Now that the Christmas vacation is coming up, we will probably play some board(1) games in the evenings. We have so many of them! There is a big collection of them, stuffed(2) into a closet in the lounge. Monopoly, Axis and Allies, and Scrabble are three of the more well known ones. My favorite is probably Monopoly; I love games that lead you along a path to a destination, with question cards, and unexpected(3) opportunities or problems along the way. I was actually playing a similar game this morning on the computer, except it wasn't(4) about buying streets or buildings. It was an information game created by a company that deals with retirement. I'm not close to retiring, in fact, I'm probably still about twenty years away from it(5). But the reason I was playing the game, was to try a win the 1st place prize of $50,000. I probably don't stand a chance of(6) winning, but you know, the game turned out to be very interesting. You had to spin a wheel, walk up to 5 steps along the path, and then answer questions, or read and watch informational video clips. The whole point is to get educated about retirement, health, finances, and volunteering. It was an interesting, casual(7) way to learn a lot about retiring. What I realized is that I don't know very much about retiring. One of the aims of this organization is to get retired people involved in the community, to keep them socially healthy. The game, with its spinner and pathway, is a great teaching tool for any subject.
1. A 'board game' is a game played on a board (ha! ha!). And by a 'board' I mean either a piece of strong cardboard with a picture on it which can be square or rectangular, or it can be wooden. The board serves as a table on which the other pieces are put. A board can also be a useful table-like structure, like an ironing board or a bread board. The word sounds exactly like 'bored' which has different meanings. It can mean that you are not entertained at all, or that you have drilled a hole. Let's look at some examples:
a. Where is the game board for Monopoly? I have the pieces and the houses but not the board.
b. I need to buy a new ironing board, because mine is broken.
c. I'm so bored; I don't know what to do.
d. The insects bored holes in the wooden door, so it had to be replaced.
2. 'To stuff' is a verb that I've covered before in a previous podcast, but it is very common, especially in England. It basically means to fill until very full. It can be used figuratively, and is also a noun. It also can be used in an insult, or a way of dismissing something.
a. He built the chair, and then stuffed the seat cushion so it was very soft and comfortable.
b. We ate too much and felt completely stuffed.
c. My attic is full of stuff!
d. I was so angry that I told him to get stuffed!
e. We can't go into work because the office is flooded. Stuff it! (forget it!)
3. 'Unexpected opportunities' is quite a mouthful; however, it's a great phrase, and will impress people if you use it correctly, so let's practice the pronunciation.
Un-ex-pected opp-or-tun-ities un-ex-pected opp-or-tun-ities un-ex-pected opp-or-tun-ities
4. The use of 'except' is a tool that is similar to saying 'similar but different'. A sentence is written or said, but then 'except' is put in half way, and then a contradiction is added.
a. I bought a coat just like yours, except it was red.
b. We also went to Mexico for a vacation, except we went in the winter not in the summer.
c. They'll come to visit again, except next time, they'll stay longer.
5. To be 'away from' in time means that you are not yet ready for something chronologically or in some other way.
a. He's a few years away from retiring, but he's thinking about it.
b. They are dating, but she is a long way away from getting married (marriage).
c. He's just started High School, so he's four years away from graduating.
6. 'To stand a chance' means to have a chance; both are interchangeable.
a. They stand a good chance of winning the race. They have a good chance of winning the race.
b. That boxer doesn't stand a chance of winning. That boxer doesn't have a chance of winning.
7. 'Casual' is relaxed, comfortable, and not formal.
a. It's just a casual dinner party, nothing formal.
b. When we go for walks we wear just casual clothes.
In a recent interview with Howard G. Buffet, farmer, philanthropist, and son of billionaire Warren Buffet, he commented on the relatively unknown problem of hunger in the U.S. Studies show that one in five children don't always know where their next meal will come from.
Interviewer:You've supported global(1) hunger relief for years; what made you turn your attention(2) to America?
Howard Buffet :Before, I never understood how difficult things were in this country, and how they were getting worse. In America, hunger is hidden; people are ashamed of it.The number of people who are living on the edge(3) has exploded. If you're choosing between medicine and food, or paying the electric bill and food, those are tough(4) choices, and they happen everyday. But there's no reason why we can't put hunger out of business(5) in this country. Farmers produce more food today than we did five years ago. People are hungry not because there aren't enough farmers or food, but because they can't afford it(6). There's also an estimated $3 billion worth of food(7) wasted because farmers either can't get the labor to harvest it or it doesn't look perfect enough for the store shelves(8). There are some great programs that collect produce that isn't acceptable for the supermarket and get it into the food banks. That's next on my list - making that system work better(9).
1. 'Global' is self explanatory. The word 'world' can also be substituted.
a. The global economy is in recession.
b. That piece of news will go global. *Here we wouldn't substitute with 'world'.
c. Global wheat prices will go up because of droughts.
2. 'To turn one's attention to...' is to focus on. You can imagine someone turning his head to look at something.
a. He finished fixing the broken pipe, then turned his attention to mopping the floor.
b. When I finish my essay, I will turn my attention to my art project.
3. 'To be on the edge' or 'to live on the edge' can mean a couple of things. The first could mean that you are at risk (in danger, eg. in poverty, likely to get ill). It can also mean that you are very stressed or close to having mental health problems. The second phrase implies that you either enjoy living a risky life, or that you are poor.
a. I sky dive in the morning, and cave dive in the afternoon; I like living on the edge.
b. That neighborhood lives on the edge (of society); most of the residents are hungry.
c. If he gets any more pressure from work, I'm afraid it'll push him to the edge.
4. 'Tough' is one of those miserable spellings in English that I'm afraid you just have to memorize. It's actual meaning is strong, durable, or hard to chew, but it's used often as the word 'difficult'.
a. That apple pie was as tough as an old boot!
b. Having a knee operation was a tough decision to make; but I can now walk without pain.
c. That truck is so tough; it can handle heavy loads and bad weather conditions.
5. 'To put something out of business' can be used figuratively meaning to stop something.
a. Good education will put ignorance out of business.
b. That chain store put the smaller shops out of business.
6. The format of this sentence is important to understand and use: '.....not because, .......but because....'. This is good practice.
a. The students do well in his class not because he's friendly, but because he explains things well.
b. He should be respected not because he's rich, but because he is generous.
c. The film was a success not because it was good, but because it was popular.
7. '....worth of ....'
a. There are 5 million pounds worth of gold coins in the chest.
b. There are $150 worth of lottery tickets in her bag.
c. There were $10,000,000 worth of investments in the project.
8. 'Store shelves' here means the shelves that are in the shops and supermarkets. Remember 'shelves' is the plural of 'shelf'. Words with similar singulars and plurals are:
Self, selves; elf, elves; half, halves;wife, wives.
9. More examples of this sentence are:
a. That's next on my list, - getting (to get) into shape.
b. That's what we need to do next, - employ more staff for each store.
c. That's his plan, - going (to go) to Germany and finding (to find) a job.
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Recently, when I went back to England, I indulged in(1) something that I don't often get to indulge in; fruit cake. It might not seem very important, in fact, it might seem like a joke, depending on where you come from. Here in the U.S, for some reason, fruit cake is a joke. People joke about receiving a fruit cake at Christmas, and then trying to find a secret way of disposing of (2) it: put it in someone's mailbox, disguise it as a pet, or leave it in a basket outside a hospital......I've even heard of a book called 'One hundred and one ways to get rid of(3) a fruit cake.' Well, this is all a new experience for me. I love fruit cake. But, then again, there's fruit cake and there's fruit cake(4). Maybe the problem is that people here have never had a decent one. In England fruit cake is on the essential list when it comes to(5) baked goods. The recipe originates in Roman times, and was changed a little in the Middle Ages. Traditionally, it is made with wheat, and loaded with(6) dried fruit, nuts, and brandy. It's just the thing(7), after a long walk, with a slice of quality cheese and a cup of tea. And that is how I ate it in Yorkshire with my sister. We had been for a long walk through a forest and fields, to a panoramic (8)viewpoint. Then we walked back to a cafe that is actually a converted farmhouse. It was a warm, rock building, with wooden tables, views of the fields, and the smells of a bakery.
1. 'To indulge in' often means to eat or drink something that is quite special, though it can also be used as 'to experience' with some non-eating activities. You can miss out the word 'in' if the object is not mentioned. 'To indulge oneself' is used as 'to treat oneself'.
a. We indulged in the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever had.
b. They over-indulged at the New Year's party, and felt ill the next day.
c. I indulged myself in the spa with a manicure, pedicure, and a facial.
2. 'To dispose of' is the same as 'to throw away' or 'to get rid of'.
a. Dispose of old batteries responsibly: take them to a recycling center.
b. He disposed of the evidence; he threw it in the sea.
c. The waste disposal is in the sink (machine that liquefies food waste).
3. 'To get rid of' is an English expression that is very common:
a. Could you just get rid of that old pair of shoes?
b. What did you do with the car? Answer: I got rid of it.
c. What should we do with the corrupt politicians? Answer: Get rid of them!
4. 'There's fruit cake and there's fruit cake.' Why did I make this repetition? What does it mean? It means that there is good fruit cake, or real fruit cake, and there is also bad, or not real fruit cake. You can use this repetition about anything. Sometimes the word 'then' is used in the middle of the comparison to emphasize the contrast in quality. If you really want to contrast one with the other, you can also add an adjective in front of the second object.
a. My mother doesn't like hamburgers. But, you know, there are hamburgers and (then) there are hamburgers.
b. That shop says that it sells antiques. Well, there are antiques and then there are antiques.
c. There are tires and then there are quality tires.
5. 'When it comes to...' is similar in sense to 'on the subject of' or 'while we're talking about...'
a. It's always best to double check your plans when it comes to traveling.
b. When it comes to baked goods, we should always use quality ingredients.
c. When it comes to the house, I think we spent too much money.
6. 'To be loaded with' or 'to load with' is, again, a very English sounding, common expression that can be used for more or less anything.
a. They loaded my plate with chips; there were far too many.
b. His car is loaded with all kinds of junk.
c. This cereal is loaded with iron.
7. 'It's just the thing' is an odd expression that means 'it's the perfect thing'.
a. Ah! A hot bath is just the thing when you're cold.
b. Some discipline is just the thing for lazy people.
c. My muscles ached after work, so I took an aspirin, and it was just the thing.
8. 'Panoramic' is a difficult word to say, so let's practice it.
a. Pan -o-ramic, pan-o-ramic, pan-o-ramic.
b. That photo is panoramic; you can see the whole view.
c. My camera has a panoramic setting.
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When I travel I feel really alive. There is something about getting away from my daily routine that helps me see things from a different perspective. I find it exciting, refreshing, and inspiring(1). Even when I travel to familiar places, such as England, I'm open to learn, and I thoroughly(2) enjoy observing. Another thing that I love about traveling, is the unpredictability(3) of it. Sometimes the unexpected happens. Recently, I went back to England for a couple of weeks to visit my family. While I was there, I visited the historic town of York with my sister. I have been to this rural city many times, but I never get tired of going there. I think, for me, it is just about(4) a perfect place. First of all, it's beautiful. It's cathedral, fourteenth century buildings, and Roman wall, are both perfectly preserved, and fully used(5). It's very clean, very green, and also prosperous. It's a university town, so it has a culture of learning, and it is also very arty. By arty, I mean that there are many places in York where art of all kinds can be experienced. You even find it in the streets. Now, I expected to see(6) buskers on the streets: people playing an instrument, or singing for money. But, as my sister and I walked into the heart of the city, we had a little surprise. Standing at the side of the pavement, dressed completely in white, hard, plastic, and carrying a long, black gun, was a Storm Trooper, a Star Wars Storm Trooper. We were delighted. We had never seen one in person (7) before. He was standing around, displaying his costume for money. I asked if I could take a photo of him, and he suggested that my sister take one of both of us. He handed me the gun, and we posed for a "Hands up!"(8) photo. He told me that he had bought this genuine costume in the '80's for quite a lot of money, and now he was having fun making money by wearing it. Brilliant! It's a good idea. Perhaps our politicians can get out their old costumes, dress up, and make some money to help with the financial crisis. Disney costumes would be the best for them. Anyway, I was thrilled to be with a Storm Trooper,especially considering that I was the one with the gun, and the force.
1. 'Exciting, refreshing, and inspiring'. A list of adjectives like this is a great way to make yourself sound natural when you speak English. It's worth choosing and practicing a few adjectives that you feel comfortable with, so that you can throw them into conversation. Here are a few examples of lists of adjectives:
a. The situation was difficult, uncomfortable, and negative.
b. My teacher is encouraging, knowledgeable, and positive.
c. The project was long, ambitious, and expensive.
2. 'Thoroughly' is a very English sounding word. It means 'fully' or 'totally', but there are specific occasions when we use it.
a. We thoroughly enjoyed the play. (You will hear it most often with the verb 'to enjoy'. It sounds most natural when it is in front of the verb. Note: if you hated the play, you would probably say, "We completely/ absolutely hated the play", you wouldn't use 'thoroughly' with 'hated'.
b. Wash the pot thoroughly before using. (it is often used with 'to wash' in instructions).
3. 'Unpredictability' is a difficult word to say. It's meaning is 'the not knowing, and the changeability' of a situation. Let's practice the pronunciation:
Un-pre-dicta-bility
4. 'Just about' is a highly useful phrase used in front of adjectives, 'the' + adjective, and before or after verbs. It's meaning is 'almost completely'. Used by itself (as a response) it means 'more or less'.
a. It was just about the worst party I've ever been to.
b. She is just about the best singer in the whole competition.
c. He ran just about the whole mile. He just about ran the whole mile.
d. We painted just about the whole building. We just about painted the whole building.
e. Did you understand the lecture? Answer: Yes, just about / more or less.
5. 'Fully' is another word that means 'completely', and is used after a past participle.
a. The hospital has been fully renovated.
b. The project is fully funded by donations. *Note:'fully funded' is one of the more common uses of 'fully'.
6. 'A busker' is a person who entertains on the street by playing an instrument or singing.
a. The busker was fully clothed in silver.
b. That busker is just about the best that I've ever seen.
7. 'In person' means 'live' or 'in the same place' when referring to an individual.
a. I've never seen that singer in person, but apparently she's quite beautiful.
b. I've seen pictures of the Queen, but the other day, I saw her in person.
8. "Hands up!" is usually what is said when someone is arrested. Other phrases are "Stick them up!" (meaning your hands, though this phrase is used mainly playing), or "Drop them!" if the person is carrying a gun.
a. "Drop them buddy, and hands up!"
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Halloween is a time of screams and fright, horrible faces and hideous (1)costumes. It's a time when people who love to be scared can fill up on that experience(2). Those of us who don't like witches, skeletons, zombies, and Draculas hope that the day of Halloween passes quickly. Though the roots of this holiday are ancient, it has become a very modern celebration. By this, I mean that each year Halloween is updated. My almost daily(3) trips to Walmart showed me that that is very true. If you want to give your neighborhood a full Halloween night of fright, you have to jump into the world of shopping. It's no longer enough to carve out a pumpkin(4), put a candle in it, and leave it on your front door step. Your house has to undergo(5) a full theatrical production. While most houses in our town had not been decorated, there were some that should have received awards for their effort and creativity.
We took our two youngest children out to 'trick or treat', and we knew just where (6)to go to make the occasion memorable. The neighborhood up the road, ironically next to the cemetery, has one particular house that has to be visited. We weren't sure which road the house was on, but as we walked along the dark road, flashes of blue light and sounds of screaming were coming from the next street. When we got there we found a house on a steep hill, fake fog floating all around, robotic spiders and skeletons, and three humans at the top of a very long flight of stairs, but they certainly didn't look human. My children, who are usually very brave, stood still and stared. They didn't want to go up the stairs. “Come on,” I said. “I'll go first.” I took my daughter by the hand, made a joke about the silly dressed up teenagers who were trying to look like zombies, and up we went(7). My son followed right behind me. By the time we got to the house, I was actually a little scared, but I didn't admit it. The zombie teenagers were hideous, and the atmosphere was even worse. Was it worth going through this(8) just to get some candy? Well, we didn't stay to find out. Before long we were back at home, and the kids were counting out their candies. They soon forgot about the house of fright as they made their Halloween harvest disappear.
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'Hideous' is another word for ugly or scary. Or more like really ugly or really scary.
a. At the Halloween party I couldn't look at him, his mask was so hideous.
b. That chair is just hideous, plus it looks terrible with the rest of the furniture.
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'To fill up on an experience' means to have a complete experience, or a lot of it. This expression can be used in different ways.
a. The night at the opera really filled us up; it was a wonderful experience.
b. You should fully experience what it is to be a patient, if you want to be a doctor.
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'Almost'. I'm sure that you're very familiar with this word; however, it is used in many different ways in a sentence. In this instance I am using it in front of expressions of time and routine.
a. My almost weekly visits to the spa soon stopped my migraines.
b. His almost hourly snacking makes him fat.
c. Their almost constant complaining drives me nuts!
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'It's not enough to …' It is useful to learn how to copy this sentence format.
a. It's not enough to appologize; he needs to give back the money he stole.
b. It's not enough to talk about the dinner party; we need to plan it and invite people.
c. It's not enough to eat right; we have to exercise as well.
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'To undergo' is used for surgery, and for building renovation. Sometimes we use 'to go through'.
a. Our house will undergo a complete renovation.
b. You'll have to undergo some surgery if you want your hip to function.
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'Just' in the given sentence 'we knew just where to go' has a special meaning. It's the same as saying 'exactly' or 'precisely'.
a. He knew just what to say to make me feel better.
b. She knew just what to cook on a cold wintery day.
c. I'm sure they'll know just what to do.
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'Up we went.' You know in English we usually always use the verb before a word like up. But, if you have already given the context of going up by mentioning stairs, or a mountain, or an elevator (etc), then, a phrase like 'up we went' or 'up we go' can be used as the final mention of the action.
a. We will dive down into the cave. Come on, down we go!
b. We thought a long time about going into the Halloween house, and finally in we went.
c. Your plane will climb to 35,000 ft.. You'll get in your seat, put on your seat belt, and up you'll go.
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'To go through something' has 2 meanings. It is the physical act of passing from one place into another. Or it is the same as 'to experience'.
a. I can't go through another night of no sleep.
b. They went through the forest and out into the field.
c. She'll go through another divorce if she's not careful.
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My sons love anything to do with survival. I have often seen them playing in the garden, pretending(1) to be lost in a forest. They act out a story(2) of being three brothers, helping eachother to survive by building a cabin, finding water, catching fish, and making tools. Usually, in my garden, they only get as far as(3) digging a big hole in my vegetable area, and propping up(4) odd bits of(5) wood in it for the cabin walls. By the time they do that(6), they're hungry, so they come into the house to eat, and forget about any more surviving. Their half-made cabin usually falls over, and I clean up the mess. But, I understand their excitement about survival. It would be a challenge, and adventure. It would even be a little scary, but they would have eachother. It would be very different to their real lives. Thankfully, we have a big back garden. It is mainly grass, so the kids can run around and play. However, we do have a fire pit. It's a circular area that my husband built: he brought in(7) extra earth and rocks to make a slight hill. Then he planted all sorts of trees and bushes on the hill. Right inside, at ground level(8), is a flat, grassy area with rock walls all around, and a rock fire pit right in the center. Now that the plants and trees have really grown, it is like a mini forest. Robert was in a survival mood(9) the other day, and persuaded me to help him make a little fire and heat up some hot chocolate. He chose not to(10) use the fire pit, but to make his own very small fire on the hill. We found small, dry twigs, moss, and pine cones for the fire, and we put rocks all around in a circle. Robert was the chef. He mixed the water and hot chocolate powder, and tasted it a few times until it was sweet enough and hot enough. And, you know, it was an adventure. We were out in our mini forest, surrounded by trees, surviving for just a few minutes.
1. 'To pretend' is a verb which means 'to act as if'. Children do it all the time when they play, and sometimes adults do too.
a. He pretended to be Darth Vader, and his sister pretended to be Luke Skywalker.
b. She'll make a great actor one day; she's very good at pretending.
2. 'To act out' is the verb used 'to perform'. It is followed by the noun, or the scene or play that is performed. It has a second meaning as well. It can mean to behave disruptively. This second sense can be expressed as 'to act out' or 'to act up'.
a. The students acted out the play they had written; it was very good.
b. The class was really acting out/up; they weren't listening, and they were hard to control.
3. 'To get as far as' means 'to accomplish' or 'to achieve' but not enough, or not totally. It has a sense of measuring how much was done, but knowing that it the job wasn't completed. It is often preceded by 'only'.
a. He wrote for two hours, but only got as far as the middle of his essay.
b. I bought the book that you recommended, but I have only got as far as page 28.
c. We visited the art gallery, but we only saw as far as the second floor.
4. ' To prop up' is like saying 'to lean something up'. The item that is propped is not securely fixed.
a. The tree branches were propped up with wooden poles because they were so heavy with fruit.
b. I don't have time to fix the table legs; I'll prop it up now, and fix it tomorrow.
5. 'Odd bits of' is similar to the expression 'bits and pieces'.
a. My daughter found odd bits of string, and made a pretty collage.
b. My dad made a path of odd bits of broken pots.
6. 'By the time....' is similar in meaning to 'when' but it indicates that time has been spent, or has gone by before something has been achieved. It can be used with any tense.
a. By the time we arrived, the party had finished.
b. By the time you hurry up, you will have missed the train.
c. You need to stop talking because by the time you eat your soup, it will be cold!
7. When there is building or construction of some kind going on, often we use the phrase 'to bring in' when talking about equipment or machinery; we don't just say 'to bring' or 'brought'.
a. The workmen brought in a bulldozer to make the land flat. Later they brought in a crane to put the roof on the house.
b. To build our fire pit, we brought in lots of rock and soil.
8. 'Ground level' is easy to understand; it's the level of the land.
a. The restaurant is at ground level, near the reception area.
b. Let's park the car at ground level, and then take the elevator to the shopping area.
9. 'To be in a .... mood' is a useful phrase. Notice that an adjective or a noun can go before 'mood'.
a. I'm in a coffee mood; I haven't had a good coffee for ages.
b. They're in a party mood; they've finished their studies, and they want to celebrate.
c. He's in a cozy mood; it's snowing outside, and he wants to stay by the fire and read.
10. 'He chose not to use the fire pit' has an important and flexible format. You could say 'He chose to not use the fire pit'. The sentences are interchangeable. Both are more specific than 'He didn't choose to use the fire pit.' They are deliberately rejecting the fire pit. The choice is 'to not use the fire pit'.
a. I chose to not take my iPhone; I didn't want to lose it.
b. She chose not to wear her engagement ring; she didn't want anyone to know about it.
c. They chose not to drive; flying would be safer.
d. We chose to not stay in that hotel because of its bad reviews.
Remember you can email me questions and comments at acupofenglish@hotmail.com or acupofenglish@live.com and I promise to email you back. Also, check out my app in iTunes called A Cup Of English. And all of you are invited to join my FACEBOOK page Anna Fromacupofenglish.
I have been trying to think of ways to save time recently. I even read a book once on how to save time, but that took too long. I really admire people who are efficient, can plan well, and can get lots of things done. It takes a lot of thought. My children and my husband have been telling me to get a smart phone for a long time. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought that more technology in my life would take up(1) more time. It wasn't until last Saturday that I realized that my family was right(2). It was the day that we had four baseball games. If you're not familiar with baseball, you might not understand how time consuming(3)it is. The games are two hours long, and the players have to warm up before the game for about forty five minutes. So, if you're any good at mathematics, you can calculate that we were in the park all day. I should have been prepared with books, and perhaps my iPod, but I wasn't. And in between games(4), I had to drive home to check on everyone else to make sure that my other kids were okay with their babysitter. So, I was flying around all day, but standing around (5)at the park. What could I do with my time there? If I had had a smart phone, I could have answered emails(6), sent emails, written a bit of a podcast, or even skyped with my sister. It was half way through the third game that I made the decision. I had to stop being a dinosaur. I needed to update my phone, and update myself. Wow! What a revelation! What a great step forward for mankind. Well, a couple of days later, I found myself in a very busy Verizon store. It was full of customers who were being served by very smart looking Verizon employees. They each had an iPad, and would quickly take the customers details, and just as quickly, take their credit cards. It was so efficient that it was almost scary. And before I knew it(7), I was getting in my car with my brand new iPhone. So, yesterday, while I was waiting at my daughter's tennis lesson, I read my emails. Great! Then I tried to write a podcast. That is still a bit difficult. My fingers are not used to the small keypad(8). They seem to touch the screen like heavy elephants, and I misspell words, or accidentally change programs from one second to the next. I'm sure I'll get used to it. I look forward to the day when I upload a podcast, and at the bottom it says 'sent from my iPhone'.
1. 'To take up' is used when referring to time or space.
a. That sofa takes up too much space; there's no room for anything else!
b. My dog takes up so much of my time! He demands that I play with him every five minutes!
c. Our Friday office meetings take up too much time.
2. This sentence format is worth practicing.
a. It wasn't until I arrived at work, that I remembered (that) I had left my front door open.
b. It wasn't until sixth grade that we started to learn Spanish.
c. It wasn't until two months later that he apologized.
3. 'Time consuming' literally means 'eating time'. It is used as an adjective.
a. Gardening can be very time consuming, though it is also very beneficial.
b. Setting up parental controls on computers is very time consuming.
4. 'In between' is an efficient use of words. Instead of saying, for example, 'After the first practice, and before the second practice....' we just use 'In between practices'.
a. In between lectures, the students have a coffee.
b. In between meetings, I took a nap.
5. 'Around' is one of those multi-purpose words in English that you just have to get used to. 'To stand' is just the physical act of standing; it could be brief, or go on for a long time. It also seems deliberate. BUT, if you say 'to stand around', it means that you don't have anything else to do, or that you don't know what else to do.
a. We were standing around waiting for the game to begin; it was so boring.
b. She just sits around all day. I wish she would find something to do.
c. He's always racing around. Is he really that busy, or is he hyper?
6. This type of sentence with the past subjunctive is not that difficult; we basically use the pluperfect tense. Let's practice:
a. If they had needed money, I would have given it to them.
b. If he had studied every night, he would have got a better grade.
c. If we had known you were in town, we would have visited you.
7. 'Before ... knew it' is a very native sounding phrase, also used in the present (for a future sense).
a. Before you know it, you will arrive.
b. Before they know it, they'll be married.
c. Before he knew it, he had graduated.
d. Before we knew it, a storm had come, and we were lost at sea.
8. 'A keypad' is the part of a computer or device where you type. It is also numerical.
a. One of the letters is missing from my keypad.
b. The door lock has a keypad. You have to put in the correct code to open the door.
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"Practice makes perfect" is a saying that I've heard ever since (1)I was a little girl. To become good at something, you must practice. We all know that. Those of us who are naturally disciplined are quite happy with that saying. Those of us who are not find it annoying. Academics, hobbies, sports, and languages all require loads of (2)practice. Tonnes of practice(3). Here, a recent fashion has appeared that needs a lot of practice. It is the hobby of playing with a Kendama. A Kendama is a Japanese, wooden toy that has three cups of different sizes, a spike, and a ball attached by a string. Children of all ages are begging(4) their parents to buy them. They play with them individually or in groups before and after school. And of course, they compete. The idea, is to flip (5)the ball up so it can land in one of the cups, on the spike, or even balance between the spike and a cup. There are, apparently, 101 tricks that you can master with practice. It's refreshing (6)to see children using a wooden toy, for a change. I'm so used (7)to seeing them with digital, plastic toys that have screens and internet connections, that it is quite surprising to see them play with something that is non electronic, and quite basic. All the creativity comes from themselves, not the toy. We have two, so far, in our house. "Mum, I know a kid who has 32 of them," said my son Cass, as he flipped up the ball of his Kendama with skill. "Why on earth does he want so many?" I asked. The conclusion was that this boy likes collecting, and has too much money. So, the competitions have started at my house. I haven't got involved(8) yet, and I'm not sure if I will, because my children are already way ahead (9)of me. There are formal competitions in Japan, where the skill level is extremely high. I'm expecting to see a lot of practicing here, and I'm quite happy for the kids to do so, as long as it's away from the television and other breakable(10) objects. So, for a while, instead of watching something on a screen, we can have live entertainment in our living room, and see who is the latest Kendama king or queen.
1. 'Ever since' is used on a daily basis in many situations in English.
a. Ever since he crashed the car, he hasn't wanted to drive.
b. He got promoted, and ever since (then) hasn't spoken to us.
c. Ever since he had the operation, he has had more energy and has been able to work.
2. 'Loads of...' is an informal way of saying 'lots of'.
a. There were loads of people at the school meeting.
b. I couldn't believe how much spaghetti she ate, loads of the stuff!
c. You'll need loads of practice to be able to play that piece of music.
3. 'Tonnes of..' is more or less the same as 'loads of', but with a sense of even more.
a. Did you say that he owns four hotels? Well, he must have tonnes of money!
b. I have tonnes of bills to pay today.
4. 'To beg' is often used figuratively instead of 'to ask for'
a. My daughter begged me to buy her a Hello Kitty jacket, even though she already has one.
b. I hope I get a raise, but I'm not going to beg for one.
5. 'To flip' describes how, with your wrist, or with your fingers, you can throw something up into the air quickly.
a. He read the note and then flipped it to me.
b. I'll flip a coin. If it lands on 'heads' I win; if it lands on 'tails' you win.
6. 'Refreshing' can be used to describe a cool drink or cool food, or it can be used to mean 'a nice change'.
a. Cold watermelon is so refreshing on a hot day!
b. His speech was refreshing; it wasn't the usual boring nonsense.
7. 'To be used to ...' is a daily expression that is worth learning. When you are familiar with something, or have had a habit of doing something, then you are 'used to it'.
a. She was used to getting up very early to milk the goats.
b. I have to give myself insulin injections, but I'm used to it.
c. We are used to the noise of the construction work; even my baby can sleep through it.
8. 'To get involved' means to take part, to become informed, or to become mixed up in something unpleasant/ dangerous. It can also mean to have a romantic relationship with someone.
a. I became involved in the movement for the rights of girls to be educated.
b. Don't get involved in their argument! They'll upset you!
c. She became involved with the main actor, but their relationship didn't last long.
9. 'To be way ahead of...' is an American phrase that is also used in England. It means to know more, or to have gained more skill than someone else.
a. He's way ahead of me when it comes to computers. He's had tonnes of practice, and I've had very little.
b. That company is way ahead of its competitors.
c. I'm way ahead of the class because I have already read the book.
10. 'Breakable' is easily understood. It refers to an object that can break.
a. All of those antiques are breakable; please don't let your dog in there!
b. The package said breakable, so the mail man carried it carefully.
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It's time you had an update(1) on the fire situation here in Wenatchee, and the rest of Washington State. Most of the month, we have had smoke in the valley. We have been told that the air quality is hazardous(2). The local shops have been selling face masks for people who need to be outdoors. I actually bought a box of them the other day, and used one for the first time in my life. The smoke was really thick that particular day, and I found myself holding my breath as I went from the car into shops and out again. "This is ridiculous!" I thought to myself. "I have a box of brand new breathing filters at home; I should be wearing one!" We have got used to the situation now. It has become normal to see people walking around with filters or face masks on. It's also normal to receive emails each day of activities being canceled. It's funny how you quickly get used to a change in lifestyle when you have no choice. And this situation, like a natural disaster, has been ruling our lives. It all started with a lightening storm. I have been in storms before, but never like that one. That day, I had actually been thinking that my life needed a bit more excitement; I was bored and uninspired. By the early evening, however, I was riding on the back of my husband's new motorbike, going up through the wheat fields, and at the same time, watching the drama of a violent lightening storm. The valley was all in shadow, and fork lightening was coming down out of thick clouds. The bolts(3) were striking all over the place, and in the wheat fields as well. I suddenly realized that my life was far too exciting, almost scary. The lightening was getting closer and closer, and I wanted to go home. Most of the fires near us have been put out, but the wind will often blow the smoke from distant fires into the valley. So we have to keep our face masks at the ready(4), and be flexible with our schedules. The 2 or 3 clear days that we have had, have been glorious. Everybody has poured out of(5) their houses into the parks for walks. The noise of children at outdoor recess has been in the air. And people like me have charged into the garden to dig, and plant, and enjoy every second of clean air. For a while, we were let out (6)of prison. If we had rain, it would be over by now. Those of you from dry climates probably understand what I'm saying. When the fires are out, there will be a big celebration, but until then, I will have a face mask in my handbag, just in case(7).
1. 'An update' is a very common word. We see it used when talking about computer programs, and also news.
a. Your photo editing program has been updated, but your anti-virus program still needs to be updated.
b. The following is an update on the situation in Syria.
2. 'Hazardous' means the same as dangerous, but it is usually associated with chemicals, gases, or building materials. 'Dangerous' can be used more broadly.
a. Old batteries are hazardous; they must be recycled properly.
b. The air quality is hazardous; the gases and poisons in the air can affect our health.
3. 'A bolt' is a metal lock that slides into place. 'To bolt down/in' is used when meaning to lock something into place with metal or chains. However, we use the word bolt with lightening, especially if it strikes the ground.
a. The bolt on the door will keep the wild animals out.
b. The bolt of lightening struck the tree, and split it in two.
4. 'At the ready' is a military expression. It means to keep something close by, so it can be quickly picked up and used. In the military this term would be used with weapons, but we use it also for everyday objects. A more everyday and less serious expression to use would be 'handy'.
a. Keep your medicine at the ready /handy in case your symptoms come back.
b. The doctor keeps his beeper at the ready / handy in case he gets called to the hospital.
5. 'To pour/to pour into/out of' is used figuratively to describe how living and non-living things move.
a. The sheep poured out of the field as the dogs chased them.
b. The smoke poured out of the building and covered the surrounding parking lot.
6. 'To be let out' is a phrase that is easy to understand, but again, it is used figuratively a lot. It means 'to be allowed to exit'.
a. When the neighbor's dog had gone, we let the cat out.
b. They let the children out early to play because they had finished their work.
7. We have already seen a couple of examples of 'just in case', but because it is such a common expression, let's see some more.
a. Just in case the baby gets hungry in the night, I've left a bottle of milk in the fridge.
b. I'll check the route on the GPS just in case we get lost.
c. They checked in early at the airport just in case. They wanted to avoid large crowds.
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"Mum, please don't buy me any clothes. I just want to go shopping for clothes with Dad." This request was made by my almost thirteen year old, and echoed(1) by my fourteen year old. It was totally unexpected. In fact, I have never heard anything like that before(2). I've shopped for my children's clothes all of their lives, and now, suddenly, I've been told not to. Did their request hurt my feelings? Not really. I understand that my two oldest are adolescents; they have what we call a 'mental fog'(3) of hormones and changing feelings. I was the same. Perhaps they no longer like my style. Perhaps the brand names I buy are just not cool. Or perhaps they know something that I don't know about fashion. I have never really followed fashion; I just buy what I like. But fashion, for my boys, has suddenly become quite important. The reason they want to shop with their dad, is that he doesn't care about bargains, sales, or saving money. I, on the other hand, am always looking for a bargain. I shop around(4). My husband will find the nicest shop, and buy whatever(5) the boys want. That's why they now prefer dad over mum, the traitors. So, I decided to show my kids that I'm not out of touch(6), I can be fashionable, and perhaps even cool. The latest thing now, apparently, in middle school are Elites. They are a super duper(7), special, wonderful, cool-to-the-extreme(8) type of sock. Everybody wears them, well, everybody who is anybody(9) wears them. If you want to be seen as normal you have to have Elites, otherwise your life is meaningless. So, I followed the dictates of fashion, and spent far too much money on socks. And, you know, I think there is something special about them, some kind of magical power. As soon as my boys put them on, they seemed happier, more confident, and definitely cooler. They walked into school like two zebras joining the herd(10); they belonged.
1. 'Echo' can be used figuratively when someone's words agree or reflect someone else's.
a. My sister's words were echoed by her husband: I should go to the doctor immediately.
b. My grandmother's voice echoed in my daughter's laughter.
2. 'I have never heard anything like that before' is a useful sentence to practice with different verbs:
a. I have never seen anything like that before.
b. I have never eaten anything like that before.
c. We have never been anywhere like that before.
d. They have never done anything like that before.
e. She has never said anything like that before. etc etc
3. 'Mental fog' is used when talking about health issues, when a person feels forgetful or not fully awake.
a. If I don't sleep enough, I have a real mental fog.
b. Depression gives you a mental fog, but exercise and a good diet can make you mentally sharper.
4. 'To shop around' means to spend time going from one shop to another to find the best price. It is also slang for dating lots of people to gain experience.
a. I liked the car, but it was too expensive. I think I'll shop around.
b. You don't have to marry the first man you meet; shop around a little.
5. 'Whatever' is too important to not mention. It's a great word to use in many situations.
a. Buy whatever you want. Eat whatever you want. Listen to whatever he says. (The negative of this is 'don't listen to anything he says'). Do whatever you want.
6. 'To be out of touch' is to not see or respond to reality the way most others do; or to not be realistic. It is also used for being non-communicative with friends and relatives.
a. My family thinks that I am out of touch because I don't have a computer.
b. I'm so out of touch; I really need to get on Facebook and catch up with my family and friends.
7. 'Super duper' is a traditional slang; it's an extension of super and is lighthearted.
a. After dinner, we had Maria's super duper yummy apple pie.
b. I think the Honda Leaf is a super duper car.
8. '.....to-the-extreme' can be used with many different adjectives.
a. They are sporty-to-the-extreme; it's all they talk about, and all they do.
b. They are unhealthy-to-the-extreme; they smoke, drink too much, never exercise, and only eat at McDonald's.
9. 'Anybody' or 'somebody' are both used to refer to someone who has social importance. The opposite is a 'nobody'.
a. He really thinks he's somebody. He left the party because he said it was full of nobodies. I'm glad he left.
b. You must see the Oscars; anybody who is anybody will be there. (Here you can say 'everybody who is anybody will be there') also.
10. A herd is a group of animals, usually 4 legged.
a. The herd of cows ran when the thunder started.
b. The huge herd of zebras covered the plains to the horizon.
Do you remember a few episodes ago, a podcast called Smoke to the North? We learned how to say that something is going on in a particular direction. Well, recently, we have had very bad fires to the West which are still burning. The photo on the blog page was a late afternoon view from my back garden, unusually dark, with a beautiful but very unusual sun. That was taken a few days ago. Now the hillside is completely black, and the fire has swept up(1) to the forests and hills behind our valley. First of all, when the fire was small and confined to an area of empty, dry hillside, it seemed just interesting, and even a little exciting. You could hear the whining (2)of emergency sirens here and there, and of course, it was the main topic of conversation. But these fires have dragged on(3). For the past two mornings we have woken up to a valley full of smoke; you can't even see the hills anymore. The local school district has cancelled all outside sports and recesses, and sporting clubs have done the same(4). People we know have had to evacuate their homes, though some have decided to stay in order to wet their rooves, trees, and gardens, to prevent fire. And remember, it's not just people who have been affected. The hills around here have many different kinds of wild animals, including predators. They are on the move(5) now, trying to get away from the smoke and ash, to reach cleaner, greener areas. One of my husband's favorite hunting areas is getting heavy traffic of deer and coyotes; the bears and cougars will be following as well. The whole thing started with a lightening storm several days ago. There was fork lightening everywhere, and of course, after the summer, the surrounding hills are completely dry. A fire was bound to (6)start. Add to that our desert climate of very little to no rain, and you find us here, still in this smokey situation. The fire fighters have been working around the clock(7), and helicopters go to and fro(8) collecting water from the rivers and taking it up the mountains. Now, it's a question of sitting and waiting. There's nothing really that we can do. It is not so bad that we have to leave, but it's certainly not yet under control. I hope that in a few days we will be back to normal; I look forward to breathing clean air again.
1. 'Swept' or 'to sweep' is used often to describe how something has moved, especially if that something looks similar to a brush, or acts like a brush. It is similar, in this case, to 'wipe'.
a. She swept her long, thick hair out of her face, and pinned it up at the back of her head.
b. The fire swept through the fields in no time, burning up the wheat.
2. 'To whine', 'whining', or 'whiny' is an uncomfortable sound used to describe a certain noise that people make, though it can be used to describe mechanical noises as well.
a. I can't stand it when children whine; their tone of voice when they moan, beg, or complain is tiring. We must teach them to express themselves differently.
b. That man is a whiner. He complains about everything; he's always negative.
c. The fire alarm whined loudly, and immediately everybody evacuated.
3. 'To drag on' means to continue tiresomely.
a. The musical rehearsal dragged on; the beginner players tried their best, but sounded awful.
b. Gosh that meeting dragged on! I wish people wouldn't repeat themselves and talk on and on for no good reason.
4. 'The same' is short for 'the same thing'. The sentence talks about sports clubs doing the same thing as the school district; it is unnecessary to always add 'thing'.
a. They have just painted their fence, and we've done the same (thing).
b. She got 99% on the math exam, and he got the same. (* Here, you wouldn't use 'thing' because you are specifically referring to the percentage).
5. 'To be on the move' is used when referring to animals migrating, or large amounts of vehicles moving.
a. The wildebeest are on the move, walking many miles each day in search of food and water.
b. The tanks have been given their orders, and are now on the move.
6. 'To be bound to...' means the same as 'was/were going to'. 'Bound' is the past participle and adjective of 'to bind' which means to tie up, to secure. So, 'to be bound to...' means that something will happen, and there is no other choice.
a. With the economic crisis hitting this town, there is bound to be a lot of unemployment.
b. He's bound to go to the pub; he can't stay away from them.
7. 'Around the clock' is a phrase we use in order to say 'a lot' or 'for many hours' or 'night and day'.
a. The builders have to work around the clock to get the stadium finished on time.
b. The investigators are working around the clock to find the criminals.
8. 'To and fro' is similar to 'back and forth'.
a. The deer would come into our garden and then go back to the forest, to and fro all Winter.
b. We watched the tennis players hit the ball to and fro, until our heads got tired.
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We're back in business! In fact, I'm back in business. This is an English expression, an idiom(1). And what does it mean? It means that things are working again as they should. I decided to call this podcast 'Back in business' because I am beginning to do my podcasts again, after missing several weeks. I do apologize for disappearing during the summer, but life became very hectic(2). Now that there is more of a routine in my home, I can take time to work on my podcasts, and enjoy bringing you the expressions and useful language that will make your English sound natural. It's good to be back in business. You will hear this expression in all English speaking countries. If, for example, your car has a flat battery(3), and you charge it, hoping that when it has enough power, you will be able to start your car. You finish the charging process, detach the cables(4), and turn the key. Suddenly, "Vroom!" it works; the battery is full of energy, and your motor is working. That is when you say with a smile, "We're back in business." The car is working as it should. This idiom can be used in most situations. Let's say that you are going to catch a plane but it is delayed(5). After waiting and waiting, you hear the airport announcer say, "Flight 801 to Madrid will begin boarding (6)in 15 minutes," your response could easily be, "Hey, we're back in business!" So, this expression is often said with a smile. An opposite expression that you use when your plans have to suddenly change, or when things are not working, is "There's a bump in the road." You can imagine a smooth road that you are traveling on, and suddenly you can't go any further because of a big bump. There is a delay, you need to call for help, or you have to solve the problem yourself. This expression can also be used in many situations. An example of a coversation that you might have using both expressions is the following:
"Our company had its annual meeting yesterday."
"Oh really? Did it go well?"
"Yes, but there was a bump in the road."
"What happened?"
"The main speaker choked on an olive and had to be taken to hospital. Thankfully, his assistant was familiar with the presentation, so we were back in business."
1. The word idiom sounds a lot like 'idiot' but has nothing to do with it. An idiom is an expression that is native to a country, and not obvious in meaning. For example, in Spain, if you want to describe someone as being talkative, you could say, "He talks through his elbows." In other countries, it might not be obvious that that person talks a lot. The expression is typically Spanish, and needs to be interpreted, and learned as a complete expression, not translated.
2. Hectic is another word for 'too busy'. It is like a mix of 'chaos' and 'busy'.
a. I have a hectic schedule at work. I hope I can surivive!
b. The tour of the city was too hectic; we were in a rush, and we saw too many things.
3. There are certain words that we use with batteries. A battery has 'power' of course. When it has its maximum power, we say that it is 'full'. When it no longer has power, we say that it is 'flat'. You could say 'empty' as people would understand, but the correct word is 'flat'. And, in order to regain power, we 'charge' batteries.
a. I need to charge my cell phone battery because I have almost no power left.
b. My car battery is completely flat. I don't think I can charge it anymore. I just need to buy a new one.
4. In the podcast I mentioned detaching the cables from the car battery. In other words, I was talking about taking off the wires that were charging the battery. A cable is generally a wire conductor that is covered in plastic. A 'wire' is not always a conductor of electricity; it might be used for something else (like hanging a picture). Cables are used when charging cars. Infact, those specific cables are called 'jumper cables'.
a. Be careful when you detach the jumper cables from the car battery. You could get a shock!
b. She makes the most beautiful art out of copper wire.
5. 'Delay' and 'delayed' are essential words in English. Delay is a verb and a noun, and delayed is used as an adjective.
a. The plane was delayed for three hours, so we took the train instead.
b. He's going to delay our plans if he keeps talking/ he's going to make us late if he keeps talking.
6. 'To board' is another essential verb in English which means to get on a plane/ boat/ train. It sounds exactly like 'bored' (which means unentertained) but has a slightly different spelling.
a. It's time to board the train; hurry up, let's go.
b. We can't board the plane for at least 15 minutes.
Oh, I'm frustrated. I haven't seen the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. I've been searching on the internet, but all I can find are a few highlights(1). NBC, here in the U.S. refused to show a live stream (2) of the event. They had their reasons. They said that, because of the time difference, not many people would watch it, plus they would make more money if they waited until prime time(3) the next day. Because they paid $1.3 billion for the rights to show the games, the National Broadcasting Company wanted to show the opening ceremony at a time when they would make the most money from advertizing. Unfortunately, the television network made the mistake of cutting out a lot of the event, and switching to studio commentary. I've heard many disappointed, and even angry comments about this. Danny Boyle, the film director who created and organized the ceremony, did so as a continuous production, like a play that needs to be watched completely, unlike a Superbowl intermission (4) when you can leave the room and get popcorn, or cut your toenails. When so much time has gone into a work of art, it deserves attention and recognition. Many, many television viewers here in the U.S were deprived of the live showing, and that's just not on (5). So what could have happened? What would you or I have done? Nobody wants to lose huge sums of money, even for historical art, and global traditions. Could NBC have had a live showing of at least part of the ceremony, and then said,"For the whole ceremony, join us again tomorrow at such and such (6) a time,"? Perhaps they could have explained as well that the time difference was the main problem. Perhaps a link on their website with the whole opening ceremony could have solved the problem. Who knows? I have, actually, been enjoying the sporting events very much, and recording them, but I'm still not a happy camper (7). I found the commentaries by the NBC commentators, as the teams came out, to be very negative, and not in the spirit of the games. They were even derrogatory about the team from Greece, immediately talking about the country's financial problems, and saying that they were "lucky" to be at the Olympics. How condescending! The past 4 Olympics that I have seen here have been the same; the U.S commentators tend to be patronizing to other countries. Surely NBC must realize that commentators of an international event have a tremendous responsibility to educate the public, and to be a good example of their country's best values. It's not just about sports; it's about being globally minded. And,what is the spirit of the games? Several things: friendship, excellence, respect, and peace. It would be so refreshing to hear more informed and impartial comments. I understand that each country has its perspective, its sense of patriotism, and its pride. We all have it. But commentators of international events surely should be intelligent and sensitive, and very carefully chosen, otherwise they do their own public a disservice(8). Well, I have vented, but I don't think that I've been unjust. I look forward to the day, perhaps at the next Olympics in Brazil, when I can hear the U.S commentators really reflect the spirit of the games.
1. 'Highlights' is a word that has several meanings. In this context it refers to the most important parts of an event. Highlights are also a lighter, random hair coloring. The verb 'to highlight' is often used in place of 'to emphasize' or 'underline with a pen'.
a. Later tonight, I will watch the Olympic highlights to see who won what.
b. Just for a change, I had highlights put in my dark hair.
c. A good way to study history is to highlight the important dates, names, and other details.
2. 'A live stream' means a showing of something on television (or computer) that is taking place right now.
a. There was a live stream of the royal wedding, so the whole world could see it as it happened.
3. 'Prime time' is the hour or two when the most people watch television. The word 'prime' means 'best'.
a. That obscure film won't be on prime time; most people won't want to watch it at 7pm.
4. 'Intermission' is basically a break, a time during a film, a show, or some performance, when you can get a drink, stretch your legs, or use the bathroom.
a. It's a good job that there's an intermission because this play is two hours long.
5. 'It's not on', 'That's just not on' is a term that is used (mainly in England) to say that something isn't right, fair, or appropriate.
a. He volunteered his time, and nobody even thanked him. That's just not on.
b. Taxes are going up for businesses again. Well, that's not on. I know. It's not on at all.
6. 'Such and such' is a very common phrase used when giving examples or hypothesis, butwhen you're not wanting to be specific. It is often used instead of a specific person, place, or time.
a. Angie could tell him, "Come back later, at such and such a time". Here a person is suggesting that Angie could tell a man to come back later, but the time is not specified.
b. "Let's pretend the party has started, and the guests are arriving. You need to say,"Good evening Mr. and Mrs such and such, please take a seat. The waiter will be with you shortly.'"
7. 'A happy camper' just means a happy person. It's a playful phrase used in England.
a. I got a free watch when I bought my laptop, so I was a happy camper.
b. He was thrown out of the theatre before the play started. He was not a happy camper.
8. 'Disservice' is a lack of service, or bad service. The phrase is 'to do someone a disservice'.
The view from the back of our house faces north, looking at the hills on either side of the Columbia river. They are brown this time of year, after a hot and dry summer. For a few days, the view was hard to see because there was smoke to the north(1). The bridge that crosses the Columbia from Wenatchee to East Wenatchee has a view that follows the river upstream(2) for a long way. As I drove across it the other day, I took a quick photo on my phone of the thick smoke that was now filling the valley. I know that I shouldn't really do that when I'm driving, but it was just a quick second snap, and I had the picture. A fire had started in a place called Chelan, and the smoke had blown in our direction. Thankfully, it cleared up(3) in a few days. If you are familiar with forest fires, you might know that they can last much longer, and the smoke can invade surrounding towns, bringing everything to a halt(4). Once, a long time ago, my husband and I left Wenatchee for the day because the smoke in the valley was so bad; we couldn't stand it any longer(5). I don't envy the work of the firefighters this time of year. It's grueling(6). Smoky the Bear is a cartoon character that appears on television and talks about avoiding forest fires. He is part of a campaign by the government to educate the public. He appears as a friendly bear in a hat, carrying a shovel, and his motto is “Only you can prevent wildfires.” Statistics show that, in this country, 9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans. And, as you can imagine, a 'wildfire' is one that is unwanted, and out of control. As you drive near forests, you will randomly see Smoky the Bear posters on the side of the road as a reminder to be careful with fire. The effects of being careless can be devastating. The wildfire up in Chelan is out now, and the smoke to the North has cleared, but the expense and waste of forest will be long lasting.
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'Smoke to the north'. When we talk about what we see in a certain direction, we use 'to the..'
a. The mountains are to the north, and the desert is to the south.
b. This house has a lot of windows, and to the east is a view of a golf course.
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'Upstream' is a direction. It refers to rivers and streams, and it is the opposite direction of the water flow. Generally it is said that a river flows 'down', and so 'upstream' is against the flow of water.
a. Salmon swim upstream when they return to their birthplace to lay eggs.
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'To clear up' has several meanings. It can mean to tidy up. It can also be used when an infection is going away/getting better. And it is an expression used with the weather.
a. Let's clear up these toys; the place is a real mess.
b. Her ear infection has finally cleared up.
c. The thick clouds have cleared up/ the storm cleared up later in the day.
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'To bring something to a halt', 'to grind everything to a halt', or 'to bring everything to a grinding halt' are often used to describe how something (powerful or unwanted) will stop normal activity. 'Grinding' is an excellent descriptive word that refers to metal brakes.
a. The sudden snow storm brought the whole town to a grinding halt.
b. When Lady Sotherby found the cockroach in her salad, it brought the dinner party to a halt.
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'To not stand it any longer' is a very common phrase which means the same as 'to bear' or 'to put up with'.
a. I had to put earplugs in last night. The neighbors were having a party, and I couldn't stand the noise any longer.
b. I tried so hard to not scratch my mosquito bites, but then I had to do it. I couldn't stand it any longer.
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'Grueling' means extremely exhausting and physically punishing. It comes from the word 'gruel' which is an old, rare word meaning a kind of soup. The exhausting activity leaves a person like gruel. It can be used figuratively as well.
a. The triathlon was grueling; it took us days to recover.
b. My interview was grueling. I don't feel confident about the result.
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Once in a while a fabulous opportunity comes along, an opportunity to experience something excellent and unusual, a wonder of the world, perhaps. I had just this kind of opportunity in Seattle this month. The Pacific Science Center has the collection of items found in King Tutenkhamun's tomb. My son's class had planned on making(1) a special trip to this exhibition as a final field trip. All year long, the school had been raising money for this special event by having bake sales(2). Everyone had bought and eaten cakes and cookies all year, and helped to pay for the museum visit. My job was to drive. I was lucky to go; in fact, once I had heard about the Egyptian exhibit, I was determined to find a way to go. A teacher, a parent, and an extra student came in my car, as well as my son. Each driver was given an itinerary and a map of the museum. Our schedule was going to be busy and packed. In the space of(2) five hours, we were going to go to the planetarium, see a laser show, see an Imax movie, and finally see the tomb items of King Tut. Somewhere in the middle we were going to squeeze in (3)lunch. So, we had lots to chat about on the way there. The three hour journey went very quickly. We all gathered in the parking lot, and made our way into the Science Center. The place is huge. There are different floors, and different rooms filled with exhibits from dinosaurs to insects, and planets to robots. It's impossible to see everything in one day; you have to be selective. We made our way through the exhibits, lunch, and the movie, and finally it was time to see King Tut's gorgeous stuff. I was so excited. The whole area was elegantly painted black, with spotlights on each individual item. I was amazed by the amount of relics, statues, and jewelery found in his tomb. I was busy photographing a statue, when I realized that my son had disappeared. He had raced through each of the rooms, just glancing briefly at everything, and was near the exit. He wasn't interested in reading about anything; he's nine. It was fun enough for him to sneak through a series of dark rooms. When I caught up (4)with him, I asked him if he had seen the king's mask. “Yep,” he said, “it's right over here.” He took me to a glass case and pointed at a statue. Well, it looked like King Tut's face, but it wasn't the mask. I looked around quickly, wondering where it could be. A security guard was standing nearby(5), so I asked him where it was. “Oh, it's not here,” he said. There was a pause. “It has stayed in Egypt since the late 70's.” I felt completely deflated. How disappointing! Everything else was stunning, of course, but I had been expecting to see what was on the posters that advertised the exhibition: the mask. The icon of Egypt simply wasn't there. If I want to see it, I need to take a trip to the Cairo Museum, and, in order to do that, I'll have to do a few bake sales of my own.
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'To plan on doing something' is good, native sounding English which can have many variations:
a. We planned on driving all night.
b. They planned on meeting us half way.
c. She planned on freezing the cake after she made it, and keeping it for Christmas.
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'In the space of....' in this case refers to time. The word 'space' means an area or span of time.
a. In the space of two hours, I cleaned the house, taught a class, and paid the bills!
b. In the space of three days, they hiked over the mountain and across the border.
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'We were going to squeeze in lunch' means that you are trying to 'fit' lunch into a busy schedule.
a. If we hurry, we can squeeze in a nap after lunch, just before the meeting.
b. They didn't have much time, but they managed to squeeze in a museum visit before they caught their plane.
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'To catch up with someone' has 2 meanings: it is to physically follow and meet up with a person, or it is to find out what has been going on in the life of someone who you haven't been around for a while. In this paragraph, it is the former.
a. He ran ahead of me, but soon I caught up with him.
b. I hadn't seen them for years, so we spent some time catching up.
Field trips are always fun for school children. The typical trips are to museums, parks, and science centers. Of course, it depends on where you live. You have an advantage if you live in a city because there is more variety and entertainment. In a rural area, a school may have to be more creative to keep their field trips interesting. One activity that my kids took part in recently was geocaching. It has very quickly become popular globally, even in this small, rural area. So, what is it? Geocaching is considered an outdoor sporting activity in which players use some kind of navigational device (1). Coordinates (2)of a certain place are given, and the participants have to find their way there. Once they reach the exact spot, they search and find a container of some sort(3). Inside are inexpensive items such as toys, nicknacks(4), or items of interest or meaning. These can be taken and kept by the person doing the geocaching, but it is expected that the finder replace these items with something else. Also, inside the container will be a logbook where the geocacher will write the date and his or her personal geocaching code(5). You can receive a code by registering on-line as a geocacher. So, basically, this sport is like hide and seek, except that you're not hiding yourself but a cache, a treasure of some kind. As long as the container of the cache is waterproof, it will be safe until someone finds it. Geocaching started in Oregon in the United States in May of 2000, when a man by the name of(6) David Ulmer hid a cache and posted the coordinates on-line on the international Usenet newsgroup. Since then, geocaching has taken off(7), and is currently in 100 countries, even in Antartica. People continue to register on-line at sites like 'Geocaching.com' where you can find coordinates of caches in your area, and the rules of the game. So, it sounds like fun, doesn't it? It's a great, free activity that you can do with friends and family. Schools, of course, are taking advantage of this as well. When we went geocaching, my childrens' school split up into several groups and hunted around in the parks. While they walked from one cache to another, they picked up litter. As they came to the spots where the coordinates met, there was a lot of excited hunting, looking in bushes and trees, until someone would shout out excitedly, “I've found it!” One cache was tiny. We wouldn't have found it without the help of the teacher who had been there before. The container was a tiny, metal cylinder, about a third of the size of (8)a pencil. It had a screw top, and was inserted into a hole in a sign post. The logbook was a very small rolled up paper, and the cache was a sticker. The students were fascinated. After finding that cache, they discussed the possibilities of creating tiny and unusual caches that they could plant. I'm forming a list of activities to do this summer, and I think I have found one more thing to add to it: geocaching.
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'A device' is a general word for a useful tool. It can range from a simple pair of scissors, to an iPad.
a. When scissors were first invented, they must have been considered incredible devices.
b. To geocache properly, it is best to have a navigational device.
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'Coordinates' is an unusual word. Two 'o's' together usually create the 'ooo' sound, but not in this case. A similar word is 'cooperate'. Let's practice.
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'Of some sort' is the same as saying 'of some kind'; the two expressions are interchangeable.
a. When you plant a new tree, you should use some sort of support for it for the first year.
b. He contracted some kind of skin disease, and had to use antibiotics to get rid of it.
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'Nicknacks' has the same meaning as 'trinkets'. They are usually small items of little value such as collectibles, ornaments, fridge magnets, and memorabilia from vacations.
a. After lunch, we walked around the town and looked at the trinket shops. We bought a few nicknacks.
b. I wish you'd buy something decent, and not all of those cheap nicknacks.
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'Geocaching' is the topic for today. One point to remember is the pronunciation of the 'ch': it sounds like 'sh'.
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'By the name of' is used instead of 'called' or 'is called'.
a. A woman by the name of Elizabeth Brown established this line of ceramics.
b. A man by the name of Rodger Snoops informed the police about the suspect.
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'To take off' is used in several contexts. A plane can take off (when it first leaves the airport). Also, a hobby or sport can take off, as in become very popular.
a. Geocaching has taken off over the past twelve years because everyone likes to hunt for treasure, and it is inexpensive.
b. Reality shows took off about ten years ago, and are now in every country.
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When comparing sizes using fractions, we use expressions like 'half (of)the size of' or 'three quarters (of) the size of'. The first of is usually included in British English, whereas in the U.S it is missed out.
a. The dog is half (of) the size of the cat.
b. The museum is three quarters (of) the size of the bus station.
I came across some interesting information the other day, bizarre information, crazy information, that has led me on a journey of discovery. I was watching one of my sons run during a track meet (1). There were six middle schools all competing in the various track events, and the place was packed. I sat in the middle of the large crowd of parents who had come to cheer on (2) their children. A lady who I knew was talking to me about children growing up, entering high school, and applying for scholarships. “My oldest is a few years away from all of that,” I said. “But still (3), I should probably start looking into (4) scholarships.” She told me that she had already done so, as her son is older than mine. “There are all kinds of private scholarship funds out there. You won't believe it. There's even one for being blonde!” There was a long pause, as I frowned and thought about what she had said. “For being blonde?” I asked in disbelief(5). So many questions rushed into my head. “How blonde do you have to be?” “Could I bleach (6) my hair blonde to get a scholarship?” “And who decides if you qualify? Does a little old lady with a huge Madonna wig come to your house and check-out your hair?” This couldn't be true, I decided. How ridiculous. But, my friend told me that lots of rich individuals will leave money for people who have certain qualities. I had to investigate. So, back at home, I did some research on the internet. I came across a website called '45 of the weirdest college scholarships'. Well, I didn't find any scholarships for being blonde, even though there were many searches for 'scholarships for blondes'. But I did find a lot of other bizarre ones: if you are a male over 6' 2'' or a female over 5'10'', you could qualify for $1000 by writing an essay entitled 'What being tall means to me.' If you're a nudist, a vegetarian, if you wish to study fungi, if you enjoy duck calling, or if you like to watch the series 'Star Trek', then you can get money for college! Or if you can predict the future, play the bagpipes, or can design clothes for the prom (7) out of duct tape (sticky tape), then you are also eligible (8) for money. If only I had known about all of this 20 years ago! I could have joined all of those groups, and got a PhD for free! I could have been a duck calling, bagpipe playing, fungi studying, future predicting nudist vegetarian (well, perhaps not the nudist part) who could predict her own shining educational future..... and not even have to change from a brunette to a blonde.
1. 'Track' has several meanings. It can mean a small path created by man or animals. It can mean 'to follow', or it is a noun meaning the sporting events that are running based.
a. My son competed in the running long jump and did quite well.
b. The mile run was the last event in the track meet.
2. 'To cheer on' can also be expressed as 'to cheer for'. The first expression implies encouraging someone in their event, the second implies supporting an individual or group.
a. As the athletes ran, we cheered them on.
b. Though he was last, we cheered him on, and tried to encourage him to go faster.
3. 'But still' is often used like 'however' when you are using 2 slightly contrasting ideas.
a. They won't arrive until later, but still we should get the house ready now.
b. We have plenty of food in the fridge, but still we shouldn't be wasteful.
4. 'To look into' can mean to investigate.
a. We looked into getting a loan, but we didn't qualify.
b. They looked into scholarships and found one for bald people!
5. 'Disbelief' means 'not believing' and is usually preceded by 'in' or 'with'.
a. I looked at him in disbelief; I couldn't believe what he had just said.
b. He put his hand to his mouth in disbelief when he saw how beautiful she looked.
6. 'Bleach' is a powerful chemical cleaner that is used to remove color from hair. It can be used as a verb sometimes.
a. I used some bleach to clean out the garbage can. That should clean it!
b. The sun has bleached our patio chairs; they look so pale now!
7. The 'Prom' is a very important dance at High School.
a. Are you going to ask someone to go to the Prom with you?
b. Their Prom costume is very elegant, but if you look closely, you can see that it is made of duct tape!
8. 'Eligible' is when you satisfy characteristics for something, it could be age, gender, ethnicity, background etc.
a. He wants to run for President of the Student Body, but he is too young; he's not eligible.
b. At 65 years of age, you're eligible for a pension.
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Recently I've had the strangest feeling when I've been alone at home. My husband is at work, and my children are at school, so I should be alone. I don't hear footsteps(1), or anyone moving around in the house. I don't hear talking or breathing in any of the rooms. But I sense that someone else is in the house, or something else. When I'm upstairs, folding laundry in the laundry room, I feel it less. But as I walk downstairs, I become aware(2)of a presence, gradually with each step. As I write this, I'm in the living room, where the feeling is strongest. It reminds(3) me of when I was a girl, and I would stare up at the ceiling at night, in my room, in the darkness. My imagination would make me see all sorts of things up there, or coming out of the walls. Shadows of toys would become people or creatures, fairies and figures. So, here I sit, and it feels as if a pair of (4)eyes is watching me. Something has made its place in here, silently. And, as I sit here writing, I can feel that it is directly above me. Should I turn and look? Am I brave enough to reach out to touch it? Yes, I will. And I do. My fingers immediately feel something very large, cool, and smooth. The more I touch, the bigger it appears. It's body goes up and up. It feels strong, and what's that? It's not skin, but fur(5), and lots of it. In fact, it's completely covered in fur. Up my hand goes to its face. A long snout, and big bulging eyes, those eyes that never close. I feel a small forehead. This creature has a small brain for such a big, strong body. Large, hairy ears are alert at the sides of the head, listening for danger. This creature is wanted. This creature was wanted. Its powerful legs weren't enough for it to get away. It was wanted for its crown; and what a magnificent crown it is, unique, impressive, a crown of battle. It was a guardian(6) of the forest. And now it is here, still a guardian, quiet, watchful, always alert. It was barely seen among the trees, a passing shadow. And here, it's barely noticed, until you are alone. Then, you hear a whisper from the forest, you read its story in its eyes, and you feel the glory of its crown.
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'Footsteps' can be heard. 'Footprints' can be seen.
a. I knew that he had arrived because I heard his footsteps in the entryway.
b. I followed the footprints in the sand and found where you were.
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'To be aware' of something is to know or recognize.
a. I was suddenly aware of being followed by a man in a long, black coat and hat.
b. I wasn't aware that they had moved to the city.
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'To remind' or 'to be reminded' is very similar to remembering.
a. She reminds me of her grandmother; they look and act the same.
b. Please remind me that the pie is in the oven, otherwise I'll forget and it'll get burned.
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'A pair of' is singular, so the verb form used with it is the same.
a. That pair of shoes is too expensive.
b. That pair of socks isn't the right color. You need to wear this pair with those trousers.
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'Fur' is a kind of coarse hair that animals have.
a. There is something furry moving through the trees.
b. Native American Indians would use the fur and skins of animals for clothing.
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'Guardian' comes from the verb 'to guard'. We don't pronounce the 'u'.
a. He was the guardian of the temple, and had to protect it at any cost.
b. He takes his job as palace guardian very seriously.
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There is a festival in this town that brings in thousands of visitors, and livens(1) the valley for over a week. It's called Apple Blossom. By the name, you can tell that it coincides with the blossoming of the many apple trees that grow here. The weather is still playing a tug-of-war(2) between cold, windy days, and hot ones, but usually, by Apple Blossom, the sun is winning. For a few weeks leading up to the festival, groups of people are busy building floats that have varying(3) themes. There is always one for the three Apple Blossom princesses who have been elected by the local high schools. Their float is often something to do with Spring, or flowers. They stand and wave and look pretty; it must be a very hard job. And then there are all the floats of schools, sports groups, charities, and some businesses. If you are involved in one of these organizations, you have the opportunity to walk next to the float. My daughter, who does gymnastics, was chosen with her friends to hold the sign of the gymnastics group, while other girls and boys did cartwheels(4) and flips all along the road. I walked with the proud parents and handed out water bottles. It was very exciting. I was tempted to do a flip, just like the children were doing. But then I realized that if I did do one, it would be the very last thing that I ever did. So, I took photographs instead. I waved a little, trying to mimic(5) the princesses (my wave was better than theirs). A few people I knew were standing along the road; they called to me and waved. I began to feel famous. In fact, other people waved enthusiastically and called to me, “Oh hi there..” but then used a name like Angela, or Rebecca, or Mary. But I was caught up in the enthusiasm, so I waved back and smiled. What lovely confusion! The parade was a big event. There were bands and schools from all over the state, and visitors from Japan. A carnival had been set up down by the river, and a food fare was crammed(6) into one of the down town parks. There are so many people in the center of town for the parade that it's impossible to find parking close by, so you need to park far away on a street in the residential area. Our parade finished, we rested and had icecream, and then Domini and I had a long, hot hike back to the car.
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To liven means to bring a place alive with excitement, movement, or color. It is often followed by the word 'up'.
a. The new paint in the kitchen really livens up the place.
b. When the DJ gets here, the party will liven up.
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A tug-of-war is a game played where two people or groups pull on a long rope. The winning group is the one who manages to pull the opposing team over a half-way line.
a. We played tug-of-war, but our opponents won; they were much stronger than us.
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Varying comes from the word 'vary' or the verb 'to vary' meaning to offer variety. It's pronunciation can be a bit tricky, so here's some practice.
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a. The artist's pictures were all blue, but varying in subjects.
b. I think that everyone enjoyed the comedian, to varying degrees.
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To mimic means to copy, usually in action or a facial feature.
a. The monkey mimicked the lady drinking coffee.
b. The boy mimicked his teacher when he wasn't looking.
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To be crammed comes from the verb 'to cram' which means to stuff or pack something in tightly (do you remember the phrase 'jam packed'?)
a. He crammed the crackers into his mouth and threw the empty packet in the bin.
b. The pencils are crammed so tightly in the box, that I can't get them out!
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I was fortunate enough (1)the other day to go on a field trip with the school that my son attends. As his school doesn't have a bus, parent volunteers are needed to transport the kids here and there. I am one of them, and, you know, I benefit from volunteering in many ways. That particular day, I learned a lot about the Wenatchi Indians, and the pioneer days of this area. We visited a museum in the town of Cashmere which is about eight miles from here. It's a small building, but jam packed(2) with artifacts and donations. I had been to the museum before, but this time, we had a very knowledgeable (3)guide who happened to be a Native American Indian. As time went on, and he took us from one display area to another, I began to realize that he had deep knowledge and deep personal interest in the museum. He was half Cherokee and half Sioux, and knew not only about those Indian nations, but also a lot about the Wenatchi nation. He told us that the baskets that were made by Wenatchi women are worth thousands of dollars. He went into detail, telling us how they would gather(4) the grasses, chew them, dye them with berry juice, and then weave them. These baskets were made so well, that they could carry water. In fact, the Wenatchis would boil water in the baskets by placing boiling hot stones from a fire inside a basket full of water. That kind of information, and many other things that I learned, gave me new respect for the history of this local area. Then, we moved to the outside area of the museum where there's a collection of original pioneer (5)homes. There was a home, a jail, a hat shop, a print shop, a school, and a hotel. My son's class loved the school. It was obviously very basic, all wood, dark, it had a stove, small chalk boards for the students, and a metal bucket that everyone drank out of. The guide told us that school was only available for a few months a year; during Winter it was too cold, and, as all the children helped to farm, they couldn't go to school during planting or harvest seasons either. My son thought that that (6)was great, “Only a few months of school? Awesome!” he said. If children could basically learn to read and write, and do a little mathematics, then the main goal was accomplished. Their lives were agricultural and they were hard working, so school was considered a luxury. How different it is today!
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'To be fortunate/lucky/unlucky enough' the use of 'enough' speeds up a sentence that could otherwise be a bit awkward.
a. I was fortunate. I got into the theater for free. OR I was fortunate in that I got into the theater for free. INSTEAD with the use of 'enough' we can say : I was fortunate enough to get into the theater for free.
b. She was unlucky enough to miss the bus, so she was late for work.
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'Jam packed' is an expression that means tightly squeezed or squashed into a place. It can describe the subject or object.
a. The cinema was jam packed last night.
b. The students were jam packed into the assembly hall for the graduation ceremony.
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'Knowledgeable' describes a person who knows a lot. Let's practice the pronunciation.
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'To gather' is the same as to collect or to pick (as in flowers); it also means to congregate.
a. The Wenatchi Indian women would gather grasses to make their baskets.
b. A group of protesters gathered in the main square.
5.'Pioneer' means the first person to do something, or to settle somewhere.
a. The pioneers in this area were the first Europeans to settle and farm here.
b. Santiago Ramon y Cajal was the great pioneer in the field of neurobiology.
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Scientists say the notoriously dry continent of Africa is sitting on(1) a vast reservoir of groundwater. They say that the total volume of water in aquifers underground is 100 times the amount found on the surface. The British Geological Survey and the University College London team has produced the most detailed map yet(2) of the scale and potential of this hidden resource. Across Africa more than 300 million people are said to (3) not have access to safe drinking water, and the demand is growing because of population growth and the need for agriculture. "Where there is the greatest ground water storage is in northern Africa, in Libya, Algeria and Chad," said Helen Bonsor from the BGS. In fact, according to the studies, there are aquifers even across sub-Saharan Africa. Water, over many years, can collect in the spaces between rocks underground, and even in the tiny spaces inside sandstone. This watery, wet stone area is an aquifer. The water found in these reserves(4) is usually cleaner than surface water. These huge bodies of water are equivalent to(5) a quarter of the Mediterranean Sea, or three times the Red Sea. The British experts caution (6) that drilling for water should be done carefully, and with a lot more research. The UK's secretary of state for international development, Andrew Mitchell said, "This is an important discovery which the British Government has funded, and could have a profound effect on some of the world's poorest people, helping them become less vulnerable."(7)
1. 'To sit on' can be used to say "He sits on the chair", but it can also be used figuratively with words like 'a fortune' or 'a time bomb'.
a. That boy comes from an extremely wealthy family; he's sitting on a fortune, and doesn't even know it.
b. That situation is like sitting on a time bomb; any day disaster can strike.
2. 'Yet' can be used in many instances. In this particular case, it means 'so far'. Here are 2 similar examples:
a. I have had fifteen job interviews, and the last one was the best one yet.
b. I have tried this new cookie recipe a few times, but this batch (collection of cookies) is the best one yet.
3. 'To be said (to)' can be followed by a positive or negative verb, or the verb 'to be' followed by an adjective.
a. The whole population is said to be musical.
b. Now, after the disaster, the ground, the river, and the plants are said to be radioactive.
4. 'A reserve' means a place where something is conserved, either naturally or deliberately.
a. Because the bird is so vulnerable, an island in the very south of New Zealand has been dedicated as a reserve for the kiwi.
b. Poland, apparently, has some of the biggest reserves of salt in the world.
5. 'Equivalent to' basically means 'equal to' or 'the same as'.
a. My son and his grandmother are equivalent in height.
b. The time we spend sleeping is equivalent to a quarter of our lives.
6. 'To caution' is a verb that means to warn. Note the difference in these two following sentences.
a. We cautioned him about driving fast.
b. We cautioned him that driving fast in icy weather would be a mistake.
7. 'Vulnerable' is another way of saying easily affected, weak, or exposed. The pronunciation is a bit tricky, as the 'l' isn't always silent.
a. He feels vulnerable without his glasses on.
b. Hopefully, as Africa utilizes its vast water reserves, its people will no longer be vulnerable to drought or famine.
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Today's podcast is going to test your knowledge of ethanol. What is it? How is it made? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of using it? I asked myself these questions recently, when I drove past a gas station that had a sign saying 'No ethanol in our gas'. I asked myself why it would be good to not have ethanol in petrol? I remember hearing about large amounts of the stuff being produced in this country, and how some people are for it, and others are against it. So, what exactly is ethanol, and what are the issues surrounding it(1)? Ethanol is a fuel that, for a long time has been produced from corn. In the U.S., the government subsidized (2)corn growers for many years specifically for the production of ethanol. But, why would they do this? First of all, a desire to be self sufficient was at the heart of this project. If you can produce your own energy, then there is no longer any need to rely(3) on other countries. Secondly, some believe that the cost would be less than petrol. Thirdly, ethanol reduces greenhouse gases(4) by 18%-29%. Ethanol is easily mixed with petrol, so all cars can use gas (petrol) that is 10% ethanol. There are some cars that can use 85% ethanol with 15% gas. Continuing research has raised questions(5) about ethanol. If we are using millions of acres of agricultural land to produce corn that nobody eats, surely this will raise food prices globally. Also, farming corn is costly, and uses a lot of gas and gas products when you think of the heavy machinery, the transportation, and the petrol-based chemicals used on the plants. How much cleaner is this biofuel than traditional gas? And, should the government be spending tax payers' money on subsidies for a process that isn't overwhelmingly (6) beneficial? Well, as I continued to research ethanol, I found that globally, research has improved its production, and removed the two major problems: using food for fuel, and only reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a small percentage. Apparently, a new ethanol, called cellulosic ethanol is now produced from nonfood crops, such as bark, corn stalks and leaves, and switchgrass. These are agricultural and industrial leftovers, and switchgrass is a rapidly growing weed that is used to prevent erosion. So, instead of expensively growing corn, we can use by-products. Just think of the savings. The carbon footprint(7) is tiny compared to that of growing, transporting, and processing corn. And, talking about our carbon footprint, cellulosic ethanol reduces greenhouse emissions by 85%. Now, that is substantial. Don't you think that collaborative(8) research is always our best route to good ideas? Globally, this is already believed, because research into improving ethanol and making its production efficient and highly beneficial is continuing. Facilites for production are all over the globe, the biggest one being in Italy. People want a home-based, clean alternative to fossil fuels; it will improve global health and national economies. So, on our list of cleaner energy sources, we can add cellulosic ethanol.
1. 'The issues surrounding ..' means the important questions or problems that are linked to something. The phrase gives a good visual of a central idea or thing being surrounded.
a. There are lots of issues surrounding the government's political agenda.
b. There are a lot of questions surrounding his proposal.
2. 'To subsidize' is when money is given to a project to protect and enourage it.
a. The corn growers of the U.S have been subsidized for many years.
b. Tax payers' money is often used to subsidize projects.
3. 'To rely on' is the same as to depend on.
a. I rely on him to tell me the truth.
b. We rely on email to keep in touch with family and friends.
4. 'Greenhouse gases'
a.Greenhouse gases are the gases produced by burning fossil fuels, such as coal or petrol.
b. Greenhouse gases can be reduced by using clean energy sources.
5. 'To raise a question' is slightly different from 'to ask a question'. It is less specific; the question might not have been vocalized yet. It might just be in someone's mind.
a. His actions raised a few questions in my mind: is he fit for the job? Does he need more training?
b. I'm sure questions will be raised when the employees hear about him leaving the company.
6. 'Overwhelmingly' here is used as an adjective, but of course, it comes from the verb to 'to overwhelm'.
a. The votes show that she is overwhelmingly the most popular singer.
b. I was overwhelmed by your act of kindness.
7. 'Carbon footprint' is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions we cause on a personal level.
a. This year, I'm going to do all that I can to reduce my carbon footprint.
b. There are some simple ways to reduce our carbon footprints, like recycling, and turning off lights that don't need to be on.
8. 'Collaborative' comes from the verb to collaberate, meaning to work together and share ideas.
a. The project was a collaborative effort; many experts were involved.
b. If we collaborate, we will probably find the best solutions to our problems.
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Waiting, waiting, waiting. It's difficult to do sometimes. I found myself waiting a couple of weeks ago at Seattle International Airport. My sister and my two nephews were coming for a two week visit, so I made the three hour drive over the mountains to pick them up. I don't often go to Seattle, but I love to. It's a gorgeous place, if you like forests, the sea, and modern buildings. So, I take any opportunity I can to drive there. The airport is actually outside of Seattle, half way between Seattle and Tacoma, and is therefore called Sea-tac airport. It is a smart, modern facility that, believe it or not(1), smells of coffee. How wonderful! You might think that I'm joking, but it's true. You know that Seattle is where Starbucks started, and Seattle is known for being the coffee capital of the U.S. In fact, it has more coffee houses per 100,000 residents than the U.S. has overall(2). So, even the airport is fully equipped with coffee all over the place. While I waited for my sister to arrive, I found myself(3)at one of the many coffee shops. I bought my soy latte, and wandered around a magazine shop. The plane had come in on time, there was no delay(4). However, because the flight was an international one, my sister and her boys had to go through immigration(4) and customs(4). That is a time consuming necessity. Also, the flight was full, so the two hundred or so sleepy passengers took extra long to arrive at baggage claim. I kept on returning to the arrivals escalator, to see if anyone from the flight had turned up. Nope(5). It took about an hour and a half for the travelers to arrive. It was interesting to stand back and see the different people step off the escalator. There was a real mix of shapes and sizes, ethnicities, and demeanours(6). Some people were dressed professionally, pulling behind them small, black cases on wheels, and obviously focused on business. Others were more casual, looking for family or friends, and openly emotional. There was a tall, military man returning from service abroad(7), who was greeted by his young wife and three year old daughter. She had stood at the top of the empty escalator and called "Daddy, daddy!" impatiently. When he finally arrived and picked her up, she stared at him for a long time with an unsure, curious expression. Then came the stragglers(8): a very hairy man carrying a large, framed picture, a tall African lady with tons of luggage, and a skinny young man with a huge cello case. What a variety of people! Then, last but not least(9), my sister and her two boys came up the escalator with big smiles. Finally, they were here. We hugged and kissed, and immediately started chatting and giggling about the journey. We picked up the luggage and were in the car before we knew it.
1. 'Believe it or not' is not an essential phrase. It is light hearted and introduces the idea that something interesting or unusual will be mentioned:
a. My daughter has, believe it or not, joined a traveling circus.
b. Believe it or not, that very small shop grossed half a million dollars last year.
2. 'Overall' is another way of saying 'all together' or 'in general' or 'added up':
a. There were some imperfections, but overall the performance was a success.
b. The population, overall, prefers coffee to tea.
3. To find oneself can be used with any person:
a. We found ourselves pennyless, out of petrol, and in the middle of nowhere.
b. So, you met the prince in the party, and before you knew it, you found yourself in the palace! Unbelievable!
4. 'Delay, immigration, customs' are all useful words to do with international travel.
a. The plane was delayed, I had trouble in immigration, and customs confiscated my Elvis toothbrush!
b. The plane was on time, thank goodness. My visa was still valid, so I got through immigration quickly, and then I had nothing to declare in customs.
5.'Nope' is basically 'no' but with attitude. It is used frequently in the U.S.
a. Do you want to go out tonight? Nope!
b. I've lost the receipt for the bookshelves. Could you look for it? Nope!
6. 'Demeanor' means the manner or behavior of someone:
a. She looked elegant and formal, but her demeanor was unsure.
b. I can tell by his demeanor that he is confident.
7. 'Abroad' is often used instead of 'overseas'. The two are interchangeable:
a. She will study abroad for six months to learn a different language.
b. They had studied overseas all year, and had decided to stay longer.
8. 'Straggler' describes the odd, few people who are the last to arrive, either from a journey, trip, or race:
a. At the end of the Tour de France we see the stragglers coming in. Some are well known cyclists who unfortunately fell off their bikes, and others are less known riders.
b. The displaced villagers got to the shelter by nightfall, the stragglers arriving by midnight.
9. 'Last but not least' is a quick way of saying "I'm mentioning this person last (on the list) but he is just as important as anybody else".
a. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Princess Sofia, Prince Filipo, and, last but not least, their little sister Princess Angelica.
b. Here we have to crown your dinner tonight, last but not least, a pineapple chocolate bomb for dessert.
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Science can be so exciting. I was listening to the BBC World Service the other day while I was driving in my car. Their series called Science in Action, which, by the way, comes out in podcast form, is a lively presentation of the most up-to-date science innovations(1). I don't always listen to it, but the other day I was on my way to pick up the kids from school, when I turned on the radio just at the right time. By the time I reached the Middle School, I was bursting to(2) tell my boys the latest scientific news. They were impressed. Since then, I have told everyone I have been around. Well, you shouldn't keep good news to yourself, should you? There were two main points that I managed to catch(3). The first discovery was made by an Australian scientist who has been involved in genetically engineering plants. He and his team have successfully managed to grow and harvest from a salt tolerant(4) wheat plant. It can grow in salty soil, which up until now has been impossible for many kinds of grains. Changing its genetic makeup allows the plant to keep the salt at its roots, so it doesn't get into the plant and affect it at all. Just think what that could mean for global production. That kind of wheat could be grown in many more areas, and perhaps even be watered with sea water! The next discovery is also something to do with salt. An Irish scientist is finding a way to make the leftovers(5) of desalinization(6) profitable and practical. After salt water is processed so it can be used for drinking water, there is a super salty solution left over. He has found that if you add naturally occurring (7)bacteria, plus natural food for them, they begin to give off an electrical charge. When this happens, particles of metals from the salty water stick to the bacteria. The more they eat, the more metal sticks to them, until they get so heavy that they sink(8) to the bottom of the container, and can be easily separated. Metals such as Magnesium which are expensive and really useful, can be gathered in this way. By doing this, scientists will be able to use the waste product of desalinization, and offset(9) the cost of producing clean water by harvesting metals. I was blown away by all of this(10). It seems that, in spite of what the general media tells us, science may be innovating just in time to keep up with our global needs.
1. Innovation means a new idea, method, or device. It is often used in the fields of science and technology. We also use it in its verb form 'to innovate'.
a. These scientific innovations will improve our daily lives.
b. You have to be creative and have a vision to innovate.
2. To be bursting to tell someone something. This means that you are so excited that you can hardly wait to spread the news.
3. Catch is sometimes used when we talk about hearing the remainder of a conversation, perhaps the last part, or something that is hard to hear.
a. Did you catch what he said at the end? I'm not sure if he said that the bank is to the right or to the left.
b. I'm so glad that I caught the news summary when I turned the tv on; I really want to keep up with the daily events.
4. Tolerant means that you put up with, you cope with, you can manage something. You can be tolerant of people, conditions, or elements. We use the word tolerant a lot when we talk about peoples ability to digest food.
a. She is wheat tolerant, but lactose intolerant. She has to be careful with her diet.
b. I planted drought tolerant plants in the area of my garden that I don't water.
c. They are so intolerant of people who are different from themselves.
5. Leftovers are one of my favorite things. They are different foods that are left over, or have not been eaten by the end of a meal. You can also have leftovers of a process, similar to by-products.
a. Thanksgiving leftovers are yummy. There are usually enough to feed us for a whole day.
6. Desalinization, as you probably know, is the process of getting clean, drinking water from sea water. As it's a long word, let's repeat it a few times.
7. Naturally occurring is often used in science or natural history arenas.
a. There are naturally occurring minerals in that water.
b. The naturally occurring process of photosynthesis keeps our planet alive.
8. To sink is to fall down in water, to go down, to do the opposite of float. It is the same word and pronunciation as the kitchen and bathroom sink. The verb has an irregular preterite.
a. The ship crashed on the rocks and sank out of sight.
b. When I woke up at the end of the math exam, I had a terrible sinking feeling when I realized that I had slept through the whole thing.
9. To offset is to make up for, or to counteract.
a. The company's profits this month offset its losses from last month.
b. Planting hundreds of trees on the mountainside will offset the risk of erosion.
10. To be blown away by something means to be completely surprised. It can be used negatively and positively.
a. When he opened his mouth and started to sing, I was blown away.
b. I was shocked at his ignorant comments; infact, I was blown away by them.
Yakima is a small city located an hour and a half's drive(1) from Wenatchee. It is a wide valley, famous for its grapes and apples. We were there last weekend for a baseball tournament, the first of the season(2). One interesting fact about Yakima is that its name is taken from the Yakama indians who are from this area. There are actually indian names in many areas of the state. When the baseball tournament was over and we were leaving Yakima, we drove past a barren(3), rocky few miles and crossed over a bridge. Immediately after the bridge, I saw a sign 'Umtanum Canyon'. The name sparked my interest(4). "Now, that must be an indian name," I thought to myself. When I got home, I looked up the name on the internet. I found quite a few pages about Umtanum, but no translation of its name. Reading about the canyon made me even more eager to find out its name, because the land is geographically interesting, and has a wealth(5) of wildlife. Hunters would love it because there are big horn sheep, deer, and coyotes, aswell as pheasants and all kinds of rodents(6). Most of these creatures come to the creek, which is a small river, to drink. The predators obviously take advantage of this being the only water source for all the animals nearby. The canyon walls are steep and rocky, which are perfect for big horn sheep who are expert climbers. The banks of the creek are grassy with wildflowers, a perfect place for ground squirrels, marmots, and rabbits. They have to watch out for the coyotes all year round, and the rattlesnakes in the summer. Infact, it's recommended that hiking parties go during the autumn, winter, and spring, and avoid the snakes in the summer. Umtanum, I would say(7), is typical of eastern Washington. There are many such large expanses of land that look seemingly(8) empty, lifeless, dry, even boring. But, when you get out of the car, and walk deeper into the countryside, you find that it is full of life.
1. An hour and a half's drive. When the duration of something is between one and two hours, we use an apostrophe s to show possession.
a. It's a two hour walk. It's a three day hike. It's a four hour swim.
b. The mall is an hour's drive from here. It's an hour and a quarter's wait until the next bus.
Note that it is used mainly with one hour or when 'half' an hour is being used.
2. The first of the season is easily understood. I am emphasizing this because it is a very natural sounding add-on to a sentence that will make you seem more native.
a. On May 2nd there is a country dance, the first of the season.
b. We waited to see the main ballerinas, the best of the dance troupe.
c. The politician answered the questions, the most difficult ones he has been asked.
3. Barren is a word often used for being lifeless, bare, or childless. It is quite poetic, and often used for bare landscapes.
a. The land looked like a barren wasteland.
4. To spark someone's interest means to get someone's attention and create curiosity. You can also spark anger.
a. The sudden movement of something in the dark sparked the cat's curiosity.
b. The conversation sparked his anger.
5. A wealth of wildlife. 'A wealth of' is used to describe a large quantity. It implies something positive.
a. On that beach, you'll find a wealth of different crabs.
b. My grandmother and her friends are a wealth of knowledge and experience.
6. 'Rodent' is the general name for mice, rats, rabbits, and other small ground creatures.
7. 'I would say' is a little phrase that expresses opinion. Sometimes 'you could say' is used in its place. It's rare now for people to use 'one could say' or 'one would say'.
a. Elizabeth, you could say, has the destiny of becoming a star.
b. I would say that growing wheat on that barren land is a rough, tough job.
8. Seemingly means to have an appearance of. It comes from the verb 'to seem' and, as you can see, it implies that perhaps reality is not what is seen.
a. The house was run down, lightless, and seemingly deserted. But then, from a distance they heard music coming from the upstairs.
b. When I spoke to him he didn't respond, was quiet, and seemingly uninterested.
Let's hear the paragraph once more.
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