INTRODUCTION TO OPERA Millions of people like opera, but why? What is opera, and why do some people feel it is the greatest form of musical expression? Opera began in the late 16th century in Italy, invented by a group of wealthy people in the city-state of Florence who wanted to reproduce ancient Greek dramas. The first "real" opera was titled Dafne, written in 1594 or 1597 by Jacopo Peri over 400 years ago. We have no copies of Peri's opera, but we know it existed because so many people wrote comments about the performance of Dafne. They could not wait to tell others about this exciting new art form. This new art form involved reciting the text of the play to musical accompaniment. The main performers sing complicated songs called arias that allow the singers to express the emotions of their characters and to show off their singing abilities. There are also chorus parts, dances and instrumental music. Opera was invented in Italy, but its popularity quickly spread to Germany, France, England, Russia, Spain, Portugal and other countries. At first, great German and Austrian composers like Handel and Mozart wrote operas in Italian because opera was considered an Italian art form. Eventually, composers wrote opera in their own languages.

The most famous composers, such as Giacomo Puccini (Italy), Guiseppe Verdi (Italy), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Austria), and Richard Wagner (Germany) wrote operas of tremendous length, with music and stories that demanded expensive productions, mature singers with big voices, large choruses, large orchestras and complicated scenery and costumes. Quick and easy questions:

1. Where did opera originate?

2. Who invented opera and why?

3. What language was first used in writing operas?

4. When was the first opera written and what was it called?

5. What are opera songs called?

6. Who are some famous composers and what are their countries of origin?

Watch this video on your device: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsLivg6byjM If this is too hard to type, you can google “La Rondine flashmob Opera Holland Park.” Answer the following questions using complete sentences.

1. Most of the people watching don’t even understand Italian. Why do you think they are paying attention and smiling? Why do they clap at the end?

2. Do you think it takes great skill and years of practice to sing arias? Why?

3. How are the words similar to those used in today’s popular music?

4. How are they different?

5. Do you like listening to opera or does it give you a headache? Why?

Zookeepers Zookeepers perform a variety of tasks that are important to the success of a zoo, aquarium, or wildlife refuge. They are the primary caretakers of animals in these facilities. Depending on the size of the facility, the zookeeper may work with all of the species in the zoo or may specialize in the care of a certain subset of species. Zookeepers are responsible for a number of tasks that they perform on a regular basis. Feeding and watering the animals on a set schedule each day is essential to maintaining the health and the survival of the captive animals. Zookeepers are in charge of preparing food that will meet the specific diet needs of certain species. While this sounds like a rather simple task, it can be very challenging due to the danger involved with coming in close contact with a wild animal. Zookeepers must practice extreme caution at all times. The animals must also be washed and groomed when necessary and this is the responsibility of the zookeeper. Keeping the animal enclosures clean and maintained is another task that is performed by the zookeepers frequently. Zookeepers need to be in prime physical condition, as many of the tasks they perform are physically demanding. Zookeepers are also required to work a variety of shifts during both the weekdays and weekends. As the primary caretakers of the animals, zookeepers may end up working long hours to care for a sick animal. They work with veterinarians to keep the animals healthy. Zookeepers are required to have completed a university degree in zoology, biology, wildlife management, animal science, or some other animal-related field. Some colleges offer programs oriented towards a career in zoos.

TASK 1. MAKE A SIMPLE MIND MAP Create a mind map to organize the information that was given to you in the reading. You can use both words and drawings, but if you feel up to the challenge, USE DRAWINGS ONLY!

TASK 2. ANSWER A QUESTION BY MAKING A CHOICE AND PROVIDING TWO REASONS BASED ON THE TEXT. Use complete sentences. Would you like to be a zookeeper when you grow up? Why or why not?

Name of one person who was kind to me: What did this person do for me? How did I show thanks through words and actions?

Name of one person to whom I was kind: What did I do for this person? How did he or she show thanks through words and actions?

Name of a person about whom I learned something new: What did I find out? What did this person find out about me?