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

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.

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

Moondance

Elementary School is Oscars-Bound

Carpetbagger is a section in the New York Times dedicated to cinema glamour. Reporter Melena Ryzik is visiting P.S. 22, a public Elementary School in Staten Island (NY) but why? 

What does this Elementary school have to do with Hollywood glamour?

Watch this video and answer the following questions

How many people are flying across the country?

Is this their first contact with fame and celebrity?

Why did they post videos on youtube?

What type of music do the kids bring to sing?

What happened when the Hollywood producer first rang?

What did the principal think when she got the call?

Most of the kids have never…

What happened at their holiday concert?

Who do the kids think should win an Oscar this year?

How does the teacher feel about all this?

Learn English with podcasts

Here are 3 websites I recommend for you to practice, especially, your listening skills. On them you will find plenty of podcasts (audio files) that you can listen to or download directly from your computer.

BBC Learning English

Containing a variety of resources to practice English, including the interesting "6 Minute English" series and hundreds of articles to listen to while you read. Mainly British English.






VOA News Learning English

Here you will find lots of interesting articles to read and listen to. Also a great variety of podcasts and videocasts especially prepared for students. Mainly American English.

Vaugham Radio

Really cool online radio especially designed for students of English. One of its outstanding features is that it is a bilingual radio (English and Spanish), programmes are in English but Spanish is used for explanations or advice. You can listen to this radio online, or by FM or TDT. You can also download previous episodes from its podcast section.

Remember the more you study and practice English the better your level and results. Being constant is essential, so if you listen to podcasts regularly you will soon notice how your listening comprehension improves naturally and quickly.

Taken from David García, guest blogger at http://wwwhatsnew.com.