Stress Rules for SUFFIXES

Have a look at this document and use it as reference material

C1 Human Body & Mind

Find info on this BBC website, one of the most detailed sites you could ever hope to find on this topic. It includes some fantastic interactive games.

EL PAÍS News in English

The destruction of war
Dear readers,

Data compiled by the United Nations in the academic project 'Cost of War' indicate that more people are dying each day in Gaza than in Iraq, in Syria or in the first month of the war in Ukraine. It is difficult to find similar numbers in other recent conflicts.

Meanwhile, Kyiv started to issue new housing certificates for people whose homes were destroyed by the Russian offensive. We spoke with a couple, Liudmila and Gregori, whose story illustrates how war can suddenly take someone who had a good life and plunge them into the abyss.

Back in the U.S., only Donald Trump and Nikki Haley are left standing in the race for the Republican nomination after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis bowed out. We interviewed the acclaimed writer Naomi Klein about her new book and her thoughts on the state of American politics and society.

We hope you enjoy this selection of stories.

Thanks for reading

You can also read:

• Why we must break free from the powerful desire to go shopping — and how to do it
• Do you suffer from ‘Perfect Moment’ syndrome?
• 2024 Oscar nominations: For once, let’s talk about good cinema
• The Doomsday Clock places humanity 90 seconds away from the apocalypse

AaEoiCt Activities

The truth behind 10 of the biggest health beliefs

‘Eight hours’ sleep! And you must eat breakfast!’ Should we really be aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day, or drink two litres of water? 

By Joel Snape 4 January, 2023 © Guardian News and Media 2023 First published in The Guardian, 4/1/2023

Here are some widely held dietary and healthbased beliefs:

1. ‘Lifting weights will give you big muscles’
2. ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’
3. ‘You should walk 10,000 steps a day’
4. ‘You need eight hours of sleep’
5. ‘You should aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day’
6. ‘You need to drink two litres of water a day’
7. ‘A daily glass of wine is better than abstinence’
8. ‘Abdominal exercises will give you a six-pack’
9. ‘Dieting will slow your metabolism’
10. ‘Red meat is bad for you’

Be ready to talk about these issues next Thursday with Giovanni in class. Try to find some evidence (medical scientific data) to support --or not-- some of the points mentioned. 

• Do you actually do any of the mentioned points? 
• How far do you agree with them?
• Can you think of any other health belief not mentioned here?

We'll be reading the answers the author of this article gives and what science says now about these statements in class! (You can read the article on the blog next Friday)

Oral Mediation Activity

Your British neighbour read this computer graphics about Recomendaciones para el ahorro energético en el hogar durante el invierno and asked you to tell her the main ideas in it. She found it interesting, but she could not understand all the ideas. Send her a 3 min. WhatsApp audio message with the most relevant information.

C1 & C2 Listen to Documentaries BBC World Service

BBC OS Conversations on graduate unemployment

You can find this type of conversations on different topics on the right hand section DOCUMENTARIES BBC WORLD SERVICE

Laugh, Smile, ha ha ha!

If what you want is to be in high spirits and laugh in different ways, click here. 

Colloquial phrases related to Humour here. 

English Humour Infographic here.

By the way, why not write a joke (a good one if possible) in the comment section? ;-)

British Punctuation Marks

Find them here too.

Learn how to use them here.

EL PAÍS News in English

Trump lays down marker in Iowa

Dear readers,

After the results of the Iowa caucuses held this week, there is one question on the minds of Republicans, Democrats, and the American public: can anything prevent Donald Trump from winning the presidential nomination for another run at the White House? The former president was handed a landslide in the opening salvo of the Republican primaries, opening the probability that only the consolidation of a single candidacy can threaten his lead. (...).

With Israel facing accusations of genocide in Gaza, EL PAÍS sat down with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, to discuss the situation in the Strip and the prospects of a ceasefire stemming from South Africa’s petition to the International Court of Justice. Describing the Gaza war as the “monstrosity of our century,” Albanese is hopeful that the proceedings can lead to a cessation of hostilities, noting that 70% of the Palestinians killed in the Israeli assault are women and children. “And many more people are going to die due to the lack of medical care for the 60,000 injured. Palestinians are dying of cold and hunger and collectively we have no idea of how to react.”

The discovery this week of giant ice deposits on Mars — the combined volume of which is greater than all the fresh water on Earth contained in rivers and lakes and enough to fill the Red Sea — has raised the possibility that the resource could be tapped to facilitate future planetary exploration. The finding could also finally answer the question as to whether there was, or is, life on Mars. “When there is water, even water ice, life or evidence of past life is possible,” said Thomas Watters, a scientist at the Smithsonian Institution and main author of the study.

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

You can also read:

• The birth of Retro, a cloned monkey that presents the possibility of cloning humans
• Fentanyl, the portrait of a mass murderer
• How to prevent midlife loneliness from getting you down
• How to stay healthy during cold, flu and Covid-19 season

C2 Vocabulary

OPAL (Oxford Phrasal Academic Lexicon)

A set of four word lists for learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). These are the most important words to learn for writing and speaking academic English. Written words: 1200 words, divided into 12 sublists. Sublist 1 contains the most important academic words, with the next most important in sublist 2, and so on.
Spoken words: 600 words, divided into 10 sublists. Sublist 1 contains the most important academic words, with the next most important in sublist 2, and so on.
Written phrases: approximately 380 phrases, grouped by function, for example ‘specifying topics and relations between ideas’ (in terms of, in relation to, etc.)
Spoken phrases: approximately 260 phrases, grouped by function, for example ‘signposting and focusing in lectures/lessons’ (I was going to, I want to talk about, etc.)

The Oxford 3000 and Oxford 5000. The Most Important Words to Learn in English

C1 Vocabulary

The Oxford 5000 excluding Oxford 3000 (you are supposed to know ALL B2 vocabulary)

This list is for you to check which is C1 specific vocabulary, i.e. the words you have to use in your writing and speaking. 

The Oxford 3000 and Oxford 5000. The Most Important Words to Learn in English

IS or ARE?

Should you use 'is' or 'are' in these sentences?
Physics ________ a fascinating subject.
Either day ________ fine for me.
There ________ various spices and teas at the bazaar.

Think you got them all? Make sure you watch the video to find out!

 

Keep it on the pdf. document: IS or ARE?

British vs American English (Vocab)

C1 - C2 Hold on to your jobs, humans: The rise of the bots

Time: Approximately 90 minutes (plus extra time for writing task) Business topics: AI, worker rights, ethics.

Business language: Useful business vocabulary, collocations, language for expressing strong opinions. 

Activities: Discussing the future of AI in the workplace, key words, understanding the text, business language, discussion, expressing opinions, writing a manifesto

Key to Activities.

EL PAÍS in English

Dear readers,

Ecuador declared a state of emergency this week and President Daniel Noboa said the government is “at war” with criminal organizations after a wave of violence erupted in prisons and on the streets across the country. (...) The military has been deployed throughout Ecuador and in Guayaquil, a small army has been posted outside Noboa’s home. The president has said that the authorities will try to retake control, with blood and fire if necessary.

A new legal and diplomatic front was opened in Israel’s war against Hamas Thursday when South Africa presented a lawsuit at the United Nations International Court of Justice against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for allegedly violating the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. South Africa alleges that Israel has taken actions to destroy the Palestinian population that go beyond legitimate self-defense, (...)

Elsewhere, with the war in Ukraine approaching its third year, EL PAÍS sat down with Dmytro Kuleba to discuss talk of a ceasefire amid wavering Western support and a brutal war of attrition on the frontlines. “We do not have a plan B,” the foreign minister said of the blocked EU and U.S. funds for Kyiv, while expressing his optimism that they will eventually arrive. (...)

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

You can also read:

• The immense challenge of cancer vaccines: ‘There are promising results’
• Fentanyl, the portrait of a mass murderer
• Human Rights Watch’s analysis of the state of human rights: More repression and governments that ‘turn a blind eye’ to abuses
• Rotterdam, a cultural cradle for 2024

Talk about Martin Luther King Jr.

Word Stress

Have a look at this website Word Stress Rules (A Guide to Word and Sentence Stress Rules for English Learners and Teachers) and do the suggested activities.

Topics

Build your topic vocabulary with these mini-dictionaries, which are groups of words related to common subject areas. Choose a topic area from the list below to get started. (from Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

C2 Wanderlust

Check pronunciation and meaning of this beautiful word.

Confusing Words

ELPAÍS News in English

Dear readers,

Fears of an escalation of the war in Gaza intensified this week after the assassination of Hamas number two Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, an action that Israel is suspected of orchestrating. The Hezbollah militia, often described as Hamas’ big brother, has vowed revenge, raising international concern over the prospect of Lebanon being dragged into the conflict (...).

In Mexico, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) celebrated the 30th anniversary of its uprising in the south of the country. A series of ceremonies were held to commemorate the insurgency, which changed the face of Mexican history and survives to this day in the mountains of the Chiapas region, along with its own way of understanding politics, life, dignity, and freedom. (...) As if to underline the movement’s regeneration, the former Subcomandate Marcos, now insurgent captain and one of history’s most famous revolutionaries, made a low-key appearance at the event.

EL PAÍS spoke to philosopher Kohei Saito, a phenomenon in Japan who has sold 500,000 copies of Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto, in which he ties together Marxism and environmentalism. “We are in a chronic state of emergency. The pandemic was not the last crisis, but rather the beginning of more problems. We should not forget that moment [during lockdown] when, consciously, we halted capitalism. It seemed impossible. But it happened. For a short time,” the 36-year-old, who advocates a “degrowth communism,” said.

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

You can also read:

• Is it possible to teach happiness?
• Picasso passes the baton to Dalí
• The silent divorce: Why so many couples hide their separation
• Native American culture matters
• In 2024, billions of people will vote under the shadow of misinformation

The 3 Wise Men

Did you receive many presents?

Learn about the Biblical Magi on the Wikipedia.

30 Idioms. Write down the ones you did not know

Be Happy!

How to be Happy --the 5 golden rules.

New Year Superstitions KEY + more about traditions

1 year 2 money 3 setbacks 4 cupboards 5 doors 6 rubbish 

7 happiness 8 babies 9 sadness 10 wallet 11 debt 12 beliefs

The Stories Behind New Year’s Traditions Around The World

Quiz on traditions. 7 out of 7?

New Year Superstitions

Read the article and see how many super-stitions you already knew. 

Do you have any? 

Send them to the Comment Section!

EL PAÍS News in English

Dear readers,

As we head into the New Year, all eyes are on Donald Trump and the race to win the White House. The real estate magnate is the clear favorite to win the Republican Party’s nomination, but faced a setback this week, when Maine joined Colorado in banning him from running under the “disqualification clause.”

Meanwhile, in Gaza, the death toll has risen to more than 21,320, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Settler violence in the West Bank is also intensifying. EL PAÍS traveled to Tulkarem to speak with the relatives of six young men who were killed in an Israeli strike. “They stole our land, they turned us into refugees, and now they come here to kill us, what does Israel want?” said the aunt of four of the victims.

In other news, Argentina’s new far-right president, Javier Milei, has drafted an omnibus bill including 664 articles that fundamentally alter the roots of a good part of Argentina’s political, social and economic structure. If approved, protest organizers could face up to six years in prison.

And finally, we spoke to Colin Murdoch, from Google DeepMind, about the company's large language model Gemini and how artificial intelligence is accelerating scientific.

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

You can also read:

• The world is not getting worse, it’s getting better: 35 good news stories to start 2024 with optimism
• Why is it so hard to wake up on winter mornings?
• Will an artificial device be able to equal the intelligence of the human brain?
• Pura Muñoz, biologist: ‘It is possible to reverse aging, to go back in time’
• The best music albums of 2023