World's Top Landmarks

Some of Europe's greatest landmarks.



And here are some of  Madrid's top landmarks.What is your favourite?



The Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

In 2007 The New Seven Wonders Foundation started a campaign to maintain and restore world heritage sites. For a year and a half, over 100,000,000 people voted to choose the new seven wonders of the modern world. Although The Alhambra of Granada was one of the candidates, no Spanish landmark was included in the final list.


Watch the following videos to discover which are the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

   


Now try to match the sentences with the landmark they describe.
 

1. The name of the site means Old Mountain.
2. It was built of brick and stone.
3. It still serves as a model for every modern sports stadium.
4. It sits at the top of the Corcovado Mountain.
5. It was an important Mayan city.
6. It is located in a valley near the Dead Sea.
7. It was built to honour the emperor's favourite wife.
8. It was rediscovered in 1911.
9. Its origins date back to the 7th century.  
10. It has been described as a jewel of Muslim art. 
11. It has been severely damaged by earthquakes and stone robbers.
12. It was built between 1632 and 1648.
13. Only surviving wonder of the Ancient World, it was named an honorary candidate.

  

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela,  South Africa's  first black president, dies aged 95.

"Don't judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times I fell and got back up again."

President Obama pays tribute to Mandela

Global Warming

Do the following test and then submit your result to me.

Teacher code: OlgaGalileo

Please write your name and surname.

The Girl Who Was Shot for Going to School

“Let us pick up our books and our pens.They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” 

Malala receives Sakharov prize for freedom of thought.





One year ago schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen - her "crime", to have spoken up for the right of girls to be educated. A few months later Malala addressed the United Nations Youth Assembly.




Click here to read Malala's full speech at the UN.

Find out about Malala, her biography, her achievements, the country she comes from.

Here are some useful links:

BBC Profile: Malala Yousafzai. 

Malala Yousafzai. Biography.

Ten ways Malala has changed the world




Watch Malala's interview on The Daily Show.

Women in Science

Look at the photograph carefully. What stands out straight away? Do you recognize anybody there?

The photo was taken at the Solvay Conference on Physics in 1927 and the woman in the bottom row, and indeed the only woman, is, as I am sure you've guessed, Marie Curie. You've heard her name and probably know something about her achievements as a scientist.

Watch the video and try to write down as many relevant facts about her life and career as you can.




To what extent have things changed since 1927, when the photo was taken? Not as much as you would expect, according to a study published by Yale University. According to this study, of all the physics professors in the United States, only 14% are women and only one fifth of Ph.D.'s are awarded to women.

Lucía, a student doing research at a university in Denmark, tells us:

"Personally, I am surrounded by men in the research area, we are only two girls out of twelve in the group and the same proportion can be expanded to the whole department. In the beginning it was funny to see the guys' faces when I could solve a problem that we were facing, but I cannot tell if it was because I was a woman or because I was a foreigner (or both?).
Women getting into science  is like men getting into the baby stuff: sometimes it might be hard for women to accept advice from a man on how to take care of children just as it might be for men to accept advice from women on how that sensor has to be built. But we are in the good track, I would say." (Lucía Alcalá, former Galileo Galilei student)

What is keeping women out of STEM fields? (STEM stands for "science, technology, engineering and mathematics")

Tuesday 16 October marks Ada Lovelace day, an annual event "designed to raise the profile of female scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians."
But who was Ada Lovelace and what do you know about her? Look her up and write a few lines about her achievements.

Feel free to leave your comments.

Dangerous Jobs

This week we have been talking about some dangerous jobs. Here is one not many people would be willing to do. Would you?

1. What is the name of the bridge? 
2. How long is it? What other facts about the bridge do we learn?
3. How long does it take to paint the bridge?
4. What test do potential workers have to pass before they can get the job?
5. How many workers have died on the job?
6. What famous landmark can be seen from the top?
7. What do they wear to protect themselves?

Gerund or Infinitive?

Trying to decide when to use an infinitive or a gerund can drive you crazy. And there is no easy way to learn, I'm afraid. It's just a matter of PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE.

Here are some links to get you started.

Infinitive or -ing? Verb Lists
More verb lists
Infinitive or Gerund? Some exercises.
Keep practising
And still some more!

A look inside a Syrian Refugee Camp in Turkey

Thousands of Syrians flee their country and find refuge in neighbouring Turkey. They leave behind a  terrible conflict which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands.

1. How has the number of Syrian refugees leaving their country increased in the past month?
2. How many Syrian refugees are now in Turkey?
3. How old is Um Omar? Did she arrive in Turkey alone?
4. How does Um Omar describe her  life in Syria?
5. Do the Turkish authorities let all the refugees arriving at the border into the country?
6. What are the main problems inside the camp?
7. What is their main fear?