EL PAÍS News in English

Zohran Mamdani: ‘I will leave it to others to label me’

Dear readers, ‌

This week we published an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who despite leading a progressive wave in the Democratic Party in the U.S. prefers to downplay his anti-Trump reputation: "I’ve been very clear that I have a wide range of disagreements with the president. On immigration, for example. I’ve told him directly that ICE is an agency that operates with cruelty and inhumanity. It should be abolished," he told EL PÁIS.

September 11 marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York, a city famous for its constant reinvention. Photographer David Monderer was in a chance position on that fateful morning to capture what turned out to be one of the final shots of the Twin Towers, and the aftermath of the airplane impacts on the World Trade Center.

We also traveled to the pro-Russian region of Transnistria in Moldova, a country on the path to EU membership, looked at the widening inequality gap in Cuba and pondered the question on everybody's minds in the age of AI: should we genuinely fear the technology rising up?

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories from EL PAÍS US Edition.

You can also read:

• Alexia Putellas: ‘I would have loved for previous generations, the real pioneers, to have experienced what I’ve experienced’
• How do you make a map? The problem of flattening the Earth and why the UN is abandoning Mercator
• Rosalía ends the Lux Tour in Miami as the high priestess of avant-garde pop
• ‘La Bola Negra’ enters the Oscar race with the biggest awards campaign ever mounted for a Spanish film
• Dining outdoors in Spain: From popular custom to neighborhood protest against mass tourism and the privatization of public space
• European Canada

Advanced Adjectives for Physical Appearance

Sonrisas Harmony GIG

Don't miss the celebration of the European Day of Languages (26th)!

Attend the concert with Sonrisas Harmony, A Cappella Choir, on Sep. 29th at 7 pm at the Assembly Hall!

Save the date!

Used To vs. Be Used To vs. Get Used To

Read more explana-tions, examples, typical mistakes and a quiz HERE.

KEY to Activities. Dictionaries: Monolingual or Bilingual?

Check your answers HERE.

Character Traits

You can find all of them in groups according to meaning, 

some translated and some extras HERE.

Rainy Season

Personality Words

Think about one person you know who fits each adjective. 

Adjectives to Describe Personality

Class Presentations

Next week we're starting students' presentations about any topic you choose. Remember: 5 mins. maximum and you may use handouts or powerpoint presentations [tell me beforehand]

Have you already decided which presentation to give?

Think of hobbies, interests, trips, ...
We're looking forward to hearing you!!!

Find tips for preparation, some advice and topic ideas.

Personality Adjectives

How would you describe yourself:

· for a date?

· in your CV?

· at a job interview?

Find answers and learn 150+ useful adjectives to describe yourself or someone’s personality.

The Role of Memory in Learning and Language Acquisition

MEMORY & LEARNING Bulletin of the JALT Mind, Brain, and Education SIG Volume 12, Issue 2 | ISSN 2434-1002 | Feb 1, 2026 

Recommend, Demand, Insist, Suggest, Request, Propose

Quote

/aɪd ˈrɑːðə ˈɡəʊ fə ðə ˈlæt.ə/

Vocabulary for Family

Vocabulary

 for 

Family

A couple of TESTS (by Lucy)

Lucy's put together two short tests for you. So, grab a cup of tea, give yourself about 20 minutes and dive in.
Test 1: The Tenses Test​

How confident are you across the past, present and future? This is the foundation everything else builds on.
Test 2: The Grammar Test

Punctuation, sentence structure and some of the trickier bits that even advanced speakers love to argue about!
Now, these aren't "pass or fail" tests. Think of them as a fun check-up. Their only job is to show you where your English is already strong, and where a few little gaps might be hiding.

Asociación de Alumnos Eoict

You can read the welcome letter the Association has prepared for students, along with a list of shops and places offering discounts to members throughout the school year. 

The school new year is the ideal time to join and take advantage of discounts when purchasing books and/or supplies.

Members of AaEoiCt board will be at the school entrance during the first few weeks of the term to assist with registration (just €5); should any questions arise, please feel free to contact us via email.

EL PAÍS (News in English)

 

The generation with no memory of 9/11

Dear readers, ‌

Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, a growing number of New Yorkers have no personal memory of the day that reshaped their city and the United States. As survivors, witnesses, and first responders grow older, our reporters spoke with young people born after the attacks about what 9/11 means to a generation that knows it mostly through school lessons, family stories, and annual commemorations. ‌

We also examined how Morocco has become increasingly assertive on the international stage, buoyed by support from Washington and Israel. The shift has strengthened Rabat’s position on key regional disputes while raising tensions with neighboring Algeria and reshaping diplomatic dynamics across North Africa.

In other news, we revisited one of Latin America's darkest and most improbable chapters: the alliance between Bolivia’s "King of Cocaine" and a former Gestapo officer that helped turn the country into what many historians consider the world’s first narco-state. The story reads like fiction, but it is rooted in a period whose consequences continue to reverberate today.

And we also looked at a booming global black market that targets humanity’s shared heritage. From Spain’s Treasure of Villena to the French Crown Jewels, stolen artifacts can fetch enormous sums, feeding a sophisticated criminal network that robs countries of irreplaceable pieces of their history. ‌

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories from EL PAÍS US Edition.

You can also read:

• Trump promises $5,000 to ‘every adult citizen’ if Republicans win the midterms
• Spain’s top court suspends voting rights for some descendants of Civil War exiles
• ‘Bella ciao’: The tumultuous life of the antifascist anthem
• ‘American Doctor’: US medics trying to save lives in Gaza while Israel bombs hospitals
• Fear and rejection of the migrant, or fear and rejection of ‘the other’?
• A year of work by two Spanish mathematicians versus 88 hours and €15 million by OpenAI: ‘Without our idea, AI wouldn’t have solved it’
• More than 1.6 million people die each year from secondhand smoke
• Online culture hits the streets, from catching Pokémon to aura farming

You Must Speak & Pronounce Correctly...

Dictionaries: Monolingual or Bilingual?

Why Good Dictionary Skills Matter (Article)

Powerpoint Presentation (the one we saw in class)

Activities

KEY next Friday

Tips to learn a language

How many of these 24 haven't you tried yet?

Welcome to this new academic year!

Dear students,

Welcome to a new academic year at the EOI. As we begin this journey together, I would like to be more than just your teacher. My aim is to act as your coordinator, language assistant, facilitator, instructor, workmate, supporter, helper, tutor, educator, coach, and counsellor—in short, whatever you need (within reasonable limits… I’m afraid I don’t do homework for you!).

At this level, learning is very much a shared process. Mistakes are not only welcome—they are practically compulsory. So please take risks, challenge yourselves, and don’t worry about getting everything perfect (that would be suspicious), and please use AI intelligently (pardon the pun).

Let’s make this year challenging, rewarding, and, above all, enjoyable.

I’m looking forward to working with you—brace yourselves.

Words to describe STUDENTS

Find many many more adjectives HERE.

• Choose 10 that describe YOU!
• And another 10 to describe the one sitting next to you!

Introducing our Blog to Newcomers

The blog EOI Cartagena C1 y C2 Inglés offers a wide range of engaging and useful posts for advanced English learners, combining practical language work with real-world topics. An interesting and valuable post could be “Technology & the Future of Jobs,” which encourages students to read an article and discuss how technology is transforming employment. This type of activity is especially useful because it combines reading, speaking, and critical thinking skills while focusing on a highly relevant issue (find more here). 

Another standout section is “EL PAÍS (News in English)”, which provides authentic news stories every week. It includes topics such as international politics, science, and social issues, helping students expand vocabulary while staying informed about current events. You can find it every Saturday. This makes learning more motivating and realistic, as students engage with real-world English. 

More light-hearted and practical posts, like “Health Phrases” and “Travel, Trip or Journey?,” focus on everyday vocabulary and expressions. These are particularly useful for improving fluency and sounding more natural in conversations.

The IELTS Vocabulary Topics (Vocaberry.com) post is beneficial for advanced learners because it provides topic‑based lexical sets that are essential for success in the exam. A strong variety of vocabulary directly impacts performance, especially in speaking and writing, where it represents a significant part of the final score. By organising vocabulary into common exam themes (such as travel, culture or social issues), the post helps students develop both accuracy and fluency, making it easier to express ideas naturally in exam situations. 

In addition, the Grammar posts on the blog complement this lexical work by focusing on key C1 / C2 structures and problem areas, which is crucial because advanced learners need not only words but also precise and correct sentence formation to achieve higher bands. Together, vocabulary and grammar posts create a balanced approach to language learning, improving both communicative competence and exam technique. Of course we will not forget pronunciation, another key element for anyone wishing to master the English language.

Furthermore, the blog itself has gained considerable attention recently, as shown by its visible page‑view statistics, reflecting a steady number of visits and confirming its usefulness and popularity among students.

Finally, posts like “Smart Up Your English!” provide resources that are both fun and educational, reinforcing vocabulary through interactive content.

Overall, the blog successfully mixes serious topics, exam practice, and entertaining material, making it both engaging and effective for advanced learners.

C1 Textbook and samples of (part of) Mod 1 and Mod 2

 C1 On Screen Module 1 (pp. 5 to 11)

Sample (Module 2)

Author: Jenny Dooley

ISBN: 9781471572159

Learning Choices

Mistakes

C2 English Mastery Unit 1 Part 1

If you haven't been able to get the book yet, you may download the first part of unit one here.

3,000,000 Visits!!!

Thank You for 3,000,000 Visits!

Today is one of those days that deserves a special post: our blog has officially reached 3,000,000 visits. To be honest, I never thought we would reach this figure...

And it is not just a number. It represents hundred thousands of moments in which someone, somewhere in the world, stopped by to read an article, learn something new, find inspiration, solve a problem, or simply spend a few minutes exploring the content published here. For that reason, this milestone belongs as much to you as it does to me.

A Journey Built One Post at a Time

Over the years, this blog has covered a wide range of English Learning Topics. From practical vocabulary sheets and educational resources to grammar explantions, links to world news, recommendations and learning strategies, the goal has always been the same: to create content that is useful, interesting, worth your time, and why not fun at the same time..

Many of the most popular posts have been used to foster students' interaction, to improve learners' pronunciation and to enhance exam performance. Readers have shared their experiences, suggestions, corrections, and ideas, helping to improve their language learning strategies.

The Real Value Behind the Numbers

While reaching 3,000,000 visits is certainly exciting, the statistics itself is not the most important achievement. The real success lies in the people behind those visits. Some readers have been here for years and have followed the blog through different stages. Others discovered it only recently. Some visit regularly, while others may have found a single article or video through a search engine that happened to answer exactly what they were looking for.

No matter how you arrived here, thank you. Your support, curiosity, and engagement are what keep this blog alive and moving forward.

Special Thanks

I would like to express my gratitude to:

• Long-time readers who continue to visit and support the blog.
• New visitors who discover the site every day.
• Followers who never miss a post.
• Readers who share articles with friends, colleagues, and family members.
• Everyone who leaves comments, feedback, and suggestions.
• Those who have encouraged this project over the years.

Every contribution, no matter how small, has helped make this milestone possible.

Looking Ahead

Reaching three million visits is not the end of a journey. It is simply another chapter.

There are still many ideas to explore, topics to discuss, resources to share, and projects to develop. My commitment remains the same: to continue publishing content that aims to inform, inspire, educate, and hopefully make a positive difference for readers.

I am excited about what comes next and look forward to sharing it with all of you. 

(from the bottom of my heart) for helping this blog reach 3,000,000 visits. Whether this is your first visit or your thousandth, you are part of this achievement.
Here's to the next milestone, new ideas, new articles, and many more infographs. Thank you for reading, supporting, sharing, and being part of this incredible journey.
3,000,000 visits and counting... 🎉🎉🎉

Miguel Ángel

This Year C2 Textbook

 English Mastery BREAKTHRU By Javier Blanco

You may purchase the whole textbook or the C2.1 edition + the C2.2 edition. We will be studying both: the former during the 1st quarter (till January) and the latter during the 2nd one (Jan. - May).