8. Write about an experience

Last yar, things weren't going too well for me. My best friend moved to Barcelona and also I had a big argument with my cousin. Now we don't want to see each other. Friends invited me out, but I didn't want to see them. I spend a lot of time training.

Everything changed for me the day that I saw a programme on TV about optimism and the good way to be well. I became much positive and enthusiastic. My friends made me realize that I should be a bit more optimist and cheerful. In the programme, I found out that people only see the bad face of the coin, and this is the only thing that they don't have to do, because if you really want to feel well, you have to be more optimistic and see the good face in every little thing. 

These days, I feel much happier cause I feel more sociable and useful. If I hadn't seen the programme, I would never have this perfect life. 

7. An opinion essay

The government plans to introduce school on Saturday mornings to improve the level of education. In my view, this would have some negative consequences.
In the first place, I believe that school is very important and necessary for young people. They spend five day of the week going to school, and I think that this is so much, so if this law is introduced, I've no doubt that a lot of children will be more tired and stressed. I also think that this cause that young people wouldn't have free time.
If the aim of the government is to lower the hours of school, it seems to me that there's a better alternative: If they spent more time on looking for good teachers, school would be better and children would learn more.

WALES

Wales and England have always had a close relationship. In the past, England took control of Wales. In the period from 1536 to 1543, England and Wales become one country. But the modern Welsh nationalists wants independence for Wales.

Welsh is a living language (25% of people know it well). All children learn it in schools, and there are some TV programs and newspapers which are Welsh.

Food

In Wales there are a lot of sheep in the countryside, so lamb is often on the menu! The breakfast includes: black laver bread, paste and seaweed (Japanese sushi).

Other Welsh dishes are rarebit (chees) and Bara Brith (fruit cake).

Sport

Rugby is the most popular sport. The Wales team takes part in different important competitions.

Football, cricket and snooker are also popular. You can also go surfing.

The Land of Song

Wales is called th e”land of song”, and his national song “land of my Fathers”.

Wales is famous for its men’s choirs and they often sing before rugby matches. The workers of the iron industry often formed choirs. Now the industry are less important, but the tradition of singing continues.

The Eisteddfod

Eisteddfod is a Welsh word which means “to be sitting together”.

An Eisteddfos is an annual meeting of poets, musicians, singers and sometimes dancers who compete for prizes.

This is a symbol of Wales, and the women wear a national dress (tall black hat and a red cloak).

Iconic places

Cardiff is the capital of Wales. It was named European City of Sport in 2009.

Swansea is the second largest city in Wales. In the past was the center of the industry.

Oxwich Bay (the most beautiful beach in Britain), Three Cliffs Bay, (Britain’s best beach), Rhossili Bay (the British supermodel of beaches) are different beaches which found in Wales.

Saint David’s is the smallest city in the UK, but it has a magnificent cathedral.

Snowdonia is a national park in North Wales. It includes mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, forests and coast. The name comes from the highest mountain, Snowdon.

In wales there are lots of castles which were built to protect. The most important are: Caernarfon, Harlech, Beaumaris and Conwy.

Portmeirion is an Italian-style village in North Wales.

There are other beautiful areas in Wales, such as Cardigan Bay, Pembrokeshire Coast, Anglesey, Aberystwyth, bangor and Llandudno.

Iconic people

Llewellyn the Great and Owen Glendower are 2 heroes of the Welsh.

Llewellyn kept Wales independent from the Normal kings of England. Glendower was a nationalist who led a revolution against England.

There is a legend about Llewellyn’s dog. Gellert (dog) had to guard the king’s baby while he was away. He killed a wolf that tried to attack the child. When Llewellyn returned, he couldn’t see the baby and there was blood on the dog’s mouth, so he killed the dog. But then he found the baby safe under its bed.

Henry Morgan was a pirate who robed ships and towns in the Caribbean.

Bylan Thomas (writer), Catherine Zeta Jones (actress), Anthony Hopkins (actor), Aneurin Bevan (politician) and Richard Burton (actor).

Shirley Bassey has had a long career in show business since she began performing. She sings the title songs for three James Bond films.

Welsh legends: King Arthur and Branwen

In welsh literature we can found writings about Arthur.

On Bardsey Island, there is a cave where local stories say that Arthur and Merlin are buried. Most people thing that Arthur was a Celt.

Another legend is about a girl called Branwen, whose brother was a giant and a king in Wales. Branwen married the king of Ireland. When he took her to Ireland he was very unkind to her. The girl sent news to her brother and he wald across the sea to Ireland. There was a terrible war, and many peole were killed. Branwen returned to Wales with the heart of her brother and was so sad.

IRELAND

Food

You can eat well in Ireland; there is fresh fish and seafood and fresh meat and vegetables. Irish stew is the national dish, and is made from lamb, potatoes, onions, carrots and parsley.

Tea is the most famous drink, and Irish person drinks six cups a day more or less.

Sport

The national sport of Ireland is Gaelic football, witch is a sport than there are fifteen players in each team, the goals are H-shaped, and you can hit the ball with your hand as well as kicking it.

Another sport is hurling, a sport than you hit the ball with a stick.

On 26^th of December, Irish people go to the horse races.

Other popular sports are rugby, football and golf.

Music and Dance

The love for typical Irish music is still very strong. Irish dancing is also popular and the show Riverdance was an international success. There are also many Irish rock and pop stars, like U2, Boyzone, Enya, Van Morrison…

The best-known traditional Irish song is probably “Danny Boy”.

The Economy

Ireland has been a poor country with many problems but from 1995 to 2007 there was an economic boom there.

Lots of new hauses were built, new companies grew, there were more jobs and lots of people from the new European countries moved there.

People called Ireland the “Celtic Tiger”.

Iconic places

Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. The River Liffey passes through the centre of Dublin, and there are many famous bridges too.

In 1916 there was The Easter Rising in Dublin. This was a revolution by Irish Republicans against the English.

Some of the Republicans organised the revolution from inside the Post Office.

Trinity College is the most important Irish university. In the library you can see the Book of Kells, which contains parts of the Bible and detailed pictures were painted by Irish monks.

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. It was divided between the Catholics and the Protestants.

The Giant’s Causeway is on the east coast of Northern Ireland. It was formed naturally by a volcano. There is a legend which says that an Irish giant made this type of bridge by throwing rocks in the sea so that he could cross to Scotland to fight a Scottish giant.

In the walls of Blarney castle you can found an ancient piece of bluestone called the Blarney Stone. People believe that if you kiss it you will start to speak very well.

The west coast of Ireland, the Lakes of Killarney, and the tall round towers (Rock of Cashel and Glendalough) are famous buildings of Ireland too.

Iconic People

There are many Irish heroes, for example, Teddy Roosvet, J.F.Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and the mother’s family of Barack Obama.

There are many famous Irish writers and artists, for example G.B.Shaw, W.B.Yeats, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney.

“George Best” was the greatest footballer in the world, and he was from Ireland.

Bob Geldof was the leader of an Irish punk band.

Mary Robinson was the first woman president of Ireland.

Saint Patrick

He wasn’t Irish but pirates caught him.

He was a salve in Ireland.

He escaped, but returned to Ireland.

He converted the Irish people to Christianity.

A legend says that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland and today there are no wild snakes there.

The Irish celebrate St.Patrick’s day on 17^th March with special parades. These take place in Irish communities.

Stories from the past

There are lots of stories in Ireland about leprechauns or “the little people”. They are little old men who wear green or red jackets, carry a stick and wear a tall hat. If you catch a leprechaun, maybe you will find his pot of gold and he might give you three wishes. Many Irish people don’t like this image of leprechauns, which they think is something just to please the tourists.

There are many Celtic legends too. Deirdre of the Sorrows was a very famous one. Deirdre was a beautiful young woman but when she was a baby, the druids said that she would cause the death of many men. The King sent her to live in the forest until she was a teenager. Then he wanted to marry her. But Deirdre fell in love with another man and married him, and then they escaped to Scotland. After seven years, the King said that he forgave them, so they returned to Ireland. But the king had lied. Deirdre’s husband and his brothers were killed and Deirdre died of a broken heart.

Ireland has not had an easy history. For centuries, the English controlled the country. In the past many Irish people went to live in other countries, because they wanted to escape from poverty. But anyone with Irish blood is proud to be Irish.

SCOTLAND

Scotland is a land of mountains and lakes with a population of about 5 million. The Scottish culture is different than the English. Let’s see it:

“Men in Skirts”

The kilt is a piece of clothing which many Scottish men wear on special occasions. It is a 3-meters piece of clothes that it uses like a skirt. Men wear a sporran too, which is a kind of large purse that hangs from a belt.

Tartan is the name of a typical coloured pattern. Every family have a different and significant tartan. There are more than 4000 of it!

There was a time that English government banned kilts, because they thought that tartan was a symbol of independence.

In 1969, an astronaut who stood on the moon, wore tartan.

Pipers (the men who play the bagpipes, a traditional instrument) usually wears kilts and sporrans.

Food

The most famous Scottish food is haggis, which is a sheep’s stomach with meat, onion, oats, spices and salt.

Porridge is another dish which is made by boiling oats in milk.

Shortbread is a delicious butter biscuit.

Aberdeen Angus beef and salmon are also well-known for a very good Scotland dishes.

Iconic Places

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is very popular for the Castle and the famous streets such as Princes Street and the Royal Mile. The Edinburgh Festival is one of the most important festivals of theatre and music.

Many famous philosophers and writers lived in Edinburgh: Robert Louis, J.K.Rowling and more.

The Scottish highlands are the mountains and valleys in the northern half of the country.

Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Scotland and Loch Ness is the most famous.

Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain.

Glasgow and Aberdeen are other Scottish cities. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and Aberdeen is in the north.

Iconic creatures

The Loch Ness Monster is the most famous inhabitant of Scotland. There is a legend of it. Do you believe in Nessie? She is very good for the Scottish tourist!

Dolly the sheep is another famous Scottish animal. She was the first mammal who was cloned.

Iconic People

William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were two great Scottish heroes who fought for independence from England. Wallace won a great victory but in the next battle he was defeated. His heard was shown to the people on London Bridge.

Robert ehe Bruce was put in prison by the English. When he was there, he watched a spider trying six times to make a web, and in the seventh time he succeeded. This example taught him to keep trying, and he escaped from prison an he produced a war.

Mary Queen of Scots had a dramatic and very sad life.

• She married a French prince when she was 15.
• His husband died and she returned as Queen to Scotland.
• She was a Catholic, so Protestant Scots hated her.
• Her secretary, Rizzio, was murdered by her husband in front of her.
• Her second husband was murdered.
• She married for a third time but she had to run away from Scotland.
• She was in prison for 20 years.
• She planned to take the place of her cousin Elizabeth I.
• She was beheaded.
• Her son James became King of England.

Robert Burns is a poet. His poems in Scottish dialect became very popular. He died in his 37, but his poems live on.

There are many other famous Scottish people like Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who were writers.

Sean Connery was a famous actor and Susan Boyle was a singer.

The most popular scientist were James Watt (steam engine), Alexander Bell (telephone), Alexander Fleming (penicillin) and John Logie Baird (TV).

Sport

The best-known Scottish football teams are Rangers and Celtic.

The manager of Machester United is Scottish.

Golf is another popular sport, and in the winter you can go skiing in the Highlands.

The Highland Games is a typical Scottish sporting event. The events include “tossing the caber” (men have to throw a long piece of tree trunk). In California played this games too.

Celebrations

New Year is more important than Christmas.

Scottish people know it as “Hogmanay”. There are street parties, and the people sing “Auld Lang Syne”.

Burn Night takes place on the birthday of Robert Burns, 25^th January. People read poems and sing songs.

THE HOBBIT

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Many people found that watching the first part of The Hobbit, filmed using ultra-fast 48 framesper-second 3Dtechology, made them feel so nauseous that they wanted to vomit. If that was not the case for you, here is the second episode i nPeter Jackson's trilogy about young Bilbo Baggins... and this time, tere's a dragon!

ENGLAND

What do the English like doing?

Popular hobbies include gardening and DIY (do it yourself) which involves repairing or decorating your home. Fishing in rivers is a common activity too.

Teenagers enjoy going to nightclubs with their friends. People prefer foreign holidays because it is often cheaper to go abroad. And, of course, shopping is always a popular activity.

What is there to eat in England?

Most English people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, there are elevenses, tea and supper.

English food doesn’t have a good reputation in other countries but there are some delicious dishes, like:

Fish and chips, which is made with white fish fried in batter. It is eaten with a kind of purée made from green peas.

Roast diner, a traditional English Sunday lunch of roast meat, lamb or beef with roast potatoes and lots of vegetables.

Stilton cheese is a blue cheese with a very strong taste.

English cakes and biscuits are very popular with English people and with tourists.

A cream tea is usually eaten in the afternoon.

A full English breakfast is a good way to star the day. A traditional breakfast includes sausages, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, fried eggs, fried bread and a cup of strong tea.

Curry is not originally English, but they love curries. It came from India.

Sport

The most traditional sports in England are: football, rowing, horse-racing, tennis, rugby and cricket.

The English say that they invented football but so do other countries.

Teams at the top of the English Premier Football league are very rich and have some of the best players in the world. The most important teams are: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Cricket is played by many English-speaking nations. The English were so upset that the newspapers said that English cricket was dead and was creamed.

Celebrations

Christmas and Easter are the most important festivals for the English. Most English children look forward to Fireworks’ Night on 5th November. It’s a family festival for children. There are fires, fireworks and lots of hot food.

Another date is April Fool’s Day, on 1st of April. On this day, people are allowed to play jokes on other people.

Music

English pop and rock music is popular all over the world. From the Rolling Stones and the Beatles to Coldplay, it has developed over the years and is still developing.

Iconic Places

There are many of these, like Stonehenge and Hardian’s Wall. The most famous castle is the Tower of London. Legend says that if they leave the Tower, something terrible will happen to England, so the government pays for at least six ravens to be there.

England also has many famous cathedrals like Canterbury Cathedral, York Minister, Salisbury and Lincoln Cathedrals.

Members of Royal family get married in Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s in London.

There are also many great houses in England, such as Chatsworth House and Blenheim Palace.

Liverpool is a port city which is also world-famous. People speak with a strong local accent and have a reputation for being warm, creative and strong.

The Lake District is one of the most attractive landscapes in the United Kingdom.

England is not famous for its beaches. But if you go to Newquay you can enjoy surfing.

The white cliffs of Dover are well-known as they are the first thing that you see if you come by ship from France.

Iconic People

England had many famous people, such as Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Dickens, Darwin and Winston Churchill.

Princess Diana was the wife of Prince Charles, but became unhappy in her marriage. She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

John Lennon wrote most of the songs of the Beatles. Later, he married Yoko Ono, and protested against war.

Margaret Thatcher was the first woman to become Primer Minister of the UK. Some British people supported her, but she also had strong enemies.

David Beckham is probably the most famous English footballer of the 1990 and 2000s. He married one of the Spice Girls, and is often in the celebrity pages of magazines and newspapers.

England is a country with castles, cathedrals and strong traditions, but it’s also a place of surprises and new ideas. What is the future? Will there be a royal family forever? Will some countries become independent? What will be England’s relationship with the rest of Europe? What will be the effect of global warming? Nobody knows the answers. 
 

John Lennon (a british singer) IMAGINE