Pickles and the Cup

Everyone's probably heard about Real Madrid dropping the Spanish Cup under a bus. But did you know that the World Cup was stolen in 1966, and found by a mongrel called Pickles? Initially his owner was accused of stealing the cup, but eventually he got the reward money, and bought a house with it! Pickles, unfortunately, came to a sad end... Read all about it here. http://bit.ly/h7ghnD

Music and Wacky Websites

Want to know what've I been listening to today? Want to see one of the most wacky websites ever? Check out the latest posts on 'The Link'!

BBC iplayer

I've added a link to the BBC iPlayer on 'The Link' this morning.

I'll stop posting Link updates here soon - do remember to check The Link regularly for new posts.

The Link is Dead. Long Live the Link!

The Link died a death this year, not least, I think, because I've taken a back seat and hoped the conversations would carry on themselves. It hasn't happened. The Link is as quiet as a ghost town. Also, I haven't put much time into 'The Link' or evenStudentZone as I've been concentrating so much on the British Council Porto Facebook page - and if you're not following that, you should be!

I think it would be a shame for 'The Link' to be closed down, though, and I keep getting warnings from 'Lefora' about lack of activity. It also struck me the other day, that I often find interesting things in my online work which are not suitable for our Facebook page, but would be of general interest.

So I'm going to try something new. I'll post occasional posts of interest, comments, links, whatever on 'The Link', and you can comment on them if you want to. My posts should be enough to keep 'The Link' ticking over. Of course, you're welcome, as ever, to post new things yourself.

All of my adult students reading this should have a password - if you've forgotten it, you can ask lefora to email you a new one. If you haven't got a password for some reason, you can always ask me to invite you on if you want to post or comment, but that should be the minority. Students under 18 (eg my YB2.2 class) can't join to comment, but you can see the links and info on the site.

Ex-students, feel free to join in too!

Mark

The Amygdaloids

Find out about three neuroscientists and a biologist who have formed a successful rock band whose songs' lyrics are about their work and theories. Click here for more on this story.

YB2.2-9S Easter Homework

Homework for Easter is Test 4 in your practice papers book - papers 1,2 (any of the part 2 questions - NOT part 1), and 3 - ie Reading, one composition, and Use of English. Composition to be handed in in the first class after the break.

Also, remember to add something to the FCEnglish wiki. You've all done some great work already, so do try out each other's exercises.

Hope you're all having good holidays with at least some time to enjoy this early summer weather.

See you soon. Oh, and don't forget the 50-word mini-saga competition on our Facebook page! I've simplified the instructions on how to enter, so check there if you don't remember or if you weren't in the last class before the break.

Enjoy!

AC2.1-17F Easter Homework

First of all, Happy Easter everyone. Hope you're having some time off, and getting to enjoy the early summer weather. Here's the homework for the break.

First homework is to read Absolute Friends up to and including chapter 6. Don't get further behind on this - there's a lot to read by the end of term!

Second homework - write one of the compositions below. 300-350 words, to be handed in in the first class back. They're a bit more 'Cambridge-like' as we move towards the point where most of you will be starting an exam-preparation year.

1. The extracts below are from letters which appeared in a national newspaper. You decide to write a letterto the newspaper responding to the issues raised and expressing your own opinions.

Nowadays, parents let their children make their own decisions from a far too early age. They say that this freedom helps children to learn from their mistakes and gives them the confidence and maturity to deal with taking responsibility in adult life. I disagree. It is totally irresponsible to let young people make their own choices about friendship, how they spend their free time, and, in their later teens, crucial decisions about their future lives. We only have to read the newspapers to see examples of the common problems of today’s youth such as addiction to the internet, alcohol and drug abuse, bad manners, and poor results at school. Children and teenagers need their parents’ and teachers’ guidance, and sometimes their intervention! – C.U.P

When I was a kid, after school we would quickly grab something to eat at home and then take our bikes into the hills nearby. Today it is called downhill racing and it’s a ‘radical sport’ – you need a special bike and lots of safety equipment. Back then, the only requirement was having something with two wheels that you could ride. There were no mobile phones so our parents didn’t have a clue about where we were or what we were doing. If someone had an accident and got hurt, we had to deal with it and make up a convincing story to tell our parents – one that would allow us to get back there the following day! Those days, we had to manage the responsibility of having to take care of ourselves, and we suffered the consequences of the mistakes we made. Growing up wasn’t easy, but it didn’t kill us – it made us stronger! – R.S

Write your letter in 300-350 words. Do not include any postal addresses.

2. You have read an article in an English language magazine which claims that the internet was the invention of the 20th Century which will have he biggest impact on the 21st Century. The magazine has invited readers to contribute their own articles suggesting other inventions or discoveries of the 20th Century which will be as important as the internet in the 21st century.
Write your article in 300-350 words.

3. An online English Language magazine has recently run an article entitled 'The Book is Dead! Long Live the e-Book!' in which it is claimed that books will soon be a thing of the past, and all reading will be done either online or on electronic reading devices. You decide to write an email to the magazine expressing your opinions.
Write your email in 300-350 words.

Finally, do check out the newly revived 'Link', and don't forget the 50-word mini-saga competition on our Facebook page!

The Amygdaloids

Find out about three neuroscientists and a biologist who have formed a successful rock band whose songs' lyrics are about their work and theories. Click here for more on this story.

The Link is Dead. Long Live the Link!

The Link died a death this year, not least, I think, because I've taken a back seat and hoped the conversations would carry on themselves. It hasn't happened. The Link is as quiet as a ghost town. Also, I haven't put much time into 'The Link' or even StudentZone as I've been concentrating so much on the British Council Porto Facebook page - and if you're not following that, you should be!

I think it would be a shame for 'The Link' to be closed down, though, and I keep getting warnings from 'Lefora' about lack of activity. It also struck me the other day, that I often find interesting things in my online work which are not suitable for our Facebook page, but would be of general interest.

So I'm going to try something new. I'll post occasional posts of interest, comments, links, whatever on 'The Link', and you can comment on them if you want to. My posts should be enough to keep 'The Link' ticking over. Of course, you're welcome, as ever, to post new things yourself.

All of my adult students reading this should have a password - if you've forgotten it, you can ask lefora to email you a new one. If you haven't got a password for some reason, you can always ask me to invite you on if you want to post or comment, but that should be the minority. Students under 18 (eg my YB2.2 class) can't join to comment, but you can see the links and info on the site.

Ex-students, feel free to join in too!

Mark