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?

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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

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

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.

PAU: practice makes perfect!

 Modelos de examen de convocatorias anteriores

 Examen_Inglés_PAU_2025_Julio

 Examen_convocatoria_Ordinaria_Junio2025_

 Examen de la convocatoria de Julio 2024 - Inglés

 Examen de la convocatoria de Junio 2024 - Inglés

 Examen de la convocatoria de Junio de 2023 - Inglés

 Examen de la convocatoria de Julio de 2023 - Inglés

criteria ord.24

An American friend of yours, Tom, has just moved to Spain. He has asked you about using some Spanish online platforms like Wallapop since he has never used them before. He likes buying and exchanging products online but he prefers paying by check or bank transfer since he was. He has asked you to explain this information he found, especially about the precautions he should take.  Write a short text (70 -100 words) based on the information provided:

Comprar y vender online

Las plataformas de compra y venta de artículos, como Wallapop o Vibbo, han vivido un extraordinario impulso en los últimos años. Estas webs colaborativas ofrecen un espacio para intercambiar o comerciar con artículos de segunda mano pero, como en cualquier espacio online, es necesario seguir ciertas precauciones de seguridad para evitar ser víctima de estafas y fraudes.  Desde las propias plataformas son conscientes del riesgo derivado de la actuación de ciberdelincuentes y, a modo de advertencia, ponen a disposición de los usuarios una serie de medidas de seguridad. En el caso de Wallapop, además, la propia empresa colabora estrechamente con organismos policiales, concretamente la Guardia Civil, para mejorar sus niveles de seguridad.

Nuestros consejos de seguridad

Si quieres prevenir este tipo de situaciones, puedes observar algunos principios de seguridad adicionales que te ayudarán a mantenerte más seguro:

1. Evita los pagos por adelantado, salvo que los puedas realizar a través de métodos seguros como la plataforma Paypal o contra reembolso. Adelantar dinero sin garantías te deja expuesto a estafas e impagos que, además, luego serán difíciles de demostrar.

 2. Las webs recomiendan las transacciones en persona siempre que sean posibles. Probar los objetos in situ es una de las mejores garantías.

3. Cuida la seguridad de tus dispositivos y de tus contraseñas. La utilización de soluciones de seguridad profesionales con un gestor de claves y antivirus, aumenta tus defensas y reduce los riesgos de sufrir robos de identidad.

4. Todas las comunicaciones deben realizarse a través de la mensajería interna de las plataformas. De esta forma, en caso de problemas siempre habrá un rastro electrónico.

5. Participa activamente en la aplicación denunciando casos sospechosos y valorando usuarios y productos. En este sentido, es la propia comunidad la que puede ayudar a mejorar los niveles de protección.

6. Desconfía de las gangas y las ofertas de ensueño. Especialmente en las marcas de gama alta. Pide fotos tomadas por el vendedor, no imágenes de catálogo.

7. Pregunta al comprador si conserva resguardo de compra o libro de instrucciones. Es una forma de asegurar que el producto es original e indica su antigüedad, así como si todavía está en garantía.

Ser víctima de estafa

En caso de ser víctima de estafa en una de estas plataformas, es importante notificarlo rápidamente a la plataforma de venta y a la Guardia Civil y, en su caso, poner una denuncia. Guardar la mayor cantidad posible de información sobre la transacción y el estafador puede ser muy útil para la posterior investigación. Ponte en contacto también con los servicios de atención al cliente de las plataformas.  Adaptado de ©www.pandasecurity.com/spain/mediacenter/consejos/comprar-wallapop-vibbo/

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.