LOL

Knock, Knock...

(This is how a Knock, Knock joke works: Person One says, "Knock, knock...," Person Two says, "Who's there?" Person One says something. Person Two repeats what Person One just said and adds '...who?' Person One ends the joke with the pun or punchline. The punchline is usually a play on words; ie. the way the word sounds, not the actual meaning.)

Here are some 'knock, knock' jokes.

1. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Don.

Don who?

Don worry, be happy!

2. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Carrie.

Carrie who?

Carrie this shopping in for me! It's too heavy!

3. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Harry.

Harry who?

Harry up and open the door! It's just starting to rain!

4. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Iona.

Iona who?

Iona house just like this one!

5. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Annie.

Annie who?

Annie chance you'll open this door?

Student Task:

Do you know any "Knock, knock" jokes? Why not write one in the comments for us? You can even ask your friends these jokes! Try them out!

IDIOM - mania

A OK

This means, if things are A OK, they are absolutely fine.

eg. "Hey Jason, how are your studies going?" Jason: "Fine. Everything is A OK! Thanks!"

WEALTH Education

CASH IS KING! If you want to buy something, try to pay cash!

When you are considering using credit to buy something or take out a loan, remember there's a big price penalty to pay for debt financing. Not only that, you can often bargain better if you pay cash. Always ask if it is cheaper if you pay cash. Remember this when shopping, "If I can't pay cash for it NOW, I can't afford it." Or, "If I can't pay for it now, I don't need it!" It will very swiftly help you to decide if you really need the item or not! Another thing I also keep in mind when I go out shopping, is not to use credit for every day consumables such as food and clothing, because you end up paying double or triple for them if you don't pay off your credit card soon! A $20 meal could end up costing you $60 in the end! Ouch!

A Spot of GRAMMAR

PHRASAL VERBS

What is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition.
A phrasal verb has a meaning which is different from the original verb. That's what makes them fun, but confusing. The adverb or preposition that follows the verb is sometimes called a particle. The particle changes the meaning of the phrasal verb in idiomatic ways.
Phrasal verbs are usually used informally in everyday speech. E.G. “to get together” , “to put off”, or “to get out.”
NB - Sometimes phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs are considered to be separate, while at other times they are considered to be the same.

Literal usage:
Many verbs in English can be combined with an adverb or a preposition, a phrasal verb used in a literal sense with a preposition is easy to understand.
"Paul walked across the bridge."
Verb and adverb constructions are also easy to understand when used literally.
"Sally cut the string and looked inside the bag."
"When he heard the strange noise above his head, he looked up."
An adverb in a literal phrasal verb modifies the verb it is attached to, and a preposition links the subject to the verb.

Idiomatic usage:
It is, however, the figurative or idiomatic application in everyday speech which makes phrasal verbs so important:
"We hope you will get over the loss of your dog quickly."
The literal meaning of “to get over”, in the sense of “to climb over something to get to the other side”, is not relevant here. Here "get over" means "recover from" or "feel better".

Transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs:
Phrasal verbs also differ in their transitivity or intransitivity in the same way as normal verbs do. A transitive verb always has an object.
For example:-
“The hikers walked across the bridge.”
"Across" in this sentence is the preposition to "the bridge".
An intransitive verb does not have an object.
For example:-
“As Alison began to cry he looked up.”
"Up" here is an adverb, and does not have an object.

Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs:
A further way of considering phrasal verbs is whether they are separable or inseparable. In inseparable verbs, the object comes after the particle.
For example:-
"As she got on the bus she dropped her bag."
"Every weekend, dad looks after the horses for his neighbours."
Separable verbs have several ways of separating verb, particle and object. Usually, the object comes between verb and particle.
For example:-
"Jason looked up the word on the laptop."
"Jason looked it up on the laptop."
However, with some separable verbs, the object can come before or after the particle.
For example:-
"Switch the computer off."
"Switch off the computer."
"Switch it off."
NB - There is usually no way of telling whether they are separable, inseparable, transitive or intransitive. In most cases you have to be familiar with them to be able to recognise them.

Seen This FLICK?

THE INSIDER

M15+

Starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe

Nominated for seven Adademy Awards including Best Picture

Based on a true story.

Gripping and powerful, The Insider keeps you on the edge of your seat as it recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against big business (the Tobacco Industry), and ultimately dragged people into the fight of their lives. The movie is based on a true story about a former scientist who worked for the Tobacco Industry, and was threatened with death for being a whistle blower on thier (the Tobacco Industry) stance that "niccotine is not addictive." Pacino and Crowe star as two men crusading together for a public health issue charged with emotion. And it's not too long before they both find out just how badly the corporate giants want to save their big profits. This absorbing thriller also stars Chistopher Plummer and Gina Gershon. The Insider will thrill you with its unbelievable twists and turns.

*Check out this cool website: http://www.themovieinsider.com/ for all the latest info on movies! Everything you need to know, it's all here! There is a search browser so you can even key in any actor or movie and you can find all the details there!

My WORD!

CONDONE (V)

To pardon, or excuse or allow (something wrong) to continue.

eg. 1. I can understand why he hit the boy for pushing his sister, but I still can't condone it.

2. One should never condone dishonest behaviour.

3. Condoning under age smoking and drinking by parents only encourages youngsters to do it.

CONDEMN (V) formal

1. To express strong disapproval of. eg. He condemned the child's bad behaviour.

2. To judge someone to be guilty or sentence them to punishment.

eg. 1. The murderer was condemned to death. 2. The thief was condemned to jail.

3. To decide something is no longer fit for use. eg. The old building was condemned by council.

I D I O M - mania

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

"A breath of fresh air" means, let's say, if you are stuck in a situation that you find unpleasant, and something changes to improve the situation, this welcome change can be compared to breathing in some fresh, clean air, because one always feels better after breathing in good, clean air.

e.g. After spending a boring weekend with my uncle, my brother showing up to take me out to lunch was like a breath of fresh air!

Or, for example, there have been no changes to a situation for a long time and then one day something positive, interesting or different happens, this is like a breath of fresh air.

e.g. Being allowed to go home one hour early from school/work on Fridays is like a breath of fresh air!

QUOTE Me On That

1. A child miseducated is a child lost.

2. Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life.
JOHN F. KENNEDY

A quote is the exact repeat of something original which a person was the first to have said, and therefore belongs to that person. We may repeat the quote, but under the condition that we give credit to the person who originally came up with it. Therefore, we must write his/her name below the quote.

STUDENT TASK: Who is John F. Kennedy? To find out, Google his name in the Wikipedia, the online Encyclopedia. http://www.wikipedia.com/
Or you can check out all of JFK's quotes on this site:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_f_kennedy.html

LOL

BRAIN TEASER
A 'brain teaser' is a tricky joke or question that requires you to really think hard at the answer, because the answer is not obvious. Here is a brain teaser:
What goes up a drainpipe down, but can't come down a drainpipe up?

Do you know the answer? Why not ask your friends? When you have found the answer, please write it in Comments (click on the envelope icon below this post)! (Hint: the picture holds a clue).

Let's Learn CHINESE!

STINKY TOFU

Stinky Tofu is both a very popular snack and sometimes infamous dish that can be found at night markets and restaurants. Although it is delicious, many people cannot stand the smell of this fermented soy bean curd dish. Hence the name, Stinky Tofu! Try it sometime if you dare!

Chinese Name: 小吃臭豆腐 xiaochī chòu dòufu

Article supplied by Chinese Jerry http://jerris888.blogspot.com/

WEALTH Education

Believe You Are RICH!
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have it all, and others not? Why is that? What makes the 'have alls' so different from the 'have nots' ?? Belief is absolutely the key. Without belief there can be no change and no amazing life. Without belief there can be no progress in life and no freedom. Believe you are RICH, and you will BE!
Believe you are POOR, and you will BE! So be careful what you believe or wish for!

My WORD!

BODY LANGUAGE

(n) Communication with others through movements of your body and through your facial expressions rather than with words.

eg. Although she said we could borrow her CD, her body language told us she did not really want to lend it to us.

Student Task:

1. What is the difference between 'borrow' and 'lend'? How do you use these words? Which word best suits these sentences:

a) May I __________ your phone?

b) Can you __________ me your phone?

(hint - remember: The person who wants to use something is the borrower. The person who allows the person to use something that belongs to her/him is the lender!)

** Google http://www.dictionary.com/ to look up the words. Good luck!

In The NEWS

NEW SPECIES FOUND IN THE HIMALAYAS

Wed Aug 12 2009
By ninemsn Staff

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glance/849112/new-species-under-threat-in-himalayas

The world's smallest deer, a flying frog and catfish that stick to rocks — as well as more than 350 other species — have been discovered over the past decade in the Himalayas.

New images of the creatures have been released by the World Wildlife Foundation in a bid to attract support for a conservation plan in the biologically rich region.

The group is calling on the Himalayan countries to give local communities more authority to manage the forests, grasslands and wetlands.

STUDENT TASKS:

1. Visit - http://www.panda.org/ for more information relating to the above article. This site is the World Wildlife Foundation site. The images are absolutely breathtaking! You will totally enjoy browsing in this website!

2. While you are on this site, you can also click on the tabs titled:

3. HOME/WHO WE ARE/WHAT WE DO/ABOUT OUR EARTH/TAKE ACTION!/NEWS/FAQ to learn more about the WWF. Below is the extract from the What We Do tab.

4. Don't forget, while you are studying, always have a dictionary and notebook handy. You may also GOOGLE www.dictionary.com for 'English to English' explanations.

5. Take an interest in the world outside your doorstep! Widen your horizons! Get involved! The planet is YOUR backyard too!! YOU are part of it, so be aware of what kind of footprint you are leaving on this, our precious planet! Make a positive impact on the world! Be part of the solution, not part of the problem! Read on and become more educated about world conservation.

WHAT DOES WWF DO?
WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of our planet's natural environment, and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

To achieve this, we are working with our many partners to:

1. Save biodiversity, and
2. Reduce humanity’s impact on natural habitats.

We are strategically focusing on conserving critical places and critical species that are particularly important for their habitat or for people.

We are also working to reduce humanity's ecological footprint – the amount of land and natural resources needed to supply our food, water, fibre and timber, and to absorb our CO₂ emissions.

It's not about keeping people out of nature.

Or turning back the clock.

Or preventing countries or communities from developing.

It is about finding practical solutions for a healthy planet.

A planet where people and nature can thrive together,
in a stable environment, now, and for generations to come.

A Spot of GRAMMAR

1. THIRD PERSON RULE
2. SOMETIMES

Can you spot the mistakes in the following sentence (there are two): "Sometime the bad guy make the best good guy."

The mistakes in the above sentence are: sometime and make
This is the correct sentence: "Sometimes the bad guy makes the best good guy."

Explanation:
Don't forget your 's'!!
1. Sometimes is ALWAYS with an 's'. Sometimes is an Adverb of Frequency.
2. 'Makes' needs an 's' because this is the "Third Person Rule" of Grammar. i.e. He/She/It/Name = + 's'. e.g. a) She likes to eat cake. b) She doesn't like to eat cake. c) Does she like to eat cake?

HINT Tweet

To truly master the art of speaking Natural English, you must learn English in ALL of the following ways: 1. Textbook English, 2. Slang, 3. Idioms, 4. Expressions, 5. English used in mass media, such as magazines, newspapers and TV, 6. Conversing with others in English as often as possible, 7. Join Speak Learn English for the best help and advice!

You are welcome to Join and Follow the Speak Learn English BLOG. To join, scroll down to the bottom left side of this page and click "Follow." It's that simple! Pass it 'round to your friends. And join up together! Use it as a home blog hang out! Meet people worldwide! Visit this site regularly to learn and improve your English.

When reading the blog posts, don't forget to click 'Older Posts' on the bottom right of the page for more useful and valuable articles posted earlier. Be pleasantly surprised!

An ORANGE A Day

Chinese Proverb:
Water is the softest element on earth, and yet it has the ability to erode a rock.

Mmm... something to think about! So... how would you interpret this? As for myself, this is my interpretation; going hard and attacking something is not always the most effective approach. Sometimes, the softly, softly, subtle approach can achieve the desired result with the littlest effort. So long as you keep at it - and NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

SLANG Dunk

SLANG

Slang is colloquial, or street language. Native English speakers, especially young people, speak this way. It is quite important to learn slang, because you will be able to communicate with certain people (eg. your peers) better if you can speak and understand some slang. As many of you have already discovered, the English you learn in a textbook is NOT often what you hear on the streets!

However, one thing to keep in mind is that slang is not always appropriate to use just anywhere. It is only appropriate in a very casual environment such as a social setting with your friends.

I have heard some students use slang at the wrong times, such as when meeting important people - and it sounds terrible!! They sound as though they are gangsters from a movie set on the streets of LA! Or hip hop artists!!

So please, take my advice: only use slang in certain circles, ie. on the streets with your own age group. DO NOT make it your only speaking style!! You ain't gonna get a good job jivin' like a gangsta, yo!! Not even at McDonald's!

SLANG Dunk

FLICK

"Flick" is slang for 'movie'. A common expression you will hear is "Chick Flick", which means a 'girlie' movie (a movie that is popular with females), such as a romantic movie or a romantic comedy. A "Hit Flick" is a movie that is a very popular or top grossing movie (meaning it has made alot of money at the Box Office, i.e. Cinema Viewing).

You may hear someone ask, "Wanna go see a flick?" or "Wanna catch a flick?", which both mean, "Would you like to/Do you want to go see/watch a movie?"

Seen This FLICK?

Movie: THE HIDDEN KINGDOM

This is a martial arts epic, adventure film starring Jacky Chan and Jet Li. They play Chinese warriors who must train and mentor a 21st century American teenager who's been summoned back to ancient China to fight a centuries-old battle to free the imprisoned Monkey King. It features spectacular action choreography by Woo-ping Yuen (The Matrix). It is rated PG and is an exciting fantasy adventure. Take it out or download it! If you like Chinese Kung Fu or Chinese legends, you will really enjoy this movie as I did!

Just one thing: Make sure it is in English so you can study English while watching it- for those of you who speak Chinese - no Chinese subtitles, OK!! Cover the bottom of your screen so you can't read them!!

Watching movies is a very effective way to learn a language. Have a pen and notebook handy so you can jot down any new words and expressions, and make them part of your English usage.

Express Yourself

Expression 1: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," is a saying that means, when you visit another country do what the people of that country do.
Expression 2: "Food for thought," means something for you to think about.

(read the post below to see how these expressions can be used)

Tip OFF

When in Rome...

When learning a foreign language, you are inevitably going to learn about the culture, people and anything else associated with that particular language. So if you want to capture the essence of that language and become as good as a 'native' speaker, you must embrace all aspects of that language. Some people say, only when you start dreaming in that language, will you know you have really mastered it. In other words, there is more to learning a foreign language that merely speaking it! Food for thought!

(See above post to learn meanings of expressions used here)

LOL

HERE ARE SOME JOKES ABOUT WORDS. This kind of joke is referred to as, "A play on words." That means the word is used as a double meaning (not the real meaning) just to make people laugh. To really understand these jokes, you need to know the original meanings of the words. I advise you to get out your dictionary and first look up the words you don't know.

Address - something a woman wears!
Adorn - the start of the day when the sun comes up!
Airliner - the person who paints the lines down the sides of airplanes!
Allocate - say hello to Cate!
Antelope - when two ants run off to get married! (* look up the word 'elope')
Antifreeze - when your mum's sister goes out without a coat in winter!
Arrest - what a burglar gets when he goes to bed!
Automate - a robot for a best pal! (*In Australian slang 'mate' means 'friend' or 'pal')

*Hope you got the jokes! LOL! (Do you know what 'LOL' means? It means 'Laugh Out Loud'!)

Don't Forget The LYRICS

Can you guess the name of this song and the singer/songwriter?

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big family
And the truth - you know love is all we need
( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
so let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
Well, send 'em your heart
So they know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us
By turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand
( REPEAT CHORUS )
When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, let's realize
That one change can only come
When we stand together as one
( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
------------------------------------------------------------

We are The World, by Michael Jackson

Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

Why not find this song and listen to it - it is very beautiful; you will love it! Find it here: http://www.songlyrics.com/

Let's Learn CHINESE!

posted by CJ at Chinese Jerry (彩你姿 傑瑞)

Wait for me (a moment)

When you ask a friend to wait for you;

you can say:等我一下 : "Deng wo yi xia. "
or you can say: 等我一會兒 : "Deng wo yi hui er."