IWD- International Women´s Day

  

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated around the world on March 8 every year. It began was / as a campaign for better working conditions by women in New York at the turn / turned of the 20th century. The first official IWD was on February 28, 1909. No one knows for shore / sure why the date changed to March 8, but this is the date when thousands of women started annual / annually marches in New York’s streets. The first international women’s conference took place / placed in 1910, in Denmark. Since then, IWD has spread around the world. Today it is an importance / important day to highlight the economic, political and social contributions women have made to / of our world. Women can now be happier that things are moving in the right / left direction.

IWD is an official / officially holiday in many countries, including Algeria, China, Cuba, Italy, Poland, Vietnam, and Zambia. All cross / across the world, men give flowers and other gifts to the women in their lives - mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, teachers, etc. In Portugal and Romania, women celebrate to / by having "women-only" dinners. IWD is a big   events / event in India, where people hold celebrations throughout the day. Indian men want to show / showing how important women are to their society. All around the world women are becoming more power / powerful in business, entertainment, politics and other areas / area. There are over a dozen nations today with women leaders. However, IWD is still necessary to highlight the inequality millions of women still face / head.

 

Listening. Current affairs

Middle East in turmoil after attacks on Iran 

2nd March 2026 

The Middle East is in turmoil after coordinated attacks by Israel and the USA on Iran on Saturday. Several Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran, were bombarded with precision-guided missiles as Washington and Jerusalem attempted once and for all to obliterate Iran's nuclear capabilities. US President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "We're going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground." Trump called for the Iranian people to rise up and for government forces to surrender. He wrote: "This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country." The strikes on Tehran killed Iran's leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and key figures in Iran's military. 

Iran immediately retaliated by launching missiles and drones on its neighbours, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had struck Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East. It warned: "This operation will continue relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated." There are fears this escalation will create turmoil across the globe. A quarter of the world's oil and a third of its liquefied natural gas travel through the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Iran could close. This would cause sky-high oil prices and inflation worldwide. Experts warn there could be a major refugee crisis if the conflict spirals out of control.

 Sources:   theconversation.com  /  aljazeera.com  /  independent.co.uk 

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2603/260302-middle-east-turmoil-a.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cvgjnv2y90wo

1.     What were the targets of the missiles fired from Iran according to the sources?

2.    How is the conflict impacting global energy and shipping routes?

3.    What are the current social and political tensions inside Iran?

 

4.    How are neighboring Middle Eastern countries responding to the regional instability?

 

5.    How are shipping disruptions affecting global energy prices?

1.     What were the targets of the missiles fired from Iran according to the sources?

The missiles were aimed at US military bases located on the territory of several Middle Eastern countries: Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

 

2.    How is the conflict impacting global energy and shipping routes?

The conflict is impacting global energy and shipping routes primarily by jeopardising traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical artery for the movement of global energy supplies.

The specific impacts identified in the sources include:

• Disruption of Marine Traffic: There have been significant changes to marine traffic within the strait since the US-Israel war with Iran broke out.
• Economic Fallout: Experts are examining the potential economic consequences resulting from these shipping disruptions.
• Regional Instability and Military Activity: The security of these routes is further threatened by military actions, as countries including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan have reported intercepting missiles fired from Iran. These missiles were reportedly aimed at US military bases located on the territory of these regional nations.

3.    What are the current social and political tensions inside Iran?

Current social and political tensions inside Iran are characterized by widespread anti-government protests, a severe crackdown by the regime, and deepening economic frustration.

·                Massive Nationwide Protests: Iran has experienced its largest protests in years, which initially erupted over economic issues and have since grown into a broader movement against the government. These demonstrations have seen protesters setting buildings on fire and chanting anti-government slogans in the capital, Tehran, and across the country.

·                Government Crackdown and Violence: The Iranian government has responded to these protests with "unprecedented force". Reports indicate a "deadly crackdown" has taken place, with BBC Verify examining mortuary footage showing scores of bodies. Additionally, the state has utilized internet shutdowns to suppress information during these periods of unrest.

·                Political Opposition to the Authoritarian Regime: There are active calls for the continuation of protests against what is described as an authoritarian regime. Figures such as Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, have become prominent voices in this movement.

·                Human Rights and Legal Tensions: The regime has faced international condemnation for its judicial actions, including vowing to execute protesters. Furthermore, the detention of foreign nationals, such as a British woman and her husband sentenced to 10 years for espionage, highlights ongoing political friction between Iran and the West.

·                Regional Military Escalation: Beyond internal unrest, Iran is involved in significant regional conflict, having fired missiles at US military bases located in neighboring countries like Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. This military activity coincides with the broader US-Israel war with Iran, which poses a threat to global energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

 

4.    How are neighboring Middle Eastern countries responding to the regional instability?

Several neighboring Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, have responded to the regional instability by intercepting missiles fired from Iran. These missiles were reportedly targeted at US military bases located within the territories of these specific nations.

 

5.    How are shipping disruptions affecting global energy prices?

The sources indicate that shipping disruptions are creating significant concerns for the global economy because the Strait of Hormuz serves as a key artery for the movement of global energy supplies.

• Potential Economic Fallout: Experts, including BBC Verify, are currently examining the potential economic fallout resulting from the changes in marine traffic since the conflict began.
• Threat to Vital Supply Lines: The security of these energy routes is being jeopardized by the US-Israel war with Iran, which has led to a direct threat to the movement of goods through the strait.
• Regional Military Escalation: The risk to energy prices is heightened by military activity in the region, such as missiles fired from Iran at US military bases in neighboring countries like Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan

Listening practice: https://engexam.info/ielts-listening-practice-tests/ielts-listening-practice-test-12/3/

Reading and Writing practice (PAU)

RECORD YOUR STORY AND SEND IT WITH YOUR NAME /EMAIL TO YOUR TEACHER. WRITINGS WILL BE CORRECTED WED 4TH MARCH (DEADLINE)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sjANqwfJiDEgAqBneRvKrLYkNq-J4P5W/view?usp=sharing

Useful language

Accomplish a goal	Conseguir un objetivo	My boss was delighted to have accomplished the goal.
Be high time someone did something	Ser hora de hacer algo	It is high time women reclaimed their rights.
Be out of the question	Ser imposible	Some of these families are so poor that Christmas presents are out of the question.
Come in friendship	Venir en son de paz	This is a gesture done to show that I come in friendship.
Get to grips with something	Cogerle el truco a algo, entenderlo	I had to practice several times before I get to grips with it.
Go with the flow	Dejarse llevar	I don’t like to plan my trips; I prefer to go with the flow.
Jump at the chance	Aprovechar la oportunidad	I jumped at the chance when they offered me the job.
Keep someone on their toes	Mantener a alguien al tanto	The team leader told Peter everything to keep him on his toes.
Out of the blue	Inesperadamente, sin avisar	She told us she was pregnant out of the blue.
Prevention is better than cure	Más vale prevenir que curar	As far as infectious diseases are concerned, prevention is better than cure.
Pushed/pressed for time	Ir justo de tiempo	I would help you with your English homework if I weren’t so pushed for time.
Put something/someone at risk	Poner algo/a alguien en riesgo	You have put our lives at risk by driving so carelessly.
Raise objections to something	Poner pegas a algo	What shall we do if people raise objections to the new plans?
The highlight of something	El plato fuerte de algo	The highlight of the trip was my meeting with my good friend John.
The last straw	La gota que colma el vaso	Making me work late on a Friday was the last straw!
Undertake to do something	Comprometerse a hacer algo	Each country undertakes to negotiate in good faith.

Mediation practice

TASK:  Make a summary of the following tip to protect the environment. Make use of the information provided in the text below. 

EATING TOO MUCH MEAT, FISH AND FRUIT

These foods are important for our diet, although they are not very healthy for the natural environment. In a 2018 report, Greenpeace warned that 14.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) come from industrial stock farming. The meat industry, for example, negatively affects land use because between 75 and 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used for stock breeding. But if this same land were used for growing vegetables, there could be food for 4 billion people more.

Overfishing does not help to protect the environment either because it harms the sea. You can also be a responsible fruit consumer by choosing seasonal varieties.

Do not write the literal information in the original text in the new text. Remember to reformulate the text linguistically. Do not write more than 80 words and use a formal register.

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TASK: A friend of yours is visiting Santander this weekend. He is interested in watching a festival but the only available option is the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Prepare a short message explaining the main key points of the celebration and suggest any of the programmed activities in Santander:

Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. The public holiday in 2026 is from February 15th to February 22nd, lasting 8 days.

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Task3: Writing a report and debriefing. Drawing conclusions and presenting information. Use the information of the survey about healthy food habits (Erasmus+ Project Eco-connect). You can use any visuals to support your presentation. Max. 3m

• https://forms.gle/jdFxADLVJRcJcYsZA 
• https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1oApiKaCDITP-FfPrHpLpvhsBCQz0rtkPWjkOldC9vog/edit#responses

READING AND SPEAKING. TARIFFS

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uOtIFSt8HzE 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nhYoPA_eHgk

Use of English. Revision.

Workbook practice

Linking words:

https://test-english.com/grammar-points/a2/however-although-time-connectors/2/

Participle clauses:

https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b2/participle-clauses/

Relative clauses:

https://ielts.idp.com/prepare/article-ielts-grammar-exercises-relative-clauses