Bike-sharing revolution aims to put China back on two wheels

 Two-wheeled travel began to go out of fashion as China became more open to the world, ushering in decades of economic boom and a high demand for cars. 

In 1980, almost 63% of commuters cycled to work, the Beijing Morning Post reported last year, citing government data. But by 2000 that number had plummeted to 38% and today it stands at less than 12%.

Car use, meanwhile, has rocketed. In 2010 China overtook the US to become the world’s largest car market, with 13.5m vehicles sold in just 12 months. This year, manufacturers expect to sell almost 23m passenger cars.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/28/bike-sharing-revolution-aims-to-put-china-back-on-two-wheels

From 'Good Job' To 'Good Riddance': Obama On Letters From Everyday Americans

Obama talks to NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep about the letters sent by Americans from different walks of life that the president has read — and responded to — during his final weeks in office.

http://www.npr.org/2016/12/19/505860259/from-good-job-to-good-riddance-obama-on-letters-from-everyday-americans

2NB A Special Christmas Present (reading)

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/200/reading/xmas1.htm

C1 The "vampire economy"

There is a new group of buyers emerging - those who purchase items online between 11pm and 5am. Dubbed the 'vampire economy', some companies are targeting this group with marketing emails sent during the night.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04dbjy8?intc_type=singletheme&intc_location=radio4&intc_campaign=radio4infour&intc_linkname=audioclip_vampireeconomy_contentcard1

C1 The Mall

Recently, I have questioned whether time spent at West Edmonton Mall is time well spent. Only a five minute drive from my home in the Alberta capital, and with a car park that can accommodate 20,000 vehicles, I used to be embarrassed that my hometown’s reputation could depend so heavily on it. I sniffed at the culture of consumerism it represented – and what it took away from the character of the community.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/dec/14/shopping-north-america-biggest-mall-west-edmonton-canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl8jOAR1wyM
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140411-is-the-shopping-mall-dead

2NB The Time (listening)

http://www.examenglish.com/A2/A2_listening_daily_routine.htm

2NB Apostrophe 's

 Use the apostrophe to show possession. To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/nouns_articles/apostrophe_s.htm

C1 Inversion with negative adverbials

When we want to give emphasis in a sentence, certain negative adverbs and adverbial phrases may be taken out of their normal position and placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause. In this emphatic construction the adverb must be followed by an auxiliary verb + subject, as in a question.

http://www.learnglish.net/archives/2264

How a Polish ad out-Christmased John Lewis's bouncing badger

The John Lewis advert might be the most heavily trailed. Wes Anderson’s H&M commercial, the most stylish. Then Amazon got into the spirit of the Christmas ad wars with an interfaith focus on an imam and a vicar exchanging Christmas gifts. But none of these Christmas commercials have had the quiet charm of this year’s sleeper hit from Allegro, an online auction website in Poland, which doesn’t even sell products in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/shortcuts/2016/dec/07/how-a-polish-ad-out-christmased-john-lewiss-bouncing-badger

2NB Tongue twisters

Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They’re not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking.

http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/

C1 The red-nosed gold rush

Stingy with freedom and consumer goods, the communist system provides plenty of subjects for comedy, though clowns must be cautious in exploiting them. One skirts the borders of what is permissible by satirising Cuba’s police. “We are natural clowns,” says a payaso who combs his hair into a spiky ponytail that resembles a Wi-Fi antenna. “When we open our fridges in the morning and see that they’re empty, we laugh.”

http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21709077-theres-money-be-made-wearing-floppy-shoes-red-nosed-gold-rush

2NB Present Simple

http://www.teachya.com/grammar/beginner/present_simple.php

C1 Success Stories

It never ceases to amaze me how much time people waste searching endlessly for magic shortcuts to entrepreneurial success and fulfillment when the only real path is staring them right in the face: real entrepreneurs who start real businesses that employ real people who provide real products and services to real customers.

http://www.inc.com/ss/10-inspiring-small-business-success-stories