SESSION 14: A SONG

SESSION 14: A SONG

LINKIN PARK - IN THE END

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The song and the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVTXPUF4Oz4

The lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWbgkRpYwc

I hope you´ll like the song!

SESSION 14: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 14: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 PLEASURES: Do these things make you happy? Try to think why they are pleasant to you, what you personally get with these things:

• Computers
• English
• Trains
• TV
• Mobile phones
• Restaurants

Think of six unpleasant things and why they don´t make you happy.

2.2 RANKING: Which of these are best for you? Why?

• sleeping
• catching up with old friends
• reading books
• popping bubble wrap
• finding money in your pocket
• cuddling loved ones
• crying with laughter
• standing in a fast-moving queue

2.3 PLEASURE DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:
a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘sleeping’?
c) After reading this article, what is your greatest pleasure in life?
d) Has your greatest pleasure changed since you were a child?
e) Do you think people’s common pleasures are the same all over the world?
f) How important is cuddling people to you?
g) When was the last time you cried with laughter?
h) How does catching up with old friends make you feel?
i) What goes through your mind when you have to wait a long time in a queue?
j) Why do people like popping bubble wrap?

k) Do you think people will find different things pleasurable in the future?
l) What are the little things that brighten up your life?
m) What things do you love that don’t need money?
n) What’s the best way to cheer you up if you have a bad day?
o) What pleasure do you give other people?
p) Do you like curling up on the sofa with a good book?
q) When was the last time you paid someone a compliment?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:
FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 14, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.Choose one of the following topics:

• Write a composition including the words: 'Great' and 'Pleasure'
• Express your opinion: 'Sleeping is life´s greatest pleasure.'
  

SESSION 14: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 14: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE:

a.F / b.F / c.T / d.T / e.T / f.F / g.F / h.T

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1.2 SYNONYM MATCH:

1.e/ 2.h / 3.a / 4.i / 5.c / 6.g / 7.d / 8.f / 9.j / 10.b

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1.3 PHRASE MATCH:

1.i / 2.h / 3.b / 4.a / 5.j / 6.g / 7.d / 8.f / 9.e /10.c

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1.4 GAP FILL:

GOOD- GAVE - LOVED - CRYING - CATCHING - LIST - FASTEST - POPPING

THOUGHTS - BRIGHTEN - FEELING - SUCH - CHEER - WELCOME - SMALLER - BOOK

SESSION 14: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 14: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):

a. British people voted in a survey about sleeping patterns.
b. The top four pleasures in a survey related to beds and sleeping.
c. Crying with laughter was one of the top ten pleasures for Brits.
d. British people like standing in fast-moving supermarket queues.
e. A total of 3,000 people voted in the survey on life’s little pleasures.
f. Most of the pleasures in the survey needed money.
g. The survey found people loved buying expensive presents.
h. Many Brits liked drinking soup and reading a book on the sofa.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.voted .............. a.longer sleep
2.cuddling ........... b.finished
3.lie-in ............... c.line
4.realizing ........... d.noticed
5.queue .............. e.selected
6.thoughts ........... f.actions
7.observed ........... g.opinions
8.gestures ............ h.hugging
9.splashing out ...... i.understanding
10.came .............. j.spending money

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1.a good night's ...................... a.with laughter
2.a survey into what gave .......... b.ten spots
3.four of the top ..................... c.sofa with a good book
4.crying ................................ d.brighten up life
5.your queue in ....................... e.on expensive presents
6.the findings of ...................... f.feeling
7.the little things that .............. g.the survey
8.You can't beat that ................ h.Britons most pleasure
9.splashing out ....................... i.sleep
10.curling up on the ................. j.the supermarket

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

crying - loved - popping - good - fastest - catching - gave - list

British people have voted a ____________ night's sleep as life's "greatest little pleasure". The Batchelors Cup-A-Soup company conducted a survey into what ____________ Britons most pleasure. Bed activities filled four of the top ten spots. Cuddling a ____________ one in bed came third, having a lie-in was fifth and sleeping in freshly-washed sheets sixth. Finding £10 ($16) in your pocket was life’s second greatest pleasure for Brits. Also in the top ten were ____________ with laughter, making someone smile and ____________ up with an old friend. There were plenty of things in the ____________ that most people around the world would agree with. These include realizing that your queue in the supermarket is the one moving ____________, and at number 50, ____________ bubble wrap.

such - feeling - book - thoughts - welcome - brighten - cheer - smaller

Batchelors spokesman Rob Stacey gave his ____________ on the findings of the survey, which 3,000 Britons did. He said: "It's often the little things that ____________ up life, like getting into bed after a long day. You can't beat that ____________.” Mr. Stacey observed that almost all of the things in the top fifty didn’t need money. He stated: “Often the little gestures ____________ as a quick cuddle or a compliment can really help to ____________ someone up if they are having a bad day, and can even be more ____________ than splashing out on expensive presents.” He added that it was “often the ____________ things that can make a big difference”. Stacey may be happy that curling up on the sofa with a good ____________ and a hot drink (or soup) came thirteenth in the poll.

SESSION 14: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY

SESSION 14: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY

SLEEPING IS LIFE´S GREATEST PLEASURE

Text taken and adapted from:

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The text:

British people have voted a good night's sleep as life's "greatest little pleasure". The Batchelors Cup-A-Soup company conducted a survey into what gave Britons most pleasure. Bed activities filled four of the top ten spots. Cuddling a loved one in bed came third, having a lie-in was fifth and sleeping in freshly-washed sheets sixth. Finding £10 ($16) in your pocket was life’s second greatest pleasure for Brits. Also in the top ten were crying with laughter, making someone smile and catching up with an old friend. There were plenty of things in the list that most people around the world would agree with. These include realizing that your queue in the supermarket is the one moving fastest, and at number 50, popping bubble wrap.

Batchelors spokesman Rob Stacey gave his thoughts on the findings of the survey, which 3,000 Britons did. He said: "It's often the little things that brighten up life, like getting into bed after a long day. You can't beat that feeling.” Mr. Stacey observed that almost all of the things in the top fifty didn’t need money. He stated: “Often the little gestures such as a quick cuddle or a compliment can really help to cheer someone up if they are having a bad day, and can even be more welcome than splashing out on expensive presents.” He added that it was “often the smaller things that can make a big difference”. Stacey may be happy that curling up on the sofa with a good book and a hot drink (or soup) came thirteenth in the poll.

'Sleeping is Life´s Greatest Pleasure' - 2nd January, 2010
www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com

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The full list: The Batchelor´s Survey Top 50 Greatest Little Pleasures in Life

1. A good night's sleep
2. Finding a forgotten tenner in your pocket
3. Cuddling up with a partner in bed
4. Crying with laughter
5. Having a lie-in
6. Sleeping in newly laundered bedding
7. Getting a bargain
8. Making someone smile
9. Catching up with an old friend
10. Laughing at things that have happened in the past
11.Eating a Sunday roast with your family
12. Someone saying you look nice
13. Curling up on the sofa with a good book and a hot drink or soup
14. Discovering you've lost a few pounds
15. Breakfast in bed
16. Waking up thinking it's a work day and then realising it's the weekend
17. A random person smiling at you in the street
18. Looking through old photo albums
19. Eating a takeaway
20. First snow fall of the year
21. Singing your heart out to your favourite song in car
22. Having lunch with friends
23. Listening to a baby laughing
24. Having a massage
25. Reading a book or listening to your iPod on holiday by the pool
26. Playing in snow
27. Finding a pair of jeans that fit perfectly
28. Being chatted up
29. A girly-night in
30. A pampering session at home
31. The smell of freshly cut grass
32. Sitting in the pub with your friends
33. Looking at a baby asleep in a cot
34. Waking up in a room with an amazing view
35. Clothes shopping
36. Receiving a letter from a friend
37. Fitting into an old pair of jeans again after losing some weight
38. Staying up all night getting to know someone special
39. Your mum's cooking
40. Getting dressed up for a night out
41. Watching a live band
42. Drinking a cold beer after work
43. Browsing in a secondhand book shop
44. Going to the cinema
45. Getting a new hairstyle
46. Your queue being the quickest in the supermarket
47. The cold side of the pillow
48. Watching a DVD
49. Getting tipsy
50. Popping bubble wrap

SESSION 13: A SONG

SESSION 13: A SONG

30 SECONDS TO MARS: A BEAUTIFUL LIE

• This song is about human hypocrisy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EcX4OtLWVs

• What might the match symbolize at the beginning of the song?

• Can you see a flash or subliminal message in the first part of the song?

LESSON 13: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: for further investigation you can have a look at the following pages and blogs:

• Find out more about the Nenets people: http://www.bbc.co.uk/tribe/tribes/nenets/index.shtml Read the section: Future very carefully and think about the economical interests this region has for Russia.

The CENTRE OF RUSSIAN STUDIES has the following information published on the webpage in their section ETHNIC GROUPS:

There are two distinct groups of Nenets; the Tundra Nenets (living far to the north) and the Forest Nenets, also known as the Khandeyar (southern reaches). A third group, the Komi Nenets, has emerged as a result of intermarriages between Nenets and the Izhmi tribe of the Komi people.

Religion:Animism

Språk:Nenets (two dialects) and Russian Språkfamilie:Ural-yukagirian:

Samodian group Utdanningsnivå: Spredning Russland:the European North, North West Siberia.

Diaspora:-Historikk:The Nenets are a Samoyedic people (related to Enets, Selkups and Nganasans), and it is believed that they split away from the Finno-Ugrian groups around 3000 B.C. and migrated east, where they mixed with Turkish-Altaic peoples around 200 B.C.The Samoyedic people who remained in Europe, came under Russian control around 1200 A.D., but those who had settled further east did not have much contact with the Russians until the 14th c. By the early 17th c., all of the Samoyedic peoples were under Russian control. The traditional economy of the Nenets and other Samoyedic peoples was mainly based on reindeer herding and breeding, fishing, and sea mammal hunting. Their society was carefully organised into well-defined clans, each with their own grazing, hunting and fishing lands, as well as nomadic routes. During the 16th and 17th c., the central government under the tsars ruled these peoples indirectly from Moscow. They established forts, from which they collected the despised fur tax, but left the actual administration to local rulers. Anyone who converted to Christianity was offered citizenship. The indigenous peoples suffered from their commercial and political contacts with the Russians. The Russians brought tools, firearms and various trade goods, including alcohol, which has plagued these people ever since. They also brought with them diseases that these peoples had never been exposed to before. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the Soviet government issued the "Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia", including a wide range of rights of self-determination, that largely remained on paper, as policies of "modernisation" were put through. In 1924, a Committee of Assistance of Peoples of the North was established. They first proposed creating large reservations where the indigenous populations could continue their traditional life-styles. But instead, the Soviet government decided to integrate these peoples into the larger social, political and economic body of the country. Around 1930, several "national districts" were established, administrative units named after one or two of these small peoples. Three such huge regions that exist today, are the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (administratively to some extent part of Arkhangelsk oblast), Dolgan-Nenets (Krasnoyarsk kray) and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomus Okrug (Tyumen oblast). Collectivisation met with strong resistance among Nenets leaders, but to no avail. The government also establihed "cultural bases", with schools, hospitals, day-care centres and so on - mainly in an effort to minimize the nomadic lifestyle of the Nenets and other groups. More than fifty schools were built for Nenets children, and from 1938, Russian was the language of instruction. Nenets religion was also attacked. In the early 1950s, there were several Nenets rebellions in the Arkhangelsk area against this cultural imperialism. The uprisings were suppressed, and rebel leaders were either executed or sent to remote prison camps, where most of them perished. The biggets changes in Nenets life were caused by Soviet industrialisation and the increasing immigration of ethnic Russians into Siberia. During the World War II, the Soviets relocated much of their industry east of the Ural mountains to keep it away from the Germans. Because of this and as a result of huge state development plans, large numbers of ethnic Russian workers suddenly poured into Siberia. The Nenets and other indigenous groups found their land decreasing rapidly, and more and more of them gave up reindeer-herding for jobs at construction sites, oil and natural gas wells, and mass-production factories. The main industrial project that changed the lives of the Nenets, was the exploitation of the huge natural gas field in the Yamalo-Nenets national region, which since the early 1960s has caused severe damage to the tundra and taiga environment. The Nenets had never developed any real sense of political nationalism, so there have not been demands for Nenets independence in the new situation that was created by Glasnost and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. There have, however, been strong calls for a preservation of the original indigenous culture, and there have been protests against industrialisation. Nenets leaders have joined the recently formed Association of Peoples of the North. The problems of the Russian economy and the heavy reliance on natural resources will probably lead to an acceleration of the industrialisation in Siberia, which in turn will make it harder for the Nenets and other indigenous peoples to maintain their culture.

After reading this information do you think it would be better for these nomads to adapt to our style of life and this way not complicate their lives? Do you think that with Globalization the Nenets will eventually disappear?

• Find out about other indigenous nomads in other parts of the world and how they survive in this global world. Find information in the internet and make your own little investigation of one of these groups.
• GREENPEACE: Find out about Greenpeace and what this organization does to fight Global Warming. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpeace and http://greenpeaceblong.wordpress.com/ and http://weblog.greenpeace.org/

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:
FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.
Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 13, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.
Choose one of the following topics:

• Write a letter to Greenpeace giving your opinion about Global Warming and how it is affecting nomads like the Nenets people.
• Express your opinion about the Nenets people and why it is so important for us to preserve their lands and their way of life.

LESSON 13: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY

LESSON 13: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY

CLIMATE CHANGE IN RUSSIA´S ARCTIC TUNDRA

Text taken and adapted from:

http://www.onestopenglish.com/

Just click on: http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?catid=58224&docid=550021 and you have the text together with some exercises and the key for you to work on.

Hope you enjoy it!

SESSION 12: A SONG

SESSION 12: A SONG

MIKE OLDFIELD & MAGGIE REILLY: TO FRANCE

Here´s an oldie, hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIKIp72hM1I

Live with lyrics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-1WfkM1qso

SESSION 12: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 12: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 DISASTERS: What would you do if you saw yourself in one of these big disasters? How would you deal with them?

• Earthquake
• Bushfire
• Famine
• Tsunami
• Hurricane/Typhoon
• Flood

2.2 AID FOR HAITI: What do Haitians need most right now? Rank these and add any other needs you think necessary:

• your personal help
• blankets
• electricity generators
• Internet access
• strong leaders
• good weather
• water
• doctors

2.3 HAITI EARTHQUAKE DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) What did you think when you read the headline?

b) What springs to mind when you hear the word 'earthquake'?

c) Have you had any personal experience with earthquakes?

d) What do you imagine it´s like to experience an earthquake?

e) What should Haiti´s president be doing right now to help his people?

f) What should you be doing right now to help Haiti´s people?

g) Do you think international help is efficient?

h) If you lived in an area hit by earthquakes, would you move?

i) Have you been watching pictures of the Haiti earthquake on the news?

j) What are your thoughts when you see pictures of the victims?

k) Do you blame people for looting and stealing after an earthquake?

l) Why in the 21st century are there countries like Haiti where half their population live in such terrible poverty?

m) Are the governments in the rest of the world doing all they can to help Haiti?

n) Do you think Haiti will recover from this catastrophe? Is the world acting quickly enough?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.

THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 12, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.Choose one of the following topics:

• Express your opinion: International aids are fundamental for Haiti now
• Why are the poorest countries always hit bu such terrible natural disasters?

SESSION 12: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 12: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE
a.F / b.F / c.T / d.F / e.F / f.T / g.T / h.T

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH
1.d / 2.g / 3.i / 4.a / 5.h / 6.c / 7.e / 8.f / 9.j / 10.b

1.3 PHRASE MATCH
1.c / 2.g / 3.i / 4.a / 5.d / 6.j / 7.e / 8.f / 9.h /10.b

1.4 GAP FILL
SLOWLY - HUGE - QUAKE - STRIKE - MAJOR - SCENE - AFFECTED - WELL

ESTIMATING - CASUALTIES - WHATEVER - VOWED - CRUEL - POVERTY - DEAL - RUINS

SESSION 12: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 12: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.


THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:


1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):

a. The earthquake that hit Haiti was a magnitude 16 in strength.
b. Most Haitians were having their breakfast when the earthquake hit.
c. The President’s palace was in ruins after the earthquake.
d. The article says Haiti’s president believes 3 million people are suffering.
e. Haiti’s ambassador to the US has a good idea of casualty figures.
f. President Obama spoke of the cruel nature of the earthquake.
g. Most Haitians are so poor they live on less than two dollars a day.
h. Haiti was hit by four different hurricanes in 2008.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. show ........................ a. fallen down
2. hit ........................... b. lethal
3. devastated ................. c. guessing
4. collapsed ................... d. reveal
5. unimaginable ............... e. dead and injured
6. estimating .................. f. help
7. casualties ................... g. struck
8. support ...................... h. indescribable
9. deal with .................... i. ruined
10. deadly ...................... j. cope with

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. show how great the .................... a. capital as unimaginable
2. A magnitude ............................. b. in ruins
3. Much of the country has ............... c. damage is in Haiti
4. Preval described the scene in the .... d. have died
5. well over 100,000 people may ........ e. acting quickly
6. no way of estimating how ............. f. disaster
7. Countries around the world are ....... g. 7.3 quake
8. a “particularly cruel” ................... h. poverty line
9. people live below the ................... i. been devastated
10. Its economy is ........................... j. many casualties

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

quake - scene - slowly - well - major - huge - strike - affected

Television pictures are ____________ beginning to show how great the damage is in Haiti following the ____________ earthquake on Tuesday. A magnitude 7.3 ____________, just 16km from the capital, hit the Caribbean nation as people were going home after work. It was the worst earthquake to ____________ Haiti in more than two centuries. Much of the country has been devastated. Many ____________ buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince have collapsed, including the Presidential Palace and the UN headquarters. Haiti's President Rene Preval described the ____________ in the capital as "unimaginable". The Red Cross says up to 3 million people have been ____________. Mr. Preval fears “____________ over 100,000 people” may have died.

vowed - casualties - ruins - poverty - estimating - whatever - deal - cruel

Haiti's ambassador to the USA, Raymond Joseph, said there was "no way of ____________ " how many ____________ there were. Countries around the world are acting quickly to send ____________ help they can to Haiti. US President Barack Obama has promised America will do all it can to help. He ____________ "unwavering support" following a “particularly ____________” disaster. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than half its people live below the ____________ line on less than two dollars a day. It is one of the poorest-equipped countries on Earth to ____________ with such a catastrophe. The nation was still trying to recover from being hit by four deadly hurricanes in 30 days in 2008. Its economy is in ____________ and it has a long history of corruption and coups.

SESSION 12: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 20TH JANUARY

SESSION 12: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 20TH JANUARY

HAITI IN RUINS AFTER HUGE EARTHQUAKE

Text taken and adapted from:
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com

The text:

Television pictures are slowly beginning to show how great the damage is in Haiti following the huge earthquake on Tuesday. A magnitude 7.3 quake, just 16km from the capital, hit the Caribbean nation as people were going home after work. It was the worst earthquake to strike Haiti in more than two centuries. Much of the country has been devastated. Many major buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince have collapsed, including the Presidential Palace and the UN headquarters. Haiti's President Rene Preval described the scene in the capital as "unimaginable". The Red Cross says up to 3 million people have been affected. Mr. Preval fears "well over 100,000 people" may have died.

Haiti's ambassador to the USA, Raymond Joseph, said there was "no way of estimating" how many casualties there were. Countries around the world are acting quickly to send whatever help they can to Haiti. US President Barack Obama has promised America will do all it can to help. He vowed "unwavering support" following a “particularly cruel” disaster. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than half its people live below the poverty line on less than two dollars a day. It is one of the poorest-equipped countries on Earth to deal with such a catastrophe. The nation was still trying to recover from being hit by four deadly hurricanes in 30 days in 2008. Its economy is in ruins and it has a long history of corruption and coups.

Haiti in Ruins after Huge Earthquake - 14th January, 2010

www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com

SESSION 11: A SONG

SESSION 11: A SONG

MUSE: INVINCIBLE

I hope you enjoy this song. The lyrics are subtitled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOYhEB1VqrU

SESSION 11: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 11: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION

2.1 BRILLIANT YEAR: How was 2009 for you? Talk about the Highs and Lows of 2009 considering different aspects as your English, your relationships, money, hobbies, work, family, etc.

2.2 DREAM A DREAM: What would you dream for, think of the following when dreaming:

• yourself
• your best friend
• your country
• the world
• food
• technology
• English
• music

2.3 SURFING THE NET: Surf the Internet looking for information about Susan Boyle and how she has become so famous. Listen to some of her songs.

2.4 SUSAN BOYLE/2010 DISCUSSION:Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) Did you hear about Susan Boyle before or is this the first time?

b) What do you think/know about Susan Boyle?

c) Would you like to appear on a talent show if it meant you could achieve overnight success?

d) What springs to mind when you hear the word 'success'?

e) Do you think YouTube is a way of making people successful?

f)What YouTube videos do you like watching?

g) What kind of shows are there on TV in your country? Is there a Spanish version of 'Britain´s Got Talent'?

h) Do you think Susan Boyle is a new-born star? Make predictions about her future.

i) Find out if fame and success has changed Susan Boyle.

j) Do you think fame and success would change you or go to your head?

k) Do you like looking at singing shows on TV?

l) Have you ever sung in a singing show?

m) Would you like to meet Susan Boyle?

n) What questions would you like to ask Susan Boyle?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.

THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 11, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.Choose one of the following topics:

• Express your opinion about Singing Competitions and Reality Shows on TV
• Write a letter of application to a Competition on TV, describing your abilities and why you think you should be chosen.

SESSION 11: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 11: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE
a.T / b.F / c.T / d.F / e.F / f.T / g.T / h.T

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH
1.e / 2.i / 3.a / 4.g / 5.c / 6.h / 7.d / 8.f / 9.j / 10.b

1.3 PHRASE MATCH
1.h / 2.e / 3.a / 4.i / 5.b / 6.c / 7.j / 8.d / 9.f /10.g

1.4 GAP FILL
APPEAR - BOOST - YEARLY - POPULAR - UNUSUAL - LIVE - BONUS - REACHED

SHOT - VIDEO - TOPPED - AMAZED - GRATEFUL - ABSOLUTELY - SUPPORT - DECADES

SESSION 11: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 11: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):
a. A Scottish singer will sing on a Japanese New Year singing show.
b. The show is on Japanese TV once a decade, when the year ends in 10.
c. The show is a singing competition between men and women.
d. The Scottish singer will sing a traditional folk song from Scotland.
e. Susan Boyle appeared in the hit musical ‘Les Miserables’.
f. A Susan Boyle song was the most watched YouTube video of 2009.
g. Susan Boyle can’t quite believe how successful she has been this year.
h. Susan Boyle is very rich but still lives in her family home in Scotland.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. sensation ............... a. appear
2. boost .................... b. backing
3. perform ................. c. premiere
4. bonus ................... d. headed
5. debut ................... e. phenomenon
6. shot ..................... f. stunned
7. topped ................. g. extra
8. amazed ................ h. rose
9. absolutely ............. i. increase
10. support ............... j. totally

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. singing .............................. a. live
2. boost ................................ b. number one
3. perform ............................. c. to fame
4. the Japanese version of her ..... d. by its success
5. The album reached ............... e. her popularity
6. Susan Boyle shot .................. f. everyone enough
7. the most watched ................ g. go to her head
8. she was amazed .................. h. sensation
9. I can't thank ....................... i. debut album
10. let the success ................... j. video of 2009

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

BONUS - BOOST - UNUSUAL - REACHED - APPEAR - POPULAR - LIVE - YEARLY
Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle will ____________ on a popular Japanese TV show on New Year’s Eve. This is set to ____________ her popularity in the Far East. The singer is set to sing on the traditional singing competition ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’. This ____________ contest divides popular singers into teams of men and women. It is the most ____________ New Year programme on TV and is watched by millions. It is ____________ for non-Japanese artists to perform. A news source said: "Susan has been practicing a Japanese folk song called ‘Wings To Fly’, which she is hoping to perform ____________ for the first time.” The tune was a ____________ track on the Japanese version of her debut album ‘I Dreamed A Dream’. The album ____________ number one in Japan’s music charts.

GRATEFUL - TOPPED - SUPPORT - VIDEO - DECADES - SHOT - AMAZED - ABSOLUTELY

Susan Boyle ____________ to fame after appearing on a British show called ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. She sang ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from the musical ‘Les Miserables’. The YouTube ____________ of her performance became the most watched video of 2009. She released her first CD in November 2009 and it quickly ____________ the album charts in many countries around the world. In Britain, it is outselling albums by Lady Gaga and Kings of Leon. Ms Boyle said she was ____________ by its success: "The album being so well received is humbling and I'm so ____________. It's been an ____________ brilliant year and I can't thank everyone enough for the ____________ I've been given." Susan has not let the success go to her head. She still lives in the family home in Scotland she has lived in for ____________.

SESSION 11: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 13TH JANUARY

SESSION 11: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 13TH JANUARY

SUSAN BOYLE TO STAR IN JAPANESE SHOW

Text taken and adapted from:

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com

The text:

Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle will appear on a popular Japanese TV show on New Year’s Eve. This is set to boost her popularity in the Far East. The singer is set to sing on the traditional singing competition ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’. This yearly contest divides popular singers into teams of men and women. It is the most popular New Year programme on TV and is watched by millions. It is unusual for non-Japanese artists to perform. A news source said: "Susan has been practicing a Japanese folk song called ‘Wings To Fly’, which she is hoping to perform live for the first time.” The tune was a bonus track on the Japanese version of her debut album ‘I Dreamed A Dream’. The album reached number one in Japan’s music charts.

Susan Boyle shot to fame after appearing on a British show called ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. She sang ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from the musical ‘Les Miserables’. The YouTube video of her performance became the most watched video of 2009. She released her first CD in November 2009 and it quickly topped the album charts in many countries around the world. In Britain, it is outselling albums by Lady Gaga and Kings of Leon. Ms Boyle said she was amazed by its success: "The album being so well received is humbling and I'm so grateful. It's been an absolutely brilliant year and I can't thank everyone enough for the support I've been given." Susan has not let the success go to her head. She still lives in the family home in Scotland she has lived in for decades.

Susan Boyle to star in Japanese show -27th December, 2009
www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com