SING TO LEARN

SIGN TO LEARN
Presenter: Nguyen Hong Anh, M.A.

YESTERDAY ONCE MORE

Capenters

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to “Sing To Learn” again,

In our life, we have chances to listen to our favorite songs. There are some very old songs; however, when we listen to it, many memories come back to us. And the song “Yesterday once more”, to which we are going to listen, is Capenters’ confidence.


When I was young, I'd listened to the radio, waitin' for my favorite songs. When they played, I'd sing along. It made me smile.

Those were such happy times, And not so long ago. How I wondered where they'd gone, But they're back again. Just like a long lost friend, All the songs I loved so well..

(*) Every Sha-la-la-la Every Wo-wo-wo Still shines. Every shing-a-ling-a-ling That they're starting to sing's So fine. When they get to the part, Where he's breakin' her heart, It can really make me cry Just like before. It's yesterday once more.

Lookin' back on how it was In years gone by And the good times that I had Makes today seem rather sad So much has changed.

It was songs of love that I would sing to then And I'd memorize each word Those old melodies Still sound so good to me As they melt the years away.

Repeat (*)

All my best memories Come back clearly to me Some can even make me cry Just like before It's yesterday once more.

Repeat (*)

VOCABULARY:
- to sing along: hát theo
- to break one’s heart: làm ai đau khổ
- to make someone do s.th: bảo ai làm điều gì
- It makes so/s.th + Adj

Bài dịch tham khảo

Ngược dòng ký ức

Nhớ những lúc khi còn thơ ấu
Tôi thường nghe những khúc ca vui.
Tôi mĩm cười những khi tôi hát
Theo giai điệu bài hát tôi yêu.

Hạnh phúc kia giờ đâu còn nữa.
Đã ra đi đến tận phương nào

Rồi bổng nhiên bình minh rực sáng
Bài hát xưa giờ đã quay về
Như người bạn nghìn năm xa cách
Đến cùng ta. Ôi! Quá yêu thương

Những giai điệu cất lên sâu lắng
Nổi long tôi lại thấy nhói đau
Khi chàng trai bỏ rơi cô gái
Kỷ niệm xưa cũng chợt hiện về
Trong tâm tôi với bao năm tháng
Bao niềm vui của thuở đang yêi

Nhưng giờ đây mọi điều thay đổi
Kỷ niệm xưa nhắc lại them buồn.

Bản tình ca mà tôi từng hát
Vẫn như in trong trí từng lời
Ôi giai điệu một thời để nhớ
Ngày xưa ơi xin đến một lần

Sunday Nov. 21, 2004
Nguyễn Hồng Anh

HOC TIENG ANH QUA THANH NGU

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

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Last week, I told about the number one. Today, I will tell about expressions using other numbers.

Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example, if we put two and two together, we might come up with the right answer. We know that two heads are better than one (1). It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.

Sometimes there are no two ways about it (2). Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be of two minds (3) over this.

But with any luck, we could solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb’s tail (4). We could have our answers quickly and easily.

Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone (5). That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that two wrongs don’t make a right (6). If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.

If you are going out with your girlfriend, or boyfriend, you do not want another friend to go along on your date. You can just say to your friend: two’s company, three’s a crowd (7).
When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R’s . These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter “R.” But they have the sound of “R.” My teachers used to give three cheers (8) when I did well in math. They gave praise and approval for a job well done.

Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork. They were at sixes and sevens (9). In fact, they did not care if they finished high school. They saw little difference between the two choices. Six of one, half a dozen the other (10) – that was their position. But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven (11). They were on cloud nine (12).

Nine times out of ten (13), students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five (14) jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines (15), or wear your best clothes, for this kind of work.

Last year, one of my friends applied for a better job at her office. I did not think she would get it. I thought she had a hundred to one shot (16) at the job. Other people at her office thought her chances were a million to one . One reason was that she had been caught catching forty winks (17) at the office. She slept at her desk for short periods during the day. But her supervisor appointed her to the new job at the eleventh hour -- at the very last minute. I guess her lucky number came up.

VOCABULARY
1. ba ông thợ da bằng Gia Cát Lượng 2. cách duy nhất
3. phân vân / lưỡng lự 4. nhanh chóng
5. một mũi tên chết 2 con nhạn 6. đừng việc cớ bào chữa.
7. tốt nhất là chỉ có hai người với nhau mà thôi 8. hoan hô ai 3 lần
9. hỗn độn lung tung; lộn xộn 10. bên tám lạng, bên nửa cân
11. vui sướng tuyệt trần 12. trên mây
13. cứ mười lần thì có đến chín lần; thường thường
14. theo giờ hành chính 15. lên khung" , diện ngất
16. hiếm có cơ hội 17. ngủ gục

Improving Your Listening Skills

FEVER RAISES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

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Southeast Asian nations are worried about a surge in dengue fever this year. Experts say the disease, which usually gets less attention than more high-profile health threats such as bird flu, is spreading due to increased urbanization, migration and travel in the region. Claudia Blume reports from VOA's Asia News Center in Hong Kong.

Cesar Acuna, 57, lies in a hospital bed recovering from dengue fever in Asuncion, 2 Mar 2007In Malaysia, more than 20,000 people caught dengue fever in the first five months of this year, 50 percent more than in the same period a year earlier. Forty-eight people died of the disease, an increase in mortality of about 70 percent compared to 2006. Dengue fever is also on the rise in Vietnam and Thailand. Singapore reported almost 3,000 dengue cases in the first half of this year, more than twice as many as in the same period last year.

In Cambodia, the disease killed at least 109 children this year - three times as many as in the first half of 2006. Ngan Chantha, director of Cambodia's national anti-dengue fever program, fears the death toll could rise even more in coming months.

Chantha says he is worried because it is only June, and dengue fever usually peaks at the height of the rainy season in July and August.

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted mainly by a type of mosquito common in Southeast Asia. Patients suffer from high fever, nausea and intense joint pain. In severe cases, the disease can be fatal.

The earlier-than-usual arrival of the rainy season in parts of the region this year is partly to blame for the increase in dengue cases. The growth of cities across the tropics is another cause.

The mosquitoes that carry the disease usually breed in containers filled with rainwater, such as discarded plastic bottles or tires. In Southeast Asia's rapidly growing cities with sprawling construction sites and garbage dumps, mosquitoes find ample breeding ground.

Steven Bjorge is an epidemiologist for the World Health Organization in Indonesia. He says increased migration into urban centers has increased the frequency of outbreaks. Migrants, unlike people born in the city, have not built up an immune system to different strains of the virus.

"In Jakarta, a city of 12 million people, there is a lot of in-migration from rural areas of Java, Bali and Sumatra and in many cases, those people are not immune so they provide the place that another epidemic could get started," said Bjorge.

Bjorge says travel also spreads the disease. One or two infected tourists traveling to the Maldives, for example, could cause a small epidemic there if mosquitoes that transmit the disease bite them.

There is no treatment or vaccine for dengue fever. The only way to prevent it is to remove the mosquitoes' breeding grounds.

Common Mistakes

ACCEPT VS EXCEPT

Accept is a verb, which means to agree to take something .
For example: "I always accept good advice."

Except is a preposition or conjunction, which means not including.
For example: "I teach every day except Sunday(s)."

ADVICE VS ADVISE

Advice is a noun, which means an opinion that someone offers you about what you should do or how you should act in a particular situation.
For example: "I need someone to give me some advice."

Advise is a verb, which means to give information and suggest types of action.
For example: "I advise everybody to be nice to their teacher."

Often in English the noun form ends in ...ice and the verb form ends in ...ise.

HOC TIENG ANH QUA THANH NGU

THE BIGGER THEY ARE, THE HARDER THEY FALL

The bigger they are, the harder they fall means that it is more difficult to beat stronger opponents, but we can beat them, and when they lose they suffer a bigger loss. Example: "Are you worried that he might be too strong?" Reply: "No, I'm not. He may be big, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall."

The word harder has two meanings here. First, it is harder (more difficult) to beat them; and second, when they lose they go down harder (more painfully). Example: "Those guys thought they would never lose. But we finally beat them. And look at them crying now." Reply: "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

The bigger they are, the harder they fall means that bigger people are harder to knock down, but when they go down they hit the ground harder. You can say this to encourage a smaller competitor. Example: "Good luck, and remember: The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Normal English

KOREAN NUCLEAR PROCESS

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South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator Chun Yung-Woo (R) along with US chief nuclear envoy Christopher Hill (L) answers a question in Seoul, 18 June 2007U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says he expects North Korea to live up to a promise to start dismantling its nuclear programs within weeks, rather than months.

The North Koreans promised at six-nation talks in February to shut their main nuclear reactor in Yongbyon by mid-April. But millions of dollars due to be returned to Pyongyang as part of the deal were held up due to banking technicalities.

Now that the banking issue has been resolved, Hill is pressing the North Koreans to begin implementing their side of the deal immediately. He says a new round of six-party talks before the shutdown begins is neither likely nor necessary.

"Because the shutdown of the facilities is something we've already talked about a lot, and we don't want to have another meeting to talk about that. We all agree on what needs to happen," said Hill.

After months of agonizing delays, North Korea announced Saturday that resolution of the banking issues was in its final stages. It said it had invited inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear agency, to return the country to prepare the shutdown.

IAEA officials say their delegates will spend next week negotiating a set of procedures for shutting down the reactor, then seek approval for the plan at agency headquarters in Vienna.
A second visit by nuclear inspectors would then be scheduled quickly, for the purpose of carrying out the shutdown.

Hill was in Seoul Tuesday for talks with South Korean officials. Before departing for Tokyo, he said that he hoped to see "a considerably improved position" in the disarmament process "by the end of the calendar year."

Improving Your Listening Skills

HEART TO HEART

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Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word – “heart.” We will try to “get to the heart of the matter”(1) to better understand the most important thing about words and their stories. So “take heart.”(2) Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a “heavy heart.”(3) Such feelings of sadness would only “break my heart,”(4) or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.

Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a “heart to heart”(5) discussion. I might speak from “the bottom of my heart,”(6) or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even “open up my heart” to you and tell a secret. I would speak with “all my heart,”(7) or with great feeling.

When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she “wears her heart on her sleeve,”(8) or on her clothing. Her emotions are not protected.

If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s “heart is in the right place.”(9) For example, I would know that you are a “kind-hearted” and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have “a heart of gold.”(10) However, you might have a “change of heart”(11) based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.

But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a “heart of stone.”(12)i And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my “heart might stand still” or “skip a beat.”(13)

Yet, even though you may be angry, I would know that “at heart,”(14) you are a kind person. In reality, you do care. And any argument between us would not cause me to “lose heart”(15) or feel a sense of loss.

“My heart goes out”(16) to anyone who loses a friend over an argument. It really is a sad situation, and I feel sympathy for the people involved.

I promise that what I have told you today is true – “cross my heart.”(17)

I really wanted to play some music at the end of this feature. In fact, “I had my heart set on it.”(18) So here it is, a song called “Don’t Go Breaking my Heart”(19) by Elton John.

Meaning:

1. Đi vào trọng tâm của vấn đề 2. lấy can đảm
3. buồn long 4. thất vọng
5. tâm sự 6. tận đáy long
7. hết long 8. không dấu diếm
9. tin đúng người 10. tấm long vàng
11. đổi ý 12. trái tim sắt đá
13. tim đập thình thịch 14. trong tâm
15. mất long tin 16. trải long
17. xin thề thật long 18. thiết tha, quan tâm
19. tan nát trái tim

Improving Your Listening Skills

LESOTHO FACING FOOD CRISIS

The World Food Program says the tiny South African country of Lesotho needs urgent international assistance to prevent a major food crisis this year. A report by WFP and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization finds cereal prices in Lesotho have skyrocketed after this year's main cereal harvest was ravaged by one of the worst droughts in 30 years. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

The U.N. agencies say they expect the height of the food crisis to hit in the first three months of 2008. They say 400,000 people across Lesotho, or one fifth of the population, will face food shortages and need help.

The agencies say serious food shortages will begin in the next three months. This will affect about 140,000 of the most impoverished people.

A World Food Program Spokeswoman, Christiane Berthiaume, says drought is the biggest problem facing Lesotho. It is responsible for this year's extremely poor harvest, but she says the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country is making a bad situation even worse.

"Thirty-one percent is very, very high and it is obviously undermining the economic resources of the country, resulting in a lack of labor in rural areas," said Berthiaume. "A lot of people are either too weak to work because they are sick or many have died. Those are people that are young people that should be able to work."

Berthiaume notes Lesotho needs about 360,000 tons of food annually. But, because of this year's bad harvest, she says farmers only produced 72,000 tons of cereal. This has resulted in soaring cereal prices that are unaffordable for many people.

She says the World Food Program is preparing an appeal for Lesotho. She says it is crucial that money is available so farmers can buy enough seeds and fertilizer in time for the next crop season. She says another bad harvest next year could be catastrophic.

Listen and download here:
http://www.voanews.com/mediaassets/english/2007_06/Audio/Mp3/Schlein%20LCR%20WFP%20Lesotho-Mp2.Mp3

Avoiding Your Mistakes

DAY 2

Wrong: Come to here.
Right:Come here.

Wrong: Common students in US don't wear a uniform.
Right: The average students in US don't wear a uniform.

Wrong: Who cooked this salad ?
Right: Who made this salad ?

Wrong: Different from me, she is proficient in English.
Right: Unlike me, she is proficient in English.

Wrong: Little children are difficult to understand that.
Right: It is difficult for children to understand that.

Improving Your Listening Skills

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

A hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for they were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away with an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking, "I thought those Grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour."

Listen here:

http://db1.voiceblog.jp/data/joke/1143070374.mp3

Important Days Of The Year

FATHERS' DAY HISTORY

Sonora Dodd, of Washington, first had the idea of a "father's day." She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.

Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.

After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

President Calvin Coolidge, in 1924, supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. President Richard Nixon signed the law which finally made it permanent in 1972.

WHAT MAKES A DAD

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it ...

Dad

Avoiding Your Mistakes

DAY 1

Wrong: It's seven twenty o'clock.
Right:It's seven twenty.

Wrong: Your coat is broken.
Right:Your coat is torn.

Wrong: Susan didn't make a fault anyway.
Right: Susan didn't make a mistake anyway.

Wrong: Would you mind posting this letter for me ? Yes, certainly.
Right:Would you mind mailing this letter for me ? Of course not. OR ( Not at all )

Wrong: He becomes better.
Right:He got better.

Wrong: We'll have a hearing test tomorrow.
Right:We'll have a listening test tomorow.

Wrong: I recommend you to take a long vacation.
Right:I recommend that you take a long vacation.

Wrong: The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's about eleven now, Hurry up!
Right: The last bus leaves at eleven o'clock. It's nearly ( almost ) eleven now, Hurry up!

Wrong: It was still bright outside.
Right: It was still light outside.

Great Songs

LOVE TO BE LOVED BY YOU

I can't believe I'm standing here

Been waiting for so many years and

Today I found the queen to reign my heart.

You changed my life so patiently

And turned it into something good and real

I feel just like I felt in all my dreams.

There are questions hard to answer, can't you see...

Baby, tell me how can I tell you

That I love you more than life?

Show me how can I show you

That I'm blinded by your light.

When you touch me, I can touch you

To find out the dream is true.

I love to be loved by you.

You're looking kinda scared right now,

You're waiting for the wedding vows.

But I don't know if my tongue's able to talk

Your beauty is just blinding me,

Like sunbeams on a summer streamAnd

I gotta close my eyes to protect me.

Can you take my hand and lead me from here please?

Yeah,yeah

Baby, tell me how can I tell you

That I love you more than life?

Show me how can I show you

That I'm blinded by your light.

When you touch me I can touch you

To find out the dream is true.

I love to be loved-I need to be loved -I love to be loved by you.

I know they're gonna say

Our love's not strong enough to last forever.

And I know they're gonna say that we'll give up

Because of heavy weather.

But how can they understand

That our love is just heaven-sent,

We keep on going on and on

Cause this is where we both belong.

Baby, tell me how can I tell you

That I love you more than life?

Show me how can I show you

That I'm blinded by your light.

When you touch me I can touch you

To find out the dream is trueI love to be loved -

I need, yes I need to be loved -I love to be loved by you.

Yes, I love to be loved by you.

Listen here

http://anhnguyenhongmaster1.googlepages.com/marcterenzi-lovetobelovedbyyou.mp3

HOC TIENG ANH QUA THANH NGU

WEAR YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE

People who wear their heart on their sleeve express their emotions freely and openly, for all to see. Example: "She is kind of player who never hides how she's feeling. One look at her and you know if she's winning or losing." Reply: "She wears her heart on her sleeve."

You can see how these people feel as easily as if they were "wearing" their "heart" on the "sleeve" of their shirt. Example: "Some people love him and some people hate him, but my brother always lets you know how he feels. He wears his heart on his sleeve."

People who wear their heart on their sleeve do not hold back their emotions, for good or for bad. It is clear how they feel in each moment. Example: "She's a shy person. She's never been one to wear her heart on her sleeve."

Tongue Twister

TRY TO IMPROVE YOUR PRONUNCIATION BY READING THEM

• Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?


• Cedar shingles should be shaved and saved.


• A cheap ship trip.


• Chop shops stock chops.


• Comical economists.


• Cows graze in groves on grass which grows in grooves in groves.


• Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.


• The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.

Confusing Words

ADVERBIAL PAIRS AND ADJECTIVAL PAIRS

Here are some examples: here and there, now and again, first and foremost, short and sweet, safe and sound, sick and tired

- I could see a number of houses scattered here and there over the hillside.

- How often do you see her now? ~ Every now and again. Not as regularly as I used to.

- Why don't you get a job that pays more? ~ First and foremost because I really enjoy the job I'm doing.

- I'll try and keep this short and sweet. I know you don't want to stay here longer than you need to.

- Oh, I'm so glad to have you back home safe and sound. I was beginning to get worried about you.

- I'm sick and tired of hearing your excuses. It's about time you did an honest day's work.


- here and there: to or in several places

- now and again: occasionally

- first and foremost: most importantly

- short and sweet: not too complicated, as in a speech, often with keep/make it

- safe and sound: not harmed at all

- sick and tired: extremely annoyed with someone, often with of hearing/listening

Grammar

COLLECTIVE NOUN

Some nouns, like committee, clergy, enemy, group, family, and team, refer to a group but are singular in form. These nouns are called collective nouns. In American usage, a collective noun takes a singular verb when it refers to the collection considered as a whole, as in The family was united on this question or The enemy is suing for peace. It takes a plural verb when it refers to the members of the group considered as individuals, as in My family are always fighting among themselves or The enemy were showing up in groups of three or four to turn in their weapons. In British usage, collective nouns are more often treated as plurals: The government have not announced a new policy. The team are playing in the test matches next week.

1. Be careful not to treat a collective noun as both singular and plural in the same construction. Thus you should say The family is determined to press its (not their) claim.

2. Collective nouns always refer to living creatures. Similar inanimate nouns, such as furniture and luggage, differ in that they cannot be counted individually. That is why you cannot buy a furniture or a luggage. These nouns are usually called mass nouns or noncount nouns. They always take a singular verb: The bedroom furniture was on sale.

Essay Writing

TOEFL WRITING

It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

Books and experience are both essential resources for us to get knowledge, and both have relevant merits. When asked about which source is more important, the majority may choose experience. Others, however, like me, would like to vote for books from which gaining knowledge is more efficient, widely-covered and systematic.

At first, I think that acquiring knowledge from books is far more efficient than that from experience. In the time of information explosion, efficiency is of vital importance and everyone wants to get more information in less time, and books help them do that. By books, we can understand a principle in a single day which may have taken the experts several years to discover. Moreover, we can quickly go through the thousand-year-history in several hours, and we can learn about a foreign country without having been there for a minute.

Furthermore, books have another conspicuous benefit that is its universality. As far as I know human’s life is finite and too short to experience everything in this world. Often there are things that ordinary people cannot experience in their lives. However, by reading books which contain almost every field in this world can provide what they want to know. For example, very few people can step on the moon, but we can also know the details about the moon by reading relevant books.

In addition, knowledge gained from books is more systematic. The knowledge which comes from experience is concrete, specific but often fragmentary while knowledge acquired from books is more systematic. When you open a book, we can realize that its content is put in the index from introduction, body to conclusion.

What I have mentioned does not mean that I deny knowledge gained from experience. However, if I am asked which one is more important, I am going to answer that knowledge gained from books is more important. I always keep in my mind that everything needs to be more quick, wide, and systematical. I do not think you agree with me, do you?

Written by Nguyen Hong Anh

Confusing Words

IDIOMATIC PAIRS

I. HERE AND THERE, ON AND ON, PEACE AND QUIET

There are many idiomatic pairs like these usually with the linking word of and in English. There are pairs of adverbs, pairs of nouns and identical/prepositional pairs.

NOUN PAIRS AND VERB PAIRS

Here are some common idiomatic pairs in English: peace and quiet, body and soul, life and limb, grin and bear it, bow and scrape, rant and rave

- It's impossible to get any peace and quiet in this house with you two arguing all the time.

- She puts body and soul into her work with the girl guides. She is an inspired leader.

- You'll risk life and limb if you decide to go white-water rafting after such heavy rainfall.

- I know this hotel isn't very good, but all the better accommodation is taken, so we'll just have to grin and bear it.

- I've asked him politely already. Surely he doesn't want me to bow and scrape.

- He was ranting and raving about the price of everything in Britain. Why doesn't he go and live abroad, if he's unhappy?

- peace and quiet = a period of quiet and calm, often with: have/get/enjoy some

- body and soul = physical and mental energy, as in: put body and soul into

- life and limb = risk death or serious injury, as in: risk life and limb

- grin and bear it = put up with something unpleasant because it cannot be changed

- bow and scrape = show too much respect to someone

- rant and rave = protest or complain in a loud and excited manner

Improving Your Listening Skills

WORDS ABOUT CLOTHES

Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s see if I can name a few off the cuff, or without any preparation.

People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are restless or nervous have ants in their pants. They might also fly by the seat of their pants. They use their natural sense to do something instead of their learned knowledge. Sometimes, people may get caught with their pants down. They are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say she wears the pants in the family.

Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can burn a hole in your pocket. Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to tighten your belt. You may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you have succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill under your belt.

I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat – immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannot pull money out of a hat. You cannot get money by inventing or imagining it.

Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I really do. You can bet your boots on that. Yet, truly important people are hard to replace. Rarely can you fill their shoes or replace them with someone equally effective.

My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he is a real stuffed shirt. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve. He shows his feelings openly. And, he knows how to keep his shirt on. He stays calm and never gets angry or too excited.

Also, my father has never lost his shirt in a business deal. He is too smart to lose all or most of his money. This is because my father rolls up his sleeves and prepares to work hard. He often has a special plan or answer to a problem that he can use if he needs it. He is like a person who does magic tricks. We say he has a card up his sleeve.

Note: I do not explain it in Vietnamese because i think it is easy to understand. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Nguyen Hong Anh

Listen or download here:

http://128.11.143.113/mediaassets/specialenglish/2006_06/Audio/mp3/se-ws-clothing-idioms.mp3

Sing to learn

“SING TO LEARN”
Presenter: Nguyễn Hồng Anh, M.A.

I. Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen,

Whenever the summer vacation comes, we students feel upset because we have to say goodbye together after a school year with both happy and sad memories.

After a year of studying hard, summer vacation is the time for us to refresh our mind and to prepare for a new school year. As students, we are very eager to welcome it, but to those in love, it is very sad to say goodbye to their partners as a song says “whenever the summer vacation comes, I fell vaguely sad…”. And the song “Sealed With A Kiss” is an illustration.

II. Explanation

The song “Sealed with the kiss” is about a couple who say goodbye for summer vacation. (It is not a broken love). The song only expresses a fond remembrance of a boy when he parts from his girlfriend for summer vacation. Now, let’s listen to the song:

SEALED WITH A KISS

Music: Gary Geld / Lyrics: Peter Udell

Though we gotta say goodbye for the summer,

Darling I promise you this:

I’ll send you all my love

Every day in a letter, Sealed with a kiss.

Guess it’s gonna be a cold lonely summer,

But I’ll fill the emptiness.

I’ll send you all my dreams every day in a letter,

Sealed with a kiss .

I’ll see you in the sunlight.

I’ll hear your voice everywhere.

I’ll run to tenderly hold you,

But darling you won’t be there.

I don’t wanna say goodbye for the summer,

knowing the love we’ll miss.

Oh let us make a pledge to meet in September,

And seal it with a kiss.

III. Vocabulary

- seal: đóng dấu. Tuy nhiên trong bài hát chàng trai muốn nói rằng “trong mỗi bức thư anh viết cho em trong những ngày hè xa vắng và nhớ nhung đều có dấu ấn của một nụ hôn nồng cháy”
- Mệnh đề bắt đầu với Though là mệnh đề trạng từ chỉ sự tương phản (contrasting idea).
- guess: đoán, nhưng nghĩa trong bài là tưởng tượng xem.
- Guess it gonna….: Em hãy thử tưởng tượng xem anh sẽ cô đơn trống vắng như thế nào trong những tháng ngày hè cô đơn và lạnh lẽo.

* Spoken English
- wanna: want to
- gotta: got to
- gonna: going to

IV. Bài dịch tham khảo

Mặc dù ta phải chia tay
Mùa hè ngăn cách tình hai chúng mình
Nhưng anh nguyện sẽ chung tình
Thư anh xin gửi một nghìn nụ hôn

Giờ anh như bong không hồn
Mùa hè hiu quạnh bồn chồn nhớ nhung
Nhớ em mơ tưởng mông lung
Nụ hôn nồng cháy tình chung không rời

Em như tia nắng mặt trời
Để anh nghe thấy tiếng cười nơi nơi
Thế nhưng bổng thấy chơi vơi
Vì em đã ở môt nơi xa nào

Lòng anh sao cứ dạt dào
Khi anh phải nói lời chào chia tay
Thôi đành hẹn lại ngày mai
Đôi ta sẽ mãi đám say men tình.

Translated By Nguyễn Hồng Anh

Function of English

ENCOURAGING WORDS

Expressing Goodwill

. . .when someone is arriving
- Welcome
- Welcome back!
- Come in.
- It's good to meet you. (first time only)
- It's good to see you again. (after the first time)

. . . when someone is leaving
- It's been nice talking with you.
- Have a good/nice day.
- Have a nice weekend.
- Have a nice trip.
- Have fun.
- Keep in touch.

Encouragement

- Good luck!
- Good luck on your test.
- You can do it!
- Do your best.
- Do the best you can.
- Work hard.
- Keep up the good work.

Reassurance

- Take it easy.
- Don't worry.
- That's okay.
- It's going to be all right.
- Everything will be fine.
- No problem.

Responses to good news

- Wow!
- That's great!
- That's wonderful.
- That's really good news.
- I'm glad/happy to hear that.
- Congratulations!
- Good for you!
- Good job!

Responses to bad news

- That's too bad.
- That's really sad.
- That's terrible!(for really bad news)
- I'm sorry to hear that. (for sad news)

Confusing Words

KINDS / TYPES / SORTS / VARIETIES

Kinds, sorts, types and even varieties can all be used interchangeably, (although varieties may be used more in more scientific sorts of contexts, e.g. varieties of tomato). The first three are very common and can be used in singular and plural forms. Compare the following and note that all the examples today are taken from a global music theme:

Ex: What kind(s) / type(s) / sort(s) / varieties of music do you like most?
I like all kinds / sorts / types: hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, rap and classical.

VARIOUS / DIFFERENT / MANY / ALL - KINDS / TYPES / SORTS / VARIETIES

These nouns collocate readily with different, various and many as well as with all:

Ex: There are various kinds / types / sorts / varieties of jazz.

SORT OF (A) / KIND OF (A) / TYPE OF (A)

Sort of / kind of / type of are usually followed by an uncountable noun or a singular countable noun with no article, but a / an is sometimes retained in an informal style:

Ex: What sort of (a) / kind of (a) / type of (a) dance is that?
Well, it’s a sort of jig or reel, danced to very fast time. I don’t know exactly what it is because there are several types of jigs – single jigs, double jigs, slip jigs and hop jigs.

Note: When the indefinite article is retained, it sometimes has a derogatory meaning:

Ex: What kind of a DVD player is that? You don’t seriously expect me to listen to electronic music with no surround sound, do you?

SORT OF / KIND OF

Sort of and kind of, but not type of, are used in another important way in informal spoken English when we want to demonstrate to the listener that we are not speaking very precisely but simply indicating a general idea. They are used to modify many different parts of speech including adjectives, verbs and clauses, see below:

Ex: Why don’t you like this kind of music?
Well, it’s sort of loud and tuneless.

Confusing Words

HOME OR HOUSE

1. House describes a particular type of building.
2. Home is the place where you live and feel that you belong to.

Compare the following:

- 'Most people in Britain live in semi-detached houses.
- We’re going to buy our daughter a doll’s house for her birthday.
- 'The Houses of Parliament in London are visited by 50,000 people each year.'
- 'I’ve enjoyed living abroad for the last six years, but it’s time for me to go back home now!'
- 'We were at home in bed when our car was stolen from outside the house.'
- 'These children need a good home and we are in a position to give them one.'

Note also the differences in meaning and use between 'house-proud', 'housework' and 'homework', 'homesick' and 'homeless'.

Study the following:

- 'I did my housework (i.e. cleaning the house) this morning and my homework (work given to me by my school to do at home) this afternoon.'
- 'People say that I’m house-proud because I spend so much time cleaning the house so that others will admire it.'
- 'She said that she was missing her home and family so much. She sounded really homesick.'
- 'I am homeless. I have no home to go to.

Pronunciation

RULES OF WORD STRESS IN ENGLISH

There are two very simple rules about word stress:

1. One word has only one stress. (One word cannot have two stresses. If you hear two stresses, you hear two words. Two stresses cannot be one word. It is true that there can be a "secondary" stress in some words. But a secondary stress is much smaller than the main [primary] stress, and is only used in long words.)

2. We can only stress vowels, not consonants.

Here are some more, rather complicated, rules that can help you understand where to put the stress. But do not rely on them too much, because there are many exceptions. It is better to try to "feel" the music of the language and to add the stress naturally.

A. Stress on first syllable

- Most 2-syllable nouns: PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble
- Most 2-syllable adjectives: PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy



B. Stress on last syllable



- Most 2-syllable verbs: to preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to beGIN

C. Stress on penultimate syllable (penultimate = second from end)



- Words ending in -ic: GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGic
- Words ending in -sion and -tion: teleVIsion, reveLAtion

D. Stress on ante-penultimate syllable (ante-penultimate = third from end)

- Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy: deMOcracy, dependaBIlity, phoTOgraphy, geOLogy
- Words ending in -al: CRItical, geoLOGical

RULES FOR SENTENCE STRESS IN ENGLISH

The basic rules of sentence stress are:


The following tables can help you decide which words are content words and which words are structure words:

1. Content words - stressed

Words carrying the meaning
- main verbs: SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY
- nouns: CAR, MUSIC, MARY
- adjectives: RED, BIG, INTERESTING
- adverbs: QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER
- negative auxiliaries: DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T

2. Structure words – unstressed

Words for correct grammar

- pronouns: he, we, they
- prepositions: on, at, into
- articles: a, an, the
conjunctions: and, but, because
- auxiliary verbs: do, be, have, can, must

Exceptions
The above rules are for for what is called "neutral" or normal stress. But sometimes we can stress a word that would normally be only a structure word, for example to correct information.

Look at the following dialogue:

"They've been to Mongolia, haven't they?""No, THEY haven't, but WE have.

Note also that when "be" is used as a main verb, it is usually unstressed (even though in this case it is a content word).

(Be continued)

Tongue Twister

1.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

2.

Something in a thirty-acre thermal thicket of thorns and thistles thumped and thundered threatening the three-D thoughts of Matthew the thug - although, theatrically, it was only the thirteen-thousand thistles and thorns through the underneath of his thigh that the thirty year old thug thought of that morning.

Tongue Twister

BETTY BETTER BUTTER BRAD'S BREAD.

Betty Botter bought some butter,

"But," she said, "this butter's bitter.

If I bake this bitter butter,

It will make my batter bitter.

But a bit of better butter

That would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter,

Better than her bitter butter,

And she baked it in her batter,

And the batter was not bitter.

So 'twas better Betty BotterBought a bit of better butter.

Pronunciation

Losing Sounds: Elision

In rapid speech, some sounds can be left out, or elided, without damaging the shape of the words. The technical term for this is elision. It often occurs with clusters of consonants.

postman pos(t)man
mashed potatoes mash(ed) potatoes
next week nex(t) week

Some English words are quite hard to pronounce without any elision, such as asthma, facts, twelfths. In some words, the weak vowels can also be elided.

library lib(ra)ry laibri
history hist(o)ry histri
policeman p(o)liceman plism n
government gov(ern)ment g vm nt

English spelling provides evidence of historical elision - sounds that were once pronounced but are no longer.

listen, answer, thistle, walk, climb.

Confusing Words

HOPE AND WISH

The verb wish is used in a variety of different ways, and hope cannot be used as a 'stand alone' verb in a sentence, other than in the expressions 'I hope so' or 'I hope not.'

Let's look at wish first of all.

In your 'Merry Christmas' example, or when you wish someone good luck or Happy Birthday, you are expressing the hope that they will have good luck in the future, often in connection with a particular event, or that they will enjoy their birthday which is to come. Thus we have expressions like:

- I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.'
- Remember it's Sarah's birthday tomorrow. Don't forget to wish her many happy returns.'
- They wished me all the best in my new job.'
- I wish you good health and every happiness in the New Millennium.'

As you suggest, wish is also used when you wish that something were the case or you would like it to be the case even though you know that it is impossible or unlikely. In this sense, the verb which follows wish has a past tense inflection. Thus we have:

- We wish you could be here.'
- He wished he hadn't said that, for Fiona was terribly upset.'
- It rained every day. I do wish I hadn't gone there for my holidays.'
- I wish you didn't have to work so hard.'

Wish, as in 'wish to', is also sometimes used as a slightly more formal alternative to 'want to'. So we have:

- They were very much in love and wished to get married as soon as it could be arranged.'
- I don't wish to see him ever again,' she said, five months after they were married.'
- He could do most of his work from home, if he wished.'
- I don't wish to interrupt (your conversation), but the potatoes are burning dry.'
- I don't wish to be rude, but that red dress really doesn't suit you.'

Now let's take a brief look at hope. We speak of people's 'hopes for the future' and hope normally signals future intentions. If you hope to do something, you want to do it and intend to do it if you possibly can.

Like wish, it can be used with to, plus infinitive. So we might have:

- I hope to be a millionaire by the time I'm thirty.'
- I was hoping to catch the 5.30 train and would have caught it, if Jennifer hadn't phoned.'

However, when a new subject is introduced, hope must be followed by a clausal construction. Thus, we would find:

- I hope (that) she'll like these flowers.'
- Her mother hoped (that) Judith would become a doctor, but her heart was always set on the stage.'
- I hope (that) you won't think me rude, but that red dress that you're wearing definitely doesn't suit you.'
- They were stranded on the side of the mountain and hoped (that) the rescue team would reach them before nightfall.'

Hopes and wishes! It is my hope and wish that all of you out there reading this part will enjoy good health and every happiness in life. Or, to put it in two other ways: I wish you good health and every happiness in the 21st Century. I hope you'll enjoy good health and every happiness in the 21st Century.

Pronunciation

SILENT LETTERS IN ENGLISH

The list of some silent letters:

- Mb at the end of a word (silent b), e.g. comb, lamb, climb.
- Sc at the beginning of a word followed by 'e' or 'i', (silent c), e.g. scene, scent, science, scissors (except for the word 'sceptic' and its derivations!).
- Kn (silent k), e.g. knife, knock, know.
- Mn at the end of a word (silent n), e.g. damn, autumn, column
- Ps at the beginning of a word (silent p), e.g. psalm, psychiatry, psychology
- Ght (silent gh), e.g. night, ought, taught
- Gn at the beginning of a word (silent g), e.g. gnome, gnaw, gnu
- Bt (silent b), e.g. debt, doubtful, subtle (but not in some words, e.g. 'obtain', 'unobtrusive'!)

The letter H is silent in the following situations:

- At the end of word preceded by a vowel, e.g. cheetah, Sarah, messiah;
- Between two vowels, e.g. annihilate, vehement, vehicle
- After the letter 'r', e.g. rhyme, rhubarb, rhythm
- After the letters 'ex', e.g. exhausting, exhibition, exhort.