Culture Focus: Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving

“The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth” (1914)
by Jennie A. Brownscombe

This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States.  Although it was observed at various times and by various presidents during the early part of American history, it wasn’t until 1863 that the last Thursday in November was proclaimed a national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise” by President Abraham Lincoln.  Since then, it has been an annual holiday, which in 1941 was amended slightly to be celebrated the fourth Thursday in November rather than the last Thursday of the month.

The origins of this American celebration date back to the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony, who played a crucial role in the early history of this nation.  In the late fall of 1621 the Pilgrims held a feast of thanksgiving for a good harvest.  Of the 102 colonists that had left on the ship Mayflower to start a new life in the New World, only 53 had survived.  The Pilgrims had arrived the previous year, landing at Plymouth Rock in December 1620.  But since it was in winter, conditions were very hard, and nearly half the original passengers died from the disease and harsh conditions of that first winter.  The Indians in the area were a tremendous help to the Pilgrims during their early struggles, teaching them how to catch eel and grow corn, and even giving them food.  As a result, the surviving Pilgrims were grateful for a good harvest and the help they had received from the natives, so they held a harvest feast with the Indians.  The following are a couple of first-hand accounts of that celebration of thanksgiving:

They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to the proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.  (William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation)

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty. (Edward Winslow, Mourt’s Relation)

So, every year Americans continue this nearly four-hundred-year-old tradition of setting aside a day in the autumn to give thanks for all their blessings.  May we all take a moment and be truly thankful for all the good things in life that we enjoy.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 53 – to… and –ing (Solution)

Exercise.  Use the correct form of the verb:  to… // –ing.

Example:  

I want __________ home. (go) ==> I want to go home.
It has stopped __________. (rain) ==> It has stopped raining.

1.    Jack decided to move to Texas.
2.    Aunt Betty enjoys listening to jazz music.
3.    Our company expects to have strong sales in the second quarter.
4.    We have to finish decorating for the party before Shelia comes home.
5.    My sister forgot to put a sandwich in my lunch box.
6.    Father hopes to have the cottage built in time for summer vacation.
7.    We’re learning to bake chocolate chip cookies.
8.    I hope you don’t mind having chicken for supper tonight.
9.    We need to buy some milk and eggs.
10.    Mother offered to give the boy a ride to the library.
11.    I plan to get a part-time job.
12.    Matt promised to stop smoking.
13.    John refused to take “no” for an answer.
14.    No matter what, I’ll never stop loving you.
15.    Let me suggest cleaning the living room before Mother and Father come home.
16.    Ken wants to get a bike for his birthday.

Exercise.  Complete the sentences with to…. // –ing.  Use a verb from the list.

Example:

I would like (leave) now, please. ==> I would like to leave now, please.
Tim enjoys (play) the piano. ==>   Tim enjoys playing the piano.

1.    Jack began to snore as soon as his head hit the pillow. // Jack began snoring as soon as his head hit the pillow.
2.    After taking a rest, Mark continued to mow the lawn. // After taking a rest, Mark continued mowing the lawn.
3.    When did you and Martha decide to move to Albuquerque?
4.    I would prefer to have a hotel room on the second floor.
5.    I enjoy exercising outdoors rather than indoors.
6.    We expect to complete the project within the week.
7.    Please wait for me – I haven’t finished packing my bags yet.
8.    The children would love to do some skiing on their vacation, I’m sure.
9.    Don’t forget to buy some stamps for the Christmas cards.
10.    Joan hates folding the laundry. // Joan hates to fold the laundry.
11.    I hope to make $3000 a month in commissions.
12.    When a teacher sets and enforces homework deadlines, children learn to manage their time.
13.    Uncle Bob likes to sing in the shower. // Uncle Bob likes singing in the shower.
14.    The baby loves to ride on the rocking horse. // The baby loves riding on the rocking horse.
15.    The gentleman asked if we minded watching his bags while he grabbed a bite to eat at the hot dog stand.
16.    Peter needs to get a haircut.
17.    Make sure there is enough gas in the car – I would hate to think of you walking all the way home.
18.    Susan offered to throw a going-away party for Max.
19.    We plan to have a big party for the holidays.
20.    I prefer to stay up late rather than get up early. // I prefer staying up late rather than getting up early.
21.    Father promised to take the twins to the zoo next Saturday.
22.    Sally refused to go on a date with Herman after he treated her so poorly.
23.    As soon as I turned the key, the car engine started to make a strange sound. // As soon as I turned the key, the car engine started making a strange sound.
24.    The reporter asked the politician if he had stopped beating his wife yet.
25.    Let me suggest going to bed early if you want to get a head start on your trip tomorrow.
26.    Debbie tried to call her brother, but he never answered the phone. // Debbie tried calling her brother, but he never answered the phone.
27.    I want to make sure you understand completely what’s at stake here.
28.    I would like to propose a toast to the bride and groom.

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Grammar Basics: Unit 53 – to… and –ing

Some verbs are followed by the infinitive marker to and another verb in its base form:

decide to:    We decided to go to the Bahamas for our vacation.
expect to:    Mother expects you to come visit her next week.
forget to:    Did you forget to turn off the water?
hope to:    We hope to open a new restaurant by the end of next month.
learn to:    Billy learned to ride a bike today.
need to:    You need to do your homework.
offer to:    Mark should have offered to pay for the window he broke.
plan to:    John plans to attend Stanford University.
promise to:    I promise to keep your secret.
refuse to:    Mr. Brown refused to let his students go until they had memorized the Gettysburg Address.
want to:    I want to ride a rollercoaster.

Some verbs are followed by another verb in the –ing form:

enjoy:    Tom enjoys swimming.
finish:    Have you finished cleaning your room yet?
mind:    I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.
stop:    Please stop bothering me.
suggest:    The waiter suggested trying the grilled salmon.

Some verbs can be followed either by to + V (inf) or + V –ing:

begin:    Jack picked up the book and began to read. // Jack picked up the book and began reading.
continue:    If you continue to ignore your homework, you won’t do well in class. // If you continue ignoring your homework, you won’t do well in class.
hate:    Mr. Williams hates to golf. // Mr. Williams hates golfing.
like:    I like to walk in the rain. // I like walking in the rain.
love:    I love to go to the county fair. // I love going to the county fair.
prefer:    Sally prefers to vacation in Florida. // Sally prefers vacationing in Florida.
start:    The wind started to blow hard as soon as we got off the bus. // The wind started blowing hard as soon as we got off the bus.
try:    Jane tried to cook a turkey, but it turned out to be a disaster. // Jane tried cooking a turkey, but it turned out to be a disaster.

Some verbs, when used with would, are followed by the infinitive marker to and another verb in its base form:

would hate:    I would hate to be in his shoes when his wife finds out about his secret.
would like:    The doctor would like to see you now.
would love:    We would love to visit you sometime.
would prefer:    Mother would prefer to travel by train, I’m sure.

 

Exercise.  Use the correct form of the verb:  to… // –ing.

Example:

I want __________ home. (go) ==> I want to go home.
It has stopped __________. (rain) ==> It has stopped raining.

1.    Jack decided __________ (move) to Texas.
2.    Aunt Betty enjoys __________ (listen) to jazz music.
3.    Our company expects __________ (have) strong sales in the second quarter.
4.    We have to finish __________ (decorate) for the party before Shelia comes home.
5.    My sister forgot __________ (put) a sandwich in my lunch box.
6.    Father hopes __________ (have) the cottage built in time for summer vacation.
7.    We’re learning __________ (bake) chocolate chip cookies.
8.    I hope you don’t mind __________ (have) chicken for supper tonight.
9.    We need __________ (buy) some milk and eggs.
10.    Mother offered __________ (give) the boy a ride to the library.
11.    I plan __________ (get) a part-time job.
12.    Matt promised __________ (stop) smoking.
13.    John refused __________ (take) “no” for an answer.
14.    No matter what, I’ll never stop __________ (love) you.
15.    Let me suggest __________ (clean) the living room before Mother and Father come home.
16.    Ken wants __________ (get) a bike for his birthday.

Exercise.  Complete the sentences with to…. // –ing.  Use a verb from the list.

Example:

I would like (leave) now, please. ==> I would like to leave now, please.
Tim enjoys (play) the piano. ==>   Tim enjoys playing the piano.

1.    Jack began __________ (snore) as soon as his head hit the pillow.
2.    After taking a rest, Mark continued __________ (mow) the lawn.
3.    When did you and Martha decide __________ (move) to Albuquerque?
4.    I would prefer __________ (have) a hotel room on the second floor.
5.    I enjoy __________ (exercise) outdoors rather than indoors.
6.    We expect __________ (complete) the project within the week.
7.    Please wait for me – I haven’t finished __________ (pack) my bags yet.
8.    The children would love __________ (do) some skiing on their vacation, I’m sure.
9.    Don’t forget __________ (buy) some stamps for the Christmas cards.
10.    Joan hates __________ (fold) the laundry.
11.    I hope __________ (make) $3000 a month in commissions.
12.    When a teacher sets and enforces homework deadlines, children learn __________ (manage) their time.
13.    Uncle Bob likes __________ (sing) in the shower.
14.    The baby loves __________ (ride) on the rocking horse.
15.    The gentleman asked if we minded __________ (watch) his bags while he grabbed a bite to eat at the hot dog stand.
16.    Peter needs __________ (get) a haircut.
17.    Make sure there is enough gas in the car – I would hate __________ (think) of you walking all the way home.
18.    Susan offered __________ (throw) a going-away party for Max.
19.    We plan __________ (have) a big party for the holidays.
20.    I prefer __________ (stay) up late rather than __________ (get) up early.
21.    Father promised __________ (take) the twins to the zoo next Saturday.
22.    Sally refused __________ (go) on a date with Herman after he treated her so poorly.
23.    As soon as I turned the key, the car engine started __________ (make) a strange sound.
24.    The reporter asked the politician if he had stopped __________ (beat) his wife yet.
25.    Let me suggest __________ (go) to bed early if you want to get a head start on your trip tomorrow.
26.    Debbie tried __________ (call) her brother, but he never answered the phone.
27.    I want __________ (make) sure you understand completely what’s at stake here.
28.    I would like __________ (propose) a toast to the bride and groom.

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Education Focus: Yearbooks

Many people like to have souvenirs, or some sort of memento from a part of their life that has special significance to them.  For students, this type of memento or memory book is called a yearbook.

Yearbook

School days, school days, dear old golden rule days ~

A yearbook is a book put together by the students of a school.  Typically, yearbooks were something for college or high school students, but in recent years a number of middle schools have opted to offer a yearbook as well.  This book is full of pictures taken throughout the school year – some pictures are formal and posed, but many of the pictures are candid shots taken at school events or during the course of a typical school day.  Pictures of football games and other sporting events, parades and tournaments, band concerts and dances, class projects or field trips, student clubs and other activities, as well as candid snapshots in the halls or during a class, all provide ample opportunity for making memories that are later preserved in the pages of a yearbook.  Usually, the pictures are often captioned with witticisms or other inside jokes that mark the yearbook as something that is unique not only to that particular school, but also to that particular class of students.

Some yearbooks are distributed at the end of the school year.  The advantage of this is that students will be able to pass around their yearbooks and have their friends autograph them before everyone parts ways during the summer vacation.  The disadvantage, however, is that graduation – the highlight of the school year – is generally unable to be included due to time constraints.  Because of this, some schools choose to distribute their yearbooks in the following fall, giving the yearbook staff ample time to include graduation and other end-of-the-year activities in the yearbook.   The disadvantage of this approach, of course, is that graduating seniors and others who have moved away won’t be able to pass around their yearbooks for their friends to sign.

Oftentimes, signing a yearbook involves more than just scribbling one’s signature, particularly among friends.  Students will write words of encouragement to their friends, reminisce about good times, share inside jokes, complain about difficult teachers, and so on.  Some might even include a bit of doggerel:

Don’t make love
By the garden gate
Love is blind
But the neighbors ain’t

You’re
2 good
2 be
4 gotten

or

Remember Grant
Remember Lee
The heck with them
Remember me

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Crossword – TOEFL 7 (solution)

TOEFL Crossword - solution

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Crossword – TOEFL 7

TOEFL Crossword
Across
1 to cause to sprout or grow (9)
3 without previous preparation or planning (7)
8 important, consequential (11)
10 something that connects one thing to another (4)
12 to publicly support a particular way of doing things (8)
14 not fresh (5)
16 imposing, protruding (9)
17 incapable of being fatigued; incapable of getting tired (13)
19 happening right away, without delay (13)
21 slow (4)
22 a passage or segment from a longer work (7)
24 to disperse, drive off into various directions (7)
25 a prophetic sign (4)

Down
2 unselective; not making or not based on careful distinctions (14)
4 one who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding (4)
5 to plunge quickly and briefly into a liquid (3)
6 commonplace, ordinary (5)
7 impossible to satisfy (10)
8 to break into many pieces (7)
9 to fill with fear (10)
11 related to sexual desire or intercourse (8)
13 to conquer, especially in battle (8)
14 slow moving; lacking energy (8)
15 not moving, standing still (10)
18 the management of money, banking, investments, and credit (7)
19 anger, wrath (3)
20 very similar to something (4)
22 a period of time characterized by particular circumstances (3)
23 to draw or pull behind by a chain or line (3)

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Idiom Focus: Common English Idioms 1

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn.  An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.  Currently, we’re looking at some common English idioms.

a cinch:  If something is “a cinch,” it is very easy.

Example:

Because she had practiced four hours every day for the past three months, Alice knew doing well in the piano competition would be a cinch.

all of a sudden: unexpectedly

Example:

We were just sitting down to eat dinner when all of a sudden we heard a loud crash outside.

 

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 30 (solution)

Basic Crossword - solution

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 30

Basic Crossword
Across
2 to divide something or separate something from its main part, using scissors or a knife (3)
5 a tool used for cutting things like paper, cloth, hair, etc. (8)
7 a word used when talking about something that might happen or be true, or might have happened (2)
9 the money that you earn from your work or that you receive from investment (6)
11 very large in amount or degree (5)
12 not dirty (5)
13 the direction from which the sun rises (4)
14 plans and preparations that you must make so that something can happen (11)
16 what a bird lays and sits on in her nest to make baby birds (3)
17 something that you mention or add later because you did not think of it or plan it before (12)
20 something that you hold above your head when it rains (8)
22 a small round container, usually with a handle, that you use for drinking something (3)
24 able to see through (11)
25 a colored liquid that is used for writing and drawing (3)
26 sick (3)
27 to move from one place to another (2)
29 very hot (7)
31 a preposition used to say where someone or something goes (2)
33 to move quickly by moving your legs more quickly than when you walk (3)
35 the part of the body that you see with (3)
36 a preposition used to show what a part belongs to or comes from (2)
37 the part of a dress, shirt, coat, etc. that covers all or part of your arm (6)
38 a word used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something; auxiliary verb (2)

Down
1 plenty of light (6)
2 something that you use to take pictures (6)
3 how something feels when you touch it (7)
4 a blue-white metal that is used to make brass (4)
6 a (liquid) substance produced by part of a plant or animal (9)
8 to become worse (10)
9 the act of trying to find out what happened, or why something happened (13)
10 a spoken or written piece of information given to another person (7)
15 happening over and over again (9)
18 the act or process of putting forth leaves (9)
19 problem or difficulty (7)
21 a group of things that are fastened, held, or growing together (5)
22 a soft sweet food made by baking a mixture of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs (4)
23 to produce words, letters, numbers, etc. on paper, especially with using a machine that puts ink on paper (5)
28 rock or earth from which metal can be obtained (3)
30 frozen water (3)
32 opposite of young (3)
34 a negative answer; opposite of yes (2)

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Crossword – Irregular Verbs 9 (solution)

crossword puzzle (solution) - irregular verbs

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