Explore English With Russie Issue 5

8/17/2019 Explore English With Russie Issue 5

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Issue 521st March 2016


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I had an incredible weekend, packed with

loads of local events but most importantly I

celebrated my 40th birthday. Someone said

that it is a real landmark for every woman

and I have just embarked on a new life

journey.

With hindsight last year I thought that I had

realised my biggest dream EVER but here I

am at the age of 40 feeling very confident,

however, with a lot more dreams.

This week Christians are getting ready for

Easter. I can´t wait to bake my hot cross buns

and enjoy them with a nice cuppa. In this

issue you will find out more about Easter

along with the tradition of English tea, and a

stunning photo technique which comes from

Taiwan.

From Russie with love

Dear reader

xam practice

FCE CAE CPE IELTS

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Page 17

Pages 3 & 4

Pages 10 & 11

Page 7


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Easter is the most impor-tant Christian festival. It isthe time when Christiansremember the last week of Jesus' life.

The custom of giving eggs

at Easter celebrates new

life. Christians remember that Jesus, after dying on

the cross, rose from the

dead. This miracle showed

that life could win over

death.

For Christians the egg is a

symbol of Jesus's resur-

rection, as when they are

cracked open they stand

for the empty tomb. No

one actually knows when

eggs were first used as

symbols at festival times

but it was long before Je-

sus' time. Eggs were al-

ways thought to be special

because although they do

not seem alive, they have

life within them especially

at springtime when chicks

hatch out.

Long ago people gave

gifts of eggs carved from

wood or precious stones.

The first sweet eggs that

were eaten were made in

the last 100 years fromsugar or marzipan. Since

then chocolate eggs have

become popular and these

are given on Easter Sun-

day.

In some countries parents

tell their children the East-

er Hare or Bunny has hid-

den chocolate eggs and

they race to find them

round the house or gar-

den. Children in other

countries decorate hard

boiled eggs at Easter time

by painting or dyeing them.


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Hot Cross uns

Hot cross buns,Hot cross buns,One a penny,

Two a penny,Hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters,If you have no sons,One a penny,Two a penny,Hot cross buns.

If your sons don't like

them,They're the only ones,One a penny,Two a penny,Hot cross buns.

I don't tell jokesand I don't tell puns,

One a penny,Two a penny,Hot cross buns.

Get them while they're hotand eat them by the ton,One a penny,Two a penny,Hot cross buns.

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IngredientsFor the buns

625g strong white flour, plus extra for dust-ing

1 tsp salt2 tsp ground mixed spice45g unsalted butter , cut into cubes, plusextra for greasing85g sugar 1 lemon, zest only1½ tsp fast-action yeast1 free-range egg275 tepid milk125g mixed dried fruit

For the topping2 tbsp plain flour

vegetable oil, for greasing1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing

Method

1 .For the buns, sieve the flour, salt and

ground mixed spice into a large mixing

bowl, then rub in the butter using your

fingertips. Make a well in the centre of the

mixture, then add the sugar and lemon zest

and yeast. Beat the egg and add to the flour

with the tepid milk. Mix together to a forma soft, dough.

2. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured

work surface. Carefully work the mixed

dried fruit into the dough until well com-

bined. Knead lightly for 5 minutes, or until

smooth and elastic.

3. Grease a large, warm mixing bowl with

butter. Shape the dough into a ball and

place it into the prepared bowl, then cover

with a clean tea towel and set aside in awarm place for one hour to prove.

4. Turn out the proved dough onto a

lightly floured work surface and knock

back the dough. Shape it into a ball

again and return it to the bowl, then

cover again with the tea towel and set

aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.

5. Turn out the dough onto a lightly

floured work surface and divide it into

12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a

ball, then flatten slightly into a bun

shape using the palms of your hands.

Cover the buns again with the tea towel

and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

6. Grease a baking tray with butter and

transfer the buns to the tray. Wrap thetray with the buns on it loosely in

greaseproof paper, then place inside a

large polythene bag. Tie the end of the

bag tightly so that no air can get in and

set aside in a warm place for a further

40 minutes to rise.

7. Preheat the oven to 240C

Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the

plain flour to a smooth paste with 2

tablespoons of cold water.8. When the buns have risen, remove

the polythene bag and the greaseproof

paper. Spoon the flour mixture into a

piping bag and pipe a cross on each bun.

9. Transfer the buns to the oven and

bake for 8-12 minutes As soon as you

remove them from the oven, brush

them with the hot golden syrup, then

set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy them!

HOT

CROSSBUNS

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It all started in the 1800's when

Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bed-ford, complained of "havingthat sinking feeling" during thelate afternoon. Shewanted somethingsmall to satisfy her hunger,just to seeher through till din-ner time.

During the 1880s

upper-class wom-en would change into longgowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which wasusually served in the drawingroom between four and fiveo'clock. The afternoon tea tra-dition was born inside thehouses of the rich and fortu-nate but once summer came

around they wanted to take

this fabulous time of day out-side into their beautiful gar-dens.

Moving their af-ternoon tea out-side meanteveryone in thehouse could enjoy it. Tea was afine delicacy at

this time and the people drink-ing it wanted the whole worldto know they could afford it. Sorich families would get their portraits painted with fine chi-na and exquisite teas featuredso people would know their extreme wealth.

Nowadays afternoon tea is a tradition that is a part of our lives;it is ever so quintessentially English, classic and elegant, andan enjoyable occasion for all whoever you choose to celebrateit with. We buy and collect fine teaware and host our ownparties. You can even buy a lovely tea cosy to keep your tea potwarm. (featured in the Photo quiz, Issue 4).

My favourite afternoon treat is a nice cuppa and scones withclotted cream and jam. Mmm, yummy.

“Classic &

elegant”

Ÿ Scones with clotted cream

and jam

Ÿ Cucumber sandwiches

Ÿ Apple crumble

Ÿ Carrot cake

Ÿ

Raspberry teacakesŸ Cherry and almond traybake

Ÿ Victoria sponge

Afternoon tea

You can enjoy your teawith any of these:


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Emmetts Garden is an Edwardian estate located near Sevenoaks in Kent. It

attracts its visitors with the breath-taking views of the North Downs, the splendid

rose garden and a wide range of flora. The garden boasts exotic plants from

around the world and has some splendid examples of magnolias which grow to

an enormous size.

Often described as a “hidden gem and plantsman´s paradise”, Emmetts Garden

is a great place to enjoy with family and friends. You can wander at your leisure

or enjoy a picnic among the lovely spring blue bells.

For opening times and local facilities, please, visit their website:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/emmetts-garden


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INDIRECT QUESTIONS

Last week we talked about how to form QUESTIONS in English. We said that the

following structure has to be followed:

(Question word) + Auxiliary verb+ Subject + Verb +...?

We often use INDIRECT QUESTIONS to ask for information in a more polite wayor to ask personal questions. After the introductory phrase, use the affirmativeform, not the question form.

For example:

Do you know what time the plane takes off?Not: Do you know what time does the plane take off?I wonder where Sarah is.

Not: I wonder where is Sarah.

In YES/NO questions, use IF/WHETHER + affirmative form:

E.g. I would like to know whether breakfast is included in the price.

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The following phrasesare often used to introduce INDIRECT QUESTIONS:

Do you know..?

Can I ask you...?

I was wondering...

I wonder...Do you mind me asking ...?

Would you mind telling me...?

I´d be interested to know...

Could you tell me...?

Practice time:Can you correct the mistakes

in the following questions:

1. Do you know how long

does the the film last?

2. I was wondering if

when he arrives.

3. Do you mind me askingwhere have you studied?

4. Can I ask you how much

does it cost?

5. Could you tell me where

is the Post Office?


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Phrasal verbs

With

“up”

To give up something

To stop doing or having

something

E.g. I have decided to give

up sugar.

To put someone upTo give someone a place to

stay

E.g. When you come to

Folkestone, we can put you

up in our house.

To turn up

To appear/ to happen

E.g. You don´t need an

invitation for the party,

just turn up when you are

free.

To look someone upTo visit or contact

someone

E.g. When you visitKent again, please,

look me up.

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XAM

RACTICE

We now take the first work-break at 10.20 am, ……(1)……to a survey. Half of us need …(2)…….early breather to get us through the working day and mostof us think we’ve worked hard …(3)………. by 10.20 am to have a rest, itseems. The poll ……(4)….1,400 workers found more than half of us usebreak time to put the kettle ……(5)………, a while quarter of us go online or text a friend. One …(6)……..five of us gossip with colleagues. The earliest

breaks are taken in Glasgow, at 9.53 am, while the Welsh wait…(7)………after 10.30 before stopping. The results reveal that we value our downtime to keep motivated, with 40% of us claiming we work faster to getsome free time, and half of us say performance suffers……(8)………… wedon’t get a break.

For FCE CAE CPE

and IELTS students

Read the text and fill in the gaps with an appropriate word:

Listening Comprehension Topic : Building Construction Level : B2 or above

You will hear a radio interview with the works manager of “BreemConstructions”,Kent. Listen carefully and answer the questions. Here is a link

to the Podcast:https://soundcloud.com/teacher-russie/james-frost-breem-construction

1. What does the presenter mean by saying that James is a “a hard guy to

pin down?

2. What time does the Harbour Arm open on Friday?

3. What was tricky for the builders ‘work?

4. Why did the builders have to be very sensible?

5. What happened last year?

Many thanks to Academy FM for this audio. The best local radio station.

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For FCE CAE CPE

and IELTS students

Help with Word Formation

Use the word at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the gap:

Ever felt you can't enjoy being happy in case you tempt fate?If so, you're not alone. Millions of people actively avoid…(1)…….. feelhappy because they think it will cause something ………(2)…..to disaster happen to them, research has revealed. New Zealand ……(3)……… psychologyhave found that we shy away from enjoying the moment because

we fear it leads to unhappiness and other…(4)……….. consequences. fortuneOthers - both in Western and Eastern cultures - avoid ……(5)………… happybecause they are convinced it makes them a …(6)……..person and others badmay see them as selfish, boring or shallow. People in non-Westerncultures, such as Iran and ……(7)…………countries, worry that their neighbourhoodpeers, an 'evil eye' or some other supernatural deity may resenttheir …(8)……s and they will eventually suffer any number of severe happyconsequences, the study found.

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●Read the whole text before you write your answers.

It will help you to to find out the overall meaning of the text.●Read each sentence carefully and think if you need to

write a verb/a noun/an adjective or an adverb●You may need to write a word in a negative form

or in the plural.


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“The Inconceivable Ice Macro-

Photography World” is the un-published and unique art exhi-bition created by thephotography art creator, Mr.Cheng-Yung Chiang. The pho-tographer, who currently livesin Taiwan, has been engaged

True Passion

for

Art

in photography for nearly 40years. He has worked as amanager for many weddingcompanies and a photographylecturer in a number of colleg-es. His photos have beenshown in many competitions.

What makes Cheng-Yung dif-ferent is his unique approachto capturing photos. He delib-erately creates ice-macro workby using indoor and outdoor living surrounding materials.This unprecedented creativetechnique makes viewers un-

derstand and praise the won-ders of nature and life. Hiswork is full of surprises andvitality and is a true inspiration.I am pleased to say thatCheng-Yung Chiang´s art willfeature on the “POSITIVE

THOUGHT” page in the maga-zine.

Thank you, Mr Chiang!

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The impossible becomespossible.

When we share laughter,There's twice the fun;When we share success,We've surpassed whatwe've done.When we share problems,There's half the pain;When we share tears,A rainbow follows rain.

When we share dreams,They become more real;When we share secrets,It's our hearts we reveal.

When we share

If we share a smile,That's when our love shows;

If we share a hug,That's when our love grows.If we share with someoneOn whom we depend,That person is alwaysFamily or friend. And what draws us closer And makes us all care,Is not what we have,

But the things that we share.


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The Art of Mistakes

STORY TIME

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“Mrs. Hamilton, I need anew piece of paper. I don’tlike my drawing! I drew the

house too small,”moanedthe new student standingat my desk. He showedme his art work, which re-flected twentyminutes of ………(1)……..effort and advanced artis-tic skill for a fifth grader.“You have so much detailcompleted already. Let’ssee if we can think of a

way to fix it,” Iempathized. “Mistakes areoften a great opportunity to…………(2)……… your art work.”Students I’d had the previ-ous year, some since kin-dergarten, knew two of theguiding principles inmy art room were creativeexploration and selfexp-

ression. New studentswere often………(3)….andeasily frustrated, whichsometimes led to torn-uppapers or smashed clay.“Let me tell you about amistake I made while cre-ating wall murals in some-one’s home,” I began.

Read the story and decide where the following words go:

Enhance, solution, reminiscing, diligent, dramatically, insecure

“One was a painting in alittle girl’s bathroom. After spending the morning

planning and sketching, Ipainted a dog. I made himover four feet tall so that itlooked like he was holdingthe bar for her towel.”Gesturing with a paint-brush in the air for empha-sis I went on, “While I wasputting the finishingtouch on the black dog col-

lar, the paint dripped onpart of the wall where Iwas not supposed topaint.”Nearby students ex-changed smiles andstopped what they weredoing to listen.“It was a wall! I couldn’tthrow it away and startover,” I said

…………(4)………. tostress the extent of mycrisis. “I had to figure out away to fix it.”I paused a few moments togive him time to consider what he would have done,then continued:“So I studied the paintingfor a while until I thought of

a way to cover the spot: Iadded a red heart-shapeddog tag over it, and includ-

ed the little girl’s initials.”“Did the little girl like thepainting?”“The next day my clientcalled to tell me her daughter loved the paint-ing, and she was thrilledwhenshe spotted her initials onthe dog tag,” I replied, ac-centuating the

……(5)……..to the prob-lem.“So when you make a mis-take, make somethinggood out of it!” chanted theother kids, who hadheard me say this before!


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STORY TIME

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Since retiring from teaching artin the public schools five yearsago, I’ve maintained a friend-ship with some of my studentsand their families. I recentlyoverheard two of my past stu-dents, now in college,……(6)………….. about their experiences in my classes.They both chanted, “When you

make amistake, make somethinggood out of it!”

An extract from“Chicken Soup for theSoul - Think Positive”

By Kevin Sorbo and Amy Newmark

Continues from page 12

TEACHERS

WHO LOVE

TEACHING,

... TEACH CHILDREN

TO LOVE

LEARNING


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THE GOOD LIFE

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Today’s most heartwarming story is broughtfrom a beach in Brazil. It’sthe story of a South American Magellan pen-guin that swims 5,000miles each year to be re-united with the man whosaved his life.Retired bricklayer and

part time fisherman JoaoPereira de Souza, who’s71, lives in an island vil-lage just outside Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, and hefound the tiny penguin,covered in oil and close todeath, lying on rocks onhis local beach in 2011.Joao cleaned the oil off the penguin’s feathers

and fed him a diet of fishto build his strength. After a week, he tried torelease the penguin backinto the sea, but, the birdwouldn’t leave. ‘Hestayed with him for 11months and then, just af-ter he changed his coatwith new feathers, he dis-

appeared,’ Joao recalls. And, just a few monthslater, Dindim was back.He spotted the fishermanon the beach one day andfollowed him home.For the past five years,Dindim the penguin hasspent eight months of theyear with Joao and is

believed to spend the restof the time breeding off the coast of Argentinaand Chile. It’s thought heswims up to 5,000 mileseach year to be reunitedwith the man who savedhis life.‘No one else is allowed totouch him. He pecks

them if they do. He layson his ‘daddies’ lap, letshim give him showers,allows him to feed himsardines. And, just like that, theworld seems a kinder place again.

From

http://www.theepochtimes.com/

Penguin swims 5,000 miles every year for reunionwith the man who saved his life


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TIDBITS

• Et cetera et-set-ter-eh NOT ecc-set-

ter-eh• Bruschetta

Brew-sket-a to be truly Ital-ian NOT Brew-shet-a• Greenwich

Gen-itch NOT Green-witchor Green-itch

TRY TESTING THE 3 TRICKIEST

WORDS TO PRONOUNCE

chetta' has 25 per cent of peo-

ple regularly stumped.The study found a quarter of us (23 per cent) feel so wor-ried about getting words likethese wrong they even asksomeone else to say them.One in six embarrassedspeakers (17 per cent) con-fess to stopping the conversa-tion and apologising for getting mixed up.

However, it seems men areless self-conscious with 35per cent of males saying theydo not care if they mispro-nounce something.

Based on my teaching experi-ence, I have to say that Eng-lish learners find the followingwords really hard to pro-nounce:

● Picturesque● Forward● Choir ● Penguin● Literature

Which words areyou strugglingwith?

More than three-quarters of

us struggle with commonwords and place names, withespresso and prescriptionamong the most difficult topronounce, according to re-searchers. A new study says that 82% of us regularly trip over our words, with women gettingmost tongue-tied by everyday terminology. And place

names can be particularlyconfusing, according to thestudy.The Cambridgeshire city of 'Ely' is the most commonlymispronounced word, withmore than half of us (59 per cent) getting it wrong. And one in six (16 per cent)speakers don´t pronouncethe south-east London dis-

trict of 'Greenwich' correctly.The study discovered nearlyhalf of us can't pronounce'sherbet' (40 per cent), while34 per cent stumble over 'etcetera'.Nearly a quarter of women(20 per cent) find commonwords such as prescription'and 'espresso' difficult to say,and 24 per cent of people gettongue-tied saying 'often'.Researchers who have com-piled a list of the words wefind hardest to pronouncesay the Italian starter 'brus- 17


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CROSSWORD

Across4. a game played at Easter when the children look for hidden eggs(2 words)6. a container for holding or carrying things7. a small sweet bread roll eaten in England around Easter (3 words)

Down1. the time when Jesus Christ returned to life again after his death2. willing abstinence or reduction from certain or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time

3. people who believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ5. a period of 40 days before Easter 6. a child´s word for rabbit

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FUN WITH ENGLISH

WORD SEARCH

Can you find thefollowing types of Landscapehidden in theword search?river mountainhillvalleyplainlake

PHOTO QUIZ

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What is this structure called?


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SUBSCRIPTION

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Answers from Issue 4

Exam Practice- page 101-as, 2- been , 3-was, 4-to, 5-after, 6-from , 7-of, 8-then

Listening Comprehension- page 101-youth, 2-nets, 3-run , 4-inspected 5- maintenance , 6-facilities, 7-10

Word formation- page 111-saddest, 2-present, 3- argument, 4-gracefully, 5-objections,6-patience, 7-viewed

Grammar corner- page 81-When did Sarah go…?2-How long is ..? 3-Why are the children playing..? 4-Howmuch does the T-shirt cost? 5-Does Sophie know Peter? 6-Had she been waiting ..?

Story time- page 121-c 2-e, 3-b, 4-f, 5-a, 6-d

CrosswordAcross 2-earache, 5-sore throat, 7-stomachache, 8-fever Down 1-toothache, 3-cough

4-backache 6-hurt

Photo QuizTea cosy-a cover placed over a teapot in order to keep the tea warm

Brainteaser S, O, N.- The first letters for the next three months( September, October, November)

And finally…

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Contact details:[email protected]://www.englishwithrussie.co.uk/


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Front cover-Emmetts Garden, Kent

Back cover-

A d i C b

Documents

Explore English With Russie Issue 5