Often described as one of Roald Dahl's scariest stories, Royal Jelly is a strange tale, even by Roald Dahl's standards!
When you have read the story, click here to see the first part of a dramatisation of the story from the television series, "Tales of the Unexpected".
The film lasts about ten minutes and tells the first part of the story. You can find parts 2 and 3 on YouTube if you want to watch the rest!
What do you think of this filmed version? Do the characters look the way you imagined them? How easy is it to understand their accents? Does it make you want to watch the other two parts? Write your comments below. Andy
Yes, folks, it's that time of year... already! It's time to work on your PPP (Personal Preparation Plan) to make sure you are ready for the End of Year Exam.
Remember ... only you know exactly which parts of the exam you need to work on to and thats why your PPP is so important.
Keep working on your PPP regularly - you still have time to make a difference!
One of the most challenging parts of the exam is Use of English so here is a link to the IH Bristol website which has lots of extra practice activitities for you.
Click here to go to the IH Bristol website. The CAE activities are in the centre column. All parts of Use of English are included but, as we all know, gapped sentences are always a challenge so make sure you practise these as often as you can.
Remember there is an earlier blogpost with a link to more gapped sentences so don't forget to go back to that post and do those exercises again.
How do you feel about gapped sentences? Do you find the IH Bristol link helpful? Write your comments below. Andy
This is one of Roald Dahl's most popular short stories and has been filmed several times, most famously by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1960s.
A group of teenagers decided to make their own version of the story which you can watch in a few moments.
ONLINE QUIZ!!!
First, how much do you remember about the story? Click here to do an online quiz and check your score to see how good your memory is.
VIDEO LINK!!!
Now, clickhere to watch the teenagers' video. What do you think of their performances? Does their video inspire you to enter the IH World Video competition? Ask you teacher for details! Write your comments below. Andy
All 33 miners have been rescued after a flawless operation which captured the attention of people all around the world.
Clickhereto watch a BBC video of the miners' 70 day ordeal underground and the heroic efforts of the rescue team which succeeded in bringing all 33 miners back to the surface, back to their families and into the hearts of the people of Chile and millions of viewers all around the world.
What did you think of the rescue operation and the the fact that it became a global media event? Write your comments below.
During October we'll be looking at a number of global issues as we explore Unit 5. In our recent discussions, one of the most emotive issues which has been raised is POVERTY.
Click here to watch an award-winning video which has touched viewers around the world and has inspired many people to do something about it.
As you watch, make a note of the different aspects and consequences of poverty dealt with in the video. What do you think of the video? Were you surprised by some of the statistics? Does it get the message across? Do you think individuals can make a difference? What do you think of the slogan below?
Who are these guys? Any ideas? (Here's a hint...they know a fair bit about computers ...hehe!) This is a photograph of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard taken at the garage where they started their electronics business way back in the middle of the last century. They flipped a coin to see if their modest little company should be called Packard-Hewlett or the now globally famous brand ofHewlett-Packard! The rest, as they say, is history!
Click here to watch a short video about the Hewlett-Packard story. As you watch, answer these questions: 1 Which university did Bill and Dave attend? 2 When did they start their company? 3 What was the name of their first product? 4 Who did they sell it to? 5 Which film was the product used in? 6 What kind of values was the company built on? 7 What are Bill and Dave handing out in the photograph? 8 What three elements came together to form this "marriage"? 9 What is the typical annual revenue of the company? 10 Which two areas of business does the company focus on today?
Now, clickhereto read about this and other successful partnerships. Click on the photographs at the bottom of the page and read about the 10 other famous partnerships. Do some further research on one of these partnerships and prepare a one minute presentation to give to the class.You may choose another successful partnership if you wish but check with your teacher first!
Have fun with your research and good luck with your presentations! Andy
Since his first appearance on youtube in October 2009, the Annoying Orange has gone viral with around 150 million views worldwide. What is it that makes this infuriating little character so endearing? Love him or hate him, it seems like the Annoying Orange and his pals might be around for a while.
But what do you think? Let us know whether you think he's funny, if you have a particular favourite episode and why the hell he is so popular.
Here's what Lisa's class thinks:
I really love the Annoying Orange because its humour is sometimes acid and others cruel and I think people love it. Its annoying voice and way of treating the other characters I believe are the main reasons that make people watch it over and over again and laugh each time they watch any video of the Annoying Orange. I personally think that lately, the new episodes aren’t as fun as the older ones but I still spend a great deal of time watching them.
The annoying orange is not funny at all. I hate it. It’s everything but annoying. It’s so stupid that you can’t even get annoyed or angry like the fruits in the videos, and the orange s so lame with it’s solitary life in the small kitchen.
Mica and Nacho
In my opinion, the annoying orange is very funny because it has a lot of creativity using fruits that have voices. It’s great to watch how the orange annoys the other fruits with his comical laugh. I think that those videos are very popular because people are not used to that type of humour and the best thing is that you have hundreds of videos from the annoying orange. Personally I’ve only watched a few episodes due tothe fact that I think it's a waste of time, as every video last on average ten minutes. Tony Kaminker
My own opinion: I think that the annoying orange is a very creative and original series. Nevertheless it became clear that, in order to keep making one episode per week, the lack of imagination would be evident. New episodes aren’t about encounters of the orange with other vegetables and fruits, but with movie characters such as the villain of Saw. Anyway nothing prevents you from laughing about the silly jokes :P Matias Dwek
