英语博客：Analysis time - community colleges.

Community colleges still don't get the dollars of their four-year counterparts(1), but they're standing very much in the spotlight(2) these days. President Barack Obama made them the focus last week when he unveiled(3) his proposed budget. Why all th

英语博客：The Alps from the plane.

The Alps from the plane. Many of you have seen some part of the Alps, I suppose. They're spectacular, aren't they? I saw a small part of them recently from a plane. I was traveling from the south of France up to Germany. Luckily, I was sitting next t

英语博客：A blasting experiment.

It's always fun when my brother comes to visit from New Zealand. Because he is a math and science teacher, he often thinks of interesting things to do that fascinate the children. When he heard that one of my sons does experiments in the kitchen for

英语博客：Very early practice.

When you have a hobby, and you want to improve your skills, you have to practice. There is no substitute for practice. Those of you who come from disciplined nations will know all about this. In the Western world, I think, dedicating ourselves to lon

英语博客：Progress at Walmart.

I'm so used to going to Walmart, that I could probably get there with my eyes closed. It's two blocks away from our house, so it's the perfect place for a quick shop stop. There have been renovations going on there for several months now. It started

英语博客：Expanding Walmart.

For a while now, there has been a lot of construction going on at our local Walmart. I am a frequent shopper there, as it is only a couple of blocks from my house. Walmart is expanding. After a few years of doing tremendous business here, the owners

英语博客：AZ's cafe.

I was running errands today, when I spotted a new business in town. At the bottom of a three story building, in the basement area, a cafe has opened this week. I noticed it because there are some colorful flags flying in the outside eating area. Oooo

英语博客：Look at the details!

About nine years ago, I had some incredible luck in a local charity shop. It was coming up to Christmas, and I had gone to Goodwill to look around at all the second hand decorations, ornaments, and housewares. As I wandered up and down the aisle, tak

英语博客(A cup of English):044 Bionicles.

Beginners. Black, red, green, light blue, silver, orange, swords, lazers, helmets, shields, flying machines, underwater vehicles. The list could go on. What do these words refer to? Bionicles. They are a type of lego. You can buy them in boxes to put

英语博客(A cup of English):053 Own the night.

Beginners. I have a very special friend who lives in the *neighborhood. She is seventy-five years old, and actually comes from England, just like me. She was a war bride during World War two. She is originally from Liverpool (where the Beatles came f

英语博客(A cup of English):058 I'm off!

Beginners. Traveling is a passion of mine. I can't imagine staying in one place for many years without going off to explore another country. Well, I've done it! My brother has lived in New Zealand for eleven years. He has flown out to the U.S many ti

英语博客(A cup of English):078 Run for reading.

I'm interviewing Cass today. He's my second son, and he's nine years old. He's going to do something very interesting on Friday. What is it Cass that you're going to do on Friday? - Uh, we're going to do something called Run for Reading, and that's h

英语博客(A cup of English):085 Music party.

Beginners. On Mondays, Domini has her music class after her normal preschool curriculum. It is an extra class that has been added on to the end of the morning, so children can learn a few things about the world of music. She has enjoyed it immensely

英语博客(A cup of English):013 Do you have gas?

Do you have gas? Beginners. What kind of a question is that? Are you talking about my body or my car? Well, actually, I am talking about your car. Gas, or petrol, as it is called in England, is a big subject at the moment. Driving a car has become re

英语博客：A check-up at the dentist.

A check-up at the dentist. Summer time is check-up time for the kids. When school is out, it's convenient to take them to their various appointments with doctors or dentists. Now, believe it or not, dental check-ups are quite exciting for my kids. I

英语博客：The City Mouse and the Country Mouse.

The City Mouse and the Country Mouse (part 1). Once upon a time, a country mouse named Oliver lived in a hole under the root of a big, old oak tree. Oliver loved the sound of squirrels chattering during the day and crickets chirping at night. He love

英语博客：Rikki-tikki-tavi part 2.

Rikki-tikki-tavi part 2. Who is Nag? I am Nag. My family has ruled this garden for thousands of years. Look at me and be afraid. Rikki-tikki was scared for only a minute. He knew that as a mongoose, he was supposed to fight snakes. Nag knew it too. L

英语博客：George and the Dragon.

图片1 Saint George and the Dragon (part 1). This is the tale of Saint George and the dragon.Iit has been told for over 15 centuries. It takes place during a time called the Dark Ages, when kings ruled the land, wizzards cast spells, and monsters ro

英语博客：Saint George and the Dragon part 2.

图片1 Saint George and the Dragon (part 2). I am Princess Sabra, she said. Come with me. They tiptoed through what was once a deep, green forest. Sabra explained why the kingdom lived in such fear. A fearful dragon had lived in the kigdom for many

英语博客：A growing garden.

One thing that I do in the morning, is to drive my children to school. It doesn't take very long, perhaps five minutes. Parents can pull up into a parking area that is near the school playing field to drop their kids off. Something caught my eye, the