miércoles, 26 de abril de 2017

PROGLOBALIZATION OR ANTI GLOBALIZATION

PROGLOBALIZATION OR ANTI GLOBALIZATION
PRE READING
1. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS

a.      Have you read anything about globalization?
__________________________________________________________________________
b.      Do you have any opinions on globalization? Are you “Pro” or “Anti”?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now, Read this text.
ü  Don´t stop if you find an unknown word.
ü  Try to guess unknown words by using the context.
ü  Try to understand the meaning of the unknown words through (prefix – suffix).
ü  I f you can´t understand use a dictionary.
The concept of globalization is very controversial. There are different opinions concerning this issue. For example, some people believe that it is undermining countries because corporations have been empowered at the expense of the nation state. They also believe that on top of that, international institutions, such as the World Bank, are not very democratic in their decision making instances.
The World Trade Organization (WTO), The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Organization and Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are some of the institutions in favor of globalization.
Other people believe that the gap between rich and poor nations is increasing and this is the inevitable result of the market forces: free trade does nothing to re-distribute wealth. But, there are no grounds for blaming multinational corporations. The causes of poverty are complex, and include poor health and education along with weak and corrupt governments.
Environmentalists such as Friends of The earth, and Greenpeace, organizations such as Group 77 and Third World Network, business organizations threatened by international competition, unions in rich countries and cultural nationalists, all criticize globalization. They say that one of the consequences of globalization with the end of cultural diversity and the triumph of a uniform culture serving the needs of transnational corporations such as Coca - Cola and Mc Donald’s.
Whatever the stance taken regarding globalization, it will no doubt bring about changes in the countries it touches, but traditional values will not be abolished. On the contrary, traditions will be known all over the world. It may well become something positive for humankind because it will eliminate the isolating of countries.
2. Write the meaning of the following words in Spanish.
a) Globalization:_________________________________________________
b) Corporation:_________________________________________________
c) Democracy:_________________________________________________
d) Controversial:_______________________________________________
3. What are the most important points of the text?. (English or Spanish).
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


4. Read and write TRUE (T) or FALSE (F), according to your opinion.
____ Corporations are getting more power thanks to Globalization.
____ The world Trade Organization and the World Bank are in favor of Globalization.
____ Free trade doesn´t redistribute wealth.
___ Globalization will change traditional values around the world.
____  Poverty is caused by multinational corporations in favor of Globalization.
____ Coca-Cola and Mc  Donald´s will help with the creation of a cultural diversity.
____ Countries will be eliminated by Globalization.
5. MATCH WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS.
a)  Gap               (      ) To put and end to a system or practice formally.
b) Blame             (      )  A large business.
c) Poverty           (     ) A company with branches around the world.
d) Abolish           (      ) The state of being extremely poor.
e)  Undermine     (      )  To intimidate or scare.
f)  Multinational   (      ) An empty space in the middle or between two things.
g) Threaten        (      )  To damage or impair.
h) Corporation    (      ) To make someone responsible for something that is wrong.
i) Diversity         (       ) The act of process of corrupting; the state of being corrupt.
j) Corruption       (      ) The fact of quality of being diverse, difference.

6. Put the phrases under the corresponding heading.
Globalization
Internalization













7. READ AND WRITE True (T) or False (F)
_____ Globalization and internalization aren´t the same.
_____ Internalization refers to economic integration.
_____ Globalization means erasure of national boundaries.
_____ Internalization means international treaties and alliances.
8.  WRITE TWO SENTENCES “AGAINST” AND TWO “IN FAVOR OF” GLOBALIZATION.
AGAINST
IN FAVOR OF













jueves, 16 de marzo de 2017

BIG MYSTERIES IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

BIG MYSTERIES IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE
Bermuda is a beautiful group islands in the Atlantic Ocean, nine hundred kilometers off the United States coast. It is famous for its beaches but it is more famous for the triangle. This group of islands is a British colony. There are seven big islands and a hundred and fifty small ones.

Answer these questions
Have you read of planes and ships mysteriously disappearances in the Bermuda triangle?
Would you be afraid of flying over that area?
Do you think the Bermuda triangle is myth?

Why do people speak about this mysterious triangle? Because it is a legend. There are reports about strange disappearances in the 19 th and 20th centuries. There was one case that became famous: the five planes that flew over the region in the Atlantic Ocean in 1945. What happened to these planes?

Some experts thought it was a difficult puzzle to solve but others like Larry Kusche, a Bermuda triangle expert, there is an explanation. The five Navy planes belonged to American Flight 19. The flight leader, four pilots and nine crew members disappeared. Some people think that powerful magnetic forces affect the area or that aliens from space cause the disappearances in the triangle. Other people like Larry, say that the triangle in an  ”invented mystery”.
Where did planes go? The flight leader was an experienced pilot, but the other ones were not. When they left the base, the weather was good but later it turned stormy. Kusche´s conclusion is that the leader and the other pilots became confused. They went farther out over the ocean instead of coming back towards the base. So, after dark, the planes probably ran out of fuel and disappeared forever in the stormy seas.

There are other unexplained mysteries related to old ships. A famous one is the case of The Mary Celeste, a ship that sailed from New York in 1872. Weeks later, a sailor saw a ship near Azores islands and the Atlantic Ocean. There were no people on the ship. There are some theories about what happened. Did a giant octopus attacks the ship or did pirates capture and rob her? Kusche thinks that the crew probably abandoned the ship in a storm, their life boat sank and they died.
“We can explain these cases”, experts say. They study each case and find a logical explanation. A disappearance in the triangle has a cause; you can compare these accidents with car crashes or other daily problem.

Circle the correct alternative.

• How many islands are part of  the Bermudas?
a) A hundred and fifty.                                                                                                          
b) A hundred and fifty seven.
 c) A hundred and fifteen.

• Larry Kusche, a Bermuda Triangle expert, thinks that...
a) There’s no mystery.
b) It’s a puzzle.
c) There’s no explanation.

• The total number of Flight 19 men that disappeared was...
a) Thirteen.
b) Fourteen
c) Fifteen.
• The leader pilot...
a) Didn’t know much about flying.
b) Had a lot of experience.
c) Was inexperienced.

• Larry thinks that, in the case of the Mary
Celeste...
a) An octopus attacked her.
b) Pirates captured her.
c) The crew abandoned the ship.

• Experts say that these cases...
a) Have a logical explanation.
b) Are very mysterious.
e) Are difficult to explain.


Take the following sentences and write the story

a) The sea was calm.                  b) The people worked on the ship.
c) The weather got stormy.        d) A creature attacked the ship.


The Bermuda Triangle is an area in the Atlantic Ocean bounded by Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Florida, where ships and airplanes are supposed to have disappeared mysteriously.

Bermuda is a fantastic place to spend your holiday. There are incredible coral reefs and the water is very warm in summer. It has got subtropical vegetation and few animals: some migratory birds, frogs and lizards.

People are of African and European origin. Most of them live on the main island. Tourism is very high and it is the basis of their economy. Many people go there attracted by the mystery of the triangle.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.

What are the attractions in Bermuda?

What is the water like in summer?

What kind of flora and fauna has it got?

Where do natives come from?

Where do they live?

What is their main source of income?











 



SIMON BOLIVAR SATELLITE

Lesson 5th year
SIMON BOLIVAR SATELLITE


"Living is more important than reading, but reading helps you live fully, make your life more beautiful and make you happier."
Luis Beltrán Prieto Figueroa

Pre-reading activities:

1.     What do you know about Simon Bolivar Satellite?
2.     What do you want to learn about it?
3.     What is the reading about?
4.     Where does it happen?
5.     How would you describe the information?
6.     What is it talking about?
7.     What is a good example of...?
8.     What benefit have you had with...?

Reading

SIMON BOLIVAR SATELLITE
Details: 14 C-band transponders (radio and TV signal), 12 Ku-band (data and high speed Internet) and 2 Ka-band (future digital TV signal transponders to cover most of South American continent and part of Caribbean areas, and provide communications and broadcasting services to Venezuelan as well as the surrounding region Satellite Position: 78° W (78° W)
Launch date: 29-Oct-2008 Launch mass (kg): 5049
Manufacturer: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
Model (bus): DFH-4 Bus Status: active



THE SIMON BOLIVAR SATELLITE BENEFITS MORE THAN 3 MILLION PEOPLE
Caracas, 29 Oct. AVN.-Voice and data services that previously could not reach all inhabitants offar-flung towns like Curiapo and San Francisco de Guayo in Delta Amacuro state or El Yagual in the border state of Apure, are now guaranteed by the wide signal of the Simon Bolivar satellite, through which 3 million 699 thousand Venezuelans are connected.
Reaching isolated areas of national territory gave rise to the idea of launching into space the first Venezuelan satellite, a 4-year device in orbit whose major achievement has been the transfer of technology to people in places where making a telephone call or surfing the Internet was never believed possible.

The Simon Bolivar satellite platform is integrated into the National Telephone Company's network of terrestrial telecommunications and contributes to the development of social programs such as tele­education, telephony, and Internet as well as FUNVISIS research projects.
Besides, a network of 35 seismic stations (with 24- hours satellite connection) operates in the country to monitor any telluric movement in Venezuela.
The Simon Bolivar spacecraft is run and controlled in the national territory by a team of Venezuelan experts belonging to the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE). The main control earth station is located in the Aerospace Base Capitan Manuel Rios (Bamari), in the central state of Guarico whereas the backup earth station is located in Luepa, Bolivar State.

The satellite project began on 1 November 2005 when an agreement with China was signed to develop this device which would open the way towards the technological independence of the country.

100 per cent efficient use
This 100 per cent efficient satellite uses more than 5 thousand dishes to cover seven major areas: 3,500 dishes for education; 160 for security and defense, among other radars helping safeguard domestic airspace, 131 for border protection, 127 for energy and oil, 1,143 for food, 200 for communications and 350 for health, Vice Minister of Telecommunications said.
Another great contribution is the training of human talent, with a total of 90 experts trained to operate this spatial device.
Since 2008, 2,027 Venezuelan professionals graduated from national universities in disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, telecommunications and systems engineering, information technology, geology, geography, cartography, among others, have been trained in science and space technology.
Venezuela celebrates its 4th year of technological independence on Monday, through the placement of this device in orbit which opened possibilities for the most isolated communities of the country to join telecommunication services.


Find the answers to the following questions.

1.     When did this satellite project begin?
2.     When was the Simon Bolivar satellite put in orbit?
3.     What does the Simon Bolivar satellite guarantee today?
4.     Which countries are integrating the Simon Bolivar satellite platform?
5.     Where are the main control earth station and backup earth station located?
6.     How many satellite dishes does Venezuela have?
7.     Is this Satellite helpful for monitoring any telluric movement in Venezuela? Why?
8.     What has its major achievement been till now?

9.     What is the main benefit of having this Venezuelan satellite?
THE WORLD SPREAD OF ENGLISH

“The Latin- American who learns English as a second language has his own special difficulties and advantages. English and Spanish have thousands of words that are similar in form and meaning. In some cases these words have evolved from an original Latin source. In others, they have come form some even earlier common source in Indo European, the ancestor of a large family of languages of which Latin is only one example.

These words are easy for the Spanish speaker to learn. For instance, many closely related words end in –ción in Spanish and in – tion in English: Educación, constitución, aviación, asociación and many others. Hotel, hospital and calendar are other examples of closely related words without the – ción ending.

Such closely related words are called “cognates”.

Some seeming English-Spanish equivalents are deceptive. Their forms are similar, but with different shades of meaning in the two languages. These are sure to cause trouble for Spanish speakers learning English. The Spanish word asistir looks like the English word assist, but it doesn’t mean “help”. Instead, “asistir” means “to attend” or “to be present”.

Thus, Spanish speakers learning English will say that they assisted a class when they mean that they were present at it. Actual in Spanish means “present”, not English “actual”, desgracia means “misfortune”, not disgrace, ignorar means “not to know” of “to ignore”. Such deceptive “equivalents” are called “false cognates”.

WRITE IF THESE STATEMENTS ARE TRUE, FALSE OR NOT GIVEN, ACCORDING TO THE READING. USE “T”, “F” OR “NG” FOR YOUR ANSWERS.

English and Spanish share many similar words.  (______)
English and Spanish share many false “equivalents” terms. (______)
“To ignore” and “not to know” mean “ignorar”. (______)
Latin is an Indo - European language. (______)
Spanish lacks sounds that are very common in English. (______)

USE (“C “FOR COGNATE AND “FC” FOR FALSE COGNATE)
Conversation (______)                       Exit (______)             Library (______)   Actually (______)
Similar (______)                                  Musical (______)    Large (______)      Administration (______)

WHAT DO THEY MEAN? USE YOUR DICTIONARY.
Eventually ______________________                             Eventualmente ________________________
Lecture _______________________                Lectura_______________________________
Realize ________________________               Realizar ______________________________
Sensible _______________________               Sensible______________________________
Carpet ________________________               Carpeta ______________________________
Idiom _________________________              Idioma _______________________________

WRITE “R” FOR RIGHT OR “W” FOR WRONG.
“Closely related” means                              “cercanamente relatados”              ( ______)
“Ancestor of a large family”                       “ancestor de una larga familia” ”    ( ______)
“Original Latin source”                                  “fuente latina original” ”                   ( ______)
“Their forms are similar”                             “sus formas son similares”          ”    ( ______)
“Some seeming English –Spanish
Equivalents are deceptive.                         “Algunos supuestos equivalentes
                                                                              Inglés- Español son decepcionantes”    ( ______)
                                                              


ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. DISCUSS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES.

What’s the difference between cognates and false cognates?

What does “Spanish speaker learning English” mean?

Is it easy for a Spanish speaker to learn English?

Can you think of some other cognates or false cognates?


These are words that look alike in English and Spanish, but that usually differ in meaning. Look at the following examples:

Large: Long
Large: grande, extenso
Actualmente: At present.
Actually: En realidad.
Actual: Present, current
Actual: real.
Asistir: Go regularly
Assist: Ayudar.
Atender: Pay attention, take care.
Attend: Asistir regularmente.
Carpeta: Folder.
Carpet: Alfombra.
Desierto: Very dry place, empty.
Dessert: Postre.
Éxito: success
Exit: Salida.
Eventual: Fortuitous
Eventual: Suceso final, resultado.
Eventualmente: By chance.
Eventually: Finalmente.
Idioma: Language.
Idiom: Modismo del habla.
Ignorar: Not to know.
Ignore: Desairar.
Lectura: Reading.
Lecture. Conferencia.
Librería: Bookshop.
Library: Biblioteca.
Noticia: News.
Notice: Advertencia, nota, aviso.
Policía: Police.
Policy: Política, regla, sistema.
Realizar: Fulfill, carry out, perform.
Realize: Darse cuenta.
Sensible: Sensitive.
Sensible: Sensato.
Severa: Rigorous, strict, rigid, stern.
Several: Varios
Suceso: Event.
Success: Éxito.
Timbre: Call bell.
Timber: Madera, palo.