World Food Day is an
event organized by the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO)of
theUnited Nations. It is celebrated on 16th October,
the date of the founding of that organization in 1945. Its purpose is to help build a world without hunger.
ONE IN EIGHT PEOPLE GOES TO SLEEP HUNGRY EVERY DAY.
While Asia and Latin America have reduced the number
of hungry people, the number is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Food Day theme for 2012 is
"Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world". It has been
chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in contributing to the eradication
of hunger. Countries and the international community must do more to fight
hunger: invest in farmers and agriculture and create jobs and safety nets for
the poorest. http://www.fao.org/index_en.htm consulted on October 15, 2012
A French fry walks into the bar
and says to the bartender "Hi, I would like a beer please.”
The barman looks at him, shakes
his head and says "No, we don't serve food here."
What gets wetter and wetter the
more it dries?
A towel.
What can you catch but not throw?
A cold.
What begins with E, ends with E,
and has one letter?
Envelope.
Here's a selection of idioms on keenness!
idiom (n): an expression, word, or
phrase that has a figurative meaning that is separate from the literal meaning
or definition of the words of which it is made.
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
A person who is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed is very enthusiastic
and full of energy. This idiom originates with the squirrel; always up early
and eagerly hunting nuts!
“Gary was fantastic. He arrived bright-eyed and
bushy-tailed at 7am and worked with us all day.”
champ at the bit
Someone who is champing at the bit is ready and eager
to start an activity, and is showing impatience at being delayed. This idiom
comes from describing horses before a race, biting on the jockey ropes in anticipation.
“The press conference was delayed for such a longtime
that the journalists were champing at the bit.”
eager beaver
The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking
and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous - like a beaver building a
dam!
“The new accountant works all the time - first to
arrive and last to leave. He's a real eager beaver!”
edge of one's seat
Someone who is on the edge of their seat is very interested
in something and finds it both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking.
“At the end of the film we were all on the edge of our seats. It was just so exciting!”
put your heart (and soul) into
If you put your heart (and soul) into something, you are
very enthusiastic and invest a lot of energy and hard work in it.
“Paul was determined to make a success of the project.
He put his heart and soul into it.”
eat, sleep and breathe something
If you eat, sleep and breathe something, you are so enthusiastic
and passionate about it that you think about it constantly.
“He's a really keen golfer; he eats, sleeps and
breathes golf!”
One Direction - You don’t know you’re beautiful
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band formed in
London in 2010, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry
Styles and Louis Tomlinson.They appeared on the TV talent show THE X FACTOR and went
on to become the first British group to go straight to number one in the US
charts with their debut album.
Listen to the song and complete the lyrics using the following
phrases:
insecure,
You’re turning heads
make up,
To cover up,
The way that you flip your hair
it ain’t hard to tell,
If only you saw what I can see,
I want you so desperately,
To prove I’m right
You’re being shy,
you light up my world
Check any other vocabulary you don’t know.
You’re_____________
Don’t know what for,
______________when you walk through the door,
Don’t need_________________
___________________________
Being the way that you are is enough,
Everyone else in the room can see it,
Everyone else but you,
Baby you light up my world like nobody else,
____________________ gets me overwhelmed,
But when you smile at the ground
You don’t know (oh oh),
You don’t know you’re beautiful!
____________________________,
You’d understand why_______________
Right now I’m looking at you and I can’t believe,
You don’t know (oh oh),
You don’t know you’re beautiful!
(Oh oh)
That’s what makes you beautiful!
So come on,
You got it wrong,
________________I put it in a song,
I don’t why,
____________________________
And turn away when I look into your eyes,
Everyone else in the room can see it,
Everyone else but you,
Baby_____________________ like nobody else,
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,
But when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to
tell,
This shocase is about the Presidential elections in USA on November 6. There is a display of magazines with front covers of former presidents of the USA:
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
George Bush (1989-1993)
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Barack Obama (2009-)
Barack Obama Mitt Romney
Democratic Party Republican Party
President Obama is the incumbent.
Did you know that the Democratic Party is historically represented with a donkey and the Republican Party with an elephant?
Did you know that Madeira Wine was used to toast the Declaration of Independence and that it was regularly served by George Washington to his guests?
The other showcase is about the importance of learning English.
English is the official language of 44 countries. English is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. English is spoken worldwide by 500 million native speakers. English is the most studied language in the world as a foreign language. English is very important as a Lingua Franca used by people who aren´t native speakers of English.
English is used daily all over the world in music, films, internet, faxes, emails. English is the leading language of science, technology, commerce, air transport, sport, tourism.
English is the mother tongue of some of the best universities in the world.
World Post Day is celebrated on 9th October. It marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, established in 1874, with its headquarters in the Swiss capital Berne. With 192 member countries, the UPU sets the rules for international mail exchanges.
Mail Coach
The old system of postal delivery introduced in Britain in the 17th century proved to be inefficient as the carriers, who had to ride between “posts” to deliver mail, were often the target of robbers. In the 18th century the system of mail coach provided seating for four passengers inside and more passengers were allowed to sit outside with the driver. In the 19th century the role of the coach mail was replaced by trains as the railway network expanded.
Sir Rowland Hill(1795 - 1879) was the reformer of the modern postal service, which included the invention of the postage stamp. He based his ideas on the concept of a prepaid service that would facilitate the transfer of letters in a faster, cheaper and safer way.
In 1861, a law in the USA permitted the use of postcards in the mail. It was the beginning of its golden era.
Humor at wartime
In an era of digital communication, postal services are still very important for distributing goods bought in Internet stores. In communities with lower levels of access to digital communication, postal services are essential for the distribution of information and goods.
Verbs are the most important words in the English language. Without them we can´t construct a complete sentence.
A complete list of irregular verbs can be found in any dictionary, but if you have difficulty with verbs, it might be a good idea to learn them by heart.
F. Scott Fitzferald (1896-1940), an American writer said: "All fine prose is based on the verbs carrying the sentence".
What a summer it has been! The crisis
certainly hasn’t kept the sun from shining…
Back to School Quotes
“Education is not preparation for life; education is
life itself.”
John Dewey
“The object of education is to prepare the young to
educate themselves throughout their lives.”
Robert Maynard Hutchins
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if
you were to live forever." Mohandas
Gandhi
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge
is limited. Imagination encircles the world"
Albert Einstein
Idioms
As the changing of the season approaches, our
attention turns to the trees and gardens around us. Let’s hear it for the trees!
idiom (n): an expression, word, or
phrase that has a figurative meaning that is separate from the literal meaning
or definition of the words of which it is made.
Mighty oaks from little acorns
grow
To say that big or great things start very small.
“It’s a small business now, but mighty oaks from
little acorns grow!”
Lead someone up the garden path
If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you,
or give you false information that causes you to waste your time.
“I feel like you’re leading me up the garden path
instead of just telling me the truth!”
Beat around the bush
If someone doesn't say clearly what they mean, making it
hard to understand, they are beating about (around) the bush.
“Stop beating around the bush and answer the question”
Barking up the wrong tree
If you are barking up the wrong tree, it means that
you have completely misunderstood something or are totally wrong.
“Am I close to the right answer, or completely barking
up the wrong tree?”
Can't see the wood for the trees
If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they
are too focused on specific details to see the picture as a whole.
“I need a fresh perspective on this problem. I can’t see
the wood for the trees here!”
As easy as falling off a log
Something very easy or simple to do is as easy as falling
off a log.
“Learning English is as easy as falling off a log!”
To (not) be out of the woods
If you are out of the woods, you have emerged safely from
a dangerous situation, though the idiom is oftenused in the negative.
“The doctor says she’s getting better, but that she’s not
out of the woods yet.”
Get the wrong end of the stick
If you have the wrong end of the stick you have misunderstood
something.
“I thought she had said that she was married, but itturned
out that I’d got the wrong end of the stick”
Song:
Carly Rae Jespen - Call me,
Maybe?
As you listen, complete the lyrics
I threw a wish in the well,
Don't ask me, I'll never tell
I looked to you as it fell,
And now you're in my way
I'd trade my soul for a wish,
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn't looking for this,
But now you're in my way
Chorus
You took your time with the call,
I took no time with the fall
You gave me nothing at all,
But still, you're in my way
I beg, and borrow and steal
Have foresight and it's real
I didn't know I would feel it,
But it's in my way
Chorus
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad
I missed you so, so bad
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
And you should know that
I missed you so, so bad
part chorus
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad
I missed you so, so bad
Before you came into my life
I missed you so bad
And you should know that
So call
me, maybe?
chorus
Your stare was___________
Ripped jeans, skin was_____
Hot night, wind was________
Where you think you're ______, baby?
Hey, I just met you,
And this is_______________
But here's my____________
So call
me, _____________?
It's hard to look___________
At you_____________
But here's my______________
So call me, ___________?
Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe?
And all the__________
Try to____________
But here's my_____________
So call me,___________ ?
Top eco-tip: if you print the
newsletter out, do it in black and white at low resolution to reduce your use
of ink.
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with tennis balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the tennis balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes".
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The tennis balls are the important things-your family and friends, your health, and your favourite passions-and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the tennis balls. The same goes for life: if you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you”.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Take care of the tennis balls first-the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked."
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.
Author unknown
“Experiment” and photographs: Maria Teresa Relva
I wish all my students a very successful school year!
