Text nº 46. La matanza de Texas revive. 4 de octubre de 2022

 Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP #inglésipep #ingléspagsypau (en Twitter).

El ser humano es burro por naturaleza pero, que Dios me perdone, siempre hay unos más burros que otros.

Eso de comprar armas como el que compra huevos en el supermercado es algo delicado. Luego, pasa lo que pasa. 

Vamos hoy con 'reading comprehension' de nuevo, con las noticias, malas y desagradables, del día.

Para ello, vamos al The Washington Post, a quienes les doy las gracias por hacer uso de su artículo. 

CÓDIGOS DE COLORES:

AZUL: Traducciones.

ROJO: Aspectos gramaticales.

VERDE: Aspectos culturales.

NARANJA: Estructuras concatenadas

MORADO: Traducción y sinónimos, antónimos, etc.

Amarillo: Palabras con trampa.

Os dejo una plantilla para que, sobre la marcha, podáis ir completando con sinónimos, antónimos, etc y los significados. Espero que os sea de utilidad. Pinchad aquí para descargarla.  

All of the 19 children and two teachers killed in Tuesday’s shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde were in the same fourth-grade classroom, according to a Texas law enforcement official, who later added that 17 others were injured. Those killed in the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade included a veteran educator and two 10-year-olds. Most of the victims have yet to be officially identified.

👉👉👉👉👉👉1.- Say whether these sentences are true or false:

a) The victims have already been identified.

b) This has not been the bloodiest gunfire massacre so far.

Authorities say Salvador Rolando Ramos, 18, opened fire at the school, where he was killed by law enforcement officers. The gunman’s grandmother was also in critical condition at a hospital in nearby San Antonio after authorities say he shot her at her home. Those who knew the gunman separately recounted to The Washington Post how he had been bullied and had a fraught home life as a child — and grew increasingly violent.

👉👉👉👉👉👉 2.- Say whether these sentences are true or false:

a) The police have shot the murderer.

b) The grandmother's murderer is dead too.

c) The murderer did not have a tense childhood.

The latest in an epidemic of mass shootings in the United States renewed emotional pleas for stronger gun control. President Biden called for the United States to “stand up to the gun lobby" and asked: “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?” Without naming any names — or even any political party — Biden said that “we will not forget” those who obstruct or delay gun-control legislation as world leaders condemned the shooting.

👉👉👉👉👉👉3.- Say whether these sentences are true or false:

a) The petitions to implement a more secure supervision of weapons have resumen as a result of this carnage.

b) Biden is going to act and introduce strict measures against the use of weapons.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) moved Tuesday evening to put two House-passed gun-control bills on the Senate calendar, as Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) criticized Democratic efforts to change gun laws in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Former president Donald Trump — along with Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) — are scheduled to address the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Houston, which starts Friday.

👉👉👉👉👉👉4.- Say whether these sentences are true or false:

a) The National Rifle Association is going to change gun laws in their annual meeting in Houston.

b) Democrats are going to pass two gun-control bills on the Senate this Friday.

Here’s what else to know

• The bodies of the victims should be released to their families by the end of the day, Thursday or sooner, said Lalo Diaz, a justice of the peace in Uvalde County. “I just feel horrible that the family has to wait at this time, but there’s a crime scene and there’s an investigation that has to take place,” he said. “We wish we could’ve gotten the kids back to their families last night." 
• At least 17 people were hurt when the gunman opened fire at the school, in addition to the 19 children and two adults who were killed, Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said.
• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) — who was a congressman during the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in his state — said he would “get down on my hands and knees” to beg his colleagues to pass gun-control legislation.
• The FBI released a report Monday saying that the number of “active shooter” attacks nationwide rose sharply last year, doubling from two years earlier.

👉👉👉👉👉👉5.- Say whether these sentences are true or false:

a) The families of the victims have already been given the corpses.

b) All in all, 38 people have been involved in the massacre.

c) Senator Chris Murphy is begging for a new law to be passed in order to control guns.

d) The number of shootings have soared since two years ago.

👉👉👉👉👉New words to be studied:

1.-fraught:

2.- deadly:

3.- law-enforcement:

4.- aftermath:

5.- take place:

6.- release:

7.- in addition to:

8.- rise, rose, risen:

9.- sharply:

10.- nationwide:

11.- recounted:

12.- pleas for:

13.- mass shootings:

14.- willling to:

15.- carnage:

16.- later:

17.- stand up to:

18.- delay:

19.- bullied:

20.- former:

• Saludos, familia.

English test online for your PACS exam. 25 de mayo de 2022

 Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP #inglésipep #ingléspagsypau (en Twitter).

El cuestionario que os dejo hoy es muy completo, en el sentido de que cada pregunta se centra en un aspecto gramatical o de vocabulario diferente. 

Venga, vamos a dar un paso más y a seguir trabajando, que ya nos queda poco. 

Y de nuevo, escuchemos una canción para animar la velada. Hoy nos toca Peter Murphy y su canción 'Cuts you up'.

Text nº 45 for reading and reflection: A local’s guide to Jaén, Spain: sunsets and sundowners in Andalucía 20 de septiembre de 2022

Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP #inglésipep #ingléspagsypau (en Twitter).

Ya se ha acabado la calma y ha llegado la calima. Jaén vuelve a ser el horno de hornazos (pinche el verde para ver la receta) que hace que hasta los lagartos multicolores emigren a Tromsø con las ofertas de Iberia. Pues nada, nosotros a seguir trabajando.

Hoy me envía una colega de trabajo, Susana Cerezo, Coordinadora Erasmus+ del CEIP Castillo de Alhabar del preciso pueblo de Cambil,  un maravilloso artículo sobre Jaén capital que ha aparecido en el periódico británico The Guardian. 

Vamos a usarlo para refrescar vocabulario y reforzar algunas cuestiones gramaticales, así como para ayudar a difundir las bellezas de nuestra tierra. Aprovecho para dar las gracias al The Guardian.

CÓDIGOS DE COLORES:

AZUL: Traducciones.

ROJO: Aspectos gramaticales.

VERDE: Aspectos culturales.

NARANJA: Estructuras concatenadas

MORADO: Traducción y sinónimos, antónimos, etc.

Amarillo: Palabras con trampa.

Os dejo una plantilla para que, sobre la marcha, podáis ir completando con sinónimos, antónimos, etc y los significados. Espero que os sea de utilidad. Pinchad aquí para descargarla.

También os podéis descargar el texto en formado word por si os resulta más cómodo tenerlo disponible en papel. Pinchad aquí para descargarlo.  

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/may/23/locals-guide-to-jaen-spain-sunsets-and-sundowners-andalucia

Sunset: sundown, twilight, nightfall, dusk.

Sundowners: an alcoholic drink which is drunk around the time when the sun goes. (cañitas, vinillos y demás, para entendernos los cristianos)

Award-winning poet Begoña M Rueda reveals the best museums, bars and beauty spots in her quintessentially Andalucían home town.

Food

Jaén is one of the few cities in Spain ....... (1) your tapa is included in the price of your drink – and if you want to eat well here, head to a tavern. My favourite is El Abuelo, which has amazing tapas: it is famous for delicious patatas alioli and alpargatas de tomate con bacon (toasted bread with tomato and bacon). Also good are La Manchega, founded in 1886 and the oldest bar in Jaén, Casa Gorrión, which has a mummified leg of ham dating from 1918 on display, and also La Barra and El Santo. 

👉👉👉👉Question: Which word is missing in gap nº1 above: 'whose,' 'that' or 'where'?

Inspiration

The Íbero Museo is dedicated to the ancient civilisations of the Iberian peninsula. Photograph: Japhotos/Alamy

No visit to Jaén is complete without climbing all the way to the cross of the Santa Catalina castle. The vantage point gives a stunning view of the entire city and the endless olive groves that surround it. You’ll be hard pushed to find a more beautiful place to watch the sunset.

Check out the Museo Provincial: its archaeological collection includes prehistoric tools, statues, mosaics and fine examples of Roman, Jewish and Arab silversmithing. The museum’s fine art section has a noted collection stretching from the 19th century to the present day. As well as portraits of Spanish nobles, it has good examples of realist and romantic works, a Picasso drawing, and pictures and sketches by local painter Rafael Zabaleta.

Nearby, the modern Íbero Museo is, as its name ............ (2), dedicated to the ancient civilisations of the Iberian peninsula. Its collection, divided into sections called the Lady, the Prince, the Hero and the Goddess, gives a fascinating insight into the culture and daily lives of our ancestors.

👉👉👉👉Question: Which word is missing in gap nº2 above: 'deduces', 'suggests' or 'describes?

Neighbourhood

Jaén has managed to preserve its traditional Andalucían feel and its neighbourhoods – even the centre – remain very untouristy. The barrios of La Merced, San Bartolomé and San Juan are all worth a wander. If you’re after a mix of tradition and leisure, try the San Ildefonso neighbourhood, with its bars and shops by the little church square.

La Magdalena is an unassuming, traditional barrio in the old town known for its statue of an enormous lizard. Why the big reptile? According to local legend, this giant lizard once terrorised the area, prowling around at night and devouring crops and livestock. Fortunately, one brave shepherd had the novel idea of stuffing a sheep’s belly with gunpowder and leaving it out to tempt the monster. The greedy lizard took the bait and was blown to pieces, to the delight of locals.

https://www.cacocu.es/barrio-magdalena-jaen/

The legend lives on in the local lingo. If you’re .........(1)  Jaén and want to wish someone ill, you say: “I hope you explode like the dragon of La Magdalena.”

👉👉👉👉Question: Which word is missing gap nº 3  above: 'of', 'off' or 'from'?

👉👉👉👉Question. 'To make someone ill' means 'to make somebody jealous', 'to make someone sick', 'to make somebody upset' or all of them are correct?

Green spaces

The Juan Pablo II park, better known as the boulevard park, is a good option if you’re keen for some open-air sports or fancy a lazy afternoon picnic. It’s divided into three large areas, and the big fountain in the central zone is a welcome and refreshing place on a hot summer’s day. If you’re after something a little wilder, the Vía Verde del Aceite is a green corridor you can walk or cycle. 

👉👉👉👉Question: Which of the following words is a synonym for 'divided'? torn, risen, split.

Jaen Cathedral and views of city rooftops Spain Photograph: Alamy

Nightlife

The city’s best places for an evening out are pubs in the centre such as La Marimorena, which plays rock and alternative music, or the Admiral’s Arms, which inclines more towards metal and goth. If you’re a poetry lover, El Tijuana runs monthly readings by top poets.

Stay

Hotel Xauen (doubles from €93 B&B) and Hotel Condestable Iranzo (doubles from €92 B&B) are both reasonably priced and central, within easy reach of public transport, museums, shops and green spaces. The Xauen has a view of the cathedral from its roof terrace, which also has sun loungers and an outdoor shower.

👉👉👉👉Question: Can you se another word instead of which above in those relative sentences? 

Begoña M Rueda has published nine collections of poetry, including Laundry Service, which won the Hiperión poetry prize in 2021.

Pues muchas gracias a la gran poeta, Begoña, por este magnífico artículo que nos aconseja qué hacer si nos atrevemos a no hacer caso al mito absurdo de la España vaciada. 

¡Venisus pacá!

Para concluir, la ocasión la pinta calva -tuvo que salir la palabra- para escuchar de nuevo el himno de nuestra bella ciudad. 

Vocabulary that you should learn today:

1.- award-winning:

2.- sunset:

3.- sundowners:

4.- reveal:

5.- few: 

6.- worth:

7.- wander:

8.- worth a wander:

9.- keen on:

10.- shepherd:

11.- prowling:

12.- crops

13.- livestock:

14.- bait:

15.- greedy.

16.- stuffing.

17.- unsassuming.

18.- gunpowder.

19.- magane to.

20.- remain.

21.- silversmithing.

22.- stretching.

23.- vantage point.

24.- olive groves.

25.- stunning.

English grammar test for PACS 25 questions 'to' or 'ing' verbs. 23 de mayo de 2022

 Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP #inglésipep  (en Twitter).

Hoy vamos a trabajar un poco de gramática y vocabulario con el test que os dejo a continuación. 

Ya sabéis, un buen diccionario a mano, concentración y adelante, que no es poco.

Para prepararte este test, puedes bichear por la página:

Pincha en este el enlace para ir a la página con la explicación sobre cómo usar esos verbos.

También incluye dos ejercicios online muy sencillos:

grammar test 1 and 2.

Saludos, familia.

Y la selección musical de hoy va para una gran artista del siglo XX, la grandísima Barbara Streisand, una gran mujer enamorada. Espero que os guste, no todo va a ser reguetón.