tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96243972012-01-24T12:55:07.020+01:00Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.comBlogger2901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-44382467927824571022012-01-24T12:51:00.002+01:002012-01-24T12:55:07.030+01:00

Hello everyone. For those of you who wanted to listen to the BBC Radio analysis of the Concordia disaster, I apologise for giving you the wrong reference. The broadcast was in fact on 19th January, not 18th January. You have two days from the date if this message if you want to listen. So I suggest you listen now, and to help you focus on the discussion, here are some comprehension questions. At

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-17918307682802366692012-01-20T12:17:00.002+01:002012-01-20T12:46:30.185+01:00

Dear all, As promised, here are the answers to this week's Six Minute English on our hopes for 2012: 1) This week's official question: 2012 is not the first time the Olympics has come to London. It is in fact the third time London will have hosted the games. The last time they were here was 1948, but when was the first time? Was it: a) 1918 b) 1908 The correct answer! c) 1848 2) Rob's hopes are

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-11427923503090275032012-01-13T11:02:00.000+01:002012-01-13T11:02:37.460+01:00

Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I last sent out Blog Update notices to everyone on my contacts list, so I'll be doing that today. But whenever you visit us, do send this Blog's Web address (romelfblog.blogspot.com) to anyone you know who is learning English. Meanwhile, here is this week's Six Minute English exercises. It's about our hopes for New Year 2012. First, read the questions.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-70099437176649089832012-01-10T16:51:00.001+01:002012-01-10T16:54:12.534+01:00

Dear All, Welcome back to this Blog after a refreshingly long holiday. I hope you all had a good time and got a good rest and change of scene. From today I plan to add further listening exercises to this Blog. I will also continue to point you towards useful web sites that will help you with your English. At the same time, the list of sites down the right-hand column of this Blog is there

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-68306059804833656222011-12-23T10:04:00.002+01:002011-12-23T10:04:50.408+01:00

.. to all our readers. If you are having a holiday, have a very good time. Business as usual after 10 January! Until that time, I have locked the Tag Board owing to the risk of Spammers. So please leave your comments in the Comments section. More soonest!Yours,Mike

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-39016614579222796982011-12-20T17:13:00.000+01:002011-12-20T17:13:04.265+01:00

Hello everybody. Today I'm going to give you the answers to the Real English Video Quiz of a fortnight ago. In this video, kindly brought to you by Michael Marzio, an American teacher of English in France, you watched and listened to a series of people giving their opinions of the British. Here are the questions again, with the answers: 1. Marie's opinion? "A wry sense of humour." 2.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-80274922507607297472011-12-07T11:05:00.000+01:002011-12-07T11:05:00.722+01:00

Hello everyone. I am sorry to have taken so long - over a fortnight - to give you a new exercise. Just for a change, we're going to look at something from Michael Marzio's "Real English". Michael Marzio is an American teacher of English, living and working near Paris. He has created a large and very useful website to which there is a link on the right-hand column of this blog.  "Real English"

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-11139049261641323092011-11-22T15:54:00.000+01:002011-11-22T15:54:25.271+01:00

Hello to all our readers, on a rainy day in Rome. Here are the answers to the latest Six Minute English Quiz. 1. This week's question: According to a survey carried out this year, what is considered to be the most stressful job? Is it: a) A commercial airline pilot  b) A school teacher c) A surgeon And the right answer was: A commercial airline pilot. Why is this job stressful? Because

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-55270443007868475202011-11-08T12:45:00.000+01:002011-11-08T12:45:54.380+01:00

Hello everybody. Stress is a problem in many people's lives, whether you work or not. But stress in the workplace is particularly serious because of the high cost to economies that are already in poor health. In this week's Six Minute English, we will learn what causes stress at work and what can be done about it. You'll also learn some useful vocabulary connected with the world of work. To help

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-65834225664236263272011-10-30T10:15:00.000+01:002011-10-30T10:15:54.161+01:00

An Argentine man, Alfredo Santa Cruz, has made his entire house, and much of the furniture, out of old plastic bottles. See his story here on the BBC. To help you focus your attention, here are three comprehension questions: 1. How did Mr Santa Cruz get his idea of making a house out of old bottles? 2. What special technique has he invented? 3. How many people has he taught to make bottle

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-80824513461928916662011-10-25T11:35:00.001+02:002011-10-25T17:09:22.931+02:00

For those readers who are also students at the British Council Rome, my colleague Bruce Warburton will be giving a talk on this very subject. “Making the most of the web – using the internet for self study”, presented by Bruce from 19.30-20.30 on Thursday 3rd November. Meanwhile, this Blog also helps you make the most of the Net. Although the links on this Blog connect to all manner of web sites

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-65251111443440017252011-10-18T16:40:00.000+02:002011-10-18T16:40:31.862+02:00

Good day to all our readers. I can now provide you with the answers to the last Six Minute English Quiz, which centred on an ingenious idea being applied by people living in the poorer parts of Manila, Philippines. In these poorer areas, the houses are placed very close together, and this prevents light from reaching them. The inhabitants' idea was to set  bottles filled with water into the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-45632724595360060312011-10-03T18:00:00.000+02:002011-10-03T18:00:00.630+02:00

Hello everyone. There's a famous proverb which says, "Necessity is the mother of invention." This week’s Six Minute English is about how this proverb works in the Philippines. Many Filipinos live and work in Italy. Back home, many people are very poor. But some of them use a simple device, based on an equally simple scientific principle, to light their homes without spending any money. We are

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-80012832234860496802011-09-27T16:10:00.000+02:002011-09-27T16:10:36.294+02:00

Dear all, For those of you following a course, you may now be facing an end-of-course test. You will want to revise some essential grammar and vocabulary. Fortunately, the Internet has a lot to offer you. Look at the right hand column of this Blog. You'll see a whole succession of links to various useful sites. The first one I can see is "English Grammar Secrets". Down the left-hand side of the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-68668013959954657022011-09-21T16:00:00.001+02:002011-09-21T18:29:32.371+02:00

Hello everyone. As promised, here are the answers to last week's Six Minute English quiz: This week's question: The Bullring in Birmingham is the UK's busiest shopping centre, but how many people, on average, visit the Bullring each year? Is it: a) 27 million b) 37 million √ c) 47 million Listen out for the answer at the end of the programme! 2. What kind of shopping does Rob like? “I like

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-13251542707659776472011-09-14T16:23:00.001+02:002011-09-14T16:28:42.182+02:00

Do you just love shopping? Do you look forward to Saturday afternoon in Rome's Via del Corso? Or maybe you prefer the Roma Est shopping centre, just off the highway as you head east out of town. Or maybe you hate shopping. Whichever the case, this week's Six Minute English, from the BBC's Learning English site, brings you some people's opinions. It also brings you some useful vocabulary. Read

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-78176340195247953622011-09-06T09:54:00.000+02:002011-09-06T09:54:05.927+02:00

Hello everyone. It's 6 September and it is not long since I returned to Rome. So I haven't had time yet to devise a 'Six Minute English' listening comprehension exercise. But here is something equally interesting: From Our Own Correspondent. Listen to the report from Tripoli, Libya. Here are two questions to help you concentrate on the information it contains: 1. Why did the correspondent find

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-55938270904996300662011-09-06T09:35:00.000+02:002011-09-06T09:35:27.331+02:00

Dear All, Just back from the summer holidays, and I have now reactivated the Tag Board. You are welcome to post messages as long as they are useful, informative and relevant to this Blog. A word of warning to spammers, however. There have been too many spam posts to the tag board in the past few months. Be aware that I shall check out the IP addresses of any spam messages, and will delete any

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-46001355012701326742011-08-04T11:56:00.001+02:002011-08-07T14:03:44.868+02:00

Dear Readers, This is to let you know that I have temporarily suspended the Tag Board, for I cannot always spare the time to check it for the spam messages that have been left there in recent weeks. The Board will be back to normal in early September. Meanwhile, you can leave your messages in the Comments section at the end of this, or any other, posting. Once again, have a very good summer

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-24577007584421755792011-07-30T00:11:00.000+02:002011-07-30T00:11:42.682+02:00

Dear All, It's now summer vacation time in Europe, Ramadan is about to start, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish our readers a happy and festive season wherever you are. I'll start posting regularly again in September. It's just possible that I may have an opportunity to create an exercise for you in August, but I cannot promise. The Tag Board is causing mild concern. Some

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-41709298541094737602011-07-20T12:45:00.000+02:002011-07-20T12:45:48.586+02:00

Hello. Here are the answers to the quiz questions on the BBC domestic radio 4 'Today' programme on Italy's debt. You had to fill in the gaps. I have indicated the answers in bold text. 1. Politicians are saying that the markets are overreacting dangerously. 2. Part of the problem is that there is no agreement on the mechanics of a second financial bailout for Greece. 3. The Dutch Finance

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-60427775810894363212011-07-12T17:47:00.000+02:002011-07-12T17:47:17.533+02:00

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. This is a slightly different listening exercise from usual. It may be more difficult. It is certainly more specialised: it is about economics and turns on the question: could Italy suffer a debt crisis like that of Greece or Portugal? To find out more, listen to the BBC's "Today" programme .This is a programme that goes out every morning on the BBC's domestic

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-75642235920762379092011-07-04T17:27:00.000+02:002011-07-04T17:27:55.872+02:00

Good day everyone. Here are the answers to the latest Six Minute English quiz. I didn't get many answers, but I expect a lot of people "lurked" and listened to the programme on the BBC. "Lurked"? We'll talk about this further down the page. Here are the answers: 1. (Official): Which member of the pop group The Spice Girls was nicknamed Posh Spice? It was: c) Victoria Adams √ 2. In the English

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-4119902262906749952011-06-23T17:18:00.000+02:002011-06-23T17:18:22.465+02:00

Good day everyone. A few days ago I promised you another Six Minute English Quiz. I asked you to have a quick preview of the episode and gave you a link to follow. Now I can ask you a few questions. Read them now, and then listen: 1. (Official): Which member of the pop group The Spice Girls was nicknamed Posh Spice? Was it: a) Emma Bunton; b) Geri Halliwell; c) Victoria Adams ? 2. In the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-49582134610764185312011-06-17T10:24:00.001+02:002011-06-18T23:52:24.932+02:00

Hello everyone. I am sorry that over two weeks have passed since my last message. My excuse must be that here at the British Council Rome we have been holding end-of-course tests which have taken up a lot of time to correct. But that's now over, so at last I can give you the answers to the last Six Minute English quiz that I posted at the very end of May. Here they are: 1. This week's official

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-30269506263134903432011-05-31T16:56:00.000+02:002011-05-31T16:56:21.658+02:00

Good day readers! Recently, everyone has been talking about Social Media - Twitter, Facebook to name but two. They help people find old friends, make new friends, keep in touch and share various aspects of their lives. I use Facebook to share some of my experiences, especially travel. But there is a darker side. Stephen and Alice, the presenters on this week's Six Minute English, focus on one

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-9668101354194910962011-05-31T15:39:00.001+02:002011-05-31T16:12:27.000+02:00

Here's something for readers who have an i-Phone. An app has come out which helps you with your English vocabulary. It's called "60 Second Word Challenge". It has been released this week for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. It is a fun vocabulary quiz with 10 topics, three difficulty levels and 600 questions. Download it now while it's free. Search iTunes for '60 second word challenge' or 'british

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-945144346164246692011-05-25T13:18:00.000+02:002011-05-25T13:18:47.799+02:00

Hello everyone. First of all may I sincerely apologise for not having posted anything since the 11th of May! But I would like to make up for it by posting the correct answers to the last Six Minute English quiz. Here they are: This week's official question: Why were British royals put to death by beheading rather than hanging? a) It was quicker, because gallows – a special wooden structure -

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-74164835662645364872011-05-11T18:56:00.000+02:002011-05-11T18:56:32.112+02:00

Good day everyone. It's mid-week at the British Council Rome, and we are overdue for another episode of Six Minute English. Looking through the episodes on offer at the BBC, I figured that 'British Republicans' might attract interest from our readers, even though the Royal Wedding is long over and the couple are reportedly on their honeymoon in the Seychelles. So here is this week's quiz. Read

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-75400408968392013952011-05-03T16:03:00.000+02:002011-05-03T16:03:41.663+02:00

Good day everyone. This week's question: do you have a Smartphone? Do you possess, for instance, an Apple i-Phone, Samsung, LTC, Sony Ericsson, other phone or Apple i-Pad which can do almost anything your home computer can do? If your answer is Yes, read on. The British Council is 'rolling out' - in other words producing, a series of useful apps that can work on your phone and help you with your

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-28251014559152424022011-04-28T20:42:00.000+02:002011-04-28T20:42:13.699+02:00

If you would like to follow the Royal Wedding, go to the BBC web site here. Please do leave a message on the Tag Board to share your reactions with everyone. Thanks, Mike

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-3905590651175311442011-04-28T17:18:00.000+02:002011-04-28T17:18:40.004+02:00

Good day everyone! I hope you have all had a good Easter holiday. My first task is to give you the answers to the Six Minute English quiz, which I posted just before the Easter holidays. Here they are: A few, but good, people participated. However I would like to see more people participating in future quizzes. Many thanks, all the same, to Gianluca B, Gianluca and Simona. In the next few days

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-54888140049041028362011-04-06T19:04:00.000+02:002011-04-06T19:04:26.085+02:00

Hello everyone. How many of you use a GPS or Satellite Navigation System? I have one in my phone and use it occasionally. Once, it got me safely to a dinner party in a remote part of Rome. Amazingly, I got there without taking any wrong turnings, and without having to stop and look at a street plan. So I'm sold on GPSs. In other words, no one needs to persuade me of their usefulness. But things

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-17112901151585399072011-03-25T18:30:00.000+01:002011-03-25T18:30:20.977+01:00

Hello everyone. And thank God it's Friday! This is a good day to post the answers to the previous Six Minute English quiz, which was about 'Citizen Journalism'. At this point I would like to express special thanks to these people who took part in this quiz: Gabriella, Margherita, Roberta and Savina. Savina was a student at the BC Rome last year. She has continued to read this Blog and use it

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-13237122213778760342011-03-18T18:59:00.000+01:002011-03-18T18:59:27.553+01:00

Good day everyone. I am sorry that some time has passed since the last post. Also, that not many people took the previous Six Minute English quiz! But I am very happy to see that Khrystyna, of level 2, has taken part in the Jealousy debate. See the comments in the previous post. Another good forum for debates is the Rome Students' Forum. You need to register on order to write and express your

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-4766205210980538022011-03-09T18:28:00.000+01:002011-03-09T18:28:04.955+01:00

Dear All, Sorry to have taken some time to post the answers to the latest Six Minute English quiz. Very many thanks to those who participated: Maria, Massimo and Giovanni. A few, but good! 1.) (official): What do the letters REM stand for? a) rapid eye movement; b) random eye movement; c) relative eye movement 2.) Stephen hasn't yet walked in his sleep but he has been known to tell stories. (

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-86025512954407367822011-03-02T18:52:00.000+01:002011-03-02T18:52:38.373+01:00

Hello everyone. I have been away since 15 February, but it has been a busy time. Today, however, I can bring you a quiz from the latest Six Minute English. This week the topic is sleepwalking. Before you listen, read these questions: 1.) (official): What do the letters REM stand for?  a) rapid eye movement; b) random eye movement; c) relative eye movement 2.) Stephen hasn't yet walked in his

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-46240061170581791872011-02-15T11:30:00.001+01:002011-02-15T11:35:44.608+01:00

Hello everyone. Later this week I will post a new Six Minute English Quiz. For now however, I would like to invite you to debate this question: What's your ideal date? It's an appropriate question for the day after St. Valentine's Day. In this context, a "date" is an appointment, often in the evening, for a movie or a restaurant dinner, with someone you are romantically attracted or attached

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-84055838897598966132011-02-11T18:10:00.000+01:002011-02-11T18:10:52.026+01:00

Good afternoon everyone. Do you remember that Six Minute English quiz of a fornight ago, about musical ability? Here, at last, are the answers. 1. (Official question) Listen to two short pieces of music. Are they (a) exactly the same, or (b) different? Exactly the same! 2. Complete the sentence according to what you hear: A musical person is not only someone who can play music or who has had

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-950742143881093832011-02-01T16:06:00.000+01:002011-02-01T16:06:59.761+01:00

Hello everyone. It's that time of year again. In other words, we're preparing for our mid- or end-of-course tests. And here are some more sites which can help you with various grammar points. Last week I mentioned Reported Speech. This week I'd like to start by focussing on the uses of the present simple and continuous forms of the verb. For the present simple and continuous, look at the basic

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-25901108783838733502011-01-25T15:51:00.000+01:002011-01-25T15:51:25.607+01:00

Hello all. This is a good time to check out grammar on the Net for some extra practice. Let us look at a recent example: Reported Speech. Here's an introduction to the subject in the British Council's Learn English website: Reported Speech - 1.  There's an explanation of how the verb forms change as between direct and reported speech. Try the exercise at the bottom of the page and tell us all

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-9262502317814232472011-01-20T16:36:00.000+01:002011-01-20T16:36:21.939+01:00

Hello everyone! Today, I listened to the latest Six Minute English. It's an interesting one: there is a discussion of how musical you are, and how important music is in all our lives. And afterwards, you can take an online test to discover your own level of ability. Here are the questions: 1. (Official question) Listen to two short pieces of music. Are they (a) exactly the same, or (b) different

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-43094506746839016812011-01-18T13:08:00.000+01:002011-01-18T13:08:23.760+01:00

Hello everyone. We now have answers to the twelve quiz questions about the Radio Four "Today" interview between John Humphrys and Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks. These answers come to us courtesy of Francesco Mileo and Tamara Tossici of Level Three. Here they are. I have made a few small corrections. Check the questions in the previous posting. Assange has changed the world because,

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-54151793483129116432011-01-11T15:45:00.000+01:002011-01-11T15:45:00.879+01:00

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Rome English Blog in January 2011. As promised, here is a list of comprehension questions to help you focus on the interview between John Humphrys and Julian Assange. John Humphrys is a very experienced political reporter with the BBC. How to listen to the interview: First, read the twelve questions listed below: 1. In what ways does John Humphrys say

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-7472719528317931742010-12-21T16:53:00.000+01:002010-12-21T16:53:41.806+01:00

Hello everyone. In our Level 3 classes (Intermediate) we have been looking at the case of a young librarian, Jessica, who, for a month, trained as a television journalist, interviewing politicians. I promised you that I would give you some real life examples of interviews in a future lesson. And as luck would have it, the BBC's Radio 4 (domestic) carries an interview with Wikileaks founder

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-9986905205080205362010-12-16T17:20:00.000+01:002010-12-16T17:20:46.141+01:00

Hello everyone. Here are the answers to the most recent 6 Minute English Quiz: 1) Tenfold - ten times the number. 2) Men find it difficult to ask for help when they need it. 3) Men are more likely to die from cancer and to commit suicide. 4) Doug didn't return to hospital when he continued to get chest pains because he 'didn't want to be a burden'; he 'didn't want to be a fuss'. (burden =

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-74599243107991556932010-12-03T12:14:00.001+01:002010-12-04T11:48:34.399+01:00

Hello and welcome to this week's Six Minute English quiz. We're going to discover why men are, in reality, the weaker sex when it comes to health. It 'ties in' - that is to say, it is connected with, some classwork we did recently, in which we examined some of the differences between men and women. When you have finished the listening exercise, do post your own opinions on the Tag Board (up to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-63499897188507571952010-11-30T16:43:00.000+01:002010-11-30T16:43:04.723+01:00

Hello everybody on a rainy Tuesday arvo in Rome. Arvo? That's Australian for "afternoon". Learn more about Australian slang. Here's a short roundup of the most recent grammar we have come across. 1. Articles. The tricky, or difficult, question here is when not to use the article. Find out more by visiting the British Council's Learn English site. Read the rules, then do the exercises at the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-51468061030980736552010-11-29T12:38:00.001+01:002010-11-29T19:43:50.933+01:00

Good day everybody, and very best wishes for Monday, your favourite day of the week. Very soon, I will post another Six Minute English quiz. For now, I have been exploring the BBC Learning English site, and I can bring you two discoveries. 1. The "How to.." section. Difficult to find, as the BBC's navigation menus are not as clear as they could be. I will add it to the links column on the right

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-34466292482412419012010-11-24T11:09:00.000+01:002010-11-24T11:09:39.713+01:00

Hello everyone. As promised, I am giving you the answers to last week's Six Minute English quiz: 1. (Official question) How many active Facebook users are there in the world? (b) 500 million 2. How did the experiment work? Student volunteers had to "unplug" their phones, laptops and TVs for 24 hours. And they weren't allowed to listen to the radio or read newspapers.  3. How have the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-68681343776647919352010-11-11T12:05:00.000+01:002010-11-11T12:05:49.887+01:00

Good day everyone. Here's the most recent Six Minute English. In this edition, Dan and Alice talk about an experiment at a British university: Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. We're going to learn what the experiment was and how it worked. Here are the questions: 1. (Official question) How many active Facebook users are there in the world? (a) 300 million; (b) 500 million; (c)

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-62681563076286933802010-11-09T17:17:00.000+01:002010-11-09T17:17:35.422+01:00

Hello everyone. Today, I'm writing the first of a series of posts on the grammar we're studying right now at the British Council Rome. I'm now going to give you a few useful links to help you help yourself with grammar. Topic number one this week: Conditionals. "Zero", First and Second Conditionals are explained on the British Council's Learn English site. When you have read the explanation, try

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-61168392928599681872010-11-04T15:26:00.000+01:002010-11-04T15:26:38.643+01:00

Good day everyone. Here are the answers to last week's Six Minute English Quiz: 1. (Official question) In 2005, the BBC announced the UK's best loved - or favourite book. What was it? a) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling b) The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien √ - Correct! c) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 2. The Spanish classic, "Don Quixote", by Miguel de Cervantes, is

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-77713031470470820882010-10-22T14:47:00.000+02:002010-10-22T14:47:50.264+02:00

Good day everyone. You all know how important it is to read when learning a language. This talk from the "Six Minute English" series explores why people nowadays have difficulty reading for long periods, and how this problem can be solved. Read the questions first: 1. (Official question) In 2005, the BBC announced the UK's best loved - or favourite book. What was it? a) Harry Potter and the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-27781969806988477462010-10-20T17:58:00.001+02:002010-10-21T15:36:10.873+02:00

Dear All. In the past few weeks I have been telling you what a great resource the Net is for students of English at all levels. So here is a very brief summary of web sites: Elementary Listening: "Real English" by Michael Marzio. Go through the lessons in numerical order. Do the exercises as well. Pre-Intermediate Book site for "English File Pre-Intermediate" The site for English File

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-45405806043913738002010-10-07T16:12:00.020+02:002010-10-20T17:36:50.857+02:00

Good day everyone. It's the first regular teaching day here at the British Council in its new premises on Piazza di Spagna. I'm taking twenty minutes off to give you a brief survey of useful web sites.  I'm starting with an unusual Text To Speech website called Expressivo. On the main page of the site there is a space for you to type in up to two hundred characters. When you have typed in your

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-69605695645052327552010-10-05T15:00:00.001+02:002010-10-06T14:17:03.361+02:00

Hell everyone. As promised, here are the answers to the latest Six Minute English Quiz: 1. (b) - two thousand words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary this year. 2. The dictionary compilers use software tools to detect new words, which must have occurred regularly in chat rooms, newspapers and magazines. 3. When you remove someone from your list on Faecbook, you 'unfriend' or '

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-43474719835622341542010-09-22T16:46:00.000+02:002010-09-22T16:46:27.823+02:00

Hello Everybody! I am sorry to have been late with the first Six Minute English exercise of the new year 2010-2011. Here it is! Read the questions first and then listen to the presenters, Alice and Rob: 1. How many new words were added to the Oxford Dictionary of English this year? (a) 100 (b) 2,000 (c) 10,000 2. How does Catherine Soames of the Oxford English Dictionary choose new words

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-21992348689507239042010-09-06T16:58:00.000+02:002010-09-06T16:58:32.999+02:00

Hello everyone! This is my first message of the new year 2010 to 2011. And the British Council Rome is now in a new place: Piazza di Spagna. The precise address is Via San Sebastianello 16. Do come and visit us, in "the drawing-room of Rome" (il salotto di Roma) as soon as you can. Meanwhile, watch out for fresh listening exercises as well as advice on how to use the Net to learn English.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-57411549442763843552010-07-23T23:42:00.001+02:002010-07-23T23:46:18.346+02:00

Hello everyone! I'm writing this on a hot Friday evening in Rome - 32 degrees in the house, when I should be relaxing down the coast. But I promised to give you the answers to Six Minute English, and here they are: 1) According to a recent survey in Britain, when does middle age begin? Is it at: (a) 35; (b) 40; (c) 45 ? The answer is (a)! (Rather surprising.) 2) It happens to people who are

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-75355377507736741982010-07-07T16:56:00.000+02:002010-07-07T16:56:50.643+02:00

Good afternoon everyone. The latest from Six Minute English is about the "quarter-life crisis". We're going to find out what it is by listening and aswering a few simple questions. When you've finished, post your answers to the questions on the Tag Board or in a comment. Then say whether you have every experienced either a quarter-life or a mid-life crisis and tell us how you dealt with it.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-29272377305525109542010-07-05T17:44:00.000+02:002010-07-05T17:44:50.684+02:00

Good day everyone! As promised some time ago, here are the answers to the Scottish Highland Monsters questions: 1) A Highlander wears his sporran round his waist - answer (b). 2) The Highlands are popular with people who like camping and hill walking. 3) Midges have mouthparts like a pair of shearing scissors. They cut a hole in your skin and suck your blood. 4) A lot of midges together look like

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-43808031848631808602010-06-25T15:37:00.000+02:002010-06-25T15:37:21.840+02:00

Are you thinking of going to the Highlands of Scotland this summer? If you are, you may want to think again after listening to this week's Six Minute English. The Scottish Highlands are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regions of Europe. But they harbour a serious hazard: The Midge! In this week's listening exercise you will learn a little about the midge. The Vocabulary section on the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-86139731108206071592010-06-22T19:33:00.001+02:002010-06-25T14:43:44.886+02:00

Many thanks to the people who completed the latest Six Minute English exercise about learning to drive, and the Japanese approach to this activity. Here are the answers: 1. The fear of travelling in cars is known as "amaxaphobia." Extraordinary - I would have guessed (a) myself. 2. Kate doesn't have a car because she lives in Central London. Many New Yorkers don't have cars either - indeed they

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-53039336772401873602010-06-18T15:20:00.000+02:002010-06-18T15:20:30.317+02:00

Dear all, A brief update while I wait for more answers to the last Six Minute English, which is about learning to drive, and how learner drivers are encouraged in Japan. So far only Paolo of Level Four has sent in his replies. I will wait until a few more people answer the questions, and then next week we'll listen to another Six Minute English. Meanwhile, I guess most of us are on Facebook,

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-68646056878891265032010-06-10T16:09:00.000+02:002010-06-10T16:09:13.608+02:00

Hello everyone. I apologise for my silence over the last few days: since, in fact, 27th May. But it is that time of year again: the end of courses accompanied by intensive periods of correcting tests and exams. However, I've been able to compile another listening exercise based on tthe BBC Learning English site's Six Minute English, and here it is. Before you try the exercise, read the questions

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-57629384309792742732010-05-27T17:18:00.001+02:002010-05-27T17:20:08.128+02:00

Hello everyone! First as promised, the answers to the latest Six Minute English listening comprehension exercise, which was about Robin Hood. 1. The first film of the Robin Hood story was released in 1908. 2. He was a great archer and a good swordsman. 3. Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest with his band of "Merry Men". Be careful of the spelling! 4. There have been over a hundred (100) different

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-10935049687406054792010-05-21T16:13:00.000+02:002010-05-21T16:13:09.551+02:00

Hello everybody. As promised, here is another listening comprehension exercise from Six Minute English. This time it's about the movie "Robin Hood", which is in Rome's cinemas and has also been shown at this year's Cannes Film Festival. As usual, read through the questions below and then listen to the programme: 1. (This week's official question) When was the first film of the Robin Hood story

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-23596026322011305052010-05-20T16:17:00.000+02:002010-05-20T16:17:21.718+02:00

Hello everyone. Here are the answers to last week's Six Minute English listening comprehension exercise. 1. Hollywood was originally called "Hollywoodland" 2. Mr Hefner compares the Hollywood sign with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 3. British equivalents to the iconic landmark include London's Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. 4. Mr Hefner says that the best of America comes

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-29233646171328144092010-05-10T12:19:00.000+02:002010-05-10T12:19:12.973+02:00

Good day everyone. I wish you all a happy start to the week. Here's a fresh listening comprehension from Six Minute English. It's about the famous sign on a mountainside looking over one of the best known localities in America. Read the questions first and then listen to the programme. 1. The Hollywood sign was constructed in 1923 but at that time it didn't say 'Hollywood'. What did it say? a)

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-45944651938230284432010-05-06T14:31:00.000+02:002010-05-06T14:31:11.362+02:00

Dear All, Here are the answers to last week's Six Minute English exercise: 1) Official question: 1.2 million kilometres are cycled every day in the Danish capital. 2) Callum's two favourite pastimes are cycling and eating. 3) The hotel is making its offer to encourage guests to think about their consumption of energy. 4) Ten watts of energy will light up two light bulbs. 5) Another source of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-13022065275099299922010-04-27T11:03:00.000+02:002010-04-27T11:03:54.396+02:00

Hello everybody. It's a rainy Tuesday morning here in Rome. So to cheer you up, here is another listening comprehension exercise from Six Minute English. This time, it's about an idea in Copenhagen, Denmark, initiated by a new hotel there. As usual, read the questions, then listen to the dialogue. 1. Official question: according to the Copenhagen government's statistics how many kilometres are

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-66906300079933755012010-04-22T17:01:00.000+02:002010-04-22T17:01:14.062+02:00

Hello everyone. And many thanks to all those people who answered last week's Six Minute English. They include Olimpia, Chiara, Simona, Gianluca, Giovanni, Silvia, Paolo, Lorenza, Leonardo, Carlo and Simone! That's a longer list than before, and very encouraging. But I long to see everybody (!) leaving their answers on this Blog. And now the answers: 1. Johnny Rotten - of course. 2. "iconic" 3.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-51196898398951098252010-04-16T15:22:00.000+02:002010-04-16T15:22:49.815+02:00

Good day everyone. As promised, here is a further listening exercise based on Six Minute English. Today it is very short. It's about Malcolm Mclaren, the promoter of the group The Sex Pistols, who died recently. As usual, read the questions first, then listen to the talk. Then post your answers in a Comment or on the Tag Board. 1. The real name of the lead singer of the Sex Pistols  is John

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-28131975185575015292010-04-15T17:38:00.000+02:002010-04-15T17:38:46.794+02:00

Hello everyone. Many many thanks to those of you who have recently marked your visit by leaving a message on the Tag Board. Some of you have done last week's "Six Minute English" exercises and posted your answers. Others have visited sites linked to this Blog and reported their reactions. This is how to create a vibrant community of learners. Honourable mentions go to Simone, Lorenza, Gian

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-23156620274157397772010-04-09T17:47:00.001+02:002010-04-09T17:48:51.303+02:00

Dear All, Welcome back from the Easter holiday, if you had one. I went to Turkey to see my mother and have a drive round. Paolo has asked for some information and advice about this remarkable country, so I hope to have something for you all soon. Meanwhile, here are the answers to the questions in the latest Six Minute English listening exercise: That's all for now! More next week. But do

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-54197597250693311722010-03-26T15:53:00.000+01:002010-03-26T15:53:45.661+01:00

Hello everyone! It's the first truly warm day here in The Eternal City. Okay, so in today's Six Minute English we are going to explore an aspect of dishonesty, specifically, Lying. Some categories of people, particularly lawyers (liars?) and politicians, have a reputation for lying, or, in the famous words of one British government official, being "economical with the truth." But what is the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-84375908408559133292010-03-25T15:53:00.000+01:002010-03-25T15:53:38.526+01:00

Hello everyone! It's now been officially Spring since 21 March. Rome has definitely warmed up. Bad luck for skiers, of course: on the nearby slopes of Campo Felice or Ovindoli it's downhill all the way in more senses than one. The quality of the snow will now be deteriorating. Here on the Blog, I would like to congratulate Pasquale Alabastro on his splendid photo of the Colosseum. Pasquale is

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-18241120497609090132010-03-19T17:05:00.000+01:002010-03-19T17:05:50.447+01:00

Hello everyone! There's a definite feeling that spring is just around the corner here in Rome. What are you all doing this weekend? If it's nice on Sunday, I might to round Lago di Bracciano on my bicycle. But now for business. Many thanks to all those who answered the latest Six Minute English quiz on the prison restaurant. They include Giovanni, Paolo, Corrado, Olimpia, Bruno, Chiara and

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-90004022190300661272010-03-12T10:58:00.001+01:002010-03-12T11:31:42.772+01:00

Gooooooood morning everyone! It's a lovely, if slightly cool, Friday morning here in The Eternal City, and the weekend is beckoning! And as promised, here is a listening comprehension exercise based on the BBC's "Six Minute English" web site. This week's subject is rather interesting: it's about a restaurant that has just opened in a London prison. Look through the questions before you listen.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-11763114133010177862010-03-11T16:48:00.000+01:002010-03-11T16:48:41.764+01:00

Hello everyone. Just a short message about recording yourselves reading "Words In The News" and sending me the sound files. Many thanks are due to Leonardo and Gian Piero of the Monday course. They have both sent me MP3 files of their recordings. I'll be giving them individual feedback. However, when you send me your recording you may receive an Alert Notification from the British Council

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-66580133878301192102010-03-08T13:20:00.000+01:002010-03-08T13:20:48.855+01:00

Hello. And a very good Monday morning to you. I hope you enjoy International Women's Day. I'd like to add an image of some minosa, but I am not sure if I can right now. I am glad to see that some people are following my suggestion and recording themselves reading something from 'Words In The News'. Anybody is welcome to send me the resulting sound file, and I will gladly listen to it. You can

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-72577863555361996002010-03-05T16:02:00.002+01:002010-03-08T13:24:21.033+01:00

Hello everyone. As promised, here is an idea to help you practise pronunciation. I have mentioned this in class already. Preparation Ensure that you have a set of headphones with a microphone incorporated. Ensure, too, that your computer is set up for you to record sound through your microphone. The site On Internet, go to the BBC's "Learning English" site and select "Words In The News".

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-25919138741863827062010-03-04T15:12:00.001+01:002010-03-04T15:15:22.009+01:00

Good afternoon everyone. Very many thanks go to Olimpia, Sergio, Antonella, Giovanni, Savina and Bruno for supplying answers to the most recent Six Minute English exercise. But where were all the other students?? Now here are the answers: 1. (c) forty-six thousand pieces of plastic to each average square kilometre of ocean. (United Nations figures) 2. Every year, plastic pollution kills over a

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-54307863854979421472010-02-26T17:30:00.000+01:002010-02-26T17:30:24.733+01:00

Hello everyone. Here's a new comprehension exercise for you, from Six Minute English on the BBC's Learning English site. This week it is about the pollution caused by plastic material in the sea. Listen to Dan and Kate and try to answer the questions. Read these questions first. 1. (Official question also posted on the 'Learn English' site)      How many pieces of plastic are there in each

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-90460014977270343212010-02-26T16:40:00.000+01:002010-02-26T16:40:10.029+01:00

Hello everyone. Today I am going to produce two posts. First of all, in this one, I'll now give you the answers to the last Six Minute English exercise that we did. 1. There are 13 million objects in the British Museum's collection. 2. Neil MacGregor, the museum's director, says that although people think that objects have remained the same over time, they have in fact changed. (Note my use of "

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-74355307358080976532010-02-12T16:15:00.000+01:002010-02-12T16:15:51.480+01:00

Or rather, our listening comprehension exercises are back. You can of course visit Six Minute English whenever you like. Indeed, I encourage you to do so at least once a week. I cannot overemphasise the fact that your progress in listening skills depends on your creating time for personal practice. Let's first look at the answers to the previous exercise. The correct answers are: 1.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-75960667393438983662010-02-10T00:49:00.000+01:002010-02-10T00:49:16.496+01:00

Dear All, While I'm still busy marking tests, here is a resource for you. It's another Blog called Daily English Activities. This Blog was created by colleague Nik Peachey, formerly of the British Council in Naples, and then in Morocco. There are lots of ideas here, many of them to do with listening practice. Discover, for example, how easily you can memorise a song. And don't forget to leave

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-41407861798021108812010-02-08T14:27:00.000+01:002010-02-08T14:27:53.711+01:00

Dear All, I apologise for the lack of any further Six Minute English and other exercises here on The Blog. Right now I am busy marking mid- and end-course tests. But I hope to post a new exercise for you later this week. As well as this I will post the correct answers for the previous exercises. Meanwhile, I advise you to look at the list of Video and Listening Sites down the right-hand column

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-40984434692286527562010-01-28T17:46:00.001+01:002010-01-28T17:52:29.315+01:00

Hello again. In this week's Six Minute English we will be hearing about sleep. This is connected with what we've been doing in our course book: are we living faster or slower than we should? But first, the answers to the 6' English quiz on New Year's Resolutions. Question 1: (a) for men, (b) for women! (2) Kate's resolutions: be healthy and travel more. (3) The disc jockey would like to keep on

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-39681944630233985142010-01-14T17:34:00.000+01:002010-01-14T17:34:39.959+01:00

Hello everyone! I am very pleased to see Giovanni and Alessandra responding to the "think about/of" quiz questions. But before I post the correct answers, I'd like to give people more time to reply. Watch this space early next week! Now for this week's Six Minute English. Have you made any resolutions this New Year? Here are the questions. Read them before clicking on the link and listening.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-43470496261664976982010-01-13T11:07:00.002+01:002010-01-13T11:08:45.638+01:00

This is something that came up in a lesson with Level 3 two days ago. So here's a short test: insert the correct preposition: 1. We were thinking _____ calling him Tosca after one of my favourite operas, until we realised he was a boy. 2. All those people who might have been thinking _____ Singapore as a regional office will now have to reconsider Hongkong. 3. We weren't thinking _____ giving

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-23762953640420025102010-01-12T10:54:00.000+01:002010-01-12T10:54:29.473+01:00

Savina has just asked a question about the use of "shall" or "could", as in the question, "How shall we get into the city centre?" (see her post on the Tag Board.) The two words carry different meanings. If we ask, "How shall we get into the city centre?" ("to" the city centre is more correct), we are inviting a suggestion. "Shall we go by bus? Or shall we go by taxi?" But if we ask, ""How

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-7531274949229532082010-01-07T15:59:00.002+01:002010-01-07T16:02:38.814+01:00

A very happy New Year 2010 to all readers of the Rome EFL Blog! And I hope you all managed to have a very nice break, without too much inconvenience. The severe winter weather in Europe continues to make news headlines. Today I'm going to give you the answers to the most recent Six Minute English listening exercise: 1. The oldest contestant was 84. 2. Talent shows are events in which people

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-86770073927553944102009-12-18T15:45:00.001+01:002009-12-18T17:08:05.195+01:00

Hello everyone. You have probably seen those TV 'talent shows' in which people who are totally unknown have a chance to become famous singers. Six Minute English explores talent shows, the organisers and the participants. Read the questions and then listen to the programme: 1. How old was the oldest contestant? (a) 49 (b) 84 (c) 101 2. What exactly are 'talent shows'? 3. Why do people

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-28276250394455264222009-12-11T16:40:00.001+01:002009-12-11T17:43:57.118+01:00

My friends: this week I'd like to start with some Honourable Mentions. This is a list of students who have contributed recently to the Blog by leaving messages or comments. Their names are: Savina, Marina, Cristian and Anna. Congratulations to those people! However, there are only four of them, out of the many students who could be reading this blog and trying out the links. Please don't limit

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-304354534576635232009-12-07T12:45:00.000+01:002009-12-07T12:45:43.901+01:00

Hello everyone! Just a short update for now. Laughter Yoga on Six Minute English: you can find the answers in the Comments section below the previous post. Many thanks to Savina, Anna, Mario and Alessandra for their answers. Thanks also to Marina and Christian for their messages on the Tag Board. It is clear that you all want more listening exercises. So watch this space. Later this week,

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-78186162009189977962009-11-27T17:24:00.000+01:002009-11-27T17:24:30.557+01:00

Hello everyone. If you are a Level 3 or Intermediate student, and you're using 'New English File Intermediate', you may recall unit 5A, in which you hear an expert giving advice on How To Slow Your Life Down. One of his 'tips' is: "Forget the gym. Do yoga instead." It so happens that a recent edition of Six Minute English is devoted to "Laughter Yoga", and I would like to share it with you.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-73297711918179245132009-11-24T12:35:00.000+01:002009-11-24T12:35:05.246+01:00

Hello everyone. In my last post I asked you to deduce the various meanings of "get" from a list of occurrences generated by the Concordancer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic. The only person to reply so far has been Claudio, who has given a list of phrasal verbs with "get". So here is a short list of sample sentences from the Comcordancer, with the meaning of "get" below each sentence: plot about a

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9624397.post-50614016912997187052009-11-17T12:34:00.002+01:002009-11-18T17:51:36.990+01:00

Hello all. In recent lessons we have explored some difficult questions on the meanings and uses of words. What, I am asked, does "get" mean? The answer, of course, is that it means many things. And it's impossible to give a definitive answer in the course of one, or more, lessons. This is where you can do some research. And the Net can greatly assist you - through a 'concordancer' program. A

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11693859174902596055noreply@blogger.com0