Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for English

The Stars Look Down

Hold me gently

Hold me high

Under darkness

We will fly

Been rejected

Been outcast

We come to rest at last

We will never walk alone

Back to our home

At their reflection

There's a light

See the struggle

At all the pain

Light shines again

We'll stand as one

All out together

All out as one

All out for victory

'Til we've won

All out together

All out as one

All out for victory

'Til we've won

All out together

All out as one

All out for victory

All out 'til we've won

Expressing Yourself

To cheer up the place?

Get some earrings

You will start to feel a different man

What's wrong with expressing yourself?

If you put on a dress?

What's wrong with expressing yourself?

What's wrong with wearing a dress?

You try to impress

Learn to care less

Sing something to me

What's wrong... Continue reading "Billy Elliot the Musical: Lyrics and Story" »

Grammar Exercises

Modals, Conditionals, Reported Speech, and More

1. Modal Verbs

Original: You must not smoke in here.

Corrected: Smoking is forbidden here.

2. Conditional Clauses

Original: If the tickets don’t arrive, we won’t be able to go.

Corrected: Unless the tickets arrive, we won’t be able to go.

4. Have Something Done

Original: The mechanic is going to repair her car next week.

Corrected: She is going to have her car repaired next week (by the mechanic).

5. Wish

Original: What a pity I didn’t have time to see you last week.

Corrected: I wish I had had time to see you last week.

6. Passive Voice

Original: This story will shock you.

Corrected: You will be shocked by this story.

7. Gerund/Infinitive

Original: Will you post this letter for me, please?... Continue reading "Grammar Exercises: Modals, Conditionals, and More" »

Lord Munodi promises to get Gulliver an invitation to Lagado's Royal Academy if he wants it, which Gulliver does.

Their projects include:

• To take sunbeams out of cucumbers
• To turn human poo back into food (ugh)
• To melt ice into gunpowder
• To build houses from the roof down
• To paint without sight, but according to the texture and smell of the colors
• To use pigs to plough fields
• To use spider webs to replace silk threads

This giant square has handles on all sides for the professor's students to use to turn the frame.

By turning the frame, the professor's students shake up the words hanging inside the square.

Whenever three or four of the words together seem to make sense, the students write down these phrases.

In order to find an accused person they could

On a teenager's life, there is a moment in which we ask ourselves what are we going to study? What are we going to do? Is it the right choice? And if I fail or choose wrong? Always, everyone, at any time. Our existential crisis. My dream is that I want to become a public accountant, so I asked some of my teachers and one student at San Andres University to tell me this career's pros and cons. Here I have some of their main points.

Advantages

• Hernan Telechea, a public accountant and business administration student, mentioned that this career offers a larger amount of job opportunities. However, top companies tend to select students with excellent performance before they graduate from the university.
• According to Adriana Barrera, my accounting teacher,

Wealth

Definition: A large amount of money or valuable possessions that someone has.

Example: Their policies are all towards the creation of wealth.

Currency

Definition: The money that is used in a particular country at a particular time.

Example: Five people were indicted for making and selling counterfeit currency.

Endeavor

Definition: To try to do something.

Example: Engineers are endeavoring to locate the source of the problem.

Deliver

Definition: To take goods, letters, parcels, etc., to people's houses or places of work.

Example: Mail is delivered to our office twice a day.

Guilty

Definition: Feeling guilt.

Example: You've got a guilty conscience, that's why you can't sleep.

Rage

Definition: A period of extreme or violent anger.

Example: I was frightened... Continue reading "Mastering Essential English Vocabulary" »

Essential English Vocabulary

CLIMB: To go up, or to go towards the top of something. Example: The sun climbed higher in the sky.

UNLIKELY: Not probable or likely to happen. Example: It's pretty unlikely that they'll turn up now.

RISE: To move upwards. Example: At 6 a.m. we watched the sun rise.

FALL: To suddenly go down onto the ground. Example: He fell badly and broke his leg.

WONDER: To ask yourself questions. Example: Your parents will be wondering where you are.

WONDERFUL: Extremely good. Example: He's a wonderful cook.

HEART: The organ in your chest. Example: Isabel's heart was beating fast with fright.

JEWEL: A precious stone that is used to decorate valuable objects. Example: She was wearing a large gold necklace set with jewels.

BORROW: To get... Continue reading "Vocabulary Expansion: Mastering Essential English Words" »

As the pendulum swings down, the narrator notices rats emerging from the pit, drawn to the meat the captors provided. Upon closer inspection, he sees the pendulum is shaped like a scythe, forming a sharp crescent as it descends. Despite the dire situation, the narrator believes he can still survive. Just before the pendulum slices him, he has an idea: he rubs the meat from the plate onto the strap binding him to the platform. The rats are attracted and begin gnawing at the bonds, allowing the narrator to break free. As he escapes, the pendulum retracts, suggesting he is being watched.

As the pendulum descends further, the narrator realizes its bottom edge is razor-sharp, designed to cut him in half. After much anxiety and fainting, he devises... Continue reading "Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum: A Summary" »

I would really love to visit Coney Island again. The place is far from the bustling city, and getting there is already part of the adventure. One can take the tunnel or drive, but whichever way you take, when one arrives on the island, it’s like being transported in time.

A Journey to Coney Island's Past

There is that feeling of déjà vu one gets when you see the heart of the island for the first time. Maybe it is because of the old films that featured the amusement parks, or because as a young child you had countless dreams of coming here. The place is filled with old buildings and structures that remind us of how our parents and grandparents might have enjoyed the Thunderbolt, the mermaid shows, the parachute drop, and all the other parks... Continue reading "Coney Island's Enduring Charm and Nostalgia" »

Speaking Part 1

1. What is your name?

My name is Keira.

2. Can you spell your last/surname name?

It’s S-a-n-t-e-l-l-a-n.

3. How old are you?

I’m 10 years old.

4. Where are you from?

I’m from Mexico City.

5. Where do you go to school?

I go to Queen Mary School.

6. How do you go to school?

I go to school by car.

7. Do you have any brothers or sisters?

I have one brother.

8. Do you have a pet?

Yes, I have a dog. It’s names are Lili and Frida.

9. What is your favorite subject at school? Why?

It’s Art because it’s fun to use different colors of paint.

10. Which is your least favorite subject at school and why?

I don’t like history because I have to memorize dates and then I forget them. I like geography because I learn more about cultures.

A2 Key Speaking

Effective Complaint Letters & Emails

Dear ________________,

Introduction

Choose one of the following opening statements:

• I am writing to complain about _________________.
• I am writing this letter/email because I would like to take this opportunity to express my __________ / opinion about _________________________.
• I am writing / We are writing this email/letter to express my/our agreement / disagreement _____________.

Body

Use different paragraphs and linkers to connect your ideas. Consider using the following:

• First of all,
• Apart from that,
• As well as that,
• Moreover,
• So,
• It is important to mention that,
• Besides,
• According to,
• Whereas,
• In fact,
• However,
• Due to,
• On the other hand,
• Finally,
• That is to say,
• Concerning,
• What's more,
• For instance,
• For example,
• Such as…

Conclusion