Nancy Bird Walton

Nancy Bird Walton was born in Sydney in 1915. She wanted to fly from an early age, and was known for climbing onto fences and declaring herself to be an "eppy plane". She flew for the first time at an air show, at the age of 13. She paid the pilot extra to perform aerobatics.

At the age of 18 she was learning to fly, under the tuition of Charles Kingsford-Smith. Nancy was among the first of his pupils at his Sydney flying school. She only needed cushions to reach the rudder pedals.

Nancy had no intention of flying just for sport, which was a common motivation among women pilots at the time. It was to earn a living and flying became her chosen career. She became the first woman pilot in the Commonwealth to get a commercial certification to carry passengers. Her family bought her first aircraft, a De Havilland Gipsy Moth. Nancy and a friend, Peggy, set off on a tour giving joy rides at country shows where many people had never seen an aircraft, let alone a woman pilot.

On tour, she met Rev. Stanley Drummond, who persuaded her to join a flying medical service in outback Australia. With a better equipped aircraft she worked for the Flying Doctor Service in remote parts of New South Wales.

In 1936 Nancy won the Ladies' Trophy in the Adelaide-Brisbane Air Race. After four years in the outback, she took a break, accepting an offer from a Dutch airline to do promotional work. She returned to Australia just before World War II began and undertook training to back up the men flying in the RAAF.

In 1950 Nancy founded the AWPA (Australian Women Pilots Association). The AWPA celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2000 with a dinner at a restaurant near Adelaide, SA, attended by Nancy herself and sixty or so pilots in powered flight, gliding, ballooning - with hardly a man present. In 1966 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Source: http://www.australiansatwork.com.au/bird/bird_en7-8.php

Culture Shock

Everyone who immigrates to Australia suffers a culture shock of some kind. A culture shock means that you see something that is totally different from your country and you feel very uneasy about it. The problem is that it does not cause any alarm to the people who live in Australia. You can become greatly alarmed and think that it is a danger to you, your children and every member in your family. You are not sure what to do.

Let me give you some examples of cultural shocks. When I first came here to live in Australia, my first culture shock was that men and women were kissing in public. I saw them kissing inside trams, trains and buses. To me this was a big culture shock. In my country it is a private thing. You see it only in the cinema or on TV but not in everyday life. Another culture shock was that in Australia drivers drive on the left side of the road. In my country and in many other countries drivers drive on the right.

Another shock for me was that gambling and prostitution were allowed and the media promoted them. A culture shock for me was to see that the Australian TV shows sex scenes in movies after 8.30 at night. Some people can't overcome their culture shock and decide to go back to their countries. They give up very quickly. After a few years, the culture shock becomes less and less shocking. People decide to ignore it and live with it. It becomes part of everyday life. It does not mean that people accept what happens as right.

When Australians travel overseas they get many culture shocks. They complain that the streets in many countries are not as clean as the ones in Australia. They complain about road safety and food hygiene. They complain about cities being crowded or messy. They complain about not being allowed to kiss in public because it is not allowed in the country they are visiting to kiss in such a way. Can you think of any culture shocks that an Australian may get if he or she visits your country? Email your text to me and I will put it on this blog. Thanks.

The Law in Australia

Road Rules
Here are some of the rules applied on Australian roads:
In Australia we drive on the left side of the road. A driver must wear a seat belt or get a big fine. If you've been drinking alcohol - don't drive. Arrange for someone else to drive you home or take a taxi. Strict drink/driving laws apply. Get familiar with the speed limits as they are enforced more strictly in Australia than in many countries. Mobile phones are not for use while driving – you can get a fine. Fatigue can cause car accidents and people may get killed. If you feel tired or sleepy, stop your car and take a nap.

Drink / Drug Driving Laws
Under no circumstances should you drive while under the influence of alcohol in Australia. Police conduct random tests along major routes, both in cities and in the country. Drink driving offences are considered serious. Penalties include demerit points, license suspension, hefty fines, and imprisonment.

In Australia, a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.05% applies in all States and Territories. Special limits may apply to certain driver types, such as learner drivers, public taxi and bus drivers, heavy vehicle and dangerous goods drivers. Random drug testing is also in place in Tasmania.

Tobacco, Drugs and Alcohol Laws

It is illegal to sell, lend, give or supply any tobacco product to, or for the use of, any child. Tobacco can only be sold to a person over 18 years of age. Smoke-free areas were established under the Public Health Act 1997. It is not permitted to smoke in all indoor public places. This includes offices, shopping centres, factories, hospitals, bars, gaming areas, restaurants, corridors, toilets, function rooms and movie theatres.

There are penalties for people who smoke in smoke free areas.
Smoke-free vehicle law - bans smoking in vehicles carrying children under the age of 18. A $120 infringement notice can be issued on the spot for the offence.

Drugs
It is illegal to posses, sell, grow or import cannabis (marijuana). This also applies to amphetamine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine and opium poppies

Alcohol
It is illegal to supply alcohol to those under 18 years of age.
It is illegal to drink or posses an open container of alcohol in a public street. This does not stop you enjoying a picnic in a park or partying on a beach where council by-laws permit. This law is aimed at anti-social behaviour that impinges on the rights of other members of the community.

Source: http://www.police.tas.gov.au/security_and_safety/information_for_visitors

Web Links

Here are two links for some extra lessons you can do at home. Click here to do the first exercise online. Click here to do the second one.

Studying in China

Chinese students have a special learning pattern. Teachers do most of the work and students spend a lot of time listening to them and taking notes. Before exams, students do a lot of cram and memorize information within a short period of time to make themselves ready. Because parents normally have one child, they always push that child to do their utmost at school in order to get a good job in the future. Students normally respect their teachers.

When Chinese students come to study in Australia, they get a culture shock. They find it strange that Australian students call their teachers by their names without saying Mr or Mrs. Many things that Australian students do in class seem very strange to them like the way they sit around tables in class and work together most of the time.

There are computer labs, projectors, speakers and TVs for students to use at schools. Students use them twice a week. They also have internet access.

Classes normally have about 60 students but this does not mean that there are always behaviour problems. Most schools have 1500 students in average. A few students sometimes sleep in class while the lesson is going on. This is quite common in China. Teachers don't get angry about this.

Most schools are public but there are few private ones because they are normally expensive. Private schools are only found in big cities.

Few foreign teachers work in high schools. Most foreign teachers work in universities.

Gifted students can finish their education early. They get scholarships to study overseas in America and Europe.

Chinese students spend a lot of time at school. They start their school day at 7.00 am and finish at 6 o’clock in the evening. They have two hours break every day. They play basketball, football and table tennis. They eat their lunch and dinner at school. They can bring their food from home or buy it at school. Chinese students go to school 5 or 6 days a week. They also have a lot of homework to do at home. Sunday is normally weekend for school students in China.

They learn music, sport, maths and English. Most students do a lot of study during the weekend too. Students use set books to learn.

Teaching is considered a good job in China nowadays. Teachers get about 700 dollars a month. This is an average salary in China. Not long ago the government used to offer free housing to certain employees including teachers but this is not the case any more. Students normally work alone in the class. They don’t discuss what teachers say. They always think that the teacher is always right. They rarely work in a group.

Students have to wear school uniforms and normally need to pay for them. School uniforms are expensive and students complain about their quality. Some good schools charge money from students who don’t live in the local area. Parents have to donate money to the school before a student starts studying there.

Take a Test Online

Please remember to click on the magnifying glass at the end of the test to get feedback on your performance. You will see it on the top right-hand corner.

Answer These Questions:

Do you have internet access in your school?

Do you use a computer at home to do school work?

Does your teacher do most of the work in class?

Do you like working in a group when you study in class?

Do you think you are a gifted student?

Do gifted students in your country get a special treatment?

Do parents in your country push their children very hard to do well at school?

Are projectors available in every class in schools in your country?

Do you like the pattern used by Chinese students to learn?

Do you think you will be bored to death if you have to study in China?

Do you think that the Chinese education system is the best in the world?

How many hours do you spend studying?

Do you do a lot of study on the weekend?

Do you think going to a private school is a luxury?

Does going to a private school make a student smarter?

What is your preferred learning style?

Is Sunday a weekend in your country?

If you got a scholarship to study overseas, which country would you go to?

What country do you think has the best education system in the world?

Do you think that music and sports are a waste of time?

Do students normally respect their teachers in your country?

Were you a trouble maker when you were in high school?

What punishment did you use to get for bad behaviour in high school?

Virtual Schools

A few months ago I wanted to study a computer program. I looked at the TAFE web site and found that I had to pay more than 500 dollars just to study for three days. I went online and paid a monthly subscription of 25 American Dollars and was able to learn more than 5 different programs online. I did the computer course online and had access for one month. I never got to meet my teacher or spoke to him. I never had to go to a classroom. Learning for me was like watching a movie. This is called E-Learning. It is the latest trend in education nowadays. We sometimes call it here in Australia Distance Learning. Sometimes people call it a Virtual School.

Nowadays you don’t have to go to school in order to learn. Some students are looking for a different way to complete their study in different ways other than having to go to school daily. This has caused a revolution in online education. The good thing about it is that it can offer an individualized program to address student’s learning needs. They can choose from hundreds of online courses and learning options through studying at a virtual school. They can do accredited online diplomas and degrees.

Different schools and universities offer many of these courses now starting from year 1 to year 12 or even give students a chance to get a university qualification online.

The biggest advantage of doing such courses is that online schools are open 24/7 -365 days a year. Students can also gain qualifications that are not available in their own countries. They can do a course that is not available in their own countries without having to travel overseas.

While it is necessary for students to start their study on certain dates, they can start their online education whenever they want when it comes to studying online at a virtual school.

All you need to start your online virtual study is to have a computer and an internet connection at home. Students should also have some computer skills in word processing, surfing and downloading files from the net and using email.

In an online course there is always a great deal of communication via email and phone calls between schools, students, and teachers. Students always get weekly course updates and email messages from teachers. A newsletter can also be sent to parents to inform them on what is going on in the course.

Parents can see how their child is doing in his course by having a look at his grades online at any time. Parents can email teachers if they have any concerns regarding their child’s education. If a student is not getting enough marks, the parents will be notified by the teachers who always contact them via the telephone first to suggest how to help the student to catch up with his study.

The bad thing about virtual online study is that it does not develop any social skills like a normal classroom where students make friends and have face-to-face interactions with others. There is also no chance for them to make friends or take part in sports activities. It is all about learning and nothing else. Some students become addicted to using computers. Computers seem to control their lives. This makes them isolated from real life but still people can't live without computers.

Take a Test Online

Remember to click on the magnifying glass at the end of the test to get feedback on your performance.

Answer These Questions:

Do you like using computers at school?

Do you spend much time in front of your computer screen at home?

Do you have good computer skills?

What can you go to improve your computer skills?

Have you ever visited a TAFE before?

What courses would you like to do in the future?

Would you like to study at a virtual school one day?

Are you good at touch typing?

How many words can you type per minute?

Can you use email?

Why are short courses at TAFE sometimes not the best option?

How do parents and teachers communicate in a virtual school?

Why are online schools good?

Why are they bad?

Do students get weekly course updates and email messages from teachers in an online virtual school?

Would you like your children to study in a virtual school or go to a normal one?

What is online education sometimes called in Australia?

How much did Ibrahim have to pay to do an online course for one month?

Murder in Court in Germany

New Vocabulary
Pharmacist - a person who is skilled in preparing medicine
I went to the pharmacy to buy some medicine. I gave the prescription to the pharmacist and he gave me the medicine a few minutes later on.

Outing - a pleasure trip
We went to the country to have a break from work. We went on an outing to the country.

Abuse - say unkind words to someone

Insult - speak in a way that hurts someone

religion - faith

Attract - get the attention of people
The film attracted many people and many went to the cinema to watch it.

Scholarship = payment of money to someone to continue studying
My sister got a scholarship at the Uinversity of Melbourne to study medicine.

Now read this text

An Egyptian pharmacist went to live in Germany with her husband who was doing a PhD in science a few years ago. One day she took her three-year-old son to a nearby park for an outing in the city of Dresden. A man who happened to be her neighbour wouldn’t allow the boy to use a swing and started an argument with her. He verbally abused her, insulted her religion and called her a terrorist because she was wearing a headscarf.

The thirty-three-year-old woman took him to court and a judge ordered him to pay 750 Euros compensation to the victim. The man was outraged and appealed the ruling. He went to court for the second time. In court the man produced a knife and stabbed her 18 times in front of her husband and three-year-old son. The husband tried to defend her but he got stabbed by the attacker. He was also shot three times by a policeman who thought the husband was the attacker.

The criminal case shocked everyone in the Middle East and attracted much attention. People in the victim’s hometown of Alexandria were angry because the case had very little media coverage in Germany and was never mentioned on TV. They argued that if the attacker had been Muslim, the case would have made headlines around the globe. Senior Egyptian and German officials attended the funeral in Alexandria with thousands of mourners. Police in Germany didn't release the identity of the attacker and only said that he was a Russian immigrant.

The husband was unable to attend the funeral as he was still receiving medical treatment for his wounds in hospital in Germany. He told an Egyptian newspaper that they were due back in Egypt three days after the court session as he had already submitted his PhD thesis and finished his scholarship in Germany.

Take a Test

Common Interview Questions

After finishing your course, you are expected to apply for work. Getting your first job in Australia is very hard. You need two things before you are able to get work. The first thing is to have an Australian Qualification. The second thing is to have experience.

If you have any qualifications from your own country, you can go to the Overseas Qualification Unit in the city and get them accredited. If your qualification is equal to an Australian course, you will be able to apply for work straight away. The one good thing you can do now is to keep working on improving your English in and outside class.

Some doctors and engineers and other highly skilled people come to Australia and work in factories or drive taxis because their qualifications are not recognised. This can be frustrating for many people and that is why some may choose to go back home and not give it a try. The first two years in Australia are often tough for new immigrants.

You can make things easier by getting ready to apply for a job. Some students like to take a short cut and do a short course before getting a job. A security guard training course takes only two weeks and after that a person can get a job. On the other hand, other courses may take up to two years or more before you apply for a job. The choice is yours at the end of the day. You can also train yourself to answer interview questions. This is what today's post is about.

The following are some of the most common interview questions. You may be asked any of them in an interview. Just bare in mind that no two interviews are the same.

Tell me about yourself.

What sort of jobs have you had before?

Do you know anyone who works for us?

Why did you apply to work at our organisation?

What are your strengths?

Do you prefer to work in a team or individually?

What do you know about our company?

Are you flexible?

Tell me about a situation you had where there was a problem at work and what you did to sort things out.

What would your friends say about you?

What sort of salary are you looking at?

Have you ever been sacked before?

What can you tell me about your previous supervisor?

How long do you expect to work here for if you get the job?

Do you have any questions that you would like to ask us?

What 10 things can you do with a pencil other than writing?

Do you have a car?

The Earthquake of San Francisco (1906)

Today we will do some reading and listening. The listening is from the Voice of America. There will be a test after you finish reading and listening. I want you to listen first before taking the test.

Click here to read and listen.
Click here to take the test.
If you want to do more reading and listening, click here.

Omar Mukhtar

Omar Mukhtar was a famous Libyan leader. He was born in the year 1862. He went to the village school when he was young but didn't stay there for many years as he had to work at a very young age. Later he started working as a Qur'an teacher. He was always described as a man who had a calm and quiet nature. He also had all the qualities of a strong leader.

In October 1911, Italian battleships reached the shore of the Libyan capital Tripoli and ordered the Turkish troops to surrender the city to the Italian forces. The Turks saw the mighty Italian fleet and decided to leave the city and flee. Only the Libyan civilians stayed in Tripoli but the Italian ships attacked anyway. They bombed the city for three days and after that declared Tripoli to be "committed and strongly bound to Italy".

This event marked the Italian occupation of Libya which lasted nearly 80 years. Some Libyan leaders realized that they would never be able to defend their country against the mighty Italian forces that were getting stronger day by day. Omar Mukhtar was 50 years old at that time and he spent the next 20 years of his life fighting the Italians.

Omar started forming an army to defend Libya. Initially he got nearly 20 people to fight the Italians depending on his skills and knowledge of his desert country. This gave him a big advantage over the Italians who had never been used to fighting in the desert. Omar used guerrilla tactics and attacked Italian forces everywhere in Libya. His forces cut supply lines, ambushed Italian troops and left many of them dead. Many of his men died too because the Italians had better military equipment. The Italians were astonished by his tactics and were greatly frustrated that they were outsmarted by a "Bedouin".

The Italians had many tanks and modern airplanes but they were always killed by men who were riding horses or fighting on foot. Omar's army were called ”Mujahadeen" meaning " the ones who declared a holy war". Omar Mukhtar was widely respected among all Libyans and his army grew to nearly 6000 fighters while the Italians had tens of thousands of troops. Omar's men believed that it was their religious duty to defend their country against the Italian invaders. At that time many Arab countries were occupied by Britain, France and Turkey. After every attack on the Italians, the Mujahadeen went into hiding in the desert and the Italians could not fight an army they couldn't see.

Omar's army had very old rifles and some horses. Sometimes they got help from Egypt which was occupied by Britain. The British did not like the idea of having Italy taking control of Libya. The supplies from Egypt were not enough to help Omar win the war against the Italians.

Omar was received as a hero in every village he went to and any place he liberated from the Italians. When Omar was nearly 70 years old, the Italians decided to imprison Libyan men, women and children in concentration camps in the desert. They wanted to prevent young people from joining Omar's army and fighting the Italians. Thousands of Libyans were tortured and nearly 100,000 of them died in the desert.

One day Omar was wounded in the fight against the Italians and fell off his horse. A young man who was under his command gave him his horse to save his life. That young man was arrested by the Italians and tortured in order to tell them where Omar was. He was hanged a few days later because he refused to give them any information that could help in the arrest of Omar Mukhtar. Later on Omar was arrested after the Italians used a poisonous gas to kill Libyan fighters. Many were killed by that gas and the Italians finally arrested Omar. They put him on trial and ordered that he be hanged in front of his people in the concentration camp. The Italians could at last arrest the 70-year-old man who gave them a hard time and outsmarted them for 20 years.

When asked if he had any last words before he was hanged he said, "We are from God and to God we shall return". The Italian generals took photos with him when he was arrested. Although Omar was the enemy, many of them had great admiration for, the Lion of the Desert.

Take a Test

Please click the magnifying glass at the end of the test to get feedback on your answers

Asthma

Nadra is from Iran. She is a mother of three. She studies English at AMES in Footscray. Last month she did not come to class. Her son was very sick. He is 6 years old. He started to cough a lot. Nadra took her son to the doctor to check what was wrong. The doctor checked the boy’s chest and gave him some medicine. He told Nadra to come again after three days. The boy took the medicine but he was still sick. The doctor examined the boy again and told Nadra some bad news. Her son had asthma.

Many young children in Australia have asthma. They find it difficult to breathe. They start to cough if they run. In Australia there are more than 2 million people with asthma. In America there are 17 million people who have asthma. Many people who have asthma start to wheeze, cough a lot and have shortness of breath. Some children have asthma for some time. After that they grow out of it. They do not have it any more. They become healthy. They can run and play sports.

The doctor gave Nadra a small book to read. The book is about asthma. He also gave her an action plan. He told her what to do if her son became sick. Asthma is very serious. Some people die from asthma if they do not go to hospital quickly. 318 people died from asthma in 2005.

The doctor gave the boy a puffer to take every day. He also gave him another puffer to take when he cannot breathe. Nadra came to school yesterday. Her son is much better. He does not cough now, but he needs to take his puffer every day. Nadra is not happy. She needs to read about asthma. She needs to help her son take his puffer on time every day.

What is digital TV?

When TV started many years ago, you could only see two colours, black and white. Nearly 40 years ago people started to have colour TVs. Nowadays new technology made it possible to make better quality TVs called Plasma and LCD. They can also be called digital TVs. They are slimmer and can cost heaps at the shops.

A digital TV has a clearer picture and a better sound quality than a normal one. This clearer picture will surely cost you more money. They also have more channels to offer. They come in standard and high definition. If you don’t know the difference between standard definition and high definition, let me explain it more to you. If you watch a movie that is recorded on a video cassette and then compare it to a movie that is recorded on a DVD you will see a big difference.

Nowadays not many people use video tapes and prefer to use DVDs. The movie that is recorded on a DVD has better picture and sound quality. The DVD quality is what we call standard definition. Now you can guess that high definition is even a better quality than the DVD quality. There is even a better quality that is available now but not everyone is using it because it is still expensive. It is called Blue Ray. Blue Ray discs are 5 times clearer than DVD. You need a blue ray player to play blue ray discs. You can not use your normal DVD player to play blue ray discs.

Blue ray players still cost more than 400 dollars to buy but their prices are coming down. Nearly a year ago they cost more than a thousand. I wonder what is going to happen to blue ray player prices next year.

It is nice to have a good quality TV at home. You can have a very big 50 inches TV in your lounge but the price is still very high. What you can do is that you can buy a Set Top Box and attach it to your normal TV. It will then turn it into a digital TV and you can start enjoying high definition quality in one minute.

You can buy one for less than 50 dollars at the shops or you can go for a more expensive option of nearly 200 dollars. Of course the quality will be much better but you don’t have to do so. All you have to do is to attach the set top box to your old TV and use the remote control to do a search. The search will look for new channels to add them to your list.

There are two kinds of set top boxes that you can buy. The first one is called standard definition (SD). The second one is called high definition (HD). They both turn your old TV into a digital one and the quality of the picture and sound get much better in a few minutes. The main difference is that a digital set top box offers a better quality and will make you able to see more channels than a standard definition set top box.

Take a Test

Please click the magnifying glass icon when you finish the test to get feedback on your answers.

Air Crash - Lesson

New Vocabulary

air jet = airplane
I travelled from Paris to New York by airplane. It took me 11 hours.

Crash
The two cars crashed and one of the drivers died in hospital.

Saudi Arabia = a country in the Middle East that is rich in oil

on board = inside the plane

There were 200 passengers on board the plane travelling to Tokyo.

Crew = people working on the plane (pilot - assistant pilots - air hostesses)

There were 9 crew members on the plane.

airline = airline company
Qantas is an Australian airline.

rescue = save
The man tried to swim fast to rescue the boy who was in trouble in the water.

underway = happening now
There is a police operation underway to find the man who escaped from prison.

speed boats = very fast boats

servivors = people who did not die in an accident
Two train crashed and 34 people died. There were hundreds of servivors too.

head to = go to
I head to work early in the morning. After I finish work, I head home.

locate = find
I need to locate the address before I drive my car. I don't like to get lost.

Site = place
When I go to New York I like visiting different sights in the city.

Safety record = good safety history

Disappeared = could not be seen
The young boy disappeared and his mother searched everywhere to find him.

problems = troubles
I bought a car that was very bad. It had a lot of mechanical problems and I had to pay a lot of money to fix it.

due to = because of
He didn't come to school yesterday and today due to health problems.

concern = worry
My concern is that I didn't do well in the interview and I don't think I will get the job.

well equipped = has the best machines
This hospital is well equipped with modern X-ray machines.

Assistance = help
I had some money problems and my brother offered his assistance to me.

disaster = tragedy

disasterous = very very bad
There was a big fire in the city and some people died. The situation was disasterous.

Sharks = very dangerous fishs

infested with = full of
The sea was infested with sharks. It was full of sharks.

concern = worry

on their way = going to
A man had a heart attack in the city and paramedics were on their way to help him straight away.

Read This Text

An Air jet has reportedly crashed into the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia. XYZ Airline has reported on its web site that more than 168 people on board including nine crew members are thought to have been killed. The airplane is just 3 years old and the Canadian pilot has more than 25 years experience working for different airlines.

The Saudi Defence Ministry has issued a statement saying that all passengers on board are feared dead. The air jet has been en route from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to the Italian city of Rome.

Several naval ships from nearby countries are taking part in a rescue operation that is underway. Other civilian boats are heading to the crash site to offer assistance. Several speed boats were sent to the crash site to try to locate and rescue survivors.

The airline company has said that the Airbus A330-200 has had a very good safety record and that there has never been any concern for the safety of passengers before.

Saudi officials said that the airplane disappeared from radar screens at 09:05 in the morning just moments after the pilot asked to return to the airport due to mechanical problems.

The airline company has rejected this claim saying that the plane was fully serviced in London three days before the crash and that all its planes are serviced by Airbus according to regular schedules. The company also added that it has one of the world's best air safety records.

One of the biggest concerns for the families of the passenger is that the Red Sea water is infested with sharks. Rescue ships also have to battle huge waves.

Ships from the American and French Navies in the area are on their way to the crash site to offer assistance. These ships are well equipped to handle such disastrous situations. Their main task will be to locate the black box to see how the plane crashed.

Take a Test Online

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The Shoe Thrower

To put someone on trial = to order someone to stand in front of a judge in court

The criminal was put on trial in court. The judge sentenced him to serve 10 years in prison.

To stand trial = to stand in front of a judge and defend yourself

An Iraqi journalist was ordered to stand trial after he threw a shoe at President George Bush. The journalist said that Bush killed one million Iraqis.

The man was ordered to stand trial next month after the police said he killed a shopkeeper.

Journalist = a reporter who works for a newspaper or a TV channel

My uncle works as a journalist. He works for the Age newspaper in Melbourne.

Shoes = a pair of shoes

A pair of glasses

A pair of trousers

A pair of pants

A pair of sunglasses

Postpone

The meeting is not going to be next Monday. It has been postponed and it will be next Friday.

Due to = is expected to happen in a certain time in the future

The buyer is due to meet with the real estate agent to talk about the house price tomorrow in the afternoon.

Appeal against

The judge ordered the man to serve three months in prison. The man was not happy and he appealed against the sentence. Another judge will look into the matter next week.

charge someone with = accuse someone of

The police charged a young man with killing the old woman and stealing her money.

originally = at the beginning

The price of the house was originally very high but it dropped down later on.

Assault = attack

The robber assaulted the shop keeper with a knife and stole a lot of cash.
The young man was charged with assaulting an old woman. He was ordered to stand trial next week. He will stand before a judge and defend himself in court.

Maximum

The maximum price I can pay for this car is 10,000 dollars. I will not pay any cent more.

Minimum

He does not earn much money. He gets a minimum wage of 13 dollars an hour.

The minimum amount of hours you can work here is 15 hours a week.

The maximum is 36 hours a week. If you work more than that, the company has to pay you overtime.

head of state = president or king

The head of state in America is Barak Obama.

Appeal = ask

The judge sentenced the man to serve 10 years in prison but he appealed the sentence.

Respect

In China doctors are respected a lot.

Disrespect

The student kept talking in class and didn't listen to what the teacher said. The student showed disrespect to his teacher.

Hail = wave to

You can hail the bus and the driver will stop.

You can hail a taxi.

Hail = consider

The boxer was hailed as a hero after he won the gold medal at the Olympic Games.

score a goal

Maradona was a great Argentinean football player. He scored many goals for his country.

Soar = go up very high

In the morning the temperature was 18 degrees only. It soared in the afternoon. It was 40 degrees.

The prices of houses soared over the past 5 years.

Drop = go down

Home prices in Australia didn't drop much during the past 12 months.

Image = picture = graphic

Demonstrators carried images of the young boy murdered by the police and asked the Prime Minister to do something.

duck = lower the head quickly

When fire shots were heard, everyone ducked for cover.

Athlete = sportsperson

Mohamed Ali was a great boxer. He was a great athlete.

Escape = run away

The prisoner escaped from prison and there is a big manhunt to arrest him.

Initially = at the beginning

The young boy initially said he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up but he changed his mind later on and said he wanted to become a pilot.

Click here to go to text online.

To play the game click here.

New Link for Monday's Class

You have done very well in class today. I am very proud to teach this class and as you can see, I learned all the names now.

I have a good link for you to use. The link is for a reading lesson and you will have the answers at the end of the page. Click here to go to the page.

A Reading Test From America

This is a reading test that you can take online. This will help you improve your English. Click here to go to the web page.

Read Online

This is a link to a reading web site from America. I hope you like it. You must do all the tests before you get to know the correct answers. Click here to go to the page.

A Great Link on the Net

Please click here to go to the web site and start reading and listening. What you are going to listen to is not Australian English. It is British English and the speakers are all native speakers. Try to understand as much as you can. Don't expect that people will speak to you slowly when you get a job. You have to work on your listening from now on.

How to Improve My English

You are all doing a very good job in class. I am happy to see that everyone is attending class. As a matter of fact, attending class is the most important thing you do in order to learn English. You can also learn English on your own at home. There are many things you can do to help yourself learn faster. The library has wonderful resources that you can borrow. You can borrow books, cassettes, DVDs, videos and other things. You are allowed to borrow three items at one time. You can borrow them for one week only. If you have a public library card, you can go to your local library and borrow items there for four weeks. You can also borrow items in your own language.

If you have internet at home, there are many good web sites that can help you learn more. Remember that every students has a favourite way or learning. Some students like to learn by listening. Others like to learn by using a pen and a paper. Still others like to learn by practising in different ways and mainly using their hands.

If you have a TV at home, you can watch the news at 6 o'clock at channel 7 or 9. You can also watch a program called Today Tonight on channel 7 at 6.30 in the evening. It is a very good source for learning English. If you say that you will not be able to understand what they say on TV because they speak fast, keep watching it for a few weeks and see how you go. This is the best way to learn English and at the same time to learn about Australia.

Some of my favourite web sites are

www.listen-to-english.com. This is a podcast by a gentleman from England. He doesn't speak fast and that is why about 40 thousand people go to his web site every week.

www.cdlponlone.org. This is a web site from America to teach adult learners like you.

Another good web site for listening to conversations is www.esl-lab.com.
It is for advanced students but I highly recommend that you have a go and do some of the lessons there.

Remember that we don't have enough time to do every thing in class. We are running out of time. If you need any thing, email me and I will see what I can do for you.

PBS Medicine

Here is some information on PBS medicine. If you have a Healthcare card, you pay about 5 dollars to buy a medicine that is prescribed by your doctor. People who don't have a Healthcare card pay the full price of the medicine. They pay the high prices for every medicine they need to get. The government pays the gap for people who have a Healthcare card. This is called subsidising. Here is a web page that tells you all you need to know about PBS medicine. Remember that you are not allowed to send PBS medicine overseas to your family and friends. You can get a fine of 5000 dollars for doing so. Click here to read more.

Posting Seven - No Class on Thursday

There will be no class on Thursday. All the teachers are going to the city for a conference. They will be there all day. Sorry I forgot to tell you that in class. Anyhow, I wish that you will start reading the sheets that I gave you and do the extra ones at home. See you next week.

Posting 6 -Food Handlers

Food handlers work in the kitchen. They cook food and make sure it is safe. Safe food is food that is fit for us to eat. It does not make us sick. Food health standards are rules that you must follow. These rules make sure food is always safe to eat at all times. All food handlers must follow food safety standards.

On the other hand, unsafe food can make people sick. They may start to vomit and need to go to hospital. Many people have health problems after eating bad food.

Safe food does not cause harm to the people eating it. There are some people who can get sick after eating a certain food like peanuts. We say that those people are allergic to peanuts. There are other people who don’t eat certain foods because of their religions. Muslims, for example, don’t eat pork or ham. They don’t drink alcohol either.

To work as a food handler you must learn about food safety. You must have skills in food safety. You must also learn about food hygiene. You must make sure the food you cook is not contaminated.

When you store food, you must make sure it is below 5ºC or above 60ºC. This will kill bacteria and germs. If food is not safe to eat, throw it in the rubbish bin. If you serve bad food to customers, you can put their lives in danger.

Also if you buy food and found it to be bad, you can return it and get your money back. If you feel that you are sick, you must tell your supervisor. If you vomit at home, you have to tell your supervisor before you start work. Also don’t start handling food if you don’t feel that you have diarrhea. If you handle food when you are sick, you may make other people sick. Also if you think you have caused food contamination, tell your supervisor.

When you work in the kitchen you must make sure your clothes are clean. You must cover your hair with a cap. You must have an apron on to keep your clothes clean. You must have non-slip shoes on. You must wash your hands before you start handling food. If you sneeze, cough, use the toilet or blow your nose go and wash your hands.

Don’t spit on the floor in the kitchen. People will not feel happy if they see you spit on the floor. Also don’t smoke inside the kitchen. If you want to smoke, go outside and have a cigarette there. Don’t mix ready-to-eat food with raw food. If you have a break and come back to the kitchen, wash your hands before handling food. You can use warm running water to wash your hands. You can also use tap water to wash your hands.

KFC Food Poisoning Case

The family of a Sydney girl is suing Kentucky Fried Chicken. They claim that she became brain damaged and crippled from salmonella poisoning after eating a Twister wrap.
Monika Samaan's family is suing the fast-food chain for $10 million after the illness developed into acquired spastic quadriplegia.
Family barrister Anthony Bartley has today told the NSW Supreme Court the Chicken Twister was bought from the Villawood KFC on in 2005, when Monika was aged seven.
Mr Bartley says there is no doubt Monika, now 11 and in a wheelchair, developed salmonella poisoning and that the chicken in the twister was the source of the bacteria.
He says the court will also hear disturbing evidence about the practices in KFC kitchens.
"There is little or no doubt that chicken was reported by all scientists, at the time of these unhappy events occurring, as being the source of that salmonella," he said.
"If the store was particularly busy, if chicken was dropped on the floor near the burger station, it would on some occasions simply be put back."
Food poisoning affects about 4 million Australians every year. Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, headache and stomach cramps.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5771641/kfc-twister-gave-girl-brain-damage/


Answer These Questions:
How much money is the family asking to be paid?

Why is the family asking for that money?

What did the girl suffer from?

What are some of the common food poisoning symptoms?

How old was the girl when she ate the KFC food?

What did Mr Bartley say the court will hear?

Posting Number Four (Class Photo)

Posting Number Three

We did a lesson in class today about the relationship between vegetarianism and cancer. The text was not easy but I hope you understood it. As you can see that vocabulary in the lessons is not easy and more and more words need special attention on your part. There is a link to some of the exercises in this lesson. Please click here to go to the exercise online.

Posting Number 2

Hello again. I will start putting links on this blog so you can visit important web sites and gain knowledge as you read. have a look at this link and email me if you need help. Please click here.

Welcome to AMES PSA Course

Welcome to the PSA course blog. My name is Ibrahim Mohamed and I will be teaching you three days a week. We have two other teachers in class and I am sure you have met them. If you have any questions regarding the work that has to be done in class, please talk to your teacher. If you have a problem that makes it difficult for you to do all the work required, please talk to Liz, Sue or me. If you need further help, we can refer you to other staff members at AMES.

This is the way we will keep in touch with each other outside class. Instead of sending email messages, I will upload new posts every now and then.