Our Class Today at UMass

The weather was terrible again this morning for the fourth Wednesday in a row. Mukesh did not make it in from Rhode Island. Ye sent me an e-mail and apologized for missing class. She had an interview. HeyJoon also e-mailed me. Monika is still sick with the flu, although she is getting better. Let us hope that spring will really arrive by next week!
I told Ye in my answer to her e-mail that I would write a summary of our class on my blog, so here it is as best as I can do it.
We began with an explanation of three IDIOMS. They were as follows:
l. A "Snow Job"
2. "Spill the Beans"
3. To "Feed someone a Line"
I cannot go into a long explanation on a blog the way I can in the classroom, but I will give you a sentence at least using each one and you can send me an e-mail if you want to talk about them further.

I knew the car salesman was giving me a "snow job" when he told me that that old junk of a car was worth $3,000 when I knew it was only worth $1500. I did not believe him!
I wanted to keep my blog address a secret for awhile, but Hua "spilled the beans." (To "spill the beans" means the same thing as to "let the cat out of the bag.")
To "feed someone a line" is closely related to giving someone a "snow job". They mean almost the same thing. To "feed someone a line" is to tell someone something that IS NOT TRUE. Example: Leo was feeding me a line when he said that I was the Princess of China!
We were next treated to a delightful Powerpoint presentation by Weifang entitled One World--One Dream. It was different from our previous presentations in that it had nothing to do with medicine or medical research. It dealt with the 2008 Olympic Games which are going to be held in Beijing, China this coming August. Weifang's presentation was wonderful. She told me after she finished that for the last year and a half of her doctoral program in China she was taught English by an American couple who had traveled to China for that purpose. It really showed in Weifang's pronunciation. (Weifang had an intriguing suggestion for the class which I will take up with all of you when I see you next Wednesday.)
After a very short critique, I took up the pronunciation key of the American Heritage Dictionary. I got through about half the alphabet. I will review that quickly next week and finish it. Also, I will go over the HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT I sent you by e-mail that you needed to use the link http://www.medlineplus.com/ (If you are saying, "What is he talking about?" look back at your e-mails from me, and if you still don't know, write to me and I will tell you again.-----(poliomyelitis) ???----Goodnight,Ye.