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.

People! Zara commits to go toxic-free

Greenpeace compaigners wanted to eliminate releases of hazardous chemicals from Inditex group's supply chain and clothes, in 2011. Now, Zara has committed to eliminate this chemical. Those are good news for the environment and it's also important for consumers to know who they can trust. 

In my opinion, I didn't realise that in clothes could be so many chemicals and even the worst ones. With this news I believe that Greenpeace compaigners have done a really good job and not only for the environment, that is important, but also a breakthrough for the publc information, and they're going to get rid of some of those chemicals group.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/Zara-commits-to-go-toxic-free/

Internet empowers people to make a better world

Nowadays, technology has changed a lot and has improved in any ways like computers, mobiles, Tvs, etc. In my opinion Internet facilities my lifestyle in positive because if I don't know something or I want to chat with a friend, when I am lost, I can look for it on the Internet anywhere. 

Firstly, I agree that tecnhologies can advance everytime more and more for facility our living together, but not only to help us in any occasion, if not to empower us and also to enjoy with its games and amasing technologies.

Let me give you an exmaple: <when I was at home once, my computer didn't work properly, so I decided to go on hotmail on the "tablet". I also can mention that Internet is whatever, so you can find it in phones, computers, ipads... However, I entered in hotmail and I could correct my project there or even catch it there, if I might lose it. I also could play games to enjoy a quarter before I went to study the following exam I had>. 

That wasn't a quite good example to descrive it, but it's a reference to explican my point of view that Internet makes me a better world in those aspects. 

Formal letter

C/Empori nº15

Sant Pere Pescador, Girona

Spain    17470

12th December 2011

The Principal

IES Castelló d'Empúries

C/Rentador    nº6

Castelló d'Empúries

Girona, Spain    17486

Dear Mrs Lluïsa Pintó,

I am writing this letter to you because of the situation of this high school, IES Castelló d'Empúries. 

In this high school there are a lot of good points  but there are also bad points. On the one hand, I am going to tell you about the teachers. The organitzation and the department of Education are very good and very organized. I just want you to know that some teachers are very good but some ones are a little bit strict with us and very cold persons. I know that they only have to teach us and go home, but sometimes you learn more doing funny classes and not boring. 

On the other hand, there are some things that me and my friends would like to change if we could, for example the colours of the clases and the corridors. They are very dull and boring. If we have to be with the moral on the top, and with these colours it is very difficult to be consentrated.

In my opinion, musicals, excursions and trips of the school are good and I give the school a lot of points to do that because we forget the routine, we have fun and we learn a lot without books, too. But I also disagree with these excursions because we have to be a lot of people and sometimes it doesn't give us any opportunities to learn about something different.

I will be interested to know your opinion of this letter. 

Yours sincerely,

               Eva Saló.

Self evaluation:

In my opinion I think that my oral presentation of California with Marina was rather good. I think we should explian different topics when we end the project because those are so repetitive, but at the end we did a good structure of powerpoint. And I also think that it was good because we didn't read in our oral presentation. 

I also tried to look at my audience some times, but I think I looked some special guys, because they were in front of the class. 

With this project we learnt a lot of vocabulary and we tried to use it, and some connectors, on the presentation. We check how to pronunce some words and how they are used in the sentence. 

I wasn't nervous because I know all the students of my classroom and I have done a lot of presentations, but I think I could do it better, because in the video seems that I spoke so quikly. So I give myself an eight. 
California's summary

SHARKS

Sharks are one of the most extraordinary animals on planet earth. They have existed in the earth for 450 millions of years. Due to bad publicity, they have a bad reputation. I don’t like sharks because they are so dangerous and give me respect go into the sea or in deep water. So I want to know their characteristics and qualities because I don’t know much about them.

Sharks are fish because they have gills and don’t come to the surface to get breath. A shark’s skeleton is made of strong, heavy bones as terrestrial vertebrates, instead have a skeleton made of cartilage that gives the underwater speed and flexibility they need as they are predators. The sharks’ teeth are in long rows. While the teeth are falling new ones of the other row come forward to fill is empty. They could have 20.000 teeth in their life.

Sharks can quickly adapt in any situation for food. Studies show that sharks are very intelligent. They have the ability to solve problems.

If they sleep, they have their eyes open. Only one part of their brain sleeps and they can continue the cycle of fresh air while they sleep.

Generally they reside in water from 7000 feet to 10000 feet. They are rarely found lower or higher than that. When they are in other elevations is due to fear of danger or findfood.

Shark skin is very rough. This gives you protection from other animals including other sharks.

Sharks can reproduce in three different ways: born out alive from mother, developed an egg inside the mother and another one, the mother will lay an egg and the young will be born later. Some species have only one son at a time, others have more than 100 in unison.

There are many types of sharks, such as whale shark, white shark, goblin shark, crocodile shark, hammerhead shark, tiger shark, thresher shark, etc.

P.S.: I love you

This story happens in Ireland. Holly and Gerry, the characters of the film, met in a trip when Holly was in the university. She was lost on the trip and they found each other, and at the same time they saw, they knew they were in love. They get married and went to live together. They argued a lot and for everything, but they never imagined without each other.

But suddenly, the couple confronted to a terrible notice and experience: Gerry was ill and three months later he dead. Holly was particularly devastated. Holly didn’t take care of herself, and they family and friends were really worried. But one day, she started to smile. Gerry sent her a letter on her birthday. She was surprised because he was dead. But don’t think it was a ghost; Gerry made a lot of letters for her when he was ill, because after his death, she could recover her happiness and hopeless. On his cards, he told her how happy was him to got married with her, and some compliments more. He also put in some activities she had to do every month like; sing in a restaurant, go to the hairdresser, buy an evening dress, etc. But in all of them he put: postscript I love you.

She was very happy until the cards ended. She didn’t think that the cards could finish but she had to face to the world alone and meet another person with who can share their lifes. 

Biography of Brad Pitt

He was born on 18^th December in 1963, in Oklahoma. He has an impressive physique, he’s blond hair, blue eyes and 1’82 m high.

His family was modest; his father is a truck driver and his mother a teacher. Brad Pitt began studying Advertising and Graphic Design graduate, but before he realized he wanted to be an actor and left school.

In 1986 he moved to Los Angeles to try his luck. He got some actor jobs but there wasn’t enough to survive so he had to make a living working limousine driver, waiter, dishwasher, night watchman or dressed chicken to make claim a restaurant.

But after few years, he became an idol and sex symbol.

He was romantically linked to actress Gwyneth Paltrow but ended up crashing, apparently. Later it was linked with Jennifer Aniston (famous for her role as Rachel on the TV series “Friends”). During the filming of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Pitt met the exuberant actress Angelina Jolie. She is his lover until now, leaving his relationship with Aniston. Since then, Pitt and Jolie share their lives with their children, most of them adopted. 

The baby mammoth found in Russia

Khroma, the baby mammoth found frizen in Russia in 2009. It was male and had one or two months.
Paleontologist Lacombat Frederic, one of the scientists who participated in exploration, said the creature had milk teeth and internal organs were preserved perfectly.
Moreover, its stomach contained milk and muscles were still red. For the specialist, it would seem that he had died two days ago.
Moreover, the images collected by the scanner showed that the mammoth baby’s spine was broken and displaced pelvis, which suggests to scientists who maybe have died from a fall.
In the months following additional tests be conducted to learn more about his short life and also their parental period.  The latter will be studied through de DNA from the mother through breast milk found in the digestive tract.
The little creature, which is blamed for more than 50 thousand years, is part of the exhibition Mammouths & Cie, in the southeastern France. 

Description of a friend

Marina is a particularly good friend of mine. She is very thin, tall like me, brown eyed and has curly brown hair. 

She is so attractive and we laugh a lot in any situation. 

Marina is so extroverted and at first she seems very nervous. But when you get to know her, I wouldn't say she isn't nervous, but she has a shy, understanding and amazing side. She is like my psycologist because I tell her all my problems and she is always there to listen to me. I'm really proud to be friends with her. Usually we have the same opinion on everything, althought, we sometimes don't and we argue but we cannot be angry with each other. 

Above all, I feel very comfortable with her, and I think we make a rather good team! 

We have gone to a lot of places together: we live in the same street, we sit next to in class, we go to campsides together, and we do everything together, so I think she is one of my best and favourite friends!

To sum up, I hope she would like to continue our friendship as we are now, and not lose these amasing moments and memories. :)

I really love her and she is an example to follow!