Understanding symbols is an instructive way to learn about a culture.  I’ve listed merely a few of the symbols in America.   What they stand for in America as well as to those who view them from around the world. I hope you enjoyed an American 4th of July celebration.  Thanks to the 4th of July for giving us a holiday where we can barbecue and drink outside. Drinking alcohol in public is banned in the U.S. unless you have a drinking permit like most restaurants that want people to go out on their patio or to sit in their garden.  Good luck getting a drinking permit for your barbecue party.  The best thing is to mix rum punch with watermelon.  Drinks and desserts are then taken care of, now go get some illegal fireworks, talk about freedom and liberation!

This lesson is on American symbols.  A light lesson this week in honour of the 4th, July! 
If you have any comments or like this lesson let me know.

How did we get here? By letting the days go by.  It has been slow coming, this crazy idea that everyone deserves fair treatment.  We are all at risk of being shamed or excluded because we are in some way different. There is debate about which bathroom transsexuals should use.  I think we should be able to use any restroom that's open.  We should all have to wait in line; to me that is only fair.  I shouldn't be flippant about these things because there are actual court cases, right now, in America over such issues.  That's why I think I would be doing you a disservice if I did not give you this language to talk about culture and discrimination.  We're halfway there, but equal rights have to reach around the world.  Therefore, we must be able to name it if we want to be able to talk about it.

We have the hyphens to sort out in the text about inclusion.  Did you choose these words to hyphenate: well-being, on-the-job, forty-year-old, one-size-fits-all,
re-used. As I wrote, there is some guess work and going with your gut. If you find two different answers, chose the answer that suits your text best.
In the second text the answers are as follows:  There are stereotypes about what people who are challenged physically can do.  In many societies exclusionist policies that discriminate against those who are challenged are part of the culture.

Please enjoy one of my favourite videos! If you have ideas or comments put them on Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you.

You might have heard, life isn't a picnic or as the Germans say, "life isn't a pony park" That is my rough translation.  Is there a way to make work, work for you?  Well, it works if you work it -as any AA sponsor knows.  What is in the kool-aide?  A positive attitude and a can-do spirit.  You've got this.  Work your English and before long, you will be the one they will be running to get when they need someone with a can-do spirit, whose not afraid to speak up or to lead. Your English can help you build your reputation, so that you can lead a cohesive team in English.  Make your English work for you! 

Answers to phrasal verb "pick up" 1. collect, 2. buy, 3. energizer, 4. resume, 5. receive signal, 6. seduce, 7. accelerat, 8. clean.   That's it this week. Hopefully, this will be an easy phrasal verb to pick up!