THEATRE IN ENGLISH AT THE SCHOOL

FOR / SINCE

Here there are some exercise in case you need more practice on the Present Perfect

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

Enjoy!!

And ... the big terrible news

We are at least 5% poorer today than yesterday. Click here to watch the news from England.
I'm sorry. As Leonard Cohen states: "The poor stay poor, the rich get rich / Thats how it goes / Everybody knows"

Oral Talks

Hiya all,
I remind you you need to give an oral speech this term. These are the dates agreed...

2ºF (4 to 6.15 pm)                                   2ºE (7 to 9.10 pm)
20th May                                                 13th May
Isabel                                                       Javier Pérez
Antonio                                                    José Manuel

27th May                                                 20th May
Rubén                                                      Federico
Juan                                                         Javier García
Yolanda                                                   Amparo
Pepe                                                        Fátima
Pilar                                                         Mercedes
Aurora                                                     Cesar
                                                      
                                                                27th May
                                                                Carmen
                                                                Luisa
                                                                Chary
                                                               Domingo
                                                               José Pedro

Reasons for Not Choosing Astronomy

Really well written and very funny!!
Reasons for Not Choosing Astronomy

Listening - British History

Watch and listen to the following video. Then, choose the best option (a or b) to answer the questions. You can send me your answers by post an answer. Remember to write your name!!

1. Which UK city featured in the video is near Bristol?

a. Bath
b. Cambridge

2. Where was Britain’s first steamer liner, the SS Great Britain built?
a. Liverpool
b. Bristol

3. Westmister Abbey is…?
a. the current home of the actual Royal family
b. the place where many kings and queens of England are buried?

4. How many capital cities are shown in the video?
a. Two
b. Three

5. True or false? Part of the Cardiff castle dates back to Mediaeval times
a. True
b. False

6. Where did the kings of England rule from, in Mediaeval Times?
a. Windsor Castle
b. the Tower of London

7. Which famous engineer designed the SS Great Britain?
a. Robert Stephenson
b. Isambard Kingdom Brunel

8. How long has Cambridge been a University town?
a. a hundred years
b. eight hundred years

9. What is the most famous building in Cambridge?
a. Kings College Chapel
b. Trinity College

10. Which river runs through London?
a. the river Thames
b. the river Tyne

Elections in Britain

The United Kingdom general election of 2010 was held on 6th May, and, although the Conservative Party won the largest number of votes and seats they didn't have an overall majority. It was the first time since 1974, and the second since the Second World War, that a British general election returned a hung parliament.

Elections in Britain are always held on a Thursday.
They take place every 5 years.
It is very difficult to have a hung parliament. Usually one of the two main parties (the Conservative and the Labour party). The system is much easier to understand than the Spanish system. this is how it works.

In a general election, every area in the country votes for one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. There are 650 geographical areas, called constituencies.
Each eligible voter has one vote in their local constituency, and the candidate with the most votes becomes the MP for that area. This voting system is called 'first past the post'. Usually the political party with the most MPs then forms the government – though if there is no overall winner, a hung parliament may result. Two or more parties with a combined majority of MPs may form a coalition government.

These are the candidates:

Cameron (Conservative)                       Gordon Brown (Labour)                  Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrat)

Alice in Wonderland

Since I SHOULD go to the cinema and watch Alice in Wondeland here you have the trailer for the film. It looks good. Enjoy it.

Iceland and the Volcano

On Wednesday April 14, a volcano in southern Iceland called Eyjafjallajökull began to erupt. The eruption has created a large ash cloud which began drifting across Europe, grounding planes and causing travel chaos for many people. The volcano doesn't appear to be settling down and there are concerns that it could continue to erupt for some time.

Listening
1. Vocabulary
Do you understand these words?

volcano   eruption   earth    volcanic    lava     ashcloud    explode    rock    hot magma       flow

2. Watch the video clip below and then scroll down to answer some questions


Questions

1) Which airport is the presenter trying to fly from?

2) Which city does he want to fly to?

3) What day was he due to to fly?

4) Why didn't his plane take off?

5) When was the last time that British airspace was closed?

6) How many European flights were due to take off the previous day?

7) How long does the presenter suggest the problem could go on for?

8) What happened to the plane that flew into an ash cloud in 1982?

9) Why have some insurance companies refused to pay out?

Good night and good luck!!!!

We are the champions!!!

Have a look at this video. I think it's a great speech and... it's subtitled!!

And the winners are.... (Minisagas competition)

First of all we must congratulate Javier García (2ºE) because he is the winner in the Nivel Básico. He'll get a fantastic massage and a free entrance to the Baños Arabes and he can choose a person to go with him.
You can read the best minisagas here and in Tardixt building.
Enjoy!!

Nivel Básico
Sweet sixteen

She was sixteen. She seemed a determined girl but fear was in her eyes.
I remember with anger when she told me: “Sir, I can’t go to Rome with my classmates because my boyfriend doesn’t let me go”.
Then, she cried with sadness but now she is crying in pain.

Francisco Javier García Aguilera 2ºE

Nivel Intermedio

A Corageous Woman

My grandmother was an admirable woman. She had to work very hard to bring up her little siblings because her mother died. She got married and gave birth to five children, but her older daughter died from tuberculosis. Because of her courage she could bear the difficulties of her life.

Ana Mª de Cos 3ºA

Nivel Avanzado

The Lucky Woman

Once upon a time there was a woman who fell in love with a man. One day he proposed marriage. She thought over the matter and denied the request. Afterwards, she lived happily enjoying her freedom without serving a husband. It’s a pity our mothers didn’t tell us this story.

Cristina Vergel Rodríguez 4ºC

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Today, 17th March Irish peole all over the world celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.In Ireland and Northern Ireland is a public holiday and people wear green and drink Guiness (painted in green sometimes). In the United States where a lot of Irish inmigrants live (There are 36.5 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry, ), there are parades and celebrations. Everybody is dressed in green and in Chicago the river is painted in this colour to commemorate this date.

Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. And there are shamrocks and leprechauns everywhere.
Here is a video on how to celebrate this day properly

And... As I love Ireland and the Irish people, I'm going to eat some Cheddar cheese today and drink some Guiness and I might go to the celebration of the day in the Irish Pub here in Jerez so I hope to see some of you there.

Here is a video with the story of the celebration of this day.

17th march

And ... Irish fantastic traditional music to enjoy

THE IRISH ROVER

On the Fourth of July, 1806

We set sail from the sweet Cobh of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the Grand City Hall in New York
'Twas a wonderful craft
She was rigged fore and aft
And oh, how the wild wind drove her
She stood several blasts
She had twenty seven masts
And they called her The Irish Rover

We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stones
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides'
We had four million barrels of bones
We had five million hogs
six million dogs
Seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million barrels of old nanny goate tails
In the hold of the Irish Rover

There was awl Mickey Coote
Who played hard on his flute
And the ladies lined up for a set
He would tootle with skill
For each sparkling quadrille
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
With his smart witty talk
He was cock of the walk
As he rolled the dames under and over
They all knew at a glance
When he took up his stance
That he sailed in The Irish Rover


There was Barney McGee
From the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk
Who was scared stiff of work
And a man from Westmeath called Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole
Who was drunk as a rule
And Fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
And your man, Mick McCann
From the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover

For a sailor its' always a bother in life
It's so lonesome by night and by day
That he longs for the shore
and a charming young whore
Who will melt all his troubles away
Oh, the noise and the rout
Swillin' poiteen and stout
For him soon the torment's over
Of the love of a maid he is never afraid
An old salt from the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years
When the measles broke out
And the ship lost its way in the fog
And that whale of a crew
Was reduced down to two
Just myself and the Captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock
Oh Lord! what a shock
The bulkhead was turned right over
Turned nine times around
And the poor old dog was drowned (1,2,3!)
I'm the last of The Irish Rover

Great Women

Short biographies on Great Women. Have a read!!
Great women

8th March International Women's Day

International Women's Day is on March 8. This year marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Here you have some activities to do about this day.

Pre-Task Activity

You are going to watch a video about International Women's Day, 2010.

Can you predict what the answers will be to the questions below? Decide which answers you think are correct.
Question 1
What percentage of food in developing nations is produced by women
a) 25-30%
b) 40-50%
c) 60-80%
Question 2
True or false? Women control $4 trillion dollars in worldwide assets
a) true
b) false
Question 3

In what percentage of households are women the breadwinners (main wage earners)?

a) 1 out of 2 households

b) 1 out of 3 households

c) 1 out of 4 households

Task 1
Now watch this video about International Women's Day 2010, to see how many answers you guessed correctly.




How many answers did you get right?

Did any of the answers surprise you?

Task 2

On March 7, 2010, a UK-based newspaper called The Independent published a poll of 100 British women who, arguably, have done the most to shape the world we live in today.

Read these brief biographies of some of the women who were featured on the list.

Amy Johnson - Aviator

Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s. Johnson flew in the Second World War as a part of the Air Transport Auxiliary where she died during a ferry flight.

Anita Roddick - Entrepreneur

Dame Anita Roddick was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner. She was best known as the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company producing and retailing beauty products that shaped ethical consumerism. The company was one of the first to prohibit the use of ingredients tested on animals and one of the first to promote fair trade with third world countries.

Emmeline Pankhurst - Suffragette

Emmeline Pankhurst was an English political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement, which helped women win right to vote. In 1999, Time Magazine named Pankhurst as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century, stating: "she shaped an idea of women for our time; she shook society into a new pattern from which there could be no going back".


Jackie Collins - Novelist

Jackie Collins is an English novelist, screenwriter, and former actress. She is the younger sister of actress Joan Collins. To date, she has written 27 novels, all of which have been on the New York Times bestsellers list and have sold over 400 million copies worldwide. Her books are written for an adult audience and have been banned in some countries for being too explicit.

Julie Andrews - Entertainer

Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honours. Andrews was a former British child actress and singer who rose to prominence starring in musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, and in musical films such as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, the roles for which she is still best-known.


Kelly Holmes - Athlete

Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She set British records in numerous events and still holds the records over the 600, 800, 1000, and 1500 metres distances.

Mary Quant - Fashion Designer

Mary Quant, OBE, FCSD is a British fashion designer and one of the many designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants. Born to Welsh parents, Quant went to Blackheath High School then studied illustration at Goldsmiths College before taking a career with a couture milliner. She is also famed for her work on pop art in fashion.

Queen Elizabeth II - Queen of England

Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of the the United Kingdom and sixteen independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth. As well as acting as Head of the Commonwealth, she is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England. As a constitutional monarch, she is politically neutral and by convention her role is largely ceremonial

Task 3

Work with another student or a friend. Ask your partner these questions and write down their answers.

1) Which of the women you read about in Task 3 do you feel has done the most to empower and/or inspire other women? Why?

2) Which of the women you read about in Task 3 do you think has done the least to empower and/or inspire other women? Why?

3) If you were making your own list of women who have shaped the world we live in today, how many of these women (if any) would feature on it? Who would you include in your list, and who would you leave off it?

Word Game

Want a challenge?? Wait until it's fully loaded. Read the instructions and give it a go.Good luck!.

Word Machine

Oscar Night

If you like the cinema and are going to watch the Oscar Night on TV or listen to it on the radio next Saturday 7th March,  I'll strongly recommend you to have a look at this link with the trailers of all selected films ... in Original Version.
Have fun
Films

Mini-Sagas Competition

hiya all,
we've organized a competition to conmemorate the 8th March, International Women's Day. Have a look at this information

Mini-sagas competition

Multicines Jerez V.O.

And if you have time (and you are not celebrating Carnival) here there are two options to watch in English at the cinema.

Multicines Jerez 18:20 and 22:10

A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Tony Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolff) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job.

While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry’s chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?

And...

Multicines Jerez 16:25 and 20:15

During France's belle époque before World War I, elegant cars, mansions, and servants defined the lives of les grandes horizontals, the courtesans of kings and millionaires. One of the most successful, Lea de Lonval, is approaching a certain age when an older associate, Charlotte Peloux, asks Lea to take on her 19 year old son, whom Lea has called Chéri since he was a child. They become lovers and, to their surprise, the relationship lasts six years. When it ends abruptly with a marriage his mother arranges to the daughter of another courtesan, Lea finds herself miserable. Has she fallen in love? If so, do she -- and Chéri - have any choices?

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was released from prison on 11th February 1990. We've celebrated 20 years of his release this week. "Invictus" is at the cinema the moment. It's not a biography of Mandela but it is interesting to know about South Africa and its histoy. And Morgan Freeman is awesome!!