Trouble in Paris – True/False Quiz

July 29, 2014July 30, 2014 / italkyoutalk

This is a true/false quiz for the I Talk You Talk Press graded reader Trouble in Paris. The pass mark is 80%. Good luck!

Start Quiz

Trouble in Paris – Comprehension Quiz

July 29, 2014July 30, 2014 / italkyoutalk

This is a comprehension quiz for the I Talk You Talk Press graded reader Trouble in Paris. The pass mark is 80%. Good luck!

Click the button to start the quiz.

Start Quiz!

A little bird told me…

July 20, 2014 / italkyoutalk

Do you know the phrase “a little bird told me“?

Look at these examples. Can you guess the meaning?

Example 1:

A: I heard you were looking for a new job.

B: How do you know? Who told you?!

A: A little bird told me.

Example 2:

A: A little bird told me that it’s your birthday next week.

B: Yes, it is, but I don’t want anyone to know!

Does “a little bird told me” mean

a) a bird told me something.

b) someone told me something, but I don’t want to say who told me.

c) there is a rumour

Then answer is below. ↓

Answer: b) someone told me something, but I don’t want to say who told me.

We use “a little bird told me” when we don’t want to say who gave us the secret/private information. 🙂

English Quiz – Newspaper Vocabulary

July 9, 2014 / italkyoutalk

How is your “newspaper” vocabulary? Find out with our short quiz!

Click the button below to start the quiz. Good luck!

Start Quiz

too big for (one’s) boots

June 25, 2014June 25, 2014 / italkyoutalk

Do you know the idiom “too big for (one’s) boots“? Can you guess the meaning?

Example.

A: Paula used to be really nice, but she has changed recently.

B: I think so too. Since she became captain of the hockey team, she has been getting too big for her boots.

A: I don’t know why. It’s only a small, local team. She acts like she is captain of the national team!

Does “too big for (one’s) boots” mean

a) have big feet

b) behave in an arrogant manner, like one is very important or special

c) behave in a confident and friendly manner

d) be too talkative

The answer is below!　↓

Answer: b) behave in an arrogant manner, like one is very important or special 🙂

World Cup Quizzes

June 16, 2014 / italkyoutalk

The World Cup has started, so here are some quizzes about the World Cup from different news sites.

If you are interested in the World Cup, why not give the quizzes a try? It’s a fun way to practise your English! 🙂

(Please note: We have no connection with the sites listed and accept no responsibility for their content.)

From The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/football/quiz/2013/sep/27/football-quiz-world-cup-football

From ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/fullpage/fifa-world-cup-trivia-quiz-24076111

From The Manchester Evening News: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/quiz-how-much-you-know-7159399

From London24:

http://www.london24.com/entertainment/quizzes/the_ultimate_world_cup_quiz_warm_up_for_brazil_with_these_20_tricky_questions_1_3628533

English Quiz – Family

June 1, 2014 / italkyoutalk

How well do you know the English words about family? Find out with our short quiz!

The pass mark is 80%. Good luck!

Click the button below to start the quiz.

Start Quiz!

Old Jack’s Ghost Stories from Ireland

May 22, 2014May 23, 2014 / italkyoutalk

This page has information about the places in the I Talk You Talk Press graded reader Old Jack’s Ghost Stories from Ireland.

1. Malahide Castle, County Dublin

Malahide Castle is around 20 minutes by car from Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is very close to the village of Malahide. The village is next to the sea, and has a beautiful harbour.

(Photo: By Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland (Malahide Estuary – Sunset Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

Malahide Castle was built in the 12th Century. The castle offers guided tours for visitors. It also has walled botanical gardens and is surrounded by a large park.

(Photo: By Miguel Mendez from Malahide, Ireland (Malahide Castle Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malahide_Castle Map:

2. Castle Leslie, Glaslough, County Monaghan

Glaslough is a small village in County Monaghan 3km from the border with Northern Ireland.

(By Lukiebaggs at English Wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

Its most famous building is Castle Leslie. The castle was built in the 19th Century. The castle is a large country house, and is surrounded by 4km of parks, with lakes and forests. It is now a luxury hotel, and visitors can stay in the castle rooms, or in cottages in the grounds. It is a popular wedding venue.

For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Leslie Map:

3. Ballygally Castle, Ballygally, County Antrim

Ballygally Castle is in the village of Ballygally, on the Northern Irish coast. The village has a beach and a beautiful coastline. It is very popular with tourists.

(Photo: Anne Burgess [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

Ballygally Castle was built in the 17th Century. It is now a hotel. It is on the coast road and has nice views of the sea. On clear days, it even has views of Scotland across the sea. It is very famous for its ghosts.

(Photo: Kenneth Allen [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

More Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballycastle,_County_Antrim

Map:

4. Springhill House, Moneymore, County Londonderry

Moneymore is a small village near Lough Neagh. Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Ireland and the biggest in the British Isles. It is a very popular tourist spot, and visitors enjoy walking, cycling, water sports, and birdwatching.

(Photo: Kenneth Allen [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

Springhill House is around a 10 minute drive from the lake. Springhill House was built in the 17th Century. It was owned by a family for 300 years, but is now owned by the National Trust. Visitors can go on guided tours of the house, and walk around the large parks and woodland. The house also has beautiful gardens.

(Photo: Kenneth Allen [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

For more information: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/springhill/

Map:

5. Leap Castle, County Offaly

Leap Castle is in County Offaly. It is not far from the town of Roscrea. Roscrea is on the border between County Offaly and County Tipperary. It is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.

(Photo: By D. Brands (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0), GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

Leap Castle was built in the 13th Century. It is very famous for its ghost stories. Some people say it is the most haunted castle in the world. It is now privately owned.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_Castle

Map:

6. Loftus Hall, Hook Penisnula, County Wexford

Loftus Hall is on the Hook Peninsula. The area has beautiful beaches and fishing villages. The area is famous for Hook Lighthouse, which is the oldest working lighthouse in the world. It is around 800 years old!

(Photo: By Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium (Hook Lighthouse Uploaded by russavia) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons)

Loftus Hall was built in the 14th Century. It was later re-built in 1870/1871. It is a large mansion house with views of the sea. For a long time, it was empty, but now it has new owners. Visitors can take guded tours of the house during the day, or at night. (Reservation required.)