English in Madrid

Source: Guillermo Ferla on Unsplash Hope of alien life fades Leading astronomer pours cold water on hope of finding alien life Howard Smith, a senior astrophysicist at Harvard, made the claim that we are alone in the universe after an analysis of the 500 planets discovered so far showed all were hostile to life. Dr Smith said the extreme conditions found so far on planets discovered outside out Solar System are likely to be the norm , and that the hospitable conditions on Earth could be unique. “We have found that most other planets and solar systems are wildly different from our own. They are very hostile to life as we know it,” he said. He pointed to stars such as HD10180, which sparked great excitement when it was found to be orbited by a planet of similar size and appearance to Earth. But the similarities turned out to be superficial. The planet lies less than two million miles from its sun, meaning it is roasting hot , stripped of its atmosphere and blasted by...

Mary Celeste The Mary Celeste (often incorrectly referred to as Marie Celeste) was a merchant ship notably discovered in December 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and apparently abandoned, despite the fact that the weather was fine and her crew had been experienced and able seamen. The Mary Celeste was in seaworthy condition and still under sail heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar. She had been at sea for a month and had over six months' worth of food and water on board. Her cargo was virtually untouched and the personal belongings of passengers and crew were still in place, including valuables. The crew was never seen or heard from again. Their disappearance is often cited as the greatest maritime mystery of all time. The fate of her crew has been the subject of much speculation. Theories range from alcoholic fumes , to underwater earthquakes, to waterspouts, to paranormal explanations involving hypothetical extraterrestrial, unidentified flying objects, sea...

Here's the synopsis of an old film - the plot might seem familiar - it's the same as the one we listened to in class this week. So Long at the Fair is a 1950 British thriller film directed by Terence Fisher and Anthony Darnborough, and starring Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde . It was adapted from the 1947 novel of the same name by Anthony Thorne. The story "Maybe You Will Remember" told in Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories 3 and the episode "Into Thin Air" of the TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents were based on the same story. In its plot elements and style, the film is reminiscent of many of the films of Alfred Hitchcock. The title derives from the nursery rhyme , "Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?" Plot In 1889, young Englishwoman Vicky Barton (Jean Simmons) and her brother Johnny (David Tomlinson) arrive in Paris to see the Exposition Universelle. This is Vicky's first time in Paris, and after checking into a hotel, she drags her ...

When I tell anybody who hasn't toured Scotland I am from Inverness, they reply with a blank look. As soon as I say it is the town next to Loch Ness, there is instant recognition and interest. More often than not , the question that follows is "And have you ever seen the monster...". If only I had a pound for every time I was asked.... And what is my answer to the much repeated question? "Well, one day a few years ago now I ..." Here is an article about the recent lack of sightings of the elusive monster: Source: Wikipedia   Has scepticism done for the Loch Ness Monster? Not so long ago it was impossible to visit Loch Ness without trip ping over somebody who claimed to have intimate knowledge of Nessie. But in the twilight zone of Britain’s deepest freshwater loch, a strange sanity is suddenly prevailing . There have been only two reported sightings so far this year and there were only three in 2006. A decade ago the numbers were consist...