English in Madrid

Chocolate lovers 'are more depressive', say experts People who regularly eat chocolate are more depressive, experts have found. Research in Archives of Internal Medicine shows those who eat at least a bar every week are more glum than those who only eat chocolate now and again. Many believe chocolate has the power to lift mood, and the US team say this may be true, although scientific proof for this is lacking.  But they say they cannot rule out that chocolate may be a cause rather than the cure for being depressed. In the study, which included nearly 1,000 adults, the more chocolate the men and women consumed the lower their mood.  Those who ate the most - more than six regular 28g size bars a month - scored the highest on depression, using a recognised scale.  None of the men and women were on antidepressants or had been diagnosed as clinically depressed by a doctor.  'Mood food'  Dr Natalie Rose and her colleagues from the University of Californ...

The first conditional shows a  real possibility  (present/future) and its  consequence . if + present simple, + will / won't / other modal Look at the following examples : If it's sunny this weekend , we'll go to the beach. We won't stay at home if it's sunny this weekend. If it's sunny this weekend , we can go to the beach. We might go to the beach if it's sunny this weekend. Compare with the second conditional . if + past simple, + would / wouldn't We use the  past  to express an  impossible or improbable situation  and  would/n't  to express the  consequence . If Scotland was a sunny country , we would go to the beach at the weekend. If I were/was prime minister , I'd stop wars and I wouldn't have nuclear weapons. I'd buy a house if I had a better job and earned more than I do now. Compare the following two sentences: I'll give up work if I win the lottery. I'd give up work if I won th...

Mary Celeste The Mary Celeste (often incorrectly referred to as Marie Celeste) was a merchant ship notably discovered in December 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and apparently abandoned, despite the fact that the weather was fine and her crew had been experienced and able seamen. The Mary Celeste was in seaworthy condition and still under sail heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar. She had been at sea for a month and had over six months' worth of food and water on board. Her cargo was virtually untouched and the personal belongings of passengers and crew were still in place, including valuables. The crew was never seen or heard from again. Their disappearance is often cited as the greatest maritime mystery of all time. The fate of her crew has been the subject of much speculation. Theories range from alcoholic fumes , to underwater earthquakes, to waterspouts, to paranormal explanations involving hypothetical extraterrestrial, unidentified flying objects, sea...

Great song to practise Second Conditional: Source: You Tube (TheJustKiddy) Key Words: Beyonce were boy Some more examples with words and expressions from the song: I woke up late. I had a quick shower, threw on some clothes and ran to work. The policeman chased after  the thief but he managed to escape. He doesn't let anyone criticise his girlfriend. He always sticks up for her . I don't know the answer, I swear . If I knew it, I'd tell you. Idioms : I used to take my parents for granted when I was younger. I appreciate them more now. I think you expect too much from me. Don't take me for granted . He took his position in the company for granted . Now that others are losing their jobs, he realises how luck he is. Ok the next clip isn't exactly Beyonce and neither is it in English but it's funny nevertheless . Source: You Tube (RTVE)   Key Words: Mota Single Lady

Due to age restriction, you can only watch the video in You Tube . Big screen could cut Gloucestershire cheese race crowds Gloucestershire's historic cheese-rolling contest could be televised on big screens to help ease overcrowding . This year's race was cancelled after concerns over the number of spectators it attracts at the Cooper's Hill site. About 15,000 people flocked to the event last year - more than three times the site's capacity. A bid to save this year's competition failed, but organisers said streaming videos of the event in Gloucester city centre could help to spread the crowds. The proposal is part of new plans to extend the event, which include the possible introduction of a cheese and cider festival. A statement from the Cheese-Rolling Committee said: " For the past few weeks we have been working together and talking about how we can take this historic event forward and we are now confident that we will be able to go ahead ne...

Here's the synopsis of an old film - the plot might seem familiar - it's the same as the one we listened to in class this week. So Long at the Fair is a 1950 British thriller film directed by Terence Fisher and Anthony Darnborough, and starring Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde . It was adapted from the 1947 novel of the same name by Anthony Thorne. The story "Maybe You Will Remember" told in Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories 3 and the episode "Into Thin Air" of the TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents were based on the same story. In its plot elements and style, the film is reminiscent of many of the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The title derives from the nursery rhyme , "Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?" Plot In 1889, young Englishwoman Vicky Barton (Jean Simmons) and her brother Johnny (David Tomlinson) arrive in Paris to see the Exposition Universelle. This is Vicky's first time in Paris, and after checking into a hotel, she drags her ...

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona Barcelona took a huge step towards successfully defending their Spanish title with a key win over Real Madrid. The architect of Barca's win was Xavi, who in the first half picked out Lionel Messi, with the Argentine controlling the ball and firing past Iker Casillas. In the second half Xavi's pass sliced apart Real, with Pedro collecting the ball and curling a shot past Casillas. Soon after Rafael van der Vaart missed a golden chance for Real, while Victor Valdes made some key saves for Barca. The win moved Barca three points clear at the top of the table and leaves Real with a real struggle on their hands to wrestle the title away from Pep Guardiola's side with seven games to play. "It's a big blow but they can't consider themselves champions yet," said Real coach Manuel Pellegrini after the game. Cristiano Ronaldo was overshadowed by Messi and Xavi, with the Barcelona captain providing midfield control for...

An election has been called in the UK. Here is a look back at party political broadcasts from the 1983 and 1997 elections. Source: You Tube (thatcheritescot) Key words party political 1983 tories VOICE OVER : Less than five years ago, we in Britain no longer believed we still had any right to think of ourselves as a world leader. But that has changed - because of one woman, who believed that our country, our people could do more than we’d dreamed possible for many, many years, and much more than we thought possible in 1979. Do you remember what it was like then in the winter of discontent? When Britain had come almost to a standstill as strike followed strike? Abroad they joked about the British disease , but here it was not amusing . Everybody knew that it couldn’t go on like this. Margaret Thatcher promised that it needn’t, that Britain could change for the better. But could it? Let’s see. When the mine leaders said ‘strike’ their members said ‘no’ - not once b...

Read about the Cottingley fairy hoax . Source: bbc.co.uk Read about the Hitler diaries hoax . Source: BBC On this day Read about the Piltdown man hoax . Source: bbc.co.uk/history Read about the Loch Ness monster hoax . Source: museumofhoaxes.com

Source: Wikipedia (Dianelos Georgoudis)   Turin Shroud goes on display for first time in 10 years The Turin Shroud, which is believed by some Christians to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, has gone on display for the first time in 10 years. The shroud is expected to draw some two million visitors to the northern Italian city over the next few weeks. The cloth shows the faint image of a bearded man with stains of blood on his hands and feet. Tests in 1988 suggested it dated from the medieval period but those carbon dating findings are contested. Measuring just over 4m x 1m (14ft x 3.5ft), the frail linen sheet shows an image of a man's body complete with bloodstains and what appear to be wounds from crucifixion. Millions of Christians believe the cloth is the burial shroud of Jesus. In 1988, special tests dated it to between 1260 and 1390, suggesting it was a medieval forgery . But since then, other scientists have cast doubt on those findings and appeale...

Here is some vocab from last week: What a heat! to gain / to put on weight a great grandmother a necklace hide and seek to heat stg up in the microwave to sew / a sewing machine a fountain to feel like do ing stg to break down (car) to charge for stg a ceiling / a roof (to pay) in installements to suit sb (clothes) to fit (clothes) to take your mind of stg a department store to get a bargain to be worth (a lot of money) Do you prefer the heat or the cold? What do you use the microwave for? What kind of food makes you put on weight? What do you avoid eating when you go on a diet ? What do you know about your great-grandparents? Did you used to play hide and seek as a child? What was your favourite hiding place? Do you know how to sew on a button? Which is your favourite fountain? Has your car ever broken down? What did you do? What do you feel like doing tonight? What do you feel like having for dinner? Where do you feel like going for your next holi...

Read and listen to this report on the recent demo against bullfighting in Madrid .

Source: Dave Weatherall on Unsplash Spanish MEPs join criticism of holiday home law Spanish MEPs have joined counterparts in criticising the treatment of expats who face having homes in Spain bulldozed under coastal protection law. Rules introduced in 1988 left coastal properties liable to demolition and thousands of British and other European owners stripped of property rights. MEPs say homeowners have been given no legal redress or compensation. They have asked for the law to be clarified. Spain insists owners of legally built homes are being "fairly compensated". The law was designed to protect the coast and set limits on building, allowing municipal leisure developments but not private homes. Since its introduction, thousands of people who live or have holiday homes in Spain have discovered that properties bought legitimately through the Spanish legal system had, in fact, been built in breach of the regulations. Meanwhile , in Andalucia, regional ...

Britain's most popular lie: 'sorry I had no mobile phone signal' Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year. Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day. The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie. It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang. One in three Britons have lied about their weight, a quarter fibbed about the amount of debt they are in and 30 per cent have bent the truth about the amount of exercise they do. Kissing or spending the night with another person emerged as the worst lie to tell while one in five males admitted to lying to their girlfriend to go to the pub or watch sport. Almost a quarter of blokes have told their partner they look good in an outfit , despite think ing the oppo...

Source: Wikipedia (Audrey disse)   Police in Spain arrest Viagra robber Spanish police say they have detained a man suspected of robbing 10 pharmacies at gunpoint , taking their money and all available boxes of Viagra. Police in Madrid began receiving reports of the thefts in January. Victims said the "only objective" of the lone gunman was to take boxes of Viagra and cash. The authorities suspect the 43-year-old man of selling the pills on the black market, where they are sought by users for recreational purposes. Combined with the illegal drug Ecstasy, the anti-impotence pill is well known on the club scene as Sexstasy. Viagra manufacturer Pfizer warns the drug should not be taken unless recommended by a doctor. Source: BBC News   Spotlight on Vocabulary : The drug should not be taken unless recommended by a doctor.  - if ... not / except if. The drug should not be taken if it isn't recommended / except if it is recommended by a doctor. (a men...

Source:  John Salvino on Unsplash Spain finds that film piracy is a hard habit to break It has been the setting for many a spaghetti western, but now Hollywood has warned that Spain could be facing high noon over its appalling   record of movie piracy, with a future devoid of DVDs. The unauthorised downloading of films from the internet is so rife, with film-makers complaining that a legal void makes people think movies are free, that Spain could become the first European country to be abandoned by Hollywood studios. "People are downloading movies in such large quantities that Spain is on the brink of no longer being a viable home entertainment market for us," Michael Lynton, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, told the Los Angeles Times.  Sony's threat, which affects DVDs but not cinemas, would put Spain on a par with South Korea, which most studios have abandoned because of a similar free-for-all internet culture.  While cinema audiences have dec...