quinta-feira, 28 de outubro de 2010

FUTUROLOGY

Language Level: Intermediate
Standard: British accent
Source: Speak Up, issue 254

THE INVASION OF THE POD PEOPLE

What does podcast mean? It’s not in my dictionary.

It’s not in the dictionary because it was invented recently, by putting together the words broadcast and iPod. Podcasts are digital recordings, broadcast through the internet, and mostly free. Some are like radio programmes, produced professionally, covering news, current affairs, education and drama. Others are recorded in bedrooms, presenting personal ideas, suggestions of diaries.

Are they easy to use?

Yes. Download individual recordings from websites, or “subscribe” to regular podcasts (often called RSS feeds), so that your computer receives them automatically. You will need an “aggregator” program, or podcatcher, such as iTunes, to manage subscriptions, but these are also free. You then listen to the recordings on your computer or download them to an MP3 player (see Speak Up, issue 249).

I like radio and CDs. What’s the advantage?

With podcasts, you can listen to whatever you want whenever you want, without waiting for radio schedules or buying expensive CDs. For example, I’ve just signed up for a BBC radio podcast. If I miss the news, a new shows making fun of current events appears in my iTunes every Friday. I can listen at my desk, in my car, on in bed. Initially many podcasts were like amateur radio shows, but other uses quickly emerged. Now the range is vast: from your favorite show to language lessons; from advice on cooking to self-help; from James  Joyce’s Ulysses to the thoughts of Paris Hilton.

Are they popular?

Podcasts are growing phenomenally: a quarter of a million people downloaded every episode of British comedian, Ricky Gervais’ show (though that figures dropped when he began charging). You can discover Celtic music, or learn how songs are recorded. Teachers can send lessons to absent students. You can collect Wikipedia articles, travellers’ tips, and audio tours for famous places. You can hear live music from festivals, big ideas from politicians and writers, and contrasting views on current events. It’s not just individuals producing the material: the mighty BBC offers free weekly podcasts on news, sport, science, music and comedy. Podcast programs may soon become search engines, building personalized schedules from an infinite number of podcast website.

What about making your own podcast?

That’s easy too. You record material, upload it to an RSS website, and tell people about it. It’s easy to find advise on the technical aspects. All you need is a microphone, a broadband connection and a good idea. Paris Hilton, U2 and the BBC find it easy to attract listeners. But some hits are more surprising: Celtic Music News is always in the top ten, along with vide podcasts, English Teaching in Japan, and cooking show Cibi Alterati. Now that everyone can reach a global audience, is the age of corporate broadcasting over?

Glossary

Broadcast:  Transmissão
Current Affairs:  Atualidades
Subscribe:  Faça uma nova assinatura
RSS:  Really Simple Sindication: Distribuição, agendamento ou Rich Site Summary.
I’ve just signed up for: Acabei de fazer uma assinatura.
To miss: Deixar de acompanhar, peder.
Desk: mesa de trabalho
Range: gama, diversidade, abrangência.
Advice on chocking: Dicas de Culinária.
That figure dropped changing...embora este número tenha caído desde que ele começou a cobrar (pagamento)
Travellers’ tips: dicas para quem viaja.
Might: poderosa
Search engines: ferramenta de busca de pesquisa.
Comfortable broadcast: grandes empresas de mídia.

American History Series: President Wilson Helps Negotiate an End to World War


Source: www.voanews.com

A poster for selling liberty bonds shows Uncle Sam with a truck full of citizens holding bonds under a sign saying "To Berlin"
Photo: loc.gov
A poster for selling liberty bonds shows Uncle Sam with a truck full of citizens holding bonds under a sign saying "To Berlin"

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Double-click any word to find the definition in the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary

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BOB DOUGHTY: Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English.
This week in our series, Larry West and Maurice Joyce continue the story of President Woodrow Wilson and American involvement in World War One.
LARRY WEST: Nineteen eighteen was the final year of the most terrible war the world had ever known. But World War One did not end quickly or easily. The German Army made a final effort to defeat the Allies. The United States had entered the conflict. And Germany wanted a victory before large numbers of American troops could get to Europe.
Germany's effort became easier after it signed a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government in Russia. The treaty made it possible for Germany to use all its forces against the Allies on its western border. In the end, however, Germany's plan failed.
Allied troops pushed back the German attack in a series of bloody battles. The addition of American soldiers greatly increased Allied strength.
MAURICE JOYCE: The leader of American forces in Europe was General John J. Pershing. General Pershing used a weapon new to the world of war: air power.
Airplanes were used first simply as 'eyes in the sky'. They discovered enemy positions so ground artillery could fire at them. Then they were used as fighter planes. They carried guns to shoot down other planes. Finally, planes were built big enough to carry bombs.
General Pershing also used another new weapon of war: tanks. He put these inventions together for his battle plan against Germany.
German soldiers standing around a German tank as other soldiers make repairs
loc.gov

German soldiers standing around a German tank as other soldiers make repairs
LARRY WEST:  Pershing's target was the Argonne Forest. It was a tree-covered area Germany had held since nineteen fourteen.
The forest was protected by barbed wire and by defensive positions built of steel and concrete. It was the strongest part of the German line. It also was the most important part. If Argonne fell, Germany's final lines of defense would fall.
The fighting in the Argonne Forest was fierce. Thousands of men died. Sometimes, troops got lost because the forest was so thick with trees. But day by day, the Allies pushed the Germans back.
MAURICE JOYCE:  Germany's leaders were losing hope. In September, nineteen eighteen, they met with German ruler Kaiser Wilhelm. The army chief reported that the war was lost. Germany had no choice, he said. It must give back all the territory it had seized and try to negotiate a peace agreement.
Other officials told the Kaiser that the situation at home was bad, too. People were starving. Revolutionaries were plotting to overthrow the government.
Kaiser Wilhelm agreed it might be best to seek peace now. . . Before Germany was destroyed completely. He asked his foreign secretary to send a secret message to American President Woodrow Wilson. The message would propose immediate negotiations to end the war.
From left, General Paul von Hindenburg, Kaiser Wilhelm II and General Erich Ludendorff examine mapsFrom left, General Paul von Hindenburg, Kaiser Wilhelm II and General Erich Ludendorff examine maps
LARRY WEST: President Wilson received it. He did not tell the other Allied leaders. Instead, he returned a message to Germany. Wilson asked if Germany was willing to accept the peace proposals he had offered many months earlier.
Germany's Chancellor answered that his government did accept the proposals. However, the events of war ended the secret exchange of messages between Germany and the United States. German submarines had increased attacks on Allied shipping. Two passenger ships were sunk. Eight hundred twenty persons were killed. Many were women and children.
President Wilson was shocked. He told Germany there could be no peace negotiations with such an inhuman enemy.
MAURICE JOYCE:  In late October, nineteen eighteen, Wilson sent a final message to Germany. He wanted a settlement that would make it impossible for Germany to fight again. Germany, Wilson said, must promise to withdraw its forces from all Allied territory. It also must close its weapons factories.
Wilson added that the Allies would negotiate only with a government that truly represented the people of Germany. . . not with military rulers.
The new German Chancellor was Maximilian, Prince of Baden. Prince Max received President Wilson's message. He succeeded in getting Kaiser Wilhelm to dismiss the man responsible for German military policy. But he failed to get the Kaiser himself to give up power.
President Woodrow Wilson
loc.gov

President Woodrow Wilson
LARRY WEST: Not all allied leaders supported President Wilson's plan to end World War One. They could not agree on some parts of it.
Britain, for example, opposed the part about freedom of the seas. Britain said it would prevent the kind of naval blockade which had been so effective against Germany. France and Italy opposed the part about creating a new international organization. Wilson had called it a league of nations.
To solve these differences, Wilson sent his closest adviser to Europe to meet with Allied leaders. The discussions were long and sometimes bitter. Many of the Allies thought Wilson was being too kind to the defeated enemy. But in the end, they all agreed to accept the plan as a starting point for peace talks.
MAURICE JOYCE:  By this time, in early November, the situation in Germany was growing worse. Communists and Socialists were calling for a rebellion. The navy was ordered to go to sea. Sailors refused, and killed some officers. Reports told of rebellion in parts of the German army, too.
The nation's leaders had no choice. They would negotiate a peace treaty. On the morning of November eighth, a German delegation went to Allied military headquarters to discuss terms.
LARRY WEST: The Germans were met by the Supreme Allied Commander, Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France. Foch greeted them coldly. And he did not offer peace terms until they officially asked for a ceasefire. Germany -- not the Allies -- had to put down its weapons first.
The Germans were shocked when they heard the terms. The list was severe.
Among other things, Germany must withdraw its forces from all occupied territories. It must give up Alsace-Lorraine, a part of France it had held for almost fifty years. It must give up most of its weapons including airplanes, submarines, and battleships. And it must turn over large numbers of trucks, railroad engines, and other supplies.
MAURICE JOYCE: The German delegation said it could not sign such an agreement. Germany, it said, was not surrendering. It was only asking for a ceasefire. The delegation said it could not accept the peace terms without communicating with the government in Berlin.
But the German government was falling apart. Kaiser Wilhelm had finally resigned and left the country. A new cabinet had been formed. And a new prime minister had declared a German republic. Yet the situation remained unsettled.
Because of this, the German delegation negotiating with the Allies had to decide for itself. After much argument, the men agreed to the Allied terms. They signed the peace treaty. A ceasefire began a few hours later.
LARRY WEST: News that the shooting had stopped set off wild celebrations throughout the world. People danced in the streets. They cheered the end of the worst war in history.
There were celebrations along the battle lines, too. But these were quiet. Soldiers from both sides climbed out of long trenches dug in the ground. They met the men who, a short while earlier, had been their deadly enemy.
The bloody European conflict was over. The dispute, however, was not. Another fierce battle was ready to begin. This time, the battle would be among diplomats. The fight over the peace treaty officially ending World War One was about to begin.
That will be our story next week.
(MUSIC)
BOB DOUGHTY: Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. The narrators were Larry West and Maurice Joyce.
You can find our series online with transcripts, MP3s, podcasts and images at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for THE MAKING OF A NATION -- an American history series in VOA Special English.
___
This is program #160

quarta-feira, 27 de outubro de 2010

New moon, maganews.

Movies
source: www.maganews.com.br
The Twilight Saga – New Moon

In New Moon, the second film in the Twilight Saga, Edward, the good vampire, stays away from Bella for her own good. Depressed, she cries on Jacob’s shoulder


New Moon was released in Brazil on November 20th. In this second film in the Twilight Saga, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) turns 18. At her party there is an accident and she cuts her hand. Even the good vampires feel the pull of the blood. Later, Edward (Robert Pattinson) fears even more for his loved one’s safety. Edward and his family decide to move out of town. For Edward this is to protect Bella’s life, but she is depressed by his absence. Bella is not, however, totally alone. She has a great friend called Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). This friendship blossoms over time, but there is a problem: Jacob falls in love with her. Jacob is a werewolf.  And, of course, werewolves are long-time enemies of vampires....

Stephenie has written 4 books in the series
Bella and Edward are the central characters in the Twilight Saga, four books written by American Stephenie Meyer. The first one is “Twilight” and the other three are “New Moon,”  “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn.” The four books in the series have been a massive hit, especially among teenage girls, and have sold 55 million copies worldwide.  Stephenie Meyer is 35 years old, married and has three kids.  The idea for the story came about in 2003, when Stephenie had a dream about a student talking to a young man, who happened to be a vampire. When she woke up, Stephenie began to put her ideas on paper.  The first two books in the series have been made into films, and “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” will follow in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

AUDIO – Daniella Rabelo

Vocabulary
1 shoulder – ombro
2 safety – segurança
3 absence – ausência
4 to blossom – florescer / crescer
5 werewolf – lobisomem / homem-lobo
6 breaking dawn - amanhecer
7 to feel the pull of the blood – sentir-se atraído pelo sangue

Na edição impressa da revista Maganews você pode conferir a segunda parte da matéria, contando o início da saga “Crepúsculo”.

Podenglish-63, trends and fashions

PERSONAL PRONOUNS

                                



Source: www.englishexercises.org



 - Fill in the correct personal pronoun
              I  -  you  -  he  -  she  -  it  -  we  -  you  -  they
     1. My name is Andrea.  am 10 years old.
       2. Pedro and Pablo are my friends.  are from Mexico.
       3. Pedro and Pablo look alike and most people ask them, "Are  twins?"
       4. Pedro and I like to play tennis.  play at the club.
       5. Pablo likes to play football.  plays with his neighbours.
       6. Linda is my sister.  does not like sports.
       7. My older brother has a horse.  is a gentle mare.
       8. He asked, "Linda, do  want to go horseback riding?"
    
 - Choose the correct personal pronoun.
                    
                                                                       
        
 - Replace the words in brackets by a personal pronoun.
       1.     is flying a kite. (Dad)
      2.   is playing with her dog. (The girl)
      3.   sleeps the whole winter! (The bear)
      4.   made a new dog house. (The family)
      5.   like to sing! (My friend and I)
      6.  My name is Bill.  like to play baseball. (Bill)
      7.   has pretty pink flowers. (The tree)

terça-feira, 26 de outubro de 2010

Podenglish- 62

YouTube - podEnglish 62 - -How did it go- - download at 4shared. YouTube - podEnglish 62 - -How did it 

Religion, A brief Biography of Frei Galvao

Recommend to Students and Brazilian Teachers, very useful magazine for more info visit http://www.maganews.com.br or click on top of the posting.

A brief biography of the Brazilian Saint

    Friar Galvão was a tall and handsome man. He came from a traditional and rich family, but preferred to turn his back on comfort to become a Franciscan monk. In 1762 he went to live in São Paulo and it was there that he was ordained as a priest. At that time he was famous for performing miracles. One of his great works was the construction of the Mosteiro da Luz.  He got the money for the construction through donations. Friar Antônio de Sant'Anna Galvão was born in Guaratinguetá in 1739 and lived in that city until he was thirteen years old, before living for a while in Bahia. He spent sixty years of his life in São Paulo, where he died on December 23rd 1822. Friar Galvão will be canonized thanks to two miracles attributed to him, which have been recognized by the Vatican. Some researchers, however, believe he performed over 30,000 miracles.

 Trecho da matéria publicada na edição de número 35 da revista Maganews, que também traz informações Guaratinguetá, a cidade onde nasceu o primeiro santo brasileiro.
 Vocabulary
1 handsome – bonito / bonitão
2 to turn his back on – exp. idiom. = abrir mão de
3 Franciscan monk – frade franciscano / monge / frei
4 ordained – ordenado
5 priest – padre
6 miracle – milagre
7 living for a while – morar por pouco tempo

Foto – Acervo Museu Frei Galvão