English in Madrid

Source: You Tube (Pop Obscura)   Key Words: Miss Teen America 2007 This is the stage of a beauty pageant where the girls have a chance to show off their intelligence. The question was: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is? Who says you can't have brains and beauty?  😀 And here she is attempting the question again: Source: You Tube (xFUNNYSHITx)   Key words: today show miss teen carolina

Read the previous post on lyrics for the Spain's national anthem . Spanish anthem lyrics fall flat Less than a week after proposing lyrics for the wordless national anthem, the Spanish Olympic Committee has withdrawn them because of a " lack of consensus". Committee president, Alejandro Blanco, said the lyrics which began with "Viva Espana" had aroused "controversy and in some cases, rejection ". There had been concern that the phrase harked back to General Franco's era. Lyrics used during his dictatorship were dropped in 1975 because of their associations with his regime. Expert panel The four new verses were selected from 7,000 entries by a panel of six experts including a musicologist, a historian, a composer and an athlete. Their task was to come up with up-to-date words for a royal march that was first played in 1770 during the reign of King Carlos III. The winner of the competition was Paulino Cubero, an unem...

Spain isn't the only country to have a controversial anthem. Read the following article that was posted on the BBC site last month: National anthem lyrics questioned Some of the lyrics to the UK national anthem God Save the Queen may change to make them less offensive in Scotland, a government adviser says. The sixth verse of the song urges God to help 17th Century commander Marshal Wade " crush " the " rebellious Scots". Ex-Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, who is advising Gordon Brown on citizenship , said a "number of people" had raised concerns over the lyrics. People had to look at "different ways of saying" what links the UK, he added. "Torrent" The little-known and even less-sung sixth verse of God Save the Queen implores God to come to the aid of Marshal George Wade, who was sent to quell rebellious Scottish highlanders in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1715. It says: Lord grant that Marshal Wad...

New words for old Spanish anthem For more than 30 years, Spain's victorious athletes have had to resort to humming their national anthem. The lyrics for the "Royal March" which were written in General Franco's era were dropped in 1975 because of their associations with his dictatorship. But now the Spanish Olympic Committee has announced the results of a competition to find new words. The anthem was to be revealed by the tenor, Placido Domingo, but the lyrics were leaked to a newspaper on Friday. 'Viva Espana' The words begin with "Viva Espana" and "Ama a la patria" (love the fatherland). Already they have attracted criticism, chiefly from left-wing politicians concerned they reflect the nationalism of the Franco regime. "They stink ," was the opinion of Gaspar Llamazares, leader of the small United Left party. Carmen Calvo, former culture minister in the ruling Socialist government, said: ...

Source:   Tim Mossholder en Unsplash Have you made any resolutions? If so, how do you intend to stick to them? Or have you given up making them because of past failures? Made a resolution? Here's how to stick to it New year, new you. But all too often , the old you resurfaces before January is out. Steve Martin, an expert in persuasion , outlines the techniques that can help. There's no time like the beginning of the new year to think about what we'd like to achieve in the months ahead . Whether it's a resolution to lose weight, get fit, learn a new skill or start a new business, whether we succeed depends on our ability to persuade ourselves to change and then remain committed to these new behaviours. The same is true of organisations and governments who try to persuade us to buy their products, recycle our rubbish or vote for their party. Scientists have been studying the influence process for over half a century and have found six principles...