2017 September Flashcards
How to Cross the Street (in English)
Posted on Tuesday - September 5, 2017 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan
Yes, you already know how to cross the street. You don’t need an English lesson for that. But what about understanding the language on a crosswalk sign?
Watch the short video explanation below. It could save your life someday!
Jeff
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The Stephen King Book You Will (Probably) Never Read
Posted on Tuesday - September 12, 2017 by Dr. Lucy Tse
If you went to the movies this past weekend, you may have seen a movie called It. It is a remake (newer version of a film) based on a 1986 novel (book-length story) by Stephen King. The film is already a big hit (success). In one weekend, it earned over $180 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful films of 2017 so far (up to now) in the U.S.
As you probably know, Stephen King is one of the most famous and successful contemporary (in modern times) American writers. He has published (put in print for sale) 54 novels, 200 short stories, and has had many of his books and short stories adapted (used as the basis to create) into successful films, such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Misery, Stand by Me, Carrie, Cujo, and The Shining.
But there is one novel Stephen King does not want you to read, one that will probably never be made into a film. It’s a book called Rage.
King wrote the novel Rage when he was in high school in 1965. It was later published under the pseudonym (false name an author uses) Richard Bachman in 1977. Rage tells the story of an angry high school student who kills his teacher and then takes the other students hostage (kept prisoner until demands are met). In the years after its publication, several incidents (events) happened that caused King to ask his publisher (company that produces books) to stop printing it.
Between 1988 and 1997, four students in different states — California, Washington, and Kentucky (2) — either killed or held other high school students hostage. All four students either said they were inspired by (got the idea from) the novel or had a copy of the novel in their locker (locked box at school where students keep their books and materials).
After these incidences, King said he believed that the book was a “possible accelerant.” An accelerant is a substance that makes a fire burn more quickly or fiercely (with more force). So in this case, he thought that the book helped those young men put their thoughts into violent (using force to hurt others) action. King thought that the book was hurting people, and that pulling it (removing it so that others can’t buy it) was the responsible thing to do.
Because Rage is no longer in print (produced for sale), it has become one of the most sought-after (looked for and wanted) books by book collectors. If you see one in a used bookstore, you may want to buy it, but even the author himself would recommend that you don’t read it.
~ Lucy
Image Credit: Wikipedia
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Posted in Books and Reading | Leave a comment
The Darwin Award
Posted on Tuesday - September 19, 2017 by ESLPod.com
The Darwin Award is an honor (award or prize) that is given as a joke to people who have done stupid things to hurt themselves badly or even to kill themselves. It is given out each year.
The “award” was actually started by different people on the Internet. There is no official organization that gives out this award. One of the most well known lists, however, can be found at here.
This award is of course named after Charles Darwin (1809–1882), who is best known for his theories (general principles to explain something) on evolution, or how different forms of life have changed or “evolved” over their long history on Earth.
One idea that came out of Darwin’s theories is often called “survival of the fittest,” which is the concept that the strongest and smartest people survive (stay alive), and the weakest and dumbest do not. As a result, the weakest people do not pass on their genes (genetic material; the characteristics that a person passes onto his or her children) to future generations.
This award is a tongue-in-cheek (not serious) prize for the people each year who have done the stupidest thing to kill themselves or to hurt themselves so that they can no longer have children.
For example, in 1996, the winners included a man who wanted to prove how brave and strong he was by cutting off his own head! In 2000, one of the winners shot himself with his own gun while teaching his wife about gun safety. In 2005, two men who had been drinking alcohol made a bet while standing on an overpass (road or bridge over a freeway). They wanted to know who was strongest. They decided that the winner would be the person who could dangle (hang by their arms) over the freeway the longest. The winner was too tired to climb back up and was killed when he fell.
And with the help of current technology, in 2014, two men tried to take selfies (photos taken of yourself, while operating your own smartphone/camera) with an elephant. The two men were actually touching the elephant’s face when the elephant got angry and trampled (walked on and crushed) them both.
No one is certain why most of the winners have been men.
ESLPod Team
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Image Credit: From Wikipedia
- This post was adapted from “What Insiders Know” from Cultural English 72. To see the rest of the Learning Guide, including a Glossary, Sample Sentences, Comprehension Questions, a Complete Transcript of the entire lesson and more, become a Select English Member.
Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?
Posted on Thursday - September 28, 2017 by ESLPod.com
Do you feel lucky, punk? Clint Eastwood has got nothing on me.
*punk: a worthless person; a young and inexperienced person, who believes he or she is very skilled and knowledgeable
–> “Who is that punk? He says he can beat anyone in a game of tennis.”
*to have (got) nothing on (someone): to not be as good as someone (Jeff is saying he’s a better fighter/shooter than Clint Eastwood)
–> “You’re pretty smart, but you’ve got nothing on me.”
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