Ysern´s Parrot

December, 2015

This course we

have decided to

be online.

Thanks for your

participation.

Without you, we

wouldn´t be

here.

English is (also) spoken in…

The Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign island country in

Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. Its capital city

is Manila. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the

equator makes the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons,

but also endows it with abundant natural resources and some of the

world's greatest biodiversity. With a population of about 100 million

people, the Philippines is the seventh-most populated country in

Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional

12 million Filipinos live overseas, comprising one of the world's

largest diasporas. Multiple ethnic groups and cultures are found

throughout the islands. Its official languages are Filipino and English;

the latter are due to the Philippines was a US colony for five

decades. The nation's large population size and economic potential

have led it to be classified as a middle power. It is a founding

member of the Unites Nations. The Philippines is considered to be

an emerging market and a newly industrialize country, which has

been transitioning from being one based on agriculture to one based

more on services and manufacturing. It is a fantastic place to go and

visit. Would you like to go there and practise your English?

Patricia Molina- 2º Bachillerato

HIDDEN PLACES IN MADRID

Debod's temple. Madrid is one of the most multicultural cities in Europe. One example of this is Debod's temple. This is an Egytian temple built 2200 years ago under the reign of Ptolomeo IV. It's situated next to Plaza de España, where many tourists go every year to visit it. Debod's temple was a present offered by Egypt in 1968 as a sign of gratitude for the help provided by Spain in saving the temples of Abu Simbel. Visiting this temple is free, but sometimes, you need to make a booking in order to avoid long queues (Sergio Álvarez and Rubén Gallego – 1ºA Bach.)

HOROSCOPE SIGNS (Angélica García - 1º Bach. B)

Everyone believes that when we are born we will represent only one Zodiac Sign along our life, but this is not true. To start with, the Zodiac Signs are divided into four elements with different qualities: -Zodiac signs of fire are impulsive, authoritarian and competitive people. Signs that belong to fire are Leo, Aries and Sagittarius. -Zodiac signs of ground are perfectionist, determined and sensible people. Signs that belong ground are Capricorn, Virgo and Taurus. -Zodiac signs of air are independent, sociable and creative people. Signs that belong air are Libra, Gemini and Aquarius. -Zodiac signs of water are intuitive, emotional and reserved people. Signs that belong to water are Scorpio, Pisces and Cancer.

WHAT ENGLISH PEOPLE EAT AND HOW THEY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS There are things that do not change regardless of the country in which you are in, as in Spain, food is one of the main elements of an English Christmas, but what you eat there, and where is very different in Spain. CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER. To the Spanish people, lunch or dinner on Christmas Day is very important, but certainly the main celebration is where the whole family is sitting at the table on Christmas Eve. Lots of charm for kids to go to sleep and wait impatiently for Santa Claus to visit them, but this dinner is different from other ordinary dinner. TURKEY, POTATOES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS. A traditional Christmas menu in the UK consists of roast turkey, accompanied by pigs in blankets (a kind of sausage), gravy (saves prepared with the natural juices of the turkey while baking), cranberry sauce, roast potatoes (roasted potatoes with butter), brussels sprouts, and other vegetables .In Spain, beyond nougat, we do not have a predefined dessert for the main celebration of Christmas, it is something that varies in each family. In the UK, however, for dessert on Christmas Day there is no room for discussion, Christmas pudding, a pudding made from plums that are served with a sauce of rum or brandy cream crustard. A kind of apple butter tarts and various dried fruits are also available. TRADITIONS

Christmas crackers—also known as bon-bons—are part of Christmas celebrations. A cracker consists of a cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper, making it resemble an oversized sweet-wrapper. The cracker is pulled by two people, often with arms crossed, and, much in the manner of a wishbone, the cracker splits unevenly.

Sandra Jiménez y Naiara Marín (1ºQE)

6 Simple Morning Rituals For A Healthier Body

For all of us night owls who spend our evenings trolling Instagram profiles or binge watching Netflix, we are forever bonded in the agony of endlessly hitting the snooze button again and again (and again). But, we have to admit we secretly envy those who have morning motivation. Studies show that early risers are healthier, happier, slimmer, and more productive. Luckily, there is still a fighting chance for the rest of us. Here are six simple morning rituals courtesy that will help you rise and shine. First of all, water. It’s important to rehydrate yourself after a night’s sleep. So as well as splashing your face with cold water, you should try to drink some. Add some sliced fruit to your water and put it in the fridge overnight for a delicious and healthy drink in the morning. Secondly, breakfast. Never underestimate the importance of breakfast. It stops you having hunger pangs before lunch and can give you a burst of energy for the rest of the day. Make sure you have a breakfast packed with nutrients and vital ingredients to give you a spring in your step for the rest of the day. Also, we mustn’t forget exercise, it gets the blood pumping, improves your posture and can banish a number of health problems. Visualizing is important too. Take a moment to think about the day ahead of you and focus on the positives. On the other hand, socialize. It’s nice to get some chatting done in the morning, you don’t want to be boxed off with colleagues all day feeling anxious and stressed, so don’t compromise your socialization. Having a giggle in the morning can help you relax and realize. And in the last place, drink herbal tea instead of coffee. Ginger, lemon, green, and peppermint are much better because they contain antioxidants, they cleanse the body and they are rather therapeutic. (María Cabalgante -- 2º Bachillerato)

CLIMATE CHANGE IS HERE (Clara y Lucas Flecha - 1º Q)

The Global warming is real and it’s here, between us, for a long time. When the Summer has gone and we can only think about the next season, Autumn, when temperatures fall, days are grey and cloudy, and rain is more frequent, we are here, writing this article, while on the street it is 22 degrees, the sky is clear without clouds at all and plants still are flourishing with some bees around them. We don’t know what it really means: the old people say “the weather has become crazy”, scientists say: “we have been warning for a few years about the consequences of global warming, and they are here, earlier than expected”.

Between November the thirteenth and December the eleventh, the Prime Minister and Presidents of the most important countries of the world met in Paris to discuss about the consequences of the climate change and the ways to prevent them. One of the objectives of that summit was to reach an agreement to stop the raising of the global earth temperature. It can’t raise more than 1,5 degrees. An increase of the temperature over that will endanger countries located on islands that could disappear eaten by the sea. Other zones of countries near the sea could be covered by water, and specifically here, in Spain, some cities in the Mediterranean area like Valencia and Barcelona are can be flooded by the sea, disappearing their ports as we know them nowadays.

But the global warming will not change only the physiognomy of our cities, villages or, countries. It will affect the life of some species of animals and carry them to death. Some specialists say that is the case of Giant Pandas because of the progressive loss of bamboo forests; the Polar Bear, because their main food, seals, are losing their frozen habitats; the Elephant, because the rising of periods without rain will cause them to lose their food of evergreen trees; the bees …

So, some experts propose three immediate actions to stop that horrible process: 1) reduce the emissions of carbon and other gases that produce the “greenhouse effect” 2) make an intelligent agriculture with less contaminants and stronger plants that could resist long periods of drought

3) increase the use of non-contaminant ways of energy, like solar, wind, marine, etc.

Well, this nice weather in the middle of November can be lovely but we have to think that perhaps it isn’t good for our loved Earth … Take care of It, we haven’t got any other place to live, just like pandas, polar bears, bees, elephants….

LONDON, I LOVE YOU London is a big city in the United Kingdom. It is a beautiful place which has a lot of monuments and big parks. I love this city because there are so many famous monuments like Big Ben, Eye of London, Tower Bridge and the most important, Buckingham Palace. I always dream to visit this place and go on a sightseeing tour. I want to visit the Harry Potter train station. I have always wanted to ride a boat on the Thames River. I would like to meet the Queen and I want to take a photo in a telephone booth. But I have a problem, I need to speak better English. The life in London is too expensive. I would like to visit Oxford University and buy a typical T-shirt from Oxford. (Marcos Navarro Olías – 1º Q)

Chocolate Chip Biscuits. 2 eggs 200 grams of butter 300 grams of sugar 300 grams of flour 250 grams of chocolate chips Put the butter and sugar in a bowl. Mix the butter and sugar with a mixer. Add the eggs. Slowly add the flour and mix. Add the chocolate chips. Bake in an oven for 20 minutes. (Michael Brandon Fuentes Farinango-1º Q)

FIFTEEN THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

1. If you hold your sneeze, you can break one of your ribs or cause yourself a cerebral damage. 2. In 1997, American air-lines saved 40000$ just because they eliminate one olive in each salad. 3. In Bangladesh, 15-year-old children can go to jail just for cheating in their final exams. 4. The tongue of a whale weights the same as an adult elephant. 5. There are one million of insects for each human 6. A koala can survive all his life without any water. 7. Bulgarians say “yes” moving their head side to side and “no” nodding their head. 8. During the American Civil War when the soldiers came back without any death, they wrote on a board “0 killed”. That’s the reason why we say “O.K”, which means that everything is all right. 9. Mosquitos have teeth. 10. There’s a city called Roma in each continent. 11. Einstein was a bad student, he didn’t even speak properly at the age of 9. His parents thought he was stupid. 12. 99,9% of animal species became extinct before human appearance. 13. A human can walk the equivalent of three around the world during their lives. 14. If you remove the moustache of a cat, they cannot walk because they lose their balance. 15. The first use of the yo-yo was as a weapon in Asia. (Clara Melguizo and Julián Pérez – 2º A- Bach.)

Just for fun Long ears, short tail,

I run and jump really light.

I don't live without air I die without land

I have yolk and I am not an egg I have a crown and I am not a hat.

White is my name and I sweeten man's life.

My mum is a stammerer My dad is a singer

I have a white dress And a yellow heart

(Raquel Manzanero Rodríguez – 4º A)

Smile, please

Interviewing Austin Akers Have you seen that handsome boy who speaks perfect English and who walks up and down our school? Well, his name is Austin Akers, he is from the United States and he is our English assistant. Sofía and Enrique have asked him some questions just to let us know him a bit better. How many languages can you speak? Only one, English, and very little Spanish Which are your favorites Spanish words? Anything with double R! Do you prefer American food or Spanish food? Spanish food, because it is fresher and it feels more natural. Would you like to learn other languages? Yes, Spanish What is the biggest difference between America and Spain? The time at we eat and the transport. Would you like to have children? Yes, of course, boys! Do you have a girlfriend? No, not yet! What are you going to do at Christmas? I’m going to Scotland to visit a friend and have dinner with his family What is your best memory about Spain? When I went to Granada, it was amazing! Do you like this High school? Yes, very much, sometimes no one talks anything and sometimes they talk too much! And that’s all, I hope you enjoy these questions. ( Enrique Llorente & Sofia Maté – 4ºB)

Books for teenagers

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey The 5th Wave is a 2013 young adult science fiction novel by Rick Yancey, the first instalment in a trilogy. Critics have compared the book favourably to The Hunger Games and The Road, and noted that it "should do for aliens what Twilight did for vampires."

The 5th Wave follows 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan as she tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of alien invasion that have already decimated the population and knocked humankind back to the Stone Age. As one of Earth's last survivors, Cassie is left with just herself and has to learn the hard way to trust no one. Throughout Cassie narrates the whole story as she writes it in her journal. The Waves were planned attacks used by the Others in their attempt to take over planet Earth.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in the Santa Clara Valley of California when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He progressively reverts to a wild state in the harsh climate, where he is forced to fight to dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild. For more information about books: books-sweetladies.blogspot.com or lavidasecretadeloslibros.blogspot.com