Stradivarius

The article I’ve chosen is about Stradivarius violins. Many people know that these instruments are famous, but why?

They were made (about 1200 pieces) between 17^th and 18^th century by Antonio Stradivari, and they’re well-known by their great sound. Many manufacturers have investigated the sound, but they haven’t been able to explain exactly why Stradivarius violins sound so beautifulyl. It’s believed it could be the wood or the glue.

At present, only about 500 Stradivarius violins have been found, and they belong to famous violinists or Museums. In Spain, there are two pieces in the Agency of National States.

The last time one of these instruments was sold was in October 2010, to a Japanese woman, by 3.000.000 $.

Talking about their value and economic cost, in October 2010 was the last time one of these instruments was sold for 3.600.000 $ (nearly 2.600.000 euros). But if you think you’ve found one of these, find evidence of it, because there are a lot of copies in the world.

MARÍA PAREJA

Learning English through songs

Today we have listened to Leona Lewis' Better in Time. Leona was winner of the third series of the British television series The X Factor. Her career was catapulted by this contest as her record Spirit sold million of copies the moment it was released.

The class activity had been prepared by a Pale student last year. You listen to Leona's song and then fill in the gaps. Click here for the handouts. That's what we did on today.

Then we had a class discussion in groups about the theme, the feelings expressed, the language used and her wonderful voice. One of the issues raised was whether programmes such as The X Factor help young people or, on the contrary, send wrong messages about effortless success.

1. Are these kind of programmes a good idea?
2. Do you know of any singers who have become famous thanks to one of these programmes?
3. What is the price they have to pay? Are they free to sing and compose what they feel or are they ready made products?