What happened to the dinosaurs ?
- Milion of years ago there were a lot of dinosaurs in the world. Some lived on land. Some lived in the sea. Some could fly. A lot lot of of them were very big,
and some had horns and long teeth like the monsters in films. Most of the dinosaurs were plant eaters, but some of them could kill and eat very big animals.
The world was full of dinosaurs for about 135 milion years. 60 milion years ago, however, they were all dead. What happened to them ? The dinosaurs could not live in a cold climate. 100 milion years ago the world was not a very cold place, but some scientists say that about 65 milion years ago the world's climate changed. The new climate was cold and this climate killed the dinosaurs . Now we can see dinosaurs bones in museums, but we can not see a real dinosaur.
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can you speak better than her?lol
Thursday, February 26, 2009
What happened to the dinosaurs ?
Posted by WINLIN at 7:13 PM 0 comments
Labels: reading
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Posted by Idriss-toronto at 10:54 PM 0 comments
Labels: video -English-
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Why do we read Quran
قصة جميله باللغه الانجليزيه وترجمتها
This is a beautiful story,
An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson
في مزرعة بمنطقة جبال شرق ولاية كنتا كي يسكن عجوز أمريكي مسلم مع حفيده الصغير
Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur'an.
في صباح كل يوم يستيقظ الجد مبكراً ويجلس على طاولة المطبخ يقرأ القرآن
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
يرغب الحفيده أن يصبح كجده ويحاول أن يقلده بكل الطرق قدر المستطاع
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa, I try to read the Qur'an just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book.
في أحد الأيام سأل الحفيد جده : جدي أنا أحاول أن أقرأ القرآن مثلك لكن يصعب علي فهمه بالإضافة إلى أن ما أفهمه منه أنساه لحظة إغلاق دفتي الكتاب
What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
إذن فما نفع قراءة القرآن ؟
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."
تحول الجد بهدوء عن عملية وضعه للفحم في الموقد وأجاب حفيده: خذ سلة الفحم هذه إلى النهر وأحضرها لي مملؤة بالماء
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.
قام الفتى بتنفيذ ما طُلب منه لكن كل الماء الذي وضعه في السلة تسرب منها قبل أن يصل للمنزل
The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
ضحك الجد (لحظة رؤيته للسلة الفارغة) وقال لحفيدة يتوجب عليك أن تسرع في المرة القادمة (وأنت تحمل سلة الماء) ..ثم أرسل الجد حفيده حاملاً السلة مرة أخرى للنهر وطلب منه أن يحاول مرة أخرى
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.
هذه المرة ركض الفتى مسرعاً (وهو يحمل سلة الماء) لكن مرة أخرى تفرغ السلة من الماء قبل وصوله للمنزل
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
لاهثاً يخبر الفتى جده بأن من المستحيل أن يحمل ماء في سلة لذا ذهب وأحضر دلو عوضاً عن السلة
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not
trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
لكن الجد قال لحفيده : لا أريد دلو من الماء بل سلة من الماء ..أنت لا تحاول جاهداً بما فيه الكفاية ..بعدها خرج الجد في الخارج يراقب الحفيد وهو يحاول من جديد
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.
عند هذا الحد علم الفتى أن هذا مستحيل لكنه أراد أن يبرهن لجده إنه حتى وإن ركض بأسرع ما يستطيع أن يركض سيتسرب الماء قبل أن يعود أدراجه للمنزل
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard,
أخذ الفتى مرة أخرى يغطس السلة في مياه النهر ومن ثم يركض بها
but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
لكن عندما وصل إلى جده كانت السلة فارغة هذه المرة أيضاً
Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
بأنفاس متقطعة قال الحفيد لجده : أنظر لهذا جدي يبدو لي أن لا جدوى من هذا
أجابه جده : أنظر لهذه السلة
The boy looked at the basket and for
the first time realized that the basket was different.
أخذ الفتى ينظر للسلة وللمرة الأولى أدرك بأن السلة تبدو مختلفة
It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
فلقد تحولت من سلة فحم قديمة وقذرة إلى أخرى نظيفة من الداخل والخارج
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an.
قال الجد : هذا يا بني ما يحدث عندما تقرأ القرآن
You might not understand or remember
everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and outside
قد لا تستوعب أو تتذكر كل شيء من القرآن لكن عندما تقرأه ستتغير هكذا من الداخل والخارج
Posted by WINLIN at 3:24 PM 0 comments
Labels: reading
Friday, February 20, 2009
Easier English Basic Dictionary
P.H. Collin “Easier English Student Dictionary”
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 2003-08-18 | ISBN: 0747566240 | PDF | 1024 pages | 9,2 Mb
The Easier English Basic Dictionary is designed especially for elementary and pre-intermediate students of English. It includes the basic vocabulary needed to understand and study written and spoken English at this level, and is particularly useful for students taking the Preliminary English Test (PET) and the Key English Test (KET) exams.
http://depositfiles.com/en/files/3988529
Posted by WINLIN at 8:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Synonym, vocabulary
Easier English Student Dictionary
P.H. Collin “Easier English Student Dictionary”
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 2003-08-18 | ISBN: 0747566240 | PDF | 1024 pages | 9,2 Mb
Level: Upper Intermediate
The fully revised and updated edition of this bestselling general English dictionary is especially useful for those working towards FCE (First Certificate Examination), and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examinations. The new edition includes 28,000 expressions used in international English. The selection is based on word-frequency counts and analyses of the CAT (Certificate in Advanced English) exam syllabuses. Entries include examples from everyday speech, irregular forms, derived words, differences between English and American usage, and help with confusable words (e.g. insure and ensure). Encyclopedic comments highlight historical and cultural terms (Guy Fawkes, Pancake Day) and technical terms such as the periodic table, the metric system and greenhouse gases.
• 35,000 entries provide clear, up-to-date terms and expressions used in British, American and International English
• Terms defined in clear, simple English, using our 1,500-word limited defining vocabulary
• Each entry includes part of speech, phonetic pronunciation guides and example sentences showing how terms are used.
Posted by WINLIN at 7:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
10 reasons computers must be Males
Top 10 reasons computers must be male:
10. They have a lot of data but are still clueless.
9. A better model is always just around the corner.
8. They look nice and shiny until you bring them home.
7. It is always necessary to have a backup.
6. They'll do whatever you say if you push the right buttons.
5. The best part of having either one is the games you can play.
4. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
3. The lights are on but nobody's home.
2. Big power surges knock them out for the night.
1. Size does matter.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:38 AM 0 comments
Labels: Free topics, Fun, Jokes
Slang voc
scoff: to eat.
screw up: to make a mistake.
screw-up: a person who makes a mistake.
scum (offensive] - a despicable individual.
shades - sunglasses.
shag [slightly offensive] - to make love.
shagged-out - to feel tired.
shed-load - a huge amount.
shite - milder variation of the word shit.
shitfaced [slightly offensive] - very drunk.
shithead [slightly offensive]: a stupid, impolite person.
skint - to have no money.
skosh - a little bit.
slapper [offensive] - a loose or easy woman.
smeghead - an idiot.
snog - to kiss.
snookered: cheated, stuck.
solid (1): really good; cool.solid (2): consecutive.
specs: eyeglasses.
split: to leave.
spunk [offensive] (1): semen spunk (2): spirit.spunk (3): an attractive man.
stoned: drunk from drugs or alcohol.
stunner - a very good looking woman.
street smart: knowledgeable about city life.
strewth : exclamation.
(I'll be) stuffed : expression of surprise
suck: to be bad and unacceptable.
sunnies : sunglasses.
swagman : tramp.
sweet - excellent, cool.
ta - thanks.
tacky - something of poor taste or style.
tanked (up) - to get very drunk.
tea leaf - Rhyming Slang for thief.
telly - television.
thick as shit [offensive]- very stupid.
thick as two short planks [offensive] - very stupid.
thingo : Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit, something you don't know the name of!
thou: thousand.
threads: clothing.
ticker (1): the heart. ticker (2): a watch.
tiddly - slightly drunk.
toss-pot [slightly offensive] - idiot.
totally: really; completely.
to the max: maximum.
troll - an ugly girl.
(the) trots - diarrhoea.
trouble and strife - Rhyming Slang for 'wife'.
trout [offensive] - unattractive woman.
turn-off: something that repulses a person.
umpteen: many; countless.
up for it - to be willing to have a good time.
up the duff - to be pregnant.
Uncle Tom Cobley and all - a phrase meaning 'everyone'.
uptight: nervous; anxious.
veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable).
wad: a lot of money.
wanker - an idiot or an unpleasant person.
wasted: killed.
weed (1): marijuana.
weed (2): someone who is weak.
wheels: car; motorcycle.
whiz: someone who shows a special talent for something.
wicked - excellent, cool.
wimp: weak; feeble.
wimpy: weak.
wind up - to tease.
winks: sleep.
wuss : coward.
x-rated - pornographic.
yabber : talk (a lot).
Yank: an American.
yob - a horrible or uncouth young man.
zeds - sleep.
zero - an unimportant person.
zilch - nothing.
zip (1) -nothing. zip (2) - energy; vigor.
zip it - shut up.
zit: pimple; acne.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:32 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Slang voc
off your face - to be very drunk.
out of your tree - crazy, drunk or stoned.
pad: someone's home.
pants (1) - an exclamation of frustration.pants (2) - bad or rubbish.
party: celebrate.
party animal: someone that loves parties.
paws: hands.
peanuts: very little money.
pee: to urinate.
pickled: drunk.
pig out: eat too much.
pigs ear: to make a mistake with something.
piss [slightly offensive] - to urinate.
pissed - drunk.
pissed (off): angry; upset.
piss-head - a habitual drinker or alcoholic.
piss-up - a big drinking session.
plank - an idiot.
plastered: drunk.
plonker - an idiot.
pad: someone's home.
plonk (1) : cheap wine plonk (2): sit down - as in "plonk your arse down there".
poop [offensive]: defecation; shit.
poop out: get tired and quit.
postie : postman.
pot: marijuana.
prezzy : present, gift.
pro - someone who's good at something; professional.
psycho: crazy person.
puke: vomit.
pumped (up): excited.
queer [slightly offensive] - a homosexual.
rabbit - talk.
racket (1): noise. racket (2): an occupation. racket (3): something that's dishonest or deceptive.
rat: a despicable person.
rat-arsed - drunk.
rear (end): buttocks.
(a) riot - something or someone very funny.
rip off (1): stealing. rip off (2): fraud.
ripper : great, fantastic.
rocking: great; excellent.
roll up - a hand rolled cigarette.
rosie lee - tea.
rubbish: nonsense; not true.
ruck - a fight.
rug - wig, toupee.
rug rat: a child.
rum - odd, strange.
runs, the: diarrhoea
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:31 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Slang voc
icky: unpleasant.
I.D.: identification.
iffy - dubious, doubtful.
I'm outta here: I'm leaving; I'm departing.
in: fashionable.
ivories: teeth.
jack around: waste time.
jam (1): trouble. jam (2): improvise (musically).
jamming, to be : going well.
jammy - lucky.
jerk: stupid or annoying person.
jock: someone good at sports.
K : a thousand.
keep your hair on - "keep calm".
kick back: relax and enjoy.
kick the bucket: die.
kip - sleep.
knackered - exhausted.
knees up - party.
knock: condemn, criticise.
knockout: beautiful woman; handsome man.
knock back : refusal (noun), refuse (transitive verb).
kook: peculiar person.
kraut [slightly offensive] - German
laid back: relaxed; calm.
lairy - loud, brash.
lame: incompetent.
legless - very drunk.
limp wristed - a gay man.
lip: cheeky talk.
loaded - someone with a lot of money.
loo : toilet.
loser: a bungling and worthless person.
lost the plot - crazy/mad.
love handles: excess fat around the waist.
luvverly jubberly - wonderful, great, all is well.
make waves: cause problems.
malarkey - nonsense.
mate - friend.
max, to the : maximum.
mega: big.
megabucks: a large amount of money.
mellow: relaxed.
mickey-mouse: unimportant; time-wasting.
minger [offensive] - an unattractive person (usually female).
mongrel : despicable person.
moonie [offensive!] - to show one's bottom (arse) to unsuspecting onlookers.
moose [offensive] - an ugly girl.
mozzie : mosquito.
mug : a gullible person.
naff - something which is cheap and nasty.
naff off - a milder version off fu*k off.
nancy (nancy boy) - a homosexual.
nark - a police informer.
narked - to be annoyed.
neat: cool; great.
nick - to steal.
nipper - a small child.
no-hoper - somebody who'll never do well.
nosh - food.
not cricket - not normal or correct.
not all there - someone who is stupid, not bright intellectually.
not half! - cetainly, for sure.
not the full quid - someone who is stupid, not bright intellectually.
nuke (1): nuclear weapon. nuke (2): destroy; delete. nuke (3): cook something in the microwave oven.
nut (1): odd or crazy person. nut (2): someone passionate about something.
nutter - crazy person.
nuts [slightly offensive]: testicles.
nutty - eccentric.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:30 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Slang voc
icky: unpleasant.
I.D.: identification.
iffy - dubious, doubtful.
I'm outta here: I'm leaving; I'm departing.
in: fashionable.
ivories: teeth.
jack around: waste time.
jam (1): trouble. jam (2): improvise (musically).
jamming, to be : going well.
jammy - lucky.
jerk: stupid or annoying person.
jock: someone good at sports.
K : a thousand.
keep your hair on - "keep calm".
kick back: relax and enjoy.
kick the bucket: die.
kip - sleep.
knackered - exhausted.
knees up - party.
knock: condemn, criticise.
knockout: beautiful woman; handsome man.
knock back : refusal (noun), refuse (transitive verb).
kook: peculiar person.
kraut [slightly offensive] - German
laid back: relaxed; calm.
lairy - loud, brash.
lame: incompetent.
legless - very drunk.
limp wristed - a gay man.
lip: cheeky talk.
loaded - someone with a lot of money.
loo : toilet.
loser: a bungling and worthless person.
lost the plot - crazy/mad.
love handles: excess fat around the waist.
luvverly jubberly - wonderful, great, all is well.
make waves: cause problems.
malarkey - nonsense.
mate - friend.
max, to the : maximum.
mega: big.
megabucks: a large amount of money.
mellow: relaxed.
mickey-mouse: unimportant; time-wasting.
minger [offensive] - an unattractive person (usually female).
mongrel : despicable person.
moonie [offensive!] - to show one's bottom (arse) to unsuspecting onlookers.
moose [offensive] - an ugly girl.
mozzie : mosquito.
mug : a gullible person.
naff - something which is cheap and nasty.
naff off - a milder version off fu*k off.
nancy (nancy boy) - a homosexual.
nark - a police informer.
narked - to be annoyed.
neat: cool; great.
nick - to steal.
nipper - a small child.
no-hoper - somebody who'll never do well.
nosh - food.
not cricket - not normal or correct.
not all there - someone who is stupid, not bright intellectually.
not half! - cetainly, for sure.
not the full quid - someone who is stupid, not bright intellectually.
nuke (1): nuclear weapon. nuke (2): destroy; delete. nuke (3): cook something in the microwave oven.
nut (1): odd or crazy person. nut (2): someone passionate about something.
nutter - crazy person.
nuts [slightly offensive]: testicles.
nutty - eccentric.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:30 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Slang voc
gaff - house or flat.
gander - to look at.
geek: an unattractive person who works too hard.
get it: to understand something.
glitch: flaw.
gobshite [offensive] - someone who talks rubbish all the time.
go bananas: go slightly mad.
good onya : good for you, well done
goof (1): make a mistake.goof (2): a silly and foolish person.
goof off: waste time.
goof up: make a mistake.
goofy: silly.
Gordon Bennet - an exclamation.
grand: one thousand dollars.
grass: marijuana.
greaser - slang name for a 1950's style man.
grog : alcohol, beer.
grub: food.
grubby: not clean.
grungy: unclean and stinky.
gut: a person's stomach; belly.
guts: courage.
gyno - gynaecologist.
hacked off - fed up, annoyed.
hairy: difficult; dangerous.
ham-fisted - clumsy.
hammered - drunk.
handcuffs: an engagement ring or wedding ring.
hang a left: make a left turn.
hang a right: make a right turn.
headcase - mad.
hep: sensible; informed.
her ('er) indoors - wife, girlfriend.
hickey: a love bite on the skin.
hip: sensible; informed.
hole in the wall - a cashpoint machine or bankomat.
hoo-ha - trouble; commotion.
hooker: prostitute.
horny: in the mood for sex, sexually stimulated;.
hot (1): sexy. hot (2):popular.
hottie : hot water bottle.
huff - bad mood.
humungous: really big.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Slang voc
earbashing : nagging, non-stop chatter.
evil: great; excellent.
eyeball: to stare long and hard at someone or something.
eyepopper: something or someone visibly astounding.
fab: fabulous.
face-off: confrontation.
fag [offensive] (1): homosexualfag (2): cigarette
family jewels - Rhyming Slang for testicles.
far out - splendid.
fart [offensive] (1): an escape of gas from the bowels. fart [slightly offensive] (2): an unpleasant person.
fat head - an idiot or dull person.
fender-bender: small accident.
filth [offensive] - the police.
fit - sexually attractive.
five finger discount - shoplifting.
flaky: unpredictable.
flashback: sudden memory.
flick (1): film; movie.flick (2): to give something or somebody the flick is to get rid of it or him/her.
floating : intoxicated.
floozie - a mistress or girlfriend.
flommox - confuse.
flutter - a bet (on horse racing or football).
footie - Abbreviated form for football.
for crying out loud ! - a expression of frustration or anger.
forty winks - a short sleep or nap.
fox: attractive, alluring person.
freebie: something that does not cost money.
French kiss : kissing with the tongue.
full monty - 'the whole lot', everything.
full-on - powerful, with maximum effort.
funny farm - mental hospital or institution.
funny money - counterfeit money.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:27 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Salng voc
cabbage - someone who is a bit slow or stupid.
cakehole - mouth..
catch some rays: get some sunshine.
char / cha - tea.
cheesy: cheap; lacking in good taste.
chicken: coward.
chook : a chicken.
chuck up: vomit.
chuck a sickie : take the day off sick from work when you're perfectly healthy.
ciggy - slang for cigarette.
cock and bull story - a rubbish story, nonsense.
(to) cop it - to die, to get into trouble.
cool: excellent; superb.
cooler, the: gaol; jail; prison.
couch potato: a person who watches too much television.
cozzie : swimming costume.
cranky : in a bad mood, angry.
crap [slightly offensive] (1): something worthless.crap [offensive] (2): excrement.crap [slightly offensive] (3): falsehoods and lies.
crikey - an expression of astonishment.
crust - money / wage.
cushy - easy.
dead cert - something that is definite.
deck: to hit someone.
dicey: unpredictable; risky.
dickhead [slightly offensive] - an idiot, fool.
dill : an idiot.
ding-dong - argument or fight.
dipstick - idiot, fool.
dirt: extremely bad person.
dirty: offensive; pornographic.
div/divvy - stupid or slow person.
doodle - something thats easy / no problem.
dodgy - dubious person or thing.
dog [offensive] - an ugly girl.
done over - beaten up.
dope - a slow or stupid person.
doobry - a nonsensical word used when you forget the name of something.
dorky: strange; peculiar.
dosh - money.
dosser - down-and-out, tramp.
down under : Australia and New Zealand.
Drongo : a dope, stupid person.
dude: a male.
dump [slightly offensive] - to defecate.
dyke [offensive] - lesbian.
dynamite: powerful; excellent.
dinosaur: something out of date or old fashioned.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:26 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Slang voc
airhead: stupid person.
ace: excellent, great.
Adam and Eve - Rhyming Slang for 'believe'.
aggro - short for aggravation or violence.
amber fluid : beer.
anorak - geek, nerd.
apples and pears - Rhyming Slang for 'stairs'.
armpit: dirty, unappealing place.
arse / ass [slightly offensive] (1): backside.arse / ass (2): an unworthy person.
arse about/arsing about - to fool around.
arse-about-face: something that is in a mess or crooked.
arseholed: very drunk.
arvo : afternoon.
Aussie : Australian.
awesome: great and impressive.
backhander (1): a payment given, normally in a secretive fashion.
backhander (2): hit someone.
ball (1): a fun time.
ball [slightly offensive] (2): a testicle.
ballistic - to go mad with rage.
bang [slightly offensive](1): to make love.
bang (2): a powerful effect.
banged up - to be put in prison.
bangers - another name for sausages.
barbie : barbecue, grill.
barf (1): vomit.
barmy - a foolish person, mad.
barney - row, violent argument.
beans: money.
beast [offensive] - an ugly woman.
beat: tired.
beemer: a BMW.
bent (1): a 'gay man'
bent (2): 'stolen'.
biggie: something important.
biker: a motorcycle rider.
bikkie : biscuit.
bimbo - a young woman considered sexually attractive but of limited intelligence.
bird - woman/girl/girlfriend.
bitch [offensive] (1): a very unpleasant woman. bitch [offensive] (2): complain.
bitchy [slightly offensive]: moody.
bitzer : mongrel dog (bits of this and bits of that!).
bladdered - very drunk.
blag - a robbery.
bloke - man.
blotto - 'very drunk'.
blue (1) - XXX; dirty, hot, steamy, pornographic blue (2): domestic fight or row.
bluey - pornographic film.
boat race - Rhyming Slang for 'face'.
bod: body.
bonkers; go bonkers: crazy.
bonzer : great.
booboo: a mistake.
bovver - trouble, usually fighting.
booze: alcohol.
boozer (1): a pub boozer (2): someone who likes alcohol.
Brahms and Liszt - Rhyming Slang for 'pissed' (drunk).
brass monkeys - cold weather.
bread: money.
brew (1): tea or coffee.
brew (2): beer.
brill - short for 'brilliant'.
bull: bullshit; lie.
bullshit [offensive]: lie; dishonesty.
bugger - a mild form of abuse or an exclamation.
bunk-off - to be absent without permission.
bunk-up - to make love.
bushed: extremely tired.
butt: the buttocks, bottom
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:25 AM 0 comments
Labels: Slang, vocabulary
Top 100 words for advanced learners
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY
100 words to Impress an Examiner!Here are 100 advanced English words which should you be able to use them in a sentence will impress even educated native speakers! Perfect if you want to impress the examiner in examinations like: IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge CAE and CPE.
aberration
(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since).
abhor
(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began to abhor the sport).
acquiesce
(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.)
alacrity
(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.)
amiable
(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just about everyone.)
appease
(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate to appease him.)
arcane
(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Kashubian literature.)
avarice
(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass an enormous personal fortune.)
brazen
(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned the writer’s brazen attempt to plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)
brusque
(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s brusque manner sometimes offends his colleagues.)
cajole
(v.) to urge, coax (Magda's friends cajoled her into drinking too much.)
callous
(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)
candor
(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the politician’s speech because she is usually rather evasive.)
chide
(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)
circumspect
(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.)
clandestine
(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the library, Maria actually went to meet George for a clandestine liaison.)
coerce
(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it.)
coherent
(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.)
complacency
(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)
confidant
(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he became my chief confidant.)
connive
(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my plans to start up a new business.)
cumulative
(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent using the World English website was a vast improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English.)
debase
(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)
decry
(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self Defence party decried the appaling state of Polish roads.)
deferential
(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is always excessively deferential to any kind of authority figure.)
demure
(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)
deride
(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker often derided the other teacher’s accent.)
despot
(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)
diligent
(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The diligent researcher made sure to double check her measurements.)
elated
(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lottery, the postman was elated.)
eloquent
(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave such an eloquent speech that most guests were crying.)
embezzle
(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling €10,000 of the company’s funds.)
empathy
(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (I feel such empathy for my dog when she’s upset so am I!)
enmity
(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.)
erudite
(adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse Old English poetry.)
extol
(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving boyfriend.)
fabricate
(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to work.)
feral
(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.)
flabbergasted
(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always flabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer.)
forsake
(v.) to give up, renounce (I won't forsake my conservative principles.)
fractious
(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his fractious behaviour - especially his decision to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor - convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)
furtive
(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look.)
gluttony
(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can call gluttony a sin.)
gratuitous
(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at the fish and chip shop gives me a gratuitous helping of vinegar.)
haughty
(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her co-stars will backfire on her someday.)
hypocrisy
(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.)
impeccable
(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were as impeccable as your brother’s, then you too would receive a car for a graduation present.)
impertinent
(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.)
implacable
(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is totally implacable.)
impudent
(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young woman looked her teacher up and down and told him he was hot.)
incisive
(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn’t going anywhere until her incisive comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were.)
indolent
(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can’t even pick themselves up off the sofa to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to Burger King?)
inept
(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot two orders and spilled a pint of cider in a customer’s lap.)
infamy
(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not lessen as time passes.)
inhibit
(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out.)
innate
(adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or practices.)
insatiable
(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for blondes was a real problem on my recent holiday in Japan!)
insular
(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for MI5 must remain insular and generally only spend time with each other.)
intrepid
(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was praised for his intrepid attitude.)
inveterate
(adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m an inveterate cider drinker—I drink four pints a day.)
jubilant
(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.)
knell
(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our village, the funeral knell made the grey day even more grim.)
lithe
(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all outstanding, Joanna’s control of her lithe body was particularly impressive.)
lurid
(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Barry’s story, in which he described a character torturing his neighbour's tortoise, was judged too lurid to be published on the English Library's website.)
maverick
(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (John is a real maverick and always does things his own way.)
maxim
(n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Ms. Stone’s etiquette maxims are both entertaining and instructional.)
meticulous
(adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework in the bride’s gown was a product of meticulous handiwork.)
modicum
(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Magda announced her boss’s affair to the entire office.)
morose
(adj.) gloomy or sullen (David’s morose nature made him very unpleasant to talk to.)
myriad
(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do on Saturday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun.)
nadir
(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when my new car was stolen.)
nominal
(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his furniture more than he needed money, Kim sold everything for a nominal price.)
novice
(n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience (Because we were all novices at archery, our instructor decided to begin with the basics
nuance
(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The nuances of the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the teacher was able to point them out.)
oblivious
(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)
obsequious
(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Donald acted like Susan’s servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.)
obtuse
(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime minister’s obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)
panacea
(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.)
parody
(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Magdalena acting out a parody of his teaching style.)
penchant
(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Fiona’s dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her penchant for Indian dishes.)
perusal
(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a three-month perusal of the movie script.)
plethora
(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled almost three feet high.)
predilection
(n.) a preference or inclination for something (James has a predilection for eating toad in the whole with tomato ketchup.)
quaint
(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Mary was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Romania.)
rash
(adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions.)
refurbish
(v.) to restore, clean up (After being refurbished the old Triumph motorcycle commanded the handsome price of $6000.)
repudiate
(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Tom made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.)
rife
(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing was rife with spelling errors.)
salient
(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison and Helen is that Alison is a couple of kilos heavier.)
serendipity
(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Mark found a $50 bill on the back seat of the bus.)
staid
(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.)
superfluous
(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Samantha had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of others was superfluous.)
sycophant
(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the Prime Minister’s closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants.)
taciturn
(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Magda never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn.)
truculent
(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?)
umbrage
(n.) resentment, offence (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.)
venerable
(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable High Court judge had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.)
vex
(v.) to confuse or annoy (My boyfriend vexes me by pinching my bottom for hours on end.)
vociferous
(adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his vociferous whining so I’m breaking up with him.)
wanton
(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Joanna’s wanton demeanor often made the frat guys next door very excited
zenith
(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Emily that she had reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one top 10 hit of hers.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:23 AM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
Here are the 100 English words which many people have problems spelling!
acceptable
accidentally
accommodate
acquire
acquit
a lot
amateur
apparent
argument
atheist
believe
calendar
category
cemetery
changeable
collectible
committed
conscience
conscientious
conscious
definite(ly)
disappear
discipline
drunkenness
embarrass
equipment
exhilarate
exceed
existence
experience
fiery
foreign
fourth
gauge
generally
grammar
grateful
guarantee
harass
height
hierarchy
ignorance
immediate
independent
indispensable
intelligence
its / it's
judgement
knowledge
leisure
library
lightning
maintenance
manoeuvre
memento
millennium
miniature
mischievous
noticeable
occasion
occasionally
occur / occurred
occurrence
official
parallel
parliament
pastime
pigeon
possession
preferable
principal / principle
privilege
questionnaire
receive
recommend
referred
reference
relevant
religious
restaurant
ridiculous
rhythm
sandal
schedule
scissors
sensible
separate
special
success
to / too / two
tomorrow
their / they're / there
twelfth
tyranny
until
vacuum
vicious
weather
weird
you're / your
Content by: http://www.world-english.org/
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 6:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: Free topics, Grammar, vocabulary
Did you know that ...
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
A crocodile can't stick its tongue out.
A shrimp's heart is in their head.
When you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.
In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an ostrich buried its head in the sand or attempted to do so.
In the United States alone, there is a lawsuit every 30 seconds.
It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.
Rats and horses can't vomit.
The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die. If you keep your eyes open by force, they can pop out.
Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
If the U.S. government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16, 1969, make it illegal for US citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?
Forty percent of all people who come to a party in your home snoop in your medicine cabinet.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
100% of all lottery winners gain weight.
Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their buttocks.
In the course of an average lifetime you will, while sleeping, eat 70 assorted insects and 10 spiders.
160 cars can drive side by side on the Monumental Axis in Brazil, the world's widest road.
Most lipstick contains fish scales.
Cat's urine glows under a black-light.
A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
and last but not least...
Over 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbows!
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 5:23 AM 0 comments
Labels: Free topics, Fun, Jokes
TONGUE TWISTERS
Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.
A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.
Unique New York.
Betty Botter had some butter,
"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter--
that would make my batter better."
So she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
and she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter.
Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.
Is this your sister's sixth zither, sir?
A big black bug bit a big black bear,
made the big black bear bleed blood.
The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.
Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.
One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.
Pope Sixtus VI's six texts.
I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:57 AM 0 comments
Labels: Fun, Tongue Twisters
The Men's Guide to what a woman really means when she says.....
"We need" = "I want"
"It's your decision " = "The correct decision should be obvious by now."
"Do what you want" = "You'll pay for this later."
"Whatever" = "You'll pay for this later."
"Fine" = "You'll pay for this later."
"We need to talk" = "I need to complain"
"I'm not upset" = "Of course I'm upset, you moron!"
"You're so... manly" = "You need a shave and you sweat a lot."
"Be romantic, turn out the lights." = "I have flabby thighs."
"This kitchen is so inconvenient" = "I want a new house."
"I need wedding shoes" = "the other 40 pairs are the wrong shade of white."
"Hang the picture there" = "NO, I mean hang it there!"
"I heard a noise" = "I noticed you were almost asleep."
"Do you love me?" = "I'm going to ask for something expensive."
"How much do you love me?" = "I did something today you're really not going to like."
"I'll be ready in a minute " = "Kick off your shoes and find a good game on T.V."
"Is my butt fat?" = "Tell me I'm beautiful."
"You have to learn to communicate." = "Just agree with me."
"Are you listening to me!? " = "Too late, you're dead."
"Do you like this recipe?" = "It's easy to fix, so you'd better get used to it."
"I'm not yelling!" = "Yes I am yelling because I think this is important."
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:55 AM 0 comments
Excerpt from
1. "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."
Brooke Shields, said to demonstrate why she should become spokesperson for a federal antismoking
campaign
2. "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body."
Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward
3. "I support efforts to limit the terms of members of Congress, especially members of the House and members
of the Senate."
Vice-President Dan Quayle (surprise, surprise)
4. "Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."
Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, D.C.
5. "Are you any relation to your brother Marv?"
Leon Wood, New Jersey Nets guard, to Steve Albert,
6. "That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass--and I'm just the one to do it."
a congressional candidate in Texas
7. MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ONLY
sign outside Mexico City's Mandinga Disco in the Hotel Emporio
8. Wish -- To end all the killing in the world
Hobbies -- Hunting and fishing
from personal statistics of California Angel Bryan Harvey, flashed on the scoreboard at Anaheim Stadium
9. "The streets are safe in Philadelphia, it's only the people who make them unsafe."
Frank Rizzo, ex-police chief and mayor of Philadelphia
10. "After finding no qualified candidates for the position of principal,the school department is extremely
pleased to announce the appointment of David Steele to the post."
Philip Streifer, superintendent of schools, Barrington Rhode Island
11. "The doctors X-rayed my head and found nothing."
baseball great Dizzy Dean explaining how he felt after being hit on the head by a ball in the 1934 World Series
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:52 AM 0 comments
Spelling
To speak English well, you need grammar. To write English well, you need grammar, punctuation and spelling.
In Old England words were written as they sounded (phonetically) and so one word could often be spelt in many different ways. In addition English has adopted words from many other languages. Eventually spelling was standardised, and although many English words have irregular spellings there are some rules that can help you. Watch out though, for every rule there are always some exceptions! English has over 1,100 different ways to spell its 44 separate sounds, more than any other language.
How to Improve Your Spelling
Keep a notebook of words you find difficult to spell. Underline the part of the word that you find most difficult.
Use a dictionary, not a spell-checker! OK use a spell-checker, but don't rely on it. Spell-checkers don't check for meaning, the most common misspelt words I have seen on the net are there and their.
Learn words with their possible prefixes and suffixes.
Learn the rules, but don't rely on them. As I mentioned earlier for every rule there is at least one exception. For example:-
i before e except after c
One of the first English spelling rules learnt in most schools is "i before e except after c". This only works when the pronunciation of the word is like a long ee as in shield.
For example:-
piece, relief, niece, priest, thief
but after c
conceive, conceit, receive, receipt
when A or I is the sound
it's the other way round
with an 'a' sound - deign, eight, neighbour, feign, reign, vein, weight
with an 'i' sound either, feisty, height, neither, sleight
Exceptions:
seize, weird, conscientious, conscience, efficient . . .
Silent Letters
What is a silent letter?
A silent letter is a letter that must be included when you write the word even though you don't pronounce it. Over half the alphabet can appear as silent letters in words. They can be found at the beginning, end or middle of the words and, from the sound of the word, you wouldn't know that they were there.
For example:-
a - treadle, bread
b - lamb, bomb, comb
c - scissors, science, scent
d - edge, bridge, ledge
e - see below
h - honour, honest, school
k - know, knight, knowledge
l - talk, psalm, should
n - hymn, autumn, column
p - pneumatic, psalm, psychology
s - isle, island, aisle
t - listen, rustle, shistle
u - biscuit, guess, guitar
w - write, wrong, wrist
Silent
Silent e is the most commonly found silent letter in the alphabet.
There are some hard and fast rules for spelling when a word ends with a silent e.
When you wish to add a suffix to a word and it ends with a silent e, if the suffix begins with a consonant you don't need to change the stem of the word.
For example: force + ful =forceful
manage + ment =management
sincere + ly =sincerely
If however the suffix begins with a vowel or a y, drop the e before adding the suffix.
For example:
fame + ous =famous
nerve + ous =nervous
believable + y =believably
criticise + ism =criticism
Exceptions:
mileage, aggreeable
Prefixes and Suffixes
Adding a prefix to a word doesn't usually change the spelling of the stem of the word.
For example:-
anti + septic antiseptic
auto + biography autobiography
de - sensitize desensitize
dis - approve disapprove
im - possible impossible
inter - mediate intermediate
mega - byte megabyte
mis - take mistake
micro - chip microchip
re - used reused
un - available unavailable
Adding a suffix to a word often changes the spelling of the stem of the word. The following may help you work out the changes. Again there are exceptions, so if you're not sure - look it up in your dictionary.
Words ending in a consonant
When the suffix begins with a consonant, just add the ending without any changes.
For example:-
treat + ment treatment
Doubling the consonant
For most words with a short vowel sound, ending with a single consonant, double the consonant when adding a suffix that starts with a vowel, such as er, ed or ing.
For example:-
mop + ing mopping
big + est biggest
hot + er hotter
For words endling in l after a vowel, double the l before adding er, ed or ing.
For example:-
carol + ing carolling
travel + er travelling
Exceptions:
Some words ending in r, x, w or y are exceptions to the doubling rule
tear + ing tearing
blow + ing blowing
box + er boxer
know + ing knowing
And if your main word has two consonants at the end, or more than one vowel, don't double the consonant. rain + ing (two vowels a + i) raining
keep + er (two vowels e + e) keeper
break + ing (two vowels e + a) breaking
hang + er (two consonants n + g) hanger
Word Endings
Words ending in ce and ge
When you want to add a suffix starting with a or o leave the e in.
For example:-
manage + able manageable
notice + able noticeable
courage + ous courageous
Exceptions:
prestige + ous prestigious
Words ending in ie
When you want to add ing to verbs ending in ie, drop the e and change the i to a y.
For example:-
die - dying
lie - lying
tie - tying
Words ending in y after a consonant
When you want to add suffixes such -as, -ed, -es, -er, -eth, -ly, -ness, -ful and -ous to a word ending in y after a consonant, change the y to an i before adding the suffix.
For example:-
eighty + eth eightieth
duty + es duties
lazy + ness laziness
mystery +ous mysterious
beauty + ful beautiful
multiply + ed multiplied
busy + ly busily
Words ending in y after a vowel
Keep the y when adding suffixes such as er, ing or ed.
For example:-
destroy destroying destroyed
pry prying pried
buy buying buyer
play playing player
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:49 AM 0 comments
Labels: Grammar
Test how polite you are
please choose the polite answer for these questions:
1. Can you please help me?
a One second. I'll be right with you.
b-Wait. I'm on the phone, sir.
c-Wait a little bit.
2. Do you work here?
a Yes.
b-Yes, how can I help you?
c-What, do you need help?
3. I think we need some extra blankets.
a- It's not that cold is it?
b-I'm a little busy now. Come back later.
c-I'll get some sent up to your room.
4. Can you call me a taxi?
a-Certainly. Your name, please?
b-Your name. I need to know your name.
c-Name?
5. This room is pretty small!
a-Yes, they're like that.
b-Too small for you? Too bad, we don't have any other rooms available, sir.
c-Unfortunately, we don't have anything bigger right now.
6. I always stay at your hotel when I'm in town.
a-Oh, I see.
b-Thank you. We appreciate your business.
c-You realize that this is a good hotel.
7. One of my lamps isn't working.
a-I'll get someone to take a look at it.
b-What would you like me to do about it?
c-What do you want me to do about it?
8. Where is the entrance to the (hotel) restaurant?
a-Under the sign that says "restaurant."
b-It's right there to your right.
c-Turn to the right.
9. Hi, I have a reservation. My name is Robert McAlister.
a-Spelling?
b-OK... How do you spell you last name?
c-Spelled how?
10. My air conditioner is broken.
a-It is? It was fine this morning.
b-Did you break it, sir?
c-I'll have someone look at it as soon as possible.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:27 AM 0 comments
Labels: Challenging, Commercial English
FUNNY ENGLISH
Attempts At English
Here are some signs and notices written in English that were discovered throughout the world. You have to give the writers an 'E' for Effort. We hope you enjoy them.
In a Tokyo Hotel:
Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing please not to read notice.
In a Bucharest hotel lobby:
The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.
In a Leipzig elevator:
Do not enter lift backwards, and only when lit up.
In a Belgrade hotel elevator:
To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.
In a Paris hotel elevator:
Please leave your values at the front desk.
In a hotel in Athens:
Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.
In a Yugoslavian hotel:
The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.
In a Japanese hotel:
You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.
In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from Russian Orthodox monastery:
You are welcome to visit the cemetary where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.
In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers:
Not to perambulate the corridors during the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.
On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.
On the menu of a Polish hotel:
Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion.
Outside a Hong Kong tailer shop:
Ladies may have a fit upstairs.
In a Bangkok dry cleaners:
Drop your trousers here for best results.
Outside a Paris dress shop:
Dresses for street walking.
In a Rhodes tailor shop:
Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.
From the Soviet Weekly:
There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 150,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.
A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest:
It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.
In a Zurich hotel:
Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.
In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:
Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.
In a Rome laundry:
Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.
In a Czechoslovakin tourist agency:
Take one of our horse-driven city tours - we guarantee no miscarriages.
Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand:
Would you like to ride on your own ass?
In a Swiss mountain inn:
Special today -- no ice cream.
In a Bangkok temple:
It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed as a man.
In a Tokyo bar:
Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.
In a Copenhagen airline ticket office:
We take your bags and send them in all directions.
On the door of a Moscow hotel room:
If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.
In a Norwegian cocktail lounge:
Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
In a Budapest zoo:
Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.
In the office of a Roman doctor:
Specialist in women and other diseases.
In an Acapulco hotel:
The manager has personally passed all the water served here.
In a Tokyo shop:
Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in the long run.
From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner:
Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.
From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo:
When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
Two signs from a Mojorcan shop entrance:
- English well speaking
- Here speeching American.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:25 AM 0 comments
Idioms
About time:
Nearly time, high time. "It's about time you bought a new car!"
Absence makes the heart grow fonder:
Proverb that means that our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them.
(To) act high and mighty:
To act proudly and arrogantly.
Actions speak louder than words:
Proverb meaning that's it's better to do something about a problem than to talk about it.
(To) act one's age:
To behave in a more mature way. Frequently said to a child or teen. ex. "Bill, stop throwing rocks! Act your age!"
(To) add fuel to the fire:
To make a bad problem even worse.
(To) add insult to injury:
To make a bad situation even worse.
Against the clock:
To attempt to do something "against the clock" is to attempt to do something as fast as possible usually before a deadline.
All-out:
Complete. Very strong. "They did an all-out search for the missing boy and they found him."
All set:
Ready (to go). "All set?"
All thumbs:
Awkward. Clumsy.
A little bird told me:
When someone says "a little bird told me" it means they don't want you to know who told them.
All in a day's work:
Typical. Normal. Expected. ex. "Talking to famous celebrities is all in a day's work for some Hollywood reporters."
(From) all walks of life:
(From) all social, economic, and ethnic groups. ex. "People from all walks of life voted for him, but he still lost the presidential election."
Apple of someone's eye:
Someone's favorite person (and sometimes thing). ex. "Sarah was the apple of Tom's eye for quite a long time. He was very much in love with her."
Armed to the teeth:
Heavily armed. ex. "The rebels were armed to the teeth."
At all hours (of the night):
Very late at night, throughout the night. ex. "Her boyfriend would call her at all hours of the night."
At each other's throats:
Fighting or arguing heavily. ex. "They were at each other's throats. The arguments never stopped."
At this stage:
At this point. ex. "At this stage, it's difficult to say who will win the election."
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:23 AM 0 comments
Labels: Idioms
Amusing Proverbs
Fools rush in where fools have been before.
To avoid duplication, make three copies.
It's called "take home" pay because you can't afford to go anywhere else with it.
Success is relative—the greater the success, the more relatives.
Anyone can be a winner—unless, of course, there's a second entry.
The slower you work, the fewer mistakes you make.
If Murphy's Law can go wrong, it will.
If at first you succeed, try to hide your astonishment.
You must have learned from others' mistakes. You haven't had time to think all those up yourself.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
People like criticism—just keep it positive and flattering.
It's OK to let your mind go blank, but please turn off the sound.
Worry kills more people than work because more people worry than work.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
When you're getting kicked from behind, that means you're in front.
Misers aren't much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors.
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
The real reason you can't take it with you is that it goes before you do.
Junk is something you throw away three weeks before you need it.
Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were.
The world is full of willing people—some willing to work and some willing to let them.
Some people are like blisters. They don't show up until the work is done.
A babysitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Most people deserve each other.
All the good ones, no matter what it is, are taken.
The one who snores will fall asleep first.
The length of a marriage is inversely proportional to the amount of money spent on the wedding.
The gifts you buy your spouse are never as good and apropos as the gifts your neighbor buys their spouse.
Never get overly excited about a man/woman by just the way they look from behind.
If you help a relative in need they will remember you the next time they are in need.
The probability of meeting someone you know increases greatly when you are out with someone you do not want to be seen with
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:21 AM 0 comments
Possessive Adjectives
Possesive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession.
Subject pronoun Possessive adjective
I my
you your
he his
she her
it its
we our
they their
For example:
I own this website. = This is my website.
You own this computer (I presume). = It is your computer.
Possessive Adjectives
A possessive adjective modifies a noun to show ownership.
For example:-
I'm Lynne.
My name's Lynne.
Possessive adjectives go before their nouns.
Lynne is my name.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:16 AM 0 comments
Labels: Grammar
Comparative
A) We use than after comparatives(older than .../ more expensive than ... etc.):
İstanbul is older than Rome
Are oranges more expensive than bananas?
It's easier to phone than to write a letter.
"How are you today?" Not bad. Better than yesterday.
The restaurant is more crowded than usual.
B) We say: than me / than him / than her / than us / than them. You can say:
I can run faster than him. or I can faster than he can.
You are a better singer than me. or You are a better singer than i am.
I got up earlier than her. or I got up earlier than she did.
C) more less than ...
A: How much did your shoes cost? $30?
B: No, more than that. (=more than $30)
The film was very short - less than an hour.
They've got more money than they need.
You go out more than me.
D) a bit older / much older etc.
A
B
C
D
Box A is a bit bigger than box B. Box C is much bigger than box D.
Canada is much bigger than France.
Jill is a bit older than Gary - she's 25 and he's 241/2
The hotel was much more expensive than I expected.
You go out much more than me.
-------------------------------------------------------PART 2 --------------------------------------------------------
When we compare two things or people we look at what makes them different from each other.
For example:
Examples:
The man on the left is taller than the man on the right. A car is faster than a bicycle.
Comparative adjectives are used to show what quality one thing has more or less than the other. They normally come before any other adjectives.
For example:
The red bag is bigger than the blue bag.
The rule for forming the comparative is any one syllable adjective add -er to the end. Any longer adjective (two syllables or more) use more in front of the adjective.
For example:
"Mount Everest is higher than Mount Snowdon.", 'high' is a short (one syllable) word.
"Arguably, Rome is more beautiful than Paris.", beautiful is a long word, (when comparing two things like this we put than between the adjective and the thing being compared).
The following adjectives are exceptions to this rule:
'good' becomes 'better'
'bad' becomes 'worse'
'far' becomes 'farther' or 'further'
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:15 AM 0 comments
Labels: Grammar
IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH READING SKILLS
Make a habit of reading regularly. Read as many English books, newspapers and magazines as you can find. Again this should be fun so make sure the texts you choose are not too too difficult for you. If the book or article you are reading is a chore, then find something easier. You could even try reading graded books written especially for ESL learners.
Find an author you like and read all their books. By doing this you will get used to the style of a particular author and the typical vocabulary and grammar they use. As you read more of his/her books you will find it easier and easier.
If you have a local library find out if they stock English books or if they have bilingual editions of English classics. Or ask them to stock English translations of books you are already familiar with.
Try reading things more than once. Read something and then read it again a few weeks/months later. You should find your understanding has improved.
Discuss what you have read. I am more than happy to discuss books with you on the forum.
Learning Tip - don't try to understand every word. Try to understand the overall meaning of a sentence or passage.
Learning Tip - don't translate - only use a dictionary if a word keeps appearing in a text and you still don't understand it.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:13 AM 0 comments
Labels: reading
999 call
Three men chased a mugger into East Putney station, London, after he punched and kicked an elderly woman, but were turned back at the barrier because they had no tickets, it was stated at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
They were refused use of a telephone to call the police, so they bought platform tickets, went into the station and caught the attacker, a youth of 17. One of the pursuers had to go outside to make a 999 call.
Mr Justice Melford Stevenson said the incident deserved to be brought to the attention of the railway authorities. He sent the mugger to jail for five years.
Terry Tailor earlier had admitted assaulting Mrs Margaret Percy, aged 67, with intent to rob her.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 4:08 AM 0 comments
Labels: reading
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
ALLAH knows what is best for us
ALLAH knows what is best for us
So why should we complain
We always want the sunshine
But He knows there must be rain
We always want laughter
and the merriment of cheer
but our heart will lose
their tenderness
If we never shed a tear
ALLAH tests us often
with suffering and sorrow
He tests us not to punish us
but to help us meet tomorrow
For growing trees are strenghtened
if they can withstand the storm
and the sharpness of the chisel
gave the marble its grace and form
ALLAH tests us often
and for every pain
He gives us
provided we are patient
Is followed by rich gain
So whenever we feel that
everything is going wrong
It is just ALLAH'S way to make our spirit strong
Posted by WINLIN at 4:27 PM 0 comments
Labels: reading
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Credit crunch!
Here are some common words and phrases to talk about problems in the economy.
Credit crunch = when borrowing money (from banks) becomes harder to get and more expensive.
(In the present credit crisis, banks stopped lending to other banks, then stopped lending to their customers, which means that there is now a shortage of credit and no more cheap credit).
Economic terms
The Central Banks and Finance ministers are trying to decide whether to inject more money into the financial markets (places where stocks or commodities for example are bought and sold). (Read an in-depth definition of financial markets.)
Many people now believe that we are now heading towards a downturn / recession / depression / financial crisis. Apart from the credit crunch, there are other signs that our economy might slide into recession, such as rising inflation and an increased cost of living. The government may respond by cutting interest rates (to bring down the rate of inflation).
To compound the misery (=make things worse), falling house prices mean some home owners face negative equity.
Overall, the forecast is pessimistic or gloomy.
Personal finances
High street banks (see our page on banking vocabulary) lend money to customers in the form of loans (such as car loans or personal loans) or in the form of mortgages to buy houses.
Sub prime mortgages, now often referred to as toxic mortgages, were sold to people with poor credit ratings. It is a combination of this type of risky lending, falling house prices and high interest rates which led to defaults on mortgage payments and foreclosures (=repossession). This in turn triggered the global financial crisis.
A number of banks have already gone bust or have been nationalised (= bought by the government) who try to reassure customers that their savings accounts are safe. In the UK, the government has announced that all savings accounts are guaranteed up to a threshold of £50,000. However, consumer confidence is low.
Unemployment
People worry about losing their jobs, or being made redundant. Some industries are cutting their workforce, and laying off staff. These job losses / job cuts / redundancies mean that there will be more claimants (for unemployment benefit) - or more people on the dole. (dole = unemployment benefit).
Phrases
weather the storm = survive bad times
be in good shape (the economy is in good shape) = to be strong
live beyond your means = not have enough money for your spending (so you need to borrow it)
pay the price = pay for your mistakes
foot the bill = pay for someone else
at rock bottom = to be so low you cannot go any further down
in free fall = keep falling without anything stopping the fall
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 10:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
House and home vocabulary
People in Britain often talk about their homes: their mortgages, the interest rates, and rising property prices. Here's a guide to some of the words and phrases you might come across.
Your dream home
It's a good idea in the UK to arrange a mortgage with a bank before you start looking. This is when the bank tells you how much money they will lend you so you have a good idea of how much you can afford.
The next step is to go to an estate agent (= a company which represents buyers and sellers of properties) to see what sort of properties they have available in your budget range and in your area. If you see something you like, the estate agent will arrange for you to view the property, so that you can see the house or flat for yourself.
If you see something that takes your eye, you put in an offer. The vendor (seller) can accept or decline this offer, and if the vendor accepts it, you can move forward with the sale. However, as you don't pay any money at this point, the offer isn't legally binding, and in theory, you can pull out of the offer at any time that you like.
Your next step will probably be to get a structural survey done. A qualified surveyor will inspect the house and write a report that illustrates any structural problems, like damp or drainage problems.
If you still want to go ahead with the sale, you need to appoint a solicitor (a lawyer) to do the conveyancing (= the legal paperwork.) If you already own a house, you might also be busy trying to sell it. Many house owners prefer to sell to first time buyers (those people who don't already own a home), as they are not in a chain (=waiting for other people to buy their house before they can buy their next house).
Finally, once the contracts are signed and exchanged, you complete on your house. You get the keys and you can move in whenever you want. Then you might want to throw a house-warming party. Congratulations!
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 10:10 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
English vocabulary for the kitchen
Some people have a fitted kitchen, where all the kitchen units have been bought together, and they are assembled according to a plan. Other people have a kitchen where the units are free-standing: not necessarily bought together at one time.
In a kitchen you are likely to find cupboards (or cabinets), either at floor level, or at eye level. In the eye level cupboards you will probably find dry goods (such as flour, sugar, rice, pasta, spices) and maybe glasses and crockery (plates, bowls etc). In the floor level cupboards you might find pots and pans: saucepans for cooking pasta etc; frying pans for frying food; baking tins and roasting tins for cooking food in the oven; and serving dishes made from glass or china. You could also find other kitchen implements such as a blender (= food processor) and kitchen scales (for measuring and weighing food). Often the top part of a floor level cupboard has a drawer, where various items are kept, such as cutlery (knives, forks and spoons); aluminium foil (metal paper), cling film (thin plastic wrap), freezer bags, and other kitchen items such as a bread knife, tin opener, corkscrew (to open bottles of wine), potato peeler (to take the skin off potatoes), a rolling pin (to roll out pastry) and so on.
On the top of the floor level cupboards you often find a worktop or work surface, where you can prepare food. These surfaces are sometimes made of marble, or hard wood, and they can be easily cleaned. Some people keep a toaster or microwave on the work surfaces, along with things they need frequently, such as oil, salt, or various sauces.
Most kitchens also contain a cooker with an oven and four rings, (although some modern cookers are split level, where the oven is separate from the rings), a fridge-freezer, and perhaps a dishwasher or even a washing machine. You'll probably find a kitchen sink, where you wash the plates and dishes, and larger kitchens also contain a kitchen table and chairs, so you can eat in the same room.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 10:07 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
English bedroom vocabulary
English words connected with the bedroom.
Bedrooms come in all shapes and sizes. You can find bedrooms which contain just a single bed, or those which have a double bed (bed which is big enough for two people), or even twin beds (two single beds side by side). Some people choose to sleep in a futon (a Japanese bed which is low on the ground) and some people who like luxury might have a four-poster (a bed which has four posts - one in each corner - and from which you can hang curtains or mosquito nets). When children share a bedroom, they might sleep in bunk beds, where there is one bed on top of the other. The upper bunk is reached by a small ladder.
On your bed, you'll have at least one sheet (normally in cotton, but in a variety of colours or patterns), and you normally lie on top of this sheet. Some people also have a sheet over them, with blankets (made from wool) to keep them warm. Alternatively, you can replace the top sheet and blankets with a duvet (a warm, but lightweight quilt). You're likely to sleep with your head on a pillow, which is often filled with feathers. Pillows are normally put inside a cotton pillow case, and the duvet is also put inside a cotton duvet cover. If it gets really cold, you can also have a quilt or eiderdown over your blankets. Some people also have an electric blanket that they use to warm up the bed. In England, many people use a hot water bottle (a flat rubber bag that you fill with hot water then seal) to put into the bed to warm it up.
As well as a bed, you're likely to have other furniture in your bedroom, such as a chest of drawers (a piece of furniture with several drawers to put clothes in); a wardrobe, which is a piece of furniture with doors where you can hang shirts, trousers, or skirts and dresses on clothes hangers; and a bedside table, which is a small table next to the bed. On the bedside table, you might have a bedside light and an alarm clock. Some people also have a dressing table, which is a small table that you sit in front of, with a mirror to see your reflection in when you do your hair or make-up, and a couple of drawers. Other people might have their mirror on their chest of drawers, as well a hair brush and even a clothes brush (a special brush that you use to clean jackets and shirts).
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 10:05 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
Talking about your family
English Vocabulary for talking about your family.
Your family tree
Your closest relatives are your parents: your mother and father; and your siblings (brothers or sisters). If your mother or father is not an only child, you also have aunts and / or uncles. An aunt is the sister of your mother or father, while an uncle is the brother of your mother or father. Your female child is called your daughter, and your male child is your son.
If your aunts or uncles have children, they are your first cousins. (In English, the word cousin is used, whether the cousin is female or male.) Your female cousin is your mother (or father's) niece, while a male cousin is the nephew of your mother and father.
In-laws
When you marry, your husband (or wife's) family become your in-laws. The mother of your spouse (husband or wife) is your mother-in-law and his or her father becomes your father-in-law. The term in-law is also used to describe your relationship with the spouses of your siblings. So the husband of your sister becomes your brother-in-law, while the sister of your husband becomes your sister-in-law. If you are a woman, you become the daughter-in-law of your husband's parents, and if you are a man, you become the son-in-law of your wife's parents. The same term in-law is used for all generations. The husband of your aunt is still your mother's brother-in-law, for example.
Grandparents / grandchildren
The parents of your parents are your grandparents - grandmother and grandfather. You are their grandchildren - either a granddaughter or a grandson. If your grandparent has a sister, she is your great-aunt. If your grandparent has a brother, he is your great-uncle. (And you are either his or her great-niece or great-nephew.)
The mother of your grandmother or grandfather is your great-grandmother. The father is your great-grandfather. If you go back another generation, the grandmother of your grandmother / grandfather is your great-great-grandmother. The grandfather of your grandparent becomes your great-great-grandfather.
Second families
If your mother or father remarries, you can acquire a new family and set of relatives. For example, if your father marries a second wife, she becomes your step-mother. Any children she already has become your step-sisters or step-brothers.
If your mother or father remarries and has children, they become your half-brothers or half-sisters.
You might also hear people talking about their biological brother / sister etc, to mean a brother who is related by blood, rather than by marriage.
Types of family
nuclear family = mother, father and children: "The traditional British family unit is a nuclear family."
single-parent / one-parent family = a family which only has one parent (because the parents are divorced, or because one of the parents has died): "There are more and more single-parent families in the UK."
immediate family = your closest relatives: "Only immediate family members attended the funeral."
extended family = your entire family: "The wedding invitations were sent to the entire extended family."
close-knit family = a family where the members have close relationships with each other: "They are a close-knit family."
dysfunctional family = a family where the members have serious problems with each other: "He comes from a rather dysfunctional family."
blood relative = a relative connected to you by "blood" rather than through marriage: "She's not a blood relative, but we're still very close."
Expressions with family
family gathering = a meeting / celebration of family members: "There's a small family gathering next week."
family resemblance = where members of the family look / act similar: "You can see a distinct family resemblance between the father and the son."
to start a family = to start having children: "They want to wait a couple of years before starting a family."
to run in the family = a characteristic that is common among family members: "Baldness runs in his family."
to bring up / raise a family = to have and look after children: "It's difficult to raise a family on one income."
a family car = a car big enough to transport a family: "The Volvo Estate is a popular family car."
family-size = large quantity item: "We need to buy family-size packets of biscuits!"
family-friendly = a policy that favours families: "This hotel is family-friendly."
family doctor = a doctor who looks after general medical needs: "There are a number of good family doctors in this area."
family man = a man who prefers to spend his time with his family: "John is a family man."
family values = traditional ideas about what a family should be: "Some political parties often emphasise family values and the importance of marriage."
family name = surname: "What's your family name?"
Describing family relationships
Children often quarrel with each other, and these arguments - or squabbles - are often quickly resolved. In fact, sibling rivalry (the competition between brothers and sisters) is quite common.
More seriously, if arguments continue into adulthood, family feuds can develop where both sides can end up hating each other and even trying to hurt or destroy each other.
A person who no longer speaks to a family member is estranged from his / her family. Often estrangement is voluntary. However, if parents decide they no longer want anything to do with their children, they cut them off (= break off communiation), or even disinherit them. (Decide not to leave them anything when they die.)
Most people feel loyalty to their family, and will defend family members saying "He / She's family". There's also a saying "Blood's thicker than water" which means that your family ties are stronger than any other relationships.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 10:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
Describing people in English
There are many ways to talk about physical appearance.
Age
My grandfather is quite old. In fact, as he has a pension, he is an old age pensioner, or a senior citizen.
His daughter, my aunt, is 55, and middle-aged. She has three sons. One is a young adult, at 24 years of age, and the other two are both teenagers. They are 16 and 17. My sister also has two children - one toddler who is a two-year old, and a baby who is 6 months old.
Build
People are built in all shapes and sizes. There are those who are fat and overweight. Some people are extremely overweight and are obese. Other people are naturally slim, but others look have absolutely no fat on them and are thin, or skinny.
Personally, I am stocky - small, but well-built. My father is tall and lean - with very little fat. My sister is short, but wiry - she is quite thin, but muscular. Both my brothers are athletic and well-proportioned. My mother looks like a 1940's film star. She is curvaceous, with an hour-glass figure.
My grandfather is fit for his age and takes plenty of exercise. He doesn't want all his muscles to get flabby.
Colouring
My sister is an English rose - she has fair hair and fair skin. She doesn't tan easily and has to be careful in the sun. My mother is blonde, also with a fair complexion. I am a red-head - with red hair. Like many other people with a pale complexion, I get freckles from the sun - small brown dots on my face and arms. In contrast, my father has dark-brown hair and he is quite dark-skinned. You are born with a colour - white or Caucasian, black or Asian. People whose parents are of different ethnic origin are mixed-race. Southern Europeans are sometimes described as Mediterranean.
Face
Faces, like build, vary a lot. Some people have oval faces - their foreheads are much wider than their chins. Other people have heart-shaped, square or round faces.
Features also vary. My grandfather has bushy eyebrows (he has lots of hair!), a hooked nose and high cheekbones. His eyes are large and set quite far apart. My mother has a broad nose, which she hates, as she prefers narrow noses. But she is lucky to have even or regular teeth. My sister corrected her crooked teeth by wearing a brace which straightened them. She has rosy cheeks, small ears and a snub nose, which goes up at the end.
I have long, curly hair, though my sister is the opposite, with short, straight hair. Her hair is fine and doesn't weigh very much, but mine is thick and heavy. My mother's hair is wavy - in between straight and curly. It's cut in a bob and she also has a short fringe, where it is cut horizontally across her forehead. My father is losing his hair - in fact he is going bald, which makes him very sad. My brother looks like he is going to lose his hair too - it is receding.
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 9:58 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
English words for emotions
The A-Z of English words that describe emotions.
A
angry: "She was angry with her boss for criticising her work."
annoyed: "I'm very annoyed with him. He hasn't returned any of my calls."
"She was annoyed by his comments."
appalled = very shocked: "They were appalled to hear that they would lose their jobs."
apprehensive = slightly worried: "I felt a little apprehensive before my interview."
ashamed: "How could you say such a thing? You should be ashamed of yourself!"
at the end of your tether = completely fed up: "The children have been misbehaving all day - I'm at the end of my tether."
B
bewildered = very confused: "He was bewildered by the choice of computers in the shop."
betrayed = when someone breaks the trust you have in them: "He betrayed my trust when he repeated my secret to everyone."
C
confused: "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday - I was confused about the dates."
confident = sure of your abilities: "I'm confident that we can find a solution to this problem."
cheated = when you don't get something that you think you deserve: "Of course I feel cheated - I should have won that competition."
cross = quite angry: "I was cross with him for not helping me, as he said he would."
D
depressed = very sad: "After he failed his English exam, he was depressed for a week."
delighted = very happy: "I'm delighted that I got the job. It's just what I always wanted."
down in the dumps = sad and fed up: "What's the matter with him? He's so down in the dumps these days."
disappointed: "She was disappointed by her son's poor results at school."
E
ecstatic = extremely happy: "When he asked her to marry him she was ecstatic."
excited: "I'm excited by the new opportunities that the internet brings."
emotional = you have strong feelings (happy or sad) and you cry: "When he heard the news, he became quite emotional."
envious = when you want something that someone else has: "I'm very envious of her happiness - I wish I was happy too."
embarrassed = slightly ashamed: "I felt so embarrassed that I went bright red."
F
furious =very angry: "I was furious with him for breaking my favourite vase."
frightened: "As a child she was frightened of the dark."
G
great = very good: "I feel great today!"
H
happy: "She was happy to hear the good news."
horrified = very shocked: "I'm horrified by the amount of violence on television today."
I
irritated = annoyed: "I get so irritated when he changes TV channels without asking me first."
intrigued = being so interested in something you have to find out more: "I'm intrigued to hear about your safari in Kenya."
J
jealous = envious: "She was jealous of her sister's new toy."
jaded = tired and having no interest: "After 10 years at this company, I just feel jaded."
K
keen: "I'm keen to see your new house - I've heard lots about it."
"I'm keen on keeping fit."
L
lazy: "I can't be bothered to do anything today - I feel really lazy!"
lucky: "I'm going to play the lottery - I feel lucky today!"
let down = disappointed: "When you didn't turn up to the meeting, I felt really let down."
M
maternal = feeling like a mother: "Looking at my sister's new baby made me feel really maternal."
N
nonplussed = so surprised that you don't know what to do next: "I was so nonplussed by his announcement that I couldn't say anything."
negative = when you can only see the disadvantages: "I feel very negative about my job - the pay is awful."
O
overwhelmed = so much emotion that you don't know what to say or do: "I was overwhelmed by the offer of promotion at work."
over the moon = delighted: "She was over the moon with her new bicycle and rode it every day for a whole year."
P
positive = opposite of negative - seeing the good side of something: "She's a very positive person and never lets anything get her down."
positive = very sure: "Are you sure that's what you want? Yes - I'm positive."
R
relaxed: "I was completely relaxed after I came back from holiday."
reluctant = when you don't want to do something: "I'm reluctant to buy a new car - the one we have is fine."
S
seething = extremely angry, but hiding it: "She was seething after her boss criticised her."
sad: "It makes me sad to see all those animals in cages at the zoo."
scared = frightened: "Are you scared of heights?"
stressed = being worried or anxious about something so you can't relax: "I feel really stressed at work - I need a break."
"He was stressed out by all the travelling in his job."
T
terrific = fantastic: "I feel terrific today!"
terrible = ill or tired: "I've got a blinding headache and I feel terrible."
terrified = very scared: "She's terrified of spiders and screams whenever she sees one."
tense = not relaxed: "You look a bit tense. Did you have a bad day at work?"
U
upset = angry or unhappy: "I'm sorry you're upset - I didn't mean to be rude."
unhappy = sad: "I was unhappy to hear that I hadn't got the job."
V
victimised = to feel you are the victim of someone or something: "My boss kept criticising me and not the others, so I felt quite victimised."
W
wonderful = great: "I felt wonderful after such a relaxing weekend."
Posted by Learn English Today And Talk To The World at 9:56 PM 0 comments
Labels: vocabulary
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