Reading Exercise Personal Information in English

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Reading personal information exercise in English


1. Vocabulary

Quite : very or quite


Town : town
Lawyer : lawyer
Miss : miss
Move: move

2. Read the text and then answer the questions

"Hello! My first name is Pierre and my surname is Shaw. I am twenty-five years old. I
was born in Berlin but I live in a quite small town called Loutraki. It is located in Greece.
I live in a big apartment with my wife and my two children. I have a daughter and a
son. My daughter's name is Susana; she is three years old. My son's name is Paul; he's
three months old. My wife's name is Emily; she is Spanish. I am a lawyer and my wife is
a pilot. We have lived in Greece for four years. I love living here but my wife misses
Barcelona a lot; her parents live there. “We are moving to Spain next year in October.”

What is the man's last name?

Peter
Shaw

3. Translation

Hello! My name is Pierre and my last name is Shaw. I am twenty-five years old. I was
born in Berlin, but I live in a very small town called Loutraki. The town is located in
Greece. I live in a large apartment with my wife and two children. I have a daughter
and a son . My daughter's name is Susana; She is three years old. My son's name is
Paul; He is three months old. My wife's name is Emily; she is Spanish . I am a lawyer
and my wife is a pilot. We have lived in Greece for four years. I love living here, but my
wife misses Barcelona a lot; his parents live there. We are moving to Spain next year in
October.

Ejercicio de reading present progressive or continuous in English /


Reading exercise about the present progressive or continuous

1 . Vocabulary
o Wonderful : wonderful
o Dish : plate
o Hide-and-seek : hide-and-seek (child's game)
o The elderly : elderly
o Meaningful : significant
o Laugh : laugh
2

Family Celebration in Ecuador

Hello this is Jack reporting from the Annual Family Celebration in Quito, Ecuador.
People are having a wonderful time. Most men are cooking a traditional dish called

Fanesca . Some women are playing hide-and-seek with their children. The elderly are
listening to old music and telling stories from the past.

I am here with Mario Velasco, the event organizer, and I want to ask him a couple of
questions:

– Reporter : Mario, how long is the event?

– Mario : Well, it started yesterday at 7 am and it'll finish tomorrow at 9 pm with a


concert.

– Reporter : Is this event meaningful for Ecuadorian families?

– Mario : Yes, absolutely. Just look at the people. They are laughing, dancing or just
relaxing.

– Reporter : Thank Mario for your time and for the event.

That's all for now. I am Jack Baker. Bye-bye.

3 . Translation
Family celebration in Ecuador

Hello, I'm Jack reporting from the Annual Family Celebration in Quito, Ecuador. People
are having a wonderful time. Most of the men are cooking a traditional dish called
Fanesca. Some women are playing hide and seek with their children. The elderly are
listening to old music and telling stories from the past.

I'm here with Mario Velasco, the organizer of the event, and I want to ask him a couple
of questions:

– Reporter : Mario, how long does the event last?

– Mario : Well, it started yesterday at 7 in the morning and it will end tomorrow at 9
pm with a concert.

– Reporter : Is this event significant for Ecuadorian families?


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– Mario : Yes, absolutely. Just look at the people. They are laughing, dancing or just
relaxing.

– Reporter : Thank you Mario for your time and for the event.

Reading exercise about the family in English / Reading comprehension


exercise about the family
o Family vocabulary

1 . Vocabulary
o Large family : large family
o Extended family : distant relatives or family that is not so close
o Siblings : brothers and sisters
o Tell the truth : tell the truth
o Get along : get along (with someone)
o Lovely couple : lovely couple

2 . Read the following interview with a pop star who talks about her
family and then answer the questions.

Reporter : Welcome to a new episode of “Famous People's Families”. Today we are


going to talk about the family of the new pop star Frank Coleman. Hello Frank. Do you
have a large or a small family?

Frank : Hello. I would say small. My family consists of my wife, my son, my parents
and my two sisters.

Reporter : What about your extended family?

Frank : My father has twelve siblings and my mother seven. So I have ten uncles and
nine aunts but to tell you the truth I only see them at Christmas.

Reporter : Do you get along well with your sisters?

Frank : My sisters' names are Rose and Rachel. I love my family more than anything,
so we get along well. I call them every week. It is a very close relationship.

Reporter : Tell us about your parents.

Frank : Well, they are my heroes. My mom's name is Ivana. She is from Russia. She is
62 years old. She is really beautiful. My father's name is Ralph. She is a dentist. They
make a lovely couple.

Reporter : Would you like to have more children?


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Frank : Yes! Actually, Elizabeth, my wife, is pregnant. We are excited and happy. My
parents don't know yet. We are going to tell them tomorrow.

Reporter : Wow, that's really good news. Thank you Frank for being here and for
telling us about your family.

1. What does Frank do?

What does Frank do?

o He is a singer

o He is a movie star

3 . Translation:
Reporter : Welcome to a new episode of “Families of Famous People”. Today we are
going to talk about the family of the new pop star Frank Coleman.Hello Frank. Do you
have a big or a small family?

Frank : Hello. I would say small. My family is made up of my wife, my son, my


parents and my two sisters.

Reporter : What about your extended family?

Frank : My father has 12 siblings and my mother 7. So I have ten uncles and nine
aunts, but to tell you the truth, I only see them at Christmas.

Reporter : Do you get along well with your sisters?

Frank : My sisters' names are Rose and Rachel. I love my family more than anything,
so we get along well. I call them every week. It is a very close relationship.

Reporter : Tell us about your parents.

Frank : Well, they're my heroes. My mother's name is Ivana. She is from Russia. She is
62 years old. She is really beautiful. My father's name is Ralph. She is a dentist. They
make a lovely couple.

Reporter : Would you like to have more children?

Frank : Yes! Actually, Elizabeth, my wife, is pregnant. We are excited and happy. My
parents don't know yet. Let's tell them tomorrow.

Reporter : Wow, that's really good news. Thank you Frank for being here and for
telling us about your family.

Reading comprehension exercise about the comparatives


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For starters : to get started


1 . Vocabulary o
o Road : road
o Safe : safe
o Both : both or both o Thin : thin
o Quite : very or quite o Handsome : good looking or
o Sausage : sausage handsome
o Spicy : spicy

2 . Read the interview with Mary Brian, a person who has lived in Australia and
the United States text, and then answer the questions:

Reporter: Mary, please tell us what you think about Australia and The United
States.

Mary : Well, they are really nice countries and I love both of them. They are quite
different, though.

Reporter : Tell us about those differences.

Mary : For starters, the US is larger than Australia and there are more people there than
in Australia.

Reporter : What about the food?

Mary : I love Australian food, especially Cabanossi; it is a type of sausage. Food in


Australia is more traditional and spicier than in the States.

Reporter : I've heard that Americans drive faster than Australians.

Mary : Yeah, that's right. Roads in the US are usually safer and bigger than in Australia
so people can drive faster.

Reporter : Is it true that people in Australia are taller and thinner than in the US?

Mary : I don't know. Probably you are right, but I am not sure.

Reporter : Finally, let's talk about men.

Mary : Men are most of the times most handsome in Australia. However, my husband
is
American and he is pretty attractive.

Reporter : Thank you Mary for your time.

3 . Translation:
Journalist : Maria, please tell us what you think about Australia and the United States.

María : Well, they are very nice countries and I love them both. They are very different
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however.
Journalist : Tell us about those differences.

Maria : For starters, the US is bigger than Australia and there are more people there than in
Australia.

Journalist : What about the food?

Maria : I love Australian food, especially Cabanossi; It is a type of sausage. Food in


Australia is more traditional and spicier than in the United States.

Reporter : I heard that Americans drive faster than Australians.

Maria : Yes, that's right. The roads in the US are generally safer and larger than in Australia
so people can drive faster.

Journalist : Is it true that people in Australia are taller and thinner than in the US?

Maria : I don't know. He's probably right, but I'm not sure.

Reporter : Finally, let's talk about men.

Maria : Men are most of the time more handsome in Australia. However, my husband is
American and he is quite attractive.

Reporter : Thank you Maria for your time.


Reading comprehension exercise about personality and physical appearance

1. Vocabulary:
Heavy : heavy Reserved : reserved
Hazel : hazel Get along : get along with a person
Outgoing : extrovert Excited : excited or excited
Gorgeous : beautiful Thin : thin or thin
Seem : to seem

2 . Read the email below about Arnold's new housemates in Liverpool; then answer the
questions about the text.

Dear Francesca,

I arrived in Liverpool two days ago and I just met my roommates. I have three
roommates. Bill is from Switzerland; he is tall and heavy; he has got hazel eyes. He is
friendly and outgoing. Suzanne is gorgeous; she is from Cape Verde so she speaks
Portuguese and English quite well. She seems to have a strong personality; I think we
will get along well. Felipe comes from Peru. He is short, thin and athletic. He loves
sports, especially rugby. He is reserved so he doesn't talk much.

I am so excited because tomorrow we are going to the Beatles museum. I hope you are
having a great time in The Bahamas. Tell me about all what you've done there.
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Sees it,
Arnold

1. -How long has Arnold been Liverpool?

-How long has Arnold been in Liverpool?

o for 12 days.

o For a long time

o For a couple of days

Dear Francesca,

I arrived in Liverpool two days ago and I have just met my housemates. I have three
housemates. Bill is from Switzerland; he is tall and heavy; He has hazel eyes. He is
friendly and outgoing. Suzanne is beautiful; She is from Cape Verde so she speaks
Portuguese and English quite well. She seems to have a strong character; I think we're
going to get along well. Felipe comes from Peru. He is short, thin and athletic. He loves
sports, especially rugby. He is reserved so he doesn't talk much.

I'm really excited because tomorrow we're going to the Beatles museum. I hope you are
having a great time in the Bahamas. Tell me everything you've done there.

Fondly,

Arnold

Reading comprehension exercise A1 about a birthday party / Reading


coprehension A1 about a birthday party

. Vocabulary: o Early : early


o Whole - complete or complete
o Profile : profile o Whom : to whom
o Must : duty o Parents : parents
o How about? : How about? o Let me know : let me know

2. Read the following conversation and then answer the questions


correctly.

Anastasia : Tomorrow is Raul's birthday.


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Rebecca : Isn't it next week?


Anastasia : No, I looked at his Facebook profile and confirmed that it is tomorrow.
Rebecca : We must do something to celebrate his birthday.
Anastasia : Yes. How about a surprise party on Friday?
Rebecca : Great idea. What time?
Anastasia : I think at 7 pm is fine.
Rebecca : I think it is too early, how about at 9?
Anastasia : OK. But I have to work early on Saturday, so I can't stay for the whole
party.
Rebecca : No problem. And who should we invite?
Anastasia : Well, his wife and his parents.
Rebecca : We should also invite your friends from work.
Anastasia : Sure, where is the party?
Rebecca : Well, it will be in your house, right?
Anastasia : I don't know. I should ask John first.
Rebecca : OK. Let me know as soon as possible to start organizing everything.

1. - Do Anastasia and Rebecca know Raul?

Do Anastasia and Rebecca know Raul?

o No, they don't


o Yes, they do
o They haven't met him before

3. Translation into Spanish:


Anastasia : Tomorrow is Raul's birthday.
Rebecca : Is n't it next week?
Anastasia : No, I looked at your Facebook profile and confirmed that it is tomorrow.
Rebecca : We should do something to celebrate his birthday.
Anastasia : Yes. What do you think about a surprise party on Friday?
Rebecca : Excellent idea. What time?
Anastasia : I think 7pm is fine.
Rebecca : It seems too early, how about 9?

Anastasia : Okay. But I have to work early Saturday; So, I won't be able to stay for the
entire party.
Rebecca : No problem. And who should we invite?
Anastasia : Well, to his wife and his parents.
Rebecca : We should also invite his friends from work.
Anastasia : Sure, where will the party be?
Rebecca: Well, it will be at your house, right?
Anastasia : I don't know. I have to ask Juan first.
Rebecca : OK. Let me know as soon as possible so I can start organizing everything.
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Conversation compression exercise about formal introductions in


English/ Reading comprehension exercise about formal introductions
in English.

1 . Vocabulary:
o Researcher : Researcher
o Research : research
o Fit something or someone in : make a place or make space
o Look forward : wait with interest or wish
o Findings : discoveries or discoveries

2 . Read the following conversation and then answer the questions


correctly.

Mr. Allen : Good morning Ms. Green I'd like you to meet Mr. Hernandez from Raff
Market Research.

Ms. Green : Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hernandez. I'm Rita Green.

Mr. Hernandez : Pleased to meet you, too.

Mr. Allen : Mr. Hernandez is a market researcher. He's been analyzing our company
for 2 years for a research project.

Ms. Green : That's wonderful. Would it be possible to talk about your research project
next week?

Mr. Hernandez : Oh, sorry I'll be at a symposium in San Francisco. What about
tomorrow in the morning?

Ms. Green : Let me talk to my assistant to check if I can fit you in tomorrow morning.
My secretary will let you know today.

Mr. Hernandez : It was nice meeting you. I look forward to discussing the findings of
my research.

Ms. Green : That'll be great. I hope to see you soon, Mr. Hernandez. Goodbye.

Mr. Allen : Goodbye Ms. Green.

Mr. Hernandez : Goodbye Ms. Green. Have a good day.

3 . Translation to Spanish:
Mr. Allen : Good morning Mrs. Green, I would like you to meet Mr. Hernández from
Raff Market Research.
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Mrs. Green : Nice to meet you, Mr. Hernandez. I'm Rita Green.

Mr. Hernandez : Nice to meet you, too.

Mr. Allen : Mr. Hernandez is a market researcher. He has been analyzing our company
for 2 years for a research project.

Mrs. Green : That's wonderful. Would it be possible to talk about your research project
next week?

Mr. Hernandez : Oh, sorry, I'll be at a symposium in San Francisco. And tomorrow
morning?
Mrs. Green : Let me talk to my assistant to see if I can make room for you in the
morning. My secretary will let you know today.

Mr. Hernandez : It was nice to meet you. I look forward to discussing the results of my
research.

Mrs. Green : That will be great. I hope to see you soon, Mr. Hernández. Bye bye.
Mr. Allen : Goodbye Mrs. Green.

Mr. Hernández : Goodbye Mrs. Green. Have a nice day.

Reading exercise about the routines in English

1. Vocabulary:
o Hectic : agitated
o Enjoy : enjoy

o Grade : degree or course


o Pick up : pick up
o Politics : politics
o Quit : give up

2 . Read the following text about the routines of a man named Mathew
and then answer the comprehension questions.

My friend Mathew has a very hectic life. For starters, he has three jobs. In the morning
he works as a teacher, in the afternoon as a taxi driver and at night as a singer. Mathew
wakes up at 4 am, he takes a shower, gets dressed and goes to school. He doesn't have
time for breakfast at home so he has breakfast at school. Mathew teaches 5th grade. He
loves children so he enjoys his work.

At 12:30 Mathew always has lunch with his coworkers. Then he goes to his father's
house to pick up his father's taxi and begins working as a taxi driver. He is a good driver
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and likes talking to passengers about politics and sports. Mathew has a rock band; at
night the band

plays some music at a local bar. After singing for two hours, he goes back home, has
dinner and watches a little TV.

Mathew's wife is pregnant; so he will quit two of his jobs soon. He wants to share a lot
of time with his family in the future.

1. -The word “hectic” is close in meaning to:

-The word “hectic” has a similar meaning to:

o frenetic

o peaceful

o intelligent

3 . Spanish translation
My friend Mathew has a very hectic life. To start, you have 3 jobs. In the morning he
works as a teacher, in the afternoon as a taxi driver and at night as a singer. Mathew
wakes up at 4 in the morning, takes a bath, gets dressed and goes to school. He doesn't
have time to eat breakfast at home; That's why he eats breakfast at school. Mathew is a
5th grade teacher. He loves children and that's why he enjoys his work.
At 12:30 Mathew always has lunch with his coworkers. Then he goes to his father's
house to pick up his father's taxi and starts working as a taxi driver. He is a good driver
and likes to talk to passengers about politics and sports. Mathew has a rock band; At
night the band plays at a local bar. After singing for two hours, he comes home, has
dinner, and watches some television.

Mathew's wife is pregnant; That's why he's going to quit two of his jobs soon. He wants
to spend a lot of time with his family in the future.

Easy reading exercise in English about my favorite things /


Reading exercise my favorite things.

1 . Vocabulary
o Want : want
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o Smartphone : smart phone


o Husband : husband
o Improve : improve
o Single father : single father

2 . Exercise: Solve the following easy reading exercise based on the


following text .

My favorite things

Hello, I am Ross from Glasgow and I want to tell you about my two favorite things.

My car is my second favorite on my list of favorite things. I am a single father and I


have 4 small children. Because of that, I need a mode of transportation to take my
children to school, to the movies, or to visit their mother and her new husband in a city
near Glasgow.

First place on my list is my phone; what I mean is, my smartphone. I use it all day. In
the morning I use it as an alarm to wake up; then I listen to music on the bus when I go
to work; in the afternoon I send messages to my friends and my girlfriend on Facebook
or WhatsApp. Right now I am studying French and I use some of the apps on my phone
to improve my French.

1. What is the text about?

What is the text about?

o It is about the importance of cars and electronic devices

o It is about Ross, his wife and his family

o It is about a man who talks about his favorite things

3 . Spanish translation
My favorite things

Hi, I'm Ross from Glasgow and I want to tell you about my two favorite things.

My car is second on my list of favorite things. I am a single father and have 4 small
children. Therefore, I need a means of transport to take my children to school, to the
cinema or to visit their mother and her new husband in a city near Glasgow.
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The first position on my list is my phone; I mean, my smartphone. I use it all day. In the
morning I use it as an alarm to wake up; Then I listen to music on the bus when I go to
work; In the afternoon I send messages to my friends and girlfriend on Facebook or
WhatsApp. I am currently studying French and use some applications on my phone to
improve my level.

Reading about the iPad Air in English / Reading exercise: iPad Air
review

1. Vocabulary: o Device : device


o To be worth
o Relaunch : relaunch (a product) o Instead : instead of or instead of
o Stunning : impressive o Allow : allow
o Joy : pleasure o GB : gigabyte (computing)
o Handle : handle or use o Opt : opt/choose

2 . Read the text and then answer the questions.


iPad Air review

With a new design based on the successful iPad Mini, Apple has relaunched its tablet
computer range with the iPad Air. The result is a stunning piece of technology that is
both a joy to use and powerful enough for most of the tasks you'll want to do on it.

Compared to older versions of the iPad, the Air is lighter and easier to handle. In terms
of performance, the Air is a great option. It comes with a fair number of free apps,
which make it a functional addition to your personal technology right out of the box.
However, with these apps and the HD quality of the device, the lower priced 16GB
option isn't worth buying. Instead, opt for the much more useful 128GB device, which
will allow you to fully take advantage of all the iPad Air has to offer.

1. -According to the review, the iPad Mini

-According to the review, the iPad Mini

Was cheaper than most tablets

o Had a great deal of success

o Have a new design

3. Transcription
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iPad Air Review

With a new design based on the successful iPad Mini, Apple has relaunched its tablet
PC range through the iPad Air. The result is an impressive piece of technology that is
both a pleasure to use and powerful enough for most tasks you want to do with it.

Compared to previous versions of the iPad, iPad Air is lighter and easier to hold.

drive . In terms of performance, the iPad Air is a great option. It comes with a good
number of free apps that make it a functional complement to personal technology from
the start. However, with these apps and the HD quality of the device, it's not worth
purchasing the lower-priced 16GB option. Instead, it would be wise to opt for the much
more useful 128GB device, which will allow you to make the most of everything the
iPad Air has to offer.

Reading exercise to learn English about the footballer James


Rodríguez. (Reading exercise)
o Soccer vocabulary in English
 Midfielder : midfielder (soccer)
 Sign : sign or sign
1. Vocabulary  Fee : payment, price, rate or rate
 Score a goal : score a goal
 Grow up ( past: “grew up”): grow up  Although : although
 Spend (past: “spent”): spend time or
spend money

2. Read the biography and then answer the questions:

Adapted from WIkipedia for educational purposes: Complete Biography

James David Rodríguez Rubio

He is a Colombian footballer. He was born in Cúcuta on July 12 th 1991. He is 1.85


meters tall. His parents' names are Wilson James Rodriguez Bedoya and Maria Del Pilar
Rubio. Although he was born in Cúcuta, he grew up in Ibagué. He spent most of his
childhood there.

Style of play :

He is a midfielder and a natural playmaker.

Career :

He started his career in 2006 in the Colombian team named “Envigado FC”. Then FC
Porto signed him for 5.1 million euros. I have played for FC Porto from 2010 to 2013.
15

After that James was signed by AS Monaco for 45 million euros, one of the most
expensive transfer fees for a Colombian footballer.

National Football Team :

James started playing for the national football team in 2011. In the 2014 World Cup
qualifying matches he scored three goals and helped Colombia to qualify for the
tournament held in Brazil.
1. Was James born in Ibagué Colombia ?

Was James born in Ibagué Colombia ?

o No, he wasn't

o Yes, he was

3 . Translation
James David Rodríguez Rubio
He is a Colombian soccer player. He was born in Cúcuta on July 12, 1991. He is 1.85
meters tall. His parents' names are Wilson James Rodríguez Bedoya and María Del Pilar
Rubio. Although he was born in Cúcuta, he grew up in Ibagué. He spent most of his
childhood there.

Playing style :

He is a midfielder and a natural playmaker.

Career :
He began his career in 2006 in the Colombian team called “Envigado FC”. Then FC
Porto signed him for 5.1 million euros. He played for FC Porto from 2010 to 2013.
After that James was signed by AS Monaco for 45 million euros, one of the most
expensive transfer fees for a Colombian footballer.

National soccer team :

James began playing for the national soccer team in 2011. In the qualifying matches for
the 2014 World Cup he scored three goals and helped Colombia qualify for the
tournament held in Brazil.

Reading exercise Los Angeles in English / Reading exercise about Los Angeles

1. Vocabulary
o Sights : places of interest, tourist attractions
o Fame : fame
o Sidewalk : sidewalk, sidewalk, platform, sidewalk
o In search of : in search of
16

2 . Read the text and then answer the questions


Sights in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is one of the biggest cities in the state of California. The city is a very
popular tourist attraction because there is so much to see and do there. First there is the
biggest attraction of all: the ocean! Los Angeles is only minutes away from the beautiful
beaches on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, surfing and other water
sports are very common there. Another popular sight is Hollywood and the walk of
fame. This star covered sidewalk shows the names of hundreds of popular actors,
actresses, musicians, and more. Many people visiting the city walk up and down the
sidewalk in search of their favorite star. There are even bus tours the visitors can go on
to see the homes of the famous people who live in Los Angeles.

1. -Is the ocean far from Los Angeles?

-Is the ocean far from Los Angeles?

o Yes, it is

o No, it isn't

o Not mentioned

3. Transcription

Places of interest in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles is one of the largest cities in the state of California. The city is a very
popular tourist attraction, as there is much to see and do there. First is the biggest
attraction of all: the ocean! Los Angeles is just minutes from the beautiful beaches of
the Pacific Ocean coast. Because of this, surfing and other water sports are very
common there. Another popular place is Hollywood and the Walk of Fame. This star-
covered sidewalk displays the names of hundreds of popular actors, actresses, musicians
and more. Many people who visit the city go up and down in search of their favorite
star. There are even bus tours so visitors can go see the homes of celebrities who live in
Los Angeles.

Nelson Mandela biography in English with exercise / Nelson Mandela biography

1 . Vocabulary:
o Convict : condemn
o Overthrow : overthrow
o Retirement : retirement
17

o Speak one's mind : say what one thinks


o Award : award
o Only : only or only

2 . Read the text and then answer the questions


Nelson Mandela biography

Nelson Mandela was a South African activist and politician, who was sentenced to life
in prison in 1962 for trying to overthrow the apartheid government. He got out of
prison in 1990 after apartheid ended. Mandela used his popularity and charisma to
become President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. After his presidency, Nelson
Mandela continued to fight for equality and justice. Even retirement couldn't stop
Mandela from speaking his mind to people all over the world. He became a popular
speaker who toured the world, inspiring people with his message. Nelson Mandela
received many awards during his life, including the Nobel Peace Prize and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom. He fathered six children during his life. He passed
away on December 5, 2013 at the age of 95.

1. Did Nelson Mandela support apartheid ?

Did Nelson Mandela support apartheid ?

o Yes, I did

o No, I didn't

o Probably

3 . Translation
Nelson Mandela's biography

Nelson Mandela was a South African activist and politician, who was sentenced to life
imprisonment in 1962 for trying to overthrow the apartheid government. He was
released from prison in 1990 after apartheid ended. Mandela used his popularity and
charisma to become president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. After his presidency,
Nelson Mandela continued to fight for equality and justice. Even retirement couldn't
stop Mandela from speaking his mind to people around the world. He became a popular
speaker who toured the world, inspiring people with his message. Nelson Mandela
received numerous awards during his lifetime, including the Nobel Peace Prize and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was the father of six children during his life. He
passed away on December 5, 2013 at the age of 95.

Movie Review: Avatar with reading comprehension exercise / Review: Avatar


18

Mind : mind
1 . Vocabulary: o
o Sympathetic : supportive or
compassionate
o Take place : take place o Praise : praise
o Moon : moon o Box office : box office (cinema)
o Orbit : orbit o Betray : betray
o Mine : extract (a natural o Successful : successful
resource)

2 . Read the text and then answer the questions


Movie Review: Avatar

Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. The movie takes place
on a distant moon called Pandora, which orbits a large, gas planet. Humans move to the
moon to extract a natural resource they call “unobtanium”. As humans begin to mine
the planet, a native species fights against them. The humans attempt to learn more about
the species by building a clone that can connect to the mind of an operator. The concept
is similar to driving a car by remote control. Jake Sully, the person selected to run the
avatar, however, becomes sympathetic to the alien beings living there and turns against
the humans. The film earned praise from critics and

audiences. During its theatrical release, it earned more money at the box office than any
other film before it.

1. Where does the movie take place ?

Where does the film take place ?

o on the moon

o On Pandora

o On a gas planet

3 . Translation
Review: Avatar

Avatar is a 2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron. The film takes place
on a distant moon called Pandora, which orbits a large gas planet. Humans move to the
moon to extract a natural resource they call “unobtanium.” As humans begin to exploit
the planet, a native species fights them. Humans try to learn more about the species by
building a clone that can connect to an operator's mind. The concept is similar to driving
a car by remote control. The person selected to run the avatar, however, begins to
19

sympathize with the extraterrestrial beings living there and turns against the humans.
The film won praise from critics and audiences. During its theatrical run, it made more
money at the box office than any other film before it.

Reading exercise about the movie San Andreas / Reading


comprehension activity about the movie San Andreas

1. Vocabulary
o Blockbuster : box office success o Earthquake : earthquake
o Recue : rescue or rescue o Release : release (a film)
o Aftermath : consequences,
consequences or results

2. Read the text and then do the comprehension activities

Movie review: San Andreas


The blockbuster “San Andreas” made its worldwide debut on May 25, 2015. The movie
was released in 2D and 3D formats. The story of San Andreas was written by Jerry
Passmore, Carlton Cuse and Andre Fabrizio, and was directed by Brad Peyton. Filmed
on location in Australia, Los

Angeles, Bakersfield and San Francisco, San Andreas follows the tale of a helicopter
rescue pilot named Raymond Gaines as he makes his way to San Francisco to find his
daughter in the aftermath of a major earthquake.

Stars of the thrilling movie include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Gaines, Carla
Gugino as his wife Emma, Alexandra Daddario as his daughter Blake and Paul Giamatti
as Dr. Lawrence Hayes. Pop singer Kylie Minogue also appears in the movie, as Susan
Riddick.

A “blockbuster” movie is one with lots of action and special effects. Other blockbuster
movies include Batman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and Star
Wars.

3. Text translation
Movie review: San Andreas
The blockbuster “San Andreas” made its global debut on May 25, 2015. The film was
released in 2D and 3D formats. The story of San Andreas was written by Jerry
Passmore, Carlton Cuse and Andre Fabrizio, and was directed by Brad Peyton. Filmed
on location in Australia, Los Angeles, Bakersfield and San Francisco, San Andreas
follows the story of a rescue helicopter pilot named Raymond Gaines who makes his
way to San Francisco to find his daughter in the aftermath of a massive earthquake.
great magnitude.
20

Stars of this exciting film include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Gaines, Carla
Gugino as his wife Emma, Alexandra Daddario as his daughter Blake and Paul Giamatti
as Dr. Lawrence Hayes. Pop singer Kylie Minogue also appears in the film, as Susan
Riddick.

A “blockbuster” movie is one with a lot of action and special effects. Other blockbuster
films include Batman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and Star
Wars.

Reading comprehension activity about a typical American lunch

Suggested reading for levels: Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate

1 . Vocabulary
o Lunchtime : lunch time
o Ground beef: ground beef
o Broiled : roasted or roasted
o Grilled : grilled
o Topped : covered or covered
o Melted : melted or molten
o Bun : round hamburger bun
o Enhance : improve
o Pickles : gherkins
o Deep-fried : fried in plenty of oil
o Tender : tender
o Dip : dip or wet with
o Flavor : flavor
o Root beer : root beer
o Starving : hungry

2 . Read the text and then do the comprehension activities about reading
about food

A typical American lunch

(1) Imagine it's lunchtime, and you are hungry . You want something delicious to eat,
and you want to make sure that your server brings you food that you like. Here's how to
order an American lunch:

(2) If you want to try a classic American meal, ask for a cheeseburger, fries and a soda.
A cheeseburger is made with ground beef that is broiled, fried or grilled. Topped with
melted cheese and placed on a sliced bun, a cheeseburger may be enhanced with the
addition of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and pickles.

(3) French fries are made with cut potatoes that are deep-fried to a golden brown color.
Great French fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Most Americans
dip the ends of French fries in ketchup before eating them.
21

(4) Sodas are bubbly beverages that come in a variety of flavors. The most popular
American sodas, also known as “soft drinks,” are Coca Cola, Pepsi and 7-Up. Root beer
and ginger ale are other American soft drinks that are found in most lunch restaurants.

1. -The expression “ you are hungry ” is close in meaning to:

-The expression “ you are hungry ” has a meaning similar to:

o You are crazy

o You are starving

o You are hot

3 . Spanish translation of the food reading:


A typical American lunch

Imagine it's lunch time and you are hungry. You want something delicious to eat, and
you want to make sure that the person serving you brings you the food you like. This is
how to order an American meal:

If you want to try a classic American meal, order a cheeseburger, fries, and a soda. A
cheeseburger is made with roasted, fried or grilled ground beef. It should be topped with
melted cheese and placed on a sliced bun; a cheeseburger can be enhanced with the
addition of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and pickles.

French fries are made with cut potatoes that are fried to a golden brown color. Good
French fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Most Americans dip the
ends of French fries in ketchup before eating them.

Sodas are bubbly drinks that come in a variety of flavors. The most popular American
soft drinks, also known as “soft drinks”, are Coca Cola, Pepsi and 7-Up. Root beer and
ginger ale are other American soft drinks found in most restaurants.

Reading comprehension activity about a typical American


lunch

Suggested reading for levels: Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate


1 . Vocabulary
o Lunchtime : lunch time
o Ground beef: ground beef
o Broiled : roasted or roasted
o Grilled : grilled
o Topped : covered or covered
22

o Melted : melted or molten


o Bun : round hamburger bun
o Enhance : improve
o Pickles : gherkins
o Deep-fried : fried in plenty of oil
o Tender : tender
o Dip : dip or wet with
o Flavor : flavor
o Root beer : root beer
o Starving : hungry

2 . Read the text and then do the comprehension activities about reading
about food

A typical American lunch


(1) Imagine it's lunchtime, and you are hungry . You want something delicious to eat,
and you want to make sure that your server brings you food that you like. Here's how to
order an American lunch:

(2) If you want to try a classic American meal, ask for a cheeseburger, fries and a soda.
A cheeseburger is made with ground beef that is broiled, fried or grilled. Topped with
melted cheese and placed on a sliced bun, a cheeseburger may be enhanced with the
addition of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and pickles.

(3) French fries are made with cut potatoes that are deep-fried to a golden brown color.
Great French fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Most Americans
dip the ends of French fries in ketchup before eating them.

(4) Sodas are bubbly beverages that come in a variety of flavors. The most popular
American sodas, also known as “soft drinks,” are Coca Cola, Pepsi and 7-Up. Root beer
and ginger ale are other American soft drinks that are found in most lunch restaurants.

1. -The expression “ you are


hungry ” is close in meaning to:
o You are starving
-The expression “ you are
hungry ” has a meaning similar
to: o You are hot

o You are crazy

3 . Spanish translation of the food reading:


A typical American lunch
23

Imagine it's lunch time and you are hungry. You want something delicious
to eat, and you want to make sure that the person serving you brings you
the food you like. This is how to order an American meal:

If you want to try a classic American meal, order a cheeseburger, fries, and
a soda. A cheeseburger is made with roasted, fried or grilled ground beef.

It should be topped with melted cheese and placed on a sliced bun; a


cheeseburger can be enhanced with the addition of ketchup, mustard,
mayonnaise and pickles.

French fries are made with cut potatoes that are fried to a golden brown
color. Good French fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Most Americans dip the ends of French fries in ketchup before eating them.

Sodas are bubbly drinks that come in a variety of flavors. The most popular
American soft drinks, also known as “soft drinks”, are Coca Cola, Pepsi
and 7-Up. Root beer and ginger ale are other American soft drinks found in
most restaurants.

Reading comprehension activity about the future with WILL

Suggested reading for levels: Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate

1 . Vocabulary:
o Mayor : mayor
o Improve : improve
o Current : current
o Citizens : citizens
o Hire : hire
o Traffic jam : car jam or traffic jam
o Town Planning : urban planning
o Invest : invest
o Budget : budget
o Short-term : short term
o Entertainment : entertainment
o Hold : to carry out (an event)
o Tax : tax

2 . Read the interview that a reporter does with Mr. White, a candidate
who wants to be mayor of a city, and then answer the questions.

Reporter : Mr. White, what will you do if you become the mayor of this city?
24

Candidate : Well, I will do everything in my power to improve the current conditions


of the city.

A : I want to ask you about some specific topics. The first one is education.

C : Education has been a major problem in this city so I will build 200 modern schools.
I will create a tax in order to support free education for all the citizens. However, I won't
hire new teachers because we have more than enough.

A : Now I want to tell me what you will do about the heavy traffic and the traffic jams
in the city.

C : Historically the Town Planning Office has not been able to manage this issue. As a
result, I will invest a large part of the budget of the city in this office. The objective is to
reduce the heavy traffic and the traffic jams not only in the short-term but also in the
long-term.

A : The last two topics are entertainment and culture.

C : These two topics make a huge impact on the quality of life of the citizens.
Regarding entertainment, I will organize sports tournaments for both children and
adults. With respect to culture, the city will hold a cultural event every day.
A : Thank you, Mr. White.

1. -We can infer that Mr. White __________ to make the city a better pace for life.
-We can infer that Mr. White __________ make the city a better place to live.

o wants

o doesn't want

3 . Spanish translation
A : Mr. White, what are you going to do if you become the mayor of this city?

C : Well, I'm going to do everything in my power to improve the current conditions of


the city.
A : I want to ask you about some specific topics. The first is education.

C : Education has been a big problem in this city so I am going to build 200 modern
schools. I will create a tax to support free education for all citizens. However, I am not
going to hire new teachers because we have more than enough.

A : Now I want you to tell me what you are going to do about the heavy traffic and
traffic jams in the city.

C : Historically the Planning Office has not been able to handle this problem. As a
result, I will be investing a large portion of the city budget into this office. The goal is to
reduce heavy traffic and traffic jams not only in the short term, but also in the long term.
25

A : The last two topics are entertainment and culture.

C : These two issues have a great impact on the quality of life of citizens. As for
entertainment, I will organize sports tournaments for both children and adults.
Regarding culture, the city will celebrate a cultural event every day.

A : Thank you, Mr. White.

Halloween Reading

Reading comprehension activity about how Americans celebrate Halloween

1 . Vocabulary
o Dress up : dress up or dress up
o Costume : costume
o Candy : sweets, candies or sweets
o Throw a party : throw a party
o Trick or treat : trick or treat
o Contest : competition or tournament
o Pumpkin : squash or squash
o Lanterns : lantern
o Jack-o-lantern : pumpkin lamp
o Carve : carve or sculpt
o Candle : candle
o Spooky : creepy

2 . Read the text and then do the comprehension activities


How do Americans celebrate Halloween?

This is one of the favorite celebrations that Americans have throughout the year. The
reason for this is that it allows people to dress up in costumes and go to fun parties and
events, but the ones that enjoy Halloween the most are usually the children. They will
dress up and go out with their parents to ask for candy. Trick or treating has been the
main way to celebrate Halloween for everyone in the US.

Halloween is also celebrated by many adults who throw costume parties at their homes.
There are also locations that hold contests for the most amazing looking costumes that
come out to participate and the celebration in general is quite fun for most people,
except those who are not interested having to open their door every five minutes to give
candy to kids.

There are usually pumpkin pies that are made during this celebration because a lot of
people make lanterns out of pumpkins and they are called “Jack-o-lanterns”. People
26

remove the insides of the pumpkin and they carve different shapes and faces on the
outside. A candle is then placed inside the pumpkin in order to give it a spooky glow
that lights up the carved figures and can be seen from a long distance.

1. -The expression “the ones” can be


replaced by:
o halloween
-The expression “the ones” can be
replaced by:
o the celebrations
o La gente

How do Americans celebrate Halloween ?

This is one of the favorite celebrations that Americans have throughout the year. The
reason for this is that it allows people to dress up and go to fun parties and events, but
those who enjoy Halloween the most are usually children. They dress up and go out
with their

parents trick-or-treating. Trick or treating has been the main way to celebrate Halloween
for everyone in the United States.

Halloween is also celebrated by many adults who have costume parties at their homes.
There are also places that have contests for the coolest looking costumes and the overall
celebration is pretty fun for most people, except those who don't care about having to
open the door every five minutes to give candy to the kids.

There are usually pumpkin pies that are made during this celebration because a lot of
people make pumpkin lanterns that are called “Jack-o-lanterns.” People remove the
inside of the pumpkin and carve different shapes and faces on the outside. A candle is
then placed inside the pumpkin in order to give it a ghostly glow that illuminates the
carved figures and can be seen from a long distance.

4 . Writing :
Answer the following question in English in the comments to practice “writing”
o What's your favorite costume?
o What is your favorite costume?

1.Vocabulary :
o Elderly : of advanced age or advanced years
o Steaming : steaming
o Corner table : corner table or table in the corner of a room
o Quote : quote
o Stare : to stare
o Scarves : scarves
o Chill : cold
27

o Gruffly : abruptly
o Cold front : cold front

2 . Read the following text and then answer the questions correctly.
Reading about the weather

As they did almost every morning, the two elderly friends were sat slowly enjoying a
steaming cup of warming coffee at a corner table. The first looked up at the rapidly
darkening skies outside and quoted an old saying:

“ When the wind's in the south, the rain's in its mouth . “


For a moment, the other man said nothing, but simply continued to stare out of the
window. Then, as they put on their heavy overcoats, scarves and gloves, and prepared to
leave, he smiled and added :

“ My grandfather told me a long time ago that the 'south wind warms the aged ' .”
Stepping out of the warmth of the coffee house into the chill of an early spring morning,
the first man said gruffly:
“ I bet he never spent his winters in Nebraska! ”

1. -What can we infer from the first paragraph?

-What can we infer from the first paragraph ?

o A steaming cup of coffee is great in the mornings.

o The two friends usually have coffee together in the mornings.

o The elderly like to drink coffee.

Reading about the weather

As they did almost every morning, the two elderly friends sat slowly enjoying a hot,
steaming cup of coffee at a corner table. The first looked at the rapidly darkening skies
outside and quoted an old saying :

“ When the wind is in the south, it brings rain in its mouth .”


For a moment, the other man said nothing, but simply continued looking out the
window. Then as they put on their heavy coats, scarves and gloves, and prepared to
leave, he smiled and added :
28

“ My grandfather told me a long time ago that the “south wind warms the old .”
Leaving the warmth of the coffee house in the cold of a spring morning, the first man
said in a hoarse voice :

“ I bet he never spent his winters in Nebraska !”

Reading about the bank

Reading comprehension exercise about the bank B2

Suggested reading for levels B2: Intermediate and advanced

1 . Vocabulary
o Scruffily dressed : badly dressed
o Shuffle : shuffling walk
o Queue : row
o Battered : battered
o Produced : show
o Down-at-heel : tattered
o Grinned : to smile intensely
o Checking account : current account
o Astonished : astonished
o Judge : judge
o Cover : cover of a book

2 . Read the following text and then answer the questions correctly
The scruffily dressed old man had shuffled to the head of the queue at the bank and was
called forward by a much younger lady who looked tired after a hard day.

-“ How can I help sir ?” she asked politely. He lifted his battered hat from his head and
laid it on the counter .

-“ I'd like to open a checking account please .”

She asked him for some form of identification and he produced both a driver's license
and his passport . She noted, with surprise, that he was a well-traveled man, despite his
down-at-heel appearance. The formalities completed, he then asked if he could make his
first deposit.

-“ Of course sir,” she replied, and was astonished when he passed over a check for four
million dollars. Noting her surprise, the old man grinned through his few remaining
teeth and said :

-“ Never judge a book by its cover !”

1. - The word “ queue ” is close in meaning to:


-The word “ queue ” has a similar meaning to :
29

o park

o line

o money

3 . Spanish translation
The poorly dressed old man had shuffled to the head of the line at the bank and was
called out by a much younger lady who looked tired after a hard day.

-“ How can I help you sir ? " He asked politely. He took the battered hat off his head
and placed it on the counter .

-“ I would like to open a checking account please .”

She asked him for some form of identification and he showed her a driver's license and
his passport. She noted, with surprise, that he was a well-traveled man, despite his
ragged appearance. With the formalities over, he asked her if he could make his first
deposit.

-“ Of course, sir,” she responded, and was surprised when he handed her a check for
four million dollars. Observing her surprise, the old man smiled through his few
remaining teeth and said :
-“ Never judge a book by its cover !”

How to make a hamburger

B2 reading comprehension exercise about how to make a hamburger

. Vocabulary :

o Pound : pound
o Ground beef : minced meat
o Ground chuck : minced meat
o Grocery store – grocery store, grocery store, store or supermarket
o Hamburger bun : hamburger bun
o Dress : dress
o Frying pan : frying pan
o Patty : hamburger meat
o Flatten : to flatten or smooth
o Toppings : the sauce or dressings that are placed on the burgers or pizzas:
cheese, onion, mushrooms, etc.

2 . Exercise : in this exercise you must choose the title and subtitles that best complete
the blank spaces (a, b, c, etc.) of the text.
30

(to.) _________________________________________

If you are planning to cook hamburgers for dinner tonight, you will need one pound of
ground beef or ground chuck to make four 1/4 pound hamburgers. This meal will feed 4
people and will take about 30 minutes to cook.

Step 1 – (b.) _________________________________________

Here is the list of food you should buy at the grocery store:

-1 pound ground beef or ground chuck

-1 pack hamburger buns

-1 tomato

Step 2 – (c.) _________________________________________

Place the frying pan on the stove. Turn the stove to medium heat. Let the bread preheat
for 5 minutes while you make the hamburgers. You want the bread to be very hot when
you start cooking the meat.

Step 3 – (d.) _________________________________________

Use your hands or a knife to divide the pound of ground meat into 4 equal portions. Roll
each portion in your hands until it forms a ball. When you have finished, you should
have 4 balls that are almost the same size.

Flatten each ball between the palms of your hands so that you have 4 flattened
hamburger patties that are about the same size.

Step 4 – (e.) _________________________________________


Place the hamburger patties into the preheated frying pan. Cook them for
approximately 15 minutes. Flip each patty with a spatula and cook for 15 minutes on the
other side.

Step 5 – (f.) _________________________________________


After the hamburgers have finished cooking, place each on a hamburger bun. Top each
burger with a slice of tomato and you are ready to serve dinner!

You can “dress up” your hamburger by adding whatever sauce, cheese, or vegetable you
like best. Common choices of sauces in the United States are mayonnaise, mustard,
ketchup, or steak sauce. Common “toppings” for hamburgers are cheese, mushrooms,
onions, or pickles.

4. (d.) _________________________________________
31

o Go to the grocery store

o How to Make a Hamburger

o Dressing your burger

o Make the hamburger patties

o Cook the hamburgers

3. Correct answers and translation:


to . How to make a hamburger: How to make a hamburger

b . Step 1 – Go to the grocery store: Go to the store

c . Step 2 – Prepare the frying pan for cooking: Prepare the frying pan for cooking

d . Step 3 – Make the hamburger patties: Make the hamburger meat

e . Step 4 – Cook the hamburgers: Cook the hamburgers

f . Step 5 – Dressing your burger: Dress your burger

How to make a hamburger


If you are planning to cook hamburgers for dinner tonight, you will need one pound of
ground beef or ground chuck to make four ¼-pound burgers. This meal will feed 4
people and will take about 30 minutes to cook.

Step 1 – Go to the store

Here is the list of foods you should buy at the supermarket:

o 1 pound ground beef or ground beef


o 1 package of hamburger buns
o 1 tomato

Step 2 – Prepare the pan for cooking


32

Place the pan on the stove. Turn the stove on to medium heat. Let the pan preheat for 5
minutes while you make the burgers. It is best that the pan is very hot when you start
cooking the meat.

Step 3 – Make the hamburger meat

Use your hands or a knife to divide the pound of ground beef into 4 equal portions. Roll
each portion in your hands until it forms a ball. When you're done, you should have 4
balls that are almost the same size.

Flatten each ball between the palms of your hands so you have 4 flattened patties that
are about the same size.

Step 4 – Cook the burgers

Place the burgers in the preheated skillet. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. Flip each
burger with a spatula and cook for 15 minutes on the other side.

Step 5 – Dress your burger

After the burgers have finished cooking, place each one on a burger bun. Top each
burger with a slice of tomato and you're ready to serve dinner!

You can “dress up” your burger by adding whatever sauce, cheese or vegetables you
like best. Common sauce choices in the United States are mayonnaise, mustard,
ketchup, or meat sauce. Common “toppings” for burgers are cheese, mushrooms,
onions, or pickles.

Breaking Bad Review

Reading exercise about the television series Breaking Bad / Reading


comprehension exercise about the television series Breaking Bad B2

Suggested reading for levels: Upper Intermediate or Advanced

1 . Vocabulary
o Seem : to seem
o Plot : plot
o Twist : twist or turn (in a story)
o Underpaid : underpaid or underpaid
o In order to : for
o Get high : get high
o Spoil : spoil
o Rollercoaster : roller coaster
o Aside : apart
33

2 . Read the text and then do the comprehension activities


Review of Breaking Bad

There is no question that a few series have come out that have been able to revolutionize the
way in which TV is perceived by the audiences. It seems like this last decade has been a clear
win for TV in general because some of the best plots and dramatic twists have occurred on the
small screen instead of the big screen. One of those amazing TV shows has been AMC's hit
drama Breaking Bad.

The show was released back in January 2008 and it told the story of Walter White, who is an
underpaid and unaccomplished chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. He finds
himself with the dilemma of thinking about what he needs to do in order to provide his family
with enough money before he dies. This gives him the idea of becoming a methamphetamine
cook in order to make loads of money and leave his family with the financial support they
needed.

He gets to know this kid who he used to teach in high school. Jesse Pinkman is the ultimate
loser who sells drugs on the streets and spends the money he earns on prostitutes and drugs
to get high on, but he has the connection that Walter needs in order to start selling the drugs.
The show will allow you to get to know both characters very well and their twisted relationship
is almost that of a dysfunctional father and son.

Without spoiling it for those who have yet to see it. You will go through a rollercoaster of
emotions in which you will love and hate Walter and Jesse. There will be many peculiar
characters that will get in their way, but if there is one thing this show will never do is make
you feel bored or uninterested, with a couple of exceptions in the 4th season. Aside from that
this is probably the best drama TV show that has ever been made.

1. -Does the author seem to have a positive opinion of the Breaking Bad?
-Does the author seem to have a positive opinion about Breaking Bad?

o No, he doesn't

o Yes, he does

o No information

Breaking Bad Review


There is no doubt that few series have come out that have been able to revolutionize the way in which
television is perceived by the public. It seems that in the last decade there has been a clear victory for
television in general, as some of the best plots and dramatic twists have occurred on the small screen
rather than the big screen. One of those amazing television shows has been the AMC drama called
Breaking Bad.

The show was released in January 2008 and tells the story of Walter White, who is an underpaid and
mediocre chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. He is faced with the dilemma of thinking about
what he has to do in order to provide his family with enough money before he dies. This gives him the
34

idea of becoming a meth producer in order to make a lot of money and leave his family the financial
support they need.

He gets to know this guy he used to teach in high school. Jesse Pinkman is a loser who sells drugs on the
streets and spends the money he makes on prostitutes and drugs to get high, but he has the connections
Walter needs to start selling drugs. The series will allow you to get to know the two characters very well
and their twisted relationship is almost that of a dysfunctional father and son.

Without spoiling the series for those who still want to watch it. You are going to go through a roller
coaster of emotions in which you will feel love and hate for Walter and Jesse. There will be plenty of
quirky characters that will get in your way, but if there's one thing this show will never do, it's make you
feel bored or uninteresting, with a couple of exceptions in season four. Apart from this, it is probably the
best drama television series ever made.

Reading Facebook IELTS

Reading exercises about Facebook with emphasis on IELTS exam questions

1 . Vocabulary:
o Pros : advantages
o Cons : disadvantages
o Deny : deny
o Truth : truth
o Stay in touch: to be or keep in touch
o Feature : feature
o Turn into : convert
o On a daily basis : daily
o Request : request
o Lower : lower
o Spyware : spy program
o Virus threats : virus threats

2 . Exercise
Read the article and then do the comprehension exercises: matching headings IELTS
and True, False, N ot Given (True, False, Not Given)

1. ______________________________

There is no way to deny the importance of having a Facebook account in the modern world. It's almost
like a social pressure standard that you have to get a Facebook account or people will label you as an anti-
social person. The truth is that it should never matter what people think about something like that, but
there are some things about Facebook that everyone should now. Once you join, you will be exposed to
positive and negative things and that is what this article is about.

2. _________________________

Facebook is an excellent place for people who want to stay in touch with their friends and
family and if you use it for this purpose, you will find it to be very rewarding. It's also a great
way to remember birthdays and there is no question that most people find this feature to be a
lifesaver.
35

Another pro about Facebook is that you can turn it into a daily feed of news from all over the world. All
you have to do is subscribe to the top news networks and newspapers and you will be getting all the
relevant information on a daily basis.

3. _________________________

There are many cons about Facebook that people don't really take into consideration. The first
one is that if you start accepting friend requests from everyone you know, you will start to
lower the quality of the interactions with your closest friends and family.

There is also the large number of publications that contain plenty of spyware and a large assortment of
virus threats that you could end up catching. Another serious thing about Facebook is that you can easily
get caught up in this network and you can start wasting your time that could be used for more
productive things.

Conclusion

Facebook can be a great platform to use as long as you take the time to learn how to use it
properly and you never let yourself get caught up in it.

1. Choose the best title for the article:

Choose the best title for the article:

1. _________________________

o Pros and cons about using Facebook

o The history of Facebook

o How to open a Facebook account

3 . Spanish translation
Advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook
There is no way to deny the importance of having a Facebook account in the modern world. It's
almost like a social pressure standard that you have to get a Facebook account or people will
label you as an antisocial person. The truth is that it should never matter what people think
about something like this, but there are some things about Facebook that everyone should know
by now. Once you join, you will be exposed to positive and negative things and that is what this
article is about.

The advantages
Facebook is a great place for people who want to keep in touch with their friends and family
and if you use it
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For this purpose, you will find it very rewarding. It is also a great way to remember birthdays
and there is no doubt that most people find this feature a lifesaver.

Another advantage of Facebook is that it can become a daily source of news from around the
world. All you have to do is subscribe to the significant news networks and newspapers and you
will get all the relevant information daily.

The disadvantages
There are many disadvantages about Facebook that people don't really take into consideration.
The first is that if you start accepting friend requests from everyone you know, you will begin to
lower the quality of your interactions with your closest friends and family.

There are also a large number of publications that contain a lot of spyware and a large
assortment of virus threats that you could end up contracting. Another serious disadvantage
about Facebook is that you can easily get caught up in this network and you can start losing
time that could be used for more productive things.

Conclusion

Facebook can be a great platform as long as you take the time to learn how to use it correctly
and never let it get to you.

Lionel Messi Biography

Reading exercise about Lionel Messi (Biography) in English TOEFL / Reading


exercise about Lionel Messi (Biography)

An important skill for reading comprehension is knowing where to insert sentences in a


paragraph. To perform this task correctly you must read the paragraph completely, and
then try to insert the sentence. This type of question is very popular on the international
TOEFL exam.

Vocabulary :
o Bio : short form of Biography
o World cup : world cup
o Holder : owner or possessor
o Wear : to wear
o Coveted : coveted
o Truly : really
o Award : award

Exercise : Read and then answer the questions about Lionel Messi's
biography in English

Paragraph 1

(A) There have been some amazing soccer players in the world. The Brazilian Pele was
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one of them, (B) and now we have a combination of both and his name is Lionel Messi.
(C) In this article we are going to give you a quick bio on the superstar that plays for
Barcelona in clubs and for the Argentinian national team in the world cup (D)

Paragraph 2

(A) Messi was born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina (B) . He plays forward position
and is the

holder of the ultimate number for a soccer player to wear (C) . He started by playing in
Barcelona for division C in 2003 and the moved up to division B in 2004 (D) . Finally,
by the end of 2004 he was already a member of the Barcelona's first team, and that is
when the legend was truly born.

Paragraph 3

Lionel Messi (A) at this point and by the time he turned 24, he (B) had become the top scorer
for Barcelona and continues to hold that record. He (C) also became the first player to ever win
the best player of the year award for a total of 4 consecutive years (D) .

Paragraph 4

He had scored 200 goals (A) for Barcelona and the entire world considers him to be the best
soccer player in the world. There is a lot left to be seen about this amazing player (B) . We hope
to see him perform many more hat tricks and (C) incredible dribbles and goals on the field for
the teams that he has played for all these years (D) .

1. Where in Paragraph 1 can the following phrase be located?


then came Maradona and his amazing goals,

Business email reading

Reading exercise about a business email in English / Reading exercise about a


business email.

Vocabulary:

o Find out : know the details


o Regarding : about or in relation
to o Achieve : achieve
o Request : request o Schedule : schedule
o Estimate : budget or calculation o Supplier : supplier

Exercise : Read the following business email in English and then answer the
questions.
Good afternoon,

My name is Larry Reed. I am the executive director of MarBuild, the leading industrial security
company on the continent. One of your clients, Lars Evans, has given us many good references
for your company. We would like to find out more regarding the following items:
38

I would like to request a catalog of your industrial security products as soon as possible. I would
also like an estimate for the cost of the new model of TR493 security cameras. My company
would like to modernize our security systems and your products seem to be appropriate for
achieving this objective.

Finally, I would like to know if it would be possible to schedule a meeting on Tuesday of next
week in the afternoon sometime. My company is interested in meeting with an experienced
supplier in the industrial security market; for the reasons I have mentioned previously, we
would like to discuss our options with the operations director.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Cordially,

Larry Reed.

1. What is the purpose of the email ?

What is the purpose of email ?

o To complain about security systems.


o To ask for a catalog and to set up a meeting.
o To talk to Lars Evans.

Translation

Good afternoon,

My name is Larry Reed, I am the CEO of MarBuild, the leading industrial safety company on
the continent. One of his clients, Lars Evans, has given us very good references about his
company. We want to find out details about the following topics:

I would like you to send me a catalog of industrial safety products as soon as possible. I would
also like to receive a quote for the new TR493 security camera model. My company wants to
modernize its security systems and your products seem to be appropriate to achieve this goal.

Finally, I want to know if there is a possibility of scheduling a meeting on Tuesday afternoon of


next week. My company is interested in finding a supplier with experience in the security
industry market; Therefore, we would like to discuss this matter with your operational director.

I await your response.


Cordially,
Larry Reed.

Reading Airline Advertisement

Reading comprehension exercise about a talk by an airline TOEIC

1.Vocabulary
39

o Due to : due to
o Landing gear : landing gear
o Cope with : cope with

2 . Exercise: read the following advertisement and then answer the questions
Attention passengers of Flight 45XT with a final destination of Trinidad and Tobago on Jetways Airlines.
We wanted to inform you that the flight has been canceled due to a mechanical problem with the plane's
landing gear. Right now passengers have two options to cope with this delay:

 See one of the airline officials located on the second floor of this airport and ask for a refund of
all your money. The money will not be immediately refunded; it will be deposited in the bank
account of the person listed on the ticket.
 Wait 5 hours in the boarding area to board flight 46XT to Trinidad and Tobago. Jetways Airlines
will cover the costs of lunch and dinner during the delay that this has caused.

Thank you for traveling with Jetways, the airline of the future.

1. What is the purpose of the announcement?

What is the purpose of the ad?

o To analyze

o To criticize

o to inform

3 . Spanish translation announcement for TOEIC :


Attention! Passengers of JetWays airline flight 45XT bound for Trinidad and Tobago
are informed that the flight has been canceled due to a mechanical failure in the
plane's landing system. At the moment, passengers have two possibilities to overcome
this setback:

 Go to the airline office located on the second floor of this airport and request a
full refund of your money. The money will not be returned immediately; It will
be deposited in the bank account of the ticket holder.
 Wait 5 hours in the boarding lounge and then board flight 46XT to Trinidad and
Tobago. The airline JetWays will be responsible for the lunch and dinner costs
that this setback may have generated.

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