Any couch potatoes around?

What do you mean by 'a couch potato'? What kind of people are you talking about? Are you a couch potato yourself? What do you have to do if you are a couch potato? Do you feel well? (what is the noun that comes from the adjective 'well'?

Related articles to read about the issue:

• The lazy person’s guide to getting (a bit) fitter (The Guardian)

• Is there a short-cut to getting fit? (BBC)

• They offered to pay people to go to the gym. Guess what happened? (The Washington Post)

Activities for my 2º ESO studens: What do you usually do to keep fit? How much television do you watch? Do you do sport alone or in group? What does 'couch potato' mean? Look it up in a dictionary.

Here's a listening exercise to do: Why more of us are getting fitter together? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

Let's learn 10 English Expressions with HAVE - phrasal verbs, idioms and slang sayings with Lucy.

Revision for SELECTIVITY & 2º Bachillerato.

67. Put the following sentences into the ACTIVE VOICE :

     1. Food won't probably be needed next year in Somalia any longer.

     2. The men were taken to Manila by the submarine.

     3. The message had not been delivered yet.

    

68. GERUND , INFINITIVE or PRESENT PARTICIPLE. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form :

1. We suggested __________ (sleep) in hotels but the children were anxious __________ (camp) out.

2. I don't feel like __________ (study) English this evening, I'd rather __________ (spend) the whole time __________ (watch) television.

3. Albert would like __________ (pass) every student, so we wouldn't have __________ (come) in September, but unfortunately there's no point __________ (dream) such silly things.

69. Join the following sentences together using a Relative Clause :

      (a) John and Paul were working on the roof. They left the ladder against the house.

      (b) Bill's fingerprints were on the screwdriver. He was later caught by the police.

      (c) The bed has no mattress.I slept on this bed.

      (d) Tom had been driving all day.He was tired and wanted to stop.

      (e) He spoke in French,but the people didn't know French.He was speaking to these people.

    

70. Write sentences using the following lexical items in two different contexts and with two different meanings :         COURSE    ,          ASK     ,          STILL

71. Write the following sentences in Indirect Speech :

      (a) "Could you pass me the salt, please?", she asked me.

      (b) "She is not the right woman to do this", Jim answered.

      (c) "I can't find the road in the map", the driver said.

      (d) "Shall we have dinner somewhere after the theatre?" said Peter.

          "Yes,let's," said Ann. "What about going to that place Jack is always talking about?"

      (e) "Jack's parents have asked me to supper tomorrow night," said Ann. "What shall I wear?"

     

72. Translate the following sentences into English :

      1. Prefiero conducir a viajar en tren si no te importa.

      2. Según ciertas personas, muchos padres preferirían que sus hijos tuvieran menos deberes.

      3. Cuando fuí a Inglaterra no estaba acostumbrado a desayunar tan temprano, pero poco después me
          acostumbré a levantarme y desayunar temprano.

      4. No vale la pena preocuparse por el dinero porque nunca sabes lo que va a pasar mañana.

      5. Casi nos hemos quedado sin gasolina. Sería mejor que parásemos en la próxima gasolinera a llenar.

      6. May, que es la nueva Primera Ministra británica, también declaró que ya es hora que se haga algo 
          sobre la contaminación y el problema bosnio.

      7. No ví a nadie entrar en casa, pero podía oir cómo alguien andaba por la segunda planta.

      8. Al principio ella no queria cenar con Alberto, pero al final él pudo convencerla.

      9. Él debe haber salido porque llevo telefoneándole desde las cinco y nadie contesta. ¿Crees tú que 
          me podrías echar una mano con mis deberes de inglés?

      10. Tenemos cantidad de tiempo , así que no hace falta que nos demos prisa.

     

Solutions to the exercises in the previous post:

63. (a) She did not intend to be unhappy about him as they had all agreed he had to marry someone rich.   (b) He told her he loved her so much.    (c) He behaved like that because he was very nervous about what he was about to say.  

64. (a) What did Elisabeth do?     (b) How did she answer him?      (c) How long did he sit down?

65. FORTUNE.- large amount of money, HALF EXPECTED.- when someone is almost sure something is going to happen & TO STRUGGLE.- to fight, to have much difficulty in doing something 

66.    1. The power of poetry cannot be understood.   2. It is said..... ///   The audience is said to have enjoyed very much the play.    ///   The play is said to have been enjoyed very much.  3. The King's father is trying to be cured.

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 171115 / 15 November 2017    >>>  Protecting Sudan's 'forgotten' pyramids   -  Language related to 'Ancient history'.  Need-to-know language: tombs, civilisations, anciente wonders, treasure, centuries-old heritage.

We all wish it would rain down!!!!

And so does Phil Collins in this song:

How would you translate the sentence? Why do you use 'would'?

We all wish things were and would be so different!!!  That's the case with food waste. What do we do with all the food that is produced and not consumed in developed countries. Here are some related articles for you to read (you can also have a look at the LINGOHACK section, where the issue is also dealt):

• One third of all food wasted! (Unric)

• Almost 90% of edible tomatoes thrown away based on appearance (The Guardian)

• How technology can prevent food waste in developing countries (The Guardian)

• Let's end the global food waste scandal (CNN)

'WASTED! The Story of Food Waste' premieres On Demand  (USA today)

Which verb does the word 'edible' (first article) come from? What does 'retailer' mean?

Activities for my 2º ESO studens: What do you usually eat? Do you leave anything on the plate? Do you throw it away? What did you use to eat five years ago when you were younger? What does 'waste food' mean?

And now let's watch this video about SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT in English  >>>

Revision for SELECTIVITY & 2º Bachillerato.
 

63. Read the following text and then answer the comprehension questions :

          "When  the  others had gone, Elizabeth sat  by  herself, still thinking  about  Colonel Fitzwilliam's story. It was some  comfort that  Mr  Darcy  was going away the day after next and  that  she would  see  Jane  again in two weeks. It was a pity  that  Colonel Fitzwilliam  would  be leaving too, of course, but he had  made  it clear  that  he had to marry someone with a fortune and  she  did not intend to be unhappy about him.

           Suddenly  the  door  bell rang and in  walked  not  Colonel Fitzwilliam  as  she half expected, but Mr Darcy. He  had  come, he said  quickly, to  ask if her headache was better. She  answered him  with  cold politeness. He sat down for a few moments. He  got up  and  walked round the room. Then he came towards her, "I  have struggled  in vain against my feelings," he burst out, "You  must allow me to tell you how much I admire and love you."

(a) Why did she not intend to be unhappy about Colonel Fitzwilliam?

(b) What did Mr Darcy say to her?

(c) Why did he get up and walked around the room?

64. Write questions to the following answers?

(a) ____________________________ ? When the others had gone.

(b) ____________________________ ? With cold politeness.

(c) ___________________________ ? He sat down for a few moments.

65. Define the following words from the text :     FORTUNE, HALF EXPECTED & TO STRUGGLE  

66. Put the following sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE :

1. We cannot understand the power of poetry.

2. Newspapers say the audience enjoyed very much the play.

3. Doctors are trying to cure the King's father.

Solutions to the exercises in the previous post:

59. (a) Ted did.    (b) It was sad, beautiful and it sounded like poetry.    (c) Yes, he did because he was so happy that he could not avoid tears in his eyes. ("there were tears fo happiness in his eyes"

60. (a) Who did the audience applaud?   (b) What were the sounds of the words like?  (c) What did Ted do?    

61. AUDIENCE.- group of people attending a concert or any other show.
 POLITE.- person with good manners. Not rude. 
 FARMER.- A person who owns a farm or who works in the fields.

   

62.  (a) People won't need food next year.   (Nobody will need food next year)

(b) The submarine took the men to Manila.     (c) Nobody had delievered the message. 

63. (a) The Savage said what those nasty boys were doing there.
(b) He said that nobody believed it was going to happen because/since/as everybody thourght it would pass away.     (c) He told her not to think about it any more.

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 171122 / 22 November 2017    >>>  Britain's food waste problem   -  Language related to 'waste'.  Need-to-know language: sell-by date, discarded, overproduction, surplus, landfill.

The magic is in Madrid

When we hear the magic is in Madrid, we may think of Isco, the football player in Real Madrid, or we may be talking about a new show concerning the figure of Harry Potter. What can you tell me of this character, the book or its writer? What's the connection with Edinburgh? and with Wales?

Related articles you can read:

• Harry Potter studio tour: now everyone can go to Hogwarts (The Guardian)

• Harry Potter: How the boy wizard enchanted the world (BBC)

• Harry Potter: Take a tour of the fictional character's Suffolk birthplace (BBC)

You can now do this PEvAU (Prueba de Evaluación y Acceso a la Universidad) exam set in the school year 2015-2016 have Christmas dinner at Hogwarts & Parents' reactions to teen romance (You can now have Christmas dinner at Hogwarts & Parents' reactions to teen romance - June 2016)

Try to make a glossary of the issue.

Learn 7 Ways to Improve English Writing Skills with Lucy

Revision for SELECTIVITY & 2º Bachillerato.
 

59. Read the following text and then answer the comprehension questions.

The  new  song  was a love song. It  has  probably  been forgotten  now;  but I knew it and I liked it. And I  liked the way Ted sang it.

           When other lips and other hearts

           Their  thoughts  of   love  shall  tell  ‑

The  audience  enjoyed  it,  too. I  wondered  whether  any secrets  showed  on my face. I knew a lot about other  lips and  other  hearts which told their thoughts of love. The song  was a sad one, but it was also beautiful. The  sounds of  the words were like poetry. For Marian and Ted  Burgess the  poetry had a power which I could not understand it, I believed  in  it. I did not know then that love might  ever cause  unhappiness. It was a good subject, I thought, for a  song  or for a poem. It was particulary good when the music was  played on a piano. It was certainly not connected with spooning.  At  the  end of Ted's song there were  tears  of happiness in my eyes.

The  audience applauded Marian and Ted loudly. She bowed slightly,  but he did not do anything. Everyone laughed and Lord  Trimingham  said:  "He isn't very polite to  her,  is he?"  The  man who was sitting beside me said: "What's  the matter  with Ted? He usually treats the ladies better  than that.  It's  because she is from the Hall, of course."  But at  last  he bowed to Marian and thanked her. My  companion said,  "That's  better.  She's a lady,I know, and  Ted's  a  farmer. But they look well together, don't they?"

When  Ted  came  back to his seat,  he  seemed  annoyed. Everyone  noticed this and enjoyed it. It added some fun to the  party. Ted at a concert was just as popular as Ted  on the  cricket  field.  The crowd laughed at him as  much  as they had cheered him before.

Before doing the activities, here's a video which could be connected with spooning:

 QUESTIONS:

 (a) Who sang the love song ?

 (b) What was the song like ?

 (c) Did the narrator enjoy the song? How do you know?

60. Write questions to the following answers (pay attention to what is bold printed) :

 (a) ____________ ?   The audience applauded Marian and Ted.

 (b) ____________ ?   The sounds of the words were like poetry.

 (c) ____________ ?   Ted is a farmer.    

61. Define the following words : AUDIENCE , POLITE & FARMER

   

62. Put the following sentences into the ACTIVE VOICE :

(a) Food won't be needed next year.

(b) The men were taken to Manila by the submarine. 
(c) The message had not been delivered. 

63. Write the following sentences in INDIRECT SPEECH:

(a) "What are these nasty boys doing here?", the Savage said.

(b) "Nobody believes it's going to happen. Everybody thinks it will pass away", he said.  
(c) "Don't think about it any more", he said.


Note that the text is an extract from the novel The Go-between by L.P. Hartley (here's a link to the book in pdf) Do you know what a 'go-between' is? Can you tell me what the story is about?

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 171115 / 15 November 2017    >>>  Protecting Sudan's 'forgotten' pyramids   -  Language related to 'Ancient history'.  Need-to-know language: tombs, civilisations, anciente wonders, treasure, centuries-old heritage.