COFFEE - MORE THAN A DRINK / EL CAFÉ - MÁS QUE UNA BEBIDA.

Hi my dear friends, do you like coffee?  Do you usually drink coffee? Do you think coffee is healthy? Just now, we are going to know a bit more about this delicious drink that, either you love it or you hate it! In my case, I love coffee but only at breakfast and sometimes, after lunch and I must confess that coffee is healthy and good to me!

Hola mis queridos amigos, ¿os gusta el café? ¿Soléis tomar café? ¿Pensáis que el café es saludable? Ahora mismo, vamos a saber un poquito más sobre esta deliciosa bebida ¡que o te encanta o la odias! En mi caso, me encanta el café pero solo en el desayuno y a veces después de comer y debo confesar que ¡el café es saludable y  bueno para mí!

Info: Speak Up magazine.
Photos: radiofelicidad.mx  / muyinteresante.es (2)  /  planetadellibro.es  /



ADDICTED TO COFFEE

Coffee is probably the most widely consumed drink in the world. For this reason it has been the subject of many scientific studies that have tried to determine whether it is healthy or harmful.  There are many articles claiming that coffee is bad for our health.  There is a research that links it with an increased risk of heart disease and even diabetes.  But is this really true?

CONFUSING

The general problem with some of these studies is that they can lead to confusing conclusions.  Moderate consumption of coffee by healthy adults reduces the sensation of physical exhaustion and mental fatigue, increases concentration and improves short-term, memory and coordination.

Nevertheless, people who metabolize caffeine slowly may be at increased risk of a heart problem if they drink more than four cups of coffee a day.



MAKING A CHOICE

Moreover, not all kinds of coffee have the same health effects.  Coffee that's roasted at low temperatures (known as natural roasting) and without sugar has a lower concentration of toxins and carcinogens than "torrefacto" -which is quite common in Spain and Italy.

Other factors to take into account when choosing your coffee is that Arabica variety has less caffeine than the Robusta variety.

Finally, we must not forget that from a societal point of view, and if possible,  it is important that the coffee we buy is from fair trade sources.


CHOLESTEROL

According to recent studies, while more than six cups of coffee a day increases overall cholesterol levels, when coffee is filtered, the compounds that cause this increase are removed.  If coffee is consumed regularly, addiction symptons may appear such as headaches and anxiety.

A NICE CUP OF TEA

Decaffeinated coffee is definitely the right choice for pregnant women, nursing mothers and people who have difficulty sleeping.  Normal coffee can increase heartburn and acid reflux, but decaffeinated coffees and teas do not.  If you do opt for decaf, though, choose the one made "with water only" or made "with carbon dioxide".

Anyway, if after reading this article you decide to drink less coffee, tea is a good alternative.  It also contains caffeine but it is healthier.

Tea consumption is linked to the strengthening of bones and the cardiovascular system.  What's more, tea improves blood flow and does not cause acid reflux.


DECISION

Coffee and tea are both healthy drinks but we must always have them in moderation!

Now, you choose, coffee or tea? Or both?

                                                          *******************************


VOCABULARY

-SHORT-TERM MEMORY: memoria a corto plazo.
-NEVERTHELESS: sin embargo.
-MOREOVER: además.
-TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:  tener en cuenta.
-SOCIETAL POINT OF VIEW:  desde un punto de vista social.
-NURSING MOTHER: madre lactante.
-FAIR TRADE:  comercio justo.
-HEARTBURN:  ardor de estómago.
-ACID REFLUX: reflujo gástrico.
-IF YOU DO OPT:  si te decantas...
-BLOOD FLOW:  circulación sanguínea.

                                                    ***********************************



EXERCISES

1 Match these adjectives with their antonyms.

a) fair                                      1 harmful
b) right                                    2 unusual
c) common                              3 exaggerated
d) moderate                             4 reduced
e) healthy                                5 unjust
f) increased                             6 wrong


  2 Decide whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE.

a) High consumption of coffee reduces mental fatigue     _______
b) The Robusta variety has more caffeine than the Arabica variety _______
c) Drinking more than two cups of coffee a day increases cholesterol levels ______
d) Drinking caffeine regularly can cause mild physical dependence ______
e) Not only coffee, tea also contains caffeine ______

                                     ************************************

SOLUTIONS

1 a) 5   /   b) 6   /  c) 2   /   d) 3  /  e) 1  /  f) 4

2 a) FALSE  /  b) TRUE  c) FALSE  d) TRUE  /  e) TRUE


HAVE A NICE DAY!

TRINITY ISE II - MULTI-TEXT EXERCISE / TRINITY ISE II Exámen - B2.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to continue with our Trinity College Tests. We're doing one of the reading and writing tasks of Trinity ISE II (B2) examination, the MULTI-TEXT part. At the end of the test, you'll find the solutions. 

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a continuar con nuestros Tests del Trinity College. Vamos a hacer una de las pruebas del  examen escrito del Trinity ISE II (B2), el Multi-Text. Al final del test, encontraréis las soluciones. 

TRINITY ISE II (B2)

MULTI-TEXT EXERCISE.  Task 2.  Read the following texts about "The bad Roman influence" and answer the questions.


TEXT A
The title of Peter Jones' book "Vote for a Caesar", how the ancient Greeks and Romans solved the problems of today", is itself explanatory. He believes that if we study the Greeks and Romans, we can be great like them.  Greek and Latin are often cited as the best languages:  they are more complete and accurate than modern languages. These claims are nonsense.

TEXT B
The Romans and Greeks had as many problems as we do. They were greedy, genocidal and cruel to animals. Perhaps that is why we like them: their errors, as well as their achievements, are familiar. Empires come and go, but it was the Romans who deveoped the systematic exploitation of colonies. Their phenomenal military machine enslaved natives, extracted resources and generated taxes.

TEXT C
The Romans gained luxuries: cheap food, wine, bathing and sanitation. Slaves provided labour, skills and entertainment (gladiatorial and sexual)  This model of empire led to European colonization;  the slave trade, exploitation of Africa and the Americas.  The US cotton industry and the Industrial Revolution.  At the opening of the Colosseum, 5,000 animals were killed. In one hunting spectacle, they massacred hundreds of lions, leopards and bears and thousands of ostriches, deer and wild boars.

TEXT D
The Romans invented sporting celebrities. We may not allow gladiatorial fights, but today's boxing and Formula One echo that fatal thrill.  Danger was not enough. The Romans turned Greek sports into gambling extravaganzas. Fortunes were won and lost at the Circus Maximus, as in horse racing today. We don't kill people on TV, but Big Brother has something in common with the voyeurism of throwing Christians to the lions.


QUESTIONS 1-5.  Read the following statements and decide which text each title refers to.

1 The Latin Touch                        _____
2 Games and gambling                 _____
3 Animals pushed to extinction    _____
4 A terrible human exploitation    _____
5 Romans are similar to us            _____

QUESTIONS 6-10.  Choose five TRUE statements from A-H.

6 _____     A   No influence can be found from Romans in our society.
7 _____     B   Romans bet at the time, huge amounts of money.
8 _____     C   The most accurate languages ever are Latin and Greek.
9 _____     D   Romans and Greeks weren't cruel at all.
10_____    E   Such a cruelty against animals is unthinkable nowadays.
                  F   Romans didn't have any colonies to exploit.
                  G   Romans invented and promoted slavery.
                  H   Some programmes on TV today can be compared with the Roman Circus.

QUESTIONS 11-15.  Find a suitable word or phrase in the texts to complete the missing information, Use no more than 3 words.

11  If we study the Greeks and Romans we can become ______________ like them.
12  Colonies were totally exploited by ____________.
13  More than _______________ were massacred at the Colloseum.
14  Sports like __________remain the gladiator fights.
15  Labour was provided by _________.


                                           ***********************************

SOLUTIONS

1 A  2 D  3 C  4 B  5 D

6 B  7 C  8 G  9 E  10 H

11 great  / 12 Romans / 13 5,000 / 14 boxing and F1 / 15 slaves


HAVE A NICE DAY! 

MUSIC AND ENERGY / MÚSICA Y ENERGÍA.

Hi my dear friends, are you fond of running or doing any exercise? Do you like listening to music while jogging or  running? Today we are going to know more about Running and Music.  I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, ¿sois aficionados a correr o a hacer ejercicio? ¿Os gusta escuchar música mientras camináis o corréis? Hoy vamos a saber más sobre  Música y Correr . ¿Espero que os guste! 

Info: Speak Up magazine.
Photos: tone.and.tighten.com  /  buy.garmin.com  /  fr.wikipedia.org

GET FIT IN RHYTHM!       /     MUSIC AND ENERGY

Many runners and gym members feel that music makes exercise more enjoyable.  However, they might not know that scientists have found some kinds of music can improve people's energy by 15 per cent.  This was discovered by Dr. Costas Karageorghis at Brunel University's School of Sport and Education.  Karageorghis has worked with organisations such as Nike and with many champion athletes.  In the study,  thirty people listened to inspiring music by Queen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Madonna.  They did exercise at the same time.


NERVE COMMUNICATION "STOPPED"

When they were doing exercise in time with the music, people showed higher energy levels.  Even when they were positive about how they felt.  When people are doing exercise, their nerves send messages saying that their body is getting tired. However, when they are listening to music at the same time,these messages are blocked. Karageorghis thinks this is because the music causes part of the brain to send different messages to the body that make it feel happy and relaxed.



DIFFERENT EFFECTS

Karageorghis' work shows that different types of music can have different effects on different people. The effect of some music can also depend on how tiring the exercise is. People who have extrovert personalities prefer faster and louder kinds of music compared to people who have a reserved personality.  This is because, for the music to have an effect, the brains of extrovert people need more stimulation than the brains of reserved people.  Reserved people want to feel less worried and so have better results when the music makes them feel relaxed.

The doctor was asked to provide music for the "Run to the Beat" half marathon in the UK, and which has also now started in other countries. "I also have lots of other exciting projects that I am working on," says Karageorghis.

One of these is to find out if the speed of the music we listen to has an effect on our heart rate while we exercise.

                                              ***********************

VOCABULARY

-ENJOYABLE: placentero.
-TO PROVIDE: suministrar.
-HEART RATE: ritmo cardíaco.
-HOT: picante
-TIRING : cansado.


EXERCISE.  Write the correct word in the gaps. The first letter and a description are given to help you.

a) Many athletes feel that music makes exercise more  e______________(pleasant)
b) Scientists have  p___________(demonstrated) that music has a positive effect on energy levels.
c) Music has a direct  e_______ (influence) on the brain.
d) People with different  a________ (dispositions) need different kinds of music.
e) Reserved people need to listen to slower and more  p_______ (soothing) music.
f) Dr Karageorghis was asked to  p________ (supply) music for the half marathon in the UK.


                                                ************************************

SOLUTIONS
a) enjoyable   b) proved  c) effect  d) attitudes  e) peaceful  f) provide


HAVE A NICE DAY!

LIFE STORIES / MY CAT SAVED MY LIFE / HISTORIAS DE VIDA - MI GATA ME SALVÓ LA VIDA.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to read  about a "life story" and a cat. Pets are very important to us and to our lives. It's demonstrated that a life with a pet is a "better life".  I hope you'll like this story! 
Dedicated to cats' lovers!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a leer sobre una "historia de vida" y una gata. Las mascotas son muy importantes para nosotros y nuestras vidas. Está demostrado que la vida con una mascota es "una vida mejor".  ¡Espero que os guste la historia! 
¡Dedicado a los amantes de los gatos!


Info: from Speak Up magazine.
Photos: royalcanin.es/ gatodomestico.com / veterinatiogatos.com

MY CAT SAVED ME FROM A FIRE  by Claire Hopkinson.

Early one morning last February, my cat Tink jumped onto my legs. I was fast asleep and she woke me up, which had never happened before. It was completely uncharacteristic:  she sleeps downstairs and never comes into the bedroom.

As she insisted and insisted, I sat up feeling groggy because I'd been out the night before, but I soon realized something was very wrong. The room was half-filled with white smoke, hanging in the air about one metre deep like a bank of white cloud.


PANIC!

I woke up my partner, Russ, in a panic and we jumped out of bed. As we made our way through the thick smoke, I was still trying to process exactly what was going on, and the danger only really hit me when I went out on to the landing.

Our son Jake, 19, had woken up, and as he opened his brother Scott's door, black smoke came out.  The smoke from Scott's room went up to the ceiling;  it was only then that the smoke alarm was triggered.  Scott, 22, emerged, shouting above the noise that he was struggling to breathe. I phoned the fire brigade, who told us to leave the house as quickly as we could.


NEIGHBOURS

Obviously we didn't want to leave our belongings behind and we dind't want to leave Tink behind,  but we couldn't find her and what was even worse, we knew we had no choice. We had to get out of the house!  We assumed Tink had slipped out of the house, too.

Within minutes, six fire engines arrived. As I stood in the road, I looked at our house and realised that the source of the fire was actually our next-door neighbours -flames were licking the front of her house. She had also managed to get out and was later taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. I couldn't even imagine what was happening in our house as the smoke poured out of the windows. I couldn't bear to look.

WHERE'S TINK?

For half an hour, our two houses were sprayed with water until the firefighters were satisfied that the fire was out. By now, however, our assumption that Tink was safe began to falter. We assumed she had managed to escape, but there was no sign of her. Russ told a firefighter and, even though he wasn't meant to, he went back into our house to look for her.


A MIRACLE

After a few moments he emerged with Tink over his arm. She was completely limp. She wasn't breathing and her tongue was hanging out. He had found her behind a cupboard in Jake's room. We assumed she was dead, and I felt heartbroken; she had saved us but died in the process. Then the firefighter put an oxygen mask on her and incredibly she took a breath and coughed. She was alive!  Groggy and stinking of smoke, but alive! Thanks to the firefighter, she was alive!!!!


A SENSE OF LOSS

As our house was totally wet and smoke-damaged, we had nowhere to live, so Tink went to my daughter Lesley's while we stayed in a hotel for a month.  It took weeks to recover from the trauma of what had happened. One corner of our house had been burnt and all our belongings were ruined. I was especially devastated to lose all my photographs and couldn't bear to open a cupboard to see what was salvageable. It all felt dreadful, but at least we were alive.

SIXTH SENSE

When we went to visit my daughter, it was clear that Tink had been traumatized, too. She was timid, refusing to leave my lap when I tried to get up. We have moved into rented accomodation while our house is renovated and Tink has finally come back to us.

The source of the fire was electrical. The firefighters told us we would have had six minutes to get out before we died in the fire, so Tink's sixth sense saved us!  She could have deserted us, but she came up to the most dangerous smoke-filled area to warn us. Generally, it is said that cats aren't known for their altruism but Tink seems to be the exception!!! Or, simply, cats are as altruistic as other animals!


VOCABULARY

-I COULDN'T BEAR: no pude soportar.
-TO FALTER: flaquear.
-LIMP: sin fuerzas.
-TO COUGH:  toser.
-TO STINK: apestar.
-LAP: regazo.


HAVE A NICE DAY MY FRIENDS!
SEE YOU!