16 April 2008
European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
Europe is becoming more culturally diverse. The enlargement of the European Union, deregulation of employment laws and globalisation have increased the multicultural character of many countries, adding to the number of languages, religions, ethnic and cultural backgrounds found on the continent. As a result, intercultural dialogue has an increasingly important role to play in fostering European identity and citizenship.
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID) 2008 recognises that Europe’s great cultural diversity represents a unique advantage. It will encourage all those living in Europe to explore the benefits of our rich cultural heritage and opportunities to learn from different cultural traditions.
The Year will feature a small number of flagship projects on a European level, as well as EU support for a national project in each Member State, and a Partner programme aimed at mobilising civil society. The active involvement of civil society will be essential in highlighting good practices and identifying needs in intercultural dialogue. Well-known ambassadors have also been appointed to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of intercultural dialogue.
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) was established by Decision N° 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. (18 December 2006).
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID) 2008 recognises that Europe’s great cultural diversity represents a unique advantage. It will encourage all those living in Europe to explore the benefits of our rich cultural heritage and opportunities to learn from different cultural traditions.
The Year will feature a small number of flagship projects on a European level, as well as EU support for a national project in each Member State, and a Partner programme aimed at mobilising civil society. The active involvement of civil society will be essential in highlighting good practices and identifying needs in intercultural dialogue. Well-known ambassadors have also been appointed to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of intercultural dialogue.
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) was established by Decision N° 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. (18 December 2006).
1103
Happy Birthday!
Queen Elizabeth II Born: 21 April, 1926.
Queen since 6 February 1952
Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926 in London. Her birthday is officially celebrated in Britain on the 3rd Saturday of June each year.
Queen Elizabeth II is a 'constitutional monarch'. This means that although she is officially the head of the state, the country is actually run by the government, led by the Prime Minister.
The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace.
Interesting Fact:
There has not been a Queen of England since 1603. Elizabeth I was the last ever King or Queen of England. From 1603, the monarch, although living in England, has been known as either the Monarch Great Britain (as Queen Anne was) or of the United Kingdom (as Queen Victoria was).
When Elizabeth I died, King James VI of Scotland became king of England as well as Scotland, thus uniting the kingdoms of England and Scotland for the first time.
When Elizabeth I died, King James VI of Scotland became king of England as well as Scotland, thus uniting the kingdoms of England and Scotland for the first time.
The Official Title of the Queen
Her Majesty The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is:
'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.
Her Majesty The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is:
'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.
When did Queen Elizabeth come to the throne?
Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. Her Coronation, at Westminster Abbey, followed on June 2, 1953.
(A new king or Queen begins to rule as soon as their succession to the throne has been announced. But the coronation - when the crown is placed on the monarch's head - may not happen until months later.)
The queen celebrated her Golden jubilee (50 years since her accession) in 2002.
Head of State
Queen Elizabeth II is the United Kingdom's Head of State. She is queen of 16 former British colonies, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand; and head of the Commonwealth, a multinational body created after the dissolution of the British empire.
Who is the Queen married to?
The Queen as married to the HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. They married on 20 November 1947.
The Duke is Queen Elizabeth's third cousin; they share Queen Victoria as a great-great-grandmother.
The Queen as married to the HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. They married on 20 November 1947.
The Duke is Queen Elizabeth's third cousin; they share Queen Victoria as a great-great-grandmother.
Why is Queen Elizabeth II's husband a prince rather than a king?
In the British monarchy, the husband of a female monarch does not have any recognized special status, rank, or privileges.
Prince Philip was a prince from birth. He is the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and was born Prince of Greece and Denmark. Upon his marriage to then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Philip was given the title "Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merion, and Baron Greenwich," and was made a Knight of the Garter. (He became a British citizen around this time and renounced his Greek and Danish titles). Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953, and in 1957, she granted Philip the title "Prince of the United Kingdom."
In the British monarchy, the husband of a female monarch does not have any recognized special status, rank, or privileges.
Prince Philip was a prince from birth. He is the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and was born Prince of Greece and Denmark. Upon his marriage to then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Philip was given the title "Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merion, and Baron Greenwich," and was made a Knight of the Garter. (He became a British citizen around this time and renounced his Greek and Danish titles). Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953, and in 1957, she granted Philip the title "Prince of the United Kingdom."
Interesting Fact:
The wife of a male monarch (e.g. the Queen Mother was the wife of King George VI) takes on her husband's rank and style upon marrying, becoming Queen. She is known as the Queen consort ( wife and consort of a reigning king)
( A consort is a spouse , usually of royalty.)
( A consort is a spouse , usually of royalty.)
What is Queen Elizabeth's surname?
The Queen does not normally use a surname (she doesn't need a passport or a driving licence for example), but on the few occasions where it has been necessary, i.e. when serving with the ATS during World War II, she has used the surname 'Windsor'.(source: www.royal.gov.uk)
The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? World War One broke out in 1914 and anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.
From 8 February 1960, all The Queen's descendants who do not bear the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess" have the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. (Mountbatten as Prince Philip's surname).
The Queen does not normally use a surname (she doesn't need a passport or a driving licence for example), but on the few occasions where it has been necessary, i.e. when serving with the ATS during World War II, she has used the surname 'Windsor'.(source: www.royal.gov.uk)
The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? World War One broke out in 1914 and anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.
From 8 February 1960, all The Queen's descendants who do not bear the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess" have the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. (Mountbatten as Prince Philip's surname).
Royal Homes
Among the official royal residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, Balmoral Castle, Frogmore House, The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House and Kensington Palace.
Among the official royal residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, Balmoral Castle, Frogmore House, The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House and Kensington Palace.
Interesting Fact:
The only time when there was no King or Queen in Britain was when the country was a republic between 1649 and 1660. ( In 1649 King Charles I was executed and Britain became a Republic for eleven years. The monarchy was restored in 1660.)
Earth Day - April 22
In the Beginning...
In 1963, former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet. (A senator is a person that the people of the United States have chosen to help make the laws.) Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying.
He wondered why more people weren't trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and to the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.
The Idea
Then, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment. He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article in Scholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned. (Most of the schools got this magazine and he knew that kids would help him.)
The Holiday
On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held. People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn't it great?
One person had an idea and kept working until everyone began working together to solve it.
See what happens when people care about our world?
Grammar Lesson
Conditional sentences
The conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English.
Watch out:
1) Which type of the conditional sentences is used?
2) Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)?
There are three types of the if-clauses.
Type I
condition possible to fulfill
Type II
condition in theory possible to fulfill
Type III
condition not possible to fulfill (too late)
Examples
Long forms and short/contracted forms
Type I
Affirmative (+)
If I study, I will pass the exam.
If I study, I'll pass the exam.
If I study, I'll pass the exam.
Negative (-)
If I study, I will not fail the exam.If I do not study, I will fail the exam.
If I study, I won't fail the exam.If I don't study, I'll fail the exam.
If I study, I won't fail the exam.If I don't study, I'll fail the exam.
Type II
+
If I studied, I would pass the exam.
If I studied, I'd pass the exam.
-
If I studied, I would not fail the exam.If I did not study, I would fail the exam.
If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam.If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam.
Type III
+
If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.
If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam.
-
If I had studied, I would not have failed the exam.If I had not studied, I would have failed the exam.
If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the exam.If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the exam.
* We can substitute could or might for would (should, may or must are sometimes possible, too).
10 April 2008
Newsflash 801
Man found dead in cemetery
A men was found dead in a cemetery in the heart of London yesterday. Jake Smith, 23 years old was found dead by an old lady, Jane Granger, of 82 years old.
Jane Granger said that Jake was still bleeding when she found him in the middle of two graves. The police noticed three stabs on the body, one of them on the heart. The police expects to find the murderer very soon because he dropped the knife that stabbed Jake and it’s full of fingerprints.
Daniel Pereira 801
2 April 2008
News from UK
Teachers warn of spoilt children
Growing numbers of spoilt children are misbehaving in class because they are used to doing only what they want to, another teachers' leader has said.
"Little princes and princesses" are being brought up in a culture of instant gratification, according to NASUWT president Amanda Haehner. But they were often "desperately unhappy" and wanted rules, she told a conference in Birmingham. She said parents, the media and teachers should set all good examples.
Separate research for the other big classroom union, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has suggested that a minority of children throw tantrums, swear and are physically aggressive.
NUT boss Steve Sinnott called on Saturday for more advice for parents who struggled to say "no" to their children.
At the NASUWT conference on Monday Ms Haehner said schools should not be expected to take sole responsibility for giving children "boundaries". "The rise of 'the little prince' and, increasingly, his female sidekick is a cause for concern," delegates heard. "The little prince never has to do anything he finds difficult or boring, he does not have to take any responsibility for his actions. "Anything negative that happens is someone else's responsibility and if this right to a stress-free existence is questioned, a doting relative will appear immediately to sort everything out. ... "Or at least they will until the little prince stops being cute, turns into the household bully and the protector turns up at school, wringing their hands and begging for help."
Such youngsters often wanted someone to lay down some rules to "make them feel secure", Ms Haehner said.
"A materialistic society which so readily promotes a culture of immediacy through new media and technology makes the concept of deferred gratification inherent in education anathema to many."
Good teaching was essential, she said, but learners have responsibilities too.
Teachers were being ground down by "low-level bad behaviour" such as shouting out in class, refusal to follow basic classroom rules and "temper tantrums that would shame a toddler".
"Little princes and princesses" are being brought up in a culture of instant gratification, according to NASUWT president Amanda Haehner. But they were often "desperately unhappy" and wanted rules, she told a conference in Birmingham. She said parents, the media and teachers should set all good examples.
Separate research for the other big classroom union, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has suggested that a minority of children throw tantrums, swear and are physically aggressive.
NUT boss Steve Sinnott called on Saturday for more advice for parents who struggled to say "no" to their children.
At the NASUWT conference on Monday Ms Haehner said schools should not be expected to take sole responsibility for giving children "boundaries". "The rise of 'the little prince' and, increasingly, his female sidekick is a cause for concern," delegates heard. "The little prince never has to do anything he finds difficult or boring, he does not have to take any responsibility for his actions. "Anything negative that happens is someone else's responsibility and if this right to a stress-free existence is questioned, a doting relative will appear immediately to sort everything out. ... "Or at least they will until the little prince stops being cute, turns into the household bully and the protector turns up at school, wringing their hands and begging for help."
Such youngsters often wanted someone to lay down some rules to "make them feel secure", Ms Haehner said.
"A materialistic society which so readily promotes a culture of immediacy through new media and technology makes the concept of deferred gratification inherent in education anathema to many."
Good teaching was essential, she said, but learners have responsibilities too.
Teachers were being ground down by "low-level bad behaviour" such as shouting out in class, refusal to follow basic classroom rules and "temper tantrums that would shame a toddler".
Story from BBC
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