UNITOPIA - A GREAT BAND FROM AUSTRALIA

The word unitopia means living together as one in a place of ideal perfection especially in law, government and social conditions.

Unitopia are one of Australian´s most exciting progressive rock bands. Based in Adelaide, they    began their successful career in 2005 with the release of the CD More than a dream. They say that their music is dedicated to a hurting world and they truly believe that world peace and the love of all mankind are attained goals.

Unitopia is a musical adventure comprising the vocal and song writing skills of Mark Trueack, the production, song writing, keyboard & vocal skills of Sean Timms, the guitar & vocal prowess of Matt Williams, the bass and vocal talents of Shireen Khemlani, the combined drum / percussion batteries of Monty Ruggiero and Tim Irrgang and the remarkable multi-instrumentalism of Mike Stewart. 

Unitopia endeavors to draw from the heart and soul of the listener, thought provoking topics such as environmental awareness, political and social upheaval, media misrepresentation, the hectic pace of life and human relationships in a positive and uplifting light. Using a progressive rock framework as a basis for Sean and Mark’s compositions, the pair quickly established a great writing rapport, extending the style to include elements of world, classical, heavy rock and dance. 

Unitopia began when a mutual friend introduced Mark Trueack and Sean Timms after realizing the two had similar musical tastes. In late 1996, the duo began work on a track which was to become "Take Good Care" and a songwriting partnership developed that led to the band's debut album More Than a Dream, which included contributions from conductor/arranger Timothy Sexton and the Adelaide Art Orchestra, Pat Schirippa, Constantine Delo, Bradley Polain and Ian 'Polly' Politis.

Two of their songs that I like very much (among others) are Tesla and Nothing lasts forever:

1 - “Tesla” takes its name from Nikola Tesla, the Croatian inventor who is credited with inventing “Artificial Intelligence”. A very complex man who had trouble relating to people, preferring the company of pigeons. Tela´s history can be mirrored in modern life, with the diminishing of human contact in a world of unlimited wonder and technological advancements. Obsessively compulsive, reclusive and self-alienating, he shut himself off from the rest of the world at times, but was also widely known for his showmanship, presenting his innovations and demonstrations almost like a magician.

Here is the lyrics:

“Like a flash of lightning, in an instant the truth was revealed.” (Nikola Tesla – 1856-1943)

Born at the stroke of midnight
Darkness was filling the skies
Thunder and lightning
The cry of a child
The birth of a mind that would rise

Son of a man of faith he’d find
Blessed with enquiring mind
Troubled and tested
Obsessive, compulsive
Numbers divided by three of a kind

Oh how I loved her
Nothing else mattered
She was my purpose in life
Clear was her message
The light from her eyes
Colorful beams of light

Baubles and jewels, repulsive and crude
Fear of the others unclean
Childhood remembered
Balanced and centered
Order from chaos precisely pursued

Oh how I loved her
Nothing else mattered
She was my purpose in life
Clear was her message
The light from her eyes
Colourful beams of light

Alternating currents and radio waves
Father of the art of Telautomatics
Unusual signals, abnormal life
The ranting and raving of a brilliant fanatic

Machinery driven by a power obtained
From any point in the universe
Fluorescent light globes and cosmic rays
Now let me present to you ‘The Egg of Columbus’

Like a beggar clothed in purple, that people take for king
Are all the theories and formulae, the downward spiraling
Fascinates and dazzles, causing all to go blind
With underlying errors, but a trick of the mind

Confusing metaphysics with pursuit of the truth
Clawing at the rubble for the fountain of youth
Alternating, compensating, re-create the soul
Madman, revolutionary, all parts of the whole

We are, we are…all parts of the whole, all parts of the whole

Showmanship and magic tricks, conjuring the dream
Unending thirst for knowledge carries us downstream
Alienating, complicating, with no self control
All for one and none for all, all parts of the whole

We are, we are…all parts of the whole, all parts of the whole

Oh how I loved her
Nothing else mattered
She was my purpose in life
Clear was her message
The light from her eyes
Colorful beams of light

Where’s the ghost in the machine?
Where’s the life blood for the dream?
Have we missed the opportunity to live forever?
In the next ten thousand years
Will we sow and reap with tears?
Does it matter that we reach each new endeavour? 

2 - “Nothing lasts forever” is Unitopia´s tribute to “the boys from Liverpool” (The Beatles). It is a song that asks the question: “Were things better before all of this wonderful technology and progress came along?”

 And here is the lyrics:

We’re really making up for the dark ages
In today’s enlightened times
Everything running at the speed of light
No time for close contact…no time.

Five hundred years with barely a thought
Labeled a heretic, burned at the stake
Constant derision, judgment and fear
How far have we really come? What difference does it make?

Maybe the boys from Liverpool had it right
When they said ‘Come Together’
But even the fool on a hill could plainly see
That nothing…nothing lasts forever

Avatars won’t hide the scars deep inside
They’re just a cry from the heart
Gentle tears and countless years are wasted…wasted…wasted.
When your life is falling apart

Maybe the boys from Liverpool had it right
When they said ‘Come Together’
But even the fool on a hill could plainly see
That nothing…nothing lasts forever

Nothing…nothing lasts forever  

THE MAN WITH NO FACE

A victim of horrific facial disfigurement - known as "the man with no face" – has been given new hope by the advancement of medical science.
Jose Mestre, from Lisbon, Portugal, has been losing his face to a huge growth for the past 35 years, distorting it out of all recognition - and it's still growing.

One of the pictures above shows Jose aged 14 when the tumor was still small and as he is now.

The tumor on 51-year-old Jose's face is a collection of blood vessels that have expanded, producing a raised red area on the skin.

Jose was born with a strawberry-coloured birthmark on his upper lip. At puberty it began growing, eventually smothering his lips, nose and one of his eyes. Now it is 33cm long and weighs 3kg.
But Jose's religious faith - as a Jehovah's Witness he refuses to accept a blood transfusion - has prevented him from having surgery to remove the growth.
Jose's rare condition was the subject of a Discovery Channel TV documentary 'The Man With No Face', part of the 'My Shocking Story' series.
It reveals how top medical experts in London have now held out hope of helping Jose, a well-known figure around the streets of Lisbon.
A leading British surgeon has offered to treat Jose using ultrasound waves to coagulate the blood before the operation.
This should remove the risk of heavy bleeding - satisfying his religious beliefs about blood transfusions in the process.
Discovery Channel said: "Surrounded by a loving family, it seems incredible that he has not been treated and his face was allowed to grow so big. However, through years of medical misinformation, some misdiagnosis, lack of finances, and reluctance to undergo treatment due to religious beliefs, the growth has continued to obliterate his face."
In this journey of a lifetime he travels by train, via Paris, to Britain, to meet the top experts in London. He goes through a series of tests, consultations, and meets other patients with a similar affliction. In London he also spends time with his sister Guida and the rest of his family, enjoys being a tourist in London, while making the biggest decision of his life.

                                   Above: Jose Mestre and his sister Guida in London.

Jose's dream is to live a long and normal life. Following the showing of the Discovery documentary he continues to adhere to his 'no blood transfusion' religious principles. But he has agreed to go back to the London hospital in 2008, when doctors hope to carry out specialist surgery to begin removing parts of his tumor, without the need for blood transfusions.

                                                            Adapted from: thatsweird.net

UEMA 2012 - A VERY EASY TEST

Not far from the tree

                                                        By Mariana de Viveiros

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So, the son of a circus performer is likely to be also an artist himself. 12-year-old Matheus Felipe Jesus Silva was born in the circus. That is, ever since he was a baby, he’s lived in a trailer (a mobile home pulled by a car or a truck). His mother is a ballet dancer at CircoSpacial, where Matheus himself is also a performer since the age of 3.
He started doing presentations with clowns and nowadays he is a trapeze artist (just like his dad, who works in Europe), equilibrist and acrobat.
As the circus travels all over Brazil, Matheus changes schools very often. He studies in the morning, has rehearsals in the afternoon and, at weekends, he performs in the circus ring.
He says that this routine doesn’t disturb his studies and he wants to graduate in Physical Education. “But I want to work in the circus forever.” On account of the mobility of his life and his outgoing nature, Matheus makes new friends wherever he goes and keeps in touch with them through the internet. “Kids think that I have a peculiar way of life and come to the circus to watch my show,” he adds.
On his days off, he likes to go to the movies, to the mall and to shows. Read on to see his favorite film, book, CD and website.
                                                                                    Revista TAM Kids, julho/agosto 2011.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ACCORDING TO THE TEXT
1. One may say that Matheus
a) spends most of his time watching films and reading books.
b) will become the owner of the circus in a vey short future.
c) has vowed to act just like his father.
d) has no longer the wish of working as a circus performer in the future.
e) is an easy-going guy and gets acquainted well with others.

2. Which means of communication does Matheus usually use to get in touch with his pals?
a) Mail.
b) Phone.
c) Internet.
d) Post-office.
e) Letters.

3. How long has Matheus been working at the CircoSpacial?
a) For 9 years.
b) For 3 years.
c) For 12 years.
d) Since he was born.
e) Since his mother has delivered him.

4. One can relate ...”mobility of his life...” to the words
a) clowns and kids.
b) trucks and trailers.
c) circus and ballet dancers.
d) cars and lack of routine.
e) movies and new friends.

5. Which option pictures Matheus’ leisure?
a) mall x dancing.
b) presentation x studies.
c) sports x internet.
d) movies x shows.
e) book x circus ring.

6. What does Matheus’ father do for a living?
a) An acrobat.
b) An equilibrist.
c) A trapeze artist.
d) A clown.
e) A trailer driver.

7. The proverb “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is equivalent in Portuguese to option
a) “O que não é visto, não é lembrado”.
b) “Pau que nasce torto, morre torto”.
c) “Elecaiu de maduro”.
d) “Quem nasce para maçã, nunca chega a uva”.
e) “Filho de peixe, peixinho é” .

8. The morphological function of the word “studies” as in
I-“He studies in the morning”
II-“...this routine doesn’t disturb his studies...”
is, respectively,
a) adverb/verb.
b) noun/verb.
c) adjective/adverb.
d) verb/noun.
e) adverb/noun.

NEM WAS FINALLY ARRESTED! WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?

On November 10th, Rio police arrested Antonio Francisco Bomfim Lopes, alias Nem, the drug lord of Rocinha, the city's biggest slum as they get ready to take control of the area from drug traffickers, in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.
Wednesday at dawn, about 50 men from the military police's Special Forces blocked a road leading to the Rocinha slum, controlled by drug traffickers for 30 years, to search all incoming vehicles.
All in preparation for pacification operation expected this coming weekend. Two other drug traffickers were also arrested: "Peixe" and "Coelho," the latter being the right-hand man of Nem.
Built on a steep hillside overlooking the "Marvelous City" and located between two wealthy neighborhoods, Rocinha is home to 150,000 people and is a drug trafficking bastion. Police said Rocinha will become the 19th favela to be ridden of traffickers who have been in control for the past 30 years.
Since 2008, authorities in Rio, which has one of the highest murder rates in the country, have been in a race to restore security in the city before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics which Brazil will host.
Local press reports and some residents said police were expected to make their move Sunday. Their aim, according to the newspaper O Dia, was to "snuff out drug trafficking" before the assault by security forces backed by commandos and naval armored vehicles.
In another sign that the police assault was imminent, local drug baron Nem, on Sunday gave a farewell party and imposed a curfew on Rocinha.
Police had offered a 2,900-dollar-reward for information leading to the capture of Nem, who reportedly had to be treated at a local health clinic after he drank liquor mixed with ecstasy at Sunday's farewell party.
Endemic and chronic urban violence has long sullied the image of Rio, where more than 1.5 million people (a third of the city's population) live in 1,000 slums spread throughout the city.
But what the Brazilian population really wants is the answer for the following question: When will the corrupt policemen be arrested?

Vocabulary:
alias – vulgo
slum – favela
dawn – madrugada
the latter – o segundo (dentre dois elementos citados)
the right-hand man – o braço direito (homem de confiança)
steep hillside – encosta íngreme
wealthy neighborhooods – bairros ricos
bastion – baluarte, fortaleza
aim – objetivo
snuff out – extinguir
assault – ataque
farewell - despedida
curfew – toque de recolher
sullied – manchou, manchado (a imagem)
spread – espalhadas
throughout – por todo (a)

MATISYAHU

Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Jewish reggae musician. He was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and grew up in White Plains, New York. When he was in high school he returned to religious observance following a trip to Israel. Upon his return to the U.S., he left school and starting reggae and hip-hop. When he was 19, he moved to New York and enrolled in university at the New School for Social Research and also started attending a synagogue regularly. After meeting with a rabbi, he also decided to change his name to Matisyahu. Since then he divides his time between studying in a yeshiva and performing in New York clubs.

Matisyahu's music, which is a mix of influences ranging from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach to Bob Marley, can be described as Hasidic reggae that deals mainly with faith in God and brotherhood among people (a characteristic in reggae music of all kinds). Matisyahu frequently deals in his songs with the personal change he underwent and his life as a religious Jew in a modern society.


Here is one of his songs:


And here is the lyrics:
 
One Day
 
Sometimes I lay
under the moon
and thank God I'm breathing
and pray

Don't take me soon
cause I'm here for a reason
Sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
So my negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because

All my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we dont wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
that our children will play
one day

It's not about
win or loose
because we all lose
when they feed on the souls of the innocent
blood drenched pain
keep on moving though the water's staging
in this maze you can lose your way (your way)
it might drive you crazy but dont let it faze you no way (no way)

Sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so my negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because
All my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we dont wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
that our children will play

one day
one day this all will change
treat poeple the same
stop with the violence
down the the pain
one day we'll all be free

and proud to be
under the same
singing songs of freedom

one day
all my live I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play

one day
ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh

Here´s another great song: King without a crown

WEIRD LAWS

The law system in the world dates back to ancient Egypt, in 300 BC. In earlier times, the word of the king/ruler was considered as law. Today, laws are formed after a number of discussions and public opinion surveys, and are lengthy procedures. Even then, we come across some strange laws and rules that leave us quite surprised and bemused. Here are some of them:

1. In Kentucky, US, every citizen is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.

2. In Saudi Arabia, a woman reportedly may divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee.

3. In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.

4. Until the 1960's men with long hair were not allowed to enter Disneyland.

5. Tipping at a restaurant in Iceland is considered an insult.

6. The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.

7. Moscow weathermen can be fined for inaccurate weather forecasting!

8. It is illegal to own a red car in Shanghai, China.

9. It is illegal to purchase or consume Jack Daniel's Whiskey in the town in which it is produced!

10. It is illegal to be a prostitute in Siena, Italy, if her name is Mary.

11. In West Virginia if you run over an animal, you can legally take it home and cook it for dinner!

12. In Singapore, it is illegal to sell or own chewing gum.

13. In San Salvador, drunk drivers can be punished by death before a firing squad.

14. In France, it is legal to marry a dead person!

15. In Cleveland, Ohio it is illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.

16. In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals!

17. In ancient England a person could not have sex unless s/he had consent of the King.

18. In 1659, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts.

19. Dueling is legal in Paraguay, as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

20. According to U.S. laws, a beer commercial can never show a person actually drinking beer.

 

CHINGLISH - ENGLISH (BADLY) SPOKEN IN CHINA

With so many English-speaking tourists and businessmen traveling to China nowadays, the Chinese have to translate their signs to help visitors. However, sometimes the message gets lost and the results can be very amusing. Take a look at these signs:

STEVE JOBS, APPLE VISIONARY, DIES AGED 56

Steve Jobs made technology fun. The co-founder of Apple died on October 5, 2011 at the age of fifty-six. Mr Jobs had announced he was suffering from pancreatic cancer in 2004 and fought for all these years against it (He had a liver transplant five years later). Mourners gathered outside his house in Palo Alto, California, and Apple stores around the world.

                               

Tim Bajarin is president of Creative Strategies, said: "If you actually look at a tech leader, they’re really happy if they have one hit in their life. Steve Jobs has the Apple II, the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and Pixar.”

Steve Jobs was a college dropout. He was adopted by a machinist and his wife, an accountant. They supported his early interest in electronics.

He and his friend Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer - now just called Apple - in 1976. They stayed at the company until 1985. That year, Steve Wozniak returned to college and Steve Jobs left in a dispute with the chief executive.

Mr. Jobs then formed his own company, called NeXT Computer. He rejoined Apple in 1997 after it bought NeXT. He helped remake Apple from a business that was in bad shape then to one of the most valuable companies in the world today.

Steve Wozniak, Apple´s co-founder, remembered his longtime friend as a "great visionary and leader" and a "marketing genius."

President Obama said in a statement: "By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," said Mr. Obama."

David Carroll is a professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City. He says Steve Jobs not only revolutionized technology, he also revolutionized American business. He sais: “The fact that he was able to redesign American commerce top to bottom and across is really stunning. He probably will be considered an industrial giant on the scale of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, so one of the great of all time.”

Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple's chief executive in August 2011 because of his health.

Apple's new chief, Tim Cook, will also have to deal with the new Kindle Fire tablet computer from Amazon.com. It costs less than half as much as an iPad but also does less.

TESTING YOUR ENGLISH

YOUR SONG

It's a little bit funny this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

           

            By Bernie Taupin (lyrics) and Elton John (music)

1. Which alternative is false?

    The author of the song says that his feelings _____________________ .

a) are noticed very easily

b) are difficult for him to disguise

c) aren´t hidden easily

d) are shown to everybody

e) are never noticed by anyone

2. In “My gift is my song and this one's for you”, the word ONE is being used to replace:

a) song

b) this

c) gift

d) my

e) first

3. What did the author do to show his love?

a) He became a sculptor

b) He bought a big house

c) He sat on the roof

d) He wrote a song

e) He became a traveler

4.  “I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
        Well a few of the verses they've got me quite cross”

How many verbs are there in the sentences above?

a) one

b) two

c) three

d) four

e) Five

5. What is the meaning of “.... put down in words”?

a) to write

b) to read

c) to spell

d) to sing

e) to speak

6. In “Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen”, the relative pronoun was omitted. The ommision can also occur in one of these sentences about Rock in Rio 2011.

a) Elton John was one of the artists who sang in Rock in Rio on September 23, 2011.

b) The band that ended the second night was Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

c) Tico Santa Cruz was an artist who spoke about the corrupt politicians in Brazil during the show of his band.

d) Mariana Aydar was the singer that Snow Patrol invited to sing with them.

e) Coldplay was the band which followed Maroon 5 on October 1, 2011.

                                                QUESTIONS BASED ON CARTOONS AND PHOTOS:

7. In the cartoon above, the fish is lying in a hammock and the mother:

a) preferred a bed.

b) told it not to sleep there.

c) thought it was a fishing net.

d) did not say anything.

e) was not worried at first. 

8. “I don´t care...” is the same as _____________ .

a) I don´t like

b) I don´t want

c) I don´t take care.         

d) I don´t think

e) I don´t mind

9.  In the santence above, charms is a false cognate because it means amuletos. Which alternative has words that are NOT false cognates?

a) actually – physician

b) exit – expert

c) attend - pretend

d) consider – vomit

e) data – beef

10. The little girl wants to ________________ her brother.

a)  help                                                      

b)  give a Christmas present to

c) get rid of

d) see Santa Claus with

e) be with

11. The relative pronoun who could be replaced by ________.

a) which

b) that

c) whose

d) whom

e) why

12. The personal pronoun him refers to ______________.

a) the girl

b) Santa Claus

c) the boy

d) the tree

e) the shirt

13. What does the father mean by saying that?

a) His son will never get married.

b) His son will not give anything with his ex-wife.

c) His son´s ex-wife will be the owner of all that.

d) His son´s ex-wife won´t have anything from him.

e) His son and his son´s wife will work together.

14. On the billboard, someone wrote “neds to come out of the closet”. The correct form is “needs to come out of the closet”. What does the expression come out of the closet mean?

a) to leave the bedroom                                                                                                                                           

b) to go out somewhere

c) to show his/her homosexuality publicly

d) to hide his/her homosexuality

e) to be a bisexual 

15. The words beverages and pregnancy mean ________ and ________.

a) bêbados – grávidas

b) bêbados – gravidez

c) bebidas – gravidez

d) bebidas – grávida

e) beber - engravidar

16. According to the sign above, people must:

a) not drink that water because there´s crap in it.

b) drink the water because the fish drink it too.

c) not drink the water although it´s not contaminated.

d) not wash their hands with that water because it´s not clean.

e) drink it because it´s good for them. 

 17. In the picture above, Smudge was trying to fly a __________ .

a) rope

b) line

c) pipe

d) parrot

e) kite

18. Tailor is a person ________________________________ .

a) whose occupation is sailing or navigation

b) employed by the post office to deliver mail

c) collects trash for removal in a truck

d) responsible for finding homeless dogs

e) whose occupation is the making, mending or altering of clothes

                                                      

19. When the man says “but I did”, the auxilary did is being used to replace _____________ .

a) send

b) sent

c) sends

d) will send

e) would send

20. How come is used as a pronoun. It´s the same as _______ .

a) What

b) Why

c) Who

d) Where

e) When

PS - For the answer key, doubts or comments about the questions you can use the blog or email me at miltonfranca2010@hotmail.com