Reading comprehension: Hamburgers.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El primero de hoy vuelve al tema de la comida basura que tantos estragos está causando en nuestras sociedades 'modernas'.'

mmolpor@

NO STOPPING AFTER EATING 25.000 BIG MACS

-nine years after his first Big Mac, Don Gorske has entered the record books by finishing his 25,000th Big Mac. He passed the milestone at a McDonald'srestaurant in his hometown in Wisconsin. "I plan on eating Big Macs until I die," said the 57-year-old. "I have no intention of changing. It's still my favourite food. Nothing has changed in 39 years. I look forward to it every day."

 

Gorske's obsession with the burger started on 17^th May 1972 when he bought three Big Macs to celebrate the purchase of a new car. He says he enjoyed them so much that he went back to McDonald's twice the same day, and ate nine burgers. He has only gone eight days without a Big Mac since his first bite. Despite his diet Gorske`s doctor has described him as a healthy man and he takes regular exercise. However, he admitted an obsessive compulsive personality, saying that he liked to collect the packaging and enjoyed counting his Big Macs because of a love of numbers.  

 

McDonald's says there are 540 calories in a Big Mac, which is more than a quarter of the calories a person on an average diet would consume. The burger also contains 29 g. of fat and 1,040 mg of sodium, which are both more than 40% of the daily recommended amount. Medical experts do not recommend the Gorske diet. Tara Gidus, a dietitian, said Gorske probably has good genetics, as well as the fact that he didn't order fries and soft drinks with his burger. She said she is "less concerned about the bad stuff in the Big Mac and more concerned about the good stuff he's missing", such as fruit and vegetables. Before tucking into his 25,000^th burger Gorske said: "I really do enjoy every Big Mac."

 Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Leading a healthy life

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El cuarto y último de hoy versa sobre la comida basura que tantos estragos está causando en nuestras sociedades 'modernas'.'

@mmolpor

Leading a healthy life: Fast Food

When people all over the world are looking for a quick, easy meal to grab on the go, fast food is the common solution. In fact, over 25 percent of Americans consume fast food every day. 

Fast food does not have to be unhealthy, but most of the time it is; consumers often order foods with more fat, calories, sugar and sodium, and less nutrition and vitamins than is necessary. Keep reading to find out some more about what makes fast food so common in America and how to pick healthier options.     

There are close to 50,000 fast food chains across the United States, with McDonalds being the largest restaurant chain. In the world, there are more than 500,000 fast food places. Kids between the ages of 6 and 14 eat fast food 157,000,000 times every month. Ninety-six percent of kids in school could recognize an image of Ronald McDonald, the face of McDonalds. The only recognizable figure that ranked higher was Santa Claus. 

Most people don't consider fast food as their healthiest option. While there are some ways to eat a well-balanced, nutritious meal at a fast food restaurant, the unhealthy options are more common and more appealing. Often, someone can consume all of the calories they need for the entire day in one sitting at a fast food restaurant. 

The most common vegetable served at fast food places is the potato in the form of French fries. There is no problem with eating fast food occasionally, but if you are eating it more than once a week, consider ordering some healthier options that are more nutritional. 

Many foods are considered unhealthy if you eat too much of them—even healthy foods. Keep this in mind when ordering fast food.

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Shopaholism.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

 Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El tercero trata sobre el problema del consumismo desenfrenado y la adicción a las compras.

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. 

Shopaholism

Shopaholism, also commonly referred to as compulsive shopping or shopping addiction is basically characterized by an uncontrollable desire to make purchases when there is really no need for the same. Oniomania is the technical term used to describe shopaholism. While some health experts believe that compulsive shopping is an impulse control disorder, others claim that it is an indication of obsessive compulsive disorder or bipolar disorder. Of late, it has also been accepted as a type of addiction, because like in the case of any other addiction, the individual lacks control over his impulses.

Plastic money or the credit card is the main cause for worsening this mental condition. Shopaholics run their credits up to the maximum limit without thinking whether they will be able to pay off for such huge expenses. Initially, they feel happy; but later, just like any other addictive behavior such as alcoholism, tobacco smoking, drug abuse, gambling, or binge eating, they begin to experience a sense of guilt as they feel that they have just done something wrong. Many people, especially women and teenagers, shop for pleasure when they are in low spirits.

This addiction ultimately leads to financial losses, which not only affect the person concerned but also his or her near and dear ones. The strained relationships caused by this mental disorder can even break homes. The exact cause of such addictive behavior is not known; but according to some psychiatrists, such actions can be triggered by a need to feel special. Shopaholics try to fill in a void in their lives with objects. The act of shopping gives the compulsive shopper a high due to the release of certain ‘feel good’ hormones.

There is no customary or foolproof treatment option that can help to get rid of this problem immediately. The individual should first of all accept that he has a problem and should therefore take the help of his family and friends, without feeling ashamed. If the condition gets worse, Medical help must be sought. Undergoing professional counseling or joining a self-help group is often useful in trying to deal with this problem. The condition usually does not require any medication unless it is too severe or there are other associated distressing symptoms.

Texto adaptado de www.healthizen.com

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: THE MODIGLIANI SCANDAL.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El segundo trata sobre el gran pintor Modigliani y un acontecimiento escabroso en el que se vio involucrado. Además, así estudiamos un poco de arte.

https://ar.pinterest.com/euforiondisnea/modigliani/

THE MODIGLIANI SCANDAL

When he died in 1920, like many artists, the Italian painter and sculptor Amadeo Modigliani (1884-1920 ) was far less well-known than now. A modernist artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form. Curiously, since his painting was so consistent and is regularly auctioned at multi-million dollar prices, he has become one of the world's most faked artists. Just last week, Giovanni Verdi, the president of the Modigliani Institute, dedicated to defending his legacy, was arrested on suspicion of falsely attributing a series of artworks to the late artist.

The arrest is related to an investigation which goes back to 2011, when 15 fake Modigliani works were removed from an exhibition that Parisot organised at the Art Museum of Palermo. It is believed that the art expert provided false certificates of authenticity to counterfeit Modigliani works worth over €12 million in order to sell them on to collectors. While Verdi was compiling a monograph of the artist's oeuvre, both paintings and sculptures, he was also filling his pockets making money from supposed masterpieces, so he was sacked by the Modigliani Institute's governing body, as soon as the news broke.  

He is expected to face trial later this year, once the Italian police finish their investigation. 

Article adapted from information in Wikipedia

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Synchronized swimming

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Hoy vamos a trabajar varios textos muy breves y bastante más sencillos. De nuevo, son materiales que están incluidos en el programa de vuestro curso de la página CREA de la Junta de Andalucía. El primero se centra en los avances que las mujeres van haciendo en el mundo del deporte, en su reconocimiento social y deportivo.

https://www.europapress.es/la-rioja/noticia-seleccion-espanola-natacion-sincronizada-recibira-mencion-honor-deporte-gala-26-febrero-20140220121701.html

Synchronized swimming

Synchronized swimming (often abbreviated to Synchro) is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers (either solos, duets, trios, combos, or teams) performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music. Synchronized swimming demands advanced water skills, and requires great strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, as well as exceptional breath control when upside down underwater.

Olympic and World Championship competition is not open to men, but other international and national competitions allow male competitors. Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women. Most European countries allow men to compete also, France even allows male only podiums, according to the number of participants. In the past decade more men are becoming involved in the sport and a global biannual competition called Men's Cup has been steadily growing.
Competitors show off their strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines. Swimmers perform two routines for the judges, one technical and one free, as well as age group routines and figures.
Synchronized swimming is governed internationally by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation).

At the turn of the 20th century, synchronized swimming was known as water ballet. The first recorded competition was in 1891 in Berlin, Germany. Many swim clubs were formed around that time, and the sport simultaneously developed within several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the USA. 

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Rafael Nadal Wins the Australian Open, His 21st Grand Slam Title

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Vamos a ahora a celebrar la victoria de una gran campeón, sinónimo de tenacidad, de bondad y un gran español que lleva la bandera de España allá por donde vaya. Nadal, gran orgullo del deporte español.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/sports/tennis/nadal-medvedev-australian-open.html

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.

Rafael Nadal Wins the Australian Open, His 21st Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic overshadowed the first Grand Slam of the year before it began, but Nadal pulled off an epic comeback over Daniil Medvedev that broke his tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer in men’s singles major career victories.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal shook his head, as if in disbelief. Then he moved to the net to shake the hand of his opponent, Daniil Medvedev, and it was then that it seemed to sink in. Nadal stood alone in the record book with 21 career Grand Slam men’s singles titles, one more than his rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Suddenly, Nadal punched the air like a prizefighter, flexing his arms like a bodybuilder, pumping his fists overhead, then dropping to his knees as tears flowed.

Nadal’s five-hour-and-24-minute triumph, after being down by two sets, thrilled a raucous crowd on a warm Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena. It came just a day after Ashleigh Barty of Australia won the women’s singles title, the first home court win at the Australian Open in 44 years.

But if the final weekend of the first major sporting event of the year ended in singular fashion, the beginning was anything but.

Two weeks ago, just hours before the first matches, Australian authorities deported Djokovic, a perennial favorite in the tournament and Nadal’s longtime rival, for entering the country without being vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Nadal’s victory, and with it the claim of being the sport’s most decorated Grand Slam men’s singles champion, was a cruel twist for Djokovic, a nine-time champion of the event who received an exemption from the Australian tennis federation to play unvaccinated but was then told to leave the country after his visa was canceled and an appeal was rejected.

Nadal, 35, returned from a chronic foot injury that had him considering retirement late last year and then came back on Sunday in a match he trailed by two sets to win, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

He fought. He thought. He fought and thought some more against an opponent who was 10 years younger and had pushed Nadal to the five-set limit in their first major final at the 2019 U.S. Open before losing to Nadal in four hours and 49 minutes.

Sunday’s final turned out to be considerably longer, but Nadal delivered a reminder of the classic matches he had played in Rod Laver Arena and beyond.

After it ended, at 1:11 a.m. on Monday in Melbourne, Djokovic and Federer, who is now tied for second with 20 major singles titles, congratulated Nadal in social media messages.

“A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches,” Federer wrote on Instagram. He added: “I’m proud to share this era with you.”

“Amazing achievement,” wrote Djokovic, who praised Nadal’s “always impressive fighting spirit that prevailed another time.”

Saludos.

Grammar: irregular verbs

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Y el último trabajo que subimos hoy para repasar es el que más os gusta, que lo sé yo, y no es sino el de nuestros amados verbos irregulares😂😂😂😂😂

Aquí os dejo un vídeo para repasar, para empezar:

Vamos a usar diversos recursos que aparecen en Internet para ello, todos con ejercicios cortos, sencillos y pensados para repasar de manera muy práctica.

Suerte:

Vamos primero con la maravillosa aplicación wordwall, en la que podéis encontrar más de 26 millones, sí, millones, de ejercicios de todo tipo. 

irregular verbs match-up

irregular verbs match-up

Irregular verbs, an interactive worksheet by cakmak
liveworksheets.com

Irregular Past Participles crossword, an interactive worksheet by Loop
liveworksheets.com

Simple Past Tense (Regular-Irregular Verbs), an interactive worksheet by Teacher_Farahah
liveworksheets.com

Past Simple or Past Continuous, an interactive worksheet by jecika
liveworksheets.com

Irregular Verbs Quiz, an interactive worksheet by jajayaja
liveworksheets.com

Grammar: oraciones complicadas en inglés. Contrast clauses /Oraciones adversativas 1

Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP 

Vamos ahora a por un poco de gramática, o más bien a aprender vocabulario relacionado con palabras que usamos para unir tanto frases para formar textos como partes de frases para formar frase más complejas. ¡Vaya follón! 

Todo es para no decir que vamos a revisar los nexos que necesitamos para formar oraciones subordinadas o textos complejos. Quedaos con la explicación que más os guste.

Hay infinidad de páginas en la red que podemos usar para trabajar este amplio tema pero mire usted por dónde, hoy vamos a echar mano de los recursos de la página CREA.

Pero antes de nada, veamos este magnífico vídeo que nos explica a la perfección como usar algunas:

Linking words of contrast in English.

Vamos a por ello y vamos a ver un pequeño gráfico que resume qué tipo de frases vamos a trabajar.

Vamos a traducir la palabra 'clause' por 'oración' para no complicarnos la vida, y lo demás:

1) Contrast: contraste o adversativas.

2) Reason: razón o causales.

3) Time: tiempo o temporales.

4) Purpose / final: finalidad o por qué hacemos algo.

5) Consecutive: consecutivas o lo consecuencia de algo que hemos hecho.

Y más adelante:

6) Comparativas.

7) De lugar.

8) Condicionales (ya estudiadas, ¿recuerdas?😎😎

Vamos a centrarnos en los nexos -o enlaces (los muy modernos pijjis los llaman ahora 'transitional elements' para complicaros la vida)- que se usan en cada tipo de oraciones y sus significados:

1) Oraciones adversativas:

https://edea.juntadeandalucia.es/bancorecursos/items/f2dbd927-242c-4bc1-a7c6-5a2d85f79402/1/viewscorm.jsp?.vi=file

https://test-english.com/staging03/wp-content/uploads/contrast.purpose.reason.png

Y ahora, vamos a Internet para hacer este ejercicio interactivo 'whose link' is here: (cuyo enlace está aquí).

https://www.liveworksheets.com/pp2206891so

Y en este otro enlace vamos a hacer cuestionarios 'online' breves y sencillos.

Saludos.

Reading comprehension: Iraq violence: 'Many dead' in Kirkuk police HQ attack. Oraciones pasivas

Buenas tardes, estimada familia IPEP.

Vamos ya a por la primera semana de febrero, con el covid todavía llevándose vidas de Españoles, ayer más de 400. Descansen en paz. Pero nosotros, a trabajar, que es nuestra obligación.

Hoy toca un texto muy sencillo con el que vamos a seguir trabajando las oraciones pasivas, que son las más usadas en los textos periodísticos serios, no en 'sálvame' y cosas similares:

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.

Iraq violence: 'Many dead' in Kirkuk police HQ attack

Imagen en Flickr de Rob Sheridan bajo CC

At least 16 people have been killed as a suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a police headquarters in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, police say.

Officials said militants had tried to seize the compound after a bomb exploded at the gates, but were unsuccessful. A police chief was hurt. No group has said it carried out the attack.

Kirkuk is ethnically mixed, and at the centre of a dispute between Baghdad and the Kurds over oil and land rights. Two weeks ago at least 10 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the offices of the Kurdish Democratic Party in the city. Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaeda have been blamed for much of the recent violence in Iraq. However, there has been a relative calm in recent days.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles-espanol/compound

The attack took place at around 09:15 local time (06:15 GMT) in the centre of Kirkuk. "I saw a vehicle stop at the checkpoint at the main entrance, and the police started checking it," eyewitness Kosrat Hassan Karim told the AFP news agency. "Suddenly, a loud explosion happened, it was terrifying."

Two militants reportedly dressed in police uniforms and armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests rushed the main gate of the headquarters after the bomb was detonated. One was killed immediately by police. They tried to dismantle the other's suicide vest but were unsuccessful, so they shot him dead, reports said.

At least 80 people were injured including local police chief Brigadier Sarhad Qader, whose condition is described as stable. First reports said the death toll had been as high as 30. The attack caused massive damage to nearby buildings. Traffic in the city centre was stopped, and offices in the area were evacuated.

With its massive oil reserves, Kirkuk is the most bitterly contested of Iraq's disputed territories. It houses a mixture of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles-espanol/house?q=houses

The Kurds want to incorporate it into their largely autonomous region, while Arabs and Turkmen oppose any change to its current status, ruled directly from Baghdad. Correspondents say militants often exploit differences between the Iraqi and Kurdish security forces by launching deadly attacks in the city.

👉👉👉👉Ejemplos de oraciones en pasiva:

1) At least 16 people have been killed as...

Al menos, 16 personas han sido asesinadas mientras que...

2) A police chief was hurt. 

Un jefe de policía resultó herido.

3) ... at least 10 people were killed in...

Al menos 10 personas murieron en... /resultaron muertas en...

4) Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaeda have been blamed for...

Se ha culpado a los insurgentes Sinies relacionados con Al-Qaeda por...

5) ...after the bomb was detonated. 

...después de que la bomba fuese detonada

6) One was killed immediately by police.

Uno resultó muerto inmediatamente por la policía.

7) 80 people were injured including local police...

80 personas resultaron heridas incluidos policías locales...

8)...whose condition is described as stable.

cuyo estado se describe como estable.

9) Traffic in the city centre was stopped, 

El tráfico en el centro de la ciudad fue detenido,

10) ...and offices in the area were evacuated...

... y las oficinas de la zona fueron evacuadas.

Saludos.

Grammar revision: Question words 2.

Buenas tardes, estimados alumnos.

Vamos a seguir repasando la formación de oraciones interrogativas, hasta que este tema quede totalmente dominado. 

Os dejo un par de gráficos con las partículas interrogativas más comunes y con un diagrama del orden de las preguntas en inglés, y tras ello, una ficha que no tardaréis más de 5 minutos en completar.

Mucho ánimo.