Mamma Mia!

Money, money, money for Greek island as Mamma Mia! draws tourist hordes

Some want weddings. Others want champagne receptions at sunset on their own private beach. Others want to dance and kiss on the beach. It's called the Mamma Mia! effect. And nowhere is it felt more keenly than on the Aegean isle of Skopelos. "The phones never stop ringing," says Mayor Christos Vasiloudi. "People call in all the time asking how they can get to our Mamma Mia! paradise."
"It's extraordinary. I've had requests from people in England, Hungary, Australia, asking whether they can marry here, hold champagne parties here, buy land here," said Mahi Drossou, a local travel agent. "One English couple wondered whether they could book the beach that features in the film for a private wedding.
Until the arrival of the Hollywood star cast 15 months ago, Skopelos (population 4,696) was best known for its plums, pears and pine trees. Without an airport, reachable only by ferry, few could have imagined that the 96 sq km isle, east of Athens, would become the backdrop of a blockbuster featuring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. Even fewer could have foreseen its emergence as the film's star.
"I've met people who have come because friends had seen the film four or five times and they wanted to see what all the fuss is about," said Dimitra Rekkas at the town hall. "The producers checked out at least 25 Greek islands before opting for Skopelos. They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact it really is a small paradise."
The film's success could not have been better timed for a country whose tourist-dependent economy has been hard hit by violent anti-government protests. On Thursday - thirteen days after riots erupted over the police shooting of a teenage boy - Greek officials announced that hotel bookings had dropped by 40%, prompting Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to announce emergency measures to boost tourism.
"Okay, we need Mamma Mia! in this economic crisis but a lot of us would hate it if the film that promoted our island also ended up destroying it," said travel agent Mahi Drossou. "It's great that people want to come and marry here and dance and kiss on our beaches but Skopelos has an unspoilt natural beauty and we want to keep it that way."

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) People all over the world are interested in owning property on the island.
b) Many people thought that the real protagonist of the film was Skopelos.
c) It didn’t take the film makers long to decide on a setting for the film.
d) The inhabitants of the island are afraid that this film success will put an end to its beautiful landscape.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What kind of place is Skopelos?
b) Why was “Mamma Mia”´s success beneficial for the island?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) appear (par. 2)
b) excitement (par.4)
c) increase (par.5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) They wondered whether they could book the beach for a private wedding.
They wondered whether the ………………………………………………….
b) “They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact that it really is a small paradise.
Dimitra said that ……………………………………………………………….
c) We need “Mamma Mia!” because there is an economic crisis.
If there ……………………………………………………………………………

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:Would you take part in a competition like “Survivors”?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander