Categoria: Inglese

Top 5 Weirdest Laws: UK Edition | Reading Comprehension

Across Britain, there are laws still enforced today that date all the way back to the 1300s! Some of them have no relevance in today’s world and are actually quite funny. The Team at Scrambled Eggs English School in Milan have put together a list of the top 5 weirdest laws that still exist in the UK. Get ready for your minds to be blown!

First up, it is actually illegal to be drunk in the pub! Yes, that’s right, you’ve read correctly! According to the 1839 Metropolitan Police Act, it is illegal to be highly intoxicated in a pub or for the pub-keeper to permit drunkenness on the premises! 

Next up, jumping the queue in the Underground ticket hall is not just rude, but actually illegal! That’s right, us Brits take queueing to a whole new level!

One of the most absurd laws that still exists is that it is apparently illegal to die while in Parliament. As the House of Parliament, less commonly known as the Palace of Westminster, is in fact a royal palace; so, if you were to die there, you would be required to be given a state funeral!

Another interesting law is that you can’t dress up as a soldier or seaman if you go to a fancy-dress party. According to the Seamen’s and Soldier’s False Characters Act 1906, it is illegal to pretend to be part of the armed forces.

Last but certainly not least placing a postage stamp bearing the monarch’s head upside down on an envelope is considered as an act of treason. So, when sending a postcard from your travels in the UK, make sure you place your stamp the right way up!

Which law do you think is the weirdest? What weird Italian laws still exist in Italy today?! Share your opinions by writing a comment below!

If you are curious to find out what the words in bold mean and want to speak like a native, try our comprehension quiz below:

Top 5 Weirdest Laws: UK Edition | Reading Comprehension Quiz

Match the word with its definition.

How did you do?! If you enjoyed this post and want to check out some more of our website, click here to continue practising your English!

5 Things To Do In Summer When The Weather Is Bad

Leggi questo articolo in italiano!

One thing that we can all agree on is that summer is great when the weather is sunny! But what happens on the days when it’s cloudy, or when it starts to rain? For anyone who wants to stay busy, this can be the perfect opportunity to spend some time practicing English, to maintain their language level during the summer.

Do you need some help thinking of ways to stay occupied? The Scrambled Eggs team has some tips:

  • Watch a TED Talk

If you have to stay indoors because it’s raining, why not profit from the time by watching a speech in English? You will practice your listening skills, and if you make a note of words you don’t understand (don’t forget to use the subtitles to help you!) you can also increase your vocabulary. Additionally, TED Talks are always informative and engaging, so you can also learn about something really interesting at the same time!

You can find many interesting talks here: https://www.ted.com/talks

And here’s one recommended by Scrambled Eggs!

Learn English with Ted Talk: English Manias
TED talk in English
  • Read a book.

Many students seem to be intimidated by English books, as they can be too hard. However, the secret is to A) find a book that was written for a slightly younger audience than you, or B) find a book that you’re extremely motivated to read. Our top tip is to have a pencil and highlighter near you while you read, so you can quickly make a note of words you’re not sure about, and then search for them with a dictionary or on your phone.

Here are some ideas from Scrambled Eggs, for students with a higher level of English:

5 libri in inglese per avanzato livello B2/C1
Read English books
  • Plan a trip abroad.

There is no better way to improve your English than by using it while travelling abroad. It might seem a bit extravagant to plan another holiday during summer, but it will be autumn soon… and that’s the perfect time to visit a new country!

Our tops tips include London, Amsterdam and New York:

Una giornata a Londra: cosa fare in 24 ore
5 luoghi da visitare in Europa dove si parla inglese (oltre a Londra)
5 consigli per goderti al meglio il tuo viaggio negli Stati Uniti
Travel abroad
  • Do some small English exercises

It might sound a bit boring, but if the weather is horrible for only a short amount of time, maybe it’s the best way to stay busy for 5 minutes? A small exercise every so often is a great way to maintain your level of English, and perhaps learn some new vocabulary too! If you’re about to go shopping, search for a vocabulary exercise. If you’re going to go to a party when the sun returns, google a small exercise about talking in the Future. Everything helps!

Here are some Scrambled Eggs suggestions:

Beach or Mountains: Preparing for Your Summer Holiday
Short Answers: Beach vs. Mountain
English exercise
  • Learn some English expressions to talk about the weather!

It’s much easier to talk about the weather in English if you know the best expressions, so check out this list about hot weather:

5 frasi per descrivere il tempo estivo

How many expressions do you know about the rain? Is it drizzling, or raining cats and dogs?

If you found this list useful, there are many more interesting articles on our blog! You can also contact the school directly, or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Prepositions of Time | Esercizio Inglese

Prepositions are always a bit of a struggle when learning a language, especially since they tend to differ from one language to another.

How are your prepositions in English? Today’s blog takes on the infamous prepositions of time, which can be split into 3 simple all-encompassing prepositions: in, on and at. Is this topic completely new to you? Have no fear! Scrambled Eggs English School in Milan has a team of Native English Speakers to accommodate your every need.

So, which preposition is used for which time?

We use in for non-specific times such as months, years, decades and long periods of time. For example “in January,” “in 2009” and “in the future.”

We use on for specific days and dates, such as days of the week, days of the year and dates. For example “on Monday,” “on January 21st” and “on New Year’s Eve.”

Finally, we use at for the time, holidays and festivals as well as specific timeframes. For example “at 7:00 p.m.,” “at Christmas” and “at sunrise.”

For more information, have a look at the below graphic about this very topic:

Have you got it? Do you think you’re ready to put your knowledge to the test? Well, you’re in luck; we’ve prepared an exercise just for you!

Prepositions of Time

Type the correct preposition in the gap.

How did you find it? If it was too difficult, then feel free to try it again! Otherwise, have a look at some of our other English quizzes and start improving your English now!

LINK: http://scrambledeggsinglese.it/category/a2/