Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Parque de Lisboa News 7.




Welcome to our seventh news program. Today we will speak about tobacco price increased, Winter Olympics tragedy and our literary recommendation. And we begin our new weekly game in which you will have to answer a question and leave your answer in the comments for this post. But first,

TOBACCO PRICE'S INCREASE.

My talk is going to be about tobacco and the increase in its price. First of all, the Government thinks that if they increase the price of tobacco we can go out of crisis, because the Government catches 50% of the money from there. Secondly I think they must do other things because people who smoke can't buy tobacco so frequently. Then income goes down. In my opinion they must do other things for going out of crisis (by Nicolas Kireyev).

WINTER OLYMPICS TRAGEDY AND WHAT LUGE IS.

Last Friday, Nodar Kumaritashvili died in Vancouver when he was racing at 150 km/h in a luge race. Doctors did all they could to make Nodar back to life, but they couldn't do anything because he died in the same instant when he crashed against a column. Nodar was from Georgia and he was 21 years old. Nodar was the 44th in the world and he is the first dead in 18 years in Winter Olympic Games. The next day after his death all Vancouver observed a moment of silence in his memory. Furthermore, every important person, like Jacques Rogge, the president of IOC, sent their condolences to Nodar's family and friends.

Luge consists in a sledge made of metal with rollers in the lowest part of the sledge. There aren't brakes in the sledge and you must drive it changing the position of your weight. The driver goes with his feet forward and the head backwards. There are weight limits in the sledge, it must be 23 kg, and the person has another weight limit. IOC puts a limit because everyone must have the same opportunities when he is racing. Luge is a very limited sport because it needs a lot of expensive installations and only a few countries can afford it (by Alejandro Montero).

LITERARY RECOMMENDATION: THE LONG WALK.

How long could you keep runnning over 6 km/h? How long could you keep runnning over 6 km/h...if your life was at stake? This is the plot of this week's book. Written by Stepehen King, The Long Walk deals with a contest where, if you win, you can ask for whatever you want for the rest of your life, but if you lose... you'll be wacked-you'll be shot by the soldiers. The soldiers are going to follow you day and night and they aren't going to hesitate to shoot you. The competitors are 100 teens who are attracted by the prize, 99 will die, just one will survive. How can they allow this type of contest? Very easy to answer: who leads this contest, the Major, is who leads the country. How can they watch this type of contest (there are billions of viewers)? Oh, you can imagine: if nowadays we watch contests like Big Brother, why can´t they watch things like that within 40 years? Ah! It's a Stephen King's book so, beside having sociological issues, it has a bit of terror and suspense too. Be a good boy (or girl) and read it, it's interesting (by Álvaro Bravo).
Finally, today's question is: "What's the name of the Spanish Prime Minister?" Leave your answers as a comment to this entry. Thank you, we'll meet again next week.

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Parque de Lisboa News 6.



Welcome to our sixth weekly programme, in which we try to speak about the topics of your interest. Today, we are going to speak out against gender violence, gardrails in Madrid and we begin a new section in which we will tell you about great books to read and have fun with our literary recommendation. Our suggestion is El misterio de la cripta embrujada. But first,

GENDER VIOLENCE

I´m going to talk about gender violence. Today, people live in a world full of hypocrisy and wickedness, but today I have to focus on an issue that concers us all... It is gender violence. This issue is vey delicate and who is suffering doesn't say anything... Maybe for fear to your bully, who in most of the cases is the partner, or the fear that people will start to look at you like someone inferior.
There are many types in the abuse: the first is called ''the honeymoon", in which everything is perfect and there aren't any problems. The second one is when the abuser begins to underestimate the partner in a subtle way. The third phase is when the abuser is capable of physical abuse.
These three phases are always together and always follow the same order... There are many types of abuse, like the psychological or physical ones, as well as the economic... We mustn't stay quiet when things like this happen!
We musn´t get into the privacy of the partner but we can help the victim from outside! So I only say that we can be brave and stop that when it happens because you will do a big favour to the victim. (By Lorena Gómez 1ºB Bach)


GARDRAILS IN MADRID

The comunity of Madrid is the comunity in Spain with more gardrails suitable for motorbike riders in 2009. They were to install 40km but in the end they have been 85km. Motorbike riders are very happy. The goverment has not only fullfilled what they promised, but the deal has been exceeded. This is something important because most of motorbike accidents have dire consequences. With these measures  the death toll  is expected to decrease. (By Jorge Gonzalez 1ºC Bach)


LITERARY RECOMMENDATION

Welcome all our readers to this section, where we recommend you a book every week. The first book that I recommend you is El misterio de la cripta embrujada by Eduardo Mendoza. This book is very entertaining for all kinds of public because it has mistery, humour... it has everything. This work by Eduardo Mendoza shows the story of a school where girls start to disappear. Thus the commissioner Flores releases an inmate from a mental hospital in order to discover the mystery and know the reason for the disappearances. The ex-prisoner lives many adventures, following his ''old instinc'' to impersonate identities and solve mysteries such as, for example, theses strange disappearances. (By Alejandro Muñoz 1ºA Bach)

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Listen a Minute: Family

As promised, here you have your homework for next Wednesday. It's here: Listen a Minute. Family. Remember to listen to the audio as many times as you need, while reading the tapescript at the same time, for you to be able to reproduce it. Then record your own voice repeating the audio at least three times, paying attention to the differences between your words and the original audio and trying to improve your pronunciation. Bring the files (MP3 format) to class on Wednesday for me to check how well you do it. Enjoy yourselves!!

Saturday, 6 February 2010

Last night party

LEROY- Hey man! It's Leroy.
ALI- What's up?
L- I want to complain about last night party. It was too noise and... you didn't invite me.
A- We didn't make much noise. You're lying.
L- Are you calling me a liar?
A- Yes, I am. I called you that.
L- I call it an insult.
A- Sorry, I've been very unpolite... but I've had a lot of problems this week.
L- Don't worry. But, if you do another party, invite me or don't make so much noise, OK?
A- Fine. But I won't do any party in some weeks because I'm angry with my friends.
L- Why?
A- Because they broke a lot of things of my flat and they don't want to pay them.
L- Screw you! You shouldn't have had the party!
A- I've learnt the lesson.
L- Good boy!
A- Sorry, but I have to leave you. I have to tidy the flat. See you soon.
L- Good bye!

Monday, 1 February 2010

Neighbour's complaint

- Hi! It´s your neighbor Miriam Sanchez. I´m calling you about last night´s party. I think that your friends and you did a lot of noise because of noise woke up my son and me wake up my daugther.

- Oh! I´m so sorry!

- Sorry? Only you say sorry?

- Now, I can´t to do anything...

- Ok, I hope that it doesn´t happen again ok?

- Ok ok... I´m feel very embarrased...

- What happened in the party?

- What happened in the party, are you asking me?

- Yes!

-Ok... I was celebrating my birthday and I did a party with my friends. I thought that the party could have finish at eleven o´clock but then, at half past eleven, my friend turned on the radio and put music... I said him that he stops the music but he didn´t ´want. Sorry...!

- Ok, don´t worry. I´ve been young and I understand you, but please, controls a little more for next time ok?

- Ok, ok, don´t worry!

- Bye!

- Bye and sorry...!


By Lorena Gómez and Jorge Gonzalez