Horror story

Do you like horror stories?



I'm a great fan of this genre. For me, the psychological tension is the best spice in a movie despite its genre, but it's in horror movies that this mental pressure becomes more outlighted.
This year I was delighted when I read an AWESOME horror short story. It's called The Monkey's Paw.

In this story, you will not find monsters, you will not have blood or vampires or anything like this. You will only find a man and a woman haunted by their own wishes.

"The Monkey's Paw" is a short story of horror by author W. W. Jacobs. It was published in England in 1902. The story is based on the famous "setup" in which three wishes are granted. In the story, the paw of a dead monkey is a talisman that grants its possessor three wishes, but the wishes come with an enormous price.

Be careful what you wish for...

If you feel curious and want to read the story, click here. It's very short, less than 30 pages. But if you prefer, here's a modern adaptation of the story:



I hope you like it!

xxx,
teacher Bel

Misterios y Enigmas

La Llegada a la Luna ¿Fraude o Realidad?

El 20 de julio de 1969 Neil Armstrong con pie izquierdo daba un pequeño paso en la superficie polvorienta de la Luna. Más de medio millón de telespectadores observaban el inicio de la era espacial y el nacimiento de una nueva leyenda urbana. En la década de los sesenta el hombre presuntamente llegó a la Luna y marcó el camino para la era espacial que existe hoy en el siglo XXI. Sin embargo la misión se convirtió en un tema de escepticismo gracias a la tecnología de ese tiempo, implementos que, de acuerdo a sus antecedentes y análisis, no habrían podido cumplir la misión con un 100% de exactitud.






La carrera espacial

Durante el auge de la guerra fría los Estados Unidos y la ex Unión Soviética competían en muchos campos, ya sea el espionaje, las armas de destrucción masiva e incluso por llegar a la última frontera, el espacio exterior. El ganador de esta “carrera” se inmortalizaría en la historia tras demostrar su poderío y llegar primero a la Luna para cumplir los objetivos de la misión espacial.

En primeras instancias la U.R.S.S. había ganado ventaja cuando pusieron en órbita el satélite artificial Sputnik, el 04 de octubre de 1957, similar a una esfera de aluminio que medía poco más de medio metro de diámetro y pesaba 83 Kg. Este satélite contenía dos medidores de temperatura y uno de electrones, sin embargo cumplió su misión: viajar al espacio, orbitar la tierra y herir el orgullo estadounidense.

Como respuesta al avance de la ex Unión Soviética, los norteamericanos lanzaron el Vanguard I, el cual fue un total fracaso filmado, debido a que el lanzador se desbarató a pocos metros del suelo. Mientras tanto los rusos consiguieron enviar el primer ser vivo al espacio exterior, la perrita Laika, quien también se convirtió en la primera víctima en morir por falta de oxígeno.
El 12 de abril de 1961 los rusos envían a Yuri Gagarin, el primer cosmonauta, quien estuvo orbitando entre los 181 y 327 kilómetros de altitud por 108 minutos. Después de cinco años más, los científicos de la ex Unión Soviética logran aterrizar en la Luna con la Lunik 2, aparato que tras desplegar sus antenas retransmitió las primeras imágenes de la superficie lunar.
Los estadounidenses ya desmoralizados ante la inminente derrota frente a los rusos, son motivados por el Presidente John F. Kennedy, quien a través de un comunicado televisivo promete concentrar su esfuerzo y recursos para enviar al primer hombre a la Luna. Esta revelación sirvió para desviar la atención de la incomprendida guerra de Vietnam, la cual ya había cobrado más de 50,000 víctimas entre soldados y campesinos.

“Plan B” y el alunizaje

La propuesta del Presidente se convirtió en la presión motivadora para desarrollar el plan espacial a un ritmo exhaustivo. Sin embargo según algunas teorías también se vieron obligados a formular un plan de respaldo, el cual se llevaría a cabo con la ayuda de los estudios de Hollywood. El “Plan B” de la NASA consistía en montar un escenario falso para simular un aterrizaje hipotético en la Luna. De esta manera se evitaría un segundo bochorno público en caso de que el lanzamiento original no sucediera. La tecnología de la época no era muy avanzada para las misiones espaciales, en ocasiones los ordenadores de 64 kb de memoria se “colgaban” y no tenían la suficiente memoria para ser eficaces, las comunicaciones eran intermitentes y tampoco se tenían datos exactos del lugar donde se iba a alunizar, la misión era prácticamente suicida.


Yuri Gagarin el primer astronauta.

Una escalofriante anécdota histórica que revela la incompetencia tecnológica de la NASA fue el caso del Apolo I. El 27 de mayo de 1967 los astronautas estaban arreglando el modulo de mando de la nave cuando transmitieron un corto y escalofriante mensaje: “Tenemos un incendio en la cabina”. A los pocos segundos la temperatura se elevó a 1,400 grados debido a la gran concentración de oxígeno puro. Los tres astronautas murieron quemados en sus asientos. Muchos eruditos de la NASA sabían que era imposible preparar una misión de la magnitud que el Presidente había propuesto en un lapso de dos años.

El aterrizaje de Armstrong todavía es percibido como falso debido al poco tiempo que los astronautas permanecieron en la Luna, el cual fue de 21 horas en la superficie, mientras la misión lunar tenía una duración estimada de 3 días; el “paseo” se redujo a solo 2 horas. Esta revelación supone varias inconsistencias, como el tiempo que transcurrió desde el aterrizaje hasta el “paseo” por la Luna, el cual se resumió a 7 horas. Los astronautas en sus comentarios decían no estar seguros que la superficie lunar aguante el peso de ellos, ¿acaso no era más pesado el módulo lunar con ellos dentro?

Muchas especulaciones sugieren que se preparo un set de filmación en caso de que la transmisión con Armstrong se viera interrumpida para no pasar una vergüenza nuevamente. En la actualidad la NASA no desea aclarar las dudas respecto al viaje del Apolo 11, por esto hay mucha sospecha si realmente se realizaron estas misiones espaciales.

En las fotografías no se pueden apreciar estrellas y las banderas ondean a pesar de la ausencia de viento en la Luna. Era de conspiraciones e hipótesis

Poco tiempo después comenzaron las teorías conspiratorias. Los expertos se basaban en los antecedentes técnicos de las fotografías y las anomalías de las misiones Apolo. Tras analizar estas ideas, surgieron dos fuertes teorías apoyadas por conocidos autores del tema, como Bill Kaysing, Ralph René, entre otros.

Teoría del engaño: Hipótesis que promueve un fraude total, en el que nadie pisó la Luna en la década de los sesenta, y la humanidad fue estafada mundialmente. Todo era una trampa de los medios y el gobierno estadounidense para demostrar superioridad ante la ex Unión Soviética. Esta hipótesis ganó credibilidad cuando Bill Kaysing, quien trabajó como redactor técnico de la NASA entre 1956 y 1963, dijo que se hizo un estudio de viabilidad para saber si era posible hacer lo que el Presidente Kennedy había prometido.

El resultado de 0.0017% reveló que era imposible colocar a un astronauta en la superficie del satélite gris, debido a la primitiva tecnología de aquella época. La misión del Apolo 11 era un suicidio.

Gracias a una encuesta realizada por la NASA sobre este tema, hoy en día se sabe que el 11% de la población norteamericana cree que las imágenes del aterrizaje de Neil Armstrong fueron filmadas en el desierto de Nevada, a 150 kilómetros de Las Vegas.
Los seguidores de esta teoría comentan sobre la ausencia de las estrellas en las fotos tomadas por las misiones Apolo. La NASA responde que las estrellas están allí, pero su brillo es muy tenue para ser captadas por el diafragma de la cámara que estaba preparada para tomar fotos al traje blanco de los astronautas en la superficie reflexiva de la Luna.

Teoría del Montaje: Hipótesis en la que se afirma que el hombre sí llego a la Luna, pero las comunicaciones, fotos y grabaciones realizadas eran de muy baja calidad por lo que se decidió mostrar las grabaciones falsas que se habían realizado en la Tierra.

Teoría de la cuarentena: Hipótesis en la que el hombre sí llego a la Luna, pero las fotos realizadas mostraban OVNIS y estructuras lunares alienígenas, por lo que la NASA no querría divulgarlas. Sin embargo hay reportes de la comunicación entre los astronautas y la base de control Tierra, en los que afirmaban ser vigilados por OVNIS. Esto explicaría el excesivo periodo de tiempo que los astronautas pasaron en cuarentena. Se especula que fue para “limpiarlos” de organismos vivientes ajenos al planeta Tierra. Los defensores del tema sostienen que los astronautas fueron sometidos a un lavado cerebral para evitar problemas con los medios y no causar pánico con la verdad de lo que sucedió en la Luna. Esta última es la teoría mas absurda.

Tres anomalían en una misma foto (leer misteriosas sombras). Detalles Fotográficos Inexplicables

Ausencia de Estrellas: En el testimonio de todos los astronautas hay un denominador común, "el cielo parecía una mar de estrellas", no es extraño entonces que en ninguna fotografía aparezca una sola estrella, sin contaminación ni nubes deberían verse las estrellas sin dificultad. La explicación de la NASA es muy simple debido a los grandes reflejos que producían tanto la superficie lunar como los trajes de los astronautas se usaron cámaras con una lente preparada para aguantar esos fuertes brillos, la explicación parece valida, salvo que se sea un fotógrafo experto y se conozca el uso de esas lentes y como la imagen pierde nitidez, cosa que no sucede en ninguna fotografía incluso se puede ver con todo detalle la palabra "UNITED STATES" en la bandera estadounidense en partes que con una solo fuente de luz, el Sol, deberían parecer como una zona sombreada.

Misteriosas Banderas ondeantes: La Luna carece de vientos, es un ambiente de tranquilidad, no existe fuerza alguna que pueda hacer ondear una bandera ¿Como es posible entonces que aparezca tan repetidamente el símbolo americano ondeando como si existiese un fuerte viento?

Misteriosas Sombras: Existen gran número de fotografías en las que sucede un caso muy extraño, las sombras no aparecen de forma paralela, esto quiere decir que existía mas de una fuente de luz.
Cosa completamente imposible ya que las incursiones lunares nunca tuvieron más apoyo luminoso que el del Sol y este sólo generaría sombras en una dirección. En la fotografía adjunta se puede observar un caso, en el casco aparecen sombras en distintas direcciones. Esta foto además muestra dos anomalías mas:

-La foto fue tomada por su compañero que estaba de rodillas frente a él, ¿Como es posible que aparezcan detalles de la parte alta del casco? se debería tener una visión como "desde abajo" y nunca se podría ver la parte superior del casco.

-El contenedor que muestra el astronauta se observa con gran nitidez y con abundantes brillos a pesar de que debería mostrarse como una zona sombreada...
Pisadas debajo del Modulo espacial: ¿Como es posible que se puedan apreciar en algunas fotografías pisadas debajo del Modulo que les propulsó? Incluso si un astronauta se hubiese metido debajo para hacer alguna comprobación, toda la arena y polvo que pudiese haber debajo del modulo lunar se habría levantado debido a la fuerza de sus reactores al aterrizar.

Fotos distintas con idénticos accidentes geográficos: Se pueden observar varias fotografías con idénticos accidentes geográficos, esto es del todo imposible porque cada incursión en la Luna se "posó" en una zona distinta del satélite.

Marcador de la Cámara por debajo de la Imagen: Otro efecto que se produce en varias fotografías es que el marcador de la cámara queda por debajo de la imagen, como si estuviese superpuesta la imagen, esto es del todo imposible y solo se puede producir cuando se pega "algo" sobre una fotografía ya que el marcador es una cruz ajena a la imagen que solo sirve para encuadrar la imagen.
Es imposible que el marcador de la cámara quede por debajo de la imagen..
Conclusión

A la vista de estas evidencias solo quedan unas pocas posibles soluciones:

- El hombre no llegó a la Luna y se trata de tan solo un montaje en un estudio de cine que pretendía enervar es espíritu patriótico americano.

- Las imágenes fueron retocadas sobre las originales para ocultar algo o tal vez para mostrar símbolos patrióticos.

- La continuidad en los "cortes" en la emisión y la sorpresa que mostraron los técnicos de la NASA en determinadas filmaciones que decidieron censurar nos hace pensar que se nos oculto parte de la información, información que se "tapo" en fotografías y videos haciendo un montaje.

- Y lo más importante: ¿Por qué se suspendieron los vuelos tripulados a la Luna en el principio de la década de los 70? ¿A que se debe que ningún hombre haya vuelto a pisar la Luna después de 1972?

Estas dudas siempre quedarán en nuestra mente...
Autor: Arturo Varas
Fuente de Información: http://www.fmmeducacion.com.ar/Historia/Notas/Viajeluna/viajeluna01.htm
http://www.neoteo.com/la-llegada-del-hombre-a-la-luna-fraude-o-realidad.neo


Profesor Renato Aires

nEeDs...

Linus and his thoughts...
Do you agree with him?
When you need something, can something else replace it? Do you feel satisfied anyway?
It looks like Linus doesn't...
I don't. Do you?
kkk


PS: Lucy had buried his beloved blanket somewhere and he was going through a really difficult period...kk
=D

INTER 1 - video

To practice the alphabet:




=)

See you!

Yosemite National Park

http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.yosemite.html

If you click on this link you will see some of the most nicest pictures of one of the most nicest parks in America.
Here is a short story about the park.

Close your eyes and imagine you’re resting in a field of beautiful wildflowers. It’s around noon and the heat of the sun is warming your body while a gentle breeze brushes softly against your face while making a slight whistling sound as it passes through the flowers and grass. In the background you can hear the sounds of flowing water from nearby waterfalls and the pleasant chirping of birds who are perched in the giant trees that surround the field.

You turn your head in one direction and see a family of deer. You turn your head in the other direction and see a huge rock formation rising into sky. Now, as you open your eyes, imagine how wonderful it would be if such a place existed…
Well, such a place actually does exist near the eastern border of central California. This area, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, is one of the most beautiful and famous parks in the world. It includes 840 miles of hiking trails, about 240 species of birds, about 70 species of mammals and over 1,400 species of flowering plants. Do you know what park we’re talking about? If you haven’t guessed already, we’re talking about Yosemite National Park in California.
The well-known naturalist and conservationist John Muir once said of Yosemite, “It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of nature I was ever permitted to enter.” Yosemite contains countless waterfalls, several spectacular rock formations, meadows, fields, lakes, rivers, creeks, giant sequoias groves and hundreds of species of plants and animals. But, before we tell you about some of the more popular sites in Yosemite, we first want to give you a brief history about this magnificent place.
The geological history of Yosemite extends back millions of years. Since we cannot describe this process for you here, do some research on your own and discover how the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and Yosemite Valley was formed.
The Yosemite history we’re going to discuss begins in mid 1800’s. Yosemite’s initial residents were Native Americans, who inhabited the area perhaps as long as 8,000 years ago. Non-Native Americans first began arriving in the Yosemite Valley during the mid 1800s. In 1848, the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada brought thousands of miners into the area in search of their fortune (This famous event in history is called the California Gold Rush. You can find more information about this historic event in a previous issue of the tribune). The arrival of these miners resulted in a conflict with the Native American people who were trying to protect their homeland. In 1851, the state-sanctioned Mariposa Battalion entered Yosemite Valley and put an end to the fighting.
During the 1850s, word of Yosemite Valley’s beauty and splendor quickly spread across the nation. People from all over were coming to Yosemite Valley to witness its magnificent sights. During this time, a group of conservationists petitioned to the government to help protect and preserve this beautiful land. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill granting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the State of California stating that this land was to be “held for public use, resort, and recreation… inalienable for all time.” This was the first time that the government set aside land simply to protect and preserve the land so people could enjoy it in its natural state.
During the years that followed, several people, including the famous conservationist John Muir, fought to also protect the land that surrounded Yosemite Valley. In 1890 they realized their dream when the U.S. Congress set aside more than 1,500 square miles to be known as Yosemite National Park.
The final step occurred in 1906 when the State of California gave up the control of Yosemite National Park to the federal government. A few years later, the government established the National Park Service to control and manage all national parks “in such manner and by such means as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”
If you ever get the chance, make sure you visit Yosemite National Park. And hopefully, your great, great, great grandchildren will also be able to experience and appreciate this wonderful park just as you can today!
Now that you know a little about the history of Yosemite National Park, here are a few of the most popular things to see while visiting this spectacular place.

Yosemite Falls: Yosemite Falls is one of several waterfalls located in the park. It stands 2,425 feet high and is the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. It is actually made up of three separate falls: Upper Yosemite Fall, the middle cascades and Lower Yosemite Fall.
Bridalveil Fall: The Yosemite Indians call this place “Pohono”, or spirit of the puffing wind. The wind often swirls around the cliff of the falls, often lifting the falling water and blowing it from side to side. The waterfall is 620 feet high, the height of a 62-story building!
El Capitan This huge monolith is the largest single granite rock earth in the world, rising nearly 4,000 feet above the valley floor. Rock climbers from all over the world come to challenge their skills by climbing the face of this massive rock.
Half Dome: Half Dome is arguably the most recognized symbol of Yosemite. Half Dome rises to an elevation of 8,842 feet! People come from all over the world to hike or rock-climb to the summit.
Glacier Point: Many people consider the view at Glacier Point to be the most beautiful view in the world. From this point on the rim of Yosemite Valley, you can look down 3,214 feet to the valley floor below, with an amazing view of many of the most popular features of Yosemite National Park.
Mariposa Grove This grove contains over 250 giant sequoias which are the largest tress on earth. Many of these sequoia trees are nearly 3,000 years old and stand nearly 200 feet tall. Mariposa Grove is also the home of the Grizzly Giant, one of the largest giant sequoias in the world.

Father's Day

What would we do without our first heroes, the first supermen we'll ever meet?



Here are some facts about this special day dedicated to all the fathers:

* Father's Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June in 52 of the world's countries and on other days elsewhere.

* Only in Brazil, Samoa and Taiwan the Father's Day is celebrated in August.

* The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 19, 1910 through Sonora Dodd's efforts of Spokane.

* Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. But where Mother's Day was met with enthusiasm, Father's Day was met with laughter.



* In the beginning, many people saw it as just the first step in filling the calendar with mindless promotions like "Grandparents' Day", "Professional Secretaries' Day", etc., all the way down to "National Clean Your Desk Day".

* In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries, most often on November 19.

* In the Philippines, Father's Day is not an official holiday, but is widely observed on 3rd Sunday of June. Most Filipinos born in the 60's to 70's and so on, did not celebrate Father's day but due to being under the influence of the United States as seen on television, the Filipinos most likely imitates this tradition and other American holidays. The advent of the internet also helps in promoting this holiday to the Filipinos.

* In Thailand, Father's Day is set as the birthday of the king. December 5 is the birthday of current king, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX).

* Father's Day in Argentina is celebrated on the third Sunday of June, but there have been several attempts to change the date to August 24, to commemorate day in which the "Father of the Nation" José de San Martín became a father.




Have a great week (:

xxx,
teacher Bel

sHoULd...

Hello!!!


This is a new singer I've just discovered and I hope you all like her!
You can learn a lot from this song , for example the use of SHOULD.
Do you know how to use it?



We use SHOULD when we're giving advices or expressing an opinion, but in the end it's up to the person you're talking to, it does not express obligation but an idea you think is good for the person.
For instance: Let's imagine you've been really tired because you have stayed up very late recently without necessity. What advice can we give you???
"You should not stay up so late"

You can also have a cold.
"You should drink much water"

All right????

And in this song you also have some phrasal verbs.
What do TO MAKE UP SOMEONE'S MIND and TO THINK SOMETHING OVER mean?

I'm waiting for your comments!!!!

=)

Do you know what an IDIOM is?

IDIOMS are common phrases or terms whose meanings are not literal, but are figurative and only known through their common uses.

So, an IDIOM is a natural manner of speaking to a native speaker of a language.

Take a look at the following idioms which start with letter A and have fun:

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush: Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

A Blessing In Disguise: Something good that isn't recognized at first.

A Chip On Your Shoulder: Being upset for something that happened in the past.

A Dime A Dozen: Anything that is common and easy to get.

A Doubting Thomas: A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.

A Drop in the Bucket: A very small part of something big or whole.

A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted: It's easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.

A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand: Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.

A Leopard Can't Change His Spots: You cannot change who you are.

A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned: By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words: A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.

A Piece of Cake: A task that can be accomplished very easily.

A Slap on the Wrist: A very mild punishment.

A Taste Of Your Own Medicine: When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.

A Toss-Up: A result that is still unclear and can go either way.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: It's better to actually do something than just talk about it.

Add Fuel To The Fire: Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is.

Against The Clock: Rushed and short on time.

All Bark And No Bite: When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.

All Greek to me: Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the Greek language would be.

All In The Same Boat: When everyone is facing the same challenges.

An Arm And A Leg: Very expensive. A large amount of money.

An Axe To Grind: To have a dispute with someone.

Apple of My Eye: Someone who is cherished above all others.

As High As A Kite: Anything that is high up in the sky.

At The Drop Of A Hat: Willing to do something immediately.

see ya!!!

The Road Less Traveled...

I've been thinking too much about life...
How often do we ask the question "Where do I go from here?"
If life is a series of challenges and lessons, then only by reflecting on our past and mistakes, we can wisely choose the next path that we will ultimately embrace.
So, I was reading this poem and I think it reflects a little bit of these doubts:

The Road Less Traveled
by Kit McCallum

How often we must bear the challenges of life;
The endless roller coaster between happiness and sorrow;
The constant ups and downs of daily strife.

And always the question remains .... why?

Life is not an easy road for most;
It twists and turns with many forks in the road,
Although always, and inevitably, we are given a choice ...

Do we turn to the right ... or the left?
Do we take the high road ... or the low road?
Do we take the easy path ... or the difficult one?

Decisions are not easy for those struggling for direction ...
And sometimes the many choices and signs become overwhelming.

While standing at a crossroads in life,

The urge is to take the most comfortable path;
The road with least resistance ...
The shortest or most traveled route.

And yet, if we've been down that comfortable road before;
Have gleaned its lessons in life, and learned from our experiences;

Do we yet again follow the known?
Or does our destiny lie in another direction?

The fear of the road less traveled is tangible and all too real;
It manifests itself in many ways,
And tends to cloud the issues that might otherwise be clear.

It is in these times of confusion,
That we must seek peace and solitude;

Time to contemplate on our life,
Our experiences and our choices past;
Time to look back, and reflect on what we have learned
Without fear or confusion.

For only each of us knows our own personal thoughts;
Our unique past and personal history;
The experiences that brought us to the crossroads we now face.

We can always learn a small degree from others experiences,
And yet ... no one person can walk in our shoes,
Others know not, the trials and tribulations faced in private ...

For each is individual ... unique ... and personal.

And that is why ... while standing at a crossroads,
Only "we" can formulate the decision for ourselves;
The true direction that lies within;
The choices we must deliberate on with clarity and wisdom.

For it is only through personal reflection,
That we can now choose our destiny;
... Our next adventure;
... And the future we will embrace.

Hope you can also think about it!

=)

See ya!

Back to school quotes!!!

Hope these inspire you...

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"

The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book.

Welcome back to school!

Hello students!
Did you enjoy your vacation? Well, I did :) I hope you've relaxed and had a great time too. But now the break is over and it's time to get some new and fresh English for you.



Your classes start TODAY, don't forget. We have a lot of new things to learn this semester.



We'll be waiting for you!

xxx,
teacher Bel

wE'rE bAcK!!!!!!

Hello everybody!!!!!
How was your vacation guys?????
well, we're back this week to start a new semester of fun and learning!

To give your brain some food, here's a site in which you can find riddles.
http://www.riddles.com/riddle/easy-riddles

A riddles is a question or statement requiring thought to answer or understand; an enigma.
For instance:

I always point the right direction.
My instructions are written in black and white.
Desobey me and pay the consequences.
I will never say more than two words at a time.
What am I?

Don't be scared, you have different levels of riddles in this page, start with the easy one and try to reach the last one, all right? It's a challenge for you guys!
Oh, the answer for this one you get only if you comment, ok?
=)


see you!

Si Demain (Kareen Antonn)
Bonnie Tyler

Je tourne en rond
Tu sais que quelques fois je me sens seule et perdue
Est ce que tu me reviendras
Je tourne en rond
Tu sais que quelque fois je me sens loin de toi
Dis est ce que tu te souviendras de moi
Je tourne en rond
Sur la terre entière je me sens abandonnée
Dis est ce que tout ça va changer
Je tourne en rond
Pour habiter ma solitude de mon mieux
Moi qui ne sais qu'être deux
Je tourne en rond sans toi
Tu sais que quelque fois j'ai peur de toi
Je tourne en rond sans toi
Tu sais que quelque fois j'ai peur de moi

Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit restless and I dream of something wild
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit helpless and I'm lying like a child in your arms
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I've got to get out and cry
Turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see the look in your eyes

Je tourne en rond sans toi
Tu sais que quelques fois j'ai peur de toi
Je tourne en rond sans toi
Tu sais que quelques fois j'ai peur de moi

Et j'ai tant besoin de toi
Et j'ai tant besoin de ta voix
Je veux tomber dans tes bras
Je voudrais marcher dans tes pas
On invente les règles du jeu
Quand on est tous les deux
Ensemble nous irons jusqu'au bout du chemin
Je tiendrai dans ton ombre
Si tu me prends la main
Retiens moi si je sombre je suis ta prisonnière
Si loin de notre monde j'ai la tête à l'envers
J'ai vraiment besoin de toi
Si demain commençait ce soir
Si demain commençait ce soir

Il était une fois une femme amoureuse
Peut-être un p'tit peu trop rêveuse
Tant pis si j'en pleure tu as tous les droits sur mon coeur
Si demain commençait ce soir

Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart

Et j'ai tant besoin de toi
Et j'ai tant besoin de ta voix
Et je veux tomber dans tes bras
Je voudrais marcher dans tes pas
On invente les règles du jeu
Quand on est tous les deux

Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)

Retiens moi si je sombre je suis ta prisonnière
Si loin de notre monde j'ai la tête à l'envers

I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Si demain commençait ce soir

Il était une fois une femme amoureuse
Peut être un p'tit peu trop rêveuse
Tant pis si j'en pleure tu as tous les droits sur mon coeur

Total eclipse of the heart
Si demain commençait ce soir
Regarde moi droit dans le coeur

COMMON MISTAKES

Hi...
Last month I received an interesting email from one of my basic students and I decided to share it with you!!! Sometimes we don't know the right word in ENGLISH, so take a look at the clues below and let me know if you think it's helpful, ok?

1- Good or Well

Good is an adjective and well is an adverb. Many people, including many native speakers, incorrectly use the adjective form good, rather than the adverb well.
Examples:

I did good on the test. INCORRECT! - Correct form: I did well on the test.
She played the game good. INCORRECT! - Correct form: She played the game well.

Use the adjective form good when describing something or someone. In other words, use good when stating how something or someone is.
Examples:

She is a good tennis player.
Tom thinks he is a good listener.

Use the adverb form well when describing how something or someone does something.
Examples:

She did extremely well on the exam.
Our parents think we speak English well.

2- Bring Take Fetch/Get

The use of bring and take is confusing for many students. The choice between bring or take depends on the location of the speaker. If the speaker refers to something that is at her current location, she uses bring. Generally, use bring when something moves from there to here.
Examples:

I'm glad you brought me to this shop. It's great!
I'll bring the map with me on the trip.

If the speaker refers to something that has been moved to a different location, she uses take. Generally, use take when something moves from here to there.
Examples:

The coach took the boys to football field.
Jack took his laptop with him on his trip.

Fetch/Get

When speaking about going somewhere and getting something and then bringing it back, use get (American English) or fetch (British English).
Examples:

Could you get the newspaper?
She fetched her diary and showed him the entry.

3- Everyone

Use everyone as a pronoun to mean all the people in a group.
Examples:

Do you think everyone will want to come to the party?
She wants everyone to leave comments on her blog.

Every one

Use every one as a noun to indicate each person.
Examples:

Every one of the students has a question about the grammar.
My boss told every one of the employees himself

4- Everyday

Use everyday as an adjective to mean 'daily'.
Examples:

Peter has an everyday appointment with his boss for briefings.
Susan has an everyday yoga class at five pm.

Every day

Use every day as a time expression to mean 'each day'.
Examples:

Peter studies Russian every day.
She pratices the piano three hours every day.

5- Whether / If

Both whether and if are used to introduce a yes/no question:
Examples:

He asked me whether I felt well.
We're not sure if they have decided.

The verb discuss generally takes whether rather than if.
Examples:

We discussed whether he should be hired.
They discussed whether to invest in the new idea.

After Prepositions

Use only whether after prepositions:
Examples:

We talked about whether we should go or not.
I looked into whether he should stay.

Infinitives

Use only whether before infinitives:
Examples:

She can't decide whether to buy the house or wait.
He considered whether to give up the position or quit next year.

Formal / Informal

Generally, whether is considered more formal than if.
Examples:

Let me know whether you will be able to attend the conference.
The CEO will decide whether this is a risk worth taking.

6- Too vs. Two vs. To

Too means "also" and is generally used at the end of a sentence. "Too" also indicates too much of a particular quality.
Examples:

That car is too expensive for me!
I'd love to come to the party, too.

Two is the written form of the number 2.
Examples:

There are two applicants for the job.
She has two cats.

To is generally used as a preposition. It is also used as part of the infinitive form of verbs.
Examples:

I gave the book to him.
The verb "to understand" is irregular.

7- Has gone to vs. Has been to

... has/have gone to ... refers to someone who has gone to a place but has not yet returned.
Examples:

He's gone to the bank. He should be back soon.
Where has Tom gone?

... has/have been to ... refers to a place which someone has visited sometime in his life. In other words, "has been to" refers to an experience.
Examples:

He's been to London many times.
I've been to Disneyland twice.

8- Then vs. Than

Then is used as a time expression.
Examples:

I'll see you then.
I'll be at the party. We can speak then.

Note: It is not used in the form "different than" which is used for comparisons.

Than is used for comparisons.
Examples:

He's lived here longer than I have.
His skills are very different than mine.

see ya!

A little bit of classical music

Hey guys!
This is one of my favorite arias... Its name is Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, in english it would be something like "a hellish vengeance burns in my heart". This aria is part of the opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) by Mozart. It was composed in the end of the XVIII century. This aria in particular is very famous because you need a soprano to sing it. However, the singer has to be an extraordinary soprano to reach the high notes from the aria.
I like very much this part of the opera, when the Queen of the Night obligates her daughter to kill Sarastro, her foe. She says that if the girl refuse to do it, she'll curse her and break the nature bonds with her own daughter. "If you do not kill Sarastro, you'll no more be my daughter", she says. It's all about emotional and psycological pressure. And, of course, revenge.



The lyrics in this video are in castellano, so I'll put here the original lyrics with the translation in portuguese.

German:
Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen,
Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her!
Fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro Todesschmerzen,
So bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr.
Verstossen sei auf ewig,
Verlassen sei auf ewig,
Zertrümmert sei'n auf ewig
Alle Bande der Natur
Wenn nicht durch dich Sarastro wird erblassen!
Hört, Rachegötter, hört der Mutter Schwur!

English:
Hell's vengeance boils in my heart,
Death and despair flame about me!
If Sarastro does not, through you, feel the pain of death,
Then you will be my daughter nevermore.
Disowned be forever,
Forsaken be forever,
Destroyed be forever
All the bonds of nature
If you do not make Sarastro turn pale!
Hear, Gods of Vengeance, hear a mother's oath!

The soprano's name in this aria is Elena Musoc, but I higly recommend that you check Maria Calla's interpretation for this song. Elena is good, but Maria sings like a bird.
I know that nowadays operas and arias and classical music are considered "boring" and "eldery music", but I wish more people would appreciate this style.

I hope you like it!

xxx,
Teacher Bel

Rhyming...

So you think you know everything about English?

Then tell me one word in English that rhymes with:

month,

orange,

silver,

purple.

Difficult???

PS: What about one that rhymes with ônibus in Portuguese?
Well, I've been trying to find answers, but I'm afraid I'll never find them.

=/

Talking about rhymes, read this poem, which is nice, and check your pronunciation:

Ration only sometimes rhymes with nation,
Say prefer, but preferable,
Comfortable and vegetable.
B must not be heard in doubt,
Debt and dumb both leave it out.
In the words psychology,
Psychic, and psychiatry,
You must never sound the p.
Psychiatrist you call the man
Who cures the complex, if he can.
In architect chi is k
In arch it is the other way.
Please remember to say iron
So that it'll rhyme with lion.
Advertisers advertise,
Advertisements will put you wise.
Time when work is done is leisure,
Fill it up with useful pleasure.
Accidental, accident,
Sound the g in ignorant.
Relative, but relation,
Then say creature, but creation.
Say the a in gas quite short,
Bought remember rhymes with thwart,
Drought must always rhyme with bout,
In daughter leave the gh out.
Wear a boot upon your foot.
Root can never rhyme with soot.
In muscle, sc is s,
In muscular, it's sk, yes!
Choir must always rhyme with wire,
That again will rhyme with liar.
Then remember it's address.
With an accent like posses.
G in sign must silent be,
In signature, pronounce the g.
Please remember, say towards
Just as if it rhymed with boards.
Weight's like wait, but not like height.
Which should always rhyme with might.

Hope you like it!

=)

How´s your pronunciation?

http://www.world-english.org/tonguetwisters.htm

How often do you ask yourself the following question: when will I ever speak like an American or at least without an accent?
I´m here to tell you that I personally don´t have that specific answer for you but what I do know is that the same way I learned to speak a language with no or a very limited accent you can do the same. What does it take? Lots of patience number 1, then finally tons of practice and tons of drills. I´ve found one exercise that is good which is called tongue twisters...sometimes in English you need to exercise some muscles of the mouth/tongue that you hardly use or probably never used in a certain way before. Tongue twisters can help!

So take a look at the link above and see what you can do afterwards...

Let's try some food from Thailand!

Hey guys!

My friend Benjapon has a blog where she teaches how to cook Thai food. I've tried some dishes myself before and I can assure they are awesome!

Let's choose one and try to cook it in the school?

Here's the address:

http://birdchili.wordpress.com/

Basil Stir-Fry

Pad See U

OK!

¿Puedes guardar un secreto?

Cuando te enteras de algo confidencial, ¿lo guardas en un rincón de tu mente recóndito y de máxima seguridad, o lo dejas salir esperando que ocurra lo mejor?
Toma este test para averiguar qué tan buenas son tus habilidades para guardar un secreto.

1) ¿Tienes algo negativo que decir acerca de prácticamente todas las personas que conoces - incluso tus amigos más cercanos- siempre y cuando no estén cerca?
A. No. Prefiero hablar con ellos a hablar de ellos.
B. De vez en cuando, pero trato de que no se convierta en hábito.
C. Sí, creo que todo el mundo lo hace. Es normal analizar las fallas de tus amigos.
2) Te relacionas con un conocido en una fiesta y todo sale mal. Besos babosos, toqueteos torpes... una historia de horror total. Tú le cuentas:
A. A mi mejor amig@, pero sólo porque sé que puede guardar un secreto.
B. A una o dos personas, pero me siento un poco avergonzad@ de ello.
C. A todo el mundo. ¡Es divertido! Y de esa manera nadie más cometerá el error de salir con esa persona.
3) En la fila de la cafetería te das cuenta que unos extraños hablan de alguien que tú conoces. Uno de ellos dice "escuché que no consiguió el empleo que buscaba porque no pasó el antidoping". ¿Qué es lo que haces?
A. Los ignoro. Se trata de un extraño que lo escuchó de alguien más. No se trata precisamente de una fuente confiable.
B. Llamo a un amigo al llegar a casa y trato de averiguar si es cierto o no.
C. Escribo a unos amigos de inmediato: "¡adivinen quién tiene un problema de drogas!"
4) Crees que un buen amigo tuyo puede ser gay, pero nunca lo ha discutido contigo. ¿Dices algo al respecto?
A. Le digo que mis personajes favoritos son Beto y Enrique.
B. Averiguo con un amigo mutuo, quizá sea un malentendido.
C. Probablemente le pregunte por qué no me lo ha contado.
5) Si compartes un secreto con alguien, te sientes:
A. Terriblemente mal
B. Culpable
C. Un poco emocionado y rebelde
6) Cuando escuchas un rumor, incluso si se trata de uno de tus amigos o alguien famoso, ¿cómo reaccionas?
A. A menos que vea una prueba contundente, creeré que alguien lo inventó para llamar la atención.
B. Normalmente creo que tiene algo de verdad, o no se diría nada al respecto.
C. Confío en mi instinto. Si suena como algo cierto, quizá lo cuente a alguien más.
7) Una de tus amistades tiene el volumen de su celular lo suficientemente alto como para que cuando estés cerca escuches toda la conversación. ¿Se lo dices?
A. Definitivamente. No quisiera escuchar accidentalmente algo que se supone debe ser privado.
B. Probablemente no. No es mi culpa que el volumen esté tan alto, y quizá escuche un poco.
C. Quizá diga algo porque eso significa que los demás podrían escuchar nuestras convesaciones.

Tus Resultados
• Mayoría de A:
Eres reservado y no te gusta crear chismes ni creértelos. Felicidades.
• Mayoría de B:
Te gustan los conflictos y además de escucharlos ¡los publicas! Trata de ser más reservado.
• Mayoría de C:
Te gustan los conflictos y además de escucharlos ¡los publicas! Trata de ser más reservado.