Presidential debate: Trump and Biden trade insults in chaotic debate (BBC news)

President Donald Trump and his challenger Joe Biden have fiercely clashed in one of the most chaotic and bitter White House debates in years.

Mr Trump frequently interrupted, prompting Mr Biden to tell him to "shut up" as the two fought over the pandemic, healthcare and the economy.

The US president was challenged over white supremacist support and refused to condemn a specific far-right group.

Opinion polls suggest Mr Biden has a steady single-digit lead over Mr Trump.

But with 35 days until election day, surveys from several important states show a closer contest.

Polls also suggest one in 10 Americans have yet to make up their mind how to vote. But analysts said Tuesday night's debate - the first of three - probably would not make much difference.

Work leave-Language practice-STATISTICS

 ACTIVITIES TO PRACTISE THE USE OF ENGLISH AND WRITING SKILLS.

Read the information in your books (pgs134-135-136) and check the vocabulary and grammar of the writing samples provided. 

Then, do these exercises to be sent by mail:

PLEASE SEND SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS BY MAIL BEFORE FRI. FOR ANY QUESTIONS, DO PLEASE CONTACT AT: javier.martinez@educantabria.es 

Practice Task 1
Look at the following sentences. Some are correct whilst others contain mistakes. Can you tell which ones are wrong and why?

1. There was a slight rising in the cost of fuel at the beginning of winter.
2. In October the number of tourists was a plummet .
3. The proportion of people using the bus in June increased slightly, whereas, those travelling by car fell impressively.
4. There was huge increase in the production of tea in the 19th century.
5. Next year it is projected that the numbers of people using social media will fall gradual.

Practice Task 2

The following sentences contain verb phrases to describe statistics. Rewrite them with noun phrases. For example – The number rose. / There was a rise in the number.

1. The price of cat food surged from $1.50 to $2.00 a can in late 2010
2. The price of oil dropped steadily towards the end of the decade.
3. The number of people moving to the city remained steady during the period.
4. The government reduced subsidies and prices fluctuated wildly for the rest of the year.
5. The percentage of people travelling to work by bus increased dramatically from 11% to 23% while the percentage using cars dropped slightly to 18%.

Practice Task 3

The graph below shows the price of apples and oranges between 1999 and 2003. Write a short report about the change in the price of apples and oranges shown in the graph. Make sure you use both verb and noun phrases in your description. 

The language of Statistics.

DESCRIBING TRENDS AND CHANGES. PRESENTING INFORMATION:

https://www.woodwardenglish.com/lesson/ielts-writing-task-1-describing-trends-vocabulary-word-order/

IELTS Academic Writing

In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 you will be tested on your ability to describe and interpret information presented in a graph, table, chart or diagram.

You will need to describe trends, compare and contrast data or report statistical information. Occasionally you will need to describe a process (which we will explain in another section).

In order to do well in this section, you need to know specific vocabulary related to describing trends.

Verbs to describe an upward trend

The following verbs can be used to describe a trend or pattern that goes up.

• climb (past: climbed)
• go up (past: went up)
• grow (past: grew)
• increase (past: increased)
• jump (past: jumped)
• rise (past: rose)
• rocket (past: rocketed)

Sentence examples using words that show an upward trend:

• The number of enrolments increased significantly between 2005 and 2010.
• Production rose from 800 units in May to 1000 units the following month.

Verbs to describe a downward trend

The following verbs can be used to describe a trend or pattern that goes down.

• decline (past: declined)
• decrease (past: decreased)
• drop (past: dropped)
• fall (past: fell)
• go down (past: went down)
• plummet (past: plummeted) = to fall or drop suddenly in amount or value
• plunge (past: plunged) = to fall or drop suddenly in amount or value

Plunge and Plummet, when describing trends, have the same meaning.

Sentence examples using words that show a downward trend:

• Prices of Model X dropped significantly once Model Y became available on the market.
• Company profits decreased in 2013 by 15%.

Words and phrases used to describe a stable trend

To describe a more or less stable pattern, you can use the following expressions:

• maintain (past: maintained)
• remain (past: remained)
• stay (past: stayed)
• constant
• stable
• steady
• unchanged

Adverbs used when describing trends

Adverbs describe HOW something happens. They usually come after a verb.

• sharply, rapidly, quickly, steeply
• considerably, significantly, substantially
• steadily, gradually, moderately
• slightly, slowly

To see the degree of intensity of these adverbs, look at the chart below.

Academic Writing Task 1 Summary Chart

Nouns used when describing trends

• decline
• decrease
• dip (a momentarily small drop in the level of something)
• drop
• fall
• fluctuation (= an irregular rising and falling in number or amount; a variation)
• growth
• increase
• peak (= the highest point)
• rise
• slump (= a severe or prolonged fall in the price, value, or amount of something)
• variation (= a change or difference in condition, amount, or level)

New call of proposals

Abierto el plazo para participar en la IX edición del concurso "Objetivo Europa"

Abierto el plazo para participar en la IX edición del concurso "Objetivo Europa"

21/09/2020

Abierto el plazo para participar en la IX edición del concurso "Objetivo Europa"

La temática de este año es "Por una Europa en igualdad ". Con esta iniciativa se busca hacer reflexionar a los jóvenes sobre el proyecto de integración de la Unión Europea.

Los grupos participantes (de un mínimo de 8 y un máximo de 15 componentes), supervisados por un/a profesor/a responsable, que motivará a los alumnos y los guiará en el proceso de desarrollo del proyecto, asegurará que la realización del mismo cumpla las bases de la presente Orden y velará por que los trabajos tengan el máximo respeto a los derechos de autor y a las normas de propiedad intelectual, incluyendo materiales y documentos consultados en Internet. Cada grupo podrá presentar un único trabajo, no habiendo límite para el número de grupos que se puedan formar en cada centro educativo. Y solo se permite una participación por alumno o alumna.

El vídeo, original e inédito, no podrá exceder los 5 minutos de duración y se presentará acompañado de una memoria justificativa, en formato digital, que describa y explique el trabajo y su finalidad. Los participantes deberán ser titulares sin limitación alguna de los derechos de propiedad intelectual y, en concreto, de los derechos de explotación de los cortometrajes que se presenten al concurso. En caso de que los cortometrajes tengan sonido hablado, serán admitidos en cualquiera de las lenguas oficiales de la Unión Europea, preferiblemente con subtítulos en castellano.

En las propuestas presentadas se valorarán la originalidad y calidad técnica, la adecuación a los objetivos previstos, la claridad expositiva y corrección en cuanto a expresión oral y/o escrita del vídeo y la memoria. Además, se valorará igualmente la presentación del trabajo en una lengua diferente de la española.

El plazo de presentación de los trabajos es de veinte días hábiles a partir del día siguiente al de la publicación del extracto de la convocatoria y finaliza el 20 de octubre. 'Objetivo Europa' tiene un único grupo ganador. El premio será un viaje a Bruselas para los alumnos y alumnas y profesor o profesora integrantes del mismo donde se visitarán las Instituciones Europeas.

Coronavirus cases rising. The pandemic mapped

There’s a Simple Reason Spain Has Been Hit Hard by Coronavirus

Spaniards did their part, staying home and wearing masks. But politicians quarreled among themselves and repeated the mistakes of the first wave of the virus.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/opinion/spain-pandemic-second-wave.html

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105

Resources and course materials

  

Student's Book 

Ready for IELTS 2nd Edition Student's Book with Answers Pack provides full preparation and practice for the Academic IELTS module to achieve an IELTS band of between 5.0 and 7.0.

CONTACT:  javier.martinez@educantabria.es 

Qualifying criteria:

WRITTEN TESTS: 70%:

• READING-20%
• WRITING-20%
• USE OF ENGLISH-20%
• LISTENING: 10%

PARTICIPATION-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES: 20%

• SPEAKING: 10%
• INTERACTION: 10%

HOMEWORK/ASSIGNMENTS: 10%

Back to school 2020: not an ordinary one, not a new "normality"

 These are all the key measures & recommendations for the new course:

• Face masks will be compulsory in general at school (in class or not) from the age of six, and regardless of whether social distancing of 1.5 metres can be respected.
• Face masks will also be compulsory when using school transport from the age of six. It is also recommended that children aged between 3-5 wear face masks on school transport. Each child should be assigned a fixed seat on a school bus.
• The physical distance between pupils should be 1.5 metres.
• The temperature of each pupil will be taken prior to each teaching day, both for students and teachers. In the event that the temperature is taken at the educational centre, then the school will arrange the way to carry it out, but always avoiding crowds and ensuring the maintenance of the minimum social distance.
• Students should wash their hands ‘frequently and meticulously’ – at least five times a day.
• Classrooms should be aired frequently, before and after each class, during recess and at the end of the day – at least for 10-15 minutes. If possible, classroom windows should be left open throughout the school day.
• Cleaning at schools should be increased, especially in the washrooms and in other areas frequently used.
• Each educational centre should have a person responsible for all matters related to Covid-19, from ensuring that the protocols are met and to also be ready to take action in the event of infections.
• Stable ‘co-existence groups’ should be organised, the so-called ‘bubble groups’, in order to limit contact with other classes. These groups should be promoted for infants’ education and through the first cycle of primary education, ‘at least’ up to second grade. The children in these bubble groups will not have to maintain social distancing between one another. It is further recommended to organise all students in bubble groups as far as possible.
• Social distancing of 1.5m must be maintained for all activities that require students from different co-existence groups or classes to mix together – but it is stressed that ‘contact between classes should be minimized’. Where possible, outside spaces should be used for any activities between groups.
• Non-teaching staff and other workers should reduce their physical presence at educational centres to an ‘essential minimum’, carrying out activities online whenever possible.
• The authorities recommend that schools carry out communication and administrative issues with families by telephone, email, text messages or ordinary mail, and not face-to-face.
• All workers who might be more vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19 must respect protection measures even more carefully.
• Educational centres should remain open throughout the school year to ensure catering services, as well as educational support for pupils with special needs or socially vulnerable families, as long as the epidemiological situation of Covid-19 allows the centres to remain open.
• In school dining rooms, the safety distances must also be respected, except within the bubble groups. Each child should have a fixed place for the entire school term in the dining room.
• All school sports activities should be held without spectators.
• Training of educational professionals in security protocols due to the pandemic should be given. Students should also receive health education.
• Citizens are recommended to make the journey to the educational centres on foot or by bicycle, ‘to best guarantee social distancing’.
• People who have symptoms compatible with Covid-19 should not attend any educational centre, whether they are students, teachers or other workers.
• The overall agreement also establishes the course of action in the event of symptoms and testing, including early isolation and referral to the health system, the maintenance of the teaching activity whilst taking extreme precautions until the results of diagnostic tests, as well as the quarantine of close contacts. Any decisions on the suspension of class activity or the closure of specific schools in the event of outbreaks of Coronavirus will be taken by each regional authority.