Table of contents for N. 468 in Speak Up Italia

CULTURE Nothing says 'opulence' like a long red carpet. Traditionally, the red carpet welcomed royalty, and nowadays it is film royalty who walk on it. But what’s the story behind it? Let’s look back 2,500 years. THE GREEK ANCESTOR The most widespread1 story of the origins of the red carpet is found in Ancient Greece. In the Aeschylus play Agamemnon, the king’s wife, Clytemnestra, is preparing her palace to welcome back her husband after the Trojan War. The queen mentions “a floor of crimson2 broideries3 to spread4 for the King’s path5”. This could be interpreted as an early mention of the red carpet, although some historians disagree. In any case, the “crimson path” rolled out6 in Aeschylus’s play was a sign of the near-godly7 status of Agamemnon. PURPLE REIGN Purple was…

UK drill, or British drill, evolved along a circuitous19 route. Its origins lie20 in American hip-hop, which gave rise to trap and then Chicago drill. In the mid-2010s, it inspired rappers across the Atlantic, in the London suburb of Brixton, who were also influenced by grime21 and gangster rap. Sliding22 bass drums23 and off-beat24 high-hat25 rhythms were accompanied by minor scale melodies, to produce a dark yet energetic rawness26. Today, it is the most popular rap genre in the UK. Drill in general was an outlet27 for disenfranchised28 young gang members who rapped about their hardships29. In the UK, its aggressive lyrics so disturbed authorities that it was blamed for a rise in knife crime in 2018. The Metropolitan Police singled out30 1,400 UK drill videos and removed thirty from YouTube for…

CULTURE INTERVIEW Monty Python’s The Life of Brian (1979) is one of the most famous comic films of all time. Set in Roman-occupied Judea, the film follows the exploits1 of Brian, whose life mirrors2 that of Jesus Christ. Brian decides to join the People’s Front of Judea, an independent faction fighting against the Roman occupation. At one point in the film, Reg, a prominent member of the People’s Front of Judea, asks his comrades the question “What have the Romans ever given us?”. To Reg’s irritation, several positive answers are offered up: aqueducts, sanitation3, roads, irrigation, medicine, education, wine, public baths, law and order and, finally, peace. COLCHESTER, ESSEX The Life of Brian is set in the Middle East4, but as so much evidence of sophisticated Roman construction and lifestyle…

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA “Dominus illuminatio mea” (Latin for ‘The ‘Lord is my light’) is Oxford University’s motto. Cambridge University also uses Latin for its motto: “Hinc lucem et pocula sacra” meaning ‘From here light and sacred knowledge’. It’s not surprising that Latin is used for these very old institutions, founded in 1326 and 1209 respectively. And yet, only a few years ago, on January 27, 2017, the futuristic NASA chose the words “Ad Astra Per Aspera” meaning ‘A rough17 road leads to the stars’ as the motto for the exhibit which they opened on that day to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 1 tragedy of 1967, when three American astronauts died in a fire on the launch pad18. But it is not only in mottos for institutions…

CINEMA The Guardian EXERCISES IN Work It Out! The Oscars red carpet is often referred to by the celebrity press as the most powerful catwalk1 in the world. It is the gilded2 stage for which haute couture dresses are made; bright lights fall on film stars dressed by the world’s most accomplished3 designers in some of the most expensive items of clothing ever made. But for many of the nominees, what goes on in the run-up to4 Oscar Sunday involves weeks of hunger, sacrifice and last-minute liposuction. “It is brutal,” British facialist5 Nichola Joss told The New York Times, of the pressure of the high-definition close-up6 on Hollywood actors. “You can see a hair follicle. You can see a pimple7 before it is a pimple.” Hollywood insiders talk of actors who…

DIALOGUES Hey, ChatBot! I have a job interview tomorrow. What do you think they will ask me? “What is your name?” Duh, of course! So, I’m applying for a receptionist job. What’s a typical question they will ask? “Are you a polite and welcoming1 person?” Are my prompts not specific enough? Right, so, the interview is for the post of receptionist at a design agency. What will the agency want to know about me? “Are you human?” Are you hallucinating? But, really, what advice2 can you give me? Receptionists are the public face of the company. Dress appropriately. [sighs] Yeah, sure. OK, last chance3: give me three possible behavioural interview questions for a receptionist job interview. “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an unwanted visitor.…

BOOKS Maggie Nelson is an American writer and academic who mixes big ideas, especially what it means to be free, with insights1 from her own life. Her best-known book The Argonauts (2015) is a genre-defying exploration of love, sex and family life. In it, Nelson brings together2 the ideas of theorists, especially queer theorists, with intimate descriptions of life with her partner, the visual artist and writer Harry Dodge, and their children. In her latest book On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint3, Nelson takes four areas of life, art, sex, drugs and the environment, to explore what freedom means. She writes frankly about her own life, including her sexual relationships and former drug use, as a way of illustrating her arguments. A NUANCED APPROACH In the first section…

MUSIC Although US singer Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit Girls Just Wanna Have Fun sounds like a feminist anthem1, it began life as a man singing about how lucky he was to know so many fun-loving2 girls! Musician Robert Hazard wrote the track3 in 1979. He recorded a demo4, but when Lauper’s producer heard it, he decided it would be perfect for her to cover5 as a debut solo single. Hazard adapted the song, and Lauper declared it would bring women together6 and be a “sustaining7 message that we are powerful human beings.” She said she wanted a reggae rhythm for the song, and to use “the wonderful new styles from England from groups like The Clash.” The cover became her signature song and was extremely successful worldwide. The song’s video…

ARTICOLI PER LIVELLI Tutti i nostri articoli hanno un codice di colore che indica il livello di difficoltà dell’inglese in base al Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. A2 PRE-INTERMEDIATE B1 LOWER INTERMEDIATE B2 UPPER INTERMEDIATE C1 ADVANCED C2 PROFICIENCY GLOSSARIO In ogni articolo troverai le parole più rilevanti affiancate da un numero del colore corrispondente al livello di difficoltà, oltre alla traduzione nel glossario correlato. Gin and tonic is arguably1 Britain’s favourite drink ↘ GLOSSARY 1 arguably: probabilmente 2 to skyrocket: andare alle stelle EXPLAINS Le frasi evidenziate in giallo sono quelle che hanno bisogno di approfondimenti, come nel caso di riferimenti storici o culturali, frasi fatte, proverbi o espressioni di slang. Troverai la spiegazione alla fine dell’articolo. SPEAK UP IN CLASS Ogni mese su Speak Up troverai anche degli esercizi pensati per…

TOP BRITS EXERCISES IN Work It Out! An idea that began thirty-five years ago as a way for scientists to share information led to the most radical changes the modern world has seen. The computer scientist behind it, Tim Berners-Lee, was born in London in 1955. In 1989, he was working at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland. Tired of consulting colleagues through constant questions, on 12 March he sent a proposal to his boss for a system to share information. Called Mesh1, the system would use the new technology of hypertext, which connected documents, and store those documents on multiple servers, controlled by interconnected people. “Vague but exciting,” his boss replied. A GIFT FOR THE WORLD Nothing happened for a year. Then Berners-Lee started to…

CULTURE SCAN, READ & LISTEN 04 LOWER INTERMEDIATE B1 GLOSSARY 1 confectionery: confettiera 2 merger: fusione 3 takeover: acquisizione 4 Quaker: quacchero 5 to fail: fallire 6 to take over: prendere il controllo 7 Easter eggs: uova di Pasqua 8 cocoa beans: fave di cacao 9 fair: equi 10 wages: salari 11 ought: dovrebbe 12 estate: proprietà immobiliari 13 cottages: casette 14 dentistry: odontoiatria 15 beliefs: credenze, valori 16 humble: modesto, umile 17 tent: tenda 18 dawning: alba, principio 19 household name: nome familiare 20 treat: delizia 21 to flow: fluire 22 tray: vassoio 23 nut: frutta a guscio 24 crunchy: croccante 25 to have a hold: avere sotto controllo EXERCISES IN Work It Out! Two hundred years ago, in 1824, a young businessman founded a confectionery1 business in Birmingham, England that would go on to become one of the most important food brands in the world. Pioneers in the making of chocolate, Cadbury’s…

I. HADRIAN'S WALL Begun around 122 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, Hadrian’s Wall is a large Roman fortification that stretches24 for 117 kilometres across the entire width of northern England. It served as a boundary marking the northern edge25 of Roman Britain and unconquered Caledonia to the north. A UNESCO World Heritage site26 since 1987, Hadrian’s Wall is one of the best-known Roman ruins in England. II. BURGH CASTLE One of England’s best-preserved Roman monuments is Burgh Castle in the Norfolk Broads. It was built in the 3rd century AD as part of the Roman network of coastal defences and its imposing stone walls — of which three survive almost to their original height — would have been around 4.5 metres high, enclosing27 an area of around 6…

CURRENT AFFAIRS EXERCISES IN Work It Out! There is a restaurant in San Francisco where you can order chicken that doesn’t come from an actual bird. US regulators have approved the sale of meat made from animal cells; it isn’t vegan alternative made from plants, it’s actual chicken, made from chicken cells1 that come either from a living animal, a fertilised egg or a special bank of stored cells that are grown in steel tanks2. As it is cultivated outside an animal’s body, there is no need to breed3, feed4 or slaughter5 animals. MORE ETHICAL Advocates6 of cultivated meat say that it not only eliminates the suffering of animals bred for their meat, but that the impact made on the environment is radically reduced. Globally, more than 150 companies are…

TECHNOLOGY EXERCISES IN Work It Out! In Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence, environmental thinker James Lovelock argues that the Anthropocene, a period when human activity has dominated the planet, is over and we now live in the Novacene, an age in which new beings emerge from artificial intelligence (AI) systems. These hyper-intelligent beings work alongside humans, protecting and enhancing1 the planet’s health, and ensuring2 that the intelligence of Earth survives and prospers. Lovelock, creator of the Gaia theory, wrote the non-fiction book when he was a hundred years old. He died in 2022, but lived to see AI become a subject of phenomenal interest and mass speculation. THE EXHIBITION In 2019, the same year Lovelock’s book was published, the exhibition AI: More than Human opened at the Barbican in…

CURRENT AFFAIRS EXERCISES IN Work It Out! also frightening: he is currently under investigation in Romania for rape6, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang. The manosphere is a collection of websites, blogs and online forums that promote misogyny and racism. The purpose of the manosphere is to make a few people a lot of money by radicalising young men and convincing them to send donations to “the cause”. Its most high-profile1 representative at the moment is a British-American man called Andrew Tate. CELEBRITY CRIMINAL Tate, a former2 kickboxing world champion, is currently the most googled man on the internet. He has appeared in countless videos, showing off3 a luxurious lifestyle of fast cars, private jets and yachts4 and bragging5 about their “enormous emissions.” Tate is a ridiculous figure. But he…

CLASSIC BOOKS SCAN, READ & LISTEN 16 UPPER INTERMEDIATE B2 GLOSSARY 1 despite: nonostante 2 humble: umile, modesto 3 to challenge: sfidare 4 plain: semplice, insignificante 5 well-behaved: ben educata 6 to please: compiacere 7 to apply: candidarsi 8 governess: governante, istitutrice 9 hall: sala 10 brooding: pensieroso 11 looks: aspetto 12 unlikely: poco probabile 13 to haunt: perseguitare 14 bravely: audacemente 15 to lock away: rinchiudere 16 to inherit: ereditare 17 drawn: attratta 18 to enthrall: affascinare 19 refusal: rifiuto 20 poet laureate: poeta emerito 21 to advise: consigliare Jane Eyre is Charlotte Brontë’s mostloved novel. Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Currer Bell, it tells the story of a young woman in Victorian Britain who shows extraordinary virtue and resilience despite1 her humble2 background. The novel challenges3 the notion of male privilege and power and is a study of childhood trauma, isolation, morality and the unpredictability of love.…

FICTION A SHORT STORY Vicky felt the tension in the room as she opened her eyes. She was in her on-campus dormitory1 at New York University and Richard was drinking a cup of instant coffee – not the gourmet type he was accustomed to. “You embarrassed2 me last night,” he said in a cold tone. “What?… I’m sorry,” said Vicky. She had gone to dinner with Richard’s colleagues, all professional lawyers, and perhaps had had one too many glasses of wine. “I was nervous, that’s all.” Vicky was still adjusting to her role as the girlfriend of a rich and successful lawyer. She had to be the perfect girlfriend, as assertive3 and elegant as he always was, in public anyway. “You know image is everything in this world,” he said. “I…

www.speakup.it SPEAK UP PIÙ COMODO Il nuovo sito web di Speak presenta strumenti e risorse interattive per creare un’esperienza utente coinvolgente e dinamica. Le tecnologie all’avanguardia che abbiamo applicato e la moderna interfaccia permetteranno di esplorare nuovi modi divertenti per migliorare e praticare l’inglese con maggiore comodità. Scopri subito il nuovo sito e inizia esplorare la vasta gamma di articoli e risorse! TEST DI LIVELLO Verifica qual è il tuo livello di inglese con il nostro test gratuito e scopri i tuoi progressi con i nostri articoli classificati per difficoltà. ESERCIZI INTERATTIVI Leggi e ascolta gli articoli e controlla i tuoi progressi con l’inglese grazie ai nostri test interattivi. Super comodo! PRACTICAL ENGLISH Un ampio catalogo di lezioni di grammatica, consigli, e materiale scaricabile per imparare quando e dove vuoi.…

MUSIC SCAN, READ & LISTEN 03 UPPER INTERMEDIATE B2 GLOSSARY 1 drill: trapano 2 catchy: orecchiabili, coinvolgenti 3 to nickname: soprannominare 4 twist: giro, svolta 5 to self-release: autopubblicare 6 tryna: provare (trying to) 7 to indulge: accontentare 8 to pick up: prendere 9 to break into: iniziare di colpo a fare qualcosa 10 slang: gergo 11 to stymie: ostacolare 12 gig: concerto 13 joint: congiunto 14 EP: extended play (disco della durata di circa 25 minuti) 15 fellow: collega 16 one day apart: con un giorno di distanza 17 to delve into: addentrarsi in 18 from rags-to-riches: dalle stalle alle stelle 19 circuitous: tortuoso 20 to lie: trovarsi 21 grime: sporcizia, lerciume 22 sliding: scorrevole 23 bass drums: bassi 24 off-beat: poco convenzionali 25 high-hat: charleston 26 rawness: crudezza 27 outlet: sfogo, uscita 28 disenfranchised: emarginati 29 hardships: difficoltà, avversità 30 to single out: individuare 31 illiterate: analfabeta 32 bad rap: ingiusta reputazione 33 pun: gioco di parole 34 ivorian doll: bambola ivoriana…

CULTURE When Claudius became Roman emperor in 41 AD1 he needed to strengthen2 his image and his uncertain grip3 on the Empire. The first Roman emperor to be born outside Italy, childhood illness had left him with a limp4 and slight deafness5, and he was looked down on6 by his family. However, Claudius was a brilliant strategist. His invasion of Britain in 43 AD consolidated his power at home, while gaining access to Britain’s rich natural resources and subjugating an apparently uncivilised people. ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS Over the next forty-five years, the Roman army conquered much of present-day England and Wales and made incursions into territory now in Scotland. First-hand accounts7 of the invasion are virtually non-existent, with the most frequently-cited document written over a century and a half later…

LANGUAGE EXERCISES IN Work It Out! All over Europe we often see Latin inscribed above the entrances to churches, cemeteries, museums and other historical buildings. Surprisingly though, there’s as much, if not more, Latin used in everyday, modern English than there is in modern Italian, French or Spanish! Although it tends to be used in more written and formal contexts, it is also often found in casual1, spoken English too. Bear in mind2 that we are referring to pure Latin — not phrases and vocabulary of Latinate etymology. HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT TIME What better place to start than telling the time? The Anglo-Saxon world continues to use Roman time, that is, with the twelve-hour clock, and the distinction between a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem). To avoid confusion,…

CINEMA With her billion-dollar blockbuster, Barbie, Greta Gerwig set a Hollywood record for the highest-grossing1 movie ever directed by a woman. Still, even that major milestone2 wasn’t enough to earn her a spot in the Oscars’ best director lineup3. Although Barbie managed eight nominations, including best picture, Gerwig was snubbed4 by the directors branch that nominated her six years ago for Lady Bird. It was a mixed showing5 overall for the hit comedy, which missed some other hoped-for nominations for cinematography6, editing and best actress for Margot Robbie. But it did at least pull off7 a dark-horse8 supporting actress nod9 for America Ferrera alongside an expected supporting-actor nomination for Ryan Gosling. FEMALE FILMMAKERS For the first time in Oscar history, three of the best-picture nominees were directed by women: Barbie,…

CINEMA American filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga’s adaptation of Jane Eyre is just one of many of Charlotte Brontë’s well-known novel. However, it stands out1 in its emotional impact and its intense yet delicate portrayal of the protagonists. LONELY CHILDHOOD Jane (played by Australian actor Mia Wasikowska) is orphaned in her youth. Scorned2 by her affluent aunt, she is sent away to a dreadful3 boarding school4. However, the young Jane is characterised by her resilience and feels equal to those of higher social status. Her challenging experiences enable5 her to connect with Edward Rochester (played by Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender), whose mysterious past also haunts6 him. When Mr. Rochester employs Jane as a governess7 on his estate8, the two fall in love. WOMANHOOD Jane Eyre is a novel ahead of its time9.…

Areminder that discipline and hard work are still essential in job success also reassures us of the human component in an age when we might feel threatened by technological advancement. “A bad workman (always) blames his tools” is an old French proverb that dates back to the 13th century. It states that it is important to take responsibility for our actions and not blame external factors instead if things go wrong. In the past, a ‘workman’ referred to a craftsperson or builder, such as a carpenter or gardener. A ‘tool’ was a device or implement, usually held in the hand, and used to carry out a task. Examples of tools used for home improvements include a hammer or a screwdriver. Today, the word ‘tool’ is applied to all kinds of…