Video: 10 Great Adventures

Idioms!

• on and off = not all the time, at irregular intervals. It's been raining on and off all day, I hate this kind of weather.
• over and out = message used to end a radio communication. Understood. Over and out.
• sink or swim = be successful or fail. This a very difficult job, you have to be careful. It's really sink or swim.
• up and about = in good health. After the accident, he recovered very well, he's now up and about.
• wait and see = wait patiently. We don't know if this government will be able to put his plans into practice. We have to wait and see.
• by and by = soon, in a while from now. By and by they came to an enchanted place.
• chapter and verse = with a lot of details. The teacher gave them chapter and verse about where to find the information.
• cheap and cheerful = simple, not expensive and of reasonable quality. This is really a cheap and cheerful Greek restaurant.
• cloak-and-dagger = secret and mysterious. It was a cloak-and-dagger operation in which several spies were involved.
• down-and-out = having no money. He's a down-and-out actor now.

Familia y relaciones sociales

Familia y relaciones sociales

Aquí tienes algunas frases útiles para hablar sobre la familia y relaciones sociales. 
Aprende cómo hablar sobre hermanos y hermanas, hijos y otros miembros de la familia, 
así como describir tu estado personal.

Do you have any brothers or sisters?	¿tienes algún hermano o hermana?
yes, I've got ...	sí, tengo ...
a brother	un hermano
a sister	una hermana
an elder brother	un hermano mayor
a younger sister	una hermana más joven
two brothers	dos hermanos
two sisters	dos hermanas
one brother and two sisters	un hermano y dos hermanas
no, I'm an only child	no, soy hijo único

have you got any kids?	¿tienes hijos?
do you have any children?	¿tienes hijos?
yes, I've got ...	sí, tengo ...
a boy and a girl	un chico y una chica
a young baby	un bebé
three kids	tres niños
I don't have any children	no, no tengo hijos
do you have any grandchildren?	¿tiene usted nietos?

are your parents still alive?	¿están tus padres todavía vivos?
where do your parents live?	¿dónde viven tus padres?
what do your parents do?	¿qué hacen tus padres?
what does your father do?	¿a qué se dedica tu padre?
what does your mother do?	¿a qué se dedica tu madre?
are your grandparents still alive?	¿están tus abuelos aún vivos?
where do they live?	¿dónde viven?

do you have a boyfriend?	¿tienes novio?
do you have a girlfriend?	¿tienes novia?
are you married?	¿estás casado?, ¿estás casada?
are you single?	¿estás soltero?, ¿estás soltera?
are you seeing anyone?	¿estás saliendo con alguien?
I'm ...	estoy ...
single	soltero/a
engaged	comprometido/a
married	casado/a
divorced	divorciado/a
separated	separado/a
a widow	viuda
a widower	viudo
I'm seeing someone	estoy saliendo con alguien

have you got any pets?	¿tienes alguna mascota?
I've got ...	sí, tengo ...
a dog and two cats	un perro y dos gatos
a Labrador	un perro Labrador

what's his name?¿cómo se llama?
he's called ...se llama ...
what's her name?¿cómo se llama?
she's called ...se llama ...
what are their names?¿cómo se llaman?
they're called ...se llaman ...
how old is he?¿cuántos años tiene?
he's ...tiene ...twelve doce años
how old is she?¿cuántos años tiene?
she's ...tiene ...fifteen quince años
how old are they?¿cuántos años tienen?
they're ...tienen ...six and eight seis y ocho años

Phrasal Verbs

find out

to make an effort to discover or get to know (something).
the truth / a secret / an address / the time /

take after

to look or be like an older relative.

look into

to investigate; to carefully examine a situation or event
and try to discover the reasons for it.

look round

to visit and tour round a place.
a house / a shop / a town / a factory / an
exhibition etc.

look over

to examine (someone or something) carefully and fully.
some work / a car / a house / a document / a

suggestion / an applicant etc.

look up

to find (or try to find) something (e.g. a telephone

number) in a book (e.g. a telephone directory).

look for

to try to find (something or someone), often a thing or
person that is lost.

University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after Oxford).

It is situated in the town of Cambridge, England. According to legend, the university was founded in 1209 by scholars escaping from Oxford after a fight with locals there.

Cambridge has produced more Nobel prize winners than any other university in the world, having 80 associated with it, about 70 of whom were students there.

It regularly heads league tables ranking British universities, and a recent league table by the Times Higher Education Supplement rated it sixth in the world overall and first for science.

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, often referred to together as Oxbridge, compete to be seen as the strongest overall university in the UK. Historically, they have produced a significant proportion of Britain's prominent scientists, writers and politicians.

Questions about the text

1. The University of Cambridge is the oldest university in England.
True.
False.
We don't know.

2. The University of Cambridge was founded by scholars from Oxford.
True.
False.
We don't know.

3. Many Nobel Prize winners were students at the University of Cambridge.
True.
False.
We don't know.

4. Many scientists, writers and politicians were students at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
True.
False.
We don't know.

SEARCH, LOOK FOR, SEEK OR QUEST?

SEARCH, LOOK FOR,

 SEEK OR QUEST?

Key

Search means to try to find something or somebody. Look for has the same meaning.
Seek means to try to achieve or get something. Sometimes it's used in written language with the same meaning as 'search'.
Quest is a noun that means a long search for something that is difficult to find. It's used specially in literature.

Search significa intentar encontrar algo o a alguien. Look for tiene el mismo significado.
Seek significa intentar lograr u obtener algo. A veces se usa en el idioma escrito con el mismo sentido de 'search'.
Quest es un sustantivo que significa una larga búsqueda de algo que es difícil de hallar. Se usa especialmente en literatura.

• searchYou can search that on the internet.
  The area of the accident was thoroughly searched.
  I've been searching for my umbrella but I haven't found it.
• look forIf you're looking for a bargain, you should go out of town.
  I'm looking for a new flat.
  I've been looking for my umbrella but I haven't found it.
• seek (sought, sought)The government is seeking to reduce the unemployment rate.
  The president is seeking re-election.
  There are many high-school graduates still seeking (=searching) employment.
• questWorld leaders are united in their quest for global peace.
  Her quest for truth was deciding on the trial.
  He went to Italy in quest of information about his ancestors.

ConditionalsType 1

Type 1 Conditionals

Las oraciones condicionales sirven para expresar situaciones que probablemente (o seguramente) ocurrirán en el futuro si se cumple la condición indicada.

Por ejemplo:

If the price comes down, more people will buy it.Si el precio baja, más gente lo comprará.

A esta oración se la denomina oración condicional del primer tipo. Expresa una condición que es muy probable que se cumpla.

If + condición + consecuencia
If + Present + Future Simple

Estas oraciones se forman comenzando con IF y agregando la condición, expresada en tiempopresente. Luego, se agrega lo que ocurrirá si se cumple esa condición, expresado en tiempofuturo simple (con will).

If it rains, I will stay home.Si llueve, me quedaré en casa.

If I have a headache, I will take an aspirin.Si tengo dolor de cabeza, tomaré una aspirina.

If I am better tomorrow, I will go to work.Si me siento mejor mañana, iré a trabajar.

Notar que en el último ejemplo, a pesar de que se utiliza la palabra tomorrow el verbo después de if debe ir siempre en Presente. Es incorrecto decir If I will be better tomorrow.

Luego de if tambén es posible utilizar can.

If you can go, we will go with you.Si tú puedes ir, nosotros iremos contigo.

La condición tambén puede ser negativa.

If it doesn't rain, we will go to the beach.Si no llueve, iremos a la playa.

También es posible realizar preguntas con las oraciones condicionales.

What will you do if it rains?¿Qué harás si llueve?

What will you do if you have a headache?¿Qué harás si tienes dolor de cabeza?

Una variación del primer tipo de condicional consiste en utilizar el imperativo en la segunda parte:

If + condición + consecuencia
If + Present + Imperative

If the car stops, go to a garage.Si el automóvil se detiene, vé a un garage.

If the telephone rings, do not answer it.Si el teléfono llama, no lo atiendas.