IS HE WORTH IT?

Image: Jacoplane
Wikimedia Commons

At the weekend the football player Gareth Bale was sold to Real Madrid for around €100 million. Do you think he is worth it?

To be worth it = to merit the value given; valere

The expression can also mean that an action is justified;  valere la pena.
In this case it is often used with the -ing form:

"The free concert in the park finishes at 11 pm. It's already 10.30 so it's not worth going."

We sometimes use the word worth to indicate a person's wealth:

"He is worth £3 million" = "He has £3 million."

"How much is it worth?" = "What is its value?"

Someone or something can be worth their weight in gold = extremely valuable or useful.

"I love cooking and my mum's recipes [ricette] are worth their weight in gold."
"He helped me with my homework and I got top marks. He's worth his weight in gold."

The expression for what it's worth is used to indicate that what the person is going to say may not be useful:

"This is what I think, for what it's worth."

Finally, do you know this proverb?

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."  The equivalent in Italian is, "Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani."

NEW WEBSITE FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

A new school year is fast approaching and I am pleased to be able to announce that, to greet it, London Town Modica - Centro Linguistico Internazionale has a new website. Do take a look and, if you are on facebook, some "likes" on the site would be much appreciated. There is a facebook "like" button in the footer bar. Thank you.

http://londontownmodica.wix.com/london-town-modica

"I HAVE A DREAM"

Fifty years ago today, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. made the "I have a dream" speech in Washington.

Here is the speech with Italian subtitles:

"I have a dream"

BABY IDIOMS

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son, His Royal Highness, Prince of Cambridge. The baby is third in the line of succession to the British throne, after his grandfather, Prince Charles, and father, Prince William [the Duke of Cambridge].

As everybody's thinking of babies this week, here are some baby idioms [1 - 6] for you to match up with their meanings [a - f].  You can see the answers at the end of the quiz:;

1.  as soft as a baby's bottom

2.  leave someone holding the baby

3.  sleep like a baby

4.  a baby boomer

5.  throw the baby out with the bathwater

6.  wet the baby's head

Image: WP Clipart

a.   Someone born between 1945 and 1965, the Postwar Era when a lot of babies were born.

b.  to discard something useful with something useless

c.  to sleep very well

d.  very smooth to touch

e.  [In British English]:  to celebrate the arrival of a baby by drinking alcohol [usually quite a lot!]

f.  To let someone else take the blame for a problem you have caused or for something you have done wrong.

To see the answers, please highlight the space below:

1. d  2. f  3. c  4.a  5. b  6. e

4TH JULY QUIZ

A quiz for 4th July. We take this opportunity to wish all our friends in the USA a happy day!

The answers are at the end of the quiz.

1.  4th July is - - - - - - - - - - - - Day in the USA.

2.  On the flag of the USA, the 50 stars represent the 50 - - - - - - .

3.  On the flag of the USA, the 13 stripes represent the 13 British - - - - - - - - which declared independence from Great Britain on 4th July 1776.

4.  Lots of people celebrate this day outside, with p - r - - - - ,  c - - c - - - - , p - - n - - - , b - r - - - - - - and f - - - - - - - - in the evening.

5.  The main reason why the American colonists were angry was that they had to pay unjust  t - - - - to the British government.

6.  On 4th July 1884 France presented the - - - - - -  of  - - - - - - - to the USA.

7.  The Liberty - - - - in Philadelphia is tapped, but not rung, 13 times on 4th July.

8.  A salute of one gun for each state is fired at US military bases at midday on 4th July. This is called a "salute to the - - - - - ".

9.  It is estimated that 150 million hot - - - - are eaten in the USA on this day.

10. "The Star-Spangled  - - - - - - " is the national anthem of the USA.

Highlight the space below to see the answers:

1. Independence  2. states  3. colonies  4. parades, concerts, picnics, barbecues, fireworks.  5. taxes  
6. Statue of Liberty  7. Bell  8. Union  9. dogs  10. Banner

"ENGLISH FUN WEEK" A MODICA!

LONDON TOWN

CENTRO LINGUISTICO INTERNAZIONALE

MODICA

Via Resistenza Partigiana 25/b, 97015, Modica [RG]

Tel: 0932 905642 / 366 119 6467

ENGLISH FUN WEEK FOR CHILDREN

SETTIMANA DI DIVERTIMENTO E GIOCHI IN INGLESE

PER BAMBINI dai 7 - 11 ANNI

8 – 12 LUGLIO 2013, DALLE 10.00 – 12.00

  

PROGRAMMA

DAY 1 / 1° GIORNO         BEACH DAY – SIMULAZIONE DI UN GIORNO ALLA SPIAGGIA!

DAY 2 / 2° GIORNO         JEWELLERY DAY – FABBRICHIAMO DELLA GIOIELLERIA!

DAY 3 / 3° GIORNO         FRUIT DAY – IL GIORNO DELLA FRUTTA!             

DAY 4 / 4° GIORNO         PAINTING DAY – CI DIVERTIAMO CON LA PITTURA!

DAY 5 / 5° GIORNO         DRESSING UP DAY – CI VESTIAMO A FESTA!

Per prezzi e ulteriori informazioni rivolgersi al Centro:

0932 905642 / 366 119 6467   Email:  londontownmodica@gmail.com

  

Images / immagini [ apart from logo / tranne logo]: WP Clipart

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