General Strike in Spain.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRvSRV4WeOg

Spain's first general strike in 14 years brings clashing social and political desires to the fore

Spain’s first general strike in 14 years brings clashing social and political desires to the fore ahead of a national election on Nov. 29

https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/spains-general-strike-14-years-brings-clashing-social-138035789 

Millions of Spain’s workers are striking Wednesday to demand that the government remedy the nation’s housing crisis less than three weeks before a national election that could catapult the far right to power. Spain’s first general strike in 14 years is expected to cause delays to the widely used public transport system and lead to the slowdown or shuttering of businesses, factories and shops across the eurozone’s fourth largest economy. Minor incidents were reported in the first hours, including roadblocks — some of them with burning tires — in Barcelona, the second-largest city in the country, and scuffles between picketers and police near the country’s main wholesale market on the outskirts of the capital, Madrid. Striking workers set off fireworks on the stroke of midnight as they gathered in public squares in Barcelona. The two main unions calling for the strike, UGT and CCOO, reported widespread participation in the early hours “with significant work stoppages in strategic sectors” — 90% in the automotive and port sectors, 85% in the meat industry, 82% in waste collection, and 75% in the energy sector — according to a statement posted on social media.

Between workers, activists, politicians and ordinary Spaniards, the groups have very different interests in Wednesday's walkout. The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years, eating into household budgets and angering voters. Public anger over housing reached a boiling point following the nationally televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home in Madrid last month. The subsequent death of Maricarmen, as the woman became known, caused even more indignation and solidified her as a symbol of Spaniards who feel they pay too much on rent and can’t even dream of homeownership. Housing activists leveraged the uproar over Maricarmen's eviction to call for the general strike. They soon won the backing of Spain's two main unions, UGT and CCOO. The housing activists want several measures, including the elimination of tourist apartments, a crackdown on real estate speculation and protection for renters in the form of automatic renewals of leases. The UGT and CCOO unions are demanding more government intervention in the housing market and a new minimum wage agreement through talks with the business owners' association.

The strike’s official slogan is “Salaries. Housing. Prices.”

Online dating. Food for thought.

 ONLINE OR IN REAL LIFE.

SPEED DATING: https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/speaking-practice/role-play-miming-drama-activity-or-improv-game/the-matchmaking-game/2193

American politics. Midterm elections guide.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6wyz223j19po

The midterm elections were under way in the US, as voters took part in a ballot that could have a major impact on the rest of Donald Trump's presidency.

Train accident

Europa Press via Getty Images

Emergency teams worked through the night to find victims and clear debris

Nine months after the Adamuz accident in Córdoba that claimed 46 lives, the Spanish rail system has suffered another fatal accident. Two trains traveling from Madrid to Seville — one operated by state rail company Renfe and the other by the private company Iryo — collided Wednesday morning between the towns of Mora, Orgaz, and Urda, in Toledo province. The collision has left at least 30 people dead among the 544 passengers traveling on the two trains. Renfe has reported that services between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia are currently suspended.

Sources within the ministry indicate that the Renfe train involved in the accident had stopped and slowed down minutes earlier due to a traffic problem on the line. The explanation points to human error, because when the safety system failed, about eight trains in the area came to a stop; they were then ordered to proceed, but the Iryo train was unable to do so and remained stationary. An operator at the Atocha control center in Madrid mistakenly gave the Renfe train the order to proceed even though the Iryo was blocking the track, and this ultimately led to a rear-end collision — at a speed yet to be determined — between the Renfe train and the Iryo. Investigations are ongoing, but these are the initial findings from the technicians, according to government sources.

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmqxnl312v34o

Reading. Horror short stories

The Best Horror Stories of History

These stories have many types of villain, from a little murderous hand and misfortunate black cat to enormous demonic beasts and cosmic gods, but often the villain is only there to tease out the real horror. Perhaps it is our hero’s guilt over his past, or a weakness that he is desperately trying to hide, something which the villain serves as an unavoidable reminder of.

The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs

The first man had his three wishes. Yes, - I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death.

Read

The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs is the origin of the notorious talisman itself. This granter of tainted wishes has taken on a mythos of its own, and everyone knows its rule: ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ A man gifts a family with a strange artefact, but tells them of the tragic ending of its last owner. Ignoring the warning, the family asks for wealth immediately and pay the price the very next day.

The Hound by H. P. Lovecraft

It was this frightful emotional need which led us eventually to that detestable course which even in my present fear I mention with shame and timidity—that hideous extremity of human outrage, the abhorred practice of grave-robbing.

Read

The Hound is a prime example of karma manifested in a horror villain. The story follows a straightforward plot, but is fantastically executed by the dastardly Lovecraft. Two graverobbers are chased by a panting and growling monstrosity after messing with the wrong corpse.

The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

In speaking of his intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a little tinctured with superstition, made frequent allusion to the ancient popular notion, which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise.

Read

In The Black Cat, Edgar Allan Poe masters the sense of paranoia and omens of bad luck. A man suspects his wife’s adopted black cat to be the source of all his almost paranormal bad luck. In desperation, he resolves to take the beast out by whatever means necessary.

https://www.libraryofshortstories.com/collection/horror

Kahoot game:

https://play.kahoot.it/v2/lobby?quizId=eb33f163-e919-4818-9e31-b95840dc42b4

Some creepy, scary videos to get into the Halloween mood. Visit at your own risk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIFkut11Xpc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2s59Kug2u4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-vyBhEK36o

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

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?

---

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

Current affairs. Protests around Europe

Listening: Schools closed in France as students clash with police

Why are people protesting across Europe?

Amid a wave of diverse local grievances, protests have erupted across Southern and Western Europe this week, sweeping through France, Albania, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Greece.

Demonstrations against living costs and school conditions have rocked France since late September, with many turning violent. Meanwhile, Albania has entered its fifth day of anti-government riots and protests over general economic conditions have taken place in Milan and in several cities in Portugal.

Spanish protests targeted housing affordability and the right to housing, while motor oil refinery workers in Greece gathered over demands for better workplace safety.

• https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/18/europe-protests-france-spain-portugal-2026-explainer

• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw240zl08dm5o

• https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/19/wages-vs-prices-the-economic-pressures-behind-europes-protests

Vocabulary. Word building

 The Logical Song by Supertramp

Complete the song using the correct form of the words given. 

When I was young, it seemed that life was so ______ WONDER, 

a miracle, oh, it was ______ BEAUTY, ______ MAGIC. 

And all the birds in the trees,                                                 

they'd be singing so ______ HAPPY, 

oh, ______ JOY, oh, ______ PLAY, watching me. 

But then they sent me away to teach me how to be _____ SENSE, ______ LOGIC, oh, ______ RESPONSE, ______ PRACTICE. 

And then they showed me a world  where I could be so ______ DEPEND, 

oh, ______ CLINIC, oh, ______ INTELLECT, ______ CYNIC. 

There are times when all the world's ______ SLEEP, the questions run too deep for such a simple man. 

Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned I know it sounds absurd, please tell me who I am. 

I said watch what you say, they'll be calling you a radical, a liberal, oh, ______ FANATIC, ______ CRIME. 

Oh, won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're ______ ACCEPT, ______ RESPECT, oh, _______ PRESENT, a vegetable! 

Oh, take, take, take it, yeah! But at night, when all the world's ______SLEEP, the questions run so deep for such a simple man. 

Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned I know it sounds absurd please tell me who I am, who I am… who I am… who I am.