Mayflower

College

FACTS OF THE WEEK

Honeybees have hair on their eyes. Certain species of frog can be frozen solid, then thawed, and survive. Paraskavedekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th. Mars has volcanoes up to 100 times bigger than those on Earth.

GOOD WEEK FOR:

UK residents, who have the chance to win a stay in the World’s First “Sheep Dome”. After dinner, guests will be encouraged to count the numbered sheep as they walk about their paddock before gently drifting off into a blissful slumber beneath the stars.

30 September 2022 This weekend is Oktoberfest - the World’s largest beer and folk festival. Traditionally, this takes place in Munich, Germany but many other cities across the world hold Oktoberfest style celebrations and this weekend we have the chance to take part in the celebrations at Central Park, Plymouth. 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:

30 September 2022

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Photos from The European “Land Art” Festival and Stone Stacking Championships - here.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

“To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.” ~ Bill Nye

This week's homework is called "Head Idioms": PART A: Complete these dialogues using the following idioms: SHE'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST HE'S GOT HIS HEAD IN THE CLOUDS A LOT OF IT WENT RIGHT OVER MY HEAD NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE I CAN'T MAKE HEAD NOR TAIL OF IT I COULD DO IT STANDING ON MY HEAD IT'S MY HEAD THAT'S ON THE BLOCK Paul: Do you know Bill's phone number? Melanie: ????? . I've got it in my address book. Paul: Sorry about the mistakes but none of them was very serious. Melanie: That's easy for you to say, but ?????, not yours! Paul: He's a typical teenager. No sense of responsibility. He thinks he'll walk into a job. Melanie: I know. ????? most of the time. Paul: Is it difficult to make a website? Melanie: Not really. I've made so many now that ?????. Paul: I've read the instruction booklet but I couldn't understand it. Melanie: I've looked at it too, and ????? either. Paul: Could you give me a hand with these year-end figures? Melanie: Good idea. ?????. Paul: Karen Jones is still top of the class this year, isn't she? Melanie: Yes. ?????. Paul: I see you're reading Stephen King's new book. Melanie: I've finished it. It's interesting but ?????. PART B: Complete these sentences using the correct form of these verbs: EXAMINE, SCREW, BURY, LAUGH, ROLL, PUT, GO, KEEP 1) I'm sure we can find a solution, Melanie, if we all ????? our heads together. 2) The first two years of running the Mayflower College were very tough. We just about managed to ????? our heads above water. 3) This is a problem we have to face. We can't ????? our heads in the sand and hope it will go away. 4) Melanie, if you think I'm going to lend you money again, you need your head ?????. 5) The trouble with some politicians is, after a while power GOES to their heads and they think they can do anything. 6) It's the funniest film I have seen for years. I ????? my head off. 7) When I find out who is responsible for this mistake, heads will ?????. 8) You don't need to worry about Marco travelling alone. He's only 16 but he's got his head ????? on. He'll be OK. PART C: Rewrite these sentences using an idiom from PART A or PART B. 1) I can do it very, very easily. 2) He's sensible. 3) Stop ignoring the problem. 4) I couldn't understand it. 5) We're surviving. 6) You're stupid. And finally a riddle for you to solve. Two hunters leave their camp and are headed for bear hunting. They walk 10 km south, then 10 km east. They kill a bear. Then they walk 10 km north and get back at their camp, exactly where they left." What was the colour of the bear? So, that is it for this week. Have a relaxing weekend and we look forward to writing to you again next Friday.

A devastated bride, who decided to carry on with her wedding when her groom failed to turn up. After receiving the heartbreaking news that her soon-to-be-husband wasn't going to appear - delivered by her partner's crying mum - the bride decided to go ahead with the wedding anyway.

BAD WEEK FOR:

A bakery in Scotland, which was forced to close for two days due to the presence of an unusual trespasser - a protected red squirrel. Specialists took 2 days to find and safely remove him.

A Chinese petroleum company, which now has an airworthiness certificate for their new biological jet fuel made of used cooking oil. Aviation is one of the last remaining transportation sectors that still has no decisive alternative to fossil fuels. The certificate means that Sinopec can sell the bio-jet fuel to aviation operators nationwide.

TO HAVE YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

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

MEANING: You are daydreaming or not paying attention to what you should be paying attention to USE: Ever since Paul started dating that girl his head has been in the clouds.

Paul: Do you know Bill's phone number? Melanie: NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I've got it in my address book. Paul: Sorry about the mistakes but none of them was very serious. Melanie: That's easy for you to say, but IT'S MY HEAD THAT'S ON THE BLOCK, not yours! Paul: He's a typical teenager. No sense of responsibility. He thinks he'll walk into a job. Melanie: I know. HE'S GOT HIS HEAD IN THE CLOUDS most of the time. Paul: Is it difficult to make a website? Melanie: Not really. I've made so many now that I COULD DO IT STANDING ON MY HEAD. Paul: I've read the instruction booklet but I couldn't understand it. Melanie: I've looked at it too, and I CAN'T MAKE HEAD NOR TAIL OF IT either. Paul: Could you give me a hand with these year-end figures? Melanie: Good idea. TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. Paul: Karen Jones is still top of the class this year, isn't she? Melanie: Yes. SHE'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST. Paul: I see you're reading Stephen King's new book. Melanie: I've finished it. It's interesting but A LOT OF IT WENT RIGHT OVER MY HEAD.

The directions are true only if it happened in the North Pole. So the colour of the bear is Polar Bear's colour - white.

1) I can do it very, very easily. I COULD DO IT STANDING ON MY HEAD. 2) He's sensible. HE'S GOT HIS HEAD SCREWED ON. 3) Stop ignoring the problem. DON'T BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND. 4) I couldn't understand it. I COULDN'T MAKE HEAD NOR TAIL OF IT. 5) We're surviving. WE'RE KEEPING OUR HEADS ABOVE WATER. 6) You're stupid. YOU NEED YOUR HEAD EXAMINED.

1) I'm sure we can find a solution, Melanie, if we all PUT our heads together. 2) The first two years of running the Mayflower College were very tough. We just about managed to KEEP our heads above water. 3) This is a problem we have to face. We can't BURY our heads in the sand and hope it will go away. 4) Melanie, if you think I'm going to lend you money again, you need your head EXAMINED. 5) The trouble with some politicians is, after a while power GOES to their heads and they think they can do anything. 6) It's the funniest film I have seen for years. I LAUGHED my head off. 7) When I find out who is responsible for this mistake, heads will ROLL. 8) You don't need to worry about Marco travelling alone. He's only 16 but he's got his head SCREWED on. He'll be OK.

Mayflower College