Welcome to Toulouse, our home town. Episode 1

Welcome to Toulouse, our home town. Episode 1

As you probably know Toulouse in South West France is the home town of english-podcasts. So let us take you on a journey around this historical, beautiful  and gastronomic city.

This quiz is full of interesting and off-the-wall facts about the Pink City. You won’t know the answer to some of the questions but don’t worry take it as an opportunity to learn more  about Toulouse if you plan to spend a few days here. This is a Guide Book experience in a quiz !

Some of the questions refer to this video on our YouTube channel where we walked around the streets of Toulouse trying to find out the history behind these strange names. You can see Toulouse and the questions in the quiz will come to life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U47fpBHYw6k&t=753s

Take a moment to think about these questions:

Why are there 2 names plaques on most of the streets?

What are the 2 languages that you can hear and see everywhere in Toulouse?

Who are the famous people who lived in Toulouse?

What are the famous landmarks that are a “must” to see?

The Guide Book Quiz which brings Toulouse to life

 

 

Welcome to Toulouse, our home town. Episode 1

History in the streets of Toulouse Episode 2

This is the second in our series retracing the history of Toulouse through the names of streets.

Here we wander down some 11th and 12th century streets that tell a story of the past of Toulouse – how people earned a living and how some became very rich. We discover some fairly unknown facts about the trades of Toulouse in the past – did you know that dice were made in Toulouse?

We uncover the site of a religious site dating to the 5th century BC and the place where a famous singer lived and wrote songs about Toulouse in the 20th century. Come with us as we discover the textile trades that were thriving in Toulouse and that no longer exist as history comes alive before our very eyes.

Enjoy the city’s lively atmosphere. It’s a very hip, young area with a surprising number of bars, cafes, boutiques and galleries. The Carmes district is full of cafés, bars restaurants and speciality shops. The neighborhood is characterized by many narrow, beautiful streets and colorful houses.

One of the liveliest cities in France, Toulouse has become a popular destination for many city lovers in recent years. A weekend in Toulouse is a must if you have a passion for architecture, colorful markets, French cuisine and chic boutiques!

Discover the hidden history of Toulouse in the streets.

Enjoying Toulouse means taking time to live. Stroll the bustling streets for shopping, stroll through the markets that come in all flavors and colours, or just linger in traditional French cafes…the vibe here reflects the Southern personality: authentic, friendly and welcoming. Toulouse is also very good at welcoming tourists and offering them the opportunity to sit around a table and enjoy local specialties (foie gras, duck, sausages, Cassoulet, wine and cheese…).

Explore the city’s architecture and ancient landmarks.

It is a sprawling modern city with an ancient heart, the center of which is the Place du Capitole. It’s an eclectic mix of young and old and has more of a feeling of a group of local villages than one of the biggest cities in France – no wonder Toulouse is consistently voted as one of the best places to live in France and we just love it.

   Develop your listening skills by watching the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MHCL4yRiM0&t=1s

   After reading the text, try this quiz to test your comprehension of the words highlighted in bold print, and learn words which often used in tourist guide books.

Streets of Toulouse (2) Build vocabulary

After reading the text, try this quiz to test your comprehension and learn new vocabulary which is often used in tourist guide books.


Do you remember 2022?

Do you remember 2022?

What were you doing in 2022? Can you remember some of the events that made an impact in the world?

Test your memory and your vocabulary with this quiz.

From the team at english-podcasts.com we wish you a happy and successful 2023.  

How well do you remember 2022?

 

The Curious Off Side Football World Cup Quiz

The Curious Off Side Football World Cup Quiz

The Curious Off Side Football World Cup Quiz

The Curious Off Side Football World Cup Quiz – Learn English with the Football World Cup 2022

Are you a fan of football ? If you are, you are in for a real football festival, if not, you are in for 4 very tedious weeks !

Whatever your view, it is a world event with billions of viewers for every match.

Some basic facts:

  • 32 national teams which are put into 8 groups of 4 teams.
  • The 2 top teams of each group will go through to the knockout rounds (quarter finals, semi finals and the final).
  •  The final will take place with an estimated TV audience of over 3 billion.
  • Each team is allowed a final squad of 23 players (three of whom must be goalkeepers). However, players in the final squad may be replaced due to serious injury up to 24 hours prior to kickoff of the team’s first match, where the replacement players do not need to be in the preliminary squad.
  • One of the favorites to win is  Brazil, and indeed Brazil and Italy have won 9 World Cup titles between them and Brazil. has won 47% of the 19 tournaments held.

But of course here at english-podcasts.com we love the off-the-wall facts and this quiz includes the crazy, unusual aspects of such a world event. So you definitely don’t need to be a football expert to get tops marks in this quiz, just use your imagination and common sense !

So are you ready for kick off ? Get your boots on and let’s get started……

You’ll certainly expand your vocabulary and learn some strange facts along the way. 

You’ll find that these questions are great for a pub quiz evening too !

The Curious Offside Football World Cup Quiz

Try this quiz with a friend, there will be plenty to discuss !

 

In keeping with the sporting theme, you can test your knowledge of sporting expressions with this quiz.

 

 

 

Could you pass the French Citizenship Test ?

Could you pass the French Citizenship Test ?

More than 100,000 people are granted French nationality every year.  This represents around 2.5% of foreigners living in the country and is well above the number in Germany (1,5 %) and Italy (2 %), but way under the UK (4,2 %) and Spain (5,2 %).

Since the Brexit referendum in 2016 many Brits living in France have applied for French nationality.

Before 2015, 386 British residents in France applied for French nationality. The year after the number rose to 1,363 and in 2018 it was 3173.

Why would they do this ? What are the benefits compared to permanent resident status ?

Well, having voting rights is a very important difference, as is the freedom to travel freely in the European Union. Other people have also mentioned being able to avoid long queues at airports and a greater sense of stability.

But it’s a long road to achieving nationality:

Firstly, getting a slot for the interview is difficult as the interviews are limited. Then you have to wait at least a year for the actual interview. In the meantime you have to gather together many financial and personal  documents getting copies and translations.

During the actual interview the documents will be scruperously checked, you’ll be asked questions about your motivation and some questions about France…. some easy, some not so easy.  

So how much do you know about France ? Enough to pass the citizenship test ? Try this quiz to find out !

Could you pass the test to gain French nationality?

These 40 questions cover just some of the possible questions in the Gaining French Nationality booklet. 

This quiz starts with the most frequently asked questions which most people could answer, and then it gets progressively more difficult with questions which people who have read the citizenship booklet should be able to answer,  and  then it finishes up with some really tricky questions that will really stump you ..... Bonne chance !!

For extra great questions, try these other fun quizzes too.

https://english-podcasts.com/where-should-you-live-in-france/

https://english-podcasts.com/25-off-the-wall-facts-about-france/

Where should you live in France?

Where should you live in France?

Where should you live in France?

Where should you live in France?

Where should you live in France? Take this quiz to see which French city you should live in.

Where should you live in France? France is a very diverse country with landscapes that range from high mountains to kilometers of beaches.

But, Where should you live in France?

See where you should be living in France with our fun quiz.

Where should you live in France?

Did you know that your personal tastes and interests reveal a lot about where you live and where you should live? Do you know France? Do you know where you should be living, if you either live in France or were to live in France? Let's find out where you should live in France with this fun quiz.

Find out more about France.

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