Welcome back to Kid, the magazine that helps you learn English in a fun way! In our first issue, we discover the most magical and enchanting places in Europe in our Report on page 5. If you love fairytales, you must visit these enchanting places at least once in your life! Are you happy? Find out in our Personality Quiz on page 4! We also have an article about music (p.8), cinema (p.14) and sport on page 10 in our interview with the tennis player Coco Gauff. Happy reading!
Pauline info@elilanguagemagazines.com
What is it?
Describe the picture: what do you see?
In your opinion, what does it represent?
Good to know!
European Framework Intermediate (B1 – B2)
Personality Quiz | How happy are you? Report | Fairytale Destinations in Europe Crazy Festivals! | Cars, Scarecrows and... Mary Poppins
Interview with … | Coco Gauff Music Through the Decades | The Seventies Films on release Fun and games!
past tenses
superlatives
passives
adverbs (-ly)
Downloadable
Audio FIles
Your subscription includes free MP3 downloads of the audio sections of all the magazines. Visit www.elilanguagemagazines.com
Teacher’s Notes
Subscribed teachers are able to download both the MP3 audio files and the Teacher’s Notes in PDF format.
Orient Express: the train of dreams
On 4th October 1883, the Orient Express, the most famous train in the world and the most luxurious* one ever built, made its first journey from Paris to Istanbul (at that time, called Constantinople). From that moment, it was the dream of generations of passengers to travel on this special train, and the inspiration for many authors. It was a true jewel of elegance
Three facts about pizza
Pizza is very popular and found all over the world. Even if it can be made in different shapes and sizes, it’s typically round. Curiously, however, the pizza box is almost always square, and the pizza is cut into triangles. Have you ever wondered why? Here’s why!
The pizza is round because, before it’s cooked, the dough* is rolled into a ball. This makes it easy to shape and stretch to form into pizza bases, usually all the same - and circular! Square boxes are the most common and most economical*. They are also easy to carry, pile up* and store*.
Finally, cutting the pizza into triangles means that it can be divided into equal parts. In this way, every slice has the same amount of topping and crust.
1. How long was the Orient Express’s journey from Paris to Istanbul?
Three to four days
A week
The Orient Express has appeared in many books and films. The most famous ones are Dracula by Bram Stoker, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and From Russia, With Love, the James Bond novel by Ian Fleming.
and engineering* – from its heated carriages in precious, shining wood to its comfortable sofas and beds. Over the years, its passengers included kings, dukes and princes, secret agents and spies. But after the Second World War, things began to change, and this “royal train” made its last journey on 19th May 1977.
2. The longest pizza in the world (1.93 km) was made… in Europe. in the United States of America. The answers are on page 15.
How happy are you?
Choose an answer for each question, then look at the answer key below to check your scores.
1. When was the last time you really laughed a lot?
a. in the last few days
b. in the last month or two
c. about a year ago
d. so long ago that you can’t remember
2. Which colour do you prefer?
a. blue
b. white
c. red
5. If you could live your life again, who would you like to be?
a. a pop star
b. an entrepreneur*
c. yourself
d. a member of a Royal family
6. When do you get up in the morning?
a. it depends on your plans for the day
b. very early
d. yellow
e. black
3. What’s your idea of a great night out?
a. going out for a pizza with a friend
b. going to a party with lots of friends
c. going to the cinema on your own
4. What do you think about when you’re alone?
a. the past
b. your plans for the day
c. the future
10. How many very good friends do you have?
a. one or two
b. about six
c. ten or more
d. none
c. as late as you can
7. What do you think is the most important?
a. money
b. friends
c. principles*
8. How do you feel if a stranger looks at you?
a. embarrassed
b. angry
c. pleased and flattered*
9. When are you happiest?
a. at school
b. watching television
c. talking to friends
Glossary
Fairytale
Destinations in Europe
Cinderella’s castle? The forests of Red Riding Hood and King Arthur? Do they really exist? These and other magical places seem to have come out of a fairy tale. Let’s go on an exciting journey to discover the storybook places that have fascinated* generations.
Immortal Characters
In London, on the banks of the river which separates Hyde Park from Kensington gardens, stands the statue of Peter Pan, playing a flute. The author J.M. Barrie, who wrote about the boy who didn’t want to grow up, lived very close to that place, and often walked in the park in search of inspiration* for his books.
This statue, made in 1912 by the sculptor, Sir George Frampton, was modelled* on a 6-year-old boy called Michael.
One of the most famous landmarks in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is undoubtedly the statue of the Little Mermaid, the main character in Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known story, published in 1837.
This statue, unveiled* in August 1913, is the work of the sculptor, Edvard Eriksen (who decided to give the Little Mermaid the face of his wife Eline).
Enchanted Forests
Paimpont Forest (also known as Brocéliande Forest) in Brittany (France) is a place that is deeply connected to the figure of King Arthur.
According to legend, the wizard Merlin, the sorceress* Morgana, Lancelot and the other Knights of the Round Table lived there. In among ancient trees and paths forgotten by time, there’s also the mythical* Barenton Fountain, a source of incredible powers.
In the ancient Black Forest in Germany, where Hänsel e Gretel (the brother and sister from the fairy tale of the same name) got lost, reality and fantasy are intertwined* and thick trees are covered by fog in a gloomy* and dark atmosphere.
The Fairy Tale Road
The German Fairy Tale Road (in German:La
Deutsche Märchenstraße) is one of the most enchanting* routes in Germany. It starts in Hanau, near Frankfurt, the hometown of the Brothers Grimm, and ends in Bremen. For over 600km, it passes through forests and ancient villages - places from some of the world’s most wellknown children’s fairy tales.
Like a dream
A very special journey along this road takes you into an extraordinary world: from the forest of Schwalmstadt, where Little Red Riding Hood walked, to the spectacular Sababurg Castle, the birthplace of the Sleeping Beauty, and Trendelburg Castle with the tower where Rapunzel, the girl with the very long blonde hair, was imprisoned*.
Visitors can also stay overnight in some of the castle rooms, just like in the fairy tales!
The Brothers Grimm
More than two centuries ago, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their collection of traditional German tales*, which were later translated into many foreign languages.
Many towns and villages organise events and festivals based on the characters and stories of the Brothers Grimm.
The Castles of your dreams... or perhaps nightmares!
In Germany, you can admire Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired Cinderella’s most famous Disney castle. Built at the end of the 19th century by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, it is one of the most visited castles in Europe. A totally different atmosphere can
In the centre of Bremen, near the Town Hall, there is a bronze statue representing the farm animals from the story, The Town Musicians of Bremen – the donkey, the dog, the cat and the rooster – each placed one above the other to signify collaboration and hope. They say that touching the donkey’s legs with both hands brings good luck! There is also a very special manhole cover* – the Bremer Loch or Hole of Bremen – where you can insert a coin to hear the songs of the four animal musicians.
Do you know the fairy tales mentioned in this article? Which one is your favourite? Why?
be found at Bran Castle in Romania, often associated with the legend of Dracula. Its medieval architecture is gothic and mysterious, and it reminds us of stories of vampires... dark and frightening.
Glossary
enchanting: magical
fascinate: to attract the attention of gloomy: dark, sombre
imprison: to lock in a room or prison inspiration: something that makes you creative intertwine: to mix together
manhole cover: a metal cover over a hole in the road
modelled on: made to look like
mythical: from fantasy, fictional
sorceress: a witch
tale: a story
unveiled: shown/revealed for the first time
Cars, Scarecrows and... Mary Poppins
All over the world, there are festivals of all different types, but some are crazier and more unique* than others!
THE ART CAR PARADE
takes place in Houston, Texas, USA, in April. Since the 1980s, it has grown to more than 250 parade entries and 200,000 to 300,000 spectators, and is now the biggest free event in Houston. So, what is an art car? – They are cars that are modified*, built, painted or decorated to make the car look unique. The art cars in the parade are cute* and beautiful, or unusual and bizarre*. In the past, the cars have been in the shape of a banana and a shoe! Cars are decorated with themes: space, animals, monsters, movies and pop culture, for example. Anyone can make an art car for the parade. Local school groups take part, and artists from around the world come to show their designs.
THE KETTLEWELL SCARECROW* FESTIVAL
is a 30-year-old festival, which takes place in one week in August in the village of Kettlewell, Yorkshire, England. Visitors to the village find
Scarecrow festivals are also held in the UK, the USA, Canada and Asia. In Japan there are festivals in Asoko, Mitsue, Asuka, and the mountain village of Miyajidake, where the Kakashi Festival has 400 colourful scarecrows
all the scarecrows by solving clues* and puzzles. Scarecrows, made by the villagers, can be seen in gardens, looking over walls, and climbing up the sides of houses. Every year, the trails* have different themes: there have been scarecrows of pop stars, the Royal family and characters from books and films, like The Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There have also been scarecrows representing different sports, jungle settings with lions, giraffes and elephants, and even the Loch Ness monster!
THE MARY POPPINS FESTIVAL
takes place every summer in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, the birthplace of the Australian author P.L Travers and her famous books. This year it’s on Sunday, 28th September. This free event celebrates storytelling with a world full of art, culture, music and literature. Competitors in The Chimney Sweep Challenge try to be the fastest to clean their chimney. In the Nanny Race, competitors push their prams* to the finishing line dressed as nannies*. There is also a competition for the best
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
1. What is an art car? .....................................................................................
2. How do visitors to the Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival find all the scarecrows? .................................................................................................
3. What does a chimney sweep do? ..............................................................
4. What does Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mean? Can you say it?
The answers are on page 15.
costumes of characters from the film Mary Poppins: Mary Poppins, Bert the chimney sweep, and the members of the Banks family, among others.
The Disney film Mary Poppins (1964) is also well-known for its soundtrack*, which includes the song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a nonsensical* word that means great or extraordinary.
Glossary
bizarre: strange
clue: an indication
cute: lovely, sweet
modify: to change
nanny: a babysitter
nonsensical: making no sense
pram: a baby carriage
scarecrow: a figure used to scare away birds
soundtrack: the music from a film
trail: a path, route
unique: special, different
One of the most talented tennis players of her generation, Cori “Coco” Gauff is a true champion, on and off the court. Strong and determined, but also modest*, she is surely one of the most brilliant stars in international sport.
Coco Gauff
player. My mother competed in track and field* when she was at university. But the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, have always been my idols*. They made tennis history and, in my opinion, they are the greatest women tennis players of all time and an example to everyone. It’s also thanks to them that I am where I am
Coco began playing tennis at the age of 7. At 13 years old, she reached the women’s junior final of the US Open in 2017. A year later, she won the junior title at the French Open and made her debut* as a professional. In 2019, the world discovered a new tennis star: at just 15 years old, she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and beat her childhood hero, Venus Williams. Thanks to this result, she became the youngest player to qualify for* the main Wimbledon competition.
cocogauff
You were only 15 when you met one of your heroes. That’s not an easy thing to do!
Life is really surprising, and unexpected. I played against Venus (with everything that she represented to me), and ended up beating her! And at Wimbledon, one of the most important tournaments in the world! After the match, I ran to the net to thank her for everything she has done for tennis and for being my role model. The next day I was on the front pages of the newspapers and I received messages of congratulations from Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dogg and Michelle Obama!
From that moment, everyone began to see you as the new successor to the Willliams sisters. How did you feel about this
LOOK IN THE MIRROR!
comparison?
I have to admit, it wasn’t easy. I began to feel the weight of expectations* of others, and I didn’t feel ready. Was tennis what I really wanted, or was it what others wanted for me? I probably needed to take a break, but I finally decided to continue playing, because it is the thing I love the most. The comparison with Venus and Serena pushed me to always do better, but I wanted to be myself.
What role did your family play during these difficult times?
My family has always supported me, and has never made me feel any pressure to win at any cost. My parents have always been by my side, and they believe in me completely. They often say that tennis should not identify me as a person: tennis is what I do, not what I am. I am still a human
What message do you want to send to the young people that follow and admire you, and who would like to be a successful tennis player like you?
Always dream big. Don’t allow anyone to put limits on your life. The possibilities are endless and defeat helps you to grow. If I have done it, you can do it too!
The answer is on page 15.
being, no matter* what my victories or my defeats are.
One last question: tell us something unusual about you?
Let’s see... my real name is Cori, but I like to be called Coco! All of my family members share the same initials*: my father is called Corey, my mother Candi, and my younger brothers are Codey and Cameron. One thing that a lot of people don’t know about me is that, when I was at nursery school*, I kept drawing my favourite food... guess what it was? Broccoli!
Coco Gauff is actively involved in the battle for civil rights and the fight against racism. She has stated: ‘It is very important for me to use the popularity I get from tennis to communicate important messages.’
Glossary
debut: a first appearance expectations: what others think you should do idol: hero, icon initials: first letters of a name modest: not vain no matter: not important nursery school: pre-school, kindergarten
qualify for: to reach the correct level, be suitable track and field: athletics, running events
The Seventies Music Through the Decades
Throughout the years we’ve heard many different types of music. They say the best decades* for music lovers were from the 70s to the 2000s.
Music has always played a major part in teenage life. In the 70s, disco, pop and various types of rock music were all popular. The music of the most popular bands – like Queen, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Genesis – is still loved by different generations today. A major event at the start of the 70s was the break-up of The Beatles in 1970. Paul McCartney formed a successful new group called Wings, and the three other Beatles – John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr also continued
Each decade, with its own sound, has reflected the changes in society, from fashion and culture to innovation* and technology. Most young people won’t know the names or music of 70s, 80s or 90s artists, as these were the generations of their parents or grandparents, but they have influenced music today, and Spotify has made the music of all generations accessible to everyone.
Hard rock
Heavy metal music – a louder, more aggressive type of rock – became very popular in the 70s, with the music of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, who later influenced other bands like Judas Priest and Motorhead.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock, most popular in the first part of the seventies, originated from the late 1960s blues-rock and was played by bands like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Supertramp – who wanted to change the standard song structures of rock music, with verses* and chorus*. It included elements from classical, jazz and world music, with words based on fantasy or abstract* ideas.
Glam rock
Glam or glitter rock was most popular in the UK in the early 1970s. Singers wore outrageous* clothes, make-up and hairstyles. Performances were theatrical, with a mix of rock and pop, and guitars being dominant. The most famous British artists were David Bowie, Roxy Music, Queen and Elton John, among others.
the USA. Punk artists and their fans had their own – very unusual – style of clothes and hair. The punk era* in Britain lasted only a few years.
Soft Rock and Pop
Elton John was the biggest solo star of the 70s. Others in the charts* included the British artists – 10CC, ELO, Kate
the Bay City Rollers and Fleetwood Mac. Popular American artists were the Carpenters, the Jackson 5, the Osmonds, Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand.
DISCUSS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES
Do you know the artists mentioned in the article? Can you name any of their hit songs? Can you name any of the 70s artists from your own country? (Ask your parents and grandparents about their favourite 70s singers and groups.)
Disco Music
The 70s was well. The soft rock band in the early 70s, became known as the biggest stars
of disco music at the end of the 70s. They sold millions of records
Saturday Night , the second biggestselling soundtrack of all
Glossary
abstract: not ordinary charts: classification of music sales
chorus: a group of lines repeated in a song decade: ten years era: an important period in time
innovation: new ideas
outrageous: something that shocks people verse: a group of lines in a song or poem
past tenses; superlatives; infinitive constructions; adverbs (-ly)
Freakier Friday
genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
It has been twenty years since the realease of the successful Disney comedy, Freaky Friday (2003), in which Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan played the roles of mother (Tess) and daughter (Anna). In the original film, they wake up one morning and discover that they have magically switched* bodies. In this long-awaited sequel*, the two actresses return to take up their famous roles and it happens again!
This time, four characters in the film have switched bodies: the ex-teenage rebel Anna, who is now a mother, takes the place of her daughter Harper; Tess takes the place of Anna’s step-daugher, Lily.
Like the first film, this one is also based on the book Freaky Friday (1972) by Mary Rodgers and is sure to be just as hilarious* and lots of fun.
Tron: Ares
genre: Action, Science Fiction
This is the third chapter of the Tron saga*, following the 1982 classic and then Tron Legacy in 2010. Ares is a highly* advanced digital program which takes on a physical form and is sent to the real world, marking the first contact between humans and A.I. beings. Jared Leto plays the part of Ares, a mysterious and threatening* character, who is the “bad guy” in the story. His entry into reality is a way of exploring the boundary between two worlds, which eventually influences both of them.
The use of special effects, with some of the most spectacular scenes ever seen, make this action-packed* film visually breathtaking*. The cast also includes Gillian Anderson, Evan Peters and Jeff Bridges.
WHICH FILM
… has a soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails?
The answer is on page 15.
Glossary
action-packed: full of action breathtaking: amazing, wonderful highly: very hilarious: very funny saga: series of films or stories
sequel: the next part, following the first part (of a film/book) switch: to exchange threatening: dangerous
True or false?
Have you read the Report?
1. The statue of Peter Pan in London was made by J.M. Barrie.
2. Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Little Mermaid was inspired by his wife.
3. There is a magic fountain in King Arthur’s forest in France.
4. The Fairy Tale Road ends in the city where the Brothers Grimm were born.
Fun and games!
Put yourself to the test with this True or False exercise!
5. You can visit the places from the most famous fairy tales along the route.
6. The Town Musicians of Bremen are t hree farm animals.
7. Cinderella’s “real” castle is in Germany.
8. According to legend, Dracula lived in Romania.
Find it in the magazine…
the town where the The Fairy Tale Road starts. the festival where can you compete in the Nanny Race. the name of Jared Leto’s character in his new film. ... the number of years that have passed since the Orient Express’s first journey. .......................................................................... Coco Gauff’s favourite food when she was a child. the biggest solo pop star of the 1970s.
Hanau; The Mary Poppins Festival; Ares; 142 years; broccoli; Elton John.
