Speaking Name 3 things

Name three things (the first ones coming to your mind). If you cannot say or pronounce them correctly in English, look them up!

Mediation Activity KEY

Check your suggested written mediation key here. 

Check your suggested oral mediation key here. 

Ego Awareness

Collocations (by Lucy)

Find your collocation activities in pdf. format here!

Extra Lucy's Collocation exercises here!
 

(-)gh(-) Pronunciation

How about plough or hiccough?

Adverbs

Choose three or four of each list (the ones you want to learn) and make 1 or 2 sentences with each.

EL PAÍS News in English

Trump: Cult of the leader

Dear readers,

Donald Trump was anointed as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee at the national convention in Milwaukee, just days after surviving an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, where he was the subject of a photograph that will enter the annals of U.S. history, his fist clenched against a backdrop of the Stars and Stripes. From the convention, our Washington correspondent explains how the former president has risen to the top again as he bids for a second term in the White House, bending the Republican Party to his will and completing one of the great political turnarounds after his recent judicial triumphs, capped at a GOP gathering where he has been feted and memories of another image for the ages — his police mugshot in Atlanta — have been set to one side as the conservative formation unites behind his candidacy.

‌This week EL PAÍS spoke with Luis Manuel Otero, Cuba’s most prominent political prisoner and, in his own words, its “most dangerous.” In September 2021, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, two months after being imprisoned during the largest anti-government protests since the early years of the Cuban Revolution. (...).

‌We also looked at the phenomenon of global cyberespionage — a NATO spokesperson told EL PAÍS that cyberdefense has become one of the coalition’s “main priorities,” adding that malicious cybernetic campaigns could “lead the North Atlantic Council to invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty,” its collective defense clause — as well as the housing crisis in Lisbon through the lens of two-time World Press Photo winner Mário Cruz and the enduring Seattle legacy of Kurt Cobain.

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

You can also read:

• No surprise in the attack against Trump
• A simple monthly injection allows mice to live 25% longer and free from diseases
• A camera in space to photograph the unphotographable
• 200 years of cement: The building material that changed the world
• Not childish or a punishment: Why blocking WhatsApp helps our mental health
• David Remnick, editor of ‘The New Yorker’: ‘Is the gigantic tidal wave of crap we see online the alternative to traditional media? I don’t think so’
• Joe Biden announces he is stepping down from re-election campaign
• Yes, the Democrats still can

Winning images of the 2024 BigPicture natural world photography competition (By The Guardian)

<-- Last Year finalist

Watch this year pictures here. Just beautiful!

Read the comments / explanations! They are enlightening!

Normal vs Advanced (words)

Mediation Activity

Do this mediation activity. Choose whether you'll do the written or oral version first!

Key for both oral and written Mediation Activity next week

Three simple activities with homophones

                     Read the list of homophones and:

1. Highlight the pairs you didn't know that were homophones.

2. Spot the odd man out: only ONE pair is composed by two words that are NOT homophones.

3. Write five more pairs of homophones (not included in the list).

Free Yoga, Pilates and Aerobics on the Beach (from Murcia Today)

Where to do free yoga, pilates and aerobics on Cartagena beaches

Professional / Business English

You can also read this Professional English Phrasebook by Lucy, with plenty of varied activities.

[More business English on 30th July post]

Phrases in Australian English

Read these phrases and sound like a native...

EL PAÍS News in English

Could NATO survive another Trump term?

Dear readers,

With world leaders gathered in Washington for the NATO summit, many observers are wondering what will happen to the Alliance if Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November, as growing numbers of Democrats fear may happen if Joe Biden refuses to step aside. 

Meanwhile, the presumptive Republican nominee is getting additional support from unexpected places.  We analyzed the extreme views of Juan Ciscomani, an outspoken congressman from Arizona who is giving visibility to ultra-conservative Latinos who are planning to vote for Trump. 

In global news, we interviewed an Israeli doctor who worked at the Sde Teiman detention, interrogation and torture center and says he feels “complicit” and “guilty” about the violations being committed there. We also revealed how a tiny, deserted islet in the Mediterranean has become a new immigration route from Africa into Europe, and explored how robots are helping an aging population cope with loneliness in Japan.

This week we also took a look at how microplastics are creeping into every part of our lives (and bodies), interviewed David Remnick, the longtime editor of The New Yorker, and asked ourselves why nobody seems to like Katy Perry anymore.

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

You can also read:

• Rocafonda, the neighborhood that regained its pride thanks to soccer sensation Lamine Yamal
• The US economy created 206,000 jobs in June
• The problem with ‘Inside Out 2:’ Are our emotions at the service of productivity?
• Kinkeeping, the exhausting invisible work that keeps the family together
• The cost of New York street food is soaring

Verbs to describe READING in English (+ a recommendation)

BTW, I was recommended Babel by R. F. Kuang, a riveting novel dealing with 19th c. Oxford, translation, etymology, words in different languages... I'm reading and loving it (more than McDonald's). 

Writing Tips: Link Ideas

English Tenses Test (by Lucy)

Read about the importance of grammar and then check your tenses HERE. And do this extra Grammar Test. 

You'll love them: short and interesting!

Because

Simplify your Life

Sure you'll do with more than 2 or 3 of these pieces of advice... 

Choose the ones suitable for you and put them into practice!

Conjunctions

EL PAÍS News in English

All eyes on Biden

Dear readers,

All eyes are on Joe Biden after his disastrous performance at last Thursday's presidential debate against Donald Trump. Pressure is mounting on the U.S. president to step aside, and the next few days will be crucial in determining the future of his campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris is currently the front-runner to replace Biden if he decides to pull out of the race.

In other U.S. news, the Supreme Court ruled that the official acts of presidents are immune from criminal prosecution, in what marks another legal victory for Trump. The liberal justices who voted against the decision warned the ruling would allow presidents to assassinate political rivals, accept bribes and order coups with impunity.

EL PAÍS also travelled to Estonia to see how the country is preparing for a possible Russian attack, spoke to economist Joseph Stiglitz about the dangers of a second Trump mandate, and looked back at the romcom classic Four Weddings and a Funeral, which was a box office hit despite the cast's reservations.

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

You can also read:

• Are Covid cases growing in the United States? Things to know for summer
• How to marry a millionaire: Tips to find a wealthy partner are no joke on social media
• The planet’s vision is getting worse: 50% of the population will have myopia by 2050
• The reality of living in Ibiza: Workers sleeping in vans due to high cost of rent
• Big nose, ears that stick out: Why mouse-faced men are coming out on top
• New middle class, hedonism and visa ease: The economic reasons behind the boom in global tourism
• My robot and I: Japanese stories of technology and old age

Modal Perfect Forms (& Pronunciation)

Be careful with the pronunciation:

Idioms with Lucy

How to Learn Idioms

Lucy's Idioms Test

Revise Idioms here.

Revise the ones from the picture here.

Advanced Vocab

 

Of course you know some; but not all of them. Learn the new ones! 

(Read ALL the words and check spellings and pronunciations of both known and unknown words!)

Normal vs Advanced (phrases)

C2 Adjectives (not the 200 but the ~20)

 

There are twenty or so you don't know how to use accurately, write them down, check'em and use'em asap!

C1 Intensifiers: Adverbs of Degree

EL PAÍS News in English

America's other historic debates

Dear readers,

The history of presidential debates in the United States is also the history of television in the country. Ahead of Thursday's showdown between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, we looked back at other historic televised debates, starting with the one between JFK and Richard Nixon (...) and including Jimmy Carter vs Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush vs Al Gore.

‌As part of our coverage of the Americas, we reported on a spike in tourist deaths in the Colombian city of Medellín, which authorities have linked to drug use and prostitution. We also explored the volatile backdrop against which Bolivia has just experienced a coup attempt, and interviewed a former U.S. Border Patrol Agent from El Paso who now spends his days helping newly arrived immigrants.

‌Another major headline this week was the release of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who returned to Australia a free man on Wednesday. EL PAÍS reveals the inside story of how it participated in the 2010 publication of the U.S. State Department cables along with other leading media organizations - and the consequences of that move.

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

You can also read:

• Macro study shows that a healthy lifestyle can compensate for genetics
• Addiction to love is real, and can be avoided
• Sweet, salty, sour and bitter? No, the textbook taste map of the tongue is a myth
• Alejandro Cáceres, the hacker who took down North Korea’s internet from his home
• Japan’s tourism is a victim of its own success

HATS: With this heat/sun you'd better cover your head

Choose the proper ones to wear in summer and learn some of the others...

 

Types of Prepositions

Test your pronunciation

Check it here (pdf. document) and do these pronunciation activities.

Some Words of Encouragement

Make a selection of your favourite ones!

What Is The History & Significance Of Pride Month? (By Dictionary.com)

Pride Month honors lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people—and the history, culture, and contributions of these people and their communities.

Pride Month takes place every year in June.

More about Pride here.

From today on...

Dear C1 + C2 students and blog friends

Yes, the academic year is over. Nevertheless, my intention is to keep on publishing what I think might be interesting stuff for you to revise till August. Mostly you will find vocabulary, but some other type of activities too. The idea is to use English at least a little while everyday. Remember Practice makes perfect! Hope you enjoy it. 

I also hope you have enjoyed this year lessons, and I am looking forward to seeing you at our EOI next September: enrolled in other groups at different days/times, in my class or maybe studying another language if you have finished C2.

Miguel Ángel

PS: If you want to keep on learning at the EOI next year again, remember the registration period will start on the 28th (next Friday).

Toda la info AQUÍ

Consulta AQUÍ la oferta educativa para el curso 2024-25

EL PAÍS News in English

The Charagua manuscripts

Dear readers,

‌Over the course of several decades, a Spanish priest named Lucho Roma abused hundreds of Indigenous girls in Bolivia. He photographed them, recorded them on video and documented his crimes in writing. This is the second diary of a pedophile priest that EL PAÍS has managed to access. The case had remained buried until just over a year ago, when this newspaper published the diary of another Spanish Jesuit priest named Alfonso Pedrajas that caused a media earthquake in the South American country. This caused more cases, like that of Lucho Roma’s, to come to light.

The Copa América 2024, which kicks off on Thursday, promises to be the biggest edition of the championship ever seen, and the sporting event has also generated anticipation over the opening ceremony. Feid, the Colombian reggaeton artist, will be in charge of the opening musical performance, surprising many who were expecting Shakira, who performs one of the tournament’s official songs, Puntería.

And in another twist to the plight of Julian Assange, one of the main pieces of evidence against David Morales, the former Spanish soldier whose company spied on the Wikileaks founder and his lawyers during his prolonged stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, has disappeared.

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

You can also read:

• Researchers find new strategies to help immunotherapy annihilate cancer
• A researcher who publishes a study every two days reveals the darker side of science
• Queen Charlotte wasn’t Black and George III wasn’t mad: The half-truths of the hit series ‘Bridgerton’
• An economic paradox: When savings are both a good and a bad idea

Success

Rock Imperium Festival

Rock Imperium in Cartagena. Starting today. More info HERE.

EL PAÍS News in English

Hezbollah raises the stakes on Israeli border

Dear readers,

Fears of an escalation of the conflict between the fundamentalist militia Hezbollah and Israel have been fueled following the assassination of a top military commander, Taleb Abdala, by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon this week. Hezbollah retaliated with its largest attack on targets inside Israel and warned that if the government of Benjamin Netanyahu “wants an all-out war, we are ready for it,” Hezbollah’s number two, Naim Qassem, said, adding that the militia is “ready for battle.” (...).

‌In Europe, following last weekend’s elections to the Brussels parliament, there is growing concern about a populist surge in the seat of EU politics. Most of all, the questions revolve around the 50-odd new lawmakers classified for now as “Other.” A good number of them will probably end up in the most peripheral parties, especially on the political right. Although the so-called traditional pro-European groups — EPP, the social democrats of S&D and the liberals of Renew — together have enough representation to guarantee a comfortable majority if they manage to reach an agreement, the extremist forces have acquired so much weight that these balances are more precarious than ever. Among the newcomers are figures such as Spain’s Alvise Pérez, a self-styled anti-establishment and anti-corruption crusader who has been convicted of spreading fake news on the internet and who has openly acknowledged that he ran for office in Europe to seek immunity from prosecution, and Cypriot YouTuber Fidias, 24, who readily admits to having no idea about European political issues.

‌In the field of science, a decade-long research project has shed light on the mystery of the child victims of religious sacrificial practices in the Mayan civilization. A team of paleogeneticists and bioarcheologists managed to recover the DNA from 64 sets of human remains discovered at Chichén Itzá in 1967, offering evidence as to who the sacrificed children were and clues as to why they were killed. The most surprising finding was that among the dead, there are two pairs of twin brothers who were probably sacrificed together. Among the rest of the victims there are also close kinship ties; some were siblings, others cousins. (...).‌

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories

You can also read:

• A hit like Coca-Cola: The cannabis industry generates $40 billion
• Why breaking things or going for a run doesn’t make you less angry
• Bruce Hood, psychologist: ‘Happiness focused on oneself doesn’t go very far’
• Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz: Spain confirms doubles dream team for Paris Olympics
• The Beach Boys were two bands and they were unique

Speak more clearly! By Lucy

Read this document with pronunciation tips and do the activities!

English Pronunciation Training: Extra Exercises

How to ace your C1 / C2 writing tasks in the final exam

1. Read the rubrics very carefully and follow them strictly (topic, type of writing, formal or informal register, number of words, number of paragraphs).
2. Devote at least 10 min. to plan your writing: ideas to develop (1 idea 1 paragraph), topic sentences, (advanced) connectors, vocabulary & grammar.
3. Choose specific vocabulary & phrases and grammar to use (type III conditional, cleft sentence, inversion, tense correlation, etc.).
4. Do the writing.
5. Proofread your writing: reread rubric, spelling, intelligibility, repeated words or ideas.
6. Hand in.

Read carefully before the exam

Assessment tables: (the tables for teachers to assess students' performance in each part of the exam)

Writing: C1    C2

Speaking: C1    C2

Mediation: C1 & C2

Read carefully for written and oral exams.

                

                Order and time of parts (approx.):

C1: Writing: 16.30 - 18.00 (5 min.)

       Written Mediation 18.05 - 18.30 (15 min.)

       Listening 18.45 - 19.10 (5 min.)

       Reading 19.15 - 20.45 

C2: Writing: 16.30 - 18.20 (5 min.)

       Written Mediation 18.25 - 18.40 (15 min.)

       Listening 19.00 - 19.45 (5 min.)

       Reading 19.50 - 21.20

Challenge your English (by Lucy)

 Read this document and do the activities.

Exam-like Cloze Activities KEYS

Key to C1 Cloze Activity

Key to C2 Cloze Activity

Revise Punctuation Rules for your writing tasks

Exam-like Cloze Activities

If you want to revise this part of the written exam, do these:

C1 Cloze

C2 Cloze

KEYS tomorrow

EL PAÍS News in English

Biden on Ukraine: 'We will not walk away'

Dear readers,

As world leaders gathered in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, EL PAÍS spoke to the families of veterans attending the ceremonies and local residents who remember June 6, 1944, and the days that followed. (...) Joe Biden spoke of the need to reinforce commitments to Ukraine in the face of a new Russian offensive. “We will not walk away,” said the U.S. president.

Biden’s words came days after Washington relaxed some restrictions on Kyiv’s ability to repel the offensive on the Kharvik front by allowing the use of NATO weapons to attack targets on Russian soil in the Belgorod region, where the Kremlin concentrates its artillery positions, missile systems, aviation and drone units operating against Ukraine. (...)

‌We also sat down with chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who has been living in the U.S. since 2013 and whose opposition to Vladimir Putin has seen his name added to the Kremlin’s list of “terrorists and extremists. (...) Most of us are in exile,” said the former world number one, who retired in 2005 to dedicate himself to the struggle for a democratic Russia. (...)

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories.

You can also read:

• ‘Palestinians are on the brink of famine’
• The woman who led the transformation of New York into a pedestrian-friendly city
• José Luis Carrasco: ‘The keys to protect against personality disorders are loving attention and trust’
• Today, it’s all about Spanglish, the ‘language’ posing a threat to Anglocentrism in the United States
• Distress can be deadly, especially if you’re a woman
• No sex scenes, no social media, no Hollywood parties: How Denzel Washington became the most respected actor in the industry
• Lisbon, a city dying from its own success
• Life after orgasm: What happens to the body and mind after reaching climax

ALUMNOS OFICIALES Matriculación 2024-2025

Plazo matrícula: del 28 de junio al 8 de julio

Toda la info AQUÍ

Consulta AQUÍ la oferta educativa para el curso 2024-25

Admisión NUEVOS ALUMNOS 24-25

Toda la información para la admisión de nuevos alumnos en nuestra página web.

Physical Appearance & Actions Expressing Emotions

Read this vocab sheet and make sentences using the nouns, adjectives and verbs.

C2 Vocab: 100 Words for Facial Expressions

Bet you didn't know all! 

Highlight the new ones, make true sentences for you and try to use them asap!

World Environment Day

• Weird and Wonderful Facts about Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Browse by Topic (Info to use in your writing or speaking about the topic)
• How much do you know about degraded land, deserts and drought? Take a quiz

Try this quiz! (Key included on p. 2)

My students are ...

... aren't they?

EL PAÍS News in English

How many guns are too many guns?

Dear readers,

In 2023, there were 77,813 outlets in the US where guns could be purchased legally. That is a number similar to the combined amount of McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, and Wendy’s restaurants in the entire US. In Mexico, on the other hand, there are only 2 centers for legally acquiring firearms, both administered by the Secretariat of National Defense. Still, the most conservative studies estimate there are 17 million firearms circulating illegally in Mexico, and the country’s Foreign Ministry calculated two million weapons were trafficked in the last decade. Weapons in Mexico have not only served to kill. Their most profound impact is that they have functioned as vectors for the expansion of criminal networks in the region, leaving the authorities facing a very different criminal problem than it did 15 years ago. (...).

This week we interviewed former U.S. vice-president AL Gore, who has become a leading figure in the struggle to combat the effects of climate change and a bête noir of the fossil fuel industry, which the Nobel laureate cites as being the main actor responsible for climate change and global warming. (...) […] We can’t destroy our home, we only have one and we have to protect it. We’re not going to get rocket ships and go to Mars.”

We also reported on a growing global phenomenon and one that has hit the Portuguese capital Lisbon particularly hard: over-tourism and the flight of local residents from city centers in the face of encroaching real estate investors. Lisbon has lost 30% of its population since 2013 and today 60% of properties in the city are tourist apartments. Last year, 700,000 cruise ship passengers descended on Lisbon, where long-standing business and cultural institutions are struggling to survive amid a sea of tuk-tuks and souvenir shops. (...)

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories.

You can also read:

• Trump could go to jail... and still be president
• ‘Back to Black’: Amy Winehouse, always back to black
• Lisbon, a city dying from its own success
• Taylor Swift, an undeniable goddess whose kingdom is better than her songs
• Distress can be deadly, especially if you’re a woman
• Mariángel Vargas, from migrant shelter to chess champion

Fechas convocatoria EXTRAORDINARIA Exámenes finales

Remember dates for finals (before SEPTEMBER, now JUNE):

C1: 12th June

C2: 18th June

Exams start at 16.30