FACTS OF THE WEEK
Over the course of her 63 year reign, Queen Victoria survived 8 assassination attempts. People used to believe that the blood of the freshly executed was a health tonic and would pay executioners a little money to let them drink it warm. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the medical term for brain freeze. The original version of Monopoly was a cautionary tale against the perils of capitalism.
GOOD WEEK FOR:
Dancers, who helped to power a live music venue in Glasgow, Scotland. Thanks to an ingenious energy system called BODYHEAT, heat emitted from dancers is stored in thermal boreholes and can be used to heat the building for days to come.
21 October 2022
This week at Mayflower College we have enjoyed the company of a group of French agricultural
students from ESA Angers. Today they tasted some of the local cheeses from Devon & Cornwall
including ‘Merry Wyffe’, ‘Ticklemore Goat’ and‘Sharpham Brie’.
We have also enjoyed watching the media circus of UK politics, as Liz Truss becomes the shortest-
serving UK prime minister ever, holding the position for just 44 days!
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:
21 October 2022
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 ~ the winning shots capture nature at its most glorious - here.QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“Remember that hope is a powerful weapon even when all else is lost.” ~ Nelson Mandela
This week's homework is called "Water Idioms":
PART A:
Match the following idioms (1-8) with the correct meaning (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 in PART A to complete these dialogues:
Paul: John told me that 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 is a little tight but we're ?????.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card.
Jill: I don't want one. I know it would just make me ????.
Paul: What I like about Mohammed is that he is not afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's true, 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 Prime Minister's speech was very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it had been ????? to avoid upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the economy is to raise the cost of borrowing money.
Jill: But that argument ?????. Higher interest rates are bad for business not good for it.
Paul: I heard that after the meeting you were taken to a really expensive restaurant. Did you enjoy it?
Jill: Yes, but I must admit that at times I felt ?????.
Have a lovely week and we look forward to writing to you again next Friday.
Best wishes
A patient, who played the saxophone while
undergoing brain surgery in Italy. Doctors said
the musical performance allowed the surgeons
to map the different functions of his brain as
they operated.
BAD WEEK FOR:
A pregnant firefighter in the US, who rescued a woman trapped in a car — and then gave birth herself! Instead of focusing on herself, she turned her attention to saving others, but her labour was induced as a result.
Finland, which has been named as the best
country for media literacy. In the age of fake news,
it’s vital that people know how to critically evaluate
the information received via the media. Finland
introduced media literacy training in schools in
2016.
© MAYFLOWER COLLEGE english@maycoll.co.uk
TO BE IN DEEP WATER
Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego, USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in Plymouth, UK)
MEANING:
To be in serious trouble
USE: After my husband lost his job our familty was in deep
water.
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
Paul: John told me that 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 is a little tight but we're keeping our heads above water.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card.
Jill: I don't want one. I know it would just make me spend money like water.
Paul: What I like about Mohammed is that he is not afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's true, 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 Prime Minister's speech was very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it had been watered down to avoid upsetting some people in his
party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the economy is to raise the cost of borrowing
money.
Jill: But that argument doesn't hold water. Higher interest rates are bad for
business not good for it.
Paul: I heard that after the meeting you were taken to a really expensive
restaurant. Did you enjoy it?
Jill: Yes, but I must admit that at times I felt like a fish out of water.
FACTS OF THE WEEK
Over the course of her 63 year reign, Queen Victoria survived 8 assassination attempts. People used to believe that the blood of the freshly executed was a health tonic and would pay executioners a little money to let them drink it warm. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the medical term for brain freeze. The original version of Monopoly was a cautionary tale against the perils of capitalism.
GOOD WEEK FOR:
Dancers, who helped to power a live music venue in Glasgow, Scotland. Thanks to an ingenious energy system called BODYHEAT, heat emitted from dancers is stored in thermal boreholes and can be used to heat the building for days to come.
21 October 2022
This week at Mayflower College we have
enjoyed the company of a group of French
agricultural students from ESA Angers. Today
they tasted some of the local cheeses from
Devon & Cornwall including ‘Merry Wyffe’,
‘Ticklemore Goat’ and‘Sharpham Brie’.
We have also enjoyed watching the media
circus of UK politics, as Liz Truss becomes the
shortest-serving UK prime minister ever,
holding the position for just 44 days!
As usual, we have been looking through the
British media this week and here are some of
the stranger stories we found:
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 ~ the winning shots capture nature at its most glorious - here.QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
“Remember that hope is a powerful weapon even when all else is lost.” ~ Nelson MandelaNews and homework
21 October 2022
© MAYFLOWER COLLEGE english@maycoll.co.uk
Finland, which has been named as the
best country for media literacy. In the age
of fake news, it’s vital that people know
how to critically evaluate the information
received via the media. Finland
introduced media literacy training in
schools in 2016.
BAD WEEK FOR:
A pregnant firefighter in the US, who rescued a woman trapped in a car — and then gave birth herself! Instead of focusing on herself, she turned her attention to saving others, but her labour was induced as a result.
A patient, who played the saxophone while
undergoing brain surgery in Italy. Doctors
said the musical performance allowed the
surgeons to map the different functions of
his brain as they operated.
Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego,
USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in
Plymouth, UK)
This week's homework is called "Water Idioms":
PART A:
Match the following idioms (1-8) with the
correct meaning (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 in PART A to complete
these dialogues:
Paul: John told me that 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 is a little tight but we're
?????.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card.
Jill: I don't want one. I know it would just make
me ????.
Paul: What I like about Mohammed is that he is
not afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's true, 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 Prime Minister's speech was
very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it had been ????? to avoid
upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the
economy is to raise the cost of borrowing
money.
Jill: But that argument ?????. Higher interest
rates are bad for business not good for it.
Paul: I heard that after the meeting you were
taken to a really expensive restaurant. Did you
enjoy it?
Jill: Yes, but I must admit that at times I felt
?????.
Have a lovely week and we look forward to
writing to you again next Friday.
Best wishes
TO BE IN DEEP WATER
MEANING:
To be in serious trouble
USE: After my
husband lost his job
our familty was in
deep water.
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
Paul: John told me that 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 is a little tight but
we're keeping our heads above water.
Paul: Why haven't you got a credit card.
Jill: I don't want one. I know it would just
make me spend money like water.
Paul: What I like about Mohammed is that he
is not afraid to express his opinions.
Jill: That's true, 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 Prime Minister's speech
was very weak.
Jill: Yes, I think it had been watered down to
avoid upsetting some people in his party.
Paul: The only thing which will help the
economy is to raise the cost of borrowing
money.
Jill: But that argument doesn't hold water.
Higher interest rates are bad for business not
good for it.
Paul: I heard that after the meeting you were
taken to a really expensive restaurant. Did
you enjoy it?
Jill: Yes, but I must admit that at times I felt
like a fish out of water.
