300? 400? 1,000? How fast can you read ... in English?

Source: Staples eReader Department

Did you break the record of 4,700 words a minute?

Who knew? Rags to Rideau ...

Like many rags-to-riches stories, these work histories in the National Post newspaper trace what jobs several Members of Parliament worked at before they became MPs in Ottawa. These politicians include NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal MP and son of a former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the Minister in charge of Immigration and our LINC program Jason Kenney. What were some of the poorly paying jobs before they got to Ottawa and very close to the Governor-General's residence at Rideau Hall?

Read this report titled "From Rags to Rideau: Politicians share stories of their lousiest jobs."

Then, under Comments, list five of the lousiest jobs mentioned and any thoughts you have about the story.

Great Reads for the Victoria Day Long Weekend

To improve one's reading skill, it's important to read not just utilitarian texts, those that have an obvious use, such as phone messages, hydro bills, and elevator messages. The reading of beautiful and moving texts is important, too, such as poetry, novels, and short stories. The Toronto Star recently ran a contest for short stories, and the results were published today.

The top three winners were announced as follows:

• 

  Toronto Star short story contest winner

  Tom McMillan takes top prize in Star short story contest with "Survivors"
• 

  Toronto Star Short Story Contest second-place winner

  "After Red" by Olivia Anastasia Arnaud won second place in the 2012 Toronto Star Short Story Contest.

• Third place winner: The Rabbit

If you're looking for an inspiring and not-too-long read this long weekend, how about picking one or more of these short stories, making a big mug of hot chocolate, and curling up on the sofa for a good time? You may be surprised how little you need to consult a dictionary!

A Chili Cookout! A Great Pre-Summer Listening Challenge!

Summer will be here soon!

Listen to the following video on a North American outdoor cultural tradition:

1. Pick any 60-second segment to transcribe, e.g. 00:00 - 01:00 or 9:00 - 10:00.
2. Place the transcription on your blog to let your classmates to check it.
3. Feel free to highlight any words you can't really understand so that your classmates can help you out.
4. Include your thoughts about the event.
5. What's the name of the person going around and taking the video (he introduced himself many times)?

Congrats, Damaris, Sergio, Anjin, and Dalin!

Hello everybody,

I hope you're all enjoying the spring weather. I've just been informed the good news that Damaris, Sergio, and Anjin have just been published in the LINC Home Study Canada Forum:

1. Damaris: Life is short and Honour to My Mother
2. Sergio:  How to Enjoy the Winter: A Colombian's Advice
3. Anjin:  Kimchi Recipe

I was also told that Dalin's article was selected for publication in the summer issue of NewsLINC! Look out for it when it's published!

Congratulations, and keep up the good work! If you read your classmates' articles, please feel free to leave a comment!