Unit 10: No technology? No Way!

   Technology and the environment: Positive and negative aspects

            For many years the technology has satisfied many needs us and have helped us move in the everyday world, but it has brought with it consequences. To produce technology we depend on natural resources and affect the environment in which we live. But if we were to analyze the benefits and not benefits of the technology, which we end up supporting?.

            On the benefits of advances in technology have allowed us to implement actions or use obejectos that we never get to use, and has been developed in countless areas of our lives. For example communications with video calls to other countries, intenet and advanced computers and cell phones, or medicine with new equipment for treatment and detection. But if you look in the environmental area is not searched further development of technology, what we find today is more often recycling, renewable energy or less harsh chemicals to the environment but it is not common practice to do or driven by companies.

            If we mention cons never finished but within them are altering the environment, we find the raw material extraction and pollution in air, water and earth, death and extinction of many species and over-exploitation of exhaustible resources. But man also belongs to this form of "balance" and we ourselves have been unconsciously affects, for example we become consumerist, sedentary people who no longer appreciate the environment around them and just focus on a fast life and practice and in many cases people sickened by pollution and radiation technology.

            If we conclude the above we find as the technology itself is not as good as usual is present, but we keep mowed walking on a life of consumerism and pride, without assessing what is really necessary and important in our lives as it is medium environment, no he we could not live and also is a being who feels and lives every abuse  we do and as human beings we need awareness in this area. In my opinion I would rather live like the old days and those who lived with a better balance with the environment not as now, every day we each see more implusamos our deathbed and the environment.

Vocabulary

Sending me over the edge: frustating greatly.
Retaliatory: to return like for like, especially evil for evil.
Vigilante: a person who helps others.
Jolted: to move or dislodge with a sudden, hard blow, strike heavily or jarringly.
Shattered: increased.
Towed: to draw or pull behind by a chain or line.
Wail: whisper.
Siren: warning signal.
Banned: to prohibit, especially by official decree.
Prompted: to assist with a reminder, remind.
Vibrations: echoes.
Fustrated: disappointed.
Defective: imperfect.
Offense: a violation or breaking of social or moral rule.
Annoying: irritantigly bothersome.
Faint: lacking conviction, boldness, or courage, timid.
Loud: Characterize by high volume and intensity.
Startling: to cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start, to alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly.
Shrill: high pitched and piercing in tone or sound.
Piercing: to sound sharply through.

Grammar: Future Perfect and Future Progressive

Both are commonly used to speak about events in the future.

Future Perfect
Is used to talk baout a future action that will already have been completed by a certain time in the future.

To form the future perfect, active voice:
Use will + have + past participle.
To form the future prefect, passive voice:
Use will + have been + past participle.

Examples:
By tomorrow evening, I will have sent about 20 email messages.
By the end of the week, about 50 email messages will have been sent.

Future Progressive
Used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.

To form the future progressive:
Use will + be + present participle.

Examples:
In the future, we'll be using a lot of new technology.

Unit 9: Finding a Niche: The challenge for young inmigrants

Reality in the life of an immigrant

Many people leave their country seeking a better life or running from a past, being a very difficult decision but decide to start a new life in another country. This is a reality that exists around the world in many countries.

The life of an immigrant is not easy, since arriving to an unknown location where they often do not know anyone and start building a life is very difficult. Out of this, the population of many countries xenophobia and racism is presented, which instill a climate of hostility towards them and in many cases to the government of that country encourages reject. Most seek a good job to support their families in another country and give them a decent living condition, others flee to a mistake in the past and in many cases better fulfill a dream of living in that country.

The numbers of immigrants in recent years have risen sharply, and many countries have imposed a limited number of entry because the state finds it difficult to maintain public services without overwhelm. Thus far emigrant also has no medical insurance or anything to back them up to an incident, this being one of the consequences we suffer.

Thus the decision is often so difficult, you never know who is going to run into a person in life and I think that people who migrate are the same as each of us so we must treat them equally without rejections without ridicule.

Vocabulary

Unique: make someone or something different.

Native tonge: first language.

Flourishing: growing and devoloping well.

Mainstream: special, individual.

Tight knit: close, connected.

Assimilate: adapt and adjust.

Suppressed: not allowed to express.

Relieved: happy that you don't have to worry about something.

Bone up on: review, study again.

Intimidating: frightening.

Uprooted: removed from, torn from.

Set apart: the commom way of thinking or acting.

Dialect:

Have a hard time:

Blend in:

Deal with:

Learn by doing:

In the process:

Encouragement:

Punishment:

Do (your) part:

Grammar: Present and Past, constrasting verb tense.

Present Progressive

Used to describe something that is happening right now, an action that is in progress.

Example:

The students in one group are speaking Polish.

Simple Present

Is used to describe a general fact or habit.

Example: 

The students at the International High School speak many different languages.

Past Progressive

Used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

Example:

The students were designing a temple during math class.

Simple Past

Used to describe an action that was completed in the past.

Example:

The students finished building their temple by the end of class.

Present Perfect and Present perfect Progressive

Used to talk about things that started in the past, continue to the present, and may continue in the future.

Examples:

She has taken the math test.

She has lived in the United States since her twenty first birthday.

Video: Irregular Vebs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK12tjcqpsM

Unit 8: Goodbye to the Sit Down Meal

Importance of the sit down meal

          Because of the world we live in certain family values ​​or traditions have been lost and one of them is sitting all eat together as a family. Somehow or another not practice this tradition has consequences on family life, thus altering coexistence.

          On issues such as work, study and other human activities, all meals family can not meet together, making dinner at night or on weekends are those considered most appropriate to share together as a family. This act helps improve communication between members, a fact that today is the one that brings many family problems. You should use this time as a harmonious environment where they can talk with confidence and peace without discussing problems and bad news.

          This is one of the traditions that should not be forgotten and therefore should be sacred in a family as the communion among the members bring more unity. Despite the circumstances that the world imposes must fight for this family value.

Vocabulary

Delicacies: luxuries.
Witnessing: seeing.
Stacked: full.
Shift: change.
Workforce: labor force.
Phenomenoun: habit.
Overrun: taken over.
Core: key.
Intimate: close.
Sit down: relaxed.
Breadwinners: salary earners.
Bring home the bacon: earn money.
Dough: money.
Get cooking: start working.
Trouble brewing: problems are developing.
Put it on back burner: leave something until later, treat as less urgent.
Stirs up: creates.
Food for thought: something to think about.
Bread and butter: main source of income.
The salt of the earth: a really good person.
Take it with a grain of salt: be skeptical about what you hear.
Left a bad taste in my mouth: gave me a negative feeling.

Grammar: Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is two or three words put together to make one verb. Two word phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a particle (an adverb or preposition). This combination of words often has a meaning that is very different from the meanings of its seperate parts

   Verb        +         Particle          +      Meaning

keep                        up with                   stay at the same level.
Take                         out                        bring food from a restaurant to another place
Make                         up                        compose
Pick                           up                        collect

Unit 7: What's the use of Homework?

Pros and Cons of do the homework

            In any educational setting is used as part of student assign work or practice to do at home program, we call that task. This is usually a very controversial topic among students and teachers as they both have different views, and they are many ways to work for and against the same time.

            In most cases the task is usually very useful and indispensable in courses which involve mathematics or numeracy as this speeds up our mind and helps us to better analyze, but in other cases as it is the subject of letters are deemed unnecessary. Other aspects to be assessed is that often the tasks assigned to students very large projects and almost immediately a way, that's where you have to find a balance where there is a lot of work for the student.

            Consider important to try to do different and dynamic tasks where students can engage their creativity and their own opinion which is very important in the proper development and not be bored to take more interest to the subject.

             In some way or another work at home help us to review and practice on material covered in class. Which if I think they can be a useful tool, but well used.


Vocabulary

Ritual: something you do on a regular basis.
Advocates: supporters believers of one side of a controversy.
Foundation: basis, an idea from which a system develops.
Fluctuated: changed from one level to another.
Tangible: real, something that can be measured.
Self esteem: feeling good about yourself.
Sacrifice: give up something you want or enjoy.
Duty: something you most do.
Demanding: difficult, challenging.
Monitor: carefully check or examine.
Accountable: considered responsible.
Distraught: very upset.
Buckle down: concentrate and do your work.
Came to mind: ocurred to (me).
Conked out: depend on, rely on.
A cinch: something that is very easy.
Hopping mad: really angry.
Over the top: excessive, too much.
Pays off: leads to good results.
Oull (one's) weight: do (one's) fair share of the work.
Had (one's) nose to grindstone: worked hard.

Grammar: make, let, help and get.

1. Use make, have and let + object + base form of the verb to talk about things that someone can require, cause or allow another person (or an animal) to do.
You can also use make to mean cauto to | force to.
Example:
She makes tham turn off the T.V.
She lets them play computer games later.

2. Help can be followed by:
object and base form of the verb (more common) or object and infinitive, the meaning is the same.
Example:
He helped me to do the homework.

3. Get has a similar meaning to make and have, though it implies a less direct action by the subject of the sentence.
It is always followed by object and infinitive, not the base form of the verb
Example:
The teacher got us to do extra homework.

Unit 6: Giving to others: Why Do We Do It?

Essence of the Human Being

Human beings are the only living being capable of reasoning, devise and be creative, but often we use these qualities to use them in our own lives aside others and wasting the essence of being human. Today we live in a world selfish, proud, ego centrist, where charity, kindness and even values ​​are to one side, where there are few who practice them. 

The world system increasingly alienates us of empathy and be humane, we see suffering, hunger and pain and often seems negligible. We are privileged among many around the world but there millions of people without these privileges, that's where every one of us should come from the heart to help the needy. Many times even with a simple friendly gesture, we can change the day to a person, then why not do it?. Yet also beyond gestures and favors we find donations, poor families, hungry people in need. Just because you dress or feed the needy is a great act of charity, we should make it work more often and make it an everyday event in our lives. There is a saying that is more than true: hands giving, never be empty.

Vocabulary

Cause: a principle or aim that a group of people support or fight for.
Moral: related to principles of what is right and wrong.
Anonymously: doing something without letting anyone know your name.
Motivated: very ager to do or achieve something.
Donation: a gift
Contribute: to give money, help, or ideas.
Inherit: to receive something from someone who has died.
Passion: a strongly felt emotion.
Mandatory: something that is required or that must be done.
Generosity: an attitude or behavior of giving things to others, or of helping others.
Fundraiser: a principle or aim that a group of people support or fight for.
Appeals: request, often for money or help.
Charity: the giving of help.
Wealthy: possessive of wealth.
Catastrophe: a extensive or notable disaster or misfotune.
Appeal: a rquest for relief.
Benefactors: a person who supports or helps a person.
Freelance: a writer or artist, who is not employed continously but hired to do differents assignments.
Rewarding: giving personal satisfaction.

Grammar: Relative Pronouns in adjective clauses.

Adjectives Clauses (also called relative clauses) are used to identify or add information about nouns. Usually, the adjectiveclause directly follows the noun it refers to. These clauses are introduced by a relative pronoun, such as who, that, whose, where or when.

Who refers to people. It can be the subject or the object of an adjective clause.
Who is usually used instead of the more formal Whom.
Example:
Sting is a musican who is concerned about the enviroment.

That or which refer to places and things. They can be the subject or object of an adjective clause.
Example:
The Rainforest Foundation is a group that | which he founded to protect the world's natural resources.

That cannot be used in a nonidentifying adjective clause (somethimes called a nonrestrictive clause) or after a preposition. You most use which.
Example:
This is an organization that many young people are interested in.

Whose refers to people's possetions. It can be the subject or object of an adjective clause.
Example:
People living in the area are those whose lives are most affected.

Where refers to a place, when refers to a time. They can be the object of an adjective clause.
Example:
Brazil is one of the countries where the foundation;s efforts have been successful.
The foundation was started at a time when many people were unaware of the enviromental problems we face.

Video: Relative Pronouns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBLqiYTf7qY

Unit 5: Longevity: Refusing to Be invisible.

Elderly people in Costa Rica

Like all countries in the world, Costa Rica has a high rate of elderly people which exceed 63 years. Many of them are in good health conditions and many others do not, or do not receive decent treatment. By their vulnerability, this group of people needs special care both physically, mentally and emotionally.

In our country, we find a growing number of seniors abandoned, abused and not sheltered by society; this is due to the lack of national education in protecting the elderly. Every day hundreds of public reports of abuse reported to them ending in negligence from the state, many are abandoned elderly in nursing homes where these institutions can barely keep and the state and society don’t help them. Beyond that, problems are also presented with transportation, physical and verbal abuse.

This is a reality that occurs every day of our lives, often we ignore or simply do not give importance but we must remember that they are human like us and not just for older age is a reason to treat this form, rather we venerate them for their wisdom and experience as does the eastern culture, that culture should adapt and make rows in our lives.

Do not abandon them, and we are considered love with them, many are fathers, mothers who invested his life in us and building a better future for us so that we begin to honor them.

Vocabulary

Go in for: want to do, do something with pleasure.
Bold: brave, courageous.
Bitterness: resentment, anger.
Solidarity: support, agreement.
Ensemble: outfit (clothing).
Chapter: local group of an organization.
Gorgeous: beautiful, attractive.
Flamboyant: showy, loud, colorful.
Brag: boast, show off.
Assisted living facility: a place where seniors sometimes live, similar to a nursing home.
Self-improvement: working hard to become better.
Nurturing: offering kind, supportive care.
Anxious: worried and tense becouse of possible misfourtune.
Generation: the act or process of bringing into being,production or reproduction.
Elderly: quite old.
Senior: older in years.
Hotspot: an area of potential violence or political unrest.
Facility: ease of action or performance, freedom for difficulty.
Citizen: a native registered or naturalized member of the state.
Physician: a penson legally qualified to prectice medicine.

Grammar: Tag Questions.

In spoken English, people commonly end sentences with tag questions.
There are two types:
                          Question Type
                          Comment Type

Question Type:

• Asks for information or seeks to confirm information the questioner is not sure about.
• Uses rising intonation.

Comment Type: 

• Makes a comment
• Is used when the questioner assumes the listener agrees.
• Uses falling intonation.

Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKf2GcwFywc

Unit 4: Animal Intelligence

Animal Intelligence vr Human intelligence

            Commonly we hear about human intelligence but we ignore certain individuals who also have their dowries. The animal intelligence is also important in everyday life. But which of these two species would be in some way better?.

            Human intelligence for millions of years has been evolving and developing each looking better, apart involve human reasoning we have always known as the one provided between all living species. We have made technological advances, increased population growth but also have brought him disaster, overconsumption, deforestation, waste, among others. If we start to analyze human evolution remained stagnant in many years, but rather we have lost skills and the only thing is we have advanced in technology.

On the other hand we have the intelligence animal species not endowed with reasoning out but if with knowledge. The animals in their natural habitats commonly tend not to exploit, but man has taken some of them and have tamed or trained. It is simply amazing the knowledge you can achieve these animals get to the point that have been helpful for the human. They help in the home, blind, firefighters, experiments, business, therapies and many other things. These creatures in recent years scientists have succeeded in proving small positive changes without affecting the environment in any way. 

            In personal opinion, this shows that the reasoning does not make us smarter, but this has led us to our own funeral. The human being has been characterized as a cruel and harmful species somehow have forgotten that all life is valuable. Instead the species remains in balance and without damage, we have to see cases as they show their feelings and knowledge. Analyzing we can prove that we are more than anyone, but there are species that are somehow smarter than us. The intelligencia is not how much we do but how we do it.

Vocabulary

Socialized: trained to behave in a way that is acceptable to others in your group.
Deceive: make someone believe something that is not true.
Spontaneously: in a way that is not planned.
Intriguing: interesting bacouse its unusual or unexpected.
Vocalize: make a sound with the voice.
Rote memorization: learned from repeating and not from thinking.
Categorize: put objects into groups according to what kind, color, size, etc. they are.
Figure out: conclude, realize.
Context: the situation, events, or information related to something.
Pest: animals that createa disturbance or bother people.
Unethical: inmoral
Compassion: Kindness
(Give someone) the floor: allow someone to speak.
Off the top of (someones) head: sicknesses
Nuisance: something that bothers or annoys.
Get it: understand.
Diseases: without thinking about it in advance.
Hazard: danger.
Humane: Kind, gentle.
Superior: better than.
Endangered: threatened with extiction.
Push the envelope: go beyond accepted boundaries. 


Grammar: Common verb changes.

Change present tense to past tense:
DireCt Speech: I am doing research on their use of tools.
Indirect Speech: The zoologist said (that) she was doing research on their use of tools.

Change present progressive tense to progressive tense.
Direct Speech: I am conducting an experiment on crows.
Indirect Speech: She said (that) was conducting an experiment on  crows.

Change past tense and present perfect tense to past perfect tense.
Direct Speech: The crows made a hook to get food from a tree.
Indirect Speech: The researcher reported (that) the crows hade made a hook to get food from a tree.

The modals will, can and may change from in indirect speech.
Direct form: I wont be at the meeting.
I can ask my colleague to take notes.
I may be able to send my secretary.

Indirect Speech: She explained (that) she wouldnt be at the meaning.
She said (that) se could ask her colleague to take notes.
She mentioned (that) she might be able to send her secretary.

Change must to had to.
Direct: I must find a way to repeat my experiment.
Indirect: She said (that) she had to find a way to repeat her experiment.

Change the pronouns, progressive and time words to keep the original meaning.
Direct Speech: I can not access my computer becouse it broke down yesterday.
Indirect Speech: The student claimed (that) she could not access her computer because it had broken down the day before.