Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Emphatic forms


Little did you, like, know, but what I cannot emphasis enough is, you know, that there really and truly are sooooo many many ways to... add EMPHASIS - In. This. L-a-n-g-u-a-g-e-!




Types of emphatic forms

Follow up Kahoot





Image result for examples of understatement

Overstatement

  1. He’s running faster than the w____.
  2. This bag w____ a ton.
  3. That man is ___ tall ___ a house.
  4. This is the w____ day of my life.
  5. The shopping cost me the E______.
  6. My dad will k___ me when he comes home.
  7. Your skin is softer than s___.
  8. She’s as skinny as a tooth____.
  9. She was so happy; her smile was a m___ wide.
  10. The footballer is the best player of a__ time.
  11. I’m so hungry I could eat a h____.
  12. It’s im______ to complete this puzzle.
  13. Next Friday is n_____ going to arrive.
  14. I’ve read this book a h______ times.
  15. My hand hurts so much it’s going to d___ off.
  16. My brother is s______ than iron.
  17. She’s my guardian a____.
  18. Your brain is the size of a p___.
  19. I’m so sad that I’m drowning in t____.
  20. The leaves are d______g in the breeze.

 

Understatement

 

1. It's not my b___ work.

2. It wasn't my f___est hour.

3. He's not the most h____some guy, is he?

4. You could try a l___le harder.

5. That wasn't the cl_____rest reaction.

6. It wasn't the best o___ome.

7. We all make m___e mistakes, I guess.

 




Look at the pictures and make an understatement:

Or make a deliberately inappropriate (sarcastic) overstatement.



Image result for people doing stupid things















Image result for very bad painting






















Monday, October 28, 2024

Reading skills - working hours in Japan



Image result for most productive countries


















WORKERS' STRESS: Rank these with your partner. 

Put the biggest workers' stresses at the top. 

Change partners and share your rankings.
  • boredom
  • meetings
  • no promotion
  • customers
  • overtime
  • boss
  • colleagues
  • deadlines
  • anxiety about performance
  • job security


Job satisfaction

I love the work

I love the people I work with

I love the product we make

I love the money

I love the location

I love the people I serve

I love the hours

I love the variety of things I have to do

I love the pressure

I love the outcome of our work




Predict the news story from these words:


     initiative / pressure / workers / consumer spending / campaign / relax / workaholic /
       suicide / employee / overtime / meditation / temple / private sector / atmosphere






Working hours













4-day week





What was said in the article?






six








four








pay








trial








New Zealand








provided








productivity








Listen again and check

















Mike Hosking









So, Christmas has come early at Perpetual Guardian. They are moving to a four-day week for six weeks, to see what it does to productivity.
It is based on the broad premise, which I think is right, that if you're engaged with your job and employer, you are more productive.
This, ironically, comes at the same time as an historic union-based agreement in part of Germany, which will see people work a 25-hour week, if they want to look after elderly or poorly relatives. Not just that, but they got a large pay rise as well.
Now, it's going to be fascinating to watch what happens. And my bet is that human nature wins. And by that I mean everyone is different, and because of that, a broad brush one-stop shop of an idea isn't an answer or a panacea.
I cite a study done in America involving health-based programmes for workers. The company lined up classes in tai chi, access to health care, general wellbeing programmes. Half the group they actually paid to use them, half they didn't. Upshot? Neither group changed one jot. Didn't go to tai chi, didn't improve their health, didn't access anything.
Theoretically, you'd ask how is that possible? You get free fitness and health and even when they shoved money in your hand to do it you still couldn't be bothered? And yet, well, human nature.
So the industrious go-getter at Guardian is going to love the four days. They're going to work hard, get their job done, and enjoy their three days off. But they were enjoying the job anyway.
The person who lives for Friday, that downbeat buzz-kill we all know and loath, the one who goes "oh thank God it's the end of the week", the one who bunks off Monday, they'll love their three-day week as well.
But the thrill will wear off, and suddenly three days is normal, and the misery will return. Some jobs, of course, you can't do in four days. Some people have a lot of work on, and spreading the eight hours on the fifth day, is another two hours a day. It might be a push.
Can I cite France also, the home of the slack working week. They're looking at changing it. Why? Because they're hopelessly unproductive.
Can I cite Japan and China two of the most productive countries on Earth. Why? Because they thrash themselves, they send their kids to school six if not seven days a week. They have no holidays. But man, do they produce stuff in massive numbers.
So, maybe somewhere in the middle is the answer, and maybe that somewhere in the middle is the five-day, 40-hour week. But back to Perpetual Guardian. I like their "change it up" style. On paper, this is utopia. But is it the future? Can you actually do more or the same in less time? Can you really do better if there's more downtime?
My gut says no and my gut says six weeks isn't a proper test time. Also, this comes at the wrong time. I've just had a four-day week and I loved it. But here's the sad nerdy thing about me: given I love what I do and I am blessed, I love five-day weeks too. Hand on heart, if they offered me four days, I'd turn it down.








Is Mike right about human nature? Are we naturally lazy and need to be pushed to achieve great results? His his point of view cynical or realistic?





Sunday, October 27, 2024

Soho - my favourite part of town





lively   colourful   exciting   famous   continental   honest   pedestrianised    shabby    interesting  cosmopolitan   magnetic

Do you feel these adjectives would describe people, places or food?


Divide this text into three paragraphs – what are the topics of the paragraphs? 

 

One of my favourite parts of London is Soho, which is right in the centre, and includes Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue and Leicester Square. One of the main reasons I like it is that it is always lively and colourful, with people dashing around going about their business - most of it honest, some of it not. The place is a bit of a mess, and the buildings aren’t the most beautiful in London. The streets are a bit shabby but always interesting, with surprises around every corner. The name is derived from a hunting call, ”So-ho”, that huntsmen were heard to cry as they chased deer in royal parklands. It has been a cosmopolitan area since the first immigrants, who were French Huguenots, arrived in the 1680s. More French arrived escaping the revolution during the late 18th century, followed by Germans, Russians, Poles, Greeks and Italians. Soho is packed with continental food shops and restaurants. More recently there have been a lot of Chinese from Hong Kong. Gerrard Street, which is pedestrianized, is the centre of London’s Chinatown. It has restaurants, Chinese supermarkets, and in February there are the New Year celebrations. Many famous people have lived in Soho, including Mozart, Karl Marx and the poet T. S. Eliot. It has a reputation for attracting artists, writers and poets. Shaftesbury Avenue is in the heart of London’s theatre land, and there are endless clubs/pubs, cafes, street markets, advertising agencies, clothes shops, music publishers and recording studios, which makes it an exciting place to live and work. Piccadilly Circus is like a magnet for young people from all over the world. They like to sit on the steps under the statue of Eros, celebrating the freedom and friendship of youth. It is said that if you wait long enough at Piccadilly Circus, you’ll meet everyone you’ve ever known! 




Check



One of my
favourite parts of London is Soho, which is right in the centre, and includes Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue and Leicester Square. One of the main reasons I like it is that it is always lively and colourful, with people dashing around going about their business
- most of it honest, some of it not. The place is a bit of a mess, and the buildings aren’t the most beautiful in London. The streets are a bit shabby but always interesting, with surprises around every corner.


The name is derived from a hunting call, ”So-ho”, that huntsmen were heard to cry as they chased deer in royal parklands. It has been a cosmopolitan area since the first immigrants, who were French Huguenots, arrived in the 1680s. More French arrived escaping the revolution during the late 18th century, followed by Germans, Russians, Poles, Greeks and Italians. Soho is packed with continental food shops and restaurants. More recently there have been a lot of Chinese from Hong Kong. Gerrard Street, which is pedestrianized, is the centre of London’s Chinatown. It has restaurants, Chinese supermarkets, and in February there are the New Year celebrations. Many famous people have lived in Soho, including Mozart, Karl Marx and the poet T. S. Eliot. It has a reputation for attracting artists, writers and poets.


Shaftesbury Avenue is in the heart of London’s theatre land, and there are endless clubs/pubs, cafes, street markets, advertising agencies, clothes shops, music publishers and recording studios, which makes it an exciting place to live and work. Piccadilly Circus is like a magnet for young people from all over the world. They like to sit on the steps under the statue of Eros, celebrating the freedom and friendship of youth. It is said that if you wait long enough at Piccadilly Circus, you’ll meet everyone you’ve ever known! 



1. One of my favourite parts of London


2. One of the main reasons I like it is that


3. The place is a bit of a mess,


4. The streets are a bit shabby


5. It has been a cosmopolitan area since the first immigrants, who were French Huguenots,


6. Soho is packed with continental


7. there are endless clubs/pubs, cafes, street markets, advertising agencies, clothes shops, music publishers and recording studios,


8. Piccadilly Circus is like a magnet


9. if you wait long enough at Piccadilly Circus,






A. and the buildings aren’t the most beautiful in London.


B. but always interesting,


C. which makes it an exciting place to live and work.


D. for young people from all over the world.


E. you’ll meet everyone you’ve ever known! 


F. arrived in the 1680s


G. is Soho


H. it is always lively and colourful


I. food shops and restaurants.







Can you recall the adjectives that were where these gaps in the text are?


One of my_________ parts of London is Soho, which is right in the centre, and includes Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue and Leicester Square. One of the main reasons I like it is that it is always ________ and________, with people dashing around going about their business. The place is a bit of a mess, and the buildings aren’t the most_______ in London, but the streets are always_______, with surprises around every corner.


The name is derived from a hunting call, ”So-ho”, that huntsmen were heard to cry as they chased deer in royal parklands. It has been a ________ area since the first immigrants, who were French Huguenots, arrived in the 1680s. More French arrived escaping the revolution during the late 18th century, followed by Germans, Russians, Poles, Greeks and Italians. Soho is packed with _______ food shops and restaurants. More recently there have been a lot of Chinese from Hong Kong. Gerrard Street, which is__________, is the centre of London’s Chinatown. It has restaurants, Chinese supermarkets, and in February there are the New Year celebrations. Many ________ people have lived in Soho, including Mozart, Karl Marx and the poet T. S. Eliot. It has a reputation for attracting artists, writers and poets.


Shaftesbury Avenue is in the heart of London’s theatre land, and there are ________ clubs/pubs, cafes, street markets, advertising agencies, clothes shops, music publishers and recording studios, which makes it an _______ place to live and work. Piccadilly Circus is like a magnet for _________ people from all over the world. They like to sit on the steps under the statue of Eros, celebrating the freedom and friendship of youth. It is said that if you wait long enough at Piccadilly Circus, you’ll meet everyone you’ve ever known! 





DISCUSS


1. What is your town, village or city called? Can you translate it into English? Is there a story behind the name?


2. Do you have a favourite shop in your town? What does it sell? How often do you go there?


3. Is your town, village or city famous for anything? Has anyone important or famous lived there?


4. What was your town, village of city like 200 years ago?


5. Would you say your town, village or city is cosmopolitan?


6. Would you say your town is more lively in the daytime or the nighttime? Why?


7. Is there a market in your town? What things are bought and sold there?


8. Is your town, village or city easy to walk around? Are their pedestrianized areas?