Bike-sharing revolution aims to put China back on two wheels

 Two-wheeled travel began to go out of fashion as China became more open to the world, ushering in decades of economic boom and a high demand for cars. 

In 1980, almost 63% of commuters cycled to work, the Beijing Morning Post reported last year, citing government data. But by 2000 that number had plummeted to 38% and today it stands at less than 12%.

Car use, meanwhile, has rocketed. In 2010 China overtook the US to become the world’s largest car market, with 13.5m vehicles sold in just 12 months. This year, manufacturers expect to sell almost 23m passenger cars.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/28/bike-sharing-revolution-aims-to-put-china-back-on-two-wheels

From 'Good Job' To 'Good Riddance': Obama On Letters From Everyday Americans

Obama talks to NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep about the letters sent by Americans from different walks of life that the president has read — and responded to — during his final weeks in office.

http://www.npr.org/2016/12/19/505860259/from-good-job-to-good-riddance-obama-on-letters-from-everyday-americans

2NB A Special Christmas Present (reading)

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/200/reading/xmas1.htm

C1 The "vampire economy"

There is a new group of buyers emerging - those who purchase items online between 11pm and 5am. Dubbed the 'vampire economy', some companies are targeting this group with marketing emails sent during the night.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04dbjy8?intc_type=singletheme&intc_location=radio4&intc_campaign=radio4infour&intc_linkname=audioclip_vampireeconomy_contentcard1

C1 The Mall

Recently, I have questioned whether time spent at West Edmonton Mall is time well spent. Only a five minute drive from my home in the Alberta capital, and with a car park that can accommodate 20,000 vehicles, I used to be embarrassed that my hometown’s reputation could depend so heavily on it. I sniffed at the culture of consumerism it represented – and what it took away from the character of the community.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/dec/14/shopping-north-america-biggest-mall-west-edmonton-canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl8jOAR1wyM
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140411-is-the-shopping-mall-dead

2NB The Time (listening)

http://www.examenglish.com/A2/A2_listening_daily_routine.htm

2NB Apostrophe 's

 Use the apostrophe to show possession. To show possession with a singular noun, add an apostrophe plus the letter s.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/nouns_articles/apostrophe_s.htm

C1 Inversion with negative adverbials

When we want to give emphasis in a sentence, certain negative adverbs and adverbial phrases may be taken out of their normal position and placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause. In this emphatic construction the adverb must be followed by an auxiliary verb + subject, as in a question.

http://www.learnglish.net/archives/2264

How a Polish ad out-Christmased John Lewis's bouncing badger

The John Lewis advert might be the most heavily trailed. Wes Anderson’s H&M commercial, the most stylish. Then Amazon got into the spirit of the Christmas ad wars with an interfaith focus on an imam and a vicar exchanging Christmas gifts. But none of these Christmas commercials have had the quiet charm of this year’s sleeper hit from Allegro, an online auction website in Poland, which doesn’t even sell products in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/shortcuts/2016/dec/07/how-a-polish-ad-out-christmased-john-lewiss-bouncing-badger

2NB Tongue twisters

Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They’re not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking.

http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-tongue-twisters-improve-pronunciation/

C1 The red-nosed gold rush

Stingy with freedom and consumer goods, the communist system provides plenty of subjects for comedy, though clowns must be cautious in exploiting them. One skirts the borders of what is permissible by satirising Cuba’s police. “We are natural clowns,” says a payaso who combs his hair into a spiky ponytail that resembles a Wi-Fi antenna. “When we open our fridges in the morning and see that they’re empty, we laugh.”

http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21709077-theres-money-be-made-wearing-floppy-shoes-red-nosed-gold-rush

2NB Present Simple

http://www.teachya.com/grammar/beginner/present_simple.php

C1 Success Stories

It never ceases to amaze me how much time people waste searching endlessly for magic shortcuts to entrepreneurial success and fulfillment when the only real path is staring them right in the face: real entrepreneurs who start real businesses that employ real people who provide real products and services to real customers.

http://www.inc.com/ss/10-inspiring-small-business-success-stories

C1 Making profits out of hope

People-smuggling is just another part of the vast decentralised organised-crime economy. Those in the trade are not necessarily evil or part of a grand conspiracy: they are ordinary folk drawn into organised crime by profits and the prospect of a better life.

http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21708989-how-desperation-and-innovation-combined-create-business-making-profits-out-hope

2NB Adjectives and Jobs

http://a4esl.org/q/f/x/xz64mbs.htm

http://iteslj.org/v/ei/adjectives.html

http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/1r2-my-working-day.php

C1 Christmas Ads 2016

As all the big Christmas 2016 ads are revealed, which is YOUR favourite?

It seems ‘advertising’ is over – this season’s campaigns are more likely to have you crying tears of laughter than blubbing in front of the TV

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/big-christmas-2016-ads-revealed-9259189

C1 Writing a review

Let's start from the basics. Whatever you do, don't tell us the end of the film! If there´s something film review readers hate is spoilers. When writing about the plot it is better to keep it brief and simple.

http://cpesamplewritings.blogspot.com.es/p/how-to-write-a.html

http://cpesamplewritings.blogspot.com.es/p/how-to-write-review-of-restaurant.html

C1 Comment Adverbs

Comment and viewpoint adverbs add information about the speaker's opinion of events. They do not usually give information about howsomething happened. Comment & viewpoint adverbs often modify the complete sentence, not just the verb.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode85/languagepoint.shtml

2NB Cloze Texts

http://www.grammarbank.com/beginners-reading-worksheet.html

C1 Supermarkets are using bread as a marketing tool

Supermarkets are baking more bread in-store than they can sell according to three big food waste charities. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p049fj7n?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_radio_4&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=radio_and_music

Tristram Stuart: The global food waste scandal
Western countries throw out nearly half of their food, not because it's inedible -- but because it doesn't look appealing. Tristram Stuart delves into the shocking data of wasted food, calling for a more responsible use of global resources.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWC_zDdF74s

C1 Cleft Sentences

A cleft sentence is a complex sentence (one having a main clause and a dependent clause) that has a meaning that could be expressed by a simple sentence. Clefts typically put a particular constituent into focus. This focusing is often accompanied by a special intonation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv149.shtml

C1 Viral Marketing

When word of mouth turns to word of mouse.

On December 16, 1998 Iconocast gave the award for Internet marketing buzzword of the year to the term 'viral marketing', but what does it really mean? The concept itself was by no means new, businesses world-wide from the smallest corner shop to the biggest multinational had long relied on and benefited from it.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/viral-marketing

2NB Listening skills practice

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening-skills-practice

C1 Advertising and Emotions

Most people believe that the choices they make result from a rational analysis of available alternatives. In reality, however, emotions greatly influence and, in many cases, even determine our decisions.

.Evidence suggests that the decisions to purchase a luxury product are overwhelmingly emotional. Purchase behavior is a direct result of how a consumer perceives that a brand delivers the emotional end-benefits of buying and owning.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inside-the-consumer-mind/201302/how-emotions-influence-what-we-buy

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/inside-the-consumer-mind/201610/the-emotions-luxury

2NB THIS/THESE/THAT/THOSE

Why do we use this and these?

We use this (singular) and these (plural) as pronouns:

- to talk about people or things near us:

This is a nice cup of tea.
Whose shoes are these?

Why do we use that and those?

We use that (singular) and those (plural):

- to talk about things that are not near us:

What’s that?
This is our house, and that’s Rebecca’s house over there.
Those are very expensive shoes.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/es/english-grammar/pronouns/that-these-and-those

http://www.agendaweb.org/grammar/demonstratives-exercises.html

C1 Michael Bublé

Kirsty Young's castaway is the singer, Michael Bublé. Born in Burnaby, British Columbia, as a young boy he spent hours listening to his grandfather's record collection which featured the stars of the Great American songbook - Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald. At sixteen he was singing at venues often in exchange for the free plumbing services his grandad offered to get him on stage. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b080py3v

2NB Singular and Plural Nouns

http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/singular-and-plural-nouns/

C1 Nice and .....

 We say things like “nice and short” and “nice and sweet” all the time, but what exactly is the meaning of “nice” in this context? Is it simply an intensifier?

               

 http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/12/nice.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_twins_(linguistics)

2NB Roald Dahl

Matilda, The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - they're some of the most popular children's books ever written.

But how much do you know about their author, Roald Dahl?

It's a hundred years since he was born, so Newsround has taken a look at his life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35579345

C1 Talk like a gaijin

The government hopes to boost the economy with English lessons

English-speakers are much less common in Japan than in most rich, globalised countries. In 2015 Japan’s average score in the TOEFL, a popular test of proficiency for non-native speakers, was 71 out of 120, lower than in all East Asian countries except Laos and Cambodia. Companies seeking English-speakers tend to look for people who studied or grew up abroad, on the assumption that locally schooled candidates will not cut the mustard.

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21705853-government-hopes-boost-economy-english-lessons-talk-gaijin

Halloween is almost upon us, and to mark the occasion attractions, bars and even a ballroom are hosting special events that range from the mildly scary to the thrilling and downright gruesome. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/london/articles/Londons-best-Halloween-parties-and-events/

C1 Writing a report

The definition of report writing is creating an account or statement that describes in detail an event, situation or occurrence, usually as the result of observation or inquiry. The two most common forms of report writing are news report writing and academic report writing. Report writing is different from other forms of writing because it only includes facts, not the opinion or judgement of the writer.

http://cpesamplewritings.blogspot.com.es/p/how-to-write-report.html

2NB Possessive Adjectives

http://www.teachya.com/grammar/beginner/my_your_his_her.php

2NB Classroom Language

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqfW8fVbKE

C1 Will English Always Be the Global Language?

There is no official definition of "global" or "world" language, but it essentially refers to a language that is learned and spoken internationally, and is characterized not only by the number of its native and second language speakers, but also by its geographical distribution, and its use in international organizations and in diplomatic relations. A global language acts as a “lingua franca”, a common language that enables people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities to communicate on a more or less equitable basis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kvs8SxN8mc

C1 African cities. Left behind

All over the world, people escape poverty by moving to cities. Why does this not work so well in Africa?

Young people migrate to cities the world over looking for opportunity. Lagos, a sprawling lagoon city of some 21m people (pictured), is no exception. In dense traffic jams, young men weave through the cars selling plastic pouches of drinking water and tissues. On street corners they run generators and will charge your phone or photocopy a document. But most people never get much further than where they start: working extraordinarily hard for very little. Migrants to African cities are not worse off than they were in the countryside.

http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21707214-all-over-world-people-escape-poverty-moving-cities-why-does-not

2NB Numbers

http://www.real-english.com/reo/8/unit8.asp

C1 Urbanisation

Bangkok  is the capital city of the Asian country Thailand. In 2010, the city had a population of 9,100,000 people. In Thailand Bangkok is known as Krung Thep.Nicknames for Bangkok are the City of Angels and the Big Mango.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTAEelrb8c

Brasília  is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is atop the Brazilian highlands in the country's center-western region. It was founded on April 21, 1960, to serve as the new national capital. Brasília and its metro (encompassing the Federal District) had a population of 2,556,149 in 2011, making it Brazil's 4th most populous city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fur439kR0n4

2NB Countries and Nationalites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtpKmC1y8WE

C1: Can the UN save the London pub?

The traditional London pub is under threat and every week  one closes in the UK's capital. Cheap supermarket beer, wine bars and the economic downturn are all being blamed.

The pub has long been a cultural institution in Britain and a tourist attraction for visitors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlLvpQUMn9s

C1 10 of the best restaurants and bars in San Sebastián – chosen by the experts

T

rotting hungrily through the streets of San Sebastián, local food writer Sasha Correa stops at Bar Goiz-Argi, “a great place”. Really? It’s shoulder-wide and looks like a betting shop, with its neon, and flo or littered with serviettes. However, it is packed and no one’s doing selfies with pintxos, they’re just here to eat them.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/oct/03/10-best-restaurants-bars-san-sebastian-basque-country-chosen-by-experts

Riace: The Italian village abandoned by locals, adopted by migrants

The hilltop medieval village of Riace on Italy's south coast was almost a ghost town 15 years ago. Houses were derelict and the local school was near to closing.

The village was in danger of becoming extinct as residents disappeared to northern Italy, and abroad, for jobs during the economic boom.

Since then Riace has seen a change in its destiny, by openly welcoming a controlled number of migrants, who live and work as part of the community.

http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-37289713

The hidden psychology of failure

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Words of wisdom heralded throughout our upbringing, to be sure. But is there any scientific proof that successive failure is positive and propels innovation forwards?

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160316-the-hidden-psychology-of-failure

The Online Identity Crisis

Our identity is no longer restricted to a passport or National Insurance number. The average adult in Britain spends one day a week online and a large part of this time will be on Google, Facebook, Twitter, or shopping sites. As a result, whether we are aware of it or not, each of us also has a distinct online identity

This digital persona allows strangers to piece together more about us than we might think. Every minute of every day, online data is being collected, curated and exploited to categorise, sell and even pigeonhole our identity.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07tqvvp

I, Daniel Blake: Ken Loach and the scandal of Britain’s benefits system

The veteran director’s latest movie lays bare the cruel realities for those who fall through the cracks of society. We look at Loach’s work and the politics that drive it, while, below, campaigners, artists and analysts react to the film

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/11/i-daniel-blake-ken-loach-director-film-movie-benefits-system

The Matter of the North

In this 10 part series Melvyn Bragg brings all his passion and knowledge to a subject that has  fascinated him throughout his life - the pivotal role of England's North in the shaping of modern Britain.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07tczl3/episodes/downloads

The many lives of John le Carré, in his own words. An exclusive extract from his new memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel.

David John Moore Cornwell (born 19 October 1931) (pen name John le Carré /lə ˈkɑːrˌeɪ/) is a British author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, he worked for the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service, and began writing novels under a pen name. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), became an international best-seller, and remains one of his best-known works. Following the success of this novel, he left MI6 to become a full-time author.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2016/sep/03/tinker-tailor-writer-spy-the-many-lives-of-john-le-carre-in-his-own-words