the Whiteboard: February 2025

Friday, February 28, 2025

Compound nouns / Describe objects using only paraphrasing

Practice the grammar here (defining relative clauses)

Using relative clauses to define something (without naming it)

What is it? Defining things.

Using a defining relative clause

It's something that helps ships.

It's something that has a bright light in it.

It's something (that) you see on the coast.

It's something that is tall.

It's something (that) you can see from far away.

Using clauses of purpose to define something (without naming it)

It's used to guide ships in the night.

It's used by sea captains and sailors.

It's used in sea navigation.

It's essential for safety at sea.

It's used on coasts and on reefs and islands.

Other ways to define something (without naming it)

It's made of concrete and glass.

It's often painted white.

It sometimes has a “keeper”. (like a goalkeeper or shop keeper)

36 compound nouns

lighthouseeggslicertypewriterlogcabinpitchforkbirdcageflashlighatrockingchairhotairballooneggbeaterkingcobabandrotundaicecreamsundaeroulettewheellifeboatsidecarspiralstaircasemexicanhatpetcarrierfishpondbirdbathfeatherboahorsesaddleloudspeakerprayingmantishardhatnuclearmissileicebergworkbenchchairlifthandtrolleytadpolerockpoolfruitplatteroverallsdoublesidedtapehulahoopballandchaincocktailumbrellaabreadqueugolfcart

Lighthouse

Egg slicer

Typewriter

Log cabin

Pitchfork

Birdcage

Flashlight

Rocking chair

Hot air balloon

Eggbeater

King cobra

Band rotunda

Ice cream sundae

Roulette wheel

Lifeboat

Sidecar

Spiral staircase

Mexican hat

Pet carrier

Fishpond

Birdbath

Feather boa

Horse saddle

Loudspeaker

Praying mantis

Hardhat

Nuclear missile

Iceberg

Workbench

Chairlift

Hand trolley

Tadpole

Rockpool

Fuit platter

Overalls

Double-sided tape

Hula hoop

Ball and chain

Cocktail umbrella

Bread queue

Golf cart

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

What a driverless world could look like

What if traffic flowed through our streets as smoothly and efficiently as blood flows through our veins? Transportation geek Wanis Kabbaj thinks we can find inspiration in the genius of our biology to design the transit systems of the future. In this forward-thinking talk, preview exciting concepts like modular, detachable buses, flying taxis and networks of suspended magnetic pods that could help make the dream of a dynamic, driverless world into a reality.

Some words

Remedy

Patina

Congestion

Network

Vascular system

Urban

vein

The driverless future

Before watching: Imagine the world with completely autonomous transport. What does it look like?

What is Wanis's strange pleasure?

A) Drinking wine

B) Looking down on cities from above

C) Driving through cities

Which cities have a patina of history?

_____________ and ____________

What was the remedy for congestion in Paris?

Why are network expansions impossible for many cities (3 reasons)

1.______________

2.______________

3.______________

What is “the world's most sophisticated transportation laboratory”? - The ____________ system.

What is the difference between our urban systems and our vascular system?

Why do we not have traffic jams in our veins?

What is the problem with urban trains?

What is the solution?

What are self-driving cars trying to learn at the moment?

The more _____________ our traffic grid will be, the more ___________ and _______ its movement will feel.

The driverless future

Quantifiers

We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.

The following quantifiers will work with count nouns:
      many trees
      a few trees
      few trees
      several trees
      a couple of trees
      none of the trees

The following quantifiers will work with non-count nouns:
      not much dancing
      a little dancing
      little dancing
      a bit of dancing
      a good deal of dancing
      a great deal of dancing
      no dancing

The following quantifiers will work with both count and non-count nouns:
      all of the trees/dancing
      some trees/dancing
      most of the trees/dancing
      enough trees/dancing
      a lot of trees/dancing
      lots of trees/dancing
      plenty of trees/dancing
      a lack of trees/dancing

Practice and learn more here

Practice by speaking

Think about cities

What do cities need? Think of some basics.

What problems can cities have?

1. Too much ____________________

2. Not enough ___________________

3. A lack of ______________________

4. Too many _____________________

5. Almost no ____________________

What would the ideal city have?

1. At least a bit of _______________

2. Not too many ________________

3. Plenty of ____________________

4. Not too much ________________

5. A variety of _________________

6. As little ___________ as possible.

7. Enough ____________________

8.An abundant supply of _________________

9. A few good __________________

10. Very little __________________

Monday, February 24, 2025

Hands, feet, face!

Hands Up

Target Language

Health, body and clothing

Body parts

History

Aims

To understand vocabulary related to health, body and clothing

To use similes, idioms, and other expressions

Understand a 3-minute video on the history of a popular item of footwear

Vocabulary in context

1. What size shoe do you wear?

2. What English words do you know to describe your feet?

3. Do you know any other words for "to walk"?

4. What sort of walking do these words describe?

to pace

to march

to wander

to trudge

to limp

to stomp

to hike

5. Write down as many types of footwear as you can

sneakers, sandals, loafers, boots, flip-flops, high heels, slippers, gumboots, platforms....

6. Do you own a lot of shoes?

Image result for The curious origin of the high heel

The Curious History of the High Heel

Vocabulary focus - match

military

saddle

bow

Shah

emissaries

adopted

to emulate

Persia

manly and butch

rational

sentimental

erotic

pin up

Modern-day Iran

to do with war

seat on the back of a horse

diplomats

masculine

objective

sexy

King

borrowed

to copy

emotional

poster of a naked woman

weapon for shooting arrows

Questions - part 1

1. What part of the world did high heels start out?

2. What were they used for originally?

3. Why did women start to wear high heels?

4. What colour were Louis XIV's heels?

5. In the 1600s / 1700s / 1860s women adopted high heels.

6. In the 1600s / 1700s / 1860s high heels began to be used in pornography.

Part two - predict then check

1. You can usually tell if someone is wearing high heels without seeing their feet.

2. Wearing high heels changes the shape of your spine.

3. High heels are good for your health.

Listen to 1.40 - listen for the order of the adjectives

brand new

erotic

small

sentimental

rational

sexy

stable

manly

tremendous

Check

tremendous

stable

manly

small

sentimental

rational

sexy

brand new

erotic

What do the following foot-related idioms mean? Match

1. a foot in the door

2. swept off (one's) feet

3, itchy feet

4. to kiss someone’s feet

5. to step on someone’s toes

6. to stand in someone else’s shoes

7. be out of step

8. take a step back

9. one step ahead

10. to overstep

11. a false step

12. step-mother

13. Achilles’ heel

14. head over heels

A. see through some else's eyes

B. wanting to travel

C. worshipping sb

D. annoy sb

E. a fatal weakness

F. deeply in love

G. a bit behind

H. a bit ahead

I. a mistake

J. get some perspective

K. go too far

L. dad's new partner

M. a chance to get into a career

N. overwhelmed

Feet, head, face and hands

Song - One Step Ahead

vocab:

(one / a) step ahead

solitude

instead

to lose your head

confess

keep an open mind

aloneness

stay objective / neutral

more advanced

rather

admit

lose self-control

1. In the middle of an argument I _____ my ______ and started shouting.

2. I was going to phone but wrote _______

3. I must ______ that I don't like raw fish.

4. Some people really enjoy a bit of _____ from time to time.

5. For our company to succeed, we need to keep ________ of the competition.

6. Try to ________ about that student, he's having a tough time at home.

One step ahead of youstay in motion, keep an open mindLove is a race won by twoYour emotion, my solitude

If I stop I could lose my headSo I'm losing you insteadEither way I'm confusedYou slow me down, what can I do?There's one particular way I have to choose

One step ahead of youAlways someone makes it hard to moveShe says, Boy I want you to stayBut I save it all for another day

If I stop I could lose my headBut I'm ready for romanceEither way I'm confusedI don't know what I'm supposed to doI can only stayOne step ahead of you

Da, da, da, da, daDa, da, da, daDa, da, da, daDa, da, da, dumb

Stop, I confess sometimesI don't know where I'm goingPart of me stays with you,I'm slowing down, what can I doIt's hard to stay one step ahead of you(Uh huh)

One step ahead of youTime is running outCatching up with youOne step ahead of youWhen I hold you closeCan I really lose?One step aheadOnly one step aheadShe's one step ahead of you

Try to say this with your face only

I'm smarter than you

Are you coming with me?

I don't trust you

Are you joking?

Hurry up!

I don't believe you

I'm sad

I'm starting to get annoyed

I'm bored

I think that guy is trying to get your attention

I'm trying to be as patient as possible

There's somebody behind you

oh no!

I feel great today

I think you know I'm right

Are you really THAT stupid?

No No No

Yes yes yes

aha!

WHOLE FACE

Do you have a good poker face, or can people read you like a book?

Which feature of your face are you most proud of?

he screwed up his face

she scrunched up her face
he grimaced
she winced

she gave him a dirty look
he frowned
she scowled
he glowered

her whole face lit up
she brightened

his face went blank

her face contorted
his face twisted

her expression closed up
his expression dulled
her expression hardened
she went poker-faced

a vein popped out in his neck

awe transformed his face
fear crossed her face
sadness clouded his features
terror overtook his face
recognition dawned on her face