DICTATIONS SECOND SENIORS 2008 (1,2,3,4)

Dictation Nº 1

Fireworks

 

                       

         A fireworks event (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics) is a spectacular display of the effects produced by firework devices on various occasions. Fireworks competitions are also regularly held at a number of places. The biggest fireworks event in the world is held in Madeira,  Portugal,  at the New Years' Eve celebrations, as referred in the Guinness World Records.   

         The earliest information on fireworks dates back to 12^th century China, where they were first used to frighten away evil spirits with their loud sound, and also to pray for happiness and prosperity. Eventually the art and science of firework-making developed into a profession of its own.    

          In 2004, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, began using aerial fireworks launched with compressed air rather than gunpowder. The display explodes in the air using an electronic timer, and this reduces the fumes and gives greater accuracy in height and timing.

Any event – a birth, death, wedding, coronation, or New Year’s Eve celebration -  has become an appropriate occasion for the use and enjoyment of fireworks.

  

Dictation Nº 2

Zoos

            A zoo is a place where all types of animals are confined and displayed for the public to see.  Zoos give people an opportunity to observe animals they would never otherwise get the chance to see. In many zoos the animals are also studied and bred. There are hundreds of zoos all over the world, but the first zoo was called the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes, which means ‘establishment of luxury and  curiosity for animals and plants’. It was founded in Paris in 1794.

 

            London founded the Zoological Society of London in 1828, and the name was abbreviated to ‘zoo’. The first zoo to open in the United States was in New York, in 1860, and it was named the Central Park Zoo.

 

            Today zoos are trying hard to keep animals in enclosures that replicate their natural habitat. The animals seem to do much better in this type of environment and the patrons seem to enjoy seeing the animals in a natural setting. Many zoos also have a petting zoo where children are allowed a close-up look at animals, many of them babies. Zoos create educational programs and tours which provide wonderful opportunities to learn about animals.

  

Dictation Nº 3

  

 

Cirque du Soleil

 

            Cirque du Soleil, which means ‘Circus of the Sun’ in French, is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, province of Quebec in Canada, and was founded by two former street performers. Initially they toured Quebec as a performing troupe, encountering financial difficulties which were solved by a government grant in 1983. Later it became a proper circus, but without a ring and no animals, which made it the modern circus it is today.  Each show is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world and has its own central theme and storyline which brings the audience into the performance by having no curtains, continuous live music and the performers themselves change the props.

 

            Today the Cirque has 3,500 employees from over 40 different countries doing fifteen shows, which tour every continent, spreading the magic of their performances  among children and adults alike. There are permanent shows in Las Vegas which play to more than 9,000 people every night. Cirque’s creations have been awarded numerous prizes and distinctions .    

   

Dictation Nº 4

Chimney Sweeps

 

            A chimney sweep is a person who cleans chimneys for a living. This job is considered to be one of the oldest in the world.  In the last two hundred years, chimneys grew large enough to hold a man, so this profession developed enormously in the time of the Industrial Revolution.

 

            In Victorian times, the business became notorious for employing young boys, as they were small enough to enter the chimneys and clean them from inside. The work was dirty and dangerous, and their employers were famous for abusing and exploiting them. Because of this, a special brush with a collapsible handle was invented, and it enabled the sweep to reach up the chimney without having to enter it.

 

            The image of the chimney sweep has improved, and this can be seen in the film Mary Poppins.  In some parts of the UK it is considered lucky for a bride to see one on her wedding day, so many modern British sweeps hire themselves out to attend weddings.