Posts

What is a zero-sum game?

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A zero-sum game is  a competition/conflict in which 'the winner takes all'. Whatever is gained on one side is lost on the other.

What is a Republican? And a Democrat?

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There are only two major political parties in the US; the Republicans & the Democrats. A representative from one or other party has won every presidential election since 1852. Why the names Republican and Democrat?   This gets very confusing!  The Federalist Party of Alexander Hamilton   was opposed by Thomas Jefferson who formed an opposition party in 1792. Jefferson's  party developed into the Democratic-Republican Party (1798). This was the forerunner of the modern Democratic Party . The  modern Republican Party was founded in the 1850s and  key features included opposition to slavery and a support base in the northern states. Abraham Lincoln was a Republican, while the pro-slavery southern states were largely Democrat. Where do they stand today?   Registered voters in 2004 Broadly speaking, the Democratic Party is left-of-center and the Republican Party right-of-center. The American electorate is divided into these two camps. On one side are the Democrat

What is a primary? What is a caucus?

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American presidential elections follow a fixed timetable in a system that has its origins in the American Constitution.

What are phrasal verbs? Why are they difficult to learn?

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Where does the name Macintosh come from?

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The first Apple logo features Isaac Newton. There is no reference Macintosh or Turin The naming of the world's most glamorous technology company is surrounded by entertaining legends.

What is frankincense? And myrrh?

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Frankincense is a gum resin with a strong smell. It comes from the Boswellia tree.

Did Frank Sinatra record the first concept album?

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A concept album is a collection of songs are linked by a theme.

What is an emoji? An emoticon?

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Emoticons  The emoticon :)—a colon followed by a parenthesis—is a visual representation of a smiley face turned sideways.

What is hype? Where does the word come from?

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The first dictionary definition of hype (1967) was ' excessive or misleading publicity or advertising'.

Word most looked-up in the dictionary?

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Why 'Dutch courage'?

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To have Dutch courage is to lose fear or inhibition by drinking alcohol.

Was Charles Dickens `'inept and vulgarly sentimental”?

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Charles Dickens was a superb story teller and created memorable characters. But was he a great writer?

What is cognitive dissonance?

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Cognitive dissonance describes the tension caused by having two apparently contradictory thought processes simultaneously - wanting to smoke while knowing smoking is bad for you, for example.  Is it a new term? The phrase was first introduced by Leon Festinger in his 1956 book When Prophecy Fails . He studied the way believers in UFOs dealt with empirical evidence contradicting their deeply held beliefs.  Cognitive dissonance is also associated with the cognitive development theory developed by Jean Piaget - dealing with cognitive dissonance is a key factor in child development. In general English the term is often used when describing how politicians deal with 'inconvenient' data. Examples can be found at all points on the political spectrum. English FAQ Teaching Pack  only £1.99