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. 

FINAL REFLECTION

First of all, I think that my 1st Batxillerat has been very good and I'm proud of my improvement. I have worked very hrd and I tried to do th best of myself to improve y Engish and my marks.

Observing my work on the blog and in the exams I have increased a lot grammar and vocabulary from a lot of places (news, books, oral presentations...). And, I also think my oral fluency is the skill I have improved the best. Rebecca and oral presentations have helped me a lot. I don't think any activities are unuseful to improve or to learn English, because all help you, bu in my case, listening to songs is a waste of time.

I have enjoyed a lot doing speking with Rebecca, reading books, doing acivities in Aula Idiomes, ... and I hope to do it next year.

I'm going to end my final evauation saying hat the ext year could be the same, because I was comfortable in the class with the teacher and the students, that they are, now, my companions.

Left outside alone

All my life I’ve been waiting/ Tota la meva vida t'he estat esperant 

For you to bring a fairy tale my way/ perquè tu em portessis un conte de fades

Been living in a fantasy without meaning/ he estat visquent en una fantasia sense sentit

It’s not okay/ no està bé

I don’t feel save/ no em sento segura

Left broken empty in despair/ em vas enfonsar en el buit de la desesperació

Wanna breath can’t find air/ vull respirar, però no trobo aire

Thought you were sent from up above/  pensava que tu em pujaves des de dalt

But you and me never had love/ però tu i jo mai hem tingut amor

So much more I have to say/ tantes coses t'he de dir

Help me find a way/ ajuda'm a trobar un camí

And I wonder if you know/ i em sorprenc si tu saps

How it really feels/ com realment se sent

To be left outside alone/ estant sola

When it’s cold out here/ quan fa fred fora d' aquí 

Well maybe you should know/ bé, potser tu sabràs

Just how it feels/ com se sent 

To be left outside alone/ estar sol

To be left outside alone/ estar sol

All my life I’ve been waiting/ tota la meva he estat esperant

For you to bring a fairy tale my way/ perquè tu em portessis un conte de fades

Been living in a fantasy without meaning/ he estat visquent en una fantasia sense sentit

It’s not okay/ no està bé

I don’t feel save/ no em sento segura

I need to pray/ necessito resar

Why do you play me like a game?/ per què em tractes com un joc?

Always someone else to blame/ sempre algú més a qui culpar

Careless, helpless little man/ sense cures, sense ajudes petit home

Someday you might understand/ algun dia potser entendràs

There’s not much more to say/no hi ha gaire res a dir

But I hope you find a way/ però espero que trobis un camí

Still I wonder if you know/ encara em sorprenc que sàpigues

How it really feels/ com se sent

To be left outside alone/ estant sol

When it’s cold out here/ quan és fred fora d'aquí

Well maybe you should know/ bé, potser hauries de saber

Just how it feels/ només com se sent 

To be left outside alone/ estar sol

To be left outside alone/ estar sol

I’ll tell you/ t'explicaré

All my life I’ve been waiting/ tota la meva he estat esperant

For you to bring a fairy tale my way/ perquè tu em portessis un conte de fades

Been living in a fantasy without meaning/ he estat visquent en una fantasia sense sentit

It’s not okay/ no està bé

I don’t feel save/ no em sento segura

I need to pray:/ necessito resar:

Heavenly Father/ Pare celestial

Please/ siusplau

Save me/ salva'm

And I wonder if you know/ i em sorprenc si tu saps

How it really feels/ com realment se sent

To be left outside alone/ estant sola

When it’s cold out here/ quan és fred fora d'aquí

Well maybe you should know/ bé, potser hauries de saber

Just how it feels/ només com se sent 

To be left outside alone/ estar sola

To be left outside alone/ estar sola

All my life I’ve been waiting/ tota la meva vida he estat esperant 

For you to bring a fairy tale my way/ perquè tu em portessis un conte de fades

Been living in a fantasy without meaning/ he estat visquent en una fantasia sense sentit

It’s not okay/ no està bé 

I don’t fell save/ no em sento segura

I need to pray/ necessito resar

My first day on the beach

Yesterday, when I left from classes, Marina and I were very tired and very hot because of the weather. When we were coming home, we decided to go to the beach. We didn’t know who will carry us, but we wanted to do the first tan.

When we arrived, anyone was at home, so we decided to go by bike. We were riding for 20 minutes approximately and at last, we arrived on the beach. I really wanted to have the first bath because I love the sea but I am a bit afraid to it. At first, the water was cold but then, when you are all inside it’s the best. There weren’t any jellyfishes, so I could swim.:) After half an hour, I went to sunbathe for a long time.

It was particularly fine because I could relax and think. I hope I could repeat that day with Marina!

Brownie

Today I’m going to tell you something about me and then I’ll put here a recipe.

Well, I like cooking, specifically make the desserts but I don’t know so much. If some day I have to prepare the lunch or the dinner to my family, I use to cook easy dishes like Italian pasta (macaroni, spaghettis …) or rice with a little bit of tuna, tomatoes, corn, egg, cheese, some olives etc., vegetables boiled, cheeps, salads, meat or fish and more, but not complicated dishes.

Now, it’s coming the season (summer) I have to cook the lunch very often, because my parents work and they can’t make it.

I make these and other cakes with my sister because she knows a lot, more than me.

The dessert I make often is the brownie which is much known in England and more places of the world. The essential ingredients of this dessert are the chocolate and the walnut… it’s very good.

Here, I leave brownie’s recipe if someone can make it or if he/she doesn’t know it.

Ingredients: 

-80g of fondant chocolate

-125g of butter

-2 eggs

-150g of sugar

-60g of flour

-100g of walnuts

Preparation:

1. Melt the chocolate with the butter (to the bain-marie). Take off the recipient from the fire and to stop to cool.

2. Beat the eggs with the sugar until they are creamy and add the molten chocolate.

3. Incorporate, little by little, the flour and the minced rudely walnuts, and mix well.

4. Lead it in a rectangular tin (mottle) smeared with butter. Introduce it in the oven (200ºC), and cook it during 20-25 minutes.

5. And taste it!

I hope that somebody try to cook this dessert ;)

Enjoy your meal.