CROSSROADSCROSSROA DS Language StudioÊs Newsletter June,
June , 202
20 2 1

Spring time triggers an annual rebirth oflife of all manner. Flowers, insects, birds,and more, all take advantage of a sudden
abundance of food resources and morefavourable temperatures, to bring a newgeneration of life into the world.
We take immense pleasure from observing
blossoming flowers and trees, and enjoy the
first sightings of butterflies and returning
migratory birds.
As with every aspect of our lifestyle, there
are, however, less welcome “friendly faces” tocontend with. Caterpillars devouring freshly
bloomed roses, infuriatingly noisy cicadas on
every tree, venomous snakes ever-ready topounce on us on a forest path, and,everyone’s favourite – mosquitoes.

Ella

Janis
Drivenby an insatiable thirst for blood,
human or otherwise, these tiny messengers
of terror are capable of ruining the mostperfect day out in the sun. Only 10-15mm insize, they are hard to spot and even harder
to shoo away. The tell-tale sign of theirpresence is an ear-piercing high-pitchedbuzzing sound that we recognize instantly.
They are not very agile in flight and non-toofast, so it gives us a chance to splat them in
our hands. But what they lack in aerial
skills, they make up for in persistence ofattack.

They often target exposed and obscure partsof the body, like ears and ankles, and oftendeliver a painless sting with theirretractable proboscis. We won’t know of thestealthy assault until it’s far too late and weend up with an irresistible itch; an itch thatbegs to be scratched.
Hotter days make us sweat more and ourbodies heat up faster, and both of thesefactors are a magnet to mosquitoes.
However, they will avoid venturing out on ahunt when the sun is beating down hard, as
they will risk dehydration. This is why they
are most active in the wee hours of the day
and also as the sun goes down. A poor man’s
vampire, if you will.
To ensure that you don’t end up a meal forthese flying menaces in the summertime,
take simple precautions to minimize
attracting them. Mosquitoes fly towards
warm objects that contrast with the sky, so
think light-coloured, tight-woven garments.
The more CO2 we breathe out, the bigger ourheat signature, so try to stay cool and avoid
getting too hot. You may want to apply
mosquito repellents containing DEET, butthere are also equally effective, natural oil
repellents, such as lemon eucalyptus oil orlavender oil. Artificial fragrances andperfumes are an invitation to a bloody feast,
so consider passing them up if you intend toward the mosquitoes off.
Above all, don’t let these seasonal insects
get to you (pun intended). They are a part ofsummertime experience, for better or worse.

Article by Marek
NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
For tips on what to use against mosquitoes, head here:
https://www.healthline.com/health/kinds-of-naturalmosquito-repellant

Joshua Says: ‘It may be that when we no longer know what to do we havecome to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go wehave come to our real journey.” These are words from Wendell Berry, anAmerican novelist, poet and philosopher. He goes on the say, “The mind thatis not baffled is not employed.” I think this is the kind of inspirational
thinking we can all learn from, don’t you agree?
Junko Says: Have you heard about 3D printed food? When food is processed, a pastelike mousses and other viscous materials such as chocolate is fed into a syringe-like
container and is extruded through a nozzle as it moves around and deposits the final
product. The food is served at gourmet eateries and Michelin-star restaurants and fancy
bakeries. One of the characteristics of this food is its amazing shapes. Many say that,soon, every household kitchen will be equipped with 3D printers!... continued next month.
Marek Says: June is in full swing, and the humidity is rising, seemingly,
day by day. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the humidity is only marginally lower,
but it never feels muggy and sticky. Around this time the temperature rarely
exceeds 25’C. Even in the midst of summer it never really gets warm and thehumidity oscillates around 85%, but I have never felt any discomfort. Thatsaid, I enjoy many sunny days we get here, even during a rainy season.
Mandcy dit: La saison des pluies est arrivée ! Il faut sortir les bottes de pluie,
l'impermeable et le parapluie. J'espère que cette année, il n'y aura pas beaucoup
de typhons. D'ailleurs, je n'ai pas de kit de survie, chaque année j'y pense maischaque année, je ne prepare pas. Je suis une cigale. Aussi en juin, on doit
commencer à préparer les vacances. Mais cette année avec la pandémie, lavaccination et les jeux olympiques, je pense que c'est très difficile de planifier
quelque chose. Je ne vais donc pas préparer aussi. Bon courage à tous !!
ACROSS
4 a chemical to repel insects
6 type, kind of
8 move quickly or lightly
10 more than necessary
11 a distinct feature
15 eating greedily
17 never give up!
18 an expression to chasesomething away
19 threatening danger
20 loss of body water
DOWN
1 a sharp, unpleasant sound2 flatten on impact
3 able to pull inward
5 more than annoyingly
7 very small or very early
9 impossible to satisfy
12 nose-like13 deal with14 put into motion
16 hard to see

123

4

567
8

910

111213

14

15

16

17

18
1920

(print version here)

This Month, Let’s Take a Look at Proverbs.
Proverbs are short traditional sayings that express a fundamental
truth, wisdom or moral.
(Can you complete each of these proverbs with the correct missing word?)

1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the _____.
2. Better safe than _____.

pot, cage, bush

careful, stupid, sorry

3. The early bird catches _____.

a cold, the bus, the worm

4. A stitch in time saves _____ .

the needle, nine, cotton

5. You can’t judge a book by its _____.

author, weight, cover

6. Don’t put all your eggs into one _____.
7. A watched pot never _____.

boils, disappears, breaks

8. An apple a day keeps the _____ away.
9. Empty vessels make the most _____.

children, doctor, donkeys

wine, noise, waves

10. Too many cooks spoil the _____.
11. A rolling stone gathers no _____.

fry-pan, nest, basket

broth, kitchen, recipe

speed, friends, moss

12. A bad workman always blames _____.
13. Don’t count your chickens before they _____.

his wife, the government, his tools
roast, chirp, hatch

14. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t _____.
have secrets, throw stones, walk around naked
P R E D I C A M E N T
HURV E N O M O U S
EPVT
H E R O I S M
F E L I N EONLVM
D I S L O D G E
UEPF
DBNAULSGI N T E R V E N ETHIRRMYOR U S H I N GAPUCUC R A M P S
I N S T I N C TLILIEOYOD I S T R E S S
N A P P Y

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution
ACROSSDOWN
1 very difficult situation
2 action with a heavy, dull sound4 extremely poisonous
3 regain consciousness
6 great courage facing danger
5 a young child
7 related to the cat species
7 throw forcefully
9 forcefully remove
8 compassionate understanding
12 to get involved and cause change
10 something that blocks progress or
14 moving at high speedmovement
16 painful muscle contractions
11 acting extremely or violently
17 inborn non-rational behavior
18 experiencing pain or faced with danger 13 attacked and injured badly
15 earlier in time
19 worn by infants

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