Yes - Your English Supplement: Volume 22

Page 1

ANALYSING

150 YEARS OF

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

22 pages of exercises More than 1 hour of audio

69-PAGE DOSSIER

CHEMISTRY THE DANGEROUS SCIENCE 15-PAGE DOSSIER 9 772255 567003 22

YOUR ENGLISH SUPPLEMENT Volume 22 // 9.95€


Treating you as an adult

Complete your collection of Yes while stocks last. Free shipping in Spain.

Yes 1 The one about you

Yes 2 Food

Yes 3 Sexology

Yes 4 Human physiology

Yes 5 The brain

Yes 6 Emotions

Yes 7a Gothic literature

Yes 7b The law*

Yes 8 Religion

Yes 9 Love

Yes 10 Sleep and dreams

Yes 11 Geology

Yes 12 Medicine

Yes 13 Shakespeare

Yes 14 Palaeo-archaeology

Check out our special offers at www.yes-mag.com

Yes 15 Sports

Yes 16 Radical grammar

Yes 17 Business English

Yes 18 Women

* only available with this cover in digital format (the contents is the same for 7a and 7b).


GENERAL CONTENTS

YES Volume 22

This page should help you to navigate the magazine in general. Notice that on pages 6, 10, 71, 87 and 111 there are more detailed contents pages for each section of the magazine.

11

18

63

14

30

74 Audio Download Code: Yes22_g55s_46 To download the audio files for this issue, please go to the 'Downloads' page on www.yes-mag.com for instructions. You will need the code given above to access the files.

4

How to Use Your English Supplement

6 7 8 9

Current Affairs Contents Anglo News and anecdotes World News Technology news

10 Children's Literature Contents 11 Defining children’s literature 12 Children’s literature: a historical overview 14 Nursery Rhymes 18 Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland 26 Alcott’s Little Women 28 Stevenson’s Treasure Island 30 Twain’s Huckleberry Finn 34 Kipling’s The Jungle Book 37 Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 40 Barrie’s Peter Pan 43 Burroughs’s Tarzan 46 Blyton’s The Famous Five 49 Tolkien’s The Hobbit 56 Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia 60 Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat 63 Rowling’s Harry Potter 66 Cinema: children’s author biopics 68 Cinema: Dr Seuss on film 70

Subscription Information

71 72 74 78 79 80 81 82

The Chemistry Dossier Chemistry: the dangerous science The mysteries of metals Popular names for everyday compounds Chemical weapons Chemical false friends Chemistry pronunciation Chemistry idioms

84 86

The Yes Community Picture Description

87 88

Audio Scripts Contents Audio Scripts

111 Exercises Contents 112 Exercises 134 135

Staff and contact addresses In next month’s issue

www.yes-mag.com // facebook.com/YesZine // @yeszine www.yes-mag.com

YES 22 | 3


demise2 of humanity. This is not just something that Hollywood scriptwriters3 think about. Such things worry computer-programming expert Jaan Tallinn, co-founder of Skype, Huw Price, professor4 of philosophy at Cambridge,

How to Use Your English Supplement

and Lo Colleg Study Par capaci dicted From telligen ‘the Si beings

SYMBOLS

Each page-long article in the magazine has been created to be used more or less independently so that you can learn and practise even if you only have five or ten minutes free. At the same time, the symbols below allow you to develop a theme you are interested in more extensively. Teachers can use these symbols to instantly prepare a class or classes around a common theme.

Exercise (at the end of the magazine). Test and consolidate what you have learned.

THE EN

Speaking extension. A question aimed at provoking a group discussion of the topic in question.

Photo by GabboT

to bring about (bring-broughtbrought) – cause 2 demise – end, decline 3 scriptwriter – sb. who writes the script (= text) of a movie 4 professor – (false friend) head 1

Downloadable audio file (see also audio scripts). There are recommendations on how best to use the audio files on p. 87.

This arrow directs you to other related articles in the magazine.

p. 40

6, 22

p. 6

of department at a university, senior academic 5 to set up (set-set-set) – create, establish 6 to arise (arise-arose-arisen) – emerge, occur

p.6

ABBREVIATIONS KEY Listening extension (Internet). Once you’ve learned the basic vocabulary of a topic, why not listen to further discussions? 4 | YES 22

These are the only abbreviations you have to know to use this magazine: sb. = somebody sth. = something swh. = somewhere [U] = uncountable noun [C] = countable noun

Some will be idea: f robots in our gent b octopu experi licate t ity can as dra simply obsole from v 1925, “ but a w

speed from t 9 naïve – 10 to tre 11 scena thetic

7

8


phone antennas. There is little danger of the message being garbled5 – as it is in the game of Chinese whispers6 – because it is so simple: “danger predator”.

FOOTNOTES

The superscript numbers in the text refer to the footnotes at the bottom or at the side of the same page. The footnotes explain the difficult vocabulary as determined by our non-native proofreaders. Like you, these proofreaders are learners so they are able to identify the exact words you need to know to understand the sentence. Definitions are given in English, so that you learn to think in English and these definitions are then checked by the non-native proofreaders to ensure that you will understand them. Some words are defined by pictures: we use these visual stimuli when that is the best way to fix an idea in your memory. Read the definition or look at the illustration and then re-read the sentence in question. By working with English-language footnotes you will rapidly increase your vocabulary and learn how English words relate to each other, all of which will have a dramatic impact on your fluency and self-confidence1 . Some readers find it useful to put their finger next to the word in the article that they are looking for in the footnotes to make it easier to return to the text afterwards. Either way, it shouldn’t be difficult to find your place because the footnotes are numbered and the words are highlighted in bold. Notice that the syllables and words that should be stressed2 are underlined. Red footnotes give extra cultural (rather than linguistic) information, or they refer you to other articles.

PHONEMIC SYMBOLS Here are the phonemic symbols that we use which might cause you problems.

Consonants

Meanwhile9, a study from Anglia Rus sity has found that African elephants plan on cropland11 to coincide with the new m raids are more frequent and more substa the nights are darkest. This suggests that stand that darkness lowers the risk of bei farmers12. Or perhaps they know that hu less and more lightly13 when there is a fu

MY NAME IS FLI

Dolphins have a signature whistle14 whi identify themselves and to identify others hear a familiar whistle they will repeat it b acquaintance15, which they don’t do for whistle. Moreover, a study from the Unive cago has now found that dolphins remem signature whistles14 after more than 20 gesting they have the best memory in the Photo by Ikiwaner

NOT-SO-CARNIVOROUS CROCS7

Research from the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Charleston, South Carolina, has confirmed decades of anecdotal reports: over half the existing crocodilian species supplement their diet with fruit. It seems that at least 13 of the 23 species of crocodiles and alligators in the world today eat fruit as well as meat. warning (adj.) – alarm to bang – beat, hit to pick up – receive 4 to relay – resent 5 garbled – incoherent, meaningless 6 Chinese whispers (UK English) – broken telephone (US English) 7 croc – (colloquial) crocodile 8 full moon – when the complete disc of the moon is visible 1

(associated with werewolves) meanwhile – at the same time raid – surprise attack 11 cropland – arable farms 12 farmer – agriculturalist 13 more lightly – less deeply 14 signature whistle – high-frequency sound that identifies an individual 15 acquaintance – known individual, (in this case) friend

2

9

3

10

2

1

self-confidence – self-assurance (opposite of ‘self-doubt’, ‘hesitancy’) to stress sth. – emphasize, underline

2

/ʧ/ as in church, watch /ʃ/ as in wash, sure, action /ʤ/ as in judge, gesture /ʒ/ as in measure, vision /j/ as in yes /θ/ as in thick, path /ð/ as in this, breathe /ŋ/ as in sing

Pure Vowels

/æ/ as in cat /ʌ/ as in cut /ə/ as in occur, supply, aroma /ɜ:/ as in first, turn, earn /ɔ:/ as in court, warn

Dipthongs

/iə/ as in ear, here /eə/ as in air, there

YES 22 | 5


9

CURRENT AFFAIRS

This section of the magazine offers short news stories organized thematically:

7

Anglo News - the people who live in the past. - WASPs on the wane in the USA Exercise 2

8

World News - our tendentious view of terrorism - the Caliphate of Kidults Exercise 2

Technology News - insidious aspects of modern technology Exercise 2

SPEAKING & LISTENING EXTENSION 7 Watch: the procession at Richard III’s recent funeral: http://goo.gl/gR8Q33 Speak: do you agree that the British are obsessed by the past? 9 Watch: Andrew Keen explaining his case: http://goo.gl/Qo55dJ

News

NOT WHAT WE’D CALL CHILDREN’S FICTION

This issue1 is primarily dedicated to an analysis of the first 150 years of English literature for children from an adult perspective. The very opposite of what we are talking about occurred recently in Manchester, England. To try to get children to relate to literature, pupils are encouraged2 to come to school dressed as a fictional character to celebrate World Book Day. However, 11-year-old Liam Scholes turned up to3 Sale High School dressed as the sadomasochist Christian Grey from Fifty

this issue – Yes 22 to encourage – urge, incite, stimulate 3 to turn up to – arrive at 4 shade [C] – tone 5 to be allowed to – be permitted to 1

2

6 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

Shades4 of Grey. Liam was not allowed to 5 take part in 6 the class photo and was encouraged to be James Bond instead7. This would just8 be a schoolboy’s prank9 if it weren’t for the fact that Liam’s mother Nicola Scholes, a primary school teacher herself, had encouraged Liam to dress as Grey. Indeed10, she criticized one of Liam’s teachers for dressing up as the eponymous serial killer from the US TV series Dexter. Mrs Scholes added that James Bond – a womanizer11 and an assassin – was hardly12 a better role model than Christian Grey. Further reading: http://goo.gl/Cm47ud

to take part in (take-took-taken) – participate in 7 instead – as an alternative 8 just – (in this case) simply 9 prank – practical joke, provocative act 6

indeed – (emphatic) in fact womanizer – seducer of women 12 hardly – not really 10

11

2


CHILDREN’S LITERATURE DOSSIER 11

Defining children’s literature - Fairy tales and adult literature

12

Children’s literature: a historical overview - the origins and evolution of books for kids

14

Nursery Rhymes - secret adult messages in poetry and songs for English-speaking children

Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland (1865) - the book that changed children’s literature forever Exercise 4

26

Alcott’s Little Women (1867) - the first American book for girls

28

Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883) - the quintessential boys’ adventure

30

Twain’s Huckleberry Finn (1884) - the masterpiece of 19th-century US literature Exercise 27

34

Kipling’s The Jungle Book (1894) - lessons from the rainforest of the Raj Exercise 26

37

Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) - the definitive US fairy tale or a socialist allegory? Exercise 15

40

Barrie’s Peter Pan (1904) - the boy who hates mothers Exercise 22

18

10 | YES 22

43

Burroughs’s Tarzan (1912) - Martians in the jungle

46

Blyton’s The Famous Five (1942), etc. - the secret formula Exercise 6

49

Tolkien’s The Hobbit (1937) - medievalism for the masses Exercise 23

56

Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia (1949-54) - misogyny for minors Exercise 28

60

Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat (1957) - the Ignatius Loyola of the American Left

63

Rowling’s Harry Potter (1997-2007) - hidden agenda: witchcraft or Christianity? Exercises 8, 24

66

Cinema: children’s author biopics - based on a true story: fantasy and reality Exercise 23

68

Cinema: Dr Seuss on film - the disappointing conversion of Seuss to the silver screen

70

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

SPEAKING EXTENSION Speak: which books most influenced you in your childhood? Do you ever read “children’s books” as an adult?


Alice

Interpreting Alice: the Absurdity of Life D

odgson was a clergyman1 and a mathematician, so it is remarkable that he wrote such a-logical and amoral books as the Alice Adventures. As we have seen in previous articles, children’s literature in English at the time was dominated by didactic books heavy in Christian moralism. Moreover, the structure of Alice’s adventures owes a lot to2 mediaeval dream-visions in which Christian truth is revealed to a dreamer in a visionary dream. Alice in Wonderland has a whimsical3 structure like a dream. Mediaeval works like The Vision of Piers Plowman (c. 1360) include dreams within4 dreams and near the end of Through the Looking-Glass Tweedledum and Tweedledee state 5 that Alice is merely a product of the Red King’s dream, destabilizing our concept of ‘reality’ completely. Moreover, the plot6 in Victorian literature tended to be based on a logical process of cause and consequence. Alice goes into her adventures expecting her experiences to make sense7 but Carroll emphatically suggests that life frustrates expectations and resists a moralistic interpretation. However, Carroll is truly subversive. He wrote, “I can guarantee that the clergyman – churchman to owe a lot to – be indebted to, be inspired by 3 whimsical – capricious 4 within – inside, in 5 to state – declare, say 6 plot – (in this case) storyline, story 1

2

22 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

to make sense (make-mademade) – be logically coherent 8 rather – by contrast 9 aim – objective 10 wonder – astonishment, surprise 11 to crave – desperately want 12 source – place in which sth. originates

7

Sir Isumbras at the Ford13

books have no religious teaching whatever in them – in fact they do not teach anything at all.” Rather8, the aim9 of Alice’s adventures is to provoke wonder10 and fantasy. Like Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1798) Carroll wants his young readers to ask questions but he does not give them the answers. Victorian culture was all about defining and categorizing everything. Carroll inverts this idea and shows how language can be an impediment to communication. Alice craves11 organization and meaning but must learn to accept the absurdity of existence.

Paintings Another source12 of inspiration were famous paintings. The White Knight was inspired by Sir Isumbras at the Ford13 by Sir John Everett Millais, while the figure of the Duchess is based on Quinten Massys’ A Grotesque Old Woman.

Chess14 Through the Looking-Glass does not have the same anarchy as Alice in Wonderland. The Looking-Glass world is dominated by the rigid rules of chess but Alice is still not in control of her destiny. She must advance on her journey from pawn15 to queen (i.e. girl to woman) through a set of (seemingly arbitrary) rules and with the worrying feeling that not everyone in the game plays by the rules. It is a powerful metaphor for the process of growing up. ford – place where one can walk across a river because it is not very deep 14 chess – board game played on a board with 64 squares 15 pawn – the most common and least mobile piece in chess 13

4


Little Women

Little Women: Alcott’s Bildungsroman Little Women (1868) was the first US novel written specifically for children and one of the first novels anywhere written for girls. It did not, however, appear from nowhere. A number of 18th-century women writers had written conduct books for young ladies – such as Frances Burney’s Evelina (1778) under the guise of1 novels. Such works developed2 into the great female bildungsroman3 of the 19th-century authors like Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Elliot and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The origins of Little Women were unglamorous. Louise May Alcott was an established author of sensationalist Gothic novels4 when her publisher approached5 her with a commission for a book for American girls. Alcott didn’t like girls (except her sisters) and when she’d finished Little Women she described it as ‘moral pap’6. Be that as it may7, she had written a book which has been much loved by generations for nearly8 150 years and hugely9 influential. The novel has been turned into three films, a play, an opera and a musical. The novel had a significant influence on subsequent North American girls’ books such as Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (1908) and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Little House on the Prairie10 (1935).

Louise May Alcott (1832-1888) Louise May Alcott was born into the most intellectually rarefied atmosphere in North America. Her father was a Transcendentalist philosopher and Ralph Waldo Emerson 11 was a neighbour and family friend. Other neighbours in Concord and family acquaintances12 included Nathaniel Hawthorne 13 and Henry David Thoreau 14 . Her father, Bronson Alcott was a man of high morals – vehemently anti-slavery15, eco-friendly, pro-feminist and a vegetarian to boot16. However, he was also enormously impractical and his wife and children suffered economic hardship17 as a result. The original Little Women was just the first half of the novel as we know it and it is semi-autobiographical. Louise May presents a loving home but largely18 paints her father out of the picture – making him fictionally absent, away at war. In fact, it was Louise who went to war as a nurse19 and contracted typhoid fever in 1863. She was then poisoned20 with the mercury used to ‘cure’ her typhoid. This exacerbated her manic-depressive tendencies and caused both physical pain and hallucinations that could only be mollified21 with opium. She was frequently suicidal but in the end died two days after her father in 1888.

Louise Alcott under the guise of – camouflaged as 2 to develop – (in this case) evolve 3 bildungsroman – coming-ofage novel, story about a child growing up 4 Gothic novel – dark supernatural fantasy 5 to approach sb. – come to sb. 1

26 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

moral pap – moralistic nonsense 7 be that as it may – in any case 8 nearly – almost 9 hugely – very 10 prairie – grassland, North American savannah 11 (1803-82) US poet and philosopher 6

acquaintance – sb. who is known (though not necessarily a friend) 13 (1804-64) US author of The Scarlet Letter (1850) 14 (1817-62) US poet and philosopher 15 slavery – (in this case) the subjugation of black people in the Southern States of the USA 12

to boot – as well, too, also hardship – suffering 18 largely – more or less 19 nurse – (in this case) doctor’s assistant 20 to poison sb. – hurt sb. with a toxic substance 21 to mollify – alleviate 16 17


Treasure Island

Stevenson’s Treasure Island A Long Shadow1 Treasure Island (1883) single-handedly2 set up3 most of the English pirate clichés from wooden4 legs to parrots to walking the plank 5. Without Stevenson’s novel we would have no Peter Pan or Pirates of the Caribbean6 . Indeed7, the novel has been turned into a movie 19 times. It is ironic that such an influential book started life as an imaginary treasure map8 idly9 drawn by Stevenson one afternoon to entertain his stepson10, Lloyd Osbourne.

Coming of Age on the High Seas Treasure Island is a mediaeval quest romance11 brought forward into the early modern period. As in all quest adventures, the central character leaves home in search of something valuable, however, what he actually12 finds is self-knowledge. Since the central character, Jim Hawkins, starts out as a boy, the journey of self-knowledge is also a coming-of-age story13; he returns from his adventure a man. In this sense the adventure can be seen as a rite of passage14. shadow – (in this case) influence on what comes after 2 single-handedly – on its own, by itself, alone 3 to set sth. up (set-set-set) – create sth., establish sth. 4 wooden – made of wood (= material from a tree) 5 walking the plank – type of torture used by pirates in which they forced victims to walk along a piece of wood from which they would inevitably fall into the sea 6 the second movie is called ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ in reference to a song from Treasure Island. 1

28 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

Jim Hawkins leaves home.

Treasure Island describes the buccaneers as a dying breed15. Pirates die and disappear throughout16 the story and they are incapable of engendering17 or inspiring replacements18. Jim Hawkins returns from his voyage convinced that he has had enough of treasure-hunting19 and buccaneering. Throughout16 the novel the pirates – apart from Long John Silver – are presented as puerile, self-indulgent and undisciplined. Therefore20, in many ways they represent the childhood values that Jim has grown out of21.

indeed – (emphatic) in fact treasure map – pictorial explanation of where to find sth. valuable 9 idly /ˈaidli/ – for fun, with no great purpose

7

quest romance – adventure in which one tries to find sth. 12 actually – (false friend) in fact 13 coming-of-age story – bildungsroman, tale about a child maturing 11

10

stepson – the son of one’s spouse who is not one’s biological son

rite of passage – test that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood 15 dying breed – social group that is gradually becoming extinct 16 throughout – during all of 17 to engender – produce, generate 18 replacement – (in this case) new pirates 19 treasure-hunting – trying to find valuable objects that pirates have hidden 20 therefore – for this reason 21 to grow out of sth. (growgrew-grown) – have no use for sth. because you have matured 14

8


Huck Finn

Huckleberry Finn: the River of Life The Moral Blind Spot1 The novel presents a morally bankrupt2 society. The most obvious manifestation of this is the existence of slavery3 but the problem goes even deeper. Society is supposedly regimented by the rule of law4 but this clearly does not function in the interests of the majority. Marginal members of society can be killed with impunity and a feud5 of many years can exist without any legal interference. Mob rule 6 is always simmering below the surface 7 and alcohol-induced violence is rife 8. This is the Christian civilization that claims9 the moral superiority to justify slavery!

The River and the Raft The Mississippi River and the raft10 on which Huck and Jim float down it are both central features11 to the story and also essential symbols within12 it. The river represents the route to freedom. However, simply being on the river offers liberation from the oppressive society in which the fugitives live. The raft is a

moral blind spot – inability to see that sth. is immoral because of one’s social and/or cultural assumptions 2 morally bankrupt – decadent, immoral, unethical 3 slavery – servitude (in this case) of black people in the South of the USA 4 the rule of law – the restriction of the arbitrary exercise of 1

32 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws 5 feud – (false friend) vendetta, prolonged dispute between two families or groups 6 mob rule – situation in which a lynch mob replaces the proper functioning of legal institutions 7 to simmer below the surface – be latent

‘level playing field’ 13 in which Huck is able to recognize the nobility of a man that society casts14 as his inferior. Huck is the first white person who treats Jim as a human being; Jim is the first adult who doesn’t treat the 13-year-old like a child. However, the river and the raft are also treacherous 15 . Mist 16 hides17 the turnoff18 to the Ohio River and freedom. As a result, the Mississippi takes the two fugitives deeper and deeper downriver and towards danger. Drifting19 is superficially attractive and both protagonists are adaptable enough to confront wherever the river takes them. However, they are no more in control of their destinies than they were back home. The river may be the escape route from each predicament20 they find themselves in, but it simply carries them on to a worse predicament. They have to learn to stop drifting19 and take back control of their lives.

to be rife – be ubiquitous, be endemic 9 to claim – declare that it has 10 raft – flat platform that floats 11 feature – element 12 within – in 13 level playing field – (in this case) context in which people can interact as equals 14 to cast – present, categorize 8

treacherous – perfidious, unreliable 16 mist – an atmospheric effect that reduces visibility, fog 17 to hide (hide-hid-hidden) – conceal, camouflage 18 turnoff – junction 19 drifting – be passively moved by circumstances (as opposed to deciding where one is going) 20 predicament – bad situation, fix 15

20


Names

Anglo-Saxon Names in The Hobbit An understanding of the names can enrich your enjoyment of The Hobbit. Photo by Marina Carresi

Elves:

Hobbits: The term ‘Hobbit’ was invented by Tolkien in the 1920s. He later invented an elegant etymology for the name: he said that it came from the Anglo-Saxon words hol byldan meaning “to build a hole”. From this he developed1 the fictional compound holbytla (plural holbytlan). It is easy to imagine how, over the centuries, this could have evolved into ‘hobbit’.

Tolkien took the original folk6 image of elves as elusive, capricious magical beings and converted them into the wise guardians of the natural world. The word ‘elf’ is, in fact, related to the Anglo-Saxon word Alp, which means ‘nightmare’ 7. Tolkien invented his own complex language – Elfish – for the elves. In Elfish the names Galadriel and Legolas mean ‘radiant garland’8 and ‘green leaf’9, respectively.

Smaug:

Dwarves:

The dragon in The Hobbit is called ‘Smaug’. Tolkien explained the derivation of this name in a letter in 1938: “The dragon bears2 as a name – a pseudonym – the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb Smugan, ‘to squeeze 3 through a hole’.” However, the dragon’s name also suggests Anglo-Saxon smocian (= emit smoke) and it sounds like Modern English ‘smog’ (= pollution in the atmosphere).

The names of many of Tolkien’s dwarves10 were taken from the Elder Edda11 , including those of Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, Thorin, and Thror.

Beorn: The name and nature of this character who can transform into a bear comes from Anglo-Saxon: Beorn means both ‘warrior’ and ‘bear’.

Orcs:

Not The Hobbit

This Anglo-Saxon word referred to demons or ogres and appears in Beowulf in the compound noun orcneas (= ‘monsters’). Orcs and the Italian word orco (= ‘ogre’) – together with the English word ‘ogre’, ultimately4 derive from the name of the Roman god of the underworld5, Orcus. to develop – elaborate to bear (bear-bore-borne) – (in this case) have 3 to squeeze – force, push, compress 4 ultimately – (false friend) in the end, in the final analysis 1

2

54 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

underworld – inferno, hell folk (adj.) – popular 7 nightmare – bad/frightening dream 8 garland – wreath/crown (of flowers) 5

6

Finally, we could mention the Ents, even though they don’t appear in The Hobbit (only in The Lord of the Rings). The name of these walking, talking trees is in fact an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘giant’. 9

leaf (plural ‘leaves’) – piece of foliage

dwarf (plural ‘dwarves’) – midget, (in this case) small species of miner 11 pre-Viking myths known from a collection compiled in the 13th Century 10

22


Dr Seuss

Reading Dr Seuss I

f there is one cultural reference that is specifically American, as opposed to Anglo in general, it is the works of Dr Seuss. Theodore Seuss Geisel (1904-91) was the Ignatius Loyola of the American Left. He realized1 that if you could inculcate certain ideas at a young age, it would be almost impossible to uproot2 them. Some people even ascribe to Seuss a significant role in turning McCarthyist America of the 1950s into the hippy America of the 1960s.

Phonics & Learning to Read Dr Seuss changed the way children learn to read. He focused on creating fun stories that were sufficiently surrealist to connect with small children’s imaginations. Language was treated as an opportunity for playfulness rather than 3 a serious matter4 . This exuberance allowed for5 nonsense words 6 and inventiveness. Importantly, words were often connected by sound rather than meaning. Take two titles: Yertle the Turtle7 and Socks8 for Fox. Both are obviously playful but both have a serious phonic message. Despite the divergence in letters, ‘Yertle’ rhymes with ‘turtle’ and ‘fox’ rhymes with ‘socks’. This sort of phonic lesson could be repeated a thousand times over in Seuss’s oeuvre9. At the same time the illustrations don’t blandly10 reinforce the text, they complement it provoking a reinterpretation of what it’s about. In other words: 2 + 2 = 5. Seuss learned this trick11 from William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1789). 12 Moreover, by to realize – (false friend) be conscious 2 to uproot – deracinate (technical), eradicate 3 rather than – as opposed to, instead of 4 matter – question, subject, theme 5 to allow for – permit 6 nonsense word – invented word that has no conventionally accepted meaning 1

60 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

7

turtle – amphibian similar to a tortoise that lives in the ocean

socks – clothing for one’s feet 9 oeuvre – canon, writings 8

Photo by Al Ravenna

changing the colour and context of everyday objects he forces the reader to question assumptions as well as concepts of normality and reality. Now that’s13 subversive!

The Seeds14 of Complex Ideas Yet15 there are more subtle lessons in Dr Seuss, too. Yertle the Turtle7 started life in 1942 in a cartoon campaign against Hitler. Fox in Socks8 is a crash course in semiotics for kids16! The Sneetches (1961) alludes to the dangers of antisemitism and also provides an introduction to alienation. The Butter Battle Book (1984) – which is inspired by Part 1 of Gulliver’s Travels (1726) (i.e. Lilliput) and has two communities who go to war over the best way to butter bread17 – denounces Reagan’s escalation of the Cold War. All of the Seuss books have fun life lessons of this sort18 appealing19 to children’s sense of wonder20 while steering them away from21 ‘the dark side’. blandly – in an uninteresting way 11 trick – (in this case) ruse, stratagem 12 Seuss had studied English literature at Oxford University 13 now that’s – (emphatic) that’s really 14 seeds – (in this case) origin, genesis 15 yet – (in this case) however 10

kid – child to butter bread – put butter (or margarine) on bread 18 sort – type, kind 19 appealing – attractive 20 wonder – amazement, astonishment, fascination 21 to steer sb. away from – guide sb. away from 16 17


Harry Potter

Harry Potter: Literary Miracles E

ight years after the appearance of the last Harry Potter book and four years after the final Harry Potter film the scale of the phenomenon is still mind-boggling1. The sequence have sold 400 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling series of books in history and Rowling the most financially successful2 author ever. The Potter movies are the highest grossing3 film series in history. Almost more importantly, as a result of Harry Potter, literature explicitly written for children Photo by Karen Roe Hogwarts could be openly read by adults for the first time. Of course, the books are well written but that alone cannot account for4 their runaway5 success. What else what is charmingly20 idiosyncratic in British culture was it that allowed6 Harry Potter to conquer the world? is included, while what is potentially offensive for the British self-image and international tastes can be disOn the Shoulders of Giants7 carded21. This is theme-park England. The quaintness22 J.K. Rowling is well read in the tradition of English litera- of this magical Britain is such that MPs23 at Westminster ture for children and she used this knowledge to borrow gleefully24 refer to the British Parliament as ‘Hogwarts’ elements that are attractive for modern readers while8 /ˈhogwɔ:rts/! avoiding9 the pitfalls10. Her story is a bildungsroman11 Rowling goes through a similar selection process with set12 in an English public school13 and follows in the the literary fantasy tradition. She will happily raid25 Tolktradition of Tom Brown’s School Days (1857) by Thomas ien’s world for wise26 wizened27 wizards28, giant spiders, Hughes and Kipling’s Stalky and Co. (1899). However, dark lords, invisibility cloaks29 and Ringwraiths (i.e. her this is a co-ed14 , multiethnic public school13, which ‘dementors’) but she discards Tolkien’s homosocial17 means that the story can present many of the quaint15 world and his implied disapproval of miscegenation30. and quirky16 characteristics of old-fashioned and elitist Rowling takes from C.S. Lewis his small band of youngeducation in Britain without the claustrophobic homo- sters on an adventure but rejects his misogyny and social17 setting18. This trait19 is repeated again and again; his racism. mind-boggling – astonishing, spectacular 2 financially successful – profitable 3 grossing – earning (before tax) 4 to account for – explain 5 runaway (adj.) – rampant 6 to allow – permit, enable 7 on the shoulders of giants – building on previous advances of other people 8 while – (in this case) at the same time as 1

8, 23

to avoid – circumvent, not fall in pitfall – mistake, error 11 bildungsroman – coming-ofage story, tale about a child maturing into an adult 12 to be set – take place 13 public school – private residential secondary school 14 co-ed – for boys and girls 15 quaint – attractively old-fashioned 16 quirky – idiosyncratic, eccentric

9

10

homosocial – (in this case) male-only, exclusively male (= ♂) 18 setting – context 19 trait – characteristic 20 charmingly – attractively 21 to discard – eradicate, eliminate 22 quaintness – attractively old-fashioned nature 23 MPs /emˈpi:z/ – Members of Parliament 17

gleefully – exuberantly, jubilantly 25 to raid – furtively rob things from 26 wise – experienced, sagacious 27 wizened – wrinkled, old-looking 28 wizard – magician, sorcerer 29 cloak – (false friend) robe 30 miscegenation – interracial sex 24

www.yes-mag.com YES 22 | 63


SPECIAL OFFER *Free postage and packing in Spain. For more information on this special offer and all our products, please consult our webpage.

Visit our on-line store: www.yes-mag.com

How to Buy Your English Supplement (Yes) All versions of the magazine include an hour’s original recorded material. The special collector's edition and the digital magazine will inlcude a special download code with each issue which will allow you to download the corresponding audio files.

If you have any questions regarding subscriptions or would like more information about our magazine, please visit www.yes-mag.com or contact us at info@yes-mag.com

1. Digital magazine >> Individual issues: €4 >> Annual subscription (10 issues): €30

2. Special Collectors’ edition (print magazine) >> Individual issues: €9.95 + postage and packing* >> Annual subscription (10 issues) + access to corresponding digital issues: €80 + postage and packing* The collectors’ edition is also available from official stockists in Spain (see our website for complete list).

3. Yes Magazine + the iPad app Available in the iTunes store. For further information on the app please visit www.yes-mag.com.


THE CHEMISTRY DOSSIER

SPEAKING & LISTENING EXTENSION Watch: here is an excellent Open University series of 4-minute programmes called ‘The Chemistry of Almost Everything’. It’s worth watching all of them but you can of course pick and choose according to what interests you most: from art to aphrodisiacs. http://goo.gl/ofwVCK

72

Chemistry: the dangerous science - which chemical substances are a danger to you?

Watch: a well-presented 2-hour Discovery Channel documentary on the history of chemistry in 100 discoveries: http://goo.gl/gTf6ym

74

The mysteries of metals - the secrets of the metals that define our lives Exercises 14, 17

Read: an entertaining introduction to the language of chemistry: “Do you speak chemistry?” at: http://goo.gl/NXLCMV

78

Popular names for everyday compounds - from brimstone to saltpetre: our guide to chemicals you won’t recognize Exercise 16

AUDIO EXTENSION

79

Chemical weapons - chemistry has determined who wins wars since prehistoric times

80

Chemical false friends - all the false cognates you need to know Exercise 19

81

Chemistry pronunciation - all the difficult terms from the periodic table Exercise 5

82

Chemistry idioms - chemical expressions in everyday English Exercise 10

Debate 1: Do you support the ‘free-range kids’ movement? Read more: http://goo.gl/9YXGyO Debate 2: Do you agree with the creation of the LGBT secondary school? Debate 3: Is the ‘old-man’ haircut child abuse?

YES 22 | 71


Chemistry

Chemistry: Deadly Metals C

hemistry has revolutionized our lives. Almost every single one of the thousands of objects in your home and office or school has been chemically manipulated from the food to the furniture1. In 1930 it was estimated that there were around a million chemical compounds. In 2005 a study from the University of Berne calculated that there were just under 18 billion. The EU has registered 144,000 chemical products. Roughly2 a third are believed to be dangerous but “the vast majority have not been assessed3 for human or environmental safety”, according to Julian Cribbs 4 . Regulatory authorities are incapable of checking all these substances and we currently live in a sort of chemical Wild West 5. At current rates of assessment it will take 50,000 years to evaluate all the chemicals we currently use. A decade ago the World Health Organization estimated that 4.8 million deaths a year were due to6 a selected group of chemicals. Nearly7 one million tonnes of known or suspected carcinogens8 are released9 in North America every year.10 Chemistry has always been a tradeoff11 between technological advances and danger. 18 th -century soap 12 increased the level of hygiene and life expectancy but it was often so alkaline that it dissolved human skin13!

Caravaggio. Lead enters the body nowadays17 primarily through cereals. Lead poisoning can cause lower IQ18 in children.

Mercury Chemistry has always been a dangerous science. King Charles II of England was an amateur alchemist and one theory is that the mercury he used in his experiments killed him. The same substance drove Charles’ contemporary – and England’s greatest scientist – Isaac Newton mad for two years. Today mercury poisoning 15 still occurs, above all19 as a result of eating predatory fish. Mercury poisoning can cause developmental20 damage in babies and small children.

Lead14 Poisoning15 Lead poisoning was first identified and described in the 2nd Century BCE16 by the Ancient Greeks. The most famous victim of lead poisoning was the painter furniture – sofas, tables, etc. roughly – approximately 3 to assess – evaluate 4 Poisoned Planet (2014) 5 Wild West – anarchic situation 6 to be due to – be caused by 7 nearly – almost, just under 8 carcinogen – cancer-causing substance

9

2

10

72 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

Charles II

to release – emit United Nations Environmental Programme 11 trade-off – compromise, balance 12 soap – substance used for cleaning the body 13 skin – cutaneous organ 14 lead – (Pb) a soft metal

1

Photo by Bionerd

Mercury

15

poisoning – harm from a toxic substance

BCE – before Common Era, before Christ 17 nowadays – these days 18 IQ – intelligence quotient 19 above all – primarily 20 developmental – relating to growth and maturing 16


Names

Rust

Photo by Natalia Auffray

Dry ice

Popular Names for Chemical Compounds I

n the section on metals we saw that the colloquial name for mercury, especially in the past, was ‘quicksilver’. This is only one of dozens of popular terms that exist alongside1 the more technical terms for chemical elements and compounds. Here is a list: >>  ammonia – hydrogen nitride. The word comes from ‘salt of Ammon’, Ammon being the Greek version of the Egyptian god Amun. There was an oracle of Amun in an oasis in the Libyan Desert and the priests2 collected ammonia crystals from the dung3 of visiting camels. >>  antifreeze – ethylene glycol >>  aqua fortis (archaic) – nitric acid >>  baking soda – sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, ‘bicarb’ >>  battery acid – dilute sulphuric acid. Used in car batteries. >>  bleach – sodium hypochlorite. Used as a detergent. >>  borax – sodium borate. Used as an antiseptic.

alongside – next to, in parallel to priest – holy man, cleric 3 dung – animal excrement 4 treacle – molasses, sugar syrup 5 fool – idiot, stupid person

>>  brimstone (archaic) – sulphur. Brimstone and treacle4 was a Victorian cure-all; it is mentioned in Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby (1838). ‘Fire and brimstone’ is a euphemism for the torments of hell. >>  carbolic acid – phenol >>  caustic soda – sodium hydroxide >>  dry ice – solid carbon dioxide >>  Epsom salts – hydrated magnesium sulphate (which was used as a purgative). In Britain this compound is traditionally obtained from a deposit in Epsom in Surrey. >>  fool’s 5 gold – iron pyrite. In 1577 Sir Martin Frobisher brought back to England 1,180 tonnes of iron pyrite from Baffin Island in

to find out (find-found-found) – discover to be worthless – be of no value 8 to bury – inter, place underground 9 spelt ‘saltpeter’ in US English 10 manure – animal excrement, dung

1

6

2

7

78 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

Photo by Nevit

northern Canada only to find out6 that it was worthless7. >>  gypsum – hydrated calcium sulphate >>  laughing gas – nitrous oxide >>  limestone – calcium carbonate >>  lye – potassium hydroxide >>  lodestone – magnetite >>  milk of magnesia – magnesium carbonate in water >>  pencil lead – graphite >>  potash – potassium carbonate >>  quicklime – calcium oxide. The bodies of executed prisoners were traditionally buried8 in quicklime. >>  rock salt – halite >>  rust – iron oxide >>  saltpetre 9 – potassium nitrate. The Chinese invented gunpowder by extracting saltpetre crystals from pig manure10. >>  sand – silicon >>  slaked11 lime – calcium hydroxide >>  surgical spirit (UK) = rubbing alcohol12 (US) – ethanol >>  vitriol (archaic) – sulphuric acid >>  smelling salts – ammonium carbonate. Smelling salts are used as a restorative when somebody has fainted13. >>  stomach acid – hydrochloric acid >>  washing soda – sodium carbonate

to slake – combine (quicklime) with water to produce calcium hydroxide 12 rubbing alcohol – (literally) alcohol for massaging 13 to faint – lose consciousness, pass out 11

16


Idioms

Chemical Expressions: the Acid Test Chemistry Chemistry is used metaphorically to describe how well (or badly) two people get on1. You can talk about their personal chemistry, say they have a special chemistry or even a strange chemistry: - It is essential that there is good chemistry between the pilot and the co-pilot on long flights. >>  a chemical weapon /ˈwepən/ = a device2 that uses chemical compounds to cause death or harm to human beings. Notice the assonance3.

The soil is acidic.

>>  acid rain = rain containing sulphur dioxide from traffic fumes and industry. In 1974 acid rain fell in Scotland that was as acidic as lemon juice!

Chemistry Equipment

>>  litmus test = an action that confirms a theory. Litmus paper is used to test for acidity (in which case it turns9 red) or alkalinity (in which case it turns9 blue). There is a botanical precedent; hydrangea plants produce blue flowers when the soil10 is acidic but pink and white flowers when it’s alkaline.

Did you know that the name of the video-sharing4 website ‘YouTube’ was originally a play on its chemical homophone ‘U-tube’ – a type of manometer? The name is meant to 5 chime with 6 ‘(boob) tube’, a colloquial US term for ‘television’.7 >>  a test-tube baby = a baby born as a result of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

>>  a vitriolic attack = acrimonious criticism. Vitriol is an old-fashioned word for sulphuric acid, one of the most corrosive substances there is.

Acid >>  the acid test = a crucial evaluation to determine if something is genuine. The allusion is to the testing of a specific material using nitric acid to find out8 if it contains gold. to get on (get-got-got) – get along, be compatible 2 device – mechanism, thing 3 assonance – repetition of the vowel sound in consecutive syllables

1

82 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

A U-tube

video-sharing – that permits you to exhibit videos 5 to be meant to – be supposed to 6 to chime with sth. – (in this case) be euphonically connected with (through assonance3)

4

Photo by Marc Ryckaert

Photo by Kreteglobi

>>  caustic humour = sarcasm. Literally, ‘caustic’ means corrosive by means of11 a chemical reaction.

originally referring to the cathode-ray tube used in TVs in the 20th Century 8 to find out (find-found-found) – discover, determine 9 to turn (in this case) go, become

7

soil – earth, ground, dirt (US English) 11 by means of – through 10

10


THE YES COMMUNITY THE BOOKSHOPS You can buy Yes at the following specialist bookstores:

Booksellers C/ Fernández de la Hoz 40 28010 Madrid 914 42 81 04 administracion@booksellers.es www.booksellers.es Central Librera C/ Dolores 2 15402 Ferrol - A Coruña 981 352 719 / 638 59 39 80 centrallibrera@telefonica.net www.centrallibrera.com Come In (Barcelona) C/ Balmes 129 bis 08008 Barcelona 934 53 12 04 comein@libreriainglesa.com www.libreriainglesa.com Come In (Palma) C/ Sant Miquel 58 07002 Palma de Mallorca 971 71 16 93 palma@libreriainglesa.com www.libreriainglesa.com

If you would like a specialist bookshop in your area to stock Yes, tell us and we’ll get in touch with them. 84 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

Doña Revis C/ Gernikako Arbola, N 2 local 48902 Barakaldo - Vizcaya 944 37 81 63 / 664 629 770 donarevis1@gmail.com www.eurobookonline.com Eurobook C/Fray Luis de León 23 47002 Valladolid 983 399 899 pedidos@eurobookonline.com In Use Academy & Books C/ Carles Riba 4 43007 Tarragona 977 29 09 31 english@inusetgn.com www.inusetgn.com Librería Donosti Plaza de Bilbao 2 20005 San Sebastián 943 42 21 38 - ldonosti@telefonica.net

Herso Bookshop C/ Dionisio Guardiola 18 02002 Albacete 967 50 71 57 herso@herso.com www.herso.com Librería Hojablanca C/ Martín Gomero 6 45001 Toledo 925 25 44 06 info@libreriahojablanca.es www.libreriahojablanca.es

Librería Pléyades Avda.de España, 17 C. Comercial Cánovas local 12 10002 Cáceres 927 22 80 23 libros@libreriapleyades.com www.libreriapleyades.com Librería Victor Jara Calle Meléndez 21 37002 Salamanca 923 261 228 - amaru@verial.es www.libreriavictorjara.com

Pasajes Libros C/ Génova 3 28004 Madrid 91 310 12 45 - 1 ingles@pasajeslibros.com www.pasajeslibros.com

Planet Book Librería de Idiomas C/ Doce de Octubre 15 14001 Córdoba 957 49 24 86 libreria@planetbook.es www.planetbook.es


THE LEARNING CENTRES Are you looking for a language school that uses stimulating up-to-date material in class that results in effective conversation classes and tangible progress in your English?

BackUp Lines Barcelona, Spain 935 47 88 53 www.backuplines.com

Murcia, Spain - 968 29 13 09 dep-ingles@eoimurcia.org

Madrid, Spain - 91 564 0022 www.open.es / castellana@open.es

LANGUAGE ACADEMIES Mundolinguas Pontevedra, Spain 986 10 41 42 www.mundolinguas.com

PRIVATE CLASSES

La Seu d’Urgell, Spain - 973 35 44 46 www.eoilaseu.cat eoilaseudurgell@xtec.cat

Remember, if you subscribe to Yes, we’d be happy to include your logo and your details on this page. Just send them to us when you take out your institutional subscription (print or digital).

Are you looking for private classes that use stimulating up-to-date material in class? The following private teachers use Yes in their classes:

Almudena Rodríguez de Avendaño Logroño (La Rioja) 941 286 826 (Centro Ibercaja La Rioja) Email: arodriguezav@obrasocial.ibercaja.es Xavier Lafarga Ateneu Popular de Ponent - Lleida, Catalunya English classes for adults Email: x.lafarga@gmail.com

We believe this should be an interactive process and as such we welcome all feedback (good or bad!). - Is there a subject you would like us to cover? - Is there something we could be doing better? - Do you simply have a question about English? You can contact us at: nick@yes-mag.com and nathan@yes-mag.com And remember we regularly post follow-up information on our Facebook page (@yeszine) and on the blog on the webpage. Finally, if you want to receive an exercise every week, our monthly newsletter and our methodology pack – all absolutely FREE, please subscribe to our newsletter on the webpage (www.yes-mag.com). www.yes-mag.com YES 22 | 85


AUDIO SCRIPTS

The following pages contain the transcriptions of what is spoken on the audio files.

SPOKEN-ENGLISH TIPS

Spoken English is significantly different from the written language: A more limited vocabulary is generally used and it is, by definition, more colloquial. Moreover1, spoken English uses many more incomplete or badly constructed sentences. On the other hand, intonation and stress can be used in speech.

HOW TO USE THE AUDIO SCRIPTS

Follow our eight-step process to get the most out of the audio scripts:

1

Before you listen we recommend that you read through the relevant section of the footnotes2 (not the text itself). This should give you some idea of the subject3 and help you to understand the more difficult vocabulary as you listen.

2

When you listen the first time, don’t expect to understand everything; listening practice should not be a painful4 process. Simply see how much meaning you can extract from the recording.

3

Listen more times going back to the footnotes to integrate the information you have.

4

Once you understand reasonably well, do the relevant exercise.

5

Finally, read the audio scripts as you listen again.

6

Stop each time you get lost or encounter a structure that interests or confuses you.

7

Repeat words or phrases whose pronunciation surprises you.

8

Two or three days later, listen to the text again without reading to see if your understanding has improved5.

YES NO. 22 TRACK LIST Mini-debates (22m50s) 1. Parental Rights (10m05s) 2. The LGBT School (8m35s) 3. The ‘Old-man’ Haircut (4m09s) 4. Pronunciation Exercise (3m42s) 5. Interview about Children's Literature (10m12s) Monologues: The Story of My Childhood (13m05s) 6. Monologue 1 [US English] (3m33s) 7. Monologue 2 [British English] (2m42s) 8. Monologue 3 [US English] (2m58s) 9. Monologue 4 [British English] (3m51s) 10. Chemistry Pronunciation (3m36s) 11. Picture Description (4m49s) Total time: 0h58m17s

This process is intense and time-consuming. However, it will eventually6 solve the problem most learners have of relating7 the spoken word to the written. Once you’ve done that, the rest is easy!

moreover – what’s more, furthermore footnotes – notes at the bottom of the page (in this box) 3 subject (n.) – (in this context) theme 4 painful – (in this context) arduous, unpleasant 5 to improve – get better 6 eventually – (false friend) in the end 7 to relate – associate, connect, link 1

2

YES 22 | 87


AUDIO SCRIPTS

areas where the general population around them is not as well off139 as they are et cetera, et cetera. I think the idea that – y’know37 – people in a particular92 school can be a target137 and they probably have to be careful when they’re leaving school or there ought to140 be – sort of19 – adults around until they’ve dispersed. I mean 9, I don’t think that’s the same as when however long you are at school per day, eight hours a day, having to be looking over your shoulder141. I think that’s a different circumstance. SM: Yeah, I mean9, but I think we’ve come back to the fundamental problem that the educational system

needs more investment and needs – y’know37 – teachers need better training and – y’know37 – it needs refurbishment143. AM: And the rise 144 in suicides and bullying93, do you think this is attributable to social media? EM: I don’t think… I didn’t necessarily… I didn’t say there was a rise 144 and I don’t know there has been a rise. I know that there are… there is a suicide rate associated with young people in that situation but I don’t know if… it probably has decreased I think in one sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if it decreased because society is, certainly British society, is much, much more accepting than 142

in the past. And you know there are positive role models. The guy145 who just146 won the Emmys 147, what is the American music award? The American music? AM: The Grammys148? EM: The Grammys! There’s a British guy149 who… don’t know why I said Emmys? …a British guy who is – y’know37 – quite openly gay et cetera, et cetera. That’s – y’know37 – there are a lot of positive role models whereas a generation ago or two generations ago it was… you’d have – sort of19 – silly stereotype things like Are You Being Served?150 and things like that. So, I think that’s changed.

3. The ‘Old-man’ Haircut (4m09s) EM: Did you see this piece151 of news in America about this barber who’s giving ‘old-man haircuts’ to kids 5? Apparently, this barber who’s called Rusty, Rusty Fred from Atlanta. USW: What’s the haircut like? EM: It’s basically – sort of19 – bald152 on top and short back and sides153. It’s meant to154 make your child look like a 70-year-old. Yeah. USW: So like alopecia155. EW: Wow! And for girls as well14? EM: I don’t know if it is just33 for boys. The only pictures I’ve seen are boys. But the idea is that if children have been naughty156 then their well off – affluent, rich, prosperous ought to – should 141 to be looking over one’s shoulder – be vigilant for danger 142 investment – spending money on improvements 143 refurbishment – renovation 144 rise – increase 145 guy /gai/ – man, bloke (UK only)

Photomontage of the “old-man” haircut just – recently US-based award for excellence in television 148 US-based award for excellence in music 149 Sam Smith (1992- ) 150 a BBC TV comedy series (1972-85) whose central character was an effeminate shop assistant 151 piece – item, story

Photo by Incognito

bald – having no hair short back and sides – when the hair is cut short at the sides and at the back of the head 154 to be meant to – be supposed to 155 alopecia – partial absence of hair from areas of the head where it normally grows 156 naughty – disobedient, mischievous

139

146

152

140

147

153

71

9

www.yes-mag.com

YES 22 | 97


AUDIO SCRIPTS

Photo by Robert Lawton

parents4 either threaten157 them or actually38 take them in to have their heads done, to be scalped158. Is that child abuse159 or is that...? USW: And even if they are not naughty156! USM: I wanna160 know where Rusty got that idea. Business must’ve been slow. EM: No, no. I can tell you where Rusty got the idea. A mother came in and said that her child had been naughty156 and she wanted her… she to threaten sb. – say that sth. will happen to sb. if they continue to act in a specific way 158 to be scalped – (in this case) have one’s hair cut short 159 child abuse – mistreatment of children 160 wanna – (slang) want to 161 punishment – retribution, act of disciplining

157

98 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

wanted the child to be given a ridiculous haircut as a punishment161. And he took this up and went with162 it. EW: The man’s a genius! USM: OK. EM: You don’t… I mean 9, do you think that’s acceptable? USW: I think it’s fine, yeah. Did you never go to the hairdresser and get an awful 163 haircut and suffer because of it? EW: My mum used to give me an

awful 163 haircut. And I remember actually38 one day wearing a hood 164 to school on the bus. The bus escort165 made me take my hood 164 off and even she laughed at me out loud166. She’s like 61, “Oh, sorry, that’s terrible”. EM: And then said, “Put it back on! Put it back on!” EW: Yeah! And at school I just 7 remember being so embarrassed. The typical basin haircut167, you know? And that was my mom just7

to take sth. up and go with it – adopt sth. awful – terrible, horrible 164 hood – part of a coat that covers one’s head 165 bus escort – bus monitor, adult who accompanies the children on a school bus as a passenger 166 out loud – aloud, audibly 167 (pudding-)basin haircut – bowl haircut 162 163

9

71


EXERCISES PAGE

EXERCISE

112 1. Illustrations round-up: see if you can identify some of the objects and actions mentioned in the footnotes of this issue. 113 2. Title Tag: can you match these alternative titles to the news articles on pp. 7-9? 3. Interview listening comprehension: answer these questions about audio track 5. 114 4. Word Search: find names and terms from Alice in Wonderland (pp. 18-25). 115 5. Chemical pronunciation and spelling: a varied exercise relating to the chemistry dossier in general and p. 81 in particular. 6. Enid Blyton’s Numbers: a tongue-in-cheek exercise relating to the article on pp. 46-48. 116 7. Crossword: for revision of vocabulary from throughout the magazine. 117 8. Harry Potter multiple-choice quiz: relating to pp. 63-65. 118 9. Debates: varied listening comprehension exercises for audio tracks 1-3 (pp. 88-100).

PAGE

EXERCISE

122 16. Popular names for chemical compounds: a matching exercise relating to p. 78. 17. Chemical symbols: match the symbols to the element names in English (p. 74-77). 123 18. Phrasal Verbs Round-up: how many new phrasal verbs have you learned this month? 19. False Friends Round-up: test to see if you learned the false friends marked in the footnotes throughout the magazine + see if you learned the chemical false friends on p. 80. 124 20. Wordplay: a word game – relating to the Huck Finn articles on pp. 30-33. 21. Internet Listening: test your listening comprehension with this fascinating talk about better teaching techniques. 22. Peter Pan idioms: did you learn the expressions from pp. 40-42? 125 23. Hobbit Homophones: correct this text about the Hobbit movie. 126 24. Prepositions: fill the gaps in this text about children’s literature and religion. 25. Tolkien names: match the names to their meanings after reading pp. 54-55. 127 26. Reading Comprehension about metaphors: read the poem by Rudyard Kipling and answer the questions (pp. 34-36).

119 10. Chemistry idioms: did you manage to learn the expressions on pp. 82-83? 11. Monologues: a true-false listening comprehension on audio tracks 6-9 (pp. 105-109). 12. US vs. UK: matching words in British and American English from the footnotes.

128 27. Wordplay: test your vocabulary and understanding of English morphology.

120 13. Pronunciation: a listening exercise to revise the difficult words from throughout the magazine. 14. Metal expressions: fill the gaps to form expressions from pp. 74-77.

130 29. Sentence transformation: revise structures from throughout the issue.

129 28. Narnia multiple-choice quiz: answer the questions about C.S. Lewis and his work (pp. 56-59).

131-133 ANSWERS

121 15. Wizard of Oz multiple-choice quiz: answer the questions relating to pp. 37-39.

YES 22 | 111


Crossword

1

2

3

9

Test how well you have retained the vocabulary from this issue of Yes by doing the following crossword If you find the crossword difficult, do the easy clues (in bold) first. This will make the rest of the words much easier to find.

14 18

116 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

15

19

16 20

6

7

27

28

29 35 41

12

23

24

21

22

49

50 53

58

59

44. preposition 46. any beer other than lager, stout, or porter 47. saga, legend 49. return (abbreviation) 51. ocular organ 53. piece of clothing 58. pronoun. Homophone of 51 ACROSS 59. stair, stride. Anagram of ‘pest’ 60. delight, cheer 61. tardy 62. consumed food 63. tellurium (chemical symbol)

Down 1. metal (Cu); policeman 2. same as 9 ACROSS 3. ferrous element (Fe.). Homophone of ‘ion’ 4. chemical weapon associated with the US war against Vietnam

26 30

31 37

42 47

13

17

36

46

8

11

25

40

1. ____________________ story = bildungsroman (6-2-3) 6. epoch, number of years lived 7. germanium (chemical abbreviation) 9. preposition. Activated? 10. Egyptian sun god 11. chopping tool (US English) 12. pounds weight (Latin abbreviation) 14. apex. Anagram of ‘pot’ and ‘opt’ 17. precious metal. Anagram of ‘sliver’ 19. not conscious 20. conscious 22. (we/you/they) exist. Anagram of ‘era’ 23. rhenium (chemical abbreviation) 24. 3.14159. homophone of ‘pie’ 25. flowering plant associated with France 26. unit of electrical resistance 27. piece of textile 28. chemical symbol for 17 ACROSS 29. encountered 30. extra-terrestrial (initialism) 32. since, like 34. Driving Standards Agency (initialism) 36. album 38. is not or are not (slang) 40. strangers

5

10

34

Across

4

32

38

33 39

43

44

45 48

51 54

52 55 60

5. supernatural being. Type of tale 6. shaft for wheels 8. pachyderm – such as Horton 10. Harry Potter’s friend 11. well ventilated 13. popular name for sulphur 14. element previously known as wolfram 15. same as 9 ACROSS 16. tropical tree. Part of one’s hand 17. potassium nitrate (US spelling) 18. Latin preposition used in English 21. easily handled. Anagram of ‘widely’ 28. grown-ups 31. (I/she/he/it) existed. Anagram of ‘saw’ 32. industrious insect that lives in a colony 33. piece of rock – 14 x 12 ACROSS

61

56

57

62

63

35. same as 32 ACROSS 37. boy’s name – Pan? 38. same as 32 ACROSS 39. shade 40. paddle. Homophone or ‘ore’ 41. number. Anagram of ‘net’ 42. depiction, picture 43. nursery ____________ poem for children 45. pronoun; number 46. Argon (chemical symbol) 48. Neon (chemical symbol) 50. same as 6 ACROSS 52. snake-like fish 53. same as 7 ACROSS 54. Associated Press (initialism) 55. object pronoun 56. sodium (chemical symbol) 57. Trinidad and Tobago (internet address)


23. The Hobbit movie. 66 words in this text have been changed for their homophones. Change them back: Anyone reading hour analysis of The Hobbit (on pp. 52-53) is likely to be disconcerted if he ore she has only scene the recent movies. This trilogy converts the slim children’s fantasy into an epic prequel for the Lord of the Rings. Inn sew doing, the filmmakers solve many of the problems that make the book reactionary. However, the wait of changes means that the movies form a storey that is for adolescents and adults – the audience of the previous Lord of the Rings films – rather than for children. To be fare sum of the added material is inspired buy the Appendices that Tolkien added to The Lord of the Rings, sow it could be argued that the changes are faithful to the author's overall vision. Won type of change wrought on the children’s adventure book is the insertion of characters from The Lord of the Rings, presumably to satisfy those filmgoers who Sikh familiarity. Thus we have Frodo appearing at the beginning of the first movie, even though he had knot bin borne at the thyme of Bilbo’s adventure. Later on, we encounter Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Galadriel (Kate Blanchett) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) even though they do knot appear inn The Hobbit. Galadriel was introduced as part of the White Council (an awl-mail committee inn the book) – and Tauriel was invented as a female elf warrior – to compensate for Tolkien’s entirely homosocial fantasy. The Hobbit movies also reprise tropes from the Lord of the Rings films. Gandalf saves the party from the trolls with a gesture that imitates his rock-splitting at the bridge of Khazad-dûm. Soon after, he gives Bilbo almost the same pep torque that he gave Frodo inn Moria. The seen of the fighting mountain giants is changed sew that it is moor like the avalanches on the Caradhras pass. Likewise, the scenes inn Goblin Town are modified to remind fans of the previous movies of the fight action in Moria. Epic elements are added to make the Hobbit movie less of a fantasy. Azog is a dead character inn the book but hear he is converted into the giant albino orc who pursues the company throughout there adventure. Inn fact, their is know hoard of warg riders inn the book. The introduction of Azoz also adds familiarity for Lord of the Rings fans because he is essentially the same character as Lurtz inn the later book. Tolkien’s dwarves are the comical little creatures of fairy tail, inn the movies they are moor like pint-sized Vikings. Thorin, becomes a handsome and noble epic avenger rather than the greedy, bumbling, inexperienced leader of the book. Similarly, Bilbo rapidly terns into an action hero. The movies unremittingly ad conflict to the children’s fantasy. For instants, Rivendell is a plaice that the dwarves enter reluctantly and they are constantly hostile to the elves. Inn the book they are received with music and dance and they do knot want to leave after a fortnight. Most of the battle scenes inn the movies don’t appear inn the novel awe are hugely expanded. The movies remove a number of Harry-Potteresque elements that wood be considered infantile bye a 21st-century teenage and adult audience. For example, inn the book the trolls have a talking purse and, moor importantly, the eagles offer stimulating conversation to there passengers. Talking objects and talking animals are part of fantasy, knot epic and sow they have to be eliminated. At the same thyme the Hobbit movies are re-infantilized inn a number of weighs. For instants, their is the introduction of the character Radagast the Brown, a wizard who is named inn the book but does knot appear. A bizarre cross between Unibomber and a lovable old tramp, this figure seams to have bin added for comic relief. Finally, the scatological gags that punctuate the movies are pure Hollywood and definitely un-Tolkienesque.

www.yes-mag.com

YES 22 | 125


STAFF Anglo Files, S.L. (publisher) Nicholas Franklin (editor) nick@yes-mag.com Marina Carresi (artistic director and photography, proofreading) marina@yes-mag.com Nathan Burkiewicz (sub-editor, page-design, webmaster) nathan@yes-mag.com Fabiola Vieyra (promotion) Josh Tampico (sound engineer) Gonzalo Cohen (legal)

WRITERS, VOICES, INVALUABLE SUPPORT & HELPING HANDS Douglas Jasch, Silvia Gimeno Siehr, Prof. Raoul Franklin, Colman Keane, Miles Pratt, Almudena Cáceres, Susannah Jones, Robbie K. Jones, Garrett Wall, AmyJo Doherty, James Duggan, Jim Trainor, Rod E. Musselman, Adrian Hall, Paul Thomas, John Adedoyin, Hamish Binns, Lois Humphrey, Julie Davies, Irene Tremblay, Dave Mooney, Howard Brown, Bea Alzona, Saskia Eijkins, Cristian Dopazzo.

PHOTOGRAPHY Marina Carresi, Natalia Auffray, AmyJo Doherty

134 | YES 22

www.yes-mag.com

YES-MAG.COM

YOUR ENGLISH SUPPLEMENT

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBPAGE FOR THE FULL UPDATED LIST OF YES STOCKISTS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, WRITE TO US AT INFO@YES-MAG.COM

Nicholas Franklin nick@yes-mag.com

Marina Carresi

@yeszine

facebook.com/YesZine

Nathan Burkiewicz nathan@yes-mag.com

info@yes-mag.com

Published by Anglo Files S.L. C/ Bronce 27, 11-B, Madrid 28045 Depósito legal: M-9788-2013 // ISSN: 2255-5676 PVP: 9,95€ VAT included/incluido IVA // Printed in Spain All rights reserved. Neither all nor part of this magazine can be reproduced, recorded in or transmitted by any information-recovery system by any means, be it mechanical, photochemical, magnetic, electronic, photocopies or any other method or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the publisher and in accordance with the Intellectual Property Law. Any violation of these terms and conditions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.


In the Next Volume of Your English Supplement

THE DINOSAUR RENAISSANCE With a new Jurassic Park movie on the way, we have learned more about palaeontology since the first Jurassic Park movie than we had discovered in the previous two centuries.

Photomontage by Nick Franklin

THE TRAVEL & TOURISM DOSSIER

Everything you need to know to work in tourism or travel in the Anglosphere - Functional English for tourism - Travel false friends - Travel phrasal verbs

- US vs. UK travel vocabulary - Confusing words in travel

Plus loads more stuff on economics, internet, science, news, language etc. which we haven’t decided yet! Photo by Marina Carresi



Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.