Feb 21, 2013

Homework for Monday 25th Feb

Due to popular demand... Here's the homework for next class.

You can download the worksheets here:

4B Grammar
4B Vocabulary

Remember, we'll also have a LISTENING and a READING test.

See you on Monday!

Feb 19, 2013

Feb 14, 2013

A bit more about The Iron Lady

PLOT

An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.

Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan (screenplay)


FEATURETTE: Making of "The Iron Lady"

The Iron Lady



TODAY AT 5PM
ROOM 1.12

(A worksheet with listening comprehension exercises is available)

Feb 6, 2013

Adidas Launches $1 Sneakers in India

News from 27th November, 2011

The German sportswear company Adidas will soon start selling its sneakers for a dollar a pair in India. The idea is the brainchild of Nobel Prize-winning micro-finance guru Mohammad Yunus. Despite a similar plan failing in Bangladesh last year, the project in India is to go ahead. Adidas boss Herbert Hainer said India was unlike Bangladesh because it’s possible to mass produce the shoes in India, where the population is booming. Mr Hainer explained what happened in Bangladesh, saying: “We sold 5,000 pairs during a test phase but we made only losses. The shoes cost us three dollars to make and we had to pay $3.50 in import duty.” He believes India will be a whole different ball game. “The shoe will be sold in villages through a distribution network. We want the product to be self-funding,” he said.

No details have been released as to when Adidas will start selling the $1 trainers. Adidas have revealed that its subsidiary Reebok will be responsible for the manufacture and marketing side of the campaign. The rationale for the project is for the company to get a strong foothold in what will be the world’s most populated country. Adidas bosses believe they can get India’s poor to replace their plastic and rubber sandals with shoes made by an iconic global brand, and that this will create a loyal customer base that will reap rewards for decades. It is not the first time India has been used as a testing ground for cheap products. India’s own Tata car maker already produces and sells the world’s cheapest car. The big question in the rest of the world is why Adidas charges $100 or more for its shoes.

Taken from Breaking News English

Read more about it here.

Girls and women worst hit by recession

It is hardly surprising news, but a new report shows that girls and women are those hit hardest by the global recession. The study is from the organizations Plan International, which is working to reduce child poverty, and the Overseas Development Institute - the UK's leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. They state that: "The world is failing girls and women." The report's author Nigel Chapman said: "Girls are the largest marginalised group in the world." Mr Chapman added: "Much of the problem lies with 'entrenched gender inequality'." Chapman found that a worsening economy results in females of all ages having to work harder and suffering more domestic abuse.

Mr Chapman's report highlights a tragic increase in mortality rates for female infants. He told the BBC: "The proportion of baby girls who died when the economy shrank rose five times faster than the proportion of baby boys who died….Hence, a 1% fall in economic output increases infant mortality by 7.4 deaths per 1,000 girls against 1.5 for boys." He paints an equally bleak picture for girls not being able to complete their education. He reports that the global recession saw a fall in primary school completion for girls of 29% compared to 22% for boys. "Girls get sucked into domestic chores," he said. "Once they stop going to school it's very hard to get back into the rhythm of things."

Taken from Breaking News English.
Read the news report on the BBC website here.

You can also visit Plan International website to find out more about their campaign to help girls.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
a)Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
b)What does it say about the world when more baby girls die than baby boys?
c)Why do you think countries allow this to happen?
d)What countries do you know of that need to work harder on equality?
e)Do you think women should be allowed to do anything a man does?
f)There are very few women in positions of power in the European Union. Why?
g)How much is a country held back economically if it does not provide girls with an education?
h)Should there be sanctions on countries that treat girls so badly?
i)Where do you think we'll be with this issue in 50 years?
j)What questions would you like to ask the head of Plan International?


Feb 4, 2013

Viajes de Estudios (2)

Se amplía el plazo para apuntarse en cualquiera de los dos VIAJES DE ESTUDIOS organizados por la EOI.

HASTA EL VIERNES 8 DE FEBRERO

LONDRES 440€ 
EDIMBURGO 498€

MÁS INFO EN LOS TABLONES, PREGUNTANDO A CONCHITA O AQUÍ.