Spotlight
refurbish
"The Savoy Hotel in London has been completely refurbished."
An apology for Bloody Sunday
One of the most violent episodes in the Northern Ireland conflict was Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972. On that day, soldiers of the British army confronted Catholic demonstrators in the city of Londonderry. Thirteen of the demonstrators were shot and killed.
The beauty business is booming in Saudi Arabia
Sheikh Mohammad al-Habadan, an expert on Islam, recently suggested that Saudi women should show nothing more than one eye in public. The kingdom's female citizens, however, aren't listening. They're spending more than ever on cosmetics.
False hopes
Spotlight in the Classroom 8/2010
Digging for lithium in Afghanistan
We depend on natural resources, but we're working hard to reduce our dependency on conflict-ridden ones, like oil. But what about lithium, the mineral in batteries that make electric cars and mobile phones run? Is it green? Will its discovery end the war in Afghanistan?
From one to 100
Eamonn Fitzgerald writes: "Venice is extraordinary, but it is rather expensive. That's why I'm going to the Portable Film Festival instead."
Five totally excellent travel sites
Tony and Maureen Wheeler met in London's Regent's Park and married a year later. With an old car, a few pounds in their pockets and a sense of adventure, they then set off on the trip of a lifetime. When it ended, Lonely Planet was born.
"Now that the economy is improving, I'm going to _________ on some new shoes."
cultivated
"His mother was the most elegant, cultivated woman I have ever met."
Roller-skating in San Francisco
The first recorded use of roller skates occurred in 1743 in London. Since then, roller skating has become a fitness hobby, a sport and a way of getting around cities. Today, skates come in two basic varieties: quad rollers and inline blades.
Disappearing dialogues
Students practise a dialogue where words have been successively removed.
Why those Kiwis sound Texan, or Californian
During his research at Auckland's University of Technology, Andy Gibson found the American accent is so much a part of pop music that it has become the standard. As a result, New Zealanders now find it difficult to sing with their own accent.
premiere
"Kristen Stewart wore an Elie Saab dress for the premiere of the latest Twilight film."
Nationality or citizenship?
Chelsea Clinton had a discreet _________ party with her girlfriends in Manhattan last week.
hobble
"The poverty of ten million citizens demeans our society and hobbles our economy, the president said."
Test your English, Test 2, August 2010
Test your English, Test 1, August 2010
agile
"Cats are agile creatures."