good luck with exam number 3 !
Hello Xuan and everyone,
It’s Monday and the start of my last week as teacher blogger. I am really, really going to miss doing this. I have had a lot of fun writing the blogs and chatting with everyone.
Anyway, now is not the time to get down. We still have one week together!
Xuan, thank you for your post on Sunday. Good luck for your exam today. I hope this is not a silly question, but if you left school in 2006 why are you going to a school year ending ceremony now? I am very curious! Was this for your class, or the class after you? Or was this more of a reunion (this is where a group of people who once knew each other get together again)? What are your classmates doing now? Have you all gone to university together, or have you gone your separate ways (this means, have most of you done different things)?
Let’s review the quiz I set you last time. Here are the rules. All of the words can all be used with countable nouns, but only ‘a lot’ can also be used with uncountable nouns. Be careful when you say that few has a negative meaning. I know what you mean – it means ‘not many’, but we use it with a ‘positive construction’ e.g. there are few shops open before 9am (meaning, not many shops open before 9am). Again, ‘little’ implies a negative meaning, but we use a positive verb construction, e.g. there is little hope of finding survivors (meaning, there is not much hope of finding survivors). We don’t say *there is not little hope. Here is a quick summary of some examples.
• There are few cars on the road (countable, positive – means ‘a small number of cars’ i.e. not many)
• There are a few cars on the road (countable, positive – means ‘a small number of cars’)
• There are many cars on the road (countable, positive)
• There are not many cars on the road (countable, negative)
• There are a lot of cars on the road (countable, positive – can also be used with uncountable)
• There are not a lot of cars on the road (countable, negative – can also be used with uncountable)
Sentences (1) and (3) you got the wrong way round. The answers should be:
There are few cars or motor bikes in my home town.
There are only a few cars and motorbikes in my home town.
Sentences (2), (4) and (5) you got correct.
And here are the vocabulary definitions from last time.
Hordes - lots
Plonked the kids – to plonk something down means to put something down forcefully
To let them blow off steam – to run around and get rid of tension
To get the 2 kids together – to push the 2 children into a relationship (here, used in a joking sense)
Doomed – can never be successful
Well, let me tell you about something that upset me today. I was working late tonight and did a bit of shopping on the way home. I finally got to the end of my street at about 7.30pm, to be met by a very large elephant. Seriously, a large, grey elephant with a howdah on the top (this is a type of seat) and a red flashing light tied to its tail. It was the type of red light you see on the top of tall buildings, to warn planes that the building is there, or the type of light you see on a bicycle, that only comes on when the rider is pedalling furiously, to show motorists that there is a bicycle on the same road as them. I didn’t know whether to be angry or sad. Angry, because I don’t think its right to keep an animal in captivity this way (a big city must be a scary place for an elephant); angry, because tourists were lining up to feed the poor animal sugar cane and have their photo taken with it (why, why, why do you want a photo of yourself with a captive elephant); sad, because the elephant was moving very slowly and just didn’t look happy. Hey, I’m not an animal psychologist, nor I am an expert in elephant behaviour, but that poor old beast looked really down and did not seem to be enjoying itself. The authorities here have supposedly stamped this type of thing out, and elephants are technically banned from the city centre, but some people can clearly slip through the net. Its not often I get angry, but this raised my blood pressure a little.
So tell me. What makes your blood boil? What raises your blood pressure? What annoys you just a little bit or what makes you really, really angry? Grrrrrrrr.........
(image from www.thesituationist.files.wordpress.com)
Anyway, that's enough negative energy :-) Its late so time to turn in and hit the sack. I plan to get up nice and early and be in the gym by 7.30am. What do you think – can I make it?
Speak to you all tomorrow,
Anne
xxxx
PS – thanks for all of the tips on how to improve listening skills. There was some great advice!
to get down – to be sad
furiously – here, quickly
captive – not free
down - unhappy
to stamp something out - to put an end to something
to slip through the net – to break the rules
raised my blood pressure – made me angry
makes your blood boil – makes you angry
annoy – irritate
Comments
Hello Anne, I share your feelings. What you've written about the elephant on the road is really terrible. My husband and I like animals, especially wild animals. One of my absolute favourites are the elephants. Have you ever been to Africa? Normally the elephants live free in savannas and gallery forests and even in the desert. Certainly, we all know the elephant from the zoo. But it is a big difference to see an elephant in the zoo and to observe this great animal in the wilderness. And I think: only when people know how the elephants live in the wilderness will they have great respect and admiration for them, and maybe they'll protect these wonderful gaint animals. Do you know that elephants have got a fantstic memory? They never forget what they have once seen or experienced. It was a great and unforgettable experience to see and to observe these wonderful animals in their natural surrroundings. I could tell you a lot about moving situations with wild elephants. But this is not your point. All the best Felicitas
Dear Anne, It is all human psychology that governed people to do dissimilar work than other people. Certainly people get excited to see the largest land animal and whenever they get an opportunity to watch it, they enjoy it. As you have already written that you have been to Nepal. Did you visit national park in Chitwan? The main attraction of this national park is wild animal specially one horn rhino and another is elephant ride. Most of people enjoy natural beauty but if they are unable to enjoy it in its natural habitat they fulfil their desire by watching them in tamed form. Great example of this is visiting zoo which isn’t natural habitat of animals and even there people enjoy animal and bird watching. I agree in that point that large animal like elephant shouldn’t be allowed in city centre especially at night. A lot of lights and noise can make animal furious and anything misfortune may happen.
Hi Anne, I was wondering why no comments appeared in your previous blog. I posted a comment and I think many readers did the same. Maybe they all appear tomorrow. I totally agree with you about the poor animal and I would have felt the same if I had seen it. What made me angry? A lot of things. To name but a few, waiting a long time for the bus to arrive and then it is crowdy, be pushed by people, be surrounded by bad drivers, to have to look down while walking in order not to step on some dog mess, be awaken by noises from the street or from the building, when prices rise without any motive. I can't remember more at this moment but I'm sure that more things can raise my blood preasure. Hope you get up in a positive way and go to the gym in time. You'll be able to make it! Fondly, Cris
Hi Anne and Everbody Anne, you are going to leave this week what a pity.But we have one more week. My first homework is about what kind of things might make me angry. I can say easily many things... One of them is about the people who doesn't listen to others.That kind of people make me angry as well smile.It depends on the situation. The story is good example for this.I want to share my memory. There is a man in the town I live. I don't know him. He knows me. I don't know how he knows me. Whenever he sees me he calls me with my name and says which places I dropped in, what kind of people I met during the day without listening to what I say and gets away.This makes me smile. That is all for today. Warm greetings!
Hello everyone, This is my first post in this magic web site. I have had a lot of fun reading this fantastic site. Thanks for all.
Hello Anne, My name is Renata - long-time reader, first-time writer. I¨ve finally plucked up the courage to write a short comment. I want to thank you. Your blog is so interesting and amusing that I actually got addicted to reading it. It also helps me with keeping my English up-to-date by revising and learning some informal phrases. I especially admire how you handle your work, family, studying and blogging. You are very hard-working - many people would be too lazy to write long blog entries or answer everyone who has made a comment. On behalf of shy (and I confess - a bit lazy) blog readers who really take time to leave a comment THANKS A LOT ! Take care, Renata PS. The think I personally use to improve my listening skills is simple. I listen to the BBC World Service every day and I later download the most interesting programmes to my MP 3 player. How to improve listening in class? I am not sure. Probably include some listening in the lesson plan as often as possible.
Dear Anne! You are right when people slip throught the net that can make your blood boil. I think all the beast animals should not remain captive in homes their should be ban on it. Their are many things in my country which make my blood boil. First, people dont follow traffic rules here, lot of beggars in my city, loadshedding without any notice, no law and order and many more :). These are the things which can make any one's blood boil. Tc any bye
Hi Anne: Finally the coments to your previous blog appeared!!!!!! Did you think that we had forgotten you? I hope you don't think so. Perhaps there were some technical problems, but luckily we are here again. How are you? What about your Sunday? Have you gone to the gym? I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Now, I must fly .... I have a lot of work to do today. Kisses for everybody. Mercè
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