1. The very first Harry Potter book was published in 1998, the same year that the Battle of Hogwarts took place.
2. Harry, Ron and Hermione unite the three different Ollivander wand core  – That’s phoenix tail for Harry, unicorn hair for Hermione and dragon heartstring for Ron.

3. After Harry defeated Voldemort he lost the ability to speak Parse tongue Not that he had much of a cause to use it, but still, he lost the connection because it was linked to the shared bond Harry had with Voldemort.
4. We’ve actually all been saying ‘Voldemort’ wrong this whole time Yep – the’t’ at the end of Voldemort is actually apparently meant to be silent. The name comes from the French words meaning ‘flight of death’ so maybe try it out with a fancy accent next time you say ‘Voldemort’ out loud.
5. Origin of the Potter Name Harry’s oldest recorded descendent is a wizard named Linfred, who Muggles viewed as an eccentric old man who was always “pottering about in his garden with all his funny plants.” In reality he was inventing potions — like   Skele-gro and Pepperup Potion — but they nonetheless nicknamed him “the Potterer,” which over time became just Potter.
6. The Sacred Twenty-Eight In the Harry Potter books, any wizarding family that only married others with magical blood — meaning, no Muggles — were considered “pure bloods.” Those families, like the Malfoys and the Blacks, were often elitist snobs who looked down on mixed blood families and even came up with the slur “mud bloods” to express their distaste. In Rowling’s new story, it is revealed that the Potters were excluded from the definitive list of pure blood families known as the “Sacred Twenty-Eight.” We always knew there were other pure blood families out there aside from the ones mentioned in the books, but It’s interesting to learn that the exact number is 28, although it’s worth noting that some may have been deluded over the years.
7. The Tradition of the Invisibility Cloak The mysterious and powerful invisibility cloak that Harry so often used in his adventures was left to him by his late father, James Potter. Apparently it is a long-standing Potter family tradition to pass the cloak on to your children.
8. Harry’s Scar – The Boy-Who-Lived was marked with a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. It’s unclear as to why it was shaped like a lightning bolt.One popular assumption is that the bolt is in-fact made of two sevens. As we know 7 is the most powerful magical number in the Potter verse. It’s considered to be a nod to that itself.

Read the books before you watch them!

The Great Gatsby

Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, follows Jay Gatsby, a man who orders his life around one desire: to be reunited with Daisy Buchanan, the love he lost five years earlier. Gatsby’s quest leads him from poverty to wealth, into the arms of his beloved, and eventually to death. Published in 1925,The Great Gatsbyis a classic piece of American fiction. It is a novel of triumph and tragedy, noted for the remarkable way Fitzgerald captured a cross-section of American society.

The girl on the train

A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

Mortdecai

Juggling some angry Russians, the British Mi5, his impossibly leggy wife and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part time rogue Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) must traverse the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold.

Leviathan

The latest drama from Andrey Zvyagintsev, the acclaimed director of The Return (Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner and Golden Globe nominee). Kolya (Alexeï Serebriakov) lives in a small fishing town near the stunning Barents Sea in Northern Russia. He owns an auto-repair shop that stands right next to the house where he lives with his young wife Lilya (Elena Liadova) and his son Roma (Sergueï Pokhodaev) from a previous marriage.

The wolf of wall street

Martin Scorsese directs the story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort. From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Gone Girl

GONE GIRL – directed by David Fincher and based upon the global bestseller by Gillian Flynn – unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble.

What if

WHAT IF is the story of medical school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who’s been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So while everyone around him, including his roommate Allan (Adam Driver) seems to be finding the perfect partner (Mackenzie Davis), Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) an animator who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship.

The boy in the striped pyjamas

Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, and Asa Butterfield star in Little Voice writer/director Mark Herman’s adaptation of John Boyne’s novel concerning the forbidden friendship that between an eight-year-old German boy and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner in World War II-era Germany. The innocent son of a high-ranking Nazi commandant, Bruno has been largely shielded from the harsh realities of the war.

Wuthering Heights

Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights is an excitingly fresh and distinct take on the classic novel by Emily Brontë. An epic love story that spans childhood well into the young adult years, the film follows Heathcliff, a boy taken in by a benevolent Yorkshire farmer, Earnshaw. Living in Earnshaw’s home, Heathcliff develops a passionate relationship with the farmer’s teenage daughter, Catherine, inspiring the envy and mistrust of his son, Hindley.

 Pride and prejudice

Jane Austen’s perennially popular story of the game of love among the British upper classes returns to the screen in this polished film adaptation. The Bennets (Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland) are the parents of five daughters near the close of the 18th century. Comfortable within their means but well short of rich, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are looking for suitable husbands for their girls, and they are encouraged to learn that an eligible young bachelor from a wealthy family, Charles Bingley (Simon Woods),

12 years of slave

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, the New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s. Steve McQueen (Hunger) directs from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley, based in part by Northup’s memoir.

“Astonishing and absorbing…from glam rock, minimalism and punk, to radical left-wing politics, music video, and a mass of other subjects that helped shape the ideas behind Bowie’s songs.” —Sunday Times (London)

The Man Who Sold the World by Peter Doggett—author of the critically acclaimed Beatles biography, You Never Give Me Your Money—is a song-by-song chronicle of the evolution of David Bowie. Focusing on the work and the life of one of the most groundbreaking figures in music and popular culture during the turbulent seventies, Bowie’s most productive and innovative period, The Man Who Sold the World is the book that serious rock music lovers have been waiting for. By exploring Bowie’s individual achievements and breakthroughs one-by-one, Doggett paints a fascinating portrait of the performer who paved the way for a host of fearless contemporary artists, from Radiohead to Lady Gaga.

The Sunday Times bestseller.

David Bowie was arguably the most influential artist of his time, reinventing himself again and again, transforming music, style and art for over five decades.

Thirty years on from his first hit single, ‘Space Oddity’. he remains the most influential rock star from the post-Woodstock generation – yet unlike Hendrix, the Beatles or even Prince, his life has never been the subject of a major biography. Strange Fascination chronicles Bowie’s career against the colourful backdrop of post-Beatles pop culture; of glam-era gender- bending. It’s a story of amazing creativity, of huge, showboating theatricality and of an almost pathological quest to remain relevant and at pop’s cutting edge. Strange Fascination is the most complete account of David Bowie and his impact on pop culture ever written.

His work and spirit are as relevant, witty, and alive as ever 112 years after his death.

Here are ten interesting facts about Oscar Wilde:

1. Wilde was born with three middle names. His full name is “Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde,” born in Dublin in 1854.
2. His mother, Jane Wilde was a successful poet and Irish nationalist whose pen name was “Sperenza.” His father was also an author but more well known for his work as an oto-ophthalmologic and for being knighted for his work as an assistant commissioner to the censuses of Ireland.
3. Wilde was an impressive linguist. Home schooled, he was taught French and German and also had working knowledge of Italian and Ancient Greek.
4. Wilde, adding “lecturer” to his array of talents, embarked on a tour of America in 1882 and held talks on a wide variety of subjects from “The English Renaissance” to “Decorative Art.”
5. Wilde married Constance Lloyd on May 29, 1884 and had two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan. Cyril fought and died in World War I in the Battle of Festubert in France where he is buried. Vyvyan and Cyril changed their last name to Holland, like his mother, after their father’s imprisonment. Vyvyan went on to become a translator for the BBC and author of the autobiography ‘Son of Oscar Wilde’ (1954). Vyvyan’s son and Wilde’s grandson, Merlin Holland, published the Oscar Wilde biography ‘A Portrait of Oscar Wilde’ (2008).
6. Though thought of as an author, he only published one novel, “The Portait of Dorian Gray” (1891).
7. He was an advocate of socialism and in his only political essay “The Soul of Man under Socialism” (1891) Wilde expounds an anarchist philosophy.
8. Before his death due to cerebral meningitis he was conditionally baptized in the Catholic Church.
9.  Oscar Wilde’s last words were “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or other of us has got to go.”
10. His famous tomb was designed by Sir Jacob Epstein, whose ashes were placed alongside Wilde in the structure in 1950 per his request. The Angel statue adorning the tomb was originally installed with male genitalia which has since been vandalized.

The celebrated Italian intellectual shot to fame with his 1980 novel The Name of the Rose, a medieval detective novel set in an Italian abbey, which follows Brother William of Baskerville as he investigates a series of suspicious deaths. The novel captured imaginations globally and was turned into a film starring Sean Connery as William.

After finished his doctoral thesis, Eco lectured at his alma mater and during the same period worked at Italy’s state broadcaster, RAI, as a cultural editor. He went on to develop his interest in semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, and became a professor of the subject at the University of Bologna. His significant academic writings include On Beauty and the later On Ugliness, exploring how people’s perceptions are shaped through history.

He was “an extraordinary example of a European intellectual, combining unique intelligence of the past with a limitless capacity to anticipate the future”, said Italy’s prime minister.

• Harper Lee, the elusive novelist whose child’s-eye view of racial injustice in a small Southern town, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” became standard reading for millions of young people and an Oscar-winning film, has died.
• To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in 1960, is the story of a girl nicknamed Scout growing up in a Depression-era Southern town. A black man has been wrongly accused of raping a white woman, and Scout’s father, the resolute lawyer Atticus Finch, defends him despite threats and the scorn of many.
• The book quickly became a best-seller.
• By 2015, its sales were reported by HarperCollins to be more than 40 million worldwide, making it one of the most widely read American novels of the 20th century.
• “Now, 75 years later in an abundant society where people have laptops, cellphones, iPods, and minds like empty rooms, I still plod along with books,” she wrote.
• By 2014, she had given in to the digital age and allowed her novel to come out as an e-book, calling it “‘Mockingbird’ for a new generation.”
• A new play adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” will land on Broadway during the 2017-18

English Book in Georgia (EBG) has a variety of resources to suit your needs.

The aim of EBG is to facilitate the improvement of the English language in Georgia by ensuring that teachers of English have access to a range of current, internationally accepted learning resources.

With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to the latest in the next generation of technology! It’s called eBeam.

Plug and Play Interactivity that adapts to you.

eBeam Edge Wireless transforms any flat surface into a plug-n-play, interactive teaching experience. And, it connects wirelessly to your computer, making room setup flexible and easy. eBeam Edge Wireless allows you to place your computer up to 50 meters from your interactive space. Connect the Wireless Adapter to an available USB port on your computer and, done! You now have instant access to a fully interactive environment.

Interactive shouldn’t be expensive

No need for costly electronic whiteboards or new projectors. eBeam Edge makes your classroom interactive with your existing whiteboard, projector, and Mac or PC computer.

Interactivity to go

As small as a TV remote control, eBeam Edge moves with you from classroom to classroom. The system combines an interactive stylus with a small receiver that magnetically attaches to any whiteboard in seconds.

A stylus mightier than a sword

Write and draw with it, use it as a mouse. Our two-button stylus makes it effortless to interact with anything on the whiteboard.

The Benefits:

1. Intuitive tool palette gives immediate access to the tool you need wherever you’re working on the board
2. Bring in word documents, take screenshots of the web, annotate on top of everything in Scrapbook
3. With PowerPoint integration, annotate on a presentation and save all strokes as PowerPoint objects
4. Media rich Gallery provides category specific images and dynamic content built into Scrapbook
5. eBeam Home is a quick dashboard to place commonly used apps and programs to help you personalize your eBeam home experience

Our staff, at EBG, can answer any questions you might have about eBeam. To order or to get more information, contact: englishbookteam@englishbook.ge

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Macmillan Practice Online

When you use Macmillan Practice Online to manage your students and classes you’ll wonder how you ever coped before. Want an instant overview of who’s done this weeks’ homework – easy. Or maybe it’s time to keep an eye on that student you noticed having difficulty in the last lesson, just to make sure they’re progressing okay – not a problem. And when you need a record, just print off the beautifully designed reports – that’s one less job to do before you head off for the evening.

We want to provide the tools to allow teachers to teach on their terms, when and where they want. That’s why we’ve designed Macmillan Practice Online from the ground up to be 100% web-based, allowing teachers the freedom to access the tools and language materials wherever they are.

Pearson’s  MyEnglishLab

When your students are using Pearson’s  MyEnglishLab, you instantly have access to a wide range of useful diagnostic tools. The information that these tools provide ensures that valuable classroom time is spent on activities that meet the real needs of your students. Whether you need to extend the contact hours you have with your students, make homework a more meaningful exercise, or want deeper insight into the areas in which your students need more practice, MyEnglishLab is a great solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtw0OCoPk8

onestopenglish

Onestopenglish is a teacher resource site, part of Macmillan Education, one of the world’s leading publishers of English language teaching materials.

Onestopenglish is packed with resources for English teachers. All materials are written and edited by our expert team of teachers and authors and are organized into core subject areas such as Skills, Grammar and Vocabulary, Business and ESP, Exams and Young Learners, so you’ll always find what you’re looking for.

• Access our entire database of over 9,000 high-quality resources.
• Find new materials added every week.
• Benefit from a wide range of resources, whether you teach Business English, Young Learners, Exams or CLIL.
• Save time: organize resources and plan your lessons with our exclusive Learning Calendar.
• Don’t stress: let our articles and tips solve all your teaching dilemmas.

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Click here to read more about eBeam products
Please contact EBG Team (englishbookteam@englishbook.ge) if you have any questions.