Do activities 2, 3 and 4 on page 30.
English - Advanced. This blog is aimed at advanced students and is intended to be an alternative source of information (other than the textbook and the photocopies provided by myself). This blog offers some extra material for further practice. It also contains some of the video-activities and podcasts that have been used in our lessons.
2 Dec 2025
27 Nov 2025
American Traditions: Thanksgiving.
Here you are the videos, questions and answers we dealt with yesterday in our class:
Click here to watch the video taken from History Channel.
Video 1 – History Channel: The History of Thanksgiving (traditional
perspective)
Questions
1.
What year did the colonists and the
Wampanoag tribe hold the three-day feast that is now commonly thought of as the
“first Thanksgiving”? The feast was held in 1621
2.
What kinds of food did the text say
were likely served at that original harvest feast (rather than today’s typical
turkey dinner)? The food likely included roast
goose, corn, codfish, and lobster —
not the turkey-centric meal we often imagine today
3.
Who campaigned for a national
Thanksgiving Day in the United States and influenced President Abraham Lincoln
to declare one? It was magazine editor Sarah
Josepha Hale, who wrote many letters to politicians urging a
national day of thanksgiving.
4.
In what year did President Lincoln
declare the last Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day? President Abraham Lincoln declared it in 1863.
5.
Name two modern traditions mentioned
in the video that became associated with Thanksgiving in the 20th century. Two modern traditions are:
o The playing of professional football games
on Thanksgiving Day.
o The Thanksgiving parade tradition (such as
the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which began in 1924) and also the linking
of Thanksgiving with the start of the Christmas shopping season.
Video 2 – MTV Decoded: Everything You Know About
Thanksgiving Is WRONG (critical perspective)
1.
At the beginning of the video, what classroom
Thanksgiving crafts does Franchesca show, and what does she say about them?
Suggested answer: She shows cute kindergarten Thanksgiving crafts (like
Pilgrim and “Indian” decorations) and calls them “adorably wrong,” saying they
are based on “half truths and propaganda” that adults have taught children.
2.
How does the video challenge the idea that the
Pilgrims and Native Americans were “best friends”?
Suggested answer: It explains that, at best, they were “political allies,” not
close friends. By the time the Pilgrims arrived, many Indigenous people had
already died from European diseases and slavery, and the settlers were often at
war with Native groups and routinely tortured them.
3.
What information does the video give about Squanto
that contradicts the usual school story?
Suggested answer: Instead of a friendly Native who simply chose to help the
Pilgrims, Squanto is described as someone who had been captured, taken to
Europe as a slave, and who learned English in order to escape, which completely
changes the context of his later role.
4.
What does the video say about another “Thanksgiving”
that took place 16 years later, and why is it disturbing?
Suggested answer: It says that the next “Thanksgiving” was celebrated about
sixteen years later to mark the massacre of the Pequot tribe, meaning that the
holiday was associated with celebrating the killing of Native families, not
peaceful coexistence.
5.
According to the video, when and why did Thanksgiving
become a national holiday, and how did the Pilgrim–Indian myth later become
part of the national story?
Suggested answer: The video states that Thanksgiving wasn’t a nationwide
holiday until Abraham Lincoln declared it one in 1863, during the Civil War, to
help unite the country. The Pilgrim–Indian friendship myth only became popular
in the 1900s, after most Native Americans had been killed, and it was then
written into school textbooks as if it were historical fact.
20 Nov 2025
Stereotypes
Click here to watch the video.
Now, answer these questions:
Then, answer these questions that you can find in activity 5, page 29:
11 Nov 2025
Phrasal verbs revision
Read these sentences and write the missing particle(s) in the column on the right.
Click here to download the activity.
Oral mediation: Why sometimes you have to break up with someone you love.
Oral mediation: Relationships
Your friend Ashley has mixed feelings. On the one hand, she’s elated because she’s been offered a job in Spain and will be moving to Toledo, very close to you. On the other hand, her significant other, Brian, holds an important position at his company. In fact, he’s just been promoted and now has more responsibilities and a higher salary. Ashley feels that their relationship is stuck in a rut. Should they take some time apart?
Yesterday, while flicking through a Spanish newspaper, she came across this article — maybe it’s fate? She read it, but there are a few things she didn’t quite understand. She’s asked for your help. Can you send her an voice message explaining the article to her?
Por qué a veces debes dejar a una pareja que amas
Todo parece perfecto hasta que la vida plantea una decisión difícil: una oportunidad laboral, un cambio de ciudad o metas distintas. Entonces surge la pregunta: ¿y si el amor no basta? A veces, separarse puede ser la mejor forma de preservar el cariño y evitar que la relación se deteriore.
Cuando los caminos se separan
Las relaciones se desgastan si hay un constante tira y afloja o si las expectativas divergen. Decisiones importantes, como formar una familia, pueden revelar diferencias profundas. También influyen factores externos: la presión social, las diferencias económicas o familiares pueden hacer que el entorno pese más que el amor.
Los pasos hacia la ruptura
Romper no siempre significa dejar de amar, sino priorizar el bienestar. Los expertos recomiendan comenzar con una introspección sincera: ¿es realmente lo que quiero? Imaginar la vida sin la otra persona puede ayudar a clarificar sentimientos.
Antes de tomar una decisión definitiva, es fundamental dialogar. Buscar acuerdos o compromisos puede salvar la relación, pero si no es posible, lo mejor es despedirse sin resentimientos, reconociendo el amor que existió.
Negociar y aceptar el final
Cerrar bien implica definir los términos de la ruptura. Algunos prefieren mantener el contacto; otros necesitan distancia para superar el duelo. En casos de “ausencia presente” —cuando el otro sigue apareciendo a través de redes o amigos— cortar el vínculo suele ser más saludable.
Finalmente, aceptar el cambio y agradecer lo compartido permite soltar emocionalmente y abrirse a nuevas etapas con serenidad.
Source: https://elpais.com/elpais/2020/03/16/buenavida/1584340360_096221.html
Homework due on November 12th
Read the grammar information related to the uses of "would" on page 168. Then, do exercises 1 and 2 on page 169.
Group C: we didn't have time to do the oral mediation activity in class. Read the article "Why sometimes you have to break up with someone you love" and prepare the voice message that you will send to your friend Ashley.