English in Madrid

Source: You Tube (NassyMH)    Key Words: King's Speech World War Below is the speech by George VI on September 3rd 1939: Source: You Tube (Crrisstobal)  Key Words: real King's speech 1939 In this grave hour, perhaps the most fateful in history, I send to every household of my peoples, both at home and overseas , this message, spoken with the same depth of feeling for each one of you as if I were able to cross your threshold and speak to you myself. For the second time in the lives of most of us, we are at war. Over and over again , we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies, but it has been in vain . We have been forced into a conflict, for which we are called, with our allies to meet the challenge of a principle which, if it were to prevail , would be fatal to any civilised order in the world. It is a principle which permits a state in the selfish pursuit of power to disregard ...

Source:  Krists Luhaers en Unsplash Click on the link at the end to see the complete A - Z. Academy Created as a non-profit organisation in 1927, the original Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was made up of 36 producers and film-makers. Led by MGM studio chief Louis B Mayer, its membership included such notables as Douglas Fairbanks, Harold Lloyd and Mary Pickford. It now boasts more than 6,000 members, a quarter of them actors. Envelope The time-honoured practice of opening the golden envelope to reveal the winner's name is a pivotal part of Oscar lore . It has not always been so though. For the first 10 years, the Academy informed the press ahead of time in order to accommodate their print deadlines . After one newspaper broke the embargo in 1939, the decision was made to keep the results a closely guarded secret. Fashion The Oscars have thrown up more than their fair share of fashion faux pas over the years. Who could forget the bizarre Indian headdr...

Source:  Colton Duke on Unsplash The following text is from Voice of America . There you can find a wide range of articles to read and listen to. Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for New York City Now the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname also can be a descriptive name for a person, place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity. A few years ago, some marketing and advertising experts were asked to name the best nickname for an American city. The winner was the nation’s largest city, New York. The top nickname was The Big Apple. You might wonder how New York got this nickname. In the early nineteen seventies , the city had many problems. The number of visitors was falling.So a campaign was launched to give the city a new image. The head of the New York Conventions and Visitors Bureau decided to call the...

Complete the sentences with a suitable word. A: Are you looking f___ to going back home? B: I can't wait. Can you l___ me $50? I'll pay you back when I get paid. C___ up ! Things aren't so bad. Hurry up or we'll m___ the train. Can I s ___ seats with you? I don't have my glasses and I can't see the board from here. My teacher gave me some t ___ to help me improve my English. A: How would you like your s___ ? B: Well done. I think there's a mistake in the c ____. We didn't have any coffee with our meal. A: I have an interview this afternoon. B: Good l___ ! A: How long will the speech l___ ? B: about half an hour I had a horrible n____ last night. I dreamt I was falling into a dark tunnel. I think his new company will be s____. He has a  good head for business.

Correct the following sentences if they have mistakes. A: What do you do tonight? B: Nothing special. They going to get married in the summer. I'm meeting my friends for a drink tomorrow. A: When do you coming back? B: Next Friday. Be careful! The books are going to fall on the floor. Do you think Real Madrid will win their next match? I hope so. I'm going to a conference in London in March. I won't to understand a word. A: That's the last bottle of beer. B: Really? I'm going to go and buy some then. A: Would you like the fish too? B: No, I have the chicken. Do I open the window? It's very warm  in here. I'll call you on Monday morning - promise! What do you think of his new film? Are you agree with me? A: Are you going away for the weekend? B: I think not. I often dream with winning the lottery.

Source: Tom Pumford en Unsplash The myth of Britain's stiff upper lip The death of Diana is often said to be the moment the UK lost its stiff upper lip and the British started being comfortable crying in public. But has the UK always been a nation for mass outpourings of national grief ? In recent years it seems Britain has become a nation of cry-babies, despite its long-held reputation for keeping emotions firmly buttoned up . From the most unlikely politicians and public figures - including Peter Mandelson and Alastair Campbell - to just about everyone on a TV talent show, the tears are coming thick and fast. Often, this shift towards public crying is linked with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. This collective moment of mourning is seen as releasing a nation from the restraints of being reserved and stoical . But the British actually have a long history of very public outpourings of grief and their reputation for being emotionally reserved is only ...

Source: Wikipedia (Greg in Hollywood (Greg Hernandez)) Which film do you think will win the Oscar for best film? Listen to these film critics giving their opinions on which one should win. Black Swan The King's Speech Incepetion Watch the other reviews of nominated films   and read about all other Best Picture nominees since 2011. Have you seen any of the nominated films? Would you recommend see ing them? Read all about the Oscars 2011 . Source: Guardian   Read the reviews of films and watch trailers at Rotten Tomatoes .

Source:  Samuele Errico Piccarini en Unsplash Spain to lower speed limit as oil prices rise Spain will lower motorway speed limits, cut train ticket prices and use more biofuel under an emergency energy-saving initiative because of soaring oil prices brought on by unrest in Libya, an official said Friday. The Libya crisis has sharply reduced exports from the oil-rich nation, and about 13% of the oil Spain consumes comes from Libya. Deputy prime minister, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, said Spain's energy supply is not in danger, despite shutdowns by oil companies operating in Libya, but the national energy bill will rise significantly because of the sharply higher petroleum prices. He said a €10 per barrel (£8.50 per barrel) increase in oil prices will cost Spain an extra €500m (£425m) per month. Spain's energy saving measures will be approved formally next week and take effect on a temporary basis on 7 March. The maximum speed limit on Spanish motorways is 120kph ...

Source:  Lesly Juarez en Unsplash Source: You Tube (mamutgorila)   Key Words: coca cola sonrisa smile   When you're Smiling - Louis Prima When you're smilin'.... keep on smilin' the whole world smiles with you and when you're laughin'....keep on laughin' the sun comes shinin' through But when you're cryin'.... you bring on the rain so stop your frownin' ....be happy again cause when you're smilin'....keep on smilin' the whole world smiles with you Fake smiling makes you miserable Pretending to be happy can actually make you more miserable - especially if you're a woman, according to a new study. Researchers found that walking around with a forced smile and faking  happiness simply led to people feeling gloomier . So, putting a brave face on your woes could actually be counterproductive. The research found that women suffered more than men when pretending to be happy. Psychologist Dr Brent Scott, wh...

Dream recording device 'possible' researcher claims A US researcher has said he plans to electronically record and interpret dreams. Writing in the journal Nature, researchers said they have developed a system capable of recording higher-level brain activity. "We would like to read people's dreams," says the lead scientist Dr Moran Cerf. The aim is not to interlope, but to extend our understanding of how and why people dream. For centuries, people have been fascinated by dreams and what they might mean; in ancient Egypt for example, they were thought to be messages from the gods. More recently, dream analysis has been used by psychologists as a tool to understand the unconscious mind. But the only way to interpret dreams was to ask people about the subject of their dreams after they had woken up. The eventual aim of Dr Cerf's project is to develop a system that would enable psychologists to corroborate people's recollections of the...

Source:   Harish Shivaraman en Unsplash *Video is now unavailable.   Insects - they’re what’s for dinner - High in protein and low in fat, insects are what some are calling the meat of the future. “The new meat is bugs (bleh) Yeah.” Video HLN “1/3 of the planet eats bugs as a part of their regular diet …” Treehugger Radio “It’s time for some wax worm tacos ... You have to taste this to believe this.” Girl Meets Bug Making your skin crawl yet? - Two researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands started their campaign for crickets and the like in the 1990s and recently released a study saying bugs are the solution to the world’s food shortage . According to Daily Tech: “Between 2020 and 2050, researchers predict that Westerners will consume insects regularly as an answer to our increasing population needing more meat-related resources . In fact, beef may become a luxury food item like caviar by 2050.” But Care2 reports insects are already more m...

Source: Wikipedia (Benjamín Núñez González) Read this report on the attempted coup 30 days ago to the day: 1981: Rebel army seizes control in Spain  Spain is in a state of political confusion after an attempted right-wing coup . This evening about 200 soldiers and members of the paramilitary Civil Guard stormed the lower house of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes, firing automatic weapons and shouting orders. They took hostage about 350 MPs debating a new government. The group - led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina, an officer of the Civil Guard - told all those present to lie down . Lt Col Tejero then called on the King to make an announcement . All streets around the building have been sealed off . The coup plot originated in Valencia, in eastern Spain, under the command of Lieutenant General Jaime Milan del Bosch. A supporter of the late dictator General Franco, the former commander of the elite Brunete Armoured Division near Ma...

QUEEN ASKED: * MAY  WE DIG UP HENRY VIII? THE Queen is to be asked for permission to exhume the body of Henry VIII in a bid to prove that a rare ­disease caused his ferocious temper and * may have driven him to have two of his six wives executed . American researchers Catrina ­Whitley and Kyra Kramer believe that Henry had “Kell-positive” blood, and ­suffered from the related genetic ­disease McLeod’s syndrome. Dr Whitley, a bioarchaeologist, said: “This * could  vindicate Henry in history. Knowing he was mentally ill offers a different explanation for why Henry, who was greatly loved as a young prince, became a ­tyrant in ­later life.” Henry, who died in 1547 at the age of 55, is buried under the floor of St George’s Chapel, in Windsor ­Castle. Permission to unearth his remains and take hair and bone samples for DNA tests * must have royal approval. Dr Whitley added: “McLeod’s ­syndrome causes muscle weakness and even schizophrenic behaviour. It usually r...

Source: maomaotqh (You Tube) Key words Royal wedding hunger strike Mexican teen on hunger strike over royal wedding A Mexican teenager is staging a hunger strike outside the British Embassy in Mexico City in a bizarre attempt to secure an invitation to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Estibalis Chavez, 19, said she had not eaten for the past eight days and was living on just water as she camps in a blue tent near the gates to the embassy. "Are they going to let me die just because they wouldn't give me an invitation to the royal wedding?" Miss Chavez wrote on one of the flyers she has plastered near the entrance to the colonial-style building. "This is my only dream," read another flyer next to a picture of the smiling royal couple who will marry at Westminster Abbey on April 29. Miss Chavez, wearing braces , pigtails and glasses, said the late Princess Diana had inspired her campaign. "I think she was one of the most i...