The summer is over and now...

The summer is over and now it is high time to go back to our daily routines. It must have been a great time for our students because THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING AT ALL DURING THE SUMMER TIME (or at least they haven't made any comments or sent me anything about the readers), so now it is going to be pretty hard for them. It is the first time ever our summer scoreboard has ZERO contributions.

 

BREAKING NEWS  >>>

Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader who ended cold war, dies aged 91 (The Guardian)

Mikhail Gorbachev: Last Soviet leader dies aged 91 (BBC News)

Mikhail S. Gorbachev, Reformist Soviet Leader, Is Dead at 91 (New York Times)

BREAKING: Former Soviet Union Leader Mikhail Gorbachev Dies At 91 (NBC News)

World reacts to death of Mikhail Gorbachev (DW)

 

   

They will be missing their wonderful summer holidays, so my musical hint for today is going to be: Morning Blue by Giant Rooks.

 

Mondays will be a nightmare and weeks will be long, very long!!! Schooldays will seem never to end!!!

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• English in a Minute: 3 ways to use infinitive with 'TO'  (BBC Learning English)
  

• A listening exercise for you to do:  Women in the workplace (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)   

• Frankestein (Drama story) Episode 7: A Monster Bride  (BBC Learning English)

• News Review:  Long Covid: Three types identified  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

 

HIGHWAY TO B2.....

TEST YOUR ENGLISH

A. Choose the correct option.

1. Grandmother is always ...... her glasses.    a. misusing   b. misplacing   c. mistaking   d. mislaying   e. mishandling

2. Add the grated ..... of two lemons to the cake mixture in the bowl.    a. skin    b. bark   c. rind    d. crust    e. pod

3. Who told you John was ...... for that job?    a. putting in   b. putting off   c. putting about   d. putting down    e. putting over

4. I hate to hear a clock .....  when I'm trying to go to sleep.     a. clicking    b. sounding   c. humming    d. ticking    e. ringing

5. The hijackers were wearing stocking ...... over their faces.    a. scarves   b. masks   c. disguises   d. veils    e. blinds

6. ..... for the job should write to the Personnel Manager.     a. Attendants    b. Entrants   c. Applicants    d. Contenders   e. Competitors

7. I don't think this medicine ...... with me.  a. goes   b. suits   c. accords  d. fits   e. agrees

8. If you'd like to go fishing, you can borrow my ..... .       a. stick    b. rod   c. pole    d. club   e. bat

9. That tree was ...... by lightning in the recent storm.   a. hit   b. dented   c. hurt   d. flashed   e. struck

10. The car stopped becuase the driver had forgotten to ..... the petrol tank.    a. turn up    b. fill up   c. draw up    d. take up    e. put up

 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Mind Your Language - Teaching vowels  &  Bloody Verb TO BE    

 

US Open -  Bjorn Borg 'Pure Ice Moment' at US Open 1978 Final  

 

 

Heaven is better now

 

Heaven is better now with the jokes of humorist Martín Morales and with the guitar music of Manolo Sanlúcar.

 

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today in memoriam of these two great Spanish guitar players: Paco de Lucía & Manolo Sanlúcar 

 

Paco de Lucía & Manolo Sanlúcar 

 

Some activities for you to do: 

• News Review: Do dogs cry happy tears?  (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do:  Being a beauty influencer  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)   

• 

  This is a Friday phrase which is not very suitable for my students, as they haven't done anything at all during the summer: Do you deserve a pat on the back?   (BBC Learning English)

• Frankenstein (Drama story) Episode 6:  Death comes to you  (BBC Learning English)

• Quizz on:  Adverb position     (BBC Learning English)

English with Lucy >>>  20 Different Ways To Wish ‘Happy Birthday’ & 'Happy Anniversary'   

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Mind Your Language - Jesus First Roman Catholic by Juan Cervantes  

 

US Open - Jimmy Connors: Magical US Open Run of '91  

Foolish challenges

We live in a crazy, or I'd rather say 'foolish', society where the accomplishment of foolish and very risky challenges are set for us by platforms such as TikTok. The consequences can be fatal like in the case of the British child Archie Battersbee. 

Unlike the real challenges in life such as doing well at school or reaching the summit of the mountains, we try to accomplish challenges such as taking a selfie of us in a very dangerous spot so that everybody can congratulate you for such an achievement. How foolish!

Here are some related articles for you to read about the issue:

• Archie Battersbee: The sickening TikTok challenge that left 12-year-old in coma (Daily Star)

• The dangerous TikTok dares putting young lives at risk (Daily Mail)

• Archie Battersbee treatment should stop, judge rules (BBC News)

• Archie Battersbee: mother says she has done all she can after family told life support to end (The Guardian)

• Archie Battersbee’s life support to be withdrawn on Saturday morning (The Guardian)

Some activities for you to do: 

• 

  News Review: Trump home 'raided'  (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do about 'spreading the internet':  Connecting remote communities  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)    

• Quizz on: Uncountable nouns   (BBC Learning English)

• Frankenstein (Drama story) Episode 6:  Death comes to you  (BBC Learning English)

• Friday Phrase, an optimistic expression:  Things are looking up     (BBC Learning English)

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: Physical by Olivia Newton-John. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing and dance along!!

 

Olivia Newton-John, Australian singer and actress, 

Olivia Newton-John, singer and actress, dead at 73 (CNN)

has died this week after fighting against cancer for many years. That was a real challenge for someone who was once everybody's girlfriend, especially after watching the film Grease.

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Mind Your Language - Fawlty Towers (the builders) 

 

 

 

Football:  Football’s Greatest - Franz Beckenbauer   (with 75 in German)

   

Spring into action before it is too late!!

In a bit more than a month we will be starting a new school year, there are still no movements from our students. What's the matter? Spring into action (Friday phrase, BBC Learning English) before it is too late. Remember you can write comments, hand in the Control Sheet of the compulsory readers we have got for next year...

Some activities for you to do: 

• News Review: Record oil profits  (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do:  When will the Covid-19 pandemic end?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)    

  

• Quizz on: Expressing purpose   (BBC Learning English)

• Frankenstein (Drama story) Episode 5:  The milk of human kindness  (BBC Learning English)

• English in a Minute:  STOP TO DO vs STOP DOING SOMETHING     (BBC Learning English)

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: I feel for you by Chaka Khan, and pay attention to the harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing and dance along!!

 

 

mmmEnglish shows us how to Practise Talking On The Phone In English: Call the Bank With Me!   

Notice all the words related to the semantic fields of BANKS.

 

 

"All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl"

Mind Your Language - Juan's hillarious mixup with fate/fete/fit  

 

 

 

Football:  Football’s Greatest International Teams - Netherlands 1974