miércoles, 30 de enero de 2019

DESCRIBING AN ITEM OF TECHNOLOGY

VOCABULARY

Get ideas to write and speak about an item of technology. Click HERE.
Listen to a student talking about this topic. Click HERE.

sábado, 15 de diciembre de 2018

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


                                                                     
 






Worksheet A


Fill in the gaps to complete the text.

The film Slumdog Millionaire, which (1) _ _ _ e out at the beginning of this year, has had big (2) au _ _ ences in cinemas in many different countries. On 22nd February it (3) w _ _  eight Oscars including ‘Best Film’, and for its English director Danny Boyle, ‘Best Director’.

The film (4) te _ _ _  the (5) _ _ _ ry of two brothers growing up in a very large slum in the biggest city in India, Mumbai. They are very (6) _ _ or and have no one to look (7) _ _ _ er them after their mother is killed. The film starts quite close to the end of the story, where we see Jamal, the younger of the two brothers, in a Mumbai police station. He is about eighteen years old. We learn that the police have (8) _ rr _ st _ _  him because he is (9) ta _ _ _ g   p _ _ t in the popular TV quiz show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’, and some people think he is cheating. He has already given the right answers to lots of questions and now has the (10) ch _ _ ce to win a
(11) _ uge amount of money. But where has someone from a slum (some of the characters in the film (12) u _ k _ nd _ y call him a ‘slumdog’), who has not had much of an (13) e _ u _ _ _ ion got such knowledge from? The film then goes back in time and shows that Jamal knows the answers because of things that happened to him, his brother Salim and a girl called Latika in the past.

Bad things happen in the story and there is quite a lot of (14) _ _ _ lence, but there is also (15) hum _ _ r and most people would probably say it is a feel-good film. The (16) e _ d _ n _ is very exciting, but this isn’t the place to say what happens – you’ll have to go and see the film yourself!

One of the things that helps Slumdog Millionaire seem (17) r _ _ _ ist _ c is the fact that a few of the young actors are themselves from Mumbai slums. Television

(18) n _ w _ programmes (19) sh _ _ ed how happy the young actors were to be at the Oscars in Los Angeles, and how excited some people in Mumbai were when they arrived back (20) h _ _ e after the film did so well.
This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net.
It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009.



 Worksheet b


THE BACK STORY: Complete the article with these words
before    despite    education   offensive    part    director    including    based     view    claim

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 film by British ………….., Danny Boyle. Simon Beaufoy’s screenplay was ..…………. on the novel Q&A, written by Indian writer and diplomat, Vikas Swarup. Boyle auditioned many young Indian actors for the ..………… of Jamal as a young man, but he finally chose Dev Patel, a young British Asian actor. Freida Pinto, who plays Latika when she is a young woman, was an Indian model who had never appeared in a film ..……………. . Set and filmed in India, the film won eight Academy Awards (Oscars) ………………. Best Picture and Best Director. ……………………….. this success, the film received some criticism. In India, some people felt that the film perpetuated a stereotypical ………………… of life in Indian cities. Some critics felt that the word ‘slumdog’ was …………………….. . Some British newspapers reported that the child actors, were poorly paid for their work on the film. In response to this ………………., the filmmakers explained that they had set up trust funds for the child actors and made provisions for their …………………….. .

SYNOPSIS: Complete the synopsis of the film with these words:
dying    for    mother    kills   reunited    story    begging    home    interrogated    correctly     hope    called     well    threatens    escape 

A young Indian man, Jamal, is being ……………………… in a police cell by an inspector who wants to learn how a ‘slumdog’ from the streets of Mumbai did so …………… on a TV quiz. In a flashback, we see Jamal going onto Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. Each question reminds Jamal of his life …………, and this helps him to answer the question ……………….. In this way, we see Jamal’s life story in a series of flashbacks prompted by the questions. After their ………… is killed in antiMuslim rioting, Jamal and Salim befriend a young orphaned girl, Latika. The three live by foraging in the city’s dumps, until a man ..……….. Maman takes them to his orphanage. Maman’s real intention is to make the children earn him money by .……………... .Salim and Jamal escape, but Latika is unable to follow. After years away from Mumbai, Jamal persuades Salim to return to look ……….. Latika. As they free her, Salim shoots and .…………. Maman. However, Jamal is not reunited with Latika for long; Salim is enlisted by a local crime boss, Javed, and Salim ………………….. Jamal with a gun, sending him away. When Jamal finds Salim years later, he finds that Salim is still working for Javed. Latika has become the crime boss’s ‘girlfriend’ – a prisoner in his luxurious .……….. We learn that Jamal has come onto to the quiz in the .…………. that Latika will be watching TV, and will see him. After he is cleared of the charge of cheating, he faces the final question. Latika does see him on the show, and Salim helps her .…………… from Javed and his men, killing Javed and ……………. himself. Jamal answers the final question correctly and he and Latika are ………………..

(https://images.scholastic.co.uk/assets/a/b8/66/slumdog-millionaire-544943.pdf)



domingo, 28 de octubre de 2018

PROBLEMS WITH MODAL PERFECT VERBS?

                                      https://www.aprendeinglessila.com/2013/12/modales-perfectos-ingles/

Try to understand them following these notes written in Spanish with lots of examples. Click HERE
or HERE

miércoles, 24 de octubre de 2018

REPHRASING WITH MODAL VERBS

Click HERE to practise rephrasing with modal verbs (simple and perfect).


(This exercise comes from http://www.xtec.cat/~ogodoy/sac/rephrasing/modalsex3.htm
You can check your aswers on that website.)

Re-write the sentences so that they have the same meaning as the original.


1Let's go to Diagonal Mar!

2Perhaps they told John about the party, but I'm not sure.

3It isn't necessary for us to book a table; I know one of the waiters.

4It's forbbiden to drive without fastening your seatbelt.

5It's impossible that they knew about the trip; nobody told them.

6If I were you I'd do some more exercises.

7Perhaps I go on holiday to Menorca.

8It was a mistake to take the car. If only I hadn't!

9I'm sure something is happening tonight. Look at those preparations!

10It's compulsory for all students to attend lessons.

1It's possible that they move to Australia.

2I'm sure Helen knows about the accident. She looks very unhappy.

3Perhaps he hired a vannette.

4You are not allowed to use the phone without permission.

5If I were you I wouldn't trust John.

6I'm sure she didn't take the key.

7Perhaps I start a new career.

8It was not necessary for you to tell Jan what really happened.

9I regret selling the house.

10It's compulsory for all visitors to show their ID card.

lunes, 22 de octubre de 2018

THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS TEENAGERS FACE TODAY

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST COMMON PERSONAL PROBLEMS TEENAGERS FACE TODAY?

WORK WITH YOUR PARTNER AND MAKE YOUR LIST.










BEFORE READING THE TEXT BELOW, TRY TO GUESS THE MEANING OF...

face a problem

awkward

an overwhelming situation

a struggle / to struggle

cope with / deal with a difficult situation

concerning

absentee parents

to feel misunderstood

vital

valitate / validation

peer-pressure

take to drinking and smoking

to relieve the stress

target

unsafe / underage sex

resort to crimes

READING

The Most Common Problems Teenagers Face Today

Issues with TeenagersTeenagers face real problems on a daily basis during the most awkward growth stages of their lives; between 13 and 19-years-old. During this time, teens are exposed to some overwhelming external and internal struggles. Teens go through, and are expected to cope with hormonal changes, puberty, social and parental forces, work and school pressures, as well as encountering many conditions and problems. Teens feel overwhelmed when faced with unprecedented stresses concerning school and college, and career confusion situations. Those who have absentee parents are exposed to more unfavorable states of life. The issues that teenagers face today vary but these issues can be dealt with easily if parents and other guardians can understand the symptoms of their problems. Parents need to approach their children, who have been suffering from one or more teenage problems, carefully and in a friendly manner to discuss the problem(s). Many teens feel misunderstood. It is vital that their feelings and thoughts are validated and that the validation comes from their parents.
The most common problems that teenagers face today include:
  • Self-Esteem and Body Image
  • Stress
  • Bullying
  • Depression
  • Cyber Addiction
  • Drinking and Smoking
  • Teen Pregnancy
  • Underage Sex
  • Child Abuse
  • Peer-Pressure and Competition
  • Eating Disorders
Teens and DrugsSurprisingly, all of these problems are connected to one another, like a chain reaction. When the teens face self-esteem and body image problems, they can become frustrated, resulting in eating disorders. The teens start feeling stress when they are exposed to peer-pressure and competition at school, or child abuse at home. Many teens take to drinking and smoking in order to relieve the stress. Many may run away from home, play computer games, and start chatting online with strangers. Computer games and online chatting can result in addiction. Many teens feel further stress when they get bullied online. Others may become easy targets of online predators and once treated badly, they turn to more harmful practices. Those who cannot find love at home or support at schools start to build relationships with friends in school or local areas, resulting in unsafe or underage sex, and possible teen pregnancy. Many become addicted to drugs and harm themselves when they cannot get results. Many teens resort to crimes once they feel they cannot get any help or support.
However, the most common problems teenagers face today are described below:
Self-Esteem and Body Image
Teen feels lowTeenagers undergo and have to cope with numerous body changes. Some teenagers feel too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short, etc. This feeling leads them to spend time wishing they were not too skinny, too short, their hair was not too curly or vice versa. The problem with this feeling is that it affects their self-image. As a teenage boy or girl’s body changes, so does the self. When they do not like something in themselves, they have self-esteem and body image problems. They also perceive others, particularly schoolmates, to view them as they view themselves. They can suffer more from these problems when they have trouble adjusting.
Hormonal changes have huge effects on the general growth and mood of the teens. Puberty changes tempt teenagers to compare themselves with people around them and when they find they do not match their standards, they feel low. They also compare themselves with those seen on TV, in movies, and in the magazines. Most youths’ ability to develop positive self-esteem is affected by family life and parental criticism. Teenagers who experience negative comments about their appearances, the way they talk, etc stuff also develop poor self-esteem and body image.
Bullying
Bullying is one of the worst teenage problems and affects millions of youths. Bullying causes fear in the minds of kids, and makes them nervous going to school each day. The adults do not always witness the bullying in their lives. The teenage children may be subject to heavy bullying as they may not understand how extreme it can get. Any form of bullying is relentless, causing the affected teenagers to live in a state of constant fear. Two of the prime reasons teens are bullied are their appearance and social status. Bullying has caused many serious and life threatening problems for bullied teens. As they get bullied often in school, their academics, and mental health suffer.
Bullying can be cruel when it becomes physical attacks on the victims. Some bullies attack their targets physically while others repeatedly spew verbal insults, affecting the psychology of the affected teens.
The latest edition of bullying is cyberbullying. It can get as worse as it gets in the real life experience of the teens. Cyberbullies use cruel instant messages, text messages, emails online, and voice messages in many cases. Bullying is a very offensive behavior and crime. Bullying leads to more violent behavior in the bullies in their adult years. They eventually get rejected by their peers, lose friendships and become depressed as they age. Parents, teachers, and people in general should educate their teenagers about bullying and tell them to report any act of bullying to them. Media can also educate the teenage children about bullying when some teenagers are bullies.
Depression
Depressed TeenDepression is one of the worst problems that some teenagers suffer from and it can lead to more problems in the future. Depression may arise from poor self-esteem and body image problems. If that is the reason of depression in a teen, then parents should talk to the teen, listen to their child, comfort him or her, and accept their child for who they are. It is crucial that teens feel validated in their feelings and thoughts because what they are going through is a real part of their lives. Parents and guardians should not judge or criticize their feelings or thoughts. They should tell the teen how important it is to have high self-esteem and be comfortable in their body.
Depression symptoms in teenagers may be exhibited in various ways. Changes in sleep patterns, eating habits, declined interest in normal and healthy activities, dropping grades in school and college, and preferred isolation are all signs of depression. When teenagers exhibit one or all of these symptoms parents should intervene immediately. If teenagers begin talking about their depression, then they should be allowed to express their feelings, and parents should validate their feelings by listening to them without interrupting the conversation.
Drugs and Alcohol
Youths, particularly those who are in their early teens who drink, put themselves at risks for many problems. For example, they face problems with the law, at school, with their parents, and peers. In the USA, drug abuse is a major problem affecting millions of teenagers, along with their parents and families. It is an imperative that parents, schools, media, etc, educate the young children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and how drugs affect their bodies. If they are taught properly, then they will be able to make an educated choice.
Cyber Addiction
Teenage Cyber AddictionThe Internet offers undeniable benefits in developing a teen’s ability to grow with modern technology, technical ideas, knowledge and other skills. However, using the internet, particularly the social networking websites, unsafely puts the teenagers at very high risk for many problems. When children spend more than enough or agreeable time online they tend to be cyber addicts. As they spend more time on social networking, gaming, and other websites, particularly adult sites, they suffer from cyber addiction.
Cyber addiction can be just as harmful as addiction to drugs or drinking alcohol. Teenagers who spend unhealthy amounts of time on the Internet or online suffer from a condition recognized as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). Those who have IAD conditions may experience distress, withdrawal symptoms including obsessive thoughts, tremors, and other mental and physical problems. Cyber addiction impairs the quality of their lives. Parents should talk to their children and agree on a list of rules that clearly say when to use the internet, which sites they should visit and what safety measures they should follow. Teachers can also ensure safe browsing of the web at schools and colleges for teenage students.
Final Thoughts
Problems that teenagers are faced with today are multifarious but interrelated in many cases. One problem invites another, then to more problems. Parents, teachers and other guardians should be well aware of the problems that today’s teenagers are facing and be prepared to eliminate the problems to their best abilities. The sad fact is, even in solid and stable family units, teenagers may face with uncertainly, confusion and wrong directions involving their lives. Those who have witnessed and experienced broken homes, unsafe sex, alcohol, drug abuse, and bullying issues, show themselves differently in the community they live in. Proper parenting is vital, especially in the very formative years of the children, so that they can grow up with the manners and teachings taught by their parents.

domingo, 6 de mayo de 2018

PRESENT AND PAST UNREAL CONDITIONAL



 PAY ATTENTION TO TENSES TRANSLATING SIMPLE SENTENCES:

PRESENT UNREAL CONDITIONAL.
No tengo dinero, por tanto no puedo comprar un coche. 
Si yo tuviera más dinero, me compraría un coche.

English: If I had more money, I would buy a car.

Mark es muy tímido. Por eso no tiene muchos amigos.
Si Mark no fuera tan tímido, tendría más amigos.

English: If Mark weren't so shy, he would have more friends.

PAST UNREAL CONDITIONAL
No tenía dinero, por tanto no pude comprar un coche. 
Si yo hubiera tenido más dinero, me habría comprado un coche.

English: If I had had more money, I would have bought a car.

Mark era muy tímido. Por eso no tenía muchos amigos.
Si Mark no hubiera sido tan tímido, habría tendido más amigos.

English: If Mark hadn't been so shy, he would have had more friends.

MORE EXAMPLES OF PRESENT UNREAL CONDITIONALS

Present unreal conditionals indicate a situation which is only imagined or in some-one’s mind. For instance:
I wish I had a pony. If I had a pony, I would ride it every day.
(I don’t really have a pony.) (I imagine what I would do.)

To form present unreal conditionals, use past tense in the if clause and would + verb in the main clause.

A: What would you do if you had a million dollars?
B: If I had a million dollars, I would invest it in the stock market.
A: What would you do if you didn’t have to come to school today?
B: If I didn’t have to come to school, I would go to the amusement park.
For present unreal conditionals, it is common to use were in place of all forms of ?be? in the if clause (regardless of the subject).
If I were you, I would get a lawyer.
If I were a lawyer, I would not charge you.
If she were a lawyer, Sheila would be rich.
Sometimes could can be used in place of would in the main clause:
If I had more free time, I could travel around the world.




MORE EXAMPLES OF PAST UNREAL CONDITIONALS

  • If I had owned a car, I would have driven to work. But I didn't own one, so I took the bus.
  • She would have traveled around the world if she had had more money. But she didn't have much money, so she never traveled.
  • I would have read more as a child if I hadn't watched so much TV. Unfortunately, I did watch a lot of TV, so I never read for entertainment.
  • Mary would have gotten the job and moved to Japan if she had studied Japanese in school instead of French.
  • If Jack had worked harder, he would have earned more money. Unfortunately, he was lazy and he didn't earn much.
  • A: What would you have done if you had won the lottery last week?
    B: I would have bought a house.
  • A: What city would you have chosen if you had decided to move to the United States?
    B: I would have chosen Seattle.

EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs

There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English:
would have + can = could have
would have + shall = should have
would have + may = might have
The words "can," "shall" and "may" cannot be used with "would have." Instead, they must be used in these special forms.
Examples:
  • If I had gone to Egypt, I could have learned Arabic.
  • If she had had time, she might have gone to the party.
The words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include Conditional, so you cannot combine them with "would have."
Examples:
  • If I had had more time, I could have exercised after work.
  • If he had invited you, you might have gone.


ACTIVITY










jueves, 3 de mayo de 2018

REPHRASING CONNECTORS

CONNECTORS 

ADVERSATIVE CLAUSES
1) She has plenty of money, but she is very mean. ALTHOUGH
-

2) I didn ́t buy the car, even though I had the money.  HOWEVER
-

3) She never takes any kind of exercise, but she is quite fit an healthy. THOUGH
-

4) They have a car but they rarely use it. ALTHOUGH
-

5) They went out for a walk, even though the weather was bad. ALTHOUGH
-

6) Despite being innocent he was sent to prison. NEVERTHELESS
-

7) A lot of people buy those houses, even though the prices are high.   HOWEVER
-

8) Our coach didn ́t arrive late, even though the traffic was terrible.  NEVERTHELESS
-

9) People continue to smoke, even though they know the dangers. HOWEVER
-

10) Despite being very tired, he stayed out late.  ALTHOUGH
-



PURPOSE CLAUSES
1) I am going to study harder. I want to pass my exam BECAUSE
-

2) A lot of people learn English because they want to study in England. IN ORDER TO
-
A lot of people learn English ...
3) He lifted me up because he wanted me to see what was happening. SO THAT
-
He lifted me up...
4) Try to write clearly. That way you will avoid being misunderstood. SO AS TO
-
Try to write clearly so as to...
5) What do I need to know, if I want to be a good doctor? TO
-
6) If you want to have a hundred students, you will need at least three teachers. TO
-
You will need at least three teachers... 
7) They had to eat grass and drink melted snow in order to stay alive. SO THAT
-
They had to eat grass and drink melted snow...
8) I sat next to the window because I wanted to see what was going on. TO
-

9) I waved my arms. I wanted them to see me. SO THAT
-

10) He does gymnastics in the bathroom to keep fit. IN ORDER TO
-
He does gymnastics in the bathroom ...
-
12) He took a taxi to the airport. That way he didn't miss the train. SO AS NOT
-
He took a taxi to the airport...

CAUSE CLAUSES
1) I opened the window due to the heat.
-
I opened the window because...
2) They lost the match due to the bad weather.
-
As...
3) She missed the bus so she had to take a taxi.
-
Since...

5) The weather was fine, so we decided to go out.
-
As...
6) He got the highest marks in the class; as a result, he received a prize.
-
Since...
7) The factory closed down as a result of so many strikes.
-
As there...
8) We still speak Italian at home, so I ́m bilingual.
-
I ́m bilingual because...
9) Joan eats very little so as not to put on weight.
-
Joan eats very little because...
EFFECT CLAUSES
1)We need to increase sales. Therefore, we ́ll start a new advertising campaign.
-
We need to increase sales, so...
2) We didn ́t go swimming because the water wasn ́t very clean.
-
The water wasn ́t very clean...
3) I ́m going to bed because I ́m really tired.
-
I ́m really tired so...
4) As I didn ́t know it was your birthday, I didn ́t buy you a present.
-
I didn ́t know it was your birthday so...
5) I left the cinema because the film was very boring.
-
The film was very boring, therefore...
6) As I didn ́t have any food in the fridge, I went to bed without dinner.
-
I didn ́t have any food in the fridge, consequently...
7) We don ́t trust politicians because they are always lying.
-
Politicians are always lying so...
8) I never go to that shop because the owner is very unfriendly.
-
The owner of that shop is very unfriendly so...