Yolanda's blog

Hey! Hope you are having a nice holiday. Just in case you could't come to our last class, here is your homework: -Student's book page 43: Follow up writing -Readings: see post below (READING PRACTICE B2 BASQUE COUNTRY) -Watch the video on page 44 (student's book) and write a summary (150 words) (You have to hand in this assignments on Tuesday 8th) -Watch the video on page 45 and fill in the chart. HAPPY 2019!

A little history lesson Hogmanay is Scottish New Year, a celebration providing a unique combination of both traditional and modern customs. The exact origins of Hogmanay are unknown, but it is thought that it was introduced in the 8 th  or 9 th  century by invading Vikings. The Vikings originated from further north, so it is possible that they paid more attention to celebrating the winter solstice than to Christmas. The shortest day was a good reason for them to have a party. For nearly 400 years, from the 17 th  Century until the 1950’s, Christmas wasn’t celebrated at all in Scotland. Christmas day therefore was just a normal working day and the big celebrations were saved for winter solstice holiday, which became Hogmanay. There is a lot of debate over the origins of the word “Hogmanay”. Some linguists say it comes from the Scandinavian word “Hoggo-nott”, which was the name of the feast before the mid-winter Yule festival. Other people believe it might origin...

From explosives at the dinner table to burning letters to Santa, Siobhan Thompson looks at 10 ways Christmas differs in Britain. (Notably, they don't call them the holidays.) 1.     What do British and American people do with their letters to Father Christmas? 2. Where do British and American people put their stockings? 3. What do they leave for Father Christmas? 4. What’s a Christmas cracker? 5. What does a typical Christmas dinner in the UK include? 6. Typical desserts for Christmas in America and the UK. 7. When is Boxing Day? 8. Nowadays Boxing Day is similar to_____________. 9. What are pantomimes? 10. When is the Christmas tree taken down in the UK? Why?

This is a B2 exam from the Basque Country. You have to do the reading section over the holiday. Click here . There are four readings: SPIDEY RETURNS, HERE'S WHY CLASSROOMS HAVE BECOME WAR ZONES, HONG KONG, THE DAY WAR BROKE OUT. Here's the  KEY

More than 100,000 people are eager to make themselves at home on another planet. They've applied for a one-way trip to Mars, hoping to be chosen to spend the rest of their lives on uncharted territory, according to an organization planning the manned missions. There were 200,000 people who applied to participate in the project called Mars One. It's a private enterprise to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars and film a reality show along the way. "Mars One Way" documents the thoughts and theories of Five hopeful Mars One astronauts as they contemplate the reality of leaving planet Earth forever, for a new home on Mars. I'd like to thank Sara for recommending this video. The Mars One mission is a one-way ticket to the Red Planet. It’s scheduled for 2023, when the first group of 4 men and women will land on Mars. There, they’re expected to collect data, plant oxygen-producing vegetation and prepare the planet for human colonization. Despite the obvi...

EXERCISE

  Click here to download the audio mp3 The English word “mind” refers to the center of your thoughts, memory, and imagination. In this lesson, you’ll learn 20 common English phrases using the word “mind.” To talk about making a decision, you can use the phrase “make up my mind” – for example, “I can’t make up my mind about which movie to see tonight.” A variation on this phrase is “my mind is made up” – this means you have already made your choice and implies that you are not open to changing your decision. If you do change a decision that you made previously, use the phrase “change my mind.” For example, “I’d been planning to travel this weekend, but I changed my mind because it’s been a really stressful week – so I’m going to stay home and relax.” READ MORE...

A video explaining this structure: TO REFURBISH means to renovate and redecorate a building. EXERCISE 1 MORE EXERCISES

A gifted person is someone who _________________. Being gifted can ge a double-edged sword because __________ Joao Paulo gets angry when_____________ He was identified as gifted when _______________________ The key to avoiding problems with gifted children is ______________ Helena Serra thinks gifted children need to develop ________ and _____________ towards children with different learning rhythms. Mike Brackett thinks there are different types of giftedness: _____________, ___________, and _____________. IQ is not __________________. Isolating gifted children may ______________. Parents shouldn't make their children feel ___________________. At school 1119 they start the day cleaning to _________________. The selection process for the school involves ________________, ______________ and _____________. Teaching concentrates on _____________________________. The teacher's task is to _______________________. KEY: is intelligent or has a high IQ  but also ha...