English in Madrid

Source:  Presetbase Lightroom Presets en Unsplash Today is Saint Andrew's Day . St Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland. So here is a quiz to test your knowledge of Scotland. 1. Which is the biggest city in Scotland? A. Inverness B. Aberdeen C. Glasgow D. Edinburgh 2. Scotland's population grew to its highest ever in mid 2011. How many people live in Scotland? A. 2,550,690 B. 5,254,800 C. 10,320, 400 D. 18,000,150 3. Sean Connery is Scotland's most famous actor. Which of the following didn't he do before choosing acting as a career? A. He polished coffins. B. He was a milkman. (he delivered milk) C. He taught English to immigrants. D. He worked as a nude model for students. 4. What's the lowest recorded temperature in Scotland? A. - 5.9 ºC B. - 16.7 ºC C. - 27.2 ºC D. - 32 ºC 5. Which of the following wasn't created by a Scot? A. Peter Pan B. Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde C. Sherlock Holmes D. Robinson Crusoe 6. What is the S...

New York Good Cop Lauded For Act Of Kindness The image of Officer Larry DePrimo buying boots for a barefooted homeless man earns wide praise for his random act of kindness. It was meant to be a private gesture, but the New York policeman who bought a homeless man a $100 (£62) pair of boots has won international and official praise. Officer Larry DePrimo appeared before throngs of reporters and cameras on Thursday after being awarded a pair of cufflinks by his boss, NYPD Commisioner Ray Kelly. The 25-year-old explained that he had been inspired by his grandfather to buy the anonymous barefoot man a pair of shoes, after encountering him during his beat near Times Square on a cold evening in early November. "He told me when I was much younger, 'If you are going to do something, do it 100%. And do it, or don't do it at all,'" Officer DePrimo said.  "I didn't really think anything of it at the time," he added. "What sticks out in my m...

  Source: You Tube (dulwich gallery) Key words: masterpiece clark percy Do you recognise the painting? Listen to the guide. Complete the following extracts. I'm going to talk to you about this painting: Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy by David Hockney. It's on loan from Tate Gallery. It's a portrait of Ossie Clarke and Celia Birtwell. Ossie Clarke was a ___ ___ and Celia Birtwell... The couple, independently moved down to London, to Notting Hill and they ___ married in 1969. David Hockney was t he best man at their ___. ... you can tell that he spent a rather long time work ing on it. and they had to pose for him for a very long time. He also ___ photographs to work from in his studio... He said he wanted to capture the tension within their ___ but they actually chose to pose for him in this particular way with Celia standing and Ossie seated. Usually, you would have the man standing in the position of ___ and the woman bei...

Source:  Miguel Ángel Sanz en Unsplash Delta and KLM sued over 'too fat to fly' Vilma Soltesz The husband of a US woman who was too big to be flown home from Europe - where she later died - is to sue the airlines involved for damages. Vilma Soltesz, who weighed about 30st (193kg), was refused a place on two flights in October. She died of kidney failure before a suitable flight could be found, after refusing treatment from local doctors. Delta Airlines said every effort was made to accommodate her but it had been "physically unable" to get her aboard. But Peter Ronai, the lawyer acting for her husband, Janos, told CBS: "They [the airlines] took on the responsibility to get her to Hungary, it's their responsibility to get her back." Mrs Soltesz needed to return to New York from her holiday home in Hungary to resume medical treatment. She suffered from kidney disease and diabetes and reportedly "did not trust" Hungarian doctors. But t...

Here is a list of Phrasal Verbs we have seen in class, Click on, read and reply to some of the tweets. bump into #Kahoot #PV 1. You'll never guess who I BUMPED INTO on the way here. bump into sb = to meet sb unexpectedly e.g. I bumped into my old English teacher at the gym. pic.twitter.com/lka9HE2tpu — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) September 21, 2020 come across @Maraminguel People share the bizarre places they've come across their lookalikes https://t.co/iJpSVAGQdy — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) February 22, 2020 Elections are very different in the UK. Here are some expressions that you might come across when reading about the December election - General election 2019: Key words and phrases explained https://t.co/AIBg9RM0Oh — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) November 11, 2019 Do you know what "chuggers" (charity MUGGERS) are? I COME ACROSS them every day. I avoid them by saying that I don't speak Spanish. — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72...

Source:  Floren Camañag on Unsplash   Gangnam Style becomes YouTube's most-viewed video Gangnam Style, the dance track by South Korean pop phenomenon Psy, has become You Tube's most-watched video of all time . It has notched up more than 808m views since it was posted in July. The video pokes fun at the consumerism of Gangnam, an affluent suburb of the South Korean capital Seoul. In it, the portly Psy dances as though he is trotting on a horse, holding the reins and spinning a lasso in a manner that has sparked a global dance craze.  The video also features the 34-year-old singer reclining on a sun lounger in tight pink shorts, gazing longingly at a girl dancing on an underground train in tight shorts and gesticulating at a woman working out on a beach - in tight shorts.  The dance has sparked numerous copycat versions, being performed by a diverse fan-base including Filipino prison inmates , prominent Chinese artist Ai Weiwei , UN Secretary-General Ba...

The following sentences demonstrate when and when not to use def/indef articles in English. Think how you would say the sentence in Spanish. Is it the same or different (S or D)? There is a Chinese restaurant and a pizzeria  near where I live. The Chinese restaurant is usually quiet but the pizzeria is always busy. (When we first talk about something we use "a", the second time we mention it we use "the") (a) Do you know who the Prime Minister of Britain is? (b) The Titanic sank in 1912. (c) Have you ever seen the Loch Ness monster ? (We use "the" when the person or thing referred to is unique) (a) X: I'll wash up.       Y: No, just put everything into the dishwasher .   (b) I haven't read the newspaper today.   (We use "the" when it is clear what we are referring to) (a) The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. (b)  The pigeon is a fascinating bird. (We use "the" to talk ...

Source:  Breno Assis on Unsplas h IT’S OFFICIAL...WOMEN ARE SAFER DRIVERS THAN MEN MEN may not like reading this but women are officially better behind the wheel.   They break speed limits less, brake less suddenly and avoid danger after dark by driving considerably less often at night than male motorists.   Overall, a team of experts has concluded, women are up to a fifth safer on the road. The verdict comes from the study of data from black box recorders in the vehicles of 19,000 motorists which were used to monitor more than 40 million journeys and 154 million miles of travel over four years. Half the drivers were men and half were women. The research was carried out by car monitoring firm Wunelli, which analyses black box systems used by some insurance companies to set premiums.  Their experts found women drive 28 per cent less at night than men, exceed speed limits 12 per cent less and brake hard 11 per cent less.  The news comes a month befo...

Armstrong The Good Giraffe speaks about his acts of kindness A man who dresses up as a giraffe and carries out random acts of kindness towards people across Scotland has said he does it to feel good. Twice a week Armstrong Baillie, 32, dons a furry suit his mother made him, before travelling to different places to do good deeds. He calls himself The Good Giraffe and lives in Dundee with his girlfriend and her daughter. Originally from Glasgow, he has often been spotted in Edinburgh. He has also been to Stonehaven, Aberdeen, Forfar, Dundee, the Black Isle and Glasgow to carry out his acts of kindness. He told the BBC Scotland news website he got the idea after seeing a man dressed up as a gorilla playing the drums in the capital. During the past six months Armstrong has handed out free bananas and water to runners at the Edinburgh Half Marathon, cleaned up litter on Portobello Beach and given away £10 vouchers to mothers in hospitals. He has also been seen handing out free co...

Which sentence is wrong - (a) or (b)? Correct the mistakes.  1. (a) X: What's his name?            Y: David.      (b) X: How old has he?             Y: 30  2. (a) X: Where's he from?         Y: He's from Spain.      (b) X: Are they german?          Y: No, they aren't.  3. (a) How many children have you?      (b) Do you have any brothers or sisters?  4. (a) X: What's his job?           Y: His job is a police officer.      (b) X: What's her job?          Y: She works in a bank.  5. (a) My grandmother is eighty.      (b) Our son is two y...

Source: You Tube (The New York Times) Key words: Obama victory speech 2012 Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the (a)____ of perfecting our union moves forward. It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great (b)_______ of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up , we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come . I want to thank every American who participated in this election, whether you voted f...

What A is a linking word we use to contradict a previous idea eg I took the exam ___ I thought I wouldn't pass. ? What B is a verb that means to meet by chance eg I __ __ an old school friend on my way here. ? What C do you take when you do something that involves a risk ? What D is to challenge someone to do something that involves some kind of risk ? What E do you feel at when you feel relaxed ? What F is to say nice, positive things to sb to make them feel good? What G is a deep, narrow valley ? What H is an activity that involves flying without an engine ? What I is a synonym of rude ? What J is an adjective that means you share something eg first place in a race? Contains K . A car and a bike has these; it helps you slow down or stop . What L is a phrasal verb that means you are happy or excited about stg that is going to happen ? What M is to mix with other people at a party? What N is a negative adjective that describes somethi...

Source: Norrie Adamson (Wikipedia)    I am surprised at how often I hear mistakes with listen . Or is it listen to mistakes with hear ? :-) What's the difference? Listening is an intentional activity - you make an effort / pay attention . (It is often followed by to) What kind of music do you listen to ? Don't listen to her. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Listen , I think you need a holiday. It'll do you good . Sorry - I wasn't listening . My mind is elsewhere. You can hear something even when you don't want to hear it . He heard a strange noise so he went outside to see what it was. Can you turn it up? I can't hear what they are saying. My grandad can't hear very well . Listen! Did you hear that? No. I can't hear anything. Listen! There's that noise again. What is it? There are a few cases where listen and hear are interchangeable. I heard a really interesting programme on the radio the o...