Star Wars fans applaud movie release slowdown

     Plans by Disney to slow down the release of future Star Wars projects are getting a thumbs up from fans, who also hope that new movies in the multi-billion dollar sci-fi franchise will be more creative. In an unexpected admission that the slew of Star Wars films and spinoff projects may be causing fan fatigue, Walt Disney chief executive Bob Iger said it had been a mistake to release a new movie every year.

     "I think the mistake that I made - I take the blame - was a little too much, too fast", Bob Iger told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Thursday. "You can expect some slowdown, but that doesn't mean that we're not going to make films, so I think we're going to be a little more careful about volume and timing", Iger added.

     Scott Collura, executive editor of entertainment website IGN, called the slowdown "a win for fans," recalling the anticipation in the past when there were long gaps between movies."It won't kill us to not have a new Star Wars film in 2020," Collura wrote in an opinion piece.

     Since 2015, Disney has released two of three planned movies based around characters originated by director George Lucas in 1977, and two standalone films. Iger's comment followed a disappointing reception for May release Solo: A Star Wars Story, an origin story about smuggler Han Solo.

     In the past year, Disney has also announced a live-action series for its planned streaming service, a series of feature films written by the creators of television show Game Of Thrones, and another film trilogy bringing in new characters.

     Many fans have failed to embrace the younger generation of characters, like Daisy Ridley's feisty Rey and John Boyega's rebel stormtrooper Finn in The Force Awakens. "No one gives a flip about Rey, Poe or Finn (the new generation characters)," commented user CMO175 on the Hollywood Reporter comments page, he also complained about the fate of Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. Others said the movies had become too politically correct while some complained that the plots had become stale.

     "Maybe having film releases spaced out a little more will give authors and artists some creative breathing room," wrote Darth Nobunaga on the starwarsnet.com fan forum.

Adapted from NEW YORK (REUTERS) SEP 22, 2018,

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

1. Star Wars admirers agree to release movies more often.
2. Bob Iger thinks that they won`t probably continue filming Star Wars movies after fans disappointment.
3. A long time ago these movies were released at longer intervals of time
4. Enthusiastic followers haven’t come to like the newest characters.
5. User CMO175 showed his approval to the final destiny of Luke Skywalker

Question 2: [ 2 POINTS]

      a. Why does Disney want to slow down the release of new Star Wars films?

      b. How have Star Wars fans received the last generation of characters?

Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words   and definitions given.

1. Pile (paragraph1)
2. Concerned (paragraph 2)
3. Leisure (paragraph 3)
4. Welcome (paragraph 6)
5. Grumble (paragraph 6)

Key

Question1

1. False. Plans by Disney to slow down the release of future Star Wars projects are getting a thumbs up from fans
2. False "You can expect some slowdown, but that doesn't mean that we're not going to make films,
3. True," recalling the anticipation in the past when there were long gaps between movies.
4. True Many fans have failed to embrace the younger generation of characters
5. False. , he also complained about the fate of Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi.

Question 3

1. Slew
2. Careful
3. Entertainment
4. Embrace
5. Complained

Watch the video and complete the following sentences.

1. Making a movie is a ……………………… ……………………… .
2. You can ……………………. your heads ………………….. .
3. That’s the good ……………………….. that can happen on the movies.
4. There’s an element of harrasment that’s …………………… …………. here.
5. Do the rules really …………………….?
6. Come ……………………… to me that you want this job.
7. It’s never too late to learn new …………………………… .
8. That’s the responsibility of anybody who wants to obey that ……………………….. of professional ethics.
9. Everyday someone comes ……… ……… …….. and says, ‘Well you don’t look like Jason’.
10. Towards the end of the video an extract of the film “……………………………………” is shown.

KEY

1. Life experience
2. Laugh off
3. Stuff
4. Going on
5. Apply
6. Prove
7. Behaviours
8. Code
9. Up to me
10. The Post

Go it alone: solo trips on the rise as travellers opt for ‘me time’

     

  More Britons are choosing to travel on their own, using apps and social media, as it means a holiday without compromises

     Solo travel is on the rise as a growing number of holidaymakers opt for trips that allow them to “do what they want”. Around 15% of travellers took a trip on their own in the last year, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta). The figure is up from 12% last year and 6% in 2011.

     The age range that showed the biggest increase was that of 35-44 year olds, with more than 16% taking a trip alone: the figure for 2017 was just 5%. Having the opportunity to do whatever they wanted was the most common reason given by three-quarters of people surveyed in all age groups, while taking time out and meeting new people have become less important, according to the report.

     The upward trend over the last decade is attributed to improved technology and a growing number of apps (alongside social media) that enable travellers to navigate the world with more ease and confidence alone: from instant language translation, free global messaging and other roaming options, to apps that connect people with other solo travellers or local hosts for dinner, tours or a bed for the night.

     Travel companies have responded to demand by offering a range of options for people booking by themselves. Tour operators, such as Intrepid Travel, have doubled its offering of independent trips this year and says “solos” now represent 50% of its customers. Its small group tours for solo travellers aim to offer a “ready-made group of friends”

     Abta reported that, overall, the number of British people taking a holiday remained high, with 86% of respondents taking a holiday at home or abroad in the 12 months to August 2018. Package holidays remain a popular choice for holidays abroad and city breaks were still the most popular type of trip: 48% of those surveyed having taken one this year, closely followed by beach holidays (40%).

     Despite the positive figures from Abta, the British tourist authority chairman Steve Ridgway’s response had a note of caution, in light of Brexit: “We face a number of significant challenges, the most important, the UK’s departure from the European Union. We want to ensure that the future relationship keeps our borders as frictionless as possible for visitors, our aviation as connected as ever and our economic stability on track, because tourism depends on this.”

Adapted from The Guardian 9th October 2018

Question 2 Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. Why are more and more people taking a holiday on their own?
2. How does technology help solo travelers?
3. In what way have travel companies changed?
4. What types of holidays do Britons prefer?
5. Why is Steve Ridway worried about Brexit?

KEY

a) There is a growing number of people travelling alone since this way of travelling offers them the freedom to choose what they can do; whereas before they wanted to have time for themselves or just meet new friends.

b) Technology helps solo travelers as they feel they can rely on it if they have problems with the language and can communicate easily with other people travelling on their own; what’s more, they can even contanct locals, who they can meet with for dinner or for accommodation.

c) They have adapted to this new trend because it means half of their customers; they are offering them tours in which a new group of friends is made to measure.

d) Apart from this new tendency to travel alone, they still opt for holidays which include everything you need to travel; they also enjoy their holidays in the city, followed by trips to the coast.

e) He fears Brexit will change the relationship with the EU in the future in terms of frontiers, flight connections and the stability of their economy.

TRANSLATION "TAKE" AND "LAST"

There are different words and expressions you can use in Spanish to translate the English verbs “take / last”. Translate the following sentences:

1. Estos zapatos me han durado mucho y sólo pagué por ellos diez libras.
2. Fue bonito mientras duró.
3. ¿Cuánto tarde normalmente en llegar una carta a Inglaterra?
4. Su contrato no durará seis meses.
5. Todos los domingos lavo mi coche, lo que me lleva normalmente hora y media.
6. Nuestro amor durará para siempre.
7. Me lleva meses leer un libro.
8. Un partido de fútbol dura noventa minutos.
9. Los atascos fueron horribles; me llevó una hora llegar a tu casa.
10. Lleva mucho tiempo aprender una lengua extranjera.

KEY

1. These shoes lasted me well and I only paid ten pounds for them.
2. It was nice while it lasted.
3. How long does a letter normally take to get to England?
4. His contract won’t last six months.
5. Every Sunday I wash my car, which normally takes me an hour and a half.
6. Our love will last forever.
7. It takes me months to read a book.
8. A football match lasts ninety minutes.
9. The traffic jams were awful; it took me an hour to get to your house.
10. It takes a long time to learn a foreign language.

WARM UP about LANGUAGES

You can use the questions below as a WARM UP ACTIVITY to check your students' knowledge about languages. 

Answer the following questions:

1. How many languages are there in the world?

1. Between 200 and 300
2. Between 2000 and 3000
3. Between 6000 and 7000

2. How many indigenous languages are there in Europe?

1. Between 5 and 10
2. Between 50 and 100
3. Between 200 and 300

3. In which two continents are most of the world’s languages spoken?

4. What percentage of the world’s population is bilingual or plurilingual?

1. About 20%
2. About 40%
3. More than 50%

5. How often do Europeans come across foreign languages?

1. Once in a blue moon
2. Every now and then
3. Very often

6. How many words do many languages have?

1. A few hundred
2. A few thousand
3. 50,000

7. Do languages affect each other? Why?

8. In its first year a baby utters a wide range of vocal sounds; how many words does he/she possess at five?

1. Several hundred
2. Several thousand
3. Several million

9. How many languages are spoken in London alone?

1. between 30 and 50
2. about 300
3. about 3000

10. What is a “mother tongue”?

11. What are the benefits of bilingualism?

12. Most …………………. languages belong to the Indo-European family.

13. Most …………………. languages belong to the three broad groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic.

14. Can you name three Germanic languages?

15. Can you name three Romance languages?

16. Can you name three Slavic languages?

17. Can you name three alphabets?

KEY

1.There are between 6000 and 7000 languages in the world - spoken by 7 billion people divided into 189 independent states.

2.There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe - roughly 3% of the world’s total.

3. Most of the world’s languages are spoken in Asia and Africa.

4. At least half of the world’s population is bilingual or plurilingual, i.e. they speak two or more languages.

5. In their daily lives Europeans increasingly come across foreign languages.

6. Many languages have 50,000 words or more, but individual speakers normally know and use only a fraction of the total vocabulary: in everyday conversation people use the same few hundred words.

7. Languages are constantly in contact with each other and affect each other in many ways: English borrowed words and expressions from many other languages in the past and European languages are now borrowing many words from English.

8. In its first year a baby utters a wide range of vocal sounds; at around one year the first understandable words are uttered; at around three years complex sentences are formed; at five years a child possesses several thousand words.

9. Due to the influx of migrants and refugees, Europe has become largely multilingual. In London alone some 300 languages are spoken (Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Berber, Hindi, Punjabi, etc.).

10. The mother tongue is usually the language one knows best and uses most. But there can be “perfect bilinguals” who speak two languages equally well. Normally, however, bilinguals display no perfect balance between their two languages.

11. Bilingualism brings with it many benefits: it makes the learning of additional languages easier, enhances the thinking process and fosters contacts with other people and their cultures.

Bilingualism and plurilingualism entail economic advantages, too: jobs are more easily available to those who speak several languages, and multilingual companies have a better competitive edge than monolingual ones.

12. Languages are related to each other like the members of a family. Most European languages belong to the large Indo-European family.

13. Most European languages belong to three broad groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic.

14. The Germanic family of languages includes Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, English and Yiddish, among others.

15. The Romance languages include Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian, among others.

16. The Slavic languages include Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and others.

17. Most European languages use the Latin alphabet. Some Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. Greek, Armenian, Georgian and Yiddish have their own alphabet.

Should High School Students Wear Uniforms?

There are differing opinions on whether uniforms school be required in high schools. It' important to consider the pros and cons specific to teenagers when making up your mind about this controversial question.

                                                          High School Uniform Pros

High schools require students to wear uniforms for many good reasons. Here are some of the advantages.

1.-_______________________________________________________________ 

       Wearing uniforms can be a great way for high schoolers to show pride for their institutions. Schools often want their students to proudly wear attire with the school's symbol embroidered somewhere on the outfit.

2.- _______________________________________________________________

         Some secondary schools want to choose what teenagers wear so they can ensure no one wears something indecent that would potentially harm the school's reputation.

3.- ______________________________________________________________

        Teenagers who wear uniforms don't face ridicule from other students when they are unable to wear the latest styles. The elimination of this type of bullying can preserve self-esteem and keep the focus on education.

4.- _______________________________________________________________

      A September 1999 article from “Psychology Today” reported that after a Long Beach, California school adopted uniforms their crime rate dropped by 91 percent, school suspensions dropped by 90 percent, sex offenses decreased by 96 percent and vandalism incidences declined by 69 percent.

                                                      High School Uniform Cons

The use of uniforms in high schools can help students and school officials in many ways, but it's not without it's downfalls.

5.- _______________________________________________________________

        Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and expression. This expression is common through what teenagers wear. Requiring a uniform deprives adolescents of the ability to express themselves through clothing, which could result in expressing themselves in other inappropriate ways.

6.- ______________________________________________________________

        Adolescents struggle to break away from parents and other authority figures to find their own identity. In the process, they often reject restraints put on them, including uniforms. Teenagers may resist the uniform by refusing to wear it, changing it, or engaging in risky or deviant behavior.

7.- _______________________________________________________________

      Uniforms can be expensive, and they are usually not worn outside of school. Parents may also have to endure the added expense of buying trendy teen clothing for functions outside of school.

8.- _______________________________________________________________

        While some uniform advocates may say that they promote better learning environments, critics argue that some are uncomfortable, which may distract students.

9.- _______________________________________________________________

          Some critics warn that uniforms may inhibit successful transition to adulthood. Since teenagers are told what to wear each day, they haven't learned which types of clothing are considered appropriate or inappropriate in certain settings.

Another consideration is that since teenagers had to wear uniforms for years, they may not be as willing to dress as professional when they don't have to anymore, which could become a problem with some jobs.

10.- _______________________________________________________________

          The great uniform debate continues and there doesn't seem to be a satisfactory conclusion for both teens and school officials. Many teens find that uniforms are boring and wish they could wear something much more their style. School officials want uniforms so teens can forget what they are wearing and how they look so they can pay attention to the real reason why they are in school. Answer the question of whether uniforms should be required in secondary schools involves determining what you believe are the true influences of them on teenagers and their education.

By Marcelina Hardy, MSEd, BCCBoard Certified Coach

1.- Write the appropriate headline to each paragraph

a.- Promotes Rebellious Behavior

b.- Decreases School Violence

c.- Displays School Pride

d.- Emphasizes Education

e.- Affects Transition to Adulthood

f.- Costs More Money

g.- Preserves School Integrity

h.- Suppresses Individuality

j.- Uncomfortable and Distracting

i.- The Great Uniform Debate

2.- Find words or expressions in the text with similar meaning.

Pros

1.- cause 2.- clothes 3.- hurt 4.- most recent 5.- protect 6.- narrate 7.- decrease 

Cons

1.- usual 2.- fight 3.- limit 4.- cost 5.- fashionable 6.- claim 7.- divert attention 

KEY

1.- Write the appropriate headline to each paragraph

a.- 6.- Promotes Rebellious Behavior b.- 4.- Decreases School Violence c.- 1.- Displays School Pride d.- 3.- Emphasizes Education e.- 9.- Affects Transition to Adulthood f.- 7.- Costs More Money g.- 2.- Preserves School Integrity h.- 5.- Suppresses Individuality j.- 8.- Uncomfortable and Distracting i.- 10.- The Great Uniform Debate 

2.- Find words or expressions in the text with similar meaning.

Pros

1.- reason 2.- attire / outfit 3.- harm 4.- latest 5.- preserve 6.- report 7.- decline 

Cons

1.- common 2.- struggle 3.- restrain 4.- expense 5.- trendy 6.- argue 7.- distract 

WHO'S WHO VIDEO

Listen and complete the following sentences

1. You have to guess ….......................................................... .
2. Her father is in fact an Academy …..................................................... .
3. She does a lot of work for …............................ .
4. She too has …........................................ .
5. She is considered by the media ….......................................... .
6. Her husband is known as one of …........................................................................ .
7. We're talking about …................................................ .

KEY

1. who I'm talking about
2. award winning actor
3. charity
4. won an Oscar
5. as a sex symbol
6. the most attractive men alive
7. a beautiful couple

Conditions things are in

Most of the things around are not in perfect condition. Match the items with the condition they are in

1. The metalwork is                              a. lock
2. All the windows are                          b. grease
3. The water pipes are                         c. torn
4. All my records are                            d. blocked
5. My favourite socks are                     e. rusty
6. My jacket is covered in                     f. scratched
7. The saucers are all                          g. stale
8. And the glasses are                         h. stuck
9. The bread has gone                         i. cracked
10. The bathroom door won’t                 j. chipped

Key

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

First-ever male cheerleaders in NFL history describe lengthy LA Rams auditions

     For the first time in NFL history, the Los Angeles Rams announced that two men would join its cheerleading squad. Quinton Peron and Napolean Jinnies will step out on the field this season, cheering and dancing alongside the previously all-female team. "I thought, 'Why not me? Why can't I do this?' And I called my friend and I asked her when auditions were for the Rams and she told me Sunday [March 11] and I showed up," Peron said in an interview on "Good Morning America."

     The two men and California natives were among the 76 finalists who auditioned for the Rams cheer team and said they were elated to make the squad, especially after the lengthy audition process.

     "They were unlike anything I've ever been to. I'm used to getting a call or an email after the interview," Jinnies said, referring to other auditions. "This one was about three weeks long and we had a bunch of rehearsals in between and an extensive interview process, but it was really humbling and amazing to be invited every time you came back."

Decide whether the following statements are true or false. Give evidence from the text

1. In the past, men used to be cheerleaders.
2. The team called Quinton Peron to hire him.
3. The audition process took a long time.
4. The two men are really happy to be part of the squad.
5. Both men had gone through similar experiences before.

KEY

1. False. “For the first time in NFL history, the Los Angeles Rams announced that two men would join its cheerleading squad.”
2. False. “ And I called my friend and I asked her when auditions were for the Rams and she told me Sunday [March 11] and I showed up," Peron said in an interview.”
3. True. “...... especially after the lengthy audition process.”
4. True. “ …..they were elated to make the squad, “
5. False. “ "They were unlike anything I've ever been to. I'm used to getting a call or an email after the interview," Jinnies said, referring to other auditions.”

What do these items do?

          

Match each thing with an appropriate verb from the right-hand column.

1. A clock                                        a. rings
2. A volcano                                    b. flows
3. A kettle                                        c. bounces
4. A bell                                           d. flushes
5. A ball                                           e. erupts
6. A violin string                               f. swings
7. A toilet                                         g. stretches
8. A pendulum                                 h. boils
9. A river                                          i. strikes
10. Elastic                                          j. vibrates

Key

1. i    2. e    3. h    4. a    5. c    6. j    7. d    8. f    9. b    10. g