MERRY CHRISTMAS
Merry Christmas to everyone! I wish you all love and peace in abundance, now and in the new year.
HOLIDAY READING
On holidays, feeling bored and nothing to do? Resist the temptation to sit down and spend all your time chatting online!Think about reading something interesting and/or useful. There are so many online reading sites. It’s just a question of looking around and finding what is offered. You’ll learn, expand your horizons, practise and learn more English at the same time!
Here is a selection of sites you could visit.
http://www.freeonlinereading.com/links.htm
http://www.readbookonline.net/
http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/
FAMOUS QUOTES
Here is a selection of quotes which I truly believe in. Live life to the full, because we have no other. We only have one.
In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.
Charlie Brown
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.
Oscar Wilde
Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.
J. D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye, spoken by Mr. Spencer.
How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.
George Washington Carver
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
Danny Kaye
The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
Robert Byrne
Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.
Lillian Dickson
Life is the sum of all your choices.
Albert Camus
Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.
Charles Schulz
You have abilities within you beyond your wildest dreams.
Hemal Radia
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
Judy Garland
A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can’t.
Author Unknown
What you are is God’s gift to you, what you make of yourself is your gift to God.
Jewish Proverb
You’ve got to follow your passion. You’ve got to figure out what it is you love--who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.
Oprah Winfrey
Every great achievement was once considered impossible.
Author Unknown
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
Chinese Proverb
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.
Confucius
Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain
Tell me what company you keep and I’ll tell you what you are.
Miguel de Cervantes
Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
Scott Adams
It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.
Author Unknown
To all Fourth Seniors students, who had such good PSU results. I hope you all get enough to enter your chosen careers!
Much love,
Miss Christine
http://www.carlsencards.com/free-ecard-11-congratulations-african-drummer-ants.htm
TOUCHING STORY
I found this story today, and I think it's so inspiring that I really ought to share it with you readers. Especially as we're nearing Christmas time, when I believe that noble feelings surface and many people's souls are at their best. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their bath only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
Epilogue... There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.
"Today is a Gift, that's why it is called the present"
Unknown author
FUNNY SIGNS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
As you can see, it is extremely important to learn English properly!!!
FIRST CERTIFICATE IN ENGLISH
Remember exam time is coming up for Chilean students! Keep going, practise hard. Go to the FCE moodle website and do all you can. I know you have plenty of other things on your minds too at present, but remember that English is just as important as the PSU, and a good exam result will be a plus for your studies and future career.
Important dates
Speaking Test: December 10th, 3.45 pm - British Institute, 3 Norte
Papers 1,2,3,4: December 12th, 8.45 am - The Mackay School, Reñaca
http://christine.moodlehub.com/
OASIS OF THE SEAS
Wouldn’t you like to go on a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas? I’m sure it must be an awesome experience!
THE PALE BLUE DOT (Carl Sagan)
FUN SITES FOR LEARNING ENGLISH THROUGH GAMES
http://www.digitaldialects.com/English.htm
http://www.2flashgames.com/learning_english_games.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/esl-games/index.htm
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids.htm
DICTATIONS SECOND SENIORS (22,23,24)
Xi ‘an’s Terracotta Warriors
Before the world-famous terracotta warriors were unearthed in 1974, Xi’an was little more than a small provincial town in central China. Since then it has become one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, and its population today numbers over three million inhabitants.
The life-size warriors, made out of baked clay, were discovered by farmers digging a well. They had been made over 2,200 years ago, to protect the tomb of the First Emperor. Work on this colossal project began in 246 BC. They are lined up in wide ditches, standing on military formation. No two faces are alike, and each body was made separately. In addition to the foot soldiers, tourists can also see horses and chariots. All of these can be visited in separate exhibition halls.
It is uncertain why so much trouble was taken, but one theory is that the different faces, which represent diverse Chinese minorities, are a celebration of the first unification of China.
Chameleons
Although almost half the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar, they can also be found in parts of Africa, Spain, Portugal and Sri Lanka, and have even been introduced to Hawaii and California., where there are warm habitats appropriate to their existence. There are at least 59 species which do not exist anywhere else except in Madagascar. Chameleons are unique creatures, and are known for their ability to change colour, which can range from white to black, passing through yellow, blue, green, red and brown. The reason for these colour changes is communication, contrary to popular belief. Most people think that chameleons change colour to blend in to their surroundings, but the truth is that these changes are a response to temperature, light and mood.
They have extremely extensile tongues, which is used to snap up insects and out-of-reach food, and can be twice as long as the chameleon’s body. They also have stereoscopic eyes, which allow them to survey the world with nearly 360-degree vision. The males are more ornamented than the females.
Mummification
Ancient Egyptians are perhaps the best-known mummifiers - although initially, it was their climate, not their skill, that preserved their dead. Arid desert winds and blazing hot sand could dry corpses out quickly enough to mummify them.
The first ‘artificial’ Egyptian mummies were made around 3000 BC. These early efforts at embalming were crude, but reflected their belief that preserving people after death enabled them to achieve eternal life.
In the beginning, it was so expensive that only the Pharaoh and a few favourites could enjoy this privilege. But the promise of eternal life was so attractive, that soon rich Egyptians also desired to attain it. By 1550 BC, every Egyptian who could afford it was mummified. Embalming became an art and the process took 70 days. It took forty days to dry out the body. Most of the organs were removed, except for the heart. The body was then disinfected with wine, stuffed with salt and left to dry out completely. After this it was stuffed with cloth, perfumed and decorated to make it look attractive, ready to be buried.
WRITING A REVIEW
Here are some useful links relatd to review writing which may help you in the near future.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/tips.htm
http://www.homeworkspot.com/features/bookreports.htm
http://www.lkwdpl.org/study/bookrep/
FCE
First Certificate in English is looming up, and December is almost on us. Those of you who are preparing for this important exam, remember that the link below takes you to my FCE helpsite, where I have tried to cover as many areas as possible with interesting exercises, links and tips to attain success in the exam. Remember my motto: 'Practice makes perfect', and that the only way to improve your skills is by constant practice. As there is still time to do this, how about making a resolution to do a little work every day. Don't wait until the last moment. Good luck!
Access as a guest user. You won't need a password for this.
FREE RICE
Improve your vocabulary and donate rice to the hungry! This site is excellent to learn new and difficult words.
Good luck!
GOOGLE EARTH FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Have a look at this application in the latest Google Earth version. It’s really great, but I would never have thought that controlling a plane was so complicated, even in simulation! After you have opened up Google Earth, click on TOOLS or HERRAMIENTAS, then select your plane. SR22 is recommended for beginners, as it is easier to handle, choose your airport from a menu, and finally click on your START THE FLIGHT button. To learn about the controls you need, click on HELP, and you’ll find detailed explanations. Remember, just like learning English, this takes PRACTICE, and believe me, lots of it. I’ve already crash-landed several times!
FUNNY ADVERTISEMENTS AND SIGNS
PRACTISE, PRACTISE AND CONTINUE TO PRACTISE
How can you improve your English skills? The answer is very simple and also obvious: practise as much as you can, in all kinds of areas and with all sorts of written and oral texts.
An old joke:
A fellow with a ticket to a concert at Carnegie Hall was visiting New York City for the first time. He was unsure of his directions, but soon saw an elderly gentleman who was carrying a violin case.
"That elderly gentleman must be a musician," he said to himself. "Surely he must know the way to Carnegie Hall."
So the fellow approached the elderly gentleman and asked, "Sir, how can I get to Carnegie Hall?"
The elderly gentleman stopped, smiled, and answered, "Practise, practise, practise."
The moral is that there are no shortcuts, no quick and easy ways, to improve one’s skills in anything, from athletics to nuclear medicine. You just have to work at it -- all the time. Use it in areas that interest you, from martial arts to serious literature.
Look for websites that help you to have fun while you learn at the same time, in content and in language. You will achieve several goals at the same time. Learn interesting things, learn more about the language and also how to use it properly.
Go to my FCE help website and feel free to look around.
http://moodlehub.com.edumoot.com
Enter as a guest. You won't need a password for this.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT
This is very interesting to watch!
Gabi can eat one piece of candy now or two pieces later... Based on Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow experiment, in which four year-olds were offered a marshmallow, which they could eat if they wanted.
Self-control is the key to success
David Brooks, New York Times Service
May 2006
AROUND 1970, psychologist Walter Mischel launched a classic experiment. He left a succession of 4-year-olds in a room with a bell and a marshmallow. If they rang the bell, he would come back and they could eat the marshmallow. If, however, they didn’t ring the bell and waited for him to come back on his own, they could then have two marshmallows.
The children who waited longer went on to get higher SAT scores. They got into better colleges and had, on average, better adult outcomes. The children who rang the bell quickest were more likely to become bullies. They received worse teacher and parental evaluations 10 years later and were more likely to have drug problems at age 32.
The Mischel experiments, along with everyday experience, tell us that self-control is essential. Young people who can delay gratification can sit through sometimes boring classes to get a degree. They can perform rote tasks in order to, say, master a language. They can avoid drugs and alcohol. For people without self-control skills, however, school is a series of failed ordeals.Life is a parade of foolish decisions: teenage pregnancy, drug use, gambling, truancy and crime.
The good news is that while differences in the ability to delay gratification emerge early and persist, that ability can be improved with conscious effort. Moral lectures don’t work. Sheer willpower doesn’t seem to work either. The children who resisted eating the marshmallow didn’t stare directly at it and exercised iron discipline. On the contrary, they were able to resist their appetites because they were able to think about other things.
THE CUECA
The national dance of Chile is called the Cueca. This dance has rich historical roots in both African and Native American cultures. Even though Chileans have been dancing the Cueca for years, it wasn’t declared the official dance of Chile until September, 1979.
The Cueca is a parody of the courtship of a chicken and rooster. The dancers wave handkerchiefs above their heads during the dance. These handkerchiefs can symbolize the feathers of the bird or the rooster’s comb.
The choreography (movements) of the Cueca consists of circles, moving in semicircles back and forth (known as half moons), and turning towards the partner and then away.
The dance happens in an imaginary circle, with the man in one half, and the woman in the other. It starts with a promenade where the man invites the woman to join him by offering his arm. This is done while instrumental entry music is played. The couples stand facing each other about three meters apart. Before the song begins, the couple claps their hands in rhythm of the music.
Those that really know how to dance the Cueca will dress up in traditional Chilean clothing when they dance. This is particularly true every September. The men wear a Chilean cowboy hat, shirt, flannel poncho, riding pants, short jacket, riding boots, and spurs. Women wear a flowered dress with an apron.