read and learn english

Goodbye kiss forbidden in railway

Read the article here.

1. KEY WORDS – PART 1

Find two words in the text meaning banish or forbid

and two words meaning remake, renovate or reconstruct.

2. KEY WORDS – PART 2

Match the words and the synonyms.

pecking, overthrow, claim, emerge, commuter, immortalize

1. demand, insist, maintain

2. abolish, do away with, destroy

3. a person living in the suburbs and travelling daily to the city

4. appear, arise, come forth

5. kissing

6. celebrate, commemorate

3. KEY WORDS – PART 3

Find two expressions in the text and fill in the gaps.

Keele University researchers said it showed petty crime was rife among the middle classes and exposed the "_____________ majority" to be a myth. BBC 

Seeing that water skiing squirrel has left me ____________! URBAN DICTIONARY 

4. LISTENING

Watch the trailer below and answer the questions.

1. What does he do?

2. What is the wife like?

3. What is the husband like?

4. Why can he go to the pictures?

Read more for the answers.

We only employ workers born under specific star signs, says insurance company

By Mail Foreign Service
 

Read the article here.

1. KEY WORDS – PART 1
Match the words and the synonyms.
recruit, constellation, claim, the authorities, superstition, gender, race, limitation

1. enlist, enrol, obtain
2. administration, government
3. control
4. a group of stars in the sky
5. belief that is not based on reason or the known laws of science
6. sex
7. a different variety of humans
8. demand, state as a fact

2. KEY WORDS – PART 2
Match the signs and their English names.

Aries, Cancer, Libra, Taurus, Leo, Pisces, Gemini, Capricorn, Scorpio, Virgo, Aquarius, Sagittarius

The Ram, The Bull, The Twins, The Crab, The Lion, The Virgin, The Scales, The Scorpion,   The Archer, The Sea-goat, The Water Carrier, The Two Fish

3. MULTI-WORD VERBS

Match the words and the prepositions (they all occur in the text).

under, out, to (3X)

1. stick
2. to be born
3. according
4. lead
5. break

Put the expressions into the sentences below.

1. He was ________________ a bad sign.

2. Obama will __________ tax promise, his aides say (LA Times)
3. 'Deeper' recession will ________________ financial crime wave (The Independent)
4. A bitter quarrel __________ between them over the use of the computer.
5. _____________________ the survey the rate of decline is increasing.

4. LISTENING
Listen to Carl Sagan talking about astrology and astronomy and then answer the questions.

1. What are the two ways of viewing the stars?
2. What does Mars represent according to astronomers and astrologists?
3. What does Carl Sagan say about newspapers and magazines concerning astrology and astronomy?
4. What is the origin of the word ’disaster’?
5. Why did astrology survive and flourish?
6. In what way are astrological predictions in newspapers designed?
 

5. HAVE FUN
Listen to the Age of Aquarius song from the musical Hair.

Read more for the answers.

My kid could paint that: toddler's art on show

Clare Kermond
January 8, 2009

IS THIS a story of a child prodigy or a deliberate joke at the expense of the art world? In the curious case of Aelita Andre, it could be both of those things — or neither.

Read the article here on theage.com.

1. KEY WORDS - PART1

Find the synonyms.

approaches, concedes, concept, proceed, crucial, deliberate, dismissed, embarrassed, emerging, featured, glossy, hoaxes, latter, pesters, prodigy, reputable, response, revelation, saga, toddler   

1. a young child

2. sent away

3. annoys, torments

4. cheat, fraud, trick

5. a child of genious

6. bright

7. presented

8. answer, reaction

9. last mentioned

10. story

11. attitudes

12. accepts, admits

13. confused, shamed

14. appearing, arising

15. excellent, honourable

16. important

17. idea

18. continue

19. planned 

20. discovery

2. KEY WORDS - PART2

Put the expressions into the sentences

In other respects, Give it a Go, make a habit of, judged on its merits

1. UCL Unions  __________________ programme is packed full of activities for you to try out.
2. Each initiative must necessarily be _______________________.
3. ________________, the methodology was identical to previous studies.
4. „Simple tips to  _____________________ eating healthy foods.”

3. LAST, LATEST, LATTER

Put these words into the right gaps.

1. Have you heard the ______________ news?
2. The _____________ I heard was the sound of a big explosion.
3. ’What do you think of his _____________ play?’ ’I like it much better than his ____________ one.’ (Practical English Usage)
4. Of these two books the former is very good, but the ___________ is awful.

4. READING FOR INFORMATION

Visit this website and try to find answer to the questions below.

1. Whose statement – „Everything in nature takes its form from the sphere, the cone, and the cylinder” – does cubism follow?
2. What colours did neoplasticists use?
3. Who is a Colour Field Painter?
4. Who is an Action Painter?
 

5. LISTENING

Watch this video and answer the questions below.

1. What is Everyday Shooter?
2. Why is it far from being common?
3. Which instrument was used to make all the sounds?
4. What do you have to do?
 

Read more for the answers.

Thief caught out giving policeman's address
Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:00pm EST

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German teen-ager caught shoplifting tried to dupe police by lying about where he lived -- but ended up in even more trouble when the address he gave turned out to be the home of an investigating officer.

Read the news here.

Then fill in the gaps with words from the text.

1. __________________ is the stealing of goods from stores.
2. When you _____________, you make a fool of someone.
3. An _________________ is an inspector or detective
4. When you ____________ something you acknowledge or confess it.
5. A ______________ is something which happens by chance.

Read more for the answers.

James Thurber: The Peacelike Mongoose

In cobra country a mongoose was born one day who didn't want to fight cobras or anything else. The word spread from mongoose to mongoose that there was a mongoose who didn't want to fight cobras. If he didn't want to fight anything else, it was his own business, but it was the duty of every mongoose to kill cobras or be killed by cobras.

'Why' asked the peacelike mongoose, and the word went around that the strange new mongoose was not only pro-cobra and anti-mongoose but intellectually curious and against the ideals and traditions of mongoosism.

'He is crazy,' cried the young mongoose's father.

'He is sick,' said his mother.

'He is a coward,' shouted his brothers.

'He is a mongoosexual,' whispered his sisters.

Strangers who never laid eyes on the peacelike mongoose remembered that they had seen him crawling on his stomach, or trying on cobra hoods, or plotting the violent overthrow of Mongoosia.

'I am trying to use reason and intelligence,' said the strange new mongoose.

'Reason is six-sevenths of treason,' said one of his neighbours.

'Intelligence is what the enemy uses,' said another.

Finally, the rumour spread that the mongoose had venom in his sting, like a cobra, and was tried, convicted by a show of paws, and condemned to banishment.

MORAL: Ashes to ashes, and clay to clay, if the enemy doesn't get you your own folks may. 

James Thurber: Further Fables for Our Time, Penguin Books Ltd, Harmondsworth, Middlesex 

1. KEY WORDS

coward, hood, plot, reason, treason, rumour, venom, sting, convicted, paw

1. an animal's foot

2. gossip

3.covering for the head, fastened for example to a coat

4. an uncourageous person

5. a sharp, poisonous, pointed organ

6. to make a secret plan

7. disloyalty

8. found guilty

9. brains, intellect, logic

10. poison, toxin

2. LEARN MORE ABOUT MONGOOSES

Visit this website and read more about mongooses. Then answer the questions below.

1. What is the Indian grey mongoose like?

2. Mention one world-famous mongoose.

3. Where do mongooses usually live?

4. What do they eat?

5. Why are they capable of killing cobras?

6. Why was the Egyptian mongoose called the "Pharaoh's mouse"?

3. WORK MORE WITH THE STORY

Here you have to re-write the story, and you can also learn more about the vocabulary of intolerance.

You can find more reading comprehension exercises here.

4. HAVE FUN

Visit this site where you can watch a video of a mongoose – cobra fight.

Read more for the answers. 

Ever felt like hurling your computer out of the window? A Spanish company has come up with a way to help stressed out office workers vent their pent up aggression. Who needs shrinks when you have a sledgehammer?

words by Emily Drew

Read the article here in Sterling Magazine.

1. KEY WORDS and EXPRESSIONS - PART 1

Match the words and the definitions.

entrepreneur, goggles, spleen, mayham, kit out, attired, lunacy, retreat, alleviate, downtrodden, inception, scotfree, havoc, hurl

1. damage, destruction

2. make (pain, suffering) less or easier

3. a person who organizes and manages a commercial undertaking

4. madness, mad or foolish behaviour

5. period of quiet and rest

6. [formal] start

7. oppressed, kept down and treated badly

8. bad temper

9. dressed

10. equip

11. unharmed, unpunished

12. large, round spectacles with hoods to protect the eyes

13. state of violent disorder

14. cast, throw

2. KEY WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS - PART 2

Put the expressions into the sentences below, use the correct verb forms.

get out of hand, have got a point, the rat race, feel an urge 

1. Escape ______________. Ways to slow down and enjoy life, even before retirement.

2. You _______________ there. If everyone wanted 6 children, there'd just not be the room. (A Learner's Dictionary of English Idioms)

3. The student teacher could see that the class was ________________, so he had to call for help. (A Learner's Dictionary of English Idioms)

4. He ___________________ to travel.

3. TRUE or FALSE

1. You can take part in destruction therapy only in Spain.

2. There are more women than men taking part in destruction therapy.

3. The 'patients' wear protective clothes.

4. They often listen to classical music while destroying.

5. Charwani claims that destruction therapy is a better solution than drinking and drugs.

Read more for the answers

Calculate your BMI here. 

 Read more for the answers.

 Could you pass the 11-plus?

Thirty-two years after most grammar schools were abolished the 11-plus exam which controlled entry to them still divides opinion among parents and teachers. But how difficult was it? 

Read the article here on BBC, where you can also try a mini-version of the test.
 

1. KEY WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS

a) Match the words and the definitions. 

abolish, fierce, remain, tuition

1. Annul, destroy completely, put an end to.
2. Continue to be in the same place.
3. Brutal, cruel.
4. Education.

b) Find the expressions in the text.

1. A disappearing memory.
2. Irritating to the nerves.
3. To cause disagreement.
4. Make an attempt.

c) Fill the gaps using the key words and expressions.

1. „What's more ____________ than an 8 month old who is teething and trying to walk at the same time, a 4 year old who is sick with a cold and is acting like a 1 year old?”
2. The summer now is only a quickly ___________________.
3. Nuclear power still ____________________.
4. Come and _____________ with the national lottery.

Read more for the answers.

A top 10 list of the world’s most annoying phrases cited by Bookninja.

The original is here.

See the comments too. 

The Unicorn in the Garden

by JAMES THURBER (1894 - 1961)
 

James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American humorist and cartoonist. Read more about him here on wikipedia. 

You can read the story here.

1. KEY WORDS – PART 1
Thurber liked word plays very much. There is also one in this story.

Match the words and the definitions to find out more about the moral.

booby, hatch, booby hatch
1. To produce (young) from an egg.
2. Any of several tropical sea birds of the genus Sula. AND A person regarded as stupid, crazy.
3. An institution for the mentally ill.

2. KEY WORDS – PART 2

Fill the gaps using the key words and expressions.

browse, crop, gloat, horn, jay, leap, moral, mythical beast, nook, rouse, seize, strait jacket, subdue, unicorn

1. A ___________ is a place where light meals are taken; usually has a built-in table and seating.
2. To _________is the same as to harvest.
3. A __________ is a fabled creature symbolic of virginity. It looks like a horse with a horn on its head.
4. A ________________ is a legendary creature such as the dragon or the griffin.
5. To _____________ is to feed on plants. A synonym of ’to graze’.
6. To ____________ somebody means to awaken him or her.

7. A _________ is a hard, pointed, usually curved outgrowth on the heads of cattle, deer and some other animals.

8. To _____________ means to look at with selfish delight. 

9. A ________________ is a long-sleeved jacket used to bind the arms of a mentally ill person to the body and prevent him or her from struggling.
10. When you ___________, you jump.
11. When you __________ somebody or something you take hold of him/her/it.
12. To _____________ means to overcome or bring under control.
13. A _____________ is a noisy European bird with brightly coloured feathers.
14. The ____________ is the „lesson” of the story.

3. LISTENING
Listen to the story

4. HAVE FUN
Visit this website and play with words.
You can find quite a lot of anagrams and palindromes here.

Read more for the answers

Emine Saner
The Guardian, Thursday November 13 2008

Forget planes, trains or automobiles - if Joan Pick wants to go anywhere, she runs. And she eats nothing but raw food. Is her lifestyle extreme or the future we must all face up to? Emine Saner meets her.

Read the article here.

1. KEY WORDS

Fill the gaps using the key words and expressions.

bribe, carbon footprint, energy consumption, fossil fuel, hovel, impact, raw, resource

1. _____________ is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full life cycle of a product, service.
2. If something is __________, it is uncooked.
3. An ___________ is a strong impression or effect.
4. A ___________ is a small, miserable dwelling.
5. _____________ is any naturally occurring carbon-containing material which when burned with air produces heat or energy.
6. When you ___________ someone, you offer or give something, such as money or a favour to a person to influence that person's views.
7. A __________ is an available supply that can be used when needed.
8. _______________________ is the using up of energy.

2. LOOKING FOR INFORMATION

Look in the text and answer the questions as quickly as possible.

1. How old was she when she last drove a car?
2. When did she last have a television?
3. When did she last travel on a plane?
4. Who does she live with?
5. Does she eat roast beef?

3. COMPREHENSION CHECK: TRUE OR FALSE?

1. She doesn’t use electricity.
2. She doesn’t ride a bike, because she thinks cycling is too tiring.
3. She doesn’t have a washing machine.
4. She doesn’t use the internet.
5. She doesn’t have any relatives.


4. MULTI-WORD VERBS

a) Match the prepositions and the verbs.

up to, up, off, up, through, of

1. face _______ _______: recognize and deal with
2. pick somebody _________: take along with one
3. cut ____: stop, isolate
4. give______: stop doing something
5. look ________: revise, study, examine
6. keep track_________: follow


b) Complete the sentences, using the expressions above.

1. My four-year-old acts terrible when I _________ her __________ from school.
2. Polar bears __________ to warmer future.
3. I read the papers every day, because I want to ________________ current affairs.
4. It’s never too late to ____________ smoking.
5. The gas and electricity companies can ___________ your supply in a few weeks if you don't pay them.
6. _________________ the text quickly.

5. HOW BIG IS YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT?

Visit this website and calculate your carbon footprint.
 

Find tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint.

Read more for the answers