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Color

thanhjs — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:25:28 GMT

Color

[copy right from voanews.com/specalenglish]

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.

Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.

Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.

Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song – Mood Indigo – about the deep blue color, indigo. In the words of the song: “You ain’t been blue till you’ve had that Mood Indigo.” Someone who is blue is very sad.

The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.

Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper money.

The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. A blacklist is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.

In some cases, colors describe a situation. A brown out is an expression for a reduction in electric power. Brown outs happen when there is too much demand for electricity. The electric system is unable to offer all the power needed in an area. Black outs were common during World War Two. Officials would order all lights in a city turned off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a target in the dark of night.

Conditionals

thanhjs — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:24:22 GMT

Conditionals

Basic usage: To present

- What is away true: present + present

If I work late, I get tired

When you cook rice, if the water boiling, it means the rice is nearly ready

- What was away true: past + past

If I knew it was rain, I did not leave my house

- Real situation: present + future

If you keep driving like that, you’re going to have accident

If you see Jim, tell him I’ll ring him tomorrow

- Hypothetical situation: past + would

These are unreal or imaginary situation

If I knew the answer, I’d tell you

If I was having a patty, I would not invite her

- Hypothetical past situation: pas perfect + would have

If I had known you were coming, I would have met you at the station

- With modal

Possible situation in the present

If you get wet, you should change your clothes immediately

Hypothetical past situation

If you hadn’t reminded me, I might have forgotten

English Class, so bored!

thanhjs — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:43:40 GMT

English Class, so bored!

I have feeled interested in my class because all of members who are funny, friendly and someone is so cute. While i go to school i can talk to them about my life, my friends, sometime tell about a funny story. Of course, i can improve my E skill. But recent, my teacher go to so late and sometime absent. So much time for catching the bus and to wait her. Now, i'm so bored!

Seek a scholarship

thanhjs — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:09:16 GMT

Seek a scholarship

I'm a undergradute student in ICT speciality and i want to seek a scholarship for master. But in my college, not enough scholaship is awarded to student and have many criteria to take it in. therefore, i try to search some scholarship on the internet in some site of foreign college. When i go throughout it, i was seek some information and was contacted with the secretary for more infomation. But when i read slide show about these scholarships i take some problem. Now i become discouraged. Give me any suggestions.

Thanks for comment

I have nothing

thanhjs — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:54:51 GMT

I have nothing

rice: I have

money: I have not enough

house: I have no house

Car: Never have