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Idiomatic pairs of adjectives

To burn the candle at both ends

Idiomatic pairs of adjectives

There are many idioms formed by two words joined by the conjunction and. You can have:

• adjective and adjective: high and dry
• noun and noun: body and soul
• verb and verb: wait and see
• adverb and adverb: here and there
• preposition and preposition (usually identical pairs): on and on.
• two words of different categories joined by "and": by and large(preposition and adjective), home and dry (noun and adjective).

Today, we are going to deal with "adjective and adjective" idioms. They are usually two adjectives with similar meanings that reinforce the idea given by each of them. As in other idioms, the order of the elements cannot be changed: You can say "alive and kicking", but "kicking and alive" is not possible.

Let's see some of them:

• Alive and kicking (also alive and well): Well and healthy, active. It is disappointing to see that racism is still alive and kicking.
• Safe and sound: unharmed and healthy after going through a difficult situation: We drove along a narrow, winding road, but we arrived home safe and sound. 
• Cut and dried: decided and determined beforehand, lacking freshness and spontaneity, decided in a way that cannot be changed: When it comes to the music industry, there is no cut and dried formula for success.

• Hale and hearty: healthy and strong: He didn't look as hale and hearty as his wife, but for a man in his late fifties, he looked good.
• Bright and breezy: cheerful and full of energy: Maggy is always bright and breezy in the mornings. 
• Fair and square: honestly and according to the rules: The Socialist Party won the election fair and square. In a direct way that is easy to understand: I told him fair and square to go away.
• spick and span: neat and clean: Mary's house is always spick and span. She's so houseproud!

• Free and easy: relaxed: Life is never going to be as free and easy as it used to be when we were young.
• Sick and tired: annoyed or fed up with someone or something to the point of losing one's temper: I'm sick and tired of wasting my time at long, poinless meetings.
• Meek and mild: quiet, gentle, and always ready to do what other people want them to do, without expressing their own opinions. "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild" is a christian hymn. 
• Short and sweet: dealt with very quickly, to the point: We haven't got much time, so I'll keep it short and sweet.
• First and foremost: most important. First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for coming. (Sometimes we leave the most important thing till the end, in which case, we use "last but not least")
• Black and white: having no colours except black, white and shades of grey: A black and white film / photograph / television. The expression "in black ad white" means "in writing" or "in print": I never thought they'd put it in black and white on the front page.
• High and dry: stranded, in a difficult situation, without help or money:When we were about to catch the bus, the driver set off and left us high and dry.

Now you can check what you have learned by doing this exercise:

http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/ghyzayel/Documents/EnglishIdioms.pdf

Many of these idioms can be heard in songs. Here are a few:

Alive and kicking by Simple Minds.

Sick and tired by Anastacia

Safe and sound by Capital Cities or by Taylor Swift:

Do you know any other song in which any of these idioms can be heard? 

Reading - 3rd Bachillerato

Wembley Stadium

Wembley Stadium (or simply Wembley) is a football stadium located in Wembley, north west London, which opened in 2007 on the site of the old Wembley stadium. The 90,000 capacity venue is second largest stadium in Europe, and serves as England's national stadium. It is the home venue of the England national football team, and hosts the latter stages of the top level domestic club cup competition, the FA Cup. It is owned by English football's governing body, the Football Association (The FA) through their subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL). The old Wembley stadium, which opened in 1923 as the Empire Stadium, often referred to as "The Home of Football", was one of the world's most famous football stadiums until its demolition in 2003.

Designed by Foster and Partners and Populous, the new Wembley is the largest and tallest stadium in the world, and includes a partially retractable roof. A signature feature of the stadium, following on from the the old Wembley's distinctive Twin Towers, is the 134 metres (440 ft) high Wembley Arch. With a span of 317 metres (1,040 ft), this steel arch is the longest single span roof structure in the world. The stadium was built by Australian firm Multiplex at a cost of £798 million. The old Wembley closed in October 2000, with demolition originally intended for that December and the new stadium due to open in 2003. After delays to the project, the old Wembley was not completely demolished until 2003, with the new stadium scheduled to open in time for the 2006 FA Cup Final. After further delays, the stadium was delivered nearly a year late, leading to legal disputes between WNSL and Multiplex, who ultimately made a significant loss on the project. The stadium was handed over on 9 March 2007, in time to host the 2007 FA Cup Final.

In international football, the stadium is a central component of the English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids. In 2012 it will also host the football finals of the London Olympics. In club football, the stadium also hosts the showpiece season opening game the FA Community Shield match, played in August between the winners of the FA Cup and the top-level Premier League. In February, it also hosts the final of the England's other top level cup tournament, the Football League Trophy. At the end of the domestic season the stadium also hosts the latter stages of the Football League play-offs. In European football, it is due to host the 2011 Champions League Final. In friendly tournaments, since 2009 it has been the venue of the summer Wembley Cup. Outside of football, the stadium also hosts major rugby games, such as the Rugby League Challenge Cup. The stadium is also an annual regular season venue for the American National Football League's International Series, the first such venue outside North America. Non-sporting uses include large concerts by artists such as U2 and Madonna, as well as hosting in July 2007 the Concert for Diana and Live Earth.

Questions about the text

1. For its capacity, Wembley Stadium is the

largest stadium in the world.
second largest stadium in the world.
second largest stadium in Europe.
2. The old stadium was demolished in 2003.
True.
False.
We don't know.
3. The stadium will be used in the 2018 Olympics.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. All the Football League matches are held there.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. Rugby is also played there.
True.
False.
We don't know.

Reading - 2nd Bachillerato

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a unique political and economic community with supranational and intergovernmental dimensions. It is composed of twenty-seven member states primarily located in Europe. In 1957, six European countries formed the European Economic Community (EEC) by the Treaty of Rome. Since then the EU has grown in size through the accession of new member states and has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas to its remit. In 1993, the Maastricht Treaty established the base of the current legal framework.

The EU created a single market which seeks to guarantee the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital between member states. It maintains a common trade policy, agricultural and fisheries policies, and a regional development policy. In 1999 the EU introduced a common currency, the euro, which has been adopted by thirteen member states. It has also developed a role in foreign policy, and in justice and home affairs. Passport control and customs checks between many member states were abolished under the Schengen Agreement.

With over 492 million citizens the EU generates an estimated nominal GDP of €8.6 ($10.7) trillion in 2007. It represents its members in the WTO and observes the G8 summits. Twenty EU countries are members of NATO. Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. EU citizens elect the Parliament every five years.

Questions about the text

1. How many members has the EU?
6.27.We don't know.

2. The euro is used in all the countries of the EU.
True.False.We don't know.

3. Passport control between many member states was abolished.
True.False.We don't know.

4. What is the estimated nominal GDP of the EU?
€8,600,000.€8,600,000,000.€8,600,000,000,000.

5. Only twenty EU countries are members of NATO.
True.False.We don't know.

Reading - 1st Bachillerato

English Language

English is a West Germanic language originating in England, and the first language for most people in Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (also commonly known as the Anglosphere). It is used extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the world, especially in Commonwealth countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, and in many international organisations.

Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca. English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. The influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the British Isles. Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States has significantly accelerated the spread of the language. On an average school day approximately one billion people are learning English in one form or another.

A working knowledge of English is required in certain fields, professions, and occupations. As a result over a billion people speak English at least at a basic level. English is one of six official languages of the United Nations.

Questions about the text

1. The tournament takes place every four years.

True.False.We don't know.

2. In 1942 the World Cup was not played.
True.False.We don't know.

3. There are 32 teams playing the World Cup.
True.False.We don't know.

4. Only eight nations have ever won the championship.
True.False.We don't know.

Reading 7th - 8th EGB

World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not contested because of World War II.

The current format of the tournament involves 32 teams competing for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about a month – this phase is often called the World Cup Finals. A qualification phase, which currently takes place over the preceding three years, is used to determine which teams qualify for the tournament together with the host nation(s). The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 final.

The 19 World Cup tournaments have been won by eight different national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Italy, with four titles; Germany with three titles; Argentina and inaugural winners Uruguay, with two titles each; and England, France, and Spain, with one title each.

The World Cup is among the world's most widely viewed sporting events; an estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.

The most recent World Cup was held in South Africa in 2010. The next three World Cups will be hosted by Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, and Qatar in 2022.

Questions about the text

1. The tournament takes place every four years.
True.False.We don't know.

2. In 1942 the World Cup was not played.
True.False.We don't know.

3. There are 32 teams playing the World Cup.
True.False.We don't know.

4. Only eight nations have ever won the championship.
True.False.We don't know.

Reading 9th - 10th EGB

Manchester

Manchester is a city in North West England. Manchester has recently come to be regarded by some as England's second city (after London).

Immediately after Manchester hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002, a nationwide opinion poll commissioned by Marketing Manchester and conducted by pollsters MORI found that out of just over 1000 people 34% of respondents thought that England's second city was Manchester; 29% thought it was Birmingham.

In 2002 the central district had a population of 422,302. This district is the heart of a large conurbation called the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, which has a population of 2,513,468. People from Manchester are called Mancunians.

In the same way as "London" is used to refer to the entire metropolitan area of Greater London, the term "Manchester" is often used to refer to the Greater Manchester conurbation, rather than the City of Manchester which is a metropolitan borough. The constituent parts of Greater Manchester vary in how separately they identify themselves from Manchester. Salford, for instance, is a city in its own right with a distinct identity despite directly adjoining the urban centre of Manchester.

Now, answer the questions about the text.

1. Manchester has become England's second city.

True.

False.

We don't know.

2. 29% of people think that Birmingham is England's second city.

True.

False.

We don't know.

3. Greater Manchester has a population of 422,302.

True.

False.

We don't know.

4. People from Manchester are called Mancunians.

True.

False.

We don't know.

5. Manchester is often used to refer to Greater Manchester.

True.

False.

We don't know.