Bestival - Part 1

Video 1

Ashlie: Oh look, Stephen. I can see the Isle of Wight.
Stephen: Ah – you'll never guess what I've done.
Ashlie: What Stephen? I don't believe it. What have you forgotten?
Stephen: I don't have my passport!
Ashlie: Stephen, we're not leaving England. You don't need your passport.
Stephen: Oh, so you mean I don't need any foreign money after all?
Ashlie: Ha ha - very funny. We're heading to a music festival on the Isle of Wight. It's an island on the south coast of England.
Stephen: It's called Bestival, and I can't wait. There's going to be music, food and camping.
Ashlie: I love camping; fresh air, stars at night...
Stephen: Don't you mean, er, insects, cold showers and sleeping on the ground?
Ashlie: It's going to be brilliant, Stephen. I just hope the weather's good, I do not fancy camping in the rain.
Stephen: Well, you know what I always say; be prepared! So I've brought clothes for any weather. We'll be fine.
Ashlie: Well, we're almost there. So we better head to the van. Come on you.
......

Stephen: I'm so glad we borrowed a camper van.
Ashlie: It's cool, isn't it. Very retro!
Stephen: I know. There aren't too many of these vans still around. This one's nearly forty years old.
Ashlie: Oh, so just a bit older than you then!
Stephen: Ha-ha. Come on. I want to have a look round the festival.
Ashlie: OK, well I saw some interesting stalls over there.
Stephen: Oh, I want to go to the main stage. I want to see some live music.
Ashlie: OK, well I will meet you at the tea tent then in an hour. Have fun!

......
Ashlie: Oh! Hey you scared me there! You guys look great. What have you come as?
Festival Goer 1: Erm, the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland.
Ashlie: Oh wow. I've noticed a lot of people in fancy dress, actually. What's going on?
Festival Goer 2: Oh it's erm – at this festival, every year, everybody gets dressed up.
Festival Goer 1: And the theme this year is fantasy.
Ashlie: So what does fantasy mean?
Festival Goer 2: Fantasy means anything from outer space to Alice in Wonderland.
Ashlie: Well, I must say you guys look amazing. I'll have to remember that one for next year. Have a nice festival guys!

......
Waitress: Hi, can I help?
Ashlie: Oh yes. Can I get tea for two, please?
Waitress: Would you like a high tea?
Ashlie: That would be lovely, yes please.
Waitress: I'll just be a minute.
Ashlie: Thank you
Stephen: Hey Ash!
Ashlie: Wow Stephen!
Stephen: Did you order tea?
Ashlie: Yeah. Nice fantasy costume. But what on earth are you? You look like an alien.
Stephen: What are you talking about? This is my rain gear. I thought I felt a few drops earlier.
Ashlie: Oh.
Waitress: High tea for two.
Ashlie: Thank you.

......
Ashlie: Come on then, let's set up camp.
Stephen: Are you really going to sleep in your tent, Ash?
Ashlie: Of course I am. I love sleeping under the stars, you know, getting closer to nature.
Stephen: Well, I'm staying in the camper van. I don't want to sleep on the ground.
Ashlie: Stephen you can't do that. That's not proper camping.
Stephen: Yes, but I've got running water and…even a fridge.
Ashlie: Well, I still say that that's not real camping.
Stephen: It is to me and besides, you snore.
Ashlie: I do not!
Ashlie: Where's my tent?
Stephen: There you go. We need to get everything sorted before it gets dark.

......
Stephen: Right, that's me done!
Stephen: Do you need a hand?
Ashlie: I think there's another pole or something somewhere.
Stephen: Are you sure you don't want any help?
Ashlie: No, I'm fine, I know what I'm doing.
Stephen: OK, if you're sure.
Ashlie: I think I've sorted it... Ta da!

......
Stephen: Right, I'm off to bed. See you in the morning.
Ashlie: OK, night!
Stephen: Night!
Ashlie: Stephen!

Video 2

Ethical Shopping in the UK

Are you after value for money when you're shopping for fashion; or fashion that's made with values? Listen and find out more.

Hello and welcome to Trend UK, your shortcut to popular culture from the British Council. In the next few minutes we’re going to be asking whether you’re after value for money when you’re shopping for fashion; or fashion that’s made with values. We’re all after a bargain on the high street. But how often do you stop to consider how some stores seem to stock low-cost/high fashion items quicker and more cheaply than others? Fulfilling our needs for fast fashion means increased production and competition in clothing made in countries with low-wage economies. Our reporter Mark has been to the high street to find out more.

Here in a typical British high street there are plenty of bargains to be had. Handbags at £3.99, T-shirts for a fiver and shoes for under a tenner - all roughly equivalent to the price of an everyday meal. But how many of the people shopping in this high street have stopped to think about how it’s possible to sell clothes so cheaply? Is it because some companies are turning a blind eye to the exploitation in the countries where these items are made? Ruth Rothelson is an expert on ethical shopping from the Ethical Consumer Research Association, who amongst other things produced the magazine ‘Ethical Consumer’.

Ruth, just tell us what the Ethical Consumer Research Association is.

OK, well the Ethical Consumer Research Association exists to provide information for shoppers, letting them know what the companies are doing behind the brands that they see on the shelves.

So what makes an ethical shopper?

Very broadly speaking, people who are concerned about ethical issues want to know that the product they’re buying hasn’t been made at the expense of the people who are producing it, whether it’s in this country or abroad. They might also be concerned with other kinds of issues: whether the company is involved in armaments, or whether they’re donating money to certain political parties. And that as a shopper, you might not want to give your money to that party so therefore you might not want to buy a product from a company who is supporting a political party that you don’t agree with.

And is there any kind of rule of thumb? Is something that’s more expensive, for example, likely to be more ethical?

Unfortunately it isn’t always the case that the more expensive something is, the more ethical it is. We can buy very cheap products and it’s very likely that when products are cheap, something has suffered in order to get it to us. Whether it’s the person making it or the animals or the environment. Quality however, is often a good indicator whether something, especially with clothes, has been made well. And unfortunately a lot of ethical products will cost more because they reflect the real cost of bringing that thing into the shops. So something that has been made in a factory where the workers have been paid a proper wage will cost you more to buy, simply because the people making it are getting paid enough to live on.

Do you have to be well off then to be an ethical shopper?

It really depends. You don’t have to be rich to be an ethical shopper. One way of thinking about ethical shopping is thinking about buying less. Sometimes we buy an awful lot more than we need. We buy more items of clothing than we need. So being an ethical shopper really means thinking a bit before you go and spend your money in the shops. Some things may cost a little bit more in the short-run, but be worth it in the long-run. If you are paying for quality, something will last you longer and then save you money. And sometimes you can buy things second-hand. There’s a lot of charity shops on the high street to buy good clothes. Sometimes you can look a lot better than someone who’s just bought off the high street because you can have quite a unique look, and the quality that you find in most second-hand shops is really very good these days. So it’s about thinking before you shop.

Thanks Ruth. Now among the shoppers here I’ve got Lauren and Bella. Starting with you Bella, would you consider shopping ethically?

Definitely for food. And clothing, well, when I buy clothes I wouldn’t want to think of them being made in a sweat shop.

Lauren you do shop ethically. But you’ve got a slightly different take on it haven’t you.

Yeah I suppose I shop ethically but my original thing for that was that I like to wear clothes that are different from everyone else. So I would start shopping for vintage clothes. So ethically, obviously they’re second-hand so…also I buy a lot of clothes from market stalls, from fashion students maybe. So they’re all made here, so they would be made ethically as well.

Thanks Lauren, thanks Bella. Well it’s an interesting debate, and I’ll certainly be doing my clothes shopping with a little bit more care in future.

Treasures of Heaven at The British Museum

Treasures of Heaven. Saints, relics and devotion in medieval Europe at The British Museum.

So, if you are planning a trip to London, do not miss this exhibition. And if you stay in Argentina, just enjoy this great video. This major exhibition brings together for the first time some of the finest sacred treasures of the medieval age.

The exhibition features over 150 objects from more than 40 institutions including the Vatican, European church treasuries, museums from the USA and Europe and the British Museum’s own pre-eminent collection.

Where heaven and earth meet

It was during the medieval period that the use of relics in devotional practice first developed and became a central part of Christian worship. For many, the relics of Christ and the saints – objects associated with them, such as body parts or possessions – continue to provide a bridge between heaven and earth today.

Sacred containers

Relics were usually set into ornate containers of silver and gold known as reliquaries, opulently decorated by the finest craftsmen of the age. They had spiritual and symbolic value that reflected the importance of their sacred contents.

Over a thousand years of history

The earliest items date from the late Roman period and trace the evolution of the cult of the saints from the 4th century to the peak of relic veneration in late medieval Europe.

Relics featured in the exhibition include three thorns thought to be from the Crown of Thorns, fragments of the True Cross, the foot of St Blaise, the breast milk of the Virgin Mary, the hair of St John the Evangelist, and the Mandylion of Edessa (one of the earliest known likenesses of Jesus).

Witness a lost heritage

Treasures such as these have not been seen in significant numbers in the UK since the Reformation in the 16th century, which saw the wholesale destruction of saints’ shrines. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to glimpse the heritage of beautiful medieval craftsmanship that was lost to this country for centuries.

Falkland man chooses Argentine citizenship

A British man, born on the Falkland Islands has become the first person from there to chose Argentine citizenship.

James Peck was handed his national identity card by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, during a ceremony to mark the 29th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War.

Peck's father fought for the British during the conflict.

"Will Be Doing" or "Will Have Done"

"Will Be Doing" or "Will Have Done"

Click the answer button to see the answer.

1. My English class ends at 3 pm. So at 4 o'clock it ___
   a. will be ending
   b. will have ended
   Answerb - It will have ended.

2. John swims from 9 to 10 every morning. So at 9:30 tomorrow morning he ___
   a. will be swimming
   b. will have swum
   Answera- He will be swimming.

3. I will graduate in December. So, in January I ___
   a. will be graduating
   b. will have graduated
   Answerb- I will have graduated.

4. The movie starts at 5:30. It's 5:20. It will take us 30 minutes to get to the theater. When we get there, the movie ___
   a. will be starting
   b. will have started
   Answerb- It will have started.

5. Mary always watches the news on TV from 8 to 8:30 pm. It's 8:15 now. If we call her now, she ___
   a. will be watching the news
   b. will have watched the news
   Answerb- She will be watching the news.

6. I will go to Europe on February 10th. Please call me before that day. If you call me after February 10, I already ___ to Europe.
   a. will be going
   b. will have gone
   Answerb- I will have gone to Europe.

7. My father uses the computer until 6 pm every day. It's 5 o'clock now. Let's wait until 6. If we go home now, he ___ the computer.
   a. will be using
   b. will have used
   Answera- He will be using the computer.

8. Susan is on vacation in Florida. She doesn't have much money and she's spending it too quickly. Before the end of her vacation, she ___ all her money. She'll be broke.
   a. will be spending
   b. will have spent
   Answerb- She will have spent it.

9. I'm very tired today. I'm going to bed early. Please don't call me after 9 pm because I ___
   a. will be sleeping
   b. will have slept
   Answera- I will be sleeping.

10. I have a very important English test tomorrow. I will study hard today and I'm sure before I go to bed I ___ all the verb tenses.
    a. will be learning
    b. will have learned
    AnswerI will have learned them.

Copyright 1998

2012: The end of the world?

Mayan End of World Prediction Explored in Film
Texas Guardian
Friday 20th May, 2011

In recent years, the idea that the world will end on December 21, 2012 has gained attention and spawned thousands of web sites, blogs, books and even a Hollywood movie. Although scientists generally dismiss the idea, curators of the Museum of Natural Science in Houston decided to use the prediction as a hook to draw visitors into the world of the ancient Maya. They do it through a planetarium film and an exhibit being prepared for next year-- just in time, some might say, for the end of everything.

The film shown on the museum's huge planetarium screen examines myths and rituals of the ancient Maya in southern Mexico and Central America. It focuses on the Maya calendar, or long count, which was divided into baktuns of 144,000 days each.

From the film: "All Maya kept the same ritual, solar and long count calendars, using them to describe the past and foretell the future."

On some surviving calendars, everything ends on the day equivalent to our date of December 21, 2012.

Carolyn Sumners, Vice President of the museum's Department of Astronomy and Physical Science, supervised the film project. "There is an alignment with the center of the galaxy on December 21st. It just happens that the Maya 13th Baktun starts on December 21st, at least in some of the calendars, and there is just enough going on to make one wonder if it is all connected," she said.

But the film makes clear that the Maya were not necessarily predicting catastrophe.Sumners says the end of Maya time periods generally were regarded the same way we look at such things as the start of a new century or a new millennium. "It seems to be a cause of celebration. There does not seem to be any indication in the Maya writings of great disaster. They did believe in the end of time; they talked about great floods,
Sumners explained. "All these things were discussed, but they did not tie them to the long count."

To bring audiences into the world of the Maya, Sumners and her team went to four sites in Mexico and Guatemala to shoot extreme wide-angle video of the ruins.

They employed computer-generated images to show what those sites might have looked like centuries ago when they were the centers of great Maya achievements in math and astronomy.

Visitors to Houston's Natural Science Museum can also see Maya artifacts on display.

Curator Dirk Van Tuerenhout is developing an even larger exhibit for next year, to coincide with the end-of-world date. "It is a combination of all kinds of sources of information that we are pulling together to tell the story of the Maya culture, ancient Maya, colonial Maya, modern Maya," said Van Tuerenhout.

The Maya civilization collapsed more than 500 years ago, probably because of environmental changes that undermined its agriculture. But Maya people still live in the Yucatan peninsula and parts of Central America and many have emigrated to Houston.

Researchers have used their knowledge of modern Maya languages to decipher the ancient hieroglyphs, and many top experts in this field are at the University of Texas.

Van Tuerenhout says they offer valuable insights. "The ancient voices are speaking through these very few individuals who can read and decipher Maya writing," he said.

Van Tuerenhout says ancient Mayan sites continue to provide new information about the mysterious ancient civilization and its achievements.

He says the Museum's goal is to show people that there is much more to the Maya than a spurious prediction of doom.

"Chicago" in Buenos Aires, New York and London!

Buenos Aires' Teatro Lola Membrives houses one of the most powerful pieces of musical plays: CHICAGO. It is a musical with lots of history behind, and in Buenos Aires is being staged for the third time. The following is a review of the current Broadway production.

Judging by the performance of “Chicago” I recently attended, it's easy to see why it's lasted so long. Six years is a milestone for a show that at first blush seems so dramatically hollow. But with this one, it's really all about style, and stylistically, this is a gorgeous living tribute to Broadway style master Bob Fosse, with a tremendous assist from composers John Kander and Freb Ebb.

It continues to be a lean and mean production; there’s nothing windy about this “Chicago.” In the leads now are Charlotte D'Amboise as the murderess Roxie Hart, and her jailmate Velma Kelly, played by a scintillating Caroline O'Connor.

Another revelation in this cast is movie star Billy Zane as the suave mercenary lawyer Billy Flynn. Besides being dreamy to look at, he has all the requisite chops for Broadway. Making his New York debut, Zane’s crooning and confident acting is on par with any polished veteran.

D'Amboise plays up the hometown girl in Roxie, lowering the temperature a bit on a role that others have turned red-hot. But she brings a kind of giddy, free-spirit to the part that is utterly charming. Her extended solo turn that seemed entirely improvised was sensational.

Caroline O'Connor is slinky and sexy and loaded with attitude. With her smashing singing voice and fat-free body, she is one very impressive package.

Of course much of the credit for keeping the show in such fine shape goes to Director Walter Bobbie and Ann Reinking, credited with choreography in the style of Bob Fosse. In this faithful recreation they manage to enhance Fosse's dazzling work, never to detract.

“Chicago” is a show that can take some serious tampering, and part of the brilliance of the creative team is knowing just how far they can alter the original concept without losing its essence.

Roxie's husband Amos was played six years ago by the very trim song and dance legend Joel Grey. Now, the role is filled out by the physically opposite Rob Bartlett, and the results are equally satisfying even though Bartlett neither sings nor dances.

And as the prison matron Mama Morton, there's the booming voiced, ample-bodied Roz Ryan, who adds a wonderful new dimension to the part, created by the great character actress Marcia Lewis.

But the true keepers of the Fosse flame are the dancing ensemble. These mostly unheralded triple threats are always onstage, and it seems never short of vitality or style.

Six years usually spells the geriatric ward for a Broadway show, but whether it's the showbiz equivalent of Viagra or tremendous quality control, "Chicago" continues to hold up beautifully.

The trailer to the original London Production