To start with the most basic description, an area of land that is mainly covered with grass or trees is often described as green:

There are so few green spaces in the city. – Annyira kevés zöld felület van a városban.

An area that is especially green, in a way that is attractive, may also be described as lush: lush green valleys. A more literary word for this is verdant:

All around her were verdant meadows. – Szerte körülötte zöldellő rétek terültek el.

Meanwhile, a landscape that has few or no plants because there is so little rain may be described as arid:

Few animals can survive in this arid desert landscape. – Kevés állat képes megélni ebben a száraz sivatagos vidéken. (A technical description for an area that has little rain but is not completely dry is semi-arid: a semi-arid zone.)

Land that is extremely dry because rain has not fallen for a long time is often said to be parched: parched earth/fields.

Sun-baked, meanwhile, describes land that is hard and dry because it has received so little rain for so long:

The sun-baked earth was full of cracks. – A naptól kiégett föld tele volt repedésekkel.

Other words describe the shape of the land.

A hilly area has lots of hills:

The countryside round here is very hilly. – A körülöttünk elterülő táj nagyon dombos.

The phrase rolling hills is often used in descriptions of attractive landscapes with many gentle hills:

Everywhere you look, there are rolling hills. – Bármerre nézel, dimbes-dombos a táj.

The rather literary word undulating is also used to describe this type of landscape:

This picturesque village is surrounded by undulating hills. – A festői falut dimbes-dombos táj veszi körül.

Meanwhile, a landscape with bigger hills – mountains – is mountainous: a mountainous region.

If those mountains have snow on the top, they are often referred to as snow-capped: a snow-capped mountain range.

Still with the shape of the land, craggy describes an area with lots of rocks sticking out: a craggy coastline.

Rugged is very similar, describing an area of land that is wild and not flat:

These photographs really capture the rugged landscape of the region. – Ezek a fotók igazán jól visszaadják a terület zord,  hegyekkel tűzdelt táját.

Of course, not all landscapes are green and hilly. An area may be flat. If there are no trees, hills or other interesting features, it may appear rather featureless:

It was a grey, featureless landscape. – Szürke, jellegtelen táj volt.

Two negative adjectives that are sometimes used to describe featureless landscapes are bleak and desolate. Both are used for areas of the countryside that seem empty and cold, with nothing pleasant to look at:

The house stands on a bleak hilltop. – A ház egy puszta, zord hegycsúcson áll.

Another adjective sometimes used in this context is windswept. A windswept area of land has no trees or other high structures to protect it from the wind:

The picture shows a desolate, windswept landscape. – A kép egy sivár, széljárta tájat ábrázol.

source: dictionaryblog.cambridge.org

Match the synonyms.

Key: 

1. d.

2. e.

3. a.

4. c.

5. b.

NÓRI KÖNYVAJÁNLATA A LECKÉHEZ:

David Attenborough is a marvel at what he does. His career spans over decades and he is a celebrated wildlife film maker. David Attenborough has received over 30 awards in his career. He has had over 15 newly discovered species and fossils named after him.

When asked about retirement in 2013 after having a pacemaker inserted into his heart, he was quoted as saying,

“If I was earning my money by hewing coal I would be very glad indeed to stop. But I’m not. I’m swanning round the world looking at the most fabulously interesting things. Such good fortune.”

source: goodthingsguy.com

The lyrics of the song:

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do

But they’re really saying I love you.

I hear baby’s cry, and I watch them grow

They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world. 

At least 250 whales were already dead of 400 found beached on Farewell Spit in Golden Bay on the tip of the South Island Friday, the Department of Conservation said in a statement.

Rescuers attempted to refloat more than 100 whales mid-morning, of which about 50 returned to the sea. However, another 80 to 90 whales who were freed re-stranded themselves in the same place just five hours later. 

Hundreds of locals turned out to help keep the whales cool.

“There’s like two to three hundred car loads of people who have come to help, maybe three to four hundred people,” Department of Conservation Community Ranger Kath Inwood told CNN.

According to Inwood, the area regularly saw beached whales and many residents were already trained in keeping the animals comfortable and helping to refloat them.

“Lots of people will be there pretty quick and already have the knowledge and training to help effectively,” she said.

Work will stop overnight for the safety of volunteers, who could be in danger around the large, stressed animals.

The whales were first spotted in the water late on Thursday night, by a department staffer, before being found on Farewell Spit on Friday morning.

“Normally (they) are between November and March and it’s not many years we don’t have one. (But) obviously, this is a huge one compared to most years … mostly they’re in ones and twos,” she said.

The largest whale stranding in New Zealand took place in 1918 when 1,000 whales stranded themselves on the Chatham Islands.

The second largest was in Auckland in 1985, when 450 ended up on a beach.

“You don’t usually get this many travelling at once, we have had 180 once before but I think a lot of (answers as to why) are unknown really,” Inwood said. “There’s a lot of different theories.”

Well, being an expert on all things of nature let me try to explain it to you. So what exactly are Pokémon? Well, Pokémon are a group of creatures and there are many varieties of these astounding creatures. A lot of them. All Pokémon are considered to be wild until they’re caught and it is the task of the trainer to catch them all and train them.

So how many varieties of Pokémon are there exactly? Well, there’re roughly 17 known types. Namely bug Pokémon, dark Pokémon, fire Pokémon, flying Pokémon, ghost Pokémon, grass Pokémon, dragon Pokémon, electric Pokémon, fighting Pokémon, ground Pokémon, ice Pokémon, normal Pokémon, poison Pokémon, psychic Pokémon, rock Pokémon, steel Pokémon, water Pokémon and fairy Pokémon. And some can be a combination of two types.

So then what is Pokémon Go? Well apparently it’s the greatest thing to happen to the world since the invention of two-ply toilet paper. You go to your app store, no not physically, you donkey, you then download the Pokémon Go app and slowly forget about your family friends and job, but hey what good are those when you can catch a Psyduck and have a Diglett in your pants, right? You are a Pokémon trainer and you have to literally walk around the city and catch Pokémon. Not real Pokémon but Pokémon inside your phone unless you believe that Pokémon are real in which case the game is perfect for you. One by one you rack up the miles and Pokémon along the way. So I guess the good side is you are getting some exercise unless you tie your phone to your dog and wait a few hours for some egg to hatch. Slowly but surely you catch more and more of these creatures and lose more and more of your friends. Once you have a few of these Pokémon you can go to Pokémon gyms not to be confused with the actual gyms. So don’t rock up at Planet Fitness asking to battle the nearest trainer because you might lose more than your Pokémon and you might gain a broken bone or several. You train your Pokémon at these gyms and battle other Pokémon until your Pokémon are ready to evolve. Yes, they do get bigger, better and stronger while you yourself get weaker in the real world. So if you see children and adults alike aimlessly walking around the streets peering at their phones, just know that they’re trying to catch them all and it’s probably best to leave them alone. I hear they bite. I am David Attenborough, and have a good day.  

How much do you know about David Attenborough? Can you fill in the gaps in the sentences with the given words?

Legendary …… (1) and nature documentary producer who created the documentaries …… (2 )and The Life of Birds, among many others.

He was an avid collector of …… (3), stones, and other natural specimens as a child.

In 2005, he was awarded the Order of Merit (OM) by …… (4).

He …… (5) Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel in 1950 and together they had two children before she …… (6) in 1997.

His brother Richard was an ……(7) and played a character similar to him in Steven Spielberg’s …… (8).

Key

1. naturalist

2. Planet Earth

3. fossils

4. Queen Elizabeth

5. married

6. passed away

7. actor

8. Jurassic Park

A természettel, fákkal kapcsolatos melléknevek:

Angolban sok az olyan idióma és kfejezés, ami a természettel kapcsolatos szavakon alapul. Ki tudod egészíteni az alábbiakat?

1. to beat around the ……. (to avoid talking about what is important – köntörfalazni, kerülgetni a forró kását)

2.a bed of ….. (an easy and peaceful life – kellemes helyzet, leányálom)

3. to go out on a ……. (to put yourself in a risky position in order to support someone or something – kockára tenni valamit)

4. to rest on one’s …….. (to be satisfied with someone’s past achievements and not making further efforts – ül a babérjain)

5. to turn over a new ……. (to start doing things differently, in a better way – új lapot nyitni, új életet kezdeni)

6. …… and branch (completely, thoroughly – gyökeresen)

7. to be at the top of the …… (to hold the highest level of a profession or career – szakmai csúcson lenni)

8. to be out of the ……. (to be out of danger–biztonságban lenni, kikeveredni a veszélyből)

9. money doesn’t grow on …… (you should be careful how much you spend, because money is not an infinite resource – a pénz nem fán terem)

10, can’t see the …….for the trees (when someone is too involved in the details of a problem to look at the situation as a whole – nem látja a fától az erdőt)

Megoldás:

1. bush

2. roses

3. limb

4. laurels

5. leaf

6. root

7. tree

8. woods

9. trees

10. wood/forest

Bushes,shrubs: hazel, raspberry, blueberry, lingonberry, huckleberry, dog-rose, climbing rose, magnolia, heather, hawthorn, honeysuckle, ivy, holly, juniper, myrtle, lavender, oleander, lilac, mistletoe, sloe

Trees: acacia, beech, pine, (weeping) willow, walnut, chestnut, hornbeam, linden, maple, birch, poplar, oak, dogwood, baobab, palm, laurel, cedar, teak, yew, elm, sycamore, spruce, apple, apricot, cherry, grapefruit, lemon, orange, peach, pear, plum, almond, fig

A természettel, fákkal kapcsolatos főnevek:

Fák. De melyik, melyik? Összekevertük a betűket, állítsd őket helyes sorrendbe!

1. wwolli

2. kao

3. lluaer

4. enip

5. wey

6. lme

7. dacer

8. cirbh

9. goddwoo

10. lenind

Megoldás:

1. willow

2. oak

3. laurel

4. pine

5. yew

6. elm

7. cedar

8. birch

9. dogwood

10. linden

Six unusual hotels you want to stay in immediately

Attrap’Rêves, Frances

These cute bubble hotels have sprung up in three locations in France, allowing visitors to feel as though they are sleeping under the stars, with all the comfort of being indoors. The bubble rooms are located only a short walk from a village, so that you don’t feel too secluded, and also come with a nearby building housing a jacuzzi and star gazing map amongst other things. Dreamy.

Palacio de Sal, Bolivia

This translates as a palace of salt, obviously. It’s located on the world’s largest salt flat, near the crest of the Andes at an altitude of nearly 3650 metres. The original building was constructed in 1993, although it was replaced by a newer one in 2007 – fully equipped with a rule that you are strictly not allowed to lick the walls. Oh.

Magic Mountain, Chile

How amazing is this hotel? It’s served by a rope bridge, has its own waterfall and is in the middle of a nature reserve – anyone else think it looks like it’s come straight out of a Disney film? There are 12 rooms, and prices start at just £125. We’re sold.

Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve, South Africa

A real-life Flintstones themed hotel, the Kagga Namma is a luxury hotel built in the middle of a nature reserve. There are totally outdoor rooms – think comfy beds, walls carved out of stone, oh and no ceiling. Plus activities that include safaris and quad biking.

Poseidon Undersea Resort, Fiji

Located on a secret island in Fiji, this hotel is straight out of a Little Mermaid – although with less mermaids. Some of the resort is above ground, and the rest submerged like a giant see-through submarine. Pretty cool, no?

Hobbit Hotel, New Zealand

Lord of The Rings fans, listen up. This real-life Hobbit hotel features a themed menu and visits to Middle Earth film locations. You’ll get to see 20 of the filming spots in just one day: how’s that for dedicated fan? You can also get married there, which would probably be the best themed wedding, ever.

source: www.metro.co.uk

to spring up – felüti a fejét, kialakul
as though – mintha
secluded – elszigetelt
star gazing map – csillagnéző térkép
obviously – nyilvánvalóan
salt flat – sólapály
altitude – magasság
to be equipped with – valamivel felszerelt, ellátott
to lick – nyalni
rope bridge – függőhíd
nature reserve – természetvédelmi terület
to be sold – rávették, meggyőzték
themed – valamilyen témájú
to carve – faragni
submerged – vízalatti
see-through – átlátszó
location – helyszín
dedicated – elkötelezett

The trunk of a tree is covered in bark.

Trees can provide shade from the heat and light of the sun.

We find palm trees in tropical regions, and pine trees in colder climates.

Here are two more interesting types of trees: a willow and a birch tree.

When you cut down or chop down a tree, what’s left is a stump.

Trees are cut down in order to provide lumber or timber (wood that will be used for building).

The pieces of wood are called logs when they are still round, and they are called boards after they have been cut into a flat rectangular shape.

The loss of the world’s forests is called deforestation. We need to plant trees in order to make up for the ones we cut down!

source: Espresso English

Milyen fákat ismerünk még?

Párosítsd össze az angol szavakat a magyar jelentésükkel!

Megoldás:

1. f.

2. a.

3. j.

4. h.

5. b.

6. i.

7. c.

8. d.

9. g.

10. e.

to be at sea

meaning: being confused or perplexed; at loss
magyarul: zavarban van, megzavarodott, nem találja a helyét
example: The teacher wanted me to finish my presentation, but I simply wasn’t able to, as I was still at sea. – A tanár azt akarta, hogy befejezzem az előadást, de én egyszerűen képtelen voltam rá, mert még mindig meg voltam zavarodva.

as cold as stone

meaning: very cold, detached, unemotional
magyarul: jéghideg, érzelemmentes
example: You are never hurt or ashamed, you are as cold as stone! – Te sosem bántódsz meg és sosem szégyenkezel, jéghideg vagy!

to make waves

meaning: to cause trouble or difficulty, to shock
magyarul: nehézséget, bajt okozni, sokkolni
example: This is a serious company, if you make waves around here, you won’t last long. – Ez egy komoly cég, ha bajt keversz, nem fogsz sokáig itt maradni.

There’s no smoke without a fire.

meaning: if there is indication of something unpleasant, there’s usually good reason for it
magyarul: Nem zörög a haraszt, ha nem fújja a szél.
example: He claims the rumours are false and they were just friends, but there is no smoke without a fire… – Azt állítja, hogy a pletyka nem igaz és csak barátok voltak, de nem zörög a haraszt…

a ray of sunshine

meaning: a happy person or occurrence that makes others feel happy, especially in a difficult situation
magyarul: olyan ember vagy dolog, aki vagy ami nehéz helyzetekben is képes jó kedvre deríteni másokat
example: They love looking after their grandson more than anything. The boy is a ray of sunshine! – Mindennél jobban szeretnek az unokájukra vigyázni. A kisfiú mindig jó kedvre deríti őket!

to beat around the bush

meaning: to avoid talking about what is important
magyarul:kerülgeti a forró kását, nem beszél a lényegről 
example: Quit beating around the bush and tell me what you really think about my idea. – Ne kerülgesd a forró kását, hanem mondd el, hogy mit gondolsz valójában az ötletemről!

You can’t see the wood for the trees.

meaning: to be unable to understand a situation clearly, as a result of being too involved in it
magyarul: Nem látja a fától az erdőt.
example: After spending years researching this topic, Susan can’t see the wood for the trees. – Miután Susan éveket töltött a téma kutatásával, nem látja a fától az erdőt.

neck of the woods

meaning:neighbourhood, this/our part of a particular area
magyarul: környék, szomszédság
example: What is happening in your neck of the woods? – Mi a helyzet felétek?

to shoot for the moon

meaning: to ask for the best or the most you cold hope for
magyarul:magasra célozni, nagy célokat kitűzni, irreálisan sokat kérni
example: You might as well shoot for the moon and as for a promotion and a raise. – Célozhatsz akár magasra is, és kérhetsz egyszerre előléptetést és fizetésemelést is.

the tip of the iceberg

meaning: a small, evident part of something largely hidden
magyarul: a jéghegycsúcsa
example: These small local protests are just the tip of the iceberg. – A kis helyi tiltakozások csak a jéghegy csúcsát jelentik.

to weather the storm

meaning: to survive a dangerous event or a difficult situation
magyarul:átesik valamin, túlél valami nehezet, veszélyeset
example: My husband lost his job and I had surgery, but we weathered the storm. – A férjem elvesztette az állását, én pedig műtéten estem át, de ezt is túléltük.

Make hay while the sun shines.

meaning: to make good use of something while it lasts
magyarul: kihasználni valamit, amíg csak lehet; addig ütni a vasat, amíg meleg
example: We’ve got a few days off work so let’s make hay while the sun shines and do some gardening at last! – Van egy pár nap szabadságunk, úgyhogy használjuk ki és kertészkedjünk végre!

Egészítsd ki a mondatokat!

1. We don’t see you often in this ……………………
2. She spent two decades in a loveless marriage, her heart became …………………….
3. Women in this culture are encouraged to fit the norm and not …………………….
4. How can you always live through tough times? How can you always …………………..?
5. Get to the point, don’t ……………………..
6. These few reported cases of the disease are just ………………………..
7. Jim works too much, but he reckons he has to …………………………….. He says he’ll slow down once he’s made his fortune.
8. Heather made a very risky offer, she was clearly ………………………..
9. The company’s earnings provided ……………………… for investors on Friday. 

————————————————————-

answer key: 1-neck of the woods, 2-as cold as stone, 3-to make waves, 4-weather the storm, 5- beat around the bush, 6- the tip of the iceberg, 7- make hay while the sun shines, 8-shooting for the moon, 9-a ray of sunshine

Jaw-dropping pictures of mountain pool named as Hungary’s top beauty spot

Take a sneaky peek at this stunning mountain pool rumoured to be Hungary’s best kept secret – we think we can see why. There are a few things guaranteed to take your breath away, but these jaw-dropping scenes surely offer a slice of paradise. This isolated mountain lake nestled by golden autumnal trees and a 210ft rock face is a vision of beauty – so much so, the Hungarians have named it their top beauty spot.

The mountain pool, near the city of Sarospatak in the county of Borsod-Abauj Zemplen, was once a fully-operational mine of soft rock and stone. But it has been open to the public since it closed for business in 1907, when it became a natural lake as rain water trickled down the 1062ft mountain. Visitors can experience the wonder of the 21ft-deep pool by accessing it through a gorge. And that’s just what photographer Robert Nemeti (www.robertnemeti.hu) did to capture these amazing images.

Go on, take a look and be impressed.

Source: The Mirror

to take a peek at – bekandikál, kukucskál
stunning – lélegzetelállító
to guarantee – garantálni
jaw-dropping – olyan, hogy leesik az ember álla
paradise – paradicsom, mennyország
isolated – elszigetelt
to nestle – befélszkeli magát
vision – látomás
fully-operational – teljesen működőképes
mine – bánya
to trickle – csorog
wonder – csoda
to access – elérni, megközelíteni
gorge – szűk völgy, szoros

Match the words with their synonyms.

1. to take a peek

2. stunning

3. to access

4. wonder

5. gorge

a) to reach

b) miracle

c) canyon

d) to have a look

e) breathtaking

Answers: 1-d 2-e 3-a 4-b 5-c

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In another incredible real-life parallel, meerkat Bob acts like the movie character Timon as a drifter. The cheeky critter only comes to Marcell’s when he feels like it and enjoys free meals. Pictures show how the pair were inseparable from the beginning and are still good pals today – despite rapidly-growing Zinzi, now six months old, now vastly out-sizing her cheeky chum. And there’s nothing they like better than lion around together in South Africa’s summer heat.

Marcell added: "Bob seems to have a "Hakuna Matata" problem-free philosophy and taught Zinzi how to relax Zinzi was brought in at just one day old when Marcell realised her mother was refusing to feed her – a harsh reality of nature that could have meant the end of adorable Zinzi.

But almost as soon as the lion had moved in to the home, near Sun City, South Africa, Marcell quickly realised he wasn’t Zinzi’s only fan. Lively two-year-old Meerkat instantly took a shine to his new playmate. Amazingly Bob began following his much bigger friend day and night and would even snuggle in at nap time. "Bob likes having anything cute and cuddly around," said Marcell. "If it’ll lie down and cuddle him he will love it".   The pair quickly formed an unlikely friendship and were soon doing everything together.

Marcell said: "They play together, eat together and drink together. Whatever Zinzi was having in those first few days and weeks Bob would have as well". Bob is a celebrity face around the zoo, with some visitors coming back five or six times to see him again and again. ‘Meerkats can be very aggressive but he’s really cool’, said Marcell. "He’s got loads of friends around here who he goes and sees every day. He plays with the hyenas and other animals and they don’t mind him. He pretty much runs the whole farm," he joked.

Bob’s runs the sprawling Predator World Zoo and Game Farm, which covers 1,000 hectares in the country’s north-west. It is home to over 36 species of animal including leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, snakes and birds.