Comprehension: Poetry Provides Gateway to Past for Alzheimer Sufferers

Alzheimer's sufferers find it difficult to recall recent events and so can easily feel isolated and lonely, but one association in Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK is using poetry and song to recover long-buried memories.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1.The organization, ‘Kissing it Better’, has been reading poetry to Alzheimer sufferers for four years.
a. True
b. False

2. All the volunteers from ‘Kissing it Better’ were former actors from the ‘Royal Shakespeare Company’.
a. True
b. False

3. Experts believe that poetry can be a part of a cure for Alzheimer’s.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Miriam and Margaret have Alzheimer's and struggle to remember what happened last week let alone ten minutes ago.
But when they hear a few lines from a poem learnt decades ago at school, the memories come flooding back.

 “We did talk a certain amount of poetry at home always. I think my aunts knew that when I was small, and my mother you know, they all knew it, and so I can't remember life without it.”

For four years, the organisation 'Kissing it Better' has used poetry as a means of fighting memory loss.  Young people from local schools, here in Stratford-upon-Avon in central England, visit the elderly in nursing homes, giving poetry recitals and singing songs. 

 “When they’re feeling sad or lonely or they can’t connect very easily, if somebody says a poem that they knew so well 60-70 years ago, they suddenly smile because they found something that they remember and when they have that memory, along with it comes the school days, the war time, the family, the countryside.  So it’s that important anchor in what is a very bewildering world if you have dementia.”

And these recitals don't just benefit those on the receiving end.

“I feel like I can give something to the community, and they've given stuff to us and I want to give it back to them, and I hope, in a few years' time, when I'm old, people will come and visit me, and read to me, and sing to me!”

Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of Shakespeare, and even former actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company take part reciting sonnets by the Bard.

 “You get something back from them, you see that glimmer in their eye and it’s wonderful when suddenly they join in with a line.”

Experts say that the use of poetry cannot cure Alzheimer's, but there's no doubt it brings sufferers comfort and with it confidence from a bygone era. 

Answers:

1. a
2. b
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Idioms: Birds with answers

This week 'birds' are the theme of our idioms. Do you know what they mean?

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Toxic Mafia Dumps Sow Panic in Italy 'Triangle of Death'

Anger is boiling over near Naples after revelations about toxic mafia dumps blamed for rising cancer rates that have prompted accusations the state is ignoring a vast public health crisis. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The mafia took over the toxic waste disposal business about forty years ago.
a. True
b. False

2. There are more people with allergies than before.
a. True
b. False

3. All the farmers knew that they had been growing crops on toxic waste.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Asbestos, industrial-strength glue and paint stripper. 
You can find it all, and worse, dumped in the so-called "triangle of death" between Naples and Caserta in southern Italy. 

"Right there, everything has been burned, there is even asbestos."

Environmental agencies say millions of tonnes of toxic rubbish have been burnt or buried in fields growing crops for decades by the mafia - which took over the toxic waste disposal business some 30 years ago.
In this area, also dubbed the "Land of Fires", the cancer rate has risen 40 percent in women and 47 percent in men. 

"It's not just that the number of tumours has gone up, but also the number of allergies, deformities as well. I have three patients who have had to have abortions, young women, the foetuses were seriously deformed."

Back in 1997 a local mafia informant from the Casalesi clan even confessed to parliament that they had secretly dumped waste in fields, wells and lakes.  But 16 years later, little has been done. 
And a number of mothers feel they are paying the price. They have all lost a child to cancer and say the toxic rubbish is to blame. 

"No-one has the courage to tell us, with the facts in hand, 'we have killed your children, we assume responsibity and are ready to intervene to save tomorrow's children, those who still breathe this poison and eat this crap'."

Caivano's priest Maurizio Patriciello has been a strong support for women like Tina, and his frustrations are clear to see.

"We do not expect anything good of the Camorra, on the contrary. We live in a State which has a duty to protect its citizens, and it has failed to do so."

Over the past few weeks, dozens of polluted fields have been seized from farmers, some of whom had no idea they had been growing crops on top of toxic waste.
Growing media attention to the garbage crisis has also seen police intervene at reducing  the number of rubbish piles set on fire. 
But locals fear that despite the crackdown the mafia will simply find a way to stay in business, possibly by launching into a new sector: the lucrative clean-up business.

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Baltimore's Arabbers Keep Horse-Cart Vending Alive

Baltimore's arabbers, traditional fruit and vegetable sellers who hawk their produce on colourful horse-drawn carts, are the last horse-cart vendors in the United States. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1.  BJ has been arabbing for 25 years.
a. True
b. False

2. The fruit and vegetables are locally grown.
a. True
b. False

3. Daniel Van Allen hopes that there will be another four wagons on the streets next year.
a. True
b. False


For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Mixed with the sounds of daily life, Baltimore’s streets ring with this distinctive melody.

It's the traditional call of arabbers , that's the name for fruit and vegetable vendors that sell their produce on horse-drawn carts.

At only 25, BJ has been arabbing most of his life.  He starts his day by loading his cart with local, freshly-bought produce carefully arranged by colour. 

"I got cabbage, I got collard greens, I got string beans…"

With veteran Lawlaw by his side, the men head off on what could be an 11-mile walk.

"When we finish, that's when we get on the horse. The work aint done till - that's when you know when it’s done - when we get on that ride and we coming home."

First stop: regular customers' homes, mostly seniors who can't walk to the market.
But they're happy to sell to anyone who wants to buy, offering their goods door to door and even to passing cars.

"It's convenient, they come to you. You don't have to go out and get it."

Though the origin of the word is unclear, arabbing has been around for centuries but in recent years it has struggled to stay alive.  Stables have been shut down for building code violations and animal rights activists claim claimed the horses are poorly treated.  With arabbing on the edge, Daniel Van Allen decided to set up a preservation society:

"We've gone, in the past few years, from one to two wagons after one of the stables was shut down for urban renewal and back up to eight wagons out on the street, and hopefully we'll have four more wagons out on the street next year."

That's welcome news for BJ, who says his love for the job has kept him out of trouble.

"Oh I'm going to keep on going until I can't walk no more.  We're gonna be around, we ain't going nowhere.  It's been around over a hundred years, this [expletive] ain't going nowhere."

In an age where more people are getting goods home-delivered, this centuries-old trade seems on the road to a revival.

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. a

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Phrasal Verbs with Answers: to hang

This week,'to hang' is the verb used to make our phrasal verbs. Do you know what they mean?

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Aboriginal Festival Brings Desert Culture to Wider Community

Aboriginal groups from across Central Australia meet for the inaugural Mbantua festival to share desert indigenous culture with the broader Australian community.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1.  One of the ways the old Aboriginal stories are being expressed is through song.

a. True

b. False

2. Arrernte is in Alice Springs.

a. True

b. False

3. The young Aboriginals are not interested in their history.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

 

Transcript and Answers:

Revealing the tales of days gone by through song and dance, indigenous groups from across Australia’s desert centre have come to share with one another on the sacred grounds of the Arrernte people in Alice Springs.  From dreaming, or creation stories, to the effects of European arrival:

"Everything you see at this festival is lensed through the eyes of desert people and the history that informs those people.”                              

It’s a rare chance for the different aboriginal nations here to join with non-indigenous Australians, in appreciating every facet of this ancient culture.

"There’s a lot of good tucker...you need to get this one too!"

They might be using billycans instead of wooden bowls, but the activities are helping keep alive traditions which might otherwise be slipping.  Foreign tourists, too, are sampling traditional desert foods and getting hands-on with the local arts and crafts.

"I think I will call it Alice."

It’s also engaging indigenous youth in their heritage.  While, in its openness, it’s presenting an alternative picture of a national story which can look very different for black and white Australians.

"I guess the sharing of those personal stories helps to enlighten everyone as to what it actually is and then, maybe through that, develop a new story of whatever that’s going to look like for Australia."

"That’s what we’re trying to do with this festival bring non-indigenous people to us, share our culture with them, and our history, in the hope that they feel like that part of the nation’s history is part of their own identity."

As night falls, in this small pocket in the heart of Australia, people have been brought closer together - at least for a few days.

Answers:
1. a
2. a
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Largest Ever Thermal Solar Plant Set to Open in California

The largest solar thermal plant in the world, a Google-backed project in the California desert, is set to go online at the end of the year. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The thermal plant in California has the highest concentration of sunlight in the world.

a. True

b. False

2. The technology at the thermal plant is different from solar panels seen on roofs of houses.

a. True

b. False

3. Lisa Belenky is against the idea of solar energy because it disrupts the environment.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:
On the side of a California highway, a field of mirrors shimmers like a mirage. These white-hot, radiating structures make up the largest solar thermal plant ever built.
“This is actually one of the highest concentrations of sunlight in the world, out here in Ivanpah."
Regular household mirrors, called heliostats, track the sun using satellite technology. Boilers atop three towers absorb the reflected heat.
“That boiler can reach temperatures in excess of 500 degrees celsius for that steam.”
Steam, which then drives electric turbines to create energy. This technology is different from the solar cells seen on rooftops because it can even work at night. 
"We can store the sun's thermal energy in the form of molten salt. So we can produce electricity even when the sun goes down. There’s a lot of interest in concentrating solar power around the globe in environments where you have lots of sun such as China, South Africa, the Middle East, North Africa."
But here in California's vast Mojave desert, solar isn't the only thing growing.
“Well this is the amaranth and they’re coming right up through this other bush.”
The Google-backed Ivanpah Solar Project competes with this desert's lush landscape. BrightSource Energy, the company behind it, has already spent more than 50 million dollars to relocate the endangered Desert Tortoise. 
"Even though the desert seems big, when you start cutting it up, and fragmenting it, it can really affect how the species and the animals and the plants, both, are able to survive in the long run."
And while environmentalists generally support the idea of large solar plants, many want habitats like this one to stay intact.
"We should be reusing areas that have already been disturbed: old mining sites for example, either on homes, on businesses, you can on parking lots."
But Brightsource has already presold energy to parts of southern California and they plan to flip the switch at the end of the year. 

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Rock Cravings for Pregnant Women in Kenya

Pregnant women often have unusual cravings and in Kenya it's not unusual to crave, and eat, soft stones known as "odowa". 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Ann Njeri, the first woman interviewed, still craves ‘odawa’ even though she is no longer pregnant.

a. True

b. False

2. A study by Britain’s Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, along Kenya’s coast in 1998, found that 50% of women ate rocks or dirt during pregnancy.

a. True

b. False

3. Doctor Odawa, the obstetrician, doesn’t think the rocks will hurt the women.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Pregnant women are known for their unusual cravings from midnight demands for pickles to new found adoration for Tabasco sauce and here in Kenya it’s not unusual to crave and eat soft stones known as "odowa".

“I started eating these stones when I was one month pregnant up until I delivered. Then I stopped eating them, but when I see them I still get the cravings.”

And there’s nowhere better to satisfy this craving than Nairobi’s Githurai market where traders who specialize in odawa can be found among the fruit sellers and fishmongers.

Joseph Kaara has been selling the stones for ten years charging just over 10$ for 100kg sack.

“I sell them mostly to the pregnant women.  When I ask them why they eat them, they tell me it’s because they lack calcium.”

Doctors say that craving stones, or soil known as pica, may be an indication of a deficiency of vital minerals like iron or calcium.  While others blame a cultural trend passed down through friends and relatives.  Figures on how many women are affected are hard to come by but a study by Britain’s Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, along Kenya’s coast in 1998, found that one in two women ate rocks or dirt during pregnancy.

But Doctor Odawa an obstetrician at International Medical Consultants says the habit can be dangerous for women causing parasitic infestations, anemia, intestinal complications and malnourishment.

“It may not be very healthy because what we think is that these people eat these substances sometimes to fill their tummies, and it does fill them, in place of what should be of nutritional value. So at the end of the day they may actually end up being malnourished.”

It seems that the next time the craving hits, women would be better off giving up the rocks and choosing carrots or fruit to crunch on.

Answers:
1. a
2. a
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Idioms: Teeth with answers

This week 'teeth' are the theme of our idioms. Do you know what they mean?

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages