MARMITE / A SAVOURY DISCOVERY. MARMITE / UN DESCUBRIMIENTO CON SABOR.

Hi my dear friends. Today we are going to know a bit more about a product called "MARMITE"  I don't know if you have heard about it but as I think it's very curious, we will see what it is and how we use it. What is Marmite?

Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy vamos a saber un poco más de un producto llamado "MARMITE". No sé si habeís oído hablar de él pero como creo que es muy curioso, veremos qué es y cómo utilizarlo. ¿Qué es Marmite?

Information: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: blogs.20minutos.es  /  es.wikipedia.org  /  tapasmagazine.es  /  helloprint.es  /  nutricion.vegana.org

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Marmite is one of those products that you either love or hate;  but if you love it, you really, really love it. Tasty, salty and intense, it's not for everyone, but it has many fans who simply could not live without it. In fact, it has been named as one of the top food items that British people take abroad with them.

Nowadays, Marmite is one of the most famous British brands, but not many people know the story behind it...

A SAVOURY DISCOVERY

Marmite was originally invented in the late 19th century by Justus von Liebig, a German scientist who is considered a pioneer of organic chemistry.  Von Liebig was in the UK when he discovered, by chance, that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.  Soon after that, in 1902, the Marmite Food Company was founded in Burton-up-on-Trent, a town with many breweries that could supply the Marmite contained yeast extract, salt, spices, and celery, but the exact composition of the product remains a secret.

A LITTLE TASTE OF HOME

Marmite isn't just a delicious condiment, but also a great source of vitamin B. This is the reason why British troops fighting in World War One received jars of the slick black spread as part of their rations. It also remained popular during World War Two, and more recently in 1999 it was sent out to British soldiers in Kosovo to help them deal with homesickness.

In the 1930s, Marmite was used to treat anaemia in mill workers in India, and during a malaria epidemic in Sri Lanka it was given to people suffering from malnutrition.

A DELICIOUS SUPERFOOD

Apart from vitamin B, Marmite contains many of other nutrients, including magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron, which are essential for good health.  Marmite is also rich in folic acid, it provides about 50 per cent of the recommended daily allowance per seving, which makes it very food for pregnant women.  Plus, it's vegan and very low in calories.  However, it's quite high salt.

Marmite can be spread on toast, crumpets, crackers, and it can also be added to any stew for some extra flavour. If you have never tried it and want to give it a go, have a very small quantity of it;  otherwise, its intesity might be too much to handle!

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EXERCISE.

1.- MATCH QUESTIONS 1-9  AND ANSWERS  a-i.

1 When was Marmite invented?                                a) in 1902

2 Who invented it?                                                     b) Because it's also rich in folic acid.

3 What was his nationality?                                        c) German.

4 When was the Marmite Food Company Founded?   d) Magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.

5 What ingredients did the original recipe contain?      e) Yeast extract, salt, species and celery.

6 Why was it included in soldiers' rations during WW1?         f) in the 1930s.

7 Apart from vitamin B, what other nutrients are in Marmite?    g) Justus von Liebig,

8 Why is Marmite good for pregnant women?                h) Because it's a great source of vitamin B.

9 When was Marmite used to treat a form of anaemia in mill workers in India?   i)in the late 19th cent.

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VOCABULARY

-TASTY:  sabroso.

-SALTY: salado.

-ITEMS: productos.

-ABROAD: el extranjero.

-BRANDS: marcas.

-BY CHANCE; de casualidad.

-BREWER: cervecera.

-YEAST: levadura.

-BREWERIES: fábricas de cerveza.

-CELERY: apio.

-SLICK: pringoso.

-HOMESICKNESS: morriña, nostalgia.

-MILL WORKERS: trabajadores de los molinos.

-ALLOWANCE; ración.

-PER SERVING: por porción.

-CRUMPETS: bollos.

-STEW: estofado.

-TO GIVE IT A GO: probar.

-OTHERWISE: de lo contrario.

-TO HANDLE: manejar.

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SOLUTION TO THE EXERCISE.

1 i  /  2 g  /  3 c  /  4 a  /  5 e  /  6 h  /  7 d  /  8 b  /  9 f

SEE YOU!

  

E-SPORTS. PROFESSIONAL VIDEO GAMERS / PROFESIONALES DE LOS VIDEO JUEGOS.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to look at something that is very popular among us, mainly among young people: Video games and  "Professional Video gamers", competitions, olympic e-games, etc. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a mirar hacia algo que es muy popular entre nosotros, principalmente entre los jóvenes: "Los video juegos y los jugadores de video juegos profesionales", las competiciones, los juegos olímpicos de video juegos, etc. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: from Speak-up magazine.

Photos: wikipedia.org  /  eurogamer.es  /  medac.es  /  extron.es

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In the summer of 2019, over 12,000 fans were at Wembley Arena in London, shouting and cheering. Thousands more were watching online.  But this wasn't a football, basketball or tennis match. It was e-sports, or competitive computer gaming. The prize money for the winners; 3 million pounds!

PROFESSIONAL GAMERS

Millions of people in the UK play games for fun. Some of them have become professional gamers, playing games as their full-time job.  Did you know that football teams such as West Ham and Manchester City employ e-sports players?  They send them around the world to compete in football video game competitions.  It's not easy being a professional gamer, though. They practise for ten or more hours a day, five or six days a week. They do exercises like typing something and trying to type it faster and faster. They also study videos of other players and plan ways to beat them.

OLYMPIC E-GAMES?

As well as playing games, many people like watching them, too. You can watch games on video sites like Twitch adn YouTube and in the UK there is a TV channel showing e-sports 24 hours a day.

They can be exciting to watch; Just like other sports, there are close games, last-minute victories and amazing performances. Sometimes online viewers can interact with the game. For example, some games rename characters in the game with the names of online viewers!

But are e-sports really sports?  Are players athletes?  Some say no.  E-sports players don't need to run, jump, throw or make major physical movements. At the moment, the UK government classifies e-sports as kinds of games, not as sports.

But others say Yes, e-sports are sports. Players do need some physical skills, especially hand-eye coordination, reflexes, accuracy and timing.  If darts , snooker and shouting are classified as sports, then perhaps e-sports should be, too.  In fact, the governments of China and  South Korea do classify e-sports as sports, and they will be an official medal sport in the Asian Games starting from 2022.  Next step the Olympics?

POPULARITY

For many e-sports fans and players, though, the most important thing is that e-sports are growing in popularity and importance. If e-sports are not as important as "normal" sports at the moment, they definitely will be in the near future.

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EXERCISES.

1.- MATCH THE VOCABULARY 1-8 WITH THE CORRECT DEFINITION  a-h.

1 a gamer                a) on the Internet

2 a viewer               b) the activity of playing computer games

3 a skill                   c) a person who plays computer games

4 gaming                 d) doing an activity as a job, not just as a hobby

5 online                   e) somebody who watches a video

6 professional         f) about the body or using the body

7 physical               g) to put something in a group or category

8 to classify something   h) an ability to do something 

2 TRUE OR FALSE. Read the article and decide whether the following sentences are True or False.

1 There were 12,000 e-sports players in London in the summer of 2019    _____

2 The prize money for the winners was 3 million pounds     ____

3 Gaming is a popular activity in the UK    ____

4 A professional gamer practises for about ten hours a day     _____

5 Footbal teams are taking e-sports competitions seriously    ____

6 E-sports are boring to watch     ____

7 In the UK there is a TV channel that shows e-sports 24 hours a day   ____

8 All governments around the world consider e-sports as sports.    _____

9 E-sports players need to have some physical skills.    ____

10 In the 2022 Asian Games, e-spors will be an official medal sport.    ____

11 E-sports have been recognised as an Olympic sport.    _____

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VOCABULARY

-TO SHOUT: gritar

-TO CHEER: anImar.

-FULL-TIME: a tiempo completo.

-FASTER AND FASTER: cada vez más rápido.

-TO BEAT: derrotar.

-AS WELL AS:  así como.

-EXCITING: emocionante.

-ACCURACY: precisión.

-SNOOKER: billar inglés.

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SOLUTIONS TO THE EXCERCISES.

1.- 1 c  /  2 e  /  3 h  /  4 b  / 5 a  /  6 d  /  7 f  /  8 g

2.-  1 F  /  2 F  /  3 T  /  4 T  /  5 T  /  6 F  /  7 T  /  8 F  /  9 T  /  10 T  /  11 F

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!!!!

CLEVELAND, OHIO. IT'S ONLY ROCK & ROLL.

 Hi my dear friends, today we are going to visit The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It 's a Museum,  not only for rock and rock lovers but also for everyone who wants to know a bit more about the history of rock. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a visitar el Museo de la Fama y el Rock and Roll, en Cleveland, Ohio, Estados Unidos.  No es solo un museo para los amantes del Rock sino también para todo el que quiera saber un poquito más sobre la historia del Rock. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: from  Sepak Up  magazine.

Photos: sah.archipedia.org  /  gettyimages.es (2)  /  fotos.habitissimo.es  /  agefotodtcok.es  /  

TOUGH CITY MUSIC

Cleveland, Ohio isn't high on the list of tourist destinations in the United States, but it is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was inaugurated in 1995.  The idea of a hall of fame for rock musicians was conceived in New York in the 1980s, but Cleveland was chosen as the permanent location.

It was in competition with other cities like Memphis, and was chosen in a readers' poll conducted by USA Today. But that wasn't the only reason why Cleveland was chosen. Cleveland is the home of a DJ named Alan Freed who was the first person to popularize the phrase "rock & roll". He used that phrase to describe the rythm and blues records that he was spinning on the airwaves in 1951. 

Moreover, Cleveland is a very important rock & roll city. You can find music at almost any venue , any night of the week.  It is a post-industrial city and the perfect place to have a seriously thriving rock & roll scene. It has a gospel tradition, as well.

IT IS ONLY ROCK & ROLL

Alan Freed, as I have mentioned before,  is credited with being the first person to use the term "rock & roll". He was a DJ at the WJW station in Cleveland, Ohio.  He has also been called "the father of rock & roll"  and he was one of the first DJs to play black music to white audiences.  And that is one of the reasons why Cleveland now hosts the spectacular Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which first opened its doors in 1995.

It features seven floors, all of which are dedicated to the artists, producers, managers and journalists who palyed their part in the history of rock & roll.

ELVIS AND FRIENDS

The idea of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is older than the building itself. The first artists to be inducted were Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley in 1986.  Presley had died nine years earlier and, as the Hall of Fame's Manager of Education Outreach, Kathryn Metz, explains, the rule for induction is that at least 25 years must have passed since the artist or group's first recording. The Hall of Fame's architecture is remarkable, but its collection of 2,000 pieces of memorabilia is even more so.  It includes everything from Michael Jackson's glove to Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock guitar and Beyoncé's stage costumes. Beyoncé is very young to have been inducted but many living inductees do come and pay a visit.

ABSENT

Sadly, you won't get to see Alan Freed in person either.

His career was destroyed by the "payola" scandal (record companies bribing radio stations to play their music) and he died in 1965, at the age of 43.

MODERN ART

When it came to designing the Hall of Fame, Cleveland chose I.M. Pei, the famous Chinese-American architect. He is responsible for the pyramids on top of the Louvre , in France and he was the one who designed it.  He built something that looks like a record player from the sky. So if you fly over Cleveland in a plane, you can see how there's a record and the arm of the record player and the mechanics of the record player, It's a modern art interpretation!

MEMORABILIA

The Hall of Fame contains some amazing memorabilia. Everything from guitars, some lyrics from Bob Dylan, the roller skates that belonged to the Everly Brothers, the ledgers that Berry Gordy of Motown Records kept to keep track of all of his artists and their recordings, many dresses as well as the drums that belonged to ZZ Top. Instruments, contracts, posters. John Lennon's glasses and more...

VOCABULARY

TO INDUCT: incorporar.

-GLOVE:guante.

-TO BRIBE: sobornar.

-AIRWAVES: las ondas.

-VENUE: local.

-LYRICS: letras de canciones.

-LEDGER: libro de registro.

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EXERCISES

1 CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION.

a) Cleveland was chosen  (for/as) the location of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

b) It beat many other cities (like/as) Memphis in a poll in USA Today.

c) DJ Alan Freed used to spin rock and roll records (in/on) the airwaves.

d) Many great musicians have come (up/out) of Cleveland over the years.

e) Architect I.M. Pei was also responsible  (for/of)  the pyramids on the Louvre.

f) If you fly (on/over) the Hall of Fame in a plane, it looks like a record player.

2 MATCH THESE ADJECTIVES TO THEIR ANTONYMS.

a) diverse             1 failing

b) permanent       2 weak

c) vibrant             3 similar

d) tough               4 dull

e) thriving            5 traditional

f) contemporary   6 provisional 

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SOLUTIONS.

EXERCISE 1. > a) as  /  b) like  /  c)  on  /  d) out  /  e) for  /  f) over

EXERCISE 2  > a) 3  /  b) 6  /  c) 4  /  d) 2  /  e) 1  /  f) 5

SEE YOU!

NEW ORLEANS - THE VOODOO MUSEUM / Nueva Orleans - El Museo del Vudú.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to know a bit more about Voodoo. It may be a strange practice and some people will not like it but I think it is an interesting  and curious religious practice. It can be dangerous, it is true, if it is used in a bad way or without any knowledge but on the contrary, it can be fascinating, as well. 

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a saber un poquito más sobre el Vudú. Puede ser una práctica extraña y a algunas personas no les gustará pero creo que es una práctica religiosa interesante y curiosa. Puede ser peligrosa, es verdad, si se usa de mala manera y sin conocimiento pero por el contrario, puede ser también fascinante.

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: en.wikipedia.org (2)  /  tripadvisor.es  /  shrm.org  /  

NEW ORLEANS  /  THE VOODOO MUSEUM

Voodoo fascinates and frightens people in equal measure. The fundamental principle of voodoo is that everything is spirit, but its imagery and rites cerainly make it appear as something dangerous.

A LONG JOURNEY

Voodoo arrived in New Orleans in the 18th century, brought by slaves from western Africa and the West Indies, and later by slaves and creoles from Saint-Domingue (Haiti).

Voodoo beliefs have survived in New Orleans to this day in synchorism with the Christian religion. They have influenced traditional celebrations, such as certain dances and costumes in Mardi Gras parades, as well as elements of funeral processions.  If you see a dead chicken on a grave in a New Orleans cemetery, that's voodoo, too.

GENDER RULES

Souvenir shops in New Orleans sell all sorts of scary voodoo merchandise, such as t-shirts and  jewellery decorated with skeletons and skulls.  But if you really want to explore the world of Louisiana voodoo, head to the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum in the heart of the French Quarter.  Here you can learn that there is an important difference between Haitian voodoo and Louisiana voodoo: that Haitian voodoo is ruled by men, while Louisiana voodoo is ruled by women.

VOODOO  QUEEN

The Voodoo Museum has exhibits that date back two hundred years. They include paintings and photos of other voodoo queens, women who used potions, amulets called "gris-gris" and practised rituals to help people fulfil their deepest desires, or ward off misfortune.

One of the most powerful voodoo queens of New Orleans was the hairdresser Marie Laveau (1801-1881).  Laveau was not a slave, but the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy creole politician, who was even mayor of New Orleans for a short time.  Marie Laveau was loved and respected by many people.  She led voodoo rituals and was a talented healer, using herbal medicines to treat all kinds of ailments.

SYMBOLS OF POWER

The museum shows how believers turned to specific voodoo artefacts for help.  Voodoo dolls were mostly used to encourage good things, such as health, love or money.  Voodoo sought contact with ancestors and loas (that is the "spirits"), who would help them communicate with a single, all-powerful spirit, known as Li Grand Zombi or Damballa.

Exhibits show women dancing while holding a snake over their heads as a symbol of him.  In this ritual, the male spirit of the heavens unites with the female spirit of the Earth, bringing healthy balance of forces.

EVIL  SPIRITS

Protection from bad spirits was a piority among Louisiana voodoo practitioners.  This is understandable in a region known for its intense heat and swamps, where malaria, cholera and yellow fever raged for centuries.

SURVIVAL

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed countless homes and claimed almost two thousand lives, with the poorest inhabitants from low-lying areas of New Orleans, where voodoo has traditionally been practised, suffering the most.

Yet, the spirit of voodoo is still very much alive in New Orleans, and many still practise its ancient arts.

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VOCABULARY

-TO FRIGHTEN:  espantar, horrorizar.

-IMAGERY: imágenes.

-SLAVES: esclavos.

-GRAVE: tumba.

-SCARY: horripilante.

-SKULL: calavera.

-TO HEAD:  dirigirse.

-TO RULE: gobernar.

-TO DATE BACK:  remontarse.

-TO FULFIL: cumplir.

-TO WARD OFF: ahuyentar.

-MIXED-RACED: mestizo.

-MAYOR: alcalde.

-TO LEAD: llevar.

-HEALER: curandera.

-AILMENTS:  dolencias.

-TO SEEK: buscar.

-PRACTITIONERS:  practicantes.

-SWAMPS: pantanos.

-TO RAGE: arrasar.

-TO CLAIM LIVES: costar vidas.

-LOW-LYING: de baja altitud.

 -SER UN CABEZOTA:  to have a thick skull.

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!