Etiquetas

domingo, 3 de marzo de 2013

A book review: Listening to Guardiola

Escoltant Guardiola, in English, Listening to Guardiola is the final book that I have red. It’s an interesting book that talks about his career and his life, and the best moments of her life, that extraordinary aren’t football moments.
I have read it in two weekends more o less because I haven’t got enough time and I’m tired during the week. This book has makes me think about the life and about football. Guardiola said a lot of interesting things that makes you stop and think about them. My mother gives me this book because one of her friends said that it was so good, even if you don’t like football, and she was right. I have left the playstation for reading this book, so you can imagine if it’s interesting or not. I recommend this book to everyone because it’s useful that sometimes stop living and think a little. And it’s very cheap!

My friends


What are my friends for me?

It’s a difficult question to answer because my friends are a part of me. They are very important in my life, and they’re my second family. I feel so comfortable with them, and I love it. I have a lot of friends and all are incredible. We have made a group, a strong group where all the components are different. I think that I’m the clown of the group, because I’m always making jokes with all my friends.
Nowadays, we can spend a lot of time together, because we all have to do extra activities like football, handball, tennis, motocross, coach kids, English, extra classes etc. But each day, he have thirty minutes, the best thirty minutes of the day, where we only sit, eat, and laugh, the perfect life isn’t it? So I hope that spend a lot of times more together, and when our lives take different routes, we meet once a week and eat, sit and laugh, of course.   


Research project




In batxillerat, all the students have to do a research project. The topic of this project is optional, the teachers give you a list of topics but if you want to do it about another thing you only have to propose it. This project is very important because it’s a 10% of the final mark of batxillerat.
I have chosen to do my research project about U.E Figueres, my actual football club, and I will do the project with my P.E teacher Josep Descamps. Firstly, I wanted to do it about football injuries because I have some friends that have had some importnat injuries, but My P.E teacher said to me that two years ago another student did a project about that so I had to change the topic. I have a desire to do this project because I can make photos of the facilities, do interviews and talk with the president and with the most important people of the club because I go to the stadium four times a week and I see this important people each week. 

Plans for future



Last week, the UAB’s bus, comes to our high school and talk to us about the different careers that we can study there. I don’t think what I want so study yet, but I know that I want to work with sport. Be a professional football player is possible, but it’s quite difficult, so all the football players have to have a second option, and my second option, the first really, is to be a P.E teacher and a football coach. I love sport and I want to dedicate all my life in that. Some people prefer to earn a lot of money doing things that they don’t really like, I prefer to earn less money, and be happy doing my job.  
The problem is that my father doesn’t think like me, they think that I have to be the President of United States or an astronaut. But I think that he will be happy to if I will be happy, but they don’t want I have money problems in the future, so I’m grateful for that. So maybe someday I will be the best football player in the world, or I will be a P.E teacher in school, but I know that I will be happy, and that’s the most important in life. 

Storage War



I have a new favourite tv programme, and it isn't Gran Hermano 14 or Salvame Delux. Two months ago, I saw a tv programme where the participants have to buy abandoned storages of people who has forbidden of them. Firstly, I think, what a stupid programme, but I saw different times and I like it. Moreover, this tv programme, have different buyers, who has the best shops in the city, so they spend money buying storages, and then, they sold the things that they find in, for more money. It’s exciting because they sometimes found things that have a high valour, and they have to consult an antiquarian if they want to know the price of the object.
There are different people and old of them have a lot of money, and they aren’t friends, so they fight for all the storages because they have to live with this, so they don’t want to lose money. The main characters are Dave, Darrel, Jason and Nabila, who won a 1.000.000 $ selling a Paris Hilton’s storage. 


What are happening with you Barça?


I’m so sad and I’m very angry with my favourite football team. I can’t recognize it and I don’t know why. Some people say that Barça loses his match because his first coach are ill, I don’t know that, because are the players who play the matches, not the coach, and are the players who has to run and defender, not the coach. Another people said that the F.C.Barcelona’s  streak has finished, I don’t think this too, because a team never have streaks, a team win because they want to win, and because they never gives up.

Fortunately, I haven’t see a one of the last three matches of Barça because I had to be in Lleida playing a match, an important match, more important for my than the Madrid-Barça. I am remembering that some months ago, before a Barça’s match, I said: “We will win this, of course” but now I’m afraid before each match and I don’t if my team will win or not. But if we compare the lasts three matches we see that Barça make a lot of passes, but they don’t shot, and in football, you have to shout if you want to win the matches. F.C.Barcelona have a different style of play, they have a lot of possession and plays beautifully. But if the other teams already know that you will play like always, you have to change! I’m very angry because a lot of Barça supporters said that Real Madrid or other teams, don’t play as well as Barça, but they win. They are more effective that Barça, and that’s why the other teams wins the matches. So I hope that Barça makes a plan B or ends the “bad streak”. If there aren’t any change, we will have to follow R.C.D.Espanyol, and that will be very sad.

The sinkholes


Demolition starts at Florida home where sinkhole devoured man


Police tape surrounds a home where a sinkhole opened beneath the bedroom of Jeff Bush in Seffner, Florida, on Friday, March 1. Sinkholes caused by acidic groundwater corroding the limestone or carbonate rock underground are common in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Take a look at sinkholes throughout the world.
By John Zarrella and Holly Yan, CNN
March 3, 2013 -- Updated 1434 GMT (2234 HKT)

When I got up this morning and I saw the news, I have listened that a man has dead while he was at home. I am still in shock because he has dead while he was sleeping. A big sinkhole has eaten him when he was at his home!
Can you imagine that? The experts said that it’s improbably that the sinkholes appear in our country, they said that only appears in America. I can’t imagine how the neighbours are right now, because a big hole has appear next to them houses,  and there are some possibilities that a sinkhole appears in their houses, so, if I were in their situation, I will be very afraid. Unfortunately, it isn’t the only case in America. These sinkholes have been appearing in that country fluency the last years, but the others weren’t as deep as this. The others were little earthquakes, and this sinkhole was more than that as you can see in the picture. So I wish that these sinkholes doesn’t kill anyone else and disappear forever.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/03/us/florida-sinkhole/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 

Rafael Nadal's returns!

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal beats David Ferrer to win Mexican Open title in Acapulco

Rafael Nadal comfortably beat David Ferrer in the Mexican Open final to win his second tournament since recovering from a serious injury to his left knee.
The Spaniard spent seven months out of tennis but has now won two events in three weeks after also claiming the Brazil Open title in February.
Nadal, 26, defeated 30-year-old countryman Ferrer 6-0 6-2 in Acapulco.


Raffael Nadal, has lived some difficult moments the lasts months of his life. He injured in a training a few months ago and he has been injured during one year more o less. But the last Saturday, he wins a little tournament against David Ferrer. It isn’t a famous tournament but it’s important for him that he cans plays again and keeps in feet.

I’m not a tennis fanatic, but I follow Rafa because I like how he plays and because it’s one of the best of the world. And that’s a fantastic new because I want that all the Spanish players win titles. I wish that he can plays in a famous tournament or grand slam as soon as possible and see him winning again. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/21646612

A good friend

http://s1.vocaroo.com/media/download_temp/Vocaroo_s1favDhtutff.mp3


The person I will describe is a great friend of mine. She isn’t tall; she has long brown hair and brown eyes. She’s quite beautiful and she always has a smile on her face. She lives in Empuriabrava in a beautiful house with a little garden. I’ve known her since we were young, I don’t remember exactly whtn, but more than seven years, I think so. She’s very happy, and she’s always making jokes. And for example, if I am sad for something, she makes me laugh and we always spend a good time together. We are classmates now, and we are sitting together in our classes.


She’s really interested in horses. She practices horse ball, and she is quite good at horse ball because she has competed in European tournaments and championships. She likes to learn a lot of things, that’s why she always passes her exams with incredible marks. She’s particularly strong-willed, because when she said: “I will pass this exam and with a good mark!” She just does it.
The thing that I really admire is that she always is smiling; she’s a strong person and she never gives up. Si I feel identified with her. Another thing is that she’s two-faced, but this is normal in girls isn’t it? So I don’t mind about this, I like it because it’s funny when with someone she’s very kind, and when this person isn’t there, she criticizes him/her.
Those are good qualities in a friend in my opinion.

Oral presentation


Hello to everybody we are David and Jaume and now we’re going to talk about the All Blacks, the national team of New Zealand. First of all, we will introduce the topic, then the history, competitions, equipment, haka, players, stadiums, the conclusions and finally we will show to you a little video about the haka, the typical dance that the players dance before a match.

Introduction (Jaume)

The national rugby team of New Zealand, the all blacks is one of the most important icons of the country. The All blacks are one of the myths of the world of this sport, and of course of New Zealand because in this country rugby is the national sport.
The All blacks are very famous for his history, his equipment, how they play and his dance, haka. Now, the All Blacks have the best player in the world, Richie McCaw, and also he is the Captain.
The national team of New Zealand currently are on the top of the International rugby’s ranking.

History (Jaume and David)

The national team of New Zealand did a tour in the British Islands to play against the English, Welsh, Irish, Icelanders clubs, and later against France and USA. The tour lasted six months and New Zealand played 33 games, they won 31, they lost 1 and they drawed 1. New Zealand was considered one of the best national teams in the world. The All Blacks name comes from the style of play that had those guys, and not his black shirt.// In New Zealand they were not aware of the successes and learned by the journalists, were when the players became heroes by the people of New Zealand. Until 1981 Australia and New Zealand played the Bledisloe Cup, but from 1995 the tournament was renamed because South Africa was added at the competition. In 2012, it happened another time because Argentina was added at the competition, and the new name was Rugby Championship.

Competitions (David)

The national team of New Zealand plays two competitions. The most important is world cup, where play against all the best rugby’s teams of the world. The few teams that discuss the title at this national team are South-Africa, Australia and England.
The other competition was the Tri Nations Championship, where plays South-Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The all Blacks has win 9 times this competition and the other teams two each one. But since 2012, another team has joined in this competition: Argentina, but they aren’t win a tournament yet.

Equipment (Jaume)

From 1884 to 1893 the equipment was blue and white, the shirt was blue and white and the short trousers were black and with a fern leaf on the top left but in 1893 the New Zeland federation decided to change the equipment, and the equipment became black, the shirt and also the short trousers, with the same fern leaf on the top left and on the top right the adidas brand.
This is when they are local, but when they are visitors they wear a grey t-shirt and black short trousers. Since 2002 the All Blacks have a contract with adidas for 200 million of dollars during 9 years, with the condition that the All Blacks have to keep his record, they have to won the 75% of the matches.

The haka (David)

We called haka the group dance traditional Maori origin, but one usually refers to the name specifically the Maori war dance. Currently usually do before every game with the All Blacks, the national rugby team of New Zealand. This dance is also used for welcome the guests or for intimidation the opponent. In new Zeland, the Haka is also called Ka mate.
Sometimes, the haka is challenged by rivals of the All Blacks. In the Rugby World Cup 2007, the French team, stepped in front, just a meter away from the Kiwis as they prepared to do the haka and looked face to face during the ritual, as in the end of the Rugby World Cup 2011, was advancing defiantly while performing the Kapa O Pango why the International Rugby Board fined the French team for the challenge.

The Players (David)

The national team of New Zealand is formed by 32 players, 18 forwards, 14 backs. The most important players are the leading scorer Dan Carter, and the player that has played more matches, Richie McCaw.

Stadiums (Jaume)

The national team of New Zealand hasn’t got an official stadium, so this team plays in different stadiums in different cities of his country. Since 2005 to 2006 the national had been playing in a lot of stadiums like:  Eden Park de Auckland; el North Harbour Stadium de North Shore City; el Westpac Stadium en Wellington; el AMI Stadium. In the Athletic Park the national team played his first international match against England in 1904. The government of New Zealand proposed to do a new stadium in Auckland, but the project has refused for the Regional Council Auckland.

Conclusions (David)

As a conclusion, we have enjoyed a lot doing this presentation because it’s a sport topic. We have learned some things about the national team of New Zealand because firstly we only know the All Blacks for his dance, but now we know about his history, his equipment, his stadiums, about the players, etc.
Have you got any questions?

David Costa: All Blacks
Presentation (10%)
Do you use any resources? Are the resources relevant and attractive and focused on the topic? Do they support your presentation? Is the timing 5-7 minutes?
Yes, we used a powerpoint. The resources are important in our presentation because helps the audience to follow our presentation with pictures and videos. Yes, the timing is correct.
10
Body language and eye contact (10%)
Are you looking at your audience most of the time? Are you reading occasionally from your notes? Are you doing any gestures / movement to hold the attention of the audience?
I think that this was the worst part of the presentation because I'm very shy and it's difficult to look at the audience because I don't like to speak in public. I red ocasionally my notes.
6
Structure (10%)
Do you organize your ideas in order of importance? Do you use discourse markers to make your ideas more clear?
Yes, we did an index and then, we orginzed our powerpoint correctly with a video in the end. We used discourse makers.
9
Content (30%)
Do you introduce interesting, NEW information to your audience? Is your information detailed and clear? Do you give / show examples? Is your information copied from a source or is it original? Did you look up information/facts/ideas in the Internet/books…?
I think that we introduce new information because it isn't an usual topic. Our information was clear and detailed and we have translate some difficult words and give examples. We have search the information from the internet.
30
Language (20%)
Is your grammar correct, complex? Is your vocabulary rich and varied? Do you use sentence linkers? Do you use pause fillers?
I think that we used a correct grammar, with a varied vocabulary. We haven't used so sentence linkers and pause fillers so that it's a bad point for us.
15
Pronunciation and intonation (10%)
Do you know how to pronounce all your words? Did you check the pronunciation with a dictionary, a classmate or the teacher? Do you change your tone of voice or use a monotone tone all the time? Did you speed in a fluid continuum or with breaks and interruptions?
I know how to pronunce all the words but I was very nervious and I did some mistakes. I have change my tone of voice and I speak with the correct speed.
8
Self-evaluation (10%)

9
Final Mark: (100%)
87%

A formal letter: To my principal

Castelló d'Empúries 
Pont street nº 56
18th January 2013

Castelló d'Empúries 
INS Castelló d'Empúries

Dear Mrs. Lluïsa Pintó

I am writing to tell you my opinion and what I think we can improve our high school. I know that the crisis affects our education, but I think that there are too much people in the classes and that’s bad for all the students.

I think that we can organize some outings, because we don’t do it and we have monotonous days without going out of Castelló.

Moreover, we can decorate our high school, not only on Christmas, during the year too, because I think that’s very sad inside, and we can print the walls outside because it seems like a prison.

And also we can do more practical classes, because we only do them at biology and chemicals once a week, and all the other hours are theoretical classes, and that’s particularly boring. Another problem that I find in our high school is the digital boards. I don’t really like them and are more useless than the others, because they don’t work very well and many teachers prefer to use the other ones.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely



David Costa