BBC Podcast

Grammar Challenge (Learn English)
BBC World Service

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/gc/)

This is another programme that help to improve your English grammar but this is a little more interesting because each week they challenge an English language student on verb forms, tenses, prepositions and pronunciation.

In this ocasion they talk about the word "regret" that mean when you did something in the past and if you could be back in the past you change it, and the grammatical structure for this situations is, first you have to use the word "I wish" with the past perfect and the structure of the past perfect is, first the subject then "had" and finally the verb in past participle, for example, "I wish I had taken my umbrella" and the negative "I wish I hadn't bought a rather expensive dress". Don't forget to use the the verb "wishes" if you are talking about he or she.

I think this kind of podcast are excellent alternatives to practise the English and the advantage is that only last six minutes, so you could listen it in any time of the day.

BOOK REPORT (STORY 2)

THE DEVIL'S FOOT

In this adventure Watson relate us how Holmes make use of all his skills to find the solution in a case that seemed imposible, this is a story of the book "Sherlock Holmes Stories" written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

All begins with a travel to the western part of Cornwall that Holmes and Watson made for rest. There were a few villages where Holmes met a lawyer Mr. Roundhay and his friend Mr. Mortimer. Everything had been well until something strange happened, the sister of the Mr. Mortimer had been murdered and his two brothers were in a state of mind uncommon all they were poisoned. The next morning a huge man called Dr Leon came also to investigate the death of the girl cause they were in love in the past.

The main suspect was Mr. Mortimer but a few days later was murdered too, Holmes was a little confused so he decided to made a new research and he started investigating the both scenes of the crimes, he found similar clues in both cases but after he got all the information about the family of Mr. Mortimer he had resolove the case. Certainly Mr. Mortimer was the person who poisoned his brothers and because of that Dr Leon was looking for revenge so he decided to kill him in the same way.

I liked all the stories of this book all are always different each one show us a diferent skill of Holmes and in this one at the end Holmes manifest that he is reasonable person too, for the reason that he left Dr. Leon in freedom even knowing that he was the killer, Holmes comprehend that he hadn't another way to solve the problem, and he was sure that he was a good person.

I suppose that the message of the book is that we never shouldn't give up to the problems and we always need to search for the best inteligent way to solve it, like Holmes.

BOOK REPORT (STORY 1)

THE NORWOOD BUILDER

This is a story of the book of "Sherlock Holmes Stories" written by Sir Arthurd Conan Doyle. This adventure begins with a boring and uninterested Holmes cause there weren't cases to solve since the death of the unfortunate Professor Mariartry, until suddenly a worried man came for help. The story is narrated by his old friend Watson.

Mr. McFfarlane the worried man was a lawyer, and the police wanted to arrest him for the murder of Jonas Oldacre, because of that he asked for help to Holmes. After Mr. McFarlane told his story to Holmes the policeman Lestrade arrested him. Holmes begun his investigation going to the home of both the accused and the murdered, at first he didn't found anything interesting even he thought that the police was right, but then a telegram of Lestrade had arrived reconfirming the guilt of Mr. McFarlane with new clues. Holmes went again to the scene of the crime and he notice that these new clues they weren't when he made his investigation, so in that moment he realize that Jonas Oldacre was alive and he was hiding in a false wall with a secret door that he had been built because he was a builder.

The story is interesting I like it because It's short, It's easy to read and I enjoy the way that Holmes always use to get the answers to the questions, that way is through the abilities like observation, imagination, deducion and anothers, in a few words he always solve the problems in the best intelligent way.

My conclusion is that everybody needs to be imaginative because this could help us in so many aspects in our lives, like in the book for example the policeman was making a mistake due to lack of imagination, because of that Holmes says to him "It is a pity that you lack imagination".

BBC Podcast

Talk About English (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/tae/)

I like this progamme because is made for helping people to learn English, in this episode they said that, everybory think that communication seems such a normal think to do and we tend that everyone no matter where they from, will communicate in the same way that we do but a normal conversation is diferent depending the situation and the culture.

To get a successful communication isn't just getting the language right, it's also using language that's it's right for the situation and what's right for the situation will very according with the things that people in their culture think important.

A research made show us that the fifty five percent of the meaning of the communication came through the non-verbal communication so the body language is an important part of a successful communication.

BBC Podcast

Material World BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/material/

This podcast talk about of one of the most important problems in Mexico, every year between June 1 a­nd November 30 hurricanes threaten the coasts of the United States, Mexico, Central America. Hurricanes made a great damage when they get to the land and they can kill thousands of people.

There are five categories of hurricanes they are rated on the international Scale. To warn this problem is necesary to notice the four weather alerts for tropical storms and hurricanes depending on where you are located in proximity to the storm.

Well this is a problem which we could realized how the goblal warming is affecting the earth so we have to change our minds and stop to pollute our palnet.

BBC Podcast

6 Minute English

BBC World Service

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/how2/)

This week I decided to listen a podcast that is very useful for people that is learning English, I really like it, the truth is that I will try this kind of podcasts because they are made for improve useful English language for everyday. Something else that I like it it's that they put some examples for a better comprehension.

In this episode they teach us how to ask for a favour, that is how ask someone to do something for you as a kindness or generosity, this is easy you only have to say "Can you do me a favour?" but if you want to be more polite you can say "Could I ask you to do me a favour?", if you don't know how to start to ask the favour you could say " I was wondering if I could I ask you a massive favour?", when we ask for favours we tend to exaggerate because of that the word "massive".

The way to thank for the favour could be "thank you so much" which is a very kind way to say thanks for the favour, also is quite common to use the future tense to promise for something like " Thank you so much I'll buy you a drink when I get back" or "I promise I return the favour sometime".

BBC Podcast

Instant Guide (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/ig/)

IG: The Instant Guide to Raul Castro

Raul Castro is the younger brother of Fidel Castro he was elected President of Cuba at the 24 February 2008, he is a person that doesn't like to appearing on public and making speeches he always wear military uniforms ocasionally suit and he has non of the carisma of his elder brother. People says that the first time when they saw him was in the sixties besides of Fidel and de perception of Raul was a very hard an docmatic person for many years.

Raul Castro has introduced a series of liberalising reforms in Cuba he has been making many changes. Unlike his brother, Raul Castro has allowed ordinary citizens to buy DVD-players, PC's, consuming products. He has been breaking many prohibitions.

I think this is the start of a new Cuba more modern and fair for the cubans and they will have more changes when Fidel dies, but they will be still living governed in the dinasty Castro for many years.