"Yes" and "no" are some of the first words you learn in any language. Although such words are technically adverbs, they don't really modify verbs. Many language experts consider them to be sentence adverbs.
OK, alright, good.
Caption 117, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Cookie Jar
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The three words above are kind of like saying the same thing three times: "Yes, yes, yes." "OK" is often also spelled "okay." The spelling here of "alright," is not standard, but is very commonly used. The more formal way write it is with two words: "all right."
There are, however, stronger ways to say "yes" than "OK," "all right," and "good." Let's take a look today at some of these words and phrases.
It's the thing they make movies about. -Yeah, absolutely.
Caption 72, 16x9 - Cool Runnings: Truth Behind Original Jamaican Bobsled Team
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"Yeah" is an informal version of "yes." The adjective "absolute" means "to a very great or the largest degree possible." So when you say "absolutely," it's a very strong way of saying "yes."
I mean, the theory's been proven true, beyond all doubt.
Caption 16, TED-Ed: Questions No One Knows the Answers to
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If something is "beyond all doubt," then it's unquestionably true. The adverb "unquestionably" means, as the word suggests, that something is so true that should not be questioned. Of course, even things that are scientifically proven may be questioned, otherwise science would make no progress! The phrase "beyond a doubt" means the same thing but less forcefully. You'll hear the phrase "beyond all reasonable doubt" used as a legal phrase in court cases.
So, by all means be responsible global citizens.
Caption 54, Great Barrier Reef: Incredible Facts
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"By all means" is a strong way of saying "yes." "Means," in this context, are the ways that something can be done. The person above could have said "So yes, be responsible global citizens." But using the phrase "by all means" instead of "yes" makes the statement stronger.
Ah, two for dinner? -Uh, yes. Two please. -Certainly. Sit right down.
Captions 119-121, Oscar® Nominated Short Films: The Absent-Minded Waiter with Steve Martin
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"Certainly" is related to the adjective "certain," which means "to have no doubt or knowing exactly that something is true."
Are you going to the canteen? -Of course.
Captions 6-7, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four: BBC TV Movie
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The phrase "of course" comes from an old meaning of the noun "course," which is the path a ship takes in a river. The original phrase was "of the ordinary course," which later became "a matter of course." Now "of course" can be a way to say "yes" or to affirm something.
Hope you don't break a leg. -Yeah, for sure.
Captions 38-40, New Year's Resolutions: Lele Pons & Hannah Stocking
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"For sure" is a less formal way to say "certainly."
Further Learning
Look up the above words and phrases on Yabla English to see them used in different contexts.
There are a number of words in modern English that have been borrowed from the German language. These are mostly words that were adopted in the United States and the United Kingdom starting in the 19th century. Let's take a look today at some food and beverage related English words that come from German.
Save them for a stir-fry or noodle bowl later in the week.
Caption 24, Rainbow Plant Life: 20 Minute Vegan Meals EVERYONE Should Know
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A noodle is a long thin strip made of wheat or rice and boiled in water. You often find noodles in Italian and Asian dishes. The noun "noodle" comes from the German word Nudel, which is pronounced the same too. Note that "noodle" is also a slang word for a foolish or simple person. Also, if someone says "use your noodle," it means to use your brain to think about something!
I've got five hundred grams of strawberries here... and I want to blitz these now.
Captions 4-6, Nigella's Recipes: Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
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The word "blitz" came into the English language during the German Air Force attacks on Great Britain from 1940 to 1941. The Nazi propaganda called their victories in those years Blitzkrieg, which means "lightning war." The Brits called the time of the German air attacks "The Blitz," and the word is still used in English today. Later, especially in the UK, "blitz" began to be used as a verb too. In the caption above, "to blitz" means "to mix food in a mixing machine."
I poured the old ginger beer down the sink.
Caption 6, Ed Sheeran: Supermarket Flowers
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Beer is an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink usually brewed from hops and malt. Ginger beer is non-alcoholic and tastes sweet and bit sharp from the ginger root that is in it. There is also a drink called ginger ale that is very similar to ginger beer. Most people probably know that the English word "beer" comes from the German Bier, which is also pronounced the same.
She almost spilt her lager.
Caption 30, Pete Doherty: Last of the English Roses
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Lager is a style of beer developed in Germany. The original German word Lager comes from the word for "storage," as the beer was originally brewed and stored in cool caves. The word "lager" has come to be used as a general term for beer, especially in the UK. Young men who drink too much and behave badly are even called "lager louts."
Later, the Germans arrived selling pretzels from delicatessens.
Caption 10, The History of English: American English
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Pretzels are a snack food, and a delicatessen is a small grocery store, sometimes carrying delicacies and other specialities. "Pretzel" and "delicatessen" come from the German words Brezel and Delikatessen, which are pronounced similarly to the English words. A literal translation of Delikatessen is "delicate food." In English, delicatessens are often called "delis" for short.
...pickled vegetables like sauerkraut or vegan kimchi.
Caption 35, Rainbow Plant Life: 10 Tiny Changes to Improve Your Cooking
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Sauerkraut is made from fermenting cabbage in salt. A literal translation of the German word Sauerkraut is "sour cabbage," and it's indeed very sour! As a note, kimchi is a very spicy fermented food that's a bit similar to cabbage but has hot chilis too. That word has been adopted by English from the Korean language!
Further Learning
See more English words derived from German on Wikipedia, then search for some of the words on Yabla English to see them used in different contexts.
You may have seen recent news reports about flooding caused by heavy rains in Southern California. Let's take a look today at some English words related to rain.
And being so small, they pass through the sewage filters and straight out into our rivers and seas, especially at times of heavy rainfall.
Captions 58-60, TEDxBristol: Why Plastic Pollution is Personal | Natalie Fee
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Rain is the most general term for water falling from clouds out of the sky. The word "rainfall" is, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a steady fall of rain, as opposed to rain falling very briefly. In many cases, however, the words are interchangeable. You'll more likely hear about "the amount of rainfall" in a weather report.
There is freedom within, there is freedom without... trying to catch a deluge in a paper cup.
Captions 3-4, Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande: Don't Dream It's Over
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The noun "deluge" can mean a flood, but in its secondary meaning, it's defined as "a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity" and "a drenching rain." So if you want to mean a very, very heavy rain, deluge is a good word to pick. Notice that it is pronounced in two syllables with a soft "g."
Occasional strong downpours wash over the land during the summer and dry river beds fill up for a short time.
Captions 6-7, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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A downpour can generally mean anything pouring downward, but is also used to specifically mean a heavy rain. But it's not as heavy as a deluge, which may be flood-related.
There is constant rain, freezing rain, cloudbursts, steady rain, drizzle, mist, thundershowers, summer rain, winter rain, and pouring rain.
Captions 10-12, Piggeldy and Frederick: Rain
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A cloudburst is a sudden heavy rain that probably does not last a long time. A drizzle, on the other hand, is a fine misty rain—which brings us to mist: Mist is a rain that is so fine that the rainwater is nearly suspended in the air, and it's a bit like walking through a heavy cloud. Mist is like a heavier version of fog. A thundershower is a rain accompanied by thunder and its scientific cause—lightning.
April showers bring May flowers.
Caption 20, Sigrid: Spring Musings
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The term "thundershower" contains the word "shower," and much like the showers that we take when washing ourselves, is a kind of rain of short duration.
Back in the Yosemite Valley, the precipitation falls in the form of rain.
Caption 16, Project Earth: California, Unknown Beauty
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Precipitation is the scientific term for moisture that falls from the sky to earth. It can mean rain, snow, hail, sleet, or mist.
Another noun related to rain is sprinkle, which is related to sprinkler, a device which distributes water through hoses in gardens and on farms. A sprinkle suggests, in this context, a very light rain. Sometimes downfall is also used to mean rain, although it is more often used in a political context to mean a fall from power.
Further Learning
Watch the full length Piggledy and Frederick video above, as it's all about rain. You can also go to Yabla English and look up the other rain vocabulary words (cloudburst, deluge, downpour, drizzle, precipitation, rainfall, shower, and thundershower) to see them used in different contexts.
The noun "resolution" comes from the verb "to resolve," and both mean to make a serious decision about something. "Resolution" is probably most commonly used in spoken English when referring to a New Year's resolution.
So, I also wanted to talk for a second about New Year's resolutions.
Caption 23, Abiventures: Happy New Year
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Wikipedia defines a New Year's resolution as when "a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their behavior at the beginning of a calendar year." This is a tradition usually found in the Western World, but common to many cultures across the globe.
The most common way to express something you are going to do in the future is to use "going to" or "will":
I am going to travel more.
Caption 12, Sigrid explains: The Future
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I can say, "I will lose four pounds this year."
Caption 29, Sigrid explains: The Future
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One problem with New Year's resolutions is that almost everybody promises to change their behavior in some way, but statistically almost nobody does.
I don't really make any New Year's resolutions anymore because I learned early on that when I did, I never really followed through with the resolution.
Captions 2-4, Ashley Tisdale: Happy New Year!
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One reason people don't succeed with their resolutions is that they make unreasonable goals for themselves:
Mine is to pilot a commercial jet. -That's a good one too, Pheebs. Now all you have to do is find a plane load of people whose resolution is to plummet to their deaths.
Captions 13-16, New Year's Resolutions: Friends
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Unless Phoebe is already attending flight school and is far enough along that she can reasonably expect to be working this year, her goal is unrealistic.
All right, my New Year's resolution is to learn how to play guitar.
Caption 29, New Year's Resolutions Friends
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Here Joey, also a fictitious character in the TV series Friends, has a more realistic goal. Notice that as somebody who doesn't know how to play guitar yet, Joey didn't say his resolution is to headline as a guitarist in a world-famous band playing Madison Square Garden—Joey just wants to start learning to play guitar. This just requires buying a guitar, finding a guitar teacher, and taking the time to practice and attend lessons: realistic!
Further Learning
Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year? Have you started following through on them yet? If the resolutions you made are not realistic, maybe you can try to make a new resolution that you think you'll be able to keep! Watch some of the videos above on Yabla English and listen to the way people talk about their own New Year's resolutions.
Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is also commonly celebrated by non-Christian and non-religious people. The Muslim holiday Ramadan, the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, and the African American holiday Kwanzaa are also celebrated in December.
Christmas Day falls on the 25th of December, around the same time as the winter solstice, when we have the longest night and the shortest day.
Captions 11-13, Holidays and Seasons with Sigrid: Sights and Scents at Christmastime
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The timing of many December holidays has roots in pagan winter solstice festivals.
Melchior took gold, Gaspar, frankincense, and Balthazar, myrrh.
Caption 13, Children's Books Read Aloud: The Story of the Three Wise Kings
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Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar were kings who, according to the Christian Bible, visited the infant Christ with gifts. Frankincense and myrrh are aromatic wood resins that can be used in the making of perfumes. Today, these may not seem as valuable as gold, but in the ancient world, they were considered to be treasures worthy of royalty.
You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Caption 17, A Charlie Brown Christmas: True Meaning
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"Swaddling" is an antiquated word meaning strips of cloth, which in the old days were used to keep babies warm and restrict their movements. Today, it's almost exclusively used when referring to clothes worn by the infant Jesus. A "manger" is a box used in a stable to feed animals, but in the case of Jesus, his parents Mary and Joseph were so poor that they used a manger as a crib.
So just keep kissing me under the mistletoe...
Caption 20, Ed Sheeran: Merry Christmas ft. Elton John
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To get to some less religious Christmas traditions: Mistletoe is a plant with green leaves and berries, which is often found hanging above doorways at Christmas parties. Couples who find themselves standing under it are encouraged to kiss. Apparently, mistletoe was a fertility symbol in ancient times!
This is a traditional milk-based holiday drink. -What is eggnog? -Correct!
Caption 83, Delta's Holiday: In-Flight Safety Video
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Eggnog is indeed a milk-based drink that is traditionally offered during the Christmas holiday, but best beware: it tastes deceptively mild but may contain more alcohol than you expected!
And every mother's child is gonna spy to see if reindeer really know how to fly.
Captions 12-13, Clean Bandit: Christmas Special
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The legendary figure of Santa Claus soars through the night skies in a sleigh powered by magical flying reindeer, delivering presents to children around the world. A reindeer is a type of deer found in the far northern regions of Europe, Russia, and the Americas. Sorry to have to say this, but reindeer can't actually fly!
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose.
Captions 4-5, Minidisco: Cartoons
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Rudolph is the most famous of Santa's reindeer, and he has the extra special magical power of a bright red glowing nose, which according to Christmas lore, helps light the way for Santa's sled on dark and stormy nights. This story first originated in a book in 1939.
Further Learning
Watch the videos above and search Yabla English for "Christmas" to find some more vocabulary related to the holiday. And regardless of your beliefs or non-beliefs, we at Yabla wish you all happy holidays!
The five senses are sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.
We see with our eyes, but "to see" can also be used to mean "to understand" or "to realize." "To watch" something takes longer, like when we watch television. The verb "to look" can be transitive or intransitive. You can look at something to examine it or look (as in “outwardly appear”) a certain way.
Finally, I can see you crystal clear.
Caption 3, Adele: Rolling in the Deep
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Now I can see that we've fallen apart
Caption 27, Backstreet Boys: I Want It That Way
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Make sure you guys watch the whole video if you want to see all that footage.
Caption 22, Aspyn Ovard: What To Pack for Vacation! Tips + Essentials!
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Just look at all those acorns!
Caption 22, America's National Parks: Grand Canyon
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This may look like a massive body of water.
Caption 9, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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The difference between "hearing" and "listening" is a little like the difference between "seeing" and "watching." If you listen to a sound, what someone is saying, or music, you pay close attention rather than just noticing it with your ears.
Did you hear that?
Caption 54, Abiventures: Sandwich
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And then I always listen to music because it helps me work out better.
Caption 41, Harvard: A Day in the Life of a Harvard Student
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So, now listen to how I pronounce the following words.
Caption 8, British vs American English: Pronunciation Lesson
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Our sense of touch is about physical contact and how things feel. There are many phrases that use the idea of touch to describe different types of physical and metaphorical contact. "keep in touch" (remain in contact), "lose their touch," (lose their ability to do something), or "have the right touch" (have certain skills)."
If we touch his tail, he'll get frightened.
Caption 10, Nature & Wildlife: Wild Sharks
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He must be losing his touch.
Caption 42, ALF: Some enchanted evening
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And, of course, a pineapple just to add a touch of the tropics.
Captions 15-16, Tara's Recipes: Delicious Fruit Salad with Greek Yogurt
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Like "to look," the verbs "to smell" and "to taste" can be either transitive or intransitive. They can be used to talk about the action of smelling or tasting, but also to describe how something smells or tastes.
I think I can smell chocolate.
Caption 23, Peppa Pig: Easter Week
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And they smell so good.
Caption 35, Blippi: Cool Science Experiment for Kids
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I'm gonna open up a restaurant, so people can taste my food!
Caption 16, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Pam's Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen
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I wanna see what the lambsquarters taste like, first of all.
Caption 38, Food Talk with Sigrid: Foraging
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You may know that "taste" is also a noun meaning someone's idea of what's good or bad and their ability to choose well. It can also refer to a short experience of something.
This show is all about the three Ts of New York: The talent, the trends, and the taste.
Caption 2, On Deck with Lucy: TV Host Jeremy Hassell
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Another thing to be aware of: While "tasty" is a positive adjective, "smelly" means that something smells bad!
Further Learning
There are several videos on the senses on Yabla English where you can learn even more about this topic, including a detailed overview from Sigrid and a fun video about a dog's sense of smell.
Two English words that are often a source of confusion are "further" and "farther." Are they the same or not? It doesn't help that many native English speakers get these words mixed up, and that they are handled differently in British and American English.
In American English, "farther" refers to actual, measurable physical distance:
The second stage propelled the spacecraft even farther and faster into space.
Caption 45, Moon Landing: Apollo 11’s Journey to the Moon
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He looked out onto the meadow that stretched for as far as he could see and even farther.
Captions 57-59, Story Hour: The Story of The Ugly Duckling
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...like with the Andes, or farther inland like the Rocky Mountains.
Caption 63, The Last Paradises: America's National Parks
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The word "further," on the other hand, is used when talking about extent, amount, or figurative distance:
And we now face further uncertainty.
Caption 5, Brexit: PM Says He Will Pause Brexit Legislation after Timetable Loss
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Don't need to look no [sic, any] further.
Caption 4, Adele: The Making of "Chasing Pavements"
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First, the Americans released a further three hundred and fifty million dollars.
Caption 13, BBC News: Western aid for Ukraine's military
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In British English, the word "further" is generally used for both physical distance and as a synonym for "more"/"even more," "additional," "extra," or "to a greater extent." "Farther" is still only used for physical distance.
Further Learning
You'll find many examples of "further" or "farther" on Yabla English. When you see these words, pay attention to the accent of the speaker as well as the context the word is used in.
Thanks to you all for reading this, keep up the good work! If you have any good ideas for lesson topics, please email them to us at newsletter@yabla.com, and you can tweet us @yabla.
There are a lot of English expressions suggesting that somebody or something is "crazy." But please remember: while it may be perfectly polite to use such expressions regarding objects or situations, it can be rude and aggressive using them to describe people. A dictionary even warns: "The reference of the adjective "crazy" (and words derived from it) to mentally or psychologically ill people is strongly discriminatory." It also might get somebody very angry with you, so it's a better policy to be polite!
... a thin, pale, watery cup of tea that nobody in their right mind would want to drink.
Captions 15-16, Simon Jones: On Tea
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If somebody is described as "not being in their right mind," it suggests that they are not thinking clearly.
I can't imagine my life without the ocean. I would go absolutely nuts!
Caption 19, Naish Kiteboarding TV: Kai Riding Jaws
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'Cause they'll drive you good and nuts.
Caption 7, Ask Jimmy Carter: Interview with Robin Williams
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The phrase "to go nuts" means the same as "to go crazy." If something "is driving somebody nuts," it means that something is making them crazy. There is also an old-fashioned expression "to be nutty as a fruitcake," which also suggests "crazy."
Some say to survive it you need to be as mad as a hatter.
Caption 5, Filmtrailer: Alice in Wonderland
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The 19th century English children's book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll had a character called the Mad Hatter, hence the phrase "mad as a hatter." In the old days, hatmakers were exposed to mercury, which would eventually damage their health and their minds. Note that in British English, "mad" means "crazy," whereas in US English, "mad" usually means "angry."
And I'm always off my trolley, so I never say sorry.
Caption 19, Robbie Williams: Party Like A Russian
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The expression that somebody is "off their trolley" is a particularly British expression meaning "crazy"—or as they would say, "mad." The equivalent American English expression is to say somebody is "off their rocker." The source of the latter phrase is uncertain, but it may refer to elderly people falling out of their rocking chairs due to senile dementia. Not very nice, is it?
Some further idioms and expressions that mean "crazy" include:
—to go (or be) bananas
—to be a basket case
—to not be playing with a full deck of cards
—to have the lights on, but nobody is home
—to lose one's marbles
—to have a screw loose
—to take leave of one's senses
—to have toys in the attic
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the above videos in their entirety to see the contexts in which the expressions were used.
Abbiamo già parlato di alcune preposizioni di movimento. In questa lezione ve ne presentiamo altre, ugualmente importanti e usate nelle everyday conversations (conversazioni di tutti i giorni).
Across indica movimento da un lato all'altro di una superficie (nel senso della larghezza).
A dash across the nighttime terrain
Una corsa attraverso il terreno notturno
Caption 45, America's National Parks Grand Canyon - Part 2
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Può essere usata anche con verbi di stato in luogo:
There's a hairdresser across the road.
C'è un parrucchiere sull'altro lato della strada
Through indica passaggio da una parte all'altra all'interno di qualcosa (nel senso della profondità). Nota le espressioni through the binoculars / the window / the door... (attraverso il binocolo / la finestra / la porta...).
Well, sort of a bobsled run; mini sleds run through the forest.
Be', una sorta di pista da bob; mini slitte [che] corrono attraverso la foresta.
Caption 33, 16x9 - Cool Runnings Truth Behind Original Jamaican Bobsled Team - Part 2
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They walked along a path, hand in hand.
Camminarono lungo un sentiero, mano nella mano.
Caption 17, Basic Vocabulary Common words in context - Part 19
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entrambe segnalano la fine di un percorso:
Go as far as / up to the station and park there.
Vai fino alla stazione e parcheggia lì.
indica la direzione:
I'm going towards the station. Do you want a ride?
Sto andando verso la stazione. Vuoi un passaggio?
Caption 51, The Alphabet The Letter W
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Walk past the boutique shops on your right hand side
Prosegui oltre le boutique sul tuo lato destro
Caption 28, Giving Directions with Lauren and Matt
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Le preposizioni past e to vengono usate anche per esprimere l'ora: past per indicare di quanti minuti si supera l'ora intera, fino alla mezz'ora (half past)...; to per indicare quanti minuti mancano all'ora successiva.
What time is it? -It's twenty past nine. (Che ore sono? -Sono le nove e venti.)
What's the time, please? -It's a quarter to three. (Che ore sono? -Manca un quarto alle tre).
indicano movimento verso l'alto o verso il basso.
They climbed up the hill.
Si sono arrampicati sulla collina.
The cat ran down the tree.
Il gatto è corso giù dall'albero.
Ricorda le preposizioni che si usano con i verbi che indicano "arrivare":
get to... arrivare a
arrive at... arrivare in un luogo (station, airport, my house)
arrive in... arrivare in una città o Paese (London, Britain, the USA)
reach + complemento oggetto - quindi nessuna preposizione - raggiungere, giungere a...
Ricorda anche leave a place (partire da un luogo), leave for a place (partire per un luogo).
Let's talk today about the noun "foot" (and its plural "feet") as the word is used in different idioms and expressions. It's interesting that many English expressions may have the same or similar expressions in your native language. But the ones that don't may take a bit of getting used to, since direct translations often don't make any sense at all!
The mud at the foot of the cone makes a perfect cement.
Caption 7, America's National Parks: Yellowstone
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Closer to the foot of the bed ...
Caption 13, The Cure: Lullaby
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The English expression "the foot of" means "the base" or "the bottom" of something. It's most commonly used for the foot of a mountain or (as above) the foot of a bed. The latter is easy to remember since the foot of the bed is where your feet go when you lie down!
Let's hope the snow's gone come kick-off time, otherwise all the teams will get cold feet.
Caption 29, World Cup 2018: A Tour of Cities and Venues
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The caption above is ironically meant, in that of course, playing in the snow would make a soccer player's feet cold. But the meaning of "to get cold feet" is "to be afraid," so it also means that soccer players are afraid of playing in the snow!
But I think it's in my best interest and in the interest of the bear community to put the best foot forward.
Captions 72-74, Habitat: The Bear
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In US English (as above), the phrase "to put one's best foot forward" means "to behave very well so as to make a good first impression." However, in British English, it means "to do something with as much effort and determination as possible." The two meanings are not necessarily compatible.
What was that like having one foot in the door?
Caption 53, Movie Trailers: Funny People
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To "have one foot in the door" is a figurative way of saying "to gain entry" or "to get an opportunity." People often use the expression when they are close to achieving a goal, such as getting a new job.
So Columbus never actually set foot in North America.
Caption 18, Slow News with Sigrid: October commemorations in the U.S.
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To "set foot" somewhere means "to have been" somewhere. Many US Americans grew up learning that Christopher Columbus "discovered America," which in most people's minds means the part of North America that constitutes the United States. The phrase has fallen into disrepute, however, since the land Columbus "discovered" was already occupied by native peoples. Columbus was not even the first European to land in the Americas, as the Norse were already there centuries earlier. And as the comment above shows, none of the parts of the Americas where Columbus "set foot" were in North America.
And I can't sweep you off of your feet.
Caption 2, Ed Sheeran: Thinking Out Loud
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The usual phrase is "to sweep someone off their feet," but perhaps Mr. Sheeran needed an extra syllable in his song! It means "to cause somebody to fall in love with you."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the above videos in their entirety to see the contexts in which the expressions were used. Just for fun, you can take a look at this extensive list of other foot expressions!
Father's Day always falls on the third Sunday in June in the United States and the United Kingdom. This holiday was established in 1910 in the US state of Washington, and remains the most popular Father's Day date in the world. This year, Father's Day is on June 18th.
Most countries in the world celebrate Father's Day, as you can see on this map on Wikipedia Commons. In many places like the US and the UK, the date falls on a particular Sunday of the month. But in some countries, the date is fixed and the same every year. In some Hindu, Islamic, and Burmese cultures, it falls on a date that varies each year according to the lunar calendar.
Let's take a look today at some typical Father's Day traditions in the US and the UK. These might be the same as you do in your home country, but maybe they'll help give you some ideas for Father's Day this year anyway!
But it later became a permanent federal holiday.
Caption 34, Spotlight: Why Columbus Day?
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A federal holiday (called a "bank holiday" in the UK) is a holiday where most people have the day off from work and where, depending on the local laws, many shops, offices, and institutions are closed. Father's Day in the US and the UK, however, is just a regular holiday, and not a federal or bank holiday. The fact that it always falls on a Sunday means that most people take the day off from work anyway!
My father yells, "What are you going do with your life?"
Caption 7, Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Want to Have Fun
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Relationships with our fathers are sometimes problematic, but hopefully we've been able to forgive and forget, and maintain a healthy relationship with our dads.
This Mother's Day you might want to make her a card.
Caption 70, World's Toughest Job: Official Video
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It's also part of the holiday's tradition to send your dad a Father's Day card.
And what do you hope to get for a present this year?
Caption 15, Christmas in London: People
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This video caption is referring to Christmas presents, but you can also consider getting your dad a present for Father's Day. Then the question remains: What would he like to have?
We went out to dinner.
Caption 17, Sigrid: The New Normal
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If you live near your father, it's also a nice gesture to invite him out to dinner. It's also a nice gesture make dinner at your home and invite him over.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above. Maybe there are some Father's Day traditions in your native country that aren't discussed here. Try writing a paragraph in English about Father's Day traditions where you came from.
Today we're going to focus on a BBC news report from last year about water shortages in the Western United States, but the topic applies to many places in the world.
The Western United States is now entering one of the worst droughts ever seen.
Captions 24-25, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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A drought (rhymes with "doubt") is a prolonged period of dryness that is usually caused by a shortage of rainfall or snowfall.
Then, in a place like the West, we get wildfires.
Caption 29, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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A wildfire is a large and sweeping fire in a wilderness or rural area. When a wildfire happens in a forest, it's called a "forest fire." The Canadian wildfires that filled many US cities with smoke starting in March 2023 are also a result of drought. The smoke from the fires made many cities issue warnings to residents to keep their windows closed and not go outside.
But thousands of acres are now lying idle, because they're unable to irrigate.
Captions 35-36, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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An acre is a unit of measurement, used primarily in the USA and the UK, that is around 4,000 square meters. The verb "irrigate" means to supply land and crops with water by artificial means, such as pumps and diverting river flows. The noun equivalent is "irrigation."
We're looking at food shortages in the United States.
Captions 44-45, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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Because of the lack of water for farms, there's a possibility that some kinds of food made with ingredients grown in the USA may be in short supply.
The government has urged Californians to conserve water.
Caption 46, BBC News California: ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions
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The verb "to conserve" means to avoid the wasteful use of something. Water conservation measures are essential during times of drought. According to the BBC, the first three months of 2022 were the driest on record in the Western United States, but during this period, water usage actually increased!
So you see how a shortage of precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) has a domino effect: it hurts farming, causes wildfires and forest fires, and has a major impact on health and the economy. The city of Phoenix, Arizona has even suspended previously approved house-building projects due to the projected lack of water for them. Cities like Las Vegas, Nevada have even banned lawns as "nonfunctional," since maintaining them requires so much water. Phoenix has not yet implemented such drastic measures. Similar programs are taking place all over the Western United States.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the video above in its entirety. You can also watch the Sigrid "Slow News" video in New Videos above. Then you may do a search for other videos using some of the keywords above. What can you and your family do to conserve water?
La stagione estiva è per eccellenza la stagione delle vacanze e dei viaggi. Al mare, in montagna, nelle grandi città. Viaggi rilassanti, viaggi avventurosi, partenze lunghe o brevi. Con gli amici, con la famiglia, con i propri partner o da soli. E se abbiamo voglia di fare nuove amicizie in posti altrettanto nuovi, basta fare un piccolo brush up di inglese prima di partire . E a proposito di inglese, quante parole conoscete per parlare dei viaggi? In questa lezione, esploreremo i sostantivi travel, journey e trip.
Il sostantivo travel è una parola generica che sta ad indicare l'attività stessa del viaggio.
People spend far more on foreign travel than they did 50 years ago.
La gente spende molto di più per i viaggi all'estero rispetto a 50 anni fa.
Nell'esempio successivo, la parola travel è stata tradotta in italiano con il verbo "viaggiare". Effettivamente, travel è usato maggiormente come verbo, ma se provate a sostituire "viaggiare" con "il viaggio", il significato rimane invariato.
So, as travel became more affordable, many southern Italians embarked on the perilous voyage by ship to the United States to find work.
Quindi, poiché viaggiare diventò più accessibile, molti italiani del sud si imbarcarono nel pericoloso viaggio in nave verso gli Stati Uniti per trovare lavoro.
Captions 27-29, Spotlight Why Columbus Day? - Part 1
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La parola voyage deriva dal francese e per gli italiani non è difficile comprenderne il significato. Con voyage ci riferiamo ad un viaggio molto lungo, come quello che si fa quando si attraversa un oceano, o quello che intraprende una navicella spaziale o un sottomarino. Tendenzialmente, questa parola viene usata meno nel quotidiano e ad essa sono associati altri sostantivi quali travel, journey, movement, course, errand, mission, crusade.
Il sostantivo journey è sicuramente un sinonimo di travel. Si riferisce ad un extended travel (viaggio più lungo), ma è usato anche per parlare della distanza che si percorre quando si viaggia da un posto all'altro.
I have a fourteen hundred kilometer journey. It's the longest journey I've ever done with rhino!
Ho un viaggio di millequattrocento chilometri. È il viaggio più lungo che abbia mai fatto con i rinoceronti!
Captions 23-24, WWF: Making a Difference Rhino Conservation
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In senso figurato, journey è usato per parlare di viaggi che non hanno a che fare con mezzi di trasporto, partenze e arrivi e luoghi lontani. In certi casi, si riferisce a esperienze di vita o semplici esperienze emozionanti e divertenti.
This spectacular show takes you on an electrifying journey through Michael Jackson's musical legacy.
Questo show spettacolare vi porta in un viaggio elettrizzante attraverso l'eredità musicale di Michael Jackson.
Captions 25-26, Visit London Top 10 London Musicals
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Il sostantivo trip si riferisce ad un viaggio di breve durata:
She met plenty of interesting people during her weekend trip to Montreal.
Ha conosciuto un sacco di persone interessanti durante il viaggio nel fine settimana a Montreal.
In italiano, trip può essere tradotto anche con gita. Nel video A Weekend in Amsterdam - Planning the Trip, una ragazza sta organizzando un fine settimana ad Amsterdam per il suo compleanno: She's planning a trip (sta organizzando una gita).
Trattandosi quindi di un viaggio breve, la parola trip è usata in espressioni come business trip (viaggio d'affari, viaggio di lavoro), boating trip (gita in barca) e ancora, road trip (viaggio su strada), school trip (gita scolastica), day trip (gita/escursione in giornata).
Provate ad immaginare il vostro prossimo viaggio e decidete where to go (dove andare), how to get there (come arrivarci) e what to do when you arrive (e cosa fare appena arrivati). Have a good trip!
Una cosa che può risultare difficile quando si impara una nuova lingua è l'uso delle preposizioni. Quando parli la tua lingua madre, raramente usi una preposizione sbagliata all'interno di una frase e se provi a tradurre letteralmente, per esempio dall'italiano all'inglese, una frase come "andiamo al mare", magari usi at (molto simile ad "a"), al posto di to: Let's go to the beach. Let's go at the beach.
Le preposizioni di moto indicano uno spostamento da o verso qualcosa. Seguono sempre dei verbi di movimento, per esempio to go (andare), to get (arrivare), to return (ritornare), to drive (andare con l'auto).
La preposizione to è usata per indicare moto a luogo e ha più di un significato: "a", "in", "verso", "nella direzione di"...
People use bike share to commute to work or school, run errands, get to appointments...
La gente usa la bici condivisa per recarsi al lavoro o a scuola, per sbrigare commissioni, per andare ad appuntamenti...
Captions 37-38, Slow News with Sigrid Bike Share in NYC
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La preposizione to non viene mai usata con la parola home (casa):
Let's go home.
Andiamo a casa. (la casa di chi parla)
Ma attenzione...
I'll just have time to walk Victor down to Andrew's house.
Ho giusto il tempo di accompagnare Victor a casa di Andrew.
Caption 15, Between Two Women The Movie - Part 4
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Ricorda queste espressioni con la preposizione to:
to go to work / to school / to the hospital (andare al lavoro / a scuola / in ospedale)
to go to prison / jail (andare in prigione)
to go to bed (andare a letto)
welcome to... (benvenuto a)
a journey /trip to... (un viaggio a...)
Have you ever been to...? (Sei mai stato a...?)
La preposizione into indica sposamento verso l'interno di un luogo chiuso. Il suo significato è "in", "dentro".
[...] moving into a new apartment
[...] trasferirmi in un appartamento nuovo
Caption 15, Abiventures Happy New Year
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They went into the shop.
Entrarono nel negozio.
La preposizione into è usata anche con i verbi translate (tradurre), change (cambiare) e turn (diventare) che implicano la trasformazione di qualcosa:
I translated this book from English into Italian.
Ho tradotto questo libro dall'inglese all'italiano.
Everything I do turns into a disaster.
Ogni cosa che faccio si trasforma in un disastro.
Caption 4, A Charlie Brown Christmas True Meaning
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La preposizione from significa "da" e indica provenienza, moto da luogo e origine.
Hey, I'm Jenny from England.
Ciao, io sono Jenny dall'Inghilterra.
Caption 1, Accents One language, three accents
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I got a letter from my Australian pen frien.
Ho ricevuto una lettera dal mio corrispondente australiano.
Away from (via da) indica allontamento:
[...] Here, the North American plate is moving away from the Eurasian plate
[...] Qui, la placca del Nord America si allontana dalla placca dell'Eurasia
Caption 51, The Last Paradises America's National Parks - Part 2
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Osserva l'uso di alcune preposizioni per indicare le azioni di scendere e salire riferite ai mezzi di trasporto:
to get into a car / a taxi / a van (saline su un'automobile / un taxi / un furgone)
to get out of a car/ a taxi / a van (scendere da un'automobile/ un taxi / un furgone)
to get on a train / a bus / a boat / a plane (salire un treno / un autobus / una nave / un aereo)
to get off a train / a bus / a boat / a plane (scendere da un treno / un autobus / una nave / un aereo)
to get on a bicycle / a motorbike (salire su una bicicletta, una moto)
to get off a bicycle / a motorbike (scendere da una bicicletta, una moto)
Il cibo, da sempre elemento culturale, è ormai diventato non solo un piacere per il palato, ma anche per gli occhi. Così, prima di godersi un piatto, in tanti si fermano per fotografarlo e condividerlo poi sui social. Infatti, il cibo è diventato social e oggi, nel mondo, ci sono tantissimi siti web, blog e app dedicati al mondo culinario. Ce n'è davvero per tutti i gusti: ricette tradizionali e piatti stellati, pietanze esotiche e piatti vegani.
E non dimentichiamo i cooking show televisivi, ovvero tutti quei programmi in cui il cibo è protagonista e che hanno appassionato i telespettatori di tutto il mondo.
Cucinare (cooking) è un'azione quotidiana nella quale è racchiusa tutta una serie di termini indispensabili utilizzati nelle cucine professionali e in quelle casalinghe.
Pertanto, abbiamo estratto dalla videoteca di Yabla inglese alcuni vocaboli utilizzati in cucina, per la preparazione dei nostri piatti.
Then we have the cutting board and the knife.
Poi abbiamo il tagliere e il coltello.
Captions 22-23, Luana explains Cooking utensils - Part 1
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We also have a pot, which is usually used to make more liquid foods
Abbiamo anche una pentola, che di solito viene usata per preparare cibi più liquidi
Captions 38-39, Luana explains Cooking utensils - Part 1
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So, here, I've just put the potatoes in the colander, that is, to drain the water out, and I'm leaving them to cool.
Quindi, qui, ho semplicemente messo le patate nel colino, che serve a scolare l'acqua e le lascio raffreddare.
Captions 36-38, Michele from Down Under Crispy and Spicy Roast Potatoes
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You use a potato peeler to peel the potatoes.
Usate un pelapatate per pelare le patate.
Caption 5, Michele from Down Under Crispy and Spicy Roast Potatoes
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We can cook beans in different ways. I'm going to boil my beans tonight, but I could steam them, or I could even just saute them in olive oil.
Possiamo cucinare i fagioli in diversi modi. Farò bollire i miei fagioli stasera, ma potrei farli al vapore, o potrei perfino saltarli nell'olio d'oliva.
Captions 15-17, Food Talk with Sigrid Simple Summer Vegetables - Part 1
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I can bake chocolate chip cookies
So preparare i biscotti con le gocce di cioccolato
Caption 54, Side by Side - Beginners Expressing abilities
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Nota bene: to bake si utilizza specialmente per tutte quelle pietanze che vanno cotte in forno.
And in the meantime, I'll chop up some garlic.
E nel frattempo, tagliuzzo un po' di aglio.
Caption 50, Pro Home Cooks 15 Minute Dinners - Part 1
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Stir everything together, and then we'll lower the heat,
Mescoliamo tutto insieme e poi abbassiamo il fuoco,
Caption 23, Rainbow Plant Life Best dish for a vegan skeptic - Part 2
Play Caption
e successivamente...
Cover the pan, and let the lentils simmer for twenty to twenty-five minutes
Copriamo la padella e lasciamo cuocere le lenticchie rosse a fuoco lento per venti o venticinque minuti
Caption 24, Rainbow Plant Life Best dish for a vegan skeptic - Part 2
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Nella sezione "cibo" della videoteca di Yabla Inglese troverete più di 60 video dedicati al mondo della cucina: piatti da preparare in soli 15 minuti, ricette vegane, dolci, abitduini alimentari e tanto altro! Date anche un'occhiata ad alcuni vocaboli comunemente usati in cucina e nei ristoranti.
potholders: presine
a bowl: una ciotola
leftovers: avanzi
to season: condire
dough: impasto
The term "climate change" is generally used to describe how mankind's activities are affecting our climate today in ways that have a serious impact on our environment, our economy, and our lives.
In order to understand human-induced climate change, or global warming,
we need to understand something about burning fossil fuels.
Captions 7-8, Chemistry for All | FuseSchool - How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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Wikipedia describes fossil fuel as a material "such as coal, oil, and natural gas, formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals, that is extracted and burned as a fuel." The air pollution caused by fossil fuels causes global warming. Global warming, in turn, is the largely human-caused increase of our planet's temperatures over the last decades. If global warming continues....
... the glaciers will melt
and the level of the seas will rise unpredictably.
Captions 48-49, Once upon a Time... Planet Earth - The Guardians of the Planet
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As a result...
Countless deltas in coastal regions will be flooded.
Caption 50, Once upon a Time... Planet Earth - The Guardians of the Planet
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In addition to these problems...
So there are more floods, droughts, and storms.
Caption 66, Chemistry for All | FuseSchool - How Burning Fossil Fuels Leads to Climate Change
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A drought is the opposite of a flood: instead of too much water, there isn't enough. Without enough water, farmers are unable to grow the kinds of food that they used to in the past. Property, crops, and even human lives are lost as a direct result of storms, floods, and droughts caused by global warming.
The single most effective and significant action
that can be taken in the short term to stabilize global warming
is to stop tropical rainforest destruction.
Captions 6-8, The Prince's Rainforests Project - Prince of Wales' Introduction
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King (formerly Prince) Charles of Great Britain is probably correct in his statement that stopping the destruction of rainforests would help slow climate change. However, it's only going to change if wealthy people like King Charles and large profit-driven corporations are made to take financial and moral responsibility for the destruction they are causing.
But they won't make the necessary changes
because they have put their astronomical profits before people.
Captions 8-9, Breaking News - Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen
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The article above is referring to Facebook, but it's just as valid for companies that continue to make record profits from fossil fuels. Let's hope that the wealthiest people and companies are someday able to recognize that the planet they are polluting is the same planet where they, their families, and their descendants are supposed to be living. But in order to do that, they'll have to put humanity's long-term survival before their own profit margins.
Let's each of us continue to do our small part in reducing our consumption of products that directly lead to global warming!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above. You can also search for some of the highlighted words to find more English videos related to climate change.
In Part III of "Nationalities," we are going to continue Part I and Part II and talk about the names of the main languages that are spoken and the adjectives used to describe somebody from that country. Usually, the noun for the language spoken is the same as the adjective for somebody who resides there. Note that in English, unlike many other languages, even the adjectives for nationalities are usually written with a capital letter.
For example, in the country Spain, most people of Spanish nationality speak the Spanish language. But there are also exceptions: In the United States, most Americans speak English. It is interesting that the residents of the United States choose to call themselves "Americans," when in fact all of the people in the countries in North, Central, and South America could equally call themselves "Americans."
Let's take a look today at some countries we didn't discuss in the first two lessons whose country names and/or languages differ from the nationalities.
And look at that temperature in Brazil!
Caption 69, Side by Side - Beginners - The Weather
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This is also by Kobra, the Brazilian street artist.
Caption 16, John S in New York - Kobra
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I can speak Portuguese.
Captions 25-26, Side by Side - Beginners - Expressing abilities
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In the country of Brazil, most Brazilian people speak the Portuguese language.
––––––––––––
I come from Canada.
Caption 19, English Grammar in Use - Present Simple
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Canadian kids are stepping up.
Caption 19, CBS News - The Easter Bunny in New Zealand
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They brought many French words that became part of English.
Caption 46, The Alphabet - Introduction to the Alphabet
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In the country of Canada, most Canadian people speak predominantly English or French. In the Canadian province Quebec, most people speak French and are called French Canadians.
––––––––––––
The whole world was turned upside down by pictures from Ethiopia.
Caption 6, Make Poverty History - Bono
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But a black runner never won the marathon until 1960,
when an Ethiopian runner did it barefoot.
Captions 11-12, Olympics 2012 - Fun Facts
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In the country of Ethiopia, the dominant language spoken by the Ethiopian people is Amharic.
––––––––––––
They were colonized by Spain, and so was the Philippines.
Caption 54, Turn Here Productions - San Francisco, CA
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What's been the response to your winning from the Filipino people?
Caption 36, Miss World - Megan Young - Hello London!
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In the country of the Philippines, most of the Filipino people speak Filipino or Tagalog.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and find more videos that use some of the country names, dominant languages, and nationalities used above and listed below. You can also see a more complete list of countries, their people, and their languages here.
Country Language Nationality
Australia English Australian
Brazil Portuguese Brazilian
Chile Spanish Chilean
China Chinese Chinese
Egypt Arabic Egyptian
Hungary Hungarian Hungarian
Italy Italian Italian
Japan Japanese Japanese
Korea Korean Korean
Netherlands Dutch Dutch
Portugal Portuguese Portuguese
Russia Russian Russian
United States English American
Se avete deciso di allargare i vostri orizzonti, a tal punto da voler pack your things (fare i bagagli) e trasferirvi all'estero, allora vi servirà un posto in cui stare. Magari all'inizio potreste decidere di condividere un appartamento con qualcuno, o di farvi ospitare da una persona che conoscete già disposta a cedervi il divano per un breve periodo.
Ma presto potrebbe arrivare il momento di cercare qualcosa che faccia davvero al caso vostro. Qualcosa non troppo distante dal vostro lavoro, ma anche abbastanza in centro, che però non vi costi an arm and a leg (un occhio della testa)... be', potrebbe volerci un po' di tempo, quindi iniziate intanto a raccogliere qualche informazione utitle sul mercato immobiliare del Paese che avete deciso di conquistare (anche solo nei vostri sogni).
La prima cosa da ricordare è che nel Regno Unito e negli Stati Uniti si usano due termini diversi per indicare un appartamento con più stanze su un solo piano: flat nel Regno Unito e apartment negli Stati Uniti. Va da sé che usare uno al posto dell'altro in entrambi i Paesi non creerà nessun misunderstanding (fraintendimento).
I got used to renting flats when I was a student and the habit stuck.
Mi sono abituata a prendere appartamenti in affitto quando ero una studentessa e l'abitudine è rimasta.
Caption 3, Between Two Women - The Movie
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Are you still looking for an apartment?
Stai ancora cercando un appartamento?
Caption 3, Side by Side - Beginners - Looking for an apartment
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Il primo passo per trovare un appartamento è cercarlo! Alcune persone usano spesso l'espressione apartment-hunting per dire che sono a caccia di un appartamento. Per cominciare a cercare una casa negli Stati Uniti, oltre alle agenzie immobiliari, alla ricerca nei quotidiani americani (ad esempio, la sezione sul mercato immobiliare sul New York Times) e alla conoscenza di contatti diretti tramite passaparola, ci si può affidare ad alcuni siti internet.
Hi, I'm calling about an apartment that I saw listed on craigslist?
Salve, chiamo per un appartamento che ho visto [messo in subaffitto] su craigslist?
Caption 33, Jessica and Liz - How Much and How Many
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Cercare su Internet è uno dei modi più semplici e veloci per trovare annunci su appartamenti in affitto o in subaffitto. Oltre a craigslist, negli Stati Uniti uno dei siti più usati è Zillow. Dopo aver trovato un appartamento che soddisfa le vostre esigenze, come il numero di camere da letto, il prezzo, servizi adeguati nel quartiere, ecc., potete prendere un appuntamento per vedere l'appartamento.
How much does it cost? -A thousand a month.
Quanto costa? -Mille al mese.
Caption 36, Jessica and Liz - How Much and How Many
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Can I come see it? -Sure. Uh, why don't you come by Thursday...
Posso venire a vederlo? -Certo. Eh, perché non passi giovedì...
Captions 47-48, Jessica and Liz - How Much and How Many
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Di solito, negli Stati Uniti, per stipulare a lease (un contratto di locazione) viene richiesto di soddisfare alcuni parametri finanziari relativi al reddito e alla propria storia creditizia. Potrebbe anche essere necessaria una lettera di referenze da parte del precedente proprietario di casa, documento utile a garantire la propria affidabilità. Se tutto filerà liscio e se l'appartamento vi piacerà, allora potrete put down a deposit (versare una cauzione).
...and if you're interested you can put down a deposit.
...e se sei interessata puoi versare una cauzione.
-How much money do you want for the deposit?
-Quanti soldi vuoi per la cauzione?
-Two hundred for the deposit and I'd like the first month's rent up front.
-Duecento per la cauzione e vorrei l'affitto del primo mese in anticipo.
Captions 49-51, Jessica and Liz - How Much and How Many
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La cauzione, di solito, viene versata direttamente al proprietario di casa oppure su un contro di garanzia condiviso (shared escrow account). Dopo aver firmato il contratto, il proprietario di casa vi consegnerà le chiavi del vostro nuovo appartamento.
To come visit me, you have to ring the bell
Per venire a trovarmi, dovete suonare il citofono
for the third floor, which is my apartment.
del terzo piano, dove c'è il mio appartamento.
But I have my keys with me. I will unlock the door.
Ma ho le mie chiavi con me. Aprirò la porta.
Captions 5-7, Visiting Caralie - At the Entrance
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Ora andate su Yabla Inglese e guardate la serie Looking for an Apartment per ripassare quello che avete imparato e scoprire tanto altro ancora. E buona fortuna per la vostra apartment-hunting!