Bob's Story - Extra Credit Work 9th grade

“Let me tell you my story. Five years ago I was a successful executive. I earned a lot of money and I had never had any problems at work. I had expensive tastes and hobbies. I also had a lot of friends… at least that’s what I thought. Suddenly my life was turned upside down: I lost my job and felt miserable.
I was so ashamed of my situation that I didn’t tell anyone about it. I stayed at home and did nothing. Losing a job is like losing a part of yourself. Your lifestyle changes dramatically. You wake up and you don’t have anywhere to go, anything to do, anyone to meet.
I felt desperate and frightened. However, after sometime I decided to start job hunting. I phoned some friends to ask for help but they didn’t care about me anymore. I wrote countless letters of application, went to lots of interviews, phoned lots of companies, went to lots of job agencies but I still didn’t manage to get any work. I felt so desperate that I got severe depression and gave up looking for a job. As a result I lost everything I had worked for: my flat, my car, my personal belongings…
Finally I became homeless and that’s what I was until last month. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was having a nap on a bench in the railway station when I heard someone say:” Bob, is that you?” I looked at the person who said this and saw my old friend Karen. I hadn’t seen her since high school but our parents are still friends and I knew she was a very successful lawyer.
She proved to be a good friend. She took me to her parents’ flat and convinced me that I was still useful. She made feel self-confident again. I’ve been looking for a job for three weeks and I have a very positive attitude because with Karen’s help I know that I’ll overcome this problem sooner or later.”

I like to move it, it... my trip around the world...

- Hey guys, you’re not going to believe what I just dreamed about last night!
- What kind of dream did you have?
- A dream about us in a global trip!
- A what?!
- I dreamed that we went on a trip all around the world! We parted from here in Famalicão and then we visited some Greek islands in the Mediterranean Sea! It was awesome, the sea, the heat, the people, we just loved it! Then, we went to Africa.
- Which countries did we visit?
- Well… While we were travelling along the Nile, we saw a lot of countries but we only stayed in Tanzania, the mysterious land. And guess what! After that we went to: MADAGASCAR! And of course we sang…
- I like to move it, move it!
- He likes to move it, move it!
- We like to: MOVE IT!
- The next place we visited was in Asia: India! There, we had an adventure: we were lost in the middle of the city and we didn’t know what to do! But we made it. Next stop: Singapore!
- I have an old friend there!
- But we didn’t stay there too long. It was a shame, but the trip had to go on. So, we parted to the lands of Australia, oh my god there were so many kangaroos! Our global trip also took us to New Zeeland! Afterwards, we dove in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, with the USA as a destiny. The American world “infected” us all along the territory until Boston. We quickly caught a boat to England, right to lands of Her Royal Highness, the Queen! Then, the English Channel drove us into Brittany; from there we went to La Coruna. We arrived home a few time later, tired but happy with our greatest and probably only global trip! I wish it wasn’t only a dream…

Ana Margarida, nº 2; André, nº5; Inês, nº15; Rita, nº25 - 801

Summer Jobs

Summer is not just fun. Obviously, for those who work the entire year is quite possible that they only think about it, however, for students or unemployed, there are a multitude of temporary work that appears in summer season.

If you are a student, you are unemployed or have a child who wants to make some change in the heating season, there are many options. Between working in restaurants, which normally during the summer are open until later, bars, terraces, cafes, walking the neighbours’ pets, get a van and take kids to the beach, gardens or swimming pools, working in the fast-food restaurants, etc, etc, etc, the options are limitless.

Of course that this work is temporary and as such it has its advantages and disadvantages, but if your idea is only to spend some time, and add this small change, working in summer is an excellent choice.

Advantages:

-If you have free time and do not want to waste, you can use it doing something useful and you will earn some money;

-You will have the opportunity to meet new people and make good contacts;

-If you still have no professional experience, summer jobs are a good opportunity to start, even if the job has nothing to do with what you want to do in the future the experience is always enriching.

Disadvantages:

- One of the problems is that summer jobs are not very well paid;

- While most people are on holiday, you are busy working.

Diogo Mourão, 902

More info on TV

In my opinion TV is a very important “thing” in our life. It brings us many happy moments. It is a company for people who are alone all day. TV is the box that changed the world. We can see what happens in another place of the world at the time it happens. TV is a good way to broadcast messages and sell things, advertising. But like everything it also has disadvantages: children can be negatively influenced by TV. It can teach them bad examples and shock them with violence. Adults should be careful and accompany what children watch on TV. Many times TV brings communication to an end in family lives. When the TV is on, the family doesn’t communicate. To me TV is a good thing when used in a correct from.


Magda Barbosa, 802

Coldplay

Coldplay is a British band. They are doing such a successful career with their music (mostly Rock/Pop and Alternative) and concerts all over the USA and Europe.
They met each other in the September of 1996 in their first week of college (University College London). They are known by writing beautiful and simple songs that enchanted and keeps enchanting people all over the world. Only just a few months before Coldplay released their first album in 2000 (Parachutes), in England, they were hailed as the Band of the Year, at the same year. It happened at the speed of light, but it weren’t as easy as it seemed to be.
The band is constituted by the guitar playing of John Buckland, the melodic bass of Guy Berryman, the thoughtful drums of Will Champion, and the leading and tenor vocals of Chris Martin, who are the elementary answers for the bands’ soul. Although melancholy stands behind every Coldplay song, which is also steeped by an unusual and sincere optimism rarely found in English bands. Songs face an inevitable sadness and yearning (which all this could be resumed in something called being real), to get to a better place where the safe truth and pure emotion is decisive. "We just want the songs to reflect reality" said Chris Martin.
Coldplay released the single "Brothers And Sisters" on a small English label called Fierce Panda, after which the UK label Parlophone signed them in 1999. They released their first debut album “Parachutes” and then they had achieve great success with the singles “Yellow”, “Trouble”, “Spies” and “Don’t Panic”. In 2002, “A Rush Of Blood To The Head” may well be the most amazing album during, with the songs “In My Place”, “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face”, the sentimental one of “The Scientist” ,and the Grammy-Winning “Clocks”, which won multiple awards such as NME's Album of the Year. Subsequently, “X & Y” Coldplay’s career, with the songs “White Shadows”, “Talk”, “Speed Of Sound”, and “The Hardest Part”, . Finally, the last work “Viva la Vida Or Death And All His Friends” with the singles “Viva La Vida”, “Lost”, “Life In Technicolor” and “Violet Hill”, that released again to largely favorable reviews and earning several Grammy nominations and wins. All of Coldplay's albums have enjoyed commercial success.
There are also such many fantastic and pleasant songs that we should give an honoury mention, such as “Crests Of Waves”, “I Ran Away”, “Things I Don’t Understand”, “Murder”, “No More Keeping My Feet On The Ground”, “1.36”, “Proof”, “Bigger Stronger”, “Only Superstition” and “Animals”.
Chris admits that the last track on the album “X & Y”, "Everything's Not Lost" is the message of Coldplay's entire work up until 2005.

Diogo Campos, 901

Creative writing by Sofia Azevedo

The obsession to be a normal person changed him and destroyed him.
His mentality has undone him. The distance between realities is huge and he will never cross them alone. The fears that he didn’t have hunt him. His strength is gone like the sun that used to shine in his life. What people say has no meaning anymore, like the effort that he insists on doing to keep breathing. What separates him from us is just a door that someone had the audacity to close. Locked inside, crying on his knees, he meets up with his thoughts nearly poor enough to maintain the illusion that doesn’t exist. His eyes, convinced they won’t see the light again, lost their colour, and this, nobody will be able to bring back...

Sofia Azevedo, 901

The Story of a Successful Teen

Her name is Nicole Baran, she is 16 years old, she lives in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in USA and she has always dreamt of having her own business.
Her first business idea was cleaning carpets but she didn’t have success, the second idea was an on-site car cleaning service. The cars stood at the parking lot or at the costumer’s place of work. They didn’t need expensive products, they had alternative ways to clean them such as teeth brushes and duck tape for picking up dirt.
Recently she won an award: $1.000 from the young Entrepreneur Foundation.

Ana Paula; Ariana; Joana; Pedro Silva e Pedro Pereira - 902

Singing at School!

Hi everyone!

Here we are again to challenge you to Sing At School.

Para que não haja dúvidas, este post ficará em Português. Como já devem ter visto e ouvido pela escola, no próximo dia 12 de Junho, a partir das 14 horas, o Departamento de Línguas Germânicas irá dinamizar uma tarde dedicada à música e ao Inglês, no nosso Ginásio.

A Primeira Parte será dedicada às bandas da Escola que queiram dar a conhecer o seu trabalho a toda a comunidade escolar. Na Segunda, ir-se-á realizar um concurso de Karaoke. Como já sabem, o tempo disponível não nos permite abrir as inscrições a todos os interessados, pelo que teremos de limitar o número de inscritos às primeiras 5 bandas e aos primeiros 20 concorrentes/participantes. Assim, a partir de hoje poderão proceder às inscrições através do nosso blogue. É simples:

Para te inscreveres no Karaoke, basta deixares em comentário a indicação "Karaoke", seguida do nome do(s) concorrente(s) - num máximo de 4 elementos - e a(s) respectiva(s) turma(s); a música que gostariam de interpretar (não se esqueçam que terá de ser em Inglês) e um contacto.
Para inscreveres a tua Banda, em comentário escreve "School Bands", o nome da banda, o nome dos elementos da banda e as respectivas turmas, um contacto (e-mail ou telefone) e o nome das músicas (+/- 2 músicas).

O concurso de Karaoke terá um júri e será atribuído um prémio aos 1º, 2º e 3º classificados.

SEE YOU SOON!

Election Time!

The Hitchhiker, by Roald Dahl

The Hitch-Hiker is a short story by Roald Dahl about a man who picks up a hitch hiker whilst driving to London. They talk, and the driver tells the hitch hiker about himself. He explains that he is a writter, the hitch hiker says that the drivier is in a skilled profession, stating also that he is in a skilled profession. The persona is driving a brand new BMW car, and the hitch hiker challenges him to see if it really can go 130 mp/h. They reach a stretch of flat even road, and the driver opens up the throttle, he reaches 130mp/h just as a police officer flashes his sirens and pulls him over. The officer issues threats of life imprisonment etc, and gives hom a fine. The officer asks the hitch hiker what his address and occupation is, he tells him his address and also explains that he is an hod carrier. The police officer says he will be checking up on them both, and tells them to be on their way. After this meeting, the persona is worried about the fine, the hitch hiker assures him that he won't get thrown into prison. He then reveals that he is a "finger smith" a very skilled pick pocket, he then tells the persona that he has taken the police officer's ticket and note books, adding that they should leave the highway and make a bonfire to burn them on.

Pros and Cons of TV

Television’s advantages:
· Great source of information;
· The best means of communication;
· Source of entertainment/ It keeps us company;
· Advertising gives us the chance to know new types of products;
· We always receive information of the moments which can prevent disasters or accidents;
· It’s fast to broadcast information;
· There are many kinds of programmers;
· It reaches to a great number of people.

Television’s disadvantages:
· Excess of hours in front of TV;
· Health problems (vision and obesity, for example);
· It can harm school learning;
· Children can imitate what they see. For example, bullying.
· No dialogue among the members of the family;
· Family conflicts;
· Sometimes, it shows an unreal world;
· Excess of programmers without educative or informative content;
· Excess of advertising and propaganda;
· Influence of the mass media in public opinion.

Bruna; Carla; Miguel; Ruben - 801

Wall.E

Title: Wall.E
Running time: 90 minutes
Genre: Animated film
Cast: Ben Burtt - WALL·E / M-O (voice)
Elissa Knight - EVE (voice)
Jeff Garlin - Captain McCrea (voice)
Fred Willard - Shelby Forthright - BnL CEO
MacInTalk - AUTO (voice)
John Ratzenberger - John (voice)
Kathy Najimy - Mary (voice)
Sigourney Weaver - Ship's Computer (voice)

Plot: In a distant future, approximately seven hundred years later, the Earth is over-run with millions of garbage and without any plant or animal life.
This is the consequence of years of pollution. The humans planed to live temporarily in a spaceship while the robots Wall-e were cleaning the planet. But something went wrong and only one robot was still working on the planet. And the humans had to live in the Axiom and forgot all the beauties of life, and the Earth! One day, a space probe returned from Earth. It had found life (a plant) in the planet. Finally the people could go back home! And then a great adventure begins! However, they had lots of setbacks. It wasn’t as easier as they thought because just outside of the city, plants had already begun to flourish.

Review: This film is very interesting because calls our attention to the problems of the environment and the effects of the new technologies in people’s lives. It is about a love story between robots (Wall-e and Eve): this shows that everybody has feelings. The special effects were very good too.

Recommendation: It’s a must-see. You will have a good time seeing this film. It also won an Oscar, in this year (2009) “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year”.

Rating: ****

Ana Paula Abreu; Cristiano Martins; Joana Azevedo - 801

The Strangers

Title: The Strangers
Running time: 90 min aprox.
Genre: Drama ; horror; thriller
Director: Bryan Bertino
Cast: Liv Tyler (Kristen Mckay) ; Scott Speedman ( James Hoyt) ; Gemma Ward (Dollface) ; Kip Weeks ( The man in the mask) ; Laura Margolis ( Pin-up Girl) ; Glenn Howerton ( Mike)
Plot: After returning from a wedding reception, a couple staying in an isolated vacation house receive a knock on the door in the mid-hours of the night. What happens is a violent invasion by three strangers, their faces hidden behind masks. The couple find themselves in a violent struggle, in which they go beyond what they think they are capable to survive.
Review: the movie is awesome, The actor that we think that is the coolest is Kip Weeks, the man with the white mask. The story of the film hasn’t much sense, but is a good film. It’s based on a true story.
Recommendation: this film is a must-see, the best that we have ever seen. We hope that the next one comes fast.
Rating: 10/11

Fábio; João Lopes; José Pedro e Tomás - 801

Eco-heroes in Action

Colin Carlson, First Place, Age 11, Connecticut, U.S.A. - The Cool Coventry Club
Seeing climate change firsthand on a trip to the Galapagos Islands, Colin became concerned about climate health. After viewing Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, he decided to "think globally and act locally." He said that he decided to launch "The Cool Coventry Club...to educate people about global warming and encourage energy conservation at individual, business and governmental levels." Colin created a Web site, The Cool Coventry Club, to educate and motivate people to change their attitude and behavior. Colin has organized 25 CCC events in 10 towns. He presented expert speakers and handed out printed matter about global warming and related topics. He also organized youth and school events, spoke in front of local governments in support of energy policies and passed out low-energy light bulbs.

Alec Loorz, Third Place, Age 13, California, U.S.A. - Sea Level Awareness Project
When Alec learned that global warming could cause the sea levels to rise high enough to cover a good part of his city, he became concerned. To his surprise, he discovered that many people in his town either didn't believe in global warming or didn't understand the possible devastation that could be caused by it. He decided to develop a public awareness program called SLAP (Sea Level Awareness Project) to awaken the city to the threat of a sea level rise. To take action "I give presentations to educate youth on the science of global warming and empower them to take action," he says. "I am now leading a team of 40 kids to make it happen in May of this year." Alec built a Web site, kids-vs-global-warming.com, and has given 16 presentations to schools and environmental groups so far. He has designed posters, made videos, met with officials, and started environmental teams at other schools. Alec feels that the more education and knowledge that the public has about global warming; the more they will feel a personal responsibility to take action and support legislation to combat this serious problem.


Benjamin Workinger, Honorable Mention, Age 8, Tennessee, U.S.A. - Monarch Butterfly Safe Haven
When Ben read a New York Times article on the decreasing numbers of the migrating monarch butterflies, he became interested in helping them. Monarch butterflies are vulnerable to extreme weather changes such as droughts or hurricanes, and are dependent on the prairie grasses and other healthy ecosystems for their survival. Ben and his classmates turned their school garden into a habitat that serves as a way station for monarchs on their migration between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The garden provided a safe haven for other species of butterflies, as well as hummingbirds and bees. The school's efforts increased awareness about the plight of monarch butterflies in the local community. Ben and his school plan to maintain this garden for as long as possible. Ben says he has learned a lot about nature and is thinking about studying it later in life.


Alexander Lin, First Place, Age 14, Rhode Island, U.S.A. - E-Waste Solutions
Alexander was appalled by the global crisis of e-waste. When he researched e-waste, he discovered that only a small portion of it was recycled. "All consumer electronics are a serious threat to human health as well as our environment," he says. In 2002, Alexander created WIN, Westerly Innovations Network, and started Project WIN '05 to recycle and reuse e-waste. He renovated old computers from his high school's computer class and returned these computers to the local area for everyday use. WIN projects also included running e-waste recycling drives, educating children in schools, educating the community and lobbying for a local and statewide bill banning the improper disposal of e-waste. He began a new project this year entitled Project WIN '08: A Green Bridge across the Digital Divide. Alex is working with partners in Africa to set up Internet cafes and computer centers and is lobbying to build state of the art e-waste recycling facilities in those countries.


Dylan Pidich, Age 10, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. - Kids for Earth
Dylan said, "I want people to know that we need to take care of our planet and its helpless animals. If we continue on our current path, many humans and animals will die and our amazing earth will die. If we all work together we can make a difference and save the earth." Dylan created a survey that lets kids check off things they could do at home to help save the environment. He started his project when he was nine and he is "confident that we can make a difference even if we're small." Dylan is working on a Web site and has made a documentary movie that he hopes to put on TV.


Vania Santoso, Second Place, Age 16, East Java, Indonesia - Recycling and Organic Waste
Vania was inspired to clean up her country after reading a 2005 World Health Organization report naming Indonesia the number one dirtiest country in the world. Her work involves public outreach and education through a series of workshops in the communities and schools in her area, emphasizing the importance of recycling non-organic waste and composting organic waste. Because Vania enjoys music, she sings about the protecting the environment on stage and shows documentaries about the problems of pollution. She has also written articles about the waste issues to teen magazines to reach her generation. On those occasions when Vania has spoken on the radio, she gives easy tips for at-home composting and recycling.

http://www.actionfornature.org/ (adapted)

Angels & Demons - Synopsis

When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church.

When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival.

Angels and Demons was the reclusive authors third novel after he gave up his job as an English teacher. It tells the story of Langdons brush with a shadowy secret society, the Illuminati, and his frantic quest for the worlds most powerful energy source, in the company of a beautiful Italian physicist whose father, a brilliant physicist, has been murdered.

The team behind the global phenomenon "The Da Vinci Code" returns for the highly anticipated "Angels & Demons," based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. Ron Howard again directs the film, which is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and John Calley. The screenplay is by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman.

Fact File

Official Name: Republic of Mozambique
Size: 309,494 square miles (about twice the size of California)
Population: 19,406,703 (July 2005 estimate)
Population Under Age 14: Mozambique's population is young.

Malnutrition, disease and lack of clean water take a heavy toll on the people of Mozambique. Life expectancy is low. The average person lives to be only 40.
Capital: Maputo (formerly known as Lourenço Marques)
Official Language: Portuguese, tribal languages are also spoken.
Currency: Metical
Religion: Catholic 23.8%, Zionist Christian 17.5%, Muslim 17.8%, other 17.8%, none 23.1% (1997 census)
Literacy: 48%
Climate: Ranging from tropical to subtropical. It gets hottest in the north, and the rainy season causes flooding in the south from November to March.
Agricultural Products: Cotton, cashews, sugarcane, tea, cassava, corn, citrus and tropical fruits
Industrial Products: Food, beverage, chemicals (fertilizer soaps, paints), textiles, cement

Did you know?:
Though the official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, it is spoken by only about one-quarter of the population. Most Mozambicans speak their native languages.
Dogs and rats are trained to sniff out landmines. Although Mozambique's civil war ended in 1992, thousands of explosives placed below the ground during the war remain a danger today.
Thirty years ago, 65,000 elephants could be found in Mozambique. Today there are about 15,000.
Mozambican cooking often blends African, Indian and Portuguese influences. Piri-piri is a spicy red pepper sauce that tops many dishes.
Artwork decorates many of the walls in Maputo. The largest of Maputo's murals is 310 feet long. Its images tell the story of the country's revolution.

What is the swine flu?

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 40 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the United States. People have fallen ill in several states. All of those who have come down with the flu have either recovered or are recovering. Many of them visited Mexico recently.
The flu is taking a serious toll on Mexico. Officials believe that swine flu may have sickened 1,614 people since April 13. The virus is suspected to have caused more than 100 deaths. The Mexican government has closed all public schools and canceled hundreds of public events in the country's capital, Mexico City. Soldiers handed out six million face masks, hoping the masks will stop the spread of the virus.
Governments around the world are taking steps to stop the spread of the illness. They are questioning travelers and encouraging citizens to take precautions. The WHO is keeping a close watch on the situation. No one wants the illness to become a pandemic (pan-dem-ik), or worldwide outbreak. In 1918, the severe "Spanish flu" killed an estimated 40 to 50 million people worldwide. But the world is better prepared for a flu outbreak today. Antiviral drugs can help fight swine flu. Doctors and hospitals are better equipped than they were 100 years ago.
Here are answers to questions you may have about swine flu:
What is swine flu?

Swine influenza, or flu, is a respiratory disease of pigs. Type A influenza viruses cause it. Humans do not normally get swine flu. But when they do, infections are believed to spread from person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) has determined that swine flu is contagious.
How does swine flu spread?

Flu viruses are mainly spread when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes near another person. Droplets from an infected sneeze move through the air. Sometimes people become infected when they touch a surface that is infected and then touch their mouth or nose.
Can I get swine flu from eating pork?

No. The flu is not spread through eating or preparing food.
Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

Yes. Your doctor can prescribe drugs that will help you feel better.
Should I be worried?

Officials say that the swine flu situation is serious. You should take precautions, but there is no need for you to worry.

On Sunday, the U.S. government declared a public health emergency. The government is working hard to determine how best to deal with the flu outbreak. More than 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications are being shipped to states. President Barack Obama said on Monday that the threat of spreading swine flu infections is a matter of concern but "not a cause for alarm."
What can I do?

• Wash your hands often with soap or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

• Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then throw the tissue in the trash.

• If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your arm rather than your hand.

• Let your parents know if you are not feeling well.

• Stay home from school if you are sick.

Time for Kids, by Nellie Gonzalez Cuttler