Grl W Clark:"US will take out Iraq, Libya, Syria... Iran"

Video Interview with General Wesley Clark “We’re going to take out seven countries in 5 years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran” General Wesley Clark. Retired 4-star U.S. Army general, Supreme Allied Commander of NATO during the 1999 War on Yugoslavia. Please, copy and paste this link below in your internet navigator to see the complete article: http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166

THE INDY ARGENTINAS ECONOMY

THIS IS AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW TO AN ECONOMIST WHO, AS A FOREGINER HELPS US SEE OURSELVES AS WE WOULDN T LIKE TO BE SEEN BY OTHERS ENJOY IT http://www.argentinaindependent.com/currentaffairs/analysis/understanding-argentinas-economy-an-experts-view/

Awkward Social Situation

A very funny webpage related to the topic we are dealing with this week: "Dramatic Events" (CAE and CPE classes). Visit this site, it well worths reading: http://www.buzzfeed.com/samjparker/9-awkward-life-moments-we-need-rules-for

NARRATIVE ESSAYS EXCERPTS

Essential Elements of Narrative Essays ACTIVITY The following are excerpts of NARRATIVE ESSAYS . TASK 1 Read them and pick out phrases that a) could be used in other essays of the same type, b) show descriptions and sensory images Print and bring to class for discussion TASK 2 Choose one and continue it. You must write a development and an ending The focus of a narrative essay is the plot, which is told using enough details to build to a climax. Here's how: •It is usually told chronologically. •It usually has a purpose, which is usually stated in the opening sentence. •It may use dialogue. •It is written with sensory details and vivid descriptions to involve the reader. All these details relate in some way to the main point the writer is making. All of these elements need to seamlessly combine. A few examples of narrative essays follow. Narrative essays can be quite long, so instead of a full length example of an entire essay, only the beginnings of essays are included: Learning Can Be Scary This excerpt about learning new things and new situations is an example of a personal narrative essay that describes learning to swim. “Learning something new can be a scary experience. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was learn how to swim. I was always afraid of the water, but I decided that swimming was an important skill that I should learn. I also thought it would be good exercise and help me to become physically stronger. What I didn't realize was that learning to swim would also make me a more confident person. New situations always make me a bit nervous, and my first swimming lesson was no exception. After I changed into my bathing suit in the locker room, I stood timidly by the side of the pool waiting for the teacher and other students to show up. After a couple of minutes the teacher came over. She smiled and introduced herself, and two more students joined us. Although they were both older than me, they didn't seem to be embarrassed about not knowing how to swim. I began to feel more at ease.” The Manager. The Leader. The following excerpt is a narrative essay from a story about a manager who was a great leader. Notice the intriguing first sentence that captures your attention right away. “Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.” The Climb This excerpt from the climb also captures your attention right away by creating a sense of mystery. The reader announces that he or she has "this fear" and you want to read on to see what that fear is. “I have this fear. It causes my legs to shake. I break out in a cold sweat. I start jabbering to anyone who is nearby. As thoughts of certain death run through my mind, the world appears a precious, treasured place. I imagine my own funeral, then shrink back at the implications of where my thoughts are taking me. My stomach feels strange. My palms are clammy. I am terrified of heights.Of course, it’s not really a fear of being in a high place. Rather, it is the view of a long way to fall, of rocks far below me and no firm wall between me and the edge. My sense of security is screamingly absent. There are no guardrails, flimsy though I picture them, or other safety devices. I can rely only on my own surefootedness—or lack thereof.” Disney Land The following narrative essay involves a parent musing about taking her kids to Disney Land. “It was a hot sunny day, when I finally took my kids to the Disney Land. My son Matthew and my daughter Audra endlessly asked me to show them the dream land of many children with Mickey Mouse and Snow-white walking by and arousing a huge portion of emotions. Somehow these fairy tale creatures can make children happy without such “small” presents as $100 Lego or a Barby’s house in 6 rooms and garden furniture. Therefore, I thought that Disney Land was a good invention for loving parents.” The Sacred Grove of Oshogbo by Jeffrey Tayler The following essay contains descriptive language that helps to paint a vivid picture for the reader of an encounter with a man. “As I passed through the gates I heard a squeaky voice. A diminutive middle-aged man came out from behind the trees — the caretaker. He worked a toothbrush-sized stick around in his mouth, digging into the crevices between algae'd stubs of teeth. He was barefoot; he wore a blue batik shirt known as a buba, baggy purple trousers, and an embroidered skullcap. I asked him if he would show me around the shrine. Motioning me to follow, he spat out the results of his stick work and set off down the trail.” Playground Memory The first excerpt from, “Playground Memory”, has very good sensory details. “Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick on that leaves me with the fabled “warm and fuzzy feelings.” As the daughter of an Air Force Major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grande Canyon and have jumped on the beds at Caesar’s Palace in Lake Tahoe. However, I have discovered that when reflecting on my childhood, it is not the trips that come to mind, instead there are details from everyday doings; a deck of cards, a silver bank or an ice cream flavor. One memory that comes to mind belongs to a day of no particular importance. It was late in the fall in Merced, California on the playground of my old elementary school; an overcast day with the wind blowing strong. I stood on the blacktop, pulling my hoodie over my ears. The wind was causing miniature tornados; we called them “dirt devils”, to swarm around me.” Christmas Cookies The second of the two narrative essay examples is an excerpt from “Christmas Cookies.” “Although I have grown up to be entirely inept at the art of cooking, as to make even the most wretched chef ridicule my sad baking attempts, my childhood would have indicated otherwise; I was always on the countertop next to my mother’s cooking bowl, adding and mixing ingredients that would doubtlessly create a delicious food. When I was younger, cooking came intrinsically with the holiday season, which made that time of year the prime occasion for me to unite with ounces and ounces of satin dark chocolate, various other messy and gooey ingredients, numerous cooking utensils, and the assistance of my mother to cook what would soon be an edible masterpiece. The most memorable of the holiday works of art were our Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, which my mother and I first made when I was about six and are now made annually.” Tips on Writing a Narrative Essay When writing a narrative essay, remember that you are sharing sensory and emotional details with the reader. •Your words need to be vivid and colorful to help the reader feel the same feelings that you felt. •Elements of the story need to support the point you are making and you need to remember to make reference to that point in the first sentence. •You should make use of conflict and sequence like in any story. •You may use flashbacks and flash forwards to help the story build to a climax. •It is usually written in the first person, but third person may also be used. Remember, a well-written narrative essay tells a story and makes a point.

PROPOSALS WRITING PROPOSALS AT C.A.E. LEVEL

WRITING PROPOSALS CA.E. If you want to work on the actual web page go to http://www.englishaula.com/en/cae-writing-part-1-proposal-cambridge-advanced-certificate-in-english.html Instructions After reading the exam question given, answer it by completing the spaces shown. Drag and drop or type the words given, to create the correct document. Exam question: Related document 1: 19:11 min.PROPOSAL Proposal for Improvements to the Library This proposal (1) ................. at how the library facilities at the international college library could be improved, bearing in (2)..................... that money is limited. It considers (3........................... aspects like the opening (4)........................... , the work (5)......................... and the condition of the resources and gives (6)......................... and recommendations as the . Firstly, one of the main (7)............................ with the library are the (8)....................... hours. Students can't always choose the hours they need to study and (9)....................... times they have to study at (10)....................... hours. The opening hours at present are (11)........................ short which makes it (12) for the students to use it. (13)....................... , the work space available is not (14)........................ . Often students have to cramp (15)........................ tight spaces to be (16)........................... to work, or sit on the floor. (7)...................... , the resources are extremely (18).............................. . There are very few computers with limited and out- (19).............................. software and the few books and (20)..................... there are are old and boring. It would (21).............................. great to have some English magazines. (22)........................ conclusion, without spending a lot of (23)...................... , the library could be made (24) more useful by making the opening hours (25)........................ , by making more space available so students can sit and work (26)......................... and if (27)................................... by purchasing a few English magazines and (28).................................... some more computers. Possible answers: moneyproblemspossiblemanycomfortablySecondlyhoursmuchFinallylongerlooksintomindmaybedifferentdatedopeningInsuggestionsspacebevideostoolimitedinconvenientdifficultenoughablefreeinstantlylatestconclusion FILL IN THE BLANKS AND WRITE THE PROPOSAL GO TO PAGE http://www.learnclick.com/cloze/show/2739

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH by Edgard Allan Poe To prepare this short story and the VIDEO CLASS ON AUGUST 23RD YOU CAN CLICK AT http://albalearning.com/audiolibros/poe/lamascara-sp-en.html Don t bother about the audio. Just read the version in English and use the version in Spanish for vocabulary As for the audio , go to you tube

TAKING RISKS 7 ADVANTAGES

TAKING RISKS NEEDN T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AS BAD READ ABOUT ITS ADVANTAGES http://www.revivallifestyle.com/advantages-of-a-dangerous-life/

LITTER TRASHES THE ENVIRONMENT

Litter Trashes the Environment 

Litter is an eyesore that pollutes the earth and costs a fortune to clean up From Earth Talk .

 Dear EarthTalk: What is the impact of all the littering that individuals do, largely from their cars and on highways? What can I do to help clean it up? How can we strengthen laws to prevent it? – Environmentalists consider litter a nasty side effect of our convenience-oriented disposable culture.

 Just to highlight the scope of the problem, California alone spends $28 million a year cleaning up and removing litter along its roadways. And once trash gets free, wind and weather move it from streets and highways to parks and waterways. One study found that 18 percent of litter ends up in rivers, streams and oceans. Cigarettes a Major Cause of Litter Cigarette butts, snack wrappers and take-out food and beverage containers are the most commonly littered items. Cigarettes are one of the most insidious forms of litter: Each discarded butt takes 12 years to break down, all the while leaching toxic elements such as cadmium, lead and arsenic into soil and waterways.

 Litter Typically Viewed as a Local Problem The burden of litter cleanup usually falls to local governments or community groups. Some U.S. states, including Alabama, California, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, are taking strong measures to prevent litter through public education campaigns, and are spending millions of dollars yearly to clean up. British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland also have strong anti-litter campaigns. 

 Keep America Beautiful and Litter Prevention Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the group known for its “crying Indian” anti-litter TV ads of bygone days, has been organizing litter cleanups across the United States since 1953. KAB has a strong track record of success in litter prevention, though it has been accused of doing the bidding of its industry founders and supporters (which include tobacco and beverage companies) by opposing many mandatory bottle- and can-recycling initiatives over the years and downplaying the issue of litter from cigarettes. Nonetheless, 2.8 million KAB volunteers picked up 200 million pounds of litter in KAB’s annual Great American Cleanup last year [2007].

 Litter Prevention Around the World 

 A more grassroots-oriented litter prevention group is Auntie Litter, which started in 1990 in Alabama to help educate students there about the importance of a healthy and clean environment. Today the group works internationally to help students, teachers and parents eliminate litter in their communities. In Canada, the nonprofit Pitch-In Canada (PIC), founded in the late-1960s by some hippies in British Columbia, has since evolved into a professionally run national organization with a tough anti-litter agenda. Last year 3.5 million Canadians volunteered in PIC’s annual nationwide Cleanup Week. Only You Can Prevent Litter Doing your part to keep litter to a minimum is easy, but it takes vigilance. For starters, never let trash escape from your car, and make sure household garbage bins are sealed tightly so animals can’t get at the contents. Always remember to take your garbage with you upon leaving a park or other public space. And if you’re still smoking, isn’t saving the environment a compelling enough reason to finally quit? Also, if that stretch of roadway you drive everyday to work is a haven for litter, offer to clean it up and keep it clean. Many cities and towns welcome “Adopt-A-Mile” sponsors for particularly litter-prone streets and highways, and your employer might even want to get in on the act by paying you for your volunteer time.

THE FALKLANDS ARE ARGENTINE

KIDS

THIS IS FOR YOU TO READ AND COMMENT ON IN CLASS   BE READY

ALEX ALTIMIR
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6502227.stm

INFLATION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Inflation And Economic Recovery February 28, 2012 | Filed Under » Economic Recovery, Financial Crisis, Fiscal Policy, GDP, Inflation, Macroeconomics, Monetary Policy When prices rise for energy, food, commodities, and other goods and services, the entire economy is affected. Rising prices, known as inflation, impact the cost of living, the cost of doing business, borrowing money, mortgages, corporate and government bond yields, and every other facet of the economy. SEE: What You Should Know About Inflation. Inflation can be both beneficial to economic recovery and, in some cases, negative. If inflation becomes too high the economy can suffer; conversely, if inflation is controlled and at reasonable levels, the economy may prosper. With controlled, lower inflation, employment increases, consumers have more money to buy goods and services, and the economy benefits and grows. However, the impact of inflation on economic recovery cannot be assessed with complete accuracy. Some background details will explain why the economic results of inflation will differ as the inflation rate varies. GDP Economic growth is measured in gross domestic product (GDP), or the total value of all goods and services produced. The percentage of growth or decline, compared to the previous year, is adjusted for inflation. Therefore, if growth was 5% and inflation was 2%, GDP would be reported at 3%. As prices rise, the value of the dollar declines, as its purchasing power erodes with each increase in the price of basic goods and services. The Cost of Borrowing Low or no inflation, theoretically, may help an economy recover from a recession or a depression. With both inflation and interest rates low, the cost of borrowing money for investments or borrowing for the purchase of big ticket items, such as automobiles or securing a mortgage on a house or condo, is also low. These low rates are expected to encourage consumption, say some economists. Banks and other lending institutions, however, may be reluctant to lend money to consumers when rates of return on loans are low, which decreases profit margins. The U.S. Federal Reserve, which sets interest rates on government securities - mid- and long-term Treasury notes and shorter-term bills - has promised to keep rates at very low levels until 2014. This assurance of low rates for the next two years is designed to stimulate the economy and keep inflation rates at a guaranteed level. The business community, including large, medium and small operations, know that certain fixed costs will remain constant, at least for that designated time period. Businesses can therefore plan their borrowing, hiring, marketing, improvement and expansion strategies accordingly. Investors, likewise, know roughly what government and corporate bonds and other debt will return, since most of these instruments - if not so-called junk bonds - are pegged to Treasury yields. However, economists differ notoriously in their opinions. Some economists claim that a 6% inflation rate for several years would help the economy by helping to resolve the U.S. debt problem, lifting wages and stimulating economic growth. The Consumer Price Index The standard measurement of inflation is the government's Consumer Price Index (CPI). Components of the CPI, a "basket" of certain elementary goods and services such as food - meat, vegetables and bread, for example - energy, clothing, housing, medical care, education, and communication and recreation. If the average price of all goods and services in the CPI were to go up 3% over the previous year's level, for example, then inflation would be pegged at 3%. This also means that the purchasing power of the dollar would have declined by 3%. Hard assets, such as a home or real estate, often increase in value as the CPI rises; however, fixed income instruments - Treasuries or bank Certificate of Deposits, for example - lose value, because their yields don't increase with inflation. One notable exception, however, are treasury inflation protected securities (TIPS). Interest on these securities is paid twice yearly at a fixed rate as the principal increases in step with the CPI, thus protecting the investment against inflation. The Bottom Line Controlled inflation, no higher than 6% and perhaps somewhat lower, may have a beneficial impact on economic recovery, according to some economists, while inflation at 10% or above would have a negative impact. If the U.S. continues to increase its debt and continues to borrow money via Treasury issues, it may have to deliberately inflate its currency to eventually retire those obligations. Investors, retirees or anyone with fixed income investments will in effect be paying down those obligations, as their holdings decrease in value as prices rise.

"From a distance"...God is watching us! (Bette Midler's Song)

"From a distance" 

... God is watching us! 

Bette Midler (beautiful song)

From a distance, the world looks blue and green, 

And the snow capped mountains white. 

From a distance, the ocean meets the stream, 

And the eagle takes to flight. 

From a distance, there is harmony, 

And the echo through the land. 

It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace, 

It's the voice of every man. 

From a distance, we all have enough, 

And no one is in need. 

And there are no guns, no bombs and no diseases, 

No hungry mouths to feed. 

From a distance, we are instruments, 

Matching in a common band, 

Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace, 

There is the song of every man. 

God is watching us, God is watching us, 

God is watching us, from a distance, 

Ohh God is watching us ....... from a distance. 

Pause

From a distance, you look like my friend, 

Even though we're at war. 

From a distance, I just cannot comprehend, 

What all this fighting is for ? 

From a distance, there is harmony, 

And the echo through the land. 

It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves, 

It's the heart of every man. It's the hope of hopes, 

It's the love of loves, it is the song of every man. 

Oh..God is watching us, 

God is watching us ..... from a distance

published by Marcelo Leporace, FCE Student