UNIT 10: No technology? No way!

Essay: Technology

    Technology has become an important part in everybody’s lives. It is part of our daily routine, since we wake up until we go to bed, 24/7. The new advances are so useful in so many aspects and are in charge of making our lives easier.

    Nowadays, humans are so independent of these items, we can’t even think been without it. And it has become a necessary. For example, there are people that return to their houses when they realize that they have forgotten their cellphones at home. Besides, some others, they don’t even forget cellphones because it’s almost a part of their body. Another example, is the use of the cars; if we need to attempt somewhere, no matter how near is it, we are so used to go by car or bus.

    Technology is evolving so fast, that in a couple of years we are already outdated, we might find positive and negative sides. There things that are so nice, but so expensive. Also, I think it’s disturbing how important technology is for us. There are important tools but we shouldn’t be that independent. 

Grammar: Future Pefect and Future Progressive

 Both of them are commonly used to speak about events in the future. 

Future Perfect: Used to talk about a future action that will already have been completed by a certain time in the future. Used with Simple present tense to show the relationship between two future events.   To form the future perfect, active voice:  Use will + have + past participle

To form the future perfect, passive voice: Use will + have been +past participle

Future Progressive: Use it to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. To form it: Use will + be + present progressive 

Vocabulary + Definition

Siren: Warning Signal

Sonic: Noise

Vibrations: Movements

Banned: Prohibited

Towed: Removed

Shattered: Destroyed

Wail: Long loud cry
Jolts: Shake
Defective: Faulty
Offense: Crime
Awful: Horrible
Faint: Weak
Low: Reduced
Soft: Gentle
Startling: Alarming
Shrill: Strident
Loud: Strong, high
Rhythmic: Rhythmical

UNIT 9: Finding a Niche: The challenge for young immigrants

Essay: Amercian Dream

     Thousands of people go to the United States every year, people of the entire world, who are in pursuit of the American Dream. These are the ideals of freedom, equality and opportunities; a life of personal happiness and material comfort.  U.S.A is seems as a land of opportunities and abundance for everyone.

     Even it promises the heaven, formers must face a lot of situations in order to keep living there. Illegally or legally, people have to overcome the discrimination of the natives. Also, most of the people go there looking for a job, which might not be the best one. They receive bad salaries by doing the hard work.

    The illegal people have to face a lot of different dangerous situations to cross the borders. They exposed themselves to death, sickness, being murdered or sexual abuse. Besides, they are without a health insurance. 

     I think we can get the "american dream", the successful life, without caring the country we are. But making right choices and with studiers. Doing the "illegal" things will always bring consequences.   

Grammar: Present and Past- Contrasting Verb Tenses

Present progressive and Simple Present 

Present progressive: Use it to describe something that is happenig right now. We can use it with simple present to describe a present action that is continuing while another present action takes place.

Simple present: Use it to describe a general fact or habit. But, it is also used with non- action verb to refers to states that are true at the moment of speaking.

Past Progressive and Simple Past

Past progressive: Use it to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. Alos,  is used with simple past to describe an action that was interrupted by another action.

Simple past:  Use it to describe an action that was completed in the past. Also, use it to describe 2 actions that happened in a sequence, one after the other. 

Present Perfet and Present Perfect progressive: Used to talk about things that started in the past, continue to the present, and may continue in the future. 

Vocabulary + Definition

Unique: Special

Native Tongue: First language

Flourishing: Growing and developing well

Mainstream: The common way of thinking or acting.

Tight knit: Connected

Assimilate: Adapt and adjust

Suppresed: Not allowed to express
Relieved: Happy that you don't have to worry about something 
Dialect: A distinct variety of language
Learn by doing: Learn in an active, practical way
Have a hard time: Have difficulty 
Punishment: Something that is done to make someone suffer
Do (your) part: Act in a similar way, not stand out or be noticed
Encouragement: Support
Deal with: Do what is necessary to solve a problem 
In the process: At the same time

UNIT 8: Goodbye to the Sit-Down Meal

Essay: Eating Outside

    Some time ago, people used to eat better. However, life style have change and the eating habits have change with it. Now, we are getting used to the “easy and fast” things, including fast food with it.

    Eating outside is okay once in a while, but we are adopting it as habit, these because of  lack of time, they don't like to cook or just because they’re lazy and don't want to do it.

    Eating outside might bring a lot of consequences. First, people spend a bunch of money eating outside and sometimes they are not conscious of the amount.  Then, they don’t know the amount of calories and energy pf the food, this might not be good for an healthy diet. Also, the hygienic conditions the food was prepared are unknown, been exposed to a disease.

    Nowadays people doesn’t have enough time to prepare a good meal; this is disturbing because it’s a basic necessity and they are letting aside. 

Grammar: Phrasal Verbs

It's two or three words put together to make one verb. Two-word phrasal verbs consist of a verb and a particle. Examples: 

• Keep + up with 
• Take + out
• Make + up
• Call + up

Intransitive: Do not take a direct object.

Transitive: Take a direct object 

Vocabulary

• Witnessing: Seeing
• Stacked: Full
• Shift: Change
• Workforce: Industrial workers
• Tough: Difficult
• Hard to swallow: Difficult to believe
• Put bread on the table: To earn money
• Hit: Popular
• Beaned someone: Hit someone
• New chain: Part of a group of stores
• Overrun: Invade, encroach on
• Delicacies: Luxuries
• Sit-down: Relaxed
• Intimate: Close
• Core: Key
• Call up: Phone
• Catch on: Become popular
• Check out: Investigate
• Ask over: Invite to one's home
• Turn down: Reject
• Put off: Postpone
• Call off: Cancel
• Let down: Disappoint 

UNIT 7: What's the Use of Homework?

Essay: Homework

    Its school work done out of lessons, especially at home. Or assigned to do it outside the classroom. Which objective is to increase the knowledge and enforce things that the students already learned.  Homework helps in developing an aptitude for exploring and learning.

    Students complain about the homework, the amount of it and the difficulty of it. However, homework help students to practice the things they saw in class and to realize what they do understand and what they don’t.

    Though, some professors don’t remind students are cursing a lot of classes, so they let a lot of homework. So it’s important to learn how to organize them, and set the priorities, otherwise it would be very stressful and hard to finish all of them. As a negative fact, some teachers don’t checked what the students gave.

    Homework is an extension to schoolwork. It’s worth it to do all of our school responsibilities, and don’t see it as a waste of time. Also, parents should encourage their children to do it, and help them. Homework develop the sense of commitment and responsibility.

Grammar: Make, have, let, help and get

- Use make, have or let + object + base form of the verd when we are talking about things that someone can requiere, cause or allow someone to do.

- Help + object + base form of the verb or, help + object + infinitive. 

- Get has a similar meaning to make and have, however, it implies a less direct action by the subject of the sentence. It's followed by an object and infinitive, not the base form of the verb. 

Vocabulary + Definition

• Ritual: Something you do on a regular basis.
• Advocates: Supporters believers of one side of a controversy.
• Foundation: Basis, an idea from which a system develops. 
• Fluctuated: Changed from one level to another.
• Tangible: Real, something that can be measured. 
• Self-steem: Feeling good about yourself
• Sacrifice: Give up something you want or enjoy.
• Duty: Something you must do.
• Demanding: Difficult.
• Monitor: Carefully check
• Distraught: Very upset.
• Obedient: Willing to do what is asked
• Outlawed: Made illegal
• Held accountable for: Considered guilty of

UNIT 6: Giving the Others: Why do we do it?

Essay and Vocabulary: Philanthropist

    Philanthropist is the person who gives his money and time to help other people. Someone who wants to promote human welfare, and contribute to different causes. Some famous people, like singers, actors or others have made campaigns and appeals others to help people needed. Some of them do it anonymously, others don’t. Some of the fundraisers are Bono, Beyonce, Warren Buffett, Angelina Jolie, Alicia Keys, Bill and Melinda Gates.

    Bono, is an irish singer. He has organized concerts and events that benefit charities. He has shown passion for these, Bono motivates politicians to help too. Another example are the Gates, who said it is mandatory to help. He’s the fundraiser of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has grown a lot.

    It’s important to help others, and been generous with the needed ones.  Even if we don’t have an inherit to give, we might help with our time and having passion for it, some people will really appreciate it.

Grammar: Adjective Clauses

It's also callled relative pronouns and are used to identify or add information about the nouns. Usually, the adjective clause follows the nouns it refers to. Relative pronouns as: Who, that, which, whose, where or when.

We might found an identifying adjective clause or a non identifying adjective clause. 

1. An identifying adjective clause gives essential information about the noun it refers to. 

2. An non identifying adjective clause gives extra information about the noun. It is  set off in the sentence by commas. 

Examples:

I visited my doctor, who has a lot of experience.

I went to the college, which was crowded.

More Vocabulary

Inherit: To receive something from someone who has died. 

Mandatory: Something that is required or that must be done

Moral: Related to principles of what is right and wrong

Donation: A gift

Wealth: Richness

Philantripist: Someone who cares about the others

UNIT 5: Longevity

Essay: What challenges do you think elderly people might face in the future?

    Over the years, the challenges that elderly people face have been changing from generation to another. Some time ago, the problematic was the health and the non-advanced technology. Nowadays, there’re economic problems. 

    The challenges that old people will face, might be the same as todays but much worst. In the future there won’t be a balance between young and old generation. So less people working and producing, it means a big economic problem. The government won’t have enough income to pay all of the pensions that should be, but probably everything is going to be much expensive. Unfortunately, elderly people that should be resting, will have to work to pay the bills, as well as their necessities. 

    Also, technology and medicine are going to improve, it means that people might live longer than in the present. We’ll need more to people care of us. On the other hand, environmental problems might affect us.

    We will be the next generation, the one that these problems might affect. It’s interesting that we have the guilt of these, and we don’t do anything to help. People keep decreasing the number of the family, without thinking they’re the ones that are going to take care of them.

Grammar: Tag Questions

We'll find two types. 1. Question type: Use it rising intonation or to confirm information. 2. Comment type: Makes a comment.

Tag questions have two partes: A statement and the tag, an added question. For example:

             David will play a videogame, won't you?

             The doctor was going to Italy, wasn't he?

             You want to marry me, don't you?

             Sara is crying, isn't she?

Vocabulary + Definition + Example

• Bold: Brave. I've always admired my mom, she's so bold.
• Gorgeous: Attractive. My boyfriend has gorgeous eyes.
• Go in for: Want to. I wanted to do bungee jumping, so I go in for.
• Flamboyant: Colorful. I love runways, the models use flamboyant dresses.
• Self- Improvement: Working hard to become better.
• Assited living facility: A place where seniors sometimes live, similar to a nursing home. I won't leave my mom at an assited living facility.
• Bitterness: Anger
• Solidarity:  Support
• Ensemble: Outfit
• Chapter: Local group of an organization
• Brag: Boast
• Nurturing: Offering kind

UNIT 4: Animal Intelligence

Essay: Animal Intelligence

    People might think we are the most intelligent specie, however this is not necessary true.  I would even say that in some aspects it would be the opposite. Scientist have shown how smart an animal can be.  They have amazing skills to socialize and communicate. Some examples:

    Dogs, we have heard that dogs are man’s best friend. This is because dogs are very friendly and such a loyal company.  Also, some people believe they felt the owner’s emotions, when is sad, happy or mad. Also, dogs are easy to train and they are able to learn of their mistakes.

    Dolphins, it’s believed that they are the second most intelligent animal, just below humans. These mammals are self-aware, their brain are five times their body compared to another animal of its size.  Besides, dolphins are able to recognize themselves in front of a mirror, they have cultural learning and understanding of abstract concepts.

    These are just two examples of animal intelligence, but there is much more to say. Animals, like crows, parrots, gorillas or chimps have shown their different abilities to figure out situations too.

Grammar: Reported Speech

Well known as indirect speech, we use it to report what a speaker said without using the exact words used. We might use words like: Said that, told, indicated, mentioned.

For example:

1. Mary: "I am going to the zoo with my little brother."

Reported: Mary told that she was going to the zoo with her little brother.

2. Joan and George: "We are eating chinese food at the restaurant."

Reported: Joan and George said that they were eating chinese food at the restaurant.

3. Roxanne: "I'll bake some cookies for the children."

Roxanne mentioned that she would bake some cookies for the children. 

Vocabulary+ Definition+ Example

• Pest: Animals that create a disturbance or bother people. At Guadalupe are so many rats that are a pest.
• Unethical: Immoral. You better not copy at the test, it's unethical.
• Compassion: Kindness. They asked for compassion for the thief.
• Get it: Understand. I need you to explain me better, I don't get it!
• Nuisance: Something that botter. There are so many flies, what a nuisance!
• Endangered: Threatenet with extinction. Asians are taking care of the pandas, pandas're endangered.
• Superior: Better than. Justin believes he's superior than me, I am going to prove his mistake.  
• Humane: Kind, gentle
• Superior: Better than
• Push the envelope: Go beyond accepted boundaries
• Off the top of (someone's): Without thinking about it in advance
• (give someone) the floor: Allow someone to speak
• Hazard: Danger

Bibliography

http://news.discovery.com/animals/dolphin-intelligence-explained.htm

http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-dolphins/dolphins-smarter-brain-function.htm

UNIT 3: Early to bed, early to rise...

Essay: Causes and effects of sleep deprivation: Children

    Having good sleeping habits for is so important for everyone, as sleeping enough hours. Now, why is this important in children too? This is because they are in a process of growing and developing, in which the child’s body is facing a lot of changes. As an important fact, the parents should keep an eye on them, children might not be able express themselves.

    Sleep deprivation might have a lot of causes, but the main ones are inside the bedroom. Having an over stimulating bedroom, with lots of lights, TV or computer:  would distract them, and they will staying up too late.  Also, parents have to care about their son’s diet. A diet high in sugar and caffeine would be an important cause.

    Sleep deprivation have innumerous effects, and in different aspects like in their behavior, emotions, and in the physical part. In this last one, we would see diabetes, weight gain, it is going to compromise the immune system or increased the stress and anxiety.

    On the other hand, lack of sleep is going to affect directly in their school performance. It might be more difficult to memorize, consolidate information and to concentrate. Children will exposed to have more injuries and accidents during playing games. 

Grammar: Present Unreal Conditionals

We'll divide the present unreal conditionals in two clauses: The if-clause, which states the condition. Then the result clauses, which states the result. 
We might use the past form of the verb in the "if clause", then add a coma between both sentences. 
Listen to the lyrics of this song you'll find a lot of examples:
Beyonce's song If I were a boy 

If I were a boy 

Even just for a day 

I'd roll out of bed in the morning 

And throw on what I wanted and go 

Drink beer with the guys 

And chase after girls 

I'd kick it with who I wanted 

And I'd never get confronted for it 

Cause they stick up for me 

If I were a boy 

I think I could understand 

How it feels to love a girl 

I swear I'd be a better man 

I'd listen to her 

Cause I know how it hurts 

When you lose the one you wanted 

Cause he's taking you for granted 

And everything you had got destroyed 

If I were a boy 

I would turn off my phone 

Tell everyone it's broken 

So they'd think that I was sleeping alone 

I'd put myself first 

And make the rules as I go 

Cause I know that she'd be faithful, 

Waiting for me to come home, to come home. 

If I were a boy 

I think I could understand 

How it feels to love a girl 

I swear I'd be a better man 

I'd listen to her 

Cause I know how it hurts 

When you lose the one you wanted 

Cause he's taking you for granted 

And everything you had got destroyed 

It's a little too late for you to come back 

Say it's just a mistake, 

Think I'd forgive you like that 

If you thought I would wait for you 

You thought wrong 

But you're just a boy 

You don't understand 

And you don't understand, ohhhh 

How it feels to love a girl 

Someday you wish you were a better man 

You don't listen to her 

You don't care how it hurts 

Until you lose the one you wanted 

Cause you're taking her for granted 

And everything you had got destroyed

Vocabulary + Definition + Example

• Miserable:  Very unhappy. I feel shame for her, Mary has a miserable life. 
• Accumulates: Adds up. If you don't finish your homework, it would accumulate.
• Suspect: Believe to be true.  We all suspect that he killed the old man.
• Chronic:  Always present. My headaches are chronic, I'm scared!
• Surge: Sudden Increase. There's a surge of rains during this season.
• Alertness: Concentration. She's always alertness, when hes daughter is around. 
• Snore: Breathe noisly while sleeping. My mom can't sleep because of my dad snore all the night.
• Cranky: Easily irritated. I guess you couldn't sleep, you were cranky the whole day.
• Naps: Short periods of sleep. Before going to school, she takes a nap. 

UNIT 2: The Achilles Heel

Essay: My grandma

    My grandmother have had a lot of limitations since she was a little kid, but she overcome every obstacle she had. Making her a stronger woman.

    When she was 3 years old, her mother passed away so she was raised by nuns. However, she remember a nice childhood along with her sister. She married young and had 3 kids. Although she couldn’t study and finished the high school, with help of my grandfather and hard work, gave to their sons a good life.

    Since she was 30 years she has been facing heart problems. Now she is 80 years old, and she has had in her entire life 7 heart attacks, and lots of pre infarct. That had making her going to the hospital.

    She is a smiley and lovely person, with many stories to tell. She learned to enjoy the life as much as possible. With my granpa, have travelled all over the world. And together have faced a lot situations for example: illness, lack of money and family problems. I admire her a lot.

Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds: We form it by adding "ING". And we use it as the subject of a sentence; also, after a prepostion. For example:
                     I've always dream about going to Australia. 
                     Volunteering is something good.

Then, we have Infinitives, we can form it by using to and the base form of the verb.  Also, we may use it after some verbs: agree, decide, expect, hope, learn, manage, need, try and want. For example:
                    I didn't expect  to reach this goal.

Vocabulary + Definition + Examples

• Collapsed: Fell down suddenly. There's a lot of traffic jam because some of the roads collapsed. 
• Crushed:  Pressed something so hard it broke. She didn't realize that the car crushed the baby's toys. 
• Crutshes: Special sticks used under the arms to help a person walk. After the accident, I need crutshes to walk.
• In store of: Planned for. I made this cake in store for your birthday.
• Landscape: A view across an area of land.  It's the best landscape I've seen.
• Limitations: Things that keep you from going beyond certain boundaries.  She didn't care her limitations, she kept dreaming and reaching goals.
• Overcome: Succed in controlling a problem. My grandma overcome her disease! Now she's great.
• Proof: Facts that prove that something is true. You'll see my scar, it's proof of my accident.
• Revelation: Insight. After seven hours of trying, we have a revelation so we made it!
• Scars: Marks lefr on skin. Jorge cut hiself with a knife,  do you want to see his scar?
• Soared:  Flew very high or fast. Then she felt down, and soared through the air.

UNIT 1: Information Overload

Essay: Newborn was founded in a Garbage alive

    Last September a baby was found in a garbage by a woman, who was walking in Tibás, she heard something in a dumpster; she thought it was a cat. She looked into it and saw a leg, immediately she called 9-1-1.

    The baby had a couple of hours of being born, she even had the umbilical cord when she was found. The baby was taken to the fire station, then she was carried to the Hospital de Niños. She didn't have any lesion but she was crying a lot.

    After a couple of days, the authorities realized that the mother is an underage, of 16 years old. Who was taken to the police by her mother, after she accepted that she is the biological mother of the baby found in the garbage. Apparently, her parent’s and the biological father didn't know that she was pregnant.

    It is a shame what happened and the mother should receive the right punishment because of what she did, it is an inhuman act. However, it’s a miracle that she could be found. I wonder how many babies didn´t have her luck.

Grammar: Passive Voice
We use passive voice, when we want to focus on the action and not on who did it. However, we can add it, by using the agent. Form:

Subject + be + past participle + Agent

For example:
                 The board was errased by me.
                 The exam was made by Andrey.

Vocabulary + Definition

Intake: Consumption 

Perspective: Sensible point of view 

Newsworthy: Worthy of the media's consumption 

Repetitive: Repeating the same thing over and over 

Bias: Consideration of an issue from only one side, often with a certain prejudice 

Inconsequential: Without importance 

Despair: Feeling of depression and sadness 

Remedies: Solutions 

Barrage: Constant attack, in large amounts 

Immobilized: Unable to move or act 

Disengage from: Lose interest in something 

Underlying: Fundamental 

Bibliography
-http://www.nacion.com/sucesos/seguridad/Bebe-rescatada-basurero-Florida-Tibas_0_1363863854.htm

-http://www.teletica.com/Noticias/23862-Detienen-a-menor-de-edad-por-abandonar-a-bebe-en-basurero-.note.aspx

-Sanabria K. Ferree T (2009) Edition 3. North Star. Listening and speaking.