HOMEWORK (to do at Easter)

Remember we will be having an exam the 14th of April (vocabulary, grammar, reading), and the 16th (listening). So, please, review everything, from the beginnin to the end, photocopies, handouts and powerpoints included.

Apart from that, you should do some homework:

- Photocopy (past modals and verbs of the senses)
- Grammar Bank 7B (verbs of the senses)
- p. 158: Vocabulary Bank (Verbs often confused)
- A composition: Describe the person you admire most. (Have a look at the presentations available in the previous post).

Take care!

r

Personal Identification - Extra vocabulary //WRITING EXERCISE

Dear students,

as you already know, writing the description of someone you really admire is part of your homework at Easter. Here you are the materials I mentioned in class today. I hope you find them useful to complete the topic on personal identification/description.
Cheers,
r

GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES: REVIEW!!!!

Here you are some extra resources to study the use of gerunds and infinitives in depth.
FOLLOW THIS LINK!

Health // Alternative Medicine - listening

Dear students,
I suggest listening to this at home so that you get familiar with some vocabulary related to alternative medicine. "Breaking News in English" provides you with answers too.

In addition, you might like the following TED TALK about homeopathy and fraud. This talk is really thought-provoking and has had a great success on ther Internet.

Good luck!
r

Music and Emotion - Belén's PowerPoint Presentation

Dear students,

If I were you, I would click here and get our PowerPoint on "Music and Emotion", and study the vocabulary (feelings).
Cheers!

GIVING ADVICE + ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Dear students,

please download the grammar and vocabulary powerpoint we studied today in class:

CLICK HERE!

And here you are the speaking activity proposed by our native lecture: click here to download it.

Homework

Please, complete the "Revise and Check" section Units 5-6 and the first Reading exercise of Unit 7. Remember to study a lot too.

Best,
r

Weekend Movies: "Wrong Cops" by Quentin Dupieux

Dear students,

remember to do some extra listening whenever you have a bit of free time, and especially during this long long weekend, because a couple of didactic listenings per week won't be enough to train your ears before June. You need more. As you know, I have alredy posted some interesting links to this blog. You can find some of them on the right column of your screen. In addition, watching tv series and films is always a good option to get used to listening to different accents and jargons, so you will also find lots of options on this site.

This week, I would like to recommend a comedy. This is a film consisting of absurdist vignettes in which assorted officers of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) do everything except police work—selling drugs on street corners (packaged inside of dead rats to “avoid suspicion”), harassing pedestrians, refusing to investigate a crime scene, and listening to lots of house music. Rules of space, time, and mortality are ignored... and the result is an hilarious film which I hope you enjoy a lot.

I am sorry there were no English or Spanish subtitles available. Anyway, I hope you undersand most of it and laugh until your belly hurts.

LOL

r

A Book Every Week: "Mathilda" by Roald Dahl

You can either watch the film I have linked to the previous post before reading this marvellous book or the other way round: read the book and see if you like the screen adaptation. I think I'd rather read the book first, because I love it (is it a bit childish?). Anyway, I hope you find a bit of time to do some reading and listening, I am sure that practice is the key to develop your skills and pass the final exams.
See you soon!

Click here if you want to read Roald Dahl's text!

Weekend Movies: "Mathilda"

Have you read Roald Dahl's amazing book Mathilda? This is the story of a truly intelligent and talented girl born into a stupid family. Her parents neglect and mistreat her, but she holds the line and tries to live her own life. She discovers a local library and spends most of her time reading, while her parents are at work. One day, she starts developing super-powers... CLICK HERE AND SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES.

The film doesn't come with subitles this time, but I am sure you will be able to understand almost everything, since this is a comedy both for adults and children. I hope you like it.

Have a great weekend!

Listening: Getting to Know Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury has a wonderful British accent. I suggest that you watch the following interview if you want to get to know him a little bit:

Listening to Music: The Show Must Go On

Did you enjoy this song today?

 Now you can listen to Queen at home while reading the lyrics and singing...

Empty spaces, what are we living for
Abandoned places, I guess we know the score
On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for
Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore
The show must go on
The show must go on, yeah
Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
Another heartache, another failed romance
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for?
I guess I'm learning (I'm learning learning learning)
I must be warmer now
I'll soon be turning (turning turning turning)
Round the corner now
Outside the dawn is breaking
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free
The show must go on
The show must go on, yeah yeah
Ooh, inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

Yeah yeah, whoa wo oh oh

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly, my friends
The show must go on (go on, go on, go on) yeah yeah
The show must go on (go on, go on, go on)
I'll face it with a grin
I'm never giving in
On, with the show

Ooh, I'll top the bill, I'll overkill
I have to find the will to carry on
On with the show
On with the show
The show, the show must go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on

Homework

Please, do the activities related to the use of gerunds and infinitives (photocopy and grammar bank).
Have a nice weekend!!

Homework

Dear students,
remember we are going to correct the Grammar Bank devoted to gerunds and infinitives tomorrow. You also had to do the reading exercise of unit 6B (about sleeping).
See you very soon,
r

Music -RADIOHEAD and British Council podcast

This is the activity we did in class today: TALKING ABOUT MUSIC: RADIOHEAD. You can listen to the podcast at home whenever you want. And, if you enjoyed the music by this band from Oxford, don't miss the album Ok Computer:

 

And this is one of Radiohead's best-known songs. You can read the transcript below:

When you were here before
I couldn’t look you in the eye
You’re just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry

You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You’re so fucking special

But I’m a creep
I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here

I don’t care if it hurts
I wanna have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul

I want you to notice
When I’m not around
You’re so very special
I wish I was special

But I’m a creep
I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here, oh, oh

She’s running out again
She’s running out
Run, run, run, run!
Run!

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You’re so fucking special
I wish I was special

But I’m a creep
I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
I don’t belong here

Weekend Movies: "Elephant" by Gus Van Sant

Do you feel like living a terrifiying experience based on actual events? The film that I recommend you watch this weekend shows the terrible tragedy of a fictional high school (based on the Columbine High School massacre) where students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent...

GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES -HOMEWORK

Dear students,
please read the Grammar Bank 6A on page 142 and do the grammar activities A and B.
Kind regards,
r

Read more about "suggest/demand/insist/recommend" that + infinitive

Dear students,
remember these rules.
Regards,
r

Homework

Dear students,

please, remember to do the Reading activities on page 55.
You can also do the composition we discussed in class for Thursday.
Thanks!
reme