IT!

Leshefti ensku fyrir unglinga I

FOR GO
2
A nota orabk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
America and Icelanders . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The 50 states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The United Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Things to see and do in London . . . . . . . . . . 13
Wales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scotland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Northern Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Why do they drive on the left? . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Vikings in Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Vikings in Ireland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Iceland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Tourist attractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Environment our planet
needs your help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Wildlife and endangered
species of animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Land, deserts and soil erosion . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The magic of movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Special effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Walt Disney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Steven Spielberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Sean Connery Scotsman and actor . . . . . . 34
Chaplin the little tramp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Signs of the zodiac . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chinese horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The origins of sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Popular sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Four versions of football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Football vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Jamaican bobsleigh team . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Superstitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
General superstitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Superstitious people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Sporting superstitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
The curse of the Hope diamond . . . . . . . . . . 56
Efnisyfirlit
Til ess a stunda tungumlanm me gum rangri verur a nota orabk.
egar rekst or sem skilur ekki, arftu a fletta v upp og skrifa hj r
(t.d. glsubk) hva a ir. Stundum er gefin upp fleiri en ein merking sama
ori og verur a skoa samhengi textanum sem ert a lesa til a velja
rtta ingu. Einnig er mjg snjallt a skrifa fyrir ofan glsurnar r hvaa kafla ea
lesefni glsurnar eru og jafnvel hvaa blasu. Hr er dmi um slkar glsur sem
teknar eru r kaflanum America and Icelanders.
N er best a rifja aeins upp hvernig orabkin er notu
1. Stafrfi
2. Orflokkar
a er lka mikilvgt a skilja mismuninn milli helstu orflokka, til a geta leita a
orum sinni upprunalegu mynd. Sem dmi, gtir veri a lesa eftirfarandi
setningu:
He dreams (1) about happiness. His dreams (2) are great.
Hrna a essi tv or alls ekki a sama og bi eru breytt fr sinni upprunalegu
mynd.
orabkinni myndu essi tv or vera askilin sem annars vegar sagnor (so) og
hins vegar nafnor (no), me mismunandi ingum.
Arir mikilvgir orflokkar eru lsingaror og atviksor.
3
A NOTA
Orunum er raa stafrfsr
orabkinni og gtt er a skrifa
stafrfi innan kpu hennar ea
lma inn mia me v. Sumir
setja lka litla post-it mia inn
orabkina ar sem hver stafur
byrjar, til a auvelda leitina.
Enska stafrfi er 26 stafir:
America and Icelanders glsur
discovered

discover = finna ea uppgtva

turf = torf
(1) er etta sgnin
to dream = a dreyma
san er vibtt s fyrir
3. persnu eintlu.
(2) er etta nafnori
a dream = draumur san
er vibtt s fyrir fleirtlu.
A B C D E F
G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S
T U V W X Y Z
4
3. Leibeiningar til a finna or orabk
ao = atviksor dmi: happily, slowly
et = eintala
fn = fornafn dmi: he, it
fs = forsetning dmi: on, in, under
ft = fleirtala
l/lo = lsingaror dmi: hot, green, true
n/no = nafnor dmi: man, idea, house
nt = nt
s/so = sagnor dmi: go, play, hear
st = samtenging dmi: and, so
t = t
Algengar
skammstafanir
ordabkum:
a. Endar ori -ed? er etta kannski sgn t. arf a taka af anna
hvort -d ea -ed, til a finna upprunalega mynd.
b. Endar ori -ied? gti etta lka veri sgn t. arftu a setja -y
sta -ied til a finna upprunalega mynd.
c. Endar ori -ies? gti etta veri annahvort sgn 3. persnu ea
nafnor fleirtlu. Breyttu -ies -y til a finna upprunalega mynd.
d. Endar ori -er? gti etta veri lsingaror mistigi. Taktu -er af og
sru sennilega upprunalega mynd. Ef a endar -ier arftu a breyta v -y.
e. Endar ori -est? gti etta veri lsingaror efsta stigi. Taktu -est af
og sru sennilega upprunalega mynd. Ef a endar -iest arftu a breyta
v -y.
f. Gti etta veri regluleg sgn t ea lsingarhtti? Gu mlfribkina
na.
Dmi: He fought hard. Fought er t af fight.
g. Gti etta veri reglulega stigbreytt lsingaror? Gu mlfribkina na.
Dmi: Today is worse than yesterday. Worse er mistig af bad.
etta arftu a skoa ef r gengur illa a finna ori
Travel
Americaand
Icelanders
Who discovered America? Many say that the Spanish explorer Christopher
Columbus discovered America but in Iceland we know better. Or do we?
Native Americans know that America didnt need to be discovered. They had
been living there for thousands of years!
When we say that Leifur Eirksson discovered America, we mean that he was
the first European to settle there. He sailed from his fathers home in
Greenland to LAnse aux Meadows, which is now in the Canadian province of
Newfoundland. Leifur Eirksson called this country Vnland, which means
Country of wine, but no grapes grow there.
At LAnse aux Meadows there is now a National Historic Site with a replica
of the Viking colony. There are three turf-walled buildings that show how the
first visitors lived.
There is also a much older historical site at LAnse aux Meadows a 7,500-
year-old Indian burial mound. It is the oldest burial mound in North America.
Since Leifur Eirksson was the first European to settle in America, why do so
many people believe it was Christoper Columbus who discovered it? The main
reason is that the Vikings didnt stay in America. They left after a few years.
For the next five centuries, nothing much happened in Newfoundland; but in
5
the late 1500s, it became the whaling capital of the world. Whaling ships
from as far away as Spain came to earn their fortunes in whale oil, which had
very many different uses.
In the 19
th
century, Icelanders started going to Canada again, but this time
they didnt go to Newfoundland. These emigrants were poor farming people
and most of them went to the province of Manitoba, in the middle of Canada,
and settled around Lake Winnipeg. Almost one-fifth of the Icelandic popula-
tion went there, mostly from the northern part of Iceland. The Canadian
authorities gave them farming land which they called New Iceland. Many
prospered, but others gave up and moved away from New Iceland into
Canadian cities or to the United States of America (U.S.A.). The Icelandic
immigrants to North America have been called West-Icelanders.
You sometimes see letters in the papers from West-Icelanders who have
never been to Iceland but are very interested in the country and are trying to
find relatives here. Maybe one of your greatgreat-aunts went there?
USA
History
Before any European settlers arrived in America, the American Indians had
lived on the plains and in the mountains for thousands of years. They are now
called Native Americans. The reason they were called Indians at first is that
when Christopher Columbus arrived in America (in 1492), he thought he had
sailed to India!
The first Europeans arrived in America in 1620 and they were British. A little
later, people from France, Spain and the Netherlands started coming
as well. During the 18
th
century Britain established colonies on the East
Coast and a lot more people arrived. But the people in the colonies were
not happy with the taxes that Parliament levied on them. In 1776 the War of
6
Independence was declared. It lasted until 1783, when a Peace Treaty was
signed. George Washington became the first president in 1789.
In the early 19
th
century more and more people arrived from Europe. Europe
was crowded and poor people couldnt buy land and have their own farms
there, but in the U.S. there was plenty of land in the West and it was cheap
or even free. The only trouble was that this land really belonged to the Native
Americans. There was a lot of fighting between the settlers and the Native
Americans but the settlers had the help of the U.S. military so they slowly
took over most of the land. The Native Americans were forced to move to
special areas called Reservations. The Reservations were not on good land
and the Native Americans were very badly treated, but as they were so few
in numbers they couldnt fight back.
In the early 17
th
century, slaves were brought over from Africa to work in the
cotton, sugar and tobacco fields in the Southern states. Many were treated
horribly and they were hardly considered human. The Northern states had no
slaves and they were against slavery. This led to the Civil War from 1861 to
1865. The North won and slavery was abolished but even today African-
Americans are not always treated the same as white people.
At the end of the 19
th
century, industry became very important in the U.S.
and a lot more people came from Europe to work in factories and mines.
After World War II people came from all over the world, especially from Asia
and South America. Now, the U.S. has people from every country in the world.
You can see this if you visit any big U.S. city, like New York.
Geography
The U.S. covers 9,809,431 km
2
so it is about 95 times bigger than Iceland.
About 1000 times more people live there than in Iceland. The longest rivers
are the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Rio Grande (which means big river
in Spanish). The highest mountain is Mount McKinley, in Alaska. It is 6,194 m
high. Some other interesting places are:
The Grand Canyon in Arizona. It is 350 km long, 1,500 m deep and between
6 and 29 km wide. It was made by the Colorado River and it is one of the top
tourist attractions in the U.S.
Niagara Falls on the U.S.-Canadian border. When water flows from Lake Erie
into Lake Ontario, it drops about 50 m and becomes a spectacular waterfall.
7
The two lakes are part of the five Great Lakes on the border. The others are
Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior.
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming was the first national park in the
world. It opened in 1872. It is still the largest park in the U.S. although now
there are 37 others. The most popular attraction in Yellowstone is a hot water
spring, or geysir, called Old Faithful.
The Everglades is an area of swamp land in southern Florida. All kinds of
birds and animals live there, such as lizards, otters, turtles, herons, racoons,
flamingoes and over 10,000 alligators. (The Everglades best known and most
dangerous inhabitants).
Death Valley in California is the driest place in the U.S. It is a desert with only
about 5 cm of rainfall per year.
The 50 states
All the states are in the same North American landmass except for Hawaii,
which is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Alaska is also seperated from
the other states, with Canada in between. Alaska is the biggest state but
it has the fewest people because it is so cold and inhospitable. The
smallest state is Rhode Island and the state with the highest population is
California. That is very understandable because California has a warm and
sunny climate, it is very fertile, it has a lot of high-technology industry and
it has the movie industry (Hollywood).
The capital of the U.S. is Washington D.C. (D.C. = District of Columbia). It is
situated in the state of Maryland but it belongs to all the states.
The American flag is called the Stars and Stripes because it has 13 red and
white stripes and also 50 white stars on a blue background. The 13 stripes
stand for the first 13 colonies to form the U.S. and the 50 stars for the 50
actual states. The colours also have a meaning; red is for courage, white for
liberty and blue for justice.
If you look at a map of the U.S., the East Coast is the closest to Iceland. From
Keflavik it is about a four-hour flight to Boston and five hours to New York.
The U.S. is divided into regions. The closest to us is New England (where the
first English people lived).
8
New England is formed by six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. This region is famous for its
beautiful scenery, especially the colour of the leaves in autumn. It is also
famous for its top universities, particularly Harward, Yale and Princeton.
South of New England is the Mid Atlantic region.
The Mid Atlantic is formed by five states: New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. This used to be an area of heavy
industry, where iron, steel and glass were made. New York city is still the
centre of finance and culture in the U.S. This region has a lot of history as
well; the American Declaration of Independence was written and signed in
the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Delaware was the first state of the
new country in 1776 and Washington D.C. is located in Maryland.
The South is formed by twelve states: Virgina, West Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida,
Mississippi, Arkanasas and Louisiana. This is the region which fought over
the right to keep slaves. They still grow cotton and tobacco there, as well as
fruit, rice and other crops which need a lot of sunshine. The weather is terribly
9
10
hot in summer but very nice in winter. Many people move to the South when
they retire, particularly to Florida, which is also called The Sunshine State.
North of this region and west of the Mid Atlantic is the Midwest.
The Midwest is also formed by twelve states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana,
Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, North Dakota, South
Dakota and Kansas. This area is very good for growing grain and is therefore
sometimes called the nations breadbasket. There are many cattle ranches,
and sheep and pig farms in this area. There is also a lot of industry in this
region and the city of Detroit in Michigan is the centre of the automobile
industry in the U.S. The Midwesterners are known for their friendliness.
The next region to the south is called the Southwest.
The Southwest is formed by five states: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico,
Arizona and Nevada. It is much drier than the Midwest and has deserts and
wide plains. In Texas there is a lot of oil and all these states have cowboys.
Many Native Americans and Latin Americans (from Mexico or South America)
live in this region. Las Vegas, the famous city of gambling, is in Nevada.
North of this region and west of the Midwest is the Rocky Mountain region.
The Rocky Mountain region is also formed by five states: Montana, Idaho,
Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. This region has mountains and canyons,
deserts and rivers. Millions of tourists go there every year to go skiing but
also to enjoy the beautiful scenery and wildlife.
West of this region is the Pacific West.
The Pacific West is formed by only three states: California, Oregon and
Washington. This region has beautiful beaches, rocky coasts, high mountains,
fertile valleys and thick forests. California is the most popular state in the U.S.
despite the risk of earthquakes.
Two states do not fit into any of these regions. They are Alaska and Hawaii.
Alaska is west of Canada. It is huge and about five percent of the state is
covered with ice fields and glaciers. Like Texas, it is very rich in oil. The Native
Americans in Alaska are called Inuits, like the natives of Greenland.
Hawaii is a group of 130 islands in the Pacific. These islands were formed by
volcanoes, like Iceland, and some of them are still active. Hawaii is a very
popular tourist destination.
Each state has its own capital, flag, bird, flower, tree, nickname, motto and
song.
Cities
The biggest cities in the U.S. are New York (in New York State), Philadelphia
(in Pennsylvania), Detroit (in Michigan), Chicago (in Illinois), Houston
(in Texas) and Los Angeles (in California). Of these cities, New York is the most
famous.
New York city is built on and around an island called Manhattan. The first
Europeans to live there were Dutch. They bought Manhattan from the Native
Americans in 1626 for $24, and called it New Amsterdam. In 1664 the British
captured the city and changed its name to New York. When America became
independent, New York was the first capital. New York has a multi-racial
population so there are many traditions, cultures and lifestyles there. About
8 million people live there today.
Conclusion
When people travel to the U.S. they usually notice how big everything is.
Americans also seem to be well off and it would be easy to think that life is
better there than elsewhere. But there are also difficulties in the U.S.,
especially in the health and education systems. People have to pay for all
medical assistance and university education. Health and education cost an
incredible amount of money which millions of people cannot afford. Because
Americans consume a lot there is a lot of waste which causes huge environ-
mental problems. However, the U.S. is a very exciting country to visit and you
would need many lifetimes to see all its interesting places. There are very
many famous and infamous Americans and the U.S. is one of the richest,
most diverse and powerful countries in the world.
11
TheUnitedKingdom
What is the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and
England?
The United Kingdom is Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is
the name of the island north-west of France and east of Ireland; it is three
countries: England, Wales and Scotland. Therefore, England is part of Great
Britain, which is part of the United Kingdom. The U.K. includes England,
Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The biggest and the most important and famous city in the United Kingdom
is London, in the south-east of England. London is polluted and expensive
like many other big cities in the world, but also lively and interesting. Here
are some ideas for young tourists in London.
12
Things to see and do in London
Buckingham Palace has been the royal home since 1837. Visitors can
visit parts of it and watch the changing of the guard outside the palace
at 11.30 a.m.
Westminster Abbey is Britains most famous church. It is huge and very
beautifully decorated.
Trafalgar Square has a 52-metre column with a statue of Lord Nelson on top.
It also has more pigeons than any other square in Britain!
The Tower of London used to be a prison but now it is a museum where the
crown jewels are kept. It is the oldest building in London. Besides having
been a prison, it has been a royal palace, a place of execution, a zoo, the
Royal Mint and an observatory. The guards wear special uniforms and are
called Beefeaters.
The London Eye is a new ferris wheel which takes people high up in the air so
they can see all over London.
The Natural History Museum has a huge collection of animals and plants,
including a quarter of a million butterflies and the skeletons of a blue whale
and a dinosaur.
Madame Tussauds is a waxwork museum with models of famous people
from pop stars to prime ministers. There is also the Chamber of Horrors.
The Science Museumwill take more than one visit because it is crammed with
interesting things to see and do, for example a three-dimensional cinema
and a meteor attack simulator.
The double-deckers are the red London two-storey buses and it is a lot of fun
to ride on the top.
Hamleys is one of the worlds biggest toy shops, with 5 floors of toys!
13
If you want to see something very different from London, you should travel
west to Stonehenge, 12 km north of Salisbury, in south-west England.
Stonehenge is two circles of huge, upright stones (some up to 6 metres),
sometimes connected with horizontal stones on top. Nobody knows who put
the stones there or why, but they are ancient and they probably had a
religious meaning.
Wales
In Wales there are two languages, English and Welsh. Luckily, everybody
speaks English because Welsh has words like this:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch. This is the
name of a town, but even the Welsh call it Llanfair PG! The biggest city in
Wales is Cardiff.
Scotland
Scotland is great for fishing and playing golf. There are a lot of lakes in
Scotland, which are called lochs in Scottish. The most famous is Loch Ness,
where many people believe a monster lives. There are many old castles in
Scotland and one of them is in Edinburgh, which is also one of the biggest
Scottish cities. Glasgow is also a large, busy city.
Northern Ireland
Belfast is the biggest city of Northern Ireland but unfortunately there has
been a lot of violence in Belfast over the years because the Protestants want
Northern Ireland to stay British and the Catholics want it to join The Republic
of Ireland in the south. Luckily, Ireland is famous for other things than
violence, such as poets and writers, beer and whisky. The Shamrock is the
national symbol of Ireland and so is the colour green.
14
Conclusion
The United Kingdom is led by a parliament under a prime minister. It has also
been a monarchy for centuries. The ruling monarch now is Queen Elizabeth
II. She has reigned since 1952 over 50 years. Her son, Prince Charles, is
next in line to the throne.
About 60 million people live in the U.K. although it is only about one third
larger than Iceland.
Many world-famous people are British, such as the Beatles, Elton John,
Sean Connery and David Beckham. Some famous Icelandic people have lived
in Britain, such as Bjrk.
An important tip when travelling in Great Britain: always queue (stand in
line) if you are waiting for something. Also, bring an umbrella, because it
often rains!
Why do they drive on the left?
Have you ever asked yourself why the traffic keeps to the left in Britain?
Well, there is a reason. A long time ago, people used to travel on horseback.
It was dangerous to travel on the road in those days. Somebody might attack
you to steal your money. Most people were right handed and they would
need their right hand to hold their sword to defend themselves with. If they
15
kept to the left side of the road, it was easier to use the sword and defend
themselves. And so even if the British of today are not afraid of thieves on
the road they still keep to the left in traffic!
Vikings in Britain
Anglo-Saxon Britain experienced many violent attacks in the 8th and 9th
centuries from Scandinavian pirates called Norsemen or Vikings. These
invaders came from Denmark and Norway. History tells us that they were
strong and aggressive people. They burned churches and destroyed towns.
They stole from the local villages and killed many people. Eventually many
vikings settled in Britain. Their rule was recognized in the East and North of
England for a while.
These Scandinavians influenced British life very much and the English
language started to change. The Vikings were cruel people but they brought
many of their traditions, styles of art, dress and house building techniques
to England. They introduced new administrative systems and farmed the
land very well. They built longships that helped to develop an international
trade system and they created markets.
Family life was very important to the Vikings. Everybody ate and slept in the
same room. They cooked and chatted around the fire. Some small animals
lived in the house with the family. The Vikings liked to sing and dance. They
wore beautiful jewellery and spun their own wool and made clothes.
ViKiNGsInIrElAnd
The Scandinavian Vikings came to Ireland in 795 and settled on the south
bank of the River Liffey in 841. They founded the Norse kingdom
of Dublin. They became very powerful and rich because Dublin was a very
successful trading centre. Therefore the city was raided many times by Irish
kings.
Dublin was at that time the largest Viking town in Ireland, and the Vikings
ruled with terror. They captured slaves and sold them to Scandinavia.
No wonder the Irish wanted to get rid of them. In 1014 King Brian Boru broke
the Viking power in Ireland at the battle of Clontarf, but the Norse ruled in
Dublin for another 150 years.
16
Iceland
Why is the country with the chilly name becoming a hot destination? Mostly
because of its spectacular scenery and history, but also because of its friendly
people who speak excellent English.
Description
Iceland is an island in the North-Atlantic ocean. It lies north of Scotland
between Norway and Greenland. The size of the island is 103,000 km
2
or
in comparative terms:
2
/3 of Great Britain, or
1
/5 of France, or about the size
of the state of Kentucky in the U.S.A.
Because Iceland is so close to the North Pole and over half of it is more than
400 m above sea level, only about 20% of the country is habitable, mostly
around the coast. Iceland has many mountains some of them volcanoes
waterfalls, glaciers, rivers and hot springs. Icelands climate is milder than
most foreigners think. The average temperature in January is above 0C but
only around 11C in July.
History
The first people to live in Iceland were Irish hermits. The people who settled
in Iceland arrived between 870 and 930 AD. They were mainly Norwegian
farmers on the run from their king but many of the women and slaves they
brought were from Ireland. The Icelanders founded the first parliament in the
world, the Alingi, and they became Christian in the year 1000. Before that,
most of them belonged to the old Norse religion.
17
Around the year 1000, some Icelanders settled in nearby Greenland and from
there they sailed all the way to North America, led by Leifur Eirksson. They
didnt stay there for long, so many people in the world believe Christopher
Columbus was the first European in North America.
In the 13
th
century, most of the sagas were written. The sagas tell the story
of Icelands settlement, with a lot of feuds, fights and romance. Nobody
knows whether they are fact or fiction but they are probably a bit of both.
In the 13
th
century things started to deteriorate. First, the Icelanders fought
among themselves and then the Norwegian king, Hkon Hkonarson, took
over and Iceland came under the Norwegian crown. Also, in that same cen-
tury, Mount Hekla erupted three times and killed both people and livestock.
About 100 years later, Norway, along with Iceland, came under the Danish
crown. Until 1874, Iceland was very badly treated by the rulers and also had
to face many natural disasters.
In 1550 Iceland became Lutheran like the rest of Scandinavia.
In 1874 Iceland finally got its own constitution and in 1918 it gained
sovereignty under the Danish crown. During the Second World War,
Denmark was occupied by Germany and Iceland by the British and later by
the Americans. During that time, Iceland claimed total independence from
Denmark and became independent on 17
th
June 1944.
The only wars Iceland ever fought as a nation were the cod-wars with
Britain in the 1950s to 70s when the British refused to recognise Icelands
fishing territories. Nobody died in those wars but some ships were damaged.
18
Economy
Icelands main source of income is the fishing industry, which provides 70%
of Icelands exports and employs 12% of the workforce. Other important
exports are aluminium, ferro-silicon and machines for fishing and fish
processing. Tourism is growing in Iceland, especially eco-tourism, where
people come to see unspoilt nature. There are also growing biotechnology
and software production industries.
The people
Since most of the original Icelanders were Norwegian and Irish, Iceland
is very homogeneous. Young Icelanders like the same things as every young
person in the Western world: music, films, sports and clothes. The most
popular sports are football (soccer), team-handball, basketball, swimming
and skiing. People also read a lot and many belong to a choir. Other popular
activities are horseback riding, fishing and handicrafts. Icelanders are also
great travellers and have been, ever since Leifur Eirksson went on
his American holiday, and they travel both within Iceland and to other
countries. When abroad they speak English or Danish since Icelandic is
understandable only to Icelanders. Icelanders have kept the tradition of
patronymics instead of family names, so new-born children are given the
first name of their father + son/daughter instead of a surname. For example,
if a childs fathers first name is Jn, the child is called Jnsson (for a boy) or
Jnsdttir (for a girl). It is also possible to use the mothers first name, like
Kristnardttir or Kristnarson if the mothers first name is Kristn. Of course,
the child is given a first name, too!
About 280,000 people live in Iceland, almost half of them in the Reykjavk
area.
Tourist attractions
The capital of Iceland, Reykjavk, is like a small international city. It is
possible to get almost anything here that is available in London, New York
or Paris. It is just a little smaller! But Reykjavk also offers great out-door
swimming pools with geothermal water, so it is possible to swim at any time
of the year. It also has many craft shops and museums, galleries and cafs.
19
The best view of the city is from the Pearl, a glass-domed restaurant, or the
tower of the Church of Hallgrmur. On a nice day it is easy to spot a glacier
to the north-west and the presidents residency to the south.
The most famous tourist attraction outside Reykjavk is the Golden Circle, a
route which takes people to see the beautiful and majestic waterfall Gullfoss
and some hot springs in a nearby area. It has one of the most famous hot
springs in the world, Geysir, but Geysir does not erupt very often anymore.
Strokkur, on the other hand, erupts every few minutes so it is well worth the
trip. Included in the Golden Circle tour is also a visit to the national park,
ingvellir, with its extraordinary landscape, where the oldest parliament in
the world was founded in the year 930.
Nature lovers are also very interested in Lake Mvatn
in the north. Mvatn has thousands of birds, it is
beautiful and the weather there is often very
good. The most powerful waterfall in Iceland
is also in the north. This is Dettifoss, but
access to it is often difficult because of
bad roads and rain. Another very interest-
ing place in the north is sbyrgi. It is best
described by the old myth: The old Norse
god inn was riding his horse, Sleipnir,
through the air and Sleipnir set down one of
his eight feet in sbyrgi, creating an enormous
hoof-mark in the cliffs.
For those who like isolated places, the west fjords and the interior of Iceland
are worh visiting. About a quarter of the west fjords are uninhabited but very
beautiful and the same is true for the entire interior of Iceland. As it is very
difficult to get there in winter, the best time to visit is in July or August.
The rest of the west fjords have small villages and one town. The fjords are
narrow and the mountains high. It is rather difficult to travel there but very
scenic. On the other side of the country, in the east fjords, there is
similar landscape and travel conditions but the weather there is generally
warmer than in the west fjords.
20
Both in the south and in the west it is possible to see and climb glaciers or
go snow-mobiling. Other interesting things to do are whale or bird watching,
swimming in the pools, hiking, horseback riding and rafting.
Tourists should try to make a stop at the Blue Lagoon, maybe on their way
back to the airport. It is a man-made pool of water with lots of healthy
minerals for the skin. It has a very unusual blue-green colour and a strange
smell, but it feels wonderful.
Culture
The Icelanders are very independent and usually have an opinion on every-
thing. They speak good English but are rather shy and sometimes appear
impolite. They have a long tradition of writing books and poetry, ever since
the sagas were written.
Although most Icelanders are Christian, many of them also believe in elves,
ghosts and spirits. There are many stories of humans helping the hidden
people and being handsomely rewarded or treating them badly and getting
punished. Many Icelanders are also rather superstitious but the superstitions
are not the same all over the country.
Reykjavk restaurants offer food from all over the world, but the best
Icelandic food is lamb and fish. Many tourists also find skyr delicious. Skyr
is a very healthy milk product similar to yoghurt. Tourists should try the dried
fish and the brave should taste some cured shark! Icelandic water is very
good. Not many countries in the world can offer such good drinking water.
21
Environment
our planet needs your help
The Earth is our home, but much of it is dirty or dying. Why?
Lets pretend that our planet is only 46 years old (instead of 4,600 million
years old). Do you know what has happened to it recently?
Life began 4 years ago.
Dinosaurs appeared (and disappeared) last year.
Man arrived 4 hours ago.
Machines were invented one minute ago.
In the last 60 seconds, man has:
polluted the air, sea and land
used most of Earths oil, gas and coal
completely killed more than 500 kinds of
animals, birds and plants
made and used atomic bombs
grown in number from 1 to 6 billion.
This is a disaster, isnt it? What is the problem with mankind?
Lets take a look and see if you can make a difference.
Wildlife and endangered species of animals
Why are animals, birds and plants in danger of extinction? There are three
main reasons. The first is pollution, the second is hunting and the third is that
their habitats are growing smaller, because man takes them for building and
farming.
22
The African elephant
The African elephant has existed for 5 million years.
It is the biggest and heaviest mammal on land.
Elephants have ivory tusks that are 23 metres long.
Humans hunt elephants for their tusks. Humans also
destroy their habitats to create more farmland.
Between 1970 and 1990 the number of African
elephants dropped from 2,000,000 to 600,000. If this
continues, the elephants will be extinct by around
2010.
Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas live in the mountains of
Rwanda, Uganda and Zaire. They are taller
than man, have black fur and feed on
fruit. They are hunted for their meat and
they are also sold abroad. Their habitat is
also being cleared for farming. There are
only around six hundred of them left.
The giant panda
The giant panda lives in the Himalayan
mountains of north-west China and Tibet.
It has black and white fur with black eye
patches and it eats almost nothing except
bamboo shoots. It is hunted for its skin
and it is also endangered because the
bamboo forests are being cleared for
farmland.
23
The Asian tiger
The Asian tiger is a beautiful animal,
with a striped coat. It is powerful and
can run very fast. It feeds on cattle and
deer. It is hunted for its skin, its bones
and its whiskers. The skin is used to
make coats and the bones and whiskers
are used in oriental medicine. Already
three out of eight types of tiger in the
world are extinct and the Asian tiger is
in danger.
What is being done?
The Indian government has launched Project Tiger and set up national parks
all over India, where hunting tigers is illegal. Poachers still hunt them, but
the tigers numbers are increasing.
In 1989 a worldwide ban on ivory trading was put into effect. This means that
buying or selling things made of ivory is forbidden all over the world.
Elephants are no longer in danger from hunters, so it is possible to see herds
of elephants in countries like Kenya, which was one of the African countries
that instigated the ban.
What can you do?
Dont buy things made from rare or protected species of
animals or plants.
Avoid using cosmetics tested on animals.
Dont buy things made out of tropical wood, such as
teak or mahogany.
Pollution
Cars and factories are serious pollutants. There are two main problems:
Acid Rain. Gases and chemicals from cars and factories mix with the vapour
in the air. The mixture then falls back to earth when it rains. It can kill fish
and trees.
The Greenhouse Effect. Gases and chemicals do not always mix with the
vapour in the air. When they dont, they stay in the air like a blanket around
the Earth and make it hotter. It makes millions of people in some areas of the
world suffer from heat and lack of water.
What can you do?
Dont throw litter in the streets, forests, rivers and seas.
Try to make your family cut down on soaps and washing
powders. In fact, the water in Iceland is different from the
water elsewhere, so you need three times less soap and
cleaning materials than the instructions say. Too much soap
pollutes rivers and seas and it also damages human skin.
24

Use public transport as much as possible to cut down on air

pollution. It also saves fossil fuels and money. Of course, its
also a great idea to walk or cycle.
Energy
Almost all of the worlds energy comes from oil, gas and coal. These are called
fossil fuels. But fossil fuels will not last forever. What can we do when they
are all gone?
Nuclear power. There are quite a few nuclear power plants in the world and
they produce a lot of power, but they are risky. There was a terrible
accident in 1986 at a power plant in Chernobyl, in Belarus, and since then a
lot of people have been afraid of nuclear power stations. Chernobyl is a small
town and in 1986 there was an explosion in its nuclear power station, which
killed many people. A fire burned there for 10 days afterwards. But the
biggest problem is that a nuclear explosion or a leak from a nuclear power
station causes radioactivity in the surrounding area. Radioactivity kills peo-
ple for many years after the accident.
Natural energy. This means energy from the sun, sea, wind and other
natural forces. It is clean and natural but quite expensive.
Energy solutions
Solar Power. The sun sends more power to the earth in one hour than
mankind can use in a whole year. How can we make use of it?
1. Directly: If a room facing south has a big window, the sun can be used
as a source of heat.
2. By collecting it on earth: Solar panels take in and store energy on sunny
days but they are very expensive and they dont work well on cloudy
days.
3. By collecting it in space: It is a simple but very expensive idea. Satellites
with huge solar panels collect the suns energy 24 hours a day and send
it back to Earth.
25
Wave power. 25% of the worlds electricity comes from dams and rivers.
In Iceland, we get almost all our electricity this way. Now, scientists are
learning to use the seas tidal power, too. Heres how it works:
When the tide is high, the waves enter a special wave machine, which
pushes the air in the machine up to the top. When low tide arrives, the water
exits and pulls the air back down. This pushing and pulling is used to make
electricity. At the moment, wave machines are small and expensive. They
dont produce much electricity either, but in the future they will be
bigger and cheaper.
Wind power. There are already several wind farms in Europe and America.
Each farm is a group of windmills which convert windpower into electricity.
But, as with solar power and wave power, this is expensive. Wind farms have
to be in high places near the coast or on islands, so it is not only expensive
to build them, but also to transport the electricity from them.
Geo-thermal power. Another kind of natural energy is from hot rocks and
water at the centre of the Earth. This geo-thermal energy is used directly to
heat thousands of houses in Iceland, Hungary, Japan and New Zealand. It is
also used to make electricity. In fact, about 60% of Icelands energy comes
from geo-thermal power.
Rubbish burning. By burning rubbish, it is possible to create cheaper and
cleaner energy than from fossil fuels. It saves fossil fuels, cuts pollution and
it means we dont have to bury as much rubbish. Scientists still dont know
how to do this very well, but they are working on it all over the world.
What can you do?
Always turn off lights and electrical appliances when you
are not using them.
Save fossil fuels by not using a car as much.
Use batteries as little as possible. It takes 50 times more
energy to make them than they produce.
26
Soil erosion is the worlds biggest environmental problem, threatening most
countries. Erosion is the process where wind and water move the top soil
from one place to another. This often happens because of farming and agri-
culture. In Europe, 12 per cent of the soil is threatened by water and 4 per
cent by wind. Soil erosion also affects 95 million hectares of land in North
America and 500 million hectares in Africa. China is the country worst affect-
ed by soil erosion in the world, with 37% of its total territory endangered.
The most serious problems that the Developing World faces are soil erosion
and lack of water. Soil erosion turns a lot of land into deserts every year and
lack of clean water means that many people become sick and die.
Stopping erosion is difficult and expensive. But sometimes very simple ideas
work well, like the magic stones in the small African country Burkina Faso.
The farmers there put lines of stones around their fields before the rains so
the rainwater does not wash the soil away. Instead it sinks into the earth and
makes it more fertile.
27
Land,desertsand
soilerosion
More people-> fewer trees->
overuse of land->
thinner soil-> erosion-> famine.
What can you do?
This is not just a Developing World problem; it used to be a big problem in
Iceland, too. Thousands of trees have been planted in the last few decades
to stop erosion, but there are also little things that each of us can do to help
when we are travelling in Iceland, such as:
Dont pull up plants or moss. Moss is the first thing which can
grow on lava and it takes about 100 years to grow. After the
moss, other things can start growing. So, if we tear out some
moss, we set nature back 100 years. We also create a hole
where wind and water can start erosion.
Dont light fires except where allowed. Withered grass fires
can spread uncontrollably, endanger people, animals and
buildings and also destroy years of growth.
Certain groups of people can also help:
Farmers can try to keep their sheep away from young trees.
Drivers should stay on the road, so their cars tyres dont rip
up the plants.
You cannot live without water. It only takes three days to die if you dont
get any water. The water also has to be clean, otherwise you get sick. The
problem is that over a billion people in the world dont have clean water.
Dirty water diseases kill about a million people every year.
The solution to this problem is to dig deep wells, so people can have fresh,
clean water all year (not only when it rains). Wells used to be expensive to
dig, but they arent any more, so there is real hope for the worlds dirty water
problem. Still, it will take time because so many people need wells.
What can you do?
Thankfully, we dont have to worry much about lack of clean, fresh water in
Iceland and we even get plenty of cheap, hot water. But when you travel
abroad, make sure you dont waste water. Heres how:
Take showers instead of baths. You use only about half as
much water.
Do not leave the water running when you are washing up
or brushing your teeth.
28

Many nations bury millions of tons of rubbish every year. For example:
The average person in Los Angeles throws away 7 kilos of
rubbish every day but the average person in the Developing
World only throws away 1 kilo a day.
Britain throws away 7 million tons of paper every year.
That equals 80 million trees.
Every year, a European family with two children throws away:
50 kilos of paper (the same as 6 trees)
60 kilos of metal
45 kilos of plastic (thats like 13,500 carrier bags full of plastic).
All of this is packaging of foods and things that we buy. Some of the pack-
aging is necessary to keep food clean and fresh but most of it is just for psy-
chological reasons. What does that mean? It means that the packaging is
there to trick us into buying the thing. In a way, we are being tricked twice:
1) We are tricked into buying the thing because of the
paper, plastic or metal around it and not because the
thing itself is special.
2) Then we pollute our planet by throwing away all this
extra packaging so we can eat, drink or use what we
bought!
What can you do?
Like any other country in the world, we have to bury our rubbish. So, reduc-
ing waste is important all over the world. We dont want half the country to
become a rubbish heap!
Paper and rags can be recycled to make more paper, and cans can be made
into new blocks of metal. Glass bottles can be melted down to make new
bottles and jars.
It takes less heat to make a glass bottle out of broken, recycled glass than it
does starting afresh with the raw ingredients. Less heat means using less
energy.
A plastic bottle left by the side of the road will have a longer life than the
person who threw it there. A broken glass bottle will stay in the soil forever.
29

So heres what you can do to help:

Try to buy food and other products with little or no packaging.
Avoid plastic. It is very difficult to recycle.
Avoid disposable products (for example cups and plates).
Save paper by writing on both sides of every sheet. You can
also re-use old envelopes for shopping lists and notes.
Never throw away things that can still be used. Pass things
and clothes on to friends, relatives or a charity. In Iceland, the
Red Cross accepts old clothes and shoes and the Good
Samaritans (Gi Hiririnn) accept just about anything else
(furniture, books, toys, electrical appliances, etc.). They both
have containers at Sorpa, where people can leave these things.
Pass old magazines and comics on to someone else, perhaps to
a hospital or to your doctor or dentist for their waiting room.
Use your own shopping bag instead of taking a new one every
time you go shopping. Re-use good plastic bags to carry
shopping and other things.
Dont throw away glass and plastic bottles or aluminium cans.
You can take them to the Recycling Centre (Endurvinnslan)
or Sorpa and sell them.
There are also lots of things you should sort and take to Sorpa
instead of throwing them away, because most of them can
be recycled:
Paper
Cardboard
Glass
Cartons from milk, fruit juice etc.
Just remember to rinse them out as soon as they
are empty, because otherwise they stink.
Used batteries.
Conclusion
We live in a very clean country, compared to most others. We are envied
for our clean air, water and energy. We have a good reason to be proud of
our environment in Iceland and we are all responsible for keeping our coun-
try clean. It doesnt take much work, just a certain way of thinking.
30
Movies
The magic of movies
The French Lumire brothers showed short films in a caf in Paris on
28
th
December 1895. The people watching were the first movie audience in
the world. They screamed and ran out when a train came right towards them
on the screen.
A year later, Thomas Edison had perfected the movie camera and he intro-
duced the first movie projector on 23
rd
April 1896.
The Nestor Company built the first film studio in Hollywood in 1911 and the
film industry was born. Hollywood was a good place for filming because it
had a nice climate and film makers didnt have to go far to find a beach,
a desert or mountains to set their films in. Today, film makers go all over
the world on location. For example, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed
in New Zealand.
The important American film studios, like Paramount Studios, 20th Century
Fox and Universal Studios started between 1913 and 1920. All films until
1927 were silent. The actors words were written on the screen. An orchestra
or a pianist played music during the film and the music followed the mood
of the film sad, exciting, scary. The first talkie was The Jazz Singer from
Warner Brothers in 1927. Al Jolson played in it and it was a great success.
31
Some very popular silent-movie actors lost their jobs when the talkies
arrived because they had bad voices or werent good at remembering lines.
In 1932 the first coloured films were made. Some of the very first ones were
Mickey Mouse cartoons by Walt Disney. Cinema became very popular and
people went to see a film 2-3 times a week. In the 1950s people started going
less to the cinema because of television. Since then, videos and DVDs have
been invented but people still flock to the cinemas. It is still a special experi-
ence to sit in a big theatre with a huge screen, a good sound-system and all
these other people enjoying the film along with you.
Special effects
Since the beginning of film-making, directors have used various techniques
to surprise, scare and amaze audiences.
The first special effects were very simple. For example, if a director wanted
to make a person disappear, he filmed this person, then he stopped the
camera while the person walked away, then he resumed filming. The film-
makers would also use dummies when people were killed or wounded on the
screen. You have to remember that ordinary movie-goers had no idea how
this was done, so they were very impressed.
Film-makers still use one of the old techniques: small models of large objects.
One of the most famous special effect movies in history was King Kong
(made in 1933). A huge gorilla on the loose in New York terrified
movie-goers, but King Kong was just a 45 cm model. The director used
the stop-motion technique. An assistant put the gorilla in one position and
the director took a picture. Then the assistant moved the gorilla a tiny bit
and the director took another picture. And so on. For one second on the
screen, there were 24 pictures of King Kong!
Recently, computers have become more important in special effects. In 1996,
Toy Story was the first movie made exclusively by computers. In some scenes
of the recent Star Wars series, 95% of what we see is computer-generated.
Even the actors faces were sometimes altered by computers.
The art of film-making never stops. What magical effects will be created
next? Youll see them at the movies!
32
Walt Disney
Walt Disney was born on 5
th
December 1901 in Chicago. He was one of the
first important people in the movie business. At first he made advertisements
but they were not very successful, so Disney made the smart decision to
move to Hollywood.
In Hollywood, he created a cartoon character called Mickey Mouse and made
two silent cartoons about him. People loved Mickey Mouse and in 1928
Mickey appeared in his first talkie, called Steamboat Willie. Soon, Mickey,
and his pal Donald Duck, were superstars and Walt Disney was a millionaire.
Later, Walt Disney made more cartoons which became some of the most
popular films of all times, like Snow White (1937) and Bambi (1942). Disney
also invented theme parks like Disneyland in California and Disney World in
Florida. There is also a Euro Disney in France but it was opened long after he
died.
Walt Disney died in 1966 but he was neither buried nor cremated. He was
frozen, at his own request, because he wanted to be brought back to life if
medical science ever discovered how to do that!
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is one of the most successful filmmakers ever. He was
already one of the most popular directors in Hollywood when he was only
27 years old.
Spielberg was born in Ohio in 1946. His father was a computer technician
and his mother was a concert pianist. He had a nice family, but he was very
difficult himself. When he was not watching TV, he was playing practical
jokes on his neighbours (like covering their windows with peanut butter ).
33
From an early age, he was very interested in filmmaking and he filmed his
family on all occasions with his fathers 8 mm camera. His family moved to
California and by the time he was 20, he had produced and directed about 20
short films. He applied to go to a film school, but his grades werent good
enough, so he talked his way into the movie studios and watched famous
directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock. He also went to California State
University to study English.
Spielbergs big break came when he met Sidney Sheinberg, the head of TV
films at Universal Studios. Sheinberg gave Spielberg a contract to direct
TV programmes and films. He worked on many different TV programmes and
then he wrote and directed his first film, Duel, about a deadly race between
a car and a truck.
His first blockbuster was Jaws, about a shark that terrorizes a beach
community. Among his many successful movies are ET, Indiana Jones,
Jurassic Park, Schindlers List and Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg now has his
own film company called DreamWorks. He has won several Academy Awards
(Oscars) and his films have earned billions of dollars.
Sean Connery Scotsman and actor
Sean Connery was born on 25
th
August 1930 in Fountainbridge, in Scotland,
and given the name Thomas. Thomass father worked in the British Rubber
Works in Fountainbridge, which is close to Edinburgh. Thomas was born
during the Great Depression and life was very hard.
When Thomas was five, he started school, but he was different from the
other students, because he already knew how to read and write. He was also
very good at mathematics and could easily do mental arithmetic. Because he
was ahead of the other children, he often became bored and got in trouble.
He also soon understood that it was very hard for his parents to make ends
meet, so when he was nine, he decided to get a job to help them. He got up
at dawn and did a whole milk-round for a nearby dairy before going to
school. After school he went to his second job as a butchers helper. He
brought all his money home and what his mother didnt need, she put in the
bank for him. Thomas never stopped working after the age of nine.
34
In the Second World War, Thomass school was closed down temporarily and
the children were put into outside schooling. This really meant carrying coal
for the rich people and playing football, so they didnt study much. But
Thomas worked all the time and in his rare spare time, he enjoyed going to
the local cinema to see Westerns.
When Thomas left school, he got a full-time milk delivery job with his own
cart and horse, called Tide. He was now starting to think about leaving
Fountainbridge and he put aside as much money as possible. He wanted to
buy a motorbike but his father was afraid of accidents and didnt give him
permission to buy one.
Thomas finally got away by signing up for seven years duty in the Navy.
But the Navy didnt suit him well and he was discharged after three years
service because he had developed ulcers.
Thomas did this and that for a few years but in 1951, he got a grant to
learn to be a French polisher. With this skill, he got a job looking after
the wardrobe and sets at a theatre and he suddenly felt at home.
When Thomas was 22 he entered the Mr Universe contest and was third in
his category. After that, he got small parts in plays and musicals for eight
years until he got his breakthrough role as Agent 007, James Bond. The James
Bond films which followed made Sean Connery (who had changed his name)
into a star.
Later in life he made other great films like The Name of the Rose,
The Untouchables (for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor),
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hunt for Red October, Robin Hood
Prince of Thieves, The Rock and Finding Forrester.
Sean Connery lives in Spain today but he is very aware of being Scottish. His
proudest moment was when Heriot-Watt University gave him an honorary
Doctor of Letters degree. He never got the education he wanted but this
honour recognised his intelligence and his achievements as an actor.
35
Chaplin the little tramp
The little tramp was as well known as Mickey Mouse and millions of people
still enjoy him.
Charles Chaplin created the tramp with his bowler hat, moustache, baggy
pants, enormous shoes and bamboo cane and played him in over 70 films.
Chaplin was born in London in 1889 and he first appeared on stage when he
was five. By the age of nine, he was a professional music hall comic. In 1910
he went on tour to the US with the company he worked for. There, a film
company offered him a job for $150 a week, so he decided to stay in the U.S.
He first appeared in a film in 1913 and in his second film (in 1914), he wore
his tramp costume for the first time.
In 1915, he changed studios and got paid $1,250 a week. A year later, he
changed studios again for $10,000 a week! This was an unbelievable amount
of money in those days. The little tramp had become world famous.
Some of Chaplins important films were The Kid (1920), The Gold Rush (1925),
City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur
Verdoux (1947) and Limelight (1952).
Chaplin had a lot of trouble with the American government in the 1940s,
because they believed he was a communist. In those days, being a communist
in the United States was almost like being the devil himself! In the end Chaplin
left the U.S. for Switzerland with his wife Oona and their children.
He received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1972 and was knighted in
1975 but died two years later, at the age of 88. He is buried in Switzerland.
36
Capricorn Dec. 22 Jan. 19 (The Goat)
Traditional Capricorn traits: Practical, ambitious, disciplined,
patient, serious, reserved, humorous and kind
On the dark side: Pessimistic and inflexible.
The Capricorn likes: Reliability, professionalism, and purpose.
The Capricorn dislikes: Fantasies and dead-end jobs.
Colour: Brown.
Famous Capricornians: Sir Isaac Newton and Elvis Presley
Aquarius Jan. 20 Feb. 18 (The Water Carrier)
Traditional Aquarian traits: Friendly, honest, loyal, original,
inventive, independent and intellectual.
On the dark side: Stubborn, unpredictable and unemotional.
Likes: Dreaming, planning for the future, thinking of the past,
good companions and having fun.
Dislikes: Empty promises, loneliness and imitations.
Colour: Turquoise
Famous Aquarians: Thomas Alva Edison and Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart.
Pisces Feb. 19 Mar. 20 (The Fish)
Traditional Pisces traits: Imaginative, artistic, creative, sensitive,
compassionate, kind, selfless and sympathetic.
On the dark side: Vague, weak-willed, easily led and careless.
Likes: Solitude to dream in, mysteries and ridiculous things.
Dislikes: Being criticized, being confused and know-it-alls.
Colour: Soft sea-green.
Famous Pisceans: Kurt Cobain and Elizabeth Taylor.
37
and your personality
A
Signsof the zodiac
B
C
Aries Mar. 21 Apr. 19 (The Ram)
Traditional Aries traits: Adventurous, energetic, courageous, enthusiastic,
confident, quick-witted, brave and honest.
On the dark side: Selfish, quick-tempered, impulsive, impatient and
foolhardy.
Likes: Action, winning, challenges and spontaneity.
Dislikes: Waiting around, admitting failure, tyranny and other peoples
advice.
Colour: Red.
Famous Arians: Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler.
Taurus Apr. 20 May. 20 (The Bull)
Traditional Taurus traits: Patient, reliable, warm-hearted, loving,
determined, calm, hardworking and practical.
On the dark side: Jealous, possessive, self-indulgent, greedy, stubborn
and bossy.
Likes: Stability, natural things, comfort and pleasure.
Dislikes: Disruption, being pushed too hard, synthetic or man made
things, being rushed and being indoors.
Colour: Pink.
Famous Taureans: William Shakespeare and Barbara Streisand.
Gemini May. 21 June. 20 (The Twins)
Traditional Gemini traits: Adaptable, communicative, witty, intellectual,
eloquent, youthful and lively.
On the dark side: Nervous, tense, superficial, impatient and selfish.
Likes: Talking, unusual things, variety in life and reading.
Dislikes: Feeling tied down, studying, mental inaction and being alone.
Colour: Green.
Famous Geminians: John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.
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D
E
F
Cancer June. 21 July 22 (The Crab)
Traditional Cancer traits: Emotional, loving, imaginative, protective,
sympathetic, thoughtful and romantic.
On the dark side: Moody, overemotional, anxious, touchy and clingy.
Likes: Hobbies, romance, children, the home, the country and parties.
Dislikes: Difficult situations, failure, opposition and advice (good or bad)
Colour: Silver.
Famous Cancerians: Julius Caesar, Princess Diana and Mike Tyson.
Leo July 23 Aug. 22 (The Lion)
Traditional Leo traits: Generous, warm-hearted, creative, enthusiastic,
faithful, happy and loving
On the dark side: Pompous, patronizing, bossy and interfering.
Likes: Speculative ventures, lavish living, children and drama.
Dislikes: Day-to-day living, small-minded people and penny pinching.
Colour: Gold
Famous Leos: Napoleon Bonaparte, Mae West
Virgo Aug. 23 Sep. 22 (The Virgin)
Traditional Virgo Traits: Modest and shy, reliable, practical, intelligent,
hardworking, organized and tidy.
On the dark side: Fussy and constantly worried, overcritical and perfectionist.
Likes: Health foods, lists of things to do, hygiene and order
Dislikes: Health hazards, sloppy workers and being uncertain.
Colours: Green and dark brown.
Famous Virgoans: Michael Jackson and Queen Elizabeth I
Libra Sep. 23 Oct. 22 (The Scales)
Traditional Libra traits: Diplomatic, sophisticated, romantic, charming,
easygoing, sociable, friendly and optimistic.
On the dark side: Indecisive, gullible, self-indulgent, greedy and lazy.
Likes: The finer things in life, sharing and gentleness.
Dislikes: Violence, injustice and being a slave to fashion.
Colour: Blue.
Famous Librans: Mohandas Gandhi and Bruce Springsteen.
39
I
G
H
J
Scorpio Oct. 23 Nov. 21 (The Scorpion)
Traditional Scorpio traits: Determined, powerful, passionate, strong-
willed, imaginative and clever.
On the dark side: Jealous, obsessive and secretive.
Likes: Truth, being involved, work that is meaningful and persuading
people.
Dislikes: Being taken advantage of, demeaning jobs and shallow
relationships.
Colour: Maroon.
Famous Scorpios: Bill Gates and Charles, Prince of Wales.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 Dec. 21 (The Archer)
Traditional Sagittarius traits: Optimistic, freedom-loving, good-
humoured, honest, straightforward, intellectual, active, sincere, relaxed
and generous.
On the dark side: Blindly optimistic, careless, irresponsible, tactless and
restless.
Likes: Travelling, getting to the heart of the matter and freedom.
Dislikes: Being constrained, having to wait and details.
Colour: Purple
Famous Sagittarians: Ludwig van Beethoven and Sir Winston Churchill.
40
L
K
The Chinese horoscope is based on twelve signs, just like the signs of the
zodiac but the Chinese signs each span a year instead of a month. The
Chinese signs change around 22
nd
January, so if you are born on 21
st
January
or earlier in the year, you belong to the sign of the year before. Every twelve
years, the animal cycle repeats itself, so people born twelve years apart,
belong to the same sign. Each sign represents an animal and the
characteristics of that animal. Note that what Westerners think of certain
animals (like the pig or the snake) is sometimes very different from what the
Chinese think, so being born in the year of the Rat is not negative at all. You
just need to find out what good things belong to the Rat character.
If you are born on 22
nd
January or later in
Remember that if you are born on 21
st
January or earlier in the year, you
belong to the year before you were born.
To find out more about Chinese animal signs, read on.
41
1950, 1962, 1974, 1986 or 1998 you are a Tiger
1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 or 1999 you are a Rabbit
1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 or 2000 you are a Dragon
1953, 1965, 1977, 1989 or 2001 you are a Snake
1954, 1966, 1978, 1990 or 2002 you are a Horse
1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003 you are a Sheep
1944, 1956, 1968, 1980 or 1992 you are a Monkey
1945, 1957, 1969, 1981 or 1993 you are a Rooster
1946, 1958, 1970, 1982 or 1994 you are a Dog
1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995 you are a Pig
1948, 1960, 1972, 1984 or 1996 you are a Rat
1949, 1961, 1973, 1985 or 1997 you are an Ox
CHINESE
Horoscope
The powerful Tiger
The Tigers are born leaders. They are fearless and respected by everyone for
their courage, even their opponents. They are daring fighters and will fight
to the bitter end for what they believe in.
They are always tense and in a hurry and a little unpredictable but they have
irresistible magnetic personalitites.
Tigers are very confident (somtimes too confident) and youd better not
challenge them. They like to be in charge and they may feel the need to put
you in your place!
Tigers are great workers but they like to work alone. Nobody seems to get
things done quickly enough for them. They have no trouble making money
but they are not very interested in money all the same.
Tigers love passionately but they can be very possessive. The biggest
challenge for a tiger is to learn moderation. The best matches for a Tiger
are a Dog, a Horse or a Monkey. They are advised against a match with
another Tiger, a Rabbit, an Ox or a Sheep.
The delicate Rabbit
Rabbits are kind and sweet and popular. They are good company and know
how to show their best side.
Rabbits are famous for their good taste and usually have beautiful homes
and wardrobes.
In spite of the Rabbits popularity, they are insecure and therefore dont like
changes very much. They enjoy quiet, peaceful lives.
Rabbits are sentimental and sympathize easily with peoples problems. They
are also cautious and always look at every side of a problem before trying to
solve it. Thats why they are usually good at their jobs.
Rabbits are romantic, sweet and faithful and they never lack suitors. The best
partner for a Rabbit would be a Pig, a Dragon or a Sheep. A Rabbit should
avoid a romantic relationship with a Rooster, a Horse, a Tiger or a Rat.
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The celestial Dragon
Like the Tigers, Dragons are born leaders. They are lucky, powerful people and
others look up to them. A dragon is proud, influential and dynamic. He is also
agressive and determined. Dragons have opinions worth listening to and
they give good advice. Dragons generally have great careers and success.
However, they lose their tempers easily and can be stubborn, tyrannical and
snobbish. They are obsessed with wealth, splendour and prestige. They hate
getting old and do not age gracefully.
Dragons are never disappointed in love. The most suitable partner for a
Dragon is a Rat, a Rabbit, a Pig or a Monkey. They should not get involved
emotionally with another Dragon (constant fights!) or an Ox.
The diplomatic Snake
Snakes are born charming and popular. They get a lot of attention and yet
they are never noisy, they never gossip and they have excellent manners.
Snakes are lucky, which is just as well, because, to tell the truth, they are
a little lazy
The Snake is an intellectual person who likes to ponder about the meaning of
things. Snakes rely heavily on their intuitions and a sort of sixth sense when
they make decisions.
The Snakes character flaws are mainly that he tends to exaggerate or even
lie (although he usually feels justified in lying).
Snakes are very seductive and a lot of people are secretly (and hopelessly) in
love with a Snake. In a relationship the Snake is charming and romantic but
he needs a lot of reassurance and his worst nightmare is to be rejected. The
Snakes ideal match would be a Rooster but he should definitely stay away
from Rabbits, Monkeys, other Snakes or Pigs.
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44
The productive Horse
Horses have boundless energy and ambition and they know how to handle
money. They are good workers, they dress well and they are sexy people. They
love to be seen in public and they go out a lot.
However, the Horse loves to travel and often leaves home young. Therefore
he sometimes lacks the basis for a steady life. He is hot-headed, hot-blood-
ed and impatient and he is famous for suddenly losing interest in something.
Horses have many contradictions in their character. They want to belong, yet
they want to be independent. They need intimacy, yet they feel cornered.
Horses will give anything up for love and are weak in their relationships with
the opposite sex. A horse will feel best with a Dog, a Tiger, a Sheep or a Snake
but will probably go through hell with a Rooster, a Rabbit, an Ox, a Monkey
or a Rat.
The gentle Sheep
Sheep people are elegant, charming, artistic and fond of nature. They are very
creative as well as delicate and good-mannered. These characteristics bring
them many friends and admirers.
Sheep are insecure and refuse to take sides or face conflict. They are dream-
ers and a little lazy. Some of them would love to marry someone rich and
sit back for the rest of their lives! Sheep are also obsessed with appearance
and would never even go out for some milk and bread without looking their
best.
Because Sheep are so indecisive, they like to read about horoscopes and
fortune-telling.
Since Sheep are disorganised, they are definitely not good business people
but they make excellent craftspeople, writers or artists.
A Sheep is a very sweet lover and should aim for a Pig as a partner. The Sheep
will not find happiness with a Rat, another Sheep, an Ox, a Rooster or a Tiger
The merry Monkey
Monkeys are happy, loving people who are always cheerful. They are clever,
talented, generous and creative. At a party, they use their charm and humour
to be the centre of attention. A Monkey is capable of hiding his opinion but
not his feelings. Thats because he wants everyone to share his joy or his
depression!
Monkeys are excellent troubleshooters. If youve got a problem, pick up
the phone and dial-a-monkey for your solution. But they dont have many
principles and some say that they are opportunistic. The monkeys themselves
couldnt care less what people say
The Monkeys weak spot is FOOD! He loves to snack at all times, although he
rarely stuffs himself. And he loves bananas! Its true just visit a Monkey
friends kitchen!
Monkeys fall in love easily but unfortunately, they can also easily fall out of
love. A Rat or another Monkey has the best odds of keeping them happy but
the same cannot be said for a Horse.
The enthusiastic Rooster
Roosters are conservatives at heart. They are not complicated characters but
very straightforward people. Still, they enjoy being sociable and are extreme-
ly conscious of their looks. They spend hours in front of the mirror and always
look impeccable.
Roosters are observant and very precise and therefore make good detectives,
doctors, nurses and psychiatrists. They are always very active and lazy
Roosters hardly exist.
Roosters are very loyal but in their love-life, they tend to promise more than
they can deliver. Still, they will try to catch the moon to make the love of
their life happy! Their best bet for a partner is with a Snake but they shouldnt
dream of trying with a Horse, a Tiger, a Rabbit, a Sheep or another Rooster.
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The faithful Dog
The Dog person is loyal, sincere, honest and faithful. He tends to complain
and worry, but he relaxes with age. Dogs are very honourable and speak out
against injustice.
Dogs are generally agreeable people but if they panic, they can turn nasty.
They can keep a secret and enjoy helping others. They are good listeners,
intelligent and caring but not very outgoing.
In relationships, the Dog person is the giver and the partner is the taker. Dogs
get on best with Horses, Tigers or Pigs but a relationship with an Ox, a Dragon,
a Sheep, a Rooster or another Dog would be very difficult.
The chivalrous Pig
Pigs are sincere, tolerant and honourable. You can always trust them
although they may seem too good to be true when you first meet them.
Pigs are born to give and serve, so, sadly, most people take advantage of
them. Pigs know that they are easy to fool, but they dont really mind. They
keep their faith in human nature and believe that people are basically good.
If you have a Pig friend, treat him well, because hell be your friend for life.
Remember that since a Pig is used to helping others, he wont ask for help
even when he needs it and you should step in and support him in those
times.
Good taste and manners are very important to Pigs and therefore some
people say that they are snobbish. Nothing could be further from the truth
but they have an excellent nose for quality and style.
Food is the Pigs greatest weakness. He adores good, three-course meals and
after-dinner chocolates. He sometimes overeats, but never on junk-food.
A Pig in a relationship is sensitive, sweet and caring but can become jealous
and possessive. He will be happiest with a Sheep, a Dragon, another Pig,
a Rabbit or a Rat. A Snake partner is not advised.
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The restless Rat
Rat people are born charming and aggressive. They are expressive, they like
to party and chat with their friends. Its rare to see a Rat sitting quietly.
Rat people usually know incredibly many people but have very few close
friends. If you become a Rats close friend, hell treat you like his own family.
Although Rats love to talk, they dont confide in people and keep their
problems to themselves.
Rats can make a success of their lives if they learn to curb their constant
discontent.
A Rat is quick-witted and can accomplish more in 24 hours than most
other people can in 24 days. They are confident but stubborn and prefer
to work alone. Its very difficult to work with a Rat because Rats are 100%
perfectionists.
Rats are organised and talented. They make good politicians or business
people, but they spend money as soon as they earn it.
A Rat is not romantic but he is sensual and loving. He is very loyal and
devoted to his family. His heart is not easily won, but truly worth it. The best
match for a Rat is a Dragon or a Monkey but the worst would be a Rooster,
a Sheep, a Rabbit or a Horse.
The diligent Ox
Ox people believe in themselves; they are hard-working and persistent. They
have very strong morals and judge other people severely if they overstep the
Oxs ideas of right and wrong.
Oxes are not very social and are usually quiet at parties. In spite of their
quietness, they are capable of fearsome rages, so it is better not to anger
them.
Ox people are incredible observers and they are also creative and good
with their hands. They can succeed in business, in the arts or even become
excellent surgeons.
Responsibility and loyalty are high on the Oxs priority list and his family
always comes first. An Oxs preferred partner would be another Ox or
a Rabbit. A relationship with a Horse or a Tiger would rarely work well for
an Ox.
47
Sports
The origins of sport
Bows and arrows have been used for hunting for almost as long as modern
man has existed, but in Mesolithic times (around 8000 BC), the first archery
competitions took place.
Organised sporting competitions between different individuals and teams
started much later, sometime in the period 2750-2600 BC. The earliest sport
to be organised, according to records, was wrestling. This took place in
Mesopotamia, which is now part of modern Iraq.
In Egypt, girls played ball games as early as 2050 BC, but those were for fun,
not for competition.
The rules in ancient games and sport were often connected to religion and
politics, for instance amongst the Greeks and the Aztec Indians, who lived in
what we now call Mexico. There was also the desire for fun, which led to the
invention of new games and sports.
Popular sports
Football
Also known as soccer, football has been played for thousands of years by
various civilizations, although the football version we know today is mostly
English.
There are many stories of ancient football games, like the one about an
English team that beat a Roman team and ran them out of their village in
217 AD.
The natives of the Pacific Islands played with coconuts and pig bladders as
balls. The Inuits played on ice and used balls filled with caribou hair and grass.
Native Americans in North America played on beaches where up to 1,000
players might have been playing at the same time. The games could last more
than a whole day and were so rough that broken bones were not unusual. In
Mexico and South America, the rubber ball was invented, but it was not until
1863 that the first set of football rules was put together in England. The
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English version of football spread around the world with British sailors and
settlers. Football is the most popular spectator sport in the world. The most
important football competition is the World Cup, which was first held in
1930. The winner was Uruguay.
Basketball
Basketball was invented in 1891 by an American sports teacher who wanted
to make an interesting indoors game to play during the winter months. It is
the second fastest game in the world, after ice hockey. At first, players had to
score in peach baskets, which then had to be emptied. In 1906, open baskets
were introduced, which increased the pace of the game.
Professional basketball players are usually very tall and they are all very fast
and have quick reflexes.
Tennis
Tennis became popular in the Middle Ages in France and it was called jeu de
paume (palm game) because the ball was hit over the net with the palm of
the hand. Later people started wearing gloves to hit the ball and then the
rackets were invented and people didnt need to use their palms anymore.
The game reached England, where it became the sport of the wealthy and
privileged because building tennis courts was very expensive.
When people started to play tennis outside, on grass lawns, it became more
popular. This happened around 1870 in England and both men and women
played tennis.
The most famous tennis tournaments today are Wimbledon in the UK, the US
Open, the Australian Open and the French Open (also known as Roland
Garros). These four make up the so-called Grand Slam.
49
Four versions of football
Soccer is the version of football which is very popular in Europe and
South America. Two teams of eleven players try to score goals by kicking
or heading a ball into their opponents goal. The players are divided into
forwards, defenders, backs, midfielders and goalkeepers, depending on the
position they play.
Rugby (or rugger) is popular in Wales, England, Scotland, France, Australia,
New Zealand and South Africa. It is played with an oval ball, which can both
be kicked and carried. The game is very rough and the players wear no
special gear. There are 1315 players in a team.
American football is based on both rugby and soccer. It is very rough and the
players wear protective gear, like helmets, chest and shoulder pads and also
pads on their hips and legs. To score, the oval ball has to be kicked, thrown or
carried across the end line.
The Australian version of football is also a mixture of rugby and soccer
though throwing the oval ball is not allowed. It can be kicked, punched or
bounced but a player cannot run further than 9 metres with it without
bouncing it. There are 18 players in each team.
Football Vocabulary
away game a game played at the opponents ground
away team the team that is visiting the opponents ground
cheer to shout in encouragement and give support
corner kick a restart of the game where the ball is kicked
from one of the four corners of the field
cross a pass from an attacking player near the sideline
to a team player in the middle or on the opposite
side of the field
crossbar the horizontal beam across the top of a goal
dropped ball a way of restarting the game where the referee
drops the ball between two opposing players
equalizer a goal that makes the score even
FIFA Federation Internationale de Football Association;
the official body of international football
50
foul an unfair or invalid move.
free kick a kick given to a player for a foul by the opposing team; the
player kicks the ball with opposing players standing ten feet
away from of him
hand ball a foul, when a player touches the ball with his arm or hand
header the striking of the ball by a player with his head
hooligan a violent troublemaker
injury time time added to the end of the first or second half
to compensate for time lost because of player injuries
kick-off the start of a game, or restart after a goal, when
a player kicks the ball
linesmen the two officials who help the referee; they watch
the sidelines and goal lines
own goal a mistake, when a team places the ball inside its
own goal
pass when a player kicks the ball to a teammate
score a hat trick when one player scores three goals in the same
game
specatator a person who watches a game
striker an attacking player in a football team
substitute a player who replaces another player on the field
supporter a specatator who supports one of the teams
tie when two teams have scored the same number
of goals in a game; a draw
tiebreaker a way of choosing the winner of a game when
both teams have the same number of goals, for
example by a series of penalty kicks
ticket tout a person who tries to sell tickets at a price higher
than the official price
touch line sideline
underdog a team that is not expected to win
unsporting behaviour rude or bad conduct
51
Football Vocabulary
The Jamaican bobsleigh team
Would you believe that a Jamaican bobsleigh team has actually competed
in the Winter Olympic Games? It sounds rather absurd, but even more
incredible is the fact that they won a gold medal in the games in 2000!
It all started back in 1987 with two businessmen from Jamaica. George Fitch
and William Maloney noticed that the local pushcart race in Kingston looked
similar to a bobsleigh race. This is how the idea came to them; lets have a
Jamaican bobsleigh team! Great idea, but dont you need SNOW?
Jamaica is thousands of kilometers away from the nearest snow. No shops in
Jamaica sell equipment for winter sports and although there are plenty of
good athletes in Jamaica, there were no bobsleighers to be found.
Still, Fitch and Maloney thought that their idea was good enough to over-
come all these problems. They managed to create a team of six, which moved
to Austria to learn how to bobsleigh. The team members werent very
successful at first. They found practising difficult, cold and painful. They kept
crashing the sleighs and their equipment kept breaking down. But they were
stubborn and slowly the teams performance improved. They hired an
Austrian coach to train them, who chose their driver from the team. He chose
Dudley Stokes, because he had been an army helicopter pilot! It may sound
silly, but Dudleys experience was useful because to drive a bobsleigh you
need skill and concentration.
Four people man a bobsleigh. They begin by pushing the bobsleigh at the
start of the mile-long run and then they jump on board. The sleigh can reach
a speed of 140 km/h while flying down the icy track and the tiniest mistake
can endanger the whole team.
The bobsleigh teams first Olympic games was in Calgary in Canada in 1988.
The Olympic Committee allowed them to take part after a big debate, because
many people thought the Jamaican bobsleighers were just making fun of
real bobsleighers and shouldnt be allowed to compete. But by the time the
games started, the Jamaican team was already famous, with thousands of
fans. One of the reasons was that they had their own song, Hobbin and
Bobbin, which became very popular with other participants in the games. It
was sung by the Reggae singer Freddie Powell, who was also a team member
on the Jamaican team.
52
The team did much better than anybody had predicted. On the last day, they
managed to achieve the seventh fastest starting time of the competition!
However, their race ended when they crashed travelling at 135 km/h.
Thousands of spectators and millions of TV viewers all around the world
witnessed their spectacular collision.
In spite of the accident, they inspired lots more people in Jamaica to take up
bobsleighing and in the 2000 winter Olympics, a Jamaican team took the gold
away from teams from snowy countries all over the world.
General superstitions
A common superstition in the Middle Ages was that the devil could enter a
person through the mouth or that the soul could be lost through the mouth
during a sneeze. This could be avoided by saying God bless you to the person
who had sneezed. This was also the reason that people were expected to put
their hand over their mouth to prevent the devil from entering or the soul from
escaping. A later reason for saying God bless you dates from the time of the
Plague, when sneezing was a sign of having contracted the disease. Since most
of the people who got the disease died, saying God bless you to someone who
sneezed was giving him Gods blessing to prevent his death.
Superstitions have always influenced our lives and still live on in the age of
science. But they are not the same from one culture to another.
Here ara some examples from Britain:
The future in a meal
Taking the last piece of bread and butter on a plate is highly unlucky.
Unlucky numbers
Avoid using the number thirteen if you can. In some countries, buildings do
not have a thirteenth floor or a room number thirteen. Friday the thirteenth
is a very unlucky day.
Bodily signs
Burning cheeks or ears mean someone is talking about you. It is a friend if
the left cheek burns, an enemy if its the right.
53
Superstitions
Itching palms mean money. If your right hand itches, you will receive money.
If its the left, you will lose some. If your feet itch, you will soon be travelling.
Be careful of what you do
If you break a mirror, you will have seven years bad luck.
Picking up scissors that you have dropped is supposed to bring you bad luck.
Walking under ladders brings you bad luck.
Animal magic
Some people say black cats bring good luck, others say that they bring you
bad luck.
Superstitious people
Actors and professional sportspeople are notoriously superstitious. Soccer
players are the worst. Every team has a player who insists on being the
last one to leave the dressing room at the beginning of a match. It can be a
problem if two players want to do this!
Paul Ince, the English player who plays in Italy, always puts his shirt on at the
very last minute before going onto the pitch. Often players are forced to wait
at the end of the tunnel before the referee lets them run onto the pitch, so
Ince sometimes had to stand half-naked for minutes on end. Sometimes he
did this in sub-zero temperatures!
A former captain of the England team wouldnt let anyone sit next to him
in the dressing room before a match. He didnt mind at half-time or at the
end of the match. Superstitious players think its bad luck if they dont do
exactly the same thing before every match.
Actors have their own superstitions, but there is a general superstition about
the Shakespeare play Macbeth. No one is allowed to say the name of the play
in the dressing room when the play is about to start. If anyone does, the
other actors make him or her leave the room. They are not allowed to come
back in, until they have turned round three times.
Sporting superstitions
Football
Many players believe that theyll play better if they follow certain rituals
before a match. Some always tie the laces of their right boot first. Others kiss
54
their football shirts before the match. Some people say that double numbers
on a players shirt will bring good luck. David Beckham wears a new pair of
boots for every match!
Rugby
The famous New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks, perform an ancient
Maori dance called the Haka before each match. Its a very dramatic sight,
and even if it doesnt help the All Blacks win, it definitely frightens the
opposing team!
Formula One racing
World-famous racing driver, Michael Schumacher, is one of many racing
drivers who believe that a ritual will help him win. He always gets into his car
in the same way before a race. For him, the left-hand side of the car is the
lucky side but that is not enough: He makes certain that he puts his right
foot into the car first!
A strong superstition in the racing world is that the colour green brings bad luck.
Basketball
The last person to get the ball in the basket in a pre-match warm-up will have
a good game. If you wipe the soles of your sneakers, you will definitely have
better luck. Michael Jordan always wore blue shorts under his team colours
to bring him luck.
Tennis
Across the world, tennis players believe that holding more than two balls
while serving will probably bring bad luck. Some say that it might be unlucky
to step on the court lines during a match. The famous tennis player Goran
Ivanisevic has a strict pre-game ritual. When in London, he books the same
table at the same restaurant and orders the same meal of fish soup, lamb and
ice cream with chocolate sauce.
British number one, Tim Henman, has a favourite shower cubicle at
Wimbledon, which he uses before and after his matches. He refuses to use
any other shower cubicle.
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The curse of the Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is one of the most notorious gems in history. It was mined
in India, and it was said to be cursed because it had been stolen from a
statue of the Hindu goddess Sita.
In 1668, the diamond was brought to France by Mr. Tavernier, who sold it to
King Louis XIV. Tavernier might have lived longer if he had listened to the
warnings about the curse, but he ignored them. On his next trip to India he
was killed by wild dogs.
The diamond was inherited by King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. They
were beheaded during the French Revolution and the diamond was stolen,
together with all the other French crown jewels.
In 1830, the diamond reappeared in London. Henry Hope bought it, and since
then it has been called the Hope Diamond. It was sold to an Eastern European
prince who gave it to an actress. He later shot her.
The next owner, a Greek millionaire, plunged to his death off a cliff.
Harry Winston bought the diamond in 1947. He was fully aware of the
diamonds terrible history and eventually donated it to the Smithsonian
Institute no doubt with a great sense of relief.
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