I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas (Tree)

So which is better: wood or plastic?

bauble - 'bɔːbl
побрякушка, безделушка
a piece of jewellery that is cheap and has little artistic value
Example: Christmas trees are certainly green under all those baubles, lights and tinsel.

tinsel - 'tɪn(t)s(ə)l
блёстки, мишура
strips of shiny material like metal, used as decorations, especially at Christmas
Example: Christmas trees are certainly green under all those baubles, lights and tinsel.

mulch - mʌlʧ
мульча (перегной, солома, защищающие почву от испарения, замерзания)
material, for example, decaying leaves, that you put around a plant to protect its base and its roots, to improve the quality of the soil or to stop weeds growing
Example: Real trees can be turned to mulch and when continuously grown and harvested sequester even more CO2 than a single tree living its full natural life in the wild.

dry out
высушить
to become or to allow sth to become dry, in a way that is not wanted
Example: They won't dry out in your living room and rather than spending an eternity in the local landfill, they can happily absorb planet-warming CO2 in your backyard.

Url: http://www.scientificamerican.com

Assange concerned over 'natural justice' in Sweden

tizzy - 'tɪzɪ
a state of nervous excitement or confusion
Example: The Wikileaks founder suggested the two women who have accused him of sexual assault had got into a "tizzy".

loophole - 'luːphəul
лазейка; увёртка
loophole (in sth) a mistake in the way a law, contract, etc. has been written which enables people to legally avoid doing sth that the law, contract, etc. had intended them to do.
Example: But he also said there were "other people making descriptions" that the women had deliberately abused a loophole in Swedish law, whereby if they went to the police for advice, they could not be charged with filing a false report.

Url: http://www.bbc.co.uk

Is a tea break at work good for productivity?

breaks are an essential part of coping with sedentary office life

Поставь чайник
Stick the kettle on the stove
Example: British workers lose 24 minutes a day getting tea and coffee, new research claims. Is it time Polly stopped putting the kettle on?

outstrip - ˌaut'strɪp
обгонять, обходить, опережать
to become larger, more important, etc. than sb/sth :
Example: The worker who asks if anyone wants a cup of tea with a frequency that outstrips most human beings' capacity to absorb hot fluids.

slurp - slɜːp
хлюпать, пить причмокивая; есть шамкая, чавкать
to make a loud noise while you are drinking sth :
Example: So is all this slurping of warm beverages a good use of employees' time?

alienate - 'eɪlɪəneɪt
to make sb less friendly or sympathetic towards you
Example: People who don't drink caffeine should have other options like apples or herbal infusions, so as not to feel "alienated", he adds.

withdrawal - wɪð'drɔː(ə)l
the act of moving or taking sth away or back
отзыв, отозвание
Example: the withdrawal of support

anxiety - æŋ(g)'zaɪətɪ
беспокойство, тревога, боязнь, страх
anxiety (about / over sth) the state of feeling nervous or worried that sth bad is going to happen
Example: Caffeine can also make workers more panicky, although regular users build up tolerance to such anxiety, he says.

fatigued - fəˈtiːgd
усталый, утомлённый; пресыщенный, изнурённый
very tired, both physically and mentally
Example: "It's true that caffeine hasn't got a stimulus effect if you're not tired," says Prof Smith. "But if you're fatigued then your performance will drop off."

Url: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12008712

The FBI, my husband, and my 87-year-old Uncle David

The FBI, my husband, and my 87-year-old Uncle David

Useful phrase:

arranged to meet
Then we ran into trouble.

Words:

retina - 'retɪnə
сетчатка, сетчатая оболочка (глаза)
a layer of tissue at the back of the eye that is sensitive to light and sends signals to the brain about what is seen
Example: I have already been subjected to extensive background checks, finger printed and medically examined, and had photos taken of my retina for the new age of biometric identification.

apologetic - əˌpɔlə'ʤetɪk
извиняющийся
feeling or showing that you are sorry for doing sth wrong or for causing a problem
Example: A retired probation officer, she was disarming and mildly apologetic but said she really enjoyed her job as one of the federal government's vast army of contract workers.

ponder - 'pɔndə
обдумывать, взвешивать
ponder (about / on / over sth) - to think about sth carefully for a period of time
Example: There was a moment of silence while Brenda pondered which box to tick.

coercion - kəu'ɜːʃ(ə)n
принуждение, насилие, применение силы
the action of making sb do sth that they do not want to do, using force or threatening to use force
Example: When does an embarrassing moment of madness become a potential subject for coercion - and by whose standards?

irritated - 'ɪrɪteɪtɪd
сердитый, раздражённый; разгневанный
irritated (at / by / with sth) - annoyed or angry
Example: Deeply irritated, I explained that he does not own a computer.

ought to - used to say what is the right thing to do
Example: They ought to apologize.

Url: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Lesson - 16.12.2010

Pronunciation:
retouch - riː'tʌʧ

4 toes VS 4 photos)
photo - ˈfəʊtəʊ
photoshop - ˈfəʊtəʊʃɒp

adobe - ə'dəubɪ

Useful phrases:

I work as a network engineer FOR a big company.
I wish my work was MUCH=A LOT easier.
What are you working ON?
What (line of) business are you IN?

Grammar:

modifier // comparative
то есть не просто сказать больше-меньше, а НАСКОЛЬКО больше-меньше
(a little =a bit=a little bit=somewhat - НEМНОГО/чуточку)
(much=a lot=way=lots=a great deal - НАМНОГО)

Exemple:
______ MORE expensive
MUCH MORE expensive

'Israeli spying devices' found in Lebanon

dismantle - dɪs'mæntl
демонтировать (оборудование)
to take apart a machine or structure so that it is in separate pieces
Example: The Lebanese army has said it has dismantled two Israeli spy systems planted in the mountains above Beirut.

Hebrew - 'hiːbruː
еврей, иудей; израильтянин
Example: One of the devices bore writing in Hebrew.

bore - bɔː
высверленное отверстие
Example: One of the devices bore writing in Hebrew.

Url: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12012452

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange awaits bail hearing

curfew - 'kɜːfjuː
комендантский час
звуковой сигнал о начале комендантского часа
Example: Curfew condition

surety - 'ʃɔːrətɪ
гарант, поручитель
a person who accepts responsibility if sb else does not pay a debt, appear in court, etc.
Example: Conditions included the posting of a £200,000 cash deposit, with a further £40,000 guaranteed in two sureties of £20,000.

backing - 'bækɪŋ
помощь, поддержка
Example: Mr Assange has received the backing of a number of high-profile supporters including human rights campaigners Jemima Khan and Bianca Jagger, and film director Ken Loach.

accused - ə'kjuːzd
обвиняемый (в преступлении)
a person who is on trial for committing a crime
Example: He is accused of having unprotected sex with a woman, identified only as Miss A, when she insisted he use a condom.

Url: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12005930

Old and Wise: Why Do Smarter People Live Longer?

correlation is as strong as that between N and Z.
Example: Intelligent people live longer—the correlation is as strong as that between smoking and premature death.
system integrity
oxidative stress - namely aging

tended to - иметь тенденцию (к чему-л.) ; клониться, склоняться (к чему-л.)

Words:
withstand - wɪð'stænd
устоять (перед чем-л.) , выдержать (что-л.) ; противостоять, не поддаваться (чему-л.)
to be strong enough not to be hurt or damaged by extreme conditions, the use of force, etc.
Example: Learning ability is indeed linked with a general capacity to withstand one of the rigors of aging—namely, oxidative stress.

onslaught - 'ɔnslɔːt
стремительная атака, нападение
a strong or violent attack
Example: A well-wired system not only performs better on mental tests but is less susceptible to environmental onslaughts.

straw - strô
солома; соломка
Example: a straw hat

odor - 'əudə
a smell, especially one that is unpleasant
запах (обычно неприятный)
Example: An Amdam’s experiment, individual bees were strapped into a straw, where they learned to associate an odor with a food reward in a classic Pavlovian conditioning scenario.

stick out
высовываться; торчать, выставлять наружу
to be noticeable or easily seen
Example: After only one or two trials, many bees learned to stick out their tonguelike proboscis in anticipation of a sugary droplet.

droplet - 'drɔplət
капелька, a small drop of a liquid

proboscis - prə'bɔsɪs
хобот
the long flexible nose of some animals, such as an elephant
Example: After only one or two trials, many bees learned to stick out their tongue like proboscis in anticipation of a sugary droplet.

resilience - rɪ'zɪlɪən(t)s
гибкость, упругость, эластичность
the ability of people or things to feel better quickly after sth unpleasant, such as shock, injury, etc.
Example: Amdam suspects that general stress resilience may explain why the quick learners lived longer.

Url: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=old-and-wise

Lesson - 14.12.2010

Useful phrase:
"when I was on my way to work"
"when I was going to work"
"a system of checks and balances"

Pron:
skis - skiːz

Vocabulary:

skating rinks - A rink is a large area covered with ice where people go to ice-skate, or a large area of concrete where people go to roller-skate.

politics - 'päləˌtiks
The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, esp. the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power

politician - pɒ̱lɪtɪ̱ʃ(ə)n
a person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of an elected office

policy - ˈpɒləsi
a plan of action agreed or chosen by a political party, a business, etc

legislative power - законодлательная власть

judicial - ʤuː'dɪʃ(ə)l
connected with a court, a judge or legal judgement
Example: judicial powers

peculiarity - pɪˌkjuːlɪ'ærətɪ
a strange or unusual feature or habit
специфичность; особенность, своеобразие, специфика
Example: there are some peculiarities