This 'blog' has some amazing news articles and vocabulary words. If you go through one or two articles each day (in the archives) your reading vocabulary will definitely increase and the better your vocabulary is, the better your speaking skills will be.
Go through the vocabulary list first and read the definitions in simple English. Then read the article. If you do this each day (there are about 150 articles with vocabulary words that are defined), your English will get better and better.
Please enjoy this resource and please share it with your friends. It is completely free. I created this for my own private students, but I am happy when I learn that others around the world are using it.
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Some farmers in Jamaica are taking advantage of an ineffective government and police department - they are offering to take tourists (illegally) to locations where they can sample some of the best marijuana on the island.
Marijuana is a type of drug which is smoked and which can make a person feel peaceful or happy, although sometimes the drug makes a person feel anxious (nervous) or paranoid (the person feels threatened and thinks others want to hurt him/her). The main ingredient of the drug is tetra hydrocannabinol (THC).
The article:
http://news.yahoo.com/jamaica-twist-wine-tours-pot-lovers-071003206.html
Vocabulary to help you understand the article:
a twist on wine tours - when there is a 'twist' on something, this means there is 'a different version' of something or a new thing that is kind of like an old thing. Let's say that someone makes a movie and you ask me what kind of movie it is. I might say, "It's a horror film. In fact, it's a twist on 'Dracula.'" That would mean that the film starts with the basic Dracula idea but changes it a bit. So here, you have marijuana tastings, which are a twist on the idea of wine tastings.
pot - a slang term for marijuana
Napa and Sonoma - these are valleys in California where you can see the vineyards (where the grapes are grown) and you can taste some of the wine.
to flock to - if tourists flock to a location they all go to that location. A flock is, literally, a group of birds. Birds tend to flock together - travel together - to places.
a connoisseur - someone who really values or appreciates something
ganja - a slang term for marijuana
mystical - dealing with the religious
cannabis plantations - cannabis is a name for the marijuana plant. A plantation is a large farm.
a strain - in this case, a type of marijuana plant
reggae - a type of music
verdant - green, lush, filled with plant life
dreadlocks -
mystique - here this word means reputation; a mystique is a very good reputation bordering almost on a 'myth'
weed - another term for marijuana
sinsemilla, chocolate skunk - types of marijuana
his plot - his area of land
a legalization drive - an attempt to make something legal
an advocate - something who believes in something and speaks in favor of it
a struggling economy - a economy which is not doing well; it is not a healthful economy
a boost - a rise, an increase
sprinters - runners like Usain Bolt
dynamic - if something is dynamic, it changes or is exciting
evolving - moving forward
in light of - because of, or due to
this hemisphere - the western hemisphere; since some US states and one South American country have legalized marijuana, Jamaica might do it as well
decriminalize - make it legal
to regulate pot - to establish some standards and laws concerning it
reform - any type of reform means positive change
prospects for - the chances of something happening. i.e. There is a 50/50 chance (prospect) it will rain tomorrow. That means a 50% chance.
commercialization - the selling of something
laid-back - casual, informal
conservative - a conservative person does not like to take chances or see things change
Rasta - this refers to a religion that uses marijuana as part of its ceremony
pervasive - all over the place
illicit - illegal
a crop - this is what is grown on a farm: a crop of potatoes, a crop of corn etc.
enthusiastically - eagerly
rolling paper - it's the paper used to make marijuana cigarettes
a caveat - a warning.
a spliff - a type of marijuana cigarette
presumably - apparently
culturally entrenched - a deep part of the culture. A trench is a deep hole in the ground. If you are entrenched somewhere, it is as if you have dug a hole and are in the hole to defend yourself from an enemy.
cast off - eliminate, get rid of
a prominent - famous
glaucoma - an eye disease which can be made better by using that person's drug
a hub - a place where people flock to
indentured servants - they were almost like slaves. They worked for 7 years without pay before receiving their freedom.
alleviate - make something better. Aspirin alleviates pain (gets rid of, eliminates, makes a person feel less pain)
a remedy - a cure
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