Words to know: key

This little word has a lot different meanings:

1. key (noun): used to unlock a door or car

2. key (noun): the individual piece on a keyboard, used for typing on a computer

3. key (noun): the black and white pieces played on a piano

4. key (noun): group of musical notes – “The song is played in the key of E minor.”

5. key (noun): sth. that provides meaning or gives understanding – “The key to being a successful write is accepting that some of your work will be rejected.”

6. key (noun): a collection of symbols on a map or graph, telling you what the information means.

7. key (adjective): of great importance – “Martin Luther King Jr. was a key leader of the Civil Rights movement in the United States.”

8. under lock and key (idiom): in a protected place – “My mother keeps her jewelry under lock and key.”

When you learn a new word, check your dictionary to see if it can be used in different ways. It’s a very quick way to expand your vocabulary!

Watch that word!

It is easy to mix up similar-sounding words in English. For example:

adept at vs. adapt to

If you are adept at something, you are good at it. If you’ve adapted to something, you’ve become used to it.

Ready to practice?

Complete the sentences with the word pairs, filling in the correct blank. The first pair of sentences have been done for you.

Today the leaders of the talks announced that Hamas would not accept the peace treaty.

I’ve enjoyed every single one of Harrison Ford’s movies, except for ‘The Fugitive’.

I urged Amanda to tell her father about how the car got damaged, but she wouldn’t take my _______.
The FDA ________ that you eat an average of five servings of fruit or vegetables every day.

The wedding planner ________ that every aspect of the wedding went smoothly.
The concierge _______ us that there were plenty of nice restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.

The news report ________ that the company’s CEO is to blame.
Every year thousands of students ________ to universities in the United States.

Once the fallen tree has been removed from the train tracks, we can ______ on to Prague.
The novel is _______ by a few pages of maps, family trees and history notes.

Josh was much shorter _______ his brother.
You need to clean the kitchen, ______ do the laundry.

The _______ of the second book in the series is called ‘The Two Towers’.
Lately _________ have had nothing but bad news about unrest in eastern Ukraine.

I was really ______ embarrassed about it.

It’s not very __________ to spend so much money on a gadget that you don’t really need.
Carla’s skin is so ________ that she can’t wear most kinds of lotion or perfume.

The laboratory _________ tested how quickly mice could learn certain patterns.
The two months I spent in Kenya working with young children was an amazing, life-changing __________.

If you find that you’re having trouble with any of these matches, take a moment to look up the definitions of each word.

The Fountain of Youth

Before you read…

In your opinion, what helps us stay healthy as we grow older? For example, are there any special foods to eat, or exercises to do?

Useful vocabulary

take up (phrasal verb): start to do, become interested in
onset (noun): the start of something
cognitive (adjective)/cognition (noun): the process of getting knowledge
baseline (noun): a starting point for making comparisons
aging/ageing (adjective): growing old

Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing’

Learning a second language can have a positive effect on the brain, even if it is taken up in adulthood, a University of Edinburgh study suggests. A previous study suggested that being bilingual could delay the onset of dementia by several years. The study is published in Annals of Neurology.

The big question in this study was whether learning a new language improved cognitive functions or whether individuals with better cognitive abilities were more likely to become bilingual. Dr Thomas Bak, from the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said he believed he had found the answer.

The findings indicate that those who spoke two or more languages had significantly better cognitive abilities compared to what would have been expected from their baseline test. The strongest effects were seen in general intelligence and reading. The effects were present in those who learned their second language early, as well as later in life.

Dr Bak said the pattern they found was “meaningful”. “Millions of people around the world acquire their second language later in life. Our study shows that bilingualism, even when acquired in adulthood, may benefit the aging brain.”

In your own words…

How has learning a second language changed you?

“Learning second language ‘slows brain ageing”. Health. BBC News. 2 Jun 2014. Web. 5 Aug 2014.