Reduce and reuse is better than recycling (QUARANTINE: DAY 80)

A lesson to learn during this quarantine. We have learned certain things during all this time locked down. We don't have to buy so many things and we can reuse lots of things we would throw away so easily before.

We have to be eco-smart!!!

A listening exercise for you to do - Is the recycling system broken?  (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English) 

Yes, you recycle. But until you start reducing, you're still killing the planet (The Guardian)

Quarantine Scoreboard

Posts uploaded:  50

Students participating:  about 85 out of 110 (77%) at least once during the quarantine, but only 40% of them are really working!!!!

Comments written and corrected:    more than 900

Emails exchanged: more than 4100

PASEN announcements & messages:   about 3000

Things handed in and corrected: more than 2300

 

Visits to blog and site during quarantine: almost 25,000 (Average of 250 visits per day)

Video lectures (ONLINE CLASSES):    24  (+ 6 Dictations on line, 4 verb exams and 7 online exams) and several individual online tutorials

 

Important piece of news for everybody   >>>>  As you already know your final mark, in case you are not 100% satisfied with the mark, please contact me and we will try to arrange an individual oral interview/exam.

 Wednesday, 3^rd June

1º ESO

Tasks for today:

Unit 7 (page 152-153) >> Revising for the exam.

4º ESO

Smart Planet Digital books

Homework:

Revise for the final exams with the workbook (unit 9) pages 74-83

 

mmmEnglish!   >>>  Third Conditional Sentences + Examples | English Grammar Lesson

 

  HOMEWORK FOR TODAY:

• Keep finishing all the things you still have to hand in and revising for the final exams.

FULL VERSION 1976 - Connors vs Borg - US Open

 

 

Pharrell Williams - Happy (Official Music Video) - version with lyrics   

 

 

CORONAVIRUS: Critical global issue to tackle!

 

 It must be really hard to live now in Italy and not be able to move around. Are we going to have the same problems in Spain? So far at school many activities have already been cancelled!!! However, it seems in China there are fewer and fewer cases, and things are getting better and better slowly.

Here are some articles for you to read about the Coronavirus outbreak:

• From confidence to quarantine: how coronavirus swept Italy (The Guardian)

• Coronavirus: UK tactics defended as cases expected to rise (BBC News)

• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should I see a doctor? (The Guardian)

• China has made eating wild animals illegal after the coronavirus outbreak. But ending the trade won't be easy (CNN News)

Latest piece of news: 

• Most Coronavirus Cases Are Mild. That’s Good and Bad News. (The New York Times)

• 60% to 70% of the German population will be infected by the coronavirus, Merkel says (CNBC)

 

Well, we must be down to earth and face the problems we have. What is a 'down to earth' person? Have a look at our Friday phrase (BBC Learning English) and give me an answer.

English in a Minute:  MODALS OF DEDUCTION   (BBC Learning English)

Let's revise the Present Perfect with for and since in 6 Minute Grammar (BBC Learning English)

News Review: Corovirus: Italy takes action  (BBC Learning English)

Travelling tip   >>>  here are the  Most Beautiful Small Towns to Visit in Europe and the 15 most beautiful medieval villages in Spain 

 

 

Stories for Children   >>>   The Robot  (BBC Learning English) 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 200311 / 11 March 2020    >>>  Things you can make with old chopsticks (Recycling chopsticks)  -    Language related to 'Manufacturing'.  Need-to-know language: resource, infused, modular, press & mass-produce.

RUBBISH!!!

 

It's no rubbish!! There's rubbish everywhere: at school, in the streets, in the sea, in the space... Something must be done immediately if we don't want things to go any worse!!

 

How many words do you know that are connected with 'rubbish'? Look far below in this post and you'll find some of them. But try first, and then have a look at this interesting LINGOHACK episode:

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 191120 / 20 November 2019    >>>  Learn 'rubbish' vocabulary (French restaurants fighting climate change):   Language related to 'rubbish'.  Need-to-know language: waste food, compost, organic, landfill and greenhouse gas.

And rubbish is obviously connected to some big issues, such as: nuclear waste, climate change, recycling, reusing, upcycling, pollution, landfill, methane gas...

 

 

Some articles for you to read about the topic: 

• Green new meal: restaurants can charge diners to reduce their carbon food-print (The Guardian)

• Parisians fight climate change with a surprising weapon (BBC News)

• Restaurants Fighting Climate Change (Michelin Guide) towards Zero Food Print (ZeroFoodPrint)

 

The Future’s Rubbish! - BBC Documentary

 

 

Amazing fact:  Almost 16,000 tonnes of Aucklanders' recycling ended up in landfill last year 

However, 'rubbish' can also mean 'talking foolishly'. Look it up here, and here you can have its definition in English.

And talking about 'rubbish' and, sorry, 'shit', here's another episode of News Review: Slippery toilets could save water (BBC Learning English)

Episode 2: Adverbs of frequency in our series of BBC Learning English: The Grammar Gameshow, where you can test your knowledge of grammar.

English in a Minute:  Five ways of using 'run'   (BBC Learning English)

Words connected with rubbish: rubbish bin, dustbin, litter, space junk, debris, garbage, trash, compost, waste...  You can even have a look at some posts related with this:

• What really matters in life

• Cleaning up space junk 

• PLASTIC, THE BIGGEST THREAT FOR OUR SEAS (Updated) 

• Food and food waste, a big world problem 

• We all wish it would rain down!!!!

• Paris: World Climate Summit 2015

Stories for Children >>> Little Monsters (BBC Learning English)

Tennis  >>>  Top 5 shots in Roland Garros  

 

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"

COFFEE AND PLASTIC, again the key?

Coffee can help you stay awake and it can help you make friends or keep friends. It is always a sign of relax to have discussions over a certain matter, but no arguments. 

Any other utilities you can think of? Have a look at previous posts in this blog  >>>  LABEL: coffee

However, that is not all. Experts say that it could also be the key to lose weight!!!

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

• Coffee can help you lose weight (The Independent)

• Could coffee help you lose weight? (CNN)

• Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity?  (Science Daily)

English with Lucy  >>>  10 Grammar Errors that Drive British People CRAZY 

 

REVISION FOR 1º Bachillerato

132. TENSES. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense. Some are active, some are passive. Then fill in the dotted gaps (....) with appropriate words.

Reuters News Agency

Martin Webb (1)____________ (work) for the Reuters News Agency (a) ............. ten years. He describes the company.

'Reuters is one (b) .............. the world's biggest news agencies. It (2) ____________ (supply) news and stock market prices to media world. It (3) _____________ (start) by Paul Reuter in 1849 - with pigeons! Reuter (4) _______________ (be born) in 1816 in Germany. During the 1840s he (5) _______________ (employ) as a bank clerk in Berlin. German bankers (6)______________ (need) to know the prices on the Paris stock exchange, but the French telegraph system only went as far as Belgium. From there the information (7) _______________ (send) to Germany (c) .............. train. The journey (8) _______________ (take) nine hours. The same information (9) ______________ (carry) by Paul Reuter's pigeons in only two hours!

Reuters (10) _______________ (change) a lot (d) .................. those days. Over the past fifty years, we've opened offices in many different countries - and we (11) ____________ still ____________ (expand). Now, news and stock market prices (12) _________________ (send) all over the world within seconds.'

133. Look at the previous text again and do what you are asked:

1. Define 'pigeons'  ______________________________________________________________

2. Find a word in the text for the following definition: "a person whose job is to do written work or look after records or accounts in an office, bank, court of law, etc.     ____________________

Solutions in the next post    

Plastic is not all that bad, as we can see in the following newspaper reports, video and LINGOHACK section:

10 best brands turning recycled plastic bottles into clothes (The Independent)

The Future of Fashion in One Word: Plastics (Wired)

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 190619 / 19 June 2019    >>>  Turning plastic into sportswear:   Language related to 'materials'.  Need-to-know language: thread, yarn, polyester, textiles  & apparel.

Tennis >>>   The Commissioner of Game, Set and Throne" by John McEnroe

SUMMER IS HERE!!!

Classes are over and the summer is here. Time to chill out and recharge our batteries. However, think about doing something during all this long summer. Here are my hints: 

• Summer for 3º ESO students

• SUMMER for 4º ESO students

and I will keep a record of all you do here: 

       SUMMER SCOREBOARD     

So what are your plans for this summer? Here are some articles for you to read:

• 22 Things You Need To Do Before Summer Ends (CountryLiving)

• What are you going to do with the children this summer? (The Guardian)

• 19 best places to travel for the summer of 2019 (CNN)

 

English in a Minute: Maybe vs May be (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

But as the saying tells us: "All work and no play, makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl", so what about the song for the summer? Send me your hints and will make our own hit parade. Meanwhile, here's a playlist I have just come across. I hope you'll enjoy it!!!  

       Summer hits for 2019    

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 190612 / 12 June 2019    >>>  Robot recycling:   Language related to 'technology'.  Need-to-know language: puncture-resistant, sensors, simulated, algorithms  & automation.

Tennis >>>  The Curse Of the Number One by John McEnroes, the Commissioner of Tennis

Tell me your windmill story!!

First check these labels for more posts on Clean Green Energy:  recycling   ,   upcycling , green energies   &  environmental impact .

How do Wind Turbines work ? Watch this documentary. (Clean Green Energy cartoon)

 

 

Watch this cartoon and make up a story about The Windmill Farmer  >>>>

 

Summers could be entirely powered by clean energy by 2050 (The Guardian)

 

 

And talking about windmills, here's the film Monsignor Quixote (based on the famous novel written by Graham Greene) starred by Sir Alec Guinness:

 

   

Previous post in this blog you can read about Don Quixote and Cervantes: Once upon a time, 400 years ago, a writer named Cervantes...

 

Let's do this listening exercise: Being slim: Is it in our genes? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English).

 

Improve your English listening skills with Lucy (English with Lucy)  >>>>

 

 

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 190522 / 22 May 2019    >>>  Trees talking to trees:   Language related to 'nature'.  Need-to-know language: fungi, nutrients, subterranean, vulnerable  & flourish.

NO CHEWING GUM, but shoe soles!!!

"No chewing Gum!!!" That would be the classical start of one of our English classes at school. However, this act of throwing it away can turn out to be a green act, as a fantastic way to recycle it has just been discovered so as to make shoe soles and many other items out of this sticky litter we usually come across on the pavements and that are such a nuisance for city councils.

Here are some articles to read about the issue:

• World Hacks: A surprising new afterlife for chewing gum (BBC News)

• Special bins allow chewing gum to be recycled in Cardiff (BBC News)

• Anna Bullus's innovation: chewing gum recycling (The Guardian)

Activities for my 2º ESO students:  Apart from talking about chewing gums, can you tell me the different ways of transport you can use to cross the English Channel? Which British cities do you go from and to which European cities can you go to?

Phrasal verbs: put sth/so up (KSA Academy Granada)

    

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 180307 / 07 March 2018    >>>  Turning chewing gum into useful objects   -  Language related to 'Recycling'.  Need-to-know language: litter, versatile, to hammer home, new lease of life & eye-catching.

 

A good expression to learn: A taste of your own medicine (The English We Speak)

Who are healthier, adults or teenagers?

As a general rule, neither adults nor teenagers are healthier just because of their age. Howver, something is certain if you are a healthy teenager, you will more likely become a healthy adult, with healthy habits.

Here are some articles to read about the issue:

• Positive Teens Become Healthy Adults (Northwestern University)

• Teen Brains Are Primed for Learning From Life (Science of Us)

• Young at heart: why children who exercise become healthier adults (The Guardian)

• Healthy New Year's resolutions aren't just for adults (CNN)

 

 

Listening exercise to do: Do adults exercise enough? (6 Minute English, BBC Learning English)

 

And talking about ways to keep fit, here's a hint  >>  Keto Diet Plan: The Complete Beginner’s Guide (FITNESSGOALS)  

Watch this episode of NEW THAT'S ENGLISH for further practice on the issue (pay attention to the American English used in That's USA! documentary about the State of Connecticut):

And remember you can look up all the notes I took for this episode in my site.

 

Video to watch about the 10 most difficult words to pronounce in English:

On the way to SELECTIVITY   >>>  Fill in the gaps with the -ing form, to-infinitive or bare infinitive (base form).

ING, TO INFINITIVE, or BARE INFINITIVE?

            

1.          Try to avoid (make)_____________ him angry.

2.         Stop (argue)_____________ and start (work)_____________.

3.         The car began (make)_____________ an extraordinary noise, so I stopped (see)_____________ what it was.

4.         It’s no use (cry)_____________ over spilt milk.

5.         I suggest (hold)_____________ another meeting next week.

6.         He was fined for (drive)_____________ without lights.

7.         It is difficult to get used to (eat)_____________ without a plate.

8.         You cannot make an omelette without (break)_____________ the eggs.

9.         He is thinking of (leave)_____________ his job and (go)_____________ to America.

10.       Is there anything here worth (buy)_____________?

11.        I do not enjoy (go)_____________ to the dentist.

12.       I do not feel like (work)_____________ ; what about (go)_____________ to the cinema instead ?

13.       Would you mind (write)_____________ your name and address on the back of the cheque ?

14.       I hate (borrow)_____________ money.

15.       I remember (read)_____________ an interview of that book

16.       After (read)_____________ this article you will give up (smoke)_____________.

17.       I am looking forward to (see)_____________ you.

18.       It’s no use (wait)_____________

19.       He hates (have)_____________ to retire.

20.       He warned her (not touch)_____________ the window.

SELECTIVITY. Solutions to the exercise in the previous post:

1. narrow-minded     2. sun-tanned      3. bad-mannered   4. well-dressed   5. fair-haired   6. clean-shaven   7. self-confident  8. hard-working

LINGOHACK  >>>

• Episode 171011 / 11 October 2017    >>>  Language related to 'recycling'.