sexta-feira, 24 de julho de 2009

Do Not Drive


Driving is a privilege, a responsibility, an art and a hurtling down the road in a chunk of sheet metal and glass. It should be done with one’s full attention and pride. It should be done with copious use of one’s peripheral vision.
When driving, apply the same cellphone rules as in a restaurant or theater: If you must use your cellphone, leave. It is worth your life and others’ to pull over — out of traffic — if you must talk, text or check e-mail.
If you are addicted to your cellphone, the drugs advertised on television or on your street corner, or alcohol:
Do. Not. Drive.

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quinta-feira, 23 de julho de 2009

40 Years Later, It's Moon Race 2.0


Contractors have been chosen, metal is being cut, and most important, money has been allocated. "This is a real program," says Jeff Hanley, manager of NASA's Constellation program, which oversees manned exploration. "We're spending a couple hundred million dollars a month, and thousands of people are marching to a strategy."

Globalization is driving the new push. As the economies of Asia and Europe spread new wealth, more and more countries are realizing that the moon is within reach. Never mind the two-party U.S.-Soviet moon race of old. This time China is in the hunt. So are India, Japan and the entire 17-nation European Space Agency (ESA).
Fonte: Time.com

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terça-feira, 14 de julho de 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo mania at the Bernabeu



July, 6th 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo has been officially unveiled as Real Madrid’s new number nine as over 80,000 Real Madrid fans packed out the Bernabeu to welcome their new recruit.
There were astonishing scenes at the Madrid club’s stadium, where full capacity was reached after fans queued from the early hours of the morning to gain entrance to the ceremony free of charge.

unveiled = revelado
packed out = lotaram
recruit = reforço (neste caso de esporte)
queued = formaram fila
from the early hours = nas primeiras horas
free of charge = grátis

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terça-feira, 7 de julho de 2009

Linking Words !

Linking words: Words of Connection

1. Afinal: We are not so different after all = Nós não somo tão diferentes afinal.
2. Ainda não: This is not yet made in the USA = Isto ainda não é feito nos E.U.A.
3. Apesar de/ mesmo que: Even though you are bigger, you want me to carry the boxes = Apesar de você ser maior, você quer que eu carregue as caixas
4. A fim de: The mayor has lent such a great amount of money to the entrepreneurs in order to succeed in creating new jobs = O prefeito deu uma grande quantia de dinheiro para os empresários a fim de ter sucesso na criação de novos empregos.
5. Afora isso: But aside from that, how was your birthday party? = Mas afora isso, como foi sua festa de aniversário?
6. A principal razão: What was the main reason for the revolution? = Qual foi a principal razão para a revolução?
7. A partir de agora/ de agora em diante: This is the way it's gonna be from now on = É desta maneira que vai ser de agora em diante.
8. À medida em que o tempo passa: The country could become more and more economical as time goes by. = O país poderia se tornar cada vez mais econômico à medida em que o tempo passa.
9. Assim como: He can dance as well as he can sing. Ele dança assim como ele canta.
10. A propósito: By the way
11. Apesar de: In spite of/ Despite
12. Além disto: Besides
13. Até agora: So far/ Up till now
14. Ao contrário de: Unlike
15. Ao não ser que/ A menos que: Unless
16. A não ser por/ Com exceção de: Except for
17. Com relação a: Regarding/ Concerning
No que se refere à: With regards to
18. Contudo: However
19. Devido a: Due to
20. De acordo com: According to
21. Da mesma forma que: In the same way that
22. De qualquer modo: Anyway
23. Do ponto de vista de: From de standpoint of
24. Em função de: In face of
25. Em primeiro lugar: First of all
26. Em meio a: In the midst of
27. Em vez de/ Ao invés de: Instead of
28. Enquanto/ Ao passo que: While/ Whereas
29. Enquanto isso: In the meantime/ Meanwhile
30. Embora: Although
31. Em outras palavras: In other words
32. É por isso que: That’s why
33. Enfim:At last
34. Em resumo: In summary
35. Em último caso: As a last resort
36. Finalmente: Finally
37. Mesmo assim/ Ainda assim/ Todavia: Nevertheless
Mesmo se: even if
38. No que me diz respeito: As far as I’m concerned
39. Ou seja: That is
40. Principalmente: Mainly
41. Por enquanto: For a while/ For the time being
42. Por falar nisso: Speaking of that
43. Por um lado: On the one hand … Por outro,em compensação: on the other hand
44. Por sua vez: in his turn
Por seu turno: in her turn
45. Pelo que eu sei/ que eu saiba: As far as I Know (less formal)
Pelo que me consta: As far as I can tell/ to my knowledge/ to the best of my knowledge (more formal)
46. Portanto: Therefore
47. Pelo menos: At least
48. Para que: So that
49. Senão: Otherwise
50. Sempre que: Whenever

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back. A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. A cardiologist at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) tells TMZ Jackson died of cardiac arrest.

cardiac arrest = ataque cardíaco, também: cardiac attack, heart attack
earlier this afternoon = no início desta tarde
unable = incapazes
We're told = nos disseram
arrived = chegaram / presente = arrive (chegar)
pulse back = pulsação devolta
source = fonte (uma pessoa que não se identifica)/ também: fonte da notícia(Jornal New York Times/ ou Site: UOL) = origem, de onde partiu a informação
dead = morto


















Michael Jackson’s body will be taken to the Staples Center this morning,
the Los Angeles police chief said Tuesday, as huge crowds gathered downtown for the pop icon’s memorial service, which is expected to be watched by millions on television.

will be taken = will be = será / taken = levado
as huge crowds gathered downtown = as = conforme/ ao mesmo tempo em que huge = imensas /crowds = multidões / gathered = se juntavam / downtown = no centro da cidade
service = neste caso: cerimônia religiosa

Michael Jackson's facial progression

sexta-feira, 3 de julho de 2009

Elvis Presley



Elvis Presley


1.Today we tell about one of America’s most popular singers, Elvis Presley.

2. That song, “Hound Dog” was one of Elvis Presley’s most popular records. It sold five million copies in nineteen fifty-six. Music industry experts say more than one thousand million of Elvis’s recordings have sold throughout the world. He was a success in many different kinds of music -- popular, country, religious, and rhythm and blues.

3. Elvis Presley won many awards from nations all over the world, yet he did not record in any language other than English. He never performed outside the United States, except for three shows in Canada. Yet, his recordings and films have been, and are still, enjoyed by people all over the world.

4. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the southern town of Tupelo, Mississippi on January eighth, nineteen thirty-five. His family was extremely poor. During his childhood, he sang in church with his parents.

5. He also listened to music that influenced his later singing, including country, rhythm and blues, and religious music. Elvis and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was thirteen.

6. After high school, he had several jobs, including driving a truck. In nineteen fifty-three, he made his first recording of this song, “My Happiness”:

7. Elvis Presley recorded the song at the Memphis Recording Service. The story is that he paid four dollars to make a recording for his mother. A woman who worked at the public recording studio had another job with a local independent record company called Sun Records. She made a second recording of Elvis’s songs because she thought the owner of Sun Records should hear him sing.

8. The owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, had been looking for a white performer who could sing black rhythm and blues. He suggested Elvis work with a guitar player and a bass player. Several months later Mister Phillips agreed to have the group make a record. It was released on July nineteenth, nineteen fifty-four. One of the songs was “That’s All Right”:

9. The record sold well in Memphis, and was played a lot on local radio stations. To let others hear Elvis, Sam Phillips organized a series of performances at country fairs in the area.

10. One of the people who heard Elvis perform at these shows was Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis signed an agreement that Colonel Parker would organize his appearances.

11. One of Elvis’ first new recordings became a huge hit, and led to his many appearances on television. It was “Heartbreak Hotel”:

12. By the middle of the nineteen fifties, Elvis Presley was known around the world as the young man who moved his hips in a sexual way as he sang rock and roll music. Many adults said he and his music were bad influences on young people. Young women loved him. Huge crowds attended his performances.

13. He made his first movie in nineteen fifty-six. It was “Love Me Tender.” The title song was a big hit.

14.Elvis Presley was one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood for a number of years in the nineteen fifties. He acted in thirty-one movies.

15. In nineteen fifty-eight, just as he finished making the movie “King Creole,” Elvis received notice that he had to serve in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany where he lived in a large house and dated a lot of beautiful women.

16. One young girl he met in Germany was Priscilla Beaulieu, the daughter of an Army officer. She was fourteen years old. Later, after Elvis had finished his army service, she came to live with him in Memphis. They married in nineteen sixty-seven, when she was twenty-one years old. He was thirty-two. They became parents nine months later of a baby girl, Lisa Marie.

17. Colonel Parker made sure that songs Elvis had recorded earlier were released during the years he was in the army. So Elvis was just as popular after his military service as he was before it.

18. Elvis Presley won three of the music industry’s highest award, the Grammy. He received the first one in nineteen sixty-seven. It was for “How Great Thou Art,” an album of religious music.

19. Elvis returned to performing live shows in nineteen sixty-nine, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He then traveled around the country performing before huge crowds. He began to take drugs to help him sleep. He gained a lot of weight so he took drugs to help control his weight. And he took extremely strong drugs to reduce pain.

20. Elvis also suffered from the emotional sickness, depression. It became worse after his marriage ended. Elvis never permitted Priscilla to stay with him in Las Vegas or travel with him around the country.

21. He also did not want Priscilla to see other people when he was away from home. And he spent time with other women. Priscilla finally left him in nineteen seventy-two for another man.

22. Elvis Presley released many recordings of his performances during the nineteen seventies. He also enjoyed great success on television. His nineteen seventy-three television show from Hawaii was seen in forty countries by more than one thousand million people.

23. His last record album was called “Moody Blue.” He recorded it in nineteen seventy-six. One of its hit songs was called “Way Down”:

24. Elvis Presley died on August sixteenth, nineteen seventy-seven. First reports said he had a heart attack, but later tests showed many drugs in his body. Experts agree that these drugs probably caused his death.

25. Hundreds of thousands of people still visit his home, Graceland, in Memphis every year. Fans continue to buy his music, making him the most popular recording artist ever. Elvis Presley remains the undisputed King of Rock and Roll.

Fonte: Voa Special English

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Nicolas Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy




1. Nicolas Sarkozy will take office Wednesday as president of France. He supports labor reforms, tax cuts and strong controls over crime and illegal immigration. As interior minister he was known for strongly worded conservative positions on law and order.
2. Now he proposes to liberalize the French economy to better compete in world markets. Some say his proposed economic reforms could lead to labor unrest. The plan includes a right to work more than thirty-five hours a week.
3. Before anything, he will need the support of parliament. Legislative elections are in June. People talk about "Sarkozy the American" because he supports the United States. But the new president says he is going to make the French people proud again of their nation.
4. Two-term President Jacques Chirac is retiring after twelve years in office. The president-elect was the candidate of the ruling party, the Union for a Popular Movement. In Sunday's election, Nicolas Sarkozy easily defeated Socialist candidate Segolene Royal with fifty-three percent of the vote.
5. But his election led to three nights of violence during protests in Paris and other cities. Hundreds of people were arrested.
6. Mister Sarkozy's election raises concerns for supporters of Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union. He is against it. Instead he proposes a "Mediterranean Union" as a bridge between Europe and Africa. The idea is to include Turkey and other Muslim nations, as well as European Union members along the Mediterranean, including France.
7. Still, officials from Turkey and the European Union say they will push ahead with membership talks. The European Union has also urged patience as Turkey seeks a new president.
8. Parliament voted Thursday for a proposed constitutional amendment to let the Turkish people elect a new president directly. The ruling AK party proposed it. This comes after the party failed to get parliament to elect Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
7. Opposition parties boycotted the vote. They say he is an Islamist threat to the separation of religion and government in Turkey -- a charge he denies.
8. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was to leave office next week. Now he is expected to stay until a new parliament is elected in July. The ruling party wants to hold a presidential election at the same time.
9. In other news, Tony Blair announced this week when he will resign after ten years as Britain's prime minister. The date is June twenty-seventh. His Labor Party is expected to elect Gordon Brown, currently the treasury chief.

10. Tony Blair's popularity suffered because of his support for the Iraq war. But he will also be remembered for British economic gains and, among other things, for his work on the Northern Ireland peace agreement. 11. This week, a government was inaugurated in which Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders will share power in the British province. The hope is for a lasting end to thirty years of conflict.


Fonte: Voa Special English

Barack Obama


Barack Obama






1. Barack Hussein Obama was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama, was born in Kenya. Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas.

2. Barack’s father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams in Hawai. At the time of his birth, Obama’s parents were students at the East–West Center of the University of Hawai at Manoa.

3. Obama’s parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama’s father went to Harvard to pursue Ph. D. studies and then returned to Kenya.

4. When Barack was ten, he returned to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and later his mother

5. He was enrolled at the Punahou Academy, graduating with honors in 1979. He was only one of three black students at the school. This is where Obama first became conscious of racism and what it meant to be an African–American.

6. He saw his biological father (who died in a 1982 car accident) only once (in 1971) after his parents divorced. And he admitted using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years.

7. After high school, Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in political science.

8. Obama moved to Chicago in 1985. There, he worked as a community organizer with low-income residents It was during this time that Obama, who said he "was not raised in a religious household," joined the Trinity United Church of Christ.

9. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his father and paternal grandfather.

10. Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988. After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School.

11. Obama met his wife, Michelle, in 1988. They were married in October 1992 and live in Kenwood on Chicago's South Side with their daughters, Malia (born 1998) and Sasha (born 2001

12. Obama published an autobiography in 1995 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. And he won a Grammy for the audio version of the book.

13. Obama’s advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996.14. Following the 9/11 attacks, Obama was an opponent of the war with Iraq. Obama was still a state senator when he spoke against a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq in October 2002.

15. "I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars," he said. "He's a bad guy," Obama said, referring to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. "The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors.

16. "I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U. S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences," "I know that an invasion of Iraq will strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda."

17. The war with Iraq began in 2003 and Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate. 18. In the November 2004 general election, Obama became the third African-American elected to the U.S. Senate.

18. Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.

19. Obama was also the first to raise the threat of avian flu on the Senate.

20. His second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published in October 2006.

21. In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. On November 4th, 2008, Obama defeated Republican presidential nominee John McCain for the position of U.S. President. He is now the 44th president of the United States.



Fonte: Voa Special English

I want to read about:

Football: Brazilian Football , Cristiano Ronaldo

Presidents: Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy

Singers: Elvis Presley


Brazilian football


Brazilian football


1. Brazil is the most successful team in World Cup history. Football is the prominent sport in Brazil.The National Team has won the FIFA World Cup tournament a record five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 and is the only team to have never missed a World Cup participation, and to be among the favorites to win the trophy every time the competition is scheduled.

2. Pelé, one of the most recognized footballers in history, led Brazil to two of those championships and is the top scorer of all time in the sport. The contemporary talents in the football world include
Robinho, Elano, Marta, Ronaldinho, Kaká. Some of these players can be considered super-stars, achieving celebrity status internationally and signing sports contracts, as well as advertisement contracts, in the value of millions of euros

3. In the 1870s an expatriate named John Miller worked on the railway construction project in São Paulo together with some 3000 other immigrant families from the British Isles. In 1884 Miller sent his ten year old son Charles William Miller to Bannisters school in Southampton, England to be educated. Charles was a skilled athlete and, as a winger and striker Charles entered into the Southampton Club team and later into the County team of Hampshire.

4. In 1888, the first sports club was founded in the city, São Paulo Athletic Club. In 1892 while still in England, Charles was invited to play a game forthe Corinthians, a team formed of players invited from public schools and universities.

5. On his return to Brazil Charles brought some football equipment and a rules book with him. He then developed the new rules of the game amongst the community in São Paulo. São Paulo Athletic Club won the first three years championships. Miller's skills were far above his colleagues . 6. Miller kept a strong bond with English football throughout his life. Teams from and Corinthians Club travelled to Brazil to play against São Paulo Athletic Club and other teams in São Paulo. After a tour of Corinthians to Brazil in 1910 a new team in Brazil took on the name of Corinthians after a suggestion from Miller.

7. The Brazilian Football Confederation was founded in 1914. Football quickly became a passion for Brazilians, who often refer to their country as "the country of football". Over 10,000 Brazilians play professionally all over the world.

8. Football has a major effect on Brazilian culture. It is the favorite pastime of youngsters playing football on streets. The World Cup draws Brazilians together, with people skipping work to view the national team play, or employers setting up apparatus for employees to watch.

9. The general elections are usually held in the same year as the World Cup, and critics argue that political parties try to take advantage of the nationalistic surge created by football and bring it into politics. Former footballers are often elected to legislative positions.

10. In Brazilian National Championship there is only 20 teams, the elite group. Which play one of the most disputed and balanced football championships in the world. That championship is a showcase for European teams which, every year, takes talents to their leagues.

11. Brazilian football is a reflection of the country's multiracial society. Brazil's unique style is characterised by much creativity and swing . It is believed that this unique style was developed in the low income areas largely populated by people of African descent.

12. The great "foot ability" that the players had could be related to the physical coordination and rhythm associated with the capoeira, Brazilian martial arts, and samba which are characterized by footsteps to dance or to play under the rhythm of African drums. Brazilian football is known for its trickery, fast flowing and attacking style of play.

13. For anyone that follows soccer, it is evident that the Brazilians play differently. The incredible dribbling ability of Brazilian players in addition to their superb body control are only two of the elements which sets them apart. The Brazilian football player, perhaps most importantly, is creative. The Brazilian player does the unexpected through a move, a pass, or a surprise shot on goal.

14. Brazilians play carefree and happy. “When you think of Brazil you think of samba, smiling, and dancing. The way in which Brazilians play soccer is a direct reflection of how Brazilians live their lives.


Fonte: Voa Special English

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quinta-feira, 2 de julho de 2009

Expressões com a palavra FAR

All over (or about) ? Far and wide = Por toda a parte
As (or so) far as I am concerned = Na parte que me toca
As (or so) far as I am concerned = No que me compete
As (or so) far as I am concerned = No que me toca
As (or so) far as I am concerned = No que se refere a mim
As (or so) far as I am concerned = Pela parte que me toca
As (or so) far as I am concerned = Pelo que me diz respeito
As (or so) far as I am concerned = Pelo que me toca
As (or so) far as I can see = Pelo que me parece
As (or so) far as I know ? For all I know = Pelo que sei
As (or so) far as I know ? For all I know = Que eu saiba
As (or so) far as is known = Ao que consta
As (or so) far as is known = Ao que se saiba
As (or so) far as is known ? In so far as known = Pelo que se sabe
As (or so) far us we know = Pelo que sabemos
As far (or so) as I know = Ao que eu sabia
As far (or so) as I know = Ao que me consta
As far (or so) as morality is concerned = No que tange à moralidade
As far (or so) as that is concerned = Quanto a isso
As far as I can remember = Que eu me lembre
As far as I can remember ? According to my recollection = Pelo que me lembro
As far as I can see = A meu ver
As far as I know = Segundo me consta
As far as money is concerned = o tocante a dinheiro
As far as the eye can see = Até onde a vista alcança
As far as we know = Ao que sabemos
As far back as 1900 = Já em 1900
As far back as I can remember = Desde que eu me conheço por gente
As far back as I can remember = Desde que eu me lembre
As for me ? As far as I am concerned = Quanto a mim
At the far end = Na extremidade
By far - Far (or out) and way = Em muito
By far the best =Indiscutivelmente o melhor
By far the best = Muitíssimo melhor
Deep (or far, or late) into the night = Até tarde da noite
Far (or deep or long) into the night = Até altas horas da noite
Far (or out) and away = Por grande margem de diferença
Far (or way) behind schedule = Com muito atraso
Far (or well) beyond = Muito além
Far advanced in pregnancy = Em adiantado estado de gestação
Far be it from me = Longe de mim tal coisa
Far be it from me to think so = Longe de mim pensar tal coisa
Far below = Muito abaixo
Far better - A lot better - Better by far = Muito melhor
Far from it! = Longe disso!
Far short = Muito aquém
Far too good = Bom demais
Far worse - A lot worse = Muito pior
From near and far = De todas as partes
He goes too far in his criticism = Ele é radical nas críticas
He goes too far in his criticism = Ele se excede em sua crítica
He is far ahead of his time = Ele é muito avançado para a sua época
He is not sure exactly how far away is = Ele não sabe ao certo a que distância fica
How far is it? = A que distância fica?
How far? = Até onde? O quão longe ?
I did not get that far = Não cheguei a esse ponto
I never thought it would go this far = Nunca pensei que chegasse a esse ponto
I will help you in so far as I can = Ajudarei você na medida do possível
I would go, except it is too far = Eu iria, se não fosse tão longe
It is still too early ? It is far too early = Ainda é muito cedo?
Not as far as I know = Não que eu saiba
So far = Até agora
So far as one knows = Pelo que se sabe
So far at least = Pelo menos até agora
So far the right girl has not come along = Até agora, não encontrei a moça certa
So far there has been no word about him = Até agora, não se teve notícia dele
So far, so good = Até aqui, tudo bem
That is carrying things a bit too far = Isso já está passando do limite
That is going too far! = Assim já é demais!
The far Right/Left = A extrema Direita/Esquerda (polít.)
The far side of the moon = O lado oculto da lua
Thus far = Até agora

Fonte: Expressões Idiomáticas
O blog Caffeine tem como principal objetivo compartilhar alguns aspectos da curiosa e interessante língua Inglesa para você praticar, como gírias, reportagens publicadas, e dicas.