What is a landline?

A podcast on the possible death of the landline phones  and interesting article to read: the slow dead of landline phones.     

Have you ever tried to repair one of the gadgets you have got at home?

Have you ever tried to repair one of the gadgets you have got at home?

Another interesting listening exercise: RESTART PARTIES  and read this article about the restart project.  

At last after 77 years!!!!

A new exercise for the B1:

Andy Murray wins Wimbledon

A new exercise for the B1:

Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon

Congratulations to Anna!!!!

Congratulations to our student for having achieved one of the highest marks in the Selectivity exams in the province of Granada.

Link to the newspaper article in El Ideal.

Congratulations to our Mediterranean Sea Secondary School students!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MEDITERRANEAN SEA SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS!!!!

SEVEN of our students have passed the B1 at the Language School Exam (tell me if there is someone else) and their names are: Cristóbal Tarifa, Álvaro Rodríguez, Inmaculada Maldonado, Noemi De la O, David Prados (2º Bachillerato), Álvaro Lucena y Luis Molina (1º Bachillerato).

IES MEDITERRANEO: Some projects on the readers by Albert's students

Have a look at some projects on the readers we had for the second term done by my students.

• Andrea Ligero Alabarce  (4º ESO C)  >>>  Braveheart   
• Mireia González (4º ESO C)  >>>>   Braveheart    
• María Martín Arnedo (4º ESO C)   >>>> Braveheart   

IES MEDITERRANEO STUDENTS: OUR TWO STUDY TRIPS TO UK

CAMBRIDGE STUDY TRIP 2013

EDINBURGH STUDY TRIP 2012

Thanks!!!!

Belgium, Brussels and the Manneken Pis

And now in honour of Kaïn, here is a video.

What is Belgium famous for?
What do you know about this European country and its capital?

You can also write a message for Mr Vanhyfte.

Zimbabwe, a country to discover!!!!

Where is Zimbabwe? Read about this country and tell me about these questions and any interesting issues you may find:


Where is it?



How was it formerly called?

What is their official language?

AND NOW WATCH THIS IMPRESSIVE VIDEO ABOUT ZIMBABWE AND THE VICTORIA FALLS!!!

The origin of the word 'OK'

What is the origin of the word 'OK'?

There have been numerous attempts to explain the emergence of this expression, which seems to have swept into popular use in the US during the mid-19th century. Most of them are pure speculation. It does not seem at all likely, from the linguistic and historical evidence, that it comes from the Scots expression och aye, the Greek ola kala ('it is good'), the Choctaw Indian oke or okeh ('it is so'), the French aux Cayes ('from Cayes', a port in Haiti with a reputation for good rum) or au quai ('to the quay', as supposedly used by French-speaking dockers), or the initials of a railway freight agent called Obediah Kelly who is said to have written them on documents he had checked.
A more likely explanation is that the term originated as an abbreviation of orl korrekt , a jokey misspelling of 'all correct'  which was current in the US in the 1830s. The oldest written references result from its use as a slogan by the Democratic party during the American Presidential election of 1840. Their candidate, President Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed 'Old Kinderhook' (after his birthplace in New York State), and his supporters formed the 'OK Club'. This undoubtedly helped to popularize the term (though it did not get President Van Buren re-elected).
The only other theory with at least a degree of plausibility is that the term originated among Black slaves of West African origin, and represents a word meaning 'all right, yes indeed' in various West African languages. Unfortunately, historical evidence enabling the origin of this expression to be finally and firmly established may be hard to unearth.

Some other interesting articles to read about the issue:

• How 'OK' took over the world

• What's the Real Origin of "OK"?

And now what is your personal opinion? Do you know any other story?

Have a look at the comment made by Elena (1º ESO A) as it is most interesting:

OK, O.K. or okay is a fascinating word or abbreviation. Its true origin has gradually been forgotten. It could go back as far as the Romans. It has been suggested that it came from the Latin 'Omnis Korrecta' which means 'all correct'. It was used widely by schoolmasters marking examination papers, but it could also come from the Old English 'Hogfor' meaning 'seaworthy' and pronounce as ''hay gay'' by the vikings.

Its use has been so widely accepted that even the American president Barack Obama used it when speaking to some school children in 2009. He was heard to say, "That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures."

It is interesting to note that in this sentence the word 'ok' means 'don't worry' and one of its most appealing features is that it can mean many different things. It sometimes means 'correct', at other times it can express agreement and it can be used as an exclamation or a question. It even has opposite meanings; the sentence 'It is okay' could mean 'good' or 'mediocre', it depends on the tone of voice.

It's usually used as an adjective but in America it can now be used as a verb or a noun. "The boss okayed the purchase," and, "The boss gave his okay to the purchase." However, my English teacher says that the use of 'ok' in conversation is acceptable, but it should never be used in formal writing and making it into a noun or a verb is completely unacceptable and typical of the Americans; but then she is from Britain!

MOLLY MALONE, who was she?

IRELAND

What do you know about Ireland?

Another Irish song, how much can you understand?

Check with the lyrics.

ROCK FORMATIONS

Another hint by Elena (1º ESO A):

These fantastic rock formations are found in Arizonia, USA and Western Australia. It seems incredible that natural agents such as wind, rain and chemicals could have shaped these 'solid waves'. The Yavapai-Apache, the indigenous people of Arizona, and the aborigines in Western Australia, have alternative explanations to how these geomorphological structures were created.

Can you invent a fable explaining how these rocks came into being?

And what about the Giants' Causeway in Northern Ireland?

CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THEM OR ANY OTHER ROCK FORMATION IN THE WORLD????

And this is Elena's perfect comment on it:

The Giant's Causeway is located in County Antrim, in Northern Ireland. It is an unusual rock formation, which is a National Trust site and receives many million of visitors a year.
It is an extensive lava plateau of volcanic basalt rock which cooled rapidly. The vertical cracks, which formed during the contraction, shaped the lava into hexagonal columns. In a similar way as mud when it dries fractures into geometrical patterns. The horizontal cracks created layers like 'coins' stacked one upon another. The resulting landscape is quite spectacular.
There are similar basalt columns on the Scottish coast, on the island of Staffa at the location of Fingal's Cave. They're part of the same molten lava flow. It is perhaps because of the similarity between these two sites that the legend of The Giant's causeway evolved.
The legend tells us that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill challenged the Scottish giant Benandonner to a fight. He built a pathway across the sea, but when he saw Benandonner, he was afraid because he was so big and he ran home. His wife hid him in a cradle and pretended he was her baby. When Benandonner came searching for Fionn and saw the huge baby he thought that the father must be enormous and returned to Scotland breaking up the causeway as he went, so that Fionn couldn't catch him. Now the cause way disappears into the North Sea and reappears on the other side.
This legend seems to me a far more plausible explanation for the Giant's causeway.

 

A good pronunciation helps!!!!

How do you pronounce 'saw'? Check its pronunciation and its different meanings here. And be careful because you may mispronounce it and mean 'sow'.

But what is the meaning of sow? Watch this song by the Dubliners (7 Drunken nights) and read the lyrics and you will discover it.

Do you like Celtic music? Have you ever been to Ireland?

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2013: Denmark crowned Eurovision winner for song Only Teardrops

Denmark crowned Eurovision winner for song Only Teardrops

LYRICS

Mr Tarifa, following Mariano's steps, wants us all to pay more attention to the next Eurovision song contest. Here are two articles to read:

• Eurovision 2013: punters don't believe in Bonnie

• Bonnie Tyler: 'I'm not part of the 80s, I'm part of now'

Latest BBC world news from Salobreña

Our incredible reporters from the Mediterranean Sea Secondary School have the latest BBC news from the world, sport, music...

We are waiting for your videosketches. Come on, it is your turn!!!!