Showing posts with label listening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label listening. Show all posts

Monday, 5 October 2026

Housing crisis.

Coversation questions. Warm-up:
  • It is said an average person lives in 11 homes in their lifetime. What is your number?
  • If money was not a problem, where would you live and what kind of house would you have?
  • Making housing more accessible would help reduce…
  • What share of a household budget do you think is spent on average on housing?
  • Why has the price of housing risen so dramatically in the last decade?
  • What share of a household budget is spent on housing in low-income households?
  • In many countries, a large share of young people is still living with their parents. Is Spain one of these countries? Justify your answer 
  • Is giving homeless people homes more effective and sensible than making them stay in shelters or on the street?
  • How much is Airbnb affecting the housing market in cities where rent is on the rise?
  • What can be done about rising homelessness in big cities?
  • Does it make sense to encourage homeownership through tax policies?
  • Should housing policy be more balanced, supporting rental housing and homeownership on a more equal footing?
Time to listen:

Vocabulary:

  • affordable home
  • low-income housing
  • budget
  • low -income households
  • mortgage
  • tenants
  • landlords
  • overburdened with housing costs
  • homeowners
  • social housing
  • to make a down payment
  • disposable income
  • average price
  • to evict /eviction
  • homelessness
  • rising home prices
  • overcrowding and under occupations
  • real state bubble
  • subsidized
  • housing issues
  • cohousing
  • utility bills
  • to downsize
  • squatting/squatters
  • to rehabilitate /rehab, rehabilitation

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2kej47095no

Tens of thousands of people have protested across Spain calling for greater protections for tenants after the government failed to pass emergency housing legislation.

About 50 marches took place on Saturday in cities including Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. "There is a lot of anger in the streets," a spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants' Union said. Clashes have taken place between some protesters and police in the city. It is calling for a general strike over the housing crisis.


Getty Images About a dozen small tents are pitched in a concrete square in the centre of Madrid. It is raining and people walk around the tens with umbrellas.
Getty Images
An encampment has been set up for days by protesters at Puerta del Sol in Madrid

https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/global-rents-increase-dramatically/audioplayer/global-rents-increase-bemp3

Spanish Prime Minister has called an early election for 29 November after recent defeats on legislation aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis. Speculation about a snap election had been building over the weekend after parliament rejected two decree laws put forward by the minority government to protect tenants in the rental market.

Tuesday, 29 September 2026

U2 50 anniversary- Listening

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm9w4042yklko
Exactly 50 years after they formed, U2 returned to Dublin to play a gig at the school where they met.
"We've escaped from the lab," declared Bono, as the quartet took to a stage in the playground. "How's the experiment working for you?"
The pupils of Mount Temple Comprehensive may not have been born when U2 were the world’s biggest band, but they gave them a hero's welcome, waving signs that said, "I love U2", "It's a beautiful day - no school", and, "Bono, my mum says hi!"
The group treated them to a career-spanning set that included hits like I Will Follow, Vertigo and With Or Without You, as well as their latest single, Silencio.
As they played, teachers pulled down pupils who’d climbed on their classmates' shoulders, before getting swept up in the moment and dancing along themselves.
As he looked out from the same stage where U2 made their debut in 1976, Bono became emotional.
"Thanks for, er… Yeah... I didn't… Wow," said the frontman, temporarily lost for words.
U2 on stage at their former school
U2 were all pupils at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in the mid-1970s
https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-powerpoints/reading-comprehension/general-reading-comprehension/celebrities-famous-people/u2-ppt/37405
Is it getting better?Or do you feel the _________?Will it make it easier on you now?You got someone to___________
You say, one love, one lifeWhen it's one need in the nightOne love, we get to share itLeaves you baby if you ___________ for it
Did I disappoint you?Or leave a bad taste in __________?You act like you never had loveAnd you want me to ____________
Well it's too late tonightTo drag the past out into the lightWe're one but we're not the sameWe get to carry each other, carry each otherOne!
Have you come here for ____________?Have you come to raise the _____________?Have you come here to play Jesus?To the lepers in your _______________
Did I ask too much? More than a lotYou gave me nothin' now it's all I gotWe're one but we're not the sameWell we hurt each other then we do it again
You say love is a __________, love a higher __________Love is a _________, love the higher ____________You ask me to __________ but then you make me ____________And I can't be holdin' on to what you gotWhen all you got is ______________
One love, one bloodOne life, you got to do what you shouldOne life, with each otherSisters, brothers
One life but we're not the sameWe get to carry each other, carry each otherOneOne


Tuesday, 3 March 2026

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/

Tuesday, 6 January 2026

New Year Resolutions 2026

 

A Resolution is:

A resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something. The act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc; and the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute: firmness purpose.

The descriptions suggest three actions.

  • Naming what you are going to do or change,
  • Decide how you are going to make this change, and 
  • Developing a mental state of being determined to achieve this goal.

SOME EXAMPLES:
  • Look Where You Stand – Made lots of resolutions last Year’s Eve? Access how far you have stood by them? Now it is time to do!
  • Accomplish the Incomplete – If you still think that the last year, the resolutions you made and dumped it on the midway, now give it a second chance and make it done!
  • Soak up New Skills – Learning something interesting and new is always a value addition and fun too.
  • Unleash the Angel in You – Nothing is better than making smile on someone’s face, its feel awesome. Take a stand for peoples who need someone’s support. A little help also matters.
  • Contribute for a Cause – Giving support to the society, it is the slightest way to make the world a superior place to live in.
  • Get Struck by Cupid – Befall in love, is the world most beautiful thing to happen in your life. If you are charming enough that type, you may ring the wedding bell.
  • Go for a Blind Date – For the adventurous soul, a blind date can be fun. However take care to about the risk factors and get adequate precautions.
  • Remember the Important Dates – To makes your loved one feel special, always keep remembers the important date like, anniversaries, birthdays, first date etc.
  • Be Organized – It will make your life easy, maintain your daily life time and be stress-free. Make first a proper To-Do list.
  • Fun With Family – Spend more time with your family, they need your presences also to make it complete Family.
  • Waste Not, Want Not – If you have something but you don’t want it, food, extra medicine, etc — give it down to those who need it.Pep up your parents – Do something nice/good for your parents will make you guaranteed
  • Give up on a bad habit – older habits take time to pass away and its hard too – some really do like, biting your lips, biting nails, etc.
  • Endear a Diary – Letter writing is a boring art. But express your feelings are not. Transfer your heart feelings out in a diary.
  • Enrich your vocabulary – Communication is very important in any field of life, improve your vocabulary to master the art of success out.
LISTENING:

Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Oral skills. Listening/Speaking

What do you know about Xmas?




 


 

What Do You Want for Christmas? | A Short Film from The Right Brothers on Vimeo.


Christmas Super Quiz Game: 
A quiz game for reviewing Christmas vocabulary.
Christmas Quiz Game        
Christmas Quiz Game (Nativity Story)

 Multiple Choice Questions


CHRISTMAS SONGS DOING AN EXCELLENT LISTENING PRACTISE??? HERE IT IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY WITH LYRICS TRAINING!!! GUESS AND HAVE FUN!!!






 BAAMBOOZLE??? 

IELTS Listening

This is the 3rd section of IELTS Listening test. Listen to the audio and answer the questions. When you finish, click 'check' and proceed to the next section.

Section 3 

Questions 21-26

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

21. The subjects in questionnaire are

  1.  tourists in the hotel in this area.
  2.  local residents.
  3.  people who are living in this area.

 

22. The results of the questionnaire should be

  1.  directly entered into the computer.
  2.  scored by hand.
  3.  submitted directly to Professor Curran.


23. Why should John give a copy of plans to the professor?

  1.  To receive a good grade.
  2.  To get advice.
  3.  To earn high praise.

 

24. How will the instructions be presented?

  1.  Given by a group representative.
  2.  Given by all members of the group.
  3.  Given by the professor.

 

25. What does Dani suggest to John when those subjects receive the questionnaire?

  1.  Divide into 2 part to argue.
  2.  Focus on the opinion of the interviewees.
  3.  Take consideration of both sides.

 

26. Why is this project particularly important to John?

  1.  To earn respect from professors in the department.
  2.  To raise his grade.
  3.  To impress his professor.

 

Questions 27-30

What is the source of each one below in this survey?

Choose FOUR answers from the box and write the letters A-F next to questions 27-30.


A radio

B council meeting

C the television

D newspaper

E journal

F the Internet

27. Map 

28. Photo 

29. Budget 

30. Comment 

 

 

 

 https://ielts-up.com/listening/ielts-listening-sample-11.3.html 

Sustainable tourism: https://youtube.com/shorts/UNuugOuuNog?si=s8Ig_Kc7aV9kIph4

Toxic tourism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9axXiBdMsyY

Mass tourism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3TjfZDv4HY&t=26s

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/video-zone/tackling-overtourism



 Which problems are mentioned?