George Gershwin

Ø 1) Have you ever heard the name of George Gershwin? What sphere of life did he make himself prominent? Is his music popular in our country? Have you heard the names of Dorothy Dandridge and Sarah Vaugan who sang “Summer Time” from “Porgy and Bess” in absolutely different styles?

Ø 2) Read the text and correct the given outline of it:

a) becoming internationally famous with “Rhapsody in Blue,”

b) “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin,

c) the family George Gershwin was born to,

d) writing music and painting,

e) first music practices,

f) in Hollywood: his music for “Shall We Dance?”,

g) a series of songs written in collaboration with his brother Ira,

h) the culmination of George Gershwin’s art: “Porgy and Bess,”

i) musical comedies written in collaboration with Aarons Freedley and Ira,

j) “George White’s Scandals” music by George Gershwin,

k) George Gershwin’s place in the American musical art.

George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn on Septem­ber 26, 1898. He was the second of four children. Ira, whose sparkling lyrics were so perfectly attuned to George’s music, was the oldest. Another brother, Arthur, followed George. The youngest was their sister Frances, happily married today to Leopold Godowsky. The family moved as a unit, a mutual admiration society that was completely unaffected by temporary failure or dizzying success. Mrs. Gershwin was adored by everybody. “You must meet my mother,” George would tell anybody who called. “She’s the most wonderful mother in the world.” On further reflection, he would frequently add “and so modest about me! ”The father, Morris, was one of those restless souls who embarked upon a new business career every year or so; the family was always ready to pull up stakes cheerfully at a moment’s notice. George once figured that he lived in twenty-seven different houses before he finished school. Gershwin père was a lovable and loquacious soul whose accent lost none of its rich and indescribable flavor as the family fortunes rose. His son “Judge” was the apple of his eye. One day after the boys had hit the jackpot he was driving down Broadway in a roadster they had given him, when a cop flagged him for ignoring a red light. “But you can’t do this to me!” he expostulated. “I’m Judge Gersh­win’s father!” “Oh, Judge Gershwin,” said the copper, visibly impressed. “Pardon me for holding you up, sir!” New gadgets fascinated him. In the early days of radio, he came to George with an excited report about a new set that he wanted to order immediately. “Judge,” he declared, “on this machine you could hear Havana, London, and China clear like a bell!” “London? China?” echoed George unbelievingly. “I’ll settle for Havana,” replied Mr. Gershwin hastily. When Pro­fessor Einstein published his paper on the theory of relativity, George commented, “Imagine being able to put the result of twenty years’ study and research into three pages!” “But I’ll bet it was very small print,” said Mr. Gershwin.

When George was twelve, his mother bought a piano. The idea was for Ira to take lessons, but it didn’t take long to discover that George was the one with music in his soul. At the High School of Com­merce, he was pianist for the morning assembly exer­cises. At fifteen, he was a song plugger for the music publishing house of Jerome Remick. One of his chores took him to Atlantic City, where he pounded out Remick melodies at the local five and ten. Down the Boardwalk, Harry Ruby was doing a similar job for a rival outfit. At night the boys would dine together at Childs and dream of writing songs of their own.

His first song was published in 1916. It was called “When You Want ‘Em You Can’t Get ‘Em,” and it earned him an advance of five dollars. His next few numbers began to carry lyrics by Arthur Francis. That was his brother Ira making his debut as a lyricist, using the first names of his older brother and kid sister as a pseudonym. His first real clicks came in 1919, when he did his first complete score for La La Lucille and wrote a couple of numbers for the opening bill of Broadway’s biggest movie palace of its time, the Capitol. One of the numbers was “Swanee.”

Beginning in 1920, George wrote the music for George White’s Scandals for five consecutive years. A few of the hits of these scores were “Drifting Along with the Tide,” “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” and “Somebody Loves Me.” Most of the lyrics were contributed by Buddy De Sylva, now head man at the Paramount Studios. In those days, White was the great Ziegfeld’s only serious rival. Gershwin didn’t meet up with Ziegfeld himself until 1929, when he wrote the score of Show Girl. Working with Ziegfeld was perfect training for a siege on Guadalcanal, but that’s another story. After the contract with Gershwin was signed, Ziegfeld went to Carnegie Hall to hear An American in Paris. At the symphony’s completion, Otto Kahn rose and made a brief speech in which he declared that George was well-nigh a genius. “In fact,” said Kahn, “some day he will be a genius, but geniuses must suffer, and George hasn’t suffered yet.” Ziegfeld turned to Larry Hart, who was sitting next to him and said to him, with a sly wink, “He’ll suffer!”

George became internationally famous in 1924, when Paul Whiteman introduced his Rhapsody in Blue at a concert in Aeolian Hall. By now the family was located in a private house on West 103^rd Street, where George worked imperturbably amidst a hubbub that suggested Grand Central Station on the eve of a Fourth of July weekend. The Rhapsody was written there in exactly three weeks; George had to meet a deadline! That year saw, too, the first of seven musical comedies produced by Aarons and Freedley, with music by George and lyrics by Ira. Five of them made Broadway history. They were, in order, Lady Be Good, Tip Toes, Oh, Kay, Funny Face, and Girl Crazy. They made stars of Fred and Adele Astaire, Gertrude Lawrence, Ethel Merman, and Ginger Rogers. “Fascinating Rhy­thm,” “Do, Do, Do,” “Sweet and Low Down,” and a dozen other wonderful songs followed one another in dizzy succes­sion. In addition, Of Thee I Sing, written with George Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. George moved to a Riverside Drive penthouse, which became headquarters for a series of wondrous Sunday evening delicatessen suppers that featured Barney Greengrass’ sturgeon and attracted the greatest wits and socialites of the town. That’s when the Gersh­win saga really started. George loved to play the piano for hours on end, and naively – also justifiably – took it for granted that nobody wanted to hear anything but his own music.

The work that George Gershwin loved best was Porgy and Bess. He composed it in eleven months and orchestrated it in nine. Its initial production by the Guild in 1935, a bit too stuffy and pretentious, was only moderately successful. When it was revived seven years later, it really came into its own, and its songs seem destined to become part of America’s richest musical heritage; the tragedy is that George wasn’t living to see that come to pass.

George moved to Hollywood in 1936. He wrote the music for the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers picture Shall We Dance?, which included one of his best songs. He was working on the Goldwyn Follies when he was stricken by a brain tumor.

The last years of Gershwin’s life were almost equally divided between composing and painting. George took his painting very seriously, and indeed had a genuine talent for it. At a memorable dinner one evening he said, “A man told me today that I need never write another note; I could make a fortune with my palette and brush!” “Isn’t it amazing,” said one awed lady, “that one man should possess a genius for two of the arts!” “Oh, I don’t know,” said George modestly. “Look at Leonardo da Vinci!”

George Gershwin expressed his credo in these words: “My people are American, my time is today. Music must repeat the thought and aspirations of the times.” Six years after his death, his exciting songs are played more frequently than they were during his lifetime. One critic recently remarked, “George Gersh­win brought to serious consideration a new idiom in American music, and forever changed its future direc­tion.”

Ø 3) Say whether the following statements are true or false and justify your answer:

a) he incorporated jazz elements in his “Rhapsody in Blue”,

b) the first production of “Porgy and Bess” was not a very big success,

c) at 15 George dreamed of writing his own songs,

d) George loved to play the piano for hours,

e) in the last years of his life he turned totally to painting,

f) the Gershwins, as a family, were extremely friendly and moved as a unit,

g) his mother was a famous actress and was adored by everybody,

h) his father was a restless soul but at 30 years of age the family settled in Chicago,

i) “Music must repeat the thoughts and aspirations of the times,” said George Gershwin.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY

Ø 1) What first comes to your mind when you hear the word “Hollywood”? Where is it located? What internationally famous award does Hollywood present? Who is awarded with it?

Ø 2) Skim the text and say what the article is about.

(1) In the early 1900s, motion picture production companies from New York and New Jersey started moving to sunny California because of the good weather and longer days. Although electric lights existed at that time, none were powerful enough to adequately expose film; the best source of illumination for movie production was natural sunlight. Besides the moderate, dry climate, they were also drawn to the state because of its open spaces and wide variety of natural scenery.

(2) Another reason was the distance of Southern California from New Jersey, which made it more difficult for Thomas Edison to enforce his motion picture patents. At the time, Edison owned almost all the patents relevant to motion picture production and, in the East, movie producers acting independently of Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company were often sued or enjoined by Edison and his agents. Thus, movie makers working on the West Coast could work independently of Edison’s control. If he sent agents to California, word would usually reach Los Angeles before the agents did and the movie makers could escape to nearby Mexico.

(3) The first movie studio in the Hollywood area, Nestor Studios, was founded in 1911 by Al Christie for David Horsley in an old building on the southeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. In the same year, another fifteen Independents settled in Hollywood. Creators of dreams began arriving by the thousands; cameras cranked away, capturing images of custard pies, bathing beauties, comedy and tragedy, villains leering, heroines with long curls and heroes to save the day; and they built a new world to replace the lemon groves.

(4) Thus, the fame of Hollywood came from its identity with the movies and movie stars; and the word “Hollywood,” a word that, when spoken in any country on Earth, evokes worlds, even galaxies of memories, came to be colloquially used to refer to the motion picture industry.

(5) The Charlie Chaplin Studio was built in 1917. It has had many owners after 1953, including Kling Studios, who produced the Superman TV series with George Reeves; Red Skelton, who used the sound stages for his CBS TV variety show; and CBS, who filmed the TV series Perry Mason with Raymond Burr there. It is currently The Jim Henson Company, home of the Muppets.

(6) The famous Hollywood sign originally read “Hollywood land.” It was erected in 1923 to advertise a new housing development in the hills above Hollywood. For several years the sign was left to deteriorate. In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stepped in and offered to remove the last four letters and repair the rest. The sign, located at the top of Mount Lee, is now a registered trademark and cannot be used without the permission of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which also manages the venerable Walk of Fame.

(7) In the 1920s, Hollywood’s image had been badly damaged by a series of scandals involving famous film stars, and the leaders of the industry wanted to make film-making respectable again. The Academy’s aims were “to raise the cultural, educational and scientific standards” of the movies.

(8) The biggest show in Hollywood is the Academy “Oscars” awards. The Awards bring in part of the funds the Academy needs for the tasks of research and preservation. The first Academy Awards presentation ceremony took place on May 16, 1929 during a banquet held in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. Tickets cost USD $10.00 and there were 250 people in attendance.

(9) There are 5,000 Academy members who vote each year on the awards. They are all people involved in the film industry and the Academy has different branches for actors, directors, producers, and writers. It also includes studio executives. Each branch puts forward five names as possible award winners (for best actors, best directors, and so on) but the whole Academy decides the best picture candidates. All the Academy members are then asked to vote in each category. Some special award winners are chosen by the Academy’s Board of Governors alone.

(10) It is said that only forty per cent of Academy members actually vote, and there are rumors that many give their voting cards away – to their secretaries, gardeners, friends, lovers and psychiatrists.

(11) Traditionally winners say a few words of thanks when they accept an Award. In 1942, the Irish actress Greer Garson made the longest acceptance speech in the Academy’s history. It lasted over one and a half hours. Actress Joan Fontaine, who had presented her with the award, gradually backed away to find a seat. Since then the speeches have been limited to three minutes, after which a light begins to flash.

(12) Made of gold-plated britannium on a black metal base, the statuette is 34 cm tall, weighs 3.85 kg and depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians. Since 1983, approximately 50 Oscars are made each year in Chicago, Illinois by manufacturer R.S. Owens & Company. In support of the American effort in World War II, the statuettes were made of plaster and were traded in for gold ones after the war had ended.

(13) The root of the name Oscar is contested. One biography claims origin is that of the Academy’s Executive Secretary, Margaret Herrick, who first saw the award in 1931 and made reference to the statuette reminding her of her “Uncle Oscar” (a nickname for her cousin Oscar Pierce).

Ø 3) Point out the ideas expressed in each paragraph.

Ø 4) Make up a brief outline of the text.

AMERICAN FOOD

Ø 1) Read the text and answer the following questions:

a) What do the types of food served at home depend on?

b) What examples of cuisine in America can you give?

c) What country is best known for its numerous and successful fast food franchises?

d) Why is McDonald’s chain so popular?

e) What food can you order in McDonald?

The types of food served at American homes vary greatly and depend upon the region of the country and the family’s own cultural heritage. Recent immigrants tend to eat food similar to that of their country of origin, and Americanized versions of these cultural foods, such as American Chinese cuisine or Italian-American cuisine often eventually appear. German cuisine also had a profound impact on American cuisine, especially the mid-western cuisine, with potatoes and meat being the most iconic ingredients in both cuisines.

Families that have lived for a few generations in the U.S. tend to eat some combination of that and the food common to the region they live in or grew up in, such as New England cuisine, Midwestern cuisine, Southern cuisine, Tex-Mex cuisine, and Californian cuisine.

Around the world the United States is perhaps best known for its numerous and successful fast food franchises. Such chains, including McDonald’s, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are known for selling simple, pre-prepared meals of foods such as hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, fried chicken, and ice cream. Though undeniably popular, such food, with its emphasis on deep-frying, has been criticized by dietitians in recent decades for being unhealthy and a cause of obesity. It has thus become somewhat of a stereotype to associate American cuisine with obesity and junk food, but in reality fast food represents only a tiny fraction of available American cuisine.

Ø 2) Make up an outline of the text in writing.

Ø 3) Compare the food in America, Italy, Russia and Japan. What do you think the differences in cuisine, portions, and the prices are?

FASHION IN THE USA

Ø 1) What items of clothing do you expect to see in the streets of New York? In restaurants of America? On a rugby field?

Dress was moderately formal until the 1960s, when a revolution took place that stressed casual and informal. Exceptions are major cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where many residents wear expensive stylish clothes. Social and business situations may call for tailored suits or other more elegant outfits. Tuxedos and evening dress occasions have become much less common since 1960. The top hat vanished in 1960, along with most other millinery.

Men of Scottish or Irish descent wear kilts as part of celebrations such as parades, or as part of a family reunion tradition. Jeans, a T-shirt and athletic shoes come close to being a “national uniform.” Skirts and dresses are often worn by women.

Types of clothing worn often have something to do with the region of the country people live in. Some Texans and residents of the Southwest dress in boots and hats in a style typically associated with traditional cowboys. In the region from New England to New Jersey, preppy style clothing is popular. In the South, people sometimes dress more casually, and their clothes are often more modest, although formality in certain contexts is valued.

The greatest variations in dress are related to climate. Easterners generally tend to dress more formally than Westerners, though this is also closely connected with cultural history as well. Residents of northern states wear heavy sweaters, warm, water-resistant boots, stocking caps and heavy coats or down parkas in the cold season. In Hawaii, the Aloha shirt as an acceptable item of wear by men has received formal approval by the state legislature. In beach areas and places with relatively warm and consistent climates, especially California, Hawaii, and Florida, skimpy or revealing clothing is considered acceptable in all but the most formal settings. Cowboy hats, Western boots and large silver belt buckles are found in southwestern and western regions of the United States, particularly Texas and Arizona. However, many from the Southern United States dress in the aforementioned jeans and T-shirts.

The trend toward informality has increased among many segments of society. For instance, students at colleges and universities are often noted for wearing flip flops or thong sandals as well as pajamas to class.

Ø 2) Say whether the following statements are true or false and justify your answer:

a) What is an American “national uniform”?

b) What does the type of clothing depend on?

c) Climate much influences the variations in dress, doesn’t it?

d) What is the trend in fashion in the USA now?

SPORTS IN THE US

Ø 1) Do you know the most popular sports in the USA? Compare them with our country’s ones.

American sports are quite distinct from those played elsewhere in the world. The top three spectator team sports are baseball, American football and basketball, which are all popular on both the college and professional levels.

Baseball is the oldest of these. The professional game dates from 1869 and had no close rivals in popularity until the 1960s; though baseball is no longer the most popular sport it is still referred to as the “national pastime.” Also unlike the professional levels of the other popular spectator sports in the U.S., Major League Baseball teams play almost every day from April to October.

American football (known simply as “football” in the U.S.) attracts more viewers within the country than baseball nowadays; however, National Football League teams play only 16 regular-season games each year, so baseball is the runaway leader in ticket sales.

Basketball, invented in Massachusetts by the Canadian-born James Naismith, is another popular sport, represented professionally by the National Basketball Association.

Most residents along the northern tier of states recognize a fourth major sport – ice hockey. Always a mainstay of Great Lakes and New England-area culture, the sport gained tenuous footholds in regions like the Carolinas and Tampa Bay, Florida in recent years, as the National Hockey League pursued a policy of expansion.

The extent in America to which sports are associated with secondary and tertiary education is unique among nations. In basketball and football, high school and particularly college sports are followed with a fervor equaling or exceeding that felt for professional sports; college football games can draw six-digit crowds, many prominent high school football teams have stadiums that seat tens of thousands of spectators, and the college basketball championship tournament played in March draws enormous attention. For upper-tier schools, sports are a significant source of revenue. Though student athletes may be held to significantly lower academic requirements than non-athletes at many large universities, minimum standards do exist.

Ø 2) Among the following headings circle the most suitable one for this text:

a) AMERICAN SPORTS.

b) THE TOP THREE SPORTS IN AMERICA.

c) THREE TOP SPORTS PLUS ONE IN AMERICA.

d) THE SPORTS – LEADERS IN TICKET SALES.

Ø 3) Write a summary of the text.

CANADA

Ø 1) What do you know about Canada (location, type of political organization, economy, official language, symbols)?

Ø 2) Scan the text and find the information about:

a) the geographic situation,

b) how Canada gained independence from the UK,

c) the Constitution of Canada,

d) the representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada,

e) the head of the government and his powers,

f) territorial division,

g) the economic position,

h) the most important industries in Canada, including traditional ones,

i) official languages and their status,

j) symbols of Canada,

k) sports.

Canada is the world’s second-largest country by total area after Russia occupying most of northern North America. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Canada shares land borders with the United States to the South and to the Northwest. The population density of 3.5 people per square kilometer is among the lowest in the world.

Inhabited first by Aboriginal peoples, Canada was founded as a union of British and former French colonies. Canada gained independence from the United Kingdom in an incremental process that began in 1867 and ended in 1982.

Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada as Head of state, and a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions.

Canada’s constitution governs the legal framework of the country and consists of written text and unwritten traditions and conventions. The Constitution includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees basic rights and freedoms for Canadians that, generally, cannot be overridden by legislation of any level of government in Canada. It contains, however, a “notwithstanding clause,” which allows the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures the power to override some other sections of the Charter temporarily, for a period of five years.

The position of Prime Minister, Canada’s Head of government belongs to the leader of the political party that can obtain the confidence of a majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister and their Cabinet are formally appointed by the Governor General (who is the Monarch’s representative in Canada). The Prime Minister exercises vast political power, especially in the appointment of other officials within the government and civil service.

The federal parliament is made up of the Queen and two houses: an elected House of Commons and an appointed Senate. Each member in the House of Commons is elected by simple plurality in a “riding” or electoral district; general elections are called by the Governor General when the Prime Minister so advises. A new election must be called within five years of the last general election. Members of the Senate serve until age 75.

Canada’s four major political parties are the Conservative Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, New Democratic Party, and the Bloc Québécois.

Canada is composed of ten provinces and three territories. The provinces have a large degree of autonomy from the federal government, the territories somewhat less. Each has its own provincial or territorial symbols.

Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest nations. Today Canada closely resembles the U.S. in its market-oriented economic system, pattern of production, and high living standards. Canada is highly dependent on international trade, especially trade with the United States.

In the past century, the impressive growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy into one primarily industrial and urban. As with other first world nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry. However, Canada is unusual among developed countries in the importance of the primary sector, with the logging and oil industries being two of Canada’s most important.

Canada is one of the world’s most important suppliers of energy and agricultural products and the world’s largest producer of zinc and uranium and a world leader in many other natural resources such as gold, nickel, aluminum, and lead.

Canada has two official languages, English and French. They have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. The public has the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French. While multiculturalism is official policy, to become a citizen one must be able to speak either English or French.

Prominently, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18^th century, and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of arms.

The Crown symbolizes the Canadian monarchy, and appears on the coat of arms (used by parliamentarians and government ministries), the flag of the Governor General, the coats of arms of many provinces and territories; the badges of the Canadian Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, many regiments, and other police forces; on buildings, as well as some highway signs and license plates.

The Queen’s image appears in Canadian government buildings, military installations, schools, on Canadian stamps, $20 banknotes, and all coins.

The beaver’s emblematic status originated from the fact that much of Canada’s early economic history was tied to the beaver fur trade. It was used to make hats fashionable in Europe.

Other products made from the country’s natural resources, such as maple syrup, are also associated with Canadian identity.

Additional national symbols include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and anything pertaining to ice hockey, Canada’s official winter sport, which is often used as a national symbol of unity and pride. One more national sport is lacrosse. Golf, baseball, skiing, soccer, volleyball, and basketball are also widely played at youth and amateur levels.

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3) Canada and the USA are closely connected by the common border and economic relations. Both are among the wealthiest nations in the world. The starting points in history were about the same. Could you compare their histories? Which way, American or Canadian, was without any great shocks for the common people? Was it due to the wisdom of the government that ensured a smooth development of the country, or just a stroke of good luck?

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