Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
First things first
Verb tenses table
Explicación en español
URLURL
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First things first
En estos vídeos puedes ver la formación de los diferentes tiempos verbales, en inglés y en español.
Explicación en español
URLURL
*******************************************************
Primer trimestre
1ª Unidad de la plataforma: A continuación se encuentra el mapa conceptual con los contenidos que se trabajarán en esta unidad.
Primer trimestre
1ª Unidad de la plataforma: A continuación se encuentra el mapa conceptual con los contenidos que se trabajarán en esta unidad.
Paco travels to South Africa: Paco arrives in South Africa
Reading
As
you know, Paco has already left the United States and his next stop is
Africa. He wanted to visit all the continents not only to meet new
people but also to know new cultures and customs. Although he has
improved his English a lot in the United Kingdom and the United States,
he has chosen a country where English is one of the eleven official languages, South Africa, to begin his visit in this interesting huge continent.
At the moment he is flying to OR Tambo International
Airport in Johannesburg. The plane took off a long time ago and in a
couple of hours he will arrive at the airport. He gets really excited
whenever he has to travel by plane. He prefers to travel by train, car
or coach. However, he knows that the plane is safer and faster than any
other means of transport. Unfortunately, if he wants to visit all the
places he is thinking of in Africa, he will have to take the plane more
than once during his stay. The first time Paco flew was when he went
from Madrid to London, and he didn't like the experience very much.
Although it was a safe big British plane, he felt really nervous from
the beginning to the very end of the flight. And he is as nervous now as
he was then.
He is sitting next to a smart medium-aged American
business man who has realized Paco is nervous wreck. The man is wearing a
grey suit and a flamboyant
blue and green tie. He has got short dark hair, thick eyebrows, and a
hooked nose. When Paco sat down, the man was reading a book and Paco
noticed he was clean-shaven.
Man: Is this your first flight?
Paco: Oh, no, it isn't. But I can't help getting highly strung when I fly.
Man: Don't you worry! It's really
safe to fly nowadays. In fact, it's said that flying is the safest way
of travelling. It's better than trains or coaches, and faster, of
course. Although it's also much more expensive, isn't it?
Paco: Yes, it is. However I feel
less nervous when I use the train or the coach. Fortunately, I don't
mind how expensive it is, but it's the quickest way of travelling from
the States to Johannesburg. In a couple of hours, I'll be on solid
ground, at last.
Man: Look! The more worried and
nervous you are, the worse for you. If I were you I'd try to have a nap
before landing. You'll feel far better when you wake up.
Paco: Thanks a lot. I'll try!
Read
the text carefully paying attention to the tenses used, and the word
order in sentences. If you need any help, have a look at Click here.
In this topic, your main aim is to
identify and recognize verb tenses (Present Simple, Present Continuous,
Past Simple and Past Continuous), comparative adjectives and adverbs,
as well as comparative sentences. Pay attention to the adjectives in
front of nouns, that is, adjectives in attributive position, too.
Presente simple explicación
En esta web tienes la explicación del Presente Simple por escrito y se complementa con ejercicios interactivos para que consigas asimilarlo.
Reading
As
you know, Paco has already left the United States and his next stop is
Africa. He wanted to visit all the continents not only to meet new
people but also to know new cultures and customs. Although he has
improved his English a lot in the United Kingdom and the United States,
he has chosen a country where English is one of the eleven official languages, South Africa, to begin his visit in this interesting huge continent.
At the moment he is flying to OR Tambo International
Airport in Johannesburg. The plane took off a long time ago and in a
couple of hours he will arrive at the airport. He gets really excited
whenever he has to travel by plane. He prefers to travel by train, car
or coach. However, he knows that the plane is safer and faster than any
other means of transport. Unfortunately, if he wants to visit all the
places he is thinking of in Africa, he will have to take the plane more
than once during his stay. The first time Paco flew was when he went
from Madrid to London, and he didn't like the experience very much.
Although it was a safe big British plane, he felt really nervous from
the beginning to the very end of the flight. And he is as nervous now as
he was then.
He is sitting next to a smart medium-aged American
business man who has realized Paco is nervous wreck. The man is wearing a
grey suit and a flamboyant
blue and green tie. He has got short dark hair, thick eyebrows, and a
hooked nose. When Paco sat down, the man was reading a book and Paco
noticed he was clean-shaven.
Man: Is this your first flight?
Paco: Oh, no, it isn't. But I can't help getting highly strung when I fly.
Man: Don't you worry! It's really
safe to fly nowadays. In fact, it's said that flying is the safest way
of travelling. It's better than trains or coaches, and faster, of
course. Although it's also much more expensive, isn't it?
Paco: Yes, it is. However I feel
less nervous when I use the train or the coach. Fortunately, I don't
mind how expensive it is, but it's the quickest way of travelling from
the States to Johannesburg. In a couple of hours, I'll be on solid
ground, at last.
Man: Look! The more worried and
nervous you are, the worse for you. If I were you I'd try to have a nap
before landing. You'll feel far better when you wake up.
Paco: Thanks a lot. I'll try!
Read
the text carefully paying attention to the tenses used, and the word
order in sentences. If you need any help, have a look at Click here.
In this topic, your main aim is to
identify and recognize verb tenses (Present Simple, Present Continuous,
Past Simple and Past Continuous), comparative adjectives and adverbs,
as well as comparative sentences. Pay attention to the adjectives in
front of nouns, that is, adjectives in attributive position, too.
Presente simple explicación
En esta web tienes la explicación del Presente Simple por escrito y se complementa con ejercicios interactivos para que consigas asimilarlo.
How to write an essay: 10 easy steps
Linking words, examples
*****************************************************************************
Pasado simple
Past continuous, aquí puedes ver la formación y el uso del pasado continuo, además de algunos ejercicios para practicarlo.
******************************************************
Listado de verbos irregulares
*******************************************************************************
4. Airplanes are safer than cars
Comparatives & Superlatives: Video and exercises
As we now know, adjectives are used not only to describe things, people
and places, but also to compare them. Remember that we make comparisons
by adding suffix -er to short adjectives and using the adverb more
in front of longer ones. We will study it in depth later in the unit.
Now, just have a look at the following chart to be able to recognize the
comparative sentences that appear in the text in Section 1.
By Vicente Alfonso. C. Commons
By Vicente Alfonso. C. Commons
Comparative
Conjunction
Older,
newer, longer, shorter
than
more interesting
more expensive
than
Have a look at the photos above. We could say, for example: The photo on the left is older than the photo on the right or The picture on the right is more recent than the picture on the left.
Remember that comparison is a property not only of adjectives but also of adverbs. It describes the degree
to which the modifier (adjective or adverb) modifies its complement
(nouns in the case of adjectives and nouns, other adjectives and even
other adverbs in the case of adverbs).
We will study two degrees of adjectives and adverbs:
Comparative
Superlative
safer / more interesting
safest / most interesting
more friendly
most friendly
There are lots
of means of transport. The car is probably the one that most people use.
However it is not the safest way of travelling. In fact, road traffic accidents
are one of the most common sources of personal injury. And everybody knows that
the bigger the car's engine, the greater chance of car accidents.
************************************************************************
Paco has just arrived in Johannesburg. At the moment, he is having a
drink in the bar of the hotel. In a couple of weeks he is going to Cape
Town. Although he is thirsty and really tired, he wants to meet some new
people before going to bed so that he can get further
information about the country. He needs to plan his stay in Africa. He
has an idea of the places he is going to visit, but he'd rather be sure
he doesn't miss any interesting place in this continent. He isn't in a
hurry, but he thinks that the sooner he knows where to go after Cape
Town, the better. He feels like visiting different places in Africa and
he is ready to get all the information he needs tonight.
Sitting at a table, Paco is enjoying a fantastic huge soft drink which
is making him feel far better. He doesn't like alcohol, so he always has
soft drinks.
As you now know, he doesn't like flying. He gets really anxious on
planes. He hopes the book the man on the plane recommended him helps him
get over this fear. However, now he is relaxed and relieved. He won't have to fly in several weeks!
He is so thirsty that he is drinking very quickly. In fact, the glass is
not empty yet and he has just ordered another drink. While the waiter
is placing it on the table, Paco asks him:
Paco: Good evening, my name's Paco and I'm from Spain. I've just
arrived from the United States and I'm spending several weeks in your
country. Could you tell me anything about it?
Waiter: Good evening, sir. Well, The Republic of South Africa, also known by other official names, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The South African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi)
and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. To the north of South
Africa lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique
and Swaziland, while the Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory.
By Anonymous. Public Domain
Our country is known for its diversity in cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial
public life; however, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. South Africa is ethnically diverse, with the largest Caucasian, Indian, and racially mixed communities in Africa. Although 79.6% of the South African population is Black,
this category is neither culturally nor linguistically homogeneous.
People within this classification represent a variety of ethnic groups
and speak a number of different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status. Midyear 2007, the South African population was estimated at 47.9 million. About a quarter of the population live on less than US$ 1.25 a day.1
(Paco gets dumbfounded, as the waiter repeated all that information by heart!)
Paco: Than... Thank you very much!
Waiter: You're welcome, sir.
*****************************************************
How to write an essay: 10 easy steps
Linking words, examples
*****************************************************************************
Pasado simple
Past continuous, aquí puedes ver la formación y el uso del pasado continuo, además de algunos ejercicios para practicarlo.
******************************************************
Listado de verbos irregulares
*******************************************************************************
4. Airplanes are safer than cars
Comparatives & Superlatives: Video and exercises
As we now know, adjectives are used not only to describe things, people
and places, but also to compare them. Remember that we make comparisons
by adding suffix -er to short adjectives and using the adverb more
in front of longer ones. We will study it in depth later in the unit.
Now, just have a look at the following chart to be able to recognize the
comparative sentences that appear in the text in Section 1.
Have a look at the photos above. We could say, for example: The photo on the left is older than the photo on the right or The picture on the right is more recent than the picture on the left.
|
|
|
|
| By Vicente Alfonso. C. Commons |
By Vicente Alfonso. C. Commons |
Comparative
|
Conjunction
|
Older,
newer, longer, shorter
|
than
|
more interesting
more expensive
|
than
|
Have a look at the photos above. We could say, for example: The photo on the left is older than the photo on the right or The picture on the right is more recent than the picture on the left.
Remember that comparison is a property not only of adjectives but also of adverbs. It describes the degree to which the modifier (adjective or adverb) modifies its complement (nouns in the case of adjectives and nouns, other adjectives and even other adverbs in the case of adverbs).
We will study two degrees of adjectives and adverbs:
| Comparative | Superlative |
| safer / more interesting | safest / most interesting |
| more friendly | most friendly |
There are lots
of means of transport. The car is probably the one that most people use.
However it is not the safest way of travelling. In fact, road traffic accidents
are one of the most common sources of personal injury. And everybody knows that
the bigger the car's engine, the greater chance of car accidents.
************************************************************************
Paco has just arrived in Johannesburg. At the moment, he is having a drink in the bar of the hotel. In a couple of weeks he is going to Cape Town. Although he is thirsty and really tired, he wants to meet some new people before going to bed so that he can get further information about the country. He needs to plan his stay in Africa. He has an idea of the places he is going to visit, but he'd rather be sure he doesn't miss any interesting place in this continent. He isn't in a hurry, but he thinks that the sooner he knows where to go after Cape Town, the better. He feels like visiting different places in Africa and he is ready to get all the information he needs tonight.
Sitting at a table, Paco is enjoying a fantastic huge soft drink which
is making him feel far better. He doesn't like alcohol, so he always has
soft drinks.
As you now know, he doesn't like flying. He gets really anxious on
planes. He hopes the book the man on the plane recommended him helps him
get over this fear. However, now he is relaxed and relieved. He won't have to fly in several weeks!
He is so thirsty that he is drinking very quickly. In fact, the glass is
not empty yet and he has just ordered another drink. While the waiter
is placing it on the table, Paco asks him:
Paco: Good evening, my name's Paco and I'm from Spain. I've just
arrived from the United States and I'm spending several weeks in your
country. Could you tell me anything about it?
Waiter: Good evening, sir. Well, The Republic of South Africa, also known by other official names, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The South African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi)
and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. To the north of South
Africa lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique
and Swaziland, while the Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory.
 |
| By Anonymous. Public Domain |
(Paco gets dumbfounded, as the waiter repeated all that information by heart!)
Paco: Than... Thank you very much!
Waiter: You're welcome, sir.
*****************************************************
*****************************************************
2. Paco is relaxing in the hotel's bar (present continuous)
Suddenly, Paco can hear some music in the background. He is enjoying his drink and relaxing quite a lot. A new song is played and he pays attention to it. It helps him relax.
This is the song Paco listens to, Things I'll never say, by Avril Lavigne. Listen to it carefully paying attention to verb tenses and pronunciation.
**************************
Tema 3: Paco travels to South Africa: Paco used to wear a mac in England
1.1 Did they realize what was happening? (Past simple)
2. Paco is relaxing in the hotel's bar (present continuous)
Suddenly, Paco can hear some music in the background. He is enjoying his drink and relaxing quite a lot. A new song is played and he pays attention to it. It helps him relax.
This is the song Paco listens to, Things I'll never say, by Avril Lavigne. Listen to it carefully paying attention to verb tenses and pronunciation.
**************************
Tema 3: Paco travels to South Africa: Paco used to wear a mac in England
1.1 Did they realize what was happening? (Past simple)
Remember that to make
questions and negative sentences in the Present Simple tense we need the verb to
do (except with the verb to be and modal verbs). Now, we know
that the past simple of the verb to do is did, and this is the auxiliary
verb we need to make questions and negative sentences in the Simple Past. Have
a look at the following examples taken from the song paying attention to how
the bare infinitives of the sentences change.
Affirmative sentences
|
Question
|
Short answer
|
This old guitar taught
me to sing a love song
|
Did this old guitar teach me to sing a
love song?
|
Yes, it did / No, it
didn't
|
It opened up
her eyes and ears to me
|
Did it open up her eyes and ears to me?
|
Yes, it did / No, it
didn't
|
It showed me
how to laugh and how to cry
|
Did it show me how to laugh and how to
cry?
|
Yes, it did / No, it
didn't
|
It introduced
me to some friends of mine
|
Did it introduce me to some friends of
mine?
|
Yes, it did / No, it
didn't
|
It brightened up
my days
|
Did it brighten up my days?
|
Yes, it did / No, it
didn't
|
1.2 What did you do last weekend?(Past Simple)
Use the following
questions to help you make your speech and explain your answers briefly.
1. Did you get up early on Saturday morning? Why?
2. What did you do then?
3. Did you have a good time on Saturday afternoon? What did you do?
4. Did you meet your friends on Saturday evening? Where did you go?
5. What time did you go back home?
6. How about Sunday? Did you get up early? Were you tired?
7. What did you do in the morning?
8. Did you do anything special on Sunday afternoon? What was it? Why was it special?
1. Did you get up early on Saturday morning? Why?
2. What did you do then?
3. Did you have a good time on Saturday afternoon? What did you do?
4. Did you meet your friends on Saturday evening? Where did you go?
5. What time did you go back home?
6. How about Sunday? Did you get up early? Were you tired?
7. What did you do in the morning?
8. Did you do anything special on Sunday afternoon? What was it? Why was it special?
1.3 Paco remembers a story a man told(Present vs Past simple)
Watch the following videos (first video A, then B) to work on this difference. Pay as much attention as possible to present and past tenses.
In video B, Beryl talks about the changes in the Isle of Man (Great Britain) and her town, Onchan. Whenever she refers to the present situation of the isle or the town where she was born she uses the Present Simple Tense. When she refers to how the isle and her town were in the past, she uses the Simple Past.
Read the questions of the Self-assessment part below, then watch the video again to try to answer them. Watch the video as many times as necessary to answer the questions.
***************************************************************
Tema 4: When Sonia phoned Paco was visiting the city
In this topic we will study another tense in English, the Past Continuous or Progressive and we will see how frequently it is used with the Past Simple tense. We will also study the degrees of adjectives, positive, comparative and superlative. Undoubtedly, both subjects will be really useful for you English. We will also study some vocabulary related to clothes, parts of the body and different structures and expressions used when going shopping.
2. Paco was exhausted after the flight (ed / ing adjectives)
Do you remember what Paco did when
he arrived in Johannesburg? Yes he went to the hotel and relaxed in the bar of
the hotel before going to his room and sleep.
Paco is relaxing in the hotel's bar (present continuous)
He was exhausted after the
flight. Paco thinks travelling is exhausting.
As you can see, there are two
participial adjectives in the sentences above: exhausted and exhausting.
They are called participial adjectives because the former is a past participle
and the latter is a present participle. Let's see some other examples.
Past Participial Adjective
Present Participial Adjective
bored
boring
surprised
surprising
frightened
frightening
excited
exciting
shocked
shocking
***************************************************************Paco is relaxing in the hotel's bar (present continuous)
He was exhausted after the flight. Paco thinks travelling is exhausting.
Past Participial Adjective
Present Participial Adjective
bored
boring
surprised
surprising
frightened
frightening
excited
exciting
shocked
shocking
Tema 4: When Sonia phoned Paco was visiting the city
In this topic we will study another tense in English, the Past Continuous or Progressive and we will see how frequently it is used with the Past Simple tense. We will also study the degrees of adjectives, positive, comparative and superlative. Undoubtedly, both subjects will be really useful for you English. We will also study some vocabulary related to clothes, parts of the body and different structures and expressions used when going shopping.
 |
| By thomas sly. C. Commons |
While he was walking along the street he could see a sign showing a
direction: Apartheid Museum. He decided to visit it since it wasn't very
far. In fact, the University was much farther from his home and he used
to walk there. The closer he became to the entrance, the more excited
he felt. He had always felt curious to exactly know South Africans'
racist feelings and perfectly understand the rise and fall of this
prejudiced system of legal racial segregation known as apartheid and
which lasted over fifty years, from 1948 to 1994.
He arrived at the museum and he was buying the entrance ticket when his mobile rang. It was Sonia, his sister.
|
| By Ryan Somma. C. Commons |
Paco: Hi, Sonia! It's going good. How are you all?
Sonia: Fine. Where are you?
Paco: Now, I'm visiting the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. I left
the hotel half an hour ago and came here on foot. It's fifteen minutes
from the airport. When the mobile rang I was talking to the man in the
ticket office. He was explaining to me why I was getting a ticket for
whites. Can you believe it? There are different tickets for white and
black people!
Sonia: Yes? Well, as you know, whites were legally considered better
than blacks in the apartheid years. Maybe they want to remember that.
Paco: Must be that way, because, otherwise, I can't understand.
Look, I can see two different entrances, too, one for whites and another
for black people. The situation here must have been far harder than
we've always thought in other countries.
Sonia: Sure. By the way, how about the flight?
Paco: Oh, terrible! You know I hate flying. I spent the whole flight
talking to one of the kindest and most interesting men I've ever known.
He was a businessman. He was wearing a grey suit and a patterned
blue tie. He looked more handsome than me, hee, hee!. He recommended me
to read a book to help me. I'll buy it, or I'll always be afraid of
flying! He said it works. I was trying to sleep as he had told me when
the plane landed and I felt relieved!
Sonia: As you know, planes are safer and faster than any other
means of transport. I phoned you yesterday night and you didn't answer
the phone. What were you doing?
Paco: Yesterday night? Oh, I was very tired, but I felt like
relaxing in the bar of the hotel and I was having a soft drink and
listening to music for a couple of hours. Then I went up to the room and
went to bed. I had left the mobile in my room, so I didn't realize you
had phoned me.
Sonia: OK, Paco! Take care, right? And, please, phone us from time to time. Have fun!
Paco: Sure, Sonia! Bye!
Read
and listen to the passage carefully paying attention to the verb tenses
used. Try to identify the comparative and superlative sentences you can
see. We'll come back to them later!
***********************************************************
Unidad 2:Paco has decided to visit Sierra Leone and Kenya
*********************************************
***********************************************************
Unidad 2:Paco has decided to visit Sierra Leone and Kenya
Paco has decided to visit Sierra Leone and Kenya
Introduction
In this topic, we are going to revise several past tenses: the Past Simple, the Present Perfect Simple, the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect. We are going to revise their form and the basic
differences among them. Then we are also going to see some modal verbs
such as 'need', 'must' or 'have to'.
Reading
In
the text, there are examples of different verb tenses. We are going to
study some of them in this topic. Find examples of Past Simple, Present
Perfect Simple, Present Perfect Continuous and Past Perfect. Find also
an example of the modal verb 'need', another example of 'have to' in the
past, and finally an example of passive sentence.
*****************************************
Reading
Paco's plane has just taken off the airport in Johannesburg and is on
the way to Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. Behind are his
adventures in South Africa. He visited the Apartheid Museum a couple of
days ago and it was much harder than he had imagined. This left Paco a
bit thoughtful and sad but, at the same time, relieved that this
situation with black people was over.
Again, he had to take a plane in order to get to a new country. He has
no other option if he wants to travel across Africa. When he booked the
flight, he remembered the businessman on the plane to Johannesburg and
his advice of having a nap before landing. Paco thought he needed to overcome
his "problem" and, little by little, he thinks he will. He's also
reading the book this man recommended and it is being very helpful.
Paco has been thinking about all his travelling adventures: he had never
travelled abroad before and, since he left Spain, he has already been
to three continents. He has visited the British Isles in Europe, the USA
and Canada in North America, and now he is travelling across Africa. He
hasn't been to Asia yet but he thinks it must be really interesting
too.
Fortunately, English is the official language of Sierra Leone.
Therefore, although Krio is the national language, English is spoken at
schools, and it is used by
the media and the government administration. Paco won't have any
problems with the language. That's for sure! So far in his travellings,
he has realized that you can go anywhere if you speak a bit of English.
*****************************************
1. The plane has just taken off (Past Simp./Present Perf.)
Do you remember the structures of Past Simple and Present Perfect Simple?
Go back to the text in the previous section and make two lists: one with all the verbs in the Past Simple and another one with all the verbs in the Present Perfect Simple.
What time expressions are used with each of these tenses?
| PAST SIMPLE | PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE |
|
| REGULAR VERBS | Subject + verb -ed | Subject + have/has + verb -ed |
| IRREGULAR VERBS |
Subject + 2nd column |
Subject + have/has + 3rd column |
Go back to the text in the previous section and make two lists: one with all the verbs in the Past Simple and another one with all the verbs in the Present Perfect Simple.
What time expressions are used with each of these tenses?
PAST SIMPLE
|
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
(+ TIME EXPRESSIONS) |
|
-He visited the Apartheid Museum a couple of
days ago
-it was much harder -This left Paco a bit thoughtful and sad -this situation with black people was over -he had to take a plane -When he booked the flight, he remembered the man -Paco thought he needed to overcome his "problem" -this man recommended -since he left Spain |
-Paco's plane has just taken off
-he has already been to three continents -He has visited the British Isles -He hasn't been to Asia yet -So far in his travellings, he has realized that |
*********************************************
3. Paco has been thinking about his travelling adventures (Pres. Perf. Cont.)
1- How long has he been reading the paper?
2- How long has he been talking on the phone?
3- How long has he been using the computer?
4- How long has she been crying?
5- How long has he been looking out the window?
****************************************
2- How long has he been talking on the phone?
3- How long has he been using the computer?
4- How long has she been crying?
5- How long has he been looking out the window?
****************************************
Important
Remember the rules
when adding -ing and -ed to a verb:
| -ING | -ED |
|
|
Ve a la plataforma y haz los ejercicios de la unidad
**************************************************************
Tema 2.- Paco has decided to visit Sierra Leone and Kenya: I've just arrived in Sierra Leone
Paco has just arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leona. As you know, he wanted
to visit several other places in Africa before going to the mines of
diamonds in this country. However, as almost always, he saw a
documentary on TV which made him decide to come to Freetown first.
Before visiting the mines, he has also decided to write a letter to
Andrés and the rest of his friends. So, he has written the letter, and
at this very moment he is reading it...
Dear friends,
By inkognitoh. C. Commons
My first thought was to write to everyone. But my plans have just turned upside down the past few days. I've just arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone. A documentary about this country in the west of Africa made me change my mind and come to visit the diamond mines here. I'm willing to learn about and visit the mines here, so I'm afraid I won't have enough time to write a letter or postcard to everyone. That's why I'm writing this letter to you all. By the way, Andrés, thank you very much for your phone call last week. You've always been very kind and supportive. Well, all of you have always been very kind and supportive!
As you know, I've left South Africa, but not under the circumstance I would have wished. In fact, I'm rather sad and disappointed that I witnessed such a cruel scene in the Apartheid museum. I think white people have never treated black people as they deserve in that country. I really hope things change in the future. In any case, things have changed quite a lot there since the apartheid was ended in 1994. However, after staying there, I believe that some vestiges of the apartheid have remained in the country.
Well, anyway, now I'm here, in Freetown; and, although I have come to another country which hasn't got over the long civil wars it has suffered for the last 15 years, I really hope to have a good time and learn lots of things about this country and its people. I'll let you know about it as soon as I can.
Take care and let me know about you all!
Paco.
Read Paco's letter carefully paying attention to the tenses he uses.
Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple, exercises
Simple Past / Present Perfect, exercises 3
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Tema 3.- Paco has decided to visit Sierra Leone and Kenya: Paco had never thought of his heritage before.
The Past Perfect is formed with the Simple Past of the verb to have: HAD, and the Past Participle of the main verb: -ed in regular verbs and the third column in irregular verbs.
| Affirmative |
Negative | Interrogative |
| He had asked her to come. |
He had not (hadn't) asked her to come. |
Had he asked her to come? |
| Angela had left everything in order. |
Angela had not (hadn't) left everything in order. |
Had Angela left everything in order? |
| Some of their very few tiffs had been about her diary. |
Some of their very few tiffs had not (hadn't) been about her diary. |
Had some of their very few tiffs been about her diary? |
After visiting the diamond mines in Koidu, Paco did not not feel like
going anywhere else. So, he stayed at the hotel and opened the book he
was reading, a collection of short stories. He started reading and a
passage from "The Legacy", by Virginia Woolf, called his attention:
1. Had Paco left everything in order? (Past Perfect)
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Bloque II
In topic 2 we will study the different uses of this tense.
It's five o'clock in the morning and passengers are called to gather at gate 12. Paco is on the line and just in front of him there is a girl who has lost her boarding card, she is talking to the air assistant despairingly...
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It was like Angela to have remembered even Sissy Miller, her secretary. Yet how strange it was, Gilbert Clandon thought once more, that she had left everything in such order —a little gift of some sort for every one of her friends. It was as if she had foreseen her death. Yet she had been in perfect health when she left the house that morning, six weeks ago; when she stepped off the kerb in Piccadilly and the car had killed her.
1. Had Paco left everything in order? (Past Perfect)
Write sentences in the Past Perfect tense. Pay attention to negative and interrogative sentences!
1. Paco / the diamond mines / never / visit / before.
.
2. Angela / give / as a present / her husband / What?
?
3. When Angela / she / leave / her values / died / to her best friends.
.
4. Sissy / him / phone / before / arrived / at his house / she?
?
5. Paco thought / he / leave / in order / not / everything.
. .
2. Angela / give / as a present / her husband / What?
?
3. When Angela / she / leave / her values / died / to her best friends.
.
4. Sissy / him / phone / before / arrived / at his house / she?
?
5. Paco thought / he / leave / in order / not / everything.
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1. 1- Paco had already seen the film (Past perfect)
Fill in the blanks with either a Past Simple or Past Perfect tense of the verbs in brackets.
Paco (see) the film before he (win) the lottery. Leonardo DiCaprio was one of his favourite actors. He remembers that the day he (go) to the cinema to see the film, he could not pay the ticket, since he (lose) his wallet. He had no money. Andrés (pay) it for him. He (already read) what the film (be) about. He was very interested in the plot. So, he (enjoy) the film a lot. By the time he (purchase) the dvd, together with others in February, he (see) the film twice.
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Tema 4.- Kenya, a new adventure
In this topic we are going to focus on the differences between Present
Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous, also having a look at the
words 'for' and 'since'. Then, we will focus on the modal verbs 'must',
'have to' and 'needn't'.
The next point will be expressions with the verb 'to be'. And finally we
will have a look at the structures 'be used to' and 'get used to'.
Paco has just started a new adventure. He has flown to Kenya because he
has decided to experience an African safari. Although hunting in
Andalusia has been very popular for many years, Paco would not like to
kill an animal. He just wants to see the amazing fauna and flora.
He has arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which is situated about 20 km from Nairobi city centre. Paco has decided to stay in the capital city of Kenya for a couple of days first and, then, experience the safari adventure. There are many choices for accommodation. He has booked a hotel in Nairobi and later on he will join an organized safari group. As Paco is on his own, he thinks it will be a better idea. He will sleep in a camp for a few days, surrounded by the amazing views and hearing the noises of wild animals.
In the hotel room, he has been watching documentaries about Kenya since he arrived, and he has been reading about the different wildlife reserves for over an hour, all of them containing numerous animal species. He has learned there are many options but, finally, he has chosen to go to Maasai Mara, a large park reserve, which is in fact the continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
He has also learned a few interesting facts. For example, the country's name, Kenya, comes from Mount Kenya, which is the highest mountain in the country and the second highest peak in Africa (after Kilimanjaro). It has also been an important landmark for a long time.
The name of the reserve Paco has chosen to visit, Maasai Mara, is called like that because the Maasai people inhabit the place and the river Mara crosses this region. These people are semi-nomadic and one of the most important tribes. The two official languages in Kenya are Swahili and English so, again, Paco won't have any problems in communicating with the native people. It's such a good thing to speak English!
He has arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which is situated about 20 km from Nairobi city centre. Paco has decided to stay in the capital city of Kenya for a couple of days first and, then, experience the safari adventure. There are many choices for accommodation. He has booked a hotel in Nairobi and later on he will join an organized safari group. As Paco is on his own, he thinks it will be a better idea. He will sleep in a camp for a few days, surrounded by the amazing views and hearing the noises of wild animals.
In the hotel room, he has been watching documentaries about Kenya since he arrived, and he has been reading about the different wildlife reserves for over an hour, all of them containing numerous animal species. He has learned there are many options but, finally, he has chosen to go to Maasai Mara, a large park reserve, which is in fact the continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
He has also learned a few interesting facts. For example, the country's name, Kenya, comes from Mount Kenya, which is the highest mountain in the country and the second highest peak in Africa (after Kilimanjaro). It has also been an important landmark for a long time.
The name of the reserve Paco has chosen to visit, Maasai Mara, is called like that because the Maasai people inhabit the place and the river Mara crosses this region. These people are semi-nomadic and one of the most important tribes. The two official languages in Kenya are Swahili and English so, again, Paco won't have any problems in communicating with the native people. It's such a good thing to speak English!
Read the text and identify all the examples of Present Perfect Simple and Continuous that you can find in the text.
Read the text again and decide if the following statements are true or false:
1. Paco has decided to go hunting for the first time.
Verdadero
Falso
2. Paco is experiencing the safari on his own.
Verdadero
Falso
3. He will stay in a hotel in Nairobi first.
Verdadero
Falso
4. He is going to visit Maasai Mara park reserve.
Verdadero
Falso
5. Mount Kenya is the highest peak in Africa.
Verdadero
Falso
6. The Maasai people live in that region.
Verdadero
Falso
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1.1.- Paco has flown to Kenya. (Present Perfect)
Remember the -ed spelling rules you need for the Present Perfect Simple and the -ing spelling rules you need for the Present perfect Continuous.
| -ING | -ED |
|
|
Transform the following sentences into the negative and the interrogative forms.
1. Paco has booked a hotel in Nairobi.
NEGATIVE: .
INTERROGATIVE: ?
2. Paco has been reading about the different wildlife reserves for over an hour.
NEGATIVE: .
INTERROGATIVE: ?
3. The Maasai people have been living in the region for many years.
NEGATIVE: .
INTERROGATIVE: ?
4. Mount Kenya has been an important landmark for a long time.
NEGATIVE: .
INTERROGATIVE: ?
Ahora ve a la plataforma y consulta las formas correctas.
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Read the sentences and decide if they must go in the Present Perfect Simple or Continuous. Remember:
| PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE | PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS |
-It emphasizes the result of an activity.
-How many times an activity happens.
|
-It emphasizes the process of an activity.
-How long an activity continues.
|
1. I _________________________ these magazines all morning.
a) have read
b) have been reading
2. They _____________________ 20 pages so far.
a) have translated
b) have been translating
3. How many poems ________________________ today?
a) have you read
b) have you been reading
4. You look tired! _________________________ today?
a) Have you worked
b) Have you been working
5. ________________________ the postcard yet?
a) Have you sent
b) Have you been sending
Si consultas la plataforma encontrarás el ejercicio resuelto.
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Bloque II
UNIT 4: PACO TRAVELS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA
- TEMA 1: Planning next few days in Southeast Asia.
1.- Paco travels to Southeast Asia: Planning next few days in Southeast Asia
As you will have read in the starting story, Paco has just flown from India to Karachi (Pakistan). From there he is going to travel to Saigon, the capital city of the former South Vietnam. He has booked a connecting flight. It's two o'clock in the morning and the plane is taking off at 5.30 A.M. So, he has enough time to plan his travel along the Southeast coast of Asia...
Paco is sitting comfortably and he is reading a health notice about H1N1 flu
he has been given at the passport control. Although he is healthy, he
thinks: 'Buff, what would have happened if I had felt some of these
symptoms during my journey?...Uh I will stop reading this, I would rather read this magazine about Pakistan...'.
First he reads an article about the Pakistan women national cricket team and about their good results recently. This strikes Paco because he knows that in this country sexual discrimination is rather common.
Second, he reads a report about how the World will be in the 22nd century, he is astonished with sentences like this: 'unless we reduce pollution to a minimum, half the species living in our planet will disappear in the next few years'. He feels rather distressed about what he is reading and besides he is beginning to nod off, so he closes the magazine.
But this pleasant moment is broken by the ringing of his mobile; 'Oh my God', he mutters angrily, 'it's Laura, She will have come back home from Portugal'. He answers:
Paco: Hello, girl. How are you?
Laura: Hi boy, is it you? You are speaking English! Incredible!
Paco: Yeah! I have learnt a lot.
Laura: It's great! Quickly because the battery is low, we are going to buy tickets for the Sudoeste festival in Portugal, would you like to come?
Paco: I don't know, if I came back home in time, I would surely go.
Laura: Ok, we will buy the ticket for you anyway.
Paco: I will call you in some days and tell you, I promise.
Laura: Uh, I hope so. Are you going to visit Vietnam? My friend....
Paco: Oh, we are cut off!
Read the text carefully paying attention to the tenses used. If you need any help, have a look at Click here.
In this topic, your main aim is to identify and recognize the expressions we use for the future (will future, going to future, present continuous for future, future perfect), and the different types of conditionals.
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Imagen deVmzp85 bajo licencia CC
|
First he reads an article about the Pakistan women national cricket team and about their good results recently. This strikes Paco because he knows that in this country sexual discrimination is rather common.
Second, he reads a report about how the World will be in the 22nd century, he is astonished with sentences like this: 'unless we reduce pollution to a minimum, half the species living in our planet will disappear in the next few years'. He feels rather distressed about what he is reading and besides he is beginning to nod off, so he closes the magazine.
But this pleasant moment is broken by the ringing of his mobile; 'Oh my God', he mutters angrily, 'it's Laura, She will have come back home from Portugal'. He answers:
Paco: Hello, girl. How are you?
Laura: Hi boy, is it you? You are speaking English! Incredible!
Paco: Yeah! I have learnt a lot.
Laura: It's great! Quickly because the battery is low, we are going to buy tickets for the Sudoeste festival in Portugal, would you like to come?
Paco: I don't know, if I came back home in time, I would surely go.
Laura: Ok, we will buy the ticket for you anyway.
Paco: I will call you in some days and tell you, I promise.
Laura: Uh, I hope so. Are you going to visit Vietnam? My friend....
Paco: Oh, we are cut off!
Read the text carefully paying attention to the tenses used. If you need any help, have a look at Click here.
In this topic, your main aim is to identify and recognize the expressions we use for the future (will future, going to future, present continuous for future, future perfect), and the different types of conditionals.
2.- We are going to buy tickets for the Sudoeste Festival (Be going to)
Future with the 'be going to' form
This form is composed of three elements: the appropriate form of the verb 'to be' + 'going to' + the infinitive
of the main verb:
of the main verb:
| Subject | Verb to Be | Going to | bare infinitive | complements |
| We | are | going to | buy | tickets for the Sudoeste festival |
| Paco | isn't | going to | travel | to Cambodia |
| Are | you | going to | visit | Vietnam? |
In topic 2 we will study the different uses of this tense.
New Year Resolution while focusing on the form and use of ‘going to’ to express personal intentions.
Future tense "Will" explanation and exercises: Predictions
Future "going to" explanation and exercises; Plans and intentions 3. If the plane is on time, I will book a trip to the Mekong Delta (Conditionals)First Conditional, for real possibility.
If I win the lottery, I will buy a car.
 If it rains I will not play tennis. If it doesn't rain, I will play tennis | ||
|---|---|---|
4. Unless you have your ticket, you won't get on the plane
Reading activity
It's five o'clock in the morning and passengers are called to gather at gate 12. Paco is on the line and just in front of him there is a girl who has lost her boarding card, she is talking to the air assistant despairingly...
Air hostess: Sorry madam, but unless you have your boarding card you won't get on the plane.
Girl:But, I can't find it. Maybe it is on the chair I was sitting.
Air hostess: Well, you can go there and look for it. Providing that the boarding pass is there, you will get on the plane.
Girl: But what happens if I'm late for boarding.
Air hostess: Don't worry madam, if you are in a hurry we will wait for you.
Girl: Well, I will go then, thank you.
Air hostess: Welcome!
Ten minutes later Paco is on board trying to asleep.
Could you identify the conditional conjunctions used in the passage?:
Could you identify the conditional conjunctions used in the passage?:
Unless
Providing that
If
First conditional exercises I
First conditional exercises II
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Oculto de estudiantes:URLTema 3: The Quiet American
URL
Providing that
If
First conditional exercises I
First conditional exercises II
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Oculto de estudiantes:URLTema 3: The Quiet American
Paco travels to Southeast Asia: The Quiet American
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Second Conditional
| IF | condition | result |
| past simple | WOULD + base verb | |
| If | I won the lottery | I would buy a car. |
Zero type: If,
unless, provided that + Presente, oración principal + Presente
If you spend more than one day
in the city, you can go to the zoo. Si pasas más de un día en la ciudad,
puedes ir al zoo.
First type: If,
unless, provided that + Presente, oración principal + Futuro simple (will + infinitivo).
If I'm not tired, I will have a
walk around. Si no estoy cansado, daré un paseo.
Second type: If, unless, provided that + Pasado simple, oración principal + condicional (would + infinitivo)
If Peter finished with his homework on
time, he would go to the gym. Si Peter terminara sus deberes a tiempo, iría al gimnasio.
If I were a rich person, I would live in Bahamas. Si fuera rico, viviría en las Bahamas.
If I were a rich person, I would live in Bahamas. Si fuera rico, viviría en las Bahamas.
Third type: If, unless, provided that + Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto), oración principal + condicional compuesto (would +have+ participio)
If I had decided to spend more
days in London, I would have visited some museums. Si hubiera decidido pasar más días en Londres,
habría visitado algunos museos.
She would have visited Tom in the hospital if she had known he was there. Ella habría visitado a Tom en el hospital, si hubiera sabido que él estaba allí.
If you had had a mobile phone, you could have phoned me. Si hubieras tenido un móvil, me podrías haber telefoneado.
Completa:
If she hadn't written to me, .......
Paul would travel around the world if........
The baby will eat the food if.........
My friend would have bought the tickets if......................
I could have passed the test if........
If I were you, I..........
She would have visited Tom in the hospital if she had known he was there. Ella habría visitado a Tom en el hospital, si hubiera sabido que él estaba allí.
If you had had a mobile phone, you could have phoned me. Si hubieras tenido un móvil, me podrías haber telefoneado.
Completa:
If she hadn't written to me, .......
Paul would travel around the world if........
The baby will eat the food if.........
My friend would have bought the tickets if......................
I could have passed the test if........
If I were you, I..........
Third Conditional
- Structure of Conditional Sentences
- First Conditional
- Second Conditional
- Third Conditional
- Zero Conditional
- Summary
- Quiz
EXERCISES
4.- If I finished early, I would go with you (second conditional)
After visiting the Hoa Lo prison and having lunch in a traditional Vietnamese restaurant (noodles with chicken and papaya fruit juice), Paco returns to the hotel at about three p.m. The morning receptionist is still there and as soon as he enters the lobby, she gives Paco a note.
By Avlxyz. Creative Commons.
|
The note says: 'Hello, my colleague has given this note to me. I'll be at the hotel at 3.30 P.M'. So Paco decides to go to his room to have a rest for an hour and continue reading the book.
After the reading he has a shower 'now hot, now cold, now torrid again' and he is choosing the clothes to wear. He wants to be smart, so he is spending some time to take the right decision. He thinks, 'if I had my white shirt with thin black stripes here, I would put it on', but he has not got this shirt, so he takes a light blue T-shirt he bought in India. Now he is ready to go downstairs to the lobby to meet Phuong and invite her to the puppet theatre.
Certainly, Phuong is already at the reception desk when Paco is at the lobby. He goes towards the desk and greets Phuong. He is a little bit nervous...
Phuong: What about the Temple of Literature, did you like it?
Paco: Yes I did. It was a good recommendation, thank you.
Phuong: Welcome. I read your note. I like water puppets a lot. But it is going to be very difficult, there is too much work today; if I finished early, I'd go with you.
Paco: OK. Then you can tell me later.
Phuong: I will. Bye.
Paco: See you later, then.
Paco goes out for a walk. He is pessimistic and thinks there is little possibility that Phuong goes with him to the theatre. He carries his book with him and sits on a bench near the lake to go on reading.
Identify the two second type conditionals in the passage. Notice the contracted form for the conditional tense in the second one.
Which degree of possibility does this type of conditional denote?
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Paco travels to Southeast Asia: Hong Kong: The fragrant
harbour
In this unit we will deepen in the study of some special cases for conditional sentences such as inversions or the use of other connectors like "provided/ providing (that), as long as or unless". Finally we will work on how to write an opinion essay.
Definitely Hong Kong is Paco's last destination in Asia. He has just
arrived in Hong Kong International Airport with his new French friends.
They are now travelling on the Airport Express train to Hong Kong
Island...
Here
Paco is, comfortably seated in a modern train towards Hong Kong Island
with three French planning what to do in the next three days in this
crowded town...
While the French are speaking in their native language, Paco is
attentive to the signs in the train. He finds one of them specially
difficult to translate. It says: 'Were you to take the ferry, you would have to buy the ticket before at the ticket office in the harbour'.
Just at that moment he listens to the train speakers saying something
that he cannot understand very well, either: ' ...next station Kowloon
town, should you travel to China, get off the train here'.
 |
| Imagen deBaycrest bajo licencia CC |
Then Eric interrupts:
Eric: We can lodge in a Hostel around Causeway Bay,
where I stayed last time I was here. We could book two twin rooms
provided that there were any vacancies.
Paco: It's OK for me.
Marie: Oui, this is a very good area to explore the city
from. We may walk around unless it rains a lot because the weather
forecast predicts heavy rain in the evening.
Brigitte: Don't worry about the rain. As long as it
rains we can travel by tram, there is an excellent tram network in this
city.
Eric: I know, you are always so lazy to walk!
The two sentences in bold are too difficult for Paco to understand, why?
In the passage there are three connectors functioning as in conditional sentences, can you identify them?
Verdadero
Falso
In the passage there are three connectors functioning as in conditional sentences, can you identify them?
- Because they are conditional sentences inversions, used in very formal style.
- Provided (that), as long as and unless.
Say if the following questions are true or false:
Not a lot of people live in Hong Kong.
You cannot travel by ferry connecting the Airport Express train.
Verdadero
Falso
Kowloon is the final station if you continue traveling to China.
Verdadero
Falso
If it rains heavily, they will walk around.
Verdadero
Falso Inversion of Conditionals
As you will have read in the previous section, there are some special
patterns known as inversions for conditional sentences. These are not
very common in spoken language and they are used in formal contexts.
Below you can see the three different possibilities for inversion:
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Tercer Trimestre
Bloque III
Unidad 5
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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Unidad 5
Australia, the new continent
In type 1
"SHOULD"
INVERTED
|
FUTURE or
IMPERATIVE
|
Should my mother
call me
|
tell her I'm not
feeling too well.
|
In type 2
"WERE
TO" INVERTED
|
CONDITIONAL
|
Were they to
arrive tomorrow
|
we would have to
buy some food.
|
In type 3
PAST PERFECT
INVERTED
|
PERFECT
CONDITIONAL
|
Had you seen what
I saw
|
you would have
also believed it.
|
Notice that the conjunction if is missed.
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Tercer Trimestre
Bloque III
Unidad 5
Australia, the new continent
Relative clauses
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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Unidad 5
Australia, the new continent
The name Australia is derived from the Latin australis,
which means "southern". Legends of an "unknown land of the south"
(terra australis incognita) date back to Roman times and were common place in medieval geography but were not based on any documented knowledge of the continent.
The first recorded use of the word Australia in
English was in 1625, in "A note of Australia del Espíritu Santo, written
by Master Hakluyt", published by Samuel Purchas in Hakluytus Posthumus. The Dutch adjectival form Australische was used by Dutch East India Company officials in Batavia to refer to the newly discovered land to the south in 1638. Australia was used in a 1693 translation of Les Aventures de Jacques Sadeur dans la Découverte et le Voyage de la Terre Australe,
a 1676 French novel by Gabriel de Foigny, who used the pen-name Jacques
Sadeur to sign it.
Alexander Dalrymple then used it in An Historical Collection of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (1771) to refer to the entire South Pacific region. In 1793, George Shaw and Sir James Smith published Zoology and Botany of New Holland,
in which they wrote of "the vast island, or rather continent, of
Australia, Australasia or New Holland". It also appeared on a 1799 chart by James Wilson.
 |
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The name Australia was popularised by Matthew Flinders, who, as early as 1804, pushed for the name to be formally adopted. When preparing his manuscript and charts for his 1814 A Voyage to Terra Australis, he was persuaded by his patron Sir Joseph Banks to use the term Terra Australis as this was the name most familiar to the public. Flinders did so, but allowed himself the footnote:
"Had I permitted myself any innovation on the original term, it would have been to convert it to Australia; as being more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earth."
This is the only occurrence of the word Australia in that text; but in Appendix III, Robert Brown's General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis, Brown makes use of the adjectival form Australian throughout,
this being the first known use of that form. Despite popular
conception, the book was not instrumental in the adoption of the name:
the name came gradually to be accepted over the following ten years.
Lachlan Macquarie, a Governor of New South Wales, subsequently used the
word in his dispatches
to England, and on 12 December 1817 recommended to the Colonial Office
that it be formally adopted. In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the
continent should be known officially as Australia.
Answer the following questions:
1. According to the text, did the word Australia first appear in a Roman document?
2. According to the text, was the name Australia immediately accepted from Flinders's A Voyage to Terra Australis on?
1. According to the text, did the word Australia first appear in a Roman document?
2. According to the text, was the name Australia immediately accepted from Flinders's A Voyage to Terra Australis on?
Possible answers:
1. No, it didn't. Legends of an unknown land to the south appeared in Roman times, but the English word Australia was not first recorded until 1625.
2. No, it wasn't. It came gradually to be accepted over the following ten years after the publication of Robert Brown's General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis.
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Tema 1.- I am Australian (relative clauses)
Wishes 1, 2, and 5 refer to the present and wishes 3 and 4 refer to the past.
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Tema 2: A place which Paco wished to visit
1. No, it didn't. Legends of an unknown land to the south appeared in Roman times, but the English word Australia was not first recorded until 1625.
2. No, it wasn't. It came gradually to be accepted over the following ten years after the publication of Robert Brown's General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis.
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Tema 1.- I am Australian (relative clauses)
Which of the following sentences include a relative clause?
The hotel which Paco went to was fantastic.
The hotel was a huge one. Who wouldn't want to stay there?
It was such a great hotel that Paco got surprised.
The receptionist who was at the reception desk was very polite.
Did Paco know which his room was before he signed in?
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While
lying on the bed, Paco is thinking about a lot of different things. He
believes he will continue to be self-sufficient, but will he? Obviously,
he will not need any economic help thanks to the lottery prize he won,
but he will probably need somebody's help in the future. In fact, he
needed his sister's help to learn English, didn't he? Money! he thinks.
How many people would say to themselves everyday "I wish I were rich"?
Paco's wishes and regrets are different, and he lists them in his head.
1. "I wish my parents and Sonia were here with me"
(although he doesn't need them to enjoy the trip, he would like them to
visit all the places he is visiting).
2. "I wish there wasn't any hunger in the world."
3. "I wish I had visited Egypt."
4. "If only I had studied English harder."
5. "If only I had enough time to visit every place in Sidney."
These are Paco's main wishes or regrets at the moment.
Three
of Paco's wishes refer to the present (now, although formed with a past
tense), and two of them refer to the past, that is, they are impossible
to accomplish, as we can't change the past. Try to find them!
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Tema 2: A place which Paco wished to visit
Paco is ready to visit Sydney, which is the largest city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has an estimated population of 4.4 million and is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Lots of tourists visit it every year. As Paco leaves the hotel, he reflects that this is a place which he really wanted to visit, so he is really happy to be there. Thanks to his studies, he knows that Sydney was the site of the first British colony in Australia. It was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, who was a commodore of the well known First Fleet. The city is built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbour – an inlet of the Tasman Sea on Australia's south-east coast. It is home to the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and its beaches. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, where the tourists spend many hours enjoying nature.
URLPaco will first go to the Opera House. After taking a taxi to get there, at the entrance he takes a brochure and reads something about this magnificent building:
Planning for the Sydney Opera House began in the late 1940s, when Eugene Goossens, the Director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, lobbied for a suitable venue for large theatrical productions. The normal venue for such productions, the Sydney Town Hall, was not considered large enough. By 1954, Goossens succeeded in gaining the support of NSW Premier Joseph Cahill, who called for designs for a dedicated opera house. It was also Goossens who insisted that Bennelong Point be the site for the Opera House. Cahill had wanted it to be on or near Wynyard Railway Station in the northwest of the CBD (Sydney central business district).
 |
| By Diliff. C. Common |
A design competition was launched by Cahill on 13 September 1955 and received 233 entries, representing architects from 32 countries. The criteria specified a large hall seating 3000 and a small hall for 1200 people, each to be designed for different uses, including full-scale operas, orchestral and choral concerts, mass meetings, lectures, ballet performances and other presentations. The winner, who was announced in 1957, was Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect. The prize was £5,000. Utzon visited Sydney in 1957 to help supervise the project. His office moved to Sydney in February 1963.
1 Adapted from Wikipedia.org
Read the passage carefully. Then, answer the following questions:
1. According to the text, why was Sydney Opera House built?
2. According to the text, did the project for building Sydney Opera House attract much interest?
3. Which Englishman is considered one of the most important founders of Australia?
Possible answers:
1. According to the text, Sydney Opera House was built because the Sydney Town Hall, which was the building used for theatrical productions, was not large enough to hold large productions.
2. According to the text, two hundred and thirty three (233) projects, which represented architects from thirty-two countries, were presented to the competition, so that's a lot of interest.
3. Arthur Phillip - he was a commodore of the British First Fleet who first established a colony in Australia in 1788.
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As
we know, Paco is really fond of sports, and in Sydney he visited all
the places which
had something to do with the Olympic Games held there in 2000. He learnt that it had
been the second time that these Games had been held in Australia. The first time was in
1956, in Melbourne, which is the capital city of the state of Victoria. By the end of 2009 four
million people, who are known as "Melburnians", were living there. One of the reasons
why Paco has decided to visit Melbourne is the Australian Open, since one of his
favourite sports, as we know, is tennis. However, before learning about this tournament,
Paco needs to know several things about the city itself. So, on the way to Melbourne, he
once again reads and learns, among other things, that this is a "new" city.
had something to do with the Olympic Games held there in 2000. He learnt that it had
been the second time that these Games had been held in Australia. The first time was in
1956, in Melbourne, which is the capital city of the state of Victoria. By the end of 2009 four
million people, who are known as "Melburnians", were living there. One of the reasons
why Paco has decided to visit Melbourne is the Australian Open, since one of his
favourite sports, as we know, is tennis. However, before learning about this tournament,
Paco needs to know several things about the city itself. So, on the way to Melbourne, he
once again reads and learns, among other things, that this is a "new" city.
 |
| By Eric A. Warbuton. Public domain |
Melbourne was founded in 1835 (47 years after
the European settlement of Australia) by
settlers from Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania).
The early settlement was originally known as
"Bearbrass". It was renamed "Melbourne" in
1837, in honour of William Lamb, who was the
2nd Viscount Melbourne. Melbourne was
officially declared a city in 1847 by Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted 63 years and 7
months.
the European settlement of Australia) by
settlers from Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania).
The early settlement was originally known as
"Bearbrass". It was renamed "Melbourne" in
1837, in honour of William Lamb, who was the
2nd Viscount Melbourne. Melbourne was
officially declared a city in 1847 by Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted 63 years and 7
months.
Today, it is a centre for the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, sport and tourism.
It is the birthplace of cultural institutions such as Australian film, Australian television,
Australian rules football, the Australian impressionist art movement, which is known as
the Heidelberg School, and Australian dance styles, including the Melbourne Shuffle and
New Vogue. In recent years, it has also become a hub of the Australian music industry.
For this, Melbourne is known as the "cultural capital of Australia".
 |
| By Diliff. C. Commons |
In May and June 1835, the area that is now central and northern
Melbourne
was explored by John Batman, a leading member of the Tasmanian Port
Phillip Association, who negotiated a transaction to buy 2,400 km2 of land
from eight Wurundjeri elders. Batman selected a site on the northern bank
of the Yarra River, declaring that "this will be the place for a village", and
returned to Launceston in Tasmania, which was then known as Van
Diemen's Land. However, by the time a settlement party from the
Association arrived to establish the new village, a separate group led by
John Pascoe Fawkner had already arrived aboard the Enterprize and
established a settlement at the same location, on 30 August 1835. The two
groups ultimately agreed to share the settlement. It is not known what
Melbourne was called before the arrival of Europeans. Early European
settlers mistranslated the words "Doutta-galla" which is believed to have
been the name of a prominent tribal member, but said by some to also
translate as "treeless plain". This was nevertheless used as one of the
early names for the colony.
was explored by John Batman, a leading member of the Tasmanian Port
Phillip Association, who negotiated a transaction to buy 2,400 km2 of land
from eight Wurundjeri elders. Batman selected a site on the northern bank
of the Yarra River, declaring that "this will be the place for a village", and
returned to Launceston in Tasmania, which was then known as Van
Diemen's Land. However, by the time a settlement party from the
Association arrived to establish the new village, a separate group led by
John Pascoe Fawkner had already arrived aboard the Enterprize and
established a settlement at the same location, on 30 August 1835. The two
groups ultimately agreed to share the settlement. It is not known what
Melbourne was called before the arrival of Europeans. Early European
settlers mistranslated the words "Doutta-galla" which is believed to have
been the name of a prominent tribal member, but said by some to also
translate as "treeless plain". This was nevertheless used as one of the
early names for the colony.
Read and listen to the text carefully. Then, answer the following questions:
1. According to the text, when was Melbourne considered one of the richest cities in the
world?
world?
2. What is the Heidelberg School?
3. According to the text, how did the group of settlers led by Fawkner get to where modern
Melbourne is now located?
Melbourne is now located?
Possible answers:
1. According to the text, Melbourne was thought to be one of the wealthiest and largest
cities in the world in the 1850s, when the Victorian gold rush took place.
2. The Heidelberg School is the way the Australian impressionist art movement is known.
3. According to the text, Fawkner and his group got there on a ship called Enterprize.
1. According to the text, Melbourne was thought to be one of the wealthiest and largest
cities in the world in the 1850s, when the Victorian gold rush took place.
2. The Heidelberg School is the way the Australian impressionist art movement is known.
3. According to the text, Fawkner and his group got there on a ship called Enterprize.
Solved exercise.
In the passage in section one there are lots of relative clauses. Let's have a look at some of them.
1. In Sydney he visited all the places which had something to do with the
Olympic Games held there in 2000.
2. The first time was in 1956, in Melbourne, which is the capital city of the
state of Victoria.
3. By the end of 2009 four million people, who are known as "Melburnians", were living there.
4. One of the reasons why Paco has decided to visit Melbourne is the Australian Open.
5. It was renamed "Melbourne" in 1837, in honour of William Lamb, who was the 2nd Viscount Melbourne.
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Unidad 6: Paco travels to New Zealand
Tema 3.- It's time to visit the South Island
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Compositions
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En el siguiente enlace se puede acceder a la información sobre los estudios que se pueden continuar tras haber superado el 2º de Bachillerato.
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