Life- Upper Intermediate PDF

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Summary

Riassunto dei testi e dei video delle dodici unità del Life-Upper Intermediate.
Ciascuna unità, al suo interno, ha una tabella con segnati tutti i vocaboli ritenuti nuovi o importanti per la discussione durante l'esame orale.
File ottimo per la preparazione orale in quanto contiene tu...

Description

Unit

Testo

Pagina

Video

Si/No

Unit 1

A confused generation

P.12

Lady Liberty and Ellis Island

Si

Blood Lines

P.15

A key moment

P.22

Once upon a time

P.27

Is technology the answer?

P.34

Appropriate technology

p.39

Reverse graffiti

P.46

Why do we need music?

P.51

From reality to fantasy

P.58

The teenage mind

P.63

Staycations

P.70

Unusual places to stay

P.75

Cruel to be kind

P.82

Cultural conventions

P.87

Rise of the “rocket girls”

P.94

Saving Madagascar

P.99

Life revealed

P.106

From hero to zero

P.111

An ordinary man

P.118

The king herself

P.123

Innovation in learning

P.130

Who’s a clever bird, then

P.135

Saving for a rainy day

P.142

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Unit 6

Unit 7

Unit 8

Unit 9

Unit 10

Unit 11

Unit 12

Si How not to climb a mountain

Si Si

3D-printed prosthetic limbs

Si

Art for the people

Si Si

Scandinavian mega-bridge

Si Si

The unexpected beauty of travelling solo

Si

Si Eating insects

Si Si

What would you do if money didn’t matter

Si

Si News: the weird and the wonderful

Si Si

Queen of Egypt

Si No

Paraguay shaman

No No

The Farmery

No

1

Unit

Testo

Pagina

Start-up

P.147

Video

Si/No Si

This text DEALS WITH/REPORT/DISCUSS/IS ABOUT !

2

UNIT 1

“A confused generation”: In modern Chinese society different ideologies are fighting against each other due to the latest economic boom that has brought on one hand material benefits(=great importance given to money) and on the other hand has had an impact on family life and values. The Chinese population is trying to find a balance between the “old” and the “new”.# In the past it was a duty to take care of aged parents, but nowadays people prefer to put their parents in the best nursing houses. # Parents are now learning from their own children thanks to their better education and their interest in the outside world. # Children make sure, when they go shopping with their parents, to select the “right” western brands. # This improvement in life has brought children to be rebellious and parents to believe that their education has been a failure. # “Bloodlines”: America is well-known for being a melting-pot of different ethnic groups and cultures, but nowhere is this diversity more pronounced than in Queens, New York City. Here immigrants from countries such as Greece, Korea and Puerto Rico live alongside each other, all united by a common feeling of pride in their American identity. # However, they are also proud and curious about their ancestral roots. It is interesting to discover how their grandparents and great- grandparents arrived in America and what brought them there in the first place. # Stories are often very different, some people came to America when they were very young and they had to face a lot of difficulties. The ability to cope with difficulties and carry on with optimism made the “American Dream” come true for a lot of people, creating a strong sense of belonging to a group that struggled and fought together to succeed. # Other people immigrated to America in order to offer their children a better life and more possibilities to receive a good education. # Richard and Tanja know exactly their family histories.# Richard's great-grandfather, named Tomas, didn't like his stepmother, that's why he decided to move to the US at the age of 15. Through an announcement he discovered that also one of his brothers was seeking fortune in the US. The story was passed down by Richard's grandmother, who holds all of her family together and has a strong sense of belonging. # Tanja's parents are Jamaican, they're both nurses and they give a great importance to education. They have a strong work ethic and they have transmitted this value to their children. Both Tanja and her sister studied in the medical field and became doctors. As their parents taught them, they always try to give their best during work hours.#

VIDEO ’’ ‘Lady Liberty’ and Ellis Island’’: David Lucshing is the last resident of Liberty Island. Both of his great-grandparents came through Ellis Island. # In the past immigrants would pack everything that meant the world to them in one or two bags even though they didn’t know if they would ever be able to see the pictures of their parents or of their children again. They only relied on the faith that everything would be okay.# It’s been reported that a bag has never been lost on Ellis Island. # Everybody came from some place in America, expect the native Americans. During the peak immigration period at Ellis Island, arrivals were between 8,000 and 10,000 per day, now visitors are approximately 22,000 per day.# While visiting the island, the descendants of immigrants feel emotional because for the first time they can understand what their relatives have been through. # In 2011 the hurricane Sandy destroyed the entire infrastructure. Even though it was a sad moment, at the same time it was an opportunity to make a more sustainable park. Seeing the statue standing and the flag still flying gave strength to keep on going.#

3

Brother in law

Cognato

Flatmate

Coinquilino

Chills

Brividi

Laid-back

Rilassato

Colleague

Collega

Outgoing

Socievole

Considerate

Premuroso

Painful

Doloroso

Cope with

Far fronte a

Rebellious

Ribelle

Defiant

Sprezzante

Selfish

Egoista

Dependable

Affidabile

Serious

Serio

Dutiful

Diligente

Shy

Timido

Energetic

Energetico

Support

Supporto

Fiancé

Fidanzato

Unreliable

Inaffidabile

A faithful companion

Un compagno fedele

An odd couple

Una strana coppia

A passing acquaintance

Una conoscenza passeggera

A strong bond

Un forte legame

Blood relatives

Parenti di sangue

4

UNIT 2 ’’A key moment’’: In July 1976 Niki Lauda was leading the world Formula 1 championship. # The Nürburgring track, which was going to host the next race, was narrow, bumpy and in poor conditions. # Niki Lauda, during a meeting of the drivers, tried to stop the competition but his opponent James Hunt argued for it to go ahead and won by one vote. # The day of the race, it had been raining all morning and parts of the track were still wet. # Due to the difficult conditions, Lauda drove more slowly. With his new dry-weather tyres he began to push harder but lost control of his car.# Fortunately three drivers stopped and ran to help him because he was trapped in the heat. # Lauda was eventually transported to a hospital, where he was fighting for his life. # Meanwhile the organisers restarted the race which Hunt went on to win.# Six weeks after the accident and serious plastic surgery, Lauda started competing again. # As for the old Nürburgring, that was the last Formula 1 race held there.# “Once upon a time”: # The Brothers Grimm began collecting their own stories, after an encounter with a wise man of their school who led them to a library of old books with tales. # Their story collection named “Children’s and Household tales” was published in Germany in 1812 and the collection has been translated in more than 160 languages. # The collection competes with the Bible and has helped to make Disney a media giant. # During their lifetime the collection sold only a few copies and the early editions weren’t addressed to children. The Grimm’s aim was to preserve the oral storytelling tradition. # During long winter nights, people would keep each other entrained with tales of adventure, magic and romance. To write their stories the Grimms interviewed about forty storytellers. # In the following edition tales were reshaped in order to make them more adaptable for children and to underline the moral. Also today these tales are very modern. The core is maintained, but some cruel particulars are omitted. Grimm's tales are immortal for two reasons: they# always have a happy ending and can satisfy a wide range of readers, from children to adults.# VIDEO ’’How not to climb a mountain’’: # Cedar Wright and his friend Alex Honnold, one day decided to climb Middle Palisade, which is one of the highest peaks in California.# They were ill-prepared and had read how to climb the mountain on their phones. # While they were climbing the peak, Cedar noticed that their route was different from the one he studied. # When they finally reached the peak, they discovered that they were on the wrong mountain because they weren’t able to sign the summit register. # The mountain they wanted to climb was in front of them since the beginning. # After twelve hours of climbing and rocks peeling of like sheets of paper, they were finally able to reach the top of Middle Palisade.#

Ankle

Caviglia

Path

Sentiero

Awful

Terribile

Powerful

Potente

Awkward

Goffo

Relief

Sollievo

Awesome

Fantastico

Scared

Terrorizzato

Balance

Equilibrio

Scholarly

Istruito

Bravely

Audacemente

Sigh

Sospirare

5

Clever

Intelligente

Stick

Bastoncino

Gripping

Avvincente

Summit register

Registro verticale

Hiking

Escursionismo

Thick

Spesso

Keeping

Tenere

Thought-provoking

Stimolante

Keep each other

Tenersi l’un l’altro

Treacherous

Sleale

Keep your

Tieni il tuo

Towards

Verso

Nightmare

Incubo

Unfair

Ingiusto

Paper

Carta

Argue

Discutere

Share

Condividere

Engage

Coinvelgere

Stolen

Rubato

Hurrry on

Affrettarsi

Strike

Sciopero

Leapt

Balzo

Stuck

Bloccato

Moaning

Brontolio

Sum

Somma

Mumble

Borbottare

Tripped

Inciampato

Muttering

Bisbiglio

Turning point

Punto di svolta

Reach

Raggiungere

Wallet

Portafoglio

Scream

Grido

Wonder

Chiedersi

6

UNIT 3

’’Is technology the answer?’’: Overpopulation is a situation where there are more people than there are resources. It causes pollution, unemployment, hunger and people might even begin to fight over the limited resources. # People have different opinions on overpopulation. Some people believe that population has to be controlled.For example Paul Ehrlich, an American biologist, says that medical science has advanced too far and we are keeping too many people alive. # As a result to this condition, millions of people would starve to death but mass starvation hasn’t happened due to the development, between the 70s and the 80s, of better seeds and better pesticides to increase food production. # Other scientists believe that people will always find a technological solution to such problem since we are about to enter a more productive era of safer and cheaper food. # We can’t be sure that this will be enough, instead we have to start reducing our consumption.# The economist Thomas Malthus pointed out that people will not act unless they have to. He claimed that population will continue to grow until war, disease or famine arrive to stop it. # ’’Appropriate technology’’: Even though the term “ appropriate technology” is new, the concept for sure isn’t. # In the 1930s Gandhi claimed that he wanted technology that could empower the poor villagers of India and help them to become self-reliant. # The term “ appropriate technology” was first used by Schumacher in his book “Small is Beautiful” to promote is own philosophy of technological progress. For him a technological item should be a long-term one and useful in the context it is used.# “Appropriate technology” refers also to the environmental, ethical and cultural conditions and can find its appliance also in the developed world. For example in Sweden a company has found a way to exploit the heat produced each day by the bodies rushing through Stockholm’s central train station. Their body heat is absorbed by the building’s ventilation system than used to warm up water.# Not always “appropriate technology” is accepted, there’s a case in Guatemala where women refused to use a mechanical device for shelling corn because they enjoyed the time they spent hand shelling as it gave them an opportunity to chat and exchange news with each other. # VIDEO ’’3D-printed prosthetic limbs’’: Charlotte lost both hands and both legs to meningicoccal septicaemia.# People are surprised by the fact how mobile she is, how she can write and draw and by the fine motor skills she’s still got even without her hands. Charlotte is independent and says that she doesn’t need help with things. # She has gone through several false limbs: prosthetic legs even though are basic, they still manage to do their job but for hands it’s not so simple. As Charlottes grows, she needs to change her prosthetics each year. # A robotic hand at a target price of 1,200 pounds could be the answer as it’s within range of normal families. The robotic hand would work in response to flexing the muscle.# At the moment children are underserved by the prosthetics industry so this project could help them since the cost component is low. # The project is still at the prototype stage but the delivery seems not be too far away. #

Adjust

Regolare

Neat solution

Soluzione pulita

Basin

Vasca

Overpopulation

Sovrappopolazione

Brick

Mattone

Pollution

Inquinamento

Cardboard

Cartone

Prosthetic

Protesi

7

Cartridge

Cartuccia

Quick fix

Rimedio provvisorio

Central heating system

Sistema di riscaldamento centralizzato

Replace

Sostituire

Congestion

Congestione

Replacement

Sostituzione

Crude

Primitivo

Rubber

Gomma

Curtain

Tenda

Self-reliant

Autonomo

Energy use

Impiego di corrente

Sewing machine

Macchina da cucire

Epidemic

Epidemia

Starvation

Fame

Grasp

Afferrare

Straw

Cannuccia

Handy gadget

Gadget pratico

Suck

Succhiare

Holder

Possessore

Undo

Disfare

Hook

Gancio

Water purifier

Depuratore

Leather

Cuoio

Wood

Legno

Machine for shelling corn

Macchina per sgusciare il mais

8

UNIT 4 “Reverse graffiti”: The idea of graffiti is to find a blank wall and spray-paint an image to express a particular message using either pictures, words or both. # Police authorities remove these images when they find them since they are illegal. Reverse graffiti artists take a dirty wall and make images by removing the dirt.# All of the artist share a common aim: to draw attention to the pollution in our cities. # Brazilian artist Alexandre Orion completely depicted a gallery with skulls, to remind the drivers the damages caused by cars.# The city authorities in São Paolo were annoyed so they decided that any graffiti was wrong and that they should remove Orion’s work. # This decision didn’t stop Orion’s work since he continued making reverse graffiti on both sides of the tunnel. # The city officials took a drastic decision by cleaning all of the car tunnels in São Paolo.# ’’Why do we need music?”: # Humans on average, spend a fifth of their waking lives listening to music even though it isn’t something they actually need in order to survive. # Music is important to us because it stimulates us both emotionally and intellectually. # Neuroscientist Valorie Salimpoor, who has researched the effects of music on the brain, says that music has the power to excite or soothe us. # The musical way of speaking to babies, known as “motherese”, is a feature of every culture around the world. # Music produces emotions that we immediately feel and understand but that we find difficult to explain. For example sad music helps regulate negative feelings and even lift us out of them. # It can also be used to make a verbal message stronger: for example both hip hop and rap music inside their lyrics describe life for people who lacked the same opportunities as the rich. # On an intellectual level music challenges our brain to understand and recognise certain systems and patterns. # In conclusion Salimpoor says that music satisfies both humans’s emotional and psychological needs. # VIDEO ’’Art for the people’’: Banksy’s spy booth appeared in April making fun of the issue of Government surveillance in the home of GCHQ, the intelligence and communications headquarters in Cheltenham. # Now the owner of the property wants to sell the artwork and the wall it’s on.# The local community says that it’s public art so it’s not meant to be in private hands. # When the scaffold went up, it was hoped it was just for building maintenance. # But it’s since been reported that a collector has bought the work and plans to take it out of the town.# People in Cheltenham are so keen to see it that they are willing to tear the scaffold themselves. # Because the spy booth relates directly to Cheltenham, it belongs to the city and to the community.# The sale of the mural has re-started the debate over what’s public art and what can be bought by a private individual.# The one person missing from this campaign is Banksy himself, who remains anonymous. # Cheltenham’s community hopes Banksy stands up for this cause. #

All

Tutto

Fine art

Belle arti

Amount

Quantità

...