FOCUS ON LANGUAGE		English
	STRANGE FRIENDS			13
				February 2013

Read about strange animal friends and complete the sentences.

1.Owen and Mzee created ___________________________________.

2.Tigers and chicks started ___________________________________.

3.The tigress gave piglets ___________________________________.

4.The baby monkey was sick until _____________________________.

Bizarre BFFs: Animal Friends

There are a lot of interspecies friends which might make us think “Why can’t we get along?”

Owen & Mzee

After a tsunami, survivour and 650-pound baby hippo, Owen, imprinted on a 130-year-old tortoise, Mzee. At Haller Park wildlife sanctuary in Mombasa, Kenya, Owen started following Mzee everywhere. The two became inseparable BFFs. As a one-year-old Owen grew, the two lived, slept and played together. They even created their own language. Using both noises and gentle prodding, they nudge each other and nod. Isn’t that something all best friends do?

Making Friends with Your Food

If you know any little children, then you’ve probably noticed they like to play with their food. Some predators give “playing with their food” a whole new meaning. Indeed it’s more like making friends with what should be their food. In fact, these pairs became best buddies and started playing with each other. A zookeeper in Taizhou, China, explained that the newborn chicks were given to the tiger cubs to “bring out the savage

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STUDY ABROAD:

Making New Friendships

I. Warm Up

Study abroad programs give people opportunities to make new friends, and beginning, maintaining, and ending a conversation are keys to good, positive communication. Also, knowing what to say when you meet someone again helps improve friendships. In this conversation, two people run into each other again after participating in the same study abroad program. Before you listen, think about what expressions you would use to smoothly start and end a conversation.

Key Vocabulary:

long time, no see: it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you

fancy: expressing surprise bump into: meet unexpectedly in ages: a long time

be up to: be busy or occupied with what’s new: what’s new in your life

by the way: (used to introduce a new topic), so be in touch: make contact

Huh? (interjection): what?

no way (interjection): I can’t believe it put someone on: fool or joke

umm (interjection): used when pausing to think let something slip: talk about something accidently that was supposed to be a secret

scoop: news

have (got) to run: have to go take off: leave

give someone a ring: call by telephone reach someone: speak with or find catch you later: see you later

hmph: showing disapproval, disappointment, or disgust

you’d better believe it: showing disapproval, disappointment, or disgust

wring someone’s neck: punish someone who makes you upset or angry

lousy: very bad

II. Conversation

Pronunciation Tip: YOU changes to YA.

Background: Alex and Sarah run into each other at college after not having seen each other for six months since they finished a study abroad program.

Sarah: Hey, Alex, Alex! Long time, no see.

Alex: Hey, Sarah. Fancy bumping into ya here.

Sarah: Yeah. I haven’t seen ya in ages [Yeah, when was it?]... since the study abroad program. So, what have ya been up to lately?

Alex: Ah, Just the same old thing, but what’s new with YOU since we got back from overseas?

Sarah: Just school and work. Uh, by the way, have ya been in touch with Ryan these days? [No, why?] I heard he’s getting married to a girl named Angela!

Alex: Huh?... No way. I mean stop putting me on. I just saw him three days ago, and he didn’t say a word about that. I mean, I went out Angela just a week ago, and we had a date planned for Friday. I mean I really thought she liked me and, I just...

Sarah: Um, sorry. I guess I let THAT one slip.

[Yea...] Oh, hey, hey, I’ve got to run. I have	ª
to go to work.

English

14

February 2013

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE

nature of the tigers while they were still cubs.” Yet to everyone’s disbelief, the tigers and chicks started playing together. The zookeeper stated, “Maybe in their eyes, there are no enemies, only friends.”

STUDY ABROAD:

Making New Friendships

Alex: Ye... Yeah, I ... I have to take off, too.

Sarah: It was nice seeing you.

Alex: Yeah, same here, but you need to give me the scoop on Ryan. I mean... I really thought that she...

Sarah: Don’t worry. It’s probably a different Angela anyway. [Well ...] Hey, here’s my phone number. [Yeah, but ...] Some of the people from study abroad program are getting together this weekend [Yeah, but ...], so give me a ring if ya want to come. Better ... [Well, yeah ...] Better yet, you can reach me at this email address.

Alex: Yeah, well ... [What?] I guess. Hmph. Catch ya later.

Sarah: Oh, and say hello to Ryan for me.

Alex: Hmph. You’d better believe it ... after I wring his neck. That lousy so-called friend.

III. Catching the Meaning

Read the following sentences and select the best expression for each:

1.Have you heard from Cindy lately? I haven’t talked with her ________.

A.long time, no see; B. in ages; C. in touch

2.I wish we could talk more, but I _________. My class starts in five minutes, and I don’t want to be late.

A.‘ve got to run; B. ‘ve be up to lately; C. ‘ve put you on

3.You won’t believe who I _________ on the way to school. It was your old girlfriend, Marsha.

A.took off; B. gave a ring; C. bumped into

IV. Filling in the Meaning - Listen

Instructions: Listen to the short interview and fill in the blanks with the missing words.

Recently, I 1_________ a friend that I hadn’t seen 2_________, and he said he hadn’t been 3_________ because he lost my phone number and email address. I asked him what he had been 4_________ during the past several years, and he said he was married and had eight kids. I said, «No

5_________!» I mean he was always the type to 6_________ you on, but when he showed me his family picture, I knew he was serious. We hope to get together soon.

V. Retelling the Story

Instructions: Retell the story above using the vocabulary you have learned. Then think of a time when you bumped into a friend whom you hadn’t seen in ages. Discuss the situation with a partner and what you said or did when you met.

VI. Expanding Your Learning

Instructions: Select one or more of the activities below to expand your understanding and use of the slang studied in this unit.

•Discussion: Discuss possible reasons why friends lose contact with each other and what people can do to stay in touch more.

•Improvisation: Give your partner(s) a new word from this unit and ask the partner to think up a sentence or more with the slang used in context. Sharing something from personal experience will make the activity more real and interesting to the listeners.

Tiger & Her Piglets

You might be thinking that this Royal Bengal tigress sees the six tiny piglets as bacon snacks. Amazingly, however, the tigress adopted these piglets and took them under her paw as their unusual protector. They lived together at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Thailand. The suckling piglets might have wondered, “Are you my mother?” The tigress gave them as much love as their mother by blood could have.

Bird Friends

The little 12-week-old macaque monkey was abandoned by his mother and close to death when a Chinese animal sanctuary rescued it. Although the monkey’s health improved, the baby was sick until his friendship with a white pigeon started . Natural animal instincts do not always kick in and some baby animals, like human baby species, don’t know prejudice until they are taught it. You can see the loving friendships between very different species. Peace is always an option.

Keys:

1.Owen and Mzee created their own language.

2.Tigers and chicks started playing together.

3.The tigress gave piglets as much love as their mother by blood could have.

4.The baby monkey was sick until his friendship with a white pigeon started.

From: http://webecoist.momtastic.com/ 2010/03/25/bizarre-bffs-unlikely-but-awwwsome-animal-friends-pics/

Submitted by Irina Ishkhneli, School No. 1738, Moscow