Archive for September, 2009
Podcast: Cleaning Up Posted by Rachel on Sep 30, 2009
Today, we’re going to learn how to talk about cleaning in Portuguese. Click here to listen to the podcast! Vamos limpar o nosso apartamento. Pode pegar a vassoura? Irei buscar o aspirador. Temos que esfregar o chão da cozinha. Lave os vidros, por favor. Vou lavar a louça. Até que em fim, tudo está limpinho!…
New Archaeological Discoveries in Roraima Posted by Rachel on Sep 29, 2009
The Brazilian Northeast is known for its wealth of archaeological sites, and new sites have been found in the state of Roraima. While local archaeologists face a lack of financial resources, they have found some interesting artifacts. Photo: Ari Silva/Globo The latest discovery dates back 4,000 years, and now forms part of 80 sites in…
Listening Comp: Brazilians in Japan Posted by Rachel on Sep 28, 2009
Today, we’re going to do an upper intermediate listening comprehension exercise using a short documentary filmed at a Brazilian festival in Japan. There are subtitles but surprise! They’re in Japanese. So you’ll have to listen very carefully to answer the questions. Questions 1. What is the woman featured in the video asking Brazilians to do?…
Job Market Vocabulary Posted by Rachel on Sep 25, 2009
Today we’re going to look at some vocabulary related to the job market and workplace. trabalho = work escritório = office emprego = job salário = salary renda = income benefícios = benefits vale transporte = paid transportation (when company pays for employees’ transportation costs) ticket refeição = paid lunch (when company pays for employee…
Lula in the US Posted by Rachel on Sep 24, 2009
President Lula is making a big splash in the U.S. this week, where he’s attending several important events. First, he accepted an award from the Woodrow Wilson Center, where he celebrated with other world leaders. Yesterday, he attended the UN General Assembly in New York, where he gave a long speech (watch and read the…
Favorite Brazilian Dance Posted by Rachel on Sep 23, 2009
For today’s interactive feature, the question is: what’s your favorite Brazilian dance? Personally, my favorite kind of dance to do is lambada, which is sometimes referred to as zouk. It’s a ton of fun to dance, though it takes a bit of practice, and is a great workout. I also really enjoy forró from Salvador…
New Species of Fish Discovered in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Sep 22, 2009
This week, a new species of fish was discovered off the coast of Praia do Forte in Bahia, and is now being analyzed in Bahia to determine more details about the creature. The fish was found floating dead in the water, and was caught and brought on board a research boat. The strange-looking fish weighs…