Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet (by Agostina and Milagros)

INTERNET

As everyone in the world, you probably use the Internet regularly. But maybe you never think about the advantages and disadvantages of it. Well, let us show you some of them...

Nowadays we use the Internet in our everyday lives because it´s very important for us, especially for teenagers.

• Advantages

One of them is that you can communicate in different ways: social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Windows Messenger; you can also send e-mails. On the other hand, you can look for information, images, videos, you can listen to music and you can also download things through browsers like Google and Yahoo, which are the best known. Finally, another thing you can do is to buy or book things/places online.

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• Disadvantages

Using Internet has its bad side. For example, surfing a lot the Internet can isolate you from your social life, so you should organize your time to do different activities.

You have to be conscious because using social networks without knowing about them can be insecure, because you can give personal information that can be useful for bad people, so please be careful about the kind of information you publish on the Internet.

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So well, here we mentioned some things that can we useful, and that you have to take care of, but we want your opinion. Do you agree with what we've mentioned? Do you have anything to add?

Why Do People Laugh (by Antonella and Macarena U.)

Laughter

Fred is 32 years old and he is still single.
One day a friend asked, "Why aren't you married? Can't you find a woman who will be a good wife?"
Fred replied, "Actually, I've found many women I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them."
His friend thinks for a moment and says, "I've got the perfect solution, just find a girl who's just like your mother."
A few months later they meet again and his friend says, "Did you find the perfect girl? Did your mother like her?"
With a frown on his face, Fred answers, "Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much."
The friend said, "Then what's the problem?"
Fred replied, "My father doesn't like her."

Did you laugh? Probably. And its probably that you are likely to laugh most of the time as well. But do you know why?
Laughter, natural laughter, is a response to humor and physiological, psychological benefits.
Laughter can be divided in two parts. The first is a set of gestures, and the second is the production of sound that the brain produces simultaneously. From a physiological standpoint, a sensor in the brain responds to laughter by triggering other neural circuits in the brain, which, in turn, generate more laughter.
We usually tend to laugh at stressful situations, because the benefits of laughter are for a good health. It helps to reduce the stress levels by reducing the level of stress hormones, and also helps us cope with serious illness. Physiologically, laughter promotes healing. By lowering the blood pressure, and by increasing the vascular blood flow and the oxygenation of the blood. It also helps as it pents up negative emotions, such as anger, fear and sadness.

We usually laugh with common things. When we hear something funny or see something funny, like a sitcom or a comedy.
Another thing that makes us laugh are funny pictures. They usually have funny signs, funny people faces or crazy people and animals. Also funny videos of people that are shared on the web, as well as black humor and funny jokes.
But sometimes we laugh about common things, unexpected things.
 

In conclusion laughing is a way of reducing stress and preventing illnesses. We do not always laugh from specified hilarious things, but from everyday things. Like when you are spending time with friends, watching TV or reading a book.

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Sources of information: 1, 2, 3

So this is our piece of advice: 

"DO NOT STOP LAUGHING"

Usual Phrases at the Airport (by Macarena D.B. and Adrián)

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Whether you have ever travelled by plane or not, we will show you some typical dialogues that happen at an airport... they may help you in the future! 

1) Buying a ticket:

- I´d like to book two seats to...

-Will that be one way or round trip?

-How much is a round trip ticket?

- it´s...

2) Checking in:

- Can I see your ticket and passport plese? 

- Here trey are. Can we get one seat near the window?

- Yes, that´s no problem

- Thanks

- Have a nice flight

3) On the Airplane:

- Would you like something to drink?

- Could I have a Coke without ice, please? 

- Here you are.

4) Getting through customs:

- Thank you for flying with our company!

- I had a good trip. Thanks for your help.

5) The arrival:

- Do you have anything to declare?

- No, I don´t.

6) Getting your luggage:

- I´ll get a cart rigth away

- Be sure you have your luggage ticket.

- Yes, it´s right here attached to my plane ticket.

7) Outside:

- Excuse me, where can I get a taxi?

- Go down to the end of the hall and the taxis are waiting just outside.

- Thank you!

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Superheroes Contest (by Guest Bloggers)

Do you have a favorite superhero?

What powers would you like to have if you suddenly became one?

Those are just two of the questions the students from 2nd year of secondary school asked those of 4th, 5th and 6th of primary when they presented an unusual contest in which they were invited to create their own superheroes and villains.

Many students liked the idea and created their own superheroes and villains, so it was really hard for the organizers to choose just one winner. That's why they chose two winners and three special mentions per category.

So, let's meet the goodies now...

These are the 2 that received most votes:

Water Woman

She's from "Watertania" and fire is her weakness...

The Unnamed

His special gadgets are a shield, a bow, an arrow and a claw. The light is his enemy!

And here are the 3 special mentions:

Super Girl

She can hypnotize anyone with her special mask.

Power Boy

His special gadget is his sword.

Bemaicayu

She can fly and become invisible. She has XR vision thanks to her special glasses.

I guess you're now eager to know the baddies, so follow this blog if you want to meet them! They will have their own post at any time...

Survey - What do people like? (by Agostina, Antonella, Liliana, Macarena U. and Nicole)

These are the results of a survey we carried out to find out people's choices about regarding foreign TV series, singers and songs...

Foreign TV series of the year:

1) The Walking Dead

2) CSI

3) Dr. House

4) Lost

5) Desperate Housewives

The Walking Dead:

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The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series developed for television by Frank Darabont. It is based on the comic book series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.

The series stars Andrew Lincoln as sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes who wakes up after being in a coma to find the world dominated by "walkers", resembling the zombies of George A. Romero's horror movies. He sets out to find his family and other survivors along the way.

The Walking Dead premiered on October 31, 2010 on the cable television channel AMC in the United States. Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes which premiered on October 16, 2011. Two episodes into the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season.

The series has been well received by critics, and has received many award nominations, including a Writers Guild of America Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Television Series Drama. The series has also attained strong Nielsen ratings, beating various records for a cable series, including receiving 9 million viewers for its season two finale to become the most-watched basic cable drama telecast in history.

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Best Music Artist of the Year (from abroad):

1) Adele

2) Kate Perry

3) Lady Gaga

4) Coldplay

5) Justin Bieber

Adele:

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Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), better known simply as Adele, is an English recording artist and songwriter. Adele was offered a recording contract from XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on MySpace in 2006. The next year she received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" and won the BBC Sound of 2008. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008 to much commercial and critical success. The album is certified four times platinum in the UK, and double platinum in the US. Her career in the US was boosted by a Saturday Night Live appearance in late 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Adele released her second album, 21, in early 2011. The album was well received critically and surpassed the success of her debut. 21 helped Adele earn six Grammy Awards in 2012 including Album of the Year, equaling the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. The album has also helped her receive numerous other awards, including two Brit Awards and three American Music Awards. The album has been certified 15 times platinum in the UK; in the US the album has held the top position longer than any other album since 1985.

The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book Of World Records. She is the first artist to sell more than 3 million copies of an album in a year in the UK. With her two albums and the first two singles from 21, "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You", Adele became the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since the Beatles in 1964. With her third release from the album, "Set Fire to the Rain", becoming her third number one single in the US, Adele became the first artist in history to lead the Billboard 200 concurrently with three Billboard Hot 100 number ones.

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Best Song of the Year:

1) Someone like you

2) Please me

3) Live my life

4) Set fire to the rain

5) On the floor

Someone Like You:

"Someone like you" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele. It was written by Adele and Dan Wilson for her second studio album 21. The piano and soul ballad was inspired by a broken relationship of Adele's, and lyrically it speaks of Adele coming to terms with it. XL Recordings released the song as the second single from the album on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and on 9 August 2011 in the United States. Accompanied only by a piano played by co-writer Wilson, Adele sings about the end of the relationship with her ex-boyfriend. The song received near universal critical acclaim from music critics who chose the song as a highlight on the album and praised its simple sound. The lyrics and Adele's vocal performance in the song were also praised. 
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Would you have chosen the same? Do you agree with the results or not? 
Leave us your comments and share your opinion!

Olympic Games (by Camila GC and Macarena U.)

Olympic Games

This year everyone is having the “Olympic Games Fever”. These are being celebrated in London and we are all very excited supporting Argentina. But do we you know what the Olympic Games are?

The Olympic Games are an international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes from all around the globe participate in different competitions.

Ancient Olympic Games

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They were first held in Olympia, Greece in 776 BC. They were celebrated along with rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices honouring Zeus (the most important god of Greek mythology). The competitors were from all over Greece. And the winners of the events were admired and immortalized in poems and statues. They were thought to be gods.

The ancient games featured running events, pentathlon (jumping, discus and javelin throws, foot race and wrestling), boxing, wrestling, pankration and equestrian events.

The games were held every 4 years, and this period was known as an Olympiad.

Nearly the 5th and 6^th century the Romans started gaining power against the Greeks, and in 393 A.D. the Roman emperor Theodosius I eliminated pagan cults, so the games finished.

Modern Games

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Baron Pierre de Coubertin was the first man who tried to emulate the ancient Olympic Games in France. The competition included not only disciplines from the ancient games but also modern disciplines. Since then different sports competition were held trying to be like the Olympic Games. And in 1894 the first International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded by Coubertin. And the modern games started being celebrated every four years. The disciplines that are part of the event are:

 Archery

 Athletics

 Badminton

 Baseball

 Basketball

 Beach Volleyball

 Boxing

 Canoe /Kayak Flat water

 Canoe /Kayak Slalom

 Cycling BMX

 Cycling Mountain Bike

 Cycling Road

 Cycling Track

 Diving

 Equestrian

 Fencing

 Football

 Gymnastics Artistic

 Gymnastics Rhythmic

 Trampoline

 Handball

 Hockey

 Judo

 Modern Pentathlon

 Rowing

 Sailing

 Shooting

 Softball

 Swimming

 Synchronized Swimming

 Table Tennis

 Taekwondo

 Tennis

 Triathlon

 Volleyball

 Water Polo

 Weightlifting

 Wrestling

The Paralympic Games

This is a sport competition held internationally for disabled people. The athletes participate in these events have physical disabilities.

Its origins are in 1948 when Sir Ludwing Guttmann organized a multi-sport event with soldiers from World War II that needed rehabilitation.

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Useful Phrases in a Restaurant (by Damaris and Federico)

Imagine that you arrive to a restaurant where everything is in English. Of course, you will need to know how to ask these questions:

*Hello, do you have any free table?

(Hola, ¿tiene alguna mesa libre?)

*Where is the toilet?

(¿Dónde está el baño?)

*How much does this cost?

(¿Cuánto cuesta ésto?)

*Can I have the bill, please?

(La cuenta, por favor.)

And you will hear these questions:

*Have you booked a table?

(¿Tiene una reserva?)

 

*How will you pay?

(¿Cómo va a pagar?)

 

*Are you ready to order?

(¿Está listo para ordenar?)

 

*To eat here or to take away?

(¿Para comer acá o para llevar?)

*Would you like to be in the smoking area or in the normal zone?

(¿Le gustaría estar en la zona de fumadores o en la zona normal?)

 

*Table for two?

(¿Mesa para dos?)

*Anything to drink?

(¿Algo para tomar?) 

 

These are typical dialogs in a restaurant:

*TELEPHONE BOOKING (reserva telefónica)

Customer: Hello, is this the restaurant?

Receptionist: Yes, good morning.

Customer: I want to make a reservation.

Receptionist: OK, when?

Customer: Tonight.

Receptionist: How many people will you be?

Customer: Two.

Receptionist: Ok, thanks, bye!

Customer: Bye!

*ARRIVING (llegada)

Waiter: Hello, good night.

Customer: Hi

Waiter: Have you got a reservation?

Customer: Yes! For table … (12)

Waiter: OK, this way please.

Customer: Thanks.

*ORDERING (pedido)

Waiter: Are you ready to order?

Customer: Yes, I want (pizza, salad, chips, hamburger, etc)

Waiter: OK, in a minute, anything to drink?

Customer: Yes, two Cokes. Thanks.

*LEAVING (salida)

Customer: Can I have the bill, please?

Waiter: Yes, it is … How will you pay?

Customer: By credit card / in cash.

Waiter: OK, thanks. Good bye!

Customer: Thanks, Bye!