Friday, July 24, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
DEFFECT, IMPERFECTION, BLEMISH và FLAW
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DEFFECT, IMPERFECTION, BLEMISH và FLAW
Cả 4 danh từ này đều nói đến sự thiếu sót, không hoàn hảo,
khuyết điểm.
1. Defect là từ được sử dụng tổng quát với nghĩa: khuyết
điểm, ngụ ý sự thiếu sót của một cái gì thiết yếu cần phải hoàn thiện, nếu
không, sẽ làm hỏng đi (người hay vật).
2. Imperfection có nghĩa: sự không hoàn hảo, thiếu sót; ám
chỉ đến bất cứ chi tiết sai lầm nào dẫn đến việc giảm giá trị của cái toàn
diện.
3. Blemish là: tì vết, sai sót ở bề mặt làm hỏng đi diện
mạo.
4. Flaw là khuyết điểm về chất lượng, là sự không hoàn hảo
trong cấu trúc hay bản chất.
DELAY, DEFER, POSTPONE và CANCEL
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DELAY, DEFER, POSTPONE và CANCEL
1. Cả 3 động từ delay, defer và postpone đều ám chỉ đến hành
động giữ một việc gì đừng cho xảy ra cho đến một thời điểm nào đó trong tương
lai.
Delay có nghĩa chậm trễ, lề mề, trì hoãn. Với ý nghĩa lề mề,
kề cà, chần chừ, delay ám chỉ đến kiểu cách hành động.
Postpone là hoãn lại, đình hoãn, chậm lại, sắp xếp để cho
một việc tiến hành vào thời gian sau. Postpone đặc biệt dùng với những công
việc chính thức, các cuộc họp quan trọng … vốn đã được lập kế hoạch trước, như
đình hoãn một cuộc bầu cử (postpone an election), hoãn lại một cuộc họp
(postpone a meeting) ..
2. Động từ cancel có nghĩa hủy bỏ. Cancel một sự việc là
quyết định một cách chính thức rằng, sự việc đó sẽ không xảy ra.
Lê Đình Bì
DELUSION, ILLUSION và HALLUCINATION
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DELUSION, ILLUSION và HALLUCINATION
Là những danh từ nói về ảo giác, tức ám chỉ những sự đánh
lừa về tinh thần với nhiều lý do và mức độ khác nhau.
2. Delusion là một khái niệm sai lầm về một sự việc thật sự
hiện hữu, tồn tại mà không có khả năng sửa chữa. Delusion gây hại, nhất là đối
với những người điên cuồng, cuồng tín … như cụm từ “delusion of grandeur”
(chứng hoang tưởng tự đại).
3. Còn hallucination là ảo giác, tức tưởng tượng ra là nhìn
thấy hoặc nghe thấy (cái gì, vật gì) mà thật ra là không có. Hallucination đặc
biệt nhấn mạnh về bệnh lý như ta nói “Hallucinations caused by nervous
disorders…” (Những ảo giác gây nên bởi những rối loạn về thần kinh…)
Lê Đình Bì
gochocduong.vn
DESERT, DESERTS, và DESSERT
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DESERT, DESERTS, và DESSERT
Đây là 3 từ thật sự gây nhầm lẫn trong cách viết chính tả
không những với người nước ngoài học tiếng Anh, mà ngay cả đối với người Anh
hay Mỹ.
1. Desert vừa là danh từ, vừa là động từ với cách phát âm
khác nhau. Khi là danh từ, desert có nghĩa là sa mạc, tức những vùng đất hoặc
khu vực rộng lớn nhưng khô cằn, thường phủ đầy cát, có rất ít nước, ít mưa,
không có hoặc có rất ít cây cối. Như khi ta nói, “the Sahara Desert” (sa mạc
Sahara), “a desert island” (một hoang đảo)…
2. Dessert là danh từ, có nghĩa: món tráng miệng – tức những
món ngọt như các loại bánh ngọt, bánh nhân, kem … được dọn lên phục vụ sau khi
ăn món sau cùng.
3. Deserts là danh từ ám chỉ những gì mà người ta đáng được
(thưởng hay phạt). Danh từ này liên quan đến động từ “deserve” (xứng đáng được
nhận khen thưởng hay đãi ngộ) và cách phát âm tương tự “desert”.
DIFFERENT
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DIFFERENT
Giữa người Anh và người Mỹ có sự khác biệt trong việc sử
dụng giới từ sau tính từdifferent.
* Ở Mỹ, “different than” lại phổ biến, nhất là trong các
trường hợp so sánh, mặc dù cách dùng này được xem là không đúngtrong tiếng Anh
của người Anh.
Lưu ý:
Lê Đình Bì
DIRECT và DIRECTLY
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DIRECT và DIRECTLY
1. Directly rất thông dụng khi nói đến một vật, việc gì
không thông qua một cấp, một hành động hoặc một người trung gian.
3. Khi một ai nhìn thẳng, ngay vào người hay một vật khác,
ta cũng có thể dùng trạng từ directly.
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Gochocduong.vn
DISPLACE và MISPLACE
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DISPLACE và MISPLACE
Hai động từ này thường bị dùng lẫn lộn.
1. Displace có nghĩa: dời chỗ, đổi chỗ, thay thế.
2. Misplace có nghĩa: đặt nhầm chỗ, sai chỗ, tức đặt một vật
gì – thường là những thứ có thể mang, xách dễ dàng – vào một nơi không đúng chỗ
khiến cho khi cần đến, không biết đâu mà tìm.
Lê Đình Bì
Gochocduong.vn
DISPUTE, ARGUMENT và CONTROVERSY
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DISPUTE, ARGUMENT và CONTROVERSY
Là những danh từ ám chỉ sự biểu lộ, diễn đạt những ý kiến
của mình để chống lại hay bác bỏ các ý kiến, lập luận khác.
2. Dispute và Controversy thường là những cuộc tranh luận
lien quan tới hai hay nhiều người hơn, nhất là controversy.
Còn controversy là cuộc tranh luận công khai bằng miệng hoặc
bằng “bút chiến”, trong đó các cá nhân hay phe phái, đoàn thể.. đưa ra những ý
kiến, lập luận của mình. Controversy thường được tiến hành trang trọng và có
thời gian.
Lê Đình Bì
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
34 câu nói của người 90 tuổi đã trải đời
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1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
(Cuộc đời nhiều bất công nhưng vẫn còn tốt chán.)
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
(Khi nghi ngại, hãy từ từ mà tiến.)
3. Life is too short. Don't waste time hating anyone.
(Cuộc đời quá ngắn ngủi. Đừng phí thỉ giờ ghét bỏ ai làm
gì.)
4. Only friends and family will be present in sickness. Stay
in touch.
(Đau ốm, chỉ có gia đình và bạn bè bên cạnh. Nhớ gần gũi.)
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
(Hãy trả hết nợ thẻ tín dụng mỗi tháng.)
6. You don't need to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
(Khi tranh luận, hơn thua không đáng kể. Nên chấp nhận bất
đồng.)
7. Crying is good, but it's more healing crying with
friends.
(Khóc cũng tốt, nhất là khi khóc với bạn bè.)
8. Release your children when they become adults, its their
life now.
(Buông tay với con cái trưởng thành. Chúng có cuộc sống
riêng.)
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque.
(Để dành cho tuổi về hưu ngay với số tiền lương đầu tiên.)
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
(Để ý sự cám dỗ)
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the
present.
(Hãy làm lành với quá khứ để hiện tại được yên ổn.)
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
(Con cháu thấy mình khóc đâu có sao/)
13. Don't compare your life to others. They have different
journeys.
(Đừng đem đời mình so với ai đó; đời mỗi người mỗi khác)
14. Never be in a secret relationship.
(Đừng bao giờ dính vào một mối quan hệ bí mật)
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
(Mọi chuyện ở đời có thể thay đổi trong chớp mắt)
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
(Hít thở sâu giúp tinh thần ổn định)
17. Get rid of anything that is neither useful, beautiful,
nor joyful.
(Hãy gạt bỏ những gì vô ích, xấu xa, buồn bã)
18. What doesn't kill you really makes you stronger.
(Điều gì không giết ta được sẽ giúp ta mạnh hơn)
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
(Sống lại như trẻ con lần nữa cũng không phải là trễ quá)
20. For whatever you love in life, don't take no for an
answer.
(Những gì yêu quí trên đời, ta đều phải ráng đạt cho được)
21. Today is special. Enjoy it.
(Ngày hôm nay là ngày đặc biệt. Phải tận hưởng nó)
22. Your belief of your being right doesn't count. Keep an
open mind.
(Cứ tin mình luôn luôn đúng là bậy. Phải có đầu óc cỏ̉i mỏ̉)
23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
(Hạnh phúc của mỗi người là mối lo riêng của người đó)
24. Forgive everyone everything.
(Hãy tha thứ tất cả cho mọi người)
25. What other people think of you is none of your business.
(Đừng bận tâm về nhận xét của ai đó đối với mình)
26. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
(Thời gian hàn gắn gần như mọi sự. Xin cho thời gian có thì
giờ)
27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
(Tình thế dù tốt hay xấu, rồi cũng thay đổi)
28. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
(Đừng quá nghiêm khắc với bản thân. Ai cũng vậy thôi)
29. Believe in miracles.
(Hãy tin vào phép lạ)
30. Your children get only one childhood.
(Con cái chúng ta chỉ có một thời trẻ trung)
31. Envy is a waste of time.
(Đừng ganh tị. Mất thì giờ vô ích)
32. It's OK to yield.
( Làm được bao nhiêu cũng tốt)
33. Life is a gift."
(Cuộc sống là một món quà)
34. Friends are the family that we choose.
(Bạn bè là gia đình chính chúng ta đã chọn)
(Sưu tầm)
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015
A series of interactive stories
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THE BIG DREAM
A series of interactive stories
by Mark White (2005)
1. The Graveyard (“be” verbs)
2. The Strange Old Woman (there is/there are)
3. The Letter from a Stranger (present simple)
4. The Attack in the Park (present perfect)
5. The Transfer (present continuous)
6. The Trip to New York (future “going to”)
7. The Restaurant (“would” conditionals)
8. Working in New York (gerunds)
9. The Rich Stranger (one/some/almost all of them)
10. The Bad Day (adjective plus infinitive)
11. The Old Man (should)
12. The New Job (comparatives)
13. The Temple (used to)
1.THE GRAVEYARD (“be” verbs)
It is a Sunday afternoon in the
countryside. Is it hot? A small boy is in a rice field. He is ten years old.
When is his birthday? He walks up a hill. Is it a big hill? He goes into a
graveyard. Is it an old graveyard? He sees his father’s gravestone. What colour
is it? He sits down in front of the gravestone. Is he sad?
Suddenly the small boy hears a
sound. Is it loud? The boy turns around. He sees a man. Is he tall? The man has
very short hair. He has handcuffs on his wrists. The man grabs the boy. Is the
boy afraid? The man turns the boy upside down. He shakes him.
There is a rice ball in the boy’s
pocket. Is it round or triangular? Is it very big? The rice ball falls out. The
man picks up the rice ball. He eats it. Is it tasty? He eats very quickly because
he is very very hungry. The boy feels sorry for the hungry man. The man asks
for food. He asks for some tools too. He wants to take the handcuffs off.
The boy goes to get food. The man
sleeps on the hill behind a tree near the graveyard. Is he very tired? Is he
afraid of ghosts?
Two hours later the boy comes back.
He has some bread. Is it fresh? He also has some cooked rice. Is it hot? Is it
in a bag? He has some fruit too. What kind of fruit is it? He has a bottle of
sake too. Is it expensive sake? He has some tools too. What tools are they?
The man is very grateful. He eats
the food. He takes the handcuffs off. He runs away.
Two days later the boy is in the
rice fields again. Is it a warm day? The boy hears a sound. It is a police
siren. A police car comes. What colour is it? Four policemen get out. Are they
young or old? They run up the hill. They catch the man. They put handcuffs on
him. They put him in the car? The car drives away. Is it fast? The small boy
watches the car. He thinks about the man. He feels sorry for the man.
The man is an escaped prisoner. The
police take him back to prison. Are the police nice to him? The man is from a
poor family. He lives in prison now. Where is the prison? Is it a big prison?
The boy lives with his aunt and his
uncle. His father is dead and his mother is dead too. Is he lonely? He lives in
an old house in a village. Is it a big house? Is it a traditional Japanese
farmhouse?
The boy likes school. Is his school
far from his house? What is the name of his favourite teacher? The boy wants to
go to university. Is university expensive? The boy wants to go to university
but he cannot go to university because his family is poor. Is his uncle a
farmer?
At night the boy thinks about his
father and his mother and he thinks about school and he thinks about the
escaped prisoner and he thinks about his dream. He wants to go to university.
Is he happy?
2. THE STRANGE OLD WOMAN (there is/there are)
A little boy lives in a small
village with his aunt and his uncle. His parents are dead. How many houses are
there in the village? The little boy’s family is poor. He helps his uncle in
the fields.
There is a beautiful little girl in
the village. She is about ten years old. Is her hair long? One day the little
boy sees the girl. The little boy watches her. He likes her but she does not
look at him.
The little boy grows up. He goes to
high school and he sees the little girl every day but she does not look at him.
How many students are there at the boy’s high school? They take the same bus each
morning. How many people are there on the bus each morning? What colour is the
bus?
There is a strange old woman in the
village. She is very very rich. How old is she? Is her hair white? She owns a
lot of rice fields and houses too.
The young high school girl lives
with the strange old woman. Her parents are dead. The boy’s parents are dead
and the girl’s parents are dead too. Every day after school, the girl goes
home. She talks to the old woman. The old woman talks to the girl but she does
not talk to other people. She stays inside the house.
One day a letter comes to the boy’s
house. It is from the rich old woman. It is an invitation. It is an invitation
to the house. The boy wants to meet the girl. The next day he puts on clean
clothes. He goes to the house. He walks. It is a big house on a hill outside
the village. Is it a beautiful house? There is a big wall around the house. The
boy goes to the gate. He rings a bell. The girl comes to the gate. She opens
it. He goes inside. The girl says, “Kiss me”. The boy kisses her on the cheek.
Is her cheek soft? The girl says, “Follow me”. The boy follows her. They go
inside. The house is huge. How many rooms are there in the house? Is it a
three-storey house?
The boy and the girl go upstairs.
They meet a man on the stairs. He is a strange man. He has a big red nose. He
says “Aaah, very good, very good!” and he nods his head.
The boy goes into a room. He meets
the strange old woman. The old woman lives in a big bedroom. The room is a
bedroom. It is very dirty. There is a cake on the table. It is very old. The
woman is very thin and she has a strange high voice. She says, “Play cards”.
The boy and the girl sit on the floor and they play cards. The old woman
watches. After thirty minutes the old woman says “Enough!” She puts some money
in the boy’s pocket. She says, “Come back next week.” The girl takes the boy to
the gate. She does not say “goodbye”. The boy goes home. How much money is
there in his pocket?
3. THE LETTER FROM A STRANGER (present simple)
A high school boy lives in a
village. Every week he goes to a big house on a hill outside the village. A
strange old rich woman lives in the village. A beautiful young girl lives with
her. The boy plays with the girl. What games do they play? The old woman pays
the boy each week. How much does she pay him?
The boy wants to go to university.
What does he want to study? Does the girl want to go to university?
One day the boy goes to the old
woman’s house and the girl opens the gate. Does she say, “Hello”?
The boy goes inside and plays with
the girl. After they play, the old woman says, “Today is the last day.”
The girl takes the boy to the gate.
She says “Am I beautiful?” The boy says, “Yes, you are!” The girl says, “You
are ugly!” She slaps him.
The boy goes home. How much money
is there in his pocket? Does he love the girl? Does she love him? Is he sad?
The girl goes away to another
school in the city. What is the name of the school?
The boy does not see the girl
anymore. Does he miss her? He thinks about university. He studies hard at
school. What is his favourite subject at school? Does he have many friends?
What sport does he play? Does he get good marks at school?
The boy wants to go to university
but he cannot go because he does not have enough money. How much does it cost
per year? He worries about the future.
One day a letter comes to the
house. It is a letter from a stranger. The letter says the boy can go to
university. It will cost nothing. A rich man will help him. The boy is
surprised. Is he happy?
One year later the boy moves to the
city. He moves in to a small apartment. How many rooms are there in his
apartment? Is there a unit bath? Does it have a kitchen?
A man with a big red nose comes to
the boy’s apartment. He is a lawyer. He tells the boy to come to his office
each month. Each month the boy comes and the man with the red nose gives him
money. How much does he give him per month? How much is the rent for the
apartment?
The boy goes to university every
weekday. How many classes does he have per week? What course does he do? Does
he join a circle? Does he have a part-time job?
One day the boy takes the bus to
university. He sees a girl on the bus. It is the beautiful girl from his
village. He remembers her and he still thinks about her a lot. Does she
remember him? He says “Hello” to her but she does not answer him. She ignores
him.
4. THE ATTACK IN THE PARK (present perfect)
A young guy is a university student. What faculty is he in?
Is he a first year student? His parents are dead and he comes from a poor
family but he can go to university because a stranger pays his tuition and his
living expenses. How much is his tuition per year? How much are his living
expenses?
The young guy does not know the stranger. He has never met
him. It is exam time. How many tests does the guy have? Is he nervous? He goes
to see a lawyer with a big red nose. The lawyer gives him money every month.
The money is from a stranger. The young student has never met the stranger.
There is a girl at the same university. She is from the same
village. The young guy is in love with her but she always ignores him. The
young guy has a friend. It is another student. The friend is a guy in the same
faculty. The young guy tells his friend about the girl. How long has he known
his friend? How long has he known the girl? Has his friend ever seen the girl?
One night the guy is walking home. He walks through a park.
He sees a man and a woman. The man attacks the woman. The woman screams. It is
the same woman. It is the beautiful girl from the young guy’s village. He wants
to help her. He wants to save her. He shouts at the man. He hits him. The man
stops. He runs away. The girl cries. The young student takes her to a coffee
shop. Has he ever been to that coffee shop before? Has the girl ever been there
before?
The two students sit in the coffee shop for a long time.
They talk about their village. They talk about the strange old woman. They talk
about the lawyer with the big red nose. The young woman gives the young guy her
phone number. She has beautiful long hair. The guy holds her hand. Has he ever
held a woman’s hand before? After several hours they both go home.
The next day the guy calls the girl but there is no answer.
He calls her ten times but nobody answers the phone. He goes to his friend’s
house. He talks to his friend. His friend has a girlfriend. How long has he
known his girlfriend? How many girlfriends has he had?
The two friends study for their exams. They both want to
work in another country. They both want to get good jobs and travel and see the
world. The young guy from the village has never been overseas. Which country
does he want to go to? His friend has been to three countries in Asia. Which
countries has he been to? Has he been to America?
The final exam period comes. The two friends sit their final
exams. They both pass. They both get really high marks. The young guy from the
village gets a job at a computer company.
5. THE TRANSFER (present continuous tense)
A young Japanese computer engineer is in his apartment. It is
late at night. He is lying in his bed. He is thinking about his life. He is
thinking about his parents. Is he thinking about his aunt and his uncle too?
Does he miss his aunt and his uncle? Does he visit his village often?
The young engineer comes from a poor family but he has been
to university because a rich stranger helped him. He has never met the
stranger. The next day he goes to see a lawyer. The lawyer works for the rich
stranger. The lawyer is sitting at his desk. He is reading something. What is he
reading?
The young guy comes in and he sits down. He has known the
lawyer for five years. He has asked him about the rich stranger many times but
the lawyer has never answered his questions. He asks him again. The lawyer will
not answer.
That weekend the young guy goes back to his village. He
visits his aunt and his uncle. Are they still living in the same house? What is
the uncle doing when he arrives? What is the aunt doing? There is a strange old
lady in the village. The young man thinks the old lady is giving him money. He
goes to her house. He knocks on the door. A beautiful girl answers. What is she
wearing? Is she wearing a hat? The guy has not seen the girl for two years. He
still remembers her. He still loves her. He does not want to love her but he
does. He cannot stop his feelings.
The young woman takes the young man to see the old lady. She
is sitting in the same room. She is sitting in the same chair. She is wearing
the same dirty old white dress. She is reading something. What is she reading?
The young engineer says, “You are giving me money. I know.
Thank you, but I don’t need money now. I have a good job. I want too pay you
back.” The old lady laughs. She says, “I have never given you any money.”
The young guy is confused. He wants to know who is giving
him money. He goes to work on Monday. The boss telephones him. He goes to his
boss’s office. The boss is sitting in a big leather chair. Is he wearing a
suit? Is he wearing a tie?
The company has a branch in New York City. There are some
problems in New York. The young guy has to go to New York. He has to live there
and work there for two years. Is he happy about this?
That night he telephones his uncle. What is his uncle doing
when the phone rings? What is his aunt doing? He tells them about his transfer
to New York. After that he goes to bed. One hour later the telephone rings. It
is the beautiful girl from his village. Is he sleeping when she calls? She
wants to meet him in New York.
6. THE TRIP TO NEW YORK (future “going to”)
A young Japanese computer engineer is going to go to New
York City. He is going to work there for his company. How long is he going to
stay? Is he going to get a raise? Is he going to get a promotion?
Before he leaves, the engineer calls a lawyer. He says he is
going to go to New York City. He says he is going to leave in one week. Two
days later the lawyer calls the engineer back. He says he has a message from
the rich stranger. The rich stranger is living in New York City now. He is
going to contact the engineer in New York.
The engineer is very curious. He wants to meet the rich
stranger. The stranger has helped him a lot. He wants to thank him. He goes
home and he opens his cupboard. He looks at his clothes. How many suits is he
going to take? How many pairs of shoes is he going to take? How many shirts is
he going to take? What is he going to wear on the plane?
The engineer visits his village again. He wants to say
“Goodbye” to his aunt and his uncle. He is going to miss them. Is he going to
write? Is he going to ring? Do they have email?
That afternoon the young engineer goes to the strange old
woman. He wants to say goodbye to her. Is he going to write to her? He wants to
see the beautiful girl too. The beautiful girl is not at the house. She is in
the city.
The next day the guy goes back to the city. He visits his
old friend from university. They go to a little bar. They drink a lot and they
talk a lot. The friend is going to go to Malaysia. When is going to leave? Is
he going to stay in Kuala Lumpur? How long is he going to stay there? Is he
going to get a promotion? Is he going to get a raise?
A week later the young engineer catches a plane to New York
City. Is the plane full? Does he have a window seat? A woman sits next to him.
She is European. Which country is she from? She is going to New York too but
she is not going to stay there long. She is going to change planes in New York
and then she is going to fly to Chicago. How many hours is she going to stay in
New York? What is she going to do in Chicago?
Then Japanese guy talks to the European woman. He likes her.
She likes him. They talk about music. What kind of music does she like? She gives
him her telephone number in Paris. She lives in Paris. Is he going to call her?
Is he going to email her?
The plane arrives in New York. The engineer says goodbye to
the European woman. He goes through customs and immigration. A man from his
company meets him in the arrivals lounge. They take a taxi to his new
apartment. Does the engineer have jetlag? That night he has to meet his new
co-workers at a restaurant. What time is he going to meet them? Are they going
to meet in a Japanese restaurant?
7. THE RESTAURANT (“would” conditionals)
Five Japanese engineers are at a Japanese restaurant in New
York City. They all work at the same company. They are welcoming a new staff
member from Japan. He has just arrived in the United States. Does he have
jetlag? Would you go to a Japanese restaurant on your first night in New York
City?
The five engineers order sushi and sake. Would you order the
same thing? The new guy is tired. He eats and drinks but he does not enjoy his
food. A waitress comes to the table with more sake. He looks up. He recognizes
her. It is the beautiful girl from his village. She lowers her eyes. She
ignores him. Would you ignore him, if you were her? Would you say “Hello” if
you were him?
The guy goes to the bathroom. He waits in the corridor near
the kitchen. He stands in front of the waitress when she passes him. He says,
“Why are you ignoring me? I love you.” Would you do the same thing?
The waitress gives him a piece of paper. There is a
telephone number on it. She says, “I love you too, but it is dangerous now. I
cannot talk. Call me tomorrow.”
The guy says, “Okay”. He goes back to his table. As he walks
past the kitchen door, he looks in. He sees a man. He recognizes the man’s
face. He remembers the face but he cannot place it. He sits down and he thinks
about it. The other guys talk to him but he cannot concentrate because he is
thinking about the girl and the guy in the kitchen.
After dinner the new engineer takes a cab home. Would you
take a cab or walk? He goes to bed and then the next day he gets up early. He
is very very tired. He takes a shower and he goes to work. He does not eat
breakfast. Would you eat breakfast? He takes a taxi to work. If you were him,
would you take a taxi or a subway to work?
At lunchtime he calls the girl. Would you call her? There is
no answer. He calls her again. Would you call her again?
That night the guy goes back to the restaurant. He looks for
the girl but she is not there. Would you do the same thing? He asks for her but
the manager says “Nobody of that name works here.”
That night the guy lies in bed and he thinks about the girl.
He has known her for many years. He has loved her for many years. He wants to
stop loving her but he cannot. He cannot control his feelings. What would you
do?
Suddenly he remembers the guy from the restaurant. It is the
guy from the park three years ago. He attacked the beautiful girl in the park
three years ago. It is the same guy. The engineer cannot understand. Why is the
beautiful girl working with the bad guy from the park? Would you try to find
her or forget her? How would you find her?
8. WORKING IN NEW YORK (gerunds)
A young Japanese engineer is working in New York. Is working
in New York interesting? He has been there for three months. Is living in New
York fun? Is it expensive? A girl from his village is in New York and he wants
to see her but he cannot find her. Finding someone in New York City is hard
because it is a very big city and there are lots of people.
The new job is hard. The young engineer has a lot of responsibility.
He has to do a lot of overtime. Sometimes he works till ten at night then he
goes for a drink with his co-workers. Is going to bars in New York City safe?
One day the engineer gets home from work at seven pm.
Getting home before nine pm is unusual for him. There is a letter for him. It
is from a rich stranger, He has never met the stranger. The stranger has helped
him for many years. He has paid for his education. Is getting a good education
expensive? He wants to thank the stranger and he wants to repay him but he has
never met him.
The letter says that the stranger is in New York. He wants
to meet the young man. He invites him to a restaurant in Chinatown. The
invitation is for seven pm in three days. Is eating in Chinatown cheap?
The next day the guy goes to work. He thinks about his life.
He thinks about the rich stranger. He is curious to meet him. He also thinks
about the beautiful girl from his village. He wants to find her. He wants her
to be his girlfriend. He is single and he is lonely. Is finding a girlfriend in
New York City difficult? Is being alone in New York lonely? Is meeting people
in a big city hard?
The guy logs on to his computer. There is an email from a
beautiful European woman. He knows her from the plane. She lives in Paris. Is
living in Paris interesting? Is it expensive? Does the guy answer the email?
Would you answer it?
Two days later it is the day of the appointment. The
engineer is going to go to Chinatown. He is going to meet the rich stranger. He
is very excited. He is very curious. He really really really wants to meet him.
That day it is very busy at work. There are a lot of
problems. The engineer has to work overtime. Is working overtime important? The
engineer wants to go to the restaurant to meet the rich stranger but he has to
work overtime. Would you go to the restaurant or work overtime?
The engineer leaves work at 6:45. He jumps in a taxi. Is
finding a taxi hard in New York? The traffic is very heavy. The guy sits in the
back of the taxi. The driver is an African. He does not speak English. He gets
lost. The young engineer arrives at the restaurant at 7:25. He gets out of the
cab. He pays the driver. He runs into the restaurant.
9. THE RICH STRANGER (none/one/some/most/almost all/all of
them)
A young Japanese engineer is standing outside a restaurant
in Chinatown in New York. Is eating in Chinatown expensive? He is about to go
in and meet a rich stranger. The stranger has changed his life. He has paid for
his education. He has helped him a lot. Is helping people good?
The young guy goes in. He looks around. There are a lot of
people in the restaurant. Most of them are Caucasians. A few of them are
Chinese. None of them are Japanese. The guy is confused. He cannot find the
rich stranger. He walks around the restaurant. He looks at all the people. Most
of them are eating. A few are still waiting for their food. How many people are
there in the restaurant? How many of them are Asians?
The engineer talks to a waiter. The waiter says there is
another room upstairs. The Japanese guy goes upstairs. There are about twenty
people in the upstairs room. Almost all of them are Chinese. How many of them
are not Chinese? An old man is sitting alone at a table by a window. He is not
eating. What is he wearing?
The engineer goes up to the old man. He says, “Are you
Japanese?” The old man is Japanese. He is waiting for the young man. He is the
rich stranger. The engineer sits down. They talk for a long time.
After dinner the young Japanese engineer leaves the
restaurant. He walks through the streets of New York. He thinks about his life.
He passes many people. Where are they from? Where are they going? Where are
they coming from?
The guy goes in to a bar. He orders a drink. What does he
order? There are a lot of people in the bar. How many of them are Asians? How
many of them are Caucasians? How many of them are Afro-Americans? Where do most
of them come from?
The guy meets a drunk businessman. The businessman is from
Boston. Sometimes he goes to Japan on business. He has a lot of Japanese
friends. Where are they from? The engineer and the guy from Boston talk about
Japan. The Japanese guy gets drunk. After three hours he leaves the bar. He
walks through the streets.
Suddenly he comes to a Japanese restaurant. He remembers the
restaurant. The beautiful girl from his village works in the restaurant. The
bad guy from the park three years ago works there too. The engineer goes in.
The restaurant is full. There are four waiters. One of them
is from Osaka. Where are the other three from? The one from Osaka comes up to
the drunk engineer. He says, “The restaurant is full.”
The engineer wants to talk to the waitress from his village.
10. THE BAD DAY (adjective plus infinitive)
A young Japanese computer engineer is working in New York
City. It is late at night. He is in a Japanese restaurant. He has just met a
rich old stranger from his past. Is it good to meet people from the past? The
stranger is an escaped prisoner.
The engineer is drunk. The restaurant is full. It is not
possible to eat now. It is not possible to get a seat. It is too late. Is it
expensive to eat Japanese food in New York? Is it difficult to find authentic
Japanese food there?
A beautiful young woman from the young engineer’s village is
one of the waitresses at the restaurant. Is it easy to get a job as a waitress
in New York City? Is it easy to in Japan?
The Japanese guy is very drunk. It is difficult for him to
stand up. He staggers in to the restaurant. He sees the waitress. He calls out
her name. Is she embarrassed to see him? She says, “Meet me outside in thirty
minutes”. The guy goes outside. He falls asleep in the street. A policeman
comes. He arrests the Japanese guy. Is it illegal to sleep in the street in New
York?
The policeman takes the Japanese guy to the police station.
He puts him in a prison cell. The next morning he wakes up at six o’clock. He
has to pay some money. Is it expensive to get out of prison? He has a hangover.
He goes home and he takes a shower then he goes to work.
At work the young engineer sees his boss. His boss is very
angry because the engineer left early the day before. The engineer has a bad hangover
but he has to work overtime until midnight. Is it normal to do overtime till
midnight at that company? Is it bad to go home early?
After work the Japanese guy staggers home. He enters his
apartment but he does not take his shoes off. It is normal to take your shoes
off in the house in Japan but it is not common in the States. Does the young
engineer usually take his shoes off inside in his apartment in New York?
The engineer calls the waitress. She does not answer. Is it
rude to ring after midnight? The engineer goes in to the bathroom and he runs a
bath. Is it normal for him to take a bath or a shower? Is it normal for him to
wash in the morning or at night or both?
The engineer relaxes in the bath. He falls asleep. Is it
dangerous to fall asleep in the bath? A few minutes later he wakes up. He comes
outside. There is a strange man in his apartment.
It is the man from the restaurant kitchen. He is a big man.
He has a scar on his face. He is very angry. He shouts at the young engineer.
He says, “It is dangerous for you to come to the restaurant! Do not come
again!”
11.THE OLD MAN (should)
And old man is in a big house in New York. He is from Japan
originally. He is a criminal. He is sitting ion front of the TV. He is thinking
about the past. He has broken many laws. He has committed many crimes. Has he
ever killed anybody? Has he ever robbed a bank? He has been in prison many
times. In Japan the police are looking for him. He is not happy because he
wants to go back to Japan. Should he go back to Japan? Should he turn himself
in to the police? Would you turn yourself in, if you were him?
In another part of New York City, there is a young engineer.
He is working for a Japanese computer company in New York. He knows the old
man. The old man has helped him with his education. Should he turn the old man
in? Would you turn him in?
The engineer goes to work. His boss is angry. His boss
shouts at him. Should he shout back? His boss hits him. Should he hit back?
Should he go to the police? He argues with his boss. His boss fires him. He
leaves the office. He goes to a bar. He thinks about his life. He thinks about
his boss and his job. Should he go back to the office? Would you? He thinks
about the waitress from his village. Should he go to the restaurant and see her?
Would you? He thinks about the bad man from the restaurant. Should he go to see
him? Would you?
Suddenly the engineer’s mobile phone rings. It is the old
man. He wants to see the engineer. He says, “You are like my son.” Should the
engineer go to see him? Would you?
The engineer goes to see the old man. He meets him at his
house. It is a very big old house in New Jersey. The two men talk about life.
The old man tells the young man the story of his life. His mother is Korean.
Can he speak Korean? His father is half Korean and half Japanese. Is
discrimination a problem in Japan? Should all people be equal?
The young man talks about the beautiful waitress. He talks
about the bad man at the restaurant. The old man knows about the bad man and he
knows about the beautiful waitress. He says, “The waitress is married to the
bad man!” The young engineer is shocked. Should he believe the old man? Would
you believe him? The old man says the waitress is selfish. He says she is a bad
woman. He says she wants to trick the young engineer. Should the engineer
believe the old man? Would you believe him?
The young engineer leaves the old man’s house. He goes back
to Manhattan. He has no job and he has no girlfriend. He has no parents and a
criminal has paid for his education. Should he feel bad? He has to move out of
his apartment in one week. What should he do? He has to get a new job? How
should he find a new job? Should he go back to Japan?
12. THE NEW JOB (comparatives)
A young engineer is in his apartment in New York. Is it big?
Is it bigger than his apartment in Osaka? He looks out the window. Is the view
better than the view from his apartment in Osaka? Is Osaka bigger than New
York? Is Osaka more interesting than New York? How does Osaka compare to your
hometown?
The young guy goes out to a shop. He buys a newspaper. He
looks for a job. There are two computer jobs in the paper. One is for a big
company and one is for a small company. Which one has a higher salary? Which
one has better working conditions? One job is in Chicago and one job is in
Boston. Which is closer, Chicago or Boston? Which is closer from Japan?
The guy calls about the two jobs. Which one does he call
about first? He arranges two interviews. The interview for the job in Boston is
the next day. The guy gets up early. He takes a shower and he puts on a suit.
He goes to the interview. There are two interviewers. One is a young man. One
is an old man. Which one is taller? Which one is nicer? Which one is handsomer?
The young engineer knows one of the interviewers. He knows him from a bar. He
likes the interviewer and the interviewer likes him too. He is from Boston. The
guy from Boston offers the Japanese guy the job.
He has to move to Boston. Is Boston bigger than New York? Is
his salary at his new job higher than his salary at his old job? Does he get
more holidays? Does he get a company car? Does he get a free apartment? Does he
get a moving allowance?
In his new job the Japanese guy has to travel to Japan five
or six times a year. How does Japan compare to the United States?
After two months at the company in Boston, the young
engineer makes a trip to Japan. He flies to Tokyo. How does Tokyo compare to
Osaka? He stays in Tokyo for two weeks. One weekend he takes the Shinkansen to
Osaka than he goes to his village. How does the Shinkansen compare to the local
train? Has the village changed much?
The guy visits his aunt and his uncle. Has his aunt changed
much? Has his uncle changed much? The guy talks about living in Japan and
living in America. How does living in America compare to living in Japan? How
does living in the city compare to living in the countryside?
The guy drinks beer with his uncle and then he takes a bath
and he goes to bed. The next day he reads the paper. A famous Japanese criminal
has turned himself in in New York. The engineer looks at the photo of the man.
He knows the man. It is the rich stranger from his past. The old man wants to
die in Japan. The next day the young engineer goes back to Tokyo then he flies
to Boston a week later.
13. THE TEMPLE (used to)
A Japanese engineer is working in Boston. He has lived in
Boston for two years now. He works for an American computer company. Does he
like working for an American company? He used to work for a Japanese company.
Where did he use to live before Boston?
The guy goes to Japan half a dozen times a year. Where did
he use to live in Japan? When he goes to Japan, he tries to visit his aunt and
his uncle. He also visits a prison sometimes. He knows an old man in prison.
The old man used to be a famous gangster, but now he is in prison. Where did he
use to live? Where is the prison? How long has the guy been in this prison?
Which prison did he use to live in before?
The young guy has a girlfriend. She is European. She lives
in London but sometimes she visits him in Boston and sometimes he visits her in
London. She used to live in Paris. Has the Japanese engineer ever been to
Paris?
In the summer the Japanese engineer takes a trip to Japan.
He works in Tokyo for two weeks then he takes a vacation. He goes back to his
village. His girlfriend visits him in his village. She used to live in Japan seven
years ago. Did she use to live in Tokyo or in Osaka? She works in the fashion
industry. She works for an English company. Did she use to work for a French
company before? What is her nationality?
The engineer arrives in his village. He introduces his
girlfriend to his aunt and uncle. She used to speak Japanese before but she has
forgotten a lot. The four people eat together. What do they eat? They drink a
lot then they go to bed. In the morning the guy wakes up. His girlfriend is
still asleep. He buys a newspaper. He reads it. He reads the paper every day
now. Did he use to read it every day when he was a student?
After he reads the paper, he goes to the graveyard. Did he
used to go the graveyard when he was younger? He visits his parents’ grave. Did
his father used to be a farmer? After that he goes to the temple. Does he pray?
There is a beautiful woman at the temple. The engineer knows here. He has known
her for a long time. He used to love her but he has forgotten about her now.
Now he loves his new girlfriend.
The girl comes up to him. She smiles at him. She says,
“Hello.”
The guy says, “Where is your husband?”
She says, “He is in prison in New York.” He used to beat her
up. Why did he use to beat her up? Why did she marry him? The guy talks to the girl
for ten minutes. She says, “Do you love me?” What does he say?
The guy looks up. He can see his girlfriend. She is walking
towards them. She is walking under a huge cedar tree. The guy used to play
under that tree. His girlfriend is walking closer and closer. Is she beautiful?
Academic Vocabulary in Context – Employ
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READ MORE - Academic Vocabulary in Context – Employ
Academic Vocabulary
in Context – Employ
one employed in conducting — provided to all employees —
employment is a relationship between two parties — depending on their type of
employment — contractors or employees who perform their work at home — National
Employment Standards — employ skilled workers — who are unemployable —
unemployment is a malaise which afflicts — fifty-six percent unemployment —
being the employee — unemployment in Greece — these types of employees — guides
to employing staff — department of employment
There are 13 questions but there are 15 spaces for answers.
Some questions are worth two points.
1. …….. is now at a staggering 27%, but behind all the
statistics and the ongoing international drama there lies a major human tragedy
and an ongoing European Crisis that is ravaging the continent like an
unstoppable bushfire.
2. According to Black’s Law dictionary, a driver is …….. or
operating a coach, carriage, wagon, or other vehicle, with horses, mules, or
other animals, or a bicycle, tricycle, or motor car, though not a street
railroad car.
3. The Australian Government …….. is responsible for
national policies and programmes that help Australians find and keep employment
and work in safe, fair and productive workplaces.
4. Employees get different entitlements ……… Find out about
…….. : Full-time, Part-time, Casual, Shiftworkers, Daily hire and weekly hire,
Probation, Outworkers
5.
– There is …….. .
That is extraordinary.
– That is pretty grim.
6. …….. all ages, all geographic locations; the whole society
is affected by it.
7. There are youngsters …….., in the circumstances of the
time?
8. Check out our books and practice …….. : “Guide to hiring
new employees”, “Guide to hiring new senior employees”, “An employer’s guide to
employing young workers”.
9. Outworkers are …….. or at a place that wouldn’t normally
be thought of as a business premises. Outworkers are common in the textile,
clothing or footwear industry.
10. Outworkers have to get at least the: minimum
entitlements in the …….. and the relevant award rate or the national minimum
wage.
11. National Employment Standards (NES) are the ten minimum
entitlements that have to be …….. .
12. …, usually based on a contract, one being the employer
and the other …….. .
13. Lawfully operating Australian employers can sponsor and
…….. who have recognised qualifications and skills/or experience in particular
occupations required in Australia.
Academic Vocabulary
in Context – Answers – Employ
Here are the answers.
1. The Economic and
Social Situation
1. Unemployment in Greece is now at a staggering 27%, but
behind all the statistics and the ongoing international drama there lies a
major human tragedy and an ongoing European Crisis that is ravaging the
continent like an unstoppable bushfire.
This is from a report on the situation in Greece. Note that
the answer is a noun phrase. It is the subject of the sentence. Do you
understand the grammatical terms – “subject – verb – object”?
2. A Reference from a
Legal Dictionary
2. According to Black’s Law dictionary, a driver is one
employed in conducting or operating a coach, carriage, wagon, or other vehicle,
with horses, mules, or other animals, or a bicycle, tricycle, or motor car,
though not a street railroad car.
Black’s Law Dictionary defines many common expressions. Note
that “one” means ” a person” and “employed in conducting” actually technically
means “involved in the activity of steering” rather than the commonly believed
“being paid to drive”. “Employed” is a past participle and the answer is a
participle phrase.
3. A Government
Website
3. The Australian Government Department of Employment is
responsible for national policies and programmes that help Australians find and
keep employment and work in safe, fair and productive workplaces.
Note that the “Australian Government” is a proper name and
requires capital letters and so does the “Department of Employment”. It is a
simple noun phrase.
4. The Rights of
Employees
4. Employees get different entitlements depending on their
type of employment. Find out about these types of employees: Full-time,
Part-time, Casual, Shiftworkers, Daily hire and Weekly hire, Probation,
Outworkers
Here we have a phrase which starts with a present participle
(verb PLUS ing).
The second answer is a noun phrase.
5. A Conversation
about Unemployment
There is fifty-six percent unemployment. That is
extraordinary.
That is pretty grim.
This is a conversation from the audio below. The answer is a
noun phrase. Note that the second speaker agrees with the first, but not in the
same terms.
6. A Description of a
Problem
6. Unemployment is a malaise which afflicts all ages, all
geographic locations; the whole society is affected by it.
This is a noun phrase which makes use of a metaphor to help
us see “unemployment” as a disease or mental condition or psychological
condition or illness. This metaphor is a stylistic device which we use to see
the human side of a technical problem, in this case.
7. The Youth
Employment Situation
7. There are youngsters who are unemployable, in the
circumstances of the time.
Here we need a relative clause which contains an adjective.
“Unemployable” means “cannot be employed“. Do you think young people are
unemployable due to lack of education , or lack of job opportunities, or
through some fault of their own?
8. Best Practice Tip
8. Check out our books and practice guides to employing
staff: Guide to hiring new employees, Guide to hiring new senior employees, An
employer’s guide to employing young workers.
“Best practice” is a term which describes the responsibility
of people in all spheres of private and commercial life to do the best and
safest thing. The answer is a noun phrase. It is a type of “guide” or
“guidebook”.
9. Definition of
Cottage Industry
9. Outworkers are contractors or employees who perform their
work at home or at a place that wouldn’t normally be thought of as a business
premises. Outworkers are common in the textile, clothing or footwear industry.
This is a definition of a type of worker who works at home.
This type of labour was once called “cottage industry”. Nowadays it might
include anybody who works from home. The answer is a noun phrase. Note the link
to another lesson in our course: Contract
10. Legal
Entitlements of Cottage Industry Workers
10. Outworkers have to get at least the: minimum
entitlements in the National Employment Standards and the relevant award rate
or the national minimum wage.
The National Employment Standards is a real legal document
so it needs capital letters because it is a proper noun phrase.
11. National
Employment Standards
11. National Employment Standards (NES) are the ten minimum
entitlements that have to be provided to all employees.
Here is a definition of the National Employment Standards.
Note that the entitlements must “be provided/be given” to all employees. The
key to the grammar is that it is a verb phrase in passive voice.
12. Definition of
Employment
12. Employment is a relationship between two parties,
usually based on a contract, one being the employer and the other being the
employee.
This is the wikipedia definition of employment. It is a
“subject verb object” (SVO) statement followed by an adverbial phrase.
13. Immigrant Labour
Regulations
13. Lawfully operating Australian employers can sponsor and
employ skilled workers who have recognised qualifications and skills/or
experience in particular occupations required in Australia.
This is a basic “verb in present simple tense” pattern
followed by a relative clause.
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