Thursday, April 26, 2012

nb2 26/4/12


Homework: grammar bank 7D, p.138

The passive

(Active)> Josephine C. invented the dishwasher.
(Passive)> The dishwasher was invented (past participle) by J. C.

The dishwasher was invented by an American woman.
> An American woman invented the dishwasher

Disposable nappies were invented by M. D.
> M.D. invented disposable nappies.

More than 55 million nappies are used (by people> we don’t need to write that part) every day.
>We/people use more than 55 disposable nappies everyday.

Mrs Graham’s invention is called Tipp-Ex today.
> We/people call Mrs Graham’s invention Tipp-Ex today.

Policemen all over the world are protected by the bullet proof vest.
> The bullet-proof vest protects policemen all over the world
Mary cooks these delicious cookies (= the result of an action)
>These delicious cookies are cooked by Mary.

Mary invited John (= person affected by the action) to the party
>John was invited to the party (by Mary)

The problem was solved effectively /ɪˈfektɪvli/ (By…? > the person who did is not important for us or we don’t know him/her).
> Somebody solved the problem.


To be frightened/scared/afraid of... :-O  \^o^/

Base something on/upon something 
Phrasal verb
To use something as the thing from which something else is developed:
Their relationship was based upon mutual respect.
An economy based on farming.

Smartphones
Don Quixote



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

ni2 25/4/12


climate / ˈklaɪmət / || / ˈklaɪmɪt/
warm 1 /wɔːrm / || /wɔːm/ ≠ worm 1 /wɜːrm / || /wɜːm/
drought /draʊt/
poor 1 /pɔːr / ||/pɔːr/ , /pʊə(r)/
food /fuːd/
flood 1 /flʌd/
unpredictable / ˈʌnprɪˈdɪktəbəl/
shortage / ˈʃɔːrtɪdʒ / || / ˈʃɔːtɪdʒ/
cyclone / ˈsaɪkləʊn/
intense /ɪnˈtens/
malnutrition / ˈmælnuːˈtrɪʃən/
soil 1 /sɔɪl/
erosion /ɪˈrəʊʒən/
vulnerable / ˈvʌlnərəbəl/ 
desalination plant
ozone layer
carbon dioxide
running water
lime
debate 1 /dɪˈbeɪt/
frequent 1 / ˈfriːkwənt/
glacier / ˈɡleɪʃər / ||/ ˈɡlæsɪə(r)/ , / ˈɡleɪsɪə(r)/
reliable /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/
wreak /riːk/
havoc / ˈhævək/
Crop [countable]
1 a plant such as wheat, rice, or fruit that is grown by farmers and used as food [ GM]:
The main crops were oats and barley.
Crop production
Crops grown for market
2 the amount of wheat, rice, fruit etc that is produced in a season[= harvest]
temperature / ˈtemprətʃər / || / ˈtemprətʃə(r)/
hurricane / ˈhɜːrəkeɪn / ||/ ˈhʌrɪkən/ , /-keɪn/
intense /ɪnˈtens/
emergency /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi / || /ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi/
production /prəˈdʌkʃən/
devastate / ˈdevəsteɪt/
Lack [singular, uncountable]
When there is not enough of something, or none of it [= shortage]
scarcity [singular]
A situation in which there is not enough of something
Scarcity of
The scarcity of employment opportunities


Global Warming
Types of radiation from the electromagnetic spectrum make life on Earth possible, but some have hazards associated with them. These hazards need to be carefully considered, and the evidence weighed up in order to reach a scientific explanation.

Greenhouse gases
Some gases in the Earth’s atmosphere absorb infrared radiation. One of these is carbon dioxide. Even though carbon dioxide is only about 0.04 per cent of the atmosphere, it is a very important greenhouse gas because it absorbs infrared well.

Greenhouse effect
The Sun’s rays enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
Heat is emitted back from the Earth’s surface.
Some heat passes back out into space.
But some heat is absorbed by carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and becomes trapped within the Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth becomes hotter as a result.
Water vapour and methane - higher only
Other greenhouse gases are water vapour, and also methane. Even though methane is present in trace amounts only, it is a very efficient absorber of infrared.

The carbon cycle
The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is controlled by the carbon cycle.
- Processes that remove carbon dioxide from the air:
Photosynthesis by plants
Dissolving in the oceans
- Processes that return carbon dioxide from the air:
Respiration by plants, animals and microbes
Combustion ie burning wood and fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas
Thermal decomposition of limestone, for example, in the manufacture of iron, steel and cement
Cellulose
All cells contain carbon, because they all contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates. For example, plant cell walls are made of cellulose, a carbohydrate.

Decomposers
Decomposers, such as microbes and fungi, play an important role in the carbon cycle. They break down the remains of dead plants and animals and, in doing so, release carbon dioxide through respiration.

For thousands of years, the processes in the carbon cycle were constant, so the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere did not change. Over the past 200 years, the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased steadily.
Burning more and more fossil fuels as energy sources
Burning large areas of forests to clear land, which means that there is less photosynthesis removing carbon dioxide from the air.

Global warming
Although the changes have been gradual, most, but not all, scientists agree that the climate is getting gradually warmer. This is called global warming.
Again, most, but not all, scientists lay the blame for this on human activities increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Global warming could cause:
  • climate change
  • extreme weather conditions in some areas
Climate change may make it impossible to grow certain food crops in some regions. Melting polar ice, and the thermal expansion of sea water, could cause rising sea levels and the flooding of low-lying land.

Computer climate models - higher only
One piece of evidence which supports the view of scientists who blame human activities for global warming has been provided by supercomputers. Computer climate models, based on different amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, produce the same changes as have been observed in the real world.

Ideas about science – correlation and cause
The ideas of correlation and cause are illustrated with the evidence for global warming.
Any process can be thought of in terms of factors that may affect an outcome.
In global warming, one factor is the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The outcome is the mean temperature of the atmosphere.

Establishing a correlation
To establish a correlation between a factor and an outcome, convincing evidence is needed. This usually means that enough data must be collected, and that different samples should match.
Compare these two graphs and consider these questions:
Are the changes reported significantly large?
Are they properly matched in terms of the times over which they are reported?
Do these two graphs match well enough?

Other factors
A correlation between a factor and an outcome does not mean that the factor causes the outcome. They could both be caused by some other factor.
Example
Children with bigger feet (factor) are, on average, better readers (outcome).
There is another factor which, in fact, causes both of these. It is age, because older children usually have bigger feet, and older children are usually better readers!
To investigate the relationship between a factor and an outcome, it is important to control all other factors that may affect the outcome.

Other factors affecting global warming
Another factor that may affect the mean temperature of the atmosphere is the amount of energy given out by the Sun. Most scientists agree that this has not changed in the past 200 years.
There are some scientists who agree that global warming is taking place, but do not agree that carbon dioxide levels are to blame.

Scientific explanation - higher only
Once experiments have shown that there is a definite correlation between a factor and an outcome, it is still not enough to prove that the factor causes the outcome.
For this to be proven, there must be some scientific explanation of how the relationship can happen.
For carbon dioxide and global warming, the explanation is that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. It absorbs infrared given off by the warm Earth, and this infrared cannot then escape into space. This keeps the Earth warmer than it would be if the carbon dioxide did not absorb so much infrared.

Este es el correo de la persona que puso la feria del libro en la EOI: englishbooksinspain@hotmail.com

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

nb2 24/4/12


Don't know much about ihtsoyr
Don't know much liobyog
Don't know much about a siceenc book
Don't know much about the Fecnhr I took

But I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me too
What a wonderful world this would be

Don't know much about gegopahry
Don't know much ritgoonmerty
Don't know much about alegrab
Don't know what a slide relu is for

But I do know that one and one is two
And if this one could be with you
What a wonderful world this would be

Now I don't claim to be an "A" student
But I'm trying to be
So maybe by being an "A" student baby
I can win your love for me.

Sam Cooke - Wonderful World



literature /ˈlɪtrətʃə(r)/
geography /dʒɪˈɒɡrəfi/
science /ˈsaɪəns/
physics /ˈfɪzɪks/
chemistry /ˈkemɪstri/
biology /baɪˈɒlədʒi/
history /ˈhɪstəri/
technology /tekˈnɒlədʒi/
bullet /ˈbʊlɪt/
Were you a rebel? Did you follow the rules?
Did you like your subjects?
Which one did you like the most/least?
Did you like your teachers?
Play truant.
Some of them.
They knew a lot.
My (least) favourite subject was…
I liked accountancy the most/least.
Human resources.
USED TO (no entra en el examen!)
Routines in the past:
At school I used to have a sandwich during the break.
As a child I didn’t use to stay up late.
Did you use to go to work by car in England?
In the present we use the frequency adverb usually: I usually go to school by car.

Public school [countable]
1 in Britain, a private school for children aged between 13 and 18, whose parents pay for their education. The children often live at the school while they are studying.
State school [countable]
1 British English a British school which receives money from the government and provides free education.
Private school [countable]
A school that is not supported by government money, where education must be paid for by the children's parents
Boarding school [countable]
A school where students live as well as study
    Day school

Monday, April 23, 2012

ni2 23/4/12


Glamour, (AmE also) glamor / ˈɡlæmər / || / ˈɡlæmə(r)/
Ox plural oxen [countable]
1 a bull whose sex organs have been removed, often used for working on farms.
Perch
1 be perched on/above etc something
To be in a position on top of something or on the edge of something:
A house perched on a cliff above the town

Diagram / ˈdaɪəɡræm/
Island / ˈaɪlənd/
Triangle / ˈtraɪˌæŋɡəl/
Hide [countable]
1 British English a place from which you can watch animals or birds without being seen by them [= blind American English]
2 an animal's skin, especially when it has been removed to be used for leather:
ox hide gloves
Aegean /ɪˈdʒiːən/
Diagram / ˈdaɪəɡræm/
Half 1 / hɑːf/
Horizontal 1 /ˌhɒrɪˈzɒntlʲ/
Vertical / ˈvɜːtɪkəl/
Circle 1 / ˈsɜːkəl/
Quarter 1 / ˈkwɔːrtər / || / ˈkwɔːtə(r)/
Medieval / ˈmiːdiˈiːvəl/
Asia /ˈeɪʃə/
Nile /naɪl/
Accurate /ˈækjərət/
Mountain / ˈmaʊntnʲ / || / ˈmaʊntɪn/

In the North, south, north-east…
On the north coast

Articles in English
I work in a Language School (sth singular mentioned for the 1st time), the Language School in Alcantarilla (sth mentioned before). The Language School is a good place to learn a language (sth unique and clear in context). Language Schools can be found all over Spain (no article used to talk about things in general)

- The Iberian Peninsula, the Red/ Black Sea, The Nile, The world…
-
- The Aegean, the Mediterranean (Sea),
- Shem, Japheth, Ham, …
- Mount Ararat, …
- Asia, Africa, Europe,…

Rules:
1) Continents - no article; e.g. Asia, Europe
2) Countries - one word names = no article; e.g. China
    With political descriptions use articles; e.g. The People's Republic of China, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
    With plurals use "the"; e.g. the Philippines
    With compass directions do not use 'The'; e.g. North Korea
3) Cities, towns and villages - no articles; e.g. Beijing, Kowloon.
4) Islands - single islands = no article; e.g. Lantau, Hong Kong Island
    Islands - groups of islands = "the" + plural; e.g. the Dao Yu Islands, the Spratleys
5) Mountains - single mountains = no article; e.g. Yellow Mountain, Mount Everest
     Mountain ranges = "the" + plural; e.g. the Himalayas
6) Lakes - usually no articles; e.g. Lake Superior (exception: The West Lake, "West" is an adjective)
7) Other Water features - use "the"; e.g. the Pacific Ocean, the South China Sea, the Pearl River.

The definite article with geographic names

Names of countries which are collective, plural or post-modified take the definite article.

The United Kingdom
The Netherlands
The USA
The Republic of Ireland
The Czech Republic
The People’s Republic of China

Water bodies

The (River) Tisza
The Mississippi (River)
The (English) Channel
The Panama Canal
The Atlantic (Ocean)
the Pacific (Ocean)

Deserts

The Gobi (Desert)
The Sahara (Desert)
The Mojave Desert

Mountain ranges

The High Tatras
The Alps
The Rocky Mountains
The Chocolate Mountains

Points of the compass

The North
The South
The East
The West
The South Pole
The North Pole
She lives in the south of Italy.
Geoffrey is going to the Far East next spring.
But:

North America
Go west, young man!

Some constellations and other heavenly bodies

The Big Dipper
The Pleiades
The Cigar Galaxy (M82)
The Crab Nebula
But:

Orion
Cassiopeia

Thursday, April 19, 2012

nb2 19/4/12


Homework: grammar bank 7B a) and b).


ADJECTIVES FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITION.
Interested in
He was interested in studying science.
Famous for
He was famous for spending a lot of money.
He was famous for NOT liking football.
Worried about
We were worried about NOT passing the exam.

Impersonate' class=proncar title="See pronunciation table in "How to use dictionary" pages" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025">  [transitive]
1 to pretend to be someone else by copying their appearance, voice, and behaviour, especially in order to deceive people:
Do you know it is a very serious offence to impersonate a police officer?

Childhood
To be good/bad at something…
When my two daughters were born…

First Communion
When someone receives Holy Communion for the first time:
• Rachel's making her First Communion on Saturday.

Competitive exam
I’m very sleepy
Nursery
My father passed away in 2006.
I’ve been lucky in my life.
Climbed 1 /klaɪmd/
I’m a teacher.
I’m my own boss.
I’m self-employed.
Wanted dead or alive.
government / ˈɡʌvərnmənt / || / ˈɡʌvənmənt/
Civil servant
The best moment in my life is when my two children were born.
Vocational training.
Current – present
Accountancy
Currently
Die-died > he died in 1987.
Dead > he is dead ≠ alive.
Black and white.
PRESENT PERFECT:
- An action in the past that is relevant now:
I’ve studied English at university (you are at a job interview)
- An action recently finished:
I’ve washed the car, I hope it doesn’t rain.
- An action that started in the past and continues in the present:
I’ve studied English for two years at the language school.
- When you don’t specify when something happened or how many times:
I’ve been to Italy.

PAST SIMPLE
An action finished in the past:
-        I had toast for breakfast.
-        I was born in Rome.

Masterpiece

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

ni2 18/4/12


Comfortable /ˈkʌmftərbəl / || /ˈkʌmftəbəl/
Comfort 1 /ˈkʌmfərt / || /ˈkʌmfət/
Climbing 1 / ˈklaɪmɪŋ/
Adventurous /ədˈventʃərəs/
Accustomed /əˈkʌstəmd/
To be keen on /to be fond of
Meticulous /məˈtɪkjələs/
Reasonably / ˈriːznʲəbli/
Reliant /rɪˈlaɪənt/
Laid-back
Relaxed and seeming not to be worried about anything:
I don't know how you can be so laid-back about your exams.
Laid-back attitude/manner/approach etc
He is famed for his laid-back attitude.
Happy go lucky
wary
Someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful
Be wary of (doing) something
I'm a bit wary of driving in this fog.
Disgusting
Picky
Engross [transitive]
If something engrosses you, it interests you so much that you do not notice anything else:
The scene was stunning, and for a time engrossed all our attention.
Engross yourself in something
Take your mind off it by engrossing yourself in a good book.
When in Rome, do as Romans do.
Pick something ↔ up
To learn something by watching or listening to other people:
I picked up a few words of Greek when I was there last year.
Mary watched the other dancers to see if she could pick up any 
obnoxious /əbˈnɒkʃəs/
Very offensive, unpleasant, or rude:
She's really obnoxious.
An obnoxious idea
class=pronsentence title="Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM" v:shapes="_x0000_i1034">Obnoxious odours

Used to ≠ Be used to/get used to doing something
grilled

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

nb2 17/4/12


Homework: grammar bank 7A a and b.

 Catch' class=proncar title="See pronunciation table in "How to use dictionary" pages" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025">  past tense and past participle caught
1. Take and hold a) [intransitive and transitive] to get hold of and stop an object such as a ball that is moving through the air [ throw]:
Stephen leapt up and caught the ball in one hand.
'Pass me that pen, would you?' 'Here you are. Catch!'
Bite – bit – bitten
Worm - caterpillar
Poisonous
Fangs
It swollens
A & E [uncountable] British English
Accident and Emergency
The part of a hospital where people who are injured or who need urgent treatment are brought
Anti-inflammatory
Disgusting
1 extremely unpleasant and making you feel sick [= revolting]:
' class=pronsentence title="British English" onclick="openSoundPlayer('8/MED.pronsentence-p008-000805238.mp3', 'pronsentence', 12461, 0);" v:shapes="_x0000_i1028"> Rubbish was piled everywhere - it was disgusting.
Smoking is a really disgusting habit.

TO BE AFRAID / FRIGHTENED OF STH
It makes me feel afraid.
Reptiles
Shore
Tide
I’ve studied English since I finished university.
I’ve lived in this house since I got married/arrived in Spain/was born.
I’ve been working since 1995.
Scene/siːn/
Scenery/ ˈsiːnəri/
climb 1 /klaɪm/
bomb 1 /bɑːm / || /bɒm/
His heart beats quickly
When the cat is away, the mice will play.
Stare
He’s going to a therapist.
I’ve had