B1 ( reading and writing) : Guy Fawkes Night ( Bonfire night): 5th November

 Meet Britain's most famous traitor ( Guy Fawkes)

Task: Read the information below and post a comment explaining in your own words what happened in 1605 and the importance of this festivity in England.

• Learn about Bonfire night here. (Read about Guy Fawkes and his plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament).
  

•  Play the interactive BBC gunpowder game  here.

•  Read my last year's post on Guy Fawkes.

•  Read the FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions) about The Gunpowder Plot and post a comment explaining what happened in 1605.
• Learn about today's tradition in The Houses of Parliament 
• A film about Guy Fawkes: V for Vendetta

Today's news: TITANIC 100 YEARS LATER

Titanic 100: We survived

Just over 700 people escaped from the Titanic after it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on the night of 14 April 1912. More than 1,500 others were not so fortunate.

The survivors scrambled into lifeboats or plunged into the icy water. In the years after the disaster, some of them spoke publicly about the Titanic's ill-fated maiden voyage.

Here, with the help of archive images and audio, listen to what happened through the voices of crew members Charles Lightoller and Frank Prentice and passengers Eva Hart and Edith Russell.

Titanic gallery: Titanic Southampton remembers

• Unsinkable Vocabulary: Words for the Titanic Centennial  From the visual Thesaurus:

"This weekend marks the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, so let's commemorate the occasion by looking back on some words and phrases that were particularly associated with the maritime disaster." read more.

• Titanic deck chairs' sad symbolism lives on

SURVEY

• Survey: Should we raise the Titanic?  Watch both National Geographic short videos which present their views on this issue and submit your vote. 
• What do you think? Should we raise the Titanic?Leave your comments

Extra listening exercise: BBC news: Devo Max

On Feb 17  we discovered  and read about Scotland and devo max.

What does devo max stand for?

You are going to listen to a BBC radio programme in which the political and economical independence of Scotland is analyzed.

Read the questions and listen once before answering the questions. Then, listen again and stop the recording at your convenience to answer the questions.
Listen to the news.

Questions

1. How many interviewers know what "devo max is? 
2. Who's Michael Moore? 
3. What does Michael Moore understand by the term "devo max"?
4. What are David Cameron's views on devo max?
5. Two government powers are excluded from "devo max", which are these? 
6. ( minute 12: 10). 
1. Which country is a good example of  how "devo max" would works? What exactly does the speaker mention? 
2. How is the economy in this region described?
7. Note down at least 3 advantages in Scotland if "devo max" is put forward.

Submit your answers ( as a comment)

Download the KEYS

BBC: 24 hours news in pictures

Day in pictures 1 March.

LYRICS TRAINING: Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston's death stuns music world. Read more...

 

Visit " Lyrics training"  and write the lyrics of :
 "I will always love you"
by Whitney Houston

(Write the song lyrics while listening : » To continue playing you must complete each line. » To listen again the last line, press backspace key)

Breaking news: Scottish independence: David Cameron in referendum offer

DISCOVER SCOTLAND!

The Scottish flag

Scotland Facts

Scottish Culture

Scots and Language ( compare English, Scot and Danish words)

The Dictionary of the Scots Language

BREAKING NEWS!! 

Read about Scottish independence (devo max):

Article 1

Article 2

N.B.: If you need some help with the language of headlines, browse this PowerPoint