Supermassive Black Holes

Supermassive Black Holes

A You-Tube video from Newsy

Level B1+

This latest post is a long time coming! No reason except other distractions kept me away from blogger!

While I have your attention, if anyone notices any links missing in previous posts, then send me a message via the message box at the end of the post that has the problem - thank you!

Supermassive black holes.....you may know the song by Muse with the same title - sorry, I'm not posting about that today but instead, listen to a very short, pretty easy, clip about supermassive black holes. 

The questions are below:

1.What size can supermassive black holes reach?

2. What is the rate at which a normal black hole grows?

3. Why is it impossible for supermassive black holes to have grown at the same rate as normal black holes?

4. How are normal black holes made?

5. What may have helped supermassive black holes form and how?

6. What is being built for us to find the oldest light in the universe?

The mystery of Supermassive Black Holes

Scroll down for the answers.


That's all for today, but if you want to listen to a TOEFL talking exercise on Black Holes which is much more challenging, here is a link:

TOEFL Black Holes Talk

This talk is difficult due to the vocabulary used. Here is a list of some of the words you should know before listening:
nuclear fusion reactor
core
mass
upper-hand
implodes
stellar material
supernova
dense
singularity and event horizon
perimeter
radius
squared
lens
prism

Answers to The mystery of Supermassive Black Holes

1.  Supermassive black holes can reach masses of more than ten billion times that of our sun.
2. Normal black holes grow at a certain rate, usually taking a million years or more to reach a substantial size.

3. Black holes were already around about a billion years after the Big Bang which is not enough time for them to reach their enormous sizes at anything like the normal rate.

4. Normally, gas clouds collapse into stars which collapse into black holes.

5. Powerful forces like supersonic streams of gas and dark matter kept the clouds from collapsing, so they grew larger until their gravity became powerful enough to overcome those obstacles, jumpstarting an enormous blackhole seed that’s bigger than any new black hole today.

6. Ground and space-based telescopes are being built to enable us to see the oldest light in the universe.

Economics - The Invisible Hand

 Economics - The Invisible Hand

Here is a short Economics listening exercise I did my students a while back. Read through the list of words and guess where they go in the text first, then listen to the video and see if you were correct! If there are any words you don't know then look them up in www.reverso.net - this is a pretty good online dictionary and translation site.

Extra: Spot the phrasal verb that always comes up in a TOEFL exam!

Here is a link to the video clip:  The Invisible Hand

Use the words below to complete the text of the video clip.

economist	hands-off	stall	tricky	leave	free- marketeers	freely
positive	central	reach	traders	lower	enough	meantime
case	figure	compete	spoilt	charges	visible	equilibrium

An economy is a ______________________ thing to control and governments are always 

_______________________ out how to do it. Back in 1776, ____________________ 

Adam  Smith shocked everyone by saying that what governments should actually do is just 

leave everyone alone to buy and sell _________________ among themselves. He 

suggested that if they just _______________________  self-interested 

______________________ to ______________ with one another, markets are guided to 

_____________________ outcomes as if by an Invisible Hand. If someone 

_____________________ less than you, customers will buy from them instead so you'll 

have to ____________________ the price or offer something better. Whenever 

_____________________people demand something, they'll be supplied by the market like 

_____________________ children only in this _________________ everyone's happy. 

Later ____________________ like Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek argued that this 

"________________" approach actually works better than any _______________________

 plan. But the problem is, economies can take a long time to ____________________ their 

_____________________________ and may even ______________ along the way and in 

the ______________________ people can get a little frustrated which is why governments 

usually end up taking things into their own more __________________ hands instead.

Answers below - scroll down!












 Keep scrolling!











 Answers

An economy is a tricky thing to control and governments are always trying to figure out how to do it. Back in 1776, economist, Adam Smith shocked everyone by saying that what governments should actually do is leave just everyone alone to buy and sell freely among themselves. He suggested that if they just leave self-interested traders to compete with one another, markets are guided to positive outcomes as if by an Invisible Hand. If someone charges less than you, customers will buy from them instead so you'll have to lower the price or offer something better. Whenever enough people demand something, they'll be supplied by the market like spoilt children only in this case, everyone's happy. Later free-marketeers like Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek argued that this « hands-off » approach actually works better than any central plan. But the problem is, economies can take a long time to reach their equilibrium, and may even stall along the way and in the meantime, people can get a little frustrated which is why governments usually end up taking things into their own more visible hands instead.

And the phrasal verb?

to figure out - it's often in TOEFL conversations so a good one to learn! 

I appreciate feedback so let me know what else you want to see re TOEFL stuff!

Thanks and bye for now!

 

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!

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!!! 

;-)