Making a New Year's Resolution Stick

Can you keep a New Year's Resolution beyond the end of January?

Here are a few tips to help you stick to your resolutions.

What are your resolutions for 2011?

Happy New Year to you all!!!

How to hide Christmas disappointment

Last minute buying can sometimes mean a less than ideal present, but how do you hide your disappointment with a less than perfect gift?

From that dodgy jumper from your nan, or the santa socks from the in-laws, we have some tips to help you avoid hurting your relatives' or friends' feelings on the big day.

Sophie van Brugen joins the Breakfast team for some practice. Watch the video

What is the most disappointing present you've ever received? What did you do?
When you get a gift you don't like, should you
a) say you'd rather have something else?
b) say you love it and keep it?
c) say you love it, wrap it again and give it to your least favourite relative on their birthday?
d) ...?

BBC Grammar Challenge: Pronunciation: '-ed' endings

Go to Download

It's a student's life

by English in Action writer, James Faraday

They live off other people's money. They don't even know the meaning of the word "work". And they contribute nothing at all to society. Who am I talking about? Students, of course.

As far as I'm concerned, today's students are lazy, unproductive individuals who do nothing but sit around all day listening to CDs and spending their parents' hard-earned money. Then, when that's all gone, they turn to the taxpayer to support them in their lives of luxury.

I wouldn't mind, but they dare to complain that they are overworked and that they suffer from stress. All I can say is that they are going to have a shock when they finally enter the real world. Then they'll realise what work and stress really mean.

Would you like to share your letter with your classmates once you've corrected it?

Bushfires in Australia

The story The Children in And All for Love... is set in Australia after a terrible bushfire.

Read this news story and find phrases used in the media to express the number of victims after a disaster.
Notice what the people affected say about how fast the fire spread.

Australia's worst bushfire disaster


Find a few examples of the use of the expression "death toll" here: Death toll


Here's some interesting information about bushfires in Australia.

The least festive town in the UK?

In view of the present economic situation, should councils cut down on Christmas lights or even do without them altogether?
Watch this video: The least festive town in the UK?

Do you have any ideas for inexpensive Christmas presents?
Here are some hints: How to give Christmas gifts in a recession economy

Principles of superb salads

Do you like salads? Here's Jamie Oliver's advice: Principles of superb salads

Crossword - Idioms with colours

Have a go at this crossword:

Idioms with colours

NB. The first word in clue 5 should be "Silver-", not "Siver-".

Wikileaks embarrass US government

Read the article and listen to the story: Wikileaks embarrass US government

1 December - World Aids Day

Here are a couple of articles about HIV & Aids

HIV: The Basics - Facts and Stats

The impact of HIV & AIDS in Africa

Winter car travel safety

Watch the first part of this video. What items are drivers advised to carry in their cars?

Snow conditions around the UK

Check your answers by selecting the space between the brackets
[de-icer, screenwash, a thermos flask, blankets, protective weather gear, a high-visibility vest, a collapsible snow shovel]

If you're planning to drive next weekend, you may want to learn a few tips as to how to cope with cold, ice and snow.
And while you're at it, why not get to know your car and learn some useful vocabulary?

General winter driving advice

Tasmania

Would you choose Tasmania /tæzˈmeɪnɪə/ as a holiday destination?

Tasmania Is Out of This World
In Tasmania, a Three-Day Trek Into an Exotic Wilderness
Tasmania's wild wild west

25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Violence against women is justified, says pupil study. Read the article here.

Find another article and related links here.

Extreme sports. Would you consider trying?

Extreme sports are about exhilaration, skill and danger. People who take part use their skills and experience to control the risks. That control is what makes them sports and not just dangerous behaviour.

What do you think about extreme sports? Do you think they are exciting and worth doing or just dangerous behaviour that should not be encouraged?

Read other students' answers and write your own.

Extreme sports. What some people will do.

Read this article about extreme sports and then watch the videos.

And here's yet another article and related links.

Thou shalt not use Facebook

New Jersey pastor says thou shalt not use Facebook. Read the story

Another wedding of the century?

William and Kate's first interview after announcing their engagement: Click here

Do you want to know it all? William and Kate: The story so far

Nick Clegg pressurised over university fees

Fancy a peep at the House of Commons?

Click here

Information flood

Nowadays there is so much information that it is difficult to keep up-to-date. How do you get informed? How do you select your sources?

Podcasting

Steve Jobs at Stanford

Watch this video of the Commencement Speech that Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and Pixar, delivered at Stanford University in 2005.



You can read the script here, but listen to the whole speech at least twice before you read it.

Has failure ever led your way to success? Share your story.
Or you may comment on the speech and the impression it has made on you -if any.