Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

• formal training – an agreed standard of proficiency, acquired by study in academic institutions;

• culinary [`kAlınəri] arts – the system of rules or principles governing, relating to, or used in the kitchen or in cookery;

• Food Network – is a television specialty channel that airs specials and recurring (episodic) programs about food and cooking. The network is seen in more than ninety million households. Food Network was founded on November 23, 1993 as TV Food Network; its legal name is still Television Food Network, G.P. Within a few years, the network had shortened its on-air brand name.

• debut [`deıbju:] – the first public appearance of an actor, musician, etc., or the first public presentation of a show;

• bashing [`bæ∫ıŋ] – severe public criticism;

Ty Warner. Sole owner, CEO, and Chairman of Ty, Inc., Ty Warner is a savvy, yet private business man. Ty, Inc., made $700 million in a single year with the Beanie [`bi:ni] Babies craze without spending money on advertising! He has since expanded to include Ty Girlz dolls, directly competing with Bratz dolls.

Vocabulary and Cultural Notes:

• Ty, Inc. – is an American plush animal company based in Westmont, Illinois. By far their most famous line of products are the Beanie Babies, but Ty also manufactures other lines of stuffed toys. The Ty logo is a red heart with the lower-case letters “ty.” A tag in this shape is found affixed to all Ty stuffed toys, and inside each tag is the name of the ty and a 4 line poem about it.

• savvy [`sævi] – having practical knowledge or understanding of something; knowing a lot about something and able to make good judgments about it;

• private (businessman) – not talking to other people about his personal life and his feelings;

• the Beanie [`bi:ni] Babies – stuffed animals made by Ty Inc., which was founded by Ty Warner. The original nine Beanie Babies launched in 1993 were Legs the Frog, Squealer the Pig, Spot the Dog, Flash the Dolphin, Splash the Whale, Chocolate the Moose, Patti the Platypus, Brownie the Bear (later renamed “Cubbie”) and Punchers the Lobster (later renamed “Pinchers”). The line became a phenomenon in the late 1990s when Beanie Babies became both a fad and a collectible. Ty decided to stop making Beanies in 1999; however, consumer demand made Ty Warner change his mind. He continues to run Ty Inc. and design new Beanie Babies to this day.

• craze [kreız] – a short-lived current fashion; a wild or exaggerated enthusiasm; something that suddenly becomes very popular, but for only a short time;

• Ty Girlz dolls – are soft-sculpt dolls that are dressed in the latest trend-setting fashions that can be mixed and matched, and each outfit is completed with complimentary earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Ty Girlz have soft realistic hair that can be easily combed and made into many different styles. Each doll has its own signature colour. Each Ty Girl comes with an individual scratch-off secret code which enables the collector to unlock the 3-D virtual world. Here girls can chat, play games, listen to music and just “hang out” in a forum that’s both fun and safe for kids.

• Bratz dolls – is a popular line of fashion dolls and related merchandise designed by Carter Bryant and manufactured by southern California toy company MGA Entertainment. The four original dolls – Cloe, Jade, Sasha, and Yasmin – are teenagers distinguished by large heads and skinny bodies, almond-shaped eyes adorned with eyeshadow, and lush, glossy lips.

Frank Lloyd Wright [fræŋk lOıd rait] (1869-1959). Having never attended high school, Frank Lloyd Wright surpassed all odds when he became the most influential architect of the twentieth century. Wright designed more than 1,100 projects with about half actually being built. His designs have inspired numerous architects to look at the beauty around them and add to it.