NOTES for Module 11

NEW THAT’S ENGLISH. Module 11

200.1101a I’ve got a lump in my throat

Grammatical aspects:

Gradable adverbs in English: utterly delighted/devastated, absolutely thrilled, pretty lucky, deeply offended, slightly nervous, extremely grateful/lucky, fairly seriously, immensely annoying, quite sad, totally compelling (convincente, persuasive), unbelievably sad, truly terrifying
Extreme adjectives

Vocabulary:

What are you working on at the moment? She passed away, I didn’t mean to upset you, I did a degree in genetics, the army took over, uprising, distressing (penoso, angustiante)
They told me to leave, the whole country was overtaken by fears, persecution, asylum seekers, to take advantage of the benefits, I’ve put some shots together, to turn up, coping with that difficult situation, I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, a spare room
She was beside herself with worry (= very worried)

Functions:

Expressing emotions: I’m down, furious, touched, quite sad, anxious, dreadful, appalling (horrible), shocking

201.1101b Wearing your emotions on your sleeve

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Wearing your emotions on your sleeve (to show your emotions very openly)
Joyful, painful, to split up, to be about to get married, to tie the knot, charity tracks, push a lot of boundaries, divorce decree, everything that you take for granted, enormous excitement, respectful, expressive, emotional
Doormatty type of wife (I’m fed up with being a doormat= estoy harta de que me pisoteen) >< adventurous type
Stiff upper lip (to hide their emotions)

That’s the USA!

Florida, Miami: lively booming city, downtown Miami, strong emotions, Freedom Tower, cigar, Little Havana, food stalls, street performers, block party = street party, She’s having a blast (the party turned out into a real blast = la fiesta se desmadró).

202.1102a When in Rome...

Grammatical aspects:

You’ll BE USED TO/GET USED to it / to doing something
I WISH I could see more of you.

Vocabulary:

When in Rome, do as Romans do. I hate to bring this up. Lower your voice, behaviour, I got stuck in a meeting, wine-tasting evening, dressing (aliño ensalada), ostentatious and loud, milky tea, misconception
Some typical American accents: All right, Sweetie! I can see who wears the pants in this relationship, I’ll grab a cab (taxi), cell phone (mobile phone), where’s my refill?, iced water
British expressions: , love / , darling / , mate // chop-chop (hurry up!)
A creature of habits: Stick to a routine, juggle things
Swear words: shit/sugar, God/Gosh

Functions:

Talking about habits in the present: Present Simple, Future Simple (She’ll go on for ever)
Talking about habits in the past with WOULD (I would never let her pay)
Insulting and showing.... >>> , old dear / idiot

203.1102b Modern working habits

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Working environment >> burnt out, to meet the needs of their employees, working long hours, in the long run, challenges, we no longer live in a society..., break out areas, consultant, an outcast, cleanliness (higiene)

That’s the USA!

Florida Everglades: Seminole Indian Reservation. Powwow, the remarkable will to survive, dwelling, steered with poles, wood carvings

204.1103a Exceptionally gifted

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Intelligence, to be good at something, mind-bending, learning difficulties, rather clever, worrying, to catch up, above average, exceptionally gifted, IQ test (Intelligence Quotient), motivation, the outcome of the tests, things look promising, talking about intelligence
Smart, bright, gifted
- You’ll get a detention, I always got told off, I turned out I had moderate dyslexia, private assessment, special needs teacher, he doesn’t pay attention, lack of motivation
even/just/only, for five years in a row, she blinded me with legal terms, you try to figure out something, to follow the straight edge, I’m going to give it a go
What’s the rush? As you watch, think about..., develop their skills, as bright as a button
School will be over by the time we get there, by the time she gets to secondary school

Functions:

Making predictions: they are more likely to do something, to be bound to, unlikely/likely to do sth

205.1103b Intelligent decisions

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Animal intelligence, apes, mankind, we presumed our abilities to use tools, cognitive abilities, you come across in your life, problem solving, self-awareness, to feel empathy, lower-corporation tax

That’s the USA!

Palm Beach achievement, they display, in season (in winter), bulls, charitable events, keep working hard

206.1104a A friend in need

Grammatical aspects:

Verb patterns: gerund (her living room needs doing too, I hope you don’t mind my saying but...), infinitive (did you manage to finish painting?, I tend to offer my help)

Vocabulary:

Helping people: thoughtful
It sounds like a good idea, taxes, people should rely on themselves, lend s.o. a hand, as long as it doesn’t take all day
A knight in shining armour rescuing a lady in distress, good turns, it’s worth doing...,
What goes around, comes around.
A shrub, not a bush, to dig out, household chores
I’ll come straight to the point, I didn’t expect you to see you so soon, she’d be delighted

Functions:

Offering help and expressing willingness: I intend to do sth, it would be my pleasure, let me help, lend/give a hand

207.1104b The gift of life

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Charities: Stem cell donor (donantes de células madre), bone marrow transplant (transplante de medulla ósea), matching patients with their donors, recipient
There’s a real need, generosity, kindness and unselfishness, ethnic minorities, welfare or benefits system, bureaucracy and corruption
To what extent...?
Devastating

That’s the USA!

The Everglades (Seminole Indian Reservation): wetland, swampland, ideal habitat for birds of prey (hawk, falcon, eagle), reptiles (snake, turtle, alligator), they kill by constriction and suffocation

208.1105a A head for numbers

Grammatical aspects:

Expressions with numbers: A dime a dozen, by the dozen, ten times over (a large quantity),
I wish I had a head for numbers

Vocabulary:

Hourly rate, they charged me 10 per cent extra for working at the weekend, three times more, building materials, VAT, pricey (=expensive), good with numbers, a fleet of spaceships, it’s my turn, three quarters, to lower, to increase earnings, two halves,
Pie chart: percentages, fractions
Shopping list: milk (pints, litres), too much or too little, delivery, I’ve got to move my van, twice as much as I need, anchovy/anchovies
To be in two minds about something (you are uncertain about what to do), to have one too many, do a number on someone (to deceive someone)
No matter how you split it, to gamble

Functions:

Distinguishing quantity and irregular plurals: earnings, savings, goods, phenomenon/a, medium/media

209.1105b Maths magic

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

I was turned off Maths by an awful teacher, I was bottom of the class, odd combination, nought (0), emotional hook, to draw in, to visualize abstract concepts, statistics, life expectancy

That’s the USA!

Tarpon Springs: cattle, sea sponges, sponge diving, ranching, feed the horses, fix fences, make hay

210.1106a It’s a deal

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Persuading people to do something: Would you come for a coffee, please?, my treat (offering to pay), wouldn’t you prefer to take, I’m begging you (pleading), take it or leave it, I’ll baby-sit Mo, peer pressure (being persuaded by their friends), would you like a brownie
Refusing: maybe not now, no way, never in a million years, In your dreams
Catch up TV,

Functions:

Praising (elogiar) & complaining >> I love/like when...., I h

211.1106b The power of persuasion

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

The art of persuasion: variables, factors, awareness and observation,
Aristotle’s point persuasion plan: make impactful opening statement, outline the problems, offer solution, state benefits, call to action.

That’s the USA!

St Augustine: Spanish Florida, major tourist attraction, natural spring, the most lasting influence, fountain of youth

212.1107a I’d rather you didn’t do it

Grammatical aspects:

Impossible or unreal conditionals:

Vocabulary:

Spoilt for choice, pick and choose, choice, two potential jobs, presenter employer, the chances are pretty slim, I’m not counting my chickens
Choice of job: Quite challenging, not very suitable, it’ll take me a couple days to sort it out, Wouldn’t you rather...
We are looking forward to meeting you, CV, to settle in, soppy (sentimental) I’d rather not give that up, warehouse manager
Beggars can’t be choosers, sorry to bother you, if you did return home
Can I borrow your laptop? You must be very relieved, you are absolutely not to fly back here, stay put, demanding, running from the cops, to make a choice

Functions:

Expressing preference: prefer to / I’d rather
Talking about choice: tricky, make up our mind, take your pick,

213.1107b Difficult choices

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Making choices, choosing a property to buy, What shall we have for dinner?, budget, Estate agent, degree of compromise (make a compromise), house hunter, properties in good order, semi-detached Victorian house, creaky floorboards, bay window, open fireplace, stained glass, do work (on a house), it boils down to, wide range of choices in the educational field (state-funded)

That’s the USA!

Miami (i): mall, great bargains, shopping on line, fine dining, cocktail bars, pool parties, drinks galore, partying spots, de-stressing

214.1108a A fallen idol

Grammatical aspects:

PASSIVE VOICE: be said to, be known to

Vocabulary:

I’m full of admiration for him, to worship, business guru, to give a talk, to be disappointed at, achievements are endless, to set up a charity, a self-made man, he is not as pure as snow, I understand you are his secretary, investments, sink into oblivion, what was he like?
A rough diamond, I was thrilled at the beginning, disillusioned, a snake charmer, speculating, savings, devastated, double-check all my sources, bad review, villain, to turn out to be, the whole package, all the rage (he is in fashion now)
To emphasize sth: What is + adj: What’s interesting is that...., the Graham Snow

Functions:

Speculating
Expressions related to fame and success

215.1108b Global heroines

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Heroes/heroines and villains, a question of timing, neither....nor...., activist, to stand up to the Talibans and to speak out, civil rights activist

That’s the USA!

Daytona Beach: spring break, NASCAR, speedway

216.1109a Expand your horizons

Grammatical aspects:

Advanced passive voice: to be advised to do sth,

Vocabulary:

I’m off to Paris, departure lounge about to board, her plane is due to take off at 8.30, check in, Eurostar, road trip
Housemates, high-speed train, thank you for having made the effort to come here, give a talk at a food conference, will you come?
Helpful, a golf course, the expenses, we can share the driving
Words and expressions related to travelling: Trunk/boot, check the tyres, remind me to stop at a gas station/petrol station, fasten the seat belts, let’s hit the road, we are bound for Wildshire, move forward, set off, I’m about to check in, holiday/vacation, luggage/baggage, motorway/highway, unexpected problems, a flat tyre, let’s get the wheel changed, severe flooding, I’m calling the RAC, what an exhausting journey!
How about if I drive? Crammed inside, do you fancy...?,
Drivers are advised to take..., road works are causing delays, traffic jam/tailback
Travelling broadens/opens the mind, broadens/expands your horizons, a globetrotter

Functions:

Expressing cause and effect: because of, due to flooding, owing to...

217.1109b Off the beaten track

Grammatical aspects:

Vocabulary:

Motorbike, hit the open road, mods and rockers, sense of freedom, hidden gems (joyas escondidas)

That’s the USA!

Orlando: theme parks, amusement park, great rides, major travel hub