2014

I.E.S. “La Rosaleda”

Isabel Pérez

ENSAYOS SOBRE LA ESTAFA MUNDIAL DEL SIGLO XXI Recopilación de textos sobre diversos temas relacionados con la estafa mundial de este nuevo siglo

SUMMARY

I. - There is a big problem in Spain now

II. - John Ralston Saul: there is no reason why we

should rescue the banks

III. - The Death Road

IV. - Being on strike

V. - Once more students on strike

VI. – Being on strike at the institute

VII. - Working on International News Headlines

about Juan Carlos and Felipe VI

VIII.- Recession and Cutbacks

I. - There is a big problem in Spain now

12 de diciembre de 2012

Mortgage hipoteca

Bill factura

Loan préstamo

Encourage animar

Client cliente

Pay slip nómina

Business negocio

Furnish amueblar

Enjoy divertirse

Debt deuda

Quote palabras

Company compañia

Struggling asfixiado

Lend prestar

Afford afrontar

Therefore por lo tanto

Factory fábrica

Be forced to forzar a

Reduce reducir

Outgoing gastos

Dismiss echar

Benefit beneficio

However sin embargo

Wonder preguntarse

Even though aún cuando

Already ya

Huge enorme

High alto

Be about to estar a punto de

Lend prestar

Get rid of deshacerse de

Earn ganar

Get out of salir de

Even though aún cuando

Good producto

Meanwhile mientras tanto

Evict desahuciar

Throw out echar

Expel expulsar

Commit cometer

Suicide suicidio

Guys chicos

Eat out of your hands Tener el destino en tus manos

Common Area Maintenance Gastos de la Comunidad (de nuestra casa)

Six years ago I bought a house. I had a good job with a good salary. Now

however, I have to pay the mortgage, the electricity, the phone bill, the gas

bill, the expense of Common Area Maintenance, food, clothes and the kids

studies, my salary has gone down, my wife doesn´t have a job anymore and …

“We can’t get to the end of the month”.

I. - Before the crisis banks wanted you to ask for any kind of loans. Banks

used to encourage you to do so. You were considered a good client if you

had loans with them. There were many possibilities; it was very easy to ask

for one. All you needed was a pay slip.

Money, money, and money all around time after time……… that was a big

business and you could enjoy playing that game too.

Once you had the money you could buy a car or a house. You could even

furnish it. You could take a trip…… there were no problems….. Ask for a

loan and enjoy it!

Many people were in debt but that wasn’t a problem for the banks at all!! It

seemed the money had no end. There was money, a lot of it.

Don’t you remember the quotes: “Spain is doing well”.

II. - Now “we are” in crisis”. That is what “they” say, don’t they?

Now people don’t have jobs because they lost them and many companies

have closed down. However, people keep their debts with the banks and

banks have clients with a lot of debts that, in many cases, cannot be paid.

There are lots of companies that are struggling because many clients

(other companies or just people) can’t pay their bills. Banks don’t lend

money to be able to afford those bills and therefore the factories and

companies are forced to close their businesses.

Many companies and factories have to reduce production because people

aren´t able to spend money buying their products. People have a lot of debt

and less money to afford their outgoings. Therefore, companies have to

dismiss workers from their business: less production, less workers because

companies will always defend their interests: to keep the benefits high.

III. - Now banks don’t have money. That is what we are told. However, I

wonder where all the money has gone? I ask this question even though I

already know the answer.

Money can´t move by itself. Money has gone from one hand to another, or

as we say in Spain, “money has no legs at all”.

Spanish money banks go to German banks. Why? Let me explain it like

this:

Spanish banks asked the German and French banks for money. The

Spanish banks have such a huge debt that if they ask for more money they

will not get it. Now they have to give the money back to them. However,

the Spanish bank debts are so high that the Spanish Government has been

forced to ask for help from the European Banks.

The Spanish Government is about to get a big European loan to help the

Spanish banks to be able to pay back the German and French Banks.

Spanish banks will have money, but, what for? As I have already said: to

pay their debts back to the European banks.

So Spanish banks won’t be able to lend money to the Spanish companies or

factories, the Spanish banks won’t help people to get rid of their debts with

the banks.

The Spanish people will earn less money because this is what the

Government says will help the companies get out of the crisis so they can

pay their bills. Even though people won´t have enough money to buy goods

to live and enjoy their lives…

This seems to be a catch-22, or as we say in Spain, “a fish biting its own

tail”. Don´t you think?

Meanwhile, there are many people that are evicted from their houses,

without a place for them or their families to stay. They are thrown out and

expelled as if they were dogs.

Meanwhile, there are many people that throw themselves out of windows;

there are so many people that commit suicide… But it doesn´t matter

because there are still a few people that are making a good business from

all of this ....."the show goes on" !!!

Goldman Sack and Company… well done, guys you did great.

You have people eating out of your hands.

The best of it is that they don´t know about this situation…

WELL DONE!!! YOU ARE GOOD BOYS!!

EXERCICES

# 1 Write down the expenses the narrator is talking about at the beginning

of the text.

# 2 At the beginning of the crisis it was very easy to get a loan. According

to the text, is that sentence right or wrong?

# 3 Imagine you have a lot of money and most of your friends ask you for

it. You lend them all your money and then you decide to ask for more

money to the bank because you want to help them. What do you think will

be the consequences?

# 4 Why are so many people without a job?

# 5 Why are so many companies that have closed?

#6 Why are there so many companies that have reduced their production?

# 7 why do the companies have to dismiss most of their workers?

# 8 where do you think the money has gone?

# 9 whom do the Spanish banks owe money?

# 10 Can you explain why the narrator says that “this seems to be a catch-

22”?

WEBGRAFÍA

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camberwell_squatted_centre_no_more_food.j

pg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sheikh_Jarrah_Demonstration277.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Handy_LED_projector_in_Demostration.jpg

http://blogs.diariovasco.com/deritzot/2012/05/23/no-estais-solos-stop-desahucios/

II.- John Ralston Saul: there is no reason why we

should rescue the banks Málaga, 5 de febrero del 2013

The magazine “Utne Reader” has named him as one of the one hundred most important

thinkers of the world. He is the President of PEN International and has recently been

interviewed by the weekly Spanish magazine “EL PAÍS SEMANAL”. http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/02/04/eps/1359975187_178411.html

VOCABULARY AND IDIOMS:

Argument To highlight Magazine

Debt Role

To rescue

Instead of Growth

To save

Current Policy

Mortgage

To corrode

To reset To spend

To end up

Envelope

To suggest Drawer To lock

To throw away

To beat To get rid of

Discurso sin paños calientes: don’t beat around the bush.

Aplicar las siguientes recetas: apply the following metods

Hablar sin pelos en la lengua: not to mince words

Pasar página: turn the page

I would like to bring here some of the important arguments that have been

highlighted by Joseba Elola who has written an article in that weekly

magazine. Joseba Elola describes J. R. Saul as a tall, thin and smart man

with a dandy stile and who doesn’t beat around the bush. He doesn’t mince

his words.

- John Ralston believes that countries should reconsider what a debt is as

well as the role that banks play in the new world.

- He proposes that citizens should be rescued instead of the banks.

- He says we find ourselves in a dark period of the economy and “they”

continue using the same methods everywhere (Governments must control

their expenses –austerity- and the economy must grow). He believes that

growth and austerity can’t save us from this current situation. This is

putting democracy in danger.

# The interviewer asks him a question: Should we save the banks? He

responds that there is no reason why we should save them.

A good policy is that the government pays people’s mortgages.

He believes that if you pay people’s mortgages, you will also save the

banks. People would keep their houses and could spend their money as

consumers.

# European Union is corroded by debt. He wants to bring “the debt” to an

end. “They” can’t admit that they made a mistake. He asks himself, ‘How

can we reset the watch?’. He suggests that, basically we should put “the

debt” inside an envelope and put on it: “this is very important”, put the

envelope in a drawer, lock it and throw the key away. “We must turn page,

we must beat it”. If the private sector can get rid of the debt, the public

sector can too.

http://recursostic.educacion.es/bancoimagenes/web/

#TRUE OR FALSE EXERCISE:

- Saul is described as a tall, thin and fashionable man: T F

- Ralston believes it is better to save banks rather than people: T F

- He thinks the establishment keeps on using the same methods: T F

- It is a good policy to pay people mortgages instead of giving the money

directly to banks: T F

- Democracy is not now in danger: T F

- Governments shouldn’t “reset” most of the debts: T F

- Austerity is going to take out of the current crisis: T F

# PUT THE WORDS IN THE CORRECT ORDER

- He/ not/ beat/ does/ bush/ the/ around

- find/ We/ in/ a/ ourselves/ period/ dark/ economy/ of/ the

- houses/ People / would/ their/ keep

- “They”/a / mistake/ can’t/ made/ admit/ that/ they/

- page/ We /must /turn missing a word?

III.- THE DEATH ROAD

Málaga, 6 de febrero de 2013

On the 6th

February 1937 the troops of the general Gonzalo Queipo de

Llano got into Málaga. Nearly 100.000 republican people had to run away

to Almeria by the only possible way, the N-340 which was named “The

Death Road”.

About 150.000 men, women and children tried to escape and look for a

place to hide and be saved. They were rather scared of the “National

troops”. There was no place to run away but the N-340 and there they were,

all the fascists, who were bombarding everyone from the ships, from the air

from the earth with the tanks.

The Italian troops came from the north, Queipo de Llano’ soldiers came

from the west and, the ships from the fascist F. Franco were waiting on the

sea. These assassin troops were helped by Italian and German fascists. To

know precisely how many people died there is absolutely impossible.

However, some sources say that many dead bodies ended up in mass graves

or that the Guadalfeo River took them with it. In San Rafael mass grave

there have been identified more than 4.300 victims according with Andrés

Fernández, who is a scientist and responsible for the researching in the

Cemetery San Rafael.

“Boys only wore their trousers and girls only wore their wide dresses. All

of them were half-dressed and beneath the sun…. “(Norman Bethune’s

notes who was a Canadian Surgeon and a voluntary doctor working with

the “Socorro Rojo”).

http://www.publico.es/450048/la-carretera-de-la-muerte

IV.- BEING ON STRIKE

BEING ON STRIKE

Yesterday, 22nd of May 2012, I went on strike.Ayer, el 22 de Mayo del 2012, yo fui a la Huelga.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

She is my teacher and she went on strike on 22nd May 2012Ella es mi profesora y ella fue a la huelga el 22 de mayo del 2012

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

Those are my classmates and they participated on the strike tooEstos son mis compañeros y ellos también participaron en la huelga

All the trade unions organized the Strike. Todos los sindicatos convocaron la Huelga.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

A PUBLIC SCHOOLFROM ALL OF US

TO ALL OF US

A PUBLIC SCHOOL

FROM ALL OF USTO ALL OF US

BEING ON STRIKE

One of the slogansUno de los eslogans-

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

The Parents´ Association also called for the strike. La Asociación de Padres (CODAPA) también llamó a la Huelga.

BEING ON STRIKE

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

Many primary and secondary schools were empty. Muchos colegios de primaria y secundaria estaban vacíos.

BEING ON STRIKE

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

Many universities also stopped for the day. Muchas universidades también pararon ese día.

BEING ON STRIKE

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

Today, 23rd of May 2012, we can read the news and see the photos of many Andalusian cities with their streets full of students, parents and teachers who took to the streets to defend the public educational system.

BEING ON STRIKE

Hoy, el 23 de Mayo 2012, podemos leer en las noticias y ver las fotos de muchas ciudades Andaluzas con sus calles llenas de estudiantes, padres y profesores que tomaron las calles para defender la Enseñanza Pública.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

A scab is a worker who goes to work when his workmates are on strike.Un esquirol es un trabajador que va al trabajo cuandosus compañeros están en huelga

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

The State Government obliged the Andalusian Government to cut 10,000 Million euros from the budget and so the Andalusian Government cut 3,000 Million euros from schools and 7,000 million euros from healthcare.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

A scholarship is the public money a student gets for free to be able to study. Now it will be a bit more difficult to get one.Una beca es dinero público que obtiene un estudiante gratuitamente para poderestudiar.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

The Minister of Education wants the Institute classes with five more students so they can improve their relationships.El Ministro de Educación quiere que las clases tengan cinco alumnos más y asíLos alumnos podrán mejorar sus relaciones.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

Temporary teachers will have their timetable and their salary reduced about a 15% of them.A los profesores interinos les reducirán el horario y su salario.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

Temporary teachers will have their timetable and their salary reduced about a 15% of them.A los profesores interinos les reducirán el horario y su salario.

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

23/05/2012 Mª Isabel Pérez Ortega I.E.S. " LA ROSALEDA" MÁLAGA

BEING ON STRIKE

Temporary teachers should be happy because half of them will at least havethe chance to work in a schoolLos interinos deberían estar felices porque, al menos la mitad de ellos, Tendrán la oportunidad de trabajar en un colegio.

BEING ON STRIKE AT THE INSTITUTE

VOCABULARY

To go on strike (v) ir a la huelga

Classmate (n) compañero

To participate on (v) participar en

Trade Union (n) sindicato

To organize (v) organizar, convocar

To call for (v) llamar a

Primary (n) primaria

Secondary (n) secundaria

Empty (adj) vacio

To stop (v) parar

Full of sth (adj) lleno de algo

To take the streets (v) tomar las calles

To defend (v) defender

To oblige (v) obligar

To cut (v) cortar

Budget (n) presupuesto

Healthcare (n) sanidad

To improve (v) mejorar

Relationships (n) Relaciones

Temporary teacher (n) Profesores interinos

Timetable (n) horario

To reduce (v) reducir

Yo be used as (v) ser usado como

To wear (v) llevar puesto

T-shirt (n) camiseta

Temporary (adj) interino

Half (adj) mitad, medio

The chance (v) la oportunidad

Quite (adv) bastante

Also (adv) también

Less (adj) menos

To increase (v) aumentar

At least (adv) al menos

Scab (n) esquirol

Scholarship (n) beca

Young (adj) joven

Workmate (n) compañero de trabajo

Company (n) empresa

For free gratuito

To be able to (v) ser capaz de

EXERCICES

1# Fill in the blanks with these verbs: GO, PARTICIPATE, DEFEND, AGREE,

OBLIGE, CUT, HAVE (x2), EARN, IMPROVE, INCREASE, WORK, and REDUCE.

Be careful and use the correct form.

1. She is my teacher and she _________ on strike on 22nd May 2012

2. Those are my classmate´s parents and they _____________ in the strike

too.

3. I study at I.E.S. “La Rosaleda”. We went on 22nd May 2012 because we

were ___________ our rights.

4. All Trade Unions ___________ on being all together to fight for the

Public Educational System.

5. The State Government _____________ the Andalusian Government to

_________ 10,000 million euros from the budget, and so the

Andalusian Government cut 3,000 million euros from schools and

7,000 million euros from healthcare.

6. We will _______ quite a small number of teachers. They will also

__________ less money because their salaries will be reduced.

7. The Minister of Education wants the Institute classes with five more

students so they can _____________ their relationships.

8. Because there will be less money for schools, the numbers of working

hours at school for teachers will be _________ by two more hours per

week.

9. Temporary teachers should be happy because half of them will at least

have the chance to ___________ in a school.

10. Temporary teachers will have their timetable and their salary

_____________ by 15%.

2# Make five sentences using some of the words which are outlined in

yellow

3# Now fill in the blanks using the following words: FULL, T-SHIRTS,

SYMBOL, SCAB, SALARY, SCHOLARSHIP and GET.

1. The streets were ________ of young people, parents and teachers.

2. Most of them wore green ____________ which is used as a

____________ to defend the Public Educational System.

3. A _______________ is a worker who goes to work when his

workmates are on strike.

4. The company will take one day´s pay from your __________ when you

are on strike.

5. A ____________ is the public money a student gets for free to be able

to study. Now it will be a bit more difficult to _________ one.

DID YOU KNOW THAT....?

The Church does not have to pay property taxes like all Spanish house owners

do.

V.- ONCE MORE STUDENTS ON STRIKE

Málaga, 6 de Febrero del 2013.

Spanish students are on strike for three days from the 5th

February 2013 till 7th

February

2013. They claim to the Minister of Education:

1. To retire the draft law called LOMCE.

2. To leave his position (to dismiss).

http://www.republica.com/2013/02/05/los-estudiantes-de-secundaria-vuelven-a-la-huelga-contra-el-ministro-wert-y-su-reforma-

educativa_609865/

Students Trade Unions are satisfied with the number of the students that

have followed the strike. They affirm that between 80% and 90% of the

students haven’t gone to class.

Students from the third and four year of Secondary School, High School

and Vocational Training courses have been called to go on strike.

“Thousands of students and hundreds of pickets explained the reasons why

a strike to defend Public Teaching, Public Education.

Yesterday many students in the protests in Madrid chanted together:

“Where are our envelopes”.

Let me remind you what the law says about the fundamental right to

assembly to discuss whether or not going to class when students are called

to go on strike. It will not be consider a fault. Teachers are not allowed to

penalise students. However students have to communicate on writing the

decision of going on strike by their student delegate.

VOCABULARY

Ir a la huelga to go on strike

Pedir/reclamar to ask for, to claim

Retirar to retire

Dimitir to dismiss

Seguir la huelga to follow the strike

Secundaria Secondary

Bachillerato High School

Formación Profesional Vocational Training

Llamados a la huelga to be called on strike

Enseñanza Pública Public Teaching

Manifestación Protest

Corear to sing/ to chant together

Regular to regulate

Derecho de reunión the right to assembly

Sancionar penalise

Falta fault

Permitir to allow

Sancionar to penalise

Piquete picket

Esquirol strike-breaker

http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/sociedad/estudiantes-salen-calle-pedir-retirada-

reforma-educativa-wert_2013020600023.html

# EXERCISE TRUE OR FALSE: (T F)

1. Students Trade Unions represent students who fight for their rights

2. If the Trade Union calls you to go on strike you are obliged to go to

3. Students are not allowed to assemble in class and discuss their decisions

4. A strike breaker is a person who doesn’t follow the strike and goes to work

5. If the students go on strike they will be penalised and punished

# EXERCISE 2

Students chanted together “Where are our envelopes”. Is there any

important and current news about possible corruptions within the members

of the Spanish Government? Try to write about it as much as you can.

Don’t forget to add the web pages you have been visiting.

# EXERCISE 3

Right now, many different sectors of the Civil Servants are claiming for

their rights because of the cuts and reforms: the Health Sector, the

Educational Sector and the Justice Sector. Look for images and don’t forget

to add their links. Can you write down only one claim of each sector?

VI.- BEING ON STRIKE AT THE INSTITUTE

VOCABULARY

To go on strike (v) ir a la huelga

Classmate (n) compañero

To participate on (v) participar en

Trade Union (n) sindicato

To organize (v) organizar, convocar

To call for (v) llamar a

Primary (n) primaria

Secondary (n) secundaria

Empty (adj) vacio

To stop (v) parar

Full of sth (adj) lleno de algo

To take the streets (v) tomar las calles

To defend (v) defender

To oblige (v) obligar

To cut (v) cortar

Budget (n) presupuesto

Healthcare (n) sanidad

To improve (v) mejorar

Relationships (n) Relaciones

Temporary teacher (n) Profesores interinos

Timetable (n) horario

To reduce (v) reducir

Yo be used as (v) ser usado como

To wear (v) llevar puesto

T-shirt (n) camiseta

Temporary (adj) interino

Half (adj) mitad, medio

The chance (v) la oportunidad

Quite (adv) bastante

Also (adv) también

Less (adj) menos

To increase (v) aumentar

At least (adv) al menos

Scab (n) esquirol

Scholarship (n) beca

Young (adj) joven

Workmate (n) compañero de trabajo

Company (n) empresa

For free gratuito

To be able to (v) ser capaz de

EXERCICES

# Fill in the blanks with these verbs: GO, PARTICIPATE, DEFEND, AGREE,

OBLIGE, CUT, HAVE (x2), EARN, IMPROVE, INCREASE, WORK, and REDUCE.

Be careful and use the correct form.

1. She is my teacher and she _________ on strike on 22nd May 2012

2. Those are my classmate´s parents and they _____________ in the strike

too.

3. I study at I.E.S. “La Rosaleda”. We went on 22nd May 2012 because we

were ___________ our rights.

4. All Trade Unions ___________ on being all together to fight for the

Public Educational System.

5. The State Government _____________ the Andalusian Government to

_________ 10,000 million euros from the budget, and so the

Andalusian Government cut 3,000 million euros from schools and

7,000 million euros from healthcare.

6. We will _______ quite a small number of teachers. They will also

__________ less money because their salaries will be reduced.

7. The Minister of Education wants the Institute classes with five more

students so they can _____________ their relationships.

8. Because there will be less money for schools, the numbers of working

hours at school for teachers will be _________ by two more hours per

week.

9. Temporary teachers should be happy because half of them will at least

have the chance to ___________ in a school.

10. Temporary teachers will have their timetable and their salary

_____________ by 15%.

# Make five sentences using some of the words which are outlined in

yellow

# Now fill in the blanks using the following words: FULL, T-SHIRTS,

SYMBOL, SCAB, SALARY, SCHOLARSHIP and GET.

1. The streets were ________ of young people, parents and teachers.

2. Most of them wore green ____________ which is used as a

____________ to defend the Public Educational System.

3. A _______________ is a worker who goes to work when his

workmates are on strike.

4. The company will take one day´s pay from your __________ when you

are on strike.

5. A ____________ is the public money a student gets for free to be able

to study. Now it will be a bit more difficult to _________ one.

DID YOU KNOW THAT....?

The Church does not have to pay property taxes like all Spanish house owners

do.

VII.- WORKING ON INTERNATIONAL NEWS

HEADLINES ABOUT JUAN CARLOS AND

FELIPE

I.- TELEGRAPH

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/10869397/King-

Juan-Carlos-to-abdicate-Spanish-throne.html

"76-year-old monarch says it's time for a younger generation to take over

as he announces plan to step down amid health woes and financial

scandals."

EXERCISE #1: Link the words on the left with the CORRECT

meaning on the right

Woes entre

To take over problemas

To step down tomar el mando

amid dimitir, dejar el cargo

II.- BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27662351

"As it happened: Spanish King Juan Carlos I to abdicate

Key Points

King of Spain Juan Carlos is abdicating

Crown Prince Felipe is to take over the throne

A constitutional amendment will be proposed to allow the abdication

to happen

The 76-year-old has had health problems in recent years

His popularity has fallen following corruption scandals and gaffes"

EXERCISE #2: Link the words on the left with the right meaning on

the right

Key points enmienda

throne permitir

amendment proponer

to propose trono

to allow puntos clave

III.- WASHINGTON POST

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-

mix/wp/2014/06/02/deeply-unpopular-spanish-king-to-abdicate-throne-in-

favor-of-son/

Here we are going to work on part of an article from the Washington post. I

have made some changes so you will find it easier to read and make the

exercises.

Exercise#3: Fill the gaps with the right word: himself/ in favor of/

standing/ coup.

"Spanish king to abdicate throne _________ son."

King Juan Carlos of Spain will abdicate and pass the crown to his son,

Crown Prince Felipe. Juan Carlos, once a popular hero for resisting a

military ____________, was losing ground both in his health and in his

____________ in Spain.

The announcement came Monday morning from Spanish Prime Minister

Mariano Rajoy and later from Juan Carlos _________.

Exercise#4: translate the following paragraph:

The king said he is abdicating to make way for his son to become the

nation’s next monarch so that a “new generation” can take over. Political

analysts believe that the conservative People’s Party wanted to put the

more popular Felipe on the throne to try to combat increasingly anti-

monarchist sentiment, after small leftist and anti-establishment parties did

surprisingly well in last month’s European Parliament election.....

Exercise#5: These are the meaning of some words: vencer, sucesor,

sacado de una, marcha, crisis, personificar. Now, you have to find out

which are the words with that meaning in the following paragraph.

Spain’s leader Francisco Franco with his future successor as Prince Juan

Carlos de Borbon, as they watch a military parade in Madrid in 1973 .

(AP)

He arrived like something out of a Disney movie and came to embody the

hope of an entire nation.

But even his popularity could not surmount (defeat) Spain’s crippling

(incapacitating) economic slump (depression, crisis), which has left 4.7

million Spaniards unemployed.

IV.- NATIONAL PRESS: PÚBLICO

http://www.publico.es/politica/524600/los-memes-mas-ingeniosos-sobre-

la-abdicacion-del-rey/slideshow#2

EXERCISE #6: watch the picture on the right.

How many faces are shown? Write down their

names. Then make a sentence for each one using

one of these words in each sentence: dictator,

King, Prince.

TV:

http://www.canalsur.es/noticias/espa%C3%B1a/importante-clamor-popular-a-favor-de-la-

republica/402544.html

HIMNO DE RIEGO CANTADO POR UN HOMBRE Y UNA MUJER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fujQeuir3aM

OTHER NEWS:

http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2014/06/02/538c34ccca47410b2b8b456c.html

http://endirecto.lavanguardia.com/politica/20140602/54409537530/rey-juan-carlos.html

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2155479/0/minuto-a-minuto/rey-juan-carlos/abdica/

http://es.euronews.com/2014/06/02/abdica-el-rey-de-espana-juan-carlos-i-/

http://www.abc.es/espana/rey-juan-carlos-i-abdica/20140602/abci-alminuto-rey-juan-carlos-i-

abdica-felipe-vi-201406020942.html

http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2014/06/02/actualidad/1401695328_504276.html

http://elpais.com/tag/abdicacion_juan_carlos_i/a/

CONCENTRACIONES REPUBLICANAS 2, junio 2014

http://www.laverdad.es/nacional/politica/201406/02/miles-personas-reclaman-republica-

20140602195848-rc.html

La abdicación se resolverá a través de una Ley Orgánica.

VIII.- RECESSION AND CUTBACKS

Spanish government is making a lot of cutbacks in many different sectors

such as education, health, worker conditions, etc. Citizens now have to pay

more taxes if they need to go to court; citizens are seeing that the

government is passing laws that will reduce their freedom to express their

ideas and thoughts as they may be fined if they talk about corruption.

Citizens are losing some of the rights workers gained with suffering and

effort a long time ago.

Spanish government defends those actions because they believe ‘we are in

recession’.

I believe I have done nothing to be in recession. I have always paid my

debts. I never spent money than I didn’t have. However, I don’t know if

my bank can say the same. I don’t know if my bank has acted as I always

do. Nevertheless, banks have been playing with people’s money; they have

lost our savings and now we have to give them back the money they lost.

I am not responsible for the recession, but I have to pay for the bank’s

responsibilities. Have you ever heard of a Spanish banking director being

sent to prison? None of the most important representatives of the banks

have ever been taken to court. What is more, the judge who dared to do

so is now relieved of his responsibilities, and may suffer a sentence of 40

years suspension.

There are many jobs the Administration has cut. Many of my fellows are

no longer in my school. There are more students in the classes, teachers

have to work more hours per month, and there is less income to invest in

education….. Why has the one responsible for this situation not been

prosecuted? We should look at Iceland. They sent those responsible for the

banks to jail. Citizens had to lend their own money to the ‘bad banks’ but

now they have surpassed the recession.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS CUT PEOPLE’S DIGNITY AND HAS

TRAMPLED EQUITY AND SOLIDARITY.

Nobody does anything to stop it. Everybody accepts it. Everybody believes

and assumes the world has been living beyond their means.

EXERCISES:

1 Translate the words in bold.

2 Then write four sentences in English using as many of the words in

bold as possible.

3 PUT INTO THE RIGHT BOX THE FOLLOWING VERBS:

is making, is passing, are losing, defends, are, have done, have paid, spent,

don’t know, has acted, have, have been playing, have heard, have been taken, dared,

has been prosecuted, sent.

SIMPLE

PRESENT

PRESENT

CONTINUOSU

PRESENT

PERFECT

SIMPLE PAST PASSIVE

What things do you think are changing now? And how are these

things changing now?

o The salary is changing now

o The number of working hours are changing now

o The labour conditions are changing now

o The labour rights are changing now

o The taxes I have to pay are changing now

o The benefits the employers get are changing now

o The employers ‘ taxes are changing now