One last tip

As for the WRITING, if you know your grammar and your vocabulary, and you do some extra reading, then you should be OK. Remember, grammar is 5 points out of 10, vocabulary is 3, and reading is what makes your writing flow.
GOOD LUCK in September!
Have a nice summer!

SUMMER READERS

Those of you who have failed the Reading part or who are interested in reading some books in English, here are some books I have enjoyed reading in English:

Any book by NICK HORNBY:

• High Fidelity
• About a Boy
• How to Be Good
• A Long Way Down
• Slam

The two books by KHALED HOSSEINI:

• A thousand splendid suns
• The kite runner

The two books by MARK HADDON:

• The curious incident of the dog in the night-time
• A spot of bother

You can start with these but please let me know if you want some other titles.

Summer Revision PART 3: SPEAKING

If you have failed the speaking part, my best piece of advice would be: Go abroad!, travel to the remotest part of an English-speaking country where you can find NO Spaniards. However, as this isn't always possible, then you should find a way to speak English while in Málaga over the summer: have a linguistic exchange with a native English speaker or hire a private teacher.

If your problem is pronunciation, then you can also do some work on your own with the method published by Cambridge English Pronunciation in Use. There are several levels ranging from the elementary up to the advanced, although you should be OK with the intermediate.

If your main weakness is fluency, there is a very good method called Streaming Speech, although I must say it is rather expensive. You can buy the book and CD-rom or you can do an online course. Have a look at the web page, do some demos and decide if it's really worth it:

http://www.speechinaction.com/index.htm

http://speechinaction.fab242.net/v3/streamingspeech.htm

Summer Revision PART 2: LISTENING

If you have failed the LISTENING part, then find in the Archive the two entries with listening links that I posted last term and go there for practice. If you find any other interesting links on the internet with listening practice, please email them to me so I can blog them.

Also, you should be listening to the radio in English at all times. You are lucky to live in Málaga where there are so many English radio stations to be tuned. Here are some:

• OCI (ONDA CERO INTERNATIONAL) - 101.6FM & 98.4 FM
• REM.FM - 104.8FM & 91.9FM
• SPECTRUM FM - 105.5FM
• WAVE 96 FM - 96.0FM
• ACE FM 106.8FM
• CENTRAL FM - 98.6FM & 103.8FM
• COASTLINE FM - 97.6FM (WEST) 93.3FM(EAST)
• GLOBAL RADIO - 96.5FM
• RADIO MIJAS - 107.7FM

Any First Certificate Listening course will provide you with the necessary exam practice. There are a lot of them which you can find in any bookshop that has a section for English as a Foreign Language. Cambridge, of course, is the leading publisher in this field.

Finally, if you happen to have an i-pod and are used to downloading podcasts with i-tunes, there are many interesting ones on learning English. You can start with some of those offered by the BBC, such as:

• 6-minute English http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/144_6minute/
• Grammar Challenge http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/gc/
• or Talk about English http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/tae/

SUMMER REVISION Part 1: USE OF ENGLISH

This is an entry to give you some hints on how and what to revise for those of you who have to re-sit some parts of the exam in September.

First of all, don't leave it until the last minute. If you have failed one or several of the skills involved, it means your competence is below the right level, which means you need to work hard if you want it to be right for the level in two months' time.

If you have failed the USE OF ENGLISH part, then you have to actually sit down and do some studying. Remember it involves both grammar and vocabulary. Revise the language points in the Student's Book, the vocabulary builders at the end of the book, the reading texts for new items of vocabulary and prepositions, the grammar checks and word lists I regularly sent to you by e-mail, and do the tests in the photocopy pack. The key to these is still online and will be all through the summer. Check the Archive. Also, do the exercises in the Workbook. If you think you have time to do some further practice, then here are some books I'd recommend, but don't do any extension before doing revision.












Advanced Language Practice: With Key
Michael Vince

MACMILLAN












Advanced Grammar in Use with Answers
Martin Hewings
CAMBRIDGE
* The Intermediate is also good for some of the language points of the syllabus.



















English Vocabulary in Use Upper-Intermediate
Michael McCarthy
Felicity O'Dell
CAMBRIDGE






























English Phrasal Verbs in Use
by the same authors and the same publisher as the one above

Phrasal Verbs Workbook

COLLINS COBUILD

Phrasal verbs

Follow the link below to do some practice on phrasal verbs.

'Face up to Phrasals'? What's it all about?
Phrasal verbs are quick, easy and fun with Face up to Phrasals! Follow the adventures of Fred, Betty, Daisy, Amanda and the rest of the gang - and learn about a new phrasal verb with every episode!

MARKS JUNE 2008

You can find your marks by clicking on the link below

http://www.webaplaza.com/notas/year4june2008.htm

Key to LIKE versus AS

1 3 like her mother
4 people like him
5 OK
6 like most of his friends
7 like talking to the wall
8 OK
9 OK
10 OK
11 like a bomb exploding
12 like a fish

2 2 like blocks of cie
3 like a beginner
4 as a tourist gudie
5 like a church
6 as a birthday present
7 like winter
8 like a child

3 2 like 3 as 4 like 5 like 6 as/like 7 like 8 as 9 as 10 like 11 like 12 as 13 as
14 like 15 as 16 as 17 like 18 as/like

PHRASAL VERBS

As some of you are asking me for further practice on Phrasal Verbs, you can find as from today some exercises with key in the photocopy room in the school.
Also, you should revise:

• the vocabulary builder on Phrasal Verbs at the end of your Student's Book, page 127;
• the Remember phrasal verbs in context box at the end of File C in each unit in your SB;
• also, please note that there is an exercise on the most common phrasal verbs at the end of the photocopy pack .
  

GERUND OR INFINITIVE (WITH /WITHOUT TO)

This is the KEY to the exercises on ING versus INFINITIVE which was handed out in class when we were doing File 6A and which I didn't have time to do with all the groups. Those of you who still haven't got a copy might be able to find one in the EXTRA PHOTOCOPIES box in the classroom.

1 to ride, to do, coming, to come

2 spending, earning

3 being, to apologize

4 to eat (adj + to infinitive)

5 working, spending

6 looking (keep = continue), being (prep + gerund)

7 posting (past action)

8 to lock (future action), go (had better + bare infinitive), do

9 to learn, saying

10 trying, to interrupt (attempt), to wait, talking (stop + gerund = cease)

11 doing, to move (think right) / moving (in a general sense)

12 to leave (think right), to go

13 to drink

14 being, to wait

15 trying, to make, adding (experiment)

16 going, stay (would rather + bare infinitive)

17 to look (tell + obj + to infinitive), (to) take, to look, to do

18 getting, walking

19 listening (enjoy it), listening

20 to make / making (no difference), to see (purpose)

21 doing

22 to put, to prevent (purpose), climbing (prevent + gerund)

23 taking, to eat (purpose)

24 ringing up (keep = continue), asking, to do (wh- word + to infinitive)

25 waiting, to clear, to set out

26 repeat (make + obj + bare infinitive), to make (purpose), to do

27 leaving, sending, to tow

28 borrowing, asking, to do

29 to offend (mean + to infinitive = intention), annoying

30 to be able, to tell, gazing

31 gobbling

32 to see

KEY TEST 4 Files 1 to 7

TEST 4 covers FILES 1 to 7. You can find it in the Photocopy Pack. You should use it as a test to find out how well you have assimilated the language of the preceding files.
BEFORE the test, you should revise the Grammar Summaries, the Build your Vocabulary sections, the Vocabulary Builders and the pronunciations exercises throughout files 1 to 7.
The marks for each part are indicated under the heading. The test has a total of 100 marks. You should do it individually for homework but pretend you are doing it "under exam conditions".


Below you can find the tapescript of the LISTENING part together with the KEY to ALL parts of the test.

File 7C

FILE 7 Check your Progress

You should do Check your Progress 7 on page 117 in your Student's Book as a mini-test for homework and self-correct it with the key below. Find out your score out of 50 and see which areas are still causing problems. Then go back and revise.

More listening practice

A classmate of yours recommended visiting the following link, which looks (and sounds...) great!, for listening practice. Go and check:

http://www.elllo.org/

What is elllo? ELLLO is a free online listening resource of over 1,000 listening activities designed especially for ESL and EFL students and teachers. Most listening activities include images, an interactive quiz, transcript of the audio and downloadable MP3.

BARBIE her secret story

The Lily doll was NOT named after Rolf Hausser's wife because it was Beuthin who first named the character, so it was just a coincidence that Hausser's wife's name was also Lily!!

EXAM DATES

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY GROUPS

Friday 30 May SPEAKING [ROOM 11]
Monday 2 June USE OF ENGLISH + WRITING
Wednesday 4 June LISTENING + READING


TUESDAY-THURSDAY GROUPS

Friday 6 June SPEAKING [ROOM 28]
Tuesday 3 June USE OF ENGLISH + WRITING
Thursday 5 June LISTENING + READING

REVISION OF EXAMS MONDAY 9 JUNE

TT1730 1730 [Room 28]
MW1730 1830 [Room 11]
TT 1930 1930 [Room 11]
MW 1930 2030 [Room 11]

You should contact your teacher to arrange the time of your speaking test. Also, oral exams are in pairs: if you don't have a partner, make sure you contact your teacher and she'll find you one.

KEY TEST 3 Files 5 and 6

TEST 3 covers FILES 5 and 6. You can find it in the Photocopy Pack. You should use it as a test to find out how well you have assimilated the language of the preceding files.
BEFORE the test, you should revise the Grammar Summaries, the Build your Vocabulary sections, the Vocabulary Builders and the pronunciations exercises throughout files 5 and 6.
The marks for each part are indicated under the heading. The test has a total of 100 marks. You should do it individually for homework but pretend you are doing it "under exam conditions".

The LISTENING part will be done in class if time allows. In any case, you can find the tapescript below together with the KEY to ALL parts of the test.

File 6C

FILE 6 Check your Progress

You should do Check your Progress 6 on page 101 in your Student's Book as a mini-test for homework and self-correct it with the key below. Find out your score out of 50 and see which areas are still causing problems. Then go back and revise.

FILE 6C Web Guide
To further practise Clauses of Contrast and TOYS vocabulary, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Clauses of Contrast

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/contrast01.html

http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eap/contrastclauses.htm

Barbie and Ken are splitting!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4250262/

History of Toys

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/category/toys.htm

History of Toys and Games

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/toys/

Timeline of Toy and Games

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/toys/timeline.html

Listen and watch the following youtube videos:

George Harrison Something
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNsvYHiNK9k

Eric Clapton Layla

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2sfelvHAlU&mode=related&search=

Eric Clapton Wonderful Tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITXDpIqKA2E

LISTENING PRACTICE

Some of you asked me for pages online where you can do some listening practice. Here are some interesting links for you to follow:

• INTERESTING THINGS FOR ESL STUDENTS Listening

http://www.manythings.org/e/listening.html

• BBC LEARNING ENGLISH Watch and Listen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/

• EXAM ENGLISH Free practice tests for learners of English

http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fcelistening.htm

• LISTENING PRACTICE ON THE WEB This page has a menu of Listening practice exercises on the Web

http://www.stclaresenglish.net/listening.htm

If you happen to find any others that might be interesting for your classmates, please email the links to me so I can blog them.

TO TELL THE TRUTH, IT'S HARD TO SPOT A LIAR

The text you find in your Student's Book on page 93 (which you'll have to do for homework) has been adapted from THE NEW YORK TIMES. If you're interested in reading the original version, click here.

File 6B

FILE 6B Web Guide
To further practise Reported Speech, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

http://english-zone.com/verbs/indirect1.html

.

http://www.eslpartyland.com/quiz%20center/rptspeech1.htm

http://esl.about.com/library/lessons/blrepspeech.htm

.

http://www.lingolex.com/indirecto.shtml

.

Reporting statements

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/9901/tm-reported1.html

.

Reporting questions

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/9807/lm-reported.html

MAY calendar

Please NOTE

• NO LISTENING PRACTICE on MAY the 16th as the TUES/THURS groups have to make up for the class they'll miss on Thursday the 1st. So on Friday the 16th we'll have a "normal" class.
• NO CLASS at all on Thursday the 29th as there is a B1 examination in the school and all classrooms will be used to that purpose.
• On Wednesday the 28th May, I'll be doing LISTENING PRACTICE in class with the MON/WED groups both at 1730 and 1930 in Room 11. ALL students are welcome.

KEY to CRIME & PUNISHMENT

File 6A

FILE 6 Word list and Grammar Check
Today I have e-mailed to the students subscribed to the mailing list the word list and the grammar check for FILE 6.

FILE 6AWeb Guide
To further practise the verb tenses and the vocabulary of File 6A, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Crime

FBI 10 Most Wanted Criminals

http://www.fbi.gov/

Gerund or Infinitive?

Gerund or Infinitive 1

http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/gerinf1.php

http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/gerinf1.swf

.

Gerund or Infinitive 3

http://eslus.com/LESSONS/GRAMMAR/GERUNINF/Gramb.htm

KEY to Reading Texts

A Multilingual Internet?
1F 2H 3D 4C 5E 6G 7A
1b 2b 3a 4a 5b 6b

Theatre for the Deaf
1C 2D 3A 4B 5A 6B 7A

Happy?
1F 2B 3A 4E 5C 6H 7D

Pythagoras
1D 2F 3C 4G 5H 6A

Why don't you get a proper job?
1B 2H 3E 4G 5A 6F 7C

Great British Jobs
1C 2F 3D 4B 5E 6F 7E 8D 9C 10B 11F 12A 13D 14B

Going Underground
1F 2G 3B 4C 5A 6E 7D
leisurely=unhurriedly
massive=gigantic
virtually=almost
ample=more than enough
estimate=calculate approximately
inhabitants=residents
methods=practices
costs=expenses

Make your Home Greener
1C 2C 3A 4B 5B 6C 7D

Reality Show Fever
1A 2F 3A 4D 5F 6B 7C 8C 9E 10F 11E 12D
1 celebrity 2 housemates 3 contestant 4 evident 5 merchandising

The Magic of Pantomime
1H 2E 3F 4B 5G 6D 7A

Guilt-free Holidays
1C 2A 3D 4D 5C 6B 7C 8B 9A 10A 11A 12D 13B 14C
1 artificial 2 generate 3 discourage 4 snub 5 pristine 6 welfare

Mapping the Past and the Present
1D 2A 3G 4C 5F 6B

History Lessons
1D 2A 3B 4C 5D 6B 7B
the chances are=very likely
the thing is=in fact
was not willing to=didn't want to
comes to mind=occurs to you
give him any credits at all=acknowledge his contribution
cut and dried=straightforward
a grain of truth=some truth
take it with a pinch of salt=have a critical attitude

Where are you?
1H 2A 3F 4B 5D 6C 7E
unsettled
bright
unreliable
celebrity
captured
deliberately

The Cyber School
1G 2F 3I 4D 5A 6B 7H
1b 2a 3b 4a 5b

Pretty as a Prehistoric Picture!
1A 2D 3H 4B 5C 6E

The Antarctic: Key to Planet Earth
1D 2B 3H 4E 5A 6F
contribute to
takes account of
holds the key to
sort
beat
cause harm to

Save Our Seeds
1C 2B 3A 4D 5B 6A 7A

Living for a Century
1A 2A 3C 4B 5B 6D 7A
1b 2a 3b 4a 5b

Creatures of the Canopy
1D 2C 3B 4A 5A 6B 7D 8B 9C 10C 11A 12C 13B 14D 15A

File 5C

FILE 5 Check your Progress

You should do Check your Progress 5 on page 85 in your Student's Book as a mini-test for homework and self-correct it with the key below. Find out your score out of 50 and see which areas are still causing problems. Then go back and revise.

FILE 5C Web Guide
To further practise Relative Clauses and the vocabulary on Superstitions of File 5C, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Superstitions A-Z

http://www.corsinet.com/trivia/scary.html

e Clauses

Combine Sentences Using Relatives

http://valenciaenglish.netfirms.com/relativex02.htm

.

Correct or Incorrect?

http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/common/relclauses1.htm

.

Commas and Relative Clauses

http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/writing/3aii_q1.html

KEY to THE NATURAL WORLD

46.1.
1 mammal
2 crocodile
3 poplar and birch are deciduous; the yew is evergreen
4 pollen
5 hedgehog, tortoise and bear
6 s/he loves me, s/he loves me not
7 cheetah
8 dove
9 rose, thistle, maple leaf and kiwi bird
10 breathing
11 An endangered species is any species which is in danger of dying out or becoming extinct, e.g. some breeds of tiger or whale.
12 The dinosaur is extinct; the emu is still in existence and the phoenix was a mythical creature not a real one.
13 snowdrop, daisy and lily of the valley; parro, pigeon and seagull.
14 Your answer to this questions depends, of course, on where you come from.

46.2. Possible answers
prickly hedgehog
flowing mane
sweet-smelling petals
noble eagle
sturdy oak
graceful willow
wriggly worm
rough bark

46.3.
1 roots
2 claws; trunk/bark
3 blossom/flower
4 thrive/grow
5 hoof
6 stalks
7 bud
8 thorns
9 twigs
10 bat
11 bee; snail
12 harvested

File 5B

FILE 5B Web Guide
To further practise Quantifiers and Word Formation of File 5B, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Sentence Agreement when Quantifiers are Used

http://smccd.net/accounts/sevas/esl/reviewlesson/agree4a.html

Word Formation

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar_games_archive_frame.html

5A Extra Reading

If you'd like to find out more about the film Gorillas in the Mist, mentioned in the Listening we did in class, check the Internet Movie Database on the following link:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095243/

Also, I'm sending by e-mail the original article (not the adapted version in the SB) of the Reading you have to do for Homework for next week, in case you're interested...

OLD FRIENDS: TEST YOUR TENSES

In the photocopy pack you can find an extra activity called "OLD FRIENDS: TEST YOUR TENSES". Since we're pressed for time and won't be able to do it in class, I'm uploading the key below for you to do it as homework. It's an activity to revise the present simple/continuous, past simple and present perfect simple/continuous.
If you have any questions after you've done it, you can ask them to me in class.

File 5A

FILE 5 Word list and Grammar Check
Today I have e-mailed to the students subscribed to the mailing list the word list and the grammar check for FILE 5.

FILE 5A Web Guide
To further practise the vocabulary on Animals and the grammar of File 5A, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Ejercicios interactivos del British Council

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/activities/animalz01.html

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/Activities/seadr.html

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/Activities/insects02.html

..

Mixed Animal Trivia Quizzes

http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/animals/miscellaneous_animal_trivia/mixed_animal_trivia.html

Electronic Zoo

http://netvet.wustl.edu/e-zoo.htm

http://netvet.wustl.edu/ssi.htm

.

Animal Discovery

http://animal.discovery.com/

.

Birmingham Zoo

http://www.birminghamzoo.com/

.

E-Nature.com

http://www.enature.com/

.

Sahara Wildlife

http://www.pbs.org/sahara/wildlife/wildlife.htm

.

Noah: The Animal Search Engine.

http://www.cyberark.com/noah/search.asp

.

Nombres de pájaros

http://english-zone.com/vocab/birds/birds.html

Present Perfect Practice

http://valenciaenglish.netfirms.com/presperfex.htm

.

English Page Verb Exercise:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/exercises/exercise5.htm

ANDORRA AND GERMANY TREATY

Manuel , a year 4 student from MonWed@1930, e-mailed me the following very interesting "piece of history" on one of the controversial items in the Listening paper (March '08 exams):

The tiny nation of Andorra declared war on Germany in 1914 along with many other nations. However, the Versailles Peace Treay failed to include the nation and it remained at war with Germany throughtout the 1920´s and 30´s.

The country´s army was composed of 10 people and its military budget was 4 dollars per year. The soldiers, however, wore pins reading “TOUCH ME IF YOU DARE”, the country´s national motto.

In 1939 found itself involved in 2 world wars at once. A peace treaty was finally signed with Germany on september 25, 1939. This document ended, officially, the First World War.

March 2008 Marks

MONDAYS WEDNESDAYS @1730

PASS MARKS
Speaking 60 out of 100
Use of English 60 out of 100
Listening 10,8 out of 18
Reading 8,4 out of 14 [Reader THE RED NOTEBOOK 6 out of 10]
Writing 6 out of 10

MONDAYS WEDNESDAYS @1930

PASS MARKS
Speaking 60 out of 100
Use of English 60 out of 100
Listening 10,8 out of 18
Reading 8,4 out of 14 [Reader THE RED NOTEBOOK 6 out of 10]

Writing 6 out of 10

TUESDAYS THURSDAYS @1730

PASS MARKS
Speaking 60 out of 100
Use of English 60 out of 100
Listening 10,8 out of 18
Reading 8,4 out of 14 [Reader THE RED NOTEBOOK 6 out of 10]

Writing 6 out of 10

TUESDAYS THURSDAYS @1930

PASS MARKS
Speaking 60 out of 100
Use of English 60 out of 100
Listening 10,8 out of 18
Reading 8,4 out of 14 [Reader THE RED NOTEBOOK 6 out of 10]

Writing 6 out of 10

KEY TEST 2 Files 3 and 4

TEST 2 covers FILES 3 and 4. You can find it in the Photocopy Pack. You should use it as a test to find out how well you have assimilated the language of the preceding files.
BEFORE the test, you should revise the Grammar Summaries, the Build your Vocabulary sections, the Vocabulary Builders and the pronunciations exercises throughout files 3 and 4.
The marks for each part are indicated under the heading. The test has a total of 100 marks. You should do it individually for homework but pretend you are doing it "under exam conditions".

You can find the tapescript to the LISTENING below together with the KEY to ALL parts of the test.

File 4C

FILE 4 Check your Progress

You should do Check your Progress 4 on page 69 in your Student's Book as a mini-test for homework and self-correct it with the key below. Find out your score out of 50 and see which areas are still causing problems. Then go back and revise.

FILE 4C Web Guide
To further practise the the vocabulary on Houses and the grammar points of File 4C, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Houses

Find a Home in Huddersfield, UK

http://www.ichuddersfield.co.uk/0800ichomes/0099fish4homes/

Victorian Homes

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/1900house/house/index.html

.

Argos catalog

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Home.htm

Grammar.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/count.htm

ga con contables e incontables

http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/cncgame.php

.

Singular or Plural?

http://www.better-english.com/grammar/sinplu.htm

.

Have Something Done

http://www.better-english.com/grammar/havedone.htm

Key to Worksheet on MEN & WOMEN

Please find the key to the Worksheet on MEN & WOMEN handed out in class today.

File 4B

FILE 4B Web Guide
To further practise the vocabulary on Men & Women and the grammar point of I wish of File 4B, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

She Brains - He Brains

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/heshe.html

Gender differences

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june01/gender_4-25.html#

Uso de "I wish"

http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/Wish.html

.

Ejercicios sobre "I wish"

http://valenciaenglish.netfirms.com/wishex.htm

KEY to PASSION FOR FASHION!?

Please find the key to the Worksheet on Fashion Vocabulary handed out in class today.

Paul Auster

Those of you who are reading The Red Notebook might like to check Paul Auster's site:
http://www.paulauster.co.uk/

File 4A

FILE 4 Word list and Grammar Check
Today I have e-mailed to the students subscribed to the mailing list the word list and the grammar check for FILE 4.

FILE 4A Web Guide
To further practise the adjectives and the vocabulary on Clothes and Shops of File 4A, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Adjective order

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/adjorder.html

.

Adjective or Adverb?

http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz60fck.htm

Clothes Quiz

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/v/s/cwlb01.html

Spanish - English Vocabulary for Clothes Quiz

http://iteslj.org/v/s/cwlb10.html

Describing People: Spanish-English Vocabulary

http://iteslj.org/v/s/cwlb01.html

Shops

http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blwordgroups_places_shops_q.htm

History & Politics

If you'd like to read more on THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS, check this site:
http://www.battle1066.com/

This site tells the story of the British Isles from the first Roman Invasion to the fateful culmination known as the Battle of Hastings which was fought between King Harold II of England and Duke William of Normandy on the 14th October 1066, a date that changed the course of British history.

More on THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR here:
http://www.open2.net/civilwar/
This website examines the personalities, events and battles of the Civil War era.

A website dedicated to KING ARTHUR and his Knights of the Round Table can be found on the following link:
http://www.kingarthursknights.com/

If interested in KING HENRY VIII and his six wives, then go to:
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/tudor.htm

FILE 3 CONTENTS

This week I intend to finish File 3 in class. What follows is the list of contents you should revise (so please do!):

GRAMMAR
Narrative tenses, past perfect continuous
Third conditional
Should/shouldn't have
Deduction: must/might/can't + infinitive
Must have, might have, can't have

VOCABULARY
Common verbs which are often confused: rob/steal, etc.
Strong adjectives: exhausted, petrified, etc.
History and politics: army, dictator, etc.

PRONUNCIATION
Saying verb forms more accurately: regular/irregular past
Frequently mispronounced words: silent letters

File 3C

FILE 3 Check your Progress

You should do Check your Progress 3 on page 53 in your Student's Book as a mini-test for homework and self-correct it with the key below. Find out your score out of 50 and see which areas are still causing problems. Then go back and revise.

FILE 3C Web Guide
To further practise modal verbs, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Must and don't have to

http://www.better-english.com/grammar/mustnt.htm

.

Couldn't and Might not

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal4.htm

.

Modals: Revision

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal7.htm

For further information on British History, check these sites:

Henry VIII of England

http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Eighth

Elizabethan Spying Game

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/launch_gms_spying.shtml

Kings and Queens through Time

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_kings_queens.shtml

The Essential Norman Conquest

http://www.essentialnormanconquest.com/

3B RACE TO THE END OF THE EARTH

If you'd like to do some further reading on the story of Captain Scott's doomed expedition to the South Pole, check the following site:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/0002/race_to_end/index.html

3B I CUT THE ROPE

If you'd like to read more on Joe and Simon's story of survival, check the following article from the Independent:

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article78588.ece

Check also the following site:

http://www.noordinaryjoe.co.uk/

UNIT 61 KEY

Please find below the key to the exercises on Be/get used to something (I'm used to...), photocopies of which were handed out in class last week.

File 3B

FILE 3B Web Guide
To further practise the verb tenses of File 3B, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

Mixed Conditionals Game

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/activities/mixed_conditionals.html

Conditional Quiz

http://www.better-english.com/grammar/con31.htm

Your chance to enter the Mini-saga Competition 2008

Remember the mini-saga competition in FILE 3A organised by the Daily Telegraph? Now it is your turn to write your own very short story. By doing so, you could win a straightaway PASS in the Writing paper in March exams.

The judges of our Mini-saga Competition will be students from the other three YEAR 4 groups. They will decide who will NOT have to sit the Writing paper in March. ALL entries will appear in the class blog.

How to write a mini-saga

Your Mini-saga must be exactly 50 words long. (Hyphenated words can be counted as one word or two, at your discretion.) In addition it must carry a title of no more than 15 words, which will, ideally, set the scene and illuminate or counterpoint the text.

Most important, your story must have a beginning, a middle and an end. Something must happen, preferably something which will keep the reader thinking. Fifty dazzlingly deployed words of description or reflection will not do.

How to enter

You must e-mail your entry to patriciaeoimalaga@yahoo.es BEFORE we finish FILE 3 in class.

File 3A

FILE 3 Word list and Grammar Check
Today I have e-mailed to the students subscribed to the mailing list the word list and the grammar check for FILE 3, together with the key for ALL files.

FILE 3A Web Guide
To further practise the verb tenses and the vocabulary of File 3A, EFL teachers recommend the following sites:

English Zone: Past Perfect

http://esl.about.com/homework/esl/library/grammar/blpresperfect.htm

..

Revision of Irregular Pasts

http://www.englishforjapanese.com/exercises/verb%20forms/15%20past%20tense%20review.html

Easily Confused Words

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769309.html