My next holidays

See what Clara is going to do! (CLEC)

Next summer, I'm going to the sea with my friends. I will spend my birthday there, i'm very happy. We're going to the beach everyday. Some nights we're going to go out. We have decided to cook ourselves. We're going to take a lot photos!

Tea

Thanks, Gloria!
Have tea!

The properties of tea are well known in ancient cultures such as China and India.
Tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant known since ancient times. Tea was already used in Chinese medicine for its many properties:

• It promotes alertness and reduces sleep
• It fights cholesterol• It trims fat
• It prevents tooth decay
• It extends life
• It heals fistulas
• It has cancer prevention effects
• It mitigates the effects of alcohol
• It promotes perspiration
• It has a laxative effect
Chinese medicine claims tea has all these properties. Now, studies in modern medicine verify that drinking tea regularly is a good preventive medicine. Green tea for example is shown in many studies to be effective in preventing such cancers.
There are four main types of tea :• White Tea: This tea is unique due to its low production. It is grown in Sri Lanka and China.• non-fermented tea: The most famous is the Green Tea. Dry weight of a sheet, 30% are polyphenols (diuretic, beneficial effects for cancer prevention)• Tea and Oolong tea semifermetado With 20% Polyphenols• Tea complete fermentation as black tea polyphenols with 10%

adverbs and adjectives

To practice!

https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZ8P_1tdKyUVZGY5Mmg3cGdfOTNqZDZ6NnNmeg&hl=en

PARIS, THE MOST EXPENSIVE CITY
http://www.vuelaviajes.com/paris-la-ciudad-mas-cara-del-mundo/

What’s the most expensive city in the world?
Thanks again, Ana Lucia. Great research!

The most expensive city in the world is in France. It’s Paris
Paris is more expensive than Tokyo.

1- Paris, France
2- Tokyo, Japan
3- Oslo, Norway
4- Frankfurt, Germany
5- Milan, Italy
6- Sidney, Australia
7- London, England
8- Dublin, Ireland
9- Chicago, U.S.A.
10- Shanghai, China

NEW longest river!

Thanks, Ana Lucia! (CLEC) Interesting information.


Saturday, 16 June 2007, 04:15 GMT 05:15 UK

Amazon river 'longer than Nile'

By Gary Duffy
BBC News, Sao Paulo


The new study puts the Amazon at 6,800km
Researchers in Brazil are claiming to have established as a scientific fact that the Amazon is the longest river in the world.
The Amazon is recognised as the world's largest river by volume, but has generally been regarded as second in length to the River Nile.
The claim follows an expedition to Peru that is said to have established a new starting point further south.
It puts the Amazon at 6,800km (4,250 miles) compared to the Nile's 6,695km.
Mountain source
The precise length of a river is not easy to calculate and depends on correctly identifying the source and the mouth.
The new claim in Brazil follows an expedition by scientists which is said to have discovered a new source for the Amazon in the south of Peru and not the north of the country as had been thought for many years.
While the exact location has yet to be confirmed from two choices, scientists say either would make the river the longest in the world.
Guido Gelli, director of science at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, told the Brazilian network TV Globo that today it could already be considered as a fact that the Amazon was the longest river in the world.
The Amazon is now said to begin in an ice-covered mountain in southern Peru called Mismi.
Researchers travelled for 14 days, sometimes in freezing temperatures, to establish the location at an altitude of 5,000m.
The research was co-ordinated by the National Geographical Institute of Peru, with the help of their colleagues in Brazil.
There has been a healthy academic debate over the world's longest river for some years and the claim from Brazil may not go unchallenged.

Chocolate and its benefits

Good research, Roxi! (CLEC)

CHOCOLATE
Comprises a number of raw and processed foods from the seeds of tropical THEOBROMA CACAO. It has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC.
The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavour. After fermentation the beans are dried, cleaned and roasted and shell is removed to produce cacao nibs.

Chocolate is made from plants. It contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. FLAVONOIDS act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from illnesses caused by free radicals.
Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure
Dark chocolate is good for your heart. A small bar every day helps keep your heart an cardiovascular system well. The benefits are :
• It lowers blood pressure
• It lowers cholesterol
• it tastes good
• it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure
• it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants
• it contains serotonin which acts an anti-depressant
• the flavonoids can inhibit the development of of diarrhea
• cocoa based prescription drugs could potentially help treat diabetes, dementia and other diseases

CHOCOLATE DOESN´T HAVE A LOT OF FAT
Here is some more good news. Some of the fats in chocolate don’t impact your cholesterol.
The fats in chocolate are:
• 1/3 oleic acid
• 1/3 stearic acid (has a neutral effect on cholesterol)
• 1/3 palmitic acid. It is a saturate fat,which raises cholesterol.
That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is bad for you.

The benefits of yerba mate

Great class the other day! Thanks for the information about different beverages!

Here we have what Iván C. prepared.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is a native plant from subtropical South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil).
The infusion called Mate is prepared by dry leaves and twigs of Yerba Mate in hot water.
Some research tells us about many of the properties of Yerba Mate.
Yerba Mate is diuretic and is very rich in vitamins, like B vitamin.
Yerba Mate is a very powerful antioxidant and it helps you to have a very healthy hair and skin.
Yerba Mate is a natural source of energy for our bodies. It is a stimulant for our minds and bodies.
Yerba Mate helps you lower the level of cholesterol in your body.
Drinking “mate” with friends is a common social practice in the South of South America.
I like drinking bitter “mate” (no sugar!).
I love drinking “mate” everywhere at anytime!

present perfect practice

2nd year people! As promised!
Download the practice:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZ8P_1tdKyUVZGY5Mmg3cGdfNjJnNGprMnNmaA&hl=en

and there's some theory and mooooreee practice:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple
http://www.saberingles.com.ar/curso/lesson21/06.html

We discussed in class the importance of drinking water and Marcelo C contributed with the following article which is summarised, Very interesting!!

WATER
Can You Really Drink Too Much Water?
In a word, yes. Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes.
What Happens During Water Intoxication?
When too much water enters the body's cells, the tissues swell with the excess fluid. Your cells maintain a specific concentration gradient, so excess water outside the cells (the serum) draws sodium from within the cells out into the serum in an attempt to re-establish the necessary concentration. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication. Swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, coma and ultimately death unless water intake is restricted and a hypertonic saline (salt) solution is administered. If treatment is given before tissue swelling causes too much cellular damage, then a complete recovery can be expected within a few days.
It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!
The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.
Resource:
http://www.about.com/

People:
Here's some practice. Hand in the exercises if there are no answers available. xxxx
http://www.easyenglish.com/lesson.asp?much.txt
http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/blmuchmany.htm
http://www.1-language.com/englishcourse/unit9_dialogues_exs.htm
http://www.geocities.com/ericsquire/grammar/countbl3.htm
http://iesitaza.educa.aragon.es/DAPARTAM/ingles/cursos/3_eso/Exerc_3_eso/Grammar/countable.pdf

Theory
http://www.learn-english-online.org/Lesson37/Lesson37.htm