Spotlight
Scotland has a serious drink problem
Scots are drinking far more than people in the rest of the UK. Figures from NHS Health Scotland show that adults bought 24 per cent more alcohol than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — the equivalent of 100 extra pints of beer each a year.
naivety
"I was shocked by his naivety and ignorance of international affairs."
One of these will help you to remember difficult things…
Bond is dead, Blomkvist lives
"Stieg Larsson has sold more than a million e-books"
surmount
"I soon realized I had to surmount the language barrier if I wanted to get a good job."
Who exactly is... M.I.A.?
Who exactly is Maya Arulpragasam? She was born in London but lived in Sri Lanka until the age of eight. Her music is catchy, but if you listen closely, what M.I.A. sings about can be disturbing.
Mickey Mouse English
Mickey Mouse is being put to work in China by Walt Disney. He's part of a project that aims to teach English to 150,000 children a year. China is the fastest growing private English education sector in the world, with a yearly value of $2 billion.
clad
"They saw the figure of a woman clad in black at the end of the hall. A ghost?"
Five houses in Ireland
Puck Fair takes place in Killorglan, Country Kerry, on 10, 11 and 12 August. The event started in pre-Christian times as a celebration for a good harvest and it is thought that the star of the show, a wild goat, may represent the pagan god, Pan.
Making arrangements on the phone: Three skills
"In Hollywood, says Sean Penn, you fall out; you break up; you _____ up!"
dissertation
"She's writing a dissertation on the Irish civil war."
Under the sea
If you're spending time at the seaside this summer, you might want to know what is in the water! ANNA HOCHSIEDER presents marine vocabulary.
Spotlight in the classroom 8/2010
Spotlight in the classroom is a selection of ideas for using Spotlight in your lessons. It is free to teachers who subscribe to our magazine.
Plane stories for the summer
"Perhaps it won't be long before Heathrow Airport is closed down"
pledge
"Bill Gates has pledged to give away most of his money before he dies."
Spotlight Audio 8/2010
Language
8. Interview with Dagmar Taylor (see pp. 14–19)
Travel
14. Interview with John Heagney (see pp. 28–33)
Ref! Ref! Ref!
FIFA president Sepp Blatter opposes using technology to help referees make decisions. But the outcry over mistakes such as Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in England's World Cup loss to Germany seems to have changed things.