Monday, 9 February 2015

Commuting dogs of Moscow

Reckon this as a reading comprehension exercise. Read the following article and answer to the question below: 

"Each morning, like clockwork, they board the subway, off to begin their daily routine amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.
But these aren't just any daily commuters. These are stray dogs who live in the outskirts of Moscow Russia and commute on the underground trains to and from the city centre in search of food scraps.
Then after a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.
Experts studying the dogs, who usually choose the quietest carriages at the front and back of the train, say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop – after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train.
Scientists believe this phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, and Russia’s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the city centre to the suburbs.
Dr Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move together with their houses. Because the best scavenging for food is in the city centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway – to get to the centre in the morning, then back home in the evening, just like people.”
Dr Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute. He said: “They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed. They do it for fun. And sometimes they fall asleep and get off at the wrong stop.”
The dogs have also amazingly learned to use traffic lights to cross the road safely, said Dr Poiarkov. And they use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow.
With children the dogs “play cute” by putting their heads on youngsters’ knees and staring pleadingly into their eyes to
win sympathy – and scraps.
Dr Poiarkov added: <Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists.>"
SOURCE : http://www.thedogfiles.com/2011/03/21/moscow’s-wild-dogs-ride-subways-to-city-center-in-search-of-food/

Dr Poiarkov said: “Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists.” 
My questions is: Why is it so? Why are dogs good psychologists in a surprising way? 

Video "The Chaos" - 800 Irregularities of English Language




If you can pronounce every word in this poem correctly, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the English speaking population! 

"The Chaos" is a poem demonstrating the irregularity of English spelling. Written by Dutch writer, traveller, and teacher Gerard Nolst Trenité (1870–1946), it includes about 800 examples of irregular spelling and orthography. The first version has got 247 lines. This is a short version of 146 lines brought to you by Larisa Silas(aka me). 

It is also a mnemonic aid for learners of English who can never tell how to pronounce words encountered in writing. 

Many native English-speaking readers will find the poem a revelation.


Friday, 6 February 2015

Phrasal verbs (students "love" the most)


Phrasal verbs with "COME"



Phrasal verbs with "CATCH"




Phrasal verbs with "EAT"





Mixed phrasal verbs 




DO or MAKE


Tuesday, 3 February 2015

You can learn anything!






Listen carefully and fill in the gaps: 


Nobody's born smart. We all start at zero. Can't  , can't  , certainly can't ______ algebra. Adding, reading, writing,  a bike, nobody's good __ anything first. T______ ___ a time when Einstein couldn't  to 10, and Shakespeare had to learn his _____' s just like   of us.  ___________, we're born to learn. Slowly, surely, you  , slip, crawl,  , and ,and fall, frustrating,  , trying, struggling, until one day, you walk. One foot in front of   , one idea on top the next. Each  answer making your brain a little bit  . Failing is just another work for  . But you keep going. This is  . Knowing that you'll get it even if you haven't gotten it yet. Because the most beautiful,  concepts in the whole  are built on basic ideas that anyone can learn, anywhere can understand.  you are,  you are, you only have to know one thing: You can learn anything.


Do you believe it is possible to learn anything? What’s more important: talent or hard work?


21 English accents



                                 Respect for multi-accented people, like Amy here. 

Words commonly confused

MOMENTARY vs. MOMENTOUS


ADVICE vs. ADVISE
       

TRAVEL related errors



USUAL name or COMMON name


STRANGERS, FOREIGNERS or PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES


IN THE COUNTRY vs. IN NATURE



INDUSTRIAL vs. INDUSTRIOUS



JUDICIAL vs. JUDICIOUS


MATERFUL vs. MASTERLY


OFFICIAL vs. OFFICIOUS



POPULAR vs. POPULOUS


ROADS vs. STREETS



AT vs. TO




   GIVE or HAVE





NO vs. NOT