Fake News

Hi everyone!

I'm not as active on the blog as I'd like, but in any case I'm glad I can take a little while from time to time to share an activity with you here.

The topic I've chosen is fake news and the impressive advancement of technology that can enable us to create false impressions. Someone once said that, if it's technology that the general public knows about, then it's probably already obsolete! Don't doubt that what we can see in a video like this one is much less advanced than what the actual cutting-edge software can do.

It's still quite shocking that we can manipulate images and sounds in real time, and even if fakes are easy to spot at the moment, the effect that it can have on public opinion is quite unpredictable-- regardless of whether it is finally disproved or not.

So let's go for a bit of sentence completion to accompany this short BBC report:

1. Green screen or __________________ can give us virtual backdrops to interact with.

2. We’re only years away from creating realistic environments: in real time, we can manipulate voices, facial expressions and __________________ .

3. Some software operates by taking take one person’s facial expressions and __________________ on to another person’s features.

4. The development of these technologies requires ethical frameworks that could __________________ the implications they may have on society.

5. A new tool to manipulate voice __________________  by Adobe, the company who invented PhotoShop.

6. To spot a fake, the resulting altered audio would be __________________ , but that wouldn’t stop it from spreading.

7. Fakes can be debunked in __________________ , but this doesn’t stop people from believing them or from becoming viral.

8. One possible consequence of the dissemination of fakes is that solid evidence could be dismissed as __________________  by those who try to deceive us.

9. If there is a high level of distrust in institutions, a term like fake news is deployed in many ways, even to describe what is __________________ and __________________ .

10. This fast-paced technological advancement means we will have to refine how we __________________  from our senses.

Share your answers and your ideas on the topic in the comments section. Key here. Enjoy!

Movember History

Hi everyone!

This is Movember! I like to send you a Movember video each year since I had a student who took part in it. He told me that he liked being asked about his new moustache, as it gave him the chance to talk about the reason behind it.

I won't tell you much about Movember, because the video explains what this grass roots movement is in great detail. The comprehension questions are easy enough (some collocations and an open question), but... the accent is Australian. Hehe. The open question is right at the end, so that you have time to get used to the accent before transcribing.

Before listening: there is a collocation that you must know, as it is key to comprehension, so check that you know it or look it up in the dictionary. What two things can you raise for a good cause?

Some collocations to complete while listening:

1. The month ________ known as November.
2. Everything comes back _____ _________.
3. The party ended with the _________ ________ bring back moustaches.
4. Becoming a Mo Sista is definitely a way to meet guys. Asking a guy about his moustache is the ultimate ____________ ___________.
5. _________ __________ November 2010... (this discourse marker is borrowed from cinema/TV jargon)

What's the firm belief he expresses at the end of the video?


Enjoy! Share your answers and thoughts in the comments section. Have you every participated in Movember? Would you consider doing so?

Rumours

Hi there!

It's been a long time since I've featured a news video here. It used to be a staple (2nd meaning) in this blog, so I'll try to include one from time to time.

The one for today is a video that I have chosen for two reasons: one is the topic, rumours and the buzzword of the moment, fake news. The other reason is the use of an informal construction of the passive voice: the passive with "get".


So, one comprehension activity for each one of these elements:

1. Complete two sentences with the verb based on...

2. Find at least two examples of the passive voice with get. 


The video is in American English, so remember that the verb "get" will be get, got, gotten.


Some context:

During a press briefing, Press Secretary Sean Spicer is asked to give an example of a "fake news" story. He gives one example from the G7 meeting, and an argument with the reporters ensues.

Enjoy!

Oh... and no, the key is not here yet... I'll wait to see some of your answers in the comments!

Behind the Painting

Hi there everyone!

Again, sorry for the long absences. As some of you already know, I'm working on a PhD and this is the most absorbing thing I've ever done, bar none. Well, maybe except having a newborn baby! But yesterday I was feeling kind of lazy so I looked for a nice video for you all.

This is from a series of videos provided by the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, which give you a certain background on highlights of their collection. This one is about a very famous painting there, which has been dubbed "the best-loved painting in Ireland": The Meeting on the Turret Stairs. The story behind the scene in the painting is also really moving, if you want to take a look at it. It was inspired by a Danish ballad about an ill-fated love.

So, time for some work! Here I leave you activities in three steps:

1. Check pronunciation and meaning of this art-related vocabulary before you listen:

miniature (portraits)
watercolour
narrative genre scene
oil painting
a gilt frame
glazes


... and non-art-related vocabulary:

he started off as
it was highly regarded
it was snapped up by a dealer
to mistake sth for sth else
to make a pilgrimage


2. Complete these phrases with a maximum of three words.

He was ___________ of his career
He ___________  to copyright
Vulnerable to ___________ 
A balance over ___________  and ___________ 
This is the flexible approach that we've tried to ___________ 


3. Answer these questions:

What did writer George Eliot say about the theme of the painting? And about the knight?
What happened once Burton became director of the National Gallery in London?
Why is it important to protect this painting from light?


This time, I'm going to leave three days before I publish the key. Make sure you leave some comments! I'd love to kear from you and about your answers or doubts!

Enjoy the video and the Irish accent!

What do employers look for?

Hi everyone!

This video  is a short collection of interviews with HR managers who tell us about the qualities they look for in a candidate. I propose completing these sentences (listening for specific information).

I'm not going to make this one too difficult: I'll transcribe the sentences as they are uttered, with gaps. Do take a look at useful vocabulary before listening, as it helps comprehension more than you may think. Use the dictionary widget on your right.

traits
to make x out of y : to turn y into x. For example, "to make a drama out of the situation" means to turn the situation into a drama, that is, to exaggerate it. What is the use of this expression in the video and what does it mean?
to figure out a solution


Go for it!

As usual, any questions will be answered in the comments section, and key here. You're welcome!


1. I'm looking for proven track record; I'm looking for a proven ability to _________ and execute.

2. I'm always looking for people that are _________  learning and developing so that they can make a career out of this _________  a single job.

3. An aptitude to do any type of job, as employers aren't necessarily looking to lock somebody into _________ .

4. Traits to me are almost more important than skills. And you're looking for someone who can be a leader, that can be responsible, who can understand the task and get them _________ . But also someone who, who is obviously intelligent and hardworking and that is, those traits are more important than any _________  you can show me.

5. I'm looking for someone who is _________ , who has a desire to help others, someone who has an active _________  communication and complex thinking skills.

6. You have to be able to communicate well and work well with other people, because it's going to _________ all those problem-solving minds _________  to really be able to figure out the solution for the business.

Super recognisers

Hi there again!

This video is about a job that certainly caught my attention. Would you be able to pick a criminal's face out of a crowd? There are police officers that can, in fact, recognise criminals by trawling hours and hours of footage until they find a match. Their objective: to accuse criminals of as many offences as possible.

Why would they want to do this? The answer is in the video.

I suggest you check some vocabulary first, and that you read the news item below the video if you need further help with comprehension, or if you want to read the same information in other words.

I'm available for questions, as usual: just tell me the minute you're having difficulties with and I'll try to help.


Vocabulary:

squad
convicted (of)
to plead guilty (to)
to trawl
to spot someone
to bring someone to justice/to court
CCTV footage

Questions

1. According to MCI Mick Neville, why is it an advantage to identify the criminal's face in several crimes?
2. When was the squad created? In what sort of crimes has the squad helped identify criminals since then?


I would love to see your answers in the comments section!

Housing options: a "transformer apartment"

Hello everyone!

As you probably know, June is here, and that means more videos to practise for the exam! (Yayyy...!)

This one is to practise two areas: one is vocabulary about space, particularly house space, and their descriptions. The other element is accent... This person is from Hong Kong, so you can guess the accent is going to be challenging!

The format is in fact a presentation, not a video, but it is here because I enjoyed it so much. It consists of 20-second-long slides with a voiceover. The person who speaks is the owner of a 32-square-metre flat who has refurbished it several times throughout the years. The best summary I can make is, in his own words: "The place changes for me, I don't change for the place".

So your task is to find out this information:

1.  How many people have lived in the apartment in the different stages he describes?
2. How has he created a home cinema?
3.  What was his inspiration for the last concept?
4. Which parts of his house are movable? What do they transform into?

Some vocabulary you might need:

partitions
to double as
transient
permutations
Swiss Army (knife)
bathtub
hide-and-seek

I hope you enjoy this transformer apartment! And I'd love to see your answers in the comments section!

Topic: Culture - Broadway Musicals

Hi everyone!

Doing a bit of research for this topic I have found out that there are so many musicals worth watching! And so many we know of because they have been adapted for the silver screen, like Grease, Hair, Mamma Mia, The Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story,... Actually, with some of these I'm not even sure if it was the musical production or the film that came first. Any help?

This is a top ten list that, obviously, will not please everybody, particularly if you're a fan of more classical musicals. I, for one, find that there is one unforgivable absence!. But we have to take into account that the list aims at presenting some of the most successful or critically acclaimed productions. Or... this might one of those cases where a top ten just won't do. A top twenty, maybe?

What I propose is:

1. First, to take a look at compound adjectives with present participles. Remember that they are easy to interpret if you "read them" from right to left forming a relative clause:

e.g. a Tony Award-winning musical would then become a musical that has won a Tony Award... or several! Don't forget that the first part of this adjective is always singular, no matter what.

2. Then, to complete some gapped sentences.

3. To read the full transcript and annotate any interesting collocations (there are soooo many I couldn't make gaps for all of them!)

4. To comment!

So we start with the adjectives. Match the adjectives you're going to hear with the noun they refer to in the video. There may be more than one acceptable match. Then check while you're listening.

history-making                                  characters

attention-grabbing                           numbers (figures)

show-stopping                                   dance numbers

longest-running                                 flick (film)

Oscar-winning                                   twelve Tony Awards

award-winning                                   production

record-breaking                                musical 

And here are the gapped sentences:

1. Wicked will captivate you _______________________ of “The Wizard of Oz” film.

2. The Producers, thanks to its musical numbers, choreography and characters,  _______________________  of classic Broadway shows.

3. RENT is a landmark musical, _______________________  and RENT-heads alike.

4. Oklahoma! is a successful combination of a serious storyline, _______________________  and dance numbers.

5. Oklahoma! is thought to be a musical that  _______________________  the musicals that came after it.

6. A Chorus Line is simple in its concept: a bare stage on which we watch several Broadway dancers _______________________  a musical.

7. Chicago follows two women _______________________ , wealth and “all that jazz”.

8. The Lion King manages to _______________________ universally appealing songs with colorful costumes and impressive puppetry.

9. Even though there is __________________________ in it, Cats is a “purrfect” musical.

10. Cats has vibrant costumes and incredibly complex dance numbers. _______________________  the distinct personalities of the Jellicle cats and_______________________ this is one of Broadway’s most popular shows.

11. Les Miserables is one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway, which the narrator doesn’t hesitate to call “a musical and _______________________.”

12. The Phantom of the Opera counts with detailed costumes, ___________________ and haunting music.

All that is left for you to do now is to read the transcript and annotate your favourite vocabulary.

Oh, I almost forgot... And to comment! Do you agree with the list? Which is your favourite musical? You can also share the vocabulary you found interesting with us.

Enjoy!

Topic Video: Charity

Hello everyone!

This is a video about a very particular charity shop. A pair of shoes for 850 pounds... is that a rip-off or a bargain? Well, here, it turns out to be a bargain! The proceeds of this charity must have been really high!

I propose a gap-filling exercise to practise collocations, either related to this topic or not. You know my insistence on collocation, and my firm belief that it is the key to successful comprehension and natural expression.

Some vocabulary to check before listening (remember to use a monolingual dictionary! You have a dictionary widget on this same page):

cobbler
cast-offs
highstreet
kudos

Notice the emphatic structure at the beginning of the report (cleft sentence):

________________________ buy  Beyoncé’s dress, Shirley Bassey’s shoes or Natalie Imbruglia’s hat all under one roof.

Complete with a suitable word or phrase:

But you can at this ________________________ charity shop inside London’s department store Selfridges.

The idea came from ________________________  Annie Lennox, and Vanessa Branson, sister of ________________________  Richard, was one of several of her friends ________________________ .

Vanessa Branson highlights that:

• Everybody feels ________________________ the project.
• It’s not just about ________________________  every year.
• You know you’re making ________________________ .

So far, 30,000 pounds ________________________  by the shop.

Charity shops in general are ________________________ : profits were up by ________________________  to 100m pounds.

With more than 700 ________________________ , Oxfam is the biggest UK charity retailer.

Theresa Colonette runs a boutique selling only the creme of ________________________ cast-offs.

She thinks that charity shops can be an alternative fashion resource, offering a ________________________  for anyone.

The last dress shown doesn’t have a celebrity connection, but it is still ________________________ , something which more people are likely ________________________ in the ________________________ .

Key here. But I hope to see your comments anyway, about the activity or about the vocabulary you've learnt with it. Thanks!

Auctions: Madoff's bounty

Hello again!

This is a video that most of you already know. I'm posting it here for you to check your answers or, if you're new to it, to practise, practise, practise!

This is not the first video about auctions, that we have had around here, but it is one in which I have learnt a new word: gavel. It's the news story of the auction where Madoff's personal belongings are put up for auction to compensate victims of his pyramid scheme.

Vocabulary to learn before you watch:

proceeds (or sales proceeds): the money obtained from the sale.

seized: in this context, taken by the police (or other law enforcement agents, like the FBI or others), as evidence or for other purposes, as here.

to go under the hammer: to be sold at auction (from the action of bringing a hammer down to close the bidding). This hammer is called "gavel" (the word you hear in the video)

The activity involves completing a couple of sentences that start with "it". Two typical structures: 1. a cleft sentence, and 2. an impersonal passive.

1. And it was not just his footwear...

2. It's expected that ...

Pay attention to prepositions at the end of a clause!

Key available here. Thanks!

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!

Recycling Electronics

Hello again! Happy 2015 to you all!

We're back with a bit of responsible recycling and reuse of electronic devices. It's a very brief video, but it shows us some of the consequences of irresponsible disposal of  electronic waste, as well as some greener alternatives.

Just a regular gapfill for you! We're getting back into shape step by step... I'm still going to let you enjoy some of the holiday season hangover before stepping into more challenging work!

Enjoy! Key available here (but don't rush to it!)

In America, 2m __________________ of __________________ are thrown away every year.

It can leak into __________________ and into __________________.

It’s a cause of environmental __________________ and it can cause harm to the people who __________________.

The biggest __________________ to recycling is cost, which is compensated in this company by fixing and reselling __________________.

They may may take two products __________________ and combine them together to make one that is reusable.

They can recuperate __________________ per cent for reuse.

They track down the reused items __________________ be able to provide that information to environmental organizations and manufacturers. The manufacturers could then decide __________________ to make next.

An EcoATM will let you hand in your cellphone and get cash __________________.

New course! A video about films

Hi everyone! We're back with some more video goodness.

Have you ever thought "no one could be Corleone but Marlon Brando"? What about any other characters? Actors and their iconic characters remain together forever, but the process whereby a specific actor is chosen can be long and involve a huge number of other people and circumstances. If that other actor hadn't turned it down...

This video takes us through some of the best alternate castings. Here's some vocabulary that I'd recommend you check before jumping to the open questions:

turn down

aficionado

contender

to be halted

to buckle (figurative sense)

And here are the questions. Key coming shortly! Enjoy the comeback!

Why did Burt Reynolds turn down Bond's role?

What was the problem with Stallone's script for Beverly Hills Cop?

What actor was only rumoured to have turned down a role? In which film? In that case, who would be to blame for not accepting a successful role?

What difficulties did Harrison Ford find to obtain the role for Han Solo? How did he finally get it?

And what difficulties did Michael J. Fox have when shooting Back to the Future?

Why was Harrison Ford cast for Indiana Jones only three weeks before production?  

What unexpected even could have enabled Tom Selleck to accept the role?

Topic Video: Social Networks

Hi everyone!

I hope that you will find some useful vocabulary in this video to talk about social networks and their risks, but also about entertainment and age-appropriate leisure activities for children. A very complete one!

So check out this top ten and answer the questions. Then watch it again and try to complete the sentences with up to three words:


a) What are the most desirable features of social networks for kids? Tick the ones you hear:

- parental control
- signing in is only possible with parental approval
- online games
- limits of time spent online
- certain features can be enabled or disabled by parents
- age-appropriate content
- appealing photo-sharing facilities
- adult moderators
- Disney characters
- parents can access chatrooms
- review of photos before upload

b) What other features not mentioned in a) do you think can also be beneficial to a children networking site?


1. Togetherville works ______________ Facebook.
2. At whatswhat, a kids-only network,  it is required to log in with biometric facial recognition ______________ account security.
3. Without ______________, friends are limited to one grade level.
4. In Scuttlepad, content in ______________, ______________ and comments is kept age-appropriate, and photos are reviewed by their staff before posting.
5. At gianthello, friends are made from ______________ email addresses, and not from random online invitations.
6. It's a safe place for your kids to play online if they ______________ games.
7. Skid-e-kids has special features that let parents ______________ and monitor friends.
8. On imbee, parents have ______________ to everything. Age-appropriate parameters can be set, and features can be ______________ or ______________ by parents.
9. At four is kidswirl, which comes ______________ games, photo albums, videos, quizzes, music,...
10. On everloop, children can create ______________ pages, play online games, buy virtual goods and chat through various media.
11. The children's private loop is ______________ anonymous intruders.
12. On Club Penguin, children use penguin avatars to ______________, and they can use emoticons, chats and games to interact.
13. Signing up for children ______________ is forbidden unless they have parental consent. That will also grant parents access to a parent portal where they can ______________ their children post.

Key here... Tell us what you think about these children-friendly networks and their safety features in the comments!

Conservation stories

Hello everyone,

Protecting biodiversity is the topic of this video we present today. To address some of the linguistic points that we have seen lately at different levels, I propose:

- Writing down all the adjective + noun collocations. Which of these adjectives have been formed with a prefix? Which of the nouns have been formed with a suffix?

- Writing down all the passive voice constructions.

What words or expressions from the video would you like to learn and use? Tell us in the comments!

The key, coming soon. Enjoy!

Yosemite National Park - facts and figures

Here's a little video with facts and figures of Yosemite National Park, which contains some nice examples of collocations typically used in travel and tourism.

I propose the following:

Find these expressions in the video and complete the facts:

Located in…

It’s visited by…

It’s home to…

Some of the visitors look for…

It boasts …

Find the figures! For an extra challenge, try to use the same wording as in the video, with full compound adjectives. Careful with spelling! 

How high is Yosemite Falls?

How high is El Capitan?

What are the dimensions of the slab of granite beneath the surface to which El Capitan belongs?

How high are sequoias (include the comparison)? 

An extra question: why are researchers climbing the sequoias?


You can find the key here. Let's travel a bit!

Proof or evidence?

Hello there again! I've just come across this delightful animation from the Royal Institution, supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

It tells us about how ancient Greek thought influenced the way we think about Mathematics, and ultimately about... everything else.

I take the chance, with this video, to make you reflect about similar words. In this case, proof and evidence. They are near synonyms in certain contexts, but as usual... the collocations make the difference. So always keep a good record of where the word appears, what the topic is, and what words it collocates with. For example, evidence tends to appear quite a lot in contexts related to court, justice, and the like. Proof is often used in science, as in this video, where it is used to talk about demonstrations of theorems.

Not to mention the fact that both can be either countable or uncountable, so we must always be careful with the verb and articles we use!

Always look up the examples in good monolingual dictionaries to help with these aspects. In the best scientific spirit, read the examples provided by the dictionary to draw conclusions of use, deduce and then test (through trial and error: use use use, make mistakes, correct your assumptions). The activity here includes:

1. Reading the definitions of "evidence" and "proof" in the Learner's Dictionary widget on the right of the page. Taking notes if necessary.
2. Answering these questions: 
-What is the definition of "proof" in the video?
-According to the video, what is a good proof?
3. Writing down some collocations of the word "proof" used in the video.
4. Enjoying the video!

Key here. Enjoy!



The Greek Legacy: How the Ancient Greeks Shaped Modern Mathematics from 12Foot6 on Vimeo.

Surveys!

Hello everyone,

Following the reading about "Truth and Statistics", here's the British comedy Yes, Minister showing us how to obtain opposite results in a survey. Wonder how? Through the use of so-called "leading questions", that is, the questions that lead or introduce one more important question in the poll.

The one piece of vocabulary you whould know in advance is National Service, which was the obligatory military service in the UK (although this could be easily guessed by the nature of the questions.

I propose two activities with different degrees of difficulty: either transcribing the poll questions (ready for some British accent!), or completing this gap-filling.

You can check your answers here.

Enjoy!

)

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!

Video advertising

Hello there!

I bring some activities for a video explaining what video advertising is. There is quite a lot of interesting vocabulary that you can use for any discussion on the topic, and it combines a clear voice-over with interviews.

I propose the following gap-filling exercise. Be aware that you may need more than one word in each gap.


The popularity of online video in recent years (1) _______________ online video advertising, which is an increasingly attractive proposition for marketers.

This is a medium that seeks to engage consumers and making them want to be (2)_______________ a brand.

Broadband take up at an (3)______________________ of 89% of online users means we can enjoy faster speeds and better quality.

Around 40% of online adverts now carry (4)_____________________.

Broadband connection also leads to a more effective (5) __________________ of specific consumer groups, and the added bonus of marketers being able to (6)_______________ when and how long their films have been viewed.

If you were to (7) _____________ a TV spot in Coronation Street, your audience could be (8)_______________ an eight-month-old baby to a granny, and all the audiences in between.

Video advertising online can come in a variety of formats (9) _______________ every product: banners on site, pre-roll and post-roll video ads, as well as a range of new interactive units such as YouTube's new overlay format, (10) ________________________ the opportunity to interact.

An exciting part of online video is that viral videos enable marketers to tell a story in a slightly more (11)_____________ and _______________ way.

The last speaker suggests that to know whether online video advertising works for you or not, you should (12) ______________________ (idiom).

online video advertising

For those of you wanting to practice some pronunciation, I would propose to look for any words ending in -al, like "viral", and repeat the full sentence in the video to drill their pronunciation in context.

Key here, share your comments in the comment section! Enjoy!