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November 2012 Newsletter

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It’s getting cold outside, but we’re here to warm you up with our Clever Pants Monthly newsletter.

Feeling adventurous? Then have a look at our idioms on the theme of danger and safety!

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

To throw caution to the wind

If you throw caution to the wind, you start taking risks and stop worrying about the danger involved.

“I was always so worried about having savings, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and buy myself a nice new car!”

A close shave

This term describes a situation where an accident or a disaster nearly happened. It originates from the days of the cut-throat razor being a risky way to have your beard cut!

“I almost hit the child who ran out in front of my car. It was a close shave.”

To batten down the hatches

A sailing term meaning to close all the windows on a ship in preparation for a storm. When you batten down the hatches, you prepare yourself for danger or a forthcoming difficult period.

“Susan is bringing her four young children to our house

today. Time to batten down the hatches!”

The coast is clear

Another idiom that comes from the world of sailing. To say that the coast is clear means that there is no danger in sight and it is safe to continue your activity.

“Relax! The coast is clear. The director has gone back into his office.”

Look before you leap

This is something you say when advising someone to think carefully about the possible dangers before doing something (leap (v.) is similar to jump and is usually used with off or out of, as in “leap off the edge of the cliff” or “He leapt out of bed”).

“Don't decide too quickly. Look before you leap!”

To be on the safe side

If you do something to be on the safe side, you do it as a precaution, to avoid any risks.

“I think I locked the door but I'll c heck again to be on the safe side.”

Exercise:

Look at the phrases below. Try to complete them with one of the prepositions

At        to         in        for       on       about      into      towards

1. I can’t concentrate __________ what I’m doing because you are talking too much!

2. My parents always complain _____________ how untidy my bedroom is.

3. I think you should apologize_____________ her for what you did.

4. The film is aimed___________ younger people.

5. I aim ____________ pass all of my exams this year.

6. We have to translate this phrase ____________ English.

7. I was thinking ___________ the best way to do the exercise.

8. The reason ____________ the delay was the late arrival of the train.

9. There has been a big decrease__________ the temperature lately.

10. I think my attitude __________ doing homework needs to improve.

Solutions:

1-on

2- about

3-to

4-at

5-to

6-into

7-about 

8-for

9-in

10 towards

© Clever Pants 2012

www.clever-pants.com

Showcase 3

After the devastation of hurricane Sandy, New York is back in full splendour.

Obama for America

In the past week, President Obama received two powerful endorsements from leaders who aren't exactly partisan Democrats: Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City.

"The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast -in lost lives, lost homes and lost business -brought the stakes of Tuesday’s presidential election into sharp relief...the president has achieved some important victories on issues that will help define our future... If he listens to people on both sides of the aisle, and builds the trust of moderates, he can fulfill the hope he inspired four years ago and lead our country toward a better future for my children and yours. And that’s why I will be voting for him."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

With less than a week to go in this election, and millions of voters still making up their minds, I wish President Obama all the best for his reelection.

Manuel Luciano da Silva

Manuel Luciano da Silva (1926-2012) was a medical doctor . He was born in Portugal at Cavião, Vale de Cambra, in a humble family. In 1946 he left Portugal to join his father who was working in the USA as a sea captain in Brooklyn, New York. After his father´s death he came back to Portugal and got his medical degree in the University of Coimbra in 1957 with honours. One year later he decided to go back to USA where he worked as a doctor at St Luke´s hospital in New Bedford, MA and later in Bristol, RI. He retired from the medical activity in 1998 but his interest as investigator and author continued. His work Cristovão Colombo era Português! was adapted to the cinema by Manoel de Oliveira. He defended that Christopher Colombus was Portuguese.

He studied the history of the Dighton Rock and its mysterious inscriptions, which he attributed to the Portuguese navigator Miguel Corte Real and was the driving force for the creation of the Dighton Rock Museum. 

The Portuguese Caravel inside the Dighton Rock Museum

Dighton Rock inside the museum

In 2001 the library and museum Manuel Luciano da Silva was inaugurated at Cavião.

World Savings Day.

a piggy bank

World Savings Day was established on October 31, 1924, during the first International Savings Bank Congress in Milano, Italy. The aim was to alert consumers of the need of containing expenditure and establishing liquidity in order to avoid situations of over indebtedness. 

50 years of James Bond films

Ian Fleming (1908 –1964) was an English author, journalist and naval intelligence officer, who became especially famous for his James Bond espionage novels. 

Ian Fleming had mentioned to friends during the war that he hoped to write an espionage novel, an ambition he achieved when he published his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952, sixty years ago. The book revolved around James Bond, an officer of the Secret Intelligence Service (commonly known as MI6); also known by his code number, 007. The book was success and eleven more Bond novels in addition to two short-story collections were written. 

Ian Fleming and Sean Connery (007) at Goldeneye

Fleming´s desk at Goldeneye, Jamaica

Curiously, they were all written at Ian Fleming’s house in Jamaica, facing the Caribbean, which he called Goldeneye. 

Fleming got the name for his character from the American ornithologist James Bond, an expert on Caribbean birds and author of the guide Birds of the West Indies.

Ian Fleming was inspired by his own experiences and imagination: He based his characters on a number of individuals he came across during his time in World War II. However, it seems that the deciding factor for writing James Bond came when two British diplomats went missing in 1951: Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess, both of whom were Soviet spies. 

In Goldeneye, Jamaica

Many of the names used in the Bond novels came from people Fleming knew: Scaramanga, the principal villain in The Man with the Golden Gun, was named after a Eton schoolboy with whom Fleming fought; Goldfinger, was named after British architect Ernő Goldfinger, whose work Fleming hated. 

James Bond Books 

Casino Royale , Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia, with Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me ,On Her Majesty's Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Man with the Golden Gun, Octopussy and the Living Daylights 

After a decade of fighting the Cold War, the western world needed a new hero. Bond needed to be an irresistible image of masculinity, an appeal that would come not only from his good looks but also from a particular confidence, a certainty within himself. 

He would dress in the best clothes, drink the most expensive drinks (Dom Perignon Champagne) and drive the most sophisticated cars (the famous Aston Martin) accompanied by beautiful women (the famous Bond girls). 

James Bond had to be everything that made Britain attractive to the outside world and Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Salzman, two film producers, thought they knew the answer: Sean Connery, the first actor to play the role of James Bond. Sean O´Connery and Bond were both born in Scotland and the actor had just competed in the Mr. Universe Contest. 

The first Bond film to be released was Dr No, in 1962, fifty years ago. After Sean Connery there were five more James Bond actors: George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, making a total of 23 films.

Famous Bond Quotes

"My name is Bond, James Bond"

"Shaken, not stirred" shows Bond´s preference in the way he likes his Martini prepared. 

Ian Fleming liked his martinis shaken, not stirred because he thought that stirring a drink diminished its flavour.

The world Premiere of the last film of the James Bond series, Skyfall, was at the Royal Albert Hall on October 23rd. There were high expectations for the movie, since the release of the famed teaser in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London starring the Queen herself and 007 in Buckingham Palace. 

(Beware spoilers below)

Even though I arrived at the ticket office an hour and a half before the movie started, I could only get front row tickets… I only hesitated for a second, because I’m a big fan of the 007 saga. I can truly say that I enjoyed the movie. It was entertaining, fun and with mystery. 

To have a great hero, like James Bond (Daniel Craig), you must have a matching villain. Javier Bardem was an excellent choice. 

Also, the movie had more humor than the previous two. And to wrap it all up, it brought back two of my favourite supporting characters: Q and Moneypenny... Not to mention James Bond driving in his old Aston Martin car. 

Also, it is important not to forget the music of James Bond, which came back in full swing in Skyfall. The movie ends with a return to the renowned theme by John Barry, which starred in Dr. No. Most people know of this tune and associate it immediately with thrills, action, espionage and a bit of Bond charm. Besides the themes, James Bond movies are famous for their great entry songs. In Skyfall, it was British Singer Adele’s turn to introduce the new movie! 

References:

Cork, J and Bruce Scivally. James Bond The Legacy. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers. New York, 2002

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken,_not_stirred

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_in_film

http://www.007.com/news/

Summit

According to David Reynolds the word Summit began being applied to diplomacy and international politics in 1950 when Winston Churchill first called for “another talk with the Soviet Union at the highest level… a parley at the summit”. The use of the word “summit” then probably stuck once expeditions to the world’s highest peak became important events. Indeed, in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the summit of the Everest; the same year that Mr. Churchill repeated his appeal for peace “at the summit of the nations”.

This may then explain why Churchill´s metaphor stuck and why today the word is used to characterize high-level meetings between state representatives.

In his book, David Reynolds also shows some interesting depictions at the time of cartoonists who portrayed world leaders on the top of mountains. Henceforth, newspapers also began applying the term, which nowadays is of common usage around the world. 

Reynolds, David. Summits- Six Meetings that Shaped the Twentieth Century, Penguin Books. London, 2008.

The New York times PAGE ONE 100 Years of Headlines. New York, 2000

World Food Day

World Food Day is an event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It is celebrated on 16^th 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

October 2012 Newsletter

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e-mail: portugal@clever-pants.com

October jokes

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,

You don’t know (oh oh),

You don’t know you’re beautiful!

© Clever Pants 2012

www.clever-pants.com

Showcase 2

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

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. 

Mail truck in the USA 

VERBS

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".

September 2012 Newsletter

© Clever Pants 2011

www.clever-pants.com

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.

© Clever Pants 2012

www.clever-pants.com