IDIOMS

Rolls off the tongue
"Take a look at the cartoon and try to guess the idiom being illustrated.
It shows both the literal and figurative meaning of the idiomatic expression.
We'll be posting new cartoons weekly..."
(rollsoffthetongue.tumblr.com)

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ELECTIONS 2012

Cartoon: Obama's Re-Election
"In this cartoon from The Hartford Courant, Bob Englehart parodies the iconic  "Hope" poster, which  became synonymous with the 2008 Obama
presidential campaign. In Englehart's 2012 version, Obama is offering
'No Hope, No Change, No Promises'..."
+ LINKS
(jeffreyhill.typepad.com)

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PAPERS / FAMOUS PEOPLE / PHONE HACKING

Newspaper Admits Hacking Celebrity Phones
(9th April, 2011)
- a lesson plan
(newsenglishlessons.com)

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William and Kate film to be shown on Channel 5
- "A US movie dramatisation of Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance...
The film chronicles the couple's nine-year-relationship from when they first met
at St Andrews University."
(BBC)

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Royal wedding quiz: Wedding traditions - interactive
"When Kate Middleton ties the knot with Prince William later this month, the occasion will be the latest in a colourful line of British royal weddings.
But how much do you know about the royal wedding tradition?"
(BBC)

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ANIMALS

Can you identify an animal by its eye ?
(sabironlangues.typepad.fr)

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DIRECTIONS / INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions
Advice on writing and following instructions.
Is it 'Destination Impossible'? Can you find your way around the map?
(BBC)

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Why did LOL infiltrate the language?
"The internet slang term "LOL" (laughing out loud) has been added
to the Oxford English Dictionary, to the mild dismay of language purists.
But where did the term originate? And is it really a threat to our lexicon?"
"OMG! LOL's in the OED. LMAO!"
+ LOL around the world :
mdr (and derivatives) / 555 / asg / mkm / ...
(BBC)

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WORD CLOUDS

Wordlings
- Creates Beautiful Word Clouds 
(wordlin.gs)

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HOBBIES

What is Geocaching ?
"Learn about the high-tech treasure hunting game being played around the world
by adventure seekers! Learn more at http://www.geocaching.com"
(YouTube)

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Interactive folio : Romeo and Juliet
(canadianshakespeares.ca)

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DEBATE / NUCLEAR

The Nuclear Debate
"Following the radiation leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan,
caused by the terrible earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on
11th March, this lesson discusses some of the pros and cons of nuclear power."
(insideout.net)

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PROTEST SONGS

Top 5 Most Effective Protest Songs (and the Top 5 Most Danceable)
(slate.com)
- Pete Seeger and others, "We Shall Overcome" (1963)
- Bob Dylan, "Hurricane" (1975)
- The Special AKA, "Free Nelson Mandela" (1984) - with a video
- Body Count, "Cop Killer" (1992)
- El Général, "Rais le Bled," (2011) - with a video

The Top 5 Most Danceable Protest Songs :

1. Carl Bean - "I Was Born This Way" (1977)
2. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Two Tribes" (1984)
3. Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 - "Zombie" (1976)
4. Curtis Mayfield - "Move on Up" (1970)
5. Public Enemy - "Fight the Power" (1989)
   

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CIVIL WAR

The Civil War - interactive timeline
"An unfolding history of the major events of the Civil War since Lincoln's election using contemporaneous coverage from The Times' article and photo archives."
(nytimes.com)

Recommended by Larry Ferlazzo.

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COMICS

ABC Superheroes
(society6.com)
- a "poster that pictures comic-book superheroes from A to Z:
Superman is S-shaped, Batman looks like B, etc.
Can You ID the ABCs of Superheroes?" Find the responses here.
(flavorwire.com)

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CUSTOMS

Nabbed at Customs - a true story
suggested by Renée Maufroid. (Ac. Lille)
  "When planning a recent trip to the States to visit my mother,
I thought I might bring her a saucisson as a gift..."
(nytimes.com)

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JOKE

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF I DIED?
Would you get married again?
(greatgolfjokes.com)

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POEMS and SONGS

Learning and Teaching Resources
for Learning English through Poems and Songs
- 37 pages
"Teachers are encouraged to adapt, modify and develop their own resources
or make use of other relevant materials to
suit the needs and interests of their students."
ex : “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer
“Dreams” by Langston Hughes
“My Favorite Things” from the musical The Sound of Music
“I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly
Poem and Song Vocabulary (Page 6)
Writing poems
etc.
(edb.gov.hk)

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LUCK / RISKS

Why do we believe in luck ?
Are you a risk-taker ?
an article + a video
(BBC)

 

Take the Big Risk Test
(BBC)

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POLICE

Arizona police force turns to civilian investigators
"The city of Mesa in the US state of Arizona has turned over some police
duties to a new team of civilian investigators. The BBC's Paul Adams says the programme is a law enforcement innovation - and policing on the cheap in an
era of government cuts."
+ a video
(BBC)

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JOB

What's it like being a bodyguard ?
"The close protection industry is flourishing, but is the life of a bodyguard
really anything like the movies, asks Yasmeen Khan."
(BBC)

 

The Bodyguard (1992) - Movie Trailer
Starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.
(YouTube)
See Wikipedia.

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HOT DOG

The Humble Story of the Hot Dog
"An animated rat tells us the humble history of the hot dog."
(YouTube)

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Scots firm's laser gun to foil Somali pirates
"A LASER that dazzles and disorientates has been developed by a Scottish
firm to help shipowners ward off pirate attacks...
The laser, which costs £55,000, affects the vision of anyone on which it is trained
for up to 30 minutes and makes them feel nauseous and disorientated."
(news.scotsman.com)

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SCAN / ADS

'Minority Report' Mall Scene
"This is a scene from the movie Minority Report. 
Tom Cruise walks in the mall while his eyes are getting scanned by 3D screens.
The screens call him directly by his name to get his attention."
(YouTube)

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SCAN / ADS

The ads that see you coming
"A new type of technology scans shoppers’ faces and can tailor
adverts to match their age, gender or mood.
The company says that the system, which has taken three years to develop,
can recognise 35 variations of age, gender and emotional state."
(sabironlangues.typepad.fr)

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REFUGEES / AMERICA / SUDAN

Cultural differences
(National Geographic)
"In this clip, refugees from Sudan encounter America for the first time,
and find it quite different from their homeland. This is from the
2006 National Geographic movie God Grew Tired of Us." 
(Neatorama)

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DAILY ROUTINE

A normal day
Watch the 8 videos, for example : Best of A Normal Day
(YouTube)

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NATURAL DISASTERS

Swedish couple have honeymoon from hell
(telegraph.co.uk)
"Stefan and Erika Svanstrom of Stockholm have had an eventful honeymoon.
So far, they’ve endured a snowstorm in Munich, Germany, a cyclone that
struck Cairns, Australia, the floods of Brisbane, Australia, the wildfires in
Perth, Australia, the earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand,
and then the earthquake in Japan."
(Neatorama)

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PHOBIA

"A serious case" A story by Chris Rose.
"Listen to this fun story and do the four pages of activities!"
- easy listening comprehension activity for 4ème or 3ème,
about spiders and arachnophobia!
Activities created by Marie-Hélène Prou (Ac. Poitiers)

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BAD BEHAVIOUR

Teachers to strike over pupils' bad behaviour
"The teachers say pupil behaviour has become impossible to deal with and
that students are pushing them, challenging them to fights, and threatening
to film their lessons and post them online."
+ AUDIO + LINKS
(sabironlangues.typepad.fr)

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DESCRIPTIONS

Interactive Game - Describing Faces
Created by Laurence Haquet (Ac. Rouen)

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DAILY SCHEDULE

Benjamin Franklin's daily schedule
(flickr.com)

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El Paso’s National Border Patrol Museum
"located just off of Transmountain Road
on the northeast side of El Paso, Texas."
(on-walkabout.com)

"shoes that are used to throw off the Border Patrol
by looking like cow hoof prints"

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PUPILS

Britain's pupils are bad losers, survey suggests 
"The UK's schoolchildren find it difficult to lose graciously in sport,
and their parents can be just as bad...
Sulking, getting angry and crying were some of the commonest antics
of sore losers - whether they were parents or children."
(BBC)

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POEM

Neighbours by Benjamin Zephaniah
"I am the type you are supposed to fear
Black and foreign
Big and dreadlocks
An uneducated grass eater..."
(poemhunter.com)

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WISHES

No longer accepting wishes
(cagle.com)

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TORTURE / TAXES

Evolution of torture

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COMMERCIALS

Boob Tube Babies
Are commercials making your child obese, anxious, and at risk for drug use?
(utne.com)

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Will and Kate are engaged.
"Listen to Peter Carter and watch the video , then play the game."
Created by Renée Maufroid. (Ac. Lille)

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STUDIO

Simple life Manhattan: a 90-square-foot microstudio
"By choosing a studio that measures just 12 feet by 7 feet, Felice Cohen can
afford to live in Manhattan's Upper West Side where apartments rent for
an average of $3,600 per month. She pays just over $700 for her
90-square-foot microstudio."
(YouTube)
MORE about her.
(faircompanies.com)

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NUCLEAR

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Hi-Res Photos
(cryptome.org)

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YOUTH

“YOUTH” - a poem by Samuel Ullman
"Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind...
Years wrinkle the skin, 
but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."
(facebook.com)

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STRAY DOGS

Li Zongwen, 59, a former chef, shares his home
with more than 140 stray dogs in Wuhan, China.
(BBC)

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THE AMERICAN DREAM

The hidden literary themes of the 'American dream'
(BBC)

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THE AMERICAN DREAM

Is immigration policy killing the American dream ?
(BBC)

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SHOOTING ELEPHANTS

Fair or Foul? Go Daddy CEO shoots elephant in Africa
"Bob Parsons is facing lots of backlash even though
he had a permit to hunt elephants."
(YouTube)

 

GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons under fire
for Zimbabwe elephant-hunting video
"Parsons said that the hunts and helping the starving villagers is the most
rewarding of everything he does, and that he hopes to go again next year."
(latimesblogs.latimes.com)

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GLASS / FUTURE

A day made of glass
(YouTube)

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SCHOOL

US middle and high school
by Vallery (Los Angeles, California USA)
Sophomore, Junior and Senior years.
(Audio-Lingua)

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PUBS

Pubs in England
by  John (Trowbridge, South West England)
(Audio-Lingua)

- John talks about the evolution of the famous public houses in England from
the 19th century until today.

- John talks about the origins of the pubs in England and comments on common
names of pubs.

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IDIOMS

Idioms 4 You
English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions including definitions,
explanations, conjugations, scenarios and audio.
- NO pictures
(idioms4you.com)

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QUAKE

Newsy Video: Japanese Nuclear Workers—We Know We Will Die
"Japanese nuclear workers have come out and said they know they could die
from radiation within years—or even weeks—from cancer. 
View transcript >> "
(jeffreyhill.typepad.com)

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