Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for English for Baccalaureate

Essential Irregular Verbs List

Mastering irregular verbs is crucial for fluency in English. This table provides a clear reference for the present, past simple, and past participle forms of many common irregular verbs.

Book Review: La Tregua by Mario Benedetti

I have just read a book called La Tregua. It is a novel by Mario Benedetti. The protagonist, Martín Santomé, is fifty-three years old and feels bored because he has never had a hobby. He is always working and does not have a good relationship with his three sons. He is a widower, as his wife passed away. Now, he has a new partner at work and has fallen in love with her. The story is tragic because Avellaneda dies from a heart attack. Martín has had a failed life with women, and in the end, he becomes a pensioner.

Are Private Lessons Useful?

At present, many students attend private lessons to receive help with their questions, but are they really useful?

The Benefits of Tutoring

On the one hand, I am in...

The Encounter

• It was freezing cold.
• All eyes were gazing at the basket.
• She was near retiring age.
• Touch it, stroke it, and do not be afraid.
• Aitcheson thrust its flat head forward.
• She was evicted from them.
• The entrance had to be roped off as the children gathered.
• Never handled a snake.
• He stood petrified in front of it.
• It was her fault she was city-bred.
• It has to be knocked on the head.
• The attendant withdrew a green snake.
• For the preservation and welfare of all.
• It is not a question of bravery.
• The attendant draped the snake.

Moments of Tension

• The vessel was worn and dusty.
• They sat in rows on canvas chairs.
• Her fingers recoiled; she touched it.
• She managed to drag the object.
• She used her hands and tore the snake away.
• Smiling with delight to look for

The Crucial Role of English Proficiency Today

In past years, many people could build a career with only basic English knowledge. However, things have changed, and now a high level of English is often required for any career or job. For example, in Spain, to pursue a career, one must pass a selectividad exam, and English is one of the required subjects. Therefore, if you don't speak English, it will be very difficult to establish a career.

Also, in Spain, students can obtain Becas Erasmus (Erasmus scholarships) to travel to another country and study their chosen field for a year. Knowing English also allows you to study or work in English-speaking countries like England, which is a very interesting country. Furthermore, having a career path may...

Essential English Vocabulary

Sports & Competition Terms

• Athlete - Atleta
• Ban - Prohibir
• Beat - Vencer
• Championship - Campeonato
• Compete - Competición
• Disqualify - Descalificar
• Doping Offence - Delito de dopaje
• Foul - Falta
• Get Through - Superar / Pasar
• Opponent - Adversario
• Qualify - Clasificarse
• Round - Fase
• Runner-up - Subcampeón
• Sponsorship Deal - Contrato de patrocinio

Health & Fitness Vocabulary

• Balanced Diet - Dieta equilibrada
• Be Into - Ser aficionado a
• Body Mass - Índice de masa corporal
• Crash Diet - Dieta de choque
• Junk Food - Comida basura
• Nutrient - Nutriente
• Overdo It - Excederse
• Push Yourself - Esforzarse
• Sedentary Lifestyle - Estilo de vida sedentario
• Set a Goal - Establecer un objetivo
• Skip - Saltarse (e.g., a meal)
• Stay in Shape - Mantenerse

Celebrity Assistant Comprehension

1. All celebrity assistants work at night and on weekends.
   Answer: B. False
2. Celebrity assistant is not a good job for people who like:
   Answer: C. talking about the celebrities they know
3. Amy Winston is working as a celebrity assistant now.
   Answer: B. False
4. Hollywood Careers helps [ ] find work in Hollywood.
   Answer: C. ordinary people
5. It's easy for a good celebrity assistant to find work.
   Answer: A. True
6. The text was found [ ]
   Answer: A. on the Internet

Reported Speech Exercises

1. I [ ] him that we weren't going to agree to be interviewed.
   Answer: A. told
2. Harry [ ] me what I wanted for my birthday.
   Answer: B. asked
3. William [ ] that he was going to write a column for the university newspaper.
   Answer: C. said
4. She [ ] the celebrity that

Analysis of Gongora's Sonnet: Carpe Diem

While to compete with your hair

Góngora develops the classic theme of the ephemeral and wilting of youth and human beauty, known as carpe diem. This classic trope is usually translated as "seize the day," that is, enjoy your youth before it passes, without thinking about tomorrow. It is an appeal to enjoy youth and beauty immediately, as well as a notice that inexorable death will reduce everything fresh and joyful that triumphs today to oblivion, to nothing. We can distinguish three elements that are intertwined: beauty, time, and the enjoyment of life. This commentary will analyze how they relate to convey the theme.

External Structure of the Sonnet

The external structure is, as already mentioned, a flawless...

Teachers, Society, and Moral Standards

The text discusses society’s attitude toward teachers and the moral example they are expected to set for their students.

Expectations and Hypocrisy

• We expect teachers to be suitable role models.
• If people do not want to be hypocrites, they should try to live by the standards they teach.

The Burden of Being a Role Model

• Teachers should not show their weaknesses because they are role models for their students. Children often notice when adults do something wrong and share this information with others.
• Teachers must choose whether they want to be real, authentic role models with high standards and decent behavior, or not.

The Life and Death of Jack Cade

This section recounts the story of Jack Cade, detailing his...

Unit 3: Gender Equality and Sports

1. Reading Comprehension

• Equality between girls and boys in sports and work.
• Many women broke their bones falling on the court.
• In 1953, the women's world championship was established thanks to the WNBA.

2. Multiple Choice

1. B
2. D
3. B

3. Vocabulary

1. Known
2. Colleges
3. Adapt
4. Success

Unit 4: Internet Addiction

1. True or False

1. True (Addictions)
2. False (Around)
3. True (Companies)
4. True (Young/Diffusion)

2. Short Answer

1. Young people get addicted to it.
2. They spend at least 38 hours a week on the internet.
3. Because as time goes by, there are more internet cafes.
4. The majority of them are illegal.

3. Vocabulary

1. Diminishing
2. Surveys
3. Regulator
4. Measure

4. Grammar Exercises

1. Senseless
2. Banning / is
3. Explained / will be
4. Playing / restricted

Unit 5: Mirror Neurons and Well-

The Theme of Madness

The topic is determinism: the confrontation between two views used to explain the behavior of Serrallonga.

1. A scientific explanation of a deterministic type, defended by the medical student from Boston.
2. An explanation or opinion contrary to the former, defended by the narrator (representing Oller's perspective) and Armengol. They categorize Serrallonga as an extravagant individual whose actions affect his environment, even attributing his behavior to his mental state.

Impediments Narcís Oller Faced Writing in Catalan

The writer encountered two basic difficulties during the Renaixença. First was the choice of language. The development of Catalan literature in the nineteenth century was a long process. Narcís Oller, like many...