February 28, 2012

NI2 Exams

Dear NI2,

In this page from www.educa2.madrid.org you can find a comprehensive model of a typical NI2 exam.

Nivel Intermedio B1

Reading Comprehension

Listening Comprehension

Writing Expression

Speaking Expression

February 27, 2012

Intermediate grammar tests:

from englishlearner.com

Present Perfect sentences - make sentences in the Present Perfect tense
Since or for? - decide whether "since" or "for" is correct in these sentences
Already or yet? - complete the sentences with "already" or "yet"
Prepositions 1 - complete the text with the correct prepositions
Test 1A

February 26, 2012

Key to p. 51

Dear NI2 students,

Find the key to activities on page from your coursebook:

A. GRAMMAR

1. realized, had been stolen

2. was listening, was talking

3. hadn't heard

4 arrived, had been waiting

1. Had known, would have phoned

2. wouldn't have married him, had realized

3. hadn't seemed, wouldn't have trusted

4. had invited, would (you) have gone
C.
1. I must have left my jacket at the restaurant.
2. They might have got lost.
3. You can't have forgotten it's our anniversary
4. You can't have seen Simon
5. She might not have seen you if she didn't have her glasses on.

VOCABULARY
A.
Inside the car: gear stick, handbrake seat belt, steering wheel
Outside/body of car: boot, tyres, wheels, windscreen
Verbs: brake, crash, overtake, reverse
B
1. delighted 2. furious 3. terrified 4. freezing 5. brilliant 6. filthy
C
1. civil war 2. defeat 3. reign 4. surrender 5. general election 6. Prime Minister
D
1. Dictatorship 2. marriage 3. politicians 4. historical 5. accidentally 6. amazing

February 23, 2012

Book reviews

Dear NI1 students,

You can read some of your classmates' book reviews here. You may be encouraged to read something interesting.

Well done you all!

Book revie ws

February 20, 2012

When Chris saw the car parked outside his house, his heart started beating faster….

Dear NI2,

Here you can see a couple of examples of nice short stories. Enjoy!

Story

Modals and rephrasing

Dear NI2 students,

I thought you might like to practice modal verbs by doing these exercices on rephrasing:

February 18, 2012

Labor Law Change

Dear NI2 students,

Why don't you listen to this document about Spain and the recent changes on labor laws on npr.org?

VOCABULARY

two-tier system: two levels

temp job: temporary job

on the dole: to be unemployed

lay off workers: expell people from work.

overhaul: to repair or improve something so that every part of it works as it should I got the engine overhauled.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you fall under any of these groups they mention on the document?
Are they right about Spain?
Do you think that stripping away some job protections will help to create more jobs?
For the transcript of the listening, click here!

February 16, 2012

Do-it-yourself deportation

Dear NI2 students,

I'd like you to read this op-ed article from the New York Times at the weekend. We will be commenting on it in class next week.

Key to readings

Dear NI1 students,

Find the key to exerceses on pages 38 and 47 from your coursebook:

p. 47. Natalie

1. A car hit her when she was going to a training session on a motorbike.

2. Three months after the accident.

3. Thrilled. It felt like her leg was there.

4. She qualified for the final at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (for able-bodied swimmers).

5. She hopes to swim faster than she did before the accident.

Bethany

1. A tiger shark attacked her and tore off her arm.

2. As soon as she left hospital.

3. She was so happy she cried.

4. She finished 5th at the National Surfing Championship.

5. She accepts that she will never be world champion.

p. 38, ex c

1. F (She got angry because of the way he asked her to pour him some tea.)

2. T

3. T

4. F (He was very surprised, i.e. amazed)

5. F (It was disgusting.)

6. F (She was angry.)

7. T

8. T

9. F (They thought she was mad.)

10. T

ex. d

1. step 2. pour 3. make 4. swallow 5. translate

February 14, 2012

Traditional Values still stand

Have a happy Valentine!!

And how about you?

Do you still believe in traditional roles? Do you agree with the report?
Does technology make relations more complicated now?
What is sexting?
Do you love or hate Valentine's Day?

February 13, 2012

Dear all,

I'm coming back to the class today Feb 13th. I hope to see you all there!

Have a good day!

February 09, 2012

Predictions

Twenty top predictions for life 100 years from now

Last week we asked readers for their predictions of life in 100 years time. Inspired by ten 100-year predictions made by American civil engineer John Elfreth Watkins in 1900, many of you wrote in with your vision of the world in 2112.

Many of the "strange, almost impossible" predictions made by Watkins came true. Here is what futurologists Ian Pearson (IP) and Patrick Tucker (PT) think of your ideas.

Any other prediction that you can think of for the future??

February 08, 2012

Michelle Obama takes on push-up challenge

Daytime chat show host Ellen Degeneres challenged the US first lady, who was on the programme promoting her healthy eating and fitness program, to a push up contest to prove she practiced what she preached. (The Telegraph)

And you? Do you practice what you preach? How many push ups can you do?

Rewiewing

Dear NI1,

As we are about to finish unit 3 why don't you review a bit in these links from Oxford??

Modal Verbs, Unit 3
Look vs look like
So
Vocabulary: appearance:crossword; wordseach
In the office
Introductions

February 07, 2012

Apologies

Dear all,

I apologize because this week I won't be able to teach. I am on a sick leave but hopefully I'll see you again next week.

In the meantime, I'd like you to keep working on English.

NI1:

I'll see you again on Tuesday 14th.

I would like you to work on the following pages from our Coursebook:

- pages 46 & 46 (-ed/ ing adjectives and "Never Give up")
- pages 50 & 51(lesson review)

NI2:

I'll see you on Monday 13th at 19 as usual.

- You have to hand me a story if you haven't done it already.

Besides, I'd like you:

- to listen to Internet Privacy and

- to read the following text Addiction to Internet is an Illness from onestopenglish.com We will discuss about it in class. We will have to prepare a monologue on this topic.

Internet Privacy

In this link from the BBC words in the news, you can listen to Internet Privacy again.

There are lots of updated stories with vocabulary explanations.

27 January 2012

For the first time people living within the European Union will have what's being called "the right to be forgotten". Under changes announced by the European Commission, people will be able to tell a company to remove all the online data they have about them.

Reporter: Zoe Conway

What information should stay on websites?

Read the text and try to put the words back into it:

blogs build trust deleted guiding principle
hacked into mysterious investigated privacy reputations unflattering

Listen to the report

Just how much control should people have over their online (1) ____________? Should they be able to demand that an (2) ____________photo be permanently (3) ____________from a website like Facebook? Does everything people write online have to stay there? What about bank details, addresses - can websites hold onto this information forever?

These were the kinds of questions being asked by the European Commission as it (4) ____________ the issue of internet (5) ____________. Its (6) ____________throughout has been what it called "the right to be forgotten". It has now decided on what this (7) _____________ sounding phrase actually means.

It means that a person does have the right to demand their personal information be permanently deleted if it is data that they themselves have put online. But they don't have the right to have things like unflattering (8) ____________or newspaper profiles written by others deleted.

The EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said the changes will help (9) ____________in online services.

The Commission also says that businesses should have to tell their customers within 24 hours if their online accounts have been (10) ____________.

Some internet companies have reacted with concern to the proposals, warning that they could become bogged down in trying to meet the new requirements and that could affect their ability to grow.