FACTS OF THE WEEK
Jim Henson made his first Kermit puppet using his mother's old coat and two halves of a ping pong ball. According to a 2015 study, less than half the world's cultures kiss romantically. There are ~200 feral cats roaming the grounds of Disneyland, where they help control the park’s rodent population. There's a library in Ankara, Turkey, that's filled with discarded books which trash collectors have rescued from landfills.
GOOD WEEK FOR:
Virtual exercise, as research proves that wearing virtual reality glasses displaying exercises gives benefits to those people that can’t move! For some patients physical exercise is not feasible, or even too dangerous. However, similar effects may be brought about using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR).
8 July 2022
This weekend is the RESPECT! festival in Plymouth, celebrating the culture of the diverse
communities of Plymouth. The multi-cultural and performing arts programme includes music, dance
and performances held in Plymouth City Centre.
As usual, we have been looking through the British media this week and here are some of the
stranger stories we found:
News and homework:
8 July 2022
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Watch this student make an incredible origami
statue from a single sheet of paper - here.
QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“When was the last time you woke up and realised
that today could be the best day of your life?” ~ Steve
Maraboli
And now for this week's homework which is called "Water Idioms":
PART A - Match the following idioms (1-8) with the meanings (a-h):
1. like a fish out of water
2. water under the bridge
3. keeping our heads above water
4. spend money like water
5. land him in hot water
6. like water off a duck's back
7. watered down
8. doesn't hold water
a) get into trouble
b) is not credible
c) no effect on me
d) just surviving financially
e) feeling strange and out of place
f) made less forceful
g) past and forgotten
h) spend without thinking
PART B - now use the idioms above (1-8) to complete the following dialogues:
Paul: John says the two of you had a serious argument last week.
Jill: Yes, but that's all ????? now. We're friends again.
Paul: Have you found a better job yet, Jill?
Jill: No, not yet. Money's a bit tight but we're just about ?????.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card?
Jill: I know it would just make me ?????.
Paul: What I like about Steve is that he's not afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's all very well, but his opinions often ????? at work.
Paul: Weren't you upset by all the criticism you got at the meeting?
Jill: Oh no, I'm used to it. It's just ??????.
Paul: I thought the President's speech was very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it has been ????? to avoid upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the economy is to raise interest rates.
Jill: But that argument ?????. Higher interest rates are bad for business.
Paul: After the meeting we were taken to one of those big London clubs.
Jill: I bet you felt ?????? !
And finally, two more riddles:
Riddle 1:
What gets wetter the more it dries?
Riddle 2:
Take one out and scratch my head, I am now black but once was red. What am I?
Wishing you a good week ahead.
The African Land snail, which has been causing
havoc in Florida - which has led authorities to
issue a quarantine alert while they take urgent
action to control the killer pests.
BAD WEEK FOR:
A kitten, who was trapped in a Walmart Pepsi machine. The tiny, blue-eyed kitten was saved thanks to an employee who happened to hear the kitten meowing. Fire fighters came to the rescue opening the panels to allow the kitten to escape.
The world’s oldest trees - there could be millions
more ancient trees in England than previously
thought New research suggests there could be as
many as 2 million ancient and veteran trees in
England — ten times as many as previously
thought.
© MAYFLOWER COLLEGE english@maycoll.co.uk
MEANING:
A potentially hurtful remark that has no apparent effect
on the person involved.
USE:
It was like water off a duck's back to Nick, but I'm sure it
upset Paul
LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK
Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego, USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in Plymouth, UK)
‘1. like a fish out of water - e) feeling strange and out of place
2. water under the bridge - g) past and forgotten
3. keeping our heads above water - d) just surviving financially
4. spend money like water - h) spend without thinking
5. land him in hot water - a) get into trouble
6. like water off a duck's back - c) no effect on me
7. watered down - f) made less forceful
8. doesn't hold water - b) is not credible
A match
A bath towel
Paul: John says the two of you had a serious argument last week.
Jill: Yes, but that's all WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE now. We're friends again.
Paul: Have you found a better job yet, Jill?
Jill: No, not yet. Money's a bit tight but we're just about KEEPING OUR HEADS ABOVE
WATER.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card?
Jill: I know it would just make me SPEND MONEY LIKE WATER.
Paul: What I like about Steve is that he's not afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's all very well, but his opinions often LAND HIM IN HOT WATER at work.
Paul: Weren't you upset by all the criticism you got at the meeting?
Jill: Oh no, I'm used to it. It's just LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK.
Paul: I thought the President's speech was very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it has been WATERED DOWN to avoid upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the economy is to raise interest rates.
Jill: But that argument DOESN'T HOLD WATER. Higher interest rates are bad for business.
Paul: After the meeting we were taken to one of those big London clubs.
Jill: I bet you felt LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER !
FACTS OF THE WEEK
Jim Henson made his first Kermit puppet using his mother's old coat and two halves of a ping pong ball. According to a 2015 study, less than half the world's cultures kiss romantically. There are ~200 feral cats roaming the grounds of Disneyland, where they help control the park’s rodent population. There's a library in Ankara, Turkey, that's filled with discarded books which trash collectors have rescued from landfills.
GOOD WEEK FOR:
Virtual exercise, as research proves that wearing virtual reality glasses displaying exercises gives benefits to those people that can’t move! For some patients physical exercise is not feasible, or even too dangerous. However, similar effects may be brought about using Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR).
8 July 2022
This weekend is the RESPECT! festival in
Plymouth, celebrating the culture of the
diverse communities of Plymouth. The multi-
cultural and performing arts programme
includes music, dance and performances held
in Plymouth City Centre.
As usual, we have been looking through the
British media this week and here are some of
the stranger stories we found:
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Watch this student make an incredible
origami statue from a single sheet of
paper - here.
QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“When was the last time you woke up and
realised that today could be the best day of
your life?” ~ Steve Maraboli
News and homework
8 July 2022
© MAYFLOWER COLLEGE english@maycoll.co.uk
The world’s oldest trees - there could be
millions more ancient trees in England
than previously thought New research
suggests there could be as many as 2
million ancient and veteran trees in
England — ten times as many as
previously thought.
BAD WEEK FOR:
A kitten, who was trapped in a Walmart Pepsi machine. The tiny, blue-eyed kitten was saved thanks to an employee who happened to hear the kitten meowing. Fire fighters came to the rescue opening the panels to allow the kitten to escape.
The African Land snail, which has been
causing havoc in Florida - which has led
authorities to issue a quarantine alert while
they take urgent action to control the killer
pests.
Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego,
USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in
Plymouth, UK)
And now for this week's homework which is
called "Water Idioms":
PART A - Match the following idioms (1-8) with
the meanings (a-h):
1. like a fish out of water
2. water under the bridge
3. keeping our heads above water
4. spend money like water
5. land him in hot water
6. like water off a duck's back
7. watered down
8. doesn't hold water
a) get into trouble
b) is not credible
c) no effect on me
d) just surviving financially
e) feeling strange and out of place
f) made less forceful
g) past and forgotten
h) spend without thinking
PART B - now use the idioms above (1-8) to
complete the following dialogues:
Paul: John says the two of you had a serious
argument last week.
Jill: Yes, but that's all ????? now. We're friends
again.
Paul: Have you found a better job yet, Jill?
Jill: No, not yet. Money's a bit tight but we're
just about ?????.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card?
Jill: I know it would just make me ?????.
Paul: What I like about Steve is that he's not
afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's all very well, but his opinions often
????? at work.
Paul: Weren't you upset by all the criticism you
got at the meeting?
Jill: Oh no, I'm used to it. It's just ??????.
Paul: I thought the President's speech was very
weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it has been ????? to avoid
upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the
economy is to raise interest rates.
Jill: But that argument ?????. Higher interest
rates are bad for business.
Paul: After the meeting we were taken to one
of those big London clubs.
Jill: I bet you felt ?????? !
And finally, two more riddles:
Riddle 1:
What gets wetter the more it dries?
Riddle 2:
Take one out and scratch my head, I am now
black but once was red. What am I?
Wishing you a good week ahead.
LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK
MEANING:
A potentially hurtful remark that
has no apparent effect on the person involved.
USE:
It was like
water off a duck's back to
Nick, but I'm sure it upset
Paul
‘1. like a fish out of water - e) feeling strange
and out of place
2. water under the bridge - g) past and
forgotten
3. keeping our heads above water - d) just
surviving financially
4. spend money like water - h) spend without
thinking
5. land him in hot water - a) get into trouble
6. like water off a duck's back - c) no effect on
me
7. watered down - f) made less forceful
8. doesn't hold water - b) is not credible
A match
A bath towel
Paul: John says the two of you had a serious
argument last week.
Jill: Yes, but that's all WATER UNDER THE
BRIDGE now. We're friends again.
Paul: Have you found a better job yet, Jill?
Jill: No, not yet. Money's a bit tight but we're
just about KEEPING OUR HEADS ABOVE
WATER.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card?
Jill: I know it would just make me SPEND
MONEY LIKE WATER.
Paul: What I like about Steve is that he's not
afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's all very well, but his opinions often
LAND HIM IN HOT WATER at work.
Paul: Weren't you upset by all the criticism
you got at the meeting?
Jill: Oh no, I'm used to it. It's just LIKE WATER
OFF A DUCK'S BACK.
Paul: I thought the President's speech was
very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it has been WATERED DOWN
to avoid upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the
economy is to raise interest rates.
Jill: But that argument DOESN'T HOLD
WATER. Higher interest rates are bad for
business.
Paul: After the meeting we were taken to one
of those big London clubs.
Jill: I bet you felt LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER !
