PRECIS 12

Kate Middleton works with personal shoppers for US and Canada wordrobe

Link:http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/260390-kate-middleton-works-with-personal-shoppers-for-us-and-canada-wardrobe/

secure- to make certain that something is protected from danger or risk

The building has only one main entrance and would be easy to secure from/against intruders.

This form of investment money is an excellent way of securing your children's financial future.

upcoming- an upcoming event will happen soon

...the upcoming elections...

Tickets are selling well for the group's upcoming concert tour.

upmarket- upmarket services or goods are designed for people who have a lot of money/describes goods and products that are of very high quality and intended to be bought by people who are quite rich

...upmarket shops/ hotels/restaurants...

Anne chose an upmarket agency aimed at professional people.

lace- light delicate cloth with patterns of small holes in it

...a lace collar...

...pillows egded with lace

thumbs-up- a reaction that shows you like something such as a plan or idea, or that you will accept it

She checked the hall, then gave the others a thumbs-up sign.

So it's the thumbs-up for Brighton's latest night club.

outfit- a set of clothes worn for particular occasion or activity

I've got a cowboy outfit for the fancy dress party.

I need a new outfit for the wedding.

sport- to wear something, often in a way that shows you want people to notice it

He's sporting a T-shirt and a baseball cap like every other 17- year- old.

The front of the car sported a German flag.

Kate Middleton is preparing for her upcoming trip to the US and Canada. She is interested in making a good impression.  Kate is considered to be a fashion icon and she don't want to lose her status.  Because of that, she asked famous fashion designer, Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen for advice. Sarah Buron is a person who created a beautiful wedding dress for Kate. Moreover, style advisors from upmarket stores 'Selfridges' and 'Harvey Nichols' will be helping the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate want to be sure that she will have got an outfit for every possible occasion, like Montreal Jazz Festival or a glamorous black-tie reception.

PRECIS 11

Bank robber planned crime and punishment

Link http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/bank-58397-richard-hailed.html

anticipation- a feeling of excitement about something that is going to happen in the near future

There's been an atomsphere of anticipation around here for a few days now.

As with the most pleasures, it's not so much the experience itself as the anticipation that is enjoyable.
execute- to complete something that you have agreed or planned to do
We are going to execute our campaign plan to the letter.
The whole play was executed with great precision.
felon- a person who is guilty of a serious crime
He's a convicted felon.
Now he hopes to be booked as a felon and held in prison.
longevity- the fact of having a long life or existence
...a diet that promotes health and longevity...
To what do you attribute your longevity?
deplete- to reduce the amount of something or the number of things
Wars in the region have depleted the counry's food supplies.
The ilness depletes the body of important vitamins.
teller- someone whose job is to receive and pay out money in a bank
He is a teller.
He handed the teller a note demanding one dollar, and medical attention.
incarcerate- to put or keep someone in prison; imprison
It can cost $40,000 to $50, 000 to incarcerate a prisoner.
Thousands of dissisents have been interrogated and incarcerated.

James Richard Verone is a 59-year-old man who robbed a bank in order to get a medical care which he needed. His story is quite depressing. 

Verone worked as a Coca Cola deliverman for 17 years. However, 3 years ago, he lost his job. Soon afterwards, he found a new one,as a truck driver. Unfortunately, he was dismissed and became jobless again. Eventually, he took a part- time position  as a convenience store clerk. This job had a negative influence on his health. The bending and lifting made his back ache. Moreover he had problems with his left foot and suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. To make things worse, he noticed a protrusion on his chest. He knew he needed medical help but he had not enough money. His family could help him but he didn't want to be a burden on his sisters and brothers. He decided to apply for Social Security but got only food stamps. He was in severe pain. He considered turning to a homeless shelter or other charitable organization. However, he changed his mind. He turned to a crime. He wanted to receive a free medical  are as a prisoner. On June 9 he robbed a bank. He didn't want to scare anyone. He demanded only one dollar from the teller. He didn't use any weapon. Then, he said the teller that he would sit over there and wait for the police. When the police arrived, Verone was arrested. He expected to be charged with a bank robbery, but was charged with larceny because he only demanded one dollar. However, he said that is his punishment wasn't severe enough, he would commit the crime again. In prison, Verone has already seen some nurses and is scheduled to see a doctor. He hopes to receive back and foot surgery. After spending a few years behind bars, Verone plans to move to the beach : p

PRECIS 10

Rest of Amy Winehouse's European tour in doubt

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110620/ap_on_en_ot/eu_britain_amy_winehouse

overshadow- to cause someone or something seem less important or less happy

Karen has always felt overshadowed by her famous elder sister.

My happiness was overshadowed by the bad news.

meltdown- a complete failure 

The last few months have seen the progressive meltdown of the country's political system.

...fear of a global financial meltdown

shatter- to destroy or seriously damage something

The war shattered this country's economy.

Noisy motorbikes shattered the peace.

jeer- to shout or laugh at someone in an unkind way that shows you have no respect for them

The people at the back of the hall jeered (at) the speaker.

I didn't come here today to jeer: I want to give advice.

stumble- to fall or almost fall while you are walking or running; to walk in a way which does not seem controlled 

We could hear her stumbling around the bedroom.

Cheryl's horse stumbled, throwing her to the ground.

decipher- to discover the mening of something written badly or in a difiicult hidden way; to understand something mysterious or confusing

Can you decipher the writing on this envelope?

I always wonder how people manage to decipher my doctor's handwriting.

startling- surprising and something worrying

Nobody made any response to his startling suggestion.

...startling new evidence...

Amy Winehouse is a very popular singer,who won Grammy Award five times. However, Amy is addicted to alcohol and drugs. Her strong addiction have overshadowed her musical career. A few days ago, she had a very public meltdown on stage in Belgrade. The city was the frist stop of her European summer concert tour.The main goal od the tour was to show that Amy is a talented singer and to make people forget about her problems. Unfortunately, Amy's performance which was a complete disaster, shatterd the goal. The singer stambled around the stage, trying to recall the lyrics of her own songs. The audience had a lot of problems to decipher what song Winehouse was performing! A great number of disappointed and angry fans left the concert hall. After all, Serbian media called the concert a 'scandal', 'the worst in the history of Belgrade'. As a result, Amy refused the payment for the performance. Then, she cancelled the next concerts in Istambul and Athens and came back to London. The Belgrade disaster raised a lot of questions about her ability to perform on stage, before an audience. What is she going to now? In one of her well- known songs she sings "Thy try to make me rehab"..and " I said no, no, no".

PRECIS 9

Filipino declared world's shortest man

Link:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110612/lf_afp/philippinesguinnessrecordshortest;_ylt=Ajvq355c5IU8ouhI9RWXEx3VJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTM4dDlzb25iBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDExMDYxMi9waGlsaXBwaW5lc2d1aW5uZXNzcmVjb3Jkc2hvcnRlc3QEcG9zAzE0BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDZmlsaXBpbm9kZWNs

blacksmith- a person who makes and repairs iron tools and horseshoes

He works as a blacksmith.

The shortest man in the world is a son of a blacksmith.

stature- someone's height

His red hair and short stature made him easy to recognize

She was a little short in stature

crush- a crowd of people all extremely close together, in an area that is too small for them

Franklin and his son somehow got separated in the crush.

...a crush of reporters...

We were scared we'd lose them in the crush.

throng- a large crowd of people

An official pushed through the throng.

A huge throng gathered round the speaker.

meagre- very small or not enough 

...a meagre food supply/ salary...

The prisoners existed on a meagre diet.

sickly- weak, unhealthy, and often ill

...a sickly child...

Her face was a sickly colour when she came out of the dentist's.

enroll- if you enroll at a school or other institution, or if someone enrolls you there, you put your name on the official list of its students or members

Andrew cannot enroll of his local scholl because the class is full.

Is it too late to enroll at the college?

Junrey Balawing from Philippines is celebrating his 18th birthday today. He is declared to be the shortest man in the world. He is only 59.93 cenitmetres tall. Junrey was born in the rural town of Sindagan. He is a son of a blacksmith and has four siblings. He stopped growing when he was a small child. Today, Craig Glenday, editor- in- chief of the Guinness Book of World Records officially measured the boy in front of a crowd of well-wishers. Then, Junrey's father, Reynaldo thanked for supporting his son. He said that Junrey was sickly as a toddler and now has problems with speaking and walking. The parents at first enrolled Junrey at a regular  school but he had to leave it because of his safety. His schoolmates were so curious about him that would even crush him. Junrey's parents and other villagers claim that the boy is someone special. They say he is God's blessing to the family and to the community. 

PRECIS 8

NM boy, 9, becomes youngest to fly balloon solo

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_real_balloon_boy

accomplish- to succeed in doing something, especially something that you have been trying to do for a period of time

His job was to achieve the relesase of the hostages, a task he successfully accomplished.

We didn't accomplish much at work this week.

feat- something impressive and often dangerous that someone does

A racing car is an extraordinary feat of engineering.

...feats of strenght...

composure- the feeling of being calm, confident, and relaxed

I didn't want to lose my composure in front of her.

The interruption gave him time to regain his composure.

douse- to make something or someone wet by throwing a lot of liquid over them

They doused the boy with non- alcoholic champagne.

They hurled  abuse at their victim as they doused him with a petrol.

hazard- something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage

One of the most widespread natural hazards is flooding.

The busy traffic entrance was a hazard to pedestrians.

decorate- to give someone a medal because they have done something brave or good

They were decorated for their bravery. 

They were decorated for their part in the rescue.

solo- alone, without other people

...a solo performance/ flight...

Charles Lindbergh became the very first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.

Bobby Bradley is 9 years old boy. He is famous for his great feat. The boy is the youngest who flew solo in a hot air balloon. Bobby loves air balloons. He has been flying in them for more than half of his life with his parents and other famous pilots. His mother and father are licensed pilots. They won the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race which is one of the country's biggest event in balloon racing. Bobby is too young to get his pilot's licence so his family and friends constructed the smaller balloon for him. This made his solo flight possible. The flight lasted 26 minutes. More than 50 friends and family members gathered to watch Bobbie's performance. He took off and landed in a perfect way. When he got off his gondola, he was doused with non- alcoholic champage by cheering crowd. His parents were very proud of him.

PRECIS 7

The cancer survivor allergic to modern life

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1387972/Woman-allergic-electricity-Cancer-survivor-sensitive-gadgets-lives-candlelight.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

sensitivity- a tendency to have strong physical reaction to something

The drug can cause sensitivity to sunlight.

...the sensitivity of cells to damage by chemotherapy...

shield- if something or someone shields you from a danger or risk, they protect you from it

He shielded his head from the sun with an old sack.

The ozone layer shields the earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays.

insulation- material used for preventing heat, cold, noise, or electricity from passing through something; protection from heat, cold, noise, or electricity

High electricity bills point to a poor heating system or bad insulation.

The animal's thick fur provides very good insulation against the arctic cold.

deflect- if you deflect something that is moving, you make it go in a slightly different direction, for example by hitting or blocking it; to(cause) to change direction

He deflected the ball away from the goal. 

The crowd cheered as the goalkeeper deflected the shot.

immobilize- to make someone unable to move; to immobilize something or someone means to stop them from moving or operating

Most patients are immobilized by the illness.

...a car alarm system that immobilizes the engine...

susceptibility- the tendency to be easily affected or influenced by something

...his icreased susceptibility to infections

One of the side effects of the drug is an increased susceptibility to infections.

foil- very light, thin sheets of metal used for wrapping things, especially food

Wrap the cheese in foil to keep it moist.

...aluminium foil...

Jannice Tunniclife, who is 55 suffer from a rare condition called electrosensivity (ES). She has a tendency to be very easily affected by the electromagnetic fields produced by electrical devices. It makes her not able to watch TV, use computer, or mobile phone. Her neighbours, in order not to make her health state worse, stopped using wireless internet.

Mrs Tunniclife said that her allergy developed a few years ago and was caused by a course of chemotherapy during treatment for bowel cancer. This poor woman suffer from headaches, chest pains and tingling in her arms and legs when is close to any electrical appliances. She uses an electromagnetic field detector to keep herself away from electrical singnals. She had to remove all the common devices, like a kettle or a frigde, from her home, to diminish her pain. To make matters worse, NHS refused funding her treatment. They say that there is no proved connection between electromagnetic waves and ill health. On the other hand, an organisation which explore the effects of electromagnetic fields says they may influence people's health. 

To make herself feel better, Mrs Tunniclife spends every weekend in the countryside with her husband. It helps her rest from all the electrical signals.

 

:)

Congratulations! I heard that you passed this oral phonetic test well and got good scores. So far so good:-)