29 de octubre de 2010

Verbos irregulares

Hola,
han comenzado en sus cursos a analizar tiempos perfectos, y con ellos han llegados los verbos irregulares. Les acercamos un ejercicio para ver cuánto recuerdan de las 3 columnas de algunos de esos verbos. Suerte!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

Irregular Verbs

Think of the correct answer, then click on the answer button to see the correct answer.

gowentgone
make
meant
met
pay
put
read
ride
rang
risen
run
said
seen
sell
sent
set
shoot
showed
shut
sing
sank

(C) 1997 Charles Kelly

13 de octubre de 2010

All miners are saved

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!
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

8 de octubre de 2010

A pensar un poco!

Interjections

Click the answer button to see the answer.

  1. An interjection is ___.
    a. an exclamation which shows thoughts or feelings
    b. a meaningless string of sounds
    c. the same as an adjective

  2. Which of the following interjections is NOT an expression of surprise or wonder?
    a. Gee!
    b. Gosh!
    c. Boo!

  3. You are vegetarian and you are offered a dish of raw meat. What do you think?
    a. Ugh!
    b. Hurrah!
    c. Yippee!

  4. Somebody has just stepped on your toe. Which interjection would best fit the situation?
    a. Yoo-hoo!
    b. Ouch!
    c. Eh!

  5. You are most likely to hear or use the interjection boo ___.
    a. at a theatrical performance
    b. while listening to a political speech
    c. on both of the above mentioned occasions

  6. ___, Mary! Come here! I want to talk to you.
    a. Oops
    b. Mmm
    c. Hey

  7. 'Ta' is synonymous of ___.
    a. take it easy
    b. thank you
    c. tra-la-la

  8. The interjections 'blimey' and 'crickey' imply ___.
    a. joy
    b. surprise or wonder
    c. irritation

  9. Your children are making a lot of noise and you want to hear the news on the radio. How do you urge silence?
    a. Shh!
    b. Tut-tut.
    c. Ow!

  10. Which of the following interjections is NOT used when cheering for a team?
    a. Rah!
    b. Yay!
    c. Yikes!

  11. ___! The spinach soup is out of this world!
    a. Mmm
    b. Yuk
    c. Uh

  12. A: I scored 660 points at the TOEFL test!
    B: ___! That's amazing!
    a. Wow
    b. Aha
    c. Woe

  13. Which is the odd man out? (Which word fits in a different group?)
    a. hey
    b. yoo-hoo
    c. oops

  14. Paraphrase the interjection used in the following dialogue.
    • A: I've forgotten to tell John about the party.
    • B: Eh?

    a. What did you say?
    b. Really?
    c. How come?

  15. The interjection 'Woe!' is a synonym of ___.
    a. Alas!
    b. Bother!
    c. Really!

Copyright 1998 by Miroslava Nikolova

24 de septiembre de 2010

Expresiones con animales.

Loca como tu madre, más loca que una cabra, claro como el agua, dormí como un bebé, me siento como sapo de otro pozo... Son todas expresiones que comparan un objeto, animal, o persona con otro objeto, animal o persona. Y muchas veces no tienen mucha lógica. En inglés existen muchas de estas expresiones, y hoy les proponemos explorarlas juntos. Asi que tomen un diccionario, o utilicen el mejor diccionario que tienen: la intuición... y a resolver este ejercicio!

Click on the answer button to see if your answer is correct.
    As ___ as a bat.
    As ___ as a bee.
    As ___ as a bell.
    As ___ as a daisy.
    As ___ as an eel.
    As ___ as a feather.
    As ___ as a fox.
    As ___ as the hills.
    As ___ as a mouse.
    As ___ as a mule.


(C) 1998 Vera Mello

Saludos,
Prof. Mariano Ignacio
Centro Univ. de Idiomas

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

Conjunctions

Hola a todos!

una conjunción es una palabra o un conjunto de palabras que enlazan oraciones o sub-oraciones.

Podemos agrupar las conjunciones en COORDINATIVAS y SUBORDINATIVAS, entendiendo por coordinativas aquéllas que unen palabras u oraciones de la misma categoría y subordinativas, las que unen una oración principal y una subordinada.

CONJUNCIONES COORDINATIVAS

and
, y /now, ahora bien /but, pero /still, no obstante /yet, sin embargo /only, sólo que /
while
, mientras / so, así que / so then, por tanto / for, pues / either... or..., o... o... / neither... nor..., ni... ni... / however, no obstante / therefore, por lo tanto / nevertheless, sin embargo


CONJUNCIONES SUBORDINATIVAS

that, que / because of, debido a / since, ya que, puesto que / as, pues, como / so that, a fin de que /
lest, para (que) no / if, si / unless, a menos que
although, though, aunque / while, en tanto que /
until, hasta que / as if, as though, como si / when, cuando / why, por que /
in order that, para, a fin de que / whether... or, si... o

Y después de un poco de TEORÍA... manos a la obra!

Conjunctions

Click the answer buttons to see the answers.
  1. Do you think this is something ___ can be learned?
    a. who
    b. that
    c. X (the conjunction can be omitted)
  2. Don't go out ___ you've finished your work.
    a. as
    b. while
    c. until
  3. Make sure you close all the windows ___ it starts to rain.
    a. after
    b. before
    c. for
  4. I think I know ___ he left the job.
    a. why
    b. until
    c. where
  5. ___ I had known how much I would disappoint him, I woudn't have done it.
    a. Whether
    b. When
    c. If
  6. ___ you see me, get in the car.
    a. As soon as
    b. While
    c. Whether
  7. My friend John, ___ lives in California, has a car with a New York license.
    a. whose
    b. who
    c. that
  8. It's usually quite simple to cross the border between the USA and Canada ___ these two countries have friendly relations.
    a. yet
    b. and
    c. because
  9. ___ a university professor returns from a sabbatical leave, he should be better qualified.
    a. Until
    b. When
    c. Even though
  10. She's ___ a snobbish person ___ nobody likes to be with her.
    a. such...that
    b. such...as
    c. so...that

10 de septiembre de 2010

Interested or Interesting?

Adjectives ending with -ed and -ing

Click the answer button to see the answer.
Sue: Hi, Jane. Have you had an (interest) day?
Jane: I've had a very (excite) day. It's my birthday today.
Sue: I'm a little (confuse). I thought your birthday was next month.
Jane No, that's my brother's birthday. Mine is today.

Sue: Oh! Now I'm (embarrass). I didn't get you a present.
Jane: That's (disappoint). But it's OK.
Sue: Now I'm (depress), too.
    Hey, I've just had a (fascinate) idea.
    Why don't we go shopping and get you a present right now? That way we can get you something really (please).
Jane: What an (enchant) idea. Where shall we start?
Sue: What about right here?



Bill: Hi, Mark. You look (tire).
.
Mark: I am. I'm totally (exhaust)
.
Bill: Why? What have you been doing?
Mark: I've been getting my house ready for the painters to come tomorrow. Now they ring me to tell me, yet again, that they can't come till next week. I'm getting very (annoy) with them..
Bill: That's (disappoint).
    I'll bet that you'll be (please) when it's finished.
Mark: You're not wrong! I'm starting to get very (bore) with all the delays.
    It's (distress).
.
Bill: You must be so (frustrate). When do they think they will finish painting you house.
Mark: They say that it will take about two weeks to finish. But when they will start I don't know.

Bill: Don't be too (depress).
    Just think of how (relieve) you'll be when it's finished.
Mark: That's the (frighten) thing. I'm starting to believe that it will never be finished.
Bill: What a (shock) thought.
    Never mind. One day soon you'll wake up with the (relax) thought that it's finished and you don't have to worry about it anymore.
Mark: I hope you're right.



Amy: Have you heard the (suprise) news about Alice and Ted?
Cathy: You mean about their getting married. Yes, I have. I was absolutely (astonish) when I heard about it.
    I thought it was the most (astound) thing I'd heard in a long time. They're always fighting like cats and dogs.

Amy: I agree with you. I was pretty (shock) when I heard about it myself.
Cathy: Actually, I'm (relieve).
    I was always (worry) that they would break up. Now I can relax.
Amy: What a (depress) idea.
    But you're right. That would be an (upset) thing to happen.
Cathy: Now we can all relax knowing that they will live a life of (content), (wed) bliss.
Amy: You're so right. I just love weddings. They're so (fascinate).
Copyright (C) 1998 Douglas Gilbert