B1 lesson (7)

Lesson 1: Fun

ExpressionsVocabularyFunListeningandSpeaking

The topicUseofEnglishListeningAPrizeCalledIg

Writing

ReadingTheIgNobelPrizesReadingcomprehensiontest

GrammarA.Enough/TooB.PreferenceorAdvice:Prefer/wouldrather/hadbetter

PhoneticsExtra information

Culturalfocus

GamesAdditionalmaterial

UN

IT

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Expressions

Vocabulary Fun

Listen to the following expressions and repeat them:

o Blow away the cobwebs. o Lets chill out. o Full of the joys of spring. o Live the life of Riley. o Paint the town red.

The listening is available in the virtual classroom

Choose the correct definition of the previous expressions:

o Blow away the cobwebs: a) To do something to make you feel more lively and refreshed.

b) To dust the whole house.

c) To vacuum the whole house.

o Lets chill out: a) Dont get cold outside.

b) Listen to some nice music.

c) Do something relaxing.

o Full of the joys of spring: a) To be happy and enthusiastic.

b) You are happy because its springtime.

c) You are going to have a baby.

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

o Live the life of Riley: a) You have a comfortable life and you dont work very hard.

b) Steve Riley was a famous party animal in the 1980s, it means to party all night.

c) To live a decent life.

o Paint the town red: a) You are a Liverpool fan and you want everyone to know it.

b) To wear red on St. Valentines night.

c) To go out and have a fantastic time at some bars or night-clubs etc.

Check your answers in the Key Booklet

Listening and Speaking

Listen and repeat the following quote by Eileen Caddy, a Scottish writer

and Spiritual Leader: Live and work but do not forget to play, to have

fun in life and really enjoy it.

The listening is available in the virtual classroom

o Do you agree? Explain your point of view and record yourself. The recording must be at least one minute.

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

The topic

Use of English

Match the following words with their correct definition:

A. Redundancy 1. To reach a place, condition, or situation that was not

planned.

B. To overlap

2. The act of finishing the contract of workers because

they are no longer necessary/the act of something

being unnecessary.

C. To harness 3. To use something for a specific objective.

D. To cope 4. Two events, situations or things happening or having

the same function at the same time.

E. To end up 5. To deal with difficult situations trying to find a

solution.


Listening A Prize Called Ig

The following video entitled A Prize Called Ig. Listen to the video once

before we start to work with it, and write down all the vocabulary you

can understand connected to the awards.

The video is available at:

http://youtu.be/a7i0Wx2H_fM

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Listen to each of the following four expressions and then repeat them

again at the same time as the presenter pronounces them.

o who fire everyone whose job is in any way overlapping with someone else (minute 0:42).

o tangle themselves up in knots (minute 2:02). o Whats the point? (minute 3:03). o the entire operation grinds to a halt (minute 3:28).

Have a look at the following words, expressions and phrasal verbs that

appear in the video and use the dictionary to look up the meanings.

Vocabulary Expressions Phrasal Verbs

Bizarre Out there To tangle up

Glitterati Mock Nobel To end up

Redundancy Sword swallowing To wrap around

To fire At one point or another To be back

To overlap Whats the point? To pull out

Spot light To grind to a halt To slip off

Spermicide

Branch

Knot

Fake

To harness

To cope

To quit

A plug

Dose

Outlet

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Writing

Answer the following questions using full sentences. Write your answers

and compare them with the suggested ones.

o What was the physics Ig prize for? o What did the winner of the medicine prize prove? o What was the result of anyone quitting in the company in the mini opera, why?


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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Reading

The Ig Nobel Prizes

The Ig Nobel Prizes

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ig_Nobel_Prize

The Ig Nobel Prizes are an American parody of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early

October for ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. The aim of the prizes is to

"first make people laugh, and then make them think". The event is organized by the scientific

humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) and among its participants are Nobel

Laureates. The ceremony takes place at Harvard University's Sanders Theater, and they are

followed by a set of public lectures by the winners at MIT. (Massachusetts Institute of

Technology).

History

The first Ig Nobels were awarded in 1991.Ten prizes are awarded each year in many categories,

including the Nobel Prize categories of physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, literature, and

peace, but also other categories such as public health, engineering, biology, and interdisciplinary

research. The Ig Nobel Prizes are for genuine achievements.

The awards are sometimes veiled criticism (or gentle satire), as in the two awards given

for homeopathy research, prizes in "science education" to the Kansas and Colorado state boards

of education for their stance regarding the teaching of evolution, and the prize awarded to Social

Text after the Sokal Affair. Most often, however, they draw attention to scientific articles that

have some humorous or unexpected aspect. Examples range from the discovery that the

presence of humans tends to sexually arouse ostriches, to the statement that black holes fulfill

all the technical requirements to be the location of Hell, to research on the "five-second rule", a

tongue-in-cheek belief that food dropped on the floor will not become contaminated if it is

picked up within five seconds.

In 2010, Andre Geim became the first person to receive both the Nobel and an individual Ig

Nobel prize.

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Name

The name is a play on the word ignoble ("characterized by baseness, lowness, or meanness") and

the name "Nobel" after Alfred Nobel. The official pronunciation used during the ceremony

is /nobl/ ig-no-bell. It is not pronounced like the word "ignoble" (/nobl/).

Ceremony

The prizes are presented by genuine Nobel

laureates, originally at a ceremony in a lecture hall

at MIT but now in Sanders Theater at Harvard

University. It contains a number of running jokes,

including Miss Sweetie Poo, a little girl who

repeatedly cries out, "Please stop: I'm bored," in a

high-pitched voice if speakers go on too long. The

awards ceremony is traditionally closed with the

words: "If you didn't win a prize and especially if

you did better luck next year!"

Throwing paper airplanes onto the stage was a long-standing tradition at the Ig Nobels, changed

at the 2006 ceremony because of "security concerns". In past years, physics professor Roy

Glauber has swept the stage clean of the airplanes as the official "Keeper of the Broom".

However, Glauber could not attend the 2005 awards he was traveling to Stockholm to claim a

genuine Nobel Prize in Physics.

The "Parade of Ignitaries" brings various supporting groups into the hall. At the 1997

ceremonies, a team of "cryogenic sex researchers" distributed a pamphlet titled "Safe Sex

at Four Kelvin". Delegates from the Museum of Bad Art are often on hand to display some pieces

from their collection, showing that bad art and bad science go hand in hand.

Fuente: http://www.improbable.com/ig/

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Reading comprehension test

Complete the following exercises:

o What are the reasons behind the Ig Nobel prizes? o What is Miss Sweetie Poos role? o How long ago were the first Ig Nobels awarded?


Have a look at the following words, expressions and phrasal verbs that

appear in the text and use the dictionary to look up the meanings:


Parody Tongue-in-cheek To pick up

Trivial Play on words To cry out

Achievements Long-standing tradition To go on

Veiled Hand in hand

The Awards To be on hand

To award

Stance

Lowness

Meanness

Baseness

High-pitched

Broom

Pamphlet

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Grammar

A. Enough/Too

Compare these two sentences:

The dress was too short.

The dress was not long enough.

Too means more than necessary whereas enough means equal to what is needed.

Apart from the meaning, both are different in terms of structure.

ENOUGHenough + noun There weren't enough students to take the exam.

adjective + enough The cake was big enough for all the guests to eat a piece.

adverb + enough Do you speak German fluently enough to live in Germany?

After the expression with enough, we may have for and/or + infinitive with to.

It wasnt safe enough for the children to cross the street.

TOO

too + adjective The woman in the hospital was too noisy so she was

expelled.

too + adverb We got to the hospital too late for the birth of the baby.

too + many/much + noun There were too many people in the concert.

As with enough, we may have for and/or + infinitive with to.

It is too early for the pubs to be opened.

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

B. Preference or Advice: Prefer/would rather/had better

PREFER

prefer + noun + to + noun General

preference I prefer rock music to disco music.

prefer + -ing + to + -ing General

preference I prefer going for a walk to going to a gym.

woud prefer + infinitive

with to + rather than (bare

infinitive/infinitive with to)

Specific

reference

Id prefer to go to Norway rather than

([to] go) to Greece in the summer.

Important: we never say I dont prefer but I prefer not to

I prefer to read with the TV on.

I prefer not to read with the TV on.

WOULD RATHERwould rather +

bare infinitive +

than (+ bare infinitive)

General or specific

preference

Id rather go to the doctor today than wait

until tomorrow.

would rather +

somebody + past

simple/past continuous

General or specific

preference about

someone else

Id rather he didnt go to the party.

HAD BETTER

had better + bare

infinitive Advice You'd better go to the doctor before you get worse.

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Exercises

Complete the following sentences with too or enough + one of the words

in the box. Add for and/or + infinitive with to, if possible:

food quickly bitter heavy

busy low clearly fit

o We cant read doctors prescriptions. He doesnt write _________________________.

o People in Africa are suffering from hunger. They dont have _________________________.

o I cant afford buying an apartment. My salary is ____________________________.

o Think twice, please! You act _________________. o I need more sugar. This coffee is _____________. o Martina couldnt carry the groceries shopping.

The bags are _____________________

o Sally cant take a couple of days off. She ___________. o I dont think I could run a marathon. Im not _______.


Correct the following sentences if necessary. They all contain prefer,

would prefer, Id rather or had better.

o I prefer to sing to to play the guitar. o Shed prefer to going to Bali rather than going to Turkey. o Id rather go now. Im late! o Youd better quit smoking or your health will get worse. o Would you prefer to have dinner at a restaurant or to order a pizza? o I had better Brian didnt go to the trip. He doesnt speak German. o I prefer Nesquik to coffee.

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

o Mark prefers to not go to the party. o You would better going to the hospital if you are not feeling well. o Id prefer to have the meeting on Monday rather than on Friday.


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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Phonetics

Pronunciation of s at the end of a plural noun

How do you pronounce that s at the end of a plural noun?

Read the following rules:

/s/ after /p/ /k/ /f/ /t/ / / For example: cakes, crisps, chips, kicks, hats.

/z/ after /b/ /g/ /v/ /d/ ///l/ /m/ /n/ // as well as all vowel sounds. For example: clothes, rings, views, pearls, dads, bags.

/iz/ after /s/ /z/ ///t//d//x/ For example: beaches, stages, places, boxes, foxes.

Exercises

Listen to the following words in their plural form. Repeat them and fill

in the chart according to the pronunciation. Compare your

pronunciation with the recording.

Bars Bridges Bunches Grapes

Keys Pieces Pots Socks

Ties Suits Monkeys

/s/ /z/ /iz/


English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Extra information

Cultural focus

Watch this video of Chez Luna Vicky Luna and Ismael Snchez and

listen to the song Two Words. Vicky sings this song in English, but how

does she keep her Spanish identity in the song? What are the two

words of the song? (NOTE: the author has given permission to use this

material).

The video is available in:

http://youtu.be/N4KMvWsemKk


Read the lyrics (by courtesy of Vicky Luna):

Chez Luna Two words

Some years ago there was a man

something happened that changed my life

He did me wrong, he broke my heart

But I managed to throw him out (get out!)

Now Ive started on a new path

Ive found somebody, Ive found someone

Theres only one thing that worries me

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UNIT 8 Lesson 1

I cant express the way I feel

Oh, I dont Know

How to find the words I lost

I keep on trying

I just wanna find the way

To express what Im feeling

but it doesnt work!

That old story left a scar

But all memories Ive left behind

I have started on a new path

I found somebody, I found someone

I had some trouble that hurts me bad

There are still two words I cannot pronounce

Just let me try it once again

Must be a way to to say it

But I dont Know


I keep on trying



But I dont Know why

why I dont Know


I keep on trying



But I cannot say:

I, L, O, V, E, Y, O and U

I, L, O, V, E and U

Just say:

I, L, O, V, E, Y, O and U

Just say: Baby, I LOVE YOU

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Look at the following vocabulary which appeared in the video:


Wanna Three little words To throw out

Aint Break my heart To get out

Swing To manage To keep on

Couch To start on a new path To leave behind

To leave a scar

Once again

It makes no difference

It doesnt mean a thing

Everything youve got

To have my way

Watch this video of Duke Ellingtons classic, Vicky Luna and Quique Bonal: It doesnt mean a thing. (NOTE: The author has given

permission to use this material)


http://youtu.be/7lLgm4pwK5o

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Fill in the gaps:

Quique Bonal and Vicky Luna It dont mean a thing

It don't mean a thing, if it ___1._____got that swing

(doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-ah, doo-

ah)

It don't mean a thing all you__2._____ is sing


ah)


If it's ____3.____

Just give that __4.___

Everything you've got

It don't mean a thing, if it __5._ got that swing


ah)

It don't mean a thing all you __6._____is sing


ah)


If it's __7.____

Just give that __8.__


It don't mean a thing, if it ___9.___got that swing


ah)


If it's ___10___

Just give that ___11.______


It don't mean a thing if it __12.___ got that swing

It don't mean a thing all you ___13.____is sing

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

(doo-ah)


If it's __14.______

Just give that __15.______


Don't mean a thing all you've gotta do is swing

It don't mean a thing all you've gotta do is sing


If it's ___16._____

Give that __17._____


It don't mean a thing if it ___18.____ got that swing

(doo-ah, dooooo-aaaaah)

Don't mean a thing

Check your answers

Watch this video of Vicky Luna and Quique Bonal: It Was You. (NOTE:

The author has given permission to use this material)


http://youtu.be/14mTK-69Nyo

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Listen to the song again and write down all the questions in the song (there are four).


Games

Read this interview for UNIR with Vicky Luna:

Where were you born?

In Seville, 34 years ago!

When did you realize you could sing?

The first time I sang on stage I was only 8 years old. It was in a school play; I sang a

carol that my grandmother taught me.

How did you start off in the music business?

In the 90's I recorded my first demo with my band; some people heard it and called

me to sing in other bands. Also I started working as a session

musician, and sometime later, I started doing background vocals with O'Funk'illo. In

that context, I met the ladies who would later turn out to be my colleagues in Las

Nias.

Where did you meet Ismael?

We started playing together in one of those first bands in the late 90's. Then we met

again after Las Nias broke up, and I proposed to start playing as a duo.

Who writes your songs?

Mainly, Ismael writes the music and I write the lyrics. Sometimes, I dare to write the

melodies, and Ismael writes some lyrics too.

How do you feel about singing in English?

Black music is the style where I feel most comfortable, so thats why I often sing in

English. With the help of my sister and my brother-in-law (who is American) I make

an effort to speak and pronounce properly.

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

Thank you Vicky, looking forward to your next concert, when is it??!

Our next concert is in Seville on February the 16th, at 9 pm (Sala Joaqun Turina,

theater Cajasol). I hope to see you there.

You can bet your life on it!!! With Patty too!!! xxx

(NOTE:The author has given permission to use this material)

Translate the following text into English:

Text taken from: http://chezluna.es/wordpress/historia/ by courtesy of Vicky Luna.

Ismael Snchez y Vicky Luna se conocieron y trabajaron juntos por

primera vez a finales de los noventa. A lo largo de toda una dcada, las

carreras musicales de ambos, por separado, crecieron y evolucionaron de

forma rica y productiva, por caminos distintos pero no distantes, senderos

paralelos que, finalmente, los llevaron a reencontrarse y unirse en un do

que se estren sobre un escenario en noviembre de 2008.

Tras 3 aos de andadura profesional, Ismael y Vicky dan nueva forma y

contenido a su proyecto: Chez Luna, en el que han querido rodearse de

msicos amigos, con los que han construido y desarrollado su disco debut.

El resultado, un puado de canciones propias, arregladas y producidas

por ellos mismos, con la inestimable colaboracin de enormes artistas de

la talla de Xavi Reija, lvaro Gandul, Adolfo Langa, Carlos Narea,

Antonio Serrano, y un largo etctera.

En este primer lbum de Chez Luna, encontraris una fusin honesta y

sencilla, un pop elegante en el que la vocacin jazzstica de Vicky se une

al bagaje de Ismael, desarrollado a travs de la msica brasilea y la

cancin de autor.

Chez Luna os invita a detener aqu vuestros pasos para entrar en su

English Link for B2

UNIT 8 Lesson 1

mundo, en su msica; la casa de Ismael Snchez y Vicky Luna, vuestra

casa.

Bienvenidos, y GRACIAS.


Look at the following vocabulary which appeared in the interview:


Play On stage To start off

Carol The music business To turn out

Demo In the 90s To break up

Duo Background vocals To look forward to doing something

A handful To bet your life on something To make up

Inestimable To be far away To come into

Album Stage debut

Fusion A very long etc.

To flavor Singer songwriter

Additional material

Grammar

Too/Enough: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/infinitive3b.html

Prefer/Rather: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/ratherthan.html

Listening

Pronunciation website to help you with pronunciation in English:

http://www.englishcorner.vacau.com/pronunciation/pronunciation.html

Documents

B1 lesson (7)