English Desk - Answers

2010-01-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

Listen to the Podcast

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

Sure thing.
That sounds good.
Great.

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 - pita bread - hummus - an apple - raw veggies

Which foods did Yeung bring?

chili - a whole wheat bun - an apple - some yogurt

Fill in the blanks:

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

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

3 They want to become more fit and lose some weight.

4 Every year she starts a new diet enthusiastically.

5 By the end of February she has given up.

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

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

8 Nita feels very optimistc 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?

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

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

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

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

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

A Resolution

2010-01-02T14:31:00.001-08:00

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 - to ignore something that you can see
2 to get a black eye - to get a bad reputation
3 to open your eyes to something - to become aware
4 to fall on deaf ears - to ignore something you have heard
5 to be toothless - to be weak or powerless
6 to drag your feet - to do something slowly or unwillingly
7 to have your head in the sand - to be hiding from reality
8 to point your finger at someone - to blame someone for doing something
9 to have a hand in doing something - to participate in doing something
10 tongues were wagging - people were talking

Plum Pudding

2010-01-02T14:30:00.003-08:00

Listen to the Podcast

Which of the following things is Anna doing?

making plum pudding
remembering her grandmother
getting ready to celebrate Christmas

Listen to the Podcast again.

True or False

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

Ready to Go

2010-01-02T14:30:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

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 - Vancouver
Senators - Ottawa
Oilers - Edmonton
Maple Leafs - Toronto
Nordiques - Quebec
Canadiens - Montreal

Edmonton / Toronto / Montreal / Quebec / Ottawa / Vancouver

True or False

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

The Flat

2009-11-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

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

a jack
a tire iron
a pair of gloves

Listen to the podcast.

How many times do you hear the word flat? 5 times

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

Jenny and Charlie were driving home.
They heard a loud noise.
They pulled over into a parking lot.
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.
Charlie changed the tire.
They got back into their car and continued on their way.
Charlie told Jenny to replace the spare tire the following day.

Discussion:

If someone is playing music that sounds flat, how does it sound? I doesn't sound good because it is off key.
If a person has a spare tire around his middle, what is it? It's too much fat around the waist.
What is a flat to someone from Britain? It's a place to live like an apartment.
What is flat pop like? If pop or soda is flat, then it is not fizzy any more. It has lost it's carbonation. There aren't any bubbles.

Too Shabby

2009-11-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

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? on the top shelf of her closet
What colour are her ski gloves? black
What does she say about her boots? They are in good shape.
How many buttons were missing from her coat? two
What was wrong with the sleeves of her old coat? They were too short.
How did her old coat feel? It felt too tight.
Where was the coat sale? at the mall
Who did she call to go shopping? her friend Ying
Why didn't she buy the long, black coat that she liked? It was too expensive.
Why didn't she buy the black and white plaid coat? It was too loose across the shoulders.
Why didn't she get the green one? It didn't have any pockets.
Why didn't she buy the red one? It was too trendy.
What colour was the coat that she bought? It was burgundy.
What size did she buy? Size 8
How much was the price reduced by? 40%

2009-11-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

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.

1 Cut out the lid.
2 Remove the seeds and stringy fibres.
3 Carve a face on the front.
4 Put a candle inside.
5 Light the candle.
6 Put the lid on and put it in the window.

A Delicacy

2009-11-06T10:18:00.001-08:00

Listen to the podcast.

What is the delicacy that the speaker is talking about?

walnuts
chestnuts
peanuts

True or False

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

Dirty Laundry

2009-10-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

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

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

2 The workers agreed to sign the new contract after the wrinkles were ironed out.

3 Ning always makes sure he helps himself to the lion's share at the dinner
table.

Talking Turkey

2009-10-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Match the words and meanings:

1 an empty nester someone whose children have left home
2 talk turkey talk honestly
3 feast a big dinner
4 a bargain good value for the price
5 to thaw to become unfrozen

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.

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

Whether the Weather

2009-10-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

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

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.

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

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

Whether the weather is fine
Or whether the weather is not,
Whether the weather is cold
Or whether the weather is hot,
We'll weather the weather,
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not!

Did she or didn't she?

1 She drove to school. She didn't drive to school.
2 She wore a jacket. Yes, she wore a jacket.
3 She put up her umbrella. No, she didn't put up her umbrella.
4 She left the school at 3 o'clock. No, she didn't leave the school at 3 o'clock.
5 She waved at the crossing guard. Yes, she waved at the crossing guard.
6 She stopped to chat with the crossing guard. No, she didn't stop to chat.
7 She went to the post office. No, she didn't go to the post office.
8 She wore her glasses home. No, she didn't wear her glasses home.
9 She put her jacket on and did up the hood. Yes, she put her jacket on and did up the hood.
10 She changed into dry clothes at home. Yes, she changed into dry clothes at home.

Match the expressions and their definitions.

1 a rain cheque 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
2 a rain date a new time to do something that has been canceled due to rain
3 save for a rainy day to keep some money until you need it when times are difficult
4 don't rain on someone else's parade don't spoil someone else's good time
it's raining cats and dogs it's raining heavily
weather the storm to survive or come safely through a disaster

Letting Go

2009-09-10T12:37:00.002-07:00

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? in the spring
2 Where did he love playing when he visited his classroom? at the sand table
3 What was he the most excited about kindergarten? the other children
4 How was he in the morning? quiet and shy
5 What did he wear to school? a red t-shirt and shorts and running shoes
6 Can he tie his shoelaces? No
7 What can he do by himself now? get dressed
8 What did he take for a snack? crackers with apple butter and carrot sticks
9 What were the parents told not to give their children for snacks at school? snacks with nuts
10 What did Josh count on the way to school? the school buses

A Difficult Decision

2009-09-10T12:37:00.001-07:00

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

An Honourable Person

2009-09-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

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

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

Match the people with the place they are going to.

1 Min - Thunder Bay
2 Gabe - Alberta
3 Carlos - Halifax
4 Jay - London
5 Meredith - Spain
6 Sam - Oakville
7 Andy - Toronto
8 Lynn - Toronto

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

Make Lemonade

2009-09-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

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 groceries for the week when she ran into Carla. "How are you?" asked Carla, "I haven't seen you all summer!" "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 laid off 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 stay home for their holiday. Leo works for a company that makes car parts. The company had been having difficulties because of the recession and had laid off over half of its workforce. Carla said that she and Leo had to be very careful 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 unemployed. "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 dental 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 close to home. They decided to camp out in the back yard when the weather was good. They visited all of the local parks and museums. They went cycling and hiking together. They bought a family pass to the community swimming pool and sometimes they went to the beach 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 concerts 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 plant and look after it. She said that Leo was teaching their children about growing their own food and that they were all becoming better cooks. Carla admitted that she was really enjoying coming home to meals prepared by her family. They had saved a lot of money by doing all of their own cooking instead of buying convenience foods and they had cut down on treats and junk 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 shed." 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 retraining. 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.

Tilting at Windmills

2009-08-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

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

Answer the questions.

1 Where is Kingston? on the St. Laurence River
2 How did they get to Wolfe Island?by ferry
3 What did the signs say?No Wind Mills
4 What health problems do people say windmills cause? headaches and dizziness
5 What do some people accuse opponents of?nimbyism
6 How many windmills are on the island now? 86
7 What did the artist make out of clay? 86 hands

Fill in the blanks:
ferry / protest / opposed / signs / divided / tilting / blades / nimbyism

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

Zero Emissions, No Noise

2009-08-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

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

True An old car that is falling apart is sometimes called a beater.
True Suli is looking for a new car.
True She wants something that is environmentally friendly.
False She read about the Zenn car in the newspaper.
True She could receive a rebate if she buys an environmentally friendly car.
False Dalton McGuinty is the Prime Minister of Canada.
False The Zenn car is very noisy.
False You can dry your hair in a Zenn car.
True You can plug it into any electrical outlet.
False Suli commutes to work in another city.
True She priced a blue Zenn car.
True It cost $18,410.
False The Zenn car can't go over 25 km per hour.
False You can't buy a Zenn in Quebec.
True 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 rebate.
2 Sue doesn't like to ride in Jack's car because the old beater always breaks down.
3 You can use my phone. I just recharged the batteries.
4 Is there an outlet where they can plug in their radio?
5 If you want to find out the name of the singer just google the song on the computer.
6 The only snag she had coming here was a short detour near the bridge.
7 Dave's car is the red hatchback beside the van.
8 In the winter you need to have snow tires on your car.

The Shield

2009-08-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Match the words and definitions.

a rattler - a snake
venomous - toxic
precaution - something done to prevent harm
a sound - a body of water
squatting standing near the ground with bent knees
a rattle - a toy for babies
alarmed - nervous, frightened
call it a day - quit

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 water.
2 We'll be staying in an old, wooden cottage.
3 Dave bought a snake bite kit to take with us.
4 I was squatting down picking blueberries.
5 I started moving away from the agitated snake.
6 You should definitely avoid rattlesnakes because they are venomous.
7 You should use a flashlight at night.
8 My bucket of blueberries was quite full.

It's Canadian, eh?

2009-08-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

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.

True or False.

False Everyone in Canada uses the word 'eh' a lot.
False 'Eh' sometimes means 'come with me'.
False 'Eh' sometimes means 'go'.
True 'Eh' sometimes mean 'isn't it?'
True 'Eh' sometimes means 'do you understand?'
False 'Eh' sometimes means 'yes'.
True 'Eh' sometimes means 'don't they?'
True 'Eh' sometimes means 'don't you agree?'
True 'Eh' is often used in casual speech.
False 'Eh' is used when someone is very nervous.
True '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,wasn't it?
2 Those cookies sure are good, aren't they?
3 You speak Spanish, don't you?
4 It's beside the doughnut shop, isn't it?
5 She worked there for five years, didn't she?
6 They're getting married next June, aren't they?

A Win Win Win Situation

2009-08-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

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

A Soggy Summer

2009-08-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

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.

True or False.

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

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

Food for Thought

2009-07-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Vocabulary.
Match the words and their definitions.

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

alarmed - worried
a loud warning sound - siren
understand why - figure out
tell everyone to leave an area - evacuate
spoke up - piped up
clear - colourless
without any smell - odourless
breathe in - inhale

Listen to the podcast.

Can you find the forms of a word which is used as two nouns and an adjective in this episode?

alarmed - adjective - to describe someone who is worried
alarmist - a person who causes people to feel alarmed
alarm - something which alerts people with a sound
for example - a smoke alarm, an alarm clock

Listen to the podcast again.

True or False

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

Taking the Plunge

2009-07-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

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?

the mother Ann
the older brother Ben
the younger brother Evan
the baby Kara
the friend with a pool Nick
the neighbour's daughter Hannah
is afraid of water Hannah
thinks learning to swim is essential Ann
can do the back and front floats Ben
can't swim in the deep end Hannah
goes to swim in Nick's pool Ben and Evan
doesn't want to wear water wings Hannah

Fill in the blanks.

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

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

Shipshape

2009-07-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

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:

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

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

1 There were a few fishing boats scattered along the shore.
2 The kayak is covered, you sit in the opening and you use one double-bladed paddle .
3 The boats at the dock were bobbing in the water.
4 The old couple decided to give up sailing.
5 The sight of that old boat really took the wind out of our sails.
6 The used boat in Owen Sound had lengthy home project written all over it.
7 We wanted to hoist the sails and go sailing.
8 We drove home with dashed hopes.
9 The wind kept getting stronger and gustier.
10 We dropped the sail and made sure everything was shipshape for next time.

On Strike

2009-07-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-03T11:09:00.004-07:00

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?

17 times

True or False

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

Choose the best answer.

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 slim pickings.

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

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

4 We try to eat our fill of lobster when we are on the East Coast.

5 Wide-brimmed hats are good for keeping the hot sun off your face and neck.

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

The Village

2009-07-03T11:09:00.003-07:00

Listen to the podcast.

What is July the first in Canada?

Canada Day
Fireworks Day
Victoria Day

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.

Ben decides to take a road trip across Canada. The most interesting
character he encounters is Canada itself. He rolls up the rim of his coffee cup.
It tells him to go west. He decides to take the advice of the coffee cup.
He rides past the spectacular shores of Lake Superior. He gazes out over
the Red River valley. He rides through the vast plains of the prairies.
He stands in awe in front of the giant redwoods.

It Sounds Simple

2009-07-03T11:09:00.001-07:00

What is the name of the game they are playing?

poker
crokinole
pinnocle

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

Nancy's Father

2009-07-03T11:08:00.003-07:00

Match the words and phrases with the definitions.

1 a doctor who looks after teeth - a dentist
2 unimportant conversation - small talk
3 arriving slowly - taking its time
4 a retailer - a store which sells things for a profit
5 the punch line - the line of a joke which makes it funny
6 nosy - too interested in other's business
7 charming - attractive and pleasing
8 the prefix re- - to do something again

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?
Leslie, her father and 3 of her sisters are in the photo.
Which one do you think Leslie is?
She is the one at the top of the picture.
Where do you think they are?
They are at a university convocation. They
went to see their father receive his degree.

Treasure Hunting

2009-06-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

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 worthless.
2 The old lamp was gathering dust in the basement.
3 I'm not going to get rid of my grandmother's chair. I am going to recover it instead.
4 I could jazz it up with some new cushions.
5 I always take some change with me in case I want to buy some coffee from the machine.
6 You can usually get a good deal later in the morning.
7 She furnished her home for next-to-nothing.
8 Her husband says that Diana is a pack rat.

Seeing the Sights

2009-06-12T09:02:00.002-07:00

Match the words and their meanings below.

1 cousin - an aunt or uncle's child
2 destination - a place to go to
3 beat the rush - arrive before the crowds
4 vineyards - places where grape vines are grown
5 orchards - places where fruit trees grow
6 roar - a loud continuous sound
7 mesmerizing - hypnotic
8 maid - a young woman
9 legend - an old story
10 a canoe - a long, narrow boat
11 sacrifice - to give something up for the greater good
12 poisoned - made toxic

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 Mexico.
2 It was Claudia's first visit to Canada.
3 Niagara Falls is a popular tourist destination.
4 More people visit the Falls in spring and summer than in winter.
5 They saw a rainbow above the water.
6 They decided to go for a ride on the Maid of the Mist.
7 The native people believed that their God lived behind the Falls.
8 The Chief decided to sacrifice his daughter.
9 There was a snake that lived in the river.
10 The dying snake lay in the shape of a horseshoe.

Yellow Moon

2009-06-12T09:02:00.001-07:00

Match the words and the definitions.

1 yearly - annual
2 variety diversity
3 find out about discover
4 survey poll
5 answers responses
6 lyrics words
7 something you can see visual
8 developing formative
9 productive prolific

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 song
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

2009-06-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

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? His team won.
2 Who did Ben talk to about the game when he came home? his Mom
3 Which was the best inning for Ben's team? the eighth
4 What was the final score of the game? 9 to 4
5 Who got to first on by bunting the ball? Steve
6 Who drove the ball down the third base line? Carlos
7 Who named Ben the MVP? the coach
8 Where did Ben's mom tell him to put his uniform? in the laundry
9 Who is Ben's favourite baseball team? The Toronto Blue Jays
10 What is a Blue Jay? a blue bird

9 Million

2009-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

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

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

Replace the words with these words from the podcast.

1 Mike Batt was taking artistic license with the real number of bicycles in Beijing for the song.

2 She was thinking about the bicycle as a mode of getting around.

3 In Canada, privately owned cars rule the roads.

4 As gas prices climb more people trade cars for bicycle.

5 Some people diehards ride their bicycles through the winter.

6 I admire their fortitude.

7 The tires kept going flat.

8 Stores send out flyers to get people to shop at their stores.

9 She donated her bicycle to the Goodwill Centre.

Hooting and Hollering

2009-05-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Listen to the podcast.

What is the problem?

nosy neighbours
noisy neighbours
nasty neighbours

Match the words and their meanings

1 a patio set - an outdoor table and chairs
2 tenants- people who rent a place to live
3 rosy - wonderful
4 a fly in the ointment - a problem
5 crank up the tunes - turn music up very loudly
6 hooting and hollering - making loud noises with your voice and shouting
7 apologize - to say that you're sorry

Listen to the podcast again.
True or False

False Marla and Steve live in a townhouse.
True They live on the third floor.
True They like to sit on the balcony.
False Marla and Steve like to have loud parties.
True They have always had considerate neighbours.
False Marla asked George to turn the music down.
True George likes to party a lot.
False Once, George and Steve started fighting.
True Steve's blood pressure goes up when the stereo starts.
True Jerry Thomson is the apartment manager.

A Patch of Green

2009-05-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

How would you describe the taste of these foods?
Colombian coffee - rich
Ice cream - sweet, creamy
Potato chips - salty
Lemons - sour, tart
Tofu - bland

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? 24

True or False

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

Spring Has Sprung!

2009-05-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

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.
April showers bring May flowers.

Fruit trees and lilacs are displaying their showy flowers.
Fruit trees and lilacs are displaying their showy blossoms.

Terry rode her bicycle around town.
Terry cycled around town.

Terry saw neighbours talking together.
Terry saw neighbours chatting together.

She saw an older gentleman pushing a young child on a swing.
She saw an elderly gentleman pushing a toddler on a swing.

She heard a little girl making a high pitched sound as she slid down the slide.
She heard a little girl squealing as she slid down the slide.

There were other people just walking slowly along the river.
There were other people just strolling along the river.

There were other more robust people wearing only shorts and t-shirts.
There were other hardier souls wearing only shorts and t-shirts.

She saw cars pulling boats behind them.
She saw cars towing boats.

A Washout

2009-05-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

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 a place to camp
campers people who camp
marshmallows soft, white, spongy sweets
tent a portable structure for sleeping in
to spit to rain very lightly
shuteye sleep
sheltered protected
soaked very wet
a hike a walk

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

2009-05-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

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

True or False

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

No Heavy Lifting

2009-05-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

What does Marta want her son to turn off?

the television
the computer
the lights

Listen to the podcast again.
True or False.

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

New Digs

2009-05-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

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 - a place to live
2 making inquiries - asking questions
3 cross off - take off
4 wasn't keen on - didn't like
5 duplex - a building with 2 apartments
6 herbs - oregano, mint, basil
7 references - someone to talk about your behaviour and character
8 packing - putting into boxes

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

Finders Keepers

2009-05-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Match the talent with the person.

1 Gordon Lightfoot - singer and songwriter
2 John Kucera - skier
3 Margaret Atwood - writer
4 Lauren Harris - painter
5 Glenn Gould - pianist

What is Susan Boyle's talent?

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

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

2009-04-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Match the words and their meanings.

1 a creek - a small river
2 a canoe - a small open boat
3 paddling - using oars to move a boat through the water
4 a bridge - a structure built so you can walk across a river
5 a swan - a large white bird
6 flooding - filling with water
7 swamped - covered with water
8 reinforce - to build up
9 threat - possibility
10 bagpipe - a musical instrument from Scotland

a large white bird
a musical instrument from Scotland
to build up
possibility
filling with water
a small river
covered by water
a structure built 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

Mending Fences

2009-04-17T10:48:00.002-07:00

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

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

Jack and Helen are the parents
Fred is the oldest child. He is one of their two sons.
Alicia is the second child. She is their daughter.
Tod is their youngest child. He is their second son.

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? Do you think it's true?

The idea is that people are happiest when they mind their own business and respect the other persons boundaries or privacy and the best way to do that is with clearly defined limits such as fences.

An Unwelcome Guest

2009-04-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

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 - unwanted, undesirable
2 worn off - faded away
3 bewildered - confused, puzzled
4 cold snap - a short period of cold weather
5 porch - a covered entrance to a doorway
6 frantic - in a panic and extremely upset
7 crafts - things people make with their hands
8 a kettle - a large rounded pot
9 soil - earth
10 a dwelling - a place to live in

Using the information in the podcast, write the
missing half of the following conversation.
* This is a sample of what the conversation
could be. Responses may vary a little.

1 What are those?
They're bird houses.

2 What are they made of?
They're made out of gourds.

3 Where did you get them from?
I got them from a company called the
Northern Dipper.

4 Where is it? I've never heard of it before.
It's in Cookstown. They grow many
different varieties.

5 Don't you have a birdhouse on your porch?
Oh, I took the old one down.

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

7 Oh. Do you think they'll use these new ones?
I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.

A Harbour Town

2009-04-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

This podcast is about:

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

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

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

April Fools

2009-04-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

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."

Abraham Lincoln

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

True or False.

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

A Precious Gift

2009-04-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

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 sad and unexpected
2 well known famous
3 severe intense
4 mandatory compulsory
5 novices beginners
6 precaution safeguard
7 weird strange
8 goofy silly
9 anxiously nervously, with fear
10 organs body parts like hearts and lungs

2009-03-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

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

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

Seeing Clearly

2009-03-23T13:09:00.001-07:00

Which words have similar meanings?

1 shortsighted - nearsighted
2 examined - checked
3 blurry - unclear
4 spot - place, location
5 vision - the ability to see
6 an ophthalmologist - an eye doctor
7 text - written work
8 to dilate - to make larger
9 blink - to open and close the eyes quickly
10 an optician - a person who makes and sells glasses
11 handy - convenient
12 spare - extra

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? on top of her head
4 How old was she when she started wearing glasses? 20 years old
5 Why did she go to see her ophthalmologist last Friday? for a routine checkup
6 How often should people get their eyes checked? every two years
7 Why did the ophthalmologist put drops in her eyes? to dilate her pupils
8 How were her eyes? fine
9 Did she get some new glasses? yes, two pair
10 Did she get a good deal on the glasses? yes, two for one
11 What are the new frames like? red and rectangular and black and silver
12 Why would it be handy to have a spare pair of glasses? in case you lose or damage a pair

A Sweet Treat

2009-03-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

Name some sweeteners that people use?
sugar, honey, molasses
What are some things that you add something sweet to?
cereal, coffee, tea

What do you think? Where does maple syrup come from?
maple flowers
beehives
maple trees

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:

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

A Heated Discussion

2009-03-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

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:

False Mick and Jason are sisters.
False Mick wants to buy a new car.
True They have an old oil furnace in their home.
False Mick is on his last legs.
True Mick wants to replace the old furnace before next winter.
True Jason is worried about the cost of a new system.
False Mick is a hothead.
True The cost of oil is probably going to keep going up.
False They can get help to pay for their new system from their parents.
True If they want a government rebate they have to have an energy audit first.
True You can get a rebate for new windows.
False You can get a rebate for new cupboards.
True Mick wants to get started as soon as possible.

Like a Yo-Yo

2009-03-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Match the adjectives with definitions.

1 glorious - wonderful
2 balmy - warm
3 amazing - surprising
4 icy - freezing
5 filthy - very dirty
6 tiny - very small

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

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

Raise Your Hand

2009-03-09T06:28:00.001-07:00

The speaker.........

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

True or False:

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

2009-03-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-02T06:15:00.001-08:00

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

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

True or False:

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

Fill in the blanks.

At this time of year, even though it is still pretty chilly, I like to get out into the countryside. I often go for winter picnics and hikes 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 walk in the woods. Afterward we drove around on the country roads to see if we could spot 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 started to melt away. They are so well camouflaged by their surroundings that you really have to have eagle 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 dressed very warmly and they often wear bright orange hats and camouflage gear. It was funny because a pickup truck with three hunters inside passed us on the road. If the hunters had looked back over their shoulders they would have seen twenty deer feeding in the corn field beside the road. But they were looking in the wrong 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 rules about when you can hunt them and the type of weapon 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 limits on the number of deer that a hunter can kill. As we drove along the road we spotted a dozen deer running back to the conservation area where we had been walking. We know there were twelve deer because we counted them. They ran across the road in single file about one hundred metres in front of us. Further down the road we stopped 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 fence. They weren't wild deer. They are being farmed for venison. Venison is the name for deer meat. You won't find venison in the meat department of a grocery store but you will sometimes find it on the menu 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 timid and wild and free. I prefer to shoot pictures of them with my camera.

An Ounce of Prevention

2009-02-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

What are 5 healthy habits? eating healthy foods, getting exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, having an annual check up, brushing your teeth
What are 5 unhealthy habits? smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being inactive, eating too much, eating too much junk food

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

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

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

People think about hearts in February for a couple of reasons. First of all, people think about hearts in a romantic way because Valentine's Day is on the 14th. Secondly, people think about the health of their hearts because February is Heart and Stroke month. People should know that cardio-vascular disease is the number one cause of death in Canada. On Monday, the students in my class and I had two simple tests done to assess 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 pressure measured first and then we had a simple blood test to check our cholesterol levels. That is the amount of fat in our blood. We learned that men are more likely to develop heart disease than women. Smokers are more likely to have heart disease than non-smokers. People who have diabetes 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 active. And if you are obese or overweight, you are at a higher risk 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 worth 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 avoid 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 diet that is high in fats, especially unhealthy trans-fats. And food portions 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 deck 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, fish, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. And it doesn't include 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 couch 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 activity for at least 30 minutes every day. Walking is easy. You can do it anywhere and it doesn't cost you a cent. A few simple changes can save your life. So be good to your heart and it will be good to you.

Don't Spill the Beans

2009-02-23T06:30:00.001-08:00

Who wrote this? William Shakespeare - As You Like It

"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...."

She went to see
a play
a movie
an art exhibit

It was about
hockey
camping
a secret

True or False

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

Fill in the blanks.

I went to see a play on the weekend. A friend of mine is an actor and a director and he had a role in a play at a theatre in a nearby city. So, a group of friends decided to get tickets to see it and surprise him after the play. I had the option of buying the tickets online or calling the theatre to buy them. I called the ticket office directly so I could ask to be seated with my friends. I reserved seats downstairs on the floor instead of upstairs in the balcony. The ticket agent told me to pick them up at the box office in the theatre before the show. I checked the weather as well, and the forecast looked good; clear skies and good road conditions. All week the nine people in our group of friends made plans and sent e-mails and made phone calls in secret. No one wanted to spoil the surprise for Tom. No one wanted to be the one to 'spill the beans' about our plans. Finally Saturday night arrived. We picked up our tickets at the box office and met 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 on stage. He has been doing more directing than acting for the past few years. The play was a comedy about four men who go camping in Northern Ontario. It may seem funny to watch a play about camping in February, but it was a great way to spend a winter evening. It was good to think about summertime as the winter seems to drag on. There were only four actors in the cast 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 curtain came down. After the show we all hurried to the stage door to find Tom and congratulate him on his performance. 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 audience. Otherwise he would have felt very nervous. We were pleased that we had kept our plans a secret and headed off to celebrate. Even though I consider myself to be a film buff, there is always something extra special about seeing a live production instead of something that has been filmed or recorded on video. It was a great way to spend an evening. There are many small, regional theatres in rural Ontario and for links to some of them go to englishdesk.blogspot.com.

A Friend in Need

2009-02-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

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

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

Write the other half of the telephone conversation with Ally:
(Here is a sample of what they might have said.)

Hi, it's me Ally.
Hi, Ally! It's so nice to hear your voice. How are you?

I'm not so well. In fact things are really awful.
Oh, what's up?

Sean and I are separating.
Separating? Oh, I can't believe it!

I know. Everyone is surprised about it but we've been having problems
for quite a while now.
I'm so sorry, Ally. Is there anything I can do?

Thanks, just being able to talk about it helps.
Have you seen a marriage counselor?

Yes, we started to see a marriage counselor about a year ago.
Has it helped?

Yes, she has been very helpful. She has given us a lot of good advice, especially
about the children.
What is going to happen to 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.
Would you like me to come to be with you for a couple of days?

I'd love to see you. That would be so nice. When can you come?
I could come on the weekend after next. How's that?

That's great! I knew I could count on you.

Be Mine

2009-02-13T06:23:00.002-08:00

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 something you do for yourself, a treat

secret something you don't want to tell everyone

to admire to like very much

to resist to be unable to stop yourself from doing something

the person who receives something the recipient

to be bitten by the love bug to have found someone you love, to have fallen in love

to have a way with words to write or speak well

She is:

An alcoholic

A shopaholic

A chocoholic

Valentines Day is about

Love

Peace

Spring

False She loves coffee.

False She loves milk chocolate.

False Chocolate is not good for your health.

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

False It is very difficult to make a Valentine.

True Handmade cards are personal.

True You can decorate a card with ribbon or sparkles.

False Violets are red.

False Sugar is sour.

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

True 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 World Champion

2009-02-13T06:23:00.001-08:00

A Week of R and R

2009-02-06T06:32:00.001-08:00

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? to Mexico
2 Is she going alone? No
3 With whom is she going? her husband and another couple
4 What time does the flight leave? at 6 o'clock in the morning
5 Where will she stay the night before her flight? in a hotel near the airport
6 What kind of clothing will she need? summer clothing
7 Has she ever been there before? No
8 Will the resort be busy at this time of year? No, it shouldn't be too busy.

Episode 65 - Groundhog Day

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

True/False

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

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

False The groundhog is a big, furry animal.
False Groundhogs are bigger than bears.
True Another name for a groundhog is a woodchuck.
False Groundhogs live in trees.
True If the groundhog sees his shadow we will have a long winter.
False If the sun is shining the groundhog won’t see his shadow.
False Wiarton Willie is brown.
True We usually have a thaw in January.
False We haven’t had much snow this year.
False People start to fantasize about chocolate.
True Groundhog day is just for fun.
False 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 Spring will be just around the corner.
If the sun shines the groundhog will see his shadow.
If it is cloudy the groundhog won't see his shadow and Spring will come early.
If it snows tomorrow I will go skiing.

Episode 64 - Baffled

2009-01-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

Definitions:

ATM - Automated Teller Machine
online banking - computerized banking
PIN - Personal Identification Number
Baffled - confused
Odd - strange
Insufficient - not enough
Thieves - robbers
Debit Card - a card which allows you to take money out of your account
Credit Card - a card which you can use to borrow money from a lending company like Visa

What was the problem?
A They did not have enough cash.
B They could not use their debit card.
C They could not use their credit card.

They were shopping for:
A Clothing
B Paint
C Groceries

Put the events in the correct order:

1 They did their grocery shopping.
2 They bagged their groceries.
3 They tried to use a debit card to pay.
4 They couldn't use the debit card.
5 They paid by credit card.
6 They went home.
7 They looked at their bank account on their computer.
8 They found out that someone had taken $400 out of their account.
9 They called the bank.
10 They went back to the store to get a new debit card.

Episode 63 - Making Lists

2009-01-26T06:09:00.002-08:00

Which word did you hear?

remind yourself
cloth bags
hopeless
passenger’s seat
every Friday
sorry
Rob
father
dementia
more confused
sweater
unwrapping
mirror

Test your memory: True or False.

True I’m good at remembering faces.
False I’m good at remembering names.
False I’m good at remembering directions when I’m a passenger.
False I have a photographic memory.
False I always put my bills into a drawer.
False I pay my bills every Monday.
True I always pay my bills on time now.
False Rob’s father is in his sixties.
False He is becoming more and more amused.
True Rob gave his father a sweater for his birthday.
True Rob’s father’s memory is getting worse and worse.

Use these vocabulary words in the blanks:

confused credit memory scatterbrained remind list recollections

1 Mr. Jones is the most scatterbrained person I know. He always forgets the notes for his classes and he is usually late.

2 Ann wanted to talk to her grandfather about his recollections of coming to Canada in the 1930’s.

3 We need more milk. Make sure you write it on your shopping list.

4 I feel very confused by these instructions. I’m not sure if I should attach Part A to Part D or Part F.

5 You can’t get a loan from the bank if you have a poor credit rating.

6 Tom said he would remind me about the appointment in the morning.

7 I wouldn’t have to study so hard if I were Jay. He has a photographic memory.

Episode 62 - Winterfest

2009-01-26T06:09:00.001-08:00

Episode 61 - A Weekend Away

2009-01-21T05:50:00.003-08:00

Answers for Esl listening and grammar exercises.
True and False

False She went to a car show.
False She went with her sister.
True She went by train.
False She stayed at an expensive hotel.
True Check-in time is usually 3 o’clock.
False She took a large suitcase.
True She ate Thai food for lunch.
False She bought a gift for her brother’s birthday.
True The boat show is at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds every year.
False Leslie is crazy about sailing.
False Leslie and her husband bought a boat at the boat show.
False They had Korean food for dinner.
False She ate lamb with potatoes and fries.
True You can get all kinds of foods in Toronto.
True Leslie misses the restaurants in Toronto.
False She lived in Toronto for two years.

Write the questions for these short answers.

1 Where did she go for the weekend? Toronto

2 How did she get there? or How did she go there? by train

3 Who did she go with? or With whom did she go? her husband

4 Where did she stay? at a hotel

5 What did she eat for lunch? or What did she have for lunch? Thai food

6 What did she buy for her father-in-law? a book

7 What was the book about? It was about Toronto.

7 Where did she go after lunch? to the Boat Show

8 How did she get to the Boat Show? or How did she go to the Boat Show? by streetcar

9 Where did she eat dinner? at a Greek restaurant

10 How was the dinner? or How was the food? scrumptious

Fill in the blanks: Check the script on the main page.

Episode 60

2009-01-21T05:50:00.001-08:00