*This blog is 'apture-powered', which means that if you highlight a word, a 'learn more' sign will theoretically appear. Click on it and it will show a list of internet links related to that word. Just try.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Lie Detector
KEY WORDS: Deception (a false friend!), signs, the more... the more (lots of this sturcture), the catch is..., average, looks like. Are you getting the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Do you want to know the tell tale signs that will give you away when you are lying?
- Watch this video
- READ articles / vocabulary work dealing with LIES
- Are you a good liar? Try this TEST
So do you think you are a good liar/a good lie detector?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The End of Whatever
Needless to say, the Maya Calendar agrees with I-ching predictions, Nostradamus, other seers and fortune tellers and, of course, scientific evidence of all sorts -although the scientists are already dead.
KEY WORDS: startingly precise predictions, take seriously, obsessed with, accurate, take place, white skinned bearded gods, arrive in, alignment, pole shift, worldwide disasters, backed by science, mass extinction of species, doomsday, profecy, intriguing
| Rem - End Of The World .mp3 | ||
| Found at bee mp3 search engine |
Others think that, the end of the world "as we know it" only means the beginning of something new, a spiritual awakening, a global transformation of consciousness, and a collective rebirth into the new era: the age of Aquarius (or flower-power revisited).
(**sorry about the studpid adverts, it's a real nightmare to try to get rid of them, and not always possible, not even in the age of Aquarius)
| HAIR - Age of Aquarius .mp3 | ||
| Found at bee mp3 search engine |
There is still a third group of people who think this is all b....** , a HYPE, a HOAX
BUT why, oh why does the Mayan calendar end in 2012?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Supermoon
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Some people think this supermoon might have been the cause of so much devastation in Japan READ ONAstrologers and scientists have different versions of their own on the supermoon and its effects, something that’s pretty expected. READ ON
Read on 2
Whatever the effects of the supermoon, the moon will be bigger and brighter, it's going o be a beautiful sight, so we can only hope that it won't cause any more harm to the Earth.
And just to remind you of some idioms containing the word moon:
Friday, March 11, 2011
Baby rips it up
I'm not very fond of 'viral' videos, you know, these funny videos that spread out like a virus in the internet, but I liked this one. In spite of the many bad things happening around the world, I thought I wanted to share it. Laughter is highly contagious ...and it can be understood in any language.
- READ: Mail Online: Laughter is the best cure
- WATCH: CBS News. Laughter as medicine
- READ: What's funny?
- Smile? Laugh? Giggle? Chuckle? The McMillan dictionary: All U can learn
By the way, the baby is ripping up his/her daddy's job rejection letter.
Friday, March 04, 2011
The most typical face in the world
The research found that a 28-year-old Han Chinese male is the most typical person on the planet, with 9 million around the globe. So was learning English the right choice? Shouldn't you be learning Chinese? They won’t be dominating for long, though. The National Geographic also found that within the next 20 years, the most typical person will come from India. So what now ?
Watch this video and check how similar to/different from the most typical person you are.
If you want to know more on this topic, watch The Economist: 7 billion video
7 billion? Aren't there TOO MANY people on the planet?
Friday, February 25, 2011
Blah, blah, blah...
How can I improve my spoken English? This video is more inspirational than practical, but it goes to the core question of 'dancing' with your partners rather than 'monologuing' or producing 'memorised' sentences that 'the teacher will like' (ahem...). Below you'll find some more tips that you'll have to adapt to your own habits (like talk to yourself). You'll see that language skills are obviously connected and part of a whole - the time invested in reading, listening, writing, and working on gr...ooops ...sorry 'use of English' will sure contribute to your speaking skills-and vice versa.
- E.How , more EHow
- English at home
- Learning tips ( tips n.2,3,5,6,13 particularly interesting)
And a very important one: KISS (Keep It Short and Simple), which means DON'T get entangled in your own story -generally because you wanted to translate it word by word from your mother tongue. You don't need to do this. You know more than what you think, so USE IT. Make life easier for your partners who should understand what you are saying so that they can react to what you are saying so that you can dance all together.
Sorry there's no pill. Or rather, the only pill is regular practice and patience. But you know all that, don't you? It's just a reminder (remember 'remember'/'remind'?).
Of course, frustration may be part of the process, but it's transitory -and you can always scream and shout in this blog if you need it.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Elementary, my dear Watson
**Take over?Years ago, computer Deep Blue beat chess world champion Garry Kasparov. Now IBM's Supercomputer Watson has beaten two human competitors in America's quiz show Jeopardy!
- Watch Newsy Video (+ transcript)
- BBC : Read article
I must admit that when my computer crashes or when I lose my pen drive I feel like a part of my brain is missing.
- Mail online: Human brain shrinking
But you are on the right track if you don't want your computer to take control of your life:
- The Guardian: Being bilingual good for your brain
- Mind power news: Increase your brain power
- Train your Brain with BrainBashers
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Love is in the air
Last weeek we were talking about feelings, reactions and states of mind, so how would you feel if your loved one proposed on the plane from Lisbon to Barcelona? On cloud nine? Over the moon? Between the devil and the deep blue sea, maybe? The rest of the passengers were happily entertained, that's for sure. A taste of Valentine's day next week.
KEY WORDS: stewardess, in-flight meals, familiar and unexpected voice, crew members, shocked and embarrassed, bride-to-be, I'd better not, on cloud nine.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Back to the future
Whatever the "entangled quantum particles" are, we are closer to time travel, or so it seems. However, you could only (if we had the technology) be teleported into the future, which is where I'd go anyway. But wait a minute ... imagine you travel to next year so you see yourself in the 5th year? Or maybe not? But then you should be able to learn enough to come back to L4 and pass it? Wouldn't it be a bit of a mess?
- Transcript
- The Massachusetts Institue of Technology Blog
- The Express buzz: data teleportation a reality soon
For those of you with a scientific mind:
- Time Travel: Einstein's big idea. Key words: speed of light, to hold the key, to follow in the footsteps, rocket ship, headlights, twin brother, to overtake, to be aware of (the change).
- Stephen Hawking: How to build a time machine