Dealing with the weather in London

Hi everyone!

Finally back after this forced break. But you know there's a period of frantic activity coming... exams are just round the corner so it's time for more frequent videos.

This is a short, funny guide on how to deal with the weather, whether (see what I did there?) you visit London in sunny summer or rainy autumn.

These are some expressions you may want to check before watching the video:

the odd ... ( = not usual)
spring has sprung
alfresco dining (yay! Our favourite word in action!)
unwind
thermals
duck into (the shops)
when the weather turns
to keep (the chills) at bay

The activity is a sentence completion. Disable closed captions (CC button) to do it, and then enable them to check your answers.

Careful in sentence 7, as it contains one feature of pronunciation we have only seen in the C1 course: the intrusive "r" (an "r" sound between one final vowel and one initial vowel).

Enjoy!

1. You must be ready to adapt, because the weather in London can be a little __________________.
2. Even if spring is mainly sunny, you might see the odd __________________.
3. If you get a bit hot under the collar, the best idea is to leave the bus and tube __________________ and hire a bike.
4. Don't forget a picnic! __________________ the blanket and enjoy some alfresco dining.
5. Even though the long summer days may be __________________, autumn is still a great time to be in London.
6. London is a top shopping destination, and some of its __________________ include Carnaby Street and Covent Garden.
7. As the nights __________________, find yourself a bar or go to a show.
8. During winter, there are many places that are __________________ from the cold outside.
9.A pub, in front of a roaring fire is a wonderful way to __________________ a winter's day.

Why, why... ways of expressing reason. A deserted London

Hi everyone!

Paired with relaxing images, very suitable for a Monday, this video will enable us to explore different ways of expressing reason and effect/consequence. Only one question, why, but many possible answers.

The video is a collection of photos taken at a very specific time to capture an unusual effect: a hidden city inside the city. Can you find the answers to these questions and tell us how the speaker is expressing cause or effect? You can transcribe the sentence if that helps.

1. Why did he decide to take these pictures?
2. What are the effects of such few cars and people on the streets?
3. Why doesn't he usually have the time to reflect on or play around with images?
4. That day, when did the appearance of the city start to change? Why?


Consider elements like sentence order (why shouldn't one start the sentence with "because"?), alternatives to because like "since" or "as", using nouns instead of clauses (linking in this case with "because OF" or "due to/owing to/thanks to"), or, my favourite, starting the sentence with a present participle clause (which can also be used to express condition, result, time...)

Not a bad idea to start using alternatives, seeing as Spanish learners can reportedly spell because in (wait for it...) 237 different ways! It's not our fault if we're imaginative when it comes to spelling!

Now seriously, variety is the key here. Knowing that these are common ways of expressing cause will also help your comprehension. "Since you're here, we're going to start" has nothing to do with time but with reason (meaning "now you're here" / "given that you're here"), and sometimes the result may be clearly positive, so you may want to use "thanks to" to make this connotation clear.

See you in the comments! Enjoy!

Topic video: tourism and conservation

Hello everyone!

One of the widest topics that we can deal with, it also includes some vocabulary on cities and transport.

An old piece of news about an eternal debate: is Venice selling itself to tourist exploitation? Work on the vocabulary first (you can use the widget on the right to help you), then answer the questions as accurately as possible. You can find a lot of useful collocations in the answers provided in the key.

Enjoy!

VOCABULARY

dwarfing
to (bitterly) resent sth
liner
vessel
guidelines
tide

QUESTIONS

What do those people against large cruise ships argue?
What is the justification given by the cruise company?
How many people does the tourist traffic in Venice amount to?
Who argues that there are far too many tourists?
How is the debate summarized at the end?

Skyscraper history

Hi everyone!

This National Geographic video seems to be the beginning of a longer documentary. I quite like the language used, and the voiceover is just challenging enough with its pronunciation of weak syllables.

The documentary reviews seven "historic giants". Why do we use the word "historic" here, and not "historical"?

Have you seen any of these buildings? Personally, I'd love to see the Flatiron. I actually saw it yesterday in a film, just in passing, and I thought it was impressive.

Time for some comprehension. Complete with one or two words:

The Burj Dubai  _________  its success to seven key inventions.
At the heart of each of those seven buildings lies a major technological innovation that _________ to reach taller into the sky.
Seven ingenious leaps forward that _________  skyscrapers to evolve from big to bigger into the world's biggest.
Stairs in old office buildings were long and very dark, so people weren't willing to _________  more than to the second or third floor.
In the explanation of the security device for elevators, the rope breaking _________  a chain of events that locks the elevator.
The elevator completely transforms the _________  .
The Burj Dubai takes the idea of the elevator to _________  . Its more than 160 storeys _________  elevator technology to its absolute limit.


Enjoy! The key is here, but comments are also welcome!

Topic Video: Cities

Hello again!

The video for today corresponds to the topic of cities. Instead of the usual "city life vs country life" comparison, I bring you a video about the peculiarities of suburban life. That is, life in the suburbs. Please remember that can be a false friend! A suburban area is simply in the outskirts of a city. Anyway, you will see that the definition of "suburbs" becomes very clear in the video, as it features one of the largest suburban areas in the country.

Living in the suburbs has shaped the residents' way of life, but how? Let's find out. Before listening, consider this vocabulary (dictionary to your right, people!). You can also try to find out the meaning by context, if you want.

stretching North = expanding to the North
cul-de-sac (check pronunciation, the word is defined in the video. How is it defined?)
to come at a cost 
to track (or track down)
to be off the beaten path

Some questions:

1. How many synonyms or near-synonyms of  "going" can you find?
2. How has walking been transformed by this way of life?
3. What are the problems originated/not solved by the road system?
4. Why does the reporter call the situation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area a "construction loop"?

By the way: I can check how many people watch the videos. Is it possible that 63 people have watched yesterday's video in one day, and not one of them has shared their answers? I put it down to you having the key, but then the commenting/sharing element loses all meaning... I'm not too happy with that.

Answers to be shared in the comments, please! And the key coming soon here!