MERRY SAFE CHRISTMAS!!

 COMMENT 14

It´s Christmas time and we all know what that involves: parties , Christmas festivals , meetings with friends but , do you think it is appropriate in this new normal life ?.

Christmas is a beautiful and special time to spend it with your family and close friends but this year because of the coronavirus pandemic it is clear that is going to be very different, but for that same reason it is going to be so special and surely a Christmas to remember forever .

Many people have chosen to be at home during christmas dinner and be only and exclusively with their family as there is a limited number of people to gather in order to reduce the risk of infections. Moreover , in Spain , if you want to go out with some friends both on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, you have to pay attention to the time because there is a limited time to be at home.

Perhaps, this is not going to be our best Christmas but I´m sure were are going to enjoy the little things like we have never done before and remember to put on your mask !

DOGS TRACKING COVID-19

COMMENT 12

 Traditionally , dogs has been trained to detect several diseases though their sense of smell like cancer or malaria but, did you know that currently they are able to detect coronavirus?.

This amazing ability is due to the big quantity of olfactory receptors that they have and to the percentage of their brain dedicated to analyse smells, which is fourty times bigger than in the human brain. To do that, they sniff the saliva of people both healthy and infected and then, they can detect a specific smell in the samples which are infected. This training is based in a reward system. When they do something good , they get a candy and dogs believe that they are just playing.

This could be very useful because dogs could be used at points of entry in the country , such as airports to detect people infected by coronavirus or even asymtomatic people. In this way , authorities could have a new method of effective control and also faster than taking the temperature of every person in the airport.

I think that dogs are very smart animals and they can be able to do that so , I think it is a good idea to help to prevent coronavirus .

CAN FLOWERS MAKE BEES SMILE ?

 COMMENT 11

I´m sure that you have got scared many times every time you have seen a bee because you thought that it could hurt you . However, are bees as dangerous as we think ?. What is happening with bees ? and why are they so important?.

As you know , bees are flying insects that have an important role as pollinating agents in plant´s reproduction . Moreover , they have an ecological and economic importance . First because about 70% of plants with flowers need the pollination by insects and bees are the main pollinating insects. Secondly, because honey is the main sweet , natural substance produced by bees and it´s something that people like buying and it is also a quality product .

As you can see , bees can be very important for us because if there were not bees , plants could not reproduce and as a result , we couldn´t eat natural products like fruits or vegetables and shops couldn´t sell these products. Despite all this , many bee colonies are disappearing probably because of parasites , climate change or by the use of pesticides .

I think that bees are finally living organism although they can hurt us and they have an important role so, next time you see one , first think about that before killing it .

WE´LL DO IT OUR WAY

 COMMENT 10

Going back to school is getting closer , we have a week of summer holidays left and then we´ll go back to class, but actually , we don´t really know how we are going to start the school year.

There are many things we don´t know about this school year and and some parents are worried about the security of their children . This fear has increased because of the new people infected every day and some parents have decided not to leave their children going to school for a while . It´s this a good idea ?. The concern of these parents is perhaps , due to the fact that they are not sure of the security measures that are going to be carried out .

On the other hand , there are the parents who are going to leave their children at school because , one thing is true : we have to continue with our "normal life". This year is going to be a bit different , maybe , we are going to have semi-face-to-face classes , surely we are going to be about
20 students per class and we have to keep the security distance.

I think that we all have doubts about this year but , we have to be prepared because anything can happen.

INFLUENCERS IN OUR SOCIETY

 COMMENT 9

If you have a social network like Instagram or Facebook , you have probably heard the word "influencer", but what is the real meaning of that word ? and what is their job in the digital community?

An influencer is a person who stands out in a social network and expresses opinions about a specific topic that has a great influence on many people who know or follow him/her. Besides, the influencers make recomendations about products , lifestyles or services to their digital community but , they are not in charge of selling them directly. they use the power of social networks to make them viral.

An influencer is ,therefore , a person who has many followers (more than 10,000 or 100,000) on social networks . For that reason they are an inspiration for many teenagers but also for that , there can be consequences . Sometimes , the life of an influencer is not perfect but most teenagers think so and that is the problem. Teenagers start to compare their life with the life of an influencer and that can create some anxiety.

Maybe, one of the "safest" platforms is Youtube , which is a website where people can upload videos about their lifestyle , fashion , games to share them with other people. I use Youtube a lot and I really like it because also it is so useful to learn about something.

Summing up , I think that being an influencer is not bad, but you don´t always have to let yourself be influenced by them.

ARE SCHOOL EXAM RESULTS ALWAYS FAIR ?

 COMMENT 7

Exams are still the most popular way to assess the knowledge learned by students in each subject of the school year. Through them , teachers can know if students are prepared, but are exams the best way to assess students ?

There are different ways to Know if a student has reached the goals of the school year , so there are different ways to assess a student. One of them is the traditional method , in which the teacher explains the lesson , sends homework to do at home and then , at the end of the unit, he sets an exam to know if students have got the necessary knowledge.

Another way is to do one exam just at the end of the term . This exam contains all of the differents aspects learned during that year. However , I´m not sure that this way of assessment is totally useful because students usually "forget" to study during the term and they start to study one or two weeks before the exam.

The word "learn" means getting as much knowledge as possible and hold it in your mind as long as you can . However , this doesn´t happen in many of students because they normally learn something for the exam and then they forget it . They just do it to get a good mark .

I think the best way to assess a student is to do an exam after a unit because you have to revise the material and that improves learning.

"FOMO", THE SYNDROME STRIKING PEOPLE THESE DAYS

 COMMENT 6

A few months ago we were in quarantine and we couldn´t go anywhere . Now most restaurants and shops are open , but we can´t celebrate anything , so Fomo has appeared again.

"Fomo" is the fear of missing something. It is the feeling of missing out on life compared to others. When you believe that other people may be having more fun than you , you have the necessity of having even better experiences than them or the fear that others are having more rewarding lives is probably a symptom that you have Fomo.

This is all due to social media, mainly. People usually like posting their life experiences on social media and we believe that their lives are perfect and they have perfect experiences ,so that creates an increasing sense of anxiety.

You should remind yourself that no one has it all and not all the information that you read on social media is true. So , if you are feeling unsatisfied in your own life , you should avoid social media as much as possible.

UNFORTUNATELY , NOT A GOOD TIME FOR LIVE MUSIC

 COMMENT 5

We are living a complicated situation because of the coronavirus . We all have to wear a mask everywhere we go , even when we are in a safe distance .

But , we are not the only ones who are living a complicated situation , but also people whose jobs depend on public events , concerts or football matches , that is , celebrities. They are probably the most afected with this situation , but as it is said on the radio , music is the only thing that does not need distance . For that reason , during the quarantine artists have been doing their own concerts trough social media.

The same happens with football matches . Stadiums have been closed for a few months and both footballers and people have missed the crowd in their matches. They had to continue with their training without people .

Finally, step by step , we will reach the "normality" in our lives , but first we have to follow the security mesures and of course , keep the distance .

MASK UP THE WORLD

COMMENT 4

Most of us have been wearing face masks for several months and they have become part of the personal items we always carry when we go out . Maybe that´s sounds crazy , but we have to do it to help prevent the number of infections .

The use of the mask has created controversy among people about if they are really useful or about what kind of mask is better for you . What is clear is that when you wear it , you are protecting others , and when others wear it , they are protecting you . So , it´s almost like a selfish act not to wear it in public .

I saw some people wearing a mask while they were driving , but they are supposed to be used for a limit time because you can start to feel bad , so you should only use them when you are in contact with other people, when you are in public places and you can´t keep the distance .

Summing up , wearing a mask is as important as keeping the distance , so follow the rules and respect other people if you don´t want to get infected you or infect other people.

TIME TO BITE THE BULLET !!

COMMENT 3

I´m sure that sometimes you don´t have to do anything because it is your free day or you are just a bit lazy in a cold winter evening so you get your laptop and start watching Netflix. Who wouldn´t do that?.

There are many websites where you can watch both films and series , even in any language, but , the most popular one is probably Netflix , which is an American entertainment company that allows you to watch any film or series and you can have a wonderful time with family and friends or even with yourself.

Although Netflix is a good option to clear your mind , spending the whole day watching it can be a problem because it can become an addiction . Some people are obsessed and, what´s more , they can spend the night without sleep . When an episode finishes ,it is almost impossible not to watch another one. It is also easy to chat with your friends and just give them an excuse not to meet as you want to continue watching Netflix.

In my case , I don´t have Netflix and I don´t think I need it . I like watching series but I watch them on another page. I can watch them online or download them and the quality is also very good.

From my point of view , watching series can be a good option to enjoy yourself and have a good time , but, you shouldn´t spend so much time , you should spend your time doing other things that can make you happy, too.

RACISM : BLACK LIVES DO MATTER!!

COMMENT 3

We live in a world where your skin color , your religion or the way you are shoudn´t matter but, some people don´t think the same and that´s we called "discrimination" or "racism". Althoungh we are in the 21st century these things still happen, but don´t you think you can change the world ?.

Recently , a black man called George Floyd has died because a police officer put his knee on the man´s neck and crushed him until he couldn´t breathe. That happened a few weeks ago in the USA. A person recorded the act where we can see the man saying his last words, which were " I can´t breathe". Even so , the man finally died .

This video began to be viral and consequently many people have protested on social media, supported him with the hashtag "Black lives matter". Moreover , a lot of people have also protested in the streets , holding their banners with the hashtag or the words "I can´t breathe". This movement has made that people fight against racism to support especially black people.

In conclusion, there is no reason for discrimination, we should all respect each other no matter who or what they are like . If you want to be respected , respect other people !!.

HAVE YOU EVER SPITL THE TEA ?

COMMENT 2

I have to say that this year was so different and at the same time stressful but , even though all the difficulties we had during the year , I have just finished 1º Bachillerato and I´m so proud of myself. For that reason , I would like to talk about my experience in the English subject and also give you some pieces of advise to try to improve your English .

First at all , it is clear that English is not easy like many of the subjects you have but , if you try to do your best , it will easier for you . Besides , as you know English is a very important subject , especially if you want to get a good job in the future so , if I were you , I would follow all the pieces of advice .

Secondly , if you are wondering if there is a key to pass English , let me tell you that there is . You should follow the pices of advice that Alberto gives from the beginning until the end of the year , and of course , you should make all the comments on his blog . If I were in your shoes, I would start doing them as fast as possible because the sooner you get them out , the better. Obviously , both the comments and the compositions must be always (as Alberto says) , genuine , that is to say, you have to write them on your own .

Summing up , English is not a difficult subject but , remember always be yourself and be honest on what you do . So , work hard and come on , you can do it !!.

VIRTUAL CLASSES CAN NEVER BEAT IN-PERSON CLASSES

COMMENT 1

Nowadays , because of the coronavirus , we all had to take online classes but, is it really a good option ? Which option do you think is better for you ? Do you prefer classes in person or online?.

There are many advantages in both online classes and in-person classes. One of them is the flexibility that an online class can offer you , that means that you can choose the place to work , a place where you are comfortable and safe. Moreover, online is faster than in person ,therefore , it allows you to connect to class in time .

However , in-person classes are more active and they allow you to participate more, which makes you stay alert and pay more attention during the class time. It is also much easier to form a relationship with the teacher so , this can make that the teacher knows your needs better and your attitude and behaviour in class. In addition , you can make a lot of friends that on the contrary, you can´t make online .

From my point of view , I prefer classes in person rather than online because I think you can learn better , socialize with other people and stay involved and active with the class.

A REPORT : INSTANT MESSAGING WITH HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS

COMPOSITION 9

The purpose of this report is to compare both things and to check what is better for you . Comparing them with positive and negative things maybe  can help you to learn the importance of each one .

On the one hand , when you  talk with your friends through messages , you don´t see the person´s face , so it could be  said that there is no direct communication between you and the person. Moreover , there is always a risk that another person may lie about their name or age. An advantage is that messanging is faster that hanging out with friends and what´s more , it allows you to talk to people from differents parts of the world and you can use webcam to see them.

On the other hand , when you hang out with friends , you see them face to face , as a result , you are more sociable .  Another reason is that you can see what your friends are feeling at the moment , so you can support them to make them feel better. A disadvantage is that it is not easy  to have and preserve a real friendship because it means being completely honest  with that person.

Summing up , both instant messanging  and hanging out with friends are good forms of communication but each one has their positive and negative things . Personally , I would recommend hanging out with friends because you can express what you feel .

A REVIEW : THE HUNDRED

COMPOSITION 8

My favourite film series is called “ The Hundred” , which is an American apocalyptic television series of science fiction and drama. The plot is about  a group of 100 teenagers  living in space and who  were sent  to the Earth to find out if life exists after a nuclear explosion destroyed the Earth a hundred years ago. These teenagers have to try to overcome  any obstacle.

One of the best things about this series is how the actors play their roles.  Its special effects are also really good , it seems  as you are in the series and it catches  your attention all the time. The star of the series and the main character is Clarke Griffin , whose real name is Eliza Taylor.

I really like Clarke Griffin as an actress  , but I think my favourite character is Octavia Blake . Her fictional character is absolutely spectacular , she is determined  , brave and confident.  She's a fighter and wants to be free.

All in all , I would recommend  this series  to anyone who likes science fiction series . Personally , I think that is fairly entertaining  and exciting.

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

Here is my project about the book "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Click the link below . I hope        you enjoy it !

https://prezi.com/view/TPn0blXzFqZmhm39tBXc/

WEARABLES TO HELP AND SAVE PATIENTS

FIFTH QUALITY COMMENT

I have completed my 25 comments !!

Nowadays, thanks to technology our life is easier and more comfortable. Do you think we could live without it ? Many people use it to comunicate with other people from a long distance , but wearable tech ,can help and improve the life of people who have health problems.

On the one hand , scientists in the US are developing wearable sensors to speed up the recovery of stroke patients . These sensors are able to send information to doctors about health of people , so they can monitor their progress at home . Moreover , this technology put sensors on the body to know which muscle groups works or don´t , which allows identifying the areas affected by the stroke.

On the other hand , we can also find clothing designed to save your life. If you are an epileptic person , instead of being connected to a machine by cables , you can wear a t-shirt or a cap at home and sensors send information to a smartphone app. In addition, other wearable products like the meditation headband or CheckMe health monitor , which can check sleep and the temperature of your body, also exist.

To sump up , wearable technology can help to improve the quality of people who have health problems.

WALKING AMONG DISHONEST PEOPLE

FOURTH QUALITY COMMENT

Are you honest or dishonest ? Most of the time I´m honest ,but , sometimes I´m also dishonest . Do you lie often ? And why ?.

Being an honest person is one who acts sincerely in accordance with morality and who respects the stablished norms. Some people are dishonest ,this concept is related to lying , but being dishonest is not always a bad thing because sometimes we need to lie either for ourselves , to protect other people, to get what we want or just to give a better image of ourselves.

Honesty allows us to live better and feel good with ourselves. It also allows us to increase confidence and to keep us on the right way. When we are honest , we often attract to our life people who are also honest and we can make good friends. When you are honest , people are going to believe in you , you will not be in trouble and your conscience will be calm.

As far as I´m concerned , being honest is the best option to live a good life without lies and to be a better person .

CAN WE RECORD DREAMS ?

THIRD QUALITY COMMENT

Have you ever had a crazy dream or a beautiful dream ?. Do you dream very often?. We know that we only dream while we are sleeping and when we wake up , most of the time we can´t remember the dream we had, but why does this happen ?.

Dreams are experiences that happen in our brain where images are mixed together with sounds and sensations . These images can become so real that sometimes they can confuse us . Some people say that they don´t have dreams , but this is not true because scientists think that we all dream , but many times we forget them . Some people who have dreams remember only a part of it or they don´t know exactly what happened.

American researchers want to record dreams electronically. They developed a system that can record a higher level brain activity . A study by the team suggests that the activity of individual brain cells , or neurons , is associated with specific objects , for example , when a volunteer was thinking of an actor , a particular neuron lit up . And this is how scientists could interpret dreams.

As far as I´m concerned , a dream is something very personal, but without importance because most of the time they don´t have specific meaning.

STRENGTHENING YOUR MIND !!!

SECOND QUALITY COMMENT

We all know that the situation in our country and in Europe is now critical because of the coronavirus. This virus is bringing many economic , industrial consequences, but it is also bringing mental problems.

We are all in time of confinement and it means that we can´t go out , we just have to stay at home and only go out if it is necessary. Students and also other people must work at home through internet and web pages and have their own workout. But what about our mental health ?

Staying all the time at home is not good for you , this can cause stress , as well as depression and anxiety , and even increase your pessimism. So , what can you do to improve your mental health? You should try to be optimistic and see the good side of things , allowing you to learn and grow. We can´t go out to do excercise but we can do it at home and this is a good idea to protect you against mental illness.

To sump up , this is time to think about , to take advantage to do the things that we wanted to do like reading or doing exercise and, above all, be happy with yourself.

AN OPINION ESSAY

COMPOSITION 7

Nowadays , there are some teenagers in some parts of the world who have bad behaviors and cause trouble for other people , so boot camps are a military training camps , places to send young people who have personal problems and behavior issues to correct or even who come from broken homes and have comitted crimes .

On the one hand , sometimes this kind of people are completely out of control and for their families it could be a little complicated to stay with them and keep calm . Moreover , sometimes these teenagers have comitted a crime or they are always in trouble , so the only option for them is to learn discipline , survival skills or other things related to this , is going to these places.

On the other hand, it is not right to send young people who have not committed any crimes to boot camps. Personally , I think they would feel bad and they would even miss their home and family and friends , so it is not fair. This could destroy teenagers´ social lives.

As far as I concerned , boot camps can be a good option only if the person has serious behavior problems or has committed a crime , because these places can help them.

FEARS AND PHOBIAS

FIRST QUALITY COMMENT

I´m sure that all, or almost all of us, have or have had a fear or phobia of something once in life. When you were a child ,you were probably afraid of the dark , but do you know the difference between fear and phobia ?.

Fear is what you feel when you are in a situation of real or imaginary danger for example when you have an accident. Fhobia is the intense fear that you have to a person , a thing or situation for example spider phobia. In fact, phobia can appear after a fear that we have had in a dangerous situation like an accident.

There are three types of phobias : specific phobias , social phobias and agoraphobia . Agoraphobia isn't just a fear of open spaces, it describes a fear of any situation where escape would be difficult. Specific phobias are probably the most recognised. They are an irrational fear of a specific thing or situation like phobias of animals or blood. Social phobias are when you have an irrational fear of how people will react to you in a situation like the fear of rejection.

I think that fears or phobias only appear because of our insecurities and we should face them to stop having them.

HELICOPTER PARENTING : I´AM WATCHING YOU

COMMENT 20

Nowadays, we are surrounded by technologies such as mobiles phones or laptops which can be very useful for our work and lifestyle , but have you ever thought that your camera and microphone can spy on you ?

It is clear that when you are in a store there are cameras anywhere for our security or the person who works there , so if there is a criminal who comes to steal something , employers can know who it is. In addition, schools also have now cameras to monitor students for example if they use their mobiles or if something happens.

When we are in our homes quietly , we can also be spied by other people that we don´t know and it can be a big problem. When a person accesses to our mobile , they can see everything we are doing and even they can listen to us. Moreover , they can take photos , steal important documents and what´s more , they can access to our password.

To sump up , you should be vey careful when you are using your mobile or laptop because someone can be watching you.

SHALL WE EAT ? YES , BUT...

COMMENT 19

Nowadays there are so many people who are allergic or intolerant to some kind of food , especially children . These allergies can be more or less dangerous and sometimes even cause death. So if you are allergic to something , you should be very careful when you eat.

There are many different allergies, the most common are intolerance to eggs, flour or nuts such as peanuts. But, why are we allergic ?. This is because our intestines believe that the substance we are eating is bad for us and it acts on it. Some people are just intolerant and that means they can eat this kind of food in small quantities and not very often.

The effects that can cause allergy are varied , from fevers , tummy ache , vomiting . In fact, there are some people who can´t even be in contact with the substance that causes them allergy. I have a friend who is allergic to gluten and it´s a problem when she wants to go out to eat. In addition, gluten free food is much more expensive than normal food.

To sum up, being an allergic person can sometimes be a bit difficult because you have to be very careful with what you eat or where are you going to eat.

IS TELEVISION HELPFUL OR HARMFUL FOR OUR SOCIETY

COMMENT 18

Nowadays , who doesn´t have a television set at home?. Surely , we all have one or more than one but how long do we spend watching TV and how can have it a negative effect specially on children ?. As we can see , watching TV have some pros and cons.

On the one hand , children can learn a lot when they are watching television because there are many children´s television programs that entertain and make children develop their creativity and imagination. In addition , it can help them to increase their curiosity and also to learn other languages.

On the other hand , spending so much time watching TV can make that children have difficulties to learn. It can make they use inappropriate vocabulary and even be violent . Moreover, it can create them health problems like obesity or vision problems. It can also create distractions in studies.

I think that television is not bad if you make a good use of it. If you abuse it ,it will have a negative effect

GOALS , GOALS !!!

COMMENT 17

Personal goals are wishes that we resolve to carry out to improve ourselves and be better people. We usually put a limit time to get them ,about a year but, do you know that short-term goals and micro-resolutions also exist ?.

When New Year comes , we usually set our goals and try to achieve them at the end of the following year but most of the time we don´t carry them out because we forget them and we stop doing them. So, the first thing you have to do is to change the way you think and, above all ,be motivated and be perseverant with what you do.

But , if you are a person who forgets quickly, micro resolutions are for you. Micro resolutions are like long-term goals ,but easy things that you can do in a short period of time. You can do them in a month instead of a year, so this is such a good idea to motivate yourself and achieve more goals .

In my opinion, personal goals are so important in life because they make us strive to what we want to achieve.