lunes, 23 de noviembre de 2015

LET'S READ...AND WRITE...AND TALK ABOUT THANKSGIVING 2015

 (Students in 4th ESO will write and speak about Thanksgiving Day in the next speaking and writing examinations, so get ready for it!! what are you waiting for?)

When is Thanksgiving 2015 and why does the US celebrate Turkey Day?

Roast turkey, candied yams, giant balloons and American football - what is Thanksgiving Day really all about?




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Email

How much do you know about Thanksgiving?


READING COMPREHENSION



Read the text and answer the following questions:
(gather: form a group, first aider: emergency medical assistance, chill: freezing, cold, giblets: viscera of a bird, melt: become liquid)
It was the Monday before Thanksgiving, Bobby Evans collapsed in a supermarket in Worcester, Massachusetts. Other customers gathered around and the first-aider was called. It did not look good for Bobby, there was blood coming out of his ear, his face looked white and he was unconscious.
The shop manager dialled 911 and when the medical team arrived the first thing they did was take off Bobby's hat, to everyone's amazement inside was a partially frozen turkey. What knocked Bobby down was the chill from turkey paralyzing his brain. The blood came from the giblets which had melted and fell over his hair and down into his ear.
As it was Thanksgiving the sympathetic manager took pity, and rather than prosecuting the shop-lifter, gave him the partly unfrozen bird and sent Bobby on his way. Two days later the manager got a letter from Bobby apologising for his behaviour and thanking the manager for his action. Also inside the envelope was $15, the price of his turkey.

  1. What was Bobby Evans doing in a supermarket?
  1. Why did Bobby have his face pale?
  1. Why was there blood coming out from Bobby's ear?
  1. Was Bobby a customer at the supermarket?
  2. Why did the manager show sympathy for Bobby?
 

 
WRITING


A) Write an email to a friend telling about what you have done for Thanksgiving (What have you eaten? How many people have gathered for Thanksgiving Day? How have you cooked the turkey? ... )


B) What's your opinion about the celebration of foreign festivities in Spain (Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday... )


The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899).
Click on the image to complete a test on how much you know about Thanksgiving














martes, 17 de noviembre de 2015

WRITING PRACTICE. 4ºESO.


WRITING



1. Write a title or a sentence for this image.
2. Describe his feelings.
3. Write your opinion about what has happened to him.


jueves, 12 de noviembre de 2015

LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUTUBE!! (4ºESO)


  • How often do you use YouTube?
  • Which is better: YouTube or TV? Why?
  • Why do some Yoube videos "go viral" (become very popular)?
  • When was the last time you watched YouTube?
  • Have you ever uploaded a video to Youtube? If 'yes', what was the video about?
  • Can watching YouTube improve your English?
  • Do you think YouTube will replace TV in the future? Why? Why not?
  • How did people spend their free time before the Internet?
  • Which is better: watching YouTube or reading a book? Why?
  • At what age should children start to watch YouTube?
  • Are you going to watch YouTube later today? Why? Why not?
  • How can people make money by uploading YouTube videos?
  • How old is YouTube?
  • Talk about an interesting Youtube video you have watched.

lunes, 9 de noviembre de 2015

Let's visit London on the Poppy Day!!!

Remembrance in London 2015

About

Each year in November, the United Kingdom remembers the men and women who gave their lives in the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts. 
11 November is known as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day or Poppy Day. From 2014 until 2018, this day takes on added significance as it marks the centenary of the First World War years.
During the First World War, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. In many parts of the world, people observe a two-minute silence at 11am on 11 November. Don't miss the special Silence in the Square event in Trafalgar Square led by The Royal British Legion, from 10am until 11.45am.

Remembrance Sunday Events

Remembrance Sunday is the second Sunday in November, the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Remembrance Sunday sees special events and services relating to remembrance. Remembrance Sunday is on 8 November in 2015.
On Remembrance Sunday, there'll be a Cenotaph Parade in Whitehall. The Cenotaph ceremony is organised annually by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, with The Royal British Legion coordinating the March Past.
There'll also be various concerts, church services and events in London on and around this date to mark Remembrance Day.

For more information on Remembrance or to make a donation, visit the British Legion website: britishlegion.org.uk
The parades and commemorations in London may result in road closures. For the latest travel news, see Transport for London's website: tfl.gov.uk
 

viernes, 6 de noviembre de 2015

BONFIRE NIGHT

 
 
 In November 1605 a group of men decided to make a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. The men were angry about the way the Catholic people were being treated in England. At this time the King of England was James the first. The plot is known as the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ and the leader of the plot was called Guy Fawkes. The men put 36 barrels of gunpowder in the Houses of Parliament and they waited for the King to open Parliament. Guy Fawkes was the man who was going to light the gunpowder and cause the explosion. However, police found the gunpowder before it could be exploded and they caught all the men involved in the plot. The men were tortured and killed.
 On November 5th British people remember the spectacular attempt t o blow up the Houses of Parliament by celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’. All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes which are burned on the fire. It’s normally quite cold on Bonfire Night so people wear warm clothes, hats , scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside. Traditional Bonfire Night food is jacket potatoes and toffee apples.
 
 

 DISCUSS THESE QUESTIONS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES:

  • Which festivals in your country remember historical events?

  • Do you have any festivals that are similar to Bonfire Night in your country?

  • When do you have firework displays in your country?

  • Do you think you like Bonfire Night? Why / why not?

  • Do you think festivals area good way to remember historical events?

miércoles, 4 de noviembre de 2015

50 IDIOMS ABOUT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Food, one of the necessities of life, figures often in traditional expressions. Fruits and vegetables, specifically, account for some of the most familiar idioms, including the following.

Fruit

1. To compare “apples and oranges” is to uselessly compare unlike things.  
2. The “apple of (one’s) eye” is a favorite or well-like person.  
3. To say that “the apple never falls far from the tree” is to suggest that a person’s personality traits are close to those of the person’s parents.  
4. “As American as apple pie” means that something is quintessentially representative of American culture or values.  
5. “(As) sure as God made little green apples” suggests certainty. 6–12. To be a “bad apple” or a “rotten apple” is to be a bad person. Meanwhile, to say that “one bad (or rotten) apple spoils the whole bunch (or barrel)” implies that one flawed element or person can undermine an effort or a group, and to be “rotten to the core” is to be thoroughly bad or worthless.  
13–14. “How do you like them apples?” (or “How about them apples?”) is a neutral or taunting comment, depending on the context, that refers to an undesirable state or situation.  
15–16. To “polish (one’s) apple” is to flatter someone; a flatterer is an “apple polisher.”  
17. To “upset the apple cart” is to ruin plans.  
18. A “banana republic” is a weak or corrupt country.  
19–20. A “second banana” is a subordinate, and the “top banana” is the leader.  
21–22. To “go bananas” is to become excited or crazed, and “to drive (someone) bananas” is to annoy or irritate someone.  
23. Something in “cherry condition” is excellently maintained or restored.  
24. To “cherry-pick” is to select carefully.  
25. “Life is a bowl of cherries” means that life is easy.  
26. To “not give a fig” is to be unconcerned.  
27. A “lemon” is a flawed or worthless item; the idiom often refers to a vehicle.  
28. “Melon” is sometimes used as slang for head or, vulgarly, for large breasts.  
29. To say that someone or something is a “peach” means that they are beautiful, excellent, or sweet.  
30. When everything is “peaches and cream,” life is going well.  
31. A “plum” assignment or job is a highly coveted one.  
32. One is said to have “sour grapes” when one belittles something one covets but cannot obtain.


Vegetables

33–36. To be “full of beans” is to talk nonsense, and to “not know beans” is to be ignorant or uninformed. To be “not worth a hill of beans” is to be worthless, and to “spill the beans” is to tell a secret. 37–38. To “dangle a carrot” before someone is to encourage them with an incentive, and the carrot in “carrot and stick” is an incentive or reward. (The stick is the punishment.) 

39. A “carrot top” is a red-haired person.  

40. Someone “as cool as a cucumber” is very self-possessed under pressure.  

41. To “pass an olive branch” is to make peaceful or reconciliatory overtures.  

42. A “pea-brained” person is stupid.  

43. Fog or something else very dense can be described as being “as thick as pea soup.” 

44. To be “like two peas in a pod” is to be very close with or similar to someone.  

45. To be “in a pickle” is to experience complication.  

46. A “couch potato” is someone who spends an excessive amount of time seated watching television or playing video games.  

47–48. A “hot potato” is a controversial or difficult issue, but to “drop (someone or something) like a hot potato” is to abandon the person or thing.  

49. Something that is “small potatoes” is insignificant. 

50. “Salad days” refers to the youthful period of one’s life.

 

Fruits and vegetables figure occasionally in figurative references to color, such as “beet red” (the color of embarrassment), or descriptions of specific hues, like “cherry red,” as well as other comparisons, including “pear shaped.” The words fruit and vegetable themselves appear occasionally in idiomatic phrases, including the following:



  • To “bear fruit” is to produce results.
  • “Forbidden fruit” is something attractive but not allowed.
  • The “fruits of one’s labors” are the results of the person’s efforts.
  • To “become a vegetable” is to be rendered physically disabled or to virtually cease physical activity.

Source: http://www.dailywritingtips.com
 

SHORT POEMS ABOUT FRUIT AND VEGGIES (2ºESO)

Use the following ideas to help you write short poems about fruit and vegetables

 

MELONHEAD BY TIM BURTON

 



INVENT A STORY WITH FRUIT OR VEGGIES AS MAIN CHARACTERS (2ºeso)


martes, 3 de noviembre de 2015

Advice on how to prepare food safely

Why should I eat fresh fruit and vegetables? 


Fresh fruit and vegetables are an important and necessary part of a healthy and nutritious diet. They provide many vitamins and minerals to help keep your body healthy.


What should I look for when buying fruit and vegetables? 

When shopping for fresh produce, avoid items that are bruised, damaged, mouldy, slimy or show signs of damage from insects.

When buying pre-cut fresh fruit and vegetables, avoid damaged items and open or torn packages. Make sure that the items are properly refrigerated (ie less than 5 degrees). Check use by dates on all packaging and make sure that you eat them before the due date.

Always keep fruit and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood. Blood and juice from raw foods could contaminate fruit and vegetables with bacteria.


How should I store my fruit and vegetables?


Fresh produce should be refrigerated as soon as possible after peeling or cutting. Leftover cut produce should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than four hours.

Prevent fruit and vegetables from coming into contact with raw meat, poultry and seafood. Make sure you keep fruit and vegetables in the crisper or on a shelf above these foods so there is no risk of blood and juice dripping onto fresh produce.


What should be refrigerated and what can be left at room temperature? 


Fruit and vegetables, in particular fresh cuts, should be kept in the refrigerator at less then 5 to maintain optimum freshness and ensure food safety.

Some vegetables and fruit do not require refrigeration, such as:

  • Bananas
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Potatoes
  • Pumpkins
  • Swedes and potatoes

The following vegetables and fruit can be kept at room temperature until ripe and then refrigerated:
  • Apricots
  • Avocados
  • Kiwifruit
  • Mangoes
  • Melons
  • Nectarines
  • Papaya
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Plums
  • Tomatoes

What can I do to minimise risk?


Wash all fruit and vegetables with cool tap water immediately before eating. Do not use soap water or detergent as this can affect the taste.

Scrub fruit and vegetables with hard surfaces (such as rock melons, oranges, potatoes and carrots) with a clean produce brush. Cut away bruised or damaged areas before eating.
How should I prepare my fruit and vegetables?

Cut away damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruit and vegetables, as bacteria can grow in these areas. Clean the knife when finished to avoid contaminating other food.

Use clean cutting boards and utensils when handling fresh fruit and vegetables to avoid cross contamination. Where possible, use a clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate board for raw meat, poultry and seafood.

Be sure to clean your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling fresh fruit and vegetables. Thoroughly wash all equipment and avoid using sponges or dish clothes as these are difficult to keep clean and may help spread bacteria.

Please Note: The information above has been provided by the NSW Food Authority, for further information on food safety or to download the "Safe Handling - fresh fruit & vegetables" fact sheet please visit www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au

Source:  http://www.freshforkids.com.au/

SHORT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES STORIES (2ºESO)

Create short stories about fruit and vegetables as in the following examples

F - Fun for everyone  
R - Really tasty 
U - Unreal! A whole stack of fruit  
I - It’s so healthy  
T - Tasty & healthy are the most important thing for everyone
V - Very Healthy  
E - Eat the lot  
G - Gobble them all up  
I - Interesting Vegies  
E - Every single one of them is so scrumptious  
S - So Sweet

Juicy Oranges

Oranges, oranges
oh so juicy oranges.
Nothing but like it but
cooling the body.
So eat up or drink
your very healthy juicy oranges
and stay healthy
all day long!


Pineapples

I have a pineapple that sits in a tree
Sitting there very gracefully
Full of vitamins and all things good
You should try one if you could
But when I came out to see
It wasn't there for me
I think that it looked so nice
Someone took it in a trice



The Orangey Story

One day Mr Orange, Mr Banana, Mrs Plum and Mrs Apple were cleaning the farm and feeding the animals.

It wasn’t an easy job. The chooks kept running around and squawking and the pigs put mud on Mrs Plum every time.

"Oh no, my beautiful dress. It’s covered with mud" Mrs Plum would always complain.

"Stop complaining. This is the farm’s way of life. Quit waiting and finish the work Mrs Plum", Mr Orange explained, "If you want to help, STOP COMPLAINING OKAY".

"Okay, okay" Mrs Plum would say.

One day the farm animals were making such a noise no one worked that day.

‘What a racquet!" Mrs Apple said.

Suddenly Mr Orange brought up a brilliant idea. "We could have a farm choir. I could teach the animals to sing!".

Mr Banana brought up a point. "But birds and animals don’t sing."

"So what. It will be so so cool" Mr Orange answered.

It took weeks and weeks to perform the Alleluia song, but finally it was perfect. That night Mrs Plum, Mrs Apple and Mr Banana came to the show. They all brought ear muffs just incase the noise became terrible. Suddenly the show started, so they all put on their ear muffs. But when they started singing, it was a miracle - they sang beautifully. Soon it was the end of the show. All of the fruits were clapping and screaming "hooray, hooray".

This year was very busy for Mr Orange who arranged the show.

WRITING AN OPINION ESSAY



Useful words giving your opinion

In my view; To my mind, In my opinion, As I see it,
I think that , I believe that , I have come to the conclusion that,
I would not say that ..., Therefore I cannot agree with ...,
I am doubtful whether / certain that ...
According to the text ...
It seems to me that ...
Another argument is that ...
As far as I am concerned, ....
One reason is that ...
I would say that ...
As we have seen, ...
As we know from ...., ...
For all these reasons I would support the view that ...
As a result ...
In short ...
With regard to ...
It is for this reason that I think ...
I am convinced that ...
I feel that ...

Another example of opinion essay

“The teenage years are the best years of your life”. Do you agree?
People often say that the teenage years are the best years of your life. However, I do not agree with the statement.
Firstly, most teenagers have little independence. They have to do what they are told by their parents and teachers. In addition, they usually do not have much money.
Secondly, teenagers may not have the responsibilities adults have, but they have other worries. Teenagers have a lot of pressure form exams, which can determine the rest of their life.
All in all, teenagers have a lot of fun, but I believe that the best years of your life come when you are a bit older, with a job, money and the freedom to do what your like.