Things to do before I die

Have you ever thought about all the things you would like to do before you die?
My answer is yes, I have! Here there are a few of them:

1. Travel around the whole world




2. Learn to play the piano



3. Write a book




4. Deep dive with sharks





5. Visit The Lord of the Rings Tour in New Zealand


6. See the Northern Lights


7. Ride a hot air balloon




8. Go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando





9. See the Pyramids of Egypt



1O. Live and work abroad



11. Read mountains of books




12. Spend New Year´s Eve in Times Square



13. Have a perfect wedding

14. Be happy

15. I want to live

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Future mays be a terrible thing because nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow. And our future job is still more uncertain, since there are countless problems to overcome like money, self-esteem, competitiveness, etc.

But nowadays, right now, my degree means my future due to the fact that I am going to spend all my life learning English and trying to get a good job for myself. Therefore, I really think that it´s very important to reconsider my vocation, since I won´t work as someone which doesn´t appeal to me. I´m totally sure about it, I´m sure that I don´t want to have a job that I don´t love; I want to enjoy my degree and I do want to enjoy my future job.

However, my mind is full of questions and doubts. First of all, as I said before, I like English and I like my degree but I´am not sure about what is my future job. Maybe is too soon, since I have been studying for only four months this professional career.

About my vocation, to be honest, English has not been my real vocation but I has never had a real one. All I know is that I love reading, writing, meeting new different people and talking to them, learning more and more about other cultures...For there reasons, I chose English as my future and I´m glad.

So, I would like to work as a English teacher, I would like to work in an editorial and maybe, If I finished this degree, I would start to study translation. Nothing is impossible.

To finish, there are many weak points that I will have to overcome to achieve my goal. For example, I am not be able to travel to an English country to improve my vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency. Morever, I have never been in an English academy or a bilingual school. But as far as I am concerned, the most important thing is being self-confidence and doing your best.

All in all, future is future and I know that I want to finish my degree being proud of myself and I would like to have my perfect job. For that, I am going to work hard to achieve my goals and I will never give up.

Practice: Smartphones - A great invention?

Nowadays, it is said that smartphones are one of the best inventions in the society because they have many advantages. However, this new type of technology has some important disadvantages that people should take into count.

The first benefit is that people are able to keep in touch with someone in any moment thanks to apps like Skype. For this reason, if you have an emergency, you will be able to call for help. Besides, smartphones are a fantastic source of information due to the fact that people can look for anything they need thanks to Internet on their revolutionary phones. Of course, smarthphones can take amazing pictures and videos. Finally, if you are bored, you can listening to your favourite songs and play some funny games.

One of the negative points is that the new society is totally keen on smartphones and many people recognise that they wouldn´t be able to live without them. Morever, people spend much of their spare time using smartphones, so parents don´t play with their children or friends don´t meet very often. Another disadvantage is that people usually upload all the pictures they have taken or even videos because it´s very easy thanks to their phones. Therefore, they are not really aware of the aspects of their lives which are being viewed by everyone.

In fact, such as a revolutionary invention, smartphones have different pros and cons but it´s completely sure that they have improved our lives but people should start to use smartphones correctly without forgetting that there are other ways to have a great time with some friends.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

Christmas is coming! It is said that Christmas is loved by many people and I am one of them. Im obsessed with the cities illuminated with bright lights, the beautiful Christmas tree, the decoration of the places, the opportunity to buy special presents and the irresistible smell of all the Christmas dishes.

However, I think that Christmas is more celebrated in England or North America. Maybe, this opinion is because of the large number of movies about Christmas from those countries!

One of the traditions is cooking Gingerbread cookies and I have seen this dessert in countless films. Besides, I am keen on cooking sweets and I have never tasted this type of cookies. Therefore, I decided to look for the original recipe and I have found the next one:

About the ingredients, some of them are very common so we don´t have any excuse!

All we need is:

Flour (260g)

Butter (150 g)

Brown sugar (100g)

1 egg

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Once you have all the ingredients, you have to mix them in a bowl until you have an uniform dough. Then, you extend the dough making different forms. Finally, bake the cookies for 20 minutes (356ºF).

I have been looking for some pictures of cookies and I have found different ideas:

Just amazing!

Really cute!

Lovely!

I´m looking forward to cooking them!

LOVE

There are many important things which we can find in our lives like money, health, friendship, happiness and love. From my point of view, we are made for living without money but can we live without love? I really don´t think so.

Besides, it is said that there are different ways of love and each one is absolutely unique and special. First, we do love our parents and it is just an indescribable feeling. They have given us everything we have wanted with so much generosity being next to us even in the worst moments. Besides, they support the decisions that we make but always advising us to get a perfect way in life. Therefore, we should take care of our parents because they will take care of us forever.

Morever, people love their friends because they are able to become an indispensable support. Friends are the best confidants due to the fact that our closed friends are the most reliable people and we can count on them when we have any problem that we can´t tell our parents. So, we love our friends although we Sometimes get angry.

Finally, another way of love is your boyfriend or girlfriend. This type of love is quite hard to understand but when you fall in love, I am completely sure that you will know it because you will feel that the person you love is the perfect one for you and you will needn´t find another one.

Maybe, love is one of the most common topics. However, people forget the importance of loving and being loved.

Practice: New world

Nowadays, new technologies are totally indispensable. It is believed that our world works correctly thanks to new generation gadgets like laptops or mobile phones. Besides, there are many advantages of technology but also some disadvantages. However, the chance of keeping in touch with the people you love, getting a lot of information and the lose of privacy are the most important consequences of using Internet very often.

First of all, society can keep in touch with people from all over the world. Therefore, there are a lot of couple who have been able to carry on with their relationship by Internet. Besides, some interviews are made by Skype, so many people have got a job thanks to the new technologies. Of course, it is a perfect way to talk to friends who have gone to Erasmus or to work abroad.

Moreover, people are able to get information about everything thanks to Internet. If someone needs looking for news about any person, period or subject, he will find countless interesting answers. So, Internet mays be an amazing learning tool if people know how to use it properly.

In contrast, not only young people but also adults are keen on technologies and it mays affect them in different ways. For example, they usually lose their privacy  due to the fact that they put their personal details in social networks like Facebook or Instagram. They also upload countless pictures and videos of themselves everyday. Besides, they waste so much time being connected and they don´t enjoy their spare time.

There are a lot of different aspects about new technologies but as far as I am concerned, the best option is getting a balance. We have to learn how to use Internet correctly looking for information for our essays, improving the knowledges of subjects and keeping in touch with our friends. But we must remind that we have a real life out of the screen and we should start to live it 100% enjoying every little special moment without thinking about uploading it.

MAKE UP

It is said that  make up is a very controversial matter because there are extremely different opinions with respect to it. Make up can provide some advantages and also disadvantages but one thing is totally sure:countless women and even men use it everyday.

Many people are against make up due to the fact that  they think it produces dependency. Other people believe that make up is a way to create new faces by hidding all the imperfections. Besides, there are some opinions from people who judge the women who decide to put on makeup because they say that women show a completely different face.

I am not going to say this people are wrong because everyone has an own mind with an own thought. However, I am going to provide my personal opinion which is not the best one but mine.

From my point of view, make up is art; make up is a complicated skill; make up is a hard ability that many women and men decide to learn and people are free to make their own decisions. Of course, we have to remind that nobody is perfect but there are a lot of people with insecurities who try to find a way to look better using make up. It doesn´t mean that people should feel worse without cosmetics. Nowadays, there is something called "the power of make up" and many famous people are taking some pictures of them with and without make up to show that they really love themselves regardless of the beauty products.

As far as I am concerned, make up is a way of expression and society should repect people who decide to use it because we live in a democracy where the liberty of expression is acclaimed. All in all, nobody should underestimate the power of make up bacause in our free world, everyone finds the perfect way to be happy and self-confidence.

Practice: Introduction and conclusion

DON´T STOP READING

Reading is one of the most important activities to develop during the childhood. However, there are many people who are not aware of how much benefits can be provided by a book. Nowadays, reading is an indispensable ability to get a perfect comprehension of the different texts. Consequently, reading can make sure a successful academic career. Of course, you can enjoy choosing your favourite genre and you can learn a lot of interesting facts about countless metters and for this reason, reading is one of the best hobbies and children should start to read to improve their minds.

...

Therefore, there are many benefits of reading and there is no excuse to open a book and inmerse yourself in the pages. In this way, people should read more often because they will be able to find a cure for ignorance improving their knowledge of the world.

Practice: Outline

Don´t stop reading

I. Reading is one of the best hobbies because it has a lot of benefits, so children should start to read during the childhood to improve their minds.

II. Mental benefits

    

    A. Reading improves the understanding

    B. Reading improves vocabulary

    C. Reading provides with different points of view

  

III. Emotional benefits

    A. Reading increases abilities like emphaty

        1. Reading about different people and their lifestyle

    B. People can vent their feelings

        1. You can cry or laugh when you need to run away from your problems

IV. Variety

    A. There are many different types of books

       1. Reading gives you a lot of knowledge of history and culture

       2. People can choose  their favourite literary genre like romance

V. Therefore, people should read more often because they will be able to find a cure for ignorance   improving  their knowledge of the world.

That´s life

Sometimes, it is difficult to understand the different changes that life gives you. However, changes are absolutely necessary to improve. There are a lot of stages of development which can be hard to overcome. For example, starting University is one of the most important changes due to the fact that we have to move on a new city and we do not spend so much time with our relatives. Besides, we have to face with complicated subjects and new proffesors. Moreover, making new friends is not as easy to some people who is very shy. Teenagers have to learn how to be independent making their own decisions. Those are some negative aspects but we do not have to forget all the positive things like living countless experiences travelling and finding out new amazing places. We can know new people from all over the world and it could help us to open our mind. For this reason, we must keep thinking that changes are nothing terrible and they can help us to get a fantastic future because...

Problem Paragraph: Women´s rights

Nowadays , women´s rights are not respected in many contries and it causes a huge problem in our society. Therefore, gender equality is broken by many governments and one of the most important human right, equality, is violated. For this reason, women are not considered as good as men and they suffer a discriminatory behavior. Women are considered like simple objects to get married and take care of children. In some countries, women can work but they are paid less than men. Even in some places women are forbidden to vote.This situacion is completely unfair.

One solution to the problem of the women´s rights violation is to make aware people-women and men- that everyone has the same human rights because everyone are human and they must be treated equlity without any difference. Another answer is to establish a harder law and punish people and governments which don´t respect the women´s rights. A final solution is to teach children about the gender equality so they can learn to preserve it. People must be together to fight against the social inequiality and they will be able to win the battle to consolidate the justice, the liberty and the gender equality.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

To be honest, I do not read classics very often because it is not my favourite genre. However, I decided to start the reading of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which is one of the most famous books in the world.

I had many expectations and I hoped that the plot really appealed to me. Finally, when I finished the book I was totally in love with the story. For this reason, I started to investigate information about the author. Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born in Steventon (England) and she is one of the most recognizable novelists. Austen was educated at home and she started to write when she was unexpectedly young. Austen got the success thanks to her great novels like Sense and Sensibility or Emma. She is a costumbrist writer due to the fact that we can see the traditions and customs of her time reflected in every page and chapter. She has stood out with her irony writing unforgotten novels which are full of realism.

In particular, Pride and Prejudice is about five sisters who must be married if they want to have economic security and social standing. Besides, I have found the most beautiful love story I have ever read between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.  There are a lot of intelligent dialogs, detailed  descriptions and amazing moments. Everything is told by Jane Austen with an excellent ability.

All in all, I have a new favourite book now.

“I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine”

Práctica no evaluable. Comparison/Contrast Paragraph

                                                      SMALL TOWN OR BIG CITY

Living in a village is very different from living in a town. You can be comfortable and quiet in the village because there is a lot of silence and tranquility. It´s a peaceful way of living. On the other hand, towns are always crowded and full of noise. Therefore, you cannot be in calm and it mays be extremely stressful. In contrast, cities have many places where you can find everything you need. However, small towns are devoid of indispensable sites like banks, shops or hospitals. Besides, when you live in a village, you are known by everyone and many people will discover all your personal details, but in big cities you are able to be yourself without fear of being criticised. All in all, villages and cities provide different experiences, places and chances, so people have to decide their own lifestyle.

Opinion Paragraph: Drugs

Nowadays, drugs are a huge problem in our society. Many young people decide to take them because they think that they are being "cool". Besides, people don´t want to admit their problems with drugs. Therefore, the rest of us should try to help them and make them realise that drugs are the wrong way.

The government must take part in new projects against these addictive sustances, since it is a very common trouble. Besides, Justice should be harder with drugs and make a new harder legislation.

Drugs are one of the most dangerous facts which is unshakable in our society, so we must fight together to eliminate them and build a stronger generation.

Sweet nightmares.

I was in a beautiful city near the beach with a wonderful job that I had found unawares. I had decided to stay in a nice hotel where the accomodation was great. I had been working for hours so I was so tired than I fell asleep very early. Suddenly, the shouts started and my fear appeared. I went to see what was happening and when I opened the door of my room, I saw a lot of smoke and many people who were screaming. The hotel was burning and I was more frightened than before. Later, I tried to keep calm and remember what I could do in that moment. Then,  I realised that I couldn´t leave my room because there was too smoke in the corridor, so I ran towards the balcony and I didn´t see any firefighter who could help me. I was just petrified when I thought that my only chance to survive would be jump from the balcony. Finally, I closed my eyes, breathed deeply and jumped.

I woke up.

Reality is hard but nightmares are powerful.

Opinion Paragraph: Cultural prices

At the present time, prices of books, films and CD´s are huge expensive. It is a big problem which has been increasing for the last years. Besides, there have been a lot of polemics against this fact, since many people can´t afford the situation because of the economical crisis and they are being taken the culture away from them. It must be changed due to the fact that everyone should have the chance to know all about history, tradition, art, etc.

Another important point is that taxes in Spain are to high and excessive. Therefore, it has impeded the developement of different types of art. For this reason, many enterprising people have a lot of difficulties to make their projects come true, so many amazing ideas have been destroyed.

The access of the culture must be achievable to everyone and Spain should start to invest much more money in culture because we have a great talent and originalily in our society.

We have to remind our cultural legacy and make an effort to progress all together.

Práctica no evaluable: Giant´s Causeway

The picture shows an extraordinary natural exhibition.

We can see wild waves crashing into hexagonal blocks of basalt. On the back, the sky shows a beautiful sunrises. It looks like a common landscape but it has something very special due to the fact that it´s one of the most famous places in Britain called Giant´s Causeway.

The sea has a huge strength against the colossal rocks. The landscape is recognizable and unique.

It´s a legendary place with a lot of history and magic which may transfer the picture.

My mum

In my last class of Prácticas de redacción I had to describe an important person for me.

When I think about the person who I love most, the image of my mum comes into my mind because she has always been next to me. My mum has given me whatever I´ve wanted and everything she has been able to provide.  She is the most generous person.

Besides, I have never met anyone so strong like her although she has had a hard life.

My mum couldn´t study but she is amazingly clever!

Many people say that I look after her and I am very proud about it because I would like to be like her in the future.

There are a lot of memories with my mum, but my favourite is one in which we were watching TV at night. Suddenly, I told her something funny and she started to laugh. This is the most special moment, since I feel comfortable, happy and safe when I think of it. I just feel at home.

She has a strength character because she can be a little bit rude. However, she is very lovely with me.

My mum is my largest treasure. She is the reason of who I am.

My first trip: Munich

I went abroad for first time on March 2013.

The story began when my school started to participated in a project called Comenius and seven classmates and I were chosen to join it. About the project, it consisted in learning about renewable energies from different countries.

I was really lucky to travel next to some of my best friends and we arrived in Germany, concretely in Múnich which is one of the most famous cities because of its history. We spent a week with different families and I thought that it would be too hard for me.

At first, I was terrified due to the fact that I had never been on abroad and I had to speak in English to unknown people. But later I realised that I was able to communicate with them and I learnt a lot of interesting things about the culture, tradition and history of Munich.

We visited amazing places which remain in my memories like the Neuschwanstein Castle. Besides, I loved my new family because they were very kind with me and they told me everything they knew about the city.
Finally, I cried when I had to say goodbye, since the trip  had made into a wonderful adventure and an unforgotten experience.

It´s hard to describe such an amazing trip. I just would love to coming back in the future.

My poem

Fear of feeling alone
Fear of not feeling alone anymore

Fear of listening to my mum´s crying

Fear of not stopping crying if I start

Fear of travelling around the world
Fear of not coming back home

Fear of looking for my true love
Fear of finding him and not being loved

Fear of success
Fear of average

Fear of darkness
Fear of nightmares

Fear of myself
Fear of the rest

Fear of being afraid
Fear of anything else.

TYPICAL FOOD OF MY COUNTRY

Spanish food is considered one of the best in the world. We have an amazing gastronomy which is respected by the different countries.

Typical food of Spain has some advantages. For example, many experts have been investigated it and they have cloncluded that it is extremely healthy because of the great variety of the aliments like vegetables, fruit, meats or desserts.

Besides the fact that Spanish food is complet  and healthy, it is also absolutely delicious!

We have different tradicional food depend on the part of the country but Mediterranean diet ,in which we can find vegetables, olive oil and fish, is the most famous.

Moreover, gastronomy is very important for the economy due to the fact that many foreign people come to visit Spain to taste it increasing the income of the tourism.

In spite of our tradicional food, there are foreign dishes which have become popular like kebab (Turkish food) or shushi from Japan, so the tradición must learn to get along with the new exotic food.

In fact, Spain should be proud because of the wonderful and tradicional food that is loved by everyone.