26/12/09

21/12/09

CHRISTMAS JOKES


1. What's a child's favourite king ant Christmas?

A stocKING!

2.
What never eats at Christmas time?

The turkey , it is always stuffed.

3.What goes red white red white red white?

Father Christmas rolling down a hill.

4. Who is Santa's most famous elf?

Elfvis!

5. What is father christmas' wife called?

Mary Christmas

6.Why was Santa's little helper depressed?

He had low elf esteem

7.Who delivers presents to baby sharks at Christmas?

Santa JAws
8.How can a snowman lose weight?

He waits until it gets warmer.

9.What do snowmen eat for breakfast?

snowflakes.

10. What often falls at the North Pole but never gets hurt?

SNOW!

TRADITIONS OF BRITISH CHRISTMAS

NATIVITY:

The Nativity Play recreates the scene of Jesus’ birth in the stable and tells of how Mary and Joseph were visited by the Shepherds and Wise Men. The parts of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and the Wise Men are played by the children. In our school, the Year 3 children perform a Nativity to the whole school and to proud parents.

St Francis of Assisi (pictured left) is said to have created the first Nativity performance in Italy in about 1223. In those days, many people were unable to read or write so they couldn't read the Christmas story in the bible themselves. Also many of the church services were in Latin which they didn't understand.

St Francis decided to change all that. He wanted not only to tell the story of the first Christmas but to show people what it must have been like on that night in Bethlehem when Jesus what born so he set up a nativity scene. He got hold of some live animals, a manger and some hay. Then he asked people from his village to take the parts of Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds.

Traditional Christmas Decorations:
Why do we decorate our houses at Christmas time?

To celebrate Jesus' birthday on Christmas Day many people decorate their homes.

Red and green are the traditional colours of Christmas.

Green represents the continuance of life through the winter and the Christian belief in eternal life through Jesus.
Red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed at His Crucifixion.


Christmas decorations used to be put up on Christmas Eve and not before. Indeed, many people believed that it was extremely unlucky to bring evergreens, the traditional item to decorate homes, into the house before that date.

CHRISTMAS TREE:

Most houses in Britain, will have a tree of some sort or other which they will decorate and will place the presents under.


The Christmas tree became popular in England in 1841 when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, brought a Christmas tree over from Germany and put it in Windsor Castle. The Royal couple were illustrated in a newspaper standing around the Christmas tree with their children, and the tradition of decorating a tree became fashionable.

Where is the most famous Christmas tree in Britain?



In London, near the statue of Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square, a giant Christmas tree is set up and decorated with great ceremony each year. The tree is a thank you gift from the people of Oslo, Norway. During the Second World War, King Haakon of Norway was forced into exile in England when the Germans occupied his country. Since 1947, Norway has expressed its thanks for the help of the British people by continuing to send a huge Norwegian spruce to be shared by all



CHRISTMAS EVE:

Christmas Eve (December 24) is traditionally the day for decorating churches and homes. It marks the beginning of the period formally known as Christmas-tide.

What happens on Christmas Eve in Britain?
Father Christmas
Night time on Christmas Eve is a very exciting time for young children. It is the time when Father Christmas (Santa) comes.
The children leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas, and a carrot for the reindeer.

Christmas Stockings
From 1870, children have hung up Christmas stockings at the ends of their beds or along the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Children hang Christmas stockings or bags up ready for Father Christmas, who will hopefully fill them up with presents, if the children have been good.

Why do the children hang up Christmas stockings?
Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.

FATHER CHRISTMAS:

Father Christmas is our version of Santa Claus. He is an old jolly man with white hair, a beard and a moustache. He is dressed in a red suit outlined in white. Father Christmas and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in the North Pole.

Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nicholas.
St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas in Dutch, was a very shy man and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

CHRISTMAS DAY:

Christmas presents are opened on Christmas Day.Opening Christmas Stocking Presents
Christmas Day is the favourite day for children. They wake up very early in the morning to find their stockings have been filled by Father Christmas and excitedly unwrap the presents before going down to breakfast.

QUEEN'S SPEECH


A traditional feature of Christmas afternoon is the Queen's Christmas Message. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Queen gives her Christmas Message to the nation which is broadcast on radio and television.
The Queen's message is also broadcast throughout the British Commonwealth. The first televised broadcast of the Queen's Christmas message was in 1957, but it is a tradition begun on the radio in 1932 by George V. f projectbritain.com
The Queen has made a Christmas Broadcast to the Commonwealth every year of her reign except 1969, when a repeat of the film `Royal Family' was shown and a written message from The Queen issued.
In 2007, The Queen launched her own channel on video-sharing website YouTube, which featured the message.

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS:

A Christmas Cracker is a brightly coloured paper tube, twisted at both ends. A person pulls on each end of the cracker and when the cracker breaks, a small chemical strip goes “Pop” and the contents fall out. copyright of projectbritain.com
Christmas Cracker on a plate
Crackers are very traditional items to have at Christmas.
What is inside a Christmas Cracker?
A Christmas cracker traditionally contains a paper crown, a small gift and a joke written on a slip of paper.
The gift in a cracker depends on how much you have paid for the cracker.The more you pay the better the quality of the gift.
A box of 12 crackers costing £10 could come with gifts such as a shoe horn, compact mirror, playing cards, screwdrivers, address book, tape measure, pad lock, bottle opener, tweezers, travel chess, photo frame and pen.How to pull a cracker
The traditional way to pull a cracker is crossing your arms and ..

... pulling a whole circle of crackers around the table.
Everyone holds their cracker in their right hand and pulls their neighbours cracker with the free left hand.
Why do we wear king's paper crowns?
We wear paper hats on special occasions like Chritsmas Day and birthday parties. The tradition of wearing hats at parties goes back to the Roman Saturnalia celebrations (celebrated around 25 December) when the participants also wore hats. comThe idea of wearing a paper crown may have originated from the Twelfth Night celebrations, where a King or Queen was appointed to look over the proceedings. copyright of projectbritain.comThe paper crown hats we wear today are found inside the Christmas crackers.

Who invented the Christmas Cracker?

Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith in 1846.
During a visit to Paris he came across the bob-bon, a sugar almond wrapped in tissue paper (with a twist either side of the centrally placed sweet). Thomas decided to try selling similarly wrapped sweets in the lead up to Christmas in England. His bon-bons sold well at Christmas but not at other times of the year.
In the early 1850s Thomas came up with the idea of including a motto with the sweet. As many of his bon-bons were bought by men to give to women, many of the mottos were simple love poems
In about 1860, Thomas added the banger, two strips of chemically impregnated paper that made a loud noise on being pulled apart. At first these novelties were called 'cosaques', but they soon became known as 'crackers'.
Unfortunately for Thomas, his 'cracker' idea was copied by other manufactures and so he decided to replace the sweet with a surprise gift. When Thomas died his two sons took over the business. The paper hat was added to the cracker the early 1900s and by the end of the 1930s the love poems had been replaced by jokes or limericks.

Boxing Day:

When is Boxing Day?

In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26 December. However, strictly speaking, Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas (see definition in the Oxford English Dictionary).
Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means it is typically a non working day in the whole of Britain. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday the following Monday is the public holiday.

Why is 26 December called Boxing Day?

Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor.

from: www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk and www.projectbritain.com

CHRISTMAS ONLINE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

THIS IS A SELECTION OF SOME FUNNY AND INTERESTING GAMES FOR THIS CHRISTMAS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

WHERE IS RUDOLF?

19/12/09

4/12/09

PRESENT PERFECT (EXPLANATION AND ACTIVITIES)





The PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE:

The present perfect simple expresses an action that is still going on or that stopped recently, but has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.

Form of Present Perfect:

[has/have + past participle]

Examples:

I have seen that movie twenty times.

I think I have met him once before.

There have been many earthquakes in California.

People have traveled to the Moon.

People have not traveled to Mars.

Have you read the book yet?

Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.

A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.

For irregular verbs, use the participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add “ed”.


Use of Present Perfect :

1.Puts emphasis on the result
Example: She has written five letters.

2. Action that is still going on

Example: School has not started yet.

3. Action that stopped recently



Example: She has cooked dinner.

4. Finished action that has an influence on the present






Example: I have lost my key.

5. Action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking
Example: I have never been to Australia








24/11/09

DOWNTOWN- vocabulary related to the city.

downtown [1] - Visual Dictionary Online


Downtown
Central district of a city where the main cultural, economic and commercial activities are carried out.

Did you know all the terms that appear in the picture? they're really useful for travelling but if you're learning the directions and the buildings in a city, that's a great picture.

20/11/09

WATCHING NEW MOON

Watch These videos about NEW MOON and answer the questions presented at the end:









THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON: Movie Trailer - For more amazing video clips, click here

QUESTIONS:

VIDEO ONE:

1. WHAT'S THE NAME OF BELLA'S FRIEND?
2. wHAT IS HIS SECRET IDENTITY?
3 WHY DID EDWARD ABANDON BELLA, ACCORDING TO THE VIDEO?
4. WHO IS LOOKING FOR HER IN THE FOREST?
5. WHAT DID HAPPEN AT BELLA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY?

VIDEO TWO:

1. HOW DOES BELLA FEEL TOWARDS JACOB?
2 WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE OLD VAMPIRES?
3. WHO TELLS BELLA ABOUT EDWARD'S INTENTIONS?
4. WHERE DO THEY TRAVEL?
5 CAN YOU IMAGINE AN END FOR THIS VIDEO?

17/11/09

LISTENING COMPREHENSION: KATE MOSS


One of the things that the British are known for is our ability to queue! Recently there have been a number of queuing events which have made the news. One was the release of a new bag by a well known designer and at the beginning of May thousands queued for the midnight opening of the high street clothes retailer Topshop as they launched a new line of clothing designed by the British model Kate Moss.

In this programme we hear from people in the queue about why they are there. We also hear about Kate Moss herself and how she has remained so commercially successful despite controversies in her private life.

Before you listen to the programme look at the following comprehension questions. You can hear the answers in the programme.
Check your understanding by trying the quiz in the 'Extras' section below where you can also download the programme and a transcript.

1: Where was the designer bag originally sold?
2: How long has Kate Moss been modelling?
3: How was her career affected by pictures in the tabloid papers?
4: Did Kate Moss appear at the launch of her designs?

PROGRAMME SCRIPT (DOWNLOAD PDF)

LISTENING KATE MOSS


Vocabulary from the programme

to snap (something) up
to buy something in a sale or at a good price which isn't available for very long

an onlooker
someone who watches something happening in a public place but isn't involved

to catch a glimpse of someone or something
to see someone or something for a very short time

a label
the tag in an article of clothing which has the name of the company or designer

gorgeous / stunning
very attractive and good looking

to weather the storm of negative publicity
to survive a period when there are a lot of negative stories in the media

to come out on top
to come out of a difficult situation and still be successful

a small blip
a small temporary interruption which proves not to be very important

source: BBC WORLD SERVICE/ listenings.

LISTENING: The Reading Group


This listening is part of a series of listenings about a Reading Group. Try to follow the programme , if you get lost you can download the conversation script in pdf.

In today's programme we discuss some of the difficulties of reading in a different language, and we also visit an English language club in Russia.

download the script (pdf)

Listening

PAST SIMPLE AND PAST CONTINUOUS PRACTICE

Past Simple and Past Continuous

10/11/09

RECIPES FOR A CAKE CONTEST

The following delicious recipes are some examples of hundreds of recipes about cakes, muffins, pies or cookies that you can find in the internet.

Don't forget to add some cultural aspects in your recipes for the contest!!
RECIPES FOR NOVEMBER:

Christmas baking wouldn't seem complete without a batch of gingerbread men. These cookies are fragrant with ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; the amount of which can be adjusted to suit your own individual taste. If you like your gingerbread cookies on the soft side bake them a little less than the recipe states as the longer they bake the harder they will become. There are a few ways to decorate your gingerbread men; one is to press raisins into the dough before baking, or you can frost the baked and cooled cookies with confectioners frosting. You can also use gingerbread men as decorations for your Christmas tree or as gift tags. To do this, pierce a hole in the top of each unbaked cookie using a straw or end of a wooden skewer. Bake the cookies and then thread a pretty ribbon through the hole and hang on your tree.


Chocolate Truffles are a rich and elegant, bite-sized petit four made with a creamy mixture of chocolate, cream, and butter to which various flavorings are added (liqueurs, extracts, nuts, coffee, purees, spices, candied or dried fruits). This mixture is really a Ganache that is rolled into mis-shaped rounds to look like the real truffle fungus that grows around the roots of trees in France and Italy. Once the truffles are formed they are then rolled in cocoa powder to simulate the 'dirt' that the real truffles grow in. While cocoa powder is the traditional coating, truffles can also be coated in confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, toasted and chopped nuts, tempered chocolate, shredded coconut, or even shaved chocolate.

Shortbreads are traditionally a Christmas cookie made with just four ingredients, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour. They are a rich cookie with a delicate buttery flavor. These cookies freeze very well so they are the perfect cookie to make for the holiday season.

Pound Cake

Pound cakes were the cakes made by our mothers, our grandmothers, and our great-grandmothers. The name 'pound' was given to this cake because the original recipes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.





Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe


The Chocolate Chip Cookie was invented by Ruth Wakefield, who was the owner of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. The story goes that one day in 1930 she decided to add small chunks of a Nestle's Semisweet Yellow Label Chocolate bar to her butter cookie dough. The cookies were an instant hit with her customers and word of their popularity reached the Nestle company. Nestle must have realized that adding small chunks of their chocolate bar to cookie dough would appeal to the mass market because by 1939 Nestle was selling chocolate morsels (or chips). What a brilliant marketing plan it turned out to be when Nestle decided to package the chocolate chips in a Yellow bag and then bought the rights to the Toll House name and Ruth Wakefield's chocolate chip cookie recipe. They called her recipe "The Famous Toll House Cookie" and printed it on the back of the Yellow bag of chocolate chips.

THANKSGIVING BAKING



When a sponge cake is baked in a sheet pan and then rolled around a filling, it is called a Roulade (for the French), a Jelly Roll (for the Americans), and a Swiss Roll (for the English). Sponge Cakes (or biscuits) presented in this way have a beautiful pinwheel design and they are often filled with toppings like lemon curd, jam or preserves, fruit sauces, chopped nuts, ganache, or for this recipe I have used a raspberry whipped cream. Now, all the garnish a sponge roll really needs is a dusting of confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, but to dress it up, as I did, you can pipe rosettes of cream down the center of the roll and then top the rosettes with fresh fruit.

For further information or different recipes check the following link:
(para ampliar información o buscar recetas diferentes podéis buscar en el siguiente enlace:)


Source: Joyofbaking



5/11/09

CLASSROOM VOCABULARY / VOCABULARIO DE CLASE

THIS HANDOUT IS VERY USEFUL FOR THE BEGINNER STUDENTS OR 1ST AND 2ND COURSE OF ESO.


28/10/09

HALLOWEEN HANDOUT AND ACTIVITIES


Drop Everything and Read!


If you're a reader, you know the irresistible allure of a day spent doing nothing but reading. Snuggling up with a cup of tea on a rainy day with a good read, or basking in the sun on a bright afternoon with a book in hand ... don't you sometimes wish you could just drop everything and read?


The good news is that on Saturday, April 12th, you can do just that! Designated as National Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R.), it's a family-friendly reading event that will let book-lovers get their fill, and encourage reluctant readers to take time out and enjoy the act of reading, too. The event is inspired by the children's author Beverly Clearly, whose classic book Ramona Quimby, Age 8 features D.E.A.R. day, and on whose birthday the event falls. But you don't have to hit up such Cleary classics as The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Henry and Ribsy, or Ramona the Pest to celebrate D.E.A.R. Just take time out to pick up an old classic for a family read-aloud, or spend an hour browsing the stacks at your local library.


ACTIVITIES:


1 ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

- What's the meaning of D.E.A.R.?

- Is there any similar celebration in your own country?

- What's the biggest pleasure foa a reader according to the text?

- Which book is the inspiration of this celebration?


2. Translate into your language the following words:

Pick Up:______________

Drop:________________

Snuggling up:___________

Basking in the sun:________


3 Writing:

Write about your plans for a rainy day at home!


READING "THE BORROWERS"

I leavew this extra information about our compulsory reading this year, for those who want to expand their knowledge about this master piece of imagination. Once you read the book you'll be looking for small people everywhere.




Synopsis:



The Borrowers lived in the secret places of quiet old houses, behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They owned nothing, borrowed everything, and thought human beings were invented just for their use. Until one of the Borrowers made friends with a human.


Reviews


This is a fine fantasy about tiny people who live under the floorboards and account for the mysterious disappearance of safety pins and boxes of matches. However, when the big people are threatened with eviction it is the Borrowers who must thwart the baddies, which they do with much ingenuity and vigour, and save the house. This was the 1952 winner of the Carnegie Medal and it has lost none of its charm. The numerous dramatized versions for television and a highly successful film are testament to its huge popularity with today's children. (10 yrs +) The Godfather (Kirkus UK)



About The Author


Mary Norton (1903 – 1992), was born in London, the only girl in a family of five children. She was brought up in the Manor House in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, which later became the setting fof her most famous book, The Borrowers. She was educated at convent schools and, after a brief and unsuccessful time as a secretary, she became an actress. She was a member of the Old Vic Theatre Company for two years and always thought of herself more an actress than a writer.

She remembered her most thrilling moment as the time she first went on stage as an understudy at the Old Vic. She gave up the theatre when she got married and went to live with her husband in Portugal. There her two sons and two daughters were born, and she began to write.When war broke out in 1939, Mary’s husband joined the Navy and she brought her children back to England via the United States – she lived there for a while waiting for a passage home. She returned to the stage in 1943.

The Borrowers was published in 1952 and won her the Carnegie Medal, the most important prize in children’s fiction. The story was based on fantasies from her childhood when her short-sightedness made her aware of the teeming life in the countryside around her. C S Lewis, the author of the Narnia books, wrote to her in 1956: “May a stranger write his thanks and congratulations for ‘The Borrowers’ and ‘The Borrowers Afield’? They have given me great and (I anticipate) lasting pleasure…”. Films and TV series continue to bring new generations of children to Mary Norton’s books.


from:


18/10/09

COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES TEST / WORKSHEET

Handout Comparatives and Superlative

LEARN THE COLOURS (SMALL LEARNERS)



THIS IS ONE OF THE FAVOURITE SONGS FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN COLOURS, IT'S REALLY FUNNY!!

A, AN, THE, Zero Articles HANDOUT


10/10/09

Vocabulary: Objects of the class (video)

This video is a funny way to learn about the objects of the class. It's for my students in 1st and 2nd course of ESO (12-14 yrs)and those beginner students, anyway, have a look!

DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THEM?

2/10/09

adverbs of Frequency /Adverbios de Frecuencia


Adverbs of Frequency

The most common adverbs of frequency are always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, and never. The following chart shows the relative frequencies of these adverbs. It is important to understand that the percentages only show approximate frequencies; other sources will have slightly different numbers. What is important is not the absolute number, but only the relative frequency.

What are adverbs?

Traditionally an adverb is defined as a word that modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, or a whole clause or sentence. There are many kinds of adverbs; common types include adverbs of manner that tell how (easily, quietly), adverbs of time that tell when (afterwards, later), adverbs of place and direction that tell where (there, downstairs, backward, up), adverbs of degree that tell how much (very, almost, extremely) and adverbs of frequency that tell how often (always, sometimes, never).

What do we mean by adverbs of frequency?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often an action takes place.

Are there other adverbs of frequency?

Yes. In addition to the adverbs in the chart above, other common adverbs of frequency include constantly, generally, normally, regularly, frequently, routinely, repeatedly, occasionally, infrequently, and hardly ever.

Where do we put adverbs of frequency?

The basic rule is that adverbs of frequency come before the main verb but after present and past forms of be (am, are, is, was, were). In the case of tenses that use an auxiliary, we put the adverb between the auxiliary and the main verb. The following tables show the position of the adverbs of frequency in affirmative, negative, interrogative, and imperative sentences.

Affirmative Sentences

Beethoven often went to Baden for the summer
The bus is usually on time

Negative Sentences

Suzanne doesn't usually get involved in politics.
It doesn't often snow here at Christmas.
Iron supplements aren't usually necessary for men.

Interrogative Sentences

Are you always so cheerful in the morning?
Does Kimberly usually have breakfast at home?

29/9/09

Difficult topics and tips in your Speaking Test / Temas difíciles para preparar tu examen oral de Inglés


1. Describe a typical dish from your country:
You should say:

- What it looks like
- What it tastes like
- When people usually eat it
And say if you like it or
2. Describe something you often eat
You should say:
- What it looks and tastes like
- When you usually eat it
- What you usually eat it with
And say if you think it is healthy to often eat that thing, and why

3. Describe a food you really like:
You should say:
- Why you like it
- If most people you know also like it
- How you prefer to eat it
And say if you have always liked this food or not

4. Talk about a job you have done or would like to do in the future
You should say:
-Why you chose that job
- What the good things about that job are
- What the difficulties of doing that job are
And describe how it is different to other jobs

5. Talk about something to do to help the environment
You should mention:
- What you do
- How often you do it
- Why you do it
And say how that thing helps the environment

6. Describe your typical day when you are working or studying
You should say:
- What things you do
- How long you spend doing those things
- What the most difficult thing you have to do is
And say if you usually enjoy those days or not, and why

7.Talk about a hobby you have:
You should say:
- How often you do it
- Who you do it with
- What equipment is needed

8.Describe an ecological problem in your country:
You should say:
- What the problem is
- Why it happens
- How it can be solved
And say if you think it will be solved in the near future or not, and why

9.Describe a TV programme that you like
You should say:
-What kind of programme it is
- What you like about it
- How you first became interested in that programme
And say how that programme is different from other TV programmes that you like
And say why you enjoy doing that thing

10. Describe a film you saw which made an impression on you.
You should say:
What film and what type of film it is
When you saw it
What your favourite part of the film is
And explain why it made an impression on you

11.Talk about something you are reading at the moment or have read recently
You should say:
- How and why you got it
- How long you have been reading it
- If you would like to read something else by the same writer
And say what kind of person might like to read the same thing

12.Describe a famous painting or photo you have seen or know about
You should say:
- What it shows
- What is unusual about it
- Why it is famous
And say if you would like to hang this picture in your house or not, and why

22/9/09

WORLD NEWS FOR KIDS

THIS WEB IS FANTASTIC TO PRACTICE OUR STUDENTS LISTENING SKILL AND SPEAKING . THEY CAN TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT TOPICS ONCE THEY HAVE LISTENED TO THE NEWS.

16/9/09

INTRODUCE YOURSELF (BEGINNERS)

PRESENTARSE (NIVEL INICIAL) / INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Introduce Yourself

13/9/09

printable BILINGUAL list of idioms (spanish-english) / lista bilingüe de idioms

Lista Idioms

GIVING DIRECTIONS(BASIC VOCABULARY) DANDO DIRECCIONES

Giving Directions (Dando Direcciones)

How do I get to _______? - ¿Cómo llego a _______?
Turn right. - Doble a la derecha.
Turn left. - Doble a la izquierda.
Go straight. - Vaya derecho.
Go one block. - Vaya una cuadra (manzana).
Go past _______ - Pase _______
It's on the corner of ______ and ______. - Está en la esquina de _____ y _____

POE'S WORKS AND LIFE (downloadable books)


Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who were itinerant actors. His father David Poe Jr. died probably in 1810 and his mother Elizabeth Hopkins Poe in 1811, leaving three children, of whom William died young and Rosalie ultimately lost her mind. Edgar was taken into the home of a Richmond merchant John Allan and brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Never legally adopted, Poe took Allan's name for his middle name. Poe suffered from bouts of depression and madness, and he attempted suicide in 1848. In September the following year he disappeared for three days after a drink at a birthday party and on his way to visit his new fiancée in Richmond. He turned up in delirious condition in Baltimore gutter and died on October 7, 1849.

WORKS:



This is the first of three Poe's stories featuring his famous detective, C. Auguste Dupin. The setting is Paris, and the story goes on mainly at night and in Dupin's apartments. This leaves the reader with a sense of darkness and a little claustrophobia, adding to Poe's great style. Dupin is able to solve the murders of two women by just visiting the crime scene once and thinking a lot. The kind of solution given to the murders may seem a little simple, but we have to remember that this may be considered one of the first "detective stories" of all times. Conan Doyle was obviously inspired in some parts of Dupin's character and reasoning to create Sherlock Holmes. And the noir atmosphere is, as always, great. This is, appearently, not a story to be seen as "horror", but proves that Poe is one of the great authors of all time.



This work is an allegory which reveals how the public sphere operates on representation of the individual which takes autonomy away from the individual and leads to negation or death. In particular, it shows how women in Poe's time were barred from the public sphere altogether and were thus denied power and identity. Poe wanted to do more than entertain people; he wanted to influence how people thought, or how they perceived the world. Poe was mental subterranean, and wanted to reach the unconscious mind, through the doorway of fear.

8/9/09

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE LIFE AND WORKS


Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804.
His father was a sea captain and descendent of John Hawthorne, one of the judges in the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692. He died when the young Nathaniel was four year old. Hawthorne grew up in seclusion with his widowed mother - and for the rest of her life they relied on each other for emotional solace. Between the years 1825 and 1836 Hawthorne worked as a writer and contributor to periodicals. He married in 1842 Sophia Peabody, an active participant in the Transcendentalist movement, and settled with her in Concord. A growing family and mounting debts compelled their return to Salem. Hawthorne was unable to earn a living as a writer and in 1846 he was appointed surveyor of the Port of Salem, where he worked for three years. Hawthorne died at Plymouth, New Hampshire, on May 18th, 1864.

His main works:

THE SCARLET LETTER (downloadable book)
Drama
The main action of The Scarlet Letter, the illicit love affair of Hester Prynne with the Reverend Arhur Dimmesdale and the birth of their child Pearl, takes place before the book opens. In Puritan New England, Hester, the mother of an illegitimate child, wears the scarlet A (for adulteress, named in the book by this initial) for years rather than reveal that her lover was the saintly young village minister. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, proceeds to torment the guiltstricken man, who confesses his adultery before dying in Hester's arms. Hester plans to take her daughter Pearl to Europe to begin a new life.


THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
(downloadable book)
Fiction
An evil house, cursed through the centuries by a man who was hanged for witchcraft, is haunted by the ghosts of its sinful dead, wracked by the fear of its frightened living. Written as a follow-up to "The Scarlet Letter", The House of the Seven Gables is truly a masterful blending of the actual and the imaginary.

29/8/09

Too , So and Very

I'll try to help you to differentiate between these three adverbs with this worksheet :

Too Very So Handout