A LOVE AND MUSIC STORY / UNA HISTORIA DE AMOR Y MÚSICA.

Hi my dear friends, here you can read a new story , " a real love story" in which "music" has had a principal role.  I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, aquí os dejo para leer una nueva historia, "una historia real de amor" en la que "la música" ha tenido un papel principal. ¡Espero que os guste!


Info:  from Speak up magazine.
Photos:  amazon.es (2)  /  thomam.es  /  bhtstring.net  /  walesfarmer.co.uk

EXPERIENCIES  -  "WE FELL IN LOVE WITHOUT SPEAKING"

I'll never forget the first moment I saw Branko. It was 2009 and I was 25, working as a musical director for a circus in the UK.  I'd travelled alone from Gloucestershire to the village of Gornja Grabovica in Serbia, on a mission to learn Roma-style accordion.  A week or so into my two-month trip, a friend called Dusan took me to meet his cousin Branko, who he said was one of the country's best violinists.

When we arrived, Branko came out of the house he shared with his aunt and grandmother, wearing a white vest and jeans. I don't remember thinking he was attractive. We all sat around a table in the garden.  I didn't speak a word of Serbian and Branko knew no English, so Dusan struggled to translate.  Branko was shy;  it wans't every day an English woman turned up at his house. The following day I went back, and we played music together late into the night.  We did this several more times, quickly developing a strong connection.  It was totally platonic, however;  nothing else entered my head, partly because he had a girlfriend.

After two months, I returned to Britain.  I was still determined to learn Roma accordion, but for the next couple of years I was busy touring with my work.  Then, in July 2011, I had a few weeks off, and felt I was being called back to Serbia.

As soon as Branko heard I was back in Gornja Grabovica, he came straight to see me.  With Dusan translating again, he told me he'd thought about me every day since I had left.  He had broken up with his girlfriend months earlier.  It felt unreal, like magic.  It was exciting, but unusual to feel something for each other without being able to communicate fully.


That night we went to a dance. I just enjoyed being near Branko. His body language was so open, and he was so kind and loving.  The next day we played music together for hours, creating new compositions.  He still couldn't say a word in English, and I'd only picked up basic things in Serbian, but it just felt right.

I stayed at his house that night, and we fell asleep in each other's arms. I'd never felt so happy. It was a relief for me to be able to just feel and be, rather than constantly talking.

After three weeks I had to leave for work in Britain. It was incredibly painful, and Branko worried I'd never come back.  But I was desperate to go straight back out there. My mum was very supportive, advising me to do what felt right.  I bought audio tapes to learn Serbian and booked a one-way flight.  This time I stayed for three months.


The type of Serbian Roma culture Branko lived in was very different from the English culture I knew. There isn't the same language to describe the process of starting a relationship;  if you start spending time with someone, then you're with them, and you immediately say, "I love you."


Branko and I planned to go to Britain together for a while to earn money and introduced him to my life;  but his tourist visa was refused twice.  It was difficult to go back alone. When I returned, we decided to get married, and in March 2012, we had a simple but chaotic wedding in Serbia. We built a house on the exact spot we first met in Branko's grandmother garden.

We formed a band, Faith & Branko, and have spent the last three years touring Europe, Australia and New Zealand, playing festivals and releasing an album.  Today my Serbian is pretty good, and while Branko still doesn't speak fluent English, he understands a lot.  They say music is the language of the soul.  We took a leap to find out if that is true, and music has held us together ever since.


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



SOME VOCABULARY WORDS.

-VEST:  chaleco.
-TO STRUGGLE:  esforzarse.
-SHY: tímido.
-TO TURN UP:  presentarse.
-TO BREAK UP:  romper (una relación)
-TO ACKNOWLEDGE:  reconocer.
-TO PICK UP:  captar.
-RELIEF:  alivio.
-PAINFUL:  doloroso.
-SOUL:  alma.
-TO TAKE A LEAP:  arriesgarse.
-TO HOLD TOGETHER:  mantenerse unidos.
-EVER SINCE:  desde entonces.

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


WRITE IN ENGLISH.

Acordeón romaní - ROMA-STYLE ACCORDION.

En Inglés, el gentilicio Roma se refiere a la etnia "romaní".  Originarios del norte de la India, los romaníes son un pueblo tradicionalmente nómada que se ha extendido por todo el mundo a lo largo de los siglos.  La música romaní tiene un papel muy importante en la cultura de Europa Central y del Este y el acordeón es uno de los instrumentos más utilizados junto con el violín y la guitarra.  En Inglés, el término "gypsy" - gitano- se considera hoy en día peyorativo.

SOLUTION TO THE INVERSE TRANSLATION - ROMA-STYLE ACCORDION

In  English, the denomym "Roma" refers to the "roma" ethnic group. Native to the North of India, the Roma people are nomadic and they have spread all around the world for centuries.  The Roma music has got a very important role in Central and Eastern culture and the accordion is one the most used instruments with the violin and the guitar.  In English, the word "gypsy" is considered pejorative nowadays.

A SHORT STORY / JUDGE FOR YOURSELF - UN CUENTO CORTO / JÚZGATE A TI MISMO

Hi my dear friends, today we will share another short story whose title is : "Judge for yourself".  I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy compartiremos otro cuento corto cuyo título es: "Júzgate a ti mismo". Espero que os guste.


From: Speak up magazine.
Photos: alamy.es  /  eoi.es

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF by Talitha Linehan

Francis T. Barrow was dying, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He was normally so sure of everything. He had to be in his role as Supreme Court judge. But he'd never given much thought or consideration to death.  Once you died you were gone and that was the end of it.

He didn't want to die of course, but he accepted that it was inevitable.  It was what happened after death that perplexed him. Was there life after death, and if there was, what was the nature of it?

People who believed in an afterlife generally believed in God., but Francis had never really thought about God either, notwithstanding the fact he'd asked innumerable people to swear to tell the truth so help you God.

If the believers in Christianity were right, then he would go to the gates of Heaven, where Saint Peter would judge him -judge the judge- and send him to Heaven or Hell.  Of course, Francis knew this theory was unfounded in science;  it certainly wouldn't stand up in his courtroom!

A few hours later, Francis went from dying to dead.  Tunnel. Bright Light. And there he was, at the gates of Heaven, with St. Peter before him.

-"It's exactly as I imagined," said Francis.
-"It always is", said St. Peter.

-"So now you judge me? Decide if I go to Heaven or Hell?"
-"No, I don't judge you. You judge you"

-"Ha!  So, those New Age spiritualists were right. We decide our own fate."

-"Quite so," said St. Peter. "All souls are born with the capacity to distinguish right from wrong, a conscience, if you will. You just have to tell us if you lived in accordance with your conscience or not".

That's easy, thought Francis, listing off the Ten Commandments in his head. He didn't have any "other gods" because he didn't have any god. He didn't idolize anyone, except himself perhaps, but that was undestandable. He didn't abuse God's name, because he thought it made people  sound stupid. He honored his parents, he would never have dishonored them and risked losing his inheritance.  He never murdered anyone, though he fantasized about murdering his wife many times. He never committed adultery;  he wouldn't have risked losing his reputation.  This was the same reason he didn't steal or lie.  And he never had any reason to feel envious of anyone;  he was everything he wanted to be.

-"I kept all Ten Commandments," he told St. Peter, with confidence.

"The what? Oh, those. No, only one rule defines your conscience. You might know it as the Golden Rule".  He gave a scroll and a pen to Francis.  "Now, please read and sign our Next Life Contract."

The contract said:

I swear to tell the truth, so help me God.
Did you live in accordance with the rule "TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED"?
If you circle YES, you will live your next life in a world under your rule; as you have lived, shall it be ruled. 
If you cirle NO, you will remain in the spirit world until you are ready to return to Earth in a life of your choosing.

Signed__________________.

This is not what Francis expected. He had heard of the Golden Rule, but much like God and death, never really thought about it.  His job as a Supreme Court judge wasn't to treat people as they wanted to be treated but as they needed to be treated. Certainly, a lof of the people he condemned were born into poverty or dysfunctional families, but that wasn't an excuse to commit crime. The courtroom was no place for compassion.


At least that's what he told himself as he circled YES, signed his name and returned the scroll to St. Peter. Immediately, another tunnel appeared before him.

-"Right" said St. Peter. "Well, you were a rich man in the last life, so let's make you a poor man in this one."

-"Wait, no, how will I become the ruler of my world if I'm poor? And a woman?" he said with contempt.

-"Oh dear...No, no, you won't be the ruler. You will live in a world ruled by your rule, where everyone treats each other as you treated others in your last life."


Francis T. Barrow screamed but there was nothing he could do. He was already flying through the tunnel and into the light (or darkness) of his new world.


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


VOCABULARY

-NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT:  pese a que.
-QUITE SO: casi.
-LISTING OFF:  repasando.
-INHERITANCE:  herencia.
-A SCROLL:  un pergamino.
-THE RULER OF MY WORLD: el dueño de mi mundo.
-WITH CONTEMPT: con condescendencia.


SEE YOU!!

A SHORT STORY - A GIRL NAMED HOLLY / Un cuento corto - Una niña llamada Holly.

Hi my dear friends, today, I want to share with you a short story. We are spending very hard times and reading may be a way of thinking less!  I hope you'll like it!


Hola mis queridos amigos. Hoy quiero compartir con vosotros un cuento corto. Estamos pasando tiempos muy duros y leer puede ser una manera de pensar menos. ¡Espero que os guste!

A GIRL NAMED HOLLY by Rachel Roberts.

Info: from Speak Up magazine.
Photos: canstockphoto.es   /  cepymenews.es  / big.ben.phone.box.



She walked onto the stage to receive her First Degree in Medicine. The other graduates looked nervous, but not my Holly. She smiled confidently as she shook hands with the Vice-Chancellor of the University.  She didn't see me sitting with all the other family members and friends and afterwards she walked straight to her mum and dad and they hugged her.  I felt a little sad. I wished she had come to me to be hugged. I always did, but it didn't matter. I would giver her my congratulations later.

Holly has done well. A First in Medicine from Imperial College London, and now she's off to Oxford to specialize. She's a miracle really, considering her unlucky start in life. Actually, that's not true;  because Holly was lucky, very, very lucky. If I hadn't been a curious type, and a cat-lover, she wouldn't be here. The thought makes me shiver.

It was Christmas Eve twenty-four years ago. I was a student myself in those days and sharing a tiny flat with two other girls.  I was working on my thesis and had decided not to go home for Christmas. By evening my flatmates had left and I could hear people laughing in the street on their way to the pub for a Christmas drink.  I felt lonely, so I decided to walk to the 7-Eleven shop to get a bottle of wine.  It was freezing. An icy rain blew under my umbrella. I'd brought my scarf, but forgotten my gloves and my hands were soon frozen to the umbrella handle.

I bought a bottle of cheap red wine and was hurrying home, when, above the noise of the Christmas traffic, I heard the sound, a cat mewing and in distress.

At first I took no notice. I just wanted to get home. But then I heard it again. It was such a sad sound, I knew the cat must be in trouble. I love cats, so I stopped and listened. If it was trapped somewhere I could take it home. It would be company over Christmas.

There it was again. A weak, trembling cry. Wherever the cat was, it was in real trouble. The sound came from a deserted side street in the middle of which was an old red phone box under a lamp post. Most of the glass panes in the phone box had been broken. I wondered if the cat was trapped inside.

I peered inside and saw a tiny bundle on the ground, a dirty blanket, illuminated by the golden street light. It moved slightly and to my complete shock I caught sight of a tiny blue fist.

It took me several seconds to realise what I was looking at, and when I did I was terrified. It seems strange now, but my legs went weak and I backed away gasping, "No, no, no!" I couldn't face the enormity of what I was looking at: this was not a cat, but a tiny, newborn baby abandoned in a phone box on a freezing night!

I stood paralysed and then it moved again, very slowly. It cried, and this time the cry was little more than a whisper. That was it. The life rushed back into my arms and legs. I dumped the wine bottle on the ground, pulled open the door of the phone box and picked up the little bundle.

The baby's face was grey with cold, its eyes shut tight. The blanket was wet and freezing cold, so I wrapped my scarf around the fragile little body. Then with shaking hands, I picked up the phone and dialled 999.

I spent hours in the hospital. I learned that she was a baby girl. The nurses called her Holly, because she was found on Christmas night. The police questioned me and I had to do a DNA test, because, of course, they thought she was mine. Personally, I have thought of her as mine from the moment I held her.

I wanted to adopt her, but that was impossible, I was a penniless student.  But I went to visit Holly every day. She soon turned into a beautiful baby. It didn't take long for her to be adopted into a good family, kind people, who, when they heard the story of Holly's beginnings, allowed me to keep in touch with her.

So Holly really is very lucky. She tells me, once she is a doctor, she wants to do some good in the world. I'm sure she will and I can't help feeling proud!

               

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

VOCABULARY
-FIRST DEGREE:  cum laude.
-GRADUATES: graduados, licenciados.
-TO SHAKE HANDS: estrechar la mano.
-VICE CHANCELLOR:  Vicerrector.
-IT DIDN'T MATTER: no importaba.
-TO SHIVER: temblar.
-TO MEW: maullar.
-IN DISTRESS: con angustia.
-LAMP POST: farola.
-PANES: cristales.
-TO PEER:  mirar.
-BUNDLE:  bulto.
-BLANKET: manta.
-FIST: puño.
-TO GASP: respirar con dificultad.
-SHUT TIGHT: cerrados con fuerza.
-TO DIAL: marcar.
-PENNILESS: sin blanca.
-I CAN'T HELP: no puedo evitar.

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

TAKE CARE MY FRIENDS! 
KEEP SAFE AND HEALTHY!

SEE YOU!

THE NEW YORK PLAZA HOTEL / EL HOTEL PLAZA DE NUEVA YORK.

Hi my dear friends, today I'm going to share with you some information about one of the most famous hotels in New York, The Plaza Hotel. New York is one of my favourite cities in the world so  I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy voy a compartir con vosotros  información sobre uno de los hoteles más famosos de Nueva York, el Hotel Plaza. ¡ Nueva York es una de mis ciudades preferidas del mundo así que espero que os guste!


Info: Speak Up magazine.
Photos:  el economista.es  /  alamy.es  /  robbreport.es

ULTIMATE LUXURY  /  THE NEW YORK PLAZA HOTEL

New York's Plaza Hotel is a twenty-storey building extending along Central Park and Fifth Avenue.  It features fountains and statues commemorating American history and Roman architecture and deities.  It has one of the most expensive rooms in the world: the Plaza Royal Suite that at $40,000 a night is still almost always booked.  Yet the Plaza is persistently unprofitable, and has had many owners.


FAME NOT FORTUNE

In the late 19th century, a skating club was demolished to construct a hotel. But it turned out to be too small. $12.5 million were invested to rebuild it to resemble a French chateau.  The Plaza opened in 1907 as a hotel and city residence for the rich.  A room cost under three dollars a night (around seventy in today's term)  Now, the same room costs over one thousand dollars.

IMAGINE

As the 20th century advanced, the Plaza Hotel consolidated its reputation as the place to party with celebrities. Marilyn Monroe gave her first press conference at the Plaza, during which the strap of her dress strategically broke.  When The Beatles first came to America they stayed here.  John Lennon and Yoko Ono later frequenting its Oyster Bar.  Kay Thompson, the creator of popular children's character Eloise, lived at the Plaza for many years with an entourage of pets.  She was evicted in the 1980s by its new owner, Donald Trump.


TRUMP LOVE

Yes, even Trump fell for its charms.  He bought the Plaza in 1988, making the extraordinary claim that it was an act of love and not money;  he called it "the Mona Lisa", spent millions on refurbishment, installed his wife, Ivana Trump, as president of the hotel, married his subsequent wife Marla Maples there in front of one thousand five hundred guests, and filed the hotel for bankrupcy in 1991.  Three years on, Trump sold his stake in the company to foreign investors.

SHINE ON!

Still, the Plaza partied on, although behind the scenes there was more scandal.  Finally, in 2018 after years of uncertainty, Shahal Khan, a wealthy Dubai investor, and Kamran Hakim, a major New York City landlord, came to an agreement to purchase a majority share of the property for six hundred million dollars.  It seems that even in the age of fast profit, the Plaza shines on as a symbol of glamour and decadence.


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

VOCABULARY

-twenty-store. de veinte pisos.
-to feature: presentar.
-deities: divinidades.
-to book:  reservar.
-to resemble: parecerse.
-chateau; castillo.
-strap: tirante.
-to evict: desahuciar.
-fell for its charms: se rindión a sus encantos.
-claim: afirmación.
-refurbishment: remodelación.
-guests: huéspedes.
-to file for bankrupcy; declararse en bancarrota.
-sold his stake: vendió su participación.
-to party on: continuar.
-landlord: propietario inmobiliario.


SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!

A BRIEF GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE BREXIT CHAOS / Una breve guía para entender el Caos del Brexit.

Hi my dear friends. Today is the day! United Kingdom leaves the European Union! It could seem incredible but finally it has happened. I'm going to try and explain a bit of this "Brexit Chaos"


Hola mis queridos amigos. ¡Hoy es el Día! Reino Unido abandona la Unión Europea! Podría parecer increíble pero finalmente ha ocurrido. Voy a intentar explicar un poco de este "Caos del Brexit"


Information:  From Speak Up magazine.
Photos: wikipedia.org  / english.heritage.uk

A BRIEF GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE BREXIT CHAOS.

When former UK Prime Minister David Cameron called for a referendum on June 23rd 2016 on Britain leaving the European Union, he was confident that the British people would vote to remain. But he was wrong. After a highly controversial campaign, the referendum held returned a vote of 51.9 per cent to leave the EU.


UNCERTAIN FUTURE

And so the Brexit process began. On the 29th March 2017, Theresa May, the new UK Prime Minister, sent a letter to the EU making a formal request to leave, known as "triggering article 50".  The UK then had two years to negotiate an agreement on higly complex issues of trade, laws, borders, finances and ctizens rights.  The negotiation process has been traumatic and leaves more questions than answers about what the future relationship between Britain and the rest of Europe will be.


REGIONAL DIFFERENCES

Many areas of the UK, notably London and Scotland, are strongly pro-remain.  London mayor Sadiq Khan is pushing for London to have special terms in any Brexit deal.  Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, has set out that being forced to leave the EU could push Scots to demand another referendum on their independence from Britain.


NORTHERN IRELAND NIGHTMARE

Negotiating Brexit terms for Northern Ireland has been the hardest area of all. The Republic of Ireland will remain in the EU  while Northern Ireland as part of the UK, will leave. Theresa May had faced the practically impossible task of finding a deal that avoids a "hard border" in Ireland while satisfying EU negotiators and the majority of MPs in the British Parliament. 


CROSSING PARTY LINES

Confusingly, the decision to vote remain or leave is cause for division even within parties. The Labour Party campaigned against Brexit before the Referendum although their party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is pro-Brexit.  The Conservative Party is, in theory, pro-Brexit, but many conservative MPs have campaigned to remain in the referendum. 

But, finally, Theresa May resigned and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pro-Brexit,  took the charge of the Government and the negotiations with the EU again with no success at all. At that point, he had to call the British for a new General Election last December, with the result that  Boris Johnson was re-elected as Primer Minister, and Brexit was a fact! Today January, 31st, is the day when the UK says goodbye to the European Union.


DISADVANTAGES

Anyway, the process of Britain leaving the European Union after 40 years, was going to be long, complex and painful. If Britain leaves the EU single market and customs union without a new trade deal, there is potential for chaos. British exports to Europe would carry high tariffs and there could be long customs checks at ports and airports.

The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will become the only  land border between the UK and the European Union. Since 1993 there has been completely free movement of goods and people across the Irish border. Post-Brexit there is the potential for this to become a hard border again, a situation that all sides have been desperate to avoid.

EU Customs Union. This includes all EU member states plus a few non-members. It does not allow countries inside the union to negotiate their own trade agreements. Goods traded between countries inside the EU customs union are free of import taxes or tariffs. The Union sets the tariff on goods entering from outside.

The single market is an area covering the EU member states, plus a few non-members. Inside the single market there is free movement of goods, services, people and money.  Countries inside the single market use the same rules and regulations so that they can trade more easily with each other.

Foreign people working in the UK might have some problems and British people, living or working in the rest of the European Union, too.

University Agreements between the UK and the rest of the members of the EU, will not be possible any more...

And so on...

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

Anyway, and this is my own opinion, I think that all of us will be stronger if we are all together! It's a pity that Great Britain leaves the European Union. 


BYE, BYE  GREAT BRITAIN!!!!!!
I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!

FCE EXERCISES - USE OF ENGLISH/ EJERCICIOS DE FIRST CERTIFICATE.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to start with some exercises of the FCE Examination. B2 Level. Written exercise. Use of English.

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a empezar con algunos ejercicios del examen FCE. Nivel B2, Ejercicio escrito. Uso del Inglés.

USE OF ENGLISH  - PART 1. For questions 1-12, read the text below and decide which answer A,B, C or D best fits each gap. In the real exam you'll have 8 questions, this is for practising.

                                                            Desperate to go to school

Truancy has become a serious problem in many schools in recent years. In an attempt to tackle this problem one school introduced a new scheme to (1)___ students to attend as many classes as possible. Pupils who (2)___ a 100% attendance record throughout the whole academic year were (3)___ with an all inclusive weekend school (4)___ to an activity centre where they would be able to have a go at (5)___ activities such as climbing, abseiling and white water rafting.

One student was so (6)___ to qualify for this free weekend away that he even went to school with a broken wrist. He hurt his wrist when he fell (7)___ his bike on the way to school but he was so worried about (8)___ his 100% attendance that he didn't (9)___ his teachers or parents until the school day had finished. He (10)___ admitted to his mother what had happened when she (11)___ that he was having difficulty eating his dinner and asked him what was wrong. She took him to hospital that night, they put his arm in plaster and he was able to go back to school the next day.

Fortunately, he was fully (12)___ from his accident in time to go on the trip.


1    A  suggest         B force      C encourage      D make
2    A  succeeded    B made      C achieved        D realised
3    A rewarded      B given      C won               D compensated
4    A holiday         B trip         C travel             D excursion
5    A outside         B outdoor   C risk                D danger
6    A interested     B happy     C excited           D keen
7    A away            B down      C off                  D over
8    A filling          B maintaining C guarding   D succeeding
9    A tell               B say          C admit             D explain
10  A lastly           B actually   C fortunately     D eventually
11  A knew           B aware      C looked            D noticed
12  A recovered    B improved C repaired         D fixed



PART 2 - For questions 13-24, read the text below and think of the word that best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

                                                    Thieves in the safari park

Visitors to Hampton safari park have been warned not to enter the monkey enclosure (13)_______ they have roof cases on their cars as the monkeys (14)_______ likely to open them and steal the contents. The animals appear to have worked out a way (15)______ unlocking the cases by jumping on them; they even seem to (16)______ working together in groups to do it.

One family said they knew they couldn't get out of the car and so could only watch in horror (17)______ the monkeys ran (18)_______ with all their holiday clothes and disappeared up trees with everything from bikinis to shoes. One young monkey (19)_____ seen holding onto a child's teddy bear.

Keepers at the safari park said the monkeys had broken into (20)_____ than ten roof cases (21)_____ the beginning of the summer holidays. (22)______ a result they have now set up an alternative route (23)_____ cars with luggage on the roof (24)_____ they can avoid the thieving monkeys.



PART 3 - For questions 25-34 read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line.

                                                Casablanca

Casablanca is most well-known as the title of a classic film from 1942                       KNOW
starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. But what about the city
where this (25)__________ war film was set?                                                      ROMANCE

Casablanca  (Spanish for white house) or Casa as it is known by those
who live there, is the largest city in Morocco with a (26)____________             POPULATE
approximately 5 million and is the country's (27)________capital. Rabat           ECONOMY
is the political capital. Casablanca is situated in the west of Morocco on
the Atlantic coast and boasts one of the world's largest artificial ports, a
port which was very (28)_______ during the Second World War. At that            STRATEGY
time there was also a large American airbase (29)___________ in                         SITE
Casablanca and in 1943 it was in Casablanca that a significant conference
took place where world (30)___________ met to discuss the                                LEAD
progress of the war.

Casablanca was (31)_______ under the control of the French from 1910             FORMAL
until 1956 when Morocco gained (32)________ French influence on the             DEPEND
city is (33)__________ in the city layout and architecture. French is also the       EVIDENCE
second language after Arabic. The city has a growing (34)__________                TOUR
industry, although it is not as popular as other Moroccan cities like
Marrakesh and Fez.



PART 4  - For questions 35-42 complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words including the word given.

Example: I haven't seen him for at least 2 years.  TIME
The last time I saw him was more than 2 years ago.


35   I won't be satisfied until I have the letter in my possession.  ONLY
I will ___________________________ the letter is in my possession.

36  Please tell me as soon as he arrives.  KNOW
Please, ____________________________________ as he arrives.

37  You're going to be famous one day, he said to the girl.  WAS
He _________________________________going to be famous one day.

38  There were more spectators than ever before.  SO
There_________________________________ spectators before.

39  Do you mind if I borrow your bike tomorrow?  ME
Would _______________________________ your bike tomorrow?

40  We can go out for a walk tomorrow if it doesn't rain all day.  RAINS
We can go out for a walk tomorrow____________________all day.

41  The food in the hotel was so diappointing.  A
The food in the hotel _________________ disappointment.,

42  I really didn't think I would do so well in the exam.  TO
I really didn't _____________________  so well in the exam.



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

SOLUTIONS.

PART 1 - 1 C  /  2 C  /  3 A  /  4 B  /  5 B  /  6 D  /  7 C  /  8 B  /  9 A  /  10 D  /  11 D  /  12 A

PART 2 - 13 if  /  14 are  /  15 of  /  16 be  /  17 as/while/when /  18 away/off  /  19 was  /  20 more  /  21 since  /  22 As  /  23 for  /  24 so

PART 3 - 25 romantic  /  26 population  /  27 economic  /  28 strategic  /  29 situated  /  30 leaders  /  31 formally  /  32 independence  /  33 evident  /  34 tourist

PART 4 - 35 only be satisfied when  /  36 let me know as soon  /  37 told the girl she was  /  38   have never been so many  /  39 you mind lending me  /  40 unless it rains  /  41 was such a  /  42 expect to do

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

SEE YOU!!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! ¡FELIZ AÑO 2020!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

BONNE ANNÉE!

¡FELIZ AÑO 2020 A TODOS!

DESDE MTR IDIOMAS OS DESEO LO MEJOR PARA ESTE AÑO 2020 QUE ACABA DE COMENZAR.

FROM MTR IDIOMAS I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST FOR THIS YEAR 202O WHICH HAS JUST STARTED!


DE MTR IDIOMAS MADRID JE VOUS SOUHAITE UNE TRÈS BONNE ANNÉE 2020 !!!

CHILDREN'S AUTHORS / ESCRITORES PARA NIÑOS. BELOVED CHARACTERS / PERSONAJES QUERIDOS.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to look at books, books for children and their authors because reading is magic, fantastic. However, children and teenagers read less and less nowadays  and it's a pity because EVERYTHING IS IN OUR BOOKS!


Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a mirar a los libros, a los libros para niños y sus autores porque leer es mágico, fantástico.  Sin embargo, los niños y adolescentes leen cada vez menos hoy en día y es una pena porque  ¡TODO ESTÁ EN LOS LIBROS!



Info: from Speak Up magazine.
Photos: muyinteresante.es / amazon.es  /  freepik.es  /  elmundo.es



BELOVED CHARACTERS   /   CHILDREN'S AUTHORS

What do a teacher, a journalist, an artist, a pilot and a mathematics professor have in common?  They all became famous British children's writers.

THE FAMOUS FIVE

The teacher was Enid Blyton and she started writing in her free time. Her stories were often  about a group of children, and a dog, who visit a different part of the country in each book and have an adventure or solve a mystery. The Famous Five, and The Secret Seven. She wrote at least six thousand words a day and published over six hundred books in her life.

WINNIE THE POOH

The journalist A.A. Milne became famous for writing just two books, the first called Winnie-the-Pooh.  There was only one child in his stories, who was actually based on his son, Cristopher Robin, before he went to school. The other "people" were either animals or toys.







PETER RABBIT

Artist Beatrix Potter wrote her books about the animals she saw near her country home and also drew all the pictures for the stories. She gave the animals names, and with the first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, she had the idea of selling a doll and a game too.  Earlier this year, they released a computer-animated comedy film based on these well-loved stories!

THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Roal Dahl wrote about his adventures as a pilot, but his most popular stories happen to a boy or girl who meets horrible children and adults, or strange animals. Dahl often gave his characters funny names, like Augustus Gloop or Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bunce and Bean in Fantastic Mr. Fox or Miss Trunchbull in Matilda.

 

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

But the maths professor wrote the strangest stories of all. Lewis Caroll's two books are about a girl called Alice who meets unusual animals and people in a dream world. Adults enjoy the books as much as children, perhaps because Carroll loved to play with the meanings of words. An original copy of the first book sold for $1.5 million a century after it was first published.



VOCABULARY

-JOURNALIST: periodista.
-SOLVE A MYSTERY: resolver un misterio.
-AT LEAST: al menos.
-TALE: cuento.
-WELL-LOVED:  muy querido.
-DREAM WORLD: mundo de ensueño.
-ENJOY:  disfrutar.

LIFE STORIES / HISTORIAS DE VIDA.

Hi my dear friends, today, a reading about a "life story"whose title is "My husband didn't meet our daughter until she was 27".  Life in many occassions is really hard and we don't understand why!  I hope you'lle like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy, una lectura sobre "una historia de vida" cuyo título es "Mi marido no conoció a nuestra hija hasta que ella tenía 27 años". La vida en muchas ocasiones es realmente dura y no entendemos por qué.  ¡Espero que os guste!

From: Speak Up magazine.
Photos: fr.wikipedia.org  /  my own photos.

MY HUSBAND DIDN'T MEET OUR DAUGHTER UNTIL SHE WAS 27.
By Ann Lovato.


I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. One night when I was barely 16, I was at the rollerskating rink when I saw this shy country music boy standing alone. I was an outgoing punk girl and asked him to skate. By the end of the night, we were out the back, making out.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Scott was 18, and within a couple of months we'd moved into an apartment with a friend of mine from school, Jennifer, and her boyfriend. Our only income was from Scott's carpet-cleaning job, but it felt great being in love. We didn't think much about birth control, and soon enough I thought I might be pregnant.  We were excited and talked about marriage. But the other two fought all the time, so I decided to move back home. One day I went to the apartment and nobody answered the door. It wasn't locked, so I walked in and found it empty. I was so confused!

WHY?

I tried to find out what was going on, but couldn't trace anyone. Eventually, Jennifer called my mum's house; se said she and her boyfriend didn't have any money, so had gone their separate ways. Then she added that Scott had told her he didn't want anything to do with me or the baby, that he'd moved to another town and  never wanted to see me again. I was crushed. I thought he loved me. How could his feelings change so quickly?

I searched for him but no one could help. I knew he didn't know how to contact me, either. It sounds crazy to say that now, but his was the early 1980s; there were no mobile phones or internet, and we didn't know each other¡s families.



HOLLY

I was scared, but chose to have the baby. My daughter, Holly and I lived with my mum while I finished high school and went to college. As Holly grew up, even when I was struggling, I was not angry with Scott; it was my choice to have her and give her the best life I could, and I knew I was good at that. I made sure she had no animosity towards her father. I had another relationships, and two other children, but never met anyone I wanted to be with forever. I thought I'd never get married and I was happy with that.



FACEBOOK

Then, six years ago, when Holly was 27 and her own son was born, she decided she wanted to find Scott. I'd made previous attempts to look for him that never came to anything, but now tracing people had become so much easier. We found Scott on Facebook. I messaged him saying Holly wanted to meet him. I didn't expect a response, but a few days later he replied with a friendly message, saying he wanted to meet her, too.  I was so relieved, but also nervous about talking to him. When we spoke on the phone, he sounded exactly the same. We talked for four hours; sometimes you don't even know you've missed someone. He said he'd been married three times, had four children and was now single.

A DATE

He came up from Colorado to see us. He walked into the house and I was sitting there with our grandson. He said: "You look exactly the same."  We hugged and I said: "You smell exactly the same," which made everyone laugh.  He asked me to go to a movie the next night. We didn't call it a date, but he came back to mine and we kissed. That connection was still there.

When Scott and I talked things over, it all made sense.  Jennifer had told him the same story:  that I never wanted to see him again, never loved him and had used him to get pregnant.  

We don't know why she did it;  she obviously wasn't in a good place herself. I have never felt anger towards Scott -we've both had things going on in the years in between. He was homeless after leaving the apartment, and battled with drug addiction, but turned his life around. The thing is, Scott and I have the rest of our lives together now; I'm nearly 50 and he's 52. We have a daughter and adorable grand-kids. Holly is happy, because she can finally say: "Here are my parents"
We got married three years ago.

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


VOCABULARY

-SHY: tímido.
-OUTGOING: extrovertido.
-TO MAKE OUT: enrollarse.
-INCOME: ingresos.
-CRUSHED: destrozado.
-TO STRUGGLE: luchar.
-TO HUG: abrazar.
-DATE: cita.
-HE CAME BACK TO MINE: volvimos a mi casa.
-WAS'T IN A GOOD PLACE HERSELF: no estaba muy bien.
-TURNED HIS LIFE AROUND: cambió de vida.

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


WHY WOULD PEOPLE BEHAVE LIKE JENNIFER? I DON'T KNOW... I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HER AT ALL!


SEE YOU MY FRIENDS! 

CINEMA - TOM CRUISE / FLYING HIGH. CINE - TOM CRUISE / VOLANDO ALTO.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to look at a famous and superstar American actor, Tom Cruise. We will see something about his life and his career. I hope you'll like it! I love Tom Cruise, by the way!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a mirar hacia un famoso  actor americano, Tom Cruise. Veremos algo sobre su vida y su carrera. ¡Espero que os guste! Por cierto, ¡a mi me encanta Tom Cruise!


Information: from Speak Up magazine.
Photos: www.abc.es  /  www.europapress.es  /  www.mirror.co.uk  / cinema93.org  / theundergroundmovement.org

TOM CRUISE   /   FLYING HIGH

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has the reputation of being eccentric but he is also a brilliant actor and, his colleagues say, an extremely nice man!  Looking at his early life offers a clue as  to these contradictory qualities.  Cruise was born in 1962 and grew up in near poverty in the US and Canada. He had a Catholic upbringing but his father was violent.  He excelled in sport, but was noted for his rebellious behaviour, something that could be attributed to his struggles with dislexya, and he attended fifteen schools in fourteen years. His mother finally left his father and took her four children to Ohio, where Cruise considered joining the priesthood.

TOP GUN!

Then Tom Cruise discovered acting. In 1981, he was lucky enough to land a small part in the Franco Zefirelli movie "Endless Love" and the same year in a supporting role American military drama film "Taps".
This set him within a group of young actors who would become prominent in coming-of-age movies of the period.  He was among the cast of "The Outsiders" in 1983, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and, the same year, given the lead in "Risky Business", one of the quintessential teen movies of the 1980s.  In 1986's "Top Gun" Cruise shot the stardom in this story of heroism and love.


THE BROKEN HERO

Cruise could have continued playing tough guys, but subsequent future parts offered a twist on this stereotype. Notable was his role as the self-centred Charlie Babbit in "Rain Man" (1988).  The following year Cruise was nominated for an Oscar for his lead in "Born on the Fourth of July" based on the 1976 autobiography by a Vietnam veteran.
Most interestingly, although romance and comedy do not seem to suit Cruise, his best performance came in "Jerry Maguire" (1996), in which he plays a slick sports agent in need of emotional support.

BACK IN ACTION

Cruise's most successful movies to date are, action films; with series of "Mission Impossible" movies (1996-2018) receiving critical adoration and box office success. Cruise excels in the lead role as Ethan Hunt -and still insists on doing his own stunts! Last year's Mission Impossible - Fallout received the best critical approval of Cruise's career.  Cruise also played the eponymous role in two Jack Reacher films (2012-2016), although he will not star in the forthcoming TV series; creator Lee Child is looking for a physically bigger actor.


PERSUASIVE

While it is generally accepted that Cruise is bankable in any role he plays, some directors have complained of feeling "forced" to cast him for that reason. According to a friend of Stanley Kubrick, the director considered "Eyes Wide Shut" as "a piece of shit" that had been ruined by the interefence of its superstars!  The 1990 film also starred Nicle Kidman, with whom Cruise was married at the time.

RELATIONSHIPS

Cruise's relationships have attracted a lot of attention.  He has been married three times, firstly to Mimi Rogers, who is credited with introducing Cruise to the Church of Scientology.
Today, Cruise is one of this controversial belief system's most high-profile proponents. Former partner Katie Holmes claimed that she ended their marriage to protect their daughter Suri, from what some people regard as a dangerous cult.


UNSTOPPABLE

Scientology scandals aside, Cruise continues to make a huge success of his career with action-packed performances in thrillers such as "Minority Report" (2002) and "Collateral" (2004), in science fiction films sushc as "Edge of Tomorrow" (2014), and in crime storuies such as "American Made" (2017). Who can say the heights to which the forthcoming "Top Gun" film will soar!

AMERICAN MADE

Based on the stranger-than-fiction real-life story of Barry Seal, the American airline pilot who, in the 1990s, was caught smuggling drugs for a major drug cartel, American Made is an entertaining crime thriller starring Hollywood maverick Tom Cruise in the leading role.

When Seal, a bored airline pilot, is approached by the CIA to undertake an exciting yet relatively safe spying mission, he is easily persuaded. However, he is then pushed further by his shady government contact into more risky activities. Seal becomes caught between different fronts, finding himself gun-running, money-laundering and carrying drugs in his plane to the US for Colombia's Medellin Cartel (under drug lord Pablo Escobar) and shipping guns to Nicaragua's anti-communist rebels ·the Contras" for the CIA!
This cannot end well for Seal...

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

VOCABULARY
-CLUE:  pista.
-UPBRINGING: educación.
-TO EXCELL: destacar.
-TO BE NOTED: ser conocido.
-STRUGGLES: dificultades.
-PRIESTHOOD: sacerdocio.
-TAPS: toque de corneta.
-COMING-OF-AGE:  de formación.
-CAST: reparto.
-LEAD: papel principal.
-QUINTESSENTIAl: prototípica.
-STARDOM: fama, estrellato.
-TOUGH GUYS: tipos duros.
-SELF-CENTRED:  egoísta.
-SLICK: hábil.
-BOX OFFICE:  taquilla.
-STUNTS: escenas de riesgo.
-EPONYMOUS: homónimo.
-BANKABLE;  rentable.
-TO SOAR: elevarse.
-TO SMUGGLE: hacer contrabando.
-MAVERICK:  inconformista.
-TO RUN GUNS:  traficar con armas.
-TO LAUNDER MONEY: blanquear dinero.
-TO SHIP:  enviar.

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


SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!

HAVE A NICE DAY!