10 resolutions to make the most of life in Spain

 

Read the text and fill the gaps with the  following words.

Splattered    -     target    -    lesser    -    let    -    putting it off    -    trail    -    might    -    fitness    -    unique    -    seriously

Need to add some sparkle to your life? Here you have ten easy-to-achieve resolutions that will make the coming year in Spain one to remember.

     1.    Improve your Spanish 

If you’ve decided your Spanish is already good enough, or that the language is just too hard, now is the time to get out of your comfort zone. Buy a book, get alanguage exchange partner, take classes, or just watch more Spanish television: whatever you do, stop (1)______________ and take the next step .

     2.    Take up the sport of padel: 

You've probably spotted them around Spain — strange half-sized tennis courts with wire mesh fences. Welcome to the wonderful world of padel. Part-tennis, part-squash, this is a great, fun game. Why not join a club, improve your (2)___________ and meet some Spaniards at the same time?

     3.    Cook up a storm: 

Make 2020 a culinary watershed by learning how to make a new Spanish dish every month of the year. Set yourself the (3)___________ of making a sublime salmorejo, a terrific tortilla and perfect pincho. Then invite your friends over and amaze them with your cooking skill.

      4.        Volunteer: 

You could try working at a local soup kitchen or a food bank. Or you (4)________ want to volunteer with Age Concern España which helps older English-speaking people living in Spain.

      5.       Walk (or cycle) the Camino de Santiago:

Say Camino de Santiago and most people think of the 800km 'French Way' from southern France to the city of Santiago de Compostela. But you can start the route from pretty much everywhere in Spain, with major routes linking Seville, Madrid and Barcelona with the pilgrimage city. You can decide to do just part of the (5)_________ too. So whether your motives are religious, spiritual, or just sightseeing, this is a great way to experience Spain.

      6.       Learn to do something typically Spanish:

Make 2020 your year for learning something (6)__________ to Spain. This could be anything from getting to grips with the fine art of slicing jamón to learning how to pour cider the way they do in Asturias. Or maybe you want to try flamenco dance or guitar.

       

       7.       Head to a crazy Spanish festival:

You’ve seen all the pictures and you've heard the stories, but you’ve never quite managed to get there. So why not take the plunge in 2018? With everything on offer from getting (7)________ with tomatoes at the Tomatina festival to watching people swing from the necks of dead ducks in in the Basque fishing town of Lekeito, there is a wacky Spanish fiesta for everyone.

       8.       Read Don Quixote:

Yes, Cervantes' classic novel aboutThe Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha is hundreds of pages long. Yes, it’s a serious piece of literature.But this story of this genius/fool on a personal crusade to bring back chivalry is also (8)__________ fun. One hundred of the world’s top authors have also called it the best book of all time.So whether you read it in English or Spanish, just read it.

     

      9.     Get off the beaten track:

You think you've been everywhere in Spain? Think again. Why not start exploring some of Spain's (9)__________ known regions. Take a trip to the wetlands of the Ebro Delta or visit the stunning castle of Gormaz in lonely Soria province. We also recommend stopping by small, undiscovered villages, or perhaps some quaint seaside ports.

10. Meet the love of your life?

Or at least, have some fun along the way. Navigating the dating scene can be a minefield especially if you are looking for love in a culture different to your own. But don't (10)___________ that put you off.

Adapted from thelocal.es

KEY: 1. Putting it off  2. Fitness  3. Target 4. Might 5. Trail 6. Unique 7. Splattered 8. Seriously 9. Lesser 10. Let

Mixed vocabualry

Choose the correct answer to show that you have understood the meaning of the words in bold.

     

     1. Mary slowed down when she saw the children at the corner.

         a. She stopped driving.

         b. She didn’t drive as fast as before.

      2. Professor Higgins went on a worldwide lecture tour.

         a. He lectured about many countries.

         b. He travelled to many countries.

      3. The performance was delayed because the singer hadn’t arrived.

         a. The performance started late.

         b. The performance started on time.

      4. Please use the exit on the left side of the room.

         a. Enter the room through the left door.

         b. Leave through the left door.

      5. Cautious drivers are rarely involved in accidents.

         a. They drive carefully.

         b. They drive dangerously.

KEY

1. b  2. b  3. a  4. b  5. a

Cloze test

HOW TELEVISION WAS INVENTED

Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

Television owes 1…………………..……… origins to many inventors. But it was the single-minded determination of an amateur inventor, John Logie Baird, that led 2………………..…. the first live television broadcast.

Born in Scotland in 1888 and educated in Glasgow, John Logie Baird earned a living 3………………….……… a razor-blade salesman. In the 1890s Guglielmo Marconi showed that sound could 4…………………….sent by radio waves. Baird became convinced that a similar system could transmit a picture. He spent most of 5……………………..spare time working on his ideas in his tiny workshop without 6………………………………. commercial support. He 7……………………… to use his 8………………….earnings to continue his research.

In 1924, Baird successfully transmitted the general outline of a figure over more 9…………………3 metres. He continued to experiment and 10…………………October 25, 1925, transmitted a recognisable image of a doll. He ran 11………………… to the office on the ground floor and persuaded one of the office boys to come upstairs.  12…………………………..boy became the first living image transmitted by television.

Overnight, Baird became famous and the money 13……………………. he needed to continue his research was at 14………………………….. made available. In 1927 he made a transmission from London to Glasgow and in 1928 he made 15…………………… from London to New York. He continued experimenting the possibility of colour television.

KEY

1. its
2. to
3. as
4. be
5. his
6. any
7. had
8. own
9. than
10. on
11. down
12. the/that
13. that/which
14. last
15. it

Fake News multiple choice

Nope, A Woman Didn't Fake Being Blind For 28 Years To Avoid Social Interactions

         A story about a Spanish woman pretending to be blind for 28 years to avoid social interactions has gone massively viral. Unfortunately, it's not true. The viral hoax started as a joke on a satirical Spanish website.

         The hoax originated with the satirical Spanish website Hay Noticia, the tagline of which translates to "Don't believe everything on the internet."  According to the satirical story, a 57-year-old woman named Carmen Jiménez faked being blind for almost three decades because she didn't like small talk.

         "I was tired of seeing people and stopping to say hello. I've never been very social, and pretending to be blind has avoided many social commitments," the fictitious Jiménez is quoted as saying.

         The hoax, versions of which were published on viral aggregators like Viral Thread and Oddity Central, has got tens of thousands of shares, comments, and reactions on Facebook. The Irish celebrity gossip magazine RSVP even attributed one of Jiménez's quotes to a non-existent Sky News interview.

         The photo accompanying most of the stories, showing a blonde woman with glasses, is a free stock image available from Pixabay.

         An Instagram post with Lowthion's image on the fake story has got almost 250,000 likes since it was uploaded by the popular account FuckJerry, which has more than 12 million followers. Lowthion told an Isle of Wight newspaper she was surprised to see her face associated with a viral hoax, although being a public figure means there are many photos of her online.

         "But 12.2 million followers? And saying I'm a 57-year-old Spanish woman?! I'm not sure that's so much of a compliment," Lowthion told the Isle of Wight County Press.

From Buzzfeed.com

Choose the most suitable answer (a, b, or c) according to the text.

1. The woman pretended to be blind...

a. as if to avoid social interactions.

b. so to avoid social interactions.

c. in order to avoid social interactions.

2. The woman faked being blind...

a. for nearly thirty years.

b. during nearly thirty years.

c. since nearly thirty years.

3. According to magazine RSVP, the woman...

a. interviewed Sky News.

b. was interviewed by Sky News.

c. was interviewed by RSVP.

4. There are many photos of Lowthion online...

a. as a result of being a public figure.

b. although she is a public figure.

c. even though she is a public figure.

KEY

1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-a

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