Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas is a time for dreaming... 

Click on the Christmas card below and start dreaming ... Merry Christmas.

And now, this special Christmas card for my 1st of ESO students. Do you know where the mistletoe is placed at Christmas?   That's it, on top of doors. Well, click on this Christmas card and look down... 

Help Santa choose his team of reindeer! He''ll be thankful!

"Live while we are young"

What about a little bit of singing along with One Direction? The lyrics are very easy to understand, although they are written in a very colloquial way. Enjoy it!

 Now, listen again without watching the video and try to fill in the blanks.

 

Live While We're Young

 

[LIAM PAYNE]

Hey ________,  I'm waiting on you, I'm waiting on you
Come on and let me sneak you _________
And have a celebration, a celebration
The music_________,  the window's down

[ZAYN MALIK]

Yeah, we'll be doing what we ________
Just pretending that we're _________
And we know it too
Yeah, we'll keep doing what we ________
Just pretending that we're _________
So tonight

[ALL]

Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the ________
I know we only met but let's pretend it's _________
And __________, never, never stop for anyone
___________ let's get some
And live while we're young
Woahhh oh oh oh
Woahhhh oh oh oh
And live while we're young
Woahhh oh oh oh
___________ let's get some

[HARRY STYLES]

And live while we're young

[ZAYN MALIK]

Hey girl, it's _________ or never, it's now or never
Don't over-think, just let it ________
And if we get together, yeah, get together
Don't let the pictures leave your ___________, ohhhh

[NIALL HORAN]

Yeah, we'll be doing what we ________
Just pretending that we're __________
So tonight

[ALL]

Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the _______
I know we only met but let's pretend it's _________
And __________, never, never stop for anyone
___________ let's get some
And live while we're young
Woahhh oh oh oh
Woahhhh oh oh oh
And live while we're young
Woahhh oh oh oh
___________let's get some

[HARRY STYLES]

And live while we're young

[ZAYN MALIK]

And girl, you and I,
We're about to make some memories __________

[LOUIS TOMLINSON]

I wanna live while we're young
______wanna live while we're young

[ALL]

Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the ______
I know we only met but let's pretend it's ________
And ________,  never, never stop for anyone
___________ let's get some
And live while we're young
Crazy, crazy, crazy till we see the _______
I know we only met but let's pretend it's _________
And __________, never, never stop for anyone
___________ let's get some
And live while we're young
Wanna live, wanna live, wanna live
___________ ____, younnngg
Wanna live, wanna live, wanna live
While we're young
Wanna live, wanna live, wanna live

[HARRY STYLES]

___________let's get some

[ZAYN MALIK]

And live while we're young

REPORTED SPEECH

Have a look at this picture and the sentences next to it! Notice that when the speech is indirect, we have to go back in time, so there is a backshift in the verb tenses.

The patient said that he felt sometimes the walls moved.

The doctor asked him if he drank coffee. 

Click on the links below if you need some practice on Reported speech. As usual, the first two links are about vocabulary and grammar on Unit 2.


Reinforcement 2    and       Key answer.

More Practice 2    and       Key answer.



You can even watch a video with a grammar explanation.

Try this exercise    and       another one.

Some more exercises.

Affixes - Prefixes and Suffixes

Here you have a much longer list of Prefixes and Suffixes than the one we have in our textbook. Remember, it's very important to get familiar with them so that you can be able to recognize unknown words in your Selectividad exam. Click on the image below and you'll find out. You can have some practice after every table clicking on the word Exercise.

Basic list of Prefixes

If you are interested in learning by heart some adjectives and adverbs made of prefixes and suffixes, listen to this Michael Bublé's version of the old song Call me irresponsible by Frank Sinatra. Maybe it's not the kind of music that you'd prefer, but believe me, it's so tender..., and it's also a perfect way to learn  new vocabulary without an effort.

Here are the lyrics with the prefixes and suffixes in bold.

"Call Me Irresponsible"

Call me irresponsible
Call me unreliable
Throw in undependable, too

Do my foolish alibis bore you?
Well, I'm not too clever, I
I just adore you

So, call me unpredictable
Tell me I'm impractical
Rainbows, I'm inclined to pursue

Call me irresponsible
Yes, I'm unreliable
But it's undeniably true
That I'm irresponsibly mad for you

Do my foolish alibis bore you?
Girl, I'm not too clever, I
I just adore you

Call me unpredictable
Tell me that I'm so impractical
Rainbows, I'm inclined to pursue

Go ahead call me irresponsible
Yes, I'm unreliable
But it's undeniably true
I'm irresponsibly mad for you

You know it's true
Oh, baby it's true

Perfect Tenses

Here you have some Vocabulary and Grammar practice for Unit 1.


Perfect Tenses 1

Perfect Tenses 1 Answer Key

Perfect Tenses 2

Perfect Tenses 2 Answer Key



For further practice on Perfect Tenses, you can click on the following links:


Present Perfect vs Past Simple 1   and   here 2

Present Perfect Simple / Continuous

Past Perfect Simple / Continuous

Pres. Perfect Simple / Cont. and Past Perf. Simple / Cont.

Future Perfect

Welcome back to school!

 Summer is over and here we are, once again,  back to school, with new projects, new ideas and new goals.

 

But remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish.

 So, it's time to set some new school year resolutions, 

like, for example,

                 and make a plan for making them work.

   And, always keep in mind that a long journey begins with one step.

 

Let's get ready to take the first one! 

 REVISION  2º Bach

Present Simple and Present Continuous

Past Simple and Past Continuous 

Future Simple, Future Continuous, Be going to, Present Continuous 

Present, Past, Future Review 

Revision Answer Key

EXTRA PRACTICE  from  the Burlington Student's zone.

The Queen's speech

"I won't give up ... even if the skies get rough."

As Jason Mraz says, "I won't give up... even if the skies get rough. God knows I'm tough enough...We've got a lot to learn."  It is clear that I don't mean the same as Jason does in this song, because I'm trying to adapt the lyrics to the lessons these days at school, which are being really hard with this terrible hot weather. In spite of it, we have to go on and not to give up!  Whatever the meaning, enjoy this wonderful video!

"I Won't Give Up"

Hmmmm ... Hmmmm ... Hmmmm ... Hmmm ...

When I look into your eyes

It's like watching the night sky

Or a beautiful sunrise

There's so much they hold

And just like them old stars

I see that you've come so far

To be right where you are

How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space

To do some navigating

I'll be here patiently waiting

To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn

Some even fall to the earth

We've got a lot to learn

God knows we're worth it

No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily

I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make

Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use

The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake

And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend

For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn

We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in

I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not

And who I am

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)

God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)

We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)

God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

If we listen to another song by Jason Mraz ( this time singing with Colbie Caillat his beautiful and sweet song "Lucky"), again we find another line with a suitable meaning for this right moment: "You make it easier when life gets hard". I think Jason is sending us signs!

 

LUCKY 

Do you hear me,
I'm Talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair

Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

 

Crazy English

Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English Language? Let's face it, English is a stupid language (AmE).

This is the introduction to a really interesting text taken from Multimedia-English about the English language. In fact, English is not stupid at all, it's simply funny.

There is no egg in the eggplant
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England
French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If writers write, how come fingers don't *fing?
If the plural of tooth is teeth
Shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone *beeth?
If the teacher taught,
Why didn't the preacher *praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables
What the heck does a humanitarian eat!?
Why do people recite at a play
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy
Of a language where a house can burn up as
It burns down
And in which you fill in a form
By filling it out
And a bell is only heard once it goes!

English was invented by people, not computers
And it reflects the creativity of the human race
(Which of course isn't a race at all)

That is why
When the stars are out they are visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible
And why is it that when I wind up my watch
It starts
But when I wind up this observation,
It ends?


 Explanations

AmE eggplant = BrE aubergine.
AmE telephone booth = BrE telephone box.
AmE french fries = BrE chips.
How come?= why? (used in conversational English).
burn up= when something is destroyed by fire.
burn down= when a building is destroyed by fire.
lunacy= madness (BrE), craziness (AmE).
fill out a form = fill in a form (both mean the same but the second form is much more usual).
GO= a bell goes "ring", a cat goes "meow" and a dog goes "bow-wow" (we use "go" to express the noise something makes).
race= 1- ethnic features of a person. 2- a competition to see who runs faster.
out= if a light is out, there is no light. If it is on, it's shining. To put out the lights is to turn them off. To put out a fire is to suffocate it.

Note: words marked with asterisk (*) in the joke don't exist in English.

Visiting cities and towns

Have you ever been to these places? There are a lot of things to see in these cities and towns. Go on a trip and discover a new world!

Click on the image below if you want to watch a video with subtittles where some friends are talking about cities and flights.

A trip to Great Britain and Ireland.

Canterbury.

More about Canterbury.

Cambridge. 

Edinburgh. 


New York- The Statue of Liberty.

New York- Central Park.

New York- Brooklyn Bridge.

New York's Museums.

New York- The Metropolitan Museum.

California.

Household tasks

This is a very good text that you can read and listen to learn the different household tasks. Remember, we all should help at home to organize the work.
After reading and listening, try the Exercise below the text. Click on the image to start.

 

For the weaker students:

If you have some difficulty in understanding that text, try this much easier exercise. Look, in this family, even the cat helps at home!  Click on it to see what the cat is doing in the house.

4th ESO- Revising before the exam

Hi, my 4th of  ESO  A students!

Here you are some exercises very similar to the ones that you'll find in the exam next week. So, take a seat for a while and write your answers on your notebooks. We'll correct them in class.

  1.    COMPARISON.  COMPLETE THE SENTENCES:


1.  Spain is................................ (big)................... England. 
2.  Sonia is........................................... (attractive) girl ………. our class. 
3.  Who’s.................................... (bad) footballer ………… the eleven?
4.  Jim Carrey is one of......................................... (funny) actors ………. The USA.
5.  Maths is............................................... (difficult) ………….. Geography.
6.  Spiderman is...........................................(strong) ………….. you. 
7.  Mary is …………………………………( good ) student ....... her class.    
8.  This is ………………………......……… ( easy ) activity ........ all. 
9.  James is …………………………………..( talented ) boy ....... his family.  
10. August is usually ........................... (hot) ........... July.


2. TOO or ENOUGH?


a    These trousers are ______________________(tight) for Helen. She needs a bigger   size.
b    The garden isn't ______________________(big) to play football.
c    That bag is ______________________(small). I've got a lot of books.
d    Jeans aren't______________________(smart) for the Oscar ceremony.
e    This coffee ______________________(cold) for me. I don't like cold coffee.
f     You aren't _______________________(old) to drive.
g    John didn't win the race because his car wasn't ___________________(fast).
h    Susan can't go jogging today. It's _____________________(hot).



3. Relative sentences (only defining).Join these sentences with who, which,  whose, where or when.

1.   I love the shoes. Mary was wearing them yesterday.

2.   Did they sell the bookshop? Tom used to buy there.

3.   I have got a friend. He is a wonderful skater.

4.   Eva Green is the actress. I told you about her yesterday.

5.   The man broke the window. He ran away.

6.   They knew the woman. Her daughter won the prize.

7.   I remember those days. We were so happy then.

8.   Did you see the keys? They were on the table.

9.   My cousin found the wallet. Peter lost it two days ago.

10. The novel is about a child. His parents died in a car accident.

11. Last Friday they saw the boy. He jumped off a wall and broke his leg. 

12. The book is a best-seller. I'm reading it.


 4.  PUT THE VERBS IN THE RIGHT TENSES:

a)    Last night while I (chat) ............................................ to my friend, my mother arrived.
b)    You (not study) ............................................ History at the moment.
c)    Tom (often/ play) ...................................... with his Play Station at the weekend.
d)    (you/ buy) ......................................... your computer last year? No, I ................... / I (buy) ………………………. it two years ago.
e)    The maths teacher (give) .................................... the students a lot of homework last Friday.
f)    We (not come) .............................. to school in summer. We are on holiday.
g)    They (be) .............................. at a fantastic party yesterday.
h)    Yesterday, when the phone (ring) .................................., Susan was listening to some music.

  Antonio, if you go to the gym, don't forget your book! OK?

WARMING UP BEFORE GOING TO THE THEATRE

Below you have some useful links to get ready for the theatre.

Watch the video about William Shakespeare and, then fill in the gaps to complete this short biography on him.

The Globe Theatre. Watch the video and answer the questions.

Did you know that Shakespeare was born in Strafford-upon-Avon. Watch the video and fill in the gaps of this text on Shakespeare's hometown.

This is the house where he was born.
Click on the image and you will learn about The Shakespeare Houses. Watch the video and answer the questions.

LET'S GO TO THE THEATRE!

Are you ready for an hour of laughter-provoking theatre: interaction, creativity and fun?
Would you like to read some information about the Theatre Company and the play we are going to watch, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare?
Click on the image if you want to get to know the characters, and the real actors too.

 

And here is a video to remember some funny moments for those of you who went to the theatre last year to watch the modern interpretation of Shakespeare's most famous play, 'Macbeth', and also for the new audience it can be a good warm-up exercise. 

Remember, they like volunteers...!

LONDON TOUR

What about a ride through the streets of London?  Go on this Hop-on Hop-off tour.Watch out the stunning views: the London Eye, the Millennium Bridge...!
Get on the bus and follow One Direction.