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DICTATIONS SECOND SENIORS (19,20,21)


Post-its


         Post-it notes, those small, yellow sticky pieces of paper which we all use, were not planned but were the result of a failed experiment. A man named Spencer Silver had been working in the 3M research laboratories in 1970, trying to find a strong adhesive. He developed a new type of glue but it was weaker than what 3M already manufactured. It stuck but could easily be lifted off. It was super weak instead of super strong! No one else knew what to do with it, but Silver did not throw it away - he kept it. Then, one Sunday four years later, another 3M scientist called Arthur Fry was singing in the church choir. He used pieces of paper to keep his place in the hymn book, but they kept falling out. Remembering Silver’s adhesive, Fry put some on the paper. With the weak adhesive, the paper stayed in place but came off without damaging the paper. In 1980, 3M began selling Post-it notes world-wide. Today, they are one of the most popular office products available.


 


 


 The Guillotine


  


 


This method of execution by decapitation was introduced into France by a man named Dr. Guillotin, and it became the symbol of the French Revolution. It stood in what is now the Place de la Concorde, in the centre of Paris.  During the Reign of Terror, or the revolutionary period, the executions were a gory spectacle which attracted crowds of supporters from among the ordinary people, who cheered wildly as a great number of aristocrats were executed.


Many aristocrats were guillotined, mostly because of the hate the revolutionary leaders felt for the upper classes, who had oppressed them for so long. Among the most famous people guillotined were King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, who had never been popular among the people, and was despised because of her extravagance.


 


 


Canal Boating


  


         This is definitely a vacation that is not for everyone. If you like to spend your holiday at the beach, or dashing from one place to another, this may not be to your taste.  But if cruising along a narrow waterway at 3-4 miles an hour sounds appealing to you, you have a wonderful ‘activity’ to embark on. Take a leisurely trip on a canal boat, or houseboat, for the most relaxing holiday in your life.


         Canals are typically winding, following the contours of the land. The scenery is varied  and as the canals also cross towns, you can have the best of both worlds. Occasionally you go through tunnels or come in contact with aqueducts. Perhaps you’ll have to operate locks or moveable bridges. This is the opportunity to meet interesting people from other boats and share the work or exchange information and experiences. 


         There is an organized canal system all over Europe and also in the USA and Canada and houseboats can be rented for short and long-term holidays.


 

2 comentarios

fernanda tumani -

sorry miss, I've just realized that it was on moodle!

thanks you anyway!

fernanda -

miss, could you add dictation nº 20 to the list? I mean the one that is replacing "The Guillotine"?

thanks you!