Objective Proficiency p 42. The Real Truth about Magaluf. Extra Cloze

By annanicholas on The Telegraph

Majorca is suffering from a colossal hangover following the sensationalistic documentary, The Truth about Magaluf shown on BBC television earlier this week. 1__________ the tawdry underbelly of the island’s most notorious ‘bad boy’ resort has seemingly upset the sensibilities of local officials and sent 2_________ down the spine of the British expat community living in Majorca. Manu Onieva, the local mayor, has already registered his displeasure with the makers of the documentary at what he and Calvia council described as a ‘stitch up’.
The island’s local British newspaper, the Majorca Daily Bulletin, has been inundated 3_________ letters from outraged readers dismayed 4__________ the content of the documentary presented by Stacey Dooley which lifts the 5___________  on the excessive drinking, drug-taking and sexual antics of the resort. Sorry to be a 6__________ pooper, but what did they honestly expect?
There’s a very good reason why Magaluf has been awarded the 7___________ ‘Shagaluf’ over the years. It’s a wild party resort just like infamous Salou on the Spanish mainland, targeting the British ‘yoof’ 8_________ and offering ludicrously cheap booze and practically 24/7 entertainment of the most dubious 9____________. It’s a Jekyll and 10_________ resort, benign and harmless enough by day and by all 11__________ a seething 12_________ of iniquity by night with few boundaries or concerns for common decency and where, according to one cynical police officer interviewed on the TV programme, ‘every day is the weekend.’
Aside from holidaymakers’ uncontrolled imbibing, drug taking, sexual antics and frequent drunken brawls, Magaluf appears to have far more serious problems on its 13____________. According to a local ambulance team interviewed, last summer there were 40 cases of ‘balconing’, the term used to describe drunken youths who attempt to climb from one hotel balcony to another. It was claimed that twelve youths had died as a consequence. Rape in the resort has also apparently escalated with 15 to 20 girls apparently making distressed 14_________ to the ambulance service last summer alone. Just this week a young British woman testified against a man who allegedly raped and stabbed her in the resort in 2008. And if that’s not bad enough, there’s been a rise in the number of prostitute gangs and those masquerading as prostitutes who rob inebriated men returning to their hotels late at night.
In the BBC documentary we accompany young presenter Stacey Dooley, Bambi-like 15________ her wide-eyed innocence, on a trip with a local harassed ambulance crew, patrolling police officers, and to a bar where she serves 16________ noxious, alcoholic beverages to intoxicated youths. Squirming 17___________ embarrassment she watches an explicit sexual game being played out in the bar and later attempts to take the Spanish owner and promoters to 18__________. They remain unrepentant, placing the blame 19_________ on the shoulders of British holidaymakers unable to hold their drink. Tellingly – although not investigated by the programme – one Spanish bar owner accused the all-inclusive hotels of putting local businesses under pressure to compete.
It’s easy to blame British youths for lacking any sense of personal responsibility or propriety but fingers must surely also be 20___________ at the resort itself and its many operatives who seemingly manipulate and exploit the weak-minded and easily misled? Starved of sun and cheap booze back in the UK, for many teenage first time holidaymakers, Magaluf is a disaster 21____________ to happen.
There are though attractions that keep a responsible 22_________ on their ‘wards’. Mallorca Rocks, arguably the hippest music 23___________ now in Europe, maintains 24_______ security and yet manages to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere. I have ventured from the hills to accompany groups of teenagers to the venue and have never witnessed anything but young people dancing and having a good time. Staff members are courteous, drinks must be purchased-no all inclusive deals here- and everyone must leave on the 25____________ of midnight.
While the storm rages about the BBC documentary, ITV is also homing in 26___________ the resort with the launch of a new six-part documentary series. Still, mayor Manu Onieva should cheer up because as far as the modern day Sodom and 27_________ resorts go, all publicity is good publicity. No doubt thousands more young Britons will flock to Magaluf –as opposed to say Malia in Crete or Salou in Catalonia-thanks to these seemingly perennial, titillating TV extravaganzas and the money will keep rolling 28__________.
In times of economic gloom, the likes of Magaluf, warts and 29_________, are a welcome 30_________ cow for a debt-ridden nation.
Find out more about Anna Nicholas here or follow her on Twitter @MajorcanPearls

KEY
1. Exposing
Tawdry: /ˈtɔːdri/ 1 intended to be bright and attractive but cheap and of low quality. Sp. de mal gusto, hortero. E.g. tawdry jewellery. 2. involving low moral standards; extremely unpleasant or offensive. Sp. despreciable. E.g. a tawdry affair.
Underbelly: /ˈʌndəbeli/ the weakest part of something that is most easily attacked. Sp. punto débil. E.g. The trade deficit remains the soft underbelly of the US economy.
notorious: /nəʊˈtɔːriəs/ well known for being bad. E.g. a notorious criminal



2. shivers (shiver: a sudden shaking movement of your body because you are cold, frightened, excited, etc. Sp. escalofrío. E.g. The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine.)
register something (formal) to make your opinion known officially or publicly. E.g. China has registered a protest over foreign intervention. 
stitch-up: a situation in which somebody deliberately cheats you or causes you to be wrongly blamed for something. Sp engaño. 



3. with 
inundate somebody (with something) to give or send somebody so many things that they cannot deal with them all. E.g. We have been inundated with offers of help. 
outraged: a strong feeling of shock and anger  



4. by/ at
dismayed (at/by something): shocked and disappointed. E.g. He was dismayed at the change in his old friend.



5. lid 
lift the lid on something: to tell people unpleasant or shocking facts about something. E.g. Her article lifts the lid on child prostitution.
antics: (plural noun) foolish, outrageous, or amusing behaviour. E.g. the antics of our political parties.



6. party
Party pooper: /ˈpɑːti puːpə(r)/ a person who does not want to take part in an enjoyable activity and spoils the fun for other people. Sp. aguafiestas.



7.  sobriquet/ nickname
sobriquet /ˈsəʊbrɪkeɪ/ an informal name or title that you give somebody/something. Nickname. Sp. apodo, mote. E.g. He was a tiny man, and so earned the sobriquet ‘The Little Wonder.’
Shag (somebody) (British English, taboo, slang) to have sex with somebody
Infamous: /ˈɪnfəməs/ well known for being bad or evil. Notorious. E.g. a general who was infamous for his brutality. The most infamous concentration camp.



8. market 
Yoof: /juːf/ a non-standard spelling of ‘youth’, used to refer to young people as a group, especially as the group that particular types of entertainment, magazines, etc. are designed for. E.g. yoof culture.
ludicrously: /ˈluːdɪkrəsli/ unreasonably. E.g. ludicrously expensive.
booze: alcoholic drink
24/7: twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (used to mean ‘all the time’). E.g. He's on duty twenty-four seven.



9. kind
dubious: /ˈdjuːbiəs/ suspicious 



10. Hyde
Jekyll and Hyde: /ˌdʒekl ən ˈhaɪd/ a person who is sometimes very pleasant (Jekyll) and sometimes very unpleasant (Hyde) or who leads two very separate lives. E.g. He leads an almost Jekyll and Hyde existence— by day he's an accountant, by night he's a singer in a rock band. (From the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in which Dr Jekyll takes a drug which separates the good and bad sides of his personality into two characters. All the negative aspects go into the character of Mr Hyde.)
benign: kind and gentle; not hurting anybody. E.g. You would never have guessed his intentions from the benign expression on his face.



11. accounts.
by/from all accounts: according to what other people say. E.g. I've never been there, but it's a lovely place, by all accounts. 
seethe: / siːð/ boil 



12. den: a place where people meet in secret, especially for some illegal or immoral activity. E.g. a den of thieves. A drinking/ gambling den. He thought of New York as a den of iniquity (Sp. antro de perdición). 
iniquity: the fact of being very unfair or wrong; something that is very unfair or wrong. Sp. maldad, iniquidad. E.g. the iniquity of racial prejudice. The iniquities of the criminal justice system.
imbibe (something): /ɪmˈbaɪb/ to drink something, especially alcohol.
brawl: / brɔːl/ a noisy and violent fight involving a group of people, usually in a public place. E.g. a drunken brawl. Police officers were injured in a mass brawl outside a nightclub.



13. plate 
have enough/a lot/too much on your plate: (informal) to have a lot of work or problems, etc. to deal with.



14. calls
distressed: upset and anxious. Sp. angustiado. E.g. He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 



15. in
wide-eyed: 1 with your eyes fully open because of fear, surprise, etc. E.g. She stared at him in wide-eyed amazement. 2. having little experience and therefore very willing to believe, trust or accept somebody/ something. Naive. Sp. inocente.
harassed: /ˈhærəst/ /həˈræst/ tired and anxious because you have too much to do. E.g. a harassed-looking waiter. Harassed mothers with their children.



16. up
serve up: to put food onto plates and give it to people. E.g. He served up a delicious meal.
noxious: /ˈnɒkʃəs/ poisonous or harmful. E.g. noxious fumes.



17. with
Squirm: 1. to move around a lot making small twisting movements, because you are nervous, uncomfortable, etc. 2. to feel great embarrassment or shame. E.g. It made him squirm to think how badly he'd messed up the interview. Squirm with embarrassment (Sp. no saber dónde meterse de vergüenza)



18. task 
take somebody to task (for/over something): to criticize somebody strongly for something they have done. E.g. The local newspaper has been taking the city council to task over its transport policy. 



19. squarely: directly or exactly; without confusion. E.g. The responsibility for the crisis rests squarely on the government. 
Tellingly: revealingly. Showing effectively what somebody/ something is really like, but often without intending to. E.g. He tellingly took a seat next to his secretary and not next to his wife.
propriety: /prəˈpraɪəti/ moral and social behaviour that is considered to be correct and acceptable. Sp. buenos modales. E.g. Nobody questioned the propriety of her being there alone.  



20. pointed 
point a/ the finger (at somebody): to accuse somebody of doing something. E.g. The article points an accusing finger at the authorities.
Operative: /ˈɒpərətɪv/ worker.
Weak-minded: lacking determination, emotional strength, or intellectual capacity.



21. waiting
An accident/ a disaster waiting to happen: a thing or person that is very likely to cause danger or a problem in the future because of the condition it is in or the way they behave.



22. eye
keep an eye on somebody/ something: to take care of somebody/ something and make sure that they are not harmed, damaged, etc. E.g. We've asked the neighbours to keep an eye on the house for us while we are away. 
ward: /wɔːd/ a child or young person under the care and control of a guardian appointed by their parents or a court. Sp. pupilo. E.g. for the last three years, the boy has been my ward.
arguably: used (often before a comparative or superlative adjective) when you are stating an opinion that you believe you could give reasons to support. Sp. podría decirse que. E.g. He is arguably the best actor of his generation. 
hip: following or knowing what is fashionable in clothes, music, etc. Sp. a la última/ moda. E.g. He's just trying to be hip! The hippest club in town. 



23. venue: a place where people meet for an organized event, for example a concert, sporting event or conference. E.g. The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour.



24. tight: very strict and firm. E.g. to keep tight control over something. We need tighter security at the airport.
venture: to go somewhere even though you know that it might be dangerous or unpleasant. Sp. atreverse. E.g. They ventured nervously into the water. He's never ventured abroad in his life. 



25. dot 
on the dot: (informal) exactly on time or at the exact time mentioned. E.g. The taxi showed up on the dot. Breakfast is served at 8 on the dot. Please tell him I'll call him on the dot of twelve. 
rage (on) (of a storm, a battle, an argument, etc.) to continue in a violent way. E.g. The riots raged for three days. The blizzard was still raging outside. 



26 on
Home in on something: to direct your thoughts or attention towards something. E.g. I began to feel I was really homing in on the answer. The investigation homed in on the town of Carlton. 



27. Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah /ˌsɒdəm ən ɡəˈmɒrə/ a place that is full of people behaving in a sexually immoral way. E.g. The village had a reputation as a latter-day Sodom and Gomorrah. (From the names of two cities in the Bible which were destroyed by God to punish the people for their sexually immoral behaviour.)
flock: to go or gather together somewhere in large numbers
perennial: /pəˈreniəl/ continuing for a very long time; happening again and again. E.g. the perennial problem of water shortage.
titillate: /ˈtɪtɪleɪt/ to interest or excite somebody, especially in a sexual way. Sp. excitar. E.g. titillating pictures

extravaganza: /ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə/ a large, expensive and impressive entertainment. Sp. espectáculo. E.g. a musical extravaganza. A five-day extravaganza of art, music and dance.

 

 

 

28. in: 

roll in (informal) to arrive in great numbers or amounts. E.g. Offers of help are still rolling in.

gloom: a feeling of being sad and without hope. E.g. The gloom deepened as the election results came in.  

 

 

 

29. all

warts and all (informal) /wɔːts/ including all the bad or unpleasant features of somebody/ something. Sp. con todos sus defectos.  The documentary shows the life of a fashion model, warts and all. She still loves him, warts and all.

wart: a small hard lump that grows on your skin and that is caused by a virus. Sp. verruga.

 

 

 

30 cash cow the part of a business that always makes a profit and that provides money for the rest of the business. Sp. gallina de los huevos de oro. 

debt-ridden: full of debt

ridden: (usually in compounds) full of a particular unpleasant thing. E.g. a disease-ridden slum. A class-ridden society. She was guilt-ridden at the way she had treated him. She was ridden with guilt.