Spotlight

1 2014

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 EDITORIAL | January 2014
Das erste Wörter-
buch, das Sie klicken
Travel, fitness and und blättern können.
fun for 2014

Welcome to 2014 and the magical atmosphere

of New York in winter. The city has been the
backdrop of many classic films. Think of New
York, New York (1977), or When Harry Met Sally
Inez Sharp, editor-in-chief
(1989). Get a taste of the excitement this
month by reading “Sensational New York” (pp. 30–35). Spotlight author Claudia
Hellmann describes the best places to visit in NYC over the holidays. Whether
it’s an evening at Radio City Music Hall just like Woody Allen in Radio Days
(1987), ice skating in Central Park like Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity (2001) or en-
joying the atmosphere of Times Square like Halle Berry in New Year’s Eve (2011),
Claudia has certainly captured the magic.

Are you looking for ways to get fit in 2014? One option would be to take
part in a “Tough Guy” race — open to men and women. Started in Britain in
1986, this extreme sporting event has competitors running through fire and
freezing water and past electric shock wires. Obstacle races of this kind are
now turning into a global phenomenon, but they are not without their dangers.
Find out about the highs and lows of the sport on pages 14–21.

Thanks to everyone who took part in our special Route 66 competition in

October in which the main prize was a return flight for two from Frankfurt to
Las Vegas. The lucky winner is Elke Bresler from Weitnau. Congratulations from
the Spotlight team. We wish you a wonderful trip, and we’d love to hear about
your experiences.

Icy fun:
i.sharp@spotlight-verlag.de skating at Rockefeller Plaza
Q Gedruckt und online – das neue Langen-
scheidt Taschenwörterbuch vereint das Beste
aus zwei Welten. Das Nachschlagewerk von
morgen: Erhältlich für Englisch, Französisch,
Italienisch und Spanisch.
Titelfoto: Bilderberg; Foto Editorial: LOOK

Mehr unter www.klicken-und-blättern.de

 CONTENTS | January 2014

The “Tough Guy” race

14 Fun in New York City
30
he extreme fitness competitions that started in Britain he holiday season is a great time to visit New York.
make running a marathon look like a walk in the park. Our expert has tips to help you plan your trip.

6 People 40 History
Names and faces from around the world One hundred years of Nigeria

8 A Day in My Life 42 Press Gallery

A criminal defence lawyer from California A look at the English-language media

10 World View 44 Arts

What’s news and what’s hot Films, apps, books, culture and a short story

13 Britain Today 66 The Lighter Side

Colin Beaven on loud music Jokes and cartoons

22 Food 67 American Life

he pizza tradition in New Zealand Ginger Kuenzel on getting what you ask for

28 I Ask Myself 68 Feedback & Impressum

Fotos: Alamy; A. Hettrich/Fnoxx; iStock

Amy Argetsinger on Twitter madness Your letters to Spotlight — and our responses

36 Around Oz 69 Next Month

Peter Flynn on smaller government What’s coming next month in Spotlight

38 Debate 70 My Life in English

Are zero-hours contracts fair? People in Munich radio-show host Dani Heiss on why she
Britain have their say loves Leonardo DiCaprio and Robbie Williams
THE SPOTLIGHT FAMILY

Spotlight plus Spotlight Audio

Every month, you can explore This monthly 60-minute CD/down-
and practise the language and load brings the world of Spotlight
grammar of Spotlight with the to your ears. Enjoy interviews and new cover
exercise booklet plus. travel stories and try the exercises.
Find out more at: Find out more at:
www.spotlight-online.de/plus www.spotlight-online.de/audio

4 Spotlight 1|14
 Top 10 learning tips
24 Easy English
37
Kick-start your year! Read our top 10 tips for Freshen up your English in 2014: read Green Light,
improving your English grammar and vocabulary. an eight-page booklet filled with easy English.
IN THIS MAGAZINE: 14 LANGUAGE PAGES

50 Vocabulary 59 English at Work

Words for what’s in your bag Ken Taylor answers your questions

52 Travel Talk 60 Spoken English

Going on a yoga retreat How to end a conversation

53 Language Cards 61 Word Builder

Pull out and practise A focus on the words in Spotlight

55 Everyday English 62 Perfectionists Only!

Organizing day-to-day family life Nuances of English

57 The Grammar Page 63 Crossword

Talking about what you think will happen Find the words and win a prize

58 Peggy’s Place: The Soap IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH WITH SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS
he latest from a London pub Spotlight Audio: hear texts and interviews on our CD or
download. See www.spotlight-online.de/hoeren

Spotlight plus: 24 pages of language exercises related

OUR LANGUAGE LEVELS to the magazine. See www.spotlight-online.de/ueben
The levels of difficulty in Spotlight magazine correspond roughly to
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Spotlight in the classroom: free of charge to teachers who
subscribe to Spotlight. See www.spotlight-online.de/teachers

Readers’ service: abo@spotlight-verlag.de · www.spotlight-online.de

A2 B1– B2 C1– C2 Tel.: +49 (0)89 / 85681-16 · Fax: +49 (0)89 / 85681-159
To find your level, visit Sprachtest.de
www.SprachenShop.de: order products
from our online shop (see page 48).

Spotlight www.spotlight-online.de
in the classroom Spotlight Online will help you to improve
Teachers: if you use Spotlight in your English every day. Try our language
your lessons, this six-page supple- exercises or read about current events
ment will provide great ideas for and fascinating places to visit. Subscribers
classroom activities based on the will also find a list of all the glossed vocab-
magazine. Free for all teachers ulary from each issue of the magazine.
who subscribe to Spotlight.

1|14 Spotlight 5
 PEOPLE | Names and Faces
The politician
Who exactly is…
Kirsten
Gillibrand?
K irsten Gillibrand could be
the first female president of the
United States. he 47-year-old
senator from New York is quickly
making a name for herself. She is a
good fundraiser and enjoys talking to
voters. She listens closely to the people
she represents, and she works hard to
get laws passed and shape policies.
Recently, Gillibrand made the
headlines for her campaign to change
the way the military deals with sexual
assault cases. According to a report
from the US Department of Defense,
there may have been up to 26,000
cases of rape or other sexual abuse in
2012, although fewer than 3,500
were reported. More than half of the
victims were men. Currently, it is mil-
itary commanders who decide what
to do in these situations, and too
often, the cases are dropped. Gilli-
brand wants to get independent mil-
itary prosecutors involved.
chapel [(tSÄp&l]
deceit [di(si:t]
fundraiser [(fVnd)reIzE]
guest-edit [(gest )edIt]
issue [(ISu:]
military commander [)mIlItEri kE(mA:ndE]
National Rifle Association US
[)nÄS&nEl (raIf&l EsEUsi)eIS&n]
pass a law [)pA:s E (lO:]
prosecutor [(prQsIkju:tE]
rape [reIp]
sexual assault [)sekSuEl E(sO:lt]
treachery [(tretSEri]
walk sb. down the aisle [)wO:k daUn Di (aI&l]
6 Spotlight 1|14
Gillibrand has been criticized for
changing her position on some top-
ics. Before she joined the Senate in
2009, she was considered a “Blue
Dog Democrat” — a Democrat with
conservative tendencies. For example,
she was a favourite with the National
Rifle Association. After speaking to
New Yorkers who were worried about
gun violence, however, she began to
support gun control.
According to Vogue magazine,
Gillibrand is just as comfortable talk-
ing to farmers in New York state as
she is spending time at high-society
events. She feels strongly about the
importance of women’s place in poli-
tics and raises funds to help other
women get elected.
Many people expect Hillary Clin-
ton to run for president in 2016, but
if she doesn’t, Gillibrand might well
have a chance of getting into the White
House.
Kapelle
Betrug
Geldbeschaffer(in)
als Gastredakteur(in) bearbeiten
Ausgabe
Militärführer
Nationale Schusswaffenvereinigung
ein Gesetz verabschieden
Staatsanwalt, -anwältin
Vergewaltigung
sexueller Übergriff
Verrat
jmdn. zum Altar führen
In the news
Usually, at a wedding, the father of the
bride walks her down the aisle. But
Australian Branka Delic had other
plans. A fan of Jon Bon Jovi, Delic
booked her wedding in the Las Vegas
chapel where the rock star married in
1989. Then she created a website ask-
ing Bon Jovi to walk her down the
aisle. The singer
surprised Delic by
actually turning
up. The Sydney
Morning Herald
said that Delic’s
new husband
must be the most
understanding
man in Australia.
English actor Russell Brand was
asked to guest-edit an issue of the po-
litical magazine New Statesman. He
chose to write about revolution. Brand
said the only thing that makes him ex-
cited about politics is “imagining the
overthrow of the political system”. In
a BBC interview, he stated that he
never votes and
doesn’t believe
that anyone else
should because of
“the lies, treachery
and deceit of the
political class that
has been going on
for generations”.
Bridget Jones is back. After a 14-
year break, Helen Fielding has pub-
lished a new book in the series. In Mad
About the Boy, Bridget is 51 years old.
Speaking about life today as a woman
in her 50s, Fielding told National Pub-
lic Radio: “Women are still looking
good, still dating if they’re single, still
feel the same inside.” Most women in
their 50s probably don’t find them-
selves in Bridget Jones’s situation,
though: with two small children, and
a lover 20 years younger than herself.
 Out of the ordinary
In many African countries, only men have the right to inherit
property. This may be changing, at least in Botswana, thanks
to Edith Mmusi and her three sisters. The women lived to-
gether in their family home, but after their parents died, they
were told they would have to move out. Instead, they went to
court. After a five-year fight, the women won. “We didn’t know
at the time, but now it means that we did it for the nation, the
people — for everyone,” Mmusi, 80, told the BBC. “...They will
know that these women took action, and they won.”

The newest star on the techno scene might surprise you. The newcomer
Omar Souleyman performs with his hair covered by the
• Name: Ella Yelich-O’Connor
traditional red-and-white scarf often worn by men in the Mid-
• Known as: Lorde
dle East. Souleyman, 47, used to be a wedding singer in his
• Age: 17
home of Syria. Now, his mix of traditional music with an electric
beat is winning him fans around the world. Western listeners • Profession: pop singer-songwriter — and pupil
may not understand the Arabic songs, but that doesn’t stop • From: Auckland, New Zealand
them dancing. When his album Wenu Wenu came out last au- • Family: her mother, Sonja Yelich,
tumn, Rolling Stone said: “It’s a hot, fresh and ... radical sound.” is an award-winning poet.
• Debut album: Pure Heroine, 2013
• Biggest hit so far: the song “Royals”, which is critical of
the luxury lifestyle promoted by much popular music.
• You’ll find her: at the top of the charts

Internationale
Sprachschulen
Souleyman: a new face on the international music scene

Millions of people know the voice of Siri, Apple’s “digital assis-

tant”. But for a while, no one knew who she was — not even the
woman who provided Siri’s voice. The American voice actress MEHR INFOS
UND KOSTENLOSE
Susan Bennett made a series of recordings in 2005, without BROSCHÜREN AUF
being told exactly what they were for. Later, she was shocked w w w .ef.de/
to hear her voice coming from a smartphone. Siri can tell you katalog

what the weather’s like, find a film at the cinema, and wake you
in the morning. The technology doesn’t always work perfectly, Live the language with EF!
though. Perhaps that’s why Bennett thought long and hard be-
Du suchst nach einem aufregenden Auslandsaufenthalt, der unvergessliche
Fotos: action press; Corbis; Demi Lovato; WENN

fore going public. “I worry about how many times I get cursed
every day,” she told CNN.
award [E(wO:d]
curse sb. [k§:s]
go to court [geU tE (kO:t]
inherit [In(herIt]
scarf [skA:f]
take action [teIk (ÄkS&n]
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 A DAY IN MY LIFE | United States

The man
to see Voice of experience:

about the law

James McEntee ist erfahrener Strafverteidiger in Kalifornien. Er setzt sich leidenschaftlich
lawyer James McEntee

für all seine Fälle ein. Von ELIZABETH ZACH

M
y name is James McEntee. I am 66 years old, On the days I have to be in court, I get out of bed at
and I have practiced law for the past 30 years or about 6.30 a.m. I work, on average, three days per week,
so. I worked as a prosecutor in the Solano County but when I have a difficult case, I work around the clock.
district attorney’s office and, at one point, prosecuted My workday is only really over when I sleep, as I am usu-
crimes that happened in the county jails. For the past 15 ally thinking about a case every waking moment. It helps
years, I’ve represented people who have been accused of that I’m very interested in the law, and I enjoy winning.
everything from reckless driving to multiple homicides. Sometimes, I read cases just for the elegant language.
I became a lawyer because the profession involves talk- My profession is not always dignified, and some of my
ing, arguing, and even begging. I found that I was good best work has been with cases some would call unimportant.
at all of that. Before studying law, I worked as an actor in I have been called the most annoying man in the world. In
a Shakespearean acting company, which has helped me America, lawyers are ethically required to represent the un-
with public speaking. Law in the United States, I’ve popular client, and I accept that responsibility. Furthermore,
learned, also tolerates — and sometimes even encourages each client’s case is important to him or her, so if the case is
— imprecision, so in this sense, almost anyone can be- not very interesting to me, I must make it so.
come a lawyer here. There’s an old lawyer joke
that says, “When the law is against me, I argue accuse [E(kju:z] anklagen (
p. 61)
the facts. When the facts are against me, I argue argue [(A:rgju:] argumentieren, (be)streiten
the law. When the law and the facts are against beg [beg] betteln, bitten, flehen
dignified [(dIgnIfaId] (ehr)würdig, würdevoll
me, I pound the table.”
district attorney Bezirksstaatsanwalt,
[)dIstrIkt E(t§:ni] -anwältin
Rule of law:
the courts imprecision [)ImprE(sIZ&n] Ungenauigkeit
will have the multiple homicide Mehrfachmord
final say [)mVltIp&l (hA:mIsaId]
pound the table [)paUnd DE (teIb&l] auf den Tisch hauen
prosecutor [(prA:sIkju:t&r] Staatsanwalt, -anwältin
reckless driving [)reklEs (draIvIN] rücksichtsloses Fahren

8 Spotlight 1|14
 INFO TO GO

I’ve also found that my clients are very different from

me and my lawyer colleagues. Many clients come from
very poor backgrounds and are sometimes victims of their
circumstances.
In court, my clients who are in jail are manacled, and
they wear prison uniforms. They wait in a large courtroom
cell, and a thick glass wall separates them from the judge
and lawyers. There are small holes cut in the glass through
which the lawyer and the accused may quietly speak.
I have had several quite interesting cases. I represented
a man who persuaded a woman to insure her life for one
million dollars and name him her beneficiary. He then
stabbed her to death and later murdered the woman’s
daughter. I also represented a man who stalked his former
girlfriend and shot her new boyfriend with a semiauto-
matic assault rifle. Prosecutors wanted the death penalty
for both men, but I was able to argue successfully for each
to serve life sentences, so they will surely die in prison.
The quality of one’s lawyer and the race of the victim
are often extremely important factors in deciding who gets
the death penalty. I know of cases in which the lawyers
were simply friends of the judge, or they were so inexpe-
rienced that they were completely unprepared for the trial.
Therefore, in my view, the death penalty is so arbitrary
that it violates the constitution. Luckily, there are fewer
and fewer people here in the US who support the death
penalty.
Solano County
One of several counties within the San Francisco Bay
Area, a huge region in northern California that has a
population of seven million people, Solano County was
named for the chief of a group of Native Americans
known as the Suisunes. He was originally called Sem-
Yeto, meaning “brave hand.” In 1810, when he was a
boy, he was given a new name — Francisco Solano — by
a Spanish priest. He grew up at a Spanish mission be-
fore becoming the leader of his people. To read more
about the San Francisco Bay Area, see Spotlight 3/12.
victim of circumstance
Do you remember that line from Billy Joel’s classic hit
song “My Life”? He sings: “I never said I was a victim of
circumstance.” The expression means that someone is
made to suffer because of factors over which he or she
has no control. People born in slums, for example, suf-
fer from poverty; they are victims of that circumstance,
meaning that situation. In the text, James McEntee de-
scribes some of his clients — especially poor people
who are in trouble with the law — as being victims of
their circumstances. Which of the following people
could be considered victims of circumstance?
a) A wealthy person who buys a Ferrari.
b) A worker who arrives at the office late because
of heavy traffic.
c) A retired person who loses his or her pension
because of a bank’s mistake.

Cases are heard in the courtroom
beneficiary [)benI(fISieri]
death penalty [(deT )pen&lti]
judge [dZVdZ]
manacle [(mÄnEk&l]
random [(rÄndEm]
semiautomatic assault rifle
[semiO:tE)mÄtIk E(sO:lt )raIf&l]
serve a life sentence
[)s§:v E (laIf )sent&ns]
Fotos: Jan Sturmann; iStock
Begünstigte(r), Nutznießer(in)
Todesstrafe
Richter
Handschellen anlegen
zufällig, wahllos
halbautomatisches Gewehr
eine lebenslängliche
Freiheitsstrafe verbüßen
arbitrary
James McEntee says that the way the death penalty
works in the US is “arbitrary.” In other words, it is not
used in the same way for everyone, and is, therefore,
not fair. Some people are sentenced to death, but oth-
ers — people who may have been accused of similar
crimes in similar situations — are not. In a very general
sense, “arbitrary” can also mean “random” or “non-
specific.” In which of the following sentences is the
word used correctly?
a) He didn’t care which hotel he stayed in. For him, it
was an arbitrary decision.
b) I have an arbitrary doctor’s appointment, so I can’t
go to work today.

stab sb. to death [)stÄb tE (deT] jmdn. erstechen

stalk sb. [stO:k] jmdm. beharrlich nachstellen
und sie / ihn belästigen
trial [(traIEl] Gerichtsverhandlung
violate sth. [(vaIEleIt] etw. verletzen;
hier: gegen etw. verstoßen
Answers: victim of circumstance: a) The car buyer is not a victim of circum-
stance. b) The worker is a victim of the circumstance of heavy traffic.
c) The retired person is a victim of circumstance due to the bank’s actions.
arbitrary: a) The word is used correctly. b) “Arbitrary” is used incorrectly,
because an appointment is planned and, therefore, cannot be random.
 WORLD VIEW | News in Brief Eastern Cape:
a wild beach on
the Chokka Trail

It’s a good month to go... slackpacking

SOUTH AFRICA It’s summertime in South
Africa, the season for “slackpacking”. People who go on
these hiking tours have it good: they can slack off and
enjoy themselves without thinking about logistics. Their
big travel backpacks are driven from lodge to lodge, and
meals and other support are provided along the way.
In the Eastern Cape province, January brings high tem-
peratures and low rainfall, perfect for slackpacking on the
Chokka Trail. The four-day route starts on a nature path
where the only sounds are birdsong and the sea. Evening
is spent at the Oyster Bay Beach Lodge, before the next
day’s hike over the soft hills of the Sand River.
On day three, the landscape is more varied: walkers
cross wild beaches to reach fishing villages like Port St Fran-
cis with its working chokka (squid) boats. The last day
includes a tour of animal-rich wetlands and lunch at the
St Francis golf course. The total distance? Sixty easy-going
kilometres. For more details, see http://chokkatrail.co.za

backpack [(bÄkpÄk] Rucksack plaque [plÄk] (med.) Plaque

by-product [US (baI )prA:dEkt] Nebenprodukt (fleckenförmige Struktur)
cerebrospinal fluid Rückenmarksflüssigkeit shrink [SrINk] schrumpfen
[US serEbroU)spaIn&l (flu:Id] slack off [slÄk (Qf] ifml. entspannen, sich schonen
faucet [(fO:sIt] N. Am. Wasserhahn squid [skwId] Tintenfisch
flush out [flVS (aUt] durchspülen state [steIt] hier: Zustand
lodge [lQdZ] (Ferien)Hütte wetlands [(wetlÄndz] Sumpfgebiete

Sleep matters
UNITED STATES In experiments on mice, Nedergaard’s team was able
Fotos: Corbis; iStock; laif; Stockbyte, South Africa Tourism

Bears could eat you. Lions may attack. to observe how cerebrospinal fluid moved through
Rivals could have you killed. No wonder the brain, gathering up waste. When the mice were
sleep seems to make no evolutionary sense. asleep, the fluid was better able to do its job:
But it does, and now a new study explains why during the rest phase, the space
it is so important. between brain cells grew
“Sleep puts the brain in another state, where 60 percent larger.
we clean out all the by-products of activity during “Brain cells shrink
the daytime,” Maiken Nedergaard told The Washing- when we sleep, allowing
ton Post. The doctor from the University of Rochester, fluid to enter and flush
New York, explained that these by-products include a out the brain,” Neder-
protein that forms plaques in the brains of gaard said. “It’s like open-
Alzheimer’s patients. ing and closing a faucet.”
Not to be missed:
10 Spotlight 1|14 a good night’s sleep
No more sunbeds Outdoors or in:
the sun’s a danger
to your skin
AUSTRALIA Australia may be one of the sunniest
places on earth, but people there often stay indoors to get a tan.
Because of this, the country has very high rates of skin disease. The
Guardian reports that people who use sunbeds have a 20 per cent
higher chance of getting skin cancer. Those who begin tanning at
salons before they are 35 years old have a 60 per cent higher chance
of getting it.
By the end of 2014, commercial sunbeds will be completely
banned in most of Australia’s states and territories. Queensland,
which has the world’s highest rate of skin cancer, is the latest state
to announce a ban.
Queensland’s health minister, Lawrence Springborg, said that
the rule against sunbeds was similar to the government passing
laws against cigarettes to protect public health. “There’s a cost to
the community. There’s a cost to families. There’s a cost to individ-
uals, and the state does have a role,” he said.

Goodbye, Gambia
GAMBIA This West African nation sur- says that member states share a com-
prised the international community recently by an- mitment to free, democratic society
nouncing its departure from the Commonwealth of and peace for all citizens.
Nations. Over the years, Gambia has been
Founded in 1931, the Commonwealth is an associ- criticized for several human-rights
ation of 53 countries. Most of them, like Gambia, are abuses, such as executing nine people
former British colonies. The Commonwealth’s charter by firing squad in 2012. The BBC writes
that President Yahya Jammeh,
who took power in 1994, is
known as “one of the world’s
most eccentric and ruthless lead-
ers”. He has called homosexual-
ity one of the “biggest threats to
human existence” and said that
he can cure Aids using herbs and
bananas.
Of the decision to leave the
Commonwealth, Jammeh said
that his country “will never be a
member of any neo-colonial in-
stitution”. The international
community may have trouble
taking his statement seriously.

Gambians selling fish in the

tourist town of Jufureh

ban [bÄn] verbieten pass a law [)pA:s E (lO:] ein Gesetz verabschieden
charter [tSA:tE] Charta ruthless [(ru:TlEs] skrupellos
firing squad [(faIErIN skwQd] Exekutionskommando sunbed [(sVnbed] Sonnenbank
herb [h§:b] (Heil)Kraut tan [tÄn] Sonnenbräune

1|14 Spotlight 11
WORLD VIEW | News in Brief
WHAT’S HOT
More cannabis for Bee islands
Canadians SCOTLAND Two small
CANADA Nearly 1,700 people lost their jobs in Smiths Scottish islands may help Britain to
Falls, Ontario, when a chocolate factory and other businesses closed in save its honeybee.
2008. The good news for the town of 9,000 is that the factory may soon In recent years, bees have been
be reopening. As The Globe & Mail reports, instead of making sweets, it disappearing around the world. The
will be manufacturing marijuana. reasons are not fully known, but
Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001. More than they include threats such as illness,
30,000 Canadians have permission to smoke pot for medical purposes, parasites and cross-breeding.
and many of them have licences allowing them to grow their own mari- The islands of Colonsay and
juana. Some growers are even allowed to sell the drug to a maximum of Oronsay currently have about 50
two other people. But these rules are changing. colonies of the native Black Bee, the
Lawmakers The government hopes that large-scale produc- only species of honeybee in the UK.
in Ottawa tion of the drug will be easier to regulate. In Bees on the island are healthy and
are making
it legal
April 2014, growing marijuana at home will have not been hurt by the varroa
no longer be legal. Instead, private companies mite, which has killed lots of bees
will produce and sell the drug. elsewhere in Britain.
Tweed Inc hopes to be one of the first. It The Scottish government has
has bought the chocolate factory in Smiths now made it illegal to import or
Falls and plans to spend C$ 1.5 million on get- keep any bee on the islands other
ting it ready. Tweed president Chuck Rifici says than the native Black Bee.
he wants to create new jobs and provide help Nigel Southworth, editor of Scot-
to people who are ill: “There’s a real need.” tish Beekeeper, told The Scotsman
newspaper that he thought the
colony [(kQlEni] hier: (Bienen)Volk move was “great news” for the UK
cross-breeding [(krQs )bri:dIN] Kreuzungen and for other countries, too.
devastated [US (devEsteItEd] am Boden zerstört
honeybee [(hVnibi:] Honigbiene A safe place
large-scale [)lA:dZ (skeI&l] in großem Umfang for Britain’s
magnetic resonance imaging Kernspintomografie honeybees
[mÄg)netIk )rez&nEns (ImIdZIN]
parasite [(pÄrEsaIt] Parasit, Schmarotzer
pot [pQt] ifml. Haschisch
regulate [(regjuleIt] reglementieren
ride [raId] hier: Fahrgeschäft
state-of-the-art [US )steIt Ev Di (A:rt] hochmodern
sticker [US (stIk&r] Aufklebebild
varroa mite [vE(rEUE maIt] Varroamilbe

Creative kindness
UNITED STATES Doug Dietz was proud of
Fotos: iStock; Reuters; UPMC/Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

his work. The General Electric employee was helping to install a new
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) system, one that he had helped
to develop. The state-of-the-art medical scanner was so good that
it was even being considered
for a design award.
As Dietz was leaving the
hospital’s MRI room, a little
girl walked in. She looked at
the massive machine and
began to cry. Dietz was deva-
stated. As Slate.com reports,
he went right back to work.
After doing some research, he found a way to take the fear out
of getting a medical scan. The key was imagination: Dietz wanted
kids to see the experience of going inside the big machine as part
of a pirate-themed journey. First, the machine itself was covered in
large, colorful stickers to look like an amusement-park ride. Then,
technicians were given specific instructions so they could take part
in the play. Once the little patients returned from their journey “on
board” the pirate ship, they were to be given a prize.
Dietz was not certain it would work. When he asked the mother
of a girl who had just been scanned, the feedback came from the
six-year-old herself. “Mommy, can we come back tomorrow?” she
asked. Dietz was sure then that his solution was a success.

Making medical By RITA FORBES and CLAUDINE WEBER-HOF

scanners fun for kids
 Britain Today | COLIN BEAVEN

Young, loud and famous

Laute Jugendliche, laute Lehrer, laute Musik. Gibt es da
einen Zusammenhang? Und wie findet man heraus, welche

“ How do
you find out
where the
Musik – ob laut oder leise – hörenswert ist?
The Fifth!), was a difficult pupil. never know whom you’ll meet there.

”
talent is? He was often sent out of lessons You might find yourself standing next

I t’s a shame when

the holidays are all
over. But at least things get quieter
once everyone’s back at school. Until
then, though, cafes and restaurants
for bad behaviour.
I must admit that the only future
celebrity I came across when I was a
teacher didn’t go on to be a pop star.
She went on to marry one — and I
to someone who taught you when
you were at school. Imagine: you go
to hear Manic Street Preachers, and
panic when you meet your teachers.
Surely there’s an easier way of
are all full of teachers. I don’t want to didn’t actually teach her. I just told finding out where the talent is? Well,
be disrespectful, but they can be her off for smoking near the bike you can try looking at the shortlist for
rather loud. sheds. She’s no doubt mentioned this the Mercury Prize. The albums on
Perhaps it’s no surprise that in one of the interviews she’s done for this list are chosen by a panel of indi-
teachers find it hard to talk quietly. Hello! magazine. viduals who listen to a lot of pop
Young people do like to turn up the My wife, it must be said, is unim- music, so the shortlist’s a good sign-
volume when they listen to music, pressed. Her gran knew Mick Jagger’s post for interesting recent music —
and they have it even higher when mum, which is much more useful in- generally better, perhaps, than an-
they pick up their own guitars. If formation when everyone starts other well-known set of prizes for
you like loud music, maybe you like name-dropping. British pop: the Brit Awards.
loud teachers as well. With so many thousands of
It seems that most young people young musicians, how on earth do
go on to be pop stars when they leave you find out which of them are worth
school. It gives their former teachers listening to? Some of them aren’t very
something to tell their friends in the good. Some of them are dire. It’s pure
cafe during the holidays — loudly, so chance, of course, that the word
that everyone else can hear. “dire” appears in the name of the
Not all pop stars think highly of band One Direction.
their time at school, though. Dizzee What about listening to music
Rascal, the rapper who went on to stations on the radio? This doesn’t
play at the opening ceremony for the work in my experience. There seems
London Olympics, and who recently to be a mechanism that stops the
brought out his fifth album (called music the moment you tune in and
Not the best of pupils: Dizzee Rascal
starts the presenters
bike shed [(baIk Sed] Fahrradschuppen talking. Even listening In 2003, the Mercury Prize was
come across sb. [(kVm E)krQs] jmdm. (zufällig) begegnen to One Direction won by Dizzee Rascal. He was 18,
dire [(daIE] düster, schrecklich would be better than and it was his debut album. I don’t
disrespectful [)dIsri(spektf&l] respektlos, unhöflich listening to the think many of his old teachers were
former [(fO:mE] ehemalig presenters. on the panel. And why is it called the
gran = grandmother [grÄn] Oma
What about going Mercury Prize? It’s because the
how on earth [)haU Qn (§:T] wie in aller Welt
name-drop [(neIm drQp] hier: (mit Namen bekann-
to a pop festival? If music’s all so loud you can hear it on
ter Personen) angeben you go to one of the a planet several million miles away.
pick up [(pIk Vp] hier: in die Hand nehmen big ones, like Glas- You can see why Pink Floyd wrote
presenter [pri(zentE] Moderator(in) (
p. 61) tonbury or the Isle of a song called “Set the Controls for the
shortlist [(SO:tlIst] engere Auswahlliste Wight, you hear big Heart of the Sun”: anything to get
signpost [(saInpEUst] Wegweiser
names live, like away from all this loud music.
station [(steIS&n] hier: Sender
tell sb. off [tel (Qf] jmdn. zurechtweisen
Manic Street Preach-
Foto: Reuters

tune in [tju:n (In] (Sender) einstellen ers. But the tickets sell Colin Beaven is a freelance writer who lives
volume: turn up the ~ [(vQlju:m] die Lautstärke hochdrehen out within hours. and works in Southampton on the south
And anyway, you coast of England.

1|14 Spotlight 13
SOCIETY | Fitness

Are you tough

enough?

Lehmmauern, Felder mit

Stacheldrahtzäunen, Elektroschock
und Feuer – der Tough-Guy-Wettkampf
ist der ultimative Hindernislauf.
ALEXIS PETRIDIS berichtet.

Testing the limits: the Tough Guy
competition in Perton, England, is a
challenge even for top athletes
Y ou would never think of South
Perton Farm, near Wolver-
hampton in northern England,
as the birthplace of a global phenom-
enon. he farm is home to both a
horse sanctuary and an open-sided
barn, entirely filled with the rusting
skeletons of Citroen 2CVs. he exter-
nal walls of the main building are dec-
orated with hand-painted murals of
biblical scenes. “Help us get the kids
off the streets and suffer little chil-
dren,” offers one. “Jesus, the original
tough-guy hero,” suggests another.
Nor would you pick Billy Wilson,
the owner of South Perton Farm, as
the man behind a global phenome-
non. A former Grenadier Guard, hairdresser, nightclub
owner and marathon organizer who won’t tell me his age,
he wears an Edwardian moustache and, in public, uses a
sergeant-major persona by the name of Mr Mouse. If any-
thing, Mr Mouse seems a bit less eccentric than the man
behind the character.
Wilson is the father of what
one US magazine, Outside, has
called “America’s fastest-growing
sport”: endurance obstacle racing.
He started the Tough Guy race
here in 1986, after he tired of or-
ganizing the Wolverhampton
Marathon. At first, it was just a
cross-country run with 108 com-
petitors. But every year, Wilson
added more obstacles. At first they
were just hay bales and “a couple of
boards leaning together to make a
jump”. hen, Wilson says, he
started building huge, permanent
structures, obstacles that involved
crawling under and over barbed
wire and running through fire or
wires that deliver electric shocks. Event creator Billy Wilson
barbed wire [)bA:bd (waIE] Stacheldraht
barn [bA:n] Scheune
crawl [krO:l] kriechen, robben
cross-country run [)krQs )kVntri (rVn] Geländelauf
Edwardian moustache Schnauzer, Walrossbart
[ed)wO:diEn mE(stA:S]
endurance obstacle racing Ausdauer-Hindernislauf
[In)djUErEns (QbstEk&l )reIsIN]
Grenadier Guard [grenE)dIE (gA:d] Gardegrenadier
hay bale [(heI )bEI&l] Heuballen
horse sanctuary [(hO:s )sÄNktSuEri] Gnadenhof
Fotos: Alamy
mural [(mjUErEl] Wandgemälde
persona [pE(sEUnE] Rolle
1|14 Spotlight 15
SOCIETY | Fitness

“hat became the challenge to the

competitors: I’m going to beat you,”
he says. “You’ve come this year and
you’ve conquered the Tough Guy,
but next year I’m going to build an
obstacle and it’s going to defeat you.
hey loved it.”
In time, the competition was held
more frequently: Tough Guy takes
place in January, and Nettle Warrior
at the end of July. he local news
crews started turning up to see people
throw themselves into barbed wire
and run through fire. heir interest A race with military flair: competitors crawl through the mud, under barbed wire
was further piqued after the deaths of
two participants — one in 2007, the hen, about three years ago, something strange happened: companies such
other in 2000. In the same year, Wil- as Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash began marketing endurance obstacle racing
son decided to introduce the concept across Europe and America. It caught on with a speed that seems to have sur-
of “Jesus warriors”, elite competitors prised even them. “his is 100 times bigger than we ever thought,” Tough Mud-
who run the course carrying 40-kilo der’s CEO Will Dean said last year. In 2012, 1.5 million people competed in
wooden crucifixes. endurance obstacle races in the US alone. he combined earnings of the three
biggest race organizers were estimated at $150 million.
START TRAINING NOW he sport is also taking off in Australia, South Africa, South Korea, Japan,
the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore. People around the globe — mostly
The next Tough Guy event will be held on men — have developed a great desire to wade through mud pits and throw
Sunday, 26 January, in Perton, near the themselves into ice-cold water. here are those who would argue that there is
West Midlands city of Wolverhampton. something a bit embarrassing about the whole business. Are we looking at a
More than 250 obstacles along a 15- physical demonstration of masculinity in crisis or something that is not really
kilometre course will test whether you’ve a sport at all?
mastered your “fear of heights, tight catch on [kÄtS (Qn] Schule machen, sich durchsetzen
spaces, fire, water and electricity”. If you CEO (chief executive officer) [)si: i: (EU] Geschäftsführer(in)
don’t want to do it just for your ego, then kidney [(kIdni] Niere
do it for charity. Tough Guy is associated mud pit [(mVd pIt] Schlammloch

Fotos: Alamy; Corbis

with Kidney Research UK and Children participant [pA:(tIsIpEnt] Teilnehmer(in)
with Cancer UK. For more information, pique [pi:k] hier: (Interesse) wecken
wade [weId] waten
see www.toughguy.co.uk
warrior [(wQriE] Krieger(in)
 in Kansas City, Missouri. Even those who master the races
tend not to emerge unscathed.
“he first time I won Tough Guy, I was hypothermic
by the end,” says James Appleton, a photographer from
Cambridge who has won the race three times. “I was out
of action for three hours afterwards,” he says of that first
win. “I had no strength, no energy. I was barely able to get
myself warm with the help of paramedics. I’ve felt my leg
bone nearly break. I’ve had things dislocated and been cut
by ice and barbed wire. You get to the end broken.”
Last January, there was another near-fatality during
Tough Guy: a competitor was knocked out and almost
drowned before anyone could rescue him. “he Lord was
with us,” Wilson tells me, driving us on to the course to
see where it happened: an underground obstacle filled with
mud called the Vietcong Torture Chamber Tunnels.
Despite this, Wilson is clear on the subject of safety. “I
have perfected it inasmuch as, if somebody is going to get
seriously injured or killed, they’ve got to be suicidal —
they’re going to have to use our obstacles for suicide. It’s
impossible.” he deaths in America, he says angrily, are
down to “neglect and greed” on the part of organizers:
“Greed causes serious accidents and deaths.”

Climbers on the “Brandenburg Wall” obstacle in Perton barely [(beEli] kaum

class [klA:s] einordnen, klassifizieren
“I think what I class as running purists would probably dislocate [(dIslEkeIt] ausrenken
down to: be ~ sth. [(daUn tE] an etw. liegen
be a little sniffy about it,” says Andy Dixon, the editor of
hypothermic [)haIpEU(T§:mIk] unterkühlt
Runner’s World, a magazine that reports on Tough Guy.
inasmuch as [)InEz(mVtS Ez] insofern als
“hey would probably think these are like adult school near-fatality [)nIE fE(tÄlEti] fast ein Todesopfer
sports-day-style events, for people who want to go ‘Raarh!’ neglect [nI(glekt] Nachlässigkeit
and feel like they’re Rambo.” paramedic [)pÄrE(medIk] Rettungssanitäter(in)
In April, though, a 28-year-old man drowned during school sports-day-style sporttagmäßig
[)sku:l (spO:ts deI )staI&l]
a US Tough Mudder event in West Virginia, just over a
sniffy [(snIfi] ifml. hochnäsig, verächtlich
month after another man had collapsed and died while
torture chamber [(tO:tSE )tSeImbE] Folterkammer
competing in an Extreme Rampage race in Kentucky. In unscathed [Vn(skeIDd] unversehrt
2011, two men died after running in a Warrior Dash event
A very popular event:
about 5,000 take part
in a Tough Guy race

1|14 Spotlight 17
 SOCIETY | Fitness

caveman [(keIvmÄn] Höhlenmensch

club [klVb] Knüppel
coward [(kaUEd] Feigling
five-a-side football Hallenfußball mit Fünfer-Teams
[)faIv E (saId )fUtbO:l]
magnificent [mÄg(nIfIsEnt] wunderbar
mate [meIt] UK ifml. Kumpel
self-pitying [)self(pItiIN] wehleidig, sich selbst bemitleidend
set up [set (Vp] einrichten, gründen
spit [spIt] spucken (
p. 61)

He also wants more people over 70. He claims to have

developed a series of what he describes as “magnificent ex-
ercises” for pensioners, which among their many benefits
include an effect he compares to Botox. “hey could look
like me,” he says. “I don’t look
Not just for macho men: like someone’s been chopping
female competitors “smile wood on my face, do I?”
all the way”, says Wilson
he question of why en-
Wilson is not as de- durance obstacle racing has de-
lighted about the popu- veloped such a huge appeal is
larity of his idea as you fascinating. One theory is that it
might expect. Two years attracts those who are no longer
ago, he and Tough Mud- satisfied with road running or
der’s Will Dean reached marathons. Winner James Ap-
an agreement after years pleton isn’t sure. Only about 20
of fighting over whether per cent of the 5,000 partici-
Dean had stolen Wilson’s pants, he estimates, have even se-
idea, his obstacles and his riously trained. It’s mostly “guys
slogans following a visit who might occasionally play five-
to South Perton Farm in 2008. Tough Mudder’s launch a-side football with their mates. hey’re just there for an
website featured photographs and video taken at a Tough experience. You see a group of them dressed up like cave-
Guy event. he details were kept secret but, according to men, carrying clubs or wearing suits. hey’ve got this ‘Let’s
court documents, Tough Mudder paid out $725,000. have a fun day out’ attitude.”
Wilson says he has no plans to create Tough Guy fran- He agrees with another competitor, who told him that
chises outside the UK, although he has other expansion he thought the races’ popularity had something to do with
plans. He talks about setting up a Tough Guy “the Facebook generation”. “People have a real
competition for children and also involving desire to express themselves over the inter-
disabled people in net. hey create a character for them-
races. He also Fun in Australia: selves online, almost like a PR
wants to attract at a race called the campaign. hey do things, stick
Tough Mudder
more women the photos online. hey’re
to take part saying: ‘his is who I am.’
— they cur- he photos from
rently make Tough Guy are visu-
up only 10 ally exciting: peo-
per cent of ple covered in
Fotos: action press; Alamy; dpa/picture alliance

the partici- mud, running

pants — “be- through fire
cause wom- and spitting
en are much mud out of
more capable than men. hey smile their mouths.
all the way.” Of the men, he says: hey can put them online and
“hey scream, they shout, they’re say: ‘Look at me doing this.
cowards, they’re self-pitying. Aren’t I a sportsman?’ People are
Women just enjoy it.” always thinking about how they
18 Spotlight 1|14 continued on page 21
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 continued from page 18

appear, and this is a very good

way of making themselves look
like hardcore soldier-type ath-
letes, when, really, with a couple
of weeks’ running just to break
their legs in, anyone could do it.”
here are other theories, too.
Robert Twigger, author of Being
a Man (in the Lousy Modern
World), talks about males who
are desperate to prove they’re
men in “a culture that constantly
tells us the differences between
men and women are less impor-
tant than the similarities. You
might feel you have to define
your difference and go out and
do something hyper-masculine,
a bit ridiculously masculine, real-
ly.” Twigger thinks the apparent
wildness of the race is another
part of the appeal. “Even if you Nettle Warrior: some of those who enter this summertime race dress up for the occasion
play something like rugby, which
is seen as a tough sport, there are all these rules and regu- When you go into delirium, you reach that space between
lations. And we’ve got enough of those in our lives. We’ve life and death. And in that space, your whole life passes be-
created a culture where we think everything is rule-bound, fore you in seconds, and the future comes to you. A million
where you don’t do things, because you imagine all the red thoughts hit you. You don’t know what’s happening.
tape involved. Here’s a chance to do something that ap- “You’re in such a state, so terrible that you don’t ever
pears to be without all those rules.” want to come to Tough Guy again. hen, a week or two
“At the very basic biological level, races like this do re- later, everybody comes back with the same words. ‘It was
lease neurotransmitters and hormones that give a natural a life-changing experience. I’m now a new person. I’m now
high,” says George Karseras, an occupational and sports looking at life in a different way. I’m now going to start
therapist at the Leap Partnership consultancy. “It’s about doing something for everyone else instead of being so self-
feeling alive. You don’t get the sense of feeling alive so ish. I’m now going to be better at my job. I’m not going
much as when you confront something life-threatening. to be so nasty to the secretary or my wife or whoever.’ hey
You’re out of your thought processes; you’re out of your want to come back and do it again, because they’ve had
mind. It’s a switch-off mechanism, an extreme one. People such a fantastic experience.”
taking part in these races aren’t thinking: ‘Oh, how’s my He starts telling me about another of his plans. He
job going?’ Mobile phones and the internet mean that wants the government to set up 100 Tough Guy-style “for-
we’re never really away from work. We need something ex- est gyms” within inner cities as a way both of honouring
treme to overcome the stimulation we’re used to.” the centenary of the First World War and solving “the obe-
hat’s a theory with which Billy Wilson would agree. sity crisis”. He fixes me with a stare. “Now you under-
“We take you to the very edge of your endurance,” he says. stand,” he says, “why I believe I can change the world.”
“We strip you of all your energy, and you go into delirium. © Guardian News & Media 2013

centenary [sen(ti:nEri] 100. Jahrestag

consultancy [kEn(sVltEnsi] Beratungsfirma
forest gym [(fQrIst dZIm] etwa: Wald-Fitness-Gelände
high [haI] Hochgefühl, Rausch
nasty [(nA:sti] gemein
obesity [EU(bi:sEti] Fettleibigkeit
occupational and sports therapist [Qkju)peIS&nEl End )spO:ts (TerEpIst] Sport- und Ergotherapeut(in)
red tape [)red (teIp] ifml. (übertriebene) Bürokratie
rule-bound [(ru:l baUnd] reglementiert
selfish [(selfIS] egoistisch

1|14 Spotlight 21
 FOOD | New Zealand

Welcome to Hell!

Hell co-founder
Stuart McMullin:
dark prince of pizza

Pizzen, die nach den sieben Todsünden

benannt sind, Werbekampagnen, die anecken. BARBARA HILLER
berichtet über Hell Pizza, den Pizzaservice aus der Hölle.

W hat’s it going to be
today — Lust,
Pride or maybe a
piece of Gluttony? If your
company is called Hell, it
Spotlight: Where did the name “Hell Pizza” come from?
McMullin: That was Callum’s idea. He wanted it to be a
bit risqué, because all the other pizza brands were just
boring, kind of American-style brands. He also wanted
what’s called an “elastic brand”, something that can be
only makes sense to name your pizzas after the seven used in many different ways. For example, we promote
deadly sins. But the fun doesn’t have to stop there. Since our company with a 1968 Cadillac hearse — it has

Fotos: Hell Pizza; iStock

it was founded in 1996, Hell Pizza has gone from having “The quickest way to Hell!” written on it. You can also
one store in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, to fold our pizza boxes into coffins (“For your remains”),
being New Zealand’s most controversial pizza brand, with and our phone number is 666 111.
64 stores around the country and a few more overseas, Spotlight: ...because 666 is a symbol for the devil, and
including London. Spotlight spoke to Hell’s co-founder 111 is the emergency call number in New Zealand.
Stuart McMullin about the company, the pizza and some
of the (in)famous marketing actions. brand [brÄnd] Marke
coffin [(kQfIn] Sarg
Spotlight: How did you come to be part of Hell Pizza? co-founder [(kEU )faUndE] Mitbegründer(in)
Stuart McMullin: Well, the first Hell Pizza shop was elastic brand [i)lÄstIk (brÄnd] flexible Marke (Wortspiel zu
elastic band: Gummiband)
opened by Callum Davies, who I’ve been friends with gluttony [(glVt&ni] Völlerei
since we were teenagers. In 2000, we decided to work hearse [h§:s] Leichenwagen
together and start opening more restaurants. It was infamous [(InfEmEs] berühmt-berüchtigt
very difficult to get sales at first. We used to put flyers lust [lVst] Wolllust
into the letter boxes on all the local streets and then remains [ri(meInz] hier: Reste; aber auch:
sterbliche Überreste
run back to the shop for five o’clock so that we could
risqué [(rIskeI] frech, gewagt
pick up the phone. Some evenings, it didn’t ring. Now, side [saId] ifml. Beilage (zu einem Gericht)
we sell about 350,000 pizzas a month in New Zealand, sin [sIn] Sünde
and pizzas are only about 60 per cent of our menu. We spare ribs [(speE rIbz] Schweinerippchen
also have pastas, salads, sides and spare ribs.
22 Spotlight 1|14
 Campaigns from Hell: not
afraid of controversy

McMullin: We call it the “Hell emergency”.

But before the branding, the most impor-
tant thing is the food. That’s something we
have always been proud of: the food is of
the highest quality possible. Our base is
unique — we’ve put a lot of effort into that.
What's more, we have really great combina-
tions of toppings. For example, in New
Zealand, sushi and seafood are very popular.
So we did a seafood pizza with king prawns,
wasabi, caviar and mayo. If you bite into a Hell
pizza, it definitely tastes like a Hell pizza.
Spotlight: Which of your pizzas do you like best?
McMullin: My favourite one is the Limbo, which threats. But many New Zealanders got behind us and
is with caramelized onions, blue cheese, mushrooms, said: “Awesome! Good on you, Hell, for sticking it to
tomatoes and olives. Our dessert pizzas are great, too the big guy!”
— like Unearthly, with bananas, berries, chocolate, Another controversial campaign was when we
white chocolate and custard. There are so many sent out condoms with advertisements by post that
good pizzas, and we’re constantly bringing out new promoted our Lust pizza. That was about eight years
inventions. ago, and it still remains the most complained-about
Spotlight: One of them is Pizza Roulette. ad in New Zealand’s history, which is quite amazing.
McMullin: Yes. That was in 2012. A sauce company sug- Complaints against us are usually not upheld, because
gested we put hot sauce on a pizza, and then we came the campaigns aren’t seen as being nasty or highly
up with the idea for the game Pizza Roulette: two defamatory. They’re usually just seen as being good
drops of very hot sauce on one piece, but you don’t humour. It’s definitely a very New Zealand kind of
know which one. It was a massive success. We had a humour, and it helps that New Zealand is such a sec-
huge increase in sales. It was in The Huffington Post, The ular country.
New York Times and Time magazine, and CNN did a Spotlight: Would you say Hell sometimes goes too far in
seven-minute news story on it. We’ve only just taken its campaigns?
it off the menu, actually, but we’re planning to bring it McMullin: No. In the past year or two, third parties have
back in a slightly different form soon. got us into trouble a few times. The company that man-
Spotlight: Hell Pizza is also known for its controversial aged our social-media page made a bit of a stupid post
advertising. Can you give us an example? on our Facebook page, for example. But the campaigns
McMullin: Sure. A few years ago, we did a billboard cam- that have come from us — I think they’re all pretty
paign all over New Zealand that said: “Hell. Too good funny. And we’ve got a policy that if we’re not annoying
for some evil bastards.” We put people up there who at least 20 per cent of the people out there in New
we thought were evil bastards, like George W. Bush, Zealand, then we’re not doing a good enough job.
Hitler and Mussolini. But Bush got the biggest ap-
plause from the New Zealand public, because at the annoy [E(nO:] verärgern, nerven
Australasian [)QstrE(leIZEn] südwestpazifisch
time, the US was entering the Gulf. Again, that went
awesome [(O:sEm] ifml. hier: toll, hammermäßig
global. We won Australasian billboard of the year and billboard campaign Plakatkampagne, Plakataktion
other awards. We also got a lot of death [(bIlbO:d kÄm)peIn]
blue cheese [blu: (tSi:z] Blauschimmelkäse
HELL PIZZA’S ONLINE custard [(kVstEd] Vanillesauce
defamatory [di(fÄmEtEri] diffamierend, ehrenrührig
ZOMBIE ADVENTURE
hot [hQt] hier: scharf
king prawn [(kIN prO:n] Riesengarnele
In this interactive YouTube-video, a Hell launch [lO:ntS] (Werbe)Start
employee has to deliver a pizza in a town that limbo [(lImbEU] Limbus, Vorhölle
is being taken over by zombies — and he post [pEUst] hier: (comp.) Eintrag
needs your help. Three years after its launch, seafood [(si:fu:d] Meeresfrüchte
the video still has 5,000 viewers a day and stick it to sb. [(stIk It tE] ifml. es jmdm. zeigen
remains New Zealand’s most successful on- topping [(tQpIN] (Pizza)Belag
line campaign. unearthly [Vn(§:Tli] unirdisch, überirdisch
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p1yBlV7Ges unique [ju(ni:k] einzigartig
uphold [Vp(hEUld] aufrecht erhalten

1|14 Spotlight 23
 LANGUAGE | Better English

tips to transform your English

Besseres Englisch im Neuen Jahr: VANESSA CLARK und die Spotlight-Sprachredakteurinnen
haben zehn leicht umsetzbare Ideen für Sie.

W elcome to 2014! Everyone is interested to know

what this year will bring. Instead of speculating,
Spotlight’s language team would like to offer you
a guarantee: yes, a guarantee. We promise that by follow-
ing just ten tips, you can improve your English this year.
Sounds impossible? Well, it isn’t. Just as in life, sometimes,
little things make all the difference.
We’ve put together ten quick tips for you — a mixture
of grammar, vocabulary and phrases — to help you to say
what you want to say, and to help other people to under-
stand what you mean. These ten things will transform your
English — making you a more confident communicator.
They are small things, and they are not the only things you
can do, but they will make a difference. Guaranteed!

1. Fine or not?
Let’s start by shaking hands.
How would you reply to the
following greeting?
• Hello! I’m Vanessa Clark. Nice
to meet you.
When you meet a person
for the first time, give
both your first name and family
name and say “I’m” before
them. To reply to the above
greeting, say Nice to meet you,
too. The next time you meet Vanessa Clark, remember to
say “Nice / Good to see you again”, not “Nice to meet you
again”. “Meet” is used only for the first meeting.
Which three of the following replies are usual when
someone you know asks: “How are you?”
a) Fine, thanks. c) Thank you, fine.
b) Good, thanks. d) I’m very well, thank you.
The correct responses are (a), (b) and (d). You may
think that (b) “Good, thanks” looks and sounds un-
usual. This response, or “I’m good”, is common in the US,
however, and it has become more popular among younger
people in Britain, too, in the past few years. What you
won’t hear from native speakers is (c). “Thank you” never
comes first and is never used as the whole reply.
The way you greet other people will influence all future
communication between you and them, so it’s important
to get it right: it’s our number-one tip.

24 Spotlight 1|14
 2. Make it count 3. Offers and promises
Which of the following sentences is correct? Which one of the following might
a) I have some good news for you. you say to a customer on the
b) I have a good news for you. phone?
a) I send you the details.
The correct sentence is b) I’ll send you the details.
(a). Although it has an
“s” at the end, the noun news The correct option is (b). I’ll
is uncountable (unzählbar) (“I will”) is used to make an offer or a promise. This
(like “time” or “money”). It’s is an important tip to remember if you work in the service
“some news” not “a news”. You industry (for example, in a hotel or in a restaurant), or if
can also say “a piece of news” you have a lot of direct contact with clients (for example,
or, more formally, “an item of as a personal assistant or a receptionist). “I’ll” is especially
news”. “News”, like other un- useful on the telephone:
countable nouns, takes a sin- • I’ll send you the confirmation as soon as possible.
gular verb: • I’ll ask her to call you.
• The news isn’t all bad.
The word “news” is also used to mean “news programmes”: You can add the word just to make your offer of help sound
• Did you watch the news last night? Wasn’t it terrible? more polite, as in the following exchange at a conference
centre reception desk:
Some other very common nouns in English are uncount- Guest: Can you tell me which seminar room we’re in?
able: information (not “informations”), furniture (not Receptionist: I’ll just check for you. Ah, yes. You’re in the
“furnitures”) and advice (not “advices”). They can all be Norton Room.
used with “some” (not “a” or “an”), and they all take a sin- The word “just” shows that the action will take you only a
gular verb: moment. Straight (US: “right”) and straight away also
• I need some information about cookery courses. make an efficient impression:
• Our new office furniture is very modern. • I’ll e-mail that to you straight away, sir.
• Thank you for your advice. It was very helpful. • I’ll find out and call you straight back. OK?

4. Know who your friends are

Choose the correct word in the following sentence.
a) After I had read the letter, I turned it over to look at the back / backside.

The correct word is “back”. In British English, a piece of paper has two sides: the front and the back. “Backside”
is another name for your bottom (Gesäß) — so don’t invite people to read it!
Several words look and / or sound similar in English and German, but don’t have the same meaning. These are called
false friends. Fill in the missing letters to form the correct translations of the German words below, and then use these
words to complete the example sentences on the right:

German word English word Example sentence

aktuell c____n_ • The __________ prime minister is David Cameron.
bekommen __c__v_ • I __________ 100 e-mails every day.
Chef b___ • My __________ is on a business trip all week.
Karte t____t • Have you bought our concert __________ yet?
Mappe _o___r • He keeps important documents in this __________.
Did you come up with the correct English words: current, receive, boss, ticket and folder? The incorrect, false
friends are: actual, become, chef, card and map. If you are speaking English in a German environment, the people
around you will probably know what you mean if you say “backside” instead of “reverse” or “the other side”. In a
non-German-speaking environment, though, you will confuse —
Fotos: iStock

and, in the above case, amuse — people if you use the wrong
translation.
With this in mind, let’s move on to the following section.
 LANGUAGE | Better English

5. Is that English? 6. Are you sure about this?

What might happen if you Which of the following sentences is correct English?
offered a British person a) If I get a job, I’ll be able to afford my own flat.
the following things? b) When I get a job, I’ll be able to afford my own flat.
a) a handy
b) a smoking Both sentences are correct. It is a question of
c) a beamer certainty (Gewissheit). The first speaker is hopeful,
but unsure of his chances. He or she isn’t certain of finding
The British person might be confused. These words a job. The second speaker, on the other hand, is sure that
aren’t used in the same way in English and German. he or she will get a job — it’s only a question of time
You need to say: (a) mobile (UK), cell phone (US); (b) din- (“when”).
ner jacket (UK), tuxedo (US); (c) media projector. Politicians say “When we win the election”. They
As you saw in the previous section, to communicate choose the more confident “when” every time because peo-
clearly, you need to make sure that the words you use are ple want certainty, and no one wants to vote for a potential
also used by native speakers of the language. Here are some loser.
more nouns that may come up in a German-speaking en- Sometimes, certainty is positive and necessary: aero-
vironment, but are not known elsewhere: plane passengers would be worried to hear the pilot say:
“If the plane lands...” Expressing too much certainty can
Casting-Show TV talent show seem arrogant, though. The job candidate who says: “If
Fitnessstudio gym [dZIm] you give me this job” (or “If you gave me this job”) sounds
Mobbing (am Arbeitsplatz) (workplace) bullying more diplo-
Peeling exfoliating wash /scrub/cream matic than the
Rowdy hooligan one who says:
Showmaster host, presenter (of a TV show) “When you
give me this
A word that you won’t find in the Oxford Dictionary of job.” You have
English (although it is used in the US) is “wellness”. In the to choose the
UK, people would say they are going to “a hotel and spa” right word for
for the weekend, but never to a “wellness hotel”. each situation.

7. Future point: “by”

Which of the following speakers is discussing a point in In German, a single preposition, bis, covers the meanings
time, and which a period of time? of both “by” and “until”.
a) Can you finish this by Friday morning? Here are two more examples of how prepositions show
b) Can you wait until Friday morning? the difference between points and periods (in this case,
German does the same with um and in / am):
Speaker (a) is discussing a point in time — a future • We met at three o’clock. (point)
deadline. “By” means “at or before” a certain time. • I’ll be at home in
Typical verbs with “by” are action verbs such as “complete” the morning. (period)
“finish”, “tell” and so on. The focus is on the time limit:
• We need to hear from them by tomorrow at the latest. Now take a look at
Speaker (b) is talking about a period of time up to a point. our next tip, where
Typically, verbs such as “stay” “wait” and verb forms and
“work” are used with “until”: prepositions combine
• Now that the pension rules have to make clear the differ-
changed, I’ll probably have to ence between points in time
work until I’m 67. and periods in time.

26 Spotlight 1|14
 8. The perfect time 9. More than one
Halfway through a week’s holiday in London, you meet an What are the plural forms of these nouns?
old friend for coffee. How would you answer the following a) one child two ___________________
two questions? b) one man two ___________________
a) How long are you here (for)? c) one woman two ___________________
_______________________________ d) one person two ___________________
b) How long have you been here (for)? e) one tooth two ___________________
_______________________________ f) one foot two ___________________
g) one crisis two ___________________
In the situation above, verb forms and prepositions h) one phenomenon two ___________________
make all the difference. In question (a), the verb is
in the present simple. The question asks about the length How did you do? We hope you got the first few
of your holiday in total. As your holiday is a week long, the (children, men, women, people / persons) and the
answer is: “Five days”, or “I’m here for five days”. You could parts of the body (teeth, feet) right; but did you know the
also say, “Until Friday” or “Until the end of the week”. less frequent ones at the end (crises, phenomena)?
In question (b), the verb is in the present perfect, Some words are used more frequently in the plural
which is the tense that connects the past and the present. form. In some cases, there is no singular form:
Here, the question asks about the time between your ar- • clothes — some clothes
rival in the past and now. Let’s say the answer is “Two • (sun)glasses — a pair of (sun)glasses
days”. Now, is that with “for” or “since”? • trousers — a pair of trousers
Choose the correct preposition in the sentences below.
c) I’ve been here for / since two days. 10. “Have to” helps
d) I’ve been here for / since Monday.
Match the two halves of the following statements.
As “two days” is a period of time up to now, for is used: a) You don’t have to drink that wine. —
• I’ve been here for two days. b) You mustn’t drink that wine. —
As “Monday” is a point in time in the past, since is used:
• I’ve been here since Monday. a  1. It’s for the party tomorrow.
b  2. There’s beer, if you prefer.
The English language often sees the past, present and fu-
ture either as points (events) or periods (states). Being The correct matches are a–2 and b–1.
aware of this difference will help you to express yourself “You don’t have to” do something means “you don’t
clearly. need to do it”. It’s generally good news: you don’t have to
work late, you don’t have to visit your mother-in-law, you
don’t have to cook the dinner. “You mustn’t...” do some-
thing means “Do not do it”. It’s an order. It tells you that
something is not allowed. “You must...” is also an order.
It means: “Do it!” “Must” and “mustn’t” are not used be-
tween adults very often as they can sound very impolite,
but parents use them when speaking to children, especially
in potentially dangerous situations:
• You mustn’t touch that. It’s hot!

Ten of the best — for better English

You don’t have to do very much to improve your English. We’ve given you ten suggestions.
Why not make a note of them now, then put them in an order from one to ten that makes
sense for you? For example, this order could be how important the tips are for you, or the order
in which you intend to work on them. Another idea would be to make a mind map of these
ten points, or write a story using them — mind maps and stories are an effective way to learn,
as we saw in “Ten effective ways to expand your vocabulary” on pages 16–21 of Spotlight 11/13.
Fotos: iStock

Whatever you do, we’re confident that these tips will make you more confident in English in
2014.
1|14 Spotlight 27
 AMY ARGETSINGER | I Ask Myself

Why does Twitter “ How many

people are
‘following’

”
you?

make us crazy?
Das sogenannte “soziale” Medien-Netzwerk Twitter führt nicht selten zu
einem gänzlich unsozialen und zwanghaften Verhalten.

W ashington, DC, the city I

love, has been hit by a terri-
ble disease. The symptoms
include obsessive behavior, sleepless-
ness, rudeness, fear, and physical vio-
lence. It’s the disease known as
Twitter, and I pray it can be stopped
before it strikes your city, too.
There’s something about this
social-media network that Washing-
ton finds addictive, even more so
than Facebook. Maybe it’s the em-
phasis on brutally short messages in-
stead of smiling photos. Whatever it
is, it’s making people insane.
In September, a journalist attend-
ing a comedy show decided to share
his criticism of the performers on
Twitter — while the show was still
going on. One of the comedians saw
what the journalist tweeted about his
own act. He then found the writer
and punched him in the face.
In October, the foreign-policy
community was abuzz with the
sudden disappearance of a Twitter ac-
count by the mysterious “natsec-
wonk,” which had delivered delicious
jokes and gossip about top National
Security Council officials. Some of
the gossip, though, seemed to come a
bit too much from the inside. When
the White House investigated, it dis-
covered that the tweeter was a mem-
ber of the National Security Council
staff. He was immediately fired.
Why did the journalist think he
had to share his dislike of the not par-
ticularly famous comedian on Twit-
ter? Why was the comedian, who has
probably faced tougher criticism over
the years, so concerned about what
some not very prominent journalist
had to say about him on Twitter? And
why had Jofi Joseph, a smart young
man who had finally managed to get
a prestigious White House position,
thrown it all away by even operating
a Twitter account at all?
The reason is simple. For people
who keep an ear to the ground for the
latest information, Twitter is an ad-
diction. It’s a new medium with a
whole new set of measures for its
users to obsess over: how many peo-
ple are “following” me? That is, who
is following what I write on my Twit-
ter account? How many people will
retweet what I write? It gives an illu-
sion of a huge public forum, when in
fact very few other people may be see-
ing the same tweets you see.
I am friends with a
writer who is nearly 80
years old. She loves
the way Twitter has
helped her join
the daily
abuzz [E(bVz]
addictive [E(dIktIv]
foreign-policy community [)fO:rEn (pA:lEsi kE)mju:nEti]
gossip [(gA:sEp]
hothead [(hA:thed]
hypocrisy [hI(pA:krEsi]
insane [In(seIn]
keep an ear to the ground [)ki:p En (I&r tE DE )graUnd]
National Security Council [)nÄS&nEl sI(kjUrEti )kaUns&l] US
obsessive [Eb(sesIv]
prestigious [pre(stIdZEs]
punch [pVntS]
pundit [(pVndIt]
rudeness [(ru:dnEs]
conversation of political pundits half
her age. She feels less isolated. But she
also stays up late at night following
Twitter conversations. She calls me in
a panic if her password stops work-
ing. And if Twitter followers say
something unkind, she obsesses over
it for days — even when it turns out
that these people have only a dozen
followers themselves.
My husband was recently an-
noyed to see that a local blogger had
written a story about him without
calling to check the facts. He tweeted
a message announcing to his friends
that the blogger had the story wrong.
The blogger was angry that she had
been publicly criticized, even though
it was only in front of my husband’s
small number of followers. She then
tweeted insults against him to her
thousands of followers. She also
wrote a post about his tweet —
calling him a hothead — which she
then tweeted about.
I was amazed by this Twitter
hypocrisy. But I decided not to
tweet about it. At some point,
the madness has to stop.
aufgeregt
süchtig machend
hier: die Außenpolitiker
Klatsch
Brausekopf, Hitzkopf
Scheinheiligkeit, Heuchelei
verrückt
auf dem Laufenden bleiben
Nationaler Sicherheitsrat
zwanghaft
repräsentativ
schlagen
Experte, Expertin, Kritiker(in)
Grobheit
Foto: iStock

tweet [twi:t] (comp.) twittern

Amy Argetsinger is a co-author of “The Reliable Source,” a column in The Washington Post about personalities.

28 Spotlight 1|14
 Übung macht
den Meister!
Das Übungsheft zu Ihrem Sprachmagazin:
Die Extra-Dosis Sprachtraining – flexibel & e≤zient!

Ihr
Magazin-
Upgrade

Bestellen Sie jetzt!

+49 (0)89/8 56 81-16 abo@spotlight-verlag.de
 TRAVEL | United States

Sensational
New York
Das vielfältige Angebot an Attraktionen und Aktivitäten macht die Stadt zu einem lohnenden
Reiseziel gerade in der Winterzeit. CLAUDIA HELLMANN stellt Tipps vor.

30 Spotlight 1|14
 Two great perspectives:

N ew York City is extraordinary in all seasons, but never is it more beautiful than during the Brooklyn Bridge over
the holidays, when the bright lights of the big city create a spectacle of Christmas cheer. the East River (left); and
the Empire State Building
The holiday season officially starts after Thanksgiving, in late November. The explosive
crescendo arrives on New Year’s Eve, when a million people gather in Times Square for the
countdown to midnight. The festive atmosphere then lasts several weeks into the new year.
With so much happening in New York during this season, I decided to ask everyone I
know — New Yorkers and others who love the Big Apple — for their top holiday tips. In
some ways, I already knew what to expect: lights everywhere, Christmas carols playing in
public places, and busy shoppers pushing through the streets. But when I landed in the city,
I found all of these things and more. Happy Holidays!

A CLOSER LOOK
The greeting “Happy Holidays!” may seem strange at first. What’s wrong with
a simple “Merry Christmas”? Americans say “Happy Holidays” to show respect
to people of other religions and cultures. The end of the year is not only the
time for Christmas, but, for example, for Hanukkah and Kwanza, too. Kwanza
is an African-American festival lasting from December 26 until January 1.

Big Apple [)bIg (Äp&l] Spitzname für New York City

cheer [tSI&r] hier: (Fest)Stimmung
Christmas carol [(krIsmEs )kÄrEl] Weihnachtslied
Hanukkah [(hA:nEkE] Chanukah (jüd. Fest der Tempelweihe)
Fotos: A1PIX; LOOK

holidays [(hA:lEdeIz] hier: Weihnachtsfeiertage

Kwanza [(kwA:nzE] afro-amerikanisches kulturelles Fest aus der Tradition
afrikanischer Erntefeste
New Year’s Eve [)nu: jI&rz (i:v] Silvester
 TRAVEL | United States

The skating rink at Rockefeller Center and the famous

Christmas tree; above, the angels welcome shoppers passing
through Rockefeller Center on their way to the shops

It’s lovely to see the tree and watch the ice-skaters on

the rink below. The day I visited, an Indian family was hav-
ing what looked like their first-ever experience on ice. The
women, dressed in colorful saris underneath thick down
jackets, were wobbling along happily on their rented
skates. Their cheeks were red, and they were laughing, hav-
ing a wonderful time.
While it’s an iconic New York holiday experience, there
are other places in the city to go ice-skating, too. Maria
Grosch, who runs popular stands at the Christmas markets
at Union Square and Columbus Circle, prefers the Woll-
man ice-skating rink in Central Park.
“It’s much bigger, less crowded, less expensive, and you
can’t beat the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, espe-
cially when there’s snow,” said Grosch. There is free ice-
skating, too — free except for the cost of renting the skates
— in Bryant Park’s Winter Village, which is several blocks
south of Rockefeller Center.

annual [(ÄnjuEl] (all)jährlich

Classic Christmas backdrop [(bÄkdrA:p] Kulisse
Christmas begins on December 4 in New York City, when down jacket [)daUn (dZÄkIt] Daunenjacke
free [fri:] kostenlos
thousands of people gather at Rockefeller Center for the
ice-skater [(aIs skeIt&r] Eisläufer(in)
annual tree-lighting ceremony. Nearly everyone I asked iconic [aI(kA:nIk] kultig
told me to go see the tree. illuminate [I(lu:mIneIt] beleuchten
“It’s ‘holiday central’ in New York,” said Mithra Mas- line up [laIn (Vp] sich an- / aufstellen
tropierro, an opera singer who lives in Hoboken, New Jer- Norway spruce [)nO:rweI (spru:s] Rotfichte
sey — across the Hudson River from Manhattan. She also rink [rINk] Eislaufbahn
told me that it wasn’t worth waiting around to see the cer- skates [skeIts] Schlittschuhe
sprawling [(sprO:lIN] weitläufig
emony. “People start lining up around lunchtime, so for a
wobble [(wA:b&l] schwanken
good viewing spot, you’ll have to stand there for hours.
And it can be pretty cold in December.”
If you miss the ceremony, don’t worry: the big Christ-
mas tree stays in place until January 7. It is a spectacular
sight: the giant Norway spruce is at least 65 feet (20 me-
ters) tall and 35 feet wide, and is illuminated by 30,000
lights. “The Rock,” the skyscraper at the heart of Mid-
town’s sprawling Rockefeller Center, provides it with a dra-
matic backdrop.
Magical Manhattan:
32 Spotlight 1|14 best when it snows
 Go to a show at
Radio City Music Hall

Shows and musicals

New York City is a hub of holiday shows and entertainment. There are classics
such as George Balanchine’s production of he Nutcracker, performed at Lin-
coln Center by the New York City Ballet. Then there’s the Christmas Spectacular
at Radio City Music Hall by the famous Rockettes dance group. For Amy
Trotter-Houston, a writer who once dreamed of being a Rockette, the show’s
“Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” is a favorite: “The Rockettes do a short up-
and-down marching step, then line up in a pinwheel formation — two lines
of dancers facing forward, and two lines facing backward. Next, they spin and
salute. It’s wonderful.”
Allison French, who works on Broadway, suggested I go to the Metropoli-
tan Opera’s crowd pleaser, he Magic Flute. But my opera-singing friend Mithra
Mastropierro was adamant about what to see at the Met: “Falstaff ! I’ve never
met anyone who didn’t love Falstaff. James Levine directs it, and it’s the best
opera of all time.” If opera is not your thing, her tip is to try the famous Apollo
Theater in Harlem. Wednesday is “Amateur Night,” a talent competition that
has been held there since the 1930s.
Broadway has a number of holiday productions, too, such as Annie and
Cinderella. But I decided to see something less orthodox: a matinee perform-
ance of Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. With music by U2’s Bono and The
Edge, and stunts that send Spiderman flying over the audience’s heads, the Building from up close.” She was
show is fantastic — even for someone who isn’t a fan of musicals. right. The view was magical. I could
When I left the theater after Spider-Man, the sun was setting, and nearby imagine how festive the famous
Times Square was awash in a sea of color. I decided to walk back to Rockefeller building would look during the com-
Center. “Go up to the Top of the Rock and see the twinkling lights below,” ing days of Christmas, with its top lit
Maria Grosch had suggested. “It’s a wonderful way to see the Empire State up in red and green.

adamant [(ÄdEmEnt] eisern, unnachgiebig ART FOR THE HOLIDAYS

awash [E(wO:S] überflutet, eingetaucht
crowd pleaser [(kraUd )pli:z&r] Publikumserfolg
direct [dE(rekt] hier: dirigieren
Whether you travel to New York City
from up close [frEm )Vp (kloUs] aus nächster Nähe for the main part of the holiday sea-
hub [hVb] Zentrum, Mittelpunkt son, or wait until it’s all over (and the
orthodox [(O:rTEdA:ks] konventionell prices have come down), there is
pinwheel formation [(pInwi:&l fO:r)meIS&n] Windrad-Formation plenty to see and do. Many of the big
spin [spIn] sich (schnell) drehen holiday-season art exhibitions even
The Magic Flute [DE )mÄdZIk (flu:t] Die Zauberflöte
extend into the new year:
twinkle [(twINk&l] funkeln
• “Gateway to Himalayan Art” at the
Rubin Museum of Art through
Great stunts in Spider-Man: January 6. www.rmanyc.org
Turn off the Dark • “Chris Burden: Extreme Measures”
at the New Museum through
January 12. www.newmuseum.org
• “Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals:
Masterpieces from the Mauritshuis”
(featuring Vermeer’s famous Girl
Fotos: Jacob Cohl; Getty Images; laif; LOOK

with a Pearl Earring) at the Frick

Collection through January 19.
www.frick.org
• “American Modern” at the Museum
of Modern Art through January 27.
www.moma.org
• “Chagall: Love, War, and Exile” at
the Jewish Museum through Feb-
ruary 2. www.thejewishmuseum.org
 Legendary toy store:
TRAVEL | United States FAO Schwarz
For kids of all ages
For Lizzy Searle, who
works in New York’s fash-
ion industry, the city’s
department-store win-
dows are a great source of
inspiration at this time of
the year. “Bergdorf Good-
man’s window displays are
‘number one’ during the
holidays,” she said. “But
there’s also Henri Bendel,
Saks, Barneys...”
The big department
stores on Fifth Avenue
compete with one an-
other to have the most
talked-about windows.
The decorations are a
matter of pride and the
result of months of care-
In Chinatown: take a culinary break
ful planning. Some even
feature collaborations with celebrities such as pop star
Lady Gaga, who designed windows for Barneys in 2011.
“Bergdorf Goodman’s windows are very classy, very so-
phisticated; Barneys is hip and creative, with celebrities
designing their windows,” Searle said. “Saks, Lord &
Taylor, and Macy’s are more family-friendly, often with
animated imagery. Macy’s always has windows depicting
scenes from the movie Miracle on 34th Street.”
Macy’s department store on Herald Square covers a
whole city block, and there is little a shopper won’t find
there. Another good reason to visit before Christmas is
Santaland, a world of twinkling lights and artificial snow,
where Santa Claus greets shoppers, listens to their holiday
wishes, and poses for photos. It’s a must for children.
So is a visit to FAO Schwarz. Founded in 1862, it is
the oldest toy store in the United States. But there is noth-
ing old-fashioned about the main shop in Midtown
Manhattan. There, real-life toy sol-
diers greet visitors and
help to manage the line
that forms outside. Inside,
the store has every toy ima-
ginable. Smiling shop clerks
provide demonstrations: when
I was there, an elf that flew
through the air like a tiny heli-
copter drew gasps of delight
from little girls. Then there is the
giant “floor piano.” Kids and their
parents hop around on it in their
socks, causing the oversized keys to
light up in various colors.
This Buddha
recommends the
dumplings for lunch
Getting away from it all
Need a break from the holiday madness? Go down to Chi-
natown — which borders Manhattan’s Lower East Side
— for a meal of dumplings or Peking duck. “It’s nice to
be somewhere that is so full of life, but it’s not at all about
Christmas shopping or trees — or any of the craziness that
by December 25 you’re sick of,” said Catherine Craft, a
curator who lives in Manhattan for part of the year. For
those who can’t resist, just a few blocks away is Mulberry
Street in Little Italy, where popular Neapolitan nativity
scenes and other Christmas decorations are on display.
Diane Frame, a medical researcher who lives in Brook-
lyn, stays away from Manhattan during the holidays. The
other boroughs may not have the top attractions, she said,
but if you want to experience something different, go see
the Christmas lights in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. People
in the Italian-American neighborhood try to outdo one
another with the extravagant decorations on their houses.
animated imagery bewegte Bilder (etwa mit
[)ÄnImeItEd (ImIdZEri] mechanischen Puppen)
artificial [)A:rtI(fIS&l] künstlich
borough [(b§:oU] Stadtteil
classy [(klÄsi] ifml. stilvoll
collaboration [kE)lÄbE(reIS&n] Zusammenarbeit
department store Kaufhaus
[di(pA:rtmEnt stO:r]
depict [di(pIkt] darstellen
dumpling [(dVmplIN] Knödel
elf [elf] Elfe
gasp: sth. draws ~s of etw. lässt jmdm. vor Ent-
delight from sb. [gÄsp] zücken den Atem stocken
hip [hIp] ifml. cool, total in
nativity scene [nE(tIvEti )si:n] Krippenspiel
outdo one another sich gegenseitig
[aUt(du: wVn E)nVD&r] übertrumpfen
shop clerk [(SA:p )kl§:k] Verkäufer(in)
sick of: be ~ sth. [(sIk Ev] von etw. genug haben
sophisticated [sE(fIstIkeItEd] mondän, anspruchsvoll
window display [(wIndoU dI(spleI] Schaufensterauslage
Crazy lights: a house
in Dyker Heights
 On New Year’s Day: the Polar
Bear Club’s swim at Coney Island

It’s a wonderfully kitsch spectacle, with Santas climbing

on chimneys and fake reindeer on the lawns. Whole
houses are ablaze with thousands of lights.
Another Brooklyn tradition she recommends is the
Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s big holiday event, the New
Year’s Day Swim. Coney Island has a special charm during
the winter season, when the beaches are empty and the
amusement park rides stand still. On New Year’s Day,
though, hundreds of members of the club and other brave I won’t have time to go out to the southern end of
bathers take a dip in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Brooklyn on New Year’s Day, and I’d prefer to avoid the
crowds on Times Square for New Year’s Eve. But I will join
Times Square: the billion or so people watching the famous countdown
the place to be on to the new year on TV. I’ll be across the Hudson River in
New Year’s Eve Hoboken, where I’m guaranteed a sensational view of the
fireworks over Manhattan.

ablaze [E(bleIz] hell erleuchtet

amusement park [E(mju:zmEnt pA:rk] Vergnügungspark
billion [(bIljEn] Milliarde(n)
observation deck [)A:bz&r(veIS&n dek] Aussichtsplattform
reindeer [(reIndIr] Rentier
ride [raId] Fahrgeschäft
take a dip [)teIk E (dIp] hier: ins Wasser
springen, eintauchen
IF YOU GO...
Fotos: Corbis; Getty Images; LOOK; Mauritius; Karte: Nic Murphy

Getting there What to see and do

Several airlines fly direct to John F. Kennedy (JFK) or Newark Wollman ice-skating rink in Central Park at 63rd Street.
(EWR) Airport. Take the AirTrain to the subway or to New www.wollmanskatingrink.com
Jersey Transit and a variety of bus services. ($1 = €0.73) The rink in Bryant Park is at 41 West 40th Street.
http://bryantpark.org/things-to-do/wintervillage.html
Where to stay For performances at the Lincoln Center, including
At the New York Palace, close to Rockefeller Center, which the Metropolitan Opera, see www.lincolncenter.org
is beautifully decorated for the holidays. Double rooms For Radio City Music Hall, see www.radiocity.com
from $270. 455 Madison Avenue; tel. (001) 212-888 7000. Spider-Man is showing at Foxwoods Theatre at 214 West
www.newyorkpalace.com 43rd Street. See www.foxwoodstheatre.com
Try the Hilton Garden Inn, Times Square, for double rooms The Apollo Theater is at 253 West 125th Street in Harlem.
from $170. 790 Eighth Avenue; tel. (001) 212-581 7000. www.apollotheater.org
http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com The Top of the Rock observation deck is on the 70th floor
of the GE building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
THE UPPER WEST
N www.topoftherocknyc.com
t

We
s

BRONX s t SIDE
We

66
th
Macy’s is at 151 West 34th Street. www.macys.com
Bro ad wa y

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rk

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Pa

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Eating out
BROOKLYN
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Manhattan Ea
Before seeing a Broadway show, eat at Sardi’s at 234 West
44th Street, a show-business classic.
t5 Wollman st
7 th Ce 65
We
St. ntr
al
Rink th
St.
New York Restaurant Week typically takes place sometime
s Pa
We
t5
3 rd
rk
So between mid-January and early February. Many of New
u
e.

s t5 St. th
FAO Schwarz York’s top restaurants will serve three-course lunches for
Av

0 th Bergdorf
St. Ea
e.
nth

Goodman st $24 and three-course dinners for $35 (drinks, tax, and tip
Av

59
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Radio City Ea th
st St. not included). www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek
th

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Ele

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42 THEATER Square Center
We nd Ea More information
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B ro a d w
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Fif
 PETER FLYNN | Around Oz
A smaller government
In Australien plant der neue Premierminister, die Regierung
von der Größe und der Rolle her, die sie einnimmt, drastisch
zu reduzieren.
A ustralia’s new prime minister,
Tony Abbott, has been rela-
tively quiet since winning last
September’s federal election. How-
ever, a report due in January will
make clear how he intends to reduce
dramatically the size and role of the
government.
Back in October, Abbott’s treas-
urer, Joe Hockey, appointed a five-
member commission to determine
what assets could be privatized and
what services could be outsourced, as
well as recommending spending cuts,
tax increases, welfare cuts and the
downsizing of federal bureaucracy.
It says something that this Na-
tional Commission of Audit does not
include politicians; it is dominated by
business and finance people who are
not afraid to make big cuts.
he commission’s first report —
the final one is due before the May
federal budget — will offer a plan to
eliminate the government’s A$ 300
billion (€210 billion), and rising,
debt by the end of this decade. he
current government recently raised
Australia’s debt limit to A$ 500 bil-
lion and knows that it needs to make
tough decisions to protect the coun-
try’s AAA credit rating.
his plan will be the key driver of
a new reform agenda that Abbott
hopes to sell to voters for a likely sec-
ond term in office that would take his
government through to 2019.
More than 10 per cent of public-
service jobs — about 12,000 — in
the capital, Canberra, are already ex-
pected to be cut. his is something
the city has seen before in the regular
cycle of left- and right-wing govern-
ments, which expand and then re-
duce the public sector.
Peter Flynn is a public-relations consultant and social commentator who lives in Perth, Western Australia.
36 Spotlight 1|14
his time, though, the audit com-
mission is being most transparent
about defining the role of smaller
government. Two of its clearly stated
principles are straight out of the char-
ter of modern conservative parties
across the world. One is that “govern-
ment should live within its means”.
Another is that “government should
do for people what they cannot do,
or cannot do efficiently, for them-
selves, but no more”. “Ouch!” for lots
of government programmes that were
helped along by the mining construc-
tion boom and China’s rapid growth.
Abbott and Hockey are zealous in
fighting against what they call the
Canberra, the
capital: offering
fewer jobs
AAA credit rating [eI eI )eI (kredIt )reItIN]
asset [(Äset]
backdrop [(bÄkdrQp]
charter [(tSA:tE]
downsizing [(daUnsaIzIN]
entitlement [In(taIt&lmEnt]
infighting [(In)faItIN]
National Commission of Audit
[)nÄS&nEl kE)mIS&n Ev (O:dIt]
public service [)pVblIk (s§:vIs]
revenue [(revEnju:]
term in office [)t§:m In (QfIs]
treasurer [(treZErE]
welfare cuts [(welfeE kVts]
within one’s means [wID)In wVnz (mi:nz]
zealous [(zelEs]
“ The
commission
won’t be afraid
to make big
”
cuts
“age of entitlement”, and have prom-
ised only that there would be no cuts
in health or education spending. At
the same time, the audit commission
is to recommend how Australia can
deliver an infrastructure programme,
especially to keep export volumes of
natural resources growing.
he backdrop to many of these
considerations is the continuing in-
stability of the US economy, which is
keeping the value of the Australian
dollar 10 to 20 per cent higher than
it should be. hat cuts into export
revenue and government taxes.
In keeping with his promise to
lead a stable and “grown-up” govern-
ment, Abbott has given the Aus-
tralian public a real break from
politics since he became prime min-
ister. Six years of infighting and chaos
from the previous Labor government
had turned voters off completely.
However, the first audit commission
report, coming near the end of the
summer holiday season, will lay the
foundations for some pretty serious
discussion in the New Year.
Einstufung für höchste Bonität
Posten
Hintergrund
Charta, Gründungsurkunde, Satzung
Verringerung, Gesundschrumpfung
Anspruch(sdenken)
interne Machtkämpfe
Prüfungsausschuss
Staatsdienst
Einnahmen
Amtszeit
Schatzmeister(in)
Einsparungen bei den Sozialausgaben
Foto: Corbis
im Rahmen der Mittel
eifrig bemüht
GET STARTED NOW!
Spotlight’s easy-English
booklet

Einfaches Englisch
für Alltagssituationen
Green Light
 DEBATE | Britain

Absolute zero?
Immer mehr britische Unternehmen entdecken die neue Vertragsform der „Null-Stunden-
Verträge“ für sich. Diese erlauben zwar größtmögliche Flexibilität, sind sie aber auch gerecht?

W hen does flexibility for a company lead to the ex-

ploitative treatment of its workers? Employers in
the UK are increasingly using zero-hours con-
tracts, which do not guarantee a fixed number of hours of
work. Instead, people are offered work only when they are
needed and paid only when they work.
Information from the Office for National Statistics
shows that 250,000 workers in the UK are currently on
zero-hours contracts. However, the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development says that this figure is actually
nearer to one million, or about four per cent of the total
UK labour force.
Zero-hours contracts have been used for years in the
restaurant and hotel, health and education sectors. A num-
ber of scandals have brought these contracts back into the
No guaranteed hours: workers at UK company Sports Direct
news, however. It was recently shown that the company
Sports Direct uses zero-hours contracts for almost 90 per Research by the Resolution Foundation shows that
cent of its workers, while pub chain JD Wetherspoon hires those who are on zero-hours contracts receive an average
close to 80 per cent of its staff in the same way. pay of £236 per week, compared to £482 per week for
Supporters believe that contracts of this kind allow those who are not. Those employed on contracts of this
businesses to react quickly to changes in demand. Alexan- kind also work fewer hours on average (21 per week) than
der Ehmann of the Institute of Directors says that taking others who are not (31 per week).
on full-time staff is risky and expensive. “Zero-hours con- Such contracts may make sense for small companies
tracts can be a vital tool in our economic recovery,” he says. that experience varying seasonal levels of trade. The Fed-
Critics point out, though, that most zero-hours staff eration of Small Businesses argues that the use of these
are legally defined as “workers” rather than “employees”, contracts “is a question of responsible management”. But
and therefore lose valuable employment rights. These in- a recent UK parliamentary report shows that a lot of larger
clude protection against unfair dismissal, as well as paid companies use zero-hours contracts. There are concerns
maternity leave, redundancy and sick pay. The Trades that many zero-hours workers are in reality permanent em-
Union Congress highlights the difficulty in planning ployees who simply have no employment protection.
childcare and budgeting for bills if you don’t know how Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has called for a ban on
much money you will be earning in any one week. The exploitative zero-hours practices. While parliament debates
trade union UNISON also says that zero-hours contracts the issues, Business Secretary Vince Cable has promised a
leave workers “more open to abuse”. government review of the contracts.

abuse [E(bju:s] Missbrauch exploitative [Ik(splOItEtIv] ausbeuterisch

argue [(A:gju:] argumentieren, einwenden, behaupten figure [(fIgE] Zahl, Ziffer
ban on [(bÄn Qn] Verbot von maternity leave bezahlter
Business Secretary Minister für Unternehmen, [mE(t§:nEti )li:v] Erziehungsurlaub
[(bIznEs )sekrEtEri] UK Innovation und Qualifikationen permanent employee fest angestellte
childcare [(tSaI&ld keE] Kinderbetreuung [)p§:mEnEnt Im(plOIi:] Arbeitskraft
concern [kEn(s§:n] Sorge point out [pOInt (aUt] darauf hinweisen
Fotos: Alamy; J. Earwaker

critic [(krItIk] Kritiker redundancy pay [ri(dVndEnsi )peI] UK Abfindung

demand [di(mA:nd] Nachfrage sick pay [(sIk peI] Krankengeld
dismissal [dIs(mIs&l] Kündigung Trades Union Congress Gewerkschafts-
economic recovery Wirtschaftsaufschwung, [)treIdz )ju:niEn (kQNgres] dachverband
[i:kE)nQmIk ri(kVvEri] Wirtschaftserholung vital [(vaIt&l] unerlässlich

38 Spotlight 1|14

Julian Earwaker asked people in Norwich, England:
Are zero-hours contracts fair?
Mandi Teagle, 42,
shop manager
Chris Potts, 31,
business owner
Barry Cushing, 64,
retired
approve of sth. [E(pru:v Ev]
benefit [(benIfIt]
circumstances: in certain ~
[(s§:kEmstÄnsIz]
commit to sth. [kE(mIt tE]
Listen to Mandi, James, Chris and Clare
James Smith, 37,
prison officer
Clare Peed, 49, artist
Trudi Wilson-Berry, 43,
software manager
Emma Brown, 18, Jonathan Barnard, 34,
student oil-rig worker
etw. für gut befinden enable sb. to do sth. [In(eIb&l tE )dU] jmdm etw. ermöglichen
Vorteil mortgage [(mO:gIdZ] Hypothek
unter gewissen Umständen Norwich [(nQrIdZ]
oil rig [(OI&l rIg] Ölplattform
hier: einsetzen für etw. workload [(w§:klEUd] Arbeitsaufkommen
1|14 Spotlight 39
 HISTORY | 100 Years Ago The early days: Lagos in
1925; colonial admin-
istrator Frederick Lugard

100 years of
Nigeria
In der Vergangenheit hat sich gezeigt, dass das einwohnerreichste
Land Afrikas eine Fülle an Ressourcen und Kultur, aber auch viele
Probleme sein Eigen nennt. Von MIKE PILEWSKI

L ike most people, you probably have a connection to

Nigeria. Somewhere among the e-mail you’ve re-
ceived, there’s a message from someone claiming to
be the son or wife of a former diplomat who needs your
help in smuggling $18 million out of the country. So
many of these messages originally came from Nigeria that
they became known as 419 scams, named after the article
of the Nigerian criminal code that deals with fraud.
In January, Nigeria celebrates 100 years as a united en-
tity. Although independence did not arrive until October
1960, Nigeria’s history began with the fusion of a northern
and southern protectorate which established a single
British colony on 1 January 1914.
Today, with 174 million people, Nigeria has the largest
population of any country in Africa, the seventh-largest
population in the entire world and, after South Africa, the
second-largest economy on the continent. It’s a major oil
producer, the home of noted African intellectuals and the
seat of an industry that makes more films than Hollywood.
Not all is well in Nigeria, however. The country is also
known for a high degree of corruption, violent crime, dam-
age to the environment, and tribal and religious tensions.
Nigeria is best described as two or even three countries
in one, a fact that has made it difficult to govern. The
northern part is gen-
erally Muslim and Hausa-speaking,
aligned culturally with neighbouring countries of the
Sahel. Hausa is also spoken as a language of commerce
across much of West Africa.
The south-west of Nigeria is generally Christian and
Yoruba-speaking, and it has some cultural similarities with
other countries on the Atlantic coast. In historical times,
the slave trade brought certain customs from this area,
such as santaría and voodoo, to the Caribbean and the
southern United States.
There is a third major group, the Igbo or Ibo, who live
in eastern Nigeria.
When the British arrived in this part of Africa in the
late 19th century, they found it ruled by rival kings and
tribal leaders. As Nigerian author Chinua Achebe de-
scribed in a series of novels, beginning with hings Fall
Apart (1958), the British were able to take advantage of
this political fragmentation by offering a system of laws
and education, and integrating existing power-holders into
a bureaucratic administration that promised stability, pro-
tection and modernization.
During the colonial period, some Nigerians living in
or near the coastal capital of Lagos were able to enjoy

419 scam [skÄm] Nigeria-Brief (in betrügerischer Absicht Colourful culture: the
verschickte E-Mail, die zum Vorschussbetrug Lagos carnival parade
auffordert)
aligned [E(laInd] verbunden, ausgerichtet
claim [kleIm] behaupten
criminal code Strafgesetzbuch
[)krImIn&l (kEUd]
entity [(entEti] Gebilde, Einheit
fraud [frO:d] Betrug
fusion [(fju:Z&n] Zusammenschluss
tension [(tenS&n] Spannung
tribal [(traIb&l] Stammes-

40 Spotlight 1|14
 Western education and find a otaged pipelines in
career in the bureaucracy, order to steal some of
while others living in the the oil and share it with
country’s north and east re- local people, even
tained a cultural distance and though the damaged
a disdain for the foreign influ- pipelines made the oil
ence to the south. spills worse. Shell,
Even by the time inde- aided by the Nigerian
pendence was granted in army, aimed to stop
1960, the Hausa, Yoruba and Lagos: parts of it are still in need of profits from the oil economy this at all costs.
Igbo remained suspicious of each other. Each group dom- Protest leaders such as Ken Saro-Wiwa, who advocated
inated a different political party. One region in the east non-violence, identified corruption in government as hav-
left to become part of Cameroon in 1961, creating an im- ing made such conditions possible. Since 1966, except for
balance in the rest of Nigeria. Within five years, rival four years in the early 1980s, Nigeria had been ruled by
factions of the military were fighting for control in a series one military dictator after another. General Sani Abacha,
of coups. in power in 1995, found it easy to silence the protest
In 1967, Nigeria’s Eastern Re- movement by executing nine of its leaders, including Saro-
gion — dominated by the Igbo — Wiwa.
declared itself the independent Re- The international community refused to excuse this,
public of Biafra. The rest of Nigeria however. Nigeria was expelled from the Commonwealth
began a brutal war and blockade and excluded from international events for three years,
that prevented food supplies from while Abacha’s successor, Abdulsalami Abubakar, arranged
reaching the separatist population. for a return to civilian government. Nigeria finally became
With starvation taking hold on a a democracy again in 1999.
massive scale, the Biafrans had no The current president, Goodluck Jonathan, is the third
choice but to give up in 1970. to be elected since the military gave up its power. He aims
A new, planned capital in the to make government more transparent and accountable,
centre of the country — Abuja — and to focus on the country’s youth.
was meant to address the problem Nigeria may be 100 years old, but its population is one
of disunity. Lagos remained the cen- of the world’s youngest.
tre of education and commerce, Because the country has
while the Niger Delta in the south- one of the highest birth
east became the centre of the grow- rates and lowest life ex-
Abuja: the National Christian ing oil industry. This development pectancies in the world,
Centre and National Mosque made Nigeria an international half of Nigerians are
player, but also created problems. under 18 years of age.
During the 1990s, the Ogoni people living near the They are the ones who
Niger Delta called international attention to the massive will decide what their
scale on which decades of oil spills had polluted their country’s second cen-
groundwater and farmland. A lack of regulation, they said, tury looks like.
had allowed multinational corporations — Royal Dutch Looking ahead:
Shell in particular — to profit exclusively at the expense the current president,
of the health of the local population. Some protesters sab- Goodluck Jonathan

accountable [E(kaUntEb&l] rechenschaftspflichtig, faction [(fÄkS&n] Splittergruppe

verantwortlich grant [grA:nt] gewähren
address [E(dres] angehen look like [(lUk laIk] aussehen wie
Foto: akg-images; Getty Images; VISUM

advocate sth. [(ÄdvEkeIt] sich für etw. einsetzen oil spill [(OI&l spIl] Ölverschmutzung
aided by [(eIdId baI] mit Hilfe von pollute [pE(lu:t] verschmutzen
at all costs [Et )O:l (kQsts] um jeden Preis regulation [)regju(leiS&n] Verordnungen
at the expense of [Et Di Ik(spens Ev] auf Kosten von retain [ri(teIn] beibehalten
coup [ku:] Putsch scale [skeI&l] Umfang, Ausmaß
disdain [dIs(deIn] Geringschätzung, Verachtung starvation [stA:(veIS&n] Hungersterben
disunity [dIs(ju:nEti] Uneinigkeit, Zerrissenheit successor [sEk(sesE] Nachfolger(in)
expel [Ik(spel] ausschließen suspicious [sE(spISEs] misstrauisch

1|14 Spotlight 41
 PRESS GALLERY | Comment

A London
for everyone?
Um Londons Immobilien reißen sich die Reichen – um Vermögen zu parken. Dadurch schießen
die Preise in die Höhe und London wird für den Normalbürger bald unerschwinglich.

T oday, the fattest profits come not from the fruits of

questing minds and hard graft but from the new
gold, what American writer Michael Goldfarb, in a
scathing essay in [he] Observer, calls “the global reserve
currency” that is property.
“The property market is no longer about people mak-
ing long-term investment in owning their shelter,” he
writes, “but a place for the world’s richest people to park
their money at an annualised rate of return of around
10%.” In 2012, an extraordinary £83 bn-worth of prop-
erties were purchased mortgage-free in London with no
financing. ...
The impact of London’s property market becoming an-
other global reserve currency where the super rich stash
their billions and evade tax will soon be felt in the chang-
ing nature of the city’s social and cultural ecology. What
price to the capital if, increasingly, teachers, artists, stu-
dents and civil servants can no longer live, work and con-
tribute to an eclectic social mix?
The threat is not just cultural, but economic too. Al-
ready some senior business leaders have voiced fears that
the capital is likely to lose out to cities such as Berlin in
the race to become Europe’s major digital hub since Lon-
don is simply unaffordable for many young enterprising
tech workers. Historically, the cultural industries have been
major players in the British economy, but they also play a
crucial role in helping create a flourishing, diverse city.
That is now under serious threat and there are few, if
any, senior political leaders who seem to have an oversight
of what is happening. The city needs a strong advocate,
one who argues vociferously that the cities that work best
are ones that work for everyone. London is no longer that
type of city.
© Guardian News & Media 2013

advocate [(ÄdvEkEt] Fürsprecher(in), Vertreter(in)

annualized rate of return Jahresrendite
[)ÄnjuElaIzd )reIt Ev ri(t§:n]
bn = billion [(bIljEn] Milliarde(n)
civil servant [)sIv&l (s§:v&nt] Beamter, Beamtin,
öffentliche(r) Angestellte(r)
crucial [(kru:S&l] entscheidend
diverse [daI(v§:s] vielgestaltig
eclectic [I(klektIk] vielschichtig
enterprising [(entEpraIzIN] unternehmerisch
evade tax [i)veId (tÄks] Steuer umgehen,
Steuer hinterziehen
flourishing [(flVrISIN] florierend
global reserve currency Weltreservewährung
[)glEUb&l ri(z§:v )kVrEnsi]
graft [grA:ft] UK ifml. schwere Arbeit, Schufterei
hub [hVb] Zentrum
lose out to sth./sb. [lu:z (aUt tE] gegenüber etw. / jmdm.
den Kürzeren ziehen
mortgage-free ohne hypothekarische
[)mO:gIdZ (fri:] Belastung
oversight [(EUvEsaIt] Übersicht
questing [(kwestIN] wissensdurstig
senior [(si:niE] hier: führend
shelter [(SeltE] hier: Dach über dem Kopf
stash [stÄS] ifml. bunkern
Fotos: Alamy

vociferously [vEU(sIfErEsli] lautstark

voice sth. [vOIs] etw. zum Ausdruck bringen

42 Spotlight 1|14 Looking for a place to live:

not that easy in London

INFO TO GO
To describe an opinion that appears in the form of a
report, a comment or an essay that is extremely neg-
ative, damaging or hurtful to the people mentioned
in it, the adjective scathing is a good word to use. It
is slightly formal and means “extremely critical”. Here
is another example of the type of sentence in which
you might see this adjective: “The opposition
launched a scathing attack on the prime minister.”
The verb “scathe” is related to the German verb
schaden; it means “physically to hurt or damage”. It is
most commonly used in the form “unscathed”. For
example: “The train was completely damaged in the
crash, but all the passengers escaped unscathed.”
In which of these sentences is the word
“scathing” used correctly?
a) Your scathing remarks about my cooking last
night were very unwelcome.
b) Did you see the scathing review of my book in
the press?
Mehr Sprache
können Sie
nirgendw
Alles, was Sie wirklich brauchen, um eine Sprache zu lernen:
Bücher und DVDs in Originalsprache, Lernsoftware
und vieles mehr.
Klicken und Produktvielfalt entdecken:
Listen to more news
items in Replay
IN THE HEADLINES
Four wheels good, two wheels bad
The Economist
This headline appeared above an article about traffic
problems in Kolkata, India. The city has banned bicycles,
human-powered rickshaws and other “non-motorized
vehicles” from major roads so that cars and buses can
move faster. The headline borrows from George Orwell’s
1945 novel Animal Farm. At first, the slogan “four legs
good, two legs bad” expresses the animals’ feelings to-
wards humans in a clear way; later, however, the animals
decide that this is too categorical. Similarly, The Economist
says the ban on bicycles sounds good, but is in reality too
simplistic and not in everyone’s interest.
Answer: Both sentences are correct.
.
o s h o p p e n
ell. u
nlich. Individ
Kompetent. Persö
www.sprachenshop.de
 ARTS | What’s New | Comedy

Ben Stiller:
Walter Mitty
for a new
generation

A parallel life
A s part of their introduction to the English language,
generations of schoolchildren have been made to
read The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the classic
short story by James Thurber. No matter how old they
now are, they’ll welcome American actor Ben Stiller’s re-
worked version of Walter’s story, transferred from an or-
dinary life in the late 1930s to the present day. Walter (also
played by Stiller) works for Life magazine, processing
photo negatives. He’s a good worker, but his habit of ig-
noring reality in order to daydream about a more exciting
life has not helped his professional progress.
Life magazine will soon go online, and if Walter is to
keep his job, he needs to find one special photo for the last
print cover. Just as it looks as though all is lost, Walter
dares, for the first time in his life, to follow his overactive
imagination. He goes off on a trip through Greenland, Ice-
land and the Himalayas, tracking a famous photographer
(Sean Penn) over stormy seas and active volcanoes and to
a game of football with Afghan kids. Adding some spec-
tacular scenery to his talent for exploring everyday comedy,
Stiller’s Mitty is a gentle statement of faith: in instinct,
imagination and human decency. Starts 1 January.

| Drama
J. C. Chandor’s first film, Margin
Call, took audiences inside the
dangerous world of finance. His
second film, All Is Lost, high-
lights different survival tactics.
Our man (Robert Redford) (see Redford: is it hopeless?
page 67) has set off for some months sailing in the Indian
Ocean, when his boat hits a shipping container. He repairs the
hole, but the storm that follows forces him into a lifeboat, in
which he drifts for days, trying to stay sane and hoping for res-
cue. Aged nearly 80, Redford gives an incredible performance,
relying on facial expressions and supported by great camera
work. We become part of a unique cinematic experience that
captures the struggle between life and death. Starts 16 January.
| Comedy
When five middle-aged friends revisit their home town to
spend an evening acting like teenagers, it’s time for some great
British comedy. The friends go off on a pub crawl, but soon re-
alize that Newton Haven has changed Alien action in the
— and not just because they’re older. provinces
They also get some unexpected action.
The World’s End is the last of a tril-
ogy by the writer-director team Simon
Pegg and Edgar Wright. Like Shaun of
the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007),
The World’s End combines humorous
observations on the human condition
with science-fiction action. Out on DVD
on 21 January.

capture [(kÄptSE] einfangen, erfassen lifeboat [(laIfbEUt] Rettungsboot

dare [deE] wagen, riskieren pub crawl Kneipentour
decency [(di:s&nsi] Anstand, Anständigkeit [(pVb krO:l] UK ifml.
Fotos: PR; Warwick Saint

drift [drIft] treiben scenery [(si:nEri] Landschaft

facial expression [)feIS&l Ik(spreS&n] Gesichtsausdruck set off [set (Qf] aufbrechen, sich auf den Weg machen
faith [feIT] Glauben, Vertrauen stay sane [steI (seIn] hier: nicht verrückt werden
human condition [)hju:mEn kEn(dIS&n] Menschsein unique [ju(ni:k] ganz besondere(s, r)

44 Spotlight 1|14
 | Grammar | Philosophy

When the self-study book Eng- One of the charms of the BBC podcast 60 Second Idea to
lish Grammar in Use by Ray- Improve the World is that — as its name suggests — it is
mond Murphy came out in 1985, short. Every week, a thinker, scientist or psychologist is invited
its clear layout and simple expla- to present an idea in 60 seconds that he or she believes will im-
nations immediately made it prove the world.
popular with English learners. Should citizenship
The book is now in its fourth edi- be decided by ideol-
tion. The English Grammar ogy? Can you over-
in Use Test app now provides a fun way to test your knowl- come fear by using a
edge of English grammar on the move. The app does not offer camera? These are
grammar explanations, but tests in two ways. In practice mode, just two of the
learners choose an area of grammar, such as the passive voice, world-improving
or adjectives and adverbs, on which to test themselves, while ideas recently pre-
test mode provides gap-filling exercises at different levels with sented on the pod-
random points of cast. Once the
grammar. The app speaker has made
also comes with a his or her case, the The 60-second idea platform
scores and statistics idea is discussed by a small panel. There is no transcript, but
function, so that the short introductory text for each podcast on the home page
you can follow your of 60 Second Idea to Improve the World gives the
progress. The Eng- listener an idea of the language and arguments. Find out more
lish Grammar in Use at www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/forum60sec
Test is available
from iTunes and
costs €1.79. | Music
Michael Bublé:
Test your
classic songs
English grammar
with a
on the move
new twist

Canadian singer-songwriter Michael Bublé comes to Germany, Austria

and Switzerland this month to bring his eighth studio album, To Be
Loved, to European fans. Considered by many to be the best con-
temporary representative of the big-band crooner, Bublé brings
new interpretations to all kinds of classics. From “Try a Little
Tenderness” (first recorded in 1932) to the Beatles’ “All You
Need is Love” and Daft Punk’s 2013 disco hit “Get Lucky”,
the singer makes every song sound special — including sev-
eral, such as “It’s a Beautiful Day”, that he wrote himself.
With charm, humour and good looks added to his con-
siderable skills, Bublé’s concerts are special occasions for
all the family. For dates, check www.michaelbuble.com

citizenship [(sItIzEnSIp] Staatsbürgerschaft

considerable [kEn(sIdErEb&l]
crooner [(kru:nE]
make one’s case [)meIk wVnz (keIs]
on the move [)Qn DE (mu:v]
panel [(pÄn&l]
random [(rÄndEm]
beachtlich, beträchtlich
Sänger (sentimentaler Lieder)
seine Sache begründen
unterwegs
Gremium
hier: willkürlich ausgewählt

Reviews by EVE LUCAS

1|14 Spotlight 45
 ARTS | Short Story and Books

An indecent proposal
Ray möchte Felicity heiraten und macht
ihr einen Antrag, den man eigentlich nicht
ablehnen kann – oder vielleicht doch?
CHRISTINE MADDEN erzählt.
“What?” stammered Felicity.
The maître d’ banged a huge gong that echoed
throughout the restaurant. “Attention, everyone!” the
maître d’ spoke into a microphone. “Tonight is a very spe-
cial night.”

A fter flushing the toilet, Felicity came out of the stall

and went to wash her hands and put on some more
lipstick. But, God! How was she to tell Ray she was
breaking up with him, and that she had been secretly
meeting his old school friend Ben for the past four months?
The lights were turned down, and a spotlight shone on
their table.
“Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, Ray wants to show his
undying love for the beautiful Signora Felicity with the ul-
timate question.”
It hadn’t been much of a relationship, she considered, Ray took the mic. “Felicity, you’ve made me happier
as she smeared a slick of red across her lips. He was always than I ever thought any woman could ever make a man...”
working, looking after his hedge-fund clients. When they “Oh, Ray... Please...,” Felicity said.
did see each other, he was lavish and over the top, flying “That’s why I want to take this to the next level. But
her to Paris for dinner, buying her crazy things on a whim there’s someone else who can say this so much better than
— like the earrings she was wearing right now. Poor Ben I can.” Ray gestured into the darkness, and the spotlight
was just that: poor. moved.
She returned to the table, where Ray jumped out of his “Please welcome Jennifer Lopez and David Hassel-
seat to help her into her chair. hoff!” Everyone applauded, while Felicity watched in hor-
There was a short silence. ror as J-Lo and David Hasselhoff jumped into the
“Listen, Ray —” / “Felicity, I’ve got something —” spotlight.
They both spoke at the same time. “It’s a beautiful night... We’re looking for something
“You first,” offered Felicity. dumb to do,” they sang. When they got to the line “I think
“No, you.” Ray smiled at her across the table. I want to marry you”, Ray joined them at the microphone.
“No, really,” Felicity hesitated a moment. “You By the end of the song, everyone was singing and
go ahead. Please.” clapping. Felicity was wondering if, with her
“Well,” said Ray, and took a strained smile, she had got lipstick on
deep breath. He grinned. “I her teeth. Finally, the song was
don’t really know how to say over, though.
this, so I’ve got a bit of help.” “Thank you, Jennifer. Thank
He turned around and you, David,” Ray said. “That was
snapped his fingers. The maître amazing! But it doesn’t stop here.”
d’ appeared. An enormous screen lit up show-
“Signora,” the maître d’ ing a group of cheering people.
began, “this lovely gentleman Felicity nearly fell off her chair. The
hardly knows how to express how people were their families and friends.
much he loves you. So we are going to help They were standing somewhere outside near
him.” the seaside.

break up with [breIk (Vp wID] mit jmdm. Schluss machen on a whim [)Qn E (wIm] aus einer Laune heraus
cheer [tSIE] Beifall; Beifall klatschen over the top [)EUvE DE (tQp] UK ifml. übertrieben, überspannt
clap [klÄp] klatschen slick [slIk] hier: dicke Schicht
dumb [dVm] dumm, bescheuert smear [smIE] schmieren, auftragen
flush the toilet [)flVS DE (tOIlEt] die Toilette spülen stall [stO:l] hier: Toilettenkabine
gesture [(dZestSE] gestikulieren stammer [(stÄmE] stottern, stammeln
lavish [(lÄvIS] verschwenderisch, großzügig strained [streInd] angespannt, angestrengt
light up [laIt (Vp] hell werden, sich einschalten ultimate [(VltImEt] ultimativ
Fotos: iStock

maître d’ [)meItrE (di:] Oberkellner undying [Vn(daIIN] unsterblich

46 Spotlight 1|14
 Short Story

“We’re driving down to Brighton this evening to join
all the people we love the most — apart from each other,”
Ray added, looking at her lovingly. “The fireworks are
scheduled for midnight.”
Felicity recognized someone else at the edge of the
screen who was clapping less enthusiastically and often
looking away. “Is that Ben?” she asked.
“Yes, of course it’s him! He wasn’t sure he could come,
but I insisted. I knew he wouldn’t want to miss it.” Ray
gave her a big smile. “He’s always been a great friend.”
Felicity looked back at the screen and caught his eye.
He shrugged and looked down.
The maître d’ spoke again. “So, lovely Signora Felicity,
what will it be?”
“What?” she said.
“What is your answer?”
“Oh...,” she gulped.
The silence seemed to go on forever. Someone from the
screen started clapping and chanting, “Say ‘yes’. Say ‘yes’.
Say ‘yes’.” Soon, everyone on screen and in the restaurant
had joined in — except Ray, who held out a small box.
The ring in it had a diamond the size of a walnut. Over to
the side, David Hasselhoff was clapping and stamping his
feet. J-Lo was ogling the ring.
Felicity cleared her throat. “Thanks, everyone. Thanks,
Ray,” she said. “This is all so sudden. But I don’t want it
to end now. Let’s go to Brighton, and I’ll tell you every-
thing there. And then we’ll watch the fireworks.”
There was a huge cheer. Felicity noticed that Ben was
holding his head in his hands. She could see he was wear-
ing that jacket with the hole in the elbow.
Ray stepped over and put his arms around her, and
they kissed. When her lips were next to his ear, she said
quietly, “Will we be doing a prenup?”

Novel Easy reader

We Need New Names is And Then There Were None

the first novel by Zimbabwean is a classic Agatha Christie crime
writer NoViolet Bulawayo. It story. On an August evening, ten
tells the story of Darling, who strangers find themselves in a beau-
leaves an urban Zimbabwean tiful house on a tiny island off the
community affected by AIDS, south coast of England. Each visitor
poverty and violence for has been invited for a different rea-
America — and for a surreal son by the mysterious owners, Mr
new life. Bulawayo writes from and Mrs Owen. Dr Armstrong be-
experience. She grew up in lieves he is there to help Mrs Owen
Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe with a health problem, and the
before moving to the US, per- young Vera Claythorne hopes to
sonally experiencing the clash of Third and First World soci- work for the Owens as secretary. Neither Mr nor Mrs Owen are
eties. The voice that she finds to show how insecurities exist at home, but they do have a strange and frightening message
alongside the joys of childhood and the comforts of tradition for the guests. And Then There Were None has been adapted
is astonishingly fresh. Bulawayo’s vision of these new realities as an easy reader at level 3 (pre-intermediate). The book has
put her on to the 2013 Booker Prize shortlist — the first black language and comprehension exercises, and difficult vocabu-
African woman to have achieved this particular recognition. lary is translated. The story also comes with an audio CD.
Reagan Arthur Books, ISBN 978-0-316-23081-0, €17.30. Penguin, ISBN 978-1-408-26120-0, €10.75.

adapt [E(dÄpt] bearbeiten, adaptieren ogle [(EUg&l] beäugen

astonishingly [E(stQnISINli] erstaunlich prenup [)pri:(nVp] Ehevertrag
chant [tSA:nt] singen, im Sprechchor rufen N. Am. ifml.
clash [klÄS] Konflikt, Zusammenprall recognition [)rekEg(nIS&n] Anerkennung
clear one’s throat sich räuspern shortlist [(SO:tlIst] engere Auswahlliste
[)klIE wVnz (TrEUt] shrug [SrVg] mit der Achsel zucken
gulp [gVlp] schlucken walnut [(wO:lnVt] Walnuss

Reviews by EVE LUCAS 1|14 Spotlight 47

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 LANGUAGE | Vocabulary

What’s in your bag?

Keys, mobile, purse — what else? ANNA HOCHSIEDER presents language to talk about the
things you might find (or lose) in your bag.

6 7 8
4
1

5
2

18 13
10
15
9
16
17

11
12
14

1. nail file 6. shopping list 11. cough sweets 15. tissues [(tISu:z] /
2. pen 7. receipt [ri(si:t] [(kQf swi:ts] paper hankies (UK)
3. purse [p§:s] (UK) 8. mobile (US: cell) phone 12. dental floss 16. trolley token
4. banknotes 9. diary [(daIEri] (UK) 13. hair clip 17. key ring
5. penknife 10. make-up bag 14. business card 18. coins

It weighs a ton!

Patrick: What have you got in this handbag? It weighs a
ton! Why do you have to carry around so much
stuff?
Maggie: It’s not a handbag. It’s a shoulder bag. I need all
that stuff.
Patrick: All of it?
Maggie: Yes, all of it. Tell me one thing I don’t need.
Patrick: OK, how about this diary? Your smartphone has
Maggie: But it could rain tomorrow. And it’s foldable.
It takes up hardly any room.
Patrick: What about this thing on your key ring? What
is it — a scorpion?
Maggie: It’s my star sign — Scorpio. It brings luck.
Patrick: It’s a talisman? Amazing. All I carry around is
my wallet and a handkerchief.
Maggie: That’s not true, Patrick. It really isn’t. What
Illustration: Bernhard Förth

an electronic diary. Why don’t you just use that? about your keys, your mobile, your cigarettes,
Maggie: Because I like writing things down on paper. your lighter? Your back pocket’s bulging with
Patrick: Well, then, what do you need an umbrella for? stuff. It’s not exactly elegant. You should get
It hasn’t rained for days. yourself a shoulder bag, too.

50 Spotlight 1|14
 Möchten Sie noch mehr Tipps und Übungen? Abonnieren Sie Spotlight plus! www.spotlight-online.de/ueben

Practice
Now try some exercises to practise talking
about what’s in your bag.
ips
1. Complete these sentences with the words in bold from the opposite page. In the dialogue, Patrick T
uses the verb carry
a) It’s a small case made of leather or plastic in which women carry around. This is an informal
banknotes, coins, cards and so on: it’s a ____________________. way of saying carry:
b) It’s a writing tool: it’s a ____________________. • I never carry much cash.
You can also say have
c) It’s a book in which you write appointments: it’s a ____________________.
something on you:
d) It’s an object that is believed to protect you from harm: it’s a ____________________. • Have you got a pen
e) It’s a metal ring used to keep keys together: it’s a ____________________. on you?
The uncountable noun
f) It’s a bag in which you can put mascara, lipstick and so on: it’s a ____________________.
(unzählbares Substantiv)
g) It’s small and square, and you use it to wipe your nose: it’s a ____________________. stuff means “things”. It is
often used when both
speaker and listener know
2. Match each pair of objects to the action for which you would normally use them. what is being talked about:
• What’s all that stuff in
a) paying cash for something you’ve bought a  1. shopping list, trolley token
your bag?
b) dealing with a cold b  2. bank notes, coins Stuff is also a verb that
c) changing an appointment c  3. hair clip, nail file means “to push something
quickly into a small space”:
d) tidying up your appearance d  4. mobile phone, diary
• She stuffed everything
e) doing the weekly shopping e  5. tissues, cough sweets into her bag and left.

3. Complete the following sentences with words from this double page.

a) Have you got a / an _______________ on you so that I
can cut this apple in half?
b) If we go into town, I’d like to try to exchange those
curtains we bought. Have you still got the ___________?
c) Ouch! I’ve broken a nail. Have you got a / an
_______________ on you by any chance?
d) Have you got any _______________ for a tip?
All I have is a ten-pound note.
e) I don’t have a / an _______________ on me, I’m afraid,
but I can write down my phone number, if you like.
f) Have you got any _______________ on you? I’ve got a
bit of chicken stuck between my teeth.

4. The dialogue on the opposite page contains some common informal phrases.
Match those below (1–5) to their meanings (a–e).

a) If something is small and fills very little space, you can say: a  1. “It’s bulging with stuff.”
b) If something is very heavy, you can say: b  2. “It’s not exactly elegant.”
c) If you believe something will keep you safe, you can say: c  3. “It weighs a ton.”
d) If something is filled with too many things, you can say: d  4. “It takes up hardly any room.”
e) If you think that something looks unattractive, you can say: e  5. “It brings luck.”

Answers: 1. a) purse (Brieftasche, Geldbeutel); b) pen; c) diary; d) talisman; e) key ring; f) make-up bag; g) tissue / paper hanky / handkerchief;
2. a–2; b–5; c–4; d–3; e–1; 3. a) penknife; b) receipt; c) nail file (by any chance: zufällig, vielleicht); d) coins (tip: Trinkgeld );
e) business card; f) dental floss; 4. a–4; b–3; c–5; d–1 (bulging with: prall gefüllt mit); e–2

1|14 Spotlight 51
 LANGUAGE | Travel Talk
A yoga retreat
Find a quiet place to meditate
with RITA FORBES.
Calling for information
Lotus Leaf Yoga. May I help you?
Hello! Yes. I’d like some information about your
yoga retreats.
Well, we offer events and workshops for beginners
and experienced practitioners, from a one-day
getaway to a two-week retreat. Our classes have a
maximum of ten participants...
How much would a weekend retreat cost?
Around £300. That includes two to three yoga
classes a day, as well as on-site accommodation
and vegetarian and vegan meals prepared by our
own chef.
Booking a retreat
That sounds great. Do you offer other activities
apart from the yoga?
The focus is really on relaxing and becoming more
mindful. It’s all about you. We try not to create a
full schedule of activities. We have a massage ther-
apist available, and there’s an indoor pool, a library
and a common room. Lots of people spend time
outdoors, too. It’s so beautiful around here.
Yes. I’ve seen the website. It looks and sounds won-
derful. Can I book now over the phone?
Yes. I’ll just need your credit-card information.
There’s a non-refundable deposit of £100...
First yoga lesson
Welcome, everyone! Please choose a mat. We’re
going to start our first session by sitting for a cou-
ple of minutes, so feel free to use a cushion or stool.
My name is Rachel, and I’ve been practising yoga
for 30 years. Yoga can help you to relax, to improve
your flexibility, and to strengthen your back — and
even your immune system. This weekend, we’ll be
concentrating on our breathing, and learning some
basic postures, or asanas, as well as some medita-
tion techniques. It’s important to let your body be
your guide. So go at your own pace. OK?
cushion [(kUS&n] Kissen (
p. 61)
feel free [fi:&l (fri:] nicht zögern
flexibility [)fleksE(bIlEti] Beweglichkeit
52 Spotlight 1|14
ips
• A retreat can be a quiet, restful (erholsam) place, T
as well as an event that people attend with a specific
focus, such as prayer. Yoga retreats are very popular.
They may be held in exotic locations, such as India
or Costa Rica, or closer to home. The UK has many
excellent yoga retreats.
• People who do — or “practise” — yoga are often called
practitioners. This word can also be used in other
contexts (Zusammenhang). Doctors are sometimes
called “medical practitioners”, for example.
• Criminals might use a “getaway car” after a crime to
get away (entkommen) from the police. But for the rest
of us, a getaway is a short period of time to escape
from the stress of everyday life.
If your yoga retreat offers on-site accommodation,
•
the room you sleep in will be at the same location as
the yoga studio. At some retreats, you might stay in a
nearby hotel or bed and breakfast.
• A chef is a professional cook.
• Yoga retreats can also offer other activities, such as
surfing, hiking (Wandern) or horse riding.
• To be mindful of a thing is to be aware of it. “Mindful-
ness” (Achtsamkeit) is a central concept in yoga.
• A common room is a room where participants — or
students at a school or college — can meet and relax
together.
• A deposit is an amount of money you pay in advance
for a course or holiday. If it is non-refundable, you
won’t get your money back if you decide to cancel
your reservation.
• A session is a period of time spent doing something.
A yoga session or lesson (US: class) is typically an hour
or an hour and a half long.
• Mindful breathing is central to yoga. The Sanskrit
term for yogic breathing techniques is “pranayama”.
• A person who sits and stands up straight has good
posture. This word also means “bodily position”. It is
used for the standing, sitting and other positions (or
“poses”) in yoga, also called asana or asanas.
• If you do something at your own pace, you do it at
a speed that is comfortable for you.
Fotos: Fuse; iStock
participant [pA:tIsIpEnt] Teilnehmer(in)
schedule [(Sedju:l] Stundenplan, Terminplan
stool [stu:l] Schemel, Hocker
 Cards | LANGUAGE

NEW WORDS GLOBAL ENGLISH

hate-watch(ing) What would a speaker of North American

English say?
That’s the TV series that I most love to
hate-watch. British speaker: “The mayor seems to have his
answers to most questions off pat.”

Spotlight 1|14 Spotlight 1|14

(IN)FORMAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Replace the words in bold with fixed Translate the following sentences:
phrases that include the word “walking”.
1. Meine Tochter besucht eine internationale
1. She knows everything there is to know Schule.
about European history.
2. Am Samstag werden wir Oma besuchen.
2. The day he married the love of his life, he was
beside himself with happiness.

Spotlight 1|14 Spotlight 1|14

PRONUNCIATION IDIOM MAGIC

Ching Yee Smithback

Read the following words of Latin origin

aloud:

biceps sinus

fiat siren

iris visa
call it a night
Spotlight 1|14 Spotlight 1|14

FALSE FRIENDS GRAMMAR

conserve / konservieren Change these statements from direct to

indirect speech:
Translate the following sentences: 1. I said, “I’m so tired I can’t keep my eyes open.”
1. Rising prices will motivate people to conserve 2. She said, “I’ve never been to Germany.”
energy.
2. Wie viel wird es kosten, dieses Denkmal zu 3. He said, “I’ll help you with the report.”
konservieren?

Spotlight 1|14 Spotlight 1|14

 LANGUAGE | Cards
GLOBAL ENGLISH
North American speaker: “The mayor seems to
have his answers to most questions down pat.”
When you have memorized something perfectly,
you have it “off pat” in the UK and “down pat” in
the US and Canada. You may hear a British person
use “down pat”, but North Americans would not
use — or even understand — “off pat”.
Spotlight 1|14
TRANSLATION
1. My daughter goes to an international school.
2. On Saturday, we’re going to visit Grandma.
In German, besuchen can be used in relation to
schools, but the same is not true of English. A
child does not “visit” (a) school; he or she “goes
to” (a) school. A more formal alternative to “go to”
here is “attend”.
Spotlight 1|14
IDIOM MAGIC
When it’s late in the evening, you’re tired and all
you want to do is go to bed, you can tell people
that you’re going to call it a night. A German
equivalent might be: sich aufs Ohr legen.
“There’s no point in doing this if we’re both tired.
Let’s just call it a night.”
Spotlight 1|14
GRAMMAR
1. I said I was so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
2. She said she had never been to Germany.
3. He said he would help me with the report.
When reporting what has been said, the tense of
the verbs is shifted one step into the past. If the
situation hasn’t changed, this tense “backshift”
may not take place: “I said I’m so tired...”, “She said
she’s never been...”, “He said he’ll help me...”.
Spotlight 1|14
NEW WORDS
Hate-watching means watching a television
show that you think is bad, simply to jeer at
(verhöhnen) its poor quality. Today, hate-watchers
typically compete afterwards to insult (herziehen
über) the show on Facebook and Twitter.
Spotlight 1|14
(IN)FORMAL ENGLISH
1. She’s a walking encyclopedia
[In)saIklE(pi:diE] of European history.
2. The day he married the love of his life,
he was walking on air.
Someone who has an impressive knowledge of
certain facts can be referred to as “a walking
encyclopedia”. When you are extremely happy,
you feel as if you are “walking on air”.
Spotlight 1|14
PRONUNCIATION
[(baIseps] [(saInEs]
[(fi:Ät] [(saI&rEn]
[(aI&rIs] [(vi:zE]
In most, but not all, cases, a stressed long “i” in
Latin words is pronounced in English as the
diphthong [aI] rather than as [i:].
Spotlight 1|14
FALSE FRIENDS
1. Aufgrund steigender Preise werden Leute dazu
motiviert, Energie zu sparen.
2. What will it cost to preserve this monument?
There is a small amount of overlap (Überschnei-
dung) between “conserve” and konservieren:
“conserve” can be used as a synonym of “preserve”
in the sense of preserving fruit (with sugar).
Spotlight 1|14
 Everyday English | LANGUAGE
Listen to dialogues 2 and 3

Organizing
the family’s day
This month, DAGMAR TAYLOR looks at the
words and phrases people use when they talk
about organizing day-to-day family life.

1. Getting the family organized 2. Work: a break from home

Helen is with her children, Emma and Jake, who are Helen has arrived at work and is talking to her
having breakfast before going to school. colleague Una.

Emma: Mum! Mum! Jake’s tipped over his bowl of Una: Morning, Helen! How’s it going? You look a
cornflakes. The milk’s gone everywhere. bit stressed.
Helen: Oh, Jake! What are you like? Helen: No, I’m fine — now that I’m at work. It’s
Jake: It was an accident. getting here that’s stressful.
Helen: Never mind. Where’s the kitchen roll? Una: Tell me about it! No matter how well organ-
Emma: Here. Have you signed my consent form for ized you think you are... (mobile rings)
the ski trip? Helen: Oh, sorry! That’s mine. Just a sec... Hello?
Helen: Oh, um, yeah. It’s probably on the fridge. Roddy: Hello, Helen! It’s me. Listen! Sorry, I can’t
Emma: Got it. And where are my sandwiches? pick up the kids after all.
Helen: I’m just making them. Now, listen! Dad’s Helen: Oh, Roddy!
picking you up from school today because Roddy: Yeah. I’m sorry, love. It’s just that Andy’s off
you’ve all got check-ups at the dentist’s. He sick, so I have to go and see a client for him.
might be a bit late, so just wait for him at the Will you manage to do it?
main gate, OK? OK, Jake? Helen: Well, it’s just that I had a hairdresser’s
Jake: Yes, Mum, I heard you. appointment... Oh, well! OK. I’ll see if I can
sort something out.
Roddy: I’m sorry. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.
ips
• What are you like? is a rhetorical question used in T
informal British English when someone has done
something funny or silly (dumm, albern). • How’s it going? is used informally as an alternative Tips
• It was an accident means that the bad thing that has to “How are you?”.
happened wasn’t planned or intended. • Something that causes a lot of extra work or worry is
• Never mind is used to tell someone not to worry stressful.
about something because it is not so important. • Tell me about it! (ifml.) is used to agree and to say
• Here, on the fridge means “on the fridge door” — a that you’ve had the same experience.
useful magnetic board in many homes. • No matter... is used here to mean “despite”: “Despite
• Many children in the UK and the US take a packed being well-organized...”
lunch to school. This often contains sandwiches and • Just a sec is short for “just a second”, meaning “please
fruit. wait”.
• When you use your car to collect (abholen) someone • Roddy says after all to mean “in contrast to what was
who is waiting for you, you pick him or her up. said or promised”.
• You go for a check-up at the doctor’s or the dentist’s • A person who is off sick (US: out sick) is not at work (or
to make sure you are healthy. is “off work”) because he or she is ill.
Fotos: iStock; Wavebreak Media

• By asking whether Helen will manage to do

bowl [bEUl] Schüssel, Schale something, Roddy shows her that he realizes it won’t
consent form [kEn(sent fO:m] Einverständniserklärung be easy to reorganize things.
tip over [tIp (EUvE] umkippen • To sort something out (especially UK) means to deal
with a problem successfully.

1|14 Spotlight 55
 LANGUAGE | Everyday English

3. What now? 4. At the end of the day

Helen talks to her colleague Una about her problem.
Una: I couldn’t help overhearing. What’s up?
Helen: Oh, it’s Roddy. He was supposed to pick up
the kids from school today and take them to
the dentist, but he can’t now.
Una: I could pick them up for you. They can
come to ours for an hour or so while you
get your hair done. There’s room in the car.
Helen: Really? Oh, Una, that would be such a help!
Una: It’s not a problem. I love your kids. And
they get on great with mine.
Helen: Well, if you’re really sure.
Una: Course I am. I wouldn’t offer otherwise.
Helen: Thanks, Una. You’re a real pal. I’ll cancel the
dentist, then. Is that bad? Cancelling the
kids’ dental check-up so I can go and get my
hair done?
Una: Don’t be daft!
Helen has picked up her children
from Una’s house. They are at home having dinner.
Helen: Have you both done your homework?
Emma: I have.
Helen: Jake?
Jake: What?
Helen: “Pardon?”, not “What?” — Homework?
Jake: We didn’t get any. Mum? Can I go to Tom’s
after school tomorrow?
Helen: Yes, if it’s OK with his mum. Hang on,
though. Haven’t you got football tomorrow?
Jake: I don’t like this sauce. It’s got bits in it. I
don’t have football tomorrow. Football was
today. So, can I go to Tom’s tomorrow?
Helen: All right, then. I’ll call Tom’s mum later.
(door shuts) Oh, your dad’s home...
Roddy: Hi, everyone! Is that spag bol I can smell?
I’m starving. Ooh, nice hair, Helen!

T ips
• What’s up? is used by some speakers to mean
“What’s the matter?”
• If you are supposed to do something, it is expected
of you because of plans or arrangements that have
been made: “Are we supposed to take our own lunch?”
• When Una says ours, she means “our house”.
• You go to the hairdresser’s to have or get your hair
done (cut, styled, etc.).
• When people get on (great) with each other, they
have a good relationship.
• Sometimes people leave out “of” when they say of
course.
• Pal is an informal word for “friend”.
• Daft (UK ifml.) means “silly”: “That’s a daft idea.”
T ips
• Homework is the schoolwork that pupils and
students do at home. Don’t confuse it with
“housework”, which is cooking, cleaning and so on.
• When Jake says Tom’s, he means “Tom’s house”.
• If you ask if something is OK with someone, you are
checking whether he or she accepts or agrees with it.
• Hang on means “wait” or “stop”.
• Here, football is short for “football practice” or
“football training”.
• Spag bol is short for spaghetti bolognese [spE)geti
bQlE(neIz], a popular family dish because it’s quick
and easy to make.
• Another way to say you are feeling very hungry is to
say you are starving.

overhear [)EUvE(hIE] (zufällig) mithören

3. What did they ask?
EXERCISES

1. Add the missing word.

a) What are you l _________________?
a) Jake’s tipped _______________ his bowl of cornflakes. b) How’s it g _________________?
b) I’ll sort something _______________. c) What’s u _________________?
c) They get _______________ great with my kids. d) Have you d _________________ your homework?
d) Yes, if it’s OK _______________ Tom’s mum.

4. Replace the words in bold with those used in

2. What do the words in bold refer to? the scenes.

a) I’m just making them. _________________ a) Jake’s spilled his cereal. _________________
b) Will you manage to do it? _________________ b) Just a moment. _________________
c) They can come to ours for an hour or so. _____________ c) Thanks, Una. You’re a real friend. _________________
d) It’s got bits in it. _________________ d) I’m really hungry. _________________

Answers: 1. a) over; b) out; c) on; d) with; 2. a) sandwiches; b) picking up the children; c) Una’s house; d) the bolognese sauce;
56 Spotlight 1|14 3. a) like; b) going; c) up; d) done; 4. a) tipped over; b) sec; c) pal; d) starving

Talking about what you
think will happen
ADRIAN DOFF writes notes on a short dialogue to present and
explain a key point of grammar.
Percy and Ben are watching a football match on TV between
Ghana and Portugal. Percy wants Ghana to win.
Ben: hey won’t 1 win. Not against Portugal.
Percy: But look at that! Atsu’s just coming up the side.
He’s going to 2 get one in. I know it. Fantastic!
What a goal!
Ben: Yeah, well. Portugal will probably 3 score again.
hey’re so much better.
Percy: Or they might not .4 Ghana could 4 get one more.
Why not?
Ben: Because Portugal’s got better players. I tell you,
Ghana isn’t going to 5 win.
Percy: We’ll see. Look! here they go again. Yes! Come on!
I bet6 they score one more now.
Ben: No way!6 he match is almost over. hey’ve got no
chance.
Percy: Yes, but look! hey’re right up against the goal now.
hey can do it. Come on!
Ben: No. Look at the time. We’re going to 7 hear the
whistle any minute. hat’s it. It’s a...
Percy: No, it’s not. Look! Atsu’s got the ball. Yeah! Fan-
tastic! 4–3! hat’s it. hey’ve won. hey’ve actually
won against Portugal. hey’re going to be 7 in the
semi-final.
EXERCISE
Choose the correct words in bold to complete
the sentences below.
a) Look how black the sky is. We’re going to / will
have some more snow very soon.
b) With a bit of luck, the lions and tigers will / are
going to be outside today.
c) Don’t say anything to him yet. Otherwise he’ll / ’s
going to tell everybody else.
d) Why have you got all those books about childbirth?
Are you going to / Will you have a baby?
e) Just you wait and see. You and Tim will / are going
to be friends again soon.
f) Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, dear! I’m going to / will sneeze.
A-tishoo!
Answers
a) ’re going to; b) will; c) ‘ll; d) Are you going to; e) will; f) ‘m going to
The Grammar Page | LANGUAGE
1
For predictions (Vorhersage) based on an opinion, will or
won’t are usually used. (See The Grammar Page, Spotlight
11/13.) Ben thinks that Portugal will win, but this is his
personal view — he’s just guessing.
2
Here, Percy can actually see that a goal is on its way,
so he uses be going to + infinitive to make a confident
prediction based on outside evidence.
3
To make a less certain prediction, Ben says will probably...
4
To express less certainty, might or could are used.
5
To form the negative of be going to + infinitive, not
(or n’t) is added.
6
There are lots of other ways to say that you are sure
about something, including phrases such as I bet and
No way! (See Spoken English, Spotlight 6/13.)
7
These are further examples of going to + infinitive used
to make a prediction based on evidence.
Beyond the basics
Several expressions with be + adjective + to are used
to predict the future from a personal point of view.
1. When you are sure something will happen:
• They’re bound to be late.
• She’s certain to want to speak to you.
• He’s sure to tell you all about his new job.
2. When you think something will happen:
• Energy prices are likely to increase.
Remember!
Be going to + infinitive is used in two slightly different
ways.
1. To make a prediction when there are already signs
that something will happen:
• He’s going to score a goal!
• The sun’s coming out. It’s going to be a nice day.
2. To express an intention; to talk about things you
have decided to do:
• I’m going to stop eating so much sugar.
• Are you going to have a leaving party (Ausstandsfeier)?
(See The Grammar Page, Spotlight 12/13)
1|14 Spotlight 57
 Helen Phil Peggy
LANGUAGE | The Soap

The party planner George

Join us at Peggy’s Place — Spotlight ’s very

Sean
own London pub. By INEZ SHARP
Sean: Can we have a quick chat about the food for the
Eddy Jane
New Year’s Eve party, Peggy?
Peggy: Give me a minute! I’ll get George his drink, and

“ ”
maybe Jane will turn up, too. The usual, George?
Peggy, tell me you’re not serious
George: No. Make it a brandy, please. I’ve got shocking
indigestion from lunch. Jane: OK. Let me get my breath back. Here, Sean. Can
Phil: Is Jane here yet? you hold these?
Peggy: I’m sure she’ll be along in a sec. George: Mind if we take a look?
George: What’s Jane got to do with the party? Sean: Wow! They’re amazing. They look really profes-
Sean: Didn’t you know? She’s set up a party-planning busi- sional. I hope the party can live up to the promotion.
ness. We’re her first customers. Peggy: Jane, you’ve done us proud.
George: You’re not serious. Jane, of all people! Planning? George: Err, can I just ask? Did you get anyone to check
Peggy: I want to encourage her to take responsibility for the spelling on these?
things. She’s been so miserable since she lost her job. Jane: No. I did it all myself. I think it reads really well.
George: Yeah, for shopping online during working hours. I was looking for a mix between fun and classy.
Phil: In Jane’s defence, I think the hotel was looking for a Phil: Why are you laughing, George?
way to throw her out so that they could employ her on George: Look here at the bottom: (reads) “You can have a
one of those cheap contracts. peace — P-E-A-C-E — of the action, two — T-W-O.”
Sean: When we started planning the party, Jane had some Peggy: Didn’t you run a spellcheck over the text?
really great ideas for promotions, and I’d say she’s been Sean: That wouldn’t have helped much.
finding out about the business side of things, too. George: And here’s another lovely one: “Don’t be late.
George: She’s always had the gift of the gab, I’ll give her Limited space available. No smoking food or drink will
that. But you’ll see. It’ll all end in tears. be allowed directly outside the pub.”
Phil: Wasn’t Carole Middleton an air hostess before she Jane: What’s wrong with that?
went into the party-planning business? Phil: Well, it’s fine if we serve up flambéed food and
Peggy: I’m not sure the Middletons do party planning. I drinks. Have you never heard of commas?
think it’s more sort of supplying all the bits and pieces. Jane: Oh, Mum! Is it really bad?
George: Yes, the planning’s the hard bit. Sean: Perhaps we could have a contest. The person to find
Sean: Well, Jane’s coming in any minute to show us the the most mistakes wins a bottle of wine.
posters and the flyers. I think you’ll be impressed.
Peggy: Yes, so let’s talk about the food before she gets here. air hostess [(eE )hEUstes] Flugbegleiterin
Can we go with just a selection of appetizers? be along [bi E(lQN] ankommen, da sein
Phil: If we’d wanted to offer a sit-down dinner, we should bits and pieces Kleinkram, Schnickschnack
have included that in the promotion material. People [)bIts End (pi:sIz]
do sb. proud [dU (praUd] ifml. jmdm. Ehre machen
will want to book.
have the gift of the gab ein flottes Mundwerk haben
George: I think everyone will want to party. New Year’s [)hEv DE )gIft Ev DE (gÄb] ifml.
Eve is about having a good time — especially in a pub. indigestion [)IndI(dZestSEn] Verdauungsbeschwerden,
Peggy: So, that’s decided, then. Here comes Jane. Magenverstimmung
Phil: Hello! Have you got the posters? We’re so excited. live up to sth. [lIv (Vp tE] einer Sache gerecht werden
mind [maInd] hier: etw. dagegen haben
New Year’s Eve [)nju: jIEz (i:v] Silvester
FOCUS

This month, Peggy and Sean, the chef (Koch), talk about the
of all people [Ev (O:l )pi:p&l] gerade, ausgerechnet (
p. 61)
kind of food they are going to serve at the party. Peggy promotion material Werbeunterlagen,
suggests serving just appetizers. These are small snacks [prE(mEUS&n mE)tIEriEl] Werbematerial
often eaten at the beginning of a meal. In British English, run a spellcheck (comp.) das Rechtschreib-
they can also be called entrées [(QntreI]. In American Eng- [)rVn E (speltSek] programm nutzen
lish, appetizer is more commonly used, because entrée sec = second [sek] ifml. Sekunde
refers to the main and usually biggest dish of a meal. In set up [set (Vp] hier: eröffnen, gründen
British English this is simply called the main course. shocking [(SQkIN] hier: entsetzlich

58 Spotlight 1|14 Meet all the characters from Peggy’s Place at www.spotlight-online.de/peggy
 English at Work | LANGUAGE

Dear Ken: How can I improve

our team meetings? Send your questions
Dear Ken about business Eng-
I have just taken over as head of an IT team. We come from lish by e-mail with “Dear
to
different countries, and our working language is English. Ken” in the subject line
lag.de.
My problem is that our meetings take too long. We have language@spotlight-ver
two questions
Each month, I answer
one every Monday morning. It should last for an hour, but ders hav e sen t in. If one of
Spotlight rea
it takes up to twice as long. you’ll receive a
them is your question,
Do you have any suggestions for making these meetings ys to Improve
copy of my book: Fifty Wa
work more effectively? . So don’t forget
Your Business English
ilin g add ress!
Best regards to add your ma
Karl H.

Dear Karl
Sometimes meetings take a bit longer when people are
working in a second language. They speak more slowly and
need more time to think. It can be annoying, of course,
when meetings regularly take longer than planned.
Here are a few things you could do to help the situation:
1. Make a good agenda. For each item, have a clear de-
scription of the point to be discussed, the name of the
person introducing it and an estimate of the time it
should take. From your experience, you should have a
good idea of how much time to allow for each item.
2. Keep an eye on the time. Appoint a timekeeper —
someone who will remind you at regular intervals of the
timings. Avoid letting discussions run on; reprioritize
— change the time originally given, or agree whether
certain points can be left for another meeting.
3. Be efficient and pragmatic. If you have only one hour,
but there are two hours of material to discuss, make that
clear at the start of the meeting. Then, prioritize the
items and either arrange another time for the remaining
items or delegate them to smaller groups outside the
meeting. If you delegate, make sure the groups report
their results at the next team meeting.
4. Be flexible — sometimes. If there is no other way, the
group can agree to overrun the time allowed for the
meeting, but this should be the exception, not the rule.
Good luck with your next meeting.
Ken
appoint [E(pOInt] ernennen
by the way [)baI DE (weI] übrigens, nebenbei bemerkt
closely [(klEUsli] eng
exception [Ik(sepS&n] Ausnahme
item [(aItEm] hier: Punkt
last [lA:st] dauern
literally [(lIt&rEli] wörtlich
overrun [)EUvE(rVn] überziehen, überschreiten
reprioritize [)ri:praI(QrItaIz] Prioritäten neu festlegen
Dear Ken
I work closely with some colleagues from Britain. I have
learned to understand their accents and to slow them
down when they speak too fast. In meetings, though, they
use phrases like “Interesting”, “Quite good” and “That’s
not bad”. Am I right in thinking that I should not take
these meanings literally?
Regards
Dieter B.
Dear Dieter
You are right in thinking that British people can hide their
true feelings by using such expressions. Meanings may
vary, depending on the context and the tone of voice used.
“Interesting”, for example, could mean anything from “that’s
a clever idea” to “that’s nonsense”. “Quite good” also has a
range of meanings from “very good” to “a bit disappoint-
ing”. “That’s not bad” usually means “that’s good”.
Here are a few more examples:
• “I hear what you say” usually means that the speaker
disagrees with you.
• “I have a few minor comments” might actually mean:
“We need to rework this completely.”
• “With respect”, if said at the beginning of a statement,
often indicates disagreement.
• “By the way” might signal the introduction of a signifi-
cant idea rather than something of less importance.
Use social situations as well as meetings to observe your
British colleagues. Look at their body language, especially
their faces. Listen carefully to their tone of voice. Sum-
marizing what you think you’ve heard is a good way to
check what you’ve understood. Good luck!
Ken
Ken Taylor is an international communication skills consultant
based in London. Read his “Hot Tips”: www.twitter.com/DearKen101

1|14 Spotlight 59
 LANGUAGE | Spoken English

Well, I must
be going...

Foto: iStockphoto
ADRIAN DOFF looks at ways to finish a con-
versation and say goodbye.

Right. Well, anyway, I’d better be going. Saying goodbye

Yes, OK. Well, it was nice talking to you.
Yes, it was. Keep in touch.
OK, then. I’ll see you around.
Yes. Bye, then.
Bye! Take care.
You, too. Bye!
The example above shows the end of a typical conversa-
tion. After talking to other people, it is impolite just to stop
speaking and leave or put the phone down, so particular
words and phrases are used to signal the end of a conver-
sation and make this process go smoothly. Let’s look at
some common ways to do this in everyday English.
Ending a conversation
When you talk to someone, you may want to end the con-
versation before the other person does. You may think it
has gone on long enough. To do this, a word like anyway
or right can be used to signal the end of the conversation:
• ...And then the doctor said...
Right. Well,...
Then you can say what you have to do next:
• Right, I really must do some work now.
• Anyway, I’d better go.
To show in a polite way that you have no choice but to stop
the conversation, the following fixed phrases can also be
used:
• Anyway, we’d better be going now.
• Well, I really must be getting on with my work.
“Nice talking to you”
Especially if you’ve spoken to someone for the first time,
you can make a positive comment about the conversation:
• It was nice talking to you.
• I enjoyed talking to you.
You may talk about meeting or speaking again. The verb
must is often used for this:
• We must get together again sometime.
• We must meet up sometime.
• We must keep in touch.
Or you might make a specific arrangement for the future,
using I’ll… or Let’s:
• I’ll phone you again tomorrow.
• I’ll send you an e-mail.
• Let’s meet for coffee next week.
In informal conversation, you can say Bye, See you or See
you, then instead of Goodbye.
If you think you’re going to meet someone again before
long, you can say:
• See you in a bit. (= maybe in half an hour)
• See you later. (= probably the same day)
• See you soon. (= maybe in a few days)
• See you around. (= I’m not sure when I’ll next see you.)
Goodnight is used when people go to bed, or to say “Good-
bye” in the late evening — for example, after a party.
“Have a good day”
Expressions such as Have a good / lovely / nice... are often
used when saying goodbye:
• Have a lovely weekend.
• Have a good trip / journey.
If you know a speaking partner will be doing something
specific that should be pleasant or fun, you can wish him
or her a good time:
• I hope you have a really good time in Paris.
Some people also say Take care!, or Look after yourself!
These phrases don’t really mean “Be careful”. They are sim-
ply other informal ways of saying “goodbye”.
If someone has an exam or a job interview, you might say:
Good luck, Best of luck or Hope it (all) goes well. In some
English-speaking countries, crossing one’s fingers is used
to bring good luck. The following phrases are used:
• I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
• Fingers crossed!
Correct the sentences below by changing the
EXERCISE
words in bold.
a) Well, I’ll better be going home. __________
b) Good luck! I’ll keep my thumbs crossed. __________
c) OK. I’ll see you in a little. __________
d) Bye! Have a nice travel. __________
e) I really enjoyed talk to you. __________
f) We must be in touch. __________
g) Hope the interview will go well. __________
h) OK. Hope to see you round. __________
Answers
a) I’d; b) fingers; c) bit; d) trip / journey; e) talking; f) keep; g) goes; h) around

60 Spotlight 1|14
 Word Builder | LANGUAGE

Build your vocabulary

JOANNA WESTCOMBE presents useful words and phrases from this issue of Spotlight and their
collocations. The words may also have other meanings that are not listed here.

cushion [(kUS&n] noun p. 52 presenter [pri(zentE] noun p. 13

a cloth bag filled with soft material that you can sit on a person who introduces the sections of a TV or
Kissen radio programme
My very old cushions now have nice new Moderator(in)
cushion covers. BBC Radio news presenters have all sorts of
You sit on a cushion, but you put your head on a pillow. voices and accents.
US English synonyms = anchor(man/woman) and
(talk-show) host
accuse [E(kju:z] verb p. 8

to say that someone has done something wrong or spit [spIt] verb p. 18
committed a crime
anklagen to force liquid, food, etc. out of your mouth
The employee was accused of passing on spucken
information to the press. I tried to give my baby some cheese, but he
Ankläger(in) = accuser; Angeklagte(r) = the accused just spat it out.
See the extra notes below on how to use this word.

as for me [)Äz fE (mi:] phrase p. 67

of all people [Ev (O:l )pi:p&l] phrase p. 58
used to introduce one’s own thoughts, opinions, etc.
was mich betrifft used when you are surprised that somebody you
wouldn’t expect is involved in something
The kids would like pizza, and as for me, …
I’ll have the pasta with truffles. gerade, ausgerechnet
As for... is also used with other nouns and pronouns: I met Tina at church today. Of all people!
“And as for dessert,...” Can you believe it?
You also hear of all days / of all things / of all places.

How to use the verb spit

OVER TO YOU!
Complete the following sentences with words
Why do people spit? Either to spit out something from this page in their correct form.
unpleasant, or to show anger or hatred, in which case,
they deliberately (absichtlich, vorsätzlich) spit at a) Are you _________ me of lying?
someone or something. You can describe somebody b) The others watched a film. _________ for me, I had
who speaks in an angry way as spitting blood / an early night.
venom (Gift). In US English, spit up also means “to be
c) Come on! _________ it out! What’s his name?
sick” (sich übergeben), usually in connection with babies.
The word spit is found in some other useful phrases, d) Do you think you need a suntan to be a TV sports
too. If you want to tell a person to say something he or _________?
she may not want to express, you can say: e) Are you comfortable, or would you like another
Come on! Spit it out! _________?
If something is within spitting distance, it is not far.
f) And now she’s married Harry, of _________
In Britain, if it is raining lightly, it’s spitting, and if
people!
Foto: Zoonar

something needs a good cleaning, you can give it a

spit and polish. I’ve finished now, thank you! g) We can go out for a walk. It’s only
_________ with rain.
Answers: a) accusing; b) As (have an early night: früh ins Bett gehen); c) Spit;
d) presenter (suntan: Sonnenbräune); e) cushion; f) all; g) spitting
1|14 Spotlight 61
 LANGUAGE | Perfectionists Only!
WILL O’RYAN explains developments in the English language and examines
some of the finer points of grammar.
Noun piles
British and Irish tabloid newspapers
(Boulevardzeitung) have a habit of cre-
ating headlines that consist of numer-
ous nouns simply piled up together
with no other syntactic elements to
help readers interpret them. Here is a
particularly striking (auffällig, bemer-
kenswert) example from Dublin’s
Metro Herald, a free morning news-
paper: “China Ferrari sex orgy death
crash.” What happened? he son of a
prominent Chinese politician was
killed in his Ferrari together with two
young female passengers. Here’s an-
other example, this time from the
UK’s The Sun: “Fish foot spa virus
bombshell.” Luckily, the message is
made clear with a picture of tiny fish
nibbling at the skin of a man’s foot
and the caption (Bildunterschrift)
“Treatment could help spread
hep[atitis] C and HIV”.
Back to the roots
At first glance, one might guess that
the English world “fugleman”
[(fju:g&lmEn] refers to some sort of
“birdman”, whatever that might be.
Indeed, the Old English word for
“bird” was fugel, which is clearly re-
lated to German (and Dutch) Vogel,
Swedish fågel, and Norwegian / Dan-
ish fugl. But Old English fugel even-
tually turned into our modern word
“fowl”, which refers specifically to do-
mesticated birds, such as chickens. It’s
not the bird that’s meant, though, but
the wing: “fugleman” is simply the
German word Flügelmann without
the first “l”. A fugleman would stand
in front of a line of soldiers in
military exercises. he word
is sometimes used to-
day to refer to a per-
son who takes the
lead, as in: “He’s a
fugleman of left-
wing politics.”
62 Spotlight 1|14
Grammar
A mixed hypothetical conditional
You will probably remember from English grammar taught at school the
three different types of conditional sentences in (a):
a) 1. If Obama says that, we will be surprised.
2. If Obama said that, we would be surprised.
3. If Eisenhower had said that, we would have been surprised.
The sentences of (a) represent standard usage. However, many speakers
of American English also create parallel structures between the two
clauses, so that both contain “would” — a usage much criticized by style
experts (and teachers of English as a foreign language):
b) If Obama would say that, we would be surprised.
If Eisenhower would have said that, we would be surprised.
In addition, some American speakers use the unreal past form in the “if”
clause (type 2) in the hypothetical past condition (3), especially when nega-
tion is present. For these speakers, standard (c) becomes (d):
c) If Eisenhower hadn’t done that, the arms industry would be less
powerful today.
d) If Eisenhower didn’t do that, the arms industry would be less
powerful today.
According to standard grammar rules, the “if” clause in (d) is impossible,
because a hypothetical condition of type (2) cannot be made about a sub-
ject who is no longer alive. (The grammatically correct way to continue this
sentence, in its meaning of “If it’s true that he said that”, might be: “then I
have been misinformed”.)
In fact, spontaneous native-speaker speech is characterized by such un-
usual, incorrect grammar. However, this “mixed conditional” construction
is also becoming more common in writing. Here are two recent examples
from the American media:
e) “Think of where we would be if Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn’t tinker
(herumbasteln) in their garages all of those years ago.”
f) “After all, ‘English was created by barbarians, by a rabble (Gesindel) of
angry peasants [(pez&nt] (Bauer),’ McIntyre says. ‘Because if it wasn’t,
we would still be speaking Anglo-Saxon.’”
What’s especially unusual about (f) is firstly, that (John) McIntyre is the ed-
itor of a major newspaper and a blogger on language usage; and secondly,
this is a quotation from an article in The Washington Post — yet there was
no comment on this non-standard, past hypothetical condition. Nonethe-
less, we advise readers to avoid it.
In which of the sentences below is the “if” clause non-standard?
1. If Thomas Jefferson wasn’t a southerner, he would not have
owned slaves.
Illustration. iStock
2. If Angela Merkel’s parents hadn’t moved to the GDR, she
wouldn’t be chancellor (Kanzlerin) today.
Answer: sentence 1
 Crossword | LANGUAGE

Tough guys The words in this puzzle are taken from our article on Tough Guy races.
You may find it helpful to refer to the text on pages 14–21.

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 Solution to puzzle 12/13:

NOMADS
8
B E A U T Y L I K E W
9 10
A R A I
11
C O W I N P A R T
K E B O R D E R H
E O M
12 13
C O N S E R V A T I O N
14 15
F M I E V
16 17 J E T C I
18 19
E U N D E R S T A N D
D E E P E I G
20
P S A F A R I
21
Mike Pilewski
S H A C K L S O N
22
E S E E M S O

Across Down
3. Explains to others what someone or something is like: 1. The very best people, or those at the top of society:
“In his book, he ______ the Irish as very friendly.” “This academy is only for the ______.”
7. “Do you think they ______ interested?” 2. Simple.
8. An additional amount of the same thing. 3. A presentation that shows how something works:
9. “Are you ______ to do this? Can you do it?” “The museum gave a ______ of an old printing press.”
11. Having strange habits or opinions. 4. Giving a reaction to something unexpected: “He was
12. Excellent. ______ to hear that his sister was having a baby.”
15. First-person singular form of “to be”: 5. A thought: “Not everyone liked the ______ of going to
“I ______ the king of the world!” work on Saturday.”
16. Straight, flat pieces of wood. 6. The power that one has in one’s muscles; the ability to
18. Frozen water. lift heavy things.
19. That man. 10. A little part.
20. Mixed together: “We’ve ______ several things into one.” 13. Prehistoric people, such as the Cro-Magnon, who lived
21. To come out of. inside rock formations.
22. Central or most important. 14. A location.
17. A surface that is not the top or bottom of something.
19. Far above the ground.

Competition!
How to take part Congratulations to:
Form a single word from the letters in the Günter Brümmer (Schwarzenberg)
coloured squares. Friederike Röller (Wilhelmshaven)
Send it on a postcard to: Ines Albrecht (Schwandorf)
Redaktion Spotlight, “January Prize Puzzle”, Petra Schepers (Telgte)
Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg, Deutschland. Anita Nagel (Langenselbold)
Inge Lober-Schultz (Lenne)
Ten winners will be chosen from the entries we receive Helga Buschbacher (Chemnitz)
by 20 January 2014. Each winner will be sent a copy of Michael Renner (Ottweiler)
Horror Stories of the Twentieth Century by courtesy of Christa Otto (Zittau)
Reclam. The answer to our November puzzle was detective. Claudia Trapp (Geldern)

1|14 Spotlight 63
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 THE LIGHTER SIDE | Wit and Wisdom
© Bulls
THE ARGYLE SWEATER
Jokes about jokes
• Do you want to hear a joke about paper? Never mind, it’s
tearable.
• I don’t like political jokes. I’ve seen too many of them get
elected.
• What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical
question?
embarrassing [Im(bÄrEsIN]
feel guilty [fi:&l (gIlti]
never mind [)nevE (maInd]
New Year’s resolution
[)nju: jIEz )rezE(lu:S&n]
quitter: not to be a ~ [(kwItE]
round up [raUnd (Vp]
stick out [stIk (aUt]
tearable [teErEb&l]
PEANUTS
66 Spotlight 1|14
peinlich
ein schlechtes Gewissen haben
Egal!
guter Vorsatz zum neuen Jahr
nicht so leicht aufgeben
(Wortspiel) aufrunden; auch:
Vieh zusammentreiben
herausstrecken
zerreißbar
(Wortspiel mit “terrible”)
“ May all your troubles last as long
as your New Year’s resolutions.
”
Joey Adams
(1911–99), US comedian
The law’s the law
Gary goes to a lawyer and says: “How much does it cost to
ask you a question?”
The lawyer replies: “€200.”
Gary is surprised. “That’s very expensive, isn’t it?”
The lawyer smiles. “Yes, it is. So what’s your third question?”
“Why can’t you find a lawyer to represent you?” a judge asks
a prisoner.
“Well, it’s like this,” the man replies. “As soon as those lawyers
found out I didn’t steal the money, they didn’t want anything
more to do with me.”
Feeling healthy?
• Good health is just the slowest possible way to die.
• I thought about giving up smoking, but then I decided
not to. I’m not a quitter.
• A doctor is examining a patient in a hospital. “Don’t for-
get to stick your tongue out when the nurse comes in,”
says the doctor. “Why’s that?” asks the patient. “Because
I don’t like her,” says the doctor.
Country maths
A farmer is counting his cows when they are all out in the
field. He counts 196, but when he has rounded them up, he
has 200.
Wise words
My father always used to say: “When one door closes, an-
other one opens.” My mother used to say: “George, you sim-
ply have to get that car fixed. It’s embarrassing.”

“ If you
want something,
you have to
go after it
R ecently, I was listening to an
interview with the famous
American actor Robert Red-
ford. In his latest movie, All Is Lost
(see p. 44), Redford plays a solo sailor
who finds himself in a desperate situ-
ation after his boat collides with a
shipping container floating in the
middle of the Indian Ocean.
During the interview, Redford
was asked how it came to pass that he
took on this unusual role: he is the
only character in the movie, in which
hardly a word is spoken. He said he
had accepted the role quite simply be-
cause someone had asked him. It was
during the 2011 Sundance Film Fes-
tival that writer and director J. C.
Chandor had the idea of offering him
the role. As Redford explained, it was
the first time since he founded the
Sundance Institute in the early 1980s
that a filmmaker had asked him to be
in one of his or her movies.
As I listened to the interview, the
concept seemed so obvious: Redford
did it because someone had asked. It
brought to mind a similar experience
aisle [aI&l]
as for me [)Äz f&r (mi:]
bill [bIl] US
collide [kE(laId]
come to pass [)kVm tE (pÄs]
far-fetched [)fA:r (fetSt]
float [floUt]
go after sth. [goU (Äft&r]
intently [In(tentli]
job description [(dZA:b di)skrIpS&n]
point out [pOInt (aUt]
solo sailor [(soUloU )seIl&r]
stop by [stA:p (baI]
Foto: action press
timidly [(tImIdli]
track sth. down [trÄk (daUn]
wallet [(wA:lEt]
American Life | GINGER KUENZEL
Simply ask, and
”
you shall receive
Es reicht oft nicht, sich etwas nur zu wünschen. Manchmal muss
man auch fragen. Und dann am Ball bleiben.
that I had many years ago. I was at-
tending a sales conference for the
company I worked for at that time.
he guest speaker walked onto the
stage, introduced himself, and then
pulled out his wallet.
“I have here in my hand a $100
bill,” he told the audience. He took
the money from his wallet and waved
it in the air above his head. “Now,
who wants it?”
Immediately, all the people in the
room raised their hands, some J. C. Chandor and Robert Redford
timidly, others waving their arms ag- tunities simply because we didn’t ask.
gressively as if to say: “Pick me! Pick Why is that?
me!” But Jason, one of the company’s Some years ago, when the com-
star salesmen, stood up, made his way pany I was working for decided to
to the aisle, and stepped onto the move its headquarters from Boston to
stage. He walked over to the speaker California, I was offered the chance to
and put out his hand. “I want the move with them. But I didn’t want to.
$100 bill,” he said. he speaker So I asked if I could stay in Boston
handed it to him, and Jason returned and look for a different job within the
to his seat. company. hey agreed and even told
We listened intently as the speaker me I should write a new job descrip-
pointed out that everyone wanted the tion for myself. Not only was I able to
money, but Jason was the only person stay with the company in Boston; I
in the room who had actually gone was also able to create what I consid-
after it. he point he was making to ered to be the perfect job. hings
the salespeople don’t get much better than that.
Gang was that you can’t Have you ever really wanted
was mich betrifft (
p. 61) just wave your something, but it seemed so far-
Geldschein, (Bank)Note hand and say you fetched that you simply didn’t ask?
zusammenstoßen want someone’s Well, maybe you should. I’m not say-
geschehen, sich zutragen business. You ing you’re sure to get it. But if you
abwegig
have to go after it, don’t ask, it’s pretty sure that you
treiben
sich etw. holen,
to ask for it — as won’t get it. As for me, I’m going to
ein Ziel verfolgen J. C. Chandor track down George Clooney’s e-mail
aufmerksam did in 2011 when address. here’s a big party here in
Tätigkeitsbeschreibung he asked Robert town later this month, and I was
klarmachen, hervorheben Redford if he’d be thinking that maybe he’d like to stop
Einhandsegler(in)
in his movie. by. I think I’ll just ask.
vorbeischauen
It made me
zaghaft
etw. ausfindig machen realize that many Ginger Kuenzel is a freelance writer who
Brieftasche of us have proba- lived in Munich for 20 years. She now calls
bly missed oppor- a small town in upstate New York home.
1|14 Spotlight 67
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 February 2014 | NEXT MONTH

Features

Travel to an island far, Practise your

far away... writing skills
Atiu, one of the Cook Islands, is a with IELTS
small place in the South Pacific with Learn more about the
a lively cultural scene. Join us writing section of the
as we go for drinks in the forest and internationally recog-
meet the guardian angel of exotic nized IELTS test. Try our
birds on this little piece of paradise. exclusive exam mate-
rial, and follow our tips
to improve your writ-
ten English. There’s a
competition, too.

Sugar, sugar —
the best
English sweets
People from the north of
England are famous for
having a sweet tooth —
and for the delicious
traditional boiled sweets
they produce. Find out
more about pear drops,
mint humbugs and wine
gums in this very sweet
food story.

Language

English at Work Everyday English Vocabulary

Ken Taylor gives advice on
how to end a visit to a customer
politely, and how to translate a
top-level job title into English.
Fotos: Alamy; Hemera; iStock; Stockbyte
Get your warning triangle out A warming soup is comforting in
and your yellow vest on! We have winter, but what do we call those
all the language you need to deal vegetables? We introduce you to
with car breakdowns. sprouts, pumpkin and more.

Spotlight 2/14 is on sale from 29 January 1|14 Spotlight 69

 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | My Life in English
Dani Heiss
Die Münchner ENERGY-Moderatorin berichtet
über ihre Erfahrungen mit der englischen
Sprachenwelt.
A s a radio host, why is English important to you?
Music titles and artists’ names — it’s important to
be able to pronounce the names of the stars and the
songs correctly.
When was your first English lesson?
It was in my schooldays, a long time ago. I’m afraid
English wasn’t my favourite subject, but that was
probably because of the strict teacher.
Who is your favourite English-language author, actor or
musician, and why?
I love reading crime stories and thrillers; for example, by
the American authors Tess Gerritsen and Dan Brown. As
far as my favourite actor goes, that’s very definitely
Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s harder to name my favourite
singer. There are so many that I like. But I think Robbie
Williams and Justin Timberlake are super.
Which song could you sing at least a few lines of in
English?
“Can’t Hold Us” by the rapper Macklemore.
What is your favourite food from the English-speaking
world?
Apple crumble and muffins or cupcakes. I love sweet
things.
Which person from the English-speaking world (living or
dead) would you most like to meet and why?
Leonardo DiCaprio. I think he’s the most gorgeous man
and the best actor... OK, I’m a little bit in love, I admit
it. Shh!
If you could be anywhere in the English-speaking world
right now, where would it be?
Australia. It really attracts me with its nature and
animals. I love diving and surfing, too. I’m just a little
afraid of sharks.
apple crumble [)Äp&l (krVmb&l] Apfelstreusel
beforehand [bi(fO:hÄnd] vorher
Foto: Energy; iStock
diving [(daIvIN] Tauchen
gorgeous [(gO:dZEs] umwerfend, gutaussehend
host [hEUst] Moderator(in)
shark [SA:k] Hai
70 Spotlight 1|14
Which is your favourite city in the
English-speaking world?
New York! Unfortunately, I haven’t been
there yet. But I hope to manage a trip soon.
What special tip would you give a friend who was going
to visit this city?
I imagine you would have to save a lot of money
beforehand to take with you — as well as comfortable
shoes. I think New York is very expensive if you want to
go shopping, eating and partying. And you probably
need a lot of time to get from A to B — so good shoes
are important.
When did you last use English (before this interview)?
In interviews with the developers of games for
PlayStation and Wii U.
What was your best or funniest experience in English?
It can be very funny trying to have a conversation in Eng-
lish with people in Italy or France when I’m on holiday.
What is your favourite English word?
Marshmallow. It sounds funny — and I never know how
to spell it correctly.
Which English word was the hardest for you to learn to
pronounce?
Voice. Lots of Germans have problems with the sounds
“v” and “w” in English — as I do.
Do you practise English, and if so, how?
Yes. In conversations with friends who speak English,
and in interviews. I also watch films and TV series in
English, and I want to take another language course soon.
If you suddenly found your-
self with a free afternoon
in London or New York,
what would you do?
Go shopping!
Is there anything in
your home from
the English-
speaking world?
No, unfortunately...
Lots of tea from
England. Does that
count?
What would be your
motto in English?
Live, laugh, love.
 Gut für
den Kopf!
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lernen. Jeden Monat neu.

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 Immer und überall –
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ON :
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Beschenk dich selbst:

6 Monate Sprachen online lernen,
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www.dalango.de/beschenkdichselbst Ein Produkt des
Green Light
1 2014

ENGLISCH LEICHT GEMACHT !

The verb
“be”
Words
for types of
shop

A happy
New Year!
 GREEN LIGHT | News

This month…
Was beschäftigt die englischsprachige Welt im Januar?
VANESSA CLARK spürt die heißen Storys für Sie auf.

Get your skates on!

Sport As the world gets ready for the Win-
ter Olympics in Sochi in February, it’s time
to warm up with some ice skating.
The 2014 US Figure Skating Champi-
onships will take place in Boston from 5 to
12 January. It’s the last big competition be-
fore the selection of the
US Olympic team,
so it will be “all or nothing” for the skaters
who want a ticket to Sochi.
As well as the championships for the top
skaters, Boston also has prizes at lower levels
for other skaters, including children. What’s
more, 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the
US championships, so it’s sure to be a big
show this year.

Shopaholic?
Books Sophie Kinsella’s bestselling Shopaholic books tell the
funny story of a financial journalist who can’t manage her own
finances because she loves shopping so much. The author worked
as a financial journalist herself, so she writes from experience. And
the shopping? Was that from her own experience, too? Laughing, she
says: “Well, I would never write about a shop without testing it.”
The author, whose real name is Madeleine Wickham, is married to
the headmaster of a private school in London. They have five children.
The latest Sophie Kinsella book, Wedding Night (German title: Das
Hochzeitsversprechen), is out in German this month.

1914 100 years ago

anniversary [)ÄnI(v§:sEri]
celebrations [)selE(breIS&nz]
experience [Ik(spIEriEns]
figure skating [(fIgE )skeItIN]
headmaster [)hed(mA:stE]
ice skating [(aIs )skeItIN]
manage sth. [(mÄnIdZ]
selection [sE(lekS&n]
take place [teIk (pleIs]
zip code [(zIp kEUd] US
California January 2014 sees
the start of a year of celebrations
in Beverly Hills — for its 100th an-
Jahrestag, Jubiläum niversary. In the early 20th cen-
Feierlichkeiten tury, investors were looking for oil,
Erfahrung but found water. So they decided
Eiskunstlauf to build a town there. In
Rektor(in), Direktor(in)
1914, it became a city
Eislaufen
within the city of Los An-
hier: im Griff haben
Auswahl geles. It is now home to
stattfinden many stars, who love its
Postleitzahl chic 90210 zip code.

2 Spotlight 1|14
 8 pictures | GREEN LIGHT

At the shops
STEPHANIE SHELLABEAR presents words for the shops we go to
most often.
1

8 2

7
3
Titel: iStock; Fotos Doppelseite: Hemera; PhotoObjects.net; Blake Little/Random House; Illustrationen: B. Förth

6 4

Write the words 5

below next to the
pictures.
In the UK, the names of many types of shop end in ’s; for Tips
1. post office example, “butcher’s”. This is a short form of “butcher’s shop”.
[(pEUst )QfIs]
2. baker’s / bakery Match the names of the shops with the things you can
3. butcher’s buy in them.
[(bUtSEz]
4. greengrocer’s a) baker’s a  1. meat and sausages (Würstchen)
[(gri:n)grEUsEz] b) butcher’s b  2. flowers
5. chemist’s c) chemist’s c  3. newspapers, cigarettes, etc.
[(kemIsts] d) newsagent’s d  4. bread and cakes
6. newsagent’s e) florist’s e  5. medicine
[(nju:z)eIdZEnts]
7. florist’s [(flQrIsts] You can say either “butcher’s” or “butcher’s shop”, but it’s Tips
8. corner shop more common to hear “butcher’s” or “baker’s”.
[(kO:nE )SQp] • How long is the butcher’s open?

Answers: a–4; b–1; c–5; d–3; e–2

1|14 Spotlight 3
 GREEN LIGHT | Grammar elements

The verb “be”

STEPHANIE SHELLABEAR presents basic grammar.
Here, she explains different forms of the verb “be”.
The present forms of the verb “be” are am, is and are in Write down the
the singular, and are in the plural. There are long forms and short forms of the
short forms. words in bold.
long form short form
singular I am I’m a) We are not happy
you are you’re with the hotel.
he / she / it is he’s / she’s / it’s ________________
plural we are we’re
b) They are very
you are you’re
they are they’re interesting people.
________________
The long forms are used in writing, but the shorter, con- c) He is not a good
tracted (zusammengezogen) forms are used a lot when swimmer.
speaking. The short forms are also often used when friends
________________
write to each other:
d) You are David,
• The meeting’s very important.
• Hello! I’m Sam. aren’t you?
• He said, “They’re not my friends.” ________________
e) I’m very sorry,
To make the long negative form, “not” is added. When
she is not here.
speaking, the short form “-n’t” is often used.
________________
long form short form
singular I am not I’m not
you are not you aren’t / you’re not When somebody
Tips
he / she / it is not he isn’t / she isn’t / it isn’t asks you a question to
he’s not / she’s not / it’s not which you want to give
plural we are not we aren’t / we’re not a positive answer, the
you are not you aren’t / you’re not long form is used:
they are not they aren’t / they’re not • “Hello! Are you
Emma?”
• Your meeting isn’t in this room today. — “Yes, I am.”
• My keys aren’t in my bag. • “Is Tom your son?”
Fotos: iStock

— “Yes, he is.”
To form a question, remember that the verb is put at the
beginning of the sentence.
• Are you ready?
• Is that car safe?
• Are they brother and sister?

Answers: a) We aren’t / We’re not; b) They’re;

c) He’s not / He isn’t; d) You’re; e) she’s not; she isn’t
4 Spotlight 1|14
 The Greens | GREEN LIGHT

Happy New Year!

Andrew bumps into his neighbour Betty as he is taking out
the rubbish on New Year’s Day. By DAGMAR TAYLOR
Andrew: Hello, Betty! Happy New Year!
Betty: Oh, Andrew. Happy New Year to
you!
Andrew: Thanks. I love Christmas and New
Year and everything, but there’s so much
rubbish afterwards.
Betty: Oh, I know. I’ve just sent Bob to the
bottle bank.
Andrew: Did you have a good night last
night? Were you up late?
Betty: Yes. It was lovely. I’m not sure what
time we got to bed, but it was definitely
well past midnight. And how about
yourselves?
Andrew: Fantastic! We all ate too much and
drank too much... You know what it’s
like.
Betty: Oh, I know. Time for a diet, I think.
Andrew: Mmm, me too. I’m going for a jog
later. Want to come?
Betty: (laughs) Don’t be silly, Andrew!
Ti ps
• In the first few days of a new year,
people wish each other Happy New
Year!
• Rubbish (US: garbage, trash) is all the
things you throw away.
• A bottle bank is a large container
where glass is taken for recycling.
• If you stay / are up late, you go to bed
later than usual. People stay up until
midnight on New Year’s Eve
(Silvester) to wish friends and family a
happy New Year.
• When someone has asked a question
about you, after answering, you can
ask him or her: And how about
yourself / yourselves?
• Andrew’s suggestion that Betty could
go jogging with him is not serious
(ernst gemeint). It’s silly and just for
fun.

True or false? Listen to the dialogue at

www.spotlight-online.de/products/green-light
a) Bob is taking bottles to the bottle
bank. _______ Donna
b) Betty went to bed after
midnight the night before. _______ Andrew
c) Andrew ate and drank too much
the night before. _______
d) Betty is going for a jog later. _______

bump into sb. jmdn. zufällig treffen

[)bVmp (IntE]
definitely [(defEnEtli] ganz bestimmt
go for a jog joggen gehen
[)gEU fE E (dZQg]
midnight [(mIdnaIt] Mitternacht

Answers: a) true; b) true; c) true;

d) false (Andrew is going for a jog later.)
 GREEN LIGHT | Get writing

A note of condolence
VANESSA CLARK helps you to write letters, e-mails and more in
English. This month: how to write a card to the family
of someone who has died.

nnis ws.
Dear De r y o u r sad ne
h e a
orry to od
I was s l w o m an, a go
u ny
w a s a wonderf n d . I have ma
Va l d fr ie
and a kin our tim
es
mother o f er
pp y m e mo r ie s
l w ay s rememb
ha will a
r, and I icult
togethe l p e d m e at diff
e he
how sh life.
s in my hildren.
moment t o the c
l o v e
ive my t this
Please g o f y ou all a
kin g
I ´m thin
t time.
difficul
m
Love fro
Patricia

Tips
• A note of condolence [kEn(dEUlEns] is • Most people don’t like using words like

Fotos: Alamy; iStock; Peter Weber

never easy to write. The most important
thing is to show that you care (Anteil
nehmen), so don’t worry (sich Sorgen
machen) too much about your English.
Here are some phrases that might help.
• The best way to start is usually the
phrase I was sorry to hear; for exam-
ple, “I was so sorry to hear about your
wife” or “I was sorry to read your an-
nouncement (Anzeige) in the newspaper”.
Us !
give sb.’s love to sb. liebe Grüße an
[gIv (lVv tE]
memory [(memEri] Erinnerung
“died”, “dead” or “death” (Tod) in a note of
condolence. They prefer to speak of your
sad news and this difficult time.
• Say what good things you remember
about the person who has died. Talk
about your happy memories. You can
say I will always remember...
or “I will never forget...”.
e
it
Highlight the key words and
phrases that you would use if
you needed to write a card
like this yourself.

6 Spotlight 1|14
 Culture corner | GREEN LIGHT

I like…
Oxfam
Jeden Monat stellt ein Redakteur
etwas Besonderes aus der eng-
lischsprachigen Welt vor. Spotlight-
Redakteurin JOANNA WESTCOMBE
präsentiert eine Hilfsorganisation,
die ihr viel bedeutet.

What it is Why I like it

Oxfam is a name that everyone in Britain Oxfam is global, it is local, and it is part of
knows: they’ve put money into a collecting me. As they say, “Charity begins at home”.
tin, they’ve sent an Oxfam Christmas card, In my family, there is usually a collecting tin
or they’ve given books or clothes to their to be filled, a bazaar to be organized, or a
local Oxfam shop. bag of books to be taken to the local Oxfam
Oxfam started in 1942. In Greece, shop. There, I can buy more books, fair
women and children were starving. A small trade chocolate, children’s toys and, in Jan-
group of people in Oxford, England, wanted uary, maybe someone else’s unwanted
to help them. They called themselves the Christmas present. Oxfam shops have al-
Oxford Committee for Famine Relief. ways sold second-hand clothes. Now that
Today, Oxfam International is a group of “vintage” clothes are in fashion, so is Oxfam.
17 organizations that work to fight poverty It even sells them online.
and injustice around the world. Oxfam n
Fu ts
helps people to have clean water, medicine • The idea of British charity shops c
fa
and schools. It helps after disasters like arrived in Germany in 1986 with a
earthquakes and tornadoes, and it helps to shop in Bonn. All the money went to
give people a voice, putting its hand up to Oxfam GB.
ask governments and the public to listen. • There are now 44 Oxfam shops in
Germany, with 2,500 volunteers
charity begins at home Nächstenliebe working in them.
[)tSÄrEti bi)gInz Et (hEUm] beginnt zu Hause
• Oxfam is the biggest seller of
collecting tin [kE(lektIN )tIn] Sammelbüchse
second-hand books in Europe.
earthquake [(§:TkweIk] Erdbeben
famine relief [)fÄmIn ri(li:f] Hungerhilfe • For €56, you can buy two
fight poverty [)faIt (pQvEti] Armut bekämpfen goats from Oxfam. They
goat [gEUt] Ziege are not second-hand, nor
government [(gVv&nmEnt] Regierung are they for you, but for a
Greece [gri:s] Griechenland family living in the poor-
injustice [In(dZVstIs] Ungerechtigkeit est parts of Africa. Visit
starve [stA:v] verhungern
your nearest Oxfam shop or
voice [vOIs] Stimme
volunteer [)vQlEn(tIE] Ehrenamtliche(r)
go online: www.oxfam.de
 GREEN LIGHT | Notes and numbers

Numbers over 1,000 Your notes

A comma, not a full stop (Punkt) is used to Use this space for your own notes.
separate (trennen) large numbers into groups
of three digits (Ziffer):
• 2,000 = two thousand
• 33,542 = thirty-three thousand five hun-
dred and forty-two
A plural verb is used with thousand, except
usually when talking about money:
• There were only two thousand people at
the event (Veranstaltung).
• Two thousand pounds is a lot of money.

Write out the following numbers

in words.

a) 1,001 a /one thousand and one

_________________________________
b) 2,051 ________________________________
c) 3,999 ________________________________
d) 5,025 ________________________________
e) 25,000 _______________________________

2014
Fotos: iStock; PhotoObjects.net
The year 2014 is spoken
“two thousand and fourteen”
or “twenty fourteen”.
• All the best for 2014! Answers: b) two thousand and fifty-one;
c) three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine;
d) five thousand and twenty-five; e) twenty-five thousand

IMPRESSUM
Herausgeber und Verlagsleiter: Dr. Wolfgang Stock
Chefredakteurin: Inez Sharp
Stellvertretende Chefredakteurin: Claudine Weber-Hof
Chefin vom Dienst: Susanne Pfeifer
Autoren: Vanessa Clark, Stephanie Shellabear,
Dagmar Taylor
Redaktion: Owen Connors, Elisabeth Erpf, Anja Giese,
Peter Green, Reinhild Luk, Michael Pilewski (Online),
Michele Tilgner, Joanna Westcombe
Bildredaktion: Sarah Gough (Leitung), Thorsten Mansch
Gestaltung: Marion Sauer/Johannes Reiner
www.vor-zeichen.de
Anzeigenleitung: Axel Zettler
Marketingleitung: Holger Hofmann
Produktionsleitung: Ingrid Sturm
Vertriebsleitung: Monika Wohlgemuth
Verlag und Redaktion: Spotlight Verlag GmbH
Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg, Deutschland
Telefon +49(0)89/8 56 81-0, Fax +49(0)89/8 56 81-105
Internet: www.spotlight-online.de
Litho: HWM GmbH, 82152 Planegg
Druck: Medienhaus Ortmeier, 48369 Saerbeck
© 2014 Spotlight Verlag, auch für alle genannten Autoren,
Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.

UNSER SPRACHNIVEAU: Das Sprachniveau in Green Light entspricht ungefähr Stufe A2 des
Gemeinsamen Europäischen Referenzrahmens für Sprachen.