The Groundhog 2017

The Groundhog 2017

Every country has it's own custom and tradition. For the United States and Canada, one of those happens to be letting a groundhog predict our seasons….

Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd. Traditionally, if a groundhog leaves its burrow when it is cloudy, spring will arrive early. If it is a sunny day, the groundhog will see it’s shadow and return to its burrow. This foreshadows six more weeks of winter. While the accuracy of this tradition is often up for debate, it’s fun speculate nonetheless. 

Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? The famous prognosticator and "seer of seers" came out on Feb. 2nd, Thursday morning at Gobbler's Knob in Punsxutawney, Pennsylvania, and saw his shadow...which means six more weeks of winter. However, I believe that spring will arrive soon since science shows that we're in for a warmer than normal February, regardless that groundhog saw its shadow and returned to its burrow. Hopefully spring arrives early and I am gladly looking forward for it! 

Vocabulary

Groundhog (n.) a small furry animal with short legs that is found in North America and lives in holes in the ground
Custom (n.) something that a particular person regularly does 
Debate (n.) a discussion in which people or groups state different opinions about a subject
Prognosticator (v.) someone who can foretell an event in the future
Burrow (v.) to make a hole or tunnel in the ground
Foreshadow (v.) be a warning or indication of a future event
Punxsutawney (n.) a borough in west central Pennsylvania, the home of Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog whose movements are closely observed by the media each February 2 in order to predict the length of winter

Vocabulary Review

Find the vocabulary words in the word search

F  J  W  I  Z  V  Q  M  R  P  C  C  A  U
E  Q  I  B  F  Y  R  Q  F  R  W  B  Y  I
W  J  H  K  O  P  B  B  T  O  O  P  X  P
B  A  B  G  R  E  F  R  S  G  G  C  U  H
T  Y  U  O  E  E  F  A  M  N  T  N  N  X
X  Q  R  H  S  T  R  E  L  O  X  E  J  J
F  U  R  D  H  A  S  B  J  S  A  C  M  B
B  P  O  N  A  B  N  L  U  T  Z  U  G  R
V  O  W  U  D  E  U  T  P  I  U  S  Z  K
Q  Q  B  O  O  D  A  D  Q  C  U  T  X  C
B  N  M  R  W  W  L  D  Q  A  Z  O  Q  O
W  G  E  G  N  Q  J  A  I  T  Y  M  E  X
W  A  F  E  C  Y  C  Y  K  O  V  G  B  E
B  R  Y  L  O  H  V  D  D  R  N  J  O  P

burrow

custom

debate

foreshadow

groundhog

prognosticator

Punxsutawney  Grammar Point: An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three dots. It can express hesitation, changes of mood, suspense, or thoughts. An ellipsis may also indicate a short pause in a sentence. Example: Um...I'm not sure if thats true.  Grammar Exercise: Using the above example as a model, create three sentences using an ellipsis.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

Ahh Valentine's Day, the time to celebrate love, share and give. It is an opportunity for us to truly reconnect with the real meaning of this day. From chocolate to jewelry to romantic dinners, who doesn't enjoy a nice Valentine's Day gift?

Since Valentine's Day is around the corner, hopefully a lovely arrangement of flowers arrives for you from someone you love. Romance is literally in full bloom when flowers arrive. Flowers are a wonderful way to express your feelings. 


With Valentine’s Day falling on a Tuesday, it is the perfect opportunity to send flowers to the office for that true “wow” impact. Everyone knows the feeling of flowers coming through the office door and wondering who they are for. The recipient feels great, and you, the giver, looks great! Such a special delivery adds to the memories of your special gift. 



You can never go wrong giving your sweetheart red roses for Valentine’s Day; they are the symbol of passionate love. As this will be my first Valentines after marriage, I wonder what my husband will surprise me with. Can't wait! 

Vocabulary

Celebrate (v.) publicly acknowledge (a significant or happy day or event) with a social gathering or enjoyable activity

Passionate (adj.) showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief
Opportunity (n.) a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something
Recipient (n.) a person or thing that receives or is awarded something 
Romance (n.) a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love

Vocabulary Review

Word-Scramble-Use the definitions to help you unscramble the vocabulary words.

1.) to do something enjoyable in order to show that an occasion or event is special __________ (etaeblecr)
2.) an exciting and usually short romantic relationship _________ (mercnoa)
3.) a chance to do something __________ (upyoptriont)
4.) showing or expressing powerful emotions _________ (seoaptsain)
5.) someone who receives something __________ (ecirpiten)

Grammar Point: An apostrophe is used in writing to indicate possession. That is, the noun that owns the item has an apostrophe added to the end of it. 

Grammar Activity: Insert an apostrophe where needed in each sentence.
1.) The girls ribbon fell out of her hair.
2.) The cats leg was broken in the accident.
3.) The doctors waiting room was full of patients during his late night surgery. 
4.) The boys ball went over the fence when he was playing on his own in the garden.
5.) The teachers enjoyed a meal together. 

Trip to Miami

Trip to Miami

After a couple of days of my marriage, my husband gave me a surprise, a trip to Miami for our honeymoon. The peaceful breeze of the ocean waves and the heat of the sun shining down on my face is what I really enjoyed at my honeymoon. Since I'm not a "winter" person that enjoys cold weather, therefore, a surprise trip to Miami was the best thing I could possibly think of in the month of January. 

1

The warm rays of the sun and the cool breeze from the beach made my body soothing. As I was departing from New York, I had mixture of feelings running inside me. On one side, I was feeling gloomy because I thought I would miss my hometown since I never went on a trip with leaving my family behind. Shortly arriving in South Beach, Miami, the feelings of missing my family vanished. Staying there for 5 days felt as though it was not long enough. I did not want to return back from this beautiful and peaceful place.

There was so much time I had to spend time with my husband. We were out days and nights, eating food, relaxing at the beach, shopping and traveling on bus & boat tour. Sugar Factory was the world's sweeter restaurant that I adored the most. The celebri-fog goblet blended together with a wonderful mix of melon, coconut and pineapple created a unique taste. For the final touch, they garnished this yummy goblet of goodness with lollipops and candy necklaces. The coolest thing about this Lollipop Passion goblet was that it had dry ice fog coming out of it. The visit to Sugar Factory left remarkable thoughts on me. I would not mind moving to Miami at all, but I know my whole family is in New York whom I can't stay apart from at all. If I get a next chance, I will definitely make a trip there again.

Vocabulary

Honeymoon (n.) a vacation spent together by a newly married couple

Garnished (n.) to provide (a food) with something that adds flavor, decorative color, etc.  

Goblet (n.) glass bowl-shaped drinking cup, sometimes with a foot and a stem

Soothing (adj.) having a gently calming effect

Vanished (v.) disappear suddenly and completely

Surprise (n.) an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing

Vocabulary Review

Complete the crossword puzzle by matching the correct word to the definitions. 

Across:

2. decorative or embellishment

4. calming; relaxing

Down:

1. to disappear

3. vacation spent my newly wed couple after marriage

4. astonishment

5. drinking bowl-shaped glass

Grammar Point: Comma is the most frequently type of punctuation that is used within a sentence. It is a punctation mark (,) indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list and separate adjectives or adverbs that are being used next to each other in a sentence. 

Grammar Activity: Punctuate the following sentences with a comma in the correct place. 
1.) As I entered the room I realized that I was late again. 
2.) If she wishes Jessica can come with us.
3.) Because the game was so one-sided we left early. 
4.) While I worked at the restaurant I learned about making food. 
5.) Before you leave give me your house address and cell number. 

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend 

Memorial Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to kick back and relax as you prepare for the frenetic summer months. This day is a time for family, food, fun, and a free day off from work. Most cities in the U.S. celebrates this day of leisure with patriotic parades, fireworks, and of course, Memorial Day sales for shoppers. If your not sure how you want to spend Memorial Day weekend, here are 4 ideas of making your Memorial Day weekend joyful:

1. Watch a Parade: Memorial Day Parades are held all across the U.S. About 10,000 people join to celebrate this memorable day. These parades are about honoring the men and women who have died while serving in our armed forces. So go out and honor our veteran soldiers; make sure to get the details about Memorial Day parades in your area from the government's website. 
   
2. Take in the Fireworks: No matter what you do during the day, make sure your Memorial Day evening includes some fireworks! Watch as the music fills the air and the sky is covered with colorful bursts of brilliance. This impressive display will certainly give you something to celebrate the Memorial Day Weekend. 
   
3. Host a Barbecue: This is the perfect way to relax with friends and family while enjoying your much-deserved day off. Grill up some hamburgers and hotdogs and ask everyone to bring a side dish, and fill a cooler with ice-cold beverages. 
   
4. Head to the Park: For those who don’t have a lot of outdoor space near their apartment, the park is the perfect alternative. Many parks have picnic areas with grills, so book a space and host your Memorial Day get-together there! This is also a great option for people who have children, as the kids can be easily entertained by the nearby playground and enjoy their Memorial Day weekend off from school. 
   

Vocabulary

1. Frenetic (adj.) having extreme enthusiasm or energy

2. Patriotic (adj.) feeling a lot of love, respect, and duty towards your country 

3. Parade (n.) a public celebration in which a large group of people move through an area, often  with decorated vehicles and bands playing music

4. Fireworks (n.) an object that explodes when you light it and produces colored lights and loud noises

5. Barbecue (n.) a meal at which meat and other food is cooked and eaten outside, often a meal that you invite friends to

Vocabulary Review

Fill in the blank with the correct vocabulary word.

1. After the concert, the ____________ crowd surged through the exit doors and began to dance in the street.   

2. The celebrations culminated in a spectacular ___________ display. 

3. I hope you would join us in the _________ and march along the street.

4. The recent attacks on the country by terrorists has increased __________ sentiments 

considerably. 

5. The dog sniffed in the air, it could smell salmon cooking on a _________ not too far away. 

Grammar Point: Verbs are words that can describe actions. Some of the verbs in this passage are past tense, for example, entertained, covered, and deserved. The past tense of regular verbs is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb. 

Grammar Activity: Write five sentences using these three verbs and three other regular verbs in the past tense.