Hi again

Hi again, ex-level4, level4-to-be... I hope you've had a good summer break and you are ready, looking forward to, just can't wait to start the new course. Since this year I'll be repeating Level4, I thought I could keep the same blog, so no need to do a new one, but as you can see I've changed things a bit -colour, layout, etc. Also, I've just deleted the 'class stuff links' and 'vox links' so that I can periodically add them again as we work on the different units.
OK, so that you can warm up a little, and just to continue with animal stories, this happened a couple of weeks ago in Coventry, England: a lady dumped a cat into a bin... and she was caught on CCTVcameras - damn cameras! Lola, the terrified cat, was trapped in the bin for 15 HOURS before Darryl, her owner, finally found her the following morning. Britons were so enraged by the woman's action that she is receiving death threats, needs police protection, and the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals -remember Adrian Mole?) are leading an investigation into the incident.

Video on woman dumping cat into bin
Mail Online: Read the story
BBC Video: Lola's owner interviewed.

Woman apologizes/defends her actions - The Guardian
This cartoon appeared in The Sun

I'm a cat lover myself, but would you say they are overeacting? How should the cat-dumper lady be punished? So be careful with the CCTV cameras next time !

***Update September 20th:
Catwoman (anti-cat? woman) charged

Summer whale

It was not my intention to work on the blog this summer (though I'm not on holiday yet and, as you can see, I'm playing with new layouts, colors etc) and I found this incredible pic of something that happened a couple of weeks ago so I thought I wanted to share it with you (you? who? hello? is there anybody there?) Most of all because we had that controversy last year about whales, and lions and all that. Obsessed with whales ? Bff,I wouldn't say so... but I like them, and I do find this photo impressive. I'd love to see one like this ... ok, from my balcony. So what happened? Read this
- Follow up: For those of you who thought the photo was manipulated, here's the video evidence. Yacht owners are being investigated for harassing the whale by getting too close to it.

I hope you have a whale of a time this summer!

Just a couple of things

Just to remind you that on June 28th your marks will be posted:
- Online: you'll only see '(no)apte/a', NP, NQ, but not your scores for each skill. Be patient with technology since the system tends to crash when everybody tries to log in at the same time, or ...
- EOI's notice board: you'll see your scores for the five skills and your final mark.

So what then?
FAQs (Frequently asked questions):
- "I got 65 (or more) and I'm very happy."
Congratulations! I knew you would!" Try to read a little in summer, or watch movies, or listen to podcasts, speak, cook, sing ...do whatever you can in English so that you don't forget it all!

- "I got 65 but I didn't really mean it! I don't think I'm prepared for L5"
Oh, well, too late, too bad, so sorry. Good luck next year!

- "Oh, no ! I didn't get the f*#`* 65!
It would be suicidal to get to L5, so do L4 once again. Language learning is a difficult equation, certainly more complex than divisions into levels. Take it easy, take your time, try once more and you'll end up with a much better chance of passing L4 and then going on to L5.

On Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th, classtime, I'll be available to comment on your results if you need it -or just to say hello if you come to see your marks on the notice board.

Please remember that for the first time we'll have this 'matricula online' on specific days in July as Jordi, our secretary, explained to you in class. Please ask Secretaria if you have any doubts or questions on this and make sure you get your 'matricula' in order if you want to continue studying English next year.

And finally, just to tell you I've been very happy with you this year, and I'd like to wish you a well deserved summer break "lazing on a sunny afternoon, in the summertime":

	The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Past is history, future is a mystery, so whether I'll keep updating this blog from now on is something nobody, not even me, knows. Thanks for your attention and comments, and I do hope you continue your studies with us next September!

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.