Christmas

For all of you who may not know or may not remember that we have older posts about Christmas, you can click on the image

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

...and last but not least, here's a different version of the story...have fun and...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

If you are interested in going shopping and spending some money here are the best Christmas ads 2015

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11970587/Christmas-adverts-2015-watch-the-best.html

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Here are some links to useful Carols lyrics websites.

http://www.timeout.com/london/music/the-50-best-christmas-songs

http://www.metrolyrics.com/christmas-carols-lyrics.html

http://www.mikeleal.com/christmas/songs.html

http://www.carols.org.uk

http://www.the-north-pole.com/carols/

http://www.crystalinks.com/chestnutsxmas.html

Smartphones and tablets need 'bedtime mode' to improve children's sleep

Phones, tablets and e-readers currently cause sleep disruptions, and need to shift to 'bed' mode at night, says children's sleep medicine expert. More devices like the iPhone, iPad and Kindle emit a blue light that causes our sleep to be restless and disrupted, according to a new study.

Led by Dr Paul Gringras at the Department of Children’s Sleep Medicine, the study found that manufacturers have started making bigger, brighter, bluer screens in an effort to increase the efficiency of our screens during daytime. As an unwanted byproduct, this light is affecting our sleep and productivity.

The study, reported first by the BBC, said that this type of light is likely to cause the most disruption to sleep, as it most effectively suppresses melatonin, a hormone that reminds us to sleep every night; the light also increases alertness. In fact, using our devices before bedtime could even affect our performance during the day, because exposure to this blue light changes our body's natural rhythms.

"The development of light-emitting devices means that for many people, a 'book at bedtime' is now often an 'e-book,'" the paper pointed out. Reading a traditional paper book by the light of your bedside lamp doesn't affect your sleep, because bulbs emit a yellow-red light. "In comparison, the same book read in electronic format will provide a very different light signal with biological effects," the researchers said.

Both adults and children can avoid these negative effects by keeping our digital devices outside of the bedroom, which is easier said than done. Some apps like F.lux can adjust a computer display’s colour according to its location and time of day, which may be more helpful on a daily basis.

Ultimately, though, the push to adjust screen lighting has to come from manufacturers. "All hardware devices should have an automatic “bedtime mode” that shifts blue and green light emissions to yellow and red as well as reduces backlight/light intensity," Gringras and the team write. "We hope that as technology improves, 'brighter' will not always be synonymous with 'better'."

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Producers are planning to make our devices more effective.

b. This light does not affect our day activities.

c. E-books influence our organism.

d. Devices already adjust brightness to the time of day.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. Why does blue light from devices affect our sleep?

b. How can these negative effects be avoided?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. impatient par 1                      b. pace par 3                c. routine par 3

d. cite par 4                              e .impulse par 6

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. This type of light is likely to cause the most disruption to sleep.

This type of light will ……………………………………………….

b. As an unwanted byproduct, this light is affecting our sleep and productivity.

As an unwanted byproduct, our sleep and productivity ………….

c. Devices like the iPhone, iPad and Kindle emit a blue light, so our sleep is restless and disrupted.

If devices like iPhone, iPad and Kindle.........................

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

-          How has technology changed our lives? or

-          How do you think technology will change our lives? Or

-          We often forget that sleeping is necessary for our well-being. Do you agree?

Multitasking: a myth or an advantage?

You’ve probably heard that men are supposedly incapable of multitasking, whereas women find it easy to work in this way. The truth is that no one can multitask brilliantly and the more often you try, the more distracted, distractible and inefficient you’ll become.

You may find this hard to believe—after all, we’re often encouraged to think of multitasking as a good thing, particularly at work. In fact, many people feel guilty about turning off their electronic devices and focusing on only one task at a time. This is, however, the secret of efficiency and accuracy. Multitasking is false economy.

When you believe you’re doing two or more things at the same time, what’s actually happening is that you’re switching back and forth from one task to another. This is because the human brain is incapable of performing two cognitive tasks simultaneously. You do this so rapidly that you’re generally unaware of it, but the effort of switching your attention between tasks—even simple ones—costs time and mental effort. Professor David Meyer at the University of Michigan found that when individuals attempted to perform two or more related tasks simultaneously, it took them far longer—sometimes up to twice as long--to complete both than it did when they worked through the tasks sequentially. Meyer believes that when we multitask, we also increase the chance of making mistakes.

Because it’s more stressful to try to juggle several tasks at once than it is to focus on each one in turn, multitasking is accompanied by the release of stress hormones and adrenaline, making us feel ‘wired’. In time, such behaviour may even lead to lapses in short term memory.

There’s yet another downside to multitasking. When you remain open to other possibilities while trying to focus on one task—in particular, if you allow phone calls, emails or texts to interrupt you while you’re working on something else—you lose considerable time getting back to your original task. In a study of employees at Microsoft offices in Redmond, Washington, results showed that each time an individual was interrupted by their electronic devices, it took them approximately 15 minutes to re-engage in complicated tasks such as writing up reports.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Men are known to be unable to do two or more things at a time.

b. People think that multitasking is productive when they’re at work.

c. You spend the same amount of time doing two things simultaneously as doing one thing after the other.

d. We may feel tired and unable to remember things as a result of multitasking.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What effects does multitasking have?

b. What advice can you get from the text as far as electronic devices are concerned?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. urge (par.2)                   b. ignorant (par.3)                               c. try (par.3)

d. liberate (par.4)               e. drawback (par.5)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

1. Meyer believes that when we multitask, we also increase the chance of making mistakes.

Mayer said that ………………………………

2. A group of psychologists have conducted experiments on the nature and limits of human multitasking.

Experiments …………………………………

3. When we multitask, we increase the chance of making mistakes.

If we didn’t ………………………………          

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

            What’s your ideal job? Why?

Linking words

linking words

  1.        She wasn't very rich.  She gave money to the beggar. (although)

  2.        He left early.  He wanted to arrive on time. (so that)

  3.        You can go out tonight.  You must tell us where you are going. (provided)

  4.        I don't early a big salary.  But if I did, I wouldn't buy a car. (even if)

  5.        Take a sandwich.  There might be no restaurant. (in case)

  6.        There was a lot of noise.  He managed to sleep. (despite)

  7.        Sue likes Opera.  Joe prefers jazz. (whereas)

  8.        The weather was bad.  They enjoyed the trip.  (even though)

  9.        He had the 'flu.  He went to work. (in spite of)

  10.      You have to put the alarm on.  If not, it won't work. (unless)

KEY

1.        Although she wasn't very rich, she gave money to the beggar.

2.        He left early so that he would arrive on time.

3.       You can go out tonight provided you tell us where you are going.

4.        Even if I earned a big salary I wouldn't buy a car.

5.       Take a sandwich in case there's no restaurant.

6.       Despite the noise, he managed to sleep.

7.       Sue likes Opera whereas Joe prefers Jazz.

8.       Even though the weather was bad they enjoyed the trip.

9.       In spite of having the 'flu he went to work.

10.   Unless you put the alarm on it won't work.

British and American English 14

The American words in the sentences below are printed in italics. Replace each American word or phrase with a British word or phrase from the following list:

Fail      rise      chemist           caretaker          playing truant              railway timetable

Bill       tap       postman          nappies           holidays                     uniformed policeman

flat       post     ordinary           pavement         trousers                       saloon car

      

1. His mother thought he was at school but in fact he was playing hookey. He’ll probably flunk his exams.
2. The kitchen faucet in my apartment isn’t working. I’ll tell the janitor. He’ll get it fixed.
3. Blue-collar workers are asking for a pay-hike and longer paid vacations.
4. The dog attacked the mailman and tore his pants.
5. Do you have a railroad schedule? I want an early train for Chicago tomorrow.
6. A patrolman reported a light-blue sedan parked right across the sidewalk on 3^rd Street.
7. She has a little baby so she has to make regular visits to the drugstore to buy diapers.
8. When the waiter handed me the check after the meal, I found that I had no money!
9. How much does it cost to mail a letter to Australia?

KEY

1. Playing truant … fail                 2. Tap … flat …caretaker          3. Rise … holidays

4. postman … trousers       5. Railway timetable                  6. Uniformed policeman … saloon car         

7. Chemist … nappies                       8. Bill               9. post

The history of eBay

From its very humble origins 20 years ago, online auction site eBay has bought, grown and embraced other well-known technology names like PayPal.

This year eBay turned 20 years old. It may now be the best known online auction site worldwide, but its success was almost an accident.

It was founded as AuctionWeb in San Jose, California, on September 3, 1995, by French-born Iranian computer programmer Pierre Omidyar. It was only meant to be a side project of his. However, when eBay floated in 1998, it made Mr Omidyar an instant billionaire. Earlier that year, the company had hired Meg Whitman as President and CEO in March 1998. She would go on to become head of computer maker Hewlett Packard.

Both online phone service Skype and payment service PayPal (bought in 2002) have gone through eBay's hands, the latter spun-off from the company earlier this year.

Twenty years after its founding, eBay is now available in more than 180 countries.

1. Find Word in the text that mean the same as

a)     Popular

b)    Modest

c)     Public sale

d)    Employ

e)     Accesible

2.  Indicate whether the following statements are true or false

a)     eBay was meant to be widely successful from the beginning.

b)    The founder of eBay was born in Iran.

c)     Meg Whitman started working for eBay in 1998.

d)    PayPal still belongs to eBay.

KEY

1

a)     Well-known

b)    Humble

c)     Auction

d)    Hired  / to hire

e)     Available

2

a)     False

b)    False

c)     True

d)    False

SAY and TELL

Translate the following sentences using SAY or TELL

1. Me dijeron que estaban de vacaciones.
   
2. Dije que no me apetecía.
3. Es muy buena contando chistes.
4. Dime lo que tengo que hacer.
5. No puedes imaginarte las cosas que me dijo ayer por la noche.
6. Sólo tiene cinco años y sabe decir la hora en inglés.
7. Voy a decirles a los niños que se callen, no puedo oír una palabra de lo que dices.
8. Fue una gran sorpresa. No supe qué decir.
9. Él dijo: ¿Dónde vas?
10. Parece una buena persona, pero nunca se sabe hoy en día.

KEY

1. They told me they were on holiday.
2. I said I didn’t feel like it.
3. She’s very good at telling jokes.
4. Tell me what I have to do.
5. You can’t imagine the things he said to me last night.
6. She’s only five and she can tell the time in English.
7. I’m going to tell the children to be quiet, I can’t hear a word you’re saying.
8. It was a big surprise. I didn’t know what to say.
9. He said: “Where are you going?”
10. He seems to be a good person, but you can’t tell nowadays.

Smartphones and tablets need 'bedtime mode' to improve children's sleep

KEY

Question 1

            a) FALSE “Manufacturers have started making bigger, brighter, bluer screens in an effort to increase the efficiency of our screens”

            b) FALSE” using our devices before bedtime could even affect our performance during the day” or “ this light is affecting our sleep and productivity”.

            c) TRUE “exposure to this blue light changes our body's natural rhythms”

OR

                          “In comparison, the same book read in electronic format will provide a very different light signal with biological effects"

            d) FALSE "All hardware devices should have an automatic “bedtime mode” that shifts blue and green light emissions to yellow and red as well as reduces backlight/light intensity,"

Question 2

                a) -reduces melatonine (hormone that tells us when to sleep) / -increases alertness

            b) -keeping devices outside the bedroom / -downloading apps to adjust display colour

Question 3

a)     restless

b)       point out

c)     performance

            d)   rhythm

            e)   push

Question 4

a)     This type of light will probably cause the most disruption to sleep.

b)    As an unwanted byproduct, our sleep and productivity is being affected by light.

c)     If devices like the iPhone, iPad and Kindle did not emit a blue light, our sleep would not be restless and disrupted.

Multitasking: a myth or an advantage?

KEY


Question 1

a.     True. “You’ve probably heard that men are supposedly incapable of multitasking”

b.   True. “after all, we’re often encouraged to think of multitasking as a good thing, particularly at work.”

c.  False.” when individuals attempted to perform two or more related tasks simultaneously, it took them far longer—sometimes up to twice as long--to complete both than it did when they worked through the tasks sequentially.”

d.  True.” … multitasking is accompanied by the release of stress hormones and adrenaline, making us feel ‘wired’. In time, such behaviour may even lead to lapses in short term memory.”

Question 2

a.  Since the brain is incapable of focusing on one task 100% when multitasking, this can result in errors in work, a lot of stress as well as a loss of time.
b.    You shouldn’t let your mobile pone, emails or messages  interrupt you while you focus on a particular task because it will take you longer to go back to go back to it.

Question 3

a.     Encouraged / to encourage

b.    Unaware

c.     Attempted  / to attempt

d.    Release  / to reléase

e.     downside

Missing for 35 years, the stunning discovery of a stolen Stradivarius

PRUEBAS ESTANDARIZADAS (A2)

 
http://cdn.zmescience.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/stradivarius-ex-nachez.jpg   

A 281-year-old Stradivarius violin stolen from a beloved musician and teacher has been found.  RomanTotenberg, a Polish-American violinist who played with major orchestras and became a leading teacher in the Boston area, died in 2012 at the age of 101. Later today, in New York City, the instrument will be returned to his three daughters.

The violin disappeared on a Thursday in 1980 in Cambridge, Mass. That night, Totenberg had performed in a concert at the Longy School of Music. The instrument was stolen from his office during a post-show reception. Totenberg’s suspected a young musician, Philip Johnson.  But Totenberg never had enough evidence to convince legal authorities to search the musician’s home.

It took 35 years, but in the end, he was right. Johnson, who moved to California in the 1980s, died 2011 at the age of 58. He left his ex-wife an instrument in a locked case. It wasn’t until earlier this year, that she finally cracked the combination lock and found the Stradivarius and took it to an expert, who examined the violin and contacted the FBI Art Theft team.

“His one regret is that he didn’t see it and play it again,” said his daughter Nina Totenberg. “He was practicing two weeks before he died.

The Totenberg sisters will sell the Strad, but not to just anybody. “We’re not selling to a collector unless it’s played.”

1  Underline the wrong information in each sentence and correct it.  Don’t make the sentence negative: correct the mistakes using the information from the text, like in the example.  One mark each (6 marks)

Example

0              A 281-year-old Stradivarius violin was broken    stolen from  

         by a musician.

1              Roman Totenberg was a Polish-American pianist.                                      

2              The missing violin will be taken from Totenberg’s 

         three daughters later today.                                                                    

3              Totenberg taught a class in Cambridge Mass.                                       

         on the night the violin was stolen.

4              Philip Johnson was an old musician.                                                      

5              Totenberg had a lot of evidence to show that Philip                               

         Johnson was guilty.

6              The expert was the person who opened the violin                                  

         case.

2  Vocabulary

Find words or phrases in the text that match the following definitions.  ONE MARK EACH (4 marks)

1      popular, liked  (para 1)

2      party  (para 2)

3      to look somewhere carefully to find something (para 2)

4      a container or box (para 3)

3 Match the dates, people and events

1911                                        Roman                        died

1980                                        Totenberg                    was born

2011                                        Philip John                   was unlocked

2012                                        the Stradivarius            was stolen

2015                                        violin                            was recovered

                                               

Source:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/missing-for-35-years-the-stunning-discovery-of-stolen-stradivarius/2015/08/06/c458be58-3bf4-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html

Key

1   pianist       violinist      2  taken from     returned to    3  taught a class  performed in a concert     4   old    young     5  had a lot of    didn’t have enough    6   expert     exwife

2   1  beloved    2   reception  3  search     4  case

3   1911 Roman Totenberg was born.

     1980      The Stradivarius violin was stolen.

     2011       Philip Johnson died.

     2012      Roman Totenberg died.

     2015      The Stradivarius violin was recovered