Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Small Business Holiday Card Messages:
- Warmest greetings and best wishes for the new year
- May the magic and the wonder of the holiday season stay with you throughout the coming year
- Best wishes for a happy new year filled with health, happiness, and spectacular success
- Thank you for the gift of your friendship
- Tidings of Joy
- Peace on Earth. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a new year filled with peace and happiness
- A World of Good Wishes. One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year
- Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year
- Wishing you the gifts of the season — Peace, Joy, Hope
- Merry Christmas
- Happy New Year. May you soar into the new year filled with health, happiness and prosperity
- Warm winter wishes for an enchanted holiday season
- Peace on Earth
- Happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful new year
- Wishing you a festive holiday season and a very happy new year
- Joy! Celebrate the Season
- Happy Holidays. Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and through out the coming year
- Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a happy new year
- Happy Holidays
- Wishing you the gift of good cheer this holiday season
- Seasons greetings and warm wished for a happy new year
- Wishing you the joy of family, the gift of friends, and the best of everything in 2......
- Happy Holidays. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness
- Warmest greetings of the season and best wishes for happiness in the new year
- Seasons Greetings. May your holidays be merry and bright
- Best Wishes. May every happiness be yours throughout the coming year
- Joy to the world
- Holiday cheer and a happy new year
- Wishing you a peaceful and joyous holiday
- Deck the halls with boughs of holly, wishing you a holiday so jolly!
- Wishing you a beautiful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness
- Warm Holiday Wishes
- Seasons Greetings. In warm appreciation of our association during the past year, we extend our very best wishes for a happy holiday season
- Best wishes for a happy holiday season and our sincere thanks for your loyalty and goodwill throughout the year
- May songs of joy fill your home with warmth and your heart with happiness this holiday season
- May the joy of the holiday be with you in the new year
- Celebrate the spirit of the season
- Here’s to a season filled with warmth, comfort and good cheer
- Noel. Peace and joy a Christmas and throughout the new year
- Joy. Best wishes for a holiday season filled with joy
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Elementary Reading: My Working Day
Read about a British woman's working day. Then do the activities below
Complete the Answers
Question and Answer Match
Click here for further reading activities
esl-lounge
Elementary Reading: Tom's Day
Multiple Choice Questions
Tom's Day - True or False?
esl-lounge.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Winter Vocabulary. From Beginners to Advanced Learners
Winter words
Winter Clothes. Matching Quiz
Winter weather. Matching exercise
Wordsearch
Winter sports
Spelling
Click here for lessons and activities for intermedate and advanced learners. (ESOL)
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Words that Rhyme
Do you want to write a poem or a song?
Look for words that rhyme.
Click on the link to enter the Rhyme Zone.
Some examples:
Monday, November 9, 2015
Time Clauses: Grammar and Exercises
Future with time expressions
(after, as soon as, before, till, when, while ... )
The time clauses in the English language are introduced by conjunctions such as after, as soon as, before, till, until, when, whenever, while or time expressions such as the minute, the moment, etc.We do not use the future tense (will) in a time clause to describe future activities.
Compare:
- I'll come back home and I'll do it.
- You will push this button and the door will open.
- Don't stand up. First I'll tell you.
Don't stand up till (until) I tell you.
- You'll need my car. Take it.
Whenever you need my car, you can take it.
- You'll tidy up the house and I'll do the shopping.
- You will drop the bomb and it will explode.
Similarly, other future forms also change to the present simple tense.
- He is going to leave. The room will be empty.
As soon as he leaves, the room will be empty.
- We are moving next week. Then we'll call you.
If we describe an action that is happening at the same time as another future action (the two activities are simultaneous), we use the present continuous tense in time clauses.
- We are going to cut the grass. You'll pick the apples.
While we are cutting the grass, you'll pick the apples.
* The future perfect simple and continuous become the present perfect simple and continuous.
- I'll have finished my grammar exercises in ten minutes. Then I'll go out.
After I have finished my grammar exercises, I'll go out.
- They will have repaired our car by the weekend. And we will go on a trip.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
(e-grammar.org)
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Guy Fawkes Day in the United Kingdom
Guy Fawkes Night celebrates the foiling of an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London on November 5, 1605. The attack was planned by a group of Catholic conspirators, which included Guy Fawkes. The explosives would have been set off when King James I of England (King James VI of Scotland) and many parliamentary members were in the building. The conspirators were later arrested, tortured and executed.
 |
| The Guy Mask |
Guy Fawkes Night is annually held on November 5. It is sometimes known as Bonfire Night and marks the anniversary of the discovery of a plot organized by Catholic conspirators to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605. Many people light bonfires and set off fireworks.
What Do People Do?
 |
| light bonfires |
 |
| set off fireworks |
Popular foods:
toffee apples
bonfire toffee
potatoes baked in the ashes of the fire
The conspiration
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Halloween Trivia
Halloween is one of the most popular holidays of the year. But even if you have been celebrating it since you were a kid, how much do you really know about All Hallows Eve?
Test your knowledge with these fun trivia questions:
1. What vegetable was traditionally carved before the pumpkin?
a. Beetroot
b. Melon
c. Turnip
d. Swede
2. What is the day after Halloween called?
a. All Sinners’ Day
b. All Saints’ Day
c. After Hallow’s Day
d. Hallowmass
3. What does the Halloween color orange represent?
a. The harvest
b. The twilight
c. The burning of spirits
d. The voice of spirits
4. What was the 6th most popular adult Halloween costume of 2009?
a. Bat
b. Pirate
c. Hangman
d. Cat
5. Apart from eating, how else are apples used on Halloween?
a. Bobbing for apples game
b. Good luck charms to hang on doors
c. Carve for miniature Jack O’ Lanterns
a. Protective potions using apples
6. Why do you wear masks on Halloween?
a. To protect our faces in case the dead attacks us
b. To keep the dead from recognizing the living
c. To protect the dead from seeing us happy
d. To stop the dead from touching our faces
7. How long does it take a pumpkin to grow?
a. 30-60 days
b. 40-80 days
b. 60-90 days
d. 90-120 days
8. Halloween is the third largest US party day of the year. Which is the second?
a. Christmas Day
b. Super Bowl Sunday
c. Thanksgiving
d. New Year’s Eve
9. Barnbrack is a traditional Halloween food. What is it?
a. A fruit cake
b. A meat dish
c. A pumpkin punch
d. A special bread
10. How do you spell ‘Sow-en’, the Celtic harvest festival where Halloween originated?
a. S-O-W-H-U-A-N
b. S-A-H-M-H-E-N
c. S-A-M-H-A-I-N
d. S-A-R-H-A-R-N
11. Jerry Ayers is the world’s fastest pumpkin carver. How fast was he?
a. 22 seconds
b. 37 seconds
c. 45 seconds
d. 53 seconds
12. In England, are white cats believed to be?
a. Bad luck
b. Good luck
c. Devil’s luck
d. Spirit protection
13. What was the trick originally in ‘trick or treat’?
a. Knock on the door and then run away
b. Throw water at the person opening the door
c. Sing a song to the person giving you the candy
d. Recite a good luck protection spell
14. What is Nos Calan Gaeaf?
a. Halloween in Irish
b. Halloween in French
c. Halloween in Icelandic
d. Halloween in Welsh
15. What does the color black signify in Halloween?
a. Death
b. Darkness
c. Uncertainty
d. The Devil
16. The pumpkin is related to the potato…
True?
or
False?
17. Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday after what?
a. Easter
b. New Year’s
c. Christmas
d. Thanksgiving
18. Why do we ring a bell on Halloween?
a. To welcome the spirits
b. To scary away the spirits
c. To dance with the spirits
d. To comfort the spirits
19. Who was Jack O’Lantern?
a. A banished demon
b. A mischievous elf
c. A guardian angel
d. A shifty villain
20. In question 10, I asked you to spell ‘Sow-en’ (‘sow’ rhymes with ‘cow’). What does ‘Sow-en’ mean?
a. End of summer
b. Start of autumn
c. End of sunlight
d. End of autumn
Click on the links for more trivia games
Kid Halloween Costumes
Trivia Quiz 1
Halloween Origin trivia quiz – Answers
Halloween Fun Facts
The Origin of Halloween
The
origin of Halloween can be traced back to the Celts, a tribe that resided in
Ireland and Northern France. The Celts’ lives were dependent upon farming and
thus, they worshipped nature. The Celts were superstitious. They believed that
the winter season brought death. The last day of October marked the end of
summer because November was the beginning of winter. The Celts celebrated the
last day of October and believed the dead would visit them, so they left food
and drink outside their homes for the spirits of the dead. Halloween is thought
to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for
over 6,000 years!
 |
| Samhain |
Halloween
Facts
Halloween,
like any other time of celebration that has been around for a while, has many
fun facts associated with it. Read through our list to become familiar with all
the fun Halloween trivia.
The Origin of the Word “Witch”
The word
“witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” The plural for
wicce is wiccan. Wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to
popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on
Halloween night.
Owls and Halloween
Owls are
associated with Halloween because, in Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be
witches. To hear an owl’s call meant someone was about to die.
Jack O’ Lanterns
Jack O’
Lanterns are pumpkins with a lighted candle inside. According to Irish legend, Jack
O’ Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the
devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell.
Therefore, he was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead
people away from their paths.
The Origin of Bonfires
During
the celebration of Samhain, bonfires were lit to ensure the sun would return
after the long, hard winter. Often Druid priests would throw the bones of
cattle into the flames – “bone fire” became “bonfire.”
The History of Candy Corn
Candy
Corn was invented by George Renninger, a candy maker at the Wunderle Candy
Company of Philadelphia in the 1880s. Candy Corn was originally called “butter
cream candies” and “chicken feed” because corn was commonly used as food for
livestock. They even had a rooster on the candy boxes. Candy Corn had no
association with Halloween or fall, and was sold seasonally from March to
November. After World War II, advertisers began marketing it as a special
Halloween treat due to its colors that match those of the fall harvest.
The History of Trick-or-Treating
Trick-or-treating
has been around for a long time, with versions existing since medieval times.
Originally, it was called “guising” and children and poor adults wore costumes
and begged for food or money in exchange for songs or prayers during Hallowmas.
This practice was also called “souling.”
Halloween Superstitions
·
Scottish
girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet
sheets in front of the fire on Halloween.
·
Some
girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into
mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.
·
If
a person wears their clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween,
they will see a witch at midnight.
·
Girls
who place the apple they bobbed for under their pillows are said to dream of
their future love.
 |
| Apple bobbing |
Halloween Fun Facts
- Agatha Christie’s mystery novel Halloween Party is about a girl who is drowned in an apple-bobbing tub.
- In the United States, the first citywide celebration of Halloween was in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921.
- More than 93% of children under the age of 12 go trick-or-treating.
- Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.
- Over $1.5 billion is spent on costumes each year and more than $2.5 billion on other Halloween paraphernalia
- Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday; Christmas is the first.
- Tootsie Rolls was the first individually wrapped penny candy in the US.
- Halloween candy sales average about $2 billion annually in the United States and it is the largest candy-purchasing holiday.
- Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers first.
- Pumpkins are not only orange, but also white, blue, and green.
- Black cats were once evil omens thought to be spirits of witches, or a witch’s familiar who protected their powers.
- Apple bobbing is believed to have originated from a Roman harvest festival held in honor of Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees.
- Vampires are mythical creatures who defy death by sucking the blood of humans.
- Vampire bats do exist, but they are not from Transylvania. They live in South and Central America, and thrive on the blood of cattle, horses, and birds.
- The common little brown bat of North America has the longest life span for a mammal its size – an average of 32 years.
- If you see a spider on Halloween, it is considered a good luck, as it means the spirit of a loved one is guarding you.
- The 1978 blockbuster, Halloween, was only made in 21 days on a very limited budget.
- Hundreds of vampire clubs and societies exist and claim to have real vampires as their members.
- In 1962, the Count Dracula Society was founded.
- About 50% of adults dress up for Halloween
- Sixty-seven percent of adults take part in Halloween activities, such as parties, decorating the house, and trick-or-treating with their children.
- 86% of Americans decorate their house for Halloween.
- Over 10% of pet owners dress their pets in Halloween costumes.
- The Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped.
- The first Halloween card was made in the early 1920’s.
- More than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be for Halloween. That equates to nearly 9 billion pieces – enough to circle the moon nearly 4 times if laid end-to-end.
- The tradition of making Jack O’ Lanterns to ward off evil spirits is thousands of years old. Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
- Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe, who celebrated the harvest around a bonfire, shared ghost stories, sang, danced, and told fortunes.
- The ancient Celts, who thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night, began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
- The fear of Halloween is known as Samhainopobia.
Set
1
1.
In
which country did Halloween originate?
2.
Which
Catholic Church holiday is Halloween linked to?
3.
What
was the name of Dracula’s sidekick?
4.
From
which words did ‘bonfire’ originate?
5.
What
does the name Dracula mean?
6.
What
was Dracula’s real name?
7.
Who
was the first actor to play Wolf Man?
8.
Which
phobia means you have an intense fear of Halloween?
9.
Out
of which vegetable were Jack O’ Lanterns originally made?
10.
Every
Halloween, Charlie Brown helps his friend Linus wait for what character to
appear?
Set 2
1.
According
to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will
you see?
2.
From
which region in the world do pumpkins originate?
3.
Who
wrote the novel Frankenstein?
4.
Transylvania
is a region in which country?
5.
Halloween
has its origins in which ancient Celtic festival?
6.
Which
actor played Dr. Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show?
7.
Is
a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
8.
What
is the significance of seeing a spider on Halloween?
9.
Which
country celebrates the Day of the Dead starting at midnight on Oct. 31?
10.
According
to superstition, a person born on Halloween has what particular ability?
Set 3
1.
Who
directed The Nightmare before Christmas?
2.
Which
vampire said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to give you the choice I never had.”
3.
How
many people were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials?
4.
Who
is said to haunt the White House Rose Garden?
5.
Pumpkins
can be orange, white, green, or what other color?
6.
In
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how many people are killed with a chainsaw?
7.
What’s
the body count for the film Halloween?
8.
Which
year was the movie Freaks made?
9.
In
the original Alien film, how many alien eggs were made for the egg chamber
inside the downed spacecraft?
10.
How
many Oscars was Psycho nominated for?
Adapted from http://icebreakerideas.com
ANSWERS
ANSWERS
Monday, October 26, 2015
Boo — A short film about Halloween, ghosts, and poop
Anyone who saw the original "Halloween" film can tell you that
babysitting on Halloween night doesn't' always go as planned. In "Boo," a short film
by Michael J. Goldberg, a young babysitter played by comedian Eliza
Skinner encounters a trick-or-treating ghost who just won't leave her
alone. And yes, hilarity ensues!
As if it's not enough to leave a bag of flaming excrement on the doorstep, this particular ghost plays some of the most elaborate pranks we've ever seen played on a babysitter. Wait until the end to see just who's behind the white sheet. Oh, and P.S.: ghosts can do lots of cool stuff! (huffingtonpost)
WATCH:
As if it's not enough to leave a bag of flaming excrement on the doorstep, this particular ghost plays some of the most elaborate pranks we've ever seen played on a babysitter. Wait until the end to see just who's behind the white sheet. Oh, and P.S.: ghosts can do lots of cool stuff! (huffingtonpost)
WATCH:
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Wishing 'happy birthday' in English. Some quotes
- Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning, and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. Move forward with confidence and courage. You’re a very special person. May today and all of your days be amazing!
- Count the age, not the wrinkles you have. Count the blessings and wonderful experiences you’ve had, not the mistakes you’ve made.
- Forget the past; look forward to the future, for the best things are yet to come.
- Happy Birthday to a person that’s charming, talented and witty, and reminds me a lot of myself.
- A birthday is a most special day in one’s life. Enjoy yours to its fullest.
- It’s your birthday and you’re still just as beautiful, genuine and kind as the day I met you. Wishing you a Happy Birthday with gratitude.
- My birthday wish for you is that you continue to love life and never stop dreaming. May beauty and happiness surround you, not only on your special day, but always.
- The advantage of old age is that you get to spread your love to many others.
- Words alone are not enough to express how happy I am you are celebrating another year of your life! My wish for you on your birthday is that you are, and will always be, happy and healthy! Don’t ever change.
- Have a wonderful, happy, healthy birthday now and forever. Happy Birthday!
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Sight (A Futuristic Short Film)
A
brilliant and disturbing short sci-fi film by Eran May-raz and Daniel
Lazo, imagines a world in which Google Glass-inspired apps are
everywhere.
Is this the future waiting for us? Will technology make us free or slaves? Are we starting to risk too much in this race?
Is this the future waiting for us? Will technology make us free or slaves? Are we starting to risk too much in this race?
Click here to see the video + transcript and description
multimedia-english
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Socializing at an office party
Socializing with co-workers is an important part of building good
relationships, but it can be awkward if you find yourself at a loss for
words. Fortunately, there are some great techniques for this situation
that you can learn and practice.
Socializing at an office party 1
Socializing at an office party 2
businessenglishpod.com
Socializing at an office party 1
Socializing at an office party 2
businessenglishpod.com
Socializing
Click on the links to listen and read the conversations.
eslfast.com
Thursday, October 15, 2015
At the Store
Here are some sample phrases and expression you might use at a store.
When you enter the store/start a conversation with the clerk:
What a customer might respond:
When you enter the store/start a conversation with the clerk:
|
What a clerk might say: May I help you? Can I help you? Can I help you find something? What can I do for you? |
What a customer might say: Excuse me. Do you work here? Can I ask you something? |
What a customer might respond:
Yes. I'm looking for ________________.
Do you have any ___________ (s)?
Can you tell me where the ___________is/are?
Did you find everything you needed?
Did you find what you were looking for?
Did you find everything okay?
Will that be all (for today)?
Is that everything?
(Will there be) anything else?
That's all for today. That's it. Thanks.
Simple Shopping
Buying and Selling
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
LOVE VOCABULARY
Here is some vocabulary to describe some of the
different stages of a relationship
Chat up - starting a relationship
to chat (somebody) up - to talk
to somebody in the hope of starting a romantic or sexual relationship
to flirt (with somebody) - to
behave playfully towards another person who you are - or pretend to be -
attracted to romantically or sexually
a flirt - a person
who likes to flirt
a blind date - a
meeting (arranged by a third party) with a person you might be interested in
romantically but who you have never met before
lonely
hearts
small
ads (in newspapers, magazines or on the internet) which give a short
description of a person you would like to date. To save space, some of these
abbreviations are used:
WLTM -
would like to meet
GSOH -
good sense of humour
LTR -
long-term relationship
Loved up - being in a relationship
to be smitten with somebody - to be
deeply affected by your love for somebody
to fall for somebody - to fall
in love with somebody
it was love at first sight - two
people fell in love with each other as soon as they met
to get engaged/married
I can
hear wedding bells - I
suspect that they are going to get married soon
terms of endearment
names
people in love give each other or call each other:
darling
sweetheart
love
pet
babe/baby
cutey pie
honey bunny
Break up - finishing a relationship
they are
having a domestic (informal) - they are
having an argument
they
have blazing rows - they
have very serious, often noisy arguments
(s)he is
playing away from home - (s)he is
having an affair
to break up with somebody - to
finish a relationship with somebody
to split up - to break up
to dump somebody - to
finish a relationship with somebody without much thought for the other person
break-up
lines
(fixed)
expressions, often sweet or apologetic, used to tell a partner that the
relationship is finished or is going to finish:
We need to talk
I just need some space
It's not you, it's me
I hope that we can always be friends
This is hurting me more than it is hurting you
It's not enough that we love each other
It simply wasn't meant to be
A secret admirer
Someone
who fancies someone else but keeps it a secret
Adapted from BBC English
WATCH THE VIDEO AND TELL THE STORY
WATCH THE VIDEO AND TELL THE STORY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)