Hot Java...Not So Bad For You?

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember drinking coffee. My mother would prepare an evening java for my father, just the way he liked it light and sweet. She would ask me to bring it to him, but right before I did, I would sneak a sip or two, and that was it...the beginning of my life long, loving relationship with coffee.

As the years went on, I would go to coffee houses with my friends and chat about school, boys, well mostly boys. But, I recall always having a nice hot cup of java in my hand. The true test of my love for coffee came when I was pregnant with my first daughter. People advised me to stay away from my long love. That it was harmful, it could damage not only me, but worst my unborn child! Well, that was it! I left it...oh what bitter pain I felt. The start off of my days were horrible to say the least, instead of enjoying a nice cup of coffee, I was plagued by morning sickness! I could no longer enjoy, cold, crisp mornings. I could no longer cuddle up in bed next to the TV to watch my favorite shows at night, I had left it for good (or at least until I had my baby)! I drank chamomile tea with milk and sugar instead...So NOT the same! Finally, the nine long, cranky months were over.

Oh I can almost remember it, my first taste, after I had my daughter. I had to make it special of course, I went to the best coffee house; The Witches Brew in West Hempstead and I enjoyed a delightful hot, coffee; with caramel and whipped cream...oh it was splendid!

After all that, I read a post last week that confirmed that coffee was not so bad for you, that in fact it was proven that people who drank it had fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's and dementia! Go figure! Well to that I hold a nice, hot, yummy latte up and give salutes to all my other coffee drinkers out there and say Salud!!!

You can read more on the health benefits of coffee here:

• http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-foodl

Vocabulary

java: any kind of coffee

sneak: to move around or do something in quiet

coffee house: a place where one goes to drink coffee

advised: to offer a suggestion

bitter: a harsh taste/ something that is hard to bear

plagued: anything that afflicts or troubles

cuddle: to lie close and snug

delightful: giving delight, very pleasing

splendid: something wonderful

Type 2 diabetes: increased levels of sugar in the body that is not matched by sufficient insulin

Parkinson's: a disorder in the brain that leads to tremors

dementia: a loss of brain function; memory loss

Vocabulary Exercise

unscramble the following words:

duegpla denlidps aimetden retibt lugledhtif kaens

Grammar Point

Use:

1. Events in the past that are now finished
2. Situation in the past
3. A series of actions in the past

• Simple Form: Although most past tense verbs end in -ed, certain verbs have irregular past tense forms that do not follow this rule.
• Past Progressive Form: Use was/were with the verb form ending in -ing.
• Past Perfect Form: Use had with the past participle of the verb.
• Past Perfect Progressive Form: This tense is most often created by using had been and the present perfect of the verb (most often the verb form ending in -ing).

For more exercises or information click on:

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/Past-Tense-Verbs.html

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past_quiz.ht

Grammar Exercise

1	My brother seen saw sees a bear an hour ago.	Click for answer saw
2	Did Are Does Mike visit his grandmother last night?	Click for answer Did
3	Alex did not work worked working last weekend.	Click for answer work
4	Was Were Are Judy and Liz at last month's meeting?	Click for answer Were
5	We were was did not happy after the sad ending.	Click for answer were