Lola's Blog

Bob Marley. Wikimedia What kind of music do you like? Do you like reggae? What do you know about Bob Marley? Do you know any of his songs? Perhaps you would like to know more about his life. He led a fascinating lifestyle until his death. Did you know that he had 11 children by different women? Some of his children are musicians too. Go to his official website   to learn about his life and music. Get up, stand up   Listen to this song and fill in the gaps. Some gaps are prepositions but I have also included some challenging words. This song provides food for thought. I hope you enjoy it. Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up! Don't give _____ the fight! Preacherman, don't tell me, Heaven is ______ the earth. I know you don't know, What life is really worth. It's not all that glitters is gold, Half the story has never been to...

Image by Lola la Torre. Tagxedo This post is to clarify some doubts concerning the difference between an article and an essay .  As you know, one of the tasks in the Writing Paper may include an article to be published in a magazine or a newspaper. Remember to read the instructions for the task carefully and ask yourself these two questions: What is the aim of the task? Who is going to read my article?  What is an article? An article is a piece of writing intended for publication in a magazine, a journal or a newspaper.  An article is another label for an essay. It can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience. How many different types of article or essay are there? There are very many different types depending on the purpose (to entertain, to inform, to persuade....) and the audience (general public, specialised audience, children, young people...). Depending on the purpose an article can present an opinion (opinion essay) compare an...

Public domain Are you a cat lover? What animals do you think of when you hear someone say "BIG CATS"? Yes, you are right, there are many different types of big cats and they include, cats, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, lions, pumas, tigers an other large carnivore and predatory cats. Can you guess the name of the big cat represented in the image on the left? Is it a lynx or is it a bobcat ?  Which species is threatened? Where do they live? If you would like to find out, first click on lynx and then on bobcat . Their habitat (lynx and bobcat) Lynx and bobcat range. Wikimedia   Another big cat Photo by Bas Lammers. CC-BY Do you know the name of this big cat? Where does it live? Click here to find out. The British are well-known for their love of cats. But what kind of big cats can you find in the wild in the UK? Do you think that a lynx or a puma could live in the UK? Read this and draw your own conclusions.  For a long report, read this ...

Live Life Happy. Flickr.com We live in a fast-paced world, too fast for a lot of us. It is worth stopping and reflecting about ways to improve our lives before we get a heart attack! I find the quote on the left very inspiring, do you? I'm writing this post for those of you who would like to practise writing your opinion or writing an argument. There is a model of how to write an opinion essay in your book Global , Unit 7 pages 88-89. I think you will find it useful. Writing an article In the exam you will probably be asked to write an article . What it means is that you will be required to express your opinion or present an argument on an issue. It is essential that you understand the task in order to decide what kind of argumentative essay you have to write (cause and effect, problem and solution, for and against, advantages and disadvantages). In this task you will be required to present a strong position on a particular topic. Your purpose is to persuade the reader ...

Bundesarchiv. Wikimedia Do you like tennis? What is the oldest and the most famous tennis tournament in the world? Is it still played on grass? When does it take place? To check your answers click here . Current champions and records                The American tennis player, Serena Williams holds an incredible number of Wimbledon titles. Do you know how many? Serena Williams by Rob Young. Wikimedia      How about Roger Federer? Some claim he is the best tennis player in the world.  Or perhaps it is Rafael Nadal. What is your opinion? How many Wimbledon championships has Federer won? And Nadal?                                               ...

Boby Dimitrov. Wikimedia Commons Do you know why Spain has made headlines this week? When someone is involved in an argument that affects a lot of people that person is said to be in the eye of the storm . Reading Task 1. Read the article Brussels takes action against Spain for refusing EU cards   and answer the following questions: Why is the European Commission launching legal action against Spain? What have Spanish doctors been doing wrong? What can Brussels force Spain to do? Video Task 1. Check this vocabulary before you watch : to break the law     to fix the system     infringement procedure     EHIC card Task 2. Watch the video and answer these questions. Watch this BBC video about Spanish hospitals' rejection of EU health card . What happened to Ray Burton in Spain? What other two cases are mentioned? What other country is breaking the law? Why? For more tasks (fill-in the gaps, c...