"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, AND that has made all the difference" The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

DREAMING IN ENGLISH. Are you dreaming in English yet?

WELCOME!!! This is a bit of a challenge for me!!! This blog is intended for all audiences. I hope you enjoy and get the most of it!!!

Here you might find resources to help you navigate the muddy waters of English. The humble aim of this blog is just to keep you in touch with different types of English and different aspects of the English culture , to increase your curiosity about English through many different fields.

Licencia Creative Commons
Are you dreaming in English yet? por BE se encuentra bajo una Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 Unported.

domingo, 7 de noviembre de 2010

BOOKING A ROOM IN A HOTEL



Pay attention to these sentences that may be useful for you when trying to book a room

AT A HOTEL:
1) The guest
- Have you got a single/ double room for tonight?
- I'd like to stay in a double room.
- Do all the rooms have air-conditioning?
- Is breakfast included?
- When do you serve breakfast?
- Could you give me a call at 7 tomorrow morning, please?
I'd like to pay in cash/by credit card/by traveller's cheque

2) The receptionist
- Hello, can I help you?
- Would you like a room with a bath or a shower?
- How long would you like to stay at our hotel?
- How would you like to pay?
- Your room in on the second floor on the right.
- Sorry, we're fully booked for tonight.
- Sorry, we are full up.
- Is there anything else I can do for you?


There are different types of accommodation:
- bed and breakfast
- guesthouse
- hotel
- inn

- resort
- youth hostel

- motel

What´s the difference between them? Which one do you prefer? Why?

When in a hotel you may need some vocabulary or expressions like this:
- Amenities / facilities
- cable TV
- check in / check out
- continental breakfast
- handicapped facilities
- hot tub
- indoor / outdoor heated pool
- kitchen / kitchenette
- microwave
- queen-size bed / king-size bed
- rollaway bed
- room rates
- call the front desk / reception
-cancel a reservation
- make a reservation
- order room service

- hire a car
- I would be very grateful if ...
- I would be grateful for an indication of your rates: including full board / half board / breakfast / evening meal.
Watch this video and pay attention to the requirements of these people.
Is there a problem with the check in?







A BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT THANKSGIVING




WHO WERE THE PILGRIMS? WHY DO AMERICANS CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING DAY? DO THIS WEBQUEST AND FIND OUT MORE THINGS ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY AND THIS FESTIVITY





DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT THE FIRST THANKSGIVING? FOLLOW THIS GAME AND FIND IT OUT. BE A HISTORIAN RESEARCHER FOR A WHILE AND FIND OUT AS MANY THINGS AS POSSIBLE.
http://www.plimoth.org/media/olc/intro.html

THANKSGIVING´S FOOD








The annual Thanksgiving tradition in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century. In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World, the English Pilgrims had a very successful and plentiful fall harvest. The Pilgrims, who had settled Plymouth Colony (in present day Massachusetts), soon made peace with the local Native American tribe, the Wampanoag. To celebrate the harvest, the Pilgrims and the Native Americans joined together to feast. Since then, an annual day of Thanksgiving has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving is also celebrated in Canada, on the second Monday in October.
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes: roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and rolls. No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a pumpkin pie for dessert!

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO COOK A TYPICAL THANKSGIVING DESSERT? HERE YOU HAVE SOME HELP. HAVE A GO!!!...

Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 9-inch pie shell

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin
purée and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and combine. Set aside.
WHY EATING TURKEY? WATCH THIS VIDEO AND SEE HOW TRADITIONS CHANGE.
1. WHAT´S THE NEW WAY OF COOKING TURKEY?
2. WHERE IS IT MORE POPULAR?
3. WHY DO THEY SAY IT IS BETTER COOKED IN THIS WAY THAN IN THE OVEN?
4. HOW IS IT PREPARED? CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT STEPS THE WOMAN FOLLOWS?
5. WHO DECIDED TO USE THE TURKEY AS THE NATIONAL BIRD?
6. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK IT?