|
The Cybercentre English Magazine |
Edition 4, June 2012
‘It is the month of June,
The month of leaves and roses,
When pleasant sights salute the eyes,
And pleasant scents the noses.’
Nathaniel Parker Willis
(American author, poet and editor, 1806 – 1867)
‘There are two seasons in Scotland: June and winter.’
Billy Connolly
(Scottish actor and comedian, b. 1942)
Although this is only the fourth edition of the magazine, a substantial amount of people from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt and other parts of the world applied for a free subscription in the past month. I would like to bid them all a very warm welcome as readers of the Cybercentre English Magazine, a growing group of people who are interested in (learning) the English language.
In this introduction I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there is a very special way to learn a lot of English vocabulary and at the same time donate to the World Food Programme, without spending any money at all.
The link below will take you to a website with a programme called ‘Freerice’. Here you can play a game that teaches you a lot of new English words, starting at your own personal level of English. As you progress, the programme takes the level higher, so that you keep on learning. The best thing about it is that for every correct answer you give, the sponsors donate money to the World Food Programme, which they use to hand out free rice wherever and whenever it is needed most. This is no joke, this is absolutely true. So please play, learn English and give as much free rice as you can.
In this month’s edition of the magazine you will find an article on the Queen’s Jubilee, 60 scholars arguing about the question of whether the Harry Potter books are literature or not, some proverbs, and lots more.
Enjoy reading!
Christa in’t Veld
Please click on the banner:
The month of leaves and roses,
When pleasant sights salute the eyes,
And pleasant scents the noses.’
Nathaniel Parker Willis
(American author, poet and editor, 1806 – 1867)
‘There are two seasons in Scotland: June and winter.’
Billy Connolly
(Scottish actor and comedian, b. 1942)
Although this is only the fourth edition of the magazine, a substantial amount of people from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt and other parts of the world applied for a free subscription in the past month. I would like to bid them all a very warm welcome as readers of the Cybercentre English Magazine, a growing group of people who are interested in (learning) the English language.
In this introduction I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there is a very special way to learn a lot of English vocabulary and at the same time donate to the World Food Programme, without spending any money at all.
The link below will take you to a website with a programme called ‘Freerice’. Here you can play a game that teaches you a lot of new English words, starting at your own personal level of English. As you progress, the programme takes the level higher, so that you keep on learning. The best thing about it is that for every correct answer you give, the sponsors donate money to the World Food Programme, which they use to hand out free rice wherever and whenever it is needed most. This is no joke, this is absolutely true. So please play, learn English and give as much free rice as you can.
In this month’s edition of the magazine you will find an article on the Queen’s Jubilee, 60 scholars arguing about the question of whether the Harry Potter books are literature or not, some proverbs, and lots more.
Enjoy reading!
Christa in’t Veld
Please click on the banner:
|
Do you know the difference between ‘rice’ and ‘rise’? |
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
|
Underneath the Coronation Souvenir on the right it says: 'I shall dedicate myself anew to your service ...' June 2, 1953 |
|
In the first weekend of June, the Queen´s diamond jubilee festivities took place, to celebrate that Queen Elisabeth II has been on the throne for 60 years. The festivities included a service of thanksgiving with a glittering carriage procession, a Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant in which 1,000 ships took part, sailing past the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. The festivities were concluded with a Jubilee concert, and the lighting of beacons, not only in the United Kingdom, but also in other parts of the English speaking world. In fact, more than 4,000 beacons were ignited across the Commonwealth.
In the past, beacons were used as a kind of alarm system, to give warning when overseas invaders were approaching. They were at their height of use during the reign of Queen Elisabeth I. As such, they are symbolic now of the Queen’s long reign. If you would like to know more about this, please watch the videos below:
Symbolism of Jubilee beacons explained
Fireworks as Queen lights Jubilee beacon
You can find all sorts of information about the Jubilee festivities on:
The Guardian: ‘The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee’
In the past, beacons were used as a kind of alarm system, to give warning when overseas invaders were approaching. They were at their height of use during the reign of Queen Elisabeth I. As such, they are symbolic now of the Queen’s long reign. If you would like to know more about this, please watch the videos below:
Symbolism of Jubilee beacons explained
Fireworks as Queen lights Jubilee beacon
You can find all sorts of information about the Jubilee festivities on:
The Guardian: ‘The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee’
If you are interested in reading the rest of the magazine, please get a free subscription to The Cybercentre English Magazine. The full version of this edition will be sent to your mailbox, and the next editions will follow automatically, absolutely free of charge!
Did you enjoy reading the Cybercentre English Magazine? Please recommend it to others by clicking on the ‘Like-button’ at the bottom of the homepage.
© 2012 Cybercentre for English Language Learning