Monday, December 31, 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR

MUSIC TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR

Listen to MP3

In the United States and other countries, this old Scottish song, "Auld Lang Syne" is played when a new year begins. It is about remembering old friends.

New Year's is a holiday for memories and for hopes. The past and the future come together at midnight. Not surprisingly, emotions are as much a part of New Year's Eve as noisemakers and fireworks. After all, a traditional way to welcome the New Year is to kiss the person you love.

"Old Lang Syne" lends its name to a modern song about a man and a woman who once were lovers. One day, a week before New Year's, they meet again by chance. The singer is Dan Fogelberg and the song is called "Same Old Lang Syne."

On December sixteenth, two thousand seven, fans of Dan Fogelberg lost an old friend. The American singer and songwriter died of prostate cancer at the age of fifty-six. He was known for the kind of soft rock popular in the nineteen seventies and eighties. "Same Old Lang Syne" was one of the hits from his nineteen eighty-one album "The Innocent Age."

The idea of meeting an old lover by chance is also at the heart of a Paul Simon song. Here is the title song from Paul Simon's nineteen seventy-five album "Still Crazy After All These Years."

Chance meetings are one of life's little surprises. They can happen anywhere -- in a market, on the street, even in a taxicab. This song by Harry Chapin is called "Taxi."

Harry Chapin was a popular folk singer and songwriter. In nineteen eighty-one, at the age of thirty-eight, he died in a car crash on his way to a performance.

Music and emotions go hand in hand. Songs can make us feel the heartbreak of a lost love, or the excitement of finding a new love. Songs can also capture the pain of a wish that a person knows will never come true. Here is James Blunt with "You're Beautiful."

The nineteen eighty-nine movie "When Harry Met Sally" was about a relationship. Billy Crystal plays Harry and Meg Ryan is Sally. They meet and become friends, though not at first. Later, they fall in love, though not for very long. Then, on New Year's Eve, Harry comes to his senses and finds Sally at a party.

From New Year's Day, we turn to "A New Day." That was the name of Celine Dion's music and dance show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It closed on December fifteenth, two thousand seven, after almost five years. It earned a reported four hundred million dollars in ticket sales.

The show's run ended two months before the start of a worldwide tour for a new album by the Canadian singer. But some fans came to the show again and again, so closing night was like an emotional goodbye to an old friend.

We leave you with Celine Dion and a song that some of you will probably sing along with. From the nineteen ninety-seven movie "Titanic," here is "My Heart Will Go On."

Sunday, December 30, 2007

SOLAR NEW YEAR



NEW YEAR AROUND THE WORLD


New Year festivals are among the oldest and most universally observed. They generally include rites and ceremonies which are expressive of mortification, purgation, invigoration and jubilation over the renewal of life. In some countries, parties are thrown on New Year's Eve which last until the early hours of New Year's Day. It is traditional to greet the New Year at midnight and then celebrate at least the first few minutes in the company of friends and family. Many people make New Year resolutions...a list of decisions about how they will live during the coming year, which may or may not be kept.


AUSTRIA, POLAND AND SWITZERLAND

New Year's Eve is known as the Eve of Saint Sylvester or Sylvesterabend. According to legend, Saint Sylvester (or, according to Polish lore, Pope Sylvester) slew an evil monster-dragon known as the Leviathon in 1000 A.D., the year widely predicted at that time to be Judgment Day. The Leviathon was supposed to rise, devour the land and the people and set fire to the heavens. He did rise and was vanquished. The Leviathon, a serpent-dragon with shiny scales who fed on other dragons, was so large that its multicolored coils encircled the Earth. In Switzerland, the people parade through the streets dressed in costumes and hats, representative of good and evil spirits.

BRAZIL

In Brazil, where the lentil is believed to signify wealth, the first meal of the New Year is either lentil soup or lentils with rice.


CAMBODIA

In Cambodia, where the Indian Calendar is used to calculate the beginning of the New Year festival, the celebrations begin on either April 12th, 13th or 14th (according to the Gregorian Calendar) and continue for three days. Houses are cleaned and decorated and an altar is erected to welcome Tevada Chhnam Thmey, the New Year Spirit who is believed to visit Earth at this time. A statute of Buddha is placed upon the altar, along with flowers, candles, incense, a bowl of scented water, food, drink and banana leaves shaped into various figures. On the first day of the festival, people visit the local monastery and offer food to the monks. The mound is decorated with five religious flags (one atop the mound and four around the sides). On day two, people gather with their families to wish each other Happy New Year and exchange gifts. Sometimes, they will revisit the monastery in order to ask the monks to say a special prayer for their ancestors. On day three, the Buddha statues in the home and the monasteries are washed. It is believed that this practice will ensure good rains during the coming year. Children also wash the feet of their parents on this day as a sign of respect.

CANADA


In British Columbia, the traditional polar bear swim takes place. People of all ages don bathing suits and plunge into the icy-cold water which surrounds Vancouver during the Winter.


CHINA

The Chinese New Year, known as Yuan Tan, takes place sometime between January 21st and February 20th, the exact date being fixed by the Lunar Calendar, in which a New Moon marks the beginning of each month. Yuan Tan is celebrated by Chinese people all over the world. For many families, it is a time of feasting, visiting relatives and friends. In the cities, spectacular processions are arranged. The celebrations are intended to bring luck, health, wealth and happiness. Houses are cleaned in order to rid them of the previous year's bad luck before the festivities begin. Street parades are held where thousands of people gather to watch the procession of floats weave their way through the crowds. The dragon is a popular figure, associated in particular with longevity and wealth. Inside the costumes will be as many as 50 dancers, all twisting and turning the dragon's long, silk body and blinking eyes. Since the Chinese believe that evil spirits dislike loud noises, they decorate their houses with plastic firecrackers in order to ward off any bad luck that the spirits might bring. Often, doors and windows are sealed with paper to keep out such evil spirits. Plants and flowers are purchased in order to ensure good luck for the coming year. The Kumquat tree is considered to be the luckiest...its name a play on the word "lucky." The peach blossom is also a favorite and the tangerine is also considered lucky because of its bright color. However, since odd numbers are considered unlucky, the tangerines are always purchased or given as gifts in pairs. When the New Year is associated with a particular animal, then the meat of that animal is not eaten for the first day of the year. For several days prior to New Year's Eve, housewives clean and redecorate their homes. Favored foods at this time are those thought to ensure wealth and happiness for the coming year, such as black moss seaweed and dried bean curd.


EGYPT

The New Year is a public holiday and is very festive in atmosphere. Although it is known in advance when the New Year begins, Egyptians still observe the custom that the new crescent moon must be seen before the official announcement is made. The sighting is carried out at the Muhammed Ali mosque, located at the top of a hill in Cairo. The message is then passed onto the religious leader known as the Grand Mufti who then proclaims the New Year. On New Year's Day, everyone wears special clothes and even the females, who customarily wear only black, are allowed to don bright colors. The children are given shaped sweets...moulded into the figure of a boy on horseback for the males and a girl wearing a dress for the females. The sweets are surrounded by colored paper fashioned like an accordian. For adults, the New Year is a time for visiting friends.

GERMANY

New Year's Eve in Germany is a rather quiet affair compared to many other nations. It is a time for family gatherings and parties tend to be low-key, consisting of relatives and close friends. At midnight, a toast is customarily made with champagne or Sekt and everyone says, "Prosit Neujahr!. Often, there are firework displays which people usually watch from the windows of their homes. One popular custom is Bleigiessen, where a candle is lit and small chunks of lead are melted in a spoon held over the candle. The molten lead is then quickly dropped into cold water, whereupon it hardens almost immediately. Each person then tries to determine what he or she "sees" in the hardened lead figure in an attempt to tell the future from the shape which forms. Often, the lead figure is held up to the candle or other light in order to better discern the shape from the shadow which it casts. A heart or ring means a wedding...a ship foretells of a journey...a pig signifies plenty of food. Today, Silvesterblei kits may be purchased from most German department stores, complete with lead nuggets, a spoon and a list of possible shapes and their meanings.

Food consumed on Silvester, the German New Year's Eve, traditionally consists of lentil or split pea soup accompanied by Wiener Wurstchen (usually prepared a few days ahead of the celebration), which is served with a meat or cheese fondue. It is also customary to leave a little of the food eaten on New Year's Day on the plate until after Midnight. This is thought to ensure a well-stocked larder. Carp is often part of the meal since it is believed to bring wealth. Other popular food items are herring for good luck and cabbage or carrots for financial security.

GREAT BRITAIN

In England crowds sometimes gather in Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus waiting to hear the chimes of London's Big Ben, which announces the arrival of the New Year. Arms are linked and there is usually a rendering of "Auld Lang Syne." The custom of "first-footing" is important. To ensure good luck for the inhabitants of a house, the first person to enter on New Year's Day should be male, young, healthy and good-looking. He should preferably be dark-haired and carrying a small piece of coal, money, bread and salt. These things symbolize wealth. Women and those people with blonde or red hair are considered unlucky "first-footers." The giving of gifts traditionally took place during New Year, when the Lord Mayor of London was given samples of produce by his tenants and peasants and, in turn, presented a valuable gift to the reigning monarch. This practice no longer takes place.

In Ireland, the New Year festival was once Celtic in nature and known as Samhain, meaning "Summer End." It was celebrated on October 31st and has survived as the modern day Halloween. It was at this time that the Celts held their General Assembly, when laws were renewed and accounts of events (such as births, deaths and marriages) recorded. It was considered to be a very dangerous time, since this was when the spirits of the dead could return to Earth. It was believed that these spirits could do harm unless precautions were taken. The priests would go into the woods on New Year's Eve to gather bunches of mistletoe, which they handed out to people as protection from harm, and bonfires were lit to drive away evil forces. Generally, it was considered safer to stay indoors during New Year's Eve since fairies were also abroad.

In more modern times, girls have been known to go to bed on New Year's Eve with a sprig of mistletoe or holly and ivy leaves beneath their pillows, in order that they might dream of their future husbands. The direction of the wind at New Year is traditionally an indication of the trend in politics for the coming year. If it blew from the west, then the fortunes of Ireland would flourish, but if it blew from the east, then the English would gain the upper hand. A very large supper is always eaten on New Year's Eve, the belief being that this ensures plenty of food for the coming year. One ancient Irish custom which was formerly practiced each New Year's Eve was to take a large loaf of Christmas bread or large slice of Christmas cake outside the house and hammer it against the closed doors and windows. This was done in order to drive out any misfortune and allow happiness to enter.


In Scotland, where the celebration is called "Hogmany" (derived from a type of oat cake which was traditionally given to children on New Year's Eve), it is believed that there cannot be a New Year until the Old Year has gone. Since the Old Year is considered evil and must be banished, an effigy of Death is paraded around the town or city and is then buried, drowned or burned. This dummy may be made of straw, twigs or rags and is known as the "Auld Wife." In some villages, barrels of tar are set alight and rolled through the streets. Thus, the Old Year is burned-up and the New Year allowed to enter. Preparations for the New Year include the cleaning of houses, believed to be an ancient purification ritual. In years gone by, burning juniper bushes would be carried through the home to remove any lurking germs and diseases. The traditional New Year meal consisted of Haggis, shortbread, scones, oat cakes, cheese, whiskey, wine and New Year black buns. The first person to rise in the morning would take the "Het Pint," a spiced ale, to those family members who were still in bed.

As in England, the custom of "first-footing" is an important tradition, as is the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" at Midnight. Merriment in Scotland is saved primarily for the New Year as opposed to Christmas, which is observed in a more sombre fashion.

In Wales, it was an ancient custom for the boys of the village go from house to house on New Year's morning at around 4 o'clock. Using an evergreen twig, they would sprinkle the inhabitants and then perform the same ceremony in each room of the home. This was believed to bring good luck.

GREECE

January 1st is an important day in the Greek calendar. Not only is it the first day of the year, it is also Saint Basil's Day. Saint Basil was one of the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church. He is remembered for his kindess and generosity to the poor. Saint Basil is believed to have died on January 1st. New Year is perhaps even more festive than Christmas since it is the main day for gift-giving and for telling stories of how Saint Basil would come in the night and leave presents in children's shoes. There are many special dishes prepared but the most important is Vassilopitta or Saint Basily's Cake. Inside the cake is place a silver or gold coin and pieces are distributed in accordance with strict order. The first slice is for Saint Basil, the second for the house, the next for the most senior family member on down to the youngest member...a piece is even cut for those household members who are absent and there may also be a slice for the cattle. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be blessed with luck during the coming year. In addition to Saint Basil's Cake, there is usually an abundance of food, including Kourabiedes Shortbread, thiples and honey. The table is often decorated with olive-branches, nuts, fresh fruit and other symbols of happiness and wealth. The first person across the threshold on New Year's Day is said to bring the family luck throughout the year to come. Traditionally, either the father or a "lucky child" is the first to cross the threshold...a "lucky child" is one who has both parents still living.

HONG KONG

The people in Hong Kong are not allowed to set off real firecrackers at the New Year. Instead, they use plastic firecrackers as decorations. Most people favor red as the color for clothing and decorations since it is associated with joy and happiness. Lucky money is distributed in red envelopes with the family name and a good luck message written in gold. These are given on by relatives to the children of the family and any unmarried members only. The New Year feast is always a large one for the first day of the year.


HUNGARY

Effigies of a scapegoat known as "Jack Straw" are burned. These effigies represent the evils and misfortunes of the past year. "Jack Straw" is carried around the village before being committed to the flames.

INDIA

The basis for the Indian New Year is a classic tale of good conquering evil. When Prince Rama, rightful heir to his father's throne, was banished to the forest for 14 years by his wicked stepmother, Rama's wife was kidnapped by the evil Demon King Ravan, ruler of a neighboring land. A battle ensued and Rama, aided by the monkey warrior Hanuma, rescued his wife, defeated Ravan and returned to his kingdom to reclaim his throne. In celebration of Rama's victory, people feasted and lit oil lamps in their homes. Such was the first Indian New Year celebration known as Diwali, meaning "Row of Lights."

Today, the festival falls in late October or early November and is celebrated according to regional customs. In Northern India, for example, every town and village glows with thousands of lights and homes are decorated with little oil lamps called diwa, intended to drive out evil and replace it with goodness. People try to complete any unfinished work since Diwali marks the end of the year. Businesses pay off all debts and new account books are blessed before the New Year. People buy new things for their homes, or purchase new tools or even new clothes. Cards and gifts are exchanged, New Year resolutions are made and all quarrels are forgiven and forgotten, since this is a time of year to be happy and generous. Even the animals who have been worked are washed, groomed and decorated for the festival.

JAPAN

Japan adopted the solar calendar system in the late Nineteenth Century, abandoning the lunar system that had been used for centuries. Thus, New Year's Day or Gantan arrives on the January 1st, the same day as it does for most countries outside of Asia. Nevertheless, Japan's festivities are no less colorful or steeped in tradition than those of its Eastern neighbors. Buddhist temples ring their bells shortly before Midnight on New Year's Eve and people count along with the 108 pealings, which represent the hardships and sorrows of the past year. When the tolling comes to an end, the New Year has begun and everyone begins to laugh, believing that such an action will bring them good luck in the New Year. On New Year's Day, it is believed that how "firsts" are executed is crucial, including the first visit to the Shinto or Buddhist temples. Tasks performed on New Year's Day must include a trip to the ocean to witness the hatsu hinode, or "first sunrise," which is said to bring good health throughout the entire year. Japanese celebrations begin during the last few days of December and last through the first few days of January...usually five to six days. Most stores and offices close during this period. A proper welcome to the New Year is essential to Japanese culture. So much so, that most people take a few days off prior to the holiday in order to make preparations, including the meticulous cleaning of houses and the hanging of straw ropes across the front of homes to keep out evil spirits and ensure happiness and good luck.

On New Year's Day, children are given otoshi-dama, a cash allowance that is known as the "New Year's Treasure." Red snapper is a popular New Year celebration dish because the Japanese word for "red snapper" rhymes with their word for "happy." Red snapper is also pink, which is considered a lucky color in Japan.


KOREA

Caught between two calendars and, consequently, two New Year celebrations, Korea tends to celebrate the lunar New Year or Sol with much less pomp than other Asian nations. There are no firecrackers, ornate dragon heads or beauty pageants. It is basically a reflective time to spend with family and the worship of ancestors. However, feasting does pay a large role in the festivities with favored dishes being dumplings, soups, rice, noodles and sweet fruits. Sol is often observed by the donning traditional dress, gifts of envelopes containing money to younger members of the family and taking a day off from work.

LAO

The people of Lao celebrate the New Year according to the ancient Hindu calendar. The festival lasts for three days, falling on April 13th, 14th or 15th according to the Gregorian Calendar, and coincides with the end of the dry season and the start of the rains. This period, known as Pinai, is considered as a time of rebirth and purification. The first day, Sangkhan Long, is believed to be the last day of the Old Year and people traditionally clean their houses in preparation for the New Year's arrival. They carry sand and silver bowls of scented water, which is used to help the monks clean the statues of Buddha, while the sand is used to build mounds in the courtyards of the temples. These mounds are usually built on river banks and decorated with flags, flowers, money and candles. After which, wishes are made.

The second day, Mueu Nao is considered a dangerous time because the spirit of the Old Year has departed but the spirit of the New Year has yet to arrive. Therefore, there is no spirit to protect the people from any misfortune. For this reason, many people stay in their homes and use the day as a time of rest. The third day, Sangkhan Kheun begins the New Year and is the most joyous day of the festival. People go to the temples with offerings of prayers, food and flowers before returning home for a special family ceremony to welcome the New Year. This ceremony is called Soukhouane and, as well as being performed on New Year, is also part of any important occasion, such as a birth or death or marriage.

Soukhouane is performed while sitting around a table decorated with bowls of flowers containing candles known as baci. Offerings, such as food and drink, are placed under the baci and the family is joined by a morporn, a highly-respected member of the community who recites appropriate prayers. The morporn has a piece of string tied to his finger which is attached to the baci, as do the senior family members. After the ceremony, the morporn is offered whiskey which has been placed beneath the baci. By tradition, he initially refuses the gift, but later accepts. The whiskey is then shared with all the adults in the family.

On New Year's Day, the releasing of captive animals is performed. This is thought to bring good fortune to those who give the animals their freedom. Sometimes, cages are built for the released animals, so they might return if they choose to do so.


NETHERLANDS

In the Netherlands, people burn Christmas trees on street bonfires and hold firework displays to herald in the New Year. This practice is also considered to be a means of driving away the spirits of the old year. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring symbolizes good luck, since it is indicative of "coming full circle" and thus completing the cycle of a year. For this reason, the Dutch often eat donuts on New Year's Day to ensure good fortune for the coming year.

PORTUGAL AND SPAIN

The people of the Iberian Peninsula pick and eat twelve grapes from a bunch just as the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve. This tradition is said to ensure twelve happy months in the coming year.

SINGAPORE

With more than 50% of Singapore's population being Chinese in heritage, it is not surprising that the lunar New Year is considered a great celebration. Officially, the holiday lasts for three days, but people frequently take the entire week off from work to celebrate and visit with friends and relatives. The markets are usually bustling with shoppers who are busy buying everything from new clothes to household cleaning supplies since everything must be perfect in order to guarantee an auspicious New Year. The Chinese New Year's Eve feast doubles as a family reunion, bring relatives from both far and near back to the homeland. Meals are sumptuous and filled with symbolically lucky food items, while hong bao (red envelopes stuffed with money) are distributed to the younger family members. Recipients of these gifts are, however, expected to show self-restaint and safely stow the valuable envelopes under their pillows until the 15th day of the New Year in order to ensure good luck.

SOUTH AFRICA


In South Africa, church bells ring in the New Year and gunshots are fired. In the Cape Province area, New Year's Day and Second New Year's Day are celebrated with a carnival atmosphere with people dressing in colorful costumes and dancing in the streets to the sound of drums.

SRI LANKA

In Sri Lanka, New Year is celebrated on April 13th or 14th. This is because the Hindu Calendar is used to set the date for the festival. Houses are cleaned or even repainted in the preceding days and several varieties of sweets are made to be eaten on New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, it is customary to cook no food, display no lights and burn no fires. Visits are paid to family and friends with the first meal of the day being pongal milk rice cooked by the father or chief male relative. Games are played, such as Gudo, which is similar to cricket or baseball.

THAILAND

The Thai New Year festival is called Songkran and lasts for three days from April 13th until April 15th, according to the Gregorian Calendar. There are many customs associated with the New Year celebrations. For example, people douse each other with perfumed water to symbolize cleansing and renewal and the hope that it will bring good rains in the coming year. Another ceremony involves the tying of string around someone's wrist while reciting a short blessing prayer. It is considered a great honor to be the recipient of such a string and it is allowed to remain on the wrist until it falls off of its own accord. All the statues and images of Buddha are washed and monasteries are visited in order to pray and offer gifts of rice, fruits, sweets and other foods to the monks. One ancient good luck custom in Thailand is to release birds from their cages and carry fish to the river so that they might be released from their bowls. A game known as Saba (something like skittles) is also often played.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

New Year's Eve in the United States is a major social event. Clubs all over the nation are packed with party-goers who stay out until dawn, celebrating the advent of a New Year. The traditional New Year Ball is dropped every year in Times Square, New York City, at 12 o’clock. This televised event is often broadcast to other areas of the world.

Many Americans celebrate the New Year by visiting friends, relatives and neighbors. The traditional New Year meal consists of Many families gather to watch the various televised parades and subsequent football games. The Tournament of Roses parade began in 1887 when a zoologist who had seen such a display in France suggested to the Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena, California that an "artistic celebration of the ripening of the oranges" be held at the beginning of the year. At first, the parade was simply a line of decorated horse-drawn private carriages with athletic events being held in the afternoon and a ball in the evening where winners of the day's events were announced, together with the naming of the most beautiful float. The Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902 but was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival. Over time, the parade of floats grew longer and the flower decorations more elaborate. The theme of the Tournament of Roses varies from year to year and is now usually more than five miles long with thousands of participants in the marching bands and on the floats. City officials ride in the cars pulling the floats with a celebrity being chosen as the Grand arshal or Master of Ceremonies. The Queen of the Tournament rides on a special float which is always the most elaborate of the parade, being made from more than 250,000 flowers. Preparation for the following year's Tournament of Roses begins on January 2nd. In other regions of the United States, there are also football games whose names are characteristic of the particular state of origin...the Orange Bowl in Florida, the Cotton Bowl in Texas and the Sugar Bowl in Louisiana, for example.

The customary New Year meal in the United States (particularly the Southern areas) consists of black-eyed peas, rice, greens and hog jowls. This tradition is believed to have originated in South Carolina, the home of "Hoppin' John," after whom this dish is named. An old saying states: "Eat peas on New Year's day to have plenty of everything the rest of the year." Some believe that the greens stand for paper money and the black-eyed peas are thought to represent coins, while rice is the symbol of abundance. Another theory is that the origin of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day begain during the Civil War. When Northern soldiers raided the South's food supplies on one New Year's Eve night, they took all the food except for the dried black-eyed peas and salted pork. Thus, on New Years Day, all that the Southern soldiers had to eat to keep them alive were the peas and the pork...and so, it is considered good luck to eat black-eyed peas at New Year because of this event.

VIETNAM

The popular name for the Vietnamese New Year is Tet, known officially as Tet Nguyen Dan. It is considered a very important festival because it provides one of the few breaks in the agricultural year, falling between the harvest and the sowing of new crops. The people prepare for the New Year well in advance by cleaning their houses, polishing their copperware and paying off all their debts. A special rice pudding is eaten at New Year which must be prepared beforehand. This dish, which contains mung beans and pork, is known as bahn chung or bahn tet. Other New Year foods include preserved sweets, beef, chicken, fish, oranges, coconuts, grapefruits and watermelons. Watermelon is believed to be especially lucky since its flesh is red. Therefore, choice of the melon is very carefully made in order to find one rich in such color. Often, the seeds of the melon are dyed red and served as delicacies. On the last day of the year, a plant such as a bamboo tree is planted in courtyard of the home. The tree is then adorned with bells, flowers and red streamers...but such adornments are not for decorative purposes. They serve to guarantee the family against evil spirits. During the middle of the day, an offering is placed on the household altar for the ancestors of the family. This offering, along with burning inscense, is repeated every day of the New Year festivities.

The Vietnamese believe that the first person through the door in the New Year will reflect the future luck and wealth of the family. The first day of the New Year is usually spent visiting close friends, teachers and parents. The second day is devoted to visiting in-laws and other friends who are not so close, while the third day is reserved for visits with the families of teachers and more distant relatives. Visits are also paid to the local temples and the people bring back flowers or greenery thought to be a gift from the celestial spirits. These gifts are kept in the house for the entire year. The Vietnamese also believe that the manner in which a person acts is crucial for the first three days of the new lunar period and will set the tone of the remainder of the year. Therefore, they make a great effort to be positive by avoiding arguments, smiling as much as possible and bestowing upon friends and loved ones generous gifts of ripe fruits, delicate rice cakes and red envelopes stuffed with money.

FROM http://www.novareinna.com/

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Improving Your English


NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR ENGLISH



AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on Wordmaster: English teacher Lida Baker suggests five resolutions for people who want to improve their English in the New Year.


LIDA BAKER: "My first resolution that I would recommend people make is to spend a certain amount of time listening to English -- and it can be five minutes a day or it can be 10 minutes a week or it can be whatever suits a person's work schedule, life schedule or whatever. But it's really important to set goals and to stick to them. And it would be very helpful if people had Internet access to do this, because what I'm going to recommend is listening to sites that have scripts included. "


RS: "What do you do if you don't have access to a computer, how can you listen better?


LIDA BAKER: "Well, almost everyone all over the world has access to pop music. And one of my resolutions would be to spend time listening to English music. The advantage of listening to music is that it's a really wonderful way to work on your pronunciation, because you get a feeling for the stress and the rhythm of the language when you're singing. And also music is full of idioms, so it's a terrific way to learn colloquial vocabulary and to work on your pronunciation. And a third advantage of listening to music is that it's really easy to remember.


"So for people who have access only to a radio, even they can do something to improve their English just by listening to pop music. And I might add, if you do have access to the Internet, there are lots of Internet sites that will give you the lyrics to pop songs. Do a search, type 'music' or 'songs' plus 'lyrics,' and you'll find sites where you can type in the name of the song and it will give you the lyrics to the song.


RS: "So spend a little bit more time listening, or have a goal for listening. Listen to English music. What else?"


LIDA BAKER: "Something else I tell my students, and they're always surprised when I tell them this, is read children's books."


AA: "That makes sense, though."


LIDA BAKER: "Yeah. Why do you say that?"


RS: "Well, few words."


AA: "It's simpler."


RS: "Direct, simple. Lots of pictures."


LIDA BAKER: "There you go."


RS: "That puts it in a context."


LIDA BAKER: "There you go. And the other thing is, you can find children's books at all levels. If you were a total beginner in English, you start with books that have just a few words on the page and lots of pictures, and you can work your way up to books that have relatively speaking more text and fewer illustrations. But again, children's books are very motivating. To this day I enjoy reading the books that I read to my daughter when she was a little girl."


AA: "So now we've got the listening to the radio, listening to music, going online and looking for scripts of programs to go with the audio, reading children's books. What's your next resolution?"


LIDA BAKER: "Learn a new word every day. And if you don't have time to do it every day, do it every other day. Again, pick a realistic goal. Choose your word, look up the meaning, but then don't stop there. Look at the examples in the dictionary for how the word is used. Is it used as a noun? Is it a verb? Is it used to talk about people? If it's an adjective, does it have a positive meaning or a negative meaning? So look for what's called the connotation of the word. And then, when you're sitting in your car, or you're walking to the bus stop or sitting on the bus, practice. Put the word into your own sentences. Think of ways that you could use that word.


"And so now we come to our last resolution, which in a way is the most difficult one, because my last resolution would be, even if it's only very occasionally, talk to native speakers every chance you get."

Thursday, December 27, 2007

SONGS TO REMEMBER


WHITE CHRISTMAS: ONE OF THE BEST LOVED HOLIDAY SONGS



Music fills the air. Colorful lights shine brightly in windows. Children and adults open gifts from loved ones and friends. These are all Christmas traditions.


Another tradition is snow. Christmas in the northern part of the world comes a few days after the start of winter. In many places, a blanket of clean white snow covers the ground on Christmas Day. This is what is meant by a "White Christmas."


Of course, many places do not get snow at Christmas. In fact, they may be very warm this time of year. People who like snow, but live where it is warm, can only dream of having a white Christmas.


American songwriter Irving Berlin captured these feelings in his song, "White Christmas." It is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time.


The opening words explain why the singer is dreaming of a white Christmas. Most people never hear these words so they never really understand the true meaning of the song. Here’s how it starts:


The sun is shining.
The grass is green.
The orange and palm trees sway.
I’ve never seen such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it’s December the twenty-fourth
And I’m longing to be up north.
Up north, where it is cold and snowy.
Not south, where it is warm and sunny.


Over the years, hundreds of singers and musicians have recorded "White Christmas." But the version most people still know best was sung by Bing Crosby.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Confusing Words

SEE / WATCH

Seeing is noticing something or somebody with your eyes, usually with no explicit intention or purpose behind the action. If you watch something or someone, you look at them deliberately, usually for a longer period.

Watch is often used with progressive tense forms. See is not used with progressive forms, but may be used with can to suggest something in progress. Compare the following:
  • Can you hear me at the back? Am I speaking loudly enough?
  • I could hear a dog barking, but apart from that there was no sound.
  • I'm surprised to hear you say such awful things about her. I thought you liked her.
  • I could hear them talking in the next room, but I tried not to listen to what they were saying.
  • You need to listen to the tape very carefully if you want to understand what she is saying.
  • I didn't hear the phone ringing because I was listening to a Mahler symphony on the radio.


    See / Hear + that-clause

We often use I hear and I see with a that-clause to indicate that we have noted something or that we understand or gather that something has happened or will happen.

  • I hear / understand / gather that you're planning to quit your job with IBM and go freelance.
  • Have you heard that Jenny's gone freelance? No, I've heard nothing about that.
  • I see / understand / gather that the postal workers are threatening another one-day strike in October.
  • I can't see / understand what all the fuss is about. It's only a one-day strike.

    Note these further, more specific uses of see and watch:

    see = meet (note that in this meaning progressive forms are often possible)
  • I'll see you outside the hospital at eleven o' clock.
  • He's seeing the doctor about his bronchitis tomorrow.
  • I'm sorry, but he's not well enough to see you now.
  • She must really stop seeing him. He has a bad influence on her.

    see = find out (note progressive forms never possible)
  • I'll go and see if I can help them.
  • He went back to see if they needed any help.
  • As we saw when he went back to help them, these guys are totally independent.

    see = accompany
  • You may not be able to find your way out. I'll just see you to the door.
  • He's old enough to come home by himself, but can you just see him across the busy road?

    watch = be careful about ...
  • We must watch the time or we shall be late.
  • Watch that you don't spend too much money in Oxford Street. Watch your purse too. Wach out for pickpockets.

    watch = look after
  • Can you just watch my bags while I go to the loo?
  • You may also watch your weight if you decide to be careful about the things you eat or watch the world go by, if you stand or sit somewhere and watch people as they pass by.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

CHRISTMAS TREE

CHRISTMAS TREE HISTORY


Did a celebration around a Christmas tree on a bitter cold Christmas Eve at Trenton, New Jersey, turn the tide for Colonial forces in 1776? According to legend, Hessian mercenaries were so reminded of home by a candlelit evergreen tree that they abandoned their guardposts to eat, drink and be merry. Washington attached that night and defeated them.


The Christmas tree has gone through a long process of development rich in many legends, says David Robson, Extension Educator, Horticulture, with the Springfield Extension Center.

Some historians trace the lighted Christmas tree to Martin Luther. He attached lighted candles to a small evergreen tree, trying to simulate the reflections of the starlit heaven -- the heaven that looked down over Bethlehem on the first Christmas Eve.


Until about 1700, the use of Christmas trees appears to have been confined to the Rhine River District. From 1700 on, when lights were accepted as part of the decorations, the Christmas tree was well on its way to becoming a tradition in Germany. Then the tradition crossed the Atlantic with the Hessian soldiers.

Some people trace the origin of the Christmas tree to an earlier period. Even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were used for ceremonials. Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year -- brought green date palms into their homes as a symbol of "life triumphant over death". When the Romans observed the feast of saturn, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. The early Scandinavians were said to have paid homage to the fir tree.

To the Druids, sprigs of evergreen holly in the house meant eternal life; while to the Norsemen, they symbolized the revival of the sun god Balder. To those inclined toward superstition, branches of evergreens placed over the door kept out witches, ghosts, evil spirits and the like.

This use does not mean that our Christmas tree custom evolved solely from paganism, any more than did some of the present-day use of sighed in various religious rituals.

Trees and branches can be made purposeful as well as symbolic. The Christmas tree is a symbol of a living Christmas spirit and brings into our lives a pleasant aroma of the forest. The fact that balsam fir twigs, more than any other evergreen twigs, resemble crosses may have had much to do with the early popularity of balsam fir used as Christmas trees.

SANTA CLAUS

THE HISTORY OF THE SANTA CLAUS

The American version of the Santa Claus figure received its inspiration and its name from the Dutch legend of Sinter Klaas, brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century.

As early as 1773 the name appeared in the American press as "St. A Claus," but it was the popular author Washington Irving who gave Americans their first detailed information about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. In his History of New York, published in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, Irving described the arrival of the saint on horseback (unaccompanied by Black Peter) each Eve of Saint Nicholas.



This Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form in 1823 in the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas by writer Clement Clarke Moore. Moore included such details as the names of the reindeer; Santa Claus's laughs, winks, and nods; and the method by which Saint Nicholas, referred to as an elf, returns up the chimney. (Moore's phrase "lays his finger aside of his nose" was drawn directly from Irving's 1809 description.)


The American image of Santa Claus was further elaborated by illustrator Thomas Nast, who depicted a rotund Santa for Christmas issues of Harper's magazine from the 1860s to the 1880s. Nast added such details as Santa's workshop at the North Pole and Santa's list of the good and bad children of the world. A human-sized version of Santa Claus, rather than the elf of Moore's poem, was depicted in a series of illustrations for Coca-Cola advertisements introduced in 1931. In modern versions of the Santa Claus legend, only his toy-shop workers are elves. Rudolph, the ninth reindeer, with a red and shiny nose, was invented in 1939 by an advertising writer for the Montgomery Ward Company.

In looking for the historical roots of Santa Claus, one must go very deep in the past. One discovers that Santa Claus as we know him is a combination of many different legends and mythical creatures.

The basis for the Christian-era Santa Claus is Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna (Izmir), in what is now Turkey. Nicholas lived in the 4th century A.D. He was very rich, generous, and loving toward children. Often he gave joy to poor children by throwing gifts in through their windows.

The Orthodox Church later raised St. Nicholas, miracle worker, to a position of great esteem. It was in his honor that Russia's oldest church, for example, was built. For its part, the Roman Catholic Church honored Nicholas as one who helped children and the poor. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of children and seafarers. His name day is December 6th.

In the Protestant areas of central and northern Germany, St. Nicholas later became known as der Weinachtsmann. In England he came to be called Father Christmas. St. Nicholas made his way to the United States with Dutch immigrants, and began to be referred to as Santa Claus.

In North American poetry and illustrations, Santa Claus, in his white beard, red jacket and pompom-topped cap, would sally forth on the night before Christmas in his sleigh, pulled by eight reindeer, and climb down chimneys to leave his gifts in stockings children set out on the fireplace's mantelpiece.

Children naturally wanted to know where Santa Claus actually came from. Where did he live when he wasn't delivering presents? Those questions gave rise to the legend that Santa Claus lived at the North Pole, where his Christmas-gift workshop was also located.

In 1925, since grazing reindeer would not be possible at the North Pole, newspapers revealed that Santa Claus in fact lived in Finnish Lapland. "Uncle Markus", Markus Rautio, who compared the popular "Children's hour" on Finnish public radio, revealed the great secret for the first time in 1927: Santa Claus lives on Lapland's Korvatunturi - "Ear Fell"

The fell, which is situated directly on Finland's eastern frontier, somewhat resembles a hare's ears - which are in fact Santa Claus's ears, with which he listens to hear if the world's children are being nice. Santa has the assistance of a busy group of elves, who have quite their own history in Scandinanvian legend.

Over the centuries, customs from different parts of the Northern Hemisphere thus came together and created the whole world's Santa Claus - the ageless, timeless, deathless white-bearded man who gives out gifts on Christmas and always returns to Korvatunturi in Finnish Lapland.

Since the 1950s, Santa has happily sojourned at Napapiiri, near Rovaniemi, at times other than Christmas, to meet children and the young at heart. By 1985 his visits to Napapiiri had become so regular that he established his own Santa Claus Office there. He comes there every day of the year to hear what children want for Christmas and to talk with children who have arrived from around the world. Santa Claus Village is also the location of Santa's main Post Office, which receives children's letters from the four corners of the world.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

CHRISTMAS SEASON


THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS


Since the times of early Mesopotamia celebrations, there were grand celebrations with bonfires, yule log, sharing of gifts, carnivals and parades during the time that is now known as Christmas season in the honor of their chief god, Marduk. It was believed that every year the God had to wage a war with monsters of chaos in the winter season and the Mesopotamian king had to swear his faithfulness to the god and return with Marduk to battle at his side. This called for sacrifice of the king, which was indeed not a practical thing to do and hence a criminal condemned to death was crowned as the 'mock king' and dressed in royal dress and given all the privileges and respect of the king and then was sacrificed like the King himself. Ancient Greeks had a similar festival where their God Kronos fought against the tyrant God Zeus and his Titans.


Persians and Babylonians celebrated the festival of Sacaea to spread the message of universal love. 25th December has been sacred to the pagans of Romans and the Persians following Mithraism as their religion and on this day, the slaves swapped positions with their masters and could treat the masters as their slaves. Early superstitious Europeans performed special rituals during the Winter Solstice to persuade the sun to come back as they believed that winter was the season for evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. Scandinavians even sent scouts to look for sun on the mountaintops who would rush back to the village as soon as they saw the first rays of the sun to deliver the good news. The good news was enough cause for them to celebrate Yuletide, when a great feast was held around the bonfires made of Yule logs. Some of the people would tie apples on the branches of the coniferous trees in the hope of approaching Spring and Summer.


Romans celebrated Saturnalia from mid-December to 1st of January in the honor of their pagan god Saturn that featured shouts of 'Jo Saturnalia!', masquerades, grand feasts and exchange of Strenae or lucky fruits as gifts. Christmas, in its early days, was observed as the solemn and religious holiday as the birth of Christ that merged later on with the joyous activity of Saturnalia with the increasing number of converts until at last church approved of these celebrations within certain limits. It is believed that Christmas celebrations are being held since 98 AD though, it was 39 years later that the Bishop of Rome ordered a solemn feast to be held every year to the Christmas eve. It took more than another two centuries for the Bishop of Rome, Julius I, to chose December 25th as the day of observance of Christmas.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS





  • Wish you a Merry Christmas and may this festival bring abundant joy and happiness in your life!

  • May this Christmas be so special that you never ever feel lonely again and be surrounded by loved ones throughout!
  • You are special, you are unique; may your Christmas be also as special and unique as you are! Merry Christmas!
  • Here's wishing you all the joys of the season. Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
  • May joy and happiness snow on you, may the bells jingle for you and may Santa be extra good to you! Merry Christmas!
  • May this Christmas be bright and cheerful and may the New Year begin on a prosperous note!
  • Love, Peace and Joy came down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives!

  • Sending the warmest Christmas wishes to you and your family. May God shower his choicest blessings on you and your family this Christmas.
  • May all your days be merry and bright and may your Christmas be white! Merry Christmas!



  • It is that time of the year again, when you are thankful for everything merry and bright. May this Christmas be a delight! Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
CHRISTMAS MESSAGES
  • Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, making everything softer than snowflakes and all the more beautiful. Wish you a Magical Christmas.
  • Jingle Bells are ringing the wishes of Christmas. Sending the warmest Christmas wishes on soft snowflakes just for you!
  • Faith makes all things possible; Hope makes all things work and Love makes all things beautiful. May you have all the three for this Christmas. Merry Christmas!
  • On this Christmas, remember, the joy that you give to others, is the joy that comes back to you. So be joyful and make others joyful too! Merry Christmas!
  • Joy resonates in the hearts of those who believe in the spirit of Christmas! Wishing you all the peace, joy, and love of the Christmas season!





  • Christmas is a state of mind when you cherish peace and goodwill. The real spirit of Christmas is to have mercy, love and faith.
  • At the stroke of midnight on Christmas, if a fat man dressed in a red suit jumps through your window, grabs you and puts you in a sack, don't panic. I told Santa I wanted YOU for Christmas!
  • May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and bright new year. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
  • Jingle the bells and play the music loud, for Santa Claus is coming to town! Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Speaking Techniques


A FAST WAY TO MAKE YOURSELF UNDERSTOOD



Last week English teacher Nina Weinstein talked about ways to get mentally prepared. The most important part of any speech is you, Nina says. But for the audience, the focus is not you but the information they are there to get. And one way for English language learners to make themselves more understandable is to slow down.


NINA WEINSTEIN: "You can't make your pronunciation perfect if it's not there yet. You need to take pronunciation classes or whatever, but you still have to give your speech. And so one of the most effective ways to be understood is to cut your speed in half. Whenever you're speaking to a group you have to slow down anyway, even if you're a native speaker. So that's one technique.


"Another technique is to open your mouth wider. A lot of times students feel that they're pronouncing the 'th' sound or the 'w' sound or the 'b' sound fully, but in actuality if their mouths are not open wide, then maybe thirty percent of the sound is being trapped. And so just doing those two things makes it easier for the audience to understand you no matter what level you are."


RS: "So how would you practice doing these skills? Basically what we've talked about is the end game, of actually making a presentation. How do you get there? How do you practice -- can you divide this up into bits?"


AA: "Do you write out the speech word for word and try to memorize it?"


NINA WEINSTEIN: "No, no, I don't encourage my students to do that, and none of the places that I've taught have encouraged that. If you write it out word for word, then what you're ultimately going to do is memorize it, and then you're reading. You just memorize something, and you're kind of giving that as if you're reading it. No, I have my students put it on three-by-five cards and just put lines as if they're outlining it, just put things that will help them with the sequence of it, so they don't forget something that they want to say.


"As far as the actual practicing of it, they practice in front of a mirror, we practice in class. But one of the things that they should do that I think is really effective is to have someone videotape them. Because one of the issues about giving a speech is controlling your body language.


"You don't want to stand like a statue, but on the other hand you don't want nervous gestures. I had a student who played with his hair the whole time, so that becomes really distracting and it focuses the audience's attention on the fact that he's nervous.


"So if you videotape, you're going to see something like that. Or sometimes students will kind of sway back and forth a little bit or maybe they're holding the cards in their hands and they're tapping on them with their index finger, or those kinds of things that can be caught if they videotape."


AA: "And kind of look back and forth across the audience as you talk, look in front and in back? What do you tell people to do with their gaze?"


NINA WEINSTEIN: "They need to make eye contact. What happens sometimes is that students will sweep the audience but they won't go all the way to each side, so the people on the ends are left out. And that's how it feels as an audience member if the speaker doesn't look at you, you feel as if you've been left out.


"So you want to make sure that you're looking at everyone. You don't have to actually look at them, but you have to look in their direction, so it feels like you're looking at them. In a small group, you actually will be looking at them. But let's say that you're speaking in front of fifty people or a hundred people. You won't actually be looking at each person, but you'll be sweeping the room so that it looks like you are."


RS: "And just moving on beyond the classroom, how do you think that by doing these kinds of oral presentations in the classroom can help them with their English language learning outside the classroom?"


NINA WEINSTEIN: "I think it can help them in every way. First of all, they get confidence because they feel what it is to be in control of English. I think when we learn another language we know that we're not in control. We're trying our best and we're juggling so many different skill areas and so forth. But the tricks that I teach them, the slowing down, the opening your mouth wider, if there's a grammar issue and people don't understand, you can go back to the basic grammar structure of subject-verb-object -- these are all tricks and tools for them to control themselves in English.


"And so I think once they feel that, my students tell me that they apply it to their other classes, whether they're giving oral presentations or they're just expressing their opinion in a class. It's basically the same skill."

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Confusing Words

GO & COME

Whether we use go or come all has to do with perspective and position.
GO
We use go to describe movement away from the place or position where the speaker or hearer is:
  • Are you going to the pub tonight?
  • Let's go and see Auntie Mary before the holiday is over.
  • They've gone to live in Australia and I don't think they'll ever come back.
    come.

We use come to describe movement to the place where the speaker or hearer is:

  • Could you come here for a minute, please, Diane? I'm coming.
  • We've come to ask you if we can borrow your car for a week.
  • I've got some people coming for a meal tonight. Can you and Henry come too?

GO BACK, COME BACK, & RETURN


The same rule applies with go back and come back, Andrzej, but you can use return for both come back and go back:

  • You must have come back / returned very late last night.I didn't hear you come in.
  • He went back / returned to Mexico when he had finished post-graduate training.


Note, however, that come with and not go with is normally used when we are talking about joining a movement of the speaker or hearer, even though the movement is away from their current place or position:

  • I'm going to the hospital this afternoon to get the test results. Could you come with me?
  • We're going to Egypt for a week at Christmas . Would you like to come with us?

Friday, December 7, 2007

Confusing Words

EITHER - NEITHER - TOO

Either indicates a choice between two alternatives. Neither combines two negative ideas. Study the following examples of use:

Which of these apples would you prefer?
I don't want either of them, thanks.

You can either have the £15 cotton top or the £17 cotton-and-polyester blouse. You can't have both.

Neither Richard nor Judy could come to the party.
I want neither alcohol nor cigars for my birthday. Now that I'm fifty I must live a healthier life.
Both either and neither can function as pronouns, determiners or adverbs.

When they function as pronouns, they are often followed by of + noun phrase:

I've known you for two years, but I haven't met either of your two brothers yet.
(OR: I've known you for two years, but I haven't met either Francis or Damien yet.)

Neither of my two brothers survived the war. Neither Francis, nor Damien.

Which of these fur coats is yours?
Neither (of them). That one's mine.

When they function as adverbs, they behave as linking words which can be tagged on in agreement at the end of a negative sentence. But with neither, subject and verb are inverted, with either this does not happen:

I can't make the meeting on Tuesday.
No, neither can I (OR: No, nor can I.)

I can't make the meeting on Tuesday.
No, I can't either.

I don't approve of sex before marriage.
No, neither do I. (OR: No, nor do I.)

I don't approve of sex before marriage.
No, I don't either.

I don't go mountain climbing and I don't go mountain walking, either.
(OR: I don't go mountain climbing and neither do I go mountain walking.

Too can function as an adding adverb which is placed in agreement at the end of an affirmative sentence. Compare the following:

I like peaches and nectarines best.
Yeah, I like peaches and nectarines, too.

I don't like peaches or nectarines.
No, I don't like peaches or nectarines, either.

When either and neither function as determiners, they are placed before the noun.

On neither side of the road was there anybody to be seen.

Neither player could raise his game. It was a very boring game of tennis to watch.

The sisters in the photograph were standing on either side of their dad. (OR: ...on each side..., OR: ...on both sides....)

Neither of them is or neither of them are?
Although this of-pronoun is normally considered singular, it is normally followed by plural nouns or pronouns. Thus, the boundary between singular and plural is blurred and effectively it can go with either a singular or plural verb form. Strictly speaking, it should be singular, but you will hear both formulations with no clear preference for one or the other:

Neither of them are coming. They both have to work next weekend.

Neither of them is coming. They both have to work next weekend.

Which of these umbrellas is yours? ~ Neither of them are. That one's mine.

Which of these umbrellas is yours?
Neither is. That's mine.

There is similar confusion, I think, when neither...nor are employed as conjunctions, meaning not one and not the other. Consider the following:

Neither Francoise nor Helmut likes to eat English breakfasts, even at weekends.

Neither Franciose nor Helmut like to eat English breakfasts, even at weekends

Neither Emma nor Susan gets on with Chloe.

Neither Emma nor Susan get on with Chloe.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Speaking Skills


ASKING SOMEONE FOR THEIR OPINION ABOUT A TOPIC

I. Yes/No Questions



  • Do you believe in horoscopes?

  • Do you believe in a God who rewards good and punishes wrong-doing?

  • Do you think we should be tougher on crime?

  • Do you think we should maintain our traditions or make way for change?

  • Do you think the Government should act to curb the power of media barons....?

  • Do you think everybody should be trained to use computers?

  • Do you think that public sector workers such as teachers, doctors, nurses and fire fighters should be allowed to strike?

  • Do you think that the young have anything to learn from the elderly and vice versa?

  • Would you consider sending your child to a grammar school?

  • Would you ever consider taking out private health insurance?

OR Questions



  • Are you for or against self-sufficiency?

  • Would you prefer your child to be educated privately or by the state?

  • Would you rather go to a mixed or single-sex school?

  • Which should be the official world language - English or Esperanto?

WH Questions



  • What do you think of fox hunting?

  • What do you think of British food?

  • What do you think of package holidays?

  • What do you think is the problem between the English and the Americans?

  • What do you think are the causes of the increase in violence in our society?

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of getting married?

Negative Yes/No Questions



  • How about boarding schools? Don’t they teach children how to live together?

  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of getting married?

  • Don’t you think it’s better to stay single?

Monday, December 3, 2007

Improving Your Listening


NUMBER OF FOREIGN STUDENTS RISES IN US


lisen or download MP3


A new report says the number of foreign students at colleges and universities in the United States increased three percent last year. This was the first notable increase since two thousand one. And it included a ten percent jump in new international students.

The "Open Doors" report is from the Institute of International Education in New York, with support from the State Department.


American schools last fall had five hundred eighty-three thousand foreign students. The record is five hundred eighty-six thousand. That was set in two thousand two after many years of gains. But after that the numbers fell.


The September eleventh, two thousand one, terrorist attacks led to more restrictive visa requirements. Now, stronger efforts are being made to get more foreign students to study in the United States.

For the sixth year, India sent the most international students last fall, almost eighty-four thousand. That was up ten percent from the year before. China remained in second place, and South Korea was third.

Japan was fourth among the twenty leading senders of foreign students. But the number of Japanese fell sharply -- nine percent.

There were three percent drops from Indonesia and Kenya, the only African country in the top twenty last year. But there were notable increases from Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Vietnam. The number of Saudi students more than doubled, to nearly eight thousand.

For a sixth year, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles had the most foreign students -- more than seven thousand. Columbia University in New York was second.

Other schools in the top five were New York University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University.

The leading area of study was business and management. That was the choice for eighteen percent of foreign students last year. Second was engineering.

The new report also says more than two hundred twenty thousand Americans studied in other countries. That was during the two thousand five-two thousand six school year. It was a record number, and an increase of eight and a half percent from the year before. But only five and a half percent of them stayed for a full year.