The Spring Issue

·        Spring by Alfred Lord Tennyson

·        Spring Cleaning  

·        Why do people have seasonal allergies? Ted Ed 

·        Insect Expressions –Idioms 

·        A Lovely Language Wedding!

Spring, a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Spring, a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Read the poem and discuss the questions that follow in groups or pairs.

Spring by Alfred Lord Tennyson Birds' love and birds' song Flying here and there, Birds' song and birds' love And you with gold for hair! Birds' song and birds' love Passing with the weather, Men's song and men's love, To love once and forever. Men's love and birds' love, And women's love and men's! And you my wren with a crown of gold, You my queen of the wrens! You the queen of the wrens -- We'll be birds of a feather, I'll be King of the Queen of the wrens, And all in a nest together.

Analize the poem!

1.What is the author’s view of spring? What is the tone of the poem?

2.Who is the speaker in this poem? What kind of person is he or she?

3.Who is he/she speaking to?

4.What is the situation, setting and place of the poem?

5.What is its purpose?

6.Can you discuss the language? Are there any words which seem special or well-chosen?

7.Do you like the poem? Why (not)?

Find more poems online related to spring and continue the discussion.

Spring-Cleaning

·        Do you have any rituals for the beginning of the seasons? ·                   Is there anything you do in spring? ·                  What do you think about the following quotes? "The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment." Marie Kondo “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris

Vocabulary activity          

PART 1.Read the article and fill in the blanks with the right form of the word that appears on the right. 

There are few rites of spring more (1) _______________ than the annual clean. For many people, however, the (2) _______________ comes only after the work is finished. Your spring cleaning may never become (3) _______________, but you can make the project more (4) _______________ --  and even (5) _______________. This guide offers an overview of everything you need to know -- including information on cleansers, stain removal, fabric care, and storage -- to zip through the (6) _______________  and arrive at a happy end. After you read through the article, tailor the list to your home and yard. Create a (7) _______________ schedule, keeping in mind that a single weekend won't suffice, as you'll need several days for more (8) _______________ projects, such as shampooing carpets and (9) _______________ closets, clean refrigerators and freezers or (10) _______________ through wardrobes. Whether you prefer to proceed from the attic to the basement or start outdoors and wind your way inside, focus on one task at a time. And be sure to (11) _______________  the help of family members.

satisfy     pleasure effort manage enjoy proceed real involve organize sort list

                       

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living 

PART 2. Complete the sentences with the following verbs related to house cleaning:

lay         take      sort       water       fold       sweep      iron clear        do(2)       mop       make (2)      clean (2)

1. Every morning I ____ the plants before I go to the office.
2. My roomate usually ____ the dishes after dinner.
3. On the weekend I usually _____ dinner.
4. I always ________ the floor and then ________ it.
5. We try to _____________ the freezer every two months.
6. I don’t like  _____ the table before meals but I _______ it after.
7. Once a month I  _____ up my closet and _______ through my wardrobe.
8. Do you  ______ your bed in the morning?
9. On Saturday morning I ________ the laundry and then ________ it and ________ in the afternoon.
10. We __________ out the trash in the evening.

Answers here!

Why do people have seasonal allergies?

Why do people have seasonal allergies? - Eleanor Nelsen. Ted Ed

a)Discuss in small groups or pairs:

·        Do you have allergies? Do you know anyone who does? ·        What are people allergic to? ·        What are the symptoms? ·        Is spring the only season for allergies?

b)Go over the following activity and guess the answers. Compare your choices with a partner. Then, watch the video and check your work.

1.What are some of the characteristic symptoms of allergy season?  (Find the match!)

your nose is ...	itchy
your throat is ...	swollen and watery
your eyes are...	running

True or False? 

2.'Hay fever' is another name for seasonal allergy.

3.It is your immune system which reacts for example to pollen.  

4.Allergies always start during childhood.

5. Allergies are never genetic. 

6.If you grew up in a farm for example, you have a tendency to suffer allergies. 

7.Some people are allergic to cats. 

8.Allergies are not dangerous. 

9.One way to treat allergies is with intestinal parasites. 

10.All allergies end with summer.

   

Anwers here!