Filoli Gardens

I took this picture at Filoli Gardens several years ago. Here is the link to my album. (Click on SLIDESHOW in the upper left-hand corner.)

https://picasaweb.google.com/rolandsf/Filoli?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLK8zbLu1vPF-AE&feat=directlink


Filoli is located about 40 minutes south of San Francisco, off Highway 280. The best time to visit is in mid-April, when all the daffodils and fruit trees are blooming. It's best to get there in the morning. You cannot enter after 2:30, and they close at 3:30. You need at least a couple of hours to see everything.


Here is a Google map showing you where Filoli is:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Filoli+Gardens,+Old+Canada+Road,+Woodside,+CA&hl=en&ll=37.494473,-122.319031&spn=0.213831,0.381088&sll=37.269174,-119.306607&sspn=13.711557,24.389648&oq=filoli+gardens&hq=Filoli+Gardens,+Old+Canada+Road,+Woodside,+CA&radius=15000&t=m&z=12


If you go to the Filoli Web site, you can see what flowers are blooming.
http://www.filoli.org

Listening Link Added: It was a horrible, bloody battle.

I have added a listening link for:

Past Continuous to Describe a Scene:  It was a horrible, bloody battle (posted on 2/26/2013). Here it is:

5-96F51127Restructured-1

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It is also part of the original document now. 

 

Used to: Before I came to the U.S., I used to be...

Before I came to the U.S., I use to used to be healthy, and I didn’t used use to get sick very often. Here, I catch colds all the time. Last year, I have had six colds! Maybe it's because of the cool weather here. (=Maybe the reason I had six colds last year IS because of the cool weather here.)

Speaking: Past Participles, Pt. B

To listen and repeat, click on 'Permalink'.

5-PastParticiplesPtB

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he buys he bought he has bought
he catches he caught he has caught
he teaches he taught he has taught

he builds he built he has built
he chooses he chose he has chosen

he comes he came he has come
he becomes he became he has become

it costs it cost it has cost
he cuts he cut he has cut
he lets he let he has let
he puts he put he has put
he hurts he hurt he has hurt
he hits he hit he has hit
he quits he quit he has quit
he sets he set he has set
he wets he wet he has wet
he upsets he upset he has upset

he draws he drew he has drawn
he withdraws he withdrew he has withdrawn

he begins he began he has begun
he drinks he drank he has drunk
he rings he rang he has rung
it shrinks it shrank it has shrunk
he sings he sang he has sung
he swims he swam he has swum

Speaking: Aux-word or do/does/did?

To listen and practice, click on 'Permalink'.

5-56int011501-2

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Tell me the people are different. Use but. Finish each sentence with do/does/did or an aux-word.

Examples
I live in San Francisco, but ... they don’t.
He can go on to Level 6, but ... she can’t.
1. I like my class, but he ...
2. She doesn’t like this class, but we ...
3. We can’t speak Mandarin, but they ...
4. I won some money in Reno, but my friend ...
5. I didn’t win anything in Reno, but my friend ...
6. The men went to the store, but the women ...
7. I have already spoken to the teacher, but Anna ...
8. I haven’t spoken to the teacher yet, but Anna ...
9. They can speak Spanish, but we ...
10. He has a bad accent, but she ...
11. I had to work yesterday, but he ...
12. I couldn’t go to work, but he ...
13. He’ll leave on Tuesday, but she ...
14. I won’t be able to come to class, but she ...
15. She wasn’t able to attend, but he ...

Speaking: Superlative + Present Perfect

To listen, click on 'Permalink'.
 

Present Perfect: 5-5020109p5

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Practice using the present perfect with the superlative and ever. Listen to the statement. Change in my whole life to ever.
a. Aqua is the best restaurant that I have eaten at in my whole life.
> Aqua is the best restaurant that I have ever eaten at.

b. The Golden Gate Bridge/beautiful site/visit
c. Mr. Rosen’s class/interesting class/taken
d. Algebra(1) /difficult subject (2) /study

           1. 代数    2. 学科, 科目, 课程,  asignatura
e. Flying from New York to Paris/long flight/take
f. new car/expensive thing/buy
g. The Birds/scary movie/see
h. The Ritz Carlton/nice hotel/stay at
i. Octopus*/unusual food/eat  *章鱼，八爪鱼, pulpo
j. A hundred dollars/much money/win

Speaking: The Comparative

To listen, click on 'Permalink'.

5-Comparative3

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Examples
Is he cheap? > Not at all. In fact, he's quite generous

unattractive
dishonest   不诚实的，撒谎的, deshonesto
unsuccessful
lazy
unlucky
shy
boring
mean
disorganized  混乱, 紊乱的, 无组织的, desorganizado

5-Comparative4

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Example:
I'm healthier than Mary is. (Bob)
> I'm healthier than Bob is. (Mark)
> I'm healthier than Mark is. (happier)
> I'm happier than Mark is.

5-Comparative5

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Example
You're short. > You're short, but I'm shorter than you are.
They're tall. > They're tall, but I'm taller than they are.

short
tall
heavy
attractive  妩媚动人的, atractivo
intelligent
smart
pretty
nice
good
bad

5-Comparative6

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Tell me you are the same as the other person.
Example:
healthy / Bill > I'm as healthy as Bill is.
happy / Bill > I'm as happy as Bill is.
hard-working
outgoing  性格外向的人, sociable, extrovertido
organized  有组织的，高效的, organizado
lucky