11.12.2008

Well, eight year...

That´s all I can do.



Good luck!

Music from The Phantom.



You can see it here and here are the lyrics to sing along. Enjoy and relax!

Verb tenses can´t make you tense.



Present simple

It´s for habits. You use the auxiliars do/does for questions and add NOT when it´s a negative.

In the affirmative, remember to add -ES ( verbs ended in -ss, -ch-sh, -o) or -IES (when Y is after a consonant). When you have the negative, you don´t need it because you have DOES to indicate.

The word order!
Affirmative: S V O
Negative: S Aux+NOT V
Interrogative: Aux S V


Present continuous:

It´s for actions now, exceptions, near future, future scheduled.

Auxiliar: verb to be ( AM, IS,ARE)

The word order:
Affirmative: S Aux [ V+ING ]
Negative: S ( Aux + NOT ) [ V+ING ]
Interrogative: Aux S [ V+ING ]



Past Simple:

It´s for FINISHED ACTIONS in the past.

Auxiliar: DID

Regular verbs: Just add ED to the verb in the affirmative.
Irregular verbs: Check here.

The word order!
Affirmative: S V O
Negative: S Aux+NOT V
Interrogative: Aux S V

ATTENTION: negative and interrogative CAN´T HAVE THE VERB IN THE PAST!

Eg: She liked apples.
Neg: She did not LIKE apples.
Int: Did she LIKE apples?



Future with will:

It´s for distant future and actions decided at the moment of speaking.

Auxiliar: WILL

The word order!

Affirmative: S Aux V
Negative: S Aux+ NOT V
Interrogative: Aux S V


And don´t forget: once in hell, ask the devil for a dance. ;-)

Attention, eight year!

Tomorrow, try doing it slowly and carefully.

AND, PLEASE, READ AGAIN! A lot of people simply miss a lot of things because they don´t consider reviewing.

Good luck!

11.11.2008

There are a lot of grammar exercises...



here!

Do as much as you can! I don´t want you guys around in December! ;-)

PS: It´s I HAVE grammar. It´s a JOKE, got it?

For the test.



If you want to learn some more about The Phantom, be my guest!

Enjoy!

9.22.2008

Friday @ school.

Most of it was about reviews.

8th year people, don´t forget to do your homework, ok? The issue in class was the present simple. There´s some theory here and here.

Some exercises are available here and here. There´s some more here, too. All you have to do is click "next exercise" when you finish the page.

Enjoy!

9.11.2008

Yeah...

Where you see pictures...


Moebius Net


Lorenz Attractor


Hyperbolic Dodecahedron

...in fact, it´s Maths!

These are mathematical equations, believe it or not! Some may be difficult for you now, but learning is a path and infinite its limit! :-)

Ancient Greece.

Hey, guys! How was life in Ancient Greece? I guess they all had smelly feet!

Want to know more? Click at the picture below and learn some more!



There is a lot to see: movies, cartoons, stories.
Have fun!

More about LHC.



Go read Alpinekat´s blog. There are other news and also they make fun of journalists that try to scare people on these videos. It´s all about making headlines to sell magazines, or saying silly things - like the Hawaii guy - to get their minutes of fame.

That´s why I keep saying: GET INFORMED! Read, ask, study, GET TO KNOW! If you are well informed, you won´t be afraid of things!

And there was NOT the end of the world...



I was right.

Read some more here. Anyway, that was just the beginning. The real collision happens by the end of the year, but so far we know nothing will go wrong. Science moves ahead, and that´s the way things must be!

Remember: ignorance leads to fear. Read, get informed, talk to friends, ask questions and never feel frightened again! :-D

Never stop asking questions.

Today at school!

Eight year

We started a big review. Today´s topics:

*Present Simple - this link is theory only.

*Present Continuous - this link is theory, too.

Exercises here and here.

Wednesday at school.

Wednesday:

7th year A and 7th year B
We read page 61 and did exercises 2 and 3. There was also explanation on Possessive adjectives and Possessive Pronouns.

Exercises here and here. We did page 62 in class, but it´s not checked. Page 63 n6 from student book is homework.

6th year B
Homework checking and prepositions of time. We worked on at,in,on, but if you want to learn more, please go ahead! :-D

Extra exercises here. We also did and checked page 47 n.8 at our student book.

Homework: pages 48, 49, 50 from student book and Unit 10 at workbook.

9.09.2008

Today at school!

6th year A
We corrected homework.

7th year B
We corrected homework.

Kind of monotonous, isn´t it?

9.07.2008

Aren´t them cute?

Check here and buy yours!

You can have


Dark Matter

or even a


Higgins Bosom!

Be like the Nobel Prize Dr. David Gross!
Have yours!

9.04.2008

Ok, more info.

As far as I could find out, the LHC first beam will be from 09:00 to 18:00 (Europe/Zurich time) and it will be broadcasted here.

Zurich is five hours ahead of Rio. That means the LHC will be turned on at 3AM, Brazil´s time.

I´ll be awake and waiting for the web broadcast. And you?

Just a remark.

This is a blog in English, right?
So it´s no use searching this blog for words in...portuguese.

Trabalhos escolares = handouts, papers. ;-)

xoxox

Today at school!



Well, as today we had to sing our national anthem, class time was kind of short. Anyway, 8th year had all homework checked and a handout on past tense of verb to be was delivered...of course, it´s due to tomorrow. Oh, and of course, there was some chat on LHC, our issue of the moment and surely someone said it´s going to be the end of the world blahblahblah.

Lads, sometimes I´m on Galileo´s shoes... :-P

See you, guys!

9.03.2008

Web Tips for the weekend..

You know, in case it rains. It´s always better than Orkuting till you drop...



Today at school!



7th year A: We checked all homework, but unfortunately, lots of people "forgot" doing it. Remember, no pain, no gain, and even Einstein had to work hard to get his Theory...

Alex, Mandy, Thiago and someone who has no name have already handed in the adverbs paper. They have been checked and returned but they need reviewing.

A handout on some/any and possessives was handed in today and it´s due to next Wednesday.

7th year B: We´ve been through pages 57 and 60. Also, there were comments on adverbs - on notebook.
Homework: pages 21 to 24 from workbook and also 60, 92 and 120 from Student Book. Due to Wednesday. A handout on some/any and possessives was handed in today and it´s due to next Wednesday as well.

6th year B: Homework checked, as usual, and some talk about time telling. There´s some fun game here, but you have to be really fast! We started working on prepositions of time, but nothing really relevant.

Homework: Workbook page 19 and Student Book pages 117,118 and 90.

9.02.2008

Fun stuff!

Man survives to 100feet fall.
That´s around 30 metres, just for the record.

And that´s true. Have you ever noticed cows always point North? Here´s the reason why!



Friday at school..

8th year people:

We checked unit 10 and the review (pages 49 and 50) was homework, as well as the pages 90 and 118 from the student book, too. At the workbook, please do unit 10.

Ah, by the way....Spelling bee words:


Bleak
Wished
Sorrow
Radiant
Angels
Quaint
Gently
Ember
Wrought
Morrow


Don´t forget your red pens for next class, ok?

Today at school!

7th year B:

Pages 55, 56. Explanations on adverbs. You can learn some more here. You can also practice here and here.

The research on adverbs is a walk in the park: all you have to do is collect 3 samples from BBC, copy paste them on Word, separate all adverbs, classify and then count them! Easy, huh?

No homework for today, as we´re still on for tomorrow. :-)

To Paulie, with love!



We miss you!

Today at school!

6th year A:
Page 45, 46 and 47 from the student book. Some explanation on plural and singular forms are on the notebook - exercises here and here.

Also, there were explanations on prepositions of time. You can find exercices about it here.

Homework is long: student book pages 48, 49, 50, 89, 90 and 118. Workbook: Unit 10.
Remember there´s a week to do it, and it shall be corrected next class, so DON´T FORGET your red pens!


6th year B:
Page 45, 46 and 47 from the student book. Some explanation on plural and singular forms are on the notebook - exercises here and here.

No homework, as we´re meeting again this week.

9.01.2008

I tell you....

LHC First Beam on 10 September 2008.

It´s on the site. Srlsy.

While we wait, let´s sing the LHC rap!

8.28.2008

Hey people!



ELEVEN DAYS TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Attention, eight year!

For the ones who missed class!

We closed unit 9 and moved to part of unit ten. The issue covered was basically was/were. There´s a lot of homework on the student book, that shall be corrected tomorrow.

8.25.2008

Crosswords!

Wanna try?
Click here.

And we´re still counting!

31 days , lads!

The Final LHC Synchronization Test is a Success, so in other words.....WAY TO GO!

Click here and find out more.

8.21.2008

So far, so good.

Well, have checked on some tests - I SAY CHECKED, NOT CORRECTED - and some people are doing good, some people improved, some people are still swimming the same sea...and will probably get drowned.

See you guys morrow.

8.20.2008

So you guys were afraid of LHC results, huh?

Watch this and have some real nightmares. Scientists have made a proto organic brain on a robot. In other words, this is a proto... CYBORG.

Ouch.

Eight year people

Guys, it´s simple. You have the notebook and all the review about verbs. You have the workbook, done and checked. You have the book and all explanations. You have this blog.

What´s between you and a good grade? Nothing!


See you tomorrow!

Test results.

No, you can´t have them.

8.19.2008

Remarks for tomorrow´s test!

Attention, 6th year people!

* Complete answers will be MANDATORY.
* Yes, spelling mistakes will be taken in account.

Good luck tomorrow!

8.16.2008

6th year issues.

 verb to be in all forms (affirmative, negative, interrogative)

 There is/ are X have/has

 Possessives

 Prepositions

There´s not much to study, then. Check your notebooks for details, read compositions, read what´s in this blog. In case you DON´T HAVE ANYTHING COPIED anywhere, I strongly suggest you ask a mate for his/her and take a nice photocopy. Ah! And read your photocopies, please. Never heard of students learning through osmosis...

The tests are coming.

Sixth year is the first. All books are checked, corrected and for the ones who couldn´t care less, the workbook key was sent home. 

I am really eager to hear the excuses some people will come with...

No, you can´t have blackholes.

When the LHC is activated, it is hoped that the collider will produce the elusive Higgs boson — named the God Particle — and its observation of which could confirm the predictions and 'missing gaps' in the Standard Model of physics, and explain how other elementary particles acquire properties such as mass. In other words, if they fill in the gaps, maybe all that God created world stuff will be, literally, story.

The verification of the existence of the Higgs boson would be a significant step in the search for a Grand Unified Theory which seeks to unify three of the four fundamental forces: electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. The Higgs boson may also help to explain why the remaining force, gravitation, is so weak compared to the other three forces.


Oooops! 

As with previous particle accelerators, people both inside and outside the physics community have voiced concern that the LHC might trigger one of several theoretical disasters capable of destroying the Earth or even the entire Universe. This has raised controversy as to whether any such risks outweigh the potential benefits of constructing and operating the LHC.

Though the standard model predicts that LHC energies are far too low to create black holes, some nonstandard theories lower the requirements, and predict that the LHC will create tiny black holes, with potentially devastating consequences. The primary cause for concern is that Hawking Radiation - a postulated that says that any such black holes would dissipate before becoming dangerous, remains entirely theoretical. In academia, the theory of Hawking Radiation is considered plausible, but there remains considerable question of whether it is correct.

Other inferno scenarios say that:
* There will be creation of strange matter that is more stable than ordinary matter
* Creation of magnetic monopoles that could catalyze proton decay
* Creation of a strangelet

CERN has pointed out that the probability of such events is extremely small. One argument for the safety of colliders such as the LHC states that if the Earth were in danger of any such fate, the Earth and Moon would have met that fate billions of years ago due to their constant bombardment from space by protons, other particles, and cosmic rays, which are millions of times more energetic than anything that could be produced by the LHC.

Quantum calculations presented in the CERN report predict that:
* Any black holes created by the LHC are not expected to be stable and will not accrete matter.
* Any monopoles that could catalyse the decay of matter will quickly exit the Earth.

So, I say again, relax and enjoy.

24 days to go!

Black holes.

A black hole is a region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape from. The term "Black Hole" comes from the fact that, at a certain point, even electromagnetic radiation (e.g. visible light) is unable to break away from the attraction of them. This renders the hole's interior invisible or, rather, black like the appearance of space itself.

Despite its interior being invisible, a black hole may reveal its presence through an interaction with matter that lies in orbit outside its event horizon. For example, a black hole may be perceived by tracking the movement of a group of stars that orbit its center. Alternatively, one may observe gas (from a nearby star, for instance) that has been drawn into the black hole. It´s like, you see a star today and then...PUFF! It´s gone, but where to? Then you look closer and see it´s been happening with a lot of elements. A-HA! There may be a black hole there.

Is it the end of the world?

Nah, come on! As everyone knows, the LHC will finally be turned on in 24 days. Some people - probably the grandchildren of the people who said the Halley would fry us all - think that it will bring the end of the world.

Again, COME ON! The chances something as an uncontrolled black hole is of 0.08%. Let´s put it, it´s easier to get a billion pounds at the UK lottery than something go wrong. CERN has now a counter and also some good explanations.

What is the LHC?
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a gigantic scientific instrument near Geneva and it´s about 100 m underground. It is a particle accelerator used by physicists to study the smallest known particles – the fundamental building blocks of all things. It will revolutionise our understanding, from the miniscule world deep within atoms to the vastness of the Universe. In other words, to hadrons from planets the world as we know will be seen completely different.

Two beams of subatomic particles called 'hadrons' – either protons or lead ions – will travel in opposite directions inside the circular accelerator, gaining energy with every lap. Physicists will use the LHC to recreate the conditions just after the Big Bang, by colliding the two beams head-on at very high energy. Teams of physicists from around the world will analyse the particles created in the collisions using special detectors in a number of experiments dedicated to the LHC.

There are many theories as to what will result from these collisions, but what's for sure is that a brave new world of physics will emerge from the new accelerator, as knowledge in particle physics goes on to describe the workings of the Universe. For decades, the Standard Model of particle physics has served physicists well as a means of understanding the fundamental laws of Nature, but it does not tell the whole story. Only experimental data using the higher energies reached by the LHC can push knowledge forward, challenging those who seek confirmation of established knowledge, and those who dare to dream beyond the paradigm.
So, there may be problems -click here to know more - but the risks a minimum, compared to what it will bring to science. Click here and see how big it is!
Let´s enjoy! If I could, I would be there! :-)
TWENTY FOUR DAYS TO GO AND STILL COUNTING!

6.30.2008

What is there in the North Pole?

Ice?
Think again....Ice is GONE!
Read here

5.19.2008

Present Contiuous still matters!

Check here then exercise here.

For 6th and 7th year students, try:
Exercise one.

Exercise two.

Exercise three.

Compare present simple and present continuous here.


Nasreddin´s stories.



Nasreddin the Ferry Man.

Nasreddin's Visitors.

Nasreddin and the Smell of Soup.

Nasreddin and the Beggar.

Nasreddin Goes Shopping.

Nasreddin and the Pot.

More about our friend? Click here!

Still having doubts on Present Simple?



Click here.

Tortoises are indeed dangerous animals!



A Berkshire couple returned home to find their house had been set on fire by their 70-year-old tortoise. Emma Fox had brought Fred, a female tortoise, inside when she came out of hibernation early, reports The Sun.

Emma, 30, and partner Paul Butler, 45, left Fred in a tank under a heat lamp to keep her warm enough to stay alive. But Fred piled her dry straw under the lamp and it caught alight, spreading flames through the house.

Emma, who also has a dog and two baby tortoises, said: "We were out shopping when we got a call from the fire brigade saying that our tortoise had set the house on fire. Luckily our neighbour had heard the smoke alarm go off and called the fire brigade. There's a lot of smoke damage. We need to replace all our furniture and front door, but all our animals survived. It could have been worse."

Emma, of Bracknell, added: "She means the world to me - even if she did almost burn the house down."

The problem with piercing...



... is when you go too far.

at Glasbergen´s

On demonstrative pronouns.

Many languages, including English, make a two-way distinction between demonstratives. One set of demonstratives is proximal, indicating objects close to the speaker (this/these), and the other series is distal, indicating objects far away from the speaker (that/those).


You use THIS/THESE with SINGULAR nouns. For example:

THIS is my friend.



And THESE/THOSE you use with PLURAL nouns...

THAT is my friend.


Try this exercise! Don´t forget to check!Oh, and don´t bother the site language. It´s Turkish, but the exercises are in English!

Is buying your mom a present complicated?

So read this! Don´t forget to try the exercise and check the answers!

Essencial for reading tasks!



Doubts on WH - questions? Here you can find a nice sum,plus links with exercises!

There are more complex exercises here !

Enjoy!

Possessives!

Want to know how much do you know?
Try here, then leave your score at the comments!

4.17.2008

What is an adverb?

Adverbs tell you the manner, the place and time. They don´t teel you about quality.
See below!

Type
Adverb
Example
Manner
slowly
Jane drives slowly.
Place
here
The party is going to take place here.
Time
yesterday
I called him yesterday.




Many adverbs end with the suffix -LY.

Adjective
Adverb
slow
slowly
delightful
delightfully
hopeless
hopelessly
aggressive
aggressively



Asking questions!

Word in context
Question
Adverb?
Junko plays tennis aggressively.
How does Junko play tennis?
Yes -- uses HOW.
They have a small house.
What kind of house do they have?
No -- uses WHAT KIND OF, so this is an adjective.
Matthew called the police immediately.
When did Matthew call the police?
Yes -- uses WHEN.



Comparatives are easy!

Check how much do you know here and here.

Don´t forget: comparative is one on one! Superlative is when you have to pick one among many!

Having problems with the present continous and present simple?

Not anymore! Click here for theory on Present Simple and here for theory on Present Continuous.

Oh, of course. Click here and here for exercises!

Exams are coming!

Attention, 6th to 8th year! Exams are just around the corner!They may happen anytime from the 30th of April to May 8th!

Study hard and pay some real attention to what´s on your notebooks!

4.16.2008

Therefore, we have two choices...

... Romeo&Juliet or The Raven!

The New Essay

As I have told some of my beloved students from the eight year, probably The Raven will be our next reading.

This poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe. He wrote a lot of horror stories and poems. The Raven is one of his most famous work and it has been adapted to movies, plays and even Simpson cartoons

I think we won´t read the whole poem, but it´s worth giving it a try!:-)

Enjoy!

4.14.2008

Gosh!

Guys, is it true that people are already worried about next essay?
Please, don´t. Worrying about it is useless.

But think of Shakespeare.

Hey, I just said THINK, not WORRY!

Go and watch the movie, at least! In English, with subtitles, please!

Odysseus and the Cyclops made Easy!

Click here.

4.10.2008

New trends at school.

Why is everyone wearing mini hats in the middle of their foreheads?

Object Pronouns.

They are used when what you are talking about is an OBJETC, may it be direct or indirect.

Example:

Give it to HIM.

If you give something, you give it TO someone. Him is not doing anything, he´s not the subject of this action. He´s the object.

Object pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.

Exercise link

6 th and 7 th year people - HELL-O!

Some of you are really going crazy over the composition on countries, right?

Hey: you don´t have to write a book on the country, so please be simple. Check pictures, check sites in Portuguese. The aim is not only language, it´s also for you to see that there is more in the world than Disneyworld! Just say where the country is, an important person for them, if you liked what you saw.

Be simple. :-D

On Cyclops and Odysseus.


at Cartoon Stock

Guys, here´s the link in Portuguese for tomorrow´s paper. Of COURSE you´re supposed to write the review in English.

Fell free to send me your papers for review. Lopresti has already done that!

4.01.2008

Back home, here I come!

Lads and ladies!
As most of you already know, marks haven´t been that great though some where really amazing. To avoid bad surprises at the exams - yes, they´re knocking at your doors - some tips and links with exercises will be posted here on a regular basis.

Hope you guys enjoy it!

1.09.2008

FAQ...

Why on Earth the commands at this blog are in Portuguese?
November: Washing machine looks funny. Brother says it´s making some funny noise. Says it´s a dead end and machine will stop soon.

December: Machine stops.

January: Looking for someone to fix it. Of course they charge a fortune. Call pieces dealer and find out that pieces cost 20 reais. Handyman tells me that what´s really expensive is his work (180 reais). I wonder what masterpiece he should deliver when ready. For 60 an hour, he should build a new washer. Told him to scram and now I´ll try to fix it myself.

Any ideas?

Vacations are almost done...

...and I am almost happy about it.

No matching.

I don´t know about you guys, but just honest and washing machine menders are adjectives that will never match!

Real life is weirder than fiction...

I know I say it a lot, but WHAT ON EARTH WAS BUSH THINKING when he decided to visit Israel, Palestine, you name it?
Maybe buying some kosher goods?

The first post!

Okdk, everyone. So this is the first post at our What r u talking about....Here we shall have many of some lot, and if you don´t speak English, don´t worry: Spanish, Italian and even some French may pop around here.

So, let´s give it a try!