What is the origin of the word Christmas?

Christmas comes from the Old English words Cristes moesse, 'the mass or festival of Christ'. The first celebration took place in Rome about the middle of the fourth century. The exact date of the Nativity is not known, but even in pre-Christian times the period between December 25 and January 6 was considered a special time of year - now known as "The Twelve Days of Christmas". The abbreviation Xmas, thought as sacrilegious by some, is entirely appropriate. The letter X (chi) is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ.

ielts speaking interview

This is a video that is interesting for anyone who's taking IELTS. It gives a clear idea of what the test taker might find on the day of the test.
The speaking part of IELTS is divided in 3 parts: personal questions, a 2 minute talk, and subjective questions that require longer answers. You can see these 3 parts clearly in the video.

For the people who are not taking the exam, it's just a nice listening practice.

Enjoy!

Origins of the names of famous brands

Interesting: here you'll find some explanations about the origins of some names of brands.

http://www.techno360.in/origin-of-the-names-of-famous-brands/

Work x Job

I found this interesting post in another blog, so, here's the link: http://fatimaaidar.blogspot.com.br/2012/06/curiosities-of-english-language.html

There's something about the differences between work and job, as well as some other interesting stuff.

Enjoy!

How to Answer Security Questions at an Airport

Many of us have flown at least once in our lives. It can be exciting as we board the plane and look forward to reaching our final destination. But before getting there, travellers must be equipped to answer security questions posed to them by airport staff or they could find themselves in trouble. Here are some common questions that are asked and how to answer them.

How to Answer Security Questions at an Airport: Have You Packed Your Luggage Yourself?

This is one of the most common questions that you will be asked at the security check point. Hopefully, you can truthfully answer "yes". But if not, watch how you answer. If your husband or wife packed the luggage, then say so right away. Do not hesitate and ponder over what to say. There is no harm in admitting this. Your luggage is unlikely to be opened and searched unless staff has reasonable cause to be suspicious.

How to Answer Security Questions at an Airport: Do You Have Any Sharp Objects in Your Luggage?

The most obvious thing that airport staff want to rule out is guns, knives, explosives and other items that could be used as weapons on board the plane. These items are obviously completely off limits. But some other items you may be carrying that you may view as innocent might be confiscated. Watch what you pack in your carry on luggage. Keep tweezers, cosmetic scissors and other implements in your checked luggage, rather than in your carry on luggage, as these will be found and removed.

How to Answer Security Questions at an Airport: What Do You Have in Your Pockets?

When going through security, you must make sure you empty out your pockets and place them in the basket that is provided. If not, you will set off an alarm and you will be searched. To speed up the process remove any loose change and car keys from your pocket in advance so that you can speed up the whole process and not hold up any other passengers behind you.

If you want to have a trouble free experience as you go through airport security, you must make sure that you answer each and every question honestly and to the best of your ability. Hesitating and appearing unsure of what to say next can make staff suspicious of you and you could find yourself in trouble.

From http://voices.yahoo.com/how-answer-security-questions-airport-536716.html?cat=17

Stupidity

Prova de proficiência para mestrado

Pra quem se interessar em saber como funciona a prova de proficiência em inglês para mestrado, aí vai um link com um teste para download:

  http://www.4shared.com/document/1xQOWeRe/Modelo_de_prova2010.html

 As provas geralmente não são muito complicadas, pois não exigem que o candidato produza em inglês. Os examinadores só querem se certificar de que a pessoa fazendo a prova é capaz de ler e entender um texto em inglês adequadamente. Até por isso o uso de dicionário é sempre permitido.

So You think you Know everything?

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

...

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capones's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop" with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.

...

Now you know everything!

What is the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England?

Well, many people ask what the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England is, so, here's a nice explanation on the subject: http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzuk.htm

Opposite Adjectives Quiz

Simple and easy, just match the adjective and its opposite: http://a4esl.org/q/h/ck/m-adj.html

Chuck Testa - subtitled!!

Word of the day: kudos

Ku·dos - [koo-dohz, -dohs, -dos, kyoo-] noun ( used with a singular verb )
honor; glory; acclaim: He received kudos from everyone on his performance.

Origin: 1825–35; irregular transliteration of Greek kŷdos. In the 19th century, 'kudos' entered English as a singular noun, a transliteration of a Greek singular noun kŷdos meaning 'praise or renown.'

2011 Summary

2011 is history already! So, if you'd like to remember some of the most important facts from this year, check out the wikipedia entry about it. Just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011.