Posts in category "Vocabulary"
Seven Continents
0The word continent ("континент") comes from the Latin terra continens, meaning continuous land ("земля без конца и края"). Like countries, continents are proper nouns ("имена собственные"). That means they are names and the first letter must be a capital letter ("заглавная буква"). Even for the adjective ("прилагательное"), the first letter is always a capital: Africa (continent), African (adjective), an African (person) Asia (continent), Asian (adjective), an Asian (person) Australia (continent), Australian (adjective), an Australian (person) Europe (continent), [...]
08.12.2001 / Vocabulary
English Is a Stupid Language
0Let's face it ("давайте посмотрим правде в глаза"): English is a stupid language! There is no egg ("яйцо") in the eggplant ("баклажан"), no ham ("ветчина") in the hamburger ("гамбургер"), and neither ("ни") pine ("сосна") nor ("ни") apple ("яблоко") in the pineapple ("ананас"). English muffins ("маффины, оладьи") were not invented ("придуманы; изобретены") in England, French fries ("картофель фри") were not invented in France. Quicksand ("зыбучий песок") takes you down ("засасывает") slowly. Boxing rings ("ринг; кольцо") are square ("квадратные"). [...]
25.11.2001 / Vocabulary
Franklin's Light
0Benjamin Franklin came to a personal conclusion ("вывод") that the lighting ("освещение") of streets would not only add gentility ("знатность, элитность") to his city, but also make it safer ("безопаснее"). In seeking to interest ("пытаясь заинтересовать") the people ("население") of his native Philadelphia in street lighting, however ("однако"), he didn't try to persuade ("убеждать, уговаривать") them by talking about it. Instead ("вместо этого"), he hung a beautiful lantern ("фонарик") on a long bracket ("кронштейн; бра") outside his [...]
09.06.2001 / Vocabulary
