Once again, it's time to check your vocabulary improvement after the last "lesson". Here is a crossword, that you can also download and print here
Enjoy!
Across
2. a small group of people who spend their time together and do not welcome other people into that group 3. in an earlier time
5. to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them, or cause problems for them of they do not do what you want 8. seeming not to need any effort 9. working or operating quickly and effectively 11. further away in the distance 13. to do an action or piece of work 17. happening after something else 20. to pull or be pulled apart 21. difficult or unpleasant conditions of life 23. to win against someone in a fight, war or competition 24. the fact that someone or something disappears 28. different from what is usual or from the way most people do things 29. a list of planned activities or things to be done, showing the times or dates when they are intended to happen or to be done 30. to persuade someone to work for a company or become a new member of an organization, especially the army
Down
1. to represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book or other artistic work 2. someone who was found guilty of a crime 4. use manipulation 6. usually or to a large degree 7. a drug that makes your mind and body more active 10. to be public for the first time, for a play or any other time of entertainment 11. place where a battle is being fought 12. (fig) fulfill a commitment, keep a promise 14. the occasion when someone performs or presents something to the public for the first time = premiere 15. lawyer 16. to move or cause something to move around a central point or line 18. to keep a group of people interested or enjoying themselves 19. testicle 22. the offense of breaking a religious or moral law 25. permission for a prisoner to be released before their period in prison is finished, with the agreement that they will behave well 26. to develop gradually 27. conspire
Those of you who have followed my classes know how many times I have said that doing something we like in the language we want to learn is the best way to learn quickly and effortlessly. In my case, watching series proved to be very efficient as you get entertained at the same time as you train your brain. So here are the 12 series, according to Entertainment Weekly, that can't be missed this summer. Note that if you decide to watch them, you should watch them with English subtitles, as your brain will magically pick up new words, expressions, spellings, and, most importantly, develop your listening skills. For that matter, don't hesitate reading the article while listening the its audio version below.
Here is an American teen drama mystery-thriller series based on the novels by Sara Shepard. The story is about the lives of four girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their queen bee: Alison DiLaurentis. A year later, they start receiving messages from a mysterious person using the name 'A'. This 'A' threatens to expose their secrets. At first, they think it's Alison herself, until her body is found. Because of the major success of the 10 first episodes of the TV show, the book series was extended beyond the initial eight novels. The 4th season premiered on June 11th, 2013 on ABC Family.
2. True Blood
This one is also an American television drama series and it was created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels written by Charlaine Harries. The story is about the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a small town in northwestern Louisiana. The main character is Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress. The show has been broadcast on HBO since September 7, 2008 and the first 5 seasons received mainly favorable reviews. They also won several awards, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
The sixth season premiered on June 16th, 2013.
3. Franklin & Bash
This is more of a drama-comedy television series, with the two main characters, Jared Franklin and Peter Bash portrayed as unconventional lawyers and longtime friends. In the UK, it was compared to Allie McBeal, but "with balls". It premiered in June 2011 on TNT. After defeating Damien Karp of the prestigious law firm Infeld & Daniels, Jared and Peter are recruited by Stanton Infeld, where they work with their assistant Carmen Phillips, an ex-convict out on parole, and Pindar Singh, a brilliant but agoraphobic attorney and classmate of theirs. The third season began on June 19, 2013.
4. Under the dome
Under the Dome is an American science fiction horror television series based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The series premiered on June 24, 2013 on CBS. Set in the near future, Under the Dome tells the story of all the residents of the small town of Chester’s Mill, who suddenly find themselves cut off from the rest of the world by a mysterious, impenetrable barrier that surrounds the town. As the town begins to tear itself apart through panic, a small group of people try to keep peace and order, while also trying to find the truth about the barrier and how to escape from it. 5. Dexter
Is it Dexter’s turn to die? For the show’s 8th and final season, all bets are off. Dexter is an Ameican television drama series which debuted on October 1, 2006 on CBS. The series centers on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for Miami Metro Police Department, who also leads a secret life as a serial killer. The show’s first season was largely based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the first of the Dexter series novels by Jeff Lindsay. However, the subsequent seasons have evolved independantly of Lindsay’s work. For this last season, we can expect Miami Metro’s killer to fight with his siter Debra, the arrival of a psychiatrist from his past, the return of his poisonous lover Hanna McKay, and a new Big Bad who steals pieces of victim’s brains. All that leads Dexter to a finale that the producers promise will deliver. «We want to go out as strongly as we came in. It will be scary and thrilling and very touching all at the same time.»
Showtime: June 30, 2013
6. Ray Donovan
This one is a new American television drama series, created by Ann Biderman and its twelve-episode first season is going to debut on June 30, 2013. The story takes place in Los Angeles, California, where Ray Donovan is a «fixer» for the rich and famous. However, he experiences his own problems when his father is unexpectedly released from prison.
7. Get out alive with Bear Grylls
Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls is a new American reality competition hosted by adventurer and survivalist Bear Grylls. The series made of eight episodes is scheduled to start on NBC on July 8th, 2013. Ten teams of 2 people will compete to survive in the wild of New Zealand while performing various tasks and missions. Each week, one team will be eliminated, and the last team remaining will win $500,000.
8. The Bridge
A Texas detective and a charming Mexican detective team up when a dead body is dropped on the bridge connecting El Paso (Tex.) to Juares (Mexico). But the producers promise the series will be about more than just the hunt for a killer. It’s an American police drama that will debut on FX on July 10th, 2013.
9. Orange is the new black
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir Orange is The New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, the original comedy-drama series will premiere on July 11, 2013. It revolves around Piper Chapman, a New York woman, who is sent to a women’s federal prison for possessing a suitcase full of drug money for Alex Vause, an international drug smuggler and a previous lover. She has to serve a 15-month sentence and she must survive the hardships of prison life.
10. Suits
This series is set at the law firm Pearson Hardman in New York City. Specter is looking for an associate and interviews Ross, who is the best candidate for the position and obtains it without having a law degree, and being on the run from a drug deal gone bad... The third season is about to premiere on July 16, 2013
11. The White Queen
Based on a series of best-selling historical novels by Philippa Gregory, this War of the Roses drama centers around King Edward who disobeyed his advisers to marry Elizabeth in 1464 and the rebellion that follows. It focuses on 3 ladies who want the throne. «It’s about how they plot and they maneuver, not on the battlefield but in their homes.» It is a British television drama and it was launched on BBC One on June 16th, 2013.
12. Breaking Bad
Set and produced in Abluquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer at the beginning of the series. He turns to a life of crime, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, in order to secure his family’s financial future before he dies. In this third and last season it’s time to find out if Walter will pay for all the sins he has committed over five dark seasons. It will be aired starting August 11th, 2013.
Here is a little crossword to test your memory. It gathers the vocabulary taught in relation to the previous blog entry "Brazil's protests raise fears for World Cup". Enjoy! Downloadable and printable version here.
Clues:
Across
4. one occasion when groups of people march or stand together to show that they disagree with or support something or someone
9. a large group of people who have come together
10. the set of services provided by a country or an organization for the treatment of the physically and mentally ill 13. not probably or likely to happen 15. very bad 19. to make someone decide something 21. a strip of metal going from the highest point of a building to the ground, that prevents lightning from damaging the building 23. the money that you pay for a journey on a vehicle, such as a bus or a train
Down
1. very great admiration or praise for someone 2. to make something become larger in amount or size 3. to give money or a prize following an official decision
5. Greek king who changed everything into gold
6. the act of politely or officially ask for something
7. to become worse 8. hurting someone or something 11. an elastic substance made from the juice of particular trees 12. 1,000,000 14. ask for something forcefully 16. the situation in which someone important gives jobs to friends rather than to independent people who have the necessary skills and experience 17. an object shot during shooting practice 18. Latin-American word for foreigners 20. a large angry crowd, especially one that could easily become violent 22. a public meeting of a large group of people, especially supporters of a particular opinion
