English in Madrid

Obituary: Paul Newman Screen legend Paul Newman has died from cancer, aged 83.  With his piercing blue eyes and laid back style, Paul Newman became one of the most recognised leading men in Hollywood.  But he always doubted his own acting ability, once claiming that "I only got by on looks and energy."  Paul Leonard Newman was born on 26 Jan 1925 in the Shaker Heights suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.  His father, Arthur, who ran a successful sports goods store , was Jewish while his mother Theresa came from a Slovakian Catholic family.  It was Theresa who encouraged his early interest in things theatrical and he made his stage debut at the age of seven, in a school production of Robin Hood.  After graduating from high school he began an economics degree at Ohio University but the war cut short his studies.  He joined the US Navy, hoping to become a pilot but failed the physical examination when it was discovered he was colour blind.  Inste...

What with the Obama - Hillary battle for the nomination and now the Obama - McCain fight for the Presidency, not much has been heard from George W Bush.  Here is a list of quotations for every year he has been in office: "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." -- George W. Bush, Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000 "I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right." - George W. Bush, in Rome, July 22, 2001 "The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for entrepreneur ." - George W. Bush, discussing the decline of the French economy with British Prime Minister Tony Blair "When Iraq is liberated, you will be treated, tried and persecuted as a war criminal." - George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, 2003 "For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible, and no one can now doubt t...

Source:  Claudio Schwarz  on Unsplash   Men with sexist views 'earn more' Men who grow up thinking women should stay at home may be labelled "old-fashioned" - but could end up well ahead in the salary stakes . A US study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, suggests that they will consistently out-earn more "modern-thinking" men. On average , this meant an extra $8,500 (£4,722) a year. One UK psychologist said men inclined to wield power in their relationships might also do this at work. The study , carried out by researchers at the University of Florida, was conducted on a large scale, with 12,686 men and women interviewed in 1979, when they were aged between 14 and 22, and three times in the following two decades, the last time in 2005. The researchers asked them whether they believed a woman's place was in the home, or whether the employment of women was likely to lead to higher rates of juvenile delinquency. Predict...

Are you a Madonna fan? Here is her latest hit. Not bad for 50, don't you think? Source: You Tube Key Words   Madonna Give it 2 me What are you waiting for? Nobody's gonna show you how Why work for someone else To do what you can do right now? Got no boundaries and no limits If there's excitement, put me in it If it's against the law, arrest me If you can handle it , undress me Don't stop me now, don't need to catch my breath I can go on and on and on When the lights go down and there's no one left I can go on and on and on Give it 2 me, Yeah No one's gonna show me how Give it 2 me, Yeah No one's gonna stop me now They say that a good thing never lasts And then it has to fall Those are the the people that did not Amount to much at all Give me the bassline and I'll shake it Give me a record and I'll break it There's no beginning and no ending Give me a chance to go and I'll take it Don't st...

Madonna stopped off in Valencia this week, on the Spanish leg of her world tour. Here is a Spanish-themed hit from her early years. Source: You Tube (MrOsvaldomty67)  Key words; Isla bonita Isla Bonita Como puede ser verdad How could it be true? Last night I dreamt of san pedro Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song A young girl with eyes like the desert It all seems like yesterday, not far away Tropical the island breeze All of nature wild and free This is where I long to be La isla bonita And when the samba played The sun would set so high Ring through my ears and sting my eyes Your Spanish lullaby The beautiful island I fell in love with San Pedro Warm wind carried on the sea, he called to me Te dijo te amo I prayed that the days would last They went so fast He told you, I love you (chorus) I want to be where the sun warms the sky When its time for siesta you can watch them go by Beautiful faces, no cares in this world Where a girl ...

Source: Belinda Fewings on Unsplash   Do you know the difference between I don't mind and I don't care ?   Many of you use them wrongly. What about it doesn't matter ? What about never mind ? I care about you. (This has a positive, sentimental meaning. The person is important for you). I don't care what happens to him. (This has a strong meaning and can sound very cold, even impolite). He won't mind if you come too. (This has a gentler meaning. It means that there won't be a problem or there is no preference). It doesn't matter if it rains. (This means that the situation doesn't create any problems. It is quite like "don't mind"). A: I've failed my exam. B: Never mind . You can take it again next month. (This can have a reassuring sense. It isn't the end of the world). Other examples : A: Your mother won't like your new boyfriend. B: I don't care what she thinks. A: Do you mind if I smoke? B: Of course, I do...

Source: Maria Lindsey Source: You Tube (rxk5150)  Key Words: Clapton promises Promises I don't care if you never come home, I don't mind if you just keep on Rowing away on a distant sea, cause I don't love you and you don't love me. You cause a commotion when you come to town; You give me a smile and they melt . Having lovers and friends is all good and fine, But I don't like yours and you don't like mine. La la, la la la la la. La la, la la la la la. I don't care what you do at night, Oh, and I don't care how you get your delights . I'm gonna leave you alone, I'll just let it be , I don't love you and you don't love me. I got a problem. can you relate? I got a woman calling love hate. We made a vow we'd always be friends. How could we know that promises end? La la, la la la la la. La la, la la la la la. I tried to love you for years upon years, You  refuse  to take me for real . * Its time ...

Source:  roman raizen on Unsplash   Are you suffering from Post Holiday Syndrome? If you ’ve just got back from holidays and can’t settle into work again, you ’re probably suffering from a case of the holiday blues . If it go es on for a few days , you may even have Post Holiday Syndrome. Psychologists at the University of Granada in Spain have researched this condition, which they describe as a general feeling of discomfort on having to get back to work, with sufferers experiencing symptoms like tiredness, lack of appetite, muscle ache and anxiety. But never fear — there are ways to get back into a routine and boost your spirits after your break. Don't go straight back to work It’s difficult to go from relaxing days by the pool straight into full-on meeting mode. Researchers at the University of Granada suggest build ing in a period of ‘re-adaptation' between holiday and work . It is advice that’s shared by John Deely, an occupational psychologi...

Source:  Link Hoang on Unsplash   Summer holidays cause half of workers to consider quit ting Nearly half of all workers consider quitt ing their jobs immediately after their summer holiday, says a poll . A total of 46 per cent of those returning to work get such post-holiday blues they think of find ing a new post. But the survey for home rentals site DirectHoliday-Bookings.co.uk found once they had settled back , 87 per cent said their break left them feeling refreshed. The website boss Andrew Gibson said: "Holidays are a vital to recharge the batteries and reflect on your life." The findings of the survey were   backed   by recruitment experts. One said: "We receive more CV s in September than any other month." Source: Daily Mirror   How do you feel to be back at work? What was the first day back like? What did you do? Here is an imaginary talk between an employee and his boss after the summer holidays: Office Worker: Good morning...

Source: WordReference   Italian call to use less English Italians are quite used to feel ing "lo stress", looking forward to "il weekend" or trying to look "cool". But now an influential cultural institute has asked Italians to protect the language and reject "Anglitaliano". The Dante Alighieri Society asked people for examples of over-used foreign words and "il weekend" emerged as the worst offender . The society said the results showed that Italians want their language to receive more respect. For four months, the society asked visitors to its website, 70% of whom were Italians, for inappropriate examples of foreign words being used in everyday Italian, either written or spoken. " Who would have thought it - Italians protesting against 'il weekend'," said the institute, the Italian version of the French language protection body the Academie Francaise The least popular word was found to be ...

I think that women are, on the whole , better drivers than men. They are able to remain calm and don't show much aggression when behind the wheel . On the other hand, they are lousy co-pilots. They can't read maps but insist it was your fault when you go in the wrong direction. What is your opinion? Do you have any examples to support your theory? Puddle splash driver fails test A driving examiner failed a woman on her test after she splashed a pedestrian by driving through a puddle . Michelle Kelly, 31, from Blackley, Manchester, was told she should have stopped to exchange details with the man, who was waiting at a bus stop. The mother-of-two protested that if she had swerved to avoid the puddle she might have caused an accident. She was told her actions constituted a traffic offence - a view shared by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). Ms Kelly said the decision was "ridiculous". She said: "It was my third test and I was really confident. ...

Source: Wikipedia (Brett Marlow)   He is undoubtedly a great player and deserves to be the number one in the world. He has won the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympic titles this year and looked like he was going to add the US Open to that list. That was until he played a Scotsman , Andy Murray. I can't bear to see Nadal on the TV screen. The guy gives me the creeps . I can't stand his monotone voice nor his reactions when he wins a match. I didn't stay up to watch the match last night. I didn't expect Murray to win. You can imagine how pleased I was to read this morning that he not only got to the final; but also, and especially because, he beat Nadal !            Source: Wikipedia (Tatiana)   Andy: It's awesome! ANDY MURRAY delivered a sensational performance to crush world No 1 Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the US Open last night. He now takes on 12-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in tonight’s mout...