Happy Halloween!

Hallowe'en (derived from "All Hallow's Eve," so called as it is the day before All Saints day) is celebrated on the night of October 31, usually by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets.

Here you have a series of activities related to Halloween:
History.
Vocabulary.
Games: Haunted House, Haunted House II, Costumes, Matching Game, Paint It!, Spelloween.
Quizzes: Quiz I, Quiz II,
Trivia.

This is Halloween: The Night Before Christmas.



Main source: British Council.

English is all around

Why is English all around? Let's see:

English is an Indo-European, West Germanic language originating in England, and is the first language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the Anglophone Caribbean. It is used extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the world, especially in Commonwealth countries and in many international organizations. (Wikipedia).

This map shows the countries in which English is an official or de facto official language (red areas). Click here to see a detailed listing.

For more information, click on this link and on the Wikipedia.

This link also offers interesting and detailed information about the countries where English is spoken.

Finally, take this quiz: Where did the English language come from?

Test your level of English

If you want to test your level of English, click on this link.
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DO or MAKE

The two verbs 'do' and 'make' are often confused. The meanings are similar, but there are differences.

'Do' for Activities
Use the verb 'do' to express daily activities or jobs. Notice that these are usually activities that produce no physical object.
do homework - do housework - do the ironing - do the dishes - do a job

'Do' for General Ideas
Use the verb 'do' when speaking about things in general. In other words, when we do not exactly name an activity. This form is often used with the words 'something, nothing, anything, everything, etc.'
I'm not doing anything today. He does everything for his mother. She's doing nothing at the moment.

Important Expressions with 'Do'

There are a number of standard expressions that take the verb 'do'. These are standard collocations (verb + noun combinations) that are used in English.
do one's best - do good - do harm - do a favour - do business

'Make' for Constructing, Building, Creating
Use 'make' to express an activity that creates something that you can touch.
make food - make a cup of tea / coffee - make a mess

Important Expressions with 'Make'
There are a number of standard expressions that take the verb 'make'. In a number of cases the verb 'do' seems more appropriate. These are standard collocations (verb + noun combinations) that are used in English.
make plans - make an exception - make arrangements - make a telephone call - make a decision - make a mistake - make noise - make money - make an excuse - make an effort

Next, take the quiz testing 'do' or 'make'.

Source: About.com English as 2nd Language by Kenneth Beare.

Now you can practise what you have learnt playing this game.
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Summer Holiday World Geography Quiz

Do you like travelling? Have you ever been abroad? Summer is a great time for going to foreign places. Test your general knowledge on Geography by doing these quizzes. They are graded in different levels of difficulty.

Holiday Geography Quiz (easy)
Holiday Geography Quiz (easy) Long Timer
Holiday Geography Quiz (tricky)
Holiday Geography Quiz (tricky) Long Timer
Holiday Geography Quiz (fiendish)
Holiday Geography Quiz (fiendish) Long Timer

Source: http://yacapaca.com

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north. Gibraltar has historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a Royal Navy base. Today, Gibraltar is known colloquially as Gib or The Rock.

If you want to know more about Gibraltar and its history, click here.

Government of Gibraltar, Information Service.

Try this quiz to check how much you know about The Rock.

For A Virtual Travel to Gibraltar, click on this link.

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How healthy is your diet?

Do you want to know how healthy your diet is? Click on this link to guess.

The following picture displays "world obesity". It has been created by the Wellington Grey blog . There has been so much interest that the author has even made the picture into a poster that can be purchased.

Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other mammals, exceeds healthy limits. It is commonly defined as a body mass index (weight divided by height squared) of 30 kg/m2 or higher.
Although obesity is an individual clinical condition, some authorities view it as a serious and growing public health problem. Some studies show that excessive body weight has been shown to predispose to various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. (For more information, click here).

How much do I need to eat to lead a healthy diet?
Everyone wants to know how much they should eat to stay healthy. It's a tricky question, though. It depends on your age, gender, and how active you are. People who are more active burn more calories, so they need more calories. But in this picture, "the eatwell plate", and the following link, you have some estimates for how much you need of each food group.


Click on the pictures to enlarge.
And finally, if you want to play a nutrition game, click here.

Countdown quizzes

Do you want to try and do a quiz in ninety seconds? Here you have 58 of them on different topics. Choose one and test your general knowledge!!!

Countdown Quizzes.

David Beckham

David Beckham is nowadays one of the most famous football players in the world. He was born in England in 1975. He currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in the USA.

His career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17. He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons. In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and sign a five-year contract with Los Angeles Galaxy.

In 2004 he was the world's highest-paid footballer. Such global recognition has made him an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.

More details on David Beckham's biography.

How much do you know about Beckham? Find out by doing this quiz.

Video from yappr.com: Interview to David Beckham.

The commentary box: Beckham on England.