Essential idioms 19:

Topics : First Impression

Do You Make Your First Impression Your Best Impression?

from Michelle Sterling, Global Image Group

Within the first three seconds of a new encounter, you are evaluated… even if it is just a glance.
People appraise your visual and behavioral appearance from head to toe. They observe your demeanor, mannerisms, and body language and even assess your grooming and accessories – watch, handbag, briefcase. Within only three seconds, you make an indelible impression. You may intrigue some and disenchant others.

This first impression process occurs in every new situation. Within the first few seconds, people pass judgment on you – looking for common surface clues. Once the first impression is made, it is virtually irreversible.

The process works like this:

If you appear to be of comparable business or social level, you are considered suitable for further interaction.
If you appear to be of higher business or social status, you are admired and cultivated as a valuable contact.
If you appear to be of lower business or social standing, you are tolerated but kept at arm's length.
If you are in an interview situation, you can either appear to match the corporate culture or not, ultimately affecting the outcome.
It is human nature to constantly make these appraisals, in business and social environments.
You may hardly have said a word, however once this three-second evaluation is over, the content of your speech will not change it. When you make the best possible first impression, you have your audience in the palm of your hand. When you make a poor first impression, you lose your audience’s attention, no matter how hard you scramble to recover it.
You can learn to make a positive and lasting first impression, modify it to suit any situation, and come out a winner. Doing so requires you to assess and identify your personality, physical appearance, lifestyle and goals. Those who do will have the advantage.

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How To Make A Strong First Impression: Seven Tips That Really Work
by Bill Lampton, Ph.D.

We have all heard this warning: "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression." Also, psychologists, writers, and seminar leaders caution that we only have from seven to seventeen seconds of interacting with strangers before they form an opinion of us.


Confrontations with somebody you've just met will destroy rapport before you even start building it. Wait until you have established credibility before you challenge another's statements.

Appearance counts. Several years ago, a professional colleague offered to meet me for lunch. I decided against wearing a suit, opting for a sport coat and tie. When he showed up in shorts and sandals, the message he conveyed was: "Bill, meeting you is a rather ordinary experience, and doesn't call for me to present a business-like appearance." Not surprisingly, that was the last time I met with him.

True, standards for appropriate attire have changed drastically. Maybe the best advice I can share came from a participant in a seminar I conducted. She said, "I don't dress for the job I have now, I dress for the job I want to have."

As a communication specialist, I have to point out that an individual's speaking style impacts the first impression, maybe more than we wish. Listeners judge our intelligence, our cultural level, our education, even our leadership ability by the words we select--and by how we say them.
Think of Professor Henry Higgins of "My Fair Lady," who changed a "guttersnipe" into a lady by teaching her to speak skillfully. While none of us occupies the lowly level of Eliza Doolittle, we can keep her example in mind. Rather than mumble, speak so you're easily heard. Enunciate clearly. Alter your pitch, to avoid the dullness of a monotone. Display animation in both voice and facial expression. Gesture naturally, without "canning" your movements.

Keep these seven tips in mind. They will reduce your fear of business and social encounters with unfamiliar faces. More positively, you'll start enjoying poise and success that you thought were beyond your reach.


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Words:

Contenst
Comatitive
rat race
dog eat dog
servival of the fittest
go gether
vie
pit yourself against sth

Verb for Competition:

The Little Prince

The Little Prince and the The Fox
From the book "The Little Prince" - "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


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It was then that the fox appeared.
"Good morning" said the fox.

"Good morning" the Little Prince responded politely although when he turned around he saw nothing.

"I am right here" the voice said, "under the apple tree."

"Who are you?" asked the Little Prince, and added, "You are very pretty to look at."

"I am a fox", the fox said.


"Come and play with me," proposed the Little Prince, "I am so unhappy."

"I cannot play with you," the fox said, "I am not tamed."

"AH please excuse me," said the Little Prince.

But after some thought, he added: "what does that mean---'tame'?"

"You do not live here," said the fox, "what is it you are looking for?"

"I am looking for men," said the Little Prince. "What does that mean---tame?"

"Men," said the fox, "they have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?"

"No," said the Little Prince. "I am looking for friends. What does that mean---tame?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. "It means to establish ties."

"To establish ties?"

"Just that," said the fox.

"To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you.

And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes.

But if you tame me, then we shall need each other.

To me, you will be unique in all the world."

To you, I shall be unique in all the world. . ." "I am beginning to understand," said the Little Prince.

"There is a flower. . .I think she has tamed me. . ."

"It is possible," said the fox. "On earth one sees all sorts of things."

"Oh but this is not on the earth!" said the Little Prince.

The fox seemed perplexed, and very curious. "On another planet?"

"Yes"

"Are there hunters on that planet?"

"No"

"Ah that's interesting! Are there chickens?"

"No"

"Nothing is perfect," sighed the fox.

But he came back to his idea.

"My life is very monotonous," he said. "I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And in consequence, I am a little bored.

But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others.

Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music out of my burrow.

And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad.

But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat. . ."

The fox gazed at the Little Prince, for a long time. "Please---tame me!" he said.

"I want to, very much," the little prince replied. "But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand."

"One only understands the things that one tames," said the fox.

" Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me. . ."

"What must I do, to tame you? asked the Little Prince.

"You must be very patient," replied the fox.

First you will sit down at a little distance from me -like that - in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing.

Words are the source of misunderstandings.

But you will sit a little closer to me, every day..."

The next day the Little Prince came back.

"It would have been better to come back at the same hour," said the fox.

"If for example, you came at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o'clock, I shall be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am!

But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is ready to greet you..

One must observe the proper rites. . ."

"What is a rite?" asked the Little Prince.

"Those also are actions too often neglected," said the fox. "they are what make one day different from other days, one hour different from other hours.

There is a rite, for example, among my hunters. Every Thursday they dance with the village girls. So Thursday is a wonderful day for me! I can take a walk as far as the vineyards. But if the hunters danced at just any time, every day would be like every other day, and I should never have any vacation at all."

So the Little Prince tamed the fox.

And when the hour of his departure drew near---

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

"It is your own fault," said the Little Prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you. . ."

"Yes that is so", said the fox.

"But now you are going to cry!" said the Little Prince.

"Yes that is so" said the fox.

"Then it has done you no good at all!"

"It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields."

And then he added: "go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret."

The Little Prince went away, to look again at the roses.

"You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made a friend, and now he is unique in all the world." And the roses were very much embarrassed.

"You are beautiful, but you are empty," he went on. "One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you -- the rose that belongs to me.

But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is MY rose."

And he went back to meet the fox.

"Goodbye" he said.

"Goodbye," said the fox.

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
"What is essential is invisible to the eye," the Little Prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."

"It is the time I have wasted for my rose--" said the Little Prince so he would be sure to remember.

"Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it.

You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose."

"I am responsible for my rose," the Little Prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

Getting a Haircut:

Getting a Haircut


Many barber shops or hair stylists now cut both men's and women's hair. Prices vary considerably and it's sometimes necessary to make an appointment.


1.A: How do you want it?
B: Cut it short all over.
A: Would you like it washed?
B: No, thank you. It's OK.

2.A: How would you like it?
B: Trim the back, but leave it long on the sides, please.
A: Do you want a shampoo?
B: No, thanks.

3.A: How would you like me to cut it?
B: Just a trim, please.
A: Do you want it thinned?
B: No, I don't think so, thanks.

4.A: What do you want me to do?
B: Not too much off, please.
A: Do you want a conditioner?
B: No, that's fine, thanks.

Always remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy

entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water

in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied

the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a

number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired.

Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit

impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again

counted the coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress

brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy

finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress

came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at

what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels

and five pennies - her tip.

THE TELL TALE HEART

BY
EDGAR ALLAN POE
TRUE!-NERVOUS--very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am! but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses--not destroyed--not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily--how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to tell how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture--a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees--very gradually--I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded--with what caution--with what foresight--with what dissimulation I went to work!
I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it--oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly--very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha!--would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously--oh, so cautiously--cautiously (for the hinges creaked)--I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights--every night just at midnight--but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers--of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back--but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out: "Who's there?"
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening;--just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or grief--oh no!--it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself: "It is nothing but the wind in the chimney--it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or "it is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions; but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him. had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel--although he neither saw nor heard--to feel the presence of my head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little--a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it--you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily--until, at length, a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and full upon the vulture eye.
It was open--wide, wide open--and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness--all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person: for I had directed the ray, as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.
And now--have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses?--now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker' and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!--do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me--the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once--once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye--not even his--could have detected anything wrong. There was nothing to wash out--no stain of any kind--no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all--ha! ha!
When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock--still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart--for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor during the night: suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled--for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search--search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct:--it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness--until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.
No doubt I now grew very pale,--but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased--and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound--much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath--and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly--more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observation of the men--but the noise steadily increased. Oh, God; what could I do? I foamed--I raved--I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder--louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God!--no, no! They heard!--they suspected--they knew!--they were making a mockery of my horror!--this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die!--and now--again!--hark! louder! louder! louder!
"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed!--tear up the planks!--here, here!--it is the beating of his hideous heart!"

Typical Errors:

1.
a) Be careful to water the African violets regularly.
b) Make sure you water the African violets regularly.

2.
a) The dialogue in this video is very difficult to catch.
b) The dialogue in this video is very difficult to understand.

3.
a) I apologize for our fault and will send you a full refund.
b) I apologize for our mistake and will send you a full refund.

4.
a) In some places you feel like in a jungle.
b) In some places you feel like you are in a jungle.

5.
a) I bought some cheap cloth to make some curtains.
b) I bought some cheap material to make some curtains.
c) I bought some cheap fabric to make some curtains.

6.
a) By going to the college or university you get more mature.
b) By going to college or university you get more mature.

7.
a) She is married. ~ Where did you find that out?
b) She is married. ~ Where did you know that?

8.
a) He is from Liverpool, as you can tell from his accent.
b) He is from Liverpool, as you can know from his accent.

9.
a) You're late. ~ I know.
b) You're late. ~ I know it.

10.
a) I went to a nice restaurant called the Elizabeth last night.~ I know.
b) I went to a nice restaurant called the Elizabeth last night.~ I know it.

Topics:Chores

The Value of Daily Chores
by Shirley M. R. Minster, MS Ed. (c) 2001
Chores are inescapable in an adult’s life. Yet we often see them as a necessary evil rather than as a way to serve others. We put off doing them until the tasks are so overwhelming that we grudgingly complete them or delegate them to other family members who in turn dislike doing them. Our ‘honey do’ list eventually becomes so long that it takes a full day to complete it.

Education in the home is a far-reaching task with many goals.
One is so that the children will be able to manage their homelife successfully.
Another is to be able to serve others and a third is to be responsible adults.
Parents are the best teachers because they understand their offspring and can fit the chores to their children.
When children are taught early how to complete chores well, there will be less friction as they grow up when more complex chores are added.
It is imperative that they understand that each job is important and that the the family depends upon successful completion of the jobs in a timely manner.
Conversely, it is important that they see the results of not doing the chore.
For instance, having the family wait patiently while Bobbie washes the silverware so dinner can be eaten is a good lesson in preparedness. It also teaches patience to other members who may instead prefer to ridicule and express disgust.

Children as young as two years old enjoy helping Mommy, Daddy, or siblings when they are doing the same job.
Make a game of the activity when you are working with your little child.
Sing songs, talk about colors, tell stories about the objects as you put them away. This teaches your child that you enjoy being with her, that ‘many hands make a work light’, and that no chore has to be onerous.
It is not a good idea to reward the child with a prize after completing the daily chore because she will come to expect it. A big thank-you and hug are better.

Choose appropriate activities based upon your child’s size. Don’t expect a little one to be able to wield an adult-sized broom. Instead purchase a toy broom that can be handled easily. Give Junior a child-sized job so he will be able to accomplish it. Discouragement makes a job tedious and may result in its not being completed.

The child’s mental ability must be also considered. Ask yourself if your daughter is old enough to remember to perform the same task daily. To help instill a habit, put a job chart on the refrigerator. Paste a picture of the daily jobs to be done and have stickers nearby so that each time the job is completed, she can sticker it.
Monotonous activities are not fun and can become the cause of arguments, so switch jobs every week.
Any sooner than that makes it difficult for it to become a daily habit and harder to remember.

Physical ability is another consideration. Is your son coordinated enough to lift up the wastebasket to empty it into another container? Perhaps it would be better to give him a plastic bag to drag around the house to dump the trash. He can then drag it to the kitchen so that a parent can take it to the trash outside. If she is not strong enough to carry the laundry basket down to the laundry room, perhaps she could drop the laundry onto a sheet and leave it in a corner of the bathroom for a parent or older sibling to pick up.

The work ethic begins in the home and is best taught by the parents. The act of learning to do chores well is a training ground for adulthood and performing any job well.



Helpful tips for teaching responsibility with chores
Start teaching your child at a young age to be responsible.
Teach your child to pickup after each activity (Enforce this when she asks for something- especially when she is done playing with her toys! (i.e. food, to go out, a movie etc...).
Get children involved in the process of doing chores by allowing them to help with choosing the chores that they feel they can do.
Let your child help place the chart on the refrigerator in a spot where they would like it to go.
Teach children the joy of self-evaluation and a job well done instead of dependence on rewards. Children love the satisfaction of placing the completed stickers on their chart.
Do not do anything for your child that he can do for himself.
Always praise your child for a job well done when a chore is completed! Tell the child "good job!" (Not "good boy"!).
If your child does something on his own (without you asking him to do it) make sure you tell your child that you like when he does this. This will encourage more of this behaviour (cleaning up after himself).
Lee-Bee Homework Tips

Teach children the consequence of their actions. If a child forgets or doesn't finish homework, don't remind your child of the consequences or do it for him. The teacher will discipline him appropriately for not doing it, and thus the child will learn to do his homework!
Divide large tasks into smaller ones. A child is more likely to finish a project or task if he can break it up into smaller tasks. Apply this to book reports, large homework assignment, etc...
Give children specific time limit markers. "You can watch the rest of your show, but then you will need to get dressed".
Let your child help choose scheduling daily chores and homework routine. "Would you like to do your homework straight after school or after your snack?"
Acknowledge children's problems or large tasks and/or homework assignments, then offer to help in a limited way.
Always praise your child with a job well done when she does chores without you reminding her or does her homework on time. (positive reinforcement will encourage more positive behaviour!)
A chore chart is a great way to start teaching your child responsibility. The key to positive motivation is getting children involved with the process! You can make your own chore chart or use a Lee-Bee Chore Chart. We created one for you with 150 reusable chore stickers so that your child can pick and choose from the many common tasks and chores. We also include blank stickers for you and your child to customise your own chores and incentives. Whichever you decide, remember...
Make children's Chores FUN!

Vocabulary:

ratify verb [T]
to make an agreement official
Sixty-five nations need to ratify the treaty.
Many countries have now ratified the UN convention on the rights of the child.
The decision will have to be ratified (= approved) by the executive board.
Four countries have now ratified the agreement.
ratificationnoun [U]
The Senate will consider ratification of the treaty in July.
uphold verb [T] past upheld
1 AGREE to agree with a decision, especially a legal one, and say it was correct
The court upheld the ruling.
The Supreme Court upheld California's term limit measure.
2 SUPPORT to support a decision, principle, or law
Police officers are expected to uphold the law.

infamous adjective
famous for being bad , notorious
He is infamous for saying that cheating is the way the game is played.
The area became infamous for its slums.
The list included the infamous George Drake, a double murderer.
He's infamous for his bigoted sense of humour.
infamy noun FORMAL
1 [U] when someone or something is famous for something considered bad:
Franklin D. Roosevelt described the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1947 as 'a day that will live in infamy'.
2 [C] a bad and shocking act or event:
For the relatives of those who had died in the war, the final infamy was the pardoning of the draft-dodgers.
Franklin Roosevelt spoke of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor as "a day that will live in infamy."
dupe verb [T]
to deceive someone, usually making them do something they did not intend to do:
to cheat (someone) by telling lies or by deceiving them, to trick someone
[often passive,+ into + doing sth] He was duped into paying $4000 for a fake painting.
They duped me into giving them money by saying it would go to charity.
The girls were duped by drug smugglers into carrying heroin for them.

dupe noun [C]
someone who has been tricked:
an innocent dupe

jittery adjective INFORMAL
1 nervous:
He felt all jittery before the interview.
She gets quite jittery about exams.
2 shaky and slightly uncontrolled:
I get really jittery if I drink too much coffee.
Gwen always felt jittery when she got up on stage.
jitters plural noun
a feeling of nervousness that you experience before something important happens
I always get the jitters the morning before an exam.
FIGURATIVE The collapse of the company has caused jitters in the financial markets.

Inaneadjective
very silly and annoying
extremely silly or lacking real meaning or importance:
an inane question
There are too many inane quiz shows on television these days.
inanely adverb
He grinned inanely.
inanity noun [C or U]
His speech was full of inanities that were meant to be funny.
I was amazed at the inanity of some of her comments.

Words:

well-dressed
adjective
wearing attractive and stylish clothes

well turned up
well-turned Show phonetics
adjective
cleverly expressed:
a well-turned phrase
successor
successor Show phonetics
noun [C]
someone or something that succeeds another person or thing:
Oxford Brookes University is seeking a successor to its vice-chancellor who retires this Easter.
This range of computers is very fast, but their successors will be even faster.
successor state noun [C]
a new smaller country formed after a larger country has been divided up:
Russia, Georgia and Ukraine are three of the successor states to the Soviet Union.
successor Show phonetics
noun [C]
1 PERSON someone who has a position or job after someone else
He is her most likely successor.

2 THING an organization, product, etc that follows and takes the place of an earlier one
successor
[Show phonetics]
noun [C]
a person who follows and esp. who takes the job that was held by another
The company will announce the appointment of a successor to its retiring chairman at the next board meeting.
Succeed
succeed (FOLLOW) Show phonetics
verb
1 [I or T] to take an official job or position after someone else:
He succeeded his father as editor of the paper.
When the queen dies, her eldest son will succeed to the throne.

2 to come after another person or thing in time:
In the weeks that succeeded, five more patients showed similar symptoms.
Almost from its beginnings, New York has produced succeeding generations of intellectuals.
succeed (FOLLOW)
[Show phonetics]
verb [T]
SLIGHTLY FORMAL
to come after (another person or thing) in time, taking their place
Kamen was named company chairman, succeeding Robert Schwartz, who is retiring after 44 years

Unity Words:

unity noun plural unities
1 [U] agreement between a group of people or countries in which they work together for a particular purpose:
• The team suffers from a lack of unity.
• economic unity
2 [U] the quality of being complete:
• His essays often lack unity.
3 [C] TECHNICAL one of three related principles in DRAMA that say that the action in a play should consist of a single set of related events which take place in one place on one day


..............

iIdioms:

1-To detect the fraud:
Fraud:
1 [C,U] the illegal action of deceiving people in order to gain money, power etc.:
• election/tax/mail etc. fraud: Companies have responded to widespread credit card fraud by issuing cards with photos on them.
2 [C] someone who pretends to be someone else in order to gain money, friendship etc.:
• It was weeks before they realized that the young man who had charmed them all was a fraud.
• I was uncomfortable sitting behind that huge desk - I started to feel like a fraud.

2-get away from sth phrasal verb [T]
1 to begin to talk about other things rather than the subject you are supposed to be discussing:
• I think we're getting away from the main issue.

3- gain entrance/entry
a) to enter a building that is locked:
• Police had to break the door down to gain entry into the building.
b) to join or become part of a system or organization:
• The company is trying hard to gain entry to the Japanese market.
c) to be allowed to come into a country:
• The two men used fake passports to gain entry into Germany.

4- to float an idea :
SUGGEST [T] to suggest an idea or plan, especially in order to find out what people think about it:
• Butler floated proposals for a number of films.

Idiomatic Expression:

1- you are just going to have to bite the bullet and make the best of it .
2- They'll eat up almost anything you tell them.
3-you have to fave the music eventually.
4-i was un comfortable at first, but now i'm beginning to get in groove.
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.
.
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.
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De-Puzzling Human Behavior

Organizational camaraderie and productivity involve relating to others across a chasm of significant behavioral differences. Improving your "People Skills" helps you figure out how to bridge the gap between yourself and others thereby making the organizational climate more supportive and collaborative.

Now is a perfect time to assess the office atmosphere in your organization. (Why wait another second?) Is it often tense because individuals lack the people skills of communication, flexibility, and accommodation? Are individuals free to focus on the goals of the organization instead of climbing the walls thrown up by misunderstanding and opinions hardened in concrete?

Statistics say that you spend about 80% of your time communicating during any given day. If you are normal, you spend about 80% of that communicating time puzzled about the perceptions, views, and responses coming from co-workers, peers, and family members. You might even wonder what UFO dropped them off and forgot to pick them up.

These tips will help you de-puzzle human behavior:

1. Accept the fact that there are four main styles of functioning and you represent only one of the styles. Therefore 75% of the world sees life differently than you do. To de-puzzle behavior, accept the other person "as is"–just the way they are. You will never change them to see your exact point of view.

2. Focus on the strengths of the other person, not the liabilities. Contrary to the way some people believe and act, they do have weaknesses. No one is perfect in every way. So de-puzzle them by separating out strengths from weaknesses.

3. Take note of their activities. Where they invest their time tells you what they value. Do they volunteer for problem-solving or risky projects? Are they involved in associations or ad hoc committees for improvement? Do they take extra time for their children’s activities? Are they involved in a political party or a religious group? Make quiet observations. You will learn much.

4. Observe their surroundings and how they dress. Are their desks meticulous? Do they dress in a casual way or a flashy way? People who have super clean desks often like extreme detail in presentations and support materials presented to them. People who dress more casually usually have a more relaxed and "homey" way of relating. And people who are flashy dressers tend to like action and fun activities.

5. Understand people do things for their own reasons, not for yours. Find out what their reasons are and you can influence them in an individualized way.

6. Place them into their generational perspective. People who are Baby Boomers see work and relationships very differently than the Generation X’ers. Each generation has its special needs. Listen to them. Ask them questions. You will discover how to design your interactions to fit their age and perspective of life.

7. Realize that people who are under stress are always puzzling. They act in strange, irrational, and immature ways. Don’t try to understand them if they are angry. Let them vent and calm down. If they are frustrated and overwhelmed, help them work through their problems. As you talk with them, offer insights and alternative viewpoints. Usually people under stress have tunnel vision.

8. Learn how to disagree, but still be friends. Everyone wears a sign that says, "Don’t make me wrong, just kindly disagree." Giant steps are taken in mental and emotional growth when you understand that conflict is not necessarily good or bad, it just is and forever will be. In order to de-puzzle conflict, let it be a tool for generating ideas, then taking each other’s opposing ideas and creating a better solution.

9. Offer respect. The highest form of respect is to listen intently to other’s thoughts. Don’t dismiss an idea before the person who originated it is finished explaining how it will work. If you do, you may wonder why their behavior is cool and stand-offish. This puzzling behavior, however, is your fault.

10. Try a little charisma. Smile at them. Compliment them. Sincere and deserved flattery will still get you everything–including relationships that are more open and honest. Why? Because at our warp speed of life, not enough time is taken to be friends and to give sincere thanks for hard work and extra effort.

Typical Errors 11:

1
he has plenty of money.*
he has much money.
he has a lot of money.*

2
Most of people agree with me.
Most people agree with me.*

3
we waited during six hours.
we waited for six hours.*

4
I like eating chocolate milk.*
I like eating milk chocolate.*

5
we go there every Saturday.*
we go there every Saturdays.

6
Which is the biggest city of the world?
Which is the biggest city in the world?*

7
He's married with a doctor.
He's married to a doctor.*

8
Can you fix this by Monday?
Can you fix this until Monday?*

9
There's a hotel in front of our house.
There's a hotel opposite our house.*

10
Please explain to me what you want.
Please explain me what you want.*

Summary of The Monkey's Paw :

This scary story is about a monkey's paw which has magical powers. It gives three wishes to its owner. The monkey's paw is given to a family of three: a father, mother, and son. They wish for some money, and the next day an employee of the son's company arrives at the family's home and tells the parents that their son has died in an accident and they will receive some money - the exact amount they wished for. About a week later, the mother wishes that their dead son would return home alive. When knocking is heard at the door, the father realizes what has happened, and before the mother can open the door, the father uses the last wish. The knocking stops, and when the door is opened, no one is there.

The Monkey's Paw

The Monkey's Paw
The Monkey's Paw
by W.W. Jacobs


~~PART ONE~~
WITHOUT, the night was cold and wet, but in the small parlour of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess; the former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical chances, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired old lady knitting placidly by the fire.
"Hark at the wind," said Mr. White, who, having seen a fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of preventing his son from seeing it.
"I'm listening," said the latter grimly surveying the board as he stretched out his hand. "Check."
"I should hardly think that he'd come tonight," said his father, with his hand poised over the board.
"Mate," replied the son.
"That's the worst of living so far out," bawled Mr. White with sudden and unlooked-for violence; "Of all the beastly, slushy, out of the way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway's a bog, and the road's a torrent. I don't know what people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses in the road are let, they think it doesn't matter."
"Never mind, dear," said his wife soothingly; "perhaps you'll win the next one."
Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a knowing glance between mother and son. the words died away on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin grey beard.
"There he is," said Herbert White as the gate banged to loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door.
The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said, "Tut, tut!" and coughed gently as her husband entered the room followed by a tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage.
"Sergeant-Major Morris," he said, introducing him.
The sergeant-major shook hands, and taking the proffered seat by the fire, watched contentedly while his host got out whiskey and tumblers and stood a small copper kettle on the fire.
At the third glass, his eyes got brighter, and he began to talk, the little family circle regarding with eager interest this visitor from distant parts, as he squared his broad shoulders in the chair and spoke of strange scenes and doughty deeds, of wars and plagues and strange peoples.
"Twenty-one years of it," said Mr. White, nodding at his wife and son. "When he went away he was a slip of a youth in the warehouse. Now look at him."
"He don't look to have taken much harm," said Mrs. White, politely.
"I'd like to go to India myself," said the old man, "just to look round a bit, you know."
"Better where you are," said the sergeant-major, shaking his head. He put down the empty glass, and sighing softly, shook it again.
"I should like to see those old temples and fakirs and jugglers," said the old man. "What was that you started telling me the other day about a monkey's paw or something, Morris?"
"Nothing," said the soldier, hastily. "Leastways nothing worth hearing."
"Monkey's paw?" said Mrs. White, curiously.
"Well, it's just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps," said the sergeant-major, off-handedly.
His three listeners leaned forward eagerly. The visitor absent-mindedly put his empty glass to his lips and then set it down again. His host filled it for him.
"To look at," said the sergeant-major, fumbling in his pocket, "it's just an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy."
He took something out of his pocket and proffered it. Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it, examined it curiously.
"And what is there special about it?" inquired Mr. White as he took it from his son, and having examined it, placed it upon the table.
"It had a spell put on it by an old fakir," said the sergeant- major, "a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled people's lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to their sorrow.
He put a spell on it so that three separate men could each have three wishes from it."
His manner was so impressive that his hearers were conscious that their light laughter jarred somewhat.
"Well, why don't you have three, sir?" said Herbert White, cleverly.
The soldier regarded him in the way that middle age is wont to regard presumptuous youth. "I have," he said, quietly, and his blotchy face whitened.
"And did you really have the three wishes granted?" asked Mrs. White.
"I did," said the sergeant-major, and his glass tapped against his strong teeth.
"And has anybody else wished?" inquired the old lady.
"The first man had his three wishes, yes," was the reply. "I don't know what the first two were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw."
His tones were so grave that a hush fell upon the group.
"If you've had your three wishes, it's no good to you now, then, Morris," said the old man at last. "What do you keep it for?"
The soldier shook his head. "Fancy, I suppose," he said, slowly. "I did have some idea of selling it, but I don't think I will. It has caused enough mischief already. Besides, people won't buy. They think it's a fairy-tale, some of them, and those who do think anything of it want to try it first and pay me afterwards."
"If you could have another three wishes," said the old man, eying him keenly, "would you have them?"
"I don't know," said the other. "I don't know."
He took the paw, and dangling it between his front finger and thumb, suddenly threw it upon the fire. White, with a slight cry, stooped down and snatched it off.
"Better let it burn," said the soldier, solemnly."
"If you don't want it, Morris," said the old man, "give it to me."
"I won't," said his friend, doggedly. "I threw it on the fire. If you keep it, don't blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again, like a sensible man."
The other shook his head and examined his new possession closely. "How do you do it?" he inquired.
"Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud," said the sergeant-major, "but I warn you of the consequences."
"Sounds like the Arabian Nights," said Mrs. White, as she rose and began to set the supper.
"Don't you think you might wish for four pairs of hands for me?"
Her husband drew the talisman from his pocket, and then all three burst into laughter as the sergeant-major, with a look of alarm on his face, caught him by the arm.
"If you must wish," he said, gruffly, "wish for something sensible."
Mr. White dropped it back into his pocket, and placing chairs, motioned his friend to the table.
In the business of supper, the talisman was partly forgotten, and afterwards the three sat listening in an enthralled fashion to a second installment of the soldier's adventures in India.
"If the tale about the monkey paw is not more truthful than those he has been telling us," said Herbert, as the door closed behind their guest, just in time for him to catch the last train, "we shan't make much out of it."
"Did you give him anything for it, father?" inquired Mrs. White, regarding her husband closely.
"A trifle," said he, colouring slightly. "He didn't want it, but I made him take it. And he pressed me again to throw it away."
"Likely," said Herbert, with pretended horror. "Why, we're going to be rich, and famous, and happy. Wish to be an emperor, father, to begin with; then you can't be henpecked."
He darted round the table, pursued by the maligned Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar.
Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it dubiously. "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact," he said, slowly. "It seems to me I've got all I want."
"If you only cleared the house, you'd be quite happy, wouldn't you?" said Herbert, with his hand on his shoulder. "Well, wish for two hundred pounds, then; that'll just do it."
His father, smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity, held up the talisman, as his son, with a solemn face somewhat marred by a wink at his mother, sat down at the piano and struck a few impressive chords.
"I wish for two hundred pounds," said the old man, distinctly.
A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran towards him.
"It moved," he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object as it lay on the floor. "As I wished, it twisted in my hands like a snake."
"Well, I don't see the money," said his son as he picked it up and placed it on the table, "and I bet I never shall."
"It must have been your fancy, father," said his wife, regarding him anxiously.
He shook his head. "Never mind, though; there's no harm done, but it gave me a shock all the same."
They sat down by the fire again while the two men finished their pipes. Outside, the wind was higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and depressing settled upon all three, which lasted until the old couple rose to retire for the night.
"I expect you'll find the cash tied up in a big bag in the middle of your bed," said Herbert, as he bade them good-night, "and something horrible squatting up on top of the wardrobe watching you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains."
He sat alone in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire, and seeing faces in it. The last face was so horrible and so simian that he gazed at it in amazement. It got so vivid that, with a little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing a little water to throw over it. His hand grasped the monkey's paw, and with a little shiver he wiped his hand on his coat and went up to bed.
~~PART TWO~~
IN THE BRIGHTNESS of the wintry sun next morning as it streamed over the breakfast table, Herbert laughed at his fears. There was an air of prosaic wholesomeness about the room which it had lacked on the previous night, and the dirty, shriveled little paw was pitched on the sideboard with a carelessness which betokened no great belief in its virtues.
"I suppose all old soldiers are the same," said Mrs. White. "The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two hundred pounds hurt you, Father?"
"Might drop on his head from the sky," said the frivolous Herbert.
"Morris said the things happened so naturally," said his father, "that you might, if you so wished, attribute it to coincidence."
"Well, don't break into the money before I come back," said Herbert, as he rose from the table. "I'm afraid it'll turn you into a mean, avaricious man, and we shall have to disown you."
His mother laughed, and following him to the door, watched him down the road, and returning to the breakfast table, was very happy at the expense of her husband's credulity. All of which did not prevent her from scurrying to the door at the postman's knock, nor prevent her from referring somewhat shortly to retired sergeant majors of bibulous habits, when she found that the post brought a tailor's bill.
"Herbert will have some more of his funny remarks, I expect, when he comes home," she said, as they sat at dinner.
"I daresay," said Mr. White, pouring himself some beer; "but for all that, the thing moved in my hand; that I'll swear to."
"You thought it did," said the old lady soothingly.
"I say it did," replied the other. "There was no thought about it; I had just-- What's the matter?"
His wife made no reply. She was watching the mysterious movements of a man outside, who, peering in an undecided fashion at the house, appeared to be trying to make up his mind to enter. In mental connection with the two hundred pounds, she noticed that the stranger was well dressed and wore a silk hat of glossy newness. Three times he paused at the gate, and then walked on again. The fourth time he stood with his hand upon it, and then with sudden resolution, flung it open and walked up the path. Mrs. White at the same moment placed her hands behind her, and hurriedly unfastening the strings of her apron, put that useful article of apparel beneath the cushion of her chair.
She brought the stranger, who seemed ill at ease, into the room. He gazed furtively at Mrs. White, and listened in a preoccupied fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the room, and her husband's coat, a garment which he usually reserved for the garden. She then waited as patiently as her sex would permit for him to broach his business, but he was at first strangely silent.
"I--was asked to call," he said at last, and stooped and picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. "I come from Maw and Meggins."
The old lady started. "Is anything the matter?" she asked breathlessly. "Has anything happened to Herbert? What is it? What is it?"
Her husband interposed. "There, there, Mother," he said hastily. "Sit down, and don't jump to conclusions. You've not brought bad news, I'm sure, sir," and he eyed the other wistfully.
"I'm sorry--" began the visitor.
"Is he hurt?" demanded the mother.
The visitor bowed in assent. "Badly hurt," he said quietly, "but he is not in any pain."
"Oh, thank God!" said the old woman, clasping her hands. "Thank God for that! Thank--"
She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation of her fears in the other's averted face. She caught her breath, and turning to her slower-witted husband, laid her trembling old hand upon his. There was a long silence.
"He was caught in the machinery," said the visitor at length, in a low voice.
"Caught in the machinery," repeated Mr. White, in a dazed fashion, "yes."
He sat staring blankly out at the window, and taking his wife's hand between his own, pressed it as he had been wont to do in their old courting days nearly forty years before.
"He was the only one left to us," he said, turning gently to the visitor. "It is hard."
The other coughed, and rising, walked slowly to the window. "The firm wished me to convey their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss," he said, without looking around. "I beg that you will understand I am only their servant and merely obeying orders."
There was no reply; the old woman's face was white, her eyes staring, and her breath inaudible; on the husband's face was a look such as his friend the sergeant might have carried into his first action.
"I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all responsibility," continued the other. "They admit no liability at all, but in consideration of your son's services they wish to present you with a certain sum as compensation."
Mr. White dropped his wife's hand, and rising to his feet, gazed with a look of horror at his visitor. His dry lips shaped the words, "How much?"
"Two hundred pounds," was the answer.
Unconscious of his wife's shriek, the old man smiled faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped, a senseless heap, to the floor.

~~PART THREE~~
IN THE HUGE NEW cemetery, some two miles distant, the old people buried their dead, and came back to a house steeped in shadow and silence. It was all over so quickly that at first they could hardly realize it, and remained in a state of expectation, as though of something else to happen--something else which was to lighten this load, too heavy for old hearts to bear. But the days passed, and expectation gave place to resignation--the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes miscalled apathy. Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word, for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were long to weariness.
It was about a week after that that the old man, waking suddenly in the night, stretched out his hand and found himself alone. The room was in darkness, and the sound of subdued weeping came from the window. He raised himself in bed and listened.
"Come back," he said tenderly. "You will be cold."
"It is colder for my son," said the old woman, and wept afresh.
The sound of her sobs died away on his ears. The bed was warm, and his eyes heavy with sleep. He dozed fitfully, and then slept until a sudden cry from his wife awoke him with a start.
"The monkey's paw!" she cried wildly. "The monkey's paw!"
He started up in alarm. "Where? Where is it? What's the matter?" She came stumbling across the room toward him. "I want it," she said quietly. "You've not destroyed it?"
"It's in the parlour, on the bracket," he replied, marveling. "Why?"
She cried and laughed together, and bending over, kissed his cheek.
"I only just thought of it," she said hysterically. "Why didn't I think of it before? Why didn't you think of it?"
"Think of what?" he questioned.
"The other two wishes," she replied rapidly. "We've only had one."
"Was not that enough?" he demanded fiercely.
"No," she cried triumphantly; "we'll have one more. Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive again."
The man sat up in bed and flung the bedclothes from his quaking limbs. "Good God, you are mad!" he cried, aghast.
"Get it," she panted; "get it quickly, and wish-- Oh, my boy, my boy!"
Her husband struck a match and lit the candle. "Get back to bed," he said unsteadily. "You don't know what you are saying."
"We had the first wish granted," said the old woman feverishly; "why not the second?"
"A coincidence," stammered the old man.
"Go and get it and wish," cried the old woman, and dragged him toward the door.
He went down in the darkness, and felt his way to the parlor, and then to the mantelpiece. The talisman was in its place, and a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring his mutilated son before him ere he could escape from the room seized upon him, and he caught his breath as he found that he had lost the direction of the door. His brow cold with sweat, he felt his way around the table, and groped along the wall until he found himself in the small passage with the unwholesome thing in his hand.
Even his wife's face seemed changed as he entered the room. It was white and expectant, and to his fears, seemed to have an unnatural look upon it. He was afraid of her.
"Wish!" she cried, in a strong voice.
"It is foolish and wicked," he faltered.
"Wish!" repeated his wife.
He raised his hand. "I wish my son alive again."
The talisman fell to the floor, and he regarded it shudderingly. Then he sank trembling into a chair as the old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind.
He sat until he was chilled with the cold, glancing occasionally at the figure of the old woman peering through the window. The candle end, which had burned below the rim of the china candlestick, was throwing pulsating shadows on the ceiling and walls, until, with a flicker larger than the rest, it expired. The old man, with an unspeakable sense of relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed, and a minute or two afterward the old woman came silently and apathetically beside him.
Neither spoke, but both lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock. A stair creaked, and a squeaky mouse scurried noisily through the wall. The darkness was oppressive, and after lying for some time screwing up his courage, the husband took the box of matches, and striking one, went downstairs for a candle.
At the foot of the stairs the match went out, and he paused to strike another, and at the same moment a knock, so quiet and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front door.
The matches fell from his hand. He stood motionless, his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door behind him. A third knock sounded through the house.
"What's that?" cried the old woman, starting up.
"A rat," said the old man, in shaking tones, "a rat. It passed me on the stairs."
His wife sat up in bed listening. A loud knock resounded through the house.
"It's Herbert!" she screamed. "It's Herbert!"
She ran to the door, but her husband was before her, and catching her by the arm, held her tightly.
"What are you going to do?" he whispered hoarsely.
"It's my boy; it's Herbert!" she cried, struggling mechanically. "I forgot it was two miles away. What are you holding me for? Let go. I must open the door."
"For God's sake don't let it in," cried the old man, trembling.
"You're afraid of your own son," she cried, struggling. "Let me go. I'm coming, Herbert; I'm coming."
There was another knock, and another. The old woman, with a sudden wrench, broke free and ran from the room. Her husband followed to the landing, and called after her appealingly as she hurried downstairs. He heard the chain rattle back and the bottom bolt drawn slowly and stiffly from the socket. Then the old woman's voice, strained and panting.
"The bolt," she cried loudly. "Come down. I can't reach it."
But her husband was on his hands and knees groping wildly on the floor in search of the paw. If he could only find it before the thing outside got in. A perfect fusillade of knocks reverberated through the house, and he heard the scraping of a chair as his wife put it down in the passage against the door. He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment, he found the monkey's paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish.
The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it were still in the house. He heard the chair drawn back and the door opened. A cold wind rushed up the staircase, and a long, loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife gave him courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate beyond. The streetlamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet and deserted road.
THE END

Making Excuses:

WORD CHOICE: reason, explanation, excuse, pretext
If you call someone's explanation for what they have done a reason , you either believe it, or you are just repeating what they have said: His reason for being late was that his alarm clock was broken (=either you know his alarm clock was broken, which made him late, or that was simply the reason he gave you). If you call someone's reasons an explanation , you are just repeating what they said: His explanation for being late was that his alarm clock was broken (= that was the reason he gave - it may or may not be true). An explanation often sounds more like a personal opinion, a reason more like a fact. If you call someone's explanation an excuse , it suggests that you may not believe it is true or, if it is true, you do not believe that it really explains what happened: His excuse for being late was that his alarm clock was broken (=maybe his alarm clock was broken, or maybe it was not, OR you think it was broken, but that is not really a good enough reason for being late). If you say My excuse is.... you are giving a reason that you know is not really good enough to explain what you did. If you call someone's explanation a pretext , you definitely think that it is not true or not the real reason: His pretext for being late was that his alarm clock was broken (=you do not believe it was broken, OR it was broken, but you know there was another reason that he was really late).

1- explain sth <-> away phrasal verb [T]
to make something seem less important, or not your fault, by giving reasons for it:
• Children will often try to explain away bruises caused by abuse.

2-explanation noun
1 [C,U] the reasons you give for why something happened or why you did something:
• Coach Green wasn't willing to accept his explanation. [+ for]:
• a scientific explanation for the change [+ of]:
• The report gave a technical explanation of the accident.:
• give/provide an explanation: The terrorists gave no explanation for the killing.

3-trot sth<-> out phrasal verb [T] INFORMAL
1 to give opinions, excuses, reasons etc. that you have used too often to seem sincere:
• The drugs industry will trot out its usual defense to explain the high prices.

4-weasel out phrasal verb [I]
INFORMAL to avoid doing something you should do by using dishonest excuses or lies [+ of]:
• Fife is now in court trying to weasel out of $25 million in debts.

5- wriggle out of sth phrasal verb [T]
to avoid doing something by making excuses:
• Once again, Douglas wriggled out of making a final decision.

6-a cast-iron excuse/alibi/guarantee etc. an excuse, alibi etc. that is very certain and cannot fail.

7-a poor/bad etc. excuse for sth used when you think someone is very bad at something they are doing or at their job:
• Her paintings are a pretty poor excuse for artwork.

8-pardon/excuse my French SPOKEN, INFORMAL used to say that you are sorry that you just used an offensive word


9-pardon/forgive/excuse the expression SPOKEN said when you have used a word that you think may offend someone:
• She's kind of a bitch, if you'll pardon the expression.

10-stock excuse/question/remark etc. an excuse, question etc. that people often say or use, especially when they cannot think of anything more interesting or original

11-threadbare excuse/argument/joke etc. an excuse etc. that is not effective anymore because it has been used too much

12-accidents happen SPOKEN used as an excuse for something bad that has happened:
• When asked about the deaths of innocent victims, Abbas shrugged and replied, "Accidents happen."

13-alibian excuse for something you have failed to do or done wrong

14-awkward adjective

15-blinda trick or excuse to stop someone from discovering the truth

16-cock and bull story a story or excuse that is silly and unlikely but is told as if it were true:
• He gave me a cock and bull story about the glass being smashed by hailstones.

17-cockamamie adjective INFORMAL
a cockamamie story, excuse, or idea is not believable or does not make sense:
• Unemployment is not going to be solved by some cockamamie economic theory.

18-concoct verb [T]
1 to invent a story, excuse, or plan, especially in order to deceive someone:
• Lawyers claim that she's a nut who's concocted a story of date rape.

19-cook sth<-> up phrasal verb [T]
INFORMAL to invent an excuse, reason, plan etc., especially one that is slightly dishonest or unlikely to work:
• Stevenson accused the Republicans of cooking up issues to embarrass the president.
• He has a knack for cooking up new uses for old technology

20-the devil made me do it HUMOROUS used to make an excuse for something bad you have done

21-to be fair said when adding something after someone has been criticized, which helps to explain or excuse what they did:
• He's not playing very well but, to be fair, he did have a pretty serious injury.

22-a flabby argument, excuse etc. is weak and not effective

23-a flimsy argument, excuse etc. is hard to believe:
• The evidence against him is very flimsy.

24-don't give me that! INFORMAL said when you do not believe someone's excuse or explanation:
• "I'm too tired." "Oh, don't give me that! You just don't want to come."

25-goldbrick also gold·brick·er noun [C]
INFORMAL someone who stays away from their work, and especially uses the false excuse that they are sick

26-indefensible adjective
1 too bad to be excused or defended:
• It is indefensible that in such a rich country so many people are poor.

27-inexcusable adjective
inexcusable behavior is too bad to be excused:
• Being late for your own wedding is inexcusable.

28-lame1 adjective
INFORMAL a lame explanation or excuse does not sound very believable:
• I don't want to hear any of your lame excuses for being late. --

29-manufacture verb
invent an untrue story, excuse etc.:
• If the media can manufacture stories like this, then who are we supposed to believe?

30-opt out phrasal verb [I]
to decide not to do something, or to excuse yourself from doing something [+ of]:
• David felt sick and opted out of going to his Uncle's house for dinner that night

31-out nnoun
[singular] INFORMAL an excuse for not doing something, or a chance to avoid a difficult situation:
• I'm busy Sunday, so that gives me an out.

32-pitch sb a line INFORMAL to tell someone a story or give them an excuse that is difficult to believe:
• She pitched me some line about a bomb scare on the metro.

33-plea noun
[singular] an excuse for something:
• He refused to come on the plea that he had work to do at home.

34-plead ignorance/poverty/insanity etc. to give a particular excuse for your actions:
• Goldman has pleaded ignorance, saying he knew nothing about the violations.

35-seize on/upon sth phrasal verb [T]
to suddenly become very interested in an idea, excuse, what someone says etc.:
• White House staffers seized upon the senator's comments.

36-a song and dance INFORMAL an explanation or excuse that is too long and complicated:
• Then he gave us some boring song and dance about being a citizen of the world.

37-stock excuse/question/remark etc. an excuse, question etc. that people often say or use, especially when they cannot think of anything more interesting or original

38-Story :EXCUSE an excuse or explanation, especially one that you have invented:
• When I asked her why she didn't call, she gave me some story about her dog getting sick.

39-talk your way out of sth INFORMAL to escape from a bad or embarrassing situation by giving explanations, excuses etc.:
• How did Cindy talk her way out of getting a speeding ticket?

40-thin EXCUSE/ARGUMENT/EXPLANATION adjective a thin excuse, argument, or explanation is not good or detailed enough to persuade you that it is true:
• That's a pretty thin excuse - he could have gotten there if he'd really wanted to.

41-threadbare excuse/argument/joke etc. an excuse etc. that is not effective anymore because it has been used too much

42-a transparent lie, excuse etc. does not deceive people

43-trot sth<-> out phrasal verb [T] INFORMAL
1 to give opinions, excuses, reasons etc. that you have used too often to seem sincere:
• The drugs industry will trot out its usual defense to explain the high prices.

44- venial adjective FORMAL
a venial fault, mistake etc. is not very serious and can therefore be forgiven:
• a venial sin --compare VENAL

Difference between advice & advise & Recommend

ad·vice n.
1. Opinion about what could or should be done about a situation or problem; counsel.
2. Information communicated; news. Often used in the plural:
advices from an ambassador.
Synonyms: advice, counsel, recommendation
These nouns denote an opinion as to a decision or course of action:
sound advice for the unemployed;
accepted my attorney's counsel;
will follow your recommendation.

ad·vise v.
ad·vised, ad·vis·ing, ad·vis·es
v.tr.
1. To offer advice to; counsel.
2. To recommend; suggest: advised patience.
3. Usage Problem To inform; notify.
v.intr.
1. To take counsel; consult: She advised with her associates.
2. To offer advice.

Synonyms: advise, counsel, recommend
These verbs mean to suggest a particular decision or course of action: advised him to go abroad; will counsel her to be prudent; recommended that we wait.
Usage Note: The use of advise in the sense of "inform, notify" was found acceptable by a majority of the Usage Panel in an earlier survey, but many members would prefer that this usage be restricted to business correspondence and legal contexts. Thus one may say The suspects were advised of their rights, but it would be considered pretentious to say You'd better advise your friends that the date of the picnic has been changed.

rec·om·mend
v. rec·om·mend·ed, rec·om·mend·ing, rec·om·mends
v.tr.
1. To praise or commend (one) to another as being worthy or desirable; endorse: recommended him for the job; recommended a car instead of an SUV.
2. To make (the possessor, as of an attribute) attractive or acceptable: Honesty recommends any person.
3. To commit to the charge of another; entrust.
4. To advise or counsel: She recommended that we be on time. See Synonyms at advise.
v.intr.
To give advice or counsel: "recommended against signing an international agreement" Time.

WORD CHOICE recommend, suggest, advise
Use suggest when you are giving someone your ideas about what they should do or where they should go: He suggested that I talk to a counselor. Use advise when you tell someone what you think they should do, because it is the most sensible thing to do: Drivers are advised to avoid Highway 203. Use recommend to suggest that someone do something, after you have thought about it carefully: The report recommends a number of changes to the current law.
GRAMMAR
When you use recommend, suggest, advise, ask, insist, request, and demand with "that," use only the infinitive form of the verb without "to," even if the subject is singular: I recommend that this plan be accepted.
We ask that the committee review the facts.

difference between Daunting and Challenging

chal·leng·ing adj.
1. Calling for full use of one's abilities or resources in a difficult but stimulating effort:
a challenging course of study; a challenging role for an inexperienced performer.
2. Absorbing; intriguing:
a challenging idea.

daunt (dônt, dänt)
tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts
To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay.

Difference between Shade & Shadow?

Shade is an area or a part of a place that is protected from the heat of the sun and so is darker and cooler.
Let's sit in the shade for a while




A shadow is the dark shape made when a light shines on a person or an object.
As the sun went down we cast long shadows on the lawn.












Shadow is an area of darkness in which it is difficult to distinguish things easily.
Her face was in deep shadow

Dear John Letter:

Dear John,

I have been seriously looking back upon our relationship and getting very clear on what I need and desire out of a relationship.

The conclusion I have come to is that we are too different in both our personality and our desired lifestyles to be able to successfully live together with joy, bliss, good communication, and interaction.

This is not about you or about me "winning or losing", or about one of us being wrong -- it is about two ways of being... which do not fulfill each other, or go together. Though I had been open to having you visit with the thought that possibly we could 'try' again, after thinking about it a lot, I realize that it is not a good idea. I am very clear that we are not the 'right' people for each other at this time in our lives.

Please forgive yourself, and me, for any 'mistakes' we made along the way... and remember that we both have grown immensely through being together... but the time has come to move on.

So basically what I am saying is that I would like to 'cancel' my invitation for you to visit. I feel at this time, that I need to move on with my life, and having you come and visit would not serve any positive purpose. You need to accept that this relationship is over and open yourself up to receiving the blessings of the universe...

I think we both need to let go of the past, be grateful for what we had for a time, learn from our experiences, and move on from there.

Dearest John, we have been through a lot together... I have a learned a lot about myself, as you have learnt a lot about yourself. At this point, we are both ready to graduate to the next level in a relationship...What we have learned, whether while we were together, or whether after, through looking back on how we 'operated' together, will serve us in our future relationships.

It has been my experience, that all relationships that end are simply opening the door to another level of joy, and a better relationship built on what we have learnt in the past. So I know and trust that there is someone out there who will support you in your growth while loving you exactly the way you are... which is something that we were not doing for each other. I constantly judged and criticized you, in the same manner that you judged and criticized me... Out there is the perfect person for you that will love you and not find a single thing to criticize about you in the same way that you will not find a single thing to criticize about them... You will accept her as she is, even while seeing that she is not "perfect".

Do not see this as losing something, but rather as having gained knowledge and wisdom... Everything that you learned from us being together, as well as from us being separated, you will be able to put in practice in your next relationship to avoid the traps that we got into.

EVERYTHING ALWAYS WORKS OUT FOR THE BEST, and this is no exception. Trust in yourself, trust in the Universe, trust in the power of Love that rules our lives. Please don’t get into feeling sorry for yourself and wanting to 'end it all'. Rather, thank God for the learning experience, and ask for the openness to recognize the blessings in your life. They are there... open yourself up to being you, accepting yourself completely without judgment, and loving yourself unconditionally.

I wish you joy, I wish you happiness, I wish you heaven on earth. Please trust in yourself and the Universe enough to take some deep breaths, and start looking to find and create joy in your life. It is there... simply step out and claim it.

Blessings to you... Be the light!

Garden idioms:

1-Never let the ......... grow under your feet.

(a) weeds
(b) grass
(c) flowers
(d) bulbs

2-The grass is always ......... on the other side.

(a) blacker
(b) further
(c) greener
(d) longer

3-Everything is coming up ..........

(a) roses
(b) daisies
(c) tulips
(d) lilies

4-Poor Mary was a bit of a ......... at the dance.

(a) cornflower
(b) cauliflower
(c) wallflower
(d) wildflower

5-He led her up the garden ..........

(a) path
(b) lane
(c) street
(d) road



6-Everything in the ......... is lovely.

(a) roses
(b) flowers
(c) grass
(d) garden

7-Money doesn't grow on ..........

(a) plants
(b) bulbs
(c) trees
(d) bushes


8-A bird in the hands is worth ......... in the bush.

(a) four
(b) three
(c) two
(d) one



9-Come to the point and stop beating about the ..........

(a) tree
(b) flower
(c) hedge
(d) bush



10-Don't trust him, he's a bit of a snake in the ..........

(a) grass
(b) flowers
(c) plants
(d) weeds

Correct Answer?

Richard Cory

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim,
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich -- yes, richer than a king --
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head

- Edwin Arlington Robinson -

" The Children Of The Night "

Richard Cory - Analysis Written by: teetah02

What is Network Marketing ?

Ok So what is it?

It is a business about helping people, often called a people's franchise. It is the unseen business, it does not have giant signs or large offices but yet millions of people are working in this industry each and everyday.

In the 1950's when the Franchise emerged it was labeled a scam, illegal etc. Fortunately a franchise is not labeled as such anymore or you would not be enjoying your favorite hamburger today.

A network marketing business in reality is a business school, you are or should be in a training program from day one. This truly is a Learn while you earn Program. The training if it is quality training is life changing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Through out our life, the school systems have taught each of us to be a good employee. Our college system has taught us to be a good manager. All the while our labor is designed to make some one else wealthy. (Here is a Audio you just might Identify with click here.)

There are many different opportunities that in reality are a network marketing company or MLM company, but they refuse to call themselves that. Each of these companies are best described as a non-traditional form of business, so what’s the difference. In a traditional business you have lots of overhead, employees, health insurance for your employees, office rent the list goes on and on.

Non-traditional businesses are generally worked from a home office. This eliminates the high overhead of the traditional business. In today's high fuel prices one can save up to several hundred dollars a month in just fuel costs by not having to commute to a JOB.

Let's compare

Network marketing / Multi-level marketing ( MLM )

They usually offer reasonably priced products and services that people consume in a short time. Generally the commission structure is less up-front then the direct sales companies, but it has a benefit that most direct sales companies do not have and that is residual income.

• It costs less to get involved with this form of business, a few hundred dollars.
• Allows more people to become involved.
• Builds Residual Income.

Network marketing is about sales and distribution, but a different kind of sales. Its more of a soft sale or recommendation then the hard closing type that your accustomed to with the typical salesman or saleswoman in the direct sales.

Direct Sales Companies

These companies are known as seller-based, they market higher priced, usually one time sales items. The benefits of these programs are you make higher commissions but they have very little if any residual income. Essentially if you stop working so does your income.

You are paid directly on what you personally sell, so you have to sell lots and lots of merchandise. This also limits you to the type of people you can bring into your business as the “salesperson” type. Direct sales cost more to get involved with usually in the thousands of dollar range, again limiting you on the number of people!

How we can help dreams come true?

“Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough.You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.”

“I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time.”

“Life is never easy for those who dream.”

“Don't be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.”

“The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.”

“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.”

Idiomatic Expressions:

76- Feel my forehead!
77- It disen't appeal to me.

Essentila Idioms 16:

1- On one's toes
2- to get along
3- hard of hearnig
4- to see eye to eye
5- to have in mind
6- to keep in mind/ to bear in mind
7- for a once
8-to go off
9- to grow out of
10- to make the best of
11- to cut off
12- to cut out

Modal Verbs:

Can/ could/May/Might/Should/Must/Will/Shall/Would

Crad Game Vocabulary:

Pronounce:

Capsule
Cafeteria
Coco
Leisure
Nylon
Lettuce
Success
Mobile
Symbol
Cloth
Clothes
Institue
Comparison
Idol
Idle
Majority
Thyroid
Occure
Syringe
Radar
Ordinary
Pasturize