Improving Your Listening Skills

BIRD EXPRESSIONS

Today we explain some expressions about birds. For example, if something is for the birds(1), it is worthless or not very interesting. Someone who eats like a bird (2) eats very little. And a birds-eye view(3) is a general look at an area from above.

Did you know that if you tell a young person about the birds and the bees you are explaining about sex and birth? Have you ever observed that birds of a feather flock together? In other words, people who are similar become friends or do things together. Here is some good advice: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. This means you should not risk losing something you have by trying to get more of something you do not have.

Sometimes I can do two things by performing only one action. This is called killing two birds with one stone. But I would never really kill any birds. I love all kinds of animals. This is a real feather in my cap. It is something to be proud of.

Most of the people I work with are early birds. They believe that the early bird catches the worm. They think that a person who gets up early in the morning for work has the best chance of success. Everyone in my office works hard, but some people have had their wings clipped. Their jobs have been limited. This is because the office is organized by pecking order. People with more years and experience are given more responsibility.

Some bird expressions are about crows, chickens and ducks. For example, when I am driving, I always travel as the crow flies. I go the most direct way. Anyone who eats crow has to admit a mistake or defeat.

Now let’s talk about my sister. She is not very young. She is no spring chicken. She will work any job for chicken feed -- a small amount of money. She is easily frightened. For example, she is too chicken-livered to walk down a dark street alone at night. Often she will chicken out – she will not go out alone at night.

My sister was an ugly duckling. She looked strange when she was a child, but she grew up to be a beautiful woman. Sometimes she thinks too much about having something in the future before she really has it. She counts her chickens before they are hatched. Sometimes her chickens come home to roost. That means her actions or words cause trouble for her. However, my sister does not worry about what people say about her. Criticism falls off her like water off a duck’s back.

Politicians are sometimes considered lame ducks after losing an election. They have little time left in office and not much power. Congress holds a lame duck session after an election. Important laws are not passed during this period.

LISTEN HERE

http://128.11.143.113/mediaassets/specialenglish/2006_05/Audio/mp3/se-as-bird-words.mp3

Listening Skills

Listen to a discussion on what is a good leader taking place during some staff training.

Optional activity:While you listen, decide whether the following sentences are true or false.

1. The workers are attending a marketing training session.
2. Ian, Sue and Wendy fulfil some kind of managerial role in their company.
3. Alison is facilitating the training session.
4. ‘Practice what you preach’ means you should do what you tell other people todo.
5. If ‘something hasn’t worked out’ it has been successful.
6. Wendy likes finding out about company matters from coffee machine gossip.
7. Wendy thinks managers shouldn’t tell colleagues bad news.
8. Ian, Sue and Wendy agree with each others ideas.

Conversation

Alison: Good afternoon everyone. Now you’re all group leaders with some responsibilities for people working inyour teams. In today’s training session I want us to think about what make s a good leader in the workplace. Isthat OK?

Ian: Alison, are we talking about managers here, or all colleagues?

Alison: I’d like to talk about colleagues in general, anyone in the workplace, I don’t want to limit the discussionsolely to managers, is that OK?

All: Fine, yeah, sureAlison: Ian, would you like to kick off? What qualities should a good leader have?

Ian: Well, you know I think the most important thing is to practise what you preach, you know, you can’t goround telling people to do something in one way and they you do it in a completely different way. You’ve got tobe a good role model for people ...

Alison: OK, thanks, Sue, any other ideas?

Sue: Well, I agree with Ian there. I just want to say that I don’t like managers who blame other people for theirown mistakes. I know we’re not just talking about managers, I think it’s important for everybody to takeresponsibility for what they do. Noone’sperfect, everyone makes mistakes. I think you should trust people andjust admit it if something hasn’t worked out, managers too, I mean, they’re human aren’t they .... some of themare anyway ... (laughter)

Alison: OK, so we’re talking about trusting colleagues and being responsible for your work, OK, fine.. Wendy,any thoughts?

Wendy: Let’s see, for me I think if you want people to be on your side, you know if you want to influence peopleyou have to communicate and communicate well. You’ve got to let people know what’s happening and what’sgoing to happen, even if some of these things aren’t very nice. There’s nothing worse than finding out aboutsomething from coffee machine gossip, managers should tell it straight ...

Alison: OK, thanks Wendy, that’s very useful. So, to be a good leader you’ve got to be a good role model, youshould accept responsibility for your own mistakes and you should communicate well and tell it straight, even ifthe news is bad. Now can you think about .....(fade out) ....

Listen here
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/prof_mp3/leadership.mp3

TOEFL & IELTS Writing

People attend university for many different reasons (for example, expanded knowledge, societal awareness, and enhanced interpersonal relationships). Why do you think people decide to go to university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

THE OUTLINE

I. The Thesis Statement

In my opinion, people in my country, Vietnam, choose to go to university because of three main reasons such as pursuing their academic interest, preparing for their future career, and enjoying social life.

II. Body

Paragraph 1

First of all, many people attend university to study a particular subject or field in which they are deeply interested.

- focus on the fields they are interested in

- explore them in depth

- take a variety of specialized courses in one discipline

Paragraph 2

Another common reason for people in my country to go to university is that college education often leads to a better career in the future.

- to find better-paid jobs than those without university degress

- to get higher and more attractive positions

- examples

Paragraph 3

Finally, for some students, making friends and enjoying social life can be a sufficient reason for staying in school for another four years.

- to meet diverse groups of people and learn about their lifestyles as well as perspectives.

- to have wide relations through numerous clubs and student organizations

- to improve social knowlege

III. Conclusion

In conclusion, going to university is a significant decision in life, and people may have different reasons for making that decision. They might decide to attend university to pursue their academic goals, to achieve a better career, to increase their knowledge or to develop friendships.

SAMPLE

Written by Nguyễn Hồng Anh

At one point or another in their high school lives, many students are faced with one big question: whether they should go to university. Some students say no to the question because they might think that higher education is not necessary for them or that they have something more meaningful to do. Other people say yes and spend the next four years in classrooms. Although the final decision these people make is the same, their reasons might vary. In my opinion, people in my country, Vietnam, choose to go to university because of three main reasons such as pursuing their academic interest, preparing for their future career, and enjoying social life.

First of all, many people attend university to study a particular subject or field in which they are deeply interested. University curriculums allow students to focus on the fields they are interested in and explore them in depth. In order to satisfy students’ desire to learn, universities offer a variety of specialized courses in one discipline and have knowledgeable professors to teach them. For example, a student who is interested in political science can study political systems, political thought, comparative politics, and many other subjects related to politics. Such a wide selection of courses and professors with expertise enable students to pursue their academic goals in the fields of their choice.

Another common reason for people in my country to go to university is that college education often leads to a better career in the future. As a matter of fact, in many countries, people with university degrees tend to find better-paid jobs than those without them. Companies usually offer higher salaries and more attractive positions to university graduates. In addition, some universities provide their students with opportunities to acquire practical skills that can be useful in the real world. For example, they offer courses in accounting, computing and foreign languages, as well as internship programs in which students can experience working in a company and learn business skills.

Finally, for some students, making friends and enjoying social life can be a sufficient reason for staying in school for another four years. Unlike high schools, in which the student population largely consists of young people living in the area, universities often attract students from different parts of the country and even from the world. University life offers chances to meet this diverse group of people and learn about their lifestyles as well as perspectives. Moreover, universities usually have numerous clubs and student organizations, such as sports teams, hobby groups, and social activity groups. Thus, universities can be places to meet people with different backgrounds and foster relationships.

In conclusion, going to university is a significant decision in life, and people may have different reasons for making that decision. They might decide to attend university to pursue their academic goals, to achieve a better career, to increase their knowledge or to develop friendships. Whatever the reason is, it is important for students to remember why they are in university and make the best of the opportunities the school provides them. If they do, the time they spend as university students will surely be one of the most meaningful periods of their life. I also promise to myself that I try to get enough knowledge when I have a chance to study at university so that I can ensure my future career and contribute something to the development of the country.

Written by Nguyễn Hồng Anh.

Confusing Words

FORMAL GREETINGS

How do you do? is very formal and is not used very much, especially by younger people, these days. It may be used on first meeting and accompanied by a formal handshake when both partners issue the same greeting. The reply to How do you do? is How do you do? Then it would be a matter of getting straight down to the business in hand, e.g. ‘I see that your company has been performing very well in South East Asia...'

The more usual exchange between two people meeting with a handshake on a fairly formal basis for the first time would be: Pleased to meet you. Or: Nice to meet you.

INFORMAL GREETINGS

The most common way of greeting someone both at an informal level and more formally would be: Hello! How are you? to which the standard reply is: Very well, thank you. or: Fine, thank you. (Note that the question is not usually meant or interpreted as a searching enquiry after the person’s health.) After we have given this reply, we often repeat: (And) how are you? or: (And) what about you? The response is still the same: Fine, thanks.

At the most informal level, among friends and particularly among young people, the most common greeting would probably be: Hi! to which the response is: Hi! This might then be followed by one of the following: How are things?, How’s things?, How’s it going?, (Are) you OK? to which the answer is probably: Yeah, fine! or with typical British understatement: Yeah, not so bad!

FORMAL FAREWELLS

At a formal level, and again accompanied by a handshake, the most common farewell would probably be: (It was) nice to meet you or Nice to have met you. If a follow-up meeting has been arranged, this might be accompanied by: I’ll see you in three weeks. Bye, now

INFORMAL FAREWELLS

At a more informal level too, on first meeting, it would be quite normal to say: Nice to have met you. Bye/Goodbye.
Among friends, farewell might be taken (by a combination of) some of the following:

'Bye.'
'Bye-bye.'
'See you.'
'See you later./tomorrow./on Saturday./etc'
'Take care.

Essay Samples

Topic 1:

Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have even banned smoking in all public places. This is a good idea but it takes away some of our freedom.
What are your opinions on this?

Restricting smoking in offices and public places is controversial, since although non-smokers may think this is a good idea, smokers naturally may not. It may also be seen as an interference with people’s freedom. Different cultures may have varying attitudes as to whether businesses or governments have the right to ban smoking in certain places.

Banning smoking in the workplace may not be a good idea because smokers may work better if they can smoke. However, passive smoking can cause objections from colleagues. Although such bans may reduce freedom, it is widely accepted that businesses have the right to regulate staff activities. Governments too may also ban smoking in public places, which may be beneficial by reducing the costs to society of smoking such as litter and health care.

However, smoking in public may also bring some benefits to society, for example in tax revenue and of course the pleasure of smokers. Also, pressure groups such as tobacco companies may discourage restrictions on smoking.

As for freedom, in all societies the government has the right to regulate citizens’ activities. It is therefore possible that as more citizens come to believe that the disadvantages of allowing smoking outweigh the advantages, then they would increasingly support such bans.

As a non-smoker I believe that restricting smoking in workplaces and in public is a good idea. I can also understand the opinion of smokers that banning smoking in such places limits their freedom. However, if the effects of smoking were limited to smokers I would oppose bans, but as smoking affects the health of others, I support them.

Function of English

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

There are a number of formulas used when asking for information in English. Here are some of the most common:

- Could you tell me...?
- Do you know...?
- Do you happen to know...?
- I'd like to know...
- Could you find out...?
- I'm interested in...
- I'm looking for..

Ex:


- Could you tell me when the next train leaves?
- Do you know how much this shirt costs?
- Do you happen to know where Anna lives?
- I'd like to know what you think about my presentation.
- Could you find out when she is going to arrive?
- I'm interested in finding a suitable course.
- I'm looking for my girl friend. Do you happen to know where she is?

These two forms are used for asking for information on the telephone:

- I'm calling to find out...
- I'm calling about...

Vocabulary

WHAT'S THE TIME IN ENGLISH?

There are two common ways of telling the time.

1. Formal but easier way
Say the hours first and then the minutes.
Ex: 7:45 - seven forty-five
For minutes 01 through 09, you can pronounce the '0' as oh.
Ex: 11:06 - eleven (oh) six

2. More popular way
Say the minutes first and then the hours. Use past and the preceding hour for minutes 01 through 30. Use to and the forthcoming hour for minutes 31 through 59, but .
Ex: 7.15 - fifteen minutes past seven
Ex: 7.45 - fifteen minutes to eight

Another possibility of saying '15 minutes past' is: a quarter past
Another possibility of saying '15 minutes to' is: a quarter to
Another possibility of saying '30 minutes past' is: half past
Ex: 5:30 - half past five

3. Watch
Note: Use o'clock only at the full hour.
Ex: 7:00 - seven o'clock (but 7:10 - ten past seven)

In English ordinary speech, the twelve-hour clock is used.Timetables usually use the twenty-four-hour clock. In spoken English, the twenty-four-hour clock is, however, only used in official announcements, but not in ordinary speech.
Beispiel: 17:20 - twenty past five

For times around midnight or midday you can use the expressions midnight or midday / noon instead of the number 12.
Beispiel: 00:00 - midnight
Beispiel: 12:00 - midday or noon

To make clear (where necessary) whether you mean a time before 12 o'clock noon or after, you can use in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night. Use in the morning before 12 o'clock noon, after 12 o'clock noon use in the afternoon. When to change from afternoon to evening, from evening to night and from night to morning depends on your sense of time.
Ex: 3:15 - a quarter past three in the morning OR a quarter past three at night

More formal expressions to indicate whether a time is before noon or after are a.m. (also: am - ante meridiem, before noon) and p.m. (also: pm - post meridiem, after noon). Use these expression only with the formal way of telling the time.
Ex: 3:15 - three fifteen a.m.

It is not usual to use a.m. and p.m. with past/to.
Ex: 3:15 - fifteen minutes past three OR a quarter past three

American English
Beside past Americans often use after.
Ex: 06:10 - ten past/after six
But: in time expressions with half past it is not usual to replace past by after.
Beside to Americans often use before, of or till.
Ex: 05:50 - ten to/before/of/till six

Confusing Words

GET OR BECOME

- Get, as we shall see, has many different meanings whereas become basically indicates development of some kind.
- Get is more informal and is frequently used in speech; become is more formal and is more often used in writing.

GET/BECOME + ADJECTIVE

When used with adjectives, get indicates growth or development and can therefore be used as the preferred alternative to become in an informal register. Compare the following sentences:

I got interested in photography when I was ten.
I became interested in art in later life.

As he got older, his garden got really messy.
As he became older, he could no longer maintain his garden

It got colder and colder the further north we went.
It became increasingly cold as we traveled north.

I'm getting quite hungry now, aren't you?
He became quite angry when he discovered there was no food

BECOME + NOUN

We cannot, however, use get with a noun, even though the meaning is 'grow' or 'develop into'. We have to use become in this sense:

'She was only seventeen when she became a beauty queen.'
'Texas became the twenty-eighth state of the USA in 1845.

GET + NOUN/PRONOUN

When we use get with a noun or a pronoun as a direct object, get usually means 'obtain', 'acquire', 'receive' or 'fetch'.

Become is impossible here:

'I got the highest marks in the class for my essay on Lord Byron.'
'I got my goldfish from the pet shop down the road.'
'I was getting about fifty emails every day when I was working on the project.'
'Could you get me a punnet of peaches from the supermarket?'
'Let me get you a drink. What'll you have?'

GET AND GO TO INDICATE MOVEMENT

Get indicates the end of a journey and can be used informally as an alternative to 'reach' or 'arrive at'. When we use go, we are talking about the 'complete journey', usually. Compare the following:

'I usually go to work by car, but I went to Bristol by train yesterday.'
'I didn't get home until nearly midnight.'
'Can you tell me how to get to Buckingham Palace?'

GO, GROW AND TURN TO INDICATE A CHANGE OF STATE

Grow indicates a slow change and sounds literary. It can be replaced by ‘become’ or ‘get’. Turn indicates a faster change and can be replaced by ‘go’:

'As they grew richer, they invested more money in shares.'
'My aim is to grow old gracefully and with dignity.'
'He drove away as soon as the lights turned green.'
'The leaves turned brown as the weather got colder.'

There is so much more to get to know about get, Margarete, but I'll get into trouble with my editor if I make this reply any longer. It is a difficult area, but I hope it is slowly becoming clearer.

Slow English

Edited by Nguyen Hong Anh, M.A. in TESOL

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez celebrated May Day, the international workers' holiday, by issuing a decree that transferred(1) control of the country's last privately owned oil fields(2) to government control. The state will own at least 60% of every oil field in the country, and Chávez encouraged the companies owning the remainder to retain their minority holdings(3) in order to help develop the fields and refine the crude oil(4). The U.S. oil companies Chevron, Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, the British company BP, Norway's Statoil and France's Total agreed to the transfer of control, although negotiations over compensation(5) still have several weeks to go. Chávez has announced that he may nationalize private hospitals and the steel and banking industries as well.

Vocabulary
1. chuyển giao 2. mỏ dầu tư nhân 3. giũ lại cổ phần nhỏ

4. dầu thô 5. thỏa thuận đền bù

The Chinese have arrested the general manager of a company northwest of Shanghai for selling wheat gluten used in pet food that killed at least 16 pets in the United States and made thousands of others sick. The wheat gluten contained melamine, a chemical that is normally used to make plastics and fertilizer(1) but that is sometimes added to pet food because it fools the tests that measure the amount of protein in the food. Similar exports also killed more than 30 dogs in South Africa.The Chinese government first objected(2) to claims that the animals were killed by exports from their country, and their new willingness to take action shows that they were worried about the effect of the animal deaths on their export business.

Vocabulary

1. phân bón 2. phản đối

Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate(1) the News Corporation has bid $5 billion for Dow Jones, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal newspaper. There had been no announcement that Dow Jones was available for sale. Although the Dow Jones board of directors announced that 52% of the voting shares of the company were against the sale, Murdoch is not giving up. He announced that he would create an independent editorial board(2) for the Wall St. Journal and would not send his own editors to run it. Discussing his attempts to communicate with Boston's Bancroft family, who own 62% of the shares, Murdoch said "I think the next step for us is to be patient—and to be available at any time should they respond to my suggestion for a meeting."
Vocabulary

1. kết hợp 2. ban biên tập

The News Corporation is not the only media conglomerate trying to buy a well-known financial news publisher. British news and financial information provider Reuters announced that Canada's Thomson Corporation has made a bid to buy them out. Thomson has grown from a small newspaper publisher to a worldwide publisher of scientific, healthcare, tax, and especially legal research information. They publish some financial information, but are not a major player; a Reuters acquisition(2) would let them compete with market leader Bloomberg for the business of delivering real-time financial information. News of the Thomson offer and Murdoch's offer for Dow Jones boosted(3) the share price of most major publishing companies.

Vocabulary

1. bỏ thầu 2. đạt được 3. phóng đại

A US court decision on the design of a gas pedal(1) for cars and trucks will have a huge effect throughout the country's technology industries. When Canadian pedal manufacturer KSR International added an electronic sensor(2) to one pedal model, the Teleflex company claimed that the design infringed(3) on their patent and demanded royalties(4). In a unanimous(5) decision, the US Supreme Court(6) ruled that the invention was obvious enough to not be worthy of protection under patent law. Because so many hardware, software, communications and biotechnology companies make their money by charging royalties for technology that may infringe on their patents, this change in how courts view infringement will make it difficult for many of these companies to make this money so easily.

Vocabulary
1. bàn đạp 2. cảm biến 3. xâm phạm 4. sự trung thành

5. nhất trí 6. tòa án tối cao

You can click here to listen
http://www.eslbusinessnews.com/mp3/20070507.mp3

Slow English

SLOW ENGLISH
Edited by Nguyen Hong Anh, M.A. in TESOL

I hope that this kind of listening will help you improve your English, especially your pronunciation.

I. Subprime loans (1) are high-interest loans made to borrowers with bad credit ratings (2). Now that the US housing market bubble(3) has burst(4), more of these borrowers are defaulting(5) on their mortgages(6), and this is causing big problems for subprime lenders and perhaps, eventually, for the US economy. New Century Financial Corporation, the largest independent subprime lender in the US, is nearly bankrupt(7); their stock price has gone down by almost 99%, their lenders have cut off their money, and the New York Stock Exchange wants to take them off of the exchange. Nearly 20 subprime lenders have gone out of business(8) recently, and General Motors has had to invest a billion additional dollars in GMAC, its former financial division(9), because of their reliance(10) on subprime loans.

Vocabulary:

1. khỏan vay 2. tỉ lệ tín dụng 3. sự sôi động của thị trường nhà ở
4. bùng phát 5. trả không đúng hạn 6. tài sản thế chấp
7. phá sản 8. ngừng việc kinh doan 9. bộ phận tài chính trước đây
10. sự tín nhiệm

II. The United States and North Korea have resolved their dispute1 over $25 million of North Korean money currently frozen2 by the Chinese government in Banco Delta Asia, a small bank in Macau. Macau is a special administrative region3 of China known for its growing casino gambling business. The Chinese government had frozen the assets4 because of US concerns that the money was connected to counterfeiting5, drugs, and nuclear weapons in North Korea, and this led North Korea to boycott6 talks on the disarmament7 of their nuclear program. Now, the money will be returned to North Korea to clear the way for their nuclear disarmament. They have assured the US that the money will be used for humanitarian purposes.

Vocabulary

1. Giải quyết vụ tranh cãi 2. bị đóng băng 3. đơn vị hành chánh
4. bất động sản 5. giả mạo 6. tẩy chay
7. giải trừ

III. European Union consumer affairs commissioner1 Meglena Kuneva recently criticized Apple Incorporated's iTunes service. She told the German weekly magazine Focus "Do you think it's fine that a CD plays in all CD players but that a song purchased from iTunes only plays in an iPod? I don't." Apple chief executive2 Steve Jobs recently published a letter telling European consumers that he doesn't like DRM (Digital Rights Management, the technology that restricts your ability to use downloaded material) and that consumers should send their complaints to big record labels, who demand copy protection on their products. Some labels offer their music on both iTunes and DRM-free downloading services, causing several people to question Jobs' sincerity3 when he says that the record companies insist on DRM.

Vocabulary

1. Ủy viên phụ trách về người tiêu dung 2. Giám đốc điều hành 3. sự thành thật

IV. Oilfield services company Halliburton has announced that they are moving their corporate headquarters1 from Houston, Texas, to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, because they see greater opportunities for business growth in the Middle East. Halliburton chief executive David Lesar will live and work there, saying that "Dubai is a great business center." Halliburton may also move their stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to a Middle Eastern one. Halliburton and their KBR subsidiary2 have drawn criticism for the amount of profit they've made from the United States' current and first wars with Iraq, and many have questioned whether their former leader Dick Cheney's current position as vice president of the United States has given them an unfair advantage.

Vocabulary

1. Trụ sở chính 2. phụ

V. Ford Motor Company is selling 85% of their Aston Martin luxury performance car division for $925 million to a team that is led by former Formula 1 team racing boss David Richards and includes investors from Kuwait, Egypt, and Texas. Aston Martins have been driven by the title character in the James Bond movies from 1964's "Goldfinger" to last year's "Casino Royale." British auto industry fans are happy to see the brand back in their country. Some industry analysts are speculating that Ford may still sell off their other British luxury brand, Jaguar. Like Aston Martin, Jaguar has been one of the few Ford divisions to make money lately.

Confusing Words

HIRE OR RENT?

The meaning is the same: to rent or hire something, you pay money in order to be allowed to use it for a limited amount of time. It is simply a matter of usage. With some nouns you can use one or the other – it doesn’t matter which as both are freely used.

You can: rent or hire cars, bikes, electronic equipment:

- We rented a TV and video as we intended to stay in England for only six months.
- If you’re planning to go to Cambridge for the day, hire a bike when you arrive. It’s the best way to get round the town.

With other nouns it is customary in British English to use one and not the other.

We would: rent a flat, caravan, cottage, house:

- I rented a cottage by the sea for the summer.
- He rented me his flat in London while he was on holiday in Greece.

(However, note the difference in use, depending on whether it is used as a verb or a noun: ‘flats to rent’, but ‘bikes for hire’)

We hire some help (i.e people), tools, equipment:

- I had too much to do on the farm, so I decided to hire some help three mornings a week.
- The police enquiries were making no progress, so we decided to hire a private detective.
- I was painting the outside of the house and had to hire a tall ladder to get to the top.

Improving Your Listening Skills

NOSE AND EAR EXPRESSIONS

Part 1

A person’s nose is important for breathing and smelling. The nose is also used in many popular expressions.
Some people are able to “lead other people by the nose.” For example, if a wife “leads her husband by the nose,” she makes him do whatever she wants him to do.

Some people are said to be “hard-nosed.” They will not change their opinions or positions on anything. If someone is hard-nosed, chances are he will never “pay through the nose”, or pay too much money, for an object or service.

It is always helpful when people “keep their nose out of other people’s business.” They do not interfere. The opposite of this is someone who “noses around” all the time. This kind of person is interested in other people’s private matters. He is considered “nosey.”

Someone who keeps his “nose to the grindstone” works very hard. This can help a worker “keep his nose clean” or stay out of trouble.

Part 2

One unusual expression is “that is no skin off my nose.” This means that a situation does not affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person “cuts off his nose to spite his face.” That is, he makes a situation worse for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry.

More problems can develop if a person “looks down his nose” at someone or something. The person acts like something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also “turn up his nose” at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He has his “nose in the air.”

In school, some students “thumb their nose” at their teacher. They refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe these students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me, if you study hard, the answers should be “right under your nose” or easily seen.

Part 3

I think we have explained the “nose” expressions. What about ears? Well, I hope you are “all ears”, or very interested in hearing more expressions. We might even “put a bug in your ear,” or give you an idea about something. We also advise you to “keep your ear to the ground.” This means to be interested in what is happening around you and what people are thinking.

If you are a good person, you will “lend an ear” to your friends. You will listen to them when they have a problem they need to talk about. Our last expression is to “play it by ear.” This has two meanings. One is to play a song on a musical instrument by remembering the tune and not by reading the music. “Play it by ear” also means to decide what to do at the last minute instead of making detailed plans.

You can download or listen to this at:

http://128.11.143.113/mediaassets/specialenglish/2006_07/Audio/mp3/se-ws-nose-ears.mp3

Reference

This is a good website for you to improve your English

http://www.englishclub.com/

Confusing Words

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND WORK

There are lots of useful English idioms. Here I've selected a dozen for you and grouped them under the topics of family, friends and work.

FAMILY

- be the spitting image of: look very much like someone else
Ex: She's the spitting image of her mother. You'd think they were sisters!

- run in the family: recur through successive generations

Ex: All three daughters are very musical. So was their mother and her mother too. It runs in the family.

- go through a bad patch: experience a period of difficulty

Ex: Our marriage is going through a bad patch at the moment, but we're still together.

- split up: end a marriage or relationship
Ex: They've been married for twenty-five years, but I now hear that they're splitting up.


FRIENDS

- an old flame: someone you had a romantic relationship with in the past
Ex: I bumped into Linda the other day in the High Street. She's an old flame from my student days in Manchester.

- be in high spirits: be in a cheerful mood

Ex: You're in high spirits! You must have had some good news.

- hit it off with someone: enjoy someone's company

Ex: I'm sharing a flat with six other students but we all hit it off together.

- It's a small world!: expression of surprise when you meet an old acquaintance, usually in an unexpected place

Ex: Just imagine! I met my old violin teacher on the top of a mountain in Peru recently. Small world!


WORK

- get on in the world: be successful in one's job

Ex: Geraldine is now a senior executive in one of the world's largest oil companies. She's certainly got on in the world.

- go flat out: do something with all your energy

Ex: I've been going flat out today. I'm trying to get this finished by five o'clock.

- rake it in: make a lot of money quickly

Ex: He's raking it in. That's the third shoe shop he's opened in this area.

- make ends meet: just about manage financially

Ex: By giving private lessons on Thursday and Friday afternoons, I can just about make ends meet.

How To Speak English Well

Unit 33: STUDENTS AND PART-TIME JOBS

- As a matter of fact: in fact

- time-consuming: tốn nhiều thời gian, đòi hỏi nhiều thời gian, cần nhiều thời gian

- experimental (a): trial or special observation

- psychology: human soul

- aspect (n) : field.

- Significant (a): much

- Expense (n); money you spend on s.yh

- To take s.th into account: to consider s.th

- To provide s.o with s.th: to provide s.th for s.o

- to be familiar with s.th : to be used to s.th / doing s.th

- to interact: to communicate

- self-esteem (n): The holding a good opinion of one's self: long tự trọng

- to donate: to give

- worthwhile (a): very good

- to indulge in s.th / doing s.th: like doing s.th very much

VOCABULARY

THE FIGURE »0«

- nought: in general (British English)


- zero: in general (American English)

in measurements of temperature (British and American English)

in count-downs (British and American English)

score in team games, e.g. football (American English)

- oh: when each figure is said separately (e.g. in phone numbers, account numbers etc.)

- nil: score in team games, e.g. football (British English)

- love: in tennis and similar games

VOCABULARY

PHONE NUMBERS

Each figure is said separately.
24 - two four

The figure 'O' is called oh.
105 - one oh five

Pause after groups of 3 or 4 figures (last group).
376 4705 - three seven six, four seven oh five

If two successive figures are the same, in British English you would usually use the word double (in American English you would just say the figure twice)
376 4775 - BE: three seven six, four double seven five376 4775 - AE: three seven six, four seven seven five

VOCABULARY

My dear learners;

Vietnamese students usually feel confused when talking about cardinal numbers. I hope this part will help you overcome this weakness.

CARDINAL NUMBERS

Separation between hundreds and tens

Hundreds and tens are usually separated by 'and' (in American English 'and' is not necessary).
110 - one hundred and ten1,250 - one thousand, two hundred and fifty2,001 - two thousand and one
Hundreds
Use 100 always with 'a' or 'one'.
100 - a hundred / one hundred
'a' can only stand at the beginning of a number.
100 - a hundred / one hundred2,100 - two thousand, one hundred

Thousands and Millions
Use 1,000 and 1,000,000 always with 'a' or 'one'.
1,000 - a thousand / one thousand201,000 - two hundred and one thousand
Use commas as a separator.
57,458,302

The Number 1,000,000,000
In English this number is a billion. This is very tricky for nations where 'a billion' has 12 zeros. 1,000,000,000,000 in English, however, is a trillion.

But don't worry, these numbers are even a bit problematic for native speakers: for a long time the British 'billion' had 12 zeros (a number with 9 zeros was called 'a thousand million'). Now, however, also in British English 'a billion' has 9 zeros. But from time to time this number still causes confusion (just like this paragraph, I'm afraid). ;o)

Singular or Plural?
Numbers are usually written in singular.
two hundred Eurosseveral thousand light years
The plural is only used with dozen, hundred, thousand, million, billion, if they are not modified by another number or expression (e.g. a few / several).hundreds of Eurosthousands of light years

Confusing Words

EQUIPMENT OR TOOLS

Equipment usually describes (all) the necessary articles for a purpose. Thus you would say:

'A lot of equipment was needed for this mountaineering (or camping) expedition.'

Apparatus is similar in meaning to equipment, although it tends to relate to particular contexts. Thus gymnastic apparatus refers to all the apparatus you would expect to find in a gym. It tends to be used in scientific or technical contexts:

'The chemistry lab was full of the apparatus needed for a range of experiments'.

For tools and utensils it is also very important to know which other words they collocate with. For example, we talk about garden tools for a gardener and work tools for a carpenter, but kitchen utensils for a housewife or house-husband.

Function of English

FUNCTIONS OF ENGLISH

1. ASKING FOR REPETITION

- Sorry. (with a rising intonation)
- Pardon (me). (with a rising intonation)
- Excuse me. (with a rising intonation)
- I’m sorry. I didn’t hear what you said.
- Could you repeat what you said, please?
- Could you say it / that again, please?
- Would you mind repeating that, please?


2. ASKING FOR MEANING

- Repeat the word or phrase that you didn’t understand.
Ex: Philosophy?
- Ask for spelling
Ex: Philosophy? How do spell that?
- Philosophy? What does that mean?
- Excuse me. What does “philosophy” mean?
- What do you mean, exactly?
- Could you explain what you mean, please?
- Could I have some more details, please?
- Can you make it clear, please?

How To Speak English Well

Unit 32: PLANS FOR YOUR FREE TIME

- to be busy + v-ing
- to be busy with s.th

Ex: We are busy preparing for our activities during the day.
I am always busy with my work.

- routine (n): daily work

- day in and day out: everyday
Ex: Day in, day out, no matter what the weather is like, she walks ten miles
Bất kể thòi tiêt thế nào, ngày ngày cô ta vẫn đi bộ mưoi dặm

- luxury (n): sự xa xỉ, sự xa hoa
a life of luxury: đời sống xa hoa

- to intend to do s.th: dự định làm gì đó

- to assure: to insure

- to waste time on s.th / doing s.th: lãng phí thời gian cho việc gì / làm gì

- trivial (a): ['triviəl]: tầm thường, không đáng kể, ít quan trọng
+ trivial loss: tổn thất không đáng kể
+ a trivial mistake: một sai lầm không đáng kể

- foresight of s.th: suự thây truóc, suự nhìn xa; suự lo xa
+ to fail for want of foresight: thât bại vì không biêt nhìn xa

- reservation (n): [,rezə'vei∫n]: suự dành trưóc, suự giuữ trưóc,
+ a hotel reservation: suự đặt chỗ trưóc ở khách sạn

- accommodation (n): chỗ ăn ở

- regardless of: bất kể, bất chấp

Ex: He continued speaking, regardless of my feelings on the matter
nó vẫn cứ nói, bất kể nhữung cảm nghĩ của tôi về vấn đề đó


- to results in s.th: dẫn đến kết quả

- interrupted (a): bị gián đoạn, cắt ngang

- checklist (n): bản liệt kê những mục cần kiểm tra

- departure (n): sett-off

- to prevent s.o from doing s.th: ngăn chặn ai làm gì
Ex: Nobody can prevent us from getting married; nobody can prevent our getting married
Không ai có thể ngăn cản chúng tôi kết hôn

- worry-free: không phải lo lắng

- to be supposed to do s.th: được cho là

- to spend (time, money) on s.th ; doing s.th

- to get rid of: to forget

- to see s.o do / doing s.th: thấy ai làm / đang làm gì

- to soar: bay vút lên

- to need + v-ing = to need to be + PP

- I could not agree more: I completely agree with you

Confusing Words

DRIVE OR RIDE?

• Anything with four or more wheels (like a car, a bus, a lorry or a train) we drive;

• Anything with two wheels or that we straddle (like a horse, a bike, motorbike or scooter) we ride, (even though you need a driving license to ride a motorbike.

Consider the following:

I had never driven such a powerful car before.
I hadn’t ridden a bike for over twenty years and wondered if I would remember how to.

Note that when we are passengers rather than drivers, we ride in cars and trains, but we tend to ride on buses.

How To Speak English Well

UNIT 31: MUSIC AND LIFE

- to deny: to refuse

- to play a role / a part: đóng một vai trò
Ex: Music plays an important role in our life

- soul (n): linh hồn, tâm hồn, tâm trí
+ commend one's soul to God: gửi gắm linh hồn cho Chúa
+ to throw oneself soul into s.th: để hết tâm trí vào việc gì
Ex: He cannot call his soul his own
Nó bị người khác khống chế
President Ho is the soul of the Party
Hồ chủ tịch là linh hồn của Đảng

- profound (a): [prə'faund]: sâu, thăm thẳm, sâu sắc, uyên thâm, thâm thúy
+ profound depths of the ocean: đáy sâu thẳm của đại dương
+ a profound thinker: một nhà tư tưởng thâm thúy
+ a man of profound learning: một người học vấn uyên thâm

- emotion (n): [i'mou∫n]: sự cảm động, sự xúc động, sự xúc cảm mối xúc động, mối xúc cảm

- to encourage s.o in s.th: khuyến khích; cổ vũ; động viên
+ Don't encourage bad habits in a child: đừng khuyến khích thói quen xấu của trẻ
+ He felt encouraged by the progress he'd made: anh ta cảm thấy được khích lệ bởi những tiến bộ của mình
+ Her parents encouraged her in her studies: bố mẹ cô ấy khuyến khích cô ấy học tập
+ to encourage somebody to lose weight: khuyến khích ai giảm cân

- to enrich: [in'rit∫]: s.o / s.th with s.th: làm cho ai/cái gì giàu có hoặc phong phú hơn
Ex: A nation enriched by the profits from tourism
Một quốc gia giàu lên nhờ lợi nhuận từ ngành du lịch
Reading enriches the mind: đọc sách báo làm giàu trí tuệ

- to play a role / a part: đóng vai trò

- heyday (n): ['heidei]: thời cực thịnh, thời hoàng kim
in the heyday of youth: lúc tuổi thanh xuân sung sức

- chaotic (a): [kei'ɔtik]: hỗn độn, hỗn loạn, lộn xộn

- it is + adj (for s.o) + to inf: It's easy for me to speak English

How To Speak English Well

Unit 30: JUDGING A PERSON AT THE FIRST MEET

1. VOCABULARY:

- delicate / 'delikət /: nhạy cảm, tế nhị
Ex: I admire your delicate handling of the situation
Tôi phục anh đã xử lý tình huống thật khéo léo

to conduct delicate negotiations
tiến hành thương lượng thật tế nhị

- to mislead: [mis'li:d] s.o about / as to s.th: làm cho ai có một ý niệm hoặc ấn tượng sai về ai/cái gì

Ex: You misled me as to your intentions
Anh đã làm cho tôi nghĩ sai về những ý định của anh

- naïve: [nai'i:v] : ngây thơ; chất phác

- impartial (a): [im'pa:∫əl]: công bằng, không thiên vị, vô tư

- to watch s.o do / doing s.th: thấy ai là gì đó

- prejudice (n): ['predzudis]: định kiến, thành kiến, sự thiên kiến
+ colour/racial prejudice: thành kiến chủng tộc/màu da
+ to have a prejudice against s.o: có thành kiến đối với ai
+ to have a prejudice in favour of s.o: có định kiến thiên về ai
Ex: To succeed here, you will need to overcome your prejudices
Anh muốn thành công thì phải khắc phục những định kiến của anh

- species (n): ['spi:∫i:z]: (sinh vật học) loài
a species of antelope: một loài linh dương

2. GRAMMAR:

- so + adj or adv that: quá đến nỗi
Ex: The second one is so honest and naïve that they can show us who they are at the first meet

- It takes s.o (time) to do s.th
Ex: It takes us a long time to know a person

- it is + adj (for s.o) to do s.th
Ex: It is easy for me to speak English

Confusing Words

DO

You do an exam. But there are no easy rules to follow. We always use do to describe indefinite activities, often with what, thing, anything, nothing, etc and generally speaking we also use do to talk about duties, jobs or (leisure) activities. Look at the following examples:
He didn't do anything. He just sat there. You expect me to do everything around the house. Well, I'm fed up!
I did all my homework last night so tonight I'm going to do the housework.
I did a lot of research and I think I did a good job on that essay. I did my best anyway.
I intend to do lots of walking on holiday this year, and perhaps some bird-watching too.

MAKE

We tend to use make when we are talking about constructing, creating or performing something. Study the following examples:

'I made three suggestions and left it to him to make the final decision.'
'I've made all the arrangements for the trip and I've made a great effort to get it all right.'
'I'm afraid I'm going to have to make my excuses and leave.'
'I have to make three phone calls.'

do the cleaning and the cooking

make a lasting impression (on someone)

do the shopping and the washing-up do some serious work

do a lot of damage (to something)

make an announcement

make an application (e.g. for a driving test)

make a sound or a noise

do one's hair or one's teeth

do a lot of harm rather than gooddo business (with somebody)

do (somebody) a favour

make love, not war

make a mess, a profit or a fortune

make fun of someone or a fool of someone

make amends for one's behaviour

Confusing Words

http://anhnguyenhongmaster2.googlepages.com/affect-AFFECT.doc

Leaning English Through Football

http://languagecaster.com/

Speaking Online

http://www.englishroleplay.com/

Free English Exercises

http://www.agendaweb.org/

Idioms

http://www.letslearnenglish.co.uk/allidioms.asp