YOU CAN LEARN

THE VERB TO BE

Fill in the blanks with am,is,are,choose the correct option. Click here

THE NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL SUNDAY 24 & MONDAY 25

Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe’s biggest street festival. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes surround over 40 static sound systems, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls,(make sure you visit Mama’s Jerk Station, on the corner of Portobello Rd and Oxford Gardens) over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill carnival

revellers.

Starting its life as a local festival set up by the West Indian community of the Notting Hill area, it has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of visitors from all over the globe. With many astonishing floats and the sounds of the traditional steel drum bands, scores of massive sound systems plus not forgetting the hundreds of stalls that line the streets of Notting Hill. The Notting Hill Carnival is arguably London’s most exciting annual event.

The Notting Hill Carnival used to get under way on the Saturday with the steel band competition. Sunday is Kids’ Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place. It generally begins on Great Western Road, then winds its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession, and people carry continue partying at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.

FEAST OF ST JAMES THE APOSTLE IN SPAIN - 25TH JULY

Many people in Spain celebrate the life and deeds of James, son of Zebedee, on Saint James' Day (Santiago Apostol), which is on July 25. Saint James was one of Jesus' first disciples. Some Christians believe that his remains are buried in Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Many events are organized on and before Saint James' Day in the Basque Country and Galicia. These include: •Special church services to honor the life and work of Saint James.

•Exhibitions of art work by artists born or living in or near Santiago de Compostela.

•Theatre productions and street shows.

•Concerts of modern and traditional music, including bagpipe performances.

•Traditional dance events held outside.

Special services are held in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela on July 25. Church officials swing a large incense burner at full speed during this service. They fill the whole church with incense smoke.

St James, son of Zebedee, was an apostles and a brother of John the Apostle, according to Christian belief. He lived at the same time as Jesus. He may have traveled to the area that is now Santiago de Compostela.

St James was beheaded in Judea in the year 44 CE. Some Christians believe that his disciples carried his body by sea to Padrón on the Galician coast. They then buried his body under what is now the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

St James' relics were discovered sometime between 791 CE and 842 CE. Santiago de Compostela then became a place of pilgrimage. Pope Leo XIII asserted that the relics of St James at Compostela were authentic in a papal bull. This papal bull was published on November 1, 1884.

Common symbols of St James include a traveler's hat and a scallop shell. The scallop shell is used to mark a network of pilgrimage routes. These routes lead to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela from many European countries, including:

Thousands of people walk, cycle or ride a horse along the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela each year. Many people hope to arrive just before Saint James' Day.

ROYAL BABY PRINCE NAMED GEORGE

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their son - George Alexander Louis.

The first child of Prince William and Catherine, who is third in line to the throne, will be known as Prince George of Cambridge.

George was the bookmakers' favourite for the first name of the prince.

There have been six King Georges up to now, most recently the Queen's father, although his first name was Albert and he was known to his family as Bertie.

The name Louis is Prince William's fourth name and is likely to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle and the last British Viceroy of India before independence in 1947.

Alexander is said to be a favourite of Catherine's.

As well as being an established regal name, George is also a saint's name. St George was an early Christian martyr and is the patron saint of England.

DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE GIVES BIRTH TO BOY

The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a boy. The child was born at 4.24pm on Monday afternoon and weighed 8lb 6oz. The duchess arrived at the Lindo wing of St Mary's hospital, Paddington, in the early stages of labour at about 5.45am accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge. He is on two weeks' paternity leave from his job as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot

KATE MIDDLETON IN HOSPITAL TO HAVE ROYAL BABY

Kate Middleton has been admitted to the hospital to give birth, according to a Kensington Palace

spokesman.

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge," the palace said in a statement today.

Middleton was admitted shortly before 6 a.m. today with The Duke by her side, and she is progressing normally, the palace said. There is no suggestion that she was induced.

Regardless of the baby's gender, Prince William and Kate Middleton's firstborn will be third in line to the British throne, after grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince William.

Kate and William have chosen to be surprised and do not know the sex of the baby, according to royal sources.

SWAN UPPING ON THE RIVER THAMES

Swan Upping 2013 will take place from 15 - 19 July

The census of people takes place every ten years. The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.

The Swan Upping event takes place in July each year, commencing on the third Monday at Sunbury and ending at Abingdon on the Friday.

The swans on the River Thames are Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). They are not actually mute, they can honk and hiss alot. Mute swans are seen in Britain all year round and are distinguished by a bright orange beak, which has a knob of black tissue on the top.

Swan Uppers searching for cygnets

The Swan Uppers catch and check the health of the swans and their cygnets through five counties, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, to Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

HAPPY SUMMER

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!!!!

ETON STYLE

Rapping, Eton-style: Now pupils at Britain's most exclusive school make a Gangnam parody for YouTube

- The boys, dressed in their tail coats and white ties, performed Psy's trademark horse-style dance moves as they sang about their school.
- Eton headmaster Tony Little said that he had watched the boys' comedy video and had enjoyed it.

ROAD SAFETY RUN

Dino the dog likes running. But there are lots of dangerous things on the road - tyres, rubbish bins and bouncing balls! If they hit him, he's in trouble! In this game you have to help Dino run, and answer questions about road safety along the way. How far can Dino run?

TROLLEY DASH

Welcome to Trolley Dash! You have sixty seconds to collect everything on your shopping list. Finish in time and move to the next level.

GAMES TO LEARN ENGLISH

Games to learn English is a site for students of English as a foreign language.

A website to practise your English and have fun at the same time.

Enjoy playing games!!!

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

What’s the origin of this logo we may see all around Great Britain? Everything started at the beginning of the Second World War …………….

This is the story: click here. Now watch the video:

THE HOLSTEE MANIFESTO

What is the meaning of this Word?

Manifesto Definition

Now we are going to watch a short film titled The Holstee Manifesto: Lifecycle Video by Cooper Miller.

Some words you may find a bit difficult: to quit, to seize, to hug, to share, a bit.

Answer the following questions:

What is the manifesto?

What values are mentioned in the manifesto?

Who wrote this manifesto?

You are now going to listen and read the manifesto using a kinetic typography video, and you should check anything you didn’t understand while watching the film.

What do you think of the manifesto?

What do you identify with personally?

What do you like about the manifesto?

Is there anything you don’t like?

Is it a good guide for life?

Is it too simplistic?

NOW READ THE MANIFESTO