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Oral fluency: 5 Native-like 4 Advanced 3 Good 2 Intermediate 1 Limited, 0 Disfluent
1. Elephant
The elephant is the largest living land mammal.
During evolution, its skeleton has greatly altered from the usual mammal,
designed for two main reasons. One is to cope with the great weight of huge grinding
cheek teeth and elongated tusk, making the skull particularly massive. The
other is to support the enormous bulk of such a huge body.
2. Brain
The brain is divided into its 'hemispheres' by a
prominent groove. At the base of this lies nerve fibers which enable these two
halves of the brain to communicate with each other. But the left hemisphere usually
controls movement and sensation in the right side of the body, while the right
hemisphere similarly controls the left side of the body.
3. Grand Canyon 2
Few things in the world produce such amazement as
one's first of glimpse of the Grand Canyon; it took around more than 2 billion
years to create this vast wonder - in some places. 17 miles wide, largely
through the relentless force of Colorado River, which runs 277 miles along its
length, a mile beneath its towering rims.
4. Tesla
Tesla's theoretical work formed the basis of modern
alternating current electric power systems. Thomas Edison promised him almost
one million dollars in today's money to undertake motor and generator
improvement. However, when Tesla asked about the money, Edison reportedly
replied "Tesla, you don't understand our American humor." The pair
became arch-rivals.
5. MBA Students
Along with customary classes on subjects such as
finance, accounting, and marketing, today's MBA students are enrolling on
courses for environmental policy and stewardship. Indeed, more than half of business
schools require a course in environmental sustainability or corporate social
responsibility, according to a survey of 91 US business schools, published in
October 2005.
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6. Bookkeeper Fraud
A national study into fraud by bookkeepers employed
at small and medium-sized businesses has uncovered 65 instances of theft in
more than five years, with more than $31 million stolen. Of the cases identified
by the research, 56 involved women and nine instances involved men. However,
male bookkeepers who defrauded their employer stole three times, on average,
the amount that women stole.
7. Vanilla
The uniquely scented flavor of vanilla is second
only to chocolate in popularity on the world’s palate. It’s also the second
most expensive spice after saffron. But highly labor intensive cultivation
methods and the plant’s temperamental life cycle and propagation mean
production on a global scale is struggling to keep up with the increasing
demand for the product.
8. Pluto
Pluto lost its official status as a planet
yesterday, when the International Astronomical Union downsized the solar system
from nine to eight planets. Although there had been a passionate debate at the
IAU General Assembly Meeting in Prague about the definition of a planet, and
whether Pluto met the specifications, the audience greeted the decision to
exclude it with applause.
9. Augustus
Augustus was given the powers of an absolute monarch,
but he presented himself as the preserver of republican traditions. He treated
the Senate, or state council, with great respect, and was made Consul year
after year. He successfully reduced the political power of the army by retiring
many soldiers, but giving them land or money to keep their loyalty.
10. Blue
While blue is one of the most popular colors, it is
one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say
that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled
objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served
to study subjects, they lose appetite.
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11. Botanic
Gardens Botanic gardens are scientific and cultural
institutions established to collect, study, exchange and display plants for
research and for the education and enjoyment of the public. There are major botanic
gardens in each capital city. Zoological parks and aquariums are primarily
engaged in the breeding, preservation and display of native and exotic fauna in
captivity.
12. Botswana
Although Botswana's economic outlook remains strong,
the devastation that AIDS has caused threatens to destroy the country's future.
In 2001, Botswana had the highest rate of HIV infection in the world. With the
help of international donors it launched an ambitious national campaign that provided
free antiviral drugs to anyone who needed them, and by March 2004, Botswana's
infection rate had dropped significantly.
13. Edison and Tesla
Tesla came over from Graz and went to work for
Thomas Edison. Nonetheless Edison offered him a job, promising Tesla fifty
thousand dollars if Tesla could redesign Edisons breakdown-prone DC generator
designs. The new generator designs were a vast improvement over Edisons
originals. Upon completing the job Tesla went to Edison to collect the $50,000
promised for the task. "Tesla", Edison replied, "you don't
understand our American humour." And Tesla was never paid. These two men became
arch-rivals.
14. Yellow
Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While
it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in
yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the
eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances
concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.
15. Akimbo
Akimbo, this must be one of the odder-looking words
in the language and puzzles us in part because it doesn't seem to have any
relatives. What's more, it is now virtually a fossil word, until recently almost
invariably found in arms akimbo, a posture in which a person stands with hands
on hips and elbows sharply bent outward, one signaling impatience, hostility,
or contempt.
#3
16. Yellow
Yellow is considered as the most optimistic color.
Yet surprisingly, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms and
babies cry more in them. The reason may be that yellow is the hardest color for
eyes to take in. So it can be overpowering if overused.
17. Tesla & Edison
Tesla actually worked for Edison early in his
career. Edison offered to pay him the modern equivalent of a million dollars to
fix the problems he was having with his DC generators and motors. Tesla fixed Edison's
machines and when he asked for the money he was promised, Edison laughed him
off and had this to say, "Tesla, you don't understand our American
humor."
18. Lincoln
Lincoln's apparently radical change of mind about
his war power to emancipate slaves was caused by the escalating scope of war,
which convinced him that any measure to weaken the Confederacy and strengthen
the Union war effort was justifiable as a military necessity.
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