english-at-home.com

The perfect summer's day

Clare — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:21:47 +0000

I've been waiting for the perfect summer's day since summer began. Unfortunately, this summer has been wet with lots of rain and thunderstorms. So I'm back to dreaming about my perfect summer day. A long leisurely lunch with friends, followed by an afternoon on the beach, swimming in the beautiful blue Adriatic Sea.

What about your perfect summer's day? Who would you spend it with? What would you do?

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How will you remember Michael Jackson?

Clare — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:30:43 +0000

Music legend Michael Jackson died this week from a cardiac arrest.

Perhaps the world's most famous entertainer, he brought us the thrilling "Moonwalk" and catchy pop songs. What will you remember him for?

Photo credit: Current news

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Getting a suntan

Clare — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:04:48 +0000

The BBC has an interesting report about the use of sunbeds in the UK.

There are thousands of tanning salons in the UK, and many people believe that a suntan (even a fake one!) makes them look healthier.
However, Cancer Research UK believe that young people should not use sunbeds, and say that people who use them before the age of 35 have a higher risk of skin cancer.

What do you think? Is a suntan considered healthy in your country, or do people try and keep out of the sun?

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The millionth English word

Clare — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:55:24 +0000

There's been a lot of tweeting about the millionth English word just announced, but a BBC article questions whether the new word is the millionth.

The article points out that the exact size of English vocabulary is impossible to quantify. If you count every technical term, there are more than a million words. If you don't count "specialist slang" there are perhaps three quarters of a million words.

And the millionth English word is…? (Hint: it's internet-related!)

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Illegal downloads

Clare — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:59:34 +0000

Do you download files or music from the internet? The BBC reports that around 7 million people in the UK are involved in illegal downloads, and it's estimated that this costs the economy £120 billion a year.

A report examined consumer attitudes and found that people are confused about what is or isn't illegal – especially as so much is already free on the internet.

What's your opinion? Should the government criminalise people who download from the internet? Should everything be free anyway?

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