CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter August
Aug ust,ust , 2024
202 4

August this year, in the opinion of yours
truly, has been particularly overbearing, with
oppressive temperatures during the national
summer holiday. It seems that each year it
becomes ever so slightly more difficult to staycool and protected from the scorching sun. Thisphenomenon is being felt across the globe,
especially in big cities, with buildings andshiny surfaces of steel and glass further
amplifying the impact of the sunlight.

Eating food with high water content will
replenish lost water and minerals in the body.
Spicy food will also induce more sweating,which will promote the cooling process.
We should try to keep that moisture close to theskin as much as possible, by wearing loose-fitting
garments, preferably made of man-made fabricsuch as polyester, which will vent the heat andexcess moisture more efficiently than cotton. Asfor the colour of the clothes, there is hardly any
difference in absorbing and reflecting lightbetween light and dark colours, as long as you
don’t wear tight-fitting clothes. Once you survive
an onslaught of the sun on your skin, and you’reready for bedtime, at 30’C, the same principle
applies. Creating a microclimate around yourbody with loosely fitting pyjamas or a light sheet
will ensure that your body has a chance tomaintain a core temperature throughout thenight. Further circulating the air in the room witha fan also helps.
In Japan, the ability to stay cool is impededby high air humidity, which doesn’t “accept”
our moisture readily, thus often leading to heatexhaustion and in turn heatstroke.

EllaJanisIf you can bake muffins and pizza in your car,then it’s that time of the year when we must
seriously address how to protect ourselves fromharmful UV rays and soaring temperatures.
There are a number of ways to stay cool, which
we do instinctively, or follow the wisdom of ourparents or medical professionals.
When the temperature out in the open rises
above 36’C, our body will begin to sweat
considerably, trying to radiate the heat througha wet skin. Wiping off the sweat reduces theeffectiveness of the cooling process, and the skin
will almost immediately get covered in a newlayer of sweat. Instead, it is advisable tomanually spread the sweat all over the skin andcreate a uniform layer of moisture.

Needless to say, it is vital to stay hydrated at
all times, especially in the middle of thesummer when we should consume around 2-3
litres of water a day (regardless of whether you
feel thirsty!), with an addition of salt andsugar, to lock that water in our blood stream.

Stay safe out there!

Article by Marek
NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
More tips: https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/healthand-social-care/first-aid/beat-the-hot-weather-top-tipsfor-staying-coolJoshua Says Are you reading enough – English, that is? Again and again, I
come across the advice of professionals in the language teaching profession who
recommend reading (and listening) to as much as you can in the language you
are studying in your spare time. I have been advising our students in the sameway for years, and the value of doing this kind of extra work at home cannot be
underestimated, So, get some material you are interested in and read!
Junko Says: Reading is always a very good way to train your overall skills in
English and, of course, improve your vocabulary. If you enjoy the story you
are reading, the easier it is to immerse yourself in the English also. So, I
would like to suggest you read very well known Japanese stories such as“Spider’s Thread”, etc. As you already know the stories, you will have an easytime reading them. You can find many free English translations on the Net.
Marek Says: On weekends, I often go outdoors, riding my motorbike formany hours or hiking in the mountain forests. I always make sure that mybody is adequately protected from harmful UV rays and, instead of using asunscreen, I wear long-sleeved shirt, wide-brimmed hat, neck muffler (thatalso covers my face and ears), gloves and sunglasses. That way, I can stay out
in the sun for extended periods of time and fully enjoy my pastimes.
Mandcy dit:

Récemment, on me demande souvent comment augmenter
rapidement son niveau en francais. Je pense que la méthode la plus rapide est la
méthode du " bain de langues". C'est à dire qu'il faut s'immerger dans la languefrançaise. En ce moment, il fait très chaud, alors, nous restons à la maison pournous rafraichir. Je recommande de regarder quelques sitcoms en langue francaisecomme "fais pas ci, fais pas ça", "Astrid et Raphaëlle", "dix pour cent", "Lupin","Balthazar", "the 7 lives of Lea", et enfin "Vortex".Joyeux éte.
1ACROSS2

3
4

1 without thinking
6 replace with fresh air
9 weighing heavily on
11 in spite of14 hot enough to burn
18 cause to occur quickly
19 dominant, too much
20 ascending to a higher level

567
8
910
11

12DOWN13

2 to a greater extent
3 essential, urgently needed
4 containing water
5 the same throughout
7 a remarkable development
8 sudden and severe attack
10 made difficult or slowed down
12 increase in volume or significance13 sucking or taking in
15 refill or replace
16 send out or expand
17 more than needed

14

15
16

18

1920

(print version here)

17American or British English? The words highlighted below
are a mix of both. Next to each word write “US” if you think
the word is American and “UK” if you think it’s British.
Joan lives in a flat _UK_. She is a second year undergraduate ___ at college___ and also works part-time in a drugstore ___ that is located downtown ___.
She uses the tube ___ to commute to work every day. Because it’s summer, shedoesn’t wear a jumper ___ and she prefers to wear sneakers ___ or pumps ___when it’s hot, even though her boss disapproves. She has a fringe ___, and shealways wears a hairslide ___ no matter what the weather is like. She loves tomunch on a bag of chips ___ or some cookies ___ while commuting to work, andshe always keeps her mobile ___ phone with her wherever she goes.

Here are the U.S. or U.K. equivalents for the words featured in the passage
above. Fill in the words from thepassage to pair them up.
1. apartment ____flat_____
2. chemist’s ____________
3. biscuits ______________
4. sweater ______________
5. crisps _______________
6. trainers ______________
7. sophomore ___________M
S P L I TASNSC O N T I N E N TFSTAIM A T C H E SMIVLC O U N T E R B A L A N C EHUSDEST A N T A L I Z E DMGAIR E A S O N I N GC R U S TOCECPL
E N C O U N T E RNHOGIOEGRTTRYAT H E O R I Z E DPROHINP A R T L YS WA Y\8. cell _______________
9. barrette ______________
10. subway _____________
11. university ___________
12. centre ______________
13. court shoes __________
14. bangs ______________

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution

ACROSS
2 separate into parts
5 a large landmass
6 equivalent to
8 of equal weight or force
10 excite or tease
12 thinking logically
14 outer layer of the earth
16 meet, usually by chance
18 speculate without practical proof
19 not completely
20 controlling influence

DOWN
1 relating to cooking
1 very large
3 well known, usually unfavorably
4 decided with no doubt
7 clarify by example
9 half of the globe
11 the study of rocks
13 study of the earth's surface
15 a standard for measuring
17 vague idea

Don’t forget…Our SPECIAL 1+1 Campaign offer! Up to 50% off!!
Ask Junko in our office, for the details.