Financial Terminology Quiz

Here's the link for a financial terms quiz.
It's always good to learn or review these words that aren't used so commonly in everyday English.

Well, check it out: http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blvocabquiz_money1.htm

Blind Spot

Here's an interesting Wikipedia article about the blind spot we all have in our eyes.
There's a little test to be done in the end. It's quite surprising.


So, check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_spot_(vision)

The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon

It's old, but still funny!

Halloween

So, I found this website that brings some info on Halloween. There's information about its origins, history, customs, etc.

Check it out: http://www.halloween-website.com/

Gramáticas para download

Existem 2 boas gramáticas para download na internet. São arquivos pdf pesadinhos, mas vale a pena baixar!

Seguem os links:

Gramática para o básica - Essential Grammar in Use
Gramática para o intrmediário -
English Grammar in Use

Enjoy!

Among X Between

Well, the difference between among and between can be a complex question. To keep it simple, between is used for two items and among is used for three or more items.
For example:
The money was split between the two girls.
The money was split among all four girls.
It was hard to choose between two very highly rated schools.
It's difficult to choose among the five very highly rated schools.

...

If you want a deeper explanation on this topic, check this out: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/between-versus-among.aspx

Steve Jobs Offers Last Words: 2005 Standford Commencement Speech Inspire...

Nomophobia

Do you suffer from nomophobia?
I guess I do.

So, what is nomophobia?

Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. The term, an abbreviation for "no-mobile-phone phobia", was coined during a study by the UK Post Office who commissioned YouGov, a UK-based research organisation to look at anxieties suffered by mobile phone users. The study found that nearly 53 percent of mobile phone users in Britain tend to be anxious when they "lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage". The study found that about 58 percent of men and 48 percent of women suffer from the phobia, and an additional 9 percent feel stressed when their mobile phones are off. The study sampled 2,163 people. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones. The study compared stress levels induced by the average case of nomophobia to be on-par with those of "wedding day jitters" and trips to the dentists. Ten percent of those questioned said they needed to be contactable at all times because of work. It is, however, arguable that the word 'phobia' is misused and that in the majority of cases it is only a normal anxiety.
More than one in two nomophobes never switch off their mobile phones. The study and subsequent coverage of the phobia resulted in two editorial columns authored by those who minimize their mobile phone use or choose not to own one at all, treating the condition with light undertones or outright disbelief and amusement.

From wikipedia

What is the origin of the name ''bluetooth''?

The name Bluetooth is derived from the cognomen of a 10th century king, Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark and Norway from 935 and 936 respectively, to 940. He is known for his unification of previously warring tribes from Denmark (including Scania, present-day Sweden, where the Bluetooth technology was invented) and Norway. Bluetooth likewise was intended to unify different technologies like computers and mobile phones.

Source: http://askville.amazon.com/Bluetooth-technology-called/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=478302

Miss Universe

For the ones who didn't see it on TV, you can check it out on the internet, on the Miss Universe official website. Just go to http://www.missuniverse.com/.

Enjoy!

The pronunciation of the -ed in regular verbs in the past

The -ed ending in regular verbs has 3 possible pronunciations: /Id/, /t/, or /d/.

When the last sound of the verb is /t/ or /d/, the -ed ending is pronounced as /Id/, as in hated /reited/, and needed /níded/.

When the last sound of the verb is unvoiced, when you don't need to use your vocal chords to produce it, the -ed ending is pronounced as /t/, as in finished /finisht/, and worked /uorkt/.

When the last sound of the verb is voiced, when you have to use your vocal chords to produce it, the -ed ending is pronounced as /d/, as in cleaned /clínd/, and played /pleid/.

If you'd like to check some more things about this topic, you can take a look at http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1413_gramchallenge26/

Enjoy!

Fiat Cinquecento ad

I just thought it was funny, so here it is.

NPR

Quem gostaria de um site com bastante material para ler e ouvir, vai gostar do www.npr.org

Lá tem vídeos, podcasts, programas de rádio e tudo mais que pode ajudar no estudo de inglês em casa.

Então, olha lá: http://www.npr.org/

Proverbs in English

It's always good to know some proverbs. So, if you don't know many and would like to learn some, check this website out: http://www.englishdaily626.com/proverbs.php

Calendar Name Origins - Names of Months

ME = Middle English
OE = Old English
OF = Old French
OHG = Old High German


January - ME Januari(us), OE Januarius, translation of Latin Januarius, named after JANUS, god of beginnings.

February - ME OE Februarius from Latin Februarius, named for Februa, the feast of purification.

March - ME March(e), from Latin Martius, (month of) Mars.

April - ME Averil, OF Avril, Latin Aprilis mensis (month). The name may derive from the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite.

May - ME OE Maius, Latin Maius mensis (month), from the Greek Maia, goddess of spring (growth).

June - ME Jun(e), OE Iunius, from Latin mensis Junius, named after the goddess Juno, Queen of the gods.

July - ME Julie, OE Julius, from Latin Julius (Caesar) after whom it was named in 44 BC. The original name was quintilis, fifth month in the early Roman calendar.

August - ME OE Agustus from Latin Augustus (Caesar) 8 BC. The original name was sextilis, sixth month in the early Roman calendar.

September - ME Septembre from Latin September, seventh month in the early Roman calendar

October - ME OE from Latin October, eighth month in the early Roman calendar

November - ME OE from Latin November, ninth month of the early Roman calendar, from novem NINE

December - ME Decembre from OF and Latin December, tenth month of the early Roman calendar (decem TEN + membri from mens MONTH + ri suffix).

...

Source: http://www.calendar-origins.com/calendar-name-origins.html

Amy Winehouse's Cause of Death Unknown; Autopsy to be Performed Monday

An autopsy to determine Amy Winehouse's cause of death isn't expected until Monday, CNN reports.

"Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death," police said in a statement. "At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident."

Amy Winehouse Dead at 27

The 27-year-old singer, best known for her song "Rehab," was found dead Saturday in her London home. Although Winehouse had a longstanding history with drug abuse, police are making it clear that the cause of death is still unknown.

"I am aware of reports suggesting this death is the result of a suspected drugs overdose, but would like to re-emphasize that no post-mortem has yet been done and that it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of death," Metropolitan Police Superintendent Raj Kohli said.=

On Sunday, Winehouse's management company Metropolis Music issued a statement. "We are trying to come to terms with the death of a dear friend and colleague, the most amazing artist and talent," it read. "We will always remember Amy as a vibrant, funny, caring young woman who made everyone around her feel welcome. We have lost a very special person, part of our family."


Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/tvguide/article/Amy-Winehouse-s-Cause-of-Death-Unknown-Autopsy-1567891.php

Online Dictionary: Cambridge

There's a version of the Cambridge dictionary online. It's free, and in many situations it works better than Google Translator. The only problem is that it's monolingual (Enlish - English), so it requires more knowledge of the language. Because of that, beginners might have some problems using it. Apart from that, it's a great tool for students and teachers.

So, take a look: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

World Rock 'n Roll day

July 13th is the World Rock'n Roll day. This date was chosen for the celebration for being the one when, in 1985, the Live aid festival happened simultaneously in London and Philadephia. The Who, Status Quo, Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, Madonna, Queen, Joan Baez, David Bowie, BB King, Mick Jagger, Sting, Scorpions, U2, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton and Black Sabbath participated in this festival, which was organized in order to help Ethiopia.

So, what's your favorite rock and roll band?

...

13 de julho é o dia internacional do rock'n roll. Esta data foi escolhida para a comemoração por ser quando, em 1985, o festival Live Aid aconteceu simultaneamente em Londres e na Filadélfia. The Who, Status Quo, Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, Madonna, Queen, Joan Baez, David Bowie, BB King, Mick Jagger, Sting, Scorpions, U2, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton e Black Sabbath participaram deste festival, que foi organizado para ajudar a Etiópia.

Então, qual é a sua banda de rock favorita?

Rolling Stone's 100 best albuns and songs from the 00's

It's kind of old, but still worth checking out: 100 best songs and albuns from the 00's, by Rolling Stone magazine

4th of July

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

What is Corpus Christi?

So, one of these days I was thinking: Christmas is the birth of Jesus, Easter is his death and resurrection, so, what is the meaning of Corpus Christi? As I always do when I have doubts on a random matters, I consulted Wikipedia. That's what I found:

Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) is a Western Catholic solemnity. It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran churches and some Liberal Catholic Churches. It does not commemorate a particular event in Jesus's life but celebrates the Body of Christ in the Mass. [...] In the current Ordinary form of the Roman rite of the Catholic Church, the feast is officially known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

...

Ok, I guess this explains it. But if you want to read the whole text, you can check on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Christi_%28feast%29

Enjoy!

Study Finds Cellphones May Cause Cancer, but Brain Cancers Have Not Spiked

By MICHAEL MURRAY
June 1, 2011

Though a World Health Organization study concluded cell phones may cause cancer, some are wondering why, if there truly is a link, there has not been a significant worldwide increase in brain cancers.

The World Health Organization (WHO), whose International Agency for Research on Cancer announced the results of its year-long study Tuesday, estimates that there are 5 billion cell phone users globally, representing nearly three-quarters of the world's population.

However, the incidence and mortality rate of brain and central nervous system cancers has remained virtually flat since 1987, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.

The most compelling evidence cited by the WHO is a multi-country study that found people who used cell phones most often, an average of 30 minutes per day over 10 years, had a 40 percent higher risk for a rare brain tumor called a glioma.

The WHO also considered not-yet-released papers showing increased risk for another kind of cancer, acoustic neuroma, in the parts of the brain where cell phone radiation is strongest.

Roughly 30 older studies have tried and failed to establish any link between cell phones and cancer. This conundrum has been a hot topic since shoe-size phones hit the scene in the late 1970s.

One study even found those who used cell phones occasionally had a lower cancer risk than those who used old-fashioned land lines.

So what about the lack of rising numbers of brain cancers? Time is a major issue. The tumors involved take years, even decades, to develop, and some researchers say too few people have used cell phones long enough to affect worldwide numbers.

"The long-term consequences of putting radiation into brain we don't really understand," Dr. Keith L. Black of the neurosurgery department at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles told ABC News.

The WHO decided, in effect, to err on the side of caution.

"[The] IARC is saying that we should be cautious and think through what we do when we regulate exposures from cell phones," Dr. Peter Shields, chief of Georgetown University Hospital's cancer genetics and epidemiology program in Washington, D.C. told ABC News. "They follow the precautionary principle and want to maximally protect public health."

Meanwhile, the science is advancing. Researchers at the University of Utah established that the radiation dose is much higher inside the brains of 5- and 10-year-olds than in adults, a major concern as more children adopt cell phones.

Regulations are trailing behind the science.

In the U.S., the FCC set a maximum limit of 1.6 watts per kilo of body tissue. However, they did not test phones being carried directly in a person's pocket, just inside of belt holsters. So far, the recommendation continues to be to hold your phone about an inch away from your body.

ABC News' Katie Moisse contributed to this report.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/cellphones-cancer-brain-cancers-spiked/story?id=13737320

Homophones

Homophones são palavras de escrita diferente e com mesmo som. Por vezes elas podem causar alguma confusão. Então, só pra refrescar alguma coisa, seguem links para exercícios sobre o assunto.

List of English Homophones
Homophones Game
Quiz: homophones
Homophones Quiz

Most Expensive Coffee in the World

The most expensive coffee in the world does not hail from Jamaica or Hawaii, but instead from Indonesia.

Kopi Luwak the most expensive coffee in the world does exist, and those who drink the expensive coffee insist that it is made from coffee beans eaten, partly digested and then excreted by the Common palm civet, a weasel-like animal.

“Kopi” the Indonesian word for coffee along with “luwak” is local name of this animal which eats the raw red coffee beans. The civet digests the soft outer part of the coffee cherry, but does not digest the inner beans and excretes them.

Apparently the internal digestion ends up adds a unique flavor to the beans, removing the bitter flavor, and then beans are then picked up by locals and sold. The most expensive coffee beans can cost up to $600 a pound, and up to $50 per cup, if you can get over the fact that you are drinking such a strange brew.

You would know if you drank the most expensive coffee in the world, because the quantities of it are tiny amounts.

Source: http://most-expensive.net/coffee-in-world

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song

Esses dias ouvi essa música no rádio e achei a letra bem clara, fácil de entender.
Ó a letra aí, só acompanha:

Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't feel like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything
I'm gonna kick my feet up then stare at the fan
Turn the TV on, throw my hand in my pants
Nobody's gon' tell me I can't
I'll be lounging on a couch, just chilling in my snuggie
Click to MTV so they can teach me how to Dougie
'Cause in my castle I'm the freaking man

Oh, yes, I said it
I said it
I said it, 'cause I can

Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't fell like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything
Nothing at all

Nothing at all

Tomorrow I'll wake up
Do some P90X
Meet a really nice girl
Have some really nice sex
And she's gonna scream out this is great
(Oh, my God, this is great)

Yeah
I might mess around
And get my college degree
I bet my old man will be so proud of me.
But, sorry, pops, you'll just have to wait

Oh, yes, I said it
I said it
I said it, 'cause I can

Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't fell like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything

No, I ain't gonna comb my hair
'Cause I ain't going anywhere
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

I'll just strut in my birthday suit
And let everything hang loose
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Oh, today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't fell like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything
Nothing at all

Am, is, are, do, does

Alguns alunos iniciantes (outros nem tanto) tem problemas em determinar quando usar am, is, are, do ou does, especialmente em perguntas no presente simples.

Bom, a explicação é fácil: quando o verbo principal da frase for o to be (ser ou estar), se usa am, is, ou are.
Are you a teacher? (Você é professor?)
Is she older than you? (Ela é mais velha que você?)
Are they angry? (Eles estão zangados?)
Where are my shoes? (Onde estão os meus sapatos?)
What is your favorite food? (Qual é a sua comida favorita?)

Repare que nestas perguntas, o verbo sempre é ser ou estar, portanto o do ou does nunca é usado.


Quando o verbo principal da frase for qualquer outro diferente de to be (am/is/are), é usado o do ou does, que é o verbo auxiliar, que vem para formar as perguntas e frases negativas (aí com don't e doesn't) no presente simples.

Do you like pizza? (Você gosta de pizza?)
Does she live in a house? (Ela mora em uma casa?)
Do they have Spanish classes? (Eles tem aulas de espanhol?)
Where do you live? (Onde você mora?)
What time do you get up in the morning? (Que horas você levanta de manhã?)

Repare que nestes exemplos o verbo nunca é ser nem estar. O do e o does estão presentes em todas as perguntas.

...

Se quiser dar uma olhada num resumão do verbo to be, clica aqui
Se quiser dar uma olhada num resumão do presente simples, clica aqui

...

Talvez fique mais fácil vendo os exercícios. Então, aí vão 2 links com 2 testezinhos sobre o assunto:

Put in is, are, do or does.

Put in am/is/ are/do/don't/does/doesn't.

Cell phones are making us dumb

Pois, tem esse artigo sobre celulares e um dos efeitos que eles tem na sociedade. Achei interessante, pois aqui dizem que eles estão afetando a nossa independência, no sentido em que não precisamos mais decidir nada.

Enfim, dá uma olhada no artigo aí: http://career.3.forumer.com/a/saved-and-enslaved-by-the-cell_post220.html

Enjoy!

Pronunciation - Sheet x Shit

Identificar a diferença no som do 'i' em palavras como sheet/shit, beach/bitch e sheep/ship pode ser complicado, uma vez que em português só há um som para 'i'.

Pois há dois tipos de sons de 'i' nesses pares. As primeiras de cada par tem o som tenso, mais longo e formado na dentro da boca. É um 'i' profundo.

Já as segundas de cada par tem um som mais relaxado, mais curte e formado na frente da boca. Esse som se assemelha em muito a o 'ê' do português.

Aí vai um videozinho pra ilustrar. Considerem só a primeira metade, claro, pois a segunda já trata de outro som.

Most expensive films ever

So, check out this list of the 10 most expensive movies ever made.

I found it a little surprising. And I guess this list proves that expensive movies are not necessarily the best.

Well. here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_films

Monty Python - The Funniest Joke In The World

Working Money (from Seinfeld: The Stock Tip - S01E05/1990)

idump4u.com

Estava pela internet e encontrei o idump4u.com. Este site terceiriza o serviço de dar um pé na bunda de um namorado/a. O cliente acessa o site, se cadastra, paga uma taxa, e o pessoal liga para o namorado ou namorada acabando o relacionamento dando os motivos para o fim. Os valores ficam entre $10 e $50. O curioso é que se não concordam com os motivos, o trabalho não é aceito.

O bacana do site é que tem algumas gravações de ligações.

Dá uma olhada lá: http://idump.bradman.tv/

Bin Laden is dead

Well, Obama said Bin Laden is dead. Check this out: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html

Word of the Day: detract

detract - /dɪˈtréct/

–verb (used without object)
1. to take away a part, as from quality, value, or reputation (usually followed by from).

–verb (used with object)
2.to draw away or divert; distract: to detract another's attention from more important issues.

3.Archaic . to take away (a part); abate: The dilapidated barn detracts charm from the landscape.

...

Ou, segundo o google translator: depreciar, diminuir, depreciar, difamar, detrair.

One letter words

There are 3 one letter words in the English language: a, the indefinite article, I, the subject pronoun, and O, the interjection, which is mostly used in poetry.

That's a kind of useless fact, but it's interesting.

Calvin and Hobbes 2

International Coffee Day

Today is the international coffee day! So, happy coffee day!

Check out the news about it: WORLD CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY

Word World

Esse é um programa infantil que passa no Discovery Kids. Interessante, pode ajudar a aprender algumas palavras novas.

Interesting but Useless Facts

The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.

Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions!

What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

"Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

"Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.

In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child

A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off!

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

You can't kill yourself by holding your breath

There is a city called Rome on every continent.

Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day!

Horatio Nelson, one of England's most illustrious admirals was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness.

The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is present at all important meetings of the University of London

Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, everytime you breathe!

The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet!

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667, when Jean-Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man

Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin!

The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle.

Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

On average a hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute.

More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food.

Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.

You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food!

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds

Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not

Slugs have 4 noses.

Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years!

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

The average person laughs 10 times a day!

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

Sensitive x sensible

Sensitive é um adjetivo que significa 'sensível', no sentido de ser emotivo, ter sensibilidade, perceber com os sentidos. Também se traduz como 'sensitivo', alguém que perceba o paranormal, por exemplo.

Sensible também é um adjetivo e significa 'sensato', alguém que tem bom senso e capacidade de julgamento. Os substantivos são "sensibility" e "sense".

From: http://ajudaingles.blogspot.com/

Word of the Day: sickle

Sickle - noun /ˈsɪk.l ̩/ n [C] - a tool with a short handle and a curved blade, used for cutting grass and grain crops. Foice.

The Story of Stuff

It's long, but it's worth watching!

Origin of the names of the days

The names of the days are in some cases derived from Teutonic deities or, such as in Romance languages, from Roman deities. The early Romans, around the first century, used Saturday as the first day of the week. As the worshipping of the Sun increased, the Sun's day (Sunday) advanced from position of the second day to the first day of the week (and saturday became the seventh day).

Sunday: The name comes from the Latin dies solis, meaning "sun's day": the name of a pagan Roman holiday.

Monday: The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon monandaeg, "the moon's day". This second day was sacred to the goddess of the moon.

Tuesday: This day was named after the Norse god Tyr.

Wednesday: The day named to honor Wodan (Odin).

Thursday: The day named after the Norse god Thor.

Friday: The day in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg.

Saturday: This day was called dies Saturni, "Saturn's Day", by the ancient Romans in honor of Saturn.


Source: http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/origin_days.html

Guilty Dog

Verb Patterns Quiz

Nunca é demais revisar! Então, aí está mais um quiz sobre verb patterns! Have fun!

http://www.monkey-tricks.net/writemonkey/quiz/385_01.htm

World Water Day

Hoje é o World Water Day, Dia Internacional da Água. Pra saber um pouco mais, dá uma olhada no http://www.worldwaterday2011.org/.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Saiu na Speakup um artigo sobre a Golden Gate Bridge. É interessante para conhecer a ponte e tem o texto e o áudio. Então, clica aí no link: http://www.speakup.com.br/materias/Ed281/ed281b.html

NY Times e as assinaturas online

A versão online do NY Times vai deixar de ser gratuíta. Para ter acesso ao conteúdo do jornal online será necessário ter uma assinatura online.

Esta foi a carta publicada pelo jornal falando do caso:

..........


A Letter to Our Readers About Digital Subscriptions
Published: March 17, 2011

Today marks a significant transition for The New York Times as we introduce digital subscriptions. It’s an important step that we hope you will see as an investment in The Times, one that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality journalism to readers around the world and on any platform. The change will primarily affect those who are heavy consumers of the content on our Web site and on mobile applications.

This change comes in two stages. Today, we are rolling out digital subscriptions to our readers in Canada, which will enable us to fine-tune the customer experience before our global launch. On March 28, we will begin offering digital subscriptions in the United States and the rest of the world.

If you are a home delivery subscriber of The New York Times, you will continue to have full and free access to our news, information, opinion and the rest of our rich offerings on your computer, smartphone and tablet. International Herald Tribune subscribers will also receive free access to NYTimes.com.

If you are not a home delivery subscriber, you will have free access up to a defined reading limit. If you exceed that limit, you will be asked to become a digital subscriber.

This is how it will work, and what it means for you:

• On NYTimes.com, you can view 20 articles each month at no charge (including slide shows, videos and other features). After 20 articles, we will ask you to become a digital subscriber, with full access to our site.

• On our smartphone and tablet apps, the Top News section will remain free of charge. For access to all other sections within the apps, we will ask you to become a digital subscriber.

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Will it Blend? - iPad 2

Nesse Will it blend? os caras botam objetos aleatórios num liquidificador e batem. É divertido e uma boa propaganda pra liquidificadores!

Word of the Day: grindstone

Grindstone - /graindstoun/ - noun - a piece of equipment with a large round stone that turns like a wheel and is used for making tools sharp.

...

Ou seja, é a ferramenta usada pelo afiador.

Zebra Puzzle

Zebra puzzle, or Einstein puzzle, is a logics game. It might seem really difficult at first, but once you really get how it works, it's not that difficult.

So, check it out: http://www.freedesigames.com/strategy-games/zebra-aka-einsteins-puzzle.html

Calvin and Hobbes playing Monopoly

Click on the picture to enlarge

Tsunami hits Japan

gocomics.com

Para quem procura algumas leituras leves e divertidas, eu recomendo o gocomics.com. O nome já explica tudo, é um site com tirinhas variadas. Bem divertido.

Então, olha lá: http://www.gocomics.com/

Ash Wednesday

By the way, today is Ash Wednesday. (Quarta feira de cinzas)

Lent

Lent é a quaresma, o período entre o carnaval e a páscoa. Dá uma olhada na explicação:

Lent in the Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Conventionally, it is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.

This practice is universal in most of Christendom, being celebrated by Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans.

Mardi Gras

The terms "Mardi Gras" (pronounced /ˈmɑrdiɡrɑː/), "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which starts on Ash Wednesday. Related popular practices were associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. Popular practices included wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition. In English, the day is called Shrove Tuesday, associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins.

In many areas, the term "Mardi Gras" has come to mean the whole period of activity related to the celebratory events, beyond just the single day. In some US cities, it is now called "Mardi Gras Day" or "Fat Tuesday". The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions consider Mardi Gras the entire period between Epiphany or Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday.[7] Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras-associated social events begin in November, followed by mystic society balls on Thanksgiving, then New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday. In earlier times parades were held on New Year's Day. Other cities famous for Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Barranquilla, Colombia, Sydney, Australia, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Quebec City, Canada; Mazatlán, Sinaloa in Mexico; and New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.

Carnival is an important celebration in Catholic European nations. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called "shrovetide", ending on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular celebratory aspects as well. Pancakes are a traditional food. Pancakes and related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat and eggs are also traditionally consumed at this time in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Medicine Glossary

Encontrei pela internet esse glossario com alguns termos da medicina. Achei interessante. É o http://www.emedicinehealth.com/pain_medications/glossary_em.htm

Scrabble no Facebook

Conhece o Scrabble? É um joguinho de formar palavas em inglês. Bacana, divertido e uma boa forma de aprender palavras novas, uma vez que dá pra chutar bastante e conferir no dicionário depois. O jogo está disponível no Facebook. É só ir na busca, digitar scrabble e entrar no scrabble worldwide (excluding US and Canada).

Have fun!

The King's Speech

The King's Speech was the winner of the best movie yesterday, in the Oscar. So, here's a little bit more about the movie:

...

The King's Speech is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. It won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Picture and the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award. It was nominated for fourteen BAFTAs, of which it won seven; twelve Academy Awards nominations, of which it won four; and seven Golden Globes, with Colin Firth winning for Best Actor.

Firth plays King George VI, who, to overcome his stutter, is introduced to Lionel Logue, an unorthodox speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. The two men become friends as they work together, and after his brother abdicates, the new king relies on Logue to help him make a radio broadcast at the beginning of World War II.

David Seidler began reading about George VI after overcoming his own stutter during his youth and, using informed imagination, wrote about the men's relationship. Nine weeks before filming, Logue's notebooks were discovered and quotations from them were incorporated into the script. Principal photography took place in London and other locations in Britain, in December 2009 and early January 2010. The film was released in the United States on 24 December 2010 and in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2011. It was initially classified with a "12A" rating in Britain, due to strong language in a speech therapy context.

The King's Speech was the highest earning film for three weekends in a row at the British box office until Tangled took over. The film has been widely praised by film critics for its visual style, art direction and acting. Other commentators discussed the film's representation of the historical events it portrays, in particular the reversal of Winston Churchill's opposition to abdication.

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King%27s_Speech

Great Movie Scenes

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hoje é Valentine's Day, que é o equivalente ao dia dos namorados. Segue uma explicação sobre o dia:

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs, Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Source: Wikikepdia

Picture Dictionary

Tem o http://www.pdictionary.com/, que é um dicionário ilustrado na web. Ele pode ser muito útil, especialmente para objetos, animais, frutas, enfim, coisas físicas que podem ser muito difíceis de descrever apenas com palavras.

Então, dá uma olhada lá: http://www.pdictionary.com/

Word of the Day: sunday driver

Sunday driver – noun - a person who drives a car inexpertly, especially slowly or overcautiously, in the manner of one who drives infrequently.

...

É o equivalente ao que chamamos no trânsito de barbeiro.

American Spelling x British Spelling

Existem muitas diferenças entre o inglês americano (AmE) e o inglês britânico (BrE). Dá pra fazer um paralelo com as diferenças entre o português falado no Brasil e o português falado em Portugal. Existem diferenças no vocabulário, na pronúncia e também na forma em que muitas palavras são escritas. Aqui vamos falar um pouco da grafia: a principal diferença é que o americano, na maioria dos casos, deu uma simplificada nas palavras. Olha aí alguns casos:

• A combinação -our no BrE no fim ou no meio de uma palavra é mudada para -or no AmE: colour – color, favourite – favorite, honour – honor, neighbour – neighbor, etc.

• Verbos terminados em -se no BrE normalmente levam -ze no AmE: analyse – analyze, criticise – criticize, memorise – memorize, etc.

• Um L no BrE muitas vezes vira dois L no AmE: enrolment – enrollment, fulfil – fulfill, skilful – skillful, etc.

• A combinação de letras -re no fim de substantivos no BrE vira -er no AmE: centre – center, metre – meter, theatre – theater, etc.

• O final -ogue no BrE vira -og no AmE: dialogue – dialog, catalogue – catalog, analogue – analog, etc.

• Algumas palavras perdem o E quando no BrE terminam com -ge: ageing – aging, judgement – judgment, etc.

• Os substantivos terminados em -ence no BrE são normalmente escritos com -ense no AmE: defence – defense, licence – license.

• Também há algumas inconsitências entre palavras específicas como:
   BrE         -     AmE
- jewellery     – jewelry ;
- draught       – draft;
- pyjamas      – pajamas;
- plough        – plow;
- programme – program;
- tyre – tire 
...e muitas outras.

A boa notícia é que as duas grafias são consideradas certas. Claro que quando escrevendo um texto, por exemplo, buscamos consistência na linguagem, então não é ideal misturar grafias.

Irregular verbs crossword

Verbos irregulares podem ser um problema. Como não há regra, o negócio é decorar as formas.

Então, aí está uma cruzadinha com verbos irregulares. Vai lá: http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/irregular_verbs/crossword_simple_past2.htm

Family guy - Giving cellphone number to a housekeeper

Family guy is the best!

(Se o link não abrir direto no blog, é só clicar aqui: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHcNDY531ig)

Super Bowl 2011

O Super Bowl é a grande final nacional do futebol americano. É um evento que movimenta muito dinheiro, tendo o minuto de publicidade mais caro do mundo. Segue um trecho da wikipedia sobre o evento deste ano:

Super Bowl XLV will be the 45th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 41st annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League (NFL). The game, to be played on February 6, 2011, will pit the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the NFC champion Green Bay Packers to decide the NFL champion for the 2010 season.

The game will be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the first time that the Super Bowl will be held in the Dallas–Fort Worth area; and the third time it will be held in Texas (Houston was the host city to VIII and XXXVIII). Kickoff time is approximately 5:25pm CST (UTC-06). This will be the eighth appearance in the Super Bowl for the Steelers (who hold the record with six Super Bowl wins) and the fifth for the Packers (who hold the record with 12 overall NFL titles, including three Super Bowl wins and nine league titles prior to the Super Bowl-era). This will be the fourth time that two pre-expansion era (pre 1960) teams meet in the Super Bowl (XIV, XLI, and XLIII).

As of February 2, the Packers are two to three point favorites,[2] making this the first Super Bowl in which the Steelers were underdogs since Super Bowl XXX. In all four previous Super Bowls that Green Bay played in, they were favored to win.

...

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XLV

Zombie Typocalipse

Então tem esse joguinho, o Zombie Typocalipse. É só digitar a palavra que aparece no zumbi que o personagem atira. Divertido e pode ser um jeito de aprender algumas palavras novas!

Então vai lá: http://jogos360.uol.com.br/zombie_typocalypse.html

Word of the Day: inhabit

Inhabit - /inrrébit/ - to live in a place. - These remote islands are inhabited only by birds.

...

Ou seja, habitar. O curioso é que ela começa com in, que pode ser um prefixo de negação, mas neste caso não é. Para inabitar, é usado o prefixo un, então temos uninhabit.

Negative Prefixes

Os prefixos de negação (a-, dis-, in-, il-, im-, ir-, non-, un-, etc.) em inglês são um problema. Como não há regras, é necessário usar um dicionário e decorar suas ocorrências.

Já que é assim, que tal dar uma olhada em uns testezinhos? Olha aí:

Teste 1
Teste 2

ROBOT Rule!

A Speakup tem alguns artigos interessantes e que podem ajudar no aprendizado de inglês. Alguns deles vêm até com áudio. Esse é um exemplo: http://www.speakup.com.br/materias/Ed269/ed269.html.

Enjoy!

President Obama on the Protest Situation in Egypt

Memory Game: Clothes

É bobinho, mas é interessante até. Um jogo de memória sobre roupas. É só combinar as imagens com as palavras. Olha aí:

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/language-games/find-the-pairs/clothes

Wh-questions

There are eight wh-questions - what, when, where, which, who, whom, whose and why and to this list we usually add how as they are all used to elicit particular kinds of information.

You use what when you are asking for information about something. (O que, Qual)
You use when to ask about the time that something happened or will happen. (Quando)
You use where to ask questions about place or position. (Onde)
You use which when you are asking for information about one of a limited number of things. (Qual dentre as opções)
You use who or whom when you are asking about someone's identity. (Quem)
You use whose to ask about possession. (De quem)
You use why to ask for a reason. (Por que)
You use how to ask about the way in which something is done. (Como)

...

Então, dá uma olhada nesses testezinhos:

Teste 1
Teste 2

Enjoy!

Personal English agora no Facebook também

Confira a página no Facebook também:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Personal-English/173279812714661

Justin Bieber, 51 year old pedophile

It's a joke, of course.

Enjoy!

The Onion

Conhece o The Onion? É um site de notícias falsas. Divertido. E tem muitos textos, o que proporciona bastante prática de leitura.

Então, vai lá: http://www.theonion.com/

Financial Terminology Quiz

Alguns termos que lidam com negócios podem ser bem complicados, uma vez que podem pertencer a uma linguagem bem específica.

Então, teste seus conhecimentos com esse quiz:

http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blvocabquiz_money1.htm

Word of the day: appalling

Appalling - adjective - /apaling/ - shocking and very bad - appalling injuries; Prisoners were kept in the most appalling conditions.

...

Ou seja: apavorante, espantoso.

Internet Acronyms

Assim como abreviamos as palavras em português na internet, o inglês também o faz. Seguem alguns exemplos:

BRB – be right back
BIO – going for bio break (washroom break)
AFK – away from keyboard (I am gone for a few minutes)
BTW – by the way
KK – OK (commonly used by online gamers to acknowledge that a message has been received)
TTYL – talk to you later
BFN – bye for now
TTFN – ta-ta for now
CYA – see ya (or it could also be: cover your a*s)
CUL8R – see you later
IBTL – in before the lock (for when you post a message prior to the administrator locking the heated discussion thread)
IMHO – in my humble opinion
IMNSHO – in my not so humble opinion
FMV – fair market value (for selling items online)
LOL – laughing out loud
MT – mistell (commonly used by online gamers to say that they made a mistake and mistyped their last message)
NWT – new with tags (for selling items online)
NWOT – new without tags (for selling items online)
OOAK – one of a kind (for selling items online)
PMSL – P*ssing myself laughing (a common UK expression)
QFT – quoted for truth (a compliment to another person on the forum)
ROFL – rolling on floor laughing
ROFLMAO – rolling on floor laughing my a*s off
RTM – read the manual
RTFM – read the f***ing manual (to show frustration at someone’s ignorance of basic knowledge)
GG – good game
THX – thanks
TX – thanks
TY – thank you
NP – no problem/you’re welcome
PLZ – please
W/E – whatever
ASL – age / sex / location?
RL – real life
IRL – in real life

Source: http://www.eversun.ph/seo/?page_id=185

Inglês no mercado de trabalho

Interessante este artigo, pois ele traduz em números a vantagem que as pessoas que dominam o inglês têm no mercado de trabalho sobre as que não o dominam.

Então olha lá: O mercado prefere quem sabe inglês.

Common Telephone Phrases

Aí estão algumas expressões que podem ser úteis em uma conversa por telefone em inglês:

Introducing yourself
This is Ken.
Ken speaking

Asking who is on the telephone
Excuse me, who is this?
Can I ask who is calling, please?

Asking for Someone
Can I have extension 321? (extensions = ramal)
Could I speak to...? (May I - more formal)
Is Jack in? (informal idiom meaning: Is Jack in the office?)

Connecting Someone
I'll put you through (put through - phrasal verb meaning 'connect' - transferir a ligação)
Can you hold the line? Can you hold on a moment?

How to reply when someone is not available
I'm afraid ... is not available at the moment
The line is busy... (when the extension requested is being used - a linha está ocupada)
Mr Jackson isn't in... Mr Jackson is out at the moment...

Taking a Message
Could/Can/May I take a message?
Could/Can/May I tell him who is calling?
Would you like to leave a message?

...

Viu? Então dá uma olhada nesse vídeo só pra ilustrar e adicionar um pouco mais:

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

Winklevoss twins sue Facebook's Zuckerberg again

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's former colleagues in Harvard University, are suing the young billionaire once again over a supposed miscalculation of the social network's actual value, according to The Daily Mail.

The twins, first made famous by Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires and more recently by the David Fincher movie The Social Network, earlier claimed that Zuckerberg stole the idea of Facebook from them.

The brothers sued Zuckerberg in 2008, and reportedly received a settlement worth $65 million.

However, the Winklevosses now claim that the settlement should have been higher due to a supposed miscalculation of Facebook's actual value at the time of the first lawsuit.

According to Forbes Magazine, Zuckerberg has an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion at just 26 years of age. - KBK, GMANews.TV


Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/207943/winklevoss-twins-sue-facebooks-zuckerberg-again

In, on, at

Preposições são um problema, ainda mais o in, o on e o at.

Então, encontrei este resuminho na internet:

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-at-in-on-time.htm

...

Olhou?
Então dá uma olhada nesse quiz:

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_prep3.htm

Have fun!

NY times: Grêmio wants Ronaldinho

Grêmio said Wednesday that Ronaldinho would end his contract with A.C. Milan, clearing the way for his return to the Brazilian club.

Grêmio said Ronaldinho and his agent and brother Roberto Assis were traveling to Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to meet with the A.C. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani and complete his release from the Italian club.

The Grêmio spokesman Vitor Rodríguez said that Ronaldinho and Assis were expected to return to Porto Alegre to complete the deal with the club where he started his career in 1998.

Four clubs, including the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, were trying to sign Ronaldinho, but the two-time FIFA player of the year has said his main desire is to play for Grêmio again. (AP)

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/sports/soccer/06premier.html?scp=1&sq=Ronaldinho&st=cse

Joel Santana speaking English

It's old but it's still funny!

Word of the day: budget

Budget - /bãdjet/ - an estimate, often itemized, of expected income and expense for a given period in the future.

...

Ou seja, orçamento.

Pronunciation: -ous suffix

Muitas pessoas aprendendo inglês pronunciam o sufixo -ous, como em ridiculous como o som seria em português /ous/. Porém, o som correto é /ãs/, assim, uma palavra como ridiculous deve ser pronunciada como /ridíquiulãs/.

Aqui tem alguns exemplos desta pronúncia: http://www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com/dictionary/ous

Happy New Year

Happy new year, everyone!