Final evaluation!!!

We have already finished the course. It is the first year that in English class we have done a blog with all our work and it is a good way to keep all in order. Now I can compare my first works with the last ones and I realize that I have improved a little bit, especially summarising (before my summaries were longer than now); also I have a more rich vocabulary and I correct some mistakes (like ‘actually’ for ‘nowadays’). With the observations of my oral presentation I can see that in my last presentation I made fewer mistakes.
The activities, which best show my improvement, are writings because we have done a lots and for this it is easier to improve. But also I think that the most useful has been the oral presentations because it is a project of research, organize and stdying. On the other hand, I think that the least useful (but important as well) were the three newsm summaries; in my opinion they are too much and we have to do other writings and summaries.
Finally I have to say that of all these activities I enjoy more doing the podcasts; speaking with some classmates and the films as well; it is a way to work but in an enjoyable way.

We have almost learnt to respect our world, what do You think?

I agree with this idea- we have improved in respecting our world. Years ago we did not know enough about the effects the pollution we produce would have on our environment. But, I still think we have a lot to learn.

We have improved because we recycle more, we use public transport more, chemicals are more controlled, we are learning about different and natural ways to obtain energy etc. Scientists are studying every day what is bad for the environment; the consequences of what we do everyday on our environment. Thanks to them and their work we can improve and look for better energy resources. This is a huge improvement.

However, the majority of us still do not respect our world sufficiently. If science and technology are making big steps towards a solution, ours are still small. We need to recycle more and recycling needs to be made easier and more important (in the UK each house is given a different bin for different waste and if you do not follow the procedure there is a financial punishment); we need to use systems like “car sharing” (one parent takes 3 children to school in one car); we need to use biological detergents and cleaners and so much more.

To sum up- we are making advances in respecting our world but we have a long way to go. The problem is huge and we are not ready to be inconvenienced. If we don’t do more and soon, maybe we will be too late!

~TRANSCRIPTION OF MY ORAL PRESENTATION~

Climate change

Hello geys. Today Clàudia, Júlia and I will introduce you the topic of climatic change.

Climate change is any long-term significant change in the expected model of the medium weather of a specific region over an appropriately significant period of time. These changes affected to different time labels and of different climatic terms like temperature, rains, cloudy, etc. and is produced by nature changes or some human actions.
Now Júlia is will… will told you about the principal factors of the climate change

[…]

Well, greenhouse effect is one of the most important and necessary phenomenon for which the Earth keep warm and it produce the global warming of our planet. But, if it is necessary and important, why it is now a problem?
Well, first of all we have to understand that our atmosphere is made up of 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, with other gases and water and less than 1% of greenhouse gases like methane, carbon dioxide, dioxide of nitrogen. Scientifics now realise that the proportion has increased significantly over the few last hundred years. This increase began around the time of the Industrial Revolution when we began to burn some fossil fuels.
What happens with these greenhouse gases? The solar radiation passes throught the atmosphere and then the net incoming solar radiation. Some solar radiation are reflected by the atmosphere and the earth’s surface. Also some of this solar energy is absorbed by the earth’s surface and warms it and it produced the global warming and then this radiation is back to the atmosphere. Some of the infrared radiation is absorbed and re-emitted by the greenhouse molecules. And it produces the warming. And finally some of this infrared radiation passes again through the atmosphere and is lost in the space.

The result of the greenhouse effect is the increase of the global temperatures and it is the first causer of the climate changes.

And now Clàudia will talk you about some consequences of the climatic changes.

_________________________________________________

geys: guys (I'm sorry :S)
the medium weather: of mediu weather (without 'the')
affected: affect
of: to
is produced: IT is produced...
Is will told you: She will tell you....
Scientifics: scientists
and then this radiation is : (without this phrase)
Will talk you: will tell you




(Gemma I have some problems to include my video..:S)

Observation my third oral presentation

NAME & TOPIC: Júlia Turró, Clàudia Rovira & Cèlia Garcia

PRESENTATION

• Did you use any resources?
  Yes, I used the same resources: graphics, images, sketches, outlines, mnemotecnic resources, a lot of practice at home...
• Were the resources relevant and attractive?
  Yes, they make my presentation more visual and clear. I didn’t write a lot on my power point, only some words and it was relevant and the only that I needed to remember what I have to say.

BODY LANGUAGE AND EYE CONTACT

• Did you look at you audience most of the time?
  Yes, I did it
• Did you read from your notes?
  Not much, only sometimes for some difficult words.
• Did you do any gestures/movement to hold the attention of you audience?
  Yes, I needed to move mi hands and walk but not excessive.

STRUCTURE

• Did you organize your ideas in order of importance?
  I tried it. This topic was more specific and objective. I summarized it a lot and I tried to use easy vocabulary because it was difficult to understand.
• Did you use discourse markers to make your ideas more clear?
  I would like use more of them but in front de people I forgot the most of them.
• Did you look up information/ facts/ ideas in the Internet/ books?
  Yes, of course. This topic was really scientific and I don’t know a lot of it.
• Was your information more superficial or more detailed and original?
  With this topic I think that it wasn’t so original because it is more objective. For that I think that my information was more detailed.

LANGUAGE

• Did you use check your grammar?
  Yes, I checked with grammar and pronunciation dictionaries. Also I asked to some English friends.
• Did you use rich vocabulary looking up the dictionary?
  Yes, sometimes but firstly I preferred that it was easy to understand.
• Did you use sentence linkers?
  Yes, but I think that I can use more.
• Did you use fillers?
  Not much.

PRONUNCIATION & INTONATION

• Did you know how to pronounce all your words?
  I had some difficulties but I look for the words that I didn’t know how to pronounce.
• Did you check the pronunciation with dictionary, a classmate or the teacher?
  I yes, some of them with English friends or dictionaries online
• Did you change you tone of voice or use a monotone tone all the time?
  Yes, with questions for example
• Did you speed in a fluid continuum or with breaks and interruptions?
  At the first moment yes because I came from the gymnastic class and I wasn’t relax.

SELF EVALUATION

This was the last one oral presentation of this year and I think that I have improved from the first one. I was calmer and I had more trust. I know that I can improve more.

Film: The Oxford Murders

Martin an American student arrives at Oxford University. He stays at an woman’s house. At University he knows one of the most important logic teachers, Shelton. He wants that Shelton manages his thesis. They meet in a philosophy class; Martin says “I believe in the number Pi” and they started to talk about the logical order of numbers.

One day Martin arrives at home and finds the old woman dead. Suddenly, Shelton arrives as well because he says that he was a friend of the family. They start to investigate and they realize that it was the first of a success of crimes: the teacher had received a letter with a circle and the address of the old woman.

The daughter of the dead woman behaves strangely with him: she kisses him and then leaves. For a while, Martin starts a relation ship with a young lady who he had met in the gym.

Informal letter

Bergamo
Milano
Italy
15th April 2009-04-24

Hi Miquel,

I’m glad to hear that you are so happy. Thanks for you letter! To receive it made me really happy because I miss you a lot.

You wanted to know how I decided to begin this Erasmus, didn't you? Well, you know that I love to travel and especially to Rome; I would make good use of my lost year of university to travel and learn other languages. It was a difficult decision, of course, but if I don’t do it now I won’t do it ever.
The first days I was a little lost because I didn’t know anybody or anyplace. But there the people are very kind and it isn’t difficult to adapt yourself. Now I have some friends and I know how to move around in this city, thanks to them. It is really nice. I invite you to come here, I would like to show you some places.
What about you? Are you doing kayak yet? I hope that you are because you are brilliant! If you come here some day we can go to Iseo, a big lake near here. It is really wonderful! You will like it.
One more thing: if you see my sister, can you ask her to send me my painting material? I can’t speak to her because she is changing house and phone number and you’ll do me a great favour.

Anyway, I hope to see you soon and I hope that all will be fantastic for you!
Write soon.

Best wishes!

Cèlia XO

9th NEWS: Mothers fight over Slumdog star

A BBC's article of Tuesday 21 April 2009 talks about two woman fighting in Bombay. These women were the mother and the stepmother of Robina Ali, the child star of the film Slumdog millionaire who returned to her poor life. The problem is that her father tried to sell his daughter's interviews for two hundred pounds. Her biological mother wants to punish her ex husband. The father says that she only wants the money and she trys to frighten him. Robina says that she lives ok with her father and stepmother but she doesn’t want to live in Bombay; she only wants to come back to the better life.

___________

Stepmother: Madrastra
Slumdog: “gos de la miseria, dels barris baixos”
Biological mother: Mare biològica

8th News: Cuba's cancer drug breakthrough

This news talks about a new vaccine for one kind of lung cancer. This vaccine isn’t preventive, like the expert says, but it’s the way to longer live with a cancer and with a high quality of life.
Now a day Cuba is one of the most important countries of cigarette manufacturing and where tobacco is also use for domestic cigarette production; for this, the number of smoker is quite high, as is the number of Cuban people with cancer. Now, with this vaccine the people have hope. This new cancer drug is now under going clinical trials in Britain, Canada and Peru. But at the moment it is only been approve for use in Cuba.

The news is from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7964933.stm

_________________________

Lung cancer= cancer de pulmó

Vaccine= vacuna

Clinical trial= assaig clínic

3th Speaking

podcast_angles.mp3

By Laura Carrera and Cèlia Garcia

7th NEWS: Migraines 'raise pregnancy risk'

A study by Wake Forest University discovered that migraines were linked to some pregnancy risks. This research says that the people with migraines have some kind of cells that are not healthy and it is a risk in pregnancy. On the other hand, this risk is low: only four cases per 100.000 births. The researchers say that it doesn’t mean that the discovery should discourage woman from considering getting pregnant. Also the young woman, who have migraines, have more possibilities of strokes if they smoke or they take medicines. The experts said that to have migraines during pregnancy is very rare but it’s recommended to inform the doctor if you never experienced migraines before.

You can read this new in: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7933522.stm

__________________________________

Cells = neurones

struggling= lluita

occurs= esdevé

~SECOND TERM~

OBSERVATION YOUR ORAL PRESENTATION

NAME & TOPIC: Celia García, Júlia Turró and Clàudia Rovira - Canada

PRESENTATION

• Did you use any resources?
  Yes, I used the same resources as in my first oral presentation but in this oral presentation I’ve added graphics. Also I used mnemotecnic resources to study some difficult words or to practice, for example: recording me at home.
• Were the resources relevant and attractive?
  Yes, the new resources did my power point more visual, I had facility to remember everything and to recorded me helps me enough.

BODY LANGUAGE AND EYE CONTACT

• Did you look at you audience most of the time?
  Yes, I did it, or at least, I tried
• Did you read from your notes?
  Not too much; maybe some punctual things.
• Did you do any gestures/movement to hold the attention of you audience?
  Yes, above all with my hands. I need to do it.

STRUCTURE

• Did you organize your ideas in order of importance?
  Yes, more or less. For example with languages I started with the most important languages until the languages spoken by a small number of population.
• Did you use discourse markers to make your ideas more clear?
  Yes, some of them but I think that I can use more or different once.
• Did you look up information/ facts/ ideas in the Internet/ books?
  Yes, of course. This time was necessary because it was more objective than the last one.
• Was your information more superficial or more detailed and original?
  I think that it was so superficial because if it’s not, it would be very bored and long.

LANGUAGE

• Did you use check your grammar?
  Yes, I checked it but the result in front the class was a little different.
• Did you use rich vocabulary looking up the dictionary?
  This time, unlike the first one, yes.
• Did you use sentence linkers?
  Yes like “therefore”
• Did you use fillers?
  Yes but not so many as in the first one.
  

PRONUNCIATION & INTONATION

• Did you know how to pronounce all your words?
  Yes, the most of them, but I couldn’t pronounce all the words like I wanted because of nervous.
• Did you check the pronunciation with dictionary, a classmate or the teacher?
  I asked to Robin how to pronounce some words.
• Did you change you tone of voice or use a monotone tone all the time?
  Maybe not much but sometimes yes.
• Did you speed in a fluid continuum or with breaks an interruptions?
  I used a lot of breaks and interruptions. From the first oral presentation I had clear that I had to speak slowly and without so many breaks but I run a lot as well and also I said a lots of “aah….”

SELF EVALUATION

Personally I get myself an 8 because I think that this time I’ve not felt so nervous and I had my ideas more clear. But I continue saying that I have to speak more slowly and clear.

Extrapoint!

New shoes – Paolo Nutini

Paolo%20Nutini%20-...

Woke up cold one Tuesday,
I'm looking tired and feeling quite sick,
I felt like there was something missing in my day to day life,
So I quickly opened the wardrobe,
Pulled out some jeans and a T-Shirt that seemed clean,
Topped it off with a pair of old shoes,
That were ripped around the seams,
And I thought these shoes just don't suit me.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It's so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I don't need an excuse,'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.

Woke up late one Thursday,
And I'm seeing stars as I'm rubbing my eyes,
And I felt like there were two days missing,
As I focused on the time,
And I made my way to the kitchen,
But I had to stop from the shock of what I found,
A room full of all off my friends dancing round and round,
And I thought hello new shoes,Bye bye them blues.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It's so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I don't need an excuse,
'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.

Take me wandering through these streets,
Where bright lights and angels meet,
Stone to stone they take me on,
I'm walking to the break of dawn.

Take me wandering through these streets,
Where bright lights and angels meet,
Stone to stone they take me on,
I'm walking to the break of dawn.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It's so inviting,
Oh, short on money,But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I don't need an excuse,
'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It's so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I don't need an excuse,
'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.

Take me wandering through these streets.


TRANSLATION

Vaig despertar fred un dimarts
Em veia cansat i em sentia una mica malament.
Em sentia com si hagués perdut alguna cosa del meu dia a dia,
Llavors vaig obrir ràpidament l’armari,
Vaig treure uns texans i una camisa que semblava neta,
Em vaig topar amb un parell de sabates,
Que tenien les puntes desgastades
I vaig pensar que aquelles sabates no em quedaven bé.

Ei!, em poso les meves sabates noves,
I de sobte tot era perfecte,
I vaig dir, ei!, em poso unes sabates noves i tothom somriu,
És molt acollidor,
Oh! Sense gaire diner,
Però amb molt de temps,
A poc a poc dono un pas a la dolça llum del sol,
I estic fent tard,
I no necessito excusa,
Perquè estic portant les meves noves sabates de marca.

Despertar tard un dijous,
I estic veient estrelles al fregar-me els ulls,
I em vaig sentir com si hagués perdut dos dies,
Com si m’hagués centrat en el temps,
I em vaig fer camí cap a la cuina,
Però em vaig haver de parar degut a la commoció que vaig trobar,
Una habitació plena dels meus amics ballant voltes i voltes,
I vaig pensar “hola sabates noves,
Adéu a les blaves”.

Ei!, em poso les meves sabates noves,
I de sobte tot era perfecte,
I vaig dir, ei!, em poso unes sabates noves i tothom somriu,
És molt acollidor,
Oh! Sense gaire diner,
Però amb molt de temps,
A poc a poc dono un pas a la dolça llum del sol,
I estic fent tard,
I no necessito excusa,
Perquè estic portant les meves noves sabates de marca.

Portam a caminar per aquests carrers,
Quan la llum brillant i els angles es troben,
Pedra a pedra em van traient,
Estic caminant a la matinada.

Portam a caminar per aquests carrers,
Quan la llum brillant i els angles es troben,
Pedra a pedra em van traient,
Estic caminant a la matinada.


Ei!, em poso les meves sabates noves,
I de sobte tot era perfecte,
I vaig dir, ei!, em poso unes sabates noves i tothom somriu,
És molt acollidor,
Oh! Sense gaire diner,
Però amb molt de temps,
A poc a poc dono un pas a la dolça llum del sol,
I estic fent tard,
I no necessito excusa,
Perquè estic portant les meves noves sabates de marca.

Ei!, em poso les meves sabates noves,
I de sobte tot era perfecte,
I vaig dir, ei!, em poso unes sabates noves i tothom somriu,
És molt acollidor,
Oh! Sense gaire diner,
Però amb molt de temps,
A poc a poc dono un pas a la dolça llum del sol,
I estic fent tard,
I no necessito excusa,
Perquè estic portant les meves noves sabates de marca.

Portam a caminar per aquests carrers.

Discussion essay

Being a celebrity is a great thing

Constantly we see a lot of famous people and celebrities on the TV and we wish to be like them. But we have to stop and think calmly about it.

On the one hand, to be famous means to have a lot of luxuries and commodities; everybody knows you and you have a lot of money. If you are a celebrity like Einstein or Shakespeare, for example, you are remembered throughout history as an important person.

But also there are some disadvantages because if you are a famous you don’t have any private life: everybody knows all about you –if you argue with somebody, if you have problems-, you will be on magazine’s first page I you aren’t made up, you can’t walk calmly in anyplace,…It isn’t life! Also the important celebrities of history had some problems; some of them had to be punished or killed because they contradicted the ideas of their age.

For this reason I think is better to be nobody than to be somebody; it depends on if you give more importance to an austere and private life where the smallest details have illusion for you, or if you prefer a luxurious and comfortable life though you don’t have private life. You only live once and you choose.

~Second oral presentation~

This is the video of my second oral presentation with Júlia and Clàudia:

Here you can see the power point used in our oral presentation:

Canada

View more presentations from celia_grn.

The transcription of my oral presentation

Hello guys. I will speak about spoken lenguages.
A multitude of languages are spoken in Canada and we will start with Home languages or languages most often spoken. The first language is English with 59.1% (is the most fen), then French with 23% and bilinguals, English and French, 18%.
Well, English and French are recognized by the Constitution of Canada like "official languages," and laws of the federal government are enacted in both lenguages, English and French, and federal government services are required to be available in both languages.
Well, here you can see the most important non- oficial languages: (I’m sorry because the tan per cent is not right but it’s that more or less. Therefore: Chinese is 2.6%, Punjabi 0.8%, Spanish 0.7%, Italian 0.6% and Arabic 0.5%.
And it’s important to say that these Aboriginal languages, many of which are unique to Canada, are spoken by less of one percent of the population, and are mostly in decline.

And then, also Canada has some dialects and Canadian Gaelic is the first; is the Scottish Gaelic spoken in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and in Nova Scotia and it is in Maritimes. There we have Newfoundland Irish that is spoken in Newfoundland and these lenguages some of the original immigrants to Newfoundland were native speakers of Irish, who passed on a version of their language to their children and as a result, Newfoundland became the only place outside Europe to have its own Irish dialect. Welsh is also in Newfoundland and there were an influx from Patagonian Welsh from Argentina settled in Canada after the 1982 in Falkland Islands War. Well, Acadian French is the unique form of Canadian French and is spoken in Maritimes provinces and it has some nautical terms and loan words of English. Canada also is the home of some dialect of the Ukrainian language, like Canadian Ukrainian, and it’s spoken mostly in Western Canada. Also Doukhobor Russian is a dialect of Russian spoken in British Columbia and then this dialect is becoming extinct in their home regions of Georgia and Russia.
And finally, Bungee is a dialect of English spoken in Prairie Metis community and it is influenced by Cree and Scots Gaelic.

And finally there are some Pidgins, mixed languages, & trade languages. These languages tended to be highly localized, where often spoken by less number of population and who were either speak English and French. And one of there are Michif; It is the result between elements from Cree, Ojibwa, Assiniboine and French lenguages and it is spoken in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and North Dakota. The Basque pidgin is based in elements between Basque whalers and local aboriginals. Chinook Jargon: It is a combination of Chinookan, Nootka, Chehalis, French and English and other words from Hawaiian and Spanish lenguages. And finally Franglais And Chiac are a combination of Acadian French and Canadian English, and they is native from Maritimes.

And that’s it and then Julia will talk you about important cities.

[...]

Well, the fun-loving people of Canada celebrate a number of festivity and events:
From festivity they have as us 1st January New Year’s Day, 1st January they have Canada Day (is the Canada Independence Day,Federation Day), 25th May is Victoria’s Day (the official Queen’s birthday of Canada), The first Monday of September is Labour Day,The second Monday of October Thanksgiving Day, the 25th December is Christmas Day like us and 26th December is Boxing Day (they keep the boxes of presents).
And of events they have for example The Québec City Winter Carnival in February, that is a show of features parades, ice sculptures, a snow slide and dances and music. The Montréal Jazz Festival, Ottawa International Jazz Festival and the Caribbean festival of music is a treat for music fans. Toronto International Film Festival is one of the leading film festivals in the world and it’s ranking with Cannes and Sundance. Winterlude, Ottawa festival, they Canadians celebrate the sub-zero temperatures and Celtic Colours International Festival it’s a held for nine days every October.
And that’s it and for finish this oral presentation, Julia will be talk you about the Canadian cousine.

CORRECTION

• Speak about..: tell you...
• most often spoken: spoken most ofen
• it’s that: they are this
• also Canada has: Canada also has
• and (unnecessary)
• these lenguages (unnecessary)
• Also Doukhobor Russian is: Doukhobor Russian also is
• less: small
• were (unnecessary)
• is: are
• talk about: tell you ...
• festivity: festivities
• from festivity: about the festivities
• of: in
• the (unnecessary)
• the (unnecessary)
• a (unnecessary)
• for finish: to finish
• will be talk: will tell you...

FRANKENSTEIN: The book VS the film

We read Frankenstein by Mary Shalley and then we saw the film about the book; although is the same story, I’ve found some differences.

• In the film Justin’s mother appears and in the book she doesn’t.



• While in the book Victor’s mother dies of an illness, in the film she dies guing birth to William.



• Victor’s mother gives a diary to Victor in the film but not in the book.



• In the book there is Ernest, the youngest brother and in the film not.



• In the film they celebrate a farewell party.



• In the film Victor knows Henry from University but in the book both were known from childhood.



• In the book, Frankenstein’s laboratory is on an island and in the film it’s near the University.



• In the film version the experiment isn’t a secret as in the book; in the film Henry and the professor know about it as well.



• In the film there is an epidemic.



• Felix’s grandchild, in the film, is a boy and in the book is a girl.



• In the film a man goes to ask Felix for money for rent and then he hits him; the monster saves Felix and after they go into the house. This doesn’t happen in the book.



• In the book the monster saves a girl from the river and this doesn’t happen in the film.



• The photo on the chain, in the book, is of Victor’s mother but in the film is a photo of Victor.



• In the book Justine doesn’t have a trial.



• The monster kills Victor’s father before the honeymoon in the film but, in the book, Victor’s father dies of sadness when he knows that Elisabeth is dead.



• In the film the monster plucks out the Elisabeth’s heart but in the book the monster drowns her.



• The first woman who Victor starts to create in the film is Justine and for this reason he doesn’t want to continue; in the book the women monster is a woman he doesn’t know.



• Victors tries to give life to Elisabeth when she dies but only in the film.



• In the film Henry doesn’t die, therefore, Victor does not go to the jail.In the film the monster doesn’t kill itself; it dies burned with Victror’s body.

_____________________

Chain: cadena, penjoll

Mast: mastil

6th NEW: Teenager claims fifth kite surf World title

Catalonia today (p.13), Thursday 9-10-08

6th NEW.mp3

____________________

How to pronunce 'Chile'= es pronuncia com [xili]

2nd FILM: Fragile

The film starts in a children’s hospital where Susan is a nocturnal nurse that is working with another nurse and doctors. One night, one glass starts to tremble in children’s room and after, one of the children’s legs suddenly breaks while he was lying down on the bed. The boy is called Simon. Nobody in the hospital can explain what has happened.
Susan leaves his work and another nurse, Amy, comes to work in his place.
When she arrived, her work’s companion tells her that the second floor is closed for some years because an accident happened there and now there isn’t anything. Then Helen, the other nurse, presents the children to Amy; it is then that Amy meets Maggie. Maggie suffers from cystic fibrosis and she tells Amy that in the haunted second floor there is Charlotte.
When Amy is alone at night, she hears strange sound from the second floor but her companion doesn’t give it importance. One day she is in the lift with Simon and suddenly the lift goes up to the second floor and then falls down but they escape before. The doctors transfer Simon to another hospital. Amy goes to speak with Susan because Maggie is her friend; when she arrives she knows that Susan had an accident and died in it.

_________________

Be fond of = estar carinyòs

Make something up = arreglar algo

To bother you = Molestar-te

5th NEW: Bush brushes off shoe attack

Last 14th December George Bush, the president of the United States of America went to a Baghdad press conference where an Iraqi journalist threw him his shoes at him shouted “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog”.

Bush shunned the shoes and was unhurt but after this incident the journalist, called Muntadar al-Zaidi, was arrested under the Iraq's national security and he suffered a broken arm, broken ribs and internal bleeding and after started a Judicial Council against him: “his sentence could be seven to 15 years in prison” said Mr Birqadr. The head of Iraq’s journalists asked clemency towards al-Zaidi because he says that his action was “strange and unprofessional”.

You can see this article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7786881.stm

Shoe attack

____________

Shunned = evitat

Judicial Council = Consell judicial

Towards= cap a

·Ideal place·

4th New: Pregnant man is pregnant again

Thomas Beattie, the world's first pregnant man is pregnant again. Barbara Walters did an interview with Thomas and his wife for the ABC one morning and after that she realised that Thomas was pregnant for second time; she started to ask questions: the baby will be born in June. Thomas had the first baby the last June. Thomas said that his wife can’t conceive and for this reason they opted for this solution.

________________

Conceive = concevir

Description

First I would like to mention some important characteristics about her physic:
Her eyes; her big, expressive and brown eyes… I think that it is what I like most about Clàudia and they combine with the rest of her looks. She has funny ears but they are not ugly. She says that she has a very wide nose but I can assure you that I have seen bigger noses than hers. Clàudia, like all of us, has obsessions about her body, but I don’t understand it because she has a nice body…a forward like that is what Barça want! Well, it’s a joke, but really, she has a good body; in my opinion, for example, I think that she has a better waist than a lot of girls. And finally her feet; I have strange feet but her feet are very original as well.

Physiologically she is equally nice. Sincerity is the principal characteristic of her. I always tell her that she is wise, and really I believe it because she is experienced and mature enough. Claudia has the image of strong girl but also she needs hugs and a lot of love. I like her humour: it’s very ironic and mature.
My subject is very intelligent and one of her dreams is to study medicine and I know that she will obtain it because when she proposes getting something, she gets it. She has more dreams like for example to be eighteen years quickly, to have a cocker dog, to have a baby boy and call him Eloi, to drive a brown BMW series 1, to travel to New York,…
My friend has some peculiarities: she is obsessed with number 3, her favourite number is 4, she has a phobia of bees, she loves animals; Claudia is a good writer although she is studying sciences; her favourite ice cream is Magnum Temptation and her favourite cartoon’s film is Nemo; she likes to take photos and to play the flute. Sure that I’ve forgot some characteristics but these are some that come to my mind.
Oh! I’m forgetting an important point! Sometimes she can be very obstinate.

I think that I know her enough but also I think that I have more to learn about her. In spite of it I have spent a lot of nice moments with her - some bad moments as well- , we have some future plans together, she has always helped me with everything and now I am sure that she will be one of the few people who I won’t lose in a future. For this (and because I owe her a Magnum) I chose her to describe.

Formal letter

12B Falconrea street
Empuriabrava
17487
Girona

11th December 2008

IES Castelló d’Empuries
8 Rentador street
Castelló d’Empuries
17486
Girona

Dear Ms Lluïsa Pintó,

My name is Cèlia Garcia Moreno and I am a student of first batxillerat B. I have been studying for five years in this high school and I would like to tell you good and bad points about it.

First of all I think that we have insufficient information about batxillerat - the matters, the content, the functioning- and about Selectivitat; I know as well that this year is different from the others and all the plan of education has changed a lot but a lot of students have started batxillerat without any information about what they will do or if it is really their good way.
Secondly I don’t agree that children of ESO must pay for the bus because at month there are a lot of money –above all in numerous families- and some families cannot aford to pay.
Also I don’t agree with the image of the school; I think that it is very dark and it have switched off colours and maybe this produces few motivations to the students. In the same way I don’t understand why there are no mirrors in the toilets.
On the other hand I would like to congratulate you to install projectors in all classes because they are very useful to work and to learn in class with more information.
I think that children’s control is good but I recommend you to be carful with the people that only come to do exams and then they go out, because above all in batxillerat it happens.

I hope that you have present these points and that you try to improve them.
Thank you for your attention.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Your sincerely,
Cèlia Garcia Moreno.

Extrapoint

Alba.mp3

Clàudia, Júlia and I

~FIRST TERM~

My objectives about this portfolio

Hello guys!
My name is Celia. I’m sixteen years old and I live in Empuriabrava. I’m a student from IES Castelló d’Empuries and I’m doing first humanistic batxillerat because I want to study law in a future at University.

This is the first year that I do an English portfolio and I hope get some objectives:
- To get more facility to write.
- To know how organized my work.
- To learn to use other support to present my work.
- To learn a lot of things by the time that I’m learning English.
- To have all my work saved in order.

I hope to get all this objectives ;’)

Good luck!

1st Film: Million Dollar Baby

This movie treats about a girl, Maggie Fitzgerald, who one day arrives to the gym and decides to learn boxing; she doesn’t have much money but she has clear ideas about it.
Frankie Dunn is the trainer of the gym and he prepared a lot of fighters; the first thing that he teaches is that first of all, always protect yourself. He’s a closed man and his only friend is Scrap, an ex-boxer, to whom he tells everything.
First, Frankie doesn’t want to train Maggie because she’s a girl and he’s old. Maggie trains every day herself in the gym encouraged only by Scrap and finally Frankie accepts to help Maggie.

By the time, we discover that he has a daughter who never answer his letters and that Maggie’s father dead some years ago; then start a relationship of father-daughter.
Maggie starts to get success and she starts a tour. In one fight she gets disabled, immobile of the neck for below. Then Frankie stays every day next to her. One day Maggie’s family appeared after of some days enjoying the city and they ask him to leave the heredity for them and Maggie realizes that her family is bad people.

Maggie tries to kill himself (she bits her tongue) and Frankie decides help him to die disconnecting the machine.

It’s a very shocked film I think; I love the force of this woman, his willpower to get his dreams. This movie talks about the male chauvinism, the poor society, the family problems and the euthanasia. Personally I admire Maggie and I’ve loved this film.

Extra speaking

Pau, Xavi & Cèlia

3rd NEW: Battle rages for Mumbai Hostages

This news report is about the attacks to Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel that produced explosions, gunfire and the death of a lot of people. These attacks began on Wednesday when some terrorists opened fire in some important places in India; some people (specially Germans, Japanese, Canadian and Austalians) were rescued but some other people died. Indian forces say that a gunman remains in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel with two or more hostages. Also they found more or less 30 bodies in one hall of Taj Mahal. Approximately, nine militants, fifteen police officers and two commandos have been killed. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence agency, wants to travel to India to discuss the situation.

You can find this new in:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7754676.stm