English Today

Happy New Year!

English Today wishes you a very happy and successful New Year 2012.

 

Christmas Lunch - Reading Comprehension

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions which follow . Complete sentences are not necessary but your answers must be accurate!

The English are not particularly famous for their tasty food.
However, there are occasions when even the English do
themselves proud, and one of these is Christmas. Christmas for
the English is a time of "goodwill and peace to all men", a time
when children are spoilt silly and stay up all night, and grown
ups have no guilt feelings about being extra lazy and self­
indulgent. It is a time when relations are nice to each other,
when they sing carols together and eat, drink, and make merry
to their heart's content.

Preparations for the next Christmas begin almost as soon as the
last one is over. The famous Christmas pudding, which consists
of raisins, dates and an assortment of nuts and brandy, is made
immediately after the previous Christmas and is left to mature
for a whole year. The goose, turkey or duck - most people have
turkey these days, is bought some days in advance and hung to
allow it to become tender and acquire flavour. On Christmas
day, it is thoroughly cleaned and then stuffed. Two stuffmgs are
generally used; a herb stuffmg, consisting of bread mixed with
herbs, spices and onions, and a chestnut stuffmg. The bird is
placed in a hot oven and allowed to roast slowly for between
three and six hours. The pudding is steam-boiled in water for
about an hour.

After a glass of sherry or mulled wine, heated red wine with
sugar, cloves and a little brandy, the meal proper begins. The
first course is something light, either sliced melon or grapefruit,
often with a sugared sherry on top. This whets the appetite and
prepares the palate for the main course. The bird, which by this
stage should be crisp and brown, is cut into slices and served
with stuffmg, roast potatoes and a variety of vegetables, the
favourites being Brussels sprouts and carrots. All this is
accompanied by a rich brown gravy poured over everything.
Then comes the pudding. It is taken out of its bowl, steaming
hot, and brandy is poured over it and lit, so that the pudding,
often with a bit of holly stuck in the top, arrives at the table
flambe. It is served with brandy butter (brandy mixed with
butter) and whipped cream. Those who still have an empty
corner somewhere finish off with cheese - Stilton or Cheddar,two famous English cheeses. Throughoutthe meal, of course, red or white wine is drunk.

When the meal is over, people retire to the sitting- room for
brandy, liqueurs or coffee to gather strength for the washing-up.
Finally, the assembled company is jolted back to reality by the
lady of the house who reminds everyone about the washing-up.
Traditionally, this was done by the ladies, but today everybody,
regardless of age or status, pitches in. Some gather the dirty
dishes while others wash, dry and put away. Christmas day is
perhaps the only day of the year when noone begrudges lending a hand with the washing up.

 

1. What's Christmas like for the English?

2. What does Chistmas pudding consist of?

3.  Why is the bird hung a few days before Christmas?

4. What's mulled wine?

5.  What's the stuffing for the bird?

6. How does the Christmas pudding arrive at the table?

7.What's the gravy for?

8. What do the English eat after Christmas lunch if the 've still got an empty corner?

9. What do people do after the meal is over?

10. Who does the washing up?

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

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Report Writing

Guided Report Writing

Write a report on Milford Gym suggesting ways of attracting more young people and teenagers to the gym. Write between 150 and 200 words.

 

REPORT ON MILFORD GYM

PLAN

 

PLAN FOR A REPORT	SPECIFIC PLAN
Par.1 – state purpose of report	Describe Milford Gym and suggest ways of attracting young customers
Pars. 2-4 – main body	Facilities Classes Opening times and prices
Par. 5 – recommendations and conclusion	Recommendations / suggestions and conclusion

 

 

Introduction

This report describes Milford Gym and suggests ways of attracting younger customers.

 

Facilities

Milford Gym has one weightlifting and exercise room which contains a wide range of equipment from exercise bikes to rowing machines. There is also a studio for aerobics classes.

 

Classes

Aerobics classes are held every day. However, few people under the age of 25 attend these classes.

 

Opening Times and Prices

The gym is open 7 days a week from 7am-9pm. Membership is reasonably priced and costs £20 per month. However, subscriptions are for a minimum period of 6 months and must be paid in advance. Most young people are not able to afford this.

 

Recommendations

First of all, I suggest playing pop music in the weightlifting and exercise room so that young people can be encouraged to use this area. In addition, I recommend introducing some new classes, for example jazz or hip-hop dancing. It would also be a good idea to offer one-month subscriptions, which young people would be able to afford. If these changes are made, I am sure that there will be an increase in younger customers at the gym.

 

(188 words)

Put - Phrasal Verbs - Part 1

1. put aside / by = save money for future use

(aside often implies that the money is being saved for a certain purpose)

Examples:

He puts aside £30 a month to pay for his summer holidays.

BUT

Don't spend all your salary. Try to put something by each month.

2. put away = put something tidily out of sight (usually in drawers or cupboards)

Example:

Put your toys away, children! It's bedtime!

3. put something back = replace it where you found it

Example:

When you finish the book, put it back on the shelf.

4. put back a clock / watch = go back 1 hour

Example:

On  October 30, we had to put our clocks back.

Sometimes, this is used figuratively (as a metaphor) to mean "return to the customs of the past"

Example:

MOTHER: Your father and I will arrange a marriage when the time comes.

DAUGHTER: You are trying to put the clock back! Parents don't arrange marriages these days!

5. put down =

(a) stop holding something

Example:

He picked up the saucepan and put it down at once because the handle was almost red-hot.

(b) crush rebellions / movements

Example:

Troops were used to put down the rebellion.

( c ) write

Example:

Put down his phone number before you forget it.