FACTS OF THE WEEK
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
GOOD WEEK FOR:
Saving the Earth, as an anonymous French man who won €200 million on the lottery, donated almost all of it to help preserve rainforests. The winner established the “Anyama Endowment Fund” and his winnings will help protect and revitalize forests, preserve and regenerate biodiversity for many years to come.
15 April 2022
This week we are looking forward to a long weekend, as it’s the Easter holidays. In the UK we have
public holidays today (“Good Friday”) and Monday (“Easter Monday”).
And now, some light-hearted stories we have found for you in the British media this week.
News and homework:
15 April 2022
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
The winners of the Professional category of the
2022 Sony World Photography Awards - here.
QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“Worrying is only praying for the stuff you don’t want.”
~ Mildred Richards.
Now for this week's homework which is called "Fingers and Thumbs".
PART A - Match the literal ideas (1-9) with the non-literal meanings (a-i):
1) If you twiddle your thumbs
2) If you never lift a finger
3) If you point the finger
4) If you get your fingers burnt
5) If you get your finger out
6) If you have green fingers
7) If you are all fingers and thumbs
8) If you keep your fingers crossed
9) If you put your finger on something
a) you accuse someone of something
b) you are good at gardening
c) you believe in luck
d) you see the problem
e) you are lazy
f) you lose money
g) you try harder
h) you are wasting time
i) you are not good with your hands
PART B - use FINGER(S) or THUMB(S) to complete the following sentences.
1) There's something strange about Paul, but I'm not sure what it is. I just can't put my ????? on it.
2) I was miles from the nearest garage when I ran out of petrol so I just stood at the side of the road
and tried to ????? a lift.
3) Melanie, if you want to pass this exam you really need to get your ????? out and start some serious
study.
4) I invested some money in the stock market a couple of years ago but I got my ?????? badly burnt. I
lost $10,000. Never again!
5) My appointment at the hospital was supposed to be at 16.00h but I had to sit in the waiting room,
twiddling my ????? for over an hour.
6) My flatmate is driving me crazy. I have to do all the cleaning. She never lifts a ????? to help.
7) John, you can't wear jeans and a T-shirt to the wedding. Everyone else will be smartly dressed. You'll
stick out like a sore ?????.
8) I had a great idea at work that we should paint the walls different, bright colours, get more plants
and pictures, but it got the ?????? down. They're so conservative!
9) It's too easy to point the ????? at today's parents. There are many other influences on today's
teenagers.
And finally your riddle:
Lifting it's all right,
Clearly seen at night.
In the window bright
To welcome home at night.
Have a great week. We look forward to writing to you next Friday with more news and the answers to
your homework!
San Francisco police officers who were faced
with a new challenge after stopping a driverless
car. Officers approached the car because it had
been driving without headlights. In the
incident, the police officer is heard saying “there
ain’t nobody inside” before the car moved off.
BAD WEEK FOR:
Employees at a chips factory in New Zealand who found a World War 2 grenade in a delivery of potatoes. An employee monitoring a conveyor belt first thought it was a muddy potato.
Patients of surgeons who listen to rock music, as a
new study finds surgeons who listen to rock music
are more accurate and efficient. Apparently, the
sounds of rock music can have a calming effect,
lower blood pressure and result in higher accuracy.
© MAYFLOWER COLLEGE english@maycoll.co.uk
origin:
The 'pupil' of the eye is named after the Latin word 'pupilla' which
means ‘little doll' - because when we look into the eyes of another,
we see a tiny, doll-like reflection of ourselves.
PUPIL
Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego, USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in Plymouth, UK)
1) If you twiddle your thumbs h) you are wasting time
2) If you never lift a finger e) you are lazy
3) If you point the finger a) you accuse someone of something
4) If you get your fingers burnt f) you lose money
5) If you get your finger out g) you try harder
6) If you have green fingers b) you are good at gardening
7) If you are all fingers and thumbs i) you are not good with your hands
8) If you keep your fingers crossed c) you believe in luck
9) If you put your finger on something d) you see the problem
The answer is LIGHT (the opposite of dark and the opposite of heavy).
1) There's something strange about Paul but I'm not sure what it is. I just can't put my FINGER on it.
2) I was miles from the nearest garage when I ran out of petrol so I just stood at the side of the road
and tried to THUMB a lift.
3) Melanie, if you want to pass this exam you really need to get your FINGER out and start some
serious study.
4) I invested some money in the stock market a couple of years ago but I got my FINGERS badly
burnt. I lost $10,000. Never again!
5) My appointment at the hospital was supposed to be at 16.00h but I had to sit in the waiting room,
twiddling my THUMBS for over an hour.
6) My flatmate is driving me crazy. I have to do all the cleaning. She never lifts a FINGER to help.
7) John, you can't wear jeans and a T-shirt to the wedding. Everyone else will be smartly dressed.
You'll stick out like a sore THUMB.
8) I had a great idea at work that we should paint the walls different, bright colours, get more plants
and pictures, but it got the THUMBS down. They're so conservative!
9) It's too easy to point the FINGER at today's parents. There are many other influences on today's
teenagers.
FACTS OF THE WEEK
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
GOOD WEEK FOR:
Saving the Earth, as an anonymous French man who won €200 million on the lottery, donated almost all of it to help preserve rainforests. The winner established the “Anyama Endowment Fund” and his winnings will help protect and revitalize forests, preserve and regenerate biodiversity for many years to come.
15 April 2022
This week we are looking forward to a long
weekend, as it’s the Easter holidays. In the UK
we have public holidays today (“Good Friday”)
and Monday (“Easter Monday”).
And now, some light-hearted stories we have
found for you in the British media this week.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
The winners of the Professional category
of the 2022 Sony World Photography
Awards - here.
QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“Worrying is only praying for the stuff you
don’t want.” ~ Mildred Richards.
News and homework
15 Apr. 2022
© MAYFLOWER COLLEGE english@maycoll.co.uk
Patients of surgeons who listen to rock
music, as a new study finds surgeons who
listen to rock music are more accurate
and efficient. Apparently, the sounds of
rock music can have a calming effect,
lower blood pressure and result in higher
accuracy.
BAD WEEK FOR:
Employees at a chips factory in New Zealand who found a World War 2 grenade in a delivery of potatoes. An employee monitoring a conveyor belt first thought it was a muddy potato.
San Francisco police officers who were
faced with a new challenge after stopping
a driverless car. Officers approached the
car because it had been driving without
headlights. In the incident, the police
officer is heard saying “there ain’t nobody
inside” before the car moved off.
Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego,
USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in
Plymouth, UK)
Now for this week's homework which is called
"Fingers and Thumbs".
PART A - Match the literal ideas (1-9) with the
non-literal meanings (a-i):
1) If you twiddle your thumbs
2) If you never lift a finger
3) If you point the finger
4) If you get your fingers burnt
5) If you get your finger out
6) If you have green fingers
7) If you are all fingers and thumbs
8) If you keep your fingers crossed
9) If you put your finger on something
a) you accuse someone of something
b) you are good at gardening
c) you believe in luck
d) you see the problem
e) you are lazy
f) you lose money
g) you try harder
h) you are wasting time
i) you are not good with your hands
PART B - use FINGER(S) or THUMB(S) to
complete the following sentences.
1) There's something strange about Paul, but
I'm not sure what it is. I just can't put my ?????
on it.
2) I was miles from the nearest garage when I
ran out of petrol so I just stood at the side of the
road and tried to ????? a lift.
3) Melanie, if you want to pass this exam you
really need to get your ????? out and start
some serious study.
4) I invested some money in the stock market a
couple of years ago but I got my ?????? badly
burnt. I lost $10,000. Never again!
5) My appointment at the hospital was
supposed to be at 16.00h but I had to sit in the
waiting room, twiddling my ????? for over an
hour.
6) My flatmate is driving me crazy. I have to do
all the cleaning. She never lifts a ????? to help.
7) John, you can't wear jeans and a T-shirt to
the wedding. Everyone else will be smartly
dressed. You'll stick out like a sore ?????.
8) I had a great idea at work that we should
paint the walls different, bright colours, get
more plants and pictures, but it got the ??????
down. They're so conservative!
9) It's too easy to point the ????? at today's
parents. There are many other influences on
today's teenagers.
And finally your riddle:
Lifting it's all right,
Clearly seen at night.
In the window bright
To welcome home at night.
Have a great week. We look forward to writing
to you next Friday with more news and the
answers to your homework!
PUPIL
origin:
The 'pupil' of the eye is named after the
Latin word 'pupilla' which means ‘little doll'
- because when we look into the eyes of
another, we see a tiny, doll-like reflection of
ourselves.
1) If you twiddle your thumbs h) you are
wasting time
2) If you never lift a finger e) you are lazy
3) If you point the finger a) you accuse
someone of something
4) If you get your fingers burnt f) you lose
money
5) If you get your finger out g) you try harder
6) If you have green fingers b) you are good at
gardening
7) If you are all fingers and thumbs i) you are
not good with your hands
8) If you keep your fingers crossed c) you
believe in luck
9) If you put your finger on something d) you
see the problem
The answer is LIGHT (the opposite of dark
and the opposite of heavy).
1) There's something strange about Paul but
I'm not sure what it is. I just can't put my
FINGER on it.
2) I was miles from the nearest garage when
I ran out of petrol so I just stood at the side
of the road and tried to THUMB a lift.
3) Melanie, if you want to pass this exam you
really need to get your FINGER out and
start some serious study.
4) I invested some money in the stock
market a couple of years ago but I got my
FINGERS badly burnt. I lost $10,000. Never
again!
5) My appointment at the hospital was
supposed to be at 16.00h but I had to sit in
the waiting room, twiddling my THUMBS
for over an hour.
6) My flatmate is driving me crazy. I have to
do all the cleaning. She never lifts a FINGER
to help.
7) John, you can't wear jeans and a T-shirt to
the wedding. Everyone else will be smartly
dressed. You'll stick out like a sore THUMB.
8) I had a great idea at work that we should
paint the walls different, bright colours, get
more plants and pictures, but it got the
THUMBS down. They're so conservative!
9) It's too easy to point the FINGER at
today's parents. There are many other
influences on today's teenagers.
