This is a National Geographic video on Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, in India. It's a five-day celebration that includes food, fireworks, colored sand, and special candles and lamps.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions about it.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
1 When is Diwali held?
2 What does Diwali commemorate?
3 What is the best moment of the day to experience Diwali?
4 What's the problem if you visit the temples late in the day?
5 What does the lotus blossom represent?
6 What do families usually do on this day?
7 What do you find in Indian cities to celebrate Diwali?
You can check your answers by reading the transcript below.
At any time of year, a visitor to India can be overwhelmed by its beauty and color. But a visitor in late fall is especially fortunate. The temperature will have cooled down, the monsoons will have not yet begun, and Diwali – the festival of lights –is at hand.
Diwali is to many Indians what Christmas is to Christians. In essence, it commemorates the victory of the forces of light over the forces of darkness.
To experience it fully, get up before dawn and head for the flower markets.
Here, flower vendors work feverishly to create garlands of fragrant jasmine that Indians will use to adorn their homes. By dawn they’ll be sold out.
Next head for one of the temples, but go early…later on in the day, they’ll be packed.
On your way over, you may see a curious sight: People hunched in front of their doorways, pouring colored sand on the ground. The sand takes the shape of a lotus blossom, a symbol of welcome. And today, millions of symbols of welcome will grace the nation’s doorways.
Indeed, Diwali is all about sharing. If you’re staying in a private home, don’t be surprised if the neighbours show up with plates of delicious holiday treats.
It’s also customary for families to go to the temples together on this day. They often dress in fine new outfits purchased especially for Diwali.
And if their outfits inspire you, head for a Sari shop. Shops are open on Diwali, and Indian silks are justifiably famous for their beauty. They’re just one of the ways India spruces up and gets into the holiday spirit.
This is an occasion for all of us to rejoice and be with the family and enjoy all the good things in life. So we buy good clothes and make good food.
And everywhere, there are lights! If you head to major commercial districts throughout India, you’ll find colorful displays, comparable to Christmas lights in western cities.
Some cities also put on spectacular public displays of fireworks, like this one in Delhi.
But no matter where you are, there are smaller, more intimate fireworks displays.
A long day of celebrations is coming to an end.
And it’s going out with a bang!
lunes, 12 de mayo de 2014
domingo, 11 de mayo de 2014
Extensive listening series: Scandimania
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall starts his three-episode series on Scandinavian countries in Sweden.
In this episode, he meets a member of ABBA and they go hunting in the woods. He also visits the Ekstedt restaurant in Stockholm, where everything is cooked over a wood-burning fire.
Over 70% of Sweden is covered in forest and the Swedes love to spend time in the outdoors, so Hugh flies north to Umea, to join an elk hunt, where he cooks the hunters elk liver for dinner.
In Gothenburg, Hugh sees an IKEA flatpack house being assembled in just one morning and meets a group of stay-at-home dads.
Hugh visits the ABBA museum, where he meets Bjorn Ulvaeus, one of the men behind the music, who explains the concept of 'lagom', which means 'just enough', and sums up how Swedes approach life.
But is the 'Swedish model' of equality and prosperity at risk? Hugh visits the set of the country's number one sitcom, which mocks the materialistic aspirations of a new breed of wealthy citizens.
And at the end of journey, Hugh visits an end of summer crayfish party in Stockholm's archipelago.
In this episode, he meets a member of ABBA and they go hunting in the woods. He also visits the Ekstedt restaurant in Stockholm, where everything is cooked over a wood-burning fire.
Over 70% of Sweden is covered in forest and the Swedes love to spend time in the outdoors, so Hugh flies north to Umea, to join an elk hunt, where he cooks the hunters elk liver for dinner.
In Gothenburg, Hugh sees an IKEA flatpack house being assembled in just one morning and meets a group of stay-at-home dads.
Hugh visits the ABBA museum, where he meets Bjorn Ulvaeus, one of the men behind the music, who explains the concept of 'lagom', which means 'just enough', and sums up how Swedes approach life.
But is the 'Swedish model' of equality and prosperity at risk? Hugh visits the set of the country's number one sitcom, which mocks the materialistic aspirations of a new breed of wealthy citizens.
And at the end of journey, Hugh visits an end of summer crayfish party in Stockholm's archipelago.
sábado, 10 de mayo de 2014
Reading test: 7 Ways to Ensure Your Emails Get Read
In today's reading test we are practising the heading matching type of task.
It is based on a blog post by Tom Searcy, 7 Ways to Ensure Your Emails Get Read, who contacted email expert Jonathan Borge to get some tips on how to master the art of getting emails answered.
Match headings A-H with their corresponding paragraph 1-7. There is an extra heading you don't need to use.
A Be careful with the timing
B Do your homework
C Email content
D Give them time
E Mind your image
F Sound accessible
G What the recipient actually sees is essential
H Your sign-off
1.
Remember that only 20 percent to 40 percent of your emails will actually get opened, though most of your subject lines will be seen. To boost your open rates, think of short, catchy, and informative subject lines. You should try to dangle compelling information ("The future of sales emails"), and you can even try adding some mystery ("Strange question"). We also recommend personalized subject lines, if possible ("Hunter Sullivan suggested I contact you").]
2.
Portray yourself as someone that other people can connect to. You'll want to show your recipients that you care about hearing back from them... so you can't simply sound like you're just sending another mass email. Never use "Dear sir or Madam," and stay away from overly formal language.
3.
Make your emails short, simple, and easy to quickly digest. Your leads are busy people with jobs, too, so you need to maintain their interest. Do your research and find out what resonates for your prospects. Try to get an introduction to them or, if that's not possible, figure out in more detail what they or their company do. Tell them why you're emailing them, specifically. Talk about how you can solve a problem for them.
4.
End your emails with a definitive, clear call to action. Make it dead simple for your recipients to say yes-;whether it's to a meeting, phone call, or product demo. Don't ask them for permission. If you want a phone call, then say "Call me right now at X for more details."
5.
Reach out to your leads when they're not too busy. Make sure you avoid heavy traffic times like Monday mornings. Based on our tracking data, we recommend the middle of the week, mid-day, as the best time to send emails.
6.
First impressions are important both in person and online. The tone and formatting of your email is all your recipients have to judge you by. Make sure you are being professional, clear, and easy to understand. Stay away from over-formatted emails that look gimmicky, but don't hesitate to call out important information in bold or bullet points.
7.
Send yourself a sales email. Put yourself in your leads' shoes. If you were them, would you open this email? Would you spend more than two seconds reading it? If so, what would you do next?
Key:
1G 2F 3C 4H 5A 6E 7B
It is based on a blog post by Tom Searcy, 7 Ways to Ensure Your Emails Get Read, who contacted email expert Jonathan Borge to get some tips on how to master the art of getting emails answered.
Match headings A-H with their corresponding paragraph 1-7. There is an extra heading you don't need to use.
A Be careful with the timing
B Do your homework
C Email content
D Give them time
E Mind your image
F Sound accessible
G What the recipient actually sees is essential
H Your sign-off
1.
Remember that only 20 percent to 40 percent of your emails will actually get opened, though most of your subject lines will be seen. To boost your open rates, think of short, catchy, and informative subject lines. You should try to dangle compelling information ("The future of sales emails"), and you can even try adding some mystery ("Strange question"). We also recommend personalized subject lines, if possible ("Hunter Sullivan suggested I contact you").]
2.
Portray yourself as someone that other people can connect to. You'll want to show your recipients that you care about hearing back from them... so you can't simply sound like you're just sending another mass email. Never use "Dear sir or Madam," and stay away from overly formal language.
3.
Make your emails short, simple, and easy to quickly digest. Your leads are busy people with jobs, too, so you need to maintain their interest. Do your research and find out what resonates for your prospects. Try to get an introduction to them or, if that's not possible, figure out in more detail what they or their company do. Tell them why you're emailing them, specifically. Talk about how you can solve a problem for them.
4.
End your emails with a definitive, clear call to action. Make it dead simple for your recipients to say yes-;whether it's to a meeting, phone call, or product demo. Don't ask them for permission. If you want a phone call, then say "Call me right now at X for more details."
5.
Reach out to your leads when they're not too busy. Make sure you avoid heavy traffic times like Monday mornings. Based on our tracking data, we recommend the middle of the week, mid-day, as the best time to send emails.
6.
First impressions are important both in person and online. The tone and formatting of your email is all your recipients have to judge you by. Make sure you are being professional, clear, and easy to understand. Stay away from over-formatted emails that look gimmicky, but don't hesitate to call out important information in bold or bullet points.
7.
Send yourself a sales email. Put yourself in your leads' shoes. If you were them, would you open this email? Would you spend more than two seconds reading it? If so, what would you do next?
Key:
1G 2F 3C 4H 5A 6E 7B
viernes, 9 de mayo de 2014
Tsunami 101
Find out how a tsunami is born and how it destroys with this short National Geographic video.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
The warnings are few. The signs are sudden.
The ground shakes. The (1) ... goes into reverse. A thunderous roar fills the air.
And then it strikes. Wave after wave of crashing, crushing water. And when it is over, nothing is left.
A tsunami.
The word in Japanese means “(2) ... ... .”
Japan has been hit by many tsunamis in its history, as a result of its location. It (3) ... across the edges of 4 tectonic plates, where most earthquakes -the principal cause of tsunamis- are born.
When two tectonic plates push together, the resulting earthquake sends an enormous (4) ... of energy up through the ocean, displacing enormous quantities of water.
A series of waves expands in all directions. In deep water, these waves travel fast – up to 500 miles an hour – but only reach a height of a few feet. A (5) ... ... might not even notice.
But as the waves enter (6) ... waters, friction with the ocean floor lowers the waves’ speed and raises their height, until at landfall they can engulf a 10 (7) ... building.
Unlike ordinary waves, a tsunami wave doesn’t (8) ... and (9) ... . Instead, it advances like a wall of water that crashes over the coastline and everything in its way, reaching even as far as a mile inland.
The initial impact is only the first blow. More damage is caused when the wave recedes, (10) ... everything in it back underwater.
And most tsunamis have multiple waves, each arriving anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes after the first strike, just when survivors think the danger is over.
The deadliest tsunami ever recorded occurred in December of 2004. An earthquake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a tsunami that (11) ... across the Indian Ocean and reached as far as the coast of Africa.
Whole sections of cities were destroyed. More than 200,000 people died.
Most had no way of being warned.
Key:
1 tide 2 harbor wave 3 lies 4 burst 5 passing ship 6 shallow 7 storey 8 crest 9 break 10 dragging 11 surged
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
The warnings are few. The signs are sudden.
The ground shakes. The (1) ... goes into reverse. A thunderous roar fills the air.
And then it strikes. Wave after wave of crashing, crushing water. And when it is over, nothing is left.
A tsunami.
The word in Japanese means “(2) ... ... .”
Japan has been hit by many tsunamis in its history, as a result of its location. It (3) ... across the edges of 4 tectonic plates, where most earthquakes -the principal cause of tsunamis- are born.
When two tectonic plates push together, the resulting earthquake sends an enormous (4) ... of energy up through the ocean, displacing enormous quantities of water.
A series of waves expands in all directions. In deep water, these waves travel fast – up to 500 miles an hour – but only reach a height of a few feet. A (5) ... ... might not even notice.
But as the waves enter (6) ... waters, friction with the ocean floor lowers the waves’ speed and raises their height, until at landfall they can engulf a 10 (7) ... building.
Unlike ordinary waves, a tsunami wave doesn’t (8) ... and (9) ... . Instead, it advances like a wall of water that crashes over the coastline and everything in its way, reaching even as far as a mile inland.
The initial impact is only the first blow. More damage is caused when the wave recedes, (10) ... everything in it back underwater.
And most tsunamis have multiple waves, each arriving anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes after the first strike, just when survivors think the danger is over.
The deadliest tsunami ever recorded occurred in December of 2004. An earthquake off the coast of Indonesia triggered a tsunami that (11) ... across the Indian Ocean and reached as far as the coast of Africa.
Whole sections of cities were destroyed. More than 200,000 people died.
Most had no way of being warned.
Key:
1 tide 2 harbor wave 3 lies 4 burst 5 passing ship 6 shallow 7 storey 8 crest 9 break 10 dragging 11 surged
jueves, 8 de mayo de 2014
Sherpas Shut Down Everest
Sherpa guides have decided to boycott Mount Everest in honor of of their colleagues killed in an avalanche in mid April.
Self-study activity:
Watch this Al Jazeera news item and answer the questions below.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
1 Why are sherpas necessary to climb Mount Everest?
2 How many sherpas were killed in the avalanche?
3 What three demands are sherpas asking for to continue their work?
4 What does '3 million dollars a year' refer to?
5 Is Edmund Hillary's son a climber?
6 What does '60' refer to?
To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.
Getting to the summit of Mount Everest is still one of the toughest physical challenges known to man, but many don't do it alone. They need the help of Nepalese guides or sherpas. They help show the way and carry supplies that puts them constantly at risk.
Friday’s avalanche struck while the sherpas were trying to make the way safe for international climbers. 13 were killed and three more are unaccounted for.
It is a terrible tragedy, a great loss of life and of course the families and villages that will be hugely impacted by this loss.
The guides are now refusing to go up the mountain until certain demands are met. They want a bigger insurance payout for those killed, more financial aid for the victims’ families, and new regulations to ensure the guides’ rights.
Nepal's government said it will meet some of those demands but for the sherpas it doesn't go far enough.
We decided to establish a Himalayan rehabilitation fund to assist the victims’ children with food, education, etcetera, and with rehabilitating those injured and disabled.
The government makes more than three million dollars a year through Everest climbing fees alone. The sherpas themselves make a very small fraction of that, up to six thousand dollars a year, but for them and the community, mountaineering is a key source of income.
The son of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man ever to reach the top of Mount Everest, and who’s been to the top of the mountain twice himself says it's a difficult choice to make.
But what are the options? Well, unfortunately, the only options when you’re playing Russian roulette ascending a place like the Khumbu Icefall is to find alternatives, and then may I think the employment of local people. It's a tough situation.
Until there's a way to make climbing Everest safer, the 60-year history of reaching the world's highest peak hangs in the balance.
Erica Wood, Al Jazeera
Self-study activity:
Watch this Al Jazeera news item and answer the questions below.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
1 Why are sherpas necessary to climb Mount Everest?
2 How many sherpas were killed in the avalanche?
3 What three demands are sherpas asking for to continue their work?
4 What does '3 million dollars a year' refer to?
5 Is Edmund Hillary's son a climber?
6 What does '60' refer to?
To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.
Getting to the summit of Mount Everest is still one of the toughest physical challenges known to man, but many don't do it alone. They need the help of Nepalese guides or sherpas. They help show the way and carry supplies that puts them constantly at risk.
Friday’s avalanche struck while the sherpas were trying to make the way safe for international climbers. 13 were killed and three more are unaccounted for.
It is a terrible tragedy, a great loss of life and of course the families and villages that will be hugely impacted by this loss.
The guides are now refusing to go up the mountain until certain demands are met. They want a bigger insurance payout for those killed, more financial aid for the victims’ families, and new regulations to ensure the guides’ rights.
Nepal's government said it will meet some of those demands but for the sherpas it doesn't go far enough.
We decided to establish a Himalayan rehabilitation fund to assist the victims’ children with food, education, etcetera, and with rehabilitating those injured and disabled.
The government makes more than three million dollars a year through Everest climbing fees alone. The sherpas themselves make a very small fraction of that, up to six thousand dollars a year, but for them and the community, mountaineering is a key source of income.
The son of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man ever to reach the top of Mount Everest, and who’s been to the top of the mountain twice himself says it's a difficult choice to make.
But what are the options? Well, unfortunately, the only options when you’re playing Russian roulette ascending a place like the Khumbu Icefall is to find alternatives, and then may I think the employment of local people. It's a tough situation.
Until there's a way to make climbing Everest safer, the 60-year history of reaching the world's highest peak hangs in the balance.
Erica Wood, Al Jazeera
miércoles, 7 de mayo de 2014
Talking point: Dreams
Today's talking point is dreams. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
What are dreams was first aired in NOVA in November 2009.
What are dreams and why do we have them? NOVA joins leading dream researchers as they embark on a variety of neurological and psychological experiments to investigate the world of sleep and dreams. Delving deep into the thoughts and brains of a variety of dreamers, scientists are asking important questions about the purpose of this mysterious realm we escape to at night. Do dreams allow us to get a good night's sleep? Do they improve memory? Do they allow us to be more creative? Can they solve our problems or even help us survive the hazards of everyday life?
NOVA follows a number of scientists, including Matthew Wilson of MIT, who is literally "eavesdropping" on the dreams of rats, and other investigators who are systematically analyzing the content of thousands of human dreams. From people who violently act out their dreams to those who can't stop their nightmares, from sleepwalking cats to the rare instances of individuals who don't seem to ever dream, each fascinating case study contains a vital clue to the age-old question: What Are Dreams?
You can read the transcript here.
- Do you have any dreams you'd like to come true? What are they?
- How often do you dream at night?
- When do you daydream?
- When you daydream, what do you usually daydream about?
- Have you ever had a nightmare? Can you remember what it was about?
- Do you believe that your dreams are a window into reality? Why/Why not?
- Have your dreams ever come true? What happened?
- What would be the perfect dream for you?
What are dreams was first aired in NOVA in November 2009.
What are dreams and why do we have them? NOVA joins leading dream researchers as they embark on a variety of neurological and psychological experiments to investigate the world of sleep and dreams. Delving deep into the thoughts and brains of a variety of dreamers, scientists are asking important questions about the purpose of this mysterious realm we escape to at night. Do dreams allow us to get a good night's sleep? Do they improve memory? Do they allow us to be more creative? Can they solve our problems or even help us survive the hazards of everyday life?
NOVA follows a number of scientists, including Matthew Wilson of MIT, who is literally "eavesdropping" on the dreams of rats, and other investigators who are systematically analyzing the content of thousands of human dreams. From people who violently act out their dreams to those who can't stop their nightmares, from sleepwalking cats to the rare instances of individuals who don't seem to ever dream, each fascinating case study contains a vital clue to the age-old question: What Are Dreams?
You can read the transcript here.
martes, 6 de mayo de 2014
Madrid Teacher: Driving test
In our Madrid Teaher series, three teachers talk about the driving test and how difficult it was for them to pass it.
The teachers are very polite and respectful of turn-taking, so they don't really interrupt each other while they're talking. However, we can find some examples of functional language and communication strategies that can come in handy when we speak English.
- Reacting to what a person is saying: Oh! That's interesting! Oh dear! I bet. Oh no! Oh wow! Yeah, absolutely
- Fillers: Well; er
- Use of so as a linking word
- Involving listeners in the conversation: Do you think that people...
Now it's over to you. Get together with a friend and talk about your experience of getting your driving licence. What the test difficult? Did you find it difficult?
Try and use some of the functional language the Madrid teachers used.
The teachers are very polite and respectful of turn-taking, so they don't really interrupt each other while they're talking. However, we can find some examples of functional language and communication strategies that can come in handy when we speak English.
- Reacting to what a person is saying: Oh! That's interesting! Oh dear! I bet. Oh no! Oh wow! Yeah, absolutely
- Fillers: Well; er
- Use of so as a linking word
- Involving listeners in the conversation: Do you think that people...
Now it's over to you. Get together with a friend and talk about your experience of getting your driving licence. What the test difficult? Did you find it difficult?
Try and use some of the functional language the Madrid teachers used.
I’m about to move overseas.
Oh that’s interesting.
Yeah. Exciting! But I have to take my driver’s test again. OK, to get a new licence.
Oh dear.
And I’m nervous.
I bet. Do you remember taking your driving tests?
I took mine quite recently actually and it took me two years to complete.
Oh no! I hope it doesn’t take that long.
Well, just to, not to worry you too much, but I was I was living in France, and I was studying in England. And I’d started my driving test in France and so every summer or spring break or autumn break I had to go back and I had to start again. And, er, I was, I was a terrible driver and that didn’t help.
Well, and you were driving on different sides of the road?
No, I couldn’t drive in England. I was just driving in France with an instructor…
Oh, safer.
…which was very expensive and er, I stressed them out a lot.
Mm, but in the end you have your driver’s licence...
I was happier the day I got my driving licence than the day I got my degree.
Oh wow! Such an accomplishment.
Yeah. Absolutely.
For, yes, I remember a long, long time ago. A hundred years ago. We had Driver’s Ed. So, with Driver’s Ed, afterwards, of course, I passed my driver’s test, the first time. And… But it was, it was quite easy.
For me as well. But I hear overseas it’s different. And I think the driving is different than in the States.
Do you think that people are better drivers after such an intensive preparation for getting the exam?
I think the statistics don’t necessarily show that.
No.
Because in France, for instance, the driving test is notoriously difficult, but the accident rate is one of the biggest concerns, especially on motorways. Serious accidents happen a lot.
Well, the key is practice.
Practice, practice... Makes perfect!
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