Figures of Speech – Part 1

Aprender uma língua é um processo bem complexo que exige tempo, dedicação e esforço. E o negócio é que não adianta só aprender a gramática e algumas milhares de palavras que aí está tudo certo. Até porque não tem como falar uma língua direitinho sem entender suas sutilezas, não é mesmo?

E diz aí: tem coisa mais sutil que FIGURAS DE LINGUAGEM?

O que? Boiou? Você não sabe nem o que é isso? Calma! A gente explica!

Figuras de linguagem são recursos linguísticos que nos permite ir além do significado denotativo das palavras. Elas são o oposto da linguagem literal e servem para colorir, enfeitar, ilustrar o que queremos dizer. Aliás, as figuras de linguagem são um recurso tão fantástico que elas estão por toda parte. Já reparou? Dever de casa para você!

Bom, para começar, falaremos de duas figures of speech super importantes e que usamos o tempo todo. Quer ver só?

• Simile

A simile é uma comparação em que você atribui uma característica típica de uma coisa a outra. Complicado? Nem tanto!

Se alguém te falar a seguinte frase: “I am as strong as bull.”, você consegue captar a imagem. A pessoa está simplesmente pegando uma característica do touro e atribuindo a si mesma, está comparando sua força com a do touro. Genial, né?

Esse recurso é muito usado na Literatura, já reparou? Eis alguns exemplos famosos:

• A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle – Irina Dunn
• Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh – Wilfred Owen
• Death has many times invited me: it was like the salt invisible in the waves – Pablo Neruda
• Guiltless forever, like a tree – Robert Browning
• Happy as pigs in mud – David Eddings
• How like the winter hath my absence been – William Shakespeare
• As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean – Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• Jubilant as a flag unfurled – Dorothy Parker
• So are you to my thoughts as food to life – William Shakespeare
• Yellow butterflies flickered along the shade like flecks of sun – William Faulkner

Em músicas elas também são muito comuns!

• A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle – U2
• Cheaper than a hot dog with no mustard – Beastie Boys
• I must do what’s right, as sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti – Toto
• It’s been a hard day’s night, and I’ve been working like a dog – The Beatles
• Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
• Like a bat outta [out of] hell – Meat Loaf
• My heart is like an open highway – Jon Bon Jovi
• These are the seasons of emotion and like the winds they rise and fall – Led Zeppelin
• Thick as a Brick – Jethro Tull
• You are as subtle as a brick to the small of my back – Taking Back Sunday

Existe uma infinidade de possibilidades quando o assunto é simile. Você sabe por exemplo o que quer dizer as sharp as a knife, as old as the hills, to work like a dog, to eat like a bird, to be like spaghetti, to be like golddust? Você conseguiria usar essas expressões em uma frase? Quais outras similes você conhece?

• Metaphor

As metaphors são bem parecidas com as similes, mas ao invés de na metaphor você fazer uma comparação, você diz que uma coisa é a outra por causa de uma característica que essas coisas têm em comum.

Traduzindo: se você diz “My sister is an angel.” você não está querendo dizer que sua irmã é um anjo de verdade, não é mesmo? Sua intenção é dizer que ela é uma pessoa de comportamento exemplar, o que é uma característica comumente atribuida aos anjos.

O mesmo acontece quando alguém fala “My life is a living hell.” Impossível a vida de alguém ser um inferno no sentido literal da palavra! Mas o que a pessoa quer dizer é que a vida dela anda tão ruim que está sendo do jeito que imaginamos que o inferno seja.

A tabela abaixo, retirada do site Englishclub, traz excelentes exemplos de como as metaphors podem ser usadas. Confira!

Metaphor example	Original sense of the word (example)
The committee shot her ideas down one by one.	Anti-aircraft guns shoot down planes.
The private detective dug up enough evidence to convince the police to act.	Dogs like to bury bones and dig them up later.
He broke into her conversation.	Burglars break into buildings.
The new movie was very popular. People flockedto see it.	Birds flock together before they migrate.
His head was spinning with ideas.	Some computer hard drives spin at over 10,000 revolutions per minute.
Reading that book kindled my interest in politics.	You need to start with twigs and small branches when you kindle a camp fire.
Tim lost his job after a heated argument with his boss.	We have a heated swimming pool.
The new car’s sexy design increased sales for the company.	Some women think that lipstick makes them look sexy.
He was dressed rather vulgarly in a loud checked suit.	I can’t hear you because the radio is too loud.
It wasn’t long before their relationship turned sour.	Sour food has an acid taste like lemon or vinegar.

Impressionante como esses recursos linguísticos aparecem sempre no nosso dia-a-dia! Repara bem na frequência com que você usa similes e metaphors em Português. Agora, tenta usar essas figures of speech em Inglês.  Comece fazendo uma lista de todas que vocês conseguir lembrar. Depois, já adicionando novas expressões a essa lista e veja o quanto seu vocabulário pode crescer em pouco tempo. Topa o desafio?

Então, está esperando o que? Run like the wind to make that list! You are not a statue! Move! Move! Move!

The Royal Week – Part 2

Finalmente está chegando o grande dia. O mundo vai parar por algumas horas para testemunhar a união do Príncipe William com a plebeia Catherine Middleton. O tão aguardado e comentado casamento promete ser uma das maiores celebrações que a família real já promoveu e todo mundo quer estar por dentro dos detalhes.

O que vão comer os ilustres convidados? Quem foi e quem não foi convidado? Como vão se vestir? Tudo em um casamento de tamanha grandeza chama atenção, mas quão diferente de um casamento normal é um da realeza?

Complete o texto abaixo com as palavras que estão faltando para saber mais sobre a festança. Ah, e muito cuidado para não cair da cadeira, viu?

When Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wed investment banker Marc Mezvinsky __________ July 31, 2010, it was dubbed the wedding of the year, the decade, the century even. But that was four months __________ Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton. So how does last year’s “wedding of the century” compare to __________ year’s “wedding of the century”?

How They Met
Chelsea and Mark first met as teenagers __________ a political retreat (Mark’s parents are former Democratic members of Congress). They both went __________ to attend Stanford University, but did not begin dating until years later, after Chelsea ended her relationship __________ Ian Klaus.

Across the pond, William and Kate (a small-town girl from Bucklebury) met __________ the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2001. The college friendship developed into an eight-year relationship __________ included some break-ups along the way.

The Proposals
__________ the Thanksgiving holiday in 2009, Mark proposed __________ Chelsea in New York. The pair shared the news __________ friends and family via a low-key email: “We’re sorry for the mass email but we wanted to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving! We also wanted to share that we are engaged!”

In October 2010, __________ on a 10-day trip in Kenya, Africa, William asked for Kate’s hand __________ marriage. Clarence House officially announced the engagement with a flashy photo op and TV interview the following month.

The Costs

The first-family wedding, __________ was held at Astor Courts, a private estate in Rhinebeck, New York, was described __________ townspeople as a “royal” event and the Clintons as our Windsor clan. “We love [Bill Clinton]… We wish them well. It’s royalty. It’s our royalty,” New York state resident Arlene Newman told The New York Times.

The affair reportedly cost __________$3 to $5 million. That hefty price tag included $750,000 for catering, $11,000 for a gluten-free cake (Chelsea’s allergic), $15,000 for fancy toilets, $500,000 for flowers, $200,000 for extra security (paid for __________ the Clintons) and $600,000 for air-conditioned tents, among other expenses. Plus, a Federal Aviation Administration-enforced no-fly zone was __________ effect for the area.

ALL the Royal Wedding Ceremony Details

William and Kate’s nuptials take the wedding cake __________ it comes to expenses though. On April 29, they will say their “I do’s” in Westminster Abbey, __________ a regal reception to follow at Buckingham Palace for the estimated princely sum of $34 million. The bulk of the cost is going __________ security ($32 million), which British taxpayers will pay.

Officials have warned __________ a terrorist attack is “highly likely.” The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is believed to be behind the alleged threats. __________ other groups, from Islamist militants to anti-capitalist protesters, have also threatened to commit acts __________ violence. The increased safety measures mean more man hours and added costs.

As __________ the remaining bills, two receptions come to $600,000; a fruity wedding cake, $80,000; flowers, $800,000 and clean-up, $64,000 (which will also be footed __________ taxpayers).

To help __________ some of the charges, the bride’s parents forked over a six-figure amount, Vanity Fair reported.
The Gowns
__________ the ceremony, Chelsea wore a strapless Vera Wang gown with a raw-edged silk organza skirt, __________ featured a beaded waistband. __________ the reception, she switched into a silk tulle Grecian gown with a grosgrain black belt created __________ the designer (__________ also attended the wedding).

The details of Kate’s dress are still a bit __________ a mystery. Sophie Cranston, Jasper Conran, Alice Temperley, Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen and Bruce Oldfield have all been named as possible dressmakers.

The Guests

Chelsea enacted a “no-strangers policy” __________ her Rhinebeck reception, __________ was limited to approximately 400 guests. Celebrities were kept __________ a minimum. Oprah and Barbra Streisand were not invited, __________ long-time family friends Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen did make the cut, __________ with political allies, such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and the bride and groom’s college and work friends.

As __________ this week’s festivities, 1,900 onlookers will be in the Abbey pews, including David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John, lots of foreign royals and dignitaries and the couple’s families and friends. Plus, two billion folks –a record-breaking number of eyeballs — are expected __________ tune in to watch the first “people’s royal wedding.”

The Honeymoons
After their wedding, Mark and Chelsea headed __________ South Africa for a safari adventure. William and Kate’s first trip as husband and wife will be to Jordan… or Australia… or Mustique… or Isles of Scilly.

As for privacy, well that’s priceless.

Para conferir suas respostas, clique aqui.

Esse casamento já está dando tanto o que falar que uma grande empresa americana contratou sósias da família real para fazer uma paródia da chegada da realeza à igreja. Você já viu?

E aqui você pode assitir à primeira entrevista oficial dos noivos reais.

The Royal Week – Part 1

O casamento real do século acontece na próxima sexta-feira e aparentemente o assunto quente da semana é a família real. Documentários sobre os casamentos falidos, os escândalos, os erros e s acertos da monarquia britânica estão por toda parte.

E é claro que nós não poderíamos ficar de fora dessa onda, não é mesmo?

Então, vamos lá! O que você sabe sobre a família real? Você conhece todos eles? O que eles fazem? Os britânicos gostam deles?

Complete o texto abaixo com uma versão da palavra entre parênteses e veja quão por dentro você está dos assuntos reais.

The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United __________(KING). The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at __________(VARY) with official national terms for the family. Members of the royal family belong to, either by birth or marriage, the House of Windsor, since 1917, when George V changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. This decision was __________(PRIME) taken because Britain and her Empire were at war with Germany and given the British Royal Family’s strong German ancestry, it was felt that its public image could be improved by choosing a more British house name. It is __________(INTEREST) to note that the name of the aircraft which bombed London and south-east England at this time were Gotha bombers. The new name chosen, Windsor, had absolutely no __________(CONNECT) other than as the name ofthe castle which was and continues to be a royal __________(RESIDE).

Although in the United __________(KING) there is no strict legal or formal __________(DEFINE) of who is or is not a member of the Royal Family,and different lists will include different people, those carrying the style Her or His Majesty (HM), or Her or His Royal Highness (HRH) are always considered members, which usually results in the __________(APPLY) of the term to the monarch, the consort of the monarch, the widowed consorts of previous monarchs, the children of the monarch and previous monarchs, the male-line grandchildren of the monarch and previous monarchs, and the spouses and the widows of a monarch’s and previous monarch’s sons and male-line grandsons.

Members and relatives of the British Royal Family __________(HISTORY) represented the monarch in various places throughout the British Empire, sometimes for extended periods as viceroys, or for specific ceremonies or events. Today, they often perform ceremonial and social duties throughout the United __________(KING) and abroad on behalf of the UK, but, aside from the monarch, have no __________(CONSTITUTE) role in the affairs of government. This is the same for the other realms of the Commonwealth though the family there acts on behalf of, is funded by, and represents the sovereign of that particular state, and not the United __________(KING).

Public role and image

Members of the Royal Family participate in hundreds of public __________(ENGAGE) yearly throughout the whole of the entire United __________(KING), as formally recorded in the Court Circular, to honour, encourage and learn about the __________(ACHIEVE) or endeavours of individuals, __________(INSTITUTE) and enterprises in a variety of areas of life. As __________(REPRESENT) of the Queen, they often also join the nation in commemorating historical events, holidays, celebratory and tragic __________(OCCUR), and may also sponsor or participate in numerous __________(CHARITY), cultural and social activities. Their travels abroad on behalf of the UK (called State Visits when the sovereign __________(OFFICE) meets with other heads of state) draw public attention to amicable relations within and between the Commonwealth and other nations, to British goods and trade, and to Britain as a historical, vacation, and tourist __________(DESTINY). Their presence, activities and traditional roles constitute the apex of a modern “royal court,” and provide a distinctly British and historical __________(PAGEANT) to ceremonies (e.g. Trooping the Colour) and flavour to public events (e.g. Garden Parties, Ascot). Throughout their lives they draw enormous media __________(COVER) in the form of photographic, written and televised __________(COMMENT) on their activities, family relationships, rites of passage, personalities, attire, behaviour, and public roles. Senior members of the royal family often drive themselves instead of having a driver.

Funding

Members of the Royal Family carry out public duties; these individuals receive an annual payment known as a Parliamentary Annuity, the funds being supplied to cover office costs.

These amounts are repaid by The Queen from her private funds.

Though always voluntarily subject to the Value Added Tax and other indirect taxes, the Queen agreed to pay taxes on income and capital gains from 1992, although the details of this arrangement are both voluntary and secret. At the same time it was announced that only the Queen and Prince Philip would receive civil list payments. Since 1993 the Queen’s personal estate (e.g. shareholdings, personal jewellery, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle) will be subject to Inheritance Tax, though bequests from Sovereign to Sovereign are exempt.

Para conferir suas respostas, clique aqui.

Quer saber mais sobre o que a realeza faz de verdade, sobre suas obrigações diárias? Assista ao vídeo abaixo!

Ah, e não deixe de ver o vídeo sobre as curiosidades que cercam essa família tão famosa.

Happy Easter – Part 2

No último post, deu para aprendermos um pouco mais sobre a Páscoa, lembram?

Hoje vamos falar de curiosidades ligadas a esse feriado. Leia as frases abaixo e complete-as com as palavras escondidas no caça-palavras abaixo. Boa sorte!

• The first Easter baskets were made to look like bird’s __________.
• The traditional act of painting __________ is called Pysanka.
• The custom of giving eggs at Easter time has been traced back to __________, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and Romans, to whom the egg was a __________ of life.
• In ___________ times a festival of egg-throwing was held in church, during which the priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choir boys. It was then tossed from one choir boy to the next and whoever held the egg when the __________ struck 12 was the winner and retained the egg.
• Easter is now celebrated (in the words of the Book of Common Prayer) on the first __________ after the full moon which happens on or after March 21, the Spring Equinox.
• Easter Bonnets are a throw back to the days when the people denied themselves the pleasure of wearing fine angels for the duration of __________.
• Some Churches still keep up the old tradition of using ___________ – symbolic of eternal life – embroidered in red on white, or woven in straw, but most now prefer displays of flowers in the spring colours of green, __________ and white.
• Americans celebrate Easter with a large Easter egg __________ on the White House Lawn.
• Every year at Easter the Pope sends his ” Urbi et Orbi ” to the world.
• The date of Passover is variable as it is dependent on the phases of the __________, and thus Easter is also a movable ___________.

• Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, shaped like chicks, as well as Marshmallow Bunnies and Marshmallow Eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

• As many as 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps, __________, and other shapes can be made each day.

• In 1953, it took 27 hours to create a Marshmallow Peep. Today it takes __________ minutes.

• Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, __________, blue, and white.

• Hot cross __________ were among the earliest Easter treats, made by European monks and given to the poor during Lent.

• Pretzels were originally associated with Easter. The twists of a pretzel were thought to resemble ___________ crossed in prayer

Agora sai desse computador e vai comer um pouco de chocolate! Todo mundo merece um descansinho de vez enquando!

Happy Easter – part 1

A Páscoa já está chegando!

Ovos, coelhos e muio chocolate por toda parte…

Para alguns é um feriado religioso muito importante. Para outros é uma excelente desculpa para cair de boaca no chocolate. E para você? Qual é a importância da Páscoa? Aliás, o que você sabe sobre essa data? De onde ela veio? Como é comemorada?

Para ficar por dentro de tudo, complete o texto abaixo com as palavras que estão faltando e depoisfaça o teste do vídeo lá embaixo. Boa sorte!

Easter, __________ celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection __________  the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn’t fall __________  a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter __________  the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed __________  between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, __________  follow the Gregorian calendar.

The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name are unknown. __________  sources claim the word Easter is derived __________  Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference __________  Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. __________  a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, __________  eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred __________  he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus __________  slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time __________  reflection and penance and represents the 40 days __________  Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations __________  the devil. The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun __________  the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, __________  focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

In addition __________  Easter’s religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced __________  the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, __________  the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.

Para conferir suas respostas, clique aqui.

Agora vem o grande teste! Você sabe tudo de Páscoa? Check it out!

Na Sexta-Feira Santa tem mais!

Brazil weeps…

O Brasil está de luto pelo ato devastador do atirador que alvejou várias crianças em uma escola carioca. A notícia ganhou o mundo! Você viu?

Para saber mais sobre a cobertura internacional do ataque, complete o texto abaixo com as formas verbais corretas.

(Reuters) – A Brazilian gunman __________(kill) 12 children at a Rio de Janeiro school and then himself, police __________(say) on Thursday, shocking the South American nation that has never seen such an incident before.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff __________(weep) when commenting on the incident during a speech to business leaders and requested a moment of silence for the victims.

“This type of crime is not characteristic of (our) country and therefore we are all … united in repudiating this act of violence,” Rousseff __________(say).

The attack by the 24-year-old Welington de Oliveira was the first serial killing of its kind in Brazil. Attacks similar to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, were unheard of in the South American nation.

“We have to show solidarity and support for the families of the children (killed by) that psychopath, that animal,” said Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral in a press conference at the school in the Rio neighborhood of Realengo.

Police __________(say) Oliveira __________(enter) the school carrying two guns and a suicide note. Oliveira __________(tell) officials he was there to deliver a speech and then opened fire on students.

He was a former student at the school. Police said they __________(believe) he was mentally unstable, citing the content of the suicide note, which asked that “(someone) stand in front of my tomb and ask God to forgive me for what I did.”

Oliveira did not have a police record.

‘LIKE A HORROR MOVIE’

Marcos Silva, 11, who was in the school but was not harmed, said the experience was “like a horror movie.”

“Everyone lay down on the ground in silence, the teacher __________(ask) us not to make noise so the killer wouldn’t notice us,” Silva said “I __________(think) to myself, ‘If he comes in, we’re all going to die.'”

Two of the 13 wounded children fleeing to the street __________(called) a police patrol, which rushed to the school in response.

A police officer__________(tell) reporters he shot Oliveira in the leg after the gunman left a classroom and was attempting to reach the third floor of the building. Oliveira fell onto the stairs and shot himself in the head.

Violence in Rio has traditionally been associated with drug gangs that control vast areas of the city’s slum communities. Rio’s government has in recent months __________(make) considerable advances against narco-trafficking but crime remains a problem in the beachside tourist haven.

Crime experts __________(say) contraband firearms from police and the army often end up in the hands of criminals.

Authorities have stepped up slum pacification efforts that have created a permanent police presence in poor neighborhoods in hopes of tightening security in advance of the 2014 World Cup soccer championship and the 2016 Olympic Games.

Um ataque tão, ou talvez até mais devastador do que esse aconteceu há alguns anos nos Estados Unidos e até deu origem a um documentário. Você já assistiu? Vale a pena a reflexão!

Aurora Borealis

Depois do último post não tem como não se assustar com o poder da natureza, não é mesmo?

Mas é sempre bom lembrar que as mesmas forças naturais que destroem também nos proporcionam fenômenos verdadeiramente mágicos, como é o casa da aurora boreal.

Você conhece esse fenômeno? Provavelmente já ouviu falar, mas como explicar aquelas misturas de cores no meio da noite de países gelados? Deixa com a gente!

Olha só, o texto abaixo está incompleto e, assim como no anterior, você precisa preencher as lacunas com a forma certa das palavras entre parêntese. Boa sorte!

Aurora (astronomy)

 

The aurora borealis shines above Bear Lake

 

Red and green aurora in Fairbanks, Alaska

 

Northern lights with very rare blue light over Moskosel, Lapland in Sweden

 

Northern lights over Malmesjaur, Moskosel, Lapland, Sweden

 

Aurora australis in Antarctica

Aurora timelapse video

An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae) is a __________(NATURE) light display in the sky, __________(PARTICULAR) in the polar regions, caused by the collision of charged particles directed by the Earth’s magnetic field. An aurora is usually observed at night and typically occurs in the ionosphere. It is also referred to as a polar aurora or, collectively, as polar lights. These phenomena are__________(COMMON) visible between 60 and 72 degrees north and south latitudes, which place them in a ring just within the Arctic and Antarctic polar circles. Auroras do occur deeper inside the polar regions, but these are infrequent and often invisible to the naked eye.

In __________(NORTH) latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis (or the northern lights), named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621. The chance of __________(VISIBLE) of the aurora borealis increases with proximity to the North Magnetic Pole. Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from farther away, they illuminate the __________(NORTH) horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the Sun were rising from an __________(USUAL) direction. The aurora borealis most often occurs near the equinoxes. The __________(NORTH) lights have had a number of names throughout history. The Cree call this phenomenon the “Dance of the Spirits“. In Europe, in theMiddle Ages, the auroras were commonly __________(BELIEF) a sign from God (see Wilfried Schröder, Das Phänomen des Polarlichts, Darmstadt 1984).

Its __________(SOUTH) counterpart, the aurora australis (or the southern lights), has similar properties, but is only visible from high __________(SOUTH) latitudes in Antarctica, South America, or Australasia. Australis is the Latin word for “of the South”.

Auroras can be spotted throughout the world and on other planets. They are most visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of __________(DARK) and the magnetic field.

Auroral mechanism

Auroras result from __________(EMIT) of photons in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, above 80 km (50 miles), from __________(ION) nitrogen atoms regaining an electron, and oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an __________(EXCITEMENT) state to ground state. They are __________(ION) orexcited by the collision of solar wind particles being funneled down and accelerated along the Earth’s magnetic field lines; excitation energy is lost by the emission of a photon of light, or by collision with another atom or molecule:

oxygen emissions 

Green or brownish-red, __________(DEPEND) on the amount of energy absorbed.

nitrogen emissions

Blue or red. Blue if the atom regains an electron after it has been ionized. Red if returning to ground state from an excited state.

Oxygen is __________(USE) in terms of its return to ground state: it can take three quarters of a second to emit green light and up to two minutes to emit red. Collisions with other atoms or molecules will absorb the __________(EXCITE) energy and prevent emission. The very top of the atmosphere is both a higher percentage of oxygen, and so thin that such collisions are rare enough to allow time for oxygen to emit red. Collisions become more frequent progressing down into the atmosphere, so that red emissions do not have time to happen, and __________(EVENT) even green light__________(EMIT) are prevented.

This is why there is a colour __________(DIFFERENCE) with altitude; at high altitude oxygen red dominates, then oxygen green and nitrogen blue/red, then finally nitrogen blue/red when collisions prevent oxygen from emitting anything. Green is the most common of all auroras. Behind it is pink, a mixture of light green and red, followed by pure red, yellow (a mixture of red and green), and lastly pure blue.

 

A predominantly red aurora australis

Auroras are associated with the solar wind, a flow of ions __________(CONTINUE) flowing outward from the Sun. The Earth’s magnetic field traps these particles, many of which travel toward the poles where they are accelerated toward Earth. Collisions between these ions and atmospheric atoms and molecules cause energy releases in the form of auroras appearing in large circles around the poles. Auroras are more frequent and brighter during the intense phase of the solar cycle when coronal mass ejectionsincrease the __________(INTENSE) of the solar wind.^[3] Seen from space, these fiery curtains form a thin ring in the shape of a monk’s tonsure.

Is this impressive or what? Wanna see it with your own eyes?

Para saber se você mandou bem no exercício, clique aqui.

Tsunamis

Com essa tragédia toda acontecendo no Japão, eis o personagem principal aparece de novo: o terrível TSUNAMI.

Mas você sabe como ele se forma? Por que ele é tão devastador?

Saiba mais sobre esse que é sem dúvida um dos fenômenos naturais mais aterrorizantes. Leia o texto abaixo e preencha as lacunas com uma variação da palavra entre parênteses.

Tsunami

A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: 津波, lit. “harbor wave”; English pronunciation: /tsuːˈnɑːmiː/, tsoo-NAH-mee or /suːˈnɑːmiː/, soo-NAH-mee), also called a tsunami wave train, or less frequently a tidal wave, is a series of water waves caused by the __________(PLACE) of a large volume of a body of water, usually an ocean, though it can occur in large lakes. Tsunamis are a frequent __________(OCCUR) in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded. Owing to the immense volumes of water and the high energy involved, tsunamis can devastate __________(COAST) regions.

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides and other mass movements, meteorite ocean impacts or similar impact events, and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.

The Greek__________(HISTORY)Thucydides was the first to relate tsunami to submarine earthquakes,^[5][6] but the understanding of a tsunami’s nature remained slim until the 20th century and is the subject of ongoing research. Many early geological, geographical, and __________(OCEAN) texts refer to tsunamis as “seismic sea waves.”

Some meteorological conditions, such as deep depressions that cause tropical cyclones, can generate a storm surge, called a meteotsunami, which can raise tides several metres above normal levels. The displacement comes from low atmospheric __________(PRESS) within the centre of the depression. As these storm surges reach shore, they may resemble (though are not) tsunamis, inundating vast areas of land.

Characteristics

When the wave enters shallow water, it slows down and its amplitude (height) increases.

The wave further slows and amplifies as it hits land. Only the largest waves crest.

Tsunamis cause damage by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water travelling at high speed, and the __________(DESTROY) power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying all with it, even if the wave did not look large.

While everyday wind waves have a wavelength (from crest to crest) of about 100 metres (330 ft) and a height of roughly 2 metres (6.6 ft), a tsunami in the deep ocean has a wavelength of about 200 kilometres (120 mi). Such a wave travels at well over 800 kilometres per hour (500 mph), but owing to the enormous wavelength the wave oscillation at any given point takes 20 or 30 minutes to complete a cycle and has an amplitude of only about 1 metre (3.3 ft).^[20] This makes tsunamis difficult to detect over deep water. Ships rarely notice their __________(PASS).

As the tsunami approaches the coast and the waters become shallow, wave shoaling compresses the wave and its velocity slows below 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). Its wavelength diminishes to less than 20 kilometres (12 mi) and its __________(AMPLE) grows enormously. Since the wave still has the same very long period, the tsunami may take minutes to reach full height. Except for the very largest tsunamis, the __________(APPROACH) wave does not break, but rather appears like a fast-moving tidal bore. Open bays and coastlines adjacent to very deep water may shape the tsunami further into a step-like wave with a steep-breaking front.

When the tsunami’s wave peak reaches the shore, the resulting temporary rise in sea level is termed run up. Run up is measured in metres above a __________(REFER) sea level. A large tsunami may feature multiple waves arriving over a period of hours, with __________(SIGN) time between the wave crests. The first wave to reach the shore may not have the highest run up.^[22]

About 80% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, but they are possible wherever there are large bodies of water, including lakes. They are caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic explosions, and bolides.

Drawback

Wave animation showing the initial “drawback” of surface water

If the first part of a tsunami to reach land is a trough—called a drawback—rather than a wave crest, the water along the shoreline recedes __________(DRAMA), exposing normally submerged areas.

A drawback occurs because the water propagates outwards with the trough of the wave at its front. Drawback begins before the wave arrives at an interval equal to half of the wave’s period. Drawback can exceed hundreds of metres, and people unaware of the danger sometimes remain near the shore to satisfy their curiosity or to collect fish from the exposed seabed.

 

Incrível, não é mesmo? Não deixe de assistir ao vídeo abaixo porque é de cair o queixo.

Ah, e para conferir as respostas do exercício acima, é só clicar aqui.

Saint Patrick’s Day – part 2

Saint Patrick’s day is finally here!

E aí? Está usando uma peça de roupa verde? Já achou seu trevo de 3 folhas? Viu algum duende correndo por aí atrás do pote de ouro do final do arco-íris?

O que? Boiou na história? Explicamos!

No texto abaixo, você vai achar um monte de informações sobre os grandes símbolos de Saint Patrick’s day. Complete cada lacuna com a palavra apropriada para entender o texto direitinho.

The Shamrock

The shamrock, __________ was also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth ofspring. __________ the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. __________ the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure __________ English rule.

Irish Music

Music is often associated __________ St. Patrick‘s Day—and Irish culture in general. __________ ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, __________ religion, legend and history were passed from one generation __________ the next by way of stories and songs. After being conquered __________ the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned __________ music to help them remember important events and hold __________ to their heritage and history. As it often stirred emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was outlawed by the English. __________ her reign, Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.

Today, traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem are gaining worldwide popularity. Their music is produced __________ instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass or aluminum) and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used __________ warfare rather than music).

The Snake

It has long been recounted that, __________ his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (__________ is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland.

__________ fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The “banishing of the snakes” was really a metaphor __________ the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within 200 years of Patrick’s arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.

Corned Beef

Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick’s Day to share a “traditional” meal of corned beef and cabbage.

__________ cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick’s Day at the turn of the century.

Irish immigrants living __________New York City‘s Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.”

Belief __________ leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief __________ fairies, tiny men and women __________ could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. __________ only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure.

Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959,Walt Disney released a film called Darby O’Gill & the Little People, __________ introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, __________ has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland in general.

Quer conferir suas respostas? Clique aqui!

Bom, mas as informações não param por aí. O vídeo abaixo mostra inúmeras expressões que você vai precisar para conversar sobre Saint Patrick’s day. Não deixe de assistir!

E para finalizar nosso post com chave de ouro…. Links divertidos para vocês!!!

Online coloring pages

Online games

Have fun!

Enjoy this great day!

Saint Patrick’s Day – part 1

It’s Saint Patick’s day!!!

Você já ouviu falar nessa data tão importante para alguns países? Sabe o que é?

Não??? Então fique por dentro de tudo que rola nesse dia! É só ler esse texto e completá-lo com a forma verbal correta.

Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is a religious holiday __________(celebrate) internationally on 17 March. It is named afterSaint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland. It __________(originate) as a Catholicholiday and became an official feast day in the early 17th century. It _____ gradually _____(become) more of a secular celebration ofIrish culture.

It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland,^[1]Northern Ireland,^[2]Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina,Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat, among others.

Saint Patrick

 

Saint Patrick (c. 387–461)

Little __________(know) of Patrick’s early life, though it is known that he__________(be born) in Roman Britain in the 4th century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave.^[3] It __________(believe) he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he __________(tell) by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.^{[citation needed]}

In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to Christianise the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore __________(tell) that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on 17 March 461, and according to tradition, __________(bury) at Downpatrick. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and __________(hold) in esteem in the Irish Church.

Wearing of the green

Originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick’s day __________(grow).^[4] Green ribbons and shamrocks __________(wear) in celebration of St Patrick’s Day as early as the 17th century.^[5] He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.^[6][7] In the 1798 rebellion, in hopes of making a political statement, Irish soldiers __________(wear) full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention.^[4] The phrase “the wearing of the green”, meaning to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing, __________(derive) from a song of the same name.

In Ireland

 

According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people.

Saint Patrick’s feast day, as a kind of national day, _____ already _____(use) by the Irish in Europe in the ninth and tenth centuries. In later times he __________(become) more and more widely known as the patron of Ireland.^[8] Saint Patrick’s feast day was finally placed on the universalliturgical calendar in the Catholic Church due to the influence of Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding^[9] in the early 1600s. Saint Patrick’s Day thus became a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland. The church calendar __________(avoid) the observance of saints’ feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint’s day to a time outside those periods. Saint Patrick’s Day is occasionally affected by this requirement, when 17 March falls during Holy Week. This __________(happen) in 1940, when Saint Patrick’s Day was observed on 3 April in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, where it was officially observed on 14 March (15 March being used for St. Joseph, which had to be moved from March 19), although the secular celebration still __________(take) place on 17 March. Saint Patrick’s Day __________(not fall) within Holy Week again until 2160.^[10][11] (In other countries, St. Patrick’s feast day is also March 17, but liturgical celebration is omitted when impeded by Sunday or by Holy Week.)

Quanta informação, não é mesmo? Se quiser checar suas respostas, clique aqui.

E para quem gosta de quebrar a cabeça e de se sentir desafiado… nada melhor do que clicar aqui.

Para saber mais sobre como esse dia é celebrado, assista a esse vídeo:

E aí? Se animou para usar pelo menos uma camisa verde na quinta-feira?

The best of luck to you!