divendres, 31 de maig del 2013

The importance of learning other languages

By Juan Tutasi
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There are different kinds of language in this world and learning more as you can will help you in many ways of your life for example in the job, or meeting people from other countries . Learning another language improves your abilities to use your first language and explore other cultures more succesfully. But trying to learn another language is not always easy, so how much difficult is to learn another language different from our mother tongue?
The answer depends on ther years and dedication you devote learning these languages, but in fact there is another factor that helps us or not learning some types of languages. These are the Family languages:
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For example, if our mother tongue is the Spanish or any latin language, we will learn easier and faster another latin languages because they are very similar, and languages like Chinese , Deutsch or others will be more difficult, although they have each other some common words. The most important language nowadays is the English. English began famous since then 1st World War. The United States of American and Britain, were the countries with more colonies, like Australia and many territories of Africa. This is the reason why English has a lot of speakers around the world. English is a obligatory subject in most of schools, highschools and universities of the world. The English is the franc language nowadays and it's very useful because it is talked in every country. But not everybody speaks English, around 75% of the world's population don't speak any word of English.
Learning languages opens doors to other cultures and gives the learner an experience of the world that goes deeper than the average tourist trip. It can also provides a key to the global workplace.

Why is it important for children to learn languages?
·Learning a foreign language makes our minds stronger and more flexible.
-It improves our chances of employment.
-You feel really good when you can speak many different languages.
-Languages connect the world and have the potential to make it a more peaceful place.
-It is used in business and for pleasure of communication.
-It develops a cultural understanding and makes better relationships with others.
-Language learning helps brain power and improves your language skills.

Why is it important employers know languages?
-Research has shown that using language skills in business opens the door to a wide range of economic, social and personal benefits.
- A lot of employers are looking for employ people with conversational language skills
-Customers addressed in their mother tongue are much more likely to do business with you.
-Studying a foreign language improves your oral and written skills in English too, and this also helps to develop key communication skills, that are crucial in the job.
-English, French and German are still the most useful languages, Spanish is increasing his importance around the world

These are some of the reasons why it is important to learn languges. Why don't you try it?

dimecres, 1 de maig del 2013



MAHATMA GANDHI

external image what-is-conspiracy-Mahatma-Gandhi1.jpgBy Andreea Nicoleta Radu

Mohandas Karamchand Ghandi (1869-1848) was an Indian thinker. He is commonly knew by the nickname Mahatma which signify "good soul". He had studied law in the university College of Londres and he had returned to India in 1915.

In 1921 he was just a member of the Indian National Congress. He had instaured new methods of fighting (strikes and hunger strikes, he rejected armed struggle and preached the non-violence.

Its moral influence on the development of the conversations for the Independence of India was cosiderable, but after the separation from Pakistan he was deeply discouraged.

Ghandi had tried to reform the indian society by integrate the lowest castes and developing the rural zones. He had disapproached the religious conflicts after the Indian Independence.


THE NON-VIOLENCE

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Gandhi wasn't the creator of the non-violence, but he was the first in aplique it in the politic stair. Gandhi explains his filosofy and his way of life in the autobiography "THE STORY OF MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH". He said:
  • "When I despair, I remember that throughout history has always won the way of truth and love. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time seemed invincible, but in the end always fall; - think about it always."

  • "What difference does the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the wanton destruction carried out in the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?"

  • "The eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

  • "There are many causes that I'm prepared to die, but none that I'm prepared to kill."

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When the invasion of the Britanic Isles by Nazi Germany looked imminent in 1940, Gandhi offered the following advice to the British:
  • "I wish you surrender the weapons must be useless for saving you or saving humanity. Invite Mr. Herr Hitler and Mussolini to take what they want of the countries you call your possessions ... If these gentlemen choose to occupy your home, I leave them. If you don't want to let go, allowing you to kill everyone-men, women and children, but I promised them to deny your loyalt



In an interview after the war in 1946, he offered a view at an even further extreme:
  • "Hitler," Gandhi said, "killed five million Jews. Crime is the greatest of our time. But the Jews were offered the butcher's knife. Should be thrown into the sea from cliffs ... and that stirred the world and the people of Germany ... "external image images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSp45Z7wUqNF-TOrXsyYl3Devd6oDM7gn6jbEALZJJlo2dOR6cb


When he was little, he ate meat. But all his life, Mahatma Gandhi was vegetarian because his family was hindu and, in the Hinduism all the believers are vegetarians. He said:
  • "I feel that spiritual progress will demand that we mustn't kill and eat the creatures of God just to meet our sensual desire and perverted."

divendres, 19 d’abril del 2013

THE IMPOSSIBLE REALITY 

By Andreea Nicoleta Radu

Mauris Cornelis Escher (17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972) was a Dutch graphic artist who created impossible constructions and lithographs and mezzotints about the exploration of the infinity, architecture and tessellations.


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One of his most populary works was the lithograph Convex and Concave. In this work, many of the structure's features can be seen as both convex shapes and concave impressions.

external image EscherConvex_and_ConcaveLR.jpgThe windows, roads, stairs and other shapes can be perceived as opening out in seemingly impossible ways and positions. Even the image on the flag is of reversible cubes. One can view these features as concave by viewing the image upside-down.

This is a very good example of   Escher's mastery in creating illusion of "Impossible Architectures".




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Beldevere is another of his famous impossible structures. In this work front and back is an impossibility and so cannot be illustrated. On the floor of the lower platform, that is to say indoors, stands a ladder which two people are busy climbing. But as soon as they arrive at a floor higher, they are back in the open air and have to re-enter the building.

It is useful to provide different perspectives of the same software architecture. Thereby, it is important that still the same 'reality' is represented.


external image images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRWmOODulGN6RDlHCED4AUFJhr_WfLN8fYDxLQAbGOrEeQEChD1THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE

An impossible cube is a cube in which the edges are depicted as solid beams and all the corners appear to be correct. But the edges of the cube overlap in ways that aren't physically possible.

The illusion plays on the human eye's interpretation of two-dimensional pictures as three-dimensional objects. Visual perspective is used to create the illusion of depth, but the three edges on the bag of the cube are placed in the foreground.

diumenge, 27 de gener del 2013

BOLIVIA
By Angela Quisbert
I wrote this article to explain a little more about Bolivia.   I will explain a little of each department.
The Bolivian flag has three stripes. Red represents the blood shed by our heroes for the birth and preservation of Republic.Yellow represents our natural wealth and resources. Green represents the richness of our nature and hope, as a core value of our society.
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And other interesting thing is that you find  1.555 types of potatoes in Bolivia.
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-Potosi has a  climate similar as La Paz because both are cities 4090m above sea level.  Its typical dance  is thinkus and its typical dish is cazuela. And also you can visit The Salar de Uyuni.
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--Pando has a warmer climate and is rich in nature because it has borders with Brazil and is part of the Amazon. Taquirari is its typical dance, its typical dish is escabeche de torcaza.
-Cochabamba has a temperate climate and also nice tourist sites, as Christ of Concordia and the ruins of Ijkallajta.  Its typical dance is cueca, one of its typical dishes is silpancho.
-Tarija has a varied climate depending on the area. It is important for their productions Singani is a Bolivian typical alcoholic beverage.
-Oruro has a cold and dry climate. It was considered the capital of Bolivian folklore. Each year takes place the most colorful carnival of Bolivia, full of traditions of America. The more famous dance is the diablada.
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-Santa Cruz has a warm climate most of the year, the tourism is based on its beautiful landscapes. In Samaipa is one of the biggest rocks of a rupestre art. Its dancing is called carnavalito,  its typical food is el majao.
-Beni has a warm climate. It is bordered by Brazil, rich in fauna and flora. Its typical dish is Keperi Beniano, and Macheteros its dance.
-Chuquisaca has a large pre-Columbian history, there are  113 archaeological sites of pre-Columbian times. Its dish is chorizo Chuquisaqueño.
La Paz is one of the highest cities in the world with an altitude of 3.640m above the sea level. It has a variety of interesting things, has important tourist sites such as the remains of pre-Columbian era in Tiwanaku that have an important expression of Andine culture. The area around the lake Titikaka, 8300 km2,  is located 3839 meters above sea level. It is the highest navigable lake in the world. Illimani is a mountain next to La Paz and you can see beautiful sunsets. They have important festivals like carnivals, El gran poder which involves forty thousand dancers and La entrada universitaria. And in January Alasitas is a fair where the people buy  miniatures which bring you luck in the life. Its typical dance is los caporales and la morenada. They use very bright and colorful costumes and one of his dishes is ChairoIn Los yungas you can find many types of tropical fruits, and also you can see  the road of death.
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diumenge, 20 de gener del 2013


Bram Stoker


By Mònica Andrés

Abraham " Bram" Stoker
 was a really good writer who was born in Clontarf,  November 8th 1847, and he died in London,  April 20th 1912.

He was an Irish writer of novels and short stories. In his moment he was known as the personal assistant of Henry Irving and the manager of the London's Theatre Lyceum but now he is really known because his most famous novel  "Dracula", based on the legendary figure of Vlad Tepesh.
He was the third of 7 sons of his family and he was a very unhealthy when he was a achild. The time he stayed at home his mother read for him  horror books.
In 1864 the Trinity College was interested in him and left his school in 1870. He was very good at Sports, Maths and Science. He was a Champion of Athletics and the Philosophical Society's president. 
While he was studying he worked  in the Dublin's Castel where was the headquarters of the Bristish Government, Also he worked as  theatre critic for the Dublin Evening Mail, and  as an art critic for some publications in England and Ireland. He passed his Law's exams and after he could work as an lawyer in England. 
In 1878 he was married with Florence Balcomer, an old girlfriend of his friend Oscar Wilde and  they had a son, Irving Noel.
When he died his wife was the person who made the administration of his litterary bequest.

Bram_Stoker_1906.jpgBram Stoker (1906)
His most famous novel was the book of Dracula and this was transmitted for years and years. It was inspired on the real character Vlad Draculea "Vlad the Demon's Son", called Vlad Tepesh "The Impaler" for his form of torture. 
He was informed for an erudit called Arminius Vámbéry and he was inspired in Irving (his old boss) and Franz Liszt for the aspect of Dracula. 
The book was praised for Oscar Wilde and he said " This book is the best horror's story of all the times and the most beautiful written".
Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, praised also the story.

Dracula1st.jpgThe first edition of Dracula's book (1897)