English beginner

Etiquette
"Small talk" is the conversation you make with someone you have just met. In every culture, there are acceptable and unacceptable topics for small talk.
Imagine you have just met an American businessperson. Can you choose the acceptable questions for small talk?
How old are you?
Have you seen much of the city?
Are you married?
Did you have a nice trip?
How long will you be staying?
What religion are you?
The American would consider numbers 1, 3, and 6 very personal questions. General questions about travel, traffic, weather, and news are more acceptable topics. Religion and politics are topics you should avoid when first meeting someone.

Summer drinks
MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE LEMONADE
For this type of lemonade, please guess what 3 extra ingredients listed are an herb, a spice and a flower.
One of my favorite summer drinks is Middle Eastern style lemonade. What makes Middle Eastern style lemonade different from regular lemonade? It is made the same way as regular lemonade with water, lemon juice and a sweetener, but flower petals, an herb and a spice are also added. Rose petals and rose syrup sweeten Middle Eastern lemonade. Small bits of cinnamon give it a spicy flavor. Fresh chopped mint leaves make this kind of lemonade refreshing and cooling. If you can find these ingredients where you live, it is worth trying to make it yourself!

Etiquette
Joanna Smith and Alex Jones are business associates. They have spoken to each other on the phone, but today they are meeting in person for the first time.
Alex: Hello Ms. Smith! It''s nice to finally meet you in person! (They shake hands.)
Joanna: And you too, Mr. Jones! But please, call me Joanna.
Alex: And you can call me Alex.

In North America, when meeting someone for the first time in a business or formal setting, it is best to use the person''s last name. You won''t insult them by being too formal, but you might insult them by being too informal!
Keep using the formal name until the other person suggests that you call them by his or her first name.

Summer drinks
ICED TEA
Find the four words that show what order you must follow to make iced tea. People take drinks that are served hot and serve them cold in the summertime. One of these drinks is iced tea. Tea made only of tea leaves and/or a mix of herbs and fruits can be made using only the heat of the sun.

First, tea leaves are put in a large glass container of water. Then, the container is placed in the sun for two to three hours. When the water changes color, the tea is done. Ice and sweetener can be added after the tea is ready. Finally, don''t forget to keep the tea cold and add ice to every glass.
Answer: First, Then, When, Finally

Television
GRAMMAR
When you ask a question, the preposition is the last word. But in the answer the preposition is not at the end. Here are some examples of questions and answers:
What''s this program about?
This program is about France.
Who are you talking to?
I''m talking to Fred.
What are you looking at?
I''m looking at that car.

Ordering food in a restaurant
Waiter: May I take your order?
Karl: Yes, I would like the vegetable soup and a ham and cheese sandwich.
Waiter: What kind of cheese would you like on your sandwich: Swiss, cheddar, or American?
Karl: Swiss, please.
Waiter: Would you like something to drink?
Karl: Yes, can I have a large Coke?
Waiter: Of course.

Summer camps
What kinds of summer camps do you think you can find in the USA?
1. weight loss camp
2. music camp
3. equestrian camp
4. religious camp
Answer: All of them! You can find all of these types of camps in the U.S.A. What kinds of summer camps do you have in your country? Come to the Hosted chat and the Language forum and tell us about it.

Match the new vocabulary words with the definitions:
1. religious camp
2. music camp
3. equestrian camp
4. weight loss camp
a) a camp where you ride horses
b) a camp for people who feel that they need to diet
c) a camp where you play an instrument(s)
d) a camp where you worship at a church, temple or mosque everyday.

Answers: 1.d 2.c 3.a 4.b

Figurative language
Money talks.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Giving human qualities or actions to nonliving or nonhuman objects is called "personification." Change the verbs in these sentences to words that would describe a human''''s actions:
Example: The laundry (blew) on the line. The laundry danced on the line.
The petal (fell) from the flower.
The leaves (moved) in the light wind.
The radio (played loudly).
The sun (shone) on me.
Được duyk6 sửa chữa / chuyển vào 09:05 ngày 22/06/2004

Figurative language
0, my love is like a red, red rose, that''s newly sprung in June.
0, my love is like a melody, that''s sweetly play''d in tune.
(Robert Burns)
sprung blossomed
play''d played
A "simile" is another way of comparing two things using ''like'' or ''as''. Burns compares his love to flowers and music.

Summer camps
CAMP SPORTS
Grammar: Imperatives are used to tell people what to do. For example,
Go over there. Sit down. Catch the ball. Run to me.
Notice that when you use imperatives, the verb is right up front. There is no pronoun "you". The "you" is understood.
At summer camps, campers often play sports. Sports have rules. Here are some rules for softball. Softball is a game that is like baseball but is played with a larger, softer ball.

If your team is having a turn at the bat:
1. Take a bat.
2. Try to hit the ball.
3. Run if you hit the ball.
4. Run fast from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd to home base.
5. Don''t let the other team on the bases catch the ball and put you "out" of the game.
6. Win the game!
If your team is on the field:
1. Watch for the ball when the batter hits it.
2. Catch the ball while it is still in the air.
3. Throw the ball to the base where the batter is running.
4. Get batter "out".
5. Win the game!
Imperatives tell people what to do. Do you think this is a polite way of speaking?