Barking Mad?

It’s the first week of October, which means it’s Oktoberfest month. Oktoberfest is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Germany. The popular festival is now celebrated all over the world. For example in Melbourne, Australia. The video shows one of the Melbourne Oktoberfest activities.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• barking mad - completely crazy
• sausage dog - teckel
• costume - special clothes that you wear to look like a different person or thing
• pretty pooch - pretty dog

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How long is the racing track?


2. Complete the sentence:
   Stanley can run like the .....
   Explain what this expression means.


3. How many times has this event been held?


4. The first contest is a racing contest. What is the second contest?

Extra words assignment
In the introduction, the commentator says: “It may seem barking mad...”
1 The underlined expression is a extra funny for this video.
2 Can you explain why?
Hint: Find out what the verb “bark” means. You can look it up in a dictionary.

Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey

National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year shortly before Thanksgiving. It all began in 1947. Since 1989 it has also been an annual tradition for the president to "pardon" the turkey.

Watch the video for this year’s pardoning of the turkey.

Read the following words and expressions and their definitions.

• pardon - to officially say that someone who is guilty of a crime will be allowed to go free and will not be punished
• a fierce competition between a bunch of turkeys - a lot of turkeys trying to achieve the same thing
• wing your way in - try to find a place for yourselves
• solely - only
• indulge - to patiently allow someone to do or say something
• a round of applause - a short period of applause by everyone present

Read the assignment, then watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What have many turkeys been trying in the past months?


2. What does “TOTUS” stand for?


3. Why does Obama thank Malia and Sasha?


4. How often has Obama as a president pardoned a turkey?


5. “Time flies, even if turkeys don’t.”
   Explain what this sentence means.
   Do you get why everybody is laughing about it?