Friday, 26 March 2010

Earth Song by Michael Jackson

What do you think Michael Jackson is trying to communicate with this song?

Songs of wars

Watch the video and note down all the dates you can listen to.

Distinction of minimal pairs (2)

We are going to work with two vowel sounds. Click on the links and listen to the difference in pronunciation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_7.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_3.shtml

A different vision of history

After watching the video, can you say the meaning of these words?

  1. Legions
  2. Invaded
  3. Casualties
  4. Fleet
  5. Retreat
  6. Hostages
  7. Assault
  8. Allies
  9. Surrender
  10. Defeated

Brainstorming

Leave a comment with all the words you can think of related to war.

Distinction of minimal pairs

Now, we are going to work with two vowel sounds. Click on the links to see the difference on pronunciation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_short_4.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/sounds/vowel_long_4.shtml

TURNING POINTS

In this unit we are going to work the following concepts:
  • The past perfect tense.
  • Construction of paragraphs.
  • Invasions.
  • Distinction of minimal pairs.

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Tube Map of London




Which line or lines do you have to take to go from
  • Victoria to Blackfriars?
  • Bayswater to Tottenham Court Road?
  • Covent Garden to Oxford Circus?
  • Queensway to Picadilly Circus?
  • St. Paul's to South Kensington?

London Underground

The London Underground is a public transport network, composed of electrified railways (that is, a metro system) that run underground in tunnels in central London and above ground in the city's suburbs. The oldest metropolitan underground network in the world, first operating in 1863, the London Underground is usually referred to as either simply "the Underground" by Londoners, or (more familiarly) as "the Tube".

Since 2003, the Tube has been part of Transport for London (TfL), which also schedules and lets contracts for the famous red double-decker buses. Previously London Transport was the holding company for London Underground.

There are currently 275 open stations and over 253 miles (408 km) of active lines, with three million passenger journeys made each day (927 million journeys made 1999-2000; there are a number of stations and tunnels now
closed).

Lines on the Underground can be classified into two types: sub-surface and deep level. The sub-surface lines were dug by the cut-and-cover method, with the tracks running about 5 metres below the surface. Trains on the sub-surface lines have the same loading gauge as British mainline trains.

The deep-level or "tube" lines, bored using a tunnelling shield, run about 20 metres below the surface (although this varies considerably), with each track running in a separate tunnel lined with cast-iron rings. These tunnels can have a diameter as small as 3.56m (11ft 8.25in) and the loading gauge is thus considerably smaller than on the sub-surface lines, though standard gauge track is used.

Lines of both types usually emerge onto the surface outside the central area, the exce
ptions being the Victoria Line which is in tunnel for its entire length save for a maintenance depot, and the Waterloo & City Line which, being very short, has no non-central part and no surface line.

Each station displays the Underground logo containing the station's name in place of the word "Underground", both at entrances to the station and repeatedly along the station walls so that they can easily be seen by passengers on arriving trains.

In addition, many stations' walls are decorated in tile motifs that are unique to the station, such as profiles of Sherlock Holmes' head at the Baker Street station or a cross containing a crown at the King's Cross station.


Questions about the text

1. The London Underground runs, as the name implies, all the time underground.

True.
False.
We don't know.

2. There are more than 275 stations.
True.
False.
We don't know.

3. The sub-surface lines run about
five metres below the surface.
fifteen metres below the surface.
twenty metres below the surface.

4. The Waterloo & City line is the longest in the system.
True.
False.
We don't know.

5. Baker Street station is decorated with profiles of Sherlock Holmes' head.
True.
False.
We don't know.

6. It is estimated that there are
927 million passengers per day.
1 million passengers per year.
3 million passengers per day.

A VISIT TO LONDON

In this unit we are going to work the following concepts:
  • The present perfect tense: for, since, already and yet.
  • Linking words.
  • London.
  • Distinction of minimal pairs.

English on the London Underground

Observation test: Below there are eight excerpts from the language you have just seen. Each one contains a mistake. Can you correct them?

  • Obstructing the doors can be fun
  • If you see a train being robbed, call the British transport police on 0800 40 50
  • Open / closed (beside the train door)
  • Dogs must be worn (on the scalator)
  • Stand on the left (on the scalator)
  • You are being watched
  • Lift flap and push button to start train
  • Take car after drinking alcohol

And finally, what are the missing words?

  • ___________ and tickets (above the ticket counter)
  • ___________ left
  • Priority seat for people who are ____________, ____________ or less able to stand.
  • Please __________ your bags with you at all times and report any unattended items or suspicious behaviour to a member of _____________
  • ___________ clear of the edges (on the escalator)
  • Take ___________ care of children (on the escalator)
  • Fire alarm / if you see __________ or __________ operate this fire alarm
  • __________ the gap
  • __________ out

Created by TEFLclips

London Hangman

Try to guess the names of the buildings you are looking at. I give you a clue, the number of letters.

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/wzDHWxKDY6aCsY