November

Follow the link to read and listen to the poem "November" by by Edward Thomas, an Anglo-Welsh writer (1878 – 1917):

Classic Poetry Aloud

Find adjectives and adverbs in the text and define their degrees of comparison.

First degree courses in the UK

The UK has an excellent reputation for higher education and research. It offers a lot of opportunities to both national and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Degrees
The degrees vary according to the practice of each university.
First degrees after leaving school are often called undergraduate. Arts, social science and pure science degrees normally last 3 or 4 years because they are designed to follow a very specialized school-leaving qualification. Traditionally university graduates will be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine etc.
Later they may continue to take graduate or postgraduate courses. There is a another higher educational qualification in the UK, known as the Higher National Diploma or HND. It lasts a year less than a degree course – either two full-time or three years as a sandwich course.
HNDs are vocational (or job related), so a student will not find them in purely academic subjects as history or philosophy. They are available in, for example, science subjects, engineering, business studies, hospitality and tourism management.

Comment what do you think?
 Would you like to study abroad?
What degrees are awarded in Russian universities? 

The American education system

Complete the paragraph with the words : it , the former,  that (3),  this, they, the latter, who, which (2) such as.


The American education system requires that students complete 12 years of primary and secondary education before they attend university or college. …(1) may be accomplished either at public schools, or at private schools. …(2) are usually supported and financed by state and municipal governments, while …(3) are operated privately.

Numerous American colleges, schools and universities offer programs …(4) lead to a variety of degrees. …(5) include an associate degree …(6) is given upon completion of a 2-year programme and a bachelor’s degree …(7) normally requires at least four years of full-time college-level coursework. For those college graduates …(8) want to advance their careers higher education institutions offer advanced degrees …(9) a master’s degree or doctorate (also known as PhD) degree.

The master’s degree typically requires two years of full-time graduate school coursework to complete. Unlike students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, students in a master’s degree program will complete courses … (10) are highly focused in their field of study (major) so the students must have already decided on the major before applying to a master’s degree program.

The PhD degree is even more focused and specialized than the master’s degree. Some students will complete a master’s degree before applying to a doctorate degree prog-ram, but …(11) is not always necessary. Completion of a doctorate degree typically takes between three and six years but a student with a master’s degree may take less time to complete his PhD if …(12) is in the same field

British English vs American English

Some students ask questions about differences between between the British accent and North American accent. Watch a video and compare.

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Are you sure this water is pure?
The bar is quite far, we need a car.
The first year you learn a lot of words by heart.
There were four more birds this morning.
Last week I cut my ass on some glass in the bath, so I asked for plaster.
My new secretary is so stupid! She had to look up "inventory" in the dictionary!

Comment what variant of English do you prefer to learn and why?

Cambridge

Cambridge, US is a unique community with a strong mix of cultural and social diversity and technological innovation. Its “Squares” are rich in various international restaurants and cafes as well as unique shopping, theatres, museums, and historic sites.
Located between the academic centers of Harvard and MIT, Central Square is the seat of City government and is home to a rich variety of music clubs, book shops, restaurants and clothing stores. It’s about a 12 minute walk from Kendall Square, which is the home to MIT and the heart of Massachusetts’ high tech and biotechnology industries.
The main site of the MIT is located along the left bank of the Charles River. This provides a wonderful view of the Boston area. Parking in Cambridge can be expensive and hard to find so use public transportation to get to the MIT campus.
The Tech shuttle and Safe Ride shuttle provide free transportation around the MIT. But the latter runs only on weekdays.
(Adapted from http://www.cambridge-usa.org/)

 Take notes under the headings below.

• Location 
• Transport

My biography

Write down a short CV using words and wordcombinations:

My name is

to be born in a small town (big city, a village)

my parents

to be a judge (a doctor, a teacher, an economist …)

at the age of

to attend school

to receive marks

my favourite subjects

to finish school

to enter an institute

to be a first (second …) year student

to pass the entrance exams

to be interested in

to take an active part in

to deal with the problems

to work at

to make a report at

to be a member of

the student’s Scientific society

the conference devoted to

to graduate from.

Useful phrases with a verb 'to make'

If we want to say that someone or something causes us to be in a particular state or to change to another state we use verb to make:

This film always makes me cry.




The smell of fish makes me feel ill.



*********************************************************
The weather is gloomy today . It is raining and this makes me sleepy.
Are you sleepy cause of rain today? Does the weather influence you and make you sad?

Idiom : to burn the candle at both ends

There is an easy idiom about working hard. Try to remember it.

Are there any idioms in your language with the same meaning?

Do you know any idioms with word 'свеча' in Russian?

Useful phrase : to make a decision

What is the difference between make decision and take decision?

This is simply regional variation, with no difference in meaning.

• The phrase "making a decision" is the more common phrase. It can refer to the actual moment where a course of action is chosen (and just that moment), but also sometimes to the whole process leading up to it (where one might undertake research, have discussions, think and so on, in order to prepare oneself for the decision itself): "The committee took several months to make a decision."
• The phrase "taking a decision", by contrast, only refers to the decisive moment itself, and not to the process leading up to it. It has more formal connotation, and an implication that the decision will have serious consequences, and that the person deciding will be responsible for them; it has a sense of finality about it.

Some examples may help clarify:

• I haven't made a decision about where to go on holiday. (Informal, consequences not serious, nobody's going to hold me to account.)
• The president took the decision to invade Elbonia.
• Bob was fired because he took the decision to outsource the call centre to Mars.
• The decision-making process took a number of weeks: the engineers did the research and made recommendations, but it was the manager who took the final decision.

We make decisions every single day. As we explore in this video, you'll see that some decisions are simple, others are more complex.

What are your typs for making decisions? Please, comment below...

Idiom : Cold Turkey

Quite every person has bad habits. And stopping that bad habits is a very difficult process.
Sometimes even medical help is needed.

The meaning of the English idiom "Cold Turkey" is the period of extreme suffering that comes immediately after a person has stopped taking a drug.

Cold turkey means to quit something abruptly and without preparation or fanfare. Presumably, the term echos the idea of a cold turkey dinner which is one that does not take a lot of preparation and is presented without fanfare.

What bad habits do you suppose to be the most harmful for teenagers? Leave a comment below please

Try to write an essay

Essay Structure

The structure of an essay is quite simple. Have you ever heard of the hamburger example? Your introduction is the top bun, your supporting paragraphs are the meat, and your conclusion is the bottom bun. Visualizing a hamburger is a good way to remember the correct order.

Introduction

The introduction includes a hook that will get attention, a brief explanation of the essay’s subject, and finally your main point.

Paragraphs

Generally, three paragraphs are expected. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that will introduce the single point you’ll be making to support your thesis. Make sure you give cited examples (citations may include the book, page number, author, website, etc. where you found this information). You can’t make arguments without evidence.

Conclusion

In your conclusion, you need to tie everything together and restate your thesis. A quote or interesting anecdote related to the essay topic is usually a safe bet. When you’re finished, make sure to reread your work, or have a parent read it, to ensure that there are no grammar or spelling mistakes.

Spoken English

In Spoken English they often use short forms of phrases. Here there is a list of some popular ones.

I dunno these phrases, what about you? Please comment below

How to stop misspelling

Follow the link bellow to get visual explanation that hepls to stop misspelling of the words:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

Please comment if this was useful for you.

Idiom : 'o be stuck

Have a look at the picture below:

So can you guess the meaning of the phrase to be stuck? 

If the meaning is not clear go https://www.ldoceonline.com/

Comment below what make you feel being stuck

Idiom : Tastes differ

Idiom Tastes differ has the meaning that different people like different things.


For Examle:

Fred: Bill always goes out with such stupid girls. I can't understand why. 


Alan: Tastes differ.

Below there is an episode:

What is Russian equivalent to this phrase?

In which language do deaf people think?

Click here to see and comment your answer to this question

News: The World Health Day

The World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7th April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day. The World Health Day is held to mark WHO's founding, and is seen as an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. The WHO organizes international, regional and local events on the Day related to a particular theme. Resources provided continue beyond 7 April, that is, the designated day for celebrating the World Health Day.

Useful phrase : to take a nap

Have a look and guess the meaning of the phrase 'to take a nap'

You can see what does it mean below:

Were there any funny situation when you took a nap (during a lesson, for example)? Please comment below

Idiom : It's a dog's life

Phrase "It's a dog's life" means that the life is difficult, unpleasant and wrecked.

According to yourdictionary.com this expression was first recorded in a 16th-century manuscript and alludes to the miserable subservient existence of dogs during this era. 

By the 1660s there was a proverb: “It's a dog's life, hunger and ease.” (More information about this phrase on www.wisegeek.com)

Are there any idioms in your language with the same meaning? Please, comment below...

Everyday English : An ideal house

A person’s home is as much a reflection of his personality as the clothes he wears, the food he eats and the friends he spends his time with. I have got a two-room apartment in the center of the city. But all people dream about their own house with all conditions, so do I. The house of my dream must be a comfortable well-planned two-storeyed cottage. Not so large of course. It should be situated in a quite ecologically clean place or street.

I want a green lawn and flowers to be there in front of the house. There should be a lot of trees, a pond or a fountain. There must be a large kitchen, a pantry, a dining-room, a cosy sitting-room with a fireplace and big windows on the ground floor. There should be bedrooms with  bathrooms on the first floor, and somebody`s study upstairs. And I want my room to be in the garret, and a balcony with the beautiful view.I want my home to be the best place for meetings with my friends and relatives.

Comment what house would you like to have

News: How to use emojis

Emoji is a ​digital ​image that is ​added to a ​message in ​electronic​ communication in ​order to ​express a ​particular ​idea or ​feeling.

But there is a large list of symbols we all are using wrong. There is Emojipedia, that expailns meanings of the symbols. 

Good piece of the information is given in the article Your guide on how to use emojis. Follow the link www.usatoday.com to read it.

Why is chocolate bad for animals?

Click here to read about and comment your answer

News: Changing our clocks

We use to turn our clocks back. 
Read an article here.

Comment now how do you feel after clocks are turned

About chewing gum to chew on

Chewing gum is one of the oldest sweets known to man beginning as a chewy tree sap from the Mastiche trees of ancient Greece. Across the world even the Mayans of South America liked chewy treats. It was in the 1800s that entrepreneur John Curtis introduced chewing gum to the US with his small sticks of "Maine Pure Spruce Gum."

Chewing gum has its own benefits. In fact, during the World War I soldiers were given gum to relieve stress and improve concentration. Today, chewing gum even helps to keep your teeth healthy with antibacterial agents.

The first chewing gums

The original sap based gums were replaced by gums made from paraffin wax, the same stuff used to make candles. Then, was it like chewing candles? No, sugar was added to these gums to give it an added sweetness. But the problem was that these gums were not chewy enough. The solution - Chicle, a natural rubber sap from the Sapodilla tree of Central America. This gave the gum the chewy feel. Chicle was later popularized by General Santa Anna.

The original sap based gums were replaced by gums made from paraffin wax, the same stuff used to make candles.

Comment on the questions:

Did ancient folks like chewing?

What similarity do candles and gums have?

Possessive Pronouns

We already know about possesive adjectives: my, your,his, her,its, our, their. 
Possessive adjective describes a noun: My car is new.

Possesive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs.
Possessive pronoun takes place of a noun: This car is mine. 


Compaire pairs of sentences below:

My book is large. (adjective, describes book)
Yours is small. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)

Your car is green. (adjective, describes car)
Mine is red. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)

Practice using of possessive pronouns: