terça-feira, 26 de abril de 2011

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.

segunda-feira, 25 de abril de 2011

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.

quinta-feira, 14 de abril de 2011

quarta-feira, 13 de abril de 2011

Word World



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

segunda-feira, 11 de abril de 2011

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

quinta-feira, 7 de abril de 2011

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/

segunda-feira, 4 de abril de 2011

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.