The English Desk - Exercises

2011-01-28T11:14:00.001-08:00

2011-01-28T11:10:00.001-08:00

Teaming Up

2010-01-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

Describe yourself.
Are you happy with the way you look?
Are you happy with the way you feel?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to gain some weight?
Do you want to maintain your present weight?
Do you want to get in shape?

What are some things that people say when they agree? for example - okay
Which expressions make you sound as though you are enthusiastic?
Which ones would you use if you didn't feel too excited about agreeing?
What is another way to show how you feel?
Practice making suggestions about doing things this weekend with a partner.
Decide whether or not your partner really feels interested in your suggestion or not.
Choose one phrase and practise saying it six different ways. (Change the sound of your voice and the look on your face.)

Listen to the Podcast

Which phrases do you hear the women use when they agree?

Okay.
Righto.
Sure thing.
Why not?
Of course.
That sounds good.
Great.
Super!
It's fine with me.
Uh huh.

Listen to the podcast again.

What are Nita and Yeung teaming up to do?

find jobs
lose weight and get fit
share child care

Which foods did Nita bring for lunch?

chicken soup - chili - a whole wheat bun - pita bread
hummus - an apple - some yogurt - raw veggies

Which foods did Yeung bring?

chicken soup - chili - a whole wheat bun - pita bread
hummus - an apple - some yogurt - raw veggies

Fill in the blanks:

1 As soon as they finish work they are going to the indoor _________ to walk.

2 They're going to __________ for half an hour.

3 They want to become more ________ and lose some ___________.

4 Every year she starts a new _________ enthusiastically.

5 By the end of February she has ________________.

6 Instead of losing weight, Yeung has been ___________ on the pounds.

7 They plan to use a strategy of __________ eating and regular exercise.

8 Nita feels very __________ about getting in shape this year.

Put the conversation in order.

Great, we'll walk for about half an hour today okay? What did you bring for lunch?

Did you bring your running shoes?

Oh, and I brought an apple too. I feel healthier already.

I've got some chicken soup, a small serving of hummus to eat with pita bread and some raw veggies. How about you?

Sure thing, I'm all set. As soon as we finish work today we can go to the indoor track at the community centre. It'll only take about 5 minutes to get there.

I've got some vegetarian chili , a small whole wheat bun, some yogurt and an apple for a snack.

A Resolution

2010-01-02T14:25:00.003-08:00

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?
What are some popular resolutions that people make?
How did you celebrate New Year's Eve?
What was the best thing that happened to you in 2009?
What was the worst thing that happened to you in 2009?
What do you hope will happen in 2010?

Listen to the podcast.

Which parts of the body do you hear about in the podcast?

hearts - hands - legs - ears - fingers - toes
arms - feet - eyes - cheeks - chin - ears
elbows - shoulders - tongues - teeth - lips - head

Listen to the podcast again.

Complete the sentences:

1 Joe shook his friend Terry's ..........

head
arm
hand

2 Joe said he wanted to get more ........

work
money
exercise

3 At the summit Canada got.................

a real red eye
a real black eye
a real blue eye

4 Terry said that he thinks the government has its head........

in the sand
in the water
in the fire

5 The expression which means that people were talking about something is.........

lips were flapping
teeth were chattering
tongues were wagging

6 Some people accused the government of .........

playing footsie
foot dragging
shaking hands

7 It seemed as though messages were falling on ............

plugged ears
big ears
deaf ears

8 Some say the agreement in Copenhagen is ........

toothless
heartless
thoughtless

Match the expressions with the meanings below:

1 to turn a blind eye
2 to get a black eye
3 to open your eyes to something
4 to fall on deaf ears
5 to be toothless
6 to drag your feet
7 to have your head in the sand
8 to point your finger at someone
9 to have a hand in doing something
10 tongues were wagging

to ignore something that you can see - to ignore something you have heard - to be weak or powerless - to talk about something - to do something very slowly, unwillingly -
to become aware of something - to get a bad reputation or to lose - to participate in something - to be hiding from reality - to blame someone for something

Plum Pudding

2010-01-02T14:25:00.001-08:00

What are some special foods that people in your family
make for celebrations?
Have you ever eaten plum pudding?
Do you like to prepare food?
Who taught you to do it?
What memories do you have of your grandparents?
What did they teach you?

Listen to the Podcast

Which of the following things is Anna doing?

making plum pudding
wrapping gifts
writing cards
remembering her grandmother
getting ready to celebrate Christmas

Listen to the Podcast again.

True or False

____ Anna is going to make chocolate pudding.
____ Plum pudding is a dense cake.
____ Her grandmother always made plum pudding at Christmas.
____ She would pour water over the pudding and light it.
____ She served the pudding with raspberry sauce.
____ Anna's grandmother is from Ireland.
____ Anna's grandmother is 94.
____ She put currants and raisins and prunes and dates in the pudding.
____ She steamed the puddings on the barbecue.
____ Anna knew that she had done everything right because the puddings looked good.
____ She could smell the same fragrance that she remembered in her Grandmother's kitchen.

Ready to Go

2010-01-02T14:24:00.003-08:00

What do you usually wear in the winter?
What should you wear to go outside in freezing weather?
Can cold weather be dangerous?
Do you know what frostbite is?
What does it look like?
What should you do if you get frostbite?

Listen to the Podcast.

Who is the podcast about?

Min and her sister
Min and her son
Min and her father

What are they doing?

getting ready for a party
getting ready for bed
getting ready to go outside

Listen to the Podcast again.

Which items of clothing do you hear?

a shirt
mittens
jeans
a vest
snow pants
a sweater
gloves
a neck warmer
a jacket
socks
a hood
a hat

Fill in the blanks with a verb in the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

rattle / have / wake / call / took / see / disappear / howl / wait

1 The wind __________________________ all night long.

2 It _____________________ the doors and windows too.

3 It _____________________ her up during the night.

4 She was glad she ___________________ her car to get snow tires put on.

5 Will _______________________ impatiently for the snow to arrive.

6 Min _________________ a little help with her prediction.

7 The forecast ____________________ for heavy snow and freezing weather.

8 She _______________ frostbite on the cheek of one of Will's friends.

9 By the time they were ready to go Will ________________!

The Rocket

2009-11-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

Can you name any Canadian hockey teams?
Have you ever been to a hockey game?
Are you a fan of any sport?
What's your favourite team?
How do the fans behave?
What do fans do to show people which team
they support?

Listen to the podcast.

What is 'The Rocket'?

a hockey team
a hockey stick
a hockey player

Listen to the podcast again.

Match the teams with the places they are from.

Canucks.................................
Senators................................
Oilers....................................
Maple Leafs............................
Nordiques.................................
Canadiens................................

Edmonton / Toronto / Montreal / Quebec / Ottawa / Vancouver

True or False

____ Roch Carriere wrote the story called The Hockey Skates.
____ He grew up in a small village in Quebec.
____ The two most important events were the church services and hockey games.
____ All of the players wanted to be like Maurice Richard.
____ Fans called Maurice Richard 'The Rocket'.
____ He began playing for Montreal in 1902.
____ He retired in 1960.
____ He was a great goalie.
____ He scored 544 goals.
____ The number on Richard's sweater was number 6.
____ The Montreal Canadien sweaters are red, white and blue.
____ Roche's mother ordered him a new hockey sweater from the Eaton's catalogue.
____ He received a Vancouver Canucks sweater.
____ He didn't want to wear his new sweater.
____ His new hockey sweater brought him a lot of good luck.
____ He lost his temper because he got a penalty from the referee.
____ He broke his leg on the ice.
____ He prayed for some moths to eat his new hockey sweater.

Discussion:

Have you ever had a hero like the boy in The Hockey Sweater?
Why did you admire this person?
Have you ever ordered something and didn't get what you expected?
What did you do about it?
Have you ever had to wear something that you didn't like?
When was the last time you lost your temper?

The Flat

2009-11-13T12:57:00.001-08:00

What are some problems which people can have when they are driving their cars?
Have you ever had a flat tire?
What would you do if you had a flat tire?
* I'd change it myself.
* I'd call a garage.
* I'd call a friend or family member.
* I'd call an automotive club.
* I'd try to get someone who was driving past to stop and help.

Make a list of the things you would need to have to change a flat tire.

Listen to the podcast.

How many times do you hear the word flat?

Listen to the podcast again.

Choose the correct answer.

1 Jenny and her brother were driving......

home from London
home from Montreal
home from Toronto

2 They had been to ..............

a concert
a conference
a play

3 They pulled over to the side of the road because...............

they saw an accident
they heard a loud thudding noise
the car started to bounce around

4 Jenny.................................

had changed a few tires before
had never changed a tire before
could change a tire but didn't want to get her hands dirty

5 The flat tire was..............................

at the front on the passenger side
at the back on the passenger side
at the back on the driver's side

6 Charlie put a jack under the car.................

to raise the car up
to keep the car from moving
to keep the car from rolling forward

7 Changing a tire is............

as difficult as brain surgery
pretty easy
only easy for very strong people

8 The spare tire .......................

has to be replaced because it's a temporary tire
doesn't have to be replaced
can be driven until it wears out or goes flat

Put the events in order

They heard a loud noise.
They got back into their car and continued on their way.
Jenny and Charlie were driving home.
Charlie changed the tire.
They pulled over into a parking lot.
Charlie told Jenny to replace the spare tire the following day.
Charlie found the flat tire on the driver's side at the back.
They got the spare tire and some tools out of the trunk.

Discussion:

If someone is playing music that sounds flat, how does it sound?
If a person has a spare tire around his middle, what is it?
What is a flat to someone from Britain?
What is flat pop like?

Too Shabby

2009-11-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

What do people wear in the winter?
Where do you put your winter clothing?
When do you get it out again?
Does any of your winter clothing need repairing or replacing?
Describe your winter coat.
Is there anything that you are not going to wear this year? Why not?
Where would you go to buy a new coat?
Where would you go to get a used coat?
Think about the perfect winter coat. Describe it.

Listen to the podcast.

Which of the following things does Nicole have when she checks her winter clothes?

a pair of leather gloves
a pair of knitted socks
a pair of insulated ski gloves
a pair of sheepskin mittens
a silk scarf
a woolen scarf
a fur hat
a couple of hats
winter boots
high heels
a long wool coat
a shabby old coat
a down ski jacket

Listen to the podcast again.

Which of the following are the names of some of the stores that they went into?

Lucille's Boutique
Modern Girl
The Cove
Eatons
The Bay
Stella's Boutique
The Closet
The Cupboard
Smart Style
Suttons
Simpsons

Answer the questions.

Where does she keep her box of winter things? ____________________
What colour are her ski gloves?__________________________
What does she say about her boots?_____________________________
How many buttons were missing from her coat? ____________________
What was wrong with the sleeves of her old coat?____________________
How did her old coat feel? __________________________
Where was the coat sale?____________________________
Who did she call to go shopping? _____________________
Why didn't she buy the long, black coat that she liked? ____________________
Why didn't she buy the black and white plaid coat? _______________________
Why didn't she get the green one? _______________________________
Why didn't she buy the red one?_________________________________
What colour was the coat that she bought?___________________________
What size did she buy?______________________________________
How much was the price reduced by?__________________________

Jack-O-Lantern

2009-11-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

What do you know about Halloween? What do you think about the tradition?
What is a Jack-o-Lantern?
How do you make a Jack-o-Lantern?
Have you ever worn a costume?
What is the best costume you have ever seen?
If you were going to go to a costume party this week, what would you dress up as?

Listen to the Podcast.

Choose the best answer.

1 Halloween is on the
first of October
third of October
31st of October

2 Louise got a pumpkin from
a farm
a grocery store
her garden

3 Louise has
one child
two children
three children

4 Sam wanted to know if Louise had bought
some candy
some ice cream
some cheese

5 It wasn't easy to take the lid off because
it was glued on
it was attached to the stringy fibers
it was very heavy

6 They usually roast
the pumpkin seeds
the stringy fibers
the pieces of pumpkin

7 Sam was going to be a
pilot
pirate
prince

8 Lori wore one of her mother's old
hats
coats
dresses

9 When children knock on doors they say
Trick or Treat
Thich or Thin
Give me Candy

Put the steps for making a Jack-o-Lantern in order.

Light the candle.
Remove the seeds and stringy fibres.
Carve a face on the front.
Put the lid on and put it in the window.
Cut out the lid.
Put a candle inside.

Draw a face to put on a pumpkin. Describe the face in words.

A Delicacy

2009-11-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

How many seasons are there where you live?
What happens in the autumn?
What are some nuts in your area?
Describe them?
Are they edible?
What do people do with them?
What are some foods or snacks that people can buy on
the streets?

Listen to the podcast.

What is the delicacy that the speaker is talking about?

walnuts
chestnuts
peanuts

True or False

____ The tree in her front yard is a maple.
____ The tree was almost completely bare by Sunday morning.
____ Squirrels bury nuts for the winter.
____ Acorns, walnuts and chestnuts are scarce where she lives.
____ Most of the chestnuts in Ontario are horse-chestnuts.
____ Horses eat chestnuts in the winter.
____ Chestnuts are round and a dark reddish brown colour.
____ Children used to play a game called Clickers with chestnuts.
____ Chestnut shells are green and spiky.
____ Street vendors used to sell hot roasted chestnuts in Toronto.
____ They were a favourite of her grandmother.
____ They had a sweet, smokey flavour.
____ The chestnuts came from China.
____ You can't buy the chestnuts in grocery stores.
____ There is a man in Toronto who is selling roasted chestnuts from his delivery van.
____ Chestnuts are high in fat.

If you wanted to sell a food or snack on the street, what would you sell?
What equipment would you need?
Where would you sell it?
How would you serve it?
Would you need a license?

Dirty Laundry

2009-10-16T13:54:00.001-07:00

Name some household chores.
How much housework do you do every week?
Who does your laundry?
Do you do laundry at home, in an apartment laundry room, at a laundromat or do you have a laundry service?
Which items do you iron?
Do you use a dryer or do you hang your clothes on a clothesline
to dry?

This podcast is about doing the laundry.
What are some words you think you will hear?

Listen to the podcast.

Which idiom do you hear?

* iron out the wrinkles
* smooth out the rough edges
* burst someone's bubble

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ Kham took Ben and Cara to the laundromat.
____ Ben does the lion's share of the housework.
____ First you have to sort laundry.
____ Cara's favourite colour is orange.
____ After the laundry is sorted it's put into the dryer.
____ You need to use more if the detergent is concentrated.
____ It took about 40 minutes for a load to dry.
____ After the laundry is dry it has to be folded.
____ Clean clothes appear magically every week.
____ Kham poured a little water into the iron.
____ You iron clothes to get the wrinkles out.
____ Cara put away the laundry.
____ Cara and Kham want to spend their day off doing housework.
____ They made a schedule to share the work.

Match the idioms with the examples.

A - the wrinkles were ironed out.
B - aired their dirty laundry
C - the lion's share

1 Sam's wife talked to the newspaper reporters about their extramarital affairs
and drug use during their divorce trial. ______

2 The workers agreed to sign the new contract after a few of the minor disagreements
were settled. ________

3 Ning always makes sure he helps himself to more than everyone else at the dinner
table.

Discussion:

How old do you think Ben and Cara are?
Who do you think is older? Why?
Who does the lion's share of the household chores where you live?
Do you think Kham is a single mom? Why or why not?
Do you think that kids should have to do work around the house?
Which jobs do you prefer to do?
Which ones do you want someone else to take care of?

Talking Turkey

2009-10-09T13:47:00.001-07:00

What would you prepare if you were going to prepare a feast for a large group of people?
Who would you invite if you could invite 20 people to your table
for dinner?
Have you ever been invited to join a special feast or celebration that was new to you? Describe it.
Do the men in your family cook? What do they usually cook?

Match the words and meanings:

1 an empty nester ___________________
2 talk turkey ____________________
3 feast ________________________
4 a bargain _______________________
5 to thaw _________________________

a big dinner
good value for the price
to talk honestly
to become unfrozen
a person whose children have left home

Listen to the podcast.

Who is cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving?

* 2 brothers
* 2 chefs
* 2 friends

Listen to the podcast again.

How many pounds does the turkey weigh?

* about 10 pounds
* about 15 pounds
* about 20 pounds

Choose the best answer:

1 Paul offered to........

show Baljit how to cook a Thanksgiving dinner
cook a Thanksgiving dinner for Baljit's family
hunt a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner

2 Paul and his wife Lisa are........

empty nesters
bird brains
a couple of turkeys

3 Turkey is a bargain because it's only.............

99 cents a pound
$1.99 a pound
$2.99 a pound

4 You should thaw a frozen turkey......

in the oven
on the counter
in the fridge

5 The stuffing is cooked ..........

inside the turkey
under the turkey
in the pan around the turkey

6 Paul uses the giblets to make .........

a scrumptious casserole
a delicious meat pie
a tasty soup stock

Put the following actions in the order in which they would have happened.

They preheated the oven.
They made gravy and carved the turkey.
Paul thawed the turkey in the fridge.
The stuffed the turkey.
They served the dinner.
They made the stuffing.
They prepared the vegetables and cranberry sauce.

Whether the Weather

2009-10-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

When was the last time it rained
where you live?
Is there a rainy season where you live?
Do you know what it means to 'weather something'?
What is the difference between the words
'whether' and 'weather'?
Can you think of any expressions about the weather?
What weather stories have been in the news lately?

Listen to the Podcast

How many times do you hear the word 'rain'?

Listen to the Podcast again

What does she think of on her way home?
a song
a movie
a rhyme

Put the sentences in order.
It started to rain.
It started raining during the class.
It stopped raining.
She got home.
She got changed and made tea.
She rode her bike to school.
It didn't stop.
She rode home.
The sun came out.
She waited at school for the rain to stop.
She got very wet.

Fill in the blanks with 'whether' or 'weather'

__________ the ____________ is fine
or __________ the ____________ is not,
__________ the ____________ is cold
or _________ the ___________ is hot,
We'll ___________ the __________,
whatever the ____________,
__________ we like it or not!

Did she or didn't she?

1 She drove to school.
2 She wore a jacket.
3 She put up her umbrella.
4 She left the school at 3 o'clock.
5 She waved at the crossing guard.
6 She stopped to chat with the crossing guard.
7 She went to the post office.
8 She wore her glasses home.
9 She put her jacket on and did up the hood.
10 She changed into dry clothes at home.

Match the expressions and their definitions.

1 a rain cheque _____________________
2 a rain date _______________________
3 save for a rainy day ___________________
4 don't rain on someone else's parade ____________________
it's raining cats and dogs __________________________
weather the storm __________________________

a new time to do something that has been cancelled due to rain
to keep some money until you need it when times are difficult
to survive or come safely through a disaster
a coupon or voucher that a store gives out if an item is not available during a sale so you can still buy it at the reduced price after the sale is over
it's raining very heavily
don't spoil someone else's good time

Discussion

1 What kind of clothing do people wear when it rains?
2 Have you ever been splashed by a car when you were walking?
3 Do you enjoy walking in the rain?
4 How do rainy days make you feel?

A Hero

2009-09-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Who is your hero?
Why is this person a hero?

Who are some other famous heroes?

What are some of the characteristics of heroes?

Have you ever heard of Terry Fox?

Listen to the podcast.

How many times do you hear the name Terry?

Listen to the podcast again.

Terry Fox .............................

was looking for a hero

is a Canadian hero

was the hero in a movie

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ Juan was going out for a walk.

____ The park was not very busy.

____ Friends and neighbours sponsored Juan.

____ The volunteers told him where to eat.

____ The runs raise money for cancer research.

____ Terry Fox was from British Columbia.

____ He had brain cancer.

____ He lost his leg when he was 19.

____ He always felt sorry for himself.

____ He wanted to run across British Columbia.

____ He wanted to give people hope.

____ He started his run in Newfoundland.

____ He ran 40 km every day.

____ He had to stop running near Winnipeg.

____ He raised ten million dollars.

Letting Go

2009-09-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

How old were you when you started school?
What do you remember about your first day of school?
How old were you? How did you feel?
How did you get to school?
Who took you to school?
What was the classroom like?
Who was your favourite friend?

Listen to the podcast.

Who is Josh?

a student
a father
a teacher

Who is Mrs. Vivian?

Josh's mom
a librarian
a teacher

Who is Maria?

Josh's sister
Josh's mother
Josh's friend

Listen to the podcast again.

Which words describe how Josh felt on the first day of school.

angry
excited
scared
hopeful
sad
tired
shy

Answer the questions about the podcast.

1 When did Josh's mom register him for kindergarten?
2 Where did he love playing when he visited his classroom?
3 What was he the most excited about kindergarten?
4 How was he in the morning?
5 What did he wear to school?
6 Can he tie his shoelaces?
7 What can he do by himself now?
8 What did he take for a snack?
9 What were the parents told not to give their children for snacks at school?
10 What did Josh count on the way to school?

Extra Activities

Describe the first teacher you ever had.
What are some qualities that make a person a good teacher?
Do you think teaching is an easy job?
Make a list of some other things that parents can do to help children start school?

A Difficult Decision

2009-09-10T12:19:00.001-07:00

Do you agree that the dog is Man's best friend?
Why do you think that people choose dogs for pets?
Some people think that dogs and their owners look
alike. Do you agree?
Which kind of dog makes the best pet?
Do you know any dogs that you don't like?
What makes you dislike or like a dog?
How do you feel if you are 'dog tired'?
Do you think cats or dogs make better pets?
Have you ever had a dog of your own?

Listen to the podcast.

What is the difficult decision?

to give a noisy dog away because it bothers the neighbours
to put a dog to sleep because it's sick with cancer
to buy a dog as a pet for a young child

Listen to the podcast again.

Complete the following sentences.

1 Last weekend Grace was invited to ..................

a barbecue
a birthday party
a wedding

2 Hanna is Gail's ......................

faithful companion
elderly neighbour
older sister

3 Gail said that they had called..............

a dentist
a surgeon
a veterinarian

4 Hanna had a cancerous growth on her......

neck
leg
stomach

5 They were all with Hanna until she drew her last....................

picture
blank
breath

6 They took Hanna home and they buried her.................

under the trees
in the garden
beside the garage

7 Most of their friends were sympathetic because they have also lost.........

pets
money
gloves

8 They came to realize that it was more humane to put an end to................

the waiting
the suspense
the suffering

The Honour System

2009-09-02T13:50:00.001-07:00

Choose the correct endings.
An honourable person is someone who.......
is funny
is loving
has integrity
has a lot of money
is a thief
is honest

Listen to the podcast.

What are Jim and Sue doing?

They are having a corn roast and barbecue.
They are having a meeting.
They are having a yard sale.

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ Jim and Sue are Lynn's grandparents.
____ Lynn is Andy's sister.
____ Andy is Jim and Sue's son.
____ Sue is making a salad.
____ Jim and his buddies are shelling peanuts.
____ Jim bought corn on his way home from work.
____ A cob of corn is also called an ear of corn.
____ The corn cost $2 a dozen.
____ Jim bought 5 dozen cobs of corn.
____ Jim put the twenty dollar bill into the farmer's hand.
____ They eat the corn with sugar.
____ They are all going away together.

Match the people with the place they are going to.

1 Min___________________
2 Gabe _________________
3 Carlos________________
4 Jay ___________________
5 Meredith _______________
6 Sam __________________
7 Andy __________________
8 Lynn __________________

Alberta / London / Toronto / Spain
Thunder Bay / Toronto / Oakville / Halifax

There are grammar mistakes in each of the following sentences.
Find the errors and correct them.

1 Min will going to Lakehead University.
2 Gabe will be work at a resort.
3 She be studying Marine Biology.
4 Carlos will be move to Halifax.
5 Meredith will spending the year as an exchange student.
6 Andy and Lynn is be moving to Toronto.
7 Sam will be study art.
8 They are be going their separate ways.

Make Lemonade

2009-09-02T08:47:00.001-07:00

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!
Think about the saying above.
What are lemons like?
What is lemonade like?
What do you think the saying means?
Has life ever handed you lemons?
What did you do?

Listen to the podcast.

Which sentence best describes Carla's summer?

She had a problem but she had a good summer anyway.
She had a problem so she had a terrible summer.
She had a problem and it just got worse and worse.

Listen to the podcast again.
Try to finish the sentences.

1 It was a...............

Sunday morning
Sunday afternoon
Sunday evening

2 Dianne had been...................

home all summer
away in Vancouver
at her parent's cottage

3 Carla's husband Leo...................

got a new job
got fired
got laid off

4 Leo's company makes...................

car parts
machine parts
windows

5 Carla changed her job ......................

from temporary to permanent
from full time to part time
from part time to full time

6 They went camping........................

at a provincial park
near Ottawa
in the back yard

7 They went downtown for free...................

dinners
movies
clothing

8 Leo was teaching the children...................

how to swim
how to cook
how to paint

9 Carla had been wanting to lose..............

some money
some weight
some friends

10 Dianne was impressed by....................

Carla's family's new car
Carla's family's negative attitude
Carla's family's positive attitude

Listen again and try to fill in the missing words.

It was Sunday afternoon. Dianne was picking up a few __________________ for the week when she ran into Carla. "How are you?" asked Carla, "I haven't seen you all ________________!" "It has been a while, hasn't it!" said Dianne, We've been away at my parent's cottage for a few weeks. We just got back. How about you? How's your summer going?" Carla told Dianne that her husband, Leo, had been __________ _____ in the spring so they had decided not to go away during their vacation. Like many people, they were going to have a 'stay-cation' instead. That means that they were going to ________ _________ for their holiday. Leo works for a company that makes car parts. The company had been having ______________ because of the recession and had laid off over half of its workforce. Carla said that she and Leo had to be very ______________ with their money because they think that the company may soon close its doors for good. Then instead of being called back to work, Leo will be _____________. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!" exclaimed Dianne. She was surprised to see that Carla looked so calm about it all. Carla smiled and said that things weren't going too badly after all. She had been able to change her work as a __________ assistant from part time to full time. And when Carla and Leo told their three children that they were not going to go away for a holiday, they came up with all kinds of ideas for having fun _________ to home. They decided to camp out in the back yard when the weather was good. They visited all of the local parks and ____________. They went cycling and ___________ together. They bought a family pass to the community swimming pool and sometimes they went to the _____________ because it was only an hour away from their home. They went downtown for the free summer movies on Monday nights and they went to the free ____________ in the park on Wednesday evenings. And for the first time in years, they had a wonderful vegetable garden because Leo had had time to _________ and look after it. She said that Leo was teaching their children about growing their own food and that they were all becoming better _________. Carla admitted that she was really enjoying coming home to meals prepared by her family. They had __________ a lot of money by doing all of their own cooking instead of buying convenience foods and they had cut down on treats and __________ food that they didn't need anyway. "We haven't been this healthy in years!" she laughed, "I finally lost the 20 pounds that I'd been wanting to ___________." And she said that Leo loved spending more time with the kids. Carla also told Dianne that Leo was looking into going back to school and getting some __________. She said that he was looking forward to doing something new. Dianne said that she was really impressed by Carla and her family's positive attitude. "Well, Dianne," said Carla, "You know what they say, 'When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" In other words you can take what you have, like sour lemons and make something wonderful with it, like lemonade.

Discussion

Have you ever been laid off?
What would you do if you were laid off?
Do you usually have a positive attitude?
Do you think a positive attitude can help you?

Tilting at Windmills

2009-08-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

Name 10 sources of energy.
Divide the list into two groups:
environmentally-friendly and those
that aren't environmentally-friendly.
Where does the energy you use in your
home come from?
Are you for (in favour of) or against
(opposed to) wind turbines as energy sources?

Listen to the Podcast.

Which best describes the topic of this podcast?

It's about a dispute over windmills on Wolfe Island.
It's about a new way of building windmills.
It's about a description of Wolfe Island.

Listen to the podcast again.

Put the sentences in the correct order.

She forgot about the dispute.
She saw 86 windmills on Wolfe Island.
She visited Wolfe Island a few years ago.
There were signs that read 'No Wind Mills'.
She recently returned to Kingston.

Answer the questions.

1 Where is Kingston? ____________________
2 How did they get to Wolfe Island?___________________
3 What did the signs say?______________________
4 What health problems do people say windmills cause? ________________
5 What do some people accuse opponents of?_____________________
6 How many windmills are on the island now?__________________
7 What did the artist make out of clay? ______________________

Fill in the blanks:

ferry / protest / opposed / signs / divided / tilting / blades / nimbyism

1 People who are worried about the birds are _________ to having the windmills on the island.
2 They felt as though they were _________ at windmills because there was no way to stop the project but they tried anyway.
3 They accused the people of _________ because they didn't want any windmills near their homes.
4 They took the ___________ over to the island.
5 She saw _________ which read 'No Wind Mills'.
6 The 86 hands were an interesting form of __________ .
7 The opinions of the island community is __________ too. Some are in favour of the windmills and some are against them.
8 The ________ of the turbines make a humming or whirring noise.

Zero Emissions, No Noise

2009-08-12T13:56:00.001-07:00

Do you own a car?
What kind of car is it?
Make a list of the things which
would be important to you when
buying a car.
Would you buy a new or used car?
Do you drive outside of your own
very often?

Listen to the podcast.

The Zenn car ...

runs on gas
runs on gas and electricity
runs on electricity

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ An old car that is falling apart is sometimes called a beater.
____ Suli is looking for a new car.
____ She wants something that is environmentally friendly.
____ She read about the Zenn car in the newspaper.
____ She could receive a rebate if she buys an environmentally friendly car.
____ Dalton McGuinty is the Prime Minister of Canada.
____ The Zenn car is very noisy.
____ You can dry your hair in a Zenn car.
____ You can plug it into any electrical outlet.
____ Suli commutes to work in another city.
____ She priced a blue Zenn car.
____ It cost $18,410.
____ The Zenn car can't go over 25 km per hour.
____ You can't buy a Zenn in Quebec.
____ She could rent a car when she wants to go outside her city.

Fill in the blanks using these words from the podcast.

recharged / rebate / tires /hatchback / google / outlet / beater / snag

1 Harry just bought an energy efficient furnace and he got an $800 ____________.
2 Sue doesn't like to ride in Jack's car because the old _______ always breaks down.
3 You can use my phone. I just ________ the batteries.
4 Is there an _________ where they can plug in their radio?
5 If you want to find out the name of the singer just _________ the song on the computer.
6 The only _______ she had coming here was a short detour near the bridge.
7 Dave's car is the red __________ beside the van.
8 In the winter you need to have snow ________ on your car.

The Shield

2009-08-12T10:01:00.001-07:00

Have you had a holiday this summer?
Did you go away for a vacation?
Where did you go?
What did you do there?
Describe the most enjoyable holiday
that you have ever had.
If you could go anywhere for a holiday,
where would you like to go?

Listen to the podcast.

Which best describes the holiday?

a trip to a big city hotel
a stay at a cottage on an island
a tour of the north by bus

Listen to the podcast again.

Which of the following words describe the vacation.

near the water
near mountains
close to nature
on a farm
on a rocky island
in a small town
in a campground
in a cottage
alone
with family
with friends
in Ontario
in British Columbia
in Toronto
relaxing
exciting

Listen to the podcast again.

Which of the following things did they do there?

They played baseball.
They went for a tour of a mine.
They went to a museum.
They swam.
They painted pictures.
They went sailing.
They sang and played guitars.
They watched the sun rise.
They kayaked.
They found a rattlesnake.
They saw Inuksuit.
They flew kites.
They hunted bears.
They looked for falling stars.
They fished.

The Rattler

2009-08-12T07:29:00.001-07:00

Make a list of all of the snakes you can think of.
Choose one snake and describe it. What does it look like?
Are you afraid of snakes?
Do you see snakes often where you live?
Have you ever held a snake in you hands?
Have you ever had a snake for a pet?
Do you know what to do if you are bitten by a snake?

Match the words and definitions. aa

a rattler ___________________
venomous __________________
precaution__________________
a sound ___________________
squatting __________________
a rattle ____________________
alarmed ___________________
call it a day _________________

toxic
quit
a body of water
nervous, frightened
standing near the ground with bent knees
something done to prevent harm
a toy for babies
a snake

Listen to the podcast.

Where did she see the rattle snake?

on an island
in her backyard
in the woods

Listen to the podcast again.

Fill in the blanks.

bucket / bite / water / flashlight / agitated / cottage / squatting / avoid

1 A sound is a body of _____________.
2 We'll be staying in an old, wooden _____________.
3 Dave bought a snake ________ kit to take with us.
4 I was _________ down picking blueberries.
5 I started moving away from the _________ snake.
6 You should definitely ________ rattlesnakes because they are venomous.
7 You should use a _____________ at night.
8 My __________ of blueberries was quite full.

It's Canadian, eh?

2009-08-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

What are some things that you think of
when you think of Canada?
Describe Canada to someone who has
never heard of it before.
Where is it?
What is the weather like?
Who are some famous Canadians
that you know about.

Listen to the podcast.

Choose the best sentence to describe this podcast.

It is about the first letter of the alphabet.
It is about the meaning and uses of eh.
It is about living in Canada.

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False.

____ Everyone in Canada uses the word 'eh' a lot.
____ 'Eh' sometimes means 'come with me'.
____ 'Eh' sometimes means 'go'.
____ 'Eh' sometimes mean 'isn't it?'
____ 'Eh' sometimes means 'do you understand?'
____ 'Eh' sometimes means 'yes'.
____ 'Eh' sometimes means 'don't they?'
____ 'Eh' sometimes means 'don't you agree?'
____ 'Eh' is often used in casual speech.
____ 'Eh' is used when someone is very nervous.
____ 'Eh' is used when we want to be very correct and formal.

Identify the tag questions in these sentences.

1 It's really dark, isn't it?
2 They always have fun when they go there, don't they?
3 He was the first one up every morning, wasn't he?
4 It'll start on Thursday, won't it?
5 You're coming with me, aren't you?
6 It sure is hot, eh?

Which tag question could you use to replace 'eh' in the following sentences?

1 That was amazing,eh?
2 Those cookies sure are good, eh?
3 You speak Spanish, eh?
4 It's beside the doughnut shop, eh?
5 She worked there for five years, eh?
6 They're getting married next June, eh?

A Win Win Win Situation

2009-08-05T14:29:00.001-07:00

Can you think of a win win situation?
Do you know what it means?
Which of the following is a win win situation?
A - one team wins and the other loses
B - both teams tie and get into the finals
C - one team wins a game but is still eliminated from the tournament

Listen to the podcast.

What kind of machines does she compare?

dishwashers
lawn mowers
freezers

How many different machines does she compare?

two
three
four
five

Listen to the podcast.

Complete the sentences.

1 When she woke up....

it was raining
it wasn't raining
it was cloudy

2 The wind began to.....

dry things up
blow things away
howl

3 She heard a familiar.......

sound
noise
bark

4 They make sure that every blade of grass ......

is very green
is really tall
is neatly trimmed

5 Lily lives.......

downstairs
across the street
next door

6 He bought the old electric mower at.....

Canadian Tire
a yard sale
a hardware store

7 She ran over the cord so often that it was covered in .......

electrical tape
grass
glue

8 There has been a definite trend ..........

toward push-mowers
toward electric mowers
toward gas mowers

Which mower???? electric or gas or push

1 makes the loudest noise
2 makes a gentle clicking sound
3 has a long cord
4 is non-motorized
5 pollutes the air
6 runs on people power
7 are more expensive to run
8 break down from time to time

A Soggy Summer

2009-08-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

What is summer weather usually like where you live?
What is the normal temperature?
How much rain falls each week?
How much sunshine is there?
Has the weather been typical or unusual this year?

Listen to the podcast:

How do people feel about the summer this year in Ontario?

It's fabulous.
It's too hot and sunny.
It's been much wetter than usual.

Listen to the podcast again. True or False.

____ Usually July is hot and sunny.
____ July and August are the best months for spending time inside.
____ The dog days are the rainiest days of summer.
____ When Leslie feels cold she makes a pot of tea.
____ She likes to play hockey on summer mornings.
____ If it rains too hard to play tennis they go for a run.
____ When she checks the forecast the temperature is below normal.
____ Gardens look lush and wonderful.
____ It's good weather for ducks.
____ It has been a very profitable year for berry growers.
____ Corn and tomatoes are growing very slowly.
____ Potato blight is a fungus.
____ There has been a lot of smog too.
____ It's a good idea to take an umbrella in case it rains.

Listen to the podcast and fill in the blanks:

For Canadians, at least in Southern Ontario and Quebec, this _________ has been a bit of a washout so far. Usually July is hot and ________ and everyone enjoys complaining about the hot, ________ weather. July and August are usually the best months for spending time outside; camping, __________ at the beaches and hanging out at pools. We are usually sweltering in the dog days of summer by now. We call the _________ days of the summer the dog days. But this year it has been cool and windy and __________. It seems as though every time I look at the sky there are dark _________ hovering there. And just when I think the temperature is going to ________, cool air breezes back in. I asked my friend Cliff, how he is __________ his new air conditioner and he said, "What air conditioner? We've used the _________ more than the air conditioning this summer!" I have __________ turning on my furnace. Instead when I ________ cold I make a hot meal or some tea and put on a ___________. I still wear shorts when I get up _________ to play tennis with my buddy, Marilyn. But I really have to get _________ to stay warm. Yesterday morning, it was raining so _________ that we couldn't play tennis at all. So we left our racquets at my house, put on our jackets and went for a walk _________. We played again this morning. But after 45 minutes it began to rain __________. We just kept playing until finally we had to stop because of the __________ on our glasses. We simply couldn't see well enough to play any ________. Every time I check the forecast, the temperature is well _________ normal for this time of year and it seems that every couple of days we get more rain. Last Friday afternoon it rained so _________ that the street was filled with water. Heavy rain came teeming _________ down for about half an hour. It's good weather for ducks. Gardens look _______ and wonderful and lawns look green and healthy. But farmers are ________ for some sun and heat to help their ________ grow. Certainly the weather was unkind to strawberry farmers this year. Local strawberries were not _________ because there wasn't enough sun to help them ripen fully and many of the berries simply __________ on the plants. So it was a disappointing season and less _____________ year for berry growers. Corn and tomatoes and other crops are growing very _________ this year too. The lack of sunshine and heat is stunting the ___________ of many crops. If the wet weather continues mould will become a worry too. And there have been reports of a potato blight, a fungus, affecting ________ crops in Ontario. On the upside however, there have been fewer smog _________. In other words the air quality has been better. Today it's about 16 degrees Celsius right now and even though I see some gray clouds in the sky, the sun is _________. So I'd better get out and soak up some sun before it disappears again. And I think I'll take my ________ just in case!

Food for Thought

2009-07-17T10:27:00.001-07:00

What would you do if your house was on fire?
What can you do to prevent fires at home?
What are some jobs that fire fighters and
emergency workers do?
Do you have smoke alarms in your home?
Do you know some sources of carbon monoxide
around the home? Is it dangerous?

Vocabulary.
Match the words and their definitions.

piped up / worried / siren / inhale / evacuate / colourless / figure out / odourless /

alarmed____________________
a loud warning sound _________________
understand why __________________
tell everyone to leave an area ________________
spoke up _______________________
clear ___________________
without any smell _________________
breathe in __________________

Listen to the podcast.

Can you find three forms of a word which is used as a verb, a noun and an adjective in this episode?

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ They were eating lunch.
____ There was a big, red fire truck parked outside.
____ They heard the sirens.
____ The lights weren't flashing on the truck.
____ Dave thought there might have been a water leak.
____ They neighbours have been doing a lot of renovating.
____ They usually evacuate an area if there is a gas leak.
____ The firemen were part of a Home Decorating program.
____ You don't have to have a smoke alarm in Ontario.
____ Lee checks the batteries and changes them on New Year's Day.
____ Their carbon monoxide detector is on the main floor of the house.
____ Carbon monoxide comes from plants.
____ Carbon monoxide is a blue colour.
____ Carbon monoxide is odourless.
____ They asked the firemen if they would like to have some dinner.
____ They ate thoughts for dinner.
____ They had some things to think about.

Taking the Plunge

2009-07-16T06:56:00.001-07:00

Which of the following statements are true for you?

I swim whenever I can because I enjoy it.
I swim for exercise.
I swim for competitions.
I only swim if I have no other choice.
I like water but I have to stay in the shallow end.
I can't swim. I'm afraid of water.
I never go near water or boats because I can't swim.

Listen to the podcast.

What is this podcast about?

the importance of learning to swim
the importance of having a pool
the importance of being on time

Listen to the podcast again.

Who is it?

Hannah / Nick / Evan / Ann / Ben / Kara

the mother _______________
the older brother _______________
the younger brother ______________
the baby ________________
the friend with a pool _____________
the neighbour's daughter ________________
is afraid of water ________________
thinks learning to swim is essential ____________
can do the back and front floats _____________
can't swim in the deep end ______________
goes to swim in Nick's pool _____________________
doesn't want to wear water wings ______________

Fill in the blanks.

plunge / essential / rocky / signed up / canoe / drowning / get / wings

1 Ann ______________the boys _____ for swimming lessons.
2 It is ______________ to learn to swim.
3 The cottage sits on the ___________ shores of a lake.
4 They can swim from the dock and use the __________.
5 Swimming is a great way for the whole family to have fun and _____ some exercise.
6 Hannah says that wearing water __________ makes her feel like a baby.
7 We often say someone is going to take the __________ when they start something new.
8 Swimming lessons protect people from _____________.

Tell someone in your own words why knowing how to swim is important.

Shipshape

2009-07-10T06:25:00.001-07:00

What are some different kinds of boats or watercraft?
Have you ever been sailing?
Where can you go sailing?
Describe a sailboat to someone who
has never seen one.
Why do you think people enjoy sailing?

Which of the following words may be related to sailing?
tack - tires - cleats - seat belt - life jacket - sail - sheets
dock - steering wheel - garage - bow - stern - mast - hubcap

Listen to the podcast.

What is the Bonnie Lassie?

the name of the lake
the name of the boat
the name of a woman

Listen to the podcast again.

Fill in the blanks:

kayak / gustier / lake / dashed / wind / dinghy / tack / sprinted / searched / hoist

1 We drove to a ___________ which is about 20 minutes from our home.
2 We counted three small sailboats, a _________ and a handful of fishing boats.
3 A ___________ is a small open sailboat.
4 We had ___________ for a boat we could afford for a long time.
5 The sight of that boat really took the _______ out of our sails.
6 We were looking for '________ the sail and go'.
7 We drove home with ________ hopes.
8 He grabbed it out of my hands and _________ to the phone.
9 People often say they are going to try a new _______ when they decide to solve a problem.
10 The wind kept getting stronger and ________.

Use a phrase or expression from the podcast to replace the bold words.

bobbing
gustier
scattered
dashed
give up
had lengthy home project written all over it
shipshape
kayak
dropped
hoist
took the wind out of our sails

1 There were a few fishing boats strewn along the shore.
2 The long, narrow boat is covered, you sit in the opening and you use one double-bladed paddle .
3 The boats at the dock were moving up and down in the water.
4 The old couple decided to stop sailing.
5 The sight of that old boat really disappointed us.
6 The used boat in Owen Sound looked like a lot of work.
7 We wanted to put up the sails and go sailing.
8 We drove home with deflated hopes.
9 The wind kept getting stronger and blowing in sudden bursts.
10 We took down the sail and made sure everything was neat and organized for next time.

On Strike

2009-07-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

What is your favourite city?
What do you like about it?
Do you belong to a union?
What are some advantages
and disadvantages to unions...
1 -for employers?
2 -for the employees?

Listen to the podcast.

What is the problem in Toronto?

there is a postal strike
there is a garbage strike
there is a transit strike

Listen to the podcast again.

Which words did you hear?

town or city
weeks or years
cuisine or food
safe or dangerous
June 12 or June 22
noon or midnight
sick days or holidays
walked off or quit
garbage or trash
permanent or temporary
flare or get hotter
hot topic or cool topic

Choose the best answer.

1 Garbage is starting to ................

pile up
spill all over
disappear

2 City garbage collectors are part of......

CUPE
Garbage Workers Union
United Auto Workers Union

3 Workers do not want to lose......

benefits
time
vacations

4 After the strike deadline passed workers.....

slept in
walked off their jobs
got fired

5 People who live in Toronto can drop off their garbage......

in another city
at schools
at temporary dump sites

6 Some people are angry at the strikers

because they are striking while many people are unemployed
because they are on vacation
because they are lazy

7 Some people agree with unions because

they help people find jobs
they help make things better for all workers
they can help the employer save money

8 Unions and strikes are always

controversial
fun to talk about
humourous

A Taste of Summer

2009-07-03T10:43:00.004-07:00

What are some summer traditions for you?
What are some things that people pick?
Describe a strawberry to someone who
has never eaten one and doesn't
know what one looks like.

Listen to the podcast.

Where do Julio and Carmen go to get their strawberries?

to a strawberry farm
to a supermarket
to a fruit market

Listen to the podcast again.

How many times do you hear the word strawberry or strawberries?

True or False
1 ____ Julio and Carmen got up early.
2 ____ The sign read 'Buy Your Own'.
3 ____ Strawberries were plentiful last week.
4 ____ You can only get local strawberries for a few weeks in June.
5 ____ They picked strawberries from the eighth row.
6 ____ Carmen ate some strawberries as she picked.
7 ____ Strawberries will ripen even after they've been picked.
8 ____ Carmen wanted the berries for strawberry jam.
9 ____ They stopped to pick up some coffee and ice cream on the way home.
10 ____ Julio likes to eat sliced strawberries on peanut butter.
11 ____ They were going to have strawberry pie for dessert.
12 ____ Raspberry season is after strawberry season.

Choose the best answer.

squat down
pectin
quality control
slim pickings
eat our fill
wide-brimmed

1 Marie went to the garage sale very late. She didn't see anything she liked and there wasn't much left. She said there were really ____________________.

2 Strawberries grow very low to the ground so they had to _______________ to pick them.

3 Don works in _________________ at the factory. It's his job to make sure the
cameras are perfect before they are shipped out.

4 We try to __________________ of lobster when we are on the East Coast.

5 __________________ hats are good for keeping the hot sun off your face and neck.

6 Sometimes people add a little _____________ so that their jam will not be runny.

The Village

2009-07-03T10:43:00.003-07:00

What is the last movie you watched?
What kind of movie was it?
Do you prefer movies about real life or fiction?
Do you watch movies from other countries?
Have you seen much of your own country?

Listen to the podcast.

What is July the first in Canada?

Canada Day
Fireworks Day
Victoria Day

Listen to the podcast again.

Select the things which Ben sees on his trip.

a giant shoe
a giant dime
a giant hockey stick
a giant bear
a giant fish
a giant Tim Horton's coffee cup
a giant moose

Replace the words with a word from the podcast.

rim fields road gazes advice awe encounters spectacular

Ben decides to take a driving trip across Canada. The most interesting
character he meets is Canada itself. He rolls up the edge of his coffee cup.
It tells him to go west. He decides to take the suggestion of the coffee cup.
He rides past the magnificent shores of Lake Superior. He looks out over
the Red River valley. He rides through the vast flat fields of the prairies.
He stands in amazement in front of the giant redwoods.

It Sounds Simple

2009-07-03T10:43:00.001-07:00

Do you like to play games?
Name some board games.
What kind of board games do you like to play?
Do you know how to play chess or checkers or mah jong?
Choose a game and describe it.
Tell someone how to play it and
what you have to do to win.

Listen to the podcast.

What is the name of the game they are playing?

poker
crokinole
pinnocle

Listen to the podcast again.

Answer these questions about the game.

1 What are the playing pieces like? _________________
2 Is it a new game or an old game? ________________
3 How many pieces does each player get? _____________
4 What shape is the frame? _________________
5 What shape is the playing surface? ________________
6 How many rings are there?_______________
7 How many points do you get for the outer ring? ____________
8 How many points do you get for the centre hole? ____________

True or False

1 ____ Ying was coming home from school.
2 ____ Min is Ying's sister.
3 ____ The computer is broken.
4 ____ Asha was teaching Min how to play crokinole.
5 ____ The closer your shot is to the centre the higher your score.
6 ____ You cannot knock the opponents pieces off the board.
7 ____ Asha's Dad taught her how to play.
8 ____ Ying thought it was trickier than it looked.
9 ____ The Crokinole World Championships are in Woodstock.
10 ____ The prize is worth $100.

Nancy's Father

2009-07-03T10:42:00.003-07:00

What is your father like?
Are you like your father?
Do people where you live celebrate
Father's Day?
What do you think a father should be like?

Match the words and phrases with the definitions.
1 a doctor who looks after teeth________________
2 unimportant conversation__________________
3 arriving slowly__________________________
4 a retailer______________________________
5 the punch line___________________________
6 nosy_________________________________
7 charming______________________________
8 the prefix re- ___________________________

small talk
to do something again
a dentist
the line of a joke which makes it funny
attractive and pleasing
too interested in other's business
a store which sells things for a profit
taking its time

Listen to the podcast.

Which sentences describe Nancy's father?
He's grouchy.
He's funny.
He's got a good sense of humour.
He doesn't like cats.
He's a joker.
He's crazy.
He's unhappy.
He's friendly.

Listen to the podcast again.

Choose the best answer.

1 Leslie was sitting in the waiting room at ...........

her doctor's office
her accountant's office
her dentist's office

2 When she goes to the dentist she usually feels.......

sad
excited
nervous

3 When she walked into the office she saw .........

an older couple
an older man
an older woman

4 He said his neighbour was holding.................
a cat in one hand and a dog in the other hand
a cat in one hand and a tail in the other hand
a cat in one hand and a leash in the other hand

5 He said she should take the cat to .............

Dr. Wall
Walmart
the market

6 He asked the letter carrier if.......................

she had any mail for him
she wanted to dance
she wanted to go for coffee

7 Nancy is .....................

Leslie's best friend
an acquaintance
a close friend

8 Some people call their fathers..................

Coke
Uncle
Pops

Look at the photograph.

Who do you think is in the photo?
Which one do you think Leslie is?
Where do you think they are?

Treasure Hunting

2009-06-16T07:47:00.001-07:00

What do you treasure?
What do you think the saying, 'One man's junk is another man's treasure' means?
Do you ever buy used things?
Where do you buy them?
Why do you buy them?
What do people usually keep in garages?

Listen to the podcast.

Which words do you hear?

junk or garbage
gold or treasure
light or lamp
popular or unpopular
recovering or painting
pillows or cushions
change or coins
haggle or negotiate
mouse or rat
two years or ten years
looking around or poking around
bargain or good buy

Listen to the podcast again.

Who loves garage sales?

Leslie
Diana
Terry

What does 'One man's junk is another man's treasure.' mean?

someone might think something is wonderful but it means nothing to someone else
some people just like to have a lot of junk that they want to sell for a lot of money
some people just don't know what real treasure is

Replace the word or words with words from the podcast.

a good deal/ worthless/ recover/ a pack rat / change / gathering/ next-to-nothing/ jazz it up

1 My old computer is so slow that it is not worth anything.
2 The old lamp was getting covered in dust in the basement.
3 I'm not going to get rid of my grandmother's chair. I am going to reupholster it instead.
4 I could make it look a little more colourful and attractive with some new cushions.
5 I always take some coins with me in case I want to buy some coffee from the machine.
6 You can usually get a better price later in the morning.
7 She furnished her home for very little money.
8 Her husband says that Diana is always bringing things home that other people want to get rid of.

Seeing the Sights

2009-06-12T08:44:00.003-07:00

What are some sights that people like to
visit near where you live?
Name 5 of the top sights and rank them
in order of popularity. Number one is the
most popular.
If you could go anywhere in the world, what
would you like to see?

Match the words and their meanings below.

1 cousin ____________________
2 destination ____________________
3 beat the rush _____________________
4 vineyards _______________________
5 orchards _________________________
6 roar ____________________________
7 mesmerizing ______________________
8 maid ___________________________
9 legend __________________________
10 a canoe _________________________
11 sacrifice __________________________
12 poisoned __________________________

a place to go to
a young woman
arrive before the crowds
to give something up for the greater good
places where grapes are grown
a loud, continuous sound
places where fruit trees grow
an old story
made toxic
hypnotic
long, narrow boats
an aunt or uncles child

Listen to the podcast.

1 Who is coming to visit Paola?

her aunt
her uncle
her cousin

2 Where did Paola decide to take Claudia?

to Toronto
to Niagara Falls
to the CN Tower

3 What does the legend of the Maid of the Mist explain?

Why the Canadian Falls are called the Horseshoe Falls.
How to get close to the Falls without getting wet.
Why people grow fruit trees near Niagara Falls.

Fill in the blanks:

1 Paola's cousin came to visit her from ______________.
2 It was Claudia's __________ visit to Canada.
3 Niagara Falls is a popular tourist _____________.
4 More people visit the Falls in spring and summer than in ____________.
5 They saw a ______________ above the water.
6 They decided to go for a ride on the Maid of the ____________.
7 The native people believed that their God lived ____________ the Falls.
8 The Chief decided to sacrifice his _______________.
9 There was a ____________ that lived in the river.
10 The dying snake lay in the shape of a _______________.

Yellow Moon

2009-06-12T08:44:00.001-07:00

Do you think art is important?
Name 10 different forms of art.
Do you create any art yourself?
What do you do?
Describe a famous painting.
Describe your favourite musician.
Where can you go to see some art.

Match the words and the definitions.

poll
diversity
prolific
annual
responses
visual
discover
formative
words

1 yearly________________
2 variety _______________
3 find out about ______________
4 survey _________________
5 answers __________________
6 lyrics _________________
7 something you can see ______________
8 developing ________________
9 productive _______________

Listen to the podcast.

Luminato is...............

a food festival
an arts festival
an athletic competition

Neil Young is..........

a painter
a dancer
a musician

Choose the best answer.

1 Luminato takes place for 10 days in..........

January
June
July

2 Luminato is about ............

sculpture
all kinds of art
all kinds of people

3 They did an online survey and got ..................

19,217 responses
19, 117 responses
19,270 responses

4 The winning song was called ......

Helpless
Hopeless
Hapless

5 The song is about .............

one town
many towns
a couple of towns

6 Neil Young ........

wrote the son
organized Luminato
designed Dundas Square

7 They wanted to break....

a window
a world record
a barrier

8 They were short setting the record by....

100 players
150 players
180 players

Strike One

2009-06-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Name some summer sports.
Name some team sports.
Name some individual sports.
What is your favourite sport?
Are you a fan of any sports teams?
Would you describe yourself as an athlete?

Which of the following are used for playing baseball?

a racket
a ball
a bat
a stick
a sock
a glove
a base
a net
a hoop

Match the words and meanings.

bunt
pitcher
a strike
a ball
shortstop
first, second and third base players
a baseball diamond
loaded bases
an umpire
a fielder

the person who throws the baseball to the batter
infield players
the place where baseball is played with three bases and a home plate
the position between second and third base
when the batter swings and misses
when there is a runner(batter) on each base
a player who plays in the outfield
the person who regulates the game and enforces the rules
tap the ball lightly with the bat
when the batter throws the ball outside of the strike zone and the batter doesn't swing at it

Listen to the podcast.

How was the game?

not great
amazing
okay

Listen to the podcast again.
Answer the questions.

1 Did Ben's team win or lose?
2 Who did Ben talk to about the game when he came home?
3 Which was the best inning for Ben's team?
4 What was the final score of the game?
5 Who got to first on by bunting the ball?
6 Who drove the ball down the third base line?
7 Who named Ben the MVP?
8 Where did Ben's mom tell him to put his uniform?
9 Who is Ben's favourite baseball team?
10 What is a Blue Jay?

Nine Million

2009-06-02T07:17:00.001-07:00

Name some different ways that people go to work
or school or to do their shopping.

What is the most popular method of
getting around where you live?

Do people cycle all year where you live?

Compare traveling by bicycle with traveling by car.

Listen to the podcast.

What was the problem?

she had a bicycle accident
someone stole her bicycle
her bicycle was old and worn out

Listen to the podcast again.

What's wrong with her bicycle?
the tires keep falling off
the light won't work
the brakes don't work very well
the chain falls off
the seat is uncomfortable
the gears slip
the tires keep going flat
she lost the key to the lock
it was stolen

True or False

____ Katie Melua wrote the song.
____ There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing.
____ Beijing is a city in China.
____ In Canada the most popular way of getting around is by car.
____ Gas prices are going up.
____ Some people ride bicycles in the winter.
____ She rides her bike as often as possible.
____ She bought a used bike from a garage sale.
____ The bike was not too expensive.
____ She got her bike from Canadian Tire.
____ She threw her old bicycle away.

Replace the words with these words from the podcast.

donated - diehards - taking artistic license - going flat - climb - fortitude - flyers - mode - rule - getting around - cars for bicycles

1 Mike Batt was being a little inaccurate about the real number of bicycles in Beijing for the song.

2 She was thinking about the bicycle as a method of going from one place to another.

3 In Canada, privately owned cars dominate the roads.

4 As gas prices go up more people trade 4 wheels for 2.

5 Some people who refuse to stop ride their bicycles through the winter.

6 I admire their strength and perseverance.

7 The tires kept losing air.

8 Stores send out small papers filled with advertisements to get people to shop at their stores.

9 She gave away her bicycle to the Goodwill Centre.

Hooting and Hollering

2009-05-29T06:24:00.001-07:00

Describe a good neighbour.
Describe an awful neighbour.
Describe your neighbours.
What kind of neighbour are you?

If you could make the regulations for
the tenants in an apartment building that
you had to live in, what would they be?

Listen to the podcast.

What is the problem?

nosy neighbours
noisy neighbours
nasty neighbours

Match the words and their meanings

1 a patio set.........................
2 tenants..........................
3 rosy................................
4 a fly in the ointment.........................
5 crank up the tunes..............................
6 hooting and hollering.............................
7 apologize......................................

a problem
to say that you're sorry
an outdoor table and chairs
wonderful
people who rent a place to live
turn music up very loudly
making loud noises with your voice and shouting

Listen to the podcast again.
True or False

____Marla and Steve live in a townhouse.
____They live on the third floor.
____They like to sit on the balcony.
____Marla and Steve like to have loud parties.
____They have always had considerate neighbours.
____Marla asked George to turn the music down.
____George likes to party a lot.
____Once, George and Steve started fighting.
____Steve's blood pressure goes up when the stereo starts.
____Jerry Thomson is the apartment manager.

A Patch of Green

2009-05-26T05:47:00.001-07:00

What fruit is available at this time of year where you live?
What are some words you can use to describe flavours?
How would you describe the taste of these foods?
Colombian coffee
Ice cream
Potato chips
Lemons
Tofu

Listen to the podcast.

What is the patch of green?

a raspberry patch
a rhubarb patch
a pumpkin patch

Listen to the podcast again.

How many times do you hear the word rhubarb?

True or False

____ Rhubarb is very common in Canada.
____ The leaves are toxic.
____ The stems are yellow.
____ It is the first fruit of spring.
____ Bakers love to use rhubarb in pies and tarts.
____ Some cooks make rhubarb chutney.
____ Raw rhubarb tastes delicious all by itself.
____ Rhubarb is full of Vitamin C.
____ The pioneers brought rhubarb to Canada from South America.
____ Rhubarb is very difficult to grow.
____ You should start new plants from seed.
____ Leslie is going to make a rhubarb cake for dessert.

Spring Has Sprung

2009-05-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

What is Spring like where you live?
How many seasons are there?

Look out your window. What are people doing?

Are you a gardener?
What are some flowers that are blooming at the moment?

Listen to the Podcast.

What is Terry doing?

gardening
riding her bicycle
gardening

Listen to the Podcast again.
Which of the following things does she see?

children swimming in the river
neighbours chatting
people cutting grass
a little girl sliding down a slide
a sailboat sailing by
a dog and his master playing Frisbee
people doing tai chi
families having picnics
boys kicking a soccer ball
a woman sitting on a park bench
people standing in line at the ice cream store

Use a word from the podcast to replace the words in the sentences below.

April rains bring May flowers.
Fruit trees and lilacs are displaying their showy flowers.
As Terry rode her bicycle around town.
Terry saw neighbours talking together.
She saw an older gentleman pushing a young child on a swing.
She heard a little girl making a high pitched sound as she slid down the slide.
There were other people just walking slowly along the river.
There were other more robust people wearing only shorts and t-shirts.
She saw cars pulling boats behind them.

A Washout

2009-05-19T05:40:00.001-07:00

Make a list of things you would take on a camping trip.

What are some things people like to do when they go camping?

What is a popular place to go camping where you live?

Have you ever been camping?

Listen to the podcast.

Identify the names of the friends who went camping together.

Tom Nick Ed Max Graham Tim

Kevin Carlos Diego Lee Brian

Dave Jay Luke Eric Ian

Listen to the podcast again.
Match the words and definitions.

campground___________________________
campers __________________________
marshmallows _________________________
tent _________________________________
to spit ______________________________
shuteye_____________________________
sheltered_____________________________
soaked______________________________
a hike _____________________________

very wet
a portable structure for sleeping in
people who cam
a walk
protected
soft, white spongy sweets
to rain very lightly
a place to camp
sleep

Answer the Questions

1 What should you do if you want to go camping on a long weekend?

make appointments
make reservations
make invitations

2 Who paid for the food?

they all shared the cost of the food
Kevin and Max
their parents

3 What do you need to make S'mores?

ice cream, cones and chopped nuts
chocolate, marshmallows and Graham crackers
bread, peanut butter and jelly

4 What woke the campers up?

thunder
heavy rain
hail

5 Where did they sleep during the storm?

in their tents
in the trees
in their cars

6 If you look like a 'drowned rat' how do you look?

dangerous
soaking wet
furry

May Two-Four

2009-05-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

What are your plans for this weekend?

How do people celebrate the beginning of summer
where you live?

Do you know who Queen Victoria was?

Listen to the podcast.
Choose the best answer.

The podcast is about....

how to live in a cottage or cabin in the woods
what to eat and drink on a long weekend
why the May 24th holiday is called Victoria Day

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ The holiday is always on the 24th of May.
____ People think of May 24th as the beginning of summer.
____ People drink a lot of lemonade during May Two-Four.
____ There are 24 bottles in a case of beer.
____ Queen Victoria was a queen of England.
____ The French lost the battle at the Plains of Abraham.
____ Every province except Alberta celebrates Victoria Day.
____ Canada has a parliamentary system of government.
____ The Governor General is the leader of Canada.
____ The Governor General is chosen by the government.
____ Some people want to end the link to the British monarchy.
____ Everyone is interested in the controversy about Victoria Day.

Discussion:

Do you think that it is important for people to know about history?
What can we learn from knowing our history?
Do you think students learn much about history in school today?
Are you interested in history? Why or why not?

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

- George Santayana

What does this famous quote mean? Do you agree?

No Heavy Lifting

2009-05-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had surgery?
Was it minor or major surgery?
How long did you have to stay in
hospital?
What injuries sometimes happen to
people when they do their jobs?
Name some jobs people do which
involve heavy lifting.

Listen to the Podcast.

Tom had

emergency surgery
a routine surgical procedure at a Day Surgery Clinic
major surgery and he had to stay in hospital for a week

He had surgery to repair

a hernia
a broken arm
a heart valve

Listen to the podcast again.
Complete the sentences.

1 Tom delivers..............

pizzas
furniture
fruit and vegetables

2 Tom started to experience pain

in his upper leg
in his abdomen
in his shoulder

3 First he went to se

a chiropractor
a surgeon
his family doctor

4 He had

no anesthetic
a local anesthetic
a general anesthetic

5 He couldn't have anything to eat or drink

after 5 pm
after midnight
after 6 am

6 The surgery would take less than

15 minutes
half an hour
an hour

7 He was picked up and taken home by

his wife
his boss
his son

Turn It Off

2009-05-08T08:37:00.001-07:00

What do you think is the biggest
problem for young people today?

Is obesity a problem in your country?

Why do you think so many kids are
overweight?

Listen to the podcast.

What does Marta want her son to turn off?

the television
the computer
the lights

Listen to the podcast again.
True or False.

____ Marta's husband's name is Charlie.
____ Charlie is doing well in school.
____ Charlie is getting into trouble at school.
____ Charlie does his homework every day.
____ Charlie is always playing games on his computer.
____ He stays up too late at night playing games on his computer.
____ He gets a lot of exercise.
____ Charlie has been gaining weight.
____ Marta is worried that he will become too thin.
____ Obesity causes many other health problems.
____ Marta talked to her neighbours about the problem.
____ Other parents are concerned too.
____ She talked to Charlie about the amount of time he is spending on the computer.
____ Marta is going to get rid of the computer.
____ Charlie can use the computer downstairs.
____ He is going to join a baseball team.

New Digs

2009-05-05T07:17:00.001-07:00

When is the last time you moved?
What kind of place did you move from?
What kind of place did you move to?
Compare the two places.
Where would you like to live if you could move anywhere?

Listen to the podcast.

What are 'new digs'?

a place at the beach
a place to live
a place to buy things

Hans and Sonya's new digs will be

a bachelor apartment in a high-rise building
a house on a noisy street
a 2-bedroom apartment in a duplex

Match the words and definitions.

1 digs
2 making inquiries
3 cross off
4 wasn't keen on
5 duplex
6 herbs
7 references
8 packing

a building with 2 apartments
oregano, mint, basil
take off
putting into boxes
a place to live
someone to talk about your behaviour and character
didn't like
asking questions

Put the story in order

They told the landlord that they wanted the apartment.
They started apartment hunting in February.
They found the perfect apartment
They were ready to give up.
George asked them for references and told them he'd let them
know his decision by the end of the week.
They looked at all kinds of apartments.
They signed the lease and gave George two cheques.
They went home to start packing.
George called to tell them they could have the apartment.

Discussion and Activities:

What would you have to do if you were going to move in a month?
What questions would you ask if you were apartment hunting?
Take a look at the apartment rentals in a newspaper. Which
apartments could you cross off without making a phone call?
Whose names would you give if you were asked to provide references?
Describe your home.

Finders Keepers

2009-05-01T05:32:00.001-07:00

Make a list of things that people keep in their wallets.
What is in your wallet right now?
Do you carry a wallet?
Where do you keep it?
Have you ever lost your wallet?
Was it returned to you?

What could you do to find out if people are honest?

Listen to the podcast.
Choose the best answer.

This podcast is about:

a man who lost his wallet and all of his identification
an experiment to see how honest people are
the cost of a trip to Toronto

Listen to the podcast again.
Finish the sentences.

People sometimes say, 'Finders, keepers, losers, ....................

leapers
sleepers
keepers

The story is based on an article in ..............

the Toronto Star
the Toronto Sun
the Vancouver Sun

They 'lost'................

10 wallets
20 wallets
30 wallets

Each wallet contained..............

$47.33
$43.77
$47.77

Toronto has been called...........

Toronto the Good
Toronto the Gritty
Toronto the Great

If you "walk a mile in someone's shoes"..................

you steal their shoes and go for a long walk
you borrow someone's shoes
you try to imagine what it is like to be someone else

A Snap Judgement

2009-04-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

What special talents do you have?

Do you think everyone has a talent?

Think of 10 people you know. Think of a talent that each
person has.

Which talent would you like to have?

Match the talent with the person.

1 Gordon Lightfoot
2 John Kucera
3 Margaret Atwood
4 Lauren Harris
5 Glenn Gould

skier writer painter singer and songwriter pianist

Listen to the podcast.

What is Susan Boyle's talent?

She skis well.
She paints well.
She sings well.

Listen to the podcast again.

What does it mean?

1 A snap judgement........

is when someone snaps their fingers while they are thinking about a decision
is when someone decides quickly without really thinking about something
is when a person makes a loud noise after they have made a judgement

2 That name doesn't ring a bell to me.

I have never heard of that name.
I don't like the sound of that name.
That name doesn't sound like a bell.

3 She was an overnight sensation.

She became famous very quickly.
She became famous at night.
She slept all night.

4 You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

You should always read a book even if you don't like it.
Some books are ugly.
You shouldn't judge someone by their appearance.

5 They couldn't believe their ears.

They couldn't hear very well.
They were very surprised at what they heard.
They had earaches.

6 They gave it their best shot.

They had one chance to perform so they tried to do their best.
They shot the judge.
The judge shoots a gun to tell them to begin to perform.

Water Ways

2009-04-21T06:17:00.001-07:00

What do you look forward to in the spring?

What activities do you look forward to doing in the spring?

Have you ever been canoeing or kayaking?

What do you think rivers are like in the spring in Canada?

Match the words and their meanings.

1 a creek
2 a canoe
3 paddling
4 a bridge
5 a swan
6 flooding
7 swamped
8 reinforce
9 threat
10 bagpipe

a large white bird
a musical instrument from Scotland
to build up
possibility
filling with water
a small river
covered by water
a structure build so you can walk across a river
a small open boat
using oars to move a boat through the water

Choose the best answer:

In spring ..............

waterways start moving again
waterways freeze up
waterways are warm

Some people can't wait to ..............

begin swimming again
begin canoeing and kayaking
enjoy the spring flooding

There is a funny parade in Stratford when..............

the swans return to the ocean
the swans return to Lake Ontario
the swans return to the Avon River

There have been severe floods...........................

in the province of Manitoba
in the province of Ontario
in the province of Saskatchewan

Manitoba is ............................

east of Ontario
north of Saskatchewan
between Ontario and Saskatchewan

Now the Red River is starting to .....................

rise again
ebb
leak

The threat of flooding in Manitoba........

may take several weeks to pass
is completely finished
is definitely going to get much worse

Think About It

What would you take with you if you had to leave your home suddenly because of floods?
How would it affect your life and your work?
What kind of help with the people who have had to leave their homes need?

Mending Fences

2009-04-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

What are some jobs that people do outside their homes?
Have you ever had a problem with your neighbour?
What are your neighbours like? What are some things that people fix?
Do you like to drink beer?
What is your favourite kind of beer?
How would you describe it.

Listen to the podcast.
Listen to find out about the Howard family.

How many people are there in the family?
What are their names and what are there places in the family?

Listen to the podcast again.
Answer the questions.

1 What is the Howard family going to do?

play baseball outside
plant a garden
clean up the yard

2 When are they going to do it?

on Friday afternoon
on Saturday
on Sunday

3 What is the weather going to be like on Sunday?

It's going to be sunny and warm.
It's going to snow.
It's going to rain

4 What is Fred going to do with the old chairs?

paint them
throw them out
sit down in them

5 What are Helen and Alicia going to do?
wash the car
wash the bicycles
wash the windows

6 What is Jack going to mend?
the door
the fence
the screen

7 Who are the Howard's neighbours?
the Harpers
the Chans
the Laytons

8 What is the name of Jack's dog?
Molson
Heinekin
Steamwhistle

9 Why does Jack have to mend fences with the Chans?

because his dog dug up their garden
because his son broke their window with a baseball
because he made a lot of noise and disturbed them

10 Where is Steamwhistle brewed?

in Montreal
in Halifax
in Toronto

Have you ever heard the saying 'Good fences make good neighbours.'? What do you think it means.

An Unwelcome Guest

2009-04-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

What is a guest?
What are some things that good guests do?
What are some things that good guests don't do?
Have you ever had a guest in your home that you didn't enjoy?

What are some things that people look forward to in the Spring?

Listen to the podcast.

Identify the Unwelcome Guest:

the birds
Winter
Spring

Listen to the podcast again and complete the sentences.

We are tired of ................

winter
Mondays
summer

Spring flowers have started.....................

dying
wilting
blooming

Robins are looking for .......................

nuts and seeds
insects and worms
sticks and stones

Every year some of the young birds fall out of ..................

the sky
the car
the nest

We bought some gourds from the ...........

Northern Dipper
Souther Dipper
Northern Skipper

We hung the new birdhouses up in the ...................

leaves
trees
window

Match the words with the definitions below.

1 unwelcome __________________
2 worn off ____________________
3 bewildered _____________________
4 cold snap _______________________
5 porch _________________________
6 frantic ________________________
7 crafts ________________________
8 a kettle ________________________
9 soil __________________________
10 a dwelling ________________________

faded away
a large rounded pot
a place to live in
a covered entrance to a doorway
things which people make with their hands
confused, puzzled
earth
a short period of cold weather
in a panic, extremely upset
unwanted, undesirable

Using the information in the podcast, write the
missing half of the following conversation.

1 ___________________________
They're bird houses.

2 ___________________________
They're made out of gourds.

3 ___________________________
I got them from a company called the
Northern Dipper.

4 ___________________________
It's in Cookstown. They grow many
different varieties.

5 ____________________________
Oh, I took the old one down.

6 ____________________________
The birds kept falling out and the cats were
getting them. The blackbirds were bothering
them too.

7 _____________________________
I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.

A Harbour Town

2009-04-07T06:10:00.001-07:00

What would you expect to find in a harbour?

Where do you like to go on the weekends?

What are some of the attractions you go to see in other places?

Listen to the podcast.

This podcast is about:

a train trip
a journey by ship
a trip to a town on Lake Huron

Listen to the podcast again.

Which words do you hear?

son or daughter
town or city
Lake Erie or Lake Huron
ships or boats
salt or sugar
sunrises or sunsets
lighthouse or flashlight
octagonal or round
harbour or port
bakery or deli
tea or coffee

True or False

____ Goderich is a village.
____ Goderich is on Lake Huron.
____ Lake Huron is one of the five Great Rivers.
____ The ice has thawed on the lake now.
____ Ships come to the harbour to pick up tourists.
____ Goderich is very busy in the summers.
____ Sifto Salt Mines is the largest salt mine in the world.
____ You can get a great plate of spaghetti in Goderich.
____ The farmer's market is on Saturday mornings.
____ Culbert's Bakery has been in Goderich for many years.
____ There are chocolate Santas on sale at Culbert's for Easter.

Discussion:
Choose a place that you like to visit in the springtime and talk about it.
Tell someone which attractions you are going to see and what you are
going to do there.

April Fools

2009-04-03T06:31:00.001-07:00

Who said it?
"It is true that you my fool all of the people some of the time. You can even fool some of the people all of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

Do you know anyone who likes to play tricks on people?
Have you ever played a joke on someone?
Have you ever felt foolish?

Listen to the podcast.
Which words do you hear?

American President or Canadian Prime Minister
well known or famous
foolish or stupid
smile or frown
early or late
plastic wrap or foil
mother or sister
cookies or cakes
clean or dirty
wheels or tires
confused or baffled
spotless or clean

Listen again.
True or False.

____ April 3rd is April Fools Day.
____ Abraham Lincoln wasn't a fool.
____ Abraham Lincoln was a Canadian Prime Minister.
____ April Fool's jokes should make people cry.
____ Some employees played a joke on their boss.
____ They wrapped their boss in foil.
____ Mark played a joke on his mother.
____ Oreos are a type of cookie.
____ He replaced the vanilla cream in the Oreos with toothpaste.
____ Ben had old tires on his car.
____ His tires were flat.
____ Claire believed that her friends were coming to visit her.

A Precious Gift

2009-04-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

What is the best gift you have ever given someone?
What is the best gift you have ever received?
Make a list of valuable gifts.
Do you think that people are influenced by what
famous people do?

Look at the list of gifts below.
Rank them in order of their importance to you.

money
time
diamonds
art
clothing
friendship
books
sight
hearing
life

Listen to the podcast.

This podcast is about:

an unfortunate car accident
a tragic skiing accident
a parachuting accident

The precious gift is:

money
a vacation
organ donation

Match the words with the meanings below.

1 tragic ________________________
2 well known____________________
3 severe _______________________
4 mandatory ____________________
5 novices _______________________
6 precaution_____________________
7 weird ________________________
8 goofy ________________________
9 anxiously _____________________
10 organs _______________________

intense
sad and unexpected
strange
safeguards
compulsory
silly
body parts like hearts and lungs
nervously, with fear
beginners
famous

Discussion:

Have you thought about organ donation?
Do you know how the people in your family feel about organ donation?
Do you know anyone who has received an organ transplant?
Do you know anyone who is waiting to receive a donation?
Do you know if there is an organ and tissue registry where you live?

Earth Hour

2009-03-31T05:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Earth Hour?
Can you think of someone who is an environmental activist?
Are you going to do anything special for Earth Hour?

What does environmentally friendly mean?

something that does not harm the earth
being friendly to people around the world
having friends who live outside in tents

Listen to the podcast.

True or False

____ Some people think that Earth Hour is a holiday.
____ Gobal warming is going to go away by itself.
____ North Americans are very careful not to waste energy and resources.
____ Earth Hour is an international event.
____ David Suzuki designs cars.
____ David Suzuki thinks we should have bigger carbon footprints.
____ Ontario has a new law banning pesticides.
____ It bans 150 toxic substances.
____ Oil from the Tar Sands is environmentally friendly.
____ Everyone is responsible for protecting the earth.

Seeing Clearly

2009-03-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

How is your vision?
Do you wear glasses?
How often do you wear them?
Why do you wear them?
How long have you worn them?
When was the last time you had your eyes examined?

Which words have similar meanings?

1 shortsighted
2 examined
3 blurry
4 spot
5 vision
6 an ophthalmologist
7 text
8 to dilate
9 blink
10 an optician
11 handy
12 spare

checked
an eye doctor
open and shut the eyes quickly
the ability to see
convenient
written work
someone who makes and sells glasses
to make them larger
extra
unclear
place, location
nearsighted

Listen to the podcast.

Answer the questions:

1 Does she wear contact lenses or glasses?
2 Is she nearsighted or farsighted?
3 Where does she keep her glasses when she isn't wearing them?
4 How old was she when she started wearing glasses?
5 Why did she go to see her ophthalmologist last Friday?
6 How often should people get their eyes checked?
7 Why did the ophthalmologist put drops in her eyes?
8 How were her eyes?
9 Did she get some new glasses?
10 Did she get a good deal on the glasses?
11 What are the new frames like?
12 Why would it be handy to have a spare pair of glasses?

Listen and fill in the gaps.

I wear glasses. I don't ____________ to wear them all of the time because I'm nearsighted not farsighted. That means that things that are far away are ____________ to me. I can't see them _______________. So, I need to wear my glasses for doing things like driving my car or watching a movie, especially if it has ___________. In fact, the only time that I don't wear glasses is when I'm reading or doing some work _________ _____, like sewing or writing or eating. I don't wear my glasses when I work at my computer but my glasses sit in their usual ________ on top of my head. That way I don't have to go ____________ for them when I need them. My ___________ was good until I was about 20 years old. I noticed when I was sitting in large lecture halls at university, that I couldn't see the board very clearly. I was ____________ a lot and straining to see things. My eyes felt __________ sometimes and I had frequent headaches so I decided to get my eyes _____________. That's when I started wearing glasses. And my vision has become a little __________ since then but I don't need to wear bifocals. Last Friday when I went to my ophthalmologist for a routine checkup, she said that people _____________ have their eyes checked about every two years. I was long ______________ for my checkup because I hadn't been to see her for about six years. First her assistant asked me some questions about my general ____________ and whether or not I ______ __________ any medications. Then she did a few tests on my eyes. She told me to place my chin and _____________ into a big machine. And then she told me to look at a picture of a tiny balloon. I had to _________ _______ when I could see it clearly. After she had finished the preliminary tests, the ophthalmologist came in. She __________ ______ to read the smallest line of text that I could and to read some sets of letters from an eye ___________ on the wall. She asked me to __________ different sets of lenses so she could prescribe the best lenses for my eyes. Then she put some __________ into my eyes to dilate the pupils. I know that she is very patient because I hate ___________ drops put into my eyes. Even though I try not to, I automatically ____________ whenever she tries to put the drops in and I end up with drops all over my face. She checked the ______________ in my eyes for glaucoma and she also looked for cataracts and other signs of disease. And lastly, she took an x-ray. She said that everything looked fine and she gave me a _____________ for new glasses. I did a little shopping ____________. It was a good time to buy new glasses because there were a lot of ___________ on. I got two pair of glasses for the price of one. The ______________ at the shop helped me choose some frames that suited the shape of my face. I got one pair with red, rectangular ____________ and a pair of black and silver frames. It's nice to have a spare pair

A Sweet Treat

2009-03-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Name some sweeteners that people use?
What are some things that you add something sweet to?

Have you ever tasted maple syrup?

What do you think? Where does maple syrup come from?

maple flowers
beehives
maple trees

Listen to the podcast:

What is the podcast about?

making maple syrup candy at home
going to visit a sugar bush
the cost of maple syrup

Listen to the podcast again.
Answer the questions.

1 Ali wanted to take.....

his mother out
his wife out
his children out

2 He took them to

a park where they could ride horses
a woodlot where they make maple syrup
a maple syrup festival to eat pancakes

3 When they got there ...............

they snowshoed into the bush
they took a horse-drawn wagon into the bush
they walked into the bush

4 They saw..........................

buckets hanging from the trees
apples hanging from the trees
big birds in the trees

5 Maple sap ...........................

is runnier than maple syrup
is thicker than maple syrup
is tastier than maple syrup

6 The sap starts to flow.......................

when the daytime temperature is above 20 degrees Celsius
when the daytime temperature is below freezing
when the daytime temperature is above zero

7 Making maple syrup is also called............

salting
sweeting
sugaring

8 The colour of maple syrup..............

never changes
is always the same
varies

9 Ali bought...........

a small tin of syrup
a small box of maple candy
some pancakes

10 Maple syrup is a treat from

Father Time
Mother Nature
Old Man Winter

Put the steps for making maple syrup in the correct order:

Collect the sap from the buckets.
Drill a hole in the tree.
Pour the sap into a large kettle.
Put a tap into the hole.
Boil the sap for a long time.
Hang a bucket beneath the tap.

Listen and fill in the blanks:

Ali wanted to get out and enjoy the __________ holiday with his children. He decided to take them to visit a sugar ________ so they could see how maple syrup is made. It is produced for only a few short weeks each spring when the temperature causes the sap in the trees to start _________. The daytime temperatures must be above zero and the nighttime temperature must be below _____________. When this happens the sap begins to flow. Maple syrup producers __________l holes into the trees and insert a small tube called a tap. We say they are tapping the trees. They hang buckets below the taps so they can collect the sap that ______________ out of the taps. Ali and his children dressed warmly because even though the temperature was above freezing, it was still _______________. They arrived at the sugar bush just in time to get on an open wagon pulled by two large work ________________. As they rode the cart into the woodlot they noticed buckets hanging on the trunks of trees around them. Everyone got off the wagon at a small building called the sugar _______________. The owner of the operation explained that he __________ the sap from the buckets and takes it to the sugar shack. He pours the sap into a large kettle and ______________ it down to remove some of the water through evaporation. As the sap boils it becomes thicker and sweeter. The thin runny maple sap becomes maple ___________. It takes a lot of maple sap to make maple syrup. In fact you need about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. It's a long, slow ______________ but it's worth it. Ali's children were fascinated by the process of making maple syrup. They learned ___________the people of Canada's First Nations began collecting and using the sap many years ago. And they were _______________ when the owner of the woodlot poured some of the fresh, hot syrup onto some clean, cold snow and it ______________ into a maple candy that they could taste. He also explained why the colour of maple syrup ________________. The first sap which flows early in the sugaring season produces a light __________________ syrup and syrup from sap which is gathered toward the end of the season is a much ________________ colour. Ali bought a small tin of syrup to take home before he and his children left the sugar bush. Maple syrup is delicious to eat over ice cream or poured into ____________ yogurt. And some people like to bake with it. Every spring there are many maple syrup festivals where people celebrate spring and Mother _____________ sweet treat. Pancake breakfasts are an important part of these festivals. There is nothing tastier than a stack of piping hot pancakes with a pat of butter melting in the middle and fresh maple syrup ______________ over the whole thing.

A Heated Discussion

2009-03-16T11:45:00.001-07:00

What is the coldest time of year where you live?

Do people need to heat their homes?

What is the most common method of home heating where you live?

Make a list of heating methods that you know about.

Which methods are environmentally friendly?

If cost was not important, which method would you choose and why?

Think about these questions:

A heated discussion is:

emotional and loud

happy and enjoyable

relaxed and calm

A hothead is someone who:

has red hair

gets angry very quickly

has a fever

If you warm up to an idea:

you begin to think that it is a good idea

you begin to think that it is a bad idea

you really don't care about it

If something is on its last legs:

it is going to be useless soon

it is easy to fix

it is brand new

If you get the ball rolling:

you get something finished

you play around instead of working

you get something started

Listen to the podcast:

____ Mick and Jason are sisters.

____ Mick wants to buy a new car.

____ They have an old oil furnace in their home.

____ Mick is on his last legs.

____ Mick wants to replace the old furnace before next winter.

____ Jason is worried about the cost of a new system.

____ Mick is a hothead.

____ The cost of oil is probably going to keep going up.

____ They can get help to pay for their new system from their parents.

____ If they want a government rebate they have to have an energy audit first.

____ You can get a rebate for new windows.

____ You can get a rebate for new cupboards.

____ Mick wants to get started as soon as possible.

Like a Yo-yo

2009-03-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Think about the weather last Friday.
What was it like? Describe it.
How did it make you feel?
Do you think the weather affects your outlook or attitude?
What is a typical day like at this time of year?

Vocabulary:

Match the adjectives with definitions.

1 glorious
2 balmy
3 amazing
4 icy
5 filthy
6 tiny

freezing
very small
wonderful
very dirty
surprising
warm

Listen to the podcast:

At this time of year the temperature..................

goes up a little each day
goes down every day
goes up and down

Listen to the podcast again

____ Last Friday was a beautiful day.
____ She opened the windows to let some birds in.
____ She ate her lunch on the front porch.
____ There is still lots of snow around.
____ Tulips are beginning to grow.
____ Buds on the trees will turn into tiny bugs.
____ People are happy about the weather.
____ People are swimming in the rivers.
____ They changed their clocks back 1 hour.
____ It was for Money Savings Time.
____ There is more daylight in the evening now.
____ People are riding horses again.
____ People are dreaming about painting their houses.
____ She bought some morning glory seeds.
____ She can plant them right now.
____ The rivers and lakes are filling up.
____ She is still waiting to see the first robin of spring.
____ A robin is a bird.
____ Winter is coming.

Listen again.
Fill in the blanks.

Last Friday was an absolutely _____________ day! The temperature climbed up to a balmy 15 degrees. That's quite ______________ when you consider that the Friday before the temperature was an icy -12. It was so warm that I opened the ____________ a little to let some fresh air into the house and ate my lunch outside on the back porch. Even though there are still huge ____________ of snow everywhere that are turning a filthy brown colour, there are signs that spring is finally on its _________. As I sat on the back steps munching on my sandwich I noticed tulips beginning to ____________ in the garden just inches away from a big pile of snow. And I could hear the birds singing again. I could almost hear the snow _______________. I could see big buds on trees and bushes. With a few more weeks of sunshine and warmth, they will begin growing into tiny leaves. People everywhere are _____________ and walking with a spring in their steps. They are happy about the sunny weather even though they know that the temperatures will go _____ _______ _________ again like a yo-yo before spring decides to stay. In fact the forecast for tomorrow is -10. But I'm not going to think about that right now. There are other signs of spring too. There are more people _______________ bicycles again and last Sunday we ______________ our clocks back by one hour to Daylight Savings Time. That means that we are getting up one hour earlier in the morning. It's darker then but it stays light in the evening for an extra hour. One of the _____________ students in my class arrived an hour late today because he _____________ to set his clock back. I had wondered where he was because he is usually the first student to arrive every day. He looked _______________ to see the whole class busy working when he walked in. Then one of the students asked him if he had _____________ to turn back his clock. He started to laugh when he realized that that was exactly what had _______________ . People are starting to look through the seed catalogues so they can begin dreaming about planting their gardens. I went to a _______________ show on the weekend and bought some morning glory seeds to plant in pots in the house. When the risk of ____________ has passed, I can transplant them to my garden. The fellow who sold the seeds to me told me to be __________________ because it's still too early to plant them. He said that I should wait for a few more weeks. Next week schools will be ___________ for the spring break holiday. It's usually the last chance that people have to go skiing in some areas before the snow _____________ completely. And many people travel south to get a preview of summer weather. Children are being ___________to stay away from waterways because the ice is beginning to __________. Lakes and rivers are filling up with the run-off from the melting ice and snow. Even though I am still __________ to see the first robin of the season, spring is definitely in the air.

Raise Your Hand

2009-03-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

Discussion:

Describe a woman who is important in your life.
Do you think life is easy or difficult for women in your country?
Are you a feminist? Why or why not?

Listen to the podcast.

The speaker.........

is a feminist
thinks feminists are loud-mouthed
thinks we don't need feminists any more

True or False:

____ Everyone in the journalism class raised their hands.
____ Feminists have made many things possible for women.
____ The speaker's mother wanted to go to university.
____ Girls in Canada must wear skirts to school.
____ Her grandmother never wore hats.
____ Women in Canada can run for office.
____ Their choices are limited.
____ They can drive but they can't own cars.
____ They can do any kind of work that they choose.
____ Women make more money than men.
____ The Premier of Ontario is a woman.
____ Feminists still have work to do.
____ April 8 is International Womens Day.

Special Delivery

2009-03-09T05:51:00.001-07:00

Before you listen:

Make a list of things that people need to have for a new baby.
Where do people get the things they will need from?
Do you know anyone who is expecting a baby?

Listen to the podcast:

What does the word 'shower' mean in this podcast?

a light rain
a party
a place to wash under running water

This shower takes place

before the baby is born
after the baby has been born

Listen again.
Which items did Hiromi receive?

a table
a highchair
clothing
towels
blankets
shoes
hats
a crib
a car seat
a stroller
toys

Wild and Free

2009-03-02T05:51:00.001-08:00

Before you listen.

Are you a vegetarian?
What kind of meat do you eat?
Where do you go to get the meat you eat?

Listen to the podcast.

On the weekend they

went skiing
went for a walk in the woods
went deer hunting

She likes to

ride deer
shoot deer
take pictures of deer

Listen again.

Which things did they do on Sunday?

They went skiing.
They went snow shoeing.
They went snow boarding.
They went for a hike in the woods.
They had lunch at a restaurant.
They took pictures.
They had a picnic in the woods.
They shot a deer.
They spotted some deer in a field.
They saw an eagle.
They went for a drive in the country.
They met some hunters.

Put the events in the correct order:

They saw some deer in a field.
They saw a hawk.
They went for a walk in the woods.
They went to look for deer.
They packed a picnic and a thermos of coffee.
They saw some deer behind a high fence.
They saw some deer running across the road.

True or False:

____ It's very easy to see wild deer at this time of year.
____ It was a very warm, sunny day.
____ They went running.
____ They went for a hike in the woods.
____ They ate some venison sandwiches.
____ They saw about twenty deer in a field.
____ The hunters saw the deer too.
____ There are a lot of rules for hunting deer in Ontario.
____ You don't need a license to hunt deer in Ontario.
____ You can shoot as many deer as you like.
____ She has never eaten venison.
____ They saw an owl.
____ She likes to take pictures of deer.
____ All deer are wild animals.

Fill in the blanks.

At this time of year, even though it is still pretty __________, I like to get out into the countryside. I often go for winter picnics and _________ on Sunday afternoons. That's what my husband and I did last Sunday. We packed a small lunch and a thermos of coffee and we went for a _________ in the woods. Afterward we drove around on the country roads to see if we could __________ some deer. You have to look very carefully because the deer are hard to see at this time of year. They blend in well with the browns and grays of the woods and fields after the snow has ___________ to melt away. They are so well camouflaged by their surroundings that you really have to have _________ eyes to see them. We noticed some hunters riding around in trucks trying to find deer too. You can tell that they are hunters because they are _____________ very warmly and they often wear bright orange hats and camouflage gear. It was funny because a pickup truck with three hunters inside ___________ us on the road. If the hunters had looked back over their shoulders they would have seen twenty deer feeding in the corn ________ beside the road. But they were looking in the ___________ direction so they missed seeing the herd of deer. Hunting deer is very controlled in Ontario. You must have a license to hunt deer and there are _____________ about when you can hunt them and the type of _________ that you can use. There are times when you can use a shotgun and other times when you can only use a bow. There are also rules about hunting deer with or without antlers and whether or not you can hunt with a dog. And there are ___________ on the number of deer that a hunter can kill. As we drove along the road we spotted a ____________ deer running back to the conservation area where we had been walking. We know there were twelve deer because we ___________ them. They ran across the road in single file about one hundred metres in front of us. Further down the road we ____________ to watch a large hawk. As we turned to get back into the car, we saw a few deer watching us from inside a high _____________. They weren't wild deer. They are being farmed for venison. Venison is the name for deer ___________. You won't find venison in the meat department of a grocery store but you will sometimes find it on the _________ in a fine restaurant. I have tasted venison and it is delicious but I'm not interested in hunting or killing deer. I think they are beautiful to watch. They are so graceful and ________ and wild and free. I prefer to shoot pictures of them with my camera.

An Ounce of Prevention

2009-02-26T05:38:00.001-08:00

Before you listen.

Do you worry about your health much?
What are 5 healthy habits?
What are 5 unhealthy habits?

Listen to find out:

What is the number one cause of death in Canada?

heart disease
kidney disease
lung disease

Can you do anything to prevent heart disease?

Yes
No

Listen again:

Which word do you hear?

January or February
14th or 40th
hearts or heads
Monday or Tuesday
two years or ten years
fat or sugar
diabetes or Alzheimer's Disease
high stress or low stress
cure or solution
lower or reduce
bad news or good news
too big or too small
low-fat or lite
half grains or whole grains
turn off or turn on
sofa or couch

True or False

____ Valentine's Day is in February.
____ The number one cause of death in Canada is diabetes.
____ They had their cholesterol levels checked on Tuesday.
____ Cholesterol is fat in the blood.
____ Men are less likely to develop heart disease than women.
____ Smokers are more likely to get heart disease than non-smokers.
____ Sedentary people are fit and active.
____ Sedentary people should get more exercise.
____ Obese people are very overweight.
____ If you are obese you are more likely to get heart disease.
____ High stress is good for your heart.
____ An ounce of prevention is worth two ounces of cure.
____ The North American diet is low in fat.
____ A portion of food is smaller than most people think.
____ You should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
____ You should eat plenty of chips and fried food.
____ You should try to do some exercise every day.
____ Walking is an inexpensive form of exercise.
____ A few simple changes can save your life.

Listen and fill in the blanks.

People _________ ________ hearts in February for a couple of reasons. First of all, people think about hearts in a _____________ way because Valentine's Day is on the 14th. Secondly, people think about the _____________ of their hearts because February is Heart and Stroke month. People should know that cardio-vascular disease is the number one _________ of death in Canada. On Monday, the students in my class and I had two simple tests done to ____________ the health of our hearts and to tell us our risk of having a heart attack or stroke with in the next ten years. We had our blood _____________ measured first and then we had a simple blood test to check our cholesterol levels. That is the ______________ of fat in our blood. We learned that men are more likely to ____________ heart disease than women. Smokers are more likely to have heart _____________ than non-smokers. People who have ____________ are more likely to develop heart disease than non-diabetics. And people who are sedentary are more likely to develop heart disease than people who are fit and ___________. And if you are obese or overweight, you are at a higher __________ of getting heart disease than if you maintain a healthy weight. High stress is another cause of heart disease. Since 'an ounce of prevention is ___________ a pound of cure', we learned about what we can do to reduce our chances of getting heart disease. In other words, it's better to _________ getting the disease in the first place, than to treat the disease once you have it. And the good news is that there are many things that people can do to maintain a healthy heart. North Americans have developed a _________ that is high in fats, especially unhealthy trans-fats. And food __________ are too big. A good way to measure a portion of food is to look at the amount of food you could fit in the palm of your hand. And a healthy portion of meat is about the same size as a __________ of cards. The amount of food that we need to stay healthy is much smaller than most people think. A healthy diet includes lots of fruits and vegetables, _________, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. And it doesn't ___________ a lot of high fat junk foods like chips and cookies and fried foods. If you smoke, quit smoking. Get active. Turn off the TV. Get off your _________ and go for a walk. Leave your car at home and walk to work or school or to do your shopping. You should try to do some kind of physical ______________ for at least 30 minutes every day. Walking is easy. You can do it anywhere and it doesn't cost you a _______. A few simple changes can save your life. So be good to your heart and it will be good to you.

Other suggested activities:

Design a poster or pamphlet to promote heart health in your community.
Plan a menu of healthy meals for one week.
Keep a journal of your own diet and exercise habits for one week.

2009-02-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Who wrote this?

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts...."

Would you rather go to a movie or a play?
What is the difference between a movie and a play?
Have you seen a play or a movie lately?
Do you like surprises?
Have you ever had to keep a secret from someone?

Listen to the podcast.

She went to see
a play
a movie
an art exhibit

It was about
hockey
camping
a secret

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

____ Her friend Tom is a singer.
____ Tom was in a play last weekend.
____ She and her friends decided to go to the play.
____ She bought her tickets online.
____ She reserved tickets in the balcony.
____ She had to pick up the tickets at the box office.
____ There was a snowstorm that night.
____ They told Tom they were going to see his play.
____ The play was a tragedy.
____ It was very funny.
____ There were six actors in the play.
____ It was about camping in northern Alberta.
____ No one spilled the beans.
____ Tom wished he had known they had been in the audience.
____ They met him at the stage door after the play.

Fill in the blanks.

I went to see a _________ on the weekend. A friend of mine is an actor and a director and he had a _________ in a play at a theatre in a nearby city. So, a group of friends decided to get tickets to see it and ___________ him after the play. I had the option of buying the tickets __________ or calling the theatre to buy them. I called the ticket office directly so I could ask to be seated with my friends. I __________ seats downstairs on the floor instead of upstairs in the _________. The ticket agent told me to pick them up at the box office in the ____________ before the show. I checked the weather as well, and the forecast looked good; clear skies and good _________ conditions. All week the nine people in our group of friends _______ ______ and sent e-mails and made phone calls in secret. No one wanted to _________ the surprise for Tom. No one wanted to be the one to 'spill the __________' about our plans. Finally Saturday night arrived. We picked up our tickets at the box office and ________ our friends in the lobby. We were all very excited to see the play because it was the first time in a long time that Tom had been ____ __________. He has been doing more directing than acting for the past few years. The play was a ____________ about four men who go camping in Northern Ontario. It may seem funny to watch a play about ___________ in February, but it was a great way to spend a winter evening. It was good to think about summertime as the winter __________ to drag on. There were only four actors in the _________ and for two hours they were lost in the woods. It was hilarious! The play started with a few chuckles and by the end of the play people were laughing out loud. The crowd cheered and there was hearty applause as the ___________ came down. After the show we all hurried to the stage door to find Tom and congratulate him on his _____________. He was very surprised to see us all there and thanked us for coming to see the play. And he said that he was glad that he hadn't known we had been there in the ____________. Otherwise he would have felt very _____________. We were pleased that we had kept our plans a secret and headed off to celebrate. Even though I consider myself to be a _______ ________, there is always something extra special about seeing a __________ production instead of something that has been __________ or recorded on video. It was a great way to spend an evening. There are many small, __________ theatres in rural Ontario and for links to some of them go to englishdesk.blogspot.com.

Discussion questions:

1 Have you ever been in a play?
2 What is the best play you have seen?
3 Describe some pleasant surprises.
4 Describe some unpleasant surprises.
5 What do you think the quote by Shakespeare means?
6 If you could act in a play, which play would it be and which character would you play?
7 If you could write the script for a play, what would it be about?
8 What do you think the life of most actors is like?
9 If you could have dinner with a famous actor, who would it be? What would you like to ask this person?

A Friend in Need

2009-02-16T07:42:00.001-08:00

Before you listen.

Who do you like to talk to when you have a problem?
When do people need their friends?
If you don't have a good friend to talk to, who can you talk to?

Listen to the Podcast:

Her friend called because:

A she is getting married
B she and her husband are separating
C she got a job as a marriage counselor

She needs:
A some money
B some help moving
C some friends to talk to

Listen Again

True or False

____ She received an e-mail.
____ She hadn't heard from her friend for a few days.
____ Ally has three children.
____ They usually get together once or twice a year.
____ Ally had some good news.
____ Ally and her husband are separating.
____ They have been arguing a lot.
____ They won the lottery.
____ They are going to see a counselor.
____ They are going to have joint custody of their children.
____ Ally feels excited about her new life.
____ She burst into song.
____ She didn't think her marriage would end in divorce.
____ Ally needs her friends.
____ Family Day is in February.

Write the other half of the telephone conversation with Ally:

Hi, it's me Ally.
________________________________________________________
I'm not so well. In fact things are really awful.
________________________________________________________
Sean and I are separating.
________________________________________________________
I know. Everyone is surprised about it but we've been having problems
for quite a while now.
_________________________________________________________
Thanks, just being able to talk about it helps.
_________________________________________________________
Yes, we started to see a marriage counselor about a year ago.
_________________________________________________________
Yes, she has been very helpful. She has given us a lot of good advice, especially
about the children.
__________________________________________________________
We're going to have joint custody. We want to do the best we can to look
after the children. They are very upset of course.
___________________________________________________________
I'd love to see you. That would be so nice. When can you come?
___________________________________________________________
That's great! I knew I could count on you.

Listen and Fill in the Blanks

Last week I _______________ a phone call from an old friend. It was nice to hear her voice because I hadn't heard from her for a few months. Ally lives in another city with her ___________, Sean and their three children; Becca, Tim and Ben. We usually get together once or twice a year and catch up on everything that has been going on in each others' _____________. But this year things will be different. Ally called to tell me that she had some bad news. She and Sean are ____________. I was so shocked! I didn't really know what to say. She told me that they had been having difficulties for the last few years. They had been ____________ a lot and having financial difficulties too. She said that they have really been living beyond their means. That means that they have been ____________ more money than they earn. And their financial difficulties were just making everything more ___________. I asked her if they had been to a marriage counselor. She said that they had and that they still are. They feel _____________ about the effect that their separation will have on their children. But she said that the counselor had been really helpful and given them both some good suggestions for ___________ with the situation. Ally and Sean want to share custody of their children. In other words they will have ___________ custody of the children. They have made a parenting agreement so they will know where the children will live and how they will take care of all of the children's ____________. At that point she burst into tears and told me that she felt like such a _______________. When she married Sean, she never thought their marriage would end up in divorce. She said that it was really hard to tell her friends about their problems, but she really needed some friends to talk to. I told her that I was so _________ and that she could count on me. And I made plans to go and visit her in a couple of weeks. Families have ____________ a lot over the years. February the 16th is Family Day in Ontario. It is a time for people to take a break in February and to be with their families.

Discussion:
What would you say to Ally if you had received her phone call?
What advice would you give her?
How can you be a good friend when this happens?

Be Mine

2009-02-13T06:11:00.000-08:00

Which 8 of the following things are related to Valentines Day?

pumpkins

wreaths

hearts

love

jewelry

rings

candy canes

beer

chocolate

poinsettas

roses

poetry

romance

comedy

Vocabulary Match.

an indulgence _______________________________________

secret ________________________________________________

to admire ___________________________________________

to resist _______________________________________________

the person who receives something ____________________

to be bitten by the love bug ___________________________

to have a way with words _____________________________

something you do for yourself

to like very much

the recipient

to write well

to be able to stop yourself from doing something

to have found someone you love, to have fallen in love

something that you don’t want to tell everyone

Listen to the podcast.

Answer the following questions.

She is:

An alcoholic

A shopaholic

A chocoholic

Valentines Day is about

Love

Peace

Spring

Listen again.

True or False?

_____ She loves coffee.

_____ She loves milk chocolate.

_____ Chocolate is not good for your health.

_____ On Valentine’s Day, chocolates are often in round boxes.

_____ It is very difficult to make a Valentine.

_____ Handmade cards are personal.

_____ You can decorate a card with ribbon or sparkles.

_____ Violets are red.

_____ Sugar is sour.

_____ One year she baked a big heart-shaped cake.

_____ Sometimes people receive cards from secret admirers.

Listen and find the errors:

It’s almost Valentines Day, February the 15th. Mmmmmm. Valentines Day. When I think of Valentines Day, I think of ice cream. Oh, and I think of my husband too! I have to admit to being a bit of a shopoholic. A chocoholic is someone who can’t resist chocolate. White chocolate is my favourite. Of course I’m pleased to write the latest research which indicates that my favourite indulgence, chocolate, is actually bad for your health. Chocolate is one of the traditional gifts that sweethearts give each other on Valentines Eve. So, if you’ve been bitten by the love bird this year, you may want to give that special someone a bag of chocolates. And at this time of year chocolates are beautifully packaged in red and yellow heart-shaped boxes. In schools, children usually make or buy little Valentines to give to each other. A Valentine is a book that you give someone to tell them that you love them. And even in the digital age of text messaging, people, young or old, still dislike receiving Valentines. Cards may be store bought or finger made creations. It doesn’t take much to make a simple Valentine out of some red or pink newspaper. All you need is a pair of socks, some paper, some glue and maybe some ribbon or sparkles to make a card. Handmade cards are very personal. And if you have a way with sentences, if you can write well, you can make up a short verse or poem to go outside. If not, you can always write something like I Love You or Be Yours or My Valentine on it. Or you can use the standard love poem, ‘Roses are green, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you.’ One year, I baked a big heart-shaped cookie and decorated it with pink and red icing and some little cinnamon candies and gave it to my honey. Sometimes people receive cards that are not signed by the giver so we say they are from a ‘secret admirer’. In other words, the person who sent the card is too sad to reveal his or her identity. Or the sender wants the recipient to guess who he or she is just for fun or to be mysterious.

A Week of R and R

2009-02-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

Pre-listening:

Where would you go if you wanted to take a vacation in February?
Describe the place and some things you would do on this vacation.
If you were going to go on a vacation to Mexico what would you take with you?

Listen to find the correct answer:

Anne is going to go:
A north
B south
C east
D west

She is going:
A to relax
B to visit her family
C to work

She is going:
A for a week
B for 2 weeks
C for a month

Listen again:
Which things will she take with her?

boots
t-shirts
a leather jacket
mittens
sundresses
a wool sweater
shorts
sandals
a scarf
a bathing suit
googles
a sunhat
sunglasses

Listen again:
Answer the questions with short answers.

1 Where is she going? ______________________
2 Is she going alone? ________
3 With whom is she going? _________________________
4 What time does the flight leave? _______________________
5 Where will she stay the night before her flight? _____________________
6 What kind of clothing will she need? ________________________
7 Has she ever been there before? _____________
8 Will the resort be busy at this time of year? __________________

Fill in the blanks:

Anne is getting __________ to make a trip to the sunny south. She has had enough of the ice and snow. She longs for warm, sandy ___________ and blue water. She wants to take a break from winter. She went to a travel agent a few weeks ago and __________ a trip to Mexico. She and her husband are going to go to a __________ there with another couple. She got an all-inclusive package. That means that everything is ___________ in the price; the hotel, the meals and the cost of the _________ from Toronto to Mexico. She paid a little extra for some flight cancellation insurance and some _________ insurance. So all she has to do is ______ __________ and make sure that she can get to the airport on time. The flight leaves at six in the morning so she _______ _________ home the night before and stay in a hotel near the airport ______________. She doesn't want to miss her flight if the weather is bad and she can't _________ ______ to the airport. She is looking forward to a week of 'R and R'; rest and relaxation. She is going to take a few good books to read while she is __________ on the beach. And she doesn't want to forget to pack some sunscreen to protect her skin from the sun. She _________ happily as she looks through her closet for her summer ___________. She'll need some shorts and t-shirts and sundresses. She'll need some ___________ and a sunhat too. And, of course, she'll need her _________ ________. She can't wait to go swimming. She'll keep her passport,airline tickets, some __________ and her credit card in her money belt. She has __________ _________ to Mexico before but some friends recommended the resort to her. They went there last year and had a wonderful time. They had a great time swimming and ______________ and going dancing in the evenings. It shouldn't be too busy there right now. It will be much ____________ during the Spring Break when students are on holiday. There will mostly be people like Anne and her husband who are trying to ___________ from winter and soak up some sun for a week or two.

Episode 65 - Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

True/False
____ February is the third month of the year.
____ There are eight letters in February.
____ February is after January.
____ April is the month after February.
____ February is the longest month.
____ Easter is in February.
____ Valentine’s Day is in February.
____ Family Day is in February.
____ Mother’s Day is in February.
____ Groundhog Day is in February.

Listen to the podcast:

In Canada, February the second is:
A Brown Dog Day
B Valentine’s Day
C Groundhog Day

On February the second people:
A people eat groundhogs for dinner
B people wait to hear about when Spring will arrive
C people go skiing

True or False

____ The groundhog is a big, furry animal.
____ Groundhogs are bigger than bears.
____ Another name for a groundhog is a woodchuck.
____ Groundhogs live in trees.
____ If the groundhog sees his shadow we will have a long winter.
____ If the sun is shining the groundhog won’t see his shadow.
____ Wiarton Willie is brown.
____ We usually have a thaw in January.
____ We haven’t had much snow this year.
____ People start to fantasize about chocolate.
____ Groundhog day is just for fun.
____ When Spring is near, we say that it is ‘just under the rug’.

Finish the conditional sentences:

If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow…………………………
If the sun shines…………………………………………………
If it is cloudy……………………………………………..
If it snows tomorrow……………………………………………..
February the __________________ is Groundhog Day. It may not seem like a big _________ to people who live in warm countries, but it is to Canadians and North Americans. On Groundhog Day everyone _________ to hear about what the groundhog _________ ______ on the second of February. The groundhog is a furry, little ___________ about the size of a cat. Another name for a groundhog is a woodchuck. It ____________ in a hole __________ the ground. Legend tells us that if the groundhog ____________ out of hibernation and sees his __________ he will go back into his burrow and we will have a ___________ winter and six more weeks of bad ______________. If the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, he won’t go back into his burrow and we will have an ____________ Spring. If the sun shines, the groundhog ________ _______ his shadow but if it is a cloudy day, he won’t see his shadow. Wiarton Willy is the groundhog that people watch for the official ___________ in Canada. He is unusual because most groundhogs are __________ but Wiarton Willy is white. And of course there are all kinds of festivities and celebrations to mark the annual weather ______________ in Wiarton, Ontario. This year the winter has been very long and ___________. We have really had a lot of snow. It seems as though we have been shoveling snow every day since the ___________ of November. And snow is ___________ high everywhere. It never seems to stop snowing! Usually we have a big _________ in January when the snow melts and the temperature ____________ for a few days or a week. But not this year! It has been a wonderful year for skiing and skating outdoors. But in February, people start to think __________ Spring. They get __________ of all of the snow. They start to fantasize about ____________ their gardens and seeing some green grass again. They start to think about opening windows and going outside _______________ layers and layers of clothing on. So Groundhog Day is a fun custom. It helps get us __________ the rest of winter. When spring is almost here, we say that it is ‘just _____________ the corner’. Little by little and day by day, we are getting closer and closer to Spring.