Archiwum miesięczne: Lipiec 2014

Test Your IQ

Test Your IQ

The latest edition of English Matters magazine has a fantastic article about IQ tests and why they are important. Many companies give their employees an IQ test to see if they are fit for the job. There are also groups whose members are people with high IQ scores. One such group is MENSA, which was founded in 1946. Here is a little IQ score for you to try today. It doesn't look like much, and the first questions are easy, but keep at it, and they will get very hard indeed! Good luck!…Czytaj dalej …
When I’m 64 – The Beatles

When I’m 64 – The Beatles

“When I'm 64,” written by Paul McCartney is one of the band's most iconic songs. It was first released in 1967 in their “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. The song is like a letter written by a young man to his lover, asking if she will still love him when he gets older. It was one of the first songs McCartney ever wrote, and was in the band's repertoire from the very beginning. Lyrics: "When I'm Sixty Four" When I get older losing my hair Many years from now Will you…Czytaj dalej …
Would You Live in 1946?

Would You Live in 1946?

The BBC news website has a fascinating little article about a 36-year-old man going to work in 2014. When he gets home, however, he lives in 1946. His house is a living museum of post-war England, and includes several amenities which most people today would find uncomfortable to use, such as an outdoor toilet! Watch the video, and answer the questions below: Video is courtesy of BBC news agency Questions: 1) What is the heart of the house (in the kitchen)? 2) What is the man's day job? 3) How is the master…Czytaj dalej …
Grammar is Important

Grammar is Important

Have you ever wondered about what is the most important element when learning a language? Well, vocabulary is important, because without words, we cannot express ourselves. But so is comprehension, meaning you can understand things that you hear and read. But perhaps the most important (and the least heeded) is GRAMMAR. The advent of SMSs and internet writing (Twitter, Facebook and others) have reduced many people's ability to write grammatically. This notion has grabbed the attention of noted singer Weird Al Yankovic who released a song about why grammar is so important. What do…Czytaj dalej …
Hello, My Name is… Rick Genest

Hello, My Name is… Rick Genest

I was born in 1987 to conservative parents in Chateauguay, a suburb of Montreal, Canada. My childhood was a relatively normal one: I played with my friends, attended school, and did what typical kids do! Then everything went dark. At 15 I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour which would have killed me had I not undergone a dangerous operation. I knew fully well that a few decades earlier such an operation would have left me for dead. During this period I though hard about life and death. After I left the…Czytaj dalej …
Mountain, Comfortable, Vegetable

Mountain, Comfortable, Vegetable

Some of the hardest words for non-native speakers of English to pronounce correctly are mountain, comfortable and vegetable. Although the latter two end in "-table" they sound nothing like that! Mountain /ˈmountn/ A geological structure which rises out of the ground forming a peak. Click here to hear native speakers pronounce the word "mountain". Comfortable /ˈkəmfərtəbəl/ A feeling of physical comfort, often used for clothes and furniture Click here to hear native speakers pronounce the word "comfortable". Vegetable /ˈvejtəbəl/ A plant-based food Click here to hear native speakers pronounce the word "vegetable".Czytaj dalej …
What Kind of Friends are These?

What Kind of Friends are These?

Linguistically speaking, false friends are words that sound similar in two languages, but have a different meaning! Let's take a look at some words which are often confused in English and Polish: Polish word False Friend (meaning) Correct word in English   Aktualny Actual (fact; something that is true) Current; contemporary Dres Dress (a flowing piece of clothing worn by women) Tracksuit Ekspedient Expedient (quick) Sales assistant Ewentualny Eventual (something that will happen in due course) Possible Genialny Genial (cheerful and friendly) Brilliant Hazard Hazard (a dangerous thing) Gambling Lunatyk Lunatic (someone who is…Czytaj dalej …
The Maltese Language

The Maltese Language

The cover story for English Matter's July/August issue (EM47) was dedicated to the tiny island of Malta. English is one of two national languages on the island. The other is a language few people even know exists, despite the fact that it is an officially recognised language of the European Union. Maltese is a semitic tongue, meaning it is a kind of Arabic dialect which proliferated on the Eastern basin of the Mediterranean sea. Over the centuries, it has picked up a lot of foreign vocabulary, mainly Italian, French (the Maltese word for…Czytaj dalej …
Predicting the World Cup

Predicting the World Cup

The World Cup in Brazil is well underway, and probably everyone and his brother has an opinion on who will win the tournament. But pundits are now turning to some unlikely sources to predict who will come out on top. Different animals around the world are weighing in with their opinion on which teams will win – and which will get eliminated. Let's take a look at three making most of the (animal) noise! Regina the Octopus This German psychic mollusc is making ripples (quite literally) around the world. It has already predicted…Czytaj dalej …