RIO DE JANEIRO - As samba queens get final touch-ups on their sequins and feathers and
hundreds of thousands of (1)_____________
take command of Rio's streets for Carnival's opening on Friday, Leo Name is
(2)____________. The self-avowed Carnival Scrooge has (3)__________ on frozen TV dinners and hopes
he won't have to set foot outside his apartment during the five days of
festivities.
(4)___________ at the monumental
proportions that street parties have taken on in recent years with the influx
of an estimated half million visitors to the city of 6 million people, many
locals flee Rio or lock themselves away for the duration.
Fans of Carnival dismiss them as blasphemous (5)__________ . But Name and others like him
insist theirs is a rational response to an event that shutters businesses, (6)_____________ traffic and sees public spaces
overrun by beer (7)___________ party people who think any
place is a good space to urinate.
"Over the past years, the crowds have gotten so thick that I couldn't
even make it to the metro and wasn't able to buy bread at the supermarket,
which is literally downstairs from my place," said Name, a geography
professor at Rio's Pontific Catholic University. "I felt like I was under
siege."
It wasn't always like that. For decades, Rio was fairly calm during
Carnival. Residents who could afford it took advantage of the public holiday to
go on vacation, and the city's pace slowed. Carnival celebrations were mostly
restricted to the (8)____________ parades
at the Sambadrome, where spectators now pay from $78 to $1,032 a person to (9)____________ at the over-the-top
floats, the musicians' (10)_____________
enthusiasm and the fancy footwork of
dancers decked out in not much
more than a (11)___________ of rhinestones and a puff of ostrich feathers.
"When I was a kid, I used to go to three, four or even five movies a
day during Carnival because the cinemas had these special discounts to try to (12)___________ an audience," said
the 35-year-old Name. "It was great. The city was empty, the metro was
empty, the streets were empty, and there were no lines anywhere."
But Carnival has spilled into Rio's streets with the resurgence of
"blocos" — (13)___________,
heavy-drinking street parties that regularly draw tens or hundreds of thousands
of people. This year, organizers are hoping Rio's biggest bloco, "Bola
Preta," or Black Ball, which in 2012 attracted an estimated 2 million
people to the historic city center, will enter the Guinness Book of World
Records as the world's biggest street party.
Far removed from the polished, highly produced glitz of the Sambadrome,
blocos are come-one-come-all events that many people say (14)_____________ the authentic, popular spirit of Carnival.
Organized by clubs or neighborhood associations, they draw participants from
all walks of life and social classes. While a handful of the most established
blocos date back nearly a century, themed
street parties have proliferated in
recent years, including ones for Michael Jackson fans, Beatles enthusiasts and
a canine extravaganza for dogs and their owners, all (15)_____________ in extravagant costumes.
- A revellers B.mourners C. dancers D. walkers
- A. striking up B. snapped up C. hunkering down D. pinning down
- A. piled up B. laid in C. stocked up D. put down
- A. brimming B. Appalled C. Amazed D. Unfazed
- A. curmudgeons B. enthusiasts C. misers D. zealots
- A. blows up B. overworks C. snarls D. ravels
- A munching B. guzzling C. chomping D. drenching
- A.well- regimented B.well- settled C.badly- organized D.internally-organized
- A amaze B. marvel C. glare D. denigrate
- A. languid B. tiresome C. unflagging D. flagging
- A. streak B. stream C.sprinkling D. token
- A. drum up B. flock to C. whip up D. carve up
- A. serene B. raucous C. hoarse D. grating
- A. include B. embrace C. enclose D. embody
- A. dressed down B. made up C. decked out D. shown up
Touch-up a quick improvement made to the appearance or condition of something. Sp. retoque. E.g. My lipstick needed a touch-up.
Sequin: /ˈsiːkwɪn/ a small round shiny disc sewn onto clothing as decoration. Sp. lentejuela. E.g. a dress covered in gold sequins
Mourner: /ˈmɔːnə(r)/ a person who attends a funeral, especially a friend or a relative of the dead person. Sp. doliente.
1. revellers (reveller /ˈrevələ(r)/ a person who is having fun in a noisy way, usually with a group of other people and often after drinking alcohol. Sp. juerguista)
2. Hunker down: /ˈhʌŋkə(r)/ to prepare yourself to stay somewhere, keep an opinion, etc. for a long time. Take shelter. Sp. instalarse, resguardarse. E.g. During the sandstorm, they hunkered down in a small hut.
Strike up (with something)/ strike up something (of a band, an orchestra, etc.) to begin to play a piece of music. E.g. The orchestra struck up and the curtain rose.The band struck up a waltz.
Strike up something (with somebody): to begin a friendship, a relationship, a conversation, etc. E.g. He would often strike up conversations with complete strangers.
Snap something up: (informal) to buy or obtain something quickly because it is cheap or you want it very much. Sp. apoderarse de. E.g. All the best bargains were snapped up within hours. (figurative) She's been snapped up by Hollywood to star in two major movies.
Pin somebody down: to make somebody unable to move by holding them firmly. E.g. Two men pinned him down until the police arrived.
Self-avowed: avowed /əˈvaʊd/ that has been admitted or stated in public. Sp. declarado. E.g. an avowed atheist. An avowed aim/ intention/ objective/ purpose. Their avowed aim is to disrupt society (Sp. su objetivo declarado es causar problemas en la sociedad)
Scrooge /skruːdʒ/ From Ebenezer Scrooge, a character in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol who is extremely mean and doesn't socialise.
3. stocked up (stock up (on/with something) to buy a lot of something so that you can use it later. E.g. We ought to stock up on film before our trip
lay something in/up: to collect and store something to use in the future. E.g. to lay in food supplies
A TV dinner (also called a ready-made meal, ready meal, frozen dinner, frozen meal, microwave meal) is a prepackaged frozen or chilled meal that usually comes as an individual portion. It requires very little preparation and contains all the elements for a single-serving meal.
Set foot in/on something: to enter or visit a place. E.g. the first man to set foot on the moon. I vowed never to set foot in the place again.
4. Appalled (/əˈpɔːld/ feeling or showing horror or disgust at something unpleasant or wrong. Horrified. E.g. We watched appalled as the child ran in front of the car. Appalled at something They were appalled at the waste of recyclable material.
Brim: to be full of something; to fill something. E.g. Tears brimmed in her eyes. Brim with something Her eyes brimmed with tears.The team were brimming with confidence before the game. Brimming with enthusiasm/ trepidation.
trepidation: great worry or fear about something unpleasant that may happen. E.g. He knocked on the door with some trepidation.
Unfazed: /ʌnˈfeɪzd/ not worried or surprised by something unexpected that happens. Sp. impávido, sin inmutarse. E.g. She was totally unfazed by the news.
Take something on: to begin to have a particular quality, appearance, etc. Sp. adquirir. E.g. The chameleon can take on the colours of its background. His voice took on a more serious tone.
Influx (of somebody/something) (into…) /ˈɪnflʌks/ the fact of a lot of people, money or things arriving somewhere. E.g. a massive/ sudden influx of visitors. The influx of wealth into the region.
Flee, fled, fled: to leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible danger. E.g. He was caught trying to flee the country.
dismiss: /dɪsˈmɪs/ to decide that somebody/ something is not important and not worth thinking or talking about. Sp. rechazar. E.g. I think we can safely dismiss their objections. Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks (eccentric).
Blasphemous /ˈblæsfəməs/ disrespectful. E.g. Many people found the film blasphemous.
5. curmudgeons (curmudgeon /kɜːˈmʌdʒən/ a bad-tempered person, often an old one. Sp. gruñón, cascarrabias. E.g. Unconcerned with coming off as a curmudgeon, Mr. Armstrong does not gladly suffer fools when it comes to his work.)
Miser: /ˈmaɪzə(r)/ a person who loves money and hates spending it.
Zealot: /ˈzelət/ a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something, especially religion or politics. Fanatic. E.g. He does not come off as a zealot but he’s been very vigorous in trying to better protect consumers from financial abuses.
Shutter: close (a business). E.g. an additional dozen stores will be shuttered in the coming weeks.
6. snarls (Snarl up: /snɑːl/ to involve somebody/ something in a situation that stops their movement or progress; to become involved in a situation like this. Sp. atascar. E.g. Flooding and snarled holiday traffic were expected in Southern California. The coach became snarled up in traffic. The accident snarled up the traffic all day.)
Blow up: 1. to explode; to be destroyed by an explosion. E.g. The police station was blown up by terrorists. 2. to fill something with air or gas so that it becomes firm. E.g. The tyres on my bike need blowing up.
Overwork: to work too hard; to make a person or an animal work too hard. E.g. You look tired. Have you been overworking? Overwork somebody/ something She overworks her staff.
Ravel something: /ˈrævl/ to make a situation or problem more complicated. E.g. I’d prefer you to keep your nose out of my business and not ravel things further.
Overrun, overran, overrun: to fill or spread over an area quickly, especially in large numbers. E.g. The house was completely overrun with mice. The tiny village was overrun by tourists.
7. guzzling (guzzle /ˈɡʌzl/ to drink something quickly and in large amounts. In British English it also means to eat food quickly and in large amounts. Tragar, engullir, devorar. E.g. The kids seem to be guzzling soft drinks all day. (Figurative) My car guzzles fuel.)
Munch: to eat something steadily and often noisily, especially something crisp. E.g. She munched on an apple.
Chomp: to eat or bite food noisily. Sp. mascar. E.g. he chomped on a roll.
Drench: to make somebody/something completely wet. E.g. We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin.
Under siege: 1 surrounded by an army or the police in a siege. Sp. bajo asedio, sitiado. E.g. The city was under siege for six months.
8. well-regimented (regimented /ˈredʒɪmentɪd/ involving strict discipline and/ or organization. Sp. reglamentado. E.g. The school imposes a very regimented lifestyle on its students.)
9. marvel (marvel (at something) to be very surprised or impressed by something. E.g. Everyone marvelled at his courage.)
Glare: to look angrily at somebody/ something for a long time. E.g. I looked at her and she glared stonily back.
Stonily: /ˈstəʊnɪli/ in a way that shows a lack of feeling or sympathy. E.g. She stared stonily at him for a minute.
Floats: a large vehicle on which people dressed in special costumes are carried in a festival. E.g. a carnival float.
10. unflagging: remaining strong; not becoming weak or tired. Tireless. Sp. infatigable. E.g. Unflagging energy. She had shown unflagging support for the cause.
Languid: /ˈlæŋɡwɪd/ weak or faint from illness or fatigue. E.g. she was pale, languid, and weak, as if she had delivered a child.
Tiresome: making you feel bored or annoyed. Annoying. E.g. Buying a house can be a very tiresome business.
Flagging: to become tired, weaker or less enthusiastic. Sp. que flaquea. E.g. It had been a long day and the children were beginning to flag. Her confidence had never flagged. Flagging support/enthusiasm.
Footwork: the way in which a person moves their feet when playing a sport or dancing.
Deck somebody/ something (out) (in/with something) to decorate somebody/ something with something. E.g. The room was decked out in flowers and balloons.
11. Sprinkling: /ˈsprɪŋklɪŋ/ a small amount of a substance that is dropped somewhere, or a number of things or people that are spread or included somewhere. E.g. Add a sprinkling of pepper. There was a sprinkling of freckles on her cheeks. Most were men, but there was also a sprinkling of young women.
Streak: a long thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on. Raya. E.g. There was a streak of blood on his face. Streaks of grey in her hair. Dirty streaks on the window. Streaks of sunlight.
Stream of something: a large number of things that happen one after the other. E.g. A constant stream of enquiries. The agency provided me with a steady stream of work. Most of the letter consisted of a stream of abuse.
Token: something that is a symbol of a feeling, a fact, an event, etc. Expression, mark. Sp. Señal. E.g. Please accept this small gift as a token of our gratitude.
Rhinestone: /ˈraɪnstəʊn/ a clear stone that is intended to look like a diamond, used in cheap jewellery. Sp. diamante de imitación. E.g. a canary-yellow suit studded (decorated) with rhinestones.
Puff: a small amount of air, smoke, etc. that is blown from somewhere. E.g. a puff of wind.
12. drum up (drum something up: to try hard to get support or business. Sp. estimular, suscitar. E.g. He had flown to the north of the country to drum up support for the campaign. E.g. let's drum up some support for our new scheme.)
Flock to go or gather together somewhere in large numbers. E.g. Thousands of people flocked to the beach this weekend.
Whip somebody/ something up to deliberately try and make people excited or feel strongly about something. Rouse. Sp. suscitar. E.g. The advertisements were designed to whip up public opinion. He was a speaker who could really whip up a crowd. Everyone is bored at the office so I need to whip up some energy.
Carve something up: (disapproving) to divide a company, an area of land, etc. into smaller parts in order to share it between people. Sp. repartir, dividir. E.g. They have been accused of carving up the industry for their own benefit. West Africa was carved up by the Europeans.
Line: queue.
Spill: to come out of a place in large numbers and spread out. E.g. The doors opened and people spilled into the street. (Figurative) Light spilled from the windows.
Resurgence /rɪˈsɜːdʒəns/ the return and growth of an activity that had stopped. Sp. resurgimiento. E.g. a resurgence of interest in the artist's work.
13. raucous /ˈrɔːkəs/ sounding loud and rough. Sp. ruidoso. E.g. raucous laughter. A raucous voice. A group of raucous young men. They grew more and more raucous as the evening went on.
Serene: /səˈriːn/ calm and peaceful. E.g. a lake, still and serene in the sunlight.
Hoarse: /hɔːs/ sounding rough and unpleasant, especially because of a sore throat. Sp. ronco. E.g. He shouted himself hoarse. A hoarse cough/ cry/ scream. His voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
Grating: /ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/ (of a sound or somebody's voice) unpleasant to listen to. Sp. chirriante, chillón. The sound of his grating voice complaining all day was driving me crazy.
Glitz: the quality of appearing very attractive, exciting, impressive, extravagant but superficial display. Sp. ostentación, pompa. E.g. the glitz and glamour of the music scene. The glitz and sophisticated night life of Ibiza.
Come one, come all something that you say which means that everyone or everything can join or be included. E.g. We can't just invite some people and not others, so I guess it's a case of come one, come all.
14. embody to express or represent an idea or a quality. E.g. a national team that embodies competitive spirit and skill
A walk of life: a person's job or position in society. Background. E.g. She has friends from all walks of life.
Canine /ˈkeɪnaɪn/ connected with dogs. E.g. London's canine population. Her canine companion, Goldie.
Extravaganza: /ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə/ a large, expensive and impressive entertainment. Sp. espectáculo. E.g. a musical extravaganza. A five-day extravaganza of art, music and dance.
15. decked out (Deck somebody/ something (out) (in/with something) to decorate somebody/ something with something. E.g. The room was decked out in flowers and balloons.)
Dress down: to wear clothes that are more informal than those you usually wear, for example in an office.
Show somebody up:1 (British English, informal) to make somebody feel embarrassed by behaving badly. E.g. He showed me up by snoring during the concert. 2 to make somebody feel embarrassed by doing something better than them. E.g. Don't worry about being shown up by the kids—they've always used computers.
Read the rest of the story
Revelers converge at a designated meeting point for a bloco and then the tide floods through neighboring streets as partiers dance and sing along to music blasting from sound trucks. Prodigious amounts of beer keep spirits high, although it also results in an epidemic of public urination, much to the chagrin of city officials.
Starting in 2009, Mayor Eduardo Paes has been forcing some order on what had historically been spontaneous gatherings, publicized largely through word of mouth. Now, each bloco must apply for authorization from City Hall, which has an apparatus funded by corporate sponsorships that announces the time and place of each gathering and takes care of logistics, like traffic diversions and cleanup.
Still, with more than 5 million people taking part in blocos last year, by official estimate, the accompanying chaos, litter and traffic nightmares brought by the street parties has sparked a backlash, with some critics calling on City Hall to rein the blocos in.
"While they're a guaranteed good time for some, the street parties bring problems for others," read a recent opinion piece titled "Too Much Joy" in the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. "The consensus is that many of them have grown too big and need to be held in an appropriate place."
City Hall
has brushed off the complaints. This year, officials handed out 15
percent more bloco authorizations than for 2012, giving the green light
to 492 street parties.
Speaking at a recent news conference, city Tourism Secretary Antonio
Figueira de Mello dismissed criticism as "a conflict of interest between
residents.""With an event that has as big an impact on the city as Carnival, you're always going to have lots of happy people and lots of unhappy people, particularly when events are taking place on the front steps of your building and when they get in the way of your daily routine," Mello said. "Blocos are like street fairs: Everyone likes them, but no one wants one on their street."
Mello stressed that with the rise in the number of blocos comes a ramping up of logistical support.
The number of traffic cops has been increased 25 percent to nearly 1,000 officers in a bid to smooth transportation snarls. Nearly 7,800 municipal guards are to be deployed to encourage revelers to take advantage of this year's 17,200 portable toilets — up from just 900 four years ago. Fines will be levied on those caught urinating in public, Mello said.
Such measures are cold comfort for many residents.
Vinicius Netto, an urbanism professor, said that after "suffering" through the last four Carnivals, he and his girlfriend have decided not to stick around to see if things run more smoothly this time around. They're spending Carnival on an isolated island several hours away.
"Rio is the mecca of Carnival, and I respect that," Netto said. "The problem is that it takes over the city to such an extent that there's no space left for those of us who, for whatever reason, would prefer not to participate."
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