Newly released figures show that the eurozone (countries that use the Euro) has gone into recession for the first time in its history. Germany went into recession on Thursday, prompting fears that other major economies might follow suit. Greg Morsbach has more:

The Spanish government also reported its first negative growth in fifteen years.

But France bucked the trend of gloomy news today: they defied economic forecasts and narrowly escaped recession by announcing minimal growth for the period between July and September.

VOCABULARY

figures
here, official statistics

officially in recession
‘recession’ means a period, shorter than a depression, when there is a stable decline in a country’s economy; a country is officially in recession when its economy declines, or becomes smaller, for two consecutive quarters

consecutive quarters
periods of three months each, one following the other

negative growth
when economy declines

shrank
declined, became smaller

posting
finishing with, registering, announcing

bucked the trend
didn’t do what most others did

gloomy
leaving no hope, causing despair

defied economic forecasts
showed different - better - results than many expected

narrowly escaped
only just managed to avoid

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Este es otra noticia, perteneciente a otra area que no es economia, para escucharlo , solo teneis q meteros a este enlace http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/10/081022_australian_men.shtml     y podreis escuchar en una de las opciones la noticia . Espero que os interese y que lo encontreis util.

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The old stereotype of the tough Australian male has been reinforced this week. A new study from the University of New South Wales has discovered that on average Australian fathers only spend six minutes with their children from Monday to Friday.

It found that fathers were more likely to spend time with their children in the park, or at sports events, but rarely participated in feeding, bathing, or ferrying children to and from school.

Mothers in Australia tend to spend three hours each week purely looking after their children, a much greater disparity than other countries like America, Denmark, Italy and France, where couples divide their childcare more evenly.

According to the author of the study, Australian fathers appear to like the fun aspects of parenthood, but shy away from the drudgery. They tend to contribute when they’re free, likely to enjoy themselves and therefore tend to look upon childcare as another leisure activity. Australian parenting is seen as a woman’s job and a man’s hobby.

In fairness to Australian men, they do tend to work longer hours than their counterparts in America, Denmark, Italy and France.

By Nick Bryant, Sydney

unsettling
disturbing, uncomfortable

working week
period from Monday to Friday

bastion
place where something is defended against change

male chauvinism
the belief of some men that they are better than women

reinforce
agree with and strengthen

ferrying children to and from
taking children to and from

disparity
difference

drudgery
hard and boring work

in fairness to
to be fair to, in defence of

counterparts
equivalents, here - men

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Saludos a todos, este fragmento lo saque de la web de la BBC, q publica por internet noticias para gente que esta estudiando ingles, con pablabras traducidas. Os pongo una de ellas :

New figures released in Britain confirm that the economy has weakened sharply. Gross domestic product, or GDP, fell by nought point five per cent in the third quarter of the year. Here’s our Economics Correspondent Andrew Walker:

Recessions in developed economies are often defined as two consecutive quarters of declining GDP, and this was the first. Most economists do however think there will be further falls in output.

This was the first contraction in the British economy for sixteen years.

Andrew Walker, BBC News, London

is facing a recession
will probably enter a period when the economy is not doing well and conditions for business are bad

be revised
looked at again and, possibly, change

are consistent with
do not contradict, are logically linked to

assessment
conclusion, finding

defined
identified, classed, categorised

two consecutive quarters
two periods of three months that come one after the other

declining
falling, decreasing, diminishing, becoming smaller

GDP
short for gross domestic product, i.e. the total production of goods and services in a country

there will be further falls in output
the production of goods and services will continue to decline

contraction
when something (here, the economy) becomes smaller

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Have something done y get something done son ambos usados para referirse a acciones que son hechas PARA el sujeto . La accion del verbo es hecha por otra persona para el sujeto. Ejemplos:

• Have something done
  I don’t know how to repair cars, so I’m having mine repaired at the garage . ( No se como reparar el coche, por lo que me lo estan reparando en el garage.
  –
  –
• Get something done
  Get your hair cut! ( Cortate el pelo )
  -
  Si dices I cut my hair estas diciendo que te lo cortaste tu. Si fuiste a la peluqueria, se dice, I Get / have my hair cut.

  NOTA ( Diferencia entre have y get )

  Have es un poco mas formal que get, y get es mas frecuente que have para imperativos.
  –
  –

• Tambien se usan para hechos que le ocurren a un apersona, pero que estan fuera de su control.
  -
  After being late for work every day for two weeks, Billy had his pay reduced. ( Despues de llegar tarde todos los dias durante 2 semanas, le redujeron el sueldo a Billy)
  -
  I stood so close to the fire that I got my legs burnt. ( Permaneci tan cerca del fuego que se me quemaron las piernas)

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MAKE

El verbo make  , que significa ” hacer, causar “. Es usado de dos maneras.

1. Make + objeto + adjetivo
   Going *** to bed late will make you overtired. ( Irte a la cama tarde te hara sentirte agotado, exhausto)
   Exercise makes you fit ( ejercicio hace que estes en forma)
   
2. Make + objeto + infinitivo ( Sin to)
   Aerobic exercise makes your heart beat faster. ( Ejercicio aerobico hace que tu corazon lata mas rapido)
   Horror films make me laugh
   
   

NOTA

Si el sujeto del verbo es una persona, make suele significar forzar o obligar.

My father made me finish my work ( Mi padre me obligo a hacer mi trabajo)

The customs officer made me empty my suitcase. ( El oficial de aduanas me hizo vaciar mi maleta)

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OTRAS EXPRESIONES PARA CAUSA Y EFECTO

• Bring about + objeto
  Going to India has brought about a complete change in the way he looks at the world. ( Ir a la India ha causado un gran cambio en la manera en la que el ve el mundo)
  
• Cause + Objeto / cause + objeto + to + verb
  Too much exercise can cause insomnia. ( Mucho ejercicio puede causar insonmio)
  Seeing *** that terrible accident has caused him to pay more attention to his own driving. ( Ver ese accidente ha provocado / hecho / causado en el que preste mucha mas atencion en su conduccion)

• Result in + nombre
  Getting plenty of rest before an exam can result in an improve performance. (  Tomar mucho descanso antes d eun examen puede tener como resultado en un mejor rendimiento)
  
• Lead to + nombre
  Her inability to express herself clearly has led to all kinds of problems ( Su incapacidad para expresarse claramente la ha conducido / llevado a (todo tipo de problemas) .
  

*** RECORDATORIO

CUANDO UN VERBO ES EL SUJETO DE UNA FRASE, VA EN GERUNDO, -ING.

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