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The Czech Republic / Hungary Quiz

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This summer I was in Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Complete the following questions with an appropriate word before answering them. 1. What are the ___ of Hungary and the Czech Republic? A:     Forint  /  Euro B:     Forint  /  Koruna C:     Koruna  /  Ruble D:     Euro  /  Dinar 2. What are the rivers that ___ through Budapest and Prague? A:     Danube (B)  /  Danube (P) B:     Danube (B)  /  Elbe (P) C:     Rhine (B)  /  Danube (P) D:     Danube (B) /  Vltava (P) 3. Which two countries share a ___ with both Hungary and the Czech Republic? A:     Slovakia and Austria B:     Croatia and Slovakia C:     Slovenia and Croatia D:     Slovenia and Austria 4.  In which years did the Soviets invade to put an ___ to an uprising / political reform? A:     1966 (H)  /  1949 (CR) B:     1961 (H)  /  1972 (CR) C:     1956 (H)  /  1968 (CR) D:     1970 (H)  /  1958 (CR) 5. What was the name ___ to the revolution that ended Soviet rule in the Czech R
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The /ʌ/ Sound

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The following words all have the same vowel sound as u p / ʌ p/ : B u s /bʌs/ rhymes with pl u s /pl ʌ s/ but the -u in b u siness /ˈb ɪ znɪs/ has a different sound.  L o ve /l ʌ v/ rhymes with gl o ve /ɡl ʌ v/ and d o ve /d ʌ v/ (as in a pigeon), though the past of dive /daɪv/ can be dived /daɪvd/ or d o ve /d əʊ v/. S u n /s ʌ n/ and s o n /s ʌ n/ are homophones (different words but same pronunciation) and rhyme with r u n /r ʌ n/ and o ne / w ʌ n/. J ust  /dʒ ʌst / rhymes with m ust /mʌst/. J us tin /ʤ ʌs tɪn/ (the boy's name) is different to j uice  /dʒ uːs /. L u cky /ˈl ʌ ki/ does not rhyme with c oo kie /ˈk ʊ ki/. The - um in  u m brella / ʌm ˈbrɛlə/ rhymes with c ome /k ʌm / and th umb  /θ ʌm /. S ome   /s ʌm / and s um /s ʌm / are homophones. They rhyme with d umb /d ʌm / but not d ome /d əʊm /. Y oung  /j ʌŋ / rhymes with t ongue /t ʌŋ /, s ung  /s ʌŋ / (past participle of sing) and am ong /əˈm ʌŋ /. Done /dʌn/ rhymes with won /wʌn/ and gun /ɡʌn/ but not with gone
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Columbus was Spanish claim Spanish scientists

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Columbus likely Spanish and Jewish, study suggests Famed explorer Christopher Columbus was likely Spanish and Jewish , according to a new genetic study conducted by Spanish scientists that aimed to shed light on a centuries-old mystery. Scientists believe the explorer, whose expedition across the Atlantic in 1492 changed the course of world history, was probably born in western Europe, possibly in the city of Valencia. They think he concealed his Jewish identity, or converted to Catholicism, to escape religious persecution. The study of DNA contradicts the traditional theory, which many historians had questioned , that the explorer was an Italian from Genoa. Columbus led an expedition backed by Spain's Catholic Monarchs seeking to establish a new route to Asia - but instead he reached the Caribbean. His arrival there was the beginning of a period of European contact with the Americas, which would lead to conquest and settlement - and the deaths of many millions of ind
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Asylum Seekers Offer Spain Solutions to Its Aging Workforce Dilemma

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 Spain looks to immigrants to drive economy A group of Sub-Saharan African men are playing bingo in a conference room of a hotel near the northern Spanish city of León. They laugh and celebrate when their numbers are called out , but many of these asylum seekers have harrowing stories. Among them is Michael, who fled Ghana to escape a violent feud that saw his sister and father killed. After travelling by land to Morocco, he paid a trafficker who put him on an inflatable boat crammed with people which took him to the Canary Islands. “I was so happy, because I knew all my troubles, and the people trying to kill me, were behind me,” he says. “Because once you are in Spain you are safe.” In Ghana he worked as a petrol pump attendant and a storekeeper . He also started studying human resource management, which he hopes to be able to continue in Spain once he has settled . “Spain is one of the most respected countries in the world,” he says. “Being here is an opportunity for me.” Aro
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#WOTD Week 4

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  Here are week four's Word of the Day. Click on the tweets to respond to them and write some of your own example sentences. SPOIL #WOTD spoil (plan, fun) - estropear - The coast has been spoiled by development. - It will spoil your appetite. (children) - mimar - Grandparents like to spoil their grandchildren. (un)spoilt (adj) - He is a spoilt brat . (mocoso) - I love the unspoilt beaches. (prístino) pic.twitter.com/6MOidX4hZG — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) March 18, 2019 Answer any of these questions: Can you give examples of how a parent spoils a child? What is something that has been spoilt for you recently? How did you feel? Have you ever had an important event spoilt by bad weather? What happened? What do you think spoils a good friendship? Can too much money spoil someone's character? Why or why not? What do you think spoils a nice meal at a restaurant? In your opinion, what spoils a good vacation? Do you think people spoil their pets too much? Why or why not? ROUGH
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Pineapple craze hits Mercadona

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Spain’s 'pineapple -gate ' sparks hopes of romance and shop chaos A Spanish craze encouraging single people to seek partners in supermarkets by using a fruit-based code has caused some chaotic scenes and even led to the police being called to restore order . In recent days, many single Spaniards have been drawn to branches of supermarket chain Mercadona between 7pm-8pm by claims they can find romance at that time, particularly if they put a pineapple upside down in their shopping trolley . The phenomenon seems to have been driven in great part by the actor and humourist Vivy Lin, who posted a video on TikTok of her pushing a trolley around a Mercadona store talking about the supposed window. “The time to hook up in Mercadona is 7pm to 8pm,” she said. On its official TikTok account, the supermarket posted a pineapple with the caption: “The pineapple on the shelf of Mercadona waiting for you to get a date .” The pineapple manoeuvre is reportedly completed by pushin
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The poorer you are the more likely you are to succumb to the heat

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Poorer people bear brunt of extreme heat in Europe, say Spanish researchers Madrid study finds people from below-average income groups more likely to die in heatwaves Scorching temperatures across Europe have killed tens of thousands of people in recent years. But as fatalities rise, researchers are finding that one group is disproportionately bearing the brunt of extreme heat: those living in poverty. “It’s common sense,” said Julio Díaz Jiménez, an investigative professor at Madrid’s Carlos III health institute. “A heatwave is not the same when you’re in a shared room with three other people and no air conditioning, as when you’re in a villa with access to a pool and air conditioning.” Díaz Jiménez is among a group of researchers who explored how extreme heat had affected 17 districts in Madrid. Their paper, published in 2020, found that heatwaves had an impact on  mortality in just three districts – those where household incomes were below average. They followed up with a sim
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Not every celebrity gets away with murder

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Spanish actor's son jailed for gruesome murder The son of a renowned Spanish actor has been jailed for life after he killed and dismembered a man on the southern Thai island of Koh Phangan last year. Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, the son of television star Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre, claimed he killed Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga in self-defence. He pleaded guilty to the murder in August 2023. At the time , Sancho, now 30, told Spanish news agency EFE he had been a " hostage " to Arrieta, who he said was obsessed with him. The case has generated a huge amount of interest in Spain, with scores of Spanish reporters flying to Thailand for the trial . Sancho was found guilty of premeditated murder, concealing a corpse , and destruction of property . A court on nearby island Koh Samui, where the case was heard, initially issued a death sentence for murder, but this was commuted to life imprisonment after taking into account his cooperation during th
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#WOTD Week 3

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Here are week three's Word of the Day. Click on the tweets to respond to them and write some of your own example sentences. KEEN #WOTD keen (adj) - Rob is a keen student. (aplicado) - I'm a keen gardener. (aficionado) - He's really keen on fishing. (le gusta mucho) - I'm not keen on the idea. (no me entusiasma) - I'm not all that keen on peppers. - I'm keen to get started. (tengo ganas de) — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) March 11, 2019 I love Roscón but not so KEEN ON hot chocolate. Just REASSURED MYSELF that candied fruit doesn't contain gelatin. — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 5, 2014   FEAT #WOTD feat (a great achievement) - The Eiffel Tower is a remarkable feat of engineering. (una hazaña) - Bird migration is an amazing feat. - Walking across the Antartic is an incredible feat of endurance. #idioms Getting an A+ on that exam was NO MEAN FEAT. — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) March 12, 2019 BOTHER #WOTD Don't bother to wrap it.
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#WOTD Week 2

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Here are week two's Word of the Day. Click on the tweets to respond to them and write some of your own example sentences. DUMP - I took all the rubbish to the dump. (vertedero) (towns) - Murcia is a dump. (muy feo) - Let's have a drink elsewhere. This place is a dump. (antro) #idioms - You look down in the dumps. What's wrong? (unhappy) pic.twitter.com/kFOFebiBFR — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) March 4, 2019 Spain tyre dump fire sends up 'toxic cloud' https://t.co/6YxG9DiAT3 — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) May 13, 2016 DRAG #WOTD drag (pull slowly & with effort) - He dragged the chair to the table. (arrastró) - They dragged him out of the car. (sacaron ... a rastras) #idiom - Our boss is dragging her feet. (dando largas) #PV - The film dragged on and on. (hacerse eterno) - What a drag! (Qué lata!) pic.twitter.com/CLY1Dvp8Qj — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) March 5, 2019 Man caught fly-tipping fridge in ravine fined and made to drag it back https://
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#WOTD Week 1

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Here are week one's Word Of The Day #WOTD. Click on tweets to respond to them and write some of your own example sentences. FINE #WOTD Read the #blog post - Have you ever got a fine?, write a comment and do the #Quizlet to practice #collocations with FINE. https://t.co/YGQlUKumww — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 5, 2024 #WTM ? Answer the question 👇🏼 Have a look at and respond to these other fine-related tweets: https://t.co/hXyCQFM87c … https://t.co/jlB7RcU9UM … https://t.co/te3LMWFZmU … https://t.co/dfykK5HpO7 … https://t.co/FNacs5KEiL https://t.co/THtauIKdD9 — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) September 16, 2023 SORE #WOTD Do the SORE #Quizlet and write some of your own examples here. https://t.co/iBQ2e70iro — English in Madrid (@madteacher72) January 5, 2024 HINDSIGHT #WOTD Hindsight is a wonderful thing. What would you do differently WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT? I had to wait in an 8-hour queue to tell Iberia that my case hadn't arrived (happene
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