Example

english-mail ISSUE #399

Active Old Men

A 60-year-old man went to a for a check-up. The told him, "You're in wonderful condition.  There's nothing wrong with you. Hey, you might live forever; you have the body of a 35-year-old. By the way, how old was your father when he died?"

The 60-year-old responded, "Did I say my father was dead?"

The was surprised and asked, "How old is he; is he still active?"

The 60-year-old responded, "Well, he is 82 years old and he still goes skiing three times a season and surfing three times a week during the summer."

The said, "That's incredible! Well, how old was your when he died?"

The 60-year-old responded again, "Did I say my was dead?"

The was astonished.  He said, "You mean to tell me you are 60 years old and both your father and your are alive?  Is your very active?"

The 60-year-old said, "He goes skiing at least once a season and surfing once a week during the summer. Not only that," said the patient, "my is 106 years old, and next week he is getting married again."

The said, "At 106 years old? Why on earth would your want to get married at that age?"

His patient looked up at the and said, "Did I say he WANTED to get married?"

Mini - Grammar

Fill in the gaps with the correct adverbs or prepositions:

1. After he finished college he Europe for
    a year.          (herumzigeunern)
              
2. They had to knock 5 houses in order to make
    room for  the new hospital.   (abreissen)

3. The hired killers the gangster and his  
    family.  (umbringen)

4. The storm 5 trees on this street alone.(umwerfen)

Vocabulary

Fill in the gaps in the text with the following words:

STUCK WITH    USHER IN    SPENT    HOVERS    INFIGHTING

Across the border in Germany, voters in a September 18 election appear likely to a new government and, with it, reforms. French voters, by contrast, are a President who is a political force, a center-right government that has repeatedly
failed to deliver on its economic promises, and a Socialist-led opposition whose main activity seems to be . Meanwhile, unemployment near 10% and economic growth is ananemic 1.5%.

(From Business Week, September 19, 2005)

Glossary

TO BE STUCK WITH - am Hals haben
TO USHER IN - einfuehren
SPENT - verausgabt
TO HOVER - schweben
INFIGHTING - interne Streitigkeiten

Answers to last week's exercises:

Mini - Grammar

1.  After he finished college he {around} Europe for year.
    (herumzigeunern)
              
2. They had to knock {down} 5 houses in order to make  room for   
    the new hospital.   (abreissen)

3. The hired killers {off} the gangster and his family.
    (umbringen)

4. The storm {over} 5 trees on this street alone.(umwerfen)

Vocabulary

Across the border in Germany, voters in a September 18 election appear likely to USHER IN a new government and, with it, reforms. French voters, by contrast, are STUCK WITH a President who is a SPENT political force, a center-right government that has repeatedly failed to deliver on its economic promises, and Socialist-led opposition whos main activity seems to be INFIGHTING. Meanwhile, unemployment HOVERS near 10% and economic growth is an anemic 1.5%.

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