Sweet as sugar

SELECTIVITAT WRITING: Think of a profession that is dying out, for example a shepherd or a farmer. Write a dialogue with one of the last shepherds / farmers in your country. Talk about their way of life now and before.

Josep lives in the small village of Vilasacra and he is a farmer. Today we are going to talk with him in order to know some of the characteristics of his job.

- Good morning Josep.
- Hello.
- Why have you chosen to be a farmer?
- Well, I think it’s a matter of family. My father is a farmer, my grandpa was a farmer and also his father.
- Then, do you believe your son will continue the tradition?
- I don’t think so! He is only worried about cars and computers and he doesn’t want to know anything about the farm, like most of the teenagers.
- And why do you think this is happening?
- Probably because it’s a hard job, it needs a lot of hours and you work far from the city and people. It’s difficult to bear it if you aren’t used to that lifestyle.
- Thank you very much for your attention, Josep. Good bye.
- You are welcome. Bye.

MISTAKES:

Never use personal information in Selectivitat Exams.

Wellcome - Welcome

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Toxic friends

SELECTIVITAT WRITING: 1- Write about the influence of psychologists on our society. Are they well considered? Could they be the answer to our psychological necessities?

Psychologists play a very important role in our society. Their job is very helpful for persons who need somebody to advise them or a listener for their problems, but therapies don’t solve all of the psychological necessities.

On the one hand, psychologists are highly useful to give support to persons who have had a bad experience like the death of a relative or a rape.

On the other hand, there are some situations where the psychologist decides something which could be good for the person, but he could also be wrong and destroy one life. On example of this case happens when a marriage wants to improve the relationship but the story finishes with a divorce.

Because of these reasons, psychologists are very important in many situations, but sometimes they can’t do anything to help others.

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Sarah's presentation

Sarah is from Scotland. She came to Spain four years ago in order to improve her language and her culture. She stayed some time in Catalunya, in Empuriabrava, and she had been our teacher for some time. Now, she has come here some days and she has visited us, making a “presentation” of one hour in class, explaining some of her experiences in Scotland and in Spain, giving us some advices. In fact, it has been a listening of an English native during one hour.

First of all, Sarah has introduced herself. She was born in a small family and she is the only child. Some of her hobbies are to travel or to ski (she is still a beginner), and she is an ex-football player (she stopped playing because she injured herself).

After that, she has asked if we knew some things about the UK, like the countries (Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and the main capitals (Edinburgh, London, Cardiff and Belfast). We told her that we had visited London and she said that it is an international city and we should try to visit other places like Scotland, which would be a very different experience. More than five million persons live in Scotland and most of the places are country sides, there aren’t many large cities. Some of the most famous Scottish important figures are Sean Connery, Alex Fergusson or Andy Murray. Gaelic is one of the languages which are spoken in Scotland, although it isn’t taught in schools. There, the weather is very cold, rainy. It rains in July an In August (she has said that here we have an amazing summer).

About her personal experience, Sarah came here because it was part of her university course, it’s compulsory go to study abroad. During her stay in Spain, Sarah worked in a hotel in Empuriabrava and, after that, she returned to Glasgow to finish her degree.

Then, she came here again and she got a job in Murcia as a language assistant. Now she is working in a private academy called Shamrock and her boss is from Ireland. She is very happy because this job gives her free time in weekends. According to her opinion, to be a teacher is not easy, but it has some advantages.

As an advice to finish her visit, she has recommended us to visit a country, to participate in an Erasmus, to stay with native persons and to have a very good time.

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"Bike tour"

This month, like every year, takes place the “Volta Ciclista”, a bicycle race, in Catalunya. Maybe it’s not as much important as the “Tour” of France or the “Giro” of Italia, which will be celebrated after the Volta, but it’s also a very important event. Sometimes, it is considered as a training for the following competition. It has been celebrated since 1911 (apart from some occasions). This is the edition number 88 and some of its good points of this race are the weather and its acceptance. It covers Catalunya, the Costa Daurada, the Costa Brava and the Pirineus, amongst other places, finishing in Barcelona. It is special because people can get closer to riders than in the Tour.

New words and expressions learnt:

Staged – dividit en etapes
Warm up – escalfament
Renowned – de renom
Time trial – proba cronometrada
Week-long – que dura una setmana
Foothills – peu de la muntanya
Hosted – ser la seu, l’anfitrió
Frenzy – frenesí

Article from Resident newspaper, May 2008, written by Rosie Free.

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