Wednesday, March 26, 2014

ni2 26-27/3/14

Homework: developing conversations, p. 71 (A) + Reading, p. 72/73 (E)

 Installation:
[countable] a piece of modern art which can include objects, light, sound etc.

still life plural still lifes [uncountable and countable]
a picture of an arrangement of objects, for example flowers or fruit

Plot:
story/film
The events that form the main story of a book, film, or play:
The plot was a little confusing.
We discover that Jack isn't as innocent as he seems, as the plot unfolds (=gradually becomes clearer).

It’s been a long time since I last went to the cinema.

I haven’t been to the theatre for ages.

be all the rage
informal to be very popular or fashionable:
DiCaprio became all the rage after starring in the film 'Titanic'.

hooked
1 curved outwards or shaped like a hook:
a hooked nose
2 [not before noun] informal if you are hooked on a drug, you feel a strong need for it and you cannot stop taking it [= addicted]
hooked on
I know a girl who got hooked on cocaine.
3 [not before noun] informal if you are hooked on something, you enjoy it very much and you want to do it as often as possible
hooked on
I got hooked on TV when I was sick.

Modern art is not my thing.

Once in a while / once in a blue moon.

I haven’t seen a film in a long time.

I was amazed at the look of such terrific sculptures.

I prefer the cinema best.

I think (that) in the future prices will be even lower.

Young people can’t afford a house.


Make the prices cheaper.


sculptor /ˈskʌlptə r / noun [ C ]
[ ART ] someone who makes sculpture

scenery /ˈsiːn ə ri/ noun [ U ]
1 COUNTRYSIDE the attractive, natural things that you see in the countryside
The Grand Canyon is famous for its spectacular scenery.

2 THEATRE the large pictures of buildings, countryside, etc. used on a theatre stage 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ubVVnWglk



Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Monday, March 24, 2014

ni2 24-25/3/14

Homework: reading, p. 66/67 (C + D + E) and grammar, p.68

Posh /pɒʃ/ adjective
1 EXPENSIVE expensive and used or owned by rich people
A posh hotel/restaurant
2 SOCIAL CLASS [SOCIETY] UK from a high social class
A posh voice

Filthy /ˈfɪlθi/ adjective
1 DIRTY extremely dirty
Wash your hands, they're filthy!
2 OFFENSIVE rude or offensive
Filthy language/jokes
Smoking is a filthy habit.

Woodland /ˈwʊdlənd/ noun [ C , U ]
[ GEOGRAPHY ] an area of land with a lot of trees

ˌ Half ˈ board noun [ U ] mainly UK
The price for a room in a hotel, which includes breakfast and dinner.

Self-catering /ˌselfˈkeɪt ə rɪŋ/ adjective UK
Describes a holiday in which you have a kitchen so that you can cook meals for yourself
We decided to stay in self-catering accommodation rather than in a hotel.

cuisine /kwɪzˈiːn/ noun [ U ]
[ FOOD ] a style of cooking

French/international cuisine 

Dirty old men

Make do
to manage to live without things that you would like to have or with things of a worse quality than you would like:
We didn't have cupboards so we made do with boxes.

house 
types of house: terraced house British English/row house American English one of several houses that are joined together
detached house
British English a house that is not joined to another house
semi-detached house
British English a house that is attached to another house on one side
cottage
a small house in the country
bungalow
British English a small house with one floor
duplex
American English a house that is divided into two separate homes
apartment
also flat British English a set of rooms where someone lives, which is part of a larger building
condominium/condo
American English an apartment in a large building, which is owned by the people who live there
studio apartment/studio
also bedsit British English an apartment with one main room and no separate bedroom
a very large house: mansion, palace, country house British English,stately home British English
someone who sells houses and land: estate agent British English,real estate agent American English, realtor American English
someone who rents a house from another person: tenant
someone who owns a house and rents it to people: landlord,landladyhouse

QUARTER:
Part of a city
 [Usually singular] an area of a town:
class=pronsentence title="Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM" v:shapes="_x0000_i1026"> I found a small flat in the student quarter.
class=pronsentence title="Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM" v:shapes="_x0000_i1027"> Granada's ancient Arab quarter
A historic quarter of the city

It’s a five-minute walk to the centre
You have to drive everywhere.

stew‧ard‧ess [countable]
a woman whose job is to serve food and drinks to passengers on a plane or ship [↪ flight attendant]

Someone can rob a person or place, but you cannot say that they rob an object or amount of money. Use steal: He robbed a bank, stealing cash and valuables worth $500,000.

household [countable]
All the people who live together in one house [= house]:
A growing number of households have at least one computer.

Families are classified by the occupation of the head of the household (=the person who earns the most money and is most respected in a house).

Thursday, March 20, 2014

ni2 20/3/14

Your attitude to appearance

scalp /skælp/ noun [ C ]
[ ANATOMY ] the skin on the top of your head under your hair
commitment /kəˈmɪtmənt/ noun
Word partners for commitment
make a commitment • fulfil / honour / meet a commitment • a commitment to sth
1 PROMISE [ C ] a promise or firm decision to do something
Players must make a commitment to daily training.
2 LOYALTY [ U ] when you are willing to give your time and energy to something that you believe in
We are looking for someone with talent, enthusiasm, and commitment.
3 ACTIVITY [ C ] something that you must do that takes your time
I've got too many commitments at the moment.
uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌmftəbl/ adjective
1 PHYSICAL not feeling comfortable and pleasant, or not making you feel comfortable and pleasant
I've eaten so much, I'm really quite uncomfortable.
These shoes are really uncomfortable.
2 SITUATION slightly embarrassed, or making you feel slightly embarrassed
an uncomfortable silence
uncomfortably adverb
dare 1 /deə r / verb
1 dare (to) do sth
to be brave enough to do something
I didn't dare tell Dad that I'd scratched his car.
2 dare sb to do sth
to try to make someone do something dangerous
She dared her friend to climb onto the roof.
3 Don't you dare
informal used to tell someone angrily not to do something
Don't you dare hit your sister!
4 How dare she/you, etc
used to express anger about something someone has done
How dare you talk to me like that!
5 I dare say
( also I daresay ) used when you think that something is probably true or will probably happen
I dare say she'll change her mind.
daring /ˈdeərɪŋ/ adjective
brave and taking risks
a daring escape
daring noun [ U ]
ˈ belly ˌ button noun [ C ] informal
the small, round, and usually hollow place on your stomach, where you were connected to your mother before birth
stud /stʌd/ noun [ C ]
1 JEWELLERY a small, metal piece of jewellery that is put through a part of your body such as your ear or nose
jewellery UK ( US jewelry ) /ˈdʒuːəlri/ noun [ U ]
objects made from gold, silver, and valuable stones that you wear for decoration
See picture jewellery UK, jewelry US
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ noun
Word partners for image
create / project an image • sb's/sth's public image • an image of sth
1 PUBLIC [ C , U ] the way that other people think someone or something is
The aim is to improve the public image of the police.
2 PICTURE [ C ] a picture, especially on film or television or in a mirror
television images of starving children
3 IDEA [ C ] a picture in your mind or an idea of how someone or something is

I have an image in my mind of the way I want the garden to look. 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

ni2 12-13/3/14

need somebody to do something
I need you to help me with the cooking.
 NEED
used when saying that something should have something done to it, or has to have something done to it
Something needs doing
The house needed painting.
Does this shirt need ironing?
Something needs to be checked/cleaned/done etc
The engine will need to be completely checked.
The pie doesn't need to be refrigerated.
Need a (good) wash/clean/cut etc (=ought to be washed, cleaned etc)
His hair needs a wash.

We need our homework (to be) revised (by s1)

En suite /ˌɒnˈswiːt/ adjective

UK An en suite bathroom is directly connected to a bedroom. 


We need 3 days for the floor to be changed

It’s about half the size of mine.
It’s a wee bit (= a little bit) smaller.


… and though it’s hot in the summer you get a refreshing current of air.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Oral practice

Next THURSDAY  13/3 I'll be waiting for you for your extra oral practice class...

Remember next week there's no class until Thursday...

ni2 10-11/3/14

Homework: grammar reference: second conditionals (exercise 1 and 2) p.147 + p.62 + p.63.

TEND TO P. 147
Tend to
Tend not to
Have tended to
Tended not to
Have tended not to
Tended to

Und‧er‧charge [intransitive and transitive]
To charge too little or less than the correct amount of money for something [≠ overcharge]:
The city is grossly undercharging (=charging far too little) companies to use the land.

subsidize ( also UK subsidise ) /ˈsʌbsɪdaɪz/ verb [ T ]
[ FINANCE ] If a government or other organization subsidizes something, it pays part of the cost of it, so that prices are reduced.
We have a subsidized restaurant at work.

upgrade /ʌpˈgreɪd/ verb [ T ]
to improve something so that it is of a higher quality or a newer model
to upgrade a computer
upgrade /ˈʌpgreɪd/ noun [ C ]


My house is very bright but I miss a swimming pool so that my daughters can play in the summer.


A rare/medium/well-done steak.

tacky /ˈtæki/ adjective
1 CHEAP informal cheap and of bad quality
tacky holiday souvenirs
2 STICKY slightly sticky

chef /ʃef/ noun [ C ]
someone who is the main cook (= person who cooks) in a hotel or a restaurant

starve /stɑːv/ verb [ I , T ]
[ HEALTH ] to become ill or die because you do not have enough food, or to make someone ill or die because they do not have enough food
Many people have starved to death in parts of Africa.
starvation /stɑːˈveɪʃ ə n/ noun [ U ]
Children were dying of starvation.

hygiene /ˈhaɪdʒiːn/ noun [ U ]
Word partners for hygiene
standards of hygiene • dental / personal hygiene
[ HEALTH ] the process of keeping things clean, especially to prevent disease
health and hygiene regulations
dental/personal hygiene
hygienic /haɪˈdʒiːnɪk/ adjective
very clean, so that bacteria cannot spread

tile /taɪl/ noun [ C ]
one of the flat, square pieces that are used for covering roofs, floors, or walls
tile verb [ T ]
a tiled kitchen

patio /ˈpætiəʊ/ noun [ C ]
an outside area with a stone floor next to a house, where people can sit to eat and relax

garage /ˈgærɑːʒ/ /gəˈrɑːʒ/ noun [ C ]
1 BUILDING a small building, often built next to a house, that you can put a car in
2 BUSINESS a business that repairs or sells cars, and sometimes also sells fuel

terrace /ˈterɪs/ noun [ C ]
1 FLAT AREA a flat area outside a house, restaurant, etc where you can sit
2 HOUSE UK a row of houses that are joined together

loft /lɒft/ noun [ C ]
1 HOUSE the space under the roof of a house or other building
2 FACTORY US space where someone lives or works in a building that used to be a factory

run-down /ˌrʌnˈdaʊn/ adjective
Run-down buildings or areas are in very bad condition.
a run-down housing estate

compact 1 /kəmˈpækt/ adjective
small and including many things in a small space


Wednesday, March 05, 2014

ni2 5-6/3/14

Homework: Grammar, p. 59 (A + B + C + D) and grammar reference (tend to), p. 147


Accurate     /ækjərət/   adjective
Correct or exact
Accurate information/measurements  
She was able to give police a fairly accurate description of the man.
The opposite is   inaccurate
accurately   adverb

veggie /ˈvedʒi/ noun [ C ] UK informal
a vegetarian
veggie adjective

you're /jɔː r /
short for you are
You're my best friend.

Famine /ˈfæmɪn/ noun [ C , U ]
When people living in a particular area do not have enough food for a long time causing suffering and death.

Obese /əʊˈbiːs/ adjective
[ HEALTH ] extremely fat
Obese people are more likely to suffer heart attacks.
Obesity noun [ U ]
When someone is obese
Obesity is rising steadily in Europe and North America.

Anorexia /ˌæn ə rˈeksiə/ (also anorexia nervosa /ænərˌeksiə nɜːˈvəʊsə/) noun [ U ]
[HEALTH] a mental illness in which someone refuses to eat and becomes very thin.

Bulimia /bʊˈlɪmiə/ noun [ U ]
[HEALTH] a mental illness in which someone eats too much and then forces themselves to vomit
bulimic noun [ C ] adjective

Pulses /pʌlsɪz/ noun [ plural ]
[ FOOD ] UK seeds such as beans or peas which are cooked and eaten as food

leg‧ume [countable] technical
A plant such as a bean plant that has seeds in a pod (=a long thin case)
—leguminous adjective

Soda /ˈsəʊdə/ noun
1 WATER [ FOOD ] [ U ] ( also ˈ soda ˌ water ) water with bubbles in it that you mix with other drinks
2 SWEET DRINK [ FOOD ] [ C , U ] US ( also ˈ soda ˌ pop ) a sweet drink with bubbles
a can of soda

Sparkling water

Tap water (=water that comes out of a tap)
Drinking water
Spring/mineral/bottled water (=water to drink that you buy in bottles)

Feature 2 /ˈfiːtʃə r / verb [ T ]
To include someone or something as an important part
A new movie featuring Bruce Willis
The CD will feature music from all over the world.
Feature in sth phrasal verb

To be an important part of something 

put sb off (sth) phrasal verb to make someone not like someone or something, or not want to do something
Jan was talking about her operation and it put me off my food.

Offputting

Get hold of sth/sb to obtain something, or to manage to speak to someone
I got hold of a copy at the local library.
I rang three times, but couldn't get hold of her.

chopsticks /ˈtʃɒpstɪks/ noun [ plural ]
[ FOOD ] thin sticks used for eating food in East Asia

mould UK (moldn, at mould n US mold) /məʊld/ nounmould n SUBSTANCE mould1 UK (moldn, at mould n US mold) /məʊld/ noun1 SUBSTANCE [BIOLOGY] [U] a green or black substance that grows in wet places or on old food.

ready-made /ˌrediˈmeɪd/ adjective
made and ready to use
ready-made meals

Tend /tend/ verbI
Tend to
Act on impulse.
Things tend to get lost when you move house.
I tend to keep medicines under lock and key because of the kids.
People tend to make assumptions about you when you have a disability.
Older people tend to be very conservative.
tend to do sth to often do a particular thing or be likely to do a particular thing
I tend to wear dark colours.
July and August tend to be our busiest months.

No wonder
Used to say that you are not surprised about something.
No wonder she failed the test if she didn't do any work. (=I’m not surprised that she failed her exams because she didn’t do any work.)
No wonder you've got a headache, the amount you drank last night.
With food like that, (it’s) no wonder there are so many foreign restaurants here.

Be on / take / use drugs • drug abuse / addiction • a drug addict / dealer / user

skinny /ˈskɪni/ adjective
Someone who is skinny is too thin.


I weigh 86 kg and I’m 1 m 82 tall.