This week we’ve been welcoming the first junior students of the season to our school, and have been preparing to welcome many more over the next few weeks!

So, let’s take a look at some of the stranger things that have been reported in the UK media this week:
 

GOOD WEEK FOR:

• Druids in the UK, many of whom celebrated the summer solstice at Stonehenge.
  Read the story and see the pictures here
  
  
• People who love famous landmarks and luxury accommodation, after a renowned photographer captured some of the most incredible hotel views in the world.
  See them here

BAD WEEK FOR:

• People who get dizzy, after a stuntman set a new world record in Plymouth, UK (Mayflower College’s home city) for the highest amount of spins in an automobile.
  See the video here
  
  
• Those who don’t like rodents, after a couple emerged this week who live with the world’s largest!
  Take a look at the hefty animal and his owners here

 

PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

This week we have a collection of photographs showing witty things that have been written on pub chalkboards in the UK. Have a look here


FACTS OF THE WEEK:

• The record for the greatest amount of bee stings received by a person without dying is 2,443!
• Two-thirds of the world’s population have never seen snow.
• 11 of the 12 men that have walked on the moon so far were once Boy Scouts.
• A single human male produces enough sperm in a fortnight to impregnate every fertile woman on the planet!

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.” - Mark Twain



HOMEWORK:

OK, that's the news for this week!
How did you find last week's "House and Home Idioms" homework?

PART A:

1. We got on like a house on fire.
b. We liked each other a lot.

2. She's nothing to write home about.
f. She's not especially good-looking.

3. It's as safe as houses.
g. It's very safe.

4. It really brought it home to me.
d. It made me realise.

5. He brought the house down.
c. The audience applauded a lot.

6. We did it in-house.
h. We did it ourselves.

7. They ate us out of house and home.
e. We had no food left.

8. Put your own house in order.
a. Sort out your own problems first.

PART B:

Olga: You always stay in the same place when you go on holiday, don't you?
Paul: Yes. The same hotel in London every year. It's a real HOME FROM HOME for us.

Paul: My brother and his family came to stay with us for Xmas. They nearly ate us out of HOUSE AND HOME. We spent a fortune on food.

Olga: Kate likes to talk, doesn't she? It's difficult to shut her up.
Paul: Yes, she'll sit and talk until the cows COME HOME if you let her.

Olga: Pam can be a bit slow sometimes. I often have to explain things several times.
Paul: I know what you mean! Sometimes it seems as if the lights are on but there's NO-ONE AT HOME !

Olga: Have you seen Christine's new boyfriend? What's he like?
Paul: Well, he's ok I suppose. Certainly nothing to WRITE HOME about.

Olga: We must have picked enough strawberries by now, surely?
Paul: Keep going! We only need a few more kilos. We're on THE HOME STRAIGHT now.

Olga: I have a great new CD player. I wish I knew somebody who could give my old music centre A GOOD HOME.

Paul: I never used to worry about having one or two drinks and driving home, but last year a friend of mine had a terrible car accident. It really BROUGHT HOME to me the reality of drinking and driving.

And the riddle?

Take off my skin
I won't cry, but you will! What am I?

The answer is ONION


This week's homework is called "Swimming Idioms":


PART A

Fill in the words in the definitions below:

• SANK
• TIDE
• DEEP
• CREST
• DROWN
• DEPTH
• TREAD
• SORROWS

1. The Titanic ???? after hitting an iceberg.
2. The ???? comes in and goes out twice every day.
3. If something is very ???? it is of great ????.
4. The top of a wave is called its ?????.
5. If you fall into the sea and you cannot swim, don't panic! Just do your best to ????? water. Otherwise you might ?????.
6. Things you feel sad about are your ?????.

PART B

Put the following expressions in the sentences below.

a) thrown in at the deep end
b) swimming against the tide
c) keep our heads above water
d) going under
e) out of my depth
f) in deep water
g) on the crest of a wave
h) drowned our sorrows

1) The English language class I'm taking is far too difficult for me. I'm completely ????. I think I need to go down a level.

2) With his new album selling well around the world, Robbie Williams is ????? at the moment.

3) I didn't receive any training when I started this job. I was just ????? and expected to get on with it.

4) My wife has just lost her job. If we are careful with money we should just about be able to ????.

5) You will have to agree in the end, Olga. You can't go on ???? for much longer.

6) If the recession continues for much longer, a lot of small businesses are in danger of ?????.

7) When we lost the football match against Germany it was terrible. We just found the nearest bar and ?????.

8) Charles' son has just been arrested for using drugs. He's in big trouble now. He's ???? and he's in right up to his neck.

And finally two riddles for you this week!

1) What am I?

What do you throw out when you want to use it,
but take in when you don't want to use it?

2) What am I?

What gets whiter the dirtier that it gets?

We’ll write to you next week! Best wishes and have a lovely week.

Paul & Jill

Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego, USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in Plymouth, UK)


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