Dopo due anni dal mio ultimo post, trovo doveroso segnalare che questo blog rimane come "archivio di materiali" usati in passato nella mia attività di insegnante, nonché di appassionata di lingue e culture straniere.
Sono momentaneamente assorbita da impegni lavorativi e familiari che mi tengono lontana dal blog...ma non dalla scrittura!
Mi auguro di poter ritornare presto, con maggiore professionalità, puntualità e magari con qualche bella novità proprio nell'ambito della scrittura!
Ringrazio chi ha letto, commentato e apprezzato i post di questo blog.
A presto.
Chiara

Royal baby leaving hospital/ Royal baby named George

Prince William and Kate leave hospital with their son

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have emerged from St Mary's Hospital in west London with their new baby son.Walking out with their baby to cheers from staff and well wishers, Kate said it was "a special time for any parent".

Prince William said they were "still working on a name".
The couple then went back inside the private Lindo Wing and placed their son in a car seat. A few minutes later they came outside again and the duke drove his family home to Kensington Palace.

A small crowd had gathered outside the palace to greet them.
Speaking to reporters outside the hospital earlier, the couple both said the experience was "very emotional".

They appeared relaxed and smiled as they walked out of the hospital shortly before 19:15 BST in front of a mass of photographers.

William later held his son and walked forward with his wife to speak to reporters.

He said: "He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure. He's a big boy, he's quite heavy. We are still working on a name so we will have that as soon as we can."

He added: "It's the first time we have seen him really so we are having a proper chance to catch up."

The duchess, smiling as she held her son, said: "It's such a special time. I think any parent will know what this feeling feels like."

Speaking to the waiting crowd, Prince William said: "I'll remind him of his tardiness when he's a bit older.

"I know how long you've all been standing here so hopefully the hospital and you guys can all go back to normal now and we can go and look after him."
They also revealed William had done the first nappy change.

Here is a link to the video of the royal baby leaving the hospital where he was born:
http://youtu.be/gZdXDO0CBHI

 

Royal Baby named George Alexander Louis

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their baby boy George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace confirmed in a statement.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their son George Alexander Louis," a statement from the palace said. 

The baby's official title is His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge. When he eventually takes the throne, he will become King George VII.

George was a hot favourite for the Royal Baby name, given its reference to past Kings. 

Royal Baby

Riporto qui di seguito alcune notizie che impazzano in rete in queste ore!

Royal baby

Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to a boy

It's a boy

Official statement from Kensington Palace on birth

The full statement from Kensington Palace:

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm.

The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz.

The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news.

Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight.

Reaction from the Prince of Wales

A statement now from the Prince of Wales:

Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild. It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy. 

Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.

Royal Baby is Here - Prince William Releases First Statement!

Prince William has released his first statement following the birth of his baby boy: “We could not be happier”






Ecco anche il link ad un video:
 http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Video+collection+Royal+Baby/8692805/story.html#ooid=RmOXZpZDrODsoVZpuFSMimZtoHufkF2g

waiting for the royal baby

Waiting for the royal baby...

Kate Middleton (from People.com)

Name

Kate Middleton

Date of Birth

January 09, 1982

Birth Place

Berkshire, England

Royal insiders have called Kate Middleton, with her grace and sporty elegance, "a natural" as Prince William's wife.

The captivating brunette may not come from royalty, but she does have good breeding – her parents are self-made millionaires and she attended the prestigious and pricey private boarding school Marlborough College. After excelling at field hockey and cross-country running, Middleton studied art history at University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she took William off the market in 2002.

After an eight-year romance, William proposed to Middleton with his late mother Princess Diana's engagement ring. On April 29, 2011, the couple married in a fairy tale ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey, ennobling the commoner as the Duchess of Cambridge.

Following more than a year of royal duties, including tours of North America and Asia, championing the London Olympics and celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, Middleton added another title to her mantle: mom-to-be.

Nasa - How it all began

Dear students,
here you can find  an additional reading comprehension about the first steps on the moon...
At the end there are also two videos taken from youtube with famous songs, their texts and the translation.

Here you can listen to the song "Walking On The Moon" by Police:

Lyrics:

Giant steps are you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon

Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Walking back from your house
Walking on the moon
Feet they hardly touch the ground
Walking on the moon
My feet don't hardly make no sound
Walking on, walking on the moon

Some may say
Ìm wishing my days away
No away
And if it's the price I pay
Some stay
Tomorrow's another day
You say
I may as I well play

Giant steps are you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my legs don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon

Some may say
Ìm wishing my days away
No away
And if it's the price I pay
Some stay
Tomorrow's another day
You say
I may as I well play

Keep it up, keep it up... 

Translation:

Passi giganti stai facendo
Camminando sulla luna
Spero che le mie gambe non si rompano
Camminando sulla luna
Noi potremmo camminare per sempre
Camminando sulla luna
Noi potremmo vivere assieme
Camminando su, camminando sulla luna

Tornando a piedi dalla tua casa
Camminando sulla luna
Tornando a piedi dalla tua casa
Camminando sulla luna
I piedi toccano con difficoltà il suolo
Camminando sulla luna
I miei piedi difficilmente fanno rumore
Camminando su, camminando sulla luna

Qualcosa si può dire
Io sto sognando i miei giorni lontano da qui
Non lontano
E se questo è il prezzo io lo pago
Qualcosa rimane
Domani è un altro giorno
Tu dici
Io potrei giocare al mio meglio

Passi giganti stai facendo
Camminando sulla luna
Spero che le mie gambe non si rompano
Camminando sulla luna
Noi potremmo camminare per sempre
Camminando sulla luna
Noi potremmo vivere assieme
Camminando su, camminando sulla luna

Qualcosa si può dire
Io sto sognando i miei giorni lontano da qui
Non lontano
E se questo è il prezzo io lo pago
Qualcosa rimane
Domani è un altro giorno
Tu dici
Io potrei giocare al mio meglio

Tienilo alto, tienilo alto...

And here,  "Astronaut" by "Simple plan":

Lyrics:

Can anybody hear me?
Am I talking to myself?
My mind is running empty
In the search for someone else
Who doesn't look right through me.
It's all just static in my head
Can anybody tell me why I'm lonely like a satellite?

Cause tonight I'm feeling like an astronaut
Sending SOS from this tiny box
And I lost all signal when I lifted up
Now I'm stuck out here and the world forgot
Can I please come down, cause I'm tired of drifting round and round
Can I please come down?

I'm deaf from all the silence
Is it something that I've done?
I know that there are millions
I can't be the only one who's so disconnected
It's so different in my head.
Can anybody tell me why I'm lonely like a satellite?

Cause tonight I'm feeling like an astronaut
Sending SOS from this tiny box
And I lost all signal when I lifted up
Now I'm stuck out here and the world forgot
Can I please come down, cause I'm tired of drifting round and round
Can I please come down? 

Now I lie awake and scream in a zero gravity
And it's starting to weigh down on me.
Let's abort this mission now
Can I please come down? 

So tonight I'm calling all astronauts
Calling lonely people that the world forgot
If you hear my voice come pick me up
Are you out there?
Cause you're all I've got! 

Cause tonight I'm feeling like an astronaut
Sending SOS from this tiny box
And I lost all signal when I lifted up
Now I'm stuck out here and the world forgot 

Cause tonight I'm feeling like an astronaut
Sending SOS from this tiny box
To the lonely people that the world forgot
Are you out there?
Cause you're all I've got! 

Can I please come down?
Cause I'm tired of drifting round and round.
Can I please come down?

Translation:

Qualcuno riesce a sentirmi?
O sto parlando da solo?
La mia mente si sta svuotando
Alla ricerca di qualcun altro
Che non riesca a guardarmi dentro
Tutto è statico nella mia testa
Qualcuno potrebbe dirmi come mai
sono solo come un satellite?

Perché stanotte mi sento come un astronauta
Che manda un SOS dalla sua minuscola scatola
E ho perso ogni segnale nel momento
in cui mi sono sollevato
Adesso sono bloccato qua fuori
e il mondo mi ha dimenticato
Per favore, posso scendere?
Perché sono stanco di continuare ad andare alla deriva
Per favore, posso scendere?

Sono assordato da tutto questo silenzio
ma ho fatto qualcosa di male?
So che ci sono milioni di persone
Non posso certo essere il solo così sconnesso
È tutto così diverso nella mia testa
Qualcuno potrebbe dirmi come mai
sono solo come un satellite?

Perché stanotte mi sento come un astronauta
Che manda un SOS dalla sua minuscola scatola
E ho perso ogni segnale nel momento
in cui mi sono sollevato
Adesso sono bloccato qua fuori
e il mondo mi ha dimenticato
Per favore, posso scendere?
Perché sono stanco di continuare ad andare alla deriva
Per favore, posso scendere?

Adesso giaccio sveglio e urlo a gravità zero
E sta iniziando a pesare su di me
Interrompiamo questa missione ora
Per favore, posso scendere?

Così stanotte sto chiamando tutti gli astronauti
Tutte le persone sole che il mondo ha dimenticato
Se sentite la mia voce, venitemi a prendere
Siete là fuori?
Perché siete tutto quel che ho!

Perché stanotte mi sento come un astronauta
Che manda un SOS dalla sua minuscola scatola
E ho perso ogni segnale nel momento
in cui mi sono sollevato
Adesso sono bloccato qua fuori
e il mondo mi ha dimenticato

Perché stanotte mi sento come un astronauta
Che manda un SOS dalla sua minuscola scatola
Alle persone sole che il mondo ha dimenticato
Siete là fuori?
Perché siete tutto quel che ho!

Per favore, posso scendere?
Perché sono stanco di continuare ad andare alla deriva
Per favore, posso scendere?

And now, protect our home planet.. enjoy yourselves!

Conditional - Integrazione tabella tempi verbali

Conditional

(Integrazione alla Tabella dei Tempi Verbali)

Questo è un argomento per i miei allievi che tra qualche mese inizieranno il Quarto Livello.

Trattandosi di un corso di livello avanzato proverò a dare anche la spiegazione in inglese.

There are four types of conditional. The type 0, 1, 2 and 3.

A condition is something that has to be fulfilled before something else can happen. It means "provided that".

Type 0:

When we use type 0 conditional: it is about something which is always true.

Form: PRESENT SIMPLE + PRESENT SIMPLE

Exemple:

• Demand falls if prices rise.
• I feel tired and nervous if I don't get enough sleep.

You can use also another tense, like the Past Simple:

• I felt embarassed if I made a mistake in class.

Type 1:

When we use type 1 conditional: it is about things which will possibly happen and considers their real consequences for the future. It talks about events that are highly probable. We use type 1 conditional to describe what will or won't happen if we think a future event is probable.

Basic form: IF + PRESENT SIMPLE + WILL FUTURE

Exemple:

• If I get the job, I will go abroad.
  (condition to be satisfied → likely outcome)

You can also use the word "unless"

• You won't pass the exam unless you study hard.

Type 2:

When we use type 2 conditional: It talks about imaginary situations in the -if clause and speculates about their imaginary consequences in the main clause.

Basic form: IF + PAST SIMPLE + WOULD

Exemples:

• If I were you/ in your position, I would accept their offer.
• If I had longer legs, I would be able to run faster
• If you didn't stay up so late every evening, you wouldn't feel so sleepy in the morning.

Type 3:

When we use type 3 conditional: it assumes something purely imaginary in the -if clause and considers the imagined consequences in the main clause. In this respect it is like type 2, however type 3 conditional refers to consequences which did not, or could nor ever happen because they refer to something that didn't happen in the past. They are "hypotetical conditions".

Basic form: IF + PAST PERFECT TENSE + WOULD HAVE/SHOULD HAVE

Exemple:

• If I had lived in the Stone Age, I would have been a hunter.

THE ROMANTIC AGE

(1776-1837)

(Rain,Steam and Speed The Great Western Railway - Turner)

Some days ago I wrote something about John Keats (1795-1821) and about the film "Bright Star", so now I think it's necessary to explain the period in which he lived.

Social and historical background:

It was the Romantic Age, also known as the "Age of Revolutions" and the "Age of Sensibility". It covered a period dating from the American Declaration of Independence (1776), that developed the belief in the principles of republicanism and in the people's rights to choose their systems of laws, to the first Reform Bill.

During that period Britain was ruled by George III, George IV and William IV.

It was the time of the American War of Independence (1775-1783) between American colonies and Britain. The colonies didn't accept Britain's policy of taxation and wanted to have their own representatives in the British Parliament. Then we must remember the French Revolution (1789-1794) which transformed France from an Absolute Monarchy to a Republic based on the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and whose effects were widespread all over Europe. It was the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) and of the Industrial Revolution that changed Britain from an agrarian to an industrialized economy. There was also an Agricultural Revolution after which farming became modernised and areas of land were distributed to the owners thanks to the enclosures. Social Revolutions and reforms caused the formation of a new class: the working class.

Cultural and Literary background:

The three main branches of the Romantic Movement were German, French and English.

In Germany Romanticism was represented by Goethe, in France it was influenced by Rousseau.

British Romanticism mainly developed in poetry. We can remember William Wordsworth, Samuel T. Coleridge, George G. Byron, John Keats. In addition Romanticism was represented also in prose with Mary Shelley (Evolution of Gothic Novel), Walter Scott (Historical Novel), Jane Austen (Novel of Manners).

The main features of romantic poetry are:

• the exaltation of nature: Romantics feel the correspondences between man's feelings and natural landscapes. In their work they show a preference for the sublime aspects of nature: storms, eathquakes, rough seas, mountains, glaciers;
• the celebration of childhood as a phase in man's life close to the ideal state of nature;
• the creative power of imagination;
• the artist seen as a prophet, a sage or a philosopher who can see deeply into the real essence of things. The poet is a man speaking to other men and pointing out what is wrong in society and what ideals common people should pursue;
• the emphasis on individual emotions and experience as a form of reaction to the social and political pressures.

(The Cornfield - Constable)