THE whole country is still recovering from the Chinese lunar new year. We may still be feeling a bit lazy, so, how about practising some tongue twisters? These can help loosen up your tongue and your mind. See how long it takes you to move from apprentice level to master.

Apprentice:

A laurel-crowned clown. 　　

A noisy noise annoys an oyster. 　

Flip flops fly off your feet for fun.

Professional:

A tidy tiger tied a tie tighter to tidy her tiny tail.

A flea and a fly flew up a flue. Said the flea, "Let us fly!" Said the fly, "Let us flee!" So they flew through a flaw in the flue. 　　

A snow-white swan swam swiftly to catch a slowly swimming snake in a lake.

Expert:

All I want is a proper cup of coffee made in a proper copper (铜的) coffee pot, you can believe it or not, but I just want a cup of coffee in a proper coffee pot. Tin coffee pots or iron coffee pots are of no use to me. If I can't have a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee pot, I'll have a cup of tea!

Master:

A tree toad (树蛙) loved a she-toad who lived up in a tree. He was a two-toed tree toad but a three-toed toad was she. The two-toed tree toad tried to win the three-toed she-toad's heart, for the two-toed tree toad loved the ground that the three-toed tree toad trod (踩) on. But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. With her three-toed power the she-toad vetoed (否决) him.