And the Oscar goes to ...

... THE KING'S SPEECH.

THE ORIGINAL FORMULA FOR COCA-COLA

The formula for Coca-cola is one of the most jealously guarded trade secrets in the world. It is said to be locked in a vault in Atlanta and also, supposed to be unreplicable.
However, according to the website http://www.thisamericanlife.org/, the formula might have been found, by chance, in a 1979 newspaper article. And there are strong reasons to believe it is the original recipe for coke.

If you are as curious as I was at the time I came across the story, go to the website and check out the whole text about it.

You can click the headline above and go straight to the audio of the story, which is an excellent way of practicing your listening.

Best wishes,
André

THE LONGEST ENGLISH WORD

The longest word to be found in a dictionary contains 45 letters:

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

The meaning, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is:
"a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, causing inflamation of the lungs"

Due to the rare use of the word outside the medical field, pronunciation aid resource is poor and only available through the following hyperlink:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

If you are curious enough to find out what other words are also considered the longest in the English language, click on the following hyperlink:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_word_in_English

Best wishes,
André

DID YOU KNOW?

The NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY is a rapid transit system owned by the city of New York and leased to the New York City transit Authority. It is one of the oldest and most expensive public transportation systems in the world with 468 stations in operation. The subway delivers an average of 5 million rides on weekdays and 2.4 million on weekends.

The first underground line of the subway opened in 1904. An interesting fact about the construction of the subway is that the streets were torn up to dig the tunnel below and then, the streets were rebuilt above. By doing that, most sewage pipes had to be redirect and that caused a lot of inconvenience for New Yorkers.

An easy way to practice listening!

PAST TENSE - VIDEO PRACTICE

Pay attention to the explanation and examples in this video concerning the simple past tense:

Best wishes,

André

MODAL PRACTICE

Modal verbs are those that can help you indicate the level of your intent. If you try to get something across by expressing the importance of it, for instance, you will use the word SHOULD. Peek at the websites below for further explanation and practice:

Explanation:
http://esl.about.com/od/grammarintermediate/a/mvbasics_ex.htm

Exercises:
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal6.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal7.htm

MODAL VERBS - PAST

Explanation:
http://myenglishzone.com/Resources/Resources4.htm

Exercises:
http://www.esl-classroom.com/grammar/perfmodals1.html
http://www.esl-classroom.com/grammar/perfmodals2.html

Best wishes,
André

HOW TO DO A HANDSTAND

Best wishes,

André

NOTHING IS CERTAIN, BUT DEATH AND TAXES

This is a popular saying that can be used by anyone when they want to convey the idea that it's impossible to be 100% sure about anything, except dying and having to pay taxes.

Take a look at the humorous video below:

Best wishes,

André

AT A RESTAURANT

How to order a steak:

You go to a steakhouse or any other place where they serve meat. You are mouth-watering for that juicy thick steak. Well, you'd better be prepared to specify how you like it:

WAITER/ WAITRESS: How would you like your steak?
YOU: Well... I don't know!

Check it out:


- rare
- medium-rare
- medium
- well-done
- cooked-to-perfection


Try to remember next time!

Best wishes,
André

MAKE / DO / HAVE / GET / TAKE / GO

These are definitely the most important verbs in the English language, not to mention the "unique" verb TO BE. Their meanings on their own is easy to be recognized. However, the collocations in which they find themselves are always brain-racking. Find a list that might be wothwhile below:

HAVE
Have a chance
Have a choice
Have a meal
Have a cow
Have trouble / difficulty

TAKE
Take a shower/ bath
Take care of
Take part in
Take place
Take a decision
Take a course
Take medicine
Take a test
Take an exam
Take a bus/ plane/ train
Take sth for granted
Take notes
Take a trip
Take a bet
Take a step
Take a cruise
Take advantage of sb/sth
Take a chance
Take credit for sth
Take time
Take a break

MAKE
Make sb happy/ angry
Make an agreement
Make a deal
Make do with sth
Make a presentation
Make a point
Make sense
Make a difference
Make a friend
Make sth easy
Make one’s bed
Make a complaint
Make it
Make profit
Make a mistake

DO
Do business
Do a report
Do a favor
Do damage
Do good
Do well on sth
Do one’s best
Do a certain speed
Do without sth
Do exercises
Do the dishes
Do the laundry
Do a job
Do sth for a living
Do time
Do magic

GET
Get started
Get a cold / the flu
Get a job
Get a promotion
Get a chance

BE / GET
Be / get better
Be / get excited
Be / get scared
Be / get rich
Be / get ready
Be / get dressed
Be / get married
Be / get hot / cold
Be / get tired

GO
Go on vacation
Go on a diet
Go on a trip
Go crazy
Go nuts
Go wild
Go ahead

There are thousands of collocations and expressions that include at least one of the verbs mentioned in this topic. If you become more familiar with them, you will absolutely "get the hang of" communicating in English!!!

Best wishes,
André

Michael Jackson

(CNN) -- Michael Jackson, the show-stopping singer whose best-selling albums -- including "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" -- and electrifying stage presence made him one of the most popular artists of all time, died Thursday, CNN has confirmed.

Michael Jackson was one of the biggest pop stars in history.

He was 50. He collapsed at his residence in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles, California, about noon Pacific time, suffering cardiac arrest, according to brother Randy Jackson. He died at UCLA Medical Center.

Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said an autopsy would probably be done on the singer Friday, with results expected that afternoon.

"Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color," the Rev. Al Sharpton said. "To say an 'icon' would only give these young people in Harlem a fraction of what he was. He was a historic figure that people will measure music and the industry by."

Some definitions are more than enough: "King of Pop", "Legend", "Greatest Entertainer of all time", "Best-selling artist", etc...

Best wishes,

God bless you!

André

Lesson - Quick and Simple

Best wishes,

André

An American using his Portuguese

A mixture of Portuguese and English that is really funny:

An American who has been living in Brazil for a very short time, makes a shopping list and goes to the supermarket. He is pushing the cart and thinking about the things he has put on the list:

PAY SHE
MAC CARON
MY ONE EASY
PAUL ME TOO
ALL FACE
CAR NEED BOY (MAIL KILO)
AS PAR GOES
KEY JOE (PARM ZOOM)
COW VIEW FLOOR
PIER MEN TOM
BETTER HAB
LEE MOON
BEER IN GEL
THREE GO
PAY TO THE PIER YOU

When he realized he had forgotten the tomatoes, he complained to himself:

PUTZ GRILL LOW ! IS KEY SEE O TOO MUCH... PUT A KEEP ARE YOU!

Thanks to João Carlos!
Best wishes,
André

POLL - answer

The most commonly used word in the English language is "THE"

There were 5 votes in this poll and most of them were right!!!

The English language is consisted of over 2 billion words, according to the Oxford English Corpus (collection of texts of written and spoken language)
The top 10 words listed as the most used ones in the English language are grammar words.

1 - the
2 - be
3 - to
4 - of
5 - and
6 - a
7 - in
8 - that
9 - have
10 - I

Best wishes,
André

EXAMS - practice

There are a few hyperlinks below for you to sharpen you English before you take a proficiency exam. You know, practice leads to perfection. So, indulge yourself!!!


http://www.english-test.net/toeic/vocabulary/words/015/toeic-test.php
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/vocabulary/meanings/004/toeic-test.php
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/vocabulary/words/017/toeic-test.php
http://www.english-test.net/toefl/vocabulary/words/010/toefl-test.php
http://www.english-test.net/toefl/vocabulary/words/017/toefl-test.php
http://www.english-test.net/toefl/vocabulary/meanings/011/toefl-test.php

Listening:
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/listening/autobahn.html
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/listening/the_bund_shanghai.html
http://www.english-test.net/toeic/listening/brooklyn_bridge.html

Best wishes,
André

POLL - answer

Which word best describes a place that is old, deteriorated and broken down?
decrepit
run-down
derelict
all of the above

There were 6 votes in this poll and they were divided like this:
2 = decrepit
1 = run-down
3 = derelict

Take a look at the explanation below:

A place or something that is old, deteriorated and broken down can be described as
DECREPIT; RUN-DOWN; DERELICT; WOEBEGONE; RICKETY; WORN-OUT.

All of the answers were right!!!

Examples:
- Most Subway stations in New York are decrepit.
- I won't pay more than $10,000 for this ugly derelict house.
- This neighborhood didn't use to be run-down.

Best wishes,
André

POLL - Answer

What's the opposite of "impecunious"?
Penniless
Well-off
Egregious
Onerous

There were 4 votes in this poll and they were divided like this:
0 = penniless
3 = well-off
1 = egregious
0 = onerous

Take a look at the explanation below:

Impecunious: lacking money; not having enough money to pay for necessities

Synonyms: impecunious = penniless = broke

Examples:
- If this bill gets approved, it will definitely make me impecunious.
- That impecunious cousin of mine drops by to borrow some of my stuff every other day.

Best wishes,
André

NEWS - SOUTH FLORIDA

Foreclosed Homes Consequences

"Once the lights and water were cut off at Cedars Pointe, a failed condo conversion in Miami's working-class Allapattah neighborhood, city officials had no choice: The building was deemed unsafe, and everyone in the 51 units was ordered out.
No sooner had the city locked the front gate, though, than the scavengers and squatters moved in, stripping out window frames, fixtures and wiring, and carting off stoves and refrigerators in the dead of night, neighbors say.

Until recently, city officials would have been largely powerless to put a quick stop to the looting. But Miami code enforcement officials, armed with a new ordinance that gives them unprecedented power to enter and secure unattended vacant structures, cleared mountains of trash from the grounds and sealed off the building before irreversible damage was done.

With the number of foreclosures and defaults sharply on the rise across South Florida, Miami and other municipalities in the region have been forced into aggressive action, adopting new measures that give officials greater resources to stem the spreading blight of vacant and abandoned homes and commercial properties.

Most municipalities have increased vigilance -- in some places, including Coral Springs and Miami, requiring owners of vacant or foreclosed properties to register and permit police and inspectors to gain access whenever necessary. The Miami-Dade County Commission is considering a registry, and a measure to create a statewide list has been introduced in the Florida Legislature.
Some municipalities, such as Miami, Miami Lakes and Palmetto Bay, have gone a significant step further: enacting legislation making it easier for code enforcement officers to spend what it takes to secure a blighted structure, then slap a lien on the owner for the cost without waiting for approval from a board or hearing officer -- a process that used to take months. The new rules allow authorities to begin to secure a property in a matter of days."

*source: http://www.miamiherald.com/

VOCABULARY:
condo / deem / scavenger / squatter / cart off / loot / lien

That's a good way of self-teaching yourself. Look the words above up in a dictionary and bring them back to the context so that you can clearly understand the piece of news that has been posted.

Best wishes,
André

POLL - Answer

What's the meaning of "sallow"?
Pale
Pink
Grayish
Shiny
None of the above

There were 4 votes in this poll and they were divided like this:
2 = pale
0 = pink
1 = grayish
1 = shiny
0 = none of the above

Take a look at the explanation below:

Sallow: of pale or yellowish color

Synonyms: sallow = pale = pallid = yellowish

Examples:
- She has to be taken to a hospital. Look at her sallow cheeks! Something's wrong.
- He is a thin, short man with a sallow face and a broad nose.

Best wishes,
André