Tuesday, November 04, 2008

#876 Epic Battle For Presidency, Obama Landslide, The Cinema Of The Ukraine


Show 876 Tuesday 4 November
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.


Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show.

Today it started snowing properly and now everything is white … which is kind of sad to see the earth disappear and know that it’s going to be sleeping for the next six months.

But today I also feel very excited because it’s the 4th of November 2008 and as you know, unless you’ve been living under a rock with no internet access … it is the presidential election in the United States.

I read this caption under a photo yesterday:
Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain - their epic battle for the presidency has the whole world transfixed.

I don’t know about the whole word … but I’m certainly transfixed and I think the whole thing is epic … and exciting.

And I think it will be very exciting if Barack Obama wins. For many reasons – one of which is to do with language, the fact that he is a brilliant speaker and communicator which is something that I think is a really important part of being a leader.

Anyway, speaking of the election, if you’re one of those people who has trouble pronouncing ls and rs - like many people in Japan - make sure you take extra special care with this word: election.

Today we’re going to do a short scene from a movie called Mission Impossible which came out in 1996.

At the start of the movie a man, who is a spy, is sitting on a plane and a flight attendant comes and offers him a movie – it’s a DVD or a cassette or something.

She says: Would you like to watch a movie Mr Phelps?
And he says: No, I prefer the theatre.
So she says: Would you consider the cinema of the Ukraine?
And he says: Perhaps you'll choose one for me. Thank you.

You probably know that perhaps means maybe, as in:

Are you going to come?
Perhaps.

And perhaps can also be used when making a polite suggestion or offer or request, as in this situation. Perhaps you’ll choose one for me, means: Please choose one for me.



Word of the Day

Today’s word is landslide.

an overwhelming majority of votes for one party in an election

I wonder if Barack Obama will win in a landslide victory.



STICK NEWS

Kia Ora in Stick News today the votes have already been counted in a small town in New Hampshire and Barack Obama won in a landslide.

Dixville Notch is village, with a population of approximately 75.
Apparently, the village is best known for its midnight voting tradition which started in 1960.
All the eligible voters in the village gather at midnight and cast their vote.
The polls are officially closed one minute later and the results are immediately broadcast.
This year 21 people voted. 15 for Barack Obama and 6 for John McCain.

And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 4th of October.
Kia Ora.





conversations with sarah
#544 I prefer the theatre

Step 1: Repeat the flight attendant’s lines.
Step 2: Read the flight attendant’s lines and talk to Jim Phelps.

Flight Attendant Would you like to watch a movie Mr Phelps?

Jim Phelps No, I prefer the theatre.

Flight Attendant Would you consider the cinema of the Ukraine?

Jim Phelps Perhaps you'll choose one for me. Thank you.



links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

Ukraine
Is it Ukraine or the Ukraine?

music

show start
artist: Boom Tschak
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: More Chocolate, Please
from: Former Yugoslavia
MySpace

cws start
artist: Wolfgang S.
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: Dynamite
from: Belgrade, Serbia, Former Yugoslavia
artist site
MySpace

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa bgm
artist: Zeropage
album: Ambient Pills Update
track: Ambient Dance
from: Switzerland
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

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