Friday, May 31, 2013

Donna Summer , nữ hoàng nhạc Disco

Xin chào!

Bạn có thích nhạc của những thập kỷ 70 thơ mộng không? Hãy cùng nghe những bài “Hit” của Dona Summer , nũ hoàng dòng nhạc Disco nhé!

Học anh văn vui bằng cách nghe nhạc .

 

Listen

Donna Summer performs at the conclusion of the Nobel Peace concert in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2009

Donna Summer performs at the conclusion of the Nobel Peace concert in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2009

TEXT

How many of you like disco music from the 1970s, or are old enough to remember it? Singer Donna Summer was the queen of disco with hits like "Love to Love You Baby," "Hot Stuff," "She Works Hard for the Money" and "Last Dance." She died Thursday in Florida at the age of sixty-three. People close to her say she had cancer for some time but tried to keep the extent of her illness private.

She Works Hard for the Money

Songwriters: OMARTIAN, MICHAEL / SUMMER, DONNA

She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
Onetta there in the corner stand
And wonders where she is and
It's strange to her
Some people seem to have everything
Nine a.m. on the hour hand
And she's waiting for the bell
And she's looking real pretty
Just wait for her clientele
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
Twenty eight years have
Come and gone
And she' seen a lot of tears
Of the ones who come in
They really seem to need her there
It's a sacrifice working day to day
For little money just tips for pay
But it's worth it all
Just to hear them say that they care
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She already knows
She's seen her bad times
She already knows
These are the good times
She'll never sell out
She never will
Not for a dollar bill
She works hard
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right
She works hard for the money
So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you better treat her right

Irish Philosophy



TiengAnhVui.Com

There are only two things to worry about: Either you are well or you are sick:-



If you are well then there's nothing to worry about, but if you are sick there are two things to worry about:-



Either you will get well or you will die, and if you get well there is nothing to worry about, but if you die there are two things to worry about:-



Either you will go to heaven or you will go to hell, and if you go to heaven there is nothing to worry about, but if you go to hell you will be so busy shaking hands with friends, you won't have time to worry!




Đăng ký: Hoc tieng anh

European firms gain confidence in market


Theo điều tra từ tổ chức Eurocham , các công ty châu Âu tiếp tục tin vào nền kinh tế Việt Nam.
Đọc bản tin tiếng Anh từ Bản tin tiếng Anh từ vntimes.info và lưu ý 1 số từ khóa:



outlook ['aʊtlʊknoun
triển vọng
  • business outlook: triển vọng kinh tế
  • market outlook: triển vọng thị trường
  • medium range economic outlook: triển vọng kinh tế trung hạn
  • sales outlook: triển vọng tiêu thụ
  • sales outlook: triển vọng bán hàng
  • short-term economic outlook: triển vọng kinh tế ngắn hạn

  • neutral ['nuːtrəl /'njuː-]
    trung lập

  • neutral policy: chính sách trung lập
  • neutral powers: các cường quốc trung lập
  • neutral zone: khu trung lập

  • Business confidence among European companies in Viet Nam continues to improve, according to Eurocham's 11th quarterly EuroCham Business Climate Index (BCI) survey released yesterday.

    The Business Climate Index conducted in May rose to the midpoint, from 48 to 50 points, following three quarters that had registered below 50.

    This is the second consecutive increase, which suggests that European companies were regaining trust in the Vietnamese market.

    The key indicators were an increase in revenue and orders, and optimism about the overall economic outlook.

    Despite positive signs, the BCI remains at 50, far below the highpoint of 79 in 2011, and the improvements over the last two quarters remain limited, with an increase of two points per quarter.

    More than half of the businesses that took part in the survey are active in the services industry, a quarter in manufacturing, and the rest in trading and other activities.

    In line with the last survey, there has been a continued increase in respondents assessing their current business situation as positive, from 40 per cent to 43 per cent.

    The previous quarter saw a rise from 26 per cent to 40 per cent, and the current level reflects improved business sentiment.

    Looking to the future, the business outlook has seen significant improvement, with members having positive expectations rising from 30 per cent to 43 per cent.

    This development may be linked to the ongoing EU-Viet Nam FTA negotiations, the survey said.

    Although business confidence has improved, 57 per cent of respondents assessed their outlook as either "neutral" or "negative".

    Still, the survey found that reported investment appeared to be improving, and that more companies intended to have a significant increase in investment. This doubled from last quarter's 7 per cent to 13 per cent.

    Overall, investment plans look more positive than they did a year ago, with 76 per cent of respondents either expecting to keep or increase their investment levels, compared to 72 per cent a year ago.

    The number of respondents expecting to cut investments further declined to 19 per cent from last quarter's 24 per cent.

    This again indicates a returning faith in Viet Nam's medium-term future, and shows that Government initiatives are inspiring increasing confidence and optimism.

    When asked about their expected number of orders and revenue in the medium-term, 84 per cent of respondents said they would remain constant or would improve.

    In addition, concerns about inflation are declining, with 65 per cent of companies expecting inflation to have limited or no impact on their business in the medium-term, compared to 55 per cent in the last quarter and up from 43 per cent a year ago.

    Members were also asked to indicate what they think the rate of inflation will be, and the average came to 5.13 per cent.

    This is very close to last quarter's estimate of 5.12 per cent and down half a percentage point on last year's 5.63 per cent.

    Respondents' appreciation of the macroeconomic situation is also improving.

    Whereas last quarter 57 per cent expected a further deterioration in conditions, and a staggering 72 per cent the quarter before, this has now fallen below the midpoint to 48 per cent.

    In other words, 52 per cent of the respondents believe the economy will stabilise and improve in the future, something which has not been seen in the Business Climate Index since 2011.

    Purchasing and Using an E-Ticket



    Luyện nghe tiếng Anh với nội dung về mua và sử dụng vé máy bay điện tử.





    Tôi nghĩ tôi sẽ tiết kiệm thời gian bằng cách mua vé và làm thủ tục check-in tại sân bay với tôi vé điện tử . Tôi đã đi vào trang web của Air McQ và chọn chuyến bay . Màn hình sau đó nhắc nhở tôi phải trả tiền bằng thẻ tín dụng . Sau khi tôi gõ vào thông tin thanh toán của tôi , tôi có một biên lai xác nhận với số vé của tôi và hành trình của tôi . Tôi in ra một bản sao của tôi vé điện tử và tôi đã sẵn sàng để đi - dễ dàng!

    Nhưng khi tôi đến sân bay , đó là một câu chuyện khác ... Các bạn nghe tiếp để biết xem chuyện gì nhé.
     
    English

    I thought I would save time by purchasing my airline ticket online and checking in at the airport with my e-ticket. I went onto the McQ Air website and selected my flights. The screen then prompted me to pay with a credit card. After I typed in my payment information, I got a confirmation receipt with my ticket number and my itinerary. I printed out a copy of my e-ticket and I was ready to go – easy!

    But when I got to the airport, it was a different story. I went up to a self-serve kiosk and swiped my credit card to bring upmy account. The computer said that it couldn’t find my account. I flagged down an employee and she didn’t have any better luck, suggesting I stand in line at the check-in counter.

    I got in the long line and 45 minutes later, the employee helped me check in and gave me my boarding pass. When I asked her what the problem was, she said she didn’t know and it was probably just a glitch in their computer system.

    Well, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, especially if technology is involved!
    Luyện nghe tiếng Anh

    Wednesday, May 29, 2013

    International Student Exchange Programs

    Học bổng “Australian Endeavour Awards“  là  chương trình học bổng của Chính phủ Australia cung cấp tạo cơ hội cho các công dân của khu vực châu Á - Thái Bình Dương, Trung Đông , Châu Âu và Châu Mỹ để thực hiện nghiên cứu và phát triển chuyên môn ở Australia . Chương trình củng ài trọ  cho người Úc thực hiện nghiên cứu , nghiên cứu và phát triển chuyên môn ở nước ngoài.

     

    The Endeavour Awards is the Australian Government’s internationally competitive, merit scholarship program providing opportunities for citizens of the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe and Americas to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia. Awards are also available for Australians to undertake study, research and professional development abroad.


    The Endeavour Awards aim to:
    * Develop on-going educational, research and professional linkages between individuals, organizations and countries;
    * Provide opportunities for high achieving individuals from Australia and overseas to increase their skills and enhance their global awareness;
    * Contribute to Australia’s position as a high quality education and training provider, and a leader in research and innovation; and
    * Increase the productivity of Australians through an international study, research or professional development experience.

    International Student Exchange Programs

    The Australian Government encourages young Australians to immerse themselves into social and academic cultures of other countries and provides opportunities for international students, particularly from the region, to study in and experience Australia.
    It also seeks to support Australian higher education providers in further developing and diversifying their linkages with counterpart institutions overseas.
    In recognizing the enduring benefits of undergraduate student exchanges, the Australian Government has been funding Australian higher education providers to subsidize the costs to students participating in student exchanges since 1993.
    The key features of the institution-to-institution student exchange arrangements that underlie the International Student Exchange Programs are tuition fee waiver and credit transfer.

     

    Reference:
    Australian Government - Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)
    http://www.deewr.gov.au/International/EndeavourAwards
    http://www.seekscholarships.net/

    Vocabulary : Ops

     

    Ops

    "Ops" is short for "Operations". Operations is a part of a business which manages day-to-day processes, like production, shipping, storage, etc. Operations staff work to make the business run more efficiently.

    Many companies have Operations departments or divisions. Some companies have an executive who's named the Chief Operations Officer (COO), who assists the CEO.

    "Being responsible for"

    "Being responsible for" something means that you have to make sure that something is taken care of. For example:

    I was responsible for taking care of my little brother.

    This means that it was your job to take care of your brother. If something bad happened to your brother, you would be blamed for it.

    Here's an example that you might see on a sign in the locker room at a gym:

    Total Fitness club is not responsible for any missing or stolen items.

    This means that the gym will not have to pay for your things if they get stolen.

    determine (something)

    To "determine" something means to figure it out or make a decision about it.

    You "determine" facts or conclusions. For example:

    Police have not yet determined the cause of death.

    I've determined that the next camera I buy should be a Canon T3i

    The word "determine" is more formal than "figure out".

    (someone) fields a question

    When someone asks a question that can be answered by several people, the person who answers is "fielding" the question.

    This phrase comes from the game of baseball, where players on the baseball field stand and try to catch balls that are hit in their direction. Catching baseballs in this position is called "fielding" balls.

    a staffer

    The word "staffer" means "someone who's on the staff". In other words, it describes someone who works in a certain company or group.

    a division

    A "division" is a large group of people within a company who are managed together. Divisions are larger than departments, which are another kind of grouping in a company.

    A division is usually led by a director, a vice president, or some other executive.

     

    "If you get questions that should be fielded by Ops, this will help you determine which Ops staffer is responsible for which sales division."

    Monday, May 27, 2013

    Highest Office


    By Jeffrey Hill
    This cartoon by Morten Morland from The Times uses a play on words to comment on the unimpressive performance of the UK's coalition government on a whole range of issues: the economy, same-sex marriage, the EU referendum, etc. etc.

    THE CARTOON
    The scene is a meeting of the Cabinet. The ministers are sitting around the Cabinet table in leather-backed chairs. However, only the tops of their heads are visible (Prime Minister David Cameron, third from left, can be recognized by his hair). The title of the cartoon, 'Highest Office', refers to the office of Prime Minister, but the expression is used ironically to describe the lack of stature of the current Cabinet, who are visibly not 'up to the job'. The blank sheet of paper in front of each minister can be seen as symbolizing their lack of ideas. The message seems to be that we have a Cabinet of pygmies rather than giants.

    VOCABULARY
    1. In a room, the fireplace is the place where a fire can be lit and the area on the wall and floor surrounding this place.
    2. A mantelpiece is a wood or stone shelf which is the top part of a border round a fireplace.
    3. A candlestick is a narrow object with a hole at the top which holds a candle. Related articles

    English Café :Ask an American - Rural doctors


    Download Podcast

    Let’s get started; continuously versus continually; chaos .

    Words:

    intention [ɪn'tenʃn] :   an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
      "his intent was to provide a new translation"; "good intentions are not enough"; "it was created with the conscious aim of answering immediate needs"; "he made no secret of his designs"

    rural  ['rʊrəl /'rʊərəl]
    adj.
    1.
    living in or characteristic of farming or country life
    2.
    relating to rural areas

    soul mate  
    n.  someone for whom you have a deep affinity

    prospective  [prə'spektɪv]
    adj.
    1.
    concerned with or related to the future
    2.
    anticipated for the near future

    lifelong  
    adj.  continuing through life


    interactive  [‚ɪntə(r)æktɪv]
    adj.
    1.
    used especially of drugs or muscles that work together so the total effect is greater than the sum of the two (or more)
    2.
    capable of acting on or influencing each other

    monitor  ['mɑnɪtər /'mɒ-]
    n.
    1.
    display produced by a device that takes signals and displays them on a television screen or a computer monitor
    2.
    someone who supervises (an examination)
    3.
    someone who gives a warning so that a mistake can be avoided

    lecturer  ['lektʃərə]
    n.
    1.
    a public lecturer at certain universities
    2.
    someone who lectures professionally

    continually  [-lɪ]
    adv.  seemingly without interruption

    chaos  ['keɪɒs]
    n.
    1.
    a state of extreme confusion and disorder



    Sunday, May 26, 2013

    Thanh Bui | Australian singer who has a Vietnamese background


    Thanh Bùi  là một ca sĩ người Úc gốc Việt, thuộc dòng nhạc trẻ, nhạc hải ngoại. Ngoài ra anh cũng tham gia viết nhạc. Anh nổi lên và được rất nhiều người biết đến khi là người việt (thuộc cộng đồng thiểu số tại Úc) lọt vào Top 8 của cuộc thi thần tượng âm nhạc Úc (Australian Idol) vào năm 2008. Ngoài ra, Anh còn là hiệu trưởng của Học viện Âm nhạc mang tên Soul Academy tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, đào tạo các bộ môn: thanh nhạc (vocal), piano, guitar, violin, trống (drums), nhảy (dance); sản xuất âm nhạc, chương trình phát triển tài năng và hãng thu âm.
     Nghe Video về Thanh Bùi ở địa chỉ bên dưới.
     
    Video
    http://australianetwork.com/englishbites/ep018.htm

    Transcript
    We'll look at tag questions and rhetorical questions, as well as the expressions odd one out and there you go.
    I really want to tell my story of growing up in this country. Born to refugee parents - what's that like? And for other Asian Australians to relate to my story.

    Integrating into the country was very difficult I think. Obviously not knowing the language. I grew up in a very Vietnamese family. I didn't speak my first word of English until I was about 5 or 6. So I remember my teacher, my teacher in I think prep wanting me to stay down the class because I couldn't speak English properly.

    I've always been sort of the odd one out. I remember being called all sorts of names - and sort of I had a few people there, that, you know, little kids can be very nasty to each other can't they?
    The odd one out is someone who is a bit different or who doesn't fit easily into a group. Being called names is being insulted and called rude and unpleasant things. Listen again:
    I've always been sort of the odd one out. I remember being called all sorts of names - and sort of I had a few people there, that, you know, little kids can be very nasty to each other can't they?
    Thanh uses a tag question - can't they? - to encourage agreement. He says 'kids can be very nasty to each other can't they. Tag questions like this have a positive/negative pattern - kids can be nasty/ can't they? or they can have a negative/positive pattern - You don't like this/ do you? Now listen for another question that doesn't need an answer:
    I really want to tell my story of growing up in this country. Born to refugee parents - what's that like?
    What's that like? - He doesn't want an answer; he just wants you to think about it. This sort of question is called a rhetorical question.

    But what was it like?
    When we got to a stage where I was about 9, 10, 11 I'd be, myself and my brother would be doing all the translating for mum and dad on every level, every front.
    Every level, every front means any situation where English was used. His parents depended on them to explain what things meant.

    And what did he depend on his mother to do for him?
    I think it all started really young when mum used to sing for me for 4 hours every night without fail.
    She used to sing to him. Used to means it doesn't happen now. She sang to him 'without fail'. Without fail emphasises that something always happens. She always sang to him. Listen again:
    I think it all started really young when mum used to sing for me for 4 hours every night without fail.
    Now listen for another rhetorical question:
    Vocals is very difficult to teach I think 'cos it's, it is such an intimate instrument. You can't see it. Hello where is it? You can't actually see it.
    Again, he doesn't want an answer, he wants to emphasise a point.

    So we've seen that tag questions can encourage agreement, can't they? The odd one out is someone who doesn't fit in, being called names is being insulted and without fail means always.

    We'll finish with the expression 'there you go', which is something you can say when giving someone something:
    I'm an artist and that's what I am and I can't run away from it and if I run away from it I'll always be half the person that I can be.

    There you go.

    Saturday, May 25, 2013

    Vietnam wins the coffee battle by using laws - News

    Từ tháng 7, các doanh nghiệp có vốn đầu tư nước ngoài sẽ mất quyền để thu thập cà phê trực tiếp từ nông dân. Rõ ràng chính sách này nhằm bảo vệ các công ty trong nước . Tuy nhiên , chính sách này có thể gây hại cho người nông dân.

    From June 7, foreign invested enterprises would lose the right to collect coffee directly from farmers. It’s clear that by laying down the policy, the state aims to protect domestic companies. However, the policy may harm farmers.



    Bạn có ý kiến về chính sách này vui lòng gửi nhận xét trong bình luận hoặc email chúng tôi info @ tienganhvui.com .
    Đọc thêm bản tin ở đây.

    Get VietNam News

    Cook Books: My Vietnam and Asian Dumplings





    Now that you’re armed with some Asian pantry staples, what can you do with them? Here are two fabulous books that will make any Asian food lover jump for joy. For classic Vietnamese recipes showcasing the diversity of cuisines from the Mekong to Hanoi, check out Australian chef Luke Nguyen’s My Vietnam: Stories and Recipes. The stories and photos are simply stunning and contains both rare home style dishes as well as well known dishes.

    Another great book from veteran cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, Asian Dumplings is the ultimate guide to dumpling delicacies of all varieties that are either wrapped, folded, pleated, and otherwise twisted. Thorough and well organized, the recipes will have you mastering new dishes and techniques that span across the entire Asian continent.

    Alarm Over Mekong Region’s Rapidly Disappearing Forests

    By Rachel Vandenbrink
    Rừng Việt Nam ở khu vực sông Mekong bị tàn phá nhanh chóng và có khả năng biến mất hoàn toàn nếu không có biện pháp năn chặn . Bản tin từ đài châu Á về hiện trạng này.








    The greater Mekong region in Southeast Asia could lose nearly a third of its forests within the next two decades if governments don’t boost protection, a leading conservation group warned Thursday, saying the region’s freshwater ecosystems are also threatened by planned dams.


    Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam have lost nearly one third of their forest cover over the past 35 years, leaving the region with about half of its natural forests, the report by the World Wildlife Fund said of the region centered around the Mekong River.

    The forests are being overtaken by farmland and replaced with agricultural plantations growing rice, rubber, sugar, and other commodities for export, the report said.

    Other areas are damaged by logging—linked to a rise in demand for timber in China, Thailand, and Vietnam—while mangrove forests have been cleared to make way for rice paddies and shrimp farms.

    Using satellite imagery, the WWF’s researchers calculated that between 1973 and 2009, Cambodia lost 22 percent of its forest cover, Burma and Laos each lost 24 percent, and Thailand and Vietnam each lost 43 percent.

    The “hotspots” most at risk for further deforestation include the margins of large forest blocks that remain in Cambodia, Laos, and Burma, the report said, adding that national statistics from Vietnam and China have “masked” overall losses in regional tree cover because they include large monoculture plantations that are gradually replacing natural forests.

    'At a crossroads'

    The region has retained forests covering a total of some half of its land area, but if current deforestation rates persist, another third could be lost, with devastating consequences for wildlife, the report said.

    “The Greater Mekong is at a crossroads,” said Peter Cutter, a WWF land conservation expert.

    “One path leads to further declines in biodiversity and livelihoods, but if natural resources are managed responsibly, this region can pursue a course that will secure a healthy and prosperous future for its people,” he said.

    Mekong dams

    The greater Mekong region, which also includes southwestern China’s Yunnan and Guangxi, is a biodiversity hotspot and supports some 70 million people depending directly on its ecosystems for food, water, and livelihood.

    The region is bound together by the Mekong River, which hosts 13 unique but interconnected freshwater ecosystems, which are threatened by planned dams.

    The controversial Xayaburi dam under construction in northern Laos is a “key threat” to the health and productivity to the region, and will block migratory fish and sediment flow with devastating consequences for livelihoods and food security, the WWF warned.

    If all 11 planned dams on the main stem of the Mekong River are built, fish supply could be cut by 40 percent, the report said.

    But because the region is still rich in natural capital, building greener economies is still “well within reach,” if regional governments coordinate properly, the WWF concluded.

    "Given that the majority of the region's biological heritage and supporting ecosystems occur in landscapes that cross borders, regional collaboration is critical," Cutter said.

    "Increased and more sustainable investment in maintaining ecosystem integrity must also be a priority at landscape, national, and regional scales."

    Friday, May 24, 2013

    How To Play Like Germans

    tienganhvui_How To Play Like Germans

    Flirt male

    BACKGROUND
    For more than 40 years, England fans have wanted the national football team to be more like the Germans. Now, it seems, they’ve got their wish. For the England team’s latest kit bears a striking resemblance to the strip worn by West Germany in 1966. The kit, unveiled yesterday, was designed by Nike to mark the 150th anniversary of the Football Association.

     

    THE CARTOON
    The cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun shows the England team in the dressing room before a match. Three players (Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and Andy Carroll) are putting on lederhosen — leather breeches which are traditional Bavarian men's clothing. Cole tells the manager Roy Hodgson, "Boss — these aren't going to make us play like Germans." You can say that again!

     

    VOCABULARY
    1. Footballers traditionally address their manager/trainer/coach as boss. In fact, recently retired Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has told his players they can call him all the names under the sun - but never to refer to him as 'boss' again.

    2. Kit is special clothing and equipment that you use when you take part in a particular activity, especially a sport.

    Limbless Nick Vujicic warmly welcomed in HCM City | VietNam News


    anhtho@vntimes.info

    Nick Vujicic enjoyed meeting his Vietnamese fans at the While Palace Conventional Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on May 22.


    Get VietNam News  

    Video | Kangaroo vs Dog

    Only in Australia can you see a dog vs. kangaroo wrestling match…

    Thursday, May 23, 2013

    Push Your Limits

    Written by Susie

     

    There are so many times in our lives when we give up without pushing ourselves.

    There are also the times when we are on the brink of giving up. Times when we think we can’t go a single step farther, literally and/or figuratively, yet somehow we summon the energy and take those last few steps and achieve what we set out to do.

    As a parent, I don’t think there is anything more emotional and heart warming than seeing your child push himself/herself to the limit and come out on the other side with the satisfaction of a job well done.

    Today my second soldier son finished a grueling 50 kilometer trek that ended with the traditional beret bestowing ceremony. Up until this point, soldiers are only allowed to wear the standard beret that they received when they were drafted. Today, after “earning” it they received the special berets for the elite unit they are training to serve in. With their new beret in hand, they no longer have the “shame” or stigma of being a new recruit.

    Parents, grandparents, siblings and friends lined the steep uphill route that marked the end of the soldiers’ trek. (Which supposedly was a less wicked hill than others they encountered overnight.) There was waiting and there was a lot of anticipation. All of it was well worth it because the rush of emotion that everyone experienced when we heard the soldiers singing and yelling in the distance was electrifying.

    And when the soldiers finally came into view, in a plume of rising dust, civilians and soldiers meshed into one.

    All the spectators cheered the soldiers on and even physically helped them carry the stretchers as well as push the soldiers uphill.

    Each and every soldier, despite extraordinary fitness levels, was physically and emotionally exhausted and simply drained. It took everything they had to finish the last few hundred meters and then to stand for the thirty minutes of the ceremony.

    But they did and were greeted with hugs, kisses, congratulations, food and support. And lots and lots of pride. Pride from those who had come to watch and celebrate with them and more importantly self pride in a job well done. Pride in knowing that they had pushed themselves to the limit and had won.

    They also had some time to relax with family and try to forget for a few minutes about the aches and pains.

    Sometimes we think we can’t go on. Sometimes we think we have nothing left to give. And sometimes we push our limits and surprise ourselves.

    I don’t think there’s a better feeling than that, unless it’s watching your child push his limits and reap the satisfaction from a job extremely well done. (Although I do have to say I did feel really bad about the amount of pain he and all his friends were in, but I am sure they feel it was worth it.)


    What have you accomplished by pushing your limits? Share your idea by email us info [@] tienganhvui.com.

     

    Vocabulary:

    brink of giving

    summon

    3 Tips to Remember Prepositions

    prep-300x300

    Prepositions are little words that are often defined as “linking nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence”.

    >>Winning ticket sold in record multi-million dollar lottery

    >>Walt Disney

    >>Dorothy Parker

    More simply, prepositions are words that indicate a place or time. However, there are other parts of speech that indicate place and time as well. Therefore, it’s often easier to recognize a preposition when you have all of the prepositions memorized.

    1. Memorize Through Grouping: there is such a long list of prepositions, that it will be much easier for you to remember them in smaller groups. For example: one day, learn all the prepositions that begin with A, the next day with B and so on.

    Also, why not use a song to help memorize them? Choose a simple melody or a favorite song and sing the prepositions in rhythm This will really help your brain remember all of them! And it’s a lot more fun.

    Here is a video you could use of someone singing the prepositions to a Lady Gaga song:

     

    2. Repetition: practice, practice, practice. Try writing the list of prepositions several times a day. This will help you to memorize the words as you will be thinking of the word in your head at the same time you are looking at it.

    You can also do repetition in saying, not just writing. Say the words out loud as you are looking at the word written on the paper.

    3. Increase your Understanding of Prepositions: you only have to do this activity once. Make a list of all the prepositions and research how each one works and what it means. Also, write down several examples.

    It has been demonstrated that the more you understand a concept, the easier it is to remember!

    Wednesday, May 22, 2013

    Audio | Jefferson Moves to Cut Debt and Spending

    B012C6BD-8953-43E1-A761-7886AA252A5E_w640_r1_s
    Nghe Audio “Voice of Ameerica” ve Jefferson
    SCRIPT:
    In our last program, we talked about President Thomas Jefferson’s decisions about who would be in his new government. Jefferson was the leader of a new political party, the Republican Party. But not the Republican Party we know today; in fact, Jefferson's party laid the roots for today's Democratic Party.
    During the election of 1800, the Jeffersonian Republicans struggled bitterly with the opposition party, the Federalists. Jefferson won that election. In his inaugural address of 1801, he said he wanted to work with the Federalists for the good of the nation.
    But he chose no Federalists for his cabinet. All the cabinet officers were strong Republicans. All were loyal to Thomas Jefferson.
    Once President Jefferson formed his cabinet, he began planning the policies of his administration.
    “Jefferson, of course, thought central government should be almost invisible. He saw its prime role as acting as a referee between the states. He wanted to keep it to a minimum.”
    Andrew O’Shaughnessy directs a center for Jefferson studies at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia. He says Jefferson was especially concerned about the public debt. In the first year of Jefferson’s presidency, the government owed millions of dollars. Each year, the debt grew larger because of the interest charged on these loans. Jefferson wanted to balance the budget.
    Jefferson discussed his financial policy with his two closest advisers. The advisers were Secretary of State James Madison and Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin. The men agreed that the government must stop spending as much money as it did under former president John Adams. And they agreed that the government must pay its debts as quickly as possible.
    Albert Gallatin said: We must have a strong policy. The debt must be paid. If we do not do this, our children, our grandchildren, and many generations to come will have to pay for our mistakes.
    Jefferson began saving money by cutting unnecessary jobs in the executive branch. He reduced the number of ambassadors. And he dismissed all the tax inspectors.
    Congress would have to take the next steps. Most government offices, Jefferson said, were created by laws of Congress. Congress alone must act on these positions. The citizens of the United States have paid for these jobs with their taxes. It is not right or just for the government to take more than it needs from the people.
    President Jefferson also wanted to cut taxes on the production and sale of some products, including whiskey and tobacco. He hoped the government could get all the money it needed from import taxes and from the sale of public lands.
    The Federalists were furious. They warned that Jefferson’s financial program would crush the nation. They declared there would be anarchy if Federalist officials were dismissed.
    Most people, however, were happy. They liked what Jefferson said. They especially liked his plan to cut taxes.
    Jefferson's biggest critic was his long-time political opponent, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton had served as the nation's first treasury secretary. Now, he was a private lawyer in New York City. He published his criticism of Jefferson in a newspaper he started, the New York Evening Post.
    In Congress, elected officials also debated the president's proposal to cut taxes. Federalists said it was dangerous for the government to depend mainly on import taxes. They said such a policy would lead to smuggling. People would try to bring goods into the United States secretly, without paying customs fees on them.
    Federalists also said that if the United States cut taxes, it would not have enough money to pay its debts. Then no one would want to invest in the United States again.
    Republicans said they were not afraid of smugglers. The danger, they said, would come from taxing the American people. There was no need for production and sales taxes. And, they said, the American people knew it. The Republicans also said they were sure the government would have enough money to pay its debts.
    The Republicans won this legislative fight. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives voted to approve the president's plan to cut taxes.
    Congress also had another of Jefferson’s proposals to debate. Jefferson wanted to reduce the number of federal courts. The issue had roots in the political divisions between the Federalist and Republican parties. And it started in the closing days of the previous president’s term.
    John Adams was a Federalist. Before Adams left office, Congress passed a Judiciary Act. This act gave Adams the power to appoint as many judges as he wished. The act was a way for the Federalists to keep control of one branch of government after losing the presidency and their majority in Congress in the election of 1800.
    So, President Adams quickly created new courts and named new judges. Just as quickly, the Senate approved them. The papers of appointment were signed. The appointed men were known as "midnight judges."
    However, some of the midnight judges did not receive their papers, or commissions, before Thomas Jefferson was sworn into office. The new president refused to give them their commissions.
    Federalist congressmen claimed that the president was trying to interfere with the judiciary. This interference, they said, violated the Constitution.
    Republican congressmen argued that the Constitution gave Congress the power to create and eliminate courts. They said the former administration had no right to appoint the so-called "midnight judges."
    The Republicans won this argument, too. Congress approved President Jefferson's proposal to reduce the federal courts.
    Congress then turned to other business. But the question of the midnight judges would not die. One reason the issue remained important was because of a man named William Marbury. Marbury was one of the midnight judges who had never received his commission. He asked the Supreme Court to decide whether the government was required to give him his commission.
    The chief justice of the United States, John Marshall, was a member of the Federalist Party.
    “Jefferson and Marshall hate each other. In fact, Marshall gives him the oath for the inauguration, and goes back to his room and says, ‘Well, a terrorist has just taken over the government. I hope we will be able to survive him.’”
    Joseph Ellis is a historian who has written many books about early American history. He says John Marshall was “a towering figure” who had an entirely different view of the federal government than Jefferson.
    Marshall believed the Supreme Court should have the right to veto bills passed by Congress and signed by the president. In the Marbury case, he saw a chance to put this idea into law.
    Marshall wrote his decision carefully. First, he said that Marbury did have a legal right to his judicial commission. Then, he said that Marbury had been denied this legal right. He said no one -- not even the president -- could take away a person's legal rights.
    Next, Marshall noted that Marbury had taken his request to the Supreme Court under the terms of a law passed in 1789. That law gave citizens the right to ask the high court to order action by any lower court or by any government official.
    Marshall explained that the Constitution carefully limits the powers of the Supreme Court. The court can hear direct requests involving diplomats or the states. It cannot rule on other cases until a lower court has ruled.
    So, Marshall said, the 1789 law allowed Marbury to take his case directly to the Supreme Court. But the Constitution did not. The Constitution, he added, is the first law of the land. Therefore, the congressional law is unconstitutional and has no power.
    Chief Justice Marshall succeeded in doing all he had hoped to do. He made clear that Marbury had a right to his judicial commission. He also saved himself from a battle with the administration. Most importantly, he claimed for the Supreme Court the power to rule on laws passed by Congress.
    The case of Marbury versus Madison established that the Supreme Court — not the president or the Congress — has the final say on what the Constitution means. Jefferson did not like Marshall’s decision, but Joseph Ellis says that Jefferson was awed by how the chief justice argued his case.
    “Jefferson says to his friend, 'If you ever talk to Marshall, don’t say anything. Because whatever you say, he will take it and he will twist it.' He calls it the 'twistifications' of John Marshall.”
    Jefferson waited for the Supreme Court to use this new power to change Congress’ laws. Several times during Jefferson's presidency, Federalists claimed that laws passed by the Republican Congress violated the Constitution. But they never asked the Supreme Court to reject those laws.
    The case of Marbury versus Madison was one of the most important decisions about how America’s government operates. But historians say another act during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency affected America in an even bigger way. That will be our story next week.
    I’m Steve Ember, inviting you to join us each week for The Making of a Nation – our program of American history from VOA Learning English.

    VOCABULARY:

    Federalists  / fed*er*al*ist /
      • countor Federalist a supporter of federal government especially USFederalist US
    inaugural / in*au*gu*ral /
    happening as part of an official ceremony or celebration when someone (such as a newly elected official) begins an important job happening as part of an inauguration
    Furious / fu*ri*ous / (adjective)
      fu*ri*ous
      (adjective)
      • very angry She's furious at/over how slowly the investigation is proceeding.
    Smuggle

    News:CPI drops again in both major VN cities

    Chỉ số lạm phát tiêu dùng giảm ở HCM và Hà nội lần thứ 3 liên tiếp trong 3 tháng gần đây . Bản tin từ VietNam News .

    Text: Pano feed

     

     

    HA NOI (VNS)—May’s consumer price index (CPI) has declined in both HCM City and Ha Noi, by 0.16 percent and 0.22 percent respectively, from the levels of the previous month.

    This is the third successive month the CPI has tumbled in the two biggest cities of Viet Nam.

    Food and drink prices in HCM City, especially at restaurants, increased slightly, while culture, entertainment and tourism services saw moderate declines of 0.09 percent. Healthcare prices also slipped down by 0.02 per cent.

    Ha Noi’s transportation costs dropped 0.78 per cent, the highest decrease followed by food and drink (down by 0.49 percent), postage and telecommunications (down by 0.3 per cent), and restaurants, utilities, and building materials (down by 0.04 percent).

    Ha Noi Statistics Office Head Cong Xuan Mui said the CPI’s decline in the capital city can be credited to low consumer demand in spite of the month’s long holiday.

    Three consecutive petrol price cuts in April also contributed to the CPI’s downward trend.

    Ha Noi is planning to launch major promotional activities involving 500 businesses in the hope of stimulating consumer demand. — VNS

    Đăng ký: VietNam News

    Xem người Hy Lạp và La Mã cổ đại làm thế nào tạo ra tiền đồng , bình sứ và thủy tinh

     

    Text:

    Tạo ra bình sứ

    Sometimes the old ways work best. That assumption, or at least the assumption that the most centuries-tested techniques can still produce interesting results, underpins many of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Launchpad videos. The series, designed to give visitors context for the artifacts they see there, reveals the process behind the product, and some new products may come out of some very old processes indeed. In the case of the video at the top, we see the creation of an ancient Greek vase — or, rather, a new vase, created as the ancient Greeks did — from the clay purification to the kneading to the shaping to the illustration to the firing.

     

    Thổi thủy tinh

    Just above, you can watch the ancient “free-blown technique” of glassmaking in action. Invented around 40 B.C., glass-blowing gave the glassmakers of the day a faster, cheaper, more controllable way to work, which enabled them to produce for a larger market than ever before. If you’d like to learn more about the method it displaced, the Art Institute also has a video demonstrating the older “core-formed” glassmaking technique. Pottery and glassware have an appealing practicality, and first-rate artisans of those forms could no doubt make a good deal of money, but how did the money itself come into being? The Launchpad video on coin production in Ancient Greece, below, sheds light on minting in antiquity. Serious artistically inclined numismatists will, of course, want to follow it up with its companion piece on coin production in the Roman world.

     

    Sản xuất tiền đồng

     

    Vocabulary:

    underpins  :  support from beneath

    knead [nɪːd] verb

      manually manipulate (someone's body), usually for medicinal or relaxation purposes ( sự khuấy trộn )

    pottery ['pɑtərɪ /'pɒt-]  noun

    .ceramic ware made from clay and baked in a kiln

    numismatist [nuː'mɪzmətɪst /nju-] noun

    a collector and student of money (and coins in particular)

    Tuesday, May 21, 2013

    Reading News : World deltas tabled in HCM City

    Source: VietNam Feeds

    As many as 300 policymakers, experts and scientists from Sub-Mekong region countries and other nations across the globe are gathering at an international conference in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss solutions to some of the most acute challenges facing Vietnam and its delta, as well as the broader Mekong River system.

    Addressing the 2013 World Deltas Dialogues II, which kicked off on May 19, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Thai Lai said the Mekong Delta region is facing serious water-related challenges from global warming and climate change, notably salt water intrusion.

    Climate change scenarios in Vietnam show that sea levels could rise by up to 1 meter by 2100, covering 40% of the Mekong Delta.

    These problems are truly challenging the regional ecosystem, the agro-fishery industry and food security, said Lai.

    He added that the conference will provide a forum for global representatives to share their experiences in managing and dealing with arising challenges in deltas across the world, particularly the Mekong Delta region.

    The Delta 2013 Vietnam, themed “Solutions for the Ecosystem ahead of unforeseeable aftermaths,” is jointly organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, America’s Wetland Foundation (AWF), the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, and the Dutch and US Embassies in Vietnam.

    Delegates at the conference discussed long-term issues relating to the Mekong Delta’s development and ecosystem balance, experience in coping with climate change in the Mississippi Delta and how to adapt to flooding in the Mekong Delta region and Vietnam’s coastal areas.

    The conference, with the first event held in the US three years ago, will last until May 23.

    The world’s smallest movie

     

    Well, the movie (remember in the US they say movie, in the UK it’s film) we will talk about today is so small, no human being would be able to see it.

     

    Text

    It’s the smallest movie ever made. To make it visible to the human eye, the movie had to be magnified 100 million times by its creators at IBM.

    “A Boy and his Atom” is a story about a character named Atom and his adventures with a new atom friend. The movie features thousands of precisely placed atoms to create nearly 250 frames of stop-motion action. Using IBM’s Scanning Tunneling Microscope, the researchers controlled a super-sharp needle along a copper surface to attract the atoms into position for each frame of video.

    And while the movie is tiny, IBM says it will hopefully make GIANT strides in educating the public about atoms and the importance of nanoscale research.

     

    Vocabulary

     

    Magnified - to make (something) greater.

    Character - a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show.

    Precisely - very accurate and exact.

    Frames - one of the pictures in the series of pictures that make up a film.

    Needle - a small, very thin object that is used in sewing and that has a sharp point at one end and a hole for thread.

    Copper - a reddish-brown metal that allows heat and electricity to pass through it easily.

    Strides - a change or improvement that brings someone closer to a goal.

    Monday, May 20, 2013

    Breathing Easier: How to Control Asthma

    Download (right-click or option-click and save)

     

    Vocabulary:

    asthma ['æsmə]  respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin ( hen suyễn )

     

    chronic ['krɒnɪk]  adj.

    being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering ( mãn tính )

     

    impurity [ɪm'pjʊrətɪ /-'pjʊər-] noun

    worthless or dangerous material that should be removed ( tạp chất )

     

    Transcript:

    Listen


    This is Science in the News. I’m Shirley Griffith.
    And I’m Bob Doughty. Spring has returned to the United States. The sky is blue, the grass is green and many plants are flowering. Spring can be a beautiful time of year. But it is especially troublesome for people with asthma. High pollen levels can keep asthma sufferers from enjoying spring flowers and the weather.
    Asthma Awareness Month
    May is “Asthma Awareness Month” in the United States. And May first is “World Asthma Day.” The Global Initiative for Asthma, or GINA, organizes the event every year. GINA is a joint effort of the World Health Organization and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of America's National Institutes of Health.
    GINA held its first “World Asthma Day” in 1998. This year, the theme for “World Asthma Day” is “You Can Control Your Asthma.” GINA first launched this education campaign as part of the event in 2007. The group notes that while asthma cannot be cured, it can be successfully controlled.
    Asthma is a disorder that causes breathing passages to narrow. This reduces the amount of air entering and leaving the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing.
    The World Health Organization says asthma affects about 235 million people worldwide. The WHO says asthma is the most common chronic disease among children. And it says the disease affects people in all countries around the world and at every development level. However, the WHO says 80 percent of asthma deaths happen in low and lower middle income countries.
    Asthma affects not only millions of individuals, but families and economies alike. The yearly economic cost of the disorder is said to be close to 20 billion dollars. And, the World Health Organization warns that asthma rates are increasing worldwide by an average of 50 percent every 10 years.
    Asthma Attacks
    Asthma happens when tissue that lines the airways to the lungs begins to expand or swell. This swelling makes the airways smaller. The muscles in the airways tighten. Cells in the airways begin to produce a lot of mucous. This thick, sticky substance can cause the airways to close even more. This makes it difficult for air to flow in and out of the lungs.
    This series of events is called an asthma attack. As asthma sufferers struggle to get air into their lungs, they may begin to cough. They also may experience wheezing -- breathing hard with a breathy, whistling sound.
    Some asthma sufferers have tightness or pain in the chest. They say it feels as if someone is sitting on them. When asthma is most severe, the person may have extreme difficulty breathing. The disorder can severely limit a person's activity, and even lead to death.
    Doctors do not know what causes asthma. Medical researchers believe a combination of environmental and genetic conditions may be responsible. Forty percent of children who have parents with asthma will also develop this disorder. Seventy percent of people with asthma also have allergies. Allergies are unusual reactions of the body's natural defenses to normally harmless substances or conditions.
    Doctors have identified many of the things that may trigger, or start, an asthma attack. Triggers are things that cause an asthma sufferer's airways to swell, or increase in size.
    Different asthma patients have different triggers. Allergens are one of the most common triggers. These impurities in the air cause allergic reactions. Some of the more common allergens include animal hair, dust, mold and pollen.
    Pollen is a fine dust that comes from grass, trees and flowers. Mold is a kind of fungus. It can grow on the walls or floors of homes. It is often in wet or damp areas like bathrooms, kitchens and basements.
    The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 21 percent of asthma cases in the United States have links to mold and dampness in homes.
    Air pollution can also trigger asthma. Cigarette smoke is a major problem for asthma sufferers. So is air pollution from motor vehicles. Chemical sprays like air fresheners, hair spray, cleaning products and even strong beauty aids can trigger an asthma attack.
    Some people cough, wheeze or feel out of breath during or after exercise. They are said to suffer from exercise-induced asthma. During the winter, breathing in cold air can trigger an asthma attack. So can colds and other infections of the respiratory system.
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 25 million people in the United States have asthma. It says the disorder affects more than 7 million American children. Among adults, more women have the disease than men. However, it is more common among boys than girls.
    The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says the disease affects African-Americans more than whites. African-American children die from asthma at five times the rate of white children.
    True Story of an Asthma Patient
    VOA broadcaster June Simms has a son with asthma. Arick Simms first showed signs of the disease when he was about two years old.
    Arick’s doctor gave him a medicine called albuterol. Albuterol helps to increase air flow and reduce tension in the airways. The doctor also gave him a machine called a nebulizer. It connects to a mask that fits over the nose and mouth.
    The nebulizer turns the liquid albuterol into a fog-like mist. Arick inhaled the mist through the mask. The treatments made it easier for him to breathe. During times when Arick's asthma was really severe, he was also given steroid medicines to help reduce swelling in his airways.
    As Arick grew older, the doctor replaced his nebulizer with an inhaler. The small medical devices helped him to breathe easier. He also began seeing a doctor who specializes in treating patients with asthma.
    The doctor discovered that Arick also suffers from allergies. He now takes medicines every day to help keep his asthma and allergies under control.
    Advice For Controlling Asthma
    The Global Initiative for Asthma was formed in 1993. GINA works with health care experts and public health officials around the world to improve asthma care and to reduce the number of asthma cases.
    In 2004, GINA released a report called "The Global Burden of Asthma." The group said asthma is a growing problem in both industrial and developing countries. It estimated that there may be an additional 100 million people with asthma by the year 2025.
    GINA says there are many things that people can do to control their asthma.
    People should know the causes of their asthma symptoms and try to avoid these triggers. For example, seek to avoid animal hair, dust, pollen and cigarette smoke. Some people may need to take medicines before they work hard or exercise.
    Asthma patients should work with their doctors to control the disorder. They should go to the doctor for medical examinations even if they are feeling fine. They should make sure they understand how and when to take their medicines. They also should act quickly to treat asthma attacks and know when to seek medical help.
    The Global Initiative for Asthma urges governments and health officials to do more to improve asthma control. GINA hopes to reduce asthma hospitalization by 50 percent by the year 2015.
    This Science in the News was written by June Simms, who was also our producer. I'm Bob Doughty.
    And I'm Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for more news about science on the Voice of America.

    Winning ticket sold in record multi-million dollar lottery

    Nếu mua vé số ở Mỹ, bạn có thể thắng hằng triệu $$

     

    Winning ticket sold in record multi-million dollar lottery

    Bấm vào đây để đọc bản thuyết minh


    TRANSCRIPT: It's the moment millions of Americans have been waiting for. The numbers for the Powerball are drawn for a jackpot rivalling the largest lottery payout in U.S. history. A winning ticket was sold in Florida for Saturday's (May 18) record of more than 590 million dollars, officials say. It's the largest jackpot the Powerball lottery has ever seen. The chances of picking the lucky numbers were one in 175 million. But that didn't deter people from snatching up tickets at a staggering rate. California sold a million dollars worth every hour on Saturday. Here in Washington, hopefuls were keen whatever the odds.
    STEPHEN ADEKOYA, LOTTERY BUYER : "You got to give it a try, you may succeed. It's like life, you go to sleep, you don't know if you are going to wake up the next day, that's how I feel about it."
    REPORTER: The largest jackpot in the U.S. came last year in the Mega Millions lottery, where 656 million dollars were split between winners in three states.

     

    VOCABULARY
    A jackpot is the most valuable prize in a game or lottery, especially when the game involves increasing the value of the prize until someone wins it.

     

    Stagering  / stag·ger·ing (stăg'ər-ĭng) pronunciation /   adj.
    Causing great astonishment, amazement, or dismay; overwhelming: a staggering achievement; a staggering defeat.

    TEWS: I wasn't born yesterday: 20 May 13

    Were you born yesterday? Probably not, but this is a useful expression if someone's trying to fool you.



    Listen : http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/tae/tae_20130520-1200a.mp3


    Friday, May 17, 2013

    STORYTELLING

    Wednesday, May 15, 2013

    Fyodor Dostoevsky

    "Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born."


    Monday, May 13, 2013

    TEWS: Six-pack: 13 May 13

    Do you have a six-pack or a one-pack? Maybe it's time to do more exercise! Find out why in The English We Speak.



    Listen : http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/tae/tae_20130513-1200a.mp3


    Elbert Hubbard - The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one


    "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." 

    Elbert Hubbard 




    Sunday, May 12, 2013



    "The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore."


    Samuel Butler is English composer, novelist, & satiric author; wrote mock-utopian novel "Erewhon" 1872, autobiographical novel "The Way of All Flesh" 1903

    Friday, May 10, 2013

    Sir Julian Huxley

    "Operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a ruler but the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat."


    Umberto Eco

    "The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else."


    George Lucas

    "So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."


    Thursday, May 9, 2013

    Alfred Hitchcock

    "In films murders are always very clean. I show how difficult it is and what a messy thing it is to kill a man."


    George Carlin

    "Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?"


    Robert W. Sarnoff

    "Finance is the art of passing money from hand to hand until it finally disappears."


    Ernest Hemingway

    "Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know."


    Wednesday, May 8, 2013

    James Branch Cabell

    "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true."


    Samuel Goldwyn

    "If I could drop dead right now, I'd be the happiest man alive."


    Bob Edwards

    "When Solomon said there was a time and a place for everything he had not encountered the problem of parking his automobile."


    Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jed Whedon

    "It's not enough to bash in heads. You've got to bash in minds."


    Tuesday, May 7, 2013

    Daniel J. Boorstin

    "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers."


    Quentin Crisp

    "If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style."


    Robert Morley

    "Anyone who works is a fool. I don't work - I merely inflict myself upon the public."


    Logan Pearsall Smith

    "The denunciation of the young is a necessary part of the hygiene of older people, and greatly assists in the circulation of their blood."


    Monday, May 6, 2013

    Quotes about English

    "English is the result of Norman men-at-arms attempting to pick up Saxon barmaids and is no more legitimate than any of the other results." H. Beam Piper

    "English has a grammar of great simplicity and flexibility." The Story of English

    "Fussing about split infinitives is one of the more tiresome pastimes invented by nineteenth century grammarians." Barbara Strang in Modern English Structure



    "The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and approve; and (5) those who know and distinguish...." Fowler's Modern English Usage



    "[Someone who uses a multiple negative] spreads as it were a thin layer of negative colouring over the whole sentence instead of confining it to a single place." Otto Jespersen



    "The name is misleading, for the preposition to no more belongs to the infinitive as a necessary part of it, than the definite article belongs to the substantive, and no one would think of calling the good man a split substantive." Otto Jespersen, (referring to split infinitives, in Essentials of English Grammar)



    "The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." James D. Nicoll



    "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put." Winston Churchill











    TEWS: To cook the books: 6 May 13

    Neil is cooking an unusual meal in the BBC Learning English kitchen. Would you like to eat a book?



    Listen : http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/tae/tae_20130506-1200a.mp3


    Abraham Lincoln

    "People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like."


    Edward Chilton

    "I'm worried that the universe will soon need replacing. It's not holding a charge."


    Willis Player

    "A liberal is a person whose interests aren't at stake at the moment."


    Nikola Tesla

    "Today's scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality."


    Sunday, May 5, 2013

    James Thurber

    "Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead."


    Edward Young

    "Some for renown, on scraps of learning dote, /And think they grow immortal as they quote."


    Robert Jackson

    "The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish."


    Jeph Jacques

    "That's what college is for - getting as many bad decisions as possible out of the way before you're forced into the real world. I keep a checklist of 'em on the wall in my room."


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