Daily routines

Books and reading

Types of criminals

Synonyms of Terrible

Reading math symbols

The Dunedin Study

The Dunedin Study
The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study (often referred to as the Dunedin Longitudinal Study) is a long-running cohort study of 1037 people born between 1 April 1972 and 31 March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand.

History
The original group of study members was selected from children born at the Queen Mary Maternity Centre in Dunedin who were still living in the wider Otago region three years later. In early years the study was not well funded and the local community helped collect data. The study members include 535 males and 503 females, 1013 singletons and 12 sets of twins. At the age 38 assessment, only one-third of members still resided in Dunedin, while most of the remainder lived elsewhere in New Zealand and Australia. Study members were assessed at age three, and then at ages 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 26, 32, 38, 40 and a future assessment is scheduled for age 50. "Phase 45" started in April 2017. Since 2000, Professor Richie Poulton has been the study's director.

During an assessment, study members are brought back to Dunedin from wherever in the world they live. They participate in a day of interviews, physical tests, dental examinations, blood tests, computer questionnaires and surveys. Sub-studies of the Dunedin Study include the Family Health History Study which involved the parents of Dunedin Study members to find out about the health of family members (2003–2006); the current Parenting Study which focuses on the Dunedin Study member and their first three-year-old child; and the Next Generation Study which involves the offspring of Dunedin Study members as they turn 15 and looks at the lifestyles, behaviours, attitudes and health of today's teenagers, and aims to see how these have changed from when the original Study Members were 15 (in 1987–88). This means that information across three generations of the same families will be available.

Great emphasis is placed on retention of study members. At the most recent (age 38) assessments, 96% of all living eligible study members, or 961 people, participated. This is unprecedented for a longitudinal study, with many others worldwide experiencing 20–40% drop-out rates.
The resulting database has produced a wealth of information on many aspects of human health and development. As of 2015 over 1,200 papers, reports, book chapters and other publications have been produced using findings from the study. The multidisciplinary aspect of the study has always been a central focus, with information ranging across:

• Cardiovascular health and risk factors
• Respiratory health
• Oral health
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Mental health
• Psychosocial functioning
• Other health, including sensory, musculo-skeletal, and digestive

A book, From Child to Adult: Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, was published in 1996 and aimed at presenting the major findings in a form accessible to the non-specialist. It only includes information up to the age-21 assessment. Future plans for the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study include another popular science book, upgrading their website for more non-specialist appeal, and introducing more resources for the general public.
This study was awarded the 2016 Prime Minister's Science Prize.

Findings

• Temperament. Girls who have behavioural problems as children have more trouble adjusting to early puberty.
• Personality continuities. Undercontrolled 3-year-olds tend to grow up impulsive and antisocial; inhibited 3-year-olds tend to become unassertive and depressed
• Violence and gender. Women are as likely as men to commit intimate partner violence.
• Schizophrenia. Hallucinations in childhood predict an increased risk of adult schizophrenia.
• Persistent offenders. People who are violent and antisocial as children grow into violent adults more often than those whose antisocial behaviour is limited to adolescence.
• Genes and environment. Among maltreated children, those who produce low levels of the enzyme monoamine oxidase A are more likely to become violent adults.
• Stress and illness. People who were abused as children have higher markers of inflammation, indicating an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Self-control. Childhood self-control predicts physical health, financial success, and a lack of criminal behaviour among adults.
• Cannabis. Long-term heavy cannabis use that begins in adolescence is linked to cognitive decline in adulthood.
• Early aging. Multiple indicators reveal signs of rapid physical and cognitive aging in some adults in their 30s.
• Social ills. 22 % cent of the cohort accounted for the bulk of welfare, medical, and insurance costs; fatherless child-rearing; and crime. Many had poor brain health at age 3.
• Mental health. Dunedin and other studies show that most people have at least one episode of mental illness during their lifetime.

Sources

• https://dunedinstudy.otago.ac.nz/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunedin_Multidisciplinary_Health_and_Development_Study
• https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/two-psychologists-followed-1000-new-zealanders-decades-here-s-what-they-found-about-how

International book day

More ways to make us spend more

• Placing popular items at the back ─ Why, oh why do stores make parents with small children trek all the way to the back of the store for necessities like baby wipes and toilet paper? Because they’re hoping you and your kids will find plenty of irresistible items to pick up on your way. 
• 99 cents ─ When you look at a price and see $9.99, chances are your brain doesn’t automatically register $10, but that figure is closer to the truth. Typically, consumers will think of prices ending in 9 as a much lower price, and end up spending more money. In addition to the change in perception, making prices end in 9 makes calculating confusing. So for someone trying to see the difference between two smaller bags of an item at $1.99 versus a larger one at $4.99, it may be tricky to figure out exactly what the total cost would be for each.
• Coupons ─ Wait, coupons are supposed to save you money, right? Correct, but deal seekers often end up spending more than those that casually shop. First, coupons direct shoppers to the items retailers most want them to spend money on — and those items may not be bargains, even with coupons. 
• Limited time only ─ When deals are only available for a short period of time, it’s natural to want to get it before it’s gone. Combined with confusing discounts, like buy one, get the second 60% off, and you’ve got shoppers that are ravenous to get the great deal, even if they don’t know exactly what that deal is.
• Sales — It’s the traditional motivator. We go to the shopping centre. We see clothes on sale. We have plenty at home, but they were such a great deal, we buy one more pair. We can't help buying them because they are on sale, not because they are cheap or we need them.
• Store cards ─ You’ve seen the signs and have almost certainly been asked to sign up for one at the register — store cards exist to make sure you’ll spend lots of money right where retailers want you to.  With a discount as an incentive, shoppers with new store cards often overspend on their initial transaction, buying extra in order to maximize their sign-up discount.
• Return policies — The opposite of retail therapy is buyer’s remorse. The solution is to make returns easy for people who change their minds. According to the Washington Post, an estimated 25 to 30 percent of online purchases are sent back, about triple the rate for items bought in-store. Therefore, even if only one in 10 store buyers returns merchandise, they are more likely to make a more expensive purchase if they have the option.
• Aspirational buying — Many luxury goods firms never run sales. These expensive products make you feel you are entering a club or a higher category.
• Compliments — When shopping for clothing, telling a customer they look good in something sets the stage for the accessories they need to buy to complete the outfit. The more specific the compliment, the more effective.
• Handling the product — According to the Harvard Business Review, touching the product establishes a symbolic connection. Customers are willing to spend at least 40 percent more on certain products that are physically present vs. those described in photos or text.
• Extras you thought were standard — The main purchase might be a smart phone, but you need a screen protector, a memory card and a case.
• Paying by credit card — Purchases become abstract when you sign a receipt instead of actually counting out money. A study by Dun & Bradstreet shows people spend 12 to 18 percent more when paying by credit card.
• Loyalty programs —Customers often pay more attention to the benefits they might get from a loyalty programme than to the product they are purchasing.
• Extended warranties — When you buy an appliance or computer, you might think you are done. The store makes the case for continuing coverage in case something goes wrong.
• Automatic renewals — Your homeowner's or auto insurance are good examples. Once you become a client and pay on a monthly basis, the policy automatically renews at the end of the period. Often the price is higher. 
• Buying for another — Americans are generous people. We might watch our own spending, but we will splash out for another family member or friend. In the past, one of the extreme cases was funeral expenses after the death of a loved one.
• Celebrity endorsements – In 1934, Wheaties started putting athletes on cereal boxes. It’s grown and grown ever since. According to Forbes, celebrities inspire consumer confidence. People use the product to identify with the lifestyle of the celebrity.  
• Independent awards — People like impartial third-party evaluations. Lots of wine gets sold because scores are awarded by wine publications. These tags are called “shelf talkers.”
• Getting something free — Perfume companies often offer a free gift with a purchase over a specific threshold. You spend more to get the “free” gift.

Adapted from https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2017/10/18-ways-to-encourage-customers-to-spend-more-than.html  and http://www.youngupstarts.com/2011/08/17/20-hidden-marketing-techniques-that-make-consumers-spend-more/

Marketing techniques that make us spend more

There's a reason your mother told you to make a grocery list and stick to it.

Every part of the supermarket from parking lot to checkout counter is designed to make you spend more money and buy more food than you need.

Banco Imágenes INTEF - by Paul Bangs

1. We'll start with the shopping cart. This 1938 invention was designed to let customers make larger purchases more easily.
2. Most supermarkets put high margin departments like floral and fresh baked goods near the front door, so you encounter them when your cart is empty and your spirits are high.
3. Another reason to start with flowers and baked goods is the smell, which activates your salivary glands and makes you more likely to make impulse purchases. Likewise, these pleasant departments put you in a good mood and make you more willing to spend.
4. Supermarkets hide dairy products and other essentials on the back wall so that you have to go through the whole store to get to them.
5. Once customers start walking through the 'racetrack' aisles, they are conditioned to walk up and down each aisles without deviating.

   

   Banco Imágenes INTEF

6. Most stores move customers from right to left. Due to this flow and the practice of driving on the right side of the road, the items you are most likely to buy tend to be on the right hand of the aisle.
7. The items the store really wants you to buy are at eye level. In the cereal aisle, for instance, bulk cereal is placed at the bottom. Healthy cereal is placed at the top. Expensive brand name cereal goes right at eye level. Favored items are also placed at the end of aisles.
8. And then there's kid eye level. This is where you'll find sugary cereal, Easy Mac and other items a kid will grab and beg his parents to buy.
9. Sample stations and other displays slow you down while exposing you to new products.
10. Size matters. In crowded stores people spend less time shopping, do less impulse shopping, purchase fewer items, are less social and more nervous
. Notably Asians are more tolerant of crowding, while the British are the least tolerant.
11. Warm colors attract people to a store. Cool colors encourage more contemplation and higher sales. We suggest brick exterior and cool blue interior.
12. Hear that music? Studies have shown that slow music makes people take their time and spend more money. Loud music makes them move through the store quickly without affecting sales. And classical music leads people to buy more expensive merchandise.
13. The most profitable area of the store is the checkout line. This is where after a few minutes in line you'll succumb to the temptation of the candy rack and a magazine you've been leafing through.
14. Time to present your Valued Shopper Card. While giving you the occasional deal, this card keeps you as a regular customer for the store. It also provides valuable tracking data.

by Gus Lubin

http://www.businessinsider.com/supermarkets-make-you-spend-money-2011-7

Food in Britain

There are several aspects of food and eating in Britain that are shocking or at least surprising for a Spaniard:

• Meal times and names:

Marmite by Malcolm Farmer

• Large breakfasts. A proper traditional breakfast might include fried eggs, sausage, baked beans, bacon, toast, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, toast or fried bread ... and, of course, a cup of tea or coffee. However, nowadays, most people in Britain just have a simpler breakfast with cereal, toast, a cup of tea or coffee and some juice. A "nice cuppa" refers to a cup of tea.
• Many people will drink tea or coffee while having a meal, instead of drinking water. It might be difficult to imagine someone eating soup while drinking soup, but not from a Briton.
• Almost anything can be eaten on toast: beans, Marmite, egg, tomato, cheese...



Tea time at Lucy's by MrsWoman

• Tea is the national drink. It is drunk at all meals, any time of the day and any time of the year, not just for the meal called "tea".
•  There are also some foods that may seem strange to foreigners:
• haggis
• Scotch eggs
• Toad in the hole
• black pudding
• Welsh rarebit
• Fish and chips. If you don't know what to eat any time, you may pop into a fish and chips shop and buy your dinner there.

Penny Lane fish and chips shop by Loco Steve

Fish and chips by Richard Allaway

Traditional british food from comeniusnewclans

British food from Anthonny Garcia

QUIZZES:

• Proprofs: British Food
• Quizly

READ MORE:

• Project Britain
• 21 Things Everyone Should Know Before Visiting Britain
• British Etiquette for International Students
• British Habits That Confuse the Rest Of the World
• British Food Habits That Americans Will Never Understand
• Ten Strange British Foods
• Food Quirks That British People Don't Realise Are Weird

https://britainexplorer.com/ten-strange-british-foods/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/food-quirks-that-british-people-dont-realise-are-weird

Reading comprehension: Saving tropical forests

Saving tropical hardwood forests from Ana Arias Castro

Reading comprehension: Ten Study Techniques That Work

READ THE TEXT:

Studying effectively is not a matter of chance. Educators and psychologists have researched study methods for years. Some of the best studies come from the top universities: Stanford, Indiana, and Chicago where precise experiments with student groups have shed light on the most effective study methods. Students who follow these methods learn more easily, retain material for longer periods of time, and save themselves hours of study time. The ten study methods researchers have found that work are:

1. Making and Keeping a Study Schedule

Set aside certain hours of each day for study just as you do for nourishment and sleep. Keep the same schedule faithfully from day-to-day. The amount of time needed for study will vary for each individual based on skills with the subject matter. An average of two hours of study each day for each hour in class is recommended. Going to class is only the beginning; the real work begins afterwards!

2. Studying in an Appropriate Setting — Same Time, Same Place, Every Day

If concentration is your problem, then the right surroundings will help you greatly. Your study desk or table should be in a quiet place – free from as many distractions as possible. You will concentrate better when you study in the same place every day. It’s a mind set. For example, when you sit down at the kitchen table, you expect to eat. When you sit down in an easy chair, you watch TV, etc. Developing the habit of studying in the same place at the same time everyday will improve your concentration.

3. Equipping Your Study Area With All the Materials You Need

Your study desk or table should be equipped with all the materials you might need to complete the assignment, e.g., pencils, pens, erasers, paper clips, stapler, dictionary, snacks, and liquid refreshments, etc. For some assignments, you may require a calculator or other supplies. With your materials at hand, you can study without interruption. If you have an answering machine, let it do its job during your study time. You can return the calls after you have finished studying. Taking your snack food and drinks to the study location will eliminate those endless trips to the kitchen which break your concentration.

Image by Luana Fischer Ferreira - Banco Imágenes INTEF

4. Not Relying on Inspiration for Motivation

Can you imagine an athlete-in-training waiting for inspiration to strike to practice in preparation for an event? Of course not. They train daily to stay competitive whether they want to or not. Like the athlete, you must get in training for tests and examinations by doing the assignments and preparing daily through review to be ready for the action.

5. Keeping a Well-Kept Notebook Improves Grades

Researchers tell us that there is definitely a relationship between orderliness and high grades. Knowing where to find your materials when you need them is crucial. Keep a special section for each subject in your notebook as well as a semester calendar so that you can write down all important assignments as they are announced. Having all of this information together in one place is vital to your success. A well-kept notebook is a part of good time management. If you’ve ever misplaced an important assignment, you know how much valuable time can be lost looking for it.

6. Keeping a Careful Record of Assignments

Put it down in black and white—including the details—and keep it in your notebook. Knowing just what you are expected to do and when you are expected to do it is the first giant step toward completing important assignments successfully and on time.

7. Making Use of “Trade Secrets”

Flash cards aren’t just for kids! They are a legitimate study tool. Use the front of the card to write an important term, and on the back, write a definition or an important fact about that term. Carry your flash cards with you. Use them during “dead time,” such as standing in a check-out line, waiting in a doctor or dentist’s office, riding a bus, or waiting at the Laundromat. Keep a set in the glove compartment of your car for long lines at your favorite fast food drive-in restaurant or bank. Post them on your bathroom mirror to review while shaving or applying make-up. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish during those otherwise “dead times.” Think about developing your own “trade secrets” that will improve your study skills.

8. Taking Good Notes as Insurance Against Forgetting

Learn to take good notes efficiently as your instructors stress important points in class and as you study your assignments. Good notes are a “must” for just-before-test-reviewing. Without notes, you will need to reread and review the entire assignment before a test. This may require you to read anywhere from 100-300 pages of material in one sitting. With notes, you can recall the main points in just a fraction of the time. The time you spend in note taking is not lost , but in fact, is a time-saver.

9. Overlearning Material Enhances Memory

Psychologists tell us that the secret to learning for future reference is overlearning. Experts suggest that after you can say, “I know this material,” that you should continue to study that material for an additional one-fourth of the original study time. The alphabet is an example of overlearning. How did you learn it? Probably through recitation which is the best way to etch material into the memory trace. Manipulate the material as many different ways as possible by writing, reading, touching, hearing, and saying it. In an experimental study, students who overlearned material retained four times as much after a month than students who didn’t overlearn.

10. Reviewing Material Frequently

A student who does not review material can forget 80% of what has been learned in only two weeks! The first review should come very shortly after the material was first presented and studied. Reviewing early acts as a safeguard against forgetting and helps you remember far longer. Frequent reviews throughout the course will bring rewards at test time and will alleviate pre-test anxiety.

Although these ten study methods do work, there is one other component needed when using all of them – taking responsibility for studying by following through on assignments. All the study methods in the world won’t help you if you don’t help yourself. As with most everything in your life, your motto should be, “I’m responsible for my success!”

If you put forth the effort to study effectively, the improved skills will soon become a habit and be just as natural as breathing. The result can be better grades, greater knowledge, and higher self-esteem. These skills will also serve you well in your professional and personal life.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Choose the most important three techniques in your opinion.
2. Which other technique or techniques would you add?
3. Which is the least important? Why?
4. According to the text, what should you do in class?
5. And, what should you do at home?
6. What will happen to a student who does not work after school times?
7. How can ICTs (Information and Computer Technologies) help you follow the advice given in the text?

Singles' Day

Singles' Day or Guanggun Jie is a holiday popular among young Chinese people that celebrate their pride in being single. The date, November 11th (11/11), was chosen because the number "1" resembles an individual who is alone. The holiday has also become a popular date to celebrate relationships, with over 4,000 couples being married in Beijing on this date in 2011, compared to an average of 700 a day.

The holiday has become the largest offline and online shopping day in the world, with Alibaba shoppers exceeding 168.2 billion yuan (US$25.4 billion) in spending during the 2017 celebration.Rival JD.com hosts an eleven day shopping festival as well, which garnered US$19.1 billion, bringing the Chinese total to US$44.5 billion.

Origins

Image by Chrionexfleckeri1350

Chinese Singles' Day, or Bachelors' Day, originated at Nanjing University in 1993. Singles' Day celebrations spread to several other universities in Nanjing during the 1990s. The holiday was named "Singles' Day" because its date, 11/11 (November 11), consists of four "ones," representing four singles.

There are several theories explaining the creation of the Singles' Day festival.The most widely accepted theory is that the holiday grew out of Nanjing University's dorm culture. One origin story is that in 1993, four male students of Nanjing University's Mingcaowuzhu ("All single men") dorm discussed how they could break away from the monotony of being single and agreed that November 11 would be a day of events and celebrations in honor of being single.These activities spread through the university and eventually made their way into wider society. The spread increased with social media use, and the event has become increasingly popular within contemporary Chinese culture and society.

An apocryphal theory is based around the love story of a Nanjing University student called Mu Guang Kun, known as Guang Gun. The story goes that his girlfriend was diagnosed with cancer during his second year at the university and eventually died. The distraught Guang Gun took to placing candles on nearby rooftops in memory of his lover, and on his birthday in the subsequent year, his roommates joined him to keep him company. After this, the day became a holiday at the university and grew to become the national, commercialized festival that is celebrated today.

Description

Singles' Day serves as an occasion for single people to meet and for parties to be organized. The holiday was initially only celebrated by young men, hence the initial name "Bachelors' Day." However, it is now widely celebrated by both sexes. "Blind date" parties are popular on this day, in an attempt to alter the single status of the participants. Some universities organize special programs to gather singles together for the celebration. Singles may take on an annoyed or self-deprecating attitude in response to remaining single as a university student, but university initiatives have helped curb that negativity.Although this date is meant to celebrate singlehood, the desire to find a spouse or partner is often expressed by young Chinese people on this date, while other love-related issues are discussed by the Chinese media.

Shopping

The event is not an officially recognized public holiday in China, although it has become the largest offline and online shopping day in the world. Sales in Alibaba's sites, Tmalland Taobao, have reached US$5.8 billion in 2013, US$9.3 billion in 2014, US$14.3 billion in 2015, US$17.8 billion in 2016, and over US$25.4 billion in 2017. JD.com also achieved a sales record of US$19.1 billion in 2017, while Lazada drums up US$123 million.

As more people join in the celebration of this holiday many companies have taken the opportunity to target younger consumers; including businesses such as restaurants, karaokeparlors, and online shopping malls. For example, the Chinese online shopping mall Taobao sold goods worth 19 billion CNY (about US$3 billion) on November 11, 2012.

On Singles' Day 2017, Alibaba set a world record for most payment transactions during the festival. Its mobile wallet app Alipay processed 256,000 payment transactions per second. A total of 1.48 billion transactions were processed by Alipay in the entire 24 hours, with delivery orders through Cainiao (Alibaba's logistics affiliate) reaching close to 700 million, breaking the previous record set in 2016.The event is now nearly four times the size of America's biggest shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

2011 marked the "Singles Day of the Century" (Shiji Guanggun Jie) as this date had six "ones" rather than four, increasing the significance of the occasion.In 2011, an above-average number of marital celebrations occurred in Hong Kong and Beijing on November 11.

Symbolism

The following symbolism has been associated with the special date:

"1": The digit 1 symbolizes an individual, a single person

"11": Two individuals, finding each other, and being together on one side of the special date (11.11)

2 x (11): A celebration of 2 (and more) different and separate couples, each comprising two single individuals finding each other on the special date (11.11)

In addition to meaning "single", the Chinese pronunciation of 11/11 sounds similar to the pronunciation of the expression "one life, one lifetime" ( 一生一世, yi sheng yi shi), a basis for the date's popularity for celebrating relationships among couples as well.

Outside China

Singles' Day has since been popularized through the internet and is now observed at several places outside of China as well. The holiday has particularly grown in Southeast Asia, with customers in the Lazada's Southeast Asian marketplaces ordering 6.5 million items in 2017. This is in part thanks to heavy promotions by the Lazada group in this region.

Mediamarkt, a German company, promotes Singles' Day in their stores. Belgian Mediamarkt also participates, but reactions have been negative since the 11th of November is the anniversary of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended World War I, and the day is associated with somber commemoration of the war dead in Belgium.

text taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singles%27_Day

QUESTIONS:

1. Why is Singles' Day celebrated today (on November 11th)?
2. What other festivity is celebrated on the same date in Europe?
3. Is this date just a commercial event?
4. Who benefits from this celebration?
5. Do you know any similar celebrations? Which ones? Why are they similar?

Graded Readers Sheet

Graded readers sheet 2018-2019 from Ana Arias Castro

How to read numbers in English

BASIC NUMBERS

Remember that large numbers are separated by commas: 123,456,789 and decimals need dots: 1.25

MORE DIFFICULT NUMBERS
We don't normally write numbers with words, but it's possible to do this and, of course, this will show how we say the numbers.

In writing large numbers, American English uses a comma ( , ) to separate thousands, millions, etc. American English also uses a hyphen ( - ) to separate "tens" words (twenty, fifty, etc.) and
"ones" words (one, three, six, etc.)

Examples:

written   said
1,011   one thousand eleven
   
21,011   twenty-one thousand eleven
   
721,011   seven hundred twenty-one thousand eleven
 ....................................................................................................................................
1,256,721   one million two hundred fifty-six thousand seven hundred twenty-one
   
31,256,721   thirty-one million two hundred fifty-six thousand seven hundred twenty-one
   
631,256,721   six hundred thirty-one million two hundred fifty-six thousand seven hundred twenty-one
 ....................................................................................................................................
1,492,638,526   one billion four hundred ninety-two million six hundred thirty-eight thousand five hundred twenty-six
   
41,492,638,526 forty-one billion four hundred ninety-two million six hundred thirty-eight thousand five hundred twenty-six
   
941,492,638,526  nine hundred forty-one billion four hundred ninety-two million six hundred thirty-eight thousand five hundred twenty-six
__________________________________________________________________

 NOTES:

1. In American English, the order of large numbers is thousand, million, billion, trillion, etc. (1,000; 1,000,000; 1,000,000,000; 1,000,000,000,000; etc.)
2. In American English a thousand million is a billion, but in British English, a thousand million is a milliard.
3. When saying large numbers, do not make thousand, million, billion, trillion, etc. plural. (WRONG: *twenty thousands dollars; *five millions people; CORRRECT: twenty thousand dollars; five million people)
4. Commas separate thousands, millions, etc. (21,011-31,256,721-941,492,638,526)
5. People often say "a" instead of "one" before hundred, thousand, etc. and they often add "and" before the last number (a hundred and twenty-one / a thousand and eleven)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH (from Wikipedia)

	Common British vernacular	Common American vernacular	Common British vernacular
	"How many marbles do you have?"	"What is your house number?"	"Which bus goes to the high street?"
101	"A hundred and one."	"One-oh-one." Here, "oh" is used for the digit zero.	"One-oh-one."
109	"A hundred and nine."	"One-oh-nine."	"One-oh-nine."
110	"A hundred and ten."	"One-ten."	"One-one-oh."
117	"A hundred and seventeen."	"One-seventeen."	"One-one-seven."
120	"A hundred and twenty."	"One-twenty."	"One-two-oh", "One-two-zero."
152	"A hundred and fifty-two."	"One-fifty-two."	"One-five-two."
208	"Two hundred and eight."	"Two-oh-eight."	"Two-oh-eight."
334	"Three hundred and thirty-four."	"Three-thirty-four."	"Three-three-four."

ORDINAL NUMBERS AND FRACTIONS

Ordinal numbers are also used for fractions:

• 1/10 - one tenth
• 3/4 - three quarters
• 15/16 - fifteen sixteenths

SPECIAL NUMBERS

Some numbers have special names in certain contexts:

0:

• Zero: formal scientific usage
• Naught / nought: mostly British usage
• Aught: Mostly archaic but still occasionally used when a digit in mid-number is 0 (as in "thirty-aught-six", the .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge and by association guns that fire it)
• Oh: used when spelling numbers (like telephone, bank account, bus line [British: bus route])
• Nil: in general sport scores, British usage ("The score is two–nil.")
• Nothing: in general sport scores, American usage ("The score is two–nothing.")
• Null: used technically to refer to an object or idea related to nothingness. The 0th aleph number (\aleph_0) is pronounced "aleph-null".
• Love: in tennis, badminton, squash and similar sports (origin disputed, often said to come from French l'œuf, "egg"; but the Oxford English Dictionary mentions the phrase for love, meaning nothing is at risk)

1:

• Ace in certain sports and games, as in tennis or golf, indicating success with one stroke, and the face of a die, playing card or domino half with one pip
• Birdie in golf denotes one stroke less than par, and bogey, one stroke more than par

2:

• Couple
• Pair
• Eagle in golf denotes two strokes less than par
• Duo

3:

• Trio

6:

• Half a dozen

12: 

• A dozen (first power of the duodecimal base), used mostly in commerce

100:

• A century, also used in cricket scores and in cycling for 100 miles.
• A ton, in Commonwealth English, the speed of 100 mph[5] or 100 km/h.

120:

• A great hundred or long hundred (twelve tens; as opposed to the small hundred, i.e. 100 or ten tens), also called small gross (ten dozens), both archaic

144: 

• A gross (a dozen dozens, second power of the duodecimal base), used mostly in commerce

10100: 

• Googol (1 followed by 100 zeros), used in mathematics; not to be confused with the name of the company Google (which was originally a misspelling of googol)

COMBINATIONS OF NUMBERS IN SPORT

• 1–0    British English: one-nil; American English: one-nothing, one-zip, or one-zero
• 0–0    British English: nil-nil, or more rarely nil all; American English: zero-zero or nothing-nothing, (occasionally scoreless or no score)
• 2–2    two-two or two all; American English also twos, two to two, even at two, or two up.

REFERENCE:

• http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/cardinal-numbers.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_numerals

Reading Club session

The Ghost Teacher by Julie Hart

These are the two next books for our Reading Club session in English.

THE GHOST TEACHER
This book is for 1º and 2º ESO students.
You can download the audio files here.

Summary:

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

THE CALL OF THE WILD
This classic novel is for 3º and 4º ESO students.

You can download the audio files here.
This is a longer version.
This is an easier version
This is the original ebook. You can select the type of file you need for your ebook, tablet or computer.


Summary:

How to be a good friend

These are some tips for anyone who wants to be a good friend

Image by Will Richardson

1. Keep your promises. Don't ever make a promise that you can't keep -- or at least don't make a habit of it. If you say you'll hang out with a friend and a legitimate conflict arises, explain the situation and trust that the friendship is strong enough for the no's as well as the yes's. If you just cannot go, give your friend a gift and tell him or her sorry. Nobody's perfect, and it's okay if you skip out on a promise once in a blue moon, but don't make it a regular thing. If this is recurring over time then you will probably be seen as not trustworthy as you can not be trusted to be committed to someone such as your friend.
2. Be dependable. Being dependable is one of the most important aspects of being a good friend. Your friend will need you for support, especially in hard times. Nobody likes a fake, and nobody wants one for a close friend. It's hard to rely on a person who doesn't behave in a consistent and trustworthy way.
3. Apologize when you've made a mistake. If you want your friends to trust you, then you can't act like you're flawless. If you know you've made a mistake, own up to it instead of being in denial. 
4. Be honest. If you want to be a good friend and to have people trust you, then you have to be honest about your feelings, about your friends' actions, and about how you feel about your friendship. If you're honest about how you feel, that will open up direct lines of communication with your friends and will make them more likely to open up to you. If your friend hurt you, don't be afraid to talk about it; if something is upsetting you, don't feel too shy to open up to your friend about it.  
5. Don't use people. If one of your friends suspects that you're just using them, then they'll drop you like a hot potato. Good friendships don't arise from hoping someone else's popularity or networks will rub off on you.  
6. Be loyal. If your friend tells you something in confidence, keep it and don't talk about it with anyone else, just as you'd expect your friend to do for you. Don't discuss your friend behind his or her back, and don't spread rumors about the confidences they've imparted to you. Never say anything about your friend that you would not be prepared to repeat to their face. Be loyal to your true friends and be prepared to defend them if your new friends, or people you barely know, start gossiping about them.   
7. Be respectful. Good friends show respect for each other by being openly and mutually supportive. If your friend has certain values and beliefs that don't align with your own, respect his or her choices and be open to hearing more about them. If you want your friend to trust you, then your friend should feel comfortable voicing opinions that you may not agree with, or discussing a new perspective with you.
    

Text from https://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Friend

QUALITIES OF A GOOD FRIEND

Qualities of-a-good-friend from Ana Arias Castro

LISTENING TIPS

Listening tips from Ana Arias Castro

WAYS TO BE RESPECTFUL

Ways to-be-respectful from Ana Arias Castro

SOME QUESTIONS:

• Are you a good friend? Which good qualities do you have?
• Which ones don't you have?
• Which  qualities do you appreciate more in a friend?

Marketing techniques that make us spend more

There's a reason your mother told you to make a grocery list and stick to it.

Every part of the supermarket from parking lot to checkout counter is designed to make you spend more money and buy more food than you need.

Banco Imágenes INTEF - by Paul Bangs

1. We'll start with the shopping cart. This 1938 invention was designed to let customers make larger purchases more easily.
2. Most supermarkets put high margin departments like floral and fresh baked goods near the front door, so you encounter them when your cart is empty and your spirits are high.
3. Another reason to start with flowers and baked goods is the smell, which activates your salivary glands and makes you more likely to make impulse purchases. Likewise these pleasant departments put you in a good mood and make you more willing to spend.
4. Supermarkets hide dairy products and other essentials on the back wall so that you have to go through the whole store to get to them.
5. Once customers start walking through the 'racetrack' aisles, they are conditioned to walk up and down each aisles without deviating.

   

   Banco Imágenes INTEF

6. Most stores move customers from right to left. Due to this flow and and the practice of driving on the right side of the road, the items you are most likely to buy tend to be on the right hand of the aisle.
7. The items the store really wants you to buy are at eye level. In the cereal aisle, for instance, bulk cereal is placed at the bottom. Healthy cereal is placed at the top. Expensive brand name cereal goes right at eye level. Favored items are also placed at the end of aisles.
8. And then there's kid eye level. This is where you'll find sugary cereal, Easy Mac and other items a kid will grab and beg his parents to buy.
9. Sample stations and other displays slow you down while exposing you to new products.
10. Size matters. In crowded stores people spend less time shopping, do less impulse shopping, purchase fewer items, are less social and more nervous
. Notably Asians are more tolerant of crowding, while the British are the least tolerant.
11. Warm colors attract people to a store. Cool colors encourage more contemplation and higher sales. We suggest brick exterior and cool blue interior.
12. Hear that music? Studies have shown that slow music makes people take their time and spend more money. Loud music makes them move through the store quickly without affecting sales. And classical music leads people to buy more expensive merchandise.
13. The most profitable area of the store is the checkout line. This is where after a few minutes in line you'll succumb to the temptation of the candy rack and a magazine you've been leafing through.
14. Time to present your Valued Shopper Card. While giving you the occasional deal, this card keeps you as a regular customer for the store. It also provides valuable tracking data.

by Gus Lubin

http://www.businessinsider.com/supermarkets-make-you-spend-money-2011-7

Everyday routines

Eso 1 present-simple_review from Ana Arias Castro

Garfield`s routine from karolina cueva

Telephone numbers in English