Composition 09- A report

Composition 09

The purpose of this report is to look at two different forms of spending our free time as teenagers. This report will compare reading with playing video games.

To begin with, video games have become one of the favourite activities among teenagers. A disadvantage is that you spend a lot of time in the house and you don´t socialize. What´s more, they can be very addictive and, in some cases, they can affect our behavior. However, an advantage is that they teach how to work as a team, they improve our attention, concentration and the ability to solve problems.

On the contrary, reading is a great way for teenagers to spend their free time. In fact, there is plenty of evidence that reading improves our mental and physical health, our concentration and our ability to think clearly. In addition, reading also allows people to relax and reduce stress levels. Although reading has its benefits, we should not spend a  lot of time reading during the day because it can affect our eyes and, as a result, we can get headaches.

All in all, we have seen that reading has a lot more positive effects than gaming. I would absolutely recommend reading because it helps to improve our life style and our knowledge.

5th Quality comment- UBI - Universal Basic Income is demanded!

UBI - Universal Basic Income is demanded!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, apart from the human loss, a massive negative effect on the worldwide economy is expected. Factories, schools, and lots of businesses have shut down. Recently, a few politicians and even Pope Francis agreed that the UBI (universal basic income) could be the solution against the economic collapse caused by the coronavirus lockdown. But, what is the UBI?

Universal basic income, or UBI, means that everyone gets a set monthly income, without having to work for it. The idea of a state-run basic income is not new. It dates back to the early 16th century when Sir Thomas More's Utopia described a society in which every person receives a guaranteed income. Currently, there are several countries where UBI projects have already been launched, but it has not provided positive results in all of them.

Finland, for example, has become the first country of the EU to start paying jobless people a certain amount of money, but, unfortunately, that did not lead them to find work afterwards. In Western Kenya, adults are being given $22 a month for 12 years, until 2028. In Italy, the government is working on introducing a ¨citizens´income¨. In Spain, a "minimum vital income" will be approved in May and be sent to nearly 100,000 vulnerable single-parent households. However, we should know that a "minimum vital income" is not the same as a universal basic income, which is granted without any conditions to every citizen.

One of the benefits of introducing the UBI is that it can raise people´s living standards because it is aimed at eradicating poverty. What´s more, workers could afford to wait for a better job or better wages.

To sum up, I strongly believe that a Universal Basic Income is needed more than ever! The introduction of an emergency Universal Basic Income could provide some financial security for people and it would help reduce the effects of the expected economical crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cervantes meets Shakespeare - Digital Project

        Cervantes meets Shakespeare- digital project

The story is about an American girl, called Sara, who was very excited about moving from
USA to England. She was a very good student who loved studying History, but she was very sad because no one wanted to include her in their group of friends. One day, her Spanish teacher, David, seeing that Sara was fascinated by Shakespeare´s plays, suggested that she did an independent project researching Cervantes´ life. While she was searching for information for her project, she received the visit of Shakespeare, something that was incredible for her. All the information that she found about Shakespeare´s life was amazing to her. Apart from that, she was participating in the rehearsal of a play at her school. She had a hard time with the cast, but finally, when she acted in the play, the audience enjoyed it a lot and she could not believe her eyes when she saw both Cervantes and Shakespeare standing at the back wall applauding. In the end, both Cervantes and Shakespeare visited Sara in her room giving her a lesson about love.

• Click the link below to enjoy the digital project.

https://prezi.com/view/FQD1alEsmhx102TXh5rE/

The Hound of the Baskervilles- Digital Project

The Hound of the Baskervilles- digital project

The story is about the investigation of the mysterious death of Sir Charles. Dr. Mortimer believes that Sir Charles had died because of a heart attack, and he gives the case to detective Holmes and his best friend Watson. Watson goes to Baskerville Hall and begins his investigation. While he is investigating, he discovers the footprints of a hound, a dog that has supernatural qualities, and he decides to include the dog as a possible cause of Sir Charles's death. Stapleton used the hound to kill Henry, in order to inherit the Baskerville´s lands and fortune. After a long and complicated detective work, the mystery is solved. Sir Charles had definitely died of a heart attack, and not by the hound attack.

• Click the link below and enjoy the digital project.

https://prezi.com/view/75tqtIgjeReXTiOcoMYo/

4th Quality Comment- FACE MASKS: yes or no???

FACE MASKS: yes or no???

Covid-19 is a disease caused by the coronavirus and the first case appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, it has spread around the whole world and lots of people have died because of it. Covid-19 symptoms include cough, fever, breathing difficulty, loss of smell and taste, headache and muscle aches. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. This new virus can spread from person to person and one of the indications of the specialists is to wear masks. But, should everyone be wearing masks?

Coronavirus is spread by the drops that remain into the air when infected people talk, cough and sneeze. These can enter the body directly through the eyes, nose and mouth. That is why, recently, face masks have become so common among us. People wear them at work, in public transport and in all public places such as pharmacies, supermarkets, banks, or any other place where it's difficult to avoid close contact with others. Using masks in public may help reduce the spread from people who don't have symptoms.

Some people suggest that masks should be worn, but scientists say that they are not necessary as there is no protection against coronavirus. It is recommended to be worn by doctors and nurses who are treating people with Covid-19. The N95 masks are the most recommended ones for them. In France, the use of a ¨general public¨mask is recommended. Doctors and nurses recommend to wear them in order to differentiate them from the masks used by healthcare workers. Infected people should definitely wear masks, as a measure to avoid infecting other people. Masks should be used, not for personal protection, but to protect others from Covid-19.

To end up, I believe we should all take steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and not to get infected ourselves. It is extremely important that we all practice good hygiene, wear masks and keep a distance of at least one meter between people.

3rd Quality Comment-Once upon a time, 400 years ago, a writer named Cervantes...

          Once upon a time, 400 years ago, a writer named Cervantes...

Once upon a time, 403 years ago, two of the world´s best-known literary pioneers, named Cervantes and Shakespeare, who died on the same day: 23rd April, 1616. As a way to honour them, in 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book Day (or The International Day of the Book) would be celebrated on 23rd April. But how much do we know about Cervantes and Shakespeare ? Let´s learn a few things about them.

To begin with, Cervantes was a Spanish writer, one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language and one of the world´s famous novelists. He was born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, in 1547, and died on 23rd April, 1616, at the age of 68. Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, one of the greatest writers in the English language and one of the world´s famous dramatist. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564, and died on 23rd April, 1616, at the age of 52. While they both shared the date of death, they didn't die on the same day. Spain was using the Gregorian calendar while England was still using the old Julian calendar. So Cervantes in fact died 10 days ahead of Shakespeare.

Much of Cervantes´ life was spent in poverty and obscurity, as he was born to a deaf surgeon who struggled working in a field that was badly payed at that time. In 1570, he joined the Spanish military and was seriously injured in the Battle of Lepanto (1571). He served as a soldier until 1575, when he was captured by Turkish pirates. After five years in captivity, he was rescued, and returned to Madrid. In contrast with Cervantes, Shakespeare was born into a wealthy family and was the third of eight children to a prominent businessman and official. At the age of 20, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer and playwright.

Cervantes´ first significant novel, titled ¨La Galatea¨, was published in 1585. He achieved fame after publishing the first part of the novel ¨El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha¨, in 1605. The second part of the novel was published in 1615. Don Quijote is described as the first modern novel and the world´s most translated work after the Holy Bible. Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. The first reference to Shakespeare as a playwright came in 1592 as he had written the three parts of Henry VI. Among his most famous plays, there are the tragedies ¨Macbeth¨and ¨King Lear¨, the comedy ¨A Midsummer Night´s Dream¨and the romance ¨Romeo and Juliet¨.

Cervantes is not known so much for enriching Spanish vocabulary, but Shakespeare, instead, had a greater influence in changing the English language. English is frequently referred to as the language of Shakespeare, while Spanish is often called the language of Cervantes, which has changed less than English has since then. One thing they both have in common is that their works have inspired musicals, such as ¨Man of La Mancha¨ -from Don Quijote , and ¨West Side Story¨-from Romeo and Juliet.

In my opinion, both Cervantes and Shakespeare are giants in the world of literature who have had huge influence not only on their own languages but across the world. Even though they didn´t have too much in common, they both deserve the same recognition in the universal literature.

Composition 08- A film series review

Composition 08

Review: ¨The Good Doctor¨ film series

My favourite film series is called ¨The Good Doctor¨, an American medical drama which features Freddie Highmore in the main role of Doctor Shaun Murphy. The plot is about a young autistic surgeon who works at a prestigious hospital in California. The Good Doctor was first realeased in 2015, but the series debuted on 25th September, 2017. Four full seasons of 18 episodes have been made since then.

What I like most about this series are the medical emergencies that the doctors of that hospital have to attend. The star is Doctor Murphy, who is extremely good as a surgeon. He faces lots of surgical challenges struggling to deal with the emotional and social aspects of his profession. Even though he is unable to personally connect with people around him, he does an amazing job giving good diagnoses and saving lives.

To sum up, I personally think this series is a great success as it mixes drama with love. I highly recommend this film series to anyone who likes medical emergencies and drama. Every episode is really fascinating and the series is definitely worth seeing.

2nd Quality Comment- Quarantine: day 1

       Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)is a respiratory illness that can be spread from person to person. It first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. In Spain, the first case appeared at the end of January. About 375,000 people got infected around the world and more than 16,000 have died. Next, I´m going to discuss how the virus is spread, who can it affect more and what are its symptoms?

To begin with, as I said before, the coronavirus is spreading from person to person. For example, being in close contact with an infected person, at less than one meter, who coughs or sneezes, is the easiest way to get it. What´s more, it is possible to get infected if we touch a surface or an object that has the virus on it. To prevent the virus from spreading, it is important to behave responsibly and follow medical recommendations.

Furthermore, symptoms are usually mild and the most serious cases occur on elderly people or those who have previous heart, lung or kidney diseases or immunity problems. Elderly people don´t have such a strong immune system so they are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. The most common symptoms include cough, fever and difficulty on breathing. There are severe complications too, such as pneumonia, multi-organ failure or even death.

At the moment, there is no vaccine or treatment for the COVID-19. In order to avoid the virus from spreading, we should follow some indications, such as: avoid close contact with other people, stay at home, avoid touching your face, your mouth or your nose, wash your hands with water and soap many times a day and if you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with the inside part of your arm. In addition, cleaning and desinfecting your home can help too.

As far as I am concerned, the COVID-19 is a very dangerous virus and the best way to prevent it is taking the preventive actions we have seen above. Although the virus spreads very fast, the best way to solve it is to stay in quarantine during at least 15 days.

Composition 07

Composition 07

                                     Are boot camps a good idea for teenagers?

   The increase of violent behaviour among youth arround the world has led to the implementation of a new rehabilitation method called boot camp. Boot camps are places to send young people who have personal problems and behavioural issues. But, are boot camps a good idea? Personally, I think lots of young people can be helped by boot camps, nowadays. 

On the one hand, boot camps are a good idea because they help to improve teenagers' personal discipline by doing military activities run by former soldiers and experts in outdoor survival. Moreover, boot camps are a good way to keep teenagers away from mobile phones, video consoles and social media.

On the other hand, another advantage of boot camps is that, during their stay, teenagers improve their self- esteem, their confidence and their communication skills. Every evening they discuss values such as honesty, respect, integrity and courage. 

Even if many young people find boot camps quite tough at the beginning, it is clear that it is a good idea for those who need to change their behaviour towards their family and the society. As far as I am concerned, a boot camp is a life- changing experience!

1st Quality Comment- Love? It is just a matter of choosing the right partner.

1st quality comment

It is everybody´s dream to have a perfect and wonderful partner for the rest of ther life. So, what would my ideal partner be like?

Firstly, an ideal partner should be a loving person with a great personality. A respectful, sincere and loyal person is my ideal partner in life. That helps maintaining a strong relationship in time.

Secondly, my ideal partner would be someone who is confident, someone who believes in family values and understands the importance of family. What´s more, understanding between each other and taking care of each other is the key to a happy relationship. Moreover, my ideal partner should not only be my partner but my friend, too.

To sum up, I believe it is important that everyone finds their ideal partner one day, a partner strong enough to cope with all the problems we may come across in life.

Comment 20- 2020, a leap year

Comment 20

A leap year is the year which has 366 days instead of 365. One extra day is added to the shortest month of the year-February. This year occurs every four years.

The Earth takes 365 days and 6 hours to complete its rotation around the sun. This means that the calendar year is about 6 hours shorter than the actual solar year and that´s why leap years are observed every four years.

This year, 2020, is a leap year, which means that February has 29 days instead of 28. So everyone born on February 29th gets to celebrate their birthday this year!

The phrase ¨leap year¨is used because each date of the calendar jumps ahead two days of the week instead of one.