I know, I know ... the last thing you want right now is doing anything that has to do with English, but keep this in mind: a little bit of reading harms nobody!!! ... consider it will help your brains keep fit as you are hanging out at the swimming pool or sunbathing in Benidorm ... ;-)
There you go!, these are recommended readings for your well-deserved off-school days (click on each entry to check details on the publishers):
Thesis statement: present the topic of your writing by giving a brief explanation of what you are going to talk later.
II. DEVELOPMENT
Topic statements: decide how many topics you want to develop and make a sentence for each. You need to support each topic with details or examples.
> Sentence 1: details/examples
> Sentence 2: details/examples
> Sentence 3: details/examples
> Sentence 4: details/examples
...
In this section, use as many of the sentence connectors below as you need. These are words that help you link your ideas to write a cohesive, coherent paragraph.
Logical Order >Firstly/Secondly/Thirdly ...
>Next/Last/Finally ...
>In addition/Furthermore/Also ...
Contrast
>However
>On the other hand
>On the contrary
>In comparison
>In contrast
Result
>As a result
>As a consequence
>Therefore
Comparison
>Similarly
>Likewise
>Also
III. CONCLUSION
Concluding statement: recap all the topics/ideas you have dealt with above and add up a closing statement that gives the reader an idea of successful completion (as if you left nothing to say).
I. Find this information on the Internet and answer the following questions:
>What is the plot of the film (3-5 lines)?
>When was the film first released?
>Could you name the main characters? Who were in the cast?
>How many awards and honours has this film won?
>What is special about its soundtrack? Who is the scores’ author?
II. Look up the phrase "melting pot" in any online encyclopaedia. Explain the relation that term could possibly have with the plot or topics in the film.
III. Write your film review (70-80 words). Keep to the layout basics given in the post above.
In case you need some help, check the following document:
We have seen the award-winning movie "Dracula" of the director Francis Ford Coppola (1992). Now see the trailer of an older version, "Horror of Dracula" (1958), starred by Christopher Lee. Which one have frightened you most?
DIRECTIONS FOR YOUR READER ESSAY
READING ADVICE
üDo not translate every word nor look its meaning up in the dictionary.
üRead two or three pages on one go.
üTry to get general ideas. Do not worry if you do not understand all details.
üCheck only the words that you consider useful to understand what happens.
üJot them down in your `vocab booklet´ so that you can use them in your summary.
üMake some notes on the teacher’s explanations (they will help you to draft your essay later).
LAYOUT
ØUse blank pages.
ØCover (book’s title and author). Write your name and class below.
ØHand-writing (never edit your paper on your PC, spell checks and translator gadgets prevent your English from a quick advance).
ØMake sure all the titles in bold, upper case below are in your paper.
Use "Britannica" search gadget on the right-hand side of the blog and find out who the following people were (write three or four lines for each):
>Bram Stoker
>Vlad the Impaler
I. SUMMARY
Make a list of all the chapters’ titles. Translate them into Spanish and write five or six sentences giving a brief description of the main events at each chapter. (Try making simple sentences. Do not translate directly from Spanish. Avoid using translation tools and spell-checks from your computer.)
II. CHARACTERS
Choose one character. Draw it or write his/her name and make a word tree with details of his/her appearance, personality, problems, experiences, fears, etc. Now use the words in the tree to write a full paragraph about that character. (70-80 words approx.)
III. VOCABULARY
Choose one chapter. Pick out 15 words that you consider relevant and necessary for a complete understanding of the events. Make a glossary including the word, page, word class (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, etc.), translation and a phrase sample.
IV. GRAMMAR
Choose a different chapter. Write 10 samples of grammar structures studied at class (including the page where they can be found). i.e. Present/Continuous, Past Simple/Continuous, Present Perfect, Subject/Object Questions, like/prefer/hate/enjoy + gerund, comparative/superlative adjectives, so/such a(n) + adjective, etc.
V. BOOK REVIEW
vTITLE
vAUTHOR
vBOOK TYPE (adventure, mystery, crime, romance, historical, suspense, etc.)
·The story happens in…………………………………………………………………… (place, time).
·The characters in this book are…………………………….………..(names, brief description).
·My favourite character is……………………………………………………….. I like him/her because…………………………………………………………………… (justify your choice).
·My favourite part of the story is when…………………………………………
·I like/don’t like the book because…………………………………………………
·I recommend/don’t recommend this book because………………………
To be 1_______ in the forest To be 2_______ adrift You've 3________ trying to reach me You bought me a book To be 1_______ in the forest To be 2_______ adrift I've been paid I've been paid
X 2 Don't get offended If I seem absent-minded Just keep telling me facts And keep making me smile Don't get offended If I seem absent minded I get 4_______ Baby, you've got to be more 5_______ I've never 6_______ what's good for me Baby, you've got to be more 7_______ I will be yours I'll pay for you anytime X 2 You told me you wanted to 8______________my sadness Well jump on, enjoy, you can 9_______ _______ You told me you wanted to 8_______ my sadness Jump right Baby, you've got to be more 5_______ I've never 6_______ what's good for me Baby, you've got to be more 7_______ What are you 10 _______ _______ _______? What's always in the way? Why so damn absent-minded? Why so 11_______ _______ romance? This modern love 12_______ me This modern love 13_______ me Do you wanna come over and kill some time? Tell me facts, tell me facts, tell me facts Tell me facts Throw your arms around me
Watch the acoustic version of the most popular song by the English band Bloc Party. Try to get as many past participles as you can. Then complete the lyrics on the post above:
I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.
This is kind of a project! It's called a Scavenger or Treasure Hunt and it will help you to build up your vocabulary about descriptions. Besides, you are asked to learn about some past and present subculture movements round the world. You will need to make an extra effort and work out solutions to people's strong opinions about appearances. This is due on Mon, 30th november.
Click on the link bellow, read carefully and follow the instructions:
Are you a natural winner?
You could show it off by testing your memory ... Read the text and try to memorise as much as you can. Then we will take out a 25% of the words of the text. If you feel confident try taking 50% of the words out and see what happens ...
This is only for the bravest! By the way, click on here and watch the most popular scene in another Braveheart like you.
