In this pack, you will reflect on

the power of kindness through fun

activities you can do at home.
It also encourages you to do small
acts of kindness each day to help
your community, your family and
yourself. Kindness can help us to
cope with challenges and change.
Being kind to others can help
them cope better too.

This kindness pack belongs to...

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 3

The power of kindness calendar
Use your calendar to record your daily kindness acts.

Congratulations
Being kind sends a powerful message about our
connections to each other and the world around us.

4
Being Kind
Small acts of kindness can go a long way. Kindness can help
support people. Reflect on the power of kindness in these
activities and be inspired to do something kind every day.

Why is kindness important?

Think about the word ‘Kindness’ - what does it mean to you?
How does it make you feel? Draw or write ideas around the circle
to make a mind-map. Connect them to the circle with a line.

‘Kindness’

Extension Messages of kindness

activity: What
simple kind acts Use the blank postcard below to create a message of kindness
can you do every
day for yourself for someone you know. Maybe it can be a thank you for something
and those around kind they did for you, or for something they often do that helps you
you? Record them or others.
on your kindness
calendar.

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 5

Kindness will keep us together poster
Colouring is also a good way of being kind to yourself,
as it helps you relax. Give this poster to someone you
care about and it can also be a kind gift.

Extension activity: You can add

your own drawings around the edge
of ‘kind things’ like the artist has.
What is kindness to you?

6
Being kind to yourself
It is important to be kind to yourself too, this means looking after your
wellbeing. Use these activities to think about your own wellbeing and
explore ways to cope and feel better when dealing with challenges.

What is wellbeing?

People use this word to mean ‘being happy, healthy and comfortable.’

Think about the things in your life that make you happy, healthy and
comfortable. Write them in the circles below. Some things will make you
feel happy and comfortable, or healthy and happy, you can write these
things in the spaces where the circles overlap. to make a mind-map.
Connect them to the circle with a line.
Happy Healthy

Extension
activity: Do you
do these things
enough? Could
you do them
more often?

Comfortable

Breathing with colour

Learning when to take time to breathe can you feel happier and more
comfortable. Practice this easy technique.

1. Think about a 2. Think about a 3. Now close your 4. Now breathe

colour that makes colour that doesn’t eyes and take a out and imagine it
you feel happy – make you happy – deep breath in, is the not so good
this is the colour this is the colour imagine the breath colour and blow it
of good feelings. of your not so is the good colour. away, out of your
good feelings. body. Do this a
few times until you
feel relaxed.

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 7

Helping you cope
These activities can help you cope with change and support wellbeing
by learning how to plan your daily life better in changing situations and
how you can break big challenges into small goals.

Where does my time go?

Think about how you use your time.

Write a list of things you do each day.
For example:
– sleeping
– eating
– exercising
– talking to friends and family

Colour in the segments of the circle in

different colours to show how you spend
your time on an average day. Each segment
is 1 hour, and there are 24 in one whole day.
Things like sleeping should take up at least
6-10 segments.

Do you do something too much or not

enough?

Do you have enough happy, healthy and

comfortable things in your day? What
changes do you think you should make
in your day?

Set yourself mini-goals

What do you want to complete or do this week? Setting goals can give
you a clear purpose. It should be something you can do, don’t set yourself
something too difficult. Extension
activity: Breaking
Examples: Clean my bedroom, get to the next level of my game, challenges into
be kind to someone in my house. small goals can
help you cope.
Write down three goals. Colour in the medal each time you complete a goal.
What big challenge
do you have that
Goal 1 you can break into
smaller goals?

Goal 2

Goal 3

8
Understanding feelings
We feel lots of different things for different reasons. Keeping track and
understanding our feelings, and how they affect how we act, can help
us deal with them and identify feelings in others.

Emotion tracker
Keeping track of your emotions can help you to think about what affects them.
Over one week keep an emotion tracker graph. Once or twice a day, draw an X or
a face on the graph to show how you feel – are you down in the dumps or on top
of the world, or just in the middle?

You can tear this out and put it on your fridge to show everyone how you are
doing, or you can make a bigger version for your whole family and everyone can
plot how they feel in their own colour.

Best
I can feel

Worst
I can feel

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Extension activity: At the end of the week look back on

your tracker. Think about:

When did you feel best and worst? Why did you feel this way?
How did it affect your behaviour – did you act differently?
How does your mood affect others in your house?

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 9

Coping with challenges
We often have to cope with change and challenges in our lives.
Learning how to cope can make us more ‘resilient’ and better
able to manage.

Coping well

Think about a person who copes well with change and challenges.
Draw a picture in the space below of a person you know – someone
who is good at coping with change and challenges.
Around the outside write all the ways that person copes well.
Why did you pick this person? Can you learn from them?

I cope well by…

Think about the ways you cope with change and challenges in your life.
Think about your beliefs, thoughts and actions.

Examples: I take a deep breath, I think about the problem,

I do something fun to distract myself, I ask for help

Write in the bubble below. You can write a sentence, make up a

poem or draw a picture.

I cope well by…

10
Stress patterns
Create a ‘pattern’ of your stress and think about how stress
changes your feelings and actions and how we can cope with stress.
Use different colours for each step.

Write that around the outside too. 1. Around the outside

of the person, write
all the things that
might cause you to
feel stressed.

2. On the inside, colour

in the parts of the
body where you feel
the stress.

3. Around the outside

write how the stress
changes your
emotions.

4. Around the outside

again write how
stress makes
you act.

5. What makes you

feel better when
you are stressed?

Extension
activity: Look
at your stress,
‘pattern’. What have
you learnt from th
is activity? What
can you do to
help you feel less
stressed?

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 11

Staying connected
It is important to remember that we are not alone. There are lots of
people in our lives who can and do support us. Use these activities
to reflect on the people in your life and how they support you.

Web of connections

Think about all the people you have in your life that you can turn to for
support. Draw a picture of yourself in the box labelled ‘me’. Around the
outside, write the names or draw all the people you know and can talk
to. Start with the people closest to you.

Draw a line between you and each person. Think about the ways you
can talk to them and what you can both do to support each other.

Me

Being kind to my friends

Think about the people on your web of connections. What type of

person are they? What do they like to do? How can you help them?

Pick 3 people from the web and write down one kind act you can
do for them.

12
Understanding others
It is important to remember that everyone experiences life differently,
and it is important to understand how others feel. Understanding
how others feel can help us be kinder to them, and to create a
kinder world. Use the activities below to think about and learn how
to understand others.

Can you imagine…

Look at the stories below, can you imagine being the people below?
How might they feel?

Story How might they feel?

Extension
1. Your friend doesn’t understand the
activity: Has this
homework, they think it is too difficult
ever happened to
for them.
you? Think about
how it felt. Does 2. A family member wants to share a
this help you to story with the family about something
understand how important to them. Nobody is listening
others might feel? to them.

3. Someone is calling your friend

names because they are different.
Other people are laughing.

4. Someone has fallen over and hurt

their leg quite badly.

(to learn the first aid skill for this injury,

go to the first aid pages)

How can I help?

Think about the people above. Imagine you were there, what could you
do to help them? Which things below could you do to help? Write the
Extension number of the story next to the kind solution. Some can be used in all
activity: The poet
Maya Angelou once the situation. Which ones are always helpful?
said, “If we try and
understand each
other, we may even Keep Listen to
Ask how the person
become friends.” their leg
they feel who is upset
What do you think still
this means? How
can understanding
someone help you Say
Tell an
something
to be friends? adult
kind

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 13

Learning new skills
Learning new skills can help make us cope with change and challenges.
A skill is any activity that you can do, for example, cooking, skateboarding
or working well in a team. Reflect on your skills, hold a skill learning
exchange and make a pledge to learn another skill with the activities below.

Why are skills useful?

Match the skill to the challenges below. What skills can the characters or
someone else use to help in these situations? You will be able to use more
than one skill for each situation. Draw a line to the skills each person can use.

Asking for
Technical skills Listening skills Coping skills
help skills

Wadeisor Sasha is Abdul is Peter has Harry’s Becca’s It’s Liu’s

has fallen worried about feeling just arrived friends are computer grandma’s
and hit a problem lonely in a new arguing about isn’t working birthday
their head at school country something properly

First aid Foreign Quick thinking Arts and Kindness

skills language skills skills craft skills skills

What skills do I have?

Think about the special and useful skills

that you have.

Fill out the skill card below. Write your name

and write down your skills. Colour in the
correct number of stars to show how useful
you think each skill is.
Colour the correct number of hearts to
show how kind you think each skills is.

Extension activity: Could you learn

a new skill? Find someone in your
home who knows a skill you want to
learn. Offer to teach them one of your
skills. This way you can teach each
other a special skill.

14
Learn first aid
First aid is an important, useful and kind skill to know. You can help
yourself and others using first aid. Use the activities below to learn
some simple and easy first aid.

How can you help someone who has a burn

Step 1

They may have touched something hot and their

skin might be red, hot and painful.

20
Step 2 minutes
Take them to a cold tap and hold the burn under
cool running water for at least 20 minutes.

Step 3
While you’re helping to cool the burn, send someone
to get an adult.

Step 4

After the burn has cooled down, cover it

with cling film or a clean plastic bag.

Extension activity: Think about the

dangers in your home that could burn
The water helps to
you. What can you do to keep yourself
and others safe of this danger? make it hurt less
and cool it
British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 15
How can you help someone who is bleeding

Step 1
If someone is bleeding a lot there will be
too much blood for a plaster.

Step 2
Press hard on the bleed using something
like a towel, T-shirt or even just your hand.

Step 3
Tell an adult and call 999.

Step 4
Keep pressing on it until help arrives.

Press hard to Extension activity:

Imagine someone in your house has a
bleed. What will you do? Make up a story
help stop the with a family member and act it out.
Make sure you do the four steps above,
bleeding do you remember them?

16
How can you help someone who has a head injury

Step 1
They may have banged their head. Their head
might hurt and a bump might appear on it.

Step 2
Help them to rest.

Step 3
Hold something cold on where they have
bumped their head (like a bag of frozen peas
wrapped in a towel).

Step 4
Tell an adult. If they
become sleepy, vomit or
seem confused, call 999.

Wrap it in a towel so Extension activity:

What kind words could you say
to someone to help them feel better?
the frozen thing isn't Why is it important to comfort people
when they are injured?
too cold on your skin

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 17

How can you help someone with a broken bone

Step 1
Someone may have broken a bone if they have fallen
or been hit by something. They may be in a lot of
pain. They could have swelling and bruising or be in
a strange position.

Step 2
Keep it still and supported. You can use
a cushion, clothes or even your hand.

Step 3
Tell an adult.

Moving it might hurt Extension activity: What do you have

in your home that can help you support
a broken bone? Think about what
or make it worse, material and texture it should be to keep
it still and supported.
so keep it still

18
Reflective word search

Take some time to reflect on everything you have

learned in this pack. See how many words you can
find in the word search below. What have you learned
about each word, could you describe it someone? Extension activity: Find the
secret word that matches the
definition at the bottom.

Understand
Kindness
Burn
Bleed
Head
Injury
Broken
Bone
Help
Friends
First Aid
Feelings
Emotions
Coping
Wellbeing
Skills

Means coping well with challenges and

being ready for change.

How would you describe this word?

Write your own meaning:

British Red Cross Kindness activity pack 19

 Let's Challenge your English!
sdjsnfj

Let's solve it!

¿Sabrías averiguar de qué binomial idiom estoy hablando con la ayuda de
estas imágenes?
sdjsnfj

Fíjate en el ejemplo y continua con los demás.

+ = Bride and groom

+ = ...................

+ = ...................

+ = ...................

+ = ...................

Maria Speaks English

 Let's Challenge your English!
sdjsnfj

Let's solve it!

Completa las siguientes frases con alguno de los binomial idioms que hemos
sdjsnfj

aprendido hoy

1. The new car had all the ____________ , including a sunroof and a premium
sound system
2. After the car accident, she was left ____________ and couldn't move her arm
3. The company always goes ____________ to satisfy their customers' needs.
4. He was given a list of ____________ for his new job, including arriving on time
and dressing professionally
5. The instructions were ____________, with no room for interpretation
6. The project started out well but eventually ____________ due to poor
planning
7. She couldn't believe her own ____________ had betrayed her and stolen
from her business
8. They are going to help us to earn our ____________ with that job
9. His arm was ____________ due to the fall

10. We all need a break from the ____________ of our daily lives

Maria Speaks English

 Let's Challenge your English! sdjsnfj

¿Sabrías unir cada binomial idiom con su explicación en inglés?

sdjsnfj

a. Unpredictable, unreliable
1. Above and beyond
b. Decidedly; thoroughly; completely
2. Bells and whistles
c. Doing something with utmost effort and dedication
3. Black and blue
d. Without direction or planning; haphazardly
4. Bread and butter
e. To fail very suddenly, obviously, and completely
5. Cat and mouse
f. The whole of one's energy and passion
6. Cause and effect
7. Bride and groom g. Covered in livid bruises

8. Cut and dry h. Not open to more than one interpretation

9. Crash and burn i. To pursue or play with someone or something

10. Flesh and blood j. Easily audible and understandable

11. Good and proper k. A person's livelihood or main source of income
12. Heart and soul l. To entertain or treat someone with luxury
13. Hit and miss m. Woman and man on their wedding day
14. High and dry n. An action or event as a direct result of the others
15. Hustle and bustle
o.Without resources or help
16. Peace and quiet
p. In a peaceful and calm environment
17. Wine and dine
q. Busy noisy activity of a lot of people in one place
18. Loud and clear
r. Family members or close relatives
19. Willy-nilly
s. Extra features or accessories
20. Do's and don'ts
t. What you should and should not do

Let's solve it!

1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10-
sdjsnfj

11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20-

Maria Speaks English

 Let's Challenge your English!
sdjsnfj

Let's solve it!

¿Podrías completas los siguientes binomial idioms con ayuda de la ilustración?
sdjsnfj

Bread and ______

Crash and ______
______ and proper
______ and miss
Peace and ______
______ and dine
Kiss and ______
______ and bounds
______ and whistles
Alive and ______
Bits and ______
Safe and ______
Chalk and ______
By and ______
and take

Maria Speaks English

Tipos de Compound Adjectives sdjsnfj

Number + Singular Noun

I work an eight-hour shift

There is a five-minute delay
They're paying for her four-week vacation
She wrote a twenty-page speech
I have a five-dollar bill

¡Olvídate de la S!
I have a five-dollars bill

Adjective + Noun

Their long-distance relationship isn't working

His short-term memory was damaged in the accident
She stared at herself for some time in the full-length mirror
Are you ready to make a long-term commitment?
It was a last-minute decision

Adjective + Gerund

They make such a good-looking couple

We need to foster long-lasting relationships with the team
She's a hard-working woman
We need an easy-going team member
They want to live in a Spanish-speaking country

Noun + Gerund

Their record-breaking figures made history

The company implemented new time-saving measures to increase
productivity
There was a thought-provoking article about poverty
He has a self-effacing manner
Writing essays can be time-consuming but very rewarding

Maria Speaks English 9

Tipos de Compound Adjectives sdjsnfj

Noun + Adjective

Our university has turned out some world-famous scientists

Do you have gluten-free options?
I'm afraid this is a smoke-free space, Sir
I'm looking for a pet-friendly restaurant
He turned his sky-blue eyes to me

Adjective + Participle

They live in a well-kept house

He's a good-natured person
They have a quick-tempered boss
She's a kind-hearted mother
Their narrow-minded vision won't take them anywhere

Adverb + Participle

Australia is a densely-populated island

He's a highly-respected person
The kid is well-behaved
They're looking for a well-educated trainer
Her widely-recognized talent made her famous

Noun + Participle

The sun-dried tomatoes are my favorite

Many boats are wind-powered
I was tongue-tied when I met a celebrity
He's a two-faced politician
The picture shows a one-winged bird

¿Cuándo no llevan hyphen? (-)

Hay casos en los que se ha normalizado su escritura sin el guion

homesick, bulletproof, handmade, pigheaded, overstuffed, undercooked

Maria Speaks English 10

 5 Fith Step
Let's Challenge your English!
¡Llegó el momento de la verdad! The moment of truth!
Pon a prueba tu inglés con todo lo que hemos aprendido hasta ahora.

Exercise 1
Match the following words together to form new compound adjectives and place them
sdjsnfj

in the right place of the chart

1. Part a. reaching
2. Well b. cold
3. Middle c. provoking
4. Tongue d. fashioned
5. English e. minute
6. Narrow f. speaking
7. Old g. thinking
8. Time h. time
9. Five sdjsnfj
i. star
10. Hard j. behaved
11. Far k. aged
12. Short l. minded
13. Forward m. saving
14. Ice n. tied
15. Last o. rooted
16. Thought p. tempered
17. Deeply q. working

Noun + Singular Noun Adjective + Noun Adjective + Gerund Noun + Gerund

Hard-working

Noun + Adjective Adjective + Participle Adverb + Participle Noun + Participle

Maria Speaks English 11

 5 Fith Step
Let's Challenge your English!
Exercise 2
Now use the compound adjectives you created to complete these sentences
sdjsnfj

1. She's looking for a ______ job that can let her spend time with her daughter
2. He's ambitious, ______ and full of enthusiasm for a job he loves
3. I'm lucky that my students are ______ and keen to learn

4. A _______ hotel would not treat us like this

5. Elvis' fan base is mostly _______ ladies

6. The company implemented new ________ measures to increase productivity

7. He stood there shy and _________ before the huge audience
8. The bedroom was full of heavy ________ furniture

9. Sadly, I don't have many _______ friends to practice my English with

sdjsnfj

10. Her mother was ________ about religion

11. The consequences of the decision will be ________
12. He had a _______ feeling of insecurity

13. She gets __________ when she's tired

14. His essay about poverty was certainly ________

15. The company needs a ________ marketing team

16. She was doing some __________ revision for her exams
17. I felt her hand and it was __________

Maria Speaks English 12

 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
GENERAL ENGLISH · PRACTICAL ENGLISH · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

MEETING
PEOPLE
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1A79-A22E-E1M1

1 Introductions

In pairs, what would you say in the following situations?

1. You are at a party. Introduce yourself to a stranger.

2. You arrive for a doctor’s appointment. Introduce yourself to the receptionist.
3. You are at a party. Introduce two friends of yours to each other.
4. You arrive for a job interview. Introduce yourself to your potential employer.
Audio
5. You see someone who you have heard about but have not met before. Introduce yourself to him.

Now listen to 5 mini-dialogues and match them to the situations above.

2 First-time introductions

What do you say when you are introduced to somebody for the first time? Match the phrases on
the left with the appropriate responses on the right from the dialogues. Listen again to check your
answers.

1. Nice to meet you. a. How do you do?

2. You must be Mary. b. Me too. I’ve heard a lot about you.

3. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. c. Nice to meet you. I’m Simon.

4. I’m Alice. d. Nice to meet you too.

5. How do you do? e. Yes, that’s right.

Which phrase/response above would you only use in more formal situations?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/2

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

MEETING PEOPLE

3 Introducing other people

Look at Dialogue 5 from the above exercises. What could you say instead of the underlined expression?
Complete the alternatives below.

Alice: Do you two know each other? George, this is Simon.

George: Nice to meet you, Simon.
Simon: Nice to meet you too.

1. Simon, you met George? George, this is Simon.

2. Simon, I’d you to meet George.

Walk around the class introducing yourself and others.

4 People you know

Audio Listen to the dialogues. In which dialogue do the speakers have a formal relationship? In which
dialogue do the speakers have an informal relationship?

Complete the dialogues with the expressions below. Listen again to check your answers.

give my regards to how are you today? how’s it going? I’ll do that
I’ll let you go then I must be on my way I should be going I won’t keep you
Not too bad say hello to see you very well

1
Dialogue 1 Simon: Hi Alice,
2
Alice: . How was your weekend?
3
Alice: Oh, is that the time? . I have to do some shopping before
the shops close.
4 5
Simon: OK, . George for me.
6
Alice: Sure. .

7
Dialogue 2 Mr Caulson: Hello Mr Jones,
8
Mr Jones: , thank you. And you?
9
Mr Jones: Well, I have several important meetings today, so .
10 11
Mr Caulson: Oh well, then. your wife.
12
Mr Jones: . Goodbye.

Walk around the class using the expressions from this exercise with the people you met earlier. Keep
the conversation between saying ‘hello’ and saying ‘goodbye’ short. Practise both informal and formal
expressions.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/2

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 Base and Extreme Adjectives
¿Qué son?

Todos conocemos al menos los típicos adjetivos en inglés que

aprendemos en el colegio: tall, ugly, intelligent...

Pero en el Challenge de hoy hemos ido más allá. Recuerda la diferencia

que hay entre los base y extreme adjectives. Después échale un vistazo
a la super lista que te he preparado. ¡No te olvides de leer los ejemplos!

Base adjectives

Los adjetivos "normales" de

toda la vida

Hungry
Small
Big

Strong adjectives

Los adjetivos exagerados,

expresan una cualidad extrema

Very hungry = starving

Very small = tiny
Very big = huge

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Cold

It was cold outside, so I wore a heavy coat.
Extreme Adjective: Freezing
The water in the lake was freezing, but we still went for a swim.

Base Adjective: Happy

Sarah was happy when she received her exam results.
Extreme Adjective: Ecstatic/thrilled/stoked
Lisa was ecstatic when she found out she won the lottery.

Base Adjective: Hot

The sun was shining and it was hot outside, so we went to
the beach.
Extreme Adjective: Scorching/Boiling
The desert was scorching, with temperatures reaching over
100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Base Adjective: Beautiful

The sunset over the ocean was beautiful and filled the sky
with vibrant colors.
Extreme Adjective: Breathtaking/Gorgeous
The view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Funny

The comedian's jokes were funny, and the audience couldn't
stop laughing.
Extreme Adjective: Hilarious
The movie was hilarious, and we laughed uncontrollably
throughout.

Base Adjective: Sad

Jenny felt sad when her best friend moved away.
Extreme Adjective: Devastated
Mark was devastated when he lost his job.

Base Adjective: Big

The elephant was big and majestic, towering over the other
animals.
Extreme Adjective: Enormous/Huge
The whale was enormous, easily dwarfing the boat beside it.

Base Adjective: Small

The tiny kitten fit comfortably in the palm of my hand.
Extreme Adjective: Minuscule/Tiny
The ants were minuscule, barely visible to the naked eye.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Fast

The cheetah was fast and agile, chasing down its prey
effortlessly.
Extreme Adjective: Lightning-fast
The Formula 1 car accelerated at a lightning-fast speed.

Base Adjective: Loud

The music at the concert was loud, and the crowd cheered
enthusiastically.
Extreme Adjective: Deafening
The explosion was deafening, causing everyone to cover their
ears.

Base Adjective: Smart/Intelligent

Alex is smart and always excels in his academic studies.
Extreme Adjective: Brilliant
Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist who revolutionized
physics.

Base Adjective: Brave

Despite his fear, John mustered the courage to jump off the cliff.
Extreme Adjective: Fearless
The firefighter entered the burning building fearlessly to save
lives.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Clean

The house was clean after a thorough day of cleaning.
Extreme Adjective: Spotless
The kitchen was spotless, with every surface gleaming.

Base Adjective: Dirty

After playing in the mud, the children were dirty from head to toe.
Extreme Adjective: Filthy
The neglected room was filthy, covered in dust and dirt.

Base Adjective: Rich

The billionaire owned multiple luxurious mansions and
expensive cars.
Extreme Adjective: Wealthy
The royal family was wealthy beyond imagination, with riches
spanning generations.

Base Adjective: Difficult

Climbing the steep mountain was difficult, requiring skill and
endurance.
Extreme Adjective: Challenging
The puzzle was challenging, with intricate patterns and a
multitude of pieces.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Wet

After the rain, the ground was wet and muddy.
Extreme Adjective: Soaked
The swimmer was soaked after diving into the pool.

Base Adjective: Quiet

The library was quiet, with students studying in hushed tones.
Extreme Adjective: Silent
The room fell silent as the speaker took the stage.

Base Adjective: High

The mountain peak was high, offering breathtaking views of the
surrounding landscape.
Extreme Adjective: Sky-high
The skyscraper was sky-high, towering over the city skyline.

Base Adjective: Busy

The city streets were busy, filled with cars and pedestrians
rushing by.
Extreme Adjective: Hectic
The holiday season at the mall was hectic, with long lines and
crowded stores.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Bright

The sun was bright, illuminating the entire room with its golden
rays.
Extreme Adjective: Blinding
The headlights of the oncoming car were blinding, temporarily
obscuring my vision.

Base Adjective: Old

The antique clock was old, passed down through generations.
Extreme Adjective: Ancient
The ruins of the temple were ancient, dating back thousands of
years.

Base Adjective: New

The car was new, with that fresh car smell still lingering.
Extreme Adjective: Brand new
The dress still had the price tag on, showing that it was brand
new.

Base Adjective: Weak

After being sick for a week, I felt weak and exhausted.
Extreme Adjective: Frail
The elderly woman was frail, requiring assistance for even
simple tasks.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Slow

The turtle was slow, inching its way across the sand.
Extreme Adjective: Sluggish
After a heavy meal, I felt sluggish and lacking energy.

Base Adjective: Narrow

The path was narrow, allowing only one person to walk through at
a time.
Extreme Adjective: Cramped
The tiny studio apartment felt cramped, with barely enough space
to move.

Base Adjective: Messy

The room was messy, with clothes strewn across the floor.
Extreme Adjective: Chaotic
The kitchen after a dinner party was chaotic, with dirty dishes
and spilled food.

Base Adjective: Exciting

The roller coaster ride was exciting, filled with twists and turns.
Extreme Adjective: Thrilling
The skydiving experience was thrilling, with an adrenaline rush
like no other.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Surprised

I was surprised to see my old friend at the party.
Extreme Adjective: Astonished
The magician's disappearing act left the audience astonished.

Base Adjective: Interested

The students were interested in the new science experiment.
Extreme Adjective: Fascinated
The child was fascinated by the colorful butterflies in the
garden.
Base Adjective: Important
It is important to prioritize your health and well-being.
Extreme Adjective: Vital/Essential/Crucial
Oxygen is vital for human survival.

Base Adjective: Tasty

The freshly baked cookies were tasty and delicious.
Extreme Adjective: Mouthwatering/Delicious/Scrumptious
The aroma of the sizzling steak was mouthwatering

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Cute

The little puppy was cute, with its floppy ears and wagging tail.
Extreme Adjective: Adorable
The baby's chubby cheeks and bright eyes made it even more
adorable.

Base Adjective: Thirsty

After running for an hour, I felt thirsty and reached for a bottle of
water.
Extreme Adjective: Parched
The desert traveler was parched, desperately searching for
water.

Base Adjective: Angry

The customer became angry after receiving poor service at the
restaurant.
Extreme Adjective: Furious
The driver became furious when another car cut him off on the
highway.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Base and Extreme Adjectives

e Super Complete List

Th

Base Adjective: Generous

The philanthropist was generous, donating millions to charitable
causes.
Extreme Adjective: Selfless
The volunteer's act of giving was selfless, expecting nothing in
return.

Base Adjective: Curious

The cat was curious, exploring every corner of the room.
Extreme Adjective: Inquisitive
The scientist had an inquisitive nature, constantly seeking answers
to new questions.

Base Adjective: Bad

The weather was bad, with heavy rain and strong winds.
Extreme Adjective: Terrible
The car accident was terrible, causing extensive damage and
injuries.

Base Adjective: Wise

The wise old owl perched on the branch, observing its
surroundings.
Extreme Adjective: Sagacious
The philosopher was known for his sagacious insights into human
nature.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to sound polite in English

En el Challenge de hoy hemos aprendido todo sobre las indirect

questions en inglés. Lo que también quiere decir que sabemos no solo
cómo sonar más natural en inglés, sino también cómo sonar mucho más
educados y menos directos. Ya sabes, los ingleses son los reyes del
politeness y hay que acostumbrarse.

Vamos a recordar cómo iba eso de las indirect questions para

interiorizarlo antes de todo lo nuevo que vamos a ver a continuación:

Do you know where are my keys? Do you know where my keys are?
We're trying to figure out where is our dog We're trying to figure out where our dog is
They asked me what was my name They asked me what my name was
Could you tell me where is the station? Could you tell me where the station is?

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to sound polite in English

Sujeto + Verbo

Is he English? Do you know if he is English?

Was Ethan late for dinner? Could you tell me if Ethan was late for dinner?
Have they been to Portugal? Do you know if they have been to Portugal?
Will you ever visit me? Do you know if you will ever visit me?
Will she be joining us for drinks? Could you tell me if she will be joining us for drinks?
Should we leave? Do you know if we should leave?
Does Miranda know? Could you tell me if Miranda knows?
Did she call yesterday? Do you know if she called yesterday?

Wh word + Sujeto + Verbo

Where are my keys? Do you know where my keys are?

What is her name? Could you tell me what her name is?
Who is she? Do you know who she is?
Where is the station? Could you tell me where the station is?
When are you leaving? Could you tell me when you are leaving?
How long has he been living here? Could you tell me how long he has been living here?
Why are your parents mad at you? Do you know why your parents are mad at you?
Where does your mom live? Could you tell me where your mom lives?
Why did you say such thing? Could you tell me why you said such thing?

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to sound polite in English

Si bien las indirect questions son una forma genial de sonar menos
directos y más polite en inglés, déjame decirte que en inglés existen
muchas otras formas de sonar so British that it hurts.

Bueno vale, quizá exagero un poco. Pero ya me entiendes. Hay

muchos truquitos que podemos utilizar además de las indirect
questions para suavizar nuestra forma de hablar en inglés.

Fíjate:

1 Usa palabras que suavicen el mensaje

Soft Direct
It’s kind of cold in here, isn’t it? It’s cold in here. Let’s close the
Could we close the window? window

Could you just turn the radio down

Turn down the radio
a little, please?

You may need to spend more time You need to spend more time
working a little bit on the rhythm working on the rhythm

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to sound polite in English
2 Usa cantidades y horas menos directas

Are you coming for dinner tomorrow night?

Absolutely. What time is best for you?

Any time around eight would be perfect

It’s about seven o’clock so I think we should be leaving soon

*(suena menos directo que It’s seven o’clock so we should be leaving now)

What colour is your dress?

It’s kind of green and brown, with a few gold buttons on the front

3 Usa menos "factual language" y más "vague language"

A veces, ser muy objetivo puede sonar demasiado directo al hablar, por lo que
añadimos "expresiones vagas"

Vague language Factual language

There’s sort of something I don’t like There’s something I don’t like about
about her her

It’s kind of bright in here It’s too bright in here

I can’t meet up later. I have too I can’t meet up later. I have a to finish
much stuff/to many things to do a school project for tomorrow

We’re meeting Veronica at four-ish We’re meeting Veronica at four

We expect to take in or around two We expect to take two years and four
years to complete the project months to complete the project

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to sound polite in English

4 Usa modales

Podemos utilizar ciertos verbos modales, especialmente las formas pasadas de los
verbos modales can, may, shall y will (could, might, should y would), para ser más
educados o menos directos.

Soft Direct
Could you pass the salt, please? Pass the salt
Would you follow me, please, sir? Follow me
Would you mind moving your car, Move your car
please?

5 Cambia los tiempos verbales

Soft Direct
I was hoping you had it I hope you have it

I thought you might want to rest for a

Do you want to rest for a while?
while

I wanted to ask you a question I want to ask you a question

I was hoping I could get your help I need your help

I was wondering if I could have I want some coffee

some coffee

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME
TO BECOME
REALITY SERIES
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1AVI-V2UF-SK3D

1 Warm up
Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you enjoy watching game shows? Why/why not?

2. Why do you think game shows are popular? Did you watch Squid Game? If so, did you like it?
Why/why not?
3. Would you ever consider taking part in a game show or reality TV series?
4. Do you think people who take part in game shows or reality TV series are more interested in
money or becoming famous?

2 Pre-listening task: vocabulary focus

Part A: Match words with the correct definitions.

1. inevitable (adj.) a. at the beginning

2. streaming platform (n) b. public discussion and argument, about something that many
people strongly disagree about, think is bad or are shocked by
3. participant (n) c. fail to use an opportunity to enjoy or benefit from something

4. recruit (n) d. an online entertainment website or app where viewers can

watch series, films etc.
5. empty-handed (adj.) e. a person who joins an organisation, a company etc.

6. miss out (phr. v) f. without getting what you wanted

7. initially (adv.) g. describing something that cannot be avoided or prevented

8. controversy (n) h. a person who is taking part in an activity, event or competition

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

Part B: Complete the sentences with the missing words from Part A. You may need to change the
form of the word.

controversy empty-handed inevitable initially

missed out participant recruits streaming platforms

1. As a in the documentary, I had to sign a form to say I was happy to take part in
the film.

2. My sister took part in a game show last month, but unfortunately she went home .

3. Jack intended to study medicine at university, but he ended up studying literature

instead.

4. Some have reported losses as cinemas started to reopen around the world.

5. Tammy on the gold medal, but as she finished second, she received the silver one.

6. My company has taken on five new for a special project. They may be offered a
full-time job afterwards.

7. There has been a lot of over the government’s decision to cut financial help.

8. It seems that temperatures will rise around the world over the next decade.

3 Listening for specific information

Listen to the report. Match the numbers and dates mentioned with the things they relate to.
Video

111 million 2023 2024 21 4 456 4.56 million

a. the number of recruits who will take part in the new reality TV show

b. the prize money, in dollars, that participants could win

c. the minimum age participants will need to be to take part in the show

d. the number of weeks that participants will need to be available for

e. the year in which filming of the reality TV show will begin

f. the number of viewers that watched Squid Game in the first 28 days

g. the year in which the second season of Squid Game is set to be released
Audio

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

4 Listening for comprehension

Listen to the report again. Answer the questions true, false or not given.

1. The reality TV show will feature recruits from around the world.

2. The new reality show will consist of nine episodes.

3. None of the participants will go home empty-handed, with the prize money being shared by
everyone.

4. The TV show will be open to people who don’t speak English.

5. In terms of viewing figures, Squid Game is the most popular Netflix series of all time.

6. Although popular, the series was banned in 94 countries around the world.

7. Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk originally intended the series to be a film.

8. The series caused controversy online because of its violent content and mistakes in the subtitles.

What do you think about what you have heard in the news?

5 Reading: general vocabulary

Part A: Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. More and more people are stealing food from supermarkets in my country. I guess they’re becoming
desperate! (adj.)

2. We chose not to hire him in the end, as he was overqualified and we thought he would probably
get bored of the job within a few months. (adj.)

3. If you’re fed up with being exploited by your boss, maybe it’s time to look for a new job. (v)

4. I find the news quite upsetting these days, so I try to avoid watching it. (adj.)

a. treat a person or situation as an opportunity to gain an advantage for yourself

b. feeling or showing that you have little hope and are ready to do anything without worrying about
the danger to yourself or others

c. having more experience or training than is necessary for a particular job, so that people do not
want to employ you

d. making you feel unhappy, anxious or annoyed

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

II

1. It’s a big relief to finally find a place to live. We’ve been looking for months! (n)

2. If she’s selected, Jennifer will become the youngest footballer to represent her country. (v)

3. We had another huge argument yesterday. He thinks we should sell the house, but I don’t want
to move. (n)

4. I was horrified to discover that people were upset by my jokes. I thought they loved them! (adj.)

a. extremely shocked or frightened

b. the feeling of happiness that you have when something unpleasant stops or does not happen

c. a conversation or discussion in which two or more people disagree, often angrily

d. choose somebody/something from a group of people or things, usually according to a system

Part B: Complete the dialogue below with the words and phrases from the above exercise. You may
need to change the tense of the word or phrase. After completing the dialogue, read it out with a
partner, focusing on pronouncing the key vocabulary correctly.

Phil: I told you about the job, right?

Sara: No, what happened? Did you get it?

Phil: Well, first of all, I thought I was going to have an individual interview. When I got
there, there were lots of other candidates waiting in the same room. They told us
it was going to be a group interview, and I knew straight away that I wouldn’t be
1
.
2
Sara: You must have been ! I know how nervous you get around big groups
of people.
Phil: You’re right – for most people, it wouldn’t have been a problem, I suppose, but for me
3 4
it was quite . I actually had an with the person in
charge.
Sara: Really? What happened?

Phil: I told her I wasn’t expecting a group interview, and that I felt like they were
5
us. They should have told us all in the email.
Sara: How did she react?
6
Phil: She wasn’t very nice. She said that lots of people are for a job, and
7
that most of the people in the room were , but that we would all be
lucky to work there.
Sara: Wow! That’s awful. What did you do?
8
Phil: Well, after that, I just left. Honestly, it was a big . I would never have
been happy in a place like that, and there are other jobs out there, after all.
Sara: I think you made the right decision!

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. Have you ever been told that you were overqualified for a job?
2. If you were told you had been selected for a games show that you hadn’t applied to, would you
take part in it?
3. If you won a large amount of money and never had to work again, would it be a relief, or would
you want to continue working anyway?
4. If you were desperate for money, would you consider doing something illegal?

6 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text about people’s opinions on the new Squid Game reality TV show. Scan the
text quickly and match the profession with the correct speaker. One profession cannot be matched
to any of the four speakers in the text and should be marked ‘Not given’

1. A recent graduate:

2. An athlete:

3. An artist:

4. A writer:

5. A teacher:

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

When fiction becomes reality

A reality TV show too far?

Ben, 34 C. I applied yesterday. I had to send a video off and take

A. It feels appropriate that a television series about a some photos, which I don’t mind doing – I’m quite
game show would result in an actual game show comfortable with my appearance. I think I stand a
based on the series. That being said, I think it’s in bad good chance of being selected. I’m very charming,
taste. The original, which I enjoyed, was very violent. and I’ve done some minor TV work before, such as
That’s fine within the context of the series, which is adverts for clothes shops. As for winning the thing,
about poor people being exploited by the super-rich. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. As a long-
The contestants are all desperate, ready to do almost distance runner, I’m physically fit, though, and I go to
anything for money. Making a real-life game show in the gym several times a week, so I think I’ll be able to
which people are encouraged to play similar games compete in any of the more active games. My friend,
– again, for money – seems a little too close to the Sandra, thinks it’s a very bad idea, and my parents
story of the fictional series. Then again, perhaps the aren’t keen on me doing it, but I have to make my
problem is game show culture in general. Maybe we own decisions, and I think this is the right move for
should try to make sure employees are all paid fairly me. I’m already setting up an Instagram account in
instead of offering the distant hope of winning a large case I get chosen. Wish me luck!
amount of money to escape our difficult lives. That’s
what my novel is about, and I think it’s an important
Kate, 44
message for our times.
Callie, 23
D. My teenage daughter told me about the game show
B. I just finished university, and even though I got yesterday. She said she was thinking of applying. We
good grades, I can’t find a job. There’s nothing at had a huge argument, and she ran out of the house
all in my town – even in the capital, there doesn’t crying. I felt a bit bad, but I was horrified at the idea
seem to be any graduate opportunities. I’ve started of her taking part in something like that. I watched
looking for lower-paid jobs, but they usually tell me the first episode of Squid Game and found it to be
I’m overqualified. Four and a half million is a lot very upsetting. It’s far too violent, in my opinion,
of money, a life-changing figure, and I’m seriously and I really don’t think teenagers should be watching
thinking about applying. The only thing that worries it. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to any of my
me is the idea of being on television. I don’t really students! I suppose my daughter saw it at her friend’s
want to be famous, and I don’t think I could deal with house. Anyway, today, I discovered that you have
the attention. I also think it wouldn’t be fair to my to be over 21 to participate in the series. Imagine
family. Then again, it’s quite unlikely that I would win, my relief! My daughter seemed disappointed, but I
so I might not have to worry about it! I’ll talk the idea think she was secretly relieved too. I took her for ice
over with my friends. There are probably easier ways cream to make things up to her. I told her that, if she
to get rich! wants to be famous, she’s better off focusing on her
Nico, 21 paintings instead. She’s a fantastic artist!

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

7 Reading comprehension

Read the article again. For each question, choose the answer you believe best suits the speaker.

1. According to Ben, what is wrong with game show culture?

a. He thinks game shows exploit desperate people, and that we should focus on paying everyone
fairly instead.
b. He thinks that game shows are old-fashioned and boring to watch.

c. He thinks game shows are too violent and encourage people to copy dangerous games in real
life.

2. Why is Callie not sure about applying for the Squid Game reality TV show?

a. She doesn’t think she’ll win.

b. She’s worried about the way she’ll look on television.

c. She doesn’t want to become famous.

3. Why is Nico confident about his chances of winning the reality TV show?

a. He feels good about the way he looks and thinks that other participants will like him.

b. He has had experience in TV before.

c. He is in good shape and thinks he has a good chance of winning any of the physical games.

4. Why was Kate relieved?

a. Her daughter decided not to take part in the new show.

b. Her daughter can’t take part in the new show because you have to be over 21 to participate.

c. Her daughter wants to focus on her art instead and is hoping to become a famous painter.

8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think the new Squid Game reality TV show is a good or bad idea?
2. Why do you think the original Squid Game series was/is so popular?
3. Would you like to be famous, or would you find it difficult to deal with the attention?
4. If you wanted to be on a TV show but your family weren’t keen on the idea, would you do it
anyway?
5. Are the violent elements of Squid Game a problem, or are they necessary for the story?
6. How can we protect children from copying violent scenes from television shows?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SQUID GAME TO BECOME REALITY SERIES

9 Optional extension/Homework: expressions and phrasal verbs

Part A: Using the text above for reference, complete the definitions of the phrases and expressions
below by filling in the gaps with the correct words from the list.

discuss effect happen happier offensive problem sorry start

1. cross that bridge when you come to it: worry about a when it actually happens
and not before

2. make (something) up to (someone): do something for somebody or give them something in order
to say for something you have done to them

3. be better off (doing something): say that someone is because they are in a much
better position

4. set up: to create something or it

5. keen on: wanting to do something or wanting something to very much

6. be in bad taste: be and not at all appropriate

7. talk (something) over: something carefully and completely, especially in order to

reach an agreement or make a decision

8. life-changing: having such a big that it changes somebody’s life

Part B: Complete the sentences with the correct word, phrase or expression from Part A.

1. Jessica now that she’s moved to Italy. She’s really enjoying life!

2. The new job would have been , but I decided not to take it. I like
my current job.

3. My wife isn’t some of my hobbies. She finds them very boring.

4. I things to my sister by taking

her to a theme park at the weekend.

5. I’m helping my grandfather an email account tomorrow. Wish me

luck!

6. After things , we decided to sell

the house.

7. Moving to another country with a pet is going to be hard, but .

8. I think the new statue of Margaret Thatcher . Most people around

here disliked her.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 8/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 25 Idioms about feelings and emotions
The ones you need to know!

En el Challenge de hoy hemos visto lo importante que es no solo

aprender idioms en inglés para sonar más natural, sino adentrarnos
un poco en la forma de pensar anglosajona para entenderlos mejor
y que podemos intuir el significado de una expresión que no
conocíamos antes:

The bone's too big to bury

To have a bone to pick with

To bury the hatchet
somebody

Tener un problema/asunto Enterrar el hacha de guerra, hacer

pendiente con alguien las paces

A continuación. vamos a ver algunos de mis idioms favoritos para

expandir tu vocabulario y darle más vidilla incluso a tu inglés.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 25 Idioms about feelings and emotions
The ones you need to know!

Cut someone some slack

To be less critical or demanding of someone, allowing them some
leeway or forgiveness.
Example: She's been working long hours all week, so let's cut her
some slack and not expect perfection.

Get under someone's skin

To irritate or annoy someone deeply.
Example: His constant complaining really gets under my skin.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

To openly display or show one's emotions, especially love or affection.
Example: She's always wearing her heart on her sleeve and
expressing her feelings to everyone.

Catch someone off guard

To surprise or catch someone unprepared or unaware.
Example: The sudden question caught her off guard, and she
struggled to find an answer.

Wear many hats

To have multiple roles or responsibilities.
Example: As a small business owner, she has to wear many hats,
from marketing to accounting.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 25 Idioms about feelings and emotions
The ones you need to know!

Get something off your chest

To express or reveal something that has been bothering or
troubling you.
Example: He finally got it off his chest and told his friends about
his struggles.

Face the music

To accept and confront the consequences of one's actions or
decisions.
Example: He knew he had to face the music after making such
a big mistake.

Butter someone up
To flatter or praise someone excessively, often with an ulterior
motive.
Example: He tried to butter up the boss to get a promotion.

Let sleeping dogs lie

To avoid bringing up old conflicts or reopening past issues.
Example: It's best to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up their
previous disagreement.

Sweep something under the rug

To ignore or conceal a problem or issue instead of addressing it
directly.
Example: They tried to sweep the financial scandal under the
rug, but eventually, the truth came out.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 25 Idioms about feelings and emotions
The ones you need to know!

Out of the blue

Suddenly and unexpectedly, without any warning or preparation.
Example: She received a job offer out of the blue and decided
to accept it.

Keep a straight face

To maintain a serious or composed expression, especially when
faced with something humorous or absurd.
Example: The comedian's jokes were so funny that it was hard
to keep a straight face.

See eye to eye

To have the same opinion or viewpoint as someone else.
Example: We don't always agree, but on this matter, we see eye
to eye.

Have a bee in your bonnet

To be obsessed or preoccupied with a particular idea or concern.
Example: Lately, she has had a bee in her bonnet about starting
her own business.

Rub someone the wrong way

To irritate or annoy someone.
Example: His constant bragging really rubs me the wrong way.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 25 Idioms about feelings and emotions
The ones you need to know!

Speak of the devil

used when someone mentioned in a conversation appears
unexpectedly.
Example: We were just talking about her, and speak of the devil,
here she is!
Steal someone's thunder
to take credit or attention away from someone's achievement or
announcement.
Example: His colleague stole his thunder by presenting the idea
as her own.

Jump on the bandwagon

to join or support a popular trend or cause.
Example: After the team's success, many people jumped on the
bandwagon and became fans.

Rain on someone's parade

to spoil or ruin someone's plans or happiness.
Example: I don't want to rain on your parade, but the concert
has been canceled.

Have a change of heart

to change one's opinion, attitude, or decision about something.
Example: After considering their arguments, she had a change
of heart and decided to support the proposal.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 25 Idioms about feelings and emotions
The ones you need to know!

Fall head over heels

to fall deeply and madly in love with someone.
Example: From the moment they met, he fell head over heels
for her.

Keep your chin up

to remain cheerful and optimistic in difficult situations.
Example: Even though things are tough right now, keep your
chin up and believe in yourself.

Lose your cool

to become angry or lose control of your emotions.
Example: He lost his cool when he found out his car had been
towed.

Read between the lines

to understand or find a hidden meaning in what is being said or
written.
Example: His message was vague, but if you read between the
lines, it was clear he was unhappy.

Stick to your guns

to remain firm or resolute in one's beliefs, decisions, or actions.
Example: Despite the criticism, she stuck to her guns and
defended her position.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Phrasal Verbs

Además de fijarnos en la partícula que los acompaña,

también hay que saber diferenciar si un phrasal verb es
separable o inseparable.
It's crucial!

SEPARABLES INSEPARABLES

Podemos colocar el El verbo y la partícula funcionan

complemento entre las dos como un bloque, no los podemos
partículas. separar.

I’m going to pick my sister

up from school I’m looking after my sister

I’m going to pick up my I’m looking my sister after

sister from school!

Cuando usamos un pronombre como complemento (her, him, it, us…)

con un verbo separable, siempre separamos el phrasal verb, aquí ya no
hay opción.
Por ejemplo:

She’ll pick me up from class

She’ll pick up me from class

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Phrasal Verbs

Una piensa en todo, my dear.

Así que para hacerte la vida más fácil y exprimir el día del
Challenge al máximo, te he preparado una lista completa con
los phrasal verbs que más se usan clasificados por separable
o inseparable.

Don't thank me, thank Cher and the music!

Separables

Pick up recoger a alguien o levantar algo del suelo

Put on vestirse o encender algo
Put out poner algo afuera o apagar un fuego
Try on probarse ropa
Cheer up animarse
Do over repetir algo
Give up rendirse o dejar de hacer algo
Give out distribuir
Give back devolver
Hand over entregar
Hand in entregar los deberes, un documento…
Leave out excluir u omitir
Look up buscar información en un diccionario o un libro
Pick out escoger o seleccionar

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Phrasal Verbs

Separables

Turn around girarse

Turn on encender
Turn off apagar
Turn down rechazar, reducir.
Keep up seguir haciendo algo
Look over mirar algo por encima
Bring back traer algo de vuelta
Head for dirigirse hacia algún lugar
Give away regalar
Show off presumir de algo
Take over conquistar o dominar
Take away quitarle algo a alguien
Take up empezar una nueva actividad
Think over considerar algo
Make up inventarse algo o reconciliarse con alguien
Put off posponer un acontecimiento o evento
Figure out resolver o calcular algo
Talk over hablar sobre algo
Cut down (on something) reducir el consumo o uso de algo

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Phrasal Verbs

Inseparables

Call on llamar o recurrir a alguien

Check in registrarse en un hotel
Come back volver
Go on continuar
Go over revisar algo
Go back ir de regreso
Get along with llevarse bien con alguien
Get on subirse un medio de transporte (cualquier menos el
coche)
Go into ir dentro de algo
Get off bajarse de un medio de transporte
Get in subirse al coche
Get out of salirse de algún lugar
Fall down caerse o derrumbarse
Fall off caerse de una superficie superior a otra inferior
Find out descubrir algo

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Phrasal Verbs

Inseparables

Look around mirar alrededor

Look out! ¡ten cuidado!
Make sure of asegurarse de algo
Pay off dar sus frutos
Carry out llevar a cabo algo
Take off despegar
Roll up enrollar
Show up aparecer en algún sitio
Run away huir de algún lugar
Come across cruzarse con alguien o algo
Drop out dejar de ir al colegio o a la universidad
Get through atravesar o superar una situación
Get up levantarse

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
GENERAL ENGLISH · B2 FIRST PREPARATION · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING
EMAILS PART
1 (INFORMAL)
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1BDZ-X26D-MDUS

1 Warm-up

Look at the picture below and answer the questions.

1. What kind of holiday are these people having?

2. Where could these people be?
3. What time of year do you think it is?
4. Does this road look easy or difficult?
5. Where do you think they are going to sleep tonight?
6. Have you ever been on this type of holiday? Did/Would you enjoy it? Why/not?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/5

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana English's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

2 Reading and writing

Now read the writing task and the notes.

You are planning to spend a week of your summer holiday cycling through England and now
you are writing an email to an English friend of yours to ask for some answers to specific
questions (140-190 words). Use these notes to help:
• Pretty place?
• No hills!
• Best month?
• Accommodation?

Read the model answer on the next page and answer the questions below.

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your last email! Sorry I haven’t been in touch with you for a while, but I’ve had a
really crazy time at work recently! In fact, I need a holiday now, and I’m writing to ask you
some questions about cycling in the UK.
I’m really getting into cycling around town here, but I’m not very fit, so I’m looking for a
beautiful area of England which doesn’t have many hills! Can you recommend somewhere
that’s flat and pretty?
I can take my holiday in July or August – when is the weather usually better? I want to avoid
the rain, but it’s best if the sun isn’t too hot. Maybe that’s never a big problem in England!
How about meeting up while I am in the UK? I’m looking forward to planning this holiday, so
write soon with your ideas! Please give your family my love.
Love,
Anna

1. Did the writer cover all four points from the task?
2. Where should the missing point go in the text? Mark the place with an arrow.
3. The missing point could be introduced like this: Another reason to plan for good weather is that I
want to have a go at camping. Is this a terrible idea?
Complete this point by putting these words in order, to make a question:
accommodation / any / Can / cheap / for me / of / other / recommend / types / you?

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/5

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana English's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

3 Language focus - verb phrases

Match the phrasal verbs/verb phrases on the left to the definitions on the right.

1. be in touch (with a. arrange to see a friend, e.g. for a coffee

someone)
2. get into something b. contact someone using phone, email, letter, etc

3. look for something c. search for something you need

4. have a go at something d. start and enjoy a new activity or hobby

5. meet up with someone e. try a new activity or hobby for the first time

6. look forward to something f. wait for a specific event in the future with a positive feeling

Talk about these topics using full sentences and the verb phrases in bold:
• Someone you have been in touch with recently
• Someone you are going to meet up with at the weekend
• An activity you are getting into at the moment
• The next activity you’d like to have a go at
• Where you would look for your keys if you couldn’t find them
• Something you are looking forward to doing when you have a holiday or vacation

4 Style

Why has the writer used an informal style? What other examples of informal language are in this
text?

Choose the best option in each pair for informal style and give or underline examples from the model
answer.

a. Use first names only in the greeting and closing/ Use surnames/last names
b. Use contractions and other short forms./Avoid contractions and use long forms.
c. Use indirect questions/Use direct questions
d. Use phrasal verbs./Avoid phrasal verbs.
e. Use plenty of passives./Avoid passive forms.
f. Make jokes and lighthearted comments./Use more serious language.
g. Refer to personal relationships./Avoid referring to personal relationships.
h. Use emotional language./Use neutral language.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/5

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana English's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

5 Writing

Now plan and write this informal email task.

A friend of yours from abroad is planning to spend a week of their holiday with you walking
in your country and now you are writing an email to them to suggest some options (140-190
words). Use these notes to help:
• beautiful scenery and interesting history
• medium level of difficulty
• best weather in early autumn
• B&B/hostel accommodation

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/5

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana English's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

WRITING EMAILS PART 1 (INFORMAL)

6 After writing

Use this form to check your work – tick each point that you achieve.

C Content - you wrote about a walking holiday in your country with your
friend
- you made some suggestions and gave reasons about:
- a place with beautiful scenery and interesting history
- walks with medium level of difficulty
- the month with the best weather
- B&B/hostel accommodation
- you wrote 140-190 words

O Organization and layout - you used a letter format with opening and closing
- paragraph 1 explains why you are writing
- information is organized into separate and indented
paragraphs
- the last paragraph contains a closing phrase which refers to
the next step in your contact

A Accuracy and range - you used 3-5 of the verb phrases from the lesson correctly
- your language was generally accurate for B2 level

S Style you successfully achieved an informal style by using:

- appropriate informal greeting and closing - first names only
- contractions and short forms
- direct questions
you have used one or more of these:
- jokes
- references to personal relationships
- emotional language

T effect on the target reader - your friend feels informed about the options you are
suggesting
- your friend feels excited about the holiday

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/5

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana English's lessons.
 The Unreal Past

El Challenge de hoy nos ha dejado muchos truquitos de gramática

avanzada. ¡El Unreal Past ha venido para quedarse!

Pero... ¿De verdad creías que nos íbamos a quedar aquí? Si algo tienes
que saber de mí, es que soy una fuente inagotable de truquitos y no
pienso quedarme con las ganas de dártelos todos 😎

En primer lugar, vamos a hacer un repaso a todo lo que hemos visto

antes de adentrarnos más en el tema:

It's (high) time + unreal past

Tiene la connotación de que ya deberíamos haberlo hecho

It’s past their bedtime, it’s time we went home

Ya se ha pasado su hora de dormir, es hora de que nos fuéramos/vayamos a casa

It's time that we go home

It's time you paid your bills

Ya es hora de que pagues tus facturas

It's time that you pay your bills

Don't you think it's time you talked with her?

¿No crees que es hora de que hables con ella?

It's time that you talk with her

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 The Unreal Past

It's time + verbo en infinitivo

Tiene la connotación de que todavía hay tiempo para hacerlo

Come on Jenny, it's time to say goodbye

Vamos Jenny, es hora de irse

It's time to go to bed

Es la hora de irse a la cama

It's time to start packing before it gets too dark

Es hora de que hagamos la maleta antes de que oscurezca

I wish + unreal past

Se usa para hablar de algo que desearíamos que ocurriese pero
que es probable que no lo haga

I wish I had more time to spend with my daughter

I wish I were a bit taller
I wish I could time-travel
I wish you were here

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 The Unreal Past

I wish + past perfect

Se usa para hablar de algo que desearíamos no haber hecho

I wish I hadn't said that

I wish I had thought twice before telling you
I wish I had found out
I wish I had taken that job in London

I wish + would + verbo

Se usa para hablar de algo nos molesta
y queremos que alguien cambie

I wish you wouldn't borrow my clothes without asking

She wishes he'd work less, they never spend any time together
I wish he wouldn't speak so loudly
I wish you would stop talking for once!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 The Unreal Past

Ahora bien, vamos a ampliar un poquito. En inglés existe otra alternativa

al wish que hemos aprendido hoy. My dear, te presento a my best
friend... "If only".

Se trata de una forma de expresar un deseo en inglés y es algo más

fuerte que nuestro viejo amigo "wish", le da más énfasis al deseo en sí".
Lo podemos traducir al español por "si solo...", "ojalá que...".

If only + unreal past

Se usa para hablar de algo que desearíamos que
ocurriese pero que es probable que no lo haga

If only he knew the truth...

If only she weren’t so tired...
If only we knew what to do
If only we were rich...

If only + past perfect

Se usa para hablar de algo que desearíamos no haber hecho

If only I had known

If only I had listened to my sister...
If only she had paid attention...
If only I had been more careful...

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 The Unreal Past

If only + would + verbo

Se usa para hablar de algo nos molesta
y queremos que alguien cambie

If only you would care more about it

If only you would stop saying nonsense
If only they would stop talking!
If only my dad would work less!

If only!
Se usa también solo como contestación, como frase
independiente. Se traduce por: ¡Ojalá!

—So are you two dating now?

—If only!
— Así que, ¿estáis saliendo ya?
—¡Ojalá!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 The Unreal Past

Ahora que ya hemos visto este nuevo truquito, ¿te atreves a ponerlo a
prueba con la siguiente actividad? Go for it!

Completa las siguientes frases de modo que tengan el mismo

1
significado que la primera.

I didn't do the homework

I wish_________________________________________________________

They have committed a crime and now they have to face justice
They wish they ________________________________________________

She signed the contract without reading the small print

She wishes she ________________________________________________

She didn't listen to me. That's why she failed the test.
If only she______________________________________________________

I've got a splitting headache

I wish I _________________________________________________________

He never does any household chores. I'm sick and tired of it

I wish he ________________________________________________________

She never pays much attention in class

If only she _______________________________________________________

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

No nos engañemos. Entender a Adele a veces se nos puede hacer algo

cuesta arriba... No es de extrañar que sus canciones también estén
repletas de truquitos más avanzados. But that's the thrill of it!

A continuación, vamos a hacer una pequeña recapitulación de todo lo

que hemos visto hasta ahora con este temazo del Challenge.

Take note!

I'd rather drink some hot chocolate, please

I'd prefer to drink some hot chocolate, please

It seems she'd rather not spill the beans just yet

It seems she'd prefer not to spill the beans just yet

I'd rather watch a comedy film tonight

I'd prefer to watch a comedy film tonight

Would rather + verbo en infinitivo sin "to"

Would prefer + (not) to + verbo

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

Take an extra note!

She'd rather face the music than run away from her problems

I'd rather be caught dead than wear that outfit in public!

He'd rather cut off his own arm than admit he was wrong

Take an extra note!

I would prefer to stay at home and watch a movie rather than go

out and party all night
He would prefer to work through the problem rather than sweep it
under the rug
He would prefer to have an honest conversation rather than beat
around the bush

✌ Truquito Experto

Would rather + verbo en infinitivo sin "to" + ...+ than + verbo en infinitivo sin "to"

Would prefer + (not) to + verbo + ... + rather than + verbo en infinitive sin "to"

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

Let's recap...
Hablar de tus preferencias
I'd rather stay home tonight

Hablar de lo que prefieres que hagan otros

I'd rather you kept quiet

Hablar de preferencias del pasado

I'd rather have told you before
She'd rather you had arrived earlier

Significa bastante
You look rather tired today

Significa más bien o mejor dicho

I don't like him, rather I love him

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

Esto no se acaba aquí, dear. Te he preparado una serie de actividades

extras para poner todavía más a prueba a tu inglés. Porque el uso de
"rather" suele causar bastantes dudas y de aquí no nos vamos hasta que
lo veas todo crystal clear

A continuación, complétalas by yourself y comprueba en las soluciones

cómo te ha ido.

1) Vuelve a escribir la segunda frase de modo que esta tenga el

mismo significado que la primera.

I prefer going to the cinema to watching TV at home

I'd rather ________________________________________

Sarah prefers the cinema to the theatre

Sarah would prefer ______________________________

I like traveling by train more than going by plane

I'd rather ________________________________________

They prefer listening to music to reading

They would rather _______________________________

My nephew would rather play football than do puzzles

My nephew would prefer __________________________

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

2 Encuentra el error en las siguientes frases y corrígelo.

"I'd rather you doesn't go to the party tonight."

"She rather be reading a book than watch TV."
"They'd rather went to the beach yesterday."
"This isn't a cake, rather a pie."
"He's rather a fast to be a beginner."
"We'd rather not to go out tonight."
"She'd rather too young to be driving, isn't she?"
"I'd rather have go to the concert."
"This isn't a car, rather a truck."
"It's rather a cold for June, isn't it?"

3 ¿Podrías unir las siguientes frases para que tengan sentido?

1. "I'd rather stay at home..." "...for winter, isn't it?"

2. "She'd rather go swimming..." "...than attend the noisy party."
3. "He'd rather play the guitar..." "...it's a moth."
4. "It's rather hot..." "...than play the drums."
5. "This isn't a butterfly, rather..." "...than do weight lifting."

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

Elige la opción correcta que complete la frase de manera

4
adecuada

1. "I _____ go to the beach than stay at home."

a. would rather
b. would prefer
2. "She _____ to have a cup of tea rather than coffee."
a. would rather
b. would prefer
3. "We _____ not to talk about this right now."
a. would rather
b. would prefer
4. "They _____ to stay in a hotel rather than camp outdoors."
a. would rather
b. would prefer
5. "He _____ eat vegetables than junk food."
a. would rather
b. would prefer

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 How to use Rather

5 Traduce las siguientes frases al inglés.

"Preferiría comer en casa que en un restaurante."

"Ella preferiría que tú hicieras la tarea."

"Él es bastante alto para su edad."

"Preferirían que no fumases aquí."

"No es un perro, más bien es un gato."

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS
FARM TO OPEN
IN SPAIN
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1BZD-Z2U9-4F1N

1 Warm up

Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Have you ever eaten octopus? If not, would you?

2. Have you been to a sea life centre or aquarium? Do these kinds of attractions appeal to you?
3. Can you think of any animals you would call "highly intelligent"?
4. Do you think it’s morally good or wrong to eat or farm intelligent animals?
5. Is farming an animal for food worse than hunting the animal for the same reason? Why/why not?

2 Vocabulary focus

Part A: Match words with the correct definitions.

1. breeding (n) a. basic, main, standard or regular

2. staple (adj.) b. the act of producing young animals, plants etc.

3. estimate (v) c. supplies of something kept or stored until it is needed

4. draw (v) d. calculate or guess the size, cost or value of something

5. tank (n) e. attract attention or interest

6. reserves (n) f. a container, usually made of glass, in which fish, reptiles or

amphibians are kept

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

Part B: Complete the sentences with the missing words from Part A. You may need to change the
form of the word.

1. My dentist used to keep fish in a in his waiting room.

2. When travelling in a foreign country, it is often a good idea to avoid too much
attention to yourself.

3. Before paper money was used, items were sometimes traded directly when gold
were low.

4. Scientists have that there are around 100 thousand million stars in our galaxy.

5. In order to farm octopuses, researchers focused on the creature’s patterns.

6. foods such as oats and fruit are important for a healthy lifestyle.

3 Listening for specific information

Listen to the report. Match the items mentioned with the things they relate to.
Video

2023 3,000 350,000 4 52,000 65 million

1. When the company behind the new octopus farm will start selling farmed octopuses

2. The amount of money in euros that Nueva Pescanova has invested in the project

3. The area (in square metres) that the farm will occupy

4. The amount of octopus (in tonnes) caught every year

5. The average age an octopus reaches in years

6. The amount of octopus (in tonnes) the farm will produce each year
Audio

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

4 Listening comprehension

Listen to the report again. Answer the questions true, false or not given.

1. Nueva Pescanova used research from a Spanish Oceanographic Institute in order to begin farming
octopuses.

2. The farm will breed common octopuses only.

3. The dish known as Galician octopus is eaten throughout Spain.

4. One of the reasons that octopuses haven’t been farmed before is that, as babies, they can’t be fed
unless their food is still alive.

5. Australia, Japan and Mexico have criticised the decision to begin farming octopuses.

6. Although studies have shown octopuses to be intelligent, there is growing evidence that they can’t
experience emotions.

7. Octopuses are hard to breed because they are social animals and can’t be kept in isolation.

8. Octopuses need to consume more than their own body weight in food.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

5 Vocabulary
Part A: Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. The competing athletes had to pass a drug test before being allowed to enter the race.

2. Rivalry between football fans is common, and sometimes fights can break out at matches.

3. The internet can be distracting when you’re trying to work.

4. French cuisine is often seen as the best in the world.

5. It is possible that sentient creatures are living on another planet, far away from ours. Perhaps they
will contact us one day.

6. Some children require constant stimulation, and may benefit from attending a different type of
school.

7. Critics have said that the new climate agreement won’t be enough to save the planet.

8. Cats often show their curiosity by exploring their new home, but owners should be careful as they
can sometimes become lost.

a. an eager wish to know or learn about something

b. a state of competition between two groups of people

c. someone who says they do not approve of someone or something

d. making it difficult for someone to give their attention to something

e. able to experience feelings

f. the act of making somebody interested or excited about something by engaging their mind or
physical senses

g. used to describe the different teams or players in a competition

h. a style of cooking

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

Part B: Complete the short text with the correct words from Part A. You may need to change the form
of the words.

I decided to go to university in Germany instead of staying in England. One of the main

1
reasons behind my decision was that I wanted to experience different ,
although I ended up cooking most of my own food as I couldn’t afford to go to many
restaurants! As I was still there in the summer of 2010, I got to experience the World Cup in
2
another country. Both England and Germany were among the teams, and
3
there was quite a lot of between my new German friends and me. Honestly,
4
the whole thing was a little , as I was supposed to be focusing on my exams
5
at that time. I was studying biology, and most of my work involved animals.
6
I was particularly interested in intelligent sea creatures. I suppose my around this
topic started when I was a child. I saw an octopus at an aquarium in Birmingham, and the
experience had a strong impact on me. As soon as I got home I researched octopuses on the
7
internet and found out that they need a lot of , as they can become bored
very easily. Years later, I returned to Germany to make a documentary about octopuses, with
the help of my colleagues from university. The film was a success overall, although some
8
complained that it only showed one side of the discussion. I just hope that
I’ve been able to change people’s minds about these beautiful creatures!

Part C: Look at the images below and complete the sentences with the correct word.

predator shell mammal tentacles

1. Octopus’s can grow back after being removed.

2. Some creatures, such as turtles, use a for protection.

3. The blue whale is the largest in the world.

4. Some hunt in groups, such as wolves.

Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. Do you enjoy trying cuisine from different countries, or do you prefer to eat food from your own
country?
2. Are there likely to be other sentient forms of life in the universe? Why/why not?
3. Can you think of any animals that seem to have a high level of curiosity?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

6 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text on page 7 about octopuses. Scan the text quickly and match the headings
with the correct paragraph. One heading cannot be matched to any of the paragraphs in the text and
should be marked "Not given".

1. A creature with many tricks and talents

2. An unusual choice for a pet

3. An animal celebrity

4. A learning opportunity

5. Different types of intelligence

6. A popular source of food

7 Reading comprehension

Read the article again. Complete the sentences with between ONE to THREE words from the article.

1. An octopus known as Paul became famous after of World Cup football matches.

2. After German fans asked for Paul to be eaten, he was offered by the Spanish Prime
Minister.

3. It is common to find octopuses on around the world.

4. In order to escape, octopuses may shoot or detach one of their tentacles.

5. Experiments have shown that the creatures can solve using their arms.

6. Octopuses have been known to build out of shells, stones or pieces of broken
bottles.

7. As well as being an important part of the daily diet, octopuses are enjoyed as a in
many countries.

8. Demand has grown steadily , doubling between 1980 to 2019.

9. According to Dr Elena Lara, keeping octopuses in without any mental stimulation

would be wrong.

10. In the documentary My Octopus Teacher, a film maker with an octopus.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

The strangest of sentient sea creatures

Should octopuses be farmed?

1. In 2010, a common octopus became famous around even houses for themselves with shells, stones or
the world. "Paul the octopus" had a brief career pieces of broken bottles. These qualities have led
predicting the results of football matches in the to the octopus being protected by animal testing
World Cup. The creature was given two boxes to regulations, rules that are usually put in place only for
choose from, each containing food and marked with mammals and birds.
the national flag of one of the competing teams. With
12 correct predictions out of 14, Paul achieved a 4. Nonetheless, the octopus continues to be enjoyed in
success rate of 85.7%. Paul’s selection process was many countries as both a delicacy and an important
shown live on German television, and he became part of the daily diet. In Greece, they can be seen
a part of a light-hearted political rivalry between hanging on clothes lines to dry, and in Japanese
countries. At one point, he was offered official cuisine, the octopus is a common ingredient, often
state protection by the Prime Minister of Spain after served with rice, or fried with spices. Demand
German fans wanted him to be eaten. Following has been rising steadily over the years, doubling
his death later the same year, Paul lived on through between 1980 to 2019. This has led some to look
a phone app called "Ask the Octopus" and even for alternative solutions in an effort to avoid fishing
featured in Google’s temporary logo during the 2014 too many of the creatures. Octopus farms have
World Cup. long been considered a possibility, but with Nueva
Pescanova’s announcement in late 2021, it appears
2. Initially seen as something of a joke, Paul’s story
that the octopus could become the latest sentient
brought a lot of attention to these incredible animals.
animal to become a farmed product.
Although a familiar sight on plates around the world,
there is still a lot of mystery around octopuses. We
5. Critics have been quick to respond. Dr Elena
know, for example, that they have the ability to hide
Lara from campaign group Compassion in World
from predators by changing colour, and may create
Farming called octopuses "amazing" and said that
distracting patterns to confuse attackers. They may
placing such smart creatures in empty tanks with
also shoot ink clouds or even detach one of their
no mental stimulation would be "wrong". According
tentacles in an effort to escape. Perhaps the most
to Dr Jakob Vinther from the University of Bristol,
fascinating thing about the octopus, however, is their
octopuses show a level of playfulness and curiosity
intelligence.
similar to that of humans. Their viewpoints - which
3. Experiments have shown octopuses to be incredibly many scientists and environmentalists share - are
good problem-solvers. They can solve complex reflected in the 2021 Oscar-winning documentary
puzzles using their arms, and have been observed My Octopus Teacher, in which the film maker forms
opening containers or door latches to release food. a relationship with an octopus. Perhaps these odd
They also seem to be capable of planning for the creatures can indeed teach us a thing or two.
future and processing rewards, and can tell the
difference between different shapes and patterns. Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Compassion in World
Octopuses have been known to construct walls or Farming, El País

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

FIRST OCTOPUS FARM TO OPEN IN SPAIN

8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Are there any animals you wouldn’t eat? Why/why not?

2. Has the article changed your opinion on octopuses? Would you like to learn more about them?
3. Do you think that Nueva Pescanova’s octopus farm will succeed? Do you think it’s a good/bad
idea?
4. Can you think of any other celebrity animals? Why do you think Paul became so popular?
5. Why do you think people continue to eat meat and fish when there are so many alternatives
available?
6. Can you think of any ways in which we could learn from the octopus? Could science benefit from
these creatures?

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 8/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Roxana Mihaela Dobas's lessons.
 English Quantifiers

Como bien hemos visto en este Challenge, una sola canción en inglés
puede dar mucho mucho de sí. A single song goes a long way!

Y si no, que nos lo digan a ti y a mí: Empezamos aprendiendo sobre los

usos de enough y acabamos viendo las diferencias entre los quantifiers
a few y few. What a journey! No te voy a mentir, me he quedado un poco
con las ganas de enseñarte más truquitos sobre los quantifiers in English,
así que me parece una oportunidad perfecta para hacerlo. Pero antes
recuerda que:

Adjetivo + enough

Ain't no river wide enough

You're old enough to go to the dentist by yourself
I think the pizza isn't hot enough

Enough + sustantivo

There are enough problems in the world

Are there enough eggs in the fridge?
I don't think there's enough time to finish the project

Verbo + enough

Stop, I have heard enough

She has worked enough; we should give her another day off
I think we'd had enough; it’s time to go home

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 English Quantifiers

Too + many + sustantivo contable

I think there are too many reasons to leave you

There were too many dogs on the beach
I have way too many things to think about now

Too + much + sustantivo incontable

She's got too much money to spend

This coffee has too much sugar in it
There's too much tension in the room when he walks in

Too + adjetivo

This is too good to be true!

She's too smart for you
Are you too scared to go?

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 English Quantifiers

A few VS. few

A few Few
He has a few good friends, so he is happy He has few friends, so he feels lonely
We stayed a few days in London I have few photos on my Instragram
We have a few days off this month There are few days left

Unos cuantos Pocos

(+ sustantivo plural contable) (+ sustantivo plural contable)

Ahora bien, tengo que contarte algo...

Este último par tiene su otra versión para sustantivos incontables:

A little VS. Little

A little Little

He saved a little money every month He saved little money every month
I can help you later, I have a little free time I can't help you later, I have little free time

Un poco de Muy poco, casi nada

(+ sustantivo incontable) (+ sustantivo incontable)

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 English Quantifiers

Much VS. Many

Much Many
I don't have much time left, I need to go There are many people at the concert
There is much traffic on the roads I don't have many friends
Do you have much money in your account? Do you have many friends?

Mucho/muchos Mucho/muchos
(+ sustantivo incontable) (+ sustantivo plural contable)

Y si no quieres darle mucha vuelta al asunto, la alternativa a lot

of/lots of funciona con pretty much everything!

A lot of/lots of

A lot of Lots of

They had a lot of fun There are lots of carrots on the table
We have a lot of work to do He has lots of friends

Muchos, un montón de Muchos, un montón de

(+ sustantivo incontable/plural contables) (+ sustantivo incontable/plural contables)

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 English Quantifiers
Let's Challenge your English!
Vamos a por una pequeña prueba a ver si ha quedado todo claro.
A continuación, completa las siguientes frases con:

Much, many, lots of, a lot of, little, a little, a few, few.

I do have ________ friends but not that many

How ________ juice is left in the bottle?
John had ________ money with him so he couldn’t even buy a bus
ticket
I have had ________ headaches already because of the stress
There aren’t ________ books in the library
________ time and money is spent on education in Great Britain
There are ________ leftovers for you in the refrigerator
London has ________ beautiful buildings
________ people know as much about computers as Tom does
I know ________ Spanish so I am going to have a problem when I get
there

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Commonly confused words in English
Don't mistake them ever again!

En el Challenge de hoy hemos visto lo fácil que es llegar a confundir

algunas palabras en inglés, ya sea por su parecido significado,
pronunciación e incluso por la ortografía.

En mi caso, me di cuenta de este fenómeno hace años mientras

escuchaba Losing My Religion, de REM. Esta canción, además de
emocionarme, me hizo ver que existen una serie de palabras en inglés que
no podemos confundir si no queremos causar algún que otro
misunderstanding.

Presta atención

Lose Loose
/luːz/ /luːs/

Perder Suelto, flojo, que no encaja

I don't wanna lose you now She always wears loose clothes
She might lose her scholarship My son has a loose tooth

A continuación. vamos a ver una lista completa de este tipo de

palabras para tenerlas localizadas y bien organizadas en nuestra
libretita. You won't confuse them ever again!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Commonly confused words in English
Don't mistake them ever again!

Raise Rise
/reɪz/ /raɪz/

Subir, aumentar, elevarse, Subir, aumentar, elevarse,

crecer crecer
*Necesitamos saber el complemento directo *No necesitamos saber el complemento

Raise your hand if you know the answer! Prices are rising all the time
The government plans to raise the age of retirement from 65 to 67 Hot air rises

We raise the flag when the sun rises

Affect Effect
/əˈfekt/ /ɪˈfekt/
Verbo afectar o influenciar Efecto, resultado
The cold weather has really affected her health The pollution in the city had a bad effect on me
New technologies continue to affect how we live Most people these days understand the serious effects of smoking
Smoking tobacco can adversely affect your lungs and blood flow Parents worry about the effect of phones on their teen's behavior

Accept Except
/əkˈsept/ /ɪkˈsept/
Verbo aceptar Excepto (por)
The company will accept its employees' demands I want everything on my pizza except pineapple
It was cold, so I accepted his jacket when he offered it to me The stores will be open daily except Sundays
I accepted his excuse because I could tell he wasn’t lying I'd go, except it's too far

A continuación. vamos a ver una lista completa de este tipo de palabras

para tenerlas localizadas y bien organizadas en nuestra libretita.

You won't confuse them ever again!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Commonly confused words in English
Don't mistake them ever again!

Desert /ˈdezərt/ - Desierto

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world
Dessert /dɪˈzɜːrt/ - Postre
I ordered chocolate cake for dessert

Bare /beər/ - Desnudo, descubierto

She walked barefoot on the sand
Bear /beər/ - Oso
I saw a giant bear in the forest

Principal /ˈprɪnsɪpəl/ - Director (de escuela)

The principal gave a speech to the students
Principle /ˈprɪnsɪpəl/ - Principio, regla
He lives by his principles

Break /breɪk/ - Romper

Don't break the glass
Brake /breɪk/ - Freno
I need to fix the brake on my bike

Plane /pleɪn/ - Avión

I took a plane to New York
Plain /pleɪn/ - Llano, simple
The room was plain and unadorned

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Commonly confused words in English
Don't mistake them ever again!

Heal /hiːl/ - Sanar

The wound will heal with time, don't worry
Heel /hiːl/ - Talón
She twisted her heel and now she's in bed

Waist /weɪst/ - Cintura

She has a small waist
Waste /weɪst/ - Residuo, desperdicio
Don't waste your food

Night /naɪt/ - Noche

I work the night shift
Knight /naɪt/ - Caballero
The knight saved the princess

Flour /ˈflaʊər/ - Harina

I need flour to bake bread
Flower /ˈflaʊər/ - Flor
I bought a bouquet of flowers

Capital /ˈkæpɪtəl/ - Capital

London is the capital of England
Capitol /ˈkæpɪtəl/ - Capitolio
The Capitol is in Washington D.C.

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Commonly confused words in English
Don't mistake them ever again!

Lead /liːd/ - Liderar, dirigir

He will lead the project this time
Lead /lɛd/ - Plomo
Lead is a very heavy metal

Peace /piːs/ - Paz

We all want world peace, don't we?
Piece /piːs/ - Pieza, trozo
I ate a piece of cake, but I didn't quite like it

Die /daɪ/ - Morir

Everyone will die someday
Dye /daɪ/ - Tinte, teñir
She used to dye her hair blonde

Mail /meɪl/ - Correo

I received a letter in the mail today
Male /meɪl/ - Masculino, hombre
He is a male nurse

Stationary /ˈsteɪʃəneri/ - Estacionario, inmóvil

The car remained stationary
Stationery /ˈsteɪʃəneri/ - Artículos de papelería
I need to buy some stationery for school

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Commonly confused words in English
Don't mistake them ever again!

Farther /ˈfɑːrðər/ - Más lejos (en términos de distancia física)

The store is farther than I thought
(La tienda está más lejos de lo que pensaba)
Further /ˈfɜːrðər/ - Más lejos, más adelante (en términos de grado
o extensión)
I have nothing further to add
(No tengo nada más que agregar)

Hear /hɪər/ - Escuchar

I can hear the music coming from the library
Here /hɪər/ - Aquí
Please, come here

Meat /miːt/ - Carne

I bought some meat for dinner
Meet /miːt/ - Encontrar, reunirse
Let's meet at the park

Groan /groʊn/ - Gemido, quejido

He heard a groan from the other room
Grown /groʊn/ - Crecido, adulto
My children have grown up so fast

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

 Let's spice up your English!

No te voy a mentir, considero mi profesión darle vidilla a tu inglés.

En el Challenge de hoy hemos aprendido un truquito avanzado sobre los

verbos de opinión en inglés, además de algunas formas de decir el típico In
my opinion para alegrarte un poco el día.

I don't know about you, pero me he quedado con las ganas de darte otras
muchas más alternativas a las típicas frases que siempre decimos en inglés
para acabar el Challenge de hoy como reyes.
Eso así, antes recuerda las alternativas que ya hemos visto:

Para darle vidilla a una situación informal Para darle vidilla a una situación formal
I think I think
✌ I’m pretty sure that... ✌ I honestly believe that...
If you ask me... It appears/seems to me that...
As I see it I reckon that...
I gotta say... As far as I can tell...
My hunch is that... To my understanding...
From where I’m standing... As far as I'm concerned...
My point is that... In my view...
To my way of thinking... It’s quite clear that...

Para darle vidilla con idioms

I think

It goes without saying that...

My gut tells me...
I’d bet my bottom dollar that...
It’s a no brainer that...
You can take it from me that...
If I had to guess...

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

I'm hungry

I'm peckish
I'm starving
I'm ravenous
I could eat a horse!

Bye!

See ya!
Toodles!
Have a good one!
Take care!
Keep in touch!
Catch you later!

Of course!

Sure thing
Certainly
By all means
With pleasure!
Absolutely

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

A lot of/many

Plenty of A great deal of

A bunch of Loads of
Several Tons of
Heaps of Lots of

I don't know

Beats me
I have no clue
That's beyond me
I haven't got the slightest idea
I'm not sure
Who knows?

I agree

We're on the same page

My thoughts exactly!
I concur
You took the words right out of my mouth
Tell me about it!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

I like...

I'm into... I'm fond of...

I'm keen on... I'm passionate about...
I enjoy...
I fancy...

I'm busy

I'm swamped
I'm overloaded
I'm snowed under
I'm tied up
My hands are full

How are you?

How's it going?
What's up?
How are things?
How's everything?

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

Get to the point!

Cut to the chase!

Get down to the nitty-gritty
Get to the meat
Cut right to it!

Stop it!

Cut it out!
Enough!
Knock it off!
Give it a rest!
Quit it!

Thank you

You shouldn't have!

I appreciate it
I owe you one!
I can't thank you enough!
That's so kind of you!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

Congratulations!

Way to go!
Hats off!
Right on!
Kudos!
Props to you!

Wait

Hang on!
Hold on!
Give me a sec
Just a moment

Hurry up!

Get a move on!

Get moving!
Chop chop!
Be quick!
Come one!
Get gracking!

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

Can you repeat?

What was that?

Come again?
I didn't catch that
Huh?

It's cold!

It's a little chilly!

The air's a little crisp
It's nippy
It's freezing!

I'm tired

I'm worn out

I'm exhausted
I'm beat
I feel drained
I feel spent
I feel run down

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English

Let's spice up your English!

I don't like

It's not my thing

I'm not crazy about it
I'm not a big fan
It's not for me
I'm not big on...

I'm fine

Fit as a fiddle
I'm doing alright
Not too shabby
I'm pretty good
Can't complain

Etcetera

And so on
And so on and so forth
And whatnot
And stuff like that

Aprende inglés con

www.mariaspeaksenglish.com

Maria Speaks English