3rd ESO. CULTURE. UNIT 8.

Humour
The United Kingdom is the country where wordplay (joking about word meanings= humor basado en jugar con los significados de las palabras ; also called PUN) is the most popular type of joke.

Examples:
1- Do you have any grandchildren?
No, all my children are just ordinary.

2- Why did the bus stop?
Because it saw the zebra crossing.

Taxi drivers in London

All licensed taxi drivers in London must pass a series of tests called "The Knowledge". This proves that thay know the names and locations of 25,000 streets in and around Central London. They also need to know places of interest and important landmarks in the area as hospitals, theatres, hotels and train stations. Candidates for a licence drive around London evrydady for several hours. It can take a whole year to prepare for the exams.

Health issues

For several years now, many hospitals around the world have brought in hospital clowns to try and relieve ('aliviar') the mood of tension and drama that often accompanies a hospital stay. Research has shown that laughter can help patients recover more quickly. Some hospital clowns are volunteers, others are employed by the hospital or institution.

CURRENT NEWS

8 September 2011 Last updated at 07:21 GMT

Spanish Socialists take high-risk gamble on deficit reform

By Sarah Rainsford BBC News, Madrid

Opponents of the reform have taken to the streets

Continue reading the main story

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Spain's governing Socialist party is battling to rescue its battered approval rating ahead of a general election on 20 November. But a new policy intended to reassure investors of Spain's solvency is threatening to do even more damage to the party at the polls.

The reform, approved in the Senate on Wednesday, enshrines the principle of budget stability in the constitution. It makes Spain the second eurozone country after Germany to set a legally binding cap on public debt and deficit levels.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero presented it as "critical" to create confidence in the country's finances, as nervous financial markets pushed the cost of government borrowing towards unsustainable heights.
But his surprise reform - the first significant change to Spain's young constitution - has provoked a wave of angry street protests, by trade unions among others, as it has been fast-tracked through parliament. It has also sparked a rare rebellion within the Socialist Party itself.
"For me, this reform is a grave error - it's nonsense, politically and economically," says Antonio Gutierrez, a Socialist deputy in parliament who voted against the party line for the first time ever. That stance earned him a fine of 600 euros (£525; $850).
"I think this is a disgrace for my country, and will damage the party's chances further in the elections," he told the BBC.
Three other Socialist deputies boycotted Friday's vote in the lower chamber of parliament both in protest at the reform's content and the lack of consultation. Even the defence minister expressed reservations, and Antonio Gutierrez says many deputies admitted in private to their concerns.
"Four or five rebel deputies isn't critical, but it's a sign of how hard this reform was for the party to accept," explains Joan Vintro Castels, professor of constitutional law at Barcelona University.
"In the end, the party leaders managed to convince people because a divided party would have been catastrophic just two months before elections."