Lecturas en inglés para estudiantes de Secundaria

La revista para aprender inglés I Love English nos ha cedido una serie de interesantes y divertidos textos en inglés para que los estudiantes de Secundaria puedan practicar el idioma y puedan aprender nuevo vocabulario. De esta manera, pueden mejorar su conocimiento del idioma inglés, algo que les viene muy bien tanto académicamente, como para su vida laboral posterior. 

Se trata de lecturas en inglés sobre curiosidades relacionadas con temas muy distintos y, todas ellas, comienzan con: 10 amazing facts about... (10 hechos sorprendentes sobre...)

Desde la redacción de I Love English, una revista dirigida a adolescentes entre entre 12 y 15 años, nos proponen una serir de lecturas que pueden resultar intersantes a los estudiantes, no solo porque la temática les va a resultar atractiva, sino porque además, les permitirá mejorar su nivel de inglés de foma amena.

Textos en inglés para estudiantes de Secundaria

10 amazing facts about Canada: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre Canada

1. Canada is the second biggest country in the world after Russia. It measures 4,600 km from north to south and 5,500 km from east to west! The USA-Canada border is the longest international border in the world.

2. Canada has around 31,752 lakes! ? more than any other country in the world. They cover about 20% of all fresh water on Earth. Canada?s extensive forests cover approximately a half of the country and are home to lots of amazing wildlife, from bears, moose, reindeer and beavers, to smaller animals such as raccoons and otters.

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10 amazing facts about chocolate: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre el chocolate

1. English writer Charles Dickens said "There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate". And most people refer to chocolate as the Food of Gods. Apart from making us feel good, chocolate has many health benefits: it?s rich in minerals and antioxidants, it helps reduce blood pressure, it can lower body fat levels, and it's a powerful mental stimulant, boosting your memory and brain function. But... it has to be dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content.

2. Cocoa trees contain seeds that are removed and left exposed to light to let them ferment. Once this is done, the seeds are dried and roasted. These beans are then blended to make the cocoa powder that is used for making chocolate. Can you imagine that chocolate was once considered more valuable than gold dust?

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10 amazing facts about dog breeds: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre razas de perros

1. The world's most popular dog breed is probably the Lab or Labrador retriever. This breed originated in Canada. It was bred to help local fishermen to haul nests, fetch ropes and retrieve fish. These dogs are sweet, obedient, like to please their owners and are excellent therapy dogs and very good assistants for the handicapped. They are also exceptional guide and rescue dogs thanks to their athletic build, strong nose and courageous nature.

2. Bulldogs are one of the most popular pet dogs in the USA and also an icon in Great Britain. The "bull" part of their name was applied in the 1800S when these dogs were used in the cruel and barbaric blood sport of "bull-baiting". This practice was declared illegal in 1835. Bulldogs are loyal, courageous, friendly and independent, but also lazy and stubborn, and often have health problems.

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10 amazing facts about mount Rushmore: 10 amazing facts about mount Rushmore 

 
1. Mount Rushmore is a 1,745-metre-high granite sculpture in a small, isolated mountain range called the Black Hills, in South Dakota, USA. The Black Hills used to belong to Native American Sioux tribes. Today, the Sioux are still fighting to get their sacred land back.
 
2. The massive sculpture carved into the granite peak shows the heads of four American presidents: George Washington (1732-1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Each head is 18 metres high!
 
3. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum thought these four presidents represented the most important events in the history of the USA: George Washington was the first President of the USA; Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the American Declaration of Independence; Theodore Roosevelt was widely known for conservation efforts; and Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in the USA.

Sigue leyendo estas curiosidades sobre el monte Rushmore en inglés

10 amazing facts about The Beatles: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre los Beatles

1. John Lennon formed a rock and roll group called The Quarrymen in Liverpool in 1956, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960. That's why John Lennon is considered to be the founding member of The Beatles. Before the name "The Beatles" was chosen, John and the other members had already had three other similar names: Beatals, Silver Beetles and Silver Beatles.

2. The original members of John Lennon's rock band were a group of school friends. But The Beatles as we know it consisted of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon. Ringo Star was -and still is!- an incredible drummer.

3. The Beatles were originally doing music of a genre called skiffle, which uses homemade or inexpensive instruments, including washboards, harmonicas, jugs, washtub basses, tin flutes... to play a variety of songs.

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10 amazing facts about surf: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre el surf

1. Although professional surfing arose in the 20th century, this sport has probably existed since humans began swimming the oceans. Ancient cultures of Peru already surfed on water vessels made of reef both for fishing and recreation. The innovation of standing up on a surfboard was developed by Polynesians, who surfed the same spots -Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti- that modern surfers do now. 

2. Margo Oberg from Pennsylvania (USA) was the first female professional surfer in the world. She won her first competition at the age of 11 and won her first world title when she was 15. Some of the top female professional surfers nowadays are Carissa Moore (American), Stephanie Gilmore (Australian) and Sally Fitzgibbons (Australian). Although surfing has been dominated by men, women are also extremely talented. 

3. Some of the best surf destinations which every experienced surfer would love to go to are: Popoyo, located in Nicaragua, a dreamscape for surfers; Nosara, in Costa Rica, also known for yoga and as wildlife rescue; Uluwatu, in Bali, known for its world-famous 11th-century Hindu temple; and Cloudbreak, in Fiji, known for its most challenging waves in the world.

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10 amazing facts about penguins (10 hechos increíbles sobre los pingüinos)

1. Penguins are only found in the wild in the southern hemisphere. So if you see a penguin and a polar bear together, one of them is completely lost! You can find them in Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, South America and Southern Africa.
 
2. There are 17 species of penguin in total. Some of them have different names, which leads people to think that there are more.
 
3. The largest species of penguin is called Emperor. Emperor penguins can stand over 120 cm tall and weigh up to 40 kg. Also, they are the only penguin to nest in the Antarctic. Around half of the 50 penguin Emperor colonies have never been visited by humans.

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10 amazing facts about St Patrick's Day (10 hechos increíbles sobre el día de San Patricio)

1. St Patrick's Day (17th March) is a national holiday in Ireland and also celebrated in countries with a significant Irish population (Birmingham, London, Cambridge, Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Paris...). It celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, but it is also a celebration of Irish cultural heritage. 

2. Formerly, this festivity was strictly religious. Now it's typical to find all things traditionally Gaelic, including traditional music, dance and food. The festivity welcomes crowds of tourists, parades and the reciting of some limericks (humorous poems).

3. The first St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin wasn't until 1931, but St Patrick's Day Parade in New York started in 1762 and is nowadays one of the world's largest parades.

Sigue leyendo curiosidades sobre el Día de San Patricio en inglés

10 amazing facts about whales (10 hechos increíbles sobre las ballenas) 

Las ballenas son seres únicos, gráciles y misteriosos: innovan, crean amistades, juegan, cantan y cooperan entre ellas. Aquí tienes algunos datos extraordinarios sobre ellas y su vida en los océanos.

1. Whales are mammals like us humans. They belong to the Cetaceans, along with dolphins and porpoises. There are about 90 different species worldwide. They use "sonar" or sound waves to navigate, find food, detect prey or objects and to communicate with each other. This is because sound moves four times faster in water than in air. 

2. Whales sing! A whale song is a complex, long, patterned sequence of sounds. Some of these sounds are unique to each individual, as if they had a particular name they use to identify themselves to others. The singing may serve as a way to advertise their position and communicate with one another many miles away, more than as a recreational pastime or to attract females.

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10 amazing facts about Australia: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre Australia en inglés

1. Aboriginal culture is the oldest culture on earth. Indigenous people were settled on Australia for around 50,000 years before the British colonised the country. They brought with them a very large amount of convicts in boats. Many of these lawbreakers died on the way, and those who survived were kept in prison camps. The first Police Force in Australia was made up of the most well-behaved convicts!

2. Australia, along Greenland, is the biggest island in the world and the sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, USA, China and Brazil.

3. Australia is moreover the world?s driest inhabited continent. About 70% of Australia is covered by deserts or the so-called Australian "Outback", i.e. semi-arid areas. That's why most Australians (around 90%) live on the coast or less than 50 km from the coastline, as Australia has thousands of surf towns and beaches. Indeed, you can visit more than 10,000 beaches across the country!

Sigue leyendo curiosidades sobre Australia en inglés

10 amazing facts about apes

1. Based on genetic analysis, we humans are closely related to apes, sharing 99.6% of our DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos, 98% with gorillas and 97% with orangutans. Great apes and humans have also the same blood types: A, B, AB and O, but, still, their blood differs in too many details so as to be able to transfer it from humans to apes and vice versa.

2. Apes are believed to be one of the smartest creatures on Earth along with dolphins and humans. They do not only can understand humans, but also learn to communicate with us through sign language. They can use more than a thousand signs and even create new words.

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10 amazing facts about Women in Sports: lectura en inglés para estudiantes de Secundaria

A través de la historia del deporte, las mujeres han tenido que abrirse camino a base de mucho esfuerzo, constancia y lucha. ¿Quieres saber algo sobre lo logros de las mujeres en el deporte? Te invitamos a leer 10 amazing facts about Women in Sports. Una lectura muy entretenida extraída del número de octubre 2020 de la revista I Love English, que ayudará a los adolescentes entre 12 y 15 años a mejorar su nivel de inglés, y además, a apreder una serie de datos muy interesantes.

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10 amazing facts about Rubik's Cube: 10 datos sorprendentes sobre el cubo de Rubik en inglés

El cubo de Rubik es un rompecabezas que fue creado por el escultor y profesor de arquitectura húngaro Ern? Rubik hace ya más de 40 años, un juego que no ha pasado de moda y sigue siendo un entretenimiento entre niños y adultos en sus distintas versiones.

Te invitamos a leer 10 datos asombrosos sobre el cubo de Rubik en inglés: 10 amazing facts about Rubik?s Cube. Una lectura muy entretenida, de la mano de la revista para aprender inglés I Love English, que ayudará a los niños entre 12 y 15 años a mejorar su nivel de inglés.

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10 amazing facts about the Statue of Liberty: 10 datos asombrosos sobre la Estatua de la Libertad

La idea de construir rascacielos no es algo nuevo. Ya las antiguas civilizaciones intentaban crear edificaciones enormes y muy altas. Sin embargo, fue a partir del siglo XX cuando cobraron cada vez más importancia estas "ciudades verticaes".

¿Quieres saber más sobre los rascacielos? Te invitamos a leer 10 datos asombrosos sobre los rascacielos en inglés: 10 amazing facts about skyscrapers. Una lectura muy entretenida que ayudará a los niños entre 12 y 15 años a mejorar su nivel de inglés.

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10 amazing facts about skyscrapers: 10 hechos increíbles sobre los rascacielos

Si tienes hijos o alumnos entre 12 y 15 años, puedes proponerles que lean estos 10 datos asombrosos en inglés sobre La Estatua de la Libertad (10 amazing facts about The Statue of Liberty).

Es una lectura amena y útil en inglés que les ayudará a adquirir nuevo vocabulario y expresiones, al mismo tiempo que aprenden datos curiosos sobre uno de los monumentos más emblemáticos de los Estados Unidos.

¡No dejéis de leer este texto en inglés hasta el final! Os planteamos un reto en forma de investigación.

Leer 10 amazing facts about The Statue of Liberty