In this post I will focus on some interesting vocabulary in a news article (I have chosen 9 words/phrases to define, which are highlighted in bold and explained at the end. If you have questions about others, feel free to post a comment!) and the use of the past continuous tense.
From the BBC:
Four villagers in north-east Kenya have chased down and captured two cheetahs which were killing their goats.
The owner of the goats told the BBC that the cheetahs had been picking off his animals one by one, day by day.
The men waited until the hottest part of the day before launching the chase over a distance of four miles (6.4km).
The cheetahs got so tired they could not run any more. The villagers captured them alive and handed them over to the Kenya Wildlife Service.
"I need compensation from them because the cheetahs killed most of my goats," Nur Osman Hassan told the BBC's Somali Service.
Correspondents say livestock is the backbone of the economy for the Kenyan-Somali community living in the arid north-east of Kenya.
Cheetahs are the fastest-running animals on the planet and can reach speeds of at least 104km/h (64mph).
'Daily kills'
Mr Hassan, from a village near Wajir town, said the cheetahs were attacking his goat herd over several weeks.
"These cheetahs killed 15 of my goats - they were coming to my house daily to kill my goats," he said.
He said he decided to return to his village to organise their capture at a time of day when cheetahs get very tired and usually rest in shade.
"I was sipping a cup of tea when I saw them killing another goat," he said, explaining that this was early in the morning.
He said he waited until several hours later when the sun was high to go after them.
"I called some youths and we ran after them," he said.
"We caught them and we brought them to the local authorities."
Vocabulary:
to chase down: to run after somebody/something and succeed in catching them/it. It can also be used to describe looking for and finding something.
In the article the cheetahs have been chased down; if they had been followed and had escaped, they would have only been chased.
Some more examples:
After many years, my boss was chased down by the taxman and had to pay several thousand dollars.
I finally chased down the book I had lost; it was behind the sofa all along.
to capture: to catch and keep as a prisoner/caged ('in captivity')
Examples:
In wartime, soldiers from the other side are captured and called 'prisoners of war'.
Sometimes endangered species are captured illegally and smuggled to other countries.
to pick off: to single out and kill one of a group; often used when describing hunting.
Examples:
The sniper picked off the enemy soldiers one by one.
Lions pick off the weakest and youngest antelopes first.
to launch: to start, begin or set in motion. When it is used for a product, it means 'release' or ' to begin sales'.
Examples:
The boat was launched at 3pm this afternoon and had a trouble-free first sailing.
When the new Iphone was launched, people queued all night to get it.
compensation: money you get to make up for something bad that has happened to you
In the article the farmer compensation for his significant financial losses, which have occurred through the hunting behaviour of the cheetahs.
Further examples:
If you fall and injure yourself because of damage to the pavement, you can claim compensation.
You should not claim compensation for that accident; if you had been looking where you were going, it would not have happened!
the backbone of...: the thing everything is dependent on, the mainstay
If livestock are the backbone of the economy in this community, the farmer's desperation to get rid of the cheetahs is completely understandable; without its backbone, the economy will collapse.
More examples:
The planned cuts to postal services will strike at the very backbone of the British retail economy.
The backbone of study is hard work.
arid: dry, like a desert
Examples:
The landscape in the Sahara is totally arid.
In order to adapt to the arid climate, these frogs have adapted. They can store water in their bodies for many years.
shade: shadow, shelter from the sun
The cheetahs were at a disadvantage because it was the hottest time of the day. They usually spend it resting in the shade.
Examples:Phew! It's hot out here. Let's sit under the trees, in the shade.You should stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day; too much sunlight can be harmful.
to sip: to drink something slowly/in small amounts, as you do when it's very hot or cold
Examples:
While I sipped my fresh coffee, I considered what he had said.
If you suffer from sun-stroke, you should just sip ice-water, not gulp it down.
The Past Continuous Tense in Use:
The past continuous tense is a lot less flexible than the present continuous, but it still has four main uses.
a)to express ongoing action in the past, usually at a specific time:
At 7pm yesterday, I was teaching a class.
b) to express a longer action in progress in the past, but not necessarily happening at a very specific point in time, in the same way as the present continuous can be used to express something happening-overall-but-not-right-now in the present. This is difficult to explain, so I've invented a whole dialogue!
Louise: The book I am reading is great!
James: Oh, you told me about that book, what's it called again?
Louise: No, you're thinking of a different book. When we spoke last week, I was reading Jane Eyre. This week, I am reading Pride and Prejudice.
c) to show that two actions were happening at the same time in the past:
While I was teaching yesterday, two of my students were arguing.
d) to show an interrupted action in the past :
My students were arguing until I told them to be quiet.
Here are the examples of the past continuous from the article
- Mr Hassan...said the cheetahs were attacking his goat herd over several weeks.
- "These cheetahs killed 15 of my goats - they were coming to my house daily to kill my goats," he said.
- "I was sipping a cup of tea when I saw them killing another goat," he said.
The third sentence is a great example of use c. Mr Hassan sipped tea while the cheetahs killed his goat; at the same time as they did it.
Both sentence one and two are examples of use b. Mr Hassan doesn't need to mention a specific time; the action was happening continuously over a long period.
Extension Activity
Try writing a sentence about the story for uses a and d of the past continuous tense. Invent as many details as you like! Post them in comments if you can.
My examples:
At 8am on November 12th, Mr Hassan was watching his goat get attacked by a cheetah.
(use a)
The cheetah was lying quietly in the grass when suddenly the angry villagers appeared in front of her. (use d)
