CHRISTMAS SONGS

 

Christmas is coming soon but one doesn´t really feel like Christmas until

 you have sung some Christmas songs.

 

Here are some of the most popular. Let´s start with

Mariah Carey´All I Want for Christmas is You. 

 

 This is a special version which has become viral in just two days.

 

Mariah Carey, Adele, Lady Gaga and More Sing ‘All I Want for Christmas’ With James Corden

The video starts with inside the car with presents stacked in the back seat, Carey in the passenger seat and Corden, wearing an ugly holiday sweater, behind the wheel. The pop diva asks Corden to sing her song, which launches into a montage of top musicians including Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Adele. Elton John, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas also get in on the fun, as do Gwen Stefani, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

 

  



"All I Want For Christmas Is You"

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you, yeah.

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
And I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree

I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas Day

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You, baby

Oh, I won't ask for much this Christmas
I won't even wish for snow
And I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe

I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click

'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do?
Baby, all I want for Christmas is you
You, baby

Oh, all the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air

And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa, won't you bring me the one I really need?
Won't you please bring my baby to me?

Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door

Oh, I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby, all I want for Christmas is you
You, baby

All I want for Christmas is you, baby
All I want for Christmas is you, baby
All I want for Christmas is you, baby
All I want for Christmas is you, baby

We Are the World

 

We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by
 an American group of  Artists(USA) for Africa in 1985. It was written
 by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
 

"We're The World (USA For Africa)"

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We all are a part of God's great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need

[Chorus:]
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart so they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]

When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall
Well...well...well
Let's realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]

 

Christmas is All Around

 

This is a version of the song Love is All Around, sung in the romantic film

Love Actually. Here´s the video:

 

 

 

Michael Bublé 

It´s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

(This is one of my favourites!)

 

 

Christmas Vocabulary

Christmas Lessons

 

Ready to learn about British and American traditions? Let´s watch this slideshare and see their differences. There will be a Trivial Competion at the end.

 

      

MONDAY ASSIGNMENT 1º BTO B

1. Rephrase using Modal Verbs od Obligation, Prohibition, Absence of Obligation,
    Ability, Permission.
1. The students are not allowed to leave the classroom.
2. I would like to have the ability to speak many foreign languages.
3. It is not necessary to bring your parents’ permission.
4. When I was a child it wasn´t obligatory to wear a uniform at school.
5. I’m sure that this is Helen’s car. I can see her bag inside.
6. Would you mind lending me your pen?
7. In some years’ time it won’t be necessary to show your identity card.
8. I’m sure Karen is not a liar. She always tells the truth.
9. Do your parents let you use their car?
    Are ….
    Do your…..
    Do you have ...
10. Smoking is forbidden in all public places in Spain.
11. My car needs cleaning. I´ll take it tomorrow. You ...
12. Don´t take the CD without asking permission. You ...

 

2. Fill in the blanks with a Modal verb. There is more than one answer in some sentences.

1.- ……… I borrow your rubber, please? Yes, of course you ……………..

2.-My friend is getting married today, she ……………. feel very nervous.

3.-Next year I think you ……………… to translate any report into your own language.

4.-I ……………. swim quite well when I was five years old.

5.- Sonia …………………… practise so much if she wants to take part in the marathon.

6.- You ……………….. cook those vegetables because they have already cooked.

7.-The girl …………………… go to the studio for an audition.

8.- That diamond bracelet is very elegant but it ……………… cost a fortune.

9.-Look it has stopped raining. We ……………………. go for a walk in the country.

10.-Sheila didn’t go to work yesterday. She ………………….. be ill in bed.

11.- I’ve lost my keys. I ……….............. have dropped them when I went shopping.

12.-It’s prohibited to go into that building. You ……………………. go in.

13.-My dictionary isn’t in my schoolbag. I …………………….. have left it at home.

14.-The boy …………………….. help his parents in the farm during the last summer holidays.

15.-Look ! The lights are off so the library …….………………….. be closed.

Vocabulary for talking about studying II

Lectures, lessons and seminars:

As promised last time, this post continues the theme of study, and once again there are many differences between British and American English.

In the UK, the school year is divided into three periods, called terms. In the US, the school year can be divided into two periods, called semesters, or three periods, called trimesters. Many US universities have summer periods, so their year is divided into quarters. Students have a timetable(UK)/schedule (US) to tell them the times of their classes. To talk about what is taught in a particular subject area, we use the words syllabus or curriculum.

The person in charge of a school is called the headteacher in UK English and the principal in US English.

In a college or university, we use the word lecture for a lesson where a teacher speaks to many students in a large room called a lecture theatre (UK)/lecture hall (US). A lesson for a smaller group is often called a seminar, while a lesson with just one or two students is atutorial. In the US, a lesson for a group of students is called a class; the class can be a large lecture, a small seminar, or something in between. We often use the verb attend with these words:

I attended several of her lectures.

A person who teaches at a college or university is called a lecturer in the UK and a teacher or a professor in the US. In the UK, the title Professor is only used for the most senior lecturers.

If you study a subject such as history or literature, you will certainly have to write essays. In the UK, a longer piece of writing, often done as part of a college or university course, is a dissertation, while the written work for a PhD is a thesis. Confusingly, in the US it is the other way round – with US students writing a master’s thesis and a doctoral dissertation. When you do a piece of writing, you may start with a rough draft (a basic plan) and you may need to do some research to find the facts you need.

Remember to use the verb do (not ‘write’ or ‘make’) with homework, and also that the word ‘homework’ is uncountable – don’t put ‘a’ in front of it or try to make it plural!  Your teacher sets (UK)/assigns (US) your homework (tells you what to do), and you may have to hand it in (UK and US)/turn it in (US) (give it to the teacher) the next day.

When your teacher is talking, you may make notes (write some things down) in a notebook so that you will remember what was said. You may use a textbook in class, with information about the subject you are studying. For subjects such as languages, you do exercises to practise what you are learning. For maths (UK)/math (US), you may need toshow your workings (UK)/work (US) (write down how you reached the answer).

Finally, if you have an exam or a test (a small exam taken in class), you will need to revise (UK)/review (US) what you have learned, to check that you can remember it.

Vocabulary for talking about Studying

Words and phrases for talking about studying I

Almost everyone needs to talk about education now and then, so this blog post looks at some useful words and phrases connected with studying. It describes the most typical systems in the UK and the US, and explains some important differences between UK and US vocabulary.

The very youngest schoolchildren have a reception year in the UK and a kindergarten year in the US. After that, Brits talk about year 1, year 2, etc., while US children are in first grade, second grade, etc. The word grade is also used in US English to talk about scores in exams or written work. British English uses mark: He always gets good grades/marks.

In general, the UK has primary schools for ages 5-11 and secondary schools for ages 11-16, followed by sixth form colleges for ages 16-18. In the US, elementary schools teach grades 1-5 or 1-6, middle schools grades 6-8 or junior high schools grades 7-8, and high schools grades 9-12.

Even the use of the word school is different – for Brits, the question ‘Where did you go to school?’ refers only to primary or secondary school (i.e. up to the age of 18), whereas for North Americans, it can refer also to any form of higher education including colleges and universities.

Another thing to remember is that speakers of British English talk about people being at school/college, etc. (My daughter’s at school.), while in the US they are in school (We learned that in school.).

The word college is also used in slightly different ways. In the UK, it most often refers to a place where students study practical subjects and which is less academic than a university, although confusingly it can also mean a place which is part of a university, such as King’s College, Cambridge. In US English, college means a place where you study for a degree, which can be a two-year course at a community college or a four-year course at a larger college or university.

In British English, you go to university to do, take or get a degree. In American English, you go to college to get or earn a degree. Students studying for a first degree are undergraduates, while Master’s degree or PhD students are postgraduates in British English or graduate students in American English. In British English, the verb graduate is used only for degree students, but in the US, students also graduate from high school.

To talk about the subject you are studying, you can say you are studying French, physics, etc.; you can also say you are doing (UK English) or taking (US English) a subject instead. In US universities, where students often study a wide range of subjects, students who focus on one subject more than others say they are majoring in that subject.

When talking about exams, it is important to know which verbs to use. We say that we take an exam (in British English we can also say do an exam): I’m taking my French exam tomorrow. Be careful with the phrase pass an exam. This means to be successful, not simply to take an exam: He worked hard and passed all his exams. If you are not successful, you fail.

This blog post has focused on very general words and phrases; in my next post I will provide some language to talk about the experience of studying.

Writing a Story 1º Bto

Watch these two short films: Paperman and Signs. Choose ONE of them to WRITE A STORY.

Watch the one you have chosen again and don´t forget to take notes while you are watching it.

Reorder all the events and start writing! Which film did you like best?.

WRITING PLAN:

Paragraph 1:  Introduce the people, set the scene.
                       Give name to the people and the place.

Paragraphs 2 and 3: Say: When?, Where?

                                  What happened/was happening/had happened?

                                  How did they feel/were they feeling?

Paragraph 4: End  the story. Try to write an interesting last line with

                     a general comment on the story.

(Use Past Tenses, Used to or Would, some -ED/ -ING adjectives
Use an adverb at the beginning of a sentence like Surprisingly / Amazingly/ Luckily ...)



How Would you Like your Steak?

VOCABULARY: DEGREES OF DONENESS

 

On our last class we were dicussing about how to say when one can´t chew some kind of meat.

We usually say it is tough. Now , have a look at the picture above  to see  the different

degrees of doneness for meat (=punto de la carne).

 

 If you want to learn to cook the perfect steak, watch this video:
 

 

Past Habit: Used to // Would // Past Simple

When we talk about things that happened in the past but don’t happen anymore we can do it in different ways.

Used to + infinitive / didn´t use to +infinitive / did you use to +infinitive?

• We used to live in New York when I was a kid.
• There didn’t use to be a petrol station there. When was it built?
• What sports did you use to play when you were ten ?

We can use ‘used to’ to talk about past states ….

• I used to go swimming every Thursday when I was at school.
• I used to smoke but I gave up a few years ago.

… or we can use ‘used to’ to talk about repeated past actions

Remember that ‘used to’ is only for past states/actions that don’t happen now – we can’t use it for things that still happen now. Also, ‘used to + infinitive’ should not be confused with ‘be/get used to + ‘ing’ form’ – this is covered in a separate section.

Would

• Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.
• My teachers would always say “Sit down and shut up!”

We can use ‘would’ to talk about repeated past actions.

Often either ‘would’ or ‘used to’ is possible. Both of these sentences are possible.

• Every Saturday, I would go on a long bike ride.
• Every Saturday I used to go on a long bike ride.

However, only ‘used to’ is possible when we talk about past states.

• We used to live in New York when I was a kid.
• We would live in New York when I was a kid.

Past simple

• We went/used to go/would go to the same beach every summer.

We can use the past simple in the same way as ‘used to’ and ‘would’ to talk about repeated past actions.

• I had/used to have a dog called Charlie.

We can also use the past simple for past states.

• I went to Egypt in 1988.

However, if something happened only once we can’t use ‘used to’ or ‘would’ – we must use the past simple.

To talk about present habits we use the Present Simple and an adverb of frequency (usually, always, often, never, etc.)

I usually study at the library. 

Now watch this video about Childhood and complete the exercises:
 

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

TEST YOURSELF HERE (B2 LEVEL)

Exercise English Grammar

Live from London: Halloween | Onestopenglish

Live from London: Halloween | Onestopenglish: This video includes interviews with Londoners talking about Halloween.

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

Learn about this terrible event in the history of London and

PLAY A FUNNY GAME

at the end.

 

“Dad! Dad! Wake up! Something’s burning!”

 

       When Thomas Farriner, King Charles II’s baker, went to bed on the night of September 1, 1666, he forgot to put out the ovens.  Early the next morning, the wooden house caught fire, and by September 6, when they were finally extinguished, the flames had destroyed 80% of London.

Farriner’s maid was one of the surprisingly few (maybe only 6) people who died in the disaster, but the baker and his children escaped through a window. A month later, three members of the family were part of a jury that found a French watchmaker, Robert Hubert, guilty of deliberately starting the fire.  The poor man, whose confession was possibly made under torture, was not even in the country on September 2!

But, back to the bakery on Pudding Lane. Sparks jumped across the street and set fire to straw in the stables of the Star Inn, and the blaze really got out of control in nearby Thames Street, with its warehouses full of flammable materials (oil, coal, alcohol, candles).  Almost all the buildings in the city were made of wood – very dry after a long, hot summer – and a strong wind was blowing: the ingredients of a catastrophe.

This was the second catastrophe in the space of two years. In 1665 the Great Plague had killed around 100,000 people – or a quarter of London’s population. The king and his family had been criticised by some for escaping from the city during the epidemic, but now he stayed and organized the operation to fight the fire.  He ordered the firefighters to pull down buildings to create firebreaks, and was even seen with a bucket and spade, helping in the battle to save the capital.

   Eventually, the wind stopped blowing so hard and the fire, which had been visible          from 30   miles away, was out. By then it had destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, many public buildings, and St Paul’s Cathedral. The famous architect Sir Christopher Wren was given the job of re-building London and his most famous creation is the great cathedral, completed in 1711. The new city was cleaner and safer, with wider streets and buildings made of brick or stone instead of wood.

The Monument to the Great Fire of London, built between 1671 and 1677, 62m high, stands 62m from the point where the fire started. Another small monument in Smithfield, central London, marks the place where it was stopped. And in 1986, in an official ceremony, the city’s bakers apologised to the Mayor for their colleague’s carelessness 320 years earlier.

 

NOW, PLAY THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON GAME:

 

 

 

 

Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize in Literature

Congratulations to all Bob Dylan´s fans, including my husband!

ROALD DAHL 1º ESO

1.- LISTENING: ROALD DAHL´S LIFE 

 Audio file link: http://filecloud.io/sc439uoki    

2.- READING: ROALD DAHL´S LIFE

3.- READING: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

 

BASIC VERB PATTERNS: TO or -ING?

1) LIKES AND DISLIKES

    Like, hate, love, prefer, don't like, etc. > These verbs can take the:
          ~ Infinitive: for particular occasions
          ~ -ING : when talking in general

Ex:  I love being alone at home (in general)
        I love to be alone when I have to work.

Ex:  I like driving a lot but ...
       I don't like to drive during the rush hour.

# PREFER +  -ING  +   TO  +  -ING

Ex:  I prefer walking to cycling

# WOULD + these verbs + TO + INFINITIVE

Ex:   I would like to be a doctor one day.
        I would hate to spend Christmas alone.
        She would prefer to walk rather than drive.

#  ENJOY 
#  FANCY
#  WOULD / DON'T MIND          +  -ING
#  FEEL LIKE
#  CAN'T  STAND  
#  CAN' T RESIST
#  CAN´T HELP

 Ex:  Martha enjoys getting up very early on Saturdays
         Would you mind opening the window?
          I don' t mind doing the washing up.
          She can' t  stand trying on clothes.
          I can' t resist checking for text messages every few minutes.
          My sister can' t help biting her nails all the time.

BUT:  I can´t wait to see my best friend!

2) OTHER VERBS FOLLOWED BY -ING:
 
 -  detest, admit, look forward to, give up, suggest, involve, finish ...

EX., I´m looking forward to hearing from you.

        Sarah gave up smoking two years ago.

        We suggested going for a long walk.

*Negative form: Verb + NOT + -ING

Ex:  He admitted not paying for the ticket 

   - DO THE + -ING: mainly to talk about the housework
      Ex. Do the ironing/ shopping / hoovering / washing up...

   - GO + -ING: used for some sport activities.
      Ex: Go swimming / cycling / jogging / bungee jumping ...

3) VERBS FOLLOWED BY TO-INFINITIVE:
   Ex:      want        promise          wish            decide ...

                     agree       hope                refuse          offer ...

* Sometimes we can use an OBJECT between these verbs and the infinitive:

Ex: They want me to start work tomorrow.
      Sean asked the kids to help him with the preparations.


4) VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE OR -ING WITH A CHANGE OF MEANING:

 Ex: Remember to do / doing
        Forget to do / doing
        Try to do / doing                                       (See next Blog entry)
        Stop to do sth / doing sth
        Regret to do / doing

* Be careful!  All the verbs WITH  PREPOSITION must be followed by -ING.
   
    Ex: He gave up smoking many years ago.
          We are thinking about buying a new car.

Now, for more explanation, watch this Video-tutorial on the use of Gerunds, 

to-infinitives and Bare infinitives.

GRAMMAR BANK ANSWER KEYS  UNIT 1

Page 120
7 1 Poor Sam. He believes everything his step-sister tells him.
2 (Correct)
3 I’m enjoying the maths course, but I prefer chemistry.
4 Mike’s thinking about getting a motorbike.
5 (Correct)
6 Do you own a computer at the moment?

8 1 ’m thinking
2 don’t have / haven’t got 3 ’m working
4 hate
5 understand
6 owns
7 work
8 Do ... think
9 enjoy
10 don’t know 


9 1 ’ve rented
2 ’ve ... got
3 ’veimproved 4 has found
5 ’ve made
6 ’ve been
7 ’ve put
8 haven’t heard

10 1 Have you told everyone that it’s a surprise?
2 Jess hasn’t offered to help. 3 HowmanypeoplehasLuke
invited?
4 Sally and Amy have made some
decorations.
5 Have you bought enough food? 6 Sara and Fernando have created a
music playlist.
11 1 (Correct)
2 Has anyone arrived yet?
3 Wow! I’ve never seen you look so
glamorous!
4 (Correct)
5 What time did you get home?
6 My best friend and I have known
each other since 2008.
7 Did you see the Twilight film on TV
last night?
8 I’ve had this bike since I was fourteen 

Page 122
12 1 Sandrine has wanted to study in
Australia since she was young.
2 She’s been at the language college
for ten weeks.
3 The college has taught foreign
students since 2002.
4 Sandrine’s parents have emailed
her every day since she left home.
5 She has learnt a lot of English since she started.
6 She hasn’t spoken French for a long
time.

13 1 I’ve had my / a car since 2010.
2 Paul has played the guitar for five months.
3 I’ve lived / been in the UK since I was ten.
4 I haven’t seen Josh since June.
5 We’ve known each other for seven years.
6 Jake has had his / a motorbike for a long time. 

Page 123 
14 1 yet.  2 just 3 yet.  4 already 5 already 6 just

15 
1 ’ve just won
2 ’ve already had lunch
3 ’ve already read it / that book
4 ’ve already seen it / that film
5 haven’t finished it / my drink yet 6 ’ve just got tickets
16 
1 has grown
2 have downloaded 3 bought
4 Since
5 has become
6 prefer
7 like
8 already
9 are talking
10 hopes
11 has created 12 already
13 yet