Month: January 2014
A Sunday Kind of Love
Happy Sunday! Here is a song by soul singer Etta James (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012). You can learn more about Etta James here, here and here. You can also listen to one of her most famous songs, “At Last” . Listen to the song, read the lyrics and sing it to a friend. Enjoy…
Read the lyrics below…Read More »
Goals! Goals! Goals!
New Year’s is a time for people to make resolutions and set goals. Class 3A recently wrote about their goals – click here to read about their hopes, their dreams, their schemes for the future. The image above contains the most common words in Class 3A’s writing – and the bigger, the word is, the more it was used. As you can see, the biggest word is “English.”
Here’s one student’s essay:
My Goal
Yan Wang
Class 3A
My goal is to get a good job. I want to be a business lady and work in an international trading company. To reach my goal, I need to take an English class to improve my English. I think it will take me about two years. Meanwhile, I need to learn more about American culture and American government regulations. Then, I think I need to participate in some job fairs to get experience like interview skills. I can start from a basic position.
Forgetting all of the past and starting again is very hard. But if I don’t give up, I’ll reach my goal.
Click here to read more student writing.
Idiom of the Week: Bite the Hand That Feeds You
Meaning: To hurt or be unkind to someone who supports you.
Examples:
Be kind to your parents – don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
She was very angry with her boss, but she decided to keep quiet and not bite the hand that feeds her.
No one ever helps him anymore because he always bites the hand that feeds him.
Pop Quiz:
Who would say “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!”?:
A. A parent whose child is misbehaving.
B. A waiter who gets a big tip.
C. A dentist who has a nervous patient.
To see the correct answer, click on “Continue reading”:
New Year, New Mayor
In the photo above, the new New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (right) is sworn in by former president Bill Clinton (left) on January 1st, 2014. De Blasio’s wife and children stand in the middle.
About the New Mayor
Age: 52
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York
Family: Chirlane McCray (wife), Chiara (daughter), and Dante (son)
Education: B.A. in Metropolitan Studies from New York University, Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University
Previous Jobs: Political Organizer, Volunteer Coordinator, Mayoral Aide, Regional Director for HUD, Campaign Manager, City Council Member, Public Advocate
Political Party: Democrat
Other Fun Facts: He and his family took the subway to his swearing-in ceremony; his family is of Italian and German descent; he’s a Boston Red Sox fan; he’s 6 feet 5 inches tall (1.96 meters)
To read De Blasio’s inauguration speech, click on “Continue reading”: