English in Madrid

Source: Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash Drunk driver aquitted because of the skill in which he f led police The Murcia Provincial Court has described a year's ban imposed by a lower court as 'absurd'.  A drunk driver has been acquitted in Spain because of the skill in which he fled the police. It happened in Murcia on April 8 where the driver jumped an alcohol control, driving off, jumping red lights , and s kidding on the curves but he did so ‘driving skilfully at speed’. When he was finally caught he gave a level of 0.45 grams of alcohol per litre of blood. The legal level in Spain is 0.25 grams, and above 0.60 grams is considered a crime. The magistrates in the third section of the Murcia Provincial Court have overturned an earlier sentence from the Penal Court 1 in Murcia, which had been for a year’s driving ban, a 1,080 € fine, and 33 days community work. The judges in the higher court considered that sentence was ‘absurd’ because it makes no...

Left wing calls for Church's money to spent on the unemployed Spain gives 10 billion Euros to the Catholic Church every year Left wing grouping I.U. leader, Cayo Lara, has proposed that the state funding which normally goes to the Catholic Church in Spain be diverted to create employment. ‘To the church to pray, and to the school to learn’, he said speaking in Alicante on Monday. He called for a fully secular state and said the 10 billion € which Spain gives to the Church each year would create 400,000 stable jobs, describing the idea as a ‘simple revision’. Lara was supporting the left wing candidate for the Valencia region, Marga Sanz. She criticised the Socialists for their religious policy, saying that although the Constitution expected state funding of the Church it was wrong to finance Bishops’ campaigns against fundamental freedoms and rights. Source: typicallyspanish  

Image created with Chat GPT Rome braces for 'prophet-predicted quake ' Thousands of people are reported to be staying out of Rome for the next few days, over fears the city will be hit by a huge earthquake . The panic was sparked by rumours that seismologist Raffaele Bendandi, who died in 1979, predicted the city would be devastated by a quake on 11 May. Officials have insisted quakes cannot be predicted and special programmes have run on state TV calling for calm. Experts also say there is no evidence Bendandi even made the prediction. But many people said they were leaving the city to be on the safe side . There are reports of an 18% increase in the number of city employees planning to stay away from work. "I'm going to tell the boss I've got a medical appointment and take the day off ," barman Fabio Mengarelli told Reuters. "If I have to die, I want to die with my wife and kids, and masses of people will do the same as me....

Write the questions for the following answers: ....? Yes, I have. Two brothers and a sister. ....? A suit and tie. ....? I either go to see a film or I invite some friends for dinner. ....? No, the Scottish are much friendlier than the English. ....? No, never but I'd like to go. ....? Zaragoza, but I grew up in Madrid. ....? Two years ago. I need a holiday this year. ....? since we were at university. ....? for about 10 years. She got divorced 2 years ago. ....? No, I'd prefer you didn't. ....? She's quite tall with long, dark hair. ....? Yes, but I don't like it anymore. Infact, I hate it. ....? No, thanks. I've just had one. ....? I think I'd run away as fast as I could. ....? He's really nice. He's the best boss I've ever had. Are the following sentences right or wrong? Correct any mistakes. A. I've got a terrible headache. B. I'm sorry, I haven't an aspirin. He spends a lot of time playing football but he's...

A. What does she look like? How old is she? Where's she from? B. What does he look like? Does he look friendly? What does he do? C. What does she do? Does she look like her famous mother? How old is she? Where's she from? D. Where's he from? What does he do? Does he look like a politician? E. How old is he? What does he look like? Does he look like his famous sister? F. Where's he from? Does he look Spanish? What does he do? G. Where's she from? How old do you think she is? What does she do? H. Does he look English? Does he look like his famous sister? What do you think his job is? I. How old do you think he is? Could he be French? Does he look like his famous daughter? We use "look" and "look like" to talk about appearances. "look" is followed by an adjective: She looks tired. You look wonderful tonight. He looks Italian. "look like" is followed by a noun: She looks like a kind ...

We use the Present Perfect form (have + past participle) to talk about our experiences. We do not specify the time of the action(s). I have been to Florida. RIGHT I have been to Florida last year. WRONG I went to Florida last year. RIGHT He's worked for some of the top companies. RIGHT We've seen this film three or four times. RIGHT We saw this film three or four times. WRONG They've met the King of Spain. RIGHT They've met the King of Spain when he visited Cantabria. WRONG She's lived in a few different countries. RIGHT Have you eaten in this restaurant before? RIGHT In the above examples we only talk about the experiences without specifying when the action(s) happened. We can use "ever" in a question to ask about life experiences: Have you ever ridden a horse? Has she ever studied languages? Has anyone ever climbed that mountain? We use "never" to say that we don't have the experience: She's never been to the opera...

US woman develops European accent after surgery  An American woman has developed a European accent after undergoing dental surgery .  Karen Butler has never been to Europe but 18 months after the procedure her "foreign" accent remains. The 56-year-old tax consultant from Toledo, Oregon, has found her life transformed by the dental procedure, which left her with dentures, and - depending on whom you ask - an Eastern European, Swedish or British accent. Mrs Butler had all her top teeth and front bottom teeth removed in November 2009 because of gingivitis. A week later the swelling had gone away , but she still sounded strange. Her dentist told her she just had to get used to her new teeth. But as weeks stretched on with no change, Mrs Butler did some online research . She diagnosed herself with Foreign Accent Syndrome, a medical condition with only a few dozen documented cases. The syndrome is often the result of brain injury ; though it is uncommon, most ne...

Are the following sentence right or wrong? Correct those that are wrong. 1.  My car has broken down again. It's high time to buy a new one. 2.  I wish I would never started watching this film. 3.  I regret not to go to university. It's much more difficult to find a job without a degree. 4.  I would have forgotten if you wouldn't have reminded me. 5.  We have met before, don't we? 6. He use to play football with his colleagues on a Friday evening. 7.  Would you mind to keep your voices down, please? 8.  Could you tell me which platform does the train leave from? 9.  I wish she wouldn't tell off me in front of everyone. 10.  My teacher suggested me to read this book. 11. I don't think I'd ever be used to live in a noisy neighbourhood. 12. She apologized to everyone in causing so much worry. Choose A B C or D to complete the following sentences. 13. I must get _____ to phoning her. I haven't heard from ...

Barcelona looks to ban bikinis from streets... with threat of £265 fine Barcelona is famous around the world for its l ouche , anything goes atmosphere. But it seems Catalans have had enough of cleavage , and now the Mediterranean resort city is getting tough on those who dare to bare . Tourists who wander the streets of Barcelona in just their swimming costumes - or less - will now face stiff fines . City officials have voted to ban 'nudity or virtual nudity in public places' and limit swimming costumes to swimming pools, beaches, adjacent roads and beach walks. And the ban is set to come into force later this month, just as the influx of British tourists starts to peak. Anyone who walks the streets away from the beaches clad in just a bikini, trunks or a swimsuit will be liable for fines of up to €300 (£262). And in this previously permissive city, the penalties are even more severe for naturists: those who stray naked from designated nudist beaches c...

CNN ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News. DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: We're being told by a White House official that the president will make a statement at 10:30. WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER: I'm told by sources it is a national security issue . JOHN KING, CNN HOST, JOHN KING, USA: CNN is told by several sources now that the president of the United States will announce in just moments that the United States has the body of Osama bin Laden. BLITZER: And now the president will tell us officially bin Laden is dead. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: That was the breaking news late Sunday night after we recorded yesterday's show. In today's special edition of CNN Student News, we're going in depth into the death of Osama bin Laden. First Up : Osama bin Laden Killed AZUZ: He was a terrorist, one of the FBI's most wanted criminals, and the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil . No...