Summary 20 March 2007

We started this snowy Tuesday with a song we listened to. But it wasn’t an English song so we didn’t have to listen to the text; it was more important to write down what kind of thoughts and impressions the song evokes.

In this lesson, there were two main points to be looked at in detail:

• reading part 3
• English in use part 3

The reading text (copy) was about a special museum in Edinburgh. Firstly, we practised our reading skills; above all, we should get used to skim the text. We skimmed it within two minutes. After that, we discussed the following questions without looking at the text any more: Who? What? When? Why? … Secondly, we read only the questions and marked the appropriate sections accordingly. Lastly, we answered the questions. After finishing that we compared our answers. And we found out, that it was very important to read carefully and between the lines to find the correct answers.

For practising the English in use we also got a copy. Before completing it we resumed what kind of errors can be found in the text:

• capitalization (an american writer ==> an American writer)
• quotation marks
• commas (after relative clauses / linking words like ‘however,’ )
• apostrophes (it’s ==> its / student’s ==> students)
• double letters (jewelery ==> jewellery)
• vowels (correspondance ==> correspondence)

Afterwards, we searched for the errors and corrected them. We got two additional exercises to practise. Before doing the listening in the course book (p. 135) we discussed about our dream house and our relation to our neighbours.

Homework

• copy (English in use part 3); the solutions will be on the blog
• exam book: exam 3, reading part 3, English in use part 3
• course book: 135 – 137 and 139
• optional: create a grid (e.g. to occur / occurrence / … ) and complete it
  

Enjoy the rest of the week and the snow ;-)!

Summary of an “angry” lesson 13.03.07

As the lessons starting topic we learnt how to express different forms of anger. Firstly, we wanted to find out “What really gets our (your) goat?“ and we discussed if it might be music that sooths our (your) savage beast?

Afterwards, we had to find out more vocabulary of anger and made a rating for its intensity.

+++ go berserk

blow a fuse

lose one’s temper

blow his top

sudden outburst of temper

let off steam

++ fly into a rage

become irate

get your goat

get cross

makes you irritable

+ get worked up

We heard a listening about “road rage” and other negative expressions. The listening can be read in the tape script on p.233. Beneath you’ll find some “rage expressions”:

air rage / trolley rage / surf rage / movie rage / dot.com rage / revenge rage.

After so many expressions I can only ask: “Aren’t these expressions all the rage”?

On page 120 we compared and contrasted different anger situations.

After the break we let the anger behind us and worked on register transfer and rewording. Each writing has its personal character and a special type of vocabulary is used in it. Writings can not only be formal or informal but personal, neutral, informative, well structured, emotional or factual. They can be written in passive clause or in the imperative to support the things that are expressed in the writing.

Homework:

- reword memo

- EB – test 3 – E in U part 5 pg. 74

- WB unit 9 – including writing

- CB pg. 128 (prepare to describe your house / rooms)

- CB pg. 129 E in U

- CB pg. 131 reading part 3

By Alexandra Zinner

Why walking? Ride on your Daddy's back!

This invention allows children, to ride on their daddy's back. It is a type of belt with two stirrups. So the child can stand in the stirrups and hold his father at the shoulder. This is comfort way to transport your youngsters: no dramas during longer walks, provided that you are in a good shape.

Swiss Shower

Here's a picture of a Swiss Shower: Illya, you were right! I wonder why they call it Swiss Shower, I am a Swiss and I have never heard about that before! Maybe the woman is enjoying cow milk - we don't know exactely if it's water or milk ...

For more details: http://www.h-e-a-t.com/shower.htm

Summary, 6 March 2007

At the beginning of the lesson Illya checked the money and made sure that everything was all right. Then she started with a song. We worked in the exam book at test 3, Paper 1, Part 4. First we had to skim the text. Then we had to find synonyms for difficult words. In groups we wrote them down. Finally, another group had to read our synonyms and find the original one in the text. Furthermore, we built a data bank for word forms. That’s useful for the exam. We took a small text and looked for words. Then we filled them in our data bank.

To finish the data bank an online dictionary or the word formation list on the back of our exercise book can be helpful. This is a good training for the use of English. At the end we read a text about Edinburgh in our course book and made suggestions which destination we would prefer to go to.
Here some beginnings for suggestions /discussions

· I’d like to…
· I’d prefer… and so
· Why don’t we go…
· If you want to… then you definitely have to
· My main reason is…
· But if we only have…
· But just imagine
· My first choice is…
· You can see that anywhere…
· They’ve not interesting
· What I would enjoy most is…



Homework:
· Complete unit 9 (Cours book+ Exercise book)
· Writing: pg. 117 a Brochures (have a look at pg. 199)
· Exam Book: Test 3 Reading, Part 4 (as quickly as possible);
Test 3 English in use, Part 4
· (Exam Book: Test one and two for free)

Have a nice week, Patricia

The Motorized Ice Cream Cone

Now for the quickly coming summer a new invention is out and sure to cool you down!
It is the great motorized ice cream cone. This device automatically turns the cone for you so that the ice cream can be easily licked. No more drips!!! And the ice cream keeps it enticingly round throughout your culinary enjoyment. Available for cones and bowls.
Let ice cream cones become your clean and tasty method of cooling down this summer. Get them while they're hot!

(sorry, I just couldn't resist temptation ;-) )

Hijacker Invention

This invention could be used in planes.
The seat of each traveller is eqquipped with alie detector.
Before the plane takes off every passenger is asked some questions about his or her intention to fly in that plane.
If the detector finds out that the person is lying when the question about hijacking the plane is asked, the injector underneath the seat gets activated and injects a sleeping serum into the passenger's leg.
In the case that the passenger would answer the question about hijacking with "yes", the injection would be injected in the leg as well.
While the alarm bells are ringing the presumed hijacker can be easily imprisoned by the police.

By Alexandra Zinner

Knee Skates

Have you ever seen knee skates which are the latest actual patent in the USA? You can go for Knee Skating solo or with friends. Use a sloping road with more or less no traffic on it.

Fix the pair of Knee Skates tightly around your leg with two straps. You’ll knee on two boards wearing pants with softened pads. Each board is supported by four easily rolling wheels. The front wheels are extremely flexible and respond very fast. Therefore you guide easily the board with the sticks connected to those wheels. Both hands hold a stick. For changing direction on the road you have to move only both sticks in the same direction.

As an additional equipment you put over your regular sized shoes stiff metal boots. With those boots you can steadily slow down your speed.

To prevent any head injuries use a helmet.

Have fun and enjoy the new outdoor excitement!

By Brigitte Ryser

The Hair Machine

What I see on this picture is a Hair-producer Machine. It seems really to be a patented invention. I suppose that it is a little bit strange but perhaps it can resolve all kinds of problems like grey or white hair, loss of hair or bald head.

There are three moving parts in the middle of the machine. Two of them look like gears. All three parts are connected with elastic bands, whose function is to make them turn like a little carousel. There is also a form of a recipient which could enclose the motor.

What I find amazing is that the machine has four little feet. When it works, out come delicately, several hairs.

Finally, you can compose each one together and in this way you have a new-hair product.

Phenomenal, isn’t it?

By Mascia Zemp

Important Postscriptum

I forgot one very important fact for my summary of the last Tuesday: Instead of the 3rd April we will have lessons the 5th June!

Marie-Theres

The Flying Turtle

The Flying Turtle – The only thing which saves your life

Are you fed up with all sorts of painful injuries you suffer from after a hard tour on your motorbike? If you can answer my question with ‘yes’ you’ve got to buy the Flying Turtle immediately. You’ll never be hurt seriously any more!

It's like a second skin on your body: You put this kind of jacket on when riding your motorbike and now you’re safe against all sorts of accidents. As soon as you crash into a car, for example, the jacket blows itself up like a balloon, you fly over the vehicle like a bird and land smoothly and unhurt on your back on the ground. If your motorbike isn’t damaged you can mount it and go on riding … Try it and tell your friends about it!

written by Nicole

THE GADGET YOU WILL NEED FOR PASSING THE CAE SUCCESSFULLY

New on the market, just in time for all who’d like to take the CAE in June is this new invention by Esolex Aminations.

What for the most of the participants always is the biggest problem during the preparation for the exam is the time to practice the lots of tasks they have to - in peace and quiet. Esolex Aminations’ new invention enables you to do this wherever and whenever you like. All you need is to find a space of less than a square meter and the silky PastpaPersBag with its integrated armtable.

What you now have to do is fix the sticks for the armtable, open the zip of the PastpaPersBag, get into the bag, sit down comfortably relaxing your arms on the table, closing the zip and focussing on your English. You will be enclosed in a silky cloud and feel sitting in seventh heaven and it’s this feeling that makes you thinking that you easily will pass the exam.

Now it’s up to you to buy or not to buy PastpaPersBag.

Marie-Theres

more doggie umbrella

Gadgets.in - Online gadget Shop|New Gadget| - A Doggie Umbrella – Keeps Your Dog Dry In The Rain

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The Doggie Umbrella

The new experience for your dog.

Imagine it’s a cold rainy day and you’re walking without a raincoat and even without an umbrella. You’re wet till your bones and you’ve cold. You catch a cold and two days later your nose is running. Your dog feels the same uncomfortable feelings as you do.
However, for a dry walking even if it’s raining we invented a doggie umbrella.

The dog, which is carrying his umbrella by itself, feels comfortable and absolutely satisfied. The umbrella is fixed round its body (watch the picture). The umbrella is out of a transparent rain material that your dog is able to see something. Furthermore we put eight hols in the front that your dog can smell.
This umbrella is available in different transparent colours. What is fantastic for your dog is that the weigh of this umbrella is so low that he hardly remarks it. Moreover, we have different size for small to big dogs. Buy a Doggie Umbrella it will make you and your dog happy.

Written by Patricia

ALARM FORK

ALARM FORK

In a luxury restaurant called Future Life I was served a mysterious alarm fork. At the beginning I had no idea what it is good for. So I took it and tried to stick it in a potato. Immediately, a deafening alarm was set off: “HOT, HOT, HOT,” the fork yelled. A bit embarrassed about the fuss I was causing, I checked if other people in the restaurant had observed my accident.

There were two buttons on the fork. What I wanted to know was what will happen when I press the red one. As soon as I had touched it, the fork began to blink and a choir was singing : “WATCH YOUR WEIGHT, EAT LOW CALORIE FOOD AND ENJOY FITNESS.” People around me curiously turned their heads and began to guess about my body mass index. I desperately tried to switch this stupid alarm off but the more I pressed the bottom, the more often the slogan was repeated. Suddenly, the red button began to blink and a loud accusing voice said: “ THE FORK RECOGNIZES THAT YOUR PALMS ARE DIRTY. PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE EATING. OTHERWISE INFECTIONS CAN BE SPREAD.” Deeply ashamed I threw the fork onto the table. Stupidly it landed between my potatoes and with it shouting “HOT, HOT, HOT,” I furiously ran out of the restaurant straight ahead to the next McDonald.

Written by Regina Steiner

After the Carnival Break

Because I have got a nice flu I haven’t been able to sit in front of a computer until today. I hope, I can still remember all the things between the lines of my notes.

First I will remind all participants of the course of

- writing the description of the invention and put it on the blog or send it to Illya (read page 115 in the coursebook before you start)
- finishing unit 8 and starting unit 9 (page 112-114) in the coursebook
- finishing unit 8 in the workbook (writing task included!)

The lesson was focussed on the speaking task of the exam. Illya told us to be prepared for this exam part with useful vocabulary and expressions we are able to use fluently, to use at least one idiom or fixed phrase and to use at least three different tenses during the speaking. It’s easy, isn’t it? We should also show that we are active listeners, that we come in interaction during the first part of the speaking…. but I’m afraid I mix it up now rather unstructured. Illya, can you maybe explain it again?
Illya gave us tips how to practise the speaking part. The internet tools she showed us we find on the blog. We can also prepare with the pictures in the books by looking at the pictures and trying to find out, what kind of questions could be asked.

From now on we will often work with the past papers book, don’t forget it at home!

See you

Marie-Theres