Tuesday, May 11, 2010

So Long It's Been Good to Know You


by Woody Guthrie This version was adapted by the Weavers

1. I've sung this song, but I'll sing it again,
Of the people I've met and the places I've seen.
Of some of the troubles that bothered my mind
And a lot of good people that I've left behind, saying:

CHORUS
So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh.
What a long time since I've been home,
And I've gotta be driftin' along.

2. The sweethearts sat in the dark and they sparked.
They hugged and they kissed in that dusty old dark.
They sighed and they cried and they hugged and they kissed,
But instead of marriage they talked like this: Honey,

CHORUS

3. I went to your family and asked them for you.
They all said, “Take her. Oh, take her, please do!
She can’t cook or sew, and she won’t scrub your floor.”
So I put on my hat and tip-toed out the door, saying,

CHORUS

4. I walked down the street to the grocery store.
It was crowded with people both rich and both poor.
I asked the man how his butter was sold.
He said, “One pound of butter for two pounds of gold.” I said,

CHORUS

5A. The telephone rang. It jumped off the wall,
That was the preacher, a-makin' his call.
We’re waitin’ to tie the knot.
You’re getting married. Believe it or not!

(5B. The telephone rang. It jumped off the wall,
That was the preacher, a-makin' his call.
He said, "Kind friends, this may be the end.
You have your last chance at salvation from sin!")

6A. The church was jammed and the church, it was packed,
The pews were all crowded from the front to the back
A thousand friends waited to kiss my new bride,
but I was so anxious, I rushed her outside.

(6B. The church, it was jammed and the church, it was packed,
The pews were all crowded from the front to the back
That the preacher could not read a word of his text,
So he folded his specs, took up a collection, Sayin')

CHORUS

So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh.
What a long time since I've been home,
And I've gotta be driftin' along.


1. What words in the chorus mean: I have to go. or Gotta go
______________________________________________________________________
2. What are the present perfect verbs in the first verse?

a. _____________________________
b. _____________________________
c. _____________________________
d. _____________________________

3. If something has already happened, then you can use the present perfect tense. For example:
a. I have already eaten lunch. (eat)
b. My friend has already taken this class. (take)
A. YOUR TURN
_______________________________________________________________________
If something began in the past and has been that way since then, you can use the present perfect tense. For example:
a. I haven’t eaten since this morning at 8 o’clock. (eat)
b. I’ve been in the U.S. since 1999. (since Jan.) (be)
B. YOUR TURN
_______________________________________________________________________
You can use the present perfect tense if the question is about something that is brand new in your life, and you ask it this way:
a. Have you ever been to Las Vegas? or (be)
b. Have you ever eaten at MacDonald’s? (eat)
C. YOUR TURN (Write a question to ask your partner.)
_______________________________________________________________________

Your answers for the above questions can use the present perfect tense.
For example: Yes. I went to Las Vegas a year ago. (past tense of “go”)
No. I have never been to Las Vegas. (present perfect “be”)
YOUR TURN (Write your partner’s answer.)
_______________________________________________________________________
If you want to say how long – from then to now, you can use the present perfect. For example:
a. I have worked in the same company for 5 years.
b. I have been waiting for the bus for a long time.
B. YOUR TURN
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Why are the present perfect verbs the correct verbs for this first verse?
_______________________________________________________________________

5. In the 2nd verse, what are all the past tense verbs?
a. _____________________________
b. _____________________________
c. _____________________________
d. _____________________________
e. _____________________________
f. _____________________________
g. _____________________________
6. Why are these past tense verbs the correct verbs for this 2nd verse?

____________________________________________________________________
7. What does “sparked” mean in this verse?
___________________________________________
8. “instead of ” is used when you want to tell an alternative idea.

Can you use “instead of” in a sentence?
The “of” is like a preposition, so you’ll have to follow “of” with a noun. For example,
I’ll have onion rings instead of French fries.
We went to Disneyland instead of Lake Tahoe.
Instead of swimming, we just walked along the beach.
Your turn
___________________________________________________________________
9. In verse 3, why did he go to her family? (Answer in a complete sentence.) __________________________________________________________

10. Why did he leave? (in verse 3) Answer in the past tense, please.

_____________________________________________________________________
11. What’s the difference between these two sentences: (Use the words either and both in answering this question.)
“She can’t cook or sew.” _____________________________________________
“She can cook and sew.” _____________________________________________

12. Why do we use “or ” in “She can’t cook or sew?” _________________
For example: We don’t come to school on Saturdays or Sundays.
I won’t eat meat or chicken because I’m a vegetarian.

13. Can you write your own example of a negative sentence using “OR” ?
Tell me two things you CAN’T do.


14. What is a preacher ? Can you give me a synonym? ________________________________________________________________________
15. “jammed” and “packed” are adjectives. What’s another word in verse #6 that means the same thing? __________________________________
16. In verse #6, what are the pews ? _______________________________________________________________________
17. Also in verse #6B, what is the preacher’s “text”? It’s his______________.
18. What is another word for “specs” [spectacles]?

19. What is “the collection.” _________________________________________

20. We use “can” (“could” in the past) to say we are not able to do something. For example:
I can’t drive. = I am not able to drive.
I can speak both Mandarin and Cantonese. =
I am able to speak both Mandarin and Cantonese.
When I was young, I could walk 5 miles and not get tired.
Today I am not able to walk even 1 mile.

How do we say “He could not read” in another way?
He_______________________________________________________
21. Now you write two sentences, one using “can or could + base form of a verb.______________________________________________________________

and another sentence using to be able to
_______________________________________________________________________
22. Can you tell me something you cannot do.

23. What phrase in verse #5A mean “to get married”? ___________________
24 Why do you think the groom was anxious to take his bride outside?
_______________________________________________________________________

25. What words rhyme?
a. ____________ sort of rhymes with again.
b. mind rhymes with _______________
c. sparked sort of rhymes with _______________
d. kissed sort of rhymes with _______________
e. you rhymes with _______________
f. floor rhymes with _______________
g. store rhymes with _______________
h. sold rhymes with _______________
i. wall rhymes with _______________
j. end sort of rhymes with _______________
k. packed sort of rhymes with _______________
l. text sort of rhymes with _______________

CONVERSATION (Talk to your partner. Then write your answer.)
26. Is there someone that you said, “So long” to? Who was that person? Why did you say, “Good-bye”. When did this happen? How did you feel?



_______________________________________________________________________




_______________________________________________________________________

Friday, May 7, 2010

Test Your Diet IQ

by Joy Bauer in Parade’s “Healthystyle” March/April 2010, p. 7.

Smart food choices can make a huge difference in your waistline and in your health. Take the following quiz and find out how good you are at separating fact from fiction.

TRUE or FALSE? (Circle T or F.)

1. Olive oil is less fattening than butter. T or F

2. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCCS) is worse for you than regular sugar.
T or F

3. Eating at night won’t pack on more pounds than eating during the day.
T or F
1.
2.
3.


* Your IQ is your Intelligence Quotient, a test to assess “how smart you are.”

1. Olive oil is less fattening than butter. T or F
FALSE.
One tablespoon of olive oil is approximately 120 calories compared to 100 for butter. But a food can be fattening and still be good for you. Olive oil contains heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fat. Butter contains artery-clogging saturated fat. I would choose olive oil over butter. I just wouldn’t overdo it.

2. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is worse for you than regular sugar.
FALSE
Since high-fructose corn syrup is cheaper to produce than sugar, food manufacturers cram it into cookies, candy, cereals, and into just about anything that requires a sweetener. Rather than banning it from your diet, you’re better off cutting back on sugar from ALL sources. That includes honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, agave syrup, and fruit-juice concentrate, which are found in many so-called “healthy” treats.

3. Eating at night won’t pack on more pounds than eating during the day.
TRUE
The only thing that matters is how much you eat over the course of a day. Excess calories from any source, eaten at any time, will be stored as fat unless you burn them off. On the other hand, stopping nighttime snacking can be an effective diet strategy. It reduces the amount of high-cal junk food we typically eat in front of the television after dinner.

VOCABULARY
Let’s find some synonyms. Compare your answers to your partner’s.
You can also try to write your own sentences using the new word.

For example true = correct, right false = incorrect, wrong
a. She’s a smart woman.
smart (adj.) ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
b. He crammed for an hour before the exam.
to cram (v) ____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

c. The government banned the book, Tom Sawyer.
to ban (v) _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
d. I have to cut back on the amount of salt I eat.
to cut back (v) __________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
e. Too much bread is fattening.
to be fattening (adj,) __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
f. Exercise, but don’t overdo it.
to overdo (something) ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
g. It is approximately 4:00. I have approximately $5.
approximately (adverb)_________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
h. The airlines are now charging more money for excess weight.
excess (adjective) ____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
i. If you pour oil down the drain, it will clog it up.
to clog (v); clogging (adj.) ______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
j. After doing a wonderful performance at school, all the children ate their treats.
treats (noun, plural) (examples are fine) ____________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
k. She never eats a meal. She only snacks.
to snack (verb) ______________________________________________________
snacking (noun) ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
l. I have a good strategy for learning new words – I write my own sentences for practice.
strategy (n)____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
k. My family typically goes to Chinatown for dim sum on Sundays.
typically (adv.) ________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR

1. What verbs should you use with these words?
verb adjective verb noun
be different make a difference
interesting an interest
interested
expensive an expense
necessary a necessity

2.
Compare a noun to another noun using these ADJECTIVE + INFINITIVE “THAN”
faster to cook than
For example: White rice is faster to cook than brown rice.
Potatoes are faster to cook than corn.
YOUR TURN
Be careful. If your subject is plural, use a plural verb. If it’s singular, use a singular verb.
a.___________________________cheaper to produce than ______________________
b.___________________________safer to drive than ___________________________
c.___________________________better to eat than___________________________
d.___________________________more expensive to buy than_____________________
e.___________________________easier to use than ___________________________
f.___________________________tastier to drink than___________________________
g.___________________________nicer to talk to than ___________________________

3. A. BE BETTER OFF doing something
You’re better off _________ing than ______________ing something else.
For example: You’re better off taking the bus than walking.

I’m better off ______________________________ than __________________________
He’s ___________________________________________________________________
She was ________________________________________________________________


B. Rather than walking, you’re better off taking the bus.

Rather than eating candy, __________________________________________________
Rather than doing my homework in the afternoon, I’m ____________________________
Rather than ______________________________________________________________


Sugar content of selected common plant foods Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits and vegetables.

Fruit
apples apricots, bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples, pears

Vegetables
red beets, carrots, sweet corn, sweet red peppers, sweet onion, sweet potatoes, yams, sugar cane, sugar beets

HFCS is a mixture of fructose and glucose that comes from corn and is used
in processed foods
soft drinks, yogurt, industrial bread, cookies, salad dressing, tomato soup

CONVERSATION
Talk to your partner and then write your answers in complete sentences.

1. It’s my birthday and I have invited you to my party. There is a big cake, and everybody is going to get a piece. You are trying to lose weight, and you think the cake looks too fattening, but you don’t want to insult me. You don’t want to eat any cake, so what could you say to me?


_____________________________________________________________

2. We are going on a picnic together. You are going to bring the chicken and I’m going to bring the fruit. What kind of fruit would you like me to bring?

_____________________________________________________________

3. We also have another friend who is going to join us for our picnic. We want him
or her to bring something to eat. We want it to be something nutritious. What should we ask that person to bring?

_____________________________________________________________
4. What do you like to eat in front of the television?

_____________________________________________________________

Saturday, May 1, 2010

For Mother on Mother's Day



MOTHER (1914)
words by Howard Johnson
music by Theodore Morse

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

1. This is a song built on an ACROSTIC.

Acrostic poems are easy to write, and some of the easiest acrostic poems use names. Let’s pretend your name is Joe.

J
O
E

Now think of a word or a phrase that describes you that begins with the letter J. Then think of a word or phrase that begins with O. Finally, think of a word or phrase that begins with E. Here's what your acrostic poem might look like:

Jolly
Outgoing
Excellent

Try this: Write your first name vertically and pick some adjectives that describe you.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. What are the subjects and verbs in this song?
Subject Verb Tense

1. _________________ ________________ ______________
2. _________________ ________________ ______________
3. _________________ ________________ ______________
4. _________________ ________________ ______________
5. _________________ ________________ ______________
6. _________________ ________________ ______________
7. _________________ ________________ ______________
8. _________________ ________________ ______________
9. _________________ ________________ ______________
10. _________________ ________________ ______________
11. _________________ ________________ ______________
12. _________________ ________________ ______________
13. _________________ ________________ ______________

3. What rhymes with what?
a. “old” rhymes with _______________ b. “right” rhymes with ______________
c. “be” rhymes with ______________

4. What phrase means “to cry.” __________________________

5. What phrase means “she would give you anything she could”.


6. What phrase means “Nothing is more important than this. This is the most important thing to me.” _________________________________________________

7. In English, the phrase “She has a heart of gold” means what?

____________________________________________________________________________

8. If I say, “She means the world to me,” can you say this in other words?

___________________________________________________________________________
Tell me who means (or meant) the world to you.