Valószínűleg a LEGO ma egyike a legismertebb márkaneveknek a világon. Több mint 60 éve, 1958. január 28-án szabadalmaztatták a játékot Dániában. A név eredete is izgalmas: a dán nyelvben azt kifejezést, hogy „játssz jól” vagy „élvezd a játékot”, úgy mondják, hogy “leg godt”. Ebből lett a LEGO egyszerűsítés, rövidítés.
Ha ennél jóval többet szeretnél tudni a játék körüli érdekességekből, szállj be egy olvasásértés játékba, amivel egy angol B2-es Paragraph Headings feladatra is felkészülhetsz. Tudod mit? Legt godt!
Why LEGO is so special
Read the short introduction and the 4 numbered paragraphs below.
• Match each paragraph to the correct heading.
• There is one heading you DO NOT NEED.
HEADINGS
A A toy useful for all
B A toy with a long history
C A source of parent anger
D Lasting forever and a day
E Small but plentiful
INTRODUCTION
The sentence “You can combine 8 bricks in 916 million ways.” is either a mathematical puzzle or a simple statement about the brilliance and versatility of LEGO. In its history of more than 6 decades, LEGO has established itself as one of the most creative toys of all time and a source of endless record-breaking projects despite the size of its pieces.
PARAGRAPH 1
Admittedly, a basic brick is really tiny, but if you connected 40 billion pieces, you could easily reach the Moon, which is 384 400 kms away from Earth. Since 1958, enough LEGO bricks have been manufactured to build a column between Earth and the Moon more than 10 times. Speaking of heights, the world’s tallest LEGO tower was created in Italy in 2015 from 550,000 bricks and stands more than 35 meters tall.
PARAGRAPH 2
“Incredible” is indeed a word often associated with LEGO, since so many facts, and achievements can only be described by this adjective. Imagine, for example, that the first bricks ever produced at the end of the 50s will still connect perfectly to the pieces you can buy in any set in 2021, as the basic design and concept haven’t changed. Furthermore, a single LEGO brick can support 375,000 other LEGO bricks before breaking (a 3.4-kilometre-tall LEGO tower weighing 380 kilos).
PARAGRAPH 3
After conducting numerous experiments, experts claim that skills developed while playing with LEGO bricks include − but are not limited to − motor skills, creativity, teamwork, patience and problem solving. Much like colouring books, playing with LEGO bricks has been shown to have a relaxing effect on adults as well, helping to lower stress levels and stimulate mental functions.
PARAGRAPH 4
Playing with LEGO is not only a joy, it comes with the risk of hurting yourself, your sole, in particular – a problem which somehow affects older people more than their kids. Why? Well, as you have read above, the bricks are unbelievably hard with sharp edges, so when stepping on them, your sole will always be the loser. Understanding this doesn’t make the encounter less painful, and as LEGO bricks last for several lifetimes, so will the cries of “Ouch!”.
Answer Key:
A-P3, C-P4; D-P2; E-P1 (B: the odd-one-out)
HA MÉG VAN KEDVED GYAKOROLNI…
- Nyisd meg a MyEuroexam fiókodat, ahol számtalan, személyre szabott felkészülési lehetőség vár rád.
- Ha a Lego Day érdekel, és gyakorolni is szeretnél, akkor íme egy International Lego Day oldal (a Days of the Year site-on), ahol még az ünneplés módjára is kapsz tippeket.
- A kedves és szórakoztató Mama in the Now blog 60 Fun LEGO Facts Every LEGO Fan Needs to Know oldalán pedig még több tucat LEGO-s fantasztikumot találsz. Hajrá, jó kis olvasásértés és szókincsgyakorlás!
- Ha van kedved még jobban elmerülni titokzatos LEGO-s ügyekben, akkor a Thrillist egy jó forrás.
- Itt találod a Why Does Stepping on LEGOs Hurt So Much? c. oldalt, amivel nemcsak olvasásértésedet gyakorolhatod, szókincsbővítéssel egybekötve, hanem listening készségedet is a benne lévő szuper videóval.
