Two tickets for FIFA World Cup South Africa

World football coming our way soon. There is a chance you can join the crowds in South Africa.

Check this competition whose prize is two tickets to South Africa. Good luck!

Easier still in this other competition you only have to enter your data. In this other one there are a couple of tricky questions…

Still if you are not the lucky winner you can always save up and pay for your ticket like everybody else by clicking here

Watch out! Some people have already worked out how the future will unfold

What if…?

The conditional sentences are back for revision purposes but perhaps we could learn a few mores advanced uses.

As for the traditional types you could  refresh your knowledge by clicking here

And for the more sophisticated types

1.-If with would and should for polite purposes

If you wouldn´t mind waiting for a moment, the doctor will see you shortly

Should you want to contact me, I will be in the office from 9 till 5 (More common in        written English)

2.-There are also rhetorical conditional sentences which need to be interpreted as they mean the opposite of their literal meanings

If you believe that, you´ll believe anything (you can´t believe that)

She is nothing if not tough ( She is really tough)

If they are Irish, I am the Pope (they are certainly not Irish)

3.-If formulas for expresing politeness, ideal in oral exams

If you don´t mind me saying so,……

If I may interrupt …

If I may change  the subject…

If you can keep a secret…

If you see what I mean…

If I understand you correctly…

There is a very popular BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs in which famous guests are asked which 8 music records, which book and which luxury they would take if they were cast away in a desert island. It has had some very famous guests and it has proven a very popular programme. You can listen to the most recent programmes from their webpage

So popular it has become that you can buy  a compilation CD with famous castaways choices.

Now it is your turn to answer to choose. If you were cast away in a desert island, which 8 pieces of music, one book and one luxury would you take?

Talk Shows

A talk show (American and Australian English) or chat show (British) is a television or radio programme where one person (or group of people) will discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host. Sometimes, talk shows feature a panel of guests, usually consisting of a group of people who are learned or who have great experience in relation to whatever issue is being discussed on the show for that episode. Other times, a single guest discusses their work or area of expertise with a host or co-hosts. A call-in show takes live phone calls from callers listening at home, in their cars, etc.

Television talk shows often feature celebrity guests who talk about their work and personal lives as well as their latest films, TV shows, music recordings or other projects they’d like to promote to the public. The hosts are often comedians who open the shows with comedy monologues and have become a brand in many TV channels. Find below a list of the most popular shows around the world, if you click on the different links, you’ll be taken to the programme’s web.

MOST POPULAR TV TALK SHOWS IN AMERICA

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is more than just an hour-long talk show featuring some of Hollywood’s hottest stars and some of the funniest hometown humor on the airwaves. The Tonight Show is the talk show – practically a national treasure – hosted by such greats as Jack Paar and Johnny Carson and is considered to be the longest currently-running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States.

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Good Morning America

Nearly always second in the ratings among morning talk shows, Good Morning America – or GMA- is nowadays hosted by Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts, the morning news and talk show has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. It includes a floksy and down-to-earth approach to news and features sections such as news, weather, recipes, health and special-interest stories.

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Describing The Oprah Winfrey Show is fairly simple. Describing its global impact and the world-wide appeal of its host is not. Let’s just say it, “Oprah is all-powerful.” The way the one-time local Chicago newswoman has developed a career and television show that influences and inspires millions of people around the world is just amazing to behold.

Oprah welcomes guests onto an airy set consisting of a few pieces of comfortable, modern furniture. The audience envelopes Oprah and her guest in a semi-circle. Shows may feature a theme, usually a social issue or topical event, and guests who complement the theme or they may feature celebrity guests. Occasionally the show will devote the hour to one guest or one subject. Spanish newspaper El País offered a leading article about her.

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The Ellen DeGeneres Show follows a very particular format. It opens with a topical monologue. Ellen traditionally ends her monologue with a jazzy dance through the audience and to her set. It follows with banter and a comedy bit from the setand interviews complete the programme together with games up to a comedic final act.

Since the show’s debut in 2003, Ellen has kept the program light and happy.Ellen’s guests are often A-listers either hawking a project or just sitting down to visit.

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Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a live late-night television sketch comedy and variety show. The show’s sketches often parody contemporary American popular culture and politics. Each week, the show features a host who delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. A musical guest is also invited to perform. A failed version of it was tried in Spain; 5 comedians, Eva Hache among them, led the programme together with the celebrity that acted as a guest and co-hosted the show.

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From New York comes the The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman, the late night heir to Johnny Carson, hosts one of the longest running late night talk shows in history – 25 years. After a series of shots of New York City as the CBS Orchestra performs the Late Show theme, Letterman walks out on the show stage to perform his stand-up monologue based on pop culture, current events, and politics. He then introduces one or two video jokes such as a running gag or fake commercial/public service announcement. Letterman reads the Top Ten List at this point before turning to guest interviews with a celebrity, politician, or public figure.

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MOST POPULAR TV CHAT SHOWS IN BRITAIN

The Graham Norton Show is a comedy late night chat show that is broadcast on BBC One. The show includes strong adult humour along with Graham’s monologue at the beginning of the show and often a musical guest to play out over the credits. Some celebrities have been hesitant of being a guest because of the nature of the show.

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The Paul O’Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O’Grady. The format was a teatime chat show that consists of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, and occasionally viewer competitions.Also a stalwart of the show was O’Grady’s Shih Tzu/bichon frise cross dog, Buster, who appeared for a full five minutes at the start of each programme.

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The Jeremy Kyle Show is a British daytime television talk show presented by Jeremy Kyle that has been broadcast on ITV since 4 July 2005. The show is distinctive for its confrontational style, which sees guests attempt to resolve issues with others that are significant in their lives, such as family, relationship, sex, drug, alcohol and other issues. Frequently, guests display strong emotions such as anger and distress on the show, and Kyle is often harsh towards those that he feels have acted in morally dubious or irresponsible ways, whilst strongly emphasising the importance of traditional family values. This has led to both criticism and parody of the show in newspapers and on television, and even led to the show being described as “human bear-baiting” by a Manchester District Judge, during a prosecution after guests had been involved in a violent incident on the show.

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Richard & Judy (later known as Richard & Judy’s New Position) is a British magazine/ chat show which was presented by married couple Richars Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It featured the world’s most famous stars, along with their Book Club. In July 2009, the show aired its final episode due to low ratings.

WHAT ABOUT SPAIN? A BIG CHUNK OF OUR TV SCHEDULING IS GIVEN OVER TO CHAT SHOWS BUT WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE/MOST HATED TV HOST – Buenafuente, Pablo Motos, Ana Rosa Quintana… – AND WHY?

Speak out!leave a comment on it!

SMS

Exam markers have expressed concerns over the use of text messaging language in exam answers.

The proof of its increased usage came when a 13-year-old Scottish schoolgirl handed in an essay written completely in text message shorthand, much to the bemusement of her teacher.

One extract said: “My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we used 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :- kids FTF. ILNY, it’s a gr8 plc.”

Can you translate the above passage? check if you understood:

In translation from text messaging shorthand it would read: “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. It’s a great place.”

Because of the instantaneous nature of texting and the tiny keypads and screens on a cell phone, an entire language has developed around text messaging. For those cell phone owners who do not make use of text messaging, the intricacies of this language can make messages almost incomprehensible.

This language is abbreviated for speed and ease of use. It is a rather phonetic language where single letters or numbers may stand for entire words, such as “Y” for “why” or “8″ for “ate”. Vowels may be omitted to further reduce keystrokes, such as “btwn” for “between” and capitalization and punctuation are rare. Acronyms are used for phrases and whole sentences such as “ADBB” for “all done, bye, bye”. Symbols are also common in text messaging language. Texting allows the user to create “emoticons” or “smileys” to add the tone to a comment. For instance, “thts gr8t ” would give the statement a positive meaning while typing “THTS GR8T” would indicate a shout for excitement.

There are a number of ways to dive into the world of cell phone texting. One method is to consult a child/teenager who is a habitual user of text messaging. However, for those on their own in the endeavor there are many resources to consult. Online, http://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php provides references to assist cell phone owners in learning the vocabulary of text messaging. Another site, http://www.lingo2word.com offers a translator to assist cell phone owners in composing a text message or to translate a text message they receive into plain English.

As listened to in class the world record guinness was held by 16-year-old Ang Chuang Yang of Singapore who tapped  ”The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human” in just 41.52 seconds. Nowadays, American-boy Ben Cook has unofficially set the fastest texter world record by tapping it on his 31st attempt in 40.72

R U a txt addict? Do you think txting is killing off the English language? R is it jst gr8 4 tkn 2 m8s?

Suggest a couple of sentences using txt lge and we’ll try to figure out what you mean!!

May FIS

Hi there!

We believe exam feedback offers many benefits to the hard-working student willing to improve. In short, it highlights what to stop, start  and continue doing in your learning process. We already suggested some ideas about it in a previous post.

After a year together, it’s time now to reflect upon your performance and to try and finish once and for all with all these funny little ways some of you still show when using your English.

You all received personal comments on your performance but still, we know some of you like having the exercises done in class to have another go at them at home. Find them attached:

FIS + listening tracks + KEY

As you still have two more opportunities to show your excel at English (final exam 24th May) and September, we’d like you to focus on these criteria to improve your performance:

* full realisation of task: all content points should be included within the number of words requested and including relevant information about them.

*appropriate register and format.

* wide range of vocabulary and structures: try to include all the specific vocabulary and grammar structures learnt in class.

* well-developed control of language: be careful with accuracy, basic mistakes are fatal, e.g. verb/subject agreement, spelling, pronoun agreement, verb tenses, collocations,…

* efective organization of ideas and use of a wide variety of linking devices (linking words, punctuation, parallel structures, adverbials, synonyms, etc)

Choose your words wisely

Have you felt words failed you at times when you wanted to get across a delicate point or just when you wanted to make a good impression? It happens to us all. In stressful situations it is better to be honest and clear. It is better to be honest than to boast about things you do not know. Check this famous example from the Miss Teen USA  2007, Miss South Carolina became an instant celebrity when she confirmed universally held prejudices about this type of show and its contestants. Judge for yourself

Others gave some edited versions of the truth that they soon regretted.  Do you remember this one?

It pays off being honest and telling the truth. It seems to be contagious amongst  American democrats…anyway those who came after Bill Clinton

Here are a few good quotes about speaking

“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.”Oscar Wilde

To speak and to speak well are two things.  A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.  ~Ben Jonson

If you wouldn’t write it and sign it, don’t say it.  ~Earl Wilson

Two monologues do not make a dialogue.  ~Jeff Daly

Of those who say nothing, few are silent.  ~Thomas Neiel

Do you know any others?

Adverbs

Adverbs tell manner (how), time (when), place (where), degree (how much), and sometimes cause (why).

Adverbs of manner: politely, carefully, not, equally, tenderly
Adverbs of time: now, then soon, later, early, often
Adverbs of place: here, there, near, forward, far
Adverbs of degree: very, so, much, too, extremely, rather
Adverbs of cause: why, therefore, hence

We usually form an adverb by adding –ly to the adjective. serious-seriously

• careful with spelling changes
• gentle-gently
• happy-happily
• awful-awfully
• dramatic-dramatically
• polite-politely But: true-truly
• careful with elderly, cowardly, friendly, likely, deadly, lively,
• lonely, silly, ugly, lovely… they are ADJECTIVES!

The adverbs loud (ly), cheap(ly), quick(ly), tight(ly), fair(ly) and slow(ly) are often used without –ly in everyday English. Come here quick/quickly

Some adverbs have the same form as adjectives. These include: hard, fast, free, high, low, deep, early, late, long, near, straight, right, wrong, monthly, yearly, etc

The adverbs below have two forms, each with a different meaning:

• The treasure was buried deep underground (= a long way down)
• He is deeply in love with her (=very)

• The hotel guests can use the swimming pool free (=without payment)
• The animals in the safari park can roam freely (= without limit/restriction

• The kite flew high in the sky (= at a high level)
• He is a highly respected doctor (= very much)

• She arrived late for the meeting (=not early)
• He hasn’t been feeling well lately (=lately)

• Which of his songs do  you like most? (=superlative of much)
• I’m mostly interestes in modern art (=mainly)

• As he came near, I realised that something was wrong (=close)
• She nearly fainted when she heard the news (=almost)

• He is a pretty strange man (=rather)
• The bridesmaids were prettily dressed in pink (= in a pretty way)

• He is working hard these days (= with a lot of effort)
• They hardly* go anywhere now that they have children (=almost never)

* As ‘hardly’ is a negative word, it turns the sentence negative

Now, it’s your turn:

Underline the correct choice:

1. This is a pretty/prettily complicated situation.
2. They had hard/hardly been home for a minute when the phone rang.
3. My friends are most/mostly vegetarians.
4. Her loose outfit allowed her to move free/freely.
5. The shelf was so high/highly that he couldn’t reach it.
6. John may be late/lately home tonight, as he has a lot of work to do.
7. The room was pretty/prettily decorated.
8. Children under 5 travel free /freely.
9. Sue has near/nearly finished her homework.
10. They have been going out a lot late/lately.
11. This college is high/highly recommended for its range of courses.
12. The miners dug deep/deeply to find a coat.
13. The new supermarket is very near/nearly our house.
14. He is deep/deeply involved in the scandal.
15. We found it hard/hardly to get used to living in a foreign country.
16. Which of Mel Gibson’s films do you like most/mostly?

Check the key if in doubt

UK General election

The new UK government will be elected on Thursday 6th May

Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

As it stands at the moment there are three clear contenders and they are very close together in the polls: David Cameron for the Conservative Party, Nick Clegg for the Liberal Democrat party and Gordon Brown, the current PM,  for the Labour party. During the election campaign they have had three televised debates

After watching them,

The newspaper predictions are for a hung Parliament when no one party has an overall majority which may mean a coalition government, familiar to us in Spain but less usual in the UK where the electoral system favours a two party system.

The current British electoral system makes it possible for a party to win the election while getting fewer votes than another party. They have a system of constituencies or seats and voters vote for their constituency candidates. There are currently 650 constituencies in the UK, each of which returns one Member of Parliament.

These were the results in the General election 2005

Parliamentary seats won Labour (355) Conservative (198) Liberal Democrat (62) Democratic Unionist Party (9) SNP (6) Sinn Fein (5) Other (5) Plaid Cymru (3) Social Democratic & Labour Party (3)

The system as it stands now favours the stance of the two biggest parties, Labour and Conservatives, to the detriment of the smaller parties. In this election Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats has demanded electoral reform to allow smaller parties to obtain a fairer representation.

Here are some of the political parties contesting seats across the UK in the 2010 general election, which takes place on 6 May.

Alliance Party (NI) Alliance for Green Socialism Anticapitalist British National Party The Christian Party Conservative Party Christian Peoples Alliance Communist Party Democratic Unionist Party English Democrats Get the Snouts out the Trough Green Party Independent Kidderminster Hospital campaign Jury Team Labour Party Liberal Party Liberal Democrats Libertarian Party Mebyon Kernow

Monster Raving Loony Party The National Front People Before Profit Pirate Party UK Plaid Cymru Respect Science Party Scottish Green Party Scottish National Party Scottish Socialist Party SDLP Sinn Fein Socialist Party (Trade Union and Socialist Coalition) Socialist Party of Great Britain Socialist Equality Party Ulster Conservative and Unionists UK Independence Party Workers’ Revolutionary Party

Deepwater Horizon : the latest environmental disaster

Just as we were talking about environmental disasters we hear about  a devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It has been reported as the biggest one the world has ever had.It has been caused by an accident on an BP oil rig named Deepwater Horizon.

The oil  is leaking from the ocean floor more than a mile down. So far the accident has cost 11 workers their lives yet the widespread concern and anger are about the some 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) of oil  gushing into the sea off the coast of Louisiana, threatening vast devastation to the nearby marine life and coastal industries.

It has already affected many people´s livelihood. Check their testimonies here

Only five years ago this American area was severely affected by hurricane Katrina and as they are beginning to make a recovery they see their ecosystem under threat again. The coast of four US states are already affected: Florida and Alabama, Mississippi and Florida

Perhaps now some of the countries which have been planning further drills for oil will rethink their strategies.

Writing a Short Story

Some of the best fictional stories are short stories. A short story is a usually a fictional story, short enough to be read in one sitting, hence the name “short story”. The thing about short stories is that because they are short , the idea is to keep it fairly simple and make it fairly fast paced.

Before you start writing it is a good idea to briefly plan out your story. Make a list of possible characters and describe briefly what you want to happen in your story. In your plan you should have an introduction paragraph that sets the scene and introduces your characters. There should be a few paragraphs in the middle of your story, these should be where all the action happens and should be the core of your story. Always finish with a conclusion that rounds it all up and brings the story together.

Include enough detail to let your readers picture the scene but only details that actually add something to the story. The setting includes the time, location, context, and atmosphere where the plot takes place. When describing your setting, use two or more senses to make it more vivid.

When writing short stories, keep the number of characters in your story to a minimum. If you spend all your time introducing characters, your reader may lose interest and you may run out of time for all the action of your story. Make sure that all the characters you include are necessary to your story. In order to develop a living, breathing, multi-faceted character, it is important to know very well the character that you will use in the story. Your reader probably won’t need to know much more than the most important things:

• Appearance. Give your reader a visual understanding of the character.
• Action. Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives.
• Speech. Develop the character as a person — don’t merely have your character announce important plot details, make it participate in dialogues.
• Thought. Bring the reader into your character’s mind, to show them your character’s unexpressed memories, fears, and hopes.

Once details have been decided and a plan has been outlined, divide your story into three main parts:

* Your introduction should make an impact on your reader. The idea is to create just enough excitement that the reader desires to read on.  In today’s fast-moving world, the first sentence of your short story should catch your reader’s attention with the unusual, the unexpected, an action, or a conflict. Begin with tension and immediacy.

*The core of your story is where it all happens. This can be just a couple of paragraphs or several depending on the length you intend your story to be. Pace your story out over a few paragraphs but remember not to give more information than necessary. Try to keep it simple and to the point. Try to keep the reader interested, intrigued or guessing. Concentrate on what your story is about and try not to go off track on to information that is not needed. Keep it to the point and keep your reader interested. You do not have much time in a short story to explain yourself, so describe your scenes well and with descriptive words. Be careful not to over use big words and create a story full of fancy language, keep it direct and simple. You story should flow from one paragraph into the next. As you come towards the end of the core part of your story, start to finish the story up, or prepare it for the big conclusion.

*The conclusion is where it all ends up. Your conclusion should be one to two paragraphs and it should bring the whole story together. It should answer any questions raised in the core part of the story, and finish off the story. You can conclude your story with a bit of a twist or a surprise to keep the reader guessing or wondering what would be next, but it does however need to bring a feeling of finality to the reader. Sometimes the best short stories are the ones that leave you guessing, so do not be afraid to create a bit of mystery in your conclusion but make sure the story feels finished and concluded.

Now it’s your turn to give it a go! Write a story set within the context of a natural or an environmental disaster.

Home:Planet Earth

Home is a 2009 documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth, it was filmed in 50 countries. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet.

Although it has some harsh facts of how we are contributing to global warming and the oil crisis, it ends on a positive note.

The movie was released simultaneously on June 5, 2009 in cinemas across the globe, on DVD, Blu-Ray, television, and on YouTube. Opening in 181 countries, the film broke the world record for the largest film release in history. As of April 2010, the French, English, German, Spanish, Russian and Arabic versions on Youtube logged a total of more than 14 million views

The film has no copy right and is carbon offset which means that all the CO2 emissions created while making the film are calculated and offset by sums of money used to create clean energy for those who don´t have any.

Take a look at our home from a different angle at

You can see Yann Arthus-Bertrand in a TED talk discussing hiw views on ecology and his work with a charming French accent.  We hope you like it too.

Natural Disasters

A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard (e.g. fire, land movement, water or weather disasters) that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses. Sometimes human beings take a very active part in provoking it. Have a look at this presentation to know more about it.

Celebrities and the environment

A lot of people are rightly concerned with the future of our planet. Some of them have used their “celebrity” status to raise awareness for the cause click here to see a list of Green celebrities

Both Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet have championed environmental causes. In his case he has a whole website dedicated to it. It is called Leonardo Di Caprio Eco-site with some great links and also you can find two short movies he has made: one on global warming and another on the water cycle.

Kate Winslet has voiced a campaign against the cruelty used in the rising of geese and ducks for foie gras production. In this video she describes the whole process. Warning: it contains disturbing images

Some supermarkets in the Uk are offering cruelty free  foie gras altenative products such as Waitrose’s “Faux Gras” (using a mixture of goose and duck fat mixed with 50% free range poultry liver)

However you don´t need to be a celebrity to champion the green cause, every little helps!

Volcanic cloud, the whole story

Due to the unexpected eruption of the Icelandic Eyjafjallajokull volcano (and for the record, the name comes from “Eyja”  – for island, “Fjalla” – meaning mountain, and “Jokull” – for glacier. You can listen to the correct pronunciation here )which had been blissfully dormant for 200 years, air travel was halted and a state of chaos descended upon the European skies. The collateral damages affected people worldwide.

Watch this CBS news clip from the beginning of the crisis

However, the mood changed as airlines were making huge daily losses estimated around €200 million a day and some started to question whether governments were being too cautious.

It emerges now that airlines had not set a protocol as nobody wanted to commit to a figure of ash level without testing the actual circumstances so it was left to the governments to make the decision and no politician was ready to assume a potentially risky decision.

Under the umbrella of “better safe than sorry” air travel was halted for nearly a week and hundreds of millions were lost. Now some airlines are refusing to compensate passengers as the ban was imposed on them by governments and some are questioning why it took over five days to test safety levels. Once again as citizens we seem to be left in the dark.

The BBC has a good coverage of the latest news

Were you affected by the ash cloud directly or indirectly?  Tell us your story

Earth Day

Communities, businesses, and neighbourhoods are all honouring Earth Day with events that highlight eco awareness and our planet. Earth Day started as a way to recognize that the Earth needed help and many use the annual celebration to kick off new environmental goals and commitments.

Fortunately, many businesses and individuals now look to Earth Day to celebrate success milestones and, more importantly, build on that success for the future. In fact, were you aware that Earth Day is now observed in 175 countries and is the largest secular modern day holiday in the world?

A little history lesson to start: Earth Day was first conceived by Sen. Gaylord Nelson in the early 1960s. Nelson worried that environmental issues were not being addressed in the political arena. In his conservation efforts, Nelson organized a nationwide grassroots demonstration in the spring of 1970, to further promote conservation involvement and awareness. Support for and interest in the activity was immense and the 1970 demonstration became the first official Earth Day.

How do you plan to celebrate Earth day? Leave a green tip in the comments section.

Remember we must help protect the environment Earth Day and every day. Check this website to pick your choice among these 100ways to reduce your impact. Just place your mouse gently on each of the tips and an explanation will come up.

Gourmet’s Pick

This is a tour of some top restaurants made by the most discerning palates in Elche.

View this document on Scribd

Like vs As

Have you ever experienced any  difficulties in distinguishing  like /as when writing a composition? Our colleague Encarni has prepared a wonderful tutorial for you all to understand it once and for all. Thank you Encarni for such a thorough work.

Take this test on As vs Like to check you understood it all.

How to write a Good Book Review

The book reviewer has to summarize and discuss the content and the theme, assess the author’s ability to express and explore this theme, and provide an opinion of the novel.

The aim of a book review is to communicate to the reader’s mind the ideas and sensations you experienced while reading the book.

A good review should include:

1. The setting—where does the story take place? Is it a real place or an imaginary one?
2. The time period—is the story set in the present day or in an earlier time period? Perhaps it is even set in the future! Let your reader know.
3. The main character(s)—who is the story mostly about? Give a brief description. Which is your favorite character?
4. The plot—what happens to the main character? WARNING! Be careful here. Do not fall into the boring trap of reporting every single thing that happens in the story. Just summarize the basics. In this particular book review we are far more interested in your opinions than in a rewrite of the plot, so keep it simple.
5. Your opinion. Once you have described the basics the book, you can tell what you think about it. Some questions you might want to answer are:

• Did you like the story? Why or why not?
• What was the best part of the book? Why? And the worst?
• How did the story make you feel? Did you feel different things at different points in the story?
• Would you change the end or any other part of the story?
• Would you recommend it to friends? Why (not)?
• Would you read other books by this author?
• What interesting vocabulary did you learn from this book?

Find below nice expressions to use in your summary:

About the author:


The writer The author	wants to intends to	show that…suggest that … indicate that …. make us feel that .. make us realize that .. make us understand that ..
	wants	the reader to feel that …us to realize that … the audience to understand … us to  …..

About the book in general:

•  What I find the most	striking incredible interesting ironical ridiculous impressive threatening unpleasant	in about	this .. is that …
•  What strikes me the most	in about	….	is the fact that…is the notion that… is the idea that…
•  It makes me think of / It reminds me of / This obviously refers to, alludes to…

You can also use the latest collocations we have learnt: breathtakingly beautiful, notoriously difficult, hilariously funny, exceedingly harsh, utterly devoted, blissfully happy…

We can´t wait to set our eyes on your reviews!!

Future Time in the Verbs

Have a look at this tutorial about the different future expressions and try and complete these exercises. Thank you Encarni for sharing this great work. (key)

View this document on Scribd

Top 10 ‘inventions’ that changed the world

A panel of 20 experts from the British Science Association drew up the list of the innovations to mark National Science and Engineering Week. Here is the list in full:

1. GPS Technology

Originally developed as a navigation system by the United States military, the Global Positioning System uses a network of satellites around the Earth to pinpoint the exact position of a receiver anywhere on the planet.

2. The Sony Walkman

In 1979 Sony spawned the era of wearable technology with its iconic personal stereo. It enabled music fans to listen to their music while on the move without inflicting their choices on those around them. This wearable technology has now evolved, thanks to Apple, into the iPod and has changed music for ever.

3. The Bar code

These boring sets of black and white lines can now be found on almost every single item bought from a shop. They have fundamentally changed the way we shop. Norman Woodland first developed an early form of the bar code in 1949 by combining ideas from movie soundtracks and Morse code to help him speed up store checkouts.

4. TV Dinners

Food on the go has been around since the time of Ancient Greece, but convenience food really took off in the 1970s and transformed the way families ate meals, the high-street, the countryside and national health.

Traditional family dinners around the table disappeared and pre-packaged “ready meals” eaten on the sofa became the norm. Due to hectic lifestyles, the products, which were often frozen, were designed to make life easier for time-pressed consumers.

The popularity of processed food, however, is also blamed for driving the obesity crisis. With high fat, salt and sugar content to make the meals last longer on the shelves, the diet of the Western world has deteriorated.

5. PlayStation

Although games consoles had been around for some time, Sony’s PlayStation took gaming out of spotty teenager’s bedrooms and into adult living rooms when it was released in 1994.

Here was a computer with more power than the average family PC. As of July 2008 more than 102 million PlayStation units have been sold, while the next generations, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, have also been turned into best sellers.

The gaming industry is now worth almost as much as the film industry, taking in more than £15 billion in 2008.

6. Social Networking

Around the world, every day, more than three billion minutes are spent by computer users on Facebook. Along with other social networking sites such as MySpace and Twitter, it has completely changed the way we interact and who we interact with.

Millions of people now communicate tiny details of their professional and personal lives by poking, twittering and posting. Online social networking has allowed people to rekindle friendships with friends they lost touch with years ago.

7. Text messages

Text messaging has created a new vocabulary and new grammar that is almost incomprehensible to those who do not use it. LOL and FYI have now passed into everyday English. Among 13-17 year olds, text messaging now outweighs old fashioned phone calls by seven to one.

8. Electronic Money

In the UK there were 7.4 billion purchases made during 2008 with plastic cards. Combined with internet banking, cards have made the cheque almost redundant.

Credit cards gave us greater convenience for spending, greater security and the ability to spend money anywhere in the world. They also brought us internet fraud and record levels of debt that have contributed to the global credit crunch.

9. Microwaves

Not the ovens, but the electromagnetic waves. Microwaves – electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging between 1 millimetre and one metre – are used by mobile phones, wireless broadband internet and satellite television.

10. Trainers

Nightclub bouncers might not like them, but trainers changed fashion and the feet of generations. The Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company was the first to use a new manufacturing process that melded rubber to cloth in 1892, but it was not until the 1970s they took off.

With the help of celebrity endorsements by sporting superstars such as basketball legend Michael Jordan, trainers turned from being purely practical clothing for sport into a fashion item.

The Army now reports that young people are increasingly growing up without ever wearing leather shoes and their feet are now too soft to wear traditional military boots.

What is “your “ top invention? We look forward to reading your comments!