English in Madrid

World Cup Controversy - Before the 2010 World Cup, some people weren't happy that Spanish players were reported to get €600,000 each if they ended up   winn ing the championship. The country was suffering after the great financial crash but nobody seemed to mind when Spain were crowned the winners. However, Spain got off to a terrible start when they were defeated by Switzerland - Did Spain get too big for  their football boots? , and many pointed the finger at Iker Casilla's partner - Girlfriend gets blame for defeat . England had thought, as they always do, that they would lift the trophy - Arrogant English - will they ever learn?   and most Scots supported Anyone But England - Come on USA, Algeria and Slovenia - ABE! Scotland played the World Champions a few months later - Come on Scotland!!! ; it wasn't as easy a win as Spain had assumed - Scotland 2 Spain 3 Boo-hoo! I didn't post anything related when Spain won the World Cup but I did when they went out in...

Who was Robert Burns and why do we celebrate Burns Night? https://t.co/LSFLKVV02a — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) January 22, 2024 Six-minute English - Burns Night Here are  three examples of his works: To A Mouse Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,                   O, what a panic's in thy breastie!  Thou need na start awa sae hasty,  Wi' bickering brattle!  I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,  Wi' murd'ring pattle!  I'm truly sorry man's dominion,  Has broken nature's social union,  An' justifies that ill opinion,  Which makes thee startle  At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,  An' fellow-mortal!  I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;  What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!  A daimen icker in a thrave  'S a sma' request;  I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,  An' never miss't!  Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!  It's silly wa's the win...

Anger over ironing board abandoned on Ben Nevis An ironing board abandoned at the top of Ben Nevis has angered hillwalkers in the Scottish Highlands. It was photographed last week resting against the ruined walls of the 19th century Ben Nevis observatory. It is not uncommon for household items to be carried to the top of the UK's highest mountain as part of fundraising efforts for charities. But the John Muir Trust, which shares responsibility for its management, said the rule is "leave nothing behind". In April, a former soldier made it to the top of the 1,345m (4,413 ft) peak with a fridge on his back. And in June, a mountain rescuer carried a 100kg (220lb) barbell to raise money for motor neurone disease research. Other strange items reportedly left on Ben Nevis include a church organ, a toilet seat and a 3ft garden gnome . The photograph of the ironing board angered hillwalkers when it was posted on a Highlands Facebook page. It is believed those responsible...

Plan for biggest Nessie search in more than 50 years What has been described as the biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster since the early 1970s is due to be held later this month. Drones fitted with infrared cameras are to be flown over the loch, and a hydrophone is to be used to detect unusual underwater sounds. Organisers said volunteers would also look for possible signs of a creature from safe vantage points on land. The search is to be held on 26 and 27 August. The Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit and a volunteer research team called Loch Ness Exploration are organising the effort.  They said it would be the biggest search for the monster since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studied the loch in 1972. The bureau was set up in the 1960s to uncover the existence of a large beast in the waters. People can pay for trips on the loch during this month's search. Alan McKenna, of Loch Ness Exploration, said: "It's our hope to inspire a new generation of Loch Ness e...

Source: You Tube (STV News) Key words: Sturgeon Covid speech The last six months have been unprecedented .  They ’ve been the hardest many of us have ever lived through   But through our collective efforts across Scotland, we did beat Covid back.  As a result – although too much heartbreak has been endured and too many families are grieving – many lives were also saved.  But as we enter winter, and with many lockdown restrictions now thankfully lifted , the challenge is once again getting harder.  Albeit from the very low level we achieved in the summer, cases are rising again.  In the last three weeks, they have almost trebled.  And as the virus spreads , we see more people being admitted to hospital again and sadly dying.  So we are once again at a tipping point . We must act to get Covid back under control.  And protect the things that matter most to us.  In a global pandemic of a virus with as yet no vaccine, we simply...

Source:  Natalie Runnerstrom on Unsplash World's most expensive dram of Scotch was a fake   A dram of vintage Scotch bought by a Chinese millionaire in a Swiss hotel bar for £7,600 was a fake, laboratory tests have concluded. Analysts from Scotland were called in by the Waldhaus Am See hotel in St Moritz after experts questioned the authenticity of the 2cl shot . It had been poured from an unopened bottle labelled as an 1878 Macallan single malt. It is believed to be the largest sum ever paid for a poured dram of Scotch. But analysis found that it was almost certainly not distilled before 1970. The hotel said it had accepted the findings and reimbursed the customer in full . Zhang Wei, 36, from Beijing - one of China's highest-earning online writers - had paid just under 10,000 Swiss francs (£7,600, $10,050) for the single shot while visiting the hotel's Devil's Place whisky bar in July. But suspicions about the spirit's provenance surfaced so...

Barcelona fans to wave Saltires at cup final after Spain bans Catalan flag  Fans of Barcelona will fly Saltires at the Spanish cup final after be ing banned from displaying a pro-independence Catalan flag. Supporters of the current La Liga champions have been warned by police in Madrid - where the game takes place on Sunday - that their traditional symbol, the Estelada, is "inflammatory". Police have even said they will search fans as they enter the ground. So activists have decided to carry Scottish flags instead as a protest. "They can take our flags but they can never take our freedom," says a social media campaign launched on Friday. Campaigners hope to distribute 10,000 Scottish flags to fans attending the game. The Estelada is not the official flag of Catalonia, which is simply made up of yellow and red stripes .  The Estelada has an extra blue triangle with a white corner superimposed on the simple Catalan flag and is carried by suppor...

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: Wikipedia (Tim Rogers)   The other day I watched an episode of Wild Frank in the footsteps of Livingstone. Here is a summary of the life of the famous explorer: Livingstone was a Scottish missionary and one of the greatest European explorers of Africa, whose opening up the interior of the continent contributed to the ' Scramble for Africa'. David Livingstone was born at Blantyre, south of Glasgow on 19 March 1813. At 10 he began working in the local cotton mill , with school lessons in the evenings. In 1836, he began studying medicine and theology in Glasgow and decided to become a missionary doctor. In 1841, he was posted to the edge   of the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. In 1845, he married Mary Moffat, daughter of a fellow missionary. Livingstone became convinced of his mission to reach new peoples in the interior of Africa and introduce them to Christianity, as well as free ing them from slavery. It was this which inspired his explorations...

Source: Andrea De Santis on Unsplash   Kim Jong-un 'set to open a new restaurant in SCOTLAND' The North Korean leader already has a restaurant in Holland and is hoping to branch out and build diplomatic ties with European cities Kim Jong-un could try and open a restaurant in Scotland serving delicacies such as dog meat soup, North Korea experts claim. This comes after the controversial leader brought his chain, The 'Pyongyang' restaurants, over to Europe by launching one in Holland. Now North Korea watchers believe Scotland may be the next prime location, largely thanks to the popularity of whisky among the communist ruling elite. Michael Madden, editor of the North Korea Leadership Watch, said Jong-un is desperate to build diplomatic ties with European countries with left-wing leanings. He added: "It would not surprise me at all if they opted to open a restaurant in Scotland.  "The Scottish independence referendum catapulted Scotland into the North K...

Which of the following stories interested you most? Read at least one article and in your comment tell me any new words or expressions that you discover. BBC News - Why pro-independence Catalans envy Scotland http://t.co/iJZne2KCzh Listen to Arturo Mas give an interview in English. — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) enero 19, 2014 Spain's black economy booming "Cristina me debes pasta": Spain’s Princess Cristina in court over fraud allegations @JaneDJourno reports: http://t.co/Fi4vRIXY0o #c4news — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) febrero 8, 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight to Beijing vanishes Russia invades Crimea Crowds flock to Spanish church after holy grail claim http://t.co/nn0EVZrG00 via @guardian — Graham Mad Teacher (@madteacher72) marzo 31, 2014

Catalan parliament approves independence vote Catalonia's parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of giving its regional president the power to call an independence "consultation". Spain's government opposes the Catalan "consultation" vote and is taking the dispute to the Constitutional Court. The move comes a day after Scotland voted against independence from the United Kingdom. Catalan President Artur Mas said Scotland's referendum had "shown the way" for Catalonian independence. He is preparing Catalonia for a similar vote on 9 November, with large-scale support for independence from Spain. Catalonian lawmakers voted by a margin of 106 to 28 in favour of authorising the consultation. Spain's Constitutional Court is expected to consider the Catalan case on Tuesday and could suspend the region's vote on independence. 'Strong message'  Mr Mas earlier said Scotland's rejection of independence was "not...