TOP LONDON MUSICALS

Read the article "Top London Musicals" and answer the questions.

1. Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE and write down which part of the text justifies your answer. 

a. The list shows the musicals that are worth seeing in London. 

b. The venue where Mamma Mia is performed is the Prince of Wales Theatre. 

c. Mamma Mia! continues to be a dreadful night out with little audience participation and boring moments. 

d. The Lion King musical appeals to both children and adults. 

2. Find words or phrases that correspond to the words or definitions given. 

a. Enduring (paragraph 1) 

b. Low cost (paragraph 1) 

c. Public involvement (paragraph 2) 

d. Memorable lyrics (paragraph 3) 

e. Meet expectations (paragraph 4) 

3. Choose the correct option - a, b, or c - for each question and COPY both the letter and the sentence onto your answer sheet. 

The text mentions that the West End of London is...

a) A shopping area in the heart of London.

b) The most thrilling theatre district in the world, especially because of its musicals. 

c) The largest theatre district in the world, bigger than Manhattan. 

What is said about the set of the Lion King musical?

a) It has been the same since the musical came out. 

b) It is constantly changing. 

c) It is renewed every year.

According to a theatre critic, Matilda will be "the toast of the West end". What does this statement suggest?

a) The musical is going to be the most popular in the West End. 

b) The musical is going to be a box-office flop.

c) The musical will only be performed at breakfast time. 

KEY

1. Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. TRUE - We've put together a list of our current must-sees.

b. FALSE - [...] after eight wonderful years at the Prince of Wales the production moves to the beautiful Novello Theatre.

c. FALSE - Mamma Mia! remains a great night out with plenty of audience participation and some rousing moments.

d. TRUE – [...] one of the few family plays that is genuinely as much fun for adults as children.

2. Find words or phrases that correspond to the words or definitions given. 

a. Long-running 

b. Cut price

c. Audience participation

d. Catchy songs

e. Live up to expectations

3. Choose the correct option - a, b, or c - for each question and COPY both the letter and the sentence onto your answer sheet.

b) The most thrilling theatre district in the world, especially because of its musicals.  

b) It is constantly changing.  

a) The musical is going to be the most popular in the West End. 

Shared by Irene Calderón - Alumna Master Educación UC

 

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE AND TRY TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS 

1. What is Giving Tuesday? What does the video explain it is and what does it mean to you?
2. What can you give on Giving Tuesday? (write down as many suggestions from the video)
3. After you give, what does the video say you can do?
4. Complete the following sentence: Little actions can make a big ________.

NOW READ THE TEXT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIVING TUESDAY

Giving Tuesday is a day that encourages people to give back in whatever ways they can. It presents nonprofit organizations with the chance to raise even more money than they would on an average day of giving, which is why many organizations create special campaigns to participate in this day of giving.

Considered by many as the day that kicks off the giving season, it directly follows three major shopping days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday, often described as a global day of giving or a global generosity movement, is held each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. Since this first annual day of giving in 2012, nonprofits in the United States have raised more than $1.9 billion. In 2019, nonprofits in the US raised more than $500 million dollars online alone.

What is the history of Giving Tuesday?

According to GivingTuesday.org (the official website), this day of giving was founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation as a day that encourages people to do good. In July 2019, GivingTuesday spun out into its own organization, led by GivingTuesday co-founder, Asha Curran, as its CEO.

When Is Giving Tuesday?

The date for 2021 will be Tuesday, November 30. The date is determined by the Tuesday following Thanksgiving each year. Because Thanksgiving is the fourth week of November, Giving Tuesday either falls on the last Tuesday of November or the first Tuesday of December. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, it will be the last Tuesday of November.

KEY

1. a global day of giving that’s grown into a movement uniting people around the world. After you get (black Friday) and get (cyber Monday) you get a chance to give. Pay it forward, inspire others, and make a difference

2. a dollar, a home, a tree, your time, your skills, your voice, find something you care about and give, tell people about it

3. give and then tell people about it – sharing will inspire others

4. Little actions can make a big impact.

Batch cooking on rise, as families sabe money in kitchen

 

Families are increasingly cooking in bulk in order to save money, figures suggest.

      Returning to old-fashioned good housekeeping, which served previous generations so well, many cooks are batchcooking – creating large casseroles, soups or pies that can feed a family throughout the week. Not only does buying the ingredients in quantity tend to save money, but less waste is usually created.

     Sales of extra-large bags of potatoes and big packs of mince have increased strongly according to both Morrisons and Asda, the supermarket groups. Sales of freezer bags have also performed very well.

     Morrisons calculates that sales of pre-packed beef mince has increasedby 28 per cent over the last year, while King Edward potatoes have climbed by 10 per cent. Freezer bag sales have also increased by 8.3 per cent compared to this time last year.

     A survey, conducted by the supermarket, suggested that 69 per cent of consumers are now cooking in large batches.

    Asda sales figures reveal that while small packs of mince have fallen by 15 per cent, large packs have increased by 3 per cent, suggesting that families are prepared to stock up on large amounts of ingredients in order to save money.

     Sales of its largest bags of potatoes – 2.5kg, the biggest it offers – have increased by 11.5 per cent. Because of this jump in sales the supermarket tested out selling 10kg bags at £1 and sold 80, 000 bags in a weekend.

     Angus Maciver, marketing director of Morrison, said: "The sales figures show a real shift in consumer behaviour compared to this time last year as shoppers are actively trying to cut back on food waste to make the most out of their weekly shop.

     "It's encouraging to see that our shoppers are reverting to traditional cooking methods in a bid to save money."

 

Re write the following sentences by using the words in brackets and without changing the meaning

a)    Families are cooking in bulk in order to save money. (so that)

b)    Batchcooking can feed a family throughout the week. (A family…)

c)     Not only does buying the ingredients in quantity tend to save money, but less waste is usually created. (The more…)

d)    Families are saving money because they are stocking up large amounts of ingredients. (If families were not…)

e)    The supermarket tested out selling 10kg bags at £1. (which)

       f)      Angus Maciver said: "The sales figures show a real shift in our consumers behaviour.” (He said that…)

g)    "It's encouraging to see that our shoppers are reverting to traditional cooking methods" (He stated that…)

 

 

KEY

a)    Families are cooking in bulk so that they can save money.

b)    A family can be fed throughtout the week by batchcooking.

c)     The more ingredients people buy, the more money they save and the less waste they create.

d)    If families were not stocking up large amounts of ingredients, they would not be saving money.

e)    The supermarket tested out selling 10kg bags, which they sold at £1.

f)      Angus Maciver said that the sales figures showed a real shift in their customers behaviour.

g)    He stated that it was encouraging to see that their shoppers were reverting to traditional cooking methods.

 

 

Shopping in Britain

    When you come to Britain for the first time, it’s important to know something about British shops. In some countries shops close for lunch but in Britain they usually stay open all day. They open at 9.00 a.m. and they close at 5.30 or 6.00 p.m.

British shops and shopping habits are also different from those in other countries. For example, in Britain you can buy postage stamps only at a post office. You can buy cigarettes in many different places (supermarkets, pubs, newsagents and of course tobacconists), but you’ve got to be at least sixteen. You can buy film for your camera at the chemist’s. Most British families don’t buy their milk or newspaper from a shop; a milkman and a paperboy deliver to their houses.

In almost all towns there are pubs, restaurants, fish and chips shops, a pot office, clothes and shoe shops and food shops. Here are some of the best-known shops that you can find in the High Street of a British town. Marks & Spencer is a large clothes and foo supermarket. Boots is another large shop that sells records, household goods, radios and hi-fi, and is also a chemist’s! Lloyds, Barclays are some of the names of British banks. You can change your money here.

Answer these questions

1. Can you buy stamps in a tobacconist’s in Britain?

2. Can you buy cigarettes in a supermarket?

3. Can you buy film in a chemist’s?

4. Can you buy a shirt at Marks & Spencer?

5. Can you buy eggs at Boots?

Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?

1. British shops are usually open at lunch time.

2. Children can’t buy cigarettes in Britain.

3. British people usually buy milk form a shop.

4. Marks & Spencer only sells food.

5. Barcalys is the name os a British bank.

KEY

 1. No, I can’t.

2. Yes, I can.

3. Yes, I can.

4. Yes, I can.

5. No, I can’t.

1. True

2. True

3. False

4. False

5. True

Voyager reaches destination

Do you know the answers to these questions? Read the text to find the answers.

1. What’s the name of the spacecraft that flew past Neptune?

2. What’s the name of one of Neptune’s moons?

 

After 12 years and 4.43 billion miles, the unmanned spacecraft Voyager 2 reached its final destination, the blue planet Neptune.

The Voyager has flown through the solar system and has spent spectacular photos of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and now Neptune to the eager astronomers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The Voyager will continue to send data about Neptune for a few days, but the pictures seen today have amazed scientists. They are surprised-and delighted-by the amount of information the Voyager has given them about the solar system, although they have not had time to analyse the new information and pictures.

It is interesting that Neptune, which is 2.8 billion miles form earth, was only discovered 144 years ago.

The biggest surprise to the astronomers came when they saw photographs of Triton, Neptune’s blue and pink moon. “Triton” said one of the astronomers, “is the most interesting thing we have ever seen.”

Now look at the text again and write the question to go with answers.

1. Where________________________________________________?

Neptune.

2. When_________________________________________________?

In 1977.

3. How long______________________________________________?

12 years.

4. How long______________________________________________?

144 years ago.

5. What_________________________________________________?

Spectacular photos and data.

6. Why__________________________________________________?

Because they haven’t had time.

KEY

1. Voyager

2. Triton

1. Where did the spacecraft go/travel to?

2. When did Voyager 2 reach its final destination?

3. How long did it take to reach the planet Neptune?

4. How long ago was Neptune discovered?

5. What has the Voyager sent to the earth?

6. Why haven’t they analyse the new information?

'I ditched telly props for growing pumpkins'

 

    It's not a common career path, but a Stirlingshire woman gave up a career in television and film to become Scotland's pumpkin queen.

    Rebecca McEwen trained as a props buyer and worked on productions such as Monarch of the Glen, River City and Peter Mullan's Neds. But when she married a farmer, she threw herself into making a success of her new life and set about making farming fun.

    Rebecca, 35, and Duncan, 34, wanted to modernise the way things were done at Arnprior Farm. Rebecca told the BBC Scotland news website: "We became a Forth Valley Monitor farm run by the Scottish Agricultural College and that made us review the farming system. "We got rid of cattle, increased sheep and started diversifying." The McEwens grew their first pumpkins in 2015.

    Rebecca wanted to grow sunflowers or something they could sell on the roadside. So, Duncan came up with pumpkins and Rebecca came up with the extras on the patch - extras that help the working farm. She said: "We have dug your own tatties, pull your own turnips, and the kale maze. "The kale feeds the sheep in November. "So, kids run through the kale in October - we cut pathways through it - and once the pumpkin season is finished and the sheep are let into the field, they can eat any leftover pumpkins and the kale."

    Until recently, the pumpkin patch was an American tradition. Rebecca had seen family photos of relatives in Philadelphia visiting the pumpkin patch. She thought families would love to visit a working farm and enjoy the autumn outdoors. But there is a nod to the Scottish location.

    Rebecca explained; "We started the turnips because people would come in and complain, saying 'why do we have to follow America?'. "So, Duncan said let's grow turnips and we can give the Scots their turnips as well."

    Arnprior Pumpkins reveals its crop to the public this weekend. After a long dry summer, the farm enjoyed a pumpkin boom. Visitors get to choose from 7,000 of them grown across four acres of land. Children can even play on a hay bale playground and feed the sheep. Rebecca thinks it's a great way to get the family outside.

    In the spring they open their doors and let visitors help with the lambing and next year they'll let people stay in new glamping pods on the farm. One thing they've had to introduce to the pumpkin patch is welly boots hire, after a strange incident. "These two girls arrived in open-toed stilettos one year," explained Rebecca. "They couldn't believe it was a real farm, but they were brilliant and embraced it, had the best time. "But then had to get their feet pressure washed."

Read the text and match the phrasal verbs in bold to the following definitions.

1. To think of an idea or plan.

2. To stop doing a regular activity or job.

3. To remove or throw away something unwanted.

4. To do something actively and enthusiastically.

5. To start to do or deal with something.

6. To enter.

KEY

1. Came up with

2. Gave up

3. Got rid of

4. Threw herself into

5. Set about

6. Come in

The British system of government

    The United Kingdom is a monarchy. The Queen is the head of state, but she doesn’t have much power. The monarchy is hereditary; Prince Charles, the Queen’s son, will be the next King.

Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The members of the House of Lords are called peers. There are no elections for the House of Lords. Some peers are hereditary; others are life peers. Life peers are people who have served the nation in a special way. The Queen chooses life peers in consultation with the Prime Minister. The House of Lords is less important then the House of Commons.

There are 650 members of the House of Commons. They are elected for a maximum of five years. British citizens can vote when they are 18 years old. After an election, the political party with the largest number of members of the House of Commons forms the government. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister. The most important minister in the government form the Cabinet. The Cabinet makes government policy, but it is responsible to the House of Commons.

Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?

1. The British elect the Queen.

2. Prince Charles will be the next King.

3. The British elect the members of the House of Lords.

4. The House of Commons has more power than the House of Lords.

5. The Queen chooses the members of the House of Commons.

6. All the members of the government are in the Cabinet.

KEY

1. False

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. False

6. False

STONEHENGE

 

Driving across Salisbury Plain in the South of England, you can see a group of stones in the middle of an enormous plain. When you get closer you see how extraordinary it is.

The main construction is a circle of huge stones with other stones on top of them. Around them there is another circle of stones. Who built it? How did they build it? When? Why?

People who have studied the position of the stones carefully think that Stonehenge may be a gigantic calendar, used to tell the time of the year by the sun. But nobody is completely sure.

Some authors think that visitors from another planet built it. The first author who wrote about it said that Merlin, the magician, brought the stones to England and used magic to place them like they are now.

Other authors think the stones came from Wales and the builders carried then on rafts up the river.

 Who knows the truth? Will the builders come again some day to tell the secret of Stonehenge?

1.- Stonehenge is in Wales.

2.- There are two circles of stones.

3.- We are sure that it is a calendar.

4.- Merlin was a visitor from another planet.

5.- Some people think that the builders carried the stones by water.

6.- The stones are very big.

KEY

1.-False

2.- True

3.- False

4.- False

5.- True

6.- True

PROBLEM SOLVING

 

Peter Jennings travelled a lot last week. He visited four different places. Read the sentences and complete the chart.

 

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
TOWN
BUILDING
WEATHER
LANGUAGE

 

v  In the first town there was an old castle.

 

v  It was very sunny in the last town.

 

v  In the second town people spoke French.

 

v  He spoke Spanish in the third town.

 

v  I was very sunny in Rome.

 

v  People spoke English in Edinburgh.

 

v  After Edinburgh he went to a town with a big iron tower.

 

v  It rained in Paris but it was hot in the next town where there was an old museum.

 

v  After Madrid he visited an old circus and read a newspaper in Italian.

 

v  In the town before Paris it was very cold.

 

 

KEY

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
TOWN	Edinburgh	Paris	Madrid	Rome
BUILDING	Old castle	Iron tower	Old museum	Old circus
WEATHER	Cold	Rain	Hot	Sunny
LANGUAGE	English	French	Spanish	Italian

 

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