Journey Through English

We're back!

2012-01-27T10:18:00.000-02:00

Hey guys!

Did you have a good time? I hope so...
One month after the last post, I'm here to say that we are back (really?)!
So, we are back!
I hope you keep on reading this blog!
Have a good time!

See you!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2011-12-24T10:39:00.001-02:00

Hello everyone!

Today I'm writing the last post of 2011.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you so much for reading this blog.

We'll be back next year!

I hope Santa gives you many gifts.

And, once again, thank you so much for reading our blog.

See you in 2012!

Holidays - Exercises

2011-12-01T17:52:00.001-02:00

Hey!

Like I said, today you'll answer some exercises if you read those posts about Holidays:
Como eu disse, hoje você responderá algumas perguntas se você leu os posts sobre Feriados:

Which holiday are we talking about?
1) This holiday is one of the most magic holidays. We can see people smiling and kids waiting for their presents. It celebrates Jesus's birthday.
		Halloween
		Easter
		Christmas
		Independece Day

Make A Quiz - Take This Quiz - View Scoreboard

I hope you like it!

Espero que goste!

See you!

Holidays - III

2011-11-25T11:07:00.001-02:00

What's up?

Today I bring you the third part of our class about holidays. Pay close attention to it if you want to answer the future exercises about it.

The Independence Day is on July 4, a day for picnic and patriotic parades all over the US and this holiday honors the USA's birthday. There are concerts and fireworks.
In Brazil, it falls on May 1, but in the USA, it's on the first Monday of September. It's the Labor Day, a day to honor the working people of the nation. For some people it's the end of the summer vacation season and the school year begins.
In Brazil, on September 7, 1822, D. Pedro de Alcântara de Bragança proclaimed the independence of our nation. It's the Independence Day. There are parades all over the country and fireworks. Some people like to go to the beach or places like that on this day.
Columbus Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the second Monday in October. This day commemorates when Christpher Columbus landed in the New World on October 12, 1492.
On October 12, too, in Brazil, is the day of the patroness of the country, Nossa Senhora Aparecida. This is a very important day for catholics, because Nossa Senhora Aparecida is Jesus's mother, but they idolize images, but I'm evangelic.
In October we have the scariest holiday. It's Halloween, October 31. The best thing of it is when people dress up with funny or scary costumes and say "Trick or Treat". It's so funny!

On November 2, in Brazil, we have a day when we go to the cemetery to visit the graves of people who we loved but are dead... It's called Day of the Dead or All Soul's Day.
Veterans Day falls on November 11. This day was established to honor americans who have fought in World War I, but today it honors veterans who have served in all wars in which the US have fought.
On November 15, we have the Proclamation of the Brazilian Republic.On this day in the year of 1889, according to Wikipedia, "It was brought to federal presidential republican form of government in Brazil, dropping the parliamentary constitutional monarchy of the Empire of Brazil and therefore ending the sovereignty of the Emperor Pedro II. It was then proclaimed a republic of the United States of Brazil."
In Brazil, again, we have the Black Conciousness Day. It falls on November 20, and it is dedicated to the reflexion about the inclusion of the black people in Brazilian society. This day was chosen to coincide with Zumbi dos Palmares's Day. This man was the last leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares. The Quilombo dos Palmares was a self-sustainable community, a kingdom formed by black slaves who had escaped from Brazilian farms, prisons and slave quarters.
The Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It was created to thank for the harvest, in 1621. Some think that this was the first Thanksgiving feast of the nation. People usually eat what they ate in 1621: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is on December 7. On this day, in 1941, more than 2,400 military service personnel died during the surprise attack by Japanese forces, and it caused the United States to enter the World War II.
And finally, December 25, the day the church chose to celebrate Jesus's birthday. On this day, many children write letters for Santa Claus, asking for presents like a bike or a doll. I'm writing mine... This day is called Christmas Day.
Six days after Christmas, many people go to the beach, in the night, to wait for the new year, and it starts all over again...

I hope you liked our lesson about holidays.
Next holiday is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, don't forget it!

See you!
____________________

What's up?

Hoje eu trago a vocês a terceira parte da nossa aula sobre feriados. Preste atenção a ela se você quiser responder os futuros exercícios sobre ela.

O Dia da Independência é em 4 de julho, um dia para o piquenique e desfiles patrióticos em todo os EUA e esta honra do feriado de aniversário dos EUA. Há concertos e fogos de artifício.No Brasil, ela cai em 01 de maio, mas nos EUA, é na primeira segunda-feira de setembro. É o Dia do Trabalho, um dia para homenagear as pessoas que trabalham da nação. Para algumas pessoas é o fim da temporada de férias de verão eo ano escolar começa.No Brasil, em 7 de setembro de 1822, D. Pedro de Alcântara de Bragança proclamou a independência de nossa nação. É o Dia da Independência. Há desfiles em todo o país e fogos de artifício. Algumas pessoas gostam de ir à praia ou lugares assim neste dia.

D. Pedro gritando "Independência ou Morte", à beiro do Rio Ipiranga.

D. Pedro shouting "Independence or Death", by the River Ipiranga.

O Dia de Cristovão Colombo é um feriado federal comemorado na segunda segunda-feira em outubro. Este dia comemora quando Cristovão Colombo desembarcou no Novo Mundo em 12 de outubro de 1492.Em 12 de outubro, também, no Brasil, é o dia da padroeira do país, Nossa Senhora Aparecida. Este é um dia muito importante para os católicos, porque Nossa Senhora Aparecida é a mãe de Jesus, mas eles idolatram imagens, mas eu sou evangélico.Em outubro temos o mais assustador feriado. É Halloween, 31 de outubro. A melhor coisa é quando as pessoas se vestem com roupas engraçadas ou assustadoras e dizem "Gostosuras ou Travessuras". É tão engraçado!Em 2 de novembro, no Brasil, temos um dia quando vamos ao cemitério para visitar os túmulos de pessoas que nós amamos, mas estão mortos ... É chamado de Dia dos Mortos ou Dia de Finados.O Dia dos Veteranos cai em 11 de novembro. Este dia foi criado para homenagear os americanos que lutaram na Primeira Guerra Mundial, mas hoje homenageia veteranos que serviram em todas as guerras em que os EUA lutou.Em 15 de novembro, temos a Proclamação da Republica Brasileira. Neste dia no ano de 1889, de acordo com a Wikipedia, "foi instaurada a forma republicana federativa presidencialista de governo no Brasil, derrubando a monarquia constitucional parlamentarista do governo do Brasil e, portanto, acabando com a soberania do Imperador Pedro II. Foi então proclamada a República dos Estados Unidos do Brasil".No Brasil, mais uma vez, temos o Dia da Consciência Negra. Cai em 20 de novembro, e é dedicado à reflexão sobre a inclusão do povo negro na sociedade brasileira. Este dia foi escolhido para coincidir com o Dia de Zumbi dos Palmares. Este homem foi o último líder do Quilombo dos Palmares. O Quilombo dos Palmares era uma comunidade auto-sustentável, um reino formado por escravos negros que haviam escapado das fazendas brasileiras, prisões e senzalas.O Dia de Ação de Graças é comemorado na quarta quinta-feira em novembro. Ele foi criado para agradecer a colheita, em 1621. Alguns pensam que esta era a festa de Ação de Graças primeiro da nação. As pessoas costumam comer o que comiam em 1621: peru assado, molho de cranberry, batatas e torta de abóbora.O Dia de Lembrança de Pearl Harbor é em 7 de dezembro. Neste dia, em 1941, mais de 2.400 funcionários do serviço militar morreu durante o ataque surpresa pelas forças japonesas, e que com que Estados Unidos para entrassem no Segunda Guerra Mundial.E, finalmente, 25 de dezembro, dia em que a igreja escolheu para comemorar o aniversário de Jesus. Neste dia, muitas crianças escrevem cartas para Papai Noel, pedindo presentes como uma bicicleta ou uma boneca. Eu estou escrevendo a minha ... Este dia é chamado de Natal.Seis dias depois do Natal, muitas pessoas vão à praia, à noite, para esperar o ano novo, e começa tudo de novo ...

Espero que tenham gostado da nossa aula sobre feriados.
O próximo feriado é o Dia de Lembrança de Pearl Harbor, não esqueça!

See you!

Holidays - II

2011-11-10T12:26:00.001-02:00

Hello again!

Today I'm gonna post the second part of our lesson about Holidays. I'm gonna post about what people do during a holiday in the United States as in Brazil. I hope you like it:

I think that the most anticipated holiday is Easter. It falls on a spring Sunday, but varies from year to year. It's a Christian holiday that celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection. In the USA, parents give their children baskets of candy and many americans follow an old tradition of coloring hard-boiled eggs. In Brazil, people usually give chocolate eggs, and children love it when they see a rabbit, a traditional symbol of Easter in Brazil.
The next holiday happens in Brazil. It is called Tiradente's Day, or in English, Toothpuller's Day and it falls on April 21. Tiradentes (Joaquim José da Silva Xavier) was a dentist and was a leading member of the Brazilian revolutionary movement known as Inconfidência Mineira "whose aim was full independence from the Portuguese colonial power and to create a Brazilian republic. When the plan was discovered, Tiradentes was arrested, tried and publicly hanged. Since the 19th century he has been considered a national hero of Brazil and patron of the Minas Gerais Military Police.", according to Wikipedia. I don't think people do anything here in Brazil during this holiday...
On April 22 is celebrated the Earth Day. It was first celebrated in 1970 in the USA. This day was created to make people worry about their environment, to promote ecology and encourage respect for life on earth.

The Labor Day is on May 1 in Brazil. In the USA, it falls on the first Monday of September. We usually say "Oh God, thank you! I don't need to work or study today!" but some people work on this day...
On the second Monday of May is celebrated the Mother's Day. People give flowers and cards to their mother. My mom, particularly, says that on this day, I and my sister have to do the dishes, wash our clothes, clean the house, because it's HER day... I love her!

The next holiday falls on the last Monday of May, the Memorial Day. It was created to honor the people killed in the American Civil War but it has become a day on which the dead are remembered. The flying of the American flag is widespread.
Speaking of the American flag, on June 14 people display their American flags outside their homes and business.
Like the mothers, the fathers also have their day. It falls on the third Sunday of June. Many children give cards and presents to their fathers. In Brazil, it falls on the second Sunday of August.

On the next post, you'll learn about more holidays, don't miss it!

See you!
____________________

Hello again!

Hoje eu vou postar a segunda parte de nossa lição sobre feriados. Eu vou postar sobre o que as pessoas fazem durante um feriado nos Estados Unidos como no Brasil. Espero que gostem:
Acho que o feriado mais esperado é a Páscoa. Ela cai em um domingo de primavera, mas varia de ano para ano. É um feriado cristão que celebra a ressurreição de Jesus Cristo. Nos EUA, os pais dão aos filhos cestas de doces e muitos norte-americanos seguem uma velha tradição de colorir ovos cozidos. No Brasil, as pessoas costumam dar ovos de chocolate, e as crianças adoram quando vêem um coelho, um símbolo tradicional da Páscoa no Brasil.

O próximo feriado acontece no Brasil. Ele é chamado de Dia de Tiradentes, ou em Inglês, "Toothpuller's Day"e ele cai em 21 de abril. Tiradentes (Joaquim José da Silva Xavier) foi um dentista e foi um dos principais membros do movimento revolucionário brasileiro conhecido como "Inconfidência Mineira", "cujo objetivo era a plena independência do poder colonial Português e criar uma república brasileira. Quando o plano foi descoberto, Tiradentes foi preso, julgado e enforcado publicamente. Desde o século 19, ele tem sido considerado um herói nacional do Brasil e patrono da Polícia Militar de Minas Gerais.", segundo a Wikipedia. Eu não acho que as pessoas fazem alguma coisa aqui no Brasil durante este feriado ...Em 22 de abril é comemorado o Dia da Terra. Foi celebrado pela primeira vez em 1970 nos EUA. Este dia foi criado para fazer as pessoas se preocupam com o meio ambiente, para promover a ecologia e estimular o respeito à vida na Terra.O Dia do Trabalho é em 1 de maio no Brasil. Nos EUA, ele cai na primeira segunda-feira de setembro. Costumamos dizer: "Oh Deus, obrigado! Eu não preciso trabalhar ou estudar hoje!"mas algumas pessoas trabalham neste dia ...Na segunda segunda-feira de maio é comemorado o Dia das Mães. As pessoas dão flores e cartas para sua mãe. Minha mãe, em particular, diz que neste dia, eu e minha irmã temos que lavar a louça, lavar nossas roupas, limpar a casa, porque é o dia dela ... Eu amo ela!O próximo feriado cai na última segunda-feira de maio, o Dia da Lembrança. Foi criado para homenagear as pessoas mortas na Guerra Civil Americana, mas tornou-se um dia em que os mortos são lembrados. O hasteamento da bandeira americana é muito difundido.
Falando sobre a bandeira americana, em 14 de junho as pessoas colocam suas bandeiras americanas para fora de suas casas e negócios.Como as mães, os pais também têm o seu dia. Ela cai no terceiro domingo de junho. Muitas crianças dão cartas e presentes a seus pais. No Brasil, cai no segundo domingo de agosto.
No próximo post, você vai aprender sobre férias mais, não perca!

See you!

Holidays - I

2011-11-04T19:16:00.000-02:00

Hello world!

Some days ago, November began... Time flies! Here in Brazil we started the month with a holiday. Well, it was not exactly on November 1, it was on November 2, we celebrated the All Souls' Day, right after the Day of All Saints and Halloween. This day, November 2, as you probably know, is the day when people go to the cemetery and take candles and flowers with them to their dead relatives and pray for them.
In this post, I'm going to talk about some important holidays here in Brazil as in the United States. You'll also be able to read about what people do during a holiday. Pay close attention to it:

The first holiday of the year is, of course, the New Year's Day. It's celebrated on January 1. In Brazil most people go to the beach, in white clothes, and jump over seven waves "for luck". Some people keep lentil in their purse for luck too. Here in Brazil, people also start in this day doing things like eating better, saving money, working not too hard, going to the gym, studying... In the USA, people also have goals for the New Year, but they go to New York to see the ball fall down and the fireworks at Times Square. Who can't go to New York, go to the city center where of course there's Christmas decoration and fireworks and parades and live music. This is the first day of the year...
The next holiday is the Martin Luther King Day. It is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was an African-American clergyman who is recognized for his tireless efforts to win civil rights for all people through nonviolent means. We do not have this holiday in Brazil.
Groundhog Day is the next one. It is February 2, and it has been celebrated since 1887. On Groundhog Day, many people gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see if groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow after emerging from his burrow, thus predicting six more weeks of winter weather. We also don't have this holiday in Brazil.
The most lovely holiday is, without any shadow of doubt, is the Valentine's Day. On this day, people in the USA give cards to their friends with sayings like "I love you" or with drawings by the person delivering the card. It's a very lovely day. In Brazil this day is celebrated on June 12 and people give candies, cards and the man usually calls his girlfriend.
The next one is on the third Monday of February, it's the Presidents' Day. It was created to honor George Washington, the USA's first president.

That's it for now... Don't miss the next post!

image: iowaidiomas.blogspot.com

See you!

____________________

Hello World!

Alguns dias atrás, Novembro começou... O tempo voa! Aqui no Brasil nós começamos o mês com um feriado. Bem, não era exatamente em 1 de novembro, foi em 2 de novembro, comemoramos o Dia de Finados, logo após o Dia de Todos os Santos e o Dia das Bruxas. Neste dia, 02 de novembro, como você provavelmente sabe, é o dia quando as pessoas vão ao cemitério e levam velas e flores com eles para seus parentes mortos e para orar por eles.
Neste post, vou falar sobre alguns feriados importantes aqui no Brasil como nos Estados Unidos. Você também poderá ler sobre o que as pessoas fazem durante um feriado. Preste muita atenção a ele:

O primeiro feriado do ano é, claro, o Dia do Ano Novo. É comemorado em 01 de janeiro. No Brasil a maioria das pessoas vão à praia, com roupas brancas, e pulam sete ondas "para dar sorte". Algumas pessoas guardam lentilha em suas carteiras para dar sorte também. Aqui no Brasil, as pessoas também começam neste dia a fazer coisas como comer melhor, poupar dinheiro, trabalhar não muito duro, ir à academia, estudar... Nos EUA, as pessoas também têm metas para o Ano Novo, mas eles vão para Nova York para ver a bola cair e os fogos de artifício em Times Square. Quem não pode ir para Nova York, vá para o centro da cidade onde, naturalmente, há decoração de Natal e fogos de artifício e desfiles e música ao vivo. Este é o primeiro dia do ano...
O próximo feriado é o Dia de Martin Luther King. É um feriado federal comemorado no terceiro domingo de janeiro. O reverendo Martin Luther King, Jr. era um clérigo Africano-Americano que é reconhecido por seus esforços incansáveis para conquistar direitos civis para todos os povos através de meios não-violentos. Nós não temos este feriado no Brasil.
O Dia da Marmota é o próximo. É em 02 de fevereiro, e tem sido comemorado desde 1887. No Dia da Marmota, muitas pessoas se reúnem em Punxsutawney, Pensilvânia, para ver se a marmota Punxsutawney Phil vê sua sombra depois de sair de sua toca, prevendo assim mais seis semanas de inverno. Nós também não temos este feriado no Brasil.
O feriado mais bonito é, sem qualquer sombra de dúvida, o Dia dos Namorados. Neste dia, as pessoas nos EUA dão cartões para seus amigos com frases como "eu te amo" ou com desenhos feitos pela pessoa que entrega o cartão. É um dia muito lindo. No Brasil, esse dia é comemorado em 12 de junho e as pessoas dão doces, cartões e o homem costuma ligar para sua namorada.
O próximo é na terceira segunda-feira do mês de Fevereiro, é o Dia dos Presidentes. Foi criado para homenagear George Washington, primeiro presidente dos EUA.

Isso é tudo por enquanto... Não percam a próxima postagem!

imagem: iowaidiomas.blogspot.com

See you!

Listening - Billionaire

2011-10-27T21:08:00.000-02:00

Hello world!

Today I'll post a song that you probably know... It is sang by Bruno Mars and Travie McCoy and is called Billionaire. The video is here:

Hoje postarei uma música que você provavelmente conhece... É cantada por Bruno Mars e Travie McCoy e se chama Billionaire. O vídeo está aqui:

Billionaire - Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars

(Bruno Mars)
I wanna be a billionaire so fucking bad.
Buy all of the things I never had.
I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine.
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen.

[Chorus]
Oh everytime I close my eyes.
I see my name in shining lights.
Yeah, a different city every night oh
I, I swear the world better prepare
for when i'm a billionaire.

(Travie McCoy)
Yeah I would have a show like Oprah
I would be the host of everyday christmas give Travie a wish list.
I'd probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt
and adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had shit.
Give away a few Mercedes like here lady have this.
And last but not least grant somebody they last wish.
It's been a couple months that i've been single so
you can call me Travie Claus minus the ho ho.
Ahaa get it.
I'd probably visit where Katrina hit
and damn sure do alot more than FEMA did.
Yeah can't forget about me stupid.
Everywhere I go imma have my own theme music.

(Bruno Mars) [Chorus]
Oh everytime I close my eyes
(What you see? What you see? bro) I see my name in shining lights.
(Ahan, ahan and what else?) Oh ye-eah a different city every night oh
I, I swear the world better prepare
for when I'm a billionaire.
Oh oh oh oooh when I'm a billionaire.
Oh oh oh oooh.

(Travie McCoy)
I'll be playing basketball with the president.
Dunking on his delegates.
Then I compliment on his political etiquette.
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
But keep the fives, twentys, tens, and bens completely separate
And yeah I'll be in a whole new tax bracket
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
I'll probably take whatevers left and just split it up
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
Eating good sleeping soundly
I know we all have a similar dream
Go in your pocket pull out your wallet
And put it in the air and sing

(Bruno Mars)
I wanna be a billionaire so fucking bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen
(What up Oprah?) Oh everytime I close my eyes
(what you see? What you see? bro) I see my name in shining lights.
(Ahan, ahan and what else?) Yeah a different city every night oh
I, I swear the world better prepare for when I'm a billionaire.
Oh oh oh oooh when i'm a billionaire.
Oh oh oh oooh.

I wanna be a billionaire so fucking bad.

That's it for today! I hope you like it!

Isso é tudo por hoje! Espero que goste!

See you!

Texts and Questions - Language Classes in America

2011-10-24T12:36:00.002-02:00

Hey people!

Today we're starting a new section here. I'll post a text, any kind of text, and I'll give you some questions about it and you'll have to interpret it. It's very good to practice the language.
Today's text says that language classes are popular in America's public schools and was written by Mohamed Elshinnawi:

Language Classes Popular in America's Public Schools

More than 900 young students arrive at Kent Gardens Elementary every morning to take part in a system-wide language training program known as partial immersion. Its aim is to help students become fluent in a foreign language of their choice. In this particular school, French is the language being offered.

"Half of the day is spent with a French immersion teacher, where they learn math and science in French and the other part of the day is spent with the English teacher where they are taught social studies and language arts in English," says Annie Dwyer, a 5th grade French teacher.

Students not only receive instruction in the French language but are also exposed to the cultures of French-speaking countries. They interact with teacher-interns from France. Some students host the French interns in their homes, establishing personal cultural links.

Students at Kent Gardens Elementary come from many different cultural backgrounds, and they give many different reasons for wanting to be fluent in a foreign language.

"I am actually Muslim," says Rosa Ahmat, "so my parents want me to learn about other cultures and people from other places."

Anwar Mendes says he expects to travel a lot in the future. "So I will have a pretty good chance of meeting a person that speaks French."

"It will be very hard to get a good job if you do not know the other languages," says Neha Rana.

Many educators support that belief. They say immersing young students in foreign language study for at least half of their school day gives them the mult-lingual skills they'll need to succeed in an increasingly global economy.

There are other benefits as well. "It expands the mind of the child and also gives them a greater cultural awareness of other cultures and makes them more tolerant of others' differences," says 6th grade French teacher Christine Bedoret.

Some critics of immersion programs believe that spending half the school day learning in a foreign language could negatively impact students' fluency in English. Richard Gordon, a 6-grade English and social studies teacher, disagrees. "One thing I noticed when I teach my students coming from the foreign language program is that they are very oral, they are very vocal, and they can express themselves very well in my English classes."

But French teachers like Francoise Brottet admits there are challenges involved in the immersion program. "Since they do not understand everything (we say), we have to find creative and different ways to teach them."

Young students have their own challenges. "It can be a bit confusing at times, because you learn the terms in French and sometimes some tests and homework you get are written in English," says 6th grader Kimia Zadegan.

Over the past decade, hundreds of American public schools have begun offering partial immersion programs to teach students Latin, Spanish, German, Japanese and many other languages.

Dr. Robyn Hooker, Kent Gardens' Principal, says that many of the students at the school are already multi-lingual, as well as multi-cultural, when they enroll. "Many of the children in our school, because it is an international school, come to us speaking perhaps two or three and in some instances four languages, so it becomes a part of our responsibility to prepare children for global society — and that always includes the languages."

Hooker believes the training students are receiving at Kent Gardens — and in similar language immersion schools across the country — will help them to communicate more effectively not just in their own American polyglot, but in the 21st century's increasingly global village.

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1. (UFV 2008) What kind of program is offered by Kent Graden Elementary to its students?

2. (UFV 2008) Does the text present arguments for or against this type of program? Justify.

3. (UFV 2008) According to Richard Gordon, the students participating in immersion programs

(a) double the quotient of intelligence by practicing the language.

(b) improve their English fluency.

(d) become, in general, shy and quiet.

(e) greatly improve the writing skills.

4. (UFV 2008) In a studyon the relationship between language and culture, Kramsch explains that trans, inter and multicultural communication is a complex and mental ability, involving a specific aspect of language learning: the ability to learn the language/culture of another without losing your own and thus move between these "worlds"."Multicultural" people can play different social roles, linguistically and culturally appropriate in a situation of contextualized interaction.

Considering Kramsch's tought, choose the alternative that presents a phrase from the text that confirms this explanation:

(a) "It expands the mind of the child and also gives them a greater cultural awareness of other cultures and makes them more tolerant of other's differences."

(b)"It can be a bit confusing at times, because you learn the terms in French and sometimes tests and homework you get are written in English."

(d) "So I will have a pretty good chance of meeting a person that speaks French."

(e) "Since they do not understand everything we say, we have to find creative and different ways to teach them."

5. (UFV 2008, adapted) The words their (5th line, 2nd paragraph) and they (1st line, 4th paragraph) refer, respectively, to the words:
(a) "Schools" and "languages"
(b) "Students" and "schools"
(c) "Educators" and "students"
(d) "Students" and "educators"
(e) "Language" and "educators"

6. (UFV 2008) The passage of the text in the 6th paragraph in Passive Voice "some tests and homework you get are written in English" can be written in the Active Voice as:

(a) Someone wrote the tests and homework you get in English.
(b) Someone writes the tests and homework you get in English.
(c) Someone will write the tests and homework you get in English.
(d) Someone is writing the tests and homework you get in English.
(e) Someone writes the tests and homework you got in English.

I hope you like this!

See you!
____________________

Hey people!

Hoje estamos começando uma nova seção aqui. Eu postarei um texto, qualquer tipo de texto, e darei a você algumas perguntas sobre ele e você terá que interpretá-lo. Esse é um bom jeito de praticar o idioma.
O texto de hoje fala que aulas de idioma são populares em escolas públicas da América e foi escrito por Mohamed Elshinnawi:

(Leia o texto acima, destacado em azul)

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1. (UFV 2008) Que tipo de programa é oferecido na Kent Graden Elementary para seus estudantes?

2. (UFV 2008) O texto apresenta argumentos contra ou a favor deese tipo de programa? Justifique.

3. (UFV 2008) De acordo com Richard Gordon, os estudantes que participam em programas de imersão

(a) dobram o quoeficiênte de inteligência ao praticar o idioma.

(b) melhora sua fluência no Inglês.

(d) se tornam, em geral, tímidos e quietos.

(e) melhoram bastante as habilidades de escrita.

4. (UFV 2008) Em um estudo sobre a relação entre idioma e cultura, Kramsch explica quea comunicação trans, inter ou multicultural é uma habilidade complexa e mental, envolvendo um aspecto específico do aprendizado de um idioma: a habilidade de aprender o idioma/cultura de outro sem perder a sua própria e então transitar entre esses dois "mundos". Pessoas "multiculturais" conseguem desenvolver dois papéis diferentes na sociedade, linguistica e culturalmente adequados em uma situação de interação contextualizada.

Levando em conta o pensamento de Kramsch, escolha a alternativa que apresenta um frase do texto que confirma essa explicação:

(a) "It expands the mind of the child and also gives them a greater cultural awareness of other cultures and makes them more tolerant of other's differences."

(b)"It can be a bit confusing at times, because you learn the terms in French and sometimes tests and homework you get are written in English."

(d) "So I will have a pretty good chance of meeting a person that speaks French."

(e) "Since they do not understand everything we say, we have to find creative and different ways to teach them."

5. (UFV 2008, adapted) As palavras their (5ª linha, 2º parágrafo) e they (1ª linha, 4º parágrafo) referem-se, respectivamente, às palavras:
(a) "Schools" e "languages"
(b) "Students" e "schools"
(c) "Educators" e "students"
(d) "Students" e "educators"
(e) "Language" e "educators"

6. (UFV 2008) O trecho do texto no 6º parágrafo na Voz Passiva "some tests and homework you get are written in English" pode ser escrito na Voz Ativa como:

(a) Someone wrote the tests and homework you get in English.
(b) Someone writes the tests and homework you get in English.
(c) Someone will write the tests and homework you get in English.
(d) Someone is writing the tests and homework you get in English.
(e) Someone writes the tests and homework you got in English.

Espero que goste!

See you!

Articles - Exercises

2011-10-17T12:48:00.000-02:00

Hey guys!

Today I brought you some exercises about Articles. If you didn't read my post about it, click here.

1. Complete the sentence with A or An:
a) That's _____ very beautiful blouse! You should wear it!
b) I saw _____ airplane yesterday!
c) I saw _____ big airplane yesterday!
d) A: How long will it take?
B: About _____ hour or two.
e) This horse is horny. It's _____ horny horse.

2. Complete with The, A or An:
a) _____ book you told me about was sold...
b) _____ girl was trying to run from his brother, that's what I saw.
c) _____ elephant bothers many people, two elephants bother even more...
d) In _____ future, I hope things get better.
e) In _____ near future I'm going to have a baby!

3. Tell me, is it right or wrong?
a) My mother said the strange word yesterday but I don't remember which one...
b) I'll watch a movie you told me about.
c) A book you were reading seemed to be very interesting!
d) The candy you gave me was dirty!
e) I saw a beautiful girl this morning.

Hey, I'm sorry for that "horny horse". I lack creativity...

I'll be posting the answers for all the exercises.

See you!
____________________

Hey guys!

Hoje eu trouxe a você alguns exercícios sobre Artigos. Se você não leu meu post sobre isso, clique aqui.

1. Complete the sentence with A or An:
a) That's _____ very beautiful blouse! You should wear it!
b) I saw _____ airplane yesterday!
c) I saw _____ big airplane yesterday!
d) A: How long will it take?
B: About _____ hour or two.
e) This horse is horny. It's _____ horny horse.

2. Complete with The, A or An:
a) _____ book you told me about was sold...
b) _____ girl was trying to run from his brother, that's what I saw.
c) _____ elephant bothers many people, two elephants bother even more...
d) In _____ future, I hope things get better.
e) In _____ near future I'm going to have a baby!

3. Tell me, is it right or wrong?
a) My mother said the strange word yesterday but I don't remember which one...
b) I'll watch a movie you told me about.
c) A book you were reading seemed to be very interesting!
d) The candy you gave me was dirty!
e) I saw a beautiful girl this morning.

Hey, me desculpe por aquele "horny horse". Eu tenho falta de criatividade...

Estarei postando as respostas para todos os exercícios.

See you!

Articles

2011-10-12T20:03:00.001-03:00

What's up?

Today... today... I don't know what to say...
Well, today we're going to learn how to use an article. Do you know what an article is? If you don't, an article is basically an adjective, and articles modify nouns. I think you know about all this because we see this in nearly every post here...
There are two kinds of articles:
If I say "I should read the English book because I'm going to take a test." I mean that I should read a specific book, but if I say "I should read a book because I want to gain knowledge." I mean any book.

DEFINITE ARTICLES:
The is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular. The shows that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group, for example:

"The house that was burning was rebuilt." - In this example, we're talking about a specific house, the house that was burning.

"I was happy to see the woman whose bag was left in the bus station!" - Now, we're talking about a particular woman. Even if we don't know her name, it's still a particular woman because it's the one whose bag was left in the bus station.

"I saw the computer you were talking about in that store." - Here, we're talking about a specific noun.

Here you have some tips for using The with geographical nouns:

- Names of rivers, oceans and seas: the Nile, the Pacific

- Points on the globe: the Equator, the North Pole

- Geographical areas: the Middle East, the West

- Deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

INDEFINITE ARTICLES:

A/ An show that the noun that was modified is indefinite. A/ An refer to any member of a group, for example:

"My sister really wants to have a dog but I have no money!" - In this example, it refers to any dog.

"Please, call a doctor now!" - Now, we don't want to see a specific doctor, we need any doctor who's available.

"I saw a computer there, but I ain't sure if it is the one you were talking about..." - Here, there probably were many computers. We are talking about a single, non-specific thing, a computer.

Here you have some tips for using A or An:

- Use A when the next word begins with the SOUND of a consonant: a boy, a girl, a person...

- Use An when the next word begins with the SOUND of a vowel: an airplane, an elephant, an unicycle...

- You should use An with words like "hour" because it sounds like a vowel.

- And you should use A with words like "horse" because it sound like what? Haha, a consonant!

Did you like it? What about some exercises?

Hey! That's it for today...

images: http://englishonthe.net/2009/01/14/golden-rules-for-english-articles/

See you!

___________________

What's up?

Hoje... hoje... eu não sei o que dizer...

Bom, hoje vamos aprender como usar um artigo. Você sabe o que é um artigo? Se você não sabe, um artigo é basicamente um adjetivo, e um artigo modifica o substantivo. Eu acho que você já sabe sobre tudo isso porque nós vemos isso em quase todos os posts aqui...

Existem dois tipos de artigos:

Se eu digo "I should read the English book because I'm going to take a test." quer dizer que eu deveria ler um livro específico. Mas se eu digo "I should read a book because I want to gain knowledge." quer dizer que eu deveria ler qualquer livro.

ARTIGOS DEFINIDOS:
The é usado antes de substantivos singulares e plurais quando o substantivo é específico ou particular.The mostra que o substantivo é definido, que ele refere a um membro particular de um grupo, por exemplo:

"The house that was burning was rebuilt." - Nesse exemplo, estamos falando de uma casa específica, a casa que estava quimando.

"I was happy to see the woman whose bag was left in the bus station!" - Agora, estamos falando de uma mulher em particular. Mesmo se não sabemos o nome dela, ainda é uma mulher em particular pois é a mulher cuja bolsa foi deixada na estação de ônibus.

"I saw the computer you were talking about in that store." - Aqui, falamos sobre um substantivo específico.

Aqui você tem algumas dicas para usar o The com substantivos geográficos:
- Nomes de rios, oceanos e mares: the Nile, the Pacific

- Pontos no globo: the Equator, the North Pole

- Áreas geográficas: the Middle East, the West

- Desertos, florestas, golfos, e penínsulas: the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

ARTIGOS INDEFINIDOS:
A/ An mostra que o substantivo que foi modificado é indefinido. A/ An referem a qualquer membro de um grupo, por exemplo:

"My sister really wants to have a dog but I have no money!" - Nesse exemplos, se refere a qualquer cachorro.

"Please, call a doctor now!" - Agora, não queremos ver um médico específico, nós precisamos de um médico que esteja disponível.

"I saw a computer there, but I ain't sure if it is the one you were talking about..." - Aqui, provavelmente havia muitos computadores. Estamos falando sobre uma coisa não específica, um computador.

Aqui você tem algumas dicas para usar A ou An:

- Use A quando a próxima palavra começa com SOM de uma consoante: a boy, a girl, a person...

- Use An quando a próxima palavra começa com SOM de vogal: an airplane, an elephant, an unicycle...

- Você deve usar An with com palavras como "hour" porque soa como uma vogal.

- E você deveria usar A com palavras como "horse" porque ela soa como o que? Haha, uma consoante!

Você gostou disso? Que tal alguns exercícios?

Hey! Isso é tudo por hoje...

images: http://englishonthe.net/2009/01/14/golden-rules-for-english-articles/

See you!

Asking for and Giving Directions in English

2011-10-11T18:53:00.003-03:00

Hey people!!!

Well, as I said, I can't keep on posting everyday because I'm always away from my computer... But today is holiday, so I have some time to post...
Today we're going to learn how to give and ask for directions in English. First of all, we have to know the places of a city, for example, the market, or the library.
Can you figure out the name of the following places in your language?

We can read books and newspapers at the library.
In the market you can buy things like fruits, vegetables, cleaning products...
If you are not from my city, you can visit the tourist information office for help about where to go...
You can learn things like Math, History and English in the school.
At the hospital there are sick people who want to be healed and there are doctors who help them.
You can withdraw money in the bank.
And in the zoo, there will be different kinds of animals.
At the park there will probably be toys and children, and their aprents will be there too.
You can watch good movies at the cinema.
In the church, you can worship God, in my case I trust in Jeovah, my God.
The hotel is the place where people pay for a room and sleep there and eat there for some time, usually when they are on vacation.
You can watch soccer, basketball, handball, volleyball, any sport in a stadium.
And finally, in the museum, you can see paintings or sculptures, bones of a dinosaur and things like that.

Here we have the map of NY and its main parts:

Now that you know some places of a city, how can you ask for or give directions?
Here are some phrases and questions that you can say that are very useful:

ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS:
How do I get to...?
What's the best way to...?
Where is …?
Can you tell me the best way of getting to...?

GIVING INFORMATION:
Go straight on (until you come to…).
Turn back./Go back.
Turn left/right (into… street).
Go along …
Go ahead.
Cross …
Take the first/second road on the left/right
It's on the left/right.
straight on
It's next to....
It's between.....
It'sat the end (of) ....
...on/at the corner.
...behind.
...in front of.
It's (just) around the corner.

LANDMARKS:
Can you see a large sign / roundabout?

On your left there will be a hospital / the police station...
Just after the level crossing / shopping centre (or mall)...
Go past the ...
Traffic lights
Crossroads, junction
Signpost

Now read this dialog for a better understanding:
Tourist: Excuse me. is tehre a bank around here?
Police Officer: Yes, there is a city bank on the corner of Central and Maple Avenue. Do you know how to get there?
T.: yes, I do, thanks! And are there hotels in thsi area?
P.O.: Well, there isn't any hotel around here but there are two hotels next to Saint Peter's theater, there is one across from the park and there is a Youth Hostelnear the museum. You have to take number 7 bus to get there. The bus stop is in front of the Youth Hostel.
T.: Just one more question. Is there a good Brazilian restaurant near the hostels?
P.O.: No, there aren't Brazilian restaurant in the town. But there is a delicious Italian restaurant behind the Youth Hostel and a Mexican restaurant across from Saint Peter's theater.
T.: Ok. Thanks anyway. Bye!

New Fast English, Book I, page 123, Elton da Silva Vargas e Wellington da Silva Rehder

That's all for today! Hope you liked it.

image: http://www.nyctourist.com/map1.htm

See you!
____________________
Hey people!!!

Bom, como eu disse, eu não poso ficar postando todos os dias pois eu sempre estou longe do meu computador... Mas hoje é feriado, então eu tenho algum tempo para postar...
Hoje vamos aprender como dar e pedir direções em Inglês. Primeiro, temos que conhecer os lugares da cidade, por exemplo, o mercado ou a biblioteca.
Você pode descobrir o nome dos seguintes lugares no seu idioma?

We can read books and newspapers at the library.
In the market you can buy things like fruits, vegetables, cleaning products...
If you are not from my city, you can visit the tourist information office for help about where to go...
You can learn things like Math, History and English in the school.
At the hospital there are sick people who want to be healed and there are doctors who help them.
You can withdraw money in the bank.
And in the zoo, there will be different kinds of animals.
At the park there will probably be toys and children, and their aprents will be there too.
You can watch good movies at the cinema.
In the church, you can worship God, in my case I trust in Jeovah, my God.
The hotel is the place where people pay for a room and sleep there and eat there for some time, usually when they are on vacation.
You can watch soccer, basketball, handball, volleyball, any sport in a stadium.
And finally, in the museum, you can see paintings or sculptures, bones of a dinosaur and things like that.

Aqui temos o mapa de NY e suas partes principais:

Agora que você conhece alguns lugares da cidade, como pedir ou dar informações?
Aqui estão algumas frases e perguntas que você poder fazer e que são muito úteis:

PERGUNTANDO DIREÇÕES:
How do I get to...?
What's the best way to...?
Where is …?
Can you tell me the best way of getting to...?

DANDO INFORMAÇÕES:
Go straight on (until you come to…).
Turn back./Go back.
Turn left/right (into… street).
Go along …
Go ahead.
Cross …
Take the first/second road on the left/right
It's on the left/right.
straight on
It's next to....
It's between.....
It'sat the end (of) ....
...on/at the corner.
...behind.
...in front of.
It's (just) around the corner.

PONTOS DE REFERÊNCIA:
Can you see a large sign / roundabout?

On your left there will be a hospital / the police station...
Just after the level crossing / shopping centre (or mall)...
Go past the ...
Traffic lights
Crossroads, junction
Signpost

Agora leia esse diálogo para uma melhor compreensão:
Tourist: Excuse me. is tehre a bank around here?

Police Officer: Yes, there is a city bank on the corner of Central and Maple Avenue. Do you know how to get there?
T.: yes, I do, thanks! And are there hotels in thsi area?
P.O.: Well, there isn't any hotel around here but there are two hotels next to Saint Peter's theater, there is one across from the park and there is a Youth Hostelnear the museum. You have to take number 7 bus to get there. The bus stop is in front of the Youth Hostel.
T.: Just one more question. Is there a good Brazilian restaurant near the hostels?
P.O.: No, there aren't Brazilian restaurant in the town. But there is a delicious Italian restaurant behind the Youth Hostel and a Mexican restaurant across from Saint Peter's theater.
T.: Ok. Thanks anyway. Bye!

New Fast English, Book I, page 123, Elton da Silva Vargas e Wellington da Silva Rehder

Isso é tudo por hoje! Espero que tenham gostado!

image: http://www.nyctourist.com/map1.htm

See you!

Today is a very happy day!

2011-09-20T22:47:00.000-03:00

Hey guys!

Are you as happy as I am? Today our blog is getting old. Well, actually it always gets old... But today it is its birthday. That's why I'm really happy!!! As you could see, now this blog has a logo, my mother created it. It's pretty nice, ain't it? I wanna thank you all again for reading, sharing, commenting and I want you to keep on doing that.
There will be some changes on the blog very soon. I want this blog to answer all your questions in a simple, easy and better way, so that you can learn more and more. I'll spend some time working on that, I promisse.
I know you might not read all the posts, you might not even read this one, but if you are reading it, I want you to know that I thank you too much (again) for learning from this blog.

Thanks!

One Year Old

2011-09-10T15:30:00.001-03:00

Hey guys!

I am really happy because in 10 days our blog will be 1 year old!
I want to thank you all for reading, commenting and sharing my blog. Without you, this blog would have only 3 posts...
In the beggining, I thought it would take all the time I had, but I knew how to organize my day to post on this blog... As you started reading, I started posting more and more, and now this blog has more than 160 posts... I know I could have posted about more things, but sometimes I was too lazy... But I used to think that there are many people around the world who wants to learn English, and that feeling made me lose my laziness and keep posting. I thank you all.
I hope you are enjoying my blog, and I hope it can be 2 years old as soon as you can blink.
Keep reading it!

See you!

School in the USA

2011-09-07T11:25:00.001-03:00

Hello!

I'm really sorry for not posting here. On the previous post, I told you I would tell you what I did some days before that post. Well, I met some americans from he Baptist Church in Texas. They are really very friendly and I hope to see them very soon. They spent around 12 days here in Brazil, in my city, but they have also gone to surrounding cities to share the gospel with other people. I helped them by traslating what they said. It was a really good time. By the way, the song I posted on the previous post is from a CD that they have given to some people who helped them. To be short, that's what I did.
In the begginning of this post I apologized for not posting. I'll tell you why. I started a thecnical course on Design of Civil Construction and it is really very splendiferous. I think I'll be able to post only on Saturdays or Sundays because I'm always away from my computer...
Ok, let's cut to the chase:

My teacher wanted us to talk to an american person about how the school in the USA is. I talked to two or three people and I created a video to tell you what the said. If you want, you can pause the video to read it slowly:

I hope you like it!

See you!

Listening - All of Creation

2011-08-07T13:23:00.000-03:00

Hello!

Well, first of all, I'd like to apologize for spending many days without posting. I'll tell you later what I did these days.
Today, I brought a gospel song, sung by Mercy me. It's called "All of Creation":

Here, you can read the lyrics:

Separated
Until the veil was torn
The moment that hope was bornAnd guilt was pardoned once and for all
Captivated But no longer bound by chainsLeft at an empty graveThe sinner and the sacred resolved
[chorus:]And all of creation, sing with me nowLift up your voice and lay your burden downAnd all of creation, sing with me nowFill up the heavens, let His glory resound
Time has faded And we see him face to faceEvery doubt erased Forever we will worship the king
[repeat chorus]
Ohh ah ohhh...ohh ah ohhh
The reason we breatheIs to sing of His gloryAnd for all he has done Praise the father, praise the son and the spirit in one
[repeat chorus 2x]
And every knee will bow Oh, and every tongue Praise the father, praise the son and the spirit in one
Source: http://www.metrolyrics.com/all-of-creation-lyrics-mercy-me.html (Adaptaded)
That's it!
See you!

Colors

2011-07-13T19:12:00.000-03:00

What's up?

On today's post, you will learn the colors in English.
Did you know that in the UK they say "colours"? In the US they say "colors", without the letter "U" in the middle.

In the beginning, there were only three colors, called Primary Colors:
Red, the color of fire, the color of love, the color of our blood
Blue, the color of the sea, the color of tranquility, the color of the sky
and Yellow, the color of the sun, the color of some types of cheese, the color of sunflowers

By mixing Red and Blue, we get the Purple, the color of violets.
By mixing Blue and Yellow, we get the Green, the color of grass.
And by mixing Red and Yellow, we get the Orange, the color of an orange!
These are the Secondary Colors.

Look at this picture:

Then we have the Tertiary Colors, which are:
Brown, the color of wood.
And Grey or Gray, the color of a rain cloud.

And by mixing every color, we get the White, the color of light, the color of the moon.
When there is no color, it is Black, the color of the vacumm.

When you add Black to a color, you call it "dark [color]"
Black adds shadow to a color:
Blue + Black = Dark blue

And when you add White to a color, you call it "light [color]".
White makes a color lighter:
Blue + White = Light blue

Some people say that Pink is the color of girls.

Here are some phrases with colors:
"The U.S. flag is blue, red and white."
"The Brazilian flag is green, yellow, blue and white."
"Penguins are black and white."
"It doesn't matter if you're black or white." - Michael Jackson

I hope you like this lesson!

image: wiu.edu

See you!

Reflexive Pronouns - Exercises

2011-07-10T14:40:00.000-03:00

Hello guys!

Here you have a quiz about Reflexive Pronouns. If you want to learn what Reflexive Pronouns are, click here.

Get Your Own Quiz!, More Quizzes

I hope you like it!

See you!
____________________

Hello guys!

Aqui você tem um quiz sobre Reflexive Pronouns. Se você quiser saber o que são Reflexive Pronouns, clique aqui.

Espero que goste!

Reflexive Pronouns

2011-07-09T18:38:00.000-03:00

How do you do?

Today we're gonna talk about the Reflexive Pronouns. Pay attention to the video below:

On the next post, I'll bring some exercises.

See you!

Many, Much and Very - Exercises

2011-07-08T20:31:00.003-03:00

Hello people!

Here is a quiz about "Many, Much and Very". Choose the correct answer for each sentence:

Get Your Own Quiz!, More Quizzes

See you!

Many, Much and Very

2011-07-08T11:03:00.000-03:00

Hello everyone!

Today's video is about the uses of Many, Much and Very. Pay close attention, please:

On the next post, some exercises.

See you!

Countries and Nationalities - Part 3

2011-07-07T22:13:00.000-03:00

Hello again!

As I said, here is the third part of Countries and Nationaities:

See you!

Countries and Nationalities - Part 2

2011-07-07T19:43:00.000-03:00

Hey!

Now, the second video created by me, on Countries and Nationalities. This is about Africa and Asia.

On the next post, the last continent, Oceania.

See you!

Countries and Nationalities - Part 1

2011-07-07T15:18:00.000-03:00

Hi!

Today I created a video on Countries and Nationalities. If you like it, leave a comment below. If you don't, leave a comment too. I think it is a bit small to be visualized. If you want to see it better, click on that buttom with four arrows to enlarge it.

I hope you like it. On the next post, I'll talk about Asia and Africa.

See you!

Listening - Taking me Under

2011-07-07T10:06:00.001-03:00

Hello people!

Today we're gonna listen to the song "Taking me Under", sung by Austin Kyle:

See you!

Tongue-Twister

2011-07-04T11:24:00.003-03:00

Hello people!

Well, I know that a person who is learning English needs to speak to learn more. So I brought some tongue-twisters to help you. Tongue-Twister "is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly and can be used as a type of spoken (or sung) word game" (wikipedia), it is hard to speak fast, that is, it is funny!
Read these phrases aloud, please:

Can you can a can in a can?

She sells sea-shells by the sea shore.

Sheena leads, Sheila needs.

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

Once a fellow met a fellow
In a field of beans
Said a fellow to a fellow
"If a fellow asks a fellow,
Can a fellow tell a fellow
What a fellow means?"

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepers
A peck of pickled pepers Peter Piper pecked
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepers,
Where's the peck of pickled pepers Peter Piper picked?

Dr, Johnson and Mr. Johnson,
After great consideration,
Came to the conclusion
That the Indian nation
Beyond the Indian Ocean
Is back in education
Because the chief occupation is cultivation.

A flea and a Fly in a flue
Said the fly: "Oh, what should we do?"
Said the flea: "Let us fly!"
Said the fly: "Let us flee!"
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

How much pot could a pot roast roast if a pot roast could roast pot?

Mr. Tongue Twister tried to train his tongue to twist and turn, and twit an twat, to learn the letter "T".

Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear when Washington's washer woman went West?

That's all for now. On another post, I'll bring more tongue-twisters.

See you!

Use of That

2011-07-04T10:24:00.000-03:00

What's up?

Do you know how to use the word "That" in a sentence? Do you get confused when you use this word? So today I'm going to help you with it. Pay close attention.

The word "That" can be used as a Relative Pronoun. For example, when we are talking about something, we say:
"Look at that!", "What's that?", "That was a good trip!", "Where is that CD?"
In these sentences, it is essential because it is a Relative Pronoun.

We don't use "That" after a verb of attribuition (said, stated, announced, disclosed). The word "That" can be ommited with no loss of meaning.
"He said that he saw a big monster!" - No need for "That", better to ommit.
"He said he saw a big moster!"

When, in a sentence, there is a pronoun and a verb, and next to it, there is another pronoun and another verb, we drop the word "That".
"I know that you are somewhere out there." - Pronoun, verb, pronoun, verb
"I know you are somewhere out there."
"I know you like me."

In some cases, the word "That" can be repeated:
"Did you know that that man is my husband?"
In these cases, we also have a pronoun, a verb, a pronoun and a verb. We can drop the first "That" in this sentence. Some people use this "That" because of good writing.
"Did you know that man is my husband?"

Now, I have a sentence for you to say if it is right or not:

"Did you know that that "that" that that "That" wrote is wrong?"
Well, you might think I'm crazy, but I'm not.
I created this phrase thinking of a world where people's name is "That". And one person wrote the word "that", but this person wrote it wrongly. Then I asked: "Did you know that that "that" that that "That" wrote is wrong?"

I hope you understand it.

See you!

The Body - Exercises

2011-07-03T15:05:00.000-03:00

Hi!

Here are some exercises on the three lastest posts.

1. Give the correct answer:
a) What do you have at the end of your arm?
b) What is the name of the small hole that we have on our belly?
c) We have fingers in the hands. What do we have in the feet?

2. Match the columns:
(a) brain
(b) lung
(c) stomach

( ) take in oxigen and eliminate carbon dioxide
( ) the food is sterilized and pre-digested in it
( ) we think with it

3. Have you ever broken any part of your body? If so, which part?

On the next post, I'll talk about the uses of the word "THAT".

See you!

The Body - Part III

2011-07-03T14:49:00.003-03:00

Hello!

Now, you're going to learn the name of some organs that you have inside your body. If you don't feel good when talking about this, please don't read this post.

MAIN ORGANS:

Brain:

We use the brain to think, remember things, concentrate...

Veins:
Blood flows in the veins.

Heart:
You need your heart to live. The heart pumps blood.

Liver:
The liver releases secretions in a system of channels that open in an outer surface.

Intestine:
The intestine is responsible for absorving water and nutrients and excretion of waste.

Arthery:
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the ventricles of the heart to all parts of our body.

Lung:
The lungs take in oxigen and eliminate carbon dioxide.

Stomach:
The food is sterilized and pre-digested in the stomach in order to follow into the intestine.

Kidney:
The kidneys filter wastes from blood (especially urea) and excrete them in urine with water.

Spleen:
The spleen plays an important immune function of antibody production and proliferation of activated lymphocytes.

Skin:
The skin is the outer covering of the body, considered the largest organ in the body and heavier.

That's all, folks!
I don't want to give a Biology lesson...

Source:

wikipedia.com

sharpbrains.com

See you!

The Body - Part II

2011-07-03T12:06:00.000-03:00

Hey!

Today, I'm going to post about the limbs and the trunk of the human body. This may be important to you someday.

Below the neck, we have the shoulders. The arms start at the shoulders.
At the end of the arms, we have hands.
And we have the fingers, which are at the end of the hand.
In the middle of the arm, we have the elbow.

We also have the chest, just below the shoulders.
Some chests are hairy.

Then, we have the belly. There is a small hole on our belly, which is called navel.

Below it, we have the genital organs (penis and vagina)
I won't show you how they are because you must know how they are...

And finally we have the legs. In the middle of the legs, we have the knee.
At the end of the leg, we have the foot, two feet.
And at the end of the feet we have the toes.
The fingers are in the hands and the toes are in the feet.

That's all for today.

Images:

http://www.chiroone.net/commonconditions/shouldersarmshands.html

http://www.physio4all.com/bronchiolitis.htm

http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read/175362/Red_dots_on_my_baby_s_belly

http://www.amaluxherbal.com/restless_leg_syndrome.htm

See you!

The Body - Part I

2011-07-02T15:19:00.000-03:00

Here I am again!

Let's start with the head (cabeça):

On the top of the head, we have hair, which can be short, long, smooth, curly...

Then, we have the forehead. Within our forehead is our brain, which we think with. Some foreheads have wrinkles, like this person:

After the forehead, we have two eyebrows. Many women like to trim their eyebrows.

The eyes are the next. They are very similar to a ball, but they have a beautiful color. Near the eyes, we have small hair, which are the eyelashes.

Between the eyes, we have a nose. The nose has two holes called nostrils.

Below the nose, men have mustache.

Beside the nose, we have the cheeks. Some cheeks are fluffy.

Then, we have the mouth. Inside the mouth, we have teeth (dentes), tongue (língua) and gum (gengiva).

Below the mouth, we have the chin. Men have beard (barba).

Beside the cheeks, we have the ears.

And finally, we have the neck, which supports the head.

On another post, I'll talk about the other parts of the body. Don't miss it, ok?

images:

http://janelacomcortinados.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-hair-less.html

http://www.legaljuice.com/2010/07/post_145.html

http://fabulously40.com/article/id/re-inventing-yourself-another-way-to-maintain-a-youthful-appearance-2686

http://www.crossfitbalboa.com/2011/02/eye/

http://www.infovisual.info/03/photo/human%20nose.html

http://uvtblog.com/2010/11/team-us-is-taking-over-movember/

http://weird-newsblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/chubby-cheeks.html

http://oqueeutenho.uol.com.br/portal/2009/10/13/sensibilidade-nos-dentes-problema-afeta-25-da-populacao-adulta/

http://www.mandarinpictures.com/matthewsilas/chickenscratch/archives/000072.php

http://evelyndisk.blogspot.com/2011/02/anybody-hearing-at-saint-and-ear.html

http://mestredasresenhas.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/medos-criaturas-vampiros/

See you!

Other slangs

2011-07-02T09:49:00.000-03:00

What's up?

Ok, without further ado, I'll post more slangs.

Da bomb - excellent
Freaky daddy/ mommy - someone is very beautiful
Friendosaurus - someone is very ugly
A french kiss - a tongue kiss
To puke - to vomit
Weirdo - silly, stupid

I'll post more soon.

See you!

More Idioms

2011-07-01T20:23:00.000-03:00

Hey there!

Today I'll post more idioms. If you wanna see the idioms that have been posted, click here.

Last but not least
An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is no less important than those introduced before him/her.

Lend me your ear
To politely ask for someone's full attention.

Method to my madness
Strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the end are done for a good reason.

Never bite the hand that feeds you
Don't hurt anyone who helps you.

Over my dead body
When you absolutely will not allow something to happen.

Pass the buck
Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else.

Pig in a poke
A deal that i made without first examining it.

Pull the plug
To stop something. To bring something to an end.

Queer the pitch
Destroy or ruin a plan

Raining cats and dogs
A very noisy and loud rain storm.

Rome was not built in one day
If you want something to be completely properly, then it's going to take time.

Saved by the bell
Saved at the last possible moment.

Scot-free
To escape and not have to pay.

Smell something fishy
Detecting that something isn't right and there might be a reason for it.

The ball is in your court
It is your decision this time.

Third time's a charm
After no success the first two times, the third try is alucky one.

Under the weather
Feeling ill or sick.

Variety is the spice of life
The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.

When pigs fly
Something that will never ever happen.

X marks the spot: A phrase that is said when someone finds something he/she has been looking for.

You are what you eat
In order to stay healthy you must eat healthy foods.

You can't judge a book by its cover
Decisions shouldn't be made primarily on appearance.

Your guess is as good as mine
I have no idea.

Zero tolerance
No crime or law breaking, big or small, will be overlooked.

Source: idiomsite.com

That's all, folks!

See you!

Parts of the house - Exercises

2011-07-01T18:05:00.000-03:00

Hi!

Have you read the previous post? I hope you have, because you will need some information from that text to answer this question:

1. Complete the sentences with one of the options below:
a) The _____ is the part of the house where people can watch TV and read a book, for example.
kitchen/ living room/ bedroom/ bathroom/ garden

b) You always sleep in the _____, but sometimes your wife makes you sleep on the sofa...
kichen/ living room/ bedroom/ bathroom/ garden

c) You use the _____ to do things such as washing hands and face or taking a shower.
kitchen/ living room/ bedroom/ bathroom/ garden

d) You can cook and eat in the _____, but you can't take a shower in it.
kitchen/ living room/ bedroom/ bathroom/ garden

e) The _____ has many kind of flowers and trees.
kitchen/ living room/ bedroom/ bathroom/ garden

HOUSE OR HOME?
The home is abstract. As my mother said "the home is the family". The house is palpable, physical, is the construction. This is the difference.

BATHROOM, RESTROOM, TOILET...
Did you know you have more than one word to say "bathroom"? When you are in a public toilet, you can say either "restroom", "ladies's/ men's room" or simply "toilet". You can use the word "loo" too. When you have a bathroom in your house it is called "bathroom" (oh!). The bathroom, usually contains a shower, bathtub and toilet bowl. A restroom is just a toilet and sink. You got it? I hope so.

See you!

Parts of the house

2011-06-30T22:06:00.000-03:00

Hey guys!

Today we're going to know more about the parts of the house, including furniture. Read the text below carefully, please:

In the living room of this apartment, we have a three-seat sofa, a chair, a television, a bookshelf, a lampshade and a beautiful rug. The walls are decorated with wallpaper, but if you don't like this template, you can change it. In the kitchen, we have a stove, an oven, a two-door refrigerator, a microwave, a cabinet and a small pantry in the back. When you move here, you can bring your own cutlery and plates. Then, we have two bedrooms, which have a single bed, a wardrobe, a bed table and lampshade. The bathroom is small, but is very beautiful. It has a toilet bowl, a shower, a sink and the walls are covered with white and small tiles. All the rooms have windows. I know you have a garden in your current home. If you want to have a garden, no matter how small, you can put flower pots on the balcony of the bedrooms. It is a very good idea. I hope you like this apartment.

Do you know what the underlined words mean?
On the next post, there will be an exercise about this.

VERY IMPORTANT: Do you know the difference between house and home? No? Ok, I'll tell you on the next post.

image: http://www.google.com.br/imgres?imgurl=http://justinsomnia.org/images/pine-street-apartment-living-room-furnished2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://justinsomnia.org/2006/09/id-need-a-wide-angle-lens-to-capture-this-apartment/&usg=__KjrMZSkHmQndAMjqWGA3ll4dlAw=&h=300&w=380&sz=32&hl=pt-BR&start=0&sig2=ez9Ad94v7An67s0O5jYp5A&zoom=1&tbnid=jh6jh7gu6fB9RM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=183&ei=xRoNTqjoAeq00AHlg82HDg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dapartment%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dpt-BR%26biw%3D1066%26bih%3D777%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=389&vpy=241&dur=1992&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=126&ty=126&page=1&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=1066&bih=777

See you!

Meeting people

2011-06-28T14:01:00.003-03:00

Hello once again!

Well, I know I should have posted about this much earlier, but I don't know why I didn't do it.
Today you're going to learn how to greet people in English, so pay close attention. In the dialogue below, we have two people who meet in the school:

Kathy: Hello!
John: Hi!
Kathy: How are you?
John: I'm fine, thanks. How about you?
Kathy: I'm pretty good, thanks.
John: Please, have a seat.
Kathy: Oh, thanks.
John: What's your name?
Kathy: My name is Katherine, but call me Kathy.
John: Nice to meet you, Kathy. My name is John.
Kathy: Nice to meet you too, John.

Read this other dialogue:

Mark: Good evening!
Paul: Good eveing! How are you?
Mark: I'm very well, thanks. And you?
Paul: The same here.
Mark: How is your wife?
Paul: My wife is better now, thank you so much!
Mark: All right. I have to go now.
Paul: Take care!
Mark: Ok, see you tomorrow!
Paul: Bye-bye.

Here there are some phrases you can use when meeting people:
Good morning.
Good afternoon.
Good night.
Good evening.
How are you?
I'm fine, thank you/ thanks.
How have you been?
What's your name?
My name is ... .
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
What are their names?
Can you spell your name, please?
Of course.
Sure.
How old are you?
I'm 15,16...
Would you like to ... ?
Nice to meet you!
Nice to meet you too!
It was nice to speak to you!
See you tomorrow.
Have a good day.
See you soon.
See you later.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
Goodbye.
See you!

Now you know how to meet people (as if you didnt' know).

See you!

Writing Numbers in Words

2011-06-25T09:17:00.003-03:00

Hello everybody!

Can you write these mathematical calculations in words?

a) 12 - 8 = 4
b) 54 + 5 = 59
c) 182 : 2 = 91
d) 45 · 5 = 225
e) 12 + 4 : 2 = 8
f) 59 %
g) 2³ : 2² = 2
h) ½
i) US$15.95
j) 5 ft and 2 in = 1.57 m

See you!

Mathematical Expressions and Use of Numbers in Day-to-day

2011-06-24T12:55:00.000-03:00

Hello again!

Today I am going to post about Mathematical Expressions such as %, or √, because nowadays, it is very important to know about this, even if Math is the subject most feared by people. So, pay attention:

MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS:
+ - plus
- - minus
· or x - times/ multiplied by
: or ÷ - divided by
= - equal/ is equal to
% - percent/ percentage
5² - five squared
5³ - five cubed
5¹º - five to the power of ten
√ - square root of
1/2 - a/one half
1/3 - a third/ one third
1/4 - a/one quarter/fourth
1/12 - a/one twelfh
2/3 - two thirds
25/48 - twenty-five over fourty-eight
2 1/2 - two and a/one half
0.2 - nought point two
4.258 - nought point two five eight

10 - 3 = 7
ten minus three is equal to/ is seven

DAYS:
First, write the month, then the day, and finally the year. Observe:
March 12, 1995.
March 12th, 1995
March the 12th, 1995

I was born on March 12, 1995.

MONEY:
In English, the point (.) between two numbers is replaced by a comma, and the comma will become a point in English:
Portuguese - English
R$ 1,00 US$1.00 or $1 (one dollar)
R$1,50 US$1.50 or US$1.5 (one dollar and fifty cents)
R$ 1,55 US$1.55 (one dollar and fifty-five cents)
R$159,86 US$ 159.86 (one hundred and fifty-nine dollars and eighty-six cents)

These numbers are not correct. R$1,00 is not equal to US$1.00, ok?

MEASURES:
1 inch (in) (uma polegada) = 2.54 cm
1 foot (ft) (um pé) = 30.48 cm
1 yard (yd) (uma jarda) = 91 cm
1 mile (uma milha) = 1.609 km
1 league (uma légua) = 4.828 km

A: How tall are you?
B: I'm 6 feet and 1 inch tall.
A: Wow!

I think I said almost everything you will need someday. That's all!

See you!

Ordinal Nunbers

2011-06-23T12:45:00.000-03:00

Hi!

As I said, today I'll post about the Ordinal Numbers. There is a list with the numbers from 1 to 1,000,000,000 below:

1st - first
2nd - second
3rd - third
4th - fourth
5th - fifth
6th - sixth
7th - seventh
8th - eighth
9th - ninth
10th - tenth
11th - eleventh
12th - twelfth
13th - thirteenth
14th - fourteenth
15th - fifteenth
16th - sixteenth
17th - seventeenth
18th - eighteenth
19th - nineteenth
20th - twentieth
21st - twenty-first
22nd - twenty-second
23rd - twenty-third
24th - twenty-fourth
25th - twenty-fifth
26th - twenty-sixth
27th - twenty-seventh
28th - twenty-eighth
29th - twenty-ninth
30th - thirtieth
40th - fortieth
50th - fiftieth
60th - sixtieth
70th - seventieth
80th - eightieth
90th - ninetieth
100th - one hundredth
1,000th - one thousandth
1,000,000th - one millionth
1,000,000,000th - one billionth

I will also post about different uses of numbers in our day-to-day.

See you!

Cardinal Numbers

2011-06-23T12:15:00.000-03:00

Hello everybody!

Well, I think you already know quite a lot about numbers in English, but today I am going to post about them.
There is a list with the numbers from 0 to 1,000,000,000 below.
There are some rules for writing numbers in words:
1. You must put a hyphen between the tens and units --> ninety-two.
2. When you write a number between the hundreds and the tens, you have to add an "and" between them --> Two hundred and eleven.

0 - zero
1- one
2 - two
3 - three
4 - four
5 - five
6 - six
7 - seven
8 - eight
9 - nine
10 - ten
11 - eleven
12 - twelve
13 - thirteen
14 - fourteen
15 - fifteen
16 - sixteen
17 - seventeen
18 - eighteen
19 - nineteen
20 - twenty
21 - twenty-one
22 - twenty-two
23 - twenty-three
24 - twenty-four
25 - twenty-five
26 - twenty-six
27 - twenty-seven
28 - twenty-eight
29 - twenty-nine
30 - thirty
40 - forty
50 - fifty
60 - sixty
70 - seventy
80 - eighty
90 - ninety
100 - a hundred/ one hundred
101 - one hundred one
111 - one hundred and eleven
1,000 - one thousand
1,000,000 - one million
1,000,000,000 - one billion

VERY IMPORTANT: In the USA, "bilion" means a number with 9 zeros: 1,000,000,000. But in England, we don't say "billion", we say "thousand million" or "milliard". "Billion", in England, means "trillion".

I'll post about ordinal numbers on the next post.

See you!

Idioms

2011-06-18T13:57:00.000-03:00

Hello!

Today we're going to learn some idioms. In portuguese, idioms means "expressões idiomáticas". I'll post some idioms for you to practice your English:

A taste of your onw medicine
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

Actions speak louder than words
It's better to actually do something than just talk about it.

Barking up the wrong tree
A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve.

Blue Moon
Something that is not expected to happen, like a rare event.

Cross your fingers
To hope that something happens the way you want it to.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't rely on it until you're sure of it.

Every cloud has a silver lining.
Be optimistic.

Flip the Bird
To raise the middle finger at someone.

Get up on the wrong side of the bed
Someone who's having a horrible day.

Haste makes waste
Quickly doing things results in a poor ending.

It's a small world
When you see the same people in different places.

Joshing me
Tricking me.

Knock on wood
To tap on wood in order to avoid some bad luck.

Source: idiomsite.com

That's all. I'll post more idioms on other posts. I hope you use the idioms.

See you!

Listening - Little Bird

2011-06-11T08:41:00.000-03:00

What's up?

Today we will listen to the song Little Bird, by Infant Sorrow. I'll post the lyric below:

Little bird
Drink the champagne from my lips
Take a flying saucer trip
To the stars in my eyes

Little bird
Sitting on the tip of my tongue
Though you look a bit too young
Could be the stars in my eyes

Your words like butterflies
Dance around my head
Your body like forbidden wine
Spills out of my bed

Hope your Daddy doesn't mind
Hope your Mummy doesn't mind
Hope your Granny doesn't mind
Hope your Grandpa doesn't mind

Little bird
You have got to be eighteen
Or a few years past your teens
Or you are in my eyes

Little bird
If you were born before '92
Then you know just what to do
Rip the stars from my eyes

Your words like butterflies
Dance around my head
Your body like a cherry pie
Spills out of my bed

Hope your Daddy doesn't mind
Hope your Mummy doesn't mind
Hope your Nanna doesn't mind
Hope your Grandpa doesn't mind

Little bird
Brand new galaxies await you
Open up and let me take you
To the stars

Your words like butterflies
Dance around my head
Your body like forbidden wine
Spills out of my bed

Hope your Daddy doesn't mind
Hope your Mummy doesn't mind
Hope your Granny doesn't mind
Hope your Grandpa doesn't mind

Hope your Daddy doesn't mind
Hope your Mummy doesn't mind
Hope your Daddy doesn't mind
Hope your Mummy doesn't mind

Little bird
Little bird
Little bird

Thats' all...

See you!

Despite vs In spite of

2011-06-09T14:08:00.000-03:00

Hello everyone!

Today we're going to learn how to use the words Despite and In spite of. In portugusese, these words mean "apesar". But how to use these words? Well, you can use them as you wish. There's no difference between them! But is it not so easy. After these words, there must be a pronoun (that, this, what...) or a verb in gerund form. Look at the examples:

In spite of having studied a lot, I didn't pass the entrance exam.
Despite I have been silent, she could hear me.

Can you understand it? I hope so.
That's all.

See you!

False Cognates - Exercises

2011-06-07T13:50:00.000-03:00

Hello everybody!

Choose the best alternative for the underlined words:

1.Recipient
a.Expediente
b.Receptor
c.Recipiente

2.Library
a.Livraria
b.Biblioteca
c.Livros

3.Deception
a.Corte
b.Decepção
c.Fraude

4.Defendant
a.Defensor
b.Réu
c.Defesa

5.Comprehensive
a.Compreensivo
b.Abrangente
c.Compulsório

6.Disco
a.Discoteca
b.Disco
c.Fiscal

7.Commodity
a.Mercadoria
b.Comodidade
c.Incomodar

8.Actually
a.Atualizar
b.Atualmente
c.Na verdade

9.Terrific
a.Terrível
b.Temível
c.Ótimo

10.Reclamation
a.Queixa
b.Reivindicação
c.Proclamação

fontes: http://www.englishexperts.com.br/forum/exercicio-falsos-cognatos-t7336.html

That's all, people.

See you!

False Cognates - III

2011-05-30T14:05:00.000-03:00

Hello again!

As I said in the previous post, today I'll post other cognate words that might confuse us. Pay attention, please.

Estate - bens, patrimônio / Estado - State
Exit - Saída / Êxito - Success, triumph
Exquisite - Refinado, requintado / Esquisito - Strange, weird
Fabric - tecido / Fábrica - Factory
Fate - Destino / Fato - Fact, event, happening
File - Arquivo / Fila - Line, queue
Flagrant - Espalhafatoso, escandaloso / Flagrante - Red-handed, in the act
Gem - Pedra preciosa / Gema - Yolk
Grip - Segurar firme / Gripe - Influenza, flu
Hazard - Risco, perigo, arriscar / Azar - Bad luck
Inhabitable – habitável / Inabitável - Uninhabitable
Injury – Ferimento / Injúria - Offense, insult
Inscription – Gravação em relevo / Inscrição - Registration, application
Jar - Pote / Jarra - Pitcher, jug
Large - Grande, espaçoso, amplo / Largo - Broad, wide
Mate - Colega, companheiro / Matar - To kill
Notice – Notar, perceber / Notícia - News
Oration – Discurso formal / Oração (reza) - Prayer
Prejudice - Preconceito / Prejuízo - Damage, loss
Pull - Puxar / Pular - To jump
Push - Empurrar / Puxar - To pull
Realize - Notar, perceber, compreender / Realizar - To carry out, to make come true, to accomplish
Rim – Borda / Rim - Kidney
Support - Apoiar / Suportar (tolerar) - To bear, to stand
Toss - Arremessar, arremesso, arremesso de moeda para decidir algo / Tosse, tossir - Cough, to cough
Ultimately - Em última análise / Ultimamente - Lately, recently
Vicious - Defeituoso, impuro; perverso / Viciado (em drogas) - Addicted

Well, of course there are many other words that might confuse us, but you can't memorize all of them just by reading. If you want you can search on the web for more words.
That's all.

See you!

False Cognates - II

2011-05-29T16:35:00.000-03:00

Hey people!

As you know, there are many words in English that confuse us about their meaning. For exemple, if a brazilian who doesn't speak English read the word "exit", he might think that its meaning is "êxito", but it doesn't mean "êxito". It means "saída", in portuguese. The word for "êxito" in English is "success". Below, we have some words that might confuse you someday:

Actually - Na verdade / Atualmente - Nowadays

Alias - Nome falso, cognato / Aliás - esle, moreover, furthermore, by the way
Anthem - Hino / Antena - Aerial, antenna (antena parabólica - satellite dish)
Balcony - Sacada / Balcão - Counter
Barracks - Caserna, quartel / Barraca - Tent
Beef - Carne bovina / Bife - Steak
Collar - Gola, colarinho / Colar - (verb) To glue, (noun) necklace
Costume - Fantasia, traje típico / Costume - Habit, custom
Curse - Maldição, praga, xingamento / Curso - Course
Deception - Engano / Decepção - Disappointment
Disgusting - Nojento, repulsivo / Desgostoso - displeaced, dissatisfied
Doze - Cochilar / Doze - (number) Twelve, Dose - Dose

I'll post other words on the next post.

Keep reading my blog, please.

See you!

1000!!!

2011-05-23T21:54:00.003-03:00

Hello everybody!

Today I am too happy because my blog (our blog) reached 1000 visits! I am too happy! I thank you all for reading my blog, because without you, we couldn't have reached 1000 visits. Thank you so much! Please, share this blog with your friends in order to reach 2000 visits. Thank you, again.

False Cognates - I

2011-05-20T19:02:00.003-03:00

How do you do?

Today I have a story to tell you. But you'll understand this story only if you speak Portuguese.

Son: Mom, how do you say "dedo" in English?
Mother: I say "finger".
Son: Finger? And how do you say "fingir"?
Mother: That's easy! I say "pretend".
Son: Intersting! And how do you say "pretender"?
Mother: "Intend".
Son: Oh! Amazing! How do you say "entender"?
Mother: (Angry) This is the last question I will answer! I say "understand".
Son: (Sad) Ok, mom. Thanks...
Mother: Oh, sorry. I didn't intend to talk to you like that!
Son: No problem, mom. I will pretend that's alright.
Mother: (Holds her son's hands) Never pretend that something is alright if it's not, do you understand?
Son: Ok, mom. Now you can loosen my finger.
Mother: Oh, sorry!

This was created by Journey Through English Productions. I hope you like it... On the next post, some execises.

See you!

Clothing - Exercises

2011-05-19T13:32:00.000-03:00

Hello again!

Have you read the post before this? If no, read it. If so, answer to this question:

What do the words below mean? Answer it in the language you speak.
a) dress
b) clothing
c) high heels
d) sleeves
e) wear
f) makeup
g) shirt
h) pinstripe
i) clothes
j) skin

That's all.

See you!

Clothing

2011-05-18T14:37:00.000-03:00

Hello people!

Today you're going to learn some vocabulary about Clothing. Read the dialogue below carefully:

Daughter: Mom, I don't know what to wear! I'm in doubt between wearing skirts and leggings or just this dress.
Mother: Daughter, you should wear this beautiful dress in your prom. It combines with your skin.
Daughter: I don't want to wear this dress, mom. I want to wear the other one, with long sleeves.
Mother: Ok, but what are you going to put on your feet?
Daughter: I haven't decided yet... What about that blue high heels?
Mother: No, wear the red ones.
Daughter: Great combination! Thanks mom!
Mother: You're welcome! Have you decided how you'll apply makeup?
Daughter: Yeah.
Mother: Ok. Now I'll see if your brother is ready to go.
Daughter: Ok.
The mother goes to her son's bedroom.
Mother: Son! Are you ready?
Son: I'm almost ready.
Mother: Can I get into your room?
Son: Yes, you can.
Mother: Wow, you're so beautiful!
Son: Oh, thanks mom!
Mother: You're welcome.
Son: Mom, which shirt should I wear?
Mother: The white one.
Son: Ok. What about the suit? Pinstripe or not?
Mother: Pinstripe. Johnny Depp has worn one like this.
Son: Oh mother. Do you know everything about Johnny Depp? You know even what clothes he wears!
Mother: Haha, I love him! - they look at each other - But I love you first.
Son: I love you too, mom.

Did you like this story? I know who created it, but I don't want to tell...
In the next post, you'll have to answer some questions about this story.

See you!

Who, Whom, Whose - Exercises

2011-05-17T18:14:00.000-03:00

Hi!

Today you have to answer some questions about the last post, on Who, Whom and Whose.

1. Complete the sentences below with Who, Whom or Whose:
a) _____ wrote this book?
b) _____ are you going to invite to your party?
c) _____ book is that one?
d) It doesn't look like this is the correct address. _____ did you ask for directions?
e) I know _____ she cursed.

2. Say if the sentences below are right or wrong:
a) Whose are you?
b) This is the guy who stoled my bag!
c) Whom have you helped?
d) I have no idea whose left the oven on.
e) Do you remember whom received the Oscar?

That's all.

See you!

Who, Whom, Whose

2011-05-14T11:29:00.000-03:00

Hey poeple!

Today we're gonna learn the difference among Who, Whom and Whose. Observe these sentences:

Who wrote this book? It's so amazing!

I know exactly whom I'm going to support in the upcoming election.

Whose dictionary is that?

Who is a subject pronoun, like "I", "You", "They"... We use Who to ask which person does/did the action:

Who created the answering machine?

Who said we're fat?

I know who you are!

Whom is used like an object pronoun ("Him", "Her", "Us"). It express which person received the action:

Whom are you going to invite to your Birthday party?

Whom would like to hire for this job?

They hired the man whom we hurted last week!

Whose is a possessive pronoun like "His", "Her", "My". We use it to know which person something belongs to. Observe the examples:

Whose car is going down the street?

Whose dog is barking outside?

This is the girl whose boyfriend is my cousin.

If you don't understand this, please, read it again and again 'till you understand. It's easy!

In the next post, some exercises, don't miss it.

See you!

Superstitions

2011-05-13T20:49:00.000-03:00

Hi everybody!

I couldn't have chosen a better day to post about superstitions! Today it's a Friday the 13th!
Do you have any superstition? Well, I don't, but today, I was in my school and had to go to the bathroom. I walked across the corridor and looked at the mirror, near the stairs, but, to my surprise, there was no mirror! It was broken and scattered around the floor (it wasn't me who broke it, it was already broken)! Then I got to the bathroom and did what I had to do... That was a bit scary... But I have no superstitions, as I said. I thought about that for a long time... if it was coincidence or something else...
In this post I will talk about the Friday the 13th. Soon I'll post about other superstitions.

Why was the Friday the 13th chosen as a day of bad luck?
Some people think that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in a Friday, and that the Flood mentioned on Bible would have started on a Friday. In the Supper, there were 13 people, Jesus and his 12 disciples, and Judas was the 13th man there, and he was the traitor. Some people believe that we must never sit with 13 people on the same table. The Friday received this name in honor of Frigg, the Norse goddess of sex and love. This strong female figure, according to historians, represented a threat to Christianity, which was dominated by men. To fight her influence, the Christian Chruch characterized her as a witch, slandering the day in which they honored her. It was said that Frigg joined a Convention of witches, usually a group of 12, totaling 13. A similar Christian tradition considers the 13 cursed by mean the meeting of 12 witches and the devil.
Some people acquire the fear of Friday the 13th because of bad luck they might have had in the past. If you engage in a car crash, or lose your wallet, on a Friday the 13th, the day will be marked for you. But if you stop to think, you can see that bad things happen to us everyday, things like spilling the coffee. So, if you search for bad luck on a Friday the 13th, you will probally find.
For more, check: http://pessoas.hsw.uol.com.br/questao614.htm (in portuguese)

Well, I hope you're not afraid of Friday the 13th, but if you are, don't worry, it's a day like the others...

Don't miss the next posts!

See you!