English in Madrid

Source:  Pazit Polak Here are a few Spain-related articles from years ago that you can read and comment on: “ @Channel4News : Alex Thomson is less than impressed by Spain's Barajas Airport ... http://t.co/EHBCPUl8 " Do you share his opinion? I do. — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) September 29, 2012 Chastened King Seeks Redemption, for Spain and His Monarchy http://t.co/iYxiL7O9 Is his plan to improve the monarchy's image working? — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) September 29, 2012 BBC News - Sephardic Jews invited back to Spain after 500 years http://t.co/6y4p8r6R0w (but muslims aren't). — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) March 6, 2013 Adiós, siesta? Spain considers ending Franco's change to working hours http://t.co/t2wBGHZmRO via @guardian — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) September 26, 2013 Spain pardons cop who filmed sex attack http://t.co/mCOlAaqEM1 vía @TheLocalSpain — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) June 17, 2014 Sp...

Source:  Alexander Popov on Unsplash A binomial pair is an expression containing two words which are joined by a conjunction (usually and or or ). The word order of a binomial pair is usually fixed.  Here are a few examples:  a rant - a long, angry and confused speech (diatriba, bronca)  e.g. His speech turned into a rant about the political situation. to rant - to speak, write or shout in a loud, uncontrolled, or angry way, often saying confused or silly things (despotricar, echar pestes)  e.g. She was ranting (on) about the traffic for what seemed ages . to rave - to speak in an uncontrolled way, usually because you are upset or angry, or because you are ill (despotricar, desvariar)  e.g. It was frightening the way he was raving , pacing up and down the street - like a madman .   to rave about - to express praise and admiration for someone or something enthusiastically (entusiasmarse por algo,  alabar con entusiasmo...

Source: Wikipedia (Chrionexfleckeri1350 ) China's Singles Day: 3m people, 4,000 planes and cargo ships Three million workers, helped by 4,000 planes and ships, are getting ready for the world's biggest online sale - with " revenge spending" tipped to be one of this year's biggest trends . China's Singles Day on 11 November is the world's biggest 24-hour online shopping event, with 1.9bn products ordered and delivered last year. But it is thought pent-up demand from the pandemic will break new records . Robot cleaners, vacuums and toolboxes are all expected to be popular. However, luxury brands are also hoping to get a boost , as millions of Chinese who have been unable to travel overseas on shopping trips go online for what experts are dubbing "revenge spending". "We anticipate ongoing international restrictions will cause a meaningful shift in Chinese consumers buying luxury online," said Michael Norris, at market research...

Source:  Matt Seymour on Unsplas h Covid-19: 'Lockdown' declared Collins Dictionary word of the year  "Lockdown" has been declared the word of the year for 2020 by Collins Dictionary, after a sharp rise in its usage during the pandemic.  It "encapsulates the shared experience of billions of people", Collins said. Lexicographers registered more than 250,000 usages of "lockdown" during 2020, up from just 4,000 last year.  Other pandemic-linked terms on the 10-strong list include " furlough ", " key worker ", " self-isolate " and " social distancing " as well as "coronavirus".  According to the dictionary, lockdown is defined as "the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces".  It came into common parlance as governments around the world responded to the spread of Covid-19 in early 2020 by placing strict measures to stop transmiss...

Source: You Tube (STV News) Key words: Sturgeon Covid speech The last six months have been unprecedented .  They ’ve been the hardest many of us have ever lived through   But through our collective efforts across Scotland, we did beat Covid back.  As a result – although too much heartbreak has been endured and too many families are grieving – many lives were also saved.  But as we enter winter, and with many lockdown restrictions now thankfully lifted , the challenge is once again getting harder.  Albeit from the very low level we achieved in the summer, cases are rising again.  In the last three weeks, they have almost trebled.  And as the virus spreads , we see more people being admitted to hospital again and sadly dying.  So we are once again at a tipping point . We must act to get Covid back under control.  And protect the things that matter most to us.  In a global pandemic of a virus with as yet no vaccine, we simply...

Source: Wikipedia (Zarateman )  Spanish church slammed over 'frightening' sculpture restoration   A lick of paint can do a lot to lift a drab interior, but when it comes to historic sculptures it turns out the job is best left to experts.  That is what a church in Spain discovered after hiring an arts and crafts teacher to freshen up a 16th-Century wooden sculpture of St George.  Images shared on social media showed the warrior with a transformed pink face and bright coloured armour.  Cultural officials have blasted the botched attempt as "frightening".   "We cannot tolerate more attacks on our cultural heritage ," Spain's art conservation association (ACRE) said in a statement . "It shows a frightening lack of training of the kind required for this sort of job."  The parish priest in the northern town of Estella simply wanted the sculpture to be cleaned and did not intend for it to be restored , the Efe news agency reports....

Source: Edge2Edge Media on Unsplash Have a look through previous posts on linkers to remind yourselves how to use them. Then have a go at the following questions. A: Are these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong. Rob can somehow afford to go on holiday despite he doesn't have a job. In spite of  the pain, he was able to finish the marathon. Although he's been a colleague for two years now, I don't know much about him. She didn't get the job even she had all the necessary qualifications. The plan has a lot of support among the public. There are, however, certain risks involved. He was a ruthless dictator, yet many people admire him. He has had a number of health scares. It hasn't stopped him smoking, though. Mopeds are great for getting around the city. On the other side, they are involved in many accidents. Unlike most of my colleagues, I don't come to work by car. People from the North tend to be reserved whereas people from the South ar...

Confederate and Columbus statues toppled by US protesters Statues of Confederate leaders and the explorer Christopher Columbus have been torn down in the US, as pressure grows on authorities to remove monuments connected to slavery and colonialism. A statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis was toppled in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday night. Elsewhere in the city, a statue of Columbus was pulled down , set alight and thrown into a lake a day earlier. Anti-racism protests have re-ignited debates over US historical monuments. Memorials to the Confederacy, a group of southern states that fought to keep black people as slaves in the American Civil War of 1861-65, have been among those targeted by demonstrators taking to the streets after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. A three-metre tall (10ft) bronze statue of Italian explorer Columbus was also toppled in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Wednesday. Statues of Columbus in Boston, Massachusetts and...