There was once a woman who lived in a tiny cottage which had a beautiful garden. She was very happy tending her garden, but over time she became sad. She had no children who could share her garden with her. She decided to ask the old witch in her village for her help. When the woman explained that she wanted a child, the old witch thought for a moment. Then she pulled a tiny bag out of a pocket in her cloak. "Plant these wildflower seeds and look after them. Soon you will have your wish." The woman was overjoyed that the witch had given her a solution to her problem. She took the seeds home with her. The next day, she planted them in a sunny corner of her garden. It was the prettiest spot that she could find. She watered and watched over the seeds every day. Soon, tiny green sprouts began to poke up out of the ground. Before long, the sprouts grew and blossomed into a beautiful patch of wildflowers. In the corner of the wildflower patch grew a single, beautiful tulip. Its deep pink petals were closed up tightly. The flower was so lovely that the woman could not resist bending down to smell it. As she knelt in front of the flower, its petals suddenly opened. The woman was amazed to find a tiny girl sitting inside. She wore a tulip petal for a dress and had long, gleaming hair. "You are the most beautiful child I have ever seen! And you are hardly even as big as my thumb. Would you like to stay with me in my garden? asked the woman. "Oh, yes!" replied the girl. "I will call you Thumbelina," said the woman. At home, she made Thumbelina a tiny bed out of an acorn shell. Thumbelina slept soundly under rose petal blankets. She and her mother lived very happily in the garden the whole summer long. She loved to play in the little pond in the middle of the garden, so her mother made her a tiny boat out of a maple leaf. She rowed around the pond using two blades of grass for oars. Her mother sat by the side of the pond and read stories to her while she played. Sometimes, Thumbelina sang as she rowed. She had the most beautiful, silvery voice that her mother always loved to hear. One day, a frog was hopping by the garden pond. Her heard Thumbelinas's beautiful voice. When he saw the tiny girl rowing her maple leaf boat, he said, "What a lovely creature! I must take her away to my lily pad to be my wife
In the yard, the Captain whispered to his men, "Wait until you hear my signal. Then leave your barrels and storm the house." Morgiana helped Ali Baba's family feed their guest. She thought it strange that a man would arrive so early for market, but the oil merchant seemed very polite. After everyone had gone to bed, Morgiana finished cleaning up. Her lamp ran out of oil. She thought she'd have to finish cleaning in the dark until she remembered the barrels of oil in the yard. She walked up to a barrel. A voice whispered, "Is it time?" Morgiana sensed danger. She answered in a deep voice, "Not yet, but soon." Then, gathering some hay around each barrel, Morgiana lit the hay with a torch. The 39 cowardly thieves coughed from the smoke. They popped out from their barrels and ran away to keep from getting burned. The Captain of Thieves made his signal, but none of his men moved. Something had gone wrong again. The Captain returned to the cave to find his 39 robbers gone. Now on his own, the thief decided he would have to use all his cunning to plan his revenge. it would take time, too. The Captain dressed as a shop owner, went into town, and took up lodgings at an inn. He opened a shop across the road from Ali Baba's shop. The Captain pretended to be somebody else for many months. He waited in this disguise until just the right moment. After a while, Ali Baba invited the newest shop owner over for dinner. The Captain accepted and brought a basket of fine goods. He smiled as he met Ali Baba and his family. Even though he was polite, the Captain carried a dagger in his belt which was intended for Ali Baba and his son. Morgiana saw the dagger first. She then recognized the man as the oil merchant who had threatened Ali's household. Morgiana quickly came up with a plan. She wore long, flowing scarves, then entered the dining room to dance for the guest. Morgiana danced close to the Captain. Stepping behind him, she wrapped a scarf lightly around his arms then pulled hard. He could not move. "What are you doing?" Ali Baba cried. "This man is our guest." "He is your enemy," she exclaimed. "He has a dagger!" At that, Ali Baba's son took the dagger, and the Captain of Thieves was sent directly to prison. "I owe you my life, Morgiana," Ali Baba said. "Please marry my son and join our family." Morgiana agreed and they celebrated with a splendid wedding.
By now, Ali Baba had opened the shop which he had always dreamed about. He was a fair and generous shop owner. He was happy, his family had plenty, and every neighbor was his friend. Ali Baba hired a helper named Morgiana. She was a very clever and beautiful young lady. She enjoyed her work at the shop. And Morgiana cared for Ali Baba and his family very much. One day, a stranger came calling at the shop. He asked Morgiana many questions about the owner. The odd stranger's questions worried Morgiana. She vowed to keep a watchful eye on the shop. The stranger was really a thief in disguise. The thief returned to the robber's cave to report back to the Captain. "His name is Ali Baba, Captain," said the thief. "He lives behind his new shop in town. He was a poor woodcutter only a few weeks ago." "Go back there at nightfall," the Captain ordered. "Mark his house with this white chalk, and later, I will take 20 men to the marked house and finish him." As he was told, the thief crept in the shadows to mark Ali Baba's home. Little did he know that clever Morgiana had spotted him. As the thief marked the door, she followed with white chalk, too, and marked all the doors. When the Captain and his 20 thieves arrived later that night, they found every door was marked. They did not know which house to attack, so they crept away in shame. Their leader was angry and said, "Who will get this right?" One brave thief stepped forward. "Here is some red chalk," the Captain offered. "Mark the door, and I will lead 30 men to storm Ali Baba's home."The thief did as he was told, but again Morgiana played her trick on the Captain and his 30 thieves. The Captain decided to use all his power against Ali Baba. The Forty Thieves gathered together and made a plan. The Captain would disguise himself as an oil merchant. He would lead a train of mules that carried 39 barrels. The thieves would hide inside the barrels and await their Captain's signal. It was a great plan. Early that night, they arrived at Ali Baba's shop. "I have brought some oil to sell at market tomorrow," the Captain lied. "But tonight I need a place to stay and I have a lot of cargo. Will you take me in?" Ali Baba was as generous as usual. "Of course you can stay here," he replied. "Leave your cargo in the back. There is hay there for the mules. Then come in for dinner."
In a town in Persia there lived a man called Ali Baba. He was a poor woodcutter, and he struggled each day to feed his wife and children. All he ever wanted was to own a shop in the town, sell goods to his neighbors, and have plenty for his family. One day Ali Baba was cutting wood in the forest. He saw a troop of men on horseback approaching. Ali Baba thought these men were robbers, so he climbed a tree to hide. Ali Baba counted 40 men. He wondered whether this could be the band of Forty Thieves he had heard so much about, the robbers that all of Persia feared. Their leader got off his horse and stepped around a bush towards a large rock wall. The powerful man faced the wall, and Ali Baba clearly heard him shout, "Open, Sesame!" A door opened in the rock wall! The door revealed a secret opening to a cave. The leader of the thieves stepped in, and the other robbers followed him. Ali Baba waited until the thieves filed out from the cave. The Captain closed the door, saying, "Shut, Sesame!" Then the thieves rode away. When he was sure they were gone, Ali Baba stepped toward the rock and shouted, "Open, Sesame!" And the door opened for him just as miraculously as it had for the Captain of Thieves. Ali Baba stepped through the threshold to find a large room, filled at every inch with all sorts of valuables, so brilliant with gold, silver, and jewels that Ali Baba had to squint. He feared the robbers might soon return. He quickly gathered as much gold as he could carry. Ali Baba remembered to say, "Shut, Sesame!" when he left the cave. Ali Baba did not notice that a single gold coin dropped from his cloak to the base of the bush that covered the secret door. The Captain of Thieves caught sight of the coin glimmering in the sunlight one day. He was very angry. "How could you drop this and risk revealing our hiding place?" he shouted at his 39 companions. "But, Master," the thieves said, "we know that the punishment for such a mistake is severe. Surely, none of us has done this." "Then we have been discovered," the Captain growled. He paced for several minutes with the thieves waiting anxiously for him to speak. Then he announced, "We must learn who has just become rich in town. That man and all his famiily must die!"
The minister saw the odd procession and cried out at the three sisters, "Have you no shame, girls? Why are you running after the boy? It's just not right!" He tried to pull the youngest girl away. Suddenly, he felt that he was stuck in the crowd and had to follow the goose, like everybody else. The minister's wife saw her husband running along with the three girls. She cried out in amazement, "Dear husband, slow down! We have to be at a wedding in a few minutes!" She pulled on his sleeve to try and stop him. Then, she was caught in this silly parade too. They passed two farmers on a road. The minister's wife called for help, but as soon as they touched her, the farmers were pulled along, too! Samuel hurried into the next town, with the curious party of seven behind him. There a king lived with his only daughter. The princess was so serious that it was believed that she could not laugh. So the king sent out a proclamation. Whoever made the princess laugh would have her hand in marriage. When Samuel heard about the princess, he took his golden goose to her. At the sight of this silly group of people, the princess burst into laughter. The king thought she might not stop. Samuel asked the princess to marry him. But, before she could answer, the king stepped in. He did not want Samuel to marry his daughter, so he made up a list of conditions. "First," the king said, "bring me a man who can drink a whole cellarful of cider, then a man who can eat a mountain of bread." Samuel thought of the little man in the woods and rushed off. The old man was sitting in the same spot as before. "Oh, I'm so thirsty, and so very hungry," said the man to Samuel. "I cannot seem to drink enough cider or eat enought bread." Samuel quickly took the old man to see the king. The little man happily drank all the cider and ate all the bread in the king's cellar. Then Samuel approached the king and asked for his bride. But the kiing was ready with a third demand. "Now bring me a ship which sails on land as well as on sea." Again, Samuel went to see the little man. " I will share all my magic with you," said the old man, "because you have been so kind to me." Soon Samuel was back at the castel with a ship that sailed on land and sea. The king had no choice but to let Samuel marry the princess. The two were married that very day.
When Samuel reached for their snack, he found a magnificent sweet cake and a large bottle of cider for them to share. "My, look at this," said Samuel. "I am glad I have much more than stale bread to share with you." When they finished their tasty meal, the old man told Samuel, "You shared your goods with me, and for that I am grateful. Now you will have good luck to go with your kind heart." The little man pointed at an old tree nearby. "Cut down that tree and you'll find something special there in its roots." Then the man walked away without another word. Samuel was puzzled, but did as the old man had said. Samuel raised his ax and cut down the tree. When the tree fell, more than just a stump remained. Samuel found a goose sitting among the roots. This was no ordinary goose. Its feathers were made of gold! "What a wonderful surprise!" shouted Samuel. He had never seen anything like this before. He picked up the goose. Sure enough, its feathers were pure gold. Samuel took the goose and hurried into town. He had to show this goose to everyone he knew. Samuel was proud as he carried this goose through town. He passed an inn, and the innkeeper's three curious daughters came out to see the bird. Each of the three daughters wanted to take one of the goose's golden feathers to keep. When Samuel stopped to show off the golden goose to the three sisters, the oldest sister tiptoed behind Samuel and tugged at the goose's wing. her hand stuck there so tightly that she could not move it away. She waved to her sisters for their help. The sisters thought that together they could surely pluck out three gold feathers. They joined hands to pull. Instead, the three sisters found they were all stuck to each other! The sisters hushed their worried squeals and scurried behind Samuel, who never noticed the girls hanging on behind. He marched for the next town to share his goose's beauty with anyone who wished to behold it. Samuel hurried through a field on his way to the next town. The three stuck girls followed closely behind.
Hello everyone, just to let you know, there will be no podcasts this week, but I will continue our readings the following week. Keep up with your English!
There once was a gentle boy called Samuel. He lived at the edge of the forest with his parents and two older brothers. His family often treated him poorly. They didn't know that he was capable of much greater things, until the day that he met a strange old man in the woods. That day began as Samuel's oldest brother went to cut wood. Their mother packed a sweet cake and a bottle of cider for her oldest son to take into the woods. Samuel stayed at home and chopped nuts. In the woods, Samuels's brother came upon a little gray man. The man kindly said good day and asked, "Will you share your meals with a tired old man? I am very hungry and thirsty." Samuel's brother yelled at the man. "If I share with you, I won't have enough for myself," he said. "Now out of my way!" The brother left the man standing there and went to chop a tree. After a few strong swings, his ax slipped and hit his arm. He suffered a deep cut and could no longer continue his work. The little man saw all this happen. He smiled as the oldest brother hurried home to dress his wound. Now, the second brother was called to get the firewood. Their mother gave him sweet cake and cider for his journey, as she'd done for the oldest brother. Before long the second brother also met up with the old man in the woods. The man kindly said good day and asked if he would share his meal with him. This next brother was as selfish as the first. "If I give you my food and drink, I won't have enough for myself," he said. "Now get out of my way!" The second brother walked away and found a tree to chop. He swung so strongly with the ax that the head dropped off. It fell right on his foot, and so, he also had to go home hurt. Back at the house, young Samuel said, "Let me go and cut wood, Father." "You know nothing about it," replied his father harshly. "But if you want to get hurt, then go." Samuel's mother gave him some stale bread and a jug of warm water. In the forest, Samuel met the little gray man as well. "Would you share some food and drink with a tired old man? I am so very hungry and thirsty," he said. "I have only stale bread and warm water," Samuel said, "but if you don't mind that, we can eat together." They sat in the woods to eat.
Alistair led Oliver through the dining room. They hid behind potted plants and raced under tablecloths. They waited until the chef went to check something in the dining room, then they scampered across the kitchen and into the dark pantry where Oliver stumbled over something. "Do be careful," said Alistair. Oliver saw what he'd stumbled over. "It's a-a-a..." "A mousetrap," Alistair knocked it under a shelf with his paw. "You will learn to stay away from them." Alistair led Oliver up the shelves to the hors d'oeuvres. Alistair gobbled fancy crackers, nibbled pasta, and even managed to chew a hole in a tin of smoked salmon. "Now this," said Alistair, patting his tummy, "is fine dining." Oliver was still so frightened, that he barely ate a crumb. "Tonight the chef is preapring roast duck with herbed potatoes in a delicate cream sauce." Alistair's mouth watered. His whiskers twitched. "One taste and you'll never go back to the country." The mice crept out of the pantry. The kitchen seemed empty. Alistair rushed about, gathering up bits of duck and potatoes. He didn't notice the chef coming back into the kitchen. But the chef noticed Alistair. "You again!" shouted the chef. The chef chased the mice around the kitchen with a broom. Alistair and Oliver escaped through a hole under the sink. "No main course tonight, I'm afraid," said Alistair. "But don't worry, cousin. We'll make up for it with dessert." Alistair showed Oliver the tarts and pies and cheesecakes. Oliver nibbled the edge of a flaky cream puff. It was so delicious! He leaned forward to get a bigger bite and splat! He landed face down right in it. Alistair helped him climb out, and cleaned him off. "I'm not cut out for life in the city," Oliver said. "You take too many risks for your dinner. A mouse could starve to death here, too. I'm going home to the good life." So Oliver dragged his carpet bag back through the crowded city streets, over fields and valleys, until he reached his hole under the roof of the big oak tree. He ate a late supper of acorns and wheat seeds, then curled up in his leaf bed. He could hear the crickets chirping. Back at his hotel, Alistair curled up in his linen napkin and listened to the orchestra play. Both mice sighed. "I love being home," they said.
Oliver gathered acorns and stacked them near his hole. Then he collected seeds from the grass and carried them into the hole. Then he went to the cornfield to find fallen corn. While Oliver was hard at work, Alistair yawned and leaned against the root of the oak tree. Then he wiped the dust from his shoes with his silk handkerchief. When Oliver returned with some corn, he piled it neatly. "Thank goodness you're done." Alistair collapsed into the wheelbarrow. "Now I'd say it's time for a snack and a nap." Oliver giggled. "The work isn't finished. We still have lots to do before we can rest." Alistair sighed. "I'm simply not cut out for the country life," he said. "A mouse could starve to death here. Come home with me for a while. I'll show you the good life." Alistair packed his silk pajamas into his fine leather suitcase. Oliver packed his long johns into his old carpet bag. The two mice set out for Alistair's home in the city. Oliver followed Alistair over fields and valleys, into dark, noisy subway tunnels, and through crowded streets, until they reached the luxury hotel where Alistair lived. Alistair stopped in front of the door. "Polished marble floors and shiny brass knobs," he said. "Now, this is how mice like us are supposed to live." Oliver stared up at the revolving glass door. "H-h-how do we get inside?" "Wait until the opening comes around, then run through," Alistair replied. The door swing around, and Alistair disappeared inside. It took a few more spins before Oliver gave it a try. Oliver spun around and around in the door until Alistair pulled his carpet bag and got him inside. Oliver followed Alistair across the lobby and through a small crack in the wall hidden by velvet draperies. "My appartment," Alistair said when they were inside. Oliver looked around in amazement. Alistair's home was filled with gold candlesticks, crystal goblets, and linen napkins. "We're under a bandstand." Alistair pointed out of the hole that was his front door. "An orchestra plays, and ladies and gentlemen dance every night until dawn." "How can you sleep with all the noise?' asked Oliver. "Sleep?" said Alistair. "I can sleep during the day. We do things a little differently here. Dinner, for example. At a five-star hotel, dinner begins with hors d'oeuvres."
Once upon a time, a country mouse named Oliver lived in a hole under the root of a big, old oak tree. Oliver loved the sound of squirrels chattering during the day and crickets chirping at night. He loved the smell of rich dirt and sweet grass all around him. One day Oliver invited his city cousin, Alistair, for a visit. Before Alistair arrrived, Oliver tidied up his hole. He straightened his leaf bed. He spread fresh pine needles on the floor. He scrubbed the tuna can table and polished the bottle cap plates. Then Oliver sat by the entrance to his hole, gazed out at the stars, and waited for his cousin to arrive. When Alistair arrived, he put his fine leather suitcase on the pine needles. "I say, cousin, is this your cellar?" he asked Oliver. "No," said Oliver, "it's my home." Oliver showed Alistair the back of the hole, where he stored his grain. He led Alistair up to the top of the old oak root, where he sometimes sat to watch the sunset. Then he sat Alistair down at the tuna can table and served him a dinner of barley and corn. Alistair nibbled his meal politely. "This certainly tastes as though it's good for me." He coughed and swallowed. "A bit dry, perhaps. Could I bother you for a cup of tea?" Oliver brewed a thimble of dandelion tea for them both. "Here's to my cousin Alistair! Thanks for visiting," toasted Oliver. When the thimbles were empty, Oliver changed into his long johns, Alistair changed into his silk pajamas, and the mice settled into their leaves for the night. After Alistair rustled around in his oak leaf for a while, he finally went to sleep.Oliver woke up early the next morning, as usual. A robin family was singing in the old oak tree. A rooster crowed in a nearby farm. Alistair squeezed his pillow over his ears. "Oh, dear. What is that terrible noise?" he mumbled. "That's the sound of morning in the country," said Oliver. "It's the wonderful music that makes me want to start the new day." Alistair pulled the pillow from his face and opened one eye. "You start your day in the morning?" he asked. "Here in the country we rise at dawn," Oliver said, putting on his clothes. He pulled on his work boots, and pushed his wheelbarrow out into the garden. Alistair rolled to the edge of his bed. He wiped the sleep from his eyes. He slid his feet into his shiny black shoes, and followed his cousin outside.
Summer time is check-up time for the kids. When school is out, it's convenient to take them to their various appointments with doctors or dentists. Now, believe it or not, dental check-ups are quite exciting for my kids. I know, it sounds crazy. The reason for the excitement is that we have an agreement. If they have no new cavities, then they get a cash prize. The aim is to encourage them to brush their teeth well. They make their plans to buy a certain toy, and I hope that they don't need any fillings. You might think that it's a bit extravagant to pay the kids for not having cavities. Well, when you consider that one filling costs anywhere between one hundred and two hundred dollars, it's worth paying a lot less to a child to keep them brushing. Of course, I help my little ones brush. They always need a bit of extra help cleaning out the hard to reach places of their teeth. But, so far, I'm happy with our system. Only once did one of my children not get his prize, and that was because he would sneak candies into his room and eat them at night, and then fall asleep without brushing his teeth. I only realised this after cleaning his room one day, when I decided to pull out everything that was under his bed. What an experience. Amongst the jumble of toys, books, dirty socks, rocks from the garden, and gross unrecognisable thing, were candy wrappers. "Uh-oh," I thought to myself, "I wonder how long this has been going on..." When we found out that he had a couple of cavities, I had to give him the bad news that he wouldn't get his cash prize. That made a lasting impression! So he had two appointments with the dentist. They gave him the gas to relax him, the injections in his mouth, the fillings and the clean-up. Fortunately, the dentist and his assistant are extremely friendly, - not scary at all. They made every stage of his appointments fun and pleasant, as far as is possible at the dentist. And you know little kids, they love all the equipment, from the reclinable chair, to 'Mr. Thirsty', the liquid extractor that is put in your mouth. And the place looks so nice. There are flowers everywhere, nice furniture, photos of smiling people, and little toys for kids. They manage to create quite an illusion!
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: check-up, fillings, extravagant, 'hard to reach' places.
1. It's time for a dental check-up; we have them every six months.
2. He didn't brush his teeth at all. When he went to the dentist, he needed to have twelve fillings!
3. That lady is quite extravagant. She spends a lot of money on jewellery.
4. My new mop helps me to clean the 'hard to reach' places of my kitchen.
Hello there podlisteners. I hope your Summer is going really well so far. I realise that I have 'slacked off' this week when it comes to podcasting. The Summer bug has bitten me, and I have been having too much fun to sit down at work at a computer. To slack off means to become lazy, or to not do your job properly. And, we talk about being 'bitten' by a certain bug, when we mean that we become enthused by an activity. For example: The baking bug has bitten me; I bake every day. OR The tennis bug has bitten me; all I want to do is watch the matches on television. So it is with me. There's the good weather, the baseball, the gardening etc etc, so I have officially 'slacked off' this week. However, I'm back in gear again (that's another expression which means to be ready and prepared) to give you all some more podcasts. The thing about slacking off is that it is not satisfying in the end. When you know that you should do something, but don't do it, it's hard to enjoy everything else. My children were watching an episode of Spongebob Squarepants the other day that showed him 'slacking off' and being miserable because of it. He had to write an essay for his boating class. He procrastinated and procrastinated so much, that his time ran out, and he got into a big panic. For some reason, he occupied himself at home with all sorts of activities and chores, even things that he normally wouldn't do, instead of writing his essay. He exercised, cleaned the house until every square inch shone, and did all kinds of unnecessary, silly things, just to avoid his essay. Well, I remember those days in college when I would have an essay to write, and for some reason it would become a painful process of procrastinating. Finally, I would get on with it, and feel much better about myself once it was finished. Podcasting, though, is much more satisfying than writing an essay because I know that my international friends will be listening.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to slack off, to be in gear, to procrastinate, a chore.
1. I'm not surprised that he didn't do well in his exam; he slacked off and didn't study.
2. We are prepared and in gear to take part in the sailing race.
3. You must get on with the job and stop procrastinating!
4. I have lots of chores to do. The laundry needs to be done, and then I must mop the floors.
Hi everyone, just to let you know that the schedule for A Cup Of English is changing for the Summer. Life gets a little crazy around our house during this season, with the four kids being at home, and all of them being involved in different activities. So, in order for me to not become a 'basket case', I will be broadcasting on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's. I will also be including some readings from popular and traditional children's books. So, keep listening and learning, but have plenty of time to enjoy your Summer.
Best wishes, Anna.
Have you ever lost something, and looked and looked for it? I've been doing that lately. My oldest son had a PSP and an iPod touch. I say had, because he doesn't have them anymore. They have disappeared, vanished, evaporated. I have looked everywhere. We have all wracked our brains. That means to think and think hard to try and reach a conclusion. Sometimes the grey matter just doesn't work well. The grey matter is, of course, the brain. I tend to get forgetful when I am busy, and when there is a lot on my mind. I often forget something at the supermarket even if I take a list with me. Have you ever walked into a room to get something, and forgotten why you went there? Or perhaps you've met someone on the street who you know, but if you need to introduce them to someone, you forget their name. That too has happened to me. We call these incidences 'senior moments'. It is as if we are very old already. Mind you, a lot of elderly people I know have great memories. Apparently, your memory is like a muscle: the more you use it, the better it works. My mother does sudoku and crosswords to keep her memory sharp; perhaps I should do something like that. Exercise is great for the memory aswell. It forces oxygen rich blood into the brain, and helps you focus, and feel more 'in the moment'. We all laugh about the times we have looked for our sun glasses, and realized that they are on our heads. The other day, I was talking on my cell phone and tidying up in the kitchen at the same time. I wanted to charge my phone, but for the life of me, I couldn't find it. It was only when I finished my conversation and hung up, that I realized that I had been talking on the cell phone, so, of course, I hadn't been able to find it. It's just like the funny story of the busy thief, who went into a bank at lunch time to rob it. His head was covered, but unfortunately for him, he had forgotten to take off his name tag from his place of work. So he was instantly recognized. Oops! I think he needs to do some sudoku too.
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions: to wrack my brains, for the life of me, mind you, unfortunately for ( a person).
1. I wracked my brains to figure out where I had left my keys.
2. For the life of me, I don't know where I put my wallet.
3. London is such a thrilling place to be; mind you, it is very expensive.
4. The student studied for the exam. Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten to memorize the vocabulary.
Today, I went to the awards ceremony at my children's school. It was for the fourth and fifth graders who have made great improvements during the year. It was also to give the fifth graders a good send-off, because they will be moving up to Middle school in September. The principal was the speaker; he handed out certificates and talked about all the activities that the students had taken part in during the year. It was a fairly emotional assembly; I could tell that the teachers would miss the students, - well, some of them. It made me realise that time is moving on. The Summer holidays are upon us! And we will be leaving in a month. I am going to take my kids to Europe for six weeks to visit family and friends. We will fly into London, stay with my step-brother, then up to Scotland to be with my father for about ten days. Then, back down the country to Yorkshire where my sister and two nephews live. The beginning of August we will travel to Mallorca and stay with my mother's family for two weeks, and then we will fly to Girona where we will meet up with my husband for the last two weeks. He plans on getting some serious cycling in, and I just want to discover another part of Spain. I also hope to visit two friends who live in the south of France; it's the perfect opportunity. I can't wait. I will load up on inspiration, I'm sure. Believe me, there will be tonnes of podcast flowing after the Summer, from all the experiences we are going to have. There are no substitutes for beautiful european countries; I'm really looking forward 'going home' for a while. Travelling with four children, however, makes me feel a little nervous, but then again we will be with family most of the time, so that eases my nerves. One month and counting. We will have just enough time to finish up with baseball season, load up the computer with podcasts for my lovely listeners, and off we will go. I won't take my lap top with me, for fear of losing or breaking it. But, I will have a whole Summer of podcasts ready for you. So, here's looking forward to the Summer holidays!
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: a send-off, to hand out, to load up, for fear of...
1. We gave the newly wedded couple a great send-off before they flew to Paris.
2. A man on the street was handing out free concert tickets.
3. During Thanksgiving, we loaded up our plates with all kinds of good food.
4. I drove extra slowly this Winter, and put chains on the wheels, for fear of losing control of the car on the ice.
I was on Facebook today, updating comments to friends and family, when I came across a health test that I chose to take. It is called the 'Real age' test that many people have seen on Oprah. Well, I haven't seen Oprah in years, but I did want to find out about this age test. The main question to be answered by taking it is, "What is your biological age?" You might be forty, but physically you could be older or younger. I have heard of the potential difference between our biological and chronological clocks. So, of course, I was curious about mine. I'm forty two, but biologically how old am I? Thirty, forty, fifty? Eek, the thought of being older didn't please me. I clicked on the link and got on to the Real age page. There were some very simple questions to answer: my age, height, weight, my eating, driving, and exercise habits, and general lifestyle. I was thrilled to find out that I'm only thirty four biologically. Well, perhaps it's true. This Real age thing started at the Cooper clinic longevity center, and Dr. Michael Roizen examines patients with the aim of them changing a few things in their lifestyle to increase their longevity. An improvement can always be made. From the information I put into the test, apparently I don't eat enough whole grains. Okay, I agree. I buy lots of whole grain food for the family, but I don't necessarily eat it myself. I could probably eat more fruit as well. So, a good result of taking the test is that I will make a few changes. I also spent a short while on a yoga website, as I'm thinking of adding more gentle exercise to my daily routine. Whatever I do has to be doable, if you know what I mean. Something that easily fits into my day. Do you do anything for health each day? Let me know and I'll mention it on a podcast.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to update, chronological, longevity, improvement.
1. I need to update my address book. I have a lot of friends who are not yet on the list.
2. The video was in chronological order; it showed my grandfather from when he was a baby to his present birthday.
3. Taking a daily vitamin supplement is a key to longevity.
4. Improvement is proactive; it is something getting better, or making an effort to do something better.
Something has been happening recently that pleases me a lot. My newly planted roses have been flowering. For some reason I didn't expect them to make such a show this year, with them being new. My entryway project has continued, and I ended up planting two scented roses right next to a row of lavender. My idea was to get a mixture of sweet smells and color altogether. I wasn't a rose fanatic when I was younger, but I am quickly becoming one. It's the smelly ones that I love, and by that I mean, of course, the ones that smell wonderful. I look forward to the day when my floribunda roses have grown substantially, and fill the area with perfume. Having horses across the street, and goats right next door, the smells in this area can become a bit....um...shall we say overpowering. So I'm going to combat evil with good, stinky with sweet smelling. Another one of my plants that is healthy and has a heavy perfume is my honeysuckle. This Spring, it has been loaded with flowers. The humming birds and butterflies love it. As I was looking around a garden center the other day, I noticed that they had some bougainvilleas. Now there is a plant that I would love to have. I have seen some in Sevilla in Spain that were spectacular, and must have been very old because they were huge. Here, however, our winters are very harsh, and I don't believe that they would do very well. I'm on a mission to find wonderful smelling plants, and beautiful creeping plants to transform my garden. Give me a few years, and I will have done it.
Grammar notes.
Related expressions: to make a show, to end up, to look forward to..., they had (as in a shop).
1. My dogwood made a spectacular show of white flowers this year.
2. I went to the florist to buy flowers, and ended up talking to an old friend who was in there.
3. I look forward to the day when my sister and I can travel together.
4. They didn't have any sneakers in the shoe shop, but they had them in the department store.
It was championship night on Monday. My son Cass and his team were through to the baseball finals. They had worked hard all season, and were about to face an equally good team. It was going to be the Blacks against the Greens. The game started at five thirty. My husband had already taken Cass to the team's warm-up session before the game, so I arranged to meet them at the baseball field at the start of the game. As I entered the ball park, I saw my father-in-law, already situated comfortably to watch the game. I chatted with him a little, but was interrupted by my phone ringing. "Anna, it's Doreen. I've broken my arm. I've broken it badly," I heard my neighbor say with difficulty, and then she hung up. I had to leave. There was no one else to help her. Her son, who lives in town, had a stroke last year and can't drive or talk. Her daughter lives in California, and most of her friends are in their eighties, so it was up to me to help. I told my father-in-law what was going on, and he agreed to look after my kids. I ran off to the car and got to her house as soon as possible. The door to Doreen's house was open, as was her car. There were shopping bags full of groceries here and there; she had obviously fallen whilst trying to unload the car. She was standing in the kitchen crying, and holding on to her arm. After easing her into her car, off we went to the hospital. The nurses cut off her sweater; it was too painful to move her arms and to take off her top. They gave her pain medicine, and then x-rayed her arm. It turned out to be a very bad break, in three places, with one of the little bones in fractures. Doreen looked exhausted. She was tired and hungry, drowsy from the medicine, and now, suddenly, nauseous. She has a delicate stomach, and does not take medicine easily. "I'm going to be sick!" she said covering her mouth. I held a plastic bowl under her chin and held her forehead; that's what my mother used to do when I was little. "Fan her!" I said in a bit of a panic to a lady in the room. After a while she felt better. Poor, poor lady; I felt sorry for her. At least she was in the right place, and arrangements were being made for her surgery in the morning. Her daughter-in-law turned up and said that she would take her home. Of course she wouldn't be able to drive herself, not even for a few months.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to warm up, the ball park, stroke, nausea.
1. The athletes need to warm up otherwise they might get an injury.
2. The championship game will take place in the local ball park.
3. She recovered from her stroke; with therapy, she has learned to walk and talk again.
4. That boat ride will cause a lot of nausea.
It is very fashionable here for kids to have portable computer devices. My boys have Psps and Dsis. Their peers all have them, and, therefore, they expect at some stage to get them. The advertising on television doesn't help, as far as being a parent is concerned. The exciting new games that they see advertised make kids want to have the latest thing to play. There is quite a difference between the two devices, so I am told. The Psp has longer games with better graphics. The Dsi, on the other hand, has more variety and shorter games. Cass, for example, can record his voice, take pictures, and then distort both, and add them to a fighting sequence. He can create his own hilarious computer game. The other day, I heard a lot of loud laughter coming from his bedroom. When I investigated, my boys showed me their crazy, newly invented game that had both of them karate kicking, and throwing special power balls at eachother that were made of cropped photos of objects from their bedroom. Hudson, on the other hand, spends time every day trying to go up the various levels of his long games. He has to defeat more monsters, gain more points and weapons, until he can finish. We even have some of their friends calling them to see what level they are at, and if they have any pointers or advice as to how to defeat certain creatures. At the moment, Cass is in the kitchen, making a 'French macaroni and cheese' by following a cooking program on his Dsi. It gives the recipe, the equipment needed, step by step instructions, and extra video information on different foods and cooking methods. The dish is in the oven, and the Dsi is ticking away, timing its cooking. I was a little scared of my son taking the kitchen over. I imagined a complete disaster taking place, but actually he has tidied and cleaned everything! How unusual! That must be one of the instructions from his Dsi.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: portable, to crop, graphics, a pointer.
1. I'm so glad that I have a portable computer, a lap top. I have access to all kinds of information whenever I need it.
2. The wedding photos had too much background, so I cropped them. Now, they mainly show the people.
3. That game needs better graphics; the figures are fuzzy and very simplistic.
4. Could you give me some pointers as to how to grow disease-free roses?
The bell rang today while I was tidying up after dinner. I wondered who it could be at eight o'clock at night. As I approached the door, the bell started ringing very fast, which made me guess that it was one of my children. When I opened the door, I found three boxes on the doorstep. One was a box lid full of dry cut grass, one was a similar box full of tree bark, and the third was the baseball box emptied out and filled with pine cones and pine needles. My son Robert was standing there with a big grin on his face, "D'you see what I did, mum?" His hands and torso were filthy. He had gathered all of these things from the front garden, and had got a lot of the stuff on himself rather than in the boxes. I have been saying for a long time that we should gather up the debris from a tree that we cut down, because it would make great burning material for the Winter. Pine cones catch fire quickly, and keep burning nicely, helping to set the wood on fire. We have two large pines that give a lot of cones each year, so I would like to make the most of this resource that is in our own garden. I am a hunter-gatherer at heart. I have been putting off this task for months, procrastinating, and doing other things instead. So, Robert took the initiative, and did the hard work for me. If we are smart, we will gather the pine cones from the many little pine trees that we have. Though they are small, they have already produced a lot. All together, we will have at least three huge garden bags full of fuel for the Winter. It's funny to think of stocking up for the Winter now that the season is getting warmer and warmer.
Grammar notes.
Use of '(even) though...,...' plus related vocabulary: pine cones, torso, to procrastinate.
1. Even though I had collected lots of pine cones, they were too wet to burn.
2. Even though her torso is very toned, her legs have cellulite.
3. Even though I reminded the students every day about the vocabulary test, they procrastinated and didn't study until the night before.
I don't know if any of you are into photography or not, but it is becoming a passion of mine. I have a cheapo digital camera, but it serves me well. I find myself feeling lost without it. I try to take it with me wherever I go, because you never know when a fabulous photo opportunity will present itself. One such opportunity did the other day, after a heavy rain shower. Most people I know had been complaining about the unusual amount of rain we have had recently. However, one day, after one of those showers, my husband called to me from outside, "Hey, babe, come and see this." When I went out, he was standing by our honeysuckle which grows up and over the fence. It is covered in sweet smelling flowers this time of year. The leaves are waxy and smooth and form a cup shape around the younger flowers. Tom stood quietly and pointed to something down inside the bush. It was a little pool of water that had gathered in the leaves, forming a shiny mound, that sparkled like a diamond. It took my breath away. I immediately ran into the kitchen and grabbed the camera. You'll see on the blog page the result. Later, Tom and I talked about the value of water, the amazing combination of hydrogen and oxygen that we completely rely on, and yet which we take for granted. Water was all around me in England, and here, in the North West there is also an abundance of it. A water shortage for me seems bizarre because I have never had to work hard to obtain it. And yet I know that for much of the planet, a lack of safe drinking water is normal. I remember when I was little, my father would tell me to turn the tap off while I brushed my teeth. He had worked in Nigeria for many years, and was familiar with water preservation. He understood the need to take care of this resource. And now, in many ways, the weather seems to be upside down, with floods in rainy nations, and droughts where water is always short. How can we bring back a balance of water for all? It is, surely, after air, the most precious resource we have.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: cheapo, resource, to rely on, precious.
1. This cheapo umbrella broke the first day I had it.
2. Electricity is a resource that that village really needs.
3. I hope the bus drivers' strike stops soon; I don't have a car, and I rely on the buses to get around.
4. Look after that watch; it was your grandmothers, and is very precious.
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What do you do at the weekends? Do you do anything special to let off steam or to get inspired? I suppose it depends where you live and what is available. After a hard week's work, it is nice sometimes to not do anything. If you look around, though, sometimes you can find entertainment that is designed to attract the public at the weekend. I went shopping on Sunday, and as I pulled into the parking lot in front of the mall, I saw a large, fenced off area where cars are usually parked. I could hear a lot of noise, as well, even though the car windows were closed. I parked, and looked over to see what was going on. A large go-kart track had been set up inside of the fence, with stacks of tires here and there making the shape of the course. All of the diesel run go-karts were running at top speed. It looked like great fun. I contemplated bringing my kids over later. The trouble is, my youngest two wouldn't be allowed to, and would, therefore, feel left out. It would cause more problems that it was worth. Infact, I didn't even mention what I had seen, because I knew that if I did, they would beg me to take them. So, I just stood there and watched as the drivers zoomed around the track, having a great time. Each person wore a white helmet, and was given about twenty minutes to ride freely. There was a smell in the air of rubber, and an atmosphere of excitement. It was an unusual thing to see in front of a beauty store and a sushi bar. But, I suppose, if the parking area is available, why not? When my youngest are a little older, I might let them put on the gear and race eachother.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to let off steam, a fence, a stack, to contemplate.
1. My friend bounces on a trampoline to let off steam. She has such a good time when she does it.
2. We put up a fence so the dogs wouldn't escape.
3. After I chopped up the wood, I stacked it next to the garage.
4. We had dinner out on the deck last night, and contemplated the stars.
“The track meet will be postponed until tomorrow,” said a recorded message on the phone, for the second time. The end of the school year is the time for track and field events for all elementary schools. Recently, however, the weather has not been cooperating. Though my flowers have loved the heavy showers, the organizers of this sport have not. Parents of all the contestants have been looking at the sky from about lunchtime onwards, to see if the clouds are moving in. There must be hundreds of phone calls needed to inform everyone about a cancellation. It is a time when, hopefully, everyone involved gets the message. Especially those people who live out of town. Well, today I’m looking in the sky, and I only see a few clouds, so I assume that the event will take place. My son Cass will be sprinting and doing the long jump. He is long and thin, so he is pretty good at that. The administrators have told me that they keep an eye out for good runners during the year, and then they ask them to represent the school in the Spring. The track and field takes place on the Wenatchee High School grounds, because they have the right facilities. Each elementary school wears a different colored t-shirt, so the crowd knows who is who. It is a big, colorful mix of children of different ages, most of whom have long, insect-like legs. There are teachers and volunteers waving their hands around and yelling instructions, so kids know where they need to be. Names are called from lists, and the students line up at the ready. Parents and friends come to cheer them on. We will all go and watch, take a picnic of some kind, and I will look for photo opportunities. The other events include the eight hundred meter relay, the four hundred meter, the two hundred and the one hundred meter dash. And, as far as practices, there haven’t really been any. How do you train a child to run fast? Most of them just do. All of that goofing around in the back yard playing tag will pay off today.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: to postpone, to cancel, at the ready, a relay.
1. The soccer match has been postponed because of rain.
2. The concert has been cancelled because the musicians have the flu.
3. The runners are at the ready. As soon as the gun goes off, they will start running.
4. The runners pass a baton to each other in the relay.
Every two weeks, on Wednesdays I meet up with a friend of mine, and go for a walk in the park. Today was that day, and though it was really rainy, we had a nice time walking and chatting. I took my camera just in case a photo opportunity presented itself. One did. Coming over a small hill, I saw in the distance about twenty, huge poles sticking up out of the ground, equally spaced, and filling the view. "What on earth are they?" I asked my friend Jody. She told me that they were poles for the power lineman climbing competition. Phew! That is a bit of a mouthful. Power linemen are the men who put up and repair the power cables that are held up by very tall, wooden poles. I had no idea that there were pole climbing competitions anywhere. Who has ever heard of that? Anyway, about the time that school is out for the summer, there will be a day of competition and family fun in the park. Linemen from all around the Northwest will compete to win special belt buckles, and the reputation of being strong and skilled. One of the great things about this event, is that it helps to raise scholarship money for high schoolers who are active in preventing drug and alcohol abuse in the community. Now, that's always a good thing. This competition is named after a lineman who was killed by a drunk driver, and so the fundraising is appropriate. There will also be talks on electrical safety, the dangers of drinking and driving, and the need to wear a seat belt. I will take my kids to the park. They will be allowed to talk to the linemen, handle their tools, and have a photo taken with them. I might be able to try my hand at climbing a pole. Wouldn't that be funny! It sounds like an unusual event, so I'm curious to take part.
Grammar notes.
Practice of the past subjunctive using the phrase 'in case'.
1. I took my umbrella just in case it rained.
2. She prepared herself in case he proposed.
3. I studied extra hard, in case the test was difficult.
4. They took a compass on their hike, just in case they got lost.