Art for Rent at the Weisman Art Museum

The Pond, by Hide Kawanishi (1957)

The Weisman Art Museum of Minnesota offers students, employees and departments the possibility of renting original pieces of art to decorate their homes or offices for six months at affordable prices, The Minnesota Daily reports.

Here you can find a link to the Weisman Art Museum webpage that explains the characteristics of the art rental programme.

The Beautiful Brain: The Drawings of Santiago Ramon y Cajal

The Purkinje cell in the cerebellum

The Weisman Art Museum in Minnesota mounted an exhibition of Santiago Ramón y Cajal's drawings, which has been touring several univeristy art museums in the USA and Canada since 2017. Here you can find a link to the exhibition calendar note.

A resource kit for elementary and secondary education teachers and students was published in pdf and here you can see the reproductions of some of the original drawings by Cajal as well as lesson plans to use in the classroom (C2 Level). Cajal's drawings inspired artists like Dalí, Miró or Tanguy. 

Santiago Ramón y Cajal is considered the father of neuroscience, he was awarded the Nobel prize for Medicine in 1906, and he was a fine artist too.  Here you can find a link to Cajal's Wikipedia page.

Chef José Andrés: "Vegetables are so Sexy"

Chef José Andrés won the James Beard Humanitarian Award for his relief work in Puerto Rico after the devastating effects of hurricane Maria in 2011.  He used the local arena as giant kitchen to provide 75,000 meals a day to feed the hungry in the island.  He has published a memoir called "We Fed an Island" telling his experience managing chaos, which is like running a kitchen, he says. In the second part of this NPR interview (18':50"), he talks about his background in Spain, how he learnt to cook paella from his father, he jokes about the criticism he faced as an immigrant for daring to change a traditional American dish, the Philadelphia cheesecake, he celebrates vegetables and fruit ("vegetables are so sexy", he claims), he jokes again about "molecular gastronomy", and he concludes by stressing how important it is not to be afraid of failure if you want innovate, either in the kitchen or as a relief worker after a hurricane.

Crazy Rich Asians: a Hollywood Hit or a Flop?

Crazy Rich Asians is the first Hollywood release featuring an Asian and Asian-American cast since 1993's The Joy Luck Club.  It has been a box-office hit worldwide, making $230 million (Warner Bros invested $30 million in the movie). Film critic Richard Lawson describes it as a "fairy-tale romp, full of direct Cinderella references that has some muddied messaging about wealth.  Mostly it just whisks us away on a whirlwind tour of an almost fantastical world.  Crazy Rich Asians is breathless fun -but rather weightless too" (Vanity Fair). The richness of the language and the style make reading  this review a C2 task.

But in mainland China, the reception of the film has been quite different.  Katrina Yu, writing for Aljazeera, explains that Crazy Rich Asians has been a box office flop in China, it has only made $1.5 million, an "atrocious performance" according to independent China film industry consultant Jonathan Papish.  The film is not seen as "a celebration of Asian culture, but a demonisation of it", according to popular reviews on Chinese movie websites. This Arts & Culture report can also be recommended for C2 students.

Finally, you can listen to NPR and read a Fresh Air interview to Kevin Kwan, the writer of the best selling novel that the film is based on, where he talks about his upbringing in a wealthy family and his gradual exposure to Bohemian society in Singapore, and where he also responds to the criticism of the movie for starring Henry Golding, a half British, half Malay actor and model. This radio interview with a script could be accessible to C1 students.

The Chinese Around the World Celebrate the Year of the Pig

Chinese communities around the world are welcoming the Year of the Pig with family feasts, shopping sprees, trips back home or abroad or with prayers.  This article from CNA (China NewsAsia, in Singapore) reviews some to the celebrations and parades in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Hong-Kong, Sydney, Los Angeles and London.

All the World is a Stage

William Shakespeare can be fun!  This lesson, which starts with a listening, vocabulary and speaking task from Headway Upper-Intermediate, Oxford Univerty Press, 1987, continues with a discussion about the seven ages of man and aging, a topic that has changed very little since Elisabethian times. Then you can find two videos that explain the plot of the play "As You Like It", one from Shmoop and the other one by a teacher, Ian Finley. Finally, you can find four renditions of Jaques' classic monologue "All the World is Stage" performed by Digital Theatre Plus, Morgan Freeman, Tom O'Bedlam and Beth Kennedy in Troubadour Theatre Company. The picture in this post shows Orlando and Rosalind, the two main characters in "As You Like It". 

Shakespeare still has something to say 500 years later, you only have to decide whose performance you prefer.

Japan's Elderly Crime Wave

The number of crimes committed by people over 65 in Japan is on the rise.  Meagre state pensions that do not pay bills and loneliness are pushing a growing number of elderly Japanese to commit petty crimes, reoffend and serve long terms in prison, where they can find food, accommodation and healthcare for free... and company too!  If you want to find out more, you can read this BBC News Stories article, which includes a short video (in Japanese and English with subtitles) and a link to a radio report from BBC radio 4 and the BBC World Service programme "Assignment". Both the text and the video can be classified as B2 level.

Here you can find a direct link to the BBC Radio 4 report (and the BBC World Service Assignment programme) on Japan's Elderly Crime Wave, which lasts 28 minutes. The narrator speaks slowly and very clearly, but there is  no transcript, so the documentary is classified as C2.

A High Fashion, Trash Shopping Mall in Sweden

BBC News reports about this shopping mall in Eskilstuna, near Stockholm, where everything is recycled.  It is located right next to the city's recycling centre, shopkeepers pick unwanted household objects which they resell or upcycle. The mall also hosts a design school, where students learn how to upcycle donated objects.  It is creative, sustainable and a business success.  Do you think this idea would work outside Sweden? Why/why not?

Do not miss the short video with subtitles at the bottom of the report, there you can see the shopping mall with your own eyes.

How the Immune System Works

Immunologist professor, Daniel Davies from Manchester University, has recently published a book, "The Beautiful Cure:  the Revolution in Immunology and What It Means for your Health". Here he talks to NPR's Fresh Air host, Terry Gross, about the complexity of the immune system:  how differently it works during the day and during the night, how stress can weaken the immune system, how age changes the immune system and how discoveries in immune system research can help fight diseases like cancer or rheumatoid arthritis.  Finally, Daniel Davies explains how difficult it is for scientists to understand the data that they gather from immune system research because it is very surprising and counter-intuitive. 

The novelty of the content, the density of information, the fuzziness of the expression and the technicality of the language make it difficult to follow professor Davies in some parts of the interview, so this link is classified as Ex (for Experts and teachers) beyond the top C1 and C2 levels of the Council of Europe.

Super Poo Donors Wanted

Faecal transplants can help to regenerate the microbiome of ill bowels and boost the immune system.  But not all poo is the same, some people's poo contains more microorganisms and this makes these people "super donors", BBC News report.

Will Mr. Bean Be Back Again?

Rowan Atkinson talks to Grahan Norton on BBC One about the possibility of a return of Mr. Bean, and then he goes on to tell a funny anecdote that happened to him near Peterborough in Cambridgeshire.  Although this video has subtitles and facial humour, the language is by no means easy, so it is classified as a C2 level. 

Why is "The Scream" Still an Icon Today?

The Scream by Edvard Munch (1863-1944) is one of those paintings that everybody can recognize, as it has been replicated and parodied in so many images in popular culture, from anti-nuclear posters to emojis. BBC Arts reports on the upcoming exhibition "Edvard Munch: Love and Angst", which the British Museum will host from 11 April to 21 July, 2019.

The Coolest Gadgets for 2019

The CES 2019 at Las Vegas is the largest consumer technology fair in the world.  It showcases more than 4,500 exhibiting companies that present their latest gadgets.  Here you can find the coolest gizmos from this year's edition:  a rool-up TV screen, an electric Harley Davidson motorbike, a quantum computer, a headband for insomniacs, an instant water-heater for tea, the fastest tooth brush in the world and the most beautiful gaming monitor ever. 

CES 2019 displayed amazing innovations in TV technology.  Here you can watch a video and read an article about the latest trends in TV sets.

The Brexit Debate in the Streets of Westminster

Brexit is a deeply divisive issue in the United Kingdom right now.  Brexiteers and Remainers have had heated debates in Parliament and in the media in the past months.  Two opposing activists, Steve Bray and Harry Todd have been campaigning in the streets of Westminster, outside the British Parliament. This short BBC News video (3:34) tells their story.

Bangladesh Garment Workers Strike

Workers in the garment industry in Bangladesh went on strike over low wages for more than two weeks.  One worker was killed and 50 were injured in clashes with the police. International retail giants like H&M, Walmart, Primark, Tesco or Aldi are among the main buyers of clothes made in Bangladesh.

Here you can read a report from The Times of India about the unrest and the clashes with the police (Jan. 9th, 2019).

And here you can read another story from Channel News Asia (Singapore) that reports about the sacking of hundreds of workers after the protest ended and strikers returned to work (Jan. 16th., 2019).

In Praise of Boredom

Boredom has very bad press these days. People seem to fear boredom and try to live fast and multitask. So, it is striking to hear somebody mounting a full-blown argument in defense of... creative, detoxing boredom! This is what Rev. Dr. Giles Fraser, an Anglican priest, does in the recording below, which was broadcast on 17/09/18, on the BBC Radio 4 programme "Today".  It is an episode of the slot "Thought for the Day" ,where thinkers of different faiths reflect on people and issues in the news.

You can find a link to a Google Drive download of the recording of Rev. Dr. Giles Fraser's reflection on boredom, here (The BBC website only keeps podcasts of past programmes for 30 days) and a transcription of the words, thanks to my colleague Pablo A.

Do you agree with Rev. Giles Fraser? Should you allow yourself 10 or 15 minutes of "creative, detoxing, boredom" everyday? Should you stop learning English right now, and get bored for a little while?

Bill Cunningham: Colours in Winter

Bill Cunningham (1929-2016) was a fashion photographer for the New York Times,who often found inspiration in ordinary people with their own personal style.  This video shows stunning colours in New York streets, and how they mirror the natural colours which can be found in fruit and vegetable markets in the city.  A treat for the eye and for the spirit!

Queen Letizia in a Tracksuit-style Outfit

Queen Letizia of Spain hit the headlines at an official reception in Zarzuela Palace.  The Daily Mail reported that she wore a plain, black T-shirt, black trousers with a sporty white stripe, high heels and diamond and sapphire earrings.  Some people found this casual look disrespectful:  Did she dress down for the occasion, or is she a trendsetter? Are tracksuits stylish now? In fashion, every one has their own taste, what is your opinion?

World's 'Loneliest' Frog Gets a Date

This BBC News tells the happy story of a frog, called Romeo, who has finally got a date with Juliet after 10 years of isolation in an aquarium in Cochabamba (Bolivia).  Love can crop up anywhere and anytime!
Do not miss the comments from the readers at the bottom of the report, some of them are very funny!

Kumbh Mela: the Biggest Festival in the World

Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage to the Ganges river that gathers 120 million people from 15th January to the 4th March this year. Preparations for this massive meeting of people include accommodation in tents, transport, security, food, health and family welfare teams and sanitation facilities.  If you want to find out more, you can read this BBC News report.

Fake News, Conspiracy Theories and InfoWars

Fake news and disinformation campaigns have been the focus of media attention in the USA since the 2016 Trump-Clinton presidential campaign.  In this interview a New York Times reporter, Adam B. Ellick talks about the use Vladimir Putin has made of disinformation campaigns, quoting the AIDS conspiracy theory in the 1980's, or the campaign against himself after publishing the story of the Pakistani girl education campaigner, Malala Yousafzai. He also discusses with Terry Gross President Trump's discredit of American media and the current division in American politics and society. Level: C2

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Adam B. Ellick is the Director and Producer of Opinion Video at the New York Times.  He has won Pulizer and Emmy News Video prizes for his work as a video journalist. You can watch the Opinion Video page of the New York Times here: The Seven Commandments of Fake News or The Worldwide War on Truth. The videos cover very similar content to the radio interview, but they do not have subtitles, so they may be more difficult to understand than the radio interview (with script) above.

Monster Fatberg of Wet Wipes Blocks Sewer

A giant fatberg of wet wipes and fat has been found blocking a sewer in Devon (UK). If you want to read more about these incidents in sewage systems and water pollution in beaches and rivers, you can read this BBC report.

Climate Change with Somini Sengupta

NPR's host Terry Gross interviews Somini Sengupta, an international climate correspondent for The New York Times. They discuss the scientific debate about climate change, water scarcity, unemployment and conflict (in Syria, Somalia and Kenya, for example), heat waves in India and Pakistan, power failures, the Paris agreement on global warming and the coal industry etc.

***

If you want to read more about Climate Change, you can find here an article that Somini Sengupta wrote for the New York Times in August 2018, where she talks about rising temperatures around the world and the future consequences of this global trend.

Rosalía tipped 5th singer to watch by the BBC

Rosalía was the hottest budding artist last year in Spain with her fusion of flamenco, urban looks and hip-hop. Hits like Catalina or Malamente have become tremendously popular with teenagers and young adults and she has caught the attention of the most international Spanish artists, like Alejandro Sanz, Pedro Almodóvar or fashion giant Zara. Now, at the BBC Music sound 2019 -a poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising music talent- she has earned the singer 5th place, so she is one of the young artist to watch in 2019 in Britain too. Read this BBC News article, listen to Rosalía speaking English in a short interview and listen to some of her latest videos: Malamente, Bagdad or Pienso en tu Mirá.  She is, definitely, a young artist to watch in the future.

Golden Globes Red Carpet

Here is a glimpse at the outfits that some of the nominees for the Golden Globe Awards were wearing at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Look at the pictures and choose the one you like most (and the one you would never wear!).

Queen: Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody and Guitarrist Brian May

First-generation American actor, Rami Malek, talks about how he auditioned to get his starring role as Freddie Mercury in the film Bohemian Rhapsody and how he prepared for the job. The son of an Egyptian coptic Christian family of inmigrants to the USA, Rami Malek worked his way in Hollywood by delivering pizzas with his CV (resumé in American English) to all famous producers that came to his fast food restaurant. He also had a starring role in the TV show "Mr. Robot", where he plays a brilliant computer hacker who has serious mental problems.

***

On this second link, Terry Goss talks to Brian May, Queen guitarrist, about the making of the songs "We Will Rock You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", about the ups and downs of the popularity of Queen in the USA, about astrophysics, among other things. Brian May speaks excellent English with a very clear British accent.

Angelina Jolie into Politics?

Angelina Jolie has recently suggested that she might go into politics.  At a recent BBC radio 4 news interview, she didn't rule out moving into politics, if that could help her foster her social activism. You can watch a short video with subtitles on this link.

Nayim's Goal for Real Zaragoza and David Seaman's Ballad

Back in 1995 Real Zaragoza, coached by Víctor Fernández, won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final after beating Arsenal (1-2) at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. The incredible goal that the Zaragozan player Nayim scored in the last minute of extra-time was such a remarkable feat that it inspired a modern poet and Arsenal fan, Murray Lachlan Young, to write a ballad, The Lobbing of David Seaman, dedicated to the legendary Arsenal goalkeeper and also to the loneliness of all teenage goalkeepers when they concede a crucial goal from the opposing team and they are judged "on what they miss, and not on what they save". Here you can find a link to a file with a listening task in Word, the key and the audio of the ballad, which is recommended for B2 students (the task and key are also copied at the bottom of this post, under the video of Nayim's goal). Some interesting expressions in the text are: lobbing, ye, goalkeeper, goalie, gay (old-fashioned), the Gunners, oaken, a rib, to whistle, off his line, to step up, nemesis, mighty, lofted, a shot, to scramble, the score, well-trod, a pony tail, to crave.

This version of The Lobbing of David Seaman was performed live on 29th May 2010, on Ireland's RTÉ Radio 1 programme "The Loneliness of the Goalkeeper".  A slightly different version of the ballad is available in the YouTube video below:

Finally, you can watch Nayim's historic goal with the comments in English in the video below:

*****

Listening task for the ballad The Lobbing of David Seaman (RTÉ's version) by poet Murray Lachlan Young:

The Lobbing of David Seaman

Ah, come all ye teenage goalkeepers
And listen unto me,
I'll tell you of a goalie
Who went out to gay Paree;
The Gunners called him '(1) ___________ Hands',
David Seaman was his name,
But that (2) ______________ night in Paris
Was his world consumed in flames.

It was in the final minutes

And the game was surely gone

With oaken heart and broken (3) ___________

He urged the Gunners on,

The (4) ____________ expecting penalties

were whistling full time,

But one (5) _____________ Zaragozan

Saw the keeper off his line.

So up steps Seaman's nemesis

and his name it was Nayim,

He kicked a mighty lofted (6) __________

So high above the scene

Poor Seaman scrambled backwards

To face this final card

To be (7) ____________ by a cannon ball

From over fifty yards.

Oh! The tears of David Seaman

They define the Gunners' (8) ______________,

But he could not change the score line

And he could not change his name.

So he took the well-trod channel

Of a man whose (9) ______________ has failed,

Oh! He posed for lifestyle magazines,

And he (10) ___________ a pony tail.

[Second Part, from 17:38 to 18:43]

And as his pony tail grew longer

The memories did fade

And Seaman soon was recognized

As a master of his trade

A hero for his country

And a father to his team

Oh! But never could he wash away

The stain left by Nayim.

So, come all ye teenage goalkeepers

And listen to what I say,

Be careful what you wish for,

For it might just come your way

And looking at your jersey

As in loneliness you crave

To be judged on what you miss

And not on what you save.

KEY: (1) Safe; (2) lonely; (3) ribs; (4) crowd; (5) cruel; (6) shot; (7) beaten; (8) pain; (9) luck; (10) grew.

Kofi Annan, a World Peacemaker

Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations, died in August 2018, he was called "the Epitome of Human Decency and Grace" "a Guiding Force for Good", "a Giant".  In 2012, he spoke to Matthew Bannister for the programme Outlook, of the BBC World Service, and he revealed the trouble he got into at school for challenging authority; he explained how he got organised when he was a single-parent, and he recalled how once he was mistaken for the actor Morgan Freeman. This interview lasts 22:51, Kofi Anna speaks a very clear English, but there is no script.

Two Feminists Have a Conversation

American broadcaster Terry Gross interviews British singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn, who has released the album "Record", which has been acclaimed by critics.  In a woman-to-woman conversation, these two feminists talk about the inspiration for her new songs, about a young woman's terror of getting pregnant, and her urgency to have children later in life; about Tracey's long-lasting relationship with Benn Watt, her music partner and life partner, about how feminism has changed over the years, and many more things.  The interview lasts 42:30, and there is a script for support.

You can watch some of her songs on YouTube:

Sisters, a song that was inspired by the feminist rally in March 2018 in London,  it says "I am a mother, I am a sister and I fight like a girl".

In Queen, she wonders "Am I queen? Do I ever find love? Or I'm still waiting".

In Air, she talks about growing up as a girl and she sings: Oh, oh, oh, I need some air/I need air/And I like the boys, the boys, the boys, the boys/I love the boys/But they like, the girly, girly, girly, girly, girls/And look straight through me/Like plate glass, like fresh air/Like I wasn't even there/I need air/I need some air/I need air.

In Guitar, she says: I wanted you, I watched you from afar/ And I thought you cool, because you played guitar/ But you were cool, maybe still are/ Thank God I could sing and I had my guitar/ Oh, I had my guitar. 

Emily Blunt, the New Mary Poppins

You can listen to and read here an NPR interview to Emily Blunt, the British actress who plays the title role in the new version of the classic Mary Poppins. She talks about her fear of heights, her ability to imitate different accents, and how she overcame a stutter when she was young, among other things. The interview lasts 44:26, but you have a script for support.

Roma, a film by Alfonso Cuaron

Here you can read an article and listen to an NPR radio report (with a script) about the Mexican movie Roma, by Alfonso Cuaron which has been recently released in Netflix.  A film that talks about Libo, the nanny and housekeeper in Cuaron's home when he grew up in Mexico City.

Aretha Franklin: An Interview, her Biography and Some Hits

Aretha Franklin passed away in August 2018. She was an extraordinary singer, songwriter and a civil rights activist, she was known as "The Queen of Soul" (Wikipedia). Some of her hits include "Respect", which became one of the hymns of the Civic Rights Movement, "(You make me feel like) A Natural Woman", which made so many people emotional, including President Obama in 2015, "I Say a Little Prayer" a declaration of eternal love, "Think", a black woman's liberation song, or her impromptu performace of "Nessum dorma" at the Amy Awards ceremony, which is reported here on ABC News.

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She gave rare interviews, but in 1999 she talked to Terry Gross for Fresh Air on NPR, about her upbringing and her background in gospel, and her gradual exposure to jazz and pop music.  She also talked about her professional career in Columbia and Atlantic records, the recording of some of her major hits, like "Respect", her relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, and her work with opera arias.  On the webpage you can find a written summary of the interview, but you can also listen to the full interview (47:55), and read the transcipt for support.

Best Movies of 2018

Which were the best movies of 2018? Here your can find 3 different lists, from The New York Times,  The Guradian and Esquire Magazine.  You can choose which list to read, or you can compare lists, and you can finally make your own personal list of the best movies of 2018. Have you seen any of them? What's your opinion?

The New York Times Best Movies 2018: Roma, Burning, Shoplifters, Zama, Happy as Lazzaro, BlackKklansman, First Reformed, The Death of Stalin, Monrovia, Indiana and Colophone (for the Arboretum Cycle).

The Top UK movies of 2018, according to The Guardian are: Roma, Phantom Thread, Leave No Trace, Loveless, Private Life, Black Panther, Cold War, Widows, Coco and Hereditary.

Finally at the top of the list of the 2018 films, according to the Esquire, you can find: Mandy, Annihilation, Love After Low, The Rider, Cold War, You Were Never Really Hear, First Reformed, Zama, Eighth Grade and Thunder Road.

Best Songs of 2018 by NPR

Here you can find a compilation of the best songs of 2018 according to the staff of NPR.  Household names like Kanye West, Ariana Grande, Lana del Rey, David Byrne, Sade or Mariah Carey, together with less well-know artists like Jorja Smith, Peggy Gou, Tonina or Haley Heynderickxx make up this select list. Hip-hop, Latin, jazz, pop, singer-songwriters, a wide range of styles for people of great taste, like you.

Best Books of 2018 by the the New York Times

In the New York Times list of the best 10 books of 2018 you can find a roman à clef, whose prose is clean and lean, a novel about the AIDS epidemic and its repercussions over decades, a domestic thriller about the relationships between a mother and a nanny, a picaresque journey in search of identity, an insight into private prisons, a memoir of a Mormon girl who didn't go to school until she went to college and earned a PhD, the biography of Douglass, Abraham Lincoln's conscience, an essay about the history and science of Psychedelic drug experience, a memoir of Steve Job's daughter, and a tale about slavery, exploration and discovery.

Top Dog Names 2018

What are the most popular dog names of the year in the USA? Listen to this short news report (1:02) from NPR and find out. Is your dog's name in the list?

Art is Everywhere, 2018 by Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC Radio 6

This music radio show participates in the project "Art Is Everywhere" where listeners can send in their works of art, which are exhibited at a digital Gallery on the show's website.  Look at the pictures! Sure you can find one that you really love, and you can listen to the music and interviews on the radio programme at the same time.  The radio programme used to be broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 to 10:00 CET, but in 2019, Mary Anne Hobbs has a daily programme Monday to Friday on BBC radio 6 from 11:30 to 14:00 CET.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4FVJ1DZNKr41XsfcMmM5K8n/art-is-everywhere-2018

British Doctors to Prescribe Arts & Culture

The UK's Health Secretary has recently encouraged British doctors to prescribe Arts, Culture & Social Activities to improve the health and wellbeing of patients.

Below you can find a reading and speaking task for B2 students and upwards:

British Doctors To Prescribe Arts & Culture to Patients: “The Arts Are Essential to our Health and Wellbeing”

http://www.openculture.com/2018/11/british-doctors-prescribe-arts-culture-patients-arts-essential-health-wellbeing.html?fbclid=IwAR1twbVdGCZzrfDNOcf0ccrQuLHLPn3eqShV_BQu96GxCvylcl3MTM9J6a0

in Art, Health, Life | November 12th, 2018 

Photo by Adam Jones, via Wikimedia Commons

The arts and humanities are afterthoughts in many American schools, rarely given (0) ______ priority________ as part of a comprehensive education, though they formed the basis of one for thousands of years elsewhere. One might say something similar of preventative medicine in the U.S. (1) _______________________. It’s tempting to idealize the priorities of other wealthy countries. The Japanese investment in “forest bathing,” for example, comes to mind, or Finnish public schools and France's funding of an Alzheimer’s village.

But everyplace has its problems, and no country is an island, exempt from the global pressures of capital or hostile interference.

But if we consider such things as art, music, and dance as essential—not only to an education, but to our general (2) _________________ —we must commend the UK’s Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, for his “social prescribing” initiative.

Hancock wants “the country’s doctors to prescribe therapeutic art- or hobby-based treatments for ailments ranging from dementia to psychosis, lung conditions and mental health issues,” reports Meilan Solly at Smithsonian. The plan “could find patients enrolled in dance classes and singing lessons, or perhaps enjoying a personalized music playlist.”

In a speech Hancock delivered on what happened to be election day in the U.S., he referred to a quote from Confucius that represents one particularly ancient educational tradition: “Music produces a kind of pleasure, which human nature cannot do without.” (He also quotes the Rolling Stones' “Satisfaction.”) Hancock’s idea goes beyond aristocratic traditions of old, proclaiming a diet of the arts for everyone.

They’re not just a right in their own terms as the search for truth and expression of the human condition. We shouldn’t only value them for the role they play in bringing meaning and dignity to our lives. We should value the arts and social activities because they’re essential to our health and wellbeing. And that’s not me as a former Culture Secretary saying it. It’s scientifically proven. Access to the arts and social activities improves people’s mental and physical health.

We’ve (3) ____________________  all come across research on the tremendous health benefits of what Warnock calls “social activities,” maintaining friendships and getting out and about. But what does the research into art and health say? “The medical benefits of engaging with the arts are well-recorded,” Solly writes, citing studies of (4) ______ ________________ making great strides after performing with the Royal Philharmonic; dance lessons improving clarity and concentration among those with early psychosis; and those with lung conditions improving with singing lessons. Additionally, many studies have shown the emotional lift museum visits and other cultural activities of a social nature can give.

Similar trials have taken place in Canada, but the UK project is “simultaneously more (5) ___________________ and less fleshed-out,” aiming to encourage everything from cooking classes, playing bingo, and gardening to “more culturally focused ventures.” The proposal does not, however, fully address funding or accessibility issues for the most at-risk patients. Hancock’s rhetoric also perhaps heedlessly pits “more prevention and perspiration” against “popping pills and Prozac,” a characterization that seems to trivialize drug therapies and create a false binary where the two approaches can work well hand-in-hand.

Nonetheless, a shift away from “over-medicalising” and toward preventative and (6) _______________________ has the potential to address not only chronic symptoms of disease, but the non-medical causes—including stress, isolation, and sadness—that contribute to and worsen illness. The plan may (7) __________________ a rigorously individualized implementation by physicians and it will "start at a disadvantage," with 4% cuts per year to the NHS budget until 2021, as Royal College of Nursing public health expert Helen Donovan points out.

Those (8) ______________ aside, given all we know about the importance of emotional well-being to physical health, it’s hard to argue with Hancock’s premise. “Access to the arts improves people’s mental and physical health,” he tweeted during his November 6th roll-out of the initiative. “It makes us happier and healthier." Art is not a luxury, but a necessary ingredient in human flourishing, and yet "the arts do not tend to be thought of in medical terms," writes professor of health humanities Paul Crawford, though they constitute a "shadow health service," bringing us a kind of happiness, I’d argue with Confucius, that we simply cannot find anywhere else.

1.- Vocabulary:    Fill-in the gaps with one of the words or phrases below.

priority	comprehensive	likely
stroke survivors	healthcare system	challenges
holistic approaches	well-being	require

2.- Reading Comprehension

1.- What does Matt Hancock want British doctors to do?

2.- What does research say about the medical benefits of art?

3.- Can you explain what the phrase in paragraph 8 “create a false binary” means?

4.- How is this proposal going to be funded?

3.- Speaking:  Discuss the following statements

1.-"Access to the arts improves people's mental and physical health".

2.- "More perspiration against popping pills and Prozac".

3.-"The proposal does not fully address funding and accessibility issues (#8).

The Most Expensive Ham in the World

How much are you prepared to pay for the top-notch leg of Spanish ham? This BBC report talks about the most expensive Spanish ham in the world.