British Money and Shopping

If you are thinking about going to Great Britain, you'd better get used to the coins and notes they use there before the trip.Some shopping vocabulary may also be useful. Follow the links below and by the time you arrive, you'll be an expert. After you do these exercises, leave your results in a comment!

Money coins and notes
How much is it?
Shopping vocabulary
In a shop - containers
At the clothes shop - dialogues

Africa

Africa is the second largest continent of the Earth, however we know very little about it. Follow the link below and then do the true or false exercise. Leave the results as usual in a comment.

Reading: Africa

True or False Exercise. Remember to justify your answers with a sentence from the text !

1.  The Sahara Desert is the oldest desert in Africa.
2.  The African elephant is the biggest animal in the world.
3.  You can get married in a small wedding in Africa.
4.  People in Ghana don't like drinking beer.
5.  Gorillas are brave and friendly animals.
6.  Humans have got as many vertabrae in their necks as giraffes.
7.  Lake Victoria is the world's largest lake.
8.  The most populated country is South Africa and the most populated city is Egypt.

Edinburgh Summer Festivals

A lot of summer festivals are celebrated around the world these days. One of the most famous ones is The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Click on the link below to learn more about this and other festivals and then do the comprehension exercises. Leave the answers to these exercises in a comment!

Edinburgh Summer Festivals
Comprehension exercises

Prepositions

Today we are dealing with one of the most difficult grammar aspects of the English language. Prepositions may seem easy but you need to practise a lot if you don't want to make mistakes. Click on the links below and leave your results in a comment.

Prepositions of time 
Prepositions with transports
Prepositions of movement
Prepositions of place
Prepositional phrases

Peppa Pig

Watching cartoons is an excellent way to improve your knowledge of any language. Cartoons are usually easy to understand and they include common vocabulary and grammar. Click on the video below and enjoy it!

After watching it, answer the following questions and leave them in a comment as usual.
1. Who is the most hard-working person?
2. What are her jobs?
3. Why isn't the Queen wearing a crown?
4. What other questions do the children make?
5.  What does the Queen need to play in the garden?

Sports in Britain

British people like and practice a variety of sports. Click on the video to discover more about this topic and leave the answer to these questions in a comment.

1. Apart from Wembley and Wimbledom, what other places are famous for sports in Britain?
2. How many  public swimming pools are there in Britain?
3. What is the most popular sport in Britain?
4. Apart from cricket, what other unusual sports people do in Britain?

If you need to practice sport vocabulary, follow the links below.
Sports 1
Sports 2

Idioms in English

Idioms are common set phrases used in any language. They are sometimes difficult to translate and you may not find a translation in your language, so it's better to learn them in context. Watch the video below to learn some very common idioms

In your comment, write the equivalent to these common Spanish idioms:
1. llover a cántaros
2. costar un riñón
3. ser el ojito derecho de alguien
4. pillar a alguien con las manos en la masa
5. el mundo es un pañuelo

And then look for the translation of these idioms:
1. to kick the bucket
2. to be on cloud nine
3. to be a piece of cake
4. money talks
5. to pull somebody's leg
6. to tie the knot
7. to cry wolf
8. to get the sack

Health problems

This topic is very useful, however it is difficult to find it in textbooks. I suggest that you learn it and get some practice thanks to the links below. You never know when you may need it! Leave your results in a comment as usual.

How do you feel? 
Health problems 
Health Advice 

Homes in Britain

After watching the video, answer the following questions and leave them in a comment:

1. What does the familiy do in the living room?
2. Why is a kettle important?
3. Who is Oscar?
4. Apart from houses and flats, where do people live?
5. Which is the most famous British home? Why?

Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are usually short stories that include magical or fantastic creatures. Each culture has got their own legends and heroes, but some stories have become known all around the world. Which one is your favourite fairy tale? Do you like the moral behind most of the stories? Write the summary of your favourite story in your comment this time.
Click on the video below to watch one of these famous stories.

Fiesta

Fiesta is the name of a famous novel written by Ernest Hemingway in 1926. He visited Pamplona during the Sanfermines on several occasions and he enjoyed it very much. Today is San Fermin's Day and it's the perfect day to learn more about the history of this celebration and Ernest Hemingway's visits to Spain.

History of the Fiesta 
Hemingway and the Sanfermines

After reading the articles, answer these questions and leave them in a comment.
1.  Which three celebrations are behind the origin of the Fiesta of San Fermín?
2. At the beginning, when was the fiesta celebrated? Why did it change?
3. Which events are common during the Fiesta of San Fermín?
4. Which is the English name for the novel Fiesta?
5. What did Hemingway do during his visits to Pamplona? Give three examples at least.

Game of Thrones in Spain

The popular HBO TV series Game of Thrones will be partly filmed in Andalusia in the next few months. These images will be shown on its fifth season and Spanish fans are excited about the news. If you want to know more, follow the link below.

Game of Thrones in Spain

Here are some questions about the article. Leave a comment with the answers.

1.  Who was the first person that talked about the news?
2.  Which places will be probably used for filming in Spain?
3.  What is Seville Mayor's opinion about the news?
4.  What did the HBO people study during their visits to Spain?
5.   In which other countries is Game of Thrones shot?

Grammar Holidays

If you need to revise your grammar during the summer holidays, I recommend you to follow the link below, print the worksheets and then check your answers with the key pages. Don't cheat and you will improve your grammar knowledge easily!

Grammar holidays with key

British and American English

This is a list of the most important vocabulary differences between British and American English. Or maybe you prefer to watch a video instead. Click below to help you with the exercises. Remember to leave your results in a comment.

Video exercises
Vocabulary list
More exercises

Mr. Selfridge

This summer the British TV drama Mr. Selfridge will be broadcasted in Spain for the first time. But , who was the real person behind the character? How was his childhood and young years? Did he become rich? Follow the link below and leave the answers to the questions in a comment.

Mr. Selfridge: the true story

1. On which book is the TV drama based?
2. Did he have a happy childhood? Explain why / why not
3. Which were Mr. Selfridge's jobs in America?
4. Why was Selfridge's Store a " marvel" ?
5. Explain two important innovations in the world of shopping made by Mr. Selfridge.

Present Simple and Continuous

The Present tenses are very common and you should know how to use them, but in case you need to revise, have a look at the links below, get some practice and leave your results in a comment!

Present Simple / Present Continuous 1
Present Simple / Present Continuous 2
Present Simple/ Present Continuous 3

UK Symbols

The Union Jack is not the only symbol associated with the United Kingdom, most of them are related to religious or historic people. Have a look at the link below to find out how many symbols you know and then leave a comment with your results!

UK Symbols

Alphabet

Summer is a good time for revising what you should know by now. The alphabet is something really basic and useful, especially in phone calls. If you still have some problems when spelling in English, click on the video below and let the Sesame Street muppets teach you. Have fun!

The Olympic Games

 From July 27th to August 12th, London will be hosting the 30th edition of the Olympic games. It will be the third time, having previously done so in 1908 and 1948. But, how much do you know about the history of the Olympic Games? Click on the link below and  leave the answers to these questions in a comment.
  The Olympic Games

1. When did the Modern Olympic Games begin?
2. The Statue of Zeus- How was it?
3. Why was the Sacred Truce important?
4. What events were in the pentathlon?
5. Were women allowed to attend the Games? Explain.

Summer plans

If you haven't got much money to spend on your holidays this year, don't worry! Click on the link below to get 13 ideas to enjoy yourself almost for free. Which ones do you prefer? Are there any other ideas that you would like to suggest? Leave your answers as usual. Enjoy your summer!
13 anticrisis summer plans