THE GREAT GATSBY

Here you can revise Francis Scott Fitzgerald's most famous novel, an exemplary tale regarding the American Dream, which explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval,  and excess, creating a portrait of "the Jazz Age".

Francis Scott Fitzgerald coined the term "Jazz Age" to refer to the period more commonly known as the Roaring Twenties. Jazz is an American style of music marked by its complex and exuberant mix of rhythms and tonalities. 

The Great Gatsby portrays a similarly complex mix of emotions and themes that reflect the turbulence of the times. Fresh off the nightmare of World War I, Americans were enjoying the fruits of an economic boom and a renewed sense of possibility. Yet in The Great Gatsby, Francis Scott Fitzgerald stresses the darker side of the Roaring Twenties, its undercurrent of corruption and its desperate, empty decadence.  Read here.

REFUGEE BLUES - 5^C LINGUISTICO

Here and here you can find an analysis of the poem by W. H. Auden, written in 1939.

https://www.slideshare.net/englishanthology/refugee-blues-igcse-guide

https://literariness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/LitCharts-refugee-blues.pdf

https://poemanalysis.com/w-h-auden/refugee-blues/

THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE

The British Empire was always about more than just ruling lands; it was a state of mind, a set of beliefs and ideals and a way of looking at the world and making sense of it. Therefore it is no surprise that it left its mark in literature and the arts and that we can use these as a way of tracing its impact and influence.  Read here.

The Victorian period in British history marked the high point of British imperialism. Though the British policy of colonial expansion had begun earlier, during the nineteenth century Britain not only consolidated its existing empire, but also experienced an unprecedented expansion in its colonial possessions. Read here.

The origins of the post-colonial novel can be traced back to a period well before the post-war imperial retreat. Read here.

Here you can find a list of the  best books about colonialism and imperialism.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

The Present Perfect Simple suggests completion while the Present Perfect Continuous suggests something is unfinished. Read more here.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1/present-perfect-simple-present-perfect-continuous/

https://elt.oup.com/student/solutions/upperint/grammar/grammar_01_012e?cc=it&selLanguage=it

MAY

"April showers bring May flowers", as the saying goes. And with those flowers comes May Day, a holiday that most people have heard of but have no idea what it’s for.  Read more here.