Thursday, May 28, 2009

Spring in Toronto 3

It's time to see the baby animals at Toronto Zoo. Also, do you know about the two free parks where you can enjoy a stroll and see some animals too? These are my favourite places to be near nature. All three of these places feel like you have left the city. All that green space relaxes you especially on a spring day.


1. Riverdale Farm


Riverdale Sheep by Glossy Eye

Riverdale farm was the first Toronto Zoo. The old zoo had small buildings with caged openings to see the exotic animals. In fact, the old monkey cage is still there near the stone bridge and the pond. Look for the turtles in that pond. There's several.

So what's at the farm?

There is a restored farm house with a front porch surrounded by colourful flowers and bushes. In the front of the porch is the start of a park. Here you can listen to free music concerts in the summer. Nearby, there is wading pool for the younger children and some picnic tables near the tall mature trees.

Beside the farm house is the entrance to the farm. To the left is the barn for the horses and a donkey. There are sheep and also pigs. Because it's spring, there may be some lambs. Other fenced areas hold animals for us city people to watch. I remember the cool waterfall in the forest area beside one of the walking paths.

Behind the farm house is modern building. It is used for community activities and there is a play centre for young children. As you can see, young children and families enjoy the Riverdale Farm.

Where is it?

In Cabbagetown. It's on Sumach Street which is near Parliament and Gerrard. You can get there by TTC. On the weekend, you can park there, but sometimes you have to park on the next street.


2. High Park

An Emu in High Park by Neil Aiston

Trees and more trees. This park is huge! It's got a restaurant, a public swimming pool, long bike trails, a children's playground, Grenadier Pond and don't forget the free zoo. The animals are outside enclosed by high wire fences. There are maybe a dozen different kinds of animals.

Where is it?

The west end of the city. You can take the Bloor subway line to High Park stop. My family has taken bikes on the subway, so we could bike in the park. By car, it's near Bloor and Keele.


3. The Toronto Zoo

www.day-trips.ca/content/toronto-zoo



This modern zoo opened in the seventies. It's huge! Be sure to wear your walking shoes and a hat. There are several large buildings where animals and sea creatures from different countries or areas can be viewed. Also, many of the exotic animals roam around in the large open spaces.

Also, there is a water park for kids. Bring a picnic lunch or visit one of the several restaurants. Special visiting animal exhibitions are popular. The stingray exhibition started this May. Press here for more information.

Where is it?

In the east end of Toronto. It's on Meadowvale Road in Scarbourough. It's off the Highway 401 by car or take the TTC. There are buses that go out to the zoo.


Today it is raining, so I am writing this post. But hopefully it will be better weather soon. The trees look so good with new leaves and the spring flowers do wonders for us all:)



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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Put Down Your Cell Phone

Do you know about the recent Ontario legislation about no cell phones while driving?

Drivers must pull over if they want to talk on a cell phone. Drivers can talk on a phone while driving if they use hand-free devices such as a cell phone with a head set or speaker phone. Basically, you must be able to keep both hands on the wheel. Those caught using their cell phone while driving may be fined and possibly lose demerit points off their license. When fully licensed drivers get fifteen demerit points, their driver's license is suspended. Not all the provinces in Canada have this law at this time.

What's the video about?

It's a news report on a study about driving a car and using a cell phone at the same time.

How to do the listening quiz?

Press questions. First, read the questions and then listen to the video. After you complete the questions, press "see how you did" to find the answers to the quiz.

Do you want to add a comment?

Press comment at the bottom of this post. Do you agree or disagree? Should the Ontario government ban cell phone use while driving?

Monday, May 25, 2009

Music Monday 4/25

Here's part of a song, All I Need by Radiohead.
  1. First, watch this artistic music video. The dancers move beautifully and the photography is awesome.
  2. The second time listen for the missing words in the quiz. Words from songs are often difficult to hear, so just pick up a few phrases by doing the quiz. Read the three questions from the quiz before you play the song again.
  3. Finally, Do you know what kind of song it is? A love song. What sentence is repeated? "You are all I need." Check out the verses to the song by pressing 'transcript'.
  4. You may like to watch this music video again now.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Another Step: Twitter Can Be Fun Or Useful



Where is Twitter on this blog?

Look at the side of the blog. At the side and above the list of 'labels' is the most recent updates from Twitter. There are about five entries or short posts. Remember a Twitter message or "tweet" can be a maximum of 140 characters or about one or two sentences. Some of the messages have links to my blog and other messages go to outside web sites. The messages can come from me or I can copy or "retweet' messages from other people. Twitter is like a mini blog. My Twitter name
is realcanenglish which is a short form for this blog, Real Canadian English.

What can you read in one or two sentences?
A variety of English communication. I can post

  • Proverbs
  • Wise sayings
  • Idioms and expressions
I can chat about everyday topics like
  • The Toronto weather
  • Current News
  • Holidays
I can use links. Press on the underlined words for
  • More readings
  • Grammar practice
  • Interesting photos
  • The occasional video
I can direct you to my blog for
  • The latest blog post
  • An assigned blog post



Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Job Interview Tips




After you are finished the listening quiz, check your answers by pressing, "see how you did". Also, under the video is the word, transcript. Press on the word, transcript, and you can listen again and read the words at the same time.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Celebrating Nurses

Nursing Week has started. I'd like to say thank you to all those hard working, dedicated nurses who have helped to put the "care" in health care in Ontario and around the world.



Thursday, May 7, 2009

Spring in Toronto 2


Tulips in Bloom
Originally uploaded by szuberi
May means spring flowers and trees. Enjoy the tulips and cherry trees at High Park. Edwards Garden and Osgoode Hall, York University also have those beautiful pink cherry blossoms.

Netherlands' Gift of Spring Flowers

It was the love for the Dutch's royal mother that started the annual gift of tulips to Ottawa. During World War 2, Princess Juliana and her two children fled the violence in the Netherlands and took refuge in Canada. Then came the birth of the royal family's third child, Margriet which means daisy. There was one problem. How could the royal child be an official citizen of the Netherlands? The baby was born in Canada, but a room at the Ottawa Civic Hospital was declared 'Dutch soil'. Margriet was born January 19,1943, and the royal mother and her children continued life in Canada.

In 1945 the government became more stable, so the princess and her children were able to return to the Netherlands. In thanks, the Dutch people sent a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
The following year, Princess Juliana sent 10,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa.

Each year, the Netherlands continued to give thousands of tulips to the capital of Canada. About five years ago, Queen Juliana died at the age of 94, but the Dutch Royal family decided to continue the tradition in memory of the late queen.

The
Ottawa Tulip Festival begins every May in Ottawa. It is Canada's biggest tulip festival. For more information about the Tulip Festival and the gift of the tulips, visit the Ottawa tourism site. Ottawa is a fun place to visit in the spring or summer. Be sure to rent a bike and enjoy the many parks and gardens along the canal.



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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Wanna be Wednesday 5/6

I want to be a good mother; not an ideal mother.........just a good mother. Some day I hope to be a good grandmother too, but that is a long way off. Enjoy this slide show called "Mothers in All Colours"




This Sunday is Mothers Day, a holiday to show appreciation to our mothers. Every child grows up with mother role models. We watch our own mothers, other people's mothers, and our parent's mothers. We read about mothers in stories, and we watch actors play mothers. There are even famous 'mothers' like the Queen Mother of England and Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania August 26, 1910 and later became a citizen of India. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1972. Mother Teresa was a very wise humanitarian. Although she died September 5, 1997, people have not forgotten her caring ways. She was quoted often. She had a unique definition of poverty. She said,

We think sometimes poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

..........Everybody today seems to be in a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.*
.
Her words are untimely. She believed in a spiritual poverty; not a material poverty. I think Mother Teresa is a good role model for all mothers and anyone who wants to add love to their everyday life.

Do you have a role model? Who? Why is that person a good mother? Add a comment of 2 or 3 sentences.


* Source of quotes:Vijay2623@slideshare




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Friday, May 1, 2009

It's Friday! TGIF


TGIF means thank goodness it's Friday. You will hear Canadians say TGIF on Friday after they have worked hard all week. On Friday, we start to get in the weekend mood. Here's a short ESL video where people are stopped on the street and asked the question, "What do you do for fun?" The people have different accents. One man who is interviewed says he is from Ireland.

You will hear the interviews two times. The first version is good because it has no subtitles. The second time the words are added, so you can follow the conversation at the bottom of the video. So, what do you do for fun on the weekend?