ENGLISH: CHRISTMAS IN LATIN AMERICA

domingo, 14 de diciembre de 2008

CHRISTMAS IN LATIN AMERICA

VENEZUELA

In Venezuela on December 16th families bring out their pesebres (mangers) which is a specially designed and thought out depiction of the nativity scene. Venezuelans attend an early morning church service daily between December 16th and 24th. This is called Misa de Aguinaldo (Early Morning Mass). In Caracas, the capital city, it is customary to roller-skate to this service and many neighborhoods close the streets to cars until 8 a.m.It is a tradition to attend at one of nine carol services which most Venezuelans observe. Firecrackers explode and bells ring to call worshippers from bed in the predawn hours. The last of the masses takes place on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Families attend a mass on this night and then return home to a huge and fancy dinner.Before bedtime children tie one end of a piece of string to their big tow and hang the other out the window. The next morning, roller skaters give a tug to any string they see hanging. On January 6th when the children are awaken they will discover that the straw that they had left beside their bed the night before has gone, and in its place they can find gifts. The children know that the Magi and their camels have been at home. When they look themselves in the mirror and see a black smudge on their cheek they know that Balthazar, King of the Ethiopians has kissed them whilst they slept.
SOURCE: The Holiday Spot Website - Santas Website - Christmas.com Website

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TO LEARN BY HEART...!

“What you think about yourself is more important than the others could think” (Lo que piensas de ti mismo es mas importante que lo que otros podrian pensar) Sanyira Tortoza

- "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
(Haz lo que puedas, con lo que tengas, donde estés.) Theodore Roosevelt

- "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it".(Quizás yo esté en desacuerdo con lo que digas, pero yo defenderé a muerte tú derecho a decirlo.) Voltaire

- "I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." (Yo nunca conocí un hombre ignorante del que no haya aprendido algo.) Galileo Galilei

- Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. (Grandes espíritus siempre han encontrado oposición violenta de mentes mediocres.) Albert Einstein

- "One can resist the invasión of an army but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas." (Uno puede resistir la invasión de un ejército, pero no puede resistir la invasión de las ideas.) Victor Hugo

ACTIVITY NUMBER 6 (FROM SHERLOCK HOLMES...)

Contesta las siguientes preguntas de comprensión
Choose the best answer, a), b) or c)

1. What is disturbing Holmes?
a) his tobacco is too strong
b) the newspapers arrived late
c) a missing horse and a murder

2. The first thing Sherlock Holmes did on the train was ?
a) read the newspapers
b) smoke a cigar
c) calculated the speed of the train

3. Holmes knew the exact speed of the train because ?
a) he had done the journey before
b) he knew the distance between the telegraph posts
c) he calculated the speed using the quarter-mile posts

4. Sherlock Holmes thinks that ?
a) newspapers are full of false facts and lies
b) newspapers are the only place to find reliable information
c) it’s necessary to read between the lines to find correct information in newspapers

5. The police ?
a) want Sherlock Holmes to help them
b) don’t want Sherlock Holmes to help them
c) don’t care if he helps them or not

ACTIVITY NUMBER 5 (FROM THE TEXT "THE BEATLES")

Questions Now, answer the questions about the text.

1. They were the best selling group in history.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

2. All the members were from Liverpool.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

3. They appeared on TV on February 9, 1964.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

4. There was some confusion about the sources of their music.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

5. Their music was copied by Elvis Presley.
º True.
º False.
ºWe don't know.

6. Frank Sinatra didn't like the Beatles too much.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

ACTIVITY NUMBER 4 (Shakespeare)

English Reading Comprehension: (Comprensión de Lectura en Inglés)
Now, answer the questions about the text.

1. William Shakespeare was a great writer of both tragedy and comedy.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

2. How many sonnets did he write?
º 2.
º 100.
º 154.

3. His books are full of quotations.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

4. The film "Shakespeare in Love" is based on his life.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

5. Many of his books contain songs.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

6. He died in 1616.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

7. "100 Greatest Britons" is one of his famous masterpieces.
º True.
º False.
º We don't know.

ACTIVITY NUMBER 3 (FROM TEXT "THANKSGIVING DAY")

UNDERSTANDING OF READING.

Using as the text of reference "Thanksgiving", answer the following questions:
1) WHAT IS THE MEAN OF "Thanksgiving" DAY?
2) WHEN IT CELEBRATES THANKSGIVING IN CANADA?
3) How and where it occurred THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY?
4) FOR YOU... WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO GIVE THANKS?
5) MAKE A COMPOSITION OF :"I give thanks for....." (no more than 10 lines)

ACTIVIDAD DE COMPRENSION DE LECTURA.
USANDO COMO REFERENCIA EL TEXTO DEL DIA DE ACCION DE GRACIAS, RESPONDA A LAS SIGUIENTES PREGUNTAS:

1)QUE SIGNIFICA DIA DE ACCION DE GRACIAS?
2)CUANDO SE CELEBRA EL DIA DE ACCION DE GRACIAS EN CANADA?
3)COMO Y DONDE OCURRIO LA PRIMERA CELEBRACION DE ACCION DE GRACIAS?
4) POR QUÉ ES IMPORTANTE DAR GRACIAS?
5) PERSONALMENTE USTED, POR QUÉ COSAS AGRADECE? (REALICE UNA COMPOSICION DE "DOY GRACIAS POR:.....", no mayor a 10 lineas)

ACTIVITY NUMBER TWO.

Making use of the “relative” (When, Where, What, Who, Why) that corresponds in each tense, answer the following questions: (Usando el relativo correspondiente en cada caso responda las siguientes prteguntas)

A) See the example:
When does Helen drink water?
She drinks water when she is thirsty

1) When does John eat?
2) When can you make it?
3) What is Jack saying to Bob?
4) What do the doctor tell her?
5) Where does the man live?
6) Where are they playing football?
7) Why did you ask this question?
8) Why do you do?
9) Who are you?
10) Who is your teacher?

Make the question in each tense
B) See the example:
I´m Jack
Who are you?

1) Xiomara is Sanyira´s friend
2) Because they are studying
3) She was born in Venezuela
4) This is the english book
5) We are in classroom
6) Because she is hungry
7) His birthday is septembre 22th
8) You are my best friend
9) They are in UNESR
10) I want to travel to Egypt

Remember to send the answers to sanyiratortoza@hotmail.com to be evaluated.

GRAMATICAL TIPS....NUMBER 1

FORMAS
VERBALES:

Las formas verbales que dan origen a los tiempos del verbo en inglés son:

INFINITIVE: Que da nombre al verbo. Se caracteriza por ir generalmente precedido de “TO”
Ejemplo: To read is an excellent way to get information.

PRESENT: Que corresponde al tiempo “Presente” en la conjugación
Ejemplo: Anthropologists speak of three major races of man

PAST. Que corresponde al tiempo “Pasado” en la conjugación
Ejemplo:He worked on that Project two years ago

PRESENT PARTICIPLE: que corresponde a la forma terminada en ING e interviene en la formación de los llamados progressive o continuos tenses. Equivale al presente continuo en español.

Ejemplo: He is analyzing some data

PAST PARTICIPLE: que corresponde a lo que conocemos en castellano como participio e interviene en la formación de los “perfect tenses”

Ejemplo. They have lived in that place for several years.

Las formas verbales las encontrará siempre en cualquier listado de verbos del inglés, (en especial los verbos irregulares), en diccionarios y textos de gramática inglesa. Su conocimiento nos facilitará la identificación del verbo y nos llevará a saber cómo ellas estructuran los tiempos del mismo.