Categoría: GENERAL

Hello once more guys! How are you keeping? This week we will be focusing on the topic of SHOPPING, CONSUMERISM and FASHION, which we began to see last week in Unit 6 and in the Real English section on Milan.

And these are the RESOURCES I would like you to work with.

• Vocabulary

Vocabulary bank: Shopping and Fashion   A vocabulary list of expressions and examples related to the topic. Learn and revise some of the key vocabulary. You will be familar with part of it, already seen in B1 and B2.1, for sure. Go through it in depth and think about how to use the words and expressions to convey your own ideas.

• Listening comprehension

– A shopping trip This is a short and fairly simple activity. A dialogue between two friends who chat about shopping habits and use some of the vocabulary recently learnt. Identify speakers and gap-filling exercise.

exercise + key and script      audio

– ‘Buy Nothing’ Day This is a bit more challenging listening activity! An anti-consumerist is interviewed on a local radio station about Buy Nothing Day. Multiple choice.

exercise + key and script      audio

• More vocabulary work on Shopping

Do now this last and far more complex vocabulary activity to work a little more in depth on the topic:

Vocabulary exercises + key

• Pronunciation: -ed regular past and participle

– Videos: Watch these three online videos which clearly explain the rules of pronunciation and give examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh_DM7qJGWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0nF-xNWd2A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWuS7rfZlDQ

– Exercise: 

rules of -ed pronunciation      exercise      key

That’s all for now. I’ll get in touch in one week at the longest!

Ready for this first de-escalation week’s homework? I expect so ?

Here you have the weekly LESSON PLAN.

• Relative pronouns and relative clauses

– Open World. Grammar reference Unit 6, p. 217. Read the brief explanation that reminds you of the difference between a defining and a non-defining relative clause, and then watch the *Grammar on the Move video on p.87, or the other way round, as you prefer, before doing the two exercises on p.217. Note that in ex.2 n°4, the pronouns who/that can be omitted, as they are the object of the clause (this option is not in the key).

*If for any reason you cannot read the Grammar on the move QR videos, you can see those in this unit through these links:

p.84 Prepositions   http://www.cambridge.org/OW_First_Vid17

p.87 Relative clauses   http://www.cambridge.org/OW_First_Vid18

Go back to Relative clauses p.87 and do the exercises there, 1 to 5. Notice the use of whom, which you might not have come across with till now. In ex.4, sentence 5, both who and whom can be used with exactly the same meaning, being whom the most formal option. In exercise 5 you will practise some expressions with which and whom; in these phrases only whom is correct, but not who.

– Check out these links if you need to learn more about whom

who vs whom: grammar rules

whom: exercise 1       whom: exercise 2

– Here is a useful video about relatives, which I guess will help you a lot

Relatives: grammar lesson

– And these are some extra exercises to practise relatives more in depth

Relative clauses: rules+online exercises with answers

Stonehenge: relatives who/which -exercise with answers

Relative pronoun: necessary or not? -exercise with answers

Relative clauses: online test with answers

Relatives: exercises+key (printable pdf)

• Vocabulary

– An unforgettable experience. Open World, p.88. Do the exercises devised to help clarify the difference between pairs of words such as sensitive and sensible, which are easily confused. Take your time to reflect upon the examples. Note the spelling and how you would pronounce them too (use a dictionary with pronunciation audios if needed). Any doubts? Let me know.

– An influential environmentalist. Open World, p.90. This short cloze text tests relatives and prepositions mainly. Fill in as much as you can. Read the words before and after the blanks carefully in order to find clues about what part of speech is needed.

• Extra listening practice 

exercise + key     audio 1      audio 2

Enough for now, but there will be some more next week!

Welcome to this last week of April! Here’s the homework you have been waiting for!    ; -)

• Unit 13 Open World

– Grammar: Like/As p.173. Watch the video on this page and then go to the Grammar reference section p.230. Read the rules and examples and do the exercises. Remember that such as and like are synonyms, while as alone has other different meanings: as witty as…; as I have already mentioned,…

These two links explain the grammar rules and difference between As and Like, plus exercises:

As vs Like  British Council

As vs Like  Perfect English Grammar

– Reading and Use of English p.177: A career in fashion. Do the reading comprehension text and the vocabulary exercise. There is really interesting vocabulary in there, such as make a living, set up a business, go for something, give something a go, high-street brands, pay off, etc. Try to remember at least some of the expressions and add them to the vocabulary you use when speaking or writing.

On p.180 of the unit there is another reading exercise you can do about Jobs in the retail industry. If you decide not to do it, spend a minute anyway to check out that you understand the words retail and retailers. Look them up in the dictionary. Pay attention to this expression as well, if you do not know it: work extra shifts to make ends meet (end of text B)

• Real World: Going shopping in Milan.

This section contains a great deal of practical language related to shopping, apart from cultural facts about Milan, its fashion industry and street markets.

Go through exercises 1 to 5, paying attention to the vocabulary and thinking about the questions posed. Ex.6 is a listeningactivity which revises some of the most common conversational exchanges you need when going shopping and specifically shopping for clothes. In ex.7 you work on the vocabulary used in the previous listening.

Move on to ex.9, the video about Milan. Instead of the exercise in the book, I have prepared a gapped text of the script for you to fill in while listening. The key is in the same document:

Listening: Milan

• Writing Bank Open World

– pp.240-1. An Article. Here you have some very good exercises to practise how to write an article.

Articles are usually neutral, although, depending on what their purpose is, they may be more or less informal. They usually include personal opinions and experience, as well as any other things that might catch the readers’ attention. Articles normally have a title.

Go through ex. 1 to 8, which deal with articles on different topics. Pay attention to the vocabulary, the structure, the tips given in order to write a good article and the Key language for articles box. Note that in ex.8, question 4, you need to add a comma after expensive, so the right answer should be «, which therefore means…»

• Writing task: ARTICLE

And here is the article I would like you to write: A favourite place to visit

A lot of work, I know.

Have a good week!

Hiya,

Here is the homework I told you about. This is the last leg of the school year, so just a little bit more of effort!

• Open World

– Progress check 2 pp. 80-81. You can do all of the exercises so as to revise  the vocabulary and grammar of units 3 and 5. In ex.3 you have guided practice on how to write an informal email.

– Grammar reference p.216: Prepositions. Watch the video on p.84 and the read the grammar explanations and do the three exercises on the page. Go back to p.84 and do the exercises there as well. Correct them all and let me know if you have any questions or problems.

• Extra practice

– Online listening:  Attitudes to friendship  (with audio, key and script)

– Grammar presentation:  Relative clauses

Watch the power point slides several times to revise relative structures and possibly learn new things about them. You’ll be doing more work on them next week.

•  Writing: A Review.

Revise the exercises you did in previous posts and the review sample texts in Open World unit 5. Remember you also have examples of a book/film review in the Writing Bank section of this blog.

Afterwards do the following WRITING TASK:  A FILM REVIEW

If you wish to send it in, please do as soon as you can write it and, if possible, before Friday May 1st. Remember to use about 160-180 words.

This is an example of a film review you may be helpful. You can use it as a guide for yours:  Skyfall

That’s it! There’s more to come next week!

Hi everybody! Welcome to this new post and the work scheduled for this week, which is the sixth after the classes came to a close in March. I hope all of you keep safe and healthy! And looking forward to some more English homework to do! ?

• Open world

– REAL WORLD. Having a great time in Essaouira. pp. 170-171

To finish off this unit, what better than a visit to Essaouira? Read the text on page 170, extracted from a brochure about Essaouira, and do the reading exercise. Notice some interesting vocabulary associated with the language of travel or tourist brochures, such as «state-of-the-art», «remarkable architecture» or «a popular spot», some of which is used in ex. 2 on the following page 171.

Ex.4 is a listening activity. There is plenty of useful informal language in the dialogue. After you answer the question in the exercise, and check that you are right, go through the script on page 332 and then come back to p.171 and practise the language a bit more by doing ex.5.

Watch the video about Essaouira several times and, as usual, try to extract the information needed to answer the task in ex.7.

Suggested answers:

The city of Essaouira- located on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, 80,000 inhabitants, on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The Citadel du Port- built in the 18th century, visitors can watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

Tourism- camel rides along the beach; famous for its traditional handicrafts, musical instruments and leather bags; Gnoua music festival.

Agriculture- argan nuts are produced here, which are used to make hair and beauty products.

Water sports- known as Morocco’s «windy city», visitors can try kitesurfing.

Here is the video transcript:  Essaouira

• Extra practice

– Reading and grammar: «4 notices». Practice on ability structures

exercise       key

– Listening: «Heavy texting»

exercise/key/transcript        audio

– Grammar revision: Gerund and Infinitive

gerund/infinitive

Try to find time to have a look at these things, at least part of them. Troughout the week I might write again, either here or through email, if there is any news concerning the school year and the assessment.

Keep your spirits up!

A brand-new week has just began, so here is the HOMEWORK plan for this sixth week of lockdown. I hope you have been able to do at least part of the tasks in previous posts and feel like going on working now that the school year is not far from its end.

• Open World

– VOCABULARY p.74, ex.1. Complete the table and check your answers. Then think about other possible adjectives to add, for example: positive– wonderful, great, spectacular, marvellous; negative– monotonous, disappointing, heavy-going. Use the vocabulary in ex.1 to fill in the blanks in ex.2, where you will find useful sample sentences that can be used to review films, books, etc.

– Move on to Push yourself to C1. p.74. Do the three exercises in the section. It is very good practice of the vocabulary of Reviews.

– SPEAKING p.75. Reaching agreement. In this section you will practice phrases to be used during the process of trying to take a decision together. Although EOI exams are different from Cambridge ones, this is a key element in the Interaction part of the speaking paper in Certificación, and, of course, an indispensable skill in real life conversation. Think about the questions posed in ex.1. The paintings in the photos could be described as: 1. Abstract, 2. A landscape, 3. A still-life, 4. Child-like.

Listen to the conversation in ex. 2, 3 and 4. Pay special attention to the phrases in 3/4. Go through the script and try to memorise the expressions you find easier to remember. Move on to ex.5, which focuses on some interesting adjectives used in the listening exercise to describe the photos.

– EXAM FOCUS. Writing: Review. Skip p.76 and go to p.77. Read the Exam tips about how to write a review and the task proposed you will find at the bottom of the page, A concert review. Afterwards, see the model review on page 304, which answers the writing task.

– LISTENING p.77. Maybe not exactly the same number of speakers, but this type of listening exercise is very common in Certificación exams. Do it, check your answers and read the script thoroughly to get ideas about the topic and get familiar with the vocabulary.

– REAL WORLD p.78. Making arrangements in Bristol. Read the introductory information about Bristol in ex.1 and the three texts from a guide book. Their aim is to attract visitors and therefore they use positive language, a mix of fact and fiction. Pay attention to interesting vocabulary such as » a must-see», «miss out on», » treat to», «get the most of», » home to»or the use of relative clauses to pack in more information within a limited extension. Work on the vocabulary more in detail in ex.3.

Ex.4. Listen to two friends making arrangements for the weekend and complete the missing information. Do then ex.5, where you are asked to match the informal expressions in the dialogue to their less informal alternatives; revise those structures you already know and try to pick up a few ones, either informal or neutral.

Video: Bristol. p.79. As usual, watch the video several times and try to extract the information the exercise asks about.

Sample answers:

The city of Bristol- Located in South-West England, population of about 400,000, largest manufacturer of hot air balloons.

Famous ships- The SS Great Britain, first steam to cross the Atlantic in in 1845, now a museum.

The Clifton suspension bridge- crosses the River Avon, took 111 years to build.

Festivals- Harbourside: it takes places every year and celebrates the city’sconnection to the sea.

Music and art- Victoria Rooms: built in the 1800s, home to Bristol University’s music deparment; Bristol is famous for its organised street art.

After several runs, you can click on the link below for the whole script. Read it carefully and watch the video once more to check if now you understand everything:      Bristol: video script

•  Extra practice: Listening

«A festival organiser«

exercise       audio      script and key

«Lifestyles«

exercise and key       video

That’s all for the moment! I might get in touch again throughout the week, via this blog or email, to keep you updated on any news relating to the school year and assessment that you need to know, if there is any. Stay connected!

Keep safe!

Hello everyone! Easter Week is over, and here are the homework assignments I hope you can do in the next few days.

• Open World

– GRAMMAR p.166. Ability and Possibility. Watch the video and then go to the Grammar Reference section p.229 for grammar explanations and exercises. Back to p.166, think about the ideas in ex.1. Suggested answers: good– you get to meet famous people, you get to see a lot of new places, you can watch concerts for free; bad– you would spend a lot of time away from home, you would get the blame if things went wrong, some artists are very demanding.

Ex.2 is a listening activity focused on expressing ability. After doing it, complete the rules in ex.4 and correct yhe mistakes in ex.4. Check your answers and make sure you identify the different grammar patterns according to the structures used.

Ex.5 is a one-sentence picture description. Think about how the ability shown in each picture could be expressed. Suggested answers on p.331.

– SPEAKING p.167. Short responses with So, Neither, Either, Too. See ex.1 and think about how you could answer briefly. Here are some tips that may help you: when people get married there is usually a WEDDING CEREMONY followed by a MEAL. When you move to a new house, it is very common to organise a HOUSEWARMING PARTY for neighbours and friends. Before a baby is born, most people have a BABY SHOWER party, where gifts are presented by her friends to the woman who is pregnant. When a student graduates, on most occasions there is a GRADUATION CEREMONY.

Do ex.2 and listening ex.3. Use the script on p.331 to check your predictions and help you with ideas on the topic of celebrations. This is a very frequent topic in the Mediation part of Certificación. In listening ex.5 you are asked to fill in the blanks with short responses. Check that you understand the structures used.

– LISTENING p.168. Exam focus. This is a multiple choice listening comprehension test similar to those in Certificación. Listen to it thrice before checking or looking at the script. Afterwards, read the transcript thoroughly and pay attention to new important words, expressions you didn’t recognise, and the answers you failed and where the problem seems to have been.

– READING and USE of ENGLISH p.169. The main aim of this type of exercise, apart from developing reading skills, is vocabulary practice and word formation. It does not appear in Certificación in this format, but it is very good language practice.

– WRITING: REPORT. Remember you will not be tested on this format in B2. Nevertheless, reading reports on topics like the one on p.169 can help you to  become familiar with and get fluency in the kind of language and vocabulary you may be asked to use in mediation and also in writings, even if the format could be that of a formal letter or an article.

• Online grammar practice

Can/Could/Be able to. Use and practice

Can/Could/Be able to. Exercises

So/Too/Neither/Either. Use and exercises

• Listening test: «A festival organiser«

exercise       audio      script and key

Goodbye for now! Stay safe, make the most of this 5th week of lockdown and, if possible, try to find a little bit of time for English!

Hello again! How are you all keeping? Below you will find the guidelines for homework that I have prepared for this week.

• Open World:

– GRAMMAR p.72. If you have already gone through the Grammar reference on p.214, do exercises 1, 2, 3 and 4 on p.72. Ex.5 poses the question whether you have ever seen a film or play based on a book you have read. What are the differences between both? Which one do you prefer? -think about it! No need to do ex.6 on the same page.

– WRITING: REVIEW p.73. In the past book and film reviews were the main type of reviews. With the internet, people are often asked to review a wide variety of products and services, and they are more likely to review something they loved or hated, rather than something they considered average. The texts on this page are examples of reviews of a video game. Answer exercises 1 and 2 that are based on them.

Move on to the box with the rubric for a Book Review and the sample text given that answers it. Read it carefully. Ex.3 provides information about what a book review looks like: heading/ overview/ plot/ recommendation. See ex.4 too.

In the WRITING BANK of the book, page 238,  you will find an example of a Film Review. There are exercises and examples dealing with other types of reviews on pages 238-9 you can have a look at, but focus mainly on book and film reviews for the moment.

• More work to do

– In the EOI WRITING BANK section of this blog you will find more detailed information about the layout of Book/ Film Reviews and some sample writings.

– More on FILM REVIEWS. Learn some more vocabulary and do some practice on how to write a film review:  Film Review Practice

– More GRAMMAR PRACTICE: Narrative Tenses. 

past perfect or past continuous 1

past perfect or past continuous 2

– LISTENING: «Holidays and Places»

exercises        audio        transcript        key

– READING and USE of ENGLISH: «Art installations»

cloze text        options        key

Try to work on all this the present week before moving on to the following sections of Unit 5, which we will be doing next week.

Keep on safe and well!