viernes, 30 de diciembre de 2011

READING / GHOSTS IN GLAMIS CASTLE (Scotland) / Lectura / Fantasmas en el Castillo de Glamis (Escocia)

Hi my dear friends, here you can see a curious reading about ghosts and a castle.  Enjoy it!

Hola queridos amigos, aquí podéis ver una curiosa lectura sobre fantasmas y un castillo. ¡Que la disfrutéis!

GLAMIS CASTLE'S GHOSTS

If you are thinking of going to Scotland, do it between April and October and  be sure to visit "Glamis Castle" because it is the home of one of Scotland's oldest families and also one of the most haunted castles in Scotland!!!

Glamis Castle was the family home of the mother of Queen Elizabeth II of England.  The queen's sister Princess Margaret, was born there.  The main part of the castle was built in the 17th century and the oldest part of the castle is an ancient fortress.


IF YOU GO,  stay near the guide, do not stay alone because you cannot be sure  WHO  or WHAT you will meet!!!



BLOOD ON THE FLOOR

In the past, it wasn't easy to be a king of Scotland.  They had a lot of enemies...
In 1034, King Malcom II was killed in Glamis Castle.  For hundreds of years HIS BLOOD marked the floor.  It couldn't be cleaned or washed so finally the floor was covered with new boards.  Now, the marks can't be seen, but every year on the anniversary of the crime, the boards make noises!!!

THE HAUNTED CHAMBER

One of the most cruel lairds (noble escocés)   is responsible for a lot of the ghosts in the castle.  One night, some members of the Ogilvy family, came to ask for refuge from their enemies.  The laird said that he would help them but he took them into the castle and brought them to a room.  So, the cruel laird blocked the door and left them to starve (morir de hambre)!!!  This room is called the Haunted Chamber and you can hear horrible noises at night...

A GHOST IN THE CHAPEL

The chapel, has supernatural manifestations too!  However, this ghost is very gentle and quiet.  Many people have seen a lady in grey who prays (reza) there.  She looks very sad (triste). 



MORE INFO:   Glamis Castle opens every day from early April to mid-October from 10.30 am.

BUT REMEMBER:  Stay near the guide, don't stay alone when the other tourists leave (se marchen)!  Or who knows...


HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

SEE YOU!!!

lunes, 26 de diciembre de 2011

CHRISTMAS TIME / NOËL/ NAVIDAD

**Hi my dear friens, I want to wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012.

I hope you'll spend these days happily and with your family and friends.

It's Chrtismas time, so it's time to be with the people you love, to share a lot of things and to forget family problems or arguments because  it's sure  that our families are THE BEST.  In many occassions we are worried about non-important things. So, forget the past and look into the future with a Smile!

HAVE A GOOD  CHRISTMAS TIME!

I whish you THE BEST for the New Year 2012.



**Salut mes chers amis.

Je vous souhaite JOYEUX NOËL et BONNE ANNÉE!

J'espère que vous serez avec votre famille et vos amis ces jours-ci.  Il faut oublier les problèmes et penser au future seulement.

Sois heureux!  Amusez-vous bien!  Ne pensez  pas aux mauvaises choses et commencez l'année 2012 de la meilleure manière possible!

Je vous souhaite une Année 2012 pleine de bonheur!


**Saludos mis queridos amigos.

Espero que estéis pasando estos días tan especiales en compañía de vuestra familia y amigos.

Es preciso olvidar los problemas y pensar solo en el futuro.

A pesar de las discusiones  que a veces pueden surgir entre la familia o amigos, hay que olvidar lo malo y quedarse solo con lo bueno, así que os deseo UN AÑO 2012  lleno de felicidad, amor y  trabajo.  Y que los malos momentos se vayan y aparezcan los mejores.


¡FELIZ NAVIDAD   y   ¡FELIZ AÑO 2012 !

miércoles, 21 de diciembre de 2011

TO LIVE IN A HOUSE ON A TREE/ Vivir en una casa en un árbol.

Hi my dear friends, to buy or rent a flat or an appartment is more and more difficult every day, so  here you can see this idea that an English young man is suggesting.  Don't miss it!

Hola queridos amigos, comprar o alquilar un piso o un apartamento es cada día más difícil, así que aquí podéis ver esta idea que nos sugiere un joven inglés.  ¡No os la perdáis!


A CURIOUS ALTERNATIVE TO LIVE!
AN ENGLISH SUGGESTION! (from Speak Up magazine)

Nick Weston is a young Londoner who is very conscious about the green lifestyle, so he lived in a tree house in the English countryside for six months.
He caught his own food from the forest.

He grew his own vegetables, caught fish from a local river and he even hunted for his meat!

He built his tree house which had a bed, a balcony and a wood-burning stove (fuego de leña).

He didn't have any electricity so he used solar power to charge his mobile phone and had a radio.

However, everything took a long time in the forest, dinner preparations, making a cup of tea, etc.
Weston thinks that we could all become more eco-friendly and that we don't have to leave our jobs or homes.

He has also written a book about food called "Wild in the Woods". 

He didn't go to work, he hunted and washed his clothes in a river!

                                
                             

But if you would like to do it in Spain, you can!  It's possible to spend a weekend or some holiday by living in a treehouse !  You can try it and if you finally like it, go on and do it!  why not?
More info:  http://www.xakata.net/

**Could you tell me your opinion about this idea?
**Would you live in a tree house?
**Would you spend a weekend or more time in a tree house?

HAVE A NICE DAY!!

SEE YOU!!

lunes, 12 de diciembre de 2011

ENGLISH REVISION -GRAMMAR/PHRASES - REVISIÓN DE INGLÉS -GRAMÁTICA Y FRASES

Good morning my friends, today and to start our week, we're going to check some grammar concepts and do some sentences. Let's go!

Buenos días amigos, hoy y para empezar la semana, vamos a revisar conceptos gramaticales y a hacer frases. ¡Vamos!

**FREQUENCY ADVERBS  - Adverbios de frecuencia.
Son: sometimes (algunas veces), usually (usualmente), always (siempre), never (nunca) often ( a menudo), normally (normalmente), hardly ever (apenas).
Se colocan en la frase:  SIEMPRE DETRÁS DEL SUJETO.  Excepto con el verbo TO BE.  En este caso los adverbios de frecuencia van inmediantamente después del verbo.

WRITE in English.
1.- Yo nunca leo cienca ficción.
2.- Algunas veces veo la tele por la noche.
3.- A menudo ella va a trabajar por la noche.
4..- Normalmente, los domingos ellos cenan a las 6.
5.- John siempre va al cole en coche.

**MUCH: mucho/a  (con nombres en singular) >There isn't much light here: Aquí no hay mucha luz.
**MANY: muchos/as (con nombres en plural) > There are many chairs: hay muchas sillas.

WRITE in English.
1.- Hay mucha nieve en las montañas.
2.- Tengo muchos estudiantes en mi clase.
3.- No hay mucha leche en el frigo.
4.- ¿Tienes muchos libros?

**PREPOSITIONS: preposiciones.

PLACE: de lugar. by: en, (al lado), opposite: en frente de, next to: al lado de, on: en, on his/her : de, outside: por (fuera de), in: en, at: en (de lugar).

Write in Spanish
1.- by the reception desck:
2.- opposite the railway station:
3.- next to the post office:
4.- on his way to work:
5.- on her way back from school.
6.- outside the window.
7.- in England;  in New York;  in Park Street;  in a flat;  in a big house, in the living room.
8.- at 23 Road Street.
9.- on the second floor.

TIME : tiempo.     AT: a, a las ;  FROM... UNTIL:  de ... hasta ; 
1.- at half past seven: a las siete y media.
2.- from nine until a quarter to six: de nueve a seis menos cuarto.
3.- on Saturdays: los sábados.
4.- at the weekend: en fin de semana.
5.- in the morning:  por la mañana ; in the afternoon: por la tarde (después de comer) ; in the evening: por la tarde/noche ; at night: por la noche (a partir de las 10).

TRAVEL: viaje.
by bus: en autobús;  by car: en coche;  on holiday: de vacaciones;  on the underground: en metro (en Inglaterra) ;  by subway: en metro (USA); by plane: en avión;  by train: en tren.

SPECIAL EXPRESSIONS
-At home: en casa.                                       
-at work: en el trabajo.
-at school: en el colegio.
-in bed: en la cama.

**LIKE AND DISLIKE:  gustar y no gustar.
to like (+ verbo terminado en -ing para indicar hobbies, gustos): gustar
to dislike: disgustar. (también podemos usar el verbo To like en negativo)
to hate (+ 1verbo terminado en -ing): odiar

- I like Greek statues: me gustan las estatuas griegas.
- I hate shopping:  odio comprar.
- Do you like travelling? : ¿te gusta viajar?

Write in English:
1.- No me gusta en absoluto la música clásica.
2.- ¿Te gusta esquiar? Depende.
3.- A todo el mundo le gusta la música.
4.- A nadie le gusta la lluvia.
5.- Odio viajar en autocar.

**QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Write in Spanish.
1.- Where do you live? In Madrid.
2.- Where do you work? In a shop in George Street.
3.- Which newspaper do you usually read? The Independent.
4.- What kind of books do you like?
5.- Are you interested in politics? No, I'm not.
6.- How many times a week do you go swimming?
7.- When are you going to come?  On Sunday.
8.- What do you do? I'm a teacher and you?
9.- I am an engineer.
10.- How are you? Very well thank you and you?

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


SOLUTIONS

Write in English.
1 I don't like classical music at all!
2 Do you like skiing? It depends.
3 Everybody likes music.
4 Nobody likes rain.
5 I hate travelling by coach.

Write in Spanish
1 ¿Dónde vives? En Madrid.
2 ¿Dónde trabajas? En una tienda en la calle George.
3 ¿Qué periódico sueles leer? El Independiente.
4 ¿Qué clase de libros te gustan?
5 ¿Te interesa la política? No.
6 ¿Cuántas veces a la semana vas a natación?
7 ¿Cuándo vas a venir? El domingo.
8 ¿En qué trabajas? Soy profesor ¿y tú?
9 Soy ingeniero.
10 ¿Cómo estás? Muy bien gracias ¿y tú?

SEE YOU!!

miércoles, 7 de diciembre de 2011

A HOMAGE TO AUSTRALIA / VIAJES / UN HOMENAJE A Australia

Hi my friends, today we are going to know a bit more about Australia,   and specially THE RED CENTRE a place far from  almost everywhere but very interesting to go and see.  I haven't visited it yet but I would like to, so it's a question of planning a beautiful travel to such a  special part of the Planet!

Hola amigos, hoy vamos a conocer un poquito más sobre Australia, y especialmente EL CENTRO ROJO, un lugar lejos de casi todas partes pero muy interesante para ir y ver.  Yo no lo he visitado todavía pero me gustaría, así que es solo cuestión de planificar un bonito viaje  a una parte tan especial del planeta.



In memory of the victims of the terrible fires (people and animals) and all the grattitude to the brave firemen and volunteers!



IN THE RED CENTRE

**What it is known as The Red Centre is The Uluru (Ayers Rock), a massive (macizo)  348-metre-high sandstone monolith.  First it appears black-red, then purple-red, then orange-red but always red.

**The Red Centre is in the heartland of Australia and it is a desert region which lies (se extiende)  at the southern end of the Northern Territory, in the middle of the country.  The Red Centre is the spiritual heart of Australia.

**The Uluru was named after a South Australian politician in 1873 but it has been a sacred site (lugar) for indigenous people for far longer.  It is estimated that the first tribes arrived here more than 20,000 years ago.

**In 1958 the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was founded and indigenous tribes were forced out of the zone and relocated 450 kilometres away.  In 1985 and after a long land claim (reclamación), the park was restored to Aboriginal ownership.

**Uluru remains sacred to local tribespeople so arguments (discusiones)  continue over whether to allow visitors to climb the rock, which is a popular goal (objetivo)  for many of the 400,000 tourists who go there each year.  In November  2009, a raised  (elevada) viewing platform   was opened to offer stunning (sensacionales)  views of the rock from a distance.




WILDLIFE

*The Red Centre appears to be dusty (polvoriento) , lifeless (sin vida)  and very dry but however, although temperatures can rise above 40 degrees Celsius, this landscape is inhabited (habitado)  by over 500 species of plants,  180 different kinds of birds, 70 types of reptiles and 25 different mammal species.

*Residents include marsupials such as the red kangaroo, large flightless birds like the emu and small lizards (lagartijas)  like the incredible thorny (espinoso)  devil (diablillo) , which resembles a miniature dinosaur!!

*Lying 50 kilometres west of Uluru, Kata Tjuta  is a gigantic natural arrangement (disposición)  of 36 different rock domes.  This is also a sacred Aboriginal site.

*Alice Springs  is a modern town of around 30,000 people and the largest settlement in the Red Centre.



WATARRKA NATIONAL PARK, KING'S CANYON

*Watarrka is 320-kilometre drive southwest from Alice Springs.

*You can find there a   270-metre-deep canyon.

*From the palm-filled chasm (sima repleta de palmeras) of the "Garden of Eden" to the red sandstone domes (montículos de arena)  of the "Lost City", Watarrka is another world.  Sheer (escarpado) cliffs (acantilados) rise high (se elevan)  above lush (exuberante)  vegetation, waterholes (charcas)  and trails (senderos).  Ancient Aboriginal paintings can be found etched (grabadas) into rock faces.  And, like the rest of this mysterioous region, everywhere is coloured in RED.

**IF YOU GO...

- the best time is between May and September, when temperatures are less extreme.

- You can go by plane  to AYERS ROCK AIRPORT or with the legendary THE GHAN rail service to Alice Springs: http://www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/

- Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Watarrka National Park are linked by the Red Centre Way, a 300-kilometre driving route that takes visitors from Alice Springs through the MacDonnell Mountain and onto Autstralia's most famous desert landscapes.

- A three-day pass to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park costs  AU$ 25.
www.environment.gov.au/parks/ulutu
http://www.australiasouthback.com/

DID YOU KNOW?

*Uluru is the world's largest rock, measuring 3.6km long, 2km wide and with a circumference of 9.4km.

*Uluru is 348m high but llike a giant iceberg extends for around 6 kilometres beneath the surface!

*Kata Tjuta is estimated to be around 500 million years old.

*The Red Centre is home to the world's oldest river -The Finke River has followed its present course for 100 million years, but parts of it date back 340 million years, before dinosaurs evolved!


HAVE A NICE DAY!!

SEE YOU!

viernes, 2 de diciembre de 2011

EASY ENGLISH /MEANINGS OF LOOK/ GRAMMAR AND EXERCISES/

Good morning dear friends, today we're going to look at the verb TO LOOK and the different meanings of it that you can find or need about it.

Buenos días amigos, hoy vamos a mirar al verbo TO LOOK y a los diferentes significados que podáis encontrar o necesitar sobre él.








**TO LOOK:  parecer.
**TO LOOK AT:  mirar
**TO LOOK BACK:  mirar hacia atrás.
**TO LOOK FOR:  buscar
**TO LOOK AFTER:  cuidar.
**TO LOOK LIKE: parecerse
**TO LOOK OUT:  tener cuidado de
**TO LOOK FORWARD TO (+ verbo terminado en ing): esperar con ilusión.

EXERCISE 1 .- Write in the blanks the verbs  look, look like, look at, look after, look for .

1- You _______ tired.
2- Mrs Smith _______ a businesswoman but actually she's a  teacher.
3- Why don't you ________ your dog? It's yours!
4- Please, __________ your school bag. I can't find it.
5- You __________ your father.
6- Don't __________ the sun! It's dangerous!
7- Mary has to __________ her grand-mother every weekend.
8- A camel _________ a dromedary.
9- __________! It's snowing.

**THE ARTICLES:  a/an  /  the.

*A: un, uno, una (cuando la siguiente palabra empieza por consonante).
*AN: un, uno, una (cuando la siguiente palabra empieza por vocal)
*THE: el, la, los, las.  Este artículo definido, lo ponemos en Inglés cuando especificamos.  Si hablamos en sentido general NO ponemos este artículo.  Ejemplo:  Trains are comfortable: los trenes son cómodos (en general).  The Express Train is very comfortable:  El tren expresso es muy cómodo (hablamos del Expreso).

EXERCISE 2.  Write a, an, the or "no article".

1- My husband is _____ engineer.
2- What time is _____ next flight for London?
3- He lives in ____ nice  flat on ______ fourth floor of ____ old house.
4- I'd like half ____ litre of ____ red wine.
5- What is ______ your telephone number?
6- Mary is ______ Paul's sister.
7- What is ____ date today?
8- Just ____ moment.

READ.  TRUE OR FALSE!  (Verdadero o Falso) YOU DECIDE (vosotros decidís)

* There is a tree in California  that is 4,500 years old.
*  A cat in Devon lived to the age of 36.
* On June 19, 1944, a dog in Pennsylvania had 23 puppies.
* Human fossils found in Tanzania are about 3,600,000 yeas old.
* Living bacteria dating from 1,500 years ago have been found in a Cumbrian lake.

**INTERROGATIVE WORDS / PALABRAS INTERROGATIVAS

WHAT?:  ¿qué?
WHERE?:  ¿dónde?
HOW?:  ¿cómo?
WHEN?:  ¿cuándo?
WHO? : ¿quién?
HOW MUCH? : ¿cuánto es? ¿cuánto cuesta?
HOW MANY? : ¿cuántos/as?
HOW OFTEN? : ¿con qué frecuencia?
HOW LONG?:  ¿cuánto tiempo?
HOW FAST? ¿ a qué velocidad?
HOW FAR? : ¿a qué distancia?

EXERCISE 3 . TRANSLATE   into Spanish/ TRADUCID al español

1-What are you doing?
2-Where are they going?
3-How do you know it?
4-When do you want to come?
5-Who did you see yesterday?
6-How much is this?
7-How many times a week do you go to the gym
8-How often does Mary go to the dentist?
9-How long have you waited for me?
10-How fast does the AVE go?
11-How far is it your house from a subway station?

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

SOLUTIONS

EXERCISE 1
1 LOOK
2 LOOKS LIKE
3 LOOK AFTER
4 LOOK FOR
5 LOOK LIKE
6 LOOK AT
7 LOOK AFTER
8 LOOKS LIKE
9 LOOK

EXERCISE 2
1 AN
2 THE
3 A  /  THE  /  AN
4 A  /  ____
5 ____
6 _____
7 THE
8 A

EXERCISE 3
1 ¿Qué estás haciendo?
2 ¿Dónde van?
3 ¿Cómo lo sabes?
4 ¿Cuándo quiers venir?
5 ¿A quién viste ayer?
6 ¿Cuánto es esto?
7 ¿Cuántas veces a la semana vas al gimnasio?
8 ¿Con qué frecuencia va Mary al dentista?
9 ¿Cuánto tiempo me has esperado?
10 ¿A qué velocidad va el AVE?
11 ¿A qué distancia está tu casa de la estación de metro?

HAVE A NICE DAY!

SEE YOU !!!

miércoles, 30 de noviembre de 2011

LECTURE/ LE TOUR DU MONDE EN 80 JOURS, JULES VERNE

Salut tout le monde, on va continuer la lecture de Jules Verne "Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours". 

Hola a todo el mundo, vamos a seguir con la lectura de Julio Verne "La Vuelta al mundo en 80 días".




.../...  Ce n'est pas sérieux, dit Mr Fallentin, pour faire le tour du monde en 80 jours, il faudra sauter du bateau dands le train et du train dans le bateau.

-Alors, messieurs, Je sauterai!!!  Aujourd'hui c'est mercredi 2 octobre, je reviendrai le samedi 21 décembre à huit heures quarante-cinq du soir dans cette même salle!  Mais si je ne suis pas revenu, chacun de vous gagnera 4.000 livres sterling.  Comme vous êtes cinq, je vous laisse donc un chèque de 20.000 livres.  Vous garderez cet argent jusqu'au soir du 21 décembre.  Si je ne suis pas à Londres ce jour-là, vous pourrez aller à la banque le lundi pour prendre l'argent.
Êtes-vous d'accord?

-Oui, bien sûr, répondent les cinq amis.  Si au contraire vous réussissez, c'est nous qui vous donnerons chacun 4.000 livres sterling.

Cette fois, Mr. Fogg ne joue pas pour gagner de l'argent.  Il sait que ce voyage autour du monde lui coûtera près de 20.000 livres sterling.  S'il entre à Londres le jour dit, il retrouvera justement ce qu'il aura dépensé, sans rien gagner de plus.  Mais, s'il a du retard, il perdra le double de cette somme:  le prix du voyage et le chèque laissé à ses amis!

Il est sept heures du soir.  Phileas Fogg a décidé de prendre à huit heures quarante-cinq le train de Londres à Douvres.

Quand il arrive chez lui, il appelle Passepartout:
-"Nous partons tout de suite pour la France".
- Monsieur s'en va?
- Oui, nous allons faire LE TOUR DU MONDE!

Passepartout ouvre de grands yeux et répète sans rien comprende: "le tour du monde..."
- " En 80 jours.  Ainsi nous n'avons pas un minute à perdre.
- Mais les valises...?
- Pas de valises.  Un  sac seulement.  Deux chemises et des chaussettes.  Nous acheterons le reste pendant le voyage.

Passepartout ne répond pas.  Il se demande: "Mon maître est fou?  Je n'ai pas de chance!

À huit heures tout est prêt:
- Bien, dit Phileas Fogg.  "Prenez aussi cet autre sac et ne le perdez pas" : C'EST L'ARGENT DU VOYAGE!

Passepartout et son maître montent dans une voiture qui les conduit à la gare de Charing-Cross.
Quand ils  y arrivent, une vieille femme très pauvre, pieds nus et avec un enfant, leur demande un peu d'argent.  Phileas Fogg tire de sa poche tout ce qu'il a gagné au jeu, 21 livres sterling.
- "Tenez, ma pauvre femme, dit-il, je suis très content de vous avoir rencontrée avant de partir!"

Sur le quai de la gare, les messieurs du Reform Club sont venus pour lui dire au revoir.  Ils sont un peu gênés parce qu'ils sont cinq contre un, et parce que son ami va jouer un jeu très difficile. Ce n'est pas juste!

-Messieurs, dit Mr Fogg, je pars.  Les signatures des polices étrangères sur mon passeport vous montreront si j'ai vraiment fait le tour du monde."

Cinq minutes après, le train roule dans la nuit.  Il tombe une pluie très fine.  Phileas Fogg ne parle pas et Passepartout ne comprend pas encore ce qui se passe. Ils sont assis à leurs places et Passepartout serre sur lui le sac plein d'argent.

...  À SUIVRE    

miércoles, 23 de noviembre de 2011

SECRETS OF BEAUTY / Secretos de Belleza

Hi my dear friends and followers, today we're going to look at some Secrets of Beauty because in Autumn our skin  suffers a lot.  We will look at our hands.

Hola mis queridos amigos y seguidores, hoy vamos a ver algunos Secretos de Belleza porque en otoño nuestra piel sufre mucho. Miraremos a nuestras manos.

OUR BODY / Nuestro cuerpo.
HANDS  / Manos.

As our face, our hands are less protected than other parts of our body.  They are vulnerable and  exposed to  physical agents, to  bad weather and many more things, for example, chemical agents, soaps, detergents which are a real risk for them.

The result of all this is: a dry  and  chapped (agrietada) skin.  We have got some creams which give us softness, moisturize our hands, and provide us from an extra-protection.

Nowadays, we can find plenty of different cosmetic products specifically for our hands.  All these products have got a very good absorption, an excellent perspiration (transpiración) for the skin and excellent results too.

At the moment, almost all the moisturizing creams for hands include sun protection and  Vitamins that,  not only protect the skin but avoid marks.  A hand with marks  (manchas)  looks older than other without them, so this is what we have to prevent.


CREAMS RECOMMENDATIONS

** "Hand Therapy" by Rituals.  This soft cream takes care of our hands with karité oil, ginseng and gingo biloba. At the same time it stimulates our blood circulation, recovering at once (en seguida) the elasticity and softness of our hands.  And it is not expensive!  €10,90.

**"ALMENDRA" intensive hands cream by OLEADA.  This special cream is nourishing and moisturizing. And you are not going to believe the price :€5,90 (exclusively sold in EL CORTE INGLÉS)

** "PH5 HANDS CREAM"  by Eucerín.  Specially aimed to sensitive skins.  With vitamin E and anti-oxide elements, this cream protects against free radicals and initiates the skin regeneration.  Marvellous price! €7   in   PARAFARMACIAS.



** "CRÈME SUBLIME BOIS D'ORANGE" by Roger Gallet.  It repairs hands and nails.  It protects from the sun and it is very nourishing . This special French cream rejuvenates the hands look.  It has got an orange scent (aroma).  The price: €9,75  .  It is sold in PARAFARMACIAS.


WE MUST TAKE CARE OF OUR HANDS, DON'T FORGET IT.
Debemos cuidar nuestras manos, ¡no lo olvidés!

IT IS A PART OF OUR BODY SEEN BY EVERYBODY AT ANY TIME!!
Es una parte de nuestro cuerpo que todo el mundo ve en cualquier momento.

A HEALTHY AND NICE LOOK SAYS A LOT ABOUT US!!
Un aspecto saludable y bonito dice mucho de nosotras/os

THESE ADVICES ARE NOT ONLY FOR WOMEN BUT FOR MEN TOO!
Estos consejos son no solo para mujeres si no para hombres también.

HAVE A NICE DAY!
SEE YOU!

viernes, 18 de noviembre de 2011

ENGLISH EXERCISES / EJERCICIOS DE INGLÉS

Hi my dear friends, as there are more things in life than travels (what a pity!) , here you are some English exercises for you to practise.

Hola mis queridos amigos, como en la vida hay más cosas que viajes (¡qué pena!) aquí tenéis unos ejercicios de Inglés para que practiquéis.



REVISION
EXERCISE 1.  WRITE THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE OF. ESCRIBID EL COMPARATIVO Y EL SUPERLATIVO DE:
1- pretty >                          
2- cold >
3- young >
4- rude >
5- red>
6- talkative>
7- cheerful>
8- terrible>
9- tall>
10- thirsty>
11- large>
12- warm>
13- hot>
14- long>

EXERCISE 2.  CHANGE THE SENTENCES AS IN THE EXAMPLE / CAMBIAD LAS FRASES COMO EN EL EJEMPLO.
Example:  I'm older than me >  He's younger than me.
1.- I'm taller than her >
2.- She's bigger than me >
3.- He's heavier than her >
4.- She's darker than me >
5.- They're shorter than us >
6.- Chinese is more difficult than Italian >

EXERCISE 3.  MAKE QUESTIONS. I GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS AND USE THE WORDS IN BRACKETS.  HACED PREGUNTAS.  OS DOY LAS RESPUESTAS . UTILIZAD LAS PALABRAS ENTRE PARÉNTESIS.
Example:  I run 5,000 metres every day (your sister)
Question:  Does your sister run 5,000 metres every day?

1.- I can cook very well. (your brother)
Question:
2.- I can run 200 metres. (swim)
question:
3.- My friend Susan came to see me on Sunday. (by car)
question:
4.- My mother was a dancer when she was younger. (your father)
question:
5.- My friends will arrive in Madrid on Wednesday. (Lucy)
question:
6.- I have already seen that film. (this play)
question:
7.- Peter and Paul went to Miami yesterday. (last summer)
question:
8.- Mary plays tennis marvellously. (your sister)
question:
9.- I go to the gym twice a week. (how many times)
question:
10.- I have been a teacher for 16 years. (how long)
question.



EXERCISE 4.  READ AND TRANSLATE THE TEXT  INTO YOUR LANGUAGE.  Leed y traducid el texto a vuestro idioma.

(from "The Spy who came in from the Cold" by John Le Carré)
... Leamas was a short man with close, iron-grey hair, and the physique of a swimmer.  He was very strong.  This strengh was discernible in his back and shoulders, in his neck, and in the stubby formation of his hands and fingers.

He had a utilitarian approach to clothes, as he did to most other things, and even the spectacles he occasionally wore had steel rims.  Most of his suits were of artificial fibre, none of them had waistcoats.  He favoured shirts of the American kind with buttons on the points of the collars, and suede shoes with rubber soles.

He had an attractive face, muscular, and a stubborn line to his thin mouth.  His eyes were brown and small;  Irish, some said.  He looked like a man who could make a trouble, a man who looked after his money, a man who was not quite a gentleman.

The air hostess thought he was interesting.  She guessed he was North Country, which he might have been, and rich, which he was not.  She put his age at about fifty, which was about right.  She guessed he was single, which was half true.  Somewhere long ago there had been a divorce;  somewhere there were children, now in their teens.
"If you want another whisky," said the air hostess, "you'd better hurry.  We will be at London Airport in twenty minutes."
"No more."  He didn't look at her;  he was looking out of the window at the grey-green field of Kent.
.../...

VOCABULARY
- DISCERNIBLE:  perceptible
- STUBBY:  fuerte
- UTILITARIAN:  cercano, utilitario.
- SPECTACLES:  gafas, anteojos.
- STEEL RIMS:  bordes de acero.
- COLLARS: cuellos
- SUEDE SHOES: zapatos de gamuza
- RUBBER SOLES: suelas de goma.
- STUBBORN:  testarudo, cabezota.
- AIR HOSTESS:  azafata.
- GUESS:  adivinar.
- SOMEWHERE: en algún sitio, en alguna parte.
- IN THEIR TEENS:  adolescente.

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

***HAVE A NICE DAY MY FRIENDS!!!

SOLUTIONS

EXERCISE 1
1 prettier  /  the prettiest
2 colder  /  the coldest
3 younger  /  the youngest
4 rudder  /  the ruddest
5 redder  /  the reddest
6 more talkative  / the most talkative
7 more cheerful  /  the most cheerful
8 more terrible  /  the most terrible
9 taller  /  the tallest
10 thirstier  /  the thirtiest
11 larger  /  the largest
12 warmer  /  the warmest
13 hotter  /  the hottest
14 longer  /  the longest

EXERCISE 2
1 She is shorter than me.
2 I am smaller than her.
3 She is lighter than him.
4 I'm lighter than her.
5 We are taller than them.
6 Italian is easier than Chinese.

EXERCISE 3
1 Can your brother cook well?
2 Can you swim 200 metres?
3 How did your friend Susan come to see you on Sunday?
4 Was your father a dancer when he was younger?
5 Will Lucy arrive on Wednesday?
6 Have you already seen this play?
7 Did they go to Miami last summer?
8 Does your sister play tennis?
9 How many times a week do you go to the gym?
10 How long have you been a teacher?

SEE YOU!

miércoles, 9 de noviembre de 2011

CINEMA / EMMA THOMPSON / CINE

Hi again my dear friends, I'm back from my Chinese travel, I have some adjectives to define it:  great, spectacular, exciting, surprising, marvellous, amazing, astonishing, and very very beautiful!
To start again, here you are a text about the actress Emma Thompson.  She is, in my personal opinion, a very good actress and she has made a lot of good films.  Surely you have seen some of her films!

Hola otra vez mis queridos amigos, de vuelta de mi viaje por China, tengo algunos adjetivos para definirlo: genial, espectacular, emocionante, sorprendente, maravilloso, fantástico, asombroso y muy muy bonito.
Para empezar de nuevo, aquí tenéis un texto sobre la actriz Emma Thompson.  Es, en mi opinión personal, una actriz muy buena y ha hecho muchas películas. Seguramente que habéis visto algunas de ellas.



EMMA THOMPSON   /  SCREEN AND STAGE.
EMMA THOMPSON  /   PANTALLA Y ESCENARIO.


**Emma Thompson was born on April 15th 1959 in a family of actors.
**Her father is well known for writing and narrating a children's TV series called "THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT" (La isla mágica).
**Her mother has appeared with her daughter in films like "Peter's Friends" (1992) and "Much Ado(sin más) About Nothing" (1993) a screen version of the  Shakespeare's play.

**Emma has lived most of her life in London but she has visited her mother's homeland in Scotland many times so she says that she feels Scottish.

**Thompson has attended (asistir) a State-run   comprehensive school (instituto público) for girls and then she was accepted to the University of Cambridge in which she studied English.  Afterwards, she entered an amateur theatre club "The Footlights Dramatic Club" that was established in 1883 and  which is still run (dirigido) by the university.   Many of Thompson's fellow student actors leapt from (saltaron de) the boards (tablas) to TV or to cinema, including Hugh Laurie (Dr. House).

**As an amateur actress, Thompson impressed theatrical agent Richard Armitage who signed her up two years before she graduated.

**Thompson's career has been very prolific and she has performed many diverse roles.  Some of her films:
*The Tall Guy (1989)
*Henry V
*Dead Again
*Sense and Sensibility
*Harry Potter
*Howards End
*The Reminds of the Day
            
**She married the also actor Kenneth Branagh but they divorced in 1994.
**Thompson is now married to actor Greg Wise.

**She won an Oscar for her adaptation of Jane Austen novel Sense and Sensibility.


HAVE A NICE DAY!

SEE YOU!!

miércoles, 26 de octubre de 2011

TRAVEL TO CHINA / VIAJE A CHINA

Hi my dear friends, tonight I want to tell you that tomorrow morning I'll travel  to Pekín, so in 10 days, more or less,  I won't post anything new.

I love travelling and every year I usually go abroad!
I haven't visited any Oriental country yet  so I have decided to go to China this year.
I'm really excited about this travel!  It's such a different culture!
A part of the travel I'll be in Pekín and the other one in Shanghai

As you have got  162 posts to look at, don't worry and visit the blog.
Choose the post you like most and practice English!

See you soon.


**Hola mis queridos amigos,esta noche quiero deciros que mañana por la mañana viajaré a Pekín, así que en 10 días, más o  menos, no publicaré nada nuevo.

Me encanta viajar y todos los años suelo ir al extranjero.
No he visitado ningún país Oriental todavía así que he decidido ir a China este año.
Estoy realmente emocionada por este viaje. ¡Es una cultura tan diferente!
Parte del viaje estaremos en Pekín y la otra en Shanghai.

Como teneís 162 posts para consultar, no os preocupéis y visitad el blog.
Elegid la publicación que más os guste y practicad Inglés.

¡Hasta pronto!

sábado, 22 de octubre de 2011

EASY ENGLISH/ EXERCISES AND SENTENCES FOR EVERYBODY. INGLÉS FÁCIL / EJERCICIOS Y FRASES PARA TODOS.

Hi everybody , today we're going to do some easy English exercises for all of  you to practise and particularly for my friend Pilar , cause she has just started to learn English and I want to encourage her!

Hola a todo el mundo, hoy vamos a hacer algunos ejercicios fáciles de Inglés para que practiquéis todos vosotros y para mi amiga Pilar en particular porque acaba de empezar a estudiar Inglés y quiero animarla.




EXERCISE 1.  WRITE IN THE BLANKS , am, are, is, have got, has got.


1.- I ____ a small flat in Paris.
2.- A Fiesta ___ a small car, but it ____ four doors.
3.- Where ______ my shoes?
4.- Her hair _____ long and fair and beautiful.
5.- A spider _______ eight legs.
6.- Mary and Paul _____ five small children.
7.- My friend _____ a big black dog.
8.- There _____ some beer in the fridge.

EXERCISE 2. PUT THE SENTENCES IN ORDER.

1.- blue ,  have,  small,  a,  car,  we,  got.
2.- green,  yellow,  and,  I,  a,  dress,  am,  wearing.
3.- dark,  has,  long,  Jane,  hair,  got.
4.- ears,  have, grey, big, got, elephants.
5.- TV, coulour,  a,  and,  chairs,  green,  dark,  two,  are,  there,  living room,  my,  in.
6.- green,  ears,  Sally,  long,  eyes,  has,  small,  hair,  and,  got.

EXERCISE 3.- WRITE IN ENGLISH.

1.- Tengo el pelo  corto y rubio  y mi hermana lo tiene también.
2.- Mi hermano tiene los ojos marrones y el pelo oscuro.
3.- Pat lleva un jersey blanco, una blusa verde y una falta verde y negra.
4.- ¡No puedo recordar el color de sus (de él) ojos!
5.- ¿Cómo pronuncias esta palabra?
6.- ¿Cómo estás? No muy mal, gracias.
7.- Mi coche está afuera.

EXERCISE 4.- WRITE THE SPANISH.

1.- How much are those?
2.- There are some books under the table.
3.- The bike is behind the door.
4.- The table is between the window and the door.
5.- There is a car in front of the house.
6.- How much are those trousers?
7.- What colour car would you like?
8.- What sort of breakfast do you have on Sundays?

EXERCISE 5.- WRITE THE PREPOSITIONS: at, in, of, on, to, until, with.

1.- The plane arrives ____Barajas Airport ____ 7.10.
2.- How late do you work in the evenings?  _____ six o'clock.
3.- Where are Pilar and Marite?  ____ holiday in Scotland.
4.- Listen ____ me!
5.- Look ____  the whiteboard.
6.- Your supper is ___ the table.
7.- Is the car ___ the garage? No, it's ___ front ___ the house.
8.- Are you interested ____ Nature?  Yes, of course.
9.- I'm tall, ____ fair hair and blue eyes.
10.- I always go to the beach ___ summer.

**I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE THESE EXERCISES AND YOU'LL DO THEM!

**CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY FOR STUDYING ENGLISH!!


**SOLUTIONS

Exercise 1                    
1 have got                     
2 is  /  has got
3 are
4 is
5 has got
6 have got
7 has got
8 is

Exercise 2
1 We have got a small blue car.
2 I am wearing a green and yellow dress.
3 Jane has got long dark hair.
4 Elephants have got big grey ears.
5 In my living room there are two dark green chairs and a colour TV.
6 Sally has got long hair and long green ears.

Exercise 3
1 I've got short fair hair and my sister has it too.
2 My brother has got brown eyes and dark hair.
3 Pat is wearing a white pullover, a green blouse and a green and black skirt.
4 I can't remember the colour of his eyes!
5 How do you pronounce this word?
6 How are you? Not very bad, thanks.
7 My car is outside.

Exercise 4
1 ¿Cuánto cuestan esos/esas?
2 Hay libros encima de la mesa.
3 La bici está detrás de la puerta.
4 La mesa está entre la ventana y la puerta.
5 Hay un coche delante de la casa.
6 ¿Cuánto cuestas esos pantalones?
7 ¿Qué color de coche te gustaría?
8 ¿Qué clase de desayuno tomas los domingos?

Exercise 5
1 at  /  at
2 until
3 on
4 to
5 at
6 on
7 in  /  in  /  of
8 in
9 with
10 in


miércoles, 19 de octubre de 2011

LECTURE/ LE TOUR DU MONDE EN 80 JOURS, JULES VERNE

Salut mes amis, on continue avec la lecture de Jules Verne "Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours"

Hola amigos/as, continuamos con la lectura de Julio Verne "La Vuelta al Mundo en 80 días".


...Monsieur Fogg a quitté sa maison à onze heures et demie;  il a placé cinq cent soixante-quinze fois son pied droit devant son pied gauche et cinq cent soixante-seize fois son pieds gauche devant son pied droit;  il est arrivé ainsi au Reform Club;  il s'est installé dans la salle à manger à sa place habituelle où son déjeuner était déjà servi.  À midi quarante-sept un garçon lui a apporté le "Times" et le "Standard".  Tout son après-midi a été occupé et ensuite il a dîné.  Aprés il est revenu dans la grande salle et a attendu les cinq personnes qui jouent aux cartes avec lui chaque jour.

À sept heures dix, les cinq amis entrent dans la salle:  l'ingénieur Stuart, les banquiers Sullivan et Fallentin, le directeur d'une grosse usine de bière Mr Glanagan et Mr Ralph, un des directeurs de la Banque d'Angleterre.

-Eh bien, Ralph, demande tout de suite Thomas Flanagan, où est l'affaire du vol?
-La banque ne retrouvera jamais son argent, dit Mr Stuart.
-J'espère que nous prendrons le voleur, répond Mr Ralph.  Nous avons envoyé des policiers dans tous les ports d'Europe et d'Amérique.

Tout le monde parlait de la même chose ce soir-là:  ON A VOLÉ CINQUANTE MILLE LIVRES STERLING à la Banque d'Angleterre.

Phileas Fogg et ses amis continuent à jouer aux cartes et à discuter du vol:

-"Il n'y a plus un seul pays où le voleur pourrait se cacher".
-Et où voulez-vous qu'il aille? demande Mr Ralph.
-Je ne sais pas, repond Stuart, mais la terre est grande!
-Elle l'était, dit Mr Fogg;  mais maintenant elle est plus petite parce que nous pouvons en faire le tour beaucoup plus vite qu'il y a cent ans!
-Oui, c'est vrai;  il faut trois mois pour faire le tour du monde!
-Même pas;  80 jours seulement, répond Phileas Fogg;  depuis que, en Inde, la ligne de chemin de fer entre Rothal et Allahabad a été ouverte.  Voici le compte que vous pouvez lire dans le journal "Morning Chronicle":
*De Londres à Suez, par le train et bateau ................... 7 jours
*De Suez à Bombay, par le bateau .............................. 13 jours
*De Bombay à Calcutta, par le train ............................. 3 jours
*De Calcutta à Hong-Kong, par le bateau..................... 13 jours
*De Hong-Kong à Yokohama, par le bateau................. 6 jours
*De Yokohama à San Francisco, par le bateau.............. 22 jours
*De San Francisco à New York, par le train ................. 7 jours
*De New York à Londres, par le bateau et le train......... 9 jours.
                                TOTAL.........................................80 jours

-Je voudrais bien voir ça, dit Mr Stuart.  C'est impossible!
-Partons ensemble et vous verrez, lui répond Mr Fogg.
-Non, je ne suis pas four, moi.  Faites-le donc!
-Je le veux bien, et tout de suite mais vous paierez!
-Mais oui, Mr Fogg;  je vous donnerai 4 000 livres sterling si vous réussissez faire le tour du monde en 80 jours.

À SUIVRE...

lunes, 17 de octubre de 2011

BOSTON DINING/ FINE AMERICAN FOOD/ Cenar en Boston / Buena comida americana

Good morning everybody, to start the week I want to tell you something about a very typical American restaurant: "The Union Oyster House" in Boston, Massachusets, USA.  This is for American people who want to go around the north-east of the USA, for Canadian people because they are not very far and for people of the rest of the world who like travelling.

Buenos días a todo el mundo, para empezar la semana quiero contaros algo sobre un restaurante americano muy típico:  "The Union Oyster House" en Boston, Massachusets, USA.  Para los americanos que quieran recorrer el noreste de los Estados Unidos, para los canadienses porque no están muy lejos y para gente del resto del mundo a la que le guste viajar.


Añadir leyenda
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETS

Boston is basically the city in which modern American history started and it is home to the United States' oldest operating restaurant:  THE UNION OYSTER HOUSE which first opened in 1826 and it is still going strong today! You will find there a Bar and a Restaurant.

**THE UNION OYSTER HOUSE (http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/) is in downtown Boston, at 41 Union Street, on the tourist circuit.  They have a gift shop which also sells the popular "Union Oyster House Cookbook".

**The restaurant serves New England seafood favorites (marisco tradicional) such as clam chowder (guiso de almejas), lobster (langosta) and of course, oysters (ostras).

**THE UNION OYSTER BAR is a popular tourist attraction.  The semicircular Oyster Bar that gave the restaurant its name is on the ground floor.

**The restaurant also occupies the upstairs area and a building next door.  It is a labyrinth of wooden benches (bancos de madera) on creaking (que crujen) floorboards (tablas) under a low ceiling (techo). Booth (reservado) number 18 was regularly used by John F. Kennedy and members of the Kennedy dynasty still eat there today!!!


A BIT OF HISTORY

**The restaurant opened in 1826 but the building is even older.  Before the restaurant, there was a store (tienda) there.  The Boston waterfront (muelle) reached (llegaba hasta)  the store's back door.

**In 1771, The Massachusetts Spy Newspaper (one of the first papers in the USA) was published from the upper floor (piso de arriba).

**A future King of France lived on the second floor in 1796.  The exiled (el exiliado)Louis Philippe earned a living (se ganaba la vida)  by teaching French to Boston's young ladies.

**The toothpick (el palillo) was first used at he UNION OYSTER HOUSE.  In order to promote his new business, the importer of the wooden sticks from South America paid Harvard students to dine at the restaurant and ask for toothpicks.

**The restaurant has had three owners in its 183 years of history.  For the last 40 years it has been in the hands of Joseph "Joe" Milano, an Italian American who is the Honorary Consul of Thailand in Boston



THE FAVOURITE DISHES

If you go to THE UNION OYSTER HOUSE, ask for OYSTERS (if you like them, of course), THE CLAM CHOWDER, LOBSTER prepared in many different ways and mainly the lobster scampi-style (langosta rebozada con limón, vino blanco y perejil) and seafood in general.

And  right now I only have to say: ENJOY YOUR MEAL!!!  and your visit to Boston!

HAVE A NICE DAY!

domingo, 16 de octubre de 2011

LECTURE, JULES VERNE, LE TOUR DU MONDE EN 80 JOURS

Salut à nouveau mes chers amis, on va continuer la lecture "Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours" de Jules Verne.

Hola otra vez mis queridos amigos, vamos a continuar la lectura "La Vuelta al Mundo en 80 días" de Julio Verne.


..."Êtes-vous Français et vous vous appelez John?"
-Jean, monsieur, Jean Passepartout.  Je crois être un bon garçon.  J'ai fait beaucoup de métiers et j'ai même travaillé au théâtre.  J'ai quitté la France il y a cinq ans et je suis venu en Angleterre pour avoir une vie de famille.  J'étais sans travail et j'ai appris que vous aviez besoin d'un serviteur.  Alors je suis venu chez vous parce qu'on dit que vous êtes l'homme le plus tranquille de la ville.

-Votre nom me plaît.  On m'a parlé bien de vous.  Vous savez ce que je veux?

-Oui, monsieur.

-Bien.  Quelle heure avez-vous?

-Onze heures vingt-cinq, monsieur, répond Passepartout.

-Ce n'est pas l'heure juste.

-Excusez-moi monsieur.

-Votre montre est en retard de quatre minutes.  Ne l'oubliez pas, c'est très important.  "À partir d'aujourd'hui, ONZE HEURES VINGT-NEUF du matin, ce mercredi 2 octobre 1872, vous êtes à mon service."

Puis, Phileas Fogg sort sans ajouter un seul mot.  Passepartout reste dans la maison.  Il commence à tout regarder.  C'est une maison très propre, très bien rangée et très confortable. 
Au deuxième étage il trouve sa chambre;  elle lui plaît beaucoup.  Sur la cheminée, il y a un réveil électrique.  À côté de ce réveil, Passepartout remarque un papier où son maître a écrit comment tout doit être fait chaque jour:

*À huit heures Mr. Fogg se lève.
*À huit heures vingt-trois il faut servir le thé et le petit-déjeuner.
*Â neuf heures trente-sept il faut apporter de l'eau pour la barbe.

Dans la maison il n'y avait pas de livres, pas de bureau, pas de papier à lettres.  Mr Fogg lit et écrit toujours au Reform Club.

En voyant tout cela, Passepartout se frotte les mains et répète avec plaisir:  "Voilà une bonne maison!  Je crois que je vais enfin vivre en paix!"

À SUIVRE...

viernes, 14 de octubre de 2011

FRANÇAIS/ LECTURE/ LE TOUR DU MONDE EN 80 JOURS de Jules Verne

Salut mes amis, aujourd'hui on va lire en Français.  On va commencer "Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours" de Jules Verne.  Un peu de Français facile.

Hola amigos, hoy vamos a leer en francés.  Vamos a empezar "La Vuelta al Mundo en 80 días" de Julio Verne.  Un poco de francés fácil.


TITRE:  Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours.
AUTEUR:  Jules Verne.
SÉRIE:  récits (relatos).
LIBRAIRIE:  Hachette.
ADAPTATION EN FRANÇAIS FACILE:  Dominique Bihoreau


À PROPOS DE L'AUTEUR - A propósito del autor.
JULES VERNE  /  JULIO VERNE

Jules Verne (1828-1905) est connu dans le monde entier comme un auteur d'anticipation à son époque, d'imagination,  de machines qui n'existaient pas encore, d'inventions, etc.

Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours est un récit d'aventures car un gentleman Anglais essaie de faire le tour du monde dans le temps le plus court possible.

Jules Verne avant de raconter une histoire, s'instruit.  Ses livres sont pleins d'information scientifique.  Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours semble être un prétexte pour donner au lecteur, des leçons de géographie et d'histoire.

Jules Verne étai un homme très précis, comme ses héros.  Quand il parle d'un paysage, on pourrait presque voir les fleurs, les arbres, les plantes ...

L'histoire de ce livre se passe en 1872.  Faire le tour du monde à cette date était incroyable et un homme pouvait passer pour fou.  Mais une autre fois, Jules Verne raconte l'histoire comme si c'était complétement normale.

ON COMMENCE...
En l'année 1872, Phileas Fogg habitait au numéro 7 de la rue Saville-Row à Londres.  Il était l'une des personnes les plus étonnantes et les plus  remarquées du "Reform Club".  Cet hommé était beau et très poli mais on ne savait rien à propos de lui.

Personne ne savait sa profession, s'il était riche ou s'il avait  voyagé.

Depuis de longues années, il n'avait pas quitté Londres. et il passait son temps à  lire les journaux et à jouer aux cartes.  L'argent qu'il gagnait, il le donnait aux pauvres.

Il n'avait ni femme ni enfants;  il n'avait ni parents ni amis.  Il vivait tout seul dans sa maison.  Il déjeunait et dînait au Reform Club chaque jour aux mêmes heures et à la même table.  Il rentrait chez lui à minuit.

Il avait un serviteur  (Forster)  mais il n'avait pas beaucoup de travail à faire.

Cependant, Mr Fogg a décidé de remplacer Forster et il attend ce matin du mercredi 2 octobre, un nouveau serviteur.

On frappe à la porte et le nouvel employé entre enfin...

À SUIVRE!!! 

lunes, 10 de octubre de 2011

TRAVEL/ WALES/ISLAND OF ANGLESEY / Viaje/Gales, Isla de Anglesey

Good morning my friends, we're going to start this week  with a travel recommendation.  For people who are living in Great Britain, for European people who like travelling and live not very far from this  British place and for people all around the world who could read this blog and could think of going on a trip at any moment!

Buenos días amigos, vamos a empezar esta semana con una recomendación de viaje.  Para la gente que vive en Gran Bretaña, para los europeos a los que les gusta viajar y que no viven lejos de este sitio británico y para la gente de todo el mundo que pueda leer este blog y piense en salir de viaje en cualquier momento.

ISLAND OF ANGLESEY   /   WALES/ GREAT BRITAIN
LA ISLA DE ANGLESEY  /   GALES / GRAN BRETAÑA


THE ROMANS AND THE DRUIDS
The history of this island is a mix of historical fact, legend and myth.
Romans conquered Britain in the first century.
Anglesey was the last Celtic region.
In the "Battle of Menai Strait", Celtic warriors, men and women, stood across the water.  The Druids who were their leaders, shouted terrifying spells and so many Roman soliders got paralysed with fear.
A lot of Roman soldiers were dead but after a terrible battle, their army was victorious and killed the surviving Druids and destroyed their sacred oak trees.

A FESTIVAL IN MAY
The Isle of Anglesey is situated on the north-west coast of Wales.  This is one of the most beautiful regions of Great Britain.

In May, the "Anglesey Walking Festival" offers visitors the opportunity to discover the island, its history and its industrial past. It includes more than 40 different walks:
**You can visit three historic areas, for example, a Neolithic burial chamber, a Roman fort, a 12th century church.
**You can also  go and see Parys Copper Mountain with its colourful open mines.
**Beaumaris Castle, built by King Edward I after he conquered Wales.

***ANGLESEY WALKING FESTIVAL is held from May 28th  to  June 12th.

THE BRIDGE
Anglesey island is separated from the Welsh mainland by the Narrow Menai Strait.  There are two bridges across the strait, the Menai Bridge and the Britannia Bridge.
On the mainland side, you can find the spectacular Snowdonia Mountains.

Anglesey was called "Mother of Wales" because of its fertile fields.
Nowadays, it is a famous European area of beauty.

SOME LEGENDS
If you go to Anglesey Island,  you'll be told many legends about the place.
**There was Madam Wen, a highway woman who frightened the island's rich merchants.
**There's the Lane of Spirits, in which a ghostly Roman legion marches.
**There's Beaumaris town clock:  a prisoner in the town jail cursed the clock before his execution and so it hasn't functioned since his death.


VOCABULARY
- HIGHWAY WOMAN:  salteadora de caminos.
- TO CURSE:  maldecir.
- MAINLAND:  tierra firme.
- WARRIOR:  guerrero.
- SPELL:  hechizo.
- WELSH:  galés.
- BURIAL CHAMBER:  cámara funeraria.
- TO MARCH:  desfilar
- DRUIDS:  druidas, magos.
- OAK TREES:  robles


***GO AND VISIT THIS MARVELLOUS ISLAND, YOU'LL BE VERY PLEASED TO DISCOVER AN UNKNOWN  PLACE LIKE THAT, BELIEVE ME!!!

HAVE A NICE DAY!!!

miércoles, 5 de octubre de 2011

THE GRAMMAR CORNER / SOME, ANY, A, AN, TOO MUCH, TOO MANY

Good morning everybody, today we're going to check some easy English grammar and do some exercises.

Buenos días a todo el mundo, hoy vamos a repasar algo de gramática inglesa fácil y a hacer algunos ejercicios.




***WE WILL START WITH SOME / ANY  .  Empezaremos con SOME y ANY.

SOME /  ANY: 
These two words don't have any translation in Spanish because we don't use them.  In English we write them when we don't say an exact quantity of something.  The only difference between SOME and ANY is that we write SOME in AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES and ANY in NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE ones.

Estas dos palabras  en realidad no tienen traducción en español porque nosotros no utilizamos estos términos.  Se usan en Inglés cuando no decimos LA CANTIDAD EXACTA de algo.
La única diferencia entre SOME y ANY  es que SOME la utilizamos en frases AFIRMATIVAS y  ANY en frases interrogativas y negativas.

LOOK AT THESE SENTENCES
**Are there any fair people in your family?
**There are some books under your chair.
**There aren't any apples in the kitchen.
**Is there any ice cream in your fridge?
**There's some ice in the fridge.
**There isn't any money in the cupboard.

***AN, AN, THE.  /Un, uno, una, el, la, los las.
These are articles.  Estos son artículos.
**A:  un, uno, una (cuando la palabra que le sigue empieza por consonante).
**AN: un, uno, un (cuando la palabra que le sigue empieza por vocal).
**THE: el, la, los, las.  Ponemos este artículo cuando especificamos.  Si hablamos en sentido general no se pone nada.

EXERCISE 1 .  Put :  a, an, some, the or no article.
1- There's _______ orange in my bag.
2- _______  potatoes are very expensive now.
3- Is John in _______ bed?
4- There's _____      cheese over there.
5- Does he go to work by _______ bus?
6- Do you like _______ watermelon juice?
7- Have you got ______ pencil?
8- Pete lives in _____ big flat  in _____ Park Avenue.
9- Where's is Lucy?  In _____ dining-room.
10- I have _____ lunch from 14,30 to 15,30.
11- Excuse me.  Is there _____ post office near here, please?
12- Excuse me, where's _____ nearest subway station?
13- I've got ______ interesting books about pop music.
14- Are you interested in _______ politics?
15- How do you go to ______ work?
16- Mary's husband is ______ engineer.

***TOO MUCH: demasiado/a (delante de nombres)  TOO MANY:  demasiados/as (delante de nombres).
TOO: demasiado/a (delante de adjetivos o adverbios)

EXERCISE 2 .   Write in the blanks TOO MUCH / TOO MANY / TOO
1- I've got _______ work today.
2- There are _________ students in my class.
3- It was ______ hot yesterday although we're in October.
4- The book is ______ long.
5- There were ________ people at the party on Sunday.
6- I won't buy this bracelet, it is _____  expensive.
7- There is ________ milk in my coffee.  I don't like it.
8- He was ______ kind to her!


I HOPE THIS LITTLE REVISION WILL LIKE YOU.

SOLUTIONS 

EXERCISE 1
1 an
2 ___
3 ___
4 some
5 ___
6 ___
7 a 
8 a  /  ___
9 the
10 ___
11  a
12 the
13 some
14 ___
15 ___
16 an


EXERCISE 2
1 TOO MUCH
2 TOO MANY
3 TOO
4 TOO
5 TOO MANY
6 TOO
7 TOO MUCH
8 TOO


HAVE A NICE DAY!!!