Pronunciation of regular verbs in the past

Shopping

1. Listen for general meaning: Jo talks about shopping and famous brands, which of the sentences below is not true?

· Jo is keen on buying shoes. 

· She always has a favourite brand for particular products.

· She is reluctant to buy non-famous brands.

2. Listen for detail: listen again and choose the right answer.

1 Had Jo heard about Camper shoes before she bought a pair?

a) Yes, she had heard that they were very good.

b) Yes, but she had heard that they were not that good.

c) No, they were an unfamiliar brand

2 Camper is a ___________ brand.

a) Portuguese      b) Spanish     c) English

3 What does Jo NOT say about Camper shoes? They’re …

quirky     expensive      well made      different     fashionable      colourful       comfortable     good value for money

4 Jo’s favourite brand for a camera is…

a) Nikon     b) Sony    c) Olympus    d) She doesn’t say

5 Choose the correct sentence:

a) Jo was given the camera and she used it immediately

b) Jo was given the camera and she didn’t use it for some time

c) Jo bought the camera herself and she used it immediately

6 What does Joe NOT say about Braun or Morphy Richards?

a) They’re famous      b) They’re reliable      c) They’re well-made

7 What do you think influences Jo the most when she goes shopping?

a) What her friends say    b) Advertising       c) The price

8 Why doesn’t she buy non-famous brands?

a) She thinks they’ll be unreliable 

b) She doesn’t like the funny names 

c) She can’t help only trusting famous brands

To check the answers click here.

Bill Gates' house

Watch this video of Bill Gates's house and choose the right answer.

1. Bill Gates's house design is
a) typical of the area        b) typical of the US      c) typical of warmer countries
2. The house includes innovations which
a) you can find in many houses now      b) you will find in houses in the future   c) you could find in houses in the future
3. The house is placed on a hill
a) to save energy       b) because of the views     c) to save energy and because of the views
4. The house is made of
a) recycled wood       b) recycled glass        c) recycled stone
5. On the west you can see
a) a river            b) a forest           c) some mountains
6. A special pin
a) controls the electronic services of the house     b) helps to locate a person in the house      c) is used to identify the tastes of its wearer
7. When someone calls
a) all the phones in the house ring     b) the house lets you know     c) only you hear the phone
8. The living space areas
a) are large       b) are modest        c) are medium-sized
9. There is a large video screen
a) in every room      b) in the library       c) in one of the pavilions

Select the following lines to see the answers: 1a, 2c, 3c, 4a, 5c, 6c, 7c, 8b, 9c

Taken from: http://improvingenglishforeoi.blogspot.com.es/search/label/Housing

Cinema and politics

Listen to part of a lecture about cinema and politics and decide if these statements are True or False.

1. The lecturer defines political films as films made about politicians.

2. Hotel Rwanda made people aware of what was happening in Rwanda.

3. Very few political films were made in the 1970s.

4. In the 1940s and 1950s American film studios completely avoided showing social problems.

5. The lecturer mentions two films by Richard Attenborough.

6. The film Malcolm X came out in the 2000s.

To check the answers select this line: 1 F, 2 T, 3 F, 4 F, 5 T, 6 F

Appearance

1. Listen for general meaning: Listen to the whole podcast and answer these two questions. 

a Does Joe have just one, a few or lots of tattoos? 

b Where does Joe say is the most painful place to have a tattoo? 

2 Listen for understanding: listen again and decide which of these statements are true. 

a Joe is married 

b He chose the designs from a tattoo shop 

c He wears lots of jewellery 

d All his tattoos are very colourful 

e The price of a tattoo depends on how many colours there are 

f He’s not going to have any more tattoos

Select the following lines to check the answers:

1 a He has lots of tattoos

   b The feet
2 a Joe is married

   d All his tattoos are very colourful

   f He’s not going to have any more tattoos

The best job

Watch the video “The best job in the world” and say if the following statements are true or false.

1. The campaign started with local advertising.

2. They are looking for an island babysitter.

3. They offer a 6 month contract.

4. The pay is 75,000 dollars.

5. The chosen person would have to explore the island.

6. This job was created in order to promote tourism.

7. The job also involves visiting holiday resorts.

8. There is a minimum age requirement.

9. The only problem will be getting rid of tourists.

10. To apply you have to send a 60 seconds video.

11. The area is considered the 7th world wonder.

12. You can send in applications until February 2011.

Answers: 1F, 2F, 3T, 4F, 5F, 6T, 7T, 8F, 9F, 10T, 11F, 12F

Taken from: http://improvingenglishforeoi.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/2nd-intermediate-best-job-in-world.html

Education

Listen to four teenagers talking about their schools. Fill in the chart with as much information as possible.

To check the answers click here.

	Type of school	Doesn’t like	enjoys
Sophie
Jack
Ryan
Louise

British education vs American education

Education in Great Britain

Education in the USA

Relationships

Listen and answer the following questions:
1. Complete this sentence to describe Sandra’s ideal partner.
Someone who doesn’t cause her any _________________, that she doesn’t have to ________________ and who makes her _________________.

2. Does Sandra believe that couples can be happy together?
a) Yes, they can – all the time
b) Yes, they can – some of the time
c) Not really, there are too many bad experiences.

3. According to Jackie, what percentage of marriages ends in divorce in Britain?

4. Why does Sandra think relationships break down?
a) Too much pressure from parents
b) Too much expectation
c) Too many different feelings

5. Hollywood films are more / less likely to have a happy ending than non-Hollywood films.

6. Where does Sandra think you’re more likely to see unrealistic images of a relationship?
a) In magazines
b) In films
c) On TV

7. Which image would Sandra blame for making people unhappy?
a) A woman crying because her boyfriend has left her
b) A man shouting angrily at his girlfriend
c) A handsome man giving his beautiful girlfriend a bunch of roses

8. Why is Jackie worried about the word “ideal”?
a) Because there’s no such thing as an ideal partner
b) Because it means perfect and that’s unrealistic
c) Because it means less than perfect

To check the answers click here.

Sports vocabulary

How many names of sports can you say in English? Do you know how it is called the place where they are practised or the equipment you need? If you want to know this and more, visit this link.

Biking the Big Apple

You’re going to hear an article about cycling in New York. Fill in the gaps, in BLOCK CAPITALS, with one or two words.

a) In spite of the _________of life, New York is a good place to go cycling.

b) There are fewer accidents here because NY drivers have become more ________of the increasing number of cyclists.

c) According to Jesse McDonough, NY city has improved its system of  __________

d) Manhattan has to increase the number of bike lanes and public transport so that it can ____________

with the with the additional traffic.

e) Bike the Big Apple Tours offers visitors a  __________ view of view of the city’s people and culture.

f) Cycling through New York is quite easy because it’s _____________

g) Cyclists don’t have to be very fit because the  ___________ is only six km. an hour.

h) Riders range from all age groups, from young children to ___________

i) On these guided tours, you get to know the fascinating history of the Big Apple and all its __________

To check the answers, click here.

Cultural differences

Watch the video and say who speaks about what.

1. About food              _______________      _______________
2. Traffic conventions _______________
3. Social conventions  _______________
4. Shopping centres    _______________
5. School activities     _______________
6. Units of measure    _______________

Select the following lines to see the answers: 1. Christian and Jordan, 2. Jordan, 3. Jaime, 4. Christian, 5. Jorgen, 6. Christian

French words used in English

Last week we learned a couple of French words used in English, fiancé and fiancée. Watch the video and learn more French words that are common in English.

Superjam set to make a teenager millionaire

Watch the video about a Scottish teenager who has created an international business from his Gran's jam recipe. Then, choose the right answer. 

1. How did Fraser learn how to make jam?
a. His parents taught him.      b. His grandmother taught him.       c. He taught himself
2. Where did Fraser NOT sell his jam?
a. in factories                  b. at church fairs              c. at farmers’ markets
3. Where is Fraser’s jam produced now?
a. in his parents’ house    b. in his gran’s house       c. in a factory
4. What is special about Fraser's jam?
a. It’s from Scotland       b. It has grape juice in it   c. It’s made in a factory
5. Fraser's father wants him to ________.
a. succeed                b. retire                c. move out of the house
6. Fraser would like to start selling his jam in ________.
a. Britain                 b. the USA              c. his neighbourhood

Now watch the video again and fill in the blanks with the correct numbers in the box.

14

half a million

19

1000

a few dozen

2009

1. Fraser started making jam when he was ______________ years old.
2. When Fraser was making jam in his parents' kitchen, he could only cook ______________ jars of jam at a time.
3. Now that Fraser's jam is made in a factory, over ______________ jars of SuperJam are produced every year.
4. Fraser's jam is sold at almost _______________ supermarkets in Britain.
5. In ________________, Fraser hoped to sell his jam in America.
6. Fraser's accomplishments are impressive for someone who is only ________________ years old.

If you want to check the answers click here.

10 common sentences to speak on the phone

Canadians and Americans

Listen to Mike comparing Canadians and Americans and choose the right answer.
1. How many Canadians does Mike work with?
a. None                     b. One                       c. Two
2. What nationalities does he think are similar?
a. Americans-Canadians  b. Canadians-The British   c. The British-Americans
3. What does he say about Canadians?
a. They are more humble  b. They are less humble   c. They are not humble
4. Who likes to argue and debate?
a. Canadians              b. Americans            c. Both
5. What word does he use to describe Canadians?
a. Conservative          b. Liberal                  c. Businesslike

Answers (select this line to see them): 1a, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5b

Transportation in NY

Watch the video about transportation in NY and choose the right answer.


1. New Yorkers want transportation which is
    a. cheap and comfortable
    b. fast and sustainable
    c. reliable and effective
2. Traffic jams make people
    a. be less effective
    b. get angry
    c. lose time
3. Traffic congestions make the city spend money on
    a. improving the economic productivity
    b. repairing the roads
    c. taking care of the environmental pollution
4. PlaNYC tries to
    a. find environmentally friendly solutions
    b. improve the recycling system
    c. solve New Yorkers’ job problems
5. The bus service has improved thanks to
    a. more frequent buses
    b. new bus lanes
    c. reduced prices
6. In the Bronx
    a. buses are 13% faster
    b. more people use buses
    c. there are more buses than in the 1st and 2nd avenues
7. Millions of New Yorkers
    a. don’t use any network
    b. use the bus
    c. use the subway
8. Bicycle users
    a. are safer now
    b. have 200 miles of bike lanes
    c. have a bike sharing service in the centre
9. Taxis and buses
    a. use green energies
    b. will cost the city less
    c. will pollute less

Answers (select this line to see them): 1c, 2c, 3b, 4a, 5b, 6b, 7b, 8a, 9c

On the road

If you want to learn some vocabulary related to driving, visit this link.

Despite / in spite of / although

In spite of, despite and although are all used to show a contrast but there are differences in the structures used with them. Have a look at this link to know how to use them appropriately. An exercise is included so that you can practise.

Especially or specially?

Don't  you know when to use one or the other? Have a look at this entry of the Oxford Dictionary. It may fill in a few blanks.