Exam time

Exam time is always stressful (both for students and for teachers, I should say) but fortunately there are remedies/techniques to help you cope with exam stress:

- Chocolate addiction: Watch the video, read the story.

- Relaxation techniques based on hypnosis: Three samples that can work wonders. Close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply, turn up the volume and let your subconscious mind do the rest.
Overcome exam nerves Sample 1
Overcome exam nerves Sample 2
Develop your self-confidence Sample


- Humour: Monty Python's "Job Interview" sketch (it's a job interview, but it might as well be an oral exam!). With subtitles in Portuguese so that you can practice two languages at the same time.

And finally, Bob Marley's legendary "Three little birds".


So whichever sytem you choose, just relax, keep the right dose of adrenaline ready for action, and " don't worry about a thing/'cos every little thing's gonna be all right! "

Food for Thought (or Living on Light)

Do you think you could live without eating or drinking? Scientific evidence would say you can't, but this man is apparently challenging all scientific knowledge so far. However, scientists are curious, open-minded people so that's why they are studying this man, who's spent 70 years of his life without food or drink. Can you believe it? If you find it difficult to understand the Inglish (India-English) in this Al-Jazeera video, you can read the basics here.

But as it usually happens, it looks like there's nothing new under the sun:

- What is Inedia? Fasting as a Lifestyle Choice

- How can this be possible ? Here you'll find a religious, a scientific and an esoteric answer.

- And what the skeptics say at The skeptics dictionary

Mmmmh...I don't think I could do without chocolate ... aren't they all out to lunch?

The Inner city

The inner city is a source of problems, but also a source of music and art in general.

- God and the inner city: A documentary that explains how faith-based groups, together with social workers and police officers are trying to help inner city kids away from violence, drugs, unemployment and poverty in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington.

- Gangsta Rap and Inner City Life: The origins of hip hop and rap in the American inner cities.

- Grandmaster Flash is one of the pioneers of hip hop. I'm sure you've heard The Message , an old-school song about life in the inner city. The lyrics are worth reading.
Don't push me 'cos / I'm close to the edge

I'm trying not to lose my head

Walking On The Moon

After more than 40 years, the NASA has released a new version of the original video of man's first walk on the Moon, enchanced with the technology we have now. Here you'll see all the explanations, a kind of "making of " of the original live 1969 video.

However, some people think this is a hoax, and that nobody has ever set foot on the moon. Have a look at the arguments in favour of these conspiracy theories...

...which have also been easily debunked : The Guardian

And some music to go with it: "If you believe they put a man on the Moon..."

In the news

Earthquakes, floods, landslides... and now a volcano eruption. Flights across Europe grounded and passengers stranded.

Video: Beautiful images of the volcano

Video : Latest news on the volcano ash cloud (banned, do check before you leave, likely, I'd rather be down here safely than ..., how long will the volcano ..., it doesn' sound like .... etc.)

Interactive: Do you have to travel? Trace the path of the cloud, just in case.

Every cloud has a silver lining . Listen to The sounds of Silence

The times online. Exams, hospitals, supermarkets hit by cloud

...and a stranded couple getting married over the internet. They must be on cloud nine!

Bits and pieces

We were with 'used to' last week to express habits or repeated actions in the past, and I fogot to mention that you can also use 'would' for that purpose, as you can see in this fabulous song from eons ago:

When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle ,
In them old cotton fields back home; (colloquial use of 'them' here)

It was down in Louisiana,
Just about a mile from Texarkana,
In them old cotton fields back home.

The only thing is that you cannot use this 'would' form with stative verbs (Mr. Oxford explains that for you in the Grammar bank). I'll mention that tomorrow in class. Just remind me if I don't. Great band, Creedence Clearwater Revival .

And ...besides, although, frustrated and furious, they've been beaten, rather than, he said, he added, hope, as he celebrated, give up, twice more, brilliantly, plenty of, breathless ... a bit of Reading Comprehension for your daily practice .

Sleep and dreams

Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate One Second Before Waking Up. Salvador Dalí, 1944

We spend a good half of our lives sleeping. Do you remember your dreams? Do you think your dreams have a meaning? Have you ever had a premonitory dream? Do you have recurring dreams? Have you ever tried to have your dreams interpreted? Try this then.

	The Beatles - I'm Only Sleeping .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Lyrics

Good night ... sleep tight .... and may all your dreams come true.

April fool!

Top 10 April Fool's Day Hoaxes @ Yahoo! Video

Making History

The controversial health care reform bill, a defining issue of Obama's presidency, has been passed. That means that nearly all Americans will have the right to health care. Watch the video and hear him say:


"When faced with crisis we did not shrink from our challenge -we overcame it. We did not avoid our responsibility -we embraced it, we did not fear our future -we shaped it."

In this Newsy video you can see the different sides of the story:

and the transcript if you need it.
Congratulations! (even if some think that's very bad news...)

Beatles for Sale

Don't let me down! Abbey Road is reportedly up for sale. The recording studio is to be sold in order to help EMI's finances, which seem to be in a very bad state. The British music industry is hoping the company won't let them down by letting this landmark in British recording history disappear forever. If you ever go to Abbey Road you'll invariably find people crossing the street and taking photos. I wouldn't like to see a fast food restaurant in the place where the fab four recorded some of their albums. I really feel it would be a pity to lose Abbey Road. Do you think you could afford to buy it?
Watch the video
Watch the most famous zebra crossing

Read the article (The Guardian)
Listen to Sir Paul's comments