Categories
Vocabulary

The Lucky Knife

I’ve devoted my life to studying past generations. Last year, I had a unique chance to work with my uncle. Our job was to find old treasures for a school’s history foundation. He also hired a crew of students. They signed a contract to work with him. He was the boss. The place was strange, though. I dined on many things that I had never tasted before. They had an unusual flavor.

Categories
Vocabulary

Words for problems and solutions

CD1 Track 32

1- As I was getting into the car I saw the crack in the windscreen. I have no idea how it happened, but it’s going to be expensive to repair.

2- My grandmother’s feeling poorly and lost her appetite. I’m afraid she’s not as strong as she used to be, but I don’t know what I can do to help.

Categories
Story

Wild Plums

I knew about wild plums twice before I tasted any.
The first time was when the Sunday school women were going plum ming; Father hunched his shoulders and laughed without making any sound. He said wild plums were small and inferior, and told us of fruits
he had eaten in Italy.

Categories
Vocabulary

The Clever Thief

A new king inherited a lot of gold. He loved his gold very much. He even wanted to keep it after he died. Therefore, he had a large tomb built for himself and his riches.

Categories
Vocabulary

Adverbs

CD1 Track 28

1- Surprisingly, the prime minister has been elected for a second term.

2- Interestingly, more young people voted in this election than in the previous one.

3- Absolutely! I’d love to return to Africa some day.

Categories
Vocabulary

Prince Sam

Sam’s mother cooked at the royal palace. One day, he went to work with her. She emphasized that he should stay in the kitchen. But Sam was bored. Thus, he decided to look around.He went around a corner. It shocked him to see a boy who had a strong likeness to him. Sam soon recovered. The other boy stared at him. Then he spoke. “Come with me.”

Categories
Vocabulary

Albert Einstein

My name is Albert Einstein. Many people know about the great things I’ve accomplished. But I had many barriers before I became famous.

I was born in Germany. When I was in elementary school, I already knew about math and statistics. When I was a boy, I pretended to be a great scientist. I loved school, but my life at home was hard. My father lost his job, so my family lived in poverty. We could not pay the rent in Germany. We became immigrants and went to Italy. I finished high school and went to college in Switzerland.

Categories
Vocabulary

Words for describing change

CD1 Track 20

1- How are schools today different from schools in your parents’ generation?

There is much less discipline and pupils are difficult to control. Standards of behaviour have really declined.

2- In what ways has the countryside in your country changed during your lifetime?

There are far fewer young people living in the countryside. Many of them have had to abandon rural life and move to the cities to look for work.

Categories
Vocabulary

Global warming

CD1 Track 14

Hurricanes have heavy rains and are therefore more likely to cause floods. Droughts occur when there is a lack of rainfall.

Hurricanes and typhoons are both violent storms that develop over water. If the storm develops in the Atlantic or Caribbean it is referred to as a hurricane. If it develops in the Pacific, it is known as a typhoon.

The largest glaciers in the world are found in the polar ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland. Glaciers are also found in mountains. A current is a steady flowing movement of air or water.

Categories
Vocabulary

8 – Getting involved

CD1 Track 09

Reader: The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat, They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five-pound note…

Presenter: Now I wonder, Minister, whether you’d like to say something about the government’s proposals for banking reform.

Minister: Yes, thank-you. As I think we all recognize, the need for change in the banking sector is long overdue.

Commentator: Michalski plays it into the penalty area … to Dembinski. Dembinski out to Bajor…. Bajor beats one man, crosses the ball into the centre …