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domingo, 27 de junho de 2010

Jokes - 5

JOKES - Have a Happier Day!

A:  Doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the operation?
B:  Yes, of course.
A:  Great! I never could before! 


Soccer Quiz

Soccer Quiz

How much do you know about soccer?
Answer just 4 questions and check it out.

http://www.ego4u.com/en/chill-out/games/soccer-quiz

Brownies

Recipe of the Week

Brownies

No Brasil, temos nosso bolo "nega maluca". Em países de língua inglesa, o invés de pedir por uma "crazy black", peça por um "brownie".

Uma receita 100% em inglês (incluindo os pesos e medidas)

http://www.myhomecooking.net/brownies/brownie-recipe.htm

Uma receita com as medidas em sistema internacional (o nosso, Thanks God!)

http://www.joyofbaking.com/brownies.html

Around the World in 80 Days

Book of the Week

Around the World in 80 Days
By Jules Verne

Click on the following link to download a readable version of the book in PDF format:


Click on the next link for a Study Guide



Song - American Pie

Song of the Week

American Pie
By Don McLean



Americans are not stupid

Video of the Week
A classic video on the net with subtitles (in English)

English Exercises

Um site GRATUITO contendo diferentes exercícios em todos os níveis de aprendizado:

http://www.inglesonline.com.br/exercicios-de-ingles

terça-feira, 22 de junho de 2010

Jokes - 4

When I was young I didn't like going to weddings.
My grandmother would tell me, "You're next"
However, she stopped doing that after I started saying the same thing to her at funerals. 


The Old Man and the Sea

Book of the Week
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The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway 

              When we think about Hemingway the writer, we also have to think about Hemingway, the man. In many ways, his life was as interesting as his work. Like many great authors, many of his books and stories were based on his personal experiences. Let’s look at some of these books and see how his experiences influenced them.
                In 1925, he published his first collection of short stories, called In Our Time. Most of the stories were really about his childhood. A year later, in 1926, his first two novels appeared — Torrents of Spring, and The Sun Also Rises. Remember, Hemingway lived in Paris during the early twenties. When he lived there, he knew many famous writers and artists. The Sun Also Rises is about some of those talented, but lonely and angry people.
                Hemingway drove an ambulance during World War I — that was between 1914 and 1918. Many years later, in 1929, he used this experience when he wrote his fourth novel, A Farewell to Arms. This book, which was a love story about an American ambulance driver and a British nurse, made him famous throughout the world.
                After that, during the 1930s, Hemingway continued to write short stories and also wrote two books about subjects he greatly loved. Death in the Afternoon was about bullfighting, and The Green Hills of Africa was about big game hunting. His father, a doctor, got him interested in hunting, fishing, sports, and the outdoor life when he was a child.
                When the Second World War began, Hemingway returned to Europe. This time he was there as a reporter, so he was present at many of the most important battles of the war. He used these war experi­ences to write Across the River and Into the Trees. This book was not very successful, and people thought he was losing his magic.
                But, in 1952, he wrote a short novel, The Old Man and the Sea. For this book, he won the Pulitzer Prize. And two years later, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. The book tells the story of an old Cuban fisherman, but is really about man against nature. Why is it his best? As I said, when he was younger, he used to go fishing with his father, and in later years, deep-sea fishing remained his favorite hobby. He was able to write a powerful, emotional story because of his own personal experiences.
                Sadly in 1961, sick and unable to live the active life he loved and wrote about, Hemingway killed himself with one of his own shotguns.

Download this short novel (40 pages) by clicking on the link below:
See animations of the story, click on these links:


sábado, 19 de junho de 2010

domingo, 13 de junho de 2010

Jokes - Have a Happier Day!

A:  Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?
B:  Yes I am, I married the wrong woman. 

English Tips

SOCCER  FOOTBALL


Since one of the matches in this World Cup was USA x England, my student Jorge suggested I posted some of the differences between American and British English.

In England, when you are introduced to a stranger, you should say "How do you do?"; however, if you say that to an American, he will probably look puzzled and will say "Fine, fine. And you?" supposing you were asking him "How are you?". In America, when you are introduced to someone, you should say "Nice to meet you."

More difference in relation to vocabulary, check these two links:

http://www22.brinkster.com/abistene/doubts/AmExBrE.htm

http://www.bbcweb.com.br/bbc.php?assunto=british%20x%20american%20english

Recipe of the Week

Fettuccine Boscaiola 

(fettuccine with ham and mushrooms)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
200 g mushrooms, thinly sliced
200 g ham, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup (310 ml) cream

500g fettuccine
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh chives
Parmesan cheese shavings to garnish

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan, add the mushrooms, ham and garlic and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Pour in the wine and cook uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in the cream, reduce heat to minimum and simmer uncovered until the sauce starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in a pot with lots of boiling, salted water, al dente (check instructions on the package). Drain and return to the cooking pot. Pour over the sauce, add the chives and toss until all ingredients are well combined.

Serve in individual dishes, topped with parmesan shavings.

Notes and tips

The recipe contains 32g of fat per serving. You can make it lighter by replacing some of the cream used with milk; the result will not be the same though.

Book of the Week

BRAVE NEW WORLD - Aldous Huxley

Admirável Mundo Novo foi escrito em 1932 por Aldous Huxley. No livro, o autor descreve o que ele imaginava ser a sociedade em que viveria no futuro. Muito do que é imaginado no livro está, de certa forma, se verificando nos tempos atuais: clonagem, possibilidade de "fabricação de pessoas", a desintegração total de valores sociais e outros temas polêmicos. Os direitos autorais desta obra, no original em inglês, foram expirados e como não foram renovados, a obra agora faz parte do domínio público.


Song of the Week

OASIS - WONDERWALL

Video of the Week

IDIOMS IN ACTION

Idioms não são idiomas (inglês, francês, alemão, etc), mas sim EXPRESSÕES IDIOMÁTICAS.

Algumas palavras que você conhece em inglês como "a piece of cake" podem significar algo que não seja "um pedaço de bolo".

Assista o vídeo e entenda mais:

Listening Test

Check your listening comprehension by taking this test:

http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_listening.htm

domingo, 6 de junho de 2010

Jokes - Have a Happier Day!

Teacher:   Maria please point to America on the map.
Maria:      This is it.  
Teacher:   Well done. Now class, who found America?
Class:       Maria did. 



English Tips

My student Giuliano asked me if I would like to chat with a computer that DOES speak English...

It's very cool. You can interact through your keyboard.

Click on the following link and have a chat with Talking Animated Fake Captain Kirk

http://alicebot.blogspot.com/

Recipe of the Week

Pudding Cups

My student Karine suggested this site and I would like to share it in this blog.

http://www.bakerella.com/pudding-cups/

Book of the week

The Phantom of the Opera
O Fantasma da Ópera

Click on the link to read it in a bilingual version:

http://www.idph.com.br/conteudos/ebooks/fantasmadaopera.pdf

sábado, 5 de junho de 2010

Song of the Week

Guns n Roses - Patience

Watch the video and fill in the blanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvgV4P6Fzc

(1..2...1,2,3,4)
Shed a tear 'cause I'm missing you
I'm still alright to _________
Girl, I think about you every _________ now
Was a time when I wasn't sure
But you set my mind at ease
There is no doubt you're in my _________ now
Said woman take it slow
It'll work itself out _________
All we need is just a little patience
Said _________ make it slow
And we'll come together fine
All we need is just a little patience
(inhale) Patience...
Ooh, oh, yeah

Sit _________ on the stairs
'Cause I'd rather be alone
If I can't have you _________ now, I'll wait dear
Sometimes, I get so tense
But I can't speed up the _________
But you know, love, there's one more thing to consider
Said woman take it slow
Things will be _________ fine
You and I'll just use a little patience
Said sugar take the time
'Cause the _________ are shining bright
You and I've got what it takes to make it
We won't fake it, Oh never _________ it
'Cause I can't take it

...little patience, mm yeah, ooh yeah,
Need a little patience, yeah
Just a little patience, yeah
Some more pati... (ence, yeah)
I've been _________ these streets at night
Just trying to get it right (Need some patience, yeah)
It's hard to see with so _________ around
You know I don't like being stuck in a _________ (Could use some patience, yeah)
And the streets don't change but maybe the name
I ain't got time for the game
'Cause I need you (Patience, yeah)
Yeah, yeah well I need you
Oh, I need you (Take some patience)
Whoa, I need you (Just a little patience is all we need)
Ooh, this ti- me....

Check your answers by clicking on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMmX9G8JP38

Video of the Week

How do you pronounce / THE / in English?
Most Brazilian students would say [].
If you are one of them, then you should watch this video to find out that there are two ways of pronouncing it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-8R1NOcU7E&feature=related

Placement Test

Would you like to know how good your English grammar is?
Click on the link below to answer 100 questions in no more than 45 minutes to find out.