quinta-feira, 25 de dezembro de 2008
domingo, 14 de dezembro de 2008
Festa de Fim de Ano
A Equipe In House se reuniu lá em casa, no sábado, 13 de dezembro. Fizemos amigo secreto, bingo de prêmios "exóticos" e jogamos conversa fora.
Gosto muito de me reunir com os amigos, de recebê-los em casa. Sou muito feliz em trabalhar com tanta gente boa, competente e alegre.
Obrigado, Deus. Obrigado, amigos.
Gosto muito de me reunir com os amigos, de recebê-los em casa. Sou muito feliz em trabalhar com tanta gente boa, competente e alegre.
Obrigado, Deus. Obrigado, amigos.
quinta-feira, 11 de dezembro de 2008
LiNuS wRiTeS A lEtTeRr tO sAnTa ClAuS
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Can we live without them??? Peanuts...
For you my students " HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!!"
PS: DON'T FORGET TO WRITE YOUR LETTER, RIGHT? KKK
terça-feira, 9 de dezembro de 2008
Yeah, we're READY to start it again!
Reading the text Iargo wrote, I was thinking about so many things...it's time to finish some things...end of the semester, end of the year, many endings, right?
And we must always be ready to start it again...over and over again!
Let's try one more time, one step at time, ok?
I selected some quotes and also a poem because it's time to think about what we've done and remember we should try to do our best always, no matter what happens!
Once I found this on the net (don't remember when, but...):
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. FORGIVE them anyway.If you are KIND, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. SUCCEDD anyway.If you are HONEST and SINCERE people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. CREATE anyway.If you find SERENITY and HAPPINESS, some may be jealous. BE HAPPY ANYWAY!!! The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do GOOD anyway.Give the BEST you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
A poem (by the way, very beautiful and meaningful, in my opinion...):
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN (Robert Frost)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
That's it, guys!
We should choose, take one road, change our minds when it's necessary and start over and over again...cause I do BELIEVE we can DO whatever we want and we can be what we wanna BE!
And we must always be ready to start it again...over and over again!
Let's try one more time, one step at time, ok?
I selected some quotes and also a poem because it's time to think about what we've done and remember we should try to do our best always, no matter what happens!
Once I found this on the net (don't remember when, but...):
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. FORGIVE them anyway.If you are KIND, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. SUCCEDD anyway.If you are HONEST and SINCERE people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. CREATE anyway.If you find SERENITY and HAPPINESS, some may be jealous. BE HAPPY ANYWAY!!! The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do GOOD anyway.Give the BEST you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
A poem (by the way, very beautiful and meaningful, in my opinion...):
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN (Robert Frost)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
That's it, guys!
We should choose, take one road, change our minds when it's necessary and start over and over again...cause I do BELIEVE we can DO whatever we want and we can be what we wanna BE!
segunda-feira, 8 de dezembro de 2008
Christmas is just around the corner
HO-HO-HO vibes here \o/
The best presents don't come in boxes.
And the lyric of a classic Christmas carol from the USA, called "Oh Holy Night", composed in 1847 by Adolphe Adam. It's one of my favorites:
O Holy Night
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for you all!
The best presents don't come in boxes.
And the lyric of a classic Christmas carol from the USA, called "Oh Holy Night", composed in 1847 by Adolphe Adam. It's one of my favorites:
O Holy Night
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for you all!
sábado, 6 de dezembro de 2008
Muito Obrigado!!!
Já refletiu sobre como a gente se engana?
Já pensou sobre como nós fingimos que o tempo não passa, porém, de tempos em tempos, nos assustamos com quão rápido o tempo passou?
Já percebeu que por mais que o tempo passe certas coisas ficam intactas e completamente preservadas?
Já percebeu o quanto a gente se engana com as pessoas? O quanto a gente monta uma pessoa que não existe e por vezes nos afastamos de quem nem ao menos nos demos a chance de realmente conhece-las??
Assim que eu cheguei em Catalão montei uma visão negativa. Não foi fácil, mas... percebi que em qualquer situação podemos abrir novas portas, conhecer novos lugares, novas pessoas, ter outros sonhos.
Percebi que o mundo está cheio de novas oportunidades. Ja percebeu como o verde se espalha mais bonito e forte depois da tempestade?
Neste segundo semestre tive a honra de trabalhar na International House Idiomas.
Por aqui tive os melhores momentos que passei em Catalão.
O rio continua sempre correndo. Não pára. Infelizmente as águas que passam nao voltam mais! Mas... onde a água de um rio passa, ela leva uns grãozinhos de areia e deixa a terra molhada! Da mesma forma se dá a minha passada por aqui. Levarei uns grãozinhos de areia, e deixarei a terra molhada!
Momentos são rápidos, acabam em segundos, mas... todos me marcam para sempre! Não ha um momento que tenha passado aqui que nao irei me lembrar!
Nao me lembro de quantas foram as gargalhadas, de quantas foram as brincadeiras, de quantos momentos divertidos tive na companhia da familia Int. House! Só sei que delas nao me esquecerei nunca!!!
A única coisa que tenho pra dizer é um MUITO OBRIGADO pelo tempo que passei com todos vocês da International House. Me senti acolhido da melhor maneira o possivel na hora que eu mais precisava!
Realmente me marcou a simpatia e a maneira com que fui recebido!
Vou embora... sempre é tempo para recomeçar e mudarmos... dar um novo destino para nossas vidas...
Já sabemos onde e como chegar ao destino, o destino é a vitória, o seu destino é ser feliz, eu creio nisso, e você?
Está pronto para recomeçar???
Já pensou sobre como nós fingimos que o tempo não passa, porém, de tempos em tempos, nos assustamos com quão rápido o tempo passou?
Já percebeu que por mais que o tempo passe certas coisas ficam intactas e completamente preservadas?
Já percebeu o quanto a gente se engana com as pessoas? O quanto a gente monta uma pessoa que não existe e por vezes nos afastamos de quem nem ao menos nos demos a chance de realmente conhece-las??
Assim que eu cheguei em Catalão montei uma visão negativa. Não foi fácil, mas... percebi que em qualquer situação podemos abrir novas portas, conhecer novos lugares, novas pessoas, ter outros sonhos.
Percebi que o mundo está cheio de novas oportunidades. Ja percebeu como o verde se espalha mais bonito e forte depois da tempestade?
Neste segundo semestre tive a honra de trabalhar na International House Idiomas.
Por aqui tive os melhores momentos que passei em Catalão.
O rio continua sempre correndo. Não pára. Infelizmente as águas que passam nao voltam mais! Mas... onde a água de um rio passa, ela leva uns grãozinhos de areia e deixa a terra molhada! Da mesma forma se dá a minha passada por aqui. Levarei uns grãozinhos de areia, e deixarei a terra molhada!
Momentos são rápidos, acabam em segundos, mas... todos me marcam para sempre! Não ha um momento que tenha passado aqui que nao irei me lembrar!
Nao me lembro de quantas foram as gargalhadas, de quantas foram as brincadeiras, de quantos momentos divertidos tive na companhia da familia Int. House! Só sei que delas nao me esquecerei nunca!!!
A única coisa que tenho pra dizer é um MUITO OBRIGADO pelo tempo que passei com todos vocês da International House. Me senti acolhido da melhor maneira o possivel na hora que eu mais precisava!
Realmente me marcou a simpatia e a maneira com que fui recebido!
Vou embora... sempre é tempo para recomeçar e mudarmos... dar um novo destino para nossas vidas...
Já sabemos onde e como chegar ao destino, o destino é a vitória, o seu destino é ser feliz, eu creio nisso, e você?
Está pronto para recomeçar???
terça-feira, 2 de dezembro de 2008
Passive voice...
Hi, guys!
Students from Inter 2 should know a little bit about passive voice.
So, take a look in theses exercises and write me if you have any doubt:
http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/passive2.php
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?02
http://www.ieslosremedios.org/~josefina/english_exercises/passive-2bach.jqz.htm
See you!
Students from Inter 2 should know a little bit about passive voice.
So, take a look in theses exercises and write me if you have any doubt:
http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/passive2.php
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?02
http://www.ieslosremedios.org/~josefina/english_exercises/passive-2bach.jqz.htm
See you!
segunda-feira, 1 de dezembro de 2008
A little bit of soul
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States that combines gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying."
Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound.
Many consider soul music to be a genre of music created by African Americans in northern United States inner cities, particularly Chicago.
(Read the complete text here @ Wikipedia)
Now that you know a little about the history of soul, let me introduce you to The Queen of Soul:
Lady Aretha Franklin, one of the greatest female voices in the world.
She is widely acclaimed for her passionate vocal style and powerful vocal range. In 2008, the American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Franklin #1 on its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time, and she deserves the first place. There's no other voice like hers. Wanna see?
In my opinion, her voice and style of singing are unbelievable. I could listen her songs over and over again (actually, sometimes I really do that).
Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee to the Rev. C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, and Barbara Siggers Franklin. Aretha's parents had a troubled relationship and separated when Aretha was six.
By the age of fourteen, she signed a record deal with Battle Records, where her father recorded his sermons and gospel vocal recordings, and she issued Songs of Faith in 1956. Her earlier influences included Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson, both of whom spent a lot of time in Aretha's home.
Teenage pregnancies derailed Franklin's gospel career when she gave birth to Clarence in 1956 (at age 14) and Edward in 1958 (at age 16). When she returned to singing, Aretha decided to secure herself a deal as a pop artist. After being offered contracts from Motown and RCA, Franklin signed with Columbia Records in 196. Her recordings during that time reflected a jazz influence and moved away from her gospel roots. Franklin initially scored a few hits on Columbia including her version of "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby (With A Dixie Melody)", which peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1961, and the Top 10 R&B hits, "Today I Sing The Blues", "Won't Be Long" and "Operation Heartbreak". However, by the end of 1966, with little commercial success in six years with Columbia and desperate for a sound of her own, she accepted an offer to sign with Atlantic Records. According to Franklin years later, "they made me sit down on the piano and the hits came".
Read her complete biography here @ wikipedia, and look for her videos @ youtube. I hope you like it :)
Kisses and have a nice week!
Other characteristics are a call and response between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense vocal sound.
Many consider soul music to be a genre of music created by African Americans in northern United States inner cities, particularly Chicago.
(Read the complete text here @ Wikipedia)
Now that you know a little about the history of soul, let me introduce you to The Queen of Soul:
Lady Aretha Franklin, one of the greatest female voices in the world.
She is widely acclaimed for her passionate vocal style and powerful vocal range. In 2008, the American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Franklin #1 on its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time, and she deserves the first place. There's no other voice like hers. Wanna see?
In my opinion, her voice and style of singing are unbelievable. I could listen her songs over and over again (actually, sometimes I really do that).
Franklin was born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee to the Rev. C. L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, and Barbara Siggers Franklin. Aretha's parents had a troubled relationship and separated when Aretha was six.
By the age of fourteen, she signed a record deal with Battle Records, where her father recorded his sermons and gospel vocal recordings, and she issued Songs of Faith in 1956. Her earlier influences included Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson, both of whom spent a lot of time in Aretha's home.
Teenage pregnancies derailed Franklin's gospel career when she gave birth to Clarence in 1956 (at age 14) and Edward in 1958 (at age 16). When she returned to singing, Aretha decided to secure herself a deal as a pop artist. After being offered contracts from Motown and RCA, Franklin signed with Columbia Records in 196. Her recordings during that time reflected a jazz influence and moved away from her gospel roots. Franklin initially scored a few hits on Columbia including her version of "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby (With A Dixie Melody)", which peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1961, and the Top 10 R&B hits, "Today I Sing The Blues", "Won't Be Long" and "Operation Heartbreak". However, by the end of 1966, with little commercial success in six years with Columbia and desperate for a sound of her own, she accepted an offer to sign with Atlantic Records. According to Franklin years later, "they made me sit down on the piano and the hits came".
Read her complete biography here @ wikipedia, and look for her videos @ youtube. I hope you like it :)
Kisses and have a nice week!
domingo, 30 de novembro de 2008
Las Islas Galápagos - Ecuador
Las islas Galápagos (en español Archipiélago de Colón) constituyen un archipiélago ubicado a 1.050 kilómetros de la costa del Ecuador. Políticamente son una provincia de este país, cuya capital es Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Está conformado por 13 grandes islas volcánicas, 6 islas más pequeñas y 107 rocas e islotes, las cuales se distribuyen alrededor de la línea del ecuador terrestre. Turísticamente reciben la apelación de Islas Encantadas.
Se estima que la formación de la primera isla tuvo lugar hace más de 5 millones de años, como resultado de la actividad tectónica. Las islas más recientes, llamadas Isabela y Fernandina, están todavía en proceso de formación, habiéndose registrado la erupción volcánica más reciente en 2005.
Las islas Galápagos son famosas por sus numerosas especies endémicas y por los estudios de Charles Darwin que le llevaron a establecer su teoría de la evolución por la selección natural.
sábado, 29 de novembro de 2008
La tour Eiffel, initialement nommée tour de 300 mètres, est une tour de fer puddlé construite par Gustave Eiffel et ses collaborateurs pour l'exposition universelle de 1889. Situé à l'extrémité du Champ-de-Mars, en bordure de la Seine, ce monument parisien, symbole de la France et de sa capitale est le neuvième site le plus visité du pays en 2006 et le premier monument payant visité au monde avec 6,893 millions de visiteurs en 2007[1].
D'une hauteur de 300 mètres à l'origine, prolongée par la suite de nombreuses antennes culminant à 324 mètres[2], la tour Eiffel est restée le bâtiment le plus élevé du monde pendant plus de 40 ans. Utilisée dans le passé pour de nombreuses expériences scientifiques, elle sert aujourd'hui d'émetteur de programmes radiophoniques et télévisés.
Le 1er mai 1886, le ministre du Commerce et de l'Industrie Édouard Lockroy, fervent défenseur du projet, signe un arrêté qui déclare ouvert « un concours en vue de L’Exposition universelle de 1889 »[5]. Gustave Eiffel gagne ce concours et une convention du 8 janvier 1887 fixe les modalités d'exploitation de l'édifice[6].
Construite en deux ans, deux mois et cinq jours, de 1887 à 1889, par 250 ouvriers, elle est officiellement inaugurée le 31 mars 1889[7]. Sa fréquentation s'érode rapidement; la tour Eiffel ne connaîtra véritablement un succès massif et constant qu'à partir des années 1960, avec l'essor du tourisme international. Elle accueille maintenant plus de six millions de visiteurs chaque année.
Ses 300 mètres de hauteur lui ont permis de porter le titre de « plus haute structure du monde » jusqu'à la construction en 1930 du Chrysler Building, à New York. La tour Eiffel, construite sur le Champ-de-Mars, près de la Seine, dans le 7e arrondissement de Paris[8], est actuellement exploitée par la Société d'exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE). Le site, qui emploie 500 personnes (250 directement employés par la SETE et 250 par les différents concessionnaires installés sur le monument)[9], est ouvert tous les jours de l'année[7].
terça-feira, 25 de novembro de 2008
Thanksgiving is coming soon...
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, which this year (2008) is November 27th.
Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals.
A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons.
There are stories of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, turkeys to take home, holiday pictures for the kids to print and color, tasty holiday recipes and e-greeting cards to send your friends and family. Have a look: http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/
I hope you enjoy it!
=)
Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals.
A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons.
There are stories of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, turkeys to take home, holiday pictures for the kids to print and color, tasty holiday recipes and e-greeting cards to send your friends and family. Have a look: http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/
I hope you enjoy it!
=)
sábado, 22 de novembro de 2008
Las partes del cuerpo humano
Hace una semana hemos aprendido las partes del cuerpo humano. La clase ha sido muy divertida, los alumnos tuvieron que pegar los papelitos con los nombres en su propio cuerpo. Miren y diviértanse!
Renata y Núlia.
Gleiderson y yo.
Renata y Núlia.
Gleiderson y yo.
quinta-feira, 20 de novembro de 2008
ShE..
Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of free indirect speech, burlesque and irony have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and best-loved writers in English literature.[1]
There are many interestings things about this fantastic writer ( of course, for those who appreciates romantic writting).
First, she was educated primarily by her father and older brothers as well as through her own reading. The steadfast support of her family was critical to Austen's development as a professional writer.[3] Austen's artistic apprenticeship lasted from her teenage years until she was about thirty-five years old. During this period, she wrote three major novels and began a fourth.[B] From 1811 until 1815, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published after her death in 1817, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it.
During her lifetime, Austen's works brought her little fame and only a few positive reviews. Through the mid-nineteenth century, her novels were admired only by a literary elite. However, the publication of her nephew's A Memoir of Jane Austen in 1869 introduced her life and works to a wider public. By the 1940s, Austen was firmly ensconced in academia as a "great English writer", and the second half of the twentieth century saw a proliferation of Austen scholarship that explored many aspects of her novels: artistic, ideological, and historical. In popular culture, a Janeite fan culture has developed, centred on Austen's life, her works, and the various film and television adaptations of them.
To give you some spectacular examples of her work ( of course they’re just adaptations, so you guys had better read the original novels to enjoy her “ world”) here are two trailers of novels of her that became movies ( lovely movies, by the way). And one additional trailer of a new movie, but this time it’s not about one of her novels, it’s much more interesting: it’s about herself !
I hope you guys read the books and of course enjoy the movies as well.
There are many interestings things about this fantastic writer ( of course, for those who appreciates romantic writting).
First, she was educated primarily by her father and older brothers as well as through her own reading. The steadfast support of her family was critical to Austen's development as a professional writer.[3] Austen's artistic apprenticeship lasted from her teenage years until she was about thirty-five years old. During this period, she wrote three major novels and began a fourth.[B] From 1811 until 1815, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published after her death in 1817, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it.
During her lifetime, Austen's works brought her little fame and only a few positive reviews. Through the mid-nineteenth century, her novels were admired only by a literary elite. However, the publication of her nephew's A Memoir of Jane Austen in 1869 introduced her life and works to a wider public. By the 1940s, Austen was firmly ensconced in academia as a "great English writer", and the second half of the twentieth century saw a proliferation of Austen scholarship that explored many aspects of her novels: artistic, ideological, and historical. In popular culture, a Janeite fan culture has developed, centred on Austen's life, her works, and the various film and television adaptations of them.
To give you some spectacular examples of her work ( of course they’re just adaptations, so you guys had better read the original novels to enjoy her “ world”) here are two trailers of novels of her that became movies ( lovely movies, by the way). And one additional trailer of a new movie, but this time it’s not about one of her novels, it’s much more interesting: it’s about herself !
I hope you guys read the books and of course enjoy the movies as well.
quarta-feira, 19 de novembro de 2008
terça-feira, 18 de novembro de 2008
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Well you done done me and you bet i felt it
I tried to be chill but you were so hot that i melted
I fell right through the cracks and i'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out I'll be giving it my bestest
Nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon its again my turn to win some or learn some
I won't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait, i'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love
Listen to the music of the moment maybe sing with me
I like peaceful melody
Its your godforsaken right to be loved love loved love love
So i won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait i'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, i'm yours
I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer
My breath fogged up the glass
So i drew a new face and laughed
I guess what i'm sayin is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
Its what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue
I won't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait i'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
It cannot wait, i'm yours
I won't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait i'm sure
Theres no need to complicate
Our time is short
It cannot wait, i'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love
Listen to the music of the moment come 'n dance with me
I love one big family
Its your godforsaken right to be loved love loved
Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love
Listen to the music of the moment come 'n dance with me
I like happy melody
Its our godforsaken right to be loved love loved love
Vicent van Gogh
Sometimes it's difficult to understand arts ....but anyway we should at least ADMIRE it, right? So, let's do it!
Vincent van Gogh, for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland. The son of a pastor, brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere, Vincent was highly emotional and lacked self-confidence. Between 1860 and 1880, when he finally decided to become an artist, van Gogh had had two unsuitable and unhappy romances and had worked unsuccessfully as a clerk in a bookstore, an art salesman, and a preacher in the Borinage (a dreary mining district in Belgium), where he was dismissed for overzealousness. He remained in Belgium to study art, determined to give happiness by creating beauty. The works of his early Dutch period are somber-toned, sharply lit, genre paintings of which the most famous is "The Potato Eaters" (1885). In that year van Gogh went to Antwerp where he discovered the works of Rubens and purchased many Japanese prints.
In 1886 he went to Paris to join his brother Théo, the manager of Goupil's gallery. In Paris, van Gogh studied with Cormon, inevitably met Pissarro, Monet, and Gauguin, and began to lighten his very dark palette and to paint in the short brushstrokes of the Impressionists. His nervous temperament made him a difficult companion and night-long discussions combined with painting all day undermined his health. He decided to go south to Arles where he hoped his friends would join him and help found a school of art. Gauguin did join him but with disastrous results. In a fit of epilepsy, van Gogh pursued his friend with an open razor, was stopped by Gauguin, but ended up cutting a portion of his ear lobe off. Van Gogh then began to alternate between fits of madness and lucidity and was sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment.
In May of 1890, he seemed much better and went to live in Auvers-sur-Oise under the watchful eye of Dr. Gachet. Two months later he was dead, having shot himself "for the good of all." During his brief career he had sold one painting. Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and in the movement and vibration of form and line. Van Gogh's inimitable fusion of form and content is powerful; dramatic, lyrically rhythmic, imaginative, and emotional, for the artist was completely absorbed in the effort to explain either his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.
[...]
From the beginning of Van Gogh's artistic career he had the ambition to draw and paint figures, in 1884 he began working on mastering weathered hands, heads and other anatomical features of peasants. He was planning on creating a multiple figure piece that would make his name respected in the artistic community. The piece he created was entitled The Potato Eaters and was completed in 1885. This piece proved to be success, but not in his lifetime.
[...]
The story of Vincent van Gogh's tragic life, filled with mental evils and artistic triumphs , lingers almost becoming that of legend. His work is still astounding millions around the world daily, and though he sold only one painting in his life, his influence on the outcome of art has been amazing and overwhelming. His paintings have reached new records when sold for hundreds of millions of dollars, and his persona has sparked number one hit songs. Vincent van Gogh has altered mankind forever... and he believed his life was a terrible failure!
In 1886 he went to Paris to join his brother Théo, the manager of Goupil's gallery. In Paris, van Gogh studied with Cormon, inevitably met Pissarro, Monet, and Gauguin, and began to lighten his very dark palette and to paint in the short brushstrokes of the Impressionists. His nervous temperament made him a difficult companion and night-long discussions combined with painting all day undermined his health. He decided to go south to Arles where he hoped his friends would join him and help found a school of art. Gauguin did join him but with disastrous results. In a fit of epilepsy, van Gogh pursued his friend with an open razor, was stopped by Gauguin, but ended up cutting a portion of his ear lobe off. Van Gogh then began to alternate between fits of madness and lucidity and was sent to the asylum in Saint-Remy for treatment.
In May of 1890, he seemed much better and went to live in Auvers-sur-Oise under the watchful eye of Dr. Gachet. Two months later he was dead, having shot himself "for the good of all." During his brief career he had sold one painting. Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and in the movement and vibration of form and line. Van Gogh's inimitable fusion of form and content is powerful; dramatic, lyrically rhythmic, imaginative, and emotional, for the artist was completely absorbed in the effort to explain either his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.
[...]
From the beginning of Van Gogh's artistic career he had the ambition to draw and paint figures, in 1884 he began working on mastering weathered hands, heads and other anatomical features of peasants. He was planning on creating a multiple figure piece that would make his name respected in the artistic community. The piece he created was entitled The Potato Eaters and was completed in 1885. This piece proved to be success, but not in his lifetime.
[...]
The story of Vincent van Gogh's tragic life, filled with mental evils and artistic triumphs , lingers almost becoming that of legend. His work is still astounding millions around the world daily, and though he sold only one painting in his life, his influence on the outcome of art has been amazing and overwhelming. His paintings have reached new records when sold for hundreds of millions of dollars, and his persona has sparked number one hit songs. Vincent van Gogh has altered mankind forever... and he believed his life was a terrible failure!
Some of his paintings:
"And my aim in my life is to make pictures and drawings, as many and as well as I can; then, at the end of my life, I hope to pass away, looking back with love and tender regret, and thinking, 'Oh, the pictures I might have made."
Vincent Van Gogh
segunda-feira, 17 de novembro de 2008
Play Word Search
I don't know about you, but I love word search's.
http://www.coolquiz.com/puzzles/wordsearch/
Have fun!
xxxx,
teacher Bel.
http://www.coolquiz.com/puzzles/wordsearch/
Have fun!
xxxx,
teacher Bel.
quinta-feira, 13 de novembro de 2008
quarta-feira, 12 de novembro de 2008
Job interview? Here's some help!
Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. Her articles help people find meaningful work, develop their career and life plans, and carry out effective job search campaigns. She wrote a great article @ AOL about job interview questions. You know, that kind of tricky question your future boss will always ask you, like "Why should I hire you?".
She explained the truth behind 10 of the most common job interview questions. I hope this might help you guys that are still looking for a job :]
Tell us about yourself.
What they're really asking: What makes you special? Why should we hire you?
Tips: Prepare several selling points about yourself. Give a quick "elevator speech" that overviews your experience and achievements.
What are your greatest strengths?
What they're really asking: How do you perceive your talents and abilities as a professional? Will you be an asset to our organization?
Tips: Sell yourself. If you don't promote your strengths, nobody else will. Prepare six or seven responses. Be "confidently humble."
What are your greatest weaknesses?
What they're really asking: How honest are you being about yourself with us? How realistic are you?
Tips: Present your weakness as a positive. Don't talk too long or emphasize your downfalls.
Why are you interested in working here?
What they're really asking: How dedicated are you? Do you have a passion for this type of work?
Tips: Keep your answer simple and to the point. Stay away from such responses as, "Many of my friends have worked here." This response isn't very impressive. <
Why should we hire you?
What they're really asking: Can you convince us you're "the one?" Can you sell your "product?"
Tips: Make a powerful statement about the value you'll bring to their organization. Toot your own horn, but be wary of sounding arrogant.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
What they're really asking: Will you only be here for a year before moving on, or are you committed to staying here for awhile? Are you a stable person? Can you set goals for yourself?
Tips: Be aware that they might not want to hire someone who will only be around for a year or two. Feel free to say that you have one goal at the moment: to be the very best employee for that particular job.
What are some of your hobbies?
What they're really asking: How well-rounded are you? What do you do outside of work that might transfer positively into the workplace?
Tips: Emphasize any hobbies or activities that may relate to the job. Help the interviewer learn more about you and perceive you as a person, rather than a job candidate. Therefore, don't just answer questions, respond to them.
Would you be willing to pursue an extra certificate or credential?
What they're really asking: How is your attitude? How flexible are you?
Tips: Tell the interviewer how important professional growth is to you. Understand that the person who will impress the interviewer the most is the one willing to do the extra work.
What were you hoping we'd ask today, but didn't?
What they're really asking: Is there anything special about yourself that you want us to know?
Tips: Consider this a "show and tell" opportunity. Use materials from your portfolio to convince them how valuable you'll be to their organization.
Do you have any questions for us?
What they're really asking: Are you prepared to ask questions? How interested are you in this position?
Tips: List five or six questions on an index card. Ask at least one question, even if all of your prepared questions have been answered. Never say, "No, you've answered all of my questions."
Have a nice week!
xxx,
teacher Bel
She explained the truth behind 10 of the most common job interview questions. I hope this might help you guys that are still looking for a job :]
Tell us about yourself.
What they're really asking: What makes you special? Why should we hire you?
Tips: Prepare several selling points about yourself. Give a quick "elevator speech" that overviews your experience and achievements.
What are your greatest strengths?
What they're really asking: How do you perceive your talents and abilities as a professional? Will you be an asset to our organization?
Tips: Sell yourself. If you don't promote your strengths, nobody else will. Prepare six or seven responses. Be "confidently humble."
What are your greatest weaknesses?
What they're really asking: How honest are you being about yourself with us? How realistic are you?
Tips: Present your weakness as a positive. Don't talk too long or emphasize your downfalls.
Why are you interested in working here?
What they're really asking: How dedicated are you? Do you have a passion for this type of work?
Tips: Keep your answer simple and to the point. Stay away from such responses as, "Many of my friends have worked here." This response isn't very impressive. <
Why should we hire you?
What they're really asking: Can you convince us you're "the one?" Can you sell your "product?"
Tips: Make a powerful statement about the value you'll bring to their organization. Toot your own horn, but be wary of sounding arrogant.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
What they're really asking: Will you only be here for a year before moving on, or are you committed to staying here for awhile? Are you a stable person? Can you set goals for yourself?
Tips: Be aware that they might not want to hire someone who will only be around for a year or two. Feel free to say that you have one goal at the moment: to be the very best employee for that particular job.
What are some of your hobbies?
What they're really asking: How well-rounded are you? What do you do outside of work that might transfer positively into the workplace?
Tips: Emphasize any hobbies or activities that may relate to the job. Help the interviewer learn more about you and perceive you as a person, rather than a job candidate. Therefore, don't just answer questions, respond to them.
Would you be willing to pursue an extra certificate or credential?
What they're really asking: How is your attitude? How flexible are you?
Tips: Tell the interviewer how important professional growth is to you. Understand that the person who will impress the interviewer the most is the one willing to do the extra work.
What were you hoping we'd ask today, but didn't?
What they're really asking: Is there anything special about yourself that you want us to know?
Tips: Consider this a "show and tell" opportunity. Use materials from your portfolio to convince them how valuable you'll be to their organization.
Do you have any questions for us?
What they're really asking: Are you prepared to ask questions? How interested are you in this position?
Tips: List five or six questions on an index card. Ask at least one question, even if all of your prepared questions have been answered. Never say, "No, you've answered all of my questions."
Have a nice week!
xxx,
teacher Bel
terça-feira, 11 de novembro de 2008
Movies and Music!
Hi, guys!
Here's the trailer from a movie that it's kind of romantic comedy:
And also a video with pictures from the movie and a very nice song from "Made of honor" soundtrack:
The song is named "Love song" by Sara Bareilles and it's very nice! I liked it a lot!
I hope you enjoy it!
=)
Here's the trailer from a movie that it's kind of romantic comedy:
And also a video with pictures from the movie and a very nice song from "Made of honor" soundtrack:
The song is named "Love song" by Sara Bareilles and it's very nice! I liked it a lot!
I hope you enjoy it!
=)
sábado, 8 de novembro de 2008
Blind Man and the Sun
Once upon a time, there was a blind man who does not know what the Sun is. So he asks other people to explain.
One man said, "The Sun is shaped like a copper plate." So the blind man banged on a copper plate, and listened to its clanging sound.Later when he heard the sound of a temple bell, he thought that must be the Sun.
Another man said,"The Sun gives out light just like a candle." So the blind man hold a candle to feel its shape. Later when he picked up a flute, he thought that this must be the Sun.
Yet we know that he Sun is vastly different from a bell or a flute; but a blind man does not understand the differences, because he has never seen the Sun and only heard it described.
quinta-feira, 6 de novembro de 2008
quarta-feira, 5 de novembro de 2008
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru
Nana nei i tiki mai,
Whakawhiti te ra
A upane! ka upane!
A upane! ka upane!
Whiti te ra! Hi!!
Je vis! je vis! je meurs! je meurs!
Je vis! je vis! je meurs! je meurs!
Voici l'homme poilu
qui est allé chercher le soleil
et l'a fait briller à nouveau !
Le soleil brille !!
L'histoire du haka
Le haka de Te Rauparaha
C' est sans doute le plus connu de tous les hakas. (Te Rauparaha - grand guerrier Maori Chef de la tribu Ngati-Toa Connu sous le nom "Napoléon du pacifique" est né vers 1768 et décédé en 1849). On raconte que, vers 1820, Te Rauparaha venait d'échapper à une tribu ennemie, le Ngati Tuwharetoa. Les guerriers du Ngati Tuwharetoa approchaient. Te Rauparaha entendait leurs incantations. Rencontrant Te Wharerangi, chef de la région Rotoaira, Te Rauparaha demanda sa protection. Te Whareangi, hésitant, permit finalement à Te Rauparaha de se cacher dans son "kumara pit", un genre de fosse où les Maoris stockaient leurs kumaras (patates douces). La tribu ennemie s'approchait de plus en plus et Te Rauparaha, bien que caché dans la fosse de Te Wharerangi, mais certain d'être sur le point d'être découvert puis tué, se disait tout bas "je meurs, je meurs". Comme ses ennemis ne l'ont pas découvert, Te Rauparaha se mit à crier "Ka Ora, Ka Ora ! je vis, je vis ! L'homme "poilu" qui est allé chercher le soleil l'a fait briller à nouveau ! Le soleil brille" . (Te Rauparaha faisait référence à Te Wharerangi, homme remarquable par son corps particulièrement velu.) Au sens littéral, "Upane " veut dire "marches". Peut-être que Te Rauparaha criait "upane" à chaque marche qu'il montait, avant d'arriver au soleil du jour et à la liberté. Te Rauparaha, une fois sorti de la fosse, aurait dansé son Haka de joie devant les deux chefs, Te Wharerangi et Te Rangikoaea.
Une danse maori
Littéralement, le terme "haka" veut dire "danse" quelle qu'elle soit. Il y avait de nombreuses sortes de haka à l'époque pré-européenne, selon les occasions. Il y avait des hakas de chant et de joie, et des hakas de guerre, hakas de "utu", (vengeance) qu'on dansait avant de partir à la bataille. Les hakas de guerre étaient de deux types : celui qu'on dansait sans arme, généralement pour exprimer des sentiments personnels ou collectifs, et qui était le "haka taparahi", et celui qu'on dansait avec les armes, le "peruperu". On dansait le "peruperu", traditionnellement, avant de partir à la bataille, avec les armes utilisées pour faire la guerre. C'était une façon d'invoquer le dieu de la guerre, et d'avertir l'ennemi du sort qui l'attendait. Ce haka était dansé avec des expressions féroces du visage - grimaces, langue tirée, yeux exorbités, grognements et cris, en agitant les armes de guerre. Le guerrier qui menait le "taua" - peloton de guerre - se plaçait au centre du groupe pour crier : "Tika tonu mai Tika tonu mai Ki ahau e noho nei Tika tonu mai I a hei ha ! " Ce qui signifie : "Venez par ici, venez vers moi A cet endroit où je suis maintenant Venez directement par ici I a hei ha !" A cet appel, les guerriers se préparaient pour le haka "peruperu", pendant lequel ils étaient inspectés minutieusement par les anciens. Si le haka n'était pas dansé en synchronisation totale, cela pouvait être considéré comme un présage de désastre pour la bataille à venir. Le haka était exécuté en guise de défi à l'ennemi. Les guerriers fixaient leurs yeux sur ceux des ennemis. Parfois on insistait sur un geste particulier, comme un mouvement du bras mimant celui d'une hache, pour prévenir l'opposant du sort qui l'attendait. Très souvent les guerriers partaient en guerre nus, à part, à la taille, une ceinture en lin servant à accrocher de petits gourdins.Le haka pouvait aussi être utilisé pour de grandes festivités, ou pour souhaiter une bienvenue spéciale à un invité de marque. Un haka pouvait aussi exprimer des griefs, ou, dans les temps anciens, être
une prière adressée à l'un des dieux maoris. Aujourd'hui, le haka accompagne habituellement toutes les manifestations culturelles ou sportives, comme les matchs de rugby. Les expéditions guerrières étaient généralement composées d'hommes, mais les femmes n'étaient pas forcément exemptées de cette activité. Les guerriers Maoris se surpassaient dans l'art du raid et des embuscades, apparaissant et disparaissant rapidement et sans bruit dans l'épaisse forêt humide de Nouvelle Zélande. Les guerriers attaquaient généralement à l'aube. Lors d'une expédition, il fallait réussir à tuer tous les ennemis, de façon à ce qu'il n'y ait aucun risque de "utu" (revanche). Lorsqu'on envisageait une paix durable avec l'ennemi, on organisait un mariage inter-tribal pour garantir le pacte de paix. Les expéditions guerrières s'organisaient avec le plus grand soin, ce qui impliquait aussi des rituels complexes et l'abstinence de certaines nourritures et de certaines pratiques. L'expédition était dédiée à Tumatauenga, le dieu de la guerre, et des rites spéciaux assuraient un "tapu" autour du guerrier. A son retour, il devait pratiquer un rite purificateur pour lever le "tapu".
La marque des All Blacks
La connaissance du Haka, pour la plupart des néo-zélandais non maoris se résume au Haka appelé "Ka mate, Ka mate". Beaucoup de sportifs néo-zélandais voyageant à travers le monde tentent de communiquer cette culture du Haka. Les sports collectifs néo-zélandais ont apporté au Haka une vitrine sur le monde, grâce notamment aux All Blacks qui le dansent avant chaque rencontre.Il devenu une marque distincte de l'équipe néo-zélanadaise des All Blacks
Depuis la première équipe All Black menée par Joseph Warbrick, le Haka a toujours été associé à l'équie néo-zélandaise de rugby. Son mystère et sa force ont permis d'élevé considérablement le niveau de jeu des All Blacks jusqu'à imposer le rugby comme sport national.Avant chaque rencontre, les All Blacks dansent le Haka avec précison et intensité afin d'impression de leurs adversaires.
terça-feira, 4 de novembro de 2008
PRESENT PERFECT!!! Dont' be afraid of it!
Hi, people!
Yeah, quiz again...cause you need to study hard....lol
Website with a quiz about present perfect:
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/presentperfect1.htm
And also about the difference between Simple past and Present perfect:
http://www.english-zone.com/verbs/prsperf4.html
Have a nice week! I'm waiting for you comments, right?
See you!
Yeah, quiz again...cause you need to study hard....lol
Website with a quiz about present perfect:
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/presentperfect1.htm
And also about the difference between Simple past and Present perfect:
http://www.english-zone.com/verbs/prsperf4.html
Have a nice week! I'm waiting for you comments, right?
See you!
domingo, 2 de novembro de 2008
Chistes
La bronca del acomodador
Un hombre se encuentra acostado en un teatro ocupando varias butacas con sus piernas y brazos. Al observar su actitud, el acomodador le pregunta con ironía:
- ¿Está cómodo? ¿Quiere que le traiga un cafecito?
- No tío, llama a una ambulancia que me caí del palco.
Avión caído en el cementerio
Últimas noticias: Se ha estrellado un avión en el cementerio de Huelva. Bomberos procedentes de Lepe han rescatado más de 10.000 cadáveres del lugar del siniestro. Seguiremos informando.
Don Simón
Se levanta el telón y se ve un cartón de vino tinto Don Simón. Se baja el telón, ¿Cómo se llama la película?
"EsTinto Básico"
Un hombre se encuentra acostado en un teatro ocupando varias butacas con sus piernas y brazos. Al observar su actitud, el acomodador le pregunta con ironía:
- ¿Está cómodo? ¿Quiere que le traiga un cafecito?
- No tío, llama a una ambulancia que me caí del palco.
Avión caído en el cementerio
Últimas noticias: Se ha estrellado un avión en el cementerio de Huelva. Bomberos procedentes de Lepe han rescatado más de 10.000 cadáveres del lugar del siniestro. Seguiremos informando.
Don Simón
Se levanta el telón y se ve un cartón de vino tinto Don Simón. Se baja el telón, ¿Cómo se llama la película?
"EsTinto Básico"
quinta-feira, 30 de outubro de 2008
fLoR pArRoT...
Students,
Take a look at these pictures my student Jackie, from Inter 1 (Monday and Wednesday) sent me. They're on extinction, so, buying and selling them is not allowed.
Aren't they perfect????God always surprise us with His beauty...
Some things on Earth really deserve our attention and respect. Taking care of them is to show God how happy we are for having such a wonderful world!
They made me remeber a song I hope you all have heard, it's such a beautiful song:
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
(George Weiss / Bob Thiele)
I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"
I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world Yes,
I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Oh yeah
Take a look at these pictures my student Jackie, from Inter 1 (Monday and Wednesday) sent me. They're on extinction, so, buying and selling them is not allowed.
Aren't they perfect????God always surprise us with His beauty...
Some things on Earth really deserve our attention and respect. Taking care of them is to show God how happy we are for having such a wonderful world!
They made me remeber a song I hope you all have heard, it's such a beautiful song:
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
(George Weiss / Bob Thiele)
I see trees of green, red roses too I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"
I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world Yes,
I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Oh yeah
terça-feira, 28 de outubro de 2008
Online activities for you!!!
Hey guys, here's a quiz about adjectives followed by preposition!
It's quick and easy.
Have a look:
http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/intermediate/adjectives%20followed%20by%20prepositions.htm
The other quiz is about comparative and superlative and it's also testing your general knowledge:
http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/preintermediate/comparatives%20superlatives.htm
PS: It's a very nice quiz for INTER 2 and INTER 3!!!
Send me your score in the comments, ok???
Hope you have a wonderful week!!!
It's quick and easy.
Have a look:
http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/intermediate/adjectives%20followed%20by%20prepositions.htm
The other quiz is about comparative and superlative and it's also testing your general knowledge:
http://www.englishmedialab.com/Quizzes/preintermediate/comparatives%20superlatives.htm
PS: It's a very nice quiz for INTER 2 and INTER 3!!!
Send me your score in the comments, ok???
Hope you have a wonderful week!!!
Tribute to the "survivors"
- Are you God?
- No. My name's Seth.
- Where are we going?
- Home.
- Can mommy come?
- No.
- She will understand?
- She will. Someday.
An youtube user has made a video to comfort all those ones who has lost someone important for them. On the comments of this video (scenes from the movie City of Angels, song by Sarah McLachlan), people that felt comfortable enough left a message for the ones they lost. It's very unique to listen to this sad song and read the kind messages the "survivors" left. I don't know if you'll think as I do, but it made me reflect a lot about life, and how I am supposed to hug and squeeze and kiss all the ones I love before we're somehow apart.
Don't cry, people! Celebrate life and the love you feel for the special ones around you =)
Kisses and have a nice week!
segunda-feira, 27 de outubro de 2008
domingo, 26 de outubro de 2008
La Marseillaise
Allons, enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrive,
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'etendard sanglant est leve,
L'etendard sanglant est leve.
Entendez-vous, dans le campagnes,
Mugir ces feroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans no bras,
Egorger nos fils, nos compagnes.
Aux armes, citoyens! Formez vos bataillons! Marchons! Marchons!
Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!
L’HISTOIRE DE LA MARSEILLAISE
La Marseillaise : hymne national français. Ce chant fut composé par l'officier français du génie Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle.
La Législative a remplacé l'Assemblée constituante le 1er octobre 1791. Elle essaya de faire fonctionner la monarchie constitutionnelle mais fit pression sur le Roi Louis XVI pour déclarer la guerre à l'Autriche. Le roi cède...
Suite à la déclaration de guerre le 20 avril 1792, à l'empereur d'Autriche et plus tard au roi de Prusse, Rouget de Lisle est en garnison à Strasbourg au Fort Blanc. Il fait partie du bataillon "Les enfants de la Patrie". Le 25 avril 1792, Frédéric de Dietrich, qui est le maire de la ville de Strasbourg, organise une fête patriotique à laquelle participe Rouget de Lisle qui est poète et violoniste amateur. Il est connu localement pour son Hymne à la liberté. Durant cette soirée, monsieur et madame Dietrich ainsi que les généraux de l'armée du Rhin lui demandent de réaliser un chant de guerre pour encourager les troupes. Alors, le capitaine Rouget de Lisle regagne son domicile, rue de la Mésange... Lors de cette nuit, il compose le "Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin". Il a écrit six couplets et composé la musique sur son violon. Rouget de Lisle s'est inspiré d'une affiche des Amis de la Constitution, diffusée dans Strasbourg le 25 avril. Cette affiche commençait par les paroles : "Aux armes citoyens ! L'étendard de la guerre est déployé : le signal est donné. Aux armes ! Etc."
Le lendemain, Rouget de Lisle va à la rencontre du maire qu'il retrouve dans son jardin. Après être retourné dans sa demeure, Dietrich joue alors sur son clavecin cette musique et la juge excellente. En conséquence, il fait venir les généraux et ses amis qui étaient présent la veille pour écouter ce chant. Et, le Chant de Guerre fut chanté pour la première fois, par Rouget de Lisle dans le salon du maire Dietrich, avec un accompagnement de clavecin joué par Madame Dietrich.
Puis, cet hymne se répand dans les réunions des officiers de la garnison. Le 29 avril 1792, ce Chant de Guerre fut interprété publiquement à Strasbourg par la musique de la Garde Nationale devant huit bataillons. Le bataillon de Rhône et Loire, qui doit aller monter la garde à la frontière, prend part à la parade du jour et défile sur la promenade du Broglie au son de cette musique. Les soldats de ce bataillon sont à la fois émerveillés et stimulés. Grâce aux officiers de passage et des soldats de la garnison de Strasbourg allant vers d'autres frontières ou garnisons et des voyageurs de commerce, le Chant de Guerre sera chanté à Lyon, Montpellier et dans toute la France. Ce chant sera répandu partout...
Le Chant de Guerre pour l'armée du Rhin arriva jusqu'au sud de la France et fut chanté à Marseille le 22 juin 1792 par le docteur Mireur. En effet, ce jeune médecin partit de Montpellier pour rejoindre le bataillon des Fédérés marseillais afin d'unir leur troupe. Et lors d'un banquet, où chacun était prié de faire entendre sa chanson, le docteur Mireur monte sur une table et se mit à chanter l'hymne de l'armée du Rhin. Une fois de plus, cet air vivifiant fut accueilli avec enthousiasme. Ainsi, les journaux marseillais publièrent le lendemain, les paroles et la musique.
Tout en se rendant à Paris, les fédérés marseillais qui s'étaient unis au bataillon de Montpellier le chantèrent en continu. Effectivement, pendant le trajet, dans les villes et villages, les Fédérés reprirent sans cesse ce chant et successivement des volontaires se joignirent à eux et grossirent la troupe. Ils arrivèrent le 30 juillet 1792 pour s'installer et prendre garnison au faubourg Poissonnière. Mais, Danton rassembla les volontaires marseillais pour les mener au Club des Cordeliers. Le bataillon de Fédérés marseillais entra à Paris et participa à l’insurrection du palais des Tuileries le 10 août 1792 en chantant ce chant de guerre révolutionnaire ; d’où le nom de Marseillaise.
Le premier couplet des Enfants a été ajouté en octobre 1792 par l'abbé Pessonneaux, de Vienne. Cette mélodie appelée Marche des Marseillais a obtenu un grand succès ; par conséquent, lors de l'anniversaire de la prise de la Bastille, elle fut décrétée chant national par la Convention du 26 messidor an III, c'est-à-dire le 14 juillet 1795. Ce chant fut proscrit sous tous les régimes autoritaires de l’Empire et de la Restauration puis est remis en valeur lors des Trois Glorieuses, le 27, 28 et 29 juillet 1830. Berlioz en a fait un remarquable arrangement pour solistes et double chœur et l’a dédié à Rouget de Lisle. De plus, lors de la guerre de 1870, la Marseillaise est reprise par le peuple. Elle retrouve également son ton de chant de guerre en 14-18, puis sous l'occupation allemande pendant la seconde guerre mondiale. La Marseillaise est reconnue comme hymne national par une loi votée le 14 février 1879 sous la IIIe République et est chantée dans les écoles. Puis en 1887, le Ministère de la guerre en approuve une version solennelle après l’appréciation d’une commission formée de musiciens professionnels.
La Marseillaise sera reprise sur les champs de bataille, en des journées d'héroïsme. Le général en chef Dumouriez, la chanta le 6 novembre 1792 face à l'armée autrichienne à Jemmapes (ancienne commune de Belgique ; aujourd'hui Mons); l'officier Carnot contre les Autrichiens à Wattignies (Nord) en 1793 ; à Wissembourg (Bas-Rhin), c'est le général Hoche ; puis en mai 1800, Napoléon Bonaparte la fit chanter au Mont Saint-Bernard pour soutenir ses troupes lors de la campagne d'Italie. Le dimanche 17 novembre 1918, dans l'église Notre-Dame de Paris, après la messe et les prières, Charles Marie Widor joua la Marseillaise sur les orgues. Et les Français qui avaient assisté à ce Te Deum, se mirent à chanter.
Le statut d'hymne national de la Marseillaise est de nouveau confirmé dans les constitutions de 1946 et 1958. Sous son mandat de Président de la République française, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing a fait diminuer le tempo de la Marseillaise afin d'atteindre le rythme original. Par conséquent, la Marseillaise jouée actuellement est une adaptation de la version officielle de 1887.
Salva tu español
Hola, compañeros.
Esta semana les ofrezco la oportunidad de entrenar su español. Accedan al sitio de abajo, hagan los ejercicios propuestos en él y después mira a la publicidad de Coca Cola y disfrútala.
http://www.ver-taal.com/index.htm
sábado, 25 de outubro de 2008
The US Election
The road to the White House is long, complicated and expensive.
The early stages
A politician with presidential ambition usually forms an exploratory committee to test the waters and raise money, sometimes up to two years before the election. They then formally declare their candidacy and campaign in key states.
The primaries
The primary season begins in the January before the election and lasts until about June. This is where candidates fight within the two main parties, Republican and Democratic, for their party's nomination.
Voters in each of the 50 states select party delegates, who in most cases have pledged to support a particular candidate. Some states use a caucus - a local meeting system - rather than primaries.
The party convention
The national party conventions, held a few months before the election, are where the candidates are formally nominated.
National party conventions are great set piece events
Delegates who have been chosen during the state primaries pick the nominee, though by this stage, the party normally knows who has won.
The winning candidate then picks a running-mate, sometimes from among the defeated rivals.
The final lap
Only now do the candidates fully square up against each other. There is massive spending on advertising, and a major flurry of state-by-state campaigning. Much attention is paid to the televised debates between the candidates. This can, but does not necessarily involve any independent candidate.
In the final weeks, the contenders typically concentrate their attention on big so-called "swing states", where the outcome is uncertain.
The election
American presidential elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Voters do not, technically, participate in a direct election of the president. They choose "electors", who are pledged to one or another candidate. This is known as the Electoral College.
Each state has a certain number of electors to the college, based on the size of its population.
In almost every state, the winner of the popular vote gets all the electoral college votes in that state. Because of this system, a candidate can take the White House without winning the popular vote, such as in the 2000 contest between George W Bush and Al Gore.
The US Electoral College
Electoral College votes decide winner.
An American president is not chosen directly by the people. Instead, an Electoral College is used. In a close election, the importance of the College grows.
How does the Electoral College work?
Each state has a number of electors in the Electoral College equal to the total of its US senators (always two) and its representatives, which are determined by the size of the state's population. Technically, Americans vote for the electors not the candidate.
California, the most populous state, has 55 electoral votes. A few small states and the District of Columbia have only three.
There are 538 electors in the College. In all but two states, Maine and Nebraska, the College works on a winner-takes-all basis. The winner of the popular vote in a state gets all the Electoral College votes in that state.
To become president, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes. The winning candidate does not need to win the national popular vote.
Why was the system chosen?
When the United States was founded, a national campaign was almost impossible given the communications; states were jealous of their rights; political parties were suspect and the popular vote somewhat feared.
The framers of the Constitution in 1787 rejected both the election of the president by Congress - because of the separation of powers - and election by direct popular vote, on the grounds that people would vote for their local candidate and the big states would dominate.
Another factor was that Southern states favoured the College system. Slaves had no votes but counted as three-fifths of a person for computing the size of a state's population.
The original idea was that only the great and the good in each state would make up the electors in the Electoral College. Over the years the College has been changed to better reflect the popular will.
Another factor was that Southern states favoured the College system. Slaves had no votes but counted as three-fifths of a person for computing the size of a state's population.
The original idea was that only the great and the good in each state would make up the electors in the Electoral College. Over the years the College has been changed to better reflect the popular will.
Isn't it unfair that the winning candidate might get fewer popular votes?
This is seen as a major drawback of the system. In 2000 Al Gore won 48.38% of votes nationwide compared to George Bush's 47.87%. Ralph Nader took 2.74%. Yet Mr Bush won because he got 271 Electoral College votes compared to 266 for Mr Gore. The winning votes came from Florida whose 25 College seats all went to Mr Bush despite the difference between the two in the state's popular vote being only 537.
A similar thing happened in 1888 when Benjamin Harrison won in the College despite having fewer popular votes than Grover Cleveland.
Another drawback is that in many states the result is a foregone conclusion and there is thus little incentive for the individual to vote. It is also a disincentive for candidates to campaign there.
So what are the advantages?
The Electoral College system is respected for its historical roots and because it does usually reflect the popular vote. It also gives greater weight to smaller states - one of the checks and balances the US Constitution values.
For example, the largest state, California, has 12.03% of the US population but its 55 Electoral College votes represent only 10.22% of the College total. Wyoming, a sparsely populated state, has 0.18% of the US population but its three seats in the Electoral College give it 0.56% of the College votes.
The College system also means that a candidate needs to get a spread of votes from across the country.
What happens if no candidate gets a majority of Electoral College votes?
The decision is taken by the House of Representatives, because its seats are in proportion to the population and therefore reflects the popular will better than the Senate. Each state delegation, however, has only one vote, which means that the majority party in each delegation controls the vote. An absolute majority of states is required for election.
The vice-president is chosen by the Senate, with senators having an individual vote.
Are the electors in the College bound to vote for their candidates?
In some states they have a free vote but in practice they vote for the candidates they are pledged to. In other states they are required to do so. From time to time, individuals or small groups, called "faithless" electors, vote for another candidate but this has happened only rarely and no result has been changed by it. In 2000 an elector from the District of Columbia abstained.
If the result is extremely close, a "faithless" elector could cause real trouble. The issue would probably have to be decided by the courts.
The electors are chosen by the parties before the election, often in a vote at a convention. The electors then meet in state capitals after the election (this year on Monday, 13 December) to cast their votes. The results are formally declared to the Senate on 6 January. The new president is inaugurated on 20 January.
Want to know more about 2008 US Elections?
quinta-feira, 23 de outubro de 2008
La BeLlA dONa: MaDoNnA
Born Madonna Louise Ciccone on August 16, 1958 in Rochester, Michigan, this "bella donna" trained as a dancer at University of Michigan and with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. Madonna performed with a number of rock groups before signing with Sire Records. Her had her first hit, “Holiday,” in 1983.
She hired Michael Jackson's manager prior to releasing Madonna (1983), an album which included five US hit singles. Subsequent albums have included Like a Virgin (1984), True Blue (1986), Ray of of Light (1998), Music (2000), American Life (2003), and Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005).
Madonna was the first female artist to take full advantage of the music video. She collaborated with top designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, photographers, and directors. She drew inspiration from underground club culture and the avant-garde to create distinctive sexual and satirical images—from the knowing ingenue of “Like a Virgin” (1984) to the controversial red-dressed “sinner” who kisses a black saint in “Like a Prayer” (1989).
Madonna was the first female artist to take full advantage of the music video. She collaborated with top designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, photographers, and directors. She drew inspiration from underground club culture and the avant-garde to create distinctive sexual and satirical images—from the knowing ingenue of “Like a Virgin” (1984) to the controversial red-dressed “sinner” who kisses a black saint in “Like a Prayer” (1989).
By 1991 Madonna had achieved 21 Top Ten hits in the United States and sold some 70 million albums internationally, generating $1.2 billion in sales. Committed to controlling her image and career herself, Madonna became the head of Maverick, a subsidiary of Time-Warner. Her success as a performer and businesswoman sent a clear message of financial control in the industry.
Her defiant and sexual siren image soared in 1992 when she published Sex, a soft-core pornographic coffee-table book featuring her in a variety of “erotic” poses as well as the release of the album, Erotica.
Madonna has also acted in films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Shanghai Surprise (1986) and Body of Evidence (1993). In 1996 she starred in the critically acclaimed film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita (1996). She won a Golden Globe for her performance and her song, "You Must Love Me," earned an Academy Award. Also notable is the film Truth or Dare (1991), a documentary of one of her tours.
In October 2006, during a trip to an AIDS orphanage in the southern African nation of Malawi, Madonna adopted a baby boy named David Banda. Madonna’s application to permanently adopt the boy was approved by Malawai’s high court on May 28, 2008, the pop star’s lawyer said.
"It's a beautiful and positive judgment," Alan Chinula told reporters. "Finally the court has granted Madonna full adoption rights of the boy ... It's all over, thank God."
In 2008 she wrote and was the executive producer of I Am Because We Are, a documentary about the lives of Malawi's 1 million plus AIDS orphans.
Madonna continues to sing, act and manage a number of business interests, splitting her time between the UK and the USA. She launches her forthcoming Sticky and Sweet world tour August 23, 2008.
Madonna has also acted in films, including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Shanghai Surprise (1986) and Body of Evidence (1993). In 1996 she starred in the critically acclaimed film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Evita (1996). She won a Golden Globe for her performance and her song, "You Must Love Me," earned an Academy Award. Also notable is the film Truth or Dare (1991), a documentary of one of her tours.
In October 2006, during a trip to an AIDS orphanage in the southern African nation of Malawi, Madonna adopted a baby boy named David Banda. Madonna’s application to permanently adopt the boy was approved by Malawai’s high court on May 28, 2008, the pop star’s lawyer said.
"It's a beautiful and positive judgment," Alan Chinula told reporters. "Finally the court has granted Madonna full adoption rights of the boy ... It's all over, thank God."
In 2008 she wrote and was the executive producer of I Am Because We Are, a documentary about the lives of Malawi's 1 million plus AIDS orphans.
Madonna continues to sing, act and manage a number of business interests, splitting her time between the UK and the USA. She launches her forthcoming Sticky and Sweet world tour August 23, 2008.
Assinar:
Postagens (Atom)