The year has already come and gone! People are reflecting on 2012 to see what they accomplished and are currently gearing up for a fabulous 2013!
For the last post at Celebrity English for 2012, I would like to highlight the most read features of the year. Here are the TOP 10 Celebrity Features of 2012! Enjoy!
Christmas is almost here! Trees are decorated, parties are happening and Christmas music is everywhere! Justin Bieber’s song "Mistletoe"is back on the air and in the stores! It debuted in 2011 and is still on many people’s Xmas music play list. So don’t be surprised if you keep hearing this song wherever you go!
Check out the video and try to fill in the missing blanks below. Enjoy!
"Mistletoe" by Justin Bieber
It’s the most beautiful time of the year
Lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer
I should be playing in the winter snow
But I'mma be under the mistletoe
I don’t wanna miss out on the holiday
But I can’t stop staring at your face
I should be playing in the winter snow
But I’mma be under the 1________
With you, shawty with you
With you, shawty with you
With you under the mistletoe
Everyone's gathering around the fire
2________roasting like a hot July
I should be chilling with 3________, I know
But I’mma be under the mistletoe
Word on the street 4________'s coming tonight,
5________'s flying through the sky so high
I should be 6________, I know
But I’mma be under the mistletoe
With you, shawty with you
With you, shawty with you
With you under the mistletoe
With you, shawty with you
With you, shawty with you
With you under the mistletoe
Aye, love, the 7_______followed the star
The way I followed my heart
And it led me to a 8________
Aye, love, don't you buy me nothing
'cause I am feeling one thing, your lips on my lips
That’s a merry, 9________
It’s the most beautiful time of the year
Lights fill the streets spreading so much cheer
I should be playing in the winter snow
But I’mma be under the mistletoe
I don’t wanna miss out on the holiday
But I can’t stop staring at your face
I should be playing in the winter snow
But I’mma be under the mistletoe
With you, shawty with you
With you, shawty with you
With you under the mistletoe
With you, shawty with you
With you, shawty with you
With you, under the mistletoe, under the mistletoe
Kiss me underneath the mistletoe
Show me baby that you love me so-oh-oh
Oh, oh, ohhh
Kiss me underneath the mistletoe,
Show me baby that you love me so-oh-oh
Oh, oh, ohhh
Listening Answers
1. mistletoe
2. Chestnuts
3. my folks
4. Santa
5. Reindeer
6. making a list
7. wise men
8. miracle
9. merry Christmas
Ok, now go through the video one more time and answer the Comprehension Questions below. However to help you out, I have given you the meanings to some of the key slang terms from the song.
Slang Terms & Meanings from Justin Bieber
wanna = want to
imma be = I am going to be.
a "shawty" = a pretty girl.
Comprehension Questions
(1)What is mistletoe?
A plant; see picture of Mickey and Minnie under the mistletoe below.
(2)What usually happens under the mistletoe?
Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss.
(3)Does Justin Bieber want a Christmas gift from his girlfriend?
No.
(4)What does Justin Bieber want to do for Christmas?
He wants to be together with his girlfriend under the mistletoe.
(5)What are some of the Christmas activities that Justin Bieber feels he ‘should be’ doing?
He should be: playing in the winter snow, chilling with his folks, making a list.
Christmas is a time to share with family and friends. Also people will be talking about Christmas memories from the past. Let’s take a look at Tom Cruise’s favorite Christmas as a child...
Interviewer: When I was a kid the time of year that I loved was Christmas because it was the only magic time. Didn’t you one year, I read that there was a gift of poems.
Tom Cruise: Yeah
Interviewer: Tell me.
Tom Cruise: As I said, a beautiful mother, and it was actually the first Christmas when my parents were divorced and we didn’t have any money. And really not enough to buy each other a present. And all of the money kind of went to…well didn’t kind of, it went into paying for food on the table. And so my mother said listen: “What we are going to do is we are not going to buy each other gifts. We are going to pick names out of hat. And for a month you are going to do something for that person and on Christmas day we are going to reveal who you are and we are going to write poems for each other.
Tom Cruise: It was actually the best Christmas I had as a kid! It was a great Christmas!
Interviewer: It sounds like a great Christmas.
The story is direct. Tom starts by setting the ‘scene’ for the listener. His parents had just divorced. There was no money to spend on Christmas gifts. Food was the most important item. Tom uses past verb tenses to create the scene for the listener.
Next, Tom tells the story from his mother’s words. She is using ‘going to’ to express a future within the story time period. This gives the story a change of pace. It feels like we are there with Tom, listening to his mother’s Christmas plan. It is a nice style and more interesting than telling a whole story with past tense verbs only. Also, changing the pace of a story helps keeps the listener interested. In the final two sentences Tom reverts back to the use of past tense verbs and finishes telling the story. Tom reveals the importance of this memory to the listener with great enthusiasm and excitement in his voice: this was the best Christmas he had as a kid with excitement in his voice. The excitement in his voice also creates interest from the listener.
If you want to try out Tom’s Christmas Memory/Story Style, here it is:
Tom’s Story Telling Template:
1.Set the scene in the past in your own ‘voice’ or perspective. 2.Have one of the main characters in the scene/memory tell the story. 3.Return to your own ‘voice’ and why it was important to you (enthusiastically).
Full and original interview with Tom Cruise 'Christmas Memory"
(Counter: 6:05 - 7:01 – ‘Christmas Memory’ portion of interview)
This week at Celebrity English we are fortunate to be able to interview Tammy Armstrong.Tammy is a highly educated expert from the field of “education and training for individuals who are severely disabled” and serves as the Director of Developmental Training at the world class Little Angels Center for ExceptionalCare in Elgin Illinois.
"Love, care and support, just like Family!" is one of the motto's at the Little Angels Center for Exceptional care.Let’s take a look inside the world of Little Angels
Interview
Alex Graham: Please tell us a bit about ‘Little Angels’ and the story behind this phenomenal center.
Tammy Armstrong: In 1958, Pat Wasmond, a registered nurse and mother, began her life’s mission to help children who could not help themselves — and to always love them like her own. Her passion began simply by opening her home to a prominent doctor’s child who required 24 hour care and support. It didn’t take long for word to spread about the exceptional care this child was receiving and soon others came to Pat for help. Pat, along with husband Bob opened their home to several disabled children in need. And with that, Little Angels was founded. Now, over 50 years later, Little Angels has grown into a 57 bed skilled care nursing facility caring for children and young adults with complex physical, developmental and medical needs. Our residents are all in wheelchairs, require total assistance for all activities of daily life and are in need of 24 hour nursing care.
Alex: The Little Angels Developmental Training Program has implemented the most modern and up-to-date training techniques for young adults. Can you give us some specific training methods or techniques used to create the best possible environment for the participants?
Tammy: First you need an environment and activities that address all 5 senses. Our residents learn best through a variety of sensory experiences, due to the physical and cognitive challenges they face. Our Snoezelen room is a perfect example of providing a multi-sensory experience through modern technology. (Pronounced Soo-zlen. This is sensory stimulatory equipment that was created, in Holland, specifically for individuals with severe sensory impairments.) We can customize the experience to meet a variety of individual needs. Secondly, you need to make use of the technology available now through a variety of adaptive devices and communication systems. These adaptive devices can give an individual independence and control over their environment with a small movement of an arm, leg or head. There are communication systems that will “talk” for individual using body movement and even just an eye gaze.
Alex: Also, Could you give us a general example of the day in the life of a Little Angel?
Tammy: Our resident’s days are not unlike yours and mine. They wake up and face the same activities and events we all do. School aged residents get ready for school in the morning. Eat breakfast, get dressed, and get primped and beautified… True, they need assistance with all these activities, but they help to the best of their abilities. Then it’s out the front door to their school bus. Our residents who are over age 21 get ready for their Day Training Program with the same morning activities. This program is adjacent to the Little Angels residence so they can just be pushed in their wheelchair directly to their program. At the end of the day they all come back home and have group activities, eat dinner, have quiet time to watch TV and listen to music and get ready for bed.
Alex: Having a child is a life-changing event for parents and sometimes children come into this world in need of some pretty complex medical needs. If a new parent is facing this type of life challenge what advice would you give them.
Tammy: Learn how to look for and accept help and support. You know the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well with a child with severe disabilities and health issues, it takes a large, compassionate, loving village. There are many folks out there who either have gone through similar experiences and can help you or who are put on this earth to help people like you. You may have to search a little bit, but there are many people out there who are able to and want to help you.
Alex: What are some of the biggest misconceptions you hear from people on a regular basis?
Tammy: People assume that our resident’s lives are sad or that our residents are sad. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our residents are who they are. This is the life they have been given and the only life they know. They can’t walk, but they have fantastic, comfortable wheelchairs in which to get around; they don’t talk but they sure do communicate; they have likes, dislikes, they love and are loved in return. They lead happy, fulfilled, loving lives.
Alex: What have some of these wonderful ‘Little Angels’ taught the people around them?
Tammy: Unconditional love – these individual love their families and caregivers, regardless of who they are, how much money they, where they come from or what they do. They demonstrate great perseverance. They work diligently to make best use of their skills and abilities, despite the many challenges to accomplish goals. How to simply just enjoy life!
Alex: I saw on The Little Angels website a very unique button called ‘Angel Songs’. What is ‘Angel Songs’?
Tammy: Angel Songs is a gala that we hold annually. It’s a fundraiser, but just as important, it’s a celebration of Little Angels. We celebrate our resident’s lives, their accomplishments and we celebrate the staff and friends who love and support these individuals.
Alex: For people who want to get involved or help out, what can they do? How can they connect with you?
Tammy:
Please check out our website at www.LittleAngels.orgSign up to receive our newsletters. If you live in the Northern Illinois area we’d love to give you a tour of our facilities and introduce you to our wonderful residents and staff. For questions or information please contact Mary jean Adkins at 847.741.1609 x 101.
Alex: Thank you Tammy Armstrong for this wonderful, informative interview!
Tammy: You are welcome and thanks again for this opportunity.
Alex:Special thanks to Mary jean Adkins, Director of Development at Little Angels, who was an indispensable part of this fantastic interview!
I am Alex Graham of Celebrity English and privileged to be blessed by the "Little Angels" today! Best wishes and love to these extraordinary people!
The latest release of Skyfall marked the 50th anniversary of the James Bond 007 film franchise. Currently Daniel Craig is starring as the legendary 007 British Spy. Adventure, intrigue, cars, women/men, futuristic gadgets, “saving the world” are all part of the James Bond "cloak and dagger lifestyle".
This week I started to wonder what it takes to be a real spy. So in the tradition of James Bond I based this Celebrity English feature on a mixture of MI5 and MI6 security services.
Here are some of the highlights I found.
Eligibility
Need to be a British citizen of the home country; however there are some exceptions.
21 years old (+).
Able to pass a high Security Clearance.
Pass the medical test; physical and mental.
Personal Attributes
Personal Integrity
Working with Others / Teamwork
Planning and Organizing
Analysis and Problem Solving
Leading and Decision-Making
Communicating
Innovative
Strong Desire to make a difference in the world!
Recruiting Areas
“The roles for which we recruit fall into the following areas:
Degrees ranging from Architecture to Zoology from 36 different universities have joined us as Intelligence Officers over the last two years. We also have opportunities for people with a range of technical, vocational or professional qualifications, from IT or Electronics to Carpentry or Accountancy.”
Common Jobs in the Secret Service
Intelligence Delivery Officers - Collecting, analyzing and reporting global secret intelligence.
Administrators - Assisting with the essential daily running of the organization, through a broad range of administrative tasks.
Technology - ensuring we have secure, innovative IT systems to communicate internationally.
Corporate Services - Working with a range of departments such as HR and Finance.
Language Specialists - Translating raw intelligence in many different languages and dialects from both written and spoken sources.
Benefits
Continued training in your field.
Salary similar to many other organizations. Depends on skill, experience, and performance.
Pension scheme comparable with the Civil Service.
Maternity and paternity leave.
25 days’ annual leave rising to 30 days after five years service (even a spy needs a few days off!)
Current Employment Vacancies
Business Analysts
Business Relationship Managers
Data and Information Professionals
Forensic Speech & Language Specialist
Internet Investigation, Exploitation and Cyber Security
Specialists
Portfolio Managers
Speech Technician
Strategy, Architecture, IT Security and Testing Specialists
IT Technical Operations roles
IT Service Management roles
Intelligence Officer
Project Managers
Service Desk Analyst
Information Specialist
Application Support Analysts
Network Systems Engineers
Administrator
Language Specialist
Transport Supervisors
Facilities Assistants
So now can you pass the test to become like James Bond?
Here are a few to try out:
(1)Try our Intelligence Officer challenge, which will test your ability to maintain a simple cover story.
Here are some common words you will hear in Spy Movies. Test Yourself for Fun! What do the following words mean? Just put a few notes or ideas beside each word.
Espionage
MI6
CIA
A spy
A terrorist
To do/conduct surveillance
A bug
Cloak and dagger
Answers and More Espionage Vocabulary!
Verbs
to be classified: something that is considered confidential or secret information; need a high level security clearance to view the information.
to do/conduct surveillance: the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime.
to stake out: to do surveillance.
to spy : to watch secretly usually for hostile purposes.
to have one's cover blown: you have been exposed as being a spy.
to keep/maintain a low profile: to behave in a way that does not attract attention.
to sabotage: something: the act of destroying or damaging something deliberately so that it does.
to destroy something : to cause (something) to end or no longer exist : to cause the destruction of.
Adjectives
undercover: acting or executed in secret; specifically : employed or engaged in spying or secret investigation <an undercover agent/police officer>.
clandestine: done in a private place or way : done secretly. <clandestine activities/organization>.
Nouns
Espionage: ,or spying, involves a government or individual obtaining information that is
considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information.
a spy: (1)one who keeps secret watch on a person or thing to obtain information (2) a person employed by one nation to secretly convey classified information of strategic importance to another nation; also : a person who conveys the trade secrets of one company to another.
an operative: a secret agent; a person who works toward achieving the objectives of a larger interest <political operatives>.
a bug: a small hidden microphone (listening device) that is used to secretly listen to and record people.
a conspiracy: an agreement by 2 or more people to commit a crime.
a covert operation : a plan made in a way that is not easily seen or noticed : secret or hidden.
a threat: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage.
a bomb: a device that is designed to explode in order to injure or kill people or to damage or something.
terrorism: the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal.
a terrorist: a person who uses or supports the use of terrorism <terrorist activities/attacks/bombings/threats> <a terrorist organization/group/network>.
a sleeper (agent): A sleeper agent is a person who is recruited to an intelligence service to wake up and perform a specific set of tasks or functions while living under cover in an area of interest.
a double agent: a spy pretending to serve one government while actually serving another.
Organizations
MI5: Military Intelligence, Section 5 - the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence.
MI6: Military Intelligence, Section 6 - the agency which supplies Her Majesty's Government with foreign intelligence.
FBI: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a governmental agency belonging to the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency (counterintelligence).
CIA: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence.
Military: of or relating to soldiers or the armed forces (such as the army, navy, marines, and air force)
Expressions
behind closed doors: in private; only the people in the meeting know the information.
cloak and dagger: dealing in or suggestive of melodramatic intrigue and action usually involving secret agents and espionage <a cloak–and–dagger novel>.
Until next week! Enjoy the Skyfall trailer and the original Dr No.
