Your English Test guide

😂 WHICH PRESIDENTIAL JOKE IS THE FUNNIEST? 🇺🇸 JOKE 1: BY A PRESIDENT Context: Ronald Reagan was turning 70. Like many people, he enjoyed joking about getting older and pretending he was still young. 😂 Ronald Reagan: “It’s just the 31st anniversary of my 39th birthday.” 🇺🇸 JOKE 2: ABOUT A PRESIDENT Context: Bill Clinton had a reputation for giving very long speeches. Before his first inauguration in 1993, comedian Bob Hope joked about how long Clinton's inaugural address might be. 😂 Bob Hope: “This will be the first inaugural address with an intermission.” 🇺🇸 JOKE 3: PRESIDENTIAL IN CHARACTER Context: Everyone knows the classic joke, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” But what happens when we make this simple, everyday joke sound a little more diplomatic and statesmanlike? 😂 The joke: “Why did the diplomat cross the road?” “To establish better relations with the other side.”

🐄 The Bovine View 🐮 It’s Friday, and Hilda and Maude are still in the garden, discussing the udder absurdity of English. 🐮😕 Earlier this week on 11th August, the United States celebrated National Presidential Joke Day. 🇺🇸😂 But reading about it got our cowgirls wondering...🤔 What exactly is a presidential joke? 🤔 Is it a joke told by a president? A joke about a president? Or simply a joke that is very presidential: dignified, diplomatic and statesmanlike? Welcome to another peculiarity of English. When we put an adjective directly before a noun, the relationship between the two words isn't always clear. The same adjective + noun combination can express different relationships depending on the context. Take the phrase: 🇬🇧 an English student Who are we talking about?🤷‍♂️ A student from England? Or a student studying the English language? It could be either. English can make the relationship clear by adding a preposition. We can say a student from England or a student of English. But native speakers don't always do that. We can simply say an English student and leave context to tell us what the relationship between the two words actually is. In many other languages, that relationship would normally need to be made explicit with a preposition, a compound word or a different grammatical structure. English? We can just leave it out. 😲 And presidential joke gives us the same problem: 😂 a joke by a president 😂 a joke about a president 😂 a joke characteristic of a president Three different relationships. Exactly the same two words: 🇺🇸 a presidential joke So what should English learners take away from this? 👂 When listening or reading, expect native speakers to use expressions like these without making the relationship explicit. Use the context to work out what they mean. ✍️ When speaking or writing, remember that you can make the relationship explicit when necessary. If an English student could be misunderstood, say a student from England or a student of English. In other words: 💡 Use context to understand ambiguity. Use prepositions when you need to avoid it. So this week, we're putting context to the test with three very different presidential jokes, each “presidential” for a completely different reason. And there's only one question left to answer... 😂 Which presidential joke is the funniest? 👇 Cast your vote in the poll below. #TheBovineView #LearnEnglish #EnglishVocabulary

🏆 THE SCIENTIFIC METAPHOR CHALLENGE Ready to play? Hidden in our Wordwall word search are 10 scientific words that we also use metaphorically in everyday English. 🔎 Find each word as quickly as you can. 💡 The picture shows you the scientific meaning, while the sentences help you work out its metaphorical meaning. 👀 Watch the short video above👆 to see how easy it is to play. 🎮 PLAY HERE: 👈 Click to play Or copy and paste this link below👇 into your browser https://wordwall.net/play/117316/249/574?wwmethod=link ⏱️ And remember, this is a competition! The person with the quickest time wins a digital copy of my new book, 👈 (Click to sample) which is about to be published. 🏆📖 Ready? 3... 2... 1... GO! 🚀 And good luck! 🤞 #LearnEnglish #EnglishVocabulary #Wordwall

🌑 WHEN SCIENCE BECOMES A METAPHOR Something rather special is happening in the sky today. A total solar eclipse will sweep across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, while a partial eclipse will be visible across much of Europe and parts of northern Canada and the United States. The eclipse reaches its global maximum at around 17:46 UTC. 🎥 If you can't see it where you are, you can watch it live with the European Space Agency (ESA) from 19:30 CEST (17:30 UTC): 👈 click to view on YouTube. But eclipses don't only happen in the sky. The word eclipse comes from astronomy, but we also use it as a metaphor in everyday English. 🌑 Scientific meaning: when one celestial body blocks the light from another. 💬 Metaphorical meaning: to become more important, successful or impressive than someone or something else. 👉 Her success eclipsed mine. She's much better known than me. And eclipse isn't alone. English is full of words that started life in science but are now also used metaphorically to talk about people, relationships, ideas and everyday situations. Think about: 🌍 gravity 🧲 magnetic 🧲 polarise 🧪 chemistry ☠️ toxic 🏎 momentum ⚙️ friction ⚗️ catalyst ⚡️ spark You may already use some of these words without ever thinking about their scientific meanings. 🏆 Next up: a Wordwall competition! How quickly can you find all 10 scientific words and match them with their metaphorical meanings? 👀 Watch the video in the post below to see how to play the game, then join for a chance to win a prize!🏆 ⏱️ The quickest time wins an e-copy of my new book, which is about to be published! 👈 (click for a sample) #LearnEnglish #EnglishVocabulary #Metaphors

See below 👇 under the spoiler the answers and explanations 1. BIBLIOPHILE ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ✅ Yes A bibliophile is a person who loves books, especially someone who enjoys collecting them. Biblio- means “book”, while -phile means “someone who loves something”. 2. BIBLIOPOLE ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ✅ Yes A bibliopole is a bookseller, particularly someone who deals in rare, old or unusual books. The word comes from Greek elements meaning “book” and “seller”. 3. TOMELURE ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ❌ No Tomelure was invented for this quiz. A tome is a large, heavy or scholarly book, while a lure attracts someone. The combination sounds convincing, but tomelure is not an established English word. 4. LIBRISCIENT ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ❌ No Libriscient was invented for this quiz. It looks as though it could describe someone with extensive knowledge acquired from books, but it is not an established English word. 5. SHELVITY ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ❌ No Shelvity was invented to describe the condition of owning more books than your shelves can hold. Many book lovers experience the problem, but English has not established this word for it. 6. BIBLIOMANIA ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ✅ Yes Bibliomania is an extreme enthusiasm or obsession with acquiring and collecting books. Someone with this obsession can be called a bibliomaniac. 7. READOLENT ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ❌ No Readolent was invented for this quiz to suggest the distinctive smell of old books. It resembles redolent, a genuine word which can mean having a strong smell or being strongly suggestive of something. 8. PAGINIVORE ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ❌ No Paginivore was invented to describe someone who consumes books extremely quickly. It combines a page-related element with -vore, meaning “something that eats”. It sounds plausible, but it is not an established English word. 9. INCUNABULUM ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ✅ Yes An incunabulum is a book, pamphlet or similar work produced during the earliest period of European printing, generally before 1501. Its plural is incunabula. 10. BIBLIOKLEPTOMANIA ✅ Yes ❌ No Correct answer: ✅ Yes Bibliokleptomania is a genuine English word meaning an uncontrollable impulse to steal books. It combines elements associated with books, stealing and compulsive behaviour.

🟢 TODAY’S LITTLE DET FOCUS QUIZ The Duolingo English Test, usually called the DET, is an online English proficiency examination. Many universities accept DET results as proof of a student’s level of English. The test begins with relatively simple vocabulary tasks. The first question type is called Read and Select. You are shown one word at a time and must answer one question: Is this a real English word? You select either YES or NO. Why does the DET begin with this task? The number of English words you can recognise provides important evidence of your reading ability and overall level of English. However, the task tests more than your knowledge of spelling. Some genuine English words look extremely unusual, while the invented words are deliberately constructed to look convincing. The DET is also computer-adaptive. This means that it uses your answers to estimate your ability and adjust the difficulty of the questions you receive. Beginning with relatively simple vocabulary questions helps the test establish your level while allowing you to settle into the examination without immediately facing a long or stressful task. Like the Little DET focus quizzes we have done before, today’s vocabulary is connected with the subject of our main post. As today is National Book Lovers Day, all ten words in our separate quiz are associated with books and reading. Some are genuine English words. The others have been invented. Can you distinguish the real English words from the convincing inventions? 👇 TODAY’S LITTLE DET QUIZ BELOW 🎙 ALSO, WE NOT TRY THE LITTLE DET SPEAKING TEST Would you like to discover your estimated Duolingo English Test speaking level? Take the Little DET Speaking Test here: 🔗 https://t.me/LittleDET_bot After completing your assessment, press Open My Student Portal to visit the new Little DET Student Portal, where you can see your speaking score, CEFR level, transcript, previous assessments and progress over time.

Today, 9 August, is National Book Lovers Day👈, a celebration of books 🎁, stories and the pleasure of reading.📿 Reading in English is particularly important if you are preparing for a high-stakes examination such as IELTS or the Duolingo English Test. Regular reading exposes you to vocabulary, grammar and sentence structures in their natural context. It improves your comprehension, increases your reading speed and helps you understand how proficient writers organise and express their ideas. The influential language-acquisition expert Stephen Krashen says that reading is the most effective way to learn a language. 📖 CORE IDEAS OF KRASHEN’S READING THEORY 🔹 Comprehensible Input Read material where you understand the general message, even if you do not know every single word. You do not need to stop and consult a dictionary whenever you encounter something unfamiliar. 🔹 Free Voluntary Reading Read books and stories because you enjoy them. When you are genuinely interested in what you are reading, you naturally develop your vocabulary and understanding of grammar. 🔹 Low Anxiety Reading in a relaxed way lowers the mental barriers that can interfere with language learning. When you become absorbed in a story, you acquire English without constantly worrying about making mistakes. 🌟 FAMOUS READERS AND LITERARY FIGURES Marilyn Monroe, who was famously photographed reading James Joyce’s Ulysses. Albert Einstein, commonly associated with knowledge, study and books. William Shakespeare, probably the world’s most recognisable literary figure. Charles Dickens, immediately associated with classic English literature. Jane Austen, one of the most celebrated English novelists. Agatha Christie, the bestselling creator of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. J. K. Rowling, whose Harry Potter series encouraged millions of young people to read. Oprah Winfrey, whose book club has promoted reading internationally. Dolly Parton, founder of the Imagination Library, which gives free books to children. LeVar Burton, presenter of Reading Rainbow and a major advocate for children’s literacy. Stephen Fry, closely associated with literature, audiobooks and the English language. Barack Obama, well known for sharing his annual reading lists. Our picture imagines a meeting between Marilyn Monroe, who actually did read Ulysses, and Albert Einstein, who was associated with books and reading, apart from being a scientific genius. #NationalBookLoversDay #LittleDET #LearnEnglish