practice: short essay

Nowdays, modern teenagers are strongly bad influenced by social networks, high standards and their companies. Unfortunately, this situation is present in the life of many young people. Having a clean environment, enough living space and a happy childhood can help them to have a better way of life. In the opposite case, this would be the main reason of their bad habits and behaviour. The main solution for that great number of youngsters that have a bad way of life is communication and education, so that they can feel completely understood by the people around them and happy with themselves.

    Broadly speaking, many teenagers spend their spare time smoking and drinking with their friends instead of talking or doing any other activities with them. This is a tragedy because they are making themselves worse than they are. Sometimes, these bad habits cause the deterioration of their studies, which provokes at the same time having a bad future due to the lack of work, the economical crisis and the high standards of the job market.

    From my point of view, this situation should be changed. The first step may be making the youth aware of the psychological and phisical problems that involves these bad habits. There could be special events in order to promote this ideas. Information is the best weapon to fight this problem. Next, they should realize that there are lots of ways to have fun when going out with friends. A few examples might be travelling, listening to music, watching a film or any television series, playing video games or practicing any team sport.

    Nevertheless, their own problems such as falling out with a loved one, thight money, family or couple's arguments, bad marks or not be entirely understood could affect their mood. In this case, a good tip could be talking about this problems, trying to eat healthy and, specially, doing sport (because of the liberations of hormones). They have to use their spare time doing things that make them happy and entertained.

    To sum up, it is necessary to say that we should encourage the youth to break their bad habits by investing in health promotion. The main items to finish with this situation are information and willpower. Thus, as society as young people with this attitude have to solve this problem.

Je suis Charlie

Exam

Task: Write a short Problem/Solution essay (around 250 words) about any issue you consider worth analysing.

"Mens sana in corpore sano". These Plato's famous words can be considered ones of the most truthful words, especially nowdays. In the current society,  it is possible to see that many people exercises too much while others have an absolutely sedentary life. Both ways of life have the blame of the main health diseases of the First world: obessity, feeding problems and drugs.

It is noteworthy to say that the sedentary lifestyle is more and more present. People do not have enough time to do exercise or practice any sport. In addition, the great majority of them combie this with a bad alimentation, full of junk food, chocolate, coffee and fats. If we add people who smoke or/and drink alcohol, the result is the pattern of the unhealthy society of today: the classical "homo sapiens" from the twenty-first century. Nevertheless, doing exercise in excess, as the culturists do, is not a solution.

I would also like to highlight how the Goverment pretends to have stopped this dangerous situation, but, in practice, it has not achieved any change. Thus, my own thoughts are that one possible solution could be the key for all the problems: Education. If we taught the children and the youth in general about the health problems that appear when your alimentation and habits are not the appropiate ones, in the future they would not make the same erros that we actually do.

In a nutshell, it is curious how some little changes can make us live longer and better. If we solved the actual problems of obessity, sedentarism, alcoholism and smoking, our lifes could be healthier and even happier. Moreover, hundreds of deaths could be avoided. Thus, I recommend paying more attention to Education and being aware of the consequences of our acts. An utopia like this is possible.

Exam

Task: Write a short Opinion essay (around 250 words) positioning yourself against something  most people agree (but you do not).

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become acts. Watch your acts, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. What we think, we become". When Margaret Thatcher said this, she probably was not thinking about video games, but it is curious how it has to be with them. This is because the majority of video games makes us feel, act and, especially, think. They make us better, but, normally, it is almost impossible to find agreement about this issue. Nevertheless, although most people agree in the belief that video games make you more violent, far from doing that, they provide you with useful and interesting information, in addition to improve your creativity and your reflectes.

First and fonemost, we can find a great variety of video games. Many of them have historical, philosophical, geographical, psychological, ideological and sentimental content. Others reflect or develop stories that have to do with literature. The main point is that all of them make us feel the experiences of their characters as if they were yours. They are like interactive books in which you can decide where to go and what to do. Another advantage is that it needs lots of work in the creation of a single video game. Thus, video games provide you with knowledge and feelings in spite of violence.

It is also noteworthy to mention that playing video games  can improve your imagination, creativity and reflectes. Depending on their type, the benefits that we obtain playing are not the same. For instance, there are strategical ones, where we only trust your intellect. In other video games, you can design buildings and decorate them. Also, your hability to think and actquickly can save you from the game over.

In a nutshell, we have to think by ourselves and ignore what people say, in many cases, with no information about the topic. It is necessary to study the advantages that we receive as a gift just for having fun and playing. Furthermore, the variety let you explore what you like and, from that point, start with this exciting amusement. Enjoying them and learning from them too is the evidence that those people wo told you "violent" (or something worse) for playing them were wrong. Be intelligent and you will be awarded.

Exam

Task: Write an outline for an essay. Include a thesis statement, supporting ideas and details.

I. Tobbaco should not be allowed in our society.

II. It is a drug.
     A. It is addictive.
     B. It is dangerous for our health.
          1. Its addiction makes us consume more and more cigarettes, so you waste more and more money.
          2. It can provoke many diseases, such as cancer, heart problems and damage in our lungs, our teeth and our lips.

III. Its advertising is directed to all kind of public, including children and young people (especially in the past, when it was not controlled).
     A. In many cases, it includes "hidden messages".
     B. It sounds healthy and elegant despite the diseases it causes.
          1. It tries to manipulate people.
          2. It makes the children see that smoking is funny. An example of this is the chocolate cigarettes that were sold in the past.
 IV. The Goverment manipulates people by this way in order to earn money.
     A. Its methods are dangerous for us.
     B. Politcians are paid in order to makebetter policies.
          1.  Adverts are everywhere: television, the newspaper, the radio, etc.
          2. Cigarettes are too expensive, and they are more dangerous and addictive than the original tobbaco.

V. Conclusion. Nowdays, in theory, the society warn people about the diseases caused by smoking, and there are smoker areas in places such as restaurants or bars. Nevertheless, in practice, its price still being high and it is not forbidden. Thus, as a result, the tobbaco industry is a business very lucrative despite the fact that it is dangerous.

Education nowdays

     As Plato said, “The direction in which Education starts a man will determine his future in life”. This is due to the fact that it is one of the most important things in our lives. It makes the difference when you have to earn a living and when you socialise. Education also provides you culture and basic skills which allow you grow intellectually. For all this reasons, it is necessary to help parents and teachers to raise and educate the children in the current society. They do all what they can, but, sometimes, it is not enough.

     Education is a complicated topic. From nursery school to secondary school and, in many cases, higher education, students are doing exams, studying for them...but it does not mind if they are hard-working people or original under-achiever. They pass long hours hearing that they do not study enough, or that their behaviour is the worst that they have ever seen. This is one of the things that I personally loathe of our educational system. It is sad because in general all the people are well educated by their family and teachers, but when this happens, anyone can lose the encouragement.

     Another fact to keep in mind is that sometimes Education do not only depens on parents and teachers. In many cases, a bad education is a result of the lack of interest of the person, or the cutback of the budget in Education by the Goverment. At the same time, the first reason can be caused by personal problems, and, the second one, by the economical crisis, the bad governance and corruption. Another fact are the high prices of getting a degree or the difficulties at the time of finding a job as a consequence of unemployment. In addition, when you submit an application, there is too much pression because there are extremely qualified people. Then, some applicants get depressed and stop studying.

     As a conclussion, I think that parents and teachers are raising and educating the youth in the right way nowadays. There are some exceptions, but, in general, his work is excellent. Furthermore, it is necessary to remember all the difficulties that they suffer because of the problems of the current society, such as the economical and emotional crisis. Thus, the Goverment should help them instead of making their work even more difficult (which is what they are already doing). Also, the students should make an effor and do our best.

My name is Shadow-short story

From time immemorial, I have followed everything. From the most insignificant piece or rock or fallen leaf to the greatest, most "evolutionated" living being: humans. Everything acts having an objective, a goal. Plants and trees, for example, look for the sunlight and the water, the things that they need for living; so animals do, and mankind is not an exception. 

I could have focussed on any other item of the existence, but these individuals made me think as any other thing since their beginning. Their intelligence made them like a kind of gods of nature. They burn, steal, catch, pollute, kill and assault everything they want, but, at the same time, they love and take care of many things. They are contradictory, as well as different from each other. They fight and kill among them because of silly reasons. See the war, that disgusting typical human habit. They are selfish and ambitious. Ones have special beliefs and others no. Many are extremists, but, despite their influence, others are not like that and, what is more, they are open minded and try to share the best of them with everyone. Their hate and envy can provoke devastating effects on them, but, over and avove that, I can claim that love is more powerful. It can change a person without limit. It is the best aspect of mankind. Love means understanding, affection, attraction, empathy. Love is care about that special one as something natural, without reward. The reward is his or her company. 

Nevertheless, this special empathy and relation can make us suffer as anything lived before, and, if it ends, it is the worst torture. It is curious, oh, the love. It can create a monster or the best living being under the Sun. There are many ways of love (familiar, frienship, couple...), but the main point is that is the world's engine. So, despite all the bad things of the human kind, there is something worthwhile.

My name is Shadow, and through this long time, I have seen horrible things. Fatal events. I am traumatised. The balance among Bad and Good is very weak. 

Well-behave people is overwhelmed by the bad ones. Big bosses cannot satisfy their greed. They want natural resources but they do not care about global warming, deforestation and endangered animals. They want a great show, and they kill animals or ignore their famous intelligence. If they want money, they will not care the cost. This last aspect is the most dangerous because money is the worst human invention even created. It has caused even slavery and the end of many civilizations. An example? Colonialism.

Never trust a human, because thy are the most unstable and unpredictable race among the others. Every person is different from any other. They are special. Their natural goal of survival has kept on evolutioning on every era. Now, they do not only want to stay alive as the rest of the animal kind do. They need culture, love, ideas, but also goods and cash. Consumerism is an evidence of that. In countless painful cases, their hands are blood stained because of their purposes.

Always on a second plane, I am the most wise existence. I have analized and learned too many things about your world. Natural laws, historical events, psichology, philosophy... Do not underestimate me, and not only me, but everything that you do not pay attention but is like an undiscovered land full of treasures...or danger... Have a nice trip, traveller, and try not to get lost on your way home. It will be full of risks, but I am certain that you will arrive there. Better or worse? That only depens on you. Nevertheless, remember: if you go alone, you may go faster, but, if you go accompanied, you will go further.