THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS DIAMOND - THE KOH-I-NOOR / EL DIAMANTE MÁS PELIGROSO DEL MUNDO.

Hi my dear friends, how are you? I hope you'll be safe and healthy everybody! Today we are going to know more about a "dangerous diamond" because diamonds are very beautiful but sometimes, "dangerous", too. This is the story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.

Hola mis queridos amigos, ¿cómo estáis? Espero que todos estéis bien y con salud. Hoy vamos a saber más sobre un "peligroso diamante" porque los diamantes son muy bonitos pero  a veces, también "peligrosos". Esta es la historia del Diamante Koh-i-Noor.

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: artofliving.org  /  postcard.news  /  kohinoorjewels,net  /  kohinoor.org

THE KOH-I-NOOR  /  THE WOLD'S MOST DANGEROUS DIAMOND

The Koh-i-Noor diamond is the centrepiece of the British Crown Jewels. It is arguably the most famous gem in the world.  But it is also the most dangerous.  Countless people have lost their lives in the fight to possess it, the result, many believe, of a terrible curse. In Persian, Koh-i-Noor means "The Mountain of Light". Its origins are a mystery, but most experst think it came from a river bed in India.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Its first verifiable appearance came in the middle of the 17th century, as the central gem in the Peacock Throne of the Emperor Shah Jahan, head of the Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent.  The diamond quickly became a symbol of power.  It passed, through conquest, to the Persian ruler, Hader Shah, and then to his Afghan bodyguard, who establised a huge empire in Afghanistan and northern India.

EMBLEM OF POWER

The jewel was now one of the most famous emblems of power in the world.  In the words of one Afghan queen: "If a strong man were to throw four stones, one north, one south, one east, one west, and a fifth stone up into the air, and if the space between them were to be filled with gold, all would not equal the value of the Koh-i-Noor."  The Afghans finally lost the priceless gem to a Sikh military commander called Ranjit Singh at the beginning of the 19th century.

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

This is when British appeared in the story. Britain was in the process of building what would be the biggest empire in the world, and much of it was on the Indian subcontinent. The British wanted the Koh-i-Noor.  Singh's ten-year-old son, Duleep, now the owner of the gem, was "persuaded" to hand it over in 1849 to the British, for the imperial Queen, Victoria.

BLOODY HISTORY

Queen Victoria had no idea of the bloody history of the diamond, or its curse. Over the centuries, as the gem passed from ruler to ruler, its 793 carats were covered in layer after layer of cruelty and suffering. Eyes were punctured with hot needles, people were cremated alive, and one torture victim died wearing a crown of molten lead.

Duleep's life was just another example.  The British took Duleep to England with the diamond. Queen Victoria liked him but felt guilty over how the jewel had arrived in her hands.  Happy at first, Duleep soon became bitter at his situation, and eventually left the court. He finally died in poverty.

WORLD DOMINATION

Th Koh-i-Noor had arrived in England as the symbol of Britan's domination of the world. It was presented at the Great Exhibition in London's Hyde Park in 1851.

The Exhibition was designed to show Britain's global domination,  and six million people, thirty per cent of the British population, went to see it.  The jewel was an enormous disappointment however,  It was much smaller and less spectacular than people had expected.  It was later made part of the Crown Jewels. Britain's current Queen, Elizabeth II, has never worn the gem.  It was last seen on the coffin of the Queen Mother in 2002.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

The future of the Koh-i-Noor is not clear.  Several countries have demanded its return, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.  Even the Taliban say they want it.  

Will the jewel stay in the Tower of London?

SEE YOU!!!

I hope you'll like this story!!!

THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN / EL CARTEL DE HOLLYWOOD

Hi my dear friends. I think everybody knows The Hollywood Sign. It is so famous that people recognize it at once. Today we are going to know a bit more about this iconic symbol. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos. Creo que todo el mundo conoce El Cartel de Hollywood. Es tan famoso que la gente lo reconoce enseguida. Hoy vamos a saber un poquito más sobre este icónico símbolo. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: Speak Up magazine.

Photos: hollywoodsign.org  /  siempreconcectados.es  /  20minutos.es

AN ICONIC SYMBOL      /     THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

Nothing says Hollywood better than the Hollywwod sign.  This iconic landmark is a symbol of fame and glamour. But believe ir or not, the concept behind the Hollywood sign wasn't to represent the Los Angeles film industry.

REAL ESTATE

The original sign was erected in 1923 to promote a new housing development in the Hollywood Hills.  It said "Hollywoodland", the name of the housing development, in gigantic letters.

The letters were fifty feet high and thirty feet wide, and had more than four thousand light bulbs that illuminated the sign at night.

THE END OF H

The developers wanted to remove the sign after eighteen months, but people loved it so much that they left it there. The letters soon began to deteriorate, and in the early 1940s, the sign's custodian, Albert Kothe, got drunk one night and drove his car into the letter H, destroying it.

SAVED BY THE PEOPLE

This could have been the beginning of the end of the sign.  The city then bought the land it was on and planned to remove it. But because of public pressure to save it, they only removed the "land" section, so it now read simply "Hollywood", and restored the remaining letters.

PLAYBOY CAMPAIGN

And then history repeated itself!  The sign again deteriorated, and by the 1960s, the first O was damaged, so it looked like a U and the last O had fallen over -so the sign now said "Hullywo d'!  This time, it was celebrities who saved the day, in particular the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, who organized a campaign to save it.

ONE LETTER EACH

Nine celebrities, including Hefner, rock star Alice Cooper and Italian movie producer Gianni Mazza, donated nearly $28,000 to replace one letter each.  And in 1978 the city revealed the sign that we see today, which has white metal letters on a concrete foundation.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Today, the sign is protected by an advanced security system, but it's often been vandalised over the years. In 2017, firemen had to remove banners from two letters of the sign as a prankster had altered it to read "HOLLYWEED".

You can see the Hollywood Sign from various places in Los Angeles, and if you're feeling energetic, you can hike almost two miles and stand near it, for the perfect Hollywood selfie!

VOCABULARY 

-LANDMARK:  atracción.

-REAL ESTATE: inmobiliaria.

-HOUSING DEVELOPMENT:  complejo residencial.

-LIGHT BULBS:  bombillas.

-REMOVE:  retirar.

-SAVED THE DAY;  llegó al rescate.

-CONCRETE FOUNDATION:  cimientos de hormigón.

-TO HIKE:  hacer senderismo.

-PRANKSTER:  bromista.

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!!!  KEEP SAFE AND HEALTHY!!!!

SPORT / VERTICAL RUNNING - DEPORTE / CARRERA VERTICAL.

Hi my dear friends, have you ever practiced vertical running ? It consists of a race but always up, the only way is up and Chicago (USA) is the capital of stair climbing or tower racing. This year this race has to be virtual because of the situation we are suffering but people can also participate from home as well.

Hola mis queridos amigos, ¿habéis practicado alguna vez carrera vertical? Consiste en una carrera pero siempre hacia arriba, el único camino es hacia arriba y Chicago en los Estados Unidos es la capital del ascenso por escaleras o carreras en diferentes torres. Este año esta carrera tiene que ser virtual a causa de la situación que estamos sufriendo pero la gente puede participar también desde casa igualmente.

Info:  from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: mprnews.org  /  givebackonmyfeet.org/  dailymail.org   /  skyrisechicago.org

VERTICAL RUNNING   -   THE ONLY WAY IS UP

Remember Sylvester Stallone up the steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the first Rocky film in 1976?  This iconic image was repeated in later Rocky movies. The way to go is up.

Stair climbing as a sport is relatively recent. It was initiated by runners' clubs whose members lived in big cities with big buildings.

TOWER RACING

Towe running is very powerful exercise and burns a lot of calories. Stairs are very steep, so the body has to contend with gravity. Running up stairs activates muscles that are not used in regular runs. Stair runners love to tell stories about marathon runners who couldn't handle the pace of a vertical race. In any case, vertical races are often held for charity so the pain is for a good cause. So how do you train for these races? With difficulty, as the high buildings are usually private.

CHICAGO, CHICAGO!

Chicago has a great selection of skyscrapers, best seen from the river on an architectural boat tour.  The city's impressive John Hancock Tower is climbed for the "Hustle up the Hancock" charity race. 

Another big event in the tower running calendar is the "SkyRise" race up the Willis Tower in November.

The Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), is the second of the tallest building in the US, and one of the tallest in the world.  Its 110 stories occupy so much space -over 100 football fields- that the Tower has its own zip code.  With its characteristic antenna tip, the Willis Tower is 527 metres high.

SkyRise runners finish the race at 412 metres, on the glass decks of the "Skydeck" on the 103rd floor.

IN TOP PHYSICAL CONDITION

A tower racer is an athlete who specializes in running up the stairs of very tall buildings.  The altitude starts to play a factor because the atmosphere and the air level change.  For the most part of the race it is an enclosed stairway so you get a lot of  stale air cause there are a lot of people doing it too.

There are thousands of people running up and down, sweating and breathing and the temperature of the body gets warmer. 

The attraction of this sport is the thrill itself. It is something new and not comercialized. It is very competitive. If you really get at it, 13, 14 minutes, but your heart is racing that whole time, like that's a full-body exertion, it's a lot more aggressive than a natural run. Like just about any athlete of any kind runs but not many of them run stairs. 

You must be in top physical condition because it is a vigorous and treacherous route but you get that thrill of overexertion, full exertion!

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

VOCABULARY

-TO CONTEND WITH:  luchar contra.

-TO HANDLE: manejar.

-PACE: ritmo.

-CHARITY: organización benéfica.

-TO HUSTLE UP: subir deprisa.

-STALE AIR:  aire viciado.

-TO SWEAT:  sudar.

-THRILL:  emoción.

-IF YOU REALLY GET AT IT:  si lo hace a tope.

-EXERTION:  esfuerzo.

EXERCISE.

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

a) Tower running involves racing to the top of  s_____________(high-rise buildings)

b) It takes place in an enclosed   s____________(stairway) so the air can get stale.

c) It is a very  v_____________(energetic)  sport that raises body temperatures.

d) Tower running gets your heart  r__________(beating fast)  the whole time.

e)   It follows a more  t__________(hazardous)  route than a normal, natural run.

TOWER RUNNING AROUND THE WORLD

**The international website  www.towerrunning.com  has a list of all upcoming races in the world.

** www.stairsport.com  is the main United States site, with a corresponding facebook group.

** www.towerrunninguk.com  is the United Kingdom equivalent.

                        

SOLUTION TO THE EXERCISE.

a) skyscrapers   b) stairwell  c) vigorous  d) racing  e) treacherous

SEE YOU!!!

LIFESTYLES / SLOGANS - ESTILOS DE VIDA / ESLOGANS - WORLD / EL MUNDO.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to see different curious and common things that we usually do or see or read and we don't realize at a first sight.  It is a mix of things!I hope you'll like the post!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a ver cosas curiosas y comunes que solemos hacer, ver o leer y de las que no nos damos cuenta a primera vista.  Es una mezcla de cosas ¡Espero que os guste la publicación!

Info: Speak Up magazine.

Photos: elcomercio.es  /  psiconet.es  /  petardosgranada.es  /  elnortedecastilla.es

WORLD  /  LIFESTYLES

Smartphone technology has removed the pleasure of boredom and the gift of patience. Even if we want to, it is no longer possible to get bored, not even if we are standing in a queue.  All you need to do is taken out your smartphone and check your email, go on Facebook, or some other website, or play some unbelievably pointless game.  Carolyn Gregoire of the Huffington Post has drawn up a list of nine alternative things for us to do in a queue...WITHOUT OUR SMARTPHONES.

1 Smile at a stranger.

2 Practise meditation, clearing your thoughts and directing your full awareness to the visual and auditory stimuli in your present environment.

3 Let someone who's in a rush cut in front of you.

4 Make a mental list of things you're grateful for.

5 Take some deep breaths.

6 Silently repeat a mantra for inner peace.

7 Daydream.

8 Send a kind thought to someone you love.

9 Read a book.

VOCABULARY

-BOREDOM: aburrimiento.

-GIFT: regalo, don.

-POINTLESS: sin sentido.

-TO DRAW UP: elaborar.

-AWARENESS: conciencia.

-IN A RUSH: con prisa.

-CUT IN FRONT OF YOU: pasar delante de ti.

-INNER: interior.

-TO DAYDREAM: soñar despierto.

ADVERTISING  /  HONEST SLOGANS

And what if the slogans of famous brands were honest?  It would be a disaster for their manufacturers!

According to the Internet, the best slogan for Lego would be:  "The bane of your foot's existence."

This is because parents (and children) constantly step on little Lego pieces... and it hurst!!! 

VOCABULARY

-THE BANE:  el calvario.

-TO HURT: doler.

                      

                                          

HUMOUR  /  CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

The British are great fans of Christmas crackers. An important part of pulling the cracker is discovering the joke inside, which is usually both short and bad!  Here are some examples:

1 How do snowmen get around?   They ride an icicle! (rima con bicycle)

2 What did Santa say to his wife when he looked outside?  Looks like reindeer! (se parece a rain dear)

3 What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?  Frostbite! 

4 What do English teachers call Santa's helpers?  Subordinate Clauses!

VOCABULARY

-CRACKER: petardo.

-TO PULL:  tirar

-ICICLE: carámbano.

-REINDEER: reno

-FROSTBITE: congelación.

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

Now, are you good at crosswords?  Here you can read the definitions and you have to guess the word.

1 Man who has never been married. Also a degree ________

2 Farming event celebrated in the US at Thanksgiving ________

3 Acronym signifying "to be arranged" or "to be agreed" ________

4 Adverb/interjection used in polite requests _________

5 "Planet of the ____" popular 1968 film remade in 2001 ________

6 Adjective meaning the opposite of closed  ________

7 Time of the day when the sun falls below the horizon  _______

8 Old-fashioned way of saying "yes"   _________

9 Cornmeal slow-cooked into a creamy porridge  __________

10 Adjective meaning "possessing a higher education" __________

11 Cephalopod with a soft body and eight tentacles _______

12 "Bohemian ________" 1975 hit single by rock band Queen.

13 Breed of shepherd dog used in police work  _________

14 Gemstone and nickname for Ireland ____________

15 Discount retail store of out-of-season brands ____________

16 Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries __________

17 Verb: lower and raise the head in agreement ___________.

18 Place where drinks are served over a counter _______

19 Soft or solid dairy product, made from milk curd _______

20 Electronic System for TRavel Authorization _________

NEWS THAT INSPIRES

**Imagining what is is like to be someone other than yourself at the core of our humanity.  It is the essence of compassion, and it is the beginning of morality.  (Ian McEwan)

**In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it   (Marianne Williamson)

VOCABULARY

-CORE: núcleo, centro.

-WOUND: herida.

-TO HEAL: curar.

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

SOLUTIONS TO THE DEFINITIONS.

1 bachelor   2 harvest   3 TBA   4 please   5 apes   6 open   7 sunset   8 yea   9 polenta   10 educated

11 octopus   12 rhapsody   13 alsatian   14 emerald   15 outlet   16 OPEC   17 nod   18 bar   19 cheese

20 ESTA

HAVE A NICE DAY!

BRITISH HUMOUR - JOKES / HUMOR BRITÁNICO - CHISTES.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to speak about jokes, British jokes, dark humour, etc. Humour is not the same everywhere and the way of understanding it,  it's not the same as well.

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a hablar de chistes, chistes británicos, humor negro, etc.  El humor no es el mismo en todas partes y la forma de entenderlo tampoco es igual. 

Info: from Speak up magazine.

Photos: dailymail.co.uk / teacherluke.co.uk / tvtropes.org / pinterest.es / britjokes.altervista.org

                                        

HUMOUR  -  DARK HUMOUR  -  BRITISH HUMOUR

Experts say that laughing is an ability that is specific to human beings.  No other aninal does it.  So why do we?

THE PURPOSE OF LAUGHTER

For most people. laughing is a way of showing we are happy, we usually laugh with other people present, and it helps relax the atmosphere.  Antoher reason for laughter is that it helps us deal with the sensitive area of social morality, or situations which are normally serious, like death, disease or war. This is where humour sometimes gets "dark".

THE ORIGINIS OF DARK HUMOUR

Dark humour is probably as old as human communication itself. One of the first modern examples in English is in the writings of Jonathan Swift.  In "A Modest Proposal" (1729) Swift suggests that poor people sell their children as food to the rich. His intention was to make fun of simple suggestions for solving problems such as poverty or overpopulation.

INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES

There are several individuals who decided to use humour when faced with their own death. Murderer William Palmer looked at the door under the gallows before his execution in 1855 and asked, "Are you sure that's safe?"  Writer Oscar Wilde's last words, as he was dying in a cheap hotel, were "Either that wallpaper goes or I will".  Humourist Spike Milligan had the words "I told you I was ill" (in Irish) written on his gravestone.

ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS

It is a mystery where some dark humour comes from. Nobody knows who wrote this: "We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse. "Or how about this piece of graffiti to make you feel depressed: "Life is a sexually transmitted disease, and it's 100 per cent fatal."

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

Surprisingly, dark humour can sometimes provide a more positive conclusion to a grim topic. This is what Dorothy Parker wrote in 1925 on the subject of suicide:

Razors pain you;

rivers are damp;

acids stain you;

and drugs cause cramp;

nooses give;

gas smells awful;

you might as well live.

SOME OTHER JOKES!!

THE HUNTERS

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing. The other man takes out his phone and calls the emergency services. He says: "My friend is dead! What can I do?"  The operator says: "Calm down. I can help. First, make sure he's dead."  There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the man says, "OK, now what?"

BLOOD TEST

Two children, Johnny and Alex, were sitting outside a clinic. Alex was crying.

Johnny: "Why are you crying?"

Alex: "I came here for a blood test"

Johnny: "So? Are you afraid?"

Alex: "No, but for the blood test, they cut my finger!"

After hearing this, Johnny started crying, making Alex feel surprised as well as curious, and Alex asked: "Why are you crying now?"

Johnny: "I came for an urine test!"

THE FUNERAL

A funeral service is held for a woman who just passed away. As the pallbearers carry the casket out, they accidentally bump into a wall. They hear a faint moan. They open the casket and find that the woman is still alive. She lives for 10 more years and then dies. At the end of the service, the pallbearers carry out the casket. As they ar walking, the husband cries out, "Watch out for the wall!"

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

VOCABULARY WORDS

-COFFIN: féretro, ataud.

-TO LAUGH: reir.

-SENSITIVE: delicado.

-DISEASE: enfermedad.

-FALLOWS: patíbulo.

-WALLPAPER: papel pintado.

-GRAVESTONE: lápida.

-GRIM: triste.

-RAZOR: navaja.

-DAMP: húmedo.

-TO STAIN: manchar.

-CRAMP: rampa-

-LAWFUL: legal.

-NOOSES FIVE;  se desatan los lazos.

-AWFUL: horrible.

-TO COLLAPSE:  desplomarse.

-PALLBEARER:  portador del féretro.

-CASKET: féretro.

-FAINT: débil.

-MOAN:  gemido.

WATCH OUT:  ¡cuidado!

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!

THE SHARD - LONDON'S SKYLINE.

Hi my dear friends. Today, we are going to know a bit more about "The Shard" a new and famous London skyscraper.

Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy vamos a saber un poquito más sobre "The Shard" (La astilla) un famoso y nuevo rascacielos de Londres.


Info; from Speak Up magazine.
Photos:  getty.images.es  /  kone.es  /  londres.es  /  londonpass.es  /  posterlounge.es

THE SHARD   -   LONDON'S SKYLINE

If you have been to London recently, you will have noticed that there is an addition to the skyline.  It is called "The Shard" and it was officially inaugurated on July 5th, 2012 with a spectacular light and laser show.  Since then The Shard has quickly established itself as a landmark.  It has already replaced "The Gherkin" as the British capital's most unusual building.

As well as being unusual, The Shard is also very tall: at 309.6 metres it is in fact the tallest building in Western Europe. The Shard is located in a new commercial district, London Bridge Quarter, on the South Bank, across the river from "The City".

SUSTAINABILITY

The project is a partnership between the State of Qatar and the Sellar Property Group.  The developers are keen to emphasise that The Shard is an example of sustainable urban development:  95 per cent of the construction material has been recycled, while 20 per cent of the steelwork comes from recycled sources.

As London Bridge Quarter spokesperson explains: "The Shard" was coined by its Italian architect, Renzo Piano, who transformed Paris with the Pompidou Centre in the 1970s. A "shard" is a fragment of glass and this Shard consists of facets of glass that don't actually touch; this allows the building to "breathe".

Renzo Piano described The Shard as being like shards of glass, because, if you look at it, that's exactly what it is, it's got six or eight different sides to it, and there are eleven-and-a-half thousand (11,500) panes of glass in there!  It is effectively a glass building with an unbelieavably strong concrete core.

THE VERTICAL CITY

All this glass contains a "vertical city" with 31.4 acres (127 hectares) of space and 95 floors of offices, restaurants, shops, a five-star hotel and spa, residential apartments  and the capital's highest viewing galleries as "The View from The Shard"

The Shard comprises offices up to floors 28 so, 600,000 feet, 55,000 square metre of office space. Above the offices, there are three  floors of restaurants and a public bar.  Above the restaurants, it is the famous luxury Shangri-La Hotel.  Above that, there are 10 residences and above them, the viewing galleries.

It is demonstrated that The Shard has already caught the world's attention and has become a global icon.  It is a recognisable building around the world.  It is already establishing itself as one of the great global buildings.


To reach the rop you could walk up 306 flights of stairs, but it's quicker to take the lift, which travels at 6 metres per second. In one minute you will reach the top, where (on a clear day) you can see for 40 miles (64 km)

FACTS AND FIGURES

The Shard has 11,000 glass panels over an area equivalent to 8 football pitches.

The volume of concrete used is 54,000 square metres, the equivalent of 22 Olympic swimming pools.

The View from The Shard is the highest vantage point from any building in Western Europe.

The View from The Shard is the only place where it is possible to see all of London all at once.

The attraction features 12 "Tell:scopes" -state-of-the-art digital telescopes that are  being used in Europe for the first time.

Guests take two separate lifts to reach the viewing galleries on levels 68-72.  The lifts travel at 6 metres per second, completeing the journey in 60 seconds.


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

EXERCISE.  
Choose the best answer for each question.

a) In which London neighbourhood can you find the Shard?
1 The West End  2 The City  3 Embankment

b) Which of these three phrases is incorrect?
1 A pane of glass   2 A shard of glass   3 A level of glass.

c) What is the centre of The Shard made of?
1 A special kind of glass   2 Solid brick   3 Strong concrete.

d)What can be found in The Shard?
1 Offices and some residences   2 Residences only   3 London government offices

e) Which luxury hotel chain has its first European hotel in The Shard?
1 Westin   2 Four Seasons   3 Shangri-La


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


VOCABULARY

-SHARD:  astilla.
-GHERKIN:  pepinillo.
-PARTNERSHIP:  colaboración.
-STEEL WORK:  acero usado en construcción.
-SPOKESPERSON:  portavoz.
-FACET:  panel.
-FLIGHT:  tramo.
-PITCH:  campo.
-VANTAGE POINT:  mirador privilegiado.
-STATE-OF-THE-ART:  última generación.
-SKYSCRAPER:  rascacielos.
-PANE:  hoja.
-CONCRETE:  hormigón.
-TO COMPRISE:  constar.
-CORE:  núcleo.
-VIEWING GALLERY:  terraza panorámica.
-LANDMARK:  edificio singular.


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



SOLUTION TO THE EXERCISE.
a) 2   b) 3   c) 3   d) 1   e) 3


SEE YOU!!!   

VICTORIAN POTTERY - THE BRITISH MIDLANDS / CERÁMICA VICTORIANA - LA TIERRA MEDIA BRITÁNICA.

Hi my dear friends. Are you fond of pottery? Pottery, for me, is a beautiful art, and there are many countries which make typical and traditional pottery;  among them, Spain, with its marvellous Talavera Pottery but I'll tell you another day. Today, we are going to know a bit more about "Victorian Pottery".  I hope you'll like it!


Hola mis queridos amigos. ¿Sois aficionados a la cerámica? La cerámica, para mí,  es un bonito  arte, y hay muchos países que fabrican cerámica típica y tradicional, entre ellos España, con su maravillosa Cerámica de Talavera pero eso os lo contaré  otro día. Hoy vamos a saber un poco más sobre "Cerámica Victoriana".  ¡Espero que os guste! 


Info: from Speak Up magazine.
Photos: ctcsc.org  /  burleigh.co.uk  /  preloved.co.uk  /  pinterest.co.uk  /  amazon.co.uk

VICTORIAN POTTERY  /  THE BRITISH MIDLANDS

Travel back in time to discover Britan's golden era.  A recently restored Victorian factory in the English Midlands gives you that opportunity.



THE EMPIRE

The year is 1888.  Queen Victoria is on the throne and Britain is a super-power with an enormous empire that governs a quarter of the world's population.  There is great prosperity for some British people, thanks to trade and commerce.

THE WORKING CLASSES

But many people work long hours in poor conditions.  In the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire a ceramics company, Burgess & Leigh, built a factory to produce a distinctive blue and white pottery called Burleigh.  The name came from a combination of its two founders -Burgess and Leigh-  and the factory was called the Middleport Pottery.  The pretty blue and white design was inspired by the Orient and it was very popular with the Victorians.



PROGRESS

Middleport was seen as a "model pottery" in its days as it tried to improve conditions for its workers. The area was immortalised in local author Arnold Bennett's 1902 novel "Anna of the Five Towns".



HARD TIMES

In recent years, however, this Victorian Pottery has faced closure. Many of the buildings were in a bad condition.  Foreign competition was strong.  Prince Charles' Trust -The Prince's Regeneration Trust -came to the rescue and gave about 9 million pounds for its restoration.  The factory was modernised while keeping much of its original appearance.  It was reopened by Prince Charles.

FACTORY TOURS

Stoke-on-Trent (the nearest railway station) is 90 minutes from London and it is worth the journey.  Factory tours offer you the opportunity to see the clay being formed, fired and decorated, using the same traditional techniques as when the Pottery first opened in the 19th century.  The tour also includes Middleport Pottery's steam engine, which once powered the whole site.




LOCAL HERO

Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) was from the Potteries area of Stafforshire. He wrote about Burslem, the town where the Middleport Pottery is situated, in his classic book "Anna of the Five Towns".  Burslem is one of the "Five Towns" but Bennett changed the name to "Bursley".

There are really six towns, but Bennett thought that "five" sounded better.  "Clayhanger" and "The Old Wives' Tale" also talk about life in the Potteries. Several of Bennett's books have been made into films.

FINE CHINA FACTS.

**Burleigh china has been used in two TV series: "Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

**The designs are popular these days, especially in Japan and South Korea.

**Middleport Pottery has the largest collection of pottery moulds in Europe.


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


VOCABULARY

-FACTORY:  fábrica.
-MIDLANDS: área central de Inglaterra.
-TRADE: comercio.
-POTTERY: cerámica.
-TO FACE CLOSURE:  afrontar el cierre.
-TO BE WORTH:  valer la pena.
-CLAY:  arcilla.
-TO FIRE: cocer.
-STEAM ENGINE:  motor a vapor.
-ONCE:  una vez.
-TO POWER: alimentar.
-WHOLE:  entero.
-SITE: planta.
-CHINA:  porcelana.
-MOULD:  molde.

HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!

FUTURE / CURIOUS NEWS - FUTURO / NOTICIAS CURIOSAS.

Hi my dear friends. In some occasions we read or see curious news about different products or devices. Today, I'm going to show you some of them. I hope you'll like them! and what is more: They are all available at this very moment!

Hola mis queridos amigos. En algunas ocasiones leemos o vemos noticias curiosas sobre diferentes productos o aparatos. Hoy, voy a enseñaros algunos de ellos. ¡Espero que os gusten! y lo que es más: Todos ellos están disponibles en el mercado en este momento. 


Info:  from Speak Up magazine.
Photos: pinterest.es  /  trends.directindustry.es  /  cbc.a  /  movilzona.es  /  potton.co.uk  / themayor.eu  /  dailymailco.uk (2)



CURIOUS NEWS  /  FUTURE SHOCK.

**LIFESAVING AIRCRAFT

With search and rescue operations primarily in mind, the Martin Jetcraft, named one of 2010's top 50 inventions by Time Magazine, is already available!  The fan propelled light aircraft, which can be flown by a pilot or by remote control, can take off and land vertically in relatively confined spaces, and has 30 minutes flight capability at a speed of up to 74 kilometres per hour at an altitude of up to 1,000 metres. The jetpack, created by a New Zealand-based company Martin Aircraft  Company, is set to be priced at around $200,000 (€184,000) 
www.martinjetpack.com






**THE IMPACT OF IPADS

Myopia is epidemic in east Asia.  But scientists believe genes aren't to blame.  As Ian Morgan of the Australian National University says: "As kids spend more time on computers or watching telly, we are going to become just as myopic"!

**BUILD YOUR OWN HOME

Flatpack homes are becoming more and more practical.  The latest versions offer quick assembly, can be moved from one location to another and are economical.  They can also handle hurricane winds of up to 290 km/h,  harvest rainwater and turn solar power into energy.  Incredible!!

**TURN A SOLAR PAGE

Possibly the world's most portable solar charger can charge your phone outdoors on a sunny day in under 3 hours.  The Kickstarter-funded Solar Paper, invented by Las Vegas-based electronics company Yolk, is a paper "thin and ultraweight" solar panel that can be slipped inside a notebook.









VOCABULARY

-SEARCH AND RESCUE:  búsqueda y salvamento.
-PRIMARILY: principalmente
-FAN: abanico.
-TO TAKE OFF:  despegar.
-TO LAND:  aterrizar.
-TO SLIP INSIDE:  insertar.
-TO HANDLE: AGUANTAR.
-TO TURN INTO:  convertir en.

HAVE A NICE DAY!!

IRELAND - KAYAKING THE DIVIDE / IRLANDA - LA SEPARACIÓN EN KAYAK

Hi my dear friends. Today we're going to look at Ireland. I'll show you around Carlingford and the divide between the two Irelands.  I hope you'll like it!


Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy vamos a mirar a Irlanda. Os mostraré Carlingford y la división entre las dos Irlandas. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: From Speak Up magazine.
Photos: hogranada.es  /  tripadvisor.es (3)  /  wikipedia.org



IRELAND  -  KAYAKING THE DIVIDE

The small medieval village of Carlingford is in the Republic of Ireland, close to Northern Ireland. The border in fact runs through Lough Carlingford!  During the "Troubles" a British minesweeper patrolled the sea inlet, but today you can paddle across the border without realizing it.  On a sunny day, the lough is full of red, yellow and orange kayaks, and kids jump into the water from large pontoons.  The two communities are now good neighbours.  People might live in the South and work in the North, or vIce-versa.  Southern Irish shoppers certainly like to cross over for some goods deals on groceries!

In Carlingford you can find and see, The Mint,  which is over 400 years old and where they used to make money. King John's Castle, on the waterfront, which was built in 1267  but allegedly for King John of England and the Abbey, the Dominican Abbey, which is maybe 500 metres away, and it is over 800 years old.  And there would have been a big community of monks back in the time when...going back to the Viking times, there would have been monks there.

In Carlingford, if you go round the village, you will enjoy its narrow streets, the old houses, the old walls and a lot of  medieval buildings   because this village has been occupied for thousand years.

ON THE BORDER

Carlingford Lough is a fjord that marks the coastal border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. During the times of the Troubles, which began in 1969 and continued for many decades, it could be a scary place.  A British minesweeper was permanently moored there and it would routinely stop and search any boat that crossed the lough, but today you are more likely to see schoolchildren kayaking. They will have come from the Carlingford Adventure Centre. This is in County Lough, on the Republic side of the border.

ADRENALINE ADVENTURE

For over 20 years, one local company, Carlingford Adventure Centre, has been doing its bit both for providing employment in the area and for good relations between the communities.  Most of their work is with schools.  In Northern Ireland the vast majority (90 per cent) of schoolchildren are still educated in segregation, with children of their own faith. So when two schools, one from the North, one from the South, meet here for the day, it is also a political gesture.  In summer, language students come from Spain and other European countries to learn English, combining their studies with outdoor activities. There is a scary highrope walk, to get the adrenaline flowing, and cool activities like zorbing: rolling down the hill in a giant plastic bubble -an activity imported from New Zealand.

PAST AND PRESENT

With its narrow scenic streets, Carlingford is over a thousand years old.  Today, one flourishing local business is oyster farming. Conditions here are ideal for oysters, which are then exported to France.  A few years ago the peninsula was designated a European Destination of Excellence. This means continuing investment in infraestructure, services and facilities on both sides of the border. This is good for the locals and good for visitors!


THE TROUBLES

This term describes the conflict that broke out in Northern Ireland in 1969.  Northern Ireland was created in 1922 when the rest of Ireland obtained independence from Great Britain.  The Protestants in the northern region of Ulster didn't want to become part of the new "Irish Free State", which was predominantly Catholic.  As a result, six of the nine Ulster counties that had a Protestant majority became "Northern Ireland".

Catholics in Northern Ireland were treated like second-class citizens and in the late 1960s they started to campaign for their civil rights.  The Protestants, who ran the local police force, reacted with violence and the British army was sent in.  This was officially to protect the Catholics, but the army soon began to see the Catholics as the enemy.

IF YOU GO...

**HOW TO GET THERE.  Carlingford Lough is about halfway between Dublin and Belfast. There are buses from Belfast or Dublin. www.translink.co.uk   /   www,buseireann.ie

**WHERE TO STAY.   Right by the Lough, Ghan House also serves fabulous dinners and wines.

**WHAT TO DO.  Friendly Carlingford Adventure Centre in Tholsel Street offers days of adventure, kayaking, a highrope course, Ireland's largest rock-climbing site, zorbing... language courses for students aged 10-18 as well as for families.  The Carlingford Oyster Festial is in early August.
www.carlingfordadventure.com


** MORE INFO:  www.carlingford.ie  /  www.discoverireland.ie


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

VOCABULARY

-LOUGH:  lago
-SIDEBAR: recuadro
-MINESWEEPER:  dragaminas
-SEA INLET:  brazo de mar
-TO PADDLE:  remar
-TO DO ITS BIT:  contribuir
-TO MOOR:  amarrar
-TO SEARCH: registrar
-TO IMPROVE:  mejorar
-MINT: Casa de la Moneda
-MONK:  monje.


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

EXERCISES

1 CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION.

a) The fjord of Carlingford Lough   makes/marks  the Irish coastal border.
b) A British minesweeper used to be permanently    moored/mired  there.
c) Relations between the two sides are much  different/improved  now.
d) The history of Carlingford Lough goes back    to/beyond  the Troubles.
e) The Mint building located in Carlingford is  200/400  years old.
f) A big community of monks lived there in  Medieval/Viking  times.


2 DECIDE WHICH WORD DOESN'T BELONG IN THE GROUP.

a) scary, heartening, frightening
b) lough, fjord, river
c) aggression, rage, violence
d) programme, assignment, project
e) border, verge, frontier
f) history, past, record


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

SOLUTIONS
EXERCISE 1-  a) marks  b) moored  c) improved  d) beyond  e) 400  f) Viking
EXERCISE 2-  a) heartening  b) river  c) rage  d) programme  e) verge  f) record


SEE YOU , MY FRIENDS!

KEEP SAFE AND HEALTHY!