Farewell to 2023!!!

 

 

2023 is coming to an end, so it is time to see how well we have done and what things we could have done better.

 

So what's, in your opinion, the best thing that has happened this year? And what thing could we have done better? What has been the best song in 2023?

 

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Newsreview:   2,000 new species on extinction list: COP28 

    (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do: SEXISM: Female farmers fighting back   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)
  

• English in a Minute: How to use ABOVE  (BBC Learning English)
  

• The English We Speak:   Touch grass  (BBC Learning English)

 

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today:   White Christmas by Eric Clapton, and this is a version with lyrics  for you to sing along!

 

 

 

Activities for my students in Bachillerato.....

 

Getting ready for Bachillerato.....

 

199. DEDUCTIONS. Read and complete the sentences wih suitable modal verbs:

 

1. You have been working hard all day, so you ............. be tired.

2. You have just had lunch, so you .......... be hungry.

3. I am not sure how well I have done the exam, so I ......... pass it.

 

Rewrite now these two sentences using appropriate modal verbs:

 

4. I am certain that they got lost.  They ______________________________________________

5. It is impossible that she was Ann's sister. She _______________________________________

 

200. Make two wishes and one regret:

 

1. I wish ____________________________________________________________

2. If only ____________________________________________________________

3. I wish ____________________________________________________________

201. Translate the following sentences into English:

 

1. Llévate el abrigo en caso de que haga frío. _________________________________________

2. No es muy probable que salga esta noche. __________________________________________

3. Seguro de que mi esposa telefoneará antes de que me vaya._______________________

4. Tengo que anotarlo todo para que no se me olvide.___________________________________

5. Se necesitan muchas personas para hacer una película._________________________

202. Choose the correct answer:

 

1. I enjoy watching films on TV _________ I prefer seeing them at the cinema.

a. because   b. although  c. in case

2. I've written down the message _________ I forget it.

a. while       b. whereas   c. in case

3. I liked the car, and it wasn't expensive. _________ , I decided not to buy it.

a. Therefore b. However c. Because of

4. We had quite a big breakfast __________ be hungry later on.

a. not to       b. so as to    c. so as not to

5. I got up late _________ I overslept.

a. because   b. even though        c. so that

6. Larry had missed the last bus home and, __________ , he had to walk home.

a. yet           b. as            c. as a result

7. I had _______________________________ I decided to go to bed.

a. such a bad headache that b. so a bad headache that    c. such a bad headache so that

8. I telephoned to the station _______________ find out what time the train arrived.

a. so that I can      b. for to       c. in order to                                              

 

 

English with Lucy: These common English mistakes are absolutely wrong!!

 

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

 Learn English with:  Ratatouille 

 

We all wish...

 

 

We all wish there were no wars in the world! We all have good wishes at this time of the year for our family, friends, country... the world in general! Health, peace, joy, gifts for everybody... 

 

What are your wishes for these Christmas holidays and for the new year?

 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens:  1  ,  2  ,  3  ,  4   &  5  

 

 

Here are some articles for you to read about Christmas:

• Christmas sport gift guide: Olympic gear, running tech and a load of balls (The Guardian)
  

• Christmas Eve: Hottest since 1997 after 15.3C recorded near Heathrow (BBC News)

 

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Learn   10 easy English words about KITCHEN 

    (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do:  Learning lessons from the Moon   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)
  

• English in a Minute: Different meanings of MAJOR  (BBC Learning English)
  

• The English We Speak:   Light up like a Christmas Tree  (BBC Learning English)

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today:   Shake Up Christmas by Train, and here's a version with the lyrics.

 

 

 
 

 

NO ACTIVITIES FOR MY STUDENTS, TIME TO HAVE A BREAK!!!!  😍😍😍😍😍😍

 

 

English with Lucy teaches us 10 Christmas phrasal verbs to bear in mind.

 

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

 Learn English with:  Mariah Carey and Christmas music 

 

Have a plan B just in case

 

Learning is a long, long road full of bumps, sharp bends, long tunnels.... just like LOVE! (Listen to the song just below). So you must always have an alternative option just in case things don't go the way you wanted, so have always a plan B (an alternative option) in mind.

 

The English We Speak: PLAN B  (BBC Learning English)

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Learn   10 easy English words about BABY ANIMALS 

    (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do: Invasive species: why not eat them?   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)
  

• English in a Minute: How to use EFFORT  (BBC Learning English)
  

• News Review:   Fake accident: Youtuber jailed!  (BBC Learning English)

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today:   Love is a long road by Tom Petty. And here's a version with the lyrics.

 

 

 

 

Solutions to the activities for my students in Bachillerato in the previous post.

 

Getting ready for Bachillerato.....

 

193. VOCABULARY. Define the following words (or give a synonym) :

1. Creature.- a living being either human or animal        2. Hell.- the opposite of heaven     3. Hound.- an enornous wild dog        4. Marsh.- a swamp, some ground full of water ver difficult to walk through       5. Moor (geographical feature).- a hill 

Fill in the gaps      1. sink    2. hunt    3. fainted    4. creeping   5. mark  

194. TENSES. 1. didn't allow ,  had failed   2. broke down  ,  was listening   3. got    ,   didn't believe  ,  have you done/have you been doing   4. had listened /  had been listening     5. are going to bring

195. RELATIVE CLAUSES:    

1. The student who sits next to me is from China. 

2. Last Christmas we saw The Flintstones, which  was on TVE1.

3. The music we listened to last night was good.

4. TVE2, whose documentary films I love, is not a very popular television channel.

5. That is the restaurant where I will meet you on Friday at 9 p.m.

196. Write appropriate questions for the following answers:

1. What must John do?    2. Who does Alice love?      3. How often does your brother go shopping?

4. How many cigarettes did Bruce smoke yesterday?  5. Where did you spend the day?

6. Whose father examined Bruce?     7. Where are The Spice Girls from?    8. When do you have lunch?

197. PASSIVE VOICE    1. A letter has been being written.    2. Many presents were brought by Santa Claus for Albert jr. and and only coal was given to his father.    3. Who was Hamlet written by?   4. The murderer wasn't seen, so a reward is being offered by the authorities for any clues.   5. A lot of oranges are grown in Spain. 

198. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. I must have my car repaired, do you know a good garage to take it?   

2. Do you want me to call my brother, who works in the garage which is opposite the church?

3. What do you think the life of a nun is like? Perhaps a little boring, but interesting too.

4. They finally understood what their father had really meant.

5. "I think the baby likes learning English a lot because he is very interested in looking up words in your new dictionary", said the mother to the father.

 

Phenomenadal is about to return to the tennis courts. Here are two videos for you to watch and to remind you what "PHENOMENADAL" is able to do on a tennis court:

 

• 10 Times Rafa Nadal Shocked The World!   

• Phenomenadal!!! 
  

 

 

 

Football legends - Butragueno: Real Madrid must be among the best

When a vulture was flying over the penalty area, two videos in Spanish:   1  (INFORME ROBINSON: LA QUINTA DEL BUITRE) &  2  (REAL MADRID | SE PARABA EL BUITRE Y SE PARABA EL ESTADIO)   ....and years later with the Galácticos!!

 

 

We will resume our classes after the fire drill

 

There are always false friends around you, so don't trust them. For example, what does "We will resume our classes after the fire drill" mean? 

 

Check the meaning of these two false friends at the bottom of this post.

School fire drills...

  

 

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

• Two-thirds of English schools found to have 'poor' fire protections (The Guardian)
  

• Fire-hit Harrington Junior School to be rebuilt on site (BBC News)

 

 

Here are some activities for you to do:

• 

  Learn   10 easy English words about BABY EQUIPMENT 

    (BBC Learning English)
  

• Listening exercise for you to do: What can you find in Little Italy?   (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)
  

• English in a Minute: Different meanings of PLACE  (BBC Learning English)
  

• The English We Speak:   Hard at it  (BBC Learning English)

 

   

Here's my musical hint for today: the version of a traditional American folk song  Shenandoah by Bruce Springsteen. It is based on an old story (the story behind ,  1 ) you can read about in this article (Other beautiful versions: this one with lyrics ,  another beautiful one by Peter Hollens  ,  another one by Tom Waits ).

 

 

“Shenandoah” History and Performed by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square

 

 

Activities for my students in Bachillerato.....

 

Getting ready for Bachillerato.....

 

193. VOCABULARY. Define the following words (or give a synonym) :

1. Creature        2. Hell       3. Hound        4. Marsh           5. Moor (geographical feature) 

 

Fill in the gaps using   CREEP, FAINT, HUNT, MARK, SINK (be careful because sometimes you need to change the form of a word) :

 

1. 'If animals or men go into the marsh, they will __________ into it and die.'

2. 'The people say it's the Hound of the Baskervilles, which is calling for something to _________ and kill.'

3. 'Why had she nearly _________ when I told her about the letter?'

4. 'The fog was ___________ up from the marsh towards the house.'

5. 'She showed us the sticks which she and her husband had put in to _____________ the way.'

 

194. TENSES. Imagine we are in January and Christmas has just finished, then put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

 

1. My parents (not allow)_________________ me to go out with my firends much because I (fail) _____________ English.

2. One day the tape recorder (break down) ________________ when I (listen) _______________ to the tape of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

3. My father (get) __________ really furious and (not believe) ______________ me, so he asked

me: 'What (do)________ you ____________________ with my tape recorder?'

4. I answered I (listen) ____________________ first to the tape of my English book and then to the tape of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

5. He was quite happy to hear that. Can you imagine what the Three Kings (bring) ____________________ me? A new tape recorder!!!

195. Insert the second sentences into the first ones by means of  RELATIVE CLAUSES:

 

1. The student is from China. He sits next to me._______________________________________

2. Last Christmas we saw The Flintstones. It  was on TVE1.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. The music was good. We listened to it last night._____________________________________

4. TVE2 is not a very popular television channel. I love its  documentary films.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. That is the restaurant. I will meet you there on Friday at 9 p.m.

______________________________________________________________________________

196. Write appropriate questions for the following answers:

 

1. __________________________________________________? John must get up early.

2. __________________________________________________ ? Alice loves Eric.

3. _________________________________________ ? My brother goes shopping twice a week.

4. ___________________________________________ ? Bruce smoked 40 cigarettes yesterday.

5. ____________________________________________ ? We spent the day on the river.

6. ________________________________________ ? Arthur's  father examined Bruce.

7. ________________________________________ ? The Spice Girls are from Great Britain.

8. ________________________________________ ? I have lunch at three o'clock.

197. Change the following sentences into the PASSIVE VOICE

 

1. She has been writing a letter.  __________________________________________

2. Santa Claus brought many presents for Albert jr. and he only gave coal to his father. 

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Who wrote Hamlet?   _______________________________________________

4. Nobody saw the murderer, so the authorities are offering a reward for any clues.

______________________________________________________________________________

5. We grow a lot of oranges in Spain.  ______________________________________________

198. Translate the following sentences into English:

 

1. Debo arreglar mi coche, ¿conoces un buen taller para llevarlo?_________________

2. ¿Quieres que llame a mi hermano, que trabaja en el taller que está en frente de la iglesia?___

3. ¿Cómo crees que es la vida de una monja? Quizás un poco aburrida, pero interesante también.

4. Ellos finalmente entendieron lo que su padre había querido decir.________

5. "Creo que al bebé le gusta mucho aprender inglés porque está muy interesado en buscar palabras en tu nuevo diccionario", le dijo la madre al padre.

 

 

English with Lucy telling how REPORTED SPEECH works.

 

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

 Learn English with:  Movie quotes 

Resume: To begin or take up again after interruption: resumed our dinner.

Drill: performance of a training exercise