Checking pronunciation

Hi, folks! Here's a link to check pronunciation. It's worth trying it!
I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/tts_example.php?sitepal

Cheers,
Fatima

Great site

Here goes a link to a wonderful site for our practice. There are even listening exercises. I hope you enjoy it!

http://www.english-test.net/lessons/9/index.html

Cheers,
Fatima

Vocab: Parts of the body as verbs

Girls and guy,

remember that we saw the verb to elbow your way into a place in our very first lesson?
I have come across other verbs!

to shoulder responsibility/the blame/the burden: to accept you're responsible for sth bad or difficult

to foot the bill/the cost/the expenses : to pay (informal)

to thumb a lift

to thumb your nose at sb/sth: to show a lack of respect

to mouth off: to express your opinions too loudly and publicly (disapproving)

xoxo Mari

Speaking task

Assuming your task is to talk about the subject: "Does travel broaden the mind?" the suggested vocabulary is
To see the world
To go globetrotting
To develop cultural awareness/cross cultural understanding
To become more open-minded
To break down barriers
Cultural/national stereotypes
To have fixed opinions
To become more tolerant
To experience first hand
Mass tourism
Effect on the local population/indigenous population
Tourist trap

Expressions to offer examples:

For example
For instance
Take...for example
To give you an example
By way of example
A case in point is
To illustrate this
To show you what I mean

Business

Complete the following colloquial expressions:
1) The new owner is known to be ruthless and his first action is likely to be getting rid of any dead ......... in the organisation.

a) foliage
b) matter
c) wood
2)If I can only get my foot in the ........ somehow I'm sure I can make an impression.

a) building
b) door
c) room
3)The deal isn't cut and ........ yet but I'm pretty confident we'll agree terms.

a) dried
b) tied
c) dyed

Working with vocabulary

www.imparareinglese.co.uk.

The CPE Speaking Test

If you're studying for the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, welcome to our guide to the CPE Speaking test. Here's an overview of the oral paper (Paper 5) and advice to help you as you get ready for the interview.

http://www.splendid-speaking.com/exams/cpe_speaking.html

Use of English

Which one word fits all three sentences?

1. You can borrow as much as you like within ........
2. It stands to ........ that she'll be feeling anxious so soon before her exams.
3. There is every ........ to believe that the company will get the new order as they have built up such a good relationship with their customer.

(from flo-joe)

xoxo
MarI

FYI - "at sixes and sevens"

The idiom comes from "betting in a game of dice. The phrase originally meant to bet on only on the highest points that could be won, therefore to bet carelessly or foolishly"

taken from the Longman Dictionary of English Idioms

xoxo

MarIIII :P
(the blond one)

DIFFICULT SITUATIONS

Complete the following colloquial expressions:
1) Stephanie is always _________ the buck when she does something wrong. I wish she'd take a bit more responsibility for her mistakes.
a) passing
b) tossing
c) throwing

2) I think I'm going to have to take the bull by the ______ and go see the boss about my problems.
a) horns
b) ears
c) nose

3) The older people get the less likely they are to throw ______ to the wind.
a) care
b) caution
c) safety

Help me out, guys!!!


This is the beginning of an open cloze about Cartier-Bresson:

"He believed that photography __________ capture meaning _______ outward appearance and so his camera accompanied him _________ he went in the world."

I can't see why my choice for the third gap was inappropriate! What would you guys write?

xoxo
GO EASY ON THE CHOCOLATE :P

All you want to know about English

Great site! I hope I can contribute to your study!

http://www.english-test.net/

See you, folks!

Words of Connection

Useful tool for the writing parts of our test. Hope you like it. See you.

http://www.sk.com.br/sk-conn.html

See you.

Your birthday and you

Take a look and have some fun:

http://www.paulsadowski.com/BirthData.asp

Cheers

How Do You Say Box

Hi everyone,

What have you been up to?

By now you must have realised that CPE is all about vocabulary. How about making the most of this space and exchange some words? I'm sure we'll have a blast, be in our element, get a kick out of it, take (a) delight in it, have a whale of a time, it will be a good laugh, self-indulgent, ...
... well, you got the point ;)

Happy postings,

Lesliê

PS> Ângela, thanks for the invitation, U rock

Sentence Transformation - conditionals

1 We would have missed our connecting train if we had not caught the earlier plane.
Had ………………………………, we would have missed our connecting train. NOT

2 I couldn’t have bought that motorbike unless my mother had agreed to pay the monthly repayments. AGREEING
But ……………………………… pay the monthly repayments I could never have bought that motorbike.

3 Purchases may be refunded within seven days. MIND
Should ……………………………… your purchase you have up to seven days to bring it back for a refund.