tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22050124474446659552011-12-26T06:00:03.542+01:00An online resource for our learners of English.Joseph BOEN, Greta Nord Alsacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05882581005355314683noreply@blogger.comBlogger6861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205012447444665955.post-16320809784754729522011-12-26T06:00:00.000+01:002011-12-26T06:00:03.546+01:00

Has it been 20 years already!? On this day in 1991, the Supreme Soviet met and formally dissolved (stop existing) the USSR. The Cold War was over!

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[Source: Buckfire and Buckfire.com] To bully – to frighten or hurt someone who is smaller or weaker than you bullying (n.) – behavior that frightens or hurts someone smaller or weaker than you a bully – the person who bullies

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Political cartoon by Rick McKee of The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia published on 13 May 2011. to do someone a favor (Note: in British English  it is spelled ‘favour’) – to do something to help someone else to hang on to something – to keep something because you think you might need it sometime in the future

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"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body," President Obama said late Sunday

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Political cartoon by Rick McKee of The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia published on 29 April 2011. a gal - a girl, or a woman (English version of the French ‘une nana’) a guy = a boy, or a man (English version of the French ‘un mec’) barely (adv.) - used for emphasizing how small an amount is to be on welfare – to receive money, care and/or help from the state (for people in need or

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One million well-wishers thronged the streets of London yesterday for the royal wedding turning the streets into a blanket of red, white and blue. They all turned out hoping to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds who exchanged their vows at Westminster Abbey. A jubilant crowd waiting at the palace gates were treated to a public kiss on the lips, a break with royal protocol which states that

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Political cartoon by Randy Bish of the The Tribune Review in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and published on 28 April 2011.Sheer is a word used to emphasize the amount or degree of something.  Take a look at some examples:Their excellent results were a result of their sheer hard work.Being able to see his family after spending a year on military duty in Iraq was sheer joy.Gaudiness is the state of being

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If you’ve ever had a book that was so good and so interesting that you just couldn’t put it down, we call this book a page turner. The idiom has been updated for electronic book devices!! So, now if you are reading a very interesting ebook, we call this a page clicker!

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I love this term intaxication, though unfortunately in France, I don’t ever feel intaxicated!  This is a play on the word, “intoxication,” which is the state of being intoxicated or drunk! Intoxication is also the high excitement of mind due to extreme happiness or enthusiasm. Hopefully, you all find your spouses or partners intoxicating!!

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I have created two Facebook pages. I have a personal page and a professional one; both can be found by conducting a research using my name, Joseph Boen. The professional page is of course the one with Greta Nord Alsace’s logo. NOTE: I only accept invitations from people I personally know!! For the professional page, you must be a colleague  or current/former student of mine.

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25 April 2010 - It appeared certain that Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi was going to throw his hat into the ring and seek the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States in 2012. He had lined up an official May 2 announcement that would be following by a fly-around to several states winding up back in Jackson, Mississippi for a huge fundraising bash. He even lined up a

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It’s been a while since I posted anything on the blog. My job has kept me quite busy lately and I appreciate your patience! This is my first attempt at creating a podcast, so please show a bit of patience. DOWNLOAD For transcript and notes go to: http://www.scribd.com/full/52181941?access_key=key-ogxn1jlkt7q0n4h0kpo

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By Rick Stromoski published on 28 January 2011 If you say or write something that is considered to stupid or unimportant, this is called drivel. It often used to insult political speech you don’t agree with. The media often interviews or hires political or social experts to express their opinions  publically on certain subjects, speeches or events. These so-called experts are known as pundits.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/new_year_s_eve;_ylt=Au.EDaRl._gD.QwBr2YE2kKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNlY2NscGgwBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMjMxL25ld195ZWFyX3NfZXZlBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMgRwb3MDNgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDbWlsbGlvbnNnYXRo If you are awake at midnight and are celebrating the arrival of the New Year, we say in English that you are ringing in the New Year. At midnight the

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Here’s a cartoon from my youth! Mr. Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness, compounded by his stubborn refusal to admit the problem.   The Mr. Magoo Show - Episode 1

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Cartoon by Steve Breen of The San Diego Union-Tribune in California and published on 29 December 2010.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101231/wl_nm/us_france_newyear Well, it’s that time of year in France when friends get together with a glass of champagne around a blazing fire. However, that blazing fire could be your car! Once again, French authorities brace for these annual New Year torchings. In other words, they are preparing for an unpleasant night. Have you ever watched a movie where a boat,

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Here’s an interesting article about various holiday traditions and regionalisms around the United States rooted in different European customs. To read the article go to: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/12/26/the_belsnickler_cometh/?page=1

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Political cartoon by Jimmy Margulies of The Record in New Jersey and published on 27 December 2010. This political cartoon is a spoof (une parodie) on an anti-drug TV commercial from the 1980s which you’ll find below. A nest egg is a special sum or amount of money that has been saved or invested for a specific future use such as retirement. This term comes from the practice of putting a real or

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Political cartoon by Joe Heller of The Green Bay Press-Gazette in Wisconsin and published on 28 December 2010. The winter weather in Europe and the east of the United States wrecked havoc this Christmas travel season leaving thousands of people stranded in airports. If you are stranded, this means that you are left somewhere with no way of going anywhere else. Being stuck in an airport with

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Here’s another TV commercial I saw airing on American television while I’m home this Christmas. Unlike the French, Americans like to talk about money so it’s no surprise we have a lot of slang and idiomatic terms for it! http://www.esurance.com/Welcome/home/home/ErinsWorld.aspx THE SAVER: 522 bucks (= dollars. Derived from the word ‘buckskin.’ In colonial America, the English wanted fur and

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This funny TV commercial is currently on American television at the moment. Most of the expressions the man is using are common!! Watch and see if you understand. The video uses what is known as Reduplicated or Ricochet Words which are word combinations and sounds designed to intensify their force. The transcript with explanations follows the video. http://www.progressive.com/commercials/

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In this sad story, a student of Rutgers University, Tyler Clementi, was outed by his roommate who spied on him with a webcam during a tryst. The roommate then put the video online publically humiliating him. As a result, a humiliated Tyler committed suicide. If someone is outed, this means it is made publically known that he or she is gay. Tyler Clementi, who was publically still in the closet,

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My family and I were watching Disney’s Christmas Carol from last year that was recently released on DVD. In the movie, Ebenezer Scrooge says that Christmas is balderdash. My father made a comment wondering what the origin of that word was. So, I set out last night to look it up and was inspired by the various ways we say “nonsense” in English. We have several ways of expressing the idea that

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I haven’t posted as much this Christmas season as I am in the United States with my family. However, I want to wish all of you, especially all the students of Greta, a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!! Joyeux Noël! Fräliche Wïanachta! (in Alsatian)

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http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/The-Sounds-of-Christmas-112397699.html The Sounds of Christmas 23 December 2010 Cover Art from Pink Martini's first holiday album. Or download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link) Doug Johnson: Welcome to American Mosaic in VOA Special English (MUSIC) I’m Doug Johnson. The winter holiday can be beautiful and bright.  Christmas lights,

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http://www.venere.com/blog/infographics/christmas-in-the-world-2010/ Click on the link below to see a large image! http://www.venere.com/img/blog/infographics/christmas-in-the-world-2010.png

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Thanks to one of my students, Raphaël, for pointing this video out to me!

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Political cartoon by Drew Sheneman of The Star-Ledger in New Jersey. “Stuff it!” is a vulgar response given in extreme anger, frustration or disgust. It is presumably short  for “stuff it up you’re a___!”

Joseph BOEN, Greta Nord Alsacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05882581005355314683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205012447444665955.post-5706698652510888502010-12-05T18:51:00.001+01:002010-12-05T19:02:47.059+01:00

Here’s a fun video of a flash mob singing the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s oratorio Messiah in the middle of a food court at a mall. A flash mob is the new trend where large groups of people suddenly assemble in a public place to dance and/or sing. In this video, a flash mob takes place in a food court at a shopping mall. A food court is usually an area inside a mall or an airport where

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Political cartoon by Cameron “Cam” Cardow of The Ottowa Citizen in Canada and published on 01 December 2010. If you are down on your luck, you are in a long period of difficulty finding work and earning money. Unfortunately due to the current economic situation, a lot of people are down on their luck.

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http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8370/christmas-pudding-with-citrus-and-spice A fruity pud, served with orange custard cream, makes the perfect end to the traditional Christmas meal Ingredients 175g each raisins (des raisins secs) , currants (des raisins de Corinthe) and sultanas (des raisins de Smyrne) 140g whole glacé cherries (des cerises confites) 50g mixed peel (des écorces d’agrumes

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The lyrics for Lord of the Dance were written back in 1967 by English songwriter Sydney Carter. The tune for the song came from Simple Gifts, a traditional hymn of the American Shakers, that dates back to 1848. In this version sung by Blackmore’s Night from their album Winter Carols, both songs are mashed together. Slide your cursor over the highlighted words to view a popup window with its

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In this cute little cartoon, you see the mathematician explaining that he has an inexplicable craving for pie. A craving is a strong desire or want for something. In the morning, many of us crave a cup of hot coffee or tea. Note: A craving is not necessarily a synonym for hunger. A pie, of course, is a thick version of a tart such as an American apple pie or the famous British meat pie. In

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If you stab someone or something, you push a sharp object such as a knife into that person or thing. Thankfully, in the case of this Marine who was stabbed in the back, his wound wasn’t severe. The Marine was trying to stop a shoplifter, who had tried to shoplift a laptop computer. Shoplifting is the act of stealing from a shop. This comes from the verb ‘to lift,’ which also means to steal.

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  Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day many U.S. retailers open very early, often at 5 a.m., and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season. Because Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, the day after occurs between the 23rd and

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I found this on the ESL Podcast Blog : http://www.eslpod.com/eslpod_blog/2010/11/24/happy-thanksgiving-2/ The song below is a parody (funny song based on another song) of the popular 1970′s Gloria Gaynor hit song “I Will Survive.”  Happy Thanksgiving!   “I Will Survive” – Thanksgiving Version At first I was an egg, I was petrified* (very scared; very frightened)Kept thinking I’d be lost or I’d

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Thanksgiving celebrations since the time of the Pilgrims and Puritans had been celebrated throughout the American colonies. They were always a time of religious reflection thanking God for that year's blessings. There was no set date for thankgiving celebrations but they would be declared by local leaders or colony governors in response to some event. Throughout the

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Political cartoon by Rick McKee of the The Augusta Chronicle in Georgia and published on 21 November 2010. Clear-cutting is the act of cutting down all the trees in an area. The deforestation of the Brazilian rain jungle is caused by clear-cutting. If you set up a new business, you start and put it in place. The cartoonist is criticizing how the government set up by the Founding Fathers has been

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By Ed Stein published on 23 November 2010. An avid fan is someone who is really enthusiastic about a sports team and he (or she) watches that team regularly. I really love to read and so I am an avid reader. The adjective ‘avid’ is used to describe your enthusiasm for any activity which you like to do a lot. If you are an avid fan of a sports team such as Olympique de Marseille, you root for

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Voice of America’s site has recently launched a new feature that I’ve just discovered. They now have interactive online language lessons with lots of activities! Also, check out the Idiom Dictionary and the Wordbook they propose. To access the site, click on the image below! or click here : http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/theclassroom/home/

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Visit the The Guardian : http://www.guardian.co.uk/ A bailout is an economic term that we’ve been hearing a lot these last few years. This is the money given or lent to a person or organization with financial problems in order to save them. Ireland is the latest EU country after Greece to get a bailout package. However, according to the headline, the bailout is ending in turmoil. If something

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After a harsh winter, the Pilgrims had their first formal contact with the indigenous when on March 16, 1621 an Native American walked boldly into the middle of Plymouth Colony and declared in English, "Welcome, Englishmen!" He also asked if they had any beer! His name was Samoset, a subordinate chief of the Abenaki tribe in Maine, and he was was visiting Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoags.

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I found this on the internet about my great, great grandfather. I thought it was interesting. BOEN, Haldor Erickson, (1851 - 1912) ”The House of Representatives of the Fifty Third Congress” (detail), The Graphic Chicago, 1893, Collection of U.S. House of Representatives           Haldor Erickson Boen (January 2, 1851 – July 23, 1912) was an American congressman from Minnesota. Haldor

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The Pilgrims had brought with them a shallop they had dismantled to fit onboard the Mayflower. It had also been damaged during the crossing and so its reparation and reassembling delayed exploration of the coast for two weeks. Finally exploration began under the leadership of Myles Standish, a soldier the Pilgrims met in Leiden and hired to assist them, and Christopher Jones, the Mayflower's

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The headline of this article has some great idiomatic expressions that come from fishing terminology. Let’s first look at “What a catch!” Of course the meaning is clear because when you go fishing, you want to catch fish. If you catch or someone else catches a nice, big fish you would say, “What a catch!” You can also use this expression to describe someone’s partner. If a friend of yours found

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Cartoon by Bill Schorr If you hang out somewhere, it means that you just spend time in a particular place not doing anything really special. “Come to think of it” is an informal expression that means “When I consider the matter” of “On reflection.” Take at  look at this example: “Come to think of it, that road back there was the one we were supposed to take.” If you pitch or throw a fit, you

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After many difficult negotiations and preparations, two ships were procured. The Speedwell was to carry the first group of passengers from the Netherlands to England and then on to America while the larger Mayflower was to carry the supplies and would be used for exploration. The Speedwell left the Netherlands and joined the Mayflower in Southampton. In August of 1620, the two ships set sail but

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Cartoon by Brian and Ron Boychuk Mrs. Potato Head doesn’t like the fact that Mr. Potato Head spends all his day as a couch potato eating munchies. Those are the small little snacks we like to eat such as chips (crisps in British English). If you want to say you are hungry or are getting hungry, you can say, “I have the munchies” or “I’m getting the munchies.” What is a couch potato? To find

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http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Royal-Wedding-Prince-William-And-Kate-Middleton-To-Marry-Next-Year/Article/201011315810564   to wait in the wings - attendre dans les coulisses to take centre stage - arriver sur le devant de la scène relieved - soulagé, déchargé fairytale - un conte de fée to pop the question (informal) - demander la main d’une femme to date someone -

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In January when the new Republican-controlled Congress convenes, California Democrat Nancy Pelosi will no longer be Speaker of the House, the second most powerful position in the US government and second-in-line to the presidency. She appears to have enough votes though from her Democrat colleagues to maintain her leadership position, but as Minority Leader. However some of the more moderate

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Political cartoon by Joe Heller of the The Green Bay Press-Gazette in Wisconsin and published on 12 November 2010. This cartoon from the political left is mocking the release of former President George W. Bush’s book Decision Points. It alludes to the famous incident where an Iraqi journalist threw his shoe at the President which is a major insult in the Middle East. The cartoonist plays on the

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Evan Davis, from the British reality show Dragons’ Den, defied BBC strikers. If you defy someone, you refuse to obey or to follow the wishes of someone. In this case, he defied his coworkers at the BBC who were on strike. How did he defy the will of these strikers? He crossed the picket line. A picket line is literally a line or procession of people who are publicly protesting. The expression,

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 On Thursday, November 26 this month, American families all across the United States will get together around the table to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and give thanks for the year's blessings. Even though its roots can be traced back to the European harvest festivals, this American holiday has deep religious roots from the Puritan tradition. However, Thanksgiving is not based on any

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(from http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Remembrance.html) November is the time of the year when the British wear a red poppy in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for us during wars. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One. At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns

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Cartoon by Jeff Parker of Florida Today published on 5 November 2010. See more Veterans Day Cartoons HERE and HERE!

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Taken from : http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/     History of Veterans Day World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied

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Political cartoon by Chuck Asay of The Colorado Springs Gazette published on 06 November 2010. In this conservative leaning political cartoon, the cartoonist is critical of the government taking control of the student loan business. It is full of good vocabulary. You see a caricature of Obama leading a classroom discussing how to make college tuition more affordable. First, what is tuition? This

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This month on November 25th, Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Keep an eye out on the blog to learn more about this most American of all holidays in the US. The cornucopia, also called the horn of plenty, has become one of traditional images associated with Thanksgiving in the United States.  Historically the symbol dates back to the 5th century and represents food and abundance.

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Born: June 26, 1923 Died: November 5, 2010 Dorothy Jean (Fishback) France Dignity Memorial Online Obituary Photo Gallery Dorothy J. France, age 87, of Kennesaw, passed away November 5, 2010. Mrs. France was preceded in death by her husband, William Raymond France; son, Clifford Charles France; grandson, Daniel Mark Campbell. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Susan & Jimmy

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This is that time of year with the change in weather when we are often under the weather. Once when I was really, really sick I looked at myself in the mirror. I was pale and had shadows under eyes; I looked like death warmed over. I went to doctor who gave me a couple of days off work so I could recharge my batteries. I was on the road to recovery for a few days. The medicine the doctor

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Political cartoon by Mike Lester of the Rome News-Tribune in Rome, Georgia and published on 04 November 2010. There are several expressions we can glean from this political cartoon. According to the cartoonist, President Obama ate humble pie due to the election results. If you eat humble pie, you apologize and face humiliation for a serious error. You can also say that after the elections, Obama

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Slide your cursor over the words in bold to find their French translation. Taken from : http://www.bonfirenight.net/index.php In 1605, thirteen young men planned to blow upthe Houses of Parliament. Among them was Guy Fawkes, Britain's most notorious traitor. After Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, English Catholics who had been persecuted under her rule had hoped that her successor, James I,

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Cartoon by Ros Asquith of the Guardian.co.uk published on 2 November 2010. To run a tight ship (or to run a taut ship) is a naval expression that means to manage or organize a ship or an organization in an orderly, efficient and disciplined manner. If you keep something under lock and key, it is in a safe and protected place. This expression can also be used to say that someone is in prison.

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This is a congressional district map of the United States since the 2008 elections. All the districts in blue have a Democratic representative and all those in red have a Republican representative. Before the election Tuesday, there were 255 Democratic seats, 178 Republican seats, and 2 vacant seats. Here’s the new map for the House of Representatives starting in January 2011 when the new

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Political cartoon by Steve Breen of The San Diego Union-Tribune in California and published on 3 November 2010. In most polling places in the United States, you are given a “I Voted” sticker when you leave to let others know that you did your civic duty as a voter. In the cartoon, the cartoonist drew a voter with a sticker, “I Vented.” The media described those who voted Tuesday as angry voters

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Americana steps up to bat around the relationship between Americans and baseball. The historian, John P. Rossi, explains how and when baseball became so deeply intertwined with America's national identity. The sports writer, Frank Deford, reflects on the heroes of the game and the National Symphony Orchestra musician, Glenn Donnellan, performs a few songs on his homemade 'batolin', a violin made

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Let’s look at some of the vocabulary found in the article titles. If you want to read each article on The Wall Street Journal webpage, click on the each title. GOP Claims House in Huge Swing, Tea-Party Wave Creates New Dynamic in Washington and the States; Democrats to Retain Senate Despite Drubbing A swing is seat that hangs from ropes or chains and moves back and forth which is usually

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 by Bill Schorr published on 1 November 2010 Quitting time is when you can finally clock out and go home from work. In the cartoon the porcupine is thinking about putting in a little overtime. Another way of saying to work overtime is to put in overtime. His coworker, the bear, tells him “suit yourself.” You say this expression to someone to mean “do whatever you want and what you think is best

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Political cartoon by Henry Payne of The Detroit News in Michigan and published on 30 October 2010. Today is the day for midterm elections in the United States. Many incumbents across the country will probably be ousted and replaced. An incumbent is anyone who has an official, elected position. To dunk means to put something into a liquid for a short time before taking it out again. Americans

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If we go Dutch, it means that everyone pays for their own meal, drinks, entertainment, etc. when they go somewhere together. This can also be called a Dutch date or a Dutch treat. However, this is commonly practiced amongst non-intimate friends, but can be considered stingy if it is a romantic date or even at a business lunch. The origins of the expression are a bit cloudy. One school of

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For those of you who want a good and enjoyable listening challenge, you should take a look at www.booksshouldbefree.com ! The site has tons of free audio books from the public domain. You can download the mp3 files for each chapter of the books in one zip file. You’ll also find links to the full text of the books.

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Let’s look at some of the vocabulary found in the article titles. If you want to read each article on The Washington Times webpage, click on the each title. ‘Rhetoric heats up in homestretch, Partisans fire up troops for trench warfare’ – We often talk about political rhetoric during electoral campaigns or political debates. Rhetoric is the art of studying and the skill of using language

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Political Cartoon by Dave Granlund of Massachusetts and published on 31 October 2010. The cartoonist is illustrating how the Republicans, represented by the elephant’s foot, are predicted to crush the Democrats in the midterm elections. The donkey states that the GOP (Grand Old Party, i.e. the Republicans) has a leg up on the midterms. If you have a leg up on somebody, this means that you have

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Political cartoon by Nate Beeler of The Washington Examiner in Washington, D.C. and published on 27 October 2010. Sleazy is anything that is dirty, dishonest and very unpleasant. For example, a sleazy politician is one that is dishonest and immoral. If you entered into an unpleasant, dirty area of town which might be high in criminal and/or sexual activity, you might call in a sleazy area of

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One of the great things I love about the fall season (North American term for autumn) is the food! One of my favorite desserts this time of year is the classic all-American pumpkin pie. This dessert can be traditionally served for Thanksgiving and Christmas. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7733/classic-pumpkin-pie-with-pecan-and-maple-cream Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecan & Maple Cream 550g

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I’ve featured this website and its podcasts in the past. This is a great site you should all check out. The podcasts themselves are free, however if you want the option of a downloadable learner’s guide, you’ll need to subscribe. This isn’t free but worth the investment! To go directly to their homepage, click on the their logo above. This podcast on Halloween dates from 2005. Listen to the

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http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/a-23-2009-10-26-voa2-83142527.html Broadcast on 26 October 2009 To Listen Right Click and Choose Save Link/Target As: Download What happens when a girl goes too far with lies about her classmates. Transcript of radio broadcast: VOICE ONE: Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus. VOICE TWO: And I'm Barbara Klein.

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Political cartoon by Jeff Stahler of the The Columbus Dispatch in Ohio and published on 26 October 2010. If you say something has a downside, it has a disadvantage or negative aspect.  According to this vampire, the downside of staying alive is having to put up with all the television political advertisements. In other words, she had to tolerate or support them. This is now no longer a problem

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Slide your cursor over the words in bold for their meaning. I was reminded of this funny term while crawling home in congested traffic around Strasbourg that another American friend of mine had shared with me and I had never heard before. Have you ever been in stop-and-go traffic moving at a snail’s pace and then all of a sudden you’re driving normally at full speed but there wasn’t an accident,

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This is very good advice! Alcohol impairs judgment. In other words, it makes it less good or effective. A disable person has handicaps that impair his or her ability to do certain tasks. Another word for a handicap is an impairment. More good advice! According to this sign, alcohol can also cause unwanted pregnancies! A pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant. If a woman is pregnant, she

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Political cartoon by Gary Varvel from The Indianapolis Star-News published on 21 October 2010. Every election is said to be the dirtiest ever and this year’s elections are no different. The attack ads in this political election year are being called the dirtiest. In political lingo, this is called mudslinging. Mudslinging is the practice of making unscrupulous, malicious attacks against an

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I made this the other day for one of my classes and I promised to put up the recipe for them. You’ll have to look up any vocabulary yourself. This is a traditional American sponge cake like the French génoise that became popular at the end of the 19th century. It’s very sweet, light and airy; a true “food of the angels.” The cake is usually made in a special angel food cake pan that is a tall,

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Slide your cursor over the words in bold to learn their definition. I am personally not a fan of Halloween though it is much celebrated in the United States. One of the big traditions for this night is a pumpkin carving known as the Jack O’ Lantern. People are becoming more and more creative when they carve their pumpkin. When you carve a pumpkin, you cut off the top  and scoop out the flesh. On

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Political cartoon by Steve Breen of The San Diego Union-Tribune published on on 21 October 2010. In next week elections, Californians will be voting on a proposition to legalize marijuana use for recreational purposes in the state. According to recent polls, most voters in California favor the proposition. The cartoonist is critical of the proposition and mocks the arguments being used to

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A wrinkle is that line in your face that appears over time and with age. We often verb new verbs. To verb means to use a noun as a verb. This practice is quite common in English and is very often used for proper nouns such as brand names. In the above photo, Madonna’s portrait has been photoshopped. So, whenever you manipulate a photo, you photoshop it! Here are a few other common verbs that

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This common idiomatic expression means ‘quickly and continuously’ and is often used in talking about money. For example: “What a busy day. We took in money hand over fist. They were buying things hand over fist. “In the current economic crises, many companies are losing money hand over fist.” This expression is probably naval in origin referring to the movement one makes when pulling rope.

Joseph BOEN, Greta Nord Alsacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05882581005355314683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205012447444665955.post-85247561625751429562010-10-24T17:34:00.001+02:002010-10-24T17:34:22.242+02:00

Political cartoon by Nate Beeler of The Washington Examiner published on 12 October 2010. Americans love to see conspiracies and this political cartoon mocks that fact. There are those on the left side of the political spectrum who believe that President George W. Bush orchestrated the attacks of 11 September 2001. Those who believe he planned and organized the terrorist attacks are called ‘

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This funny television commercial by Geico is adapted from an old tongue twister: ‘How much could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.’ Now say that 10 times real fast! A woodchuck is another name for a groundhog which in French translates to une marmotte. As you can probably deduce from the video, to chuck is an informal verb meaning ‘to throw.’ It also has the meaning of

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Political cartoon by Brian Adcock from Scotland published on 17 September in The Scotland on Sunday and The Prague Post in the Czech Republic.   In this cartoon critical of the Catholic Church and the Pope during his visit to the UK, the salesman claims that his Pope doll is the latest thing. If something is the latest thing, it is the newest and most recent trend or fashion. What makes

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Run your cursor over the words to discover their definitions. Florida company unveils red celery MIAMI | Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:59am EDT MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida-based U.S. produce company is looking to titillate the eye and the taste buds by offering a new red-colored celery to give a "colorful crunch" to salads and dips. Celery producer Duda Farm Fresh Foods unveiled the celery variety, to

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On 2 November, Americans will vote in national midterm elections to elect the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate. National elections take place every two years in the United States. This year’s elections are called midterm elections because they fall fall in the middle of a president’s 4-year term in office. This Election Day, all 435 seats of the House of Representatives

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Political cartoon by Rich McKee of the The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia published on 14 October 2010. "Elephant in the room" is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to

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Here’s a new site from BBC Learning English which will inform you off all the new words idioms and slang that have entered the English language. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/uptodate/  

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Place your cursor over the words in bold to learn their definitions! A small popup text window will appear! It Was One of Those Fine October Days It was one of those fine October days free from summer’s heat and haze but not yet gripped by autumn chill. It was one of those fine October days when the sky’s so clear you can see the moon through the atmosphere at midday.

Joseph BOEN, Greta Nord Alsacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05882581005355314683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205012447444665955.post-44580355845408993672010-10-14T06:00:00.000+02:002010-10-14T06:00:05.687+02:00

to switch to - to change from one thing to another a drill sergeant / a drill instructor - someone in the army responsible for training soldiers to march and other basic military exercises Learn more at : http://en.wikipedia.org

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Political cartoon by Chuck Assay of The Colorado Springs Gazette published on 08 October 2010. Updated: If you place your cursor over some of the words, the French translation will appear in a popup window. Not all the words with a translation are in bold so you’ll have to explore the text. In this conservative cartoon by Chuck Assay, you see the two major political parties represented by

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