E-SPORTS. PROFESSIONAL VIDEO GAMERS / PROFESIONALES DE LOS VIDEO JUEGOS.

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to look at something that is very popular among us, mainly among young people: Video games and  "Professional Video gamers", competitions, olympic e-games, etc. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a mirar hacia algo que es muy popular entre nosotros, principalmente entre los jóvenes: "Los video juegos y los jugadores de video juegos profesionales", las competiciones, los juegos olímpicos de video juegos, etc. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: from Speak-up magazine.

Photos: wikipedia.org  /  eurogamer.es  /  medac.es  /  extron.es

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In the summer of 2019, over 12,000 fans were at Wembley Arena in London, shouting and cheering. Thousands more were watching online.  But this wasn't a football, basketball or tennis match. It was e-sports, or competitive computer gaming. The prize money for the winners; 3 million pounds!

PROFESSIONAL GAMERS

Millions of people in the UK play games for fun. Some of them have become professional gamers, playing games as their full-time job.  Did you know that football teams such as West Ham and Manchester City employ e-sports players?  They send them around the world to compete in football video game competitions.  It's not easy being a professional gamer, though. They practise for ten or more hours a day, five or six days a week. They do exercises like typing something and trying to type it faster and faster. They also study videos of other players and plan ways to beat them.

OLYMPIC E-GAMES?

As well as playing games, many people like watching them, too. You can watch games on video sites like Twitch adn YouTube and in the UK there is a TV channel showing e-sports 24 hours a day.

They can be exciting to watch; Just like other sports, there are close games, last-minute victories and amazing performances. Sometimes online viewers can interact with the game. For example, some games rename characters in the game with the names of online viewers!

But are e-sports really sports?  Are players athletes?  Some say no.  E-sports players don't need to run, jump, throw or make major physical movements. At the moment, the UK government classifies e-sports as kinds of games, not as sports.

But others say Yes, e-sports are sports. Players do need some physical skills, especially hand-eye coordination, reflexes, accuracy and timing.  If darts , snooker and shouting are classified as sports, then perhaps e-sports should be, too.  In fact, the governments of China and  South Korea do classify e-sports as sports, and they will be an official medal sport in the Asian Games starting from 2022.  Next step the Olympics?

POPULARITY

For many e-sports fans and players, though, the most important thing is that e-sports are growing in popularity and importance. If e-sports are not as important as "normal" sports at the moment, they definitely will be in the near future.

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

EXERCISES.

1.- MATCH THE VOCABULARY 1-8 WITH THE CORRECT DEFINITION  a-h.

1 a gamer                a) on the Internet

2 a viewer               b) the activity of playing computer games

3 a skill                   c) a person who plays computer games

4 gaming                 d) doing an activity as a job, not just as a hobby

5 online                   e) somebody who watches a video

6 professional         f) about the body or using the body

7 physical               g) to put something in a group or category

8 to classify something   h) an ability to do something 

2 TRUE OR FALSE. Read the article and decide whether the following sentences are True or False.

1 There were 12,000 e-sports players in London in the summer of 2019    _____

2 The prize money for the winners was 3 million pounds     ____

3 Gaming is a popular activity in the UK    ____

4 A professional gamer practises for about ten hours a day     _____

5 Footbal teams are taking e-sports competitions seriously    ____

6 E-sports are boring to watch     ____

7 In the UK there is a TV channel that shows e-sports 24 hours a day   ____

8 All governments around the world consider e-sports as sports.    _____

9 E-sports players need to have some physical skills.    ____

10 In the 2022 Asian Games, e-spors will be an official medal sport.    ____

11 E-sports have been recognised as an Olympic sport.    _____

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

VOCABULARY

-TO SHOUT: gritar

-TO CHEER: anImar.

-FULL-TIME: a tiempo completo.

-FASTER AND FASTER: cada vez más rápido.

-TO BEAT: derrotar.

-AS WELL AS:  así como.

-EXCITING: emocionante.

-ACCURACY: precisión.

-SNOOKER: billar inglés.

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SOLUTIONS TO THE EXCERCISES.

1.- 1 c  /  2 e  /  3 h  /  4 b  / 5 a  /  6 d  /  7 f  /  8 g

2.-  1 F  /  2 F  /  3 T  /  4 T  /  5 T  /  6 F  /  7 T  /  8 F  /  9 T  /  10 T  /  11 F

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!!!!

CLEVELAND, OHIO. IT'S ONLY ROCK & ROLL.

 Hi my dear friends, today we are going to visit The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It 's a Museum,  not only for rock and rock lovers but also for everyone who wants to know a bit more about the history of rock. I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a visitar el Museo de la Fama y el Rock and Roll, en Cleveland, Ohio, Estados Unidos.  No es solo un museo para los amantes del Rock sino también para todo el que quiera saber un poquito más sobre la historia del Rock. ¡Espero que os guste!

Info: from  Sepak Up  magazine.

Photos: sah.archipedia.org  /  gettyimages.es (2)  /  fotos.habitissimo.es  /  agefotodtcok.es  /  

TOUGH CITY MUSIC

Cleveland, Ohio isn't high on the list of tourist destinations in the United States, but it is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was inaugurated in 1995.  The idea of a hall of fame for rock musicians was conceived in New York in the 1980s, but Cleveland was chosen as the permanent location.

It was in competition with other cities like Memphis, and was chosen in a readers' poll conducted by USA Today. But that wasn't the only reason why Cleveland was chosen. Cleveland is the home of a DJ named Alan Freed who was the first person to popularize the phrase "rock & roll". He used that phrase to describe the rythm and blues records that he was spinning on the airwaves in 1951. 

Moreover, Cleveland is a very important rock & roll city. You can find music at almost any venue , any night of the week.  It is a post-industrial city and the perfect place to have a seriously thriving rock & roll scene. It has a gospel tradition, as well.

IT IS ONLY ROCK & ROLL

Alan Freed, as I have mentioned before,  is credited with being the first person to use the term "rock & roll". He was a DJ at the WJW station in Cleveland, Ohio.  He has also been called "the father of rock & roll"  and he was one of the first DJs to play black music to white audiences.  And that is one of the reasons why Cleveland now hosts the spectacular Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which first opened its doors in 1995.

It features seven floors, all of which are dedicated to the artists, producers, managers and journalists who palyed their part in the history of rock & roll.

ELVIS AND FRIENDS

The idea of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is older than the building itself. The first artists to be inducted were Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley in 1986.  Presley had died nine years earlier and, as the Hall of Fame's Manager of Education Outreach, Kathryn Metz, explains, the rule for induction is that at least 25 years must have passed since the artist or group's first recording. The Hall of Fame's architecture is remarkable, but its collection of 2,000 pieces of memorabilia is even more so.  It includes everything from Michael Jackson's glove to Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock guitar and Beyoncé's stage costumes. Beyoncé is very young to have been inducted but many living inductees do come and pay a visit.

ABSENT

Sadly, you won't get to see Alan Freed in person either.

His career was destroyed by the "payola" scandal (record companies bribing radio stations to play their music) and he died in 1965, at the age of 43.

MODERN ART

When it came to designing the Hall of Fame, Cleveland chose I.M. Pei, the famous Chinese-American architect. He is responsible for the pyramids on top of the Louvre , in France and he was the one who designed it.  He built something that looks like a record player from the sky. So if you fly over Cleveland in a plane, you can see how there's a record and the arm of the record player and the mechanics of the record player, It's a modern art interpretation!

MEMORABILIA

The Hall of Fame contains some amazing memorabilia. Everything from guitars, some lyrics from Bob Dylan, the roller skates that belonged to the Everly Brothers, the ledgers that Berry Gordy of Motown Records kept to keep track of all of his artists and their recordings, many dresses as well as the drums that belonged to ZZ Top. Instruments, contracts, posters. John Lennon's glasses and more...

VOCABULARY

TO INDUCT: incorporar.

-GLOVE:guante.

-TO BRIBE: sobornar.

-AIRWAVES: las ondas.

-VENUE: local.

-LYRICS: letras de canciones.

-LEDGER: libro de registro.

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

EXERCISES

1 CHOOSE THE CORRECT OPTION.

a) Cleveland was chosen  (for/as) the location of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

b) It beat many other cities (like/as) Memphis in a poll in USA Today.

c) DJ Alan Freed used to spin rock and roll records (in/on) the airwaves.

d) Many great musicians have come (up/out) of Cleveland over the years.

e) Architect I.M. Pei was also responsible  (for/of)  the pyramids on the Louvre.

f) If you fly (on/over) the Hall of Fame in a plane, it looks like a record player.

2 MATCH THESE ADJECTIVES TO THEIR ANTONYMS.

a) diverse             1 failing

b) permanent       2 weak

c) vibrant             3 similar

d) tough               4 dull

e) thriving            5 traditional

f) contemporary   6 provisional 

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

SOLUTIONS.

EXERCISE 1. > a) as  /  b) like  /  c)  on  /  d) out  /  e) for  /  f) over

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

SEE YOU!

NEW ORLEANS - THE VOODOO MUSEUM / Nueva Orleans - El Museo del Vudú.

Hi my dear friends, today we are going to know a bit more about Voodoo. It may be a strange practice and some people will not like it but I think it is an interesting  and curious religious practice. It can be dangerous, it is true, if it is used in a bad way or without any knowledge but on the contrary, it can be fascinating, as well. 

Hola mis queridos amigos, hoy vamos a saber un poquito más sobre el Vudú. Puede ser una práctica extraña y a algunas personas no les gustará pero creo que es una práctica religiosa interesante y curiosa. Puede ser peligrosa, es verdad, si se usa de mala manera y sin conocimiento pero por el contrario, puede ser también fascinante.

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

Photos: en.wikipedia.org (2)  /  tripadvisor.es  /  shrm.org  /  

NEW ORLEANS  /  THE VOODOO MUSEUM

Voodoo fascinates and frightens people in equal measure. The fundamental principle of voodoo is that everything is spirit, but its imagery and rites cerainly make it appear as something dangerous.

A LONG JOURNEY

Voodoo arrived in New Orleans in the 18th century, brought by slaves from western Africa and the West Indies, and later by slaves and creoles from Saint-Domingue (Haiti).

Voodoo beliefs have survived in New Orleans to this day in synchorism with the Christian religion. They have influenced traditional celebrations, such as certain dances and costumes in Mardi Gras parades, as well as elements of funeral processions.  If you see a dead chicken on a grave in a New Orleans cemetery, that's voodoo, too.

GENDER RULES

Souvenir shops in New Orleans sell all sorts of scary voodoo merchandise, such as t-shirts and  jewellery decorated with skeletons and skulls.  But if you really want to explore the world of Louisiana voodoo, head to the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum in the heart of the French Quarter.  Here you can learn that there is an important difference between Haitian voodoo and Louisiana voodoo: that Haitian voodoo is ruled by men, while Louisiana voodoo is ruled by women.

VOODOO  QUEEN

The Voodoo Museum has exhibits that date back two hundred years. They include paintings and photos of other voodoo queens, women who used potions, amulets called "gris-gris" and practised rituals to help people fulfil their deepest desires, or ward off misfortune.

One of the most powerful voodoo queens of New Orleans was the hairdresser Marie Laveau (1801-1881).  Laveau was not a slave, but the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy creole politician, who was even mayor of New Orleans for a short time.  Marie Laveau was loved and respected by many people.  She led voodoo rituals and was a talented healer, using herbal medicines to treat all kinds of ailments.

SYMBOLS OF POWER

The museum shows how believers turned to specific voodoo artefacts for help.  Voodoo dolls were mostly used to encourage good things, such as health, love or money.  Voodoo sought contact with ancestors and loas (that is the "spirits"), who would help them communicate with a single, all-powerful spirit, known as Li Grand Zombi or Damballa.

Exhibits show women dancing while holding a snake over their heads as a symbol of him.  In this ritual, the male spirit of the heavens unites with the female spirit of the Earth, bringing healthy balance of forces.

EVIL  SPIRITS

Protection from bad spirits was a piority among Louisiana voodoo practitioners.  This is understandable in a region known for its intense heat and swamps, where malaria, cholera and yellow fever raged for centuries.

SURVIVAL

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed countless homes and claimed almost two thousand lives, with the poorest inhabitants from low-lying areas of New Orleans, where voodoo has traditionally been practised, suffering the most.

Yet, the spirit of voodoo is still very much alive in New Orleans, and many still practise its ancient arts.

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VOCABULARY

-TO FRIGHTEN:  espantar, horrorizar.

-IMAGERY: imágenes.

-SLAVES: esclavos.

-GRAVE: tumba.

-SCARY: horripilante.

-SKULL: calavera.

-TO HEAD:  dirigirse.

-TO RULE: gobernar.

-TO DATE BACK:  remontarse.

-TO FULFIL: cumplir.

-TO WARD OFF: ahuyentar.

-MIXED-RACED: mestizo.

-MAYOR: alcalde.

-TO LEAD: llevar.

-HEALER: curandera.

-AILMENTS:  dolencias.

-TO SEEK: buscar.

-PRACTITIONERS:  practicantes.

-SWAMPS: pantanos.

-TO RAGE: arrasar.

-TO CLAIM LIVES: costar vidas.

-LOW-LYING: de baja altitud.

 -SER UN CABEZOTA:  to have a thick skull.

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!

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

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

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

Info: from Speak Up magazine.

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

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

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

FIRST APPEARANCE

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

EMBLEM OF POWER

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

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

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

BLOODY HISTORY

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

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

WORLD DOMINATION

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

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

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

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

Will the jewel stay in the Tower of London?

SEE YOU!!!

I hope you'll like this story!!!

THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN / EL CARTEL DE HOLLYWOOD

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

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

Info: Speak Up magazine.

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

AN ICONIC SYMBOL      /     THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

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

REAL ESTATE

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

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

THE END OF H

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

SAVED BY THE PEOPLE

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

PLAYBOY CAMPAIGN

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

ONE LETTER EACH

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

SIGN OF THE TIMES

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

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

VOCABULARY 

-LANDMARK:  atracción.

-REAL ESTATE: inmobiliaria.

-HOUSING DEVELOPMENT:  complejo residencial.

-LIGHT BULBS:  bombillas.

-REMOVE:  retirar.

-SAVED THE DAY;  llegó al rescate.

-CONCRETE FOUNDATION:  cimientos de hormigón.

-TO HIKE:  hacer senderismo.

-PRANKSTER:  bromista.

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

SPORT / VERTICAL RUNNING - DEPORTE / CARRERA VERTICAL.

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

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

Info:  from Speak Up magazine.

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

VERTICAL RUNNING   -   THE ONLY WAY IS UP

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

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

TOWER RACING

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

CHICAGO, CHICAGO!

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

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

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

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

IN TOP PHYSICAL CONDITION

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

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

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

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

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

VOCABULARY

-TO CONTEND WITH:  luchar contra.

-TO HANDLE: manejar.

-PACE: ritmo.

-CHARITY: organización benéfica.

-TO HUSTLE UP: subir deprisa.

-STALE AIR:  aire viciado.

-TO SWEAT:  sudar.

-THRILL:  emoción.

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

-EXERTION:  esfuerzo.

EXERCISE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOWER RUNNING AROUND THE WORLD

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

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

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

                        

SOLUTION TO THE EXERCISE.

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

SEE YOU!!!

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

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

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

Info: Speak Up magazine.

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

WORLD  /  LIFESTYLES

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

1 Smile at a stranger.

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

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

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

5 Take some deep breaths.

6 Silently repeat a mantra for inner peace.

7 Daydream.

8 Send a kind thought to someone you love.

9 Read a book.

VOCABULARY

-BOREDOM: aburrimiento.

-GIFT: regalo, don.

-POINTLESS: sin sentido.

-TO DRAW UP: elaborar.

-AWARENESS: conciencia.

-IN A RUSH: con prisa.

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

-INNER: interior.

-TO DAYDREAM: soñar despierto.

ADVERTISING  /  HONEST SLOGANS

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

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

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

VOCABULARY

-THE BANE:  el calvario.

-TO HURT: doler.

                      

                                          

HUMOUR  /  CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

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

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

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

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

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

VOCABULARY

-CRACKER: petardo.

-TO PULL:  tirar

-ICICLE: carámbano.

-REINDEER: reno

-FROSTBITE: congelación.

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

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

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

2 Farming event celebrated in the US at Thanksgiving ________

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

4 Adverb/interjection used in polite requests _________

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

6 Adjective meaning the opposite of closed  ________

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

8 Old-fashioned way of saying "yes"   _________

9 Cornmeal slow-cooked into a creamy porridge  __________

10 Adjective meaning "possessing a higher education" __________

11 Cephalopod with a soft body and eight tentacles _______

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

13 Breed of shepherd dog used in police work  _________

14 Gemstone and nickname for Ireland ____________

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

16 Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries __________

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

18 Place where drinks are served over a counter _______

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

20 Electronic System for TRavel Authorization _________

NEWS THAT INSPIRES

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

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

VOCABULARY

-CORE: núcleo, centro.

-WOUND: herida.

-TO HEAL: curar.

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

SOLUTIONS TO THE DEFINITIONS.

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

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

20 ESTA

HAVE A NICE DAY!

BRITISH HUMOUR - JOKES / HUMOR BRITÁNICO - CHISTES.

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

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

Info: from Speak up magazine.

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

                                        

HUMOUR  -  DARK HUMOUR  -  BRITISH HUMOUR

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

THE PURPOSE OF LAUGHTER

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

THE ORIGINIS OF DARK HUMOUR

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

INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES

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

ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS

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

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

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

Razors pain you;

rivers are damp;

acids stain you;

and drugs cause cramp;

nooses give;

gas smells awful;

you might as well live.

SOME OTHER JOKES!!

THE HUNTERS

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

BLOOD TEST

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

Johnny: "Why are you crying?"

Alex: "I came here for a blood test"

Johnny: "So? Are you afraid?"

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

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

Johnny: "I came for an urine test!"

THE FUNERAL

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

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

VOCABULARY WORDS

-COFFIN: féretro, ataud.

-TO LAUGH: reir.

-SENSITIVE: delicado.

-DISEASE: enfermedad.

-FALLOWS: patíbulo.

-WALLPAPER: papel pintado.

-GRAVESTONE: lápida.

-GRIM: triste.

-RAZOR: navaja.

-DAMP: húmedo.

-TO STAIN: manchar.

-CRAMP: rampa-

-LAWFUL: legal.

-NOOSES FIVE;  se desatan los lazos.

-AWFUL: horrible.

-TO COLLAPSE:  desplomarse.

-PALLBEARER:  portador del féretro.

-CASKET: féretro.

-FAINT: débil.

-MOAN:  gemido.

WATCH OUT:  ¡cuidado!

SEE YOU MY FRIENDS!