Movies opening this weekend (May30)

Movies opening this coming weekend (May 30):
ANGELINA JOLIE’s “Maleficient” looks to be the clear winner this weekend at the box office. Industry observers expect it to clear around $60 million, since it’s opening in nearly four-thousand theatres with lots of 3D screenings.
Second place should go to “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” with SETH MacFARLANE’s “A Million Ways to Die in the West” in third place.
Reviews for both Angelina’s and Seth’s new movies are hit-and-miss, so we’ll have see what actually makes the cut. Angelina needs her film to be a hit –it cost a reported $180 million to make. Seth also needs his movie to be a hit –it’s his first starring role.

–”Maleficient,” (Adventure; wide release, IMAX 3D; rated PG), with ANGELINA JOLIE as her evilness; SHARLTO COPLEY, ELLE FANNING, SAM RILEY, IMELDA STAUNTON, JUNO TEMPLE.
–”A Million Ways to Die in The West,” (Comedy, wide release, rated R), starring SETH MacFARLANE as a cowardly sheep farmer who backs out of a gunfight and his girlfriend leaves him. Then, a beautiful woman comes into town and falls in love with him… until her husband arrives. With CHARLIZE THERON, AMANDA SEYFRIED, GIOVANNI RIBISI, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, SARAH SILVERMAN, LIAM NEESON.

News from Fifa World Cup

Brazil's FIFA World Cup™ hopefuls began training in cool and rainy conditions Wednesday at their base camp in the hills outside Rio de Janeiro. If the squad had been hoping for balmy conditions at their Granja Comary complex in the town of Teresopolis they would have suffered a rude awakening, with the thermometer showing just 17 Celsius as they trotted onto a chilly pitch.

Under the watchful gaze of 2002 World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, the 23-man squad began their session shortly after 10.00 after some indoor warm-ups - the three goalkeepers following the programme in reverse. Chelsea midfielder Oscar, coming off a hip injury, and striker Jo, likewise shaking off fitness problems as he looks to play second fiddle to main striker Fred, both joined the group from the outset for an hour-long session.

The bulk of the squad, most of whom play in Europe, had arrived on Monday. Tuesday they underwent a series of fitness tests, preparing to hit tip-top shape for their 12 June Opening Match against Croatia in Sao Paulo. Before then the team will play two friendlies - against Panama on 3 June in Goiania and Serbia three days later in the Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo.

The Croatian game will be played in the Corinthians Arena before A Seleção meet Mexico and Cameroon to complete their Group A fixtures.

Let's have a break ? California Dreamin [HQ Audio Lyrics] Mamas & The Papas

The Art of Teaching

The Art of Teaching

                                                           by Mortimer J. Adler, Ph.D.

Socrates gives us a basic insight into the nature of teaching when he compares the art of teaching to the ancient craft of the midwife. Just as the midwife assists the body to give birth to new life, so the teacher assists the mind to deliver itself of ideas, knowledge, and understanding. The essential notion here is that teaching is a humble, helping art. The teacher does not produce knowledge or stuff ideas into an empty, passive mind. It is the learner, not the teacher, who is the active producer of knowledge and ideas.

One basic aspect of teaching is not found in the other two cooperative arts that work with organic nature. Teaching always involves a relation between the mind of one person and the mind of another. The teacher is not merely a talking book, an animated phonograph record, broadcast to an unknown audience. He enters into a dialogue with his student. This dialogue goes far beyond mere "talk," for a good deal of what is taught is transmitted almost unconsciously in the personal interchange between teacher and student. We might get by with encyclopaedias, phonograph records, and TV broadcasts if it were not for this intangible element, which is present in every good teacher-student relation.

The student's response and growth is the only reward suitable for such a labor of love. Teaching, the highest of the ministerial or cooperative arts, is devoted to the good of others. It is an act of supreme generosity. St. Augustine calls it the greatest act of charity.

Interesting view of reading skills

Reading is an important part of learning English. This guide to how to improve your reading skills will help you improve reading by using skills you use in your own language. In other words, one of the best tips on improving reading is to think about how you read in your own language. Start by thinking about how you read different documents. How do you read the newspaper? How do you read novels? How do you read train schedules? and so on. Taking time to think about this will help give you clues on how to read in English - even if you don't understand every single word. Ask yourself this question: Do I read every word in your own language when I am reading a schedule, summary, or other outlining document?The answer is most definitely: No! Reading in English is like reading in your native language. This means that it is not always necessary to read and understand each and every word in English. Remember that reading skills in your native language and English are basically the same. Here is a quick overview of the four types of reading skills used in every language:Skimming - used to understand the "gist" or main idea. Scanning - used to find a particular piece of information. Extensive reading - used for pleasure and general understanding. Intensive reading - accurate reading for detailed understanding. You can use these reading skills in a number of ways to improve other areas of English learning such as pronunciation, grammar and increasing vocabulary.
From : Reading how to improve skill \About.com English as 2^nd language