My English Competence in 2012

If I have to choose my best written evidence I have written in two years, that means one of 60 writings, I consider is really difficult. So I will show you two of them:

http://evasalobatx8.blogspot.com.es/2013/02/calcotada.html

http://evasalobatx8.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/my-last-writting.html

The first one is about “Calçotada”. I really like it because it’s really expressive and easy to understand. I show how I like it and there is plenty of new vocabulary.

The second one, I think that is quite good too because I express my feelings and I show how I was and how I became in these lasts years. Maybe, this writing doesn’t have a lot of new vocabulary but it has more connectors and different verbal tenses.

If I have to choose one of them, I would say the second one because it’s almost the last one, that is supposed I know more, but I still maintain that both are quite good for me, and they are on the same level. On each one, you can see the fluency of the reading and because there aren’t a lot of short but neither large sentences.

Looking for my best oral evidence I found this one:

http://evasalobatx8.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/description-of-friend.html

The reason I have chosen it is because of my pronunciation and my fluency. I think it’s a sentimental but potential oral podcast. As you can see, I am not nervous like I was on the oral presentations, so it’s maybe the most important reason I chose it. 

FINAL REFLECTION

Looking back approximately 20 months, I was 16 and I started 1^st Batxillerat. If I look my first writing I sent to Lourdes, in my opinion it wasn’t so bad, but looking forward to my last composition it has quite improved.

First of all, you can see that grammar is one of the most important things I have improved, but connectors and relative pronouns are the most ones. These helped me to explain more things and to do larger sentences.

I have also improved my imagination on my writings and my fluency on it, and of course my pronunciation in summer because in Sant Pere comes a lot of tourists. But what I haven’t improved was on vocabulary and prepositions. It costs me a lot and it maybe can’t be displayed on writings.

As for oral presentations, I have seen that I was really nervous and trembling at my first oral presentation, even I was talking about my life and me. I didn't look allmaost nothing to my friends of the class, I only was looking Lourdes, my teacher. In this aspect I have improved a lot because I lost a little bit the shame. As you can see too, I said a lot of oral expresions, like: ehm, and, ... and a lot more. I still do it now, but not so many. 

In my opinion, I believe oral presentations helps you to improve your English and of course to learn more about the topic you do. I have improved a lot my pronunciation, but not only at school.

About my personal development, I have become more mature, I have passed a lot of things and experiences, and I think Baxillerat helped me to take this step.

Interview with Carrie Bradshaw

Situated in New York city, the most popular city we can find a famous person, on a café. We have a date with Carrie Bradshaw, an actress who has been the best paid famous girl in years for the series “Sex in New York”. So let’s start!

I: Good morning Carrie! We are from divinity, as you know, and we are interviewing the four girls of it. The first one, of course, is you because you are the protagonist. Tell us something about your experience doing it, while you were recording, etc.

C: Hello everyone. First of all, I’m glad to be interviewed by divinity. I really follow its series. While I was recording Sex in N.Y., at first all were really nervous and we didn’t know each other, but if you see last season you can see how our feelings were changing and the series was better at the end.

I: And have you seen all the chapters on TV?

C: Yes, of course! I always do it because I see my mistakes and what I have to improve to be better and to learn too from my colleagues.

I: That’s great! I think it’s a good idea and all the actors should do it. Regarding to the topic of colleagues, what were your relationship? It was ok?

C: It was amazing! At first we got friends quickly, we met every night, even to study together for the series. But at the end, as you know we distanced and we had some economic problems about the movie, not for the series.

I: Wow! It probably was disappointing for you and for the audience, wasn’t it?

C: Yes, of course! I was really bad because we became very friends, but life isn’t easy, you have to go on your way.

I: I absolutely agree with you. Now we are going to leave your past and talk about the present. What about your feet? How they are doing?

C: Oh, thanks for your concern! Well, I am ok, I go with a specialist doctor and he is really good. I can’t wear heels and it has been particularly difficult because I was over them all day: while I was working, while I was at home … all day!

I: That has to be impossible!

C: No, no it wasn’t! I really love them and love wearing them because a girl with heels changes completely. But now I realize that they have been good friends for me for all my career and now my feet have to rest. Now I am not bad, I have to take care of them and well, continue as I said before.

I: We are so happy you are better and we hope you will go up to your heels, because it’s how we know you.

C: Yes of course. We will do our best!

I: Thanks for your time. We hope to see you soon on your new projects.

C: Thanks to you. Bye Bye my fans!

I: Bye Carrie Bradshaw. We finish here the interview, we hope you have enjoyed it and we will have more news tomorrow from the new project of Jennifer Lopez and how her babies are growing up!

My last writting

Hello everyone, this is my last writing I will do on 2^nd Batxillerat. I’m so excited because it means that I end Batxillerat and my life will change completely in a month. I will go to University, living alone or with friends in a strange and big city, I will meet a lot of people,… but now I will remember you how I entered IES Castelló d’Empúries and how I have finished it.

First of all, I was a little child who has left from her primary school. There, all the teachers were attending me but I knew that the same second I will enter to high school, my life would change a little bit. And it was! But it wasn’t a difficult change. The differences were that this school was bigger, there were a lot of people, a lot of different teachers and subjects, and a lot of gays to know. I remember the first years I only went with my friends of my town, but at 3^rd of ESO I began to meet new fantastic people.

Then, when I finished 4^th of ESO I knew that I will enter on Batxillerat, but it was on the same school so it didn’t afraid me. These two years have been really hard, spending a lot of hours studying, with a lot of problems but with plenty of happiness too, I’ve done my first research project, I’ve met a family on my class and I’m glad of it, I’ve taken care about “Shakira” (our plant of the class) and a lot of things more that I can’t remember now.

Now, I’m in a nervous, exciting but also afraid situation. I have to decide my future and it’s the biggest responsibility I ever faced. I am sad of leaving my high school, leaving all my friends and all of them will create their way, even knowing we will reconnect again, but we will never be on the same class together. But I am also really happy to end my first stage, and open another door with a lot of new things to learn and experiences to happen.

This is my last writing in IES Castelló d’Empúries.

Clenching fists "can improve memory"

Lead scientist Ruth Propper, of Montclair State University, said that clenching the right hand for 90 seconds helps in memory formation, while the same movement in the left improves memory recall, say US psychologists. The researchers think clenching a first activates specific brain regions that are associated with memory processing.

In an experiment, 50 adults performed better at remembering words from a long list when they carried out these movements.

Future research will examine whether hand clenching can also improve other mental processes, for example verbal or spatial abilities, and memory of pictures and places, as well as words.

In my opinion, I've been particularly impressed about this information I've just learned. It is maybe one of the news I have done this year that has surprised me the most. I can't realise that clenching 90 seconds my right hand helps me in memory formation. I believe it's a good investigation and experiment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22270716

Sant George's Day

Traditionally and from the fifteenth century in Catalonia St George’s Day is the day of love, and it is customary for couples to give each a red rose “like blood” and a book. The day claimed many Catalan culture and many balconies adorned with the flag of Catalonia. It is celebrated on 23rd of April.

This day has been part of many stories for all ages. A short example:

“Legend says that long ago in a village there was a very angry dragon spitting fire-breathing smoke and pulled the nose. The dragon ate all pigs, chickens, goats, cows, … and the people were terrified. Every morning they offered a person to eat it. One morning, the bad luck wanted to be one’s turn of the princess and the king became very sad. But when the dragon was ready to eat the princess, appeared a very strong boy riding a horse and killed the dragon with a spear. Blood of the dragon was born a rose. The villagers cheered and the castle became a party”.

Summer '13

I want that this summer must be the best I ever had before. I have plenty of things to do but I am also worried if I have a lot of hours empty, because I am an active girl who has to do something in any moment.

At first, my objective of this summer is to get my driving lessons. I am so excited! I want to get it but it makes me respect too. I’m quite afraid if I couldn’t get it or if I don’t know how to drive, but I will put all my desire and strength.

Another objective is to get the first certificate in July. As you can see I will be very busy studying, but I think it’s a good idea to get it before going to university, so I have to sacrifice for what I want.

Finally, the rests of my objectives in this summer are not planned or maybe not as important as what I’ve said before. I will be with my friends, my family, going to parties and other things to relax of this hard year I’ve past!

Job satisfaction is more important than salary

Most of the people are said to prefer salary over the job satisfaction, however I’m not inside this group. I claim that it is more important to enjoy yourself while you are working.

Firstly, I don’t quite agree that the job satisfaction is totally more important than salary. If you work a lot of hours and at the end of the month the boss pays you a misery, you won’t be happy, even though you enjoy the job. You also have to think about your family, your house and your lifestyle, but I believe that working on something you don’t like, you are bored with and you don’t feel quite good working, I would leave it.

Secondly, the main that satisfies me even if I couldn’t reach at the end of the month, is because I will be working on this kind of job, maybe the rest of my life, every day and for eight hours a day. If I wouldn’t enjoy this job, the rest of the day I would be sad, tired, annoyed, so, I believe the job influences you more than you think.

To sum up, I would like to say I wouldn’t work for one or two euros, but don’t you think that life is for enjoying it and not to spend most of the hours working, discussing or being upset.

Pancakes

-Recipe ingredients of pancakes:

125 g flour

2 eggs

¼ L of milk

50 g butter

1 teaspoon butter to grease the pan

5 g of sugar

1 pinch of salt

-For the sauce:

75 g of chocolate couverture

100 mL of milk

-Development of pancakes recipe:

To melt the butter, enter it in the microwave for 30-40 secords.

Place the milk, butter and eggs in a jug. Add flour, sugar and salt. Grind the ingredients and pass the mixture through a strainer to remove any lumps you may have.

With a brush smeared the bottom of a pan with a teaspoon of butter and heat it over medium heat. Pour a little of the dough, spread it well, and when it begins to set, turn it over. Kitchen briefly and remove it to a plate.

Repeat until all the dough finish. Put the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over low heat and wait until it melts.

Serve pancakes and accompany them with chocolate sauce.

Pregnancy advice 'scaremongering'

Pregnancy is a huge, lige-changing period in a woman’s life and there is no shortage of advice about what is best for your unborn child. But Linda Geddes, the author of Bumpology, argues this can sometimes be misleading and scaremongering.

Expectant parents are bombarded with advice about what they should and shouldn’t be doing. Pregnant women mustn’t eat too much as it may raise the baby’s risk of obesity or diabetes, but they mustn’t diet as that could have a similar effect. Neither should they exercise for fear of triggering a miscarriage, or get too stressed out because that’s bad for the baby too. You might start to think that staying at home would be the sensible thing to do, only this too is ridden with potential dangers for your unborn child: from ice-cream, to pet shampoo, to hair dye.

“When I fell pregnant three years ago, I felt paralyzed and somewhat patronized by all the conflicting advice out there. So began a quest to investigate the truth behind the old wives’ tales, alarming newspapers headlines and government guidelines, and to probe deeper into the inner world of the developing child. So Bumpology was born.”

In my opinion, Linda Geddes has done a really good job and has been really worried about her child’s life and his healthy. I admire her to worry so much for her baby, and also to advice in news that other mothers don’t have to do everything that other people say, they only have to look for the secure advices and enjoy their life with their baby.

I’ve never been pregnant, because I’m young, but I can’t imagine what a mother can worry about their son. It has to be amazing and also, when he/she borns, the preoccupations start at the same moment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20891997

How to tackle unsafe drinking

Drinking too much is bad for you. But too many people underestimate what is a safe amount of alcohol.

Dr Nick Sheron, a liver expert at the Univeristy of Southampton, explains why we need a blood test to alert people to the harm they could be doing to their body.

We have a serious problem with liver disease in the UK.

Around a quarter of the UK population are drinking too much, but may not realize it, and GPs have an important role to play here. Liver disease develops silently. There are no signs or symptoms – the liver has no pain fibers, until disease is very far advanced. By the time the patient presents to hospital the liver is often very scarred. Even if the patient stops drinking entirely at this point, it may be too late and many people die of liver complications over the next year or so.

Now they have a simple blood test, which we call the Southampton Traffic Light test. The result comes in three colors: red, green and amber.

Is incredible how the % has increased in these lasts years, on people drinking alcohol. I agree that doctors have an important paper for the UK to inform all the population, but I also believe that people don't listen or don't pay attention on the important things, like your life! They may think that they wouldn't be ill. In any case, I am not anyone to discuss it because everyone has their own problems, and I also want to say that the new simple blood test is really good to differentiate the level of the disease.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19318323

Prenuptial arrangements are a good idea

Why should the couples do a prenup? Is it a matter of not relying on your partner?

On the one hand, doing a prenup has to be a good idea for the people who have a lot of money and a lot of propiate campsides. Then, when the couple wants to marry, they distributate theirs properties to not to discuss it when they might divorce the following years. Everybody has to be secure deciding and choosing their own things, because nowadays, exists a lot of ways to destroy or steal the other person. So, in this sense it's a good idea to pass those papers firstly to enter to a secure marriage.

But on the other hand, the boyfriend or the girlfriend can feel quite insecure seeing while his pair isn't relying on him/her. This person might think about their projects in a future together or maybe think about their children. I believe that couples have to speak to each other and planning their lifes while they are living theirs. Maybe, not to plan all at first, however doing it while you are growing up together. 

In my opinion, I think that people who do a prenup don't rely on their couple and don't marry being in love. 

Formal letter

18 Girona Road

Barcelona

Tel. 456 213 1

Govierno de España
24 Madrid Road
Madrid

Dear Mr Rajoy, 

I am doing a project at my High School, IES Castelló d'Empúries, about Human Rights. 

Regarding the 7th article of Human Rights, it states that the law has to be equal to anyone, even if someone has a lot of money, or is famous, or is the President of any country, has to be under the law that all the current people do.

In my opinion, sometimes this is not complied with. For example, a news story came from a woman who stole €200 of a credit card that was to buy necessities for their children, almost has been thrown in prison; however, there have been many theft of a lot of money by some politicians, but nothing has happened.

As a result, I think everyone should be judged as they deserve, and because there is a law, then enforce it. 

I would like to thank you in advance for listening me.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Eva Martínez Benito.

CHALLENGE: Can we make Humans rights more relevant in the world today?

Previously, without internet, television, social networking or any of that, people were quite lost in what was happening in the world. They didn’t wise if there was a war here, if there was a violation there, … everyone cared about himself and move on. But with the implantation of new technologies, people are much more informed. Sincerely, I believe that this can help people to communicate and to do groups for helping others. However, I think that having so much information to know what happens at all times, we don’t pay attention and it doesn’t give us any importance that it should have. The reason is because we have listened it a lot, so it’s not new for us.

Ghana: People With Mental Disabilities Face Serious Abuse

People with mental disabilities suffer severe abuses in psychiatric institutions and spiritual healing centers in Ghana, Human Rights Watch said in a report. The Ghanaian government has done little to combat such abuse or to ensure that these people can live in the community, as is their right under international law.

The 84-page report, based on more than 170 interviews with people of different situations, describes how thousands of people with mental disabilities are forced to live in these institutions, often against their will and with little possibility of challenging their confinement. In psychiatric hospitals, people with mental disabilities face overcrowding and unsanitary conditions, face stigma and discrimination and often lack adequate shelter, food, and healthcare. People who are institutionalized in prayer camps, the prophets seek to “cure” residents through miracles, consultation with “angels,” and spiritual healing.

“The government needs to take immediate steps to end abuses against people with mental disabilities in institutions, prayer camps, and the community,” said Medi Ssengooba, Finberg fellow at Human Rights Watch. “The conditions in which many people with mental disabilities live in Ghana are inhuman and degrading.”

Under this convention, countries must undertake steps to ensure that people with mental disabilities can make important life decisions for themselves.
The government should create community-based support services, including housing and healthcare. The government should also ensure that people are not forcefully detained in these facilities or in psychiatric hospitals and that they have access to mechanisms to challenge any violations of their rights.

In my country the situation is different, but I’m not sure about that and how these psychiatric centers are organized. I’ve never been in one of those, but I hope it’s different from this country and that the government enforces laws in these centers.

I’m not sure about myself to do something to change the situation, because I have no experience in almost anything about this world of human rights, but I’m sure that I could do something if someone wants that I help him/her.

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/31/ghana-people-mental-disabilities-face-serious-abuse

Human Rights

1.    What are human rights?

Human rights are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. Human rights are thus conceived as universal and the same for anyone. The objective of human rights is that every individual and every organ of society shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.

2.    Why were they created?

They were created to preserve the natural rights.

3.    How many human rights are there?

There are thirty human rights.

4.    Which human right were you not familiar with? Mention an example where this human right is respected and where it is not respected.

I was familiar with the article 23 (II): “Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work”, and it is respected in some countries, but it is still happening in some others, that women don’t get the same salary than men, even doing the same work. 

Selfevaluation

My oral presentation was about my Reserch Project I did for 2nd Batxillerat, in Catalan. I did about "The crop of the apple in Sant Pere Pescador". 

On my oral presentation, I wasn't nervous because I prepared a lot at home and also because the audience were my friends and I did a lot of presentations before. However, on the cilp I observed that my voice was a little bit trembling at first, but then I continued better, I suppose because the first part was the most difficult to explain.

This presentation lasted 10 minutes approximately, and I saw in the video that I was looking around the class, and I didn't read at all. I made a power point to help me, and because the audience could understand it better, I did some videos of my pictures of the apple trees. The power point was quite good organized. I tried to introduce more vocabulary and some of them I translated to Catalan, on the presentation, because they could understand the scientific words. 

Maybe, my mistake is speak a little bit fast and weak. I have to improve this part because the people can understand me better. 

In my opinion I did my last oral presentation really good.

(I couldn't post the video because it weights a lot, even doing with any programs.)

Personal description

Aida is my cousin. She is 7 years younger than me. She is so different from me and we don't seem like cousins, because she is green-eyed and blonde-haired. She has a lovely complexion and she is really beautiful. She has a regular size for her age and she is quite thin. We are close cousins, even though we can't see each other due to the distance. 

She has a strong personality: she is extroverted, friendly and particularly cheerful. Her hobbies are cooking and dancing. We sometimes dance together and we really have an amusing time. 

I admire her because she gets on really well with other people. We both are quite open with anyone but she is maybe less shy than me. I have to say that I admire her because of her intelligence, because she thinks like an adult person. 

I don't have a lot of cousins, but she plays a great role in this part, although we sometimes don't share the same opinion.

TDR's summary

What makes an apple tastier? What are its main features? Which one is the ideal apple?

My research project consists of a study of the apple: its organoleptic characteristics, which varieties grow in my town, Sant Pere Pescador, etc.

As for the practical work, a taste sampling has been carried out both by students and teachers at IES Castelló d’Empúries. From the results, the ideal apple has been designed, out of the three selected samples, grown in Sant Pere Pescador.

"Calçotada"

Today, I had a whim to eat “calçots” (there isn’t a direct translation, so I will talk if it were a simple onion). This food is traditional in Catalonia, and within two weeks I will eat it with my friends. I'm so excited! 

The meal, called "calçotada”, is community and it has become the most traditional way of eating onions. With strong connotations of celebration and gathering. “Calçotades” are usually from late winter until March.

The first dish on the menu are typical “calçotada” onions (usually between 10 and 20 per person, although I eat around 50, and even more) along with the typical sauce. The second dish I usually grilled meat with toasts, accompanied by vinegar or champagne, but then I don’t have much appetite, because I’m enough with the onions.

The preparation is:

Before you cook the onions, they shorten the leaves were longer and cut a piece of root. Then, without washing or removing the floor, put the onions on the flame grill, like if it were taken out of the field. Once cooked, wrapped with newspaper, so you just soften and keep warm. Usually, they serve the onions wrapped and put on a tile. Is advised to wear a bib to avoid staining clothes. Take each onion with one hand, with the other one stretch the peel out, it dips into the sauce and eat it until the leaves (which aren’t eaten).

I hope if you haven't ever eaten them, you might have the opportunity because they are actually delicious.

Pulseres Vermelles

“Pulseres Vermelles” is a series that started on 2011. In this year started the first season and nowadays, on Mondays, tv3 emits the second one. Author is Albert Espinosa who has written some Catalan books too.

At first, I want to say that it isn’t my favorite series, but is within the most I like. At first, you can see that this series tells the story of a group of boys and girls who meet in a hospital because of the diseases and talks about friendship, zest for life and a desire to overcome. This story can be reflected to lots of young gays, and it can be aid for the real ones, because the people can know how they feel and how they suffer. And also, being a Catalan series it has been translated in different languages.

On the first season, I was quite attached to the series, but I thought that the second one would be less good and responsive as the first has been. But I was wrong! The early days, all the things were getting there place (because of the new characters too) and it seemed that might be bored. But last Monday, was the day that finally the characters cleaned out and I fell crying. It was really sad.

I hope that this series will continue exciting me and also will continue broadcasting on TV.

Apple Shop muddle prompts new name for Wroxham Barns store

A Norfolk business called the Apple Shop says it has had to change its name after becoming inundated with complaints about iPhones and iPads.

The shop, at Wroxham Barns that was opened 20 years ago by Mr Fisher’s brother (1987), said it had received up to 24 calls a week since the technology giant opened a store in Norwich in 2009. Owner Geoff Fisher, who sells cider and juice, said it was amusing at first, but some callers had been rude.

Ha said the shop would be renamed The Norfolk Cider Shop from Easter, adding that Apple had not forced him into the change and he had “a lot of respect” for the company.

This news has impressed me a lot. At the first read of the title I just laughed because what an amazing power Apple’s company has nowadays. And also I was surprised because the average calls per week were quite high. I’m sorry that the poor man has had to change the name, but sometimes the call, as he says; it was fun, within the unpleasant.

Vet makes tiny wheelchair for disabled piglet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBmQNaThr0Y

A month-old piglet from Florida, born without the use of its back legs, is now sporting a custom-built wheelchair to get around.

Chris P. Bacon has become an internet sensation after vet took pity on the creature’s plight and built the contraption from a toy building kit.

Chris’s exploits on Youtube have logged more than 474000 views in two weeks.

I have been really impressed of this happened, because it isn’t really frequent that a piglet has borned without its back legs. Piglet’s family and caregivers might be like a toy for them and also they might love them because they are tacking car for it all the time.

On one hand, it has to be a nice animal and nice, but for the other hand, it has a large expenditure of money, especially to adapt the wheelchair every year, and their stay in house. 

Coca-Cola drinking 'linked to New Zealander's death'

Drinking large quantities of Coca-Cola was a “substantial factor” in the death of a 30 year-old woman in New Zeland, a coroner has said.

Natasha Harris, a mother of eight children and who died three years ago after a cardiac arrest, drank up to 10 liters of the fizzy drink each day (this is twice the recommended safe limit of caffeine and more than 11 times the recommended sugar intake). Her family said she had developed an addiction to Coca-Cola and her teeth had been removed because of decay.

Coroner David Crerar said her Coca-Cola consumption had given rise to cardiac arrhythmia, a condition when the heart beats too fast or too slow.

Mr Crerar said Coca-Cola could not be held responsible for the health of consumers who drank excessive quantities of its product. But he called on soft drinks companies to display clearer warnings on their beverages about the risks of too much sugar and caffeine.

In my opinion, I think this woman didn’t thought about her healthy or her way of being, because firstly he drank a lot of liters a day, and then if all of them were fizzy drink, she might be an extremely nervous person. Unfortunately, for those eight children, her mother had gone away, but they can change their lifestyle if they were following their mother’s way. They have learnt about this nasty experience.

I’m a person who loves Coca-Cola and I’m sure I will never be addicted to it like her, but is sure that it is attractive when you drink and you want more and more. I just hope that anyone won’t end like this, and I don’t think that Coca-Cola’s company have the fault of this happened. 

Coca-Cola addresses obesity in TV advert

Fizzy-drink giant Coca-Cola has launches an advert addressing obesity for the first time on television. The two-minute commercial highlights the firm’s record of making low-calorie drinks and reminds viewers all foods contain calories.

New York City is preparing to ban large sugary drinks in restaurants, cinemas and stadiums. Still, Coca-Cola has said the video wasn’t made in response to criticism of the soft drink industry, but is an effort to raise awareness.

The general manager of sparkling beverages for Coca-Cola North America, told: “There is an important conversation going on about obesity out there, and we want to be a part of the conversation”.

In the advert, a female narrator says Coca-Cola offers smaller portion sizes, is working to make better-tasting, low-calorie sweeteners and has voluntarily made lower-calorie drinks available at school. The video also adds: “All calories count, no matter where they come from. If you eat and drink more calories than you burn off, you’ll gain weight.”

I’m a person who can consider a bit addicted to Coca-Cola, because I love its smell, its tasting, and all of it, and I also was fascinated about its advertisements. However, I’m surprised with this news because I haven’t seen it, but I think it was a little bit strong about what it said, and also about saying: “all calories count, no matter where they come from”. All of us know that Coca-Cola wears calories but we don’t need that the same product repeats us that we are becoming more weight drinking its product.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21020749

Donated genetic data privacy risk

Researchers have identified people in the US who anonymously donated their DNA for use in medical research, raising concerns about privacy.

There is a strong link in men between their surname and unique markings on the male, or Y, chromosome. These genetic markings are a useful tool when investigating a family tree as they are passed from father to son.

This project consists in 1000 genomes and it contains the entire genetic code of volunteers who donated their DNA anonymously.

One of the researchers said: “this is an important result that points out the potential for breaches of privacy in genomics studies, that more knowledge empowers participants to weight the risks and benefits and make more informed decision, and finally we also hope that this study will eventually result in better security algorithms, better policy guidelines, and better legislation”.

In an accompanying editorial Eric Green says there needs to be a balance between the rights to privacy of those taking part in research and the benefits to society to be gained from the sharing of biomedical research data.

In my opinion, I think it has been a great investigation because we would advance more in security algorithms, in legislation and also we would be more informed, but I’m also agree with Eric Green, because in many occasion the investigation might be grateful, but we mustn’t forget the privacy of the volunteers who made possible this research.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21056647

New Year Propositions

My new propositions in this New Year are a lot, even more if I didn’t realize the propositions of the year before, so they are accumulating on my list. I’m not a person who does it every year, because I think it’s a waste of time. So I’m not going to do a list but I’m going to describe and tell you what I really want to.

Firstly, I want to continue like my 2012’s life, of course, because I don’t want to change every year, but I want to be better in any ways. For example, I usually study a lot but this year, even because I have selectivity and I have to end this type of my life, 2^nd Batxillerat, I want to be more organized and try to understand more what the teachers explain in the class. Obviously, I want to follow being a good girl, have a lot of friends and even meet a lot more, because I will enter to the university. I also want to start the career quite good and enter there happy, because I will be there more than three years, so I hope it will like me.

Certainly and apart of pretty things, I also want a big party on my 18’s birthday, another party at the end of this course and I also really want to have fun in 2013’s summer. I’m really anxious to end this course because I suffer about the pressure of the school and all in general, I just wish that I can be able to pass.

Apart from real wishes, I also want to be thinner, resist to nutella (but I know it will be impossible), do more exercise, be much browner in summer and enjoy my life every minute.

For ending this your-say, I just want to do all those propositions next to my friends and of course with my family, because they are the reason that I continue in this life.