What's your job?

 This is an interview. Please read it.

What is your job?
My job is a baker.
How long have you done it for?
I have done it for 10 years.
Where do you work?
I work in Acharnes.
What do you like in your job?
I like that I can create beautiful and tasty things.
What don't you like in your job?
There is nothing I don't like.
Was it easy for you to become a baker?
Not very easy, because I had to study and practise for many years.
Do you love your job?
I love my job very much, because I like making things for hungry people.
Thank you! Have a nice day!
Thank you. You too!

B Class

Natalie, Panagiotis, Paul.

Vasilopita

It is a custom in Greece that on January 1st we eat a rich bread called Vasilopita. It is actually the bread for Agios Vasilis (Saint Basil) because January 1st is the name day of Vasilis.  Each vasilopita contains a single coin. The Vasilopita is cut after Church. Whoever gets the slice with the coin is considered to be lucky.

Here is a recipe we got from http://www.antiochian.org/node/18684



A Simple Recipe for Vasilopita

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• Grated rind of 2 large oranges
• Grated rind of 2 large lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed/powdered sour cherry pits (Arabic mahleb, Greek makhlepi)
• 2 teaspoons crushed/powdered gum mastic (Arabic miski, Greek mastikha)
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk blended with 1 tablespoon milk
• sesame seeds
• blanched almonds
• a clean coin - a quarter will do nicely - wrapped in silver or gold foil

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thickly butter a 10-inch round spring form pan.
2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and beat until the mixture is light. Beat in the eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange and lemon rinds, and the crushed/powdered sour cherry pits and gum mastic.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together three cups of the flour, the baking powder and salt.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the dry mixture alternately with the milk. The batter will be very thick. Using a wooden spoon, gradually blend in the remaining flour, beating well until completely smooth.
5. Spread the batter into the pan, press the coin into the dough until it is completely covered (don't let anyone see where you place it!), and then smooth the top. Brush the top evenly with the egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Gently press the blanched almonds into the top to make a Cross and spell out the date of the new year.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown (if it browns too quickly, cover the top with aluminum foil). Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing from spring form and thoroughly cool before slicing.

It was posted by Maria K aged 13

ESB Speaking Test B2 - Useful Set phrases-Expressions

Here are some useful set phrases for the ESB Speaking Test. 

I’d like to

I’d prefer to

I’m not sure about

I’m interested in

I’m keen on

in any case

It’s probable/possible that

I agree with you

You’re absolutely right

One more/other thing is

What do you think?

I’d like to try

It’s good for you to

Yes, and what’s more

Something else that is important is

Do you agree?

I’d advise him/her to

on the whole

in general

make my own choice

Yes, but there are other things to consider

You could be right, but

I mean

I wouldn’t like

I’d love to

it must be

I’m afraid I don’t agree

That’s a good point

True, but, on the other hand

Yes, and/but don’t you think it’s also...?

Of course you’re right, but

Many people think

Yes, what I think

No, I’m not like that

I suppose

for instance

I doubt if

In some ways, but

Do you think so?

That’s interesting because

Αναρτήθηκε απο κέντρο ξένων γλωσσών ΕΚΦΡΑΣΗ στις Αχαρνές (Μενίδι).

Help for the Final Test

E Senior

1.We put some ice on Carol's knee and, after a while, the .....went down.
a.  boarding   b.  swelling    c. dressing   d. padding

2. The .... of the school trip was the visit to the chocolate factory!

a. diversity    b injustice    c. debate    d. highlight


3. I love those flowers! They're absolutely....!
a gorgeous   b humiliating   c frustating   d disastrous

4.   Puppies and kittens have to be taken to the vet to be ......
a  simulated    b threatened   c abandoned   d vaccinated

5.  When the woman in the bank saw the robbers, she started..... .
a. snoring  b. striking   c. scraping    d screaming


6.  My grandmother  ...... by Steve every tendays in the summer.
a. cuts the grass   b. has the grass cut

7.  It's been three months .... I spoke to my friends in South Africa.
a.  ago    b. since

8.  Fred will never forget .... the Puramids for the first time
a. to see    b. seeing

9.  .....he says, don't believe him!
a. Whatever    b. However


10.  Mark ..... as a doctor last year.
a. descended   b. accepted   c. qualified   d treated

11.  They're very rich;  they live ina .... on the outskirts oftown.
a. mansion   b. kennel  c landmass   d. monument

12 .......were taken from Africa to America in ships and were forced to work in the fields
a. Strikes      b.   Scalds   c.  Suburbs   d. Slaves

13.  Dogs, cats and cows are all..... .
a  wolves   b  mammals  c cheetahs   d varieties

14.  We're having  a debate about the death .... at school tomorrow.
a penalty  b  placard  c therapy  d  majority

15.My old neighbour moved to another area, so I frequently/rarely see him now.
16.I realised who she was by the time/as soon as I saw her.
17.Her behaviour at the meeting was very embarassing/embarrassed!
18.Let's have a party, will/shall we?
19.He tried to write/writing a letter to apologise, but she wouldn't read it.

20 I reminded Paul .... the light
a.  to turn off   b. turning off

21.  John insisted .... us home.
a.  to take   b. on taking

22.  Nick warned me .... Philip what had happened.
a. to not tell  b. not to tell

23. I agreed ..... Nancy with therhomework
a. to help   b. helping

24  Matthew explained .... he hadbeen too ill to come to school.
a. that   b. us that

25 I'd rather you told/will tell her what happened
26 If only they could/can come with us.
27 it's high time he is finding/found a job.
28As long as/In case you don't get home too late, you can go to the party.
29 If I were you, I'll give/I'd give him the money.
30 Eleni regrets dyeing/to dye her hair green
31 I'd prefer go/to go on my own
32 He's responsible for making/to make all the desserts in the restaurant.

33 It's ... that we get food and water to those people as soon as possible
a. available   b. desperate   c physical  d crucial
34  The ....flying object wasn't a plane; people said that they had never seen anything like it before.
a. unidentified  b personalised   c specialised   d endangered
35 I had been in the bank for about ten minutes when I realised that I was standing in the wrong ....
a court  b tap   d plug   d queue
36 This job doesn't .... well, but I really enjoy it.
a. earn  b offer  c spend  d pay
37 Where is the ....? I want to boil some water to make tea.
a. fossil   b whistle  c ripple   d kettle
38 This country is rich because it's got lots of natural .... .
a. increases  b logging  c spectators   d resources
39 All children should live in a safe.... .
a. experience   b inconvenience   c environment   d. emergency
40 Luckily, the .... was caught before he could set fire to any more buildings.
a survivor  b mugger c arsonist  d burglar



Have you done the exercises?

Now, you can look at the answers.  Remember to learn the translation of all the words.

Answers

1b  2d 3a  4d  5d  6b  7b  8b  9a  10c  11a  12d  13b   14a  15 rarely  16 as soon as  17 embarassing     18 shall  19 writing   20a  21b  22b  23a  24a 25 told 26 could 27 found 28 as long as 29 I'd give 30 dyeing
31 to go 32 for making  33d 34a 35d 36 pay 37d 38d 39c 40c

Good luck with your test!!!

D Senior

1. It is very important to stay .... in an earthquake
a. scientific   b  calm   c  fit   d raw

2. We decided to .... the biscuits from the children.
a. hide   b treat   c process   d expand

3. The artist makes beautiful .... out of metal
a. fights   b materials   c statues   d destinations

4  The magician ... some great tricks at the children's party.
a.  powered   b   performed   c activity   d  reached

5. This dog belongs/is belonging to our neighbour.
6. I didn't see/haven't seen this film before, so don't tell me what happens in the end.
7. You mustn't/don't need to feed the dog; I've already done it.
8. We shouldn't start eating until Pam arrives/will arrive.

9.  Don't be afraid of the cat; it won't .... you.
a. escape  b hurt  c  behave  d trap

10.  These .... need a lot of rain to grow.
a. members  b clouds   c  crops   d grades

11.  Look!  That man is .... a baby kangaroo!
a. carrying    b whistling    c. reacting    d. orbiting


12. We have decided to .... off the party until later in the summer
a. go   b turn   c put   d stop

13 I'd rather to watch/watch the news on ET1.
14 I still don't understamd where/why Jim went to the dentist's again this morning
15 We had better to leave/leave now.
16 This dog belongs/is belonging to our neighbour.
17 Either Paul nor/or Helen told me about it; I can't remember which of them it was.
18 I haven't had any/no ice cream yet.
19 That's the factory which/in which my brother used to work in.
20 James, who/whose mother is a doctor, is my best friend.

Have you done the exercises?

Now, you can look at the answers.  Remember to learn the translation of all the words.

Answers

1b 2a 3c 4b 5 belongs  6 haven't seen 7 don't need 8 arrives  9b  10c 11a  12c 13 watch 14 why 15 leave 16 belongs 17 or 18 any 19 which 20 whose

il- ir- im

1. You are not behaving yourself. You are ................. . (impolite / irregular)
2.  If you don't do your exercises, you are .................... (illegal / irresponsible)
3.  My grandma is completely ................ (irregular / illiterate) because she has never been to school.
4.  "Make" is an ....................... (irregular / impolite) verb.
5. My friend Bob says very ...................... (illogical / immature) things. He can't be serious.
6. I was walking down the street when I saw an obstacle. It was ....................... (impolite / impassable)
7. My friend Lisa is the most ..................... (immature / impossible) person I have ever met because she always behaves like a child.

Send us your answers.

The figure on the mountain - Part IV

It was five o' clock in the morning and I couldn 't sleep any longer I was upset with what had happened. So, I turned my comuter on and I found information on that old castle on the mountain. It seem that the owner of the castle had been murdered. His name was Andrew Shelton. Althought it was so early, I called my friends. They were restless too and they had already done their reasearch on the net. According to the legend this man was the richest man of the country. He had no children, but one day he was found underground. His hands and feet were tied. The poor man was dead, murdered by someone who wanted his money.


We decided to go back to the mountain. We went straight to the graveyard. We started looking for his grave. We finally found it. But what was that on the ground, over the grave? There was a note. Alice picked it up and read 'Thank you children. You set me free and now my spirit can at last rest".


It was then when we realished that the man we found was the gost of the rich man!

THE END

The figure on the mountain - Part III

The man led us to the remains of the castle. It was very old and we couldn 't see anything. We stood outside a gigantic wooden gate. The man pushed the door hard but it creaked because it was so old. We could hardly see in the dark, so the man lit a torch. Although we should be afraid, we trusted him. There was something innocent about him. "This was my house", he said. "But how? This is a castle, an ancient castle". The man repied "Don 't ask why, you will find out about me soon, very soon". Then, the man took the torch, walked for a while and he suddenly disappeared. We stayed speachless in the dark. It was late and we had to go back.