English in Madrid

Source: Kira auf der Heide en Unsplash Consider the following words and expressions that contain body parts. Can you guess what they mean? 1. The jaw-dropping scale of corruption has left many people wondering who to vote for.    A: surprising or very shocking    B: disappointing    C: depressing 2. The girls went weak at the knees when the actor smiled and said hello to them.    A: to have a sudden, very strong emotion about someone or something    B: to feel inferior to someone    C: to start jumping up and down in order to attract attention 3. Don't worry. My lips are sealed .    A: to forgive someone for something they have done    B: to promise not to reveal a secret    C: to stop speaking 4. I think my mobile is on its last legs .    A: to be old-fashioned    B: soon to be unable to work    C: to be complicated to use 5. I'm just pulling your leg . ...

Translate the following sentences. All of them contain -ed or -ing adjectives. The first letter of the adjective is given. A. (Él) Parece estar tan aburrido = Tiene pinta de estar tan aburrido. (B) (Ella) Es una actriz tan aburrida / sosa. (B) Me decepcionó que no me eligieran. (D) Era una historia conmovedora que hizo llorar a mucha gente. (M) Los niños estaban asustados después de ver la película. (F) He tenido una semana muy agotadora. (T) B. Me preocupé cuando no me llamaste. (W) El aumento de la criminalidad es preocupante. (W) Estoy completamente destrozado. Me voy a la cama. (E) Era tan abochornante. No veía el momento de salir de allí. (E) Pensaba que te interesaba coleccionar monedas. (I) Los primeros resultados fueron bastante prometedores. (E) C. El olor del queso era asqueroso. (D) Me asombró que llegasen a la final. (A) Su voz me parece tan molesta. (A) Me enfado cuando la gente. me hace esperar (A) Me parece escandaloso que los políticos permiti...

Source: goforitingles   Translate the following sentences. Be careful not to translate literally. All sentences demonstrate verb patterns . A. No esperaba aprobar - no había estudiado mucho. Esperamos resolver el problema cuanto antes. Se me olvidó echar la llave. Los españoles suelen hablar muy alto. Pudiste llegar a tiempo? B. Mi hermana me dijo que no preocupase. Le suplicó a su compañero que cambiase de opinión. El profesor nos animó a ver películas en inglés . La policía advirtió a la gente que no condujese debido al mal tiempo. Me recordé a mi hermano que le enviase una tarjeta a nuestra madre. C. No me importa trabajar en turnos. Ella no soporta ver a su ex con su nueva pareja. Me recomendarías coger el tren? Me arrepiento de no aceptar el otro trabajo. Él negó haber amenazado con echarla. D. Me disculpé por no haberme recordado de su cumpleaños. Quedo a la espera de oír tus ideas. Me felicitó por haber aprobado el examen. Los guardias de ...

Source: You Tube (Woltersworld)  Key words: 5 loves hates Scotland Have you ever been to Scotland? What did you love and hate about it? Watch the video. What does he love and hate about Scotland? Vocabulary : No matter where you go... stuff First off, ... an off-licence  to rip / ripped (adj) pants purchase (v/n) affordable (adj) crappy (adj) to make sure a lane a roundabout annoying (adj) a traffic jam to work out ok the beauty a bartender a maid to die for cool (adj) trails golf (clubs) I like listening to people's  opinions about Scotland. It's great to hear positive things but it's also important to find out about the things people didn't like. It's true that many shops close at 6 though supermarkets stay open until 10 in bigger towns. In the summer, souvenir shops are open until late. I suppose Scotland is more expensive than some other countries but I d...

Source:  jose aljovin en Unsplash Spanish civil servant's six-year absence from work not noticed  A Spanish civil servant has been fined €27,000 (£21,000; $30,000) after not going to work for "at least" six years. Joaquin Garcia's absence was only noticed when he became eligible to collect a long-service award. The 69-year-old, whose job was to supervise the building of a waste water treatment plant, has since retired. He denied the allegations and said he was a victim of bullying. A court found in the authority's favour and ordered him to pay the fine. Mr Garcia was paid €37,000 a year before tax by a water company run by local authorities in the south-western city of Cadiz. His fine was equivalent to one year's salary after tax and was the most that the company could legally reclaim . The court heard that the boss of the water company had not seen him for years despite occupy ing an office opposite his. Reading philosophy The water com...

Here are some more animals to add to the list of expressions. See also  A- D and E - H . Kangaroo                                                                                    Image: Wikipedia ( Fir0002/Flagstaffotos)   A kangaroo court is an illegal tribunal set up by a group of people who have taken the law into their own hands and conduct trials which deny fundamental justice. This is like a kangaroo court . You've already decided he is guilty without hearing what he has to say. They set up a kangaroo court to try the dissident, everyone knew what the outcome would be. In English, someone who looks after a child while you are out is a babysitter .  The person who takes care of other people's children in their own home is a childminder . Kitt...

Source:   Hai Nguyen en Unsplash The potato farmer who swapped   bankruptcy for making millions For a Herefordshire potato farmer, William Chase is impressively savvy about the need for positive publicity, and the importance of telling a good story. It is a talent that helped him move from being bankrupt, aged 32, to becoming a multimillionaire by the time he was 48. Along the way he created and sold best-selling upmarket crisps brand Tyrrells, and won a high-profile battle against supermarket giant Tesco. Now 56, and the founder and owner of Chase Vodka, a luxury version of the spirit made from potatoes grown on his farm, the serial entrepreneur says: "People love stories, the real stories behind things. "And the media was very important to me from the first days of Tyrrells. "I was a guy who had been beaten up by the supermarkets, and people love to support  the underdog ." 'Ashamed' The son of potato farmers who ...