Albert, your sledge hammer ;-))))

Your English teacher may seem to you as your sledge hammer because he is always telling you what to do, but the thing is that he does not treat teaching as an ordinary job. As well, remember...

Don’t treat love or leisure like a job (The Guardian)  Selectivity exam to do  

 

 

In this world of machines you can be easily misled.

Here's a listening exercise to do: Rise of the machines (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

And now let's listen to this song: Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel

 

Have a look at this version with lyrics. What does 'sledge hammer' mean? However, Sledge hammer! was also a sitcom in the 80's

 

 

Learn English with Papa  >>>  "Be up to" vs "Be up for"  

 

Some extra exercises for my students in 2º Bachillerato  >>>

UNIT  4     Work

page 47  Vocabulary. Fill in the gaps with suitable words.

1 Do you want to work … ?
2 No work … is required.
3 Working … may vary.
4 … need to be flexible.

Define the word 'high-flyer'.

page 49  Vocabulary. Fill in the gaps with suitable verbs.

1 She will not _____________ the lift.
2 I didn’t think I could ___________ a living doing what I loved.
3 I need to ___________ a little danger in my life.
4 It ____________ me three years to qualify.

MISS or LOSE? Lucy explains to us the difference  >>>>

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Give me your opinion about the sitcom episode Sledge Hammer! , try to translate the song and do these exercises. Also write a sentence with 'lose' and another one with 'miss' after watching Lucy's video.

Make questions with WHOSE and answer with the POSSESSIVES ADJECTIVES AND POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS :

1. ______ book _________________ ? (you) It's __________ book. _____________________

2. ______ pencils ______________ ? (he) ______________________ .  ____________________

3. ______ omelette _____________ ? (we) ______________________ .  ______________________

4. ______ spoons _______________ ? (I) _______________________ .  _____________________

5) ______ cars _________________ ? (they) ____________________ .  ____________________

Fill in the gaps with the right prepositions :

1. I'm thinking ______ you.      2. Joe is ______ Tom and Jim.     

3. He is listening ______ the radio ______ the beach.

4. Come ______ my house! Come ______ !    5. This postcard is ______ Arthur.    

6. Arthur is sitting ______ an armchair ______ Mrs Harrison's  kitchen.

Stop boozing for a while!!!

Boozing?? What does it mean? What is the difference with 'drinking'? Why should we stop boozing in January? 

Yes, some people believe that we should do it during this month in order to keep healthy and make our body recover from all the Christmas excesses.

Here's a listening exercise to do and some articles to read about the issue:

•  A dry January? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

• Should I stop drinking alcohol in January? (The Guardian)

• How Much Good Does Not Drinking for a Month Actually Do? (VICE)

 

Two related posts in this blog:

• Never do I drink when I have to drive

• Big Bottle: a typically Spanish phenomenon

• Teenage drinking: new trend?

   

The solution  >>>   Seven ways to make up for Christmas excess before NYE (CTV News)

 

And here's a Selectivity exam for you to do and that we may correct in class if you like:

The big bottle    As you said, it is also FALSE that the police are afraid teenagers..., because it is the city councils the ones that are afraid ("cautious").    They accept 'repair, mend, fix' as opposites of BREAK.    TO COME ACROSS S.O./STH is to meet or find s.o. or sth.  by chance (example: "I came across this book in a second-hand shop")

 

Learn English Through Story - Jane Eyre - beginner level

You can listen to the story here!!!

 

 

Learn English with Papa  >>>  During / While / Meanwhile - How to use them in English

 

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Watch the video and write 3 sentences with the words: 'during', 'while' & 'meanwhile'. Then listen to the current soundtrack of my blog and tell me the title of the song you are listening to and what it means in Spanish.

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 180124 / 24 January 2018    >>>  Antarctic discoveries   -  Language related to 'Antarctica'.  Need-to-know language: glacial ice, icy seas, frigid ice, wall of life & unique ecosystem.

PLASTIC, THE BIGGEST THREAT FOR OUR SEAS (Updated)

Whenever you are eating something or have a plastic bag in your hands, please drop it into a litter bin and make people realise how important this is as PLASTIC IS THE BIGGEST THREAT FOR OUR MEDITERRANEAN SEA.

 

Articles to read:

• The Guardian: Plastic now pollutes every corner of Earth  

• Mediterranean Sea considered as an 'Accumulating zone of plastic debris' (BBC News) By the way, whar does 'debris' mean? Which language does it come from?

 And remember these previous posts in this blog:

• Tsunami in Japan and four years later... debris found in US coasts, JUST AMAZING!!!  

• PLASTIC, the menace!!!!

 

 

ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION  >>>  A Massive Let’s Do It! Cleaning up the Mediterranean Coast  

 

However, this striking paradox can also happen:

• How plastic became a victim of its own success (BBC News)  Selectivity exam to do  

• Is it possible to live without plastic? (The Guardian)

 

Listening exercise to do: Is the Great Barrier Reef under threat? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) Where is it?

Common mistakes with comparatives and superlatives adjectives and adverbs: interesting Anglo-Link lesson.

Solutions to the exercises in the previous post:

GRAMMAR  >>>>  1. have been working, have never been   2. went out, broke up   3. has gone, bought, has never broken down   4. have lived    5. was, died   6. have you had   7. did you have   8. began, lasted   9. began, ended, has been going on   10. Have you ever been, went, did you like, did, liked

VOCABULARY  >>>>   1. salary  2. money   3. salary    4. wages   5. cash

LINGOHACK  >>>

Episode 160727 / 27 July 2016   >>>  Expressions presented: breaking through, elluded, blazes & prematurely.

Try to compile the most interesting words you have come across in all the articles read in this post.

In case you get your laptop, tablet, mobile phone... stolen or lost!!

Technology is really incredible these days. The other day I happened to learn that if you lose or get stolen your tablet, you can easily track it by using some devices you can find in the web. However, you have to be quick because if someone has stolen it from you, he can disable this function these devices have.

Some articles for you to read about the issue:

• Having your laptop stolen is traumatic. Here's what I learned (Technology, The Guardian)

• How to Find Your Lost or Stolen Android Phone

• How to Find Your Stolen Phone (wikiHow to do anything)

Interesting video to watch (pay attention to the peculiar accent the presenter has)

We did it again!!!! Two of our 2º Bachillerato students (María Béjar and Joaquín García) have just received some very good news  >>>  They have passed their B2 Cambridge exams. And remember that they already had their B1 in the Official Language School both in English and in French. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Lucy tells us how long it should take to learn English

 

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Having page 43 as a reference, write an e-mail to a bed and breakfast requesting information. You can ask about the cost, WI-Fi or places to visit in the area. 

 

HIGHWAY TO B2.....

GRAMMAR. Complete these sentences with the correct form of the verb:

1. I (work) ..... for this company for a long time and I'm still in the same post. I (be, never) ..... promoted. 

2. Jack and Mary (go out) .... with each other for six years, but then they (break up) ..........
3. My car (go) .... well ever since I (buy) ...... it and (break down, never) ....... . Not once!
4. I (live) .... in La Caleta since 1975 and still don't want to move.
5. Orson Welles, the great actor and director who (be) .... born in 1915 and (die) ...... in 1985.
6. How long (you, have) ..... your present job?
7. How long (you have) ...... the job before that? 
8. World War II (begin) .... in 1939 and (last) ...... for six terrible years.
9. The so-called 'Cold War' (begin) .... when World War II (end) ..... and (go on) .... ever since.
10. "(you ever be) .... to Brazil?"   "Yes, I (go) .... there in 2002."     "Oh! (you like) .... it?"   "Yes, I (do) .... . I (like) ..... it very much."

VOCABULARY. Complete these sentences with: MONEY , CASH , PAY , SALARY , WAGES

1. In this job, you will get a monthly ______________     
2. All he ever thinks about is making ______________
3. The job is interesting, but the ___________ is poor.
4. The __________ are very low for a work like this.
5. In the United States, most people pay by cheque or on credit rather than in __________

You can find the SOLUTIONS to the exercises in the previous post in my SITE.

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 180117 / 17 January 2018    >>>  Seal pup accomodation crisis   -  Language related to 'recovery'.  Need-to-know language: sanctuary, rescue centre, rehab & recuperate.

One coffee with a dash of milk, please!

Farmers are always complaining how little they get for all the vegetables they grow. Ethical coffee is a way we have to try to compensate this. In this post you can have some vocabulary related to this issue and all about coffee.

By the way, how do refer to 'a coffee with a dash of milk' in our area?

Previous post in this blog related to coffee and some articles to read:

• Coffee, please!

• How changing coffee tastes are helping farmers (BBC)

• Going beyond fair trade: the benefits and challenges of direct trade (The Guardian)

• The craft coffee trend: it's pricey, but farmers aren't getting rich (The Guardian)

• Coffee prices fall, but your Starbucks latte won't cost less (CNN)

Do you remember what a suspended coffee was?

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  What do you usually have for breakfast? And what time do you have it? And now watch the English With Lucy video and tell me what you must do to learn English.

 

Here's a listening exercise to do: Ethical coffee (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

"Do a runner"  Here's an expression you can learn about in The English We Speak (BBC Learning English) What does it meaning? Have you ever behaved like that?

Lucy tells about 5 ways to improve your English daily

 

Some extra exercises for my students in 2º Bachillerato  >>>

A. Vocabulary (Films). Complete the sentences with the correct word :   released   -   shot   -   debut    -   critics   -   starred

1. The film was … on location in India.
2. She’s a young actress who made her film … last year.
3. The film will be … next month in cinemas worldwide.
4. She has … in several Hollywood films.
5. The film has been praised by film …

B. Phrasal Verbs:  PUT ON. What does 'put on' mean in each sentence? Choose from these:  apply   -   gain   -   switch on    -   play   -   dress oneself in

1. I put on my coat.
2. Can you put the light on, please?
3. Shall I put some music on?
4. I never eat pizza because I don’t want to put on weight.
5. Don’t forget to put on suncream if you’re going out in the sun.

C. Compound adjectives. Answer these questions:   How do you call...

1. ..... a man that looks strange?
2. ..... a young girl that has got fair hair?
3. ..... a lady that dresses badly?
4. ...... some furniture that has been made well?

D. Vocabulary. Fill in the gaps with suitable prepositions:

1. If I really felt I had talent, then I should go … it.
2. I’ve decided that I will stick … my studies.
3. How do you plan to break … the business?
4. My vlog is about trying to get … TV.
5. Can I work … you, please?

E. Read about Mireia Belmonte and tell me the other two swimming styles. What is 'medley style' about?

Mireia Belmonte is a Spanish Olympic swimmer who specializes in freestyle, butterfly and medley events. She was born in 1990 and competed successfully as a junior, becoming the Junior World Champion for 400 m freestyle and 400 m individual medley in 2006. She won two silver medals at the London Olympics in 2012, and won her first Olympic Gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.




SOLUTIONS to the B2 exercise in the previous post:  1. B   2. A    3. C    4. C     5. D    6. B    7. A  8. D   9. C   10. B   11. C  12. D   13. B   14. A   15. C   16. D  17. A   18. C   19. D   20. B

Bitcoins, real currency or just a fake?

Some people claim to be digital millionaires as they have millions of bitcoins, but is this a real currency?

 

Here's a listening exercise to do: Bitcoin: digital crypto-currency (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

Related articles to be read about the issue:

• Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies 'will come to bad end', says Warren Buffett (The Guardian)

• Is Bitcoin the future of currency? (BBC News)

• Bitcoin: is it a bubble waiting to burst or a good investment? (The Guardian)

• Bitcoin Hasn’t Replaced Cash, but Investors Don’t Care (The New York Times)

Here is a good link to revise the REPORTING VERBS (Reported Speech) and a good video to watch about the issue (6 Minute English Vocabulary)

Lucy tells us about 10 girl names YOU pronounce INCORRECTLY.

 

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  How do you spend your pocket money?  Answer this question using the comparative of equality (AS....AS), ENOUGH & TOO in the sentences you write.  

HIGHWAY TO B2.....

USE OF ENGLISH. Multiple-choice exercise. Choose the appropriate option:

1. The Sting is by ................... the best Robert Redford film I have seen.   (A  long    B   far   C  much   D   way)

2. I like England, but I wish it .................. rain quite so much.    (A  didn't    B   won't   C  hadn't   D   hasn't)

3. People who live in cities ........................ to suffer from stress more than people in the countryside.  (A  lean    B   develop   C  tend   D   use)

4. I thought I'd buy her a ..................... brown bag.     (A  shopping    B   black   C  new   D   French)

5. I didn't realize everyone was going to wear formal clothes and I felt ........................ in my jeans and jumper.   (A  insulted    B   annoyed  C  offended   D  embarrassed)

6. ..................... the papers, the Prime Minister is giving a speech on the economy tomorrow.     (A  Referring to    B   According to   C  Related to   D   Attached to)

7. He didn't want to make up his mind until he had heard Pamela's ............ of the story.     (A  side    B   angle   C  aspect   D   edge)

8. I haven't heard from Pete for ages. I wish he ................ me his phone number before he left.        (A  gave      B   would give   C  would have given   D   had given)

9. The bank manager agreed to give me £200, ................... the £500 he had already lent me.   (A  extra to     B  according to   C  in addition to   D   surplus to)

10. The student who .................. in his exams was expelled from the school.     (A  tricked     B   cheated   C  deceived   D  betrayed)

11. Excuse me, do you .......................... me bringing my dog into your house?        (A  oppose    B   mind   C  object   D  complain)

12. In court, she was so upset that she broke .................... .  (A  out   B   in   C  up   D  down)

13. I wish you ................. put your clothes on the floor all the time. It drives me mad.   (A  don't    B   wouldn't   C  won't    D  would)

14. After going to several interviews, she eventually ........................ to get a job.         (A  managed    B   could   C  achieved   D   succeeded)

15. I hope you have read the contract and understand .......... it means.   (A  that    B   how   C  what   D   which)

16. He stole one of the officers' uniforms and managed to escape by passing himself ........... as a guard.   (A  by    B   out   C  through   D   off)

17. Excuse me, but would you ....................... talking a little bit more quietly? We are trying to work.    (A  mind    B   care   C  object   D   rather)

18. There are still a great many people in Africa who suffer .................... malaria.   (A  of    B   with   C  from   D   by)

19. He ...................... to turn up for the football match.       (A  omitted    B   neglected   C  stopped   D   failed)

20. The young man swore that he would take ................ his father's killers.     (A  revenge in    B   revenge on   C  revenge   D   revenge at)

Solutions to VOCABULARY exercises in the previous post.

1.  1. inspector   2. loser  3. thinker   4. actor   5. sailors   6. visitors   7. murderer

2. 1. an electronical device that plays cassettes.     2. a liquid/powder which removes stains usually from clothes.   3. a machine to soften the water (descalcificador)    4. a machine that purifies the water.
5. a gadget which people use to light cigarettes    6. a machine that helps people analyse the stress through the voice    7. a dish-washer   8. a pressure-cooker   9. a paint-thinner   10. a paint-remover
11. a hair-dryer   12. a hair-restorer  (crecepelo)  13. a tin-opener   14. a carpet-sweeper   15. ant-powder  //  ant-killer    16. a cork-screw    17. a bottle-opener

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 180110 / 10 January 2018    >>>  Technology of the future on show   -  Language related to 'technology'.  Need-to-know language: robot, artificial intelligence, driverless cars & autonomous cab.

Legends of the past

Nowadays we have got rivalries such as Federer-Nadal, Nadal-Djokovic, Djokovic-Murray... but not long ago we had one of the most legendary rivalries of all times in tennis and that was between Jimmy Connors, who managed to reach the semi-finals of the US Open at the age of 39, and John McEnroe, a genius with such a moody character who is remembered not only for his excellences in tennis, but also for his ill-tempered arguments with the umpires.

By the way, did you know that the chair umpires in tennis are like the referees in football?

Here are some videos about these two great players, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors:

The Legend of John McEnroe

Legends of tennis - Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors Chronicle

Duels - Connors vs McEnroe - Documentary (in French)

 

Jimmy Connors - Magical US Open Run of '91 

 

Some articles to read about the issue:

• CONNORS SEES TROUBLE IN ROW WITH MCENROE (The New York Times)

• McEnroe and Connors Agree: There Is No One Around Quite Like Them (The New York Times)

 

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Using the superlatives, write about the worst and best things of 2017?   

Example: Itrabo has the best wine in the world, but the people in Molvizar it is the worst wine in the world.

 

Lucy tells us about 10 boy names YOU pronounce INCORRECTLY.

HIGHWAY TO B2.....

VOCABULARY. 

1. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the word in CAPITALS.

1. That man is a police....     INSPECT     2. Jack is a very bad....      LOSE      3. Einstein was a great....   THINK 
4. I've always wanted to be an.....   ACT      5. The ...... all went back to the ship.     SAIL    
6. The town is full of tourists and other....    VISIT    7. Jack the Ripper was a famous....     MURDER

2. Word combinations. First, say what the thing is and does. Secondly, try to guess the item we give the definition of.

1. a cassette-player     2. a stain-remover     3. a water-softener    4. a water-purifier    5. a cigarette-lighter   6. a voice-stress-analyser     7. a machine that washes dishes     8. a special kind of pot that cooks things under great pressure   9. a liquid that is used to thin paints    10. another kind of liquid that removes paints   11. a machine people use to dry their hair   12. a kind of medicine or liquid that some men hope  will restore their hair     13. a small gadget people use to open tins     14. a very simple kind of machine that people use when they sweep carpets     15. a powder which kills ants     16. a screw that pulls corks out of bottles    17. a small gadget that opens bottles

Solutions to USE OF ENGLISH exercises in the previous post.

1.  1d   2c  3a   4b

2. 1. I wish I hadn't said that.     2. I wish you wouldn't ask me so many questions.   3. I wish you hadn't asked that question.    4. I wish you wouldn't make that noise.      5. I wish I hadn't done that.    6. I wish you wouldn't do that.    7. I wish I had got here earlier.    8. I wish you wouldn't say things like that.    9. I wish you hadn't said that.    10. I wish you hadn't done that.    11. I wish I hadn't asked that question.

Bookshop for rent

Once upon a time there was a little Scottish town, where you could have your own bookshop for a week. Have a look at the Lingohack section!!!

The first task I propose you is to look up all the vocabulary related to the topic. So here I present you with some interesting words to look up in your dictionaries:

bookshop, library, to run a business, to run out of something, sales, promotions, stacking, stock, stock exchange market, display, to book, bookworm.

Can you give me any other words?

How I made a dream come true (The Guardian)

 What dreams do you have?

And here's another video about this amazing town:   VIDEO 

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Can you give the location of these two towns?   

Example: Salobreña is a little village on the south coast of Spain.

Here's another similar town in Wales: Hay-on-Wye

"Beards are a 'thing' now."  Here's an expression you can learn about in The English We Speak (BBC Learning English)

HIGHWAY TO B2.....

USE OF ENGLISH. 

1. Match the sentences in A with the sentences in B.

                A                                                                     B

1. I wish you had phoned me.                                  a. I'm upset because you lied to me.
2. I wish you would phone me.                                b. Don't lie to me!
3. I wish you hadn't lied to me.                                c. Please phone me.
4. I wish you wouldn't lie to me.                             d. I'm upset because you didn't phone me.

2. Rewrite the following sentences beginning with 'I WISH....'.

1. I'm sorry I said that.     2. Don't ask me so many questions.     3. I'm upset because you asked that question.    4. Don't make that noise!    5. I'm sorry I did that.   6. Please, don't do that!    7. I'm sorry I didn't get here earlier.      8. Don't say things like that!    9. I'm upset because you said that.    10. I'm upset because you did that.    11. I'm sorry I asked that question.

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 180103 / 03 January 2018    >>>  Bookshop holiday   -  Language related to 'retail'.  Need-to-know language: stacking, stock, displays, promotions & running.

Creating an avatar of yourself

What is an avatar? Try to define it. Then have a look at this possible definition given by Cambridge Dictionary.

Have you ever created one when playing on a computer game? Do you often change your profile picture on Twitter, WhatsApp or Facebook?

Related articles you can read about the issue:

• What Do Our Online Avatars Reveal About Us? (The New York Times)

• Could avatars help people who hear voices? (BBC News)

• What does your profile picture say about you? - Quiz (The Guardian)

 

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Describe yourself physically and then write something about your personality. Then create your own avatar using this programme AVATAR MAKER or any other programme you know. If you already have an avatar, insert it in your blog or site and send it to me, too.

 

English with Lucy >>>> Describing physical appearance

Solutions to the exercises in the previous post:

 

73.  1. are playing , will win    2. will get , arrives   3. has never smoked     4. must be joking   5. should have their hair cut   6. does your mother work

74.   1. My relatives and friends gave me many presents for my birthday.   2. You can find further information on the comparatives in the book.

75.    1. had not turned the radio off       2. wouldn't have     3. reaches                                

76.     1. The tourist asked the girl how much it cost a bus ticket to Motril.    2. Albert told his students that the previous weekend he had corrected their compositions and they were not too bad.   3. The host warned the guests not to go go into that room if they were afraid of ghosts.

77.    1. The man I had come to see was sitting at the desk.     2. Not many students passed English in the first term, which didn't surprise anybody.     3. Sherlock Holmes asked the witness for the chair the suspect had been sitting on. 

 

78.     A bicycle has got fewer wheels than a bus.     I haven't got as much money as Nadal.

79.    1. Were you interested by the idea?      2. I'm sure your things were not touched while you were out.

3. It is said that he is a policeman.  //   He is said to be a policeman.

 80.   1. I wonder what time it is.      2. I can't remember who won the championship in 1998.   3. I haven't a clue if your parents have ever been to Britain.                                              

81.   1. Could you tell me where the town hall in Salobreña is, please?    2. I have never felt strong enough to give up smoking.    3. He is said to have a girlfriend.    4. If I were you, I would study English during the holidays. 5. I love parties. So do I.