lunes, 3 de noviembre de 2014

AUTUMN

For half the world, autumn has arrived. For the other half, spring has sprung. So, let’s learn some new words and expressions related to the change of season! This post will cover autumn and the next will be all about spring. Autumn vocabulary Acorn – the nut of the oak tree. Autmnal – relating to, resembling, or associated with autumn. Chestnuts – a type of tree that produces large, sweet nuts that can be eaten. Chilly – noticeably cold. Cider – a drink made from apples. Deciduous – having leaves that fall off every year. Equinox – a day when day and night are the same length. Fall – the season between summer and winter : the season when leaves fall from trees : autumn. Gourd – any one of several types of fruits that have a hard shell and that are used for decoration and not for eating. Harvest – the season when crops are gathered from the fields or the activity of gathering crops. Maize – corn. Persimmon – a small, round, orange fruit. Pine cone – a hard and dry part that is the fruit of a pine tree and contains many seeds. Quilt – a bed cover with stitched designs that is made of two layers of cloth filled with wool, cotton, or soft feathers. Sleet – frozen or partly frozen rain. Autumn expressions Autumn years – often used to refer to the later years in someone’s life. Example: “In his autumn years, Peter was able to enjoy his garden a lot more” Take a leaf out of someone’s book – to behave or to do something in a way that someone else would. Example: “I’m going to take a page out of Lauren’s book and start bringing my own coffee to work: it will save so much money!” To squirrel something away – to hide something or store something in the way that a squirrel stores nuts for use in the winter. Example: “Barry is always squirreling his money away. We think he’s saving up for a long holiday next year”

Taken from http://www.abaenglish.com/blog/english-vocabulary-learn-english-with-aba/english-vocabulary-autumn/

domingo, 2 de noviembre de 2014

miércoles, 2 de julio de 2014

2014 Brazil World Cup

Round Two of the World Cup Finals has finished and we now enter the quarter-finals. Sadly, there are only eight games left. The eight teams through to the quarters all finished top in the group stages – a first for the World Cup. Most of the last eight games had football fans worldwide on the edge of their seats. The drama and excitement has remained at a very high level. The results left some supporters partying into the night and others left to drown their sorrows. The line-up for the quarter-finals gives us a better idea of who could be eventual winners, and there still could be a few big surprises.

Read more: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1407/2014-world-cup-round-up-5.html#ixzz36ID2z3Tw

Practice more HERE

domingo, 8 de junio de 2014

martes, 27 de mayo de 2014

European elections: results from across Europe- The Guardian News

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2014/may/25/european-elections-results-across-europe-eu-parliament

Pharsal verbs and more

<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/phrasals/writingphrasalverbs.htm" target="_blank">Phrasal verbs for writing</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.phrasalverbexecises.com/" target="_blank">Phrasal verbs in general - hundreds of exercises</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/CollocationsExercise.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/CollocationsExercise.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/Part1VocabularyExercise.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/Part1VocabularyExercise.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/nouns2adjectives.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/nouns2adjectives.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/verbs2adjectives.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/verbs2adjectives.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/verbs2nouns.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/FCEUse/verbs2nouns.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/writing/formalandinformalexercise.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/writing/formalandinformalexercise.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoenglish.org/mis-preps.i.htm">http://www.autoenglish.org/mis-preps.i.htm</a><br />
<br />

FOOD

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/lang/es/jamie_oliver.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="560"></iframe>



<br />
<br />
Watch the video and answer the following questions:<br />
<br />
1. The traditional seasoning for fish and chips is...<br />
a. salt and pepper<br />
b. curry salt<br />
c. salt and vinegar<br />
d. salad cream<br />
<br />
2. The celebrity chef in the video describes fish and chips as ...?<br />
a. the most popular dish in this country<br />
b. his favourite comfort food<br />
c. the brirish national dish<br />
d. the nation's number 1 take away<br />
<br />
3. What do people call chips in the USA?<br />
a. crisps<br />
b. fries<br />
c. frites<br />
d. chipolatas<br />
<br />
4. How many portions of fish and chips are sold in the UK every year?<br />
a. the video doesn't say<br />
b. over 160 million<br />
c. over 260 million<br />
d. over 60 million<br />
<br />
5. Which of the following types of fish was not mentioned in the video?<br />
a. pollack<br />
b. cod<br />
c. mullet<br />
d. monkfish<br />
<br />
6. What award did the Townend Café win?<br />
a. the golden spud<br />
b. regional shop of the year<br />
c. national fish and chips shop of the year<br />
d. the sustainable fishing award



<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/08/climate-change-wine-production" target="_blank">Climate change wine production</a>


lunes, 12 de mayo de 2014

The Environment -

1. THE STORY OF STUFF
http://storyofstuff.org/movies/

http://vimeo.com/12174803


President Obama’s Climate Change Speec


http://ens-newswire.com/2013/06/25/president-obamas-climate-change-speech-full-text/


Some videos:





martes, 29 de abril de 2014

Vivian Maier, Photographer

A great teacher can change the course of your life.


A great teacher can change the course of your life. Ann Maguire was one

The teacher stabbed to death in a Leeds school was widely viewed as inspirational. Let's remember how important this is
The News Lauren told us about in class yesterday HERE

lunes, 28 de abril de 2014

On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan

1. Interview with the autor HERE

On Chesil Beach


 
 
Part 1
 
 
Part 2
 
 
 

 
 
Part 3
 
 
 
Part 4
 
 
 
Part 5
 

miércoles, 23 de abril de 2014

23rd April - Happy Books Day!!

Happy Books Day!!, . What about you looking for a real quotation you like from a book in English? Try typing "quotation", or "love quotation" or "peace quotation" in Google and see what you find!!












lunes, 21 de abril de 2014

Staycation

Stephen Fry, Julie Walters, Harry Potter star Rupert Grint and Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery are starring a campaign to encourage Britons to holiday at home in 2012. Self-study activity: Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.


 



 Where are the past poets, it’s just not worth it … an opinion. You are supposed to be on holiday. Why on earth would anyone want to go (1) ... in 2012. I mean, there are so many events all around the country, like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Green and pleasant land summed it up pretty well, I think. Hiya! Because Wordsworth didn’t wander into the nearest tavern. No, he wondered (2) ... as a cloud, right here in The Lakes. Excuse me! No, no, no, this is the Tate Liverpool. There is no Tate Algove, I’m afraid. And what about Anglesea, well, if it’s good enough for winning Kate. You know, people have been coming to visit the Giants’ Causeway for centuries, hardly surprising, really, as you won´t find (3) ... like these on the beach in the Med. Why bother crossing the Channel when you can come here? Local. Reminds me of somewhere. Why go all the way to Bondi when you could come here to Bridlington? And you won’t get to see the Olympic (4) ... relay in Corfu or Creet. No (5) ... , no jobs, no (6) ... , no euros – no wonder holidays at home are so great. And there’s (7)...% off from thousands of other great value offers if you book by (8) ... . You may watch many more videos promoting Britain starred by celebrities and well-known UK personalities on the Visit Britain website.

OzBus


Have you ever been on a long journey? Can you describe the experience?
What's the most unusual holiday you have ever had?
What was different about it? 
Do you think travel can broaden your horizons? How?
What is the difference between a tourist and a traveller?
Would you like to travel around the world? Why (not)?
If so, would you like to travel by motorbike?
What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of this trip would be?
Which of the following travel options most/least appeal to you:

Alternating Travel: Leave your home/hotel on foot. Take the first road on the right, then the next on the left, then the next on the right, and so on.
Ero Tourism: Arrange to take a holiday with your loved one. Travel there separately by different means and don't arrange a meeting time or place. Then look for each other. 
Blind Man's Bluff Travel: Spend 24 hours blindfolded in a new location with a friend to guide you.
Slight-hitch Travel: Write the name of a faraway destination on a large piece of card. Stand at the side of your nearest motorway with your packback, stick your thumb out and wait.
Oz Bus: Travel from London to Australia by bus. You can find all the details of the trip in the video below.


Oz Bus was created with a desire to go over land from London to Sydney. We are now in our 4th year and on our 20th trip. London-Sydney is a three-month adventure and transits through 16 different countries. What’s great with these trips is we have a whole host of different nationalities and an age range that is from 18 to 80. We also offer trips to Africa, we have a series of budgets and comfort trips and new for this year is South America and of course we do Australia. I’ve just returned from leading the London to Sydney trip which was absolutely fantastic, the journey of a lifetime. We left London at the end of September, quite chilly autumn morning. We had to be on the embankment at 6.30. We travelled through Western Europe into Eastern Europe, Serbia, Bulgaria then into Turkey and then on into Asia, Iran, India, Nepal, then over into Thailand, Malasia, Indonesia and then fly over to Australia. Obviously there are certain parts of the world where we have to fly over, we couldn’t go over land, such as Pakistan and Bhurma. There are many very different highlights, I think amongst them my favourite would be the Everest flights. I don’t think I’d be standing on top of the Everest, so that was awesome to see Everest, and Ayers Rock. It’s not just a rock. To see it at sunset with a bottle of bubblies, sun rise and to do the walk all the way round it early in the morning. When the unusual situations there’s more work for Oz Bus, they must give inside knowledge on the trips. Having been started as a passenger on the first load of the New York trip. First thing most people ask when we are in the New York trip going over land is how you go over land from London to New York, it’s a great deal of water in the way. Basically we use a cruise ship to go for two weeks from China to Alaska, it’s one of seven different forms of transport when we are not on a bus on this trip. This section of journey takes about two and a half weeks, which is longer than your average family holiday, takes you through Europe through Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, up to Poland, then through the Baltic states and into Russia to St Petersburg and Moscow. The next section is completely different again. In Moscow we board a trans Siberian railway, a travel experience in its own right. From Moscow we go through Siberia, that section actually contains two of my personal highlights on the trip, Lake Baikal the deepest fresh water lake in the world was frozen when we would walk cross it for two kilometers and watch the sun come down over the mainland. It was a truly stunning moment. And in Mongolia we spent a night in a national park in Gher, it’s about as relaxing as it gets. And then from Mongolia … in China, stopping in Beijing for a 10-day loop which takes you through the castle of … and back up to … and … to the Great Wall before returning to Beijing. And then it changes again, after China two weeks at sea on a cruise ship, so many different parts of the trip, totally different from the rest of the adventure. It’s a chance to relax, and do as little or as much as you like. After the cruise ship it all changes once more, and we hit mainland USA, starting off in Alaska in Anchorage. We head off on a sleeper bus up into the wilds of Alaska. From Alaska we go down in an inside passage on a series of ferries, through Canada, through Vancouver, Seattle, then Sernise for the National Parks, and North America and the north of Chicago, Niagara and New York. Oz Bus is the most amazing experience. It’s a journey of a lifetime, and you’ll make such lifelong friends.

James Bond Inspired Summer Travel Destinations

Watch this GeoBeats video which features five travel destinations inspired in five Bond movies.

Self-study activity:
Watch the clip and say which film corresponds to the headings below. There is only one heading per film.






A well-known pursuit was filmed here. 
Already a popular destination in that part of the world 
Ideal for those who enjoy water sports.
If you fancy going for a walk in picturesque places. 
You can come across some famous people here.

You can check your answers and read the transcript below. 

Want to vicariously live like James Bond? Then, check out these 5 summer travel destinations from the past Bond movies.
Number 5
Bond hunts down Mr. White in the final scene from Casino Royale which is set by the beautiful Lake Como, Italy. Vibrant blue water surrounded by lush green scenery leaves sightseers in awe. Get in touch with your inner Bond and check out the gorgeous villas. With ferry boat rides, cobbled street towns and plenty of shopping, days will certainly be full. This is also a favorite vacation spots for celebs like George Clooney.
Number 4
In The Man With the Golden Gun, Bond's action packed scenes occur around Koh Tapu , also called James Bond Island in Thailand. The massive rock formations sprouting from water are a feast for the eyes. With boat rentals, guided boat trips, sailing and kayaking, there's plenty of active fun to be had as well.
Number 3
Going back to the earlier days of James Bond, 1969 brought forth the action packed film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, featuring the Schilthorn summit in Switzerland. Surrounding by hundreds of staggering mountains, you can visit The Piz Gloria restaurant at the top and enjoy a stroll through the nearby mountain villages.
Number 2
Bond's infamous Thames River Boat Chase in London took place in the movie The World is Not Enough. The Thames is an iconic river with several scenic bridges hovering over like the Tower Bridge and London Bridge. London overall, is one of the greatest destinations with numerous historic building and world class museums.
Number 1
In the movie, Thunderball, Bond scuba dives in the reef laden waters of Nassau, Bahamas. The scenic beaches of Bahamas are also featured prominently. The islands of the Bahamas are consistently voted amongst the top Caribbean destinations.

Key:
You can come across some famous people here: Casino Royale
Ideal for those who enjoy water sports: The Man With the Golden Gun
If you fancy going for a walk in picturesque places: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
A well-known pursuit was filmed here: The World is Not Enough
Already a popular destination in that part of the world: Thunderball
Watch the video podcast and note down the answers the different speakers give to the questions below.

Do you have any holidays or trips planned?
Do you have a favourite place to go on holiday?
Do you have a regular haunt that you like to visit?





Now it's over to you. Answer the questions above about yourself. Try to use some of the expressions and vocabulary you could hear on the video.

You can read the transcript here

viernes, 18 de abril de 2014

Gabriel García Márquez: five must-reads





Gabriel García Márquez: five must-reads

The Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez found his voice with his 1967 novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. We round up the key texts from the master of magic realism

Gabriel García Márquez: what did he mean to you?
 
Read article HERE
 

 

miércoles, 9 de abril de 2014

NA - Newspapers and the Media



http://e-ducativa.catedu.es/44700165/aula/archivos/repositorio//1750/1948/html/vocabulary2.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2013/01/130130_vwitn_greek_wood.shtml

martes, 8 de abril de 2014

Tiny Texts - Mess Makes You More Creative – Read, listen and learn a little English!

According to Kathleen Vohs, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota, working in a messy space canboost creativity.  In an experiment, she put 48 people into messy or tidy rooms, and asked them think of new uses for Ping-Pong balls.  The people in both rooms came up with about the same number of ideas, but, the messy room subjects came up with more highly creative ideas; five times more to be precise.  So, do you need to make your workplace messier?  Maybe not!  When interviewed by Inc. Vohs agreed that a messy room may be best for brainstorming, but anorderly setting might be better for a fast meeting where a quick decision is required.


Watch a video and listen to the text HERE
http://tinytexts.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/mess-makes-you-more-creative-read-listen-and-learn-a-little-english/

lunes, 17 de marzo de 2014

Gerunds and Infinitives

INFINITIVE OR GERUND?
Gerund/Infinitive Verbs followed by gerunds http://www.shertonenglish.com/resources/es/miscelaneous-topics/verbs-followed-by-gerunds.php
Verbs followed by infinitives or gerunds
http://www.shertonenglish.com/resources/es/miscelaneous-topics/verbs-infinitives-or-gerunds.php
Download these files and study.
Gerunds and Infinitives BBC.pdf
Gerunds and Infinitives BBC.mp3
Practice http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/gerund2a.html
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/gerundex1.html
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/gerundex2.html http://english-zone.com/grammar/ger-inf01.html http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz97mkm.htm http://english.baladre.org/sedaviwebfront/gerundinfinit.htm http://english.baladre.org/sedaviwebfront/gerundinfinitive2.htm http://english.baladre.org/sedaviwebfront/infigerundKelly.htm
Gerunds and Infinitives Self-Test1& 2.doc
Gerunds and Infinitives Self-Test1& 2 keys.doc
 Gerund or Infinitive ex & list.doc gerund-infinitive ex.pdf
Gerund or Infinitive ex.doc GERUND & INFINITIVE ex.doc
Rephrasing
http://mbonillo.xavierre.com/httpdocs/exercises/bch2/2bch2008/gerinfrph2bch1.htm http://mbonillo.xavierre.com/httpdocs/exercises/bch2/2bch2008/gerinfrph2bch2.htm http://mbonillo.xavierre.com/httpdocs/exercises/bch2/2bch2008/gerinf2bch1.htm http://mbonillo.xavierre.com/httpdocs/exercises/bch2/2bch2008/gerinf2bch2.htm Expressions followed by -ing
http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/OMFIRST2/AMARENA12/lesson46/page1.htm http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/expression_ing.htm http://assets.cambridge.org/97805215/32907/excerpt/9780521532907_excerpt.pdf http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-gerunds.htm http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/expresiones_con_un_gerundio_1 Practice http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/OMFIRST2/AMARENA12/lesson46/page2.htm http://www.languageproject.co.uk/free_exercises/exercise_page.php?ID=30 http://www.geocities.com/vcqm/gerundinf.html

2NA - Laughter yoga

Laughter is said to be good for you physically, mentally and spiritually. Join Kate and Rebecca as they hear from a BBC journalist who tried laughter yoga - a new activity from India which is currently gaining popularity across the world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2009/10/091029_6min_laughter_yoga_page.shtml

domingo, 16 de marzo de 2014

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S!!

Today, 17th March Irish peole all over the world celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.In Ireland and Northern Ireland is a public holiday and people wear green and drink Guiness (painted in green sometimes). In the United States where a lot of Irish inmigrants live (There are 36.5 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry, ), there are parades and celebrations. Everybody is dressed in green and in Chicago the river is painted in this colour to commemorate this date.




Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. And there are shamrocks and leprechauns everywhere.
Here is a video on how to celebrate this day properly




And some Irish music



THE IRISH ROVER
On the Fourth of July, 1806
We set sail from the sweet Cobh of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the Grand City Hall in New York
'Twas a wonderful craft
She was rigged fore and aft
And oh, how the wild wind drove her
She stood several blasts
She had twenty seven masts
And they called her The Irish Rover

We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stones
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides'
We had four million barrels of bones
We had five million hogs
six million dogs
Seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million barrels of old nanny goate tails
In the hold of the Irish Rover

There was awl Mickey Coote
Who played hard on his flute
And the ladies lined up for a set
He would tootle with skill
For each sparkling quadrille
Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
With his smart witty talk
He was cock of the walk
As he rolled the dames under and over
They all knew at a glance
When he took up his stance
That he sailed in The Irish Rover


There was Barney McGee
From the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone
There was Johnny McGurk
Who was scared stiff of work
And a man from Westmeath called Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole
Who was drunk as a rule
And Fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
And your man, Mick McCann
From the banks of the Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover

For a sailor its' always a bother in life
It's so lonesome by night and by day
That he longs for the shore
and a charming young whore
Who will melt all his troubles away
Oh, the noise and the rout
Swillin' poiteen and stout
For him soon the torment's over
Of the love of a maid he is never afraid
An old salt from the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years
When the measles broke out
And the ship lost its way in the fog
And that whale of a crew
Was reduced down to two
Just myself and the Captain's old dog
Then the ship struck a rock
Oh Lord! what a shock
The bulkhead was turned right over
Turned nine times around
And the poor old dog was drowned (1,2,3!)
I'm the last of The Irish Rover


MOLLY MALONE


sábado, 15 de marzo de 2014

2NA - Health

Life without sugar: one family's 30-day challenge

Sugar is now at the centre of the battleground between food and health. How easy would it be to cut it out of your diet?
Read article HERE


jueves, 6 de marzo de 2014

International day for Women

Why do we need an International Women's Day? Four gender-equality campaigners share their views on feminism and the backlash against women's rights. What do you think? Read article HERE

miércoles, 5 de marzo de 2014

Bansky


And more... http://www.culturainquieta.com/es/street-art/item/3671-2014-03-03-18-00-00.html

domingo, 2 de marzo de 2014

And the winner is...

Hiya,

Tonight is the night!!
For more information go to THE OSCARS

lunes, 17 de febrero de 2014

2NA - THE BAFTA AWARDS - Cinema

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Best Film | Director in 2014
Alfonso Cuarón
 Gravity




 


 Film | Outstanding British Film in 2014

Win Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón, David Heyman, Jonás Cuarón


 Film | Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer in 2014

Win Kieran Evans Kelly + Victor





Film | Film in 2014

Win 12 Years A Slave
Anthony Katagas, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen




 


 Film | Film not in the English Language in 2014

Win The Great Beauty
Paolo Sorrentino, Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima


 


Film | Leading Actor in 2014

Win Chiwetel Ejiofor
12 Years a Slave


 Film | Leading Actress in 2014

Win Cate Blanchett Blue Jasmine


 


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vqCdfoLAFdM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



More about the BAFTA AWARDS Here and HERE

http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/feb/17/baftas-2014-awards-things-we-learned?CMP=fb_gu

martes, 4 de febrero de 2014

History videos - Learn English and... History

http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=6253

The Syrian War

The Syrian Civil War, also known as the Syrian Uprising[71] or the Syrian Crisis (Arabic: الأزمة السورية‎),[72] is an ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Ba'ath government and those seeking to oust it. The unrest began on 15 March 2011, with popular protests that grew nationwide by April 2011. These protests were part of the wider North African and Middle Eastern protest movements known as the Arab Spring. Syrian protesters at first demanded democratic and economic reform within the framework of the existing government.
In April 2011, the Syrian Army was deployed to quell the uprising and soldiers fired on demonstrators across the country.[73] After months of military sieges,[74] the protests evolved into an armed rebellion. The conflict is asymmetrical, with clashes taking place in many towns and cities across the country.[75] The Syrian government is upheld by military support from Russia, which it stepped up in the winter of 2013-2014,[76] - and Iran, while Qatar,Saudi Arabia and United States[77] transfer weapons to the rebels.[78] By July 2013, the Syrian government controls approximately 30–40 percent of the country's territory and 60 percent of the Syrian population.[79] A late 2012 UN report described the conflict as "overtly sectarian in nature"[80] between Alawite shabiha militias and other Shia groups fighting largely against Sunni-dominated rebel groups,[81] though both opposition and government forces denied that.[82][83]
According to the United Nations, the death toll surpassed 100,000 in June 2013, and reached 120,000 by September 2013.[84][85] In addition, tens of thousands of protesters, students, liberal activists and human rights advocates have been imprisoned and there are reports of widespread torture and terror in state prisons.[86] [87] International organizations have accused both government and opposition forces of severe human rights violations.[88] The UN and Amnesty International's inspections and probes in Syria determined both in 2012 and 2013 that the vast majority of abuses are done by the Syrian government, whose are also largest in scale.[89][90][91][92] The severity of the humanitarian disaster in Syria has been outlined by UN and many international organizations. More than four million Syrians have been displaced, more than three million Syrians fled the country and became refugees, and millions more were left in poor living conditions with shortage of food and drinking water. The situation is especially bad in the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp, where currently 20,000 residents are facing death by starvation from a Syrian army enforced blockade.[93][94]
Chemical weapons have also been used in Syria on more than one occasion, triggering strong international reactions.