English in Madrid

Source: No-longer-here from Pixabay Bad owners to sweep streets in Madrid's war on dog poo  Madrid’s mayor has unveiled harsh new penalties for dog owners who fail to pick up after their pets; pay a €750 fine or spend the weekend sweeping the streets.  The left-wing mayor, who was elected to office last May, said the city was preparing a raft of new bylaws in the battle to clean up the capital. A fine of €750 will be imposed on owners who fail to pick up after their pets, a fine that can be converted into hours spent cleaning the streets at weekends instead. But the penalties are not reserved exclusively for irresponsible dog owners. The same punishment awaits those caught spitting or littering in public areas, including the disposal of cigarette butts  and chewing gum. Washing a car in the street, shaking a rug out of a window or allowing plants to drip water into the streets also carry the €750 fine . But those who are caught urinating or ...

Source:  henry perks en Unsplash Complete the following sentences with one word. They all contain a linker  of some kind. He answers enquiries from the public as ___ as be ing in charge of the accounts department. They were close friends ___ the difference in their ages. She decided to change job because ___ her new boss' attitude. ___ joggers, swimmers don't get injured. I'm going to do the exam ___ though I reckon I'll fail. He's into sport ___ his brother is more academic. She's efficient, but ___ the other hand, she lacks empathy. In ___ of not gett ing the pay rise they deserved, the workers voted against strike action. He writes novels ___ work ing as a journalist. We went on a helicopter ride. We ___ had a go at parasailing. They got divorced on ___ of his extra-marital affair. That's the reason ___ I decided to go to live in London. ___ only does he have a huge villa on the seafront, he also has an attic flat in the city centre. Em...

Spain's Prime Minister set to ' drop siesta' to shorten working day by two hours  The Spanish Prime Minister has announced moves to cut the working day by two hours and bring an end to the traditional siesta, in an attempt to bring the country into line with its European counterparts .  Mariano Rajoy, the head of the centre-right coalition government, wants to scrap the traditional extended midday break.  Mr Rajoy said: "I will find a consensus to make sure the working day ends at 6pm." While the siesta is no longer universally observed - its impact on the length of an average working day can still be felt. The siesta was founded historically on the basis of allowing the country's largely agricultural workers to avoid the searing midday heat , the Times reports. Despite work ing longer hours than their German counterparts, statistics from the OECD show Spanish workers' productivity is much lower . A 2013 Spanish parliamentary co...