1.My English progress from 2009-2011

My first composition is my letter presentation which I wrote at the beginning of first of batxillerat. In this letter I explained my future aims, something about me, my family, my hobbies, what I expected to do…

To tell the truth, I like it more than the compositions that I’m doing now, because I talked about what I really wanted to talk about. On the contrary, the compositions which I’m writing now, are about social topics, things that are interesting for the entire world…

My last composition talks about renewable energies in general and the benefits that they have given to society. I also talk about these kind of energies: wind power, hydropower, geothermic… finally, I give my opinion about it, which is that they improve the environment.

Looking at these two compositions I realize that there are a lot of differences between them:

First of all, now the content is more mature than before, because during 1^st of batxillerat my compositions talked about my future, my childhood, my friends… and now I talk about bulimia, abortion, renewable energies, Japan… So, these are interesting topics which are important to society.

Secondly, I haved improved my language because now I use more technical words, linkage words, connectors…

For example: in my first composition, I talked like a twelve years old girl, because I think I said things so immature, such as: “my hobbies are: going out with my friends, shopping, listening to music, surfing the internet…”. My world seems to be pink, and that’s good, but I think that my work now is more elaborated than before. On the other hand, in my composition of renewable energies I used more technical words, more linkers, the structure of the content is much better…

My first oral presentation was about my summer job because the topic which we have to talk about was optional and I chose this. I did it well but it was my first oral presentation alone, so I was more nervous than the other presentations: I remember I was always looking at my teacher, sometimes I read my notes (although I studied what I had to say), I didn’t do any movements or gestures to hold the attention of my classmates and sometimes I didn’t know how to continue the oral presentation.

My last presentation was during the second term, because this term I haven’t done any. It was about plastic surgery. The content was quite good but I remember that on this day we have a very difficult exam and I didn’t study so much what I had to say. However I made some gestures and my pronunciation was quite well (better than the first time) and my level of English was better.

So, there are some differences between these two oral presentations, and I’m happy to see that I have improved in some ways, for example: I have improved my pronunciation because before I didn’t know how to pronounce some words, my fluency, I do more movements, gestures, I try to hold the attention of my classmates, I work more on my presentations and now they are more mature and the topics are more interesting.

2.My English COMPETENCE in 2010

The oral evidences that I have chosen are the podcast that I did with Laura about Japan and the oral exam:

http://lauraaasblooog.blogspot.com/2011/03/podcast-maria.html

http://maariaa8.blogspot.com/2011/05/reader-exam.html

The written evidence that I have chosen is the composition which is about HOME, the documentary that we watched on the English class:

http://maariaa8.blogspot.com/2011/05/home.html

I have chosen this podcast for many reasons:

First of all, because of the topic, it talks about nuclear disaster and the tsunami that Japan has suffered. I think that this caused a world reaction and the entire world was emotionally affected by this.

Secondly, I have chosen this because of the dialogue. To write this, on the one hand, we have to think like a Japanese girl who has suffered this disaster and who lost her family and on the other hand, we have to think like a reporter who has lived this situation personally.

Thirdly, because it shocked us a lot. These kinds of things show that although there are countries which are developed, they also suffer big disasters like poor countries such as Haiti. Of course, the consequences were more important in Haiti because buildings in Japan are very strong because they can support the earthquakes.

Finally, I have chosen it because of my theater representation: we enjoyed the time recording this podcast a lot, we laughed so much because I have to cry to show that I’m very sad. I think that it’s positive because in my opinion, learning enjoying yourself is so good.

I have also chosen the oral exam because it is the activity that I like so much:

The most important thing is that I have learnt a lot of vocabulary, phrasal verbs, new words, pronunciation… because I have to look for a lot of new words. I have also to summarize the book and to answer the questions to prepare the exam better.

In my point of view this is the activity that is more useful to me.

Talking about written evidence, I have chosen HOME because I like this documentary a lot, not only for the explanation, but the images too.

I have compositions that are quite well but this is special. On it, I talked about the different kind of problems that the earth and the world suffer for many reasons:

On the one hand, it is because of pollution, nuclear power disasters…

On the other hand, it is because of humans who don’t get conscious about the problems that our planet suffers.

So, I think that this is an interesting topic to talk about.

I know, I probably have compositions which are better than this but I have chosen it for this:

First of all, because in this composition we have to comment a phrase of the documentary and give our opinion of it. So, I think that this is an important activity because it could be difficult if you don’t understand the sentence well.

Secondly, because an activity like this, has made me improve in different ways: not only in English, but in my personality too, because things like this make you think and I think that it is so good for me and for everybody else.

 

In these two courses I have improved my English a lot, but to tell the truth, I think that during the ESO we did basic things like: colours, numbers, animals, the months… And this is not useful for anything, so when we are in batxillerat we have to do oral exams, PAU exams, compositions for the blog, tasks, some difficult homework etc. and after, the teachers complain because their pupils don’t pass the exams.

On the one hand, I think that my level of English has improved since I started batxillerat because we have done some innovation projects: these are the compositions which we have to post on the blog, record podcasts…

On the other hand, in my point of view the new innovations aren’t always good, because I think that we should to do more PAU exams, more listening (for the marks) and one or two compositions per week in the language room, because it would improve our level of English.

To conclude, I think that these courses have given me good and bad things, but moreover, I have become more mature in my compositions and I know a lot of new vocabulary.

I’m so proud of my results and I want to continue learning English.

Podcast (Laura and Maria)

3 comments

http://dontevergiveuponyourself.blogspot.com/2011/04/death-penalty.html#comment-form

http://vero-pitu.blogspot.com/2011/05/civil-war.html#comments

http://remembermetonight4.blogspot.com/2011/05/catastrophe-of-japan-has-made-history.html?showComment=1305386041403#c6255846626015975053

Renewable energies

Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable.

Mainstream forms of renewable energy are:

Wind power: Airflows can be used to run wind turbines. Areas where winds are stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites, are the best places for wind farms. Typical capacity factors are 20-40%.

Hydropower: Energy in water can be harnessed and used. Since water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slow flowing stream of water, or moderate sea swell, can provide amounts of energy. There are many forms of water energy: Micro hydro, hydroelectric, ocean energy…

Solar energy: Solar energy is the energy from the sun in the form of solar radiation.

Biomass: Liquid biofuel is usually either bioalcohol such as bioethanol or an oil such as biodiesel. Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermenting the sugar components of plant materials. Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled greases. Biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles.

Geothermal energy: Geothermal energy is energy obtained by tapping the heat of the earth itself, both from kilometers deep into the Earth's crust or from shallow depths, as in geothermal heat pumps.

In my opinion this is a high innovation to improve the convenctional energies because these type of energies are much better than the others because they are cleaner. Even though they are more expensive than the tradicional ones.

Bulimia

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by restraining of food intake for a period of time followed by an over intake that results in feelings of guilt and low self-esteem. It starts at about 18 years of age.

The most common form is defensive vomiting, fasting, the use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, and over exercising are also common. Bulimia is nine times more likely to occur in women than men.

These cycles often involve rapid and out-of-control eating, which may stop when the bulimic is interrupted by another person or the stomach hurts from overextension, followed by self-induced vomiting. This cycle may be repeated several times a week or, in more serious cases, several times a day.

Bulimics are much more likely than non-bulimics to have an affective disorder, such as depression or general anxiety disorder.

This is a very important and high problem: on the one hand because sometimes it can cause annorexia and seriously psicological problems and on the other hand because it's so sad for the person who suffer this and his family.

Dialogue

M- Hello Jack Smith, the aim of this interview is to know what your work is like now and before.

My name is Maria and I’m doing this interview because I’m doing a project which consists of this. This kind of job are dying out, so I want to know the consecuences of this in your life and of course, on the work you are doing nowadays.

To begin, tell me something about which type of animals you work with?

J- Hi! First of all, thanks for doing this interview. Now, I’m working with cows.

M- Ok. And, why did you decide to be a farmer? I understand that it’s because your father worked as this too, didn’t he?

J- Oh yes... Ny father and my grandfather started working on a little farm and now I have this farm and a lot of farmlands.

M- It’s good! I suppose that you are proud, aren’t you? And do you remember what this work was like when you were younger?

J- I’m still young! Haha.

M- Yeah, sorry. I know, haha.

J- Mmm... this job changes a lot: before, when my father was alive, we had more work than now because the vilages around this, bought all of our cows: the milk and meat.

M- Ok, and now?

J- Uf... Now it’s so difficult to continue because the big meat industries has the control of the trade. I can’t understand this because my milk and meat has a high quality.

M- Oh... I understand. The big industries always dominate the small ones, don’t they?

J- I’m sorry to say that’s true.

M- Ok. So, that’s all. Thanks for your time. I think that I understand what your work was like before and what it’s like now.

Farmers are losing customers because of big industries, alhough the milk is better.

J- Yes, I can’t say it better. Thaks and nice to meet you!

M-The same to you. And thanks again. I hope that your job will be able to improve.

J- I hope so!

Summer work and crisis

Now it’s time to find a job for this summer because eighteen years old teenagers waste a lot of money:

First of all, they have to pay the college (and if it’s private more money), so it’s an important expense; secondlly, the driving licence which costs a lot of money and when they have it, the often have to buy a car.

In conclusion, all of this is a great expense.

So, teenagers have to look for a job, usually in bars, restaurants, camp sites, supermarkets... And it means that we spend a lot of hours working and with a low salary.

But nowadays, it’s so hard! We have an economic crisis which complicates the matter.

In addition, people who have businesses want their workers to be more than eighteen years old or minimum twenty, maybe because they have more experiance than boys or girls who are sixteen of seventeen years old.

So, in my opinion it is so complicated of difficult to find a job and if you get one, maybe you don’t earn so much money because in their place there are more people who want to do their work.

And everything is caused because of the crisis.

New (1)

Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant faces new reactor problem

 

 

The emergency cooling system is no longer functioning at the No.3 reactor at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility, requiring the facility to urgently secure a means to supply water to the reactor, an official of the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told a news conference.

On Saturday, an explosion blew off the roof and upper walls of the building housing the facility's No. 1 reactor, stirring alarm over a possible major radiation release, although the government later said the explosion had not affected the reactor's core vessel and that only a small amount of radiation had been released.

The nuclear safety agency official said there was a possibility that at least nine individuals had been exposed to radiation, according to information gathered from municipal governments and other sources.

Summary:

A quake-hit Japanese nuclear plant reeling from an explosion at one of its reactors has also lost its emergency cooling system of another reactor.

Japan’s nuclear power safety agency said on Sunday.

Personal opinion:

The earthquake that happened in Japan caused two reactions: on the one hand, it caused a terrible tsunami which destroyed a lot of buildings, cars and the worst is that people died.

And on the other hand, it caused a nuclear power accident which hasn’t cause an immediate problem for the society (only a low percent of people have radioactivity) but this could generate illness now and later.

Home

"It’s time to come together. What’s important is not what’s gone, but what remains."

This sentence means that all we have to do is to be concious about what we are doing with our planet.

But we don’t have to think about the past but only think how the Earth was before we started to destroy the forests, some animals species...

The documentary talks about the developement that we do in a lot of ways: science, tecnology... but this doesn’t bring a moral developement.

So, what we have to do is to work together to try to improve our world.

From now, we live without thinking about the bad consecuences of the buildings, cars, motorbikes, desforestation... So, all the world are in extreme situation because of that.

We have to think about the future and to encourage the renewable energies, to try to clean our planet, also we have to reduce the toxic waste, the residues... and to try that the new cars and buildings respect our environment more.

In my point of view, if everybody gets concious that we can’t continue wasting and deterioring the Earth, we’ll live in a clean world. But this only could be possible if all the people in the world help each other and want to change our situation so that the future generations have a good life without pollution, contamination, toxic waste...

We can change, but only if we try to!

Formal Letter

Ponent Street, 23

Castelló d’Empúries

17486

14th April 2011

John Ritch

World Nuclear Organitzation

Director General

128 East Avenue

London

OX49XP

Dear Mr. Ritch,

My name is Maria and I’m studying second of Batxillerat in IES Castelló d’Empúries. In the English class, we have been talking about Nuclear Power and the consecuences that it could have to this country and the countries that are near Japan.

First of all, I’m writing this letter to express my views about the earthquake, tsunami and the Nuclear Power problems which Japan suffers.

On the one hand, the thing that shocked me a lot was the terrible earthquak which destroyed some buildings, even if buildings in Japan are prepared to suffer high intensity earthquakes. This caused a tsunami that had very bad consequences for the population.

On the other hand, there are other problems with the Nuclear Power. There are some scientists who say that the nuclear reactor, from the Nuclear Station, isn’t dangerous. Others, say that the refrigeration problems can’t be solved, and the radiation could spread to nearby countries.

In conclusion, I think that this is a great problem for Japan, not only for the problems that I mention before, besides: they have now (and on the future too) global warming, famine, greenhouse gases...

I hope that if they help each other and you, Mr.Ritch, can have some influence, because you have a lot of power to be able to solve this problem as soon as posible, everything will get back to normal.

Your sincerely,

Maria.

Song

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE (L)

I like this song so much beause of its author, Bruno Mars. He is a very good singer and I love his voice.

I chose this song for the lyrics, because it arouses a lot of good feelings. It talks about a couple. The boy sings this song to his girlfriend and he thinks that she’s perfect, although she thinks that she doesn’t look well. I identify myself with it because I live this situation everyday with my boyfriend.

My favourite moment in the song is this:

“When I see your facethere’s not a thing that I would changeCause you are amazing
Just the way you are.
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
Cause girl you are amazingJust the way you are”

I think it is wonderful to find the perfect partner. Everybody knows that nobody is complete and we all have faults and defects but I think that there is nothing nicer than to find the person you love beautiful even though the years go by.

I hope that even when I am seventy years old and I don’t love the person so much, I will still find him as perfect as ever.

New (2)

Bin Laden's body buried at sea

The dilemma of what to do with Osama bin Laden's body appears to have been quickly resolved if reports that he has been buried at sea prove correct.
Burying him on land could have led to his grave becoming a centre of contention as well as raising questions about where he should be buried.
"Finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world's most wanted terrorist would have been difficult," a US official said, adding: "So the US decided to bury him at sea."
Fears about Bin Laden's burial place turning into a shrine for Islamists were probably unfounded, since the Wahhabi/Salafi tradition rejects such things. Even Saudi kings are buried in unmarked graves.
Senior US officials initially told news agencies that his body would be disposed of in accordance with Islamic tradition, which involves ritual washing, shrouding and burial within 24 hours.
Although the swift burial complies with Islamic custom and should therefore avoid causing any offence in Muslim countries, the apparent haste could lead to claims that the person killed was not really Bin Laden – though the US authorities have taken DNA samples and appear to have no doubts.
The 24-hour rule has not always been applied by the US in the past. For example, the bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein – sons of the Iraqi dictator – were held for 11 days before being released for burial.
Burial at sea is rare in Islam, though several Muslim websites say it is permitted in certain circumstances.
One is on a long voyage where the body may decay before the ship reaches land. The other is if there is a risk of enemies digging up a land grave and exhuming or mutilating the body – a rule that could plausibly be applied in Bin Laden's case.
For sea burial, according to alislam.org, the body should be lowered into the water "in a vessel of clay or with a weight tied to its feet". The website adds: "As far as possible it should not be lowered at a point where it is eaten up immediately by the sea predators."

Summary:

The new talks about Bin Laden’s death. The US soldiers killed him and they buried his body at sea.

Seniro US officials told news agencies that his body would be disposed of in accordance with Islamic tradition. But Muslim countries think that this is an offence.

Somebody thinks that the person killed was not really Bin Laden.

Personal opinion:

In my opinion this is an international news item and everybody knows what happened to Bin Laden.

The US soldiers looked for him since the different attemps that Al-Qaeda did.

I think that Osama Bin Laden uses the religion to do terrorists attemps and to dominate the people who are in his group (in my point of view, it’s a sect).

I really don’t know if Osama Bin Laden is dead or not, but I hop so, because he’s maybe the worst person in the world.

Reader exam

1.Can you summarize the book in two minutes?

The story starts when the chairman of Elgood Ceramics, Dick, comes at the police office to talk with Peter Pascoe (Inspector and detective) because he feels that Patrick Aldermann killed Blumer and Eagles (two employers of Elgood Ceramics) and Dick thinks that Patrick wants to kill him too, so the inspectors (Pascoe and Dalziel) started to investigate.

Actually, Patrick and his family live in his greats- uncle’s house and the most important thing in his life is his garden of roses.

Ellie (Pascoe’s wife) and Daphne (Patrick’s wife) become friends. But Daphne gets angry with Ellie because she is the wife of the inspector who investigates her husband. After, the two women solved their problems.

But moreover, there are more deaths around Patrick: the mysterious death of Reverend Somerton (Daphne's father), the buyer of the house of Rosemont (Patrick loves this house, and actually lives here) and their workmates.

During the investigation the detectives discover that Daphne has a relationship with Dick, so this is one of the reasons for Patrick to want to kill him. But after, they break off.

Also, the policemen discovered that the will of the Mr.Florence Aldermann was change and also that Eddie Aldermann was Patrick’s really father. Dick Elgood wants to meet Patrick and (fer-li sentatge) because he has a will that could be interesting to him.

On day, Dick makes a party and invites all of his friends (Patrick and the policemen are also here). Some days later, someone finds the death body of Dick Elgood.

Patrick kills him with a ladder and the other people, but the police can’t discover him because they haven’t any (proves) and all crimes seams an accident.

2.Is there a mystery sentence or a turning point in the story?

Yes. When Mr.Pascoe went to talked with Herbert Capstick to talked about Patrick Aldermann.

The two men were talking when Mr.Capstick said: Patrick said the old must give way to the new, but the new must deserved their place. This is a turning point in the story because it may means that Patrick was the murder and he did this to replace his workmates because his goal was to do their work.

3.When and where does the story take place?

The story takes place at the end of the 20 century in Rosemont.

4.Who are the main characters in the story? What’s their role?

Patrick Aldermannà He’s a handsome man, who is married with Daphne and had two sons: David and Diana. His hobby is to look after  his garden of roses, but he’s implicated in some cases of murder.

When he was a child he lives with his mother and his great-aunt, Florence, because she was ill and his great-uncle (name) still died.

After Mrs.Florence death, Patrick was implicated in some murders: first of all, the buyer of the Rosemont’s house; secondly, the Reverend Somerton death and after, the death of the employers of Elgood Ceramics.

5.Choose one character (main or secondary) and describe him/her.

Daphneà She’s the typical wife submitted to her husband. She has two sons: David and Diana and she get married when she was 17 with Patrick Aldermann. Her father doesn’t happy about the marriage. 

Her parents died: her mother died when she was a child and her father was death because a stone falls on him.   

She lives like all the people want to live and she feels very happy with her family but, to tell the truth, she really doesn’t know her husband.

6.Can you identify with any character? Why?

No I can’t. Because the characters of the story behaviour depending of the deaths that happened.

7.Choose your favourite moment in the story.

My favourite moment on the story is when everybody was happy in the Dick’s party on the cottage and all seem to be good: Daphne is very happy with Patrick and their relation is so good, Daphne and Ellie are very good friends, Patrick and Dick also are friends, everybody is swimming on the beach…

And, in my opinion, this is the only good moment on the story.

8.Which new key words have you learnt to understand the story?

This book has a high level. But, I don’t have to look for a lot of words, only some, because I often understand the words depending on their context.

The new words for me are: bloody, blue moon, bush, flu, nose around, wander, will…

9.Provide an alternative ending.

The ending of the novel doesn’t like me so much, because the police and investigators don’t know anything about Patrick murders.

So, in my opinion, the end of the story

10.Would you recommend this book? Why?

Yes, but it depends on the person. Personally, I’m a very fearful person, so in some moments, I have a little bit fear. But if the people who read this book love crime and mystery stories, they will enjoy it a lot.

News

THE WHIMS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE

Summary:

Brat Pitt and Angelina Jolie came to Madrid with their six children for one day.

They stayed in a very luxory hotel and Angelina asked for: a group of clowns to entretain her children, she didn’t want the room service to go into their room, six nanies...

Opinion:

In my opinion, a couple who were always recognized as a solidary couple spend a lot of money on whims.

I think that they, to become more popular, give a flase image of themselves, for example: when they went to Africa and they helped the poor children and their families, when they give a lot of money to rebuild Haiti or to help associations... But, really they treat you with indifference.

In my point of view, the people who spend a lot of money on unnecesary things are giving themselves a bad image after having done good things.