Rephrasings 9

Rewrite the sentences without changing the meaning

1.        “Why don’t we play computer games?” said Michael.

Michael suggested ………………………………………..

2.        She said: “Are you coming to the party on Friday?”

She asked him …………………………………………….

3.       They came to live in New York two years ago.

They have …………………………………………………

4.       Smoking is forbidden in hospitals.

You ………………………………………………………….

5.        Although the weather was horrible, we went skiing.

In spite of ……………………………………………………

6.       I would like to have more free time these days.

I wish ……………………………………………………..

7.       I met that famous writer a year ago.

It’s been a year ……………………………………………

8.       Wanda didn’t study for her test. Therefore, she failed.

If ……………………………………………………………………

9.        “Don’t speak so loud, please”, she said to the students.

She …………………………………………………………………

10.    We won’t buy that house because we don’t have enough money.

As ………………………………………………………………………

KEY

1.       Michael suggested playing computer games.

2.       She asked him if he was going to the party that Friday

3.       They have bee living in N.Y for two years.

4.       You mustn’t smoke in hospitals

5.       In spite of the horrible weather, we went skiing.

6.       I wish I had more free time these days

7.       It’s been a year since I met that famous writer

8.       If Wanda had studied for her test, she wouldn’t have failed.

9.       She asked the students not to speak so loud.

10.   As we don’t have enough money, we won’t buy that house 

Present Perfect 2

Translate the following sentences into English

1. Llevo años jugando al golf.
2. Llevo seis meses escribiendo un libro.
3. He escrito este libro en seis meses.
4. ¿Has leído el periódico? No, no lo he leído.
5. Llevas ya dos horas leyendo el periódico.
6. He estado planchando toda la tarde, por el momento he planchado camisas y pantalones, las sábanas no las he planchado todavía.
7. No se puede respirar aquí. ¿Habéis estado fumando? He fumado un par de cigarrillos.
8. ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que no os veis?
9. Ésta es mi vieja pluma. Hace siglos que la tengo.
10. ¿Cuánto tiempo llevan casados tus amigos?

KEY

1. I have been playing golf for years.
2. I’ve been writing a book for six months.
3. I’ve written this book in six months.
4. Have you read the paper? No, I haven’t read it yet.
5. You’ve already been reading the paper for two hours.
6. I have been ironing all afternoon. I have ironed / done shirts and trousers so far but I haven’t done / ironed the sheets yet.
7. You can’t breathe in here. Have you been smoking? I have smoked a couple of cigarettes.
8. How long is it since you last met each other?
9. This is my old pen. I’ve had it for ages.
10. How long have your friends been married?

Lionel Messi scores record third Golden Boot award

     

            Barcelona's superstar striker Lionel Messi has won the European Golden Boot for a record third time.

            Lionel scored 46 goals in the 2012/2013 Spanish league as he helped Barcelona finish top of the table.

            Messi said: "I dedicate this award to my family - the people who are there in the toughest times - and my team-mates."

            He won the award in the 2009/10 season, scoring 34 goals, and again in 2011/12 when he scored an incredible 50 goals.

            Messi is not currently playing due to injury and is unlikely to win a fourth Golden Boot this season.

 Match the words below to their definitions

award / dedicate / injury / league / season / striker

prize given to someone because they have achieved something

say that something is being done in someone's honour

damage to someone's body caused by an accident or an attack

group of teams playing a sport that compete with each other

period of the year when a particular sport is played

striker   football player whose main job is to try to score goals

True or false?

1. Messi has not won the award previously.

2. Messi did not manage to match his 2011/12 goal total last year.

3. Injury is preventing Messi from playing at the moment.

4. Messi's teammates have given him a tough time.

5. The Golden Boot has gone to Messi three times in the past.

6. Barcelona won the Spanish league last year.

7. Messi's family has helped him through tough times.

8. Messi is on track to win again this year.          

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

1. incredible

a) the same as inedible

b) the same as unbelievable

c) the same as upsetting

2. currently

a) the same as recently

b) the same as early

c) the same as presently

3. table

a) the same as rankings

b) the same as world

c) the same as tablet

4. finish

a) the same as end

b) the same as continue

c) the same as start

KEY

Vocabulary

award               prize given to someone because they have achieved something

dedicate           say that something is being done in someone's honour

injury                damage to someone's body caused by an accident or an attack

league              group of teams playing a sport that compete with each other

season                         period of the year when a particular sport is played

striker               football player whose main job is to try to score goals

TRUE or FALSE

1. False

2. True

3. True

4. False

5. False

6. True

7. True

8. False

1. b)   the same as unbelievable

2. c)   the same as presently

3. a)   the same as rankings

4. a)   the same as end

Brain scans to unlock mystery of shoppers' behaviour

Question 1

            a) True. The mystery of consumers' behavior …. is of crucial importance to retailers who spend millions trying to gain a competitive edge.

            b) False. Researchers from Bangor University and the shopping behaviour specialists SBXL will ask retailers to simulate a normal £80 grocery shop while having their brain imaged by an MRI scanner.       

            c) True. Their theory is that after about 23 minutes of shopping customers will begin to tire and will start making decisions with the emotional part of their brain, which cannot accurately calculate value for money, rather than the cognitive part which governs logical decision-making

            d) False. Some studies have shown that a fifth of shoppers will buy items on special offer even if they are more expensive than the usual product, while nearly half ignore buy-one-get-one free labels and only take one item.

Question 2

            a) The purpose of the study is to find out if shoppers change their way to decide about their shopping once they have been at the shop for a long time.

            b) There will be a virtual grocery shop where customers will choose products from a list. While they are doing this, their brains will be examined by a scanner and later researchers will study the changes in the blood flow in their brains.

Question 3

a)       To browse

b)       retailers

c)       simulate

d)       accurately

e)       labels

Question 4

a)       Anything can influence consumers‘ behaviour.

b)       If shoppers didn’t stay at the shop longer than 23 minutes, they wouldn’t stop making rational decisions.

c)       Although they are being exposed to special offers, some shoppers only buy what they need.

Women gamers aged over 35 outnumber men

Question 1

            a) True. In Turkey, Brazil, Netherlands, US, UK, and France, there are more women over 35 gaming than men, and the report states that 73 per cent of Turkish women aged 35-44 play online games.

            b) True. Cooking games, dress-up games and pet caring games are particularly popular amongst girls, while boys prefer racing games, sports games and action games, which are more focused on competition and showing off their high scores than on creativity.

            c) False. The total number of people around the globe who play games is expected to surpass 1.2 billion by the end of 2013, according to comScore, representing 44 per cent of the world’s online population.

            d) False. "Modern gamers play everywhere and at all times. They might start on their smartphones while commuting to work or school, continue on their desktop or laptop during the day, and go on playing on their tablets at home in the evening,"

Question 2

            a) Adult women play games to escape from their everyday routine and to make their  minds work. They like games which involve pairing images or solving puzzles.

            b) When girls play games, they want to experiment how their  personal and working life  in the future will be, while boys are more interested in boasting how good they are in sports, competitions and action games

Question 3

a)       stimulation

b)       to show off / showing off

c)       appeal

            d)   surpass

            e)   to commute / commuting

Question 4

a)       Despite online gaming being extremely popular with men aged 15-24, women aged 35 outnumber their male counterparts.

b)       People expect that the total number of people around the globe who play games will surpass 1.2 billion.

c)       They said that it was inevitable that more devices would be developed to support this growing area.

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Translation

 

   We all know that our students usually translate when they write their essays, so why not train them? We here start a new section in Nuestro Blog that we hope you find useful.It's not just random sentences to translate; we will try to group them so as to help students with tricky words and structures that are different in both languages.Here you have the first examples

Tener

There are different words and expressions you can use  to translate the Spanish verb “tener”. 

Choose from the ones below and translate the sentences into English

To be               to have to                    to have (got)                must

1. Ese niño tiene siete años.
2. ¿Tienes calor?
3. ¿Tienes una pluma?
4. Este papel tiene 20 cm. de ancho.
5. Ayer tuve que levantarme a las 6.
6. No tengo suficiente dinero.
7. ¿Está la comida? Tengo hambre.
8. Ten la vuelta.
9. ¿Tienes teléfono?
10. Tengo que estudiar para aprobar.
11. Estos alumnos no tienen que llevar uniforme.

KEY

1. That boy is seven.
2. Are you hot?
3. Have you got a pen?
4. This piece of paper is 20 cm wide.
5. Yesterday I had to get up at 6.
6. I haven’t got enough money.
7. Is lunch ready? I’m hungry.
8. Here you are. Your change.
9. Are you on the phone?
10. I must study to pass.
11. These pupils don’t have to wear a uniform.

Present Perfect 1

Translate the following sentences into English. Use the present perfect tense and “just”, “for”, “since”, “ever”, “already” or “yet”

1. ¿Has ido alguna vez a Alemania?
2. Keanu Reeves acaba de terminar una nueva película.
3. Llevo dos años en este instituto.
4. Vivo en esta ciudad desde 2.005
5. Ya he visto esa película.
6. ¿Has estudiado ya la lección 6?
7. No, todavía no he encontrado la palabra en el diccionario.
8. Nunca he visitado el museo del Prado.
9. Susana trabaja en esta oficina desde Navidad.
10. Acabamos de empezar la unidad 4.

KEY

1. Have you ever been to Germany?
2. Keanu Reeves has just finished a new film.
3. I have been at this school for two years.
4. I have lived in this town since 2005.
5. I have already seen that film.
6. Have you studied lesson 6 yet?
7. No, I haven’t found the word in the dictionary yet.
8. I have never visited the Prado museum.
9. Susana has worked in this office since Christmas.
10. We have just started unit 4.

Best time to drink a cup of coffee: 10.30am

Scientists have worked out the best time to drink a cup of coffee to get your daily hit of caffeine is between 9.30am and 11.30am, according to neuroscientists. It may seem that a cup of strong coffee first thing in the morning is the best way to get yourself going, but in fact waiting until later may be better.

            This is due to the way caffeine interacts with a key hormone – called cortisol – which helps to regulate the body’s own internal clock and promotes alertness. Cortisol levels are naturally high shortly after waking up and can remain high for up to an hour afterwards – with the average peak being between 8am and 9am.

            Steven Miller, a neuroscientist at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, argues it is better to then drink caffeine after this peak as it promotes cortisol production.  He said that drinking coffee while levels of this hormone are high can cause people to develop a tolerance of the caffeine it contains, meaning they often need an extra shot in their morning cup to get the same effect.

            Other scientists have found that drinking coffee in the afternoon can help to offset lapses in attention that occur after a large lunch. Mr Miller said: “Although your cortisol levels peak between 8 and 9am, there are a few other times where blood levels peak again – between noon to 1pm, and 5.30 to 6.30pm”

            However, the exact time of when to drink that morning cup of coffee will vary from person to person depending on their cortisol cycle and the time when they normally get up in the morning. Early risers may find their ideal time is earlier than those who get to enjoy a lie in.

                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. Cortisol makes us be more attentive.

b. Cortisol levels are higher just before we wake up.

c. Having a big afternoon meal affects our levels of concentration.

d. The later you get up, the later you need a cup of coffee.

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

a. Why is it better to wait until you drink your first cup of coffee?

b. What may happen when you drink coffee just after you wake up?

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

a. caused by par. 2

b. highest point par. 2

c. to boost par. 3

d. to neutralize par.4

e. to differ par.5

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

a. Despite drinking coffee when he gets up, he doesn't concentrate in his work.

                Although...

b.  Mr Miller said: “Although your cortisol levels peak between 8 and 9am, there are a few other times where blood levels peak again.”

            Mr Miller said that...

c. Drinking coffee promotes cortisol production.

                Cortisol...

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

                “A good night's sleep helps us to be active.” Do you agree? Why? Why not?

Rephrasings 8

Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets. Do not change the meaning of the original sentences.

1.  Kate isn’t interested in history. (not like)                                                                                                      

2.  My parents are in Europe at the moment. (travel)                                                                                          

3.  The dog is quiet now. (not bark)

                                                                                 

4.  What’s your opinion of the show? (think)                                                                                                                 

5.  We are regular visitors to London. (often)

                                                                                                                                                    

6.  Sue can’t open the door because she’s in the bath. (have)

                                                                                                                                                    

7.  Nina was walking to work in the snow. (while)

                                                                                                                                                    

8.  We stayed at home because of the rain. (was)

                                                                                                                                                    

9.  It was midnight, but we continued to work. (at)

                                                                                                                                                    

10. Kate finished her project during her favourite TV show. (watching)

                                                                                                                                                    

       11.  You should try yoga.  (you / love / it)

                                                                                                                                                    

12. Let’s meet tomorrow at 2.00.           (I / not study / in the afternoon)

                                                                                                                                                    

13. Justin is a fantastic musician.          (he / famous / one day)

                                                                                                                                                    

14.  They’re always on time.     (They / arrive / in an hour)

                                                                                                                                                    

15.  Something’s wrong with our dog.      (I / call / the vet)

                                                                                                                                                    

16.  I’ll be in Paris next week.        (I / visit / lots of museums)

                                                                                                                                                    

      

KEY

1.    Kate doesn’t like history.

2.    My parents are travelling in Europe at the moment.

3.    The dog isn’t barking now.

4.    What do you think of the show?

5.    We often visit London.

6.    Sue can’t open the door because she’s having a bath.

7.    Nina walked to work while it was snowing.

8.    We stayed at home because it was raining.

9.    We were still working at midnight.

10.  Kate finished her project while she was watching her favourite TV show.

11.  You will love it.

12.  I’m not going to study in the afternoon.

13.  He will be famous one day.

14.  They will arrive in an hour.

15.  I will call the vet.

16.  I am going to visit lots of museums.

Britons actually prefer cheaper wine

Those too ashamed to admit that Jacobs Creek is their favourite tipple are not alone, experts have found, as they have proved that Britons actually prefer cheaper wines.

            In blind taste tests eight in ten Britons preferred cheaper wine and six out of ten even thought the £4.99 bottle was more expensive than the £19.99 version, according to research from the London Wine Academy.

            The results are likely to prompt questions in the wine world and the academy told the Daily Mail that, despite the results, the £19.99 bottle is still superior - it just takes experience to realise it.

            The results of the tests were gathered from around 20,000 wine enthusiasts who have attended courses at the academy over the last 20 years. Before they were taught how to taste or what to look for in a wine, each group blind tasted two wines from the same grape variety which are sold at different prices and asked to rate the tipple and guess the price.

            The academy says that amateurs base their judgment of a good wine on its smoothness and cheaper wines tend to have lower acidity, higher alcohol content and a simpler flavour. However, the experts look for complex flavours, the way that they are balanced, and how long they linger.

            The better, and normally pricier, the wine the longer the flavours will linger – a matter of seconds for a cheap wine compared to nearly a minute for the more expensive varieties, said academy founder Leta Bester

            She added: “Initially our students prefer the simplicity of less expensive wines. But as their understanding and sense of taste grow they tend to gravitate to pricier wines that display more complexity.”   No one is born with a good or bad palate and, as in any discipline, tasting is about teaching your body, she said, in this case about developing the “lines of communication” between your nose, tongue and brain.

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. More than half believed the cheap wine cost more.

b. The experiment was carried in places where wine is sold.

c. The cheaper the wine is, the more alcohol it has.

d. People trained in wine tasting not always prefer expensive wine.

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

a. What was the experiment about?

b. What do experts look for when they taste wine?

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

a. probable par.3                b. to collect par. 4                                              c. to be present at par. 4

d. almost par. 6                   e. to show off par. 7

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

a.  People thought the £4.99 bottle was more expensive than the £19.99 version.

            The £4.99 bottle was...

b.  The results of the tests were gathered from around 20,000 wine enthusiasts.

            They...

c.  She added: “Initially our students prefer the simplicity of less expensive wines

                She added...

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

Price is a synomym of high quality. Do you agree?