SMOKING

Why doesn't the government insist that manufacturers specify all the components in each cigarette packet?
In each cigarette there are components that we don't know about (e.g. sugar, cocoa) and these components increase the addiction. In my opinion, the government doesn't do anything about this issue because it makes a lot of money to raise taxes. Fast food and alcohol are unhealthy and it is socially accepted.
What do you think?

Carmelo Mendoza.

Smoking

What I think about smoking

In my opinion, smoking is not healthy. because, on the one hand cigarettes have a lot of bad things. for example smoking causes disease. But on the other hand it makes people happy and calm. It reduces the stress. and also cigarettes are addictive. because they have nicotine. But actually I think smoking is bad. because, it is not good for your health and very expensive.

JiYoung Moon

Spanish Languages and Culture

In Spain we have a vast mixture of cultures, influenced by Arabic, French, and Portuguese cultures . All of them have a part to play in the different languages or dialects which are spoken by people in the country nowadays,

The most widely-spoken language in Spain is Spanish.It is also sometimes called Castilian. Spanish is the official language of Spain and it is used all over the country, also by the central government, the media and in education, although the regional languages are also used in schools and universities. It is the mother tongue of about three-quarters of the population but most people can speak it and understand it. Spanish it is also spoken in parts of South-America, and in the USA.

In addition to Spanish, there are several other languages or dialects in Spain. Some people in the north speak Catalan (Cataluna), Basque (Basque Country), Gallego (Region of Galicia) ,Valenciano (Region of Valencia and nearby in the South), and finally the Andaluz (Region of Andalucia).

On the one hand we have The Catalan, Basque, Gallego and Valenciano which are kinds of "Languages " that are approved by the region but not by the government which means that even if people want to change it to their Principal language or become independent it is completely illegal!(even if the politics of this regions most of the time is done in their " Language " when they meet the Spanish President they all must speak Castilian).

On the other hand we have Madrileno , Aragones , Malagueno, which are dialects approved by the Government because they are derivations of the Spanish Language. By this, I mean that they speak Spanish but the accents may vary a lot.

Castilian is a very old language, but it has changed over many centuries.

Nowadays, our alphabet is composed of 27 letters and we also have different words from other languages as well as English, Arabic and French. For example la Tilde.

David Jesus Esteban Carmona

Essay: Our children will live in a worse environment than we do.

I think there is no doubt about this statement. Because of our pollution the greenhouse effect is increasing the climate changes and especially the global warming. This causes the glaciers to melt and so the sea-level is rising. We pollute our soil, our groundwater and we deforest an incredible amount.

Although the situation is so alarming, globally we are not changing our habits. The Kyoto protocol was a nice piece of paper but not much more. The three biggest pollutors which are China, USA and India do not want to become greener due their thought it would be detrimental to their economies.

Since the great polluters do not want to change and discourage the smaller countries to, these problems will increase in the future. There will be less arable land because of desertification as can be seen in China for example and therefore less food while the number of people around the world is increasing. Owing to the rise in sea levels there will be less arable land on which to live.

All these issues will surely cause violent wars in addition to natural disasters. It is late but we could try to reduce our ecological impact to salvage what we can.

Luca Grossu

Happy New Year to Oise's Students and Staff!!!

I've not made my Resolutions for 2013 yet, but this is a good opportunity!

However, my year will really begin when I go back home... So, some things I'm continuing to do in Bristol.

I'm certain that some things require more discipline and change in my behaviour.

My resolutions for 2013:

1. Definitely, became more punctual;

2. Study English every day and go back to classes with a particular teacher;

3. Read one book per month, alternate the language: Portuguese and English;

4. Manage my accounts every month;

5. Do exercise with more discipline and regularity;

6. Don't look at Facebook with frequency

7. Watch fewer soap operas;

8. Continue to eat healthier food;

9. Keep in touch with my friends;

10. Make two trips to another countries, at least.

At the end of 2013 I hope to come back to write here again and say that I made all resolutions! This is my promise :)

Carol Luna

Happy New Year everyone!

How did you ring in the New Year? Have you thought up any resolutions for 2013? Have you already broken them?    :  )













Here are the most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2013:

1. Save more money – 31%

2. Get out of debt – 22%

3. Get fit/lose weight – 18%

4. Change job/career – 16%

5. Quit smoking – 13%

6. Give up alcohol – 11%

7. Spend less time working – 9%

8. Spend more time with family/friends – 7%

9. Give up chocolate – 6%

10.  Move house – 2%

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/01/03/the-most-popular-new-years-resolutions-for-2013/


By the way, if you missed the big countdown, follow this link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2012/dec/31/new-years-eve-countdown-2013

Jason's Letter. (Task: giving instructions)

24 October 2012

Dear Xuan

How are you, man? As you know, I'm going to go on holiday; we have already talked about that. So here are my instructions for you.

My leaving date is 28 October, so would you mind staying at my flat from 29 October until 3 November?

First of all, when you come to my flat, I'd like you to stay in the guest room, because my bedroom is really dirty and there are some documents on my shelves, you don't need to worry about cleaning my room. If you are hungry, you can cook for yourself. The plates are all in the cupboard in the kitchen and all the things like pans, forks and knives are easy to find. Be careful of the oven, it doesn't work. So please don't use it.

Also you can take your clothes to my house. If you want to wash them, you can use the washing machine. It's really hard to use but don't worry about that, I'll demonstrate it for you. If you want to borrow some electronic things (e.g. camera, computer or something like that), I will tell you where they are.

It is important to open the window, because in my flat, the air isn't fresh. I want to remind you that my flat is on the second floor, so could you please close the window when you go to bed. In addition, I don't have air conditioning so would you mind using the heater if you feel cold.

Finally, I must warn you to BE CAREFUL about the Room 101 on the first floor, because in this room there are some unusual animals such as snakes, fierce dogs and maybe ghosts.

Good luck.

Jason.

PS Don't feed the spiders!!!