English Lesson Archive
General Knowledge Quiz - July 2010
1 July, 2010Score 10 points for every correct answer – Score 5 points if half right! There are 12 rounds with 6 questions in each round. A total of 720 points!
Topics include:
- The UK
- European Geography
- Music
- Sport
- World History
- Film 1
- Europe
- Pot Luck
- The UK Today
- South East Asian...
Brushing teeth halts heart disease
30 June, 2010When was the last time you visited the dentist? How often do you brush your teeth? If your answer to the latter question is twice a day then this, according to dentists, is the right answer. People who fail to brush their teeth twice a day are putting themselves at risk of disease, say...
View lessonRussia begins to cut off gas to Belarus
25 June, 2010Russia has begun to cut off gas supplies to its neighbour Belarus. On Monday it cut gas supplies by 15% amid claims Belarus owes ₤135m (US$200m) in unpaid bills. On Tuesday it cut the gas supply by another 15%. This follows Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s order on Monday to Russian gas...
View lessonMind your manners guys on your first date
20 June, 2010Going on a date tonight? Be it your first or fifth date most people would want to make a good impression. Wouldn’t you? A recent survey published in Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper said clicking your fingers at a waiter on a first date is faux pas. It was voted the rudest,...
View lessonCentre-right opposition ‘wins’ Slovak election
15 June, 2010Slovakia - A coalition of four centre-right opposition parties has won enough seats to unseat Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s coalition government. With most of the votes now counted opposition supporters across the country were partying the night away knowing the results will bring...
View lessonCzechs offer “Retro” communist holidays
10 June, 2010A Czech travel agency has come up with a novel idea for a holiday. It is offering holidaymakers “retro” holidays where punters are given the opportunity to turn back the clock and re-live the past. These ‘communist’ holidays are package holidays for people nostalgic for the trade union...
View lessonSouth Africa World Cup 2010 – The fever mounts
5 June, 2010Football fans worldwide are gearing up for this year’s 2010 football World Cup, which is being held in South Africa. In what could be called ‘the greatest show on earth’ the best teams in the world are ready to compete in what will be the 19th Football World Cup. The opening ceremony...
View lessonMysterious Slovak words in Yellow Submarine
30 May, 2010 Now, you have all heard the song Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. We must all have sung it at some point in our lives. But how many of you actually knew that mysterious Slovak words exist in the song? Not many of you I guess. One has to listen very carefully to find them but as I discovered... View lessonTurmoil in Thailand: The battle of Bangkok
25 May, 2010Thailand’s capital Bangkok continues to see ongoing fighting between the “Yellow shirts” (the government) and the “red shirts” (the opposition) (the United Front for Democracy (UDD)). The “civil war” intensified in the city’s shopping district after renegade Thai general Khattiya Sawasdipol...
View lessonPatients die in Britain as foreign doctors can’t speak English properly
20 May, 2010Patients have died in Britain because British MPs failed to ensure foreign doctors working out-of-hours shifts can speak English properly. The matter hit the headlines recently in the British press. Alarm bells were sounded by some senior British MPs who stressed: “The next government must...
View lessonA crisis of Greek proportions
15 May, 2010There’s been trouble in Athens just recently. A Greek crisis of monstrous proportions that if not capped could bring down other economies in Europe. Greece, virtually bankrupt, has been brought to its knees in the last few weeks with turbulent unrest and civil strife in the Greek capital....
View lessonIrritating British bedtime habits
10 May, 2010You have just got off to sleep when suddenly your partner decides to tuck the duvet around them and roll away from you. This ‘tuck and roll’, as it’s called, is one of a number of irritating bedtime habits that have been revealed in a recent survey of British couples - according to...
View lessonDevastating oil slick hits US coastline
5 May, 2010A massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico has now hit several US state coastlines. The slick has been caused by a leaking oil pipeline. It follows a huge explosion aboard the BP (British Petroleum) operated Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig sank on April 22, two days...
View lessonWomen more attracted to men in expensive cars
30 April, 2010It is a well known fact that women prefer men with expensive cars. Now research has proved this point – Britain’s Daily Telegraph recently reported. A university team at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff showed women pictures of the same man sitting in two cars – a £70,000...
View lessonIcelandic volcanic ash creates travel chaos
25 April, 2010Spectacular scenes emerged from southern Iceland recently as its Eyjafjallajoekull volcano began erupting. On April 14th it suddenly began sending a plume of ash 8.5 km (5.3 miles) high into the air. The volcanic ash spewed out gradually spreading across Europe, causing travel chaos, not...
View lessonDiplomatic English - Flip Flop Diplomacy
20 April, 2010How many diplomats wear flip flops at work? Not many I hear you say! Certainly few would meet the American president at the White House in Washington wearing them. Least of all in the middle of a harsh freezing winter in February! So who in the diplomatic world might wear them then? The...
View lessonGrammar - Revise your symbols
15 April, 2010Today, I thought it would be useful to revise some symbols. We sometimes use symbols in our writing e.g. we use @ for at in our e- mail addresses somewhere. On our keyboards we can use € for euro, ₤ for pound, and $ for dollar. We might even squeeze in a number (i.e. #) or shorten and to &....
View lessonEurovea Galleria opens in Bratislava
10 April, 2010A brand new state-of-the-art multi-functional shopping mall opened in Bratislava recently. The new Eurovea Galleria opened its doors to the public for the first time during the last weekend in March. Located in a prime location on the Danube riverfront Eurovea has already become a major...
View lessonEaster folklore traditions live on in Slovakia
5 April, 2010While Easter is loved by men in Slovakia it is positively hated by women. Let me explain…If you are a girl from a village in the east or centre of Slovakia Easter Monday is not always fun. Why? You are likely to be chased by the village boys who will throw you in the nearest stream. Worse...
View lessonRevise your punctuation - 2
30 March, 2010Today we’ll look at some more English language punctuation marks. Don’t confuse a dash (i.e.–) with a hyphen! (i.e.-) A dash is used to denote a sudden change in the construction or sentiment: e.g. “The heroes of the Great War – how we cherish them.” A dash is also used to replace the words:...
View lessonRevise your punctuation! - 1
25 March, 2010Many students are good at reading articles in English but when it comes to punctuation in dictation (a listening, writing and spelling exercise) they sometimes run into problems. While we use punctuation marks in written form we don’t often say them aloud. It is of course just a question of...
View lessonLost city found in Amazon
15 March, 2010Imagine you are Indiana Jones! You are searching for a lost civilisation and a lost city deep in the Amazonian jungle. In 2002, a Finnish archaeologist Alceu Ranzi was flying over the Amazon when suddenly he came across geometric shapes dug into the earth. The shapes made up a series of...
View lessonThe search for the lost city of El Dorado
10 March, 2010For centuries many different explorers have searched for the lost city of El Dorado in the Amazonian jungle. El Dorado in Spanish means ‘the Golden One’. Some explorers claim to have had success in discovering lost civilisations in the Amazon jungle. Each time though it beguiled them, leading...
View lessonBritish oil dispute with Argentina deepens
1 March, 2010A new dispute is escalating in the South Atlantic between Argentina and Britain over the disputed Falkland Islands. This time, it is about black gold – oil. So far, it is only a diplomatic war of words between the two countries. The trigger for the latest bout of words was a ship called Thor...
View lessonA visit to Bratislava – part 2
22 February, 2010Today we are continuing our look at the Slovak capital Bratislava. Let’s start with its Old Town. Dating from the 15th century, its centre has largely been preserved and is a positive delight to see. It has charm! Since the collapse of communism and gradually since independence the Old Town...
View lessonKiller spiders invade Sydney!
15 February, 2010Never mind crocodiles and sharks, it is killer funnel-web spiders that you have to look out for in Sydney, Australia. Recently several residents were bitten by a plague of these poisonous arachnids. The spiders are a real menace at this time of the year, especially for Sydneysiders. The...
View lessonA visit to Bratislava – part 1
8 February, 2010If you fancy visiting Central or Eastern Europe, would like a refreshing change and an interesting place to visit, then could I suggest Bratislava in Slovakia? It’s smaller than nearby Prague, Budapest or Vienna but is most certainly worth a visit, as many visitors have recently discovered....
View lessonSo what are life’s greatest pleasures?
1 February, 2010Just what are life’s greatest pleasures? Is it popping bubble wrap or maybe watching a DVD? Perhaps even your mum’s cooking or waking up in a room with an amazing view? Of course, there are many ideas and what may be good for one may be different for others. So just what are the little...
View lessonHaiti – International Rescue
25 January, 2010Help from around the world is now arriving in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that hit the country recently. The tiny Caribbean country that is one of the poorest in the world was hit by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12. More than 3m people have been affected....
View lessonSo how were the Noughties for you?
18 January, 2010The Noughties are now over. Another decade has ended. So how were the Noughties for you? Was the era a success or will you regard them like having had a big hangover? How will you remember them? What was the best bit of the Noughties? There are many things that happened in this era. The TV...
View lessonGreat British dishes!
11 January, 2010Food is always a good talking point in any conversation. So today, let’s talk about some Great British food dishes. Britain has some fabulous mouth watering choices. So what are they? Well, let’s start with one of the most popular – freshly bought fish and chips from the fish and chip...
View lessonGood morning Borneo! This is Radio Gibbon...
4 January, 2010You are fast asleep in your hammock in the tall green dense jungle when suddenly your radio alarm clock rings: The DJ yells, “Good morning Borneo! This is Radio Gibbon calling… The news headlines. Another 3 gibbons have been rescued…” Believe it or not this radio station in Indonesia...
View lessonNew super sweet tomato hits the shelves!
28 December, 2009A revolutionary new tomato tasting, as sweet as a peach, recently hit the shelves in the UK. The new Sugardrop tomato is the sweetest tomato ever created and is a natural hybrid of two different varieties of the fruit. It has been developed to encourage children to eat more healthily and...
View lessonStudying English abroad
21 December, 2009Many students want to learn English, as it is the business language of the world. One can blame the British Empire for that! Of course, there are 101 other languages out there to learn but where to learn English? In England is the obvious answer! However, many students in non-English speaking...
View lessonSusan Boyle’s at No 1 – ‘I Dreamed a Dream’
14 December, 2009Britain’s Got Talent superstar Susan Boyle, 48, has made history with the release of her new album ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. The album was the fastest selling debut album in history in the UK for a female artist. It sold a staggering 411,820 copies in its first week. In the U.S. it also went...
View lesson‘Tis the season of Christmas markets!
7 December, 2009‘Tis the season of the year to be jolly. Christmas is on its way. So why not get into the swing of Christmas and visit a traditional Christmas market? The magic of them will soon put you under their spell. All over continental Europe you’ll find them. In recent years they have become more...
View lessonA trip to Budapest
28 November, 2009Many people who visit Central Europe like to visit Budapest. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The mighty river Danube flows majestically north to south right through its centre. The city is rightly known as ‘The Queen of the Danube’. It is also known as the ‘City of Spas’,...
View lessonCream coloured carrots make a comeback
21 November, 2009Ask anyone what colour a carrot is and the chances are they’ll tell you it is orange. Recently however the humble carrot in the UK has had a makeover. Now cream coloured carrots have made a comeback. They are crisp and crunchy in texture and sweeter in taste than their orange cousin. The new...
View lessonSocial networking in today’s world
14 November, 2009Hands up those of you who like to chat online? How many of you use Facebook? Probably quite a few of you, as in today’s world we can’t seem to live without it. So what is a social network? It is a way of communicating with other people. Why do we use them? Because we like to communicate with...
View lessonBeans Meanz a bit less from Heinz!
11 November, 2009Baked beans lovers in Germany and Austria recently kicked up a bit of a fuss after it emerged that tins of the famous Heinz variety contained fewer beans than cans sold in Britain. European fans of the famous Heinz product have been angered after it emerged in an Austrian newspaper that the...
View lessonBritish Headmaster sends pupils home who fail to stand when he enters the classroom
8 November, 2009A British Headmaster in Cheshire recently sparked a ‘respect’ row by sending home pupils who failed to stand up when he entered the classroom – Britain’s Daily Mail recently reported. Kevin Harrison, 55, is the Headmaster (or in these politically correct times Headteacher) of the 900-pupil...
View lessonA trip to Vienna!
28 October, 2009Most people who visit Central Europe like to visit Vienna. It is a must on any visitor’s itinerary. Known as the ‘music city’ the city has class, culture and charm. Vienna has imperial grandeur! History oozes into its streets everywhere. For those who don’t know where it is - Vienna is in...
View lessonPhilippines calamity following tropical storm
12 October, 2009Torrential rains in the Philippines caused by Tropical Storm Ketsana caused utter devastation across the country recently. One of the worst places to be affected was the capital Manila. It suffered its worst ever flooding with more than 80% of the city submerged. More than 246 people were...
View lessonThe difference between Czechs and Slovaks
5 October, 2009What’s the difference between a Czech and a Slovak? This is not a joke! It could be but for now it is a question for you to think about.
Generally speaking the Czechs, who live in the ‘heart of Europe’, are culturally assertive, more dynamic and are mostly atheist. Their men more ‘cunning’....
View lessonA lost world discovered in Papua New Guinea
21 September, 2009A lost world of giant woolly rats, fanged frogs, grunting fish and tiny bear like creatures has recently been discovered in Papua New Guinea. The exciting discovery was made by scientists and biologists in a remote volcanic jungle crater on the main island on the Pacific island. The scientists...
View lessonSteam train reunites British Schindler with Jewish children he rescued from Nazis
14 September, 2009A steam train carrying evacuees from the former Czechoslovakia who escaped the holocaust as children arrived at London's Liverpool Street station on Friday (4th September). They were met by the man who saved their lives. Sir Nicholas Winton, an indefatigable 100-year-old, greeted the...
View lessonSky Europe finally goes bankrupt
7 September, 2009Ailing low cost Central European airline SkyEurope has finally gone bankrupt. After struggling for months it finally admitted defeat at the beginning of September. The airline that existed for 7 years has had ongoing financial problems. It is yet another casualty of the economic recession that...
View lessonA trip to Prague
31 August, 2009Hands up those of you that have been to Prague. I can't think of anyone who hasn't - such is its popularity with visiting tourists. So why do people go there? There are undoubtedly a 101 reasons why you should visit Prague - such is its charm. For those that haven't it might just be worth...
View lessonTragedy at 13th Slovak music festival
24 August, 2009Tragedy struck in Slovakia recently at a music festival attended by over 33,000 music lovers. The 13th open air music festival called Bazant Pohoda was being held over the weekend of July 18th-19th at a military airfield near Trencín, Slovakia when the gig was hit by freak weather...
View lessonWitch required for Wookey Hole Caves in Britain - must be able to cackle!
17 August, 2009An old hag with an evil laugh is being sought after to live in Wookey Hole Caves this summer. The caves near Wells, Somerset, are one of Britain's top tourist attractions. Laced with stalactites and stalagmites they are a favourite among tourists who visit the West Country. An advertisement...
View lessonMy friend's sister is a pole dancer!
10 August, 2009My friend's sister is a pole dancer. Really! I must admit I was a tad surprised when he told me. He even sent me a link of her on YouTube. (See below) It's not what you think! I met her once years ago. She's not the sort of girl you'd expect to do pole dancing. Ange70x took it up as a hobby...
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