This is a collection of end-of- the- year retrospectives from the Times and from the Web.
Farewell to 2010
What Will You Remember Most From 2010? -As the year draws to a close, many are looking back on what the past 12 months brought in terms of not just our own personal lives but also in national and international events as well as arts and entertainment, style and culture. Take this moment to reflect on the year. What stands out most for you, and why?
-Tell me about your most memorable moments from the year.
-For you, what were the key, defining news events, like the Haiti earthquake, Gulf oil spill or the Chilean miners’ ordeal? (Looking at what Google Zeitgeist turned up about people’s Web searches might help refresh your memory.)
-What are your picks for trends, movies, books, TV shows, video games and personalities of the year?
-What’s missing from the year-end lists you’ve seen?
Here are some lyrics for you to sing along .It is a good way to improve your pronunciation.
John Lennon: Happy Christmas (War is over).A song written by J.Lennon,released as a single in 1971.Although a protest song about the Vietnam War, it has become a Xmas standard and has appeared on several Christmas albums.
Mariah Carey: All I want for Christmas is You.It was released on November 1,1994.Its lyrics describe a woman´s declaration that she doesn´t care about Christmas presents or lights;all she desires is to spend time with her lover.
Shakin´Stevens: Merry Christmas Everyone.It is a popular festive song by the Welsh singer-songwriter Shakin´Stevens. It was a Christmas number one in 1985
John Lennon, a former member of the Beatles, is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The 40-year-old artist was entering his luxury Manhattan apartment building when Mark David Chapman shot him four times . Lennon was rushed to the hospital but died en route. Chapman had received an autograph from Lennon earlier in the day and voluntarily remained at the scene of the shooting until he was arrested by police. For a week, hundreds of bereaved fans kept a vigil outside the Dakota--Lennon's apartment building--and demonstrations of mourning were held around the world.
John Lennon was one half of the singing-songwriting team that made the Beatles the most popular musical group of the 20th century.
BBC news about his death on the radio . 8 December 2010. John Lennon fans gather on 30th anniversary of death in Central Park, New York, opposite the apartment block where he was shot dead.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise, but Japan and the United States had been edging toward war for decades.
Just before 8 on the morning of December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan; Congress approved his declaration with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again Congress reciprocated. More than two years into the conflict, America had finally joined World War II. Click on this link to see some videos and here to follow Pearl Harbor Linetime.
Yesterday there was a bank robbery in the High Street click on this link to know what happened.
Now watch the video to see whether there is any connection between the two robberies. From the classic BBC comedy TV series The Yong Ones plan a robbery in their local bank with hilarious consequences.
PEOPLE IN AMERICA, a program in Special English by the Voice of America. Two of the most famous outlaws of the old American west were brothers. I'm Tony Riggs. Today, Maurice Joyce and I tell aboutFrank and Jesse James. Listen to http://www.manythings.org/voa/people/Frank_and_Jesse_James.html
It is a 1952 American comedy musical film .It is now described as one of the best musicals ever made.
Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly Writers: Adolph Green (story), Betty Comden (story) Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds Running Time: 103 min. Release date: 11 April 1953 ( USA ) Music by: Nacio Herb Brown (music)
Arthur Freed (lyrics) Storyline
In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina's latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an aspiring actress, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her. Will Kathy continue to "aspire", or will she get the break she deserves ? Click on this link
To know more about the film I recommend you this link Watch the video and read the lyrics
Life was a song
You came along
I lay awake the whole night through
If I should dare
To think you care
This is what I'd say to you
You were meant for me
And I was meant for you
Nature fashioned you
And when she was done
You were all those good things
Rolled into one
You're like a plaintive melody
That never lets me be
I'm content the angels must have sent you
And they meant you just for me
You're like a plaintive melody
That never lets me be
I'm content the angels must have sent you
And they meant you just for me
You Were Meant For Me
You were meant for me
I was meant for you!
Nature patterned you, an' when she was done
you were all the sweet things rolled in one!
You're like a plaintive melody
that never lets me free
I'm content, the angels must have sent you
and they meant you just for me!
You were meant for me! Music by Nacio Herb Brown with lyrics by Arthur Freed, 1929
In the USA, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
The first Thanksgiving in the USA was a feast in 1621 shared by the Pilgrims (who had recently settled Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts) and the Wampanoag Indians, who shared their corn, squash, and wild turkeys. This first feast was not repeated until over a decade later. Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.
Scottish percussionist and composerEvelyn Glennielost nearby all of her hearing by age 12. Rather than isolating her it has given her a unique connection to her music. Evelyn,who gives about 100 performances a year, has played with a long list of top orchestras around the world. She has never considered herself as anything other than normal and prefers people to enjoy her music and forget her deafness. For further information click here Watch this video silently
Cathy Freeman , an Australian Legend, gold-medal winner,Sydney Olympics-2000
CATHY FREEMAN
Sha had to triumph over prejudice to become the first Aboriginal to be selected for the Australian athletic´s team.Then,in 2000, on one incredibley emotional night at the Olympic Games in Sydney she went on to fulfill her lifelong ambition of winning a gold medal.Watch the video
Robots are not new. As long as 400 BC, the philosopher and mathematician Archytus built a wooden bird that could fly on its own. And in the seventeenth century, Johann Muller created both an iron fly and an artificial eagle that could take to the air by themselves. These days of course robots are everywhere. But are they a good thing? I sometimes ask myself. David Hanson´s robots faces look like yours: they recognize and respond to emotion and make expressions of their own. Watch the video
Inventions and their usefulness or importance is a common topic in FCE .One of those inventions nearly forgotten but useful is THE UMBRELLA , invented over four thousand years ago. Who invented the umbella? Do you know? If not, I encourage you to read the following
Motivation: an incentive or reason for doing something. Willingness of action especially in behaviour.
Look at this photo, Jonathan Gornall rowing. He was highly motivated. He attempted twice to row across the Atlantic. He spent 48 days and 1,100 miles at sea before succumbing to mental and physical pressures.
Another example is Erik Weilhenmayer,a blind man. He was motivated by the need to demonstrate to himself that he could do it. Despite great difficulties, he lost his sight at the age of 13, he managed to reach the summit of Everest in May 2001. He is the only blind person to have climbed "The Seven Summits", the tallest peak on every continent
The definition of music is different according to culture and social context. It can be divided into genres.Remember the names of the four young musicians,Jamie Cullum,Michael Bubblé,Katie MeluaandMarcella Puppini,and the kind of music genre each one is known for. Have a look at all these links and you will see the difference.
Anyway,music is an importan part of our lives.There are many more artits ,so here are some and enjoy yourself. Gladys Knight and the Pipswere originally formed in 1953 in AtlantaGeorgia. Watch the video
If I were your woman and you were my man
You'd have no other woman, you'd be weak as a lamb
If you had the strength to walk out that door
My love would over rule my sense
And I'd call you back for more
If I were your woman (3 )
And you were my man
She tears you down darling says you're nothing at all
But I'll pick you up darling when she lets you fall
You're like a diamond and she treats you like glass
Yet you make it hard to love you
But babe you don't ask
If I were your woman (5)
Here's what I'd do
I'd never no, no, no stop loving you
Life is so crazy and love is unkind
Because she came first, darling
Will she hang on your mind
You're a part of me
And you don't even know it
I'm what you need
But I'm too afraid to show it
Live performance by The Beatles Hey Jude (with lyrics)
Title :CHANGELING Year:2008 Running Time: 140 minutes Director: Clint Eastwood
Plot
We have watched the film Changeling produced by Clint Eastwood. It is a tragic true story. It happened in Los Angeles, 1928 . Christine Collins returns from work to find her young son Walter missing from home.She calls the police to initiate a search for the boy but they don´t seem very concerned about the case and fail to find him. Then five months later, a boy is found who fits Walter´s description and says he is her son. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrange a public reunion of mother and son, and invite all the press in the hope of getting some positive publicity, but she insists he is not her son, causing the police a great embarrasment. They start a campaign against her.......... What exactly is a "Changeling"?
It is defined as "a baby who is used to take the place of another baby (in stories).In the film we know that it is a story that really happened . It is a classy thriller, a story of anguish. We also see the desperation of a mother to get her son back, as well as a fierce criticism of the intransigence of authority. Cast: Angelina Jolie John MalKovich Jeffrey Donovan Michael Kelly
Changeling movie trailer
Changeling Soundtrack Look inside the cloud , revise the vocabulary , choose one of the characters you most liked in the film and start writing.
Some exercises and a reading for you to practise: Present Perfect with yet, already,still, just and Simple Past.
Grammar explanation
Exercise present perfect
Present perfect and past simple here
Choose the right option here
Simple past vs. Present Perfect this link
Grammar exercise on Grand Canyon National Park
U2 I still haven´t found what I am looking for (lyrics)
The same song is heard in the film Blown Away starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jeff Bridges.
Johnnie has two loves in his life: his engine, called The General, and his girlfriend Annabelle. The Civil War starts and Johnnie goes to the recruitment office because he wants to take part in it. But he is rejected, nobody tells him why. However, he seems to be more valuable as an engineer, so Annabelle believes he is a coward. Because of this, she stops talking to him .Later, Union spies capture The General with Anabelle on board. He decides to rescue both his loves.
This is the start
The General based on a real incident during the American Civil War when some soldiers hijacked a confederate train .
Reception
The film wasa box-office disaster but it is now considered as one of the greatest films ever made. Production Keaton performed many dangerous physicalstuntson and around the moving train, including jumping from the engine.
Queen started in 1972, playing very small concerts.Ten years later, they were a supergroup, playing in sports stadiums in Europe, Japan, the USA and Latin America. They were one of the most succcesful groups of the last 30 years. In Britain, they were voted the second most popular band of the millennium, afeter The Beatles. They played both hard rock and pop. In 1991, their lead singer,Freddie Mercury, died of AIDS. More than 75,000 fans went to his memorial concert.
Another song, Bohemian Rhapsody, which stayed at number one in the UK charts for nine weeks.I like this one a lot.
The battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars.The battle was the most decisive British Naval victory of the war.
THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR
To know what happened in 1805 read the text and answer the questions.
Trafalgar Square (look at the photo) takes its name from Admiral Nelson's famous victory in the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Nelson's Column is 56 m high and on top you can see the statue of Admiral Nelson, who died in the battle
TRAFALGAR SQUARE IN LONDON
Nelson was buried in St Paul´s Cathedral
ST PAUL´S CATHEDRAL
Watch this video. Donald Quinn : VFX Animation Demo (Trafalgar)
The Cambridge First Certificate in English Speaking Exam parts one and two. As you know the examiner will ask you personal information in an interview (3 minutes) Then you will have to speak without interruption for about a minute to compare and contrast two photos on a similar theme, and give your personal reaction to them.
Video that teaches the third part of the oral exam for the CAE. Paper 5: Speaking. The paper is devided into four parts and the video is part three.
I hope you make use of it.
For the past 27 years,people all over the world have been celebrating World Food Day on the 16th October.
There is a theme and this year´s is "United Against Hunger".
The hungry are mostly the rural poor living in developing countries, mostly subsistence farmers, mostly women and children. And most of them live in Asia or South America, and especially Africa. If we are to make a difference, we must be united against hunger.Watch this PSA for 2010
To feed a growing population, we need to increase food production without degrading soils and water resources. This video looks at rural communities in Viet Nam and Senegal . They have found different ways of using natural ecosystem services to optimise efficiencies in farming.
After almost 70 days trapped half a mile under ground the rescuers have begun the delicate rescue mission. Channel 4 News looks at the detail behind the "miracle" rescue. From a story of a terrible tragedy the rescue of the Chilean minershas become a triumph of hope after the biggest ever rescue operation in mining history. Chile'spresident proclaimed it a miracle.
It's now 69 days since the miners were first trapped, 52 days before they made contact with the outside world, and just over a month since the rescue finally began. More on this story
Watch the video and answer the questions below. Read the Transcript and check your listening comprehension. Check the Notes for information about culture, grammar, slang, or pronunciation.
With all the words in the cloud , make up a story whose tittle is "A strange encounter" In order to write this story I recommend you to use these tenses.
Past Simple, Past Continuous and Used to exercise 2
I hunger for your touch, Alone. Lonely time. And time goes by, so slowly, And time can do so much, Are you still mine? I need your love. I need your love. God speed your love to me. Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea, To the open arms of the sea. Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me, I'll be coming home, wait for me. Whoa! My love, my darling, I hunger, hunger!, for your love, For love. Lonely time. And time goes by, so slowly, And time can do so much, Are you still mine? I need your love. I need your love. God speed your love to me.
Just before 8 on the morning of December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan; Congress approved his declaration with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again Congress reciprocated. More than two years into the conflict, America had finally joined World War II. Click on this link to see some videos and here to follow Pearl Harbor Linetime.
If I were your woman and you were my man
