TRAVEL, SHOPPING AND MORE IN NEW YORK!

Hi my favourite friends, once again with you.  As we are in summer, here you are some new ideas for your travels.  I hope you will like them!.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!
I know that a travel to New York is an important decision but as I say a lot of times, nowadays you can find very good offers on the Internet to travel and stay at a cheap price, so look for it and then don't miss my suggestions! All of them are curious places!

TO EAT / comer.
**JOHN DORY BAR.  Next to Times Square, this Ace Hotel and its Oyster Bar is a marvellous place to look around.  At the lobby of the hotel, you can see  bloggers who are writing their posts and having a drink or something to eat.
There you can eat oysters (of course) salted "brioches" and a variety of snacks and dishes.
1196 Broadway New York.
http://www.thejohndory.com/

**ABC KITCHEN.  During the day this place is a "furniture shop" but at night it becomes a fashion restaurant.  The decoration is nice and the cooking too.
35 E 18th Street.
http://www.abckitchenny.com/

**Anyway, in New York city there are plenty of places to eat .  If you want the cheapest ones, look for "Delis".    Here you are going to find a lot of fresh  vegetables , fruit, and cooked food.  These special food shops are usually run by Indian people and the quality is really good. It's an excellent option!

**EAT A BAGGEL.  A baggel is a round bun (bollito) which can be salty (salado) or sweet and  it's a typical American food.  Its origin is Jewish (judío) and has become a  real New Yorker  food.  Taste it! (¡probadlo!)  It's really good!
There are a lot of places in which you can eat them, for example, at MacDonalds but there is a restaurant called "Eat a Baggel" which was the first one to make them and which is the authentic baggel restaurant! In New York they suffer from "baggelmania" because New Yorkers eat baggels almost every day.
http://www.eatabaggel.com/
 
SHOPPING
** CHINATOWN.  The best imitation watches in the world can be found in Chinatown. Rolex, TagHeur and all trade marks that you could imagine are there and at a real economical price.

**In Times Square, there are a lot of small shops in which you can buy T-shirts, shorts, jeans, etc.  The price is not expensive.  For music lovers, this is the place too.  There are music shops like VIRGIN or other smaller that are excellent to see and  buy old and new CDs, records, DVDs, videos, etc.

**5th Avenue.  The most expensive street in New York.  Walk up and down and see TIFFANY's, THE DISNEY SHOP, a lovely shop where you can find all Disney products that you can imagine! And many exclusive boutiques along the street.

**PROJECT Nº 8.  It is an "alernative shop".  You can buy there, clothes, jewels, books, etc. Really curious!
138 Division Street.
http://www.projectno8.com/

For shopping, New York is a paradise!! and For many more things!!

If you finally decide to go to New York, you'll never forget the experience!    When I was there I was very much impressed!     American people are very kind to visitors and tourists and if you don't speak English, don't worry, there are so many Latins that you don't need English at all!!!

FEET AND HANDS BEAUTY TRENDS/ tendencias de belleza para piés y manos.

Hi my dear bloggers, some more  fashion points about our hands and feet for this summer.
Hola mis queridos bloggers, algunos apuntes de moda más para nuestras manos y piés para este verano.

FLUOR PASSION / FEET AND HANDS NAILS
Pasión fluor  /  Uñas de piés y manos.

**INDISCREET HAND NAILS / Uñas de las manos "indiscretas".
This season, nail varnish is an essential accesory to paly with colours and to combine with "the summer star looks".
Forget the same colour on hands and feet.  Take a risk!  What about orange and purple?  Or turquoise blue and yellow?  How about fluor colours?  On short, square nails are great! 
An advice:  if you want to look younger, cut your hand nails square because the round way is for older women!!

**NAKED FEET / pies desnudos.
After a lot of months into our shoes, at last it's time to show our feet!  We must look after them if we want to have a good look!  I know that it's difficult because of hot, dry weather but we must try it.  Use a moisturizing cream every day, special feet creams better, protect them and paint your nails too.

Before painting your feet nails, put a protective base on them, then paint them with a nail varnish (twice) and finally apply a gloss.
A pair of beautiful sandals and our perfect feet are the best comination!!

**BEAUTIFUL HANDS /manos bonitas.
We are looking at our feet much more cause we haven't seen them until now but our hand nails are really important too and all year!
We have to take care of them every day too.
Cut and  file your nails.  If you like to paint them, so do the same operation than with your feet.
If you don't like it, cut, file and polish them.  Use a moisturizing cream and your nails will look great!

**DON'T FORGET THE FLUOR COLOURS:  yellow, blue, green, purple, violet, pink, red.
A lot of trade marks offer these fashion colours, for example:  Maybelline, Astor, L'Oréal and Bourjois.

** BE COOL!  BE FASHION!  PAINT YOUR NAILS FLUOR PASSION!!

EASY ENGLISH/CINEMA/AGEING STARS (Inglés fácil/cine/estrellas que se hacen mayores.

Good morning my friends, today I'm going to continue with a bit more of cinema stars.
Buenos días amigos, hoy voy a continuar con un poco más de estrellas de cine.

THE BIG FIVE-0
Grandes a los 50

Some of the biggest stars in entertainment are more than fifty.  Among them the singer Madonna,  and actors Michelle Pfeiffer and Sharon Stone.
But how are they reacting to ageing: with botox and plastic surgery (cirugía), or a wrinkled smile and a glass of wine?

MATERIAL GIRL
Madonna has said that she wouldn't tell anyone if she decided on a little surgery.  Well, the wrinkles (arrugas) around her eyes and mouth have suddenly disappeared and the newspapers want to know the truth.  Recent photographs cruelly compare her youthful face and severely wrinkled hands.  What does the future hold for her? She says:  "I have the same goal (meta)  I had when I was a little girl.  I want to rule (gobernar) the world".

CATWOMAN
Michelle Pfeiffer interrupted her acting career in order to bring up (criar) her children, but now they are older and she has returned.  Pfeiffer looks fantastic, even with minimal make-up.  How does she do it? "Plastic surgery can't stop getting older (envejecer)", she says.  "Eat well and exercise (hacer ejercicio) and get lots of sleep, but indulge occasionally (date un gustazo de vez en cuando).  At my age I think, what the hell (qué mas da), and eat a sticky doughnut (cómete un donut pegajoso).

BASIC INSTINCT
Sharon Stone adopted her three young sons in her forties (a los cuarenta) .  Perhaps she thought she'd have time on her hands (tiempo libre) after the bad reviews (malas críticas) for Basic Instinct 2.  If so, she must be disappointed.  Dior chose her to promote their Capture Totale skin range (línea de belleza) for one good reason:  she's still an incredibly beautiful woman.  But has she gone under the surgeon's knife(bisturí del cirujano)?  "No, I haven't and I won't in the future. I'm not afraid of ageing.  I stopped being afraid of life a long time ago"
Stone almost died in 2001 when she suffered a brain haemorrhage and needed emergency surgery.

OTHER CELEBRITIES BEYOND THEIR HALF-CENTURY...
*Andie MacDowell
*Annette Bening
*Tim Robbins
*Jamie Lee Curtis
*Alec Baldwin
*Holly Hunter

THE GRAMMAR CORNER

Hi my friends, beautiful Sunday in Madrid today. As I haven't got much time during the week to write on my blog, I will do it now.
What a nice weather! I have just arrived home from THE RETIRO park and it has been a  real spring day! I love it! I don't like winter at all!

Well, we are going to do a revision about tenses.
Bien, vamos a hacer una revisión de tiempos verbales.

THE PAST SIMPLE

TO BE (ser o estar)
I was                      I wasn't                       was I?
you were                you weren't                 were you?
he/she/it was           he/she/it wasn't          was he?
we were                 we weren't                   were we?
you were                you weren't                 were you?
they were               they weren't                were they?

TO HAVE (GOT) (tener)
I had                    I didn't have                    did I have?
you had                you didn't have               did you have?
he/she/it had        he/she/it/didn't have        did he have?
we had                we didn't have                  did we have?
you had               you didn't have                 did you have?
they had              they dind't have                did they have?

* La forma HAVE GOT la utilizamos con la idea de más POSESIÓN y para expresar ciertas ideas aunque a la hora de hablar se emplean indistintamente HAVE  o  HAVE GOT.  Los ingleses usan más HAVE GOT y los americanos mas HAVE. Sin embargo, en PASADO no usamos el verbo HAVE con GOT cosa que sí hacemos cuando hablamos en presente, por ejemplo:
She has got one dog.  She hasn't got one dog.  Has she got one dog?

Ejemplo en pasado:  I had a good flight (yo tuve un buen vuelo)  I didn't have a good flight.  Did you have a good flight?

Acordaos de que cuando utilizamos partículas, da igual cuales sean, tenemos que dejar el verbo invariable, es decir, en infinitivo porque el tiempo entonces está ya en la partícula.

AHORA VAMOS A PONER UNAS FRASES PARA PRACTICAR.

- Soy de India.  Tengo 16 años.  ¿Eres inglés?
- Ella se llama Lisa.  Su nombre es Lisa.
- ¿Es Lisa ingeniera?  Sí.
- Cuando eras un niño pequeño, ¿eras feliz? Sí, lo era.
- Nosotros no éramos ricos pero tampoco éramos pobres.
- Hay una mesa grande en mi cocina.
- ¿Hay leche en el frigorífico?  Sí, hay.
- ¿Hay naranjas? No, no hay.
- Había café encima de la mesa.  No había hielo en el congelador.
- No había patatas.

- Tienes los ojos azules.
- ¿Tienes hermanos o hermanas? Sí, una hermana.
- Tenemos un coche nuevo.
- Cuando Mary era joven tenía el pelo largo y rubio.
- ¿A qué hora has desayunado esta mañana?
- Ella siempre se baña por la mañana.
- ¿Tenían ellos dinero? Sí, mucho.

                                                      ****************************


SOLUTIONS

-I'm from India. I'm sixteen years old. Are you English?
-Her name is Lisa.
-Is Lisa an engineer? Yes, she is.
-When you were a child, were you happy? Yes, I was.
-We were neither rich nor poor.
-There is a big table in the kitchen.
-Is there any milk in the fridge? Yes, there is some.
-Are there any oranges? No, there aren't any.
-There was some coffee on the table. There wasn't any ice in the freeze.
-There weren't any potatoes.

-You have got blue eyes.
-Have you got any brothers or sisters? Yes, one sister.
-We have got a new car.
-When Mary was younger, she had got long, fair hair.
-What time have you had breakfast this morning?
-She always has a bath in the morning.
-Did they have any money? Yes, a lot.

HAVE A NICE DAY!!

HOLLYWOOD STAR "TOM HANKS"

Hi everybody, Monday again! but think of your summer holidays! No matter if you go to the beach, to the mountain or you stay in the city, you have to experiment a "holiday spirit".  If you are in the city, go to the swimming-pool, it is a good suggestion because it's really hot! Enjoy this wonderful season!

Hola a todo el mundo, ¡otra vez lunes! ¡pero pensad en vuestras vacaciones de verano! No importa si os vais a la playa, a la montaña o si os quedáis en la ciudad, tenéis que experimentar un "espíritu de vacaciones".  Si estáis en la ciudad, id a la piscina, es una buena sugerencia porque hace realmente calor.  ¡Disfrutad de esta maravillosa estación!

Photos:  conectate.co,do

CINEMA
Today, we are going to look at a very famous Hollywood star "Tom Hanks".  Everybody knows this American actor but today we will discover other different things from the ones we already know about him.

Tom Hanks began acting at a small theatre in California.  He was still a university student then.  The theatre department at his university did not think that Hanks was talented.  He could not win a role in the school's plays.  So Hanks took matters into his own hands.  Unable to perform with his classmates, he went to a small community theatre downtown and asked for a role in a play.  Remarkably, the theatre's director gave him a chance.  Hanks' talent impressed everyone and the director offered him a chance to travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to perform in a play there.  He never looked back.

Decades later, Hanks has gone on from his uncertain beginnings to become one Hollywood's most important actors and the world's best-known faces.

Hanks was born in 1956.  His parents divorced when he was young.  He moved many times and lived in several houses with different relatives.  After returning from his time in Cleveland, he moved to Los Angeles, California.  In 1980 he received his big break.  A television show "Bosom Buddies, a comedy about two young men who cannot find a place to live and secretly move into a building that only allows women.  Doing the show Hanks discovered he had a great talent for humour.  Soon he began to receive offers to appear in Hollywood movies.

**In 1984 he played the lead in "Splash", a movie about a man in love with a mermaid.
**His next comic role "Big", cast him as a man whose personality magically changes places with that of a young boy.
**In 1994 he received his first Oscar for his performance in the drama "Philadelphia".  The movie was a social breakthrough.  Hanks' Oscar made easier to discuss the deadly AIDS disease publicly in the USA.
**In 1996 he started to work on "Forest Gump", one of his most famous roles and then he found his most famous character :  the mysterious comander of a small group of soliders in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan".

Rather than consider him a comic, movie critics started to call him an "actor's actor".
Today his movies are guaranteed hits and fans adore him wherever he goes.  He has showed a new "everyman" quality that audiences loved.

From a man who could not get a job in a school play, Tom Hanks has become everyone's Oscar star!

VOCABULARY  (from the text)
-ROLE: papel.
-TOOK ... INTO HIS OWN HANDS: tomó cartas en el asunto.
-RELATIVE: pariente.
-BIG BREAK: gran oportunidad.
-MERMAID: sirena.
-MAGICALLY: por arte de magia.
-BREAKTHROUGH: cambio de mentalidad.
-AWARD: premio.
-DESEASE: enfermedad.
-EVERYMAN: tipo corriente.

SPECIAL MARKETS/MERCADOS ESPECIALES

Hi my friends, from this lovely village which is San Rafael (Segovia) where I'm spending this long weekend, I want to tell you about "special markets".
Hola amigos, desde este pueblo encantador que es San Rafael (Segovia) donde estoy pasandoeste puente, quiero hablaros sobre "mercados especiales".

What is a market?  If I ask you this question many of you can answer that a market is a place where there are a lot of stands and where you can go and buy all kind of fresh vegetables and fruit, meat , fish, etc. And you'll be right but nowadays in our cities we are experimenting other kind of modern and fashioable markets in which you can not only go shopping but have breakfast or lunch or simply have a drink with your friends!

These new markets are nice and very pleasant places with a "gourmet"gastronomy and really beautiful buildings which is another reason to visit them.

I will recommend you some of these international markets as a suggestion for your travels!

IN MADRID
**THE SAN MIGUEL MARKET.  A lovely place  in a recently restored building which combines a new concept of leisure, luxury, gastronomy, fresh  and first quality products. Really beautiful! It's "a must" if you are a tourist or if you are living in the city too!
For molre info:  http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/

IN BARCELONA
**"THE BOQUERÍA MARKET" whose origins come from the XIIth century, is "a must" if you go to Barcelona.  Marvellous vegetables, fruit and flowers stands combined with its bars which offer a wide range of typical Spanish food.  Don't miss it!

IN LONDON
**PORTOBELLO MARKET.  Although it is not a  market inside a building, I want to recommend it because it is a lovely place too.  An outdoor market, in Portobello Road, Notting Hill district, is a colourful street market with an enormous variety of stands where you'll find the most beautiful flowers and the best fruit and vegetables.  Also, visit the shops and boutiques that are next to it, they have a typical Brittish and vintage style! The tube station is "Knitghsbridge" just opposite Harrods store.  Then a pleasant walk until Portobello
 market is a real pleasure.  If you go to London, don't miss it!

IN STOKHOLM
**Since 1880, THE SALUHALL MARKET mixes its stands with restaurants.  It opens at midday and you will find there the best products too.  It is situated inside  a restored building with a typical Swedish architecture. Summer is the best season to go to.  This Nordic city is really beautiful!

CARNABY STREET -LONDON-

CENTRAL LONDON

Everything changes at Soho

Carnaby Street's modern history began when a man called John Stephen opened a shop selling men's clothes on this small road behind Oxford Circus in 1957.

London's modernists, were the first to discover his bright styles of dress but soon youngsters from all over Britain were coming here.

Nowadays, you can experience a variety of outdoor cafés and restaurants while the Street reputation for fashionable gear is creeping back.

Kylie Minogue, Geri Halliwell, Natalie Imbruglia, Robbie Williams, Madonna and Donatella Versace can be seen over there not only looking around the shops but having lunch or a drink at the restaurants and clubs of the area.

The liberal atmosphere in Soho is attributed to its history as an immigrant community.  Over the years, Greeks, Italians, Chinese and Vietnamese have all contributed to the area's development.

Soho, with its tolerant environment,   has also become the national centre for gay pubs, bars, shops and clubs.

The colourful London neighbourhood of Soho is home to many forms of entertainment.  We can find there the famous department store LIBERTY'S and a street market too.
For more information:  http://www.carnaby.co.uk/

VOCABULARY
-GEAR:  ropa.
-TO CREEP BACK:  volver poco a poco.
-TO PICK UP: adquirir.
-YOUNGSTERS:  jóvenes.

ENGLISH PREPOSITIONS -TALKING ABOUT PLACE / preposiciones inglesas - hablando de Lugar.

English prepositions are always very complicated to use but if you learn some expressions and the most important situations in which a preposition is needed, everything will be easier!
Las preposiciones inglesas son siempre muy complicadas de utilizar pero si aprendéis algunas expresiones y las situaciones más importantes en las que se necesita una preposición, ¡todo será más fácil!

TALKING ABOUT PLACE - hablando de lugar.
ON: sobre, en.
IN: en, dentro de.
NEAR: cerca, cerca de.
UNDER: debajo, debajo de.
NEXT TO: próximo a, al lado de.
BEHIND: detrás, detrás de.
OPPOSITE:  en frente de.
IN FRONT OF:  delante de

In the living room:  en el salón.
In a small flat: en un piso pequeño.
On the second floor: en el segundo piso.
At number 53 Park Street:  En el número 53 de Park Street.
In Park Street:  en Park Street.
In Madrid:  en Madrid.
In England:  en Inglaterra.
In bed: en la cama
On his way to work:  de camino a su casa.

He lived in Saigon.
He studied at Saigon University
I'm going to Edinburgh tomorrow.
I'll arrive at Kings Cross statiion at 9.15.
She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.
He was the first man to fly round the world.
Where are you from?  I'm from Ireland.

AT (en Español esta preposición la traducimos por EN).
at the supermarket.
at the doctor's
at the bus stop
at the station
at home
at work
at school
at lunch

TALKING ABOUT TIME / hablando de las horas.
*I'll see you at ten o'clock.
*The film starts at five.
*What time do you usually get up?  At seven in the morning.
*At the weekend:  el fin de semana

TIME EXPRESSIONS / expresiones de tiempo.
*In the morning:  por la mañana.
*In the afternoon:  por la tarde.
*In the evening:  por la tarde/noche.
*At night: por la noche (tarde)

*On Thursday: el jueves
*On June 22nd:  el 22 de junio.
*I'll see you in three days: te veré dentro de tres días.

SHOPPING IN PARIS and other things.

Hi my dear friends, here I'm again.  Summer time is also  here!  So, today I'm going to tell you some advices if you visit Paris.  Shopping and more!
Hola, queridos amigos, aquí estoy otra vez.  ¡El verano  también está aquí! Así que, hoy voy a daros algunos consejos por si visitáis París.  ¡De compras y más!

Paris is more expensive than London, in fact, it's one of the most expensive European capitals to go to, but as you know, you can take a low cost flight and save some money.  You can look at the Internet offers and choose the best one.

I'm not going to speak about tourists' guide or something like that, because it is supposed that you have got one or that you have contracted a guided travel, so here you can see some recommended places to stay, to eat and to go shopping.

TO STAY  OR SIMPLY HAVE A REST / Para alojarse o simplemente descansar.

**LE ROYAL MONCEAU.  It is  a modern art place.  Decorated by Phillipe Starck, it is perfect to promote new art.
ADDRESS:  37, Avenue Hoche, Paris.
http://www.leroyalmonceau.com/

**LE CITIZEN.  This one is a cheaper place.  It has got an excellent design.
ADDRESS:    96 Quai de Jemmapes.
http://www.lecitizenhotel.com/

**LE PAVILLON DES LETTRES.  For poetry and writers lovers!  Each room has a letter and a writer or poet's text.
ADDRESS: 12 rue Saussales.
http://www.pavillondeslettres.com/

TO GO SHOPPING/  ir de compras.

**If you are  a fashion victim, your shop to go to is "COLETTE" but if you are a trend hunter, your best place to visit is "MERCI".  This shop offers "vintage" clothes and furniture  even craft soaps (jabones artesanos), and a wide range of other articles.  Don't miss it! (no os la perdáis)
ADDRESS:  111 Boulevard Veaumarchais.
http://www.merci-merci.com/

**UNIQLO.  It's a real curious shop.  Here you can find the articles and clothes that the designer Jil Sander makes for the "Zara"'s  Japanese competitor.
ADDRESS:  17 rue Scribe.
http://www.uniqlo.com/

**GALERIES VALOIS.  Situtated into the Royal Palace gardens, it has become the coolest shop! You can find here a mix of trends.  The vintage style by Didier Ludot, the avant-garde by Rick Owens and the "savoir faire" by Corto Moltedo (marvellous shoes).
ADDRESS:  36 rue de Seine.
http://www.galerie-vallois.com/

TO EAT / comer.

In Paris you'll find a lot of places to eat.  They are famous for their wonderful "cuisine".  The following places are good, special and fashion.  Don't miss some of them!

**YAM'TCHA.  If you like the oriental food this is your restaurant. A very good quality! 
46 rue Sauval.

**LE CHATEAUBRIAND.  This restaurant is owned by Iñaki Azpitarte, a  35-year-old Spanish chef. His proposal is an excellent "cuisine" but with cheaper prices.  His restaurant is considered one of the best in the world. So, although prices are popular at the same time it may be expensive for a lot of people.
ADDRESS:  129-131 Av. Parmentier.

**PATTISSERIE DES RÊVES-PIERRE HERMÉ.
French people are well-known by their "pattisseries" (cake-shops).  The "macarons" and "éclair" are two famous French cakes that you can taste at this Pattisserie des Rêves.  Excellent quality!.
ADDRESS: 111 rue de Longchamp and 72 rue Bonaparte.

 (Information about some of these places from "Mujer hoy" magazine)

SHOPPING IN LONDON

Hi everybody, as we have a "long weekend" next week, here you are some shopping ideas and something else  if you decide to go to London.
Hola a todo el mundo, como tenemos un "puente" la semana que viene", aquí tenéis algunas ideas de compras y algo más si decidís ir a Londres.

LONDON
A visit to London at any weekend, it's always a good option.
The following places for shopping, having a rest and eating are some of my suggestions.
Una visita a Londres cualquier fin de semana, siempre es una buena opción.
Los siguientes sitios para comprar, descansar y comer son algunas de mis sugerencias

TO STAY OR HAVING A REST / para quedarse o descansar.

**Any B&B in London is perfect for you to stay.  They are cheaper than Hotels but comfortable and beautiful.
http://www.bedandbreakfastlondon.com/

**THE ZETTER TOWNHOUSE.  It's a real and authentic British house.  It has got 13 rooms and it is a lovely place.
But if you prefer a bigger place to stay, THE ZETTER HOTEL is your destination.  There you will find "The Bistrot Bruno Loubet" where you are going to eat well or simply have a typical English tea.
CONTACT INFO:  http://www.thezetter.com/
Address:  86-88 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RJ.

TO HAVE BREAKFAST, LUNCH, OR DINNER / desayunar, comer o cenar.
**If you are looking for a typical English place and food, you can go to SOHO and enter "THE SHAKESPEARE'S HEAD".  There you can have lunch, taste the typical fish and chips or some of the most famous English dishes. It's situated in Carnaby Street, and your tube station is Picadilly Circus.

**HARRODS' restaurant  is another option at the same time that you visit this famous store. It's more EXPENSIVE.  Your tube station is KNIGHSBRIDGE.

**ST. JOHN  is another option.  Typical British food.  1 Leicester Street, London.
http://www.stjohnhotellondon.com/

SHOPPING / de compras.
**Oxfod Street is one of the most famous streets in London for shopping.  The nearest tube station is MARBLE ARCH near Hyde Park.  There you will find a lot of shops and boutiques.

**COVENT GARDEN
It's an indoor market which has become a place not only to go shopping but to have a rest and see several  performances.  The tube station is Covent Garden.

**DOVER STREET MARKET
One of the best fashion selection in the world.  And near there the Paul Smith Antique Shop must be visited too.
17-18 Dover street, London
http://www.doverstreetmarket.com/

**LIBERTY.
More modern than Harrods but a big store too, Liberty is very interesting to go to.
Great Malborough Street, London.
http://www.liberty.co.uk/

**HARRODS.  It's a "must".  Tube station Knightsbridge.  Everybody has to go to Harrods and see its beautiful building outside and inside.  A bit expensive, surely that you will find something to buy.

*TUBE.  metro
*"A MUST":  algo que hay que hacer, ver o comprar.
*INDOOR:  cerrado, interior.
*B&B:  Cama y desayuno.  Parecido a nuestros hostales. Típico inglés.

INTERNET . A BEGINNER'S GUIDE. Internet. Guía para principiantes.

Hi everybody, at this very moment we're going to look at some of the most used Internet words .
Hola a todo el mundo, en este momento vamos a ver algunas de palabras más utilizadas en Internet.

Internet is considered nowadays by many people as the most important developement in communication technology since the telephone.  However, before looking at what the Net has to offer, we need to familiarise ourselves with  the Internet words and expressions.

**ADDRESS: dirección.
**BROWSER:  explorador.
**DOWNLOAD:  descarga, descargar.
**ICON: icono
**TO LOG ON:  conectarse.
**TO LOG OFF: desconectarse.
**MODEM: modem.
**NET: la Red.
**ON-LINE: estar conectado.
**OFF-LINE:  estar desconectado.
**SERVER: servidor.
**SITE: sitio en la red.
**WEBSITE:  página web.
**E-MAIL:  correo electrónico
**PC:  personal computer
**LAPTOP:  ordenador portátil

GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
One of the great attractions of the Net lies in the rapid two-way communication that it offers users.  E-mail has been especially embraced by big business, as it provides companies with a communications network that allows documents to be sent  all around the world.  Newsgroups have allowed people from the four corners of the globe to "chat" with each other as if they were at the same table in a bar.

VOCABULARY /FOOD. Vocabulario/Comida

Hi my friends, today we're going to start with a bit of food vocabulary.
Hola amigos, hoy vamos a empezar con un poco de vocabulario de comida y para terminar un chiste.

People often miss their home cooking when they are travelling, today many food products can be found in supermarkets and quality food stores across Europe.
In England, for example, you can find excellent Parmesan cheese, Spanish "serrano" ham, French champagne, Spanish olive oil , etc.  if you know where to shop.

TERMINOLOGY / terminología.
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT / equipamiento de cocina.

-ELECTRIC TOASTER: tostadora
-FREEZER:  congelador.
-CHEESE GRATER: rallador de queso.
-FRIDGE: frigorífico.
-FRYING PAN:  sartén.
-KETTLE: tetera (para hervir el agua).
-SCISSORS:  tijeras.
-LADLE: cucharón.
-MEAT MINCER:  picadora.
-POT: olla
-SIEVE: colador.
-TIN OPENER: abrelatas.
-WOODEN SPOON: cuchara de madera.

ON THE TABLE  /  en la mesa.
-BREAD BASKET:  cesta de pan.
-CROCKERY:  vajilla.
-CUP: taza
-CUTLERY: cubertería.
-FORK: tenerdor.
-SPOON: cuchara.
-KNIFE: cuchillo.
-MILK JUG: jarrita de leche.
-NAPKINS:  servilletas.
-SAUCERS:  platillos.
-TABLECLOTH:  mantel.
-TEA POT:  tetera.

Today, English cooking is clearly influenced by Indian and Oriental cuisine.  In the past it was influenced by French and, much earlier, by Roman culinary styles. 

ANIMALS AND MEAT  / animales y carne.
Si vais a comprar o estáis en un restaurante, tenéis que pedir con el siguiente vocabulario, es decir, con el nombre de la carne y no del animal en cuestión.
-BEEF:  buey               
-VEAL:  ternera
-PORK: cerdo
-MUTTON: cordero.
-VENISON:  venado
-CHICKEN: pollo.

The Normans who invaded England spoke Norman French and while animals retained their Anglo-Saxon names, the language of the invaders was used to describe the meat.  If you go to the butcher's you can't ask for "pig" but for "pork".

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT / eres lo que comes
A low-fat, cholesterol-free, vitamin-packed diet consisting of fresch organic food with a high average fibre content may be accepted as the healthiest nutritional regime today, but this hasn't always been the case.

-LOW-FAT:  bajo en grasa.
-CHOLESTEROL-FREE: sin colesterol.
-VITAMIN-PACKED: enriquecido con vitaminas.

WHAT'S COOKING? What to do in the kitchen
¿Qué es cocinar? Qué hacer en la cocina.

Do you like your fish grilled or poached (escalfado)? Before answering, read the following cooking methods.

-BAKED: al horno.
-GRIDDLED: a la plancha.
-BOIKED: hervido
-FRIED: frito.
-GRILLED: gratinado.
-POACHED: escalfado.
-ROASTED: asado.

BON APPÉTIT!   ¡Qué aproveche!

TO BE CONTINUED... (continuará...)

TRAVEL / YORK (England)

Good morning everybody, we're going to start our week with a travel suggestion.  YORK is a British  gothic city which can be an option for a summer travel.
Buenos días a todo el mundo, vamos a empezar la semana con una sugerencia de viaje. YORK es una ciudad británica gótica que puede ser una opción para un viajecito veraniego.

YORK  /  A GOTHIC EXPERIENCE

GETTING THERE  / LLegar allí.
*Iberia, British Airways, Easy Jet and Ryanair fly to Manchester from Madrid and Barcelona.
*If you arrive in Manchester, then you have to take a train "the TransPennine Express " which goes from Manchester airport to York.
*If you arrive in London, catch the GNER (Great North Eastern Railways) to York.  Tickets are more expensive because the distance is longer too.
*For further info you can contact:  http://www.iberia.es/  / http://www.ba.com/  /  http://www.easyjet.uk/  /  http://www.ryanair.uk/ .

A BIT OF HISTORY/  Un poco de historia.
Visiting York is like making a journey into England's past.  Occupied by the Romans, Vikings and Normans, the city played an important role in some of England's major historic events.  For a long time, it was also the religious heart of the country.  King Edwin was baptised here in a wooden chapel which would become the Majestic York Minster (catedral) that still stands proud today.

Two miles of ancient city walls surround over 60 churches, museums and historic sites.  Impressive Gothic architecture, cobbled (empedradas) streets and traditional pubs and tea rooms make York a real quaint (pintoresco) place!

DON'T MISS/ NO OS PERDÁIS
**Majestic York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe.
**Any of York's 20 medieval churches.
**A tour of the city walls (murallas).
**Strolling through (callejeando) the cobbled streets.
**Afternoon tea in a typical tea room.
**The Jorvik Viking Centre, the Castle Museum and the National Railway Museum.
**Castle Howard, for a glimpse (una mirada) of English aristocratic life.

WALKING THE WALLS /Paseando por las murallas.
The best views of York are from the heights of the city walls.
It's a two-hour walk around some interesting historial sites, crossing the rivers Ouse and Foss.
Some parts of the structure of the walls date back to Norman and even Roman times, although most of it was built in the 14th century and restored in recent times.

VOCABULARY (to help you with this text and more)
VOCABULARIO (para ayudaros con este texto y más)

*TO BAPTISE:  bautizar
*CHAPEL: capilla
*MINSTER: catedral
*TO STAND PROUD: sentirse orgulloso
*TO SURROUND: rodear
*COBBLED STREET: calle empedrada, adoquinada.
*FORTRES: fortaleza
*TRADE: comercio
*TO DEFEAT: vencer
*ALLEY: callejón.
*TO BAR: obstruir
*SHIELD:  escudo
*HAUNTED: encantado, embrujado.
*SHRINE: santuario

A GOOD SUGGESTION, isn't it?  
TRY IT and TELL ME, please!! 

FASHION AND TRENDS FOR THE SUMMER/ Moda y tendencias para el verano

Hi my favourite followersa, today I'm going to suggest some fashionable clothes and  general trends for  summer and don't think of expensive things!


Hola mis seguidores favoritos, hoy voy a sugerir ropa y algunas tendencias generales de moda para el verano y ¡no penséis en cosas caras!


IN SUMMER  don't forget to have in your wardrobe a black dress, a white shirt and some silver jewels. a colourful bag is always "fashion". We are in summer, we are happy because of the good weather and because we can enjoy going out!

**WATCHES are "the stars" these days.  White colour is the most fashionable trend but fluorescent colours (pink, purple, blue, green, yellow) are a "must" too. You can combine your watch with the colour of your clothes.  Summer is a synoym of colour!


**BRACELETS.  Silver bracelets with coloured crystals is an option. Try them!

**NECKLACES.  As silver is one of  the most important trends in summer, you can combine, silver necklaces with crystal and coloured pearls on them.  As silver is not very expensive, it can be a good accessory for you.  Look for it in shops as "Líne 0" or "Fórmula" in Corte Inglés.  The prices are really interesting.


**ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY.
Long necklaces with oriental looks are a very fashionable option as a complement.  With oriental stones, pearls, oriental designs, etc they are really nice pieces.


**EARRINGS.  The trend, for summer,  is "long earrings" with loose ends (flecos).  Black, golden, red and silver.  The length is the trend!

**CLOTHES.  *A casual wear is a "must" every summer.  Shorts, skirts, shirts and T-shirts are presented in beige, green and brown colours.  Be casual and you will be fashion!
*A sailor fashion is worn too.  Blue and white dresses, skirts and T-shirts are a recent trend too with red or blue stripes on them.


LUXURY doesn't have to be expensive or part of the past.  Nowadays, we bet more and more on modern luxury.  You can find a wide range of articles of imitation jewelry (bisutería) in a lot of shops or stores and with very cheap prices.
YOU CAN BE FASHIONABLE without spending a lot of money!

**BEAUTY.
*In summer, paint your hand and feet nails with fluorescent colours (purple, pink, yellow, blue, green) and combine both with different colours too.  For example, your hand nails could be painted in pink and your feet ones in blue.  Don't be afraid and combine colours!
*ADVICE (consejo).  TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET!  They have been into your shoes during all the  autumn and winter months , for a long time.  Hydrate them well everyday!  Take care of you nails, cut , polish and paint them.  You will be wonderful!
*Do the same with your hands.  Hydrate them very well and have your nails painted and perfect!  You'll feel better! I assure you!

*SUMMER is a marvellous season.  We can enjoy a wonderful weather during the summer months!  It's a perfect time to go out with your friends, to go to the beach or the swimming-pool, to have a drink at a bar or  a meal at an open-air restaurant, to go to the country or the mountain!
It's a special time to enjoy yourself with a lot of things! Do it! The sun is shinning and you'll feel happier !!



Photos: pinterest.es


HAVE A NICE SUMMER!!!

SEE YOU!

SCILLY ISLANDS

Here you are a recommendation if you like unknown places and you love nature.  SCILLY ISLANDS are located in the South West of  Britain, in Cornwall.

SCILLY ISLANDS.
It is a very special place.  It is a unique corner of England.  It contains some 40 islands.  There is more archaeology there than in the whole of Cornwall.  If you are a photographer, it is a paradise.  If you are interested in plants, it's fantastic!  If you are bird-watching (observador de pájaros) , it's fascinating!
It is a natural paradise and a very special corner of the British Isles.

HOW TO GET THERE
It is supposed that you have arrived in London by plane.  You know that flights with EASY-JET and RYANAIR, are low cost and good ones.

Although the Isles of Scilly aren't far from the English mainland, they are very remote.  You can get there by boat, plane or helicopter, but first you have to reach Land's End or the city of Penzance.
Taking the train to Penzance is not a bad idea.  You can't take a car onto the Isles because only residents are allowed to own them on some of the islands.
You can contact SCILLY BREAKS, a company that offers full packages or THE ISLES OF SCILLY TOURIST OFFICE.

THINGS TO DO.
-The most famous attraction is THE ABBEY GARDEN.
-A boat tour is also recommended.  You can contact SCILLY BREAKS or ST. MARY'S BOATMEN'S ASSOCIATION.
-As for places to stay, THE ATLANTIC HOTEL in St. Mary's or VERONICA'S LODGE B&B are recommended.  THE HELL BAY HOTEL on Bryher too.
-Food is very good.  CHEZ MICHEL on St. Mary's is perfect to taste British cuisine.  A godd pub is THE LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL.

**Choose  summertime,  if you can,   because weather is very  bad in autumn and winter.

FRASES SOBRE SUGERENCIAS, ETC EN INGLÉS.

Buenos días a todos, hoy en vez de ejercicios, aquí os dejos unas frases que os pueden servir en vuestras conversaciones.  Son un simple ejemplo, os basta con cambiar el vocabulario y tenerlas de modelo.
Que tengáis un buen día. /  Have a nice day!

**MAKING SUGGESTIONS / Hacer sugerencias.
- I haven't goy anything to wear.  What about your blue dress?
No tengo nada que ponerme. ¿Qué tal el vestido azul?
- Shall I iron it for you?  If you really don't mind!
¿Quieres que planche esto por ti?  ¡Si de verdad no te importa!
- Why don't you call Catherine? I'll call her later.
¿Porqué no llamas a Catherine?  La llamaré más tarde.
- What about going for a walk?  I'm afraid I'm very tired, sorry.
¿Qué te parece ir a dar un paseo? Me temo que estoy muy cansada, lo siento.
- Shall I open the window?  Yes, please, it's really hot.
¿Quieres que abra la ventana? Sí, por favor, hace mucho calor.

**SHORT ANSWERS / Respuestas cortas.
- Is it raining?  Yes, it is.
¿Está lloviendo? Sí.
- Have you got a cold?  No, I haven't.
¿Tienes un resfriado? No.
- Can you speak French? Yes, a bit.
¿Hablas francés? Sí, un poco.
- Are you ready? No, Im not.
¿Estás preparado? No.
- Do you like skiing? Yes, I do.
¿Te gusta esquiar? Sí.
- Did you sleep well last night? No, I didn't.
¿Dormiste bien anoche? No.

**EN ESTAS RESPUESTAS CORTAS VEMOS QUE SOLO CONTESTAMOS CON LA PARTICULA UTILIZADA EN LA PREGUNTA o CON EL VERBO TO BE  O ALGÚN OTRO VERBO DEFECTIVO SI NOS HAN PREGUNTADO CON ELLOS.

**PARA QUE CONTESTÉIS SIEMPRE CORRECTAMENTE, TENÉIS QUE FIJAROS MUY BIEN EN EL TIEMPO VERBAL EN EL QUE OS HACEN LA PREGUNTA PARA CONTESTAR EN EL MISMO TIEMPO O CON LA PARTÍCULA CORRESPONDIENTE.


**Como se acerca el fin de semana, mañana  os daré algunas direcciones útiles por si queréis hacer una escapadita a Londres  o París e ir de tiendas.

EJERCICIOS DE INGLÉS FÁCILES -REVISIÓN-

Aquí os dejo unos ejercicios muy "fáciles" para los que estáis empezando. ¡Ánimo!

1.- MAKE QUESTIONS.
a) live  /  where  /  you  ?
b) work  /  your mother  /  where  ?

2.- COMPLETE THE SENTENCES.
a) My father always ______(go)  to work by bus.
b) Both my parents ______(work) on Saturdays.
c) Have you got _____(some/any) apples?

3.- WRITE THE OBJECT PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVES.

a) Object pronouns>  me, you, ...
b) Possessive pronouns>  mine, yours ...

4.- WRITE THE CORRECT PREPOSITION.

a) I live ____  17 Hazel Avenue, Dundee.
b) I live ___ the fourth floor.
c) I usually get up ____ 7 o'clock.
d) How many people are there ___ your class?
e) Are you going ___ the zoo this weekend?
f) ___ Saturday, I don't usually work.
g) I'll go to the beach ___ July.
h) My daughter usually goes to work ____ car.
i) Look ___ that bird, it's beautiful!
j) Listen ___ me , please!
k) When I was a child I used ____ eat hamburgers.
l) Sit _____ please,children!  And shut ___!

5.- GIVE THE PLURALS.
a)cat >
b)man>
c)woman>
d)child >
e)boy>
f)secretary >
g)person>
h)name>
i)address>
j)wife>
k)house>

6.- GIVE THE THIRD PERSON OF THE SINGULAR FORMS OF THESE VERBS.
a) Get > she...
b) play > he...
c) try > he...
d) watch > she ...
e) do >  he ...

7.- WRITE  a, an, the,  some or nothing.
1 There is ____ orange on the table.
2 There's  _____ cheese in the fridge.
3 My sister's ____  student.
4 What time do you have ____ lunch?
5 _____ food is expensive.
6 Where's ____ nearest post office, please?

8.- WRITE FOUR MORE WORDS IN EACH OF THESE LISTS.
1.- father, brother,
2.- Monday,
3.- first, second,
                       
                                             ******************************************


EXERCISES  -  SOLUTIONS  

1 a) Where do you live?   b) Where does your mother work?

2 a) goes  b) work  c) any

3 a) him, her, it, us, you, them   /  b) his, hers, its, ours, yours, theirs.

4 a) at  b) on  c) at  d) in  e) to  f) on  g) in  h) by  i) at  j) to  k) to  l) down

5 a) cats  b) men  c) women  d) children  e) boys  f) secretaries  g) people  h) names  i) addresses
j) wives  k) houses

6 a) gets  b) plays  c) tries  d) watches  e) does

7 1 an  2) some  3) a  4) ___  5) ___  6) the

8 1) brother, sister, daughter, son  2) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday  3) third, fourth, fifth, sixth

ENGLISH EXPRESSIONS AND VOCABULARY

Hi again my dear friends, I'm going to talk about "The Weather".  Look at these vocabulary words and expressions.  They're going to be useful to you!

Hola otra vez queridos amigos, voy a hablar del "Tiempo".  Mirad estas palabras y expresiones.  Van a seros útiles.

THE WEATHER
The weather is a topic(tema)  that all English people are supposed to be experts on.  We start with a number of conversational lines, so that you too can join in those fun discussions about meteorological conditions with your English and American friends!

WHEN IT IS A SUNNY DAY  (cuando el día es soleado)
*Nice weather we are having!
¡Estamos teniendo buen tiempo!
*Lovely day, isn't it?
Un dia encantador, ¿verdad?

WHEN IT IS REALLY HOT, PERHAPS UNBEARABLY HOT (cuando hace realmente calor, quizás un calor insoportable).
*We are having a real scorcher of a summer!
¡Estamos teniendo un auténtico verano abrasador!
*Phew!  What a roaster!
¡Uf! ¡Qué achicharramiento!

WHEN THE HEAT COMES WITH HIGH HUMIDITY LEVELS (cuando el calor viene con altos grados de humedad)
*How I hate this sultry weather!
¡Cómo odio este tiempo bochornoso!
*It's so muggy that I can hardly breathe!
¡Está tan cargado que apenas puedo respirar!

IN AUTUMN OR WINTER (en otoño o invierno)
*A bit chilly, isn't it?
¡Un poco fresco! ¿verdad?
*How cold!
¡Qué frío!
* It's frizzing!
¡Está helando!

Given the English climate, it's natural that we have many ways of describing the rain.
Dado el clima inglés, es natural que tengamos muchas formas de describir la lluvia.

*Let's go out. It's just drizzling.
Vámonos. Está lloviznando.
*It's just a shower. It will stop in a minute.
Es sólo un chaparrón.  Parará en un minuto.
*It's raining cats and dogs!
¡Está lloviendo a cantaros!
*It's teeming down!
¡Está diluviando!
*It's raining buckets!
¡Está jarreando!

It is often said that England doesn't have a climate;  it has weather.  This is because the weather changes so often that all the seasons sometimes seem to take place in a single day!  Not surprisingly, it is something of an obsession for the people who live on the island, and you can notice references to weather in everyday speech, in proverbs and sayings, in literature and in folklore.

THE WEATHER FORECAST (el pronóstico del tiempo)
In many parts in the English-speaking world, listening to the weather forescast before deciding what to do with your day is essential, especially if you're on holiday and are planning a picnic or a swim in the lake!  And yet (sin embargo), in spite of (a pesar de) the increasingly sophisticated instrumentation used to forescast the weather -including specially equipped satellites- some people still say that  in the UK the best thing is to listen to the radio or TV forecast and then do everything the weatherman advised you not to do.
So, if the forecast says that it will be rainy, you should go out and set off for a long walk across the moors (páramos).

*WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?  ¿Qué tiempo hace?
*SUN:  sol  *SUNNY:  soleado
*RAIN: lluvia. *RAINY:  lluvioso
*STORM: tormenta
*HEAT:  calor. HOT: caluroso.
*SHOWER:  chaparrón.
*SLEET: aguanieve.
*CLOUDS:  nubes *CLOUDY: nublado.
*SNOW: nieve.
*THUNDER:  trueno.
*LIGHTNING:  rayo
*FOG:  niebla.
*DRIZZLE:  llovizna
*WIND: viento.
*DRY:  seco.

SEE YOU!!

MME. LA COMTESSE, Chapitre 10 et dernier.

Salut mes amis, ici vous avez le dernier chapitre de cette petite histoire à propos de la Comtesse de Chantilly.

Chapitre 10
"La sécrétaire fait une confession très intéressante"

...Commissaire Dupont, dit la sécrétaire Arnaud,   "Il faut que je vous parle"

-Oui, je le crois aussi, dit le commissaire.  Comment je dois vous appeler, Mlle. Arnaud ou Mme Mallet?

-Arnaud c'est mon nom de jeune fille, je prèfére Arnaud.  Écoutez-moi Monsieur le commissaire, je voulais tout vous raconter mais j'ai peur de mon mari!

-Pouvez-vous me dire enfin tout ce que vous savez sur cette histoire?  Pourquoi avez-vous quitté précipitamment votre appartement?

-J'ai peur.  J'ai voulu m'enfuir mais à la fin j'ai réfléchi et je suis venue vous voir.

-Qui est votre mari?  Et pourquoi vous faites-vous appeler Mlle Arnaud?

-Il y a trois ans que je me suis présentée chez le comte de Chantilly.  Il cherchait une secrétaire célibataire.  J'ai menti pour avoir cet emploi.  Mon mari pensait que c'était mieux comme ça...  Il s'était présenté aussi mais sous le nom de sa mère, pour d'autres raisons...

La femme hésite un instant avant de continuer.

-Je me suis mariée il y a quatre ans.  Mon mari a trouvé un emploi chez les Chantilly.  Il attendait des années s'introduire dans cette famille pour se VENGER.  Il y a trente ans à peu près, le père de mon mari s'est suicidé car la comtesse l'avait accusé  de vol.  Mon mari avait quatre ans.  Son père était chauffeur chez les Chantilly.
Mon mari détestait la comtesse parce qu'il la considérait responsable de la mort de son père.
D'abord il s'est mis á écrire des lettres anonymes au comte.  Et puis, un jour, il a decouvert une lettre de moi à moitié brûlée dans la cheminée, mes sentiments poue le frère du comte et mon intention de le quitter.
Pour se venger, il a voulu faire croire que c'était moi l'assassin de la comtesse.

Ensuite, il a dû envoyer un message au frère du comte, Bertrand, en faisant croire que c'était moi qui lui donnais rendez-vous.
Bertrand m'avait demandé de partir avec lui.  Il ne savait pas que j'étais mariée.
Comment lui expliquer que le majordome était mon mari et qu'il s'était introduit dans la maison de son frère sous une fausse identité?
Comment prévenir les comtes?
Je rencontrais Bertrand dans un petit restaurant de l'Île Saint-Louis.
C'est mon mari (le majordome) qui a tué Bertrand, le frère du comte, j'en suis sûre!

À la fin de cette longue confession, Mlle Arnaud se met à pleurer.  Soudain, un agent ouvre la porte et entre dans le bureau avec Yves, le majordome.  Il est très surpris de voir sa femme là mais puis il comprend qu'elle a tout raconté à la police.

Dupont a trouvé enfin la réponse à toutes les questions.  L'assasin est le majordome qui a tué Mme la Comtesse et Bertrand, le frère du comte pour se venger.
Il s'était posé toutes ces questions quelques jours avant quand une vieille dame un peu bizarre était venue porter plainte pour la mort de son chat!

-Allô, Mme Moran?  C'est le Commissaire Dupont à l'appareil!  Je voulais vous remercier car votre témoignage a été essentiel...  Nous avons trouvé le coupable de la mort de votre chat.  Je ne peux pas vous dire plus pour le moment, mais croyez-moi, votre témoignage a été décisif!  Merci bien.

-Ah bon, mes félicitations commissaire Dupont.  Je dois vous dire une  autre chose, j'ai un nouveau chat, c'est ma fille qui me l'a donné mais je ne le laisserai pas sortir!

-Ne vous inquiétez pas madame, votre chat ne court pas aucun danger, vous pouvez le laisser dormir dans la cour.

-Au revoir, Commissaire Dupont.

-Au revoir Mme. Moran et merci à nouveau.

*****************************  

SOME GRAMMAR EXERCISES (A MIX) Ejercicios (una mezcla)

Hi everybody, Friday at last!  Here you can find a mix of some English excercises for you to practise.
Hola a todo el mundo, ¡por fin viernes! Aquí podeís encontrar una mezcla de ejercicios de inglés para que practiquéis.

1.- PUT IN THE BLANKS,  like, likes, it, them, him, her.
a) I don't _______ cats, but my brother ______them very much.
b) "Do you ____ dogs?" Yes, I love ______.
c) George _____ Mary, but Mary doesn't like ____.
d) Mary _____ dancing and travelling.
e) "Do you ____ orange juice?" No, I don't like ____ at all.
f) I don't dislike opera, but I don't really _____ ____.
g) Your husband _____ cooking, doesn't he?  Yes, he does.
h) My wife hates big dogs, but I love _____.
i) My wife and I _____ the sea, but our children don't.  They ____ climbing mountains.
j) Do you _____ Anne? Yes, I ______ ____ very much.

2.- WRITE THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN THE BLANKS OF THE TEXT.
has  /  like  /  breakfast  /  goes  /  works  /  bus  /  gets up  /  opens  /  stops  /  plays  /  starts  /  goes.

Stan Dixon is a shop assistant.  He sells men's clothes in a small shop.  It is a tiring job.
Stan _______ at seven o'clok.  After _______, he ______ to work by bus.  He _____ work at a quarter past nine;  the shop _______ at half past.  Stan _____ lunch at twelve, and then  _______ from 12.45 until 5.45.
On Saturdays, Stan ______ work at one o'clock.  On Sundays he _____ cycling or ______ tennis.
Stan does not _____ his job much.

3.- WHAT ABOUT TIME?  ¿Qué tal lleváis "la hora"?
Do you remember? ¿Os acordáis?

Empezaremos un pequeñito repaso.
* ¿Qué hora es?  What time is it?
* Y media:  half past ...
*Menos cuarto:  a quarter to ...
*Y cuarto:  a quarter past ...
* Menos...:  To...
*Y...:  past ...
*En punto:  o'clock
*Doce de la noche:  midnight.
*Doce del mediodía:  noon.

**Para decir las horas, en Inglés siempre empezaremos por It is...
**En Inglés siempre se dicen los minutos antes que las horas.

- What time is it?  It is a quarter past twelve.
¿Qué hora es?  Son las doce menos cuarto.
- It is half past two: Son las dos y media.
- It is ten o'clock:  Son las diez en punto.
- It is a quarter to three:  son las tres menos cuarto.
- It is twenty past nine:  son las nueve y veinte.
- It is twenty-five to four:  son las cuatro menos veinticinco.

3.- Y AHORA VOSOTROS /  And now it's your turn!

1 Son las tres en punto.
2 Son las tres y diez.
3 Son las cuatro menos cuarto.
4 Son las diez y media.
5 Son las siete menos diez.
6 Son las cinco menos cinco
7 Son las nueve y veinte.
8 Son las doce (medianoche) .
9 Son las doce (mediodía)
10 Son las diez y diez.
                                           *************************************


SOLUTIONS 

EXERCISE 1
a) like  /  likes
b) like  /  them
c) likes  /  him
d) likes
e) like  /  it
f) likes  it
g) likes
h) them
i)  like  /  like
j) like  /  like  her 

EXERCISE 2
gets up  /  breaksfast  /  goes  /  starts  /  opens  /  has  /  works  /  stops  /  goes  /  plays  /  like

EXERCISE 3
1 It's three o'clock
2 It's ten past three
3 It's a quarter to four
4 It's half past ten
5 It's ten to seven
6 It's five to five
7 It's twenty past nine
8 It's midnight
9 It's midday
10 It's ten past ten

HAVE A NICE DAY AND A GOOD WEEKEND!!! 

MME. LA COMTESSE, Chapitre 9

Salut mes chers amis, on va voir le chapitre 9 de cette histoire.

MME. LA COMTESSE
Chapitre 9
"Un autre personnage va disparaître"

Le commissaire Dupont apprend beaucoup de choses d'Odette. 
-Est-ce qu'il y avait des problèmes entre les membres de la famille?

-Eh bien! M. le commissaire, je sais que je ne devais pas parler, mais il y a une chose que je voudrais vous dire.  Il y a quelques semaines, j'ai demandé un jour de congé, mais je suis rentrée une heure plus tôt.  Le frère du comte était dans le salon avec la Comtesse.  Ils se disputaient vivement.
J'ai eu peur mais après quelques instants, tout est devenu calme à nouveau.

-Alors, il y a eu une dispute violente entre la comtesse et son gendre... intéressant!
Alors, Mme. la comtesse détestait son beau-frère?

-Non, je ne crois pas. 

-Bien, pouvez-vous dire mademoiselle Arnaud, la sécrétaire que je désire lui parler?

-Elle n'est pas venue ce matin.  Elle ne se sentait pas très bien.

-Merci bien Odette.  Au fait, une dernière question, êtes-vous gauchère?

-Non, je suis droitière.

Au commissariat, Verdan attend Dupont avec impatience.

-Commissaire, je viens de découvrir des choses vraiment intéressantes sur la sécrétaire Mlle. Arnaud.  Il y a six ans qu'elle a épousé un certain Mallet.  On a trouvé leur certificat de mariage à la mairie de Bordeux...

-Bordeaux?
C'est bien intéressant ça! Alors Mlle Arnaud serait en realité Mme. Mallet.  Mais pourquoi elle ne nous a rien dit? On va lui rendre une visite chez elle.

Quand ils arrivent chez la sécrétaire Mlle Arnaud, il n'y a personne.  La concierge leur dit qu'elle est sortie vers neuf heures avec une valise et qu'elle a pris un taxi.

Si la sécrétaire n'a pas mis le poison dans le lait, pourquoi s'est-elle enfuie?  De quoi a-t-elle peur?

En arrivant au commissariat, Dupont et Verdan sont informés que l'écriture de la jeune femme qui rencontrait le frère du comte au Franc Pinot, est celle de Mlle Arnaud! 
Quant aux lettres anonymes, c'est le majordome qui les a écrites. Et en plus, un témoin jure qu'il a vu le majordome vers onze heures dans le quartier où le frère du comte a été assassiné.

-Envoyez tout de suite quelqu'un chercher le majordome rue Lafayette! dit le commissaire Dupont.  En ce moment-là un agent annonce qu'une dame est dans le couloir et désire lui parler!.

À SUIVRE!...