Household Chores.

• What are some ideas on how to assign household chores in a family? Should parents give money to their children as a reward?
• Listen to the conversation and answer the questions. Press the "Final Score" button to check your quiz. 

• Listen to the conversation again as you read the Quiz Script.

Functions.

As we saw in class, we have different ways to describe functions in English:

• ROM holds intructions which are needed to start up the computer.
• ROM is used to hold /is used for holding instructions which are needed to start up the computer.
• The function of ROM is to hold instructions which are needed to start up the computer.

Here you have some examples:

• A scanner is used for inputting text and graphics.
• A printer is used to print out data from a computer.
• An ATM (automated teller machine) provides cash and account information to bank customers on account of a swipe card.
• A PDA is used to store information such as appointments.
• The function of a hard disk drive is to store programs and data.
• A supercomputer is used to process quickly very large amounts of information, for example in a government department or a university.
• A mainframe computer is used for processing large amounts of data such as a major company's accounts and client database.
• Barcodes provide computer-readable information on a product so that it can be identified and priced automatically.
• Swipe cards are used to provide a secure means of identifying authorised users of many different facilities such as banks, libraries and computer labs.
• The function of memory is to hold the instructions and data used by the processor.

Prepositions of Place.

• If you need some information about prepositions of place read THIS.
• And you can do an online EXERCISE, too.

• Finally, you have an easy activity on Places HERE.

Digital Cameras - A Listening.

• Listen to PART 1 of a discussion about digital and conventional cameras and find the similarities and differences between them.
• Now listen to PART 2 and list the disadvantages of digital cameras.

• And if you need it, read the LISTENING SCRIPT.

(source: Oxford English for Information Technology Second Edition, Eric H. Glendinning & John McEwan)

Countable and Uncountable Nouns in English.

(source: English Is Fun/Facebook)

• Countable Nouns are used in singular and plural forms.
• Uncountable Nouns are ONLY used in singular forms.
• A/an, many and a few are used with countable nouns; much and a little with uncountable nouns.
• The, some and any are used with both countable and uncountable nouns, but you will find some only in affirmative sentences.
• You can do some online exercises HERE.
• And you can see an interesting PowerPoint presentation HERE.

Grammar Tips - Relative Clauses & Passives

RELATIVE CLAUSES

• We use Relative Clauses to join two sentences, and to give additional information about something:

              - Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?
              - George ate the apple which was lying on the table.

• By combining sentences with a relative clause your text becomes more fluent and you avoid repeating certain words.
• If you want a more detailed explanation, click HERE.
• If you need more practice you can do some online EXERCISES.

 PASSIVES

•  The Passive voice is used when the focus is on the ACTION, it's not important who or what is performing it.

                - My bike was stolen.
                - The road is being repaired.

• See uses & form of passive sentences HERE.
• You can practise by doing some EXERCISES. For exercises with passives in simple present click HERE; for passives in simple past click HERE.

Price Tag

• Watch the video Price Tag by Jessie J and do the following EXERCISE. Do you think everybody's got a price?
• Russian buys world's priciest home: A LISTENING. And HERE is the audio transcription and the answers of the exercises we did in class.

End-of-Term Homework

The 1st Term is almost over and you will have to make the last effort to be successful...

These are your tasks:

• Grado Medio:

TASK 1  (deadline November 18th, 20th) - Instructions.

- Translate the text from a user's manual and do the exercises. Worksheet HERE.

TASK 2 (deadline November 25th, 27th) - A Dialogue.
    
          - You want to take a friend to dinner. Make a dialogue. Introduce yourself, make arrangements and give directions to get to the restaurant.

TASK 3 (deadline December 2nd, 4th) - A Listening.

          - Listen to this recording about electricity. Download the script and correct the spelling of the underlined words HERE.

Everyday Problems

Look at the problems you might have at home and match them to consequences a to g.

1. I'm having problems with the bathroom taps...
2. The TV isn't working properly...
3. The phone's out of order...
4. The washing machine's leaking...
5. The fan isn't working...
6. I'm having problems locking the front door...
7. There's something wrong with the iron...

      a. ... and I need to ring my family.
      b. ... they keep dripping and I can't turn them off.
      c. ... I can't turn the key.
      d. ... and we can only get one channel.
      e. ... It's not just getting hot enough.
      f. ... and there's water all over the floor.

Highlight here for ANSWERS: 1B, 2E,3A, 4G, 5C, 6D, 7F

(Source: cartoonstock.com)

You can also read this interesting article on how to troubleshoot electrical problems at home.

Frequency Adverbs



• You have a worksheet about Daily Routines and Frequency Adverbs HERE.
• And you can do some online exercises, too.

15 Interesting Facts About Halloween

1 Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween: orange, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and reminds us that Halloween was once a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.

2 More candy is sold on October 28th than any other day of the year.

3 In Arkansas it's illegal to dress up as a priest.

4 The Village Halloween parade in New York City is the largest Halloween parade in the United States. It includes 50.000 participants and draws over 2.000.000 spectators.

5 According to legend, if you see a spider on Halloween it's actually the spirit of a loved one watching over you.

http://thechive.com/2013/09/19/30-interesting-facts-about-halloween-30-photos/

6 October 30th is National Candy Corn day.

7 It's actually very rare for a full moon to occur on Halloween.

8 Pumpkins are typically orange, but they can also be green, white, red and grey.

9 Ireland is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.

10 The word "witch" comes from the Old English "wicce", meaning "wise woman". In fact, witches were highly respected people at one time.

11 Magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween.

12 In the UK white cats are thought to bring bad luck.

13 Hard candy lasts for a year, while chocolate can last up to two.

14 Thousands of people suffer from Samhainophobia, which is an irrational fear of Halloween.

15 Many shelters don't allow black cats to be adopted around Halloween, for fear that they may be tortured or sacrificed.

(source: thechive.com)

• Read the information above about Halloween and find the FALSE fact.
• Then click on the picture and check if you were right.
• Explain in your own words: the origin of the word "Halloween" / fancy dress / trick-or-treating / pumpkin carving / jack-o'lantern / ducking for apples.
• You can also see this VIDEO on Halloween and answer the questions.

How Quickly Do You Do It?

 

- Look at these routines, decide how quickly or slowly you do them:

• buy new clothes
• choose what to wear in the morning
• have lunch 
• have a shower or bath
• tidy up your room/home
• clean your teeth
• do homework
• buy a present for someone
• have breakfast
• get ready for bed

- You can use these expressions:

• QUICKLY: (I do it) as quickly as possible / in a rush / in a hurry
• SLOWLY: I spend a lot of time / I spend ages / I like to take my time (doing it)

I Say a Little Prayer

• Watch the video and find 5 daily routines (things that people usually do everyday)

• Read the lyrics HERE and find if you were right.
• Did you like the song?

Parts of a Computer

SOFTWARE - programs which can be used on a particular computer system.

PERIPHERALS - input devices attached to the CPU.

MAIN MEMORY - section that holds programs and data while they are executed or processed.

HARD DRIVE (HARD DISK) - magnetic device used to store information.

HARDWARE - physical parts that make up a computer system.

INPUT - the information which is presented to the computer.

PORTS - sockets into which an external device may be connected.

OUTPUT - results produced by a computer.

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) - the brain of the computer.

Looking for a job!

CV/Résumé

• It is highly recommended that you include your personal profile in your CV. HERE you have some tips.
• Click on this link for more information on CV format and examples.

A Job Interview

 

• Look at the interview tips. Decide if it's Do or Don't next to each one.

 _____ appear interested only in the salary and benefits.

 

_____ appear over-confident or superior.

 

_____ arrive punctually.

 

_____ criticize your current employer or colleagues.

 

_____ dress smartly.

 

_____ look at the wall or floor when you talk.

 

_____ mumble or fail to finish sentences.

 

_____ research the company beforehand.

 

_____ show enthusiasm.

 

_____ tailor your CV to fit the job.

Present Perfect Revision

• HERE you can find some explanations about the form and uses of Present Perfect.
• Do the online EXERCISES.

• The Present Perfect is normally used with these particles: ever, never, yet, already, just. Click HERE to see a detailed explanation about them. Next, do these online EXERCISES.
• Download the WORKSHEET and do the exercises.

She's Not Just a Pretty Face - Shania Twain

• Watch the video and listen to the lyrics. What is the song about?
• Read about 20 interesting facts about Shania HERE.

Touring London

My name is Diane White and I’m a tour guide. It’s a great job, I meet new people everyday and show them a beautiful city – London! I like taking tourists to Buckingham Palace. The Queen and her family live in this amazing palace. It’s got very large, beautiful gardens and the Queen sometimes has parties in the gardens. The Tower of London is another famous place to show tourists. They like looking at the crown jewels. I also take tourists to Westminster Abbey – a very old and important church. Of course there are many museums to visit in London, too. You can learn about history at some museums, for example the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the National Gallery. There are many things to do in the city. That’s why I love being a London tour guide.

• True or False? 

1. Diane White is an artist in London.
2. Diane likes her job.
3. The Queen lives in Buckhingam Palace.
4. The Queen has parties in the Tower of London.
5. Westminster Abbey is a history museum.
6. London has got many museums.

Jobs

•  Choose one job you'd like to do and one you wouldn't like. Give reasons.

Spies - give secret information to other countries
Judges - decide what to do with criminals
Politicians - are elected by the people
Lawyers - advise and represent people in court
Accountants - check company/individuals' finances
Mechanics - repair machines and cars
Civil Servants - work in government departments
Surgeons - operate on people
Fashion models - display clothes by wearing them
Nurses - look after people in hospital
Composers - write music
Professional sportsmen/women - earn their living from doing a sport

 

• Do you know anyone who...

... is training to be a doctor or a nurse?
... works freelance?
... is looking for a job?
.... works for a multinational company?
... is retired?
... is unemployed?
... works in the computer industry?
... runs their own business?
... has recently given up their job?
... has a job which involves a lot of travelling?

Revision Exercises

• Here you have some online exercises on Be and Have Got. Revise Form and Uses of To Be and Have Got before doing the exercises.
• Exercises on Possessive Adjectives.
• Overview of Possessive Adjectives.
• Overview of Interrogative Pronouns. Online Exercises.
• Form and Uses of Simple Past.
• Test on Simple Past.
• You can download a list of Irregular Verbs HERE.

If you have any problem, ask your teacher!

Write A Blog Entry About Your Weekend

BEFORE YOU WRITE

Complete the chart about your weekend:

• When
• Who
• Activities
• Opinion of the day

NOW WRITE

Use the information in your chart to write a blog entry about your weekend.

CHECK YOUR WRITING

• Word Order
• Punctuation
• Prepositions of Time
• Capital Letters
• Linking Words
• Connectors of Sequence

USEFUL LANGUAGE

• I had a ... day on ...
• First,
• It was...
• Then,
• Next,
• Finally,

International Workers' Day (Labour Day / May Day)

International Workers' Day is celebrated on 1st May and is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. (Wikipedia)

Do this Reading Comprehension and find out many interesting facts about this celebration.

And HERE you can find a lot of vocabulary related to Workers' Day.

Happy Book Day!

It’s World Book Day today! A whole day of celebrating books, reading, writers and all things bookish!

World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The origins of the day we now celebrate in the UK and Ireland come from Catalonia, where roses and books were given as gifts to loved ones on St. George’s Day – a tradition started over 90 years ago.

The date is also the anniversary of the birth and death of William Shakespeare and the death of Miguel de Cervantes.


Watch this video called Jasmine. Do you know anyone like her? Have you read any of the books mentioned?

 

Why do you like reading? Listen to some people talking about their favourite books and why they enjoy reading.

Earth Day

Do you know when the first Earth Day was held? Try reading this text and do some comprehension questions, as well as an Earth Day wordsearch!

Enjoy!

Little Miss Sunshine: A Film Review

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

WRITE A FILM REVIEW:

1. Before you write, complete the chart about the film.

• Name of film: Little Miss Sunshine.
• Type of film:
• Main characters:
• Main events:
• Why I recommend it/ I don't recommend it:

2. Now write. 

Use the information in the chart to write a review of the film. Follow the model on page 80 of your student's book.


3. Check your writing.

• Word Order
• Punctuation
• Prepositions of Time
• Capital Letters
  

For more information on the film, take a look at imdb website.