SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE ADVENTURE OF THE STARRY NIGHT

What do you know about Sherlock Holmes? Have you ever read any of his stories? I'm sure you have, but how much do you know about him? Watch the video below to learn more about him and to practise the past simple of the verbs. Stop the video when you consider as on the left hand side grammar and vocabulary is explained.

PAST SIMPLE - LISTEN AND REPEAT

Listen to the sentences and repeat after them, it's good practice!

THE MYSTERY OF OKINAWA

In Okinawa people live a very long time. They are hardly ever ill. Many people live to be 100 – more people than in other parts of the world. Why? What is their secret?
 
Read the text while you listen to it. Then record yourself and compare your recording with the original. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!

A healthy diet



The Okinawans eat vegetables, fruit, fish, soya, and rice. They usually have seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day. People don’t usually drink much alcohol or smoke. They don’t eat much meat or fast food.

Exercise



Physical activity is very important for the people of Okinawa. Martial arts, walking, traditional dancing, and gardening are very popular with people of all ages.

Low stress



In many countries people have healthy diets and do exercise. But the unusual thing about the people in Okinawa is that they are not stressed. They are relaxed and take their time. Buses are hardly ever on time, and people often arrive an hour late for meetings. Every evening hundreds of people, young and old, go to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset. People often meditate to relax.

Always active



Another important thing is that people often work until they are 80 – sometimes until 90! In the Okinawan dialect there is no word for ‘retired’. They are busy and active all their lives. Old people don’t stay at home – they go out and meet friends.

When journalists ask people ‘What is the secret of your long life?’, they answer ‘We are happy, we are always positive, and we are never in a hurry.’


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TYPICALLY BRITISH?

Four foreigners in Britain talk about the people and the country...

Listen to what they say. Read the text while you are listening. This will improve your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills!!
 

Nicolae from Romania works in a pub in Manchester


‘British people like children but not in restaurants or pubs. In my pub we have a rule: ‘No children under 12’. People in Britain drink a lot of coffee – cappuccino and espresso are really popular. They drink a lot of beer too – men and women.’

Alexandra from Russia is a student at Bristol university


‘This is not a good country for smokers! Many coffee bars and restaurants are ‘no smoking’. I live with three British students and they don’t smoke. When I want a cigarette I go into the garden.’

Carlos is a tourist from Spain


‘People read the newspaper everywhere – on the train, on the bus, at the bus stop. And the newspapers are really big! Cars stop in Britain when you stand on the zebra crossing – it’s incredible! Cars don’t stop for you in Madrid.’

Marília from Brazil works as an ‘au pair’ in Cambridge


‘I think my British family is typical. The woman doesn’t cook – she just puts a pizza in the microwave. But she watches cooking programmes on TV every day! The man cooks at the weekend – he makes fantastic Indian curries. Their child has a terrible diet. She eats ‘fish fingers’ and chips and she goes to Burger King every week.’

"BE" SONG

Let's revise verb to be with this song,

THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD BY YAKKO WARNER

This is an old video very good to learn the countries of the world. Some of them aren't countries anymore but it's good listening practice. You have them in order below the video. Sing with Yakko!



Narrator: And now the nations of the world, brought to you by Yakko Warner!

Yakko:

United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama
Haiti, Jamaica, Peru,
Republic Dominican, Cuba, Carribean
Greenland, El Salvador too.
Puerto Rico, Columbia, Venezuela
Honduras, Guyana, and still,
Guatemala, Bolivia, then Argentina
And Ecuador, Chile, Brazil.
Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Bermuda
Bahamas, Tobago, San Juan,
Paraguay, Uruguay, Surinam
And French Guiana, Barbados, and Guam.

Norway, and Sweden, and Iceland, and Finland
And Germany now one piece,
Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia
Italy, Turkey, and Greece.
Poland, Romania, Scotland, Albania
Ireland, Russia, Oman,
Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia
Hungary, Cyprus, Iraq, and Iran.
There's Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan
Both Yemens, Kuwait, and Bahrain,
The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Portugal
France, England, Denmark, and Spain.

India, Pakistan, Burma, Afghanistan
Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan,
Kampuchea, Malaysia, then Bangladesh (Asia)
And China, Korea, Japan.
Mongolia, Laos, and Tibet, Indonesia
The Philippine Islands, Taiwan,
Sri Lanka, New Guinea, Sumatra, New Zealand
Then Borneo, and Vietnam.
Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, Angola
Zimbabwe, Djibouti, Botswana,
Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, Gambia
Guinea, Algeria, Ghana.

Burundi, Lesotho, and Malawi, Togo
The Spanish Sahara is gone,
Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Liberia
Egypt, Benin, and Gabon.
Tanzania, Somalia, Kenya, and Mali
Sierra Leone, and Algiers,
Dahomey, Namibia, Senegal, Libya
Cameroon, Congo, Zaire.
Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar
Rwanda, Mahore, and Cayman,
Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Yugoslavia...
Crete, Mauritania
Then Transylvania,
Monaco, Liechtenstein
Malta, and Palestine,
Fiji, Australia, Sudan
.....................................................................................................................................

This is a slow version, probably you'll feel more comfortable with it but, where's is the fun?

WHAT NATIONALITY ARE YOU?

Watch the video about nationalities to practise your listening. The video has subtitles so don't worry!

THE ABC

Do you still have problems with the ABCs? Not a problem, here you can sing the song with Sesame Street.



Why don't we put it into practice now? Watch the video and write down the names they say. In the second part of the video you can ckeck your answers. Good luck!!!