Top Notch 2 2013-08-21

Catch-22

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk
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Unit 8 Review
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p. 88 - passive voice = [be] + past participle

active: Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
passive: The Mona Lisa was painted by L. da V.

Egyptians built the pyramids a long time ago.
The pyramids were built (by the Egyptians) a long time ago.

Someone stole the Mona Lisa in 1911.
The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911.
  (We probably don't include "by someone", because we don't say who did it.)
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p. 90 - materials

cloth, silver, gold, stone, wood, clay, glass, paper

What is this statue made of?
This statue is made of stone. (passive)

How was this vase made?
This vase was made by hand.
It was made by machine.
It was made by nature.

When was the Mona Lisa painted?

Where was this figure carved?

What were these bowls used for?
They were used for cooking.
They were used to hold flowers. (for holding)
They were used for decoration.
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p. 94 - influences

be inspired by
He was inspired by nature.
= The beauty in nature made him want to paint.
be influenced by
He was influenced by Picasso.
= He liked Picasso's style and copied it.

be interested in
be fascinated by

be moved by
She was moved by the children she saw.
= They sometimes made her cry.
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Unit 9 Review
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p. 100 - as...as comparisons

Boston is not as violent as Brazil.
= Boston is less violent than Brazil.
(not as...as = less...than)
Boston is not nearly as violent as Brazil.
= There is a big difference.
Boston is not nearly as warm as Brazil.

Boston is as beautiful as Brazil.
= Boston and Brazil are equally beautiful.
(as...as = the same)

Boston is almost as good as Brazil.
= Boston is not quite as good as Brazil.
= Boston is worse than Brazil, but not by much.

almost = not quite

It is 4:59. It is almost 5. It is not quite 5.

I think the smell of cochinha is not as bad as the smell of Chlorox.
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p. 103 - infinitives of purpose

I go to the gym to study English.
I "volunteer" every day to practice English.

Why do you study English?
I study English to keep my legal status.
= The purpose of my study is to keep status.
I study English to get a better job.
= This is the purpose of my study.
I study English because I like English.
= This is the reason, but it is not my purpose.

I teach English because I like meeting people.
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p. 116 vocabulary

old fashioned = old ideas, "traditional", values like my parents' or grandparents' generation

double standard = different rules for different people (especially = different expectations for men and women)

sexist = the idea that one sex is better than the other

modesty = not showing off (especially not showing too much of your body, but also not showing too much of your talents or abilities)

xenophobia = fear of different people, especially foreign people
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(TEST)
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fire extinguisher
miser = someone who doesn't want to spend money
miserable = very unhappy / in a bad situation

Dear Landlord,

There is a strong smell of gas in our kitchen. This can be very dangerous to us and to other residents of the building. It is your responsibility to keep utilities in safe working order.  We will not pay rent until you fix this problem.

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a landlord cannot make a tenant move out of her home without going to court first. No matter what a landlord or a landlord's lawyer says, a landlord must go to court and obtain permission from a judge to evict a tenant.

http://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/evictions
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One way to get your landlord to fix bad conditions is to withhold all or some of your rent until the landlord actually makes the repairs. This is called "rent withholding."
Tenants have a right to withhold rent because landlords are obligated to provide safe and habitable housing under the warranty of habitability. If a landlord breaks this obligation, a tenant's obligation to pay the full amount of rent stops until repairs are made. A tenant may want to withhold all or part of the rent, depending on the seriousness of the violations. The law does not state how much or for how long you can withhold.
If you are considering withholding your rent, it is very important that you do it right. Before you begin to withhold, read the next sections in this chapter very carefully.

http://www.masslegalhelp.org/options-if-your-landlord-refuses-to-make-repairs

http://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/legaltactics1/rent-withholding-letter.pdf