APRENDE CON LOS PROFESIONALES DEL INGLÉS Diciembre 2010 - Issue 77 - € 4.

20
Elsa Balsera Gómez: Coordinadora del Master en Inglés Profesional

anyone
for coffee?
Easy Read

cuento
chino
Editorial

DESCARGA
TU AUDIO EN:
www.vaughanreview.com

www . gr upovaughan . com

index
THE VAUGHAN REVIEW

is published monthly and is a Vaughan Systems

Diciembre 2010
publication. All rights reserved.

Publisher:
Richard Vaughan
03 Editorial Cuento Chino
Editor in chief:
Richard Brown
Co-Editors in chief: 05 Easy Read Anyone for coffee?
David Waddell
Carmen Vallejo
06 Grammar Matters Cada vez más + adjetivo
Art Editor:
Annie Casasús Olea Cada vez menos + adjetivo
Cada vez más + sust. contable / sust. Incontable
English Editing:
Greg Stanford Cada vez menos + sust. contable / sust. Incontable
Design Team
Ivan Morgan
Juan Ignacio Fernández Peón
11 Cloverdale’s Characters Luigi Barghini

Illustrator
Pablo Gonzalo 12 People & Places Entrevista a Elsa Balsera
Contributing Editors:
Anna Katarina Victória
Annie Casasús Olea
14 Business Letter 70
Conor McAlinden
Audio Editors: 16 Marketing List 33
Alberto Alonso
Ignacio Carvajal
Distribution Manager:
17 Pence & R Sección Infantil
Rubén Palomero
Subscriptions team: 21 Expressions with Tooth
Enebral Luengo
Irene Alonso
Jose Carlos Morales
suscripciones@vausys.com
22 Humanities Superconductivity

Cover Photograph:
Ignacio Fernández Peón 24 Phrasal Verbs To be up to // To be up to someone
Newsroom/ Redacción:
Edificio Master 1 26 Something to Chew Over
Avda. General Perón, 38 - 2ª Planta in Madrid.
Telephone/Teléfono:
91 444 58 44 30 Mastering the Interrogative 66
E-mail/Correo electrónico:
rbrown@vausys.com
31 Elision Fields Háandredan
Printed by/Imprime:
Grupo Aries
32 Sudoku Places
Depósito legal:
M-46.801-2002
ISSN: 34 Translation List Nivel principiante y nivel avanzado
1887-6137
Lugar y fecha de impresión:
Madrid, el 1 de Diciembre de 2010
35 Creepy Corner El terrible “I almost GIVE you my wallet by mistake”

Edita

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2
 editorial
Cuento Chino
I find the fact
that in Spanish Every time I hear the word “china” in a certain context, I
laugh. It’s not that I have anything against the country with
you should the largest population in the world as that’s not what I’m
talking about here. No, I’m referring to the “chinas” you
have a specific can get in your shoes which can make walking so
uncomfortable. Of course, when I first heard the word
word for this “china” in this context, I had no idea it meant (que
significaba) a little stone. I simply found the idea of having
mundane a little Chinese woman rolling about (dando vueltas)
inside your shoe rather amusing (bastante graciosa).
inconvenience More than for the amusement factor, however, I find the
quite charming. fact that in Spanish you should have a specific word for this
mundane inconvenience quite charming (bastante
Because in encantador). Because in English we don’t. We simply refer
to them as ‘a stone’. The typical complaint from a walking
English, we companion sounds something like this: “Just a sec, I’ve got
a stone in my shoe”. It’s not that we don’t have a word for
don’t. We a tiny stone – in other contexts, a tiny stone found in your
mouth while eating certain molluscs, for example, we
simply refer to might use the word ‘grit’, an uncountable noun which
needs to be referred to as ‘some grit’ or ‘a bit of grit’.
them as “a However, we rarely use this word when complaining
about “chinas”.
stone”.
Anyway, the point about “chinas” is that, very often, it is
an inconvenience that we can put up with (aguantar),
preferring the discomfort (incomodidad) to the
annoyance (molestia) at having to stop, undo our
shoelaces (cordones), take off our shoe, remove (quitar)
the stone etc. We can put up with it because it really isn’t
causing us enough pain to warrant (justificar) doing
anything about it. We can put up with it because we
know full well (plenamente) that we can happily
(tranquilamente) walk another kilometre or two without
suffering any serious consequences to the way we walk.
However, the longer (cuanto más tiempo) we leave the
stone in our shoe, the more discomfort we start to feel.
The longer we leave it there pressing into the flesh
(carne) of the underside of our foot, the more pain we
start to feel. And the more pain we feel, the more we
start to adapt our style of walking to accommodate this
unwelcome travelling partner. In fact, we will start to
put the part of our foot where the stone isn’t under
significantly more pressure than usual in order not to
press down hard on the part where the stone is. And
so, if we continue walking for long enough, not only will
we start to bleed (sangrar) where the stone is rubbing
(rozando) against our foot, but we will probably also
start to develop a blister (ampolla) at the spot (punto)
where we are pressing down hardest in order to avoid
pressing down on the stone. Double whammy (dos
contratiempos simultáneos)!
The problem with “chinas” is that they are not only to be
found in shoes. You can also find them in your English.
They start off as a small mistake you make when
speaking – omitting the final ‘s’ from the third person, for
example. Your teacher makes you aware of this mistake
and by the expression on their face you can tell that (se
nota que) it’s causing them discomfort. However, you
decide to ignore it and do nothing about it. As you
continue along the path of learning the language, you
start to “feel” the mistake more and more as more and
more people wince with pain (hace un gesto de dolor)
when you say things like “he go”, “everybody know”, “my
mother live…” etc. The “stone” is no longer a simple
matter of discomfort; it is now beginning to hurt (doler).
Consequently, all too aware (plenamente consciente) of
the physical limitations this “stone” is causing you, you
start to compensate, ‘treading’ on (pisando) other
linguistic areas whilst avoiding the “stone” area as much
as possible. Inevitably, like one with a stone in their shoe,
your progress is not only severely hampered
(entorpecido), but you start to walk- léase “talk”- in a
very unnatural way (it is not natural to avoid the third
person singular of the present simple). What a disaster!
And yet (sin embargo), this situation need never come
about (producirse). Just as (de la misma manera) it is
not necessary to let a tiny stone in your shoe get to the
point of causing you not one, but two blisters. It’s so
easy to remove! It’s just a matter of bending over
(agacharse), untying your shoelace, taking off your shoe,
shaking it in the air until the stone falls out and then
putting it back on again, taking care to tie up your shoe
lace properly. Similarly, taking the time to focus properly
on learning the present simple well (yes, it seems
insignificant at first, but so did the stone in your shoe!)
can mean that in the end you get to your destination
quicker and in far better shape than if you let yourself
be governed by your impatience to learn as much as
possible in as little time as possible.
Patience is a virtue both in terms of “chino” and “inglés”.
Richard Brown
3
 Si
difíc
t e result
il el
princ
e d i
ipal..
t
t

ículo
a
orial
.
es
easy read
a r
¡este ti!
para

Anyone for coffee?

I’m sitting at my desk (mesa de trabajo) at home with my computer
and a cup (taza) of hot coffee in front of me, trying to think of
something to write about for this month’s Easy Read. My mind is a
bit clouded, so I decide to look for an idea in my coffee cup. I’ve just
poured (acabo de servir) the coffee, so it’s still steaming hot (muy
caliente) and I bring my face close to (acerco) the cup in order to
(para) feel the steam on my face and enjoy its wonderfully
mysterious aromas.Yes, it’s definitely steam, not smoke – smoke only
comes from something that is burning, something that is on fire.
Steam comes from hot liquids, and my coffee is most definitely a hot
liquid. In fact, it’s still too hot for me to drink, so I pick up a tea-
spoon (interesting how the English pay tribute to their national
drink by calling a ‘tea spoon’ what everybody else in the world calls
a ‘coffee spoon’!) and start to stir it (removerlo). I stir it for about
two minutes, my mind lost in thought. And as I stir it, it gives off
(desprende) beautiful aromas that speak of far-off lands, of darkness
and of mystery. We never talk of ‘fragrances’ or ‘perfumes’ when we
refer to the smell of coffee, but ‘aromas’. I love the smell of coffee.
And the more I stir my coffee, the more I love the smell it gives off.
I look into the cup and see my distorted, half-asleep face reflected
in the toasted brown liquid and decide it is time to have a sip grande), from a glass, from a plastic cup or from a paper cup.
(sorbo). I bring the cup to my lips and have a tiny sip, but the coffee Everyone has their preference. I have two. At home, I can ONLY
is still too hot, so I put it back on the saucer (platito) and start drink coffee from a china cup. If I drink it from a china mug, or a
stirring it again. Yes, I am one of those people who likes their coffee glass, it just doesn’t taste the same (no sabe igual) – in fact, the
lukewarm (tibio) – definitely not hot, definitely not cold, but psychological associations are so powerful that it doesn’t even taste
lukewarm (few people understand this predilection of mine!). I stir the same if I drink it from a china cup alone without having the
and stir and lose myself in thought, but I don’t seem to be getting saucer to put it back down on. Yes, it must be a china cup and a
any further with my article. china saucer. No saucer? No coffee. As simple as that.
I don’t normally take sugar in my coffee, but today I decide to put My other coffee-related mania is at work, which is probably the
one spoonful (cucharada) in. I reach for the sugar bowl, pick up the place I drink most coffee. We are lucky enough (tenemos la gran
tea-spoon I’ve been stirring my coffee with, put it in the sugar-bowl suerte) to have an Italian bar/restaurant close to our office where
(azucarero) and sprinkle (espolvoreo) some sugar into my coffee. the proprietor (dueño), Luigi, makes the most sublime cup of coffee
Some of the sugar sticks (se pega) to the tea-spoon, but it soon falls you can possibly imagine. But only if I drink it from a paper takeaway
off when I start stirring my coffee with it. After stirring for another (para llevar) cup. And only if Luigi himself makes it. No paper cup?
two minutes, I decide to bring the cup to my lips again and have No Luigi? It just isn’t the same. Any other absurd manias to report
another sip. This time, the coffee is almost perfect – just the right (declarar), freak (bicho raro)? Well, yes, there is one other – I never
temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, just right, although it is EVER stir my coffee at work. So, no tea-spoons and no sugar. Just
perhaps a little sweet and I regret (me arrepiento) having put the pure black coffee, as dark and as bitter (amargo) as my soul (alma).
sugar in. Never mind! (¿Qué más da?). I can already feel my body Well, that’s perhaps going a little too far (igual me estoy pasando):
starting to react to the power of caffeine, a drug I am surely as dark and as bitter as the bags under my eyes (ojeras) – bags
addicted too. As the caffeine rushes around (recorre) my body, I caused by sleepless night (noche sin dormir) after sleepless night
start to feel my mind waking up and am now convinced that I will desperately trying to think of something to write for this month’s
have an article by the time I finish my coffee. Easy Read.
Now, it’s funny how coffee tastes different depending on whether I take one last sip of my coffee and feel a whole lot better. Perhaps
you drink it from a china (de porcelana) cup, from a mug (taza there was an article in that coffee cup after all.

Richard Brown

5
Cada vez más + adjetivo
Los adjetivos de tres o más sílabas y los de dos sílabas que no acaben en “–y” adoptan la estructura “more and
more” + el adjetivo para expresar “cada vez más” + adjetivo.

A medida que se acercaba el inicio del partido, la As the start of the game got closer, the crowd got more
muchedumbre se puso cada vez más emocionada. and more excited.

A medida que el portavoz proseguía, el discurso se hizo As the spokesman went on, the speech got more and
cada vez más interesante. more interesting.

Los juegos online se están haciendo cada vez más

Online games are becoming more and more popular.*
populares.

A medida que avanzas de curso, los deberes se hacen cada As you advance from one level to the next, the homework
vez más difíciles. gets more and more difficult.

A medida que transcurría el congreso, los conferenciantes As the conference went on, the lecturers got more and
eran cada vez más aburridos. more boring.

*También podías haber dicho “Online games are becoming increasingly popular”.

Por otro lado, los adjetivos que presentan una o dos sílabas (y que en este caso acaben en “–y”) toman la
estructura “adj + er ‘and’ adj + er”.

La maleta parecía hacerse cada vez más pesada a medida

The suitcase seemed to get heavier and heavier as I carried it.
que la llevaba.

Since you’ve been in the master’s, your English has been

Desde que estás en el master, tu inglés cada vez es mejor.
getting better and better.

Desde que él no trabaja para esa compañía americana, su Since he stopped working for that American company, his
inglés cada vez es peor. English has been getting worse and worse.

Más vale que cosas ese agujero en tu jersey; está cada vez You’d better sew that hole in your jumper; it’s getting bigger
más grande. and bigger.

Since she started having plastic surgery, she’s been getting

Desde que ella se opera, está cada vez más fea.
uglier and uglier.

6
 grammar matters
Cada vez menos + adjetivo
Para decir que algo es “cada vez menos” + adjetivo recurrimos a la estructura “less and less” + adjetivo.

Los estudiantes se quejaron porque los profesores se The students complained because the teachers became less
volvieron cada vez menos exigentes. and less demanding.

Él quiere dejar la compañía porque su trabajo se está He wants to leave the company because his job is
volviendo cada vez menos desafiante. becoming less and less challenging.

Sus visitas (de él) son cada vez menos frecuentes. His visits are becoming less and less frequent.

Su discurso se hizo cada vez menos interesante. His speech became less and less interesting.

Como hay más policía, caminar en Madrid se está volviendo As there are more policemen, walking in Madrid is
cada vez menos peligroso. becoming less and less dangerous.

Fíjate en que con esta estructura a menudo traducimos el verbo “ser” con el verbo “to become”, un verbo
más adecuado para describir un proceso gradual.

A diferencia de lo que vimos en la página anterior, la estructura gramatical que empleamos es la misma
independientemente del número de sílabas que presenta el adjetivo.

A medida que se acercaba el final del invierno, en la

As winter came to an end, the ski resort got less and less busy.
estación de esquí había cada vez menos gente.

Él no tocó muy bien. La melodía cada vez se hacía menos He didn’t play very well; the tune became less and less
reconocible. recognizable.

Los ordenadores son cada vez menos caros. Computers are becoming less and less expensive.

Los walkmans® y reproductores de CD son cada vez Walkmans® and CD players are becoming less and less
menos comunes. common.

Como casi todo el mundo tiene un disco duro en su As almost everybody has an internal hard drive in their TV,
televisor, las cintas de video son cada vez menos útiles. videotapes are becoming less and less useful.

7
Cada vez más + sust. contable / sust. incontable
Ha llegado el momento de ver las estructuras ‘cada vez más’ y ‘cada vez menos’ acompañadas de sustantivos tanto
contables como incontables.

Debido a la crisis, están cerrando cada vez más tiendas. Due to the crisis, more and more shops are closing down.

Cada vez más turistas visitan las islas canarias cada año. More and more tourists visit the Canary Islands each year.

Hay cada vez más gente aprendiendo inglés. There are more and more people learning English.

Summer has started and there are more and more

Ha empezado el verano y cada vez hay más mosquitos.
mosquitoes.

Ahora que es el final de la temporada hay cada vez más Now that it’s the end of the season, there are more and
tiendas con las rebajas. more shops with their products on sale.

Otras maneras de decir ‘debido a’ es “owing to”, “on account of” y “because of”.

Independientemente de que se trate de un sustantivo contable o incontable, la estructura para decir ‘cada vez más’
es siempre la misma: “more and more” + sustantivo.

A medida que el curso avanzaba, los estudiantes tenían As the course went on the students had more and more
cada vez más deberes. homework.

A medida que continuaba lloviendo había cada vez más As the rain continued, there was more and more water in
agua en las calles. the streets.

Debido a la lluvia constante, hay cada vez más agua en los Due to the constant rain, there’s more and more water in
pantanos. the reservoirs.

Owing to the high unemployment rate, there’s more and

Debido al paro tan elevado, hay cada vez más delincuencia.
more crime.

Se está dando cada vez más información sobre el sida en More and more information on AIDS is being given in
los países pobres. poor countries.

8
 grammar matters
Cada vez menos + sust. contable / sust. incontable
La estructura que vamos a emplear es distinta entre un sustantivo contable y otro incontable. En el primer caso
usamos la estructura “fewer and fewer” + sustantivo.

Cada vez hay menos coches en la carretera porque la There are fewer and fewer cars on the road because
gente no se puede permitir comprarlos. people can’t afford to buy them.

There are fewer and fewer people working in that

Cada vez hay menos gente trabajando en esa compañía.
company.

La gente cada vez ve menos películas españolas. People are watching fewer and fewer Spanish films.

There are fewer and fewer doctors working in small

Cada vez hay menos médicos trabajando en los pueblos.
villages.

Cada vez menos niños leen libros. Fewer and fewer children read books.

“Fewer” se pronuncia /fiúa/.

Cuando el sustantivo es incontable, la estructura gramatical que empleamos es “less and less” + sustantivo.

Ahora que ha nacido su segundo hijo, tienen cada vez Now that their second child’s been born, they have less and
menos tiempo. less time.

No sé quién se la está comiendo, pero cada vez hay menos I don’t know who’s eating it, but there’s less and less food
comida en el frigorífico. in the fridge.

Su hermano (de ella) quiere dejar de fumar y está Her brother wants to give up smoking and is trying to
intentando fumar cada vez menos. smoke less and less.*

Una vez que tienes hijos, empiezas a dormir cada vez menos. Once you have children, you sleep less and less.*

Cada vez se está invirtiendo menos dinero en la enseñanza. Less and less money is being invested in education.

* Fíjate en estos ejemplos: aunque no aparece un sustantivo incontable, los verbos actúan como tal, por lo que
siempre se acompañan de la estructura “less and less”.

9
 cloverdale’s
CHARACTERS
Luigi Barghini www.vaughantienda.com

Luigi Barghini spent three days in Germany last

week. He flew to Stuttgart with his daughter,
Anna, the General Manager of Luigi’s company.
They stayed at the Regency Hotel. On the first
day, they had a meeting in the morning with the
Chairman of Mercedes Benz. The meeting
started at 11:00 a.m. and lasted 45 minutes.They
spent a lot of the 45 minutes talking about the
Agnelli family at Fiat. At 12 o’clock, Luigi and
Anna had lunch with the Chairman and with the
Managing Director in the private dining room
on the top floor. They talked about the market
situation for luxury cars and about the
competition from Japanese car makers. After
lunch, Luigi and Anna went back to the hotel
and spent two hours planning the three
meetings for the next day. In the evening, they
had dinner with the Purchasing Manager of favor of working with Luigi’s company because dinner, Luigi noticed that Karl was paying a lot of
Mercedes, Karl Polster. Karl knew Anna very well he wanted to continue seeing Anna as much as attention to Anna, but he didn’t say anything to
because the two companies were negotiating a possible. She was beautiful and rich. He knew his daughter later that night. He wanted to
contract for car seats. Karl was 34 years old and that she was single but he didn’t know if she was concentrate on the important meetings for the
single and he liked Anna very much. He was in having a relationship with anyone in Italy. During next day.

1. When did Luigi Barghini go to Germany?
2. How many days did he stay there?
3. What city did he fly to?
4. Did he go to Stuttgart alone?
5. Who did he fly to Stuttgart with?
12. Who did Luigi and Anna have lunch with? 22. Why did he know her?
13. Did they have lunch in a local restaurant? 23. How old was Karl?
14. Where did they have lunch? 24. Was he married or single?
15. What two things did they talk about during 25. Why did he want to work with Luigi’s
lunch? company?

6. What hotel did they stay at? 16. Did Luigi and Anna stay at Mercedes after 26. Why was he interested in Anna?

7. Did they have three meetings on the first day? lunch? 27. What didn’t he know about Anna’s life in Italy?

8. How many meetings did they have on the first 17. Where did they go after lunch? 28. What did Luigi notice about Karl during dinner?
day? 18. What did they spend two hours doing? 29. Did he say anything to her about Karl’s
9. Who did they have the meeting with? 19. How many meetings did they have for the next attention?

10. Did they talk a lot about a possible contract? day? 30. Why didn’t he say anything to her?

11. What family did they talk about during the 20. Who did they have dinner with in the evening?
meeting? 21. Did Karl know Anna?

11
 This month’s cover girl is the dynamic
coordinator of one of our star products:
the Master’s programme, the best
course in Spain to really revolutionize
your English
A. How did you start your trajectory at Vaughan?
Q. I started teaching for Vaughan in 2006 when I first moved to
Madrid. I had already been teaching English for a few years before
deciding to come to Madrid and apply for a job in this company. My
first job for Vaughan Systems was teaching at Vodafone. A year later,
I was offered the job of teaching on the Master’s programme
starting off on the part-time course and then onto the full-time
one. I’m glad I decided to accept because it gave me the
opportunity to meet and learn from a fantastic team of teachers,
and it led me to my current position as Coordinator of the
Master’s Programmes MIP (full-time) and EMIP (part-time).

A. What do you most like about your current work?

Q. By coordinating the Master’s Department I have gained a lot of
skills that have helped me to develop other important areas of my
professional profile. For example, I’ve gained managerial skills and sales
techniques. I am a versatile professional and I always believed that I
could develop other kinds of activities within this company, so I didn’t
let this opportunity pass by when the chance came up.

A. Have you ever lived abroad? Where?

Q. I have. I’ve lived in the UK (England and Scotland) and in The US
FACT FILE (California) and this is probably one of the reasons why my accent
in English is a bit of a mix. I’ve also spent time in other countries,
such as Germany, and I’ve travelled whenever my financial situation
Name Elsa Balsera Gómez has allowed me to do so.

Age 33
Nationality Spanish
Position Master’s Programme Coordinator
Fact Elsa doesn’t even know where the sieve
is in her kitchen as she was lucky
enough to have married her very own
Ferrá Adriá! Lucky her!
A. If you weren’t an English teacher, what would you like to do for
a living?
Q. Well, I don’t teach any more, but the years spent teaching at
Vaughan Systems have given me more than I could have ever imagined.
When I was younger, I used to dream of becoming one of the hosts
of the Pilot Guides show on the Travel Channel. Travelling all
around the world and getting paid for it! I could definitely give that
a try! And who knows? Perhaps when I convince my husband to
follow me around the world…
A. Going back to the Master’s, what was it like teaching on the
Master’s program?
Q. It was probably one of the most exhausting and at the same
time rewarding things I’ve ever done in my entire life. Working on

12
 people & places
the Master’s requires a lot of hours of preparation and strength of
purpose. However, watching students go from the level of English they
have at the beginning of the programme to the level they have by the
end of it is the best reward a teacher can get for a good job done.
Express Questionnaire
A. What advice do you give your students to improve their
English skills? Shy or outgoing...
It really depends on the person I have in front of me.
Q. To learn English effectively you have to work hard. Here at
Vaughan we have an advantage over other companies that teach The first thing you do when you get up.
English in that we have a method that really works. It’s through the I go straight to the bathroom, take a shower and after that, I
method that we get our students hooked on learning English and actually “wake up”...
how we can change people’s perception of the language, often after
An indulgence...
going through many years of suffering. Travelling anywhere as soon as I have a single penny to spare...

A. Why do the Master’s programme? Tell us what the Master’s is The thing you most like...
about, how it works... CHRISTMAS! You’ll find me in my best mood the whole
month of December.
Q. When our students first come and do a level test with us they
find it difficult to express themselves in English. The Master’s is a The thing you most hate...
course designed to solve this problem, either Full-Time or Part- Lies, and I detect them quite quickly...
Time. The Full-Time Course takes place over 10 months. The
Something that scares you...
students have 5 hours of class every day and 5 hours of homework
Being betrayed by people I blindly trust.
six days a week. During this period they also go to Vaughan Town
4 times. The Part-Time Course is made up of 4 modules each Your favourite time of day...
lasting 6 months; therefore, a part-time student could be with us Breakfast time (weekends preferably).
for 2 years. Of course, these students also go to Vaughan Town The person you most admire...
once every module. My mom.
On the Master’s the students not only receive grammar classes but
When you were young...
a variety of different methods to give them an all-round control of I couldn’t wait to grow older...
the language, including: Public Speaking, Grammar, Phrasal Verbs,
Vocabulary and Homework Correction. Public Speaking is one of A day you’ll never forget...
the most interesting classes that you don’t normally get a chance First date with my husband.
to have on other courses. It includes debates, presentations, The last time you lost your patience...
interviews, teleconferences and CV guidance. The Master’s is The last time I went to IKEA (Whenever I go to IKEA I
definitely the best course available on the market to learn English swear I’ll never go back there).
effectively.
Your favourite book...
Pygmalion, a play by Irish playwright G. B.Shaw.
A. What can the students expect from the Master’s, from
beginning to end? Your favourite film...
Q. As I said before, full-time Master’s students can expect to work The Shawshank Redemption.
harder than they have ever done before in their lives and be Your favourite drink...
dedicated wholeheartedly to the cause of learning English once and Grapefruit juice.
for all. Of course, the reward is always better than they could ever
have imagined: the ability to speak English fluently and naturally and Your biggest defect...
It takes me time to forgive and forget... But I’m working on it.
also gaining the peace of mind in knowing that they’ll never need
to worry about it again. Master’s students are taught by a quite Something that makes you proud...
exceptional team of teachers. Only those who fulfil all the My hometown, Mérida.
requirements for the position can teach on the Master’s
programme. This is essential if we want it to work according to
what Richard Vaughan originally designed.

13
business letter 70
Betty,
He echado un ojo a las cuentas trimestrales que me enviaste y
tenías toda la razón; ¡no tienes ni idea de cómo llevar las cuentas!
¡Son un auténtico desastre! ¡Menos mal que me tienes a mí para
arreglártelas!
• Cuando rellenas las tablas de Excel (tu libro de gastos) ¡las
células y las columnas tienen que sumar tanto vertical como
horizontalmente!
• En tus facturas no has tenido en cuenta los cambios en los tipos
de IVA. ¡Cambiaron en julio de este año! El tipo general subió en
un 2% al 18% y el tipo reducido subió en un 1% del 6% al 7%.
Me extraña mucho que ningún cliente tuyo te haya dicho nada.
• Los únicos gastos que son desgravables son los que se
consideran ESENCIALES en la realización de tu negocio. Ni la
factura semanal de la compra del supermercado ni una cita con
el podólogo entran en esta categoría... Eres interiorista,
¡no eres Sara Baras!
¿¡Por qué no pasas por mi despacho y te doy una
clase rápida en contabilidad!?
t a
Inten
Con cariño, r t a
la ca
Hugh Gigo pá
com
nues
Betty,
I’ve had a look at the quarterly accounts you sent me and you
were absolutely right; you really don’t have a clue how to keep
the books! They’re an absolute mess! Just as well that you have me
to sort them out for you!
• When you fill out the Excel charts (your expenses book) the cells
and the columns have to add up both vertically and horizontally!
• On your invoices you’ve forgotten to take into account the
changes in the rates of VAT. They changed in July of this year!
The general rate went up by 2% to 18% and the reduced rate
went up by 1% from 6% to 7%. I’m very surprised that none of
the clients said anything to you.
• The only expenses that are tax deductible are those that are
considered ESSENTIAL for you to carry out your business.
Neither your weekly shopping bill at the supermarket nor an
appointment at the chiropodist enter into this category... you
are an interior designer, you are not Sara Baras!
Why don’t you come over to my office and I’ll give
cir
t radu you a quick lesson in bookkeeping!?
y lueg
o
la Affectionately,
l a con
r a Hugh Gigo
tra

you were ¿Has recordado que en inglés decimos “to BE right” y no “to have reason”? Y ojo también cuando expresamos “no
absolutely right tener razón” que sería “to BE wrong”.

have a clue Desde luego se puede decir también “you have no idea...”.

just as well Otra manera de decir “menos mal...” es “it’s a good thing that...”.

Cuando quieres decir “rellenar una hoja o un formulario” en inglés, valen tanto “to fill OUT” como “to fill IN”...
fill out
¡somos así de raros!

Cuando hablamos de subidas y bajadas de porcentajes en inglés, decimos “to go up” o “to rise” y “to go down” o
up by 2% “to fall BY x %”. Nunca diríamos “prices have gone up in a 10%”. La preposición siempre es “BY” y no ponemos el
artículo indefinido “a”.

Cuando utilizamos estructuras como “neither... nor...”, “either... or...”, “both... and...” las palabras que siguen tienen
neither…nor… que ser gramaticalmente las mismas. Mira estos ejemplos: verbos (“John neither dances nor sings well”), (pro)nombres
(“Either you do it or I’ll do it”), adjetivos (“I like both Chinese and Japanese food”).

Hay mucho vocabulario financiero en esta carta. Es muy útil, apréndetelo... ¡nunca se sabe cuándo vas a tener un
bookkeeping
Inspector de Hacienda detrás de ti!

14
marketing
Cons
igue
en
enda
List 33
h an Ti
Va u g cífico
a l espe Ponte a prueba. Tapa la columna derecha con un papel y pasa
mate
r i les.
f e s iona
pro al inglés las frases en español. Irás ganando en vocabulario y
para iend
a.com
hant
vaug fluidez a medida que aumentes el número de repeticiones.

Estamos interesados en ver las proyecciones. We’re interested in seeing the projections.

Los precios se redujeron en un 15%. Prices were cut by 15 percent.

El valor de los envíos asciende a tres millones. The value of the shipments amounts to three million.

Hay en realidad sólo cinco clientes clave. There are actually only five key customers.

Uno de ellos representa el 60 por ciento de las ventas. One of them accounts for 60 percent of sales.

Estamos continuamente revisando la estrategia. We’re continuously reviewing/going over the strategy.

Por un lado podemos ahorrar un poco... On the one hand, we can save a little…

Pero por otro lado esto podría comprometer la calidad. But on the other hand, this could compromise quality.

Si surge un problema, podemos resolverlo rápidamente. If a problem develops, we can solve it quickly.

¿Cómo vas a ser competitivo en precio? How are you going to be price competitive?

Esto aumentará los costes sin lugar a dudas. This will increase costs without a doubt.

Los dos productos ofrecen diferentes características. The two products offer different features.

Vamos a conseguir un gran ahorro con esto. We’re going to achieve big savings with this.

Vamos a acortar el tiempo en el desarrollo de los productos. We’re going to reduce product development lead time.

No vendemos marcas propias. We don’t have our own brands/private labels.

Algunas de vuestras ideas están anticuadas. Some of your ideas are outdated.

Queremos cambiar todo esto y enseguida. We want to change all this and right away.

Esto se está convirtiendo en una pesadilla. This is turning into/becoming a nightmare.

No entiendo lo que estáis intentando conseguir. I don’t understand what you’re trying to accomplish.

Bueno, ¿qué opinas? Well, what do you think?

16
Art Editor: Annie Casasœs Illustrator: Pablo Gonzalo
 Dream world
Lee c—mo Pence y R debaten sobre el curioso mundo de los sue–os.
Un d’a, Pence y R estaban hablando sobre los sue–os. ÒÀPor
quŽ los sue–os son mucho m‡s emocionantes que la vida
real?Ó, se quej— Pence. ÒEn mis sue–os puedo volar por el
aire, me puedo volver invisible, puedo ver en la oscuridad
Áy puedo caminar sobre mi cabeza!Ó
A R tambiŽn le encantaba tener sue–os. So–aba que se volv’a
verde, rojo o amarillo, o que de repente se hac’a muy alto o
muy bajo. ÁTambiŽn so–aba que esquiaba sobre su nariz!
ÒÀCu‡l es la diferencia entre el mundo de los sue–os y el
mundo real?Ó, le pregunt— R a Pence.
ÒBueno, cuando est‡s en el mundo de los sue–os est‡s dormido
y cuando est‡s en el mundo real, est‡s despiertoÓ, respondi— Pence.
ÒÀEst‡s seguro?Ó, pregunt— R. ÒÀNunca has pensado que cuando
te quedas dormido se cierran tus ojos, pero que en cuanto
cierras los ojos, los otros ojos, los que usas en el mundo de los
sue–os, se abren? Y Ànunca has pensado que cuando te despiertas,
tus ojos se abren, pero que una vez que se abren, los otros ojos,
los que usas en el mundo de los sue–os, se cierran? No puedes
usar los ojos reales en el mundo de los sue–os y no puedes usar
los ojos del mundo de los sue–os en el mundo real, pero tanto
los ojos del mundo de los sue–os como los ojos del mundo real
te permiten ver. As’ que en realidad no hay ninguna diferencia.
Por lo que si no hay ninguna diferencia entre los ojos del mundo
de los sue–os y los ojos del mundo real Àc—mo sabemos que
existe una diferencia entre tus experiencias del mundo de los
sue–os y las experiencias del mundo real? Puede que el mundo
de los sue–os sea el mundo real y el mundo real sea el mundo
de los sue–os.Ó
Pence pens— sobre ello y dijo ÒAs’ que, Àsignifica eso que
ahora estamos so–ando o despiertos? Y Àsignifica eso que
eres parte de mi mundo de los sue–os o parte de mi vida
real? ÀO soy yo parte de tu mundo de los sue–os?
ÒÁPero si s—lo somos personajes salidos de un c—mic!Ó, dijo R.
ÒPero Àpertenecemos a un c—mic real o a un c—mic del
sue–o de alguien?Ó, pregunt— Pence.
R no supo c—mo responder a eso.
One day Pence and R were talking about dreams. ÒWhy are
dreams so much more exciting than real life?Ó, complained
Pence. ÒIn my dreams I can fly through the air, I can turn
invisible, I can see in the dark and I can walk on my head!Ó
R loved having dreams too. He dreamed of turning green, or
red, or yellow, or of suddenly becoming really tall, or really
short. He also dreamed of skiing on his nose!
ÒWhatÕs the difference between dream-world and the real
world?Ó, R asked Pence.
ÒWell, when youÕre in dream-world, youÕre asleep and when
youÕre in the real world, youÕre awakeÓ, answered Pence.
ÒAre you sure?Ó, asked R. ÒHave you never thought that
when you fall asleep, your eyes close, but as soon as you
close your eyes, your other eyes, the ones you use in dream
world, open? And have you never thought that when you
wake up your eyes open, but as soon as you open your
eyes, your other eyes, the ones you use in dream world,
close? You canÕt use your real-world eyes in dream-world
and you canÕt use your dream-world eyes in the real world,
but both your dream-world eyes and your real-world eyes
enable you to see. So there isnÕt really any difference. So
if there isnÕt any difference between your dream-world eyes
and your real-world eyes, how do you know that there is
a difference between your dream-world experiences and
your real-world experiences? Maybe dream world is real
life and real life is dream world.Ó
Pence thought about this and said ÒSo, does that mean weÕre
dreaming or awake now? And does it mean that youÕre part
of my dream-world or part of my real life? Or am I part of
your dream-world?Ó
ÒBut weÕre only characters out of a comic.Ó, said R.
ÒBut are we from a real comic or a comic from someoneÕs
dream?Ó, asked Pence.
R didnÕt know how to answer that one.
 Mix and parts

match of the body

Este mes vamos a jugar con las partes del cuerpo. En espa–ol dec’s cosas como Òel brazoÓ, Òla manoÓ, Òel
pieÓ, mientras que en inglŽs decimos Òmi brazoÓ, Òsu manoÓ, Òtu pieÓ... Por ejemplo:

el piensa con el cerebro

he thinks with his brain

CîMO JUGAR: Recorta los cuadrados con la ayuda de un adulto e intenta formar 6 frases siguiendo la
estructura gramatical que te indicamos en el ejemplo (si quieres, puedes hacer una fotocopia en color de la
p‡gina). Algo que te puede ayudar a hacerlo correctamente es ir uniendo las fichas por sus colores. Es decir,
el rojo al final de una palabra siempre tiene que coincidir con el rojo al principio de otra.

Ella huele con la nariz. Yo corro con las piernas.

Ellos aplauden con las manos. Tœ oyes con las orejas.
ƒl muerde con los dientes. Nosotros vemos con los ojos.

see we nose with our

his with bites i ears
teeth you my with hear
he with smells hands your
her with run they eyes
with clap legs their She

LO QUE NECESITAS:
ask mummy
and daddy
Scissors for help!!!
 Word search (places)
Encuentra las palabras que te indicamos a continuaci—n en la siguiente sopa de letras:

1. Church (Iglesia) 11. Castle (Castillo)

b m c a s t e l g i m z u i b
2. Bank (Banco) 12. Cinema (Cine)
a u a h r e s t a u r a n t u
3. Bus station (Estaci—n de autobuses) 13. Market (Mercado)
4. Cathedral (Catedral) 14. Prison (C‡rcel) n n s r u m u s e o m p o p s
5. University (Universidad) 15. School (Colegio) c i t m k r p o z m n e i r s
6. Train station (Estaci—n de tren) 16. Zoo (Zoo) l v l c o e c w x o s t t i t
7. Restaurant (Restaurante) 17. Park (Parque)
a e e u z s t h i s e r a s a
8. Petrol station (Gasolinera) 18. Museum (Museo)
r r g s e i q t r q n o t i t
9. Mosque (Mezquita) 19. Hotel (Hotel)
10. Fire station (Parque de bomberos) 20. Gym (Gimnasio) d s t y p n a e w u i l s o i
e i o r m t l q m e c s n n o
h t p i s o i r u l a t i n n
t y a e o e x a s m s a a o p
a z r h l y o p e h o t r s o
c i c p a r c n u w t i t i o
f s p a r k i s m x e o m r z
b a n k u c h o t e l n u p e
pence

Anagrams
Unscramble the five words below:

1. People go to the YGM to do physical exercise and get fit.

2. A TRAMEK is a place where people buy and sell goods.

3. Some people go to the KAPR to relax and enjoy themselves.

4. When I was 18 I went to TYSEVUNIRI to study law.

5. She keeps her money in a NAKB.

5. Bank (banco). 4. University (universidad).

3. Park (parque). 2. Market (supermercado). 1. Gym (gimnasio).
RESPUESTAS:
 expressions with
He’s a bit long in the tooth to be doing that.

Él es demasiado entrado en años para hacer eso.

TOOTH I’m fed up to the back teeth with their attitude.

Estoy hasta las narices de su actitud.

We fought tooth and nail for that contract.

Luchamos con uñas y dientes por ese contrato.

I need something to get my teeth into.

Necesito algo para hincar el diente.

I escaped by the skin of my teeth.

Me escapé por los pelos.

Do you have a sweet tooth?

¿Eres goloso?

He lied through his teeth to me.

Él me mintió descaradamente.

That noise sets my teeth on edge.

Ese ruido me da dentera.

It’s better than a kick in the teeth.

Es mejor que nada.

Does the new law have teeth?

¿Es efectiva la nueva ley?

21
 SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
¡Novedad!
POR NAVIDAD REGALA UN
“PACK DE HUMANIDADES”
Para más información visita:
www.vaughanhumanidades.com
It is difficult to think of any kind (tipo) of
modern technology that is not somehow
related to electricity and magnetism. From the
household appliances we use every day to
modes of transpor t, and from gadgets
(aparatos) like mp3 players or mobile phones
to magnetic resonance scanners in hospitals,
we are making use of the principles of physics
discovered in over a century of research, from
the mid-1700s to the late-1800s, by people
like Faraday, Coulomb, Tesla and many others.
The knowledge brought to us by these scientists
resulted in profound changes in the ways
(formas) we move, communicate, farm, build,
work, cook and spend our free time. In fact, in
many cases we even rely (dependemos) on
electromagnetic devices to control and monitor
things as important as energy and food
production, and to guide us in transportation.
In the last article we saw how the discovery of
new physical laws can present the opportunity
to make huge improvements to existing
technologies. By using microscopic particles to
store information instead of macroscopic
objects like capacitors, we can vastly increase
our computational power - so much so that
22
(hasta el punto que) a calculation that would
take millions of years on an ordinary
computer could be resolved in a matter
(cuestión) of months on a quantum computer!
In this article, we'll look at superconductivity, a
physical phenomenon that offers the
possibility of building more powerful and
efficient electrical and magnetic devices. If
power of the quantum computer comes from
the far-superior (muy superior) ability of
microscopic objects to store (almacenar)
information than macroscopic objects, then
the power of superconducting materials - as
opposed to ordinary conductors - comes
from the fact that they offer virtually no
resistance to an electric current.
La Resistance
When you connect a piece of material – wood,
glass, metal, plastic or whatever it may be – to a
battery or power supply, an electric current
starts flowing from the negative terminal
towards the positive terminal. The physics
behind this process is actually (en realidad)
very complicated, but you can picture it
(imaginarlo) as a simple one-in, one-out
By Ewan Munro
situation. An electron from the battery enters
the material and repels the first electron it finds
there, which creates a domino effect right the
way to the other end of the material, where a
different electron is finally ejected and moves
off towards the positive terminal.
This process can occur much easier and faster
if the electrons in our material are not bonded
strongly to their atoms. If they can move around
easily, without being tied (atados) to one
particular atom, they will be more susceptible
to being pushed forward by a current. Materials
like this (metals, for example) are called
conductors. If the opposite is true - the
electrons are held tightly (agarrados fuerte) by
the atoms - they are not mobile enough to be
knocked forward by other electrons to
continue the flow, and so there is a very small
current. This is the case with wood and glass,
which are known as insulators.
With all the colliding and bumping of electrons
and atoms, there is bound to be (seguro que
hay) some energy loss. If I line up (poner en fila)
10 people and push the first one to try to create
a domino effect, eventually the energy of the
push will be lost; the 10th person won't feel

anything like as much force as the first.The longer
the line, the smaller the proportion of the initial
energy that reaches the last person. This energy
is lost mainly (principalmente) as heat, and it
occurs in both conductors and insulators,
although to a much lesser extent in the former.
In some electrical devices we can use this to
our advantage: toasters, kettles and electric
heaters rely on this generation of heat, but
most of the time it's a plain nuisance (fastidio).
It means you never get a 100% return on the
energy you input from your battery. This
property – the tendency of our energy
input to be converted to heat, rather
than (en vez de) to pushing the
current forward – is called the
resistance of the material.
This loss of energy imposes big
limitations on what we can do
with electricity. Transmitting
energy through electric cables
over large distances becomes
impractical because the further
you need to send it, the more will
be dissipated.That is why we need
local power stations – otherwise we
could just mass-produce electricity in
regions rich in a particular resource (e.g.
gas, water, sunlight) and send it all over (por
todo) the country or continent.
Superconductors to the rescue!
Wouldn't it be nice, then, if we were to find
some magical material that had no electrical
resistance whatsoever? Remarkably, that is
exactly what Dutch physicist Kamerlingh Onnes
discovered in 1911. He was experimenting with
the metal mercury at very low temperatures,
near absolute zero (-273ºC). He observed that
below about -269ºC, the resistance of the
material suddenly dropped (se cayó) to zero,
and an electric current could flow without
energy dissipation. He soon found the same
behaviour in tin and lead (plomo) and called the
humanities
A PASSION FOR LEARNING
new phenomenon superconductivity.
Since then (desde entonces) many materials
have been found to superconduct below a
certain temperature – called the critical
temperature – which is characteristic of the
material. Above the critical temperature the
substance behaves like (se comporta como) a
normal conductor; below, it behaves like a
superconductor. The problem is that in all the
superconductors discovered so far (hasta ahora),
the critical temperature is extremely low – the
highest is about -150ºC! It would obviously be
extremely impractical to try to use materials at
this temperature in everyday technology, so the
challenge – the holy grail – is to find a material
that superconducts at room temperature.
Using superconductors
Nobody knows how long it will take to find or
design such a material. There is a lot of theory
that remains to be worked out (resuelto) to
explain the phenomena itself, so it's difficult to
even say which materials might be the best
candidates. Never theless, such obstacles
haven't stopped us from using low-
temperature superconductors in a number of
important situations. These applications rely
on the fact that you can use superconductors
to make extremely powerful magnets – far
more powerful than a plain old conventional
magnet made with a boring old conventional
conductor!
Most hospitals have one or some of these
supermagnets: they are used to
generate the intense magnetic fields
in the MRI scanners that take 3D
images of patients' bodies, which
have become a vital tool
(herramienta) in diagnosis. In
par ticle accelerators, which
are used to study the sub-
atomic structure of everything
from proteins to neutrons and
protons themselves,
superconducting magnets are
used to bend beams (rayos) of
particles into a circular trajectory.
In the future, superconducting magnets
could be used in magnetic levitation
systems for high-speed trains, in power
storage systems, and in the generation of the
huge magnetic fields required for fusion power
(see next month's ar ticle), while
superconducting materials could improve
speed and efficiency in electrical circuits, as
well as provide the dissipation-free
transmission of power we mentioned earlier.
If and when they become the technological
norm (la norma), you can expect
superconductors to significantly change the
way we use electricity; and once again (una
vez más), an abstract piece of physics will have
changed society!
23
 p e n d in g a lot I would
n’t t
You’re s h him lately; he’s alw r ust him;
wit ays up t
of time yo u up to
? someth o
a re ing.
what
on él Yo no co
o t iempo c nfiaría
u c h
Pasas m nte; ¿qué andáis está tram en él; siempre
e ando alg
últimam iendo? o.
hac

I w o n d e r what To be up to
What h
up to. av
they’re Ser capaz been up e you
mando? to lately
e s t arán tra Andar en algo ?
¿Q u é ¿Qué ha
Tramar algo s estado
últimam haciendo
ente?

to
o e s n ’t feel up Do you
really
He d the pre
ss think th
ey’re up
in g t o . to
talk napping the task
t h e k id ?
about
nes de ¿De verd
n t e e n condicio el a
están ca d crees que
sie re
Él no se n la prensa sob pacitado
s para
r c o hacer la
habla o.
secuestr tarea?

24
 phrasal verbs
It’s not
governm up to the
nd what to ent to decide
Ladies a p to
m e n, it’s u do; it’s u
ge n t le ho shareho p to the
u t o d ecide w lders.
yo ner is!
the win No depe
nde d
ca a qué hac el gobierno dec
os, os to er ; depe idir
ll e r nd
yc a b a
n va accionist e de los
¡Damas d e cidir quié as.
voso t r o s !
ganador
a ser el

To be up
h o ’s it up to
? to someone
W
idir? It’s up t
toca dec Deber de alguien de decidir o yo
my frien u,
u ié n le
¿A q
Depender de d!
¡Tú decid
es, amigo!

r s e I ’d love to If it wer
Of cou , but it’s up e
give you up to me,I’d
job
do the t o d ecide if the gree
n light.
gu y s
to you it or not! Si depen
p t o
I’m u os daría
diera de
mí,
acer el luz verd
e e n c a ntaría h ros e.
em sot
Claro qu ero os toca a vo !
trabajo,
¡p o no
ir s i s o y capaz
decid

25
something
TO CHEW OVER

¡Algo para pensar!

Abajo encontrarás una serie de frases. Sólo una es correcta en cada caso, bien sea por razones gramaticales o por el contexto.
Piensa la respuesta muy bien antes de contestar y piensa el porqué de la respuesta correcta y de las incorrectas. Como
siempre, las respuestas vienen en la página 28 con sus correspondientes explicaciones.

1
1.a. Can you help me fold the clothes?

1.b. Can you help me to double the clothe?

1.c. Can you help me to fold the clothe?

2.a. Where do this go?

1
2.b. This where does it go?

2.c. Where this go?

1.d. Can you help me double the clothes? 2.d. Where do these go?

1
3.a. Put on them the superior shelf.

3.b. Put them on the top shelf.

3.c. Put on them the top shelf.

1
4.a. I hang them by colour.

4.b. I hang them for the color.

4.c. I hang them for colour.

3.d. Put them on the superior shelf. 4.d. I hang them by the colour.

1
5.a. Have you got a spare perch?

5.b. Have you got a free hanger?

5.c. Have you got a spare coat hanger?

1
6.a. It must be one somewhere.

6.b. There must to be one in some place.

6.c. There must be one somewhere.

5.d. Have you got a free clothes perch? 6.d. It must to be one in some place.

1
7.a. There’s no space left for anything else.

7.b. There isn’t space left for nothing else.

7.c. There isn’t any space left for nothing else.

1
8.a. We’re short of space cupboards.

8.b. We’re short of cupboard’s space.

8.c. We’re short of cupboard.

7.d. There’s any space left for anything else. 8.d. We’re short of cupboard space.

26
answers
SOMETHING TO CHEW OVER
Aquí tienes las respuestas al reto que te propusimos en la página 26. La idea no es sólo acertar, sino también sacar
provecho de las respuestas erróneas que, en muchos casos, son errores típicos.

Aquí estamos
Se puedeantedecir
uno tanto
de los“Can
erroresyoumás
helpcomunes
me do...?”que cometen
como “Can Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen
los españoles cuando quieren integrarse en la cocina con El pronombre
los españoles cuandodemostrativo “this” (esto)en
quieren integrarse requiere el singular
la cocina con
you help me to do...?”. Es lo mismo. Por otro lado, el verbo
angloparlantes.
aaloparlantes. “Remover”
“Remover” no
no sese traduce
traduce ni
ni “move”
“move” (cambiar de angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar Por
del verbo, mientras que “these” (estos) lleva el plural. de
A ni “to
1.sitio) double” es traicionero, ya que en lugar de significar
“remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove 2.sitio)
D ni tanto, sólo (quitar).
“remove” hay una pregunta
A veces secorrectamente formulada
dice en las recetas entre
“remove
“doblar” significa “duplicar”. “La ropa” siempre es plural en
the sauce” pero“clothes”,
casi siempre se añade “from heat”. En cuanto
the confundirse las cuatro
the sauce” opciones.
pero casi siempreSi se
hasañade
puesto la B,the
“from traducción
heat”. Enliteral de
cuanto
inglés: palabra que no ha de con
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. “¿Esto dónde va?”, ¡busca atención
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. médica de forma urgente!
“cloth” (sin la “e”) que significa “trapo”.

Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen En primer
Aquí estamos antelugar, existen
uno de dos maneras
los errores correctas
más comunes quedecometen
escribir
“El estante
los españoles superior”
cuando es “theintegrarse
quieren top shelf ” o,encomo mucho, “the
la cocina con nuestra palabra para “color”: la forma británica
los españoles cuando quieren integrarse en la cocina con “colour” y la
upper shelf ”. Nunca diríamos “the superior
angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar shelf ”. ¿“Superior”
de norteamericana “color”. Cuando ordenamos
angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar de algo ‘por’ algún
3.sitio)
B ni en qué sentido?
“remove” ¿Moralmente?
(quitar). A veces se¿Intelectualmente?
dice en las recetas Como ves,
“remove 4.sitio)
A ni criterio
“remove” discriminador, ese “por”
(quitar). A veces es “by”
se dice en recetas
en las inglés, palabra
“removea
“superior”
the sauce” no siempre
pero casi es un adjetivo que“from
se añade empleamos paraEnindicar
the heat”. el
cuanto la que le sigue directamente el criterio discriminador
the sauce” pero casi siempre se añade “from the heat”. En cuanto en
posicionamiento físico de un
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. objeto respecto de otro. cuestión: “by colour”, “by size”,
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. “by age” etc. Es decir, no
utilizamos el artículo “the”.

Aquí estamos anteexiste

“A perch” uno deenlosinglés
errores más comunes
y significa “percha”,que cometen
pero en el Aquí estamos
Al verboante“must”
uno de los errores
siempre máselcomunes
le sigue que cometen
verbo básico sin “to”,
los españoles cuando quieren integrarse en
sentido de donde se posan los pájaros. Las perchas la cocina con los españoles
independientemente de si se emplea en el cocina
cuando quieren integrarse en la sentido con
de
angloparlantes. “Remover” no se traduce ni “move” (cambiar de angloparlantes. “Remover” nodesehaber”.
traduce ni “move” (cambiar de
C ni domésticas
5.sitio) “remove”
que tenemos en nuestros armarios se conocen
(quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove 6.sitio) “debe haber” o “debe El sujeto del
C ni “remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove verbo “must”
como “coat hanger”, “clothes hanger” o, simplemente, “a en la expresión “debe de haber” siempre será “there” en
the sauce” pero El
hanger”. casiadjetivo
siemprequese empleamos
añade “fromparathe heat”. En cuanto
conllevar la idea the sauce” pero
inglés. casiterminar,
Para siempre“en se algún
añadesitio”
“fromnotheesheat”. En cuanto
“in some place”,
a “moven” me lo inventé para la
de algo “de sobra” es “spare”.ocasión. a “moven” me lo inventé
sino “somewhere”. para la ocasión.

Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen Aquí estamos ante uno de los errores más comunes que cometen
los españoles
“No quedacuando
espacioquieren
para nadaintegrarse
más” contiene en ladoscocina con
elementos los españoles cuando
“We’re short quieren“estamos
of ” significa integrarse en de”.
cortos la Lacocina
formacon
de
angloparlantes. “Remover”
negativos en español,nopero
se traduce
en ni sólo
inglés “move” (cambiar
puede de
contener angloparlantes. “Remover”
referirnos a la total no se traduce
capacidad de ni armarios
los “move” (cambiar
en una de
casa
7.sitio)
A ni “remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove 8.sitio)
D ni “remove” (quitar). A veces se dice en las recetas “remove
uno: “There’s no...” o “There isn’t...”.Y sólo se pueden combinar es “cupboard space”. Del mismo modo, se podría decir
conpero
the sauce” casi siempre
“anything”, se “anywhere”,
“anyone”, añade “frometc. the heat”. En cuanto the sauce” peroshort
“We’re casi of
siempre se añade
cupboards” (¡pero“from
en elthe heat”. En cuanto
plural!).
a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión. a “moven” me lo inventé para la ocasión.

28
mastering
THE INTERROGATIVE 66
In December’s mastering the interrogative we’re going to
have a look at the verbs “to borrow” and “to lend”.

I borrowed my sister’s car last weekend. ? Whose car did you borrow last weekend?

Sam lent Nicola his stapler. ? Who did Sam lend his stapler to?

Mayte’s is going to borrow Natasha’s skirt tomorrow night. ? When is Mayte going to borrow Natasha’s skirt?

Yes, I can lend you some money. ? Can you lend me some money?

I borrowed these books from the library on Wednesday. ? When did you borrow those books from the library?

Lucas borrowed Tom’s phone because his had no battery. ? Why did Lucas borrow Tom’s phone?

I’m going to borrow my wife’s camera for the concert. ? What are you going to borrow your wife’s camera for?

Simon gave David the 80 euros he borrowed yesterday. ? When did Simon give David the 80 euros he borrowed?

I borrow my husband’s umbrella every time it rains. ? How often do you borrow your husband’s umbrella?

The bank didn’t lend Peter and Julia the money to buy a car. ? Who didn’t the bank lend the money in order to buy a car?

I borrow Ruben’s calculator when I need one. ? Whose calculator do you borrow when you need one?

Yes, I would lend you my favourite book if you looked after it. ? Would you lend me your favourite book if I looked after it?

I borrowed Susan’s car yesterday. ? Whose car did you borrow yesterday?

My mother didn’t let me borrow my friends’ clothes. ? What didn’t your mother let you borrow?

Silvia borrowed 10,000 euros from her father. ? How much money did Silvia borrow from her father?

No, I wouldn’t lend him any money if I were you. ? Would you lend him any money if you were me?

30
 elision fields
‘HÁANDREDAN’
La pá
gina
te ay que
Yet another look at the way we slide one word into another creating “new words” which sound uda
com con
unintelligible to a Spaniard. For example, when we say “itsa” we are actually using three words you know
pren la
perfectly well - it + is + a. It is essential to learn these “new words” as it will help your understanding of the sión
spoken language enormously. Recognizing these contractions or, in some cases, elisions, represents the key to
reaching a better understanding of English as spoken by native speakers. It is the key to “English Paradise”.
Don’t forget that the “Elision Fields” are right before the “Elysian Fields”.
This month’s example of real spoken English is the way many natives tend to slide the words “hundred and...” (“ciento…”)
together when they speak at a normal speed.

There were two HÁANDREDAN five

people outside the theatre. Había doscientas cinco personas fuera del teatro.
There were two hundred and five people outside the theatre.

Eight HÁANDREDAN three people were

Ochocientas tres personas estaban
waiting for the football players.
esperando a los jugadores de fútbol.
Eight hundred and three people were waiting for the football players.

I have three HÁANDREDAN two euros.

Tengo trescientos dos euros.
I have three hundred and two euros.

The watch costs two HÁANDREDAN fifty euros.

El reloj cuesta doscientos cincuenta euros.
The watch costs two hundred and fifty euros.

Six HÁANDREDAN eight planes were delayed yesterday.

Ayer se retrasaron seiscientos ocho aviones.
Six hundred and eight planes were delayed yesterday.

He earns nine HÁANDREDAN ten euros a month.

Él gana novecientos diez euros al mes.
He earns nine hundred and ten euros a month.

There are eight HÁANDREDAN fifty paper clips in her drawer.

Hay ochocientos cincuenta clips en su cajón.
There are eight hundred and fifty paper clips in her drawer.

They sold seven HÁANDREDAN eighty books at the fair.

Vendieron setecientos ochenta libros en la feria.
They sold seven hundred and eighty books at the fair.

31
translation list
Ponte a prueba. Tapa la columna derecha con un papel y traduce al
inglés las frases en español. Comprobarás que tu nivel mejora a medida
ue tu
Consig que avanzas en la lista. Incluimos dos listas para diferentes niveles.
tion
Transla
t
Bookle

Nivel Principiante

1. Es muy importante. 1. It’s very important.

2. Esto no es interesante. 2. This isn’t interesting.

3. Él no está en mi lista. 3. He’s not on my list.

4. Ella es muy agradable. 4. She’s very nice / pleasant.

5. ¿Qué día es hoy? 5. What day is today?

6. ¿Cómo está él? 6. How is he (doing)?

7. ¿Es ésa tu respuesta? 7. Is that your answer?

8. ¿Está al lado de la puerta? 8. Is it next to the door?

9. ¿Dónde está entonces? 9. Where is it then?

10. Soy la única persona aquí. 10. I’m the only person here.

Nivel Avanzado

1. Él debe de tener muchos amigos. 1. He must have a lot of friends.

2. Debe de ser muy generoso. 2. He must be very generous.

3. ¿Ha hecho alguna vez algo malo? 3. Has he ever done anything bad?

4. Nunca ha hecho nada malo. 4. He’s never done anything bad.

5. ¿Ha levantado alguna vez la voz? 5. Has he ever raised his voice?

6. Nunca ha hecho eso. 6. He’s never done that.

7. ¿Ha perdido alguna vez la paciencia? 7. Has he ever lost his patience?

8. Eso nunca le ha pasado. 8. That’s never happened to him.

9. ¿Te ha llamado alguna vez idiota? 9. Has he ever called you an idiot?

10. ¿Tú qué crees? 10. What do you think?

34
 creepy corner
El TERRIBLE... “I almost GIVE you my wallet by mistake”
g i n a d e los En español, frases como “...casi me caigo...”, “...por poco se me olvida...”, “...casi se
La pá
más
errores s
pierde...” se expresan en el presente, mientras que en inglés recurrimos al verbo en

m u n e s y má el pasado para decir lo mismo: “...almost fell down...”, “...almost forgot...”, “...almost
co
es
horribl got lost...”.

I had a hole in my pocket and

Tenía un agujero en el bolsillo y casi pierdo la cartera.
I almost lose lost my wallet.

Marian forgot she had the cake in the

Marian olvidó que tenía la tarta en el horno y casi se quema.
oven and it almost burns burnt.

Matt perdió su mapa cuando fue de Matt lost his map when he went on holiday
viaje a Barcelona y casi se pierde. to Barcelona and he almost gets got lost.

Peter no anotó cuando era el Peter didn’t write down when it was
cumpleaños de Susan y casi se olvida. Susan’s birthday and he almost forgets forgot.

Casi te doy mi cartera por error. I almost give gave you my wallet by mistake.

Steve olvidó que era un secreto Steve forgot it was a secret and
y casi se lo cuenta a su jefe. he almost tells told his boss.

Samantha no sabía que era de Samantha didn’t know it was her

su hermana y casi se lo come. sister’s and she almost eats ate it.

Me subí al tejado a arreglar una gotera y casi me caigo. I got on the roof to fix a leak and I almost fall fell off.

Derek no estaba mirando mientras conducía Derek wasn’t looking while driving and he
y casi se choca contra una farola. almost crashes crashed into a street lamp.

Tiré el jarrón y casi se rompe. I knocked the vase over and it almost breaks broke.

35