Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Dexway English Magazine: A2 – Edition 6

AMSTERDAM SHIPPING CONTAINER HOUSES

LOW COST HOUSING

Renovating and living in a shipping container was a new idea for people in the Netherlands back in 2005 (two thousand and five). Now it is the second most popular option for student housing! After the containers have finished at the sea, they are sent to be cleaned and also floors and windows are added and made into shipping container houses.

They come complete with a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, balcony, study area and large windows. They are heated and are supplied with a high speed internet connection.

It has privacy for students, lots of space, and it is not expensive. There are 1000 (one thousand) containers that make up this community. The little container city has been named Keetwonen. The community also has a cafe, supermarket, office space and a sports area.

THE SILK ROAD

THE FLOW OF IDEAS

The Silk Road is a word used to describe the Afro-European trade routes.

They connected Asia, Europe and East Africa.

The journey by trade boat is about 6,500 km (six thousand, five hundred /sixty five hundred). It is called the Silk Road because China had a very important silk trade which began in 206 BC (two hundred and six Before Christ).

Trading on this route was very important for making China, India, Persia, Europe and Arabia what they are today.

Many other goods such as tea and rice from China, spices, jewels and dyes from India and furs and honey from Europe were traded.

One important thing this trade route did was spread ideas, innovation, culture and religion.

Colours of the rainbow

THE COLOUR GREEN

Colours are very important in our lives. We see colour everywhere and colours can make us happy, sad or angry.

This month I would like to talk about the colour Green.

Green is a colour of balance, a relaxing colour.

Green is the colour of the month of May, new flowers and green grass.

Green is the colour of peace and cucumbers.

Green people like to listen and know when something is bad or good. They help other people to know it too!

Green is a stable colour; green is the colour of money!

Brain Games

LEARN ENGLISH AND KEEP YOUR BRAIN HEALTHY

Recent studies say that your brain is stronger and more powerful at 22 (twenty two). In your late 20s (twenties) your brain starts to get weaker. By age 27(twenty seven), old age starts.

Scientists did a study where people had to solve puzzles, remember spoken words and re-tell a story. Nine (9) out of twelve (12) test subjects got the best results at the age of 22 (twenty two). They found that memory stayed good until about age 37 (thirty seven). General information and long-term knowledge increases until the age of 60 (sixty). The study shows that our brain ages much earlier than we thought.

People who learn more than one language have more mental exercise by remembering what word belongs to which language. It helps to keep your cognitive reserve (brain functions) up. It will not only help delay Alzheimer´s but also normal ageing effects. A psychologist at the University in Gandia said that the evidence says that learning a language can protect are brains at any age.

Rice

THE STAPLE FOOD OF THE WORLD

Rice, maize and wheat are the world´s most important crops. It is the main food for half of the world´s population. Most of the world´s rice is grown in China, India and Southeast Asia. The most important rice producer in Europe is Italy. For this reason it is very important to make sure that rice grows in a large amount. There is a new modified grain of rice that has been approved in the United States and is waiting to be approved in the European Union. This rice is resistant to herbicide (kills weeds). Rice fields are flooded to try and keep away weeds and pests. Rice was not always a water plant.

Rice is known for having too little iron and vitamin A. Too little vitamin A can cause vision problems and blindness. In Germany, scientists have created a yellow rice called “Golden Rice”. It has beta-carotein in it to help with people who need vitamin A. It is being given free to farmers in third world countries. People in general are still unsure of the safety of the rice even if the governments have approved it. There are more than 40,000 (forty thousand ) varieties of rice that grow on every continent except on Antarctica.

How kids learn!

Did you know that children have a special magic that lets them learn a language (or two) easily. But as we get older that magic leaves us adults and that is why we can sometimes find it very hard to learn a language.

 Of course it is a joke!

However a study has been carried out looking at how a child learns a language. I have written the results below, maybe there is something here that could help us!

  • There is no direct pressure to learn (no grades or tests)
  • There is no time-limit
  • Cannot escape into a different language
  • The language has no sequence linked to grammar or vocabulary
  • There is a lot of repetition
  • The language is spoken in context of the world that the child can see
  • There are many opportunities for using the language
  • Language is spoken very simply by parents to the child