Wanted: Young Volunteers

Taken from http://www.hacesfalta.org/noticias/detalle/?utm_source=BandejaCorreo&utm_medium=Mailing&utm_campaign=BoletinHF&IdPost=3055.

¿Eres menor de 30 años, licenciado y no tienes trabajo? Si quieres vivir una experiencia de voluntariado internacional pero en estos tiempos que corren no puedes permitirte el viaje, aquí tienes algunas opciones que pueden resultar interesantes...

 La crisis te ha pillado de pleno. Eres joven, licenciad@ y no tienes trabajo. Te apetece hacer voluntariado, no te importaría cruzar el charco, pero no tienes recursos para pagarte el viaje. Tranquil@, que como dice mi abuela, todo en esta vida tiene solución. Puedes optar por alguna de estas opciones, que te permitirán hacer un voluntariado internacional, practicar idiomas, reforzar currículum y, además, ¡te cubren todos los gastos!

• Servicio Voluntario Europeo: dirigido a jóvenes de entre 18 y 30 años para realizar una experiencia de voluntariado a tiempo completo en algún país distinto al tuyo (normalmente de la Unión Europea). La estancia es de dos a doce meses, e incluye apoyo lingüístico para que aprendas la lengua del país de acogida.
• Programa Jóvenes Cooperantes: para jóvenes de hasta 30 años, este programa proporciona un contrato de 9 meses para trabajar en un proyecto de cooperación de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). ¿Qué requisitos debes cumplir? Estar inscrito como demandante de empleo y ser licenciado en alguna de las carreras que se piden en cada edición.
• Becas de la AECID: la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo ofrece a los jóvenes varias oportunidades. Por un lado, puedes acceder a una beca de formación en la sede de la AECID y en alguna de sus Unidades de Cooperación en el Exterior, si eres menor de 30 años y tienes formación en cooperación; o puedes optar por una plaza de Joven Experto de Naciones Unidas, en función de tu formación y de las plazas abiertas.
• Programa de Voluntariado de Naciones Unidas: en este caso, el requisito de edad es de mínimos (25 años), pero no hay techo. Debes ser técnico o titulado universitario y es recomendable que ya hayas participado como voluntario en terreno.

Conseguir plaza en uno de estos programas no es fácil, pero no te desanimes. Ten en cuenta estos consejos a la hora de postular y ponle muchas ganas. ¡Suerte!

Deadly E. Coli Strikes Europe

Some news about heatlth and food from the 3rd June.
Make sure you understand all the highlighted words and expressions.

The deadly bacteria that has killed 18 people in Europe is a new form of E. coli, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Scientists are scrambling to find out more about the deadly strain behind the European outbreak. As well as the dead, more than 1,600 people are sick. This new outbreak is the deadliest in modern history and is the third in terms of the number of people made ill because of it. The source of the outbreak remains unknown. Germany was quick to blame Spanish cucumbers but this now appears not to be the case. Most of the sick and dead either live in Germany or recently travelled there. Authorities believe the bacteria is on salad vegetables and warned people to avoid eating salad and cook all vegetables.
The WHO says the new E. coli strain could be from a genetic merger of two different E. coli bacteria that has resulted in a super-strong bug. E. coli mostly spreads via food contaminated with human or animal feces. It leads to diarrhoea and vomiting, and can lead to kidney failure and death. Doctors say it is essential for people to wash their hands regularly to avoid contact with the bacteria, especially before eating. The outbreak is affecting Europe’s economy. Russia has banned all fruit and vegetable imports from the European Union, a move that could cost EU farmers billions. Spain’s politicians are asking Germany for compensation for blaming Spanish cucumbers for the outbreak.

Taken from http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1106/110603-e-coli.html

School Bans Hugging and High-Fives

News from 28th, May

Make sure you undestand all the highlighted words and expressions.

A high school in London has banned students from all forms of physical contact with each other. The Quest Academy has warned students not to hug, shake hands, or give high-fives. The school was briefly the centre of attention a week ago when US president Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron visited it. The two leaders perhaps broke the school rules with their back-slapping and high-fives during a game of table tennis with students. The idea behind the banning is to help prevent bullying, according to school principal Andy Croft. He said: "Physical contact between students is not allowed at the academy because it is often associated with poor behaviour or bullying and can lead to fighting."

Students and parents are up in arms at the new rules. Student Dayna Chong, 15, received detention for cuddling her female friend. She said: "They're trying to turn us into robots." Her mother called the policy “extreme” and “ludicrous”. She said: "If the kids can't even hug each other at school some of them will never learn how to be socially interactive.” She added: “School is supposed to be where we start teaching our children how to be social - shaking hands, hugging, opening up. You need an embrace to comfort you when things go wrong. I've never heard of anything so crazy in my life." Mr Croft disagreed, saying his policy, “creates a disciplined environment which is essential for learning and respect”.


TRUE / FALSE: Read the article. Say if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	A London school said students cannot shake hands with each other.	T / F
b.	Barack Obama visited the school.	T / F
c.	The government put the new law in place.	T / F
d.	The school principal said physical contact led to bullying.	T / F
e.	Parents agree with the new rules.	T / F
f.	A student said the school was trying to turn students into robots.	T / F
g.	A mother said school kids shouldn’t be hugging each other at school.	T / F
h.	The principal thinks the new rules are totally crazy.

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	banned	a.	momentarily
2	warned	b.	stop
3.	briefly	c.	ridiculous
4.	prevent	d.	embracing
5.	lead to	e.	angry
6.	up in arms	f.	prohibited
7.	cuddling	g.	vital
8.	ludicrous	h.	cautioned
9.	comfort	i.	result in
10.	essential	j.	support

YOUR OPINION

1. What do you think of the new physical contact rules at Quest Academy?2. Which is / was your most hated school rule?
3. Were Barack Obama and David Cameron bad role models?
4. How often did / do you break school rules?
5. Can any rules prevent bullying?2.

Healthy news

Some latest news about health and diet.
Check that you know and understand the highlighted words and expressions:

Family Meals Keep Kids Slimmer (3rd May, 2011)

A new study shows that family meals help children stay slim. Researchers from the University of Illinois found that kids who eat at the table with their family are healthier and have a lower risk of obesity. The research team also says that sitting down for breakfast, lunch or dinner teaches children healthy eating habits. Researcher Dr Amber Hammons wrote: “Families that eat five or more meals together have children who are up to 25 per cent less likely to encounter nutritional health issues.”
Family meals also encourage other positive behaviour in children. They learn better manners sitting at the table and are more sociable because they join their parents’ conversation. This is not the case with children who eat alone or who sit in front of the television with their meal. In recent decades, more and more children sit on the sofa watching TV. This can lead to their food going cold and them not eating it. Eating alone also means the child misses out on developing social skills.

Coffee And Cola Can Lead To Strokes (7th May, 2011)

Scientists have discovered various activities that increase the risk of a type of stroke. These include vigorous exercise, drinking coffee and cola, blowing your nose, and even being startled. Researchers at Holland’s University Medical Center in Utrecht looked at 250 patients for three years to identify what starts bleeding in the brain that leads to a stroke. A sudden increase in blood pressure can cause blood vessels to burst, which can result in brain damage or death.
The researchers said drinking coffee was the most common risk factor. The lead researcher, Dr Monique Vlak, said: "All of the triggers [create] a sudden and short increase in blood pressure, which seems a possible cause for [blood vessel] rupture." The study is a reminder to us all to think more about high blood pressure. Doctors call it the “silent killer” because it can kill us before we know we have it. It is essential to have regular health checks to monitor your blood pressure.

Doctors Refusing to Treat Overweight Women (19th May, 2011)

Doctors in Florida are refusing to treat women if they are overweight. A report from the Sun Sentinel newspaper says that 15 out of 105 gynaecology clinics in Florida have a weight limit. Doctors at the clinics will not see new patients if they weigh more than 90kg. This is even if the women have no health problems. One of the excuses they gave reporters is that their medical equipment is difficult to use with obese people. Doctors say it is not against the law to refuse patients.
Many doctors and patients are furious this is happening. People say doctors have to treat anyone who enters their office. They believe any doctor who does not see a patient is letting down the medical profession. Dr Maureen Whelihan of West Palm Beach said: “If I had that policy, I'd lose half my patients.” She has a point. The USA has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. If doctors put weight limits on patients, much of the country would be sick.

The Scientist

Thanks to this song you can learn the difference between say and tell. Pay attention to the lyrics to find out about the structure.


Coldplay - The Scientist por itami

The EOIs on TV

Talking of media and TV programmes...

Due to the 1OOth Anniversary of the first Official School of Languages, the Spanish TV programme Informe Semanal filmed a short documentary about the history of the schools, with interviews and some curious anecdotes.

Don de lenguas. Click here to watch it. 

Extra Practice Key Unit 7

G1 1

1 Sorry but I can't help you with this
2 We should make it stronger
3 can you come with us tonight?
4 You don't have to ask for this permission
5 I can use steelo in this design
6 You shouldn't bother until after lunch
7 keep that wood. It could/might be useful later
8 You have to/must use recyclable products because of the new law.

G2 2

1 b   2 c   3 a   4 f   5 d   6 e

G1,2 3

1 don't have to   2 shouldn't   3 must   4 have to   5 can't   6 can   7 must   8 could

KL 4

1 several   2 made   3 appeal   4 value   5 looks   6 aimed   7 points

V1, 2 5

1 traditional   2 designer   3 user   4 innovative   5 artistic   6 scientific   7 manufacturer   8 futuristic   9 functional   10 engineer

V3 6

1 consumerism   2 efficiency   3 industrialisation   4 streamlining   5 modernity   6 optimism

Gender differences

Some news on Gender Equality... or not.

British Car Insurance Gender Inequality Ends (2nd March, 2011)

Britain’s system of car insurance has been turned on its head by the European Court of Justice. For decades, British motorists have paid insurance premiums based on their sex. The rationale for this was that men were far more likely to have accidents than women, and the average repair bill for men was higher. Britain’s insurance industry has until December 2012 to comply with the new ruling. The court’s decision is bad news for women, who are expected to pay an extra 25 per cent for their motor insurance. Young female drivers aged between 17 and 26 are likely to be hit hardest. Industry analysts claim their premiums could jump by as much as 40 per cent. It’s good news for men as they will see their rates fall by 10 per cent.

The insurance ruling was designed to end what the court saw as gender discrimination in Britain’s car insurance industry. However, many insurance companies are up in arms at the decision with one insurer calling it “breathtaking stupidity”. They say statistics clearly show that men, especially those in the 17-26 age bracket, cause the most accidents and are therefore a higher risk. In all other areas of insurance high risk automatically carries higher premiums. The website confused.com wrote women drivers, “cause less serious accidents and make less expensive claims than their male counterparts” and called the ruling a "gender tax on women". Another site, GoCompare.com, said: "Few drivers will welcome this ruling."

Some questions:

Are men or women better drivers?
.

Why are insurance companies unhappy with this decision?

How will men and women in Britain feel about this?

What do you pay insurance on? Are you happy to pay this?

Do you think car insurance is a good thing?
.

What would happen if we didn’t have car insurance?

Teatime at Del Gallo Blues

Next Friday 8th of April at 5pm at Restaurant Del Gallo Blues (Espinardo)

Tea Time

A special event where you will be able to practice your English thanks to conversation with native speakers.

If you would like to improve your level of English, do not hesitate to register through this event on facebook (registration and contact details).


#Teatimegallo is an iniciative by GRAFTON SCHOOL together with Del Gallo Blues. For further información please visit their websites (by clicking on their names).
 

Would you like some tea?

Butaca 0 Premiere

The Student Union of the EOI Lorca - AAEOIL 

presents

Friday 8th April at 20h

Centro Cultural la Cárcel

Totana

"Butaca 0"

Premiere

SOME LIKE IT HOT (Con Faldas y a lo Loco)

VOSE

Everyone's invited!

Scientists Create Energy-Making Artificial Leaf (29th March, 2011)

Can you understand the highlighted words and expressions?

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created what could be a breakthrough in providing clean, alternative energy. Researchers have invented an artificial leaf that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen and stores the energy in a fuel cell. The device is about the size and shape of a playing card, but is even thinner. It is made from silicon and electronic components. The MIT team says it could power a home in a developing country for a whole day just by putting it into water under the Sun. The artificial leaf is also cheap to produce. Research team leader Daniel Nocera said a prototype of his leaf in his laboratory operated non-stop for over 45 hours with no drop in activity.

Technology that can efficiently turn sunlight and water into energy has long been seen as the Holy Grail of science. The conversion of solar energy into hydrogen is one of the answers to the question of how to provide an effective alternative to fossil fuels and thus end our dependence on oil. Nocera’s invention could even help save the planet, by turning around global warming. Furthermore, in light of the events at Fukushima, Japan, it might also prove to be a safe replacement for nuclear energy. However, this is all wishful thinking at the moment. The technology, although highly promising, is still in its early stages of development. In the near future, it could provide energy to people in remote areas of sunnier countries.


Some food for thought...
 
What’s wrong with fossil fuels?
What happens if fossil fuels run out before we find an alternative?
Have we become too greedy for energy?
Do you think this invention could reverse global warming?
What do you think of nuclear energy?

Going Green

Test you Eco IQ with this quiz.
There's a lot you can do to help reverse global climate change and live and eco-friendly life.


Some vocab you might need.:

PV= Photovoltaic
CFL = Compact Fluorescent Light (= bombilla de bajo consumo)
EPA = Environmental Protection Agency
hemp = cannabis

Check out the National Geographic website for more information about the environment and of natural disasters.

Second Explosion at Japan Nuclear Plant

This is the text we saw in class this week. Without looking ;) do it now as a cloze. Later, check your answers with your worksheet.

Can you understand the meaning of the underlined words and expressions?

 

Second Explosion at Japan Nuclear Plant (14th March, 2011)

A second explosion has (1) ____ at the nuclear power plant that was damaged in Friday’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. Nuclear reactor 3 from the Fukushima plant suffered a (2) ____ explosion to that which hit reactor 1 on Saturday. Officials say the blast did not damage the casing which houses the uranium fuel rods in the reactor’s (3) ____. Experts believe the latest explosion was caused by a build-(4) ____ of hydrogen in the building that covers the core. Japan’s prime minister Naoto Kan has told people there is no danger of a radioactive (5) ____, but warned the situation to cool the reactors is still critical. He described recent events as "the biggest crisis Japan has (6) ____ in the 65 years since the end of World War II".
Japan is beginning to understand more details of its tragedies. The death (7) ____ is slowly rising. Police found over 2,000 bodies on the (8) ____ of Miyagi prefecture on Monday and at least ten thousand people are missing in the port town of Minamisanriku. Tens of thousands of people have been (9) ____ from a 20-km radius of the Fukushima nuclear power plants – many fear they will never see their homes again. More than 22 Fukushima (10) ____ are being treated for the effects of exposure to radiation. The whole of Japan is extremely concerned about the ongoing crisis at the power plants. Experts say a disaster on the scale of Chernobyl is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, the quiet fear and panic experienced by the Japanese raise questions about nuclear safety.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	occurrence	(b)	occurs	(c)	occurring	(d)	occurred
2.	(a)	similar	(b)	alike	(c)	identical	(d)	same
3.	(a)	bore	(b)	core	(c)	lore	(d)	pore
4.	(a)	in	(b)	out	(c)	up	(d)	down
5.	(a)	leaky	(b)	leaks	(c)	leak	(d)	leaking
6.	(a)	recoiled	(b)	encountered	(c)	dispirited	(d)	undaunted
7.	(a)	doll	(b)	poll	(c)	moll	(d)	toll
8.	(a)	coastline	(b)	fault line	(c)	beeline	(d)	inline
9.	(a)	excavated	(b)	evacuated	(c)	elevated	(d)	estimated
10.	(a)	residence	(b)	resides	(c)	residency	(d)	residents
11.	(a)	affects	(b)	affective	(c)	effects	(d)	effective
12.	(a)	scale	(b)	limit	(c)	grade	(d)	ratio

Wear sunscreen

Class of '99:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young, written by Chicago Columnist Mary Schmich.

Japan’s Quake, Tsunami and Atomic Alert

News from the 12th of March

Japan is beginning the cleanup after Friday’s (1) ____ earthquake and tsunami. The death (2) ____ is currently at 573 with hundreds more people missing. Most of the people died in the (3) ____ tsunami, which was up to ten metres high. Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency says the number of destroyed buildings has (4) ____ 3,400, but that is expected to rise. In the quake-hit areas, around 5.57 million households (5) ____ have no electricity, while more than one million homes have had their water supply cut (6) ____.

The mega-earthquake is the seventh largest (7) ____ recorded. It hit northeast Japan at 2:46 p.m. with a magnitude (8) ____ 8.9 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Beijing, China. The following tsunami has completely (9) ____ away large parts of Japan’s north. The damage is      (10) ____ tens of billions of dollars. Fifty-three countries in the Pacific Rim were put on tsunami alert. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said his        (11) ____ focus now is to stop a nuclear power plant from overheating. Scientists released (12) ____ steam from the plant to reduce the pressure inside it.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	death	(b)	dead	(c)	deadly
2.	(a)	toll	(b)	doll	(c)	roll
3.	(a)	largish	(b)	massive	(c)	tiny
4.	(a)	reaches	(b)	reached	(c)	reaching
5.	(a)	current	(b)	currant	(c)	currently
6.	(a)	off	(b)	on	(c)	in
7.	(a)	ever	(b)	never	(c)	even
8.	(a)	by	(b)	at	(c)	of
9.	(a)	washing	(b)	washed	(c)	washes
10.	(a)	on	(b)	to	(c)	in
11.	(a)	main	(b)	mainly	(c)	mains
12	(a)	radio	(b)	radioactive	(c)	radiate

If I were a boy

With the help of the lyrics, what happens in the video?
Is there anything you consider typical/ unusual/ a stereotype/ sexist / a cliché?
In what way are their behaviours usual or unusual?
What changes in roles can you find?

Movies to borrow

The student union of the EOI (AAEOIL) has kindly donated 11 DVDs to our library for you to borrow. Here's the list of films: 

THE SHINING- EL RESPLANDOR (1980)

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY -  SENTIDO Y SENSIBILIDAD (1995)

THE MISSION - LA MISIÓN (1986)

THE DEPARTED – INFILTRADOS (2006)

BABY BOOM– BABY TÚ VALES MUCHO (1987)

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) – 2 discos

THE HUNTING PARTY – LA SOMBRA DEL CAZADOR (2007)

CABARET (1972)

OCEAN’S ELEVEN (2001)

THE FIRST WIVES' CLUB- EL CLUB DE LAS PRIMERAS ESPOSAS (1996)

FLASHDANCE (1983)

Curso Monográfico de FRANCÉS

The School of Languages of Lorca is organising a French course at the school in Águilas.

FROM THE 28th March to 30th May

EXTENSIÓN DE ÁGUILAS

EDIFICIO EL PLACETÓN

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS 19-21h

TOTAL HOURS: 30

Course Fees: 80 EUROS

For more information:

http://www.eoilorca.org/ 

http://eoiaguilas.blogspot.com/

TEL: 968 109 401 / 661 725 298

IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO BE AN EOI STUDENT TO REGISTER

Days like this

On a rainy, grey and depressing day like today, your classmate Encarna suggests this other wonderful song by "The Lion of Belfast":



When it's not always raining
there'll be days like this
When there's no one complaining
there'll be days like this
When everything falls into phase
like the flick of a switch
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

When you don't need to worry
there'll be days like this
When noone's in a hurry
there'll be days like this
When all the parts of the puzzle
start to look like they fit
Then I must remember
there'll be days like this

When you don't need an answer
there'll be days like this
When you don't meet a chancer
there'll be days like this
When you don't get betrayed
by that old Judas kiss
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
When everyone is upfront
and they're not playing tricks
When you don't have no freeloaders
out to get their kicks in
When it's nobody's business
the way that you wanna live
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

When noone steps on my dreams
there'll be days like this
When people understand what I mean
there'll be days like this
When you bring out the changes
of how everything is
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this