MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Watch the video of this Xmas ad and answer the questions below

1. What does paddington dream of as a present from Santa?
2. Who is one of the presents on the roof for?
3. What do they use to deliver the presents?
4. What does Paddington give “Mr.Claus” from his hat?
5. Where was Santa caught on video last night?
6. What is Santa supposed to be with when delivering presents?

KEY

1. a jar of marmalade
2. Alice
3. a sleigh
4. a sandwich
5. London
6. an elf

EBAU Questions 1 and 3

                          Santa Claus might be real, Oxford study finds

     Ancient bones said to belong to St Nicholas, the fourth-century saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus, may indeed be from the Father Christmas himself, Oxford scientists have found. The results suggest that the bones could in principle be authentic and belong to the saint.

      The remains of St Nicholas, one of the most revered Orthodox Christian saints, have been held in the Basilica di San Nicola church in Bari, Italy since 1087 AD. Over the years relic fragments have been acquired by various churches around the world, calling into question how the bones can all be from the same person.

      Using a micro-sample of bone fragment, Professor Tom Higham and Georges Kazan, from Oxford University in the UK, have for the first time tested one of these bones. The radio carbon dating results pinpoint the relic’s age to the fourth century AD – the time that some historians believe that St Nicholas died (around 343 AD).

      “Many relics that we study turn out to date to a period somewhat later than the historic attestation would suggest,” said Higham.

      “This bone fragment, in contrast, suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St Nicholas himself,” he said. St Nicholas is thought to have lived in Myra, Asia Minor, which is now modern day Turkey.

      According to legend, he was a wealthy man who was widely known for his generosity, a trait that inspired the legend of Father Christmas as a bringer of gifts on Christmas Day. Believed to have been persecuted by the Emperor Diocletian, the saint died in Myra, where his remains became a focus of Christian devotion.

      His remains are said to have been taken away by a group of Italian merchants and transported to Bari, where the bulk of them sit to this day in the Basilica di San Nicola.

                                                                                         Adapted from www.telanganatoday.com

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

a) The results have already been taken as definite.
b) Oxford University tested all the bones for this study.
c) St Nicholas was thought to be unselfish.
d) St Nicholas' remains were transported to Italy in first place.

2) Choose and write the most suitable answer (a, b, c or d) according to the text

1.- These bones....

a) have been at the same place for long.
b) have been in different churches over the time.
c) have been sold many times.
d) have been recently acquired by Bari Basilica.


2.- Relics...

a) and history dates are usually coincident.
b) always match the period they study.
c) and history dates may sometimes differ.
d) can never date history dates exactly.


KEY

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) FALSE: “The results suggest that the bones could in principle be authentic and belong to the saint.”
b) FALSE: “Using a micro-sample of bone fragment, [Professor Tom Higham and Georges Kazan, from Oxford University in the UK, have for the first time tested one of these bones.]”
c) TRUE: “he was a wealthy man who was widely known for his generosity”
d) TRUE: “His remains are said to have been taken away by a group of Italian merchants and transported to Bari, where the bulk of them sit to this day in the Basilica di San Nicola.”


Choose and write the most suitable answer (a, b, c or d) according to the text
a) have been at the same place for long.
c) and history dates may sometimes differ.

Question 1 EBAU

Overweight fliers should pay more to fly and sit in their own section of the plane, says British public

24 NOVEMBER 2017 • 12:04PM

Nearly 80 per cent of Britons believe overweight passengers should be placed in a separate seating area with bigger seats on a flight, while 91 per cent believe these travellers should be charged a higher fee for the larger seats, according to new research.

The survey of 2,494 people, conducted by comparison site Jetcost.co.uk, also revealed that some of Britain’s neighbouring countries shared the sentiment, with 72 per cent of travellers in France, 61 per cent in Italy and 56 per cent in Spain agreeing that larger passengers should pay more. Germany, however, disagreed, with 68 per cent of passengers saying sections with larger seats should not be offered on planes.

More than half of the British public were found to have endured a flight made uncomfortable by other people on the plane, with around a third (34 per cent) having not taken any action to address the situation and just over a fifth having moved seats to deal with the issue, the survey revealed.

Others were reported to have taken back the armrest "to claim back their space” as a way to tackle the problem, according to the survey.

TRAVEL NEWS, The Telegraph

Question 1

Indicate whether the following statements are True or False and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

1. Most British people think that an overweight flier should have a bigger seat.

2. According to the survey, some European countries think that if you are overweight, you should pay a higher price to fly.

3. More than 50 per cent of German passengers agreed with the British about having bigger seats.

4. 50 per cent of British passengers moved seats on the plane because they were made uncomfortable by other passengers.

KEY

1. True. Nearly 80 per cent of Britons believe overweight passengers should be placed in a separate seating area with bigger seats on a flight.

2. True. some of Britain’s neighbouring countries shared the sentiment, with 72 per cent of travellers in France, 61 per cent in Italy and 56 per cent in Spain agreeing that larger passengers should pay more.

3. False. Germany, however, disagreed, with 68 per cent of passengers saying sections with larger seats should not be offered on planes..

4.  False. just over a fifth having moved seats to deal with the issue, the survey revealed.

Vocabulary Newspapers

Complete these sentences by using the following words

Caption                          Cartoon                       Circulation                        Comic strip

Crossword                     Editorial                      Feature                              Gossip column

Headline                         Horoscope                  Obituary                             Preview

Review                            Supplement                 Tabloid

1. The …………………………………………………… at the top of the page said “TALKS FAIL”
2. The newspaper has increased its …………………………………………………… by 5000 copies a day.
3. He was unhappy at some comments of his latest film in the ……………………………………………………
4. I always turn to the …………………………………………………… first. I love reading about the private lives of famous people.
5. I like the …………………………………………………… they’ve put below this picture.
6. I prefer a …………………………………………………… newspaper because it’s a more convenient size.
7. They did a full-page special …………………………………………………… on poverty in inner city areas.
8. She drew the political …………………………………………………… on the front page.
9. I must read my …………………………………………………… to see if I’m going to have a good day.
10. The critics went to a special …………………………………………………… of the musical, which opens next week.
11. In his …………………………………………………… he said he did of a heart attack.
12. The guide to the air show came as a free …………………………………………………… to the local newspaper.
13. I only need one word to complete the ……………………………………………………
14. If there’s an exciting ……………………………………………………, people will keep buying the newspaper to see what happens next.
15. There was a short but effective …………………………………………………… giving the newspaper’s opinion of the defence policy.

Key

1. Headline             2. Circulation                3. Review                           4. Gossip column

5. caption                6. Tabloid                     7. Feature                          8. Cartoon

9. horoscope          10. Preview                   11. Obituary                      12. Supplement

13. crossword         14. Comic strip             15. editorial

Shops launched Christmas sales in October in desperate bid to woo shoppers early

     Desperate Retailers including Argos and Robert Dyas have already launched "Christmas sales" with heavily discounted items designed to woo shoppers into buying gifts well ahead of the festive season.

     Shopping experts said the move was "very uncharacteristic" as retailers usually wait until Black Friday to reduce items. The move is thought to be a response to the current financial climate and partly influenced by the widely anticipated decision by the Bank of England last week to raise interest rates. Higher interest rates could cause more financial stain for borrowers with mortgages, loans or credit cards.

     The past three years saw virtually no increase in the volume of reduced price goods through October, but 2017 has seen the volume of products on sale increase by around 43 per cent from the start to the end of October, which is very uncharacteristic. There has been a lot of wider economic activity that has affected retailers this year and we are seeing a lot of pricing activity as a result. 

     Brexit uncertainty continues, there was a big jump in inflation in August, record lows of unemployment in August meant more spending across the board and shop owners have just had the announcement of the interest rate increase. Add to that the normal desire to be first out of the gates around Black Friday and I think all of these things have got retailers doing all they can to ensure spending continues, discounting being an obvious method.

     Robert Dyas is currently running a half price Christmas sale on items including popular coffee machines, toys and kitchenware.   Meanwhile Argos has launched a "3 for 2" offer on toys including Lego, Chad Valley, VTech, My Little Pony, Barbie and Nerf. The sale is both in store and online, and ends on Tuesday, November 7.

     Experts are also predicting that Black Friday deals on this year's most sought-after items will come earlier than usual this year. Retailers are keener than ever to be the first to launch deals this year, resulting in a "Black Friday week" of deals which is expected to start seven days before Black Friday, which is the last Friday of November. 

Adapted from The Telegraph

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Experts attribute these sales to the lack of confidence in economy.

b. Many people in debt might not afford to buy Christmas presents later in the year.

c. This measure of starting the sales early in October began four years ago.

d. There are quite a few reasons for shop owners' hurry to start the sales.

e. You must shop online if you want to benefit from the sales.


Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words     and definitions given.


a. reduced (par.1) b. earlier than (par.1) c. increase (par.2)

d. articles, items (par.3) e. at present (par.5)


Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text and write down the sentence.


1.The advance in the Christmas sales is uncharacteristic because

a. the usual date to start is black Friday.

b. people never buy any gifts until Christmas.

c. shop owners have never had so much economic activity before.


2. The best way to ensure spending is

a. to open every day of the week.

b. to cut down prices.

c. to sell very good quality items.


3. During these anticipated sales people can buy

a. only toys and clothes.

b. only kitchen utensils.

c. all sorts of things.


4. People go to the sales

a. because it is the best time to shop in a comfortable way.

b. because they urgently need some items.

c. and often buy things they don't really need.


 Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

What makes people do so much shopping these days?






KEY

 Question 1.

a. True.” The move is thought to be a response to the current financial climate and partly influenced by the widely anticipated decision by the Bank of England last week to raise interest rates.”

b. True. “ Higher interest rates could cause more financial stain for borrowers with mortgages, loans or credit cards.”

c. False.” The past three years saw virtually no increase in the volume of reduced price goods through October.”

d. True. “ Brexit uncertainty continues, there was a big jump in inflation in August, record lows of unemployment in August meant more spending across the board and shop owners have just had the announcement of the interest rate increase. Add to that the normal desire to be first out of the gates around Black Friday.”

e. False.” The sale is both in store and online, and ends on Tuesday, November 7.”


Question 2

a. discounted b. ahead of c. raise d. goods e. currently


 Question 3

1.a 2. b 3. c 4. c

EBAU Question 4

Oh man I'm locked in!': Man pleads for help on Twitter after falling asleep in shop massage chair

     A man was forced to tweet for help when he got locked in a department store after falling asleep on a massage chair.  Passengers usually sleep in these massage chairs in Yichang Sanxia airport in central China.
     The man awoke to a deserted shop floor after dozing off in an electronics store in Japan. Identified only by his twitter handle, @_Asphodelus, the sleepy customer had to tweet his plight when he discovered he was locked inside the shop.
     Posting various photos of a dark and empty interior, he captioned the photo: “Oh man, I’m locked in!” In the photos the shutters at the front on the shop, named Ks, are clearly shut.     

     It is thought the man triggered an alarm which notified the police, who managed to get in touch with the shop's manager.
     After 10 police officers searched him to confirm he was not a shoplifter, he tweeted that he had finally managed to get out.  The manager apologised to the man for staff's failure to notice he was still in the chair when locking up.  The man also said sorry, although it was unclear how long he nodded off for.
     His original post has since been retweeted more than 39,000 times. In response one user, @sasuga_23, simply said: “How did this happen?” Yonedore replied: “It is a valuable experience.”Others commented it was their childhood dream to be locked inside a department store, while others likened the man’s predicament to popular ‘escape the room’ style games.

                                                                                         Adapted from The Independent


Choose and copy the most suitable answer (a, b,c or d)


1.- The man was…

a) travelling to a foreign country.

b) tweeting about his shopping at a department store.

c) having a rest at a shop.

d) was waiting for the store to open.


2.- The man…

a) sent a photo with no comments.

b) commented the photos he posted.

c) did not reply to comments on his photos.

d) was sent a comment by the police.


3.- The police went to the shop because…

a) the man could not scape the store.

b) the man tweeted the police.

c) the police saw the photos the man uploaded.

d) the man may have activated the shop alarm.


4.- The man…

a) did not get any response from the shop.

b) was given a notice from the shop.

c) wants to apologise to the shop.

d) fulfilled his dream.




KEY


1.- c) having a rest at a shop.

2.- b) commented the photos he posted.

3.- d) the man may have activated the shop alarm.

4.- b) was given a notice from the shop.

Problem solving 4 friends

Four Friends tell us about their daily lives. Can you guess their names, what time they get up, their jobs, how they go to work and what they do in their free time?

1. Sara is a vet, but doesn’t get up at 8.30
2. Shelly takes the train to work, but she’s not a doctor.
3. Mary gets up at 7.30, but doesn’t practise any sport.
4. Carmen enjoys dancing in her free time, but is not a computer programmer.
5. The one who goes to work by car loves music, but doesn’t get up at 9.00.
6. The one who is a lawyer studies English in her spare time, but doesn’t have a motorbike.
7. The doctor gets up at 8.00, but never takes the bus.

Name	Gets up	Job	Goes by	Free time

Key

Name	Gets up	Job	Goes by	Free time
Sara	9.00	Vet	Bus	Sport
Mary	7.30	Programmer	Car	Music
Shelly	8.30	Lawyer	Train	English
Carmen	8.00	Doctor	Motorbike	Dancing

Confusing words 1

Choose the correct word for each sentence

1. His writing is so imaginary / imaginative. I especially like his description of the storm.
2. You need a work permission / permit to get a job here.
3. I expect taxes to raise / rise in the next few weeks.
4. They will change goods if you have a receipt / recipe.
5. Could you sew / sow on this button for me?
6. There’s such beautiful scene / scenery around here.
7. You could see the man’s shade / shadow on the wall.
8. Get some paper from the stationary / stationery cupboards.
9. They wandered / wondered around, looking at the shops.
10. Some people have suggested more human / humane methods of execution.

Key

1.    Imaginative     2. Permit         3. Rise            4. Receipt       5. Sew

6.    Scenery    7. Shadow      8. Stationery   9. Wandered   10. Humane 

Conditional Tenses

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

      1. I …………… (not forget) about our plans yesterday if I……………… (write down) the time.

      2. If he ……………………… (not be) home by tomorrow, I ………………
         (call) the police.

      3. We …………………… (stand) outside in the rain for over an hour until we

         ……………………………… (allow) to go inside.

      4. He advised us ……………………………… (not eat) the meat because it

         ……………………………… (leave) outside for hours.

      5. What ………………… you ……………………… (do) if you…………… (see) your favourite film star while you were in Hollywood?

Key

1. wouldn’t have forgotten, had written down

    2. isn’t, will call

    3. had been standing, were allowed

    4. not to eat, had been left

    5. would … have done, had seen

Royal Engagement

Watch the video and complete the following sentences from the interview: (first 7 minutes)

1. Was it an ……………………… yes from you?

2. I think I managed to ………………….. her by ………………….. .

3. We were able to have so much time just to ………………………. .

4. It was a ……………………. date.

5. I was …………………………. surprised when I got into that room and I saw her.

6. It’s usually …………………………… to be able to get to know someone who isn’t ………………………. within your circle.

7. Go on holiday together in the middle of ……………………….. .

8.We made it ……………………. and now we are here.

9. There is this whole layer of what it ……………………. to get …………………….. with someone from the Royal Family.

10. I tried to …………………… you as much as possible but I think ……………… of us were totally surprised.

KEY

1.    Instant

2.    Catch; surprise

3.    Connect

4.    Blind

5.    Beautifully

6.    Refreshing;  necessarily

7.    Nowhere

8.    Work

9.    Means; involved

10. Warn; both

EBAU Question 1

Snake on a train! Commuter hailed a hero after battling serpent in Indonesia

An Indonesian man who used his bare hands to kill a snake that was discovered slithering on a busy commuter train has become an internet hero.

The train made an emergency stop after the reptile was spotted lurking on a baggage rack in a carriage headed to Jakarta from Bogor, south of the capital.

Smartphone footage, which quickly went viral, showed the bespectacled man casually snatch the snake’s tail and then smash its head on the floor in a violent whipping motion. The creature was apparently killed instantly as shocked spectators – including a baton-wielding transit security officer – kept their distance.

The unidentified man wearing a backpack then tossed its limp body, which appeared to be about one metre (three feet) long, out the door to waiting security staff.

It is not clear what kind of serpent it was, nor whether it was venemous. No injuries to passengers were reported.

Train operator KCI said the reptile is thought to have slithered out from a passenger’s bag."We regret the incident and apologise to train travellers who were disturbed by it," spokeswoman Eva Chairunnisa told AFP.

It is not uncommon to see livestock or pets travelling on public transport in rural Indonesia, but passengers are prohibited from taking animals on urban transport lines.

Last month, a security guard killed a huge python which was blocking traffic as it crossed a road in Indonesia, wrestling with the 23-foot reptile which savaged his arm.

From Daily Telegraph 23 NOVEMBER 2017

Question 1: Indicate whether the following statements are true of false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

1.    The man killed the serpent with something he was carrying in his hands.

2.    The train was crowded.

3.    The serpent was seen on the shelves for luggage.

4.    The uploaded video became very popular.

5.    People were close to the man.

6.    The man threw the serpent out of the train.

7.    Nobody was hurt.

8.    The serpent crept in the train at Jakarta station.

9.    Passengers mustn’t carry animals on public transport.

10. A python attacked a guard.

KEY

1.   False: man who used his bare hands to kill a snake
2. True: on a busy commuter train.
3. True: the reptile was spotted lurking on a baggage rack
4. True: Smartphone footage, which quickly went viral
5. False: shocked spectators – including a baton-wielding transit security officer – kept their distance.
6. True: tossed its limp body, which appeared to be about one metre (three feet) long, out the door.
7. True: No injuries to passengers were reported
8. False: the reptile is thought to have slithered out from a passenger’s bag
9.  False: but passengers are prohibited from taking animals on urban transport lines.
10. True: reptile which savaged his arm