Would you like to take part in our project?

We are a group of students who are learning English at Challenge Education School. We are working on a collaborative project about healthy eating habits. We would like you to answer the following survey so we can analyse the information gathered from different countries.

When you answer the questions do not forget to say your name/nickname, age and nationality!
Thank you!

Here is the survey: You can either answer it as a comment or follow this link to our new forum. There you will also find the survey. We consider that the forum is the best option because there, we will have the possibility of interacting with each other. The information we gather will be available for everybody who is interested in reading it here and in our forum.

Choose one of the following options to answer the questions:

Always- Often- Sometimes- Hardly Ever- Never

1. Do you drink milk?

2. Do you have a balanced diet?

3. Do you eat vegetables and fruits?

4. Do you buy sugar-free chewing gum?

5. Do you buy sugar-free drinks?

6. Do you eat chocolates?

7. Do you do some exercise every day? Do you play any sport?

8. Do you walk every week?

9. Do you cycle to school?

10. Do you take a bus to go to school?

11. Do you walk to school?

12. Do you have a healthy breakfast?

13. Do you spend money on sweets?

14. Do you clean your teeth every day?

15. Do you look after your health?

16. Do you smoke?

17. Do you eat too many high-fat food?

18. Do you eat low-fat food?

19. Do you sleep a lot?

20. Do you drink plenty of water?

The Future of Our Planet!!!!!!

Have you ever wondered how much "nature" your lifestyle requires? In this quiz you will find the answer to your question.
"This Ecological Footprint Quiz estimates how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and what you discard. After answering 15 easy questions you'll be able to compare your Ecological Footprint to what other people use and to what is available on this planet."
Warning: The results of this quiz may shock you and make you think!!!!!!
Global warming is a term that is heard everywhere nowadays, but do you know what global warming really is? In this clip from Futurama you will find a very thorough explanation.



Would you like to do something to revert this situation? Apparently, there are lots of people who DO want to make a difference. Greenpeace has hit the news this week as a result of their original campaign to save the Switzerland's Aletsch glacier. Here you can find more information about it (You can either read it or listen to it) You will also find a list of interesting vocabulary used in the article.
What do YOU make of all this? We are eagerly waiting for you opinion and predictions for the future (leave them as a comment or continue the discussion in our forum) :

• What do you think about the Greenpeace campaign?Are they going to succeed in achieving their aims?
• Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the future of our planet? Would you like to share your predictions with us? You can talk about climate, the environment, energy, health, transport, agriculture, fauna and flora, and others.

We will be waiting for your comments!

R u a text expert?

If you live in this world, you most probably have a cell phone, send text-messages and communicate with your friends via MSN. But do you go to extremes like the girl we can see in this British advert?


I hope not. If you don't have a clue about what this girl is saying, you lack information on new technologies and internet lingo. Here there is a very comprehensive article and listening from the BBC on Instant Messaging. Now, that you have all the information you need we can proceed.
If you are a regular user of instant messages, you are aware that you have to be economical with words. For that reason, people have found very creative ways of getting their messages across by combining letters and numbers. You already know how to do this in Spanish, but do you know how to read text messages in English? Here you have a webpage with all the information you need. You can translate from txtmsg lingo to English or the other way about (from English to txtmsg lingo). There is also a very complete list of emoticons, txting words and acronyms.
Let's have a bit of fun with all this. Can you translate these text messages into plain English? Leave us the translation as a comment...

1. C U L8R M8
2. AFAIK
3. W8 4 ME, I’M L8, SOZ
4. KIT
5. HAND
6. TMB
7. C U 2NITE O 2MORO
8. Evtings funny as long as its nt hapNg 2 U.
9. The best wA 2 gt rid of doZe past memries is 2 brng somit nu 2 Rplce it
10. Ive a pen wich S blue, Ive a pal wich S u. flowers wl di,e waters will dry, but r Fship will nvr say gdby

You can also create your own text messages by translating them here from plain English into txtmsg lingo. Give it a try and leave your messages as comments...We will be waiting for them.

And the winners are!!!!!!!!

First of all I would like to thank all the ones who have taken part in our 20 q challenge. The answer is......yes, a computer! Congratulations to all those who have given the right answer. The winners of this challenge are:

• Luciana




• Aylen




• And some "anonymous", who were too shy to post their names. Let's hope that next time they will tell us who they are.

Let's give them a big clap!!!!!

A Challenge for you all: Inventing a gadget!!!!

Do you know what a gadget is? A gadget is a device that is small and often not essential. If you have been studying at Challenge, you have most probably encountered in some of your classes two very famous British characters that have already invented lots of gadgets:Wallace and Gromit!!!! If you have never seen them before, here you've got the trailer of their last movie to get acquainted with them:"Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit". In Pre-Intermediate we have been watching "Wallace and Gromit in a Close Shave" and we have devoted last class to work on gadgets advertisements (real and imaginary) that we have in our text-books. For that reason,we pose a challenge to all of you:

"Invent the funniest and most useful gadget of all times. "

Choose a gadget (serious or humorous) and write an advertisement for it. Don't forget to include a title, the advantages of your gadget, the price and where you can get it.

We will be waiting for your creations...leave them as a comment.

Simpsonized!!!!

If you have ever wondered how you would look like if you lived in Springfield I have got the answer. As I told you before you can go to www.simpsonizeme.com/# and turn yourself into a Simpson character. I have already done it and here you have the result.

Can you guess who these two people are? I can help you: If you go to Challenge, you are most probably going to find them at any time...

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=en_us&code=sprkwigxpkubsyrswkyvjlaqguhgknxv

and....

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=en_us&code=huvmfyuqmifqwyamjxsjmcfoyfvrveba

And finally here you've got our first students' creation. They are from Elementary. Can you guess who they are?

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=es_es&code=zxguoidoumgecmkunjnsptkxsekfaheu#

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=es_es&code=bhcchwkmhybzprpturznzptweyartqrq

And who are these girls?

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=es_es&code=pkbzckagfgohamtrrxtvpwikqwmeerxi

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=en_us&code=nqeberzphvsfuaoltfhvadclhcjszujx

http://simpsonizeme.com/ecard.php?lang=es_es&code=qcvbaqxxubqjkdqafjsjrhkuxdejhddq

remember to send us your creations so that we can post them too. You can invent an imaginary name. I'll be waiting for your creations.

Game of the Week!!!!

And finally here you've got the game of the week. As Mica and Rodri have found the previous game extremely easy here you've got a more difficult game.It's called trapped. You will find the instructions for the game on the website ( you have to scroll down the page). If you get stuck, click on the right corner on the game to go to the walkthrough. There you will find clear instructions on what to do next or go to http://www.armorgames.com/tutorials/trapped-tutorial.html Let us know what you think about it. You can leave us a comment and give us your opinion. In that way we can go on improving.

20Q !!!!

20Q machine,
orginalmente cargado por BigRedBall.

Are you still wondering what this little thing is?.... According to wikipedia "...The game 20Q is a handheld device based on the parlor game twenty questions. The handheld will ask you to think of anything you like and will then try to guess what you're thinking with twenty yes or no questions..."
If you want to learn more about this game here you've got a conversation between a British girl and an American boy that will answer all your questions. You can listen to it on-line or download it to your computer. If you want to give the game a try you can enter the 20 q official website (you are obviously supposed to choose the "Think in American" or "Think in British" game)

And now I pose you a challenge: why don't YOU guess what I'm thinking about at the moment? Let's see who is the first one to guess it. Here are the clues:

1) It is neither a vegetable nor an animal. It is not a mineral either.

2) You sometimes hold it when you use it.

3)You can use it at any time (during the day or night)

4)It is hard.

5) Sometimes when you buy it, it comes in a box.

6) Cats don't chase it.

7) It is not made out of wood.

8)It displays information.

9) It can play music.

10) Sometimes it is used to calculate.

11) It can not fit in an envelope.

12) You need electricity to use it.

13) It is sometimes used for communication.

14) It is not used to record an event

15) It sometimes tells the time

16) It probably involves contact with other humans.

17) It is heavy.

18) It is made up of different parts

Haven't you guessed it yet??? It's very easy. Think carefully and when you have the answer leave us a comment. Next week I will tell you the correct answer and who the winners are. When you guess it you can also prepare a new challenge for us all to go on guessing.

The Simpsons Movie

Simpsons Life-Size Diorama,
orginalmente cargado por omniNate.

We are finally back from holidays. I have got to know from most of you that you have seen "The Simpsons Movie" during the holidays. You've also told me that you liked it a lot. For that reason here you've got some things I have found on the net, so that you can improve your English while you go on having fun with this hilarious family.

First of all, you can enter http://simpsonizeme.com/# and turn yourself into a Simpson character by uploading one of your pictures. When you finish, send your creations to challengeeducation@gmail.com so that we can post them in our blog. It's not necessary to post it with your real name. If you want, you can invent an imaginary name for it.

After that, you can enter the official Simpsons movie site .There you will find some games and if you go to Moe's Bar you will be able to see the trailer of the movie and some clips from the Simpson's episodes.

And finally here you've got an episode to enjoy yourselves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iu5wDGgFmY. Let's find out what Marge does surfing the net. Is it similar to what you generally do? Tell us by leaving a comment.