12 de diciembre de 2010

Proficiency Test

Click the answer button to see the answer.

If you don't take exercise you ___ the risk of getting ill.
a. stand
b. face
c. run
d. suffer
He was ___ with embezzlement and sentenced to three years in prison.
a. accused
b. convicted
c. charged
d. arrested
If you are ___ with this test, perhaps you should attempt an easier one.
a. stumbling
b. stressed
c. struggling
d. straining
Insulation was fitted to ___ further heat loss from the building.
a. guard
b. protect
c. save
d. prevent
We are all ___ the opinion that hydrocarbons in the atmosphere contribute to global warming.
a. in
b. on
c. of
d. with
e. at
___ had we sold out our stock when the markets crashed.
a. If only
b. Just
c. Seldom
d. Hardly
e. No sooner
I can't ___ thinking that we made a mistake in our calculations -- the total is too high.
a. help
b. bear
c. stand
d. be
I dread ___ what would have happened if there'd been an accident.
a. thinking
b. to think
c. to thinking
d. the thought
Can you wait thirty seconds while I ___ in to the Post Office for some stamps?
a. saunter
b. breeze
c. break
d. pop
e. go
The chess players tried very hard to ___ each other with every move in the tournament.
a. outnumber
b. outclass
c. outweigh
d. outcome
e. outwit

Keyboard Symbols and Punctuation Marks

Keyboard Symbols and Punctuation Marks
What are these symbols?
Click the answer button to see the answer.
Look at the keys across the top of the computer keyboard.
~ This is called a _.
` This is called a _.
! This is called an _.
@ This symbol means _.
# This symbol means _.
$ This is called a _.
% This symbol means _.
^ This symbol is called a _.
& This symbol is called an _ and means _.
* This symbol is called an _.
( ) These two marks are called _.
- This is called a _.
+ This symbol is called a _.
= This symbol is called an _.
Look around the computer keyboard.
{ } These marks are called _.
[ ] These marks are called _.
: This is called a _.
; This is called a _.
" " These marks are called _.
" " In British English, these marks are called _.
' This is called an _.
, This is called a _.
. This is called a _.
. In British English, this is called a _.
... Three periods together are called an _.
? This is called a _.
/ This is called a _.
\ This is called a _.
< > These marks are called _.
(C) 1999 Nevitt Reagan

8 de diciembre de 2010

Homophones

Click the answer button to see the answer.

Something that is sacred is also ___.
a. holy
b. wholly
A ___ is a narrow passage of water.
a. straight
b. strait
There is too much at ___ to be careless.
a. stake
b. steak
There is no nicer smell than freshly ___ grass.
a. moan
b. mown
There is not much to buy for one ___.
a. scent
b. sent
c. cent
The children told ___ mother a lie.
a. their
b. there
c. they're
Brian invited ___ of his friends to his birthday party.
a. known
b. none
c. nun
The pain made her ___.
a. moan
b. mown
A ___ is a female deer.
a. doe
b. dough
There is a ___ in my eye.
a. moat
b. mote
She liked clothes made from blue ___ material.
a. gene
b. jean
She likes to ride the roller coaster for the ___ thrill of it.
a. shear
b. sheer
It looks like ___ but the weather forecast was for sunshine.
a. rain
b. reign
c. rein
The golfer scored a ___ in one.
a. whole
b. hole
The ball went ___ the window.
a. threw
b. through
I am glad that it is over and ___ with.
a. done
b. dun
A female sheep is called a ___.
a. ewe
b. you
c. yew
The soldier ___ a flower on his uniform.
a. war
b. wore
A small sample is over there in the glass ___.
a. file
b. phial
The golfer gently tapped the ball into the ___.
a. hole
b. whole

More Homophones

Click the answer button to see the answer.

Cocaine is an ___ drug.
a. elicit
b. illicit
The breakfast ___ is on aisle four.
a. cereal
b. serial
I am very honored to ___ you.
a. meat
b. meet
c. mete
The President ___ the opening pitch.
a. threw
b. through
He made a hole in the leather with the ___.
a. all
b. awl
We have a ___ and a butler in our employ.
a. made
b. maid
Some people store liquid in a hollow ___.
a. gored
b. gourd
He came in ___ so he did not get a medal.
a. forth
b. fourth
Your seats are on the first ___ of balconies.
a. tear
b. tier
It takes a couple of hours for bread ___ to rise.
a. doe
b. dough
Tell me directly. Don't just ___ to some problem
a. elude
b. allude
He squeezed out a ___ of power at the end of the race.
a. serge
b. surge
To give someone a wide ___ means to stay out of their way.
a. berth
b. birth
The Queen ___ the Prime Minister good bye at the end of their meeting.
a. bad
b. bade
If someone offers to ___ the hatchet, it means they want to stop fighting.
a. berry
b. bury
It is hard to ___ an honest living.
a. earn
b. urn
Plug the ___ into the electrical outlet.
a. chord
b. cord
I am shopping for a ___ hat to wear to the garden party.
a. knew
b. new
Her skirt was the color of ___.
a. done
b. dun
The child grabbed the cat by the ___.
a. tail
b. tale

26 de noviembre de 2010

Writing Quiz I

These sentences can be corrected by replacing one wrong word. Decide what the correction should be then click on the answer button and you will be able to see the correct answer.

In this summer, I went to Hokkaido with my family.
We study hard in high school in order to entrance a good college.
I think Japanese students should think over the risk their taking.
The Europeans and Asians are completely different each other.
I have a problem to memorizing names of people.
I spent most of my time in the train with reading my favorite magazine.
I think I am really lucky that I could met you.
Almost all students in the university do not seem to study hard.
I found that the number of universities which accept foreign students have been increasing.

Writing Quiz II

These sentences can be corrected by replacing one wrong word. Decide what the correction should be then click on the answer button and you will be able to see the correct answer.

This summer, I had only a few days of staying at home.
I had never dived into the sea for watching several kinds of sea animals.
I would wake up, no one to talk and have breakfast.
It was a good vacation, in its way.
All one thing I did in the summer is a part time job.
We got a gold prize and a right to entry for the next competition.
I was made a deep impression.
It was hot in the room so I sweated a lot.
In my summer vacation, this is the best of my memory.
I think I should follow examples of her.
I think he is a lively person. Because he likes listen all kinds of music.
He is fun of Giants.
If she had a million yen, she goes shopping in Tokyo.
We went many time karaoke.
Tallness is important in basketball.

Correct the Mistake

One word is wrong in each sentence. Find this word, then click on the answer button to see the correct answer.

19 de noviembre de 2010

Some easy (but tricky) definitions!

Getting ready to go on vacation?

Click the answer button to see the answer. But first... think!!!!

A trip on an airplane is called a ___.
A flight within one country is called a ___ flight.
A flight between different countries is called an ___ flight.
The letters and numbers which identify an airplane making a specific flight are called a ___ ___.
Ordering a seat to be held for you on the day you want to travel is called making a ___.
A printed piece of paper which allows you to travel on an airplane is a ___.
The first thing to do at the airport is ___ ___, which means to register as a passenger for a flight.
A document which identifies you as a citizen of a certain country and which allows you to travel to other countries is called a ___.
A stamp in your passport which allows you to travel to another country is called a ___.
The selection of a specific seat for a trip on an airplane is called ___ ___.
A seat next to the window in an airplane is called a ___ ___.
A seat next to the passage between the rows of seats in an airplane is called an ___ ___.
The suitcases and bags which contain your belongings are called ___.
A bag which you carry with you on the airplane is called a ___ bag.
A small ticket with printed numbers that identify your baggage is called a baggage ___ ___.
A printed card which allows you to get on an airplane is called a___ ___.
A door which leads from the airport building into an airplane is called a ___.
The area where you pick up your baggage after a flight is called ___ ___.

Abbreviations Used in Employment Ads

Read each abbreviation and guess its meaning. Click the answer button to see the answer.

Vocabulary for University Students

Click the answer button to see the answer.

Chris told us to hand in our term paper next Monday.
a. to write our paper by hand
b. to submit
c. to correct
d. to proof-read
Professor Wilson is a wonderful teacher but there are too many assignments in his course.
a. His marks are always low.
b. There are too many books to read.
c. He often gives homework.
d. There are too many students in his course.
Since I wanted to buy the new course catalog, I had to put in an order through the store manager.
a. The store-manager didn't want to buy it.
b. The course catalog was out of print.
c. I had to ask for it to be bought for me.
d. The computer was out of order.
Did you know it's down to three of us for the job in the library?
a. The three of us will be working in the library.
b. There are only three applicants left.
c. The library only hires three students.
d. At least three students will be retained.
I'll really have to hit the books this weekend.
a. I have to tidy my room.
b. There is a book fair this weekend.
c. My books need a cover.
d. I have to study.
To major in astrophysics you need an extra math course.
a. To get higher grades in astrophysics
b. To specialize in astrophysics
c. To finish your astrophysics paper
d. To better understand the astrophysics course
Did you know Mark was a sophomore?
a. Mark is a second-year student.
b. Mark majors in philosophy.
c. Mark has a special grant.
d. Mark's parents are both university professors.
I haven't completed all the prerequisites for this course.
a. I still have to fill in some papers.
b. I have to finish some assignments.
c. I haven't done enough research.
d. I have to do some other courses first.
This year I will need to find off-campus housing.
a. I will live on the campus.
b. I will buy a house next to the campus.
c. I will live outside the campus.
d. The campus will provide a house for me.
Alice, if I were you, I'd skip the meeting.
a. Alice should prepare for the meeting.
b. Alice should put the meeting on her agenda.
c. The meeting is going to be cancelled.
d. Alice shouldn't bother to go to the meeting.

5 de noviembre de 2010

L & R Minimal Pair Quiz

Click the answer button to see the answer.

What is the proper way to ___ a business letter?
a. light
b. wright
c. right
d. write
A heroic tenor is usually the ___ character in operas.
a. lead
b. read
c. reed
The ___ is a member of the cat family that lives in the wilds of North America.
a. lynx
b. rinks
c. links
I ___ him my umbrella because it was raining and he forgot to bring his own.
a. lent
b. rent
I offered to ___ him my umbrella for a small charge but he declined.
a. lent
b. rent
Dieters believe that food spends a moment on the ___ and a lifetime on the hips.
a. lips
b. rips
The players went to the local bar to ___in their victory.
a. level
b. revel
To ensure fairness, it is important to maintain a ___ or flat playing field.
a. level
b. revel
The word "___" can refer to an internal organ or to an organism that is not dead.
a. river
b. liver
The phone call from the rescue team was a ___ of hope for the family waiting for word from the crash site.
a. lay
b. ray
The chest of drawers had a ___ runner on top to protect it from dust.
a. lace
b. race
The track event had a ___ runner waiting area.
a. lace
b. race
He should not read a ___ magazine like Playboy in front of children.
a. lacy
b. racy
The cushion had a ___ cover with frills and bows.
a. lacy
b. racy
They had ___ together twice before fully clothed as Amish custom allowed.
a. rain
b. lain
To ___ means to attack physically or with words
a. lam
b. ram
To ___ means to hit or collide with an object.
a. lam
b. ram
The ___ is a monetary unit in South Africa.
a. rand
b. land
Her hair smelled ___ because she had not shampooed it recently.
a. lank
b. rank

13 de octubre de 2010

One by one the miners who had been trapped underground for more than two months in Chile ascended to the surface, ending their subterranean captivity. The world watched, their nation cheered, their families wept.

Today, we invite you to watch this CNN 10-minute report on the rescued miners.

Enjoy, and celebrate life!

Transcription to the report.

Prof. Mariano Ignacio

Centro Univ. de Idiomas

8 de octubre de 2010

The "Mother" Quiz

Click the answer button to see the answer.

___ is the mother of good luck.
a. Diligence
b. Experience
c. Intelligence
d. Arrogance
___ is the mother of wisdom.
a. Diligence
b. Experience
c. Intelligence
d. Necessity
___ is the mother of invention.
a. Diligence
b. Experience
c. Intelligence
d. Necessity
He that would the ___ win, must with the mother first begin.
a. battle
b. argument
c. lottery
d. daughter
"Like mother, like daughter" means ___.
a. If you admire the mother you will also admire the daughter.
b. Daughters tend to do the same things as their mothers.
"Tied to one's mother's apron strings" means ___.
a. A person likes cooking.
b. A person has a fetish for his or her mother's clothing.
c. A person is dependent on his or her mother.
d. A person has very strict ideas about what is proper behavior.
"Every mother's son (of someone)" means ___.
a. Absolutely everyone with no exception
b. Anyone who is underage
c. All who are immature
d. Anyone who is living at home
"Old enough to be someone's mother" means ___.
a. A person is as old as someone's parents (too old for a relationship).
b. A person is old enough to have children.
c. A person is well matched emotionally with another person.
d. A person ought to act more mature.
Children are the ___ that hold a mother to life. (Sophocles)
a. stitches
b. anchors
c. pillars
d. glue
Every beetle is a gazelle in the ___ of its mother. (Moorish Proverb)
a. mind
b. view
c. eyes
d. heart
A ___ son is the heaviness of its mother. (Bible, Proverbs)
a. foolish
b. friendly
c. frank
d. fiendish
The ideal mother, like the ideal ___ is fiction.(Milton B. Sapirstein, Paradoxes of Everyday Life, 1955)
a. house
b. job
c. marriage
d. vacation
A mother is glad to get the loveliest child ___. (Emerson)
a. dressed
b. ready
c. home
d. asleep
No woman can call herself ___ unless she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be amother. (Margaret Sanger, Parade, Dec.1, 1963)
a. happy
b. open
c. free
d. modern
What mother sings to the cradle goes all the way ___ to the coffin. (Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbsfrom Plymouth Pulpit, 1887)
a. down
b. after
c. on
d. in
Who takes the child by the ___ takes the mother by the heart. (Danish Proverb)
a. storm
b. hand
c. shirttails
d. arm
Men are what ___ mothers made them. (Emerson)
a. some
b. other
c. their
d. many
Only mothers can think of the ___ because they give birth to it in their children. (Maxim Gorky)
a. future
b. past
c. present
d. possible
Motherly love begins with oneness and ___ to separateness. (Erich Fromm)
a. ends
b. leads
c. results
d. depends
A motherless son is a fish ___low water. (Burmese Proverb)
a. out
b. over
c. in
d. on

19 de septiembre de 2010

Helado de Dulce de Leche according to The New York Times

Spring days are coming ahead, and with them the helado de dulce de leche pops back in our lives.

Read what The New York Times thinks of of Argentina's favourite flavours when it comes to ice cream!

Buenos Aires: National Treasure in a Cone

Saludos,
and let's go to your favourite ice cream parlor to grab a cucurucho filled with creamy dulce de leche!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio

17 de septiembre de 2010

Bits and Pieces

What's the Correct Word Order?

Click the answer button to see the correct answer.

a. beautiful
b. to
c. lady
d. what
e. young
f. that
g. happened
h. ?
a. how
b. us
c. waiting
d. has
e. long
f. she
g. been
h. for
i. ?
a. far
b. gas
c. is
d. the
e. how
f. nearest
g. it
h. to
i. station
j. ?
a. didn't
b. our
c. come
d. meeting
e. to
f. why
g. you
h. ?
a. tonight
b. you
c. come
d. do
e. guests
f. how
g. will
h. many
i. know
j. ?
a. green
b. cost
c. much
d. that
e. vase
f. how
g. does
h. Japanese
i. ?
a. I
b. in
c. may
d. this
e. room
f. smoke
g. ?
a. me
b. you
c. ride
d. can
e. give
f. a
g. ?
a. break
b. it
c. we
d. should
e. before
f. do
g. coffee
h. ?
a. will
b. here
c. he
d. when
e. be
f. again
g. ?

Correct or Incorrect use of preposition?

Click the answer button to see whether
the sentence is correct (c) or incorrect (i).

She's a very selfish person who doesn't show any consideration for others.
On our school the teachers' basic hourly rate was increased by 5%.
When we said: "the time is over", the young girl glanced quickly on her watch.
There's a fine of 25 cents a day at overdue library books.
In the beginning of his career he had very little success.
He forgot to consider the rise in the cost of living.
This ticket entitles you to a free meal in our new restaurant.
Why did the burden to bringing up her two brothers fall on her shoulders?
When I came through the customs at the airport, I had to pay duty about an electric knife I had in my luggage.
The botanist discovered some new specimens of flowers on that island.

Homophones - A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms.

Click the answer button to see the answer.

Things are not as they ___.
a. seam
b. seem
A type of corn is called ___.
a. maize
b. maze
On the ___, he is a nice person.
a. whole
b. hole
He ___ better but he did it anyway.
a. knew
b. new
Always try to buy low and ___ high.
a. sell
b. cell
Didn't you ___ me when I called you?
a. hear
b. here
A rank lower than general is ___.
a. colonel
b. kernel
Do not ___ in the affairs of other.
a. medal
b. meddle
Do you really ___ the money?
a. knead
b. kneed
c. need
During the summer I work as a tour ___.
a. guide
b. guyed
I will have a ___ sandwich on rye bread.
a. stake
b. steak
I told ___ not to go but he would not listen.
a. him
b. hymn
His car broke down so he called for a ___ truck.
a. toe
b. tow
If you run a bear will chase and try to ___ you.
a. mall
b. maul
If you sleep with ___ hair you will catch a cold.
a. wet
b. whet
A vein of gold in a mine is known as the mother ___.
a. load
b. lode
I want to ___ you for your delicious meal.
a. complement
b. compliment
He was not ___ to stay up later than 9:00 at night.
a. allowed
b. aloud
My son has ___ 10 centimeters since this past summer.
a. groan
b. grown
He ___ flowers to his mother on Mother's Day.
a. cent
b. scent
c. sent

10 de septiembre de 2010

Grammar Basics

Click the answer button to see the answer. You may need a dictionary in some cases.

Beer is the world's best-selling ___ drink.
a. alcohol
b. alcoholic
c. alcohols
The process of making beer is called ___ .
a. beering
b. brewsing
c. brewing
The first recorded recipe ( ___ on clay tablets) seems to be one for making beer.
a. write
b. written
c. wrote
The ___ ingredients used in making beer are malted grains, water, hops, and yeast.
a. principal
b. principle
c. principles
The most common grain ___ for beer-making is barley, but sometimes wheat, corn, or rice are also added.
a. use
b. uses
c. used
Grain is malted by first soaking it in water, then allowing it to sprout, and finally drying it ___ stop the sprouting.
a. in order to
b. to order to
c. into order to
Hop cones add both flavor and aroma to beer; they are also good ___ .
a. preserves
b. preservatives
c. preservations
In a process ___ fermentation, yeast changes sugar from the malted grain into alcohol.
a. call
b. calling
c. called
Although the alcohol level in beer ___ ranges from 4-7%, it can go as high as 15%.
a. usual
b. unusual
c. usually
The two most ___ styles of beer are lager and ale.
a. common
b. commons
c. commonly
Lager ___ about 150 years ago, and it is now the most popular style of beer.
a. has developed
b. was developed
c. has been developed
However, in recent years, ale has been regaining ___ .
a. popular
b. population
c. popularity
One difference between lager and ale ___ the kinds of yeast used in the fermentation process.
a. lies in
b. lies at
c. lies on
Another difference between these two ___ of beer is the temperature of the fermentation process.
a. type
b. types
c. typicals
In addition, lager ___ lighter in color and body than ale.
a. tends to be
b. tend to be
c. tends to have
Most beer in the United States is made by big breweries, such as Anheuser-Busch and Miller; microbrew or "craft" beer ___ only 5-10% of all beer produced.
a. account for
b. accounts for
c. count for
However, the rapid ___ in the number of microbreweries in the past 20 years means that the United States has a wider selection of beer styles than any other country.
a. increasing
b. increases
c. increase
In Europe, one of the smallest countries, Belgium, produces the ___ variety of beer styles of all and is sometimes thought of as a "Disneyland" for beer drinkers.
a. great
b. greatest
c. greater

27 de agosto de 2010

Trapped miners alive!

Dear all,

Stripped to their waists and sweating in the heat, unshaven, scrawny and filthy but all, it seemed, optimistic and hearty: the first video footage of the 33 trapped Chilean miners gave hope today to their families waiting above ground. But they all will have to wait until Christmas before they are rescued...

On this report brought to you by Australia's ABC Radio we invite you to work on adjectives and adverbs.

Exercise to be downloaded (answers included)

May you all find this exercise challenging, and useful!

Kind regards,

Prof. Mariano Ignacio

Centro Univ. de Idiomas.

21 de agosto de 2010

CNN Student News

div>Dear people,

CNN Student News is a ten-minute, commercial-free, daily news program for middle and high school students in the US produced by the journalists and educators at CNN. This award-winning show and its companion Web site are available free of charge throughout the school year.

As classes resumed in the US last week, the program is back on the air

On today's show:

* As combat operations come close to an end, what's next for the U.S. forces remaining in Iraq?

* Why are government officials discussing the safety of seafood from the Gulf?

* Should schools adjust their start times to help students get more sleep?

* Explore the answers in this Friday edition of CNN Student News.

* Plus, watch what happens when a group of penguins experience a butterfly effect.

SHOW'S TRANSCRIPTION

May you enjoy the show, and our classes at CUI.

Prof. Mariano Ignacio

Centro Univ. de Idiomas

Thai HIV vaccine reduces infections by a third

Hello everyone!

An HIV vaccine is a hypothetical vaccine against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. As there is no known cure for AIDS, the search for a vaccine has become part of the struggle against the disease.
This week new results have come to light. Today we bring you a report produced by Australia's ABC Radio. May you enjoy it and have fun working on it!

ACTIVITY TO BE DOWNLOADED (answers included)

Have a nice week,
Profesores del CUI

Para escuchar el audio deberán tener instalado el Flash Player de Acrobat (el programa que permite ver videos de YouTube)

25 de junio de 2010

Argentinians in London

Hi there!

A bonus track video clip this weekend! CNN visited a London bar where Argentine fans were watching the World Cup match between Argentina and Greece. Peek inside!
Have a look at Argentinians in London as they enjoy a football match as much as we do... but in English!

Cheers!
Mariano

Nurse Jackie

Dear all,

Nurse Jackie is a comedy that meets drama. The premise of Nurse Jackie is the following: Nurse Jackie, played by Edie Falco, is obviously a nurse in a hospital in New York City. She is hooked on pills (Vicodin) and has a family at home, a husband and two young daughters. She sleeps with a doctor in the hospital in order for him to write her prescriptions to keep up her habit. She has a biting personality, being brutally honest to patients and even hurting those who are disrespectful and undeserving of treatment, yet she does an incredible job as a nurse. She really knows what she's doing, she really cares about her job, and she puts in way too much time to give back to humanity. It's a series that is actually worth watching. In Argentina, it can be watched on STUDIO UNIVERSAL in English with subtitles in Spanish.
Today, we bring you an activity based on the review that Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross filed for NY1.

The activity can be downloaded here (answers included).

And this is the video you will need to solve the exercise.

TRAILER TO NURSE JACKIE

Have a nice weekend,
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

11 de junio de 2010

Shutter Island DVD Review

Hi there!

Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological mystery-thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels, who is investigating the psychiatric facility on Shutter Island. The film was released in February 2010, and later released in DVD. This is the review that NY1 (a New York based TV station) aired early this month. We also provide you with the TRANSCRIPTION TO THE CLIP in case there are words that you do not understand. And if you are into thrillers, this is a great one!!!

And this is the spooky trailer!

Enjoy!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

29 de mayo de 2010

CNN Student News - Loads of activities to improve your listening comprehension skills!

Dear all,
today we bring you a series of activities for you to improve your listening comprehension skills. It's a 10-minute program aired on CNN on May 24th, 2010. So, the pieces of news you'll be working with are relatively recent.
Hope you find the exercises both interesting and useful!

EXERCISE (answers included)

Kind regards,
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

27 de mayo de 2010

2010: Year of the Bicentennial

2010 is an important year of bicentennial celebrations in the Americas. Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico all commemorate 200 years of independence.

Following is the video message and transcript of Secretary Clinton on "Year of the Bicentennial":

This year, people across our hemisphere will celebrate the “Year of the Bicentennial.” Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico are marking 200 years of independence. All of us across the Americas are joining together to honor our shared history and the values of democracy, diversity, and tolerance that form our common heritage.

In the last year, our hemisphere has been challenged -- from Honduras to Haiti to Chile. And our ability to respond to these crises as a community has been tested. But we have met these challenges together, with faith in our institutions, confidence in our values, and compassion for our friends and neighbors.

We must strive to carry that same spirit of cooperation beyond times of crisis in order to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities facing the people of the Americas. There is so much we can learn from each other and so much we can accomplish together. We can encourage broad-based prosperity, champion democracy and human rights, and ensure that every child born in the Americas has the opportunity to fulfill his or her God-given potential.

This “Year of the Bicentennial” is a time to honor our past while we look to the future -- as we continue on our common journey to create better lives for our citizens and even stronger ties between our nations. On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, congratulations and best wishes.

16 de mayo de 2010

CNN Student News: May 17, 2010

Hi everyone!

CNN Student News is a student news program targeted for the classroom that runs at 4:00AM Monday to Friday as part of the cable industry's Cable in the Classroom inititave, as presenter Carl Azuz reports the day's news in a simplified format (stories with graphic imagery or adult themes are usually left out from this newscast). It is not intended for students of English, but for High School students in the USA.
Today, we bring you the program scheduled for May 17th, 2010 focusing on these pieces of news:

* Crews have found a couple ways to try to control some of the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico; you'll be shown exactly how they're doing it in today's edition of CNN Student News.

* Also, find out what dessert looks like on wheels, and see who's chasing after it.

TRANSCRIPT TO THE SHOW, here.

Enjoy today's program!

Prof. Mariano Ignacio

Centro Univ. de Idiomas

2 de mayo de 2010

The Secret in Their Eyes

Hi everyone!

It goes without saying that most of us in Argentina know what "El secreto de sus ojos" is. Though for most Americans "The Secret in Their Eyes" is just a movie that has come from distant and unknown Argentina. Critics have written strikingly beautiful reviews about Mr. Campanella's movie, and I just want to share with you one of them. Originally published by Los Angeles Times on Friday April 30, 2010. Enjoy this write-up, and also have sneak peek at the Trailer released in the US!

"There's something about a haunting mystery being solved by a haunted mind that's particularly seductive. That's just one of the many pleasures of "The Secret in Their Eyes," whose string of knots challenges and charms in a way that make its win of the foreign-language Oscar this year perfectly understandable.

Argentine writer-director Juan José Campanella has given audiences a beautifully calibrated movie in the most traditional sense of the word — the ideal marriage of topic, talent and tone. It's anchored by the unsolved murder of a young wife that won't let former criminal investigator Ben Espósito (Ricardo Darín) rest easy even after 25 years.

In addition to being one of Argentina's best-known filmmakers, Campanella has earned Emmys here, plus attention for directing episodes of "House," "Law & Order Special Victims Unit" and "30 Rock." He brought all that case-solving and comedy experience to bear in adapting the Eduardo Sacheri novel, interweaving the parallel worlds of the personal and the professional as his central character comes to realize that there is much more in his life to resolve than this single case.

The story begins in Buenos Aires in the '70s with the brutal rape and murder of the 23-year-old wife of Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago), an ordinary young man with an extraordinary love for his wife and the life they were beginning to build. All these years later, Espósito sets about turning the case into a novel in an effort to answer all that remains unanswered.

As the puzzle of the past unfolds in flashbacks, the present reconnects him with his own lost love, Irene (Soledad Villamil), who was his young boss on the case and is now a respected judge with a family; he is just older and alone. But the spark remains, and Campanella strings a tight wire of crackling dialogue between them packed with all the tension and tease of a couple dancing around the edges of a relationship.

The filmmaker is careful not to overuse their substantial chemistry, sprinkling it through the film like a hot spice as Espósito tries to figure out what clues he overlooked years ago. Another key player in this well-cast ensemble is Espósito's partner Sandoval, a sometimes-brilliant investigator forever sidetracked by his love of booze, played with an amusing blend of ironic pathos by famed Argentine comic Guillermo Francella.

Campanella has been clever in using the blueprint of a cold-case procedural to explore a range of emotional themes from love and obsession to justice and retribution, all cast against a dark time of secret police and political intrigues in his native land. The action is moved along as much by patterns of human behavior as by events, and in doing so the filmmaker has given texture and depth to what could otherwise have become a more conventional thriller.

While Espósito sorts through his second thoughts and reconsiderations of decisions he and others made so long ago, director of photography Félix Monti and the production team work to both connect and separate the eras by keeping much of the focus on the faces and, of course, the eyes. When the camera pulls back to let more in, tension usually comes with it, as when Espósito spots the husband in a train station and learns that he spends his days moving from one station to another, hoping to spot the killer who's never been caught.

Darín is captivating as Espósito, and despite the years etched on the actor's face, he still brings his scenes as a much younger Espósito to life. He is the spine of the film, and it is the strength of the connection he builds with each character in turn — the lost love, the drunken partner, the destroyed husband, the killer — that ultimately makes the film a timepiece of precision and artistry. Like the murder at the heart of this tale, "Secret" is bound to linger in the memory for years."

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

30 de abril de 2010

¡Empezamos!

Hola a todos!

En esta primera entrega de nuestra práctica permanente on line queremos acercarles un ejercicio para que practiquen elementos del idioma con los que están familiarizados o conozcan.

El ejercicio es un informe de un canal de noticias de Nueva York, e incluye las respuestas en la última hoja.

Además les queremos dejar un informe de la radio australiana acerca de los millones de pasajeros que quedaron varados en Europa a raiz de la erupción de un volcán en Islandia. Una oportunidad para experimentar cómo es exponerse al Inglés Australiano.

Sean curiosos, exploren, y anímense a equivocarse. De los errores, aprendemos más que de los libros.
Suerte y a trabajar, entonces!

EJERCICIO - DVD Review "It's Complicated!" - Descargar en PDF

Y para saber un poco más de esta película... el trailer de "It's Complicated"

Australian Radio - Stranded in London - Descargar en PDF

Que tengan una buena semana!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

NOTA: Para escuchar el audio deberán tener instalado el Flash Player de Acrobat

24 de abril de 2010

Primer Cuatrimestre 2010

Hola y bienvenidos al Primer Cuatrimestre!

A partir de la última semana de abril volveremos a actualizar quincenalmente los Blogs del Centro Universitario de Idiomas.
Si estás recibiendo este e-mail es porque en algún momento te suscribiste a nuestro correo de actualizaciones.

* Para recibir actualizaciones de tu curso actual deberás suscribirte al BLOG corresponidiente al NIVEL que estés realizando. (aquí el listado de Niveles)
* Al mismo tiempo si quisieras no recibir más actualizaciones de ESTE BLOG, deberás desuscribirte.

Ambas acciones son fáciles de realizar, y deben ser hechas personalmente.

Esperamos contarte entre nuestros alumnos que siguen apostando a continuar capacitándose para hablar y disfrutar de más Inglés.

Muchas gracias!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Universitario de Idiomas

12 de diciembre de 2010

Proficiency Test

Keyboard Symbols and Punctuation Marks

Look at the keys across the top of the computer keyboard.

Look around the computer keyboard.

8 de diciembre de 2010

Homophones

More Homophones

26 de noviembre de 2010

Writing Quiz I

Writing Quiz II

Correct the Mistake

19 de noviembre de 2010

Getting ready to go on vacation?

Abbreviations Used in Employment Ads

Vocabulary for University Students

5 de noviembre de 2010

L & R Minimal Pair Quiz

29 de octubre de 2010

Lie or Lay?

Connecting Words

13 de octubre de 2010

8 de octubre de 2010

The "Mother" Quiz

19 de septiembre de 2010

17 de septiembre de 2010

What's the Correct Word Order?

Correct or Incorrect use of preposition?

10 de septiembre de 2010

27 de agosto de 2010

21 de agosto de 2010

25 de junio de 2010

11 de junio de 2010

29 de mayo de 2010

27 de mayo de 2010

16 de mayo de 2010

2 de mayo de 2010

30 de abril de 2010

24 de abril de 2010