Patricia, on living and working in Brazil

Download Patricia interview (MP3)
Download the activity worksheet to use with this month's Podcast.
Worksheet (PDF)
Tapescript (PDF)
http://www.businessenglishonline.net/TheBusiness/podcasts.htm

Hacienda

Es el nombre de un establecimiento rural y también del conjunto de bienes que alguien posee. Además, se denomina así a la Secretaría de Estado que se encarga de la administración del dinero público --Ministerio de Hacienda-- aunque en las últimas décadas se afirmó la tendencia a llamarlos de Economía y Finanzas.El vocablo entró muy tempranamente al castellano (hay registros desde comienzos del siglo XII), con el sentido de ‘asuntos’, ‘ocupación’, de donde algunos siglos más tarde pasó a denotar ‘propiedades’ y ‘administración de éstas’. En América, no tardó en aplicarse a la propiedad de rebaño vacuno y ovino.El vocablo castellano se originó en el latín facienda, plural neutro del participio presente de facere ‘hacer’, con el significado de ‘las cosas pendientes de hacer’, y pasó al italiano como azienda y al catalán como hicenda.

http://www.elcastellano.org

www.lahaciendachristianretreat.com/

The Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games were held more than 2,700 years ago in Olympia in Greece. The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1894 in Athens, in Greece. They happen every four years in different countries. This year the Olympic Games are in Beijing in China, and they begin on August 8th and end on August 24th.

I can run
What can Panda do? What can you do? Listen to a song about running, jumping and swimming.

the first marathon
This race was first run nearly 2,500 years ago! Read and listen to the exciting story of the first marathon.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-topics-olympics.htm

Insurance

Insurance
(TS)

Description
(NB: this is not a "Business English" lesson though it can be easily integrated into one.) An unusual topic for a general English lesson, you might think, but surprisingly stimulating nevertheless – try it! Vocabulary is explored and practised through a gap-fill exercise based around topic-based words and phrases. Conversation practice is provided through a series of discussion questions designed for the layman and based around the topic. For example: "How many insurance policies do you and your family have? What have you insured?"

http://www.tefl.net/esl-lesson-plans/esl-worksheets-tp.htm

English Idioms

What is an Idiom?
There are two features that identify an idiom: firstly, we cannot deduce the meaning of the idiom from the individual words; and secondly, both the grammar and the vocabulary of the idiom are fixed, and if we change them we lose the meaning of the idiom. Thus the idiom "pull your socks up" means "improve the way you are behaving" (or it can have a literal meaning); if we change it grammatically to "pull your sock up" or we change its vocabulary to "pull your stockings up", then we must interpret the phrase literally - it has lost its idiomatic meaning.
More about Idioms
Idioms reference with example sentences and quizzes
Idioms help - ask a question

faraón

Era el nombre de los monarcas egipcios entre los años 3050 y 30 a. de C. Según la egiptóloga Wallis Budges, proviene de un antiguo vocablo egipcio pera-a, que significaba ‘casa grande’, formado por per ‘casa’ y aa ‘grande’. Inicialmente, éste era el nombre del palacio real, más tarde per-aa designaba la residencia real y luego a la autoridad misma. Entre los egipcios era una palabra empleada por el pueblo y no por las autoridades, y sólo surgió bajo el reinado de Amenhotep III, en la primera mitad del siglo XIV a. de C.El término fue tomado por los hebreos con la forma paroh y por el griego como paraoh, hasta llegar al latín pharaon, -onis (también paraoh). Al español llegó como faraón, al inglés como pharaoh, al francés como pharaon, al alemán como Pharao, al portugués como faraó y al italiano como faraone.

http://www.elcastellano.org

www.agentes20.com/group/agentescybas

For teachers - Working abroad

Working Abroad uses the experiences of real people, both experts and non-experts, to explore some of the cultural and linguistic challenges of living and working in a foreign country - and offers a lot of practical hints and tips to help those who are thinking of taking the plunge. We've created a bank of downloadable classroom worksheets to help you and your students get the most out of the series. We've also written a list of quick and easy teaching ideas and activities that require little or no preparation, - most of them can be used with almost any part of the series:
Teaching ideas (45 K)
We hope you find these worksheets useful - do please send your comments and feedback to us at teachingenglish@bbc.co.uk.

Listening

These worksheets have been written to accompany specific programmes. Each of them focuses on one or more listening skills.
Worksheets:
Programme 2 (3.8 MB mp3)
Prediction & comprehension - dealing with different voices
Worksheet (41 K)

Programme 3 (3.8 MB mp3)
Comprehension - multiple choice questions
Worksheet (47 K)

Programme 4 (3.8 MB mp3)
Comprehension - true/false questions and follow up discussion questions
Worksheet (37 K)

Programme 5 (3.7 MB mp3)
Comprehension - true/false questions and follow up discussion questions
Worksheet (65 K)

Programme 6 (3.7 MB mp3)
Text organisation - ordering sentences. Follow up activity: Stereotypes discussion
Worksheet (40 K)

Reading

These worksheets are based around the reading texts related to the different people featured in Working Abroad. Each worksheet focuses on a specific reading sub-skill.
Worksheets:
Federico: the Person
Comprehension through comparisonOrdering events
Worksheet (35 K)

Andre - the Person
Comprehension questions
Worksheet (43 K)

Maralde - the Experience
Comprehension questionsComprehension through comparison
Worksheet (36 K)

Adam - the Person, the Job and the Experience
AnagramsSentence insertion
Worksheet (48 K)

Chris - the Experience
PredictionComprehension - true/false questionsFollow up speaking activity
Worksheet (44 K)

Writing

These worksheets provide guidance and practice on writing different types of text. The theme of each writing task centres on an aspect of working abroad.
Worksheets:
Worksheet 1 Proofreading
Worksheet (34 K)

Worksheet 2 Email
Worksheet (40 K)

Worksheet 3 Formal and informal tone
Worksheet (36 K)

Worksheet 4 A guide to your culture
Worksheet (39 K)

Speaking

These speaking activities provide consolidation and practice of the vocabulary, structures and concepts featured in the series.
Worksheets:
Worksheet 1
Roleplay: job interview
Worksheet (33 K)

Worksheet 2
Ranking discussion: what's important when you're working abroad?
Worksheet (28 K)

Worksheet 3
Pronunciation: minimal pairs
Worksheet (29 K)

Worksheet 4
Pronunciation: sentence stress
Worksheet (33 K)

Worksheet 5
Mingling activity: find someone who...
Worksheet (31 K)

Worksheet 6
Clarifying meaning
Worksheet (34 K)

Grammar

These worksheets provide explanation and practice of some of the structures which are found in these programmes.
Worksheets:
Worksheet 1
Conditionals
Worksheet (38 K)

Worksheet 2
Articles
Worksheet (34 K)

Worksheet 3
Verb forms
Worksheet (34 K)

Worksheet 4
Error correction
Worksheet (42 K)

Vocabulary

Use these worksheets to recycle and practise key vocabulary from the series.
Worksheets:
Worksheet 1
Crossword
Worksheet (38 K)

Worksheet 2
Crossword (easy version)
Worksheet (38 K)

Worksheet 3
People
Worksheet (57 K)

Worksheet 4
Adjectives
Worksheet (37 K)

Worksheet 5
Idiomatic expressions
Worksheet (34 K)

Pronunciation tips

Contents
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/pron/

The sounds of English
About the sounds
Videos
Similar sounds exercises
Unit 1 - Key and Pin
Unit 2 - Book and Do
Unit 3 - Door and Coat
Unit 4 - Egg, Cat and Cup
Unit 5 - Sock and coat
Features of English
Sounds and spelling
Schwa
Connected speech
Voicing
Quizzes
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
Quiz 5
Programmes
Programme 1
Programme 2
Programme 3

How to describe a process

When you have to give a series of instructions to make or produce something there are some common, useful and simple language features you can use to sound fluent and natural. In this programme we use the example of how to cook the perfect omelette to demonstrate this.

Download - (1.8 MB) Script (37 K)

Don't forget to practise what you've learned with the activity.

The imperative
One common feature when describing a process, such as the instructions for how to make a particular dish, is the use of the imperative.

The imperative form is made by using the bare infinitive of the verb (the infinitive without 'to'). Here are some examples from the programme. The imperatives are in bold. Note that in these examples there are no grammatical subjects

"Use a minium of four eggs per omelette ...."
"Heat the oil, not too much heat, just heat it ... "
"Put just one tablespoon of water, not milk, in with the egg ..."
"Mix the eggs up, just lightly beat them with a fork ... "
"Pour that into the hot pan ... " It is possible to use subjects when describing a process like this.

The subject most commonly used is 'you'. For example:

You use a minimum of four eggs ...
You heat the oil ...
You put one tablespoon of water ....

Linking words

When giving a series of instructions it's more natural in speech and writing to join the different instructions together with linking words.

There are many different linking words that can be used to describe a sequence of instructions that are part of a process. Two very simple, but commonly used ones are and and then. Here are some examples from the omelette instructions.

... lightly beat the eggs then pour them into the pan ...
... Turn the heat down and then use your fork ...
... And then just put a knife underneath and flip the omelette over ...

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT?

Activity & answer (33 K) Audio (417 K)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1212_how_to_instruct/page6.shtml

English Just for Lawyers - Legalese

“Legalese” is a term which describes the technical writing used by lawyers. Such writing is usually difficult to be understood by lay people (no-lawyers), because it includes jargons, technical words, complex sentences and it tends to be very normal.
Page 5 – Definition
Page 6 – exercises 1 - 2
Page 7 – exercises 3 – 4
Page 8 - exercise 5
Page 9 – exercise 5 (cont)
Page 10 – exercise 6
Page 11 – exercise 7 – 8
Page 12 – exercise 9
Page 13 – exercise 9 (cont)
Pages 15 – 18 - Keys

http://www.brandnewroutes.com.br/site/infotainment/index.html

On Top of the World

On Top of the World
(TS)
A worksheet that focuses on the consequences of global warming on the North Pole. Vocabulary is explored and practised through a gap-fill exercise based around words and phrases built from "pole". Conversation practice is provided through a series of discussion questions based around the topic. For example: "In your opinion, who should the gas and oil under the North Pole belong to?"

http://www.tefl.net/esl-lesson-plans/esl-worksheets-tp.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianz/73720628/

ATARDECER HELADO (CRAZY SOUL)

Escucha y completa

http://www.pyc-revista.com/articulos/cancion.pdf

http://www.pyc-revista.com/articulos/12-atardecer-helado.mp3

http://www.pyc-revista.com/

Dioses del Olimpo Terrenales

Tras años de duro entrenamiento, por fin llega
la hora de luchar por alcanzar la gloria olímpica.
Estos son algunos de los llamados a codearse
con1 los dioses en Beijing.
Texto Noemí Monge
http://www.pyc-revista.com/articulos/en/dioses-olimpo.pdf
http://www.pyc-revista.com/articulos/6-dioses-olimpo-pekin.mp3
http://www.pyc-revista.com/

EL LENGUAJE DE LOS JÓVENES

¿Qué pasa, tronco?

Nunca como hoy, los jóvenes han manejado un vocabulario tan diferente
al del mundo de los adultos; un lenguaje a mitad de camino entre
la diversión y la provocación que resulta incomprensible para todos los
que no pertenecen a su mundo. Punto y Coma reflexiona con los autores
de esta especial modalidad de la lengua de Cervantes.

Texto Carmen Aguirre
http://www.pyc-revista.com/articulos/en/lenguaje-jovenes.pdf

http://www.pyc-revista.com/articulos/3-lenguaje-jovenes.mp3

http://www.pyc-revista.com/

Uma pororoca nas páginas dos livros didáticos

Confira um infográfico e todo o bastidor da expedição que promete colocar o Rio Amazonas na frente do Rio Nilo na lista dos mais longos do mundo

A informação está nos livros didáticos, nos verbetes das enciclopédias, já foi ouvida por um sem-número de estudantes em todo o mundo e, até hoje, é repetida anualmente pelas salas de aula de todo o planeta. Mas um grupo de cientistas do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (Inpe) anunciou recentemente uma série de levantamentos mostrando que, ao que tudo indica, o Rio Amazonas é o rio mais longo do planeta, e não o Nilo, como ensinam os livros de Geografia. A notícia foi publicada na Revista Veja. Para determinar o local onde nasce um rio, os geógrafos convencionaram levar em consideração o ponto onde aflora o depositário mais volumoso. Dessa forma, a nascente foi mudando de lugar a cada nova descoberta. E, de acordo com a mais recente, cujo trabalho de campo foi descrito em reportagem da Revista Nova Escola, a comunidade científica provavelmente seja obrigada a dar um “recall” nesse dado.
http://revistaescola.abril.uol.com.br/online/reportagem/repsemanal_289183.shtml

Dictation activity - 'ability'

This dictation looks at South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius’ high-profile battle to be allowed to compete in the Beijing Olympics. As well as asking students to listen to and transcribe a short text, the dictation encourages them to refine their vocabulary, finding different ways to talk about movement, and learning how to avoid causing offence when talking about disability. Please click on the buttons below the definition of the headword to download the Audio File, Script and Teacher's Notes.

Level: Upper Intermediate or above

Time: The audio clip is about 2 minutes long, so you can just use this as language practice for your class. If you decide to complete all of the activities outlined in the Teacher's Notes, the entire exercise will take one hour.

ability
the fact of being able to do something
the level of skill that someone has in a particular job or activity
the quality of being skilful or naturally good at something

Audio

http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/resources/dictations/audio/ability.mp3

Script http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/resources/dictations/ability/Ability_Tapescript.pdf

Teacher's Notes

http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/resources/dictations/ability/Ability_Teacher%27s_Notes.pdf

Glossary

http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/resources/dictations/ability/Ability_Glossary.pdf

Guide to using the MED dictations

http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/resources/dictations/Methodology.pdf

If you have difficulty downloading the MP3 file, or wish to save it to your computer, please right click on the Audio Download button and select 'Save Target As'.

http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/resources/dictations/dictation.htm

The future of Starbucks

by Pete Sharma Visit Pete's Website

Level: Intermediate and above
Worksheet
Teacher's Notes

This week's activities:
Ranking factors when deciding which coffee house to go to
Completing the missing dates and figures in a time line
Reading an article about Starbucks
Deciding if words from the article are nouns, verbs or both
Discussing questions arising from teh article

Related Websites
Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.

Please be patient while these pages load - they are worth the wait!

http://www.starbucks.com/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7219458.stmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks

http://www.reviewcentre.com/fi4424-brand-Coffee+Shop.html

http://www.businessenglishonline.net/e-lessons/index.htm

Notable seconds

Student's Worksheet

Teacher's Notes

Type of activity: Quiz. Team work.

Aims: To discuss answers to general knowledge questions.

Tasks: To complete a general knowledge quiz.

http://www.insideout.net/e-lessons.htm

Cricket

The subject of this week’s lesson is cricket, a traditional sport that is loved by millions of people, but which is also baffling to many others.
Level

Intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level B1 and above)

Student's Worksheet PDF (29K) DOC (47K)
Teacher's Notes PDF (25K) DOC (43K)

Glossary based on the Macmillan English Dictionary and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary

PDF (24K) DOC (48K)

Related Websites

Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/default.stm

The cricket section of the BBC Sports website. Includes a section on laws and equipment. Intermediate level and above.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket

The entry for cricket in Wikipedia. Lots of information. Intermediate level and above.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-the-English-Love-Cricket?&id=669823

A text (approximately 300 words) addressing the question ‘Why do the English love cricket?’ Intermediate level and above.

http://www.insideout.net/e-lessons.htm

Jason in Chinatown

Ebaby! is visiting Beijing, China, for the 2008 Olympics! We will be visiting Ebaby! members, making fun videos, and teaching English to everyone!
Here is the video of Jason learning Chinese culture in Chinatown. Check it out!

http://www.englishbaby.com/news/olympics

How to borrow

From time to time we all need to borrow things. They could be small things or large things. We might want to borrow them for a short time a long time but we just need something we don’t have. When you borrow something it’s something that someone else has and you do plan to return it to him or her.
Download - (1.8 MB)
Script (37 K)

To borrow & to lend
These verbs are closely connected and are sometimes confused. In simple terms to borrow is to take and to lend is to give. The person who wants something, borrows and the person who gives something, lends.

If you are taking:
You borrow something from someone.
Someone lends something to you.
Someone lends you something.

If you are giving:
You lend something to someone
You lend someone something
Someone borrows something from you

Using 'to borrow'
The subject of the sentence is the person who wants something. In these examples the subject is 'I'.

Can I borrow your pen please?
Could I borrow some money please?
Can I borrow your bike?

Using 'to lend'
You can also use the verb 'to lend' to ask for something. In this case the subject of the sentence is the person who has something. In these examples the subject is 'you'.

Could you lend me your pen please?
Could you lend me some money, please?
Could you lend me your bike?

Other information
When asking to borrow something you can also give some information as to why you want to borrow something and / or how long you want to borrow it for.

Could I borrow your pen for a moment? I need to sign this contract.
Can I borrow your ruler for a second?
Can I borrow £10 until tomorrow? I've left my purse at home.
Could you lend me your bike tools over the weekend? I've got to fix a puncture.

To get something back to someone
A useful phrasal verb to use for saying when you will return something you want to borrow is to get something back (to someone).

to get + it / them + back (to you) + (the approximate time you will return what you have borrowed)

Can I borrow your shopping bags? I'll get them back to you this evening.
Can you lend me some money? I'll get it back to you tomorrow.

Download activity with answers (31 K)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/142_requests_offers/page11.shtml

Matemática é D+ (Elaborando itinerários - 3ª série)

Na Escola Estadual Victor Civita (Guarulhos, SP), uma turma de 3ª série realiza uma atividade de elaboração de itinerários. A escola faz parte do projeto Matemática é D+.

Matemática é D+ (Sólidos Geométricos - 2ª série)

A formadora Priscila Monteiro propõe à turma de 2ª série da Escola Estadual Victor Civita, em Guarulhos (SP) uma atividade de construção de sólidos geométricos. Conheça o projeto Matemática é D+.

"À toa" ou "À-toa"?

O adjetivo invariável "à-toa", que significa "frívolo", "inútil" ou "sem objetivo", exige crase e provoca hífen.

Por exemplo: Tratava-se de um assunto à-toa. Diziam que elas eram pessoas à-toa. Eram filmes à-toa. Esse adjetivo originou-se da locução adverbial "à toa", que só era utilizada na linguagem náutica. Quando um navio não pode dirigir-se por si mesmo e outro o reboca por meio de um cabo chamado "toa", diz-se que o primeiro está indo à toa, isto é, a reboque. Desse uso concreto, passamos a usar a expressão com sentido moral e atualmente se diz que um ser é "à-toa" quando não tem determinação própria.

www.soportugues.com.br

Fimosis

Proviene del griego phimós, palabra empleada para denominar el bozal de un animal o el freno que se pone en la boca de un caballo. La palabra fimosis se emplea en medicina para definer la estrechez excesiva de la piel que recubre el pene, con lo que ésta no puede retraerse para dejar descubierto el glande.Se cuenta que el rey Luis XVI de Francia padecía de esta malformación, por lo cual su casamiento con María Antonieta no se consumó durante varios años, hasta que cuñado, el emperador Francisco de Austria lo convenció a someterse a una circuncisión, tras lo cual tuvieron cuatro hijos.Entre los judíos, la circuncisión se practica a los bebés y, según el libro sagrado de los hebreos, la Torá, esa tradición constituye un símbolo de la alianza entre Dios y su pueblo elegido: «Circuncidarás la carne de tu prepucio, y será una señal del pacto entre Yo y tú».
Corrección: En la última entrega se incluyó una cita del Diccionario del Lunfardo, de José Gobello, en la que se hace una referencia a Leopoldo Lugones. En realidad, el Lugones citado por Gobello sólo por su apellido es Benigno B. Lugones y el libro de su autoría, que Gobello cita como "Los beduinos..." es Los beduinos urbanos, tal como se establece en la bibliografía del Diccionario del lunfardo.

Olympic games (summer)

The Summer Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event held every four years, organised by the International Olympic Committee. The Olympics are the most prestigious of such events in the world. Olympic victory is widely considered to be the most prestigious achievement in many sports.

magazine article: The Olympics. "Winning the Olympics is not about the medal. It is about how you feel, deep inside, at the moment of victory…it is about the unbelievable attraction of history." (Matthew Pinsent: - Olympic Gold Medal Winner (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000)" Read article

magazine article: The Olympic Games - Then and Now. "In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to its home in Greece, where it began around 3000 years ago. The first recorded Olympic festival took place in 776 BC. Similar festivals had been organised for at least two or three centuries prior to this, but 776 BC saw the start of a regular festival which was to take place every Olympiad, or four year period." Read article

word game: Olympic events. Match names and descriptions of 32 different sports.

Play game (1), game (2), game (3) and game (4).

story: Athletes of the Ancient Olympic Games. Read short biographies of 5 great athletes from the Ancient Olympics and do an activity in which you compare the information in them. Read story

cartoon: "I'm freezing out here!" "Don't worry. I'm a ..." See cartoon

cartoon: "He's the worst athlete in the world" "Yes. He ran a ..." See cartoon

poll: "Only truly amateur athletes should compete in the Olympic Games?" See results

trivia: Quote: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part . . . The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well." (Pierre de Coubertin) See more Olympics trivia (1) and trivia (2)

links: Olympic history See more links

The British Council is not responsible for the content of external web sites.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-olympics-summer.htm

Phrasals4Fun

Sport

Welcome to Unit 1 of Phrasals4Fun.

In this unit you are going to learn 6 common phrasal verbs on the topic of ‘sport’. On this page you can access the following materials:

Page One: Listening
Listen to a conversation between two native speakers and answer questions about it.

Page Two: Vocabulary
Practise the phrasal verbs that you heard in the conversation with a matching activity and discover the meanings of the verbs if you don't already know.

Page Three: Reading
Revise the phrasal verbs you’ve seen on pages one and two. Look at the flyer (publicity paper) for a new local gym. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

Download study tips on phrasal verbs (pdf file - 47 KB)

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-word-games-phrasals4fun-sport-index.htm

Focus on the meaning of the particle

Sometimes the meaning of the particle (preposition or adverb) helps you to understand a phrasal verb, e.g. back usually means return. Some prepositions can have different meanings.

Up
a) increase
b) completely

Down
a) put on paper
b) decrease
c) stop completely

On
a) continue
b) wear
c) connect

Off
a) disconnect
b) depart

Out
a) make desappear
b) to different people

What does up/down/on/off/out add to the meaning of each verb?
1) Unemployment has gone up a lot this year.
2) If you don't shut up you'll have to leave the class.
3) Can you turn the heating down? It's very hot.
4) I have to write words down before I can learn them.
5) When the faztory closed down, the workers had to find new jobs.
6) Could you turn the radio on? I want to hear the news.
7) I always like to try clothes on before I buy them.
8) The programme went on for two hours.
9) The plane will be taking off in a few minutes.
10) Please switch off the lights before you go.
11) In this exercise you have to cross out the wrong words.
12) I'm going to give out a list of words for you to learn.

English File, Upper-intermediate, Vocabulary builder 2 page 127, OXFORD

Quizás

Quizá o quizás aparece bajo la primera forma en el siglo XIII, pero ya figuraba en el Cantar de Mio Cid como quiçab:
Moros e christianos de mi han grant pauor.Ala dentro en Marruecos, o las mezquitas son,Que abran de mi salto quiçab alguna noch:Ellos lo temen, ca non lo piensso yo.

Es una alteración de la antigua expresión familiar qui sabe ‘quién sabe’, con origen en el latín qui sapit.Quizás es posterior: aparece sólo a comienzos del siglo XVI, aunque Corominas señala que los clásicos consideraban vulgar esta forma usada en este texto de 1508 de Lucas Fernández:

Si tú pides la alcauala, quizás que la partiremos.
El etimólogo catalán señala un fenómeno curioso, verificado en la segunda mitad del siglo XX en Cuba y en el Río de la Plata, que consiste en una regresión al antiguo ‘quién sabe’, junto con una tendencia a abandonar quizá(s): Quién sabe iremos o quién sabe no lo vea.

http://www.elcastellano.org

Trapped in the Drive-Thru

Song Lyrics | Weird Al Yankovic lyrics

Learn to describe Paris in English!

	Paris is a wonderful place to go sight-seeing, it has lots of famous places to visit. Jun and Helli are looking at pictures of Paris. Go to lesson
	What is a "portrait"? 1. an electronics store 2. a movie ticket 3 a pictorial representation of a person 4. innocent until proven guilty

Frase da semana

"Não sou do tamanho da minha altura, mas da estatura daquilo que posso ver"
Fernando Pessoa, poeta português (1888-1935)

Margaret Atwood, premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Letras

Por Mercedes Monmay, ABC

Narradora, poeta, crítica literaria, ensayista, profesora universitaria e incansable defensora de los derechos civiles, implicada en los más diversos frentes abiertos de nuestra era, desde la ecología y la salud del planeta al desarme o la lucha por la igualdad de hombres y mujeres, la canadiense Margaret Atwood (Ottawa, 1939) comenzó muy pronto a escribir, a los 16 años, y lo hizo con un género, la poesía, que es el que menos la ha dado a conocer a lo largo y ancho del mundo, donde es la admirada novelista, o narradora en su más amplio espectro, de éxitos incesantes y tan rotundos como El cuento de la criada, Los diarios de Susanna Moodie, Ojo de gato, Resurgir, Doña Oráculo, Alias Grace o El asesino ciego. Irónica, en huida permanente de los clichés así como del encorsetamiento teórico y doctrinario, intelectual dotada de gran agudeza crítica y descriptiva, sanamente lúcida, chispeante y siempre ingeniosa tanto en entrevistas como en ensayos o artículos, además de en su obra de creación propiamente dicha, Margaret Atwood es conocida por obras en las que sus protagonistas tienen que enfrentarse a menudo con una variada confabulación de fuerzas de la realidad. Unas fuerzas que operan contra ellos y que van desde Estados futuros y tiránicos -en obras de ciencia-ficción o pesadillas apocalípticas-, mecanismos del poder desencadenantes de todo tipo de injusticias, verdugos de la infancia, normas sociales estrictas y rebosantes de prejuicios, aridez e incomprensión en las relaciones personales o discriminación a la hora de vivir y crear dentro de un género determinado. Perteneciente a una saga de mujeres novelistas de altísimo nivel, nacidas en el Canadá poscolonial, como serían Margaret Laurence, la centenaria y espléndida Mavis Gallant, una prodigiosa Alice Munro o Anne Michaels, Atwood sería junto a ellas y otros grandes como Robertson Davies, de los pioneros, por así decirlo, de una literatura antes tan sólo representada por los grandes imperios de los que provenían. Alumna del prestigioso crítico Northrop Fry, feminista en sus comienzos y actual disidente de las formas más extremistas de aquel movimiento, sus últimos libros publicados han sido unos excelentes ensayos titulados La maldición de Eva, los cuentos Érase una vez, que reunían sus volúmenes Dancing Girls y Good Bones (Lumen), así como el excelente conjunto, también de relatos, Desorden moral (Bruguera). Unos relatos no pocas veces salpicados de un reguero de huellas autobiográficas. Defensora de la Naturaleza Hija de un científico (cosa que le influiría fuertemente tanto en su poesía como en su conciencia de defensa de la Naturaleza durante su vida adulta), un entomólogo forestal, para ser exactos, esta vista hacia el pasado y la condensación de su recorrido vital (infancia, primera juventud, años 60 y comienzos como enseñante de literatura en la Universidad, divorcio temprano) habían aparecido, sobre todo los primeros años de niñez y adolescencia en Toronto, en una de las iniciales obras por la que obtuvo un extenso reconocimiento mundial: Ojo de gato, de 1988. En ella, una artista regresa a la ciudad donde vivió y recuerda la niña que fue y la atmósfera en la que se produjo tanto su formación, como ciertos acontecimientos recuperados por la memoria con un regusto amargo. Nacida en el seno de una familia feliz, nadie sospecharía que entre los cuatro muros del hogar se escondieran insospechados infiernos que marcaron la existencia de una niña amada por todos, pero víctima de la crueldad de ciertas compañeras de su escuela. Extremadamente culta y leída, profunda conocedora de la literatura universal, la mente y el ojo de Margaret Atwood se ejercitan en todo momento, en cualquier fase de su escritura o género escogido, de una manera clarividente, directa, exacta, desinhibida, penetrante y a la vez ajena a inútiles rodeos u ornamentos. Eso mismo que ella dice admirar en autores muy queridos como Orwell: «Su insistencia en el uso de un lenguaje claro y preciso. «La prosa debe ser como el cristal de una ventana», dijo en una ocasión, abogando por el lenguaje directo en contra de las florituras, los eufemismos y de esa terminología sesgada que no debe, en ningún momento, oscurecer la verdad». Algo que ella aplicaría, sin cesar, al pie de la letra, a lo largo de toda su contundente y cristalina obra llena de verdades y fuertes convicciones, pero también de humildad, ironía y falta de arrogancia prepotente, como sucede en muchos otros casos.