Showing posts with label use of english. Show all posts
Showing posts with label use of english. Show all posts

sitting comfortably?

(use of english: pt 3) write your answers in the boxes

In the last few years, several 1. have claimed that in certain ways, sitting is the smoking of our 2.. This is partly due to many jobs being converted into sitting behind a screen, which means people are sitting for much longer today than they did before.

But the 3. is, sitting isn't bad. It's sitting for long periods of time without 4.: that's the killer. In fact, staying in pretty much any position for too long is 5..

1.research

2.generate

3.real

4.move

5.health
read on
Many of the studies about the negative effects of sitting point toward regular physical 6. as the problem. When we don't move, our risk of cardiovascular disease increases and our blood circulation drops along with the production of enzymes in our bodies that burn fat. A standing desk may be one 7. to the sitting problem. Standing is not 8. better than sitting if you do it for a prolonged period of time. Sure you may burn a few more calories but standing for long stretches can lead to things like varicose veins and pressure on the knees.

So it's not whether we sit or stand. It's about what we do when we sit or stand.

And although intense exercise can be good for your health, the baseline activity required to live a long healthy life doesn't have to be much. Dan Buettner from the National Geographic
notes, you don't have to run marathons or be a professional athlete to add quality years to your life.

Buettner and his team have been studying areas called Blue Zones, where people are leading the 9., healthy lives on the planet. The funny thing is, most of the people in these communities don't exercise in the way that we think of exercise Buettner says. They eat a plant-based diet and have a support network of people they can lean on throughout life, but they don't go to the gym. They don't hop on a treadmill. Instead, they perform regular, low 10. physical activity because of the way their lives are structured.

michael cho
lifehacker
6.activity


7.solve


8.necessary












9.long


10.intense





SHOW

over the border

(use of english: pt 2) write your answers in the boxes

I have a friend, who like me, had a rest from watching J-dramas for a season and he told me that when he started watching 1. again, he liked pretty much everything. As such, I’ve been looking 2. to this season of dramas. I feel like I’ve had enough time away that the old clichés might seem new again. read on

The first drama to be subbed this Spring is BORDER (thanks to Mister Jordau on d-addicts). In this series a detective wakes up from a coma after 3. shot on duty, with the new-found ability that he can see the recently dead. Using this new ability, he investigates murders and tries to helps the departed get the justice they desire.

When I first read the synopsis, I wondered 4. difficult it is to find a murderer when you have the victim helping you. Surely, I thought, you could just ask the victims. Then I thought, it must be 5. complicated than that, so I watched it to see.

I was actually quite surprised when that’s exactly 6. happened: the detective asked the deceased who the killer was. And they told him. There wasn’t much actual police work, apart 7. some forensics and a bit of questioning. Maybe the lack of a real murder mystery was because it was the opening episode and they had to spend twenty minutes 8. explaining the story behind the detective’s ability.

9. that, I enjoyed it. Oguri Shun brings some decent acting to the drama and, 10. no one really smiles or shows any real emotion at all, most of the main characters are quite likeable. Assuming that every case won’t be solved as easily as this, I think this drama has promise.

Not much, but enough to 11. me want to see the next couple of episodes 12. least.

Ersby

SHOW

ringing in the changes

(use of english: pt 1)

photo: geograph.org.ukIs this the 1. of the school bell?

At St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Salford the school bell has been discontinued in 2. of music. Instead, a 30-second instrumental version of a Beatles' song or a track from the Lion King now breaks 3. the school day. read on

Some days the school has a theme - Abba, film soundtracks and disco have all been popular. European national anthems were recently used to tell pupils when their lessons started and finished as the school had a Europe day. Students can also make 4..

"I want students to like being at school and that even includes 5. it sounds," says head teacher Marie Garside. "The students love the music. They really listen to the songs and often ask what certain tracks are so it 6. an opportunity to teach them something. You often see them dancing and singing along in the corridors as they go about their business, it really 7. the mood."

The traditional school bell has been 8. its appeal for a while. Teaching unions have had their issues 9. it. They've previously warned that if it's rung too loudly it can damage the hearing of pupils and staff. 10. the same can be said of an Abba soundtrack.

The idea looks like it could catch 11.. Garside says she's had a lot of calls from other schools interested in 12. more. And does she feel any nostalgia for the shrill ring of the old school bell? "I don't miss it at all. It was piercing, like a drill. No-one wants to listen to that."

Denise Winterman bbc with audio





SHOW

with cheese on top

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes

Even 1. he had to pass through a number of security barriers, he never imagined that he would end 2. as part of the telecast. “They told me it was going to be for the writers,” he said.

When he finally got backstage, he was told to wait, and suddenly DeGeneres appeared. read on

She introduced herself to him, and then the host told Martirosyan to follow her, without saying where they were going. She didn’t 3. him any instructions on how to behave or what to say, and before he 4. it he was in front of the Hollywood elite.

Born in Armenia, Martirosyan moved to Moscow at age 10. There, he grew 5. watching some Hollywood films, including Roberts’ Pretty Woman. Needless to say, he was star struck when he found himself handing her a slice of cheese pizza. “She was actually more beautiful in person,” he said with a laugh.

And then, just 6. quickly as he’d found himself in the spotlight, he was back at work. When he walked into the pizza shop, his employees greeted him with screams. Reporters from local news outlets and paparazzi had also gathered outside the restaurant.

On Monday morning, Martirosyan filmed an interview with DeGeneres for her talk show in Burbank, while his Facebook page was covered with comments from friends congratulating him 7. the Oscars appearance.

Referring to his journey as the “American Dream Come True!”, a post described how Martirosyan went from delivery driver to franchise owner. In 8., Martirosyan said, he started out even lower on the food chain at Big Mama’s – 9. out fliers on the street on behalf of the business.

“I always loved to cook and had a real interest 10. learning to make pizzas,” he recalled. “So I became a cook, and then a manager, and then an owner. Business wasn’t that good – it wasn’t that clean when we came, 11. I started to clean everything up and grow the business.”

As for how all the attention from the Oscars would affect sales, Martirosyan said he was trying not to get ahead of himself.
“Of 12., extra orders are very good,” he said. “But I’m very calm. I’m not going crazy now. I’m really chill. This is just another, regular busy day.”
— Los Angeles Times/McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

the star



Edgar gets his tip, at last.

SHOW

say squinch

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes
Peter Hurley is a photographer based out of New York and Los Angeles. After being an Olympic sailor and model, he discovered he had a passion for photography, 1. led to him doing work with big name companies 2. Levi's, Reebok, DKNY, Johnnie Walker and Axe Deodorant "to name a few".    read on

In addition to his work 3. a photographer, Peter’s also making a name 4. himself with the modeling and photography tips he’s giving 5. via his YouTube account.

Following on the heels of Tyra Banks’ “ smize technique,” Peter’s latest lesson in 6. to look better in pictures is with something he calls “squinching.” He calls it his “most incredible tip for looking more photogenic in a camera.” It involves squinting a little bit, and pinching your lower eye lid a lot. 7. help him illustrate his point, he 8. his friend demonstrate it.

That maybe doesn’t look that spectacular, until his friend kept his eyes more open.
So yeah, a noticeable difference. He goes 9. to give a bunch of different examples, over a variety of different races and genders to prove that this method can be used 10. anyone. His main point of emphasis is that by “squinching” in photographs, you will look more confident and thus, better looking in your pictures.

As to whether you think squinchers actually look better or not, well, that’s up to you. And, also, it seems a lot of it has to 11. with whether the subject is smiling or not. But 12. not give it a try? Give it a whirl. See what happens. Squinch on.
yahoo
  ans




more pics here

SHOW

just the tablet

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes
In many current e-learning systems, students can submit a digital copy of their homework online. 1. it is not easy for teachers to mark and write feedback on it. Because they are required to either print 2. the assignment and mark the paper copy, 3. just give simple, overall text-based feedback in the "comments" field of the homework. read on

The iClass Assessment is a pen-based assessment marking solution 4. developed by the University of Hong Kong's e-Learning Technology Development Laboratory. Students submit 5. homework through the web to a cloud server. Then teachers mark the homework with an e-pen directly on a tablet PC, circle mistakes and highlight the good points, as conveniently as 6. they were marking a hard copy.

An electronic sticker album is also available. Teachers can also pick some e-stickers, 7. as standard answers, comments and "well done" stamps. It can simplify writing feedback and encourage teachers to give in-depth comments to students. Using a simple click, this can be easily given 8. to the student after the assessment has 9. completed.

Pen-based markings can provide a more convenient and in-depth analysis of the student's strengths and weaknesses. In this manner the quality of assessment for learning can be greatly improved. 10. addition, a teacher's heavy workload, 11. has become a big problem in recent years, will soon be a thing of the past.

Marking hard copy affects not only affects teaching quality but also the quality of life of the teachers. Taking home thick piles of work 12. marking will no longer have to be a teacher's nightmare.

by Wilton Fok The Standard




SHOW

buy it like beckham

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes
David Beckham will set 1. a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise in Miami, according to sources close to the star.
No deal has been done, but Beckham is keen to own a club in the US and it is thought he has settled 2. Miami as the destination for his side. read on

Beckham has an option to buy a franchise for $25million, although he faces strong competition from around the world 3. he is to own an MLS club.

The option 4. becoming an owner of a club at a reduced rate was included in David Beckham's contract with LA Galaxy in 2007, 5. an incentive to 6. football in America at that time.

The heads of Major League Soccer have agreed to expand the league, and there are a range of individuals around the world 7. have shown interest 8. part of the expansion and owning a club.

The MLS still has to 9. Beckham permission to make Miami the location of the franchise but it is thought that former England captain leads the pack 10. to what he has done for football in America, and because he wants to start a team in Miami.

There are currently 19 teams in the MLS, but by 2020 there could be 24 teams, and Beckham is currently looking for investment. The $25million is simply an 'expansion fee' charged 11. the MLS. But Beckham would need to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to cover the costs involved, including putting 12. a squad of players and building a stadium.

mirror


SHOW

looking ahead

(use of english: pt 1 multiple-choice)
Google has been showing 1.its wearable technology with a demonstration of Google Glass at the SXSW show in Texas. Visitors to the show in Austin saw the device, 2. Google refers to as just "Glass", running a number of apps. 
read on

Google's own Gmail was 3. display, along with a New York Times app, note-taking software Evernote, image annotation tool Skitch and the Path social network app. The firm believes the internet and computers should one day be accessible anywhere at any 4.. Glass displays information in a smartphone-like format, is 5., can interact with the internet and uses Google's Android operating system.

The frames do not 6. have lenses fitted to them, but according to The New York Times, Google is considering a partnership 7. Warby Parker and Ray-Ban for prescription glasses and sunglasses. With regard to Gmail, Glass wearers can use voice commands to prompt Google's email service to deliver the sender's image and subject line to the glasses' screen. Users can then tell the app what to write back.

Tech site Engadget said the New York Times app would 8. users ask for news, after which they would receive a headline, a byline, an accompanying image and the number of hours since the article in question was posted. Users can then tap the eyewear and have it 9. the story out loud.

CNET 's Donna Tam said users could also add emoticons to friends' posts and make comments. Designing 10. that people can wear has proved a challenge, but Google co-founder Sergey Brin claims wearable technology is less "emasculating" than a smartphone.

Glass is expected to go 11. sale to the general public later this year, but according to Miss Tam, the device has already caused a scene. She pointed 12. that a bar in Seattle became the first place to ban Google Glass last week, fearing the wearable device would "creep out" its customers.

sky news



google glass

SHOW

in case of emergency

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes 
An angry dad dialled 999 to report his teenage son 1. refusing to go to bed. The schoolboy, 14, was playing 2.  his games console at midnight and ignored his parents' pleas to switch it off and 3. some sleep. The late-night row got 4. heated that the boy's father picked up the phone and dialled 999.
read on

Police in North Wales say it was 5. of the hundreds of 'inappropriate' 999 calls they had in 2012. Others included rubbish bins being left in the wrong place, reports of a faulty phone line and a lost dog.

Superintendent Paul Breed said: 'Many people dial 999 6. their call isn't an emergency simply because they don't know how 7. to contact the police. 999 should still be used if there is a crime in progress; violence is 8. used or threatened or there has been a road accident where people are injured or the road is blocked. Every false or inappropriate 999 call 9. up precious time and prevents someone who really needs our immediate help from getting 10. to us.'

Meanwhile, Cleveland Police reported a woman dialled 999 to complain to police her takeaway order was wrong. She told the bemused emergency operator the restaurant had refused to provide the right meal and she needed help from police.

The call was one of a number highlighted by police who are threatening a crack down on callers who waste police time and 11.  lives at risk. Others included a man who contacted emergency services asking how to send a fax, a job seeker who wanted police to type 12.  a CV, and a man who rang at 4.30am to check the score in a recent Middlesbrough FC game.

dailymail
  answers


a kid calls 911 for help with homework 
999 calls tweeted by West Midlands Police
Man requesting police assistance to clean ice off windshield
Kid calls 911 for help with homework 
what happened was: theft of a snowman
999: 75 years of emergency phone calls bbc
1960s public information film

SHOW

porky pies

(Use of English: pt 3 word formation) write your answers in the boxes

It is 1. that people want to present a positive image of themselves to friends, family and colleagues. But why lie to researchers?
After all, the man or woman from the Office for National Statistics or Ipsos Mori can't order you to go on a diet or lay off the wine. It is a question that has concerned social 2. for decades. They even have a name for it - The Social Desirability Bias.
1.understand




2.science
read on

"People respond to surveys in the way they think they ought to. It is otherwise known as 3.," says Kate Fox, an alcohol and drinking culture expert who has done research for both the government and the drinks industry. "People also fool themselves about how much they drink, but it applies to most surveys, which is why one has to use other methods to really find out what is going on."

It is a particular problem when it comes to "sins" such as alcohol and food. Britain is one of a 4. of nations - including the US - that has a mixed attitude to drinking", says Fox. "We have a moral 5. with alcohol. It is a bit of a 6. fruit." In countries with an "integrated drinking culture", such as more Latin nations, drinking is a "morally neutral issue, only slightly more controversial than coffee and tea".

It is easy to see why people would want to make themselves look good - even to a researcher they have just met. But what about when the researcher leaves the room? Or hands them a separate 7. to be filled in privately? They're all ways used by researchers to try and balance out the Social Desirability Bias.

"You still want to project a positive image of yourself even if the survey is anonymous," says Bobby Duffy, 8. director of Ipsos Mori's Social Research Institute. The gap between the amount of alcohol being sold in the UK and the amount people said they were drinking, was first observed in the 1980s, he says.

The gap between perception and 9. reality might be particularly wide in the UK, he suggests. 10. of healthy eating in the UK is among the highest in Europe, yet the country also has the highest obesity rates. The key, says Duffy, is to view survey results as part of a bigger picture - and, he stresses, it is still possible to track overall social trends from self-reported surveys.

By Brian Wheeler,bbc




3.lie







4.hand



5.relate


6.forbid





7.question


8.manage




9.real

10.aware








  answers



Cambridge monitor survey of english students in Spain infographics



SHOW

whistling in the wind

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes 

The night has not 0. fallen in La Gomera, one of the smallest Canary Islands.
I close my eyes to avoid 1. distracted by the landscape and 2. an effort to hear. I'm trying to make out, among the echo of the wind and the noise from the cars that 3. time to time drive along the road, the sounds of silbo gomero or Gomeran whistle; an ancient language the locals have assured me is still 4. use. read on
This method of communication, in 5. the Spanish language is replaced by two whistled vowels and four consonants, has the ability to travel up to two miles (3.2km), 6. further and with less effort than shouting. There are no certainties about its origins. It is known that when the first European settlers arrived at La Gomera in the 15th Century, the inhabitants of the island - of North African origin - communicated 7. whistles. Some locals recall its widespread use in the 1940s and 50s.

"In the old days, when the mountain 8. fire, something that happens quite frequently in the island, the Guardia Civil came to pick us up," says Lino Rodriguez, an old whistler with a cracked smoking voice.

"And 9. matter what we were doing, they put us in a truck and drove us to put out the fire. So, to avoid them, we passed a message between us whistling: 'You have to hide, the Guardia Civil is coming!'. And 10. they didn't whistle, they didn't understand what we were saying and couldn't find us."

The council and the mayors were paid to put out the fires but would not pay any locals who helped, he explains.

By the 1970s and 80s, there were only a few whistlers remaining, but at the end of the 90s there was renewed interest in silbo, in part 11. to an initiative to make it a compulsory subject at primary school.

For Fernando Mendez, minister of tourism of La Gomera, whistling is crucial to the island's tourism industry. Archaeologist Hernandez Marrero agrees that preservation is important, because it defines the identity of the Gomerans. But he fears that it risks becoming a cliche, 12. the flower necklaces given to tourists in Hawaii.



read the full text and hear some siblo gomera at BBC Mundo.
other vids: on the news  siblo gomera tourism



SHOW

french for homework?

(use of english: pt 3 word formation) write your answers in the boxes

The French President Francois Hollande says it is 1. that some children get help from their parents at home while children who come from families at a 2. do not.

1.fair

2.advantage
read on
For France, it's something of a 3. idea that would overturn more than a century of school tradition. The thinking is that the days are too full for young children under the current system and that Wednesday free time could be put to more 4. use.

His education minister, Vincent Peillon, will decide this month how to carry out the reform. A panel of experts will present their 5. on Friday, and the president is expected to address the issue on Tuesday.

Under the education 6., school would end at lunchtime on Wednesday.
'It's completely 7.,' complained Valerie Marty, president of the national parents' organisation, 'They have to figure out who will take care of the children after school, who will finance it.'

The Education Ministry has proposed more organised extracurricular activities like sports, theatre and art to replace the relatively free-form time children now have after school. But that means trained staff and, of course, more money from local budgets already strained in difficult 8. times.

Peter Gumbel, a British journalist who has lived in France since 2002 and written a book about the country's education system, said the 9. of the school day is only part of the problem.

'You have to tackle head-on the fundamental questions of the classroom,' he said, citing 'the enormous amount of hours, the enormous amount of unbroken attention required, and the sheer boredom and 10..'

dailymail

3.revolution


4.produce




5.conclude



6.propose


7.real





8.economy





9.long


10.tire



Do kids really need homework? cbsnews  audioscript
ben berrafato article
wifi on school bus helps homework article   vid

SHOW

slumming it

(use of english: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes

Before his appearance on the show, Sushil Kumar, a psychology graduate, was earning 1. more than $100 (£62) a month. 2. answering 13 questions correctly, he pocketed more than he would have earned in 800 years.
read on


The story made headlines around the world, 3. it was almost identical to the plot of the film Slumdog Millionaire, 4. a man from a humble background hits the jackpot on the quiz show. In the film you don't find 5.  how it changed the hero's life - but you get the sense there is going to be a transformation.

The family home is very basic. 6.  of the four main rooms has a double bed, in the corner of one is a small television. It's here he lives with his wife, his mother and father, four brothers, two sisters-in-law and one child - 11 in all.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Sushil shows me another one of his purchases, his first ever computer, a small tablet. Last week he bought a scooter, the only vehicle he owns, 7. though he has enough money for several high-end sports cars.

Even the clothes he wears the day we meet are not new, and were part of his wardrobe before the show. So 8., he's spent $200,000 (£124,000) of his winnings. Sushil says the money has changed him in simple and small ways. He's paid 9. a brother's debts, bought some jewellery for his wife and put the rest in the bank.

India is a nation known for its savings culture, and it seems Sushil is living 10. to the stereotype. He's has taken some financial advice 11.  how to invest the money but has also had plenty of offers from people wanting to spend it for him.
"Since I won, a lot of people started writing letters to me asking for money, to buy land, to solve their problems, to pay for operations, their house, their children's wedding."

As Sushil's win was watched by 27 million Indians, he definitely has celebrity status. "Now I go to any part of the country and people recognise me and… want to get pictures 12. with me and get my autograph. It's a very good feeling," he says.

By Rajini Vaidyanathan bbc
  answers



SHOW

in the know

(use of english: pt 1 multiple-choice) write your answers in the boxes

photo: CREDITThere are lots of myths about English language exams.
You may hear people talk about trick questions which are planted in papers to catch you 1., how exercises are constantly recycled, how exams are 2. up in a matter of 3.. read on

4., the development of exams at Cambridge ESOL is a 5. job. It involves teams of researchers and an international network of thousands of writers and examiners. They make sure each exam is fair and a reliable 6. to what 7. candidates have reached in the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening, and in their use of English.

Every test is different and is designed to examine very specific skills. That’s why test takers can 8. from knowing more about the particular exam they will be sitting and what examiners are really 9..

Gaining a First Certificate in English (FCE) means you are likely to have
10. enough skills to use English as part of your job. So it will be ideal for working in the tourism industry or for clerical, secretarial and managerial jobs in organisations 10. there is contact with English speakers. The FCE is also a qualification that can help you study abroad for vocational training courses.

Examiners expect someone sitting the FCE to be able to 12. with routine letters and telephone enquiries, and be able to read simple textbooks and articles.
bbc

SHOW

to do or not to do

(use of english: pt 3 word formation) write your answers in the boxes

photo by Some just dash into Bilbao to “do” the Guggenheim but Bilbao is full of beautiful buildings, 1. shops, lovely views, terrific bars, gorgeous food – and above all, people as friendly as you could possibly wish.

There is so much to the city that you could just wander around stumbling upon the 2. and the intriguing without fully realising what you’ve chanced upon. You could, too, plough your way through a list of sights, museums, galleries, churches, 3. places etc, dutifully reading all the facts.


1.dependent




2.delight


3.history

read on
But there’s also another 4. activity which is much more 5., and that is to be taken around by a friend who knows the place. This is essentially what you will experience if you get in touch with Bilbao Greeters and, incredibly, it is free.

All you have to do is contact them in advance with an idea of what you’re interested in (culture, bars, shops, markets, 6., football, food, perhaps even nothing terribly 7.), and a 8. friendly local volunteer will spend up to about four hours showing you the best Where and What and How as only someone local can.

On top of that though, you’ll be getting the privilege of unique insights into the life of the city as you chat with them, finding out all sorts of things that you hadn’t even noticed, getting a real feel for the place, and you’ll part feeling that a genuine 9. has been made. That was certainly our experience and we can truly say that our contact with bilbaogreeters.com was what made our holiday so 10. – if only there were people like this everywhere we went!

ivebeenthere
bilbaogreeters




4.option

5.reward



6.architect

7.specify

8.wonder





9.friend

10.enjoy









SHOW

viva forever, and ever ...

(Use of English: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes
Spice Girls fan Gavin Townroe has been handed a suspended prison sentence after driving his neighbours in Nottingham bonkers by constantly blaring out the girl band's number one hit 'Viva Forever'.

Townroe, 33, played the 'girl power' group's 1998 love ballad so loudly 1. one nearby resident had to be signed off sick from work due to lack of sleep. Other people living in the same block of flats would even leave their homes just to get 2. from the constant sound of Sporty, Baby, Posh, Scary and Ginger Spice being repeatedly played. read on

Nottinghamshire Police began investigating Townroe last year after numerous neighbours complained 3. the music and told to keep the volume down. But last Wednesday jobless Townroe 4. given a six week suspended jail term at Nottingham County Court after officers took volume levels at his home.

Wayne Cliff, the investigating officer in the case, gave evidence at court and said he heard 'Viva Forever' blasting from Townroe’s flat in Lenton, Nottingham. Mr Cliff said: "5. being warned, Mr Townroe had a total disregard for his neighbours and for the anti social behaviour injunction placed upon him.

"I'd like to thank residents for their commitment and determination 6. providing evidence to enable such action to be taken and hope this case reassures local residents that anti social behaviour will not be tolerated."

7. of his neighbours, Salah Alsayed, 33, today revealed he had first complained about Townroe in January 2011. He said: "As well as the Spice Girls, it was different music too - rock, dance, R and B,

"I like music too - but not like that.Friday, Saturday, you don't mind, but seven days a week it's very difficult to deal 8.. Sometimes it would happen at seven, eight o’clock in the morning - the police have been here many times. It's taken nearly two years."

In court Townroe admitted under cross examination he 9. have played music or allowed other people in to his flat that put music on. But he could not remember many of the incidents due to being drunk at the time.

Digby Court, where Townroe lived, is run 10. Nottingham City Homes and is one of five blocks of flats in Lenton. Nottingham City Homes director of housing Gill Moy said: "Neighbours should never be subjected to anti social behaviour like this and the court’s actions 11. up how serious it is.

"The playing of loud music at all times is unacceptable and something we treat seriously to 12. sure our tenants and residents can live a peaceful life in their own homes."
yahoo

ans



SHOW

soaking it up

(Use of English: pt 2 open cloze) write your answers in the boxes
photo: cinencuentro.comSimplemente Maria was a Peruvian soap opera about a domestic employee who 1. her fortune through her skills with a sewing machine. It provided the model for an entertainment education revolution and was especially popular in Mexico, 2. it was rumoured to have received higher viewing figures than the 1970 World Cup. read on
In 1975, half of Mexico's workers were unable to read and 3. the government had started a public adult reading programme, it had a low take up. Mexican television writer Miguel Sabido, who had studied the Simplemente Maria phenomenon, created a series called Ven Conmigo, 4. which an elderly man graduated from reading class and in an emotional scene read a letter from his daughter for the first 5..

In 1984, Sabido was invited to India by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to work 6. the first serial drama series on the subcontinent. He created Hum Log, a series that took on big issues 7. as caste harmony and womens´ rights - and drew a regular viewing audience of more than 50 million. 8. of the characters, a girl from a Hindu family, 9. in love with a Muslim detective, and another wants to marry a woman from a lower caste.

Each episode concluded 10. a message from the famous actor Ashok Kumar, who encouraged viewers to discuss issues raised 11. the programme. Over its 17-month run, he received more than 400,000 letters from young viewers, asking him to convince their parents to let them marry the man or woman of their 12..

via the bbc

SHOW

putting it another way

(Use of English: pt 4) write your answers in the boxes
photo: Paola Frogheri4 776do not change the word given.
use 2 to 5 words

The film was so boring that everyone fell asleep.
such
It was 1. that everyone fell asleep.

"Can I take a dictionnary into the exam?" asked Jon.
whether
Jon asked 2. a dictionnary into the exam. read on

Maria regrets not studying more seriously
wishes
Maria 3. more seriously.

Although he tried his best, Jon couldn't understand the text.
despite
Jon couldn't understand the text 4. his best.

Maria advised Jon to go back to the hairdressers.
suggested
Maria 5. to the hairdressers.

Jon doesn't usually get angry.
hardly
Jon 6. temper.

They were told not to use their phones while they were doing the exam.
without
The exam had to 7. their phones.

Jon arrived late because he had missed the metro.
to
Jon arrived late 8. the metro.


SHOW

betting odds

(Use of English: pt 1 multiple-choice)
photo by stoneflowerSpain's two great rival cities, Barcelona and Madrid, are competing to attract a mega casino project dubbed "Eurovegas" planned by US multi-billionaire mogul Sheldon Adelson.

The contest to 1. over the 14th richest man in the world has become a casino version of the El Clasico derby that Spaniards are more used to witnessing on the football 2.. Barcelona, the Catalan capital, has beaches and a port where cruise ships dock on a daily 3.. Madrid, the national capital, has the bigger, and better-connected, airport. read on
With Spain's unemployment standing at 23%, Ignacio Fernandez, the Spanish capital's tourism boss, openly admits that the casino project's job-creation potential is its "biggest attraction" and makes it something "politicians have to get for their country".

The main sticking point 4. negotiations between Spanish politicians and Mr Adelson is a list of conditions which, according to Madrid's tourism authority, the American businessman has given in order to agree to invest in Spain. It says Mr Adelson is 5. about the level of social security he would have to pay his workers; he would also like immigration laws to be relaxed so it would be easier for him to 6. some workers in from abroad.

Mr Adelson's company insists it has not made its investment dependent on a list of conditions, describing its talks with the Spanish government as "positive". But reports have 7. to criticism, particularly from politicians on the left, that the resort would become a low-tax haven.

Catalan President Artur Mas admits his region has always been behind Madrid in the race, but he believes in recent weeks Barcelona has been "8. up". As one of his officials points 9., Barcelona has the sea and is a "much cooler" city. But politicians in the Spanish capital have been working on Mr Adelson for much longer.

However, Eurovegas would potentially pull in a new market of thousands of tourists, generating significant revenue. Sheldon Adelson's visits to Spain, most recently to Barcelona, suggest he is 10. about the project. And he does not seem to have been put off by the eurozone crisis. He told Forbes' magazine that the project would take four to five years to build, by which time he believes "everything will be solved".

From what officials in Madrid and Barcelona are saying, the economic potential of the project means it is a gamble either city is willing to 11.. First 12., they need the consent of Spain's national government.

bbc

SHOW

eat chocolate get slim

(Use of English: pt 3 word formation) write your answers in the boxes

A study of nearly 1,000 US people found those who ate chocolate a few times a week were, on average, slimmer than those who ate it 1.. Even though chocolate is loaded with calories, it contains ingredients that may favour weight 2. rather than fat synthesis, scientists believe.
1.occasion

2.lose

read on

According to the 3., there is only one chance in a hundred that their findings could be explained by chance alone. Lead author Dr Beatrice Golomb, from the University of California at San Diego, said: "Our findings appear to add to a body of 4. suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight."

This is not the first time 5. have suggested that chocolate may be healthy for us. Other studies have claimed chocolate may be good for the heart.

6. of certain types of chocolate has been linked to some favourable changes in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol level. And chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, does contain antioxidants which can help to mop up free radicals - unstable chemicals that can damage our cells.

Mice fed for 15 days with epicatechin (present in dark chocolate) had improved exercise 7. and observable changes to their muscle composition. Dr Golomb and her team say clinical trials are now needed in humans to see if this is the case.

But before you reach for a chocolate bar, there are still lots of 8. questions. And in the absence of 9. evidence, experts advise caution. While there's no harm in allowing yourself a treat like chocolate now and again, eating too much might be 10. because it often contains a lot of sugar and fat too.

And if you are looking to change your diet, you are likely to benefit most from eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.
bbc
3.research





4.inform




5.science




6.consume






7.perform




8.answer

9.conclude


10.harm


SHOW