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Sobre vocabulário | vocabulary em inglês
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Yesterday misunderstands what made the Beatles so popular
By Noah Berlatsky
The film Yesterday has an intriguing premise: What if the Beatles never existed? Unsuccessful, moderately talented singersongwriter Jack Malik wakes up one day and is the only one who remembers the Beatles’ songs. Suddenly he can pose as the creator of the greatest music ever written. As a result, he quickly becomes a worldrenowned superstar.
Jack is successful because the Beatles’ songs, removed from their original context, still maintain the universal, instant appeal that has canonized them in our non-fictional world, offscreen. Label execs, other musicians, and huge numbers of fans are all won over by “Jack’s” music; Even decades after the Soviet Union disintegrated, “Back in the USSR” still rocks people’s world.
But would “Back in the USSR” really be an automatic, surefire hit if it were released today, into a music scene whose interests have evolved far beyond the Beatles? Is quality in the arts so transcendent that it can overcome all differences of era, culture, and happenstance? Is music a meritocracy — an art form that privileges natural talent over everything else?
There’s good reason to believe that the answer to all three of those questions is no. Wonderful songs aren’t always hits; talented musicians don’t always achieve success commensurate with their abilities. And sometimes a twist of fate lands the less talented in a position to reap massive rewards.
We tend to expect that good things don’t always come to the most deserving people. Sometimes the most successful people get that way because they’re in the right place at the right time, or know the right people, or were even born into it. And art is no exception.
There’s research to back up the notion that fame and fortune come from more than pure talent. Sociologists Matthew Salganik of Princeton and Duncan Watts of Microsoft have conducted a number of studies to determine what makes a song popular. They discovered that when someone approaches a song knowing only that it’s popular and well-liked within the cultural mass, that person is more inclined to come away liking the song too. This can create a ripple effect, with songs becoming more and more popular because they already are popular. Salganik and Watts’s research suggests that the more visible something is the more highly regarded it is, and the more popular it is likely to become.
Social influence has a powerful effect on which songs become popular. As art is a form of communication we often share and experience socially, it makes sense that we like art that we believe will connect us to others.
Our instincts to spread what we like, and to like what others like, mean that what seem like small advantages for a song — perhaps a well-placed promo on Spotify, or appearing on the soundtrack of a Netflix show — can lead to a big chart presence. A good review at the right time or being used in a viral meme on a slow news day could help more people discover a song just out of happenstance. Songs that get an initial bump can ride that wave, so more people seek them out, buy them, and boost their popularity. This cycle can lead to one song, good or not, becoming a hit, while another disappears into obscurity.
The Beatles were very good by most qualitative metrics. But the band’s quantitative achievements don’t mean they are indisputably the most meritorious musicians of all time, or even of their day. More likely, the band also managed to be in the right place at the right time, on top of everything else.
Western racial inequalities also stymied many homegrown artists. Influential African American singers and girl groups like the Shirelles didn’t have much opportunity to turn their Billboard hits into widespread celebrity and lasting cultural recognition. Paul McCartney and John Lennon are household names, but there aren’t many casual music fans who know the name of the Shirelles’ lead singer, Shirley Owens.
The Beatles were white, male English speakers who were able to tour and didn’t die young. But they had other advantages as well. Perhaps most obviously, they were working in a genre that was broadly popular.
By contrast, today’s most popular music is split between contemporary hip-hop and dance music that relies on synthesizers, electronics, and myriad crossgenre references. Pure rock ’n’ roll, built on a simple four-person setup of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, is no longer the dominant genre. ”If a Beatles song came out today, it would sound dated,” Charlie Harding, host of Vox’s Switched on Pop podcast, told me. “There are hardly any synthesizers. It’s all live drumming. Plus, so much of their music is blues-based, and blues-based music just isn’t popular right now.”
At their height, the Beatles famously pushed boundaries in the studio, creating psychedelic effects and soundscapes that no one at the time had ever heard before. But that’s old hat in 2019. You can do all of what the Beatles did and more in your room with a laptop, at least technically speaking.
Sure, it’s fun to think, as Yesterday does, that our love for the Beatles is universal, true, and incontrovertible. Where’s the harm in that?
The problem is that people often don’t see the myth of meritocracy as a myth; they really believe in it. And when they do, it can have some unfortunate effects. The myth of meritocracy can make us less willing to invest in the collective good.
If we convince ourselves that talented artists like the Beatles will be successful no matter what, we can also convince ourselves that we don’t really need to provide people with safety nets or resources. After all, the best will win out anyway. Why invest in school arts programs, or fund arts grants, if great musicians will be just fine on their own?
The Beatles made wonderful, undoubtedly influential art. But if Yesterday weren’t so hypnotized by the supposedly unmatchable quality of the Beatles’ music, it might be able to see that there are great songs being written by people like Jack Malik too. The film believes that songs like “Yesterday” are just so good, they would become mega-popular under any circumstances. And yet many people who think “Yesterday” is the best song ever have been inevitably swayed by the Beatles’ popularity and legacy, the song’s quality aside.
Maybe instead, the best song ever is one we haven’t heard yet; maybe it’s the one you’re going to write. Part of what happens when we abandon the myth of meritocracy is that we’re better able to see the merit all around us. And that gives everyone a greater chance at success.
(adapted from https://www.vox.com, Jun 29, 2019)
A compreensão da língua inglesa depende muito do vocabulário, se este for limitado, a comunicação também será. Seguem expressões bem interessante para facilitar essa comunicação. Associe a segunda coluna de acordo com a primeira e encontre a resposta CORRETA:
I - To get straight to the point.
II - To beat around the bush.
III - To put somebody in the Picture.
IV - To keep somebody in the loop.
V - To be out of the loop.
( ) Ir direto ao ponto do que precisa ser dito.
( ) “Enrolar”, não ser objetivo na comunicação.
( ) Manter uma pessoa bem informada, ciente do que está acontecendo.
( ) Manter a comunicação regular entre as pessoas de um grupo sobre um plano ou projeto específico.
( ) Estar desinformado, estar “por fora”,
“boiando”.
A compreensão da língua inglesa depende muito do vocabulário, se este for limitado, a comunicação também será. Seguem expressões bem interessante para facilitar essa comunicação.
Associe a segunda coluna de acordo com a primeira e encontre a resposta CORRETA:
I - To talk or to work at cross-purposes.
II - To be on the same wavelength.
III - To make head or tail of something.
IV -To hear on the grapevine.
V -To get the wrong end of the stick.
( ) Defender pontos de vista divergentes.
( ) Ter o mesmo entendimento, estar em acordo, ter sintonia.
( ) Entender alguém ou algo.
( ) Ter notícias de alguém que ouviu notícias de outra pessoa, ouvir dizer.
( ) Fazer uma leitura errada de uma situação,
interpretar errado.
Some words in English sound the same when they are spoken, but have different spellings and different meanings.
Which alternative contains the correct sequence to complete the sentences?
1 st - Do you think it is going to (rein, rain, reign) tomorrow?
2 nd - We saw a restaurant just off the (rode, road) about a mile back.
3 rd - They don’t want to talk about the (passed, past) anymore.
4 th - My mother (sent, scent, cent) a letter to my aunt who lives in London.
5 th - (He’ll, Heel, Heal) be here in a few minutes.
In “You must do the thing you think you can not do.” (Eleanor Roosevelt), the underlined modal verbs, respectively, express:
Use the text below to answer the question
Japanese Emperor
A Japanese emperor has abdicated for the first time in more than 200 years. Emperor Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30 after 30 years of being the Japanese monarch. He made way for his son Crown Prince Naruhito to become the new emperor. Akihito decided to step down because of his health. At the age of 85, he has been visibly slowing down for the past few years. He has also had a couple of health scares. He believes his son is now better able to carry out the duties of emperor. Emperor Akihito will be remembered for using a personal touch to bring his people together after many national disasters. He continually visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other tragedies.
The new Emperor Naruhito became the 126th emperor to ascend the throne of the world's oldest monarchy. Naruhito, 59, spent two years studying at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University and worked as a diplomat. A traditional ceremony took place as part of the historic handover. In the ceremony, Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that date back thousands of years. The ceremony took place in the middle of a ten-day Japanese holiday. The traditional Golden Week holiday was extended to allow people to celebrate the new emperor. Millions of Japanese were glued to their TVs and smartphones watching the historic event.
Available at: https://breakingnewsenglish.com Accessed on May,
06th 2019.
“A Japanese emperor...” Japanese is the nationality of who is born in Japan. The correct pair of country and nationality is in:
Use the text below to answer the question
Japanese Emperor
A Japanese emperor has abdicated for the first time in more than 200 years. Emperor Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30 after 30 years of being the Japanese monarch. He made way for his son Crown Prince Naruhito to become the new emperor. Akihito decided to step down because of his health. At the age of 85, he has been visibly slowing down for the past few years. He has also had a couple of health scares. He believes his son is now better able to carry out the duties of emperor. Emperor Akihito will be remembered for using a personal touch to bring his people together after many national disasters. He continually visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other tragedies.
The new Emperor Naruhito became the 126th emperor to ascend the throne of the world's oldest monarchy. Naruhito, 59, spent two years studying at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University and worked as a diplomat. A traditional ceremony took place as part of the historic handover. In the ceremony, Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that date back thousands of years. The ceremony took place in the middle of a ten-day Japanese holiday. The traditional Golden Week holiday was extended to allow people to celebrate the new emperor. Millions of Japanese were glued to their TVs and smartphones watching the historic event.
Available at: https://breakingnewsenglish.com Accessed on May,
06th 2019.
“His wife, the new Empress Masako,...” The underlined words are nouns in the feminine form. Mark the alternative where all words are of the feminine gender:
Use the text below to answer the question
Japanese Emperor
A Japanese emperor has abdicated for the first time in more than 200 years. Emperor Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30 after 30 years of being the Japanese monarch. He made way for his son Crown Prince Naruhito to become the new emperor. Akihito decided to step down because of his health. At the age of 85, he has been visibly slowing down for the past few years. He has also had a couple of health scares. He believes his son is now better able to carry out the duties of emperor. Emperor Akihito will be remembered for using a personal touch to bring his people together after many national disasters. He continually visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other tragedies.
The new Emperor Naruhito became the 126th emperor to ascend the throne of the world's oldest monarchy. Naruhito, 59, spent two years studying at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University and worked as a diplomat. A traditional ceremony took place as part of the historic handover. In the ceremony, Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that date back thousands of years. The ceremony took place in the middle of a ten-day Japanese holiday. The traditional Golden Week holiday was extended to allow people to celebrate the new emperor. Millions of Japanese were glued to their TVs and smartphones watching the historic event.
Available at: https://breakingnewsenglish.com Accessed on May,
06th 2019.
“Akihito decided to step down because of his health...” The underlined words indicate a phrasal verb. The incorrect meaning of a phrasal verbs is in:
Use the text below to answer the question
Japanese Emperor
A Japanese emperor has abdicated for the first time in more than 200 years. Emperor Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30 after 30 years of being the Japanese monarch. He made way for his son Crown Prince Naruhito to become the new emperor. Akihito decided to step down because of his health. At the age of 85, he has been visibly slowing down for the past few years. He has also had a couple of health scares. He believes his son is now better able to carry out the duties of emperor. Emperor Akihito will be remembered for using a personal touch to bring his people together after many national disasters. He continually visited people after earthquakes, tsunami and other tragedies.
The new Emperor Naruhito became the 126th emperor to ascend the throne of the world's oldest monarchy. Naruhito, 59, spent two years studying at Oxford University. His wife, the new Empress Masako, studied at Harvard University and worked as a diplomat. A traditional ceremony took place as part of the historic handover. In the ceremony, Naruhito received a sacred sword, a jewel and official seals that date back thousands of years. The ceremony took place in the middle of a ten-day Japanese holiday. The traditional Golden Week holiday was extended to allow people to celebrate the new emperor. Millions of Japanese were glued to their TVs and smartphones watching the historic event.
Available at: https://breakingnewsenglish.com Accessed on May,
06th 2019.
“...as part of the historic handover.” The underlined word can be replaced by:
Global warming
The world’s oceans have warmed 50 percent faster over the last 40 years than previously thought due to climate change, Australian and US climate researchers reported Wednesday. Higher ocean temperatures expand the volume of water, contributing to a rise in sea levels that is submerging small island nations and threatening to wreak havoc in low-lying, denselypopulated delta regions around the globe.
The study, published ....................... the British journal Nature,adds ....................... a growing scientific chorus of warnings ....................... the pace and consequences rising oceans. It also serves as a corrective to a massive report issued last year ....................... the Nobel-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), according to the authors.
Rising sea levels are driven by two things: the thermal expansion of sea water, and additional water from melting sources of ice. Both processes are caused by global warming. The ice sheet that sits atop Greenland, for example, contains enough water to raise world ocean levels by seven metres (23 feet), which would bury sea-level cities from Dhaka to Shanghai.
Trying to figure out how much each of these factors contributes to rising sea levels is critically important to understanding climate change, and forecasting future temperature rises, scientists say. But up to now, there has been a perplexing gap between the projections of computer-based climate models, and the observations of scientists gathering data from the oceans.
The new study, led by Catia Domingues of the Centre
for Australian Weather and Climate Research, is the
first to reconcile the models with observed data. Using
new techniques to assess ocean temperatures to a
depth of 700 metres (2,300 feet) from 1961 to 2003,
it shows that thermal warming contributed to a 0.53
millimetre-per-year rise in sea levels rather than the
0.32 mm rise reported by the IPCC.
Read following sentences:
“Learning English as a second language can open up the door to new ...................... opportunities.
Being an ESL teacher can ...................... you to ...................... in different countries teach speakers of other languages in English.”
Choose the alternative which presents the correct
words that are missing in the sentences.
Global warming
The world’s oceans have warmed 50 percent faster over the last 40 years than previously thought due to climate change, Australian and US climate researchers reported Wednesday. Higher ocean temperatures expand the volume of water, contributing to a rise in sea levels that is submerging small island nations and threatening to wreak havoc in low-lying, denselypopulated delta regions around the globe.
The study, published ....................... the British journal Nature,adds ....................... a growing scientific chorus of warnings ....................... the pace and consequences rising oceans. It also serves as a corrective to a massive report issued last year ....................... the Nobel-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), according to the authors.
Rising sea levels are driven by two things: the thermal expansion of sea water, and additional water from melting sources of ice. Both processes are caused by global warming. The ice sheet that sits atop Greenland, for example, contains enough water to raise world ocean levels by seven metres (23 feet), which would bury sea-level cities from Dhaka to Shanghai.
Trying to figure out how much each of these factors contributes to rising sea levels is critically important to understanding climate change, and forecasting future temperature rises, scientists say. But up to now, there has been a perplexing gap between the projections of computer-based climate models, and the observations of scientists gathering data from the oceans.
The new study, led by Catia Domingues of the Centre
for Australian Weather and Climate Research, is the
first to reconcile the models with observed data. Using
new techniques to assess ocean temperatures to a
depth of 700 metres (2,300 feet) from 1961 to 2003,
it shows that thermal warming contributed to a 0.53
millimetre-per-year rise in sea levels rather than the
0.32 mm rise reported by the IPCC.
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