The Triune Brain

The TOEFL often features talks with a science theme so today I decided to find one that is also an IELTS Academic theme (in the reading section) because listening to an explanation can often help to explain a Reading exercise that's based on the same subject. Please note, I am not a Psychologist so this is new to me too and only intended as a practice listening!

Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash

This video explains the Triune Brain and gives you the opportunity to learn some very specific vocabulary which is listed below.

The questions are under the video. Read the questions then watch and take notes. See if you can answer some questions without listening again.

1. What will the Triune Brain Theory most likely explain? 
2. What do we have high and low levels of when we feel "hijacked"?
3. What is the front part of the brain called?
4. What is its purpose?
5. What is the blue part of the brain called?
6. What is controlled by this part?
7. What is the red part associated with?
8. Do they share the same blood supply,
9. What does a SPEC scan show us?
10. What happens to the blood flow when we are faced with adversity and what is the corresponding change to our behaviour?
11. He talks about seeing a tiger footprint in the jungle. What were the two speeds mentioned in reference to the brain?
12. Give another term for the yellow, blue and red parts of the brain (the 4 F's is a not quite as it seems!)
13. What happens to the social inhibitions part of the brain when we get emotional?

In other videos, the red part of the brain is called the Reptillian part and is considered to be the oldest part of the brain.

This information is used by therapists to help people manage their reacions to situations and stress. It could be useful to know in an exam!

NEW VOCABULARY

Triune
Adversity
Freeze
Neocortex
Limbic
Cortisol
Oxytocin
Injection
Wisdom

ANSWERS

1. What will the Triune Brain Theory most likely explain? Our reaction to stress and adversity.
2. What do we have high and low levels of when we feel "hijacked"? High levels of cortisol and adrenalin, low levels of oxytocin.
3. What is the front part of the brain called? The Neocortex
4. What is its purpose? It is for rational, creative, analytic, linguistic thought and for deciding between socially appropriate or inappropriate behaviours.
5. What is the blue part of the brain called? The Limbic part
6. What is controlled by this part? Emotions
7. What is the red part associated with? Fight or flight and reproduction
8. Do they share the same blood supply, No, there are 3 blood supplies.
9. What does a specscan show us? It shows the way our brains process situations  by monitoring blood flow and producing a "movie" of the patterns.
10. What happens to the blood flow when we are faced with adversity and what is the corresponding change to our behaviour? The blood flow is reduced in the Neocortex and increased in the Limbic and back part.
11. He talks about seeing a tiger footprint in the jungle. What were the two speeds mentioned in reference to the brain? The Neocortex works slowly at 1.3 seconds and the other part works at 0.09 seconds.
12. Give another term for the yellow, blue and red parts of the brain (the 4 F's is a not quite as it seems!) Yellow = intelligence, Blue = wisdom, Red is the 4 F's - fight, flight, freeze and....Reproduction 
13. What happens to the social inhibitions part of the brain when we get emotional? It shuts down and we lose an understanding of time.

Robert Capa: The Soldier in the Water

Photographer: Robert Capa

A listening practice about this picture taken by Robert Capa during the D-Day Landings

I have chosen to do a listening about Robert Capa as he has been the subject of a TOEFL reading in the past so it would be useful to know a bit about him in case his work comes up again in a future TOEFL test.

First though, some camera vocabulary could be handy! In a TOEFL reading about Robert Capa, the text will focus on how he worked and the results he achieved. However, it would be good to learn photography vocabulary especially in relation to the history of photography and early camera equipment as these wider subjects can also be TOEFL topics.

Here's some to start you off:

Camera-angle - position of the camera relative to the subject
Lens --  a piece of optical glass used to form an image of a subject on sensitive material
Wide-angle -  a lens that includes a wider subject area than normal
Zoom - a lens that allows the focal range to be adjusted
Composition - the arrangement of the subject matter in the photograph 
Depth of field - points nearest to and farthest from the camera that are exceptionally sharp
Exposure - the length of time light of a given intensity is allowed to act on a sensitive emulsion

Now listen to this short video clip about the picture shown above and answer the questions below.

The Soldier in the Water

1 Complete this sentence:

« If your pictures aren't __________ enough, you weren't ___________ enough. »

2  Why are Robert Capa's pictures of D-Day particularly important?

3 How does the narrator describe the conditions Capa experienced while taking his photographs?

4 What is the name of the soldier in the photo? How old was he and how much did he weigh?

5 How was Ed feeling when the photo was taken?

6 Where did he find protection?

7 Why doesn't he want to forget?

8 What is the photograph taken to represent now?

I hope you found this interesting and don't forget to subscribe for more updates!

Scroll down for the answers!






























































1 « If your pictures aren't good enough, you weren't close enough. »

2 No other photographer landed with the troops. Robert Capa was the only 

photographer that captured that initial landing on the beach.The first

confrontation with the enemy.

3 It's hard to imagine worse conditions for taking photographs. The unimaginable horror, confusion and fear - aside from just trying to survive.

4 Ed Regan, 22 years old and 120 pounds

5 Physically and emotionally spent (exhausted).

6 He got to the seawall after about 15 minutes in that position.

7 He sees his picture as representing all the GIs who landed on D-Day.

8  It symbolises the plight of any soldier in any water. One soldier against the enemy and the very real possibility of death. It's a powerful image of the experience of war.

Simple Essay Structure and You Tube videos

If you are doing TOEFL IBT then you know you have speaking and writing sections to do along with all the listening and reading sections. Did you know that great speeches, pieces of writing and You Tube "talky" videos all have something in common - structure! There's other stuff too like vocabulary and interesting sentence construction but the main thing I am going to focus on here is the common structure you can use for the speaking and writing sections.

You may have seen this simple essay structure in the past but if you haven't, I will explain it for you. It is what I use to help my students with their writing.

Source: www.onlineteaching.humanities.curtin.edu.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Having decided on the main theme of your work (the thesis),the introduction is where you state what you are going to talk about. It is an inverted triangle because you should go from a general opening that may include a bit of history and background, to the actual point you are going to argue. 

Middle Paragraphs

Each paragraph represents one argument to back up the point you are making. It should begin with a topic sentence, should develop that topic and at the end, should restate strongly the topic of the paragraph and link to the next paragraph.

Conclusion

The triangle is the opposite of the introduction triangle because the opening of this paragraph is a restatement  of the thesis, followed by a summary of the arguments used, and speculation on whether different approaches to the question may be taken in the future due to future developments, for example.


If you follow this simple structure for your TOEFL writing and speaking exercises, it should help you to be more organised and to focus on the question you have been asked to answer. Of course, using this structure for other work such as speeches and You Tube videos is another possibility.


And to see great speech/essay structure in action, watch this TED Talk (or read the transcript)!

A historic moment in the Arab world

I hope this helps!

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 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....

  -->

Sacagawea - an important woman in American History

Edgar Samuel Paxson [Public domain]

You probably know about Pocahontas but what about Sacagawea? The video clip today is about this amazing woman who is regarded as being a key woman in the development of modern USA.

 As TOEFL covers things US students learn about or know in their first year in University, it makes sense to know some of these names and dates just in case they come up in reading or listening! Or just because it is interesting!

Having watched several clips about her and read a few different posts, there doesn't seem to be total agreement about her story and so I would suggest that you look around the Internet to find out more and draw your own conclusions.

To set the scene..........

Lewis and Clark were hired by President Thomas Jefferson to lead an expedition across uncharted land back in 1804 - 1806. They spent the winter of 1804-1805 at Fort Mandan where they learnt more about the tribes they would encounter on their expedition.

Sacagawea was a Native American woman who was involved in the expedition.

Sacagawea Biography Part 1

Who was Sacagawea married to?

Name two of the Native American languages that Sacagawea could speak.

What was her role in the expedition?

How old was she and did she have a baby?

How did she know about the landmarks along the route?

Why was she considered to be a symbol of peace?

Describe the land beyond Fort Mandan.

Why was the boat sent back?

Scroll down to find the answers.....

Who was Sacagawea married to? Toussaint Charbonneau - a French trader

Name two of the Native American languages that Sacagawea could speak. Shoshone, Hidatsa, English and French

What was her role in the expedition? Interpreter and guide along with her husband.

How old was she and did she have a baby? She was 20 and had a newborn baby boy called Jean-Baptiste

How did she know about the landmarks along the route? She had been stolen from her tribe and brought to the East to the Missouri from the Rocky Mountains so she knew not only the landmarks but also the route.

Why was she considered to be a symbol of peace? She was a woman with a baby and this symbolised peace.

Describe the land beyond Fort Mandan .It was uncharted, untested, unknown terrain. It was indeed suspect terrain.

Why was the boat sent back? It was too cumbersome (too bulky or big). 

If you haven't tried the other listening exercises then have a go! 

Answers to Recolonisation of Seabirds

Answers to Recolonisation of Seabirds

Here is the link to the original post: Recolonisation of Seabirds 

What sort of Puffin is the film about and what is the name of the island they are on? It is the Atlantic Puffin and they are on Easter Egg Rock

Name some of the other birds that are mentioned. Laughing Gulls; Black Guillemots; Common, Arctic and Roseate Terns.

What did the actions of people do to the colony of birds on the island by 1887 and 1936? Hunters searching for eggs, feathers and meat, caused Easter Egg Rock to lose all the Puffins by 1887 and wiped out the Tern population by 1936.

What techniques were used in the 1970s to attract birds back to the island? They used decoys and recordings of busy Tern colonies to attract birds back to the island.

What happened in 1980 and 1981? In 1980, Terns returned to nest there and in 1981, 5 pairs of Puffins nested on the island after a 100-year absence.


Describe the accommodation for the researchers. 
They live in tents, have a wooden hut for a toilet and a solar powered research centre, which they call the Easter Rock Hilton, that serves as a both a kitchen and a conference centre.

What purpose do the numbers on the boulders serve?
They identify the burrows where the Puffins pairs nest and raise their young.

What is said about the relationship that Puffins have with their "partner"?They are monogamous and can last up to 30 years.

What do we know about the Puffin's ability to fly? They fly both in the sky and the sea.
  How deep to Puffins go to catch fish? 200 feet

Name some of the fish they bring back for their young. Sand Lance, Hake and Herring

What is "Head Flipping" and "Billing"? Head Flipping is when they make an abrupt toss of the head accompanied by a grunting sound and Billing is a behaviour that reinforces pair bonds. They tap each other's bills as if they are doing"la bise"!

Where else can this type of restoration work be carried out? Anywhere where recolonisation of seabirds is required and people are dedicated to conservation.

Crabs and Cars

Hi everyone!

Here is a video clip for you to watch and then answer questions about. It is from Science Daily which is a great resource for those of you doing TOEFL. It is a light-hearted look at some research that is currently underway and I hope you find it informative as well as entertaining.

Before getting to the video though, just run through this list of words/phrases and check your understanding of them using a dictionary:

Nimbly

Tricky

Strain

Guages

Wiggling

To set the stage

Common

Now here are the questions you need to answer after watching the video clip:

What is the main theme of this video clip ?

Why do the scientists want to study animals in particular ?

What sort of surfaces can the animals move through ?

In what two ways are their movements measured ?

- Ghost Crab

- Lizard

What is the other thing that the physicists are measuring ?

Why are they doing this ?

On what sort of creature is the robot designed by engineers at Pennsylvania University based?

Do they know how to design a car based on this technology yet ?

In what way is motion said to be changing ?

When you have read through the questions, play the video and try to answer them when it is finished. Here is the link: Crabs and Cars 

Here are the answers: Answers Crabs and Cars

I hope you enjoyed it and learnt something! Keep an eye on my blog and I will put more up to keep you going! 

 

 

Answers - Dry Ice and Dunes

Hi everyone

Well it has been really cold over the past few mornings where I live and I was happy not to be living anywhere near the Mars North Pole ;-)

Here are the answers to the Dry Ice and Dunes on Mars post. I hope you did OK if you tried to do it. Watch out for another post coming along in the next few days....!
    
What kind of planet do we tend to think Mars is? We think of Mars as a dead planet, where all the exciting geologic activity happened millions of years ago.

What sort of planet is it actually? It's a dynamic place.
 

What is at the North Pole of Mars? Mars has a permanent ice cap made up of water ice at its North Pole.

What surrounds this feature? Sand dunes surround this feature.

What is the name of the rock found there and what is it likened to on Earth? The rock is called Basalt. It is like the rock found around Hawaiian volcanoes.

In what seasons does it get extremely cold? It gets extremely cold in Fall and Winter.

What happens to the ground when it is cold? The ground gets covered with a layer of seasonal Carbon dioxide ice (or dry ice) that's about 1 to 2 feet thick.

 

The sequence of events during Spring is described several times. List the main events in the final explanation that is given.  The dunes are ice-covered in the early spring. Some areas of the ice rupture and crack, allowing sand and dust to escape along with the escaping gas. The gas from the dry ice destabilizes the slopes, reshaping the dunes. 
 

How often does this happen? It happens every Spring.

What conclusion is offered with regard to Mars and Earth?Mars may look Earth-like but in some ways it is a very different planet.

Any questions? Send me a message using the box below.

The Dry Ice and Dunes on Mars

 Today's short post is based on a video clip I found on the NASA website. It reminded me of those TOEFL lectures about natural phenomena and is nicely presented. It is also available for download and sharing so a big thank you to NASA for that!

I haven't put any vocabulary in today as I think for Upper Intermediate and Advanced students, this should be pretty easy! Just watch the video clip and answer the questions below. For students who are a lower level in English, let me know if you would like vocabulary included in this post by sending me a message in the box below!  

When you click on the link below, you should go directly to You Tube and the correct video clip. If it doesn't work, you can find the clip on the NASA.org website by typing Dry Ice and Dunes into the search box in the website.

Dry Ice and Dunes

1. What kind of planet do we tend to think Mars is?
2. What sort of planet is it actually?
3. What is at the North Pole of Mars?
4. What surrounds this feature?
5. What is the name of the rock found there and what is it likened to on Earth?
6. In what seasons does it get extremely cold?
7. What happens to the ground when it is cold?
8. The sequence of events during Spring is described several times. List the main events in the final explanation that is given. 
9. How often does this happen?
10. What conclusion is offered with regard to Mars and Earth?

And to finish, here is a link to some amazing images from Mars courtesy of National Geographic. Mars photos

Here are the Answers to this post: Answers Dry Ice and Dunes

Hope you enjoyed the clip...Bye for now!!

About Tsunamis

Hi all,

Here I am with another link and questions about it to help with your listening and vocabulary. I hope there won't be a problem with it as it comes from National Geographic originally and doesn't appear on their site now which I think is a shame as it's interesting and has nice graphics.

It's loooong!!!!


As it is so long, I decided to break it up for you so you can go off for a coffee (see, that is why the coffee bit is in my blog domain name!) and come back to it when you feel refreshed! I have also started the vocabulary and questions from 3.50 as the first bit is just the introduction and although a very good one, is not going to challenge you enough!

Part A starts at 3.50 and as usual,  I have put some vocabulary up first for you to check out in a dictionary if you don't know it already. Part B starts at 6.03. -->

Part A (3.50)

To trigger something	To sweep onto
To shift	To engulf
A landslide	To near
To be thrust up	To brake
The body of water	onshore
The ripples

 Here is the link: About Tsunamis
Watch the clip up to about 6.03 then stop it. Now try to answer Part A questions. Keep going back over it if you have forgotton stuff.
  -->

How is an ocean wave caused ?

What 3 things can cause a tsunami and what makes it so different from an ordinary wave ?

Exactly what happens to the ocean bed when an earthquake cracks the ocean floor ?

What is the effect of this on the water above it ?

Describe the height and length of a tsunami.

What 3 things happen as it reaches land ?

How is the wave described ?

Does it break onshore ? If not, what does it do ?

 
Now either go and have a coffee....or not....then start Part B with the next set of vocabulary. 
  -->

Part B (6.03)

A slab	Saw-tooth
Sheer	To loom
A geological fault	A spring
Sharp

 
When you are ready, start watching again and at the end, try to answer Part B questions. 

-->

On what date did the tsunami being described, take place ?

Why was it of interest to scientists ?

What was below the ship ?

How have these been formed and over how many years ?

What did the scientists use to investigate the seabed ?

What did they find first ?

What did they discover next ?

What did this give evidence of ?

What is the magnitude of this kind of earthquake ?

Why did it happen on this particular date ?

Too short????!!!!
Yep...I know! You were getting really interested and the clip just stopped suddenly! But there is Part 2, so go ahead, watch some more!!

Here are the answers: Answers About Tsunamis

Keep checking back - you never know what I will post next!!! 

;-)