Reading: Who goes to Oxford University?
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C2)
This year just over 40% of undergraduate places at Oxford University went to UK students who attended independent schools. In 2005, the figure was 48% and in 1995 it was almost 52%, and if you go back to 1961, it was a little over 65%. Continue reading
Reading: After the EU referendum. Brexit?
Intermediate to lower advanced level (B1-C1)
Well, it actually happened. The majority of people in the UK voted to leave the EU. But what now? Continue reading
Reading: the EU referendum
Intermediate to lower advanced level (B1-C1)
On 23 June this year, a referendum will take place in the UK. The question to be voted on is: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” Continue reading
Reading: the General Election
Intermediate Level (B1/B2)
On Thursday May 7th there will be a General (national) Election in the UK. Nowadays this takes place every five years. The electorate can vote for one candidate in their constituency (local parliamentary area). The winner in each constituency will become the local MP (Member of Parliament). Continue reading
Reading: the British pub
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C1)
Going to the pub should be on your list of things to experience. The tradition probably goes back to pre-Roman times. Continue reading
Reading: Today is the Scottish referendum
Intermediate level (B1-B2)
People normally living in Scotland (including people from EU countries!) are voting whether or not to be completely independent of the Westminster parliament. Continue reading
Reading: the UK and the EU
Intermediate to lower advanced level (B1-C1)
Before we look at the situation now, here is some history. Britain joined the European Economic Community (now the EU) in 1973. Continue reading
Grammar: predictions
Pre-intermediate to upper intermediate level (A1-B2)
Michio Kaku is a well-known American physicist. He has just published a book called ‘The Future of the Mind’. In his book he writes about how people we will be able to record clear images of your thoughts and even your dreams! Continue reading
Reading: book level test (graded readers)
All levels
Reading is very important if you want to improve your English quickly. It shows you hundreds of examples of good grammar. It also teaches you a lot of vocabulary and expressions. Seeing the same words again and again will help you remember the words you learnt in the past. However, you need to find reading of the right level for you. Continue reading
Vocabulary: education
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C1)
A good exercise (especially for Cambridge FCE) is to think about your own education and how you could describe it. Here is someone’s story:
Reading: vocabulary connected with being clever
Intermediate to advanced level English (B2-C2)
Being clever or smart can impress or irritate others. Continue reading
Reading
Very advanced level (C2)
Yesterday Margaret Thatcher died. Some people were sad but others celebrated her death by opening bottles of Champagne and dancing in the street. However most would probably agree that she was one of the most formidable politicians of the 20th century who changed the economic and political face of Britain. Continue reading
Outside the Sheldonian theatre
Reading: Oxford
Intermediate level (B1-B2)
Visitors to the city often ask, ‘Where is Oxford University?’ The answer is: ‘It’s all around you!’
The University is actually made up of 38 independent colleges.
Continue reading
Reading: scones
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C2)
Scones are a fun tea-time British treat.
You can make them in about 30 minutes
and eat with jam and cream.
My recipe (personally tested!) will make about 6 scones.
Reading: London visit
Lower to intermediate level (A2-B2)
Recently I met some old friends in London. We spent the day looking at the sights as we walked around the city. Continue reading
Reading
Elementary to Intermediate (A2-B2)
Britain doesn’t have the best reputation for weather. In some ways this is unfair because people sometimes think London is frequently foggy when in fact London is very rarely like this. Of course 70 years ago people burned a lot of coal to keep themselves warm and this produced some terrible smogs in the big cities. Continue reading
Reading and video: exercising double-decker bus
Intermediate level (B1-B2)
A Czech artist has taken a classic British double-decker bus and made it do press-ups (you can also say ‘push-ups’) in time for the Olympics! Using hydraulics, huge red arms can lift up the bus. Continue reading
Reading: London Olympics
Advanced level (C1-C2)
If you were one of the hundreds of millions watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics, I wonder what you made of it. Most British people I spoke to found something that impressed them but of course if you watched it on TV you could only see what was broadcast and imagine the atmosphere. Continue reading
Reading
Advanced (C1-C2)
I first noticed Bradley Wiggins about 10 years ago. His long sideburns and mod haircut made him stand out from the crowd. His look was so unusual you might have thought he was a computer geek, a trainspotter or a statistics-obsessed anorak. His name didn’t help either. When he spoke he was also different: he had an attitude. Continue reading
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C1)
There has been an interesting range of England managers over the years. Now, during the Euros we have Roy Hodgson. He wasn’t everyone’s first choice and he certainly doesn’t have the media-friendly personality of say a Mourinho but he is regarded as reliable, genuine and all-round nice bloke. We shall see in the coming days if his qualities are enough to get the England team through to the final stages of the competition. Continue reading
It takes about 20 minutes to drive from Oxford to a village called Little Wittenham. It’s a popular place for walking because you get great views from the top of the nearby hills (Round Hill and Castle Hill). The hills, which are usually known as the Clumps, have wild flowers on their slopes and beech trees at their tops. You can see birds such as skylarks, buzzards and red kites.
From the top of Round Hill you can see the river Thames as it meanders by the pretty village of Dorchester (you can see Dorchester Abbey in the photo). If you have time, it’s a good place to have a picnic before walking down the hills and exploring the woods below.
In Little Wittenham there is an organisation called Earth Trust which seeks to encourage sustainable living. At the moment Earth Trust has 1,200 acres of woodland, research plantation, meadow, wetland and farmland.
Reading: Politics
Upper intermediate to advanced (B2-C2)
She is certainly well-known, or at least her image is. Her face is on stamps and the UK currency but most of the time she is only seen at royal visits or ceremonies. At the opening of Parliament the Queen reads a speech but this is written by the government. At Christmas she reads a message to the country but this is very formal and usually just a summary of some of the things that have happened in the year. Continue reading
Vocabulary and speaking
Pre-intermediate to upper intermediate level (A2-B2)
This week summer arrived. Now the temperature around Oxford is about 28 C. Of course you might not think that this is very hot but for most people here it’s hot enough. The maximum ever temperature in Oxford was 35 C. Continue reading
In May each year there are about 500 exhibitions of artists’ work in Oxfordshire. Most of the exhibitions are in the artists’ homes or studios. The kind of artwork ranges from painting and ceramics to furniture and jewellery. Continue reading
Yesterday I went to an air show near the town of Abingdon (8 miles south of Oxford). It’s a fun thing to do in the summer months.
There were aircraft on the ground and flying displays in the air. As well as the planes there were vintage cars, crafts and dancing. Near the end of the show we saw the Breitling Wingwalkers. Two biplanes gave us a 15-minute show with a woman doing acrobatics on the wings of each 
plane. Very impressive! You can see them in the first photograph.
Each year the Abingdon Air and Country Show raises money for charity. This year they are raising money for the local air ambulance (a helicopter).
Listen Air show
Lower level (A1/A2)
You use the words in bold to talk about how often you do something:
Every Sunday morning I play golf with my friends. After the 18th hole we always have a large lunch and then go home. On Mondays I often play tennis with my cousin Susan at her sports club. If I don’t play tennis I watch horse racing on TV. Continue reading
Advanced level (C1/C2)
Useful informal phrases are in bold. I hope your morning was better than this one: Continue reading
To be honest I can’t be sure because I’ve never met him but I have an idea why. Old English was a Germanic language that was influenced by the Old Norse language of the Vikings and then by the Norman French that came with William the Conqueror’s invasion of 1066. Continue reading
Vocabulary: adverbs in a police story
Advanced level (C1)
Read the story and try to guess the meaning of the adverbs (in bold). Check with a dictionary to see if you are right. Continue reading
April 23rd is St George’s Day. It is thought to be Shakespeare’s birthday too, as well as the date of his death. St George is believed to have been born in what is now Turkey. Continue reading
Reading and listening: London marathon and F1
Intermediate level (B1-B2)
Today it’s the London Marathon. Thousands of ordinary people will run past the famous sights of the capital such as the Cutty Sark, St Katharine Docks, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament. Many will be raising money for their chosen charity in a carnival atmosphere. Also today is the Bahrain Grand Prix: exclusive, expensive and controversial. Quite a contrast!
Listen Two races
Lower level (A1/A2)
There are 12 adjectives in the text. Do you know them? Continue reading
In east London 30 cash machines are giving customers the choice of having instructions in Cockney, a working class dialect of English. Continue reading
Listening and reading: passenger ships
Intermediate level (B1/B2)
It’s a 100 years since the Titanic disaster. At the time people said it couldn’t be sunk. In January this year 32 people died when the Costa Concordia hit rocks off the Italian coast. When I see the size of the latest cruise ships, I wonder if an even worse disaster is just around the corner.
Listen Titanic arrogance
About the Titanic:
Here is a link to a website for all things Titanic
http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/
I’m starting to hear more and more hype about the Olympics, most of it on TV and the radio. However when I read newspaper blogs most of the comments are negative, usually complaining about the cost. In July the Olympic torch will pass through Oxfordshire so I guess we’ll see how many people are really interested.
Listen Olympic test
Reading and listening
Intermediate level (B1-B2)
The annual Oxford and Cambridge boat race had to be stopped after an Australian protester swam in front of the boats. The race was restarted and Cambridge went on to win. What I don’t understand is why he needed to get so close to the boats and risk his life.
Listen Boat race
This famous university boat race started in 1829 after a challenge between 2 school friends. It takes place on the River Thames in West London every year. The course is 4.2 miles long – about 6.8 km. So far Cambridge have won 81 races and Oxford have only won 77. In 1877 it was a draw!
In its history there have been striking crew members and boats sinking so this years incident is just one of many.