English For Hungarians

Leap Year, this year in 2012

2012-03-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

Leap Year, this year in 2012.
February 29, what is it about, check out the video and it explains!

Describing Cheeses

2011-09-25T13:34:00.001-07:00

PDO Livarot Cheese, originally uploaded by JuliaBalbilla.

Emmenthaler n Tangy and sometimes pungent; a Swiss cheese made from cow's milk and containing small holes.

fontina n Tangy and semisoft; Italian cheese, made of cow's or sheep's milk.

Camembert n Mellow creamy cheese of a golden color, made from cow's milk.

Roquefort Strong cheese, veined with mold, made of sheep's milk in southern France.

Stilton Very strong, rich, and waxy white cheese, veined with mold, made of cow's milk; English.

Cheshire n Hard cheese, yellowish, orange, or white in color, made of cow's milk and similar to cheddar.

mozzarella n Very mild, shite, semisoft Italian cheese.

feta n Salty and aggressive; white brine-cured Greek cheese made from sheep's milk and/or goat's milk.

Gouda n Mild, semisoft cheese made in Holland from cow's milk.

raclette n Earthy semisoft cow's milk cheese made in France; usually served melted.
chèvre Mild, fresh soft goat's milk cheese.

Pecorino n Salty and mild; dry, hard Italian cheese made of sheep's milk.

Limburger n Pungent soft white cow's milk cheese.

Gruyère Nutty and meaty; firm, pale-yellow cheese, made of cow's milk

manchego n Nutty and mild; firm sheep's milk cheese from Spain.

Parmesan n Salty and mild; hard, dry variety of Italian cheese made from cow's milk.

Anne Frank's House in Amsterdam

2011-08-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

This was the super long queue:

So we saw lots of people taking photos outside the Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam. The situation was almost like this:

That was how incredibly long the queue was. What are your ideas of queue management?

Do - Does

2011-07-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Asking Questions:

Use do/does or is/are for question words when we want to ask yes/no questions.

We use does and is with third person singular pronouns (he, she, it) and with singular noun forms.

Use do and are with other personal pronouns (you, we they) and with plural noun forms.

Normally form yes/no questions with do or does:

Does Peter clean the house?

Do you drive to the University everyday?

Do John and Mary wash the clothes after dinner?

Peter does not clean the house.

I do not drive to the University everyday.

John and Mary do not wash the clothes after dinner.

Handmade Earrings

2011-07-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

Handmade earrings - owners found, originally uploaded by zannnielim.

These earrings were chosen for four different ladies. Clockwise from the bottom: The pair of butterflies shall be given to a Singaporean girl, she will be flying back soon :)

The round blue theme earrings shall be for a sweet young blonde lady who is rather much taller than the rest of them.

The blue 'tulips' pair is for another blonde lady, she's my husband's sister. And the last pair which looks like black and white 'chips' is for a young woman with lots of tattoo all over her arms :D And she loves extreme sports like skiing and snowboarding especially.

Owners found.

Sporting Activity

2011-04-01T04:50:00.000-07:00

Sporting Activity ending with -ing

Swimming (swimmer)

speed skating (skater)

skiing (skier)

horse-riding (rider, jockey)

mountain climbing (mountaineer)

cycling (cyclist)

rowing (rower)

canoeing (canoeist)

kayaking (kayaker)

Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle.

jogging (jogger)

springboard diving (diver)

Play-player

all team games

football

basketball

volley ball
water polo

hockey

ice hockey

baseball

squash

all games

tennis

table tennis

badminton

bridge

chess

Cross check Activity:

sport/activity

football

play, go or do?

play

people

goalkeeper

footballer

referee

place

stadium

football pitch

equipment needed

ball

boots

repeat for some sports or activities.

Describing People's Character and Personality

2011-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Character:
Positive features:

Nice
friendly
relaxed
calm
positive
likable
lovable
respectable
lively
strong
complex
original and colourful

Negative features:

negative
shady
strange
odd
weak
unpleasant
violent
bad
evil

Nice - adj. pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance; done with delicacy and skill; exhibiting courtesy and politeness; noting distinctions with nicety; excessively fastidious and easily disgusted; socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous; noun a city in southeastern France on the Mediterranean; the leading resort on the French Riviera
friendly - adj. characteristic of or befitting a friend; of or belonging to your own country's forces or those of an ally; easy to understand or use; favorably disposed; not antagonistic or hostile; noun troops belonging to or allied with your own military forces
relaxed - adj. made less tense or rigid; without strain or anxiety
calm - adj. (of weather) free from storm or wind; not agitated; without losing self-possession; living without undue worry; taking life easy; noun steadiness of mind under stress; verb become quiet or calm, especially after a state of agitation; make calm or still;cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to; make steady
positive - adj. formally laid down or imposed; characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.; greater than zero; reckoned, situated or tending in the direction which naturally or arbitrarily is taken to indicate increase or progress or onward motion; indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or pathogen; having a positive electric charge; involving advantage or good; persuaded of; very sure; marked by excessive confidence;impossible to deny or disprove; of or relating to positivism; noun a film showing a photographic image whose tones correspond to those of the original subject
likable - adj. easy to like; agreeable; (of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings
lovable - adj. having characteristics that attract love or affection
respectable - adj. characterized by proper behavior or conventional conduct; worthy of respect; large in amount or extent or degree; deserving of esteem and respect
lively - adj. characterized by energetic activity; filled with events or activity; full of life and energy; full of zest or vigor; full of spirit;elastic; rebounds readily; quick and energetic
strong - adj. freshly made or left; not faint or feeble; of verbs not having standard (or regular) inflection; having strength or power greater than average or expected; strong and sure; being distilled rather than fermented; having a high alcoholic content; having a strong physiological or chemical effect; having or wielding force or authority; of good quality and condition; solidly built; able to withstand attack
complex - adj. complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts; noun a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts; (psychoanalysis) a combination of emotions and impulses that have been rejected from awareness but still influence a person's behavior; a compound described in terms of the central atom to which other atoms are bound or coordinated; a whole structure (as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures
original - adj. not derived or copied or translated from something else; preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed; being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of; (of e.g. information) not secondhand or by way of something intermediary; noun an original model on which something is patterned; an original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made
colourful - adj. having striking color; striking in variety and interest

negative - adj. expressing or consisting of a negation or refusal or denial; having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant;characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features; less than zero; reckoned in a direction opposite to that regarded as positive; not indicating the presence of microorganisms or disease or a specific condition;having a negative electric charge; involving disadvantage or harm;designed or tending to discredit, especially without positive or helpful suggestions; noun a piece of photographic film showing an image with black and white tones reversed; a reply of denial; verbvote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
shady - adj. filled with shade; not as expected; of questionable taste or morality; of businesses and businessmen of questionable honesty
strange - adj. not known before; being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird; relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world
odd - adj. not easily explained; not divisible by two; an indefinite quantity more than that specified; of the remaining member of a pair, of socks e.g.; not used up; beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
weak - adj. deficient in intelligence or mental power; likely to fail under stress or pressure; not having authority, political strength, or governing power; (used of verbs) having standard (or regular) inflection; deficient or lacking in some skill; having little physical or spiritual strength; tending downward in price; overly diluted; thin and insipid; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings; deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc; lacking physical strength or vitality;used of vowels or syllables; pronounced with little or no stress
unpleasant - adj. disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings
violent - adj. (of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud; effected by force or injury rather than natural causes; acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity;characterized by violence or bloodshed; marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid
bad - adj. feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad'); (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition; not working properly; reproduced fraudulently; having undesirable or negative qualities;characterized by wickedness or immorality; capable of harming;physically unsound or diseased; very intense; not financially safe or secure; nonstandard; below average in quality or performance;not capable of being collected; feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone; adv.very much; strongly; with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly'); noun that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency
evil - adj. tending to cause great harm; morally bad or wrong;having the nature of vice; having or exerting a malignant influence;noun morally objectionable behavior; the quality of being morally wrong in principle or practice; that which causes harm or destruction or misfortune

Describing People's Relationship to Others

2011-03-30T05:26:00.000-07:00

There are several ways to give more details about another person's character and personality.
You may refer to their relationship to others, their intellectual ability, honesty, moods, attitude to money, attitude to work or even their attitude to the world.

For instance, you can talk about the positive features of that person you are describing.

sociable
encouraging
approachable
open-minded
sensitive
extroverted
sympathetic
outgoing

If you are talking about some unpleasant and negative features of a person, they can be describe as:

unsociable
indifferent
egotistical
selfish
self-centred
introvert
suspicious
feeling superior
condescending
patronising
disrespectful
insensitive
unsympathetic
quarrelsome
aggressive and cruel

Some people are shy and appears lonely and these are neutral features description of a person.

Mini dictionary for the words above:

sociable - adj. friendly and pleasant; inclined to or conducive to companionship with others; noun a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity
encouraging - adj. giving courage or confidence or hope;furnishing support and encouragement
approachable - adj. easily approached; easy to meet or converse or do business with; capable of being read with comprehension
open-minded - adj. ready to entertain new ideas
sensitive - adj. of or pertaining to classified information or matters affecting national security; hurting; responsive to physical stimuli;being susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others; able to feel or perceive; noun someone who serves as an intermediary between the living and the dead
extroverted - adj. at ease in talking to others; not introspective; examining what is outside yourself; being concerned with the social and physical environment
sympathetic - adj. expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward; (of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or sympathetic feelings; of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system; having similar disposition and tastes; relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations in a nearby body; showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
outgoing - adj. leaving a place or a position; at ease in talking to others
unsociable - adj. not inclined to society or companionship
indifferent - adj. showing no care or concern in attitude or action;neither too great nor too little; being neither good nor bad;characterized by a lack of partiality; marked by no especial liking or dislike or preference for one thing over another; fairly poor to not very good; (usually followed by `to') unwilling or refusing to pay heed; (often followed by `to') lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other; marked by a lack of interest; having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive
egotistical - adj. characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance
selfish - adj. concerned chiefly or only with yourself and your advantage to the exclusion of others
self-centred - adj. limited to or caring only about yourself and your own needs
introvert - noun (psychology) a person who tends to shrink from social contacts and to become preoccupied with their own thoughts; verb turn inside; fold inwards
suspicious - adj. not as expected; openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
feeling - noun the experiencing of affective and emotional states;an intuitive understanding of something; a physical sensation that you experience; the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin; a vague idea in which some confidence is placed; the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people
superior - adj. (often followed by `to') above being affected or influenced by; (sometimes followed by `to') not subject to or influenced by; of or characteristic of high rank or importance; of high or superior quality or performance; having an orbit farther from the sun than the Earth's orbit; having a higher rank; written or printed above and to one side of another character; noun a town in northwest Wisconsin on Lake Superior across from Duluth; the head of a religious community; one of greater rank or station or quality; a character or symbol set or printed or written above and immediately to one side of another character; the largest freshwater lake in the world; the deepest of the Great Lakes; a combatant who is able to defeat rivals

condescension - noun affability to your inferiors and temporary disregard for differences of position or rank; the trait of displaying arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior; a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipientcondescending - adj. (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
patronising - adj. (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
disrespectful - adj. exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous; neither feeling nor showing respect
insensitive - adj. not responsive to physical stimuli; deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive
unsympathetic - adj. not sympathetic or disposed toward; (of characters in literature or drama) tending to evoke antipathetic feelings; not agreeing with your tastes or expectations; lacking in sympathy and kindness; not having an open mind
quarrelsome - adj. given to quarreling
aggressive - adj. having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends; characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight; tending to spread quickly
cruel - adj. (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain

Play vs Tune

2011-03-30T01:44:00.000-07:00

*Play and Tune are both nouns and verbs.

play - noun the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully;
activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules;
gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement;
a preset plan of action in team sports;
utilization or exercise;
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage;
a theatrical performance of a drama;
a state in which action is feasible;
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize);
(game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession;
a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill;
an attempt to get something;
movement or space for movement;
verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously);
a weak and tremulous light;
the removal of constraints;
(in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds;

verb engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously;
exhaust by allowing to pull on the line;
participate in games or sport;
employ in a game or in a specific position;
use or move;
shoot or hit in a particular manner;
bet or wager (money);
put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game;
make bets;
use to one's advantage;
discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream;
perform on a certain location;
be performed;
cause to emit recorded sounds;
emit recorded sound;pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity;
replay (as a melody);
play on an instrument;
perform music on (a musical instrument);
move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly;
cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space;
act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome;
engage in recreational activities rather than work;
occupy oneself in a diversion;
be at play;
be engaged in playful activity;
amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children;
behave in a certain way;
be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way;
pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind;
consider not very seriously;
contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
stake on the outcome of an issue;
manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination;
cause to happen or to occur as a consequence;
play a role or part;
perform on a stage or theater;
behave carelessly or indifferently

tune - noun the adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a required frequency;
the property of producing accurately a note of a given pitch;
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence;

verb adjust the pitches of (musical instruments);
adjust for (better) functioning

Sports

2011-03-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Sports (adjective)
* not sport!!

Do
Sports that you say you do, such as:-

Gymnastics (gymnast)
pronounced [jim-nast, -nuhst]

Athletics (Athlete)
Pronounced [ath-leet]

Throwing the javelin (Javelin thrower)

discus-throwing (discus-thrower)

shot-putting (shot-put thrower)

high, long and triple-jumping (jumper)

pole vaulting (pole vaulter)

sprinting (sprinter)

yoga (yoga practitioner)

aerobics (athletes)

judo (judo practitioner)

karate (karate practitioner)

boxing (boxer)

fencing (fencer)

weightlifting (weightlifter)

wrestling (wrestler)

hang-gliding (glider)

parachuting (parachutist)

Crayons

2011-03-29T03:45:00.001-07:00

Crayons, originally uploaded by dcbprime.

A crayon is a stick of wax, clay and usually with a coloured pigment. It is for drawing, colouring, writing or even for illustration. For younger children below 5 years, this is a popular material for allowing the children to express themselves in art forms as they are not messy compared to paints and markers. They are blunt thus removing the risk and danger of sharp points compared to a pen or pencil.
Most of all, crayons are non-toxic, inexpensive and available in many colours.

Those crayons made with oiled chalk is called 'oil pastel'.
Pastel are made with a dry binder.

Nowadays, there are water-soluble crayons.

Here's a video about how crayons are made:

For a Healthier Lifestyle

2011-03-12T03:09:00.001-08:00

Madrid, Spain, originally uploaded by zannnielim.

Take up, do or play a sport.
Join a fitness club/ health centre/ gym.
Do more exercise to keep fit, to be in a good shape, to be in a good condition.

It gives you energy, recharges your batteries and revitalizes you.

Spend time and plenty of time in places with fresh air.

Watch your weight.
Go on a slimming diet, lose a few kilos.

Phrasal Verbs: cut down, cut out

Watch your diet: eat regularly, have a balanced diet, cut down on sweets, cut down on carbohydrates and red meat.

Eat more protein food and food rich in vitamins.

Choose light, fresh and organic food.

Avoid junk food and cut out heavy food.

Give up smoking.
Stop smoking or drinking heavily.
Stop worrying.

Avoid working overtime.
Avoid working irregular hours.
Avoid working at night.

Look after your body well. Make time for yourself, slow down and relax.

---
MS Paint art

Fame and the Media - Vocabulary

2011-02-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

Fame and the Media - there are 15 talented people who found fame through youtube video sharing :)
Just to mention one of them as an example this is 'Apple Girl' from Korea (her real name is 'Kim Yeo-Hee'). She became popular with her covers played on iPhones. She record labels from South Korea and the UK. Finally she signed with Seoul-based Dreamhigh-Ent.

Do watch the following Lady Gaga Poker Face performance by her that went viral:-

Click here for the list of the other 14:
http://mashable.com/2011/01/23/found-fame-youtube/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box645

Vocabulary related to this topic 'Fame and the Media'
If you clicked on the words, you will find its meaning from the online dictionaries respectively, for your easy reference

brutality

obsessed

contradictions

photo opportunity

delve

privileged

gossip

published

idols

revere

loathe

soap opera

trivial

to hound

paparazzi

insatiable

to pamper

a stalker

to ridicule

intrusiveness

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Melissa And Doug Toys
funny art

Adjectives - Describing People

2011-02-28T08:33:00.001-08:00

2011 CNY Night photography, originally uploaded by zannnielim.

Adjectives to describe people
witty - adj. combining clever conception and facetious expression
patronizing - adj. (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
encouraging - adj. giving courage or confidence or hope;furnishing support and encouragement
expense - noun a detriment or sacrifice; amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures); money spent to perform work and usually reimbursed by an employer
bewildered - adj. perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
prejudiced - adj. being biased or having a belief or attitude formed beforehand; emanating from a person's emotions and prejudices
distracted - adj. having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety; affected with madness or insanity
earnest - adj. characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions; not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal; earnest; noun something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract
haughty - adj. having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
overbearing - adj. expecting unquestioning obedience
difficult - adj. not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; requiring much effort and trouble; difficult to manage or control
woman - noun an adult female person (as opposed to a man); a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man; women as a class; a human female who does housework
courteous - adj. characterized by courtesy and gracious good manners; exhibiting courtesy and politeness
supportive - adj. furnishing support or assistance
considerate - adj. showing concern for the rights and feelings of others
lorry - noun a large truck designed to carry heavy loads; usually without sides; a large low horse-drawn wagon without sides
lovable - adj. having characteristics that attract love or affection
snobbish - adj. befitting or characteristic of those who incline to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior
timid - adj. showing fear and lack of confidence; lacking conviction or boldness or courage; lacking self-confidence; noun people who are fearful and cautious
reserved - adj. cool and formal in manner; marked by self-restraint and reticence; set aside for the use of a particular person or party

---
Melissa And Doug Toys
funny art

The King's Speech

2011-02-15T14:30:00.001-08:00

the king's speech, originally uploaded by machu picchu.

Stuttering or stammering is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds.

The term stuttering is most commonly associated with involuntary sound repetition, but it also encompasses the abnormal hesitation or pausing before speech, referred to by stutterers as blocks, and the prolongation of certain sounds, usually vowels and semivowels. The term "stuttering", as popularly used, covers a wide spectrum of severity: it may encompass individuals with barely perceptible impediments, for whom the disorder is largely cosmetic, as well as others with extremely severe symptoms, for whom the problem can effectively prevent most oral communication. The impact of stuttering on a person's functioning and emotional state can be severe. Much of this goes unnoticed by the speaker, and may include fears of having to enunciate specific vowels or consonants, fears of being caught stuttering in social situations, self-imposed isolation, anxiety, stress, shame, or a feeling of "loss of control" during speech. Stuttering is sometimes popularly associated with anxiety but there is actually no such correlation (though as mentioned social anxiety may actually develop in individuals as a result of their stuttering). Despite popular perceptions to the contrary, stuttering is not reflective of intelligence.

Stuttering is generally not a problem with the physical production of speech sounds or putting thoughts into words. Apart from their speech impediment, people who stutter may well be 'normal' in the clinical sense of the term. Anxiety, low self-esteem, nervousness, and stress therefore do not cause stuttering per se, although they are very often the result of living with a highly stigmatized disability and, in turn, exacerbate the problem in the manner of a positive feedback system (the proposed name for this is 'Stuttered Speech Syndrome'). Watch the real king's speech here:-

And here's the trailer:

Hubristic

2011-02-15T13:57:00.001-08:00

Hubristic, originally uploaded by zannnielim.

Hubristic's definition: self-assured, full of oneself

Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: arrogant, brash, bumptious, certain, conceited, confident, egotistical, hotdogging, hotshot, know-it-all, lordly, nervy, overconfident, overweening, positive, presumptuous, self-confident, smart aleck, smart guy, smarty, smarty pants, sure, swaggering, swollen-headed, vain, wise guy

Antonyms: humble, modest, uncertain, unself-confident, unsure

'Bank Holiday'

2011-02-14T06:15:00.001-08:00

Gerbeaud, originally uploaded by zannnielim.

A bank holiday is a public holiday in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population not employed in essential services (e.g. utilities, fire, ambulance, police, health-care, public transport workers) receive them as holidays; those employed in essential services usually receive extra pay for working on these days.

The first official bank holidays were the four days named in the Bank Holidays Act 1871, but today the term is colloquially used for public holidays which are not officially bank holidays, for example Good Friday and Christmas Day.

Starbucks Budapest

2010-12-24T00:41:00.001-08:00

Starbucks Budapest, originally uploaded by zannnielim.

Wish you a wonderful Christmas!