FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

The story of that book is similar to the story of Wuthering Heights. It is in United Kingdom's countryside too. But this one, is not so dark as Wuthering Heights is. While I was reading I was listening to the music. I usually listen boring audio-cds. They started energicly but after two chapters, tracks become longer and longer and at the end you are so bored that you decide to continue reading without the help of the cd.
I like listeting to the cds because I have a very bad pronuntiation. I thought taht it was possible for me to be a foreing language afasic, but I think that this disease does niot exists. But Thomas Hardy's books audiocds were complety different. They added singing birds, you can heard sheep neck bells, or thunders in a storm...
It's a good book.

THE PRINCE OF MIST

What a lovely book! It is the best book I have ever read in English. It's very easy to understand and it's divided into 18 chapters. It is a very good mystery-fantastic story.
I'll only add that if I can I will read more books of Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I enjoy it very much.

NO WAY OUT

It is a quite simple story. Alex and Adam are twins and the can speack eachothers just withour oopening the mouth, they are telepatic.
When they are going to visit some realatives in the country a strange fog appeared and they were back to the past. Then their sister dissappeared, their parents are prisioners and they have to help them...

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

I read the book and after that I saw the film, in which the future James Bond Timothy Dalton

plays as Heathcliff, and I still don't understand why Heathcliff is a romantic icone.

I think he is so selfish that he gets the disappearence of two completes families because an impossible love.

Maybe I have to read it again or Emily Brönte's book instead an adapted version...

But I have to recognise that Emily wrote the book in a very dark way. I have been in the town they lived, Hayworth (you can watch the photos on the web) and it is too dark too. A big cementery, dark bricks and the isolated moors. So if you add a priest man, and a trouble-maker brother, you are perfect to write the book.

TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

A clasic one again. Edgar Allan Poe's. But it is cool. It's a really frightening book and as I usually read and listen them at night the frightening effect is bigger. If Edgar Allan Poe had lived nowadays, he would written more terrorific books, I think so.
He is quite brilliant when in the end all the story turns around and he gives you a completly non-expected end.
I enjoy reading The black cat, I think it is a fantastic one.

METEOR

I like, I love disaster movies like 2012, the day after tomorrow... and when i saw that book I Thought, I'll enjoy it. And I did but not as I have expected.
In the book appears many stories about the future. Meteor is just one of them. I has a completly non-expected end.
John Wyndham gives so many details that it seems you are in the future. I enjoy the book.

THE ENEMY

It's a more attractive look than at firstsight looks.
It's a spy story that can be true. Desmond Bagley gives a lot of actual information about spy's world.
A man likes a woman and when he is courting her, someone throw acid to her sister's eyes thinking she was the bride. The man is a spy. Suddenly, the future father-in-law ask him to marry her daugther inmediately...

THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER

I think that everyone knows about that story but I was astonished when I started reading because Mark Twain describes perfectly how those people were years ago, their thoughts, their lives, their works...
And when you read the book is like if you were walking through London Streets, from Cheap Street where Tom Canty lives to Palace were Edward Tudor (The Prince) lives.
By the way, you have to read about John Canty,Tom's father, Mark Twain's description is spectacular, and it is a full colour photograph, from the film I suppose, included in the book.

If you can, read it.

ROBINSON CRUSOE

As I always say, the problem with the English Books for foreing students is that they are not motivating. The I watched the toes in the sand and I started moaning. Again a clasic one...
But as I have promised to myself that I'm going to read all the books I can, I started reading it.
And I don't know how, but it works. wanted more and more. It was an exciting story quite well related. Before reading it I only knew that the story was about a man in an island, but I was wrong.
IF YOU CAN READ IT, DO IT. And by the way, I'm not talking about Tom Hanks' "Naufrago" film.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

I have been deceived for many years. I think that I know about The Phantom of the Opera but it was not true.

He is not the romantic man that appears with a mask, he is a selfish man that built a house in the deeps of the Opera Building, because everyone screamed when they saw him face.

I started the book looking for a romantic love story but instead of that I found a man in war with the world and the people that they don't do things as he wants.

When I like a book I sometimes read it again, but that one is not going to be on my favourite list. Although that I recommend to read it and to know the true story of the Phantom.

TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

Before reading the book, I was angry with Jules Verne. Did you know that in the book "Travel from Earth to Moon" Jules Verne described Spanish people as mean people because Spain didn't give as many money as they wanted to finance the trip?

So, I started reading the book and I was shocked. How can that writer describe facts that were no understandable or just not created in the time he lived?

The story is about a submarine, the well-known Nautilus and its famous captain the Captain Nemo.

I would like to talk to Nemo, I think he is an strange fiction character.

THE COLDEST PLACE ON EARTH

Now, at Easter, I'm reading all I can, and I'm going to write some ideas about the books I read.
I recommend to buy all of them and to listen the cd, maybe your pronuntiation will improve, I hope so.
The coldest place on Earth by Tim Vicary tells us the story about two people: Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen. All of the wanted to arrive first to the South Pole, two grups of people set off, but only one came back.
The old real black and white photographs, added in the book, are shocking.
I enjoy the book.

DESCRIPTIONS IN ENGLISH

I have just finished that little but usefull quick guide. It talks about a wide range of words, phrases and grammatical patterns. Many cartoons and understable texts appears in the book...

• -ISH: tallish


• KEEP + ING


• BREATHTAKING


• BROAD-MINDED


• COLOUR+Y + COLOUR: blueY-green


• CRESCENT-SHAPED


• DOESN'T WORK


• FOR A WHILE


• FREEZING COLD


• FROM SIDE TO SIDE


• IMPRESSED WITH


• IN LOVE WITH


• IN THE BACKGROUND


• MILES FROM ANYWHERE


• HAVE NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT...


• TO BE NOT BAD AT...


• OUT OF ORDER


• OVERWEIGHT


• SMELL LIKE


• SORT OF


• THERE AND BACK

And of course, the book includes reviews to check your progress.

DAVID BECKHAM: INTERVIEW

SOME SPEECHES

I have selected those speeches from the web. I don't mind the party or de colour behind, I have just added them, to listen carefully and to learn with the help of the people used to speak to the crowd.

HALF-MINUTE HORRORS. VERY SMALL STORIES, VERY BIG SCARES...

That's the last book I have read. As you can guess it is a children book. It is edited by Harper Collins. It's a very good and entertaining book. Many authors wrote short but scaring stories. Although you are grown up, you are going to be terrified because they used the things near and more common to terrify you. And they do. Look under your bed or inside your wardrobe, be careful with the doll, your puppy or even your parents...

• Francine Prose wrote: "CHOCOLATE CAKE":

Lately, I've had the definite feeling that my parents aren't my parents. I can't exactly explain it. But I'm convinced that they're space aliens who look and act like my parents and have taken my places...

• Allan Stratton wrote: "There's something under the bed".

"There's something under the bed"

"Don't be silly. You're a big boy now." His father said, and turned out the light.

"But there is! Please Daddy, look!"

So his father got down in the dark beside the bed. And disappeared...

The story continues, you have to read that book, although you can imagine the ending of that story.

Dinner for one. Thanks Esme

THE WORLD OF WORK:

• GET...


• LOOK FOR...


• APPLY FOR...


• BE OUT OF...


• GO FOR AN INTERVIEW FOR...


• SACKED...


• MADE REDUNDANT...


• RESIGNED...


• TO GIVE UP...


• TO DEVOTE YOURSELF TO YOUR...


• TO STUDY A ...


• TO START A ...


• A HIGH SALARY...


• A WEEKLY WAGE...


• A GOOD LIVING...


• A COMPETITION...


• A LOT OF MONEY...


• TO WORK SHIFTS...


• TO WORK PART-TIME...


• TO WORK LONG HOURS...


• TO WORK FULL-TIME...


• TO WORK OVERTIME...


• TO WORK FLEXITIME...


• WELL-PAID...


• BADLY-PAID...

NOUMS AND ADJECTIVES

1. TOLERATE - TOLERANCE - TOLERANT - INTOLERANT.


2. IGNORATE - IGNORANCE - IGNORANT.


3. SIGNIFY - SIGNIFICANCE - SIGNIFICANT - INSIGNIFICANT.


4. APPEAR - APPEARANCE - APPEARENT.


5. PLEASE - PLEASURE -PLEASANT - UNPLEASANT.


6. CONFIDE - CONFIDENCE - CONFIDENT


7. OBEY - ABEDIENCE - OBEDIENT - DISOBEDIENT.


8. DIFFER - DIFFERENCE - DIFERENT - INDIFERENT.


9. DEPEND - DEPENDENCE - DEPENDENT - INDEPENDENT.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

1. WHEN I WAS YOUNG I WASN'T ALLOWED TO WATCH MUCH TV.- - - WHEN I WAS YOUNG MY PARENTS DIDN'T LET ME WATCHING MUCH TV.


2. SHE HAD TO WASH UP BEFORE SHE COULD GO OUT. --- SHE MADE HER WASH UP BEFORE SHE COULD GO OUT.


3. I'M NEVER ALLOWED TO DO WHAT I WANT.---I CANNOT DO WHAT I WANT.


4. WHY CAN'T WE GO TO A PARTY? ---WHY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO A PARTY?


5. IN MY OPINION, PARENTS OUGHT NOT TO SMACK THEIR CHILDREN. - - - I DON'T THINK PARENTS SHOULD SMACK THEIR CHILDREN.


6. THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO HAND THE REPORT IN UNTIL NEXT WEEK. - - - YOU DON'T NEED TO HAND IN THE REPORT UNTIL NEXT WEEK.


7. I THINK YOU SHOULD TELL YOUR PARENTS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. - - - I THINK YOU'D BETTER TO TELL YOUR PARENTS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.


8. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HOMEWORK IS? - - - DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR HOMEWORK?

PREPOSITIONS

• ADJECTIVES + PREPOSITION: TO BE GOOD / BAD AT (READING), TO BE/BECOME BORED WITH (EVERYTHING), TO BE FED UP WITH (BULLYING)

• VERB + PREPOSITION: TO CHECK ON, TO APPROVE OF, TO SWITCH TO MATHS.

• NOUM + PREPOSITION:A REASON FOR (OPTING), TO HAVE THE RESPONSABILITY FOR (DOING), TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH...

• PREPOSITION + NOUM: IN GOOD COMPANY, ON AVERAGE, AT YOUR OWN PACE.

TIME LINKERS

1. I COULDN'T GO OUT until I HAD DONE MY HOMEWORK


2. HE SOLD HIS HOUSE before HE LEFT THE COUNTRY.


3. when I REALIZED WHAT TIME WAS, IT WAS TOO LATE.


4. after HE HAD CLEANED THE HOUSE, HE WENT SHOPPING.


5. HE CLEANED THE HOUSE AND afterwards HE WENT SHOPPING.


6. I RECEIVED THE BILL TWO WEEKS afterwards.


7. I'VE PASSED THE EXAM at last!


8. as/when/while I WAS RUNNING I SAW A RABBIT.


9. IT RAINED A LOT during/in THE NIGHT.


10. WE WENT TO MANCHESTER for TWO WEEKS during THE SUMMER.

SIX DIFFERENT "TAKE" MEANINGS:

1. TO TAKE AFTER: PARECERSE. "I take after my dad in many ways..."


2. TO TAKE ME ON: EMPLOY: TRABAJAR: "The school has taken me on."


3. TO TAKE UP: START DOING: COMENZAR: "I have decided to take up some sports."


4. TO TAKE UP: OCCUPY:OCUPAR: "Teaching takes me all the time."


5. TO TAKE TO: START TO LIKE: "I took to it inmediately and by the end of the ay I knew that I was hooked".


6. TO TAKE OVER FROM: REPLACE: SUSTITUIR: "They needed someone to take over from the old man."

MORE ADJECTIVES

• ANNOY: ANNOYED: ANNOYING: ENFADADO


• AMUSE: AMUSED: AMUSING: DIVERTIDO


• FRUSTATE: FRUSTATED: FRUSTRATING: FRUSTRADO


• FASCINATE: FASCINATED: FASCINATING: FASCINANTE


• TIRE: TIRED: TIRING: CANSADO


• BORE: BORED: BORING: ABURRIDO


• DISAPPOINT: DISAPPOINTED: DISAOOINTING: DESILUSIONADO, DECEPCIONADO


• IMPRESS: IMPRESSED: IMPRESSING: IMPRESIONADO


• DISGUST: DISGUSTED: DISGUSTING: ASQUEADO


• FRIGHTEN: FRIGHTENED: FRIGHTENING: ASUSTADO


• ASTONISH: ASTONISHED: ASTONISHING: ASOMBRADO


• RELAX: RELAXED: RELAXING: RELAJADO


• TERRIFY: TERRIFIED: TERRIFYING: ATERRADOR

ADJECTIVES ENDING IN -ING AND -ED

• TO DESCRIBE HOW WE FEEL ABOUT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE WE CAN UE PAST PARTICIPLE: "She got really frightenED when I saw it."


• To describe the thing or person that produces the feeling we can use present participles as adjectives: "IT WAS AN EXTREMELY FRIGHTENing SCENE."


• ADVERDS CAN BE FORMED FROM PRESENT PARTICIPLE ADJECTIVES: "Not surprisingLY, we are dissapointed because..."

SO AND SUCH (INTENSIFIERS)

There are used to give emphasis:

• SO IS USED BEFORE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS WITHOUT NOUMS: "I'M SO TIRED."

• SO IS USED BEFORE MUCH, MANY, LITTLE, FEW. "I SHOULDN'T EAT SO MUCH."

• SUCH IS USED WITH OR WITHOUT AN ADJECTIVE BEFORE SINGULAR CONTABLE NOUMS: "EDITH PIAF HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL VOICE."

• SUCH IS USED WITH OR WITHOUT AN ADJECTIVE BEFORE UNCOUNTABLE NOUMS AND PLURAL CONTABLE NOUMS: "THERE ARE SUCH FRIENDLY PEOPLE."

• SO AND SUCH CAN BOTH BE USED WITH A THAT CLAUSE TO TALK ABOUT THE RESULTS OR CONSEQUENCES. "IT WAS RAINING SO HARD THAT WE HAD TO... " "IT WAS SUCH A BORING FILM THAT..."

FILMS VOCABULARY:

• THRILLER


• HRROR FILM


• COMEDY


• ROMANCE


• HISTORICAL DRAMA


• SCIENCE FICTION FILM


• ACTION FILM


• WESTERN

-It was TERRIFIC performance, for which he deserves to win an Oscar.

-Absolutely TERRIFYING! I have never been so frightened in all my life.

-This was probably the worst film I've seen all year. The plot was non-existent and the acting was TERRIBLE.

• SCENE


• SET


• CAST


• STAR


• ROLE


• PERFORMANCE


• PLOT


• SECUNDARY CHARAPTER


• SPECIAL EFFECTS

CLOSER MAGAZINE

Though it was publiated in august 2010 I hacve recently read it. As you can imagine I'm not interested in Spanish Celebreties so, I'm not either interested in British jetset. But I have to recognize that I have learnt many vocabulary words like:

• The relation has hit rock bottom


• He was giving her the cold shoulder.


• He's got to put an end.


• To tie a knot with ...


• Awkward.


• Awesome.


• To make matters worse..


• Milestone.


• Breastfeeding.


• She wants to throw herself back into work.


• My top priority.


• The singer has bee spotted looking cosy with...


• He can't turn his back on both of us.


• She's three months pregnant.


• They have made nos ecret of their desire for children.


• They are both willing to consider alternatives.


• They really want to give their kids the opportunities they never had growing up.


• The pills gave me a sense of wellbeing.


• GP


• She had severe withdrawal symptoms.


• I'm hoping my surgeon can sort it out.


• I got stung by a bee.


• It's been ages since...


• My life is falling apart.


• She is finding it hard to cope.


• A broken relationship has taken her to the limit.


• Everyone is keeping an eye on her.


• I was getting a complex.


• If he doesn't like it, he knows where the door is.


• If it doesn't work out we will try it again.


• I'm not one for yoga.


• You need to break into a sweat.


• I just put on weight too easily.


• I was speechless.


• To feel the preasure.


• To get my tummy in shape.


• He is doing his best.


• I like being the way I am.

And me too.

WICKED WORDS BY TERRY DEARY

This book is awesome. It plays with the language and it explains some difficult aspects very easily.

• The Black Maria: the police van for taking criminals to prision is called the Black Maria. In 1830, in Boston, when the police arrived Maria, a strong black woman who helped loading the troublemakers onto the police wagon. That is way after years, the van is called this way.


• Hooligan: when someone calls you holligan is comparing you with Patrick Hooligan, who was one of the most important criminal from Ireland in 1890.


• Slidebrns: The hair than some men have under their eras are sideburns. Elvis had big siledurns. The word became popular when these whiskers were grow by a US General and sort of named after him, althought his name was Brunside.

I love when writer starts explaining some farcical figures of speech:

• Kick the bucket.


• Done in cold blood.


• To be in another person's shoes.


• Not worth your salt.


• Making both ends meet.


• Having green finger.


• A forlorn hope.


• As sure as eggs is eggs.


• As bald as a coot.

And there are many proverbs too:

• A teacher is better than two books.


• The wise man sits on the hole in his carpet.


• A bald head is soon shaved.


• Many a man's tongue has broken his nose.


• A man with a head of wax should not walk in the sun.


• It does not always rain when the pig squeals.


• When the mouse laughts at th cat there is a hole near by.

There are many others like:

• If the cockrels crows before he goes to bed, he's sure to rise with a watery head.


• You can hatch chikens fron fried eggs.


• Remember, two watermelons cannot be held under one arm.


• Cats in mittens catch no ice.


• He that lives on hope will die of hunger.


• Liars should have good memories.


• Dead men tell no tales.


• Dn't count your chicken before they hatch.


• God sents nuts to those that have no teeth.


• He who makes no mitakes makes nothing.


• There is no peace for the wicked.


• He who laughs last laughs longest.


• All good things come to an end.


• It is easier to pull down than to build.


• Actons speaks louder than words.

If you can, buy and read it, it is amazing.

OVER 1000 FANTASTIC FACTS

1204 facts are described in this 500-paged book. It works in a simplyly way. It describes many short facts about different contents: Earth and space, science, prehistoric life, the animal world and History. I'll write a fact about each contents:

1. 39- Stars are born in clouds of dust and gas in space called nebulae. Astronomers can see these clouds as shinning patches in the night sky, or dark patches against the distant star. These clouds shrink as gravity pulls the dust and gas together. At the centre, the as gets hotter and hotter until a new star is born.


2. 351- Bones have blood vessels for nourishment and nerves to feel the preassure and pain. Also, some bones are not solid. They contain a jellylike substance called arrow. This makes tiny parts for the blood, called red ad white blood cells.


3. 419- The first fish could not bite, they were suckers! About 600 million years ago, new animmals appeared in thesea, the first fish. They had no jaws ot teeth and probably sucked in worms and small pieces of food from the mud.


4. 765- Snakes are superb hunters because their senses are so well adapted to detecting prey even in the dark. Some snakes have an extra skill, they can feel the heat from another animal's body. Snakes, such as the western diamond rattlesnake, do this using special heat-detecting pits between their eyes and nostrils. Using this extra sense, the snake can find its prey in the dark and strike withdeadly accuracy.


5. 1038- Hoplites were equipped with a shield, helmet, spear ans sword. A Greek who lost his shield was a coward. The Shied carried by hoplites was over one metre across and made of wood and bronze. It was very heavy, and anyone trying to run away from an enemy would throw it away, so men who lost their shields in battle were often accused of cowardice.

A very nice book, with a very interesting information for anyone who likes learning culture facts. If you can, buy it.

MY FIRST QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK

The book was bought in Machester and though it has got 500 pages it is quite cheap. It was an offer. A sale. I liked it becouse it talks about many different sorts of things: planets, weather, animals, inventions, dinosaurs, Egyptians, human body... Near all the books is done by asking us some questions like:

• What is the Ritcher Scale?


• Which space probe has travelled the furthest?


• How does a tornado start?


• Do whales grow tusks?


• Are all snowflakes the same?


• Why do tractors have such big tyres?


• What are nails made from?


• What was the biggest dinasaur that ever lived?


• Can insects walk on water?

Answers:

• The Ritcher Scale measures the strength of an earthquake.


• A probe called Voyager I, launched from Earth in 1977, is now 14 thousand million kilometres from the Earth.


• A tornado starts over very hotground. Here, warm air rises quickl and makes a spinning funnel.


• Yes, some whales like the narwhal has a tusk like a unicorn's.


• No they aren't, all snowflakes are differet.


• Tractors have huge tyres to stop them getting stuck in the mud.


• Fingernails and toenails are made from a hard material called keratin.


• The biggest dinosaur ever discovered is Argentinosaurus. It may have measured 40 metres from head to tail.


• Yes, they can. Some insects like pondskater has a slim, light bod with long, wide legs, which allow it to glide across the surface of the water.

There is many information about Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, pirates, explorers...

It is a nice book to have a basic information about cultural facts and a good way to check that we need to learn more vocabulary than we thought.

Surely an English child could be smiling, but for an English learner sometimes the dictionary is needed. For example: courtyard, seek, worship, barley, leek, beak, hatch...