Another A2 Blog Contribution

I am Dorys. I'm going to tell you about my hobby, teacher. 

I have loved dancing since I was a little girl. I danced in the town festival, I participated in contests with my cousins and friends. I had a lot of fun dancing and winning prizes. 

I love music and dancing, it is my favourite hobby. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music and during the week I go to the gym to practise zumba. 

Although I like to read a new book when I have some free time, most weekends I love to relax at home and spend time with family and friends, many of those weekends I do jazz dance with my daughters. My  favourite kinds of music are bachata, salsa, merengue and ballads. I love dancing: I relax and have a lot of fun, and it is also a way to exercise and improve my health.

A2 Blog Contribution

Hello, 

My name is María José and I am going to tell you about my hobbies.

I like dancing very much, but I don't usually go dancing because my husband doesn't like it. Sometimes my daughters and I turn on the radio and we dance a lot.

I like reading, but I don't have much time to read, so I try to read when I'm on holiday. I enjoy reading a book on the beach very much.

I like going to our family's country house in Cenicientos and take care of the flowers. I like collecting fruit and cooking jam with it. This weekend I have gone to the country and we have collected quinces. Now I have to cook  quince sweet and quince jam.

Do you like quince?

Bye, I'll see you tomorrow.

Idiom

What is the meaning of the highlighted words in the sentence below?

My uncle says that success in the rat race can make you rich, but it can also turn you into a self-centred and shallow person.

Vocabulary. All levels.

Vocabulary is easy! How many days in a year are there? 365, normally (on Earth).

If you learn only 5 new words a day, you will learn 5 x 365 = 1,825 new words in a year. ONE THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE WORDS. That is a lot of new words. And we are not counting all the other words you will learn in other ways - reading, conversation etc. Buy a notebook and write in 5 new words EACH day, EVERY day. Learn them! You will soon have an excellent vocabulary.

Click on the link below for more information:

Vocabulary | Learn English | EnglishClub

Coping with loneliness. This video is appropriate for all levels.

The WHO recently declared loneliness to be a global public health concern. I wanted to show you a new animated video we created to remind people that they are not alone if they're struggling with loneliness - and to share some simple coping strategies. Please feel free to share this short film with your networks.

How do you pronounce WHO? Do you know what it means?

What's the difference between lonely and alone?

Source: Coursera.

Kenny Rogers. Coward Of The County. C2.2. Class Activity.

Please don't watch this at home and don't read the lyrics either. Thanks. 

If you are in A2 or B2.1 and you want to listen, go ahead. What I love about this song is that it tells a story.

I Am From Palestine. Award-Winning Short Animation film

Award-winning children’s animation about the Palestinian-American experience.

Synopsis: As Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn't include her homeland.

Reading Comprehension Exercise. A2

Below you have a very simple short story that you can read in a moment. Reading regularly is one of the best ways to improve your English.

Emily is 8 years old. She lives in a big house. She has a huge room. She has many toys and she has a lot of friends. But Emily is not happy. She has a secret. 

She doesn't want to tell anyone about her secret. She feels embarrassed. The problem is that if nobody knows about it, there is no one that can help her.

Emily doesn't write her homework. When there is an exam – she gets sick. She doesn't tell anyone, but the truth is she can't read and write. Emily doesn't remember the letters of the alphabet. 

One day, Emily's teacher finds out. She sees that Emily can't write on the board. She calls her after class and asks her to tell the truth. Emily says, "It is true. I don't know how to read and write". The teacher listens to her. She wants to help Emily. She tells her, "That's ok. You can read and write if we practice together". 

So Emily and her teacher meet every day after class. They practice together. Emily works hard. Now she knows how to read and write!

Did you understand the story?

What do you think the moral is?

BTW, this reminded me of a film that I watched many years ago. 

Have you watched it? Did you like it? I loved it!

How to do MEDIATION in 10 simple steps (EOI). Please do watch this.

This video is for B2.1 and C2.2

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Who is the man in the picture?

Do you know why he's wearing those strange trousers? Can you guess?

Cecilia SIMON & GARFUNKEL

Sometimes, before I became a metalhead 🎸, I listened to songs that were not heavy metal. ☺️

More about reported speech. B21.

If you click on the link below, it will take you to a page that explains reported speech and also includes lot of exercises. 

You can obviously ask me any questions you might have.

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html

Reported speech. B21.

Here you can find two different videos that explain how to use reported speech correctly.

 

Another secret that will help you when learning English (Source: English Club)

Sentence Stress

Sentence stress is the music of spoken English. Like word stress, sentence stress can help you to understand spoken English, even rapid spoken English.

Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm or "beat". You remember that word stress is accent on one syllable within a word. Sentence stress is accent on certain words within a sentence.

Most sentences have two basic types of word:

• content words
  Content words are the keywords of a sentence. They are the important words that carry the meaning or sense—the real content.
• structure words
  Structure words are not very important words. They are small, simple words that make the sentence correct grammatically. They give the sentence its correct form—its structure.

If you remove the structure words from a sentence, you will probably still understand the sentence.

If you remove the content words from a sentence, you will not understand the sentence. The sentence has no sense or meaning.

To continue reading go to:https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/sentence-stress.php

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" Speech

Have you ever listened to this speech? 

Do you like it? 

Do you like King's style or do you prefer Malcolm X?

Below you can listen to the whole speech:

Happiness is helping others. B2.1. Class exercise (Written mediation)

Idiom

James will have to face the music when he

 a. goes to a concert

 b. goes to hospital

 c. goes to court

What is the meaning of the highlighted expression? What do you think is the correct answer?

The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History

If you are in C22 and you like history, then you will like this. There are also courses on many other different topics.

We're going to listen to the first five minutes and then we'll answer the questions below.

1

What is the purpose of the test mentioned in the video?

a

To measure your knowledge of history.

b

To determine if you are a productive citizen.

c

To evaluate your ability to think critically.

d

To assess your understanding of celebrity marriages.

2

According to the video, how did humans transition from hunting and gathering to creating modern inventions?

a

Through advancements in technology.

b

By developing new agricultural techniques.

c

Through a gradual process over thousands of years.

d

By learning from written records.

3

What does the video suggest about the origins of the English language?

a

It evolved from creole languages.

b

It was created by children.

c

It developed from ancient Latin.

d

It originated from written records.

4

According to the video, why did humans settle near shorelines?

a

To have access to abundant marine life.

b

To avoid dangerous predators.

c

To establish trade routes with other civilizations.

d

To take advantage of fertile soil for farming.

5

What advantage did agriculture offer to early human societies?

a

A stable food supply.

b

Increased leisure time.

c

Improved health and nutrition.

d

Greater opportunities for cultural expression.

6

What is one disadvantage of agriculture mentioned in the video?

a

Increased risk of famine.

b

Destruction of natural habitats.

c

Limited variety in food sources.

d

Difficulty in adapting to changing climates.

7

How did the development of agriculture contribute to the growth of cities?

a

By creating a surplus of food.

b

By promoting specialization of labor.

c

By encouraging trade and commerce.

d

By providing resources for construction.

8

According to the video, what impact did agriculture have on the environment?

a

It led to the extinction of certain species.

b

It caused significant deforestation.

c

It resulted in the depletion of natural resources.

d

It contributed to climate change.

9

What conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between agriculture and human society?

a

Agriculture has always been beneficial to human societies.

b

The advantages of agriculture outweigh the disadvantages.

c

The transition to agriculture was a necessary step in human development.

d

The impact of agriculture on society is still a topic of debate.

10

What is the main message conveyed by the video?

a

The importance of understanding the history of agriculture.

b

The impact of agriculture on human civilization.

c

The benefits and drawbacks of the modern food industry.

d

The role of foraging in early human societies.

What do you think of this story?

Tips to learn English. Number 1.

Word Stress is golden key number One for speaking and understanding English. Word Stress is very important. You can try to learn about Word Stress. This is one of the best ways for you to understand spoken English—especially English spoken fast. What is Word Stress? Take 3 words: photograph, photographer, photographic, for example. Do they sound the same when spoken? No! They sound very different, because one syllable in each word is "stressed" (stronger than the others). PHOtograph phoTOgrapher photoGRAPHic This happens in all words with two or more syllables: TEACHer, JaPAN, CHINa, aBOVE, converSAtion, INteresting, imPORtant, deMAND, etCETera The syllables that are not stressed are "weak" or "small" or "quiet". Native speakers of English listen for the stressed syllables, not the weak syllables. If you use Word Stress in your speech, you will instantly and automatically improve your pronunciation and your comprehension. If you have an English teacher, ask him or her to help you understand Word Stress. Try to hear the stress in words each time you listen to English—on the radio, or in films for example. Your first step is to hear and recognise it. After that, you can use it! For more about Word Stress—with audio files for you to listen to—please click on: Word Stress | Pronunciation | EnglishClub

50 TONGUE TWISTERS in English for Pronunciation Practice!

Learn English - Verb Tenses - Past, Present, Future (English Grammar). Maybe less annoying than the previous video. It's a question of taste.

And please look at the virtual classroom to find a PDF that explains all tenses with examples.

Verb Tenses. A2.

A2. Parts of speech.

Source: English Club : Click on the link below to see the exercise.

What is a Part of Speech? Quiz | Grammar | EnglishClub

What is a Part of Speech? Quiz

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It covers the What is a Part of Speech? page in our Grammar section, focusing on nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

1. "My sister speaks good English." Which word is a verb?

 sister
 speaks
 good

2. Verbs are one type of word, and ________ are another type of word.

 nouns
 letters
 sentences

3. How many different types of word, or "parts of speech", does English have?

 five
 seven
 nine

4. Different parts of speech have different jobs. What do verbs like "run" and "learn" do?

 express things
 express actions
 tell us more about a noun

5. "Let's watch a funny movie." Which word is a noun?

 watch
 funny
 movie

6. "Do you like your new teacher?" Which word is an adjective?

 like
 new
 teacher

7. Adjectives are words like "hot" and "loud" that tell us more about

 a noun
 a verb
 an adverb

8. Another part of speech is the adverb. These are words like "quickly" and "quietly" that tell us more about

 a noun
 a verb
 an adjective

9. "I always study hard before a test." In this sentence, which word is an adverb?

 study
 hard
 test

10. "The test wasn't difficult, so I passed easily." The word "difficult" is

 a verb
 an adverb
 an adjective

C2.2. Reading the news

If you want to read the news, there are many sources out there. Below there is an example of a summary of the most important news which I receive every day. If you want to subscribe, you only have to click on the link below to access their webpage: BBC - Homepage

13 November, 2023

Sofia Lotto Persio Hello. After a weekend marked by pro-Palestinian demonstrations across various European countries, the situation at Gaza's biggest hospital has grown increasingly desperate as fighting rages in nearby streets. Graeme Baker looks into what we know has happened to Al-Shifa hospital. In Poland, Sarah Rainsford talks to LGBT students and activists about their hopes for the future, should a different government take office. Finally, we have footage of a lion called Kimba taking a stroll through the streets of a town near Rome, before police took him back to the zoo from which he had escaped. TOP OF THE AGENDA Thousands trapped at Al-Shifa hospital Some patients who were brought from Gaza to East Jerusalem are now bound for the occupied West Bank, according to reports. Credit: Reuters/James Oatway An estimated 2,300 people have become trapped in Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital as fighting rages around the facility. The World Health Organization said on Sunday that Al-Shifa was "not functioning as a hospital anymore", with "constant gunfire and bombings in the area" worsening an already critical situation. Israel has promised it will help take the sick and the wounded, including more than 30 premature babies, to a safer location, but the evacuation has yet to happen. Over the weekend, Israeli President Isaac Herzog denied that the military was striking Al-Shifa, where they believe Hamas has a base underneath the building - a claim Hamas denies. Graeme Baker has a round up of what we know about the situation at the hospital and other key medical centres in northern Gaza. • 'It just feels the right thing to do': An English surgeon who was evacuated from Gaza in May explains why he'll return to the territory as soon as it's safe to do so. • US hostages: The White House says a three-year-old American, whose parents were killed by Hamas, is among the hostages in Gaza.  • Get the latest: Follow the live page for the up-to-date statements, analysis and images. WORLD HEADLINES • US presidential race: Senator Tim Scott has withdrawn his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination. • UK government: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman in a cabinet reshuffle that also saw former UK leader David Cameron, who resigned after the Brexit referendum, appointed foreign secretary. • Eruption alert: Earthquakes linked to volcanic activity in the area near Fagradalsfjall have weakened, even though they remain frequent and an eruption is still expected - see footage of a tremor rattling a house. • Helicopter crash: Five US service members have died during training after the aircraft suffered a mishap during training in the eastern Mediterranean. • On the run: A former police officer who was convicted over an infamous murder in Malaysia, but fled before his case concluded, has been released from Australian immigration detention and won't be extradited. AT THE SCENE |   Warsaw, Poland Rainbow after the storm Poland has repeatedly ranked bottom in the EU in terms of protecting LGBT rights. But at last month's elections, the conservative ruling party Law and Justice, or PiS, lost its majority. The possibility of a different government coming into power has LGBT activists hoping for a change in both tone and policy. Sarah Rainsford, Eastern Europe correspondent Sniadek school is something of an oasis in Poland. It hosts Rainbow Friday, an initiative meant to help young people understand diversity and feel accepted. In one of the corridors, students set up stands with photos of gay and lesbian celebrities and the stories of rights activists from around the world. "In my past school, one person always screamed 'faggot' at me. Now I'm living 200 kilometres [124 miles] from home just because this place is so tolerant," one of the students was eager to explain. Read in full BEYOND THE HEADLINES A match made in Communist Party heaven China's singles population is mostly made up of urban women and rural men. Credit: Getty Images Falling fertility rates are a concern for the Chinese Communist Party, which is encouraging millions of young women and men to reverse the trend. Across the country, bureaucrats have been mobilised to act as matchmakers, incentivising young people to get married, and for couples to stay married and have children. Why it's a struggle SOMETHING DIFFERENT About time Delve into the physics of time travel as part of this series honouring Doctor Who. What science says And finally... A lion was filmed roaming the streets of a seaside town near Rome. The big cat appeared to have escape from a circus, but it was captured by the police and returned to its owners. Watch the footage and hear how one of the residents reacted to the sighting.  Future Earth Newsletter Essential climate news and hopeful developments, in your inbox every Tuesday. Sign up here Do you have suggestions for what we cover in BBC News Briefing? You can email me to let me know what you think. And why not forward it to friends? They can sign up here. While you're at it, add newsbriefing@email.bbc.com to your contacts list and, if you're on Gmail, pop the email into your “Primary” tab for uninterrupted service. Thanks for reading! – Sofia

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