Again, still another techno-tool to help you with your studies. This blog is "work-in-progress" , which means that things are added and removed on a regular basis. Here you'll find extra-reading, extra-listening, extra-grammar stuff, extra writing tips... extra-everything, so it's up to you what you do with it. Needless to say, your feedback, ideas, and comments are very welcome.

*This blog is 'apture-powered', which means that if you highlight a word, a 'learn more' sign will theoretically appear. Click on it and it will show a list of internet links related to that word. Just try.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

UFO sightings declassified

Flying Toblerones, mysterious illnesses and silky-white substances, even a triangular shaped object hovering above an MP 's house (read story) are among hundreds of close encounters described in top-secret files released just last week by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). More than 6,000 pages of material covering sightings across Britain from 1994 to 2000 (read story).

A "close encounter" -or just a sighting- can be such a baffling experience that it will probably leave you speechless, so what do you do then? You sketch it.

How much of it is actually real? According to Nick Pope, "95% shouldn't be taken seriously" ... so what about the remaining 5%? the MoD admit they are "genuinely puzzled". So if you are genuinely interested in reading these files, you can download them from the National Archives. How I wish I could make friends with an alien from a remote galaxy!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

My dearest prefered best teacher of all over the world, Mariona:
Thank-you for the gift you give to us with the lyrics traning!! I've just been there! Well, I'm alittle annoyed because I didn't find my preferd songs like "for the good times", "bobby mc gee" and jazz standards, so I've decided to start with Cat Stevens, uauhhh!!! It was exciting, amazing and stressing!! I wish I could find a song index in orther to make my choice easier.
Anyway, Thank-you, dear Mariona, the best from the best(s)!!!
Yours in music...

anna

Ona said...

Anna,
You are the living proof that life from outer space does exist... and they walk among us, as they say!

I think that IN ORDER TO see all the songs available for each level, choose a level and then click on the magnifying glass in the search box, leaving the search box blank. I hope that works!

Anonymous said...

did you call me an "alien"????!!!!

anna

Anonymous said...

or, are you calling me "alien"??!!
(in order to make me feel good, I suppose...)

anna

Ona said...

Both are OK. I'm calling you an alien because that's what you'll be when you move to London (like Sting, you know), and because I know you'll be happy no matter what I say! ;-)

Mariona

guillermo said...

I am who feels as an alien when I am in English class with the best from the best.

I hope that the tiger year gives me the courage to put up with it.

Guillermo

Ona said...

So you are the one who feels like an alien? I'm sure you're not the only one. The tiger might help you cope but, as you very well know, everything is in the mind, so a bit of visualization can really do the trick for you -as "teacher Joe" says in his page:

http://teacherjoe.us/LearnEnglish09.html
Otherwise, I'll have to start thinking of some kind of shock therapy...

Guillermo said...

I have started to practice the teacher joe's method. I wish you had said it to me before. Now I am afraid you want to put into practice your shock therapy.

Ona said...

I know I should've said that before!

Anonymous said...

Ok, I've been looking all this teacher Joe stuff. Firstable I thougt that I was going to meet someone remarcable, but, a part of a picture, there's no Joe nowhere.
So I have tried the dictations and it is something really interesting to do, besides that he gives interesting advices to write beautiful sentences in our compositions.
Very useful, even for an "alien" like me.
Yes, Mariona, I continue to be happy after you called me "alien" and however, I continue to prefered you to the rest of the world!!!

anna

Ona said...

Yes! You are right! Apart from the visualization techniques Guillermo and some others should practise ten minute every day, Teacher Joe gives sound advice on writing, and that's why I've added this link in the 'Writing section'of this blog.

By the way, "firstable" must be some kind of phonetic transcription of "FIRST OF ALL"?

Anonymous said...

Yes, absolutely sorry. A whole life beeing sure that I was writing "firstable" correctly and I discover yesterday (Manolo looking over my shoulder told me!!) that it was incorrect, indeed!!
At 43 I have still a long way to go...that feeling makes me deeply happy!! Specially because I'm on the point of (I'm about to)start a new life in London...and I have a lot of new projects in there!!
A big kiss, serious madam

anna

Anonymous said...

By the way, I'm trying hard the story of "visualització" from teacher Joa, very hard, I'm doing well, my imagination can run far way, I guess I'll be ready for the oral exam in june, you will "alucinar" with my speech that day, or in any case it's what Joe said!!!!

anna

Anonymous said...

WHOW!!!! I've been in Nick Pope's website...now I understand everything, dear Mariona!!! too much Nick pope for you....you had an indigestion of UFO!!!!

anna