domingo, 3 de julio de 2011

QUIZZES - CHECK YOUR ENGLISH-

MATCHING: ENGLISH TO SPANISH

MIXED EXERCISES

QUIZZES: EXPRESSIONS

QUIZNET -BBC - MULTIPLE CHOICE

Obelisk of Buenos Aires

The Obelisk of Buenos Aires (Spanish: Obelisco de Buenos Aires)
Is a national historic monument and the icon of Buenos Aires. Located in the Plaza de la República, in the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio, it was built to commemorate the fourth centenary of the first foundation of the city

9 de Julio Avenue & the Obelisk. Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Avenida 9 de Julio is an avenue in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At 140 meters, it is the world's widest avenue. Its name honors Argentina's birthdate. (July 9, 1816).

The avenue runs from the Retiro district in the north to Constitucion station in the south, roughly one kilometer to the west of the Rio de la Plata waterfront.

Its north end is connected to Libertador avenue, which serves northwards traffic, and its south end is connected to the 25 de Mayo tollway (serving the West side of Greater Buenos Aires as well as Ezeiza airport) and the 9 de Julio elevated tollway that connects to the main roads to the South.

9 de Julio Avenue - Obelisk - Buenos Aires, Argentina

The avenue's unusual width is due to the fact that it spans en entire cuadra, the distance between two streets in the checkerboard pattern used in Buenos Aires.

The distance between adjacent streets is roughly 110 meters, greater than the equivalent Manhattan distance. The street flanking 9 de Julio to the east is called Carlos Pellegrini (north of Rivadavia) and Bernardo de Irigoyen (south of Rivadavia). The street flanking 9 de Julio to the west is called Cerrito (north of Rivadavia) and Lima (south of Rivadavia). Those lateral streets (which actually just add lanes to the avenue) are included in the 140 meter calculation.

THE ASADO - Reading Comprehension

Asado is a term used both for a range of barbecue techniques and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and southern Brazil. In these countries asado is also the standard word for barbecue. An asado usually consists of beef alongside various other meats, which are cooked on a grill, called a parrilla, or open fire. It is considered a traditional dish in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Brazil.

In many Asados chorizos, morcillas (black pudding), chinchulines (cow chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbread) and other organs, often accompanied by provoleta would be served first while the cuts that require longer preparations are still on the grill. Sometimes these are served on a coal-heated brasero. Chorizos may be served with marraqueta or baguette bread as choripanes to serve as appetizers.

THE MATE- Reading Comprehension

The Mate

The mate is a drink that tastes like "Tea" and it is usually and traditionally a social drink. Groups of friends and/or family have "mate" anytime during the day, alone or with somebody else, and the particularity of this drink is everyone drinks from the same mate, using the same "bombilla".

The mate is a container that holds an infusion that Argentines call a mate. Both the container and the drink are called the same name, so whenever you ask for a mate, you will can either receive the mate recipient or the recipient with the drink.

Description

The word "mate" comes from the Quechuan word "mati", which means "gourd" and is traditionally drank in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and in the south of Brazil.

There are different types of mates; the traditional one is made from the "calabaza" (gourd) but there are also made with other materials like wood with a smooth exterior; some with engravings or carved with drawings and landscapes and others made of silver.

The "yerba mate" (South America plant), is a dry leaf and and constitutes the main ingredient for the preparation of the "mate". There are different types of "yerba" like the one with or without sticks and it is available at any supermarkets or grocery stores in packages of 1/2 and 1 kilo.

To drink the "mate" we need a "bombilla", which is a small metal straw with a grid rounded at the end, that it used as a filter. The "bombillas" also come in different sizes, materials and designs, being the most common of metal one and the most exclusive is the one made of silver.

The last component is the water; hot water that is considered to "ideal" at a few degrees before boiling. If the water boils, the "mate" it not good, because the "yerba" gets inconsistent.

Cleaning of the Mate
A very important detail is that gourd "mates" must be cleaned or cured used for the first time. The cleaning or curing eliminates the pigments of the wood that produce bad odor, and to eliminate the soft fabrics of the internal walls of the "mate". The cleaning process is simple and you can get instructions when you get a gourd mate.

Preparation and Serving of the Mate

Warm up the water and take away from the heat a few minutes before it starts boiling.
Fill 3/4 of the mate with "yerba".
Cover the top with your hand, turn it upside down and tap the base softly - so that the dust of the yerba (herb) stays in the surface.
Hold the mate in 45 degree angle and introduce the bombilla (metal straw) all the way down.
If you want to have a sweet mat, pour some sugar in, if not proceed to step 6.
Pour the hot water softly until it reaches the edge of the mate. After a few seconds, the water will be absorbed by the herb and will go down.
Wait a few seconds and pour some more water until the top of the mate.

After these simple steps, the mate is ready. Once the water is drank, serve it again, and so on. The mate is deemed "washed" when it starts losing its taste, so just throw away the yerba and put some more in.

NOTE: The mate is a home loving tradition, it is not served or sold as a drink in public places. It is not very common to be served in restaurants or bars. If you have the opportunity to go to a family house and they offer you a mate, do not say no, at least try one as a courtesy.

sábado, 2 de julio de 2011

MAFALDA IN ENGLISH

ARGENTINA HISTORY

Argentina - History
By Ekaterina Zhdanova-Redman

¹ Before the arrival of European settlers to Argentina in the 16th century, many different native people already lived there. Many belonged to small, nomadic tribes. Among these native people were two large groups--the Diaguita, who lived in the north, near the Andes Mountains, and the Guarani, who lived in the south. Both groups of native Argentines were primarily farmers.

² Both were also strong and possessive of their land. In fact, some of the earliest rebellions in Argentine history were of the Diaguita. This group repelled the Inca, who tried to invade Diaguita land from the north. This act of rebellion against invaders would certainly not be the country's last. Much of early Argentine history is made up of stories of rebellion.

³ During the sixteenth century, European explorers found their way to Argentina. Among the first was the Spaniard Juan de Solis. Unfortunately for de Solis, he found natives who didn't like the idea of Spanish rule. Argentine natives killed de Solis in 1516, and generally made life very difficult for European explorers in Argentina.

⁴ It took Spain decades to establish any kind of permanent colony in Argentina. By the late sixteenth century, Spain had established the city of Buenos Aires, which still exists today. In fact, Buenos Aires is Argentina's capital and is today one of the country's largest cities.

ARGENTINA CULTURE

Argentina - Culture
By Ekaterina Zhdanova-Redman

¹ Modern Argentina is a nation of immigrants. During its history, people from all over the world came to live in Argentina. People from Europe, Africa, and elsewhere have immigrated to Argentina. Because of this, much of Argentina's culture is a reflection of European and African culture. A lot of what you can see and hear in modern Argentina has its roots in Europe and Africa.

² One of Argentina's most popular and well-known cultural icons is a dance. This beautiful and romantic dance is called the tango. Maybe you've heard of this dance. It has been featured in many movies and is popular all over the world. The birth of the tango happened in Argentina more than 100 years ago.

³ In the late nineteenth century, immigrants from Europe and slaves from Africa were pouring into Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires. Many, if not most, of the new immigrants were very poor. To escape the troubles of their daily lives, many went to nightclubs and bars in Buenos Aires. These clubs were rough places--lots of criminals could be found in these clubs. People also found romance at these clubs.

ARGENTINA-GEOGRAPHY

Argentina - Geography
By Ekaterina Zhdanova-Redman

¹ Argentina is a big country. It has lots of interesting and exciting places. Argentina is located in South America. It is the sixth largest country in the world! Argentina has many different kinds of land. In the north, there are rainforests. In the west are the Andes Mountains. Along Argentina's east side is the Atlantic Ocean.

² There is another interesting place located in its very southern end. This place is an island. It's called Tierra del Fuego. If it seems hard to pronounce, don't worry. It's a Spanish phrase that means "land of fire." What makes Tierra del Fuego so interesting? The land is beautiful. There are lots of mountains and beaches there. But there is something else that's very special about Tierra del Fuego.

³ Have you been someplace far away? Someplace that seemed a long way from the rest of the world? Maybe you've climbed a tree, or walked out in the woods. Can you remember what it was like being so far away? That's what it's like in Tierra del Fuego. Why? Because Tierra del Fuego has the most southern city in the world! It is called Ushuaia. There is even a train there called the "end of the world" train!

viernes, 1 de julio de 2011

E-MAIL

LETTERS

POSTCARDS

TOO / ENOUGH

QUESTION TAGS

VIDEO: QUESTION TAGS

EXERCISE TO DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE

MODAL VERBS

The modal verbs are:

can	could
may	might
shall	should
will	would
must

We use modal verbs to show if we believe something is certain, probable or possible (or not). We also use modals to do things like talking about ability, asking permission making requests and offers, and so on.