Like many other people, I’ve gotten into the habit of washing my hands every time I come back home. You never know what you’ve touched out there, and you don’t want to get sick from it, so off you go to the bathroom or kitchen sink to do your duty. If you’re like most people, you run the water until it’s warm, wet your hands and rub a bar of soap between them. I did a little researchonline and found out that it makes no difference whether you wash your hands with hot or with cold water. Studies have shown that they get just as clean either way. But how long should you wash your hands to get rid of the bacteria and viruses that may be on them? The answer is 30 seconds, but few people will watch a clock while they wash their hands. However, there’s an easy way you can time your hand washing. Just sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself three times, which takes 30 seconds. You know – “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear (your name). Happy birthday to you.” By the way, if you start washing your hands every time you get home, it will take 30 days before it becomes a habit. After that it will be something that you always do without thinking.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the above lesson.
Vocabulary:
habit: something you do all the time without thinking come back: return duty: thing you must do bar: solid piece that fits in your hand research: finding information online: on the Internet found out: got the information, discovered whether: if studies: scientific methods to find the truth just as: equally get rid of: make go away bacteria: tiny one-celled pieces of life viruses: tiny pieces of life that reproduce only inside the cell of an animal
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the vocabulary above on the audio file below.
I came across this poem by an unknown author when I was cleaning out my file cabinet, which I do every five years. I love its message.
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
trudging: traveling with difficulty uphill: difficult to do funds: money debts: money you owe sigh: breathe deeply to release stress pressing you down: making it hard for you to do anything queer: strange twists and turns: surprises turns about: gets better, becomes a success had he stuck it out: if he had continued to try give up: stop trying pace: speed of working blow: try inside out: opposite silver tint: good thing clouds of doubt: bad thinking tell: realize stick to: continue doing hardest hit: have the biggest difficulties worst: most bad
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
This is the story of how Hollywood turned into the movie capital of the world. It started in 1853 when there was just a single adobe hut in the area. Slowly the area developed, and by 1870 there were many ranches in the area, which was then called Cahuenga Valley. One of these ranches, the E.C. Hurd ranch, was sold to a developer named H.J. Whitley, who wanted to build a small town. By 1900 there was a post office, a newspaper, two stores and a small hotel. The luxurious Hollywood Hotel was built by Whitney, whose company, Los Pacific Boulevard and Development Company, needed a place where land buyers could stay the night. This hotel would later become the home for many of the biggest stars in Hollywood. On the other side of the country, an inventor named Thomas Edison (yes, the same person who invented the light bulb) invented the motion picture camera, which was called a kinetograph. He had patents on this equipment, which meant that if anyone wanted to use it or even make it themselves, they would have to pay Mr. Edison. However, his company was located in Menlo Park, New Jersey, far away from the two main cities where films were made, Chicago and New York City. Filmmakers in these far off cities didn’t want to pay him, so Edison decided to strike back. He hired criminals to break into movie studios in these two cities, break all the equipment, and burn the film they found. These men were also ordered to attack the actors. It became too dangerous for these companies, so they moved west, far away from Edison and his thugs. They needed a place that was close to Mexico so they could escape if the police came for them, and a place that had good light all year long so they could make films outdoors. They found such a place in Hollywood. By 1914, 52 companies were located there, including Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers Studios.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
turned into: became capital: most important city adobe hut: a one-room house made with mud bricks developed: grew bigger and better ranches: places where cattle and other animals are raised for food developer: a person who builds buildings where there were none before luxurious: richly decorated and looking rich patent: the ownership of an invention strike back: do something to the other person like they did to you criminals: people who have done illegal things break into: break a door or window so you can enter studio: a place where art is done thugs: gang of bad men
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Canada is the second largest country in the world but has only about 35 million people, including 1.2 million aboriginals, and 6.8 million immigrants. Canada opens its doors to about 250,000 immigrants every year. People mostly live in the most southern part of the country, which isn’t as cold in the winter as the northern part. Eastern cities like Toronto and Montreal get lots of snow in the winter, but Vancouver and Victoria in the west get very little snow. There are two official languages, English, spoken by over 24 million people, and French, spoken by about 7 million people. Canada’s government is a parliamentary democracy, so the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in Parliament becomes the Prime Minister. Canada’s total area of nearly 10 million square kilometres is divided into ten provinces and three territories. From east to west it is a developed country with a strong economy and is ranked ninth highest in average incomeper person. Canada is among the world’s leaders in manufacturing (automobiles, machinery, equipment,) technology (telecommunications, microelectronics, nanotechnology,) and pharmaceuticals, as well as chemicals, food, tourism, and banking. It is a country rich in natural resources like lumber, fish, and minerals. Canada is a major producer of zinc and uranium and is a large exporter of gold, nickel, aluminum and lead. It has 13% of the oil reserves of the world and 10% of the world’s fresh water. People from all parts of the world live in this country in peace and respect for each other’s differences. Every Canadian has government medical insurance, so if someone gets sick or injured, the treatment costs him nothing. Another government program is the Canadian Student Loan Program. An immigrant after one year can apply for this money. A third government program is a pension for workers when they retire, and there are many other programs like these.
Canada’s national sport is hockey, a game played on ice with six skaters on each team. The heroes of this sport are as well-known as any other famous Canadians, like actors Jim Carey, Michael J. Fox, and Keanu Reeves, singers Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Justin Bieber, and movie directors James Cameron and David Cronenberg. Did you know Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was Canadian?
Canada is a member of many international organizations, such as the G7, and NATO. It is a good citizen of the world and has helped many other countries in times of need, including India, Japan, Haiti, Pakistan, and Uganda. Canada accepts over 10% of the refugees of the world and gives over $500 million a year in humanitarian aid to countries that need it.
What a country! Oh, and the natural beauty of the country is spectacular.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
aboriginals: the first people to live in the country immigrants: people who come to another country to live official: recognized by the government parliamentary democracy: a democratic form of government where the party with the greatest representation in the parliament forms the government Parliament: all the people who make the laws of Canada Prime Minister: the leader of the party in power, and the leader of the country provinces: the smaller political divisions of Canada territories: land that is controlled by the federal government. economy: all the money made by the exchange of goods and services ranked: put in order from highest to lowest income: the money a person earns per year per: for each manufacturing: the making of things to sell technology: advances in science and electronics pharmaceuticals: drugs used to treat illnesses lumber: wood from trees minerals: natural substances that come from mining producer: maker exporter: seller to other countries reserves: the part that is still underground respect: understanding of the worth of someone. insurance: money to replace something you lose treatment: what a doctor does to make you better loan: money that must be paid back pension: money paid to a worker for the rest of his life after retirement heroes: highly respected people inventor: creator, maker organizations: groups of countries with a common purpose G7: Group of Seven, the seven countries with the highest developed economies NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 12 countries that protect each other citizen of the world: a country that cares about the other countries of the world refugees: people who have to leave their countries because of war or famine. humanitarian aid: money, equipment or food to help people who need it. spectacular: beautiful
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Sugar is a food people eat all over the world. About 170 million tonnes of it is produced each year. The average person eats about 24 kilograms of sugar a year, but in developed countries that number rises to 33 kilograms per person. It is used as a sweetener in all kinds of food from candy to salad dressing. The story of sugar starts in India and New Guinea 8000 years ago. A tall grass called sugar cane grew in these areas, and people chewed it for it’s sweet taste. In the 6th century BCE, the Persians discovered sugar cane when they invaded India. The Persians called it “honey without bees.” From Persia the food spread to Greece. In India by the 5th century CE, a method was discovered to extract the sugar from the cane juice, so shipping it for trade became a lot easier. In the early 7th century, envoys from India taught the Emperor of China how to cultivate sugar cane, and he established the first sugar cane plantation in China. Sugar production was still very low, so it remained expensive and uncommon until the 18th century. It was so expensive that it was called “white gold.” In the West Indies and other locations in the Americas, sugar plantations were established, and slaves were brought in, mostly from Africa, to cultivate the crop. Sugar became plentiful and cheap enough for common people to enjoy it. In the 19th century in the cooler climates of Europe, sugar beets provided most of the sugar people there needed. Today this crop provides about 20% of the world’s production of sugar. The world’s sugar mainly comes from the sugar cane, which is the world’s largest crop, providing 80% of the sugar we use today.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
tonnes: 1000 kilos developed: rich rises: goes up, increases sweetener: something that makes things sweet salad dressing: a sauce you put on salad to add flavor chewed: ate with their teeth BCE: Before Common Era, before the year 1 Persians: people who lived in Persia, which is modern Iran invaded: came in with an army CE: Common Era, after the year 1 method: a way to do something extract: get something out of something shipping: moving by ship or other method trade: exchanging goods rather than using money to buy them envoys: people sent by the government to another country cultivate: grow and take care of established: made for the first time plantation: farm remained: continued to be slaves: people who belong to other people and work for no money crop: plants that are grown for food plentiful: a lot climates: weather provided: supplied people with production: supply mainly: mostly
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Corn flakes are a popular breakfast cereal for many North Americans. There are many brands of this cereal now, but in the beginning it was the idea of a couple of brothers. The inventors of this food were Drs. John and Will Kellogg, and the funny thing is they made this cerealby accident. The story goes like this. They were both Seventh-day Adventists, a strict religion, and were trying to make vegetarian food for people of their church, who believed that eating meat was wrong. One day in August, 1884, as they were experimenting with food in their home, they were both called to an emergency at the seminary where they worked. They had to leave in a hurry and left the corn cooking by mistake. When they got back home, it had all dried out and become flaky. Because they didn’t want to waste food, they thought of a way to eat it – with milk and a little sugar. In fact, this cereal became very popular with the people at the seminary. Will decided to manufacture the cereal and built a factory called Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. He made the cereal sweet by adding sugar, and it became popular all over North America. It’s interesting to note that the Kellogg company also developed Rice Krispies, another popular breakfast cereal, in 1928.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary: cereal: grain, seed from grasses such as wheat, oats and corn brands: kinds made by different companies inventors: people who make something new Drs.: Doctors funny thing: unusual thing, odd thing by accident: unplanned religion: a system of beliefs vegetarian: made from only plants experimenting: trying different ways to see what works emergency: something that needs fast action seminary: religious school flaky: in small, dry, flat pieces waste: not use, throw out popular: liked by many people manufacture: make in a factory in large quantities factory: a large building where workers and/or machines make things to note: to also know
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Coffee gets its name from the Kingdom of Kaffa in Ethiopia, Africa. One account is that it was discovered there in the ninth century CE by a goat-herder named Kaldi, who saw his goats eat the berries and then jump around with lots of energy. Kaldi chewed some berries himself and felt energized, so he brought some of these berries to the nearest monastery and told a monk about them. The monkdisapproved and threw the berries into the fire. The other monks smelled the burning beans and came to find out what was causing the delicious aroma. The roasted beans were rescued from the fire, ground up and added to boiling water making the very first cup of coffee.
Trade between Ethiopia and Yemen introduced the berries to southern Arabia. From there coffee drinking spread to Egypt and North Africa. By the 16th century it had spread to the Middle East, Persia and Turkey. Records show that the first coffeehouse opened in Constantinople in 1554. Italian traders imported coffee beans into Italy and it spread from there to the rest of Europe. The first European coffee house in Venice, Italy, dates from 1645. The Dutch took coffee plants to the East Indies and the Americas and started to grow coffee there. By 1719 the Dutch were able to supply most of Europe’s coffee needs from these coffee plantations. As international travel increased, people in more and more countries were introduced to this drink, and its popularity slowly spread all over the world. In the late 20th century new improvements were developed, and instantfreeze-dried coffee and canned coffee became commonly used. These days most of the world’s coffee comes from Brazil and Colombia. Businesses like Starbucks continue to spread the popularity of this flavorful drink.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
account: story CE: common era from the year 1 to the present berries: round-shaped fruit of a plant energized: full of energy monastery: home for religious people called monks monk: a religious person disapproved: thought it was wrong beans: berries aroma: nice smell rescued: saved ground up: made into tiny pieces boiling: 100 degrees Celcius trade: the exchange of goods records: writings imported: brought into the country supply: deliver and sell plantations: farms popularity: use by more and more people late: end of the improvements: Things and ways to make something better developed: made instant: ready to use, just add hot water freeze-dried: a process that quickly takes the water out of food canned: in a can commonly: by many people
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
The history of the English language really started with the arrival into Britain of three Germanic tribes who invaded the islands during the 5th century CE. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what is today Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. Most of these Celtic speakers were pushed west and north by the invaders into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles came from “Englaland” and their language was called “Englisc”, which is where the words “England” and “English” come from. This is the beginning of the period we call Old English, also sometimes called Anglo-Saxon. Old English did not sound or look like English today. It would sound like a foreign language to a modern speaker of English. Even though this is true, about half of the most commonly used words today have Old English roots. Words like cow, house, oaf, pig, and woman, as well as Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday come from the Anglo-Saxons. There were other influences, however. “Martyr, bishop and font” came from Catholic missionaries of the time, and the Vikings gave us the words ransack, thrust, drag, die, give and take.
Middle English starts with the arrival of the Normans from north-west France in 1066 CE. These people spoke an old form of French called Old Norman. This is when a major change started to happen to the English language. The inflectional speech (high-voiced syllables and low-voiced syllables) spoken by speakers of Old English started to break down. At the same time the Royal Court and the business class didn’t speak English at all, but spoke their form of French. Only the lower classes continued to speak English. In the 14th century English became dominant again but with many French words added. This language would also be very difficult for anyone to understand today. An example of words from Old Norman are judge, jury, evidence, justice, beef, and pork. In all, there are about 10,000 words that came from this language.
Towards the end of Middle English around 1500 CE, a sudden change in pronunciation happened. People started pronouncing their vowels shorter and shorter. This was the beginning of Modern English. The Renaissance introduced the Greek and Roman cultures bringing vocabulary from their languages into the English language. The invention of the printing press meant that the language in print had to be understood by everyone, which meant standardization. Spelling, for example, was standardized in the first dictionary in 1604. Not only spelling but grammar also became fixed. Books became cheaper and more and more people learned to read. The English of London, where most of the publishing houses were, became standard English. Around 1800 a lot of vocabulary was added to the language from the Industrial Revolution and technology. Because the British Empire was worldwide, the language adopted many words from other languages. Even today new words continue to enter the English dictionary when the needarises. Currently there are over 600,000 words in English. Don’t worry about that, though. The average university-educated person in North America only knows less than ten percent, or between 40,000 and 60,000 words.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
tribe – a group of people who live together invade – go into a new land and take control CE – Current Era, meaning the years from 1 to now (We don’t use AD anymore) inhabitants – people who live there Celtic – the people who lived in Britain from 4000 years ago foreign – from outside the country modern – from today commonly – by most people roots – beginnings influences – things that caused the language to change missionaries – teachers who want others to learn about their religion Vikings – sailors from northern Europe syllable – part of a word break down – not happen anymore class – a group of people who have the same profession and make the same money dominant – the most used pronunciation – how you say words vowels – the long voiced sounds of a language Renaissance – a rebirth of Greek and Roman culture beginning in the 14th century cultures – the different ways people live in different parts of the world invention – a human creation printing press – a machine that prints words onto paper to make books standardization – making everything the same for everyone fixed – not changing publishing – producing books standard – seen by everyone as correct Industrial Revolution – the beginning of products being made by machines and not people technology – those things that allow humans to do more British Empire – land controlled by Britain, including Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand. worldwide – in all parts of the world adopted – took into itself need arises – it becomes necessary to do it currently – at this time, now
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Desiderata, which translates from Latin as “desired things,” is a famous poem written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann (1872–1945). It is written in an old-style English. Some people believe he translated it from the text on the stone wall of the bell tower of Old Saint Paul’s Church in Baltimore, Maryland. It urges people to see the beauty and troubles of the world through wise, hopeful and compassionate eyes. It was mostly unknown in the author‘s lifetime, but became well known after its use in an Anglican Church service, and after being found in 1965 at the deathbed of former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson II. The poem became very well-known among the “baby boom” generation in the 1960s and 70s. Here is the text, followed by my modern English version, which is easier to understand.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the paragraph above.
Desiderata
Go placidly amidst the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful
Strive to be happy
Max Ehrmann 1927
Click on the audio recording below to hear the poem.
Go calmly through a world of noise and fast living
and remember there is peace in silence.
Without being untrue to yourself, try to get along with everyone
Say what you believe quietly and clearly, and listen to others
because everybody, no matter who they are, has a story.
Avoid loud and aggressive people;
their annoying behavior can bring you down.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become conceited or hateful
because there will always be others who are better or worse than you
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans for the future
Stay interested in your own career, even if you think it’s not very important;
You’ll be glad you have it when everything around you changes.
Be cautious when you do business with people
because the world is full of those who will take advantage of you.
But don’t think there’s no goodness out there;
many people are trying to improve themselves;
and all over the world people are doing what’s right.
Be yourself. Above all, don’t pretend to love.
Also, don’t think love doesn’t exist
because even when it seems that everything is getting worse,
love is as everlasting as the grass.
Learn from your experiences,
and let go of the things you could only do when you were young.
Learn to be strong if things should suddenly go wrong.
But don’t imagine the worst.
Many fears are the product of fatigue and loneliness.
Apart from a healthy discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here
And whether you know it or not,
the universe is definitely evolving as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with your God,
whatever you think that is,
and whatever you do and whatever you dream
in this noisy and confusing life, stay peaceful in your soul.
Even with all it’s dishonesty, hard work andbroken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world, so be as happy as you can.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the modern version.
Vocabulary:
desired – wanted urges – advises, encourages compassionate – sympathetic, wanting to help others author – writer deathbed – the bed where someone dies baby boom– all the people born between 1946 and 1964 untrue – doing something you don’t believe in get along – be friendly aggressive – doing anything necessary to succeed annoying – bothersome, irritating bring you down – make you less happy conceited – thinking you’re special achievements – things that you worked hard for career – what you mostly do to make money cautious – careful take advantage of you – take your money but not give you much pretend – act as if it’s real everlasting – continuing forever experiences – things that you do or that happen to you let go of – stop trying to do fatigue – tiredness discipline – doing things that you know you should universe – all the stars and planets everywhere a right – something no one can take away evolving – developing confusing – complicated, not easy to understand soul – the part of you that doesn’t die broken dreams – goals that you never achieve
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
Simon Fraser University, located near Vancouver, British Columbia, has been one of Canada’s top universities for the past twenty years. I went there myself in the early 1970s to get my teaching credentials so I could teach in the public school system. The Times Higher Education world rankings of 100 universities ranks Simon Fraser University 2nd in Canada and 30th in the world. The university, named after the famous explorer Simon Fraser, opened its doors in 1965 to 2500 students. It has grown a lot since then. Now it is a university known for its excellence and innovation in academic programs. It also has a reputation for excellence in research. It is a public university with half of its funding coming from the government. There are eight faculties: the Faculty of Applied Science, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Beedie School of Business, the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Environment, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Science. There are almost 30,000 undergraduates, half of whom are full-time students. The university has 946 faculty members and 3403 staff members. Seventeen percent of the undergraduate student population is international students from China, South Korea, and other countries around the world. International students are about 20% of the graduate student population, but are more highly represented in science and technology areas. Simon Fraser University is on three different campuses. The main campus is on the top of Burnaby Mountain, about 20 km. east of downtown Vancouver. This campus has won many awards for its architecture. A second campus is located in downtown Vancouver. When SFU opened this campus in the 1980s, it was the first urban university classroom in British Columbia. Now this campus has four buildings in the downtown core and serves 10,000 students. The most recent SFU campus was opened in Surrey, a quickly growing suburb of Vancouver. The student newspaper, The Peak, is distributed to all three campuses. The school also has a radio station, CJSF-FM, at 90.1 FM or online at: www.cjsf.ca. The newspaper and radio station are an excellent way to learn about what’s happening on campus. Finally, there are over a hundred clubs on campus and many events for students to enjoy. Simon Fraser University is an experience that any international student will benefit from and remember for the rest of their life.
Click on the audio recording below to hear the lesson.
Vocabulary:
top – best credentials – educational requirements rankings – list of best to worst explorer – someone who discovers new places innovation – introducing something new or different academic – higher education reputation – what others think of you research – investigation into a subject public – belonging to everybody funding – money to operate faculties – departments of learning undergraduates – students before they graduate faculty members – professors staff members – people who work there but who aren’t professors graduate – students who already have a bachelor’s degree highly represented – a larger percentage (more than 20%) campus – buildings and grounds of a university architecture – the style of buildings urban – city core – area suburb – district immediately outside a city distributed – sent event – something that happens benefit – get success
Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.
