Words with more meanings
We are often confused by words with more than one meaning. There are lot of different words in English language that can make a real mess in our brains.
For example, the word **date** can be brown sweet fruit . “I ate some lovely dates.”
Or if you have **a date** with someone you have an appointment to meet this person.
“I’ve got a date with Mark next Friday".
Here are more examples-
**BEAR**
1.It can be a large mammal that lives in a forest: “There was a bearin the our back garden.”
2. If you can’t “bear” something, it’s too much for you:“I couldn’t bear the pain. It was awful.”
**RUN**
When you “run”, your legs move fast: “I’ve been running in the park.”
If you “run” a company, you direct or manage it:“She’s been running the company alone.”
There are 3 basic terms to describe the different types of words: **homonyms**, **homophones** and **homographs.**
***Homonyms***
**Homonyms** are words which have the same spelling and pronunciation, but have different meanings. For example:
I lit the fire with a **match**.
I got injured in the football **match** .
***Homophones***
***Homophones*** are words which have the same pronunciation, but different spellings and meanings.
I saw **eight** friends at the park.
I **ate** a lot of food during weekend .
***Homographs***
***Homographs*** are words that are spelt the same, but have different pronunciations and meanings.
There’s a **tear** in my trousers. [a hole] pronunciation: /teə/
He had a **tear** in his eye. [liquid that comes out of your eye] pronunciation: /tɪə/
As you can notice we pronounce it differently.
English can be difficult for learning because of idioms, homonyms, homographs and homophones.
Do you often use words with more than one meaning? I actually use homophones very often.
Famous people also suffer from stammer
Have you ever had a problem with stammer (also known as stutter)? Probably you know at least one person suffering from it. But there is a fact that many famous people all around the world have or had in the past problem with stammer.
A person suffering from a stammer has trouble speaking without saying the same
sounds in words repeatedly. It can also prevent the person from speaking at all in some cases.
Words beginning with “w”, “m” or vowel sounds are often the hardest to pronounce for someone with a stammer. Many people believe a stammer is caused by anxiety or lack of self-esteem. Stammer causes people to feel insecure. Speech therapy can help a lot to correct a stammer.
**Lisp**
A lisp is a speech impediment which usually causes the sufferer to have problems pronouncing the letter “s” and it is usually caused by some physical problem. As a result, it often comes out as a“th” sound. So, instead of saying “sea”, they mightsay “thea”.
**Rhotacism**
Rhotacism refers to problems pronouncing the letter “r”. People with this condition usually say the“r” sounds as a “w” sound (so they would say “I’m weally happy” instead of “I’m really happy”).
**Dysprosody**
Actually, this isn’t very common at all, but it’s worth mentioning. A person with dysprosody will start to speak in a foreign accent, often after suffering a head injury
**Famous people who suffered from stammer**
I am going to mention several well-known people who had a problem with stammer. Famous Hollywood actors ***Julia Roberts*** and ***Bruce Willis*** are just some of the many who have successfully solved the problem of stuttering.
The star ***Bruce Willi***s claims it was his acting career that helped him overcome the problem .
Julia stuttered in her childhood and during her teenage days, and acting helped Bruce to start talking normally. **Marilyn Monroe** also belongs to the group of celebrities who stuttered.
Known for his super cool monologues and smooth, deep voice, Samuel L Jackson (1948) is one of the last people you’d imagine with a speech impediment. Although the actor says his stammer is “annoying”, he has learnt to control it.
**Sir Isaac Newton** (1643-1727) – the man who discovered the law of gravity– also had a stammer .
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) – the man who was known for the theory of evolution – suffered from several health problems and also had a stammer. It is said that he would speak with a stammer when he became confused in conversation, and he often had trouble pronouncing words that begin with “w” .
If you know some other people who overcome a problem with stammer let us know. It is not such a big problem, sometimes it can cause problems and shame but it is something we can correct.
*Photos and some information taken from google.com and magazine Learn Hot English*
Konstantin Simonov a great Russian poet and his amazing poem 'Wait for me'
Konstantin Simonov
If you are poetry lovers you will probably like this text because I am going to share some information about a poet who wrote one of the best love poems **'Wait for me'** or originally **'** **Жди меня'**.
The famous Russian writer Konstantin Simonov (real name Kiril Mihajlović), was born on November 28, 1915. in Petrovgrad. Not so long after revolution 1917, his father,who was a military officer, left Russia. Constantine's earliest memories were of war life.His mother, Alexandra, was a member of one of the oldest Russian aristocratic families, but she was not rich. After the death of Constantine's father, she remarried to another military officer. According to the bibliographer, his stepfather was very strict, so the mother's side of the family had a great influence on the young Constantine.He wrote his first song in Leningrad, with his mother's sister Sofia, who was a librarian.
In 1931, Simonov's family moved to Moscow, and he was employed in a factory and worked there until 1935.
Konstantin's first poems were published in newspapers in 1936. He participated in the war on a couple of occasions in various positions.
A foreboding of a future war can be discerned in his work in the second half of the 1930s. It is reflected in the themes of his works, in the motives of the heroism of the Soviet people and in the characters of the heroes, involved in dramatic conflicts.
The first collection of poems **"True Peopl**e" was published in 1938.
During the Great Patriotic War, Simonov was a war reporter.
Simonov wrote many plays, among which the drama "**History of One Love",** published in 1940, deserves special attention, and the other is published a year later.
He wrote mostly during the war years. After the war, he wrote for the newspaper Pravda.
Simonov's favorite literary genre was poetry. He used that genre for works on historical and military themes, as well as for his lyrical works.
During the war, the poet wrote his first novel **"Comrades in Arms**", as well as a trilogy that included the novels **"The Living and the Dead"**, "Soldiers Are Not Born" and **"The Last Summer**". In the trilogy, he presented us with a chronology of the main events of that time, from the point of view of the participants and the immediate witness over many years.
Love devoted to Valentina Serova
Simonov was obsessed with a popular actress . Many of Simon's works are dedicated to ***Valentina Serova***, who was a rising actress. Valentina was married to Anatoly Serov, who was a war hero and died in a plane crash.
After her husband's death, Valentina had many lovers, but she did not love anyone like Anatolia, and for the rest of her life, she bore his last name. Forever unattainable Valentina was Simon's love and great inspiration.
If you are into poetry you probably know about a famous poem, '**Wait for me'**, that has been translated into 35 worldwide languages. It is an amazing poem , devoted to Valentina.
Wait for me!
to Valentina Serova
Wait for me and I'll come back!
Wait with all your might!
Wait when dreary yellow rains
Tell you nothing's right;
Wait when snow is falling fast;
Wait when summer's hot;
When no one waits for other men
And all the past's forgot!
Wait when those that wait with you
Are bored and tired and glum,
And when it seems, from far away,
No letters ever come!
Wait for me and I'll come back!
Wait in patience yet
When they tell you off by heart
That you should forget;
And when my mother and my son
Give up on me at last
And friends sit sadly round the fire
And talk about the past
And drink a bitter glass of wine
In memory of me –
Wait! No rush to drink with them!
Tell them to wait and see!
Wait for me and I'll come back,
Escaping every fate!
‘Just a lot of luck!’ they'll say,
Those that didn't wait.
They will never understand
How, amidst the strife,
By your waiting for me, dear,
You had saved my life!
Only you and I will know
How you got me through!
Simply – you knew how to wait!
No one else but you!
1941
Here is translation in Serbian
**Čekaj me**
Čekaj me, i ja ću sigurno doći
samo me čekaj dugo.
Čekaj me i kada žute kiše
noći ispune tugom.
Čekaj i kada vrućine zapeku,
i kada mećava briše,
čekaj i kada druge niko
ne bude čekao više.
Čekaj i kada pisma prestanu
stizati izdaleka,
čekaj i kada čekanje dojadi
svakome koji čeka.
Čekaj me, i ja ću sigurno doći.
Ne slušaj kad ti kažu
kako je vreme da zaboraviš
i da te nade lažu.
Nek poveruju i sin i mati
da više ne postojim,
neka se tako umore čekati
i svi drugovi moji,
i gorko vino za moju dušu
nek piju kod ognjišta.
Čekaj. I nemoj sesti s njima,
i nemoj piti ništa.
Čekaj me, i ja ću sigurno doći,
sve smrti me ubiti neće.
Nek rekne ko me čekao nije:
Taj je imao sreće!
Ko čekati ne zna, taj neće shvatiti
niti će znati drugi
da si me spasila ti jedina
čekanjem svojim dugim.
Nas dvoje samo znaćemo kako
preživeh vatru kletu, —
naprosto, ti si čekati znala
kao niko na svetu.
Simonov went to the war and in the midst of the greatest battles he realized that he would not return home alive.The only thing that kept him going was the photo and the thought of his beautiful Valentina eagerly waiting for him to come back to her. Then he decided to write her a poem that would tell her how much he loved her, even when he was gone.
He put the poem, which was supposed to reach Valentina after his death, in his pocket, calmly waiting for his doomsday. However, a miracle happened - Simonov somehow escaped the final blow of the enemy, and the writer, alive returned home to his beloved, with a poem in his pocket.
I also suggest to read a poem in Russian language,it is really amazing.
Some photos extracts of poem were taken from google.com
Amazing Christmas decorations
It is December. It makes me feel nostalgic, happy and enthusiastic in the same time. December is month full of expectations, plans for the new Year, decorations.
I am planning to decorate Christmas Tree in next few days, and we are making some new hand- made decorations, and we are alsi searching for new ideas. Kids are especially happy and even it is corona time, we are trying to forget about it just for a while and to concentrate in making this month as happy as possible.
I find beautiful video clips on the internet. People worldwide are very good at decorating their homes.
Watch this beautiful ideas for decorations.
https://youtu.be/zJinWE50uoY
I will make another blog with our decorations when we finish it. We have to buy some papers, glue, glitters, colourful papers,... Meanwhile you can enjoy in this video too. It is about houses in the USA but made by Italian residents living there.
https://youtu.be/K8qVYZrvymA
It is really like a gift for our eyes. You will really enjoy watching it, and maybe it can cause you find some new ideas for your Christmas decorations.
Video is taken from youtube. com
Lead photo is taken from google. com too
Snow artist Simon Beck
Britsh artist Simon Beck does incredible things with his footprints. Just watch this short video, and you will be impressed by his unique techique of drawing in the snow.
https://youtu.be/7m6vwxO6ZsI
His masterpiece in the snow is something wonderful.
Have you ever tried to do something similar with the snow?
I know that in some countries such as in Russia there are some festivals where artists make beautiful figures from snow, and it is just amazing but Simon does something that is different.
The video is taken from youtube. com
What we know about Royal family
In my country the most important Royal family members are
1. Prince Charles (the Queen’s eldest son)
2. Prince William (the Queen’s grandson)
3. Prince Harry (the Queen’s grandson)
and their wives of course....
Queen Elisabeth is the main character.
We can read in popular local magazines many different things about their private lives . I don't know if it is interesting for you or not, but there are people who want to know almost everything about them.
What do you know about the British Royal family? A new book by former BBC journalist Brian Hoey (We Are Amused: A Royal Miscellany)has some fascinating facts. I choose several to write down.
Here are a few of them.
1.Any chocolates sent to the Royal Family are immediately destroyed in case they’re poisoned.
2.The Queen sleeps under linen sheets and woollen blankets. She isn’t that keen on duvets.
3.The Queen likes a special blend of tea made by R. Twining & Company. She has it with milk and no sugar (she uses a sweetener instead).
4.The housemaids (there are 26 alone at Buckingham Palace) have to walk backwards when vacuuming to avoid leaving footmarks on the carpets.
5. Footmen must be about 5 ft 9 in tall (about 175 cm), and have a 36-inch chest (about 91 cm)so they can fit into the uniforms, which date back more than 100 years to the reign of King Edward VII.
What else do you know about British Royal family?
If there is something interesting about their lives let us know.
*Extracts taken from We Are Amused: A Royal Miscellany by Brian Hoey.*
Photos taken from google.com
Take a bill and win
Nowadays people try to find some new ways of making money because it is a time of crisis , there aren't available jobs for majority of people,there is also lack of money ,so sometimes people try various games of luck.
This year a Government of Serbia organized a prize game called "Take a bill and win". The rule is to take at least 10 bills and put them in the envelope and send them. The prices are big and expensive, cars and apartments in Belgrade.
Yesterday was the first prize draw. The main prize was an apartment in Belgrade and the other prizes were five cars. Next month another five cars will bi given to other contestants.
I want to admit that I also participated in the game, I have sent six envelopes with fiscal receipts,bills, and as many other people I had a hope I would win some prize. Of course it was almost impossible because there were more than 3.500.000 envelopes participating in the draw.
What made me surprised was the fact that for the main prize, an apartment worth over 100,000 euros, the winner was first drawn, whose envelope was void only because there was no phone number on the envelope and they repeated the draw and awarded the prize to another winner. I can only imagine what mental pain the woman suffered when they said that she did not receive the award but someone else did.
I wouldn't want to be in her place.
Is it possible that someone is so unlucky?
Pet cloning
Recently I read the article about kittens that look alike but they are not twins, they were cloned. They were created in a laboratory by a company called Genetic savings and Clone.
There was a woman that ordered a clone of her late cat. She was rich, without kids, and cats were her all life. So she decided to spend lot of money to order the same clone of her dead cat.
I know some people who lose their beloved pets and they decided to buy or adopt some other pets.
What is your opinion about this topic. Do you think it can diminish pain if you clone your beloved pet or it is absurd?
Do you agree or not with the facts that people...
let their pets living and sleeping in their rooms and beds.
2. buy their pets special and expensive food
3. take their pets to animal psychologists
Hello. My name is Sanja and I am a girl from Serbia. I adore foreign languages, music, writing and reading especially poetry. I am a mother of three small kids so I am going to write about parenting, children, experiences, languages, life, health, interesting facts... I am so happy being a part of this family where people share their ideas and enjoy writing.
Being a good parent
I am a proud mother of three daughters.
How tired and exhausted I am while writing this article. "Mom, come here to switch the TV off. I can't stand it anymore' Eleonora is shouting from the other room. 'Mom, Anna wants to go to the toilet, hurry up' -I hear my the oldest daughter screaming. It is the same situation every day, they always want to do different things, they are screaming, shouting and crying very often and they want me to be the one who is always there to solve their problems. I don't want to be rude but sometimes I can't bear it. I just want to have a rest, I need only one minute for myself.
But wait, I am writing this because they were interrupting me while writing, but I can't imagine my life , my days, my minutes without them. They are the only reason that I am writing, that I am breathing and living this life. I find it difficult to think without their voices, and without their smiles.
I am really proud of all of them. I can say that being a parent is the most difficult job you can have, but it is the most beautiful and it is a real gift.
@elana
