eflex languages: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Phrase of the Week: A Cliffhanger

Phrase of the Week: A CLIFFHANGER: a situation in a story, film/movie, competition, etc. that is very exciting because you cannot guess what will happen next, or you do not find out immediately what happens next.

“The first part of the serial ended with a real cliffhanger.”

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Image from Hartmut on Flickr

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Phrase of the Day: Down in the Dumps:

Phrase of the Day: DOWN IN THE DUMPS:Unhappy; depressed.

“He'd been down in the dumps since his girlfriend left him.”

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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Idioms: Sun with answers

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

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Phrase of the Day: Doom and Gloom

DOOM AND GLOOM/GLOOM AND DOOM: a general feeling of having lost all hope, and of pessimism (= expecting things to go badly)

“Despite all the injuries, it is not all doom and gloom for the England football team.”

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Comprehension: Take A Hip-Hop Lesson 'A La Française'

The Paris suburb of Suresnes has hosted the 21st edition of its annual hip hop dance festival, a showcase for the vibrant fusion of street and contemporary dance that France has made its own.
Watch the video and answer the questions below. Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Hip-hop started in the Bronx in the 1970’s.
a. True
b. False

2. The younger dancers want to keep hip-hop traditional.
a. True
b. False

3. This type of hip-hop is unique to France.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Hip-hop was born in the Bronx in the 1970s - but it's found a second home in modern multicultural France. Though it began as an art form of the streets, French aficionados quickly gave it pride of place on stages across the country…slotting it into theatre programmes alongside more established forms of dance like classical or contemporary. This prestigious hip-hop festival in the Paris suburbs is now in its 21st year.

"In other countries it's remained a type of choreography, with dancers grouped together in set places. But there's no diversity, there's no one coming out of the pack to take a solo, showing individual personality."

And though it's often seen as a male-dominated world, women are increasingly involved in hip-hop. Though many say that before they could take part in the famous hip-hop freestyle battles, they had to prove themselves worthy opponents.

"You had to act like them - put on a big baggy T-shirt and baseball cap, do THIS like the guys did. Once you'd done that, it was all, 'You see, I can do that too….and I know how to do THIS as well, I know how to do THIS and THIS and THIS. You know, I can act like a girl -- I am a girl.' "

And there's now a new generation of hip-hop stars, drawing inspiration from some unexpected sources. Dancers on this stage are incorporating elements from the circus and carnival tradition…creating new, hybrid forms of dance.

"This cultural exchange is always worthwhile. And what's interesting is keeping things evolving, getting to a level where you can bring everything together."

It may owe more to the dance school than the ghetto - but as this festival hopes to show, hip-hop has, for many young admirers, become one of the most French dance forms available.

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. a

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Phrase of the Day: To Cotton on to Something

COTTON ON (TOSOMETHING): To begin to understand or realize something without being told

“I suddenly cottoned on to what he was doing.”

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Monday, June 16, 2014

Phrase of the Day: Delusions of Grandeur

Phrase of the Day: DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR: A belief that you are more important than you actually are

“He thinks he’s too good for the job. He’s got delusions of grandeur”.

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Image from Abrash TX on Flickr

Friday, June 13, 2014

Comprehension: Using Rubbish to Help Thailand's Poorest Go Green

Thailand's poorest are able to trade in recyclable waste for food in an innovative scheme taking off across the country.

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

1. Nom and Rai are married.
a. True
b. False

2. 25% of Thailand's rubbish is recycled.
a. True
b. False

3. Most people in Thailand recycle their rubbish.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

A dirty job reserved for Thailand's poorest. Nom and Rai are scavengers: each day they comb dustbins in their area looking for recyclable rubbish to sell. The money they make isn't always enough to live on -- but an innovative scheme is helping them out.

"When we're starving, we can find rubbish to exchange for rice to eat, detergent, soap and everything."

The husband and wife bring used bottles, cartons, cans and paper to this shop and trade them in for food and other goods - no cash needed. The shop works as a cooperative for local people. By selling to the recycling plants in bulk, it gets a better rate than individual scavengers would manage on their own. And profits from the shop are then paid back in dividends to its members.

"Sometimes we would have to buy things like fish sauce or rice on credit at shops. But people looked down on us as we're poor and they'd wonder whether they would get their money back. So that's why we started up our own shop."

The project's success is inspiring others too -- in another part of Bangkok, people recently set up their own cash-free shop to which they take along their household rubbish. About a quarter of Thailand's garbage is currently recycled -- but that's largely thanks to scavengers rather than efforts by consumers to separate their waste. It's hoped schemes like this will help people be more environmentally responsible.

"Recycling is not an alien word any more. Everyone is aware that recycling can help the world one way or another. So people are more aware and people want to take more action. But I think what we are lacking now is the system in place."

The goal is to set up 80 cash-free recycling shops across Thailand by the end of 2013 and there's a lot of international interest too. More and more communities are coming together to help themselves -- and the environment.

Answers:
1. a
2. a
3. b

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Phrase of the Day: A Dead Ringer

Phrase of the Day: A DEAD RINGER: An exact duplicate.

“She's a dead ringer for a girl I used to know.”

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Image from Ethernet on Flickr

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Phrase of the Day: As Daft as a Brush

Phrase of the Day: AS DAFT AS A BRUSH: very foolish. Silly.

“I remember him as a boy and he was as daft as a brush then.”

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Image from Amy Gahran on Flickr

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Vocabulary: transport

How many words on transport can you see in the image below?
Click on the image to enlarge
For Answers see below:

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Answers:

Pass and click mouse over the white box to see the answers.

1. airplane
2. bicycle
3. bus
4. boat
5. car
6. helicopter
7. motorcycle
8. ship
9. taxi
10. train
11. lorry
12. hot air balloon
13. subway
14. coach
15. van

Phrase of the Day: A Cock and Bull Story

Phrase of the Day: A COCK AND BULL STORY: A fanciful and unbelievable tale. a story that is unlikely to be true but is used as an explanation or excuse.

“She told me some cock-and-bull story about her car breaking down.”

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Image from Alex Mahan on Flickr

Monday, June 9, 2014

Phrase of the Day: Cloud Cuckoo Land

Phrase of the Day: CLOUD CUCKOO LAND: to not understand what a situation is really like, but thinks it is much better than it is.

“Anyone who thinks this project will be finished within six weeks is living in cloud-cuckoo land.”

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Image from http://www.phrases.org.uk/

Friday, June 6, 2014

Comprehension: Sanctuary Offers Orphaned Elephants A Chance In Life

Conservationists say poaching has reached critical levels. At the only orphanage for elephants whose parents have been killed for their ivory, staff want more people around the world to adopt a baby elephant for Christmas.

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

1. All of the baby elephants are orphaned because of poaching.
a. True
b. False

2. The baby elephants are fed by their sponsors.
a. True
b. False

3. The increase in demand for ivory was caused by a shortage of ivory in 2008.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Basilinga was two weeks old when his mother was shot by a poacher. He stayed by her side until wildlife rangers found them, but it was too late to save his mum, so just a few weeks old he was brought here, to the David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage in Nairobi.

"Out of the 25 baby elephants that we have, I would say 90 to around 95 per cent of them it is because of poaching. So you can see how bad it is."

Conservationists say poaching levels are the highest since records began and unless it’s tackled soon, wild elephants could be extinct in Africa within a decade. Adult elephants are killed for their tusks. The value of ivory has skyrocketed in recent years due to growing demand in China and the Far East that fuels the illegal trade.

"North of the Zambezi there are a lot of countries that have lost all their elephants and central Africa looks as though it’s going to lose all theirs. We've lost most of ours, the population's gone down from 100,000 to, they reckon, about, it’s probably about 25,000, 20,000 if that now, and declining rapidly."

This Christmas the trust is asking foster parents to come forward and help raise the baby elephants by sponsoring them. They have to be fed every three hours, and the keepers even sleep in the same room. The more donations they get, the more elephants like Basilinga they can save.

"We know he will be making it, because he has passed the most critical stage in elephants, which is the teething, he is above that, he is feeding on plants and we believe he will be back into the wild, successfully."

In 2008, four southern African countries were allowed to sell their ivory stockpiles. Conservationists say this one-off move just whetted Asia's appetite for more, fuelling poaching. And the small legal, but badly policed, ivory market that now exists provides a cover for traders to offload illegal tusks.

The David Sheldrick trust is now campaigning for a total and indefinite ban on ivory sales -- but until the demand decreases, the trust will continue to take in orphaned elephants and raise them until they can fend for themselves.

Answers:
1. b
2. b
3. b

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Phrase of the Day: A Blast from the Past

Phrase of the Day: A BLAST FROM THE PAST: a person or thing from your past that you see, hear, meet, etc. again in the present. It is normally applied to things that that were thought fondly of previously and are making a welcome return - particularly pop songs.

“Hearing that record again was a real blast from the past.”

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Image from http://www.phrases.org.uk/

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Phrase of the Day: Cost An Arm and a Leg

Phrase of the Day: COST AN ARM AND A LEG: to cost/pay a lot of money.

"Be careful with that phone. It cost me an arm and a leg."

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Image by foeoc kannilc on Flickr

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Phrase of the Day: To bode well

Phrase of the Day: TO BODE WELL: To foreshadow a successful outcome, indicated by some circumstance or event.

“The weather forecast bodes well for the festival at the weekend.”

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Image by ADiamondFellFromTheSky on Flickr

Monday, June 2, 2014

Phrase of the Day: As Different as Chalk and Cheese

Phrase of the Day: AS DIFFERENT AS CHALK AND CHEESE: Two things that are very different from each other.

“I don't have anything in common with my brother. We're like chalk and cheese.”

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Image from Thinkstock