Last week we had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Spokane. It's a city of about 210,000 people, making it the second largest city in Washington State. It's about a three hour drive for us, but it's only 90 miles from the Canadian border. It's name is taken from the Native American Indian tribe that used to live in that area; Spokane meaning 'Children of the sun'. The reason we went there was for a basketball tournament. My son Cass had four games to play, two on Saturday, and two on Sunday. We set off early on Saturday morning, with everybody yawning and dozing(1) in the car. We checked into our hotel, and then made our way(2) to the High School where the basketball games were going to be played. When the second game was over, we decided to go downtown(3) and look around, as we are not familiar with the city. The center has a very large park with a river running through it that becomes Spokane Falls. This is a huge waterfall that tumbles(4) under a wide bridge. The river was high because of the recent melting of snow in the mountains, so the waterfall was extremely turbulent. In another part of the park we saw a monument that was built for the 1974 World's Fair. It was refreshing to be in a city again, especially one that is clean and interesting. We had dinner in the center of downtown Spokane, and then wandered through the shopping area. I happened to see the 'Mobius' center which is an interactive museum that I wrote about a few months ago. The streets, hotels, and restaurants were quite full, as it was the graduation weekend for both universities of Spokane: Whitworth, and Gonzaga University. So there were celebrations going on everywhere, and lots of students dressed up(5) looking very smart. Normally, our children's tournaments are only about sports, but I'm glad to say that(6) this trip turned into a cultural outing.
1. 'Dozing' comes from the verb 'to doze'; it's a sleepy verb. It means to half sleep.
a. During the university lecture I dozed.
b. We all doze during political speeches.
2. 'To make one's way..' means to find your way to a place; it can be figurative as well.
a. We made our way through the crowd to the museum.
b. She made her way through a difficult career.
3. 'Downtown' is the word we use to describe the center of a city or town. Note that it is not necessary to use 'the' with 'downtown' unless it is followed by another noun, such as area.
a. Let's go downtown and see what we can find.
b. They'll go downtown Spokane to visit the park.
c. I would like to visit the downtown area, as I've never been there before.
4. 'To tumble' is a wonderful verb that means to fall in a turning motion.
a. I opened the dryer and all the clothes tumbled onto the floor.
b. The children's toys tumbled down the stairs.
5. 'To dress up' is when a person puts on special clothes or a special costume. This is different from 'getting dressed' which is the normal, daily act of putting your clothes on.
a. You can't wear jeans to the wedding! You have to dress up!
b. We dressed up as ghosts for Halloween.
6. 'I'm glad to say' is a wonderful set phrase that can be included in many sentences, at the beginning or at the end.
a. He finally passed his exams, I'm glad to say.
b. I'm glad to say that the council approved the plans for the park.
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Liz (on the phone): Hi Mum, are you all packed and ready for your visit?
Mother: Yes darling; we're so excited to see you again.
Liz: Me too. But there's been a change of plans.
Mother: Oh, yes?
Liz: I've booked you into a hotel that is opposite my appartment.
Mother: Why? Don't you want us to stay with you?
Liz: It's not that, Mum. It's just that the appartment is tiny. You and Dad would have to squeeze into my bed or the sofa. That's not going to work.
Mother: Oh, I hadn't thought about that. Mmm, well, whatever you think is best is fine with us darling.
Liz: Your room has a King size bed; it's non-smoking, and has internet access.
Mother: Perfect. It sounds lovely dear. We'll see you in a couple of days!
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I volunteered this year to build my mother an arbor in her back garden. She has a small patio at the back of her house with three borders(1) for planting. Because it gets so hot from late spring to the middle of autumn, she decided that she'd like a cover of some kind. Parasols are not big enough to cover the whole area, and the housing rules(2) do not allow her to attach anything to the house itself for extra shade. So, the only option is to build a 'free standing' arbor, or one that stands alone. Now, I actually like building things, believe it or not. I have slowly accumulated some experience of cutting and shaping wood, using power tools, digging holes, measuring and leveling(3), and mixing and pouring concrete. It's hard work, but it's so satisfying to see the finished product. To make my mum's arbor safe, I have to use 10 ft poles(4) that go into 2ft holes, and sit in concrete(5). Then, the lateral beams(6) will be screwed across the length and width(7) of the patio on both sides of the poles. It'll be a very strong structure; well it has to be. I can't have anything falling on my mother's head! Then, when the basic frame has been made, I will attach a lattice in between the beams. A lattice is a criss-cross pattern of wood. This will create shade with a pretty pattern. I'm almost half way finished, and I need to hurry up and get it built(8), because the days are getting hotter. Shade is what we're after.
1. 'A border' is an area of land, usually in the shape of a strip. It is here that you can plant. This word is also used to represent the line of separation between two countries.
a. The border is full of flowers all year long.
b. We'll cross the border to Mexico next week.
2. 'Housing rules' are usually called 'covenants'. The limit what you can and cannot do with the outside of your house. Notice the word 'housing' sounds like it has a 'z' instead of an 's'.
a. The housing covenants don't let us paint the doors anything but brown.
b. I'll have to read the housing covenants to see if I can buid an attached arbor.
3. 'Measuring and leveling' could be one of the most important parts of building. You have to get the lengths correct. Making a pole or piece of structure level, means that it is either exactly 90 degrees, 0 degrees, or 180 degrees. A 'level' is the device which is has liquid and a bubble to show if something is level.
a. Make sure the pole is level; that way it'll be strong and safe.
b. The bubble in the level is not in the middle; it shows that the shelf is not level.
4. A 'pole' is a long, piece of wood used as a support.
a. The pole that holds up the raspberries is rotten.
b. We need lots of poles to build a tree house for the kids.
5. 'Concrete' is the white, pasty, rocky substance that we use to make side walks and floors.
a. The concrete will take all day to dry; then we can walk on it.
b. Mix the concrete with water, but don't breathe in the dust!
6. 'Lateral' is the same as saying 'side'.
a. She'll hang baskets of flowers from the lateral beams.
b. Side beams will make the structure even stronger.
7. The 'length and width' are the two most basic measurements. They measure how long something is and how wide it is.
a. She can swim a width of the pool, but not a length.
b. Check the length of the sofa before you buy it.
8. 'Get it built' is a command using the past participle. Most verbs can be used this way.
a. Hurry up and get the bathroom painted; you're taking too long.
b. Get the essay written and handed in as soon as possible.
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Peter: Hi Liz, I see your cast is off.
Liz: Yes, finally! Life is so much easier without one.
Peter: You had some bad luck breaking your arm.
Liz: Yes I had two lots of bad luck: breaking my arm and losing my job.
Peter: Wait a minute. You lost your job?
Liz: Yes, well not exactly. I quit.
Peter: Because of the lady you were working with.
Liz: Yep. I told the boss that I was doing my work, and most of hers.
Peter: And what did she say?
Liz: She told me that the woman denied it. What could I do? I hate confrontation, and I don't like complaining, but I couldn't take it any more.
Peter: That's too bad.
Liz: Well, never mind. I'll take some time off before looking for another job. My parents are going to visit soon, so I'll job hunt after they leave.
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It's 8:45 at Tom, Dick, and Harry's. The coffee's hot, the door's unlocked, and that corner table - the one by the jukebox(1), is gathering a familiar crowd. They're retired farmers, contractors, businessmen, a few old law enforcement guys(2), a former postmaster(3) and more. There are about 17 in all, with ages ranging(4) from the early 70's to 90. They meet daily, but show up(5) in greatest numbers on Fridays, when they take turns(6) bringing doughnuts. They've been around the block once or twice(7), and they love talking about it. In fact, they love talking in general, about everything from football, to politics, to how best to plant tomato seeds. "Sometimes there are three or four stories going on at once and you can't hear anything," says Kenny. "Put it this way," adds Bill, "when I started coming here I didn't have hearing aids(8). Now I do." Another of them adds, "We enjoy each other's company. We don't always agree, but we don't get too annoyed at each other." There is a real diversity of opinions and life experiences in this group. "We have a vast table of knowledge," says Sackman, a retired state trooper. His comment provokes snickering(9) and eye rolling from his friends. The first members of this group started getting together 35 years ago. When asked if wisdom does really come with age, half of the members say "yes", and the other half, at the same time say "no". And then there's more laughter.
1. 'Jukebox' is a typically American word which describes something that is very important in American culture. It is a machine which plays different pieces of music when money is put in it.
a. This jukebox takes quarters. You need to put a quarter in it before you can choose a song.
b. The diner is very retro; it has 60's style decoration and even a jukebox.
2. 'Law enforcement'/ 'a law enforcement officer' basically means a policeman.
a. He's taking his law enforcement class in order to become a policeman.
3. 'Postmaster' is the same as a postman or a mail man.
4. 'With ...ranging from ....to ....' when comparing ages, weights, sizes, colors, or other characteristics.
a. The shop has antiques with prices ranging from $50 to $3000.
b. The concert has performers from countries ranging from India to South America.
5. 'To show up' means the same as 'to turn up' which means to arrive, appear, or be present. Both imply that the opposite would be possible.
a. I'm glad that you finally showed up!
b. They didn't show up until the party was over.
6. 'To take turns' is fairly self explanatory. In a game or arranged activity of some sort, one person will have a turn, then another, and so forth.
a. When we play cards, we have to take turns.
b. If you don't take turns, it's not fair for everybody else.
7. 'To go around the block' or 'to have been around the block' means to have lived a long life. 'A block' refers to a block of houses, or a square formation of homes around 4 streets.
a. He speaks from experience; he's been around the block a few times.
b. He's too young, he hasn't been around the block yet.
8. 'A hearing aid' is a small device that you put in your ear to help you hear.
a. My hearing test showed that I need a hearing aid.
b. His hearing aid is so small that you can hardly see it.
9. 'To snicker' is a way of laughing. There are many verbs for different types of laughter, 'to chuckle', 'to chortle', 'to snigger', 'to giggle'. The most common ones are 'to giggle' and 'to chuckle'. 'To snicker' is more American, and implies that you're laughing at someone or disagreeing with what has been said.
a. The children giggled while they mixed the mud with water, and wiped it on the dog.
b. He snickered at my comment. I knew that he disagreed with me.
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