Useful resources for learning&teaching English
***All the images and some resources on this site are used for educational purposes only. If you find an image and/or material that you think I shouldn’t have used, please tell me so that I can delete it asap.**** Thank you!
If you go to the pages on the left, you will find some summer tasks for these days. Besides that, if you are a CI grader, click on the monkey above and you will find lots of games to play and learn English.
Just for fun: can you find ONE dog among ninety-nine cats????
By the way, The idiom "It's raining cats and dogs"doesn't mean that cats and dogs are falling out the sky! Not at all. We use this idiom to say that is (or was) raining VERY heavily.
It was a paradise for everybody including adults (me as an example) who
collect these toys or who enjoy and play with them. That’s because
playmobil is one of those toys for which no time passes.
The exposition was amazing because we could discover
hundreds of clicks creating believable worlds, in a small scale of course !
One of the facts I have learnt this weekend is that male dolls are clicks and female are clacks. Fun, isn't it? ;D
By the way, here you have some photos that a friend of mine have taken along the weekend. From this page, I want to be grateful with him and I hope he likes this picture trail. Thanks Salva for your collaboration. Pictures are excellent!
As you can see in the picture below Alba, Martha and me met for lunch last Monday. We went to a pizzeria and spoke for a long time because Martha comes back to US. Our american friend said that she is going to miss us but...actually we are going to miss her a lot, aren't we?
Hi you all! How was your weekend? Exciting? I'm sure you have enjoyed a lot. By the way, it's July 9 and there're only 18 days to go to the famous games. Look at this picture and remember what we talked about the rings in our lessons.
They are the largest Olympic Rings which have been mown into the grass at Richmond Park in London. At approximately 300m wide and 135m tall they are visible on the Heathrow flight path! If you want to see the real page, go to http://l2012.cm/Md49aL
Giant sets of Olympic Rings are being installed at iconic sites across the United Kingdom to excite and inspire people ahead of the Games and to demonstrate that they are ready to welcome the world.
Have an ocean/mountain friendly weekend everyone! Do something small but meaningful for the nature this weekend: store food in reusable containers, not foil or platic wrap. Waste less and keep your rubbish! Nature will thank YOU!
Do you remember the Ocean's Day activities in the school on the 7th and 8th of June? We made a small beach in the classroom with different fish species. Then, we had to identify them.
But, as you can imagine,there were more actions all around the world.
Check out the amazing folks at Oceans day in California. Over 5,000 young people took part in huge beach clean-ups! I love it!
Independence Day is the birthday of the United States of America and is celebrated on the Fourth of July each year. Independence Day is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. In this link, you can see a photocopy of the original document!
By the way, American Congress declared July 4 a legal public holiday in 1941. Nowadays, there are lots of celebrations and activities around parades, picnics, barcecues and fireworks!
Here you can find different recipes which some families cook for this special day:
There's nothing like a bright smile to create a happy atmosphere. This cheesecake will have everyone smiling. If you prefer you can use peeled apple chunks or banana slices for the nose and eyes and strawberries in place of the raspberries. Serve each piece with a small dollop of cool whip topped with the extra pieces of fruit.
These dessert brownies have just a hint of peppermint taste. The walnuts and raisins are optional.
These are cute little desserts to serve the children at your July 4th party. They will be excited over the special effort you made for them to help them celebrate this special day.
This pretty gelatin mold is a refreshing treat on a hot July day. Blue gelatin can be used in place of the strawberry gelatin if you prefer.
I have an easy craft to propose all of you. You will love to make and wear this clever flag craft! It's made out of safety pins and beads. Try to do by your own and make the flag you want.
Besides that you can make these fun smiley face pins for your friends and family.
No one is very sure exactly when the early Games began. It's possible that they began as early as 1300 BC, but the first written reports are of the Games held in 776 BC. Some people believe that Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, was also the home of the early Games, but this is not true. The Games were held in four different Greek cities -Olympia, Nemea, Delphi and Corinth, each city taking its turn to hold the Games. The Games at Olympia, held once every four years, were the most important, so it was natural that this city should later give its name to the modern Games - the Olympics. As the years passed, the Games began to change. In the early years of the Greek Games all the competitors were amateurs, who took part just for the pleasure of winning; but soon professional sportsmen began to take part together with the amateurs.*
If you want to learn more, here you have some webs. In this link, you can learn more about the greatest Olympians and Medalists by selecting what you decide: continents, countries, sports, medals, gender (men or women). Besides that, remember thecomplete listing of all Olympic Game cities from the beginning of the modern Olympics in 1896. By the way, have you ever thought that when 2012 Summer Olympic Games finish, London will have received the Games in three times?. Here, you can compare 1948 and 2012 games.
* This information has been selected from these readings: The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece (some authors) Historical book about the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.
The Olympics. Cassell's Graded Readers.
This book discusses the history of the Olympics, its goals and its problems.
Do you remember that the 2012 Olympic Games are about to start on 27 July in London? As you learnt in our lessons, flags are waving their five interlocked rings, a symbol representing the union of the five continents: Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe with their five colours: blue, black and red across the top and yellow and green along the bottom. Everything is ready to receive the athletes from throughout the world.
I'm sure you remember this amazing topic, but there is a cultural heritage I want to explain today. I'm talking about the athletes and their creed and oath (their promises before participating in the games)
The creed of the Olympic Games is
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
As an exception, I want to translate the creed so that you can feel the main idea.
"El més important en un jocs Olímpics no és guanyar, sinó participar-hi. Igual que el més important a la vida no és el triomf sinó la lluita. L'essencial no és haver conquerit sinó haver lluitat bé."
Sportsmen and sportswomen keep an oath that comes from 1920 Olympic Games. This oath taken at the Opening Ceremonies goes like this,
"I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams"
Jo prometo que participarem en aquests Jocs Olímpics, respectant i seguint les regles que els governen, en l'esperit veritable de l'esportivitat, per la glòria de l'esport i l'honor dels nostres equips "
So in this way, you can imagine that athletes are very sensitive with effort and friendship. They want the best for their teams. But.... let's find out about athletes' minds.*
A good athlete must have a strong mind. It will give them the driving force to accomplish their goal.
A good athlete must have determination. It's essential to have clear objectives to be successful.
A good athlete must have strength. If you want to succeed, leave negativity and bad voices behind. Gratitude to small things in life is what really matters; learn to see beauty and decide to be happy instead of thinking about unhappy things. Go directly to your goal.
A good athlete must be hard working. Spend time concentrated and with your goal in mind.
A good athlete must keep their motivation. Sometimes it is hard to keep it but if you really want to succeed, just listen to your heart!
A good athlete must deal with adversity. Sometimes things don't come out as you want no matter how hard you try. When that happens, it is important to remember you are doing your best. Live the present time and don't worry.
A good athlete must be optimistic and positive. The happier you are, the easier it is to deal with every day challenges.
A good athlete must be focused. If you focus on your goals and intentions, they will become true.
A good athlete must have discipline. If you do, you can be successful at anything in your life.
A good athlete must have perseverance. You have to face obtacles. Stay focused on your objectives and keep working hard.
* This has been an adaptation of an article in The teacher's magazine, June 2012
The picture above was taken in Barcelona-Marathon on March 25th 2012 at 6 km from the end (36 km).
By the way, try to find these keywords in the image presentation below (TEAM - MEDAL - OLYMPIC FLAG - SPORTS - FRIENDSHIP -ATHLETE-OLYMPIC TORCH -GREECE)
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