Inventions their creators regret

Read this article by The Guardian and do the suggested activities. If you want to read The Guardian's Monthly News Lessons, click. (Choose advanced ones) If you want to read Spanish News from The Guardian, click.

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 Tuesday with Tim 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)

Spanish News on The Guardian

On this page you will always find Spanish news from The Guardian.

Spanish news in The Guardian

If you want to follow Spanish news on The Guardian click here.

Death and Devastation in Spain

•  Spain flood death toll expected to rise as weather warning systems criticised (The Guardian)

Rescue workers are set to comb through debris in worst hit areas like Valencia, after at least 95 people were killed in deadliest floods in a generation.

•  What to Know About Spain’s Devastating Floods (The New York Times)

Dozens of people were killed after the downpour, which some residents said was the worst they had ever witnessed.

•  Spain battles deadliest flooding disaster in decades as death toll rises (BBC)

Spain is enduring its worst flooding disaster in decades with at least 95 people dead and dozens more missing after huge rains swept the eastern province of Valencia and beyond. Torrential rain on Tuesday triggered flash floods which swept away bridges and buildings and forced people to climb onto roofs or cling to trees to survive. President Pedro Sánchez has declared three days of national mourning as the wild conditions continue, restricting some rescue efforts. The death toll is feared to climb as "many people are still missing," the government says.

•  At least 95 people killed in flooding in Spain (El País)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has urged the public ‘not to let their guard down’ as the weather phenomenon continues to wreak havoc and dozens remain missing.

•  How sun-baked soil and an unusual weather phenomenon caused Spain’s deadly flash flooding (The Telegraph) 

‘Cold drop’ weather pattern in the autumn is becoming more extreme because of climate change, say experts.

Presidential Victory Speech Anotated

What Trump said and what he meant From The Guardian 

Alan Yuhas reads between the lines of the Republican president elect’s speech on the night of his victory over Hillary Clinton.

The Guardian: Morocco-Spain World Cup Last 16 Match Report

Morocco caused a seismic upset by knocking out Spain on penalties 3-0, after the game had finished goalless after 120 minutes

Spanish News in the UK & the US

UPDATED Spain news on The Guardian and The Washington Post
You can also read CNN view below on the right column!

Insectageddon

Which of these would you name as the world’s most pressing environmental issue? Climate breakdown, air pollution, water loss, plastic waste or urban expansion? My answer is none of the above.

Read the Guardian article INSECTAGEDDON about it. 

This might be a possible topic for a presentation...

Read the following Articles ... (III)

Article writing skills may be helped with article reading. The following are a selection of articles which I found interesting (the first one with my notes): vocabulary to learn in green; useful phrases in yellow. Hope you enjoy them:

Millennials are fattest generation  in history (The Times)
Good news at last: the world isn’t as horrific as you think (The Guardian)

Sweden: how cash became more trouble than it’s worth

Do this The Guardian-OneStopEnglish Activity:

Can you sleep well?

Read this article about sleep and western culture by Onestopenglish / The Guardian

Article on The Guardian about Mar Menor

Can Spain fix its worst ecological disaster by making a lagoon a legal person?

Murcia residents hope to protect the polluted Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, with a change in legal status

The Millennials not Using Social Media

Millennials (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y, abbreviated to Gen Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when the generation starts and ends; most researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to around 2000.

Read The Guardian Article about Millennials and Social Media

Screen Time

Do this activity from The Guardian Onestopenglish: Screen Time (KEY next week)

Today In Focus

Click if you want to hear TODAY IN FOCUS,

Click if you want to hear podcasts from The Guardian

Is modern life stealing our sleep?

It's estimated that, on average, we spend around 36 percent of our lives asleep - and with good reason. Our sleep plays a crucial role in how well our brains and bodies function when we're awake. But the modern world has plenty of ways to keep us from the rest we need, from electronic devices to the hours we work.

How modern life affects our sleep BBC Listening

Professor Vybarr Cregan-Reid, describes how the great move indoors to a more comfortable but sedentary experience was changing our feet, our faces and our backs. In this second series he considers how modern life has impacted on the whole body experience, specifically on our sleep, our height and our longevity.

More on the topic to read by The Guardian here.

The Weather

Let's start with some general words; then some collocations (both from CALD 3rd edition). We will carry on with a dazzling activity prepared by Javi (English EOI teacher). Finally, more vocabulary about Natural Disasters and a reading comprehension activity by The Guardian Weekly, key included ...... we may as well look on the bright side!!!

Cloze Activity + Key

If you want to do further practice on economy vocabulary do this cloze activity from a The Guardian article. It's old, but OK for language practice. KEY  here.

10 of the World's best Swimming Pools

Read this article from the Guardian and see whether you agree...