English Pop from Molina de Aragón

Another song by the English pop band from Molina de Aragón Marina and the Monsters, Playboy Station.  It doesn´t have the lyrics on line yet, but I think it is worth listening to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOhkKNjZLjA&list=PLrjND_wvP-kGlTpVhmDD1BJbo7aIvijdf

Lessons Learned from a Year Without Showering

Here you have the link to the article about the young man who spent a year without taking a shower.

 The article is not too difficult, but the video may be a bit more challenging.  I hope you find it
interesting:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-greenfield/lessons-learned-from-a-ye_b_5200734.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000015&ir=Business

Clive Zeitman, the King of Complainers

 Here you can find the link to the full, original story of the Clive, the King of Complainers, in the Daily Mail.  It is long, and it has very rich vocabulary, but you may enjoy reading it, after having worked on the simplified version:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2049301/Dont-shout-Dont-swear-And-use-pink-envelopes-drenched-aftershave.html

My That´s English

My That´s English (see the link below) is, in my opinion, the best on line web page for intermediate students, so I recommend you to chek it regularly.

Among the last entries, you may find interesting the reading "I was Trapped in my Car Hanging off a Motorway Bridge", whose accompanying task is good for exam training purposes (Sábado 5 abril), the video about "A Family of Readers" (miércoles 9 de abril), or the video "Making Buildings for Billionaires in NYC" (lunes 7 de abril) cover modern trends.

The London video that the fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood, made for Fashion Television (domingo 6 de abril), is a bit long but  it is very interesting if you like travel and culture. The 2008 interview to Susan Sharandon is still interesting (jueves 10 de abril). And, if these topics do not appeal to you, you can click below on "entradas antiguas", or on the right-side column "etiquetas" and keep on exploring on your own.

I hope you find something that you like.

http://mythatsenglish.blogspot.com.es/

EOI Pinto, Listening and Reading Exam Practice

Hello,
Here you can find the links to EOI Pinto on line listening and reading exercises.  You can start with an intermediate exercise, and, if you find it easy, then you can try the upper-intermediate ones.
 We´ll talk about how you found them, after Easter.  Try hard, and you´ll get linguisitally fit for the exam!

Listening:

http://eoi.pinto.pinto.educa.madrid.org//html/ingles_listening.html

Reading:

http://eoi.pinto.pinto.educa.madrid.org//html/ingles_reading.html

A Video for those who can´t travel to London at Easter

Here is a video "Disappearing London"  about the iconic Red Phone Box and other achitectural and social landmarks of London life which are threatened.  It comes with subtitles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceBv7xiCYr8

Gareth Malone´s Extraordinary School for Boys. Episode 1

Here you can find the first episode of the BBC-2 programme "Gareth Malones´s Extraordinary School for Boys", which we read about  in the listening and reading exercises on page 65 of your book.

  I have heard the introduction and the first minutes, and I think it won´t be too difficult for you, especially if you use the subtitles. 

 I hope you like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI9d9jW1ouc

The Earth Hour: video and text

Tomorow  WWF organizes a world-wide event, the World Hour, which encourages people to switch off electricity for one hour on the equinox, tomorrow, Saturday 29th March this year, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.

The British Council has supported the campaign by preparing a lesson which includes a video, a reading text and some exercises.

 If you follow the link below you can learn more about this campaign:


http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/uk-now/read-uk/earth-hour-uk

A Video to celebrate International Day of Happiness

 This video celebrates the International Day of Happiness, it is a famous song by Pharrell Williams performed in Pamplona by a group of people dressed up in the local San Femin costume.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDyJKCrpEXE

Jokes on the International Day of Happiness

 This is a selection of jokes, published by The Independent, on the International Day of Happyness, 20th March.

Very often they are puns in which language plays a key role. I hope you like them:


International Day of Happiness: The best jokes ever (possibly)
March 20, 1:30 PM
By Stuart Henderson
738133713
Enjoy…

Two aerials met on a roof. They fell in love and got married. The ceremony was rubbish - but the reception was brilliant

Why was the mortgage so upset? Because it was a loan

Why was the horse so happy? Because he lived in a stable environment

Do you want to hear two short jokes and a long joke? Joke, joke, jooooooooooooke.

The Beach Boys walk into a bar. One says to the other “Round? Round? Get a round? I get a round?”

Two dogs are walking along a street. They are passed by a third dog driving a lorry load of logs.
One turns to the other and says: “He started fetching a stick and built up the business from there.”

Two cannibals eating a clown, one turned to the other and said: ‘does this taste funny to you?’

What do you call a Frenchman wearing sandals? Philippe Philoppe

What do you call a sleeping bull? A bulldozer

A Higgs’ Boson walks into a church.
The priest says, “We don’t allow Higgs’ Bosons in here.”
The Boson says, “But without me, how can you have mass?”

Two nuns were driving through a Transylvanian forest when the road was blocked by a fearsome looking vampire.
“What do we do now?” the passenger asked.
“Get out and show him your Cross,” said the nun in the driving seat.
So the nun in the passenger stepped out onto the road, wagged her finger and exclaimed: “Get out of our way, you stupid vampire.”

Why was the writer in agony?
Because the sub-editor had removed his colon.

Lawyer: ‘Now that you have been acquitted, will you tell me truly? Did you steal the car?’ Client: ‘After hearing you in court, I’m beginning to think I didn’t.’

A Centurion walks into a pub and asks for a Martinus. “Don’t you mean a Martini?” says the barman. “No,” says the Centurion, “If I want a double I’ll ask for one.”

A Roman walks into a bar, holds up two fingers, and says: “Five beers, please.”

A police officer on traffic duty flags down a car.
“Sir, you appear to have 12 penguins in the back of your car.”
“That’s right, officer, I do.”
“Well that’s ridiculous – take them to the zoo straight away.”
“OK officer.”
And the car drives off.
Next day, the same policeman in the same spot sees the same car drive past – with the penguins in the back. He flags him down again.
“I thought I told you to take them to the zoo…”
“Yes, officer, and it was great – today I’m taking them to the cinema.”

They say being a hostage is difficult - but I could do that with my hands tied behind my back.

Susan Boyle in the TV Show Britain´s Got Talent with Spanish Subtitles

Here is Susan Boyle´s performance in the British version of "La Voz". I hope you like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti1DQQRFzHw

Michael Foot, Labour´s Old Romantic

This is the documentary about this peculiar political leader in the 70´s and 80´s,and  an example of an old British eccentric gentleman.  It is hard for you to understand withough subtitles, but you can listen to it for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFQDPXqf-80

11 Reasons you Should Quit Facebook in 2014

Here is an interesting article about Facebook annoyance.  I hope you like it.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/30/reasons-quit-facebook_n_4493791.html

Top 5 Most Superstitious Football Managers

Here you have a link to a YouTube video that talks about 5 football coaches and their superstitions (including Spanish coach Luis Aragonés).  You can watch it with subtitles, although they are not 100% accurate.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O36UoFKYZ2c

Technology and at the Winter Olympics in Sochi

A very interesting video about technological advances that help winter olympics atheletes to break records.

 There is a script you can download:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2014/02/140213_6min_sochi.shtml

Talking Sport: London Olympics Athletes

Here you can find a link to a series of videos where famous athletes talk about the London Olympics. The language is easy, the new words are explained and you can find some exercises if you download the text: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/talkingsport/

Bruno Mars: When I was your Man

You can find attached a direct link to the YouTube video of the song "When I was your Man" with lyrics, which is good practice for the "should have done" grammar structure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86cBsKl4r0w

Carolyn Bourne and Good Manners

Here you can find one link to the original, unsimplified Daily Mail story of Mrs Bourne, Heidi and Freddie:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2009518/Carolyn-Bourne-Mother-law-hell-sends-email-bride-Heidi-Withers.html


If you want to read on, in Google you can find the actual email she wrote and more details of this tabloid saga.

Good News for Spanish Banks

 An article from NPR about Spanish Banks:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/01/23/264909007/spain-exits-bailout-in-a-sign-of-progress-not-full-recovery?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=DailyDigest&utm_campaign=20140124

Music to celebrate Martin Luther`s King Day

 It´s four days late, but, "mas vale tarde que nunca".  Here you can enjoy some jazz music by Wynton Marsalis Tentet, to celebrate Martin Luther King´s Day, the third Monday of January, every year.  I hope you enjoy it:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jirqq-c7E0&playnext=1&list=AL94UKMTqg-9BlBBuVUyvZtnfiD8RdtGJK


Happy weekend

Happy New Year

Here you can watch a video with the fireworks display that London welcomed 2014 with:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jp9_sgJcN0


Happy 2014