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Tell your partner what happens in the video

As everybody knows, games contribute to children’s education to a great extent. They help them to develop both physical and psychological aspects. However, the way children spend their free time has changed a lot in the last years. Nowadays, traditional games are not as popular as they used to be and they have been replaced by new technologies, especially computer games.

The first dangers of playing in front of a screen are physical. Clearly, a child who spends long hours playing is putting his eyes under a considerable strain. Moreover, while he is playing, he loses the possibility of doing some physical exercise and obviously the increase in child obesity can be attributed to that. Although computer games are thought to be a harmless pastime, they can cause addiction and social isolation. What is more the contents of some computer games are unsuitable for children and can make them develop a violent behaviour.

On the other hand, there are many games which are highly educational. Problem-solving puzzles encourage both linear and lateral thinking while through strategy games they can learn about ancient civilizations. In general, computer games stimulate children’s imagination and increase the coordination of the human eye.

In conclusion, I find that computer games are a good tool for children to learn and improve their abilities. However, playing more hours than they should can cause a serious problem in children’s character.

Alejandro García Lodeiro

Watch the video and answer the following questions:

1. How many American teens underwent cosmetic surgery in 2007? and in 1994?
2. How do parents feel about it?
3. What does Dr. David M. say about it?
4. What are the most common procedures teens are having done?
5. What do experts say?
6. What’s the final piece of advice the TV presenter gives?

For more information you can visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons

We enjoyed this activity by Manuel ( a 5th year student at this school ) and his students at Jovellanos high school and marvelled at how students worked and their interest in this extra-curricular activity.Congratulations !!!!!

We constantly read articles and we listen to news about people that live in big cities. Despite the fact that they are living in crowded places, they feel lonely.

Over the last few years our life style has changed, we have less time to spend with our family and we are always in a hurry.Many people nowadays think that young people have lost the respect for elderly people and the rules. Although parents are very worried about bringing up their children, they find it difficult to give good examples of behavior .

There are two main reasons why I think It is a good idea to give your child or teenager a dog , firstly he can learn lots of things about loyalty, respect, obedience,… , secondly he has an important responsibility that can help him to mature.

On the other hand, we need to live in company and who doesn’t need a loyal friend?.

One argument against having a dog in a flat it is that the dog needs to go out three times a day. To my mind, it is very important to do exercise and to go out, consecuently, It is better to walk with your dog three times a day than lie down in the sofa.

Another argument against it is that people believe that a dog should live outside. However ,the experts say that a dog living in a flat is mentally happier than the dog who is living in a garden, because the dog shares your home, it doesn’t sleep outside when it is cold or raining.

It is certainly true that a dog would disturb your neighbourhood. Neveretheless, It is proved that some people and children would disturb more than a dog and If you are living in a flat, you don’t have the possibility to choose your neighbours.

In my opinion it is a good idea to share your life with a dog, it is a loyal friend than you will never forget. I am sure you will give each other positive things.

In conclusion, I have just given a dog to my daughter and she thinks that “Lluna” is the best present she has ever received.

Ana Colmenero Teleña

TOPIC: now fertilisation techniques make it possible for women to have babies in their fifties, ore even sixties. Should they be allowed to have children at this age?

It is certainly true that nowadays life in general, and women´s life in particular, is getting larger and healthier. You can be good looking and full of energy in your fifties or sixties

There are two main reasons why I think that the topic could be suitable:

• - Firstly, what children need is:

Love, which everybody can provide

Security, middle age people should have a wealthy and stable family dynamic.

Rules, it doesn´t depend on the age to be able to set up good rules

• - Secondly, If the ethic committee doesn´t see any problem in that, they are the experts, so we must trust them

On the other hand, one argument against is the point that to bring up children you need a lot of energy, even if they don´t have any extra problem. Maybe it´s not fair for them to be ten years old and have parents in their seventies.

In my opinion, if there are middle age people willing to be parents, they should be foster parents of older children. It´s very difficult for those children to be adopted because they are not babies.

However, I wouldn´t dare say that they shouldn´t be allowed to do it. To raise children is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult issues you can cope with.

In conclusion, I can only wish any parents of any age good luck with their children.

María José Marqués Salgado

SHOULD PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO HAVE COSMETIC SURGERY BEFORE THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN?

It is certainly true that the press now has glorified the profession of being a model, consequently over the last few years, many young girls dream of becoming professional models even those in the shanty towns just like boys want to be soccer players.

From my point of view, people shouldn`t be allowed to have cosmetic surgery before the age of eighteen, firstly at this age people are not mature enough to know what they really want to be and which the surgery consequences could be.

Secondly aesthetics standars are created by fashion industry, for this reason, tens of girls die every year from anorexia or related causes. On the other hand pretending to be physically perfect according to fashionable standars, is really a goal for making people unhappy.

One point in favour of having an early cosmetic surgery is that it can help young people feel and develop better when they have a terrible complex about certain parts of their body or they have surffered an accident.

In my opinion cosmetic surgery, should be a way to help people live or feel better, nevertheless it shouldn`t be a way to provide physical changes according to fashionable standars.

In conclusion people must take a decision about having cosmetic surgery after being eighteen. Getting a phycological balance and a mature personality are really more important things.

Marta Cabeza Casielles

I live in Gijón, a town placed on the north coast of Spain, in the Asturian province. It is a mountanious region that is well-known in the country because of its lush vegetation, which conforms a colourful landscape, and its traditional food. It is a seaside town so the presence of different wide beaches and its mild weather make this place a touristic destination and a wonderful place to live in.This may be the reason why it has the highest population of Asturias: 270,000 inhabitants, which conforms the 25% of the Asturian population. Another thing that could also explain why this area is so populated is that the city has plenty of things to do. As it is a seaside town, going to the beach to sunbathe or just to enjoy the view of a rough sea is very common. Other options are the usual things, such as going to the cinema, to the aquarium, shopping or just hanging out. It must be said that the pace of life here depends on whether it is winter or summer time. In summer, nightlife is more active and even hectic because August is the busiest time of the town. However, in winter it is more usual to go shopping or to the cinema or even, like this year, going to an ice-rink!Its history is characterized by the Roman influence, which you can appreciate in the Ancient Wall, the Thermal Baths or the forts. Also, “El Elogio del Horizonte” has become realy famous here.Gijón isn’t really expensive but it depends on where you go. Public transport is really cheap and so are sports facilities. Maybe prices are low because it is a working town with 15,535 employeés. The inhabitants are friendly, funny and nice and we could define the town as picturesque, fertile and lively. This atmosphere is a little bit different from the capital’s, which is 30 km far from Gijón and has a cathedral and other political buildings.

What I really like about Gijón is the sea and the huge parks that you can walk through. I just cannot think about any disadvantage and the only thought of living anywhere else doesn’t fancy me at all. Here is where my family and friends are: here’s where I belong.

 

 

Sarai Díaz García

Introduction

Amsterdam is an unusual city in that it has all the advantages of a big city - culture, history, food, entertainment, good transport - with relatively few of the disadvantages: it is physically small, beautiful, relatively quiet, and largely thanks to the canals, has relatively little traffic.

Transport

Amsterdam has superb public transport facilities. There are many trams and good facilities for cyclists, like special bike lanes, and traffic lights for cyclists.

Trams

The best way to travel is by tram. They are frequent, fast and dependable. You can buy a ticket from the driver, the conductor at the back of the tram, or a machine in the middle of the tram, depending on the sort of tram it is.

Bicycles

The fastest way to travel is by bike. There are several addresses around town where you can hire (rent) a bike, for reasonable prices. Traditionally, Dutch bikes have no hand-brakes, but back-pedal brakes. If you think you can’t handle this, be sure to ask the hirer for a bike with hand-brakes.

When cycling, cross tram lines at a good angle to avoid getting your wheel caught in the rail. For obvious reasons, lock your bike to something solid when leaving it unattended.

When hiring a bike, you will be required to pay a deposit, and you should take some form of identification. Addresses:

Car hire

Driving in Amsterdam is not recommended. Even for longer distances it is far better to take a train.

Trains

Trains in the Netherlands are fast, frequent, comfortable, punctual and cheap; well, they were until they got privatised, when their punctuality started to suffer.

Walking

Central Amsterdam is very small: most distances are walkable, and walking is pleasurable, giving the best chance to appreciate the Amsterdam architecture. Beware of walking on bike paths, which are distinguished by their reddish colour: cyclists will show no mercy. Also take care when crossing roads, even at a green pedestrian light. Cyclists consider themselves pedestrians in Amsterdam, and so tend to ignore traffic lights.

Amsterdam is, as you may have noticed, structured as a half wheel. In the middle you have the old centre bounded by the canal called the Singel. It contains the Red-Light district around the Oude Kerk, the Nes theatre street, a quaint maze of small streets and quiet canals, and the Royal Palace at the Dam, with pedestrian shopping streets Nieuwendijk and Kalverstraat going north and south.

Surrounding the old centre, you have the three concentric ring canals Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht (it can help to note that they’re in alphabetic order). All four canals (with the Singel) are nice to walk along. The Herengracht is the grandest, especially along the ‘Golden Crescent’ to the east of the Leidsestraat, the Prinsengracht is perhaps the friendliest with its houseboats. The streets that connect the ring canals, especially the area called “The Nine Streets” in the section between the Brouwersgracht and the Leidsestraat shouldn’t be missed for their lovely individual shops.

Canal trips

It’s worth taking one of the canal boat tours to see Amsterdam from the water. They last about 90 minutes, and take you around the city and through the harbour. If you’re feeling energetic, you can hire a Canal Bike from one of the several points through the city, and choose your own route.

Language

Just about everyone speaks English in Amsterdam, and is proud of the fact. A common misconception is that Dutch is very close to German. In truth they are not mutually intelligible: Dutch people have to learn German at school, and in general they speak better English than German. German and Dutch are similar in the same sort of way that French and Italian are similar.

Money

The currency used in the Netherlands is the Euro expressed as EUR or €.

There are many places to change money in town. Post offices usually give the best rates.

Credit cards are not as widely accepted in the Netherlands as in many other lands, but it’s getting steadily better. Always enquire first if you want to pay by credit card.

Tipping

All prices in the Netherlands by law include tax and tips: the price you see is the price you pay. You don’t need to tip taxi drivers either.

Safety and Health

Amsterdam is a safe city, and there is nothing to fear from walking in any part of the city. Even in the red-light district but as in any large city you should beware of pick pockets. Don’t try to photograph the women in the red-light district though: that would be risky!

Eating and Drinking

It rains less in Rome, but Amsterdam has more cafés. So went the advert in the city once. Of all the things Amsterdam can offer a wide choice of food and drink.

Proeflokalen (tasting rooms)

In the 17th and 18th centuries Amsterdam was the centre of the European spice trade, and out of this grew a tradition of distilling ‘medicinal’ spirits, that developed into a full range of liqueurs. The proeflocalen specialise in these alcohols, and they have a disturbingly large range of traditional liqueurs that you will never have heard of.

That other sort of café

In the 17th Century Catholics and Protestants discovered that they were living side by side in Amsterdam, and in a very surprising development for the time, they didn’t slaughter each other. This seemed to work out well, so they developed a concept that they called ‘tolerance’, so that nowadays the Dutch don’t care if you are gay, foreign, or even if you eat mayonnaise with your fried potatoes (the latter of course is strictly speaking illegal, but the police turn a blind eye).

As you are probably aware, Amsterdam also has a policy of tolerating the sale and use of soft drugs. This activity is centred around so-called smoking cafes or “Coffeeshops” as the Dutch euphemistically call them. Whether you wish to avoid them or patronise them, they are easy to recognise: they are usually dark, have a characteristic smell, and tend to use words like free, high, happy, dreams, and space in the name of the cafe. They typically have a menu of the products they have on sale.

Places to See

Some of the major attractions in Amsterdam are the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum which allow you to book online and print your tickets out. This is worth doing, since it allows you to jump the queue for tickets and go straight in, but bear in mind that some only allocate a fixed number of tickets per day, so book early if you can.

The Anne Frank House, Prinsengracht 263 (Westerkerk), 09:00-19:00(summers 21:00), €7.50. The wartime hiding place of the young Jewish girl and her family, finally caught by the Nazis, made famous by Anne Frank’s diaries. Not to be missed. It’s better to go early, or late, to avoid the queues.

Begijnhof, Spui. Amsterdam has many ‘hofjes’, courtyards hidden away between houses. The Begijnhof is one of the largest, and well known, but also one of the more surprising: that such an oasis of peace can be so close to the bustling heart of the city. There is a doorway in the row of houses on the Spui that leads you there (if it is closed go right, around the corner to the entrance in the Gedempte Begijnensloot). It has a lovely English church (AD 1400) with pulpit panels designed by Mondriaan, and the oldest house in the city (1475), one of Amsterdam’s few surviving wooden houses. Turn left out of the Gedempte Begijnensloot entrance, and it leads you to the Amsterdam Historical Museum and its free gallery of old paintings of city guards in the style of the Nightwatch.

Heineken Brewery, Stadhouderskade 78; 10:00-18:00 (closed Mondays); €10. Used to be a brewery until a few years ago, now a museum and visitors’ centre. No unaccompanied children. No reservations. Free beer!

Museums

There are three major museums, the Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk (modern art) and the Van Gogh. All three are situated around the Museumplein.

Rijksmuseum, Jan Luijkenstraat 1, 10:00-18:00; €9 (under 19 free). Large museum containing paintings by some of the Netherlands’ great 17th century painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Hals. The Nightwatch by Rembrandt is their prize piece. Contains many artefacts as well as paintings. (Currently being renovated, so some parts are closed.) There is also a small branch of the Rijksmuseum at Schiphol airport.

Van Gogh, Paulus Potterstraat 7, 10:00-18:00 (Friday 22:00); €10. Surprisingly spacious, dedicated to Van Gogh and his contemporaries.

There are many other museums, too many to list here. Interesting ones include:

Rembrandt’s House, Jodenbreestraat 4 (Waterlooplein), 10:00(Sunday 11:00)-17:00, €7.50. The 17th century house where Rembrandt lived and worked, restored to its former state. Of particular interest is the ability to buy etches made from copies of Rembrandt’s original plates, at quite reasonable prices (about €35).

Trips outside the city

In tulip season (late March to mid-to-late May) flower lovers can take a coach trip to Keukenhof, huge gardens dedicated to tulips.

Not far from Amsterdam, in the former Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer) is Marken, an island now joined to the mainland by a land bridge. It still has many wooden houses, and you can still see people wearing local costume, not just for tourists. You should at least visit the harbour. There are organised coach tours, but for much less money you can take bus 111 from Central Station (it takes about 45 minute).

I have been doing judo since I was 5 years old and I go training on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7.30 to 10. I´m black belt and now I´ll tell you things about this sport.

In this fotograph we can see a man called JIGORO KANO the father of judo

As a boy, Kano was undersized, weak, and a sickly child with one sickness after another. Kano decided to do something to improve his health and at the same time learn how to defend himself against bullies. In 1882, Dr. Jigoro Kano (The Father of Judo) made a comprehensive study of the martial arts and integrated the best of these forms into a sport which is known as Kodokan Judo, which means “the gentle way”. In addition, he believed that the techniques could be practiced as a competitive sport if the more dangerous techniques were omitted. This is the beggining of judo

The referees are very important in judo

Judo made its first Olympic appearance in 1964, but then it was not included in the programme of the 1968 Olympic Games.However, Judo returned again in 1972. and women’s judo was added to the programme at the 1992 Olympics. At first, only men were allowed to participate but women’s judo was added to the programme at the 1992 Olympics.

Judo has four grades of score: koka, yuko, wazari and ipon. The object in a judo match is to score an ipon, and there are different ways to get it. The most common way is to throw your opponent to the ground on his back. There is another way in which you have to inmobilize your opponent with his back on the floor for 25 seconds. A match can be also won by strangulating or dislocating the elbow. Your opponent will lose consciousness and you will win. Penalties may be given for being inactive during the match, or for using illegal techniques. Fighting must be stopped if a participant is outside the tatami.

Clothes

Judogi is the judo uniform. For competition a blue judogi is worn by one of the two competitors for ease of distinction by referees and spectators.

Asalia Beya (these are my team mates) PINTOS

I´ve been doing judo for 12 years and my team is Asalia Beya. My team is my second family. I´ve never felt left out. They all are there when I need them and I´m completely sure that they will never let me down. Of course my second father is my coach Pintos. (we call him Pin) He has been doing judo for more than 30 years. He was EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED and he won his first Spainish championship when he was 15. He has won this championship three times; however, when he was in his best moment he injured himself during a tournament. He had several operations but suffers physical pain for the rest of his life. Nevertheless I think he is one of the best judokas in Spain.

TRIPS

The best part of doing judo are the trips. I´ve taken part in tournements in Badajoz, Valladoliz, Pais Vasco, Toledo, Galicia, Cantabria, and Madrid, but the best trip I´ve ever done was our visit to Amsterdam. We had a championship there last May and it was a wonderful trip. We travelled with the Oviedo University team. The results of the tournament weren´t great even though we had been training for that for many weeks; but all of us remember that trip as one of the best and although we lost, Pintos was proud of us. We also visited Brujas and we met people from other countries and it was really amazing.

To conclude

To conclude I want to say that today Judo is enjoyed by a lot of people. There are many reasons for learning Judo. Judo provides exercise, balance, coordination, self-protection and self-confidence and I think that it´s one of the best sports that exists.

Rachel