Are all of your memories real?

1. Where the people in the study lying?

2. Are our memories reliable?

As or like?

If you don't always know the difference between as and like, click on the link below. You'll even find some exercises to practise:

As v. like

Idiom

year dot/year one Meaning: You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago. For example: There have been people living in Australia since the year dot, but Europeans have only been there for about two hundred years. People have been interested in the stars and the moon since the year one.

Bread & Butter Idioms

 

The History of Greenland

Greenland is the biggest ....................... in the world.

Why is it called Greenland?

What are Northern Lights?

Why did walrus ivory stop being worth buying?

Why did the Thule survive?

Who was Hans Egede?

What is Self-Rule?

How many languages do young people in Greenland speak?

Idiom

 

Idiom

show your true colours  Meaning: You show your true colours if you show what you're really like, or you reveal your true character. For example: Bob always acts like he's a strong, brave guy, but when the hurricane hit he showed his true colors. He was too scared to go check on old Mrs Flowers, our next-door neighbour.

Criminal Psychologist Explains The Twisted Mind Of Jeffrey Dahmer

Gabriela and I spoke about Jeffrey Dahmer today. This notorious serial killer had an unhappy childhood, but not everybody who has experiences similar to his grows up to be a murderer. 

This leads us to the old debate: nature versus nurture. Did he became a psychopath because of the experiences he lived as a kid or was he born bad? What do you think?

Upper Intermediate English Grammar Quiz 20 Questions and Answers

ENGLISH LEVEL TEST. Are you C1 level (advanced)?

Blue Monday

Two days ago it was Blue Monday. Can you explain what that means?

Idiom (source English Club)

a couch potato Meaning: You can say someone's a couch potato if they're very lazy and they spend a lot of time sitting around watching TV and eating junk food. For example: Since he lost his job, Marty has become a couch potato. How can you expect to feel good and look good if you're a couch potato? If you turn off the TV, get some exercise, and eat healthy food, you'll soon look good and feel great.

Small Pizza

While working at a pizza parlor, I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone, and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into four pieces or six pieces.

 

He thought about it for some time before responding. "Just cut it into four pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat six pieces."

 

Hilarious NHS Advert 2025 (Parody)

What does NHS stand for?

Born Different

How tall is Megan?

What is the name of her condition?

How many people in the world have it?

Why is it difficult for her students to understand she's older than them?

What is the only thing she was told she shouldn't do?

What is Megan's  biggest challenge?

Does she like the school where she works?

What is her advice?

Agatha Christie

If you click on the link below you'll be able to listen to a rare 1955 interview with Agatha Christie:

BBC Culture

Idiom

keep your word Meaning: If you keep your word, you do what you promised to do. For example: You can trust Bashir. If he's made a promise, he always keeps his word. I'm sure you would have kept your word and helped us out if it was possible, so don't feel bad about it. Questions 1. Do you always keep your word? 2. How do you say this in your language?

Dog Idioms

 Do you know all the idioms below?

Upstairs, downstairs: The life of a British maid

1. What does fast friends mean?

2. What is a suffragette?

Fruit Idioms

 

Reading Text

Civil War is frightening, because supplies are scarce and people are fighting. It is not fun for people who stay home and have to take care of their homes and towns, but it is especially hard on the soldiers. One woman set out to help as many soldiers as she could during the Civil War, even on the front lines of the battlefield! Her name was Clara Barton. 

Clara Barton was born in 1821 in Massachusetts. She worked hard from a young age, helping around the house and taking care of her older siblings. When she was seventeen, she decided to work as a teacher. At that time, men were paid a lot more to work the same jobs as women. Clara worked hard to make sure she got paid the same amount as men for doing the same job. She continued fighting for equal rights for women when she worked in an office in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1850s. 

The Civil War began in 1861. Clara knew some soldiers who became injured in nearby battles, so she went to help them by gathering medical supplies, giving the supplies to the soldiers who needed them, and sometimes helping to nurse the soldiers back to health.

She wanted to help even more soldiers, so she sent letters asking for help, and placed advertisements in magazines to ask people to donate supplies for the soldiers. She traveled with the army to different battles around the country, gathering supplies and taking care of soldiers. She would care for soldiers not just in hospitals, but on the actual battlefields, putting herself in danger. One time she was caring for a soldier when a bullet went right through her sleeve! She was very lucky not to get hurt. The soldiers were glad to see her, though, and she became known as the “Angel of the Battlefield.” 

After the Civil War was over, Clara still wanted to help. She decided to help by tracking down missing soldiers so that their families would know what happened to the soldiers. She worked very hard for many years, but then became sick. Her doctor told her to take some time to rest, so she went to Europe. While in Europe, Clara learned about the Red Cross organization. She wanted to bring the Red Cross to America, so that she could continue to help as many people as possible. She returned to the United States of America, and in 1881, the American Red Cross began, with Clara as the president of the organization. The American Red Cross gathered supplies to help people who needed relief from floods, tornados, and other disasters. She was president until 1904, but continued to help people by teaching first aid strategies and ways to be prepared for emergencies, so more people could help others. 

Clara Barton died in 1912, when she was 90 years old. She was a hero to many people because she was brave on the battlefield, helped people of all kinds, and began an organization that still helps people today.

Source: K5 Learning

Clara Barton PDF

Idiom

What is the meaning of the expression to put your foot in your mouth?

Domestic chores

Although a bright and able man, my husband is almost completely helpless when faced with even the simplest domestic chore.

 

One day, in exasperation, I pointed out to him that our friend, Betty had taught her husband Frank, to cook, sew and do laundry, and that if anything ever happened to Betty, Frank would be able to care for himself.

 

Then I said, "What would you do if anything happened to me?"

 

After considering that possibility for a moment, my husband said happily, "I'd move in with Frank."

 

How To Write Your CV

The British Council explains how to write a CV. Click on the link below to read what they say:

How To Write a CV

I hope this helps.

What do you think of this initiative?

Idiom

 

Personification

Personification represents nonhuman entities as if they had human qualities. For example, the sentence "The leaves danced in the wind" personifies the leaves because it describes them as if they had the ability to dance. Anthropomorphism portrays a nonhuman entity as if it had human traits, feelings, and behaviours.

Below you have an example written by me. Can you write your own?

The shy moon hid behind the clouds. She didn’t want to be seen. She didn’t care if the beggar in the street couldn’t find his way. She was too afraid. Some days, she felt braver and she showed her face in all her glory, but it never lasted long.

In the meantime, in a quiet neighbourhood down below, a dustbin ran away from a racoon. She refused to be overturned once again. She’d had it with the little beast. He was so incredibly annoying. Why did people say racoons were cute? She couldn’t understand.

The dustbin crashed into a hedge and the hedge cursed under his breath.

‘Look where you are going, you idiot!’

'I can’t see a thing. There’s no moon.’

‘Not my fault. Besides, why are you running? Aren’t you supposed to be standing outside a house?’

‘I'm tired of being that racoon’s plaything.’

‘What racoon?’

‘The one who’s running after me. He was trying to eat my food.’

‘What do you care? It’s trash.’

Something slapped the air and a shush was heard.

‘Will you two stop talking?’ an elderly willow said. 'I’m sleepy, I need my rest. In a few hours children will wake me up with their shouts on their way to school.’

The tree’s rumbling voice scared everyone into silence. No more moving, no more talking. A lonely rucksack a girl had lost that morning settled back into sleep and wondered when her owner would come back to pick him up.

No Talking

After my husband and I had a huge argument, we ended up not talking to each other for days.

 

Finally, on the third day, he asked where one of his shirts was.

 

"Oh," I said, "So now you're speaking to me."

 

He looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

 

"Haven't you noticed I haven't spoken to you for three days?" I challenged.

 

"No," he said, "I just thought we were getting along."

Questions:

Can you think of a synonym for argument?

What is the meaning of to get along?

What do you think of this?