Travel with Val

Dear all,
travelling for pleasure is one of the most energizing experiences!
This week, summer holidays are starting in the US. And, if any of you is planning a trip to New York City we suggest a formidable and impressive tour to celebrate their Independence.
Here you will find the exercise that we have prepared for you all, and below you will find the video to solve the activities.




Enjoy it and may you have a good weekend!

Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

A Theatre Programme? That's a Playbill!

Dear all,

Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows to be distributed at the door. Articles within the Playbills change monthly to reflect new shows and artists performing in plays, musicals or special attractions; this wraparound section is the same for all Playbills across all venues at any given time. Within this wraparound, Playbills contain a cast list, cast photos, cast biographies, song lists and who performs the songs (if a musical), and a list of scenes for the particular show.

In this week's edition of our Blog, we bring you a report by NY1's Roma Torre on how the "programme" gets to the Theatres. The idea is to relax for a while, as you watch the report and practise your listening skills.
In case there are words you do not understand, we provide you with the TRANSCRIPT TO THE CLIP.



Kind regards,
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

CNN Student News - Loads of activities to improve your listening comprehension skills!

Dear all,
today we bring you a series of activities for you to improve your listening comprehension skills. It's a 10-minute program aired on CNN on May 24th, 2010. So, the pieces of news you'll be working with are relatively recent.
Hope you find the exercises both interesting and useful!

EXERCISE (answers included)




Kind regards,
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

2010: Year of the Bicentennial

2010 is an important year of bicentennial celebrations in the Americas. Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico all commemorate 200 years of independence.

Following is the video message and transcript of Secretary Clinton on "Year of the Bicentennial":



This year, people across our hemisphere will celebrate the “Year of the Bicentennial.” Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico are marking 200 years of independence. All of us across the Americas are joining together to honor our shared history and the values of democracy, diversity, and tolerance that form our common heritage.

In the last year, our hemisphere has been challenged -- from Honduras to Haiti to Chile. And our ability to respond to these crises as a community has been tested. But we have met these challenges together, with faith in our institutions, confidence in our values, and compassion for our friends and neighbors.

We must strive to carry that same spirit of cooperation beyond times of crisis in order to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities facing the people of the Americas. There is so much we can learn from each other and so much we can accomplish together. We can encourage broad-based prosperity, champion democracy and human rights, and ensure that every child born in the Americas has the opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given potential.

This “Year of the Bicentennial” is a time to honor our past while we look to the future -- as we continue on our common journey to create better lives for our citizens and even stronger ties between our nations. On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, congratulations and best wishes.

Toronto's Spa Train: The Road to Relaxation

Dear all,
in Unit 3 you must be working already (or may well be about to) on the analysis of some Top Cities (page 38 - Total English.)
Today we offer you a short report on a Spa Train in Canada.
This is the video for you to watch, and below you will find the transcription just in case you find some words difficult to understand either because of their meaning or their pronunciation.
And now... sit back, relax and enjoy the video clip!

Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

______________________________

City life doesn't have to be so stressful, especially if you take a particularly relaxing excursion from Toronto. Canada's largest city is like the Big Apple on Prozac, as every day in Toronto feels like New York on the weekend -- relatively quiet, civilized, and manageable.

It's no wonder Toronto offers a getaway that can help mellow you out even more, on a fast track to total relaxation onboard Via Rail's Spa Train.

The Spa Train is an escape within a couple hours' ride that takes you to any of a number of Ontario train stations where a shuttle whisks you off to your choice of 15 spas in the area.

One of the areas with a high density of spas is the Niagara Falls region. It is very close to beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, a town designated as a National Historic Site. These spa in the vicinity of several wineries feature vinotherapy.

The 100 Fountain Spa, at Vintage Hotel's historic Pillar and Post, offers an 80-minute "Purple Feet Pedicure," using locally-harvested wine-based products that might put your tootsies over the legal limit.

Most of the spas are associated with a hotel, so besides treatments, packages can include accommodations and meals along with return transfer to the train station.

The Spa Train package at Pillar and Post starts at $300 per person based on the exchange rate at press time. It includes room for one night in one of three Vintage hotels, roundtrip train tickets from Toronto to Niagara as well as hotel transfers, plus a $100 Spa credit per person. This is based on double occupancy through April 30.

¡Empezamos!

Hola a todos!

En esta primera entrega de nuestra práctica permanente on line queremos acercarles un ejercicio para que practiquen elementos del idioma con los que probablemente ya estén familiarizados o conozcan. Y además les queremos dejar un cuento de O. Henry, escritor, periodista y cuentista estadounidense a quien se le considera uno de los maestros del relato breve. Su admirable tratamiento de los finales narrativos sorpresivos popularizó en lengua inglesa la expresión “un final a lo O. Henry”.

El ejercicio incluye las respuestas, en la última hoja. Luego del ejercicio, podrán ver un video corto que resume en 2 minutos y medio el informe que habrán trabajado.
El cuento además de poder leerlo, podrán escucharlo narrado por una periodista estadounidense llamada Barbra Klein.
Sean curiosos, exploren, y anímense a equivocarse. De los errores, aprendemos más que de los libros.

Suerte y a trabajar, entonces!

EJERCICIO (Schools in Haiti are rebuilt) - Descargar en PDF






Short Story - "The Exact Science of Matrimony" by O. Henry - Descargar en PDF


Que tengan una buena semana!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

NOTA: Para escuchar el audio deberán tener instalado el Flash Player de Acrobat

Primer Cuatrimestre 2010

Hola y bienvenidos al Primer Cuatrimestre!

A partir de la última semana de abril volveremos a actualizar quincenalmente los Blogs del Centro Universitario de Idiomas.
Si estás recibiendo este e-mail es porque en algún momento te suscribiste a nuestro correo de actualizaciones.

* Para recibir actualizaciones de tu curso actual deberás suscribirte al BLOG corresponidiente al NIVEL que estés realizando. (aquí el listado de Niveles)
* Al mismo tiempo si quisieras no recibir más actualizaciones de ESTE BLOG, deberás desuscribirte.

Ambas acciones son fáciles de realizar, y deben ser hechas personalmente.

Esperamos contarte entre nuestros alumnos que siguen apostando a continuar capacitándose para hablar y disfrutar de más Inglés.

Muchas gracias!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Universitario de Idiomas