My last reflexion. Batxillerat is nearly over

The last days of school have arrived. But it doesn’t mean that we’re happy and celebrating it, unfortunately we still have to do the final exams. These days are very stressful for everyone because we want to pass all the subjects and there’s a lot of things to revise.

This year has been a madness for me because I wasn’t as organized as I can and that was a disadvantage. I could do it better but now I can’t regret because it was my fault. Now I have to put all the effort in my last exams if I want good marks.

Fortunately, I learnt a lot of things with every class and teacher, but not only academically, also I lived new experiences with my friends and I thought about the new challenges that are waiting for me in the future.

The mistery of Paul

ColCoffee

Natural Hazard: Tornado

• Where does this kind of hazard occur?

Italy, France, Spain, India and Brazil are among the countries that get twisters, typically on a yearly basis. Argentina, Uruguay, Australia, Japan, China, Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Germany can be added to the list of countries that have reported tornadoes.

According to Dr. Harold Brooks, senior research scientist with the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, the location that gets the most tornadoes outside of the U.S., other than the part of the southern Canadian plains, is an area in South America. The region includes southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, Uruguay and southeastern Paraguay.

• What causes the hazard?

To form a tornado, the host thunderstorm must also rotate. From below, a rotating cloud base looks like someone is stirring the storm from above. This happens in a storm when wind at the ground is moving in a different direction and speed than the air above. The change in wind speed and direction with height are known as wind shear. This wind shear develops the rotation in the thunderstorm needed for tornado formation.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. It is often portended by a dark, greenish sky. Black storm clouds gather. Baseball-size hail might fall. A funnel suddenly appears, descending from a cloud. The funnel hits the ground and roars forward with a sound like that of a freight train approaching. The tornado tears up everything in its path.

• How much warning is there?

A tornado warning (SAME code: TOR) is an alert issued by national weather forecasting agencies to warn the public that severe thunderstorms with tornadoes are imminent or occurring. It can be issued after a tornado, funnel cloud and the public, storm chasers, emergency management or law enforcement has spotted rotation in the clouds.

When this happens, the tornado sirens may sound in that area if any sirens are present, informing people that a tornado has been sighted or may be forming nearby (because sirens are not intended to be heard indoors, residents should not completely depend on them). The issuance of a tornado warning indicates that residents should take immediate safety precautions. It is a higher level of alert than a tornado watch, but (in the United States) it can be surpassed by an even higher alert known as a tornado emergency.

• What sort of damage does it do to people and the environment?

The causes of injury included falling objects and heavy, rolling objects. Because tornadoes often damage power lines, gas lines, or electrical systems, there is a risk of fire, electrocution, or an explosion. Protecting yourself and your family requires promptly treating any injuries suffered during the storm and using extreme care to avoid further hazards.

• How are different people (e.g. school child, subsistence farmer, day labourer, transport worker, large business operator) affected? Who would be most affected?

A tornado can affect humans because it can destroy their homes and they can die in the storm. It can also ruin their precious valuables, many of which may have been passed down through generations. Tornadoes can wreck many personal belongings such as vehicles and houses. Tornadoes can also affect humans because they can do very serious damage in hospitals and they could be destroyed in the storm so people might die. The countries in development are the most affected by this phenomenon and the more vulnerable people are the kids under five years old.

• Why might people live in an area affected by this type of hazard?

The cost of reducing risks can also be cultural and emotional. For many, an area prone to disasters is also the area where their ancestors have lived for generations, and leaving the place where they grew can uproot them. Sometimes, life in danger is preferable to the loss of space and the culture from which there is no recovery.

• How could people prepare for this type of disaster?

Identify safe rooms built to criteria or storm shelters or other potential protective locations in sturdy buildings near your home, work, and other locations you frequent so you have a plan for where you will go quickly for safety when there is a Warning or an approaching tornado.

For schools, malls, and other buildings with long-span roofs or open space plans, or many occupants, ask the building manager to identify the best available refuge.

Build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.

Listen to Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information. In any emergency, always listen to the instructions given by local emergency management officials.

Be alert to changing weather conditions. Look for approaching storms.

Look for the following danger signs:

- Dark, often greenish sky.

- Large hail.

- A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating).

- Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

- If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

• What support might affected people need in order to rebuild their lives?

People can help those affected by disasters like the tornadoes and countless other crises by making a donation to support Red Cross. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

PREPARING FOR A NATURAL DISASTER

• Who might help in the event of a disaster?

Deploy the mayor, the fire brigade, the medical services, the police and the army with a crisis or disaster.

• What can you do to prepare for a disaster?

1. Water

1-2 gallons of water per person, per day. A 3-day supply for evacuation, a two-week supply at home.

2. Food

Easy to prepare, non-perishable items and a mechanical can opener. Canned soup, meat, vegetables, and fruit. A 3-day supply for evacuation, a two-week supply at home.

3. Shelter

An emergency blanket, sleeping bag or regular blankets, and tent.

4. Medical

First aid kit, a supply of essential medicines for at least a week, other crucial medical supplies like an inhaler.

5. Light

Flashlights, extra batteries, and extra bulbs. Candles. Waterproof matches or lighter.

6. Radio

A battery-powered AM/FM radio.

7. Cash

Cash machines will not work without electricity. Have a minimum of $50 on hand in small bills plus phone change.

8. Cell Phone and Charger

Although a cell phone may not work in a disaster, it might also be your line to life-saving support.

9. Sanitation and Personal Hygiene Items

Toilet paper, toothbrush, soap and other essential supplies.

10. Personal Documents

Driver’s license, birth certificate, passports, insurance policies, proof of address or lease, medication list and medical information, copies of credit cards, checks.

• How do you think preparing for a disaster such as a fire can help if a disaster occurs?

Do not overload plugs, do not store flammable materials near heat, dryer or stove and do not throw the charcoal on the trash

• How might people in a developing country prepare for a similar disaster?

A major problem of disaster management is that international teams are well prepared, but the victims are not. Naturally, that leads to little trust in the helping team’s activities and poor understanding of their actions. Besides, even Nation Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in developing countries run the risk of losing face in front of their governments.

• Why might there be differences?

There are many Natural Disasters that has their own cause of why they occur, such as a Hurricane (which is caused by the weather), Earthquake (caused by plate tectonics and others disturbing the earth's crust), Flood (caused by the weather), Lahar (by something Volcanic), etc.

Political system of Ireland

The Head of State is the Taoiseach. His role is to accomplish the responsibilities as head of the Government. Ireland is a parliamentary democracy. The Tánaiste is the Deputy Prime Minister. There are 15 Government Departments , the Taoiseach and the Ministers collectively form the Government under the Irish constitution, and they hold executive power.

The Parliament is called the Oireachtas. There are two Houses of Parliament: Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate). The Dáil has 166 members known as Teachtaí Dála (TD), who are elected using proportional representation with a single transferrable vote (PR-STV).

Elections take place at least every five years. The main political parties represented in the Dáil are Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and Labour. The Seanad has 60 members, eleven of whom are nominated by the Taoiseach. The rest are elected from vocational panels and by national universities.

The president of Ireland serves as head of state and is directly elected by the people. Presidents are elected for seven years, and can serve no more than two terms.

Natural Hazar: Tornado

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OweIhcyLWVwt-kOEDC8djgZRxTacqdvHlyObRUfYHEY/edit?usp=sharing

Little Red Riding Hood Advice

Ok darling, I’m going to try to help you with this problem.

First of all, you should talk with your mother and grandmother and tell them that you are afraid of the forest at the night. They will understand you because you don’t have to do things that you don’t want.

Secondly, you can talk with your grandmother and explain to her that you will visit her every Saturday morning.

I hope my advice can help you.

Have a good time!

How to drive your student crazy in 45’?

So, first of all you have to arrive always late to class and require your students’ punctuality. That’s a good way to start destroying your pupil’s day. While you’re talking, you can take your breakfast or chew gum and afterward yell at some student.

Don’t forget to set a lot of homework every day and especially on holidays because it’s better than go swimming, travelling or hanging out with your friends. Try to make boring activities during the class and make sure that everybody is asleep at the end of each explanation.

A great idea is to put absences when you are reviewing the class list and the pupil is sick or at the doctor. But the best idea is not to let them repeat an exam when they couldn’t attend.

During the final evaluation, try to minimise the mark even when the student has made an effort to pass the subject. And above everything, don’t forget to discourage your students and remind them that they can’t get their goals.

Buy Nothing Day

Buy Nothing Day is a good initiative as a reaction to Black Friday because in that way we can be aware of consumerism.

In my opinion Black Friday is a good opportunity if you want to buy all those things that you have been wishing during the year. You can buy Christmas presents for your family and friends. On that day we should buy electrical appliances that we really need because we usually tend to buy unnecessary things.

On Black Friday everyone should think about the things that they will buy and consider that all the money that we invest in useless things is turning us into consumers.

Unhappy Childhood

Once upon a time there was a very poor neighbourhood in the middle of a big city and there lived a very poor family too. The father had worked in a factory but now he doesn’t have a job, and he can’t maintain his wife, his two sons and his daughter. The family didn’t have anything to eat, and also they had to pay house rental. The wife decided that the only solution was to take his kids away from home, she didn’t love kids because she wasn’t her real mother: she was the stepmother.

The father decided to go to another city to work for some months and earn enough money for his family. The stepmother’s plan was to leave kids in another far away neighbourhood, so she said to them “Kids we don’t have anything to eat: you have to collaborate at home with money”, and she gave each one a box with imitation jewelry (bracelets, earrings, etc.) to sell on the street, when she said it. -Hansel suspected about that.

They had never gone out of their neighbourhood, and they had not known another parts of the city. When they boarded the bus to go into the centre of the city, Hansel left parts of the imitation jewelry on the road to find the way’s back home later. When they arrived, their stepmother said that she would return at night, and Hansel, Gretel and their young brother started to sell bracelets and earrings in the streets’ city.

When it got dark, the kids were very hungry and very tired and their stepmother didn’t return back. They were lost in the city.  But the moon came out and Hansel started to laugh, Gretel was confused and she asked her brother, -why are you laughing Hansel? - And he showed her something that had started to shine. It was the parts of bracelets that Hansel had hurled in the road, “We are save Hansel! -You are very smart -Gretel exclaimed. They followed the road with the shining plastics and finally they arrived at their house.

When they arrived, they opened door’s house and they saw their stepmother kissing another man. She was very surprised when she saw the three kids. She shout, -what are you doing here? - Immediately the man went out of the house and she punished them because they had arrived so late at home.

The following day they awoke up early to go again to sell in the streets, but now their stepmother gave them sweets to sell and they went to another  far away neighbourhood. In the way to the neighbourhood Hansel did the same that he had done before. But this time at night when they wanted to go back home, there hadn’t candies in the street shining; the people of the street had eaten the sweets. They started to walk in the streets searching their house. This time they were not lucky to arrive home and they slept in the road with other homeless.

The next day when they awake up they saw a nice little dog on their side, and they followed the dog. They walked some streets following the dog and finally the dog went into a pastry shop. They also went into the pastry shop, and they didn’t see anybody here. They were very hungry and when they saw all the cakes, cookies and desserts they couldn’t resist eating them, but suddenly they heard a shout, -who is in my shop? Hansel and Gretel were very afraid because they didn’t have money to pay what they were eating.

When the man saw the three poor kids eating, he asked, -why are you eating my cakes?-. And then the kids explained him the story why they had done that. At the beginning the man was a gentleman with them and promised them to find their house. They gave them food and at the night he offered them a bed to sleep. But the next day the man was very different, he said to them very angrily -you have to pay me all the things that I gave you-. Now the three kids had to work hard to pay him: Hansel had to work in the shop and Gretel had to look after his young brother and clean the man’s house.

They couldn’t do anything to escape because if they tried to do something, the man had threatened to kill them. They continued working here some weeks, but one day Gretel was in the kitchen preparing food and the man tried to kiss and touch her. She immediately started to shout to his brother, “Hansel help me, help me”, Hansel arrived and when he saw what was happening he stabbed him with a knife and killed the man.

At the end the people who was around the house, they heard the shouts and immediately they called the police. Hansel had to go to a young prison, and Gretel with her young brother had to go to an orphanage.

Nowadays child exploitation exists in many countries around the world. Children have to work in factories, houses, mines, etc. And in many cases girls are forced into prostitution. Many people from developed countries don’t know about this situation in the world because they have other interests, like things to buy or be the most popular and famous. People are not interested in knowing the reality because it is hard and they prefer to live in a dream reality.

2nd Batxillerat

This year I'm studying Year 12 at Institut Joan Oró. I'm doing the scientific baccalaureate, my optative subjects are Biology, Geography and CTM. I'm motivated with my new subjects because they are interested and I like it.

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The most interesting game

Have you ever played badminton? Badminton is an unknown sport in some countries because the football and basketball always take advantage to the other sports, but don’t worry because you can know it and play it in our school team after the summer holidays.

This sport is very interesting because you have to play with a shuttlecock, which is the principal element, and the racket. Did you know that the origin of badminton is in China? Unfortunately, there aren’t candidates to play in our school because everyone wants to play football, basketball or volleyball. You have to realize that every evening that you’ll stay practising and playing badminton, your troubles will disappear and you’ll perform splendidly at school. You’ll get the best marks in your class!

If you are interested in this awesome game you can join us and together we can show to our town that this is an incredible sport.

Our trip to Australia

Our trip to australia from Daniela Andrade

Water Pollution

Water pollution from Daniela Andrade

The worst summer of my life

It was July and I was planning the best trip of my life with my brother and my best friends. We had thought to travel to Australia for one month because my parents and my grandmother were living there.

Unfortunately, the first day of our adventure was a disaster. My brother lost his passport in the underground of Barcelona, so he couldn’t travel with us to Sydney because the police officers didn’t let him go into the aeroplane. Afterwards, my grandmother called me because my father had been hit by a van while he was walking across the zebra crossing. In that moment I started to cry but my friends helped me to calm down. When we arrived at the airport my mother was waiting for us with a sad appearance because my father had got worse in hospital.

The whole holiday I stayed at the hospital taking care of my father because my priority in that moment was my family. Luckily, my grandmother went with me to the beach every evening and I could enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Interview about eating disorders

Great Expectations

• If Pip had not received his "great expectations" and never left Joe's forge, how do you think his life would have been different? Are the lessons he learns during his physical and emotional journey necessary for him to arrive at the wisdom he displays as the middle-aged narrator of this tale? In what ways?

I think that his life would have been different because he could have found happiness without money. The lessons that he learnt during his physical and emotional journey were necessary because in this way he can realize that life and feelings are more than money and like this he can love the people that surround him without think in their economic situation.

• When Dickens first wrote Great Expectations, the book had a sad ending. He changed the ending because his friends wanted a happy ending. What do you think the first, sad ending was like?

Then, one evening in December, I returned to the old forge. There I found a girl crying disconsolately and I realized that this girl was Estella. I started to console her and I asked why she was crying. She explained that Miss Havisham had been a mother for her and now she feels alone without her company. The next day I went to Estella’s house because I was worry about her situation, but unfortunately a women opened the door and told me that Estella has killed herself.

Reality TV

Television has been an incredible invention that has changed our lives for better or for worse. But TV can not only entertain us, but also invade our daily life privacy.

On the one hand, reality TV is an entertainment that distracts us from the reality that we are living currently. People have different likes and we can find a lot of movies, series, programmes or documentaries adapted to our preferences. It is also a way of learning a new language.

On the other hand, reality TV is a toxic programme because the participants always exaggerate every scene because they need a big number of audience and in this way they can earn a lot of money. The problem of this programme is that the vast majority of viewers are teenagers and they feel cool doing everything they watch in reality TV.

In my opinion, parents should take care about TV programmes because TV can be a fantastic entertainment but it can also be the worst one for their children.

My newspaper: TODAY!