The best of Prog rock

Saturday, March 31, 2012

XANDRIA´S BIOGRAPHY - WITH EXERCISES

Xandria is a __1___ symphonic metal band, formed around the year 2000 __2__ Germany, but it's difficult to say exactly when they became the band they are today. Xandria is ____3____ of five members: Marco (Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals), Lisa (Vocals), Philip (Guitars), Roland (Bass) and Gerit (Drums).

The band was ____4____ by Marco, __5__ had the idea of a band with a dreamy and sensual sound that could still rock, almost in a heavy metal sense. But most important to him was the need for good songs. Many bands (in the scene that Xandria is supposedly included in) have a good atmospheric sound, but no real idea or melody that sticks in your head, which is where they go wrong. Xandria is set on ____6____ this problem. 

Artists such as Pink Floyd, Abba, Metallica and Black Sabbath are just some of the bands that Marco was influenced by. After ____7____ the aforementioned artists, Marco found bands such as Paradise Lost, Anathema, The Gathering, Lake of Tears, and most importantly Tiamat (which were called Gothic Metal, even though their influences went far beyond just gothic, or just metal) that seemed to capture the same sound he was into. Marco has said that in 1994, Tiamat's album "Wildhoney" is what first brought on the idea of Xandria. 

In the late 90's, influences such as Marilyn Manson, Type-O-Negative, Madonna and HIM were creating a sensual sound that eventually would turn into a dark-rocking modern Electronica approach, and this sound was ___8___ added to the list of things Marco wished to create. It ___8___ led to the idea of a male/female combination on vocals.

From 1994 to 1997, a band was brought on with Marco in it, but broke up soon thereafter when no specific direction for the band was formed. With songs from ___9___ period of time (along with some new ones), Marco set off to find new band members in 1999, after two years of learning about songwriting and song arrangement. A new band was finally formed, one that looked as if it may actually have a future in music. That band? Xandria. 
Lisa Middelhauve is no longer Xandria's singer. She has ___10___ the band citing personal reasons and discomfort at being the band's front woman. Nowadays, the band has a new vocalist: Manuela Kraller.

* Choose the correct words to complete the gaps in the lyrics above:
1. a) Germany                                    d) Germans
    b) German                                      e) Germanical
    c) German´s

2. a) in                                                d) on
    b) at                                               e) from
    c) to

3. a) make up                                    d) made up
    b) making up                                 e) makes up
    c) maked up

4. a) founds                                        d) finded
    b) founded                                      e) to found
    c) finding

5. a) whom                                        d) which
    b) what                                         e) who
    c) where     

6. a) fix                                              d) fixed
    b) to fix                                         e) fixes
    c) fixing

7. a) hearing                                     d) to hear
    b) hears                                        e) heared
    c) heard

8. a) neither                                     d) too
    b) as well                                     e) also
    c) either

9. a) this                                          d) that
    b) these                                       e) this is
    c) those

10. a) leave                                    d) leaving
      b) to leave                                e) leaves
      c) left

If you don´t know the band, take a look at these videos:
And the previous song with the new vocalist:
Biography adapted from: www.sing365.com, by Milton França

Friday, February 3, 2012

THREE IDIOMS WITH "LEG"

- pulling your leg – making a joke by tricking another person
- It cost an arm and a leg – it cost a lot of money
- You haven´t got a leg to stand on – you’re in a situation where you can’t prove something / you have no chance of success

* People from different parts of the world wrote sentences using these three idioms. As they are learners of English, we can notice spelling and grammar mistakes in some of them.

Thu Ha, vietnam
I told my parents that I'll study abroad, they were surprised: "That can't be. It cost an arm and a leg. We cannot afford it." They were even more surprised when I said " I am not pulling your leg. I've got a scholarship. I have got a leg to stand on."

Vallin, Brazil
When my daughter was born, everything I
’ve bought to look after her, it cost an arm and leg.

Lenka, the Czech republic
I bought a Swiss watch yesterday. It cost me an arm and a leg. Now, I've just found out it's a knock-off. Oh boy, I was ripped off then! Did it really happen? No, I am only pulling your leg.

Su Kyung, Korea
Last week, I told my friend that I got the first place in my class and my friend told me to buy her a meal as I got the first place. I quickly told her that I was just pulling her leg as I knew that it would cost me an arm and a leg to buy a meal for her. However, as my friend wanted to eat something delicious, she told me that I didn't have a leg to stand on.

Shah, Pakistan
Yesterday, I told my friend on phone I have fallen seriously ill and treatment will cost me an arm and a leg and when he asked in which hospital I am I told him I was just pulling his leg.

Asifa, Pakistan
Yesterday I told my friend that I will buy a precious necklace for her but it will really cost an arm and leg for me.

Luis, Colombia (Studying in London)
The London life cost me an arm and a leg.

Maher, Syria
My Dear Father support me buying a new home, so I have to return his money back to him, so that will cost me arm and a leg

Sandra, Hong Kong
My darling bought me a diamond ring. It cost an arm and a leg.

Annistein, China
What shall I say, that it cost me an arm and a leg just to buy a birthday present for my sister? But it's true, as you can see, I have emptied my purse to buy her a Teddy Bear.

Marlen, Cuba
I tell everybody that I am on a diet. That’s a lie, because I eat a lot. I`ve never paid an arm and a leg for nothing. sometimes my son tell me lies, but I can`t punish him because I haven`t had a leg to stand on.

Ferial, USA
most of the time I pull my friends leg because I have a big sense of humor

Rajesch, Germany
My boss told me that the repair of his car cost him an arm and a leg. But he didn't show me the bill. I understand, he's just pulling my leg.

Silva, Albania
I did pull my sister’s leg when I told her I was going to marry and give up my school. I've paid an arm and a leg for my vacation house by the sea.

Neda, Iran
Today in Iran new couples can easily buy a new house.you should be so naive to believe it. I was just pulling your leg.it cost an arm and a leg for new couples to buy a house.

Niraj Pandey, Nepal
Last year when I decided to finance my studies selling the gold medals, which I acheived for my remarkable academic performance over the five years in my college.That was the moment i think i had paid an arm and leg for my higher studies.

Ama Helal, Egypt
When I was young, I fooled my friend into believing that I was part of the scouts team, but I was just trying to pull her leg. Two years ago, I had to undergo some serious surgery and it was too expensive that it cost my parents an arm and a leg. These days I try to convince the court of my plea. Yet, I haven't got a leg to stand on and my solicitor advises me to collect more evidence.

Liang, China
Sometimes, I try to pull someone's leg because I think I can bring laugh to him or her.

Fatiha, Algeria
Last year I made a journey with my friends to a seaside town. In that time I didn't imagine that it will cost me an arm and a leg. Thank god i had money for that i borrow my friend money to go with us but she didn't give it back to me. She told me that i haven't got a land to stand on but then she laughed and said I am pulling your leg sweety.

Polina, Russia
I paied an arm and a leg for my first mobile phone. It kosted 40 000 rubles.

Paola, Italy
I really don't think he is going to Costa Smeralda on holiday. In my opinion, he is pulling our legs as usual. It will cost him an arm and a leg to spend his holidays there and I'm not sure he can afford that... And how about his wife? I saw her yesterday evening and she didn't say nothing about it... What is more she is bound to give birth to their baby one of these days, so he hasn't a leg to stand on. He just loves telling lies to make other people jealous.....

Anna, Poland
hello,I paid an arm and a leg for my first guitar. Actually I couldn't play guitar well but I bought myself very expensive one. Once I told my friends how much I spent on it, they thougt I was pulling their legs.

                                                                          Adapted from www.bbc.co.uk

AN ENGLISH TEST - IF SUDESTE - MG / 2012.1

Text 1: Johnny Depp the Pirate
Johnny Depp is a wonderfully versatile actor. He can play serious roles, but his comic talent is particularly evident in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He is Jack Sparrow, a character whose mannerisms and style of speech are based on those of the Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards. Depp is American, but his British accent is perfect!
Such is the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise that a fourth film, On Stranger Tides, was released. But Depp admits that initially he had reservations about the idea of doing a fourth Pirates movie.
                                                                                             Speak Up magazine - Issue 288, August 2011.

1. According to the text, Johnny Depp’s character in the film is:
a) a pirate who is finishing his second film.
b) a Rolling Stone guitarist playing a comic role.
c) a pirate with a lot of comic mannerisms.
d) a versatile actor playing a serious role.
e) Keith Richards, an American guitarist.

2. In line 6, the pronoun he refers to:
a) the Pirates of the Caribbean.
b) Stranger Tides.
c) the fourth film.
d) Depp.
e) the success.

3. In the sentence “he can play serious roles” (line 1). The modal verb can expresses the idea of:
a) suggestion.
b) permission.
c) obligation.
d) prohibition.
e) ability.

Text 2: Interview with David Crystal by Jack Scholes
JS: Why has English become a global language?
DC: A language becomes international or global for one reason only – the power of the people who speak it. But of course ‘power’ means different things at different times. In the case of English, the language has spread as a result of a combination of political/military power (the British Empire), scientific/ technological power (the Industrial Revolution), economic power (pounds, and later dollars), and cultural power (broadcasting, travel, films, pop songs, internet…).

JS: What are some of the most important consequences of the fact that English is now a
global language with more non-native speakers than native speakers using it?
DC: Language has no existence apart from the people who speak it. It exists to express their world and their vision of it. Any language which comes to be used globally has to adapt to allow this to happen, in the form of new words, idioms, patterns of discourse, pronunciations and so on. New varieties of English (‘new Englishes’) is the inevitable result.

                               SCHOLES, Jack. Interview with David Crystal. In: New Routes, São Paulo: Disal

4. According to David Crystal, English has become a global language because of:
a) a combination of political, scientific, economic and cultural power.
b) different things at different times.
c) a combination of international languages.
d) the spread of English courses.
e) the British Empire and the American money.

5. Match the words in column 1 according to their meanings in column 2, then choose the CORRECT alternative:
I. reason (line 2)                                  (  ) permit
II. allow (line 12)                                 (  ) occur
III. spread (line 4)                               (  ) motive
IV. happen (line 12)                             (  ) disseminate

a) II, IV, I, III
b) IV, I, III, II
c) I, II, III, IV
d) II, IV, III, I
e) III, IV, II, I

6. By reading the interview we can infer all the following statements, EXCEPT:
a) a language expresses the world and the vision of the people who speak it.
b) a language adapts itself to different speakers.
c) songs, films, internet are some of the reasons English has become globally used.
d) there are more non-native speakers than native speakers using English.
e) people and language are separated in their existence.



ANDERSON SILVA - AN MMA STAR


Anderson Silva (nicknamed The Spider) was born on April 14, 1975 in Curitiba, Brazil.
According to an article in Fight! Magazine, Anderson’s poor mother left him and his older brother with her sister’s family in Curitiba, Brazil when he was only four years old. Silva’s aunt and uncle, therefore, found themselves supporting five children on a police officer’s salary.
His family was unable to afford expensive lessons in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at that time. “When I started out, Jiu-Jitsu was really an elite thing in Brazil, and there was some prejudice towards poorer kids, so I had to learn things on my own,” he told Fight! Magazine. “Some of my neighbors started doing Jiu-Jitsu, so I started watching it, and then started rolling with them. It wasn’t organized training, but it was better than nothing.”
Despite this, Anderson's supportive family did find the money to pay for Tae Kwon Do lessons (age 12). He then moved onto Capoeira before settling on Muay Thai by the age of 16.
Though Anderson Silva indicates that he lost his first bout to Fabricio Marango, this fight does not appear on his official record. Officially, Silva lost his first bout to Luiz Azeredo in a Meca World Vale Tudo event by decision. In his next fight within the same organization, he knocked out Jose Barreto after only 1:06 had gone by in the initial round.
Anderson joined Brazil’s famed Chute Box Academy, the training camp that Wanderlei Silva, amongst many others, had once been a part of. Chute Box had simply been impressed with his raw talent. Along with this, he developed a reasonable ground game while with them and continued on the course to becoming one of the most feared strikers in the game.
Anderson´s MMA career took a nice turn when he won nine straight fights between 2000-03. Along the way, he defeated the well-respected Hayato Sakurai by decision to become the Shooto Middleweight Champion.

He went a mediocre 3-2 while fighting for the PRIDE Fighting Championships. Along the way in 2003, he and Chute Box parted ways over a bitter money argument. Later, Silva heard that Chute Box ordered PRIDE to refrain from giving him any fights or they would pull superstar Wanderlei Silva from their roster. That’s when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira offered a friendly hand to train with him.

To say that a new and improved Anderson Silva came to the UFC on June 28, 2006, is an understatement. Anderson Silva simply destroyed Chris Leben, a tough fighter, in his UFC debut after only 49 seconds by way of knockout. Then he blew former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin out of the water with his dangerous Muay Thai clinch after only 2:59 had gone by. Next up, he fought his way back from near defeat against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace Travis Lutter, only to end up submitting him. An MMA star was born.

Friday, January 27, 2012

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  


Thursday, December 22, 2011

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