Online Word Games

If you enjoy word games, I'm quite positive you'll love these: (perhaps the three of them!)
Wordle
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VocabTrainer

Be careful, they're addictive!!!

Holy Week in Cartagena 2023

--> To get familiar with the vocabulary and concepts of our Holy Week have a look at this "Guide" to learn the basics. 

--> You can have a look at Holy Week Step by Step too. 

--> More specific info for this year: Guía de Semana Santa 2023 Radio Cartagena

Essay writing. - ppt download

Essay writing. - ppt download: ‘For’ and ‘against’ essay Discursive essays Discursive essays Opinion essay ‘For’ and ‘against’ essay

if + should / if + will / if + would

If + should

We can use if with should to refer to events which might happen by chance or by accident:

If you should bump into Carol, can you tell her I’m looking for her? (If by chance you bump into Carol.)

If the government should ever find itself in this situation again, it is to be hoped it would act more quickly.

Conditional clauses with will or would

Will and would can be used in conditional clauses, either with the meaning of ‘being willing to do something’, or to refer to later results:

If Clare will meet us at the airport, it will save us a lot of time. (if Clare is willing to meet us)

If you would all stop shouting, I will try and explain the situation!

If it will make you happy, I’ll stay at home tonight. (If it is true that you will be happy as a result, I’ll stay at home tonight.)

We sometimes stress the will or would, especially if we doubt that the result will be the one mentioned:

If it really would save the planet, I’d stop using my car tomorrow. (If it really is true that the planet would be saved as a result, I would stop using my car, but I doubt it is true.)

Conditionals in speaking

In speaking, we often use if-clauses without main clauses, especially when asking people politely to do things. If is usually followed by will, would, can or could when it is used to be polite:

[Shop assistant to customer]

If you would just sign here, please. (a more polite way of saying Just sign here, please.)

[A is writing something for B and having difficulty]

A: If I could have a better pen …

B: Here, use this one.

A: Thanks.

(from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/conditionals-if) 

EL PAÍS in English

Dear readers,

As many as 22 countries of the Ibero-American Community of Nations are holding an ambitious summit in the Dominican Republic to forge agreements on climate change, food security and the digital divide. But Brazil and Mexico's top leaders are conspicuously absent.

In other international news, we explored how one of the poorest countries in Africa has become the largest laboratory of overseas Russian power through the Wagner Group, and analyzed a landmark case involving El Salvador that could change the most restrictive abortion laws in the Americas.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from EL PAÍS USA Edition. Thanks for reading.

Other interesting reads:

• Move over, Monday: Sunday is the new worst day of the week
• ‘The talk about superfoods is absurd, and miracle diets do not exist’
• What makes us happy? Spoiler alert: it’s not money

Regional English (from Macmillan Dictionary Blog)

· Scottish English
· Irish English
· Spanish English
· Brazilian English
· Japanese English
· Chinese English
· Russian English
· American English
· Indian English
· Australian English
· Mexican English
· Canadian English

C2 Mixed Conditionals

Do this activity... and this... and finally this one. 

If you've done them all right, you can say you master mixed conditionals. If you haven't, start again and redo the activities.

Environment-related Vocabulary and Activities

The best way to start is by having a look at some environment collocations. We can continue with some useful phrases about weather and environment; then one reading comprehension activity about Rare Species from TheGuardianWeekly (key on the last page) and a OneStopClil worksheet (key on last pages too) and a power point presentation (with sound) about the Greenhouse Effect. To end up ... more environment-related vocabulary.

Causative HAVE / GET

More Have something done activities (and explanations). Review grammar before doing the 3-page activity.

Do these personal and impersonal pasive constructions too.

Sports News on the Guardian Today

• Carlos Alcaraz regains No 1 ranking with rout of Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells final
  
  Barça 12 points clear in title race after Kessié’s late winner against Real Madrid
• 
• Red Bull’s Mexican triumphant in second race of the season, Verstappen runner-up and Fernando Alonso third

EL PAÍS in English

Dear readers,

The effects of this week's banking turmoil continued to be felt in the U.S. and Europe, where the European Central Bank sent a message that it will do everything required to maintain the stability of the financial system. Stocks continued to trade lower on Friday, suggesting markets may not be confident that the worst is over.

In our coverage of the Americas, we looked at a highly publicized transfer of 2,000 gang members to El Salvador's new prison and explored the growing trend of "nearshoring" in Mexico.

Science once again brought us a story of hope about an experimental pill that has achieved the complete remission of leukemia in 18 near-terminal patients.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from EL PAÍS USA Edition. Thanks for reading.

You can also read:

• Life lessons from the world of chess
• ChatGPT vs poetry: can artificial intelligence write in verse?
• How psychologists cope with anxiety: From writing down thoughts to taking a shower

St. Patricks Day in Ireland

Learn about this great day for the Irish! St. Patrick's Day

Talk about the Environment

 

Self-Study Idiom Quizzes

To review, check, learn idioms / comparisons / phrasal verbs / slang... visit this helpful website.

Comma Revision

Commas Matter Worksheet

(with key)

Instead of VERY...

 

EL PAÍS in English

Dear readers,

With the Oscars right around the corner, our film critics analyzed the success of this year's runaway favorite, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and explained why Cate Blanchett's performance in Tár is simply not convincing.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, we also explored the new challenges faced by feminism and the progress made by female leaders in Latin America.

Elsewhere, we explored the problem of finding enough resources to power all the world's electric vehicles, and looked back at the unbelievable yet true story of the Battle for Castle Itter at the close of World War II.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from EL PAÍS USA Edition. Thanks for reading.

You may also enjoy reading:

• Post-machismo: The movement trying to destroy feminism’s achievements
• From Siberia to Antarctica: Meet the Chilean swimmer who pierces the icy oceans
• Psychedelics: an amazing world that reveals philosophical phenomena

Lucy's 20 Advanced Verbs

 

See the lesson in writing here. And do the final quiz!

How to Write a Memo and How to Write an Abstract

Even though these two specific types of writing are not included in the exam, it is always useful to know how to write them: (from Dictionary.com) 

• How to Write a Memo (with tips and examples)

• How to write an Abstract (with tips and examples)

Cuentos de Buenas Noches para Niñas Rebeldes

 

Can you Solve the Riddle?

 

International Women's Day

#EmbraceEquity on International Women's Day

History, marches and celebrations

AaEoiCt --> Un poco de Historia (Women to Remember)

Do this activity to learn more about IWD

Plenty of extra material on NATALIALZAM'S Blog Entry on IWD '23 Thanks Natalia. Excellent job, as usual!

C1 & C2 Conditional sentences

You can revise theory and practise your conditionals here. 

Keys here.

EL PAÍS in English

Dear readers,

Our infographics team has reconstructed the head-on collision between two trains in Greece, in what has become the country's worst ever railway tragedy with a death toll of at least 57.

In other world news, we analyzed growing tension between the US and China over issues such as the Ukraine war, TikTok and Covid; we also looked at a Japanese company that is being sued by Ecuador for modern slavery, in what is being hailed as a landmark legal case.

In the world of science, we feature spectacular images of a female octopus protecting her eggs in a remarkable and tragic lifecycle that inevitably leads to her death.

We hope you enjoy this selection of articles from EL PAÍS USA Edition. Thanks for reading.

You may also read:

• Does TikTok spy on us? Not any more than other social media platforms, experts say
• Olympic ticket sales for Paris Games 2024 get off to rocky start

Celebrate St. Patrick with us!

 

C2 2nd Q Lexical Topics (March to May)

During the second quarter of the year we will be studying the following lexical areas:

Module 4: IT (Information Technologies) and Science / Shopping, Trade

Module 5: Relationships, Humans and Society / Law, Politics, Banks 

Module 6: Health / Food

Module 7: Weather, Nature and Environment 

Module 8: Leisure Time, Sports, Hobbies, Arts, Media, Music / Language, Information, Communication

Guía del Candidato 2022-2023

Revise Guía del Candidato 2023. It's just been published! You can also check it in the upper part on the right column.