A drop in the ocean: No weed pass to foreigners

The conservative Dutch government is to prohibit foreigners from buying cannabis in coffee shops.

For more details watch this video.






And some questions to help you understand the story:

• Why is the Dutch government against foreigners' visit to coffee shops?
• Under what circumstances can locals visit coffee shops if the bill is passed in the parliament?
• What's the opinion of the coffee shop owners?
• Who are the exceptions to the restriction?
• Does the EU legal framework enable this type of discrimination?

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Spread the word: Attention in focus

Women are supposed to be more capable of concentrating on more things simultaneously than men. I'm an exception that proves the rule. In case of parallel activities, I'm always distracted and making mistakes. I prefer paying attention to a single task and only when I've completed it I start dealing with the next one.

And what about you? Do you find it easy to listen to the radio, brush your teeth and think over your daily schedule at the same time? Can you keep your eye on the ball while working and resist the temptation of your friends' Facebook posts?


Keep WALKing.

Laugh a minute: Physicist or physician

Since most of my students mix up the two physi-terms in the title, I've had to make this post.

At the physics exam: 'Describe the universe in 200 words and give three examples.' :)

Who came up with this test question?
The physicist or the physician?

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: Anna and The Barbies: After hours

Find the lyrics below.

verse1:
sitting in the corner bar I wonder
how come your face is getting longer
crawls like its shadow on the wall.
days go by and then seasons change,
and way before you know
tomorrow will be yesterday.




bridge:
you tend to listen, instead of dancing,
love steady and drop the romancing,
and hell – you ain’t too well…
after a sunstroke, you don’t mind the cold
colours fade and as days grow old
you’re called, where all is gold…

refr.:
like a fish caught on dry land
like a rabbit from a gun, you’ve been on the run
you’re fighting for the days to come
before today is done – oh no I’m the one…

verse2:
you’ve lost another year,
and planned the next one,
but all the best laid plans come undone,
fall like they never were at all.
the cracks are showing but you don’t care,
‘cause anywhere the bus is headed
you've already been there.

bridge:
you tend to listen, instead of dancing…

refr.:
like a fish caught on dry land...

rap: (it's in Hungarian)
jó néha sötétben a Holdat nézni,
hosszan egy távoli csillagot igézni,
jó néha fázni, a semmin elmélázni,
tavaszi esőben olykor bőrig ázni,
tele szájjal enni, hangosan szeretni,
jó néha magamat csak úgy elnevetni,
sírni ha fáj, remegni ha félek,
olyan jó néha érezni, hogy ÉLEK.

refr.:
like a fish caught on dry land..


WALK and listen.

Spread the word: WIND UP

Look at the following sentences. Can you find out the different meanings of WIND UP?

Due to the economic situation and strong competition from other producers in the UK and Europe, the board and Highland Council have taken the decision to wind up the company.

When the job came through my first thought was, this is a wind-up, but I arrived at the field to find the cow looking confused but surprisingly calm despite having his head wedged tightly in between the rungs of the ladder.

The danger for the Northern Ireland Executive is that it over-negotiates and winds up with nothing.

from BBC


WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Laugh a minute: To err is human

To err is human, 
but to really foul things up you need a computer.

Keep WALKing.

A drop in the ocean: Blind experience

Do you have any deaf or blind friends? Have you ever tried what it is like being deaf or blind? How? Watch this BBC video about deaf and blind people on stage.

The following questions will help you understand the story:

What have you learnt about Bat_Sheva Ravensen?

How much time do blind and deaf actors and actresses spend with rehearsal?

What can they rely on while they are performing?

How has acting affected them?

How can you experience in the theatre what it's like being deaf or blind?

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Spread the word: In the street

When I have a little time to relax, I go to walk and sometimes stop and look around. I try to give the English name of every object I can see in that moment. That's what I've done today in the street.

But where is the bus lane and the cycle lane?

I just can't stop WALKing.

Laugh a minute: Marketing

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, "I am very rich. Marry me!"

That's Direct Marketing.



You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl.
One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you and says,
"He's very rich. Marry him."

That's Advertising.


You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and get her telephone number.
The next day you call and say, "Hi, I’m very rich. Marry me."

That's Telemarketing.


You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and pour
her a drink.
You open the door for her; pick up her bag after she drops it,
offer her a ride, and then say,
"By the way, I'm very rich. Will you marry me?"

That's Public Relations.


You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
She walks up to you and says, "You are very rich."

That's Brand Recognition.


You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, "I'm rich. Marry me"
She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.

That's Customer Feedback!!!!

from www.ajokeaday.com

Let's WALK.

You live and learn: MIND MAP

In a mind map you can collect words related to the same topic. This way it is easier to remember them. So, when you read an article about a topic, try to create a mind map with the relevant words.

Today, I’ve read an article about the launch of iPhone 5 and also created a mind map. 

Can you add some others?


WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: A paradox

Three people check into a hotel. They pay £30 to the manager and go to their room. The manager suddenly remembers that the room rate is £25 and gives £5 to the bellboy to return to the people. On the way to the room the bellboy reasons that £5 would be difficult to share among three people so he pockets £2 and gives £1 to each person. Now each person paid £10 and got back £1. So they paid £9 each, totalling £27. The bellboy has £2, totalling £29. Where is the missing £1?


from www.brainbashers.com

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Laugh a minute: Speeding

A man was pulled over for driving too fast, even though he thought he was driving just fine.

Officer: You were speeding.
Man: No, I wasn't.
Officer: Yes, you were. I'm giving you a ticket.
Man: But I wasn't speeding.
Officer: Tell that to the judge! (The officer gives man the ticket.)

Man: Would I get another ticket if I called you a jerk?
Officer: Yes, you would.
Man: What if I just thought that you were?
Officer: I can't give you a ticket for what you think.
Man: Fine, I think you're a jerk! 



Don't worry, just WALK.

A drop in the ocean: Gadgets on the go

I think you've never packed so many useless gadgets into your suitcase as this man in this BBC video, have you?

Can you collect the benefits and drawbacks of them?


Let's WALK together.

Spread the word: WALK and its friends

Let's see four words and expressions with walk:


to walk

It's not a difficult exam. You'll walk it!

to jaywalk

"In affluent Berlin, bankers and punks alike will wait patiently at the kerbside on streets deserted of traffic until the green man appears - they would sooner set themselves on fire than jaywalk." BBC

a walking disaster

"On Tuesday ugly economic figures for Italy appeared to put Rome higher up the scale of walking disasters." The Guardian

a walk of life

"It's a reminder that our way of life is dependent on the incredible courage, the incredible patriotism of a whole host of people from all across the country, every walk of life, every ethnicity, every religion." Barack Obama at 9/11 anniversary

You must know why I've made this post about walk ;)

Get up and WALK.

Grammary: Present Conditional - Scratch your head

Have you read this puzzle? If not yet, please start with that because now I'm giving the best solution and reasoning I've found on the net.

From what's given, we know that either all three hats are blue or sage A is wearing a white hat.

If Sage A was wearing a white hat, then each of the others would see one blue and one white. One of them would eventually realize that if his own hat was white, the one in the blue hat would see only white hats and announce that his was blue.

Whichever of the other two caught on to that first would therefore deduce (by the fact that no one had made such an announcement) and announce his own hat was blue.

As neither has done so, Sage A reasons that they don't see him in a white hat, and therefore his hat is blue.

Do you accept this reasoning? 

---

Based on the examples above we can conclude that the Present Conditional is formed in the following way:

IF + Past Simple/ Continous, THEN + would/ could/ should do/ be doing

Try to collect other examples from the net. If you sent me some funny ones, I would put it on my blog.

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Laugh a minute: A bear in a bar

A bear went into a bar and ordered a beer. He gave the bartender a twenty dollar bill and the bartender went to the other end of the bar to put the money in the cash register. The second bartender whispered to the first, "He's a bear, what does he know, short-change him." The first bartender brings the bear $10 in change.

A little while later the bartender starts talking to the bear and mentions, "We don't get many bears in this bar." The bear replies, "I'm not surprised, at $10 a beer I sure won't be back again....

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: Bicycle storage

How do you store your bicycle at home? Is it under your feet? It shouldn't be. Look at this slideshow on creative organizational tools.

Do you know who are apartment dwellers?



WALK in English.

Grammary: Present Perfect - Examples 1.

We have already summarized the most important points considering the usage of Present Perfect (Introduction 1., Introduction 2.).

When we are watching or listening to the news, PP sentences frequently occur. It's not that surprising since news usually inform us about events and happenings that have a relevance to the present or close future.

Now let's see how it is used in an article about the successful separation of two conjoined twins.

Some PP sentences from the article:

Twins who were born joined at the head have been successfully separated by a team of British doctors.

Present result: Now they are two babies, each with a separate circulation.

We feel very lucky that our girls have been able to have the surgery that they needed.

Present result: They may lead a healthy life thanks to the surgery.

They have not suffered neurological side effects.

Present result: They are healthy now without neurological problems.


And here are some Past Simple sentences to demonstrate the difference between the two tense:

The Sudanese infants were flown to the UK by the charity Facing the World.

It happened in the past and the result of this activity is not important. Other detail is in the focus: It was the Facing the World who paid for their trip.

Baby girls Rital and Ritag Gaboura, who are 11 months old, were separated on 15 August.

It can't be PP because of the time expression.

The nature of the twins' condition meant significant blood flowed between their brains.

It's not the case anymore.

Let's surf the net for PP sentences and try to explain why they are in PP.

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: Scratch your head

A king wants an advisor and comes to ask the 3 wisest sages. 

He blindfolds them and put the hats on their head. Afterwards, the king takes off their blindfolds. He tells them that their hat is either blue or white. He tells them that whoever can deduce the color of their hat will be his next advisor.
Also he tells them that at least one of the sages will be wearing a blue hat. The sages can all see each other's hats except of course, their own. Sage A can see that the other 2 are wearing blue hats.

For hours no one spoke, then Sage A stands up and tells the king the colour of his hat. 
What color is it and how does he know? 


from puzzles4you.blogspot.com


Scratch your head. If you've figured out the solution, please share it as a comment or via email. I'm also interested in your reasoning. I'll write mine tomorrow night. 


Language exam? You will WALK it.

Laugh a minute: IRS

Have you ever noticed?
When you put the two words
"The" and "IRS" together
it spells "THEIRS"?







Angolul tanulsz? A WALK Program veled tart.

A drop in the ocean: The Doctor and the iPad

Do hospitals have anything to do with tablet computers? No, they don't. At least not in Hungary. But a hospital in Boston has set the pattern for many others. Watch this video.

The following questions will help you to understand the story:

What are iPads used for in the medical centre?

Why is it useful for hospitalists?

What other IT products have been neglected since iPads appeared in the hospital?

What's happened to the paper records of the patients?

How have iPads affected the patient care and the interaction between doctors and patients?

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: A job interview question

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus:

1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car?

Think before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application.

You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again.

The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer.
He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend, and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the woman of my dreams."

Never forget to think outside the box.
from AJokeAday.com


Angolul tanulsz? A WALK Program veled tart.

Spread the word: A bunch of surprised

When people are talking (or writing) about their interesting experiences, they tend to repeat some words many times. After a certain level, you might want to speak nicely and avoid repetitive word usage. That's where synonyms are getting in the focus.

Today I have collected a bunch of words meaning surprised.

surprised, shocked, astonished, amazed, stunned, stupefied, thunderstruck, gobsmacked, open-mouthed

Can you add some others? Write a comment.






In the first four minutes of his speech, Eric Whitacre said two synonyms from the list above. Can you find them?

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

A drop in the ocean: What kind of parent are you?

Herald Sun has just published an article about overprotective parents: Lawnmower parents cut confidence.

Read the article and try to describe

- lawnmower parents
- helicopter parents
- free-range parents
- submarines

with your own words.

Which style do you prefer the most? Why? Leave a comment.


Language exam? You will WALK it.

A drop in the ocean: How to tie your shoes

I'm sure you are confident that you can tie your shoes correctly. But Terry Moore will surprise you.

Before watching the video, read through the questions, they will help you understand the story.





When did it turn out that he hadn't tied his shoes correctly? What happened at that time?

What's the difference between the strong form and the weak form of the knot?
(key words: laces, knot, bow, long axis, transverse axis, loop)

What are the benefits of learning to tie the strong form of the knot?

What general truth did he demonstrate by making a small change in the knot?

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Spread the word: Body language 2.

Let's talk about your body again just as we did in Body language 1.

B.K.S. Iyengar has adopted the Downward-facing dog pose in the picture.
Follow his own instructions and check if he is doing it correctly.





Keep your arms fully stretched.
Push your buttocks upward. Don't bend your knees.
Stretch both legs equally.
Rest on your front crown.
Keep your feet flat on the floor with the toes pointing straight ahead.
Push your torso toward your legs.
Do not compress your spine.

If it's not clear what parts of the body are referred to, find the Hungarian translation in the first comment.

Do you want to practice this asana? These instruction are insufficient. Check this out in B.K.S. Iyengar: Yoga - the path to holistic health. Or visit an Iyengar yoga course with a trained teacher.

Angol tanárt keresel? www.ewalk.hu

Laugh a minute: ATMOSPHERE

Did you hear about the restaurant on the Moon?
It has great food, but no atmosphere.




Some help: the atmosphere

Angol tanárt keresel? www.ewalk.hu

A drop in the ocean: 25 Quotes on Humour

Quotes can always give you a helping hand when you want to express your feelings and thoughts. Psychology Today has collected an impressive amount of top quotes on humour. Let's have a taste.

 "A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road." - Henry Ward Beecher

 "I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it." - Frank A. Clark

"It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously." - Oscar Wilde

A job interview? You will WALK it.

Grammary: Present Perfect - Introduction, Part 2

In the first part of Grammary, the main usage of Present Perfect was introduced.
But there's another occurence of Present Perfect we have to briefly mention.

You can meet PP after some modals, namely:

- would, should, could and 

- must, may, might, could and can't - when they express certainty or likelihood.

Modal+Present Perfect is the past form of these modals which means that it is not PP as far as the meaning is concerned but the structure follows its pattern (have + past participle).

In this short BBC video (9/11: Images from New York that shocked the world) there are some examples for this usage of Present Perfect.

It should have been a perfect day.
This must have been a terrible accident.
By now, many hundreds of people must already have been dead.
At that time, there would have been about 10.000 people in each tower.

In the next Grammary, you can read about typical situations where Present Perfect is used and, just as usual, many examples will be given.

Angolul tanulsz? A WALK Program veled tart!

Spread the word: MOONLIGHT

As a noun, moonlight means the light of the Moon. As a verb, to moonlight, it has a completely different meaning. Look at the following examples:

"HMRC believed some registered plumbers and gas fitters in the UK were moonlighting - being paid cash in hand and failing to pay tax." BBC News

"After teacher Benedict Garrett was ticked off for moonlighting as a porn star, Barbara Ellen and Oliver James debate whether teachers' extracurricular activities matter." the Guardian online 

If you are moonlighting, you have a second job that you usually do in secret and without paying tax on your extra salary.


Angol tanárt keresel? www.ewalk.hu

Laugh a minute: MOOD LIGHTING

Would you think that mood lighting can improve academic performance? Details can be read here.
And it's beneficial under several circumstances. Check this out:

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Spread the word: Time off

You can have time off, which means you stop working, for different reasons. Let's check the most common ones:

You are on sick leave when you don't go to work because of an illness. Sick days are usually paid by the employer.

You are on maternity leave before and after the birth of your child. In some countries the term parental leave is in use. For example in Sweden, not only mothers, but fathers as well can stay at home with the baby.

All of us may like bank holidays when we can stay home, because most businesses are closed for a day.

When you go to another place or country on vacation, you go on holiday there.

While you are working, you can have a tea or coffee break and a lunch break at noon.


Angolul tanulsz? A WALK Program veled tart!

Grammary: Present Perfect - Introduction

Although teaching grammar is not in the main focus of WALK Program, but in some cases it seems necessary to pay attention to certain grammatical structures. 


The aim of the first Grammary post is to give a clear picture about the usage of Present Perfect on an intermediate level.


The first thing to bear in mind is that Present Perfect is a PRESENT tense, not a past.


1. Use PP when you are talking about the present result or effect of an activity or happening:

She has been ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol tests.

 It means that she can have a random drug test any time. 

Compare: "She was ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol test." - No connection with the present. It's possible that she will never have a test again.

Many of the escaped crocodiles have taken up residence in a nearby lake. 

It means that many crocodiles are living in a nearby lake.

Compare: "Many of the escaped crocodiles took up residence in a nearby lake." - No connection with the present. It's possible that no crocodiles are living in the nearby lake at present.

2. Use PP with certain time expressions:  yet (so far – until now), just (some minutes/seconds ago), already (earlier than expected)

- Have you reached the CBA Group yet? - I haven’t called that partner yet. 

 I have just sent the email.

- When will you send the letter? - I have already sent it.

Do not use PP with time expressions referring to the past: an hour ago, yesterday, last week, at the weekend, when the flood destroyed the cages, etc.


3. Use PP when you are inside the time unit you are talking about:

I have worked a lot today.

 Our company has doubled its profit this year.

 I have travelled a lot this week.

 I’ve visited my uncle in the UK twice. (in my life)

 I haven’t been to London. (in my life)

to be continued...


Angol tanárt keresel? www.ewalk.hu

Spread the word: Body language 1.

You can find yourself in situations where it's useful to know how to speak about your body. Either you go to a yoga course in English or you get to hospital after a ski accident abroad, understanding the teacher or the doctor is essential.

Look at B.K.S. Iyengar in the picture. He's performing the extended triangle pose. Follow his own instructions and check if he is doing it accordingly :)






Make sure your right leg is fully stretched.
Keep your kneecap facing front.
Press the inner edge of your left heel down on the floor.
Do not let the left thigh turn inward.
Keep your left shoulder straight.
Keep your right palm open and fully stretched.
Look at your right thumb.

If it's not clear what parts of the body are referred to, find the Hungarian translation in the first comment.

Do you want to practice this asana? These instruction are insufficient. Check this out in B.K.S. Iyengar: Yoga - the path to holistic health. Or visit an Iyengar yoga course with trained teachers.

Angol tanárt keresel? www.ewalk.hu

A drop in the ocean: Flash mobbing

from Daily Mail online

Why could flash mobs come into fashion?
What flash mobs have you heard about?
Do you know when flash mobbing started?
Watch this BBC video to find the answers.






The following questions will help you to understand the story:

When did Todd set up Improv Everywhere?
What does the company do?
What enabled flash mobs to gain popularity?
What's the idea behind flash mobs?

In connection with Back Tie Beach Project:
How many people participated?
How were they informed about the details?
Did they use sophisticated technology to record the event?

In connection with the MP3 experiment:
How long was the mp3 all participants downloaded?
Where did it take place?
What time did they press PLAY?
What were they listening to?

If you've found it interesting, read the article the video is embedded in.

Angol tanárt keresel? www.ewalk.hu

Laugh a minute: LEGAL TERMS

What an amazing lawyer he was. Once he got a jury so confused, they sent the judge to jail.

What kind of clothes do lawyers wear?
Lawsuits.

Where there's a will, there's a happy Lawyer!

WALK Program - Haladjunk az angollal!

Spread the word: DIG

Most of you know the basic meaning of dig I guess. But do you use it? I hardly believe so. Urban fellows do not fancy farming. Still, I want to show you it's been worth learning this item of the irregular verb list.

to dig - meaning to search

Digging through the archives, it turned out that...

"an unprecedented effort to dig beneath the numbers and puzzle out what is actually going on." The Economist

to dig your heels in - you refuse to change your mind concerning what you have said or decided

"Anyway, the unusual election result was resolved amicably. Lawyers didn't dig their heels in and argue for hours. No-one went to court." BBC News

to dig your own grave - you do something that may lead to trouble

Angolul tanulsz? A WALK Program veled tart!