I´m giving you another bite of the cherry to learn idioms...

Idioms make a language more interesting and vibrant and knowing them improves your skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing native English. So, if you watch the fruit idioms video which is a real peach, all your efforts finally will begin to bear fruit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2g--OWe5iI

What are phrasal verbs and idioms?

An idiom is a phrase with a meaning that is often difficult to understand by looking at the individual words.

A phrasal verb consists of a verb (e.g. put, take, give, get, etc.) and one or two particles (e.g. off, out, by, up, etc.).

There are thousands of phrasal verbs and idioms in English. One of the best ways to learn them is by studying them in the context of a particular topic. In this lesson the topic is neighbours.

Phrasal verbs: move in/out; get along (with sb); get on (with sb); help (sb) out; lock sb in/out

Idioms: next door (to sb/sth); break the ice; have sth in common; lend sb a hand; give sb a lift; all by yourself; on your own; get out and about; keep sb company

Getting on with the neighbours

We live next door to a young family. When we first moved in we invited them for tea to break the ice, and, since then, we’ve got along well. We have a lot in common, and they’re always willing to help  out. One day I got locked out, and Millie, the wife, gave me a lift to my husband’s office to get a spare key.

On the other side there’s an old lady living all by herself who doesn’t get out and about much. It’s so sad; she needs someone to keep her company.

next door (to sb/sth): in the next house or flat.

move in: start living in a new house or flat. OPP move out.

break the ice: say or do sth that makes people feel more relaxed, e.g. at the beginning of a party.

get along: have a friendly relationship (also get along with sb). SYN get on well (with sb).

have sth in common: have similar interests (also have sth in common with sb).

help (sb) out: help sb in a difficult situation. SYN lend sb a hand.

lock sb out/in: lock a door so that sb cannot get out or in.

give sb a lift: take sb somewhere in your car.

all by yourself: completely alone (‘all’ adds emphasis). SYN on your own.

get out and about: go to places where you can meet people.

keep sb company: go or be with sb so that they are not alone.

Source: Oxford University Press

Now, it´s your turn. Here you have some tasks to do:

1 Good or bad? Write G or B.

1  We have a lot in common.        

2  You get along with your neighbour.   

3  Someone gave you a lift.       

4  You got locked in.

5  Your friend offers to keep you company.     

6  A noisy neighbour has just moved in.                      

7  You can’t get out and about for 

8  Someone helps you out with your studies.

2 Complete the questions.

1  Do you live all ............. yourself? If not, who with?

2  What do you have ..............common with the people next .............. to you?

3  How would you break the ...................if you had new neighbours?

4  Do you have any elderly neighbours? Do you ever .............them company?

5  Have any of your neighbours .................. you a lift? If so, where to?

6  Have you ever got ................... out of your house and asked a neighbour for help?

7  Which of your neighbours do you get ................... well with, and why?

8  Do your neighbours ever lend you a .................. with things?

 
3  Write a short essay about the topic using phrasal verbs and idioms:
    "You and  your niighbours. Do you have a good relationship with them?"

Royal gossip, the perfect excuse to learn vocabulary and visit Westminster Abbey

Bride-to-be Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey today for her last rehearsal ahead of her wedding

She was joined by best man Prince Harry, as well as the bridesmaids and pageboys and members of her family for the preparations just one day before the much-anticipated royal wedding ceremony.

It is the last time Kate Middleton or a member of the Royal Family will be at the abbey before the service gets under way tomorrow, St James's Palace said.

Miss Middleton and Prince Harry left the abbey at around 10.50am after the last-minute rehearsal.

A convoy of blacked-out cars drove away from the west door and down Victoria Street accompanied by a police motorbike escort.

Yesterday Prince William and his bride-to-be looked anything but a couple who are about to take their vows in front of two billion people as they adopted a distinctly low-key approach to their preparations. 

Source: The Telegraph

Westminster Abbey Tour: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12819684

Stand by me. An example of how music is the universal language of all.

Music is the universal language for all people in the world. And this is a clear example of it. People singing “Stand by me” in Sta Monica-California, New Orleans-Louisiana,  Amsterdam-Netherland,  Zuni-New Mexico, Toulouse-France, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil, Mscow-Russia, Caracas-Venezuela, The Congo,  Gulutelu-South Africa, Barcelona-Spain, Umlazi-South Africa, Pisa-Italy, Mamelodi-South Africa at the same time.
Watch and listen to this video and enjoy a perfect synchrony of voices all around the world.
Stand by me is sung in this ocassion with some different starting verses. Can you guess them?

http://vimeo.com/7051218 stand by me

What images do you think of when you hear Canada?

Niagara Falls, maple trees, maple leaf, maple syrup, forests, mountains, vast landscapes and not too many people...
You´re right, Canada is all these things and more: The Inuit, the igloo, the beaver, the moose, The Mountie, Lacrosse... And as it sits among three oceans: The Artic, The Atlantic and The Pacific, it is so diverse.
Let´s see how many of these images you recognise at first sight. The aim of this simple game consists of matching pictures to names and /or descriptions.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24725659/Images_of_Canada._Matching_exercise.htm

Ottawa. A picture paints a thousand words...

The capital of Canada, Ottawa is situated in Ontario on the border between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It´s located 352 Km east of Toronto, 192 km west of Montreal, and just a short 1,5h flight from New York or Boston. It´s the second largest city in the Province of Ontario and the fourth largest in the country.

Ottawa is connected by several bridges to its Quebec neighbour on the shores of the Ottawa River. On 2010, Ottawa had the 2nd highest quality of living of any city in America, and the 14th highest in the world.

Talking about Education, Ottawa has the highest per capita concentration of engineers, scientists, and residents with PhDs in Canada. It is known as the "most educated city in Canada" with over half the population having graduated from College and/or University.
Roughly 40% of Ottawa´s population, are able to speak English and French the co-official languages of Canada,with rates approaching 80% in the age category under-25 due to wide scale education programs.

Source: Wikipedia

Toronto

A relatively modern city, Toronto´s history dates back to the late 18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy. The settlement was later established as the Town of York and proclaimed as the new capital of Upper Canada. In 1834, York was incorporated as a city and renamed to its present name. Toronto was damaged in two grreat fires in 1849 and in 1904.

Toronto´s population is cosmopolitan and international. It´s one of the world´s most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, with about 49% of the population born outside Canada. It´s one of the most ethnically diverse in the world.

Source:Wikipedia

Tasks for 4º ESO Diversificacion:

Watch the video and answer the following questions about it.

1. What´s there in the centre Arch over the pond in Nathan Philips Square?

2. When was the present City Hall built?

3. Which area is the most densely built-up in Toronto?

4. How tall is the CN Tower?

5. What can you find in Eaton Centre?

Give your opinion about the video.

Things happen when least expected

Surfing the net is surprising, you start searching whatever and suddenly you find something interesting, amusing or simply unexpected.
Whatever you think of or imagine, somebody has written and thought of before, and certainly in an incredible accurate way.This has just happened to me with this web, made by teachers and as varied as interesting. All sort of exercises can be found there.
Let´s visit London, London Monuments, People and Places and much more....
So let´s have a look at it and try some!

http://www.englishexercises.org/
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5930
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=3772

A more serious History of Canada

My wiki

This is my wiki. I hope it will be useful to you as the tool to share information and cooperative work for all of us.
Enjoy as much as I do with it . And thanks to you for putting your trust in my work. http://londonsightseeing24.wikispaces.com/