HALLOWEEN

What day of the month is Halloween?

it`s on october 31st.

Why is halloween celebrated?

Cause it is a tradition, and it make so popular in many countries.

Can you explain the history of Halloween?

The origin of Halloween dates back at least 3,000 years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain. Samhain was not the name of a "Lord of the Dead", no historical evidence has ever been found to back this up, it was simply the name of the festival and meant "Summer's End".

How is Halloween celebrated in your country?

In my country, it ussualy isn`t celebrated, we use to celebrate the day of the deaths (dia de muertos) and in this we put an "ofrenda" to ours parents that have died, on it we put it`s photos, candies, food, salt, water, beer, cigarrets, candles, fruit, flowers, etc.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes

What makes you afraid of ghosts?

Mmm...really nothing.

What are some of the symbols of Halloween?

Pumpkins, witches, black cats and many monsters.

What kind of costume are you going to wear to the Halloween party?

Mmm...maybe a vampire

Is your pumpkin still out?

No, i don`t use to do it. I prefer to buy a candy pumpkin and put it on the "ofrenda".

Are you still eating Halloween candy?

No

The origin of Halloween dates back at least 3,000 years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain

(pronounced "sow-ain"). The festival was held starting at sundown on October 31st and lasted until sundown on November 1st. It was similar to the modern practice of the New Years celebration. On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles.Samhain was not the name of a "Lord of the Dead", no historical evidence has ever been found to back this up, it was simply the name of the festival and meant "Summer's End". It was believed that the souls of the dead were closest to this world and was the best time to contact them to say good bye or ask for assistance. It was also a celebration of the harvest. It is still treated as such today by those who practice Wicca or other nature based religions. It has absolutely nothing to do with satan, who was a creation of the Christian church.When European settlers, particularly the Irish, arrived in America they found the native pumpkin to be larger, easier to carve and seemed the perfect choice for jack-o-lanterns. Halloween didn't really catch on big in this country until the late 1800's and has been celebrated in many ways ever since!

1. The celebration of Samhain used to take two days. False

2. Celtic tribes celebrated the end of summer on October 31st.
True

3. First jack-o-lanterns were carved from turnips.
True

4. Jack-o-lanterns were supposed to scare away evil spirits.
True

5. Samhain was the festival of satan.
False

6. Halloween was celebrated in America long before 1800's.
False

7. Irish settlers brought Halloween to America.
True

8. The souls of the dead were believed to be closest to this world on October 31st.
True

9.Burning twigs were used inside a pumpkin as a source of light.
False

10. Samhain meant "Summer's End".
True

hi!

Well here are coments about my partners works:

Guadalupe: She talks about Cleopatra`s palace, well she said that she makes a web page where the work is, so i think it should be ok.
Ivonne: Ivonne`s work is about womens of the century, it talks about some womens that made many interesting thinks and some happenings ligated with womens.
Elisa: It work is about salem trials
Fernando: It`s work talks that if you have a bad handwriting you could be a genious.
Kevin: Well it is about the galapagos, it is interesting cause its a game.
Victor: As elisa`s work it is about Salem witch trails. i think this is interesting.
Ricardo: He choose the topic of "Space- Age Living", i like it too, it talks about a space station and that it is in construction.
Manuel: He saw about some animals, but he talks more about the blue whale

Blue Whale

Hi everyone.

It is the largest animal on earth, ever. A big blue whale can be 100 feet long and weigh up to 150 tons. That's as large as a Boeing jet. Its heart is as large as a small car. Fifty people could stand on its tongue. Its spout shoots up at least 30 feet when it surfaces for air.
How whales breathe?
A whale's "nostrils" are called blowholes and are on the top of its head. Some whales have one blowhole and others, like this blue whale, have two. Unlike humans, whales breathe voluntarily. That means they choose when to take a breath. This is important because whales can't breathe underwater. They surface every few minutes to blow out a mixture of water and air and take in a breath of fresh air.
Like all whales, the blue whale is a mammal rather than a fish. It is warm-blooded, has lungs rather than gills, and nourishes its young with milk. A blue whale's milk supposedly tastes like a mixture of fish, liver, milk of magnesia, and castor oil. Bleech! But it's very rich and nourishing for baby blues. A baby blue whale drinks over 50 gallons of its mother's milk in a day. In its first several weeks of life, it gains 10 pounds an hour or a little over 200 pounds a day!
When a baby blue whale is about 6 months old, it starts to eat small shrimp-like animals called krill. During its high feeding season, a blue whale consumes more than 4-6 tons of krill in one day.
But, how many krills can a whale eat?
It's hard to imagine, but the world's biggest animal eats animals that are less than 1/1000th its size. In order to get enough to eat, a full-grown blue whale might eat 40 million krill in one day!
All whales have amazing adaptations that help them survive in the ocean. Whales don't sleep like you and me. If they did, they would drown. Instead, whales take very short naps, often floating near the surface of the ocean. Whales rely on their thick layers of blubber to keep them warm in cold waters.

harry potter

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Amber: Hello, I’m Amber and this is bbclearningenglish.com. In Entertainment today, we listen to a review of the seventh, and last, Harry Potter book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – which millions of children (and adults) rushed out to buy at midnight on the day it was published simultaneously in 93 countries! It had a print run of 12 million in the US alone! After 10 years of twists and turns in the life of the young wizard, Harry Potter, there’s a final confrontation between Harry and a highly evil character. It’s a dark rollercoaster ride, with Harry on the run most of the time. And if the sales figures are true – this is officially the fastest selling book in history! We’ll hear from the author and book critic Amanda Craig. As soon as she got hold of her copy, she sat on the sofa reading it for ‘6 hours solid’ - she didn’t put it down until she’d finished! So what’s so magical about the Harry Potter books? Well, Amanda Craig has an interesting answer to that question. She quotes JK Rowling who has said she doesn’t really like ‘fantasy’ – that’s a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical events! (We have the related adjectives ‘fantastic’ and ‘fantastical’ – meaning - not real, strange and imaginary.) Amanda Craig says the world of Harry Potter is so ‘irresistible’ – it’s so overpowering – because of two things. She says it’s a result of – ‘it’s down to’ – two things. Try to catch what they are.Amanda Craig: ‘One of the most interesting things about her is that she’s said that she doesn’t really like fantasy. And in fact, if you look at the way that she’s written it, I think the explanation for why she’d so popular is down to two things – one is that in every book she’s sort of writing a detective story or a thriller, and there’s where adults have got on to the whole series, but the other more interesting thing is she’s actually made the magical world seem real, seem something you could just walk into off Tottenham Court Road, and by doing that she’s also correspondingly made reality more magical, and I think that’s what’s so irresistible about her vision, her … you know, Harry’s whole world that it’s a world in which wizards do have to learn magic, they have to do homework, and that’s really delightful.’Amber: So Amanda Craig explains that she thinks the magical power of the Harry Potter books is down to the exciting stories or plots – every book is like a detective story or thriller. And this is why adults like the books; this is why adults have ‘got on to’ them, why they have become interested in them. And the books make the magical seem real – as real as Tottenham Court Road - a busy road of shops and cafes in central London! And they make the real world seem magical – that is clever isn’t it?Amber: JK Rowling is also often praised for being a very cinematic writer which is why her books make wonderful films. But she’s probably most respected for encouraging so many millions of young people to read fiction. She’s made them interested in it; she’s ‘turned them on to’ reading. And so now, reading is ‘cooler’ – it’s much more fashionable than it was. She’s stopped reading from being ‘killed off’ by computer games and she’s ‘paved the way’, she’s prepared the way, for another great children’s writer! Try to catch his name.Amanda Craig: ‘I think a lot more children have been turned on to reading and reading has become a lot cooler than it was. It was real danger of just being killed off by game boxes and computers and I think – yes! – and she’s paved the way for another really great children’s writer which is Phillip Pullman, who has it all, I think!’Amber: So if you’ve enjoyed the Harry Potter books, try reading Philip Pullman’s stories. Loads of adults think they’re brilliant too! Start with ‘His Dark Materials’… Now let’s recap the language we focussed on. fantasy – a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical events to be down to something – to be the result of something irresistible – overpowering cooler – more fashionable to be killed off – to be ended paved the way – prepared the way More entertainment news stories and language explanations next time at bbclearningenglish.com

1. What is the text about?
The text talk about a criticise of a Harry Potter book.

2. Do we know how many books were sold at midnight the day it was published?
12 millions

3. Who is Amanda Craig?
She is a book critic.

4. How is "fantasy" described?
Like a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical events.

5. Which two things explain the popularity of the book?
That the author doesn´t believ in antasy and the change of style.

6. Why JK Rowling books make wonderful films?
Because JK Rowling is also often praised for being a very cinematic writer which is why her books make wonderful films.

7. Why is JKR more respected?
Because so many millions of young people to read fiction. She’s made them interested in it; she’s ‘turned them on to’ reading. And so now, reading is ‘cooler’ – it’s much more fashionable than it was.

8. Who is Phillip Pullman?
He´s a children writer.