Mayflower

College

FACTS OF THE WEEK

Sharks have existed longer than trees. Floccinaucinihilipilification—one of the longest words in the English language—is the act of estimating that something is worthless. No number from one to 999 includes the letter “a” in its word form. Citizens of the Soviet Union began celebrating the defeat of Germany in World War II as soon as it was announced. Less than 24 hours later, the entire country was out of vodka.

GOOD WEEK FOR:

Japanese fans in Qatar, who were applauded for an act of respect as they collected rubbish in the stadium after their World Cup match against Germany. Japanese fans make sure to clean up regardless if their team wins or loses.

2 December 2022 This weekend is the official opening of Plymouth’s Christmas Market with gift and food stalls, open-air festive bar, artisan stalls and live music and entertainment - the perfect place to get into the Christmas spirit! We also have some more light-hearted news stories from around the world this week:

News and homework:

2 December 2022

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

29 photos from the 2022 “InFocus” Nature And Wildlife Photography Competition - here.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” ~ Will Rogers

This week's homework is called "The Weather": PART A Put these words into the correct category below Frost, Stifling, Drought, Chilly, Scorching, Freezing, Downpour, Close, Rainy, Flood, Heatwave, Rainy Cold Hot Wet / Dry PART B What do we call …? The first letter is given. A light that flashed in the sky during a storm? L Deep piles of snow blown by the wind? S A heavy snowstorm with high winds? B Dirty, brownish, melting snow in the streets? S Very light, fine rain? D Rain that only lasts a very short time? S Little balls of ice that fall from the sky? H Thunder and heavy rain at the same time? T A very light fog? M Fog and smoke / pollution together? S PART C: Complete the gaps. The first letter again is given. 1. In the spring the ice m____, the ground t____ and plants start to grow again. 2. Normally, at that time of year, the weather is very cold, but that day it was very m____. 3. It snowed last night but it didn't s____, so the roads are clear. 4. As I looked out to sea, the horizon was h____, and the sky and sea seemed to be one blue mass. 5. It was hot on the beach, but there was a gentle b____ that cooled us a little. 6. The sky was very o____, but then it p____ down with rain. 7. It was a b____ hot day, but it was also extremely h____, which made us sweat a lot. 8. There was a violent s____ in Plymouth last week. There was t____ rain all day and all night, and the streets got f____. 9. The north of the island is usually cold and d____, while the south is warmer and very dry. 10. The weather was rather m____ yesterday. I found it difficult to concentrate on my work. I just wanted to fall asleep all the time. 11. There was h____ and rain falling at the same time; the garden was completely white for a few minutes. And finally a riddle for you to solve: What Am I? Pronounced as one letter but written with three, Two different letters there are and two only in me. I'm double, I'm single, I'm black, blue, and grey, I'm read from both ends and the same either way. Wishing you a fun and productive week and "see you" next Friday. Best wishes

A Buddhist monastery in Thailand which is devoid of monks, after every monk failed a drug test. The monks have all been sent to a health clinic to undergo rehabilitation, and the villagers have been promised to have new monks deployed.

BAD WEEK FOR:

A passenger, who was shocked to find his luggage x-ray image captured the image of a stowaway cat. When questioned by officials, the passenger confirmed that the cat belonged to another member of the family. The man was able to rebook another flight for the next day so he could take the cat home.

German teenagers, as the German government has introduced free birthday vouchers for people to spend on music and theatre tickets. Its €200 (£175) ‘KulturPass’ will be offered to all those turning 18 next year. The programme aims to “get young people excited about the diversity of culture in our country”.

All your Christmases have come at once

Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego, USA) Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in Plymouth, UK)

MEANING: If you have good fortune, especially if it comes from multiple sources around the same time. USE: So you won the lottery and then got a promotion at work? All your Christmases have come at once!

Cold - Frost, Chilly, Freezing Hot - Stifling, Scorching. Close, Heatwave Wet / Dry - Rainy, Downpour, Drought, Flood

The answer is EYE

1. In the spring the ice melts, the ground thaws and plants start to grow again. 2. Normally, at that time of year, the weather is very cold, but that day it was very mild. 3. It snowed last night but it didn't settle, so the roads are clear. 4. As I looked out to sea, the horizon was hazy, and the sky and sea seemed to be one blue mass. 5. It was hot on the beach, but there was a gentle breeze that cooled us a little. 6. The sky was very overcast, but then it poured down with rain. 7. It was a boiling hot day, but it was also extremely humid, which made us sweat a lot. 8. There was a violent storm in Plymouth last week. There was torrential rain all day and all night, and the streets got flooded. 9. The north of the island is usually cold and damp, while the south is warmer and very dry. 10. The weather was rather muggy yesterday. I found it difficult to concentrate on my work. I just wanted to fall asleep all the time. 11. There was hail and rain falling at the same time; the garden was completely white for a few minutes.

A light that flashed in the sky during a storm? Lightening Deep piles of snow blown by the wind? Snowdrifts A heavy snowstorm with high winds? Blizzard Dirty, brownish, melting snow in the streets? Slush Very light, fine rain? Drizzle Rain that only lasts a very short time? Shower Little balls of ice that fall from the sky? Hail Thunder and heavy rain at the same time? Thunderstorm A very light fog? Mist Fog and smoke / pollution together? Smog