at glenelg48

Mark has a Brazilian Neighbour. He asked her how to make feijoada.

Mark: How do you make feijoada?
Brazilian Neighbour: To make a feijoada you need black beans, chorizo…
Mark: That is a kind of sausage, isn’t it?
Brazilian Neighbour: It is. Spanish sausage.
Mark: Uh-huh.
Brazilian Neighbour: You can also get a Portuguese chorizo
Child: Daddy…..!
Brazilian Neighbour: And also you need…you need pork.
Mark: Yeah. Like a piece of pork?
Brazilian Neighbour: A piece of pork. M-hm. And you also need bay leaf.
Mark: Ah!?
Brazilian Neighbour: Put a little bay leaf in there. And you need paprika and you need cumin. And also you need coriander. Coriander..
Mark: Fresh or seeds or …?
Brazilian Neighbour: Fresh. Fresh.
Mark: The leaves?
Brazilian Neighbour: The leaves. Yeah. You put it right in the end.
Mark: Right. OK. Wow!
Brazilian Neighbour: So that is the ingredients. How to make it. First you need to soak the beans overnight.
Mark: Right.
Brazilian Neighbour: Right. And then…Normally I have a pressure cooker.
Mark: Yeah? So it does it quickly?
Brazilian Neighbour: It does it quickly. Yeah. It only takes about a half an hour.
Mark: It is good to soak them though.
Brazilian Neighbour: Yeah.
Mark: Germinate. Grow a little bit.
Brazilian Neighbour: So..Alright then..You put the beans into the pressure cooker, water, then you put the pork meat and you put also the chorizo in it
Mark: Yep.
Brazilian Neighbour: And in another pan you chop up some onion and garlic and you fry it with olive oil and you put it into the beans …
Mark: Yep.
Brazilian Neighbour: And you cook that for about half an hour.
Mark: Right.
Brazilian: And then.
Mark: All in the pressure cooker?
Brazilian Neighbour: All in the pressure cooker…Yeah…

Can you tell us more about Brazilian food?  How do you make feijoada?

Check out the Brazilian Food page or go to the Food Page.

at Swedish National Heritage Board

Mark: Ok so … Okay. Where is Frank? Okay. Where is Frank? Here he comes. Did you find a place to park, Frank?
Frank: Oh No problem. No problem. Have you got the table?
Mark: Yeah. Ok.
Frank: Let’s go and sit down and eat some nice food.

Good morning. It’s Monday, August 24, 2010.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

On this day in history, in the year 79 A.D. the volcano, Mt. Vesuvius, erupted in Southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman Cities of Pompeii and Hurculaneum, killing thousands of people.

A volcanic eruption is a type of natural disaster. It can devastate, or destroy, a community of people, a city, or a particular ecosystem. Here are some similar verbs:

to devastate
to wipe out
to destroy
to overwhelm
to ruin
to ravage
to lay waste to
to obliterate
to annihilate

Listen and Repeat:

Look at these other types of natural disasters:

volcanic eruption
flood
tsunami (or tidal wave)
earthquake
tornado
hurricane (or typhoon)
mudslide
wildfire
drought
plague
epidemic

Listen and Repeat:

Can you think of any other forms of natural disasters? Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? Tell us in the comments below.

THE WEATHER

And now for the weather in Kyoto: It will be partly cloudy again today, with highs in the lower 30s. Also, today is the first day of the full moon this month. It is called the Sturgeon Moon because this is traditionally the time of year when many sturgeons are caught in the Great Lakes of North America.

‘Highs in the lower 30s’ means that the high temperature will be somewhere between 30~33 degrees. See this scale:

lower 30s = 30~33 degrees
mid 30s = 34~36 degrees
upper 30s = 37~40 degrees

Sturgeon Moon
All moons of the year, traditionally have a name in North America. The moon for August is called the Sturgeon Moon because it is the time of year when many sturgeon are caught in the waters of the Great Lakes. A sturgeon is a very large, fresh water fish.

How’s the Weather Today?
Now I want you to tell me about the weather where you are. How’s the weather in your area? Answer this question. Say your answer aloud.

How’s the weather today?

THE NEWS

China is ready to abolish the death penalty for economic crimes. The government plans to no longer execute white-collar criminals.

The death penalty, or capital punishment, is punishment by death for a serious crime. When a government or group puts a person to death, it is called an ‘execution’. In this instance, ‘to execute’ means ‘to put to death by order of law’.

Some countries have the death penalty, while other countries do not. Does your country execute people? Do you believe that execution is an effective way to prevent people from committing crimes? Answer below in the comment section.

White-Collar Crimes
Unlike murder, rape, and other violent crimes, a white-collar crime is generally economic and is carried out without physical violence. It is called ‘white collar’ crimes because the people who commit them often wear white collared shirts with a tie. They do not fit our stereotype of a hardened criminal. Their acts, however, can devastate lives in a different way.

Here are some forms of white-collar crime:

embezzlement
fraud
bribery
scams (investment, business, internet)
computer crimes
money laundering
insider trading
identity theft

Listen and Repeat:

Have you ever been a victim of white-collar crime? What happened? Tell us in the comment section below.

HEALTH

7 hours is the magic number for sleep. Scientists have discovered that people who sleep more or less than seven hours a day are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

‘Cardiovascular’ refers to the circulatory system of the body. It consists of our heart (cardio), veins and arteries (vascular).

How many hours a night do you sleep? Is it too much or too little? Share below.

HAIKU

We leave you with a famous haiku from master Bassho:

An old pond!
A frog jumps in -
The sound of water.

News and Weather Summary

Now listen to a summary. If you do not understand everything you hear, go back and read the text again. Look up all the new words in the dictionary.

Download audio file (nw240810.mp3)

Read and Listen to more Almanac Entries

at Biblioteca de Arte-Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

(harmonica music)
Mark: Ok well here I am. I am just walking in to the…I am just walkin’ in to the Brooklyn Cafe down in Brooklyn, Mosquito City and someone is playing the harmonica in the corner here. This is like… a nice place. I am going to sit down in the corner.…and I am going to wait for my friend, Frank. OK. … Here is a table. … And here are two chairs.

Good morning. It’s Monday, August 23, 2010.

THE WEATHER

And now for the weather in Kyoto: It will be partly cloudy, with a 40% chance of showers in the afternoon, and a high of 35 degrees. The moon is almost finished waxing.

Rain
There are different ways of describing types of rain:

a drizzle – when the rain is very light.
a shower – when the rain comes down heavily for a short time and then disappears
a steady rain – when it rains for a long time without stopping
a downpour – a very heavy rain. It could be for a short time or a long time.

Highs and Lows
Weather reporters speak of ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ when talking about temperature extremes for any given day.

a high of 35
a high of 35 degrees

This means the highest the temperature will reach is 35 degrees.

a low of 23.
a low of 23 degrees

This means the lowest the temperature will fall is 23 degrees.

A Waxing Moon

The moon is almost finished waxing.

We say the moon is ‘waxing’ when it’s lighted portion increases in size before the full moon.
We say the moon is ‘waning’ when its lighted portion decreases in size after the full moon.

A waxing moon is a moon that grows larger.
A waning moon is a moon that becomes smaller.

Right now the moon is waxing. After the full moon it will wane. When will the moon be full?

How’s the Weather Today?
Now I want you to tell me about the weather where you are. How’s the weather in your area? Answer this question. Say your answer aloud.

How’s the weather today?

Now write an answer. How’s the weather today in your area? (Post the answer below in the “comments” section)

THE NEWS

Here are some news headlines:

New York mosque controversy worries Muslims overseas

Some cannot understand the fuss over a house of worship and how a democracy promoting religious freedom, like the United States, could even be having such a debate. Others are offended at the conflation of the 9/11 attacks with all Muslims. President Barack Obama has already voiced his support on the Muslims right to build a mosque at the site.

Controversy
A controversy is a debate or argument concerning a matter of opinion. A controversy happens when people have a strong disagreement. It usually happens in public.

The word controversy has Latin roots. It comes from ‘contra’ (which means ‘against’) and ‘versus’ (which means ‘to turn’). In this sense, a controversy is an issue that turns people against one another.

Look at the following list of similar words:

a controversy
an argument
a debate
a dispute
a quarrel
a fuss

‘Controversy’ is also used as an adjective: ‘controversial’. Look at the following examples:

The New York Mosque is a controversial issue in the United States.
Abortion is a controversial subject for many people.
Some consider Fidel Castro to be a controversial leader.

A mosque is a ‘house of worship’ in the Islamic religious tradition. Here are some other terms for ‘houses of worship’:

mosque, masjid – Islam
church, chapel, cathedral – Christianity
synagogue – Judaism
temple, mandir – Hinduism
temple, wat – Buddhism

Do you know any other terms for a ‘house of worship’? If so, let us know in the comments below.

Conflation
A ‘conflation’ is a process or result of fusing two different things into one. The verb ‘to conflate’ means to merge or combine two things into one.

The root of the word ‘conflation’ also comes from Latin. It is a combination of the prefix ‘con’ (which means ‘with’ or ‘together’) and ‘flare’ (which means ‘blow, or ‘shock’). So, imagine a person with a hammer, striking blows in order to smash two things together.

Here are some similar words:

conflation
merging
fusion
amalgamation
combination
blend

Barack Obama voiced his support for the Muslims right to build a mosque wherever they want. ‘To voice’ means ‘to speak up’ or ‘to speak out’. Here are some more examples:

The company president voiced her support for our new idea.
At the meeting tomorrow, I plan to voice my opinion loudly.
The protesters voiced their disagreement with the new law.

What do you think of the New York mosque controversy? Do you believe in religious freedom for all people?
Think about this issue. Read about it. Answer it orally (Say your answer aloud!)

Senior UN official attacks response to Pakistan Floods

A senior United Nations official has called on the global community to urgently step up its response to the floods that have struck Pakistan. Louis-George Arsenault, director of emergency operations for the Unicef in New York, described the lack of support as “quite extraordinary”. The humanitarian crisis was the largest “in decades”, he warned.

A UN official has ‘called on’ the global community to take action. This means that he is speaking directly to the people of the world. We ‘call on’ people when we want them to take action of some sort. Therefore, we can say that he has voiced his opinion on the situation in Pakistan. Here are some other examples:

The teacher called on her best student to answer the question.
The prime minister called on the nation’s youth to consider careers in public service.

So, he called on the global community to ‘step up’ their response to the floods. To ‘step up’ something means to ‘increase its intensity’. Here are some examples:

The police are trying to step up their efforts at lowering the city’s crime rate.
The football player stepped up his training in order to prepare for the upcoming season.
“You’re working to slowly. Step up the pace!”

The Unicef official, George-Louis Arsenault, feels that the lack of support is “quite extraordinary”. This means that he cannot believe that people could ignore such a terrible situation. Here are some other ways of saying the same thing:

quite extraordinary
rather extraordinary
so extraordinary

He could also have called the lack of support from the global community:

unbelievable
incredible
outrageous

A Humanitarian Crisis
The floods in Pakistan are a humanitarian crisis. A humanitarian crisis is a condition of danger that leads to a rapid change in a society or group of people. In Pakistan, millions have lost their homes; they are hungry and in need of clean drinking water. Others are getting sick and don’t have medicine. More are dying with each day. It is an emergency situation. It is a crisis. It is a tragedy.

Why do you think the people of Pakistan have not received better aid from the world community? Think about this issue. Read about it. Answer it orally (Say your answer aloud!)

BEST DAYS ADVICE

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, today is the best day of the month to castrate animals. Castration should only be performed by a veterinarian. Please do not try to castrate an animal on your own.

Castration is the practice of removing the testicles from male animals, such as from cattle or horses. It is thought that castration produces docile animals, while preventing them from reproducing. Although generally used to describe an action performed on males, it can also describe the mutilation or removal of ovaries from female animals.

Castration comes from the verb ‘to castrate’. It means to remove the testicles from a male animal. Here are some examples:

The veterinarian castrated all the bulls on the farm, except for one.
I think we should castrate our pet dog, so he doesn’t make any puppies.
We’re going to have our horse castrated next week.

Another meaning of the word ‘castrate’ is to deprive someone or something of strength or power. We can use this in a number of ways. For example:

The new president castrated the military by cutting off funding.
Without our team leader, our group will be castrated.

A veterinarian is an animal doctor, or a doctor who specializes in taking care of animals. Many people call this person a ‘vet’ for short. Vets must train for many years to become licensed.

Have you ever taken your dog or cat to a vet? Do you think castration is a good idea? Are there better alternatives? What is your opinion? Voice your opinion in the comments below.

News and Weather Summary

Now listen to a summary. If you do not understand everything you hear, go back and read the text again. Look up all the new words in the dictionary.

Download audio file (nw230810.mp3)

Read and Listen to more Almanac Entries

at Keene Public Library

Mark: OK. well. I am sitting in Frank’s car and we are just driving under the overpass and we have just left Mosquito City and we are in Brooklyn now and there is the fire station on my right. We are turning left. Is that public housing?
Frank: Oh no. No. I am going to stop here. You just…I will let you off and you get a table in the cafe and I will see you later.
Mark: OK. OK. I will see you in a minute.
Frank: See you in a bit.
Mark: OK.

Good Morning!

It is the twentieth of August 2010. It is Friday.

On this day in 1991 Estonia became independent from the Soviet Union.

The Garden

It is another barren day in the garden. It is not a good time for planting. The week-end is a good time to plant above ground crops.

Do you have a vegetable garden, or a pot-plant with herbs in it? What vegetables are you growing at the moment? Answer the question orally. Answer it now.

What are you growing at the moment?

Are you growing any of these:

potatoes
turnips
cabbages
tomatoes
chili peppers
eggplants (aubergines)
pumpkins
radishes
carrots
spinach
lettuce
rocket
onion
garlic
ginger
dill
coriander
parsley
celery
fennel

Answer the question orally (say your answer aloud)

Are you growing any of these?

You should answer “Yes, I am” or “No, I am not”. If your answer is “Yes, I am” then give some details, for example:

I am growing lettuce and spinach and chinese cabbage at the moment but I am not growing potatoes.

or

I am growing radishes, carrots and rocket at the moment but the plants are very small because it is winter.

Tell us about your garden. Tell us what your garden is like. Use these phrases if you can:

I have a small garden.
I have a small vegetable patch.
It is not large or small.
It is about two metres by three metres in size.
It is about four metres by six metres in size
It is a long thin garden bed.
It is in a big back yard.
It is a big back yard.
It is a field near my house.
It is a vacant area near my apartment.

Answer the question now. Answer it orally (say your answer aloud) After you have answered the question orally, write an answer in the “comments” section at the bottom of this post.

What is your garden like? What’s your garden like?

THE WEATHER

It is wet.
It is wet and windy.
Yesterday the wind picked up and last night a storm blew in.
It is raining now.
The sky is overcast and it is raining.

Look at these parallel expressions:

A storm blew in during the night.
A storm came in during the night.
A storm arrived during the night.
Rain blew in overnight.

Now I want you to tell me about the weather where you are. What is the weather like where you are? Answer this question. Say your answer aloud.

What is the weather like today?

Now write an answer. What is the weather like today in your area? (Post the answer below in the “comments” section)

THE NEWS

Here is a current news headline:

Media mogul donates million to Republicans

In English “newspaper headline” style present simple tense is used instead of present perfect tense so

“has donated”

has become simply

“donates”.

Rupert Murdoch, the owner of News Corp, one of the most powerful media interests in the United States and the world, has shown his colours. He has donated a million dollars to the Republican party.

Look at the phrases below. Which one is the odd one out?

one of the most powerful media interests in the world
one of the most largest banking corporations in the world
one of the largest military forces in the world
one of the richest nations in the world
one of the most peaceful places on earth

Do you think one phrase stands out from the others? Which one is it? Why? Say your answer aloud. Say it now:

Which one is the odd one out?

Now write an answer in the “comments” section at the bottom of the page. Answer like this:

I think the odd one out is “……” because……….

True Colours

“To show his colours”

means

“to reveal his political affiliations”

or

“reveal his political views”

or

“reveal his political biases”.

In a modern free democratic state the media is an essential tool for the disemination of information to the public. If the media is biased the public will not have free access to information.

Look at these phrases:

an unbiased media
an impartial media

The opposite is:

a media which is biased
a media which is not impartial

IELTS tip

Do you have to do an IELTS writing or speaking test? Here is a common IELTS question:

How important is an impartial media and why?

How important is an impartial media? How important is an impartial media and why?

The answer, of course is that an impartial media is vital.

Look at this scale:

irrelevant
unimportant
of minor importance
of some importance
important
of importance
very important
extremely important
crucial
of crucial importance
critical
of critical importance
vital
of vital importance

Do you think an unbiased media is unimportant to the functioning of a free democratic state in the internet age? It would be hard to argue “no”. You could argue that the internet allows free access to information which makes large commercial news services less important but basically the media in a western democratic system is seen as a vital guarantee that the democratic parliamentary process of periodically electing new leaders will take place.

The media is like our ears and eyes. It is our sense organ. It is our information source. Now imagine if the brain said:

“I want to see that tree”

and your eye showed a picture of a small shrub instead. Imagine that the eye could be bribed.

By selecting from news stories and describing events from a certain point of view, the media can sway public opinion. If the media is not free and impartial then the public will not get an accurate picture of what is happening.

Look at these words:

delusion

those people are suffering from a delusion
those people are deluded

illusion

those people have been tricked by an illusion

Basically those phrases mean:

Those people have been mislead

or

Those people are being misled.

A biased media service is one that edits the news for political reasons.

Are you able to explain this orally under pressure? Are you able to explain how the lack of an impartial media hampers the democratic process? If you do the IELTS test, you might have to do that. Practise now. Practise orally first and then give a written answer in the “comments” section at the bottom of the page.

How important is an impartial media? How important is an impartial media and why?

Rupert Murdoch is mentioned in a recent edition of the almanac. Listen to this news and weather report from August 11

and answer this question:

What did Murdoch do and where did he do it?

What did he do and where did he do it?

Answer the question orally first and then write your answer with correct spelling and punctuation at the bottom of the post in the “comments” section.

Is anybody from Estonia listening? Do you remember media repression during the Soviet era? Was there language repression? What was it like? Does anybody have any memories? Write an answer in the “comments” section at the bottom of this page.

Look at another headline:

France expels nomads

As mentioned above, in English “newspaper headline” style present simple tense is used instead of present perfect tense so

“France has expelled nomads”

becomes simply

“France expels nomads”.

The headline is ambiguous. It could also mean:

“France is expelling nomads”

which is present continuous tense.

About nine hundred ethnic Roma people are being deported from mainland France back to Romania.

Compare these two pairs of phrases:

People

are being deported
have been deported

Aid

is being sent
has been sent

A million bucks

is being donated
has been donated

Troops

are being pulled out
have been pulled out

What is the difference? What is the difference between them?

In each case the upper phrase is in present continuous tense which means that the event is taking place now while the lower phrase is in present perfect tense which means that it has already taken place.

Look at another headline:

US combat troops pull out of Iraq

again we see that in English “newspaper headline” style present simple tense is used instead of present perfect tense so

US combat troops have pulled out of Iraq

becomes simply

US combat troops pull out of Iraq

however again there is ambiguity as it could also mean:

US combats troops are pulling out of Iraq

at this moment.

In fact:

The last combat brigade has left Iraq but there are still fifty thousand American soldiers there. That does not include the mercenary soldiers who work for private security firms.

Yesterday the leader of Afghanistan banned these private armies of westerners from operating in his territory.

News and weather Summary

Now listen to a summary. If you do not understand everything you hear, go back and read the text again. Look up all the new words in the dictionary.

Download audio file (nw200810.mp3)

Good Morning!

It is the nineteenth of August 2010. It is Thursday.

It is a barren day in the garden. It is not a good time for planting. Wait until Sunday to plant above ground crops.

On this day in 1994 Linus Pauling passed on. Groucho Marx also died on this day.

In some countries birthdays are celebrated but in others they are not considered to be of great importance.

In some countries death days are observed but in other countries such a thing is not so formally noted.

What is the situation in your country? Do you observe “death days” or “remembrance days” for family members? In Japan we do. In Thailand we do as well.

What is the situation in your country? Explain it clearly. Talk about birthdays and death days. Do it now. Do it orally

What is the situation in your country?

After you have explained the situation in your country orally, write an answer in the “comments” section below.

THE WEATHER

It is clear.
It is wonderfully clear.
You can see for miles.

Look at these uses of the word “clearly”

speak clearly
explain clearly
see clearly

Clarity or “being clear” is not just associated with sight. It is also associated with sound. We often use this expression:

as clear as a bell

I can hear it. It is quite clear. As clear as a bell.

Word Families

Look at this word family:

clear (adjective)
clearly (adverb)
clarity (noun)

Now I want you to tell me about the weather where you are. What is the weather like where you are? Answer this question. Say your answer aloud.

What is the weather like today?

Now write an answer. What is the weather like today in your area? (Post the answer below in the “comments” section)

THE NEWS

Here is a current news headline:

Brazil sets up grammar hotline

In English “newspaper headline” style present simple tense is used instead of present perfect tense so

“Has set up”

has become

“sets up”.

The government of the state of Rio de Janeiro has established a call-in service for people who have questions about correct usage of the Portuguese language.

The government has set up a grammar hotline in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The socio-economic diversity in Brazil and the linguistic diversity have meant many people have not been educated in the standard form of the language. If they are unsure about how to say something correctly or write something correctly, they can ring in.

Look at these variations:

have not been educated
have not been given access to information
have not been given opportunities
have not been given a chance

has set up a service
has established a service
has created a service

say something correctly
say something clearly
say something incorrectly
pronounce something incorrectly
pronounce something correctly
pronounce something clearly

Do you know Lula?

The President frequently makes grammatical mistakes. To some this is a source of embarrassment. To others it is a source of pride as it shows that a man can achieve great things even though he was not born into a wealthy family and this is a testament to the power of the human spirit.

Look at these phrases:

a source of embarrassment
a source of pride
a source of concern
a source of joy
a source of strength
a source of information
a source of diplomatic tension

a testament to the power of the human spirit
a testament to the power of the almighty dollar
a testament to the might of nature
a testament to the might of God
a testament to the endurance of the human spirit

Is anybody there Brazilian? What do you think, Brazilians (and Portuguese)? Is Lula a source of embarrassment or a source of pride? How do you feel about this question of language and social class?
How do you feel about it? Tell us.

How do you feel? How do you feel about it?

Answer the question orally and then write an answer in the “comments” section below.

Look at another headline:

China increases military spending

This means:

China has increased its military spending since last year according to a US report.

Again present simple tense is used instead of present perfect tense so

“has increased its military spending”

has become simply

“increases military spending”

China has increased the capability of its military to help deal with disasters like the current mudslides which are plaguing the country. It has also expanded its capacity for long range operations like dealing with Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

Look at these variations:

long range operations
mid range operations
short range operations
local operations

Taiwan remains a source of diplomatic tension between China and the US, which supplies the Taiwan military with weapons. China has not confirmed the US report.

So far today we have seen two headlines that use present simple tense instead of present perfect tense. Now we are going to see how it works with the passive. We are going to look at two headlines that use past participles to replace the present perfect tense in passive voice.

If you have trouble understanding “passive voice” go to “The Banjo Player”s Brother” and click the links. You will find many many examples of passive and active voice.

Here is the first headline with a past participle:

US – Colombia pact declared illegal.

A past participle has replaced a passive verb phrase.

“Declared”

has replaced

“has been declared”.

We saw this word in the almanac a couple of days ago when Obama declared the US Gulf coast safe after the oil spill. We use this word at customs.

A US Colombian pact pact that allows the United States to use seven Colombian airbases has been declared illegal by the constitutional court. it was argued during the case that such an agreement should have been debated in Congress in order to conform with normal constitutional protocol.

Look at these present perfect phrases which are in passive voice:

has been declared illegal
has been declared unconstitutional
has been declared “out of bounds”
has been declared “off limits”

In Australia we have these courts:

Magistrates Court
District Court
Supreme Court
High Court

There are also:

the Privy Council
the Family Court

What is the court system in your country? How many courts do you have? Tell us about the legal system:

How many courts do you have? How many courts do you have and what are they called?

Here is another headline which uses a past participle:

Google subpoena-ed in Spain

“Has been subpoena-ed”

has become simply

“subpoena-ed”.

Subpoena is a Latin word. Latin expressions are often used in English legal terminology. An equivalent term is “summons”.

He was subpoena-ed
He was summons-ed
He was summoned
He was served a summons
He was given a summons

They all mean:

He was ordered to appear in court.

Here are some details:

Google has come under fire in Germany and several other countries for its streetview program because during the collection of data it illegally obtained personal information from people’s wi-fi networks. Google says it obtained the information by mistake and will never use it.

Look at these phrases:

has come under fire
has been criticised
has received criticism

Look at these opposites:

it obtained the information by mistake
it obtained the information deliberately

We see legal vocabulary again here:

A Madrid judge has ordered a representative of Google to appear in court on October 4 to answer charges that it violated people’s privacy and violated the penal code.

“Violated the penal code”

is another way to say

“broke the law”.

What do you think? Do you think Google gathered all that personal information by mistake? Do you think they should discard it (throw it away) Should they be made to discard it?

Answer the question orally then write and answer in the “comments” section below:

What do you think?

News and weather Summary

Now listen to a summary. If you do not understand everything you hear, go back and read the text again. Look up all the new words in the dictionary.

Download audio file (nw190810.mp3)

Good Morning!

It is the eighteenth of August 2010. It is Wednesday.

THE WEATHER

It is fine.
It is fine and clear.
There is not a cloud in the sky.
It is cold early in the morning but the sun quickly warms everything.
There is a big difference in temperature between being in the sun and being in the shade.

Look at this scale:

There is not a cloud in the sky.
There are a few clouds in the sky.
It is cloudy. (It is overcast)
It is very cloudy.
It is very very cloudy.

Here is another:

a big difference
a small difference
a slight difference
no difference at all

Now I want you to tell me about the weather where you are. What is the weather like where you are? Answer this question. Say your answer aloud.

What is the weather like today?

Now write an answer. What is the weather like today in your area? (Post the answer below in the “comments” section)

THE NEWS

Here is a current news headline:

Mexican mayor kidnapped
This means:

A Mexican mayor has been kidnapped.

A past participle has replaced a passive verb phrase.

“Has been kidnapped”

has become simply

“kidnapped”.

Here are the details:

In Santiago near Monterrey the local mayor has been kidnapped by cartels. Twenty-eight thousand people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since 2006.

Look at these phrases:

has been kidnapped
have been killed

The grammar is exactly the same. They are both present perfect passive phrases. The first one is singular. The second one is plural.

Look at these degrees of injury:

he was frightened
he was hurt
he was injured
he was seriously injured
he was badly injured
he was critically injured
he was killed

Here is another headline:

French activists uproot vines

This means

French activists have uprooted grapevines

“Have uprooted vines”

becomes simply

“uproot vines”.

Present simple tense is used instead of present perfect tense.

A plant has a root. Plants have roots. A root is a noun. It is a thing. It is a concrete noun. Look at these phrases:

the root of the problem
dig it out by the roots

Propagation from a Cutting

The word, root has a verbal meaning too. If you take a cutting of a fruit tree and dip it in rooting powder then place it in good soil, it will “root”.

A plant “roots”.

You can say:

It roots.
It has rooted.

or

It takes root
It has taken root.

That means roots have grown out of the main stem and into the soil. The plant has taken root. Beautiful!

“To uproot”

means

“to pull out by the roots”.

Here are some details:

French activists have uprooted transgenic grape vines in a protest against the introduction of genetically-modified food. Global food supply is becoming increasingly more heavily centralized and transgenic food is a powerful tool in the armory of the food corporations as they struggle to maximize their profits. The French anti-GM food activist group Faucheurs Volontaires (voluntary reapers) wants to pull genetically engineered plants out by the roots.

Look at these phrases:

transgenic food
genetically modified food

is becoming increasingly more centralised
is becoming increasingly more difficult
is becoming increasingly more frequent
is becoming increasingly more common
is becoming increasingly more endangered

the French anti-GM food activist group
the Dutch anti-GM food activist group
the German anti-GM food activist group
the Norwegian anti-GM food activist group
the Danish anti-GM food activist group
the Swedish anti-GM food activist group
the Croatian anti-GM food activist group

the struggle to maximise profits
the struggle to minimise environmental damage

What do you think about genetically modified food? Think about it. Read about it. Are you aware of any dangers? Answer the question now. Answer it orally (Say your answer aloud!)

What do think about genetically-modified food? Are you aware of any dangers?

Now write your opinion in the “comments ” section below.

Here is another headline:

Disaster unfolds in Pakistan.

In this case present simple tense is used instead of present continuous tense.

“Unfolds”

means

is unfolding

That means “catastrophe is taking place right now”.

A fifth of the country is underwater and millions of people have been made homeless. Little help has come. There is a danger of cholera epidemics.

You fold and unfold a scroll. A scroll is a long piece of paper or cloth. In the past everything was written on scrolls. All stories that were written, were written on scrolls. The scroll was unfolded and then folded up again when it was read.

Look at these passive phrases:

It was unfolded.
It was read.
It was folded up again.

Nowadays we say that a story unfolds because in the old days a scroll was unfolded to reveal the story (in the case of a written story or message).

A sad story is unfolding now in Pakistan. Is anybody in Pakistan listening? Are you OK?

News and weather Summary

Now listen to a summary. If you do not understand everything you hear, go back and read the text again. Look up all the new words in the dictionary.

Download audio file (nw180810.mp3)

Good Morning!

It is the seventeenth of August 2010. It is Tuesday.

THE WEATHER)

It is fine.
The sky is clear.
It is clear and it is not windy.
The wind has died down.
It is cold.
It is still quite cold but the weather is getting warmer.
Spring is coming.

What is your favourite season? Answer the question aloud. Say your answer now!

What is your favourite season?

Now write your answer in the “comments” section below at the bottom of this post.

Now I want you to tell me about the weather where you are. What is the weather like where you are? Answer this question. Say your answer aloud.

What is the weather like today?

Now write an answer. What is the weather like today in your area? (Post the answer below in the “comments” section)

THE NEWS

Here is a current news headline:

Obama declares US Gulf coast safe.

In “news headline English” we often use present simple tense to replace present perfect tense because it is shorter. Headlines are like short notes.

In this headline:

has declared the Gulf coast safe

has become

declares Gulf coast safe

President Obama has declared the Gulf safe. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill which began on April 20 with an explosion that killed eleven workers was capped on July 15 and the President, after examining the water in the Gulf and swimming in it, has declared the area safe.

“Declare” has two distinct shades of meaning:

Obama has declared the Gulf safe

means

Obama formally announced that the Gulf is safe

We also use “declare” in another situation. When you go through customs, the customs officer will ask you:

Do you have anything to declare?

That means:

Are you carrying any drugs, fruit or weapons?

Listen to this conversation and you will hear the phrase

Do you have anything to declare?

Does the girl in the dialogue have anything to declare? Write your answer in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

Look at these phrases:

an explosion that killed seven workers
an explosion that injured seven workers
an explosion that trapped seven workers

Do you know the difference? What is the difference? Answer the question now.

How are they different? What do they mean?

After you have said your answer, write an answer at the bottom of the post in the “comments” section.

If you have trouble use these words and phrases:

the first one
the second one
the third phrase
means
cannot get out
were hurt
died

Pay attention to punctuation when you write.

Here is another headline:

Storm follows heatwave

Again present simple tense has replaced present perfect tense so

A storm has followed a heatwave

has become

Storm follows heatwave

Russian wildfires have been extinguished by a storm, which ended the heatwave, which has claimed many lives.

Look at these phrases. They have the same meaning:

have been extinguished
have been put out

Mexican television station offices bombed

In this headline a past participle has been used instead of a passive phrase so

A Mexican television station’s offices have been bombed

has become simply

Mexican television station offices bombed

The Monterrey offices of the largest television network in Mexico have been bombed. An explosive device went off in front of the offices. The blast is believed to be related to the war between drug cartels and the government. In Mexico murder and intimidation of journalists by drug cartels has become routine.

There is a story about drug cartels in Monterrey in yesterday’s almanac.

Look at this scale:

the largest television network in Mexico
the second largest television network in Mexico
the third largest television network in Mexico

Let’s look at another headline:

Government critic slandered in Malaysia

This means:

A critic of the government has been slandered in Malaysia.

Again, a past participle has been used in place of a passive phrase.

The liberal opposition leader Anwar bin Ibrahim has again been slandered by critics as his popularity rises in the wake of coming elections. Anwar opposes Malaysia’s racial affirmative action policy of “bumiputera“.

Anwar was falsely accused of crimes against morality during a previous election bid. The prosecution argued that he had committed a crime in a building that had not been constructed at the time. He was later cleared.

In the current case it has been revealed that the main witness for the prosecution is a prosecution lawyer’s lover. The judge has said this does not matter.

Look at these pairs:

in the current case
in the previous case

a prosecution lawyer
a defence lawyer

the main witness
a minor witness

News and weather Summary

Now listen to a summary. If you do not understand everything you hear, go back and read the text again. Look up all the new words in the dictionary.

Download audio file (nw170810.mp3)

That is all for now. See you tomorrow!

Read and listen to more almanac entries.