SPAIN'S KING JUAN CARLOS I TO ABDICATE

After 39 years on the throne, King Juan Carlos of Spain will abdicate in favour of his son Crown Prince Felipe.

the king explained his decision on Spanish television and radio. He highlighted his pride in the "transformation of Spain" and the "tremendous amount achieved by all" since the country's transition into democracy.

"Today, when I look back, I cannot help but feel pride and gratitude towards all of you," he said.

The decision to step down, he said, was made after his 76th birthday in January. His son Felipe, he assured Spaniards, "has the maturity, preparation, and sense of responsibility necessary to assume the title of head of state and open a new era of hope which combines the experience and momentum of a new generation."

KINGS OF SPAIN FROM 1492 UNTIL JUAN CARLOS I

ASCENSION DAY_29th MAY 2014

Ascension Day is the day when Christians around the world celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven in the fourth decade AD. It is a moveable holiday and depends on when Easter occurs. Ascension Day is celebrated on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter Sunday because, before his ascension, Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples after he rose from death.

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY_ 18TH MAY 2014

Every year since 1977 International Museum Day is organised worldwide around May 18.

International Museum Day website

The theme of theInternational Museum Day 2014 will be:

Museum collections make connections.

This day is an occasion to raise awareness on how important museums are in the development of society.

ICOM Advisory Committee organises the theme of this event that, given the high number of countries involved, lasts a day, a weekend, a week or even a month.

From America to Oceania including Africa, Europe and Asia, this international event has confirmed its popularity. 

These recent years, International Museum Day has been experiencing its highest involution with almost 30,000 museums that organised activities in more than 120 countries.

AUSTRIA WINS EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2014

 

It was an exciting evening at the B&W Hallerne where in front of thousands of people in the arena and millions of people on TV, Conchita Wurst from Austria won the 2014 edition of Europe's Favourite TV Show with the song Rise Like A Phoenix!

Austria was followed by The Netherlands and Sweden with 238 and 218 points respectively.

PRONUNCIATION ED_ PAST REGULAR VERBS

Listen to some examples: 1, 2

Practice: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Let's practise the Simple Past Tense:

TO BE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Pronouncing the -ED ending. Read, listen and practise: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6,

Affirmative Form:

Regular Verbs: 1, 2, 3, 4

Practise with sound: 1, 2, 3

Listen on Google Translate 

Without sound: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

PLAY THE GAME 

PILGRIMAGE OUR LADY OF CABEZA - 27th APRIL2014

Our Lady of Cabeza (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, La Santísima Virgen de la Cabeza, Virgen de la Cabeza, Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la Cabeza), is a Marian apparition whose cult is centered at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, located in the Natural Park of the Sierra of Andújar, 32 km north of the city of Andújar, Spain. A Black Madonna, she is known popularly as La Morenita (“The Dark Lady”)

She is one of the patron saints of Andújar (the other is Saint Euphrasius) and the diocese of Jaén. Her name refers to the Cerro del  Cabezo ridge where she is said to have appeared. She was declared patroness of Andújar by Pope Pius X on March 18, 1909 and of the Diocese of Jaén by Pope John XXIII on November 27, 1959.

The pilgrimage is celebrated on the last Sunday of April. This celebration has its origins in the 13th century, and some half a million people gather to see the Virgin paraded among the forests for over 30 kilometres.

Regarding its popular customs, there is the pilgrimage in honor of the Virgen de la Cabeza, patron saint of the city and of the diocese of Jaen, which has its sanctuary 32 kilometres from the city and where more than five hundred thousand people congregate during the last weekend of April.

Calderón de la Barca and Miguel de Cervantes talk about it in some of their books and it is verified that it is the first pilgrimage of which there is known proven information that it has been celebrated since before recorded history in Spain.

THE BEATLES

On 10 April 1970, Paul McCartney announced the end of the band known as the Beatles. The the band officially split on 31 December 1970.

Who were the Beatles?

The Beatles, or the Fab Four, were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. They were one of the most famous rock groups of all time. 




Musicians John Lennon and Paul McCartney played together in the late 1950s as 'The Quarrymen'. With Harrison they formed 'The Silver Beatles' in 1959 and then in 1962, Ringo Starr joined the trio and thy dropped the Silver to be know as the Beatles.

Why are the Beatles so famous?

They were the first British band to write their own songs and music.

They are the only group in recording history to have 20 songs reach number one.

How many songs did the Beatles record?

The Beatles recorded 214 songs from 1962 to 1970. Their first UK single was 'Love Me Do', released on 5 October 1962.

The 1964 song 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' sparked “Beatlemania” in the United States and the band became an international success.  

Other songs included:

• I Want to Hold Your Hand
• A Hard Day's Night
• Help!
• Yesterday
• Hey Jude
• A Little
• Help From My Friends
• Paperback Writer
• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

The group's albums include 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964), 'Revolver' (1966) and 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1967). The Beatles last album recorded was 'Abbey Road' (pictured right). 

                                    

THE BEATLES

On 10 April 1970, Paul McCartney announced the end of the band known as the Beatles. The the band officially split on 31 December 1970.

Who were the Beatles?

The Beatles, or the Fab Four, were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. They were one of the most famous rock groups of all time.

Musicians John Lennon and Paul McCartney played together in the late 1950s as 'The Quarrymen'. With Harrison they formed 'The Silver Beatles' in 1959 and then in 1962, Ringo Starr joined the trio and thy dropped the Silver to be know as the Beatles.

Why are the Beatles so famous?

They were the first British band to write their own songs and music.

They are the only group in recording history to have 20 songs reach number one.

How many songs did the Beatles record?

The Beatles recorded 214 songs from 1962 to 1970. Their first UK single was 'Love Me Do', released on 5 October 1962.

The 1964 song 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' sparked “Beatlemania” in the United States and the band became an international success.

Other songs included:

I Want to Hold Your Hand

A Hard Day's NightHelp!

Yesterday
Hey Jude
A Little
Help From My Friends
Paperback Writer
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

The group's albums include 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964), 'Revolver' (1966) and 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1967). The Beatles last album recorded was 'Abbey Road' (pictured right).

THE BEATLES

In the 1960s a new band known as the Beatles burst on the pop music scene and changed it forever. Band members included George Harrison (1943–2001), John Lennon (1940–1980), Paul McCartney (1942–), and Ringo Starr (1940–). With the release of three anthologies (collections) in the mid-1990s, the Beatles remain one of the best-selling musical groups of all time.

• HISTORY
• THE BEATLES WEBSITE
• LYRICS
• THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY 1

ED SULLIVAN SHOW

The Beatles appeared on three consecutive Sundays in February 1964 to great anticipation and fanfare as "I Want to Hold Your Hand" had swiftly risen to #1 in the charts. Their first appearance on February 9 is considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers, at the time a record for US television, and was characterized by an audience composed largely of screaming hysterical teenage girls in tears. The Beatles followed Ed's show opening intro, performing "All My Loving", "Till There Was You" which featured the names of the group members superimposed on closeup shots, including the famous "Sorry girls, he's married:" caption on John Lennon, and "She Loves You". They returned later in the program to perform "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

THE BEATLES. SHEA STADIUM (1965)

THE BEATLES. SHEA STADIUM (1965)

Concert At Shea Stadium

Read about one of the main events in the Beatles' history: the concert that they performed at the Shea Stadium, in August 1965, which probably remains the greatest and the craziest live moment of their career. READ

If you want to watch the concert, here you have the link. It's incredible but real.

WORLD HEALTH DAY 2014

Every year, World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of concern for WHO.

World Health Day is a global campaign, inviting everyone – from global leaders to the public in all countries – to focus on a single health challenge with global impact. Focusing on new and emerging health issues, World Health Day provides an opportunity to start collective action to protect people's health and well-being.

World Health Day 2014

More than half of the world's population is at risk from vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. Yet, we can protect ourselves and our families by taking simple preventive measures, including vaccination.

NATIONAL TARTAN DAY - USA - 6TH APRIL

             

National Tartan Day honors and celebrates Scottish culture and the role it has played in the development of the United States. Canada has been celebrating Tartan Day since 1993 and the U.S. Senate officially passed it into law in 1998.

There are three groups of people that came from Scotland to America -- the Lowland Scotts, the Highland Scotts, and the Scotch-Irish. Each of these groups has influenced American culture. They've passed on Scottish last names, introduced the sport of golf, shared the sounds of the bagpipes, and made tartan a fashion staple!

Tartan is a crisscrossed pattern of horizontal and vertical bands woven into cloth. It is made by weaving colored threads at right angles to each other. The Dress Act of 1746 attempted to ban tartan and other aspects of Gaelic culture in order to bring people under tighter government control. The law was repealed in 1782 and tartan became symbolic as the national dress of Scotland. 

To celebrate National Tartan Day, wear your favorite tartan and celebrate Scottish-American culture!

APRIL FOOLS' DAY

April Fools' Day is always celebrated on April 1st. It is the name given to the custom of playing practical jokes on friends, or sending them on fools errands. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes played on friends or relatives might last the entire day. Even the news media and major companies sometimes get involved. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"

The history of April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is not clear. There is no first "April Fools' Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar, although it is known to date back at least to the sixteenth century. Most historians believe that April Fool’s Day originated in continental northern Europe and then spread to Britain.

READING COMPREHENSION QUIZ

THE HISTORY OF APRIL FOOLS' DAY

APRIL FOOLS' DAY

History and Traditions :

- Whales abandoned in school pool (CBBC) - Whales in the pool? APRIL FOOL! (CBBC) - Can you spot the April fools' gags? - interactive quiz (The Guardian) - Famous April Fool's Day Hoaxes (wyrdology.com) April Fools' Day "April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is a day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication onfriends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible... The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Chaucer'sCanterbury Tales (1392). "  See Well-known pranks + April Fools' Day in media (Wikipedia) Museum of Hoaxes: Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time (museumofhoaxes.com) Origine et citations (wilstar) Learn all about the history of April Fool's Day (about.com) Traditions et Poèmes (about.com) April Fools Day (learnenglish.de) April Fools Day (woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk) The Perfect April Fools Day Joke (phonydiploma.com)

Vocabulary :

• April Fool Dictionary (about.com)

Listening :

• April Fool's Day - AUDIO + a VIDEO (BBC)  

• Spaghetti Harvest - a video (BBC) 

Conversation questions :

• Conversation Questions : April Fool's Day (iteslj)

INTERACTIVE exercises : 

• Jokes, tricks and pranks - interactive quiz
  (BBC)
• April Fools Day - Reading comprehension with an interactive exercise(2ndnature-online-eikaiwa.com)
  

• April Fool's Day Quiz (about.com)

• Quotations - What they say about fools - Matching exercise

• Can you spot the April fools' gags? - interactive quiz (The Guardian)

Exercises TO PRINT :

• April Fools' Day  - UPDATED
  "Fill in each blank space with the correct response."
  ex : "Another word for "practical joke" is ... (prank/plank)."(eslpdf.com)

Lesson plans :

• April Fool's Day.
  "Take a look at the article, story, cartoon, trivia, links, history and word game."
  (British Council)

• April Fool's Day - a lesson plan (eslholidaylessons.com) 
  Word Doc | PDF | MP3 Listening  | Online Exercise

• April Fool's Day - a lesson plan (British Council) 
  Level - Intermediate and above "This lesson gives students the opportunity to find out about what happens on April Fool's Day, April 1st, in the UK.
  It's the one day of the year when it's acceptable to play jokes on your friends and colleagues.
  Many countries have their own equivalent of April Fool's Day."

Webquests : 

• Scavenger Hunt : APRIL FOOL (Education World)
  
  

INTERACTIVE games :

• April Fool's Day Word Search (surfnetkids.com)
  
  

Songs :

• April Fools Day (nwfolk.com)

 

FRANCIS MARKS 1ST ANNIVERSARY AS A POPE

The 77-year-old Francis, who was elected the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, broke his silence with a Twitter post asking the faithful to pray for him.

Pope Francis marked his one-year anniversary Thursday with a simple tweet: "Please pray for me."

Francis' appeal echoed his gesture on that rainy night one year ago when he came out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and introduced himself to the world. Rather than impart a blessing on the crowd below, Francis asked first for a "favor," asking the crowd to bless him.

Francis has continued to ask for prayers, ending nearly each appearance with a similar request.

Francis spent his anniversary tucked away on retreat south of Rome with senior Vatican cardinals and monsignors. The Vatican said nothing special was planned, just prayer and meditations.

IT'S OUR DAY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2014 THEME

nternational Women's Day 2014 Theme: INSPIRING CHANGE

Women's equality has made positive gains but the world is still unequal. International Women's Day celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action.

Inspiring Change is the 2014 theme for our internationalwomensday.com global hub and encourages advocacy for women's advancement everywhere in every way. It calls for challenging the status quo for women's equality and vigilance inspiring positive change.

The vast array of communication channels, supportive spokespeople, equality research, campaigns and corporate responsibility initiatives means everyone can be an advocate inspiring change for women's advancement.

Each year International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women's Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day.

Some groups select their own International Women's Day theme, specific to their local context. For example, the European Parliament's 2013 theme was "Women's response to the crisis" and their 2012 theme "Equal pay for work of equal value".

The United Nations declares an annual theme:

- 2013: A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women
- 2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty
- 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology
- 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all
- 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
- 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
- 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
- 2006: Women in decision-making
- 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
- 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
- 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
- 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
- 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
- 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
- 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
- 1998: Women and Human Rights
- 1997: Women at the Peace Table
- 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
- 1975: United Nations recognizes International Women's Day