1,200 fake life jackets that would have been sold to refugees were seized in a raid by Turkish authorities.

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Vocabulary

FAKE => not true or real; meant to look real or genuine but not real or genuine.

LIFE JACKET =>    LIFE JACKET.jpg (‘life vest’ in British English). A life jacket is a jacket or a vest designed to save you from drowning by holding you up when you are in the water.

SEIZED => TO SEIZE => To confiscate; to take possession of by legal authority.

SOAKED => TO SOAK => To (cause to) become thoroughly wet or filled with water or other liquid.

CAPSIZED => TO CAPSIZE => To turn over.   Capsized meaning.jpg

ROUGH SEA => Stormy or choppy sea.    rough seas meaning.jpg

DROWNED => TO DROWN => To die by being underwater too long and unable to breathe.

In my opinion, this is cruelty. These people suffered enough. It is not possible to justify this mean and heartless act. I hope it won’t happen again.

An article on this topic: Independent

 

To hang out – English slang

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ENGLISH IDIOM.jpg

Example sentences from the web:

  • Since he got a girlfriend he stopped hanging out with his friends.

  • Byron and some of the other poetic dudes are planning to hang out at Jack Straws before we go to sup. Like to join us?

  • You still hang out at the pool hall?

“To sit on a fence” – English idiom

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TO SIT ON A FENCE.jpg

TO SIT ON A FENCE.png

Example sentences from the web:

  • No one knows which of the candidates Joan will vote for. She is sitting on the fence.

  • I am sitting on a fence here, to go or not to go?

  • Many customers are still on the fence waiting to see if a better, less expensive computer will come along.

As you can see in the last example sentence, a variation of this idiom is “to be on a/the fence“, with the same meaning.

Examples from the news:

  • Bond Market Just Sitting On The Fence – (New York Times, August 19, 1995)

  • In fact, I would think that he would get even more votes – from people who were sitting on the fence before […] (Yushchenko sitting pretty, BBC News, December 4, 2004).

  • “It is not a question of sitting on the fence,” he said. “This is an important decision and it’s important we get it right.” (Simon Wright in a corner on tuition fees, BBC News , November 3, 2010).

 

 

“To apologise” – What does it mean?

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TO APOLOGISE

You can apologise:
– to someone
He apologised to his colleagues.
– for something
She apologised profusely for the damage she had caused.
– for doing something
They apologised for accusing her falsely.
– to someone for something
I must apologise to Jasmine for my lateness.
– to someone for doing something
He apologised to his wife and children for losing his temper.

“Apologize” – by Timbaland ft. One Republic

I’m holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground
And I’m hearing what you say, but I just can’t make a sound
You tell me that you need me then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you’re sorry, didn’t think I’d turn around, and say (that)

“It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late).”
I said, “It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late).”

I’d take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat, but it’s nothin’ new (yeah)
I loved you with a fire red, now it’s turning blue, and you say,
“Sorry,” like the angel heaven let me think was you, but I’m afraid…

“It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late).”
I said, “It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late).”

“It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late).”
I said, “It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late).”

I said, “It’s too late to apologize,” yeah (too late)
I said, “It’s too late to apologize,” yeah (too late)

I’m holdin’ on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground

A game on this song: LyricsTraining

An article on Wikipedia on spelling differences between British and American English: American and British English Spelling Differences.

PDF version for teachers (printable): To apologise