Shall we go to London?

What are the usual questions when you get to London? First of all, you'll have to decide how to get to the city centre from the airport. As you arrive at your hotel, you'll need to check in. And you will have some questions about where to eat, where to shop... If you want to learn more about this new experience, click here .

bbclearningenglish is a very useful tool to improve your listening skills. Surf and enjoy.

What effects does chocolate have on you?

A Magazine story on Sunday explored the curious fact that countries where chocolate-consumption is high tend to produce more Nobel Prize winners. Readers supplied possible explanations for the link - here is a selection.

Michael Johnson, Manchester As an inventor myself, I find my most creative ideas come out when I have some time to myself, either relaxing or pacing up an down pondering about something. As chocolate is not a necessity product but rather more of a luxury product you might eat for enjoyment. It may be that people who have more time to relax and ponder, rather than worry about work or necessity of life... are most creative.

Liz Pearce, Cardiff I had my IQ measured by Mensa a few years ago and it came out at 159 which is apparently in the top 1% of the population. I am also well known for my chocolate addiction and once ate 23 Cadbury Creme Eggs at one sitting. (I felt a bit sick afterwards though.

Does chocolate make you clever?

It might not surprise you that Switzerland came top of the chocolate-fuelled league of intelligence, having both the highest chocolate consumption per head and also the highest number of Nobel laureates.
Sweden, however, was an anomaly. It had a very high number of Nobel laureates but its people consumed much less chocolate on average.

Apostolos Papoutsis, Athens, Greece Eating chocolate when hungry is definitely a sign of superior intelligence. To start with, it saves hours in preparation and washing up, not to mention the time it takes to consume the food. The quality and taste of the former is always guaranteed, while the latter entails a great degree of luck. As well, as far as we know, Earth is the only planet blessed with both chocolate and intelligence beings. How is this for correlation?

Ken Yoshikawa, Portland, Oregon What if people who eat more chocolate have more leisure time, and leisure time is the variable that must be focused upon?

Ayub Ayub, Amman, Jordan Chocolate is full of minerals, is a stimulant, and is expensive. People who eat it, especially from an early age, will develop better brains, be more alert/sharp minded, and because they come from richer countries will have better education, a richer environment and more stable/easy life (they can ponder more), and will have more resources hence making them better achievers.

George Chilton, Salisbury, UK Chocolate is consumed in greater quantities in colder climates as it's a comfort food, and doesn't melt quite as much. Looking at the countries in the chart, we can see that they are highly affluent, and Northern. The combination of cold weather and money means people sit and work, rather than sit on the beach. Who wants to use their brain when it's 35 degrees [C] outside? I currently live in Spain. There aren't many Nobel prizes being won here, it's mostly because we're all at the beach, not because we're not eating enough chocolate.

Andrea Valdes Veracruz, Mexico You must consider that the Mayas, who probably domesticated cacao, used to drink a lot of chocolate and they were capable of amazing discoveries in astronomy. Was chocolate the reason for their intelligence?

James Winters, Edinburgh Me and my co-author, Sean Roberts, actually submitted a response to this paper that showed a correlation between the number of serial and rampage killers. In short, you can make the argument that there are positive and negative benefits to higher consumption of chocolate. Or, more seriously, the central point is that you shouldn't take these cross-cultural correlations too seriously. 

Johanna, California, USA Chocolate (for the most part, pure dark) makes me feel good. When I have an exam to study for, or ideas to come up with for a creative project, or the need to feel relaxed in an upcoming challenge, chocolate ALWAYS helps. Chocolate differs from other foods eaten at these times, because I don't feel slowed down by digestion and I don't feel tired or sleepy; rather I feel invigorated and, most importantly, inspired. This doesn't prove that chocolate is responsible for my successes, or others' successes. But it might mean that certain people - those who have a predilection and a taste for it - may ''need'' what chocolate offers biochemically (for improved emotional, physical and/or mental state) and consequently function better with it. I know I do.

Marta Sandberg, Bridgetown, Australia I don't care if this is true or not - I will use it as an excuse anyway.

William, Halifax, Canada If you look closely at the flags on the graph you will see that it makes the outline of Cornwall, UK. This Cornish connection ought to be pursued - and can I have a Nobel Prize now?

Brian Makin, Bassersdorf, Switzerland The explanation is obvious. The Swiss make the best chocolate!

What is she talking about? (with a little bit of help)

What is she talking about?

Here's something funny for a change. I want you to listen to this eight-year-old girl from Dublin and tell me what she is talking about. After a few days, I'll provide more information... She's got an Irish accent, but it's not difficult to understand.

What would it be like for you to live in a society like Anusha's?

A couple arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of killing their 15-year-old daughter with acid say they carried out the attack because she looked at a boy.

The girl's father told the BBC that they feared she would bring dishonour on their family. Her mother said it was her "destiny" to die that way.

The couple were arrested in Pakistani-administered Kashmir last week.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported 943 women were killed in honour killings last year.

That represented an increase of more than 100 from 2010.

Police say that the incident took place in a remote village in the southern district of Kotli. They say that the case was brought to their attention by the couple's eldest daughter.

The girl, known only as Anusha, was found to have burns over 60% of her body. Her father Muhammad Zafar told the BBC what happened:

"There was a boy who came by on a motorcycle. She (Anusha) turned to look at him twice. I told her before not to do that, it's wrong. People talk about us because our older daughter was the same way," he said.

Her mother Zaheen described the aftermath: "She said 'I didn't do it on purpose. I won't look again.' By then I had already thrown the acid. It was her destiny to die this way."

Anusha's father is reported to have taken his daughter inside, beaten her and then acid was poured over her with the help of his wife. Officials say that the couple did not take their daughter to hospital until the following morning.

The couple say that an older daughter had already disgraced the family and they did not want to be dishonoured again.

Police say this is one of the first cases of its kind in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, where such killings are relatively rare.

In March the government of Pakistani-administered Kashmir made acid attacks a criminal offence punishable with life imprisonment.

I wish I could...

Some people fight for their dreams. Felix Baumgartner made his dream come true on October, 14th, 2012  but he's been working hard for twelve years! Finish this sentence:

I wish I could...

What do you like about the autumn?

I like the colours of the autumn: orange, light brown,... the leaves falling from the trees...

Ok, here's a song...

You keep asking for a song. Here you are!!! I hope you like it. But you have to do something with it, not just enjoy, I'm afraid...
Look for:
- a verb + preposition
- a phrasal verb
- a verb + object + infinitive
- an example of an expression we have recently revised (UofE)
- a regular verb in the past pronounced /id/
- a regular verb in the past pronounced /d/
- a regular verb in the past pronounced /t/

Back to school!

Dear students,
we're back! It's been two months and a bit since we last met. A new course, new teachers and new subjects for some of you. In a few months you'll be leaving again, this time for good. Only those who work hard will succeed...

And our blog is back too. I hope that you will use it well and often, don't let me down...
In our first post this course I want you to remember the best things that happened to you last summer and also, tell me what your expectations are for the new academic year.
I'm looking forward to reading your comments.
The teacher

Happy summer holiday!

Dear students,
the course is over! We've worked really hard and now it's time to relax. Where are you going this summer? Are you going to the beach? Are you doing anything special? Enjoy yourselves a lot and relax as much as you can. Remember to watch TV in English a little bit every day. See you in September!

The teacher said,

"Do your homework now and don't complain about the exam tomorrow". =)

At the hairdresser's

Last week I went to a wedding and I had my hair done very nicely. Do you ever have something done?

If you could choose...

...where would you go on holiday next summer? Have a look at these pictures, choose seaside or mountain. And say why you choose one place or the other.

Hungry for change

Ok, here's something new for you to see and talk about. Please, watch it carefully and tell me about it.

London school trip 2012

We've just come back from a really exciting trip to London. We had lots of fun, spoke English all day long and walked every single street and tube station in the city. Now we are tired but happy, it has been 5 busy days, non-stop. We've visited the Natural History Museum, the Tate Modern, the British Museum, the Museum of London and the National Gallery; we went to Buckingham Palace, Green Park and St James's Park, Trafalgar Square, Westminster and St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge; shopped till we dropped at Camden market, Piccadilly Circus and Notting Hill. We even had time to go as far as Arsenal Football Stadium and Harrod's. Some of us went up on the London Eye...
I wish I could have taken all my 1st of Bachillerato students with me but it was not possible. They would have enjoyed themselves so much. Now I hope the 11 students that actually came tell us everything they can about this trip. I'd love to read all their comments and anecdotes about the airport, the planes, the families, the food... so many things to talk about...
By the way, they behaved REALLY well, they were an adorable group and I will always remember this trip. Thanks a lot to Alberto, Angel Miguel, Antonio, Aitor, Esther, Gonzalo, Laura, Marta, Pablo, Sandra and Sara.

Love,

the teacher

English is difficult for iPhone too!!!

Well, it seems you are not the only one who thinks English is difficult to understand...

How would you feel if this happened to you?

Adele

Hello students,
we haven't written for a long time. You've been busy, I've been busy. I know that most of you like this singer, Adele. She is very young and she is from London. She has conquered the world with her wonderful voice. What do you know about her? Which is your favourite song? I like Someone like you, it's a bit sad, but I get goosepimples when I hear it!

Recipes

This is the recipe of a delicious dessert: pancakes. Why don't you try making pancakes at home? If you want to know more about pancakes, click here.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Now I want you to post your favourite recipes. Try with migas...
This post is dedicated to Esther.

Rituals

This is a haka. Have you ever seen this ritual before? Do you know who performs it? Why? When?

I will be 17 on...

When will you be 17? I want to know your birthdays. Remember to use "on" for dates and ordinal numbers. Do you know your star sign?

I can tell you I won't be 17 next week...

Happy 2012!!

Hello everyone,
we have started a new year: 2012 (two thousand and twelve or twenty twelve, both are correct). Many people think the beginning of the year is the perfect moment to stop smoking, to lose weight or to start learning a new language. These are known as New Year's Resolutions. Is there anything you have decided to take up from January 1st? Maybe you would like to go to the gym more often, or to watch a film in English from time to time :-)
I'm really nosy and I'd love to know...