Christmas traditions: Reading

Christmas is the biggest winter festival celebrated in the UK. You may know about the most common traditions such as the Christmas tree or card-giving, but where did they come from ? Click on the link below  to find the answer to these questions and leave the answers in your comments.

Christmas traditions

1. Who brought the modern Christmas tree tradition to England?

2. Was turkey eaten in the Middle Ages Christmas dinner? Explain.

3. How old is the Chrismast card tradition?

4. Are Christmas carols very old? Explain.

5. Why did Celtic people use the mistletoe?

The history of chocolate

Can you imagine your life without chocolate? Are you addicted to it? How much do you know about its history? Play the video below and complete the missing information in the sentences.

1. Before the 16th century, chocolate only existed in ......
2. Cacao beans were believed to be .....   food.
3. Aztecs used cacao as .......
4. At first in Europe people used cacao as ............ because it was bitter.
5. The cocoa press was invented in ........
6. Milk chocolate was invented by a ................ producer.
7. Human rights have been abused in Africa due to ......... and ...........

PAU tips

Sooner or later, you´ll have to take your PAU exams in English. In the first link below you'll find some useful tips in order to get good marks. In the second link, you have exercises to practise.

PAU Tips
PAU exercises

Grammar for ESO and Bachillerato students

We have just finished another school year, and you may need some help in order to revise for your September exams. Try these two links below to find the most common grammar points for ESO and Bachillerato students. Do the exercises and then check them with the keys provided.

ESO Grammar

Bachillerato Grammar

Listening: Teens going veggie

Have you ever thought about becoming vegetarian? Did you know that the number of vegans in the UK grows every year? Listen to five teenagers talking about the reasons why they decided to quit eating animals and then do the matching and the multiple choice exercises. Leave your results in a comment as usual.

Teens going veggie

Writing: A biography

In this post, I invite you to write about a person you admire. In order to do it, first find out or think about the following information:

1. Introduce the person and give background details.

2. Describe the main events of their life and their achievements.

3. Explain why you admire this person.

What do astronauts eat in space?

Have you ever wondered about the food astronauts eat in space? If so, have a look at the following video about some healthy snacks

Now decide if these sentences are "True " or "False". Remember to correct the false ones.
1. A snack can be eaten either mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
2. Fruit eaten on the space station is sometimes fresh.
3. Seeds and nuts are not a good idea for a healthy snack.
4. Samantha has got a special power bar made for her by a chef called Stefano Potato.

After watching the video , read the article in the link below and answer the questions.
Astronauts Food
5. Eating in space is difficult because of the lack of gravity, give some examples.
6. What were the first space foods like? Were they tasty?
7. Were space foods prepared in a special way?
8. Is it possible to eat hot meals in space? Explain.
9. What do you need to drink in space?

Quantity

Expressing quantity in English is a basic grammar point. However, there are so many that it is worth revising them in order to avoid mistakes. Click on the links below and leave your results in a comment as usual.

Quantifiers

Too or Enough

Much / Many / A lot of

Jokes

In a couple of days it will be April's Fool Day again. Have you ever played a trick on someone? What did you do? How did he / she react? What do you think about the jokes suggested in the video below? Which one is your favourite? Leave your answers in a comment as usual.

Writing: A Memorable Experience

Today I suggest you to write a composition giving details about a memorable experience you have had. Explain when was it, who you went with, where you went, what you saw, what activities you did, what you ate and how you felt. Remember to leave your writing in your comment.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar has been a British territory for more than 300 years. Have you ever visited it? What are its must-see attractions? Click on the video and answer the questions below it. Remember to leave your answers in a comment as usual.

1. Gibraltar is a mixture of Spanish and British influencies. The video gives five examples related to shops and restaurants.
2. How do you get to the top of the Rock?
3.Why should you be careful with the monkeys?
4. What two tourist attractions are there inside the rock?
5. Apart from monkeys, what other animals can you spot in the Gibraltar Bay?

The Passive Voice

The Passive Voice is more common in English than in Spanish. We use it when we intentionally want to hide the subject of the sentence or when we want to emphasize the action more than the doer. If you need some practice on this grammar point, click on the links below and then leave your results in a comment as usual. 

Present and Past Simple Passive

Present, Past, Future and Present Perfect Passive

Advanced Passive Exercises

Blue Jeans