What a long, winding, steep road!

 

 Life is such a long, winding road that sometimes becomes so steep that it is very hard to go on, but we have to keep struggling even if we feel really lonely with the loss of a dear colleague, teacher, relative, friend!! We will never forget you and your memory will push us forward.

 

 Here's my musical hint for today: The Long Winding Road by The Beatles. Here's a version with the lyrics for you to sing along! 

 

 

 

Actually, learning English is a long, winding, steep road so hard to climb up...

Here are some activities for you to do:

• Business jargon:   Jargon for organising  (BBC Learning English)
  

• Learning English from the News: Pakistan's worst ever smog  (BBC Learning English)

• 

  English in a Minute: Verbs to use with NAME  (BBC Learning English)

• Georgie teaches us some  Phrasal verbs for climate change  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

   

   

Solutions to the exercises in the previous post

Use of English

9.1. up  9.2.  away   10.1. has been singing / has sung     10.2. became 

11. The new iPhone is so expensive that I decided not to buy it.
12. How long does it take her to have it ready?

13. Jason told her not to be late to his party the next day. 

14. “If only women GOT EQUAL opportunities in today’s world.”

 

 

The London to Edinburgh challenge: Episode 10: Look back (BBC Learning English)

Our Environment: Learn about climate change language with these programmes:

• What does 'net zero' mean?    

• Real Easy English: Talking about the environment   

• Listening exercise: Does climate change make you anxious?  
  

 

 

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

Learn English with Nicole Kidman - The perfect couple

 

 

English with Lucy: 600 English Words for Everyday Life | English Vocabulary Masterclass  

Year of challenges

 Any New Year is full of challenges, but probably this one is even more (included the recovery from this amazing snowstorm all over Spain), especially for those students of mine in the level of Bachillerato.

 

What are your challenges for this year? Getting the highest marks, passing your B2, doing the university degree in the university you wish, getting over the pandemic....???? 

Or just eating healthier. Here's a listening exercise for you to do: Why can't we resist comfort food? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

My personal challenges are, among others, making my students' academic challenges become a reality and going back to our old days' normality!!!!

English in a Minute:   4 uses of 'AS'   (BBC Learning English)

 

And here's another challenge for our country:

• Spain paralyzed by snowstorm, sends out vaccine, food convoys (CNN)
  

• At least three people die in Spain's worst snowstorm in 50 years  (The Guardian)
  

• Historic snowfall buries Madrid as storm slams Spain (The Washington Post)

 

Weather Events 2021 - Snowstorm - heavy snow & risk of flooding (Spain) - BBC News- 10th January 2021

 

Storm Filomena: Spain sees 'exceptional' snowfall (BBC News)

News Review: Record-breaking snow storm hits Spain  (BBC Learning English)

Talking about THE ENVIRONMENT  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 210106 / 06 January 2021    >>>  Fruit fashion -    Language related to 'design'.  Need-to-know language: standards, sewed, vision & ran with it.

The Amazon rainforest, a big issue for the entire planet!!!

We have been watching on the news this environmental catastrophe in Brazil: the Amazon rainforest on fire!!! and we have seen how everybody was talking about. Why? Because this is an issue that not only affects Brazil, but the whole planet.

Here are some articles for you to read and a piece of news to watch about the issue:

• Amazon rainforest on fire: ‘Lungs of the world’ in flames l Nightline (ABC News)

• Amazon rainforest fires: an environmental catastrophe (The Guardian)

• Many are responsible for Brazil’s Amazon fires (The Guardian)

• Everything you need to know about the fires in the Amazon (The Verge)

and the Lingohack episode is also talking about it...

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 190828 / 28 August 2019    >>>  The Amazon rainforest and climate change:    Language related to 'climate change'.  Need-to-know language: carbon dioxide, heating up, global warming, deforestation  & fossil fuels.

Listening exercise to do: How can I help the environment? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

HIGHWAY TO B2.....

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

31. A photographer ...........  was taking photos of the group.    (A  worked for the local paper    B   which worked for the local paper   C  has worked for the local paper   D   who works for the local paper)

32. "Get closer together," the photographer  .............  them.   (A  said    B   told   C  informed   D   explained)

33. "Now,  .............  all smile, please?", he asked.  (A  may you    B   do you   C  shall you   D   can you)

34. The vicar was standing  ............... the bridegroom.     (A  after    B   behind   C  back from   D  behind of)

35. He thought, "............... Harry from the time he was a boy."   (A  I've known    B   I'd know  C  I knew   D  I'd have known)

36. He was happy Harry .............. such a nice girl.     (A  married    B   has married   C  did marry   D   had married)

37. Some guests ............ for the reception.     (A  left already    B   had been left already   C  had already left   D   having already left)

38. They felt the sooner they got there,  .............. they could eat and drink.        (A  the more    B   the most   C  more   D  more than)

39. They were  ............ the others.   (A  greedy than     B  more greedier than   C  more greedy than   D   so greedy as)

40. If they had stayed, they .................. in the photograph.     (A  should be     B   were to have been   C  could have been   D  had been)

SOLUTIONS to the B2 exercise in the previous post:  21. D   22. B   23. C   24. A   25. B  26. C  27. C  28. D  29. D  30. B 

mmmEnglish presents us 5 Common Expressions with CATCH | English Collocations

Football's Greatest Teams ... Bayern München       

 

The English We Speak: Have you ever told a little lie? (BBC Learning English)

 

News Review: Tiny 'cousin' of T. rex found (BBC Learning English)

 

Fat chance of having mild temperatures this summer!!!

Fat chance, extreme weather, ice-creams, too much litter, recycling... are some of the issues we are going to deal with all along this post.

 

First of all, another hot summer is here again and, although in the south of Spain is not hotter than other average summers, in Central European cities such as Berlin, Paris... are having more than 40⁰ C and these are record temperatures.

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 190731 / 31 July 2019    >>>  Extreme weather: is it caused by climate change?:   Language related to 'heat'.  Need-to-know language: scorching, heatwaves, heating up, drought resistant  & baking.

Warnings remain after floods rip through North Yorkshire homes | ITV News

 

At the same time, there have been heavy rains and severe floods in the area we visited this year (York and Yorkshire Dales)

• UK weather: thunderstorms set to cause further flooding (The Guardian)

• Bridge collapses after flash floods in North Yorkshire (The Guardian)

• Cleanup begins after downpours cause flooding in Yorkshire Dales (The Guardian)

And what about the forest fires in Siberia?

• Huge swathes of the Arctic on fire, ‘unprecedented’ satellite images show (The Independent)

• 'Unprecedented': more than 100 Arctic wildfires burn in worst ever season (The Guardian)

Does having a fat chance mean that we have eat less ice-cream and fewer refreshments?

The English We Speak: Fat chance (BBC Learning English)

All these disposable containers are a big issue to solve regarding climate change, so here's the solution >>>> 

Listening exercise to do: "Coffee cups: Do you use your own?" (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

 

English with Lucy   >>>    How to STOP being shy - 6 steps to be CONFIDENT

 

mmmEnglish:    Are you saying these words wrong?

REVISION FOR 1º Bachillerato

151. Fill in the gaps with the comparative forms of superiority or the superlatives  of the adjectives given in brackets:

1. Bill Clinton said: "The situation in Iraq is becoming (bad) _____________________________, so we will keep all our forces in the area".

2. Sadam Hussein answered that journalists could ask the Minister of Defence for (far) ______________ information on their weapons.

3. She is (funny) ____________________ person I've ever met.

4. (polluted) _________________ our world is, (big) ______________ health problems we have.

152. EVERYDAY ENGLISH. What would you say in these situations?

1. You are in a bar. Offer to buy your friend a drink.

2. You are late for a meeting. Apologize and say why you are late.
3. Your brother has just come home from the cinema. Ask him for his opinion of the film.

153. Translate the following sentences into English:

1. ¡Ojala que llueva café y que yo apruebe el inglés!

2. Hay menos ejercicios en este examen que en el anterior.
3. El tuvo que cambiarle la batería en la gasolinera que hay entre Torrenueva y Calahonda.
4. ¿Pongo la mesa? Tengo que oir las noticias. No debo perdérmelas.
5. Yo que vosotros, repasaría bien el examen otra vez
6. Cuando los ejercicios empezaron a complicarse, le pregunté a mi hermano mayor.
7. Acabo de recordar que tengo que ir al banco ahora mismo.
8. Arturo no tenía ganas de ir a clase, ni ella tampoco.
9. A Pedro le gusta mucho el fútbol y a Ron también.

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

Robin's Nest - 01 Sleeping Partners  

SOLUTIONS to the exercises in the previous post /for further exercises of this level go to  Mock exams (1º Bach)/:

148.

1. ... he would have won win his sixth Tour de France if  he had decided  to continue his career

2. If I finish decorating the living room, I will come with you
3. He would play in the NBA if his talent were greater
4. Why didn't they study if  you knew it was today?
                                                                                                                                            

149.

1. in, on    2. on, ago  3. at, at            

150.

1. Last night I saw a really good film.    2. I'll phone you as I arrive.    3. I have worked in this office for 23 years.   4. Could you tell me how much this costs?

Tennis  >>>   Roger Federer V Rafael Nadal TOTAL EMOTION !! 

CHAMP10N | Rafa Nadal " The King of Clay"

Be water, my friend!

At last a rainy day!!! How happy all farmers must be!!!

 

Remember the motto of this blog:

"Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, the issue I would like to deal with here is: Tap water or bottled water? That is the question. You may even feel embarrassed to ask for tap water ('eau de robinet' in French) when you are at a restaurant. I prefer the bottle that comes out of fountains, for instance, in the Alpujarras even if I know that it has not been chlorine-treated.

 

Here's the story of bottled water >>>>

 

Some articles to read about the issue:

• Don’t bottle it – be brave and ask for tap water (The Guardian)

• Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals (The Guardian)

Listening exercise to do: Why pay for bottled water? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

Watch this BBC Learning English video  >> Word on the street 01, which was filmed in Snowdonia (North Wales). Do you remember we were there when we went to Conwy and Caernafon on our IV Study trip to the British-Irish Isles (Chester)?

On the way to SELECTIVITY   >>>  WRITING SKILL. Choose the correct connector.

1.   Martin’s salary isn’t very high. Nevertheless, / Moreover, / For example, he enjoys his job.

2.   There are plenty of things I don’t like about Jenny, such as / as well as / despite the fact that she’s quite spoilt.

3.   We often eat out while / even though / in spite of my parents are excellent cooks.

4.   I’m under a lot of pressure because of exams. I’ve also / in addition / although got a big athletics tournament next month.

5.   My parents often help me. In contrast, / Despite this, / For instance, my mum lent me her car today.

6. Furthermore / However / In addition to the guided tour, the fee includes a lunch at a restaurant.

These sentences are taken from different for and against essays. Write where they belong:
O (in the opening), B (in the body) or C (in the closing).

......  1.  To sum up, I feel that putting people in prison does not help solve crime.

......  2.  On the one hand, limiting the number of cars in the town centre would be inconvenient to the town’s residents.

......  3.  It is true that people who take part in reality TV programmes such as Survivor and Big Brother sometimes win instant fame.

......  4.  The question is, should more practical subjects be added to our educational programme?

......  5.  In conclusion, more and more people today use vitamins and other food supplements.

SELECTIVITY. Solutions to the exercise in the previous post:

1. making   2. arguing, working/to work    3. making/to make, to see     4. crying    5. holding    6. driving    7. eating    8. breaking  9. leaving, going    10. buying   11. going     12. working, going      13. writing   14. borrowing   15. reading   16. reading, smoking   17. seeing  18. waiting 19. having 20. not to touch