A FILM REVIEW by Carlos

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

The film The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the memories of Jordan Belfort. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese. It starts Leonardo Di Caprio as Belfort and Mathew McConaughey as Mark Hanna. The film was nominated for five Oscars but won none.

The film is location in NY in the early 1990s. It was filmed on set in New York and New Jersey.

The film is about a broker Belfort. He starts working for a firm, the firm Bankrupty after the famous Black Monday. Then Belfort does his own company. He hires former colleagues and his neighbour. He becomes rich selling low worth and high risk stocks. He and his partners are always in parties with alcohol, drugs and prostitutes but he is jailed for an FBI investigation.

I strongly recommend the Wolf of Wall Street because I think it is funny and smart. I would like to be Belfort although only once in life.

TELLING A STORIE by Carlos

TELLING A STORY

A FANTASTIC TRIP TO USA

I’m going to tell you about the time when I went to USA, a few weeks ago.

I went to California last month. My company needed me to check a new building.

My secretary booked a room in one of the best hotel in the city, but I was worried because that week was the great festival of cinema “The Oscars” and it was possible that I may have problems with my booking.

I arrived in California in the morning so I was working all day. When I finished my work I was tired. I just wanted to go to the hotel to rest.

I arrive at the hotel at night. The hotel was crowed. The receptionist  looked very tired when I spoke to him and he answered me that he didn’t find my booking and there weren’t empty rooms for that night.

I couldn’t believe him, then I went to the bar. Suddenly Charlie Theron appeared in the bar she came close to me. She looked at me worried and she asked me why.

I told her I didn’t have where I could sleep, then she told me that she has an empty bed in her room for me.

I’m sorry but I can’t tell you more about this because my partner studies with me and I don’t want her to ask me about this topic.

Do you understand me? 

CELEBRITY PHOTO by Carlos

CELEBRITY PHOTO. MY FRIEND MICHAEL DOUGLAS

He is Michael Douglas, he is a famous American actor. He was born in New Brunswichk, New Jersey. He is the first son of the actor Kirk Douglas.

Douglas got married with Diandra Luker on 20^th March 1977. They had a son. However they broke up in 2000, because Diandra said Michael became addicted to sex, so they got divorced this same year.

After that, Michael met Catherine Zeta Jones, a famous actress younger that him. First they became friends although they got on well so they got married soon. They had two children but in 2013 they broke up and they noticed that they were going to divorce but right now they aren’t divorced. 

AMERICAN CRIME STORIES by Carlos

AMERICAN CRIME STORIES

People kill for different reasons fear, desire of power, madness, etc. This book has seven stories about crimes. I choose one of them to talk about it.

THE LIPSTICK

This story was told by Mary Roberts Riheheart. She was an American writer often called the American Agatha Christie.

Elionor Hammond’s wife has died. Mrs Hammond visited her psychiatrist doctor, Mr Barclay. He was in his late thirties and quite good looking. She was in the waiting room, and the last person who saw alive her was the nurse. Minutes after Mrs Hammond fell or jumped from the tenth floor window of Doctor Barclay waiting room. At least the inquiry told that.

But Miss Baring, the cousin of Mr Hadmmond didn’t believe in it. She thought that Mrs Hadmmond had been killed.

She began to research. On the one hand she thought that the killer was Mr hadmmon’s mother but on the other hand she thought that the killer was the nurse of the doctor.

The lost nearly her life for her research, a bullet touched her head. But when he woke up the doctor told her the true. The killer was her cousin. Good!! She lost a cousin, but she won a doctor.

Jealous is one of the worst reasons to kill but a lot of people kill for that reason.

I recommend this book, especially to people who are studying English because they’ll learn a lot of new vocabulary.   

THE GHOSTS OF IZEU by Carlos

THE GHOSTS OF IZIEU

This book was written by James Watson. He is a succesfull writer. He has written plays for radio but most of his books are for younger people. His most famous book is talking in whispers which is a hard criticism of dictatorships, especially the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile.

The Ghosts of Izieu is about a girl, her name is Elise. Elise is in a village in French with her father Steve and her stepmother Carol on holiday.

Carol enjoys painting and Steve loves studying about history, especially the history of World War II.

One day Elise woke up in her bedroom. She was in her bed and she saw children were getting in military lorries. It this possible? Are they ghosts?

After she met a strange boy, Stephen “he works at the farm, in Loniloz”. When Stephen went away she came in a cold church then she began a strange trip. She didn’t know if she was living in 1944 or if she was living at present.

Suddenly, a woman, Sabina, appeared in the church. Sabina made a mistake, she thought Elise was Eloise. Sabina held out Elisa’s arm and they went quickly to the farm in Loniloz.

In the farm there were a lot children, one of them looked like Stephen. Also they thought Elise was Eloise.

Were the same children Elise saw in her bedroom? The children were hidden because they were afraid of Gestapo. She knew Gestapo did to people because her father had told her. She also thought her life was in danger. At night, she ran away from this farm and she was injured. In the morning Gestapo arrived at the farm and they took the children into military trollies.

Is this a book about ghosts? Why ghosts appear? I think ghosts appear because they don’t want we forget them, and I think the autor of this book wants to tell us “Not to forget it”. We can’t, we mustn’t forget what happened in WWII, especially what happened to the Jews. So I think everyone should read this book.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

ST. PATICK’S DAY (09-03-2015)

St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious Ireland celebration on 17 March. In Spain, you can enjoy this celebration drinking beer in an Irish pub.

     In our English class we could enjoy this celebration on 9 March. We brought beers and snacks and we left some snacks on the different tables. Our teacher Maria prepared a Quiz to play because in Irish pub is usual to play Quiz. So students were separated in some groups and we called each group with a special name. Our group was called “Caloret is coming”.

   Maria started to asked us questions about different topics: music, sports, general culture, celebrities, … We answered the questions on a piece of paper after each group round of questions someone made a toast.

   On balance, the group which had more correct answers won. We were the second.

                             What’s a pity!!!

A FILM REVIEW by Carmen

THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-2003)

 

 The film the Lord of the rings is based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien and comprises 3 epic films: the fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and, finally, The return of  the Kind (2003).

   The 3 films were written and directed by Peter Jackson. It stars Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn and Elijah Wood as Frodo Bolson. Between the three films won 17 Oscars including Best Movie, Best Director, Best Soundtrack and Best Visual Effects.

   The films are set in the fictional world of Middle-Earth. They were filmed on location in New Zeland during three years.

   The films follow the adventures of the Hobbit Frodo Bolson and his friends in their mission to destroy the One Ring and annihilate the Dark Lord. Frodo, Sam and Gollum try to reach the Sauron’s Castle. While the wizard Gandalf and Aragorn unite and lead free people during several battles against the forces of evil.

   I strongly recommend The Lord of the Rings. The three films have action, adventures and a lot of fantastic visual effects. If you like fantasy films, you love The Lord of the Rings.

TELLING A STORY by Carmen

ROME!

   Ten years ago, my partner Carlos and me went to Rome for our summer holiday. We stayed in a hotel for three nights.

   The first night, while we’re going for a walk around the city centre, Carlos injured his left leg. So we returned to the hotel walking very slowly and we had dinner in the room. That day we went to bed early.

   The second day, we went to The Vatican. Although Carlos was limping a lot we visited all the places. We went back to the hotel by bus instead of the subway so it took us a long time and the restaurant was closed. That evening we couldn’t have dinner.

   The last day, we woke up early and we had a big breakfast. We’re hungry! After that, we went to the airport to return to Valencia.

   Despite that my first trip to Rome was a disaster, I think Rome was wonderful and we’ll return soon.

ENGLISH BOOK (1) by Carmen.- STARGATE

STARGATE

   StarGate tell us a fantastic story about the Egyptian civilization and a travel through space.

   The plot is about a young archaeologist with a different theory about Egyptian civilization. Catherin Langford seeks help from Daniel to discover the meaning of the Egyptian stone with strange words. They discover that it is a StarGate, a machine to travel across the space. Daniel and some soldiers travel to a place many light year away where there are humans and a God of the sun called Ra, like in ancient Egypt.

   The main character are Daniel Jackson: the young archaeologist, O’Neil: a soldier whose mission is to protect the Earth and Ra: the evil character.

This book is the film adaptation of the StarGate. And it was directed and written by Roland Emmerich, who also directed films like Independence Day, Godzila, The Patriot, …

   I love reading science fiction books, however, in this case, I prefer to see the film in the cinema.  

ENGLISH BOOK (2) by Carmen.- THE CANTERVILLE GHOST

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST AND OTHER STORIES

The Canterville Ghost and Others Stories tell us fantastic short stories about English high society of the late 19^th century.

The first play is about a famous ghost that he haunts an old house, but the ghost becomes unhappy because the new owners, an American family, aren’t frightened by him, and, the little children even play tricks on him. Finally, Virginia, the Otis’s daughter, helps him to die definitely.

In the second story, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, the meeting between a chiromantist and Lord Arthur, produce his whole life changes because he has to murder someone before he can marry.

The third story, The Sphinx without a secret, is about the secret life of the beautiful Lady Alroy. She has unusual habits seem mysterious even for the man who wants to marry her.

The main characters in each story are: The Canterville Ghost is the ghost of Sir Simon Canterville and Virginia that she is a daughter of new owner of Canteville Chase. Lord Arthur Saville is a young man who he has to murder someone before he can marry. Finally, in the third story, Lord Gerald Murchison, is the man who loves Lady Alroy.

These stories were written y Oscar Wilde. He was a very successful writer in the late 19^th century and a famous character. He wrote a lot of short stories than these, plays like The importance of being Earnest, poems, several books for children like The happy Prince and other Tales and his most famous full-lenth book The picture of Dorian Gray.

I really think that this book everyone has to read it, because is funny and very interesting. Then you can learn a lot about people and their behaviour.

RELATIONSHIP.- CELEBRITIES by Carmen

RELATIONSHIPS.- CELEBRITIES

ANA OBREGON

Ana Obregon is a Spanish celebrity since twenty or thirty years ago. Therefore, every summer we can see as divine.

  

   She started in the cinema and after she appeared on TV (series, entertainment programmes, etc.).

When she worked in Hollywood she met Fernando Martin ant they had a relationship for two years. After his death, she met Alessandro Lequio. They went out together for ten years. They had a son together. She broke up the relationship because he was unfaithful sometimes.

For a long time she was single but, one day, she met Davor Suker, a football player, and they fell in love and in spite of the news of their wedding the couple broke up.

After, she went out with Miki Molina and, finally, she had a relationship with a young polish man called Darek. He was good-looking man, but he only wanted her fame.

Nowadays she’s a golden single lady. 

SPEED DATING ACTIVITY by Carmen

After we changed our Xmas cards, we have had a Speed Dating Activity. Our teacher Maria brought chips and we brought some beer.

That day there was more women than men, so I became a men called Carmelo. I told some questions to 8 or 10 women classmate.

We spoke, ate, drank and laughed a lot.                                                                                                                        

GAME OF TRONES ACTIVITY by Carmen

GAME OF TRONES (Chapter 5)

   The Xmas holiday have finished and we have started our English class again.
My partner and I have prepared the activity Game of  Trones of this week. We have prepared some questions about episode 5 and our classmate had to answer them.

QUESTIONER: GAME OF THRONES. EPISODE 5 SEASON 1

1.-  For the tournament between The knight of the Flowers and Ser Gregor, Littlefinger bet something to Renly Baratheon, what is it?

·         100 gold dragons on the Mountain

·         A dozen barrels of Dornish wine

·         A girl from pleasure houses of Lys

·         To buy a friend

  2.- Catelyn Tully and her hostage Tyron are in the eastern road, suddenly appear the hill tribes and then start a fight. Tyron Lannister (dwarf) kills his first man in a fight, what does he use to kill?

·         A sword

·         A tomahawk

·         A knife

·         A shield

   3.- Maester Luwin is showing a map to Bran Stark, and Maester is asking for t he symbols of The Major Houses. Do you know what's the symbol of The Lannister?

·         A stag

·         A deer

·         A lion

·         A ball

  4.-  Arta Stark is chasing a cat, and she arrives in the dungeons, then she hears two men are speaking about secret things. Do you know who are they?

·         Varys and Bran Stark

·         Pili and Mili

·         Jon Snow and Varys

·         Varys and Illyrio Mopatis

  5.-   Do yo know this castle?

•    The Eyrie
•    Casterly Rock
•    The Castle of Penyiscola
•    The Wall

  6.-    While The knight of the flower is shaving to Renly’s body, what are they speaking about?

·         About Nerd Stark’s children

·         The last aftershave

·         Rendy could be king someday

·         About nothing because The Knight of the flower has his mouth full

Had a fun time!

XMAS CARD by Carmen

Today is 22/12/2014 and we have our last English class in this year. I hope a special and funny class.

First we have changed the Xmas card that we have done, with all love, to my secret classmate and we also have changed some chocolate. Ummmm! Delicious!

This is the Xmas card that I have prepared.




And this is the photo my English class after we changed our Xmas Cards.