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quinta-feira, 30 de dezembro de 2010

Jokes - 14

Joke of the Week

Good Manners

A teacher was giving her class of small children a lesson on good manners.
"Suppose, by mistake, you step on a lady's foot. What do you do?"
"I say pardon me."
"Very good. Now suppose the lady, to reward you, gives you a coin. What do you do?"
"Step on the other foot to get a second one."

Pronunciation Tips

Pronunciation Tips

Tense x Lax Vowels

This video is very helpful for showing the subtle distinction between tense and lax vowels found in words such as: feel x fill, seat x sit, eat x it...




For additional information, ask me! My masters is in Phonology. Tense x Lax Vowels was the topic of my monograph.

Grammar Tips

Grammar Tips

Lend x Borrow

To lend:
Meaning: to hand out usually for a certain length of time.
Banks lend money.
Libraries lend books.
For example: "My mother lent me some money, and I must pay her back soon."

To borrow:
Meaning: to take with permission usually for a certain length of time.
You can borrow money from a bank to buy a house or a car.
You can borrow books for up to 4 weeks from libraries in England.
For example: "I borrowed some money off my mother, and I must pay her back soon."
! For a happy life - Never a borrower nor a lender be.

For exercises, click on the following links:
http://www.quia.com/quiz/420027.html?AP_rand=1454291107

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/borrow_lend.htm
http://teacherrenatagazola.com.br/2010/03/22/erro-comum-lend-x-borrow/
http://www.teclasap.com.br/blog/2007/04/21/falsas-gemeas-lend-x-borrow/

U2 - New Year's Day

Song of the Week

New Year's Day
U2





Fireworks

Video of the Week

Fireworks

London




Sydney



New York

A Christmas Carol - Book

Book of the Week

A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens


A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.
The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain when it was experiencing a nostalgic interest in its forgotten Christmas traditions, and at the time when new customs such as the Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.
To download the book, click on the following link:
http://www.planetpdf.com/planetpdf/pdfs/free_ebooks/A_Christmas_Carol_NT.pdf

To listen to an audio book, click on the following link:
http://librivox.org/a-christmas-carol-by-charles-dickens/

To see a modern animation of this story watch:







For the remaining videos, click on the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqopqSFYR3k&feature=fvwrel

Christmas Cookies

Recipe of the Week

Gingerbread Men

Christmas baking wouldn't be complete without a batch of these cute Gingerbread Men. They are fragrant with ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; the amount of which can be adjusted to suit your own individual taste. If you like your Gingerbread Men on the soft side, bake them a little less than the recipe states as the longer they bake the harder they will become. There are a few ways to decorate your Gingerbread Men; one is to press raisins into the dough before baking, or you can frost the baked and cooled cookies with confectioners' frosting. You can also use Gingerbread Men as decorations for your Christmas tree or as gift tags. To do this, pierce a hole in the top of each unbaked cookie using a straw or end of a wooden skewer. Bake the cookies and then thread a pretty ribbon through the hole and hang on your tree. 
In England and North America, we usually make our gingerbread with treacle or molasses. Ground ginger and cinnamon are almost always present, with ground cloves placing a distant third, if used at all. There are two types of molasses generally used in making gingerbread: light and dark. Light molasses, used in this recipe, comes from the first boiling of the sugar syrup and is lighter in flavor and color than the dark molasses. Dark molasses comes from the second boiling and is darker in color with a more robust flavor.  Molasses is usually labeled as "sulphured" or "unsulphured" depending on whether sulphur was used in the processing. The unsulphured molasses is lighter in color and tends to have a nicer flavor. Molasses is used in baked goods to add color, moistness and flavor.
Gingerbread Men: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. 
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.
Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside while you roll out the dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies.  With an offset spatula lift the cut out cookies onto the baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer.
Bake for about 8 - 12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. Small ones will take about 8 minutes, larger cookies will take about 12 minutes. They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown. 
Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minutes. When they are firm enough to move, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If desired, you can press raisins, currants, or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still warm. Otherwise, confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the cookies. You can also use the icing as a glue to attach candies, raisins, and sprinkles.
Confectioners Frosting: In an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth and well blended.  Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).  Add a little more milk if too dry. Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the gingerbread men as desired.
Tint portions of frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is available at cake decorating stores and party stores).
Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used.
Store in an airtight container.

Gingerbread Men:

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (To prevent molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray.)
Confectioners Frosting:
2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light cream
Assorted food colors (if desired)


Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/GingerbreadMen.html#ixzz19eSB3bu4

terça-feira, 30 de novembro de 2010

Jokes - 13

Joke of the Week

Mother: "Did you enjoy your first day at school?"
Girl:       "First day? Do you mean I have to go back tomorrow?"

Grammar - Irregular Verbs

Grammar

Irregular Verbs


Infinitive
Simple Past
Past Participle
Translation
arise
arose
arisen
surgir
awake
awoke
awoken
despertar
be
was/were
been
ser, estar
bear
bore
born
dar a luz
beat
beat
beaten
bater
become
became
become
tornar-se
begin
began
begun
começar
bite
bit
bitten
morder
blow
blew
blown
soprar
bring
brought
brought
trazer
catch
caught
caught
pegar, capturar
choose
chose
chosen
escolher
come
came
come
vir
cost
cost
cost
custar
cut
cut
cut
cortar
do
did
done
fazer
draw
drew
drawn
desenhar
dream
dreamt
dreamt
sonhar
drink
drank
drunk
beber
drive
drove
driven
dirigir
eat
ate
eaten
comer
fall
fell
fallen
cair
feel
felt
felt
sentir
fight
fought
fought
luta
fly
flew
flown
voar
forbid
forbade
forbidden
proibir
forgive
forgave
forgiven
perdoar
get
got
gotten
obter
give
gave
given
dar
grow
grew
grown
crescer
hang
hung
hung
pendurar
have
had
had
ter
hear
heard
heard
ouvir
hide
hid
hidden
esconder
hit
hit
hit
bater
hold
held
held
segurar
hurt
hurt
hurt
machucar
keep
kept
kept
manter
know
knew
known
saber, conhecer
lay
laid
laid
colocar, depositar
lead
led
led
conduzir, levar
learn
learnt
learnt
aprender
leave
left
left
partir
lend
lent
lent
emprestar
let
let
let
permitir, deixar
lie
lay
lain
repousar
light
lit
lit
acender, clarear
lose
lost
lost
perder
make
made
made
fazer
mean
meant
meant
querer dizer
meet
met
met
encontrar
pay
paid
paid
pagar
put
put
put
pôr, colocar
read
read
read
ler
ride
rode
ridden
andar de
ring
rang
rung
tocar, soar
rise
rose
risen
erquer-se
run
ran
run
correr
say
said
said
dizer
see
saw
seen
ver
seek
sought
sought
procurar
sell
sold
sold
vender
send
sent
sent
enviar
shake
shook
shaken
sacudir
shine
shone
shone
brilhar
shoot
shot
shot
atirar (com um arma)
show
showed
shown
mostrar
shut
shut
shut
fechar
sing
sang
sung
cantar
sink
sank
sunk
afundar
sit
sat
sat
sentar
sleep
slept
slept
dormir
smell
smelled
smelled
cheirar
speak
spoke
spoken
falar
spend
spent
spent
gastar
stand
stood
stood
permanecer
steal
stole
stolen
roubar
sting
stung
stung
picar, ferroar
stink
stank
stunk
cheirar mal
strike
struck
stricken
golpear
sweep
swept
swept
varrer
swim
swam
swum
nadar
take
took
taken
pegar, tomar
teach
taught
taught
ensinar
tear
tore
torn
rasgar
tell
told
told
dizer, contar
think
thought
thought
pensar, achar
throw
threw
thrown
atirar, jogar
understand
understood
understood
compreender
wake
woke
woken
acordar
wear
wore
worn
usar
wed
wed
wed
casar
weep
wept
wept
chorar
win
won
won
vencer
write
wrote
written
escrever



Practice some exercises on the following links:




http://www.grammarnet.com/gnav/exeverbs.php


http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/interactiveirregularverbs1.htm


http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/irregular-verbs


http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/verbs.htm


http://www.chompchomp.com/irregular01/irregular01.htm

 


Pronunciation Tips

Pronunciation Tips


Tip 1
Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling! For example, "wear" and "where", although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical letters or letter clusters in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the "ough" in "though" and "through" represents a different sound in each word. Learn to practice what you hear, not what you see.
Tip 2
Imagine a sound in your mind before you say it. Try to visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. Think about how you are going to make the sound.
Tip 3
Listen to and try to imitate native speakers of English. In addition to listening for specific sounds, pay attention to pauses, the intonation of the speaker's voice and patterns of emphasis. This can be just as important as the pronunciation of sounds.
Tip 4
The English language has many different dialects, and words can be pronounced differently. It is important, however, that you pronounce words clearly to ensure effective communication.
Tip 5
Finally, you must practice what you are learning! Remember that you are teaching your mouth a new way to move. You are building muscles that you do not use in your own language. It is like going to the gym and exercising your body. Use the links below to exercise your mouth a little bit each day.

http://www.pronunciationtips.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

http://www.soundsofenglish.org/activities/index.htm

The Cure - Friday I'm in Love

Song of the Week

Friday I'm in Love
The Cure

For the ones who have difficulty with the days of the week, a great song to practice them.






Telling the Time - Video of the Week

Video of the Week

Telling the Time



A Journey to the Center of the Earth - Book of the Week

Book of the Week

A Journey to the Center of the Earth
by Jules Verne
A Journey to the Center of the Earth (French: Voyage au centre de la Terre, also translated under the titles Journey to the Centre of the Earth and A Journey to the Interior of the Earth) is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves a German professor (Otto Lidenbrock in the original French, Professor Von Hardwigg in the most common English translation) who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth. He, his nephew Axel (Harry), and their guide Hans encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy.
From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been soundly refuted. However, a redeeming point to the story is Verne's own belief, told within the novel from the viewpoint of a character, that the inside of the Earth does indeed differ from that which the characters anticipate. One of Verne's main ideas with his stories was also to educate the readers, and by placing the different extinct creatures the characters meet in their correct geological era, he is able to show how the world looked a long time ago, stretching from the ice age to the dinosaurs.


To download a free PDF version of this book, click on the following link:

http://www.planetfreebook.com/Classic_collection/classic_books_author_TUV_PDF_edited_filenames/Verne.%20Jules!Journey%20to%20the%20Center%20of%20the%20Earth.pdf

For an audio book, click on this link:

http://librivox.org/a-journey-to-the-interior-of-the-earth-by-jules-verne/

For the classic movie, watch:



For a modern 3D movie preview, watch:

Shepherd's Pie - Recipe of the Week

Recipe of the Week

Shepherd's Pie

This is a typical British dish. Try it at your home (in Brazil) and feel as if you were in London.

Make this simple supper of a wintry evening, sprinkling over a little grated cheese before cooking for good measure.

Ingredients


For the mash

Preparation method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
  2. In a large non-stick casserole dish heat the dripping. Add the onion and cook for five minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil and fry the mince, stirring, until browned all over. While the meat is frying, break up any lumps with the back of the spoon.
  4. Stir the onions and add the flour (this helps to thicken the juices) and stir. Mix well and add the bay leaves, thyme and the anchovy essence and stir.
  5. To the onion mix add the chopped tomatoes, stock (keep a little aside, for putting into the mince pan to de-glaze the pan) and Worcestershire sauce.
  6. Add the cooked mince and then pour the stock mixture into empty mince pan, scraping off any bits of mince left in the pan. Pour the remaining stock into the pan containing the sauce mixture.
  7. Bring the mixture to the boil, adding a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
  8. For the mash, boil the potatoes, then drain them in a sieve and place into a clean bowl. Add the milk, butter and egg yolk, and mash together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  9. Pour the meat into an ovenproof dish and spread the mash on top, smooth over and mark with a spatula.
  10. Put the dish into the oven and cook until the surface is bubbling and golden-brown.

segunda-feira, 18 de outubro de 2010

Jokes - 12

Teacher:  Today, we're going to talk about the tenses. 
                 Now, if I say "I am beautiful," which tense is it?
Student:   Obviously it is the past tense. 


Grammar & Exercises on Halloween

Halloween
Grammar & Exercises

Click on the following links:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/holidays/halloween/history
http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/holidays/halloween/jack-o-lantern

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/countries/halloween.htm


http://www.ego4u.com/download/pdf/canterville-ghost.pdf

Topics on American Culture - Halloween

Halloween History & Origin

Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. It's one of the most popular holidays, second only to Christmas. While millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fascinating.
Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs.
As the Christian debate goes on, celebrating Halloween is a preference that is not always viewed as participating in an evil holiday. Halloween is often celebrated with no reference to pagan rituals or the occult.

Halloween History

Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.

Origin of Halloween

While there are many versions of the origins and old customs of Halloween, some remain consistent by all accounts. Different cultures view Halloween somewhat differently but traditional Halloween practices remain the same.
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.
The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.

Paul McCartney - Ebony and Ivory

Song of the Week

Ebony and Ivory
by Paul McCartney



The Time Machine - Video

Video of the Week

The Time Machine
by H. G. Wells






For the other parts, click on the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmFxri4KQnU&feature=related

The Time Machine - Book

Book of the Week

The Time Machine
by H. G. Wells

O personagem conhecido apenas como "O Viajante do Tempo", desenvolve, com base em conceitos matemáticos, uma máquina capaz de se mover pela Quarta Dimensão, nesse caso considerada como a dimensão do tempo. Com ela, viaja até ao ano de 802.701 onde encontra os Elóis, pacíficos e dóceis remanescentes dos humanos, aparentemente vivendo num mundo paradisíaco, sem qualquer tipo de preocupações até perceber que os mesmos na realidade servem de alimentos para uma outra raça, os Morlock, que vivem no subterrâneo e que, apesar de outrora terem sido dominados pelos Elóis, na época o mesmo já não acontecia.

To download a free PDF version of this book choose from one of these links:
http://www.planetpdf.com/planetpdf/pdfs/free_ebooks/The_Time_Machine_NT.pdf

http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/wells/timemach/timemach.pdf

For a summary and some exercises, click on this link:
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/timemachine.pdf

For an audio book, click on this link:
http://librivox.org/the-time-machine-by-hg-wells/