www.sergiovinals.com & www.escuelaoficial.com

Hi

This is just to let you know that my personal website has been updated. From now on, I'll be posting new contents, exercises, etc. in that new website. It comprises not only Year 3, but also other levels and lots and lots of things related to the English world.

You can access the site by entering www.sergiovinals.com or www.escuelaoficial.com into your favourite browser.

I hope you like the new site, and I really look forward to seeing you there. By the way, if anyone is interested in collaborating with the site, please let me know. Feel free to send me any news or material you consider useful for the site.

Thanks for your collaboration.

Sergio

Radio Vaughan

Hi everybody!

For all of those who have failed the listening part, or just want to practice their listening skills this summer for the sake of it, here's an interesting website called 'Radio Vaughan'.

It's an online radio programme in English, very suitable for English learners, as they speak of a great variety of topics, including interviews, exercises, etc. Those who have followed the programme can verify that it really works.

Here's the link:

www.vaughanradio.com

This company also edits their programmes in MP3 format, so if you search well you can download those files to practice anywhere, any time... :)

Enjoy it

Funny stuff - The 22 Worst Place Names in the world

Now that I've finished this year's duty at the EOI, I spend my time searching the Internet and trying to find my next holiday destination.

And it was then that I found this peculiar website. How exciting would it be visiting Titty Hill (Sussex, England), or Hookersville (West Virginia). Can you imagine the smell of flowers at Middelfart (Denmark)? And how about that Fucking town (Austria)?

These are just a few of the 22 worst place names in the world. But... wait! Who told you Cartagena does not mean anything funny in Swahili? One never knows...

The 22 Worst Place Names in the World

Extra Vocabulary: Parts of the Body

See large 1
See large 2

Test your vocabulary

Health: Is something wrong with... ?

Look at these dialogues:

A: Is something wrong with your body?
B: Yes, there is. I have a sunburn.
A: You should put on some lotion.

A: Is something wrong with your head?
B: Yes. I had a bump while I was playing football.
A: You'd better apply ice to reduce swelling.








Now play out some dialogues with your partner based on the following problems, using 'should', 'ought to' and 'you'd better' for giving advice:

1. I have a mosquito bite.
2. I have a bee sting.
3. I have an allergy.
4. I have a black eye.
5. I have a pink eye.
6. I twisted my ankle.
7. I stubbed my toe.
8. I have a blister.
9. I feel dizzy.
10. I have a bump.
11. I have a nosebleed.
12. I have a broken nose.
13. I have a runny nose.
14. I feel itchy.
15. I have a rash.
16. I have a burn.
17. I have a stomach cramp.
18. I have a stomachache.
19. I have a headache.
20. I broke my leg.
21. I have a cut.
22. I just got bit by a dog.
23. I feel like throwing up.
24. I am choking.
25. I have a cough.
26. I have a sore throat.

You can add any useful expressions you may find in the Comments section.

Extra Grammar: Make / Do

1. Look at these sentences:

I enjoyed making model planes when I was a child.
Make the tea, will you, while I do the washing-up.

There is no rule which says when to use make and when to use do, but if you look at the expressions above you should be able to complete these guidelines with one word or the other:

1. We often use ....... to talk about work.
2. We often use ....... to talk about constructing or creating something.

2. Would scientists do or make the following? Write the correct word in front of each one:

a. ............... a discovery.
b. ............... harm.
c. ............... a promise.
d. ............... certain.
e. ............... damage.
f. ............... an attempt.
g. ............... a plan.
h. ............... an excuse.
i. ............... better.
j. ............... their best.
k. ............... an experiment.
l. ............... a choice.
m. ............... a suggestion.
n. ............... progress.
o. ............... notes.
p. ............... an effort.

3. Write a short sentence about yourself using a form of do or make with each of the expressions below.

Example: I did my homework last night.

some mistakes - well at school - me angry - a noise - friends with somebody - nothing at all - some housework - everyone laugh - sure - an exercise - a phone call - the First Certificate exam

Extra Vocabulary: Health and Healthcare - Illnesses

- Health and Healthcare -

Illnesses
ache
earache
headache
stomachache/stomach ache
toothache
sore throat
cancer
cold
cough
flu
heart attack
heart disease
infection
infectious disease
pain
virus
germ
hay fever
rash
high cholesterol
high blood pressure
migraine

Minor Injuries
bruise
cut
graze
wound
sprain
fracture

Treatment
bandage
check-up
dose (of medicine)
drugs
injection
give some an injection
medicine
take medicine
operation
pain-killer
pill
plaster
tablet
tranquilizer
X-ray
eye drops
low-fat diet
antibiotics

People
dentist
doctor
general practitioner
midwife
nurse
patient
specialist
surgeon

Places
hospital
operating theatre
surgery
waiting room
ward

Verbs
catch
cure
heal
hurt
injure
operate on
prescribe
prescription
treat
treatment
vomit

Adjectives
fit
ill
sick
feel sick
be sick
healthy
unhealthy
painful
unwell
well

Other vocabulary
thermometer
prescription

Grammar: Reflexive, Intensive & Reciprocal Pronouns

Hi all,

Please, have a look at the following website for extra information on Reflexive, Intensive & Reciprocal Pronouns. Notice there are some exercises below that you can do & check on your own.

Irregular Noun Formations (gender & number)

Please, have a look at the following pages to revise the formation of irregular plurals of nouns:

- Irregular plurals (number) - In alphabetical order - Another list


Here you can find information on the gender of nouns:

- Gender of nouns

Extra Grammar: Compound nouns made with SOME, ANY and NO

http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/Determiners7d.cfm

Compound nouns made with SOME, ANY and NO

Some +	-thing	-body	-one	-where
Any +
No +

Compound nouns with some- and any- are used in the same way as some and any.

Positive statements:

• Someone is sleeping in my bed.
• He saw something in the garden.
• I left my glasses somewhere in the house.

Questions:

• Are you looking for someone? (= I'm sure you are)
• Have you lost something? (= I'm sure you have)
• Is there anything to eat? (real question)
• Did you go anywhere last night?

Negative statements:

• She didn't go anywhere last night.
• He doesn't know anybody here.

NOTICE that there is a difference in emphasis between nothing, nobody etc. and not ... anything, not ... anybody:

• I don't know anything about it. (= neutral, no emphasis)
• I know nothing about it (= more emphatic, maybe defensive)

More examples:

SOMETHING, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE
a. I have something to tell you.
b. There is something to drink in the fridge.
c. He knows somebody in New York
d. Susie has somebody staying with her.
e. They want to go somewhere hot for their holidays.
f. Keith is looking for somewhere to live.

ANYBODY, ANYTHING, ANYWHERE
a. Is there anybody who speaks English here?
b. Does anybody have the time?
c. Is there anything to eat?
d. Have you anything to say?
e. He doesn't have anything to stay tonight.
f. I wouldn't eat anything except at Maxim's.

NOBODY, NOTHING, NOWHERE
a. There is nobody in the house at the moment
b. When I arrived there was nobody to meet me.
c. I have learnt nothing since I began the course.
d. There is nothing to eat.
e. There is nowhere as beautiful as Paris in the Spring.
f. Homeless people have nowhere to go at night.

ANY can also be used in positive statements to mean 'no matter which', 'no matter who', 'no matter what':

Examples:

a. You can borrow any of my books.
b. They can choose anything from the menu.
c. You may invite anybody to dinner, I don't mind.