Table of contents for No 487 in Speak Up

Vivimos tan absortos en nuestras fútiles cuitas diarias, abrumados y saturados por la abominable actualidad, que no nos damos cuenta de que el diseño de una papelera o una farola puede hacernos más felices. También el de una puerta, el mobiliario o la iluminación de la oficina o la arquitectura interior de la estación de metro que transitamos cada día pueden contribuir a mejorar nuestra calidad de vida. De tanto en tanto, necesitamos que alguien nos recuerde la importancia de la belleza, del arte y, en definitiva, de las cosas hechas con buen gusto y generosidad. La paradoja es que a veces ese recordatorio lo encontramos en medio de ese vórtice de inmundicia tóxica (brain rot), ruido y furia (rage bait) y estafas futuristas (AI slop) en que se ha…

David Beckham is one of the most famous footballers in history. He is the only player to win league titles in four different countries: England, Spain, France and the US. His fame both on and off the pitch1 means that he has transcended sport to become a British cultural icon and a global superstar. A PASSION FOR FOOTBALL Beckham was passionate about football from childhood. Every weekend he would be in the local park training alone or playing with his father for hours. He joined Manchester United as a youth trainee2 in 1991 at age fourteen and became part of the legendary Class of ‘92, which included other future stars such as Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes. Beckham made his league debut as a midfielder four years later.…

Loud1 celebrations might be exhilarating2 for humans, but most dogs, cats and other pets would much rather fast-forward to a quieter time of year. Sometimes, though, fireworks can be hard to escape — just look at New Year’s Eve celebrations worldwide, Guy Fawkes Night in the UK, or Bastille Day in France. Dogs often become extremely anxious during these noisy celebrations, trembling, howling3 or even escaping in search of a safe refuge. THE FALLAS In Europe, the city that is most famous for its pyrotechnics is Valencia, Spain. Did you know that 24 per cent of the companies active in the pyrotechnic industry in Spain are based in Valencia? That’s a lot of fireworks4! The main pyrotechnic event in the Valencian calendar is the Fallas, held annually between 1 March…

Come on in,” said Ricardo, as his two sons arrived at his modest home in Los Angeles, California. He had invited them there for a family reunion. It would be their final family reunion, and perhaps the most important one they’d ever had. At first, his son Carlos had refused to come, but then Ricardo had sent him a photo of the golden nugget1 that was now at the center of the room, accompanied by the message “It’s real.” Carlos and his brother, Felipe, stared at the nugget. “It can’t be real,” said Carlos. “It can’t be.” “It certainly is real,” said Ricardo. “Your great-great-great-great-grandfather2 could attest to3 that. He almost broke his back while transporting it home from the Sierra Nevada mountains. I’ll never understand how he kept it…

Sometimes, over time1, a word loses its original positive meaning and gradually takes on a negative one. How does this happen? A good example is the word ‘gossip’, which today often has a negative connotation. ‘Gossip’ comes from ‘godsibb’, an Old English term made up of ‘god’ and ‘sibb’ meaning ‘relationship’ or ‘affinity’. It referred to a relative connected, not by blood, but spiritually through God. In the Middle Ages, godsibs were the godfathers and godmothers2 present at a baptism. Their role was to support the biological family and they represented close friendship, trust3 and care. At the time, these relationships were strong bonds4, socially significant and in some cases even legally binding5. WOMEN’S SPEECH In the late Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, the term began to refer to…

When we think of a samurai, the first image that springs to mind1 is that of the fearless2 and honourable warrior who lives by the sword and dies in epic duels. A new exhibition at the British Museum dispels3 this popular myth, inviting visitors to question what they know and discover how the idea of the samurai has slowly formed over time. A MAJOR SHOW Rather than telling one simple story, 280 objects along with digital media show how the samurai evolved greatly across a thousand years of Japanese history. The word ‘samurai’ derives from the Japanese verb ‘sabarau’ meaning ‘to serve’ and in the early years, especially from the 1100s onwards4, samurai were soldiers living through violent times. Fighting was their main role, and power came through military success.…

The castles of England and Wales are theatres of history, cultural monuments, and guardians of heritage1. They symbolise many centuries of political drama, military conflict, power, prestige, and family feuds2. They have helped to build kingdoms and defend ideologies and faiths. More recently, castles have inspired authors and filmmakers, television presenters and tourists. To find out why castles are important, Speak Up got in touch with Paul Martin Remfry, an author, historian, and internationally-recognised expert in castles. He has spent a lifetime studying medieval history, genealogy, and architecture — and telling the stories of castles and the people who once occupied them. A WHOLE WORLD Whether it’s a child building sandcastles on the beach, tourists enjoying a sunset from ancient castle battlements3, or viewers watching a famous fortress on television,…

The Cultural Tutor is a modern success story. What began as a free website designed by British author Sheehan Quirke for cultural tuition1 soon grew into a social media phenomenon. When Quirke launched a Twitter account to attract people to his website, he never expected his posts to go viral. He now has more than 1.7 million followers, and has written a book that has gone on to sell thousands of copies worldwide. BEGINNINGS Before any of this success, author Sheehan Quirke made a bold2 decision: he quit his job in London in order to pursue3 more meaningful work. Hoping to teach young people about culture in a way that would make them more well-rounded4, he set up a free website offering cultural tutoring sessions for parents and their children.…

The boss wants us to use artificial intelligence for market analysis. Any ideas? Well, we could use it to collect1 data like customer reviews. How would that work? We’d need an AI tool that can scan websites and social media. Yes, I can imagine a tool like that could do that very quickly. What about analysing that data? AI can do that, too. It’s great at finding patterns2, like what customers like or dislike. Wow, can it see the future, too? Actually, yes! AI can predict trends3 by studying past and current4 data. It sounds like human beings aren’t needed anymore. Oh, but they are! AI helps a lot, but humans should always review the results. Why is that? Because AI is known to hallucinate! You’re kidding! NOW LET’S REVIEW THE…

Akiss, they say, is the shortest distance between two hearts. We all remember our first kiss, that sense of anticipation and curiosity, a pivotal1 part of our emotional (and sexual) development. However, although most people probably consider kissing an exclusively human behaviour2, used to express romance and affection, a new study suggests that the first kissers were ancient primates that lived up to3 twenty-one million years ago. CHIMPANZEES KISS, TOO! Our earliest record of human kissing is from 4,500 years ago, preserved on thousands of clay4 tablets that have survived the test of time. The tablets from ancient Mesopotamia document kissing as a common practice in both romantic and platonic relationships. Humans are not the only species that kiss, however. Kissing has also been observed among other primates, including chimpanzees,…

During the forty days of Lent1 (Sundays are excluded,) many people across the UK will be giving something up2: alcohol, cigarettes, carbs3… Abstinence during Lent was originally a Catholic tradition, and England, Wales, and Scotland haven’t officially been Catholic countries since the 1500s. In recent years, however, there seems to be a renewed interest in doing a springtime detox. A NEW START The word ‘Lent’ comes from the Old German word for springtime and has the same etymological roots4 as the word ‘lengthen5’. It is the time of year when the days are getting longer. In the Christian calendar, the day before Lent starts is called Shrove Tuesday6. It was the day when Catholics would confess their sins7 before Lent began. Rich foods were forbidden8 during Lent, so households9 would…

In 1918, as World War One was ending, Charles I — the emperor of Austria-Hungary and a member of the Habsburg dynasty — sensed the end of the empire. Charles, a nephew of Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination had incited the conflagration, recognized mounting threats1 from Bolsheviks and anarchists. To safeguard jewels that the ruling2 Habsburgs had owned for centuries, he had them transported to Switzerland. One gem in the collection was a particular prize3, a 137-carat diamond admired not only for its pear shape and yellow hue4 but also for its illustrious history. Before the Habsburgs, it had been owned by the Medici family, the rulers of Florence, Italy. The diamond’s allure5 only grew when, soon after Charles and his family left Vienna for exile in Switzerland, it was thought…

Castles represent some of the most impressive structures of the medieval period. These constructions, built for defence, display1 of wealth and power (or often both), are enduring2 symbols of historical significance, architectural splendour and cultural impact. Across England and Wales, there are over two thousand castles in various states of conservation; from majestic fortresses and UNESCO World Heritage Sites to romantic ruins and hidden gems. This is our selection of the ten best castles in England and Wales. 1. Windsor Castle (England) The oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, Windsor Castle has been the official residence of the British monarch for over nine hundred years. Located about 40km west of London, Windsor Castle overlooks3 the River Thames and serves as a working palace and cultural treasure. Dating back4…

In the early summer1 of 1845, a twenty-seven-year-old American called Henry David Thoreau built a small cabin in the woods of Massachusetts. He moved into the cabin on 4 July, Independence Day in the United States. The date was not a coincidence. Tired of what he saw as the lack2 of spirituality in modern life, Thoreau’s cabin was a way of declaring his own independence from the outside world. For the next two years, including two intensely cold winters, the one-roomed3 cabin would be his main home. He wrote a book about the time he spent there. Its title, Walden, was inspired by the small lake called Walden Pond4 that lay5 just outside his front door. Walden is Thoreau’s masterpiece6, a book that still inspires people around the world to…

UNIT 1Page 8 B1LEVEL Gossip SOLUTIONS PAGE 74 1.1 VOCABULARY USEFUL EXPRESSIONS a great deal of...una gran cantidad de..., mucho/mucha... ▶ Read the article and match the adjectives ( 1 - 8 ) and their meaning ( a - h ). 1.2 VOCABULARY ▶ Complete the words by putting in the missing letters. All the words are taken from the article and mean the following: chisme • bautismo • vínculo • cuidado • significado • parto • género • pegamento • padrino • comportamiento • desequilibrio • confianza 1) __ O __ F __ __ __ __ R2) B __ __ __3) __ R __ __ T4) __ __ __ E5) __ H __ __ D __ I __ __ __6) __ __ N __ E __7) __ L __ E8) __ __ B __ __ __ N…