inventions, but are they really that new? The twenty-first century is the age of selfbranding. People are using smartphones, computers and tablets to take self-portraits which they post on the internet to share on social networking sites. This is a growing global phenomenon. The word ‘selfie’ has become so popular amongst young people and in the media that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) decided to make it their Word of The Year in 2013. The OED said the decision to choose “selfie” had been unanimous: the word had been used so
often throughout the world (its usage went up over 17,000% compared with the previous year) that the judges had no difficulty making their decision. Other popular words of 2013 were binge-watch (watching hours and hours of TV shows or films in one continuous sitting, usually from the same series) and showrooming (when you go to a physical shop to look at something you want to buy, but go home to buy it as cheaply as possible online).
dating from the beginning of the twentieth century. The Byron Company, set up in New York in 1892, was one of the first photography studios to use cameras as an extension of the body. They got rid of tripods*, which everybody used at that time, and held the cameras themselves. You needed strong arms to take a picture of yourself back then, cameras were bulky* and very heavy!
Famous Selfies… Celebrities love selfies – from Beyoncé taking a photo of her new haircut, to a group of famous actors with Ellen de Generes at this year’s Oscars, and an embarrassing selfie of Barack Obama with the British and Danish Prime Ministers during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. Perhaps the coolest selfie ever – astronauts outside the International Space Station!
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present continuous; time phrases; language of the internet
tape to change their appearance, selfies taken with animals, or even animal selfies, where somehow animals take pictures of themselves. The results can be hilarious!
Selfie culture is now being studied by academics and cultural commentators. Some artists have made the selfie into an artform, and there are lot of competitions to find the best selfies of the year. However, some people see the selfie as the epitome of vanity, and the people who
Pope Francis has breathed new life into a language everyone thought was dead. “Latin communicates across time and cultures,” says Pope Francis, “The epigrams of the Latin poet Martial, for example, are short and witty and were the tweets of two thousand years ago.” Pope Francis has always been a fan of social media. “The internet offers immense possibilities of encounter* and solidarity,” he said, recently. He has even described the internet as a “gift from God”.
take them as narcissistic (from Narcissus, a hunter in Greek mythology, who was so beautiful that he couldn’t stop staring at his reflection). For sure, if Narcissus was alive today he would be taking selfies and sharing them on the internet! French academic André Gunthert is more positive about the selfie though. He believes they are much more than just a photograph, “They’re a new form of communication creating new social groups and links between people,” he says.
Selfie is a new sitcom on US TV channel ABC. It follows the story of a girl in her twenties who spends more time on social media than she does living ‘in real life’. In the end she will learn that being famous on social media is not such a great thing if you become famous for the wrong reasons. Use the secret code below to find out the name of the actor who stars in it.
The Art of the Selfie
One of the most talked-about* selfies of last year was Pope Francis with a group of young people, taken during a private audience. This first ‘papal selfie’ was posted on Twitter and ‘went viral’*! This year, NASA launched the Global Selfie Project which collected selfies from 36,000 people to create a single picture.
Crazy Selfies! Most selfies are of people doing ordinary things, but others are quite mad! People love taking photos of themselves doing something witty*, funny, or apparently defying* gravity. Every month sees a new fashion – the no make-up selfie, or sellotape* selfies where people use sticky
American photography pioneer, Robert Cornelius, took the first known selfie (known then as a daguerrotype) as far back as 1839. It was one of the first photographs taken of a person. On the back of the photo he wrote “The first light picture ever taken”. The invention of the portable* box camera led to more people taking selfportraits, using mirrors, with the camera on a tripod. One of the most striking of these early self-portraits is of 13-year-old Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, which she sent to a friend in 1914.
Tweets in Latin? Last year, Pope Francis started tweeting in Latin. No one really expected this to be a success, but to everyone’s surprise, it’s been a huge international hit. Millions of people read the Pope’s tweets in Latin, which cover spiritual and moral topics. They are particularly helpful to students studying Latin, while others have been inspired to translate these tweets from Latin into their own languages, others have even been tweeting replies in Latin.
Glossary defying: going against dominant: most powerful; biggest encounter: meeting (unexpectedly) mainstream: mass/popular culture portable: easy to move/carry sellotape: plastic tape with glue on one side
A = Q E = J G = H
I = _ K = 4 L = D
N = 8 R = 5
4
Q
5
J
8
H
_
D
J
Q
8
The answer is on page 15.
striking: (here) that makes you stop and look talked-about: (compound adjective) that people spoke about tripods: support for a camera, with three legs went viral: spread quickly round the internet (like a virus in the body) witty: clever and funny
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UK Today
Independence for On 14th September 2014 people living in Scotland are going to be asked an important question: Should Scotland become an independent country? So what is this all about, and what would independence mean for this nation of 5.3 million people?
The Question and the Answer Scotland was an independent country for 800 years until 1707, when the Act* of Union joined England and Scotland together to form the United Kingdom. Now, just over three hundred years later, there are some people who want that relationship to end, and for Scotland to separate from England. This September, people living in Scotland are being given the chance to vote in a referendum* about this. The question they will be asked is: Should Scotland be an independent country? The question is simple, but the answers are less obvious.
Yes Scotland The campaign* for independence is called ‘Yes Scotland’, and it is headed* by the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, leader of the political party, the Scottish National Party (known as the SNP). Yes Scotland want to be able to run* their country themselves, and say that decisions about Scotland’s future should be taken by the people living in Scotland.
Better Together The campaign against independence is called ‘Better Together’, and is supported by all the main political parties in the UK. The Better Together group argue that
England and Scotland are richer, stronger and have more influence internationally by staying together. Yes Scotland believes an independent Scotland will be strong, the no campaign says that an independent Scotland will be weaker than it is today.
Problems and difficulties The cost of setting up a new country with all the changes in bureaucracy, and infrastructure* could be enormous. Then there is the problem of passports, border controls, defence and the BBC, which currently serves the whole of the UK. It is a complex situation, rather like a complicated divorce!
hypothetical structures; language of politics and economics
Glasgow, Scotland
Scotland? Currency* and the EU One of the biggest questions is currency. Politicians in London have already said that Scotland could not keep the British Pound, but Scotland could not immediately use the Euro either. In fact, it is not clear yet whether an independent Scotland would automatically become a member of the EU. Some countries in Europe have said they would not support Scotland’s membership of the EU! What about Scotland’s membership of the UN, the IMF* or even NATO*? That’s a lot to think about!
North Sea Oil Scotland is a wealthy country. According to some calculations an independent Scotland would be the 14th richest country in the world in terms of GDP* per head. Much of this wealth comes from oil and gas from the North Sea. At the moment, all the taxes from this huge industry get put into the UK’s national tax ‘pot’, but after independence Scotland would keep all of that money. That sounds good, but production of oil and gas
Scotland Fact File Population: 5.3 million Capital city: Edinburgh Largest city: Glasgow (population 500,000) Richest city: Aberdeen, known as Europe’s oil capital Geography: mountains, large lakes known as lochs, and 790 islands
has been going down since 1999, and it is getting more and more expensive to extract it. An independent Scotland could not rely on* North Sea Oil forever.
Yes or No? At the time of writing, the Scottish referendum on independence is some time away. We don’t yet know the result, but current opinion polls* say most people will vote no to independence. However, more people have recently started to say they will be voting ‘yes’. It is going to be difficult to predict the result! Normally you can only vote in elections and referenda once you are 18 in the UK, but for this occasion, the voting age has been lowered to 16, because the SNP want young people to have a say in the future of their country. Whatever the result of the referendum, this is an interesting time for Scotland and England, with each country thinking about what their relationship really means.
Do you think Scotland should vote yes or no? ............................ Are you interested in politics? ........................................................... Do you think it is important to vote? ..............................................
Glossary act: law campaign: organisation working towards a particular goal currency: money used in a country, eg Euro, Dollar etc GDP: gross domestic product = the value of all products and services in a country headed by: led by IMF: International Monetary Fund infrastructure: buildings, roads, electricity network etc NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, a military alliance of 28 countries opinion polls: the opinions of a small number of people, used to understand the opinions of the population as a whole referendum: a vote by the general population on a single political question rely on: depend on, have confidence in run: (here) organise, govern
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TEEN Trends
This new series explores creative and artistic trends from around the world. Some of these are completely new, others have developed from existing traditions in the creative arts. We’ll be looking at rap and breakdancing, street art, juggling, photo illusions, and many others!
I Said a Hip Hop! The main ingredients of hip hop are rap and breakdancing – although breakdancing is more properly called b-boying or breaking. Hip hop started out as an underground* urban movement in New York’s Bronx. Now it belongs to young people right round the world. Let’s find out more! Rap Rap is the sound of hip hop, and rappers are the people who perform it. Rap is a way of speaking or chanting (which is like singing without a melody) fast, to a strong rhythm or background* beat. Rap is all about words and the way you use them. Rappers use a lot of rhyme* and alliteration*. One of the many different styles of rap is freestyle, where rap lyrics are improvised, which means they are invented at the time of the performance. Rap grew from African American music of the 1970s, but its roots lie deep in traditional African musical styles, blues music and work songs. Rap developed in African American and Hispanic districts of New York as a form of protest, and as a reaction to the alienation* felt by many
young blacks and hispanics* at the time. By the end of the 1980s the style had spread to Europe, to the suburbs of Paris, and parts of London with strong connections to the Jamaican community. For some time, rap was associated with gang culture, guns and violence, and it was maledominated. This has changed recently, with a less angry voice developing and more female rappers coming onto the scene. Physical fights have been transformed into rap battles where performers try to be better than each other! At the most recent Grammy Awards, hiphop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, beating James Blake and Ed Sheeran. Macklemore is the stage name of rapper Ben Haggarty. The duo also won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song!
Breakdance Breakdancing is an exciting dance style from the sidewalks of New York of the 1970s, that developed from the hip-hop music that black and Puerto Rican kids were listening to. Although most people call it breakdancing, it is known by performers as breaking or b-boying, and performers are known as breakers, b-boys or b-girls. B-boying began as a way to help marginalised young people from minority groups to find a voice and create a positive identity. It provided them with an exciting alternative to the violence and gang culture around
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‘ing’ verb forms; language of poetry and modern music
Hip-Hop Fashion
them. B-boying is now at the cutting edge* of youth culture around the world. It’s performed on streets, in theatres and on the dance floor, with international competitions to find the most talented breakers. There are many different styles of b-boying or breaking. Like Brazilian capoeira*, breakers use agility and strength to perform spectacular acrobatics using the whole body, the hands and feet. A number of important breaking competitions are held every year: Battle of the Year in Montpelier France, R16 Korea in Seoul, and the UK B-Boy Championship which will be held this year in Birmingham. The media was quick to pick this dance style up, and helped it spread rapidly round the planet. For some people social media is starting to take some of the originality out of the dance – there’s even a breaking style called ‘Youtube style’.
Rappers were originally called MC (from the English term Master of Ceremonies). Rap is characterised by the clever use of words, rhymes that link ideas and create a theme or subject for the whole piece. Often a rap will be autobiographical or tell a story. The important thing to get right is flow, which is the internal rhythm that draws your audience in. It’s not easy to get right!
Rap and breaking have had a huge influence on fashion and design, though for many people hip hop is more a way of life than a fashion. Hip-hop fashion is characterised by over-sized, baggy* T-shirts with logos printed on them, shiny tracksuits, sneakers* with colourful laces and decorated baseball caps. The look is finished off with heavy gold jewellery known as bling. It’s a style that is instantly recognisable, but it’s practical too – it’s easier to dance in baggy clothes. Hip – hop fashion began in the 1980s with wellknown sports brands such as Kangol and Adidas. Styles have changed a lot since then, and hairstyles have become an important part of the look. Today, brands and bling are less important than finding your own individual style.
Yo! It can be difficult to understand rap because it includes so much slang – rappers are incredibly inventive with language. One of the most recognisable rap words is Yo! This is may have come from the Italian word ‘io’ meaning ‘I’, or it could have come from an English word that can be traced back to the 1400s and is probably much older than that! Yo! is often used to attract someone’s attention. It was popular in Philadelphia
8 Mile is a hip-hop film starring Eminem, one of the best-known white rappers. One of the final scenes features a famous rap battle. In this battle, the weapons are words and the imagination. The winner is the rapper who gives the best performance and shows the most inventive use of language.
during the 1950s and was first seen in print in Jack Kerouac’s book On the Road. Bling-bling is the hip hop word for large, shiny jewellery. It has come over into mainstream or mass culture as bling. Bling describes the moment when light hits something shiny and reflects off it.
Glossary alienation: feeling you are not part of something alliteration: same letter or sound used several times in a sentence background: (here) beneath baggy: large, not fitting closely to the body capoeira: Brazilian martial art; a mix of dance and acrobatics cutting edge: (here) original and exciting
hispanics: US citizens of (spanish-speaking) South American origin rhyme: when words (eg at the end of a line of poetry) have a similar sound sneakers: shoes worn for sports such as tennis underground: secret, not well known
Odd One Out Which of the following people wasn’t one of the inspirations for breaking?
a. b. c. d.
James Brown Michael Jackson Muhammad Ali Jerry Lee Lewis The answer is on page 15
What do you think of rap music and hip-hop culture? What’s good about it, and what’s not so good? Write your answers under two headings, giving reasons for your opinion.
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Culture and Society
Mindfulness in Schools
*
Scientific studies show that children and young people are finding modern life more and more stressful. Doctors are seeing the results of this in increasing numbers of children with depression and anxiety*. Thankfully, help is out there. We look at how ancient learning is combining with the latest advances in neuroscience to combat stress. Pressure There’s a lot for young people to deal with* today. There are the usual challenges of growing up, family life and friendship, but added to that is the expectation to do well in exams and to fit into the often impossible ideals* of society. Unfortunately, we can’t change society overnight, but it is time to say stop! In fact, according
to one organisation working in schools in England and Wales, it’s time to say “Stop, Breathe and Be!”
.be [dot-be] Stop, breathe and be is the first lesson in a programme teaching young people mindfulness. Mindfulness is all about living in the moment, being aware of what is going around you and inside you, taking control of your thoughts and emotions, and being kind to yourself. It is human nature to think about what happened in the past, and to worry about what is going to happen in the future, but if you do that too much it can make you unwell and it can certainly make you unhappy. Mindfulness teaches us that we are much more than our thoughts – that realisation can be liberating* and powerful.
Calm Mind, Healthy Mind Mindfulness has been shown to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone who practises it. The key here is the word ‘practise’. You learn by doing, through your experience rather than
through talking about things. There are many mindfulness techniques, but most centre on taking time out*, and sitting quietly for a short time every day. The aim is to give your mind the time to be quiet, as if you were turning your computer off. There are many methods of doing this, but the simplest involves sitting with your eyes closed and focussing your attention on your breathing for a few minutes. It doesn’t matter if thoughts come into your head, when you realise your mind has been wandering*, just bring your attention back to your breathing again. When this is done regularly, the benefits can be powerful both physically and mentally.
The Science Mindfulness is an ancient technique practised by many of the world’s religions in different forms. Modern mindfulness, in the UK at least, is generally not religious, but it does aim to feed the ‘spirit’ by helping people build a better understanding
the gerund; language of psychology and physiology
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Here are some mindfulness techniques you can try yourself now! 1. Stop what you are doing, and listen to your breathing for one minute. 2. Write down 3 positive things from today. 3. Take a look out of the window and really notice what you see. 4. Put your feet flat on the ground and feel the connection with the earth beneath you. 5. Smile.
Taking Happiness Seriously! Oxford University now has a whole department studying and teaching mindfulness. The Oxford Mindfulness Centre aims to “prevent depression and enhance human potential by combining modern science with ancient wisdom”. http://oxfordmindfulness.org/ The British Government has recently started a study on the benefits of bringing mindfulness into public life. Have a look at parliamentarywellbeinggroup.org.uk of themselves, and have a better experience of life. Scientists are using the latest brain imaging* technology to understand just how and why this all works. When the body and mind are stressed, at whatever level, a number of things start to happen in the body and the brain. This is called the ‘Fight or Flight’ response, useful if you are in a dangerous situation, not so good over the long term*. Long-term stress affects the immune system, the digestive system and affects the way our brains work, making it more difficult to concentrate and focus on what we are doing. Scientists using MRI scanners* can now see exactly what is going on in the brains of people suffering from stress, anxiety or depression, and compare it with the results of people who practise mindfulness and meditation. They look very different!
The Results of Mindfulness You don’t have to be ill or stressed to benefit from taking time out in
this way, the Mindfulness in Schools project has seen the techniques benefit everyone who practises them. They see mindfulness as an important skill that students can use throughout their lives. The project says that the students use the techniques not only to help with stress and anxiety, but to feel happier, calmer and more content. They find they get on better with others, are less critical of themselves, can concentrate and learn better, as well as perform better in music and sport. Many people say it helps them make better decisions and can help them with their problems.
Mirror
Resources
Glossary
There are lots of resources on the internet if you want to find out more. There are videos, books, and courses with a teacher or online. The important thing is to find a method that works for you, and to practise for a few minutes every day. Mindfulness in Schools believe mindfulness is an important tool for helping people lead better, more fulfilling lives in a busy, demanding* world. Go to mindfulnessinschools.org
Use a mirror to read this inspiring quotation on mindfulness from Professor Jon Kabat-Zin, creator of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine at the University of Massachusetts. DOING. KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE MEANS BEING AWAKE. IT MEANS MINDFULNESS. MINDFULNESS THIS IS HOW WE CULTIVATE MOMENTS IS TO PAY ATTENTION. THE BEST WAY TO CAPTURE
anxiety: feeling of worry or concern brain imaging: technology that can ‘see’ inside the brain deal with: (here) cope with, live through difficulties and challenges demanding: that asks or expects a lot of people ideals: thing or person that is ‘perfect’ liberating: giving a sense of freedom
The answer is on page 15.
long term: for a long period of time mindfulness: method of calming the mind by focussing on the present MRI scanners: machines that can ‘see’ inside the body using magnetic fields and radiowaves take time out: give yourself time to stop what you are doing and relax wandering: when the mind is not focussed on one thing
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Playstation
Crossword
1
2
4 5
Have you read our article on selfies and tweets? Then use the clues below to fill in the crossword!
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1. Who started the Global Selfie project? 2. What is ‘selfie’ short for? 3. Selfies are pictures of yourself that you ... with others 4. The most beautiful man in Ancient Greece. 5. When you do so much of one thing you almost feel sick! 6. The dead language that Pope Francis has brought back to life 7. The short phrases of Ancient Roman poet Martial. 8. Home town of the famous English Dictionaries.
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Crossword II Use the clues below to fill in the spaces. You’ll discover the name of the director who made Do the Right Thing. This film that featured music by Public Enemy and helped make them into one of the most popular hip-hop bands of all time. 1 1. The kind of caps that rappers wear. 2. What are MCs called today? 3. The culture that includes rap and breaking. 4. Break dancers are called...? 5. Improvised rap is called…? 6. Hip hop jewellery is known as...? 7. The US city where breaking was born. 8. Most successful white rapper.
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3
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Music Wordsearch In the wordsearch on the right find sixteen styles of music that have been developed mostly by African Americans and other black musicians. Then find the name of a US hip-hop and rap pioneer who died in 2011. • • • • • • • •
blues calypso dub funk gospel hip hop house jazz
• • • • • • • •
C A L Y P S O S R
rap reggae RnB rock and roll ska spirituals soul swing
R E G G A E E P O
H I B L U E S I C
I L G R T D R K
P R O A J F U I A
H N S P A U B T N
O B P O Z N R U D
P S E T Z K O A R
G C L S O U L L O
H S OW U I S N E G H S N K S A L L
Match Here is a list of some famous Scottish people. Can you match each name to what they are famous for?
1) Andy Murray 2) Emeli Sandé 3) JK Rowling 4) Richard Madden 5) Ewan MacGregor 6) Karen Gillan
a.
World-famous, multi-millionaire writer
b.
Actor; star of BBC sci-fi series, Doctor Who
c.
Actor; Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, also in
Moulin Rouge! and The Ghost Writer
d.
Actor; star of US TV series Game of Thrones
e.
Wimbledon tennis champion; gold medallist in
f.
London 2102 Olympics Song-writer and performer; has degree in Neuroscience from Glasgow University
Answers P. 2 Anagram: Polyfauna. P. 4-5 Museum Match: a.4; b.5; c.1; d.2; e.3; Puzzle: Fashion changes, but style endures. P. 6-7 Secret Code: Karen Gillan. P. 8-9 own answers. P. 10-11 Odd One Out: d.
The answers are at the bottom of this page.
P. 12-13 The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing. P. 14 Crossword: 1.NASA; 2.self-portrait; 3.share; 4.Narcissus; 5.binge; 6.Latin; 7.epigram; 8.Oxford;
Crossword II: Spike Lee; Wordsearch: Gil Scott-Heron; Match: a.3 (although JK Rowling was not born in Scotland, she has lived there for a long time); b.6; c.5; d.4; e.1; f.2.
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