CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter June,June , 2023
Frogs may not be thecutest things to lookat and they are notexactly domestic
pet material, so they often escape the attention ofthe public eye. But, they are an absolutely
essential species in the animal kingdom.
Frogspawn – a cluster of jelly-like eggs in shallow
water – can be seen in the early spring and wheneverI spot it, it never fails to bring a smile to my face andbring many fond memories from my childhood.
These creatures are some of the very few animals toundergo a full body transformation – metamorphosis– from the moment they hatch to becoming an adult.
Quite remarkably, they can either hasten or delay
their metamorphosis, depending on how favourable
the surrounding conditions are, so what normallytakes around 3 weeks, may take anywhere from only
2 weeks to up to even a year!
They represent a clear evolutionary step, whenaquatic life forms transform in order to colonise
terrestrial environments. Frogs spend most of theirtime on land, only needing a dip in water on
occasion, and they don’t need to drink water. Rather,
they absorb moisture with their skin and protect
themselves from drying out by a thin layer of mucus.
In terms of survival, their primary
protection from predators (large birds, Ellasnakes,fish, reptiles) falls into two categories: largehind legs that allow them to leap aconsiderable distance away from danger; andJaniseither
a mottled green or brown skin colour for
camouflage or highly poisonous skin, often inbright lurid colour patterns, designed to “senda message” to a potential aggressor.

When not harassed by other wildlife, the humble
frog goes about its business eradicating its local
area of insects, slugs, worms, and all mannerof creepy-crawlies found on the ground. They
are very effective at controlling the world’s
insect population.

As the global biodiversity of insect life continues
to decline, so does the population size of theamphibians,
which
also
includenewts,salamanders, and caecilians.
But their slow demise is not attributed only totheir dwindling food sources. Habitat loss due tothe draining of wetlands and desertification
severely fragments their natural environment, andfrogs often get killed on roads as they try to
migrate from place to place in search of water,
food, and mating grounds.
The climate change causes infectious fungi tospread more easily, affecting hundreds of frog
species worldwide. Even unpredictable weather
patterns can tip the scales, when a sudden frosty
spell in spring is enough to kill off an entire colonyof freshly laid eggs or young tadpoles.
Fortunately, many frog species live for up to 20years, so if disaster strikes, they are likely tobounce back in numbers the next season.
Life always finds a way to survive and thrive.

Article by Marek
Marek

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
For bite-sized facts head off to this link:
https://www.factretriever.com/frog-facts

Joshua Says: One of our students told us that he would like to learn how toexpress his thoughts smoothly and clearly in English. But “learning” how to do this is
not a simple matter of the teacher instructing the student. Using English “smoothlyand clearly” takes practice, lots of practice, and exposure. And there’s the problem.
There are not nearly enough English speakers around you can practice with outsideof your classes. However, regularly watching English movies and videos can help .
Junko Says: This month I’d like to feature Chat GPT and Google Bard. These AI’s cancompose written essays on all kinds of subjects through analyzing sentences, pictures andvoice messages from the Internet. Specialists say the intelligence level of Chat GPT4 ismuch improved over GPT3. With Google’s Bard, you can have a “chat” in dialogue. They
are free to use. To try GPT4, open “bing.com” in Edge, then click “chat”. To open Google
Bard, go to “bard.google.com” in Chrome then sign in. Of course, do all of this in English!
Marek Says: For as long as I care to remember, the croaking calls of frogs
at night was, to me, an unmistakable sign that summer has started. Now thatI live in Japan, in addition to the nocturnal froggy chorus, the buzzing ofcicadas is another tune I look forward to each year. I’m really glad I can enjoy
observing various wildlife of Japan, as the seasons go by.
Mandcy dit:: Ce mois-ci c'est la fête de la musique, le 21 juin de chaqueannée, les français dansent et chantent dans les rues. Amateurs et professionnels
sont bienvenues. Saviez-vous que 80 % des français possèdent un instrument chez
eux. Personnellement, j'en possède trois. Une guitare, une basse et un djembe. Etvous, que pensez-vous d'apprendre le français en chanson ? Je vous donne rendezvous pour une leçon très musicale. Musicalement, votre professeur !!!
1ACROSS
2 move into anarea and settle
4 killing in large numbers
8 complete physical change
10 completely, totally
13 baby frogs
15 breaking into small pieces
17 live on land but breed in water
19 move or act faster
20 gradually decreasing

245

78

3

6

9

10

11

12

13DOWN
1 continuously troubled or annoyed
3 glaringly vivid
5 concealment or disguise
6 immerse briefly in liquid
7 relation to water17
9 alteration in form or shape
11 concerning animal and plant life
12 to do with the land
14 a protective bodily secretion
16 having spots or patches of color
18 emerge from an egg(print version here)

141516181920

A simile uses “as” or “like” to link two different things that have a commonquality. However, a simile is different from a simple comparison such as, “shelooks like you”. In a simile, the object and subject are usually not directlyrelated. See if you can guess the correct animals for these commonly used similes:
She jumped like a frog / lizard / fish when she heard the car engine backfire.
He was accused of stealing, but in truth, he was as innocent as a fox / cow / lamb.
My dog swims like a penguin / fish / whale when we take her to the beach.
He’s as proud as a peacock / pigeon / eagle now that he has graduated from college.
She slept like a baby / teenager / doll after she got home from work.
He’ll never see the truth, he’s as blind as a sloth / snake / bat.
He’s as brave as a giraffe / lion / crocodile when it comes to protecting his family.
She has no time to talk with you now, she’s as busy as a grasshopper / wasp / bee.
My dog is as gentle as a lamb / cat / parrot. He would never hurt anyone.
I’d be careful if I were you. Your boss is as sly as a cheetah / fox / mouse.
I was as sick as a rat / bandicoot / dog when I got home from the party.
A F F I X I N GPADAR I D I C U L O U SCTRRC O N C E P T SWW
V O I L A
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L I M B O
NVLI N D I G N I T Y
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M O R S E LEP R O F O U N D L Y

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution

ACROSS
1 fastening or attaching
5 absurdly humorous
7 abstract ideas
9 "there you are!"11 process of ingesting food
12 proceed despite risk
13 a device
16 1,000 years
17 in a state of disregard orforgotten
18 humiliation, shame
19 a small quantity of something
20 deeply and completelyDOWN
2 between the tee and the green
on a golf course
3 gives an inventor sole rights toan invention
4 continuance of time
6 exchanges or replaces
8 sadly, pensively
10 a substance that bonds
14 a pushing action tool
15 to make wet

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