Monday´s News

Commercial flights to Cuba take off from some U.S. airports

From: www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Another chartered flight is scheduled to leave the United States for Cuba Sunday as a result of recent U.S. government moves to ease restrictions on travel to the Communist nation.

In a partnership with Delta Air Lines, Marazul, a Miami-based travel agency that specializes in travel to Cuba, has restored direct flights between select U.S. airports and Havana, Cuba, a Delta spokeswoman said Sunday.

"We are excited to get back into the market in partnership with Marazul," Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said, adding that some flights took place in October, departing from Miami.

Marazul announced on its website that it has restored its direct flight between New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Havana, scheduled to take off on Sunday. In December, Marazul will provide weekly flights from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Marazul announced.

Round-trip tickets can only be purchased through Marazul travel, which has chartered a Boeing 737 with crews from Delta Air Lines for its Miami-Havana flight, the travel company said.

Laughlin said loosened government restrictions on travel to Cuba has allowed Delta to re-establish the charter service with Marazul.

According to the Marazul's website, these flights are offered only to passengers who have been "duly authorized" by the U.S. government to travel to Cuba. This includes, but is not restricted to, travelers with close relatives in Cuba, official business travelers, professionals, students and other potential travelers authorized by the U.S Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

In September of 2009, OFAC announced it would ease existing restrictions on travel to Cuba, citing President Barack Obama's initiative announced the same year to "reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to freely determine their country."

Word of the Day

Ease: \ēz\
Origin: Middle English ese, from Anglo-French eise, aise convenience, comfort, ultimately from Latin adjacent-, adjacens neighboring — more at adjacent
First Known Use: 13th century
Noun
1: the state of being comfortable: as; a : freedom from pain or discomfort; b : freedom from care; c : freedom from labor or difficulty; d : freedom from embarrassment or constraint : naturalness <known for his charm and ease of manner>; e : an easy fit
2: relief from discomfort or obligation
3: facility, effortlessness <did it with ease>
4: an act of easing or a state of being eased
Verb
1: to free from something that pains, disquiets, or burdens <trying to ease her of her worries>
2: to make less painful : alleviate <ease his suffering>
3 a : to lessen the pressure or tension of especially by slackening, lifting, or shifting <ease a spring>; b : to maneuver gently or carefully <eased himself into the chair>; c : to moderate or reduce especially in amount or intensity <ease a flow>
4: to make less difficult <ease credit>
5 a : to put the helm of (a ship) alee; b : to let (a helm or rudder) come back a little after having been put hard over
6: to give freedom or relief
7: to move or pass slowly or easily —often used with a directional word (as over or up) <the limo eased up in front of the house>
8 a : to become less intense, vigorous, or engaged : become moderate —usually used with up or off <told her staff to ease up a little> <expected the storm to ease off> <ease up on fatty foods>; b : to apply less pressure —usually used with up or off <ease up on the accelerator>; c : to act in a less harsh manner —usually used with up or off <decided to ease off on enforcement>

More Vocabulary

Duly: adv. in a due manner or time : properly
Initiative: n. an introductory step
Restriction: n. a regulation that restricts or restrains
Select: adj. xclusively or fastidiously chosen often with regard to social, economic, or cultural characteristics

Monday´s News

Why is unity so important to Europe?

From: www.cnn.com

London (CNN) -- Europe's leaders are battling to keep the eurozone and the wider European Union together in the face of a financial crisis that threatens to split partnerships forged over more than half a century.

So why are they putting so much effort into preserving unity? And can they prevent today's debts and differences from dividing the continent for decades to come?

Why is unity so important to Europe?

The answer lies in Europe's history: The continent has historically been split by long-running conflicts that pitted neighboring countries against each other.

But despite this, the nations of Europe also share much in common, as Professor John Loughlin, of the University of Cambridge's department of politics and international studies explained.

"In the 19th century there was an idea that Europe had a natural unity, that its constituent parts shared an identity, a culture, a history," he told CNN.

"People were keen to recover this 'lost unity' which dated back to before the fragmented days of the individual nation states, to previous unions, and even to the Roman Empire."

Where did the idea of a European Union come from?

The idea of a united Europe goes back centuries, and has been proposed by everyone from William Penn -- the founder of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania -- to philosophers Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham.

French novelist and activist Victor Hugo backed the idea of a "United States of Europe" in the 19th century, looking forward to the day when the U.S. of A. and the U.S. of E. would "stretch out their hands across the sea... and join together to reap the well-being of all."

Hugo, author of "Les Miserables" and the "Hunchback of Notre Dame," predicted that: "A day will come when there will be no battlefields but markets opening to commerce and minds opening to ideas. A day will come when the bullets and bombs are replaced by votes."

However, it was not until after World War II that a European union became a realistic prospect.

Why then?

By 1945, much of Europe had been devastated by two massive wars in quick succession. Amid the rubble and ruins, politicians and the public -- exhausted by years of violence -- shared the belief that such conflict should never be allowed to happen again.

Rather than focus on trying to find a shared ideology -- the reason behind much of the earlier conflict -- politicians saw economic unity as a way of preventing future clashes.

French politician Robert Schuman, regarded as one of the founding fathers of the EU, came up with the idea of poolingcoal and steel production in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), so that the "raw ingredients" for war -- munitions -- were placed out of reach.

He hoped the ECSC, created in 1951, would mean that, "any war between France and Germany [became] not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible."

What is it?

The ECSC, which was made up of six nations (France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) later evolved into the European Economic Community (EEC) -- under which the member states established a common market, and worked to harmonize their policies on everything from agriculture and fisheries to monetary policy.

Over the following decades, the EEC became the European Union, and expanded from the original six nations to today's 27 members, from Finland in the north to Malta in the south.

That enlargement has also seen many members of the former Soviet Union join up -- highlighting another of the EU's key roles.

"During the Cold War, Western Europe united to form a bloc against the Soviet Union, because there was a genuine fear that the Communists would sweep across Europe in their tanks," Loughlin said.

"After the fall of the Berlin Wall, that part of the world was extremely unstable. It had had a kind of peace, but one built on oppression, and once that collapsed there were real fears of conflict.

"The EU was very important in ensuring peace and stability in the region -- it helped countries' transition to democracy, and build economic prosperity."

Has it worked?

Loughlin says the union has succeeded in its most basic aim.

"It is still a very important aspect of European unity that there has been no major war since World War II.

"There have been smaller conflicts, in Northern Ireland and in the Basque country, and of course there was the situation in the Balkans, but in that case, the prospect of joining the EU has been a very powerful factor in preventing further wars."

It hasn't all been plain sailing though -- national differences persist, and many issues have caused divisions and debates between the member states, from the introduction of a single currency to the war in Iraq.

"Not all the tensions have gone away," said Loughlin. "Not all the conflicts have been resolved.

"The old reflexes, the old fears persist. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, for example, [President Francois] Mitterand [of France] and [Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher [of Britain] were very nervous about the prospect of a united Germany."

However, the euro crisis has provided the union with its biggest challenge yet -- and it is one that is playing on national prejudices and resentments.

"The Greeks are very upset that their whole character seems to be being called into question, that they are being portrayed as profligate, irresponsible.

"The old stereotypes are still there, and they tend to resurface at times of tension. The danger is that they can really affect the outcome of these situations, and there is just too much at stake here."

How determined are Europe's current leaders to support unity at any cost?

Earlier this year, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted that Europe would never give up on the euro.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he said: "We will never abandon the euro. Never! Euro spells Europe, the euro is Europe. Europe has meant 60 years of peace on our continent. We will never abandon that.

"To imagine that we might pull out of that is to ignore the fact that as people who have been at each others' throats for centuries, we now have one wish, and that is lasting peace."

However, in recent days, both France and Germany -- the two driving forces behind the euro -- have admitted that in order to ensure the currency's survival, Greece may have to withdraw.

Can European unity survive the current crisis?

"The EU was formed for three reasons: To prevent war, to bring political unity, and for economic integration. If the euro collapses -- and I suspect it won't -- all three of these dimensions would be at risk," said Loughlin.

"At this stage I think the process is probably irreversible -- there is too much at stake to allow the whole thing to unravel -- if it did it would be worse than the U.S. subprime crisis. So many countries are locked into the system; even those who aren't EU members, like Norway, have so much bound up in it.

"I suspect the EU will muddle through in the end -- but then who knows? There have been so many surprises recently, and you never really know what is around the corner."

Word of the Day

Forge
forge: \fȯrj\
Origin: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin fabrica, from fabr-, faber smith
First Known Use: 13th century
Noun
1: a furnace or a shop with its furnace where metal is heated and wrought : smithy
2: a workshop where wrought iron is produced or where iron is made malleable
Verb
3 a : to form (as metal) by heating and hammering; b: to form (metal) by a mechanical or hydraulic press with or without heat
4: to make or imitate falsely especially with intent to defraud: counterfeit <forge a document> <forge a signature>
5: to form or bring into being especially by an expenditure of effort <working to forge party unity>
6: to work at a forge
7: to commit forgery
8 : to move forward slowly and steadily <the ship forged ahead through heavy seas>
9: to move with a sudden increase of speed and power <forged into the lead> <forged ahead in marketing the product>

More Vocabulary

Battle: v. struggle
Constituent: adj. serving to form, compose, or make up a unit or whole : component
Ideology: n. a manner or the content of thinking characteristic of an individual, group, or culture
Irreversible: adj. not reversible
Outcome: n. something that follows as a result or consequence
Pit: v. to set into opposition or rivalry —usually used with against
Pool: v. to combine (as resources) in a common pool or effort
Subprime: adj. having or being an interest rate that is higher than a prime rate and is extended especially to low-income borrowers

Idiomas & Phrases

At each other’s throats: fighting, arguing or competing ruthlessly

• Since the announcement of the vacancy for the director’s position everyone has been at each other’s throats!

Plain sailing: Easy going; straightforward, unobstructed progress

• The first few months were difficult, but I think it's plain sailing from here on.

Love those Phrase Verbs

Muddle through: to achieve a certain degree of success but without much skill, polish, experience, or direction

• None of us knew much about staging a variety show, so we just had to muddle through.

Thursday Tidbit - Though, Although and Even Though

Thursday Tidbits – Though, Although and Even Though

Though and Although and Even Though

Though, although, and even though are used to emphasis an argument that disagrees with your argument or someone else’s argument.

Though is the most informal. In spoken English it can go at the end of a sentence.

Although is used when speaking in a more formal manner.

Even though is used to give extra emphasis.

Examples:

“This car is really slow. It gets great gas mileage, though.” (Though used at the end of a sentence)
Though you can’t come to dinner, I could still bring you something back. (Though at the beginning of a sentence)
Although you have great recommendations, you unfortunately don’t have enough experience for the job. (Formal setting)
Even though I ran for two hours per day I still didn’t lose any weight. (Even though used to add greater emphasis)


Check yourself

Choose (though although or even though)  in the following sentences.

1. (Though/Although/Even though) you were late Ms.President the meeting started on time.
2. I don’t eat meat. I eat fish (though although or even though) .
3. (Though/Although/Even though) you can be crude I can’t stay mad at my brother.
4. (Though/Although/Even though) the plane ride was almost a full day long, I enjoyed it.
5. (Though/Although/Even though) plastic can be recycled, it cannot be recycled indefinitely.

 Answers to last week’s Check Yourself

1. I want (another/other) casado. This one was so small.
2. I really enjoyed seeing (another/other) movie. I love watching movies.
3. The (another/other) book was much more expensive.
4. I bought (another/other) six chickens for my farm.
5. (Another/Other) people don’t like to read as much as I do.
6. I am really tired. I need (another/other) few hours of sleep.
7. She wanted to buy (another/other) bed, but it was too expensive.
8. The (another/other) kids can stay up late.
9. I really like (another/other) animals, but cats are evil.
10. My teacher assigned me (another/other) essay because the first one was too short.

The Wierd and the Wonderful

Woman Receives Parking Ticket For $44,500, After Police Officer Accidentally Notes Wrong Date 

From: www..huffingtonpost.com 

Everyone makes mistakes - even police officers. 

But one woman in Sicily was grateful for the error after receiving a parking ticket initially issued for $44,500, the AFP reports.

It turns out an officer accidentally noted the ticket was issued in 208 instead of 2008. Oops.

Police fessed up to the flub, and the woman's husband took care of the $144 violation, which now seems trivial by comparison. 

Word of the Day

Trivial
triv·i·al: \tri-vē-əl\
Origins: Latin trivialis found everywhere, commonplace, from trivium crossroads, from tri- + via way — more at way
First Known Use: 1589
Adjective
1 : commonplace, ordinary
2a : of little worth or importance <a trivial objection> <trivial problems> b : relating to or being the mathematically simplest case; specifically : characterized by having all variables equal to zero <a trivial solution to a linear equation>
3: specific

More Vocuabulary

Flub: n. blunder
Issue: v. to give (something) to someone in an official way
Note: n. to record or preserve in writing
Oops: interj. used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay

Love those Phrasal Verbs

Fess up: Informal. to admit or concede, especially freely

• Would the person who put the wrong paper in the copier please fess up?

Monday´s News

Instructions:

Click on the video below.
Watch the video, and pay attention to it! (You can pause and rewind the video.)
Answer the listening comprehension questions below the video.

QUESTIONS:

1. How long has Liz either "been with a guy or breaking up with a guy"? _______________________.
For the past 15 years
Since she was 15
15 times

2. Liz's friend thinks Liz will miss her _______________________.
friends and family
job
city

3. Liz wants to _______________________.
increase her ability to work harder
recover her appetite for life
find the perfect spaghetti recipe

4. Liz thinks that Italy is a place where she will be able to _______________________.
get excited about life again
relax
go on a diet

5. Liz's friend thinks that Liz ________________________.
should go back to college
should go talk with a college kid
is behaving in an immature way

Answers to last week´s clip:

1. According to the black cat, how often does Bolt (the dog) leave the movie set?
Never

2. Are the cats really evil?
  No, they're just pretending to be evil to have fun with Bolt

3. Who is the cats' boss?
The "green eyed man"

4. The black cat thinks that Bolt's message to the "green eyed man" _____________________.
  is too long

5. What does the term "she's a goner" mean?
She's doomed

Thursday Tidbits - Double Negatives...

Double Negatives


A mistake many English learners make  has to do with the use of negatives in a sentence. In English two negatives cancel each other and the sentence becomes positive, which is confusing and considered incorrect.

Some Examples:

I have not never done my work.

Really means: I have done my work.

Intended Meaning: I never do my work.

He doesn’t like nobody.

Really means: He likes some people.

Intended Meaning: He doesn’t like anybody.

She hasn’t been mean to no one.

Really means: She is mean to some people.

Intended Meaning: She is never mean.

Check yourself

Make the sentences correct by removing a negative.

1. She hasn’t never paid her bills late.
2. He is never nice to nobody.
3. The company hasn’t had no problems in years.
4. He isn’t happy because no one likes him.
5. The airplane has never had no wings.
6. The dogs in the street never bite nobody.

 Answers to last week’s Check Yourself

1. It is (probable / probably) that she will forget the appointment.
2. The team will (probably / likely) have a losing season.
3. He will (probable / probably) come to the party later.
4. It seems (likely, probably) that the test will be difficult.
5. The harder he tries, it is more and more (probably / probable) that he will succeed.
6. He is (likely / probably) looking for a new job.
7. I don’t think it is (probably / likely) that there will be a lot of people at the concert.
8. They can (probable / probably) fix the car before 3pm.
9. He is (likely / probable) tired from working too hard.
10. The fact that his cell phone doesn’t work is (probably / probable) due to the fact that the battery is dead.

The Wierd and the Wonderful

Police: Man steals jewelry during break in robbery trial

From: www.msnbc.com

A crime caper has everyone in Franklin, Tenn., buzzing. A man is accused of ripping off a jewelry store during a lunch break in his trial for robbery.

"This is one of those compelling stories that leaves you scratching your head, and as you're walking away asking yourself, 'Did that really just happen?'" Franklin police Sgt. Charles Warner said.

Police say Mark Burgen reached over the counter at Walton's Antique Jewelry and helped himself to pockets full of diamond bracelets, about $30,000 worth.

As he was leaving the store, employee Julie Walton caught him with a stolen Rolex watch in hand. He handed it over, apologized, then fled, she said.

"Just had no common sense whatsoever is pretty much what it boils down to," Walton said.

Burgen had somewhere else to be at the time — in court. He was on trial for an armed robbery he allegedly committed in 2009.

Jewelry store owner Mike Walton can barely stand to see the surveillance tape.

"You would think he would be on his best behavior, but this guy I guess just can't contain himself," Walton said.

When Burgen returned to court for the rest of his hearing, Warner says he hid the loot in the bushes outside the courthouse, so as not to set off the building's metal detectors.

Officers quickly tracked Burgen down and arrested him for his latest stunt mere seconds after a jury found him guilty of his first.

Walton got most of his jewelry back and says he has since changed his showroom policies and hired a security guard and is now being extra vigilant about keeping all of his cabinets closed and locked.

Franklin police recently began a walking patrol program, and it was one of those officers who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to catch Burgen.

Word of the Day

Caper
ca·per: \ˈkā-pər\
Origin: back-formation from earlier capers (taken as a plural), from Middle English caperis, from Latin capparis, from Greek kapparis
First Known Use: 14th century

Noun
1any of a genus (Capparis of the family Capparidaceae, the caper family) of low prickly shrubs of the Mediterranean region; especiall : one (C. spinosa) cultivated for its buds
2: one of the greenish flower buds or young berries of the caper pickled and used as a seasoning or garnish
3: a frolicsome leap
4: a capricious escapade : prank
5: an illegal or questionable act; especially : theft

More Vocabulary

Alleged: adj. questionably true or of a specified kind: supposed, so-called
Compelling: adj. forceful
Loot: n. something appropriated illegally often by force or violence
Mere: adj. being nothing more than

Love those Phrasal Verbs

Rip off: to steal or pilfer

• I can’t believe that my lunch was ripped off right from the cafeteria’s refrigerator.

Idioms & Phrases

Boils down to (something): to be reduced to its essentials.

• It boils down to the question of who is going to win.