FREE DAILY ENGLISH LESSONS!
In time, these lessons and "stubs" will be migrated to the Buzzwords site.
Until then, consider them historical.


Mini-Lessons from Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012

These Mini-Lessons are posted on Twitter, and in China on Weibo, throughout the day. You can follow them there!

To get the most from them, you should try to use them in sentences, or discuss them with friends. Writing something on Twitter or Weibo is a great way to practice!
  • Science: omnivore: an animal that will eat anything; herbivores eat only plant material, and carnivores eat only meat. Humans are omnivores.
  • Language Study: nom de plume: French for "pen name," a false name used by an author. "Mark Twain" is the nom de plume of Samuel Clemens.
  • Business: standard of living: "high" or "low," the comfort of everyday life (both goods and services) available to a person, community, etc.
  • Literature: Paradise Lost: epic poem (1667) by John Milton, about Adam and Eve, who were removed from the Garden of Eden ("Paradise").
  • New Words: placist: one who looks down on others because of where they live. A: "Don't marry him! He's from L.A.!" B: "You’re such a placist."
  • Slang: better luck next time: words of encouragement. A: "Our team lost the game!" B:" That's too bad; better luck next time."
  • Modern History: Fidel Castro: (1926-) led revolution. Prime Minister and President of Cuba, only communist country in Western hemisphere. Now retired.

NOTES:
  1. Except for the Slang words, all the words in these Mini-Lessons came from lists either on the Oxford University Press site or in the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. I wrote the definitions and examples myself.
  2. The Slang words are from my own list, and I wrote the definitions and examples myself.

This lesson is ©2012 by James Baquet. You may share this work freely. Teachers may use it in the classroom, as long as students are told the source (URL). You may not publish this material or sell it. Please write to me if you have any questions about "fair use"

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