Breaking news. Israeli/Palestinian conflict

Around half a million Palestinians are returning to Gaza City following the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The truce followed extensive efforts and negotiations between Israel, Hamas, the USA, and Arab nations. The deal was orchestrated by US President Donald Trump, who hopes to bring peace to the region. The first phase of his peace deal involved the withdrawal of Israeli military from a large section of Gaza, and for Hamas to release the 48 hostages remaining in captivity. The laying down of arms has allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to head north to Gaza City, most of which is in ruins after two years of being bombarded and reduced to rubble.

Emotions have been running high in recent days among Israelis and Palestinians. Alongside the release of the Israeli hostages, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are expected to be freed. The brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran told the New York Post: "I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy that this nightmare may soon be over." Gaza City residents are relieved to be able to return home, despite the widespread destruction, almost no infrastructure, no electricity, and no running water. One resident said: "I pray that God relieves our sorrow and distress, and that people return to their homes." Another man was more cautious after being displaced 20 times in the past two years.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2510/251013-gaza-ceasefire-a.html

 Paragraph 1

1.	truce	a.	Broken pieces of stone, brick, or buildings.
2.	extensive	b.	An agreement to stop fighting for a time.
3.	negotiations	c.	The act of moving back or leaving a place.
4.	orchestrated	d.	Very big or covering a large area.
5.	withdrawal	e.	Carefully planned and organized.
6.	captivity	f.	Talks between people or groups to reach an agreement.
7.	rubble	g.	The state of being kept as a prisoner or not free.

    Paragraph 2

8.	detainees	h.	People kept by the police or army and not free to leave.
9.	nightmare	i.	Forced to leave home and live somewhere else.
10.	relieved	j.	A very bad or scary dream.
11.	destruction	k.	A strong feeling of sadness.
12.	infrastructure	l.	Feeling happy or calm after worry or fear.
13.	sorrow	m.	Great damage; when something is ruined or broken.
14.	displaced	n.	The basic systems a country needs, like roads and power.

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. Half a million people live in Gaza.     T / F
2. The first stage of the ceasefire involves Israel's army leaving all of Gaza. T / F
3. Hamas must release 48 hostages as part of the ceasefire.     T / F
4. The article says Gaza City has been hit by bombs for the past two years. T / F
5. The ceasefire requires Israel to release almost 2,000 prisoners.     T / F
6. An Israeli man said he is happy the nightmare might soon be over.     T / F
7. Only half of Gaza City has electricity.     T / F
8. A Gaza City resident has moved 20 times in the past two years.     T / F

Halloween quiz

This exercise is based on the information provided in the video "Halloween History" by National Geographic [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VRAemIvbI].

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📝 Halloween History Comprehension Exercise

I. True or False Questions (10 points)

Determine whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) based on the video.

1. Halloween's roots date back to a people called the Celts. _____

2. The Celts celebrated the end of the harvest season on November 1st. _____

3. The Celtic festival of Samhain was considered a time when the veil between death and life was supposed to be at its thinnest. _____

4. Villagers lit huge bonfires on Samhain to attract spirits and ghosts. _____

5. The Catholic Church began to merge the pagan rituals of Samhain with a church-sanctioned holiday in the 19th century. _____

6. All Saints Day was designated on November 1st to honor martyrs and the deceased faithful. _____

7. The English translation of the word "hallow" is roughly "scary." _____

8. The holiday customs were brought to America by Irish immigrants during the Potato Famine of the 1840s. _____

9. Trick-or-treating originated in America as a non-violent, organized charity event. _____

10. In the 1930s, the tradition of harmless tricks eventually grew into outright vandalism. _____

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II. Comprehension Questions (5 points)

Answer the following questions based on the video:

1. What was the name of the Celtic festival that marked the end of the harvest season and the Celtic New Year?

2. When did the Catholic Church first designate November 1st as All Saints Day?

3. According to the video, what was the calculated move on the part of the Church in merging the pagan and Christian holidays?

4. What two specific customs did Irish immigrants bring with them to America?

5. How was "trick-or-treating" originally described before it became an established holiday greeting?

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III. Fill in the Gaps (5 points)

Complete the following sentences with the missing information from the video.

1. Halloween is a _____________ holiday stitched together with cultural, religious, and occult traditions that span centuries.

2. On Samhain, the ghost of the _____________ walked the Earth.

3. The night before All Saints Day was All Hallow's Eve, which gradually morphed into _____________.

4. All Saints Day had to do with the afterlife and about _____________ after death.

5. By the late 1930s, storekeepers and neighbors began giving treats or _____________ to stop the tricks and troublemaking.

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IV. Multiple Choice Questions (5 points)

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What does the word "hallow" in All Hallows Day mean? a) Scary b) Holy or saintly c) New Year d) Ghostly

2. The Celts' festival of Samhain was celebrated on which date? a) October 18th b) October 31st c) November 1st d) December 31st

3. According to the video, the tradition of harmless tricks grew into outright vandalism by which decade? a) The 1840s b) The 1930s c) The 1950s d) The 2000s

4. Which group of people brought the original Halloween customs to America? a) English Settlers b) Scottish Traders c) German Artisans d) Irish Immigrants

5. What was one of the early customs brought to America by the immigrants? a) Carving pumpkins b) Trick-or-treating c) Bobbing for apples d) Watching scary movies

Money matters. Speaking questions: https://www.baamboozle.com/classic/141496

Use of English. Inversion.

 What is an inversion with a negative adverbial?

In formal English, we can use a negative or restrictive adverb at the beginning of a sentence to make it more emphatic or dramatic. When we do this, the adverb is then followed by an inversion: auxiliary verb + subject (+ verb). See the example below:

• I could find my keys nowhere. ⇒ Nowhere could I find my keys. 

When there is no auxiliary verb, we use do/does (present) or did (past) as auxiliary.

• I understand the true meaning only now. ⇒ Only now do I understand the true meaning. 
• I didn’t say anything until she arrived. ⇒ Not until she arrived did I say anything. 

Common adverbs used with this structure

In the table below, you can see some of the most common negative or restrictive adverbials that are sometimes used at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.

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Hardly, barely, scarcely, no sooner

We normally use hardly … when, barely … when, scarcely … when, and no sooner … than in narratives with past perfect in the inversion.

We use no sooner … than (NOT that, or when)

Adverbial + clause + inversion

❗ Note that after some adverbials, such as only if and only when we use a subordinate clause (subject + verb), and that the inversion is never in the subordinate clause but in the main verb of the sentence. Check the sentence below:

• Only when do I sleep I can forget about the accident. 
• Only when I sleep can I forget about the accident. 

The same happens with other adverbials, such as not since and not until; we use a subordinate clause (subject + verb), and the inversion is never in the subordinate clause but in the sentence’s main verb. Check the sentence below:

• Not since was I a child I have had such a great time.  
• Not since I was a child have I had such a great time. 

If you are in doubt, it’s always useful to look at the sentence without the negative adverbial at the beginning.

• I can forget about the accident only when I sleep. 
• I haven’t had such a great time since I was a child.

The main subject and verb are at the beginning of the sentence, and this is the element that must be in the inversion.

Not

We must always use not followed by another element before the inversion.

• Not can we see such great expressions of art often. 
• Not often can we see such great expressions of art. 

Adverbs of frequency

We can also use inversion after the negative or restrictive adverbs of frequency, such as seldom, rarely, or never.

We often use never to talk about experiences. In that case, we normally use present perfect or past perfect.

Writing (Practice makes perfect). A review

 Learning Objective: To understand what a review is, what they are used for and how to create a successful one.

What is a Review? What are they used for? 

1. A review is a written assessment of something, someone or an experience. It is there to inform people, to advise them, to analyse something or describe it.

2. They can be written with a positive view in order to give praise, with a negative perspective to criticise, or simply just offer an opinion and balanced view of something for others to read.

3. A review should always give your opinion but also be as accurate as possible. The purpose of a review is often to help other people so giving accurate information is useful. For example if you are reviewing a product such as a mobile phone accurate details allow other people who read your review to understand it. 

4. Here are some examples of things that typically get reviewed:
• A book
• A film
• A CD
• A holiday
• A place you visited – museum, theme park
• An experience – paintballing, swimming, flying, massage
• A product you have bought/used – mobile phone, clothes, shoes, toys, crafts,
• recipe book
• A play
• A sporting event

Speaking. Discussion. CHANGES IN OUR LIVES

 Introducing the Topic

• Pros and Cons: "The main advantage of X is..." or "An important disadvantage is...". 
• Benefits and Drawbacks: "There are many benefits to this approach, but also several drawbacks". 
• Positives and Negatives: "Let's consider the positive and negative aspects of this decision". 
• Strengths and Weaknesses: "We should examine the strengths and weaknesses before moving forward". 

Presenting Opposing Views

• "On the one hand..." / "On the other hand...": This classic structure clearly separates two sides of an argument. 
• "In contrast...": Use this to show how one idea differs from another. 
• "However..." / "Nevertheless...": Use these conjunctions to introduce a contrasting point. 

Expressing Your Opinion 

• "In my opinion..." / "I believe...": A straightforward way to state your personal view.
• "From my point of view...": Offers a different perspective.
• "I would argue that...": Presents a stronger, more assertive stance.

Expressing Agreement or Disagreement 

• To Agree: "I agree with you," or "That's a good point".
• To Disagree Politely: "I see your point, but...", "I understand what you're saying, however...", or "I have a slightly different perspective".
• To Acknowledge a Counterpoint: "That's true," or "You're right about that".

Concluding the Discussion

• Summarize: "To sum up, the main points are...". 
• Compromise: "Let's try to find a middle ground". 
• Agree to Disagree: "We can't seem to agree, so perhaps we should agree to disagree". 

• CHANGING APPEARANCE WILL MAKE YOU HAPPIER

• YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH CHANGES BETTER/EASIER

• DIFFICULTIES IN CHANGING LIFESTYLE

• KEEPING THE SAME CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

• SEEKING NEW EXPERIENCES AND TRYING NEW THINGS.

Reading. PAU.

  Written understanding.

How artificial intelligence is revolutionizing professional sports

1          Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming common in sports, in the same way as other technological advances like 3-D motion graphics and high-speed photography. Its ability to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make predictions in real time is proving valuable across various aspects of sports. From athletes to coaches and fans to referees, AI is enhancing performance, decision-making, and engagement at all levels.

2          In competitive sports, even the smallest differences can determine the outcome of a game. AI is transforming how athletes train, compete, and recover. It analyzes their movements to provide personalized training plans focusing on areas like speed, endurance, and technique. Coaches can use AI to gain insights into player performance and make adjustments to individual and team strategies. AI also reduces injury risk by recommending optimal training and recovery.

3          AI also plays a role in game strategy. By analyzing past performances and studying footage, AI identifies patterns that may not be visible to the human eye. This allows coaches to adjust strategies during the game and provide recommendations for best approaches to beat the opponent. In sports like football and basketball, AI suggests the best plays based on data, improving chances of success.

4          Sports referees and judges are also taking advantage of AI. The technology is allowing referees to make better calls on the field. In gymnastics, for instance, AI assists with scoring by analyzing athletes’ movements in 3D and comparing them to a database. This helps judges make fairer, more consistent decisions while reducing human error. AI also eliminates bias, ensuring scores are based on data rather than emotions.

5          AI enhances fan engagement too, as it analyzes preferences and behavior, offering personalized content such as articles or merchandise suggestions based on a fan’s previous interactions, ensuring they stay engaged with the sport even off the field. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, AI generated automatic highlight reels, focusing on events fans were most interested in. This technology allows better storytelling and engagement.

6          AI chatbots are improving fan interaction with sports teams. They provide instant responses, offering updates on games, ticket sales, and schedules. This creates a more personalized fan experience and simplifies communication with teams.

7          Sports are a major business, and AI is optimizing performance, marketing, and fan engagement. As AI technology continues to evolve, its influence in sports is expected to grow and bring new improvements to the game.

Adapted from Forbes, August 2024

 Question 1 [2 points].

Indicate clearly by writing the words TRUE or FALSE whether the following statements are true or false according to the text and write down the sentence or the part of the text that you consider justifies your answer. The evidence must make sense and be grammatically and lexically coherent.

No points will be given if the evidence is not correct or if the handwriting is not sufficiently clear.

A.   AI helps ensure fairness by using data instead of emotions to decide scores.

B.   AI contributes to injury prevention by suggesting the best training and recovery methods for athletes.

C.   AI’s role in sports is expected to decrease as technology develops.

D.   AI is less significant in sports than other technological advances like 3-D motion graphics and high-speed photography.

Question 2 [2 points].

Choose and answer only TWO of the following questions in your own words according to the text.

A.   What are some ways AI helps improve fan engagement with sports?

B.   How does AI assist coaches in making better decisions regarding game strategy? (Mention at least two examples)

C.   What are some ways AI helps improve athletic performance and training?

Question 3 [1.5 points].

Find in the text a word or phrase that corresponds to the meaning, definition, or opposite of each of the following.

A.   An antonym for “useless” (paragraph 1):

B.   A synonym for “result” (paragraph 2):

C.   A word that means “to defeat somebody in a game or competition” (paragraph 3):

D.   A synonym for “big” (paragraph 7):

Question 4 [1.5 points].

Choose the correct option - A, B, C, or D - for each question. Indicate your choice clearly in your answer sheet, either by writing the letter A, B, C, or D or by copying the letter and the sentence that follows. No points will be given if the handwriting is not sufficiently clear.

      1.    How does AI assist referees in sports?

      A.   It helps them make fairer decisions by reducing mistakes.

      B.   It makes all decisions automatically without human help.

      C.   It helps them improve their skills by training outside of the game.

      D.   It offers biased decisions based on feelings instead of data.

2.    How does AI improve the fan experience in sports?

A.   It allows fans to create their own highlight reels and share them on social media.

B.   It automatically creates personalized social media posts for teams based on fan interactions.

C.   It personalizes content and suggestions based on the fan’s behavior.

D.   It generates live social media polls for fans to vote on team strategies during matches.

3.  How does AI assist athletes in improving their performance?

A.   It designs customized training routines by analyzing their movements.

B.   It replaces human coaches by designing training programs.

C.   It prevents injuries by automatically stopping workouts.

D.   It generates reels that help athletes review their games.