Again, still another techno-tool to help you with your studies. This blog is "work-in-progress" , which means that things are added and removed on a regular basis. Here you'll find extra-reading, extra-listening, extra-grammar stuff, extra writing tips... extra-everything, so it's up to you what you do with it. Needless to say, your feedback, ideas, and comments are very welcome.
*This blog is 'apture-powered', which means that if you highlight a word, a 'learn more' sign will theoretically appear. Click on it and it will show a list of internet links related to that word. Just try.
I don't like flying, but I'm sure I'd love to drive-fly the Transition. 30 miles per gallon on the ground (can you calculate how much that is in l./km?) This is the real hybrid car -and it comes with a parachute! 70 people have already pre-booked the car. Would you buy it?
The good thing about the financial crisis is that people have to rack their brains as to how to get out of it. This is an interesting story about a woman from Galicia who claims to be the owner of the sun. It seems that governments cannot claim ownership of planets, stars and other celestial bodies, but individuals can.
WATCH VIDEO HERE. Keywords: source, public notary, treaty, mankind, turns out, loophole, scary, to tax, hilarious.
Needless to say, she wants to profit from her new property, so if you thought that sunbathing would be free forever you may be wrong. Is that a clever move or -as someone said the other day- she's losing her marbles? I think I'll get myself a whole galaxy before it gets too crowded here. What piece of universe would you like to own ?
And some more crime/business news with lots of words we've seen in class: High street shoplifting soars. The High street? Shoplifting? What's that again?
*This blog is 'apture-powered', which means that if you highlight a word, a 'learn more' sign will theoretically appear . Click on it and it will give you a list of internet links related to that word. Just try.
So tomorrow we'll be starting again in the old place, which means new books for you to read. This term you can choose either a classic of English literature or two American short stories:
Alice Adventures in Wonderland: What can I say about this marvellous book by L. Carroll? But I admit you must be comfortable with the bizarre -falling down a rabbit hole and finding yourself eating biscuits with strange effects, shrinking to the size of a mouse, talking to a caterpillar who is sitting on a mushroom smoking a hookah, being a guest at a mad tea party (nothing to do with the American republicans!), making friends with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, the Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle and the intriguing Cheshire Cat... wouldn't you like to have a Cheshire cat popping in and out of your life?
But if you prefer a more 'down-to-earth' sort of thing ... mmmh, I'm afraid we don't have anything remotely realistic this term ...just the following two short stories by American authors :
- The Strange Case of Benjamin Button (1922, by Scott Fitzgerald), the story of a man who is born old and ages backwards. The story was made into a film not so long ago starring Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett. Here you can see some parts and the actor/actress comments:
The Swimmer (1964, John Cheever), also made into a fim, is the story of the man who "swims back home" using all private and public swimming pools in his affluent neighbourhood.
KEY WORDS: ban, law, to outlaw, school playgrounds, café-bar culture, a drop in trade, a fall in business, supporters, health benefits, smoke-related illness, passive smoking.
Health benefits but poor profits for café owners, or so they say. I'm not a smoker now, but I do feel sympathy for the poor people who pay lots of taxes and have nowhere to comfortably satisfy their craving for smoking. Are you one of them? Are you happy about the ban? Or maybe you think it's time to quit? Then go to the NHS (UK's National Health Service) and see the resources you get in the 'Quit kit', which hopefully will help you give up smoking.
