Cooking verbs

A food festival

Click on the image to listen.

Click here to read the script.

(Try to finish the exercise before reading the script.)

Listen to a radio interview with a woman who has organised a food festival. Write a word or
phrase in each gap to complete the text.

Sarah works for a local charity organisation that gives poor children an opportunity to (1)
__________. This year ‘Wish you were here’ has organised a food festival to raise enough
money to send (2) __________ children to Cornwall in the summer. They are hoping to attract a
lot of visitors and they have already decided that if the food festival is popular, it will take place
(3) __________ year.
There is plenty to do and see at the festival. You can buy food from many (4) __________ and
you don’t need to break the bank because meals are inexpensive. Children are welcome and
their meals only cost (5) __________.
You can learn new skills at the festival too. A famous chef is going to teach festival-goers how to
cook (6) __________. Organisers are hoping this will attract a lot of would-be chefs.
Other events at the festival include face-painting and a (7) __________ competition which is
open to participants from all age groups. Families will be especially pleased to see an area
where their children can (8) __________.
The food festival is on (9) __________ and it starts at 10 o’clock. There is parking space for
around 200 cars and admission is (10) __________.


From: British Council

PLATES vs. DISHES: What's the difference?

Herbs & Spices

thyme                 tomillo

rosemary           romero

parsley               perejil

basil                   albahaca

coriander          cilantro

saffron                azafrán

thyme                 tomillo

salt                      sal

oregano             orégano

paprika              pimentón dulce

pepper péper    pimienta

pepper corn      péper korn        grano de pimienta

Fish and Shellfish

Crab ....................... cangrejo
Shrimp...................  langostino
Lobster ................... langosta
Clam ...................... almeja
Horn snail ............... caracol
Mussel .................... mejillón
Oyster .................... ostra
Squid ...................... calamar
Cuttlefish ................ sepia
Octopus .................. pulpo
Scallop .................... vieira

Cod ...................  Bacalao
Haddock ............. Abadejo
Plaice ................. Platija
Salmon ............... Salmón
Trout ................. Trucha
Herring .............. Arenque
Prawn .................Gamba

Getting used to new things

If you want to complete a grammar task, click here

Diet

If you are overweight or obese, your doctor will probably recommend that you "go on a diet". Here are some words and phrases that we use to talk about dieting, body size and putting on weight.

watch what you eat = be careful about what you eat, and the quantities you eat

watch your figure = refuse certain food because you want to stay slim

go on a crash diet = start a radical diet to lose weight quickly

count the calories / a calorie-controlled diet = a diet where you measure the calories of each item of food you eat

snack between meals = to eat between meals (avoid doing this if you are on a diet!)

cut out certain foods altogether (i.e. stop eating bread or pasta, for example)

cut down on = reduce the amount of (fatty or sugary foods, for example)

Watch Oxford University’s All-Male A Cappella Group Sing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’

They don't want a lot for Christmas... just your money for charity

Out of the Blue (OOTB), Oxford University’s all-male a cappella group, has released a cover of Mariah Carey’s holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and a music video filmed at the historic school’s Bodleian Library and Divinity School.

Proceeds from purchases of the single will be donated to the Helen & Douglas House Hospice for Children and Young Adults.

Tory peer apologises for saying 'poor can't cook'

Conservative peer Baroness Jenkin of Kennington has apologised after saying "poor people don't know how to cook".


"Life is considerably cheaper if you are able to cook."

Click on the image to read the article.
From: BBC news.

Being Bilingual Boosts Brainpower

Click on the image to listen to this article.

A study by the USA's Northwestern University provides biological evidence that people who are bilingual have a more powerful brain. Drs Viorica Marian and Nina Kraus investigated how bilingualism affects the brain. They found that studying another language "fine-tunes" people's attention span and enhances their memory. In particular they discovered that when language learners attempt to understand speech in another language, it activates and energises the brainstem – an ancient part of the brain. Professor Kraus stated: "Bilingualism serves as enrichment for the brain and has real consequences when it comes to…attention and working memory."

Professor Marian explained why studying and learning another language was so beneficial for the brain. She said: "People do crossword puzzles and other activities to keep their minds sharp, but the advantages we've discovered in dual language speakers come automatically simply from knowing and using two languages." She added: "It seems that the benefits of bilingualism are particularly powerful and broad, and include attention, inhibition and encoding of sound." She said bilinguals were better listeners because they are "natural jugglers" of sound. She said: "The bilingual juggles linguistic input and, it appears, automatically pays greater attention to relevant versus irrelevant sounds."

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.	evidence	a.	proof
2	investigated	b.	inquired into
3.	enhances	c.	boosts
4.	activates	d.	triggers
5.	ancient	e.	old
6.	beneficial	f.	advantageous
7.	sharp	g.	intelligent
8.	dual	h.	twin
9.	particularly	i.	especially
10.	juggles	j.	deals with from: Breaking News English

Moon vacations possible by 2024

A website that provides price comparisons for flights, hotels and car hire across the globe has made some bold predictions for what travel will look like in a decade from now. Perhaps the most mouthwatering destination for 2024 holidaymakers will be a trip to the Moon or a stay in space. The site Skyscanner.com has just released a report of what holidays in the not-too-distant future might look like. The report is titled 'The Future of Travel 2024' and outlines a whole series of previously unimaginable vacation choices for the thrill-seeking traveller and those who just want to get there quicker. The report is a result of the collaboration between travel experts and international technology experts.
Holidays in space are perhaps the most spectacular of Skyscanner's predictions. Its report says: "Orbital space travel will be the next hot ticket, and commercial companies are lining up to make it a more affordable proposition." Indeed, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX are already accepting bookings. The cost of a seat on the Virgin craft (round trip, of course) is $250,000. Skyscanner also predicts an explosion in the number of underwater hotel rooms, which it says will become a mainstream travel option. Other things to look forward to include a supersonic aircraft that will fly London-Sydney in two hours and the emergence of "danger-zone" tourism. We can also expect futuristic advances in shopping and dining.

SYNONYM MATCH:Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	provides	a.	inexpensive
2	hire	b.	forecasts
3.	predictions	c.	normal
4.	unimaginable	d.	joint effort
5.	collaboration	e.	eye-catching
6.	spectacular	f.	makes available
7.	affordable	g.	arrival
8.	explosion	h.	unheard of
9.	mainstream	i.	increase
10.	emergence	j.	rental

BBC's Antiques Roadshow uncovers a TIE fighter pilot helmet from the 1977 Star Wars film

The TIE fighter pilot helmet was from the set of the 1977 Star Wars film - the first in the series - and was one of only 12 made

TV presenter Fiona Bruce seemed a bit startled by a spectacular find during the filming of Antiques Roadshow, which she labelled as a “bit of plastic”.

If you want to read the article, click here

Ways of expressing opinion

Below are some phrases that you can use to help express opinions. Some of these phrases are more appropriate for written English such as giving your opinion in an essay whereas some can also be used in spoken English.

Personal Point of View

We use these words and phrases to express a personal point of view:

In my experience…

As far as I'm concerned…

Speaking for myself…

In my opinion…

Personally, I think…

I'd say that…

I'd suggest that…

I'd like to point out that…

I believe that…

What I mean is…

General Point of View

We use these words and phrases to express a point of view that is generally thought by people:

It is thought that...

Some people say that...

It is considered...

It is generally accepted that...

Agreeing with an opinion

We use these words and phrases to agree with someone else's point of view:

Of course.

You're absolutely right.

Yes, I agree.

I think so too.

That's a good point.

Exactly.

I don't think so either.

So do I.

I'd go along with that.

That's true.

Neither do I.

I agree with you entirely.

That's just what I was thinking.

I couldn't agree more.

Interrupting

How should we interrupt a conversation so that we can give our opinion or give correct information?
Click on the image to read a conversation.

World Toilet Day

November the 19th is World Toilet Day (WTD).



Click on the first image to listen to this article.

November the 19th is World Toilet Day (WTD). This day celebrates the importance of something we never really think about too much – the toilet. Imagine life without one. There are many world issues regarding toilets. WTD is a global day of action to raise awareness of the fact that millions of people have no clean toilet. This creates serious health problems in many countries. No toilets or sewage systems means human waste is in the streets. This gets into the water supply and affects crops. WTD is run by the World Toilet Organization. This is a worldwide non-profit group that aims to increase the number of toilets in poor countries. It has a global network of over 200 different organizations in 56 countries.

Toilets have been around for thousands of years. The first known toilets and sewage systems were in the Indus Valley, in India and Pakistan. The modern flush toilet dates back to the sixteenth century. It was designed by an Englishman called John Harrington in 1596. It took another 250 years for his invention to become popular. In the late nineteenth century, rich Londoners installed them in their houses. Toilet design stayed the same for the next three hundred years. Modern technology is now changing the toilet. Japanese makers are making “smart” toilets that can analyze our waste and give us a report on our health. These may help keep all of us healthier in the future by checking our blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

You'll find an exercise below

Used To, Get Used To, and Be Used To

Practice :

1   2    3

Adjectives + preposition

Conjunctions

To cut the explanation short, the words DESPITE, IN SPITE OF and BECAUSE OF are followed by a noun phrase or a gerund (verb + ing). The conjunctions BECAUSE, EVEN THOUGH and ALTHOUGH are followed by a clause.

Make & Do Mind map

Airport announcements