Reading

I bet all our students in the UK are enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having. Hopefully, the sunshine will stay around for a while, so why not take your books outside and go and study in one of our parks or at the seaside? Not only will you feel happier, you’ll also be healthier! Read this article about the benefits of time in the sun and try to complete the gaps with the missing words. Enjoy!
Lesson by Caroline

Quite a few of our schools are located near beaches, so you may find this vocabulary very useful! Read this short text about my recent trip to the beach and try to complete the gaps with the correct vocabulary. How many of you are studying near a beach? What is your favourite beach? There is a town in Spain called 'Nerja' and they have the most beautiful beach, I wish I could go there for a few days now. Enjoy!
Lesson by Caroline

The famous coffee chain, Starbucks, is starting a new scheme that they think will make their cafe a friendlier place to be. Starbucks employees want to know your first name and will call it when your drink is ready. This is already common practise in America, but very unusual in the UK. Personally, I don’t really want to chat when I go to a coffee shop, I usually go to work! I think I must be very British!

Read the following conversation and pay attention to the idioms in orange:

Hank:  Surprise, Jenny! I heard about you being bedridden. I came to cheer you up.

Jenny: Wow, thanks for coming by. You’ve totally brightened up my day!

Hank: Oh, I almost forgot. I also brought you a pint of your favourite ice cream!

For years now, women have been fighting to be given the same level of responsibility and the same wages as men. In fact, in the UK a female executive doing the same job as a male gets an average of £10,000 less per year.

It can be difficult to move and live in a new environment, especially when this new environment is a foreign country. In an unfamiliar setting you are likely to feel insecure and disoriented. You have to deal with different values, behaviors, and social customs of a different culture.

Fred is being invited by his buddies (friends) Jeff, Nicole, and Selina to go to a soccer game. It has been a while since the four have had an opportunity to spend time together. Read their conversation then answer the questions below:

Jeff : Hey Fred, have any plans tomorrow? Nicole, Selina, and I are all going to watch Manchester United play Chelsea in London. We have an extra ticket. You interested in tagging along?

I was not surprised when I read this article published on the BBC, that few children in the UK are being exposed to cultural activity. This seems like such a shame when there are so many great museums, galleries and theatres in this country, many of which you can attend for free! Is this the case in your country, or is culture an important part of children’s education? Let us know your views.

Read through the article and then answer the true or false questions below.

Good luck!