Saturday 22 February 2020

IELTS Listening Summary

There are four parts to the IELTS listening test. Each part is about a different topic and gets increasingly more difficult.
The first audio is usually an informal dialogue in a social or everyday situation. For example, a conversation about opening a bank account, or someone inquiring about accommodation or a training course.
The second audio is usually a non-academic monologue. This could be one person giving information on something such as a guided museum tour, information about a conference or tourist information.
The third audio is usually a discussion (between 3-4 people) related to education/training. This may be a discussion between 2 students and a tutor about a group assignment, or among a group of students talking about a project.
The fourth and final audio is usually a university style lecture. This could be related to any academic topic.
  1.  Part 1 – Social context (2 speakers)
  2.  Part 2 – Social context (1 speaker)
  3.  Part 3 – Education/training (2-4 speakers)
  4.  Part 4 – Academic context (1 speaker)
No specialist subject knowledge is necessary. All the answers you need will be provided in the recordings.
The total test time is 40 minutes: 30 minutes of listening, and 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the test sheet onto the answer sheet. There will be 40 questions in total.

Tuesday 18 February 2020

Top 70 Most Popular British Slang Words and Phrases – Guide to English Slang




1. Blighty – Britain
2. Give You A Bell – Call you
3. Blimey! – My Goodness
4. Gutted – Devastated
5. Bespoke – Custom Made
6. Chuffed – Proud
7. Fancy – Like
8. Lost the Plot – Gone Crazy
9. Fortnight – Two Weeks
10. Sorted – Arranged
11. Hoover – Vacuum
12. Kip – Sleep or nap
13. Bee’s Knees – Awesome
14.  Know Your Onions – Knowledgeable
15. Dodgy – Suspicious
16. Wonky – Not right
17. Wicked – Cool!
18. Whinge – Whine
19. Tad – Little bit
20. Tenner – £10
21. Fiver – £5
22. Skive – Lazy or avoid doing something
23. Toff – Upper Class Person
24. Punter – Customer/Prostitute’s Client
25. Scouser – Someone from Liverpool
26. Quid – £
27. Taking the Piss – Screwing around32. Pissed – Drunk
28. Loo – Toilet
29. Nicked – Stolen
30. Nutter – Crazy Person
31. Knackered – Tired
32. Gobsmacked – Amazed
33. Dog’s Bollocks – Awesome
34. Chap – Male or friend
35. Bob’s Your Uncle – There you go!
36. Anti-Clockwise – We Say Counter Clockwise
37. C of E – Church of England
38.  Ace – Cool!
39. Absobloodylootely – YES!
40. Nosh – Food
41. One Off – One time only
42. Shambles – Mess
43. Brilliant! – Great!
44. Dog’s Dinner – Dressed Nicely
45. Made Redundant – Fired from a job
46. Easy Peasy – Easy
47. See a Man About a Dog – Do a deal or take a dump
48. Up the Duff – Pregnant
49. DIY – Do It Yourself home improvements
50. Chat Up – Flirt
51. Fit – Hot
52. Ponce – Poser
53. Don’t Get Your Knickers in a Twist – Don’t Get worked up
54. The Telly – Television
55. Bangers – Sausage
56. Chips – French Fries
57. Daft Cow – Idiot
58. Do – Party
59. Uni – College/University
60. Starkers – Naked
61. Bits ‘n Bobs – Various things
62. Anorak – A person weirdly interested in something
63. Shambles – bad shape/plan gone wrong
64. I’m Off to Bedfordshire – Going to bed
65. Bloody – Damn
66. Rubbish – Garbage
67. Plastered – Drunk
68. Chav – White trash
69. It`s monkeys outside – it is very cold
70. Stag Night – Bachelor Party

Sonnet 109


Sonnet 109. O never say that I was false of heart

O never say that I was false of heart,
Though absence seemed my flame to qualify,
As easy might I from my self depart,
As from my soul which in thy breast doth lie:
That is my home of love, if I have ranged,
Like him that travels I return again,
Just to the time, not with the time exchanged,
So that my self bring water for my stain,
Never believe though in my nature reigned,
All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood,
That it could so preposterously be stained,
To leave for nothing all thy sum of good:
For nothing this wide universe I call,
Save thou my rose, in it thou art my all.



Перевод на русский язык

Сонет 109. Меня неверным другом не зови

Меня неверным другом не зови.
Как мог я изменить иль измениться?
Моя душа, душа моей любви,
В твоей груди, как мой залог, хранится.

Ты - мой приют, дарованный судьбой.
Я уходил и приходил обратно
Таким, как был, и приносил с собой
Живую воду, что смывает пятна.

Пускай грехи мою сжигают кровь,
Но не дошел я до последней грани,
Чтоб из скитаний не вернуться вновь
К тебе, источник всех благодеяний.

Что без тебя просторный этот свет?
Ты в нем одна. Другого счастья нет.

Перевод С.Я. Маршака






Memorize and recite this sonnet

Saturday 8 February 2020

New Scottish Words in the Oxford Dictionary, March 2019



baffie, n.: “A slipper, esp. one that is old and worn out (cf. bauchle n. 1). Usually in plural. Cf. baff n.2”
bam, n.2: “A foolish, annoying, or obnoxious person; (also spec.) a belligerent or disruptive person. Often as a contemptuous form of address. Cf. bampot n…”
bampot, n.: “A foolish, annoying, or obnoxious person; (also spec.) a belligerent or disruptive person. Often as a contemptuous form of address. Cf. bam n.2…”
bamstick, n.: “A foolish, annoying, or obnoxious person; (also spec.) a belligerent or disruptive person. Often as a contemptuous form of address. Cf. bam n.2…”
bawbag, n.: “The scrotum. Cf. ball bag n. 2.”
bealach, n.: “A narrow mountain pass.”
bide-in, n.: “= bidie-in n.”
bidie-in, n.: “A person who lives with his or her partner in a non-marital relationship; a cohabiting partner.”
bosie, n.1: “A person’s bosom.”
bowf, n. and adj.: “An unpleasant smell; a stink. Also figurative.”
bowfing, adj.: “Foul-smelling, stinking. Also more generally: unpleasant, horrible.”
coorie, v.: “intransitive. To crouch, stoop, or keep low, esp. for protection. Usually with down, in.”
fantoosh, adj.: “Fancy, showy, flashy; stylish, sophisticated; fashionable, exotic. Often used disparagingly, implying ostentation or pretentiousness.”
geggie, n.2: “A person’s mouth. Frequently in shut your geggie: ‘be quiet’, ‘shut up’.”
rooked, adj.: “Originally: deprived of money through fraudulent or underhand means; swindled, fleeced. In later use also (chiefly Scottish): without money…”
sitooterie, n.: “A secluded area within a building where people can sit apart from others; an alcove, recess. Now rare.”
Weegie, n. and adj.: “A native or inhabitant of Glasgow; a Glaswegian.”

Angelina Jolie receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2013 Governors Awards

  Watch the interview and answer the question: What problem does Angelina raise in her acceptance speech?