Baird's Tapir

Baird's Tapir

The tapir is a strange animal and definitely worth an entry on the blog. I hope you enjoy it!

The Tapir

This is an easy video clip which gives 8 facts about the Baird's Tapir so all you need to do is listen and write down the facts as you hear them.

1 How long has the tapir been around (on the Earth)?

2 For which country is it the official national animal and where is this country?

3 What is its other name in the country above and what other animals is it actually related to?

4 How many toes does it have? How many on each foot?

5 How is its nose described and what is it perfect for?

6 What is the maximum it can weigh?

7 What is happening to the population of tapirs and why?

8 Why is it called Baird's Tapir?

That was a quick one for today.

SmartWater answers

 Here are the answers to the SmartWater post:

Which area in the US is the first to use SmartWater to fight crime? Southwater

What difficulties did the British ex-Police Officer talk about with regard to bringing criminals to court? When he was a police officer, he knew who his criminals were but if he didn't have enough evidence, he couldn't bring them to court.

What happens when a person breaks into a business that is protected by SmartWater? They get showered with SmartWater.

If that person is caught, what does the police officer do to show the effects of Smartwater CSI? He uses a blue light to show up the the speckles of green on the person's clothing.

How do they know if that particular person committed the crime they are investigating? Each droplet can be linked to one location only and no other.

How can SmartWater be used in the home? It can be used to mark valuable possessions.

Is Fort Lauderdale enthusiastic about using SmartWater? Yes. They have embraced the idea with gusto (lots of enthusiasm).

What is going to happen in the neighbourhood of South Middle River? Residents are going to receive kits to mark valuable possessions.

How is it going to be financed? Money from a Trust Fund will be used to pay for the kits.

"We're going to roll it out in Fort Lauderdale..." Can you explain this sentence? To roll something out is to introduce it gradually in a planned way. So this sentence means that they have a plan to gradually introduce Smartwater across Fort Lauderdale.

Give 3 synonyms of  "criminals" and which were mentioned in the commentary. Robbers, crooks, burglars.

More posts coming - remember to subscribe!!

Smartwater to fight crime

This came up on the news today so any plans I had for another post got pushed to one side as I thought this was such a simple yet effective idea and I wanted to share it with you.

It's the use of coded water to catch criminals after a crime has been committed - watch the video to find out more and answer the questions below!

Here is a link to a Fox news report about it:

SmartWater CSI 


Which area in the US is the first to use SmartWater to fight crime?

What difficulties did the British ex-Police Officer talk about with regard to bringing criminals to court?

What happens when a person breaks into a business that is protected by SmartWater?

If that person is caught, what does the police officer do to show the effects of Smartwater CSI?

How do they know if that particular person committed the crime they are investigating?

How can SmartWater be used in the home?

Is Fort Lauderdale enthusiastic about using SmartWater?

What is going to happen in the neighbourhood of South Middle River?

How is it going to be financed?

"We're going to roll it out in Fort Lauderdale..." Can you explain this sentence?

Give 3 synonyms of  "criminals" and which were mentioned in the commentary.

There you go - a quick listening exercise that includes some useful vocabulary.

And one more thing...........If you decide to follow my G+ group, then PLEASE say hello and who you are when you add me as it would be nice to hear from you - at least that way I know you are really human and not computer generated!

Thanks and Byeeeeeeee!

Answers to the Extreme Engineering post

Oops - a little later than I wanted but here are the answers to the last post and keep looking for more posts at the end of the week!

Answers to the Extreme Engineering post

Questions

What kind of technology holds the promise for a transatlantic train system? Maglev train technology

How fast might these trains travel? 5000 mph

What problem needs to be solved? Air resistance.

What happens as you travel faster? How much power would the trains use if they travel in a vacuum? The same amount of power as a train travelling at 200 or 300mph outside the vacuum.

When was vacuum tube technology invented? A century ago.

What was it used for? It was used in factories and offices to send small objects and documents around.

How does it work and what happens to objects placed in the tube? Air is pumped of a tube to create a vacuum. With no air, there's no air resistance to any object going through it. If an object is given a push, it goes into the equivalent of instant freefall and is literally sucked through the tube.

Where are engineers currently doing experiments on vacuum tube technology and Maglev trains? MIT

Can you describe the experiments they are doing and what happens to the speed of the train when it is in a vacuum? A miniature maglev train is placed in a tube that represents the transatlantic tunnel. Smoke is added to show the presence of air. The train slides slowly. Next all the air is removed with a vacuum pump. Now, when the train is added, its speed is tripled. Without air to push it back, the train slides completely unimpeded through the tube.

How long is the experimental tube and how long is the proposed transatlantic tunnel? It is 6 feet long and the transatlantic tunnel would be 3000 miles long.

Does the narrator think the experimental tube can easily become reality? He says, "Of course, removing the air from a 6 foot tube is one thing. Turning a 3000 mile long train tunnel into a vacuum is quite another matter." This implies that he thinks it will be difficult to make it become reality.

Hope you managed to get all those long answers! Send feedback below - I would love to hear from you!!

Extreme engineering and air resistance

Highlands of Scotland - Steam Train

How would you like to be able to travel between Europe and the USA, under the sea but at super high speed?

Apart from the obvious benefit of getting to your destination really quickly, it is possibly a greener solution to the current modes of transport.

The video today looks at how this could become a reality! It's full of science vocabulary to help with those science listenings and readings in the TOEFL!It is not too difficult and is just a short one so it won't take too long!

Here is the link: Air resistance


Vocabulary

To hurtle - to go at a very high speed. 

To do away with - to eliminate

Airless - without air

To shove - to push hard

To impede - to put obstacles in the way

Questions

What kind of technology holds the promise for a transatlantic train system?

How fast might these trains travel?

What problem needs to be solved?

What happens as you travel faster?

How much power would the trains use if they travel in a vacuum?

When was vacuum tube technology invented?

What was it used for?

How does it work and what happens to objects placed in the tube?

Where are engineers currently doing experiments on vacuum tube technology and Maglev trains?

Can you describe the experiments they are doing and what happens to the speed of the train when it is in a vacuum?

How long is the experimental tube and how long is the proposed transatlantic tunnel? 

Does the narrator think the experimental tube can easily become reality?


As I was doing this I wondered about the G-forces on people in the train....wouldn't they have an effect? I am sure someone out there can answer that! 

Remember to subscribe for more updates using the button on the right of the screen. 

Look out for my sister blog starting for younger people and have a nice day!!!

Link to the answers for Extreme Engineering

Answers to Steampunk

Well, it looks like people enjoyed the Steampunk post! Here are the answers to the questions....

Questions for the Introduction and Steampunk Craft

How is the world of Steampunk described right now? It's growing, it's hit a tipping point, it's mainstream.

In what way is it not purely Victorian? It's kind of Victorian but yet it's futuristic as you have these futuristic steam-powered contraptions.

What different elements create the world of Steampunk? Art installations, movement and performance.

What influence did the Industrial Revolution have? It made us forget how to make things with our hands. Steampunk is a world that never happened and has an alternate timeline to the development of the world after the Industrial Revolution.

What two kinds of power are combined in Steampunk? Steam and electrical Tesla power.

What does the narrator (Joey aka Mr Grymm) like to do with antiques? He likes to refurbish them or repurpose them if they can't be mended.

Questions for Steampunk Music

What inspired the narrator to start writing pieces of music about Steampunk? He visited a friend's house and saw Steampunk things lying around.

What connections did he make with the instruments? The instruments like the French horn and bassoon have complicated plumbing which looks very like steampunk design. The contrabassoon has crazy metal valves and tubing that in a Steampunk scenario, really fits the bill.

What is he aiming to do with this style of music? He is trying to make sense of the richness of the world to take the listener beyond the mundane things of day to day life.

Questions for Steampunk Theatre

Is Steampunk true to a particular period in time? No, it is not true to any particular period although it drifts towards the Edwardian era.

What does Steampunk give the performers? They have the freedom to create a new kind of space.

Is the performance a happy one? No, it's sinister.

Can you say why there are two Alices? There are 2 Alices because they are telling the story of a personality pulled hard in 2 directions with 2 conflicting sets of desires.

Questions for the Steampunk Haunted House

What is the aim of the "nightmarescape"? They were interested in the idea of "what is a nightmare", how could they make it contemporary and would people enjoy watching the performance.

Steampunk gave them the inspiration to do what? A lot of our work has to do with the collusion of disparate elements which might not otherwise be contiguous and putting them together to create new meaning.

Final section

What does Joey hope Steampunk will give artists and how does he view the future of Steampunk? He hopes that it will get artists to think more about their resources and what we are doing with our history, our yesterday and our memories. He thinks there is a lot out there and it (Steampunk) is growing

A new post about Extreme Engineering is going up today so check it out!

And for younger people, I have created your own blog so I will put something up for you in the next few days.

Steampunk

Steampunk inspired

Hey everyone!!

Prepare to enter the world of  

STEAMPUNK!

I love this style and although maybe it's not something to turn up to work in, I find the concept so fascinating that I thought it would be a good one to do a listening/vocabulary exercise on as it fits into the category of Arts.

The video clip I have found has a wealth of fantastic vocabulary and different accents so it will really test your listening abilities - I hope you enjoy finding out about a subject that could be new to some of you too!

The video is in sections so if you want, you can listen to a section then answer the questions before moving on.......It is not the easiest video I have posted but I hope you enjoy the challenge!

Here is the link to the video clip: Steampunk

Introduction and Steampunk Craft

Vocabulary

to hit a tipping point - to reach a stage when things start to change and gather momentum

the mainstream - the accepted normal, dominant course or trend in society

contraptions - a mechanical device or invention that is unnecessarily complicated, strange or improvised

electrical Tesla power - Nikola Tesla lived from 1856 - 1943 and is considered to be one of the most important contributeurs to electrical inventions.

refurbish - to renovate anything that is worn out and in need of repair

repurpose - to give something a new use or purpose.

Questions for the Introduction and Steampunk Craft

How is the world of Steampunk described right now? It's g....................., it's h..... a t.................. p............, it's m............................

In what way is it not purely Victorian?

What different elements create the world of Steampunk?

What influence did the Industrial Revolution have?

What two kinds of power are combined in Steampunk?

What does the narrator (Joey aka Mr Grymm) like to do with antiques?

Steampunk Music

 Vocabulary

scrap metal - unused pieces of metal

French Horn, Bassoon and Contra-Bassoon - wind instruments

valves - a device that alters the flow of air, liquid or gas

tubing - a long, hollow, usually cylindrical object for conveying air, liquids or gases.

to fit the bill (idiom) - to be a perfect match

Questions for Steampunk Music

What inspired the narrator to start writing pieces of music about Steampunk?

What connections did he make with the instruments?

What is he aiming to do with this style of music?

Steampunk Theatre

Vocabulary

an aesthetic - an artform

to drift - to tend to move in slow, unplanned way

the period - the era or point in time

sinister - evil and frightening

to be torn asunder - to be broken apart

Questions for Steampunk Theatre

Is Steampunk true to a particular period in time?

What does Steampunk give the performers?

Is the performance a happy one?

Can you say why there are two Alices?

Steampunk Haunted House

Vocabulary

a nightmarescape - this is not really a word but it can be understood from "nightmare" and "landscape". A nightmare is a very bad dream and a landscape is a panoramic view or scene. So together, a "nightmarescape" must be a very bad, dreamlike scene.

"..have them dig it!" - get them to really like something and appreciate it

to resonate - to understand and empathise with

collusion - a bringing together

disparate - different, distinct kinds, dissimilar

contiguous - touching or in close proximity

Questions for  Steampunk Haunted House

What is the aim of the "nightmarescape"?

Steampunk gave them the inspiration to do what? A lot of our work has to do with the c................ of d................... ................which might not otherwise be ............................ and putting ................ .................... to ....................... .................... .........................

Final section

What does Joey hope Steampunk will give artists and how does he view the future of Steampunk?

Finished? You did it all? You want more?!!!

Here are the answers to the questions above.

If this has got you interested to see more then here are some links to trailers to films that you could argue are Steampunk inspired, the first one being an old back and white movie!

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne

Dune

Steamboy

The final link is to a great, little short film made on a small budget over about 3.5 years. Go and get a coffee, put your feet up and enjoy it!

Aurora

Bye for now!

Answers to Aloysius Lilius and the Gregorian calendar.

 Here are the answers to the:

  Aloysius Lilius and the Gregorian Calendar post

Where was Aloysius Lilius born and in what year? He was born in Italy in

approximately 1510.

What was his profession and what was the year? He was a professeur of Medicine at the University of Perugia in 1552.

When did he present his manuscript to the Vatican? In 1576

What happened in the same year? He died.

Why did this system become known as the Gregorian calendar and when was it introduced? It became known as the Gregorian calendar because it was introduced by Pope Gregory 8th in 1582.

What do calendars pre-date? They pre-date the written word.

What was the calendar called that was used before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar? It was the Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar.

How inaccurate was the previous calendar and why was this a concern to the Church? It was supposed to correspond with the orbit of the sun but as time passed it was inaccurate by more than 10 days and this was important for the Church's important events such as Easter.

Describe how the Gregorian calendar works. It is a solar calendar of 365 days divided into 12 months with an extra day added on in a Leap Year to create a small adjustment for inaccuracies. 

On the American Dream scale, what score does Aloysius get and why? He scores 1 because he died before the Catholic church instituted his invention and as a result, he never reaped any benefits. 

Give the score for the Benefit to Humanity scale and the reason why. He gets a 5 here because the Gregorian calendar united the world under one, single understandable system

Finally, what score did he get for the Ripple Effect scale and why? On the Ripple Effect scale, he gets a 5 because today most of the modern world uses the Gregorian calendar.

I hope you did OK and see you soon - check out the hint on the original Aloysius link and see if you guess correctly!

Aloysius Lilius and the Gregorian Calendar

Welcome to another week!

If you are new to my blog, then hello! The aim of my blog is to give students of English as a second language an opportunity to practise listening and answering questions, learn some new vocabulary and experience everyday language and cultural differences through the creative part of my blog.

Today, I found a Discovery video clip about the guy who invented the Gregorian calendar which most of the modern world uses today. You will find quite a lot of dates to test your numbers and as I know calendars have come up in TOEFL listening before, so it should give you some useful vocabulary.

Speaking of vocabulary, here is some that comes up in the script:
   

Behold !	Look !	To pass away	To die
To pre-date	To precede in time	Flawed	Faulty
Leap Year	Une année bissextile (Fr)	To reap	To profit from

Read the questions and try to answer them after the video has finished. It is better not to watch the video, but just listen to accustom your ear to the sounds as you will not have visual clues in an exam. Here is the link:

  The Modern Calendar

 Questions:

Where was Aloysius Lilius born and in what year?
What was his profession and what was the year?
When did he present his manuscript to the Vatican?
What happened in the same year?
Why did this system become known as the Gregorian calendar and when was it introduced?
What do calendars pre-date?
What was the calendar called that was used before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar?
How inaccurate was the previous calendar and why was this a concern to the Church?
Describe how the Gregorian calendar works.
On the American Dream scale, what score does Aloysius get and why?
Give the score for the Benefit to Humanity scale and the reason why.
Finally, what score did he get for the Ripple Effect scale and why?

OK that's all for today but rest assured, I have a whole BUNCH of ideas for more posts!

Here are the Answers to Aloysius Lilius and the Gregorian Calendar post
 

Here is a hint for the next one........... 

It's a design style and, for some, a way of life....

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