Sunday, November 29, 2009

SESSION 10: BBC NEWS: LISTEN

SESSION 10: BBC NEWS: LISTEN
WATCH A RECENT PIECE OF NEWS AND WRITE DOWN NOTES. PREPARE IT SO THAT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEXT ORAL SESSION:
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Saturday, November 28, 2009

SESSION 10: A SONG

SESSION 10: A SONG
JOHN LENNON
HAPPY CHRISTMAS (WAR IS OVER)
This time I cannot say I hope you enjoy it, it´s very sad to have so much when there are soooo many people suffering at the moment.
The lyrics:
BING CROSBY
WHITE CHRISTMAS
This is an oldie:
MARIAH CAREY
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU
DO THEY KNOW IT´S CHRISTMAS?
Lyrics:
etc., etc...
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SESSION 10: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 10: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK
THIS WILL BE OUR LAST ORAL SESSION BEFORE CHRISTMAS, SO I HOPE YOU PREPARE IT THOROUGHLY
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION:
2.1 Think of the five texts and choose one topic you would like to find out more about on the internet.
2.2 DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion next Wednesday.
a) What do families in your country normally do on Christmas Eve?
b) Do you think Christmas Eve is more or less celebrated the same around the world? Do you know any country where it´s celebrated differently?
c) What do you think of Christmas shopping and consumption at Christmas?
d) Do the children in your country like Father Christmas or do they prefer the Three Wise Men?
e) When you decorate your house do you do it with the Christmas Tree or with a Nativity or both? Why?
f) Do you sing Christmas Carols at home with your family?
g) Do people in villages celebrate Christmas the same as people in cities?
h) Do you celebrate Christmas the same as your parents or grandparents did?
i) Did you know about Boxing Day?
j) do you have something similar to Boxing Day in your country?
k) Had you heard about Kwanzaa before? What new things have you learned?
l) Does Kwanzaa have anything to do with Christmas?
m) What do you do on New Year´s Eve in your country? Are there fireworks in your city too?
n) Which celebration of the five we have seen do you like best? Why?
o) Do you think Christmas is to be with the family or a good opportunity to go on holiday?
p) What does Christmas mean to you?
PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.
FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 10, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.
  • THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS FOR ME
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SESSION 10: KEY TO EXERCISES

SESSION 10: KEY TO EXERCISES
To correct the exercises just read the texts. There are five exercises for five texts, one each.
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SESSION 10: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXTS

SESSION 10: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXTS
1. THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
1.1. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD: Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics:
Christmas Eve is, of course, the day / days before Christmas Day. It’s quite a busy day for most people who celebrate Christmas. There are so many things to do – usually last / lastly minute things. For example, you have to quickly sent / send a Christmas card to people you forgot, especially when they sent you ones / one. You also have to do last minute Christmas shopping. I always find Christmas Eve afternoon is a good time to shop. Many people think this is a busy time, but the Christmas rushed / rush is over and the shops are quite / quiet empty. You just have to hope they haven’t run out of wrapping paper and sellotape. Then you have to go home and wrap all / every of your presents and put them under the Christmas tree in the living room. It’s such a lovely / lovelier sight seeing a decorated tree with lots of wrapped boxes and parcels under it.
Christmas Eve is not the some / same in all countries. In Denmark, for example, Christmas Eve is when people have Christmas dinner and open / opening their presents. I think most people go to midnight mass in / on Christmas Eve. This is a special church service holding / held at midnight to remember the birth of Jesus. I think one of the oldest jokes / joking in the world is: “What time is Midnight Mass?” It’s an easy joke to figure out. Of course, Christmas Eve is the busiest night of the year for Santa Claus. People in England caller / call him Father Christmas. If you look really carefully, you’ll see him flying through the air on his sleigh full / filled of presents. He used to climb down people’s chimneys to deliver / delivery his presents. I’m not sure what he does nowadays because people don’t have chimneys.
1.2. MULTIPLE CHOICE: Put the correct words from the table underneath into the article:
I love Christmas. It’s one of the (1) ____ times of the year. It’s such a great time for everyone – kids and adults (2) ____. The thing I like most about it is everyone getting together and eating and giving presents. When I was a kid, Christmas was an amazing (3) ____. We’d spend weeks at school making decorations, singing Christmas carols and practicing to (4) ____ in the nativity play. As I got older, I enjoyed giving presents more than receiving (5) ____. Even though Xmas shopping is stressful, it can be fun trying to find the perfect present for my children. One thing that has stayed with me since I was a child is my love of Christmas dinner. It has to be my favourite meal (6) ____. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without roast turkey.
I’m sure Christmas brings the same (7) ____ feelings wherever it is celebrated. I hope it continues to keep its message of love and peace. The Christmas (8) ____ is very important. Nowadays it seems to get a bit lost. Everyone is (9) ____ busy buying presents they forget the true meaning of Christmas. I spent quite a few Christmases in Japan, which was interesting. Everything looked as Christmassy as in England. The stores even (10) ____ Frosty the Snowman playing. People bought presents and had a party, but then they went for a Kentucky Fried Chicken dinner. One thing I would like to experience is Christmas on the beach in Australia. I can’t (11) ____ Christmas being so hot. But then I (12) ____ it wasn’t that cold in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1. (a) bust (b) best (c) beast (d) boast
2. (a) alike (b) like (c) liken (d) likely
3. (a) occasionally (b) occasions (c) occasioned (d) occasion
4. (a) performance (b) performs (c) perform (d) performer
5. (a) it (b) them (c) they (d) these
6. (a) ever (b) even (c) never (d) every
7. (a) happy (b) happily (c) happiness (d) happier
8. (a) spirits (b) spirited (c) spirit (d) spiritual
9. (a) so-so (b) such (c) so-called (d) so
10.(a) has (b) having (c) had (d) have to
11.(a) imagination (b) imagine (c) imagined (d) imagines
12.(a) supposedly (b) supposes (c) supposing (d) suppose
1.3. GAP FILLING: Put the words into the gaps in the text:
box - way - confusing - kind - other - used - bet - emptied
I think Boxing Day is __________ for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I __________ many people think it is a time when people have a fight and punch each __________. Well, it’s quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a __________ of helping poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen __________ to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the __________. On the day after Christmas Day, which is December 26th, the shopkeeper __________ the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition __________ of continues today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
on - feel - buy - open - another - get - kind - difference
I’ve always liked Boxing Day. It’s __________ of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice __________ about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There are also lots of good programmes and movies __________ TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s __________ day off work – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest __________ for me between the two days is that there are no more presents to __________ on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and __________ all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t __________!
1.4 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article:
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.a week .......................................... a.the Swahili language
2.the first holiday ................................ b.other holidays
3.Americans of African .......................... c.long holiday
4.The name Kwanzaa comes from ............ d.in the celebration
5.Americans celebrate Kwanzaa alongside .. e.just for African Americans
6.All people can share .......................... f.descent
 Paragraph 2
1.a different ...................................... a.called a kinara
2.cooperating ...................................... b.principle
3.a special candle holder ....................... c.celebrate who they are
4.People decorate their homes ................ d.in business
5.pieces of ........................................ e.in African colours
6.friends get together and ..................... f.African art
1.5 SPELLING: Spell the jumbled words from the text correctly:
Paragraph 1
1.It is always an ntgxeici time
2.people look orfdraw to welcoming a new year
3.people go back to their hetwonom for the New Year
4.the host ievnsti friends, families and neighbours
5.everyone nsecad to loud music
6.That’s the langis a new year has arrived

Paragraph 2
7.I have lots of good msomieer of New Year’s Eve
8.I really looked forward to going to iarpest
9.in the tenrec of London
10.it is linrtaditao to visit a shrine and pray
11.pray for good things to eaphnp
12.many amazing fireworks pldiasys
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SESSION 10: CHRISTMAS: TEXTS FOR WEDNESDAY 2ND DECEMBER

SESSION 10: CHRISTMAS: TEXTS FOR WEDNESDAY 2ND DECEMBER
TEXT 1: CHRISTMAS EVE
Text taken and adapted from:
The text:
Christmas Eve is, of course, the day before Christmas Day. It’s quite a busy day for most people who celebrate Christmas. There are so many things to do – usually last minute things. For example, you have to quickly send a Christmas card to people you forgot, especially when they sent you one. You also have to do last minute Christmas shopping. I always find Christmas Eve afternoon is a good time to shop. Many people think this is a busy time, but the Christmas rush is over and the shops are quite empty. You just have to hope they haven’t run out of wrapping paper and sellotape. Then you have to go home and wrap all of your presents and put them under the Christmas tree in the living room. It’s such a lovely sight seeing a decorated tree with lots of wrapped boxes and parcels under it.
Christmas Eve is not the same in all countries. In Denmark, for example, Christmas Eve is when people have Christmas dinner and open their presents. I think most people go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. This is a special church service held at midnight to remember the birth of Jesus. I think one of the oldest jokes in the world is: “What time is Midnight Mass?” It’s an easy joke to figure out. Of course, Christmas Eve is the busiest night of the year for Santa Claus. People in England call him Father Christmas. If you look really carefully, you’ll see him flying through the air on his sleigh full of presents. He used to climb down people’s chimneys to deliver his presents. I’m not sure what he does nowadays because people don’t have chimneys.
TEXT 2: CHRISTMAS EVE
Text taken and adapted from:
The text:
I love Christmas. It’s one of the best times of the year. It’s such a great time for everyone – kids and adults alike. The thing I like most about it is everyone getting together and eating and giving presents. When I was a kid, Christmas was an amazing occasion. We’d spend weeks at school making decorations, singing Christmas carols and practicing to perform in the nativity play. As I got older, I enjoyed giving presents more than receiving them. Even though Xmas shopping is stressful, it can be fun trying to find the perfect present for my children. One thing that has stayed with me since I was a child is my love of Christmas dinner. It has to be my favourite meal ever. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without roast turkey.
I’m sure Christmas brings the same happy feelings wherever it is celebrated. I hope it continues to keep its message of love and peace. The Christmas spirit is very important. Nowadays it seems to get a bit lost. Everyone is so busy buying presents they forget the true meaning of Christmas. I spent quite a few Christmases in Japan, which was interesting. Everything looked as Christmassy as in England. The stores even had Frosty the Snowman playing. People bought presents and had a party, but then they went for a Kentucky Fried Chicken dinner. One thing I would like to experience is Christmas on the beach in Australia. I can’t imagine Christmas being so hot. But then I suppose it wasn’t that cold in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.
TEXT 3: BOXING DAY
Text taken and adapted from:
The text:
I think Boxing Day is confusing for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I bet many people think it is a time when people have a fight and punch each other. Well, it’s quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a way of helping poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen used to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the box. On the day after Christmas Day, which is December 26th, the shopkeeper emptied the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition kind of continues today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
I’ve always liked Boxing Day. It’s kind of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice feel about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There are also lots of good programmes and movies on TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s another day off work – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest difference for me between the two days is that there are no more presents to open on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and buy all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t get!
TEXT 4:KWANZAA
Text taken and adapted from:
The Text:
Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday that is celebrated around the world. It takes place between December the 26th and January the 1st every year. The holiday celebrates African culture and history. Kwanzaa started in 1966 in the U.S.A. It was the first holiday just for African Americans. Ron Karenga, an African-American civil rights campaigner, created the seven-day holiday. He said it was to give Americans of African descent an opportunity to celebrate their unique heritage. He wanted a holiday that did not “simply imitate the practice of the dominant [white] society”. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili language and means “first fruits”. Many Americans celebrate Kwanzaa alongside other holidays that take place at the same time. Ron Karenga said: “All people can share in the celebration of our common humanity.”
Kwanzaa celebrates Nguzu Saba, which means "The Seven Principles of Blackness". Each of the seven days represents a different principle. The principles are unity, self-determination, working together, cooperating in business, building the nation, creativity, and faith. People who celebrate Kwanzaa light candles in a special candle holder called a kinara. People decorate their homes in African colours and put up pieces of African art. Some people attend a Kwanzaa ceremony that has African drumming and music. One of the most important parts of Kwanzaa is a special feast called a karamu. Family and friends get together and celebrate who they are. If you go to a karamu, you should say “Habari gani,” which is Swahili for “What’s news?”
TEXT 5: NEW YEAR´S EVE
Text taken and adapted from:
The text:
New Year’s Eve is the last day of the year. It is always an exciting time because people look forward to welcoming a new year. It is also a good time to think back and say goodbye to the old year. New Year’s Eve is a national holiday for many people around the world. In a lot of countries, people go back to their hometown for the New Year, so the roads, trains and buses are packed. In England, there is always a New Year’s Eve party you can go to. The party is usually in someone’s home and the host invites friends, families and neighbours. The living room becomes a mini disco as everyone dances to loud music. Everyone then waits until midnight to hear Big Ben chime twelve times. That’s the signal a new year has arrived.
I have lots of good memories of New Year’s Eve. When I was very young, my parents let me stay up until midnight. This was very exciting and a special treat. When I became a teenager, I really looked forward to going to parties. I spent one freezing New Year’s Eve in Trafalgar Square in the centre of London. There were no trains to go home so I waited until morning outside the train station. It snowed. It was really cold. I also spent many wonderful New Year’s Eves in Japan. There, it is traditional to visit a shrine and pray for good things to happen. I think wherever you are, New Year’s Eve is always fun. Maybe the best way to welcome the New Year is by watching one of the many amazing fireworks displays in the world’s capital cities.
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Monday, November 23, 2009

SESSION 9: BBC NEWS: LISTEN

SESSION 9: BBC NEWS: LISTEN
DO YOU WANT TO WATCH THE BBC NEWS?
  • HERE YOU HAVE THE LINK JOSE lUIS GAVE ME TO WATCH THE BBC NEWS ON THE INTERNET:

http://atdhe.net/watchtv4.php?b=n

  • WATCH A RECENT PIECE OF NEWS YOU FIND INTERESTING AND WRITE DOWN NOTES, YOU WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ORAL SESSION!
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SESSION 9: A SONG

SESSION 9: A SONG
SNOW PATROL:
CHASING CARS
This is my favourite song ever, and my favourite band ever!
The title of the song is: Chasing Cars. Try to find out the meaning of this expression, it´s not literal!
Live:
UK Video:
American Video:
Lyrics:
Hope you like it too!
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SESSION 9: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 9: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION
2.1. NEIGHBOURS: What are the good and bad things about these neighbours?
Neighbours with:
  • a different religion
  • pets
  • children
  • no money
  • criminal records

2.2. PREJUDICE:

  • I strongly believe prejudice will disappear from our society one day
  • I strongly believe prejudice in the world will only get worse

2.3 INTOLERANCE: What kind of intolerance is there in your country? Rate them from 1(less tolerant) to 10 (most tolerant):

  • religious intolerance
  • racial intolerance
  • intolerance based on class
  • intolerance based on accent
  • sexism
  • intolerance to change
  • ageism
  • intolerance towards the homeless

2.4. MOSQUE: Spend one minute thinking of all the different words you associate with the word 'mosque'. Write them down.

2.5. DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘Islam’?
c) What do you think of the news in this article?
d) Do you think the open day was a good idea?
e) What do you think of Switzerland for holding a vote to ban minarets?
f) Why do you think there is prejudice against Muslims in Switzerland?
g) How are relations among different religions in your country?
h) If all religions teach the importance of harmony and love, why is their so much fear, hatred and mistrust among religions?
i) Would you like to know more about other religions?
j) What is needed to increase religious tolerance in our world?

k) Do you think the vote on minarets is religious discrimination?
l) What do you think of the tolerance of a party requesting a ban on the building of minarets?
m) Are you surprised only 53% of Swiss are against the ban (so far)?
n) Why do you think the Swiss People’s Party fears the construction of a few minarets?
o) Are Swiss business leaders right to worry about the vote harming Switzerland’s relations with Muslim countries?
p) Why do people talk about “Islamic” terrorism

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:


THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:


FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.


FINAL TASK:


HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.


Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 9, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.
Choose one of the following topics:

  • express your opinion: Intolerance and illiteracy go hand in hand
  • Muslims in Spain: prejudice and intolerance
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SESSION 9: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 9: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE
a.F / b.T / c.T / d.T / e.F / f.F / g.T / h.T

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH
1.h / 2.f / 3.b / 4.i / 5.g / 6.c / 7.j / 8.d / 9.a / 10.e

1.3 PHRASE MATCH
1.g / 2.j / 3.a / 4.c / 5.d / 6.i / 7.f / 8.b / 9.e /10.h

1.4 GAP FILL
open - encourage - ahead - opened - fears - dialogue - senior - enjoyed
ban - towers - power - against - less - worried - favour - target
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SESSION 9: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 9: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT
NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:
1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.
1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT
1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):
a. Swiss people can now visit mosques every day of the week.
b. Swiss people will soon vote on a ban on building mosque minarets.
c. Muslim leaders in Switzerland want to talk more with Swiss people.
d. A BBC reporter said people enjoyed visiting the mosque she went to.
e. There will be no more mosques built in Switzerland after November 29.
f. The vast majority of Swiss people oppose a ban on minaret building.
g. Only four mosques in Switzerland currently have a minaret.
h. The Swiss president is afraid a ban could bring terrorism to her nation.
1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. encourage ............................ a. damage
2. ahead ................................. b. welcomed
3. invited ................................ c. building
4. dialogue .............................. d. opposed to
5. prejudices ............................ e. for
6. construction .......................... f. before
7. symbol ................................. g. discrimination
8. against ................................. h. promote
9. harm ................................... i. conversation
10. in favour of .......................... j. icon
1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. encourage better ..................... a. to ban the building
2. three weeks ahead ................... b. have a minaret
3. whether or not ........................ c. prejudices people have
4. do away with the fears and ......... d. dialogue
5. build a .................................. e. relations
6. a plan to ban the construction ....... f. against a ban
7. most Swiss people are ................ g. community relations
8. four of these ........................... h. favour of the referendum
9. the vote will harm their nation’s .... i. of minarets
10. A vote in ............................... j. of a national vote
1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:
enjoyed - encourage - opened - open - fears - senior - ahead - dialogue
Muslims in Switzerland held a nationwide ____________ mosque day on November 7th. The event was to ____________ better community relations between Swiss people and their Muslim neighbours. It also comes three weeks ____________ of a national vote on whether or not to ban the building of new minarets. Over 100 mosques and Islamic religious centres across the country ____________ their doors and invited non-Muslims in. Muslim leaders said they wanted to do away with the ____________ and prejudices people have against Muslims. "We hope these meetings will build a ____________ and better understanding," said Hisham Maizar, a ____________ Muslim spokesman. BBC reporter Imogen Foulkes visited a mosque in Zurich and said the many visitors who came ____________ themselves.
against - towers - target - worried - power - ban - favour - less
Switzerland will vote on November 29th on a plan to ____________ the construction of minarets on mosques. The right-wing Swiss People's Party called the small ____________ a symbol of Islamic religious intolerance and of Muslim political ____________. However, most Swiss people are against a ban. The Wall Street Journal reported a poll in which 53 per cent of people are ____________ a ban and 34 percent for it. There are 400,000 Muslims and ____________ than 200 mosques in Switzerland. Only four of these have a minaret. Business leaders are ____________ the vote will harm their nation’s relations with Muslim countries. Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey went further. She said: "A vote in ____________ of the referendum could make Switzerland a ____________ for Islamic terrorism."
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SESSION 9:TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 25TH NOVEMBER

SESSION 9:TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 25TH NOVEMBER
SWISS MUSLIMS OPEN MOSQUES TO PUBLIC
Text taken and adapted from:
The text:
Muslims in Switzerland held a nationwide open mosque day on November 7th. The event was to encourage better community relations between Swiss people and their Muslim neighbours. It also comes three weeks ahead of a national vote on whether or not to ban the building of new minarets. Over 100 mosques and Islamic religious centres across the country opened their doors and invited non-Muslims in. Muslim leaders said they wanted to do away with the fears and prejudices people have against Muslims. "We hope these meetings will build a dialogue and better understanding," said Hisham Maizar, a senior Muslim spokesman. BBC reporter Imogen Foulkes visited a mosque in Zurich and said the many visitors who came enjoyed themselves.
Switzerland will vote on November 29th on a plan to ban the construction of minarets on mosques. The right-wing Swiss People's Party called the small towers a symbol of Islamic religious intolerance and of Muslim political power. However, most Swiss people are against a ban. The Wall Street Journal reported a poll in which 53 per cent of people are against a ban and 34 percent for it. There are 400,000 Muslims and less than 200 mosques in Switzerland. Only four of these have a minaret. Business leaders are worried the vote will harm their nation’s relations with Muslim countries. Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey went further. She said: "A vote in favour of the referendum could make Switzerland a target for Islamic terrorism."
Swiss Muslims open mosques to public - 9th November, 2009
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Friday, November 13, 2009

SESSION 8: A SONG

SESSION 8: A SONG
PETER GABRIEL & KATE BUSH: DON´T GIVE UP
Here is an oldie, hope you enjoy it as I do every time I hear it!
Have a look at the lyrics, they are really nice.
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SESSION 8: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 8: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION
2.1 NATIONAL DIET: do all countries eat healthily? Explain your image of this diet and say wether they are healthy or unhealthy:
  • Italy
  • the USA
  • Japan
  • Lebanon
  • England
  • India

2.2 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: Express your opinion:

  • I strongly believe you are what you eat (if you eat healthily, your mind will be healthy)
  • I strongly believe food does not affect your brain

2.3 DEPRESSION: What can stop depression? Rate these and share your ratings with your partner: 10= would definitely stop depression; 1= would have zero impact on depression:

  • food
  • money
  • English level
  • friends
  • weather
  • news
  • television
  • work

2.4 MEDITERRANEAN FOOD DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:

a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What do you think about what you read? Was there anything surprising?
c) How would you describe your current diet?
d) Do you think people in Mediterranean countries are more laid back?
e) Do you think there’s a link between food and happiness?
f) Do you think the kind of food you eat can lead to depression?
g) Do you eat differently when you feel unhappy?
h) How healthy is your country’s national food?
i) How does the food you eat change your feelings?
j) Which country’s food do you think is healthiest?
k) What do you know about Mediterranean food?
l) How do you make your brain and heart work better?
m) Is there anything better than food to make you happier?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:


FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.


SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.


FINAL TASK:


HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 8, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.


Choose one of the following topics:

  • Write a letter to the newspaper promoting the Mediterranean Diet with all its benefits
  • We are what we eat: express your opinion
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SESSION 8: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 8: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE
a.F / b.F / c.F / d.T / e.T / f.T / g.F / h.F

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH
1.e / 2.h / 3.a / 4.j / 5.f / 6.i / 7.c / 8.d / 9.b / 10.g

1.3 PHRASE MATCH
1.f / 2.h / 3.a / 4.j / 5.c / 6.d / 7.e / 8.b / 9.g /10.i

1.4 GAP FILL
LIKELY- AUTHORS-WHOLE-EXPLAIN-MENTAL-PREVIOUS-PROTECTS-COMPLETE
TRACK-HABITS-RISK-STUCK-UNSURE-BLOOD-PERFORM-NATURAL
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SESSION 8: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 8: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):
a. People who eat lots of Mediterranean food are generally miserable.
b. Researchers said you need to be rich to eat lots of whole grain food.
c. Those in Mediterranean countries are the most depressed Europeans.
d. The writer says live oil is needed with meals in Italy, Spain and Greece.
e. Scientists studied 10,000 people for about four years.
f. A Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of depression by 30%.
g. Scientists say the diet reduces depression because it is low in fats.
h. The authors say the diet can have a bad effect on our blood vessels.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
1. follow ................. a. probable
2. published ............ b. improve
3. likely .................. c. eating
4. laid back .............. d. uncertain
5. complete .............. e. stick to
6. Keep track of ......... f. finished
7. dietary ................. g. work
8. unsure .................. h. printed
9. boost ................... i. note down
10. perform .............. j. relaxed

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):
1. People who follow .................. a. develop depression
2. a diet that is rich .................... b. developing depression
3. less likely to .......................... c. against depression
4. more laid back ....................... d. what they ate
5. olive oil protects ..................... e. habits
6. keep track of .......................... f. a Mediterranean diet
7. scientists observed dietary .......... g. of depression
8. a thirty per cent lower risk of ....... h. in vegetables
9. reduces the likelihood ................. i. to produce oxygen
10. increase the body’s efficiency ...... j. than other Europeans

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

mental - whole - complete - likely - previous - protects - authors - explain
People who follow a Mediterranean diet are ____________ to be happier in life. This is the conclusion of a new report published in the journal ‘Archives of General Psychiatry’. The study’s ____________ say a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, ____________ grains and fish seems to make people less likely to develop depression. This may ____________ why people who live in Mediterranean countries are more laid back than other Europeans. There are fewer ____________ disorders in Mediterranean countries and scientists believe this could be because of the diet. The new research supports ____________ studies that suggested olive oil ____________ against depression. No Italian, Spanish or Greek meal is ____________ without olive oil.
unsure -risk - track - perform - blood - natural - habits - stuck
Researchers from Spain’s University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Clinic of the University of Navarra, Pamplona asked 10,000 people to keep ____________ of what they ate. The scientists observed dietary ____________ and instances of depression for four years. They discovered there was a thirty per cent lower ____________ of developing depression in people who ____________ to the Mediterranean diet. The research team says it is still ____________ why this diet reduces the likelihood of depression. They said the diet could boost ____________ vessel performance and increase the body’s efficiency to produce oxygen. Both these things make the brain and heart ____________ better. If our mind and body are healthier, it seems ____________ we will be happier.
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SESSION 8: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER

SESSION 8: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 18TH
MEDITERRANEAN DIETS KEEP YOU HAPPIER
Text taken and adapted from:
The text:
People who follow a Mediterranean diet are likely to be happier in life. This is the conclusion of a new report published in the journal ‘Archives of General Psychiatry’. The study’s authors say a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish seems to make people less likely to develop depression. This may explain why people who live in Mediterranean countries are more laid back than other Europeans. There are fewer mental disorders in Mediterranean countries and scientists believe this could be because of the diet. The new research supports previous studies that suggested olive oil protects against depression. No Italian, Spanish or Greek meal is complete without olive oil.
Researchers from Spain’s University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Clinic of the University of Navarra, Pamplona asked 10,000 people to keep track of what they ate. The scientists observed dietary habits and instances of depression for four years. They discovered there was a thirty per cent lower risk of developing depression in people who stuck to the Mediterranean diet. The research team says it is still unsure why this diet reduces the likelihood of depression. They said the diet could boost blood vessel performance and increase the body’s efficiency to produce oxygen. Both these things make the brain and heart perform better. If our mind and body are healthier, it seems natural we will be happier.
Mediterranean Diets Keep you Happier - 7th October, 2009
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Monday, November 9, 2009

SESSION 7: A SONG

SESSION 7: A SONG
THE FRAY: HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
Try to find the meaning behind the song.
I hope you enjoy the song and sing it all along.
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Sunday, November 8, 2009

SESSION 7: FINAL TASK

SESSION 7: FINAL TASK


For further investigation you can have a look at the following pages and blogs:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/warforoil.html

http://oilwars.blogspot.com/

http://www.thedebate.org/thedebate/iraq.asp

WRITE A COMPOSITION OF NOT MORE THAN 180 WORDS AND LEAVE IT IN THE BLOG AS A COMMENT TO SESSION 7. I WILL EDIT IT IN THE BLOG SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE´S OPINIONS.

Choose one of these two options:

  • In what way does American policy on energy affect the rest of the world´s policies
  • Alternatives to oil as an energy resource: are they trustworthy?

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SESSION 7: TEXT 2 FOR WEDNESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER

SESSION 7: TEXT 2 FOR WEDNESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER

THE UNDECLARED OIL WAR


By Paul Roberts Monday, June 28, 2004; Page A21


While some debate whether the war in Iraq was or was not "about oil," another war, this one involving little but oil, has broken out between two of the world's most powerful nations.
For months China and Japan have been locked in a diplomatic battle over access to the big oil fields in Siberia. Japan, which depends entirely on imported oil, is desperately lobbying Moscow for a 2,300-mile pipeline from Siberia to coastal Japan. But fast-growing China, now the world's second-largest oil user, after the United States, sees Russian oil as vital for its own "energy security" and is pushing for a 1,400-mile pipeline south to Daqing.
The petro-rivalry has become so intense that Japan has offered to finance the $5 billion pipeline, invest $7 billion in development of Siberian oil fields and throw in an additional $2 billion for Russian "social projects" -- this despite the certainty that if Japan does win Russia's oil, relations between Tokyo and Beijing may sink to their lowest, potentially most dangerous, levels since World War II.
Asia's undeclared oil war is but the latest reminder that in a global economy dependent largely on a single fuel -- oil -- "energy security" means far more than hardening refineries and pipelines against terrorist attack. At its most basic level, energy security is the ability to keep the global machine humming -- that is, to produce enough fuels and electricity at affordable prices that every nation can keep its economy running, its people fed and its borders defended. A failure of energy security means that the momentum of industrialization and modernity grinds to a halt. And by that measure, we are failing.
In the United States and Europe, new demand for electricity is outpacing the new supply of power and natural gas and raising the specter of more rolling blackouts. In the "emerging" economies, such as Brazil, India and especially China, energy demand is rising so fast it may double by 2020. And this only hints at the energy crisis facing the developing world, where nearly 2 billion people -- a third of the world's population -- have almost no access to electricity or liquid fuels and are thus condemned to a medieval existence that breeds despair, resentment and, ultimately, conflict.
In other words, we are on the cusp of a new kind of war -- between those who have enough energy and those who do not but are increasingly willing to go out and get it. While nations have always competed for oil, it seems more and more likely that the race for a piece of the last big reserves of oil and natural gas will be the dominant geopolitical theme of the 21st century.
Already we can see the outlines. China and Japan are scrapping over Siberia. In the Caspian Sea region, European, Russian, Chinese and American governments and oil companies are battling for a stake in the big oil fields of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. In Africa, the United States is building a network of military bases and diplomatic missions whose main goal is to protect American access to oilfields in volatile places such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and tiny Sao Tome -- and, as important, to deny that access to China and other thirsty superpowers.
The diplomatic tussles only hint at what we'll see in the Middle East, where most of the world's remaining oil lies. For all the talk of big new oil discoveries in Russia and Africa -- and of how this gush of crude will "free" America and other big importers from the machinations of OPEC -- the geological facts speak otherwise. Even with the new Russian and African oil, worldwide oil production outside the Middle East is barely keeping pace with demand.
In the run-up to the Iraq war, Russia and France clashed noisily with the United States over whose companies would have access to the oil in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Less well known is the way China has sought to build up its own oil alliances in the Middle East -- often over Washington's objections. In 2000 Chinese oil officials visited Iran, a country U.S. companies are forbidden to deal with; China also has a major interest in Iraqi oil.
But China's most controversial oil overture has been made to a country America once regarded as its most trusted oil ally: Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Beijing has been lobbying Riyadh for access to Saudi reserves, the largest in the world. In return, the Chinese have offered the Saudis a foothold in what will be the world's biggest energy market -- and, as a bonus, have thrown in offers of sophisticated Chinese weaponry, including ballistic missiles and other hardware, that the United States and Europe have refused to sell to the Saudis.
Granted, the United States, with its vast economic and military power, would probably win any direct "hot" war for oil. The far more worrisome scenario is that an escalating rivalry among other big consumers will spark new conflicts -- conflicts that might require U.S. intervention and could easily destabilize the world economy upon which American power ultimately rests.
As demand for oil becomes sharper, as global oil production continues to lag (and as producers such as Saudi Arabia and Nigeria grow more unstable) the struggle to maintain access to adequate energy supplies, always a critical mission for any nation, will become even more challenging and uncertain and take up even more resources and political attention.
This escalation will not only drive up the risk of conflict but will make it harder for governments to focus on long-term energy challenges, such as avoiding climate change, developing alternative fuels and alleviating Third World energy poverty -- challenges that are themselves critical to long-term energy security but which, ironically, will be seen as distracting from the current campaign to keep the oil flowing.
This, ultimately, is the real energy-security dilemma. The more obvious it becomes that an oil-dominated energy economy is inherently insecure, the harder it becomes to move on to something beyond oil.

Paul Roberts is the author of "The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World"

Text taken from: The Washington Post Company

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SESSION 7: TEXT 1 FOR WEDNESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER

SESSION 7: TEXT 1 FOR WEDNESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER
WAR FOR OIL
Text taken from POEMSBYTOM
TRANSCRIPT:
Stupid! Stupid!
The fact that we are fighting a war for oil in the first place just shows how greedy some people are. We have known for fifty or even a hundred, maybe hundreds of years that oil is a fixed resource. It is non-renewable. There is only so much of it. Any math person with a calculator should be able to take the world consumption levels of oil and mutliply it by population and divide by the square root of Mobil plus Exon and realize that we have X amount of years before there is no more oil. Well, it is within our lifetime. We have had at least fifty years notice. Yet our entire freaking world economy is somehow or other dependent on something made from oil. What is it? Six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon? Bacon...hmmm....bacon has grease....grease is kinda like oil....I wonder.....nevermind...I digress. But rather than focus on alternative energy resources fifty years ago it seems as if we are just doing it now. This is an over simplification.. but we built up our military so that we could conquer and steal oil NOW rather than use that funding that went into the military to develop alternatives to oil 50 years ago so that BY NOW we'd be off oil and wouldn't need to fight for it...I think that sums it up. That's a dumb plan don'tcha think ? How great of shape would America be in right now if we weren't oil dependent and we could relax. Let other countries blow themselves to bits because they didn't have any logical forsight... But alas...some people are making lots of money off of oil dependency. And war also creates a lot of wealth for certain segments of society. For people who need things spelled out for them... this whole war for oil thing is going to get worse before it gets better. What you see now is just the tip of the iceberg. No oil means that the manufacturing of food is in big trouble. The United States might have a big gun and a pipeline to the Middle East and South America and holes in the ocean but a lot of countries are going to start starving to death. Then they're going to get desperate....and angry. I know that right now you don't see a major problem with oil dependency. It's not right up in your face... but it's coming.
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Monday, November 2, 2009

SESSION 6: FINAL TASK


SESSION 6: FINAL TASK

WRITE A COMPOSITION OF NOT MORE THAN 180 WORDS AND LEAVE IT IN THE BLOG AS A COMMENT TO SESSION 6. I WILL EDIT IT IN THE BLOG SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE´S OPINIONS.
  • Write a letter to Barack Obama congratulating him for this Prize.
  • Write a letter to the Nobel Committee expressing your opinion about awarding Barack Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize.
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SESSION 6: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER

LESSON 6: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER
BARACK OBAMA 'SURPRISED' AND 'HUMBLED' BY NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Text taken from:
Just click on http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?catid=58224&docid=157634 and you have the text together with some exercises and the key for you to work on.
Hope you enjoy it!
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