Free Daily English Lessons!

Please Stand By

2013-03-02T03:08:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends,

Because of the unexpected travel required by the recent death of my father, I have fallen behind a bit in the production of my lessons; I'll catch up again in a few days. Thanks for your patience.

James

A Pig in a Poke 3

2013-02-28T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/18/content_627540.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are eight expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever lived "high on the hog"? "Gone whole hog" or "hog wild" for something? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe one shouldn't "cast pearls before swine"? Or that "you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear"? Why or why not?

A Pig in a Poke 2

2013-02-27T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/14/content_623076.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are six expressions in this lesson. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Have you ever tried to catch "a greased pig" (literally or figuratively)? Or been used as a "guinea pig"? Talk about your experiences.
3. What do you think might happen "when pigs fly"?

A Pig in a Poke 1

2013-02-26T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/12/content_619900.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are nine expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever bought "a pig in a poke"? Saved money in a "piggy bank"? Been "as happy as a pig in mud"? "Made a pig out of yourself?" Talk about your experiences.
3. What could make you "sweat like a pig"? "Bleed like a stuck pig"? "Pig out?"

Dog Eat Dog 2

2013-02-25T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/11/content_618770.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are ten expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever "fought like cats and dogs" with someone? Who? Have you ever had to "put on the dog"? Been in a situation where "the tail is wagging the dog"? Met someone "as crooked as a dog's hind leg"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe that "it's a dog eat dog world"? That "every dog has its day"? That you should "let sleeping dogs lie"? That "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Why or why not?

Dog Eat Dog 1

2013-02-24T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-05/07/content_614063.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are seven expressions in this lesson. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Have you ever been "in the doghouse"? In a situation that has "gone to the dogs"? Been "dog tired," or "sick as a dog"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Why do you think people used to believe in "the hair of the dog that bit you"?

Horsing Around 2

2013-02-23T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/28/content_603431.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are ten expressions in this lesson. Use some of them in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Have you ever had "a charley horse"? Been in "a one-horse town"? "Backed the wrong horse"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you prefer to "get things straight from the horse's mouth"? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Horsing Around 1

2013-02-22T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/27/content_602159.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are five expressions in this lesson. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Have you ever "closed the barn door after the horse is gone"? "Looked a gift horse in the mouth"? "Put the cart before the horse"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe that "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"? Or that you "shouldn't change horses in mid-stream"? Why or why not?

By the Numbers

2013-02-21T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/23/content_597113.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
Take the quiz before you answer these questions:
1. Use the expressions in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Do you work in a "nine-to-five" job? Have you ever been in "seventh heaven"? What do you do "nine times out of 10"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you believe that "two heads are better than one"? That "two wrongs don’t make a right"? That "two’s company, three’s a crowd"? Why or why not?

Earth Day Vocabulary

2013-02-20T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/21/content_594657.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use the words in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Do you practice the "Three Rs" or any part of them? Why or why not?
3. Is sustainability important? Why or why not?

You're Number One

2013-02-19T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/20/content_593367.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
Take the quiz before you answer these questions:
1. Use these expressions in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Has anyone ever "pulled a fast one" on you? Have you ever had "one of those days"? Or "one too many"? Talk about your experiences.
3. Do you know someone who is "one in a million"? "One of the boys"? Your "one and only"? Talk about these people.

For the birds 2

2013-02-18T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/16/content_588550.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are four "bird expressions" in this dialogue. Explain what each one means.
2. Use each one in a sentence or short dialogue.
3. Does your language have expressions that have the same meaning as these "bird expressions" but don't use the word "bird"? What are they? What do they mean?

For the birds 1

2013-02-17T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/14/content_585303.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. There are seven "bird expressions" in this dialogue. Explain what each one means.
2. Use each expression in a sentence or short dialogue.
3. Do you have expressions using "bird" in your language? What are they? What do they mean?

Roman Numerals

2013-02-16T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/13/content_584187.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Try writing the following in Roman numerals. Follow the rules in the lesson: 19, 108, 692, 3461. Answers below.
2. Where might we find Roman numerals? Try to think of some places besides the ones in the lesson.
3. Can you imagine doing mathematics with Roman numerals? Like, "What's DCXCII - CVIII"? Try it! Answer below.
Answers: 19=XIX, 108=CVIII, 692=DCXCII, 3421=MMMCDLXI.
DCXCII (692) - CVIII (108) = DLXXXIV (584)

A Graphic Description 3

2013-02-15T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/09/content_579197.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Use each of the words in a sentence or short dialogue.
2. Learn some other words, like "sonar" or "telephoto," that use some of the other parts of the words below--like "photo," "sono," or "tele."
3. Just for fun, try creating some new words using the roots in the last few lessons. What would "calliphone," "monophone," or "seismophone" mean?

A Graphic Description 2

2013-02-14T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/07/content_576569.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Based on the information below, can you guess the meaning of "geology," "homophone," and "phonology"? Look them up after you guess.
2. Use each of the words in a sentence or short dialogue.
3. One who studies "oceanography" is an "oceanographer." Can we say one who uses a "phonograph" is a "phonographer"? Why or why not?

A Graphic Description 1

2013-02-13T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/06/content_575154.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is the difference between "an autographed copy" and "an autograph copy"?
2. In what sense is "choreography" related to writing or drawing?
3. Why are "ECG" and "EKG" (for "electrocardiogram") both correct?

Some University Degree Abbreviations

2013-02-12T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-04/02/content_571192.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Look up other degrees (M.A., J.D., and others) and explain what they mean.
2. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs never finished college. How important is it for the rest of us?
3. Why do you think a list of degrees is sometimes called "alphabet soup"?

Latin Expressions 6

2013-02-11T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/31/content_568404.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Can you think of other English abbreviations besides the ones given in today's (and yesterday's) lessons? Make a list and say what they mean.
2. Use the abbreviations in this lesson in sentences or short dialogues. Be sure to pronounce them properly.
3. In the age of computers, is there any need for "p.s." any more? How could it be used?

Latin Expressions 5

2013-02-10T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/30/content_567036.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What abbreviations are used in your language? What do they mean?
2. Use the abbreviations in this lesson in sentences or short dialogues. Be sure to pronounce them properly.
3. Describe the difference between "e.g." and "i.e."

Latin Expressions 4

2013-02-09T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/26/content_562370.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Practice using some of these expressions (and the ones from yesterday) in sentences or short dialogues.
2. Can you think of examples of these? For example, do you know of a book or movie that starts "In medias res"?
3. Two Latin prepositions on the list are the same as in English ("in" and "in," "per" and "per"); others are different. Why do you think this is?

Latin Expressions 3

2013-02-08T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/24/content_559901.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What is a preposition? How are they used in English? In your language?
2. Learn the meanings of the eight Latin prepositions here.
3. Where else do we see these prepositions? For example, "ante" is in "anteroom," "de" is in "deplane," and so on.

Latin Expressions 2

2013-02-07T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/23/content_558642.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. Using the pronunciation guide, try to say these expressions.
2. Choose some of today's expressions and use them in a sentence or a short dialogue.
3. Have you seen some of these words (like "curriculum" or "magnum") in other uses? Talk about them.

Latin Expressions 1

2013-02-06T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/19/content_554329.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
1. What are the main periods of the Latin language? Why do you think there are so many?
2. Using the pronunciation guide, try to say the three expressions at the end of the article.
3. Use each of those expressions in a sentence or a short dialogue.

Classical Proverbs 3--Latin

2013-02-05T07:30:00.000+08:00

Lesson from the Shenzhen Daily:
http://szdaily.sznews.com/html/2009-03/17/content_551273.htm

Practice the conversation; study the vocabulary; then discuss the questions with a friend in English.

Questions:
Be sure to do the quiz in yesterday's lesson first. Then answer these questions.
1. There are six proverbs in today's lesson. Make a short dialogue using each one.
2. Do you have any interesting proverbs in your language that mean the same as these? Talk about them.
3. Which proverb is the most useful for you? Why?