English in Madrid

Source: videojug.com   In the above video (you can turn on the subtitles), you have some dos and donts for the office Christmas party. Check out www.videojug.com to listen to advice for all sorts of things. Have you had your Christmas party yet? Is it something you look forward to or something you dread ? What advice would you give on how to behave at the party?

KLM To Offer Mile-High Dating Via Facebook KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has taken blind-dating to new heights by launching an initiative that will allow customers to pick their seat-mates on Facebook. The pilot programme is being praised for those people who are sick of being stuck next to crying babies or the passenger from hell - or for those simply looking for mile-high love. The airline announced its plans to start a "meet and seat" service early next year that will link travellers' Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to their check-in information. Source: Sky News Vocabulary : a blind date - to take to new heights - to pick (your seat-mate) - to praise - to be sick of stg - to be stuck next to sb - to check stg/sb out - to turn to sb - a recipe for disaster - creepy (adj) - matchmaking - to stalk sb - to work out - What to you think of the idea? Would you like to pick the person you sit next to? O...

Complete the following sentences with a suitable word.  I think bullfighting should be b_____ . It’s cruel and barbaric. I am really stressed out. I need a holiday to u_____ . The Rubik’s Cube was a c____ in the early 80s. I can give you a l___ to work until you get your car back from the mechanic’s. You don’t need to leave a t__ if you are unhappy with the service. A lot of men worry about going b___ as they get older. You should always s____ hands with the interviewer at the end of the interview. Can you p___ up my suit from the dry cleaner’s when you are there? I won’t k___ you. This will just take a couple of minutes. That’s me finished -I ’m o__ home. See you tomorrow. You don’t need to pay. I’d prefer to s____ the bill. You look very smart but there’s no need to d____ up for me. I’m tired. I don’t f___ l___ going out tonight.  I haven’t heard from her for a___ . I wonder what she is up to. News quickly s_____ about his resignation. By the e...

Source:  Akin Cakiner en Unsplash Italian cat inherits €10m fortune Tommaso, a four-year-old, one-time stray from Rome, is thought to have become the world's richest cat. Since the death of his 94-year-old mistress last month, he has become a property magnate — or perhaps mog nate — with flats and houses worth an estimated €10m scattered from Milan in the north to Calabria in the south. In a handwritten will, signed on 26 November, 2009, Tommaso's mistress — the childless widow of a successful builder — gave her lawyers the task of identifying "the animal welfare body or association to which to leave the inheritance and the task of looking after the cat Tommaso". One of the lawyers, Anna Orecchioni, told the Rome daily Il Messaggero they considered several organisations without getting adequate guarantees of the cat's future comfort and welfare. In the meantime, the old lady met a fellow cat-lover – named only as Stefania – in a park. "Sometimes I'd go t...

Spanish royal family hit by fraud scandal The once squeaky-clean Spanish royal family has become immersed in a growing fraud scandal that reveals how members of King Juan Carlos's family may have cashed in on the monarchy's good name. At the centre of the scandal is the king's son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic-medal-winning handball player who became the Duke of Palma after marrying Juan Carlos's sporty daughter, the infanta Cristina. Urdangarin and his business partners are the subject of daily leaks from a fraud investigation involving millions of euros of public money as Spain's royal family struggles to hold on to its popularity.  Police have raided the offices of his private companies and of a foundation he once presided over, taking away documents.  El País newspaper reported this week that prosecutors believe Urdangarin, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing, will be named as a formal suspect in the case within two months. That could b...

Source: Erik-Jan Leusink on Unsplash Liking a lie-in in people's genes, researchers say People who like a lie-in may now have an excuse - it is at least partly down to their genes, according to experts. Experts, who studied more than 10,000 people across Europe, found those with the gene ABCC9 need around 30 minutes more sleep per night than those without the gene. The variant is carried by one in five Europeans, they say in their study, published in Molecular Psychiatry. + The researchers said the finding could help explain "sleep behaviour".  Over 10,000 people took part, each reporting how long they slept and providing a blood sample for DNA analysis.  People's sleep needs can differ significantly.  At the extreme, Margaret Thatcher managed on four hours of sleep a night while Albert Einstein needed 11.  Fruit flies   People from the Orkney Isles, Croatia, the Netherlands, Italy, Estonia and Germany took part in the study.  All were asked about...

Are the following sentences right or wrong? Correct them if needed. Could you borrow me the car for the weekend? I'll drive carefully. Would you mind to close the window? It's a bit cold in here. I'm going to relax at home this weekend. I've had a tiring week. A: Do you mind if I sit here? B: No, not at all. Do you feel like going to the theatre on Saturday evening? A: Damn! I've broken my watch. B: Let me have a look. I'm going to try to fix it. What are you doing for Christmas? It's normal for colleagues going for a drink after work. Young people tend don't to dress up when they go to the opera. Graham: I want to speak to your superior. Telefonica operator: Ok, he will call you back later today.

Listen to the ten questions. Then listen again, pause between each one and write them down. Repeat as often as necessary. Finally answer the 10 questions .

Correct the sentences if they are wrong. I am going on holiday on September this year. I'm sorry. I didn't understand. Can you say me again please? We were thinking of going to Thailand but at the end we decided to go to the USA. He wants that I start work at 9 tomorrow. A: How is Scotland like? B: It's an amazing country with some beautiful scenery. I had a great time but I didn't like the hot. What time did you get to home last night? A: He's never been to London. B: Neither I have. A: I love cooking. B: Do you? I thought you hated it. Mark works a lot, doesn't he? Complete the sentences with a word. A: What are you going to do with your day off tomorrow? B: I'm so tired that I'm going to have a long l__-__ . I try to escape the stresses of Madrid  now and a____ .  A: How long has he been u_________ ? B: He hasn't worked since 2009. Maybe we should postpone the journey. I heard a weather w______ on the radio that said the ...

Basque group Eta says armed campaign is over The Basque separatist group Eta says it has called a "definitive cessation" to its campaign of bombings and shootings. In a statement provided to the BBC, Eta called on the Spanish and French governments to respond with "a process of direct dialogue". The declaration, if followed through, would bring an end to Eta's campaign of violence, which has lasted more than 40 years and killed more than 800 people. Source: BBC News Vocabulary : to follow stg through: on behalf of sb: to weaken: a crackdown: to lay down arms: widely (anticipated, considered ): to carry out (an attack): a ceasefire: a truce: to jail sb: What do you see happening next? Listen to this report on the news (newsy.com)

Scottish football 'more than 500 years old' "Organised" football was being played in castle courtyards in Scotland more than 500 years ago, experts have found. Documents show a set of accounts from the court of King James IV indicating he paid two shillings for a bag of "fut ballis" in April 1497. The world's oldest surviving football dates back to 1540 and was found behind panelling in Stirling Castle. Source: BBC News Vocabulary : a courtyard - to date back to - a set of accounts - a shilling - rather than ... - to flee (fled, fled) - amusement (n) - foul play - bad tempered (adj) - to lead to stg - a clash - a threat -

Which is the most difficult for you? A: Pronunciation (20%) B: Writing (20%) C: Grammar (0%) D: Listening (60%) I think it would be a good idea to keep a note of  all the words that are difficult to pronounce, just as you do with new vocabulary. Try to read aloud. This might seem silly but it can help with your pronunciation. Very few people like writing in English, but it can help you improve your grammar and vocabulary at the same time. The blog gives you the perfect opportunity to improve your writing skills. Students tend to worry too much about grammar and this can impede their speaking skills. The more that you listen to things in English, the easier it gets. Honest. Check out the links in the blog to websites which can help you improve all four skills. Which sentence(s) is / are wrong? A: I don't have time enough. 5 (100%) B: They are too much noisy. (80%) C: I think she has much money. (40%) D: We have quite a lot...

Spanish Businessmen call for an end to the 'Puente' long weekend The CEOE employers organisations wants midweek fiestas to be moved to Monday or Friday Spanish businessmen from the employers’ organisation CEOE have come up with an idea to improve the country’s productivity. They want to eliminate any fiestas or bank holidays which fall during the week so that the famous custom of forming ‘Puente’ or ‘Acueducto’ extra long bank holiday weekends can be ended. Source: typicallyspanish What do you think of this idea? Do you think any government will dare to implement it? What do you think people's reaction will be? Here is a longer article in El País that presents arguements for and against keeping the "puentes".

Source:  Foto de Sandy Millar en Unsplash Spain's Duchess of Alba remarries at 85 in Seville The Duchess of Alba, one of Spain's richest and most flamboyant women, has got married again at the age of 85 to a civil servant 24 years her junior. The aristocrat married Alfonso Diez Carabantes at a palace in Seville, emerging to throw her wedding bouquet into the crowd and dance flamenco. She wore a salmon-pink knee-length dress with moss-green sash. The duchess, who has a record number of noble titles, had to overcome her children's suspicions about the union. According to Guinness World Records, the duchess - whose full name is Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva - has more titles recognised by an existing government than any other noble. She has wealth to match, with estates, palaces and treasures including art masterpieces estimated to be worth up to 3.5bn euros (£3bn; $4.7bn). At her first wedding in 1947, 1,000 gu...

Source: Pexels ( Kindel Media)   Carjacked couple spot criminals on holiday 1,200 miles away A Belgian couple on holiday in Spain spotted the armed criminals who had carjacked them at gunpoint a month previously in Liege, 1,200 miles away. The unnamed pair saw Luc Jadoul, 47, and his girlfriend Gaëlle Deloge, 20, on a beach in Alicante. Mr Jadoul and Miss Deloge had threatened the couple with a gun and hijacked their Nissan SUV while making a dramatic escape from a Belgian courthouse just four weeks before. The crime victims were amazed to see Jadoul and Deloge sunning themselves on the Torrevieja beach last weekend. Incredibly, the stolen car was also parked nearby, just yards from where the carjackers were sunbathing. Keeping their heads and showing a “sangfroid” praised by the police, the holidaymakers let down the tyres on the car and called the authorities, who made an “easy” arrest. A firearm was recovered from the stolen vehicle. Both are being held in Madrid before thei...

All people go on holiday in August.  😡 Everyone/everybody goes on holiday in August. 😍 everyone/everybody = singular (present: verb + "s") person (sing), people (plural) so: People are ... 😍, people go ... 😍 I watch too much horror films.  😡 I watch too many horror films. 😍 (They give me nightmares) Too, too much and too many are negative concepts: It is too hot in here.  (I don't like it - open the window) She talks too much.  (It annoys me - she should talk less) We bought too much food. (We didn't need to buy so much - it's a waste!) There are too many people in this class. (I won't learn so much with so many classmates) If we simply talk about the degree/quantity without the negative concept , we'd say: It is very hot in here. She talks a lot. We bought a lot of food. There are a lot of people in this class. Using the above ideas tell me: what you don't like about living in Madrid / about other places what you don...

   Source: Wikipedia (Alan Stanton)   Cameron recalls Parliament as London riots spread David Cameron vows to do “everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets as he recalls Parliament and trebles police presence in London. There will be 16,000 officers on patrol tonight. Speaking outside Downing Street after holding an emergency meeting with Cobra, the Government’s crisis committee, David Cameron condemned the ugly scenes of violence sweeping across Britain. He said the “sickening scenes” were cases of criminality, “pure and simple, and it has to be confronted and defeated”. Mr Cameron announced that 16,000 police officers will take to the streets of London tonight, more than double the 6,000 on patrol last night. Mr Cameron said reinforcements have been called in from across the country, and all holiday leave for the Metropolitan Police has been cancelled. Plastic bullets – never used before during UK disturbances – are being considered as “one of the tacti...

Zapatero calls early Spain election amid economic woes Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has called a general election for November, four months earlier than expected. He said this would enable a new government to confront Spain's economic problems from January. Hours earlier, a credit rating agency warned it might downgrade Spain's rating due to weak growth prospects. Source: BBC News   Pope in Spain: Pilgrims in Madrid's protest square Young Catholics have been pouring into the Spanish capital all week and Pope Benedict XVI is to join them on a four-day visit to Madrid. The pilgrims have made their way from 193 countries. For days, they have packed the sweltering city streets sporting matching rucksacks and floppy sun hats. The metro is full of groups singing hymns in loud harmony as they ride. They are here for World Youth Day - actually a week of activities - which culminates in an open-air Sunday Mass con-celebrated by the Pope. But...

Source:  Alejandro Barba on Unsplas h Beckham baby: Why the middle name Seven?   David and Victoria Beckham have named their fourth child Harper Seven. Does their unusual choice of middle name reflect a modern trend ? The Beckhams' sons are Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo James and Cruz David, but for their first daughter, the celebrity couple have decided to hold back on her first name and go freestyle for her second.  As with the birth of their boys, the papers and internet are buzzing with theories on why the Beckhams chose Harper Seven.  Harper has become an increasingly popular name in the US, where the family are now based. It was the 887th most popular for a girl in 2004 but rose to 119 last year.  Seven has been the focus of speculation. There are suggestions it was because she weighed 7 lbs 10 oz , arrived at 0755 LA time and was born in the seventh month, but the number also has great significance for her father, who played number seven shirt for Manch...

Source: dylan nolte on Unsplash Lottery win: Euromillions couple are 'tickled pink'  A couple from Largs in Ayrshire have been named as the winners of the £161m Euromillions jackpot. Chris Weir said she and her husband Colin were "tickled pink" when they realised they had scooped Tuesday's jackpot. "I even had a glass of white wine which is something I normally only do at Christmas!" laughed Chris. The prize was Europe's biggest ever and was capped after a series of rollovers.  On the night of the draw Chris was checking their numbers on the BBC's Red Button digital text service about midnight on the television in their bedroom.  "I started circling the numbers I had matched but wasn't doing very well. Then on the fifth line, all the circles seemed to join up."  The telephone line run by Camelot for claims was closed. Chris and husband Colin sat up all night they were so excited.  "When we first realised we had won, it felt...

Image Source : BigSus @ Wkikpedia La Rioja's wine battle Thousands of litres of wine are needed every June for the San Pedro festival which is held the end of the month in the town of Haro, in the north west of the wine region of La Rioja. Some of it is drunk, but the vast majority is used as ammunition for Haro’s ‘Batalla del Vino’, the ‘Wine Battle’ which is held every June 29. Source: typicallyspanish .com Would you like to go to the Wine Battle? Have you ever been to or heard of a strange festival? Vocabulary : a p______ - a person who goes on a journey to a holy place / a p________ - the religious journey to r____ sth - to increase or to put sth to a higher position to d__ - to give sth or sb a paricular name to b___ - to put a dead body in the ground / a b_____ to t____ - to send sth through the air, using your arm / t____ (past) which has the same pronunciation as t______ (prep), t_____ (past part) to c____ (inf) - means the same as the p...

Source: Monique Carrati on Unsplash Mijas teenager charged with misappropriation for eating chocolates sent to her house by error The 14 year old ate half the chocolates in the box after the courier de livered them to the wrong address. A fourteen year old girl from Mijas, Málaga, has been charged with misappropriation for eating a gift of chocolates which was delivered to her house in error. The teenager was unable to resist the temptation when she opened up the package after it was delivered to her house by courier and found pieces of chocolate * laid out inside the box to form the words, ‘Feliz cumpleaños’ – ‘Happy birthday’. The error in the delivery was discovered when the true recipient contacted the courier service enquiring about a package his wife had sent to his office in Fuengirola. The courier went back to the Mijas address and, despite finding on arrival that half the chocolates had been eaten, took away what remained and they were sent on to their destination. ...