Today’s picture: Massey University / New Zealand School of Music Big Band, August 2008

Part 1: Today's word

When you confirm something, you show or say that it’s true or correct. In academic research, when something is confirmed, it means that some evidence has shown that it is actually true. Often people have hypotheses – ideas about why or how something happens – and research projects are carefully devised to test these hypotheses. If the results are positive, then the hypothesis is confirmed – of course, this doesn’t mean it’s absolutely true! In business, confirmation can also be used to mean that you make something more sure than it was before – for instance, you make a provisional booking when you’re not sure about the dates or numbers and then you confirm your booking when you know all the details and are ready to pay.

The results of her research were confirmed by later studies.

More than 100 people are reported to have been killed in the fighting but there has been no independent confirmation of this figure.

For more practice, go to Unit 6 of www.academicenglishgenerator.com

Part 2: Test

Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out?

The trend was confirmed by the latest figures which showed a further 10 % fall in the market.

My research confirmed an earlier study carried out in the United States.

I am unable to confirm the sign over there. Is it a ‘no entry’ or ‘no exit’?

The police officer asked me to confirm my name, age and place of birth.

Part 3: Practice Questions:

Einstein’s theory of relativity was confirmed by observations of the sun during a solar eclipse. Do you know any other cases of famous theories and how they were confirmed?

How would you confirm your suspicions that your flatmates were using your milk from the fridge?

Part 4: Kiwi Quiz Question

Which of these is NOT a successful New Zealand singer?

Bic Runga
Corinne Bailey Rae
Kiri te Kanawa
Hayley Westenra

Part 5: Today's online listening: A Japanese blues singer

Yoko Noge, a Japanese blues singer, talks about her experiences moving to Chicago. http://tinyurl.com/5f5thn

Vocabulary for the listening: an eerie feeling / notorious /a gig

Questions for the listening:

1) Why did Yoko decide to go to Chicago?
2) How did she feel about the first hotel she stayed in?
3) What kind of area is the West side of Chicago?
4) How did people treat her and her husband and friends at the blues club?
5) How did the Blues Club owner die?
6) How does she feel about her ethnicity?
7) What differences does she see between ethnic minority men and women in the US?
8) Why did she and her first husband divorce?
9) How long has she been together with her second husband?
10) Does she have any plans to go back to live in Japan?

Yoko’s website is: http://www.jazzmebluesmusic.com
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Today’s musical intro & outro: from Guinea-Bissau
‘Mindjer Doce Mel’ by Eneida Marta. From the CD ‘Acoustic Africa’. Putumayo Records. The CD may be sampled and purchased at: http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=222
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