Some people are animal lovers, others use and abuse animals. Some people can't live without their pet animals, others raise animals to make a living . What about me? I like pets, but I don´t like the idea of having animal hair all over my home.
I got my first dog, which I still remember after all these years, when I was around six, and I was very fond of a dog we had when I was a teenager, but, even though I would like to have a dog now, my flat is so small that there´s no room to swing a cat in it, -as they say, let alone a dog!
I absolutely disagree with animal mistreatment. I think animals can only be used for medical research as long as they are not hurt in any way, and it really upsets me to see what some scientists do to some defendless animals. With regard to keeping animals in zoos, I used to think that that was a reprehensible practice, however I’ve changed my mind now that I know that, in some cases, they have been saved from a certain death and would surely die if they were set free.
People who have a dog should be responsible owners and take the necessary precautions so it won’t hurt another animal or person. I’ve been bitten by dogs twice and, -believe me, it wasn’t funny at all! The owners of these dogs should have been more careful and known that pets have to be well taught, the way children are.
According to the Chinese astrology I was born under the year of the dog, and if I had to be born again an animal I would probably choose a dog because they are loyal, friendly, intelligent and fun to be around.
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Today you have decided to write about animals, so here you have some questions to help you write your post. You don’t have to answer all the questions, just choose one or two from each group to write your paragraphs.
Do you consider yourself an animal lover?
Did you use to have a pet when you were a kid?
Do you have a pet now? If so, tell us about it. If not, would you like to have one?
What animal do you think makes the best pet? Why?
Do you know someone who owns an unusual pet?
How do you feel about the use of animals for medical research?
Do you think it is right to keep wild animals in a zoo?
Do you think people should buy and wear fur coats?
Have you ever been bitten by a dog? (... by a snake)
Do you think dogs should be banned or muzzled?
Do you know what animal you are according to the Chinese Zodiac?
If you could be an animal, which would you (choose to) be? Why?
REMEMBER:
-Leave a comment on 3 of your classmates posts
- The word count for post 4 is 200 words
Friday, 5 December 2014
Friday, 28 November 2014
POST 7: FRIENDS
Today you are going to write about a nice topic... Friends!!!
Here you have some bullet points to help you get started.
1. What do you value in a friend? What qualities should a friend have? What are friends for? Do you consider yourself a good friend?
2. Do you make friends easily? Have you ever made any friends over the internet?
3. Who is your closest friend? What is he/she like? How did you meet?
4. Do you keep in touch with your childhood or high school friends?
Don't forget to leave a comment on 3 of your classmates' posts.
Finally, how many words?: 230.
I hope you get a lot done!
“For good times and bad times I'll be on your side forever more : That's what friends are for” This is what a famous song about friendship says and I agree with it. I think a friend is someone you can count on when you are in trouble, but also someone who is around when you feel well and want to share your happiness. I like people who are fun to be with, so I really value people who are funny, have a good sense of humour and are able to talk about interesting things.
I´m a sort of sociable person and make friends easily, but I’m afraid I don’t see my friends as regularly as I should, because I tend to spend too much time on my own. I should also acknowledge the fact that I forget to give my friends a call on a regular basis, so I guess I’m not a very good friend in that regard, but, on the other hand, I’ve been able to keep long friendships with some people and when we meet it feels as if we had just seen one another the week before.
One of my closest friend is Eduardo. We met well over thirty years ago when we were doing our first year in high school and still see each other from time to time. He’s a very funny guy and quite clever, and he always has a good story to tell. He started working as a chauffeur at the law courts some fifteen years ago, but now he is about to get his degree as a lawyer.
I don’t keep in touch with any of my childhood friends, but I’ve met with some of my ex university classmates four or five times lately these years. We got in touch again thanks to Facebook and now I’m looking forward to our next get together.
Here you have some bullet points to help you get started.
1. What do you value in a friend? What qualities should a friend have? What are friends for? Do you consider yourself a good friend?
2. Do you make friends easily? Have you ever made any friends over the internet?
3. Who is your closest friend? What is he/she like? How did you meet?
4. Do you keep in touch with your childhood or high school friends?
Don't forget to leave a comment on 3 of your classmates' posts.
Finally, how many words?: 230.
I hope you get a lot done!
“For good times and bad times I'll be on your side forever more : That's what friends are for” This is what a famous song about friendship says and I agree with it. I think a friend is someone you can count on when you are in trouble, but also someone who is around when you feel well and want to share your happiness. I like people who are fun to be with, so I really value people who are funny, have a good sense of humour and are able to talk about interesting things.
I´m a sort of sociable person and make friends easily, but I’m afraid I don’t see my friends as regularly as I should, because I tend to spend too much time on my own. I should also acknowledge the fact that I forget to give my friends a call on a regular basis, so I guess I’m not a very good friend in that regard, but, on the other hand, I’ve been able to keep long friendships with some people and when we meet it feels as if we had just seen one another the week before.
One of my closest friend is Eduardo. We met well over thirty years ago when we were doing our first year in high school and still see each other from time to time. He’s a very funny guy and quite clever, and he always has a good story to tell. He started working as a chauffeur at the law courts some fifteen years ago, but now he is about to get his degree as a lawyer.
I don’t keep in touch with any of my childhood friends, but I’ve met with some of my ex university classmates four or five times lately these years. We got in touch again thanks to Facebook and now I’m looking forward to our next get together.
Friday, 21 November 2014
Thursday, 6 November 2014
POST 6: FOOD
Today you have decided to write about Food and Eating. Choose some of the questions below to write a 220-word post.
Introduction:
-Do you think it’s important to have a balanced diet?
Food habits:
-What kind of eater do you consider yourself, a
vegetarian, a macrobiotic, or what?
-What things do you usually eat? Which ones do you
avoid?
-Have you ever been on a diet? If so, for how long?
-How much do you eat when you are sad or happy?
Favourites:
- How do you like Chilean food?
-What foods do you love and what foods do you hate? Why?
-Do you like food from other countries? If yes, which
do you like the most?
-Do you like to try new food and drinks?
-What kind of restaurants do you prefer?
Experiences:
-What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Did it taste good or bad?
-Have you ever eaten something that made you ill?
-Have you ever found something disgusting in your
food?
Ending:
If you were on death row, what would you request
for your last meal? Remember to write comments on three of your classmates' posts.
Friday, 24 October 2014
VIDEO 3: AN ACTIVITY I LIKE TO DO IN MY FREE TIME
VIDEO
PRESENTATION 3:
AN
ACTIVITY YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME
Record a
for 2 minute mobile phone video presentation* about an activity you like to do in your free time.
Say:
What the
activity is,
How
often you do it,
Where
you do it,
What the
activity involves,
Why you
enjoy doing this activity.
Mention
anything else you think is important.
PET (Preliminary English Test) PRACTICE. SESSION 1
Today you are going to have some practice for the final exam. Please, click on the links and start practicing.
Reading:
Reading:
Listening:
Vocabulary:
Session 2 (week 14)
Reading:
Listening:
Vocabulary:
http://www.examenglish.com/vocabulary/B1_vocabulary_topics.htmFriday, 17 October 2014
POST 5: MY FUTURE JOB / MY DREAM JOB
- What kind of job would you like to have? How do you imagine it?
- Outdoors /indoors?
- Would you like to travel a lot in your job?
- In an office?
- What major are you studying / are you thinking of taking? Explain why
- Add any other related ideas.
- Make comments on 3 of your classmates’ posts
- Word Count: 210 words
Monday, 13 October 2014
VIDEO 2: A JOURNEY YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE
Record a 2
minute mobile phone video presentation*
about a journey you would like to make in the future.
Say:
Where you
would like to go,
Who you would
go with,
Why you would
like to make this journey,
What things
you would like to do on the journey.
Mention
anything else you think is important.
Please remember: the deadline to send your video is 24th October
Friday, 10 October 2014
POST 4: MY BEST PLACE
Today 's post is about your favourite place in the city. Make sure you include te following information:
-Say the name of the place and where it is located. How you can get there.
-Describe it: Say what it is like, what there is in it, the kind of people that go there, what makes it special, etc.
-Say when you can visit and what you can do there.
-Say why you like it.
-Encourage people to visit it.
Remember to write comments on three of your classmates' posts.
The word count is 200.
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One of my favourite places in Santiago is Barrio Italia. Barrio Italia is a traditional neighbourhood in Santiago located in the streets sorrrounding Avenida Italia, just where Ñuñoa and Providencia meet.
If you're good at walking go to Salvador underground station and then walk South for about 10 blocks and there it is.
This neighbourhood is in an old part of the town where houses have been converted into workshops, restaurants, cafes, hotels, antiques shops... The list is long. It´s like a San Telmo, the famous street fair in Buenos Aires, but much more smaller and probably safer, and If you go in spring or summer you will see people of all ages walking around the streets. What I like about it is that there you can find a nice mixture between old and modern things.
Barrio Italia is the perfect outing for a Saturday morning when most shops are open. You can go on your own and sit outside a cafe or restaurant to see the people go by, or you can go with some friends and have a nice lunch or talk over a coffee or beer. You can also go with your family and spend time window shopping, then have a nice cup of tea and pastries or some delicious icecream.
So if you are tired of going to crowded and noisy malls, make a change and visit this old (but refurbished) charming place.
Friday, 3 October 2014
POST 3: THE BEST HOLIDAYS/CONCERT i'VE BEEN TO.
POST 3: THE BEST HOLIDAYS/THE BEST CONCERT YOU'VE BEEN TO
This week, you have two possible topics to write about: The best holidays or the best concert you've been to (choose only 1 theme):
If you choose "The best holidays...", you should mention:
- when it was
- where you went
- how long it was
- people you went with
- things / activities you did
- why it has been the best so far
- any other relevant info
If you decide to write about "The best concert...", please include:
- when / where it was
- the artist you saw
- a bit of info about the artist
- describe the atmosphere during the event
- describe how you felt and why you enjoyed it
- any other memories about it
>The wordcount is: 180
>Remember to leave comments on 3 of your classmates' posts.
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Hols pleeeeeeaaaaasssse!!!!!
I need some holidays! This is something that we usually say in the middle, at the end, and also at the beginning of the year or the term, just the day after our holidays are over.
My last holidays were wonderful. During my summer holidays this year I went with some of my best friends to Ecuador, where I had an awesome time (in spite of the fact that I got terribly sick because of the altitude sickness). I spent 10 days there, some in Quito and some in Cuenca, an old colonial city that I strongly reccomend you to visit. I visited some historical places, museums and markets in both cities. Of course, I took a tour of the city on a double-deck bus and took some pictures, and on the following days I visited the places that attracted my attention. I guess the best part was a visit to Guayasamin's house, a must-see in Quito.
I Think it has been my best holiday because I’m a city person and I definitely prefer holidays in an interesting city. I like nature, but spending all my days near a lake, getting bitten by unmerciful mosquitoes, or lying on a beach all the time, getting sunburnt and paving the way to skin cancer is not for me. I’d rather go sightseeing, with my camera close at hand, and visit street markets, museums, cafes, churches, parks, shops and shopping centers with people who are fun to be with. And, since my boy scout days are long gone, I prefer to go to a hotel (with two stars at least!), –I’ve become a comfort-loving person with the passing of time, you see.
There’s no harm in wishing, they say, so, on my next holidays ( or on some of my future holidays) I would like to travel to Italy and visit all those beautiful places I have seen in films and photos. I’m sure that if you wish for something hard enough, it will come true.
This week, you have two possible topics to write about: The best holidays or the best concert you've been to (choose only 1 theme):
If you choose "The best holidays...", you should mention:
- when it was
- where you went
- how long it was
- people you went with
- things / activities you did
- why it has been the best so far
- any other relevant info
If you decide to write about "The best concert...", please include:
- when / where it was
- the artist you saw
- a bit of info about the artist
- describe the atmosphere during the event
- describe how you felt and why you enjoyed it
- any other memories about it
>The wordcount is: 180
>Remember to leave comments on 3 of your classmates' posts.
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Hols pleeeeeeaaaaasssse!!!!!
I need some holidays! This is something that we usually say in the middle, at the end, and also at the beginning of the year or the term, just the day after our holidays are over.
My last holidays were wonderful. During my summer holidays this year I went with some of my best friends to Ecuador, where I had an awesome time (in spite of the fact that I got terribly sick because of the altitude sickness). I spent 10 days there, some in Quito and some in Cuenca, an old colonial city that I strongly reccomend you to visit. I visited some historical places, museums and markets in both cities. Of course, I took a tour of the city on a double-deck bus and took some pictures, and on the following days I visited the places that attracted my attention. I guess the best part was a visit to Guayasamin's house, a must-see in Quito.
I Think it has been my best holiday because I’m a city person and I definitely prefer holidays in an interesting city. I like nature, but spending all my days near a lake, getting bitten by unmerciful mosquitoes, or lying on a beach all the time, getting sunburnt and paving the way to skin cancer is not for me. I’d rather go sightseeing, with my camera close at hand, and visit street markets, museums, cafes, churches, parks, shops and shopping centers with people who are fun to be with. And, since my boy scout days are long gone, I prefer to go to a hotel (with two stars at least!), –I’ve become a comfort-loving person with the passing of time, you see.
There’s no harm in wishing, they say, so, on my next holidays ( or on some of my future holidays) I would like to travel to Italy and visit all those beautiful places I have seen in films and photos. I’m sure that if you wish for something hard enough, it will come true.
Friday, 12 September 2014
POST 2: READING BOOOKS AND MAGAZINES.
When I was a kid my father used to keep all the newspapers he bought in a room, along with some magazines, books and the notebooks my brothers and I had worked with in the previous years, and also old cards and toys. Everything in this messy little room (huge for a little six / seven year old boy like me) was laid on some improvised shelves my dad had built, and, for some unknown reason, he forbade us to get into it. So being in that room was thrilling and exciting, because we suspected something misterious was hidden in there, lurking somewhere in the books or in the magazines. That way, after stealthily closing the door behind us, we sat on the floor of this room and read most of the stuff that got into our hands and, without noticing it, we became magazine and book worms.
This week you have chosen to write about Literature and Books, so below you will find a sample post and some questions to guide your writing. Please choose one or two questions to write the introduction and about the things you like reading, but answer all the four questions about a book you have read recently.
Introduction: Your reading habits.
-Are you a book worm or do you only read books from time to time?
-Did you read books when you were a child?
-How many books have you read in your life?
Things you like reading.-What sort of books do you enjoy reading? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
-Who is your favorite writer?
-What is your favorite book?
-Who is your favorite character from literature?
Tell us a little about a book you have read recently:
-Did you enjoy it?
-How long did it take to read?
-Briefly, in one or two sentences, what is the story about?
-Who would you reccomend it to?
Make sure you write at least 170 words and leave comments on three of your classmates’ posts.
I want those two books! I answered decidedly when my father, who had taken me to a bric-a-brac street market, asked me what I wanted him to buy me. I was around six years old back then and, since we didn’t have a TV set at home, reading was my favourite thing to do, and I used to devour Disney cartoons, fairy tales, short stories and kid’s novels. So, answering Dad’s question was easy. I still wonder were those two books ended up.
Now I enjoy reading short stories and novels. I really like Julio Cortazar’s short stories, so I think I’ll start rereading them one of these days, and I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction novels. I have read a lot of detective stories written in English lately, mainly by Ruth Rendell and P D James, but my favourite writers are some Latin american authors, such as, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Marquez and Isabel Allende.
I recently read a book called “A Special Relationship”, by Douglas Kennedy. It’s about an American journalist in her late thirties who gets pregnant to a British correspondent she meets in the middle of a war. Everything is a bed of roses at the beginning, but suddenly things change dramatically and her life becomes miserable. It didn’t take me too long to read this novel because the story is very catchy and is surprisingly well written, especially considering the fact that the author of this book is a man, but the main character and first person narrator is a woman; he is able to write as if he were a woman very convincingly. I wouldn’t hesitate to reccomend this book to you.
This week you have chosen to write about Literature and Books, so below you will find a sample post and some questions to guide your writing. Please choose one or two questions to write the introduction and about the things you like reading, but answer all the four questions about a book you have read recently.
Introduction: Your reading habits.
-Are you a book worm or do you only read books from time to time?
-Did you read books when you were a child?
-How many books have you read in your life?
Things you like reading.-What sort of books do you enjoy reading? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?
-Who is your favorite writer?
-What is your favorite book?
-Who is your favorite character from literature?
Tell us a little about a book you have read recently:
-Did you enjoy it?
-How long did it take to read?
-Briefly, in one or two sentences, what is the story about?
-Who would you reccomend it to?
Make sure you write at least 170 words and leave comments on three of your classmates’ posts.
I want those two books! I answered decidedly when my father, who had taken me to a bric-a-brac street market, asked me what I wanted him to buy me. I was around six years old back then and, since we didn’t have a TV set at home, reading was my favourite thing to do, and I used to devour Disney cartoons, fairy tales, short stories and kid’s novels. So, answering Dad’s question was easy. I still wonder were those two books ended up.
Now I enjoy reading short stories and novels. I really like Julio Cortazar’s short stories, so I think I’ll start rereading them one of these days, and I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction novels. I have read a lot of detective stories written in English lately, mainly by Ruth Rendell and P D James, but my favourite writers are some Latin american authors, such as, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Marquez and Isabel Allende.
I recently read a book called “A Special Relationship”, by Douglas Kennedy. It’s about an American journalist in her late thirties who gets pregnant to a British correspondent she meets in the middle of a war. Everything is a bed of roses at the beginning, but suddenly things change dramatically and her life becomes miserable. It didn’t take me too long to read this novel because the story is very catchy and is surprisingly well written, especially considering the fact that the author of this book is a man, but the main character and first person narrator is a woman; he is able to write as if he were a woman very convincingly. I wouldn’t hesitate to reccomend this book to you.
Friday, 5 September 2014
POST 1: A COUNTRY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT
A COUNTRY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” This quote was written by St. Augustine and I absolutely agree with him on this one. Travelling is one of the things I enjoy the most in life. Besides, I have learnt lots of things by talking to different people from other countries and by seeing them do things in so many different ways. I’ve been to many places but Guatemala is one of the countries I have always wanted to visit but have never been to.
I’d like to visit Guatemala because I have heard lots of people say that antigua and Chichicastenango –two of the most important touristic places there- are even more colourful and interesting than some Mexican cities that I have already visited. Antigua is a city which was destroyed by an earthquake centuries ago, but then it was rebuilt and became the most beautiful colonial Guatemalan city, and Chichicastenango is a place that has an important market where you can buy good fruit and vegetables, along with high quality handcraft –which is something I’m very interested in.
If I went there I would like to walk around the places, eat in nice restaurants, talk to the locals, visit the museums and buy some textiles and pottery. However I wouldn’t like to work or live there, because I think that after spending a few months there I would probably get bored -I’m a city person and I would surely miss the things that a big city like Santiago can offer.
As the saying goes: Where there's a will, there's a way, so I'm saving money and one day lady luck will help me make another dream come true.
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What about you?
Today you’re expected to write about a country you would like to visit. Make sure you answer these questions when you write your post.
- Which country would you like to go to? Why?
- What do you know about it?
- What would you like to do there?
- Would you like to study/work/live there? Explain.
Saturday, 30 August 2014
VIDEO PRESENTATION 1: A SUBJECT YOU ENJOYED AT SCHOOL
Video 1:
A SUBJECT YOU ENJOYED AT SCHOOL
Record a 2 minute mobile phone video presentation* about a subject you enjoyed at school
Say:
What the subject was,
Who taught it,
Why you enjoyed it,
What things you learnt in this subject.
Mention anything else you think is important.
Deadline: 12th September.
Note:
A mobile phone video presentation is a video of you, the student, talking directly to the camera. Feel free to practice and record as many versions as you want in order to complete the task. However, the final video must be in one take (i.e. it must not be edited). Moreover, your teacher should be able to see you clearly in the video (i.e. No sunglasses! No dark places!). You can't read the text while you do the recording. If your teacher suspects that you read the text, you will have to re-record it or repeat the talk in class. Finally, please don't record your video outdoors, or the sorrounding noise will spoil it.
Friday, 27 June 2014
POST 7: A CAREER RELATED WEBSITE OR AN EXPERT ON YOUR FIELD.
Since in order to write today’s post you can choose ONE out of two options, I have written two sample posts to guide your writing (See below).
Post 1 (Instructions).
Write about a career-related website that you enjoy visiting.
Write about a career-related website that you enjoy visiting.
You should:
- provide a link
- describe the website (sections, features,etc)
- say how often you visit the site
- explain why you like the site.
Make sure you add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ posts.
-Word Count: 190
- provide a link
- describe the website (sections, features,etc)
- say how often you visit the site
- explain why you like the site.
Make sure you add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ posts.
-Word Count: 190
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Post 2 (Instructions)
Who is a person/expert on your field that you admire?
Who is a person/expert on your field that you admire?
Say:
-Who she/he is.(short biography)
-What she/he has done. (examples of their work)
-Why you like her/him.
-Include his/her image
> About 190 words
Remember to add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ posts
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The BBC English learning website.
Whether you’re a student or a teacher, you should visit BBC Learning English. To me, it’s one of the best sites to look for different kinds of information related to teaching and learning English as a second language.
But it’s not only about learning, it also has lots of articles related to culture. It’s a great site where students can do exercises, read pieces of current news, practice their listening skills, improve their pronunciation, and even have fun playing games, watching videos or chatting with people from all over the world.
If you are a teacher, you also have lots of options, for example you can download up to date material for your classes, that you can adopt or adapt, get new ideas to improve your lessons or exchange information with other teachers.
Some of its regular features that I like include, among others,: “Words in the News”, which contains written and video stories; “Express English”, in which people are asked about their opinions on different things -Each week there’s a new topic and the interesting thing is that you can also join the conversation; “Quiznet”, which gives you the chance to increase your vocabulary on different topics; and I also like “6 Minute English”, a short radio programme that helps you improve both your listening comprehension skills and your vocabulary while you learn about an interesting issue.
I like this site because everything in it has been carefully done by very professional people, it’s very user-friendly, so you can find things easily, and everything is interesting and down-to-earth, I mean , it is related to real life. For all these reasons I visit this site on a regular basis and I strongly reccomend it to you. The address to this website is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
An expert that I admire
“What a great activity! It’s interesting and fun to do”. This is what I usually say when I see English text books that have been written by Penny Ur. But Penny is more than an experienced text book writer, she´s a remarkable English Language Teaching author who has helped teachers develop their teaching skills, that is to say, she teaches teachers to teach.
I don’t know much about her personal life, all I know is that she is Israeli or American and that she studied at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. I also know that she has travelled extensively giving conferences worldwide and has written lots of papers, which are very teacher-friendly, I mean, it’s very easy to understand what she is trying to communicate and her tips are really helpful.
Some of her most prominent books, among others, are: Five Minute Activities, A Course in Language Teaching , and Grammar Practice Activities. When I was studying in London I used one of her books, which was called Proficiency in English, if I remember well.
Although her books are more concerned with the teaching of grammar than on improving your communicative skills, I like her because she is able to teach structures in an interesting and meaningful fashion, which is something that not many writers are able to do. Finally, there are writers concerned with Teaching English as a Foreign Language who have written long, boring and hard to understand papers. Instead, she has written short and clear documents that say more than a million pages.
Friday, 13 June 2014
POST 6: ART
This week you have decided to write about art. So as to narrow down this broad topic, you should focus into one form of visual arts. Please, read my sample post below.
Here you are some bullet questions you can choose from to start writing.
Introduction:
Why is art important?
Why do you enjoy art?
Were you interested in art when you were a kid?
Do you like to visit art museums?
Body:
Your skills.
What are your best artistic abilities? Have you ever participated in any art competitions?
Have you ever been jealous of someone else's artwork?
Your personal views.
Do you like modern art?
What are your favourite visual art expressions?
Do you consider graffiti a form of art or vandalism?
What do you think of art creations made of human flesh, blood and bones?
Your favourites
Who is your favorite artist?
Do you have a favourite work of art? If so, what is it? Why do you like it?
Make sure you write at least 160 words and remember to leave a comment on 3 of your classmates' posts.
Friday, 6 June 2014
WEB QUEST 1: LONDON
Continuous Assessment 2 is the first of two webquests we’ll have this term.
Instructions:
You are going to spend a week in London evaluating tourist locations for an end of year study trip.
Here is a list of things you want to do while you are there. Follow the links and fill in the table.
Half Day Outings:
London Eye
http://www.londoneye.com/
The British Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/
The Tower of London
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/ (including Crown Jewels)
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
http://www.madametussauds.com/london/
The Natural History Museum
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
The Tate Modern Art Gallery
http://www.tate.org.uk/
Full day:
Kew Gardens
http://www.kew.org/
Camden Market
http://www.camden-market.org/
London Tube Map:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf
For each location say:
What day you will visit,
How much you will have to pay to get in,
Which Tube station you will travel to (nearest to location).
What will you do on the other days? (2 full days / 4 half days / 1 full day / 2 half days)
Search the web for other things to do in London.
Instructions:
You are going to spend a week in London evaluating tourist locations for an end of year study trip.
Here is a list of things you want to do while you are there. Follow the links and fill in the table.
Half Day Outings:
London Eye
http://www.londoneye.com/
The British Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/
The Tower of London
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/ (including Crown Jewels)
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
http://www.madametussauds.com/london/
The Natural History Museum
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
The Tate Modern Art Gallery
http://www.tate.org.uk/
Full day:
Kew Gardens
http://www.kew.org/
Camden Market
http://www.camden-market.org/
London Tube Map:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube-map.pdf
For each location say:
What day you will visit,
How much you will have to pay to get in,
Which Tube station you will travel to (nearest to location).
What will you do on the other days? (2 full days / 4 half days / 1 full day / 2 half days)
Search the web for other things to do in London.
Thursday, 29 May 2014
POST 5: A PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU LIKE
Say Cheeeeeeese!
Taking photographs
is one of my hobbies and I’m pretty good at it -or so they say. I started to
take photos when I was in my twenties with an old analog Zenit camera that
someone lent me, so by now I have around ten albums with old prints, plus the
photos I have taken with my digital camera. I couldn’t afford a good camera when
I was young because they were very expensive, but nowadays they are a lot
cheaper. I have had five cameras so far, and the latest is a digital one which
allows me to take as many pictures as I want to, so I’m very pleased with
it.
Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you have a camera? Do you collect printed
photos? Are you a photolog freak?
This week you are expected to write about a
photograph that you like. Make sure to include the following in your
post:
Say:
Who took it
What it shows
When it was
taken
Why you like it
Upload it too.
Include any other
information you'd like to mention.
Write at least 150 words.
Add
comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs.
Please, have a look at
my sample post below.
Snap shooting around London.
I took this
photo on my last trip to London, in July 2011, when I went to Camdem Town Market
Place, which is a large market where you can find lots of things, such as
handcraft, clothes, ethnic food, paintings, jewelry, rugs, antichs, -you name
it-, therefore there are lots of things worth a click.
This photo shows a
very eclectic shop there, where, as you can see, they sell vintage clothes and
old pieces of furniture, along with some typical English pastries and beverages,
and I took it while I was having a nice cup of tea.
I know that this is a
rather simple photo, but I like it since it reminds me of the good time that I
spent in that city and in that cafe, which is a very special place with a very
pleasant atmosphere where they play music from the 50s to the 70s, and where
sometimes one of the owners plays beautiful tunes in the piano.
Taking photographs is one of my hobbies and I’m pretty good at it -or so they say. I started to take photos when I was in my twenties with an old analog Zenit camera that someone lent me, so by now I have around ten albums with old prints, plus the photos I have taken with my digital camera. I couldn’t afford a good camera when I was young because they were very expensive, but nowadays they are a lot cheaper. I have had five cameras so far, and the latest is a digital one which allows me to take as many pictures as I want to, so I’m very pleased with it.
Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you have a camera? Do you collect printed photos? Are you a photolog freak?
This week you are expected to write about a photograph that you like. Make sure to include the following in your post:
Say:
Who took it
What it shows
When it was taken
Why you like it
Upload it too.
Include any other information you'd like to mention.
Write at least 150 words.
Add comments to at least 3 of your classmates’ blogs.
Please, have a look at my sample post below.
Snap shooting around London.
I took this photo on my last trip to London, in July 2011, when I went to Camdem Town Market Place, which is a large market where you can find lots of things, such as handcraft, clothes, ethnic food, paintings, jewelry, rugs, antichs, -you name it-, therefore there are lots of things worth a click.
This photo shows a very eclectic shop there, where, as you can see, they sell vintage clothes and old pieces of furniture, along with some typical English pastries and beverages, and I took it while I was having a nice cup of tea.
I know that this is a rather simple photo, but I like it since it reminds me of the good time that I spent in that city and in that cafe, which is a very special place with a very pleasant atmosphere where they play music from the 50s to the 70s, and where sometimes one of the owners plays beautiful tunes in the piano.
SOME HELP TO WRITE YOUR POSTS
Here you have some
important information that will help you organize your posts and improve your
writing skills:
HOW TO WRITE A COMPOSITION
Different Parts of a Composition:
Whatever you choose to write for a composition, you usually follow the same basic structure: Introduction/Opening + Body + Conclusion/Closing
1. Opening (1 paragraph)
-It consists of a presentation of the topic (use an "attention grabber": something to capture the reader’s attention).
-It contains the ideas you are going to deal with (a quick overview of what’s coming)
2. Body (2-3 paragraphs)
-The body is a group of paragraphs that develop on the main idea as introduced in the opening.
-Each paragraph argues, describes, explains, discusses, defines, clarifies, illustrates or whatever on the opening statement.
-One idea is discussed in each paragraph.
3. Closing (1 paragraph)
-It can be a summing up, reviewing or restating the main idea in different words or briefly stating your opinion, feelings or suggesting a solution, or some “food for thought” or a wish…
Ensure the concluding paragraph is not too long; three or four sentences will be enough.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Whatever you choose to write for a composition, you usually follow the same basic structure: Introduction/Opening + Body + Conclusion/Closing
1. Opening (1 paragraph)
-It consists of a presentation of the topic (use an "attention grabber": something to capture the reader’s attention).
-It contains the ideas you are going to deal with (a quick overview of what’s coming)
2. Body (2-3 paragraphs)
-The body is a group of paragraphs that develop on the main idea as introduced in the opening.
-Each paragraph argues, describes, explains, discusses, defines, clarifies, illustrates or whatever on the opening statement.
-One idea is discussed in each paragraph.
3. Closing (1 paragraph)
-It can be a summing up, reviewing or restating the main idea in different words or briefly stating your opinion, feelings or suggesting a solution, or some “food for thought” or a wish…
Ensure the concluding paragraph is not too long; three or four sentences will be enough.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
How can you
write an attention grabber?
By...
-Making an unexpected statement
-Using Humor
-Using a relevant quotation
-Posing a Rhetorical question designed to arouse curiosity without requiring an answer
-Shocking the Audience with an unexpected fact or statistic
Examples:
A good attention grabber: "The death penalty is the most premeditated of murders"; “Elvis is not dead...”; “Who said that the countryside is boring?”; “Seagulls are just rats with wings”; “Hating seagulls is like being racist or homophobic”
A bad attention grabber: “Today I have to write about...”; “the topic of this post is...”
By...
-Making an unexpected statement
-Using Humor
-Using a relevant quotation
-Posing a Rhetorical question designed to arouse curiosity without requiring an answer
-Shocking the Audience with an unexpected fact or statistic
Examples:
A good attention grabber: "The death penalty is the most premeditated of murders"; “Elvis is not dead...”; “Who said that the countryside is boring?”; “Seagulls are just rats with wings”; “Hating seagulls is like being racist or homophobic”
A bad attention grabber: “Today I have to write about...”; “the topic of this post is...”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
PUTTING YOUR IDEAS TOGETHER
Here is a “helping
word” to students in trouble, I mean, several words that will help you when you
find it hard to write something because
your ideas are not connected.
These
expressions are used to introduce a new topic:
-as for, in regards to, concerning (en cuanto a, en
relación a)
-in reference to, with regards to (tocante a , concerniente a )
-about, concerning (acerca de)
-in reference to, with regards to (tocante a , concerniente a )
-about, concerning (acerca de)
You can use these words (Connectors) to link
your ideas.
RESULT – SUMMARY
So – Therefore, – as a result – thus – Consequently, – in this way – in short – in brief
CONCESSION
However, – Nevertheless, – despite – in spite of – yet – although – though – still …
CONTRAST
Instead – in comparison – but – on ( the ) one hand – on the other hand – by contrast – whereas – otherwise
ADDITION
Also – and – Furthermore, – Moreover, – in addition ( to ) – besides – above all…
REASON
Because – since – as - because of , due to – thanks to - that’s why – that’s the reason why -
EMPHASIS
As a matter of fact, – in particular – Of course, – In fact, – indeed – in any event…
ILLUSTRATION
For instance – for example …
REPETITION
Similarly – likewise – in the same way…
SEQUENCE
First – next – then – finally – at last – eventually – in the end…In conclusion,
Firstly – Secondly- thirdly…
And here
are some useful phrases for opinions:
- Many people claim that…
- It is true that….
- This is not an exaggeration … even though…
- I tend to dis/agree with …
- In my view…
-As far as I'm concerned,
- In conclusion, – To conclude,
- I can understand… However, …
- As we have seen/will see, there are ( at least ) two sides to this issue.
- I am convinced that we can / deal with this situation /improve this situation / solve this problem…
- This is an issue that / can be solved / must be faced …
- Another aspect of the issue is…
- In my opinion, the advantages of… far outweigh the disadvantages…
- We can argue that… but…
- Personally I am in favor of…..
- It is true that….
- This is not an exaggeration … even though…
- I tend to dis/agree with …
- In my view…
-As far as I'm concerned,
- In conclusion, – To conclude,
- I can understand… However, …
- As we have seen/will see, there are ( at least ) two sides to this issue.
- I am convinced that we can / deal with this situation /improve this situation / solve this problem…
- This is an issue that / can be solved / must be faced …
- Another aspect of the issue is…
- In my opinion, the advantages of… far outweigh the disadvantages…
- We can argue that… but…
- Personally I am in favor of…..
On these websites you will find some exercises
on connectors.
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