News Mash-up: Celebrities

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. settlement / ˈsɛt l mənt / (n.) – a formal agreement or decision that ends an argument or disagreement
    Example:

    After five years, the parties have finally reached a settlement in the case.


  2. slain / sleɪn / (adj.) – killed
    Example:

    The city mourns the death of their slain mayor.


  3. resume / rɪˈzum / (v.) – to continue after stopping or being interrupted
    Example:

    In-person classes have already resumed in countries where most citizens have been vaccinated.


  4. hiatus / haɪˈeɪ təs / (n.) – a period when an activity or program is stopped
    Example:

    After a three-year hiatus, the actor finally went back to filming movies.


  5. postpone / poʊstˈpoʊn / (v.) – to decide that an event, plan, etc. will be done at a later time than originally planned
    Example:

    The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed due to the pandemic.


Article

Read the text below.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are finally divorced, after more than 10 years


Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have officially finalized their divorce, more than 10 years after proceedings began.


Court documents filed on Dec. 28 showed that a final settlement had been reached between the Terminator star and the U.S. journalist, formally ending their 35-year marriage.


The terms of the divorce settlement were not made public.


Shriver, the niece of slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy, filed for divorce in 2011 after Schwarzenegger ended his term as California governor and admitted fathering a child with the couple’s housekeeper some 14 years previously. (Reuters)


After two-year break, Elton John says hello again with resumed goodbye tour


British rocker Elton John has resumed his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, returning to the stage in New Orleans after a nearly two-year hiatus.


The Tiny Dancer and Crocodile Rock hitmaker, 74, played the Crescent City on Jan. 19. Marking his retirement from performing on the road, John’s global tour began in September 2018. Like other musicians, he was forced to postpone live shows due to the pandemic.


“Wow, we haven’t played a show since the sixth of March 2020. This is a new experience for us, I’ve never had this amount of time off in my life … playing music, well at least since I was 17 years of age,” the singer told the crowd. (Reuters)


These articles were provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Schwarzenegger and Shriver’s divorce proceedings took 10 years before it was finally settled. Why do you think it took that long (ex. they had a lot of things to settle, they couldn’t agree on the initial terms)? Discuss.
  • The reason behind the couple’s divorce was made known to the public. Do you think matters like this should be made public? How does media coverage affect the family life of public figure couples (ex. it strains the relationship, it makes them more famous)? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Elton John, like other musicians, was forced to postpone live shows due to the pandemic. What do you think is the effect of this postponement on his tour (ex. some fans may have lost interest, it made the tour more special)? Is there something you’ve been looking forward to that has been postponed? How did you feel? Discuss.
  • Elton John said that he’s never had this amount of time off in his life. Do you think having time off is important? Why or why not? Discuss.