CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter January,January , 2024
202 4
T hey have been with us for millennia
appearing independently in cultures
throughout the ancient world from
Europe to China, from the Americas
to Australia, and to this day theyremain the mightiest of mankind’s
universally recognizable icons. And yet,there is no physical evidence thatsuggests dragons have even reallyexisted at all! So, where do, or did, theycome from and why are images ofthem so recognizable whenever, andwherever, we see them?
Dinosaurs! Ancient people may
have discovered the bones of theselong extinct creatures and, with a little“artistic license”, fashioned images ofwhat they thought might represent theliving creatures. As dinosaurs lived in allparts of the ancient world and left theirbones to be discovered everywhere, this
could explain the similarity in dragonEllaimages wherever they are, or have been,depicted.
Another hypothesis suggests that all ofJanis
the various representations of dragons
throughout the world originate fromprimitive mental images inherited fromman’s earliest ancestors and still exist in
our “collective unconscious” to this day. As
such, this theory suggests, dragon images
are archetypal and easily recognizable
wherever they appear. With thousands ofyears of representation in art and literature
down through the ages, the dragon motif
has only grown more potent. In recenttimes, we have had dragons featuring inmany modern fantasies, in film, on TV, in
computer games and in literature – think,“Game of Thrones”, for example.

But although dragons are, more or less,universal in form, different cultures assign
somewhat different characteristics to theirdragons. In Europe, the dragon is
the “bad guy”. He represents themaiden-devouring, fire-breathing
monster that has to be vanquishedby the hero-knight. The most
famous of these contests revolves
around the Christian legendof St. George.
However, in pre-Christian
Europe, dragons were not all bad.
In Celtic myths they were theguardians of treasures. And in Asia,dragons are seen in a much morepositive light than in Europe. In
China, for example, they are seen
as a symbol of good luck, prosperity,wisdom and power.
Here in Asia, as in much of the rest ofthe world, we are ushering in a New Yearof the Dragon, as determined by theChinese calendar, an event that occurs only
once every 12 years. And with it come thehopes and wishes of many people for abetter and brighter future. Will this Dragon
Year bring prosperity and happiness? Let’sbelieve so….

Happy New Year, 2024
fromCROSSROADS
NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
Here’s a site on Dragon Symbolism you might findinteresting:https://worldbirds.com/dragon-symbolism/Joshua Says: The New Year is here once again. Every year, we hope forsuccess in the various endeavors we start out to achieve. Sometimes wesucceed, but sometimes not. The important thing is to keep planning forsomething new to work towards. So, with this in mind, I wish everyone all thevery best of luck following your dreams this year. Happy New Year!
Junko Says: In the Eto calendar, this year is the year of the Dragon.
Originally, the calendar did not use 12 animal symbols. The year, month andtime were based on the sprouting and growing of various plants. What wenow call the Year of the Dragon is considered to bring about a year of good
fortune, and a time to start something new which will lead to success. Thethings we have been planning will now take shape. Good luck, everyone!
Marek Says: It’s the middle of January and the winter hasn’t reallyarrived yet, what with the temperatures of over 10°C and, as much as I
enjoy not becoming a popsicle every time I go outside, I do miss a goodold snowfall once a year. Just the other day I spotted a plum tree innear-full blossom, and it feels like the winter is hastily rushing out thedoor, making way for lady Spring.
Mandcy dit:

Bonne année à tous !!! Je vous adresses tous mes vœux debonheur pour 2024. Avez-vous pris des résolutions ? Moi, je vais devenir laprochaine présidente de la France !!! En le nouveau Premier Ministre est très
jeune, il a seulement 34 ans. C'est magnifique !! Bon courage à lui.
1ACROSS
1 based mostly ontheory
4 original or basic type6 financial well-being
9 defeated
12 the whole extent, everywhere
15 no longer existing16 recurring theme in art or music
17 at every time
18 leading into
19 goes around or centered on
20 give a specific task

234

56
7
8

9

10

11

12DOWN16
2 having nearly the samecharacteristics
3 bring into being
5 belonging to times long past
7 in any place
8 made artistically19
10 represented as a drawing or sketch
11 having great influence
13 in every case, common to all
14 consuming, eating(print version here)

13

14
17

18

20

15

Do you know the meanings of the following MetaMetaphtaphors
phors ?Select the correctmeaning from the choices given below.
1

It’s all in the melting pot.
A) Everything is mixed up
B) No decision has been made yet.

2.

It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.
A) It’s almost impossible to do.
B) It’s very hard to see clearly ahead.

3.

It’s an uphill struggle.
A) He has to fight to reach the top.
B) It’s very difficult to keep going.

4.

It’s a storm in a teacupA) It’s a lot of fuss and commotion about nothing.
B) You should always be careful about what you drink.

5.

She’s got hold of the wrong end of the stick.
A) He misunderstood..
B) He doesn’t know which way to go.

6.

He’s over the moon.
A) He’s gone too far and can’t turn back.
B) He’s really happy and excited.

7.

He hasn’t got a leg to stand on.
A) He had a bad accident and he still can’t walk.
B) He can’t justify what he’s done.

8.

He’s got plenty on his plate.
A) He needs to go on a diet.
B) He’ got a lot to do.

9.

He gets under everyone’s skin.
A) He really annoys everybodyB) He understands what everyone is thinking.

A B S O R P T I O N
D E R I V A T I V ENITAVP R E V E N T I N GM I L L E N N I AROTDADIC O A G U L A T E
OPTSRXU S H E R S _ I N
TA B D O M I N A LOHORTDNONIIIAEDNNONCTOEGNT E X T U R EIPSDEACSN U T R I E N TMIABTPNRLSK
E S S E N T I A L

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution

ACROSS
1 drawn or taken in
3 based on something
6 keep, stop from happening
7 1,000 years
8 transform from liquid to solid
11 preceding an event (2 words)
13 relating to the lower part of out body
16 the characteristics of the surface ofsomething
18 found in food, provided nourishment
19 absolutely necessary

DOWN
2 acting together
4 having a strong or striking
color
5 slows down the rate of decay
7 with restraint or control
9 sour or bitter taste
10 relating to speech sounds
12 found in the eyes' retina
14 not suitable as food
15 painful muscle contraction
17 extreme, outstanding

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