Numbers - Listening activity

Learning the numbers in English is not difficult, but you need a lot of practice with them.

In this post you can practise numbers in English with a listening activity.

1. 50% of our production represents ______ units.
1,575,000
2, 575,000
2,525,000
5,575,000



2. The invoice amount is US$ _______.
47,318.59
47, 803.59
74,308.59
47,308.59



3. The number of employees in our factory is ______.
3,690
3,960
3,916
6,960



4. Sales this month are up by _____ per cent.
4.905
4.509
5.509
9.509



5. The price of the tickets is _____ euros.
23,450
20,450
12,450
2,450

Score =
Correct answers:

Spring - Idioms

Spring Idioms

Spring has just started in my country, Argentina.  Argentina is located in South America, so our spring time runs from September to December.

There are some interesting idiomatic expressions related to this wonderful time of the year.  Some of them, because they're in English, refer to Spring as happening in the months of March, April and May.

A ray of sunshine	a person who brings joy when he or she arrives
April showers bring May flowers	the rain is necessary to allow the plants to come back to life after winter
Be full of the joys of spring	to be very happy
Butterflies in my stomach	feeling nervous about something
Hope springs eternal	People will keep on hoping, no matter what the odds
Late bloomer	a person who finally develops a skill later than others
March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb	March begins with colder weather but then the temperature warms up and the snow melts
No spring chicken	no longer a young person
Spring fever	to feel restless from the long cold winter and to be full of joy that the spring has arrived
Spring into action	To suddenly start doing something
Spring to life	to become suddenly alive or more alive
Spring to one’s feet	to stand up quickly
Spring up	to appear or develop suddenly; to sprout
The grass is always greener on the other side	to think that an alternative will be better, even though it probably won’t be

 
 

Adelante Africa - Reading and gap-fill exercise

Do you know any organization that helps children at risk?
Do you support any organization that works to support children at risk around the world?

There is one NGO called Adelante Africa that works hard to help children in Uganda to have an education, but most importantly to have a better life.

You can read about how it all started in the article below.  As you read you can practise your English completing the blanks with the missing words.

Passive voice - practice

The quote in the image shows an example of the Passive Voice.

The following exercise provides practice for Passive voice.




You can find more practice in this link.

The history of tennis - Reading

The history of tennis

Tennis is believed to have its origins thousands of years ago.  There seem to be indicators suggesting that the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans played games that can be considered precursors to tennis.  However, there is more substantial evidence since around 1000.  At that time, French monks began playing a kind of ball game against their monastery walls, or over a rope hung across a courtyard.  This game was called ‘je de paume’ (game of the hand).  According to this theory, the word ‘tennis’ comes from the French word ‘tenez’, which means ‘to take’.  The monks would shout the word ‘tenez’ while they served the ball.

The game grew in popularity over the years, adopted by the nobility throughout Europe.  Apparently, the game became so popular that by the 13^th century there were about 1,800 indoor courts.  Authorities, such as the Pope, or King Louis IV,  tried in vain to ban the game.

In England, both Henry VII and Henry VIII were avid tennis fans and commissioned the building of many courts across the country.

As the game became more popular, it evolved.  Courtyard playing areas became indoor courts; the balls, which were initially made of wood, became softer and bouncier and they were made of leather and filled with cellulose material.  The game was originally played using the hand, but over time people began wearing a glove, later a webbing attached to a handle, and by 1500, a wooden frame racquet laced with sheep gut was in common use.  The ball at that time was a cork ball weighing about three ounces.

However, the game of ‘court’ or ‘real’ tennis, as it is referred to today, was totally different to the sport we know today.  The game’s popularity decreased during the 1700s, but after Charles Goodyear invented a process for rubber called vulcanisation, the tennis balls were made with this material and became much bouncier.  The game could be played outdoors on grass, and that was the foundation for modern tennis.

Croquet was widely played in England at that time, providing a ready supply of smooth outdoor courts, which could be easily adapted for tennis.  This ‘marriage’ between croquet and tennis was strengthened when the All England Club Croquet decided to hold the first Wimbledon tennis tournament in 1877.  The event was initially organized to raise money to fix something at the club.  However, it soon evolved into the most prestigious tennis event in the entire world.  The club changed its name to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club.

Wimbledon and tennis have not changed much since that first tournament.  The rules have remained virtually the same, with the only major change of the introduction of the tiebreak rule in 1971.

Adapted from: http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-football-tennis/history-of-tennis

1. Tennis is believed ...
to have its origins n France, in a monastery.
to have its origins in ancient societies.
to have been born 1,000 years ago.

2. Why is the name of the game associated with the French language?
Because, when the French monks served the ball, they shouted 'tenez'.
Because the monks called the game 'tennis', which comes from 'tenez'.
Because the French monks used the word 'tenez' to refer to the game.

3. How was the game originally played?
Using a kind of racquet with sheep gut.
Using the hand.
Using a glove.

4. What invention made it possible for the game to be important again?
The racquet and the cork ball.
A process for rubber vulcanisation.
An indoor court.

5. Why was there a 'marriage' between croquet and tennis?
Because since Wimbledon, croquet lost importance.
Because croquet clubs started to offer tennis.
Because the croquet clubs provided a ready supply of outdoor courts, making it possible to host tennis tournaments.

Score =
Correct answers:

Lionel Messi - His biography - Listening

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is considered the best football player of the world.

Watch this video from Bio. about Lionel Messi and then answer the questions below.

Soccer positions - Reading and vocabulary

Football positions

How much do you know about football or soccer?  Do you know that the players positions in the field may change from match to match? How the players are positioned in the pitch is determined by the coach, taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the team's players in relation to the opponent's team.

The different strategies used are normally known by numbers, e.g. 4-4-2 or 5-3-2.  These numbers give the idea of how many players are located in the defense, the midfield and the forward area.

 Tactically organized teams can beat teams with better players. Teams often lose not due to the lack of effort or technical ability but because of lack of organization or not getting the best from the players they have.

http://www.canyouplayfootball.com/soccerformationssoccertactics.aspx 

The following images show some football formations:

3 - 4 - 4

2 - 3- 5

3 - 5 - 2

A bit of history

In the football matches of the 19th century defensive football was not played, and the line-ups reflected the all-attacking nature of these games.

In the first international game, Scotland against England on 30 November 1872, England played with seven or eight forwards in a 1–1–8 or 1–2–7 formation, and Scotland with six, in a 2–2–6 formation.  

The 2–3–5 was originally known as the "Pyramid", with the numerical formation being referenced retrospectively. By the 1890s, it was the standard formation in England and had spread all over the world. With some variations, it was used by most top level teams up to the 1940s. It was this formation which gave rise to the convention of shirt numbers.

The Danubian School of football is a modification of the 2–3–5 formation in which the centre forward plays in a more withdrawn position. 

The Metodo was devised by Vittorio Pozzo, coach of the Italian national team in the 1930s. It was a derivation of the Danubian School. The system was based on the 2–3–5 formation, Pozzo realised that his half-backs would need some more support in order to be superior to the opponents' midfield, so he pulled two of the forwards to just in front of midfield, creating a 2–3–2–3 formation. This created a stronger defence than previous systems, as well as allowing effective counter-attacks.  

Other systems were devised in order to improve the game, such as the WM, the WW, the 3-3-4, the 4-2-4, etc.

In modern football the formations are flexible allowing tailoring to the needs of a team, as well as to the players available. Variations of any given formation include changes in positioning of players, as well as replacement of a traditional defender by a sweeper.

Some positions explained

The 4-4-2 is a very common formation. This formation was the most common in football in the 1990s and early 2000s. With four defenders four midfielders and two strikers it is a very stable formation. Famous teams that used the 4-4-2 formation are AC Milan of the late 1980s and early 1990s and recently Manchester United. 

The 4-4-1-1 formation is a variation of 4–4–2 with one of the strikers playing "in the hole", or as a "second striker", slightly behind their partner. The second striker is generally a more creative player, the playmaker, who can drop into midfield to pick up the ball before running with it or passing to team-mates.

The 5-3-2 formation is a very defensive formation, having five defenders three midfielders and two strikers. This formation has three central defenders (possibly with one acting as a sweeper) This system is heavily reliant on the wing-backs providing width for the team. The two wide full-backs act as wing-backs. It is their job to work their flank along the full length of the pitch, supporting both the defence and the attack

If you are interested in getting more information about the different formations, you can visit the links below.

Football formation.com
Wikipedia.org
Wikipedia.org
Wikipedia.org
Wikipedia.org
Soccerlens.com

You can check how much you know about football players positions with the following crossword:

Football players

How well do you know the players positions in football?

1		2
									3
4
						5
											6
7
		8
		9

Across: 1. The general term used to describe a player whose role it is stop the oppostion's attack to avoid getting closer to the goal. 4. The player who has been delegated the responsibility to score goals. 7. The player in the middle of the pitch. He is an initial stop to the aggressive offense by the opposition and is also the starting point for any attack that is a counter. 8. This player plays on the wing position of the pitch but with a defensive frame of mind capable of attacking. This player is a kind of hybrid player with an ability to shift between the two roles easily and effectively. 9. The player who keeps the goal safe and make sure that any ball sent towards the goal is either held or punched to safety.

Down: 2. The center ___ is the one who has the task of scoring. This player spends most of the time running around making space for his team mates to pass the ball around. 3. This player is someone who moves on the wing of the pitch but has the ability to make a run between the defense and score. 5. This player has the duty to make sure any offensive move by the opposition team is dealt with. There are center, left and right ____ players. 6. This position is visible in 5-3-2 formation. The ____'s role is to make sure the defense stays intact and doesn't get carried away. He also stays behind the two center backs to make sure the goal is secured at all times.