B2. Listening/Reading: Sleep

Click on the links below to do some listening practice:

- Sleeping problems

- Sleep - Brain Maintenance. Video   Worksheet (Activity no 7)    Key

- Sleep Disorders 

- Sleepwalking

- Social Media is keeping young adults awake

- National Napping Day

- Sleep Disorders


The following links are for articles on sleep:

- Sleep Myths 

- Sleep positions

NA2 - Reading: Public vs Private Healthcare

Read the following articles about the topic:

- NHS and the private sector

- Public and Private Healthcare

- Why go private?

NA2. Big Freeze

This week Europe is being hit by very cold temperatures. Click on the links below to read the articles and watch the videos. That way you can practise the vocabulary on the weather:

UK snow: Britain braces for big freeze amid amber weather warnings

Irish weather: Heavy snow and freezing gales

UK weather: Snow chaos with roads blocked and trains cancelled

UK weather: Snow falling as Siberian blast hits UK

NA2. Reading:

Remember that the best way to acquire vocabulary and become familiar with natural English is by reading texts. Here are some texts you can work on:

- Empty Homes

- Homeless Shelter

- Relationships and housing

- Environmentally-friendly homes

- Student Houses: Problems

- Bad Tenants

- Homes

Reading: Sports

Here are the links to some articles that can be useful for you to practise the language you have learnt and to increase your vocabulary:

- Do professional athletes get paid too much?

- Financing sports venues

- Drug Cheats

Listening/Reading/Vocabulary: Positive and Negative Things about the Internet

Watch the following videos about the positive and negative aspects of the Internet:



POSITIVE




NEGATIVE

NA2 - Knut the Bear

Yesterday we read a text about Knut, a bear, in Berlin zoo. I have found a video about Knut and his life. Enjoy!!!

NA2 - Listening7Reading: Cosmetic Surgery

Click on the following links for some extra practice:

- Cosmetic Surgery

- Plastic Surgery

- Reading/listening. Why do so many people want cosmetic procedures?

- Reading: Pros and cons of Cosmetic Surgery. After reading the document, you could write your own essay about it, and hand it in.

NA2 - Reading: The British Parliament

NA2. Reading: The Arnolifini Portrait

A couple of weeks ago we talked about a painting: The Arnolfini Portrait. I have found an article in "The Guardian" about this painting. For those of you who want to find out more about this work of art, you can read the article. Click on the link below to access the article.

The Arnolfini Portrait

NA1 - Listening and Vocabulary: Secrets to Better Sleep

Watch the video and read the text:


These are some of the expressions from the text. Match them with the definition below:

Take something/someone for granted //// Poised //// Entrepreneur /// outlet/// Memory lapse //// mood swings //// impair /// soothing //// wind down /// in short order


Definitions/Synonyms:

- Calming
- To relax
- Quickly
- In balance
- A gradual decline
- Rapid change in temper
- To weaken or damage
- A means for release or expression of emotion, creative energy...
- To fail to appreciate sth/sb
- The owner of a business enterprise


Click here to check your answers

NA1 - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

On the following video there is a very popular poem about Christmas and a visit of Santa Claus.



And this is the written poem:

Listening: stories

The stories you read in your books yesterday are genuine. Here is a dramatization of the first story you read:




I haven't been able to find a video for the second story but you can find articles about it:

Woman saved by 15 doctors

NA1. Reading: Q & A

You can read the whole, original interviews to both Benedict Cumberbatch and Elisabeth Moss on the following links:


- Benedict Cumberbatch

- Elisabeth Moss

B2 - Listening: Trees

Watch the following video about trees:




 After watching the video, match the following words and the definitions below:

1. Wash away: 

2. Bark:  

3. Smooth: 

4. Twig: 

5.Bough: 

6. Prune:  

7. Snap off: 

8. Evolve:

 9. Broad: 

10. Frond: 

11 Evergreen: 

12. Deciduous: 

13. Shed:

14. Buds: 

15. Sprout: 

16. Sapling: 

17.Vantage point: 

18. Timber: 

19. Abound: 

20.Barren: 

A. a large or main branch

B. a position that affords a wide perspective

C. a small branch

D. a small tree

E. great in number or quantity

F. begin to grow

G. break a piece from a whole

H.  cast off leaves

I. cut off  dead or living parts or branches of trees or plants

J.  develop

K. immature leaves or petals

L. incapable of producing fruit

M. lacking roughness

N. losing foliage at the end of the season

O. remove by the application of water 

P. perennially fresh

Q. the compound leaf of a palm tree

R. The tough outer covering of  trees

S. wood used as a building material

T. wide

Click here to check your answers

B2 - The Eastland

On Thursday we did a listening activity on the sinking of the Eastland. Here's a video in which you can read more about this event:

B2. Six-word Memoirs

This is a video with examples of stories you can find in the collection of six-word stories the book mentions. Some of them are funny, some sad, and some quite tender. Enjoy them.



It would be nice if you left a six-word story on the comment section, and we could enjoy everybody's creativity.

Fifth year - Reading

I found an article in "The Guardian" about the topic you discussed in class with Tim. It is quite interesting.  Here's the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/26/everyone-connected-death-of-conversation?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038

Fifth year - Monkey Man

The story of Monkey Man turns out to be true. Here's a list with links where you can find more information about this bizarre story:

http://www.b3ta.com/interview/monkeyman/

The following video starts with bad quality image but it improves later on.