Writing unit 9

WRITING: A NARRATIVE WITH DIALOGUE

Something happened a couple of weeks ago which was a real test of my honesty. I was with some friends walking through the street when we found a white envelope on the floor and we got it. When we opened it, we found €1000 inside it. We didn't know what to do. We felt surprised and confused. Did we have to take it to the police office or not?

“We have to keep the money and spread it” a friend said. “If the money had had an owner, he would have come to get it.”

“I am not sure” I said. “Maybe somebody has lost it and he needs the money”.

Finally, we gave the money to the police and the other day they phoned me to say that somebody had gone to the police office to recover the money. At least, we felt that we'd done the right thing.

Àlex

writing unit 8

WRITING UNIT 8: a Happy Ending

This time last year, things weren't going too well for me. I was in Australia alone, and I missed home, family and my friends. I had some australian mates and they invited me out, but I didn't really want to see them. I spent a lot of time reading books in my hotel room.

Everything changed for me the day my Australian mates invited me and we went surfing. I hadn't ever surfed before, but I loved it. I loved the feeling of the slide through the water, the wind in my face, the freedom... During the next days, I went surfing every day with my new friends. Also, we worked on keeping clean the beach

These days, I feel much happier. Surfing and cleaning the beach has made me feel a part of a group, more sociable... I aim to continue surfing for the rest of my life. If I hadn't been to Australia, I'd never had the opportunity.

Àlex

Writing unit 7

WRITING: CHANGING LAWS

The government plans to introduce a new law which will mean that students will have to go to school on Saturday mornings in order to improve the level of education. In my view, this would have lots of negative consequences.

In the first place, I belive free Saturdays are necessary because it is important to relax, and also they are good for doing homework and studying. I've no doubt that classes on Saturdays would be a disaster, people will be too tired and it won't take advantage of the classes.

If the aim of the government is to improve the level of education, it seems for me that there's a better alternative: the family. I think that education isn't only classes.

Àlex

My trip to Italy

Two weeks ago, my classmates, Jordi Mossoll, Anna Vilà and I went to our trip to Italy. We started the trip in the school at 5.30. We took the plane to Milan Malpensa and we arrived at 10.30 more or less. We got on a bus and we went to Sirmeone, Lago da Garda, a very beatiful small town surrounded by a huge lake. There, Maria explained us its history. In the afternoon we went to Verona and we went sightseeing the city, its ancient Arena and Julieta's house. We overnight there in the Arena Albergo. The next day we went by train to Venice. We saw st. Marco's catherdral, the canals, ponte Rialto... We could feel the supremacy of Venice in the XVI century. The cathedral was all covered with gold. The next day we took a bus and we travelled to Firenze. When we arrived we checked in the Eden Hotel and we visited the city: the Duomo, ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Michaelangelo's David... On Thursday we visited the Uffizi, where there's the Born of the Spring and others famous pictures. Later we entered the Duomo and we went up the cupola. We had lunch, we visited the Academy and we had some free time. I used this time to go up the campanille and buy some souvenirs. On Friday we visited Pisa, where we travelled by little train and we saw the tower, the church and the baptisterium. Finally, we went to Firenze's airport, Amerigo Vespucci, we took the plane and we arrived to Barcelona. Then we returned to Banyoles by bus, when we arrived at 1 o'clock.

Àlex Garcia

The surprise

A SHORT STORY: “THE SURPRISE”

Last week it was my friend Sam's birthday of my friend Sam. Some friends and I had organized a surprise party in his house.

That day Sam thought that, Sam was thinking that we had forgotten his birthday, so he was really upset. When the school finished, Sam went to the shopping centre with his mother to buy something. While he was there we went to his house to organize the party. But we had a problem, we hadn't got the key!!! So we used a window to enter to the house. When Sam saw us in his living room he got very happy.

Àlex

Last weekend

LAST WEEKEND

Last weekend I didn't do so much. On Saturday, I got up late, at 11 o'clock more or less. During the morning I stayed at home watching TV and reading. In the afternoon I went to the cinema in Girona with some friends. Later we had lunch near there. On Sunday, I got up late again and I stayed all the day at home studying and doing homework.

Àlex

A new friend

Hi auntie,

How are you? I hope you're well. I'm writing to tell you about my new friend.

He is from France, but he speaks Catalan well. I met him a month ago in the canteen. His name is Piere and he's 15, like me. He's tall and thin, he's got brown curly hair and blue eyes. He likes History and Art, but he hates pop music and animals, so he hasn't got any pet. He is also good at photography.

Lots os love,

Àlex

Postcard

POSTCARD

Hi mum and dad.

We're having a great holiday here in Transilvania. We're staying in a hotel in the countryside. It's go some animals! There are a lot of things to do, but the people aren't very friendly.

Last week we went to Dracula's castle. It was very scary! It had spider webs and rats! In Transilvania it's foggy all day.

Are you having a good holiday in Barcelona?

See you,

Àlex

European project

EUROPEAN PROJECT

Hi Gwen,

Nice to meet you! My name's Àlex and I'm fifteen. I live in Banyoles with my parents, my sister, my brother and some animals, such as birds and stick bugs. I like listening to music and reading. I play the piano and I swim.

When you'll be here you'll be in my school which is called Casa Nostra. It is near the lake, so we'll go every day by bike. We have a lot of teachers and almost of them are very kind. I like Chemistry and History.

What about you?

See you soon

Àlex

An invitation

BIRTHDAY PARTY

To: luckylisa100@webmail.com

Subject: Invitation

Hi Lisa,

I'm having a birthday party on Friday 17th at my house. Would you like to come? Isaies, Efren, Iu, Magda and Mia are coming. Can you bring some pizzas?

My house is next to the church, 4 Carrer de l'Església.

See you,

Àlex

plans for a visit

Write about plans for a visit

Subject: Your visit

Hi, Andrew

I'm just writing to check that everything is OK for your visit.

I think you'll like Banyoles. On Saturday morning, we're going to your hotel to book the room. Then we'll take the bikes and we'll do a tour around the town. In the afternoon we'll probably meet some of my friends, and we could either walk around the town or go to the Club. It's up to you. I don't mind what we'll do. Also we can go to visit some museums like Museu Darder or Museu Arqueològic.

On Sunday, we could get a bus to go to Girona or Barcelona. They are big cities and there's a lot to do there: going to the cinema, shopping...

I'm going to meet you at the bus station tomorrow at about 3.00. Is it on?

Looking forwars to seeing you.

Àlex

a discussion essay

Are you for or against using animals for medical research?

At the moment, it is usual in a lot of laboratories to use animals for medical research and experiments.

One of the arguments for using animals for medical research is that we could use them to prove new medicienes and treatments to be confident that they are efective and non-dangerous. In addition, scientist could use these animals to do genetical experiments because the metabolism of some animals, like rats, is faster than humans, so we can prove what happens with adn modifications.

On the other hand, there is a moral problem because animal suffer and they may die in some cases.

To sum up, I am in favour to use animals for medical research, only for a pragmatic matter. All in all, there are more arguments for than against using animals for medical research.

Àlex

Halloween

HALLOWEEN

Halloween is a festival celebrated on the evening of the 31st October in Ireland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia... In conclusion, it is celebrated in the territories of the British Commonwealth, and recently, all around the world.

Halloween is based in an old Celtic festival: the Samhain. Celtics celebrated the end of the harvest season and the New Years Eve. Also, in Samhain, it started the dark season of the year. Celtics celebrated making huge bonfires, getting drunk, eating, dancing and with druidic festivals. Samhain last six or seven days: three before and three after 31th October. In these days the border between the deads world and the our world was thiner. For that, spirits and other evil creatures walked through our world.

Then, when Christianism was imposed, Samhain evoluted to All Saints on 1st November, and the night before was All Hallows's Eve, that evolutioned to Halloween. The kids made jokes and tricks. Tricks went more and more, so the neighbours made treats to calm the childs.

Àlex

ASK FOR ADVICE ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP

ASK FOR ADVICE ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP

Subject: HELP!

Hi Peter

As you know, I've been on holiday in L'Estartit for a week now and I've just met this English girl, Carly. She is absolutely boring and annoying, but she thinks I like him. I need your advice.

I met her on the beach yesterday and I invited her to play volleybal because she was really beautiful. Later I felt like I was having a good time and I invited her to a café with some friends because I didn't want to be impolite. There I ignored her and I started flirting with Gemma, the girl I like. But when she said goodbye I accompanied her to the bus stop and she didn't stop talking, she seemed a parrot.

I've been thinking about things a lot since then. I'll probably see her later, but I don't know if I have to tell her the truth because she is on holidays and I don't want to spoil them. What do you reckon?

Mikel

Àlex

2000-2010

2000-2010

The decade 2000-2010 was a decade which people remember for many reasons. There were good times and happy events, for instance, the euro was put into service. There were also difficult times such as Afganistan War, Irak War, the attac from Al-Qaeda, the Israeli-Palestian Conflict...

In the world of music, there were a lot of Hip Hop and pop artists in the charts, for example Eminem and Beyoncé. Michael Jackson died in 2009. In cinemas, there was a magnificient innovation: the 3D viewing. Popular films were The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Pirates ofthe Caribean, some superheroes films, such as The X-Men, Spiderman... In 2005 Sean Connery decided to retire. Fashions were inpirated on 1960s, 1970s and 1980s fashions. It started with a futuristic fashion, then with a causal fashion with cargo-pants and then the skinny pants became popular.

By the end of the decade, the world was a different place. The Internet was already in all the houses, there were smartphones...

Àlex