Which of these chemical elements is represented by symbol Pb:
a) iron
b) copper
c) lead
d) zinc

Something extra...
Here are three common chemical elements and their symbols (symbols are the same in Polish and English):

hydrogen = wodor = H
potassium = potas = K
mercury = rtec = Hg

You can find more of them on
http://www.webelements.com/

The mail delivery system using horses that was in place in America between 1860-61 was called:
a) Horses Galore
b) Shetland Deliverers
c) Long Tail Riders
d) Pony Express

Something extra...
This system included 157 stations between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. Riders changed horses every 10 - 15 miles. The whole trip took about 10 days. At first, the system worked very well and was an important link between Mid-West and West regions of America, but later, due to the completion of the telegraph system, it became a financial failure and ceased to exist.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

Yellowstone National Park extends into three states. Which ones?
a) California, Oregon, Nevada
b) Utah, Arizona, Colorado
c) Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
d) New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma

Something extra...
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in United States and in the world. It was established by the US Congress in 1872. It covers 8,983 square kilometers. It has some unusual geologic features: fossil forests, lava flows, hot springs and geysers. The most famous geyser is Old Faithful which erupts every 33 - 93 minutes. Look at the pictures and find out more here.

New York City consists of five boroughs. Which one is the largest?
a) Bronx
b) Brooklyn
c) Manhattan
d) Queens
e) Staten Island

Something extra...
Bronx is the only mainland borough and it's connected to Manhattan by bridges and tunnels. It used to be owned by Indians and called Keskesbeck, but they decided to sell it to the Dutch in 1639. Brooklyn is of course known for the Brooklyn Bridge which was designed by John A. Roebling. The designer was eventually killed during one of the 27 fatal accidents that happened during the construction. When it finally opened it was 486 meters long and within 24 hours about 250,000 people crossed over it.

Australian English is full of colorful and funny sayings. What do you think this one means:
"molly dook"
a) boss
b) younger brother
c) stingy person
d) left handed person

Something extra...
Once you master English at the level that allows you to communicate with native speakers in an effective way, it is time to start discovering differences between the types of English spoken in various countries. A few years ago, when we were still living in Poznan we had guests from New Zealand who stayed with us for almost a month. What wonderful people they were! And the way they talked and pronounced words was just great! Similarly, Australians, are fun loving, friendly people, whose English is unique, interesting and often very entertaining. It's fun to explore Aussie slang and find out how they communicate Down Under. If you're interested in Australian slang, visit here.

President Calvin Coolidge was the most laconic of all the US Presidents and is often referred to as:
a) "Silent Cal"
b) "Hush Prez"
c) "Cool Silence"
d) "Not-a-word Cal"

Something extra...
On Monday, Feb. 16, Americans observed "President's Day". You can read about the history of this holiday here. If you are interested in other past Presidents, you can visit the White House web page and browse through a lot of interesting fact sheets.
As far as Coolidge and his legendary frugality with words (oszczednosc w slowach), there are numerous stories of which one goes like this:
During one dinner party, President Coolidge was seated next to a young lady. She told him that she had bet that she could get at least three words of conversation from him. Without even looking at her, he said: "You lose".

This famous American boxer was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
a) Mike Tyson
b) Sugar Ray Leonard
c) Evander Holyfield
d) Larry Holmes

Something extra...
Boxing has been an Olympic sport since 1904. Today there are 17 primary weight classes in professional boxing: strawweight (to 48 kg);junior flyweight, (to 49 kg); flyweight, (to 51 kg); junior bantamweight,(to 52 kg); bantamweight, (to 53.5 kg); junior featherweight, (to 55 kg); featherweight, (to 57 kg); junior lightweight, (to 59 kg); lightweight, (to 61 kg); junior welterweight, (to 63.5 kg); welterweight, (to 67 kg); junior middleweight, (to 70 kg); middleweight, (to 72.5 kg); super middleweight, (to 76 kg); light heavyweight, (to 79 kg); cruiserweight, (to 88 kg); and heavyweight, over 88 kg.

Sap of what tree did North American Indians chew?
Zywice z jakiego drzewa zuli polnocnoamerykanscy Indianie?

a) spruce / swierk
b) willow / wierzba
c) pine / sosna
d) maple / klon

When was the first Super Bowl played?
a) 1886
b) 1911
c) 1952
d) 1967

Something extra...
Super Bowl to oczywiscie mecz futbolu amerykanskiego. Dla nas Polakow, przyzwyczajonych do prostoty pilki noznej, to sport dosc dziwny, a nawet zabawny. Amerykanie, ktorym towarzyszy on od dziecka w dzisiejszym dniu siedza przed telewizorami w domach, barach, miejscach pracy a nawet kosciolach, gdzie czesto organizuje sie "Super Bowl parties". W tym odbywajacym sie co rok meczu o mistrzostwo NFL (National Football League) staja na przeciw siebie mistrzowie sezonu ligi AFC (American Football Conference) oraz NFC (National Football Conference). Super Bowl zazwyczaj ma miejsce w ostatnia niedziele stycznia, na terenie neutralnym dla obu druzyn. Tegoroczny rozgrywany byl w Houston, Texas pomiedzy druzynami New England Patriots i Carolina Panthers. Dla Panter z Charlotte, Polnocna Karolina byl to pierwszy mecz mistrzowski w historii klubu i nie musza sie wstydzic. Przegrali trzema punktami (29:32), a jeszcze 4 sekundy przed koncem meczu, byl remis 29:29.

Which of the following U2 songs talks about Martin Luther King?
a) "I Still Haven't Found"
b) "Pride"
c) "MLK"
d) "Silver and Gold"

Something extra...
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta in 1929. In 1954 he was ordained a Baptist minister. In 1955 he received his doctorate from Boston University. In 1957 he formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1963 he helped organize the March on Washington during which he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech. Thanks to the march, Civil Rights Act was created (law whose intention was to end discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin). In 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On April 4, 1968, when he was in Memphis to support the strike of sanitation workers, he was assassinated by James Earl Ray. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a national holiday in the USA. It is celebrated in King's honor on the third Monday in January.
minister - pastor

'Gingivitis' is a disease. What part of the body does it affect?
a) gums
b) knees
c) toes
d) ankles

Something extra...
W jezyku medycznym daje sie zaobserwowac pewne trendy. Nazwy chorob czesto skladaja sie z lacinskich slow okreslajacych jakas czesc ciala i dodanych do nich koncowek -itis, -osis, -asis (szczegolnie jezeli chodzi o choroby zapalne) oraz innych. Oto przyklady: Gingivitis, peritonitis, ascariasis, hepatitis... Duuuuzo wiecej znajdziecie tutaj: http://www.mic.ki.se/Diseases/index.html
Jezeli chodzi o zabiegi medyczne, to wiele z nich ma koncowke -omy: appendectomy, mastectomy, etc.
Za przyklad wezmy na stol taki wyrostek robaczkowy. Po angielsku to appendix. Zapalenie wyrostka robaczkowego to wlasnie appendicitis, a jego usuniecie nazywa sie appendectomy. Gdyby tak sie dalo z kazda choroba... Teraz juz wiecie ile wysilku umyslowego trzeba wlozyc w studia medyczne. W USA to sie oplaca caly czas o wiele bardziej niz w Polsce. Srednio lekarze zarabiaja tutaj ok. stu dolarow... na godzine. W zaleznosci od specjalnosci oraz stazu, te zarobki moga byc troche mniejsze lub wieksze.

Polish composer Karol Szymanowski had to resign his position as Director of the Warsaw Conservatory because:

a) he was gay
b) he wanted more money
c) his tuberculosis got worse
d) he was involved in a financial scandal

Something extra...
Nauczmy sie dzisiaj troche slownictwa zwiazanego z muzyka. Na poczatek granie na instrumentach. W jezyku polskim gramy NA czyms, lub W cos (jezeli mowa o sporcie). W jezyku angielskim nie: play (the) piano (a nie play on the piano), play (the) guitar, play (the) drums. Kiedy gramy ze sluchu, powiemy I play by ear, natomiast kiedy znamy nuty, obwiescimy z duma I can read music. Jezeli ktos ma dobry sluch muzyczny, powiemy he/she's got a good ear.
Kompozytorzy komponuja (compose) lub pisza muzyke (write music).
Kazdy gitarzysta musi znac jakas ilosc chwytow, czyli guitar chords, a kazda pianistka uderza w klawisze, czyli w keys. Kartki z zapisem nutowym jakiegos utworu to music sheets. Na dyrygenta powiemy conductor, a na to czym wymachuje reka baton.
Na koniec praktyczne wyrazenie ze swiata muzyki, ktore juz tutaj padlo, a ktorego mozna uzyc w wielu sytuacjach: to play by ear = improwizowac, robic cos bez wczesniejszego planowania:
- What time would you like to leave for Florida?
- It doesn't really matter, let's just play by ear. We don't have to be there until the day after tomorrow, anyway.

Phobos and Deimos are the two moons of this planet:
a) Saturn
b) Mercury
c) Mars
d) Neptune

Something extra...
The nine major planets which revolve around the sun are (in order of their distance from the sun): Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter (Jowisz), Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The smallest of all of the major planets is Pluto. The largest one is Jupiter (318 times the mass of earth). Earth is the fifth largest planet of the solar system. We, the inhabitants of the earth are called 'earthlings', and sometimes we use interesting idioms that include the name of our planet:
What on earth are you doing? - co ty do licha wyprawiasz?
Tim's a very down-to-earth person - Tim jest bardzo praktyczna osoba.
Did you know that 'mercury' also means 'rtec'?

This famous American painter was born in New York City to Polish parents:
a) Barnett Newman
b) Mark Rothko
c) Robert Motherwell
d) Frank Stella

Something extra...
Ostatnio mialem okazje slyszec jak Prezydent Kwasniewski przemawial w jezyku angielskim. Szlo mu calkiem niezle, ale rzucaly sie w uszy pewne niedociagniecia fonetyczne. Jednym z nich byla wymowa koncowek -ism. Spojrzcie na te slowa zwiazane z kierunkami w sztuce nowoczesnej:
impressionism, symbolism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, expressionism, suprematism, constructivism, surrealism, minimalism... w kazdym z tych slow, koncowka -ism ma DWIE sylaby: SYM-bo-ly-zym, KJU-by-zym i tak dalej... Pan Prezydent mowil o komunizmie i powiedziel: ko-miu-nizm, a powinien byl powiedziec KA-miu-ny-zym. Mam nadzieje, ze nie narazilem sie BOR-owi. Jakby cos, wezmiecie mnie w obrone?

Gateway Arch is the landmark of which city?
a) Los Angeles
b) Saint Louis
c) Kansas City
d) Detroit

Something extra...
W kazdym miescie na swiecie jest jakies miejsce, ktore nieodlacznie sie z nim wiaze i jest jego najbardziej rozpoznawalna wizytowka. Takie miejsce to landmark. Moze nim byc budynek, pomnik, most, park... San Francisco ma swoj Golden Gate Bridge, Nowy Jork ma Empire State Building, Chicago - Sears Towers, Warszawa - Palac Kultury i Nauki. Would you like to write a short essay about the landmark in your city? It will be checked, corrected and sent back to you. If you'd like to try, send it to Ten adres pocztowy jest chroniony przed spamowaniem. Aby go zobaczyć, konieczne jest włączenie w przeglądarce obsługi JavaScript..

Bruce Lee's father was a:
a) Chinese opera star
b) gymnastics teacher
c) Chinese politician
d) writer

Something extra...
Bruce Lee naprawde nazywal sie Lee Yuen Kam, urodzil sie w San Francisco, ale lata swego dziecinstwa spedzil w Hong Kongu. Najbardziej znany film w jakim wystapil to oczywiscie "Wejscie smoka" (1973). Film ten w oryginale nosi tytul "Enter the Dragon". Na pierwszy rzut oka nie wyglada to szczegolnie poprawnie, jednak istnieje taka forma. Uzyjemy jej szczegolnie po