present perfect

Some lessons from om grammar which would be very good for studying and reviewing the present perfect and the past simple. If you still feel you need more practice here you can do some exercises:
exercise1
exercise2
exercise 3

CLOTHES

Unit 3B is about appearance and clothes. Why don't you start doing some exercises related to this unit at Xmas time and have some fun before coming back to class?
Go to this link and follow the instructions in this listening exercise.
Taken from elllo.org>
By the way, why don´t you watch this video and learn a new idiom related to the word cloth

Reading Comprehension

As you wanted to do some reading comprehension exercises similar to the one we saw in the last test, here you have one, the more you practise the easier it will be.

If You go away

Watch this beautiful video and do the exercise below

MODAL VERBS

As we have studied in unit 3 "must" and "have to" have a very similar meaning, though "have to" is more common for general, external obligations and "must" for specific or personal obligations.However, there is a huge difference in the negative forms.We use 'mustn't' to express strong obligations not to do something, and 'don't have to' to state that there is no obligation or necessity.
exercise 1
exercise 2

Reading Comprehension

Reading is a way of acquiring vocabulary and knowledge (as well as a practice for your tests) Practise with the following ones:
reading 1
reading 2
reading 3

CYCLING IN EUROPE

Now that we have just finished unit 2 it´s a great moment to practise some of the vocabulary we have studied. Watch the following video and do the exercise below

eating out

A reading comprehension exercise. this

junk food

Unit 1A is about food and eating out, you can practise the vocabulary related to this topic in this listening exercise
. Listen to the people and complete the gaps.

The recording is taken from ello.org,

what a final!

Did you see the match yesterday?We have to thank both players for giving us the best match ever. This is what Becker says about it:

Becker's verdict on men's final

I've never seen a final that was so nail-biting but the right player won and it signals a changing of the guard.

We were watching two of the greatest players to have played this beautiful game of tennis; Roger Federer, arguably the greatest player who's lived, against arguably the best player on clay who's ever lived.

By winning Sunday's final Rafael Nadal became the first person since Bjorn Bjorg to win Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year and whoever wins the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year is the best player in the world.

The rankings may still have Federer as number one but it's only a matter of time before Nadal takes over.

Losing to Nadal at Wimbledon is a serious blow to Roger. I'm convinced he can win Wimbledon again and I wouldn't be surprised if the two met again in a Wimbledon final because Roger is only 26 years old and Nadal is 22.

It was the best final I've seen, and I'm including the Bjorn Borg versus John McEnroe classic back in 1980 and some of Pete Sampras' finals in that.

Nadal played better throughout the whole five sets, while Federer only raised his level in the third set when he really needed to. The first two sets were one sided but from the third set on Federer played how I expected him to play from the very beginning, using his big serve and forehand.

In the first two sets Federer was timid, he wasn't sure whether he should come in or stay back, but then the match exceeded expectations and it was amazing to be part of it.

Federer wouldn't be Federer if he didn't come back with something amazing. Whenever he was down he'd come back with ace or the great forehand down the line. It was just amazing to watch.

Adapted from BBC news

A chicken soup story

Have you ever read a Chicken Soup for the Soul story? ("sopa de pollo para el alma") When I'm a little bit down I love reading these stories. They are true stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They are stories that open the heart and touch the soul of the readers. They are personal and often filled with emotion and drama. They make us feel more hopeful and better about life in general.

I'm sure you'll enjoy reading this one
Apadpted from 'I Will Always Love You'
A school principal finds that little children can be incredibly caring.
By Suzanne Perry, Ph.D.





Like most elementary schools, it was typical to have some students in and out of the health clinic throughout the day. We put ice for bumps and bruises((golpes y moretones), doses of sympathy and hugs(abrazos). As principal, my office was right next door to the clinic, so I often dropped in to lend a hand and help out with the hugs. I knew that for some kids, mine might be the only one they got all day.

One morning I was putting a Band-Aid on a little girl's knee. She has blonde hair and I noticed that she was shivering in her thin little sleeveless blouse. I found her a warm blouse and helped her pull it on. "Thanks for taking care of me," she told me as she climbed into my lap and snuggled up against me.

It wasn't long after that when I ran across an unfamiliar lump(bulto) under my arm. Cancer, had already invaded thirteen of my lymph nodes. I asked myself whether or not to tell the students about my diagnosis. The word cancer seemed so frightening. When it became evident that the children were going to find out one way or another, I decided to tell them myself.

It wasn't easy to get the words out, but the empathy and concern I saw in their faces as I explained it to them told me I had made the right decision. When I gave them a chance to ask questions, they mostly wanted to know how they could help. I told them that what I would like best would be their letters, pictures and prayers.

I stood by the gym door as the children solemnly filed out. My little blonde friend threw herself into my arms. Then she stepped back to look up into my face. "Don't be afraid, Dr. Perry," she said, "I know you'll be back because now it's our turn to take care of you."

No one could have ever done a better job. The kids sent me off to my first chemotherapy session with a hilarious(superdivertido) book of nausea remedies that they had written. A video of every class in the school singing get-well songs accompanied me to the next chemotherapy appointment. By the third visit, the nurses were waiting at the door to find out what I would bring next. It was a delicate music box that played "I Will Always Love You."

Even when I went into isolation at the hospital for a bone marrow transplant, the letters and pictures kept coming until they covered every wall of my room. Then the kids traced their hands onto colored paper, cut them out and glued them together to make a freestanding rainbow of helping hands. "I feel like I've stepped into Disneyland every time I walk into this room," my doctor laughed.

At long last I was well enough to return to work. As I headed up the road to the school, I was suddenly overcome by doubts. What if the kids have forgotten all about me? I wondered, What if they don't want a bald principal? What if.... "Welcome Back, Dr. Perry," it read. As I drew closer, everywhere I looked were pink ribbons--ribbons(lazos) in the windows, tied on the doorknobs, even up in the trees. The children and staff wore pink ribbons, too.

My blonde girl was first in line to greet me. "You're back, Dr. Perry, you're back!" she called. "See, I told you we'd take care of you!" As I hugged her tight, in the back of my mind I could hear my music box playing "I will always love you."

Two interesting videos on American family and culture.

Practising your English watching videos

The year has just finished and maybe you want to keep practising your English. This is a fabulous site where you can watch English videos with their transcript and translation. I hope you enjoy it