THE GIFT OF THE MAGI.

HIGHWAY NO WAY

Where 

Letter of protest

Tyrone G. Mathis
US11Morningview Lane
Garner, IA 50438 

Dear Counselor Mathis
I am writing this letter to protest the recent decision the city council made about raising the taxes on all non-recyclable water bottles manufactured within the township.
I truly think this is a bad idea. Water bottle production is one of the economic powerhouses in this region, and if we place a tax on it, water bottle manufacturing companies may decide to relocate, leaving many locals out of jobs.
Please reconsider your decision and the effects it will have on the local population.
Sincerely,
A concerned citizen

Violence

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1403/140308-violence-against-women.html

http://www.eslHolidayLessons.com/11/elimination_of_violence_against_women.html

Hillary Clinton: 'We Created al-Qaeda'

John Oliver Paris Attacks

John Oliver Paris Attacks


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glxh9ZgP7kc&feature=youtu.be

Trying to follow what is going on in Syria and why? This comic will get you there in 5 minutes.

http://www.upworthy.com/trying-to-follow-what-is-going-on-in-syria-and-why-this-comic-will-get-you-there-in-5-minutes?g=2



http://www.news.com.au/world/simple-points-to-help-you-understand-the-syria-conflict/story-fndir2ev-1226705155146

She is tossed by the waves, but does not sink

Listen and fill in the missing words. 

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3321785/BBC-reporter-breaks-live-TV-broadcast-site-Paris-vigil.html#v-5457992212912717623 A BBC Reporter Breaks into Tears.
Speaking to the camera, Mr Satchell said the last few words and he closed his eyes as he tried to compose himself:
'Last night it was__________ busy. There were vigils here, there were vigils at the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was lit up in________,_______and_____, which I think is a sign of_____________.'
´Sorry. I´m so___________.´
´Graham.´
´And, I´ll leave it there.´There is_________ hope here in Paris.´

red,
certainly
hope
 white
sorry
 blue
 incredibly

Hilary Clinton talking about AL QAEDA.

Hilary Clinton  says that they have a huge trust ___________
She admits taht they had helped  to create the ______________we are now fighting.
When  the Soviet Union ______________Afaganistan they had the brilliant idea of creating a Mujahadin _________________ . And they equiped them with missiles to  go after the ___________ inside ____________________.
When the Soviets left Afganistan , the Americans said goodby and left a  a group of well trained  people who were___________________ and well armed.
When you look back you see that the people that we are fighting today  are the people we were supporting  in the fight against ________________.

A moment of premium cable profanity

Famous comedian John Oliver makes inappropriate remarks on the recent events in Paris.
“After the many necessary and appropriate moments of silence, I’d like to offer you a moment of premium cable __________ … it’s hardly been 48 hours but there are a few things we can say for certain.
“First, as of now, we know this __________ was carried out by gigantic fucking arseholes … possibly working with other fucking ________________, definitely working in service of an ideology of pure arseholery.
 “Second, and this goes almost without saying, ______________ …
“And, third, it is important to remember, nothing about what these arseholes are trying to do is going ___________. France is going to endure and I’ll tell you why. If you are in a war of culture and lifestyle with France, good fucking ____________. Go ahead, bring your bankrupt ideology. They’ll bring Jean-Paul Sartre, Edith Piaf, ____________________, Gauloise cigarettes, Camus, camembert, madeleines, macarons, and the fucking croquembouche. You just brought a philosophy of rigorous self-abnegation to a pastry fight, my friend. You´re fucked. That is a French freedom tower.
“Nothing about what these arseholes are trying to do is going to work. France is going to endure. So to the people of _________, our thoughts are truly with you and I do not doubt there will be more to say on all of this as events unspool.”

1. What size were the stupid people who committed the crime?
2. What is the name of the ideology behind this crime?
3. Do they have any chance of winning this war against France? Why or why not?
4. What does he think is the French emblem of liberty?

Now is the time to talk to your kids about the Paris attacks

1. 1.       Read the text and match each paragraph with the corresponding headline. One headline does not match any paragraph. The first one has been done for you.

Now is the time to talk to your kids about the Paris attacks

My seven-year-old figured out what was happening pretty quickly, so I told my five-year-old: “Some bad people attacked a small number of people in Paris. The police are on it. It is very sad.”

High school kids are both easier and harder: they will know what has happened, so parents need to find the time and space to discuss the issues surrounding it: racism, religion, extremism, ethics, politics.

With younger, school-aged children, parents need to offer age-appropriate information and stay calm.

____________________________________________________

The worst thing to say to a child who says: “I am scared” is to respond, “there is no reason to be scared.”

Acknowledge their fear or sadness while looking for ways to make them feel safe.

“If they’re scared, say ‘Lots of kids and even adults feel scared.” writes Ellen Hendrikson on Savvy Psychologist. Acknowledging your own fear, or sadness, shows it is okay to be scared.

__________________________________________________

Ask kids “what have you heard about what happened in Paris?” and then let them talk. If it’s nothing, you can choose whether to fill in the void so they have a grounding when it comes up. “For kids this age [6-11], knowledge can be empowering and helps relieve anxiety,” Koplewicz told Time.

_________________________________________________

Kids love learning about the police when they are little because they inherently believe in authority. Mention all the people in their lives who can protect them: teachers, coaches, babysitters, grandparents, police, security guards, soldiers. If they are suddenly scared to leave you, talk about all the times you have been separated and then reunited. Ask them what would make them feel safe and talk about heroes to counterbalance stories of terrorists.

______________________________________________

Kids love to divide the world into good guys and bad guys. After an event like Paris, it is important to contextualize the bad guys for what they are: a tiny minority.

Over the weekend, a French youth magazine, Astrapi, published a special leaflet to help children aged 7-11. It instructed kids that the majority of Muslims loved peace as much as they do. “These ultraviolent people have nothing to do with the majority of Muslims, who live their faith peacefully,” the leaflet says. “They are attacking France because it’s a free country.” In another cartoon, a small boy says that terrorism scares him. The little girl responds: “But liberty scares the terrorists even more.”

Adapted from Quatz Magazine.

http://qz.com/551135/now-is-the-time-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-the-paris-attacks/

1. 1.       Teach them the broad lesson they need to learn
2. 2.       Ask open-ended questions
3. 3.       Remind them about the security all around them
4. 4.       Give the kids an accurate description of the events
5. 5.       Now is the time to talk to your kids about the Paris attacks
6. 6.       Validate their feelings 

Edinburgh E-mail

Edinburgh email from gabriela sanchez

Descibing yourself in a job interview.

http://languagelearningbase.com/86914/how-to-describe-yourself-in-a-job-interview

Ending a conversation

http://languagelearningbase.com/85219/commonly-used-english-phrases-conversations-conversation

Two peas in a pod

Dear You,

It’s been almost a month since you threw me out of your life. You boarded that train without giving me a second glance. I stood on the platform for hours, crying, until an old woman asked if I was okay and persuaded me to go for a coffee with her. She listened to me more that day than you had for the previous six weeks.

Now we’re four hundred miles apart and I want you to know that, as much as I’m hurting, I still love you with all the pieces of my broken heart. I drove down your street tonight for the first time since you left and remembered all the fun times we shared there with your family. You used to say “we are two peas in a pod”, now I realise we couldn't be more different.

The truth is, every day since you left has been a blur. I miss you but as the days pass I will think of you less. I wish you well, although I will never fully understand why you had to go.

Love,
Me

Unrequited Love Letters/E-mails

Dear Pizza-Ears,
I don’t get it. I call your name and you ignore me, staring blankly not even tilting your head in acknowledgement. Then I walk towards and you look at me like I might hurt you, as if, being near me is painful. All I ever do is kiss your pizza ears and snuggle you, yet you prefer others unless no one is around. Then you snuggle with me and don’t nip at my ears or stand on my head. But as soon as someone else comes home you jump off of me and run to greet them with the same happy greeting you give me. I love you so much with your little face and pizza ears!
I love that you sleep at the foot of my bed at night, after I bring you there. Maybe you do love me, but I feel ignored and then sometimes trotted on literally. Please cute little pizza ears just come when I call. I want to keep you safe.
http://unrequitedloveletters.tumblr.com/

Dear heartbreaker,

I had to get over you. For months now, a stone had been sitting on my heart. I'd shed a lot of tears over you, lost a lot of sleep, eaten a lot of cake batter.Somehow, I had to move on.Life would be hell if I didn't shake loose from the grip you had on my heart. I most definitely didn't want to keep feeling this way, alone in a love affair meant for two. Even if you'd felt like The One. Even if I'd always thought we'd end up together. Even if you still had a choke chain on my heart.

Adapted from  Kristan Higgins, All I Ever Wanted

Gladiator .

http://www.infosquares.com/eslvideo/eslclip1_4.html

Health problems

http://languagelearningbase.com/86707/how-to-talk-about-health-problems

The third man in the photo

http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/the-white-man-in-that-photo/

Prases to keep your conversation exciting

http://languagelearningbase.com/88303/conversation-going-english-phrases-conversation-exciting

Summercat love e-mail

I kissed you good bye at the airport.
I held you so close to me.
I said 'So here we are now and I can't stop from crying Lilly'.
And you said 'Hey hey hoo, you know this is the way to go
You will forget about me when I'm on that plane.
Forget about me when I'm on that plane. '

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

The plane took off and my love went with it.
The chilly wind whipped my both cheeks hard.
And the man next to me said 'Everything is gonna be alright'.
I said 'Nothing is gonna be alright, but thank you anyway'.
And then I saw your face in the airplane window.
I waved my hands and I shouted to you:

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

I wore a T-shirt and my worn out hat.
Abandoned as a summer cat.
And as I stood there as a broken hearted I realized you got the car keys still.
So I broke into my own old car.
I fell asleep on the passenger seat.
I dreamed of summer s** with you and you whispered in my ear:

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight
Why can't you leave me tomorrow instead?
Why can't you leave me tomorrow instead?

And above the clouds she said to her self 'i can't believe how naive a man can be.
That's why I love you so and that's why I can't be with you... '

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

NEW YORK

http://www.letshavefunwithenglish.com/projects/country_film/new_york.htm


http://www.letshavefunwithenglish.com/projects/country_film/new_york.htm

Teenagers and Reading

Teenagers and Reading.Click on the links to find some information about leisure habits and the benefits of reading. 

What do you do in your free time?

Do you ever read books or magazines?

Have a look at the picture. Have we got the same leisure habits?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/13783/teens-leisure-habits-top.aspx

http://www.spainwanderer.com/popular-leisure-time-activities-in-spain/

Do you read for pleasure?

Name some of the main benefits of reading.

http://whytoread.com/why-to-read-10-reasons-why-reading-books-will-save-your-life/

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-benefits-reading-why-you-should-read-everyday.html

https://seekersportal.wordpress.com/books-ive-read/top-10-reasons-why-i-love-reading/

Do you enjoy reading?

What is your favourite genre ? Why?

http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=124738

What can  you do when a book you started reading turs out to be really boring?

http://www.wikihow.com/Enjoy-Reading

Now write the following assigment:

You read this post on a website:

About 95% of the children in the US play video games, watch TV, chat with their friends or play on the computer, but only 5% of the children enjoy reading.

You decide to write your contribution on this website , so add a post giving your opinion.(150-180 words)

You must develope the following three points in the most appropiate order:

• Describe the current situation.
• Explain reasons why reading is important.
• Give practical tips to make reading enjoyable .

http://www.statista.com/statistics/450249/requency-of-certain-reading-habits-as-children-in-spain/
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/society/customs/teenage-life-in-spain
http://www.livestrong.com/article/1007706-customs-teenagers-spain/

ORAL PRACTICE

Food in Spain

Hello my name is Nico and I am going to speak about Spanish food. For breakfast people have breakfast at 7:30. It´s normal to eat bread with tomato and oil or some fruit and cereal with milk. Spanish people also drink orange juice.

People in Spain have lunch at 3:00. Typical food is omelette and chorizo or paella. The omelettes are very famous because they are really good. You can make omelette with chorizo, tuna, sausage or spinach.

In Galicia a typical dish is Galician broth which is made with beans, potatoes, meat, turnip leaves and nabizas. People who come to Galicia say that this food is very good but for me this food is so bad.

Some typical Spanish foods are marmitako (tuna with tomato sauce), butifarra (white sausage), octopus and pork with turnip leaves.

We have dinner at 9:30 or later and eat hamburgers or sandwiches. Also people drink a cup of milk with biscuits and cereal.

Nico

Eating Habits Of Spaniards.

In Spain, people who study or work usually have breakfast about 7:30 and people who are on the dole have it at about 9:30 or 10:00. We have lunch around 2:30 and dinner time isn´t defined at all, but certainly from 21:00 onwards.

I think there isn't a traditional Spanish breakfast, but we have some toasts (which in ancient times were served broken into a great cup of wine) or biscuits and coffee. The only traditional food which is eaten all over Spain is Spanish omelette, which is made of eggs and half fried potatoes instead of only eggs. All other Spanish foods are only traditional in some areas, like barnacles in Galicia, cod kokotxas in the Basque Country, morcilla in Burgos or rice pudding in Asturias.

Guille.

In Spain we normally have breakfast at seven o'clock and we have juice, cookies and milk with cacao. But the main meal in Spain is lunch.We have lunch between 14:00-15:00.The main foods in Spain are omelette and paella.
Omelette is tipycal in all of Spain. You can make omelette with differents ingredients like potato, sausage or tuna.
Paella is tipical in Valencia above all of Spain. Usually is made of rices, shrimp, squid and mussels.
Here we have dinner between 21:00-22:30. We usually eat chips, eggs, sausages and bacon. And after that fruit or milk.

British Food

http://www.slideshare.net/sergiovinals/traditional-british-food-presentation-763455

The Great British Menu: Fish and Chips

http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/food/video/fishandchips.html

50 of the World’s Best Breakfasts

Read numbers 1 to 37 of the post and answer the questions:
1. What would a reader do after reading the following post, according to the writer?
2. Which breakfast is popular because its products are all fresh?
3. What is the Dutch word for syrup?
4. Where can you have different kinds of bread accompanied by jam, cheese, chutney or butter?
5. Name two spreads that are "sticky, salty and brown".
6. What other foods along with longganisa do people have for breakfast in an island in the Pacific Ocean?
7. What does Foul Madamas consist of?


http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/best-breakfast/

Eating Habits

Write an essay (120 words) about food and eating. Describe eating habits in Spain- meal times, main foods, cooking methods....-and give your opinion about them.

Letter to the Editor 2

Write a note to a local newspaper where you tell them about a problem in your town (180-200 words).

Include the following topics:

- Describe the problem

- Give some details about it

- Make some proposals to solve the situation

- Mention some advantages for the town if the problem is solved

Letter to the Editor

Getting information about a tour

My Best Friend´s Wedding

1. How long does the song say she’ll stay in his heart?
2. What would happen if he had to live without her? 
3. What does George say he does on the bus? 
4. What does he do during his coffee break? Why? 
5. What and who does George compare Julianne to at the wedding? 
6. What adjectives does he use to describe himself? Give at least three. 
7. What does he say about his dance moves? 
8. Which famous fictional character does he compare himself to? 

The moment I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I say a little prayer for you

While combing my hair, now,

And wondering what dress to wear, now,

I say a little prayer for you

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever, forever, we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, together, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only be heartbreak for me.

I run for the bus, dear,

While riding I think of us, dear,

I say a little prayer for you.

At work I just take time

And all through my coffee break-time,

I say a little prayer for you. 

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever, forever we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, together, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only be heartbreak for me.

My darling believe me,

For me there is no one

But you.

1. How long does the song say she’ll stay in his heart? Forever and ever.
2. What would happen if he had to live without her? He would be heartbroken.
3. What does George say he does on the bus? Thinks about her.
4. What does he do during his coffee break? Why? He says a prayer for her. He wants her to love him too.
5. What and who does George compare Julianne to at the wedding? A deer and Cinderella.
6. What adjectives does he use to describe himself? Give at least three. Sleek, stylish, radiant with charisma, and devilishly handsome.
7. What does he say about his dance moves? They are like a jungle cat’s.
8. Which famous fictional character does he compare himself to? James Bond

March of the Penguins

Awesome Hitler Story

Love is All Around

Listen and fill in the blanks:

SUMMER CAT

Listen to the song and try to answer the questions:

Famous Lovers

FAMOUS LOVERS

Click on these links and learn as much as you can about a couple of famous lovers

http://www.bonzasheila.com/stories/indexoflovers.html

http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/historical-couple-pictures.htm

http://fun.familyeducation.com/slideshow/love/49015.html?page=1

Now write their story on one of the hearts, abroken heart if they were star-crossed lover or a whole one if they were happy.

Jobs 2

Jobs 1

Read the following job advertisements and choose one .
You realize it would be a great opportunity to do what you have always dreamt of doing. This would mean leaving your current stable job but you really need a change in your life and decide to take the risk. Write an email to your best friend and tell him/her about your decision, explain why you think you are a good candidate, why you really need a change in your life, in what ways this could affect your future and ask him/her what he/she thinks about it.


1. Needed: Full time secretary position available. Applicants should have at least 2 years experience and be able to type 60 words a minute. No computer skills required. Apply in person at United Business Ltd., 17 Browning Street.

2. Are you looking for a part time job? We require 3 part time shop assistants to work during the evening. No experience required, applicants should between 18 and 26. Call 366 - 76564 for more information.

3. Computer trained secretaries: Do you have experience working with computers? Would you like a full time position working in an exciting new company? If your answer is yes, give us a call at 565-987-7832.

4. Teacher Needed: Tommy's Kindergarten needs 2 teacher/trainers to help with classes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applicants should have appropriate licenses. For more information visit Tommy's Kindergarten in Leicester Square No. 56.

5. Part Time work available: We are looking for retired adults who would like to work part time at the weekend. Responsibilities include answering the telephone and giving customer's information. For more information contact us by calling 897-980-7654.

6. University positions open: The University of Cumberland is looking for 4 teaching assistants to help with homework correction. Applicants should have a degree in one of the following: Political Science, Religion, Economics or History. Please contact the University of Cumberland for more information.

Interviewing Nadine

Instructions

1.Divide yourselves into groups of four.

2.Choose one topic from the following:

Personal information
Academic background/school and university in Scotland.
Social life in Scotland
Scotland - history and geographical features
Life in Spain from Nadine´s point of view

3.Each of you should write five questions. There should be at least twenty questions in your group. Choose twleve of them to ask Nadine. Each of you should ask at least two questions and make a comment on Nadine´s answers.

4. Choose the location. It must be within the school limits.

Lights, camera, action!

What Makes A True Friend?2

What Makes A True Friend?

1. How long has Nadine known Amy?
2. If they fall out with each other, what do they do?
3. Name 2 things that they have in common.
4. What is the problem with some of Amy and Nadine´s other friends?
5. How would Amy describe Nadine?
6. According to Nadine, what is the best thing about their friendship?
7. How long does she think they will stay friends?

How I spent the Christmas Holidays

How did Nadine spend her holidays? Were they great, or were they awful?
Name at least three reason to support your statement about Nadine´s holiday.
Did they finally eat turkey, or not?
What did she do on Boxing Day?
How was the party at her brother´s house?
What were the main things that she did after New Year´s Day?

E-mail about your holidays

Write an e-mail to a friend explaining the way you spent your Christmas Holidays. Follow this structure:
Greet  your friend
Say if you had a good time or not
Write about what you did on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, Twelfth Night…..
Write a conclusion.

Here is an example:

Hi Anne,
It was great to hear from you. I hope you and your family are well and that you had a nice Christmas. My holidays were great. I spent a week at my parents´ house in York and then went to London for a few days with friends. Christmas Day was really low key. We exchanged presents and my parents cooked dinner for the whole family. After we had stuffed our faces we watched TV for the rest of the night. On Boxing Day I went to the sales and I bought that pretty dress I had told you about the last time we met. It was half price. You know that I can´t resist a bargain! I´m hoping to wear it to your birthday party next month. New Year´s Eve was a blast! We went out in London for some drinks and danced until the early hours. You´ll never guess who I bumped into! Yes, it was him, the guy we had been talking about and who I never thought I would see again. By the way, his name is Richard and he works for the BBC down south. As you see, I´ve got every reason to think that my holidays were great. Friends, family, good food, a new dress, and who knows, maybe a new boyfriend! 

Speak to you soon.

Hugs and kisses,

Nadine