What's inflation?

 

 

What's inflation? 

Inlation happens when prices rise and the value of our money falls. 

In 1980, for example, a movie ticket cost on average $2.89. By 2019, the average price of a movie ticket had risen to $9.16. 

What causes inflation? 

 
Inflation can occur when prices rise due to increases in production costs, such as raw materials and wages. A surge in demand for products and services can cause inflation as consumers are willing to pay more for the product.

 

Is inflation always bad? 

Inflation isn't always bad news. A little bit is actually quite healthy for an economy. If prices are falling – something known as deflation – companies may be hesitant to invest in new plants and equipment, and unemployment might rise.

 

 

 What happens when inflation hits?

 

 But inflation increases your cost of living. If the inflation is high , it hurts the economy. Rising prices may be an indication of an economy growing very fast. People buy more than they need to avoid tomorrow's higher prices fuels demand for goods and services.

 

GRAMMAR REVISION. IF-SENTENCES. 

 

 

If sentences

October 2, 2010 -

Sentences containing the word if are called conditional sentences because they usually express a condition.

Examples:

• If he comes, ask him to wait.
• If it rains, we will get wet.
• If you study hard, you will pass your exam.

There are four types of if sentences in English.

1. The zero conditional
2. The type 1 conditional
3. The type 2 conditional
4. The type 3 conditional

The zero conditional

In a zero conditional sentence, we use a present tense in both parts of the sentence.

• If you give respect, you get respect.
• If you heat ice, it melts.

The type zero conditional sentences are used to talk about real and possible situations.
Type 1 conditional

Type 1 conditional sentences are used to talk about possible situations and their probable results. In these sentences we use the simple present in the if clause and the simple future in the result clause.

• If you work hard, you will succeed.
• If you ask him, he will help you.
• If you invite them, they will come.

 

1. EXERCISES. ZERO CONDITIONAL.  

2. ZERO CONDITIONAL.  

3. ZERO CONDITONAL.  

4. ZERO CONDITIONAL.  

5.CONDITIONAL 1. 

6. CONDITIONAL 1. NEGATIVES /QUESTIONS. 

7. CONDITONAL 1. WRITE. 

8. CONDITIONAL 1. WRITE. 

 

 

Type 2 conditional

These sentences are used to talk about an unlikely condition and its probable result. Here the tense in the if clause is the simple past and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional (would + get).

• If you asked him, he would help you.
• If you studied hard you would pass your exam.
• If you invited them, they would come. 

 

9. CONDITIONAL 2.  

10. CONDITIONAL 2.  

11. CONDITIONAL 2. 

12. FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONALS. 

13. FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONALS.  

14. FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONALS. 

 

 BUSINESS ENGLISH 

VOCABULARY. 

1. (BORROW, LEND, INVOICE, OWE, AFFORD...)

 2. ( ATTACH, REPLY, FORWARD, ENCLOSE...)

3. CUSTOMERS AND SERVICES.  

 

ENGLISH COMMON CONFUSING WORDS. 

 

1. THEY'RE, THEIR,  THERE...

 

HOW TO WRITE A CV IN ENGLISH.  

 

 

The style and layout of a curriculum vitae (also called a CV or resumé) are often different in English to those in other languages. These steps explain how you can write a great CV in English, while keeping it simple and easy to read.

Step 1: make notes

Make notes on your work experience, both paid, unpaid, full-time and part-time. Write down your responsibilities, job title and company information. Include everything!

Step 2: make more notes

Make notes on your education. Include your degree or any certificates, names of major courses, school names and courses relevant to the job you are applying for.

Step 3: … again more notes

This time make notes on other achievements. Include your membership of organizations, military service and any other special accomplishments.

Step 4: relevant skills

From the notes you’ve made, choose which skills are relevant (skills that are similar) to the job which you are applying for. These are the most important points for your CV.

Step 5: personal details

Begin your CV. Write your full name, address, telephone number, email, date of birth, marital status and nationality at the top of the CV.

Step 6: objective

Write an objective. The objective is a short sentence describing the job you hope to get. This is common only in an American-style CV (called a resumé).

Step 7: education/qualifications

Summarize your education, including important facts (type of degree, specific courses you have studied) that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Step 8: experience

List all your work experience, job by job. Start with the your most recent job and progress backwards in time. Again, focus on skills that are relevant. Include details of companies and your job title and responsibilities at that company.

Step 9: skills

Include other relevant information such as languages spoken, computer skills, etc.

Step 10: interests

Very briefly include your hobbies and main interests.

Step 11: references

Finish with the line: References available upon request.

More tips

• Ideally your CV in English should not be longer than one page. Two pages are only acceptable if you have had many different jobs and a variety of experience.
• Spacing, aligning and layout are very important when you write your CV, in order to create a positive and professional impression.
• Use ‘dynamic’ and ‘action’ verbs such as attained, accomplished, conducted, established, facilitated, founded, managed, etc.
• Do not use the personal pronoun ‘I’ in your CV; use sentences without a personal pronoun: Established and managed a new sales force, not I established and managed a new sales force.

 

EUROPASS. Create your own CV.  

 

 JOB INTERVIEW

1. VIDEO QUIZ. 

 

2. An invitation to a job interview.  

EMAIL WRITING. 

 

Making enquiries

 

 

 

READING. 

 

Digital habits across generations.  

 

 

 READING FREE PRACTICE. 

1. Why are babies....?

 

2. Diva of magic.  

 

3. How will life be different after Covid-19?

 

LISTENING FREE PRACTICE. 

Watch the following video about Randall and his dogs. 

A. Let's focus on pronunciation. See how OUR is pronounced. Try to reproduce the text. 

 

DOGS. 

 1. My flat. 

 

2. Sports and exercise.   

 

VIDEO FAST FOOD.  

 

3. Telephone numbers.  

 

4. Phonig. 

GRAMMAR REVISION 

1. Mixed tenses.

 

ENVIRONMENTALLY INVOLVED. We are just part of it.

 

PART 1. URBAN VERSUS RURAL. 

Watch the video. Learn new words and expressions about city or country life. Then discuss. 

What is your own experience like? 

Do you live in the city or in the country? Have you ever had the other  experience? 

Would you ever like to go and live in the country?

What are the advantages or the problems of each option?

What do you think of big cities?

Would you ever like to live in a city such as New York, London or Paris? 

But there are other world MEGA CITIES which are not so well known. See this short documentary on Calcutta.

 What do you know of it? 

Pre-view. Show some random images from the video and invite the students to speak out their impressions. Is Calcutta what you had in mind as a big city? Can it compare to New York? Why?

Now watch and jot down some of the words or expressions you hear. At the end of the documentary the teacher will ask you about your words. You will then write them all down on the board

 

Here you have a map of the World's megacities. Choose one which is not in Europe or North America and prepare a presentation. 

- You can help your speech with a simple power point.

- Remember to include anecdotes. 

   

LA ESPAÑA VACÍA  versus LA ESPAÑA VADIADA.

    The world is becoming more and more URBAN. People leave the country for a better life in urban areas. This brings about new problems. Some cities are overpopulated and not everybody seems to find and easy life in them. On the other side, some extensive rural areas have been abandoned. Some years ago, Sergio del Molino published a book called "La España vacía." The term evolved in time to "La España vaciada", which expresses better the intention of making of Madrid a Mega City. For some,  the new word "vaciada" expresses better the fact that there was a political and economic intention. The change was produced under the economic and political phenomenon of PROGRESS and MODERNITY. "Empty" is the picture of the moment. "Emptied" conveys the idea of an action performed by sombody or by something. "Empty" seems to be a fact that requires little action and no change. "Emptied" implies that there should be a political action to change a discomforting situation.

    The side effects are obvious: Madrid as a central, overpopulated, powerful and influencial city sorrounded by the empty land of what has been called the Spanish Laponia. Five rural regions that make up 53% of Spain now have only 15% of its population. 

 

 

 

LET'S THINK ABOUT THE WAR IN UKRAINE.

 

 

Volodymyr Zelenskiy: The unlikely hero of the Ukrainian resistance

The country’s president, initially perceived as a political lightweight and an easy target for Putin, now represents a legitimate commander in chief of a country at war 

 

 

 ( from El Pais in English) 

What do you think of this image. Think of adjectives that can be applied to both characters.

 

Have a look at the adjectives in the link. What of these would you use to describe Putin and Zelenski? 

 

WHO IS WINNIG THE WAR? 

Less than a week into the war, it seems increasingly likely that Vladimir Putin is heading towards a historic defeat. He may win all the battles but lose the war. Putin has the  dream of rebuilding the Russian empire. The lie below is that Ukraine isn’t a real nation,  and that the inhabitants of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv want Moscow’s rule. But Ukraine is a nation with more than a thousand years of history, and Kyiv was already a major metropolis when Moscow was not even a village. But the Russian despot has told his lie so many times that he apparently believes it himself.

 When planning his invasion of Ukraine, Putin  knew that militarily Russia was militarily superior to  Ukraine. He knew that Nato would not send troops to help Ukraine. He knew that European dependence on Russian oil and gas would make countries like Germany hesitate about imposing stiff sanctions. Based on these known facts, his plan was to hit Ukraine hard and fast, decapitate its government, establish a puppet regime in Kyiv, and ride out the western sanctions.

 But there was one big unknown about this plan.  It is much easier to conquer a country than to hold it. Putin knew he had the power to conquer Ukraine. But would the Ukrainian people just accept Moscow’s puppet regime? 

 With each passing day, it is becoming clearer that Putin’s gamble is failing. The Ukrainian people are resisting with all their heart, winning the admiration of the entire world – and winning the war. Many dark days lie ahead. The Russians may still conquer the whole of Ukraine. But to win the war, the Russians would have to hold Ukraine, and they can do that only if the Ukrainian people let them. This seems increasingly unlikely to happen.

Unfortunately, this war is likely to be long-lasting. Taking different forms, it may well continue for years. But the most important issue has already been decided. The last few days have proved to the entire world that Ukraine is a very real nation, that Ukrainians are a very real people, and that they definitely don’t want to live under a new Russian empire. The main question left open is how long it will take for this message to penetrate the Kremlin’s thick walls.

• (From The Guardian.  By Yuval Noah Harari is a historian and author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

   

   

   

  WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULD WE SUPPLY WEAPONS TO UKRANIANS? ARE YOU A PACIFIST AND THINK THAT WEAPONS WILL BRING MORE DEATH AND DISTRUCTION? 

  
  

  WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE "NO A LA GUERRA" CAPTION? iS THIS A WAR ? IS THIS AN INVASION? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? 

  
  

  HOW CAN WE HELP? WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO HELP?
  

  Spain backtracks and will send weapons to ‘Ukraine resistance’

  Spain will supply "offensive military hardware" to Ukraine following Russia's invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told parliament on Wednesday, only two days after he'd ruled out that Spain would send weapons to Ukraine separately from the EU.

   

  https://www.thelocal.es/20220302/spain-backtracks-and-will-send-military-hardware-to-ukraine-resistance/

   

   

  
  

  PART 2. 

  CLASS PROJECT. WAR, ART AND PROPAGANDA. 

  To put it in a simple way, wars are normally disputed between two parts with two different visions of the conflict. The choice of words is already important. Russians are speaking now of the Ukrainian conflict whereas Ukrainian's and the rest of the world use the word WAR. The story told is different in one part of the conflict and in the other. We take parts according to the information we get. 
  

  READING 

  How long has Ukraine been in war? 

  What is the last news you have heard about it?  

  Read the following text and answer the questions below.
  

  ZELENSKY COMPARES UKRAINE'S WAR WITH GUERNIKA. 

  1. What is the text about? 

  2. What historical event does Presedent Zelensky refer to? Which two towns does he compare? 

  3. What do you know of Guernika? 

  4. How many people have died in Ukraine since the beginning of war? How many people have fled? 

  5.  Do you know the following works of art? What can you say about the one below? Who painted it? When? Why? How important is art in war propaganda? 

   

   

  
  

   

   

  Do you know Bansky? Find some information about him. Copy and paste some of his images about war. How do you interprete them? 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

ADMINISTRATION. UNIT 3

 

 

BUSINESS ENGLISH. FOOD AND HOW TO BE A GOOD GUEST.

- Talking about food or in a food context. 

 

Protocol for Professional Guests

• Remember names. ...
• Smile and shake hands. ...
• Introduce yourself and others. ...
• Maintain formal address. ...
• Sit only when invited to. ...
• Make small talk 100% positive and friendly. ...
• Be mindful of time. ...
• Follow cues.
  

 THE PERFECT LUCH GUEST.

Formal. At the restaurant. 

 Vocabulary.

1. Write down  the new words. 

2- Copy and answer the questions in the video. 

 

Informal. Ordering fast food. 

Describing food game. 

Make descriptions of well known dishes and guess.

 

Exemple.

1- "These can be found almost anywhere in the world where the company who makes them has an outlet. A white bun is toasted and cut into three pieces. Two flat cakes of fried minced beef are put inside with a slice of processed cheese on the top. Add a few pieces of salad, some mayonnaise and a slice of pickled gherkin, serve with French fries and you have a symbol of America." ______________

2- " A famous dessert in the country it comes from. Made of eggs, milk and sugar with coffee. The Italian name translates into English as ‘pull me up’ , so you eat it when you are feeling down."___________

3- " A thin round base of a special kind of pastry is coated with tomato paste and grated cheese. That’s the basis of all of the different kinds of this dish. You then choose extra toppings to add. Examples are, olives, fresh tomato, ham, salami, anchovies and onion. The whole thing is then put in a special oven to cook. When ready it can be eaten whole at the table or cut into slices to takeaway."___________

4-  "Potatoes are cut into long fingers and deep-fried in oil. The fish, usually cod or plaice, is dipped into a liquid mixture of eggs, milk and flour, and then deep-fried.Usually served as a takeaway, you add salt, vinegar and a cold, white sauce called tartare sauce. In the old days it was wrapped in newspaper, but the authorities eventually put an end to that for health reasons and today it is wrapped in sheets of clean, white paper. The only British dish many people can name."___________________

5- " It doesn’t really taste like its name. For a start, it is sweet, while the name suggests something savoury. The base is made of biscuit and the top is sweet and made of eggs and a special kind of cheese. Often there is a layer of fruit. Hard to find anyone who doesn’t like it – but it’ll make you fat fast."____________

FOOD QUIZ

 

2. Food quiz

1 Name one red meat and three kinds of poultry.

2 Stilton, Brie, Camembert and Edam are all kinds of what?

3 What is the difference between 'biscuits' and 'cookies'?

4 Name six kinds of seafood.

5 What is the difference between the following: bread, roll, croissant, bun?

6 Name two important ingredients for Thai food.

7 What's the difference between a pie and a tart?

8 Spaghetti, tagliatelle, macaroni, penne, and ravioli are all kinds of what?

9 What's the difference between French fries, chips and crisps?

10 Which countries do these famous dishes come from and what are their

ingredients?

paella                     felafel                 tiramisu                     haggis

borscht                 sauerkraut                 moussaka                 chicken biriyani

3- Think of:

a food for a picnic ____________

a food for health _____________

a food that’s ‘naughty but nice’ ________________

a food for the rich and famous ______________

a food for romance ________________

a food that reminds you of your childhood ______________

a food for a wedding ____________

a dish for a first date ______________

a food for a business meeting _______________

a food that reminds you of travel ________________

a food for the elderly __________________

a food from a hot country _______________

a food for Christmas __________________

a drink for celebrating ___________________

Compare your list with your partner.

What's the difference between 'food',  'dish' and "meal"? Use the three words in a sentence.

Which of the foods you have listed are…

sweet         savoury                 bland              spicy

juicy                 crispy                 crunchy

What kinds of food or drink could you describe as…

tough – tender

sweet – dry

well done – rare

firm – runny

Group the following adjectives together according to basic meanings.

Which have positive or negative connotations?

bland             spicy             rich              sweet

chewy         greasy         mild          fragrant

an acquired taste     smelly          strong         tasting strange     or     unpleasant

a delicate taste             tough             sickly

EXPRESSING LIKES AND DISLIKES. 

 

 

You work for a company that organises conferences. You are arranging the menu for a buffet to welcome guests at the start of the conference. Look at the email from the catering company. Use a dictionary to help with any words that you don't know. Add another dish to the list. Talk to your group about the things that you like and dislike in your list. Agree on four dishes to order from the catering company. 

Re: Buffet lunch.

Please, tick four dishes from the list to order the food for the buffet lunch. 

-spicy chicken___

- mini hamburgers __

- sushi selection __

- salad __

- sandwich selection __

- mini cheese pizzas __

Another dish: 

STORY TELLING. WRITING.

 

 Watch the video and answer.

How did the story make you feel? 

What does the box mean for you? 

 

Do you know what happened in Syria? You can find out here. 

Write the story with your words.

 GRAMMAR

 

PREPOSITIONS OF MOVEMENT. 

 

PREPOSITIONS OF MOVEMENT. EXERCISE 1. 

EXPRESSING MOVEMENT. EXERCISE 2.  

 

GIVING OPINIONS. 

EXERCISES

SMALL TALK

Small talk is important because it can help you to start conversation that let you know the people you meet in different contexts. It is a good idea to:

- think about suitable conversation topics e.g., the weather, recent holidays, etc.

- prepare some social questions, eg. How was your journey? How is you business?

- think about the social questions your host / guest might ask you. Prepare some replies. 

- focus on what the other person is saying at the moment. 

- read about the country where your visitor comes from or the country you are visiting. Use the information to start conversations and ask questions about the country. 

Some topics may be:

 

-Your last weekend.

- My family.

-My plans for the near future.

- My best friend.

- Pets.

- The town I live.

-An unforgettable holiday. 

- Job or studies.

- Your house.

- The internet.

- Shopping.

SMALL TALK. THE WEATHER.

 

FREE TIME AND HOBBIES.

Email and Internet.

Using email. 

Think about the way you use email. 

- How often do you check your email? 

- How many mails do you send a week? 

- How many emails do you get every week? Do you read them immediately? 

- How quickly do you reply? 

- Do you delete emails regularly? 

- Do you get much spam? 

Using the Internet. 

- How often do you use Internet? 

- Why do you use it? 

- What do you buy online? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages?

- How does the Internet affect you studies? 

- What are your favourite websites? 

- Do you have a blog or read other people's?

- Do you download material from the internet?  

- Do you use social networking sites? Which ones? 

PHONING AND TEXTING.

 

Read the text about texting and answer. 

 Text messaging has anglicized some of the world's languages. The use of diacritic marks is dropped in languages such as French, as well as symbols in Ethiopian languages. In his book, Txtng: the Gr8 Db8 (which translates as "Texting: the Great Debate"), David Crystal states that texters in all eleven languages use "lol" ("laughing out loud"), "u", "brb" ("be right back"), and "gr8" ("great"), all English-based shorthands. The use of pictograms and logograms in texts are present in every language. They shorten words by using symbols to represent the word or symbols whose name sounds like a syllable of the word such as in 2day or b4. This is commonly used in other languages as well. 

 Crystal also suggests that texting has led to more creativity in the English language, giving people opportunities to create their own slang, emoticons, abbreviations, acronyms, etc. The feeling of individualism and freedom makes texting more popular and a more efficient way to communicate.

 Perhaps the act of using textisms to shorten communication words leads young adults to produce more informal writing, which may then help them to be better "informal" writers. Due to text messaging, teens are writing more, and some teachers see that this comfort with language can be harnessed to make better writers. This new form of communication may be encouraging students to put their thoughts and feelings into words and this may be able to be used as a bridge, to get them more interested in formal writing.

1. Who is David Crystal? 

2.  Make a list with the shortened texting words provided in the text. 

3. Give a difinition of the following words:

emoticon:

slang:

acronym:

4. Why has texting become so popular? 

5. How is increasing texting among the young affecting formal writing?

6. What do these abreviations mean? 

1. GRT: ...........................................................    7. ASAP..............................................................

2. X ..................................................................    8 FYI ................................................................

3. CUL8R........................................................    9. LOL ...............................................................

4. OIC .............................................................    10. THX .............................................................

5. B4N ............................................................    11 BF ..................................................................

6. IMO ............................................................     12 U ..................................................................

READING

"Leave it as it is"

Once upon a time.....

1. What's the name of the village in the story? Why? 

2. What happened before the things started to change? 

3. Why did people worry about the possibility of changing the mayor?

4. What's the name of the neighbouring village? 

5. How did the changes affect people in "Leave it as it is"?

6. Can you see a criticism behind the story? 

VOCABULARY. PERSONAL FINANCE. 

MONEY QUIZ